There is a coffee shop in Canada called Tim Horton’s (Tim’s for short) that is ubiquitous with hockey families. Often, you will find a Tim’s near a rink, especially older arenas. Actually, there are Tim’s everywhere in the city, including near schools, churches and on every street corner.
I’m currently sitting in such a Tim’s on this snowy, Sunday night.
I don’t really want to be here, but there is a high school across the street where my 12yo has off-season baseball practice till 9pm(ish).
Last Sunday I sat in the gym on the very uncomfortable bleachers for two hours.
I decided the Tim’s would be a bit more comfortable tonight. I even managed to score a half-decent, somewhat comfortable chair to sit in.
The coffee in this place is…slosh. I mean, I drink it, it’s ok, but I know decent coffee when I taste it and Tim’s is…slosh. Trust me on this. 😀
Anyway, I’m drinking decaf tea. I forgot to ask for milk but I actually like the taste without, as it turns out, so no harm done.
Before we left for practice I was watching No Country for Old Men. Woody Harrelson’s character was, um, discussing things with the psycho murderer… And then something happened (no spoilers, don’t worry) and I had to leave.
It’s kind of an interesting movie, albeit quite brutal, but then I used to be a Walking Dead gal so bring it on…
May have to pull up that movie another time when I’m not running around chauffeuring kids so I can watch the entire thing.
Anyway… I was going to bitch about Tim’s. 😀 Not the shop, but the patrons. Because – every freaking time I go to Tim’s, the customer ahead of me places a enormous order which flusters the cashier and there is always a debate about sold-out donuts and, and, and…
Why do these things always happen to me? I stand in line 12 minutes to place a 15 second order for a hot beverage…
Sigh
So of course this happened tonight, as well. Guy finally took his 17 bags full of crappy pastries and a tray of slosh and left. Ugh.
But as the picture shows you above, I did get my tea and I’m sitting here killing time for 2 hours.
Except, these two old Italian men came over to asked if they can join me. 😛 Don’t worry, nothing illicit going on. They are less interested in me than they were of the chairs. 😉
Added note: guy next to me asked me if his buddies could join him. They are old, obese, and want to be comfortable. I am no longer sitting in the comfy chair. (I offered to leave.) 😐
Bonus: they don’t know that I took their picture and hurled them into the internet. 😂
No Country For Old Men is amazing! I’ve watched that movie so many times, the whole feel of it is almost a comfort to me.
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Bookmarked to watch it again. 🙂
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I love posts like this. You were able to capture a little slice of life. Find a way to keep this if you can. You’ll love it in 20 years. 🙂
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It’s all in the story telling, isn’t it. 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to comment. 💙
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Aw, I am sorry you had to give up your comfy chair, but that circle of old men chatting at Tim’s warms my heart. I grow increasingly concerned as I age about what my husband is going to do in retirement – there are many articles out there about how men’s friendships are not the same as women’s, and they often fizzle away if they aren’t actively doing something in common together, like working. But this gives me hope!
Also: this is by far the nicest Tim’s I’ve ever seen.
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It was a newer, more modern one in a ritzier part of town. In some locations, there’s fireplaces!
Yeah, the mens’ circle thing gave me pause too. I kept thinking maybe the wives enjoy a bit of alone time while the husbands go off to their weekly Tim’s socializing. Perhaps they’re the ones who set the whole thing in motion. 🙂
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I always assumed Tim Horton’s was Canada’s version of Starbucks. Doesn’t sound like I’m too far off the mark…
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No. No. No. It’s a much more fast-food-ish joint. I mean, it has its moments… but it’s more economical for the families and fixed-income types to go to Tim’s than Starbucks.
Picture a Trophy Mom. She will go to Starbucks but never Tim’s.
Having said that, if Tim Horton exists in the States (does it?) it may look and taste different. I don’t know…
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Ahh, gotcha. There aren’t any Tim Hortons in the states that I’m aware of. Maybe the closest we’ve got is Dunkin’ Donuts.
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Yes. We have/had those here too so yes, very similar.
