A Long Weekend!

Greetings everyone!

A post is long overdue, but I have been recovering from the last week or so!  We have been traveling,

This is what I've been driving for a month!

working, partying and many other things!  For our first month in Texas, we have been driving around in a 15 passanger van that has been teetering on the brink of death for a while now!  We are thankful that the van made it back to Wisconsin without anything breaking down!  We left the Wednesday before the Fourth of July at 4 PM and it took us 7 hours and 30 minutes to get to Wichita, KS!  It was terrible because I was, again, driving with the trailer in bumper to bumper traffic.

After four-ish hour of sleep, Shalyn and I got back on the road at 4 AM and drove all the way to Wisconsin!  It was another 9 hours from Wichita to Boscobel and I will not lie, I am dragging by the end of the journey.  Shalyn on the other hand was sleeping on an inflatable mattress that she blew up in the back of the van.  So naturally, shortly after I got into Boscobel, I slept for about 16 hours!  We had about 24 hours of rest before Shalyn and I had to go to the rehearsal for her brother, Jordan's wedding!  She was a bridesmaid and I was a co-officiant.

Saturday, we were partying at the wedding all day long.  It went smoothly and my brother-in-law is happily married to his lady of choice!  However, the wedding festivities went on until around 9:15 PM and we were getting up at 4 AM to drive back to Texas (Sunday)!  Fortunately, this trip back to Texas was a lot better.  We made it in 15 hours and 15 minutes of straight driving and Shalyn was finally able to help me out!  We had to get Shalyn back to work on Monday morning!  Luckily for me, I had Monday off so I was able to sleep lots and study more Greek.

Needless to say, it was not a particularly restful weekend, but we would not have missed the wedding for anything.  Now, Shalyn and I are working on recovering our strength before my family comes and then Shalyn's family.  No rest for these weary souls.  Shalyn is still loving her job and I am spending a lot of time studying and working.

Until next time!

Michael and Shalyn

North v. South Part 1

Greetings everyone,

This post will be a bit shorter than my typical blog, but that is due to the fact that I am writing it on a whim.  Well, to be fair, I always write on a whim and rarely have a coherent purpose to each blog post.  I thought it would be fun to start a series of blog posts over the course of my time in Texas reflecting and recording on the differences between the North and the South.  It is a pretty crazy experience to say the least!

North	South	My experience
You all	Ya’ll	Everyone says “Ya’ll” down here and I resolutely refuse to comply!
75-85 degree summer	100-115 degree summer	It doesn’t cool down except for a few hours in the early morning.
The Civil War	The War of Northern Aggression	Sadly, they are still living and fighting the Civil War down here.
Hamburger comes from cow	You can also get alligator burgers here.	No thank you!
We have a highway or two	There are about 10 highways in Dallas.	The road system is so bad here that my GPS doesn’t know where I am half the time.
McDonald’s	Whataburger	No comment.
Women wear pants	Women wear dresses	It is so hot that most women wear dresses to cope with the heat.
Easy listening music:  classic rock	Easy listening music:  Country	I hear nothing but country down here.  If I have to hear another song about a guy’s truck or dog or girlfriend leaving him, I might explode!
Mullets are thing of the past.	Not so much here.  A little too common.	Yeah...

Once Too Many

Greetings friends and family,

As you are reading this, I am currently on my way back to Wisconsin to bear witness to the wedding of Shalyn's brother.  I am driving the 15 passenger van and 16 foot trailer back north over the course of 24 hours and I will be one crabby patty by the time it is done.  Let me tell you, it was terrible to drive it once, but now I am about to do it for not only the second, but third time as well!  We will arrive in Wisconsin on Thursday and we will be driving back down to Texas on Sunday!  It is going to be a grueling experience.

Please keep us in your prayers as we drive back and forth once more!  Once we are done with this upcoming weekend, we will be forever free of that terrible drive!   1000 miles is rough.  Fortunately, on our trip back down to Texas, Shalyn will finally be able to bear some of the driving mantle.

A Disturbing Trend

Greetings everyone!

