We all have it. Yes - Oscar, included!
Fingers crossed for a pre-weekend recovery!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
BEARD-O, my WEIRD-O :)
Phil and his friend Morgan have decided to grow beards in preparation for our Nile Cruise this weekend. Now, you may ponder: why would one require a beard for this ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME, "the photos are going to be magical" trip? I have the exact same question. Their SILLY, SILLY, SILLY plan is to show off a range of moustaches while touring the incredible temples and other attractions that are included in the "1000 things you must see before you die." A little scruff? I can deal with. A full-fledged beard....used for arts and crafts of the face....during the weekend of a photographer's dream? I think you know my thoughts.
Anyways, my argument (in addition to the hints plotted throughout), is this:
when you must fetch kitchen scissors to trim hair that is hiding your upper lip
OR
when your after-school snack becomes a resident on your face
OR
when your fiancee cannot kiss you without being injured by facial daggers
OR
when people continuously remind you "hey...it's picture day at school this week"......
YOU NEED TO SHAVE IT OFF!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tales of Good and Bad Luck
Our luck has been switching like you wouldn't believe these past few days. Here are some of our shifting tales:
BAD LUCK: Returning home to NO RUNNING WATER. One of us (shyly speaking, ME!) couldn't stop running to the washroom......and the "one flush" was surpassed early in the night. The other one of us (sadly, Phil) had to use the African toilet (a.k.a. the yard).
GOOD LUCK: Happening upon a donkey cart of bananas right outside the apartment...just when we needed them most! Smoothies - here we come!
BAD LUCK: The "crocodilehunter", who we steal our internet from, decided to password-protect the connection.
GOOD LUCK: We have seemed to acquire a temporary wireless signal from "TP A77111".
BAD LUCK: Phil fell ill out of nowhere after school. I'd count this unlucky for the two of us....sick boys are the worst.
If the pattern continues, we're in for some more good luck next!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Kilimanjaro, Day Eight: Homeward Bound
Lindsay woke up first as I heard the shower running. My legs felt like I had just completed 1000 consecutive squats in the gym. There was tightness from my achilles tendon all the way to my pelvis, and it felt like all of my muscles were contracted and wouldn't let go.
We headed down to eat some breakfast and finally got some eggs! Afterwards, we headed back to the room for what we hoped was a rest before we would be leaving for lunch with Abbas (the owner of Bushmen Expeditions). The checkout time was 10am, and our ride wasn't to arrive until noon so I politely asked the girl at the desk if we would be able to check out a little late. I'd like to point out that most of the rooms were unoccupied in our hotel as it was low season. "No sir", the girl replied, "We will charge you for a half day's stay if you check out passed ten." We had to pack our things and sit in the restaurant, but it gave us a chance to write in our journals, and enjoy our experience one last time before the flight home.
Abbas finally picked us up around noon and took us to one of his favourite restaurants in Moshi. He was an unbelievable spirit, one who lifts you up simply by his prescence. He inquired about our lives, about our families, about our climb, and about our love. He also told us about himself, and we found out that he used to be a teacher. "Teacher", he explained "T rained, E ducated, A dvanced, C urious, H onest, E nlightened, R esearcher". Abbas continues to teach even though he has moved on in his career as he is a proud father.
We left Moshi speeding what Lindsay and I feel was "dangerously" down the highway toward the Kilimanjaro airport. It felt like we were already back in Egypt! It made us laugh when the police stopped our car looking for a handout, but ultimately we arrived in time to catch our plane. Security scanners were out of service, so a lady had to go through our things. We snickered as after opening our bags and smelling the dirty clothes, she passed us through more quickly then I'm sure was expected.
On the plane Lindsay drew a face on the air sickness bag to make me laugh, and it just may have relaxed me. Thurmon the Throw Up Puppet was born! Four more flights before we finally reached Cairo, but we were home! Oscar was excited to see his Mom and Dad, and we were happy to sleep in our own bed...
We headed down to eat some breakfast and finally got some eggs! Afterwards, we headed back to the room for what we hoped was a rest before we would be leaving for lunch with Abbas (the owner of Bushmen Expeditions). The checkout time was 10am, and our ride wasn't to arrive until noon so I politely asked the girl at the desk if we would be able to check out a little late. I'd like to point out that most of the rooms were unoccupied in our hotel as it was low season. "No sir", the girl replied, "We will charge you for a half day's stay if you check out passed ten." We had to pack our things and sit in the restaurant, but it gave us a chance to write in our journals, and enjoy our experience one last time before the flight home.
Abbas finally picked us up around noon and took us to one of his favourite restaurants in Moshi. He was an unbelievable spirit, one who lifts you up simply by his prescence. He inquired about our lives, about our families, about our climb, and about our love. He also told us about himself, and we found out that he used to be a teacher. "Teacher", he explained "T rained, E ducated, A dvanced, C urious, H onest, E nlightened, R esearcher". Abbas continues to teach even though he has moved on in his career as he is a proud father.
We left Moshi speeding what Lindsay and I feel was "dangerously" down the highway toward the Kilimanjaro airport. It felt like we were already back in Egypt! It made us laugh when the police stopped our car looking for a handout, but ultimately we arrived in time to catch our plane. Security scanners were out of service, so a lady had to go through our things. We snickered as after opening our bags and smelling the dirty clothes, she passed us through more quickly then I'm sure was expected.
On the plane Lindsay drew a face on the air sickness bag to make me laugh, and it just may have relaxed me. Thurmon the Throw Up Puppet was born! Four more flights before we finally reached Cairo, but we were home! Oscar was excited to see his Mom and Dad, and we were happy to sleep in our own bed...
Kilimanjaro, Day Seven: "Knot" Your Average Day
After a glorious, 14-hour, Rip-Van-Winkle-like sleep, we were prepared to return to Marangu gate, and ultimately, to our hotel for a hot shower! We enjoyed our last, egg-less breakfast and gathered our crew outside for team photos and gifts. Phil gave away his Canada hat, fleece, snowpants and winter jacket, as I handed out Canadian key chains and contact information. Our team was happy with their new gear and we packed up our bags and headed out for the final lag of the climb.
Walking down familiar terrain was a good reflection for us, and we marvelled at the distance we had covered in the last five days. We stopped at the Mandara huts for a brief lunch, but had no appetite for the tuna-fish dish our chef had prepared for us. It is funny how things had changed...on previous days, we would have downed the food anyways...but on THIS day, we stopped caring about nourishment and hydration and placed all our focus on "the finish line". Screw pole-pole, Phil wanted a beer and I wanted a coca-cola!
Reaching the gate was almost superior to reaching Uhuru peak. WE WERE DONE. HALAS. FINITO. HUMDALLAH! As planned, Phil had a beer with the boys (his first in THREE months!) and I had a Coca-cola in honour of the "Coca-cola Route" we had just completed. We received our certificates for a successful summit and headed back to the Parkview Inn.
Back at the hotel, a shower was priority number one. Unfortunately, without soap and a hairbrush, there wasn't much that could be done with the bird's nest on my head. (I still can't believe that I forgot a hairbrush...it is an important tool in my daily routine). There were tats throughout and my fingers were simply unable to detangle the mess that was left in my blonde locks. "I can't stand looking at you do that," Phil exclaimed. And so, my very own superhero marched into Moshi Town in search of a brush and shampoo. Better yet, he returned to the hotel with a comb in my favourite colour (green!), a shampoo for "oily hair" (haha!), and a Snickers bar! We spent the next two hours holding hair pieces and brushing out knots. We really were a team....from climbing mountains to haircare. I AM SO LUCKY!
For the remainder of the evening, we did our best to ignore our body rashes, chapped lips and sunburnt faces. Phil enjoyed watching sports highlights (even though they weren't "highlights" to him) and I enjoyed planning our intimate wedding-for-two. After our final dinner in Tanzania, we laid down for a restless, horrible, "my legs won't stop aching" sleep.
Walking down familiar terrain was a good reflection for us, and we marvelled at the distance we had covered in the last five days. We stopped at the Mandara huts for a brief lunch, but had no appetite for the tuna-fish dish our chef had prepared for us. It is funny how things had changed...on previous days, we would have downed the food anyways...but on THIS day, we stopped caring about nourishment and hydration and placed all our focus on "the finish line". Screw pole-pole, Phil wanted a beer and I wanted a coca-cola!
Reaching the gate was almost superior to reaching Uhuru peak. WE WERE DONE. HALAS. FINITO. HUMDALLAH! As planned, Phil had a beer with the boys (his first in THREE months!) and I had a Coca-cola in honour of the "Coca-cola Route" we had just completed. We received our certificates for a successful summit and headed back to the Parkview Inn.
