Call us the Griswolds ...

We took a day trip Friday to beautiful Toronto. Ah, what a relaxing trip ....

Yeah, right.

The ride up was flawless. We stopped at Ikea to look around. My wife wanted some coat rack type thing for the mudroom. We found one that would work really well ... and at a real good price. When we went to the bin to pick it up, it was a different product in the bin. So we went back upstairs to check the coat rack to make sure we wrote the right number. We did. They were just out of 'em. So we left with nothing ... well, we did eat dinner there, actually. Pretty good.

Then we headed to China Town. Found a great parking ramp right on Spadina in the heart of China Town. As we reached the street, it started to pour, so we jumped in a shop and wandered around. I was already sick, so the rain surely wasn't going to help.

After a while, the rain subsided and we walked around China Town and then headed to a really cool market we had been to before ... except, it was a different market than the one we had been to before ... and it wasn't cool at all. Oh well, a quick walk down Dundas over to University and we'd grab some coffee. That went well. Timmy Ho's. Timbits, too.

Then down University all the way to the waterfront where we watched some cool ethnic festival. It was a multi-ethnic festival, in fact ... and very cool. They had some trinket stands and the kids got some cool things. Another cup of coffee and we hopped a trolley back to our car.

I'm not sure if you've ever had your car broken into, but the feeling sucks. Like the bottom drops out of your stomach. That's what I felt upon seeing the rear drivers-side window smashed and all our stuff scattered about the front seat. A note from security said they had found the broken windshield, but didn't know if anything was missing. Fortunately, it wasn't ... but it still sucked. Actually, it was almost humorous. Our Sirius Satellite Radio was on the front seat ... but the thug left it. Obviously just looking for cash to support a habit.

So we leave Toronto with a broken window ... and head back to Lockport, planning to stop somewhere for a bite on the way. Hopefully pizza.

Boston Pizza called out to us from off the 403. We got off. Found the place. Parked. Went in. Looked at the menus. Decided. Kids and wife went to the bathroom. Came back. Waited. Left. Never ordered. Never got drinks. Never saw a friggin waitress after 15 minutes ... and they weren't even busy.

Got back on the 403. Tried to find another pizza place. Finally a Pizza Pizza ... except it was closed. We ate and Wendy's ... and quickly jumped back on the 403. And continued towards the border ... of Michigan.

We got ... and I'm not exaggerating here ... half way to Michigan ... before realizing we had missed a turn ... right around the time we got off for the Boston Pizza that we didn't eat at.

Round about 2 a.m., we arrived back at the Ranch. Having left Toronto around 9. Still hungry, wet and cold ... and with a smashed window.

Can't wait to see what our Boston adventure will be like ...