The Polar Bear Plunge

Alrighty... we had an interesting Friday night. After getting off of work I came home to find Chris ready and willing to participate in the Polar Bear Plunge at Hyrum Dam. I was a little skeptic, I will not deny it, but he was ready. So after Larry and Ami came and picked us up we headed to the freezing water. We of course stopped at USU credit union to get the "donation" that is required to participate and Chris got yet another handful of pens for free. These pens are probably the best pens you could ask for. I am sure about 60% of the inhabitants in Cache Valley have at least one of these pens. Anyways, sharing our spoils with Ami we felt lighthearted and ready to face anything. When we finally got to the site there was already a lot of people huddle around the metal bleachers that were erected. Chris and Larry left us to go register and I got to look around. There was a group of guys that looked like they belong to a frat house, a group of girls huddling together, and a few other stragglers. As we situated ourselves I made the best move of the night and bent over and let all of my newly acquired pens fall out of my pocket to the ground below the bleachers... it was GREAT! Then all of a sudden Ami told me they were going! I raced to get the camera and they were already jumping in : ( So sadly none of my pictures turned out and I will forever feel sad about that fact.
This lovely gem is sadly not my very hairy husband, but a man who at one point did a polar bear plunge. Chris and Larry decided to go with a pajama theme and even had matching Christmas pj pants. It was adorable to say the least. The slowly walked to the edge of the ice and began to slowly fall face forward into the freezing water. They even carried teddy bears that matched. It was funny to say the least. When they were changing, Ami and I, were able to watch everyone else go. The frat boys even started chanting about their manliness (because they suck c*%k in a group). I think they bonded....

I have finally read and finished this novel by Hosseini. It such a startling depiction of the life many families lead and especially women suffer through in Afghanistan. It serves as a great eye opener for me and I can not think of any trial in my own life similar or on the same level as the characters in this book. I have never known war, I have never known an abusive member of my family, and I have never know everyday suffering like the women in this book. I enjoyed Hosseini's first novel The Kite Runner because it introduced to me one aspect of the Middle Eastern culture that is rich in heritage. But this book shook me to my core. The lives of the characters first seem so opposite, but are entwined into each other at the end of the novel. I have never witnessed the sacrifice for another's happiness and welfare that take place in this book in the real world. However, I see a mother's love and sacrifice in my Mom's own life story. She gave up her happiness for mine and I will always love her for it.

I still do not know the hardship that face many women in the world today but this book will serve as one of the foundations to my future knowledge. A woman from Utah can't do everything but I hope to find a way to help in the future, perhaps I will be able to touch someone's life in my future teaching. Each day that I go to another ESL class I am surprised by the plight immigrant children have in our own country. America might be blessed with its freedom, but the intolerance that is just below the surface in its citizens can be our own doom.

Some Clarifications

So I received the much anticipated phone call from the academy and they informed me that they had already filled the position and the part about the males goes into every rejection letter. So I guess Marissa doesn't come off as manly, they just thought that if the position that I wanted opened up again and a male friend of mine was planning on applying I would be willing to pass on the information. Anyways... happy Friday!

January... Its been interesting!

Alrighty, so January has been an interesting month to say the least. School started for me and Chris sadly is still slaving away at Cafe Rio. He still doesn't get the recognition he deserves (then again no one in the management team does) from the corporate office. I can't wait for the day when he can walk out of those doors forever and never have to work there again. Oh, and the fact that I absolutely dislike and disagree with Trevor's view of a good manager. Anyways, life is not perfect and he's making the best of it. Today we gave him a much needed hair cut. We spent $60 on a great hair stylist to buzz his hair shorter... just kidding we did the work. Afterwards he stated that he would go "trim" up his beard and he walked out of the bathroom with this masterpiece. Its not my favorite but it shows his personality so well on the outside and that's why I married him. So I guess I love it entirely because it is the essence that is Chris.






And he is also wearing the best shirt that we got from Hawaii. It states that his Hawaiian experience was "heavenly"





I also had the opportunity to break my Ikea lamp for a second time. Sadly the small glass shade isn't the strongest structure in our tiny apartment and one misplaced step made the super glued glass shatter again on the carpet. So I decided on my mission and set out to re-glue the already super glued edges... I didn't find all the pieces and there is still a small hole. But the small Ikea lamp will live on, just not on my nightstand any longer. I replaced the cute lamp with a more utilitarian dollar store purchase.








The cherry blossoms won me over in the store.





This picture is a great Internet find that links to the sad misfortune that I received in the mail today. While researching possible jobs in Logan in the classifieds I found a great opening for a youth counselor for struggling female adolescents. I anxiously sat by my cell phone day and night to answer the promising phone call offering me salvation from my current retail slump. Sadly that phone call was transformed into a rejection letter stating that the "[academy] does not hire males for direct care staff due to licensing procedures"... in other words I was rejected because the academy thought that I had a penis and they got this from my resume. I don't know exactly how Marissa came off as masculine or how anything else came off as manly but I was rejected on false assumptions. I called the academy and left a message with the receptionist that I would like to clear up the mistake and get more information for the reason that I was pulled from consideration for the position. I still haven't heard back from them, but hopefully soon I will. If not the experience will go down as the funniest refusal I have ever had.



