What happens when you let a rural Canadian Redneck loose in Los Angeles for a few days?
Nothing good I assure you.
Sure I sweet talked Donald Sutherland as he stood before me in the security line and cooed over my radiant beauty (okay, he said I was cute. I may be using some artistic license here,) while he fondled my tattoos (okay so maybe fondle is too strong of a word. Perhaps he merely glanced down and commented that he liked them,) hence distracting him with my sparkling personality so much so he forgot to take the coins out of his pocket and the three foot long Samurai sword he had tucked in the back of his pants thereby landing him straight into the Do Not Pass Go Line in airport Security as they snapped the rubber gloves on and cackled maniacally.
I got to meet Donald Sutherland. While admittedly, he isn’t quite as sexy as his son Kiefer, he is a Canadian icon worthy of immediate texting and bragging to my husband.
I’m sure Donald Sutherland probably wishes he spent a little less time talking flirting with me after he was bent over by an rather large security officer with a sincere lack of humour.
And this was the high point of my trip. It only got lower from there.
The trip started out on a somber note, as I prepared to face my own nightmarish demons and little boy ghost as I attended the beautiful goodbye celebration my friends held for their baby daughter. I knew this trip wasn’t going to be a boat load of tickles and giggles but I totally underestimated just how shat-tastic my karmic adventures could go.
(I no longer believe in karma by the way. I use to like to sprinkle pixie dust and rainbow glitter  where ever I went believing that karmic purity will find it’s way back to me eventually.  But then the Universe confused all my joyous glittery karmic goodness with that of a festering, pus leaking boil and repaid my karmic intentions with a slap upside the head and a boot up the arse. A big waggling middle finger to you Karmic Universe. I renounce you.)
Ahem.
First there was the car accident. Oh ya. This is what happens when a Canadian redneck is set loose upon American traffic, more specifically the 405. Let’s just saying the traffic on a Yankee freeway is decidedly different than driving on a dusty gravel back road dodging a few moose and white tail deer.
What the hell is up with those damn red light thingymajigs on the exit ramp as you merge onto the highway? Why can’t you be more like Canadians who simply slap up a yield sign which is promptly ignored as we gun it and cut off any and all oncoming traffic? That’s half the fun of merging. Counting the number of birds flipped at you and listening to the melodic harmonies of horns blaring.
Really. You Yanks suck the fun out of everything.
After a slight fender bender (oh okay, fine. There was no fender left. Nor a front end. Let’s just say the piddly ass rental car I was in crumpled like an egg being hurled at a brick wall) I then got an up close and personal lesson with Southern California Highway police. Nice uniforms by the way. I, personally, would have chose a colour other than khaki, perhaps a festive purple because purple makes everyone smile but hey, to each their own.
A big friendly Canadian hello to a certain Officer Carter who not only didn’t ticket us after playing bumper cars during rush hour but also graciously spoke on my cell phone to give the rental company accurate directions to where the remains of our car lay littered over the freeway and where I happened to be strolling along side traffic pretending to be an exotic hooker with a limp.
Then came my trip to the LAX, where I anxiously waited to fly home and away from freaky traffic lights, six lane freeways and rental cars resembling crumpled Easter eggs. Wherein I met the aforementioned Donald Sutherland.
I then promptly had to go pee from the excitement of the moment. (Don’t judge me people. I’ve squeezed out three nine pound babies.) Shortly after exiting the washroom, my traveling buddy and doppelganger Mr. Lady was robbed of her passport and boarding pass by a lunatic with grey hair and teal sneakers.
You know what happens when a passport gets swiped in the departing lounge of LAX? Picture total lockdown and armed guards rushing around with M16′s. Well, okay, maybe that only happened in my head. What really happened was Mr. Lady broke down in the ugly cry and I ran to vomit in the nearest sink because oh my hell, Mr. Lady is a freaking American hiding out in Canada and the nearest thing I have to a next door neighbour and Canada WON’T LET HER BACK IN!
As they were leading Mr. Lady down to the dungeon below to torture and rape her file a police report, a security officer grabbed my elbow and lead me kicking and screaming to my gate. There is nothing quite like being perp walked down an airport runway because some silly over anxious American security officer is worried I’ll make a run for it and try and smuggle my doppelganger across the border.
Then to add insult to injury, as the plane was taxiing down the runway and catching the wind beneath it’s wings (sorry, I couldn’t resist) I felt something funny down in my lady bits.Â
Oh for Gawd sake, Mother Freaking Nature decided to knock on my door a few days early and deposit Aunt Flo on my door step like some unwanted relative. Great. Getting up and hobbling to the bathroom while managing to knock two dudes in the back of the head with my gigantic purse I discover the loo is out of business.Â
When I finally manage to waddle off the plane with a roll of toilet paper shoved down my pants, I actually considered kissing my beloved Canadian soil. But I was a little worried about bending over at that point. So I drove to my parents house to pick up my beloved dogs before being reunited with my children.
Imagine my surprise to find my darling little puppy has morphed into a woman in my absence. Poor little Nixon the World’s Greatest Dog, Ever. looked on in horror as he watched the free sex show his room mate was putting on.
