iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

>> so that we could return to the tunnel the following morning on our way out of town and craft a little verbal graffiti of my own for posterity. ❤️

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

I had fully intended to bring a sharpie from home to write a message on the walls of the Pink Tunnel but forgot, so while we were barnstorming local Canadian Tire locations hunting for Ilya Quackanov, I also grabbed a chisel-tip marker >>

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

Closed out the day with dinner at the Winchester Arms a.k.a. the Kingfisher, where I made absolute sure to snap the window where Scott watches Kip’s birthday party from the street, too afraid to go inside and be with his man publicly. 😭😭

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

A few miles away on the campus of McMaster University, we set out to find the grody metal doors where Shane + Ilya meet in the first minute of the series. It seemed like this one might be a bit tricky, but I luckily found a ‘Visit Hamilton!’ website that pretty much led us right to the exact spot.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

In that same montage, we see Shane and Hayden also running in what we assume is somewhere in Montreal; those bits were also filmed on the Dundurn grounds, along a fence line at the edge of the property. 🤣

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

Then it was back to the outskirts of Hamilton to hit up the grounds of Dundurn Castle, which is meant to sub in as Moscow, where we see Ilya running outside at the top of episode 4.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

(My very first live hockey experience? A SHOCKING amount of fun. Jesus, that game is chaotic!!)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

After that was a 45-min drive to Guelph’s Sleeman Centre, where all the show’s hockey action was filmed. As luck would have it, there was a game being played that very afternoon, so hubby and I donned our jerseys, bought tix and CRASHED that party, solely so we could gain entry to the edifice.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

We drove to the Pink Tunnel next. I’ll not bore y’all again with all that, but scroll back in my feed if you missed my tunnel posts!

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

Literally, the fact that #HeatedRivalry just parked itself in this one Canadian neighborhood and said: okay boys, let’s make a damn teevee show! Cracks. Me. UP. 🤣🤣

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

We then took a brisk stroll down the street to Le Tambour (where Shane both met and then broke up with Rose) and Liuna Station (where both of the Skip fundraisers were filmed), which are directly across the street from each other.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

Next, we traced a bit of Scott Hunter’s running route down King William St. because why the hell not 🤣

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

Next we walked down to Relay Coffee Roasters, which production turned into Kip’s smoothie shop, Straw+Berry. The way this coffee shop has leaned HARD into its newfound notoriety, with Skip iconography scattered throughout, made my heart SING, you all. 🥰🥰

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 17h

The very back of Ciao Bella serves as the back doors of Shane’s Montreal apartment building, where Shane meets Ilya and lets him in when he visits for the first time.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

I looked at fifty different websites trying find this exact location and none of them mentioned it. This being basically a guerrilla production, I knew in my bones that it had to be close to Poloma 🤣 and indeed it is! It’s literally right across Augusta St.!

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

Around the end of the Ciao Bella building, we stumbled upon a MAJOR find: the actual alley where Scott waits for Kip after the fundraiser where Kip dumps a plate of hors d'oeuvres all over Scott’s tux.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

A couple of blocks south is Ciao Bella, the restaurant where we see Shane having a couple of different lunches with the ‘rents. Right across the street from there is what used to be Poloma, the Mexican restaurant that Scott invites Kip to before they decide the line is too long.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

Across the street and down about half a block is Mansion, the real nightclub that doubled for Ciel, the site of episode four’s utterly stunning closing sequence. (It was closed on a Sunday morning, but we could easily spy the neon glowing through the barred front windows.)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

Anyway, I just now realized I didn’t take a picture, but there’s a convenience store on this corner, and I suspect that production used the facade of that wall to mock up the bodega’s offerings, including the fateful socks. 👀

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

My dumb ass was hunting for the mailbox on that corner before I finally realized: it’s CANADA, you moron. Production probably rented an American mailbox and put it there just to film the scene. 🤦🏻‍♂️

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

We started on the corner of King and James Streets, which is meant to sub as the NYC streetcorner where Kip buys the banana socks for Scott when he spots them at a bodega after mailing his grad school applications. (You can see the shiny building in the background of the scene.)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 18h

More pix from our walking tour of Hamilton, Ontario’s noteworthy #HeatedRivalry filming sites, for those who care about such! 👇🏼

