Stay posted...

So on Sunday I was able to go up with some friends to Connecticut. It was so fun. We rode the train out of Grand Central Sation north to West Port where we got off at the station and drove up to Fairfield and had dinner at this family's house. Details and pics to come (I want to get some pics from Emily and Darien before I go into too much detail).

For now we'll just say that it was very enjoyable.

Goodbye SayBox

So, I know that some of you have all gotten a little attached to the "saybox" over in my sidebar, but tonight I just had to say goodbye. It was a sad parting for sure, but truth is I was just a little annoyed. Some of you may have experienced the "popunder ads" that have come up on your computer after visiting my blog and I do apologize. This was due to said "saybox."

Here is quoted a recent message from Saybot:

All non-subscribed SayBoxes are now supported by popunder ads. Popunders open behind your browser, rather than in front of it. This makes them less intrusive than popups as they do not interfere with your internet browsing.

Blocking the ads, preventing them from displaying as intended, or encouraging others to do so is grounds for account termination and / or a global ban from our service.

It was a nice feature to the good ol' blog, but not so much that I'm willing to pay to have it. And the popunder ads are kind of annoying. I do apologize if they bugged anyone during the few days they were in affect.

Blogs of Cool People Update

I have added yet another "blogs of cool people" link. This is slightly embarrassing but I never added Jared to my sidebar. I am sorry Jared. I hope you forgive me. I swear (even though it's a sin and I shouldn't) that I had added you a long time ago.

If it's any consolation, I have the feed to your blog bookmarked in my browser toolbar so I know whenever you post something new (and it's been that way since the beginning).

My Saturday and such

Well, I'm actually posting this several days later and since Jared allready has a pretty good post about our Saturday with pics that I took, I figure you can just check it out there.
:)
I'm so lazy.

Tonight was Great

So...what did I do tonight you might ask? I...

• met up with a friend visiting over the weekend from Boston where he's interning
• ate pizza
• watched a couple kids play game cube on a gigantic outdoor theater screen for some nintendo finals competition thing
  
• watched part of an indi film that screened at Tribeca
• got rained out
• saw a friend get bit by a drunk guy with a guitar
  
• sat eating while another drunk guy almost got his lights knocked out right next to us
  
• met a cool black dude named...
  
• walked in the rain under an umbrella with a girl
• beatboxed on the subway
• listened to this cool black dude named Marvin flow to the beat Scott was laying out for him as we rode on the subway.
  
• went to the blue note jazz club
• bought a $10 burger and fries
• ate said $10 burger and fries
  
• listened to some sweet jazz (jared describes it as having a "free-formed jazz setting with a rock sensibility and r&b vocals).
• met some of the band members
• saw some things i didn't want to see
  
• got home at 4 am
  

Wu ji (The Promise)

So tonight Becca, Jared and I went to see The Promise. It was good. We saw it at this little dive of a movie theater (which was awesome) that plays all these cool foreign films. Overall, I liked it. It's too bad their special effects budget wasn't bigger because some of the special effects came across as really cheesy and consequently distracted from the story (which was great).

Random Pics take 2

So I finally took a picture of the temple today. Becca and I went to see a movie today after work and the theater was just down the street a couple blocks from the subway stop of the temple so while she was in Barnes and Noble buying a new book to read I walked across the street to take a few pics.

Looking down Broadway. The temple is out of the frame to the left across the street.

Can't remember where exactly this little park is, but I think it's next to the New York City Library. A small group of us got Chipotle earlier this week for dinner and then we ate it in this cozy little park that you see here. I love how these little patches of greenery and trees live like islands in the ocean that is New York business.

Random Pics

So I just realized today that I had a bunch of pictures in my camera that I hadn't put on my computer yet. I figure I would post some tonight. These are from like a week ago. I was walking to a meeting for LDS Communications Professionals in NY and had some time to kill before it started. I stopped and bought some new church shoes (I didn't even bring any out here because I somehow lost my cool one's and the only one's I had to bring were ones from my mission that are totally thrashed). And then I saw these kids skateboarding along this corner in the city. I thought I would take their pictures. Two of them are from Carolina and were just here in NY on vacation with their parents. Their parents were shopping or something at the time.

