According to Hockey, A People’s History (which John and I watched religiously but are too cheap to purchase the DVD box set) Tim Horton was trying to subsidized his meager hockey earnings by becoming an entrepreneur. He worked for Conn Smythe’s [wiki] cement company before starting up his own burger joints and eventually the donut shops which became a staple of Canadian culture [wiki] .
We were talking with Bradley (yes, name drop, don’t you feel special now?) on the weekend about how prevalent Tim Horton’s are back East. He said they even have different products including the rumoured “Gretzky”. We all know a Double Double is two sugars, two creams[CBC], but the fabled “Gretzky” is nine of each [wiki].
But the Tim Ho specialty I’m missing right now is the bread bowl. I got some gift certificates for my birthday so I’ve been pumped with coffee for about 3 days now. At lunch I ran down to get some chili, which is accompanied by garlic bread, which will have to suffice for now. I’ve told John about the commercials for a while, since sometimes I’ll just blurt it out in every day conversation but I really do want to say, with merit, “…and then I ate the bowl!” (followed by cheesy laughter).
It’s something everyone West of Thunder Bay has come to accept, Toronto is the centre of the Canadian universe.
We scoff at the CBC and their disregard for Western programming and hockey coverage, federal politicians have long-before snubbed those on this side of the Rockies and let’s face it, they get all the good shopping, and recognition from other nations as being representative of Canada as a whole.
Nowadays it seems as though this image presented by arrogant residents of the ‘big stinky‘ city is becoming a trait most associated with Vancouverites [mbv].
But we’re supposed to hate and make fun of Torontonians, aren’t we?
My company’s head office is in Toronto and it’s pretty much a microcosm of Canadian society. All the big rules are made out there and we don’t know about them until they’re put into affect, after which all of us realize they’re completely useless and probably only serve those in the head office. A co-worker of mine came out here for a visit. He kept referring to the body of water in Coal Harbor as “the lake” and was surprised at the “city” we appear to have. Yes, real buildings, not tree forts.
The funny thing is, Torontonians don’t seem to care. Although we only see the Leafs once a year in NHL action, Canucks fans have the utmost hatred for the boys in blue and white. It’s comparable to Red Sox vs Yankees and Michigan vs Ohio State. But I’m starting to think it’s pretty much a one-way street.
In recent years, the despise for Toronto seems to have faded out here. Many are moving to Vancouver to set up shop, study and work and the other night at GM Place there was a healthy representation of Leafs fans. They’re becoming one of us and we’re becoming… something else.
Photo credit:
mg on Flickr
It seems like Vancouver, much younger than more established and history-rich cities in Eastern Canada, has finally found its footing. Hollywood North, 2010 Olympics, diversity, fashion, cuisine, it all looks good on paper but we could just be becoming just as superficial as our old rivals.
With popularity comes more attention, positive and negative. We always knew our city was great but now that everyone else is starting to recognize this as well, we’re looking in the mirror a little more often. During a conversation with a friend, he mentioned how our ‘multicultural diversity’ is turning into a front for tourist brochures when in fact, we’re seriously lacking in that area (and that’s just the tip of the iceberg).
Toronto may still be the centre of the (Canadian) universe but the fact is, we’re catching up, in good ways and bad.
Sweet, sweet number 16.
Dave is a healthy scratch for this recording as the rest of us gathered together to record another episode. We lost the streak against the Wild, but the Leafs were our next victims as the Canucks took them down on Hockey Day in Canada over the weekend.
Record as of this episode: 25-19-1
Northwest Division: 2nd
Western Conference: 7th
There was a lot to chat about even though there hasn’t been much action since the last episode. We take a look at some of the younger guys on the team, review some of the ways that we celebrated Hockey Day in each of our own special ways, why it should be a national holiday, wander down the scheduling trail again, and dissect the NHL All-Star Game selections a little bit. J.J also drops some bombs at the end of the episode with some injury reports, and we all agree that nothing else matters since we spanked the Leafs, 6-1, on national TV, no less.
Also, look for another episode this week, but this one will break the normal TCC mold. Rebecca and John brought some recording gear to watch the game at GM Place between the Leafs and Canucks. That episode will be released in the next few days.
When I think of gyms and fitness clubs I get shivers, and I also think about that Friends episode where Chandler and Ross want to “quit the gym”… and end up “quitting the bank”. Overpriced, filled with spandex-clad ‘roid monkeys and Lululemon-loving yoga bunnies the gym can be a scary place.
I had a 3 month pass to Fitness World about 3 years ago. After a couple weeks the novelty wore off and I was just too tired to get up and drive to the gym after work – it seemed like such a hassle. Yeah, lazy, I know. I’ve done cardio kickboxing and 5km runs at 6am but nothing seems to leave me coming back for more. So like a bagillion other people, I’m going to start working out this New Year but I’ll try a different approach.
Yoga would be good for me since I’m pretty high strung at times (spazzy, stressy, high blood pressure, the works) and I could use the workout combined with chilling out but it’s just not my cup of tea. and I just wouldn’t fit in. I’m going to try a different route. Not just because it’s within walking distance from my place, it’s also extremely inexpensive compared to most other options, and lord knows we’re frugal.
So while John continues his conditioning and running during the day, I’m going to give this other option a try for 1 month. I’m not going to disclose where or what it is, you know just for personal/safety purposes. I’ll post updates now n’ then since this place may not be the gem my expectations have built it up to be, and we’ll see how I’m feeling after 4 weeks.
Every now n’ then John will make a post about what he’s listening to [audihertz], linking to various podcasts. He listens to far more than me, but when we head out to New West on the weekends I plug my headphones into his iPod and we both listen to whatever he’s got on his playlist that week. Recently, he’s had a couple episodes of This American Life with Ira Glass [ThisLife]. I have to say, I am becoming a fan of the radio talk show style and its theatre of the mind.
This summer I was hooked [Ms604] on Theory of Everything podcast with Benjamin Walker [TOEradio] his storytelling is mesmerizing and the tales he spins are both preposterous and entertaining. I think that’s where this all started, although if I really want to reach back a couple years, I suppose my liking for the genre began when I used to listen to John’s earlier RadioZoom podcasts.
These guys have such great voices and delivery, not to mention the content is intriguing, humorous and compelling. A recent episode of This American Life talked about reruns. One of the acts was about how married couples hear the same stories hundreds of times throughout their relationship (so true). The latest episode we caught was themed ‘it seemed like a good idea at the time’. Stories from all walks of life, told in such a captivating way.
For more of what I am listening to check out the podcast links on my sidebar.