Back at the hotel, a shower was priority number one. Unfortunately, without soap and a hairbrush, there wasn't much that could be done with the bird's nest on my head. (I still can't believe that I forgot a hairbrush...it is an important tool in my daily routine). There were tats throughout and my fingers were simply unable to detangle the mess that was left in my blonde locks. "I can't stand looking at you do that," Phil exclaimed. And so, my very own superhero marched into Moshi Town in search of a brush and shampoo. Better yet, he returned to the hotel with a comb in my favourite colour (green!), a shampoo for "oily hair" (haha!), and a Snickers bar! We spent the next two hours holding hair pieces and brushing out knots. We really were a team....from climbing mountains to haircare. I AM SO LUCKY!
For the remainder of the evening, we did our best to ignore our body rashes, chapped lips and sunburnt faces. Phil enjoyed watching sports highlights (even though they weren't "highlights" to him) and I enjoyed planning our intimate wedding-for-two. After our final dinner in Tanzania, we laid down for a restless, horrible, "my legs won't stop aching" sleep.
Kilimanjaro, Day Six: Love Can Climb Mountains
Here it is. The BIG day. The TOUGH day. The "WILL THIS EVER END?!" day. Off into the night we climbed, (not so) simply following the footsteps of the climber ahead. "1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2....." I counted in my head, trying to ignore the persistance of my nerves and the tiredness of my legs. It was dark - impossible to see the terrain ahead of us. Our only gauge of "how much farther" was based on the flashlights of the people much higher. "Don't look up!" we told each other, trying not to get discouraged about the distance remaining.
Throughout the climb we would take periodic breaks to gather ourselves, regain some strength, and enjoy the beauty of the mountain. However, when it is twenty degrees below freezing in pitch dark we decided that stopping only resulted in feeling chilled. The chill where your fingers tingle, the chill where aches and pains surface out of nowhere, the chill that makes you second guess the decision to summit. At about 5400 metres it hit. My head began to spin, my stomach turned inside and out, and a sickness encompassed me that I had little to no control over. Every 25 metres or so the rest of the climb I would be sick, stopping abruptly to lean over my poles and get rid of whatever else I could that was inside of me. Drinking water only fueled the sickness, and the worst part was I couldn't let Lindsay know I was hurting. "I'm feeling powerful!" I would shout after each heave, leaving Lindsay to believe that I would be able to overcome the altitude. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it to the top.
It was difficult for me to whine and complain to Phil while he was gagging and heaving behind me. I was cold, disoriented and weak. It was as though my brain and my body became enemies as my legs would go absolutely everywhere other than where my brain directed them to. I braved it for a while, trying to ease the stress Phil was already encountering...counting my steps, mind over matter, three hours left.....BAH - I couldn't do it anymore. I made the mistake of looking up, and our guide's definition of "we're almost there" became a big fat lie as I saw the flashlights up above. This segment of the climb was steep and I simply could not do it alone anymore. I fell down and cried, "Phil I can't do it." At this point, three of the world's best cheerleaders arose on Mount Kilimanjaro - Robert, Bacari, and Phil. "Yes we can make it. Keep going!" they said. Alright, I thought, I have to suck it up. With Bacari on one arm and my fiance behind me, I was able to make it to Gilman's Point (5685m) - stumbles and all.
She had made it to Gilman's Point, but it was obvious she was struggling. Normally I would have asked her to keep going, to dig deep, but she had already done so. It was now at a point where I had to accept that maybe our mission to summit would fall just short. Looking down at her as she was weeping I asked "Linds, do you want to head back down?" prepared for her to accept my proposal and end our climb. Instead of answering, she countered with a question of her own, "Do you want to quit?" I think it is now safe to say that we both would have headed back to Kibo if alone, but there was no way either was going to let the other down. We marched on over the slippery ice cap, and I was petrified that Lindsay was going to fall off the edge. I was too worn down to be able to aid her, and frequently I told our guide "Don't you dare let my fiancee fall off this mountain!" With approximately 200 metres and only 20 minutes left to climb I hit the wall. I had seen on TV when Ironman competitors collapse near the finish line, but had never felt this phenomenon myself until this moment. My entire body was jelly, and I myself began to cry...
"Oh jeez - now he's crying?!" I thought to myself. "What the HEK am I supposed to do with a crying boy on a freezing cold mountain top?!" Well, I guess I knew what I was supposed to do, because despite his wobbling structure, his odd-coloured face, and non-stop heaves.....despite my relentless whimpers and exhaustion...I knew we had to keep going. Phil wouldn't be able to live with himself if he gave up. He is a competitor and I can't imagine him living with the regret of a failed attempt. And so pole-pole we went, tears frozen to our faces.
About 100m from Uhuru Peak, we were past "drained". If it weren't for the miracle of reuniting with our Portugese roommates from Kibo, we wouldn't have summited Mount Kilimanjaro. "We know that love can move mountains," the grandfather-like man said to me. "But, you two have proven that love can climb mountains," he finished. I turned around and looked at that crying boy that I love so much........"PHIL!!! We're almost there!!!!" I shouted.
With the sun rising, and Lindsay by my side we finally were there at Uhuru Peak! After such a battle you'd think that there would be sirens going off, parades in your honour, or at least fireworks, but really all you get is 10 minutes at the top with your guide reminding you that now you have to climb all the way back down. We managed to brave the cold and got a few good photos in at the top, and "Sargeant Snowflake" Lindsay's beloved Mountie Polar Bear also got in on the act. The next 2-3 minutes would be the most difficult of my life, more difficult then the entire climb put together. "I have a surprise!" Lindsay said with a sly smile. She took my backpack, and out it came... A TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS FLAG! For those of you that don't know I am a lifelong Detroit sports fan dedicated to my teams, and the blue and white just isn't my thing. "I promised my Daddy that we'd take a picture at the peak with the flag for his birthday!" she said. It was here that I had final confirmation that I did indeed love this girl more then anything else in my life.
The walk back down to Kibo certainly challenged the difficulty of the ascent. Our legs were so used to "going up" and our knees buckled as we introduced them to "going down". Phil was still vomiting every few metres and I was stopping constantly for breaks and breakdowns. I can tell I was frustrating the two guides at this point, as Robert was so desperate to get to Kibo that he piggy-backed me down part of the hill! While everyone else was skiing down the sandy slope, I was bouncing on my guide's back, crying as my headache pounded with each gallop. It was amazing to see how far we had come from the night before and we fell right into our beds upon our return to the Kibo huts.
We had passed our friend Mohamed (he on his way to the peak, and us on our way back down the mountain) early in the morning, but when we woke from our naps he still had not returned. Worried, we frantically asked around to find out information on our friend. Apparently, he had fell quite ill at the top, his heart rate dropping significantly and rumours were flying that he would have to be carried down the mountain in a stretcher. We had packed our gear, and were ready for yet another descent down the mountain to Horombo huts, when out from behind the rocks came Mohamed. Although he hadn't made it to the peak, it was a valiant effort, and we were pleased to know he was safely back at the huts.
Lindsay and I headed off into the distance (just the two of us) reflecting on the remarkable 24hr period that had passed, proud of one another, and more in love then ever. Our guide Robert eventually caught up to us about an hour before reaching Horombo, and we were humbled when we told us that we were the most "charming" people he had ever met. At Horombo, Gilbert The Dragon Slayer prepared for us a candlelit dinner. Immediately after, we passed out in our sleeping bags, and did not awaken until departure time the next morning.
Throughout the climb we would take periodic breaks to gather ourselves, regain some strength, and enjoy the beauty of the mountain. However, when it is twenty degrees below freezing in pitch dark we decided that stopping only resulted in feeling chilled. The chill where your fingers tingle, the chill where aches and pains surface out of nowhere, the chill that makes you second guess the decision to summit. At about 5400 metres it hit. My head began to spin, my stomach turned inside and out, and a sickness encompassed me that I had little to no control over. Every 25 metres or so the rest of the climb I would be sick, stopping abruptly to lean over my poles and get rid of whatever else I could that was inside of me. Drinking water only fueled the sickness, and the worst part was I couldn't let Lindsay know I was hurting. "I'm feeling powerful!" I would shout after each heave, leaving Lindsay to believe that I would be able to overcome the altitude. I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it to the top.
