Monday, January 19, 2009

Watching the Kids Grow Up

Feeling pressured by our parents, Brenda and I recently decided to bring a little bundle of joy into this dismal existance. His name is Little Rocker Jr., and he's our miracle.


He was born, extremely premature, on Christmas Day. Weighing only 1.2 ounces upon arrival, he has now grown a staggering 600%, just as the packaging promised. As you can see, he has his parents' ghastly white complexion. He is musically gifted, though we make him practice his guitar in the confines of a 2-liter soda bottle, so as not to upset the neighbors. He's got his mother's eyebrows, but his father gave him those striking baby blues. We love our Little Rocker Jr.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

New York City, January 2009

We've been back in the city since January 1st. Since then, as I alluded to in my last post, I've been applying for a lot of jobs. Other than that, Bren and I have been trying to watch all the movies we gave each other for Christmas. Probably the coolest thing we've done since then, though, was find a sweet pink plastic Christmas tree for $5 at the local Duane Reade. It helps give our apartment some much-needed kitsch.


 

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Provo, Utah, December 2008

On December 1st I returned to my old haunts in the Beehive State. Brenda and I had plans, of course, to come home for the holidays, but I figured I'd return a couple weeks early to 'make some sweet moolah.' 

A little introduction...

Every December since I returned from my mission, I've worked with my good friends Nate and Clay at Nate's dad's yearly Christmas tree lot. It's really not a bad gig: there is a bit of heavy lifting and cold weather involved, but there is also a lot of time to sip hot cocoa in the comforts of a heated booth. Being the seasoned tree salesman that I am, I decided to give it one more go this year, seeing as how my CV has yet to swell since our move to NYC. And to be honest, I had a blast doing it. I was working outside in the fresh, Christmas-tree-scented air, listening to Yuletide ditties, and getting into the holiday spirit. 


But it wasn't without a little trepidation that I once again took up peddling Tannenbaums. I am, after all, living in Manhattan with my wife, trying to nudge my way into the realm of professional photography. Going back to Provo for a month was a sidestep in whatever career I'm trying to form, but I'm grateful for it because of: 

a) the money, and

b) the distance it gave me between me and my goals. 

In the midst of my new pine friends, I became motivated to get things done in NY. I want to work more with Seth, even if it's on a volunteer basis. I want to work with Hadleigh to develop our ideas, to write screenplays, and to shoot them. I've been applying for jobs like mad, both in and outside of New York. In short, I just want to leave the house more.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Monday, November 10, 2008

Here You Go, Brenda...

10 years ago I was:

Learning to drive
Watching You've Got Mail for the first time
Maybe listening to Sublime?
Living in Minnesota
Striking out with the ladies (times have really changed)

5 things on today's to-do list:

Trim my beard
Interview downtown for a part-time job
Have lunch with Seth if he's around
Maybe go running
Pack for our trip to Europe
(today is not a normal day)

5 snacks I enjoy:

Oh boy...
Most Hostess products
Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi
Chocolate Covered Pretzels
Thin Cheese Pizzas
Good chocolate bars

5 places I have lived:

Here's the complete rundown, not counting my mission:
Fredericksburg, VA
Naperville, IL
Yardley, PA
Annandale, NJ
Ramsey, MN
Provo, UT
The Freaking Barrio, NYC

5 jobs I have had:

Floor Cleaner, Cub Foods
Cashier, K-Mart
Golf Cart Attendant
CD Salesman
Body Double for Bill Paxton

5 pet peeves:

Honestly I would probably have a hard time thinking of 5 things that don't drive me nuts.

5 things that bring me joy:

Candy of most sorts
Interesting books
Mint or near-mint records
Jacque-Henri Lartigue photographs
pancakes

5 people I tag:

I'm not sure 5 people will even read this.

The ZackMonster Will Return Shortly