Gimme my Timmies and no one gets hurt

Someone once told me that when they visited Canada, they were convinced every corner had a Beer Store and a Tim Hortons.

I'm sure the Beer Store will make a good blog entry soon, but let's talk about Tim Hortons, also known as Timmies. Named after a hockey player (shocking, I know), the Tim Hortons chain is to Canada what Dunkin' Donuts is to America.

Only, so much more. It's a way of life.

Tim Hortons inspires dedication among Canadians that is tough to describe. And with more than 2,750 stores in Canada, it truly feels like it's on every corner. Come to think of it, I could have sworn I saw a few corners that had more than one Timmies.

Tim Hortons, among many goodies, offers Timbits - aka 'donut holes' or 'munchkins' in other places. Tim Hortons has inspired common catch phrases among the Canadian species, such as "Gimme my Timmies and no one gets hurt," which have led to clothing and accessory lines.

Tim Hortons has also inspired more than 500 Facebook groups, including "Tim Hortons Rules of Ordering and More," which has more than 5,500 members. It includes valuable ordering advice, such as this one: "First of all it’s called a Bacon or Sausage Breakfast Sandwich. “McMuffins” are carried at McDonalds not Tim Hortons."

A group called "We Love Tim Hortons" allows you to send Timbits to your Facebook friends. Another Tim Hortons group has fans' comments, such as "their coffee is like crack, so addicting" and "Why can't Timmies come out to Vegas?" Someone from Singapore wrote: "Oh Gosh, I miss Timbits sooo much!"

So my friends, if I do develop a Timmies addiction and go through Timbits withdrawal, I hope you can come to my rescue with a Tim Hortons intervention.