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 19h

His instant-classic 1995 interview with Soap Opera Weekly felt like a real *wait, was that all on the record??* moment 🤣🤣

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Following up my lovely carb-loading tour of greater northeastern Canada yesterday with a spicy hot cocoa plus various caramels and choco truffles from a cute shop in Stowe, VT, where our fall foliage tour has commenced in earnest ❤️

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Just crossed the border back into Vermont. Google Maps flipped instantly from kilometers to miles, and whoooo, I swear to y’all it felt like the planets snapping directly into alignment

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

(I got a sandwich with the rosemary sea salt bagel; hubby got a spicy everything, and said it was amazing. Anyway, we took additional bagels to go, so between that and the remains of the Tim Hortons treats, a very carblucious next few hours lay ahead, y’all!!)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

You know what? I’m not sure I have the verbiage to explain why, but the bagel IS different. So different I was like two-thirds of the way through my sandwich before I really started to dig it. Crustier than any bagel I’ve ever tried, with delightfully chewy center. You SOLD me, François! 💥

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

All right, Franklin, let’s DO this 🫵🏼

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

LOL it’s not something I care a HUGE amount about 🤣 I just have FOMO on a HR-specific trend and had thought the stores had all restocked by now, but I’m finding out that is not at all the case. Do not go to any trouble! (I REALLY wanted the duck and I *did* get one of those!)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

(PS: more Hamilton pix forthcoming!!)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Adios, Ontario! 👋 Next stop: Montreal, for the sole purpose of following François Arnaud’s advice to enjoy what is apparently a REAL bagel. Then, down south into Vermont to behold some fall foliage (a.k.a. the TRUE rationale for this whole detour-riddled vacay!)

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Anyhoo, we also made an obligatory Tim Horton’s stop. You’re damn SKIPPY I got a 10-pack of Timbits to pop on the road!!

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Ok, hot take: it’s SUPER sweet. They leaned HARD into the faux strawberry flavoring; it completely overwhelms the famous McD’s fountain Coke burn. I like it; I’m ecstatic I got to try it; it’s not my fave of these drinks by any stretch. (That’d still be the berry Sprite, for those keeping track!) 😭

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Nope nope nope. Wet fries? I’d be gagging.

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I got you covered! I’m not back home until Sunday so we can figure out the logistics next week!

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

In other news, FINALLY getting to try the dirty strawberry Coke from a Canadian McDonald’s 😍😍

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

(Yes, I also tried to get the famous bag, but they were sadly all sold out at all three stores. BUT we’ll see if I can sweet talk my hubby into patronizing a fourth!) 🙏

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Did I have to go to three different Canadian Tire locations to track down Ilya Quackanov? Yes. Was it worth all that burned petrol to finally be bringing him home? Also yes! 😍

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Ahhhhhhhhhh!! We were talking about going back by there this morning on our way out of town, so I will grab you one if we end up doing so!

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

(Was hoping like hell to score Kip and Elena’s actual booth, but it was taken so we plopped in the one behind it.) 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I’ve many, MANY other pix to share, but hubby and I are closing out our day with dinner and drinks at the Winchester Arms pub, better known as #HeatedRivalry ‘s beloved sports bar The Kingfisher. I just ordered a cosmo, yo!!

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

In other news, the concept of kilometers is FRYING my simple American brain. Canada is lovely but I need to get back across the border and to units of measure that make sense to me STAT 😭😭

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Guelph CRUSHED Kitchener 6-0 🚨🚨 smothered those poor bastards!! cc: @slowtuesdays.bsky.social

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Went to the videotape to confirm that Kip and Elena sat in seats 9 and 10 when they went to Scott’s game the first time. Wholly by chance, hubby and I are in seats 8 and 9, sooooo … close! 🤣

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Operation Don’t Get F**king Mustard All Over My Pretty Jersey in full effect right now, okay

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Brandon's Buzz @brandonsbuzz.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

By happenstance, there is a hockey game — Guelph Storm vee Kitchener Rangers, FYI — this afternoon at Sleeman Centre, so I’ve got my Hunter jersey on, hubby’s donned his Hollander threads, and we are officially SPECTATING, honey!! 💥🏒

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