I’ve likened my return home to a popular chip tracking system for lost pets, HomeAgain. Sometimes, I wish that getting home was actually that easy. However, I was safely back in my own bed following yesterday’s grueling seven and a half hour drive back from Vancouver, British Columbia. Holiday traffic was heavy and there was a lengthy wait at the border. Sometimes it’s good to be ignorant and impatient, but more often than not it gets you in trouble. In this case, as we were approaching U. S. Customs there were signs indicating a 90 minute wait and endless lines, with the exception of the empty NEXUS line. I’d driven by 100 cars or more in that lane with no escape, realizing that I didn’t have the proper credentials. There were poles keeping me from switching lanes, but at the last minute the dividers ended and there was a break in the line so I quickly moved into the proper lane. In the process, I probably easily saved an hour or more of waiting. We then got a bit nervous as the detection dogs began to hover and sniff around our car, but in reality they were just smelling our dogs and all went smoothly.

I do know now that NEXUS is similar to the TSA-Precheck or Trusted Traveler programs for those crossing the Canada-US border on a regular basis. It would have been embarrassing had they sent us to the back of the line or arrested me for line-jumping. In this case, it was good to be dumb! The last time I crossed the Mexican or Canadian border it was usually a short wait for a driver’s license check. Forty years ago, I crossed from Windsor, Canada into Detroit on foot as part of the Detroit Free Press International Marathon. I was not carrying any identification except a race number. Times have changed.

For some reason, this venture into Canada was very stressful rather than relaxing. It required border and ferry crossings on a tight schedule, hours of driving, and dog-friendly accommodations. My wife was also struggling with work-related issues, that added to my restlessness. I shouldn’t have too many worries being retired, but I sometimes think that I manufacture stress since it’s always been a powerful motivator in my life. It’s healthier to live without it, but for me it’s a necessary evil. With this in mind, when we left the house last week, my back was really sore, even after several trips to the chiropractor. By the time we returned, the stiffness was gone, causing me to think that these problems were mainly stress related. I do have an acupuncture appointment scheduled this week that should further relieve the pain and stiffness that I’ve been experiencing.

It’s good to be “Home Again,” although it’s only temporary. On Friday, we hop on a plane to San Francisco for three days with my wife’s youngest daughter and her fiance. We’ll return again at the end of August for the wedding. In the meantime, we have plans to go to Steamboat, Colorado for my birthday, but my wife may need to come back early for a corporate meeting. It just adds some stress, as I try to make changes to a restricted fare. Oh, my aching back!

 

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