When You Know, You Know.

When telling the story of our engagement, the "wow-ee's!" and "congrats!" are often followed by the question, "how long had you two been dating for?". Of course, I am always happy to respond with, "six months!", which seems to be a less-than satisfying answer to the inquirer. "That's all?" they ask with a "that's never going to work out" tone. "Yes! That's ALL!" I say with a smile.

So here's the thing: WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW!

Beautiful Mileage.

Another memorable 5-miler with my fiance. Nothing beats running by the water. We can't wait for July 25th!

The most un-manly thing about Phil.....

is his love for girlie drinks. I am not talking about ones of the alcoholic nature (because we all know he loves a cold beer and the odd whiskey on ice), I am referring to non-alcoholic juice cocktails that he is insistent on ordering every meal we eat out. It happened again at breakfast this morning. I ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice, while Phil ordered a pink-coloured "fresh fruit quartet", complete with a bright pink straw. How embarrassing, right?! But, nope - he sips away at it proudly, without any sign of embarrassment, and tells me that I am just jealous.

Haha, oh Phillip! I wonder what girlie drink will be next. Let's hope the presentation of the next one is a little less feminine!

P.S. I'm sure the next post will be something about my EMBARRASSING teddy bear collection, my EMBARRASSING public displays of arts and crafts, or my EMBARRASSING love for musical artists like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson.

Impatience and Creativity.

While waiting for a ride....

Phil: I wish there were teleporters.

Lindsay: Me too.

Phil: Zzzzzzzzz (making the sound of a "teleporter"). Ya - then we could be like (pretending to hold my niece in his arms), "what's up JOYCIE?!".

Lindsay: That would be THE BEST!

Spotted:

Sargeant Snowflake practicing his soccer skills in the backyard. In a country where "your team" could make or break you, he boldly sports his "Italia" jersey in anticipation of the match today. Careful choosing favourites Sarge - it could land you on the next flight out of here.

XOXO - Gossip Girl.

Oh Mr. Sun.....

As of today, June 20th 2010, I have decided that it is "hot" in Cairo. I was quite comfortable for the longest time - high 30's are a perfect temperature for me. But, this 45 and up business is a little too much to handle! Case in point: a perma-sweat that lasts the day's duration, over-heated vehicles that line the streets, and traffic accidents every few blocks. People are IRRITABLE here I tell ya and it is only expected to get HOTTER! I can't imagine being Phil or anyone else - they have been "hot" for months!

The "Good Treadmills".

It is a well known fact that at our gym in Cairo (Samia Allouba), there are only 2 treadmills that anyone would willingly want to use. In fact, our need for these treadmills has caused many disagreements with other club members who try to bud in front of us without waiting their turn.

There are about 7 treadmills in all, but 5 of them are a recipe for disaster, with the guarantee of sore knees and shin splints! This morning Lindsay and I had planned to complete our longest pre-race run to date, a whopping 16 kilometres, and so the "good treadmills" were a must.

"We need to arrive early tomorrow morning to ensure we get the good treadmills" said Lindsay a few minutes before bed. "What time do you want to head to the gym then?" I countered. The conversation that followed was back and forth banter based on the opening hours of our gym on weekends. Lindsay and I couldn't agree on a time, but felt 7am seemed reasonable enough to show up and knab the treadmills. What kind of a gym would open any later than that?

We were the first to arrive, we spotted our treadmills and they were open, there was a worker inside the glass door.... BUT IT WAS LOCKED!!!!!! Although the gym conveniently opens at 5am during the week, apparently gyms don't open until 8am on the weekends in Egypt.

With nowhere to go, and more importantly a need to hold our spot to get the treadmills, we waited the hour until the gym finally opened. During this time, we developed a more elaborate "clench" plan: Lindsay would go straight to the treadmills and place water bottles in each (read: TAKEN) and I would go to the front desk, check-in, and grab towels. If this plan didn't work, we were willing to battle the three members that showed up at 7:45.

The good news, we got our treadmills, had a great run, and actually finished 16km in 1hour 37 minutes at a pace of approximately a ten minute mile...

The Notebook.

This movie came out about six years ago. If you remember its release at all, you will remember how much the critics liked it (hek - you could have been one of them)! Normally, I am the first to see movies of this type but for some bizarre reason, I missed its theatre debut and didn't catch it until it hit Blockbuster. This may explain my "so-so" opinion of the film, which I thought was a bit of a disappointment after all that hoopala. Even my Dad appreciated "The Notebook".....and I could not understand why.

Well, tonight Phil and I watched it together....and 100% of my blubbering self GETS IT. A love story it most certainly is.

Animated Love.

Phil: I love you so much. We're just like Garfield and Odie.

Lindsay: Aren't Garfield and Odie both boys?

Phil: Ya.....(pause, searching for a response)....I was just trying to make you smile!

Lindsay: Darling (laughing), come on! Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Daisy.....

Because of HER :)

After her two month visit in Egypt, my (or "our") sister Dana left for Canada late last night. It seems impossible that her time with us is already up! We feel like she just got here - which is a compliment to Dana because she was fun company to have!

Because of Dana, we were able to enjoy delicious KRAFT peanut butter, explore new parts of Egypt, and win first prize at a "Guess The Theme" party. Because of Dana, we were able to read WESTERN magazines, learn more about the "Nutella" craze, and talk "teacher/supply teacher" about the students that drive us nuts! Because of Dana, we know how to use REAL garlic, are inspired to be better cooks, and have a new appreciation for a spice termed "safron". Because of Dana, we have a "reliable" internet connection in the kitchen, greater sympathy for anyone who suffers from food poisoning, and a bizarre alertness for anything that is made of, has touched, or was near a MANGO. Because of Dana, we understand the worrying that our parents have endured, the benefits of a top-notch swiss army knife, and the hassles of finding summer employment at home. Because of Dana, we have one less suitcase of sheets, Kilimanjaro gear, school resources, and gifts to worry about!

Thank you for your visit Dana! The good news is that we don't have to miss you for too long! xo