March Moustache Dubbed a Success

I know it's nasty! Remember, that was the point. Anyway it's April 1st so this morning the beloved moustache was shaved off. Before I did so, I took a few pics to show the world. I'm a little disappointed that only a few joined me on this endeavor, but nonetheless, there were those who took the challenge. Because a moustache really doesn't belong on my face, people took notice where ever I went. I had random people say to me, "Nice 'stache." I would reply, "Nice face!" No, not really. I mean, come on, I know the moustache at BYU-Idaho is a little out there, but who in the right mind feels it's OK to comment on someones choice to grow a moustache especially if they don't know the person. I find that strange. Today many were saddened by the loss of my moustache, many believed it was a good luck charm and that I should have kept it until school was out. I was starting to believe the same. T welcomed the shaving, though on Sunday she said I was handsome and it was growing on her. I replied, "No, it's actually growing on me." Personally, I'm sad to see it go; I've been enjoying the warmth it has added to my top lip in these frigid Rexburg mornings. Say goodbye, until next March.

Are You Serious?

My bother-in-law often posts a blog titled Life Lessons, at least that's what I think he calls it. Anyway, in it he tells of interesting encounters or stories of idiot people doing idiot things. I always love to read them and now I am going to start my own called Are You Serious? I chose this title because that's the first question I ask myself when I observe something that I think is idiotic.

My first post in this series of blogs is about cell phone ring tones. Now, I will be first to jump on sweet ring tones and I don't rag on others about theirs, that's not what this is about. What I can't stand is the volume at which we feel we must keep our ringers.

I was sitting in a quite building on campus the other day trying to get some things done before I moved on to my next class. Everyone around me was doing to same, enjoying peace and quiet and the ability to focus, and some even use the silence to catch up on a few Z's. Then, as if the fire alarm had been pulled, this girls phone starts blaring, so loud in fact, the poor fellow napping next to me sat up like he'd awoken from a horrid nightmare. Even while to phone sounded away the owner decided to finish the paragraph she was reading before answering it. Are you serious?

This is not the first encounter I have had with loud cell phone ringers, this is just the frosting on the cake. Why do we have to have our ringers so loud? The darn thing should be in your pocket, in your purse, strapped to your belt, or in some other bag. It's like people want to announce to the world that someone is actually calling them. "Hey everyone, I'm getting a phone call on my cell phone, I am so popular!" What would it be like if every time I got an email I shouted at the top of my lungs, "I got mail!" or "I got an email, I must be popular!" I don't think that would fly so well, in fact I'd probably have less friends than I have right now. No one gives a flying crap when you get a phone call. Let's make a resolve and try to keep our cell phone ringers on low, please.

Starvin' Marvin

So, T and I tried to go 5 weeks instead of our normal four on our monthly grocery supply this last month. It was all going well in the fourth week but when we got to the fifth we quickly ran out of food. We were both determined to make it through the week though. Saturday finally came and we made our trip to Win.Co. We practically bought the store out because we were so hungry and everything look sooo good. If you want to save money when grocery shopping, DON"T GO HUNGRY!

One of the items we bought was a simple frozen pizza and we decided we would eat that right when we got home. So in the oven it went and after 10 or so minutes out it came. Again, remember we were still very hungry. When the pizza came out of the over our brains must have turned off because the pizza spent a few seconds on the cutting board before we were shoving the blistering hot pizza in our mouths. Though it was hot we didn't care we just wanted some sustenance.

We'll to conclude the story, it is now Monday night and T and I are still complaining about the roof of our mouths being burned. That's two whole days later. And when I say I'm complaining it's because even when my tongue barely brushes the roof it hurts. So, the moral of the story is, when your supper hungry eat something cold.