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I’ve sat in coffee shops before, and watched the behaviour of people like those old men. I used to think they were just randomly picking out somewhere to sit – but as time has gone on, I’ve realised that some people actively do this – where somebody will arrive first, take a seat in the middle of a group, and then their friend will arrive, and they will make the person that was sat there first uncomfortable – and then the rest arrive – and the person that was originally there ends up moving. One time I was in starbucks, and a group took over half the seating – around people that were already sitting there – and carried on their conversation over them…
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Well I get it…old guys hanging together in a coffee shop (instead of in a bar getting sloshed…)
It may be noteworthy that there were plenty of empty tables all around. But, I wasn’t up for a debate or justification. And ultimately, I would have had to pee anyway and would have lost my seat. 😂
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So true! – we have SO MANY other better coffee places around…yet, Tim’s seems to be the go-to for some reason!
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Be thankful that you are too young to join the club. Every Tims, Golden Arches , a&w, Burger King etc has regulars plus age 65 daily. It’s a good thing, they visit with buds and aren’t boozing or gambling out of loneliness.
Nice of you to let them have their regular spots. 👍
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Is that what it was? Their regular spot? I had an inkling it might be…
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Can’t beLieve they stole your seat…😉
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The way he did it was weird…first it was just him. Then a buddy showed up. Buddy left. After a while he was shifting around in his chair. I’m sitting next to him, blogging, minding my own business. Some more men show up…he turns to me and says in that heavy Italian accent “my friends are coming, they want to sit with me”…
I didn’t bother getting into it. lordy. I let them have the seat and moved to a table.
But I SHOULD have moved WITH my seat. Let them sit on a normal chair. 🙄
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Exactly…😉
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Thought I guess they made you an offer you didn’t want to refuse
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I am glad it is not Starbucks. I find them very depressing. Cute mom and pops are different, mostly.
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Starbucks does make tastier coffee but they are expensive. There’s a mom and pop shop walking distance from my house, a local Japanese family owns it, they make the best coffee. Maybe I’ll go there today!
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That is funny: a Japanese family making the best coffee. I have conferences this week with the students and my nearest option is Starbucks. I have to gear up for the price and the order. Or maybe just bring my own coffee in a mug.
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I think our opinions on Tim’s are very similar. Sometimes it is just about the only option however. 🙂
I hear you about the line ups. The last time I was there with my son we used one of the machine things to order and it still took a while but we had our stuff before the line even moved.
One guy must have ordered remotely ahead of time because he waltzed in and barely sat down and his order was ready. I was like what the…?! Lol
We got the snow here in Ottawa too.
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I haven’t seen too many screen options at Tim’s but the McDonalds has one. I do see the mobile pickups though…they’re everywhere.
Anyway I’m drinking home made coffee now and enjoy it so much more. 🙂
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You’re a better person than me. There’s a good chance that I’d have told the elderly men that I was waiting for someone.
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What if they were the mafia? Lol 😂
What I *should* have done is take my chair with me. 😛
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That would work as well 😉
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I’m with you on Tim’s coffee. We only recently got Tim’s near me and I still can’t work out what the fuss is about. I wonder if those old guys have pulled that stunt before? Also when you write while you’re waiting for your kids do you write on your phone or do you take your laptop with you? Random question but I’m interested 🙂
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I don’t bother with the laptop. I also don’t usually wile away in coffee shops during practices. If there’s a grocery store nearby I try to get errands done so I can write at home during the day instead of shopping. 🙂
But mobile won’t activate the comments. It took me half hour and a change to the admin window to adjust things and make it work. But usually I write on mobile and publish later at home on the laptop.
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I like your thinking!
Ahh! So frustrating when the app doesn’t do what you want it to. I know what you mean. I quite often end up writing/publishing between the mobile and the laptop too.
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You got the last laugh.
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It was a pretty slick drive north of the city. I hope you got home okay with no white knuckle moments.
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I had to shovel the car out of the Tim’s parking lot to drive back to the high school to get my kid at 9. Ugh.
Better now than in April I guess…
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I dislike Tim’s coffee…its so bitter. I used to get their soup occasionally because it was close to work but seldom go into Tim’s now. It doesn’t seem like real food to me, just processed stuff.
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I can handle it but it’s more the kids that want the excessively sugary treats. Sometimes at early games Tim’s coffee is better than rink snack bar coffee…
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Tim’s after dark is depressing. I agree about the coffee. Swill to me, too.
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