It was difficult for me to whine and complain to Phil while he was gagging and heaving behind me. I was cold, disoriented and weak. It was as though my brain and my body became enemies as my legs would go absolutely everywhere other than where my brain directed them to. I braved it for a while, trying to ease the stress Phil was already encountering...counting my steps, mind over matter, three hours left.....BAH - I couldn't do it anymore. I made the mistake of looking up, and our guide's definition of "we're almost there" became a big fat lie as I saw the flashlights up above. This segment of the climb was steep and I simply could not do it alone anymore. I fell down and cried, "Phil I can't do it." At this point, three of the world's best cheerleaders arose on Mount Kilimanjaro - Robert, Bacari, and Phil. "Yes we can make it. Keep going!" they said. Alright, I thought, I have to suck it up. With Bacari on one arm and my fiance behind me, I was able to make it to Gilman's Point (5685m) - stumbles and all.
She had made it to Gilman's Point, but it was obvious she was struggling. Normally I would have asked her to keep going, to dig deep, but she had already done so. It was now at a point where I had to accept that maybe our mission to summit would fall just short. Looking down at her as she was weeping I asked "Linds, do you want to head back down?" prepared for her to accept my proposal and end our climb. Instead of answering, she countered with a question of her own, "Do you want to quit?" I think it is now safe to say that we both would have headed back to Kibo if alone, but there was no way either was going to let the other down. We marched on over the slippery ice cap, and I was petrified that Lindsay was going to fall off the edge. I was too worn down to be able to aid her, and frequently I told our guide "Don't you dare let my fiancee fall off this mountain!" With approximately 200 metres and only 20 minutes left to climb I hit the wall. I had seen on TV when Ironman competitors collapse near the finish line, but had never felt this phenomenon myself until this moment. My entire body was jelly, and I myself began to cry...
"Oh jeez - now he's crying?!" I thought to myself. "What the HEK am I supposed to do with a crying boy on a freezing cold mountain top?!" Well, I guess I knew what I was supposed to do, because despite his wobbling structure, his odd-coloured face, and non-stop heaves.....despite my relentless whimpers and exhaustion...I knew we had to keep going. Phil wouldn't be able to live with himself if he gave up. He is a competitor and I can't imagine him living with the regret of a failed attempt. And so pole-pole we went, tears frozen to our faces.
About 100m from Uhuru Peak, we were past "drained". If it weren't for the miracle of reuniting with our Portugese roommates from Kibo, we wouldn't have summited Mount Kilimanjaro. "We know that love can move mountains," the grandfather-like man said to me. "But, you two have proven that love can climb mountains," he finished. I turned around and looked at that crying boy that I love so much........"PHIL!!! We're almost there!!!!" I shouted.
With the sun rising, and Lindsay by my side we finally were there at Uhuru Peak! After such a battle you'd think that there would be sirens going off, parades in your honour, or at least fireworks, but really all you get is 10 minutes at the top with your guide reminding you that now you have to climb all the way back down. We managed to brave the cold and got a few good photos in at the top, and "Sargeant Snowflake" Lindsay's beloved Mountie Polar Bear also got in on the act. The next 2-3 minutes would be the most difficult of my life, more difficult then the entire climb put together. "I have a surprise!" Lindsay said with a sly smile. She took my backpack, and out it came... A TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS FLAG! For those of you that don't know I am a lifelong Detroit sports fan dedicated to my teams, and the blue and white just isn't my thing. "I promised my Daddy that we'd take a picture at the peak with the flag for his birthday!" she said. It was here that I had final confirmation that I did indeed love this girl more then anything else in my life.
The walk back down to Kibo certainly challenged the difficulty of the ascent. Our legs were so used to "going up" and our knees buckled as we introduced them to "going down". Phil was still vomiting every few metres and I was stopping constantly for breaks and breakdowns. I can tell I was frustrating the two guides at this point, as Robert was so desperate to get to Kibo that he piggy-backed me down part of the hill! While everyone else was skiing down the sandy slope, I was bouncing on my guide's back, crying as my headache pounded with each gallop. It was amazing to see how far we had come from the night before and we fell right into our beds upon our return to the Kibo huts.
We had passed our friend Mohamed (he on his way to the peak, and us on our way back down the mountain) early in the morning, but when we woke from our naps he still had not returned. Worried, we frantically asked around to find out information on our friend. Apparently, he had fell quite ill at the top, his heart rate dropping significantly and rumours were flying that he would have to be carried down the mountain in a stretcher. We had packed our gear, and were ready for yet another descent down the mountain to Horombo huts, when out from behind the rocks came Mohamed. Although he hadn't made it to the peak, it was a valiant effort, and we were pleased to know he was safely back at the huts.
Lindsay and I headed off into the distance (just the two of us) reflecting on the remarkable 24hr period that had passed, proud of one another, and more in love then ever. Our guide Robert eventually caught up to us about an hour before reaching Horombo, and we were humbled when we told us that we were the most "charming" people he had ever met. At Horombo, Gilbert The Dragon Slayer prepared for us a candlelit dinner. Immediately after, we passed out in our sleeping bags, and did not awaken until departure time the next morning.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A Heroic Error.
Sorry to interrupt the flow of the Kili stories......but this one must be told too.
I have been having headaches that are quite painful these past two days, waking up during the night in tears from the pounding. Not sure why....regardless, this morning Phil brought me Tylenol extra strength, along with my usual iron-deficiency meds and a glass of water. I quickly swallowed the stash of them and continued to prepare for the school day.
DUN, DUN, DUN....stomach trouble! In the middle of my morning routine, I had to dash to the bathroom to throw up. Phil, in the middle of making breakfast smoothies, followed after me to ensure I was okay. Yes - I was....just didn't eat enough prior to the pill-swallowing (or so I think). And so we went back to what we were doing before the incident.
(INSERT LOUD, REALLY AWFUL, HEADACHE-ENHANCING SOUND HERE).
"PHIL!!!!! What the HEK is that?!!!!!!! There is something IN THERE!!!" I screamed as he blended our morning meal. "STOP THAT!!!!!" I (also) screamed, haha.
Phil opened the blender to find he had left a baby spoon inside!
"Oh hun! I completely forgot! I was so worried about you that I dropped it in the blender and ran to see you!" Phil explained.
He removed the spoon and poured the smoothie into two glasses.
"Mmmmmmmmmm!" I said.
"Taste's like SPOON!" he replied.
(For the curious - the blender is still alive......just needs a little help when it comes to "securing it in the base".)
I have been having headaches that are quite painful these past two days, waking up during the night in tears from the pounding. Not sure why....regardless, this morning Phil brought me Tylenol extra strength, along with my usual iron-deficiency meds and a glass of water. I quickly swallowed the stash of them and continued to prepare for the school day.
DUN, DUN, DUN....stomach trouble! In the middle of my morning routine, I had to dash to the bathroom to throw up. Phil, in the middle of making breakfast smoothies, followed after me to ensure I was okay. Yes - I was....just didn't eat enough prior to the pill-swallowing (or so I think). And so we went back to what we were doing before the incident.
(INSERT LOUD, REALLY AWFUL, HEADACHE-ENHANCING SOUND HERE).
"PHIL!!!!! What the HEK is that?!!!!!!! There is something IN THERE!!!" I screamed as he blended our morning meal. "STOP THAT!!!!!" I (also) screamed, haha.
Phil opened the blender to find he had left a baby spoon inside!
"Oh hun! I completely forgot! I was so worried about you that I dropped it in the blender and ran to see you!" Phil explained.
He removed the spoon and poured the smoothie into two glasses.
"Mmmmmmmmmm!" I said.
"Taste's like SPOON!" he replied.
(For the curious - the blender is still alive......just needs a little help when it comes to "securing it in the base".)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Kilimanjaro, Day Five: Would Give Anything For a Warm Shower
"Porridge, AGAIN?!" we moaned. At this point, we sure did miss those eggs from day one and day two! Scrambled, fried, boiled, WHATEVER! Toast, cereal, fruit....who cares! Just SOMETHING other than porridge to leave a smile on our post-breakfast faces. Oh well....out of luck we were and out in the cold we went.
Brrrrrrr....the journey to Kibo was a chilly one. Our walk through the alpine desert was smooth and flat (PRO), yet windy and un-protected (BIG CON). The most shielding we received all day was from a patch of rocks that offered the best lunch-spot along the way. However, we ate quickly and carried on, as sitting still only makes you colder and a good rest at the camp was needed before the midnight summit attempt.
Today was the first day that Phil and Mohamed REALLY joined the adversity experience. Phil was feeling quite dizzy and "drunk", while Mohamed was bent over in stomach pains that failed to cease. We all found it a relief to reach the Kibo huts at 4 p.m., as we anticipated a solid 5-7 hour nap before our 11 p.m. wake-up for Uhuru. Unfortunately, a solid sleep we slept not. The inescapable cold at this altitude, our body's adjustments to low oxygen levels, and the butterflies in our stomachs kept us wide awake and wishing time away. In addition, the rooms at the Kibo huts are shared and the hustle and bustle of other climbers served as a constant revival.
