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
Showing posts with label Swiss Towers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swiss Towers. Show all posts
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
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!
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!
Sunday, June 16, 2013
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
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
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
A Look At The Past And Toward The Future
Greetings Friends and Family!
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.
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!
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
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 skyline, pretty cool |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Blessings,
Michael and Shalyn
Friday, June 7, 2013
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
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
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