I have just begun to acknowledge a disturbing trend going on in my household!  Prior to Shalyn and I getting married, we had laid out some basic chores that each of us would do so that we could run a peaceful household.  Shalyn was given the two things that I wanted nothing to do with:  money and cooking.  On my part, I was given pretty much every other tasks that exists, including washing the dishes each night.  However, things have begun to change with our move down to Texas.

One of the great stereotypes that existed in my mind prior to our move was that grilling was an important thing down there and that everyone did it.  I have always enjoyed grilled food and I believe that it gives a flavor that you often miss if you cook on the stove or in the oven.  The residents of Swiss Tower are lucky enough to have four grills available to them all day long!  So I anticipated a lot of grilling on our part, since we've never had a grill available to us since I moved to Wisconsin.

The second evening of living in Swiss Tower was the first time that we decided to grill.  Obviously, I have never grilled before and Shalyn was unfamiliar with grilling as well.  However, when I sat there watching her try to turn on the grill, some man-gene kicked in and I left this overwhelming need to take over for her and grill us some food!  In the 12 days that we have lived here, I have grilled at least 7 times.  Now, here is where the disturbing part comes in!  Shalyn has only cooked dinner twice since we moved in!

Clearly an unbalance has occurred  in the universe if I am cooking.  Doubly so, if I am grilling more often than my wife is cooking.  Thus far I have grilled hot dogs, burgers, and brats.  Shalyn refuses to acknowledge this shift in the universe and talks about all the PB&J sandwiches she has made for lunch.  Really?  Really?

Oh boy, I am going to have rethink things here because a disturbing trend is going on!

Until next time!

Michael & Shalyn

An Overdue Post

My wife, Shalyn, has gotten a new job already working at the DTS Library!  This is an ideal job for her because it is quiet and stress-free, but also, she loves the library!  On top of that, it affords me half tuition every year!  That is a super blessing right there!  

I am working for a marketing firm and I've spent the last three weeks primarily assisting in the strategic planning of a convention for one of our larger clients.  I have been titled "Regional Project Manager" which is more of a glorious title than anything else.  Basically, I manage all of the clients that the firm has in the Houston area.  It is a major blessing because once I become self-sufficient (i.e. trained), I get to work most of my hours from home, which will free me from terrible commute times in Dallas and allow me to work easily around my school schedule.  

Needless to say, it has been a major blessing that Shalyn and I have both found employment shortly after arriving in Texas!  Every day that passes, we feel more at home here and we are thanking God daily for how He has provided for us during this turbulent time!  I truly feel that He has confirmed His desire for me to study here and I pray that He will bless my studies and that I might be a blessing to those around me.

Not much else has been happening here in Texas, however I have been afforded opportunities to help other entry DTS students with their transition down here.  I will be helping a new couple move into their apartment this coming Saturday.  

I should make note of HOW HOT IT IS DOWN HERE!  Everyone forewarned me that it was going to be hot, but I must have forgotten what it is like to be nearer to the equator!  Shortly after our arrival, the weather turned to an average of 100 degrees every day (give or take a few degrees) and it has been rough.  To be fair, I am handling it much better than Shalyn, but she really hates the heat.  I'd say that this is as hot as it will be, but everyone is warning me that within a month it will be around 115-120 degrees every day!  I doubt that I am going to leave the house when this happens!  Outrageous.  It is especially bad because I have to walk a quarter mile to get to my vehicle that I am boring, which happens to be a giant 15 passenger van with NO AIR CONDITIONING!  Try to imagine what it is like to drive down the highway in 100 degree weather with no air.  Let me just note that breezes do not help... at all.

Well, this is my life update for the moment!

A Letter From Home

Greetings Friends and Family!

I am officially writing to you from our new home at Swiss Towers!  This is an incredibly exciting transition for us and new stage in our lives!  God has truly been providing for us in every way, but more of that later.  In just the past four days, Shalyn and I have experienced a wide range of things.  I will write about everything in chronological order for your ease of reading!