Additions to the Sidebar

There have been several "blogs of cool people" additions recently (and not so recently) to the sidebar that I should announce. They are as follows:

Do What?

(the blog of a dear friend and former co-worker)



Steno Pool
(the blog of a dear friend and former room mate)




Yo Adrienne
(the blog of a dear friend and former classmate)






Now, I feel as though I must post this disclaimer. The "Blogs of Cool People" sidebar is to direct you to (as it states) the blogs of cool people, not the cool blogs of people. That said, if the blogs of these cool people are not cool...I am sorry, but I deny any and all fault.

However, you would think that coolness would foster coolness so...chances are, there blogs would be cool as the people who write and publish them. If they are not, get on the case of the authors. I'm sure they just need a little encouragement. :)

Coney Island

So, several posts ago I wrote up a summary of what had been going on with me in New York. The past several posts after that have been slightly more in-depth info in regards to the content of that summary. This post is to continue that trend...

On Memorial Day I got to visit Coney Island with some friends. I was actually thinking that I would have to work. I'm glad I didn't have to, but I was totally prepared to and really didn't mind. I had left to St. George for the wedding on Thursday morning and had missed work that Monday because I felt like crap that morning. Haha, basically I worked a half day Tuesday and then Wednesday. Pretty pathetic, but hey...you do what you can right?

When I told my boss bye on Wednesday as I was leaving and reminded her that I wouldn't be back for the rest of the week she looked a little suprised. (I think she had forgotten our conversation about me leaving for the wedding). I felt bad, but not too bad considering I had made sure they knew in advance that I would be gone. They were hoping to pull me in on a project the next day. I needed some way to softening the blow of my absence. I told her that I would be back Sunday and would be able to help out with whatever they needed on Monday, but that I was told no one would be around because of the holiday. Someone said, "we might be."

"Ok," I thought. "If you need me Monday, I'm here." I needed to make up for lost time anyways. I have to have so many hours for my internship credit and I'm really not going to be learning anything unless I'm actually at work working.

You allready know the end of the story: I didn't have to work on Memorial Day. Instead, I went to Coney Island. However, I did have a late start getting out there (had to stop in and make sure they weren't going to call and want me to go work). So, I caught up with a small group of my friends later in the day there.

It was fun. I did the important things:

Ate a hotdog
Walked on the boardwalk
Touched the Atlantic
Saw a freak show (click here to see an illegal picture of the fire chick)

I didn't however:
ride any sort of roller coaster (that's something that everyone else did before I got there, and besides...I'm not that much of a roller coaster type of person. I mean...Silverwood is like right by my house, I've never been, and I'm totally ok with that. If I wanted to ride a wood roller coaster, I'll just go home to do it. No need to do that at Coney Island.)

All and all, it was fun: good times, with good people. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.
View of the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park

Memorial thing in Battery Park


My Dad = Zimmerman George D. (close)

Coney Island Pics


Not the best pic of me, but it's classic. I'm eating a hot dog on Coney Island.

Cool building off the boardwalk

Same building, but this time I'm in the pic with two girls. :)

The end for now.

Celebrity Deathmatch: Google vs Excel

Google continues to expand, working closer and closer to achieving its ultimate goal of ruling the world. The company introduced a spreadsheet program yesterday that just might rival Microsoft's Excel.