At 11 p.m., Gilbert the Dragon Slayer came to wake us. "It is time to prepare," he said as he flicked the lights on. "Shhh," Phil replied, "...the others are still sleeping!". "Oh....tea and cookies are coming," he whispered back.
For the next thirty minutes, Phil and I struggled to put on the many layers necessary for -20 degrees protection. It was cold and we were tired. Neither of us slept a wink and our headaches and other symptoms had failed to disappear as we laid there restless. We ate a few cookies in silence, went for our final pee, and said farewell to our good friend Mohamed. Robert came shortly after and it was sad to walk away without TEAM YELLOW, but we were explained that on summit day, all teams go separately. The un-merging could only be grieved for a minute, as we stepped out into the dark and began our long trek of footstep-following.
Kilimanjaro, Day Four: Pole-Pole
"You can sleep in", Robert said. "We won't wake you until 8am". It's not like the extra hour sleep was a gold nugget, but when you've hiked 6 hours uphill the last two days you'll take it with a smile on your face.
Upon awakening, we met our new friend Mohamed for breakfast and were "thrilled" to see that the eggs were indeed nowhere to be found. We had hoped that Robert was playing a cruel joke on us the night before, but somewhere the mongoose were "frying" and "scrambling" away.
Midway through a season of "Survivor" there is always a merge, and our version was no different. Team Yellow and Team Green decided that now was the time to join forces, and formed the new tribe "Team Success". Lindsay, Mohamed, and Phil, LMP, or as we liked to call ourselves the L egendary M ountain P eople, would take on the rest of Kili as a group.
The idea of the hike on our Acclimatization Day was to get up about 500 metres before descending back down to Horombo for the night. Along the way we were able to take a break at the Zebra Rocks, and we made it all the way to the turnoff to Mawenzi Peak. There we were able to have a distinct view of the Uhuru Peak, as well as being able to see Kibo Huts where we would be headed the next day.
Climbing a mountain is interesting because each day that you begin your hike you find yourself out of breath searching for air that will fill your lungs with oxygen. Often you feel like you'll never have enough, and you begin to gag, panicking about the condition. This feeling went away fairly quickly the first two days, but lasted almost the duration of this climb (4200 metres) which made my asthmatic self weary of the remaining challenge. Lindsay was also facing adversity, as she had much trouble heading back down the mountain upon the realization that your knees are taking much of the load. We laughed at ourselves for skipping the "Leg Raise" machine in the gym, as that would have further prepared us for the impact. These struggles reminded us that slow and steady wins the race, and Pole-Pole was readapted as our team motto. They also reminded us that we were a team, and that conquering this mountain could only be done together.
Along the day's hike we were impressed with the swift changes in vegetation, and depressed by the migraine like headaches we were left with back at Horombo. Altitude was beginning to really be a factor, and there was some doubt in both of us about whether we would be up to the task.
At dinner, Lindsay and I drank several glasses of Milo (The Energy Drink of Future Champions), and repeatedly explained that it was much tastier then our other options on the table which included Cadbury's Hot Chocolate. Knowing Cadbury was a company from the UK (and one which Mohamed personally loved) we got a kick out of pushing his buttons about Milo's superior taste, freshness, and overall satisfaction.
Before heading off to sleep we decided it had become too cold to really do much of a job when cleaning ourselves, that we really should have brought along our camel pack, and that headaches on a mountain were much worse then you could ever really prepare for. Outside of our cabin we heard a fellow Canadian tell stories of his failed attempt at the summit the night before, and his distinct feeling of helplessness searching for air. He mentioned dizziness, disorientation, and disappointment in not succeeding. For the first time on the mountain, I can honestly say that fear was taking over my confidence. I privately hoped Lindsay and I would be able to dig deep, and complete our mission...
Upon awakening, we met our new friend Mohamed for breakfast and were "thrilled" to see that the eggs were indeed nowhere to be found. We had hoped that Robert was playing a cruel joke on us the night before, but somewhere the mongoose were "frying" and "scrambling" away.
Midway through a season of "Survivor" there is always a merge, and our version was no different. Team Yellow and Team Green decided that now was the time to join forces, and formed the new tribe "Team Success". Lindsay, Mohamed, and Phil, LMP, or as we liked to call ourselves the L egendary M ountain P eople, would take on the rest of Kili as a group.
The idea of the hike on our Acclimatization Day was to get up about 500 metres before descending back down to Horombo for the night. Along the way we were able to take a break at the Zebra Rocks, and we made it all the way to the turnoff to Mawenzi Peak. There we were able to have a distinct view of the Uhuru Peak, as well as being able to see Kibo Huts where we would be headed the next day.
Climbing a mountain is interesting because each day that you begin your hike you find yourself out of breath searching for air that will fill your lungs with oxygen. Often you feel like you'll never have enough, and you begin to gag, panicking about the condition. This feeling went away fairly quickly the first two days, but lasted almost the duration of this climb (4200 metres) which made my asthmatic self weary of the remaining challenge. Lindsay was also facing adversity, as she had much trouble heading back down the mountain upon the realization that your knees are taking much of the load. We laughed at ourselves for skipping the "Leg Raise" machine in the gym, as that would have further prepared us for the impact. These struggles reminded us that slow and steady wins the race, and Pole-Pole was readapted as our team motto. They also reminded us that we were a team, and that conquering this mountain could only be done together.
Along the day's hike we were impressed with the swift changes in vegetation, and depressed by the migraine like headaches we were left with back at Horombo. Altitude was beginning to really be a factor, and there was some doubt in both of us about whether we would be up to the task.
At dinner, Lindsay and I drank several glasses of Milo (The Energy Drink of Future Champions), and repeatedly explained that it was much tastier then our other options on the table which included Cadbury's Hot Chocolate. Knowing Cadbury was a company from the UK (and one which Mohamed personally loved) we got a kick out of pushing his buttons about Milo's superior taste, freshness, and overall satisfaction.
Before heading off to sleep we decided it had become too cold to really do much of a job when cleaning ourselves, that we really should have brought along our camel pack, and that headaches on a mountain were much worse then you could ever really prepare for. Outside of our cabin we heard a fellow Canadian tell stories of his failed attempt at the summit the night before, and his distinct feeling of helplessness searching for air. He mentioned dizziness, disorientation, and disappointment in not succeeding. For the first time on the mountain, I can honestly say that fear was taking over my confidence. I privately hoped Lindsay and I would be able to dig deep, and complete our mission...
Monday, March 22, 2010
Kilimanjaro, Day Three: Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch
Eeeeeeeeeee! The peak! It was on our way to Horombo when we first witnessed the highest point in Africa. Wow - a mission sure comes to life when you can see it! Of course, I couldn't let the moment pass us by without a TEAM GREEN photo shoot and we needed to wait for TEAM YELLOW to arrive in order to digitalize the memories. TEAM YELLOW consisted of two key members - Mohamed (who we met at the previous night's dinner) and John (coincidentally, Robert's older brother). The pair were happy to capture our "there it is!" excitement and we gladly exchanged places to return the favour.
The hike to Horombo was very much like "The Lord of the Rings", or so Phillip describes it. (I wasn't as in to the comparison, as my attention span is not suitable for three hour films). We traveled over bridges and streams, past cliffs and meadows, feeling as though we were the only "tribe" on the entire mountain. Pole-pole we went, stopping only for quick washroom breaks, water breaks, and a horrifying lunch break. The latter rest was terror at its best. It entailed crummy sandwiches of hobbit-size proportions and hovering crows of hulk-size proportions. If you know me, you know I have an intense fear of birds - or crows, in particular. It tested my nerves being on those metal picnic benches and I hoped and hoped we would be on our way up soon. Luckily, breaks are just that and we continued along until Horombo was reached.
Dinner proved much more delicious than lunch and Phil repeatedly commented "it's delicious" when the waitor came, using the Swahili we were taught two days previous. He had been using some well-rehearsed words to express his satisfaction with the chef, although tonight we found out he had rehearsed the terms improperly. That poor cook, Jackob.......Phil was referencing his culinary preparations as "viruses". JEEZ PHIL! You really do have the worst of luck!
After dinner, our waitor, Gilbert, became our guide as we took a short evening walk to acclimatize. It was a fun excursion up, as Gilbert worked hard to converse in English while Phil tried his best to talk "football" in return. It was even more fun to see Phil describe the game of "ice hockey" to Gilbert, who smiled in awe at the idea of skates and rubber pucks. Our relationship with Gilbert really blossomed over this short hike and Phil termed him "Gilbert - the Dragon Slayer" in honour of his long, dragon-like toque.
