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my weekend

Everyone clap for Mark.

On top of his scholarship, Mark was informed that he got a SMART grant starting next semester. I'm so proud of him!

President Bush signed into law two new student grant programs, and the SMART grant is one of them. It's nice to know President Bush managed to do something noteworthy during his eight years in office.

Congrats Mark!

I promise I'm not anti-baby.

This isn't going to make me popular, but I've got some thoughts on all of this baby business. I'll probably get a sound "hell-yeah" from Adrien (she's my best friend for a reason), but I'm sure the rest will shake their heads with disappointment.

Yesterday in Relief Society, a girl mentioned that her and her husband were going to get a 3d photo of their unborn baby. My first thought was, "Wow. They can do that!?" The technology available is truly amazing and having a baby sounds expensive (especially if you're on crappy BYU insurance). As I was thinking about technology and cost I noticed that all of the girls in the room suddenly started "oohing" and "ahhhing" and a girl across the table said, "I wish that were me." For a second I felt like I was abducted by a spaceship and taken somewhere completely foreign and frankly, uncomfortable.

Is it completely "unwomanlike" to have not caught the baby virus that is spreading rampantly amongst married couples in Provo? It's not that I never want children. And I certainly don't judge those who do have children or are trying to have children. But, I would like to wait a considerable amount of time before I get on that bandwagon (I understand that accidents happen and if it does, then I will love that accident with all my heart).

I just don't think it makes me (or Mark) selfish for wanting to wait. We've heard from a lot of people that couples start thinking about having babies at their year-mark of marriage. I've had a few friends pass the year-mark with their hubbies and they still retain their stance on waiting to have children. I'm anti-cookie-cutter when it comes to life. I don't think we all need to fit into the same mold. It seems like it is really up to each couple individually.

I also feel like a space alien sometimes when a baby is in the room and I am the only woman who doesn't rush to hold it or cuddle it. It's not my baby so I guess I just don't feel this automatic connection to nurture it for no reason. Granted, there are certain families that I am close to where I do feel a strong connection to their children. I just don't seek moments to kiss the cheeks or carry a small child that I have no relationship with.

Anytime I whine about this to my mother she reminds me that my Dad is a perfect example of someone who doesn't really like other people's children, but loved being a parent himself. I get the impression that my Dad has never really enjoyed other children - he's usually apathetic or finds them to be a little annoying. But when he had his own children (especially his intelligent, gorgeous, opinionated and VERY humble first-born) he became a nurturer to them and loved being a parent.

I guess there really is hope for me.

That's my baby rant for now. There are some other thoughts swirling through my mind (like how pregnant women seek a 9-month free complaints pass and somehow can't function or go anywhere because they might puke. Or how I hope to follow the pregnant example of some of my friends who pulled off their 9 months with style and class), but I will refrain as I know it's probably offensive.

(That wasn't really refraining...was it?)

Oktoberfest 2008

Adrien, Eric and Chris came over tonight for a pre-Oktoberfest party. We made chocolate fondue and used strawberries, pineapple, angel cake and pretzels to dip into the fondue. It was so yummy! The following are photos taken from the fab pre-party.

Then we went off to University Villa for the annual Oktoberfest. The boys played pool and Adrien and I proudly pranced around in our dirndls. When we got bored of the party we decided to shine our huge high beams on the party and then we left on a wild ride. We harassed deer in the field by the insane asylum, stole ghoulies from the ghoulie tree by the temple and went up to Squaw Peak to shine our brights on people making out in cars. We even threw our ghoulies at them. Or tried I guess. All in all -- VERY fun weekend.

Updates

Bed Update:

The bed was fixed the night of the incident. I guess it's a nice thing that my hubby can fix just about anything. I'm actually quit impressed as the bed looks good as new. Mark is even so prideful to say that "it's a good thing I broke the bed, because now it's even stronger and better than it was before!"