We woke up on Thursday morning expecting to move into our apartment from 1 PM until 6 PM.  However, I received a call at 9 AM from the apartment manager stating that an error was made and that we are booked for both the morning and afternoon move in periods!  So, we were able to start moving in right away.  Shalyn and I traveled to Irving to pick up our trailer which was hiding at the Community Bible Church, where Tami and Moryam attend.  After a harrowing trip into the heart of Dallas, we arrive at Swiss Towers and get a tour of our new apartment.

Shalyn was super excited and eager to start helping me unload.  I had to tell her that she could not help me unload the van and trailer, but would have to wait in the apartment to sort our many boxes.  The reason for this is that it has been in the mid to high ninety's all week and it was scheduled to be over 100 degrees that day!  From 11 AM until 4:15 PM I was moving all of our "stuff."  Fortunately for me, our friend Moryam was able to come over at 1:30 PM and help me move everything in the trailer, and most importantly the couch.  This couch weighs over 200 pounds and it was rough for us to move that.  I am not sure who was more tired afterward, Moryam or myself!  Despite having spent all afternoon moving heavy boxes, Shalyn and I found ourselves unable to settle down and rest, so we kept sorting and organizing all of our "stuff."  Needless to say, we have way too many possessions!

We spent Friday buying groceries, sorting more of our possessions and waiting for Time Warner Cable to turn on our internet.  I have come to find out that I heavily rely on the internet to keep me entertained and informed.  I had a bit of a confrontation with the bath/shower which culminated in me taking a bath for the first time in probably twenty years since I was not smart enough to figure out how to get the shower to turn on.  Naturally, Shalyn had no problem getting it running and she had to teach me how to master the shower.  I was a bit annoyed.  Well, Friday night came and the internet was still not working, so we call TWC to see what is going on and we find out that they changed the date of installation but they did not let us know!  They said that the technician would arrive sometime between 8 AM and 9  PM on the following day!  I was a little more than upset about this, but I thought, "Mike, let it go.  It is not that big of a deal.  Tomorrow you will have the internet and the world will make sense once more."  How wrong I was.

Shalyn received a call from Dallas Theological Seminary regarding her interviews for a library position at the Seminary and they offered her the job!  She has been super excited about it and it has been an answer to our prayers regarding finances.  Within ten days, Shalyn and I have both secured jobs that will help pay for my Seminary education.  God has been so clear that He wants us down here studying and I am very thankful for all of His provision!  She starts in 8 days.

Saturday came and Shalyn and I had to go to Mesquite, TX to get her bridesmaid dress fitted.  I went to Best Buy since I hadn't been in one for quite a while.  Then we visited Long John Silver because we love their chicken, hush puppies, cole slaw, and fries!  I was in heaven.  I heard a customer say, "I want some slaw and some fish."  I was like, "What is 'slaw?'"  Yeah, he wanted cole slaw and I am too much of a northerner to figure out these cultural differences.  The south can be a silly place!  We visited Sam's Club to pick up some beef for hamburgers that we wanted to make later and it was during this particular leg of our journey that I noticed how absent minded, tired and cranky Shalyn was.  So, I told her that we are going home and she can take a nap to recover her strength (I laid down the law).  Well, 8:30 PM comes around and we still do not have internet, so I call the company again.  They tell me that it was activated and I told them that it was not working.  So after a 30 minute phone call they tell me that the earliest that they can have a technician come is Wednesday!  I had to get a bit stern and strong with them because this was entirely unacceptable.  I told them that someone had better come tomorrow or else I was going to become upset.  So they put in an order for expedited service and told me that a technician would arrive between 9 AM and 11 AM to fix our service.  I went to bed a little angry.

I wake up early Sunday morning to be ready to receive the technician.  I thought at 9 AM that I should call to check that he was coming and the machine tells me that I have a service date on Wednesday!  No, no, no!  So I get on the phone with the representative and explain the number of times that they have changed dates on me without contacting me.  I went on to tell them that it will be fixed today by TWC or else I will go with one of their competitors for service.  She informed me that I'd be waiting longer for the internet if I went with someone else.  So, I had to tell her that I wouldn't care if I had to wait a week and pay twice the rate that TWC is charging me for this service and that I'd make a point of sharing this story with everyone that asked me if they should go with TWC.  Needless to say, they sent a technician out a few hours later and my internet is up and running.  In fact, they gave me a speed increase for free because of all the unprofessional behavior they were exhibiting.