Before we began the descent back to camp, I took a break and warned Phil of my pounding headache. It was the first time I had doubts about my success on the mountain and I was worried that I would disappoint Phil if I couldn't go all the way. "This is for you," he surprised me as he handed over a heart-shaped rock. "I found it earlier and was saving it for a time when you need to be cheered up." Ahh....and my bottom-of-the-mountain "YES!" was solidified again. I gained some spirit from the gift and we returned to Horombo for bed.
Just before we hit the sack, Robert came to ask us how we would like our eggs in the morning. "We want to make them special for you!" he said. "How sweet," we thought as Phil placed an order for scrambled and I requested them over-easy. Wow! Talk about personal service on a mountain....our mouths watered as we looked forward to the upcoming breakfast. But then, "Oh no....I forgot!" Robert panicked. "All of the eggs are broken! You can't have eggs!"
Haha, and so it goes.....
Kilimanjaro, Day Two: Survivor (Kili)
"Aaaaaaaannnnnnnts! Ants! Ants!" She screamed, as if super human, venomous ants had overtaken our peaceful hotel room. I looked left, I looked right, and still in a daze from being awoken didn't see anything alarming. "What is wrong Linds?" I inquired. "There are ants on the wall, there are ants on my bag, there are ants in my clothes, AAAANNNTTTTS PHIL!!!!" Though we hadn't actually started our journey, I guess the nerves were running pretty high in both of us.
We made it through the first "big" test of the day and were picked up outside of our hotel. We were headed to the base of Kilimanjaro but had one stop to make (to pick up walking sticks, and sleeping bags). We cozied up on the side of a road in Moshi and parked. Once parked however, several construction-vest-wearing parking attendants headed toward us with chains, and piercing eyes. We had broken what is apparently a major traffic offense by parking in a NO PARKING zone! Our tires were chained, and after much humiliation, negotiating, and prying we still weren't allowed to move. Luckily, our guide came to the rescue in another Safari Jeep, and it turned out great, as we rode in a caravan with all of our porters, our guides, and our chef.
We arrived at the base of Kilimanjaro and were surprised at how "Egyptian" the Tanzanians here appeared. We were surrounded by locals trying to sell us all kinds of gimmicks for making it to the summit. Our guide safely pushed us through the gauntlet and sent us out of the crowd to our own peaceful, shaded, rest area where we were to wait for him to gather all of our things.
I had originally decided to propose to Lindsay by faking an injury on our first day's climb. After falling, I was to surprise her with the ring and request, but after being left completely alone in our protected paradise I knew that this was our moment. I pointed in the distance, pretending to be interested in a particular view, and showed her to the edge of the hut. When she was searching for what I had pointed to, I slowly dropped to one knee, prepared in this beautiful moment to tell her why I wanted her to be my wife. I had planned to tell her that my times of accomplishing things alone were over, and that I wanted this climb to be the start of things we could accomplish together. I had planned to tell her that the mountain could represent our lives together. The unpredictability of the experience, the ups and downs, the smooth trails and rocky patches. I had planned to tell her that we would need to support each other on the mountain like in our lives, and that no matter what (make it to the top or not) it would be special as long as we were together. I had planned to remind her that I would devote myself to protecting her, both here and always, and I had planned to tell her how much I loved her now, and forever. I wanted her to know how thankful I am to have found her, and I wanted her to know that in many ways I feel my life is only now beginning. I wanted her to know that I chose her, and I that I could only hope she would also choose me!
My bottom lip quivering, my heart beating at an incredible rate, I began... However, "Lindsay, I wanted you to know how much I love you...." was interrupted with "JAAAAAMMMMMMBBBOOOOOOO!" as a local with 'boot gators' in hand had apparently 'Usain Bolted' up the hill thinking that we were an easy sale. I was caught off guard, and didn't know how to respond. "Just a minute please!" I warned the patron as I tried to refocus my efforts on the proposal. "Mountain.... Love.... Lindsay....Forever?" or something to that effect was all I could muster as our new friend looked on still determined to make his sale. Thankfully as she is so understanding, Lindsay did indeed accept my botched proposal, and I had formed the strongest alliance that "Survivor: Kilimanjaro" had ever seen.
At the gift shop (which Lindsay of course headed straight towards) I was pleasantly surprised to see Survivor Buffs! We each bought one, put them on and formed the tribe "Pole-Pole" (English translation of "Slowly-Slowly").
We began on our trek, and headed through Montane Forest on our way to Mandara Hut, up the Marangu Trail. We began at 1980 metres, and were to climb approximately 5 hours to 2700 metres. Waterfalls, twisting trails, and vegetation already changing we strolled over bridges, around streams, and up the base of Kili. We met "Money, Molly, and Mo" the family of Mongoose, randomly ran into 2 cows "Daisy and Cooper" that were grazing, and found out that blue monkeys get their names due to the colour of their testicles. Our guide Robert gave us the Swahili names "Phillippo, and Simalindi" and this added to the excitement.
My competitive side came out at times as I was interested to find out what the record was for climbing up the mountain, and we laughed as one of our porters (who we were essentially paying to carry our things) was caught taking a ride with the ambulance up the first day's trek.
We finally arrived at Mandara Huts and had snacks and tea, and a bowl of warm water to wash with. We were introduced at dinner to "Mohamed" from the UK, who you'll get to know more about soon, and I was able to introduce Lindsay as "My Fiancee" for the very first time. We took a stroll after dinner to view the Maundi Crater but it was too cloudy on this day to see the peak of the mountain as promised in our itinerary.
We headed to sleep at 8:30pm, but due to excessive water consumption (that is necessary during the treks), we seemed to need washroom breaks every ten minutes for the entire night. It was particularly entertaining for me to see Lindsay fear for her life from the giant crows, and monkey noises that were heard in the distance. The sky was filled with stars all of which were dancing for us, and though we thought it must be thundering outside, it was only the wind...
We made it through the first "big" test of the day and were picked up outside of our hotel. We were headed to the base of Kilimanjaro but had one stop to make (to pick up walking sticks, and sleeping bags). We cozied up on the side of a road in Moshi and parked. Once parked however, several construction-vest-wearing parking attendants headed toward us with chains, and piercing eyes. We had broken what is apparently a major traffic offense by parking in a NO PARKING zone! Our tires were chained, and after much humiliation, negotiating, and prying we still weren't allowed to move. Luckily, our guide came to the rescue in another Safari Jeep, and it turned out great, as we rode in a caravan with all of our porters, our guides, and our chef.
We arrived at the base of Kilimanjaro and were surprised at how "Egyptian" the Tanzanians here appeared. We were surrounded by locals trying to sell us all kinds of gimmicks for making it to the summit. Our guide safely pushed us through the gauntlet and sent us out of the crowd to our own peaceful, shaded, rest area where we were to wait for him to gather all of our things.
I had originally decided to propose to Lindsay by faking an injury on our first day's climb. After falling, I was to surprise her with the ring and request, but after being left completely alone in our protected paradise I knew that this was our moment. I pointed in the distance, pretending to be interested in a particular view, and showed her to the edge of the hut. When she was searching for what I had pointed to, I slowly dropped to one knee, prepared in this beautiful moment to tell her why I wanted her to be my wife. I had planned to tell her that my times of accomplishing things alone were over, and that I wanted this climb to be the start of things we could accomplish together. I had planned to tell her that the mountain could represent our lives together. The unpredictability of the experience, the ups and downs, the smooth trails and rocky patches. I had planned to tell her that we would need to support each other on the mountain like in our lives, and that no matter what (make it to the top or not) it would be special as long as we were together. I had planned to remind her that I would devote myself to protecting her, both here and always, and I had planned to tell her how much I loved her now, and forever. I wanted her to know how thankful I am to have found her, and I wanted her to know that in many ways I feel my life is only now beginning. I wanted her to know that I chose her, and I that I could only hope she would also choose me!
My bottom lip quivering, my heart beating at an incredible rate, I began... However, "Lindsay, I wanted you to know how much I love you...." was interrupted with "JAAAAAMMMMMMBBBOOOOOOO!" as a local with 'boot gators' in hand had apparently 'Usain Bolted' up the hill thinking that we were an easy sale. I was caught off guard, and didn't know how to respond. "Just a minute please!" I warned the patron as I tried to refocus my efforts on the proposal. "Mountain.... Love.... Lindsay....Forever?" or something to that effect was all I could muster as our new friend looked on still determined to make his sale. Thankfully as she is so understanding, Lindsay did indeed accept my botched proposal, and I had formed the strongest alliance that "Survivor: Kilimanjaro" had ever seen.