Weekend Update:

Adrien, Eric and Chris are coming over tonight. Supposedly the big annual Oktoberfest is taking place in Provo this weekend. I've seen no advertising or PR for the event, but I've got a few ideas of where and when it might be. I pretty much find any excuse to wear my awesome dirndl to anything Oktoberfest. The dirndl is gorgeous and I love wearing it.

Tomorrow night, our good friend Brian is coming over for dinner. Brian was one of the first friends both Mark and I made out here as freshman at BYU. In fact, Brian was the one who introduced Mark and I to each other.

For some reason since Mike died last month, Mark and I have had an overwhelming feeling to stay close to the friends we have. I guess you never really realize the impact someone has on your life until they are gone. We still talk about Mike quite often. It's amazing how many great memories we had with him.

Life Update:

Mom sent our ballots in the mail so they should be arriving here shortly. I don't need to tell you who Mark and I are voting for because, let's be honest, it's painfully obvious. I doubt Oregon will have any difficulty remaining a blue state in this election, but I still think our votes are important.

Mark got an amazing job this year. He is working as a mechanical engineer at US Synthetic. They absolutely love him here. He gets to work on all sorts of projects that seem to constantly prove to his boss that he is brilliant. I am proud.

Next week I go in for a meeting with the dean of communications about grad school. The application is due in February so I'm in no rush. But I always feel better when I do things way in advance. It just settles my mind. So I'll keep everyone updated about whether or not grad school will happen next fall.

I just realized it's about a month to Thanksgiving. Mark and I are going home to Portland to be with my wonderful family. We are so excited to get out of Utah and to see Mom, Dad, Heather, Omi, Aunt Geli and hopefully Sirpa too. We really are blessed to have such a great family.

Okay, that's all for now!

Berlin Memories.

I've been experiencing memory lane as it has been two years since my study abroad and we just had our reunion last weekend. Here are some Berlin photos. Other Germany ones still to follow!

Just outside of Zoo, the Gedachtniskirche.

Neue Wache.

We went clubbing in East Berlin. Sketch!


For some reason, Jenny and I were lucky enough to get an apartment just down the street from the Charlottenburg Palace.

Yeah. The woman we lived with was crazy and was certain we were wearing our shoes in the house. The sign says, "No shoes in the apartment! Never! Not mornings, not afternoons, not evenings. Never! Understand!?!??!"

Snow Patrol concert.

Amazing.

Berlin soccer game at the old Nazi stadium.

Post-Modern Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Brandenburger Tor.

Hotel Adlon. Michael Jackson shook his baby over the balcony at this hotel.

The Reichtag. My Aunt and Uncle took me to see the president of Germany speak on the national day of remembrance for fallen soldiers. I got to meet big-wigs in the German government!

The outside of The Reichtag.

The Siegessaule. Disregard the fact that I look like a sister missionary.

Inside the Gedachtniskirche. This choir was singing u2 songs.

Berliner Dom.

Mark broke our bed!

Mark and I like to play this little game where I run into the bedroom and he chases after me. We probably play this game two to three times daily. Well, about 20 minutes ago I ran into the bedroom and Mark chased after me, as usual. Only this time he decided it would be a good idea to leap high into the air and land on the bed. Well, the bed broke. We heard a crack and sure enough he snapped the bed frame. Now he is on his way to Home Depot to buy some wood glue to fix our bed so we can sleep tonight. He is also under the pressure as I want the bed looking good as new by this evening! I must say, Ikea is wonderful, but apparently not good enough to withstand Mark's hyper activity! It's a good thing I love him.

Idiot Classmates and The Devil Wears Prada

Like most good films, The Devil Wears Prada was a book first. Long before the heightened obsession with the film (and stupid Anne Hathaway (who is an idiot)), I was a fanatic about the book.

The other day my critical theory class offered examples of thesis statements for their mid-term papers. I noticed that no one was writing about Was Bleibt, the book we read for class. I raised my hand and in a (clearly) sarcastic tone asked my professor if I could write about The Devil Wears Prada, since no one seems to be writing about the about the book we've actually discussed in class. My professor (Okay, it was Rob) knew I was kidding and responded that we should try to write about Was Bleibt. And that's what I did.

