The truth is out there

With the current weather outside being pretty cold, especially today, it's easy for one to sit indoors and do something in the warmth of an apartment. Watch movies on tv, program on the computer, surf the internet, stalk/creep people on Facebook, upload photos to instagram, sift through the photos from the last two parties you've attended (yes, I'm on that), sit and watch Peppy and the Professor explore their new habitat (It's a bit more entertaining than watching fish), photograph something in the mini studio, clean the camera gear, clean the apartment, bake those carrot muffins from that muffin mix that's been sitting on the shelf taunting you for the last three months. Yes, there were options.

Instead I went out to find a flying saucer. Probably not what you're thinking. Not the vehicle with green little men that swoops down looking for humans to install spy devices as dental implants. This flying saucer (otherwise known as a spinning disc in the UK) is something the hamsters run on. Instead of the hamster wheel that everyone knows and loves, this is essentially a plate that sits on a stand off axis. When the hamster tries to crawl up it rotates. The hamster can then run it's little heart out on this thing. More importantly it runs silent. No squeaky wheel making noise in the middle of the night.

For some reason I thought the place I bought the hamsters had a flying saucer. I suppose I could have phoned them, but that would have required effort in looking up their website from the computer, a web site that I have a link to on this blog. I needed to get out, if not for the exercise then for the change of scenery.

My stir crazy need for leaving the apartment comes from being trapped at home watching Star Trek: The Next Generation the complete seven season box set over the last few days. I've watched the first 50+ episodes out of 178 so far. While watching another episode or two might be relaxing I really needed some outside interaction. I could feel myself turning into a hermit. At this rate I would be peeing in bottles by the end of the week and watching Ice Station Zebra.

I ended up walking to the Hamster store down on Coxwell and Queen. One part to save money (I only had one bus token), one part for exercise (I think I'm getting fat).

The attached photos are some things that caught my eye on the journey to Toronto's east end.


A leftover Christmas display. (N43° 39.640' W79° 23.025')


The Menagerie pet store (N43° 39.978' W79° 22.126')

I thought if I found the flying saucer at a closer pet store I could save walking all the way down to the Queen street store. Unfortunately this pet store has a small selection of hamster merchandise. It should be noted that they do sell crickets should you need live food. This is where I bought crickets for Captain Hill way back when.


N43° 39.462' W79° 21.282'


N43° 39.642' W79° 20.453'


N43° 39.707' W79° 20.177'
Here's a place I'd like to return to when it opens. It was just luck that I passed by this place and noticed the sign.


N43° 39.714' W79° 20.167'


Another restaurant goes out of business (N43° 39.835' W79° 19.599')


McDoanald's (N43° 39.898' W79° 19.151')

It seemed like I was going to make progress in terms of burning calories when just before I made it to the pet store my bladder informed me that it was cold.  The only place that had a washroom was the local McDonald's.

As I don't like using washrooms unless I'm a customer I ended up buying a double big mac meal.  The meal put back whatever calories I burned walking up to that point and probably added some.  The two raspberry chocolate pies didn't help.  I really wanted them to taste good.  But in the end would have been better off eating a warm cookie.



My meal at a better angle.


The readings on my GPS device and my walk so far


Critter's Castle (N43° 39.979'  W79° 19.015')

The trip turned out to be a bust.  Critter's Castle, the place where I adopted Peppy and the Professor, did not have flying saucers.  (insert "Boo"ing here).  The good news is that the store's Hamster wrangler told me about another store sold them and they were relatively close by.


Scooter Taxi prop (N43° 40.301'  W79° 19.476')
This scooter taxi lives just outside an Indian restaurant. It's kind of nifty.


This colorful building seemed of out place in Toronto. (N43° 40.293' W79° 19.513') I'd imagine seeing this in Portland, OR


Cat eating a pizza (N43° 40.271' W79° 19.599')

Just when you thought you saw everything, there was a cat eating a pizza. The cat looked possessive, as much as a cat could look possessive. It kept looking at me like I was going to steal it away. "It's okay cat, I just had a double big mac. That should last me for at least another few minutes." The cat slowly attempted to drag the pizza slice away.


N43° 40.266' W79° 19.628'


Huzzah! The Pet Emporium (N43° 40.145' W79° 20.179')
I arrived at the overstuffed tiny store called the Pet Emporium. Despite the store's size they had some spinning dishes in stock. The "Hamster Exerciser" was $5.00 taxes in. The unexpected low price tag allowed me to get something else as well. Will post that tomorrow.


Who are these people? (N43° 39.939' W79° 27.073')

Hoser, the Rev Joel, and Dust Bunny seen creeping around the neighbourhood. This was a good thing. It's reasons like this that I venture outside in the first place. To bump into people. Human interaction it's a good thing.