March Madness Moustache Mayhem

It is march first, which kicks off March Madness Moustache Mayhem. This is an ever growing event at BYU-Idaho that started three years ago with myself and my roommates and has spread to a large following on campus. It started because BYU-Idaho grooming standards do not allow the growing of facial hair except for moustaches. Most agree that moustaches on a 20-28 years old white male is not attractive. Such adjectives as "mollestache" and "mexistache" have been introduced into the English language because of the hideousness of some moustaches. This is of course why I started this event. I love to do things that other people feel are a little off the wall. In my efforts to grow a moustache every March, students have started growing them as well. Some teachers have even said they would join but usually failed to do so because of the refusal of their wives. My wife refuses and that doesn't stop me though.

I would encourage any readers to grow a moustache during March and spread the mayhem outside of BYU-Idaho. I will also post a picture at the end of the month to show everyone the progress of my sweet stache. I would encourage you to do it as well. By the way, this is a male event only...sorry ladies.

Happy growing season!

Rexburg, Idaho Temple Dedication

T and I attended the Rexburg Temple dedication yesterday morning. It was a simple but very nice event. It was awesome seeing President Monson in his new calling as President and Prophet of the Church. He made the comment that he was thankful that his first official assignment as President was to dedicate the Rexburg Temple. During the Sealing of the Cornerstone ceremony President Monson was hilarious. He had a heck of a time trying to get the putty into the tiny crack and kept dropping it all over the place. Later, while another leader was placing some putty in the crack President Monson asked the man to scrape up what he had dropped then said, "That's what you call repentance." Everyone was rolling!

It is interesting how much the temple has changed this area. It has change not only the landscape of Rexburg but the feeling of Rexburg as well. People seem to have change as the temple sprung out of the hill. Even for myself, seeing the temple watch over the city has increase my love and appreciation for this small town. During the last summer, when I would walk to where I would catch the van for work in the very early hours of the morning, I would stare up at the construction site. It would be difficult to see in the fog and darkness, however, it really brought an extended peace in the already quiet morning.

I heard someone say about the Rexburg Temple that it is unique in the fact that it can be seen for miles in any direction, 360 degrees around it, without any interference. It truly is a "light and a beacon" unto this area.

So, So Cold!

I don't know if people outside of Rexburg, Idaho really know how cold it gets here. I woke up this morning, ate my breakfast, took my shower, then decided to go warm up the car...and it's a darn good thing I did. As soon as I stepped outside I felt the air get sucked out of my lungs. This is what occurs when it is so cold and dry it's hard to inhale enough oxygen to sustain yourself. After 10 seconds of being outside I could tell this was a temperature I had not experienced before.

After finally prying the frozen car door open, I got in and made a horrible attempt to start the car. It took 10 minutes just to get the darn thing started and another five or so, holding down the gas pedal, to keep it alive. If I let completely off the pedal then the car would die and I would be back to square one. By this time, I swore I had been outside for 15 to 20 minutes and I could barely feel my hands and feet. I decided to head in without scrapping the windows for worry of losing a finger or toe.

Once safely inside and beginning to feel the blood warm up in my extremities I got on my computer and saw the temperature was 20 below zero. I was shocked! I found out later that all the surrounding area schools had been canceled because it was too cold, of course BUY-Idaho was still in session. I guess they realize we have already reached our educational pinnacle so if one of our student body wasted away to hypothermia or blood freezing within the vessels it wouldn't be that big of a loss.

I'm pretty sure when it's that cold even the icicles are screaming for a warm coat.

Next Chapter of Life

When T and I returned form our Christmas break in San Antonio we were greeted with a packet of information from Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon. I had sent in my essays and application fee the Tuesday before we left. The first page was a letter dated Dec. 21, the Friday of the same week I sent in my essays. It also stated that I had been reviewed and accepted into their Doctor of Chiropractic program. So, T and I have our next chapter of life planned out in Portland. We are super excited to know where we are going and what we will be doing for the next three years. Friends of ours keep telling us how lucky we are because many of them are still waiting for responses from school they have applied to. Some of them have even received rejection letters from some schools. T and I have felt very blessed the last few days to know we will be moving on to our next destination without any hiccups.