Like many of google's projects, google spreadsheets are a work in progress. But hey, it's a free alternative to using Craposoft's Software. If anyone would like to try it out you best hurry. There are limited invitations to be one of the first to pilot the program. You can sign up to recieve an invitation here:

Google Spreadsheets

Keys to Getting Women

-Wisdom of Ty Hummon

1. Shut Up and Smile
2. Get the "caveman glow"
   i.e. have a manly hobby, something painful, can take a punch, can handle being a little bloody. (This shows that you will defend her, as well as yours and hers home)
   
3. Women are addicted to Romance, Love, Affection, and Intimacy
   
4. Women are addicted to Security, Safety, Stability, and Support
   
5. Must balance the white knight vs. the black knight
   "men they will marry" vs "men they will f***"
   

Las Vegas and old friends

So, during my short trip to St. George I was able to spend a little time in Vegas. In fact, when I first landed there on Thursday (the 25th, day before the wedding) I got picked up by EmmaLee and Bob who were down in Vegas picking up the tuxes for the wedding. They honored a request of mine that we eat lunch at In-N-Out. Oh blessed In-N-Out. It was marvelous. My only regret is that I only went twice during the trip. :)

After lunch, we had some time to kill before one of Bob's friends (another groomsman) flew in, so we drove up to the temple and I showed them around a little bit. I simply love that temple. Gorgeous.

The day after the wedding, I ended up driving back down to Vegas to return the tuxes and to drop one of the groomsman off at the airport so he could catch his flight back home. While I was there I thought...dang, I'm really close to one of my old areas. I should visit a couple people. Well, I dropped in on a couple member families and then as I was driving past the apt complex where I lived in my second area I drove past this one street and thought about one of my old investigators, Ty Hummon.

He had lived right down the street. That was so long ago I thought. He probobly doesn't live there anymore. In fact, I think I remember going by the house once before on a previous return visit to Vegas and no one answering the door. For some reason, I had the impression I should stop by and just see....so I did.

Turns out he doesn't live there anymore, but his old girlfriend was still there and she gave me his cell number. I called him right up as I was driving away from the house. To make a long story short, we met up later that day when I was back in Vegas waiting at the airport.
(see picture below)


It was so great visiting with him. As some of you may attest, I seem to have an ability to make friends fairly easily, but with Ty I find it even more intriguing how little time we spent as friends (a relatively short time during my mission), and how long it's been since we've been in contact (I think over 4 years) and yet...it's like we've been close friends forever and will be for just as long.

Before I close this post I think it appropriate to share with everyone a little bit of wisdom that Ty imparted to me at one point in our conversation. The following is a list of...well, lets see...how should I title this. Ah freak, it deserves it's own post.

EmmaLee and Bob's Wedding

I figure it only appropriate that we start this post with a picture of the bride and groom. It just so happens that this picture also contains Tracy (bridesmaid who caught the bouquet) and myself (groomsman who caught the garter). Hmmm...I wonder????

Little Talia outside of the temple with her princess hair. She's a cutie, even when she has her attitude face on (not seen in this picture).

Two of my favorite kids in the world: Tate (left) and Trey (right). They are EmmaLee's cousins, but it's like having two extra nephews just a couple hours away. Dang I miss my brother's kids.

Tate trying to get the most out of that can of silly string.



All and all it was a great wedding, I mean...what could be better than seeing two of your best friends married for time and all eternity in the temple of God. I'm very blessed to know both EmmaLee and Bob. Amazing people, amazing friends. I'm so glad that they found each other, and that I was able to make it back to Utah for their wedding.

Much Needed Update

I know, I know. I've really slacked of late on the whole updating my blog thing. A lot has happened since last I blogged and I feel as though it all deserves more that just a half @$$#d post or two so I'll do my best. We'll start with a synopsis and if I'm feeling up to it (it's really late) I'll go into greater detail in a separate post.

So....I'm better now. The antibiotics worked great.

Mooney, one of my old roommates, arrived in the Big Apple on the 21st and moved in with me. It's sweet rooming with him again, and he's been having some great experiences at his internship. We get to have story time every night, or morning...depending on when we fall asleep, get up, go to work, get home from work, etc.

Went to St. George last week for EmmaLee and Bob's wedding. It was great. I flew into Las Vegas (ah, Las Vegas). For those of you who don't know, I served my mission in Las Vegas so it has a very special place in my heart. :)

I got back to New York Sunday morning. A couple peeps (including Seth, Chateau, Mooney, and I) went to this ladies house up in Harlem after church and listened to some sweet live jazz.