So the guy next to me (who clearly doesn't understand sarcasm and therefore would never be able to appreciate shows like The Office or Monty Python) said to me, "I wouldn't recommend writing about The Devil Wears Prada. This is an academic class." Serious tone. Not kidding. He surely thought I was an idiot for suggesting such a thing!

First of all, I don't need some fresh-off-the-mission sophomore/junior telling me what to write about. I ought to bring in my German writing portfolio to remind him that I've never had a grade below an A on any paper or assignment.

Second of all, why knock The Devil Wears Prada? I hate it when people knock those kind of books and disregard them because they aren't academic. There is no need to be elitist about the kind of books we read. We should read academic texts, as well as texts that distract us and ease our minds. From a new historicist standpoint, The Devil Wears Prada is intelligent because it serves as a snapshot of society with the fashion, the New York lifestyle, the clubs, etc.

Third of all, even if I did write about The Devil Wears Prada, the paper would have been fabulous and I would have received an A for my work. Take that.

Best Day Ever.

Mark and I went up to Salt Lake today to take my brother, Shawn, and his companion out to lunch. It was so nice to spend some time with Shawn and to hear all of his wonderful mission stories. He is working so hard and touching the lives of so many people. I'll be honest, if I were interested in the church, I would want a missionary just like Shawn. I'm so lucky to have him only 45 minutes away!

Shawn bought a suit and loafers at the local DI. What a stud!

But when he extends his arms, it's clear the suit doesn't really fit. Nice.

This is Shawn's planner. Japanese stuff and a photo of my Dad. (???)

All smiles with his big knot on his tie. In honor of our visit, he wore his ugliest tie (it had brown cranes on it).

Shawn laid out all of his ties for us to see. He has 55 of them and is always looking for more.

He showed us his ugly boots and of course had to do the notorious kick that we all love so much.

The Notebook.

For starters, I hate "chick flicks." I certainly don't watch them often and when I do, I find them to be predictable and corny. But, one of my favorite films (and book for that matter) is The Notebook. I've always found the story to be so touching and every time I see the it I catch something new that touches me.

Tonight Mark and I watched The Notebook. I've seen the film so many times, but this was the first time I've seen it since I've been married. When the film ended, I was an absolute blubbering mess (which almost never happens!) and Mark's shirt was soaked with my tears. Mark was like, "Are you going to be okay?" I think this was the first time that I've watched the film where I have felt an absolute deep connection and understanding of that kind of dramatic and passionate true love. I guess when we personalize things they hit us deeper.

With that said, I just really love my Mark. And I'm grateful that he loves me too -- even when I cry and make a mess out of his shirt.

Piece vs. Peace

See Scotty's latest blog about Piece vs. Peace. Let me know what you think.

http://sdspjut.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/a-most-enlightening-moment/

It's not easy being Dr. Lund.

It's not easy being Dr. Lund, who is the only conservative professor in a liberal sea of blue (the liberal sea of blue being the German department). With so many boisterous opinions from professors with Ivy League degrees, usually involving anti-Bush claims or Republican jabs, Dr. Lund keeps to himself and maintains his composure. Usually he expresses his small voice via cartoons or quotes that he quietly posts outside his door.

This was his quiet argument today. And I love it.

** Note: he made this himself and was delighted to send me the JPEG to post on my blog. In the four years I have worked here, I don't think I've ever seen this ex-military man smile before. EVER.

This is me smiling.

It was so wonderful to come home to this. Thank you, Mark.

Rantings about Prop 8 and my pluralist thinking

My Problem with Proposition 8:

Civil marriage is man-made. Civil unions are man-made. Both are government creations made to organize us into tax/insurance/social brackets. Most importantly, civil marriages and civil unions end at "'till death do us part." We've been asked not to support same-sex marriage, however we've been told that we do support same-sex unions. What is the difference? The only difference is the word, "marriage." But, both marriage and unions provide the exact same rights to same-sex, different-sex, no-sex couples (okay, I added the last one in there). But, if a union and a marriage provide the exact same rights, then what is the difference? The word is the only difference. But words are man-made!! "Marriage" is a man-made word and the word is different in every language around the world. Isn't "union" just another way to say "marriage"? Is this an issue of semantics? Are we arguing over a word here?

