Dairy Queen Commercial: Bubbles

Haha, I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quite the Character.

GAHHHHH - Rachel: I detest the show because of you and I LOVE the show because of you!

Please continue your trend of terrible drama tonight at 9 :)

My "Tune" Up.

My seven year old iPod nano finally kicked the bucket. It worked perfectly fine until the very end - when it refused to shut off and no longer retained a charge! Alas, we drove to Best Buy to purchase a new one......

Holy SMOKES things have changed!

I was convinced the man was trying to sell me a shuffle and he had to reassure me quite a few times that this (scary) square, touch-screen contraption was the new nano. Today I may just get brave enough to take it out of the box and try it out. Change schmange.

How do we look?!

Here we are in our new "Team Diabetes" tees! We wore them for a nice and easy 10K yesterday morning - and even got some roadside compliments!!! Soon enough we will be sporting these tops with other Canadians in ICELAND! YAHOO!!!!!

Mission Accomplished!

Phil and I have been looking for this Pandora charm like private eyes ever since we arrived home this summer. It seemed to be SOLD OUT at every place that sold them....UNTIL YESTERDAY! Luckily, my hotel "window shop" turned into a REAL SHOP when we spotted their FINAL Buddha sitting so happily under bright lights. YAHOO!!!

Thanks, PHILLIP :) I LOVE YOU!

Luxury Mills.

Yesterday we worked out at the Sheraton hotel and - MY OH MY - were we ever SPOILED with an AMAZING treadmill experience! If we could afford one of those "Lifefitness" suckers....I believe a treadmill would become appropriate for ALL days, not just rainy and too-humid ones!

Let me to elaborate on some of the features:

* a place to insert a USB that has been loaded with tv shows or movies

* a connector cable for your iPod, also for entertainment purposes (keep in mind that the regular "satellite tv" option was also available)

* a variety of workouts to choose from - including a run that takes you "around the world" and a hill workout that takes you to "Kilimanjaro"

* the choice of watching yourself run around a 400m track, a 5k trail, or conquer a mountain

* a personal trainer - who you can select yourself! I chose a blond girl because she looked like me :)

* built in "Garmin-like" abilities - a pace bunny was there if you needed it!

* the option of racing against other individuals

CRAZY, RIGHT?! I should also mention it had awesome hydraulics that made the run nice and easy for the knees and ankles :)

Hmmmm......fingers crossed that our wealthy gym establishment in Q8 has purchased these treadmills for September!!!!

FIVE MONTHS TIL CHRISTMAS!!!!

Hahaha.....I'm not sure anyone loves that holiday as much as I do :)

An "Almost" Dream Come True

BEST NEWS: Learning that there may NOT be football next year! (Discovered last week)

WORST NEWS: Waking up to see that the NFL may have reached an agreement this morning!

Boo - I was all excited to have a husband on Sunday's :)

To Toronto We Go....

Tomorrow morning we are leaving Wheatley for the city to do a 24 hour "return & renew of the rental car". We will be (reluctantly) spending the night at the airport's Sheraton hotel and are going to make the best of it with some lobby-level-people-watching, a couple of hours by the pool, and some room service to accompany our evening of Big Brother! After this side-excursion, it's off to Lakefield for a REAL visit with the Hoit's!!!

See you soon FAMILY!!!!!

Our hearts go out to the people of Norway. Please keep them in your thoughts today too.

Our PHOTOSHOOT with OSCAR :)

Thank YOU.

I remember when I first got the idea to join Team Diabetes last summer. Many thought I was crazy (even Phil!) for thinking that dream was possible. I mean, the task of raising $12,200 is a wee bit daunting.....even when you take all of our GENEROUS friends and family into consideration! And you know what? We almost didn't do it. We almost gave in to the "YA RIGHT'S", "IMPOSSIBLE'S" and "You're crazy's!!!". But then we went for lunch with my friend, Sara McConnell. Our conversation went something like this:


Lindsay: We'd have to raise $12,200......which is a lot, I know.

Sara: So? You said you were going to climb Kilimanjaro...

Lindsay: I know...

Sara: And you did it.

Lindsay: I know...

Sara: And then you said you were going to run a half marathon....

Lindsay: I know...

Sara: And you did it.

Lindsay: We did.

