A Happy Flip-Through :)

This week Leah surprised me with a wedding magazine! I never really thought about purchasing one of those (not that I would be able to find one here anyways), but Leah insisted that it is what bride's-to-be browse...and so I accepted her gift excitedly.

The other night I made a tea and decided to begin my bride-to-be browsing. There are many beautiful dresses inside, fancy hairstyles, photography ideas and planning tips. However, my favourite part of the entire issue is seeing the words "love", "bride" and "special day" so very often! Eeeeeeee! I "LOVE" him so much and cannot wait to be his "BRIDE" on our "SPECIAL DAY".

Thanks for the surprise, Leah! You have got me more-than-christmas-morning excited! xo

Feeling Sad & Blue.

Oscar had a tough afternoon at the vet's office today - a vaccination, weigh-in, mani/pedi, and a very awkward bum-hair cutting. Needless to say, he is being spoiled with attention from his daddy this evening.

Detox Lesson #1: "Juice" ONLY.

Phil: I am going to run to the store. Do you need anything, babe?!

Lindsay: Yes - some pineapple juice...or orange juice....for a smoothie later.

(Phil departs for the store and returns 15 minutes later)

Phil: Hun, I couldn't get pineapple or orange juice. They only had those flavours as "nectars", "punches", and "drinks"....so I got us mixed fruit juice...because it was 100% juice.

Lindsay: Well, in this household we choose JUICE over FLAVOUR. Excellent work, hun!

Impressive "Strength"

Strength is a funny thing... It has been defined as the quality or state of being "strong", but the meaning is more complex than that. It also encompasses the ideas of mental power, vigor, moral power, and courage. Lindsay, is one of the strongest people I have ever met.

Lindsay is someone (like myself) that wears her emotions on her sleeve, and she spends time all over the spectrum of emotion. She is regularly happy, excited for life, and ecstatic to love; She is regularly disappointed, saddened by others, and troubled by things she can't fix; She is regularly moved, inspired by miracles, and motivated by necessity.

The last few months for us have had a little bit of everything, with excitement in our personal lives, and the expectation of a long life together. But also with professional struggles, and the realization that as a teacher "the right thing to do" is often lost amongst colleagues, administrators and students alike. Mix this with the prospect of major "change" that is taking place and this is easily one of the more "stressful" times either of us has ever dealt with.

Through this time Lindsay has impressively supported me through moments of tirade, stood by me when I felt like quitting, and uplifted my spirit when things looked impossible. She has also braved her way through completing her time as a teacher at our school even with unappreciative "entitled" students.

In doing so, it reminds me why I love her. She perseveres when faced with challenges, she finds hope when others have long quit, and she reminds me of the true meaning of contributing in this life.

I have no doubts that Lindsay will be an incredible wife, I have no doubts that one day Lindsay will be an incredible mother, but I wanted her to also know that right now (no matter how she feels) she is an incredible teacher.

Wedding Dress Shopping in Cairo.

The title sounds fun, don't you think?! BAHA. If you only knew!

This past month I discovered that Cairo offers an incredibly un-enjoyable shopping experience in terms of wedding dresses. Here, the obstacles to the perfect purchase are endless - from arabic-only sales personnel to dodging traffic at "artificial" pedestrian walks to browsing dresses made solely of feathers, glitter, and egg-sized gems. My hunt for "The One" seemed impossible on every attempt I braved and it took many stores, many try-ons and many tears before it was secured.

Surprisingly, "The One" was discovered at a store called BCBG, the very first store suggested to me! The store happened to fail me on my initial visit with Phillip (being stocked with wedding-inappropriate party dresses), but proved extra-lucky on second entry with my girlfriend Leah! Oddly enough, both pairs of eyes were blind until I decided to try on a "looks pretty silly on the hanger" dress. But..........TADA! It was IT. IT was "THE ONE"!

Minutes after our really girly exchange of giggles and woo-hoo's, my phone rang. It was Phillip, calling to check up on us. That sealed the deal. I can't wait to wear my wedding dress on our undisclosed-wedding-day-for-two :)

Ewww.

Yesterday, Phil's diet consisted of: five cupcakes, four banana-chocolate chip pancakes, one can of Jalapeno Pringles Chips, four chicken spring rolls, one order of sweet and sour chicken (sans vegetables), one order of fried rice with egg and shrimp, one double hamburger from McDonald's (ketchup only), and one Oreo McFlurry.

He felt sick after. WOW. And to this moment he STILL says, "But I ran 13 km this morning!". The kicker is that Dana is the sick one today.

Detox begins TOMORROW.

Opposites really DO attract....

Today Phil and I went to Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea. It was one of the final places on our "need to go before we leave" list and this was one of our last chances to put a "Parkinson" checkmark beside the city. There are many neat things to see in this place - like the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa, Pompey's Pillar, the Roman Amphitheatre, and Fort Qaitbey. However, the main attraction (for me!) was the "Bibliotheca Alexandrina" and I have been dreaming about exploring this oh-so-academic treasure since I moved to Egypt.



The last time Phil went to Alex, the library was closed and so today's occasion marked an exciting adventure for the both of us! This library is a piece of art, I tell ya! I could have wandered through it for hours, finding new things to study and share. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE - organized, CLEAN, and STACKED with knowledge and opportunity! As we were wandering through the building, I exclaimed to Phil, "OH MY! I miss studying! I miss being a student! I wish I was doing work here right now!". Phil looked at me and replied with a very different opinion, "Really?! All I am thinking right now is - SUCKERS!!!!!!!!!".

Haha - I guess that old saying is true!

World Cup 2010

It will be on every television - in every restaurant, shop, or military post.
It will be the "valid excuse" for incomplete schoolwork and the explanation for increased absenteeism.
It will be the reason for unexpected traffic delays and no available taxis.
It will be the topic of every conversation we encounter.
It will make the streets sound like the 4th of July - everyday.
It will be why we hide indoors.

It is FINALLY here! And the continent is about the go CUP-CRAZY!

A Period-One Surprise!

Period one is my (optimistically speaking) "least favourite" class of the day. I often dread the entire 80 minutes and check the clock every second to see the duration remaining. Well, this morning's class was greeted with a happy SURPRISE! After a knock-knock at the door, I was given a piece of mail marked "par avion" (which is always the best kind to receive!). Inside was a beautifully embroidered "happy engagement" card from my darling friend Emily. The card was filled with lovely purple-pen messages and was discovered to be extra-special, as its purchase funds free surgical care for children with congenital heart disease. Another treasure for the scrapbook, Em. THANK YOU!!!

WHOOPS!

Phil: Hun, do you like my new haircut?!

Lindsay: Yes it's so.........DO YOU HAVE A SCAR ON YOUR HEAD THAT I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT?!

Phil: What do you mean? (frantically looking in the mirror)

Lindsay: (after taking a closer look) OH! It's just a mark from your glasses!

Phil: (giggling) Lindsay - that was very rude!

Lindsay: (full of guilt) I am so sorry....I just figured I would have seen a scar like that before! Your haircut is SUPER!!!