I raced out of my truck when I drove up because I saw my poor sweet baby was being raped. By her DADDY. Yelling at the horny dogs proved fruitless as they were stuck together. I raced inside and tearfully explained to my father that his dog Rupert was raping my dog, his daughter, and I really didn’t want Rupert to be my dog’s baby daddy as well as their grandfather.
“Well, what do you want me to do about it?” my dad chuckled.
“Um, I don’t know, stop your dog from impregnating my dog!” I yelled back.
“Toss some cold water on them and they’ll go their separate ways,” he helpfully responded.
Thinking this was a brilliant solution, I grabbed the dog dish filled with water and ran outside where I dumped it on the two dogs.Â
“Oh great. Now I have two wet dogs humping madly. Why don’t I just provide some lube and turn on some Barry White for them while they’re at it,” I moaned as my dad just about fell over from laughter.
After fruitless efforts of trying to coax the dogs apart – including actually picking up my dog only to have her daddy firmly stay where he was implanted and just sort of dangle behind her (bastard wasn’t letting go no matter what) I eventually just gave up, sat down and waited for them to finish up.
I am now the proud owner of one dog impregnated with what is most likely to be two headed babies. Free to the first ones who ask, y’all.Â
My trip to America couldn’t have ended on any other note, I thought to myself as I finally sat down in my own house, on my own couch. It was like insult to injury with each step I made on my way home. You might think America was punishing me for leaving. Or entering. Either way, it felt like I was getting boot f*cked.
Thank goodness that’s all over, I thought to myself as I grabbed my laptop to tweet about my two headed puppies to be and how Karma really kicked my ass over the past two days.
Right then I opened my laptop to discover it died a mysterious death while I was busy terrorizing the USA.
It was the icing on a miserable cake from start to finish. So I did the only thing I could to make myself feel better. I opened up a box of wine and broke out the cheese spray and crackers.
It was good to be home. America hates me. And Karma really is a bitch.







Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 11:27
So sorry about the horrible trip. The 405 is a nightmare and they should not be allowed to rent little cars in LA. They don’t have enough acceleration to survive the freeways.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 11:42
I wish I could share the SOUND of me reading your blog. I think you almost killed me. I have a horrible chest cold right now. Anyway I laughed so hard I coughed up a lung.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 13:32
It’s wonderful that you came in person to support them.. perhaps, on this trip, you took enough shit for everyone else so they wouldn’t have to right now. You are a truly wonderful friend.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 13:53
It’s because you went to Southern California.. you have to stick to Northern California – I swear, we’re a lot nicer up here.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 14:03
Holy shit,woman. What’s that about Murphy’s law? Please videotape the birth of the puppy. Must.see.it.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 14:19
next trip to the USA visit (LA) Lower Alabama. merging with tractors is much easier and we are also the redneck capital of the world. ain’t no karma bullshit down here.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 15:02
I am laughing so hard right now that I have tears running down my cheeks. Oh you poor thing!!!! I promise Tx is better than LA!
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 15:37
The part with Rupert reminds me of that Willie Nelson song “I’m my own grandpa.” Heh. Heh heh.
I’m sorry we didn’t treat you kindly here in LA. Maybe next time you’re here it’ll be under happier circumstances and the trip will be filled with rainbows and butterflies.
Or at least Kiefer Sutherland.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 16:51
Come on down to West Virginia my Canadian friend! WE are the hillbilly capital of the world!
God bless you and your trip to the U S of A!
I was worried you were never coming back, I waited so long for a new post.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 17:04
I wondered why I was seeing California on the Iowa news…Tanis Has Landed was the headline but I surely thought it wasn’t you.
Did you make money whilst you were limping?
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 17:23
Damn, I was totally going to call dibs on the two-headed puppy…I’m always too late.
If you do end up with one – Karma has to be the name!
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 17:29
… I thought that was you on the local news
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 17:39
You, me and a box of wine – forget the west coast, you have an American friend near Washington, DC who will always pop open a box of the finest vino whenever anyone visits.
Sorry you had such a craptastic trip when all you were doing was going there to be a Friend. Sigh.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 17:55
too bad there wasn’t a movie camera going except for the REAL part this comedy is gold.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 18:02
Oh jesus. Donald Sutherland will never be the same and thank you – I know the circumstances sucked, but thank you for this story. My day is complete.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 18:07
Ye Gads.
I’m an American and now you have me scared TO DEATH to drive in LA this weekend.
sheesh.
Tanis, we should all be such great writers and expressers of our lives (yep, that made total sense.)
You are an amazing woman, writer, friend, person and I look forward to being groped by you again, at BlogHer.
Happiness and rainbows and glittery stuff from our South Texas home to yours, up there.. waaaaaaaaaaaaay up there in all your Canuckedness
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 18:08
America does NOT hate you, I pinky promise! Glad you are home safe and sound after a difficult trip.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 18:23
Oh lordy lordy lordy lady, I want to open a bottle of wine on your behalf. But something tells me alcohol plus antibiotics plus no husband home to help me with the kids is a bad combination. I’m drunk with you in spirit.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 18:57
OMG you poor thing! I’m really trying to empathize with you here, but I just can’t due to frequent burst of uncontrollable laughter!