Sara: And now you're telling me you want to raise $12,200 for diabetes.

Lindsay: Yes...

Sara: And just like everything else you set out to do....YOU WILL DO IT!!!

Lindsay: You think?

Sara: Lindsay - YOU WILL DO IT. And if you don't - you will regret it.

Lindsay: I think so too.


Well, Sara.....WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! We raised $12,200 for Team Diabetes!!!! And without your encouragement and love, we would have kept this idea just that. AN IDEA. You believed in us and for that reason, we are feeling so happy this evening about our success. THANK YOU, SARA. We love you.

Before I sign off here, I'd like to leave you with this quote from my gal Oprah:

I don't think you ever stop giving. I really don't. I think it's an on-going process. And it's not just about being able to write a check. It's being able to touch somebody's life.

You see, tonight I was on the phone with Tayls, talking about our daily happenings. Part of her day involved a big hunt for insulin pump supplies, while part of my day involved a big hunt for "running sunglasses". Part of her day involved a credit card purchase that couldn't be avoided, while part of my day involved an optional swipe of the VISA card. Part of her day involved stress and worry, while most of my day was carefree and happy. I don't like it. It's not fair. But because of the donations we received over the last year (FROM ALL OF YOU!), the Canadian Diabetes Association is able to fight in every way possible to make things a little more equal. One day, Tayls may not need her pump. One day, Tayls may not have "diabetes". One day, Tayls will only wear a bracelet for fun instead of necessity.

I love you TAYLOR. We did this FOR YOU. You are our inspiration when it comes to life and living and every kilometer in that marathon will be dedicated to YOU.

Thank you to everyone who supported our cause. Your compassion will inspire us to put one foot in front of the other on August 20th.

Thank you to our "Anonymous" Donors for your generous donations to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Don Armstrong and family for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Patti Friday for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Cathy and Shahid Hussain for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Christa Warren for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!!!

Our Shopping List for Kuwait.

- Ombrelle (lots of it). Please let me know if you find it on sale somewhere!

- Different varieties of tea, including chai and vanilla.

- Bug Spray. Not that there are many bugs THERE, but there seem to be many bugs in the places we travel to!

- Immodium. Don't laugh. I'm not going through another near-death experience due to meds that have NOT been CDA approved.

- Kraft Dinner (at least a COUPLE of boxes)! We prefer to pay 89 cents as opposed to $3!

- Arts & Crafts supplies.

- Christmas cards. These may be tricky to find at this time of year!

Thank you to Shannon and Tina Schlect for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

Annoying People on Television.

1) Rachel from Big Brother
2) Kathy Griffin
3) Star Jones
4) Joan Rivers
5) The Situation

Wawa for the WIN!

Thanks WAWA! You may not have much, but you certainly do have ACCOUNTABLE PEOPLE!!!!

Em shopped at Tiffany's (which is far superior than JUST breakfast), got a new tattoo (at some FAMOUS store!), saw three broadway shows (LUCKY, RIGHT?!), and witnessed the oh-so-stylish WHITNEY PORT walking down the street!!!! (<----- my current claim to fame. I know...........it's a stretch).

Glad you had fun, Em!!! I'm eager for you to help Phillip plan me a romantic trip there next summer :)

(I love you, hun!)

Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks

Just try to find something CATCHIER! This is the song that "makes our day" when it comes on the radio!!!!!!!!!

Thank you to Peter and Anne Marie Labine for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

This is a SNOT abundant ZONE.

While discussing Phil's cat allergies in reference to our upcoming time at my parent's house.......

Phil: Do you realize how much I LOVE you?!

Lindsay: I think so....

Phil: I love you so much that I am willing to live through a month of (h, e, double hockey sticks) so that we can enjoy time with your family!!!

Lindsay: I'm sorry hun. Should we buy a tent?!

Phil: No...but I just want you to know that if it was anyone else's house, I'd rather drown than visit.

Certainly a Fave.

Last night we watched this STELLAR film with Phil's mom. I have seen it before, but something was more charming about it this time around. Perhaps it was the image of a football-bedazzling daughter that I hope to have with Phillip one day :) Arts and crafts Sunday's.....HERE WE COME!!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

My iPading, Crazy Cat Lady :)

A.K.A. GEMILY.
A.K.A. EMILY.
A.K.A. "Starlight, Starbright Blogger".