Enough.

My Final Solution: Remember Your Pluralist Values

Dr. McFarland, who stands exactly where I do on this issue, talked me through this yesterday. He told me that you can support the other side, even if you don't understand or agree. You can support their dedication and passion to an issue, just as you support your own. You don't have to work against their efforts or find ways to prove them wrong. We can live peacefully with varying view points.

Why can't we all just be pluralists? We can agree to disagree and enjoy our peaceful coexistence. I support "yes" voters and their desire for this proposition to pass. But, I don't have to agree with them. I don't understand why my church is for this proposition, but I will support the church's efforts to pass this proposition (even if I don't agree). Isn't the beauty of a democracy the fact that we all come from diverse backgrounds and still have a voice? My fear is becoming a dogmatic monist. I never want to make anyone feel that life is "my way or the highway" because surely the tables will turn and that motto will be used against me one day.

I'm starting to love this country again. Democracy is a wonderful thing (but, not for everyone though...remember pluralist values) and I have been enjoying the political dialogue and banter during this election period. So, to McCain voters, Obama voters and even those wacky libertarians...best of luck to you in this election and may we all live in peace!

Californiaaaa, Californiaaaa..Here we coooooome!

I really miss the OC...not the actual place, but the show. Those were good TV watching days.

The following is a pictoral account of our trip to Disneyland a few weeks ago. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Adrien and I almost got the sword out...

These guys weren't even close...

Mark is cute. And he loved Autopia.

This photo was taken after what was possibly the greatest moment of my life. Let's just say that things got a little "wild" on the Mr. Toads Wild Ride. The boys were nice enough to let Adrien and I ride in our own wagon for creepy time.

Oceanside Pier. No pelicans though. Boo.

These two would never cooperative for a photo...


Us on the other hand...pure beauty...

Happiest Place on Earth! (Also, the most expensive)

This is just the kind of weirdness that took place nearly every second on our vacation to Disneyland...

I'm in love.

This is how my baby left for school today. Aside from the beard, I'm so proud of him!

Thanks to Becki's father, we now have new Obama t-shirts. Supposedly Becki read one of my scathing blogs to her father and he replied "buy that girl an Obama t-shirt!" ...and then Mark was lucky to get one too (afterall, his name is on the blog). Thank you!

Health care is a right.

Tom Brokaw recently asked our two presidential candidates if they think health care is a privilege or a right.

My friend, John McCain, responded that health care is a responsibility. WRONG! (Didn't answer the question in fear of losing votes!)

My hero, Barack Obama, responded that indeed health care is a right. RIGHT!

I believe that everyone is entitled to a proper health care plan. An ignorant girl that I know from high school argued with me about this topic. She told me that only children are entitled to health care because they can't help the situation they are in. Apparently, this girl needs to have a loved one get a serious disease in order for her to understand the importance of health care.

As one of the greatest countries in the world (besides Germany, of course), I believe that we owe our citizens some kind of a health care plan. Despite what Ms. Ignorant says, children are not the only people who cannot help their situation. No one asks for bad health. Sure, some people have health problems due to their own poor life habits, but others are plagued with disease that simply came with the gene pool. Either way, every American deserves proper health care.

We're the last standing westernized country to hang on to third-world beliefs. Canada and most of Europe apparently got the memo that health care is a right, not a privilege. Even Cuba somehow managed to muster up a bit of decency to treat their people to this right.

I'm not even asking for socialized health care, I just want our politicians and leaders to admit that health care is a right and that they are willing to fight to give this right to every American.

I miss Europe. I guess I'll just have to start planning for the next trip...

I will post a few of my favorite things here. Too many favorites in Germany, so expect it's own entry in the near future. I think it's time to plan another trip...

Rome, Italy

Salzburg, Austria

Dorfgastein, Austria

Howth, Ireland

Finland

London, England

Barcelona, Spain