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The past month has seen our Canexican Temple clan logging some impressive air miles and BCAA international travel points. Starting in Tofino, BC nearly three weeks ago, we loaded up the truck and tore off for Vancouver, a city that at the time suffered from full-on Olympic pre-game jitters. The lack of snow was the talk of the town, cherry blossoms and rhododendron blooming while helicopters whizzed by overhead, dropping snow from colder territories onto black bears wandering down barren ski runs in search of post-hibernation snacks. Traffic was a mess thanks to security street closures, the ferries from Vancouver Island to the mainland had three sailing waits, and don't even get me started about the security at the airports, where TSA gunmen were stationed at every turn, nervously reaching for their tasers.
The entire province seemed to be holding a large and nervous breath of air in. "Will Osama Bin Laden show up disguised as an especially tall Chinese short track speed skater?", "Will Al Gore be leading a mob of PETA and global warming whack jobs screaming 'FREE THE BEAVER!' and 'WE ARE TO BLAME FOR THE LACK OF SNOW, CALL ME YOU'RE CLIMATE CHANGING WHORE!!!' " Such were the questions put forth in hushed and cautious conversation over Chai Latte's in downtown coffee shops. The Olympics were looming, and Homeland Security was tight.
It's time to get the hell out of dodge when Canadians start getting nervous, i thought, VIVA MEXICO, and beyond!
It was waaaaay too early in the morning when we finally made it to Vancouver International airport after a long night of battling for hotel rooms with members of the IOC. Kalum's skateboard nearly caused us to miss our flight as we were detained by one especially hopped up badge jockey in US customs after check-in.
US Customs officer to me: "What's that your son is carrying strapped to his backpack?"
"It's a skateboard."
Customs officer to Kalum: "Are you planning on skateboarding on the plane son?"
Kalum eyes me nervously, i shake my eyes back and forth, hoping he gets the message.
"Ummm...no?"
"Then why didn't you check the skateboard at the airline counter?"
Kalum, age ten, begins to unravel...
"I...ahhhh....ummmm....", nervously sweating now, "Dad?"
Me to the customs agent: "Look, it's just a skateboard..."
Customs agent reaches for his taser: "Sir, don't take that tone of voice with me, i KNOW it's a skateboard, i was asking your son what his intentions are with that piece of equipment aboard the aircraft."
And so on it went for five tense minutes while we argued back and forth about the possibility of Kalum taking down a Boeing 737 with a street deck. "If i could only come behind that counter and pistol whip your ass..." i kept thinking, secretly hoping that US customs didn't have a machine back there that could read my thoughts - YET.
Finally we were allowed to board the aircraft and continue on to Mexico, obvious terror threat averted.
Once the tires patched the tarmac in PV things got a lot better in a hurry. For starters, it was 85 degrees and sunny. We tore off our winter clothes right there in the parking lot, loaded up on Modelo's and headed straight for Casa de Casas, the boss' opulent waterfront estate.
It didn't take us long to hit the surf, the ranch, or the marina in the next few days. By the time we finished up with Jeffries, and caught a boatload of tunas, we were well into Mexico mode, sun burned, and happy. The surf kept pumping and with five days off before the boss and his entourage showed up it was time to spend some quality family time for a change.
Between surf sessions and horse back riding we managed to keep the kids up to date with their school work, and as the 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies started we found ourselves glued to the TV nightly either watching events or catching up on highlights. Ironically Casa de Casas (www.casadecasas.com) is outfitted with Canadian satellite TV, so we were properly informed with trustworthy Canuck coverage!
While we were slightly embarrassed by the somewhat corny opening ceremonies, i mean - when's the last time you saw a fluorescent pink and green dancing Indian ANYWHERE? let alone in Canada?, we couldn't help but swell with pride as an entire nation embraced the games and shared the magnificent diversity that is Canada with the world. We do apologize for Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado's pathetic duo during the opening ceremony however, that was just LAME i don't care where you're from.
As the days ticked by the swell kept pumping, the medal count continued to rise, and i think it's safe to say that all the athletes, both in Canada and Mexico, were having trouble lifting their arms at the end of the day.
By the time the boss showed up we were ready to do some fishing again, my arms in dire need of a break from surfing anyway. Ryan and Animal had the Maximo shined up and ready to go, and i was eager to try Herk's tuna tube and transom bait tank instillation.
With absolutely flat calm seas we headed out to our beloved island group and it wasn't long before the killing began once again. I have to say that after a mediocre summer where our typical blue and black marlin fishing failed to turn-on, this winter's tuna bonanza has sure made up for summer doldrums.
Fish leapt from the water on mirror-calm seas for tens of miles in all directions. After a couple of hours of pulling on fish the kids decided it was time to put away the rods and pull out the surf boards, opting to wake surf than bait fish. I can't tell you how many calls i took over the radio about what we were up to.