Here's the thing about her: she returned last week from an INCREDIBLE, DREAM-OF-A-TRIP to NYC and has yet to share the photo's and adventures that accompany the vacation! I mean....did she have Breakfast at Tiffany's, just like Kurt in Glee? Did she check out the "Gossip Girl hotel" and catch a glimpse of Chase? Did she sip away on a martini like Ms. Bradshaw? Did she walk through central park and witness a man marry the woman of his dreams? Did she spot the Donald leaving his office and hopping into his bigger than life limo?

People of Wawa, I am calling on all TWENTY of you to PLEASE confiscate both Cow (her cat) and her iPad (which I'm sure also has a name) so that the world can live through Emily as she details her journey in New York City.

Sincerely,

Lindsay P.

Our Q8 "MISS LIST".

1. My Blackberry. No bbm. No up-to-the-minute facebook updates. No browsing twitter when bored in public.......GAH - I MISS IT!

2. Our Bed. Our "Super King" sized bed that comfortably fits TWO people (one of which who likes to sleep in a "star" formation).

3. Living without humidity. Dry heat > wet & sticky heat.

4. The gym. Speaking of which, why are one-day gym passes so darn expensive?! Shouldn't the world be making "exercise" more accessible to the public? (And don't tell me to "exercise outside" - because we ran 18 km outside the other day and almost DIED of heat exhaustion).

5. People watching. It's much more interesting in Kuwait! They are so well-dressed :)

6. Having a permanent place to keep our belongings. Like a dresser, a wardrobe, a bookshelf, etc.

YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have You Seen THIS?!

If you haven't yet, you should soon! Phil's mom introduced us to this show on Sunday night. It's a reality show on a mission to find a 7-episode Glee character for next season! You would be impressed with this intensive television interview - it will have you singing and dancing on the couch within minutes :) Episode 5 airs next Sunday! WATCH IT!

ONE MONTH UNTIL ICELAND!

Summer is going by at LIGHTNING SPEED and in 30 days we will be heading to Reykjavik to run our first full marathon with Team Diabetes! Have you seen the fundraising thermometer on the right side of the page?! Our current total is $11,830!!! That means we only need to raise $370 more until we reach our goal of $12,200!!! Click HERE to help us get there!!!!

There were "HAPPY BIRTHDAY'S" too!!!

This is the birthday card I received from Stephen:



[At this point I'm thinking - WOW - I LOVE ALL OF THESE THINGS!!!! And then I say out loud "this is so sweet, Stephen"!]



[BAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA. Then reality strikes, my bubble is popped, and I realize how perfect this card is FOR ME!]

Good find, Stephen!!!! THANK YOU, Parkinson's!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Imagine our surprise the other evening when we found presents by the fireplace! Yes, SANTA came to Wheatley just two nights ago to bring us Christmas gifts! He must have had trouble navigating the jungle in Sri Lanka, and so decided to treat us when we returned to Canada in July! The rest of the Parkinson's joined him in this summer celebration. It was very clever and SWEET! Here are some of the presents we received on "Christmas":

Mr. Clean "magic erasers" and an elephant named Ernie! (Phil was in HEAVEN).

Coasters with adorable pictures of Oscar in each one! THANKS OSCAR!!!!

Beautiful paintings made with love by Mom P. We have Sri Lanka on the left and Kilimanjaro on the right! We can't wait to put them up in our apartment!

GO LEAFS GO! This is proof that the Parkinson's LOVE ME (and maybe even LIKE the Leafs)!

This one is oh-so-fun: a snow-making kit!!!! Just picture the excitement when we made SNOW in grade six science!!!

No!!!!!! They are simply feeding his wrongful beliefs. YOU ARE NOT SPIDERMAN!!!! Somebody HELP ME!!!!

Thank you to Mike "Hammer" Shirton and Mitchell Grange for your generous donations to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Stephen, Nicole, Nala, and Sebastian Parkinson for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Erin Marsh for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!!!

WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another celebrity couple bites the dust......

Thank you to David and Aimee Marsh for your generous donations to Team Diabetes!!!!

Thank you to Taylor, Joyce and Scott Kononuk for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!

Thank you to Terry Tong for your generous donation to Team Diabetes!