At the gift shop (which Lindsay of course headed straight towards) I was pleasantly surprised to see Survivor Buffs! We each bought one, put them on and formed the tribe "Pole-Pole" (English translation of "Slowly-Slowly").
We began on our trek, and headed through Montane Forest on our way to Mandara Hut, up the Marangu Trail. We began at 1980 metres, and were to climb approximately 5 hours to 2700 metres. Waterfalls, twisting trails, and vegetation already changing we strolled over bridges, around streams, and up the base of Kili. We met "Money, Molly, and Mo" the family of Mongoose, randomly ran into 2 cows "Daisy and Cooper" that were grazing, and found out that blue monkeys get their names due to the colour of their testicles. Our guide Robert gave us the Swahili names "Phillippo, and Simalindi" and this added to the excitement.
My competitive side came out at times as I was interested to find out what the record was for climbing up the mountain, and we laughed as one of our porters (who we were essentially paying to carry our things) was caught taking a ride with the ambulance up the first day's trek.
We finally arrived at Mandara Huts and had snacks and tea, and a bowl of warm water to wash with. We were introduced at dinner to "Mohamed" from the UK, who you'll get to know more about soon, and I was able to introduce Lindsay as "My Fiancee" for the very first time. We took a stroll after dinner to view the Maundi Crater but it was too cloudy on this day to see the peak of the mountain as promised in our itinerary.
We headed to sleep at 8:30pm, but due to excessive water consumption (that is necessary during the treks), we seemed to need washroom breaks every ten minutes for the entire night. It was particularly entertaining for me to see Lindsay fear for her life from the giant crows, and monkey noises that were heard in the distance. The sky was filled with stars all of which were dancing for us, and though we thought it must be thundering outside, it was only the wind...
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Kilimanjaro, Day One: Five Countries, Twelve Hours
You heard me - FIVE countries in TWELVE hours! From Cairo to Khartoum. From Khartoum to Addis Ababa. From Addis Ababa to Mombasa. And from Mombasa to Kilimanjaro International Airport. If you do the math, this Ethiopian itinerary equates to four take-offs, four landings, and eight imperative "hand-holding sessions" with Phillip. Now, I wish I was talking about those cute, "let's hold hands and skip!" hand-holding sessions...but I am not. These sessions were grasps for dear life, holdings of constant strength........cement-like in nature. These sessions left my hands reluctant for any more run-way activity...and over-joyed with excitement once our final destination was reached. "If he made it through THAT, he can make it up the mountain," I thought to myself. And really, "If I could make it through THAT, I can make it up the mountain too," I hoped!
Once we arrived in Moshi, we visited the Tuleeni Orphanage to deliver the school supplies we had collected at work. My brother, Graeme, volunteered at this orphanage last year and told me "Linds - it is the happiest place on Earth." Well, by GOLLY, GREAT DESCRIPTION, little brother! It was nice to have experienced a place so dear to your heart.
After Tuleeni, it was off to our hotel where we enjoyed a relaxing cup of tea on the patio and watched the "magic employee show". It was simply bizarre to see the pool man turn into the security man and then turn into the reception man. Almost as bizarre as it was to see the chef turn into the waitress and then turn into the bathroom custodian. Each transformation left the employee as happy as the last....and we never failed to receive a friendly "JAMBO!!!" as they passed by our outdoor table.
This same evening, we were introduced to Robert, our Kilimanjaro guide. He came to the hotel to brief us about our upcoming adventure, to ensure we had the necessary equipment, and to answer any questions we had. Although shy at first, Phil was able to ease Robert's nerves and we all laughed as we agreed to meet at "10 a.m. - MAZUNGU (white person) time"!
When we were alone once again, Phil and I ordered our dinner and shared the excitement of "TOMORROW!!!". In normal circumstances, I would have been furious with the two-hours it took for our meals to arrive, but it was so peaceful and warm that Phil and I were able to have a good chat as we waited. It was such a memorable time for me and I am happy we had that period of relaxation before "game day" approached us.
By 10 p.m. it was off to bed! After a short viewing of "Animal Planet" (our new favourite channel), we felt prepared for the climb and drifted into a sound, nine hour sleep.
Once we arrived in Moshi, we visited the Tuleeni Orphanage to deliver the school supplies we had collected at work. My brother, Graeme, volunteered at this orphanage last year and told me "Linds - it is the happiest place on Earth." Well, by GOLLY, GREAT DESCRIPTION, little brother! It was nice to have experienced a place so dear to your heart.
After Tuleeni, it was off to our hotel where we enjoyed a relaxing cup of tea on the patio and watched the "magic employee show". It was simply bizarre to see the pool man turn into the security man and then turn into the reception man. Almost as bizarre as it was to see the chef turn into the waitress and then turn into the bathroom custodian. Each transformation left the employee as happy as the last....and we never failed to receive a friendly "JAMBO!!!" as they passed by our outdoor table.
This same evening, we were introduced to Robert, our Kilimanjaro guide. He came to the hotel to brief us about our upcoming adventure, to ensure we had the necessary equipment, and to answer any questions we had. Although shy at first, Phil was able to ease Robert's nerves and we all laughed as we agreed to meet at "10 a.m. - MAZUNGU (white person) time"!
When we were alone once again, Phil and I ordered our dinner and shared the excitement of "TOMORROW!!!". In normal circumstances, I would have been furious with the two-hours it took for our meals to arrive, but it was so peaceful and warm that Phil and I were able to have a good chat as we waited. It was such a memorable time for me and I am happy we had that period of relaxation before "game day" approached us.
By 10 p.m. it was off to bed! After a short viewing of "Animal Planet" (our new favourite channel), we felt prepared for the climb and drifted into a sound, nine hour sleep.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
24 hour feelings.....
Excited. Scared. Curious. Tired. Nervous. Happy. Stressed. Anxious. Motivated. Overwhelmed. Eager. Intimidated. Exhilarated. Worried. Hyper. Confident. Proud.
Kilimanjaro, HERE WE COME!
Back on the 20th. XOXO.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
An "Out of the Blue" Question.
Lindsay: Phil, what if we have a kid one day who wants to be a painter?! (in a pre-judging, "the kid needs a back up plan" tone).
Phil: We'd buy them PAINT! (in an "obviously we would support their passion" kind of way).
Haha, I love him.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Pre-Trip To-Do List
"TWO MORE SLEEPS!!!", we realized as the alarm went off this morning. WOW! I cannot believe we leave for Tanzania in TWO DAYS! How exciting (for both of us)! How stressful (for one of us - ME)! There is much to do in preparation of our March Break excursion, as we are not embarking on a "lay on the beach" vacation. We have to check and double check that we are all set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Here are some of the things we MUST do prior to Thursday's departure:
1. Go on a "water purification tablet" mission. We have already been unsuccessful with this task at two different pharmacies. Luckily, there are many more to search!
2. Do laundry. [Yes - my long johns and fleece track pants are in the wash, Phil. It was still a (little) cold this week!!!]
3. Make cupcakes for Rolando's birthday.
4. Play with Oscar. A LOT. Tell him we love him. A LOT. Pray he doesn't rip apart another couch cushion. A LOT.
5. Purchase batteries. Good ones. We anticipate many photo ops throughout the voyage.
6. Buy snacks. Almonds, craisons, granola bars......
7. Develop a group photo representing all students who donated to our "Tuleeni" school supplies drive. (Phil's idea - very clever and sweet.)
8. Do an inventory of all school supplies collected. Go and purchase any supplies in shortage, using monetary donations from staff and students.
9. Finish "Survivor - Samoa"....and I say this ONLY BECAUSE Phil may die of suspense if the big winner is left "lingering".
10. Call my Daddy. I haven't talked to him ALL WEEK!
11. Pack. Ick - a word and activity that I dislike very much!
Please note: Numbers 1-11 are IN ADDITION to daily trips to the gym, Phil's baseball schedule, lesson planning, eating and sleeping.
Can you believe Phil isn't stressed? Perhaps he is saving it for the flight....we have four "stops". Mom P - I have the gravol on standby.
1. Go on a "water purification tablet" mission. We have already been unsuccessful with this task at two different pharmacies. Luckily, there are many more to search!
2. Do laundry. [Yes - my long johns and fleece track pants are in the wash, Phil. It was still a (little) cold this week!!!]