Went to Coney Island on Memorial Day with some friends. Good experience. There was a possibility that I would of had to go into work that day, but I didn't. (Ah...the things I'll do happily as an unpaid intern.)

Stayed late again (this time with Dallas, another one of the interns).
The short answer: We basically saved the day.
The continuation of the short answer: The powerpoint presentation they had for this pitch/thing on Wednesday morning had all sorts of problems. I say "all sorts" because this is the short answer.

Stayed late on Wednesday night as well (this time with Becca), although not as late. This time we were mounting some pictures to foam core and cutting out stuff (meanial labor, but someone had to do it. Again, it was for a presentation happening the next day).

Today I bought a new pair of church shoes. After work a bunch of us interns met up for this LDS Professionals meeting thing. It was pretty cool. There were other members of the church who work in communications-type fields here in NY there and they talked about stuff. I've been meaning to buy a new pair of church shoes for awhile now, and as I was walking to this meeting
(I was plenty early) I saw a nice store that caught my eye. Went in, tried on some shoes, bought some shoes.

Now, I'm going to go to bed. I'll post pics of the wedding, coney island and stuff this weekend
(I promise).

Quick recap:

So lately I haven't been feeling my ultimate best when it comes to my health. I've had a sore throat for the past....well, I don't know...4 or 5 days, and just recently it started to really hurt. (I won't go into details.) Combine this with the fact that I kept repeatedly waking up the other night either freezing cold or burning up and I decided that my little sore throat might not have been so "little."

After a number of phone calls to Mom (allways my first call when it comes to advice on my health), BYU insurance, and a list of dr's out here in NY that "supposedly" accept some service provider that BYU's health insurance contracts through (lets just say there list isn't very up-to-date). The whole experience of setting up a freakin dr's appt sure was more difficult than it should have been. Especially when all I needed was for someone to diagnose whether or not I had strep and/or needed antibiotics. I ended up going to this little Dr's office just North of Central Park.

But, the good news is I DID see a Dr. today, and no it's NOT strep, but it was something else that I needed antibiotics for. Despite the office being pretty dang ghetto, the Dr. was great, he said...now, take two of these twice a day, take some tylanol if you have any aches or pains, it might be good to get some lonzenges for your throat, and don't kiss anyone. (sorry Ryan, looks like it will have to wait) (and sorry Becca, for having to deal with Ryan's comment. I'm sure you feel obligated now, which I'm ok with as soon as I'm no longer sick.)

Despite having to go to the Dr and having to fork out a nice chunk of cash for meds it was a good day.

some New York pics for ya'll

OK, so I know I haven't really put any pictures of New York up on my blog and I think some of you are a little annoyed...

Anyways, here are a few, and I do mean a few. You'll just have to be content with them right now.

This is a pic of where I get off the subway every day to go to work

These next two are of this cool sidewalk chalk art that Dallas, Becca, and I walked by on the way home from work one day. It's still there, which is kind of cool considering it's been like a week and we've even had rain. That is some powerful sidewalk chalk. You can see Dallas and Becca in this one.


Here's a pic of this cool ad on Time's Square

and this is the view from one of the office windows one of the nights I stayed a little late working on a project. That's NJ and the Hudson.


Anyways, I promise to take and post more pictures. Peace Out.

Ethiopian Food

So, tonight I went with a group of BYU interns to this little Ethiopian restaurant. It wasn't bad. But then again, it wasn't exactly what I would call good. I suppose if I was a really sarcastic kind of person I would say that it's no wonder all those little Ethiopian kids look the way they do. I wouldn't ever finish my plate if that's what was in front of me at every meal either.

All and all it was a "good experience." It was something new that I had never done before. (and probobly won't do again anytime soon) You ate everything with your hands and with this crepe-like tortilla (which was cool). Things tasted really vinigery.

Downstairs in the back where the bathrooms were they had this little room with comfy chairs and little tables and pillows and a door you could slide shut (must have been for special groups or something). I could just imagine all these Ethiopians in that room smoking away at a giant hooka as they all sit around on those little cushioned chairs and eat vinegery and spicey flavored lamb, chicken, and beef in little crepe-like tortillas.

