YMCA Metro Central

I have been in the hunt for a regular gym lately, and I happened to walk by the YMCA (20 Grosvenor St, map)  on my way to work.  Tonight I decided to take a look.


At the front counter, the very nice young lady informed me that as it was my first time there, I would get a complimentary day pass (score!  It would have been $15).  She commented on my CA driver's license, saying that I'll be surprised by the cold, asked me some personal information, and brought me to the other main desk where I got my towel and lock.  First observation:  these are some of the friendliest people I've met here.


This was the first time in a YMCA since I was a small child, and I was surprised at how nice everything was.  All the furnishings seemed new, the building was modern, the equipment was in great shape.  Are they all this nice?  There was one of those dressing room mirrors in the men's locker room.  Seriously?  And soap dispensers next to all the showers.  Also, the lockers actually closed.  


I'm mostly a swimmer, so I spent all my time in the pool.  Another thing about Canada (as I was kindly reminded by the lifeguard) is that people swim clockwise, as opposed to the US, where I've always swam counterclockwise (like we drive).  This messed up my flip turns in all sorts of ways, and I kept bumping into the lane.  It's the stupid stuff like this that's always the hardest to get used to.  And of course, you can't beat California outdoor pools, and the water in this one was murkier than I would have liked.


All things considered, it might almost be worth the 60$ or so a month for a membership here, as it is one of the nicest gym facilities that I've been to.  Then again, my experience has been almost exclusively H.S. and University gyms.  If I wasn't able to get such a sweet deal at the gym at the University, I would definitely come here.

Canada's National Drink

I've been in Toronto for almost 2 months now (coming up this weekend), and one thing that's welcomed me is the chain known as Tim Hortons  (founded by the eponymous hockey star).  It's the Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts of Canada; there's one on every corner, tucked away into subway stops, in malls, everywhere.  And, as I quickly learned, at Tim Hortons, there is a unique way of ordering coffee.

Size: Small, Medium, Large

Sugar/Cream:  Since they do this part for you, you must specify what quantities to add.  The default is "regular", which I usually go for.  Not too sweet and not too creamy.  If you want double the sugar and cream, that's called a "Double Double."  I suppose if you want 3x that, you would go for a "Triple Triple."  Otherwise you specify in exact amounts "Two sugar one cream," etc.

Photo courtesy of psychopoedia.

This being said, the most popular combination (determined by my statistically rigorous methodology) is a Medium Double Double.  Sitting in a given Food Court you will see Torontonians left and right clutching their medium creamy sugary caffeinated hot beverages.  I've tried a regular double double before- it was quite tasty.  One of these days I will attempt a Medium Double Double.  Then I will proceed to set my desk on fire.

In L.A. and other parts of the western US there is a chain called In-N-Out burger.  Like Tim Hortons, it's pretty popular and well known.  Also like Tim Hortons, there is an ordering code (which I won't go into too much detail here, except to say that my Dad enjoys his burgers "Protein Style" and I am a fan of the Neopolitan milkshake).  At In-N-Out, however, the phrase "Double-Double" refers to a burger with two meat patties and two slices of cheese.  If you wanted 3 meat patties and cheese, you would call it a "Triple Triple" and anything above that, a 4x4, 5x5, etc.  A delicious bovine matrix, if you will, and fodder for all manner of fratty food competitions.

I'm thinking a Double Double sounds about right for the first thing I'll eat the next time I'm in LA.

Introduction

This is a blog about a guy from Los Angeles and his experiences in Toronto.
LAX and YYZ are the airport codes for Los Angeles International Airport and the Toronto Pearson International Airport, respectively.