3. Make cupcakes for Rolando's birthday.
4. Play with Oscar. A LOT. Tell him we love him. A LOT. Pray he doesn't rip apart another couch cushion. A LOT.
5. Purchase batteries. Good ones. We anticipate many photo ops throughout the voyage.
6. Buy snacks. Almonds, craisons, granola bars......
7. Develop a group photo representing all students who donated to our "Tuleeni" school supplies drive. (Phil's idea - very clever and sweet.)
8. Do an inventory of all school supplies collected. Go and purchase any supplies in shortage, using monetary donations from staff and students.
9. Finish "Survivor - Samoa"....and I say this ONLY BECAUSE Phil may die of suspense if the big winner is left "lingering".
10. Call my Daddy. I haven't talked to him ALL WEEK!
11. Pack. Ick - a word and activity that I dislike very much!
Please note: Numbers 1-11 are IN ADDITION to daily trips to the gym, Phil's baseball schedule, lesson planning, eating and sleeping.
Can you believe Phil isn't stressed? Perhaps he is saving it for the flight....we have four "stops". Mom P - I have the gravol on standby.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Lindsay's "Timeless" Advice for today...
Today I was in the kitchen fixing us up some dinner, and I was astounded to find that although mixing eggs with paprika, garlic, and pepper doesn't look delicious, its taste is off the charts...
"Don't judge a chicken before it hatches!" Lindsay offered...
"Uhh Linds, are you sure you don't mean, don't judge a book by its cover?" I countered...
"Don't judge a chicken before it hatches!" Lindsay offered...
"Uhh Linds, are you sure you don't mean, don't judge a book by its cover?" I countered...
The Voice of Comfort :)
There is one window in my classroom that I always leave open. It doesn't matter if the weather has that "wow - it's STILL cold!" or that "yeah - it's finally SUMMER!" or even that "OH NO - SANDSTORM!" feel - it never remains closed.
I like to hear him hollaring in the field below. Working away at my desk, with a warm cup of blueberry and vanilla tea, I am happy just knowing he is THERE.
I like to hear him hollaring in the field below. Working away at my desk, with a warm cup of blueberry and vanilla tea, I am happy just knowing he is THERE.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A Very Excellent Date :)
On Friday night, Phil and I went on an "unofficial" date. I use the term "unofficial" as it was not a planned affair.....and I don't think Phil recognizes it as a date at all. He didn't ask me to go for dinner.....I didn't ask him to go to another (girlie!) movie.....and neither of us dressed up for the occasion. Still - to me - it was a date. In fact, it was one of our "BEST" dates.
It all began with an unsuspecting trip to the gym. Dressed in our under armour and lululemon attire, we did a full-body workout, followed by 45 minutes of training on the elliptical. The weight-lifting part is usual for us as a pair - it is the cardio part that transformed this "outing" into something more. You see - Phil never accompanies me during my cardiovascular component. He usually continues to do his weights and I go and meet him when I am finished. But this time, on one of our best dates yet, he came to sweat by my side. The reason? To enjoy American Idol with me. Yes, you may not believe it, but Phil managed to ignore the Sports News on CNN World and avoided the football match on channel 6. He tuned right in to American Idol - and you would have thought he was the show's most loyal fan! He was an enthusiastic participant in my version of Idol feedback, and bought into the "hand signal rating system" to judge each contestant's performance. How romantic it was for these reasons alone, but considering the amount of physical activity he had done this week and the tension and soreness he was already feeling, the romance factor sores high.
Who would have thought that our best date yet would start with water bottles and running shoes? So unsuspecting. It really was a very excellent date!
It all began with an unsuspecting trip to the gym. Dressed in our under armour and lululemon attire, we did a full-body workout, followed by 45 minutes of training on the elliptical. The weight-lifting part is usual for us as a pair - it is the cardio part that transformed this "outing" into something more. You see - Phil never accompanies me during my cardiovascular component. He usually continues to do his weights and I go and meet him when I am finished. But this time, on one of our best dates yet, he came to sweat by my side. The reason? To enjoy American Idol with me. Yes, you may not believe it, but Phil managed to ignore the Sports News on CNN World and avoided the football match on channel 6. He tuned right in to American Idol - and you would have thought he was the show's most loyal fan! He was an enthusiastic participant in my version of Idol feedback, and bought into the "hand signal rating system" to judge each contestant's performance. How romantic it was for these reasons alone, but considering the amount of physical activity he had done this week and the tension and soreness he was already feeling, the romance factor sores high.
Who would have thought that our best date yet would start with water bottles and running shoes? So unsuspecting. It really was a very excellent date!
Mmmmmmmmm......
You know what's better than peppermint-flavoured green tea?! Green tea with REAL peppermint - our number one pick for tea this weekend :)
STEEP and ENJOY!
I'd WIN Survivor!
Survivor is now on its 20th season, and for 20 straight seasons I've checked online only to be disappointed that Canadian citizens are still ineligible to partake in the show. I admit to loving this "reality" show with all my heart. I fall in love with the characters, the challenges, and like to picture myself fighting with the elements, deceiving my counterparts, and strategizing to be in the final 2! Whenever friends or family realize that I love the show, the topic of conversation always seems to drift to how I'd do if I were in fact invited for a season. I usually smile, nod my head acknowledging their ideas, and politely suggest I'd be the first voted off. Then those in the conversation get giddy over the idea that I'd either a)Yell at an innocent tribe mate and be voted off, b)Try too hard in the first challenge and be voted off, or c)Try to form alliances far too early and be voted off. The fact that I can so easily convince everyone that this would be the case is precisely the reason I'D WIN THE SHOW! I'm already "Outwitting, Outplaying, and Outlasting" even when discussing the remote possibility of one day being a "reality" television star that wins the million dollar grand prize. Don't be fooled, I wouldn't be beat! Or am I deceiving you?.......
Friday, March 5, 2010
"The Ump has spoken...."
Phil lost his baseball game this afternoon. Unfortunately for the both of us, it wasn't a "close one".
And so I found myself baking banana loaf, rubbing his back, and watching "Survivor - Samoa". The first two activities are ones that I do often, but the latter one was certainly a "pity" move on my behalf. It's not that I don't like Survivor (I did watch the first three seasons), but I do think 20 seasons of this nonsense is a little over-kill. Hmm.....or perhaps I am jealous that my favourite shows don't have the same longevity! Either way, I put on a smile and watched the first episode of the season in an attempt to raise his spirits (please don't tell us who wins!).
Who knew this cheer-up session would be so successful?! From the minute Phil pressed "play", he was ear-to-ear smiles. "I love this show, hun!" and "Thank you so much for watching this with me Linds!" and "Are you having fun?! This is so GOOD!" were remarks made continuously throughout the program. Not to mention the classic Phillip Parkinson "claims to fame" - "I want to be on this show so bad babe!" and "I would be so good...which means everyone would vote me out at the first tribal council." AY AY AY! The competitor returns...the baseball loss is (temporarily) forgotten, and a new mission awaits him.
In terms of Phil ACTUALLY applying for Survivor - my argument would be that we play Survivor everyday. This year, he is a strong participant in "Survivor: Egypt" and I'm sure his level of effort will carry over to "Survivor: Kuwait". That being said, please lend me your support if his dream to sign-up for reality tv is ever heightened. His cawkiness should remain un-televised.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Hoit-Kettle Curse!
For those of you who are unaware, the Hoit's are serious about their tea. Our family kettle is typically set to "perma-boil", as tea is steeped NON-STOP throughout the day. It is our way of life. Some of us (ah-hem - ME) would argue that it is OUR LIFE!
I have to admit that I feel awful about Phil's introduction to this warm-beverage addiction, as I'm sure my tea intake is quite hazardous to a person's health. One of us is ALWAYS making a tea....which encourages the other one of us to join the party. This is exactly what occurs at home with my Dad.....I suppose we could refer to this behaviour as "chain tea-drinking".
I really don't know what Phil has gotten himself into. In addition to my quirky habits introduced earlier this week, Phil has to deal with the repercussions of a long-time Hoit "curse" - one that accompanies this silly and excessive tea consumption. The curse? Electric kettles that function for 3 to 6 months ONLY. Proven over many years, electric kettles don't stand a chance in any Hoit-residing abode. I dare a manufacturer to design one tough enough!
Well, the days of "putting the kettle on" are over until our next trip to the store. Our kettle now requires supervision, as it has lost its sense of temperature recognition. Thank goodness its desire to get warm is still there :)
It's Pizza Night!
Tonight will be our first-ever, Parkinson-Hoit Pizza Party! Our order? One large meat-y pizza for the mister and one small vegetable-y pizza for the miss :)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
CONGRATULATIONS, PHIL!
