so, the mayor prefers Second Cup! hey, i like the Cup not just for the coffee (especially those mocha mandarinos!), but possibly even moreso for the neighbourhood community feeling i sense at Second Cups. all ages, all styles...a great place to people-watch or read a book. i usually see someone i know, and if not, chatting with the owners or the staff is always an option. and i like the big community bulletin board at the Second Cup on Bayview south of Eglinton.

notice how i hadn't even mention Starbucks, neo? i walk right by a Starbucks without so much as a glimpse or a sniff on my way to the Cup. haven't gotten over the territory war Starbucks inflicted on toronto, nor their bitter brew. Tim Horton's is very popular in small town ontario...i wonder if anybody else was at the Natalie McMaster concert at Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival last summer. in between songs, she tossed Tim Horton mugs and t-shirts into the audience. it was quite embarrassing.

sorry to dwell on coffee. now to weather.

oh, neo, you can tell the mayor-who-likes-Second-Cup that i liked the snow removal better this year. (non~torontonians: this year we had a pretty tame winter with not very not much snow. last year mel had to called in the army to dig us out.)

bert, i think the difference is that there is a BIG difference.

james, you made some excellent points! i hope you can see that below the surface of my hazelnut-cream coffee, i am metaphorizing about the aspect of variety which enriches our canadian culture by offering accessibility, but at the same time respects and supports regional peculiar strengths and flavours.

~black walnut