Elmo - I am a bit jealous.

As for the Grip... I have one on my 7D (which is about the same size as the 5D II), and I really like the feel of it and auxilary controls. It rarely comes off. However, with the Canon grip there is one problem I have noticed - the base plate that the quick disconnect attaches to is a little flimsy. I noticed that the mount does flex a bit. Basically, you could have a real stiff ball mount and tripod, then the base of the camera grip flexes and throws all that expensive stiff gear out the window. So when I am doing something that I am worried about vibration or movement, then I remove the grip and mount directly to the camera bottom or I have to be real careful. I do not know if anyone else has the same problem, but it is the one thing I do not like and it makes it seem a little cheap.