So here I sit, with my wife by my side, giving you an updating on the current happenings.  Check back soon for another update!

Blessings,

Michael and Shalyn

A Look At The Past And Toward The Future

Greetings Friends and Family!

The Dallas skyline, pretty cool

As you are aware, it has been a few days since I have last written a blog post.  Alas!  This will be a
more common occurrence as I become more busy!  Nevertheless, I shall work hard to make sure that I do a weekly update so that you are all in touch with our lives as well work and study hard!  Unfortunately, this means that a majority of posts will be a regurgitation of all the studying and homework that I am doing!  Although, there will be nuggets of gold when I write book reviews and, perhaps, write a theological opinion.

Shalyn is trying to hide from the camera... again

What has happened since I last posted a blog entry?  Well, we moved into a new hotel for three days
and it was a Raddison hotel!  We were lucky enough to receive an upgrade for free and are staying in a two room suite with a full size refrigerator!  The refrigerator matters because Shalyn has to store all of her insulin in a refrigerator to keep them from spoiling.  I am guessing that our suite is probably as large as our apartment is!  I am not going to lie, it is really nice to come home to my wife and have the option of sitting in our king size bed or on one of our couches.

On Monday, Shalyn had her second interview with Dallas Theological Seminary where she is trying to gain employment as the Library Acquisition Assistant.  She really wants that position because she loves working in libraries.  So it is my prayer that she would be granted this position.  As well as her DTS interviews, she had a Skype interview with a company called Savoya for an Operations Analyst position.  Her interview, though short, went very well and she's been asked to come in for a second interview this upcoming Monday!  This workplace is only five minutes away from campus, so it would not be a bad option!

My office building

What about me, you ask?  Well, I am working at a Christian marketing firm in Dallas.  It has been a
major answer to prayer because I got to start a week after arriving here.  It also pays twice as much an hour as the usual part time job so it allows me a lot more income (which translates into what I'll be giving DTS every semester!).  I've just finished my first week with the company and it has been an interesting experience thus far.  I've been acclimating to the expectations, communication and tasks that accompany a marketing position.  Today, my third day, is the first day that I felt like I had a good handle on what was going on.  I am blessed with wonderful co-workers and boss.  I foresee a good time and a blessing.  I get to do a lot of my work from home, though that only begins in a few weeks when I have enough training to manage everything on my own.  One other plus is that I get to work on the 9th floor of a cool office building and we have all glass walls which offer a really cool view of Dallas.

Tomorrow, Shalyn and I are moving into our new

Our living room, as of tomorrow

apartment at DTS!  We are super excited because we got a first floor apartment, which means that we do not need to use the elevator!  I get to have my own study and a dishwasher!  Huzzah!  One of the other perks of being on the first floor is that we get BULLET PROOF GLASS on all of our windows!  Necessary?  Perhaps. To be fair, I hear that there is a bubble around DTS that crime does not really penetrate.  Pray for us tomorrow, Thursday, as we bring the 16 foot trailer down, out of hiding, and unload everything in the heart of Dallas.  It will be a busy afternoon but Shalyn and I are looking forward to having a place of our own again!

Blessings,

Michael and Shalyn

The Dallas Farmers Market

Locally grown food at a cheap price

Greetings Friends and Family!

Today, I am typing to you from my same spot, our studio hotel room on the outskirts of Dallas!  It was a beautiful, but hot day, with temperatures reaching 84 degrees.  Shalyn and I, being sick of sitting inside the hotel room all the time, decided to go out and experience the Dallas Farmers Market that our dear friends, Tami and Moryam, told us about last year.