I have no clue about Cali’s 405, but if it’s anything like I-90, I-94, or Hell . . . any other interstate highway around Chicago, I can totally feel your pain.
I even blogged about the road rage here. I’d take a few moose and white-tailed deer any day over these narcissistic arses! We have the stop lights on the entrance ramps, too. They are supposedly for traffic control, but I say the potholes should take care of that, no problem.
As for your precious little fur baby’s, at least you can take solace in the fact that she wasn’t tied with Bullwinkle!
)~
Hope today is better,
Angela
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 19:20
Awwww, honey, America loves you! Just next time when you come down our way, prayfully under better circumstances, come on out here to the east coast. We drive just like you do, and here in PA, we dodge white tail deer and the native pothole.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 19:50
OMG I am tired just reading that….
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 21:39
I wish I had something witty and comforting to say. I almost peed my pants laughing – does that help? Hee.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 21:54
tanis you should know better – you cannot judge america by california. i lived there. i KNOW. and yes, those stupid lights are the worst idea ever.
i’m sorry your trip sucked even more than expected. next time will be better! unless of course you’re now on some watch-out-she’s-a-crazy-foreigner list and doomed forever. and if that’s the case, i can’t wait to read about it.
Tuesday, 21 April, 2009 at 23:28
Ugh, sounds like hell. But at least it made good blog fodder. Only you, woman. Only you.
Loved chatting with you, you are a kick in the
pantshead. Wish we all could have partied under better circumstances… but it was still good to see you.<3T.
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009 at 9:46
And finally, The Donor has come to the dark side.
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009 at 10:15
ROFL that’s hilarious! I hope your dog isn’t pregnant, ewww lol. I had rabbits like that…not cute babies at all, they lied and said that it was two sisters…not a brother and a sister. GAH!
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009 at 11:29
I am so glad to see you back! I kept checking in and worrying about you. I have only read your blog for a bit but I was struck by your writings. Take care and know that someone cares.
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009 at 12:24
rad. cheese spray and crackers. now i wants some. and a box of wine. i hear they have a rather large selection of wine boxes (boxes of wine?) at target.
cheese spray and crackers… hellz yeah.
oh, and the 405 sucks BALLZ. i can’t imagine how you got going fast enough to hit anyone. it’s usually a parking lot.
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009 at 14:56
Still in tears about your doggie’s baby’s daddy being her daddy!! But I’m from Texas, so it’s a pretty clear visual and a way-too-often occurrence down there. With dogs, too.
And not that it’s any consolation, but damn, girl, you just made me feel so much better. I was just posting about our recent trip back to Texas, and had only gotten through Day 1 — aka, The Day That Wouldn’t End, but would now gladly redo my day 100 times over than step into your karmic payback.
Wednesday, 22 April, 2009 at 18:50
Bahhh! Spay the dog! No more puppies – and no more rapes. Both should be fixed but, at least one.
Don’t let LA scare you away from driving in America, most places don’t have the stupid stop light ramps (even in the busiest places, because stopping and then speeding up DOESN’T WORK).
When I go to Ontario (in the past, often for hockey games, I live in SE Michigan) I would always get frustrated because the traffic signals are in different positions from the ones in MI – on the other side of the intersection from what we’re used to. The 401 always scared me because so many semi accidents occured late at night.
But I’m totally okay with 696 around Detroit, which is like a NASCAR race, you get passed if you go 80. LOL
Friday, 24 April, 2009 at 5:46
I feel so bad laughing at your expense, but I am busting a gut here. Just got back from LA, and the 405 really does suck, although IMO, not as badly as the 401 in Toronto. I’d have been more excited about meeting one of those CHiP’s than Donald Sutherland…and I second the purple.
Monday, 27 April, 2009 at 20:56
I may not be the first to tell you this but you actually won’t need to worry about the pending puppies being freaks of nature. It is luckily still okay for the daddy to impregnate the daughter or the son the mother for that matter. Gross and twisted by human standards, YES, but still okay in the doggy world. Just keep her away from any of her brothers and you’ll be okay.
Oh, and that “stuck together” thing? There really is nothing you can do about it. It’s called being tied and you really do just have to wait until the uh, swelling goes down enough for them to part ways.
Good luck with your pups! and try not to hold it against her.
Tuesday, 28 April, 2009 at 19:55
Kind of makes me not want to go to Canada; who knows what the USofA will do to me when I get back!
Thursday, 7 May, 2009 at 2:55
Oh Em Effing Gee.
The 405 just isn’t meant for folk who weren’t raised on it. One of us blogosphereians will drive you next time! (I haven’t been to LA in over 6 years, but I *learned* to drive there.)
& metering lights kinda suck, but the slow-down that would occur without them? Even worse. Really.
Too much brutality. I can see why Karma is no longer subscribed to by you. Poor puppy!
But at least Donald liked your tattoos.