Not The Hockey Player » toronto

Strait-Jacket

Gary Roberts — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:21:31 +0000

There’s a small art exhibition currently showing at 778 King Street West, called STRAIT-JACKET. From the outside, you’d hardly know it existed; it’s housed in a very nondescript building and the only clue to its existence is the stainless steel plaque on the wall bearing the “Ydessa Hendeles Art Foundation” name, along with another, tiny plaque at …

Wile E. Coyotes!

Gary Roberts — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:36:19 +0000

I used to love watching the Looney Tunes cartoon show Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner when I was a kid. In each episode, the two protagonists were placed in an predator/prey scenario in which the coyote would use all kinds of absurdly complex contraptions and elaborate plans to pursue his quarry, instead of relying on natural animal senses …

Ave Maria

Gary Roberts — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:11:26 +0000

My walk home after work tonight was completely different to yesterday’s. As I made my way, I had to pass by Roy Thomson Hall. As I approached the hall, I heard the sound of Ave Maria drifting through the air, and I could see an old Chinese guy across the street from me, playing this beautiful hymn on …

Neil

Gary Roberts — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:51:39 +0000

“Hi, my name’s Neil!” says the guy, loudly, as he turns the corner right in front of me and moves into my way. I’m walking home from work, it’s just after 5PM and starting to get dark. The temperature is 4°, unseasonably warm for January—a nice night to walk home. I have to stop, because …

Corrado’s Barber Shop. Men’s Hair Stylist.

Gary Roberts — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:01:10 +0000

Adam is sitting in the steel and leather barber’s chair, his back to the small table displaying the tools of his trade and the large mirror on the wall, as he talks to an older guy seated across from him. The mirror competes for wall space with a number of vintage Playboy pin-up posters, the edges of …

100 Strangers on New Year’s Eve

Gary Roberts — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 22:04:04 +0000

Walking home along King West today (after braving the crowds at the LCBO to buy a bottle of bubbly for tonight’s New Year’s Eve festivities, which in our case involves sitting at home with cheese, hummus, bread, olives, bruschetta, wine, and a selection of our favourite pre-recorded TV shows), I saw a young couple in front of me with cameras …

A morning walk to work

Gary Roberts — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:57:28 +0000

Walking by the TIFF Bell Lightbox building on King West on the way to work this morning, a guy in front of us strolls along with a hint of a drunken swagger. Dressed in ripped and soiled jeans, a dirty jacket that’s too big for his slight frame and carrying a green plastic bottle crate, he weaves …

Skating at the Harbourfront

Gary Roberts — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:04:30 +0000

For the record, I am not a good skater. I’m actually pretty crap at it, but I will give it a try every now and then. Today El Franco went down to the lake shore’s Harbourfront Centre Natrel Rink for a practice session—he’s taking hockey lessons right now—and I tagged along for the ride, skates in hand. …

You know you’re getting old when…

Gary Roberts — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:05:55 +0000

…a new Loblaws supermarket opens in the ‘hood and you can’t wait to get there with the rest of the keeners, to check it out. You start to feel there’s a party happening as you go up the escalator and you hear the sounds of an ‘opening day’ band playing on the second floor, right …

Me, in a church? What’s that all about?

Gary Roberts — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:24:40 +0000

This isn’t something that happens very often. I’m at Christ Church Deer Park on Yonge Street just north of St. Claire. It’s a very nice church. Quite beautiful, in fact, with its vaulted wooden ceiling and stained glass windows. However, I’m not here to pray or to kowtow to things immaterial, but to listen to the …