Hotel Criteria.

Phil and I have been searching long and hard for a hotel to stay at during our time in San Francisco. Of course price and location play a role in the booking, however the three "must-haves" that trump these criteria include:

1) THE ACCESSIBILITY of TEA. Is there a tea-making station in the room? Is there tea in the lobby? Is room-service tea an option? (Haha, we CANNOT live without it!)
2) INTERNET ACCESS. Does the hotel have WiFi? Is it free or does it come at a lofty price? Is it available in the rooms or only in the lobby? (Sports, blogging, facebooking......we're addicts!)
3) FITNESS CENTRE. Is there a gym in the building? What equipment is available? (There are some training sessions we must complete upon arrival in San Fran.)

The FANTASTIC news is that we were finally able to find a gem of a hotel in the Union Square/Nob Hill district! Reviews on tripadvisor rave about the hotel's 24-hour tea and cookies, ultimate internet connection, and complimentary pass to the local fitness centre! Exciting, isn't it?!

Tonight we will run 4 miles to complete week one of Parkinsons's 4 Parkinson's training. Every mile gets us closer!

It's Wacky Wednesday!

Phil's been a GREAT sport this week, wearing all of the outfits I have selected for our school's "spirit days". Sunday was crazy hair day, Monday was multicultural day, yesterday was dress-down day, and today is WACKY WEDNESDAY!


This morning's selection proved to be a difficult task for both the dresser (me!) and the dressee (Phillip!). I struggled to find a "colourful, yet mismatched" outfit from Phil's "colourless, everything-could-match closet", while he struggled with wearing the bursts of brightness I managed to discover! Unfortunately for him, long-johns were also part of the attire....

Off to the field to ensure he is hydrated!

"How Do I Look?!"

From one reality show to another...Phil's next television addiction has started (at least until we receive the latest episodes of Survivor 20). Our newest program is called "The Biggest Loser" and features overweight contestants that must "live" at the gym, resist purposely-placed temptation, and lose as much weight as possible. The theme song is the very best part - getting us off the bed and doing aerobics while the game's players are introduced. So far, the show seems to bring out the best in people...unlike the Survivor-induced worst witnessed countless nights before. We'll see how the rest of season one plays out before making a more certain critique.

Oh no.

I received this advertisement yesterday after declaring, "The only way I will EVER learn to golf is if I have PINK golf clubs!". HUGE ERROR on my behalf. As an excellent shopper and golfing guru, Phil's Mom found me some pink clubs - ON SALE and IN STOCK. Lucky me......I should be "hitting the range??" in Ontario this summer.

Our First Supporter!

This moment is a GREAT moment, as we just received our first donation for the San Fran affair. Sweet Sister - thank you for supporting Parkinson's 4 Parkinson's! We will be thinking of you on the treadmill tonight!

P.S. We have made it easier for you to support us too. Just click on the blue shoe - PAGE LEFT!

A Half Marathon Honeymoon?!

We know - but we simply aren't the "sit on a beach, sip on a cocktail, candlelight dinner" type. We prefer MISSIONS and ADVENTURES! Here are some further thoughts to reevaluate your "those two are crazy!" opinions:

1) We got engaged before climbing Kilimanjaro...it only seems appropriate to follow-up with a mission-oriented honeymoon.
2) What better way is there to celebrate the last name, Parkinson?!
3) Fitness, generosity and teamwork are three life lessons we feel strongly about.
4) Running in pairs is FUN! We enjoy training together, especially when we have an end goal to achieve.
5) San Francisco is home to Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, colourful neighbourhoods, a Japanese Tea Garden, the San Francisco Zoo....(plus it is close to Yosemite National Park and the Napa Valley!).

And so, there IS logic behind our plan! We aren't crazy! If anything, we are CRAZY IN LOVE :)

The "Wedding"

Alright....we've kept you guessing long enough! Thank you for your patience as we pondered, researched, decided, reconsidered, and confirmed our "wedding" details. We are both really happy with the FINAL plan and we hope you can share in the excitement with us!

As many of you already know, Phil and I have decided to ELOPE. Our special day is intended for two, and so we will be getting married at an un-announced location, at an un-announced time in early summer. (Dear parents, you will be the FIRST to be contacted following the ceremony)!

We know that the "non-wedding" is a bit of a letdown for some, but we are hoping that the "honeymoon" will catch your attention as equally as a white-dress affair would. To celebrate the start of our life together, we will be participating in the San Francisco Half Marathon. Training for this 13.1 mile event started today, as did fundraising for our team, "Parkinson's 4 Parkinson's". On behalf of my soon-to-be new name (LINDSAY PARKINSON!), we will be raising money for Parkinson's Disease research as we prepare for race day on July 25th. Our fundraising goal is $1000.00 and we are hoping that our friends and family can make a donation to this cause in lieu of any "wedding" gifts or gestures. To support us in this PARKINSON INITIATIVE (eeeeeeee!), please visit our team website at: http://team-parkinson.kintera.org/sf10/parkinsons4parkinsons. Once loaded, you must click on either Lindsay Parkinson or Phillip Parkinson and follow the on-screen instructions to make your donation. Selecting either Parkinson (eeeeee!) will contribute to our Parkinson's 4 Parkinson's fundraising goal.

We hope you choose to be apart of our ideal "wedding" plan! We could really use some cheerleaders over the next 12 weeks of training!

Tonight's Laugh.

During our walk through Al Azhar Park...

Dana: Some guys told me that "HOITO" translates into "one night stand" in Finnish.

Phil: Ya, that's why Lindsay is changing her name to "PARKINSON". Noone ever laughs at a disease.

Sunset on the Nile.

So good.

Dear Daddy

I need to fill you in on TWO incidences that happened on Thursday...

1) I caught Phil reading about the Toronto Maple Leafs during his prep period. He was very interested in the goalie deal headlined on CBS Sports.

2) At the end of the school day, I asked Phil, "are you ready to leave?!" and he responded with, "what about the Leafs?!".

Baha - BUSTED!

Both incidences prove Phil's internal desire to chant "Go Leafs Go". He's a closet fan for sure.

Love,
Lindsay xo