Saturday

Doing It East Coast Canadian Style - Toronto

Mavs/Nash Trip #9
February 24th - February 28th

Quantum Entanglement is a property of quantum mechanical state of system containing two or more objects where the objects that make up the system are linked in a way that one cannot describe.

I think about this theory from time to time. I always had an appreciation of science as a kid while maintaining a consistent loathing of science fair projects. Before this  basketball season started, I thought about changing up my usual trip. I felt things had become a little too predictable and a little too expected. Then there it was on the schedule - a Suns/Mavs back to back in Toronto. 

Most scientists would rather apply their theories to atoms and not humans. However, I think it would be cool to be a scientific philosopher. And in my eyes, Quantum Entanglement simply means “going with the flow” and not second guessing everything or looking for the all answers. Maybe that’s why I hated science projects. They’re always looking for the answer to the unknown. But where’s the fun in figuring out all the variables? Sometimes things are as they should be.

As I'm flying in the air on my way to Toronto, the NBA trade deadline is coming to an end, and I have no idea of what is going on. All I know is that Steve better be in Toronto when I wake up Friday morning and the Mavs better be the same as I left them Wednesday night. I was worried for a little bit about that rumors regarding Steve, but then I realized that the Sun's owner likes money and there's no money without Steve. Plus, his coach is his ally and if you trade him, Alvin Gentry would be so sad and depressed that he would stop showing up for practices and then all of a sudden Avery Johnson would be named the new coach of their team.  So I figure nothing is going to happen.

On the plane, I got to watch the Parks and Recreation with Detlef Schrempf again. Leslie Knope is my new television role model. She is cute, smart, funny and a great problem solver. Plus, she has a picture of Larry Bird framed in her office. I would only substitute this picture for me.

A few things to recommend when visiting Toronto so far.
1. If you're staying downtown, use the airport express bus. It's a nice, cushy bus with free wi-fi that drops off at nine different locations. Taking a taxi round trip would cost you almost $100 (no kidding). Round trip on the airport express bus is $36.
2. Looking at this view from the condo I rented on airbnb.com is priceless. Hotels were starting around $200 a night with all the taxes here. For less than $100 a night, I got a spacious 700 square feet place downtown with a kitchen near the Air Canada Centre and Union Station.


3. Bags don't fly free to Canada. Sad face.

I've never seen a frozen lake before. Frozen or not a walk by the water is always peaceful. I love the crunching sound the snow makes when you step on it and the feel of my shoes when they make an imprint on the surface. I saw ducks frolicking in the cold water and heard the sound of my nemesis - The Canadian Seagull.


I made myself French toast with strawberries for dinner because when you are on vacation, you can do things like that. However, I forgot to pick up syrup - one of the most Canadian things ever - from the grocery store. I'm blaming that on being distracted by the chip aisle, which contained Onion Ring and Ketchup Doritos (not separate flavors, but mixed together on one chip). 

My first basketball game featured Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. This season I have seen approximately 34 minutes of Steve Nash basketball. This will not do. I witnessed a non-competitive game pretty much from the start, which meant no Steve returning at the 7 or 6 minute mark in the 4th quarter. I don't even care if he doesn't score a lot. You should have seen some of his passes. A guy in front of me was yelling for the Raptors to play defense. Dear Sir, once a Steve Nash Pick and Roll is set in motion, the odds of you stopping it are stacked up against you. He's like a human drawing compass. He places the ball in a perfect spot for his teammates to have the best shot possible. Or maybe he's a basketball architect. Anyways, I'm taking this free hat back to the States in consolation that I had to suffer through a blow out game.


Today was a day of should of, could of, would of. I should have used my subway map instead of my printed directions, and I wouldn't have lost my sense of direction in the snowy 29-degree weather. I could of gone to a hockey game tonight, but tickets were sold out and the thought of watching two dudes punch each other in the face during a fight was a serious turnoff. I would of gone to Niagara Falls; however, my tour was canceled last evening due to the weather. Instead I went to Around Again - a vinyl record store and picked up an Art Blakely album and highlight of my day - going to the TIFF museum's Tim Burton exhibit. Drawings, claymation dolls, script ideas and more were on display. They had Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands costume along with one of his scissor hand gloves. The man is beyond talented. Sometimes I wish he would do an original movie from a woman's point of view. They are always the unsung heroes of his films especially in The Corpse Bride and Nightmare Before Christmas. He could keep the dynamic of the misunderstood, brooding man who meets and exceeds challenges the same, but make the woman the protagonist. Because let's face it, The Corpse Bride made Victor into the man he became and saved his life (literally and figuratively). Um, a horn just went off outside my window. I think the Maple Leafs just scored.



Every morning that I've waken up, there has been more snow on the ground than the night before. Dallas Michelle when reading the current temperature is 32 degrees would lock herself in her apartment, bundle up in her Snuggie and not leave even to check the mail. Toronto Michelle sees 32 degrees and decides it is warm enough to walk around town. There's things you can't see in the city if you take the subway all the time - the snow-covered sights, the street art in Chinatown and the ridiculously good-looking people of Toronto. Do facials, salon visits and super cool snow boots come with the free health care plan? If so, I'm writing my congressperson.



I went to a vintage store called Courage My Love. I'm guessing I was in the hippie-ish part of town because an Indian man said "Namaste" as I walked by. I picked up this recycled blanket sweater which I think I'm going to wear backwards as a long tunic with a skirt.


My Mavs game was interesting. In the 1st quarter, they were actually down 22 to 3. However, I knew patience was in order because they had a game last night, arrived in Toronto at 3am and had an early start time of 6pm today. Gradually, they found their way back and ended up winning by 18 points. Dirk finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds. (I feel like I should write nice things about Dirk, but trust me, I say them all the time.) Reading the box score you wouldn't know how impressive this win was. They had to be drained mentally and physically. And they toughed it out just like this Texas girl did in the Toronto snow.



Next up definitely a beach vacation and hopefully a Mavs championship.



Some Canadians and a German walk into a Playlist...
Rumor Has It - Adele
Blues Run The Game - Laura Marling
May This Be Love - Jimi Hendrix
The Piano Duet - from the Corpse Bride
Did It On’em - Nicki Minaj
Fancy - Drake*
Fancy Footwork - Chromeo*
American Music - Violent Femmes*
Good Arms vs. Bad Arms - Frightened Rabbit

* denotes Canadian artist
^ denotes German artist

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