It was a really interesting experience because there were four "sheds" that had different types of stalls.  One of the sheds catered to those interested in buying their groceries in bulk, while another two sheds were dedicated to the use of general produce and meat.  I posted on Facebook that Shalyn was in her version of heaven on earth!  It was wonderful to see her eyes brighten at the sight of so much healthy and cheap fruits and vegetables.  She transformed into a kid that wanted to taste and buy everything that she saw!  Needless to say, but I will anyway, I had to reign her in before she spent all my money!  I only jest slightly here.

After seeing the first three sheds, we visited an enclosed shed that held a number of mini-restaurants and odds-and-ends stores.  We decided to indulge and buy a large freshly squeezed lemonade from one of the vendors.  Once the drink chilled, it was really good though I do not believe that it was worth the $3.50 price tag!  The things I do to keep my wife happy.

Shalyn found small trees that she wants to buy

Unfortunately for me, Shalyn found two flower shops that was stocked with a number of exotic and local plants.  So naturally, she had to roam the countless aisles of plants and think about how she'd build a garden.  However, in the usual form of the grim reaper, I was forced to dash these dreams by noting that we will not be able to have a garden due to the fact that we are living in an apartment complex in the middle of a large metropolis.  Sometimes I have to bring my lady back to reality, though I try to soften the reality check!  I love her for her imagination though.

We concluded our five hour outing by visiting Sam's Club in Irving to check on the prices of food in comparison to our Waukesha store.  For the most part, we observed that the prices are pretty much the same with a few small exceptions to the rule.  On the plus side, we were awarded with the opportunity to try out some interesting samples and we indulged in a slushy (my idea)!  All in all a good day.

Tomorrow we are heading to church with the friends that I mentioned earlier in this post and other posts as well.  We are looking forward to fellowshipping and worshipping God with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Until next time!

Michael and Shalyn

Dallas Acclimation

Greetings Friends and Family,

We have a lot going on right now.  In fact, I am concerned that I won't remember to write everything that is currently going on.  However, rest assured that I will get there and tell you all that is happening eventually.

First, I am working for a local Christian marketing firm that is run by a woman who likes to hire Dallas Theological Seminary students.  I believe she does this to help support the seminarians and that we are likely to be hard workers as well.  I did a bit of work this morning for the company, but my first real day will be on Monday.  I had to spend the day working on a price comparison for bids that companies gave us for a large order of banners.  I am left with the impression that no two days of mine will ever be quite the same.

Second, we are staying at an Extended Suite in Dallas for a week, but we have to be out of it by noon on Monday.  Shalyn has been tasked with the responsibility of finding us a new hotel for three more days until our apartment is finally ready.  It would be an understatement to say that we are anxious to move into new apartment and settle into a routine at DTS.  Personally, I cannot wait to get my own office to turn into a "man-cave."

Third, Shalyn had an interview for a library position at DTS last Wednesday and she received a call back for a second interview!  This will take place on Monday at 10 AM and she is incredibly excited to have received a second interview.  She loves the library and it is my prayer that she will receive the position because it is the one place that she has always talked about since I met her.  In fact, I've often encouraged her to enroll in a Master's program for Library Science so that she could be an actual librarian.

Fourth, we had the opportunity today to go swimming for the first time in Dallas.  It was a beautiful day, 86 degrees and sunny.  The pool was cool and refreshing!  What many of you may not know about my wife is that she is a fish!  She loves spending hours in the water and I find it amusing since she dislikes sitting in the sun.  Her face lights up and she gets a mischevious smile on her face every time I mention going for a swim.  One of the blessings of living at Swiss Towers is that we have two pools that she can use.  So, I foresee that we will be spending a lot of our free time pool side.

Continue to keep us in your prayers and that God would use this time at DTS to develop us into strong Christian leaders.

Blessings,

Michael and Shalyn

Day Of Rest

Greetings Friends and Family!

Today has been a low-key day and it was much needed!  We spent the day shopping for our hotel apartment that we are keeping while we wait for our actual apartment to become available.  It dawns on me that you might not know what our current situation is at the moment.  We came down to Texas 10 days before our apartment was ready because I have a work meeting tomorrow and Shalyn has an interview with DTS in the afternoon as well!  We are praying that everything will work out well and we would find ourselves fully employed in the next week or two.  We hope that you will keep that as your prayer as well.

