Welcome to the 11th edition of “Stuff I Like”, where I talk about products, people, services or shows that I like. I have no financial relationships with any of these companies/brands. Whether you get them or not – I don’t care.
Float Valley
Float Valley calls itself a “human optimization centre.” When they first started, back in 2018, it was just a sensory deprivation chamber. Don’t know what that is? It’s basically an enclosed bathtub, filled with water and Epsom salts, and it’s completely dark. You just hang out there for an hour.
Original source: here.
That’s what it was back in 2018. Since then, they’ve expanded their service offerings to much more than that. From an energy enhancement room, to ozone sauna, neurovizr, and a few others, they have a complete suite of services.
Plus, they have a super cool vibe/atmosphere. I’m not a woo-woo, new age-y person, but even I appreciated how much attention to detail they put in.
I even got a massage there once, and they turned on a special light in the room, that made it feel like you’re getting your massage during aurora borealis (the Northern Lights).
It’s in Markham, on McCowan and Highway 7.
Jokers Comedy Club
I LOVE standup comedy. But I hate going downtown Toronto… a lot. Between my love for comedy and my hate for downtown, the latter wins. So before Jokers Comedy Club opened, I never went to see standup comedy.
Original source: here.
About 2.5 years ago, this club opened up in Richmond Hill (in the East Beaver Creek area), and since then, my wife and I have been regulars there.
There’s so much I love about this club. In no particular order:
- The comedy itself. On Tuesdays, they have amateur nights, but many of the amateurs we’ve seen were so funny, they were good enough to have their own Netflix specials. In fact, they’re funnier than many professional comedians who do have their own Netflix specials. Never mind the comedians who aren’t amateurs. They’re great as well.
- The food. You don’t expect great food at a comedy club, but that’s where Jokers exceeds expectations. Even if you were to go there just as a standalone restaurant, without the comedy, you wouldn’t be disappointed.
- The venue. Clean, well-maintained, classy.
- The owner – Dave Curran. In addition to being a businessperson, he’s a stage hypnotist. A really funny one. We’ve gone to a few of his stage hypnosis shows, and repeatedly end up laughing so hard, our stomachs hurt.
Fibre 1 Bars
In some of my previous articles, you might know that I hate vegetables. Sure, I eat them, but I get no pleasure out of them. You have to mask their taste with things like cheese, dressing and bacon (I’m a piggy-eating Jew) to make them tolerable.
Original source: here.
Fortunately, nowadays, there are so many delicious high-fibre snacks on the market, that don’t taste like health food. One of my favourites is Fibre 1 bars. They have 3 flavours: chocolate fudge brownie, cinnamon bun, and lemon. They all taste like desserts, even though they have a very high fibre content (5 grams per 90-calorie square).
Baerskin
I’m not a “brand” guy. I don’t specifically look for certain brands to wear. I look for functionality first. Does it have a certain function/feature that I’m looking for?
One time, I saw on YouTube an ad for a super-warm sweater by the company Baerskin. It had 2 functions I really liked:
- It’s warm. I get really, really cold in the winters (and spring, and fall), so I have to wear layers. I hate wearing layers, but I hate being cold more than I hate layers. However, when I put on my Baerskin hoodie, that’s all I need. No jacket on top of it.
- It’s got plenty of pockets. I love pockets. They store stuff.
Original source: here.
Because I’m a cheap bastard, when I saw the price, I cried a little. The tactical hoodie is $140 CAD. Then there’s shipping. Then, because clothes aren’t made for the muscular gentleman, I always have to get everything tailored, since I’m a medium in my shoulders, and small at my waist. So all in all, this sweater cost me $190. But every time I step outdoors when the temperature is between 1-8 degrees Celsius, without wearing a jacket, I’m happy.