To most Canadians, Mike Babcock may be the current coach favourite. But to THIS Canadian, Phillip Parkinson is :)
CONGRATULATIONS on your BIG BASKETBALL VICTORY LAST NIGHT!!!!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
It's Payback Time!!!
If you've been following our blog, you'll know by now that Linds tends to do the bulk of the blogging and that I do my part to fill in an anecdote or two when I get the urge. Due to this unbalance I seem to have been revealed more fully to our friends and family then Lindsay. I was carefully planning different ideas in order to poke fun at some of her quirks, and tell some stories of my adjustments to living with her, and I truly hope that you enjoy the following...
1. Our conversation about our "Passions"
Though Lindsay and I have been together for quite some time now, we are still able to reveal new things about ourselves during our chatter before bed. We got into a discussion about the things in life that we are "Passionate" about the other night, and I wasn't surprised about her love of arts & crafts, or her desire to teach, or even her need to own 5,000 scarfs (one for every outfit she has). I doubt she was thrown too far off when I discussed sports, coaching sports, watching sports, and reading about sports as my passions. After she playfully poked fun at my lack of diversity in what I had chosen, I threw the complaint right back at her! "Well, what else are you passionate about?" I asked, eagerly awaiting her to be caught out of sync by my clever trick. Imagine the utter shock I felt when Lindsay shot back "Break Dancing, I'm passionate about Break Dancing!" with a straight face and fierce eyes to boot. Now let me tell you that not only have I never witnessed Lindsay engage in the art of Break Dancing, I've also never observed any behaviour that could ever even be considered a hint at an interest. Confused by her response, I pondered about what next to say... "Give me a taste of this passion you speak of Linds, name two examples that support your claim!" She twisted her head to the side, buried her chin in her fist and worked hard to show me that her new nickname should be "LL Cool Hoit". She decided that because she had seen the movie "Step Up" and the thrilling sequel "Step Up 2" this qualifies her to try out for "So You Think You Can Dance". She's currently working on spinning on her head in the living room.
2. Oscar Discipline
The day of Oscar's birthday party a friend of ours was talking with Linds and I about disciplining Oscar, and after I rambled on about "The Dog Whisperer" and other methods, she asked the following question. "How does Lindsay discipline Oscar?" "Oh, Lindsay is unbelievable dealing with Oscar when he misbehaves" I answered, "She only needs one word to solve any problem at all that he gets into". "Wow" she said, "What word could possibly be so effective?" "Well, anytime Lindsay is doing the disciplining she simply yells (Phiiiillllllllllll!!!!) and all is taken care of," I said with a coy smile.
3. Sleeping Arrangements
When I was younger I was lucky enough not to share a room with my brother Steve. Now, I'm not saying I would have hated to have my older bro always around, but it was nice having my own space. I could stretch out, roll from side to side, start sleeping on the left side, then head over to the right side when i was feeling hot, etc... I was also in charge of opening or closing the window and controlling room temperature. Lindsay and I currently share a one bedroom apartment that has its own air conditioner / heater with a queen sized bed. I don't know the exact dimensions of a queen sized bed, but I'm pretty sure it's meant to comfortably fit two people (especially two people our size). Let me describe a typical nights sleeping arrangement. It begins with Lindsay declaring that she is "freezing" (Yes I'm aware we live in Egypt). "Can we put on the heater?" she asks with a grin. Then I head over to the heater, and do my best to fake her out by yelling out numbers like "28, or 27 degrees" when really I'm setting it to 23 or 24 degrees. She then usually catches my sneakiness and the heater is adjusted accordingly. I begin sweating, and have to sleep without blankets or sheets, dodging mosquitos, while Lindsay sleeps like a baby. It's also worth noting that Lindsay is not good at sharing. The division of area on our bed is between an 80/20 and a 90/10 split with Lindsay dominating the square footage. She sleeps in what I like to describe as the "Snow Angel" position, while I am confined to praying that I don't fall off the edge once I fall asleep. I can only laugh each morning when the alarm finally goes off and Lindsay smiles over to my corner of the bed and asks... "Did you have a good sleep?"
4. The Dreaded Morning Question
I have lived with Lindsay since around November 1st. Now for the sake of argument that is approximately 120 days or so. I have been asked the following question each one of the mornings we have woken up beside each other and I'm sure I've yet to sufficiently answer her correctly. "Does this outfit look good?" She asks me, eyes big, expecting a certain answer that apparently I'm not aware of. I begin to stutter, my words are twisted, my heart is racing, and I respond with something like "Yeah babe, it's good!" "Well good isn't great now is it Phil", Oh Lord I'll never win!
I better end this blog before I get into real trouble! And besides, there's laundry to be done!
1. Our conversation about our "Passions"
Though Lindsay and I have been together for quite some time now, we are still able to reveal new things about ourselves during our chatter before bed. We got into a discussion about the things in life that we are "Passionate" about the other night, and I wasn't surprised about her love of arts & crafts, or her desire to teach, or even her need to own 5,000 scarfs (one for every outfit she has). I doubt she was thrown too far off when I discussed sports, coaching sports, watching sports, and reading about sports as my passions. After she playfully poked fun at my lack of diversity in what I had chosen, I threw the complaint right back at her! "Well, what else are you passionate about?" I asked, eagerly awaiting her to be caught out of sync by my clever trick. Imagine the utter shock I felt when Lindsay shot back "Break Dancing, I'm passionate about Break Dancing!" with a straight face and fierce eyes to boot. Now let me tell you that not only have I never witnessed Lindsay engage in the art of Break Dancing, I've also never observed any behaviour that could ever even be considered a hint at an interest. Confused by her response, I pondered about what next to say... "Give me a taste of this passion you speak of Linds, name two examples that support your claim!" She twisted her head to the side, buried her chin in her fist and worked hard to show me that her new nickname should be "LL Cool Hoit". She decided that because she had seen the movie "Step Up" and the thrilling sequel "Step Up 2" this qualifies her to try out for "So You Think You Can Dance". She's currently working on spinning on her head in the living room.
2. Oscar Discipline
The day of Oscar's birthday party a friend of ours was talking with Linds and I about disciplining Oscar, and after I rambled on about "The Dog Whisperer" and other methods, she asked the following question. "How does Lindsay discipline Oscar?" "Oh, Lindsay is unbelievable dealing with Oscar when he misbehaves" I answered, "She only needs one word to solve any problem at all that he gets into". "Wow" she said, "What word could possibly be so effective?" "Well, anytime Lindsay is doing the disciplining she simply yells (Phiiiillllllllllll!!!!) and all is taken care of," I said with a coy smile.
3. Sleeping Arrangements
When I was younger I was lucky enough not to share a room with my brother Steve. Now, I'm not saying I would have hated to have my older bro always around, but it was nice having my own space. I could stretch out, roll from side to side, start sleeping on the left side, then head over to the right side when i was feeling hot, etc... I was also in charge of opening or closing the window and controlling room temperature. Lindsay and I currently share a one bedroom apartment that has its own air conditioner / heater with a queen sized bed. I don't know the exact dimensions of a queen sized bed, but I'm pretty sure it's meant to comfortably fit two people (especially two people our size). Let me describe a typical nights sleeping arrangement. It begins with Lindsay declaring that she is "freezing" (Yes I'm aware we live in Egypt). "Can we put on the heater?" she asks with a grin. Then I head over to the heater, and do my best to fake her out by yelling out numbers like "28, or 27 degrees" when really I'm setting it to 23 or 24 degrees. She then usually catches my sneakiness and the heater is adjusted accordingly. I begin sweating, and have to sleep without blankets or sheets, dodging mosquitos, while Lindsay sleeps like a baby. It's also worth noting that Lindsay is not good at sharing. The division of area on our bed is between an 80/20 and a 90/10 split with Lindsay dominating the square footage. She sleeps in what I like to describe as the "Snow Angel" position, while I am confined to praying that I don't fall off the edge once I fall asleep. I can only laugh each morning when the alarm finally goes off and Lindsay smiles over to my corner of the bed and asks... "Did you have a good sleep?"
4. The Dreaded Morning Question
I have lived with Lindsay since around November 1st. Now for the sake of argument that is approximately 120 days or so. I have been asked the following question each one of the mornings we have woken up beside each other and I'm sure I've yet to sufficiently answer her correctly. "Does this outfit look good?" She asks me, eyes big, expecting a certain answer that apparently I'm not aware of. I begin to stutter, my words are twisted, my heart is racing, and I respond with something like "Yeah babe, it's good!" "Well good isn't great now is it Phil", Oh Lord I'll never win!
I better end this blog before I get into real trouble! And besides, there's laundry to be done!
Monday, March 1, 2010
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