Well, because of our current situation, we are staying in a studio hotel room that has a kitchen, refrigerator, and all the basic needs that we have.  The price is reasonable and the place is clean, so there is not much more that we could ask for.  We went to Wal-Mart to buy some groceries for lunch and dinner while we wait and it was interesting to note the small differences that exist between Texan Wal-Marts and Wisconsin Wal-Marts.  I won't go into it all right now, but perhaps over the next few weeks, I will start a "Texan Living" comments.  I use to do that when I lived in Fennimore and noted all the differences between city and country living.

We are thankful to have Mandi, Tami and Moryam, who have been incredibly helpful in transitioning us into our new Texan life and just good company.  We thank God that we know some people, so that we are not lonely or isolated after such a big change in our lives.  

I'll save some thoughts for a later post, but let me simply say that Texas traffic is crazy!  The road system makes no sense whatsoever and there is horrible congestion on the roads.  I told Shalyn that we are not going to be driving many places because it is such a mad house!  I am not going to lie, I will be happy when we return the van and trailer and retrieve our nice, small car!

Until next time!

Blessings,

Michael B VanderMeer

Trials And Tribulations

Greetings Friends!

You will have to forgive the quality of this blog entry because I am very tired and stubborn.  Yesterday, I drove 15 hours down to Texas with a 15 passenger van and 16 foot trailer.  It was very stressful to say the least!  Well, let us back track on what has been going on in our lives these last few weeks.

Shortly after giving our two weeks notice, Shalyn's father, Randy Miller, joined The Lord on May 22, 2013.  It was an unexpected situation that has been very difficult on us and the Miller clan.  Upon receiving the news, we flew to Florida where Shalyn's mother and father were doing a homeschool convention.  After returning from Florida, we had to prepare our apartment for moving, which involved packing and cleaning the apartment.  The Lord blessed us with help from Josh, Norah and Jami.  We spent 7 hours moving and 8 hours cleaning!

Then we had to travel to Boscobel to be with Shalyn's family while we waited for the memorial service for her father.  It was difficult but The Lord showed how many people her father had touched with his witness of Christ.  This took place last Saturday.  On Sunday, aka yesterday, Shalyn and I drove down to Texas to start our new life at Dallas Theological Seminary!  It was a challenging trip after such an emotional day, but The Lord kept us safe!

Today, we found an extended stay hotel to live at while we wait for our apartment to become available on the 13th.  We spent the remainder of the day with our friends, Tami, Moryam and Mandi.  We had a good time and look forward to growing in friendship (probably more on my end since Shalyn's known them for most of her life).  Tomorrow we are going to shop for some snacks and lunch food and recuperate our strength.  On Wednesday, Shalyn has a job interview and we could use some prayer on that!

Blessings,

Michael and Shalyn

Inaugural Post

Welcome everyone!  

As the title so subtly hints, this is the inaugural post of the blog that Shalyn and I have committed to writing.  And when I say, "Shalyn and I," what I actually mean is that I decided to do this and I am hopeful that Shalyn might be willing partake in the activities.  We shall see.  Perhaps, you all ought to FaceBook or E-Mail or text her and insist that she adds her womanly touch to this blog.  *fingers crossed*

We are currently two weeks away from our departure date for Dallas, TX!  I am excited but the cleaning and packing has been killing me!  I just got done spending about two hours cleaning the bathroom with Borox, which is phenomenally useful in removing any dirt or grime that builds up in the shower and/or sink.  Although the bathroom is now cleaner than when we had moved in, I have suffered a grevious injury!  A blister on the inside of my thumb!  Add that to the prayer request list!

What else can I say, or type?  Hm....  Oh!  Let it be known that I am not allowed to pack any boxes because I am a "terrible packer."  The upside of my inability to pack is that Shalyn took care of everything.  The downside was that she made me fetch everything for her.  Teamwork!  

Well, I think I am going to sign off and spend a few hours in meditative contemplation!  

*Michael out*