Mmm Bacon

 I love bacon, honestly who doesn’t? Certain religions, some silly ones like vegetarians, and vegans, or those that refuse to eat red meat (even though bacon is technically a white meat). But Canadian bacon is a breed of its own. So delicious its like heaven coating your palate as you bite in and enjoy this delectable treat. 

While in Toronto I was able to enjoy some treats I haven’t had in a long time or ever had on some occasions, Canadian bacon was just one of those beloved dishes I haven’t had in a while.  At the Brownstone Café, I was able to have a Gluten Free pizza, that was good, although not spectacular. The pizza was far too doughy (which is a surprise for gluten free) and the portion was ridiculously large with ridiculously little topping.

At heart I love a good cocktail and after reading on the in flight magazine a group of us decided to make a stop at the black hoof cocktail bar. My personal taste profile highlights smokey and strong drinks based primarily around Cognac, whiskey, brandy, bourbon and rye. So here I graced my lips with their Boulevardier.  I enjoyed it, but it was far from the list of my favourite cocktails, the long lingering finish left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.

A few days later we decided to indulge in the renowned “Bar chef”.  It is easy to walk by this establishment and not bat an eye as from street view there is little more than a black door and curtained windows. Once inside this speakeasy, the ambiance is beautiful and whispers in your ear of a good time. In a class of its own their house infused bitters, syrups and liquor speak to the dedication to a cocktail. Opting for a seat at the bar we were promptly greeted by the bartender with menus as he returned back to shaking. We chose the bar to watch the artists on their easel and it was certainly worth the experience. Both of us enjoyed our drinks, my self diving into a Symphony #5 which consists of gin, vanilla cognac, dill bitters, rosemary syrup, a chartreuse rinse and a orange blossom spritz.  

Caught in a landslide

Though escape from reality open your eyes, look up to the skies and see! All right so my Freddy Mercury voice isn’t up to standard but we all knew that going in. One my favourite channels on YouTube “epic rap battles of history” just released one of Freddy vs Frank Sinatra, well worth tuning into.

Back on the plane to Calgary, after having a whirlwind of ideas to write about I didn’t find the time to write at all. From the insane number of hipsters found in Parkdale, to the excitement of my Riders laying the smack down on the argos and a few very delightful cocktails, this brief trip was fun and productive. I will try of course to do my best to keep on topic. 

 

Keeping with my plans to shed that final little bit of fat for Korea, I have been busting ass at the gym. Continuing to train at Reebok Crossfit Liberty Village, the owner Jordan has been great and welcoming, which is always something that encourages you to return to a new facility. Unfortunately there was another coach there that was cold and much less inviting, he made the place feel like a Gold’s, World Health Club or any other of those type of operations.  Here is a sample of another workout courtesy of Derek at 2110.

A1. Clean & Press 5/5/5/5/5

A2. Burpees 20/20/20/20/20  Rest = 0

B1. Incline BP 10/10/10

B2. DB BO Row 8e/8e/8e Rest= 60 sec

C1. Hammer Curl 10e/10e/10e

C2. Close Grip Pushup M/M/M

C3. Full Sit up 20/20/20

D1. Row 2000m

Also while I was in Toronto I made my rounds of the agencies, looking for opportunity following my Korean adventure. Under the advice of my mother agent (Sophia Models International) we contacted and I met with several of the top agencies in the Toronto.

1.     Sutherland Models

2.     Next Model Management

3.     Ford Models

4.     B and M Model Management

All the agencies were very positive about my potential in the Toronto market, just about everyone saying that the Harlequinn Romance would be on lockdown.  Each agency has something slightly different to offer but all share the same clients. When the time comes to decide on whom I would like to sign with it will come down to how comfortable I am with the director and the bookers and their ability to get me work. Without directly speaking about each agency I can say that there were a few that were welcoming and encouraging while some were less than eager to take a few minutes out of a slow day to meet with me. 

Every Jump! Jump! Jump!

Jump at opportunity that it. Currently 37 000 ft up, I plan to take advantage of every opportunity I can during this trip to Toronto. It’s been a significant amount of time since I last visit the centre of the universe. Last time I was here for an extended period of time was actually the same time Kris Kross was popular.

After a hectic day of running around getting more things set for Korea, I look forward to a new set of scenery.  Also it really shows the necessity to be prepared for International travel; 3 weeks away I am making all efforts to have my ducks in a row and my departure to occur without a hitch. The Korean Consulate in Vancouver had me running around the city today, as the next week will be a wash. Fill out Visa Application Get money order for $30 (which costs another $7.50 to get done)  Passport type photo (fortunately I had some mugshot type photos from my last Visa application kicking around)  Prepaid postage to and from passport office. And of course I had to get some new snapshots for the Korean agency and a couple videos as a sharp-dressed man.

With yesterdays workout behind my rest today was greatly appreciated by my hamstrings, as they prepare for further insanity.  With the coming weeks I have changed the style of my workouts to be more focused on HIIT (High intensity interval training). These types of workouts have been well documented for both increasing your cardio vascular endurance and the ever-desired fat burn. For those that are sensitive about these issues please turn back.

Just about everyone I have met (there are a few exceptions) has mentioned or asked “how do I burn fat?”. Well HIIT is certainly up there on the list. Utilizing big muscle groups you bring your heart rate to near max (sometimes actually exceeding the textbook max) then following that with short periods of rest to bring your heart rate down. These exercises maximize your body’s production of heat. Since calories literally burn to provide energy, heat is one of the by products. At higher intensities you will see and feel a much higher level of heat produced.

I am also excited, as I will be trying out the New ReebokCrossfit Liberty Village in Toronto. After firing off an email to them and receiving a prompt reply from the owner, things are looking to get set up nicely. 

For those that don’t know Crossfit, it produces some of the most physically fit and intense athletes on this planet. Diversified by Olympic lifting and functional movements and combining high intensity, over exertion can easily be achieved on many of these workouts.

Years ago, in my final year of university I was very active in the Crossfit HFX community.  My favourite workout being the “hero workout Murph”:

Run 1 mile

100 pushups

100 pullups

100 situps

100 squats

Run 1 Mile

For Time.