Rain and Hot Chocolate..

Hmm..peeked your interest with my title, did I? I mean, most of you KNOW that chocolate wouldn't be something I would take the time to write about, especially because I hate the stuff. Well, would you believe that my day yesterday included some? Got ya really on the edge of your seat now, don't I? Let me tell you the story of my Friday..which actually started on Thursday! Thurs. evening, after I had a dragon boat practice, I worked a night shift. Normal, right? I got off at 6:30am so I could get a half hour start on my trip to Surrey to stand in line for the passport office. I was a little worried that I wouldn't know which building was the right one, but confident I'd find it! Well, I certainly had no problems finding it! Turned onto the street and all I saw was HUNDREDS of umbrellas lined up around the block! Oh, my heart dropped! That was one heck of a line up! I actually thought about just driving right by and doing it later, but my common sense reminded me that I'm flying international in a month and couldn't procrastinate any longer. **sigh** Time to find a parking space. So, I parked underground and had to take an elevator up to get to the line up. So, as I'm riding in the elevator, I read a sign (I'm a very good reader!) and it says to get to the passport office, get in the next elevator and go to the 9th floor. Hey, that's pretty easy..and besides, I bet there's no line INSIDE! So, I try and sneak up to the 9th floor, but you need a security card to swipe in the elevator to make it go, so says the kind strangers, and then they told me I could go up only AFTER I stood in line first! lol Oh well, I tried! So, my little hike to the back of the line began. I actually saw someone I know about 50 people ahead of where I was standing, but she didn't invite me to cut in line! Nice person, huh?? Anyhow, it's 7:20am, already windy and pouring (good thing my car came with an umbrella!) and I'm trying to figure out my umbrella. Yes, trying to figure it out! I've never bought one, and therefore rarely used one! Oh, and when I was finally able to close the darn thing, it took me another 5 min. to figure out how to do that! So, there I am surrounded by a bunch of strangers, and I walk to the back and ask the person who's right in front of me "Is this the line up for the Canucks tickets??" Well, he started laughing and I made friends with him and the 3 or 4 other poor souls in the same situation as I. I was quickly shivering and soaked, but was in a better place than other people around me with no umbrella and wearing only jeans and jean jackets. The wind was brutal, and I had to use the umbrella side ways to keep the rain off the top half of my body. We ended up being in line outside for 7 hours straight before we advanced to the 1 1/2 hour line up inside the office. Luckily, because of my sparkling personality..hehe..I became fast friends with some people well enough to trust each other enough to hold spots in line so we could go inside, use the bathroom, warm up (loved the hand dryers..ahh..) get something to eat or something warm to drink. What does all of this have to do with Chocolate, you might ask? First time I went inside, I needed something hot to drink, but didn't want to have tea or coffee because they make me pee every 5-10 min. Not something I wanted to do to myself standing in a line up for an entire day. So, the only other thing I could get that would not have that affect on me, would be to drink something I don't like. Yup, you guessed it. Hot Chocolate. And first gulp burned my tongue off, so I didn't really have to taste it all that much as I finished it! It was still icky though. And my tongue still hurts. So, never again! Anyhow, I am happy to say that by 4pm yesterday, I was walking out of the passport office with my ticket saying I could pick it up in 2 weeks! Now..off to home to eat and then to Chilliwack for a dragon boat team meeting..ya, I was up for about 32 hours straight..and I'm sure the meeting went poorly, thanks to my frame of mind. But, also thanks to my frame of mind, I don't remember much of it! HA! Oh did I mention I woke up this afternoon (after 13 hours..ahh..) with the muscles in my right fore arm all seized up thanks to gripping an umbrella all day..oi! Obviously, my body's not used to it!