Today I...

• spent close to 15 hours at the office
• rode in a taxi for the first time
  
• bought $65 worth of magazines from one of those little magazine shops on the street
• used someone elses credit card to do it
  
• cut out pictures for a collage
• walked in the rain without an umbrella
• read the Wall Street Journal
  
• ate chinese food out of one of one of those little boxes
• had the food ordered to the office
• googled my heart out
• listened to my ipod
  
• found out that according to BYU I'm technically not enrolled in my internship for credit yet
• added someone to my buddy list
  
• learned a new word
• watched the sunset (and it was amazing)
• talked to someone about the Church
• had a song dedicated to me
  
• harmonized to the song "Summer Nights" from the movie Grease
  
• stayed up talking to people and writing this blog entry instead of going to bed

First Impressions

So where should I start...I'm sure you have all been anxiously awaiting to hear about my first day in New York City, and I apologize for not posting sooner. Truth is, I was just so tired yesterday. Great canyoneering trip to Zion, late nights in Provo packing, red-eye flight over to NYC, etc, etc. All and all...I was a little worn out.

Anyways, let me just say my overall first impression of New York: I LOVE IT.

So...now that that's out of the way I guess I'll just go through my first day quasi-choronologically.

I landed in the JFK airport about 5:30 AM NYC time (for those of you in Provo, Utah that would be 3:30 in the morning, and for those of you up in good ol' Sandoint, Idaho...yeah, that's right...you were probobly sleeping seeing as how it was 2:30 AM your time.

so...back to my story. I got off the plane and road the airtrain to the the subway where I was able to buy my month pass which allows me to ride the subway as much as my little heart desires for a month...so exciting. I traveled the subway, luggage in hand, following the directions that my new roomate Kevin (whom at the time I had yet to meet) gave me via email a week ago and I had printed out the day before. It was great. Even after getting on one of my connections going the wrong direction. I was suppose to be traveling "uptown" or north, but somehow ended up on the 1 going "downtown." I kind of made the connection when they announced the next stop as being Wall Street. :)

Well, even after that marvelous episode, I arrived at my new apt safe and in one piece (and with all 3 pieces of my luggage: suitcase, duffel, and backpack). My first impression of the apt wasn't the greatest. I thought to myself..."wow, this place is ghetto." But my thoughts have since turned more positive.
**It's amazing what a broom, windex, and some paper towels will do. ;)

After arriving at the apt, meeting Kevin, getting keys, and taking care of some unfinished business back in Provo via email (I'm so glad this apt has wireless), cleaning my room a little, and taking a shower, I decided to go out and brave the subways once again (this time without my blasted luggage) to see about getting a bite to eat (it was like mid day and I still hadn't eaten much of anything) and also to see if I could find the agency where I would be interning.

parenthetical ( so that last paragraph is one heck of a long sentence, and never before have I seen so many parentheticals in ONE sentence ) end parenthetical

During my short little adventure, I just so happened to get onto the subway going the wrong way yet again. Dang it! But that's ok. No big deal. It kind of worked out great cause when I got off to cross the street and get back on going the other way, there was a McDonalds right there. Now, I know...I know...you all are thinking, "why the heck did he go eat at McDonalds! He's in NY for crying out loud!!!" Truth is, I was really hungry by this point and I didn't want to spend the time searching for a good place to eat, nor did I know where a "good place" was. I decided to play it safe for my first meal here and so...McDonalds.

I rode the train (and by train, I mean subway) down to Christopher Street and from there walked to 95 Morton Street where The Geppetto Group is located. It wasn't too difficult to find, once I found Morton street. :) I asked this one guy sitting outside a little restaurant on 7th if he knew where Morton street was...he didn't. But one of the two cops that were walking by as I traversed down Bleecker a couple minutes later did. Like I said, after that it was pretty easy to find. They are located on the top floor of this one office building (don't get too excited, the building I'm talking about is only 8 floors, however...a trophy tossed out the window at that height sure would do some damage to a passing pedestrian or vehicle. I say this not because it actually happened...although I suppose it very well may have happened. I say it because today during an office gathering/meeting/party/quest/thing) someone (I have yet to remember anyone's names although I think her name is Georgia) opened the window in the conference room and there are a number of tropheys sitting on the windowsill/counter thing that runs the length of the room. Needless to say, she agreed with me on the whole "damage" thing that one of those babies would cause should someone drop one out the window. She even suggested we try it out, but I think we got distracted or something so didn't get around to it.

