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.
Monday, March 8, 2010
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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