Our last two pictures refers to the hilarious story of the business man wearing jeans at Cafe Rio. So Chris was called by the alarm company yet again with the information that the alarm in Cafe Rio had gone off. Usually its a false alarm and the company can turn the alarms off remotely. However, on this occasion the company was positive it was a break in. On his way home Chris saw that there were police at Cafe Rio and decided that it might just be important enough to stop and offer the fine police department any additional help they might need. That is when he saw for the first time the businessman who was wearing the douchey pointed shoes that are shown below. This said businessman was from Rexburg, Idaho and had come down to a meeting with his security company. You are all probably familiar with this type of company, they wrangle college students into committing the majority of their summer to travel to a distant land and sell security systems to senior citizens without the money and other by scaring them into it... okay that's is the personal opinion that I have. On top of that I have had several friends/family members who have been royally screwed by such companies. Okay to paint an even more descriptive picture of the man, he was also wearing very stylish jeans with his professional button up shirt. When Chris arrived on the scene the police were standing on the outside of Cafe Rio and the businessman was standing on the inside, not knowing how to unlock the freaking doors to find freedom. His story claims that he came back to Cafe Rio after closing hours to drop off a friend and decided to use the facilities before his drive back up to Idaho. While using the restroom the closing manager left and secured the building. To his shock while exiting the bathroom, our business friend set off the alarms at Cafe Rio... This in my opinion is one of the funniest stories that has happened while I have lived in Logan.

Nothing Much

Each day we live in our small basement apartment, I realize I hate the people who live above us more and more. There is no denying it, I hate them.

Christams

For Christmas this year we were able to go down to Salt Lake to visit and spend Christmas Eve and day with my mom and brother. It was such a fun time because we got to play a lot of games together. I realize I will always give up on Monopoly when people start buying hotels, I love Scattegories, and Chris will always complain if we play Scrabble. On Christmas day we were able to sleep in : ) and have a great breakfast together. We were planning on driving back up to Logan that night but the snow kept us in Salt Lake a little longer. The drive up on the 26th was an adventure to say the least, but we made it up okay and were able to make it in time to help the neighbors shovel a car out of the snow the plows buried it in.

Now we are able to spend a little more Christmas cheer with the Merkets who drove to Logan to drop of Larry for school and spend some time with old friends and family. Sadly they will be headed back up on Wednesday and our time together is dwindling by. School starts soon and that is very, very, very sad news because the break did nothing to build my academic morale... I'm going to have to somehow find the courage to go on. I'd never just quit but a very long break sounds appealling. But the day I great a break will be the day I die (wahahahaha--> evil laugh).

Anyways, I am finally finishing a book that I have been reading sporadically for the past year and a half. I included it in a blog earlier this year. Its Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. I love her style of writing because she describes everything in a manner that strikes the reader and makes the most ordinary scene profound in some way. This novel is about the ability of man's mind to produce. In the society setting America is starting to believe that man deserves things based on his needs. This however, creates unproductive citizens who simply wish to take advantage of all the systems in place to get more than his or her neighbors. In the end the productivity of a nation is screwed because no one wants to show their real ability and get targeted to work harder for the needs of others. Every single sentence that I read brings a new spiritual insight to my opinions and I see her messages in everyday life. I am glad that I have been able to finish this novel during the Christmas break because it makes even the most tedious jobs bearable. I can't wait for my 15 minute break to read more of her powerful words. She is also the founder of a philosophy known as objectivism. If you are ever in need of a few powerful words look it up and you will be motivated to read her work.

The picture above is from our traditional activity of visiting the Temple Square lights for Christmas. The reflection pool was beautiful this year and we couldn't really take a good picture : )

The Happy Ending of This Semester

Now that school is over for the semester I am ecstatic! This semester has been long and tedious and due to my own stupidity I took all of the education courses in one go. I'd recommend it to those who want to be done but it was a real trial for me as a student. I met some professors that I have really enjoyed this semester, but I have also met some professors who I really don't care for. In the end, I am better for it but I'll enjoy my Christmas break. I am busy with two jobs still, but I am going to enjoy the possible future snow, time with my hottie, and family during the holidays. I'll be sad to see a lot of my friends continue the education program while I head to ESL classes but it needs to be done.

Its currently 2:20 AM on my first day off and I sadly cannot sleep. Chris will blame the endless cycle of napping that is a main part of my life; but, I will remain faithful to the benefits of napping to my dying breath. So if ever we ask your opinion on the subject side with me (God will reward you I'm sure). For the break I hope to finally finish Brisingr and start a new novel, be on my way with Chris in learning Spanish (thanks to our wonderful gift to ourselves- Rosetta Stone), mentally prepare myself for the next semester, and create a routine for hitting the gym. I sadly don't know if I'll be enjoying Rugby next semester because of conflicts with a night course and the never ending need to work. Not only do I need the money but I feel a lot more productive with at least two jobs : ). I hope we will be able to move someday because the DOUCHE BAGS who live above us are ever so annoying. Anyways I'll stop my rantings and let you continue with your blog updates.