Today Christina and I celebrate four months of marriage, or as I call it, our rubber band anniversary. (I heard that first year anniversaries are “paper” so I’m making up other office supply-related terms by month. Next month is “push pin.”)

It is wonderful to be married to such a dynamic, caring, and passionate person as Christina. There is no one I look forward to seeing more each and every day. From the moment she drops me off at the train, to the moment I step off the train at night, I miss her.

Christina has encouraged me to look to myself, in a way that I haven’t before. While with Christina, creative energies are reawakened. And while they have yet to play out, her nurturing presence in my life has made me ever so happy.

I just hope I can be as a presence in her life as she explores her path further.

I love you, sweetie.

Craig sent me the follow link to a story about the cruel names parents give their children.  Why do parents need to get so creative with naming their kids?  I was never  particularly fond of my own name “Scott” and can recall a time during high school when I considered changing it.  Granted, I am glad that I did not change it and am glad of it now.  However, I am even more grateful that my parents did not name me “Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii.”

The judge in New Zealand made Talula a ward of the state so that she could change her name to something less tease-inducing.  However, the courts in NZ also ruled that the name “Number 16 Bus Shelter” was OK.  Poor little Number 16 Bus Shelter.  I hope they grow up to be a healthy, happy, productive citizen of the world and not have too many people try to huddle under them in a storm.

Among other things going on in the world Radovan Karadzic, the Butcher of Bosnia was finally captured. Once a psychiatrist, Karadzic became one of the engineers of Bosnian genocide. His capture ends 10 years on the run from justice.

One of the places I frequently eat near my new job is called the Lake & Union Bar & Grill, which is a decent enough greasy spoon. Grilled Ham & Cheese, Italian Beef, pretty decent daily specials like Sirloin of Beef (etc) all for under $10 a meal. Apparently, though, on Thursday nights they have strippers? What the hell is going on there?

This will not prevent me from grabbing their excellent Sirloin lunch special tomorrow.  However, I think I will go elsewhere on Thursday and Friday. :D

I love my job. I am learning lots of new things, although I think my brain and personality are geared for what I do. I like the people I work with, I like my boss(es), I like the free soda and decent coffee in the kitchen area…I like the catered breakfasts on Tuesday…I like the fact that I enjoy the day to day stuff as well as all the swell perks the company provides. I’m walking more and feeling better.

Last night I had a very strange dream. A few scattered elements: I was stressed in the dream, I smoked an entire pack of cigarettes while wandering the city. I think the dream signified death, because the next piece of the dream I was at a retirement community with lots of older faces, being welcomed with open arms. “You can do whatever you want to do here, it doesn’t matter any more.” Smoke, drink, stay in bed all day, do nothing, do everything.

I protested, like I knew I was dead or something. “I’m going to go. And I’m taking my cell phone with me.” “You can leave whenever you want. You can take whatever you want with you. We’re not captors.” But I was almost 100% sure I had died in the dream. When I woke up, I was rather surprised I was alive.

I was worried though. Christina was nowhere to be found when I woke up around 6:30. It turns out that, unconsciously, I enacted retaliation for a recent disruptive teeth grinding incident by snoring loudly all night long. I found her sound asleep on the couch.

The haze from the dream has cleared, but some of it seemed so vivid. I miss having such vivid dreams. I feel like I haven’t had them in a long time. The desire to smoke is also very high, but I will soldier on without acting on it. It’s been more than a year and I am feeling healthier. Plus, it’s difficult enough walking around the city with a laptop strapped to my back and my extra flabbage.

Last Monday, June 30th, I celebrated several important things:

1. The start of my new job with a prestigious online marketing agency

2. My 28.5 birthday

3. My first year anniversary of quitting smoking.

The cravings to smoke have not gone away, which makes me realize the “triggers” to smoke were there long before I even started smoking. But it’s rather nice to not “really” want a cigarette any more. I can even be around smokers and think, “yuck”. I still notice the packs behind the register and think, “Well, I could always have one.” But I know that is a deception. Cigarettes were my heroin. I spent 5 months (or more) on the nicotine gum to ween myself off and I am finally there.

Now that I am in a more nurturing work environment too, I find the stress to be significantly reduced, the urges lessened. I’m even drinking less coffee than I am used to. So far so good!

It has indeed been a long time since I have updated this blog.  Several reasons being:

a) I moved to Des Plaines, IL.

b) I got married in Vegas to my beloved wife Christina.

c) I celebrated our union with close friends and family at our phenomenal (and frugal) Wedding Celebration party.  (I will never forget this day, for wonderful reasons.  Thanks to one and all who made this day so special.)

d) I landed an amazing job with an agency, which I will start on June 30th. (My half birthday, and anniversary of quitting smoking!)

e) We got the cutest bichon frise puppy in the world, Shaun “Underfoot” Walldren.  I had a bichon growing up and he is an adorable monster (he’s teething).  He’s remarkably well behaved and adjusting well to living with us.  He’s also getting us to get up and move more, and I already feel better from our activity.

I’m winding down my tenure at my current job, working diligently to transition my projects and accounts.  So far, so good.  Ever onwards. 

Excelsior!

Scott

Scott Walldren and Christina Cunningham are tying the knot on April 22, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. They will be staying at Mandalay Bay and a private service will be performed at the Chapel of the Flowers.

A celebration will be held over the summer to commemorate the event with family and friends on a date to be determined once all of this busyness calms down. :)

In other news, I wish to God someone would do something about the hipster teen / pre-teen population that seems to congregate directly outside my apartment window every single friday and saturday night.  That is all!

One of the records that is finding it’s way into heavy rotation these past few months is Joe Henry’s “Civilians”.  By no means am I a music journalist, so I’m just writing this out of my pure appreciation of this unique musician.

I first became acquainted with Mr. Henry’s music upon hearing “Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation”.  I was essentially looking for “something like Tom Waits” and stumbled upon the album Scar and its sequel Tiny Voices.  Both are masterpieces of “the atmospheric record”.

As a good actor disappears into his/her character, so the good singer/songwriter plays his/her song.  “Civilians” feels like an Americana record written 20 years in the future looking back on the present day.  And like his previous records, it is atmospheric, but less so on the production, more in the beautiful / sad moods of his songwriting.

Anyway, check it out if you get a chance.