Dang, I got on a tangent again didn't I? Let's see...where was I? Oh yeah, that's right...so I found the office and it's located on the 8th floor. But before I went in I decided to walk down to the Hudson River (it's only like 2 blocks away, and you can get a great view from Geppetto.) They weren't really expecting me to work yesterday and "technically" I'm not suppose to start my internship until I'm "officially" registered for the class (something that can't happen until I'm flagged for the class, and that can't happen until Rachel (the Senior Planner...my boss) signs this paper and faxes it back to BYU). Anyways, so I walk down to the Hudson and then walk a littlw ways along it...and low and behold, as I get to the other side of this pier...do you know what I see??? The Statue of Liberty! Granted, it was still pretty far away and so therefore kind of tiny, but I saw it in person for the first time! :)

OK, so back to Geppetto.

Rachel was at a meeting/convention/thing in Florida and won't be back until Thursday so I met with Alexandra (another one of the senior members of the planning team). She introduced me to a couple other members of the team and we chatted for a little bit. When she found out that I had arrived just that morning via the red-eye flight and that I had never been to NY before she was like, "What are you doing here! You should be home sleeping. Go home and unpack, sleep. If you don't come in at all tomorrow I'm ok with that. Go grocery shopping, go get familiar with the city, unpack, get settled. You rode the subway for the first time with all your luggage? You've never been on the subway before and you found your way here ok???"

She's great! I'm really excited to work with her. Everyone I've met at Geppetto seem really nice and they seem like really fun people to work with and be around. While working with Alexandra today on a project for LEGO I was thinking that I couldn't imagine a more perfect place for me to be. With my experience working in classrooms at Sunset View Elementary, TOPS at the Center for Service and Learning, or with 6th and 8th graders for BYU's Hands on a Camera...it just seems to be a perfecct fit since Geppetto focuses on working with younger kids.

I didn't stay very long yesterday but before I went I visited with Becca and Dallas for a little bit (two other BYU interns). It's cool having them there, and seeing as how small the agency is I'm sure we'll get plenty of opportunity to work together on projects.

So...after that short little visit I hopped back on the subway (this time going the correct direction). I stopped at 66 street and Broadway so that I could go into Barnes and Noble and pick up a book I'm suppose to read for my internship: "The Tipping Point," by Malcolm Gladwell. So far it's pretty good. I found out that Alexandra sees him a lot because he goes to the same cafe that she does. Maybe I'll go get him to autograph my copy of his book. :) Anyways, the NY temple is right there at the same stop as well. I didn't take a picture cause I didn't have my camera, but don't worry...I'll get some pictures for you all soon and one of them will definatley be the outside of the NYC Temple.

So, it's about time to close up this post...it is quite long as far as I'm concerned. To bring it all back to the opening bit and the title of this post I'd like to end with this:

After hanging out in Barnes and Noble for a little while I hopped back onto the subway to head home. At one of the stops some people got off and this guy in front of me (mid 20's, muscular, black, tough looking dude) sat down in the seat that was left vacant. Well, this little old hispanic woman got on and started talking to the other hispanic lady sitting next to this guy. (I say "little" because I think she could barely reach up and touch the bar up above that you hang onto to keep your balance once the train starts moving). Anyways, this gangster looking kid who just sat down asks her if she'd like to sit down, then says, "are you sure?" and then he just gets up and has her sit down in his seat. It was great. I nudged him and when he turned around I said, "Hey, that was really cool of you." He just smiled and said thanks. It was like I was in the middle of one of those "Pass It On" commercials. From what I've seen of NY...it's sure turning out to be a pretty cool place.