"Uhhhhh...Jaytee?" Danny's voice over channel 18. "What da hell are yew up to mang? Cambio..."
"Wake surfing Danny, it's my new tuna technique!"
"Jew are surfing in da middle of all dos tunas amigo?"
"Yup! We like to head 65 miles offshore into the middle of giant tuna schools to keep our technique in shape amigo. The tunas leaping out of the water in the wake keep us sharp!"
Herk chimes in on the radio: "HA! What's next?!?!?! Tell the boss he'd better invest in a parasail!"
At that point i looked down at the scene. Colin Casas and Kalum Temple on opposite sides of the wake doing turns as the Maximo sped through 50 - 150# tuna at 12 knots.
Kristin, the boss' wife looks up at me and says, "HEY JT! Know why we are surfing through tunas?!?!?!?!"
I shrug.
"BECAUSE WE CAN!!!!"
Touche...
The rest of the trip was filled with the kind of typical Mexican shenanigans that we've all grown to love. Massive feasts at the Casa, days filled with surfing and boating, and much needed quality time with friends and family around the pool. It's times like this that remind some of us that hours and hours at the office eventually pay off. And it's times like this that remind some of us why we'll never spend an hour at the office at all. Either way, you appreciate those moments, and collectively wish that they'd never wear off.
After two and a half weeks of fun in the sun it was finally time to head back to the motherland. We arrived in Vancouver to a changed city, and a much more relaxed atmosphere. It's amazing what a few gold medals will do for a country's stress level.
We decided that the now full-blown festivities were too good to miss and opted to meet our friend Janice in Vancouver for a few days of Olympic madness at it's best. The Canadians were facing off against the Russians later that night, so we made our way downtown, convinced that if we were going to do it, we were going to do it right.
Spontaneous national anthems and high-fiving were rampant. The entire city awash with red and white, flags flew from every orifice, mothers holding toddlers aloft in a sea of patriotism screaming -
"DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT!!!! MY BABY JUST SAID HIS FIRST WORD!!! 'GOOOOOOAAAAAL!!!!' "
or
"DAADAAAA....CA-NA-DAADAAA!!!!"
Oooohhhs and Ahhhhs rising up from the crowd.
After the win that night against the Russians it was chaos. You couldn't go five feet without someone hugging or high-fiving you. The country was united, people from all walks of life filled the streets of Vancouver and celebrated together. East Indians hugging Muslims, strange Chinese writing in restaurant windows making more sense than it ever had before. From street people to first nations, Koreans to caucasians, dogs and cats living together, "OOOHHHHH CAAAANAAADAAAAAAA!" the rhythm of the night.
We partied late into the night with about three million of our closest friends downtown. Robson square was an orgy of live music, strong Canadian beer, beautiful women, and light shows. The kids absolutely shell shocked after ten years in Mexico, finally understanding where Dad gets his seemingly Herculean ability to party from. It's in the genes amigos, we're bred to burn the house down around here.
By the next afternoon we had to jump on a ferry and start making our way back to Tofino, still buzzing from the night before and already looking forward to the weekend and the final gold medal game between Canada and our bitter rivals, the heathen US team.
Momentum was on our side, and believe you me when i say that enthusiasm was running high.
We made it back to the island safe and sound and loaded up one of the family boats and headed upcountry to the wilderness resort where my daughter keeps her horse. Boat or float plane access only, it was a strange choice of location to watch the final game, but when you're in this part of the world remote camps and satellite hockey is just part of the every day equation. We roared upcoast to the outpost and joined our small community of friends for one hell of an afternoon of Canadianism.
By the third period i think i speak for everyone when i say even the horses had hemorrhoids. But when the red light went on in overtime and the stubborn silence erupted, well folks, i don't care who you are it just doesn't get any better than that. Congratulations to all the Olympic athletes, and in particular the Canadian hockey teams.
Despite our tans, our shivering bodies, or our sandy toes beneath several layers of fleece and wool, we were proud to be Canadian right along with them. Twenty million people screaming "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" as Crosby wristed a shot through Miller's seemingly impenetrable goal. It was a moment that many of us will always remember. Despite the fact that we may be Canexican, i know i speak for one family when i say that Canada will always be home.
On the way back to town from camp we decided to do a little jigging. Kalum, Janice, and Cath all scoring supper with some nice cod, i broke my back pulling crab traps galore. Later that night we enjoyed the closing ceremonies, feasted on fresh February seafood, and savored the sweet, unforgettable flavor of gold.
Congrats to Canada for setting a new overall Olympic record with 14 gold medals, and to all the athletes for putting on one hell of a show.
See you in four more years, amigos!
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Originally Posted by Hard Core
