I think I'm seeing things.Words from a man of pictures."Mr. John Nelson... That's got a nice ring to it."Disclosure: I stole that title quote from Andrew Bernard on The Office - which happens to be my favorite television show. Well, here I am. A married man. Yeah, I know, right? Woah. I could do like every newlywed blogger does, and tell you about how amazing it feels to be married, or about how the wedding day went or about my new apartment. These are all very valid and interesting blog posts, but I honestly haven't processed everything that has happened to me in the past week. I want to have a clear head and organize my thoughts before I tell you about the most important day of my life. But let's be honest - you don't want nor need to read 1,000,000 words of mushy, narcissistic love talk, so I'll boil it down quickly before I move on: Our wedding day was awesome, I feel awesome and living with Stacy is awesome. Marriage is awesome. Love is awesome. Wearing a wedding ring is awesome. I'm not being sarcastic. It all really is awesome. Ecuse my brevity, but my brain is just a bit tired right now, and I really have some other thoughts to share in this post. Five of them: 1. I'm really, really glad that Stacy and I are waiting to honeymoon later this fall (another, near-future post). If I were in Hawaii right now, I'd be sleeping. Not watching volcanoes, eating mahi mahi nor snorkeling. Sleeping and stressing over moving to Sioux Falls. Waste. 2. Cleaning ovens might be my least favorite part of being alive. 3. I'm really, really happy that my friend Jeremy made it home safely from Yemen this past week. 4. I'm really, really proud to have friends like Jeremy - who advocated journalism for three months in Yemen. And Heather - who is currently diving into a two-year service for the Peace Corps in Niger, Africa. 5. I'm completely attached to Stacy. I hope she isn't getting sick of me yet. We're having a great start to our new lives together. I'm a very lucky man to be with such an amazing woman. Sorry for that last bit of mushyness.
Oh Facebook.Before I even have an anniversary to remember, Facebook is already keeping me from forgetting it. Brookings Veterans Memorial at Sunset
I had a chance to get away from the computer for a bit to go capture the beautiful sunset west of Brookings tonight. We had been swimming in humidity today until a front moved through and left behind a yellow-orange-red hue that made everything glow. In photo-geek speak: the atmospheric conditions created light with a very narrow tonal range which casts a painting-like quality for landscape photos. Fun to shoot!
The first couple shots are the Brookings Veterans Memorial. The third is Pioneer Park with the eery yellow glow overhead. The fourth and fifth are my lovely apartment building out of which I will be moving in the next couple weeks!
This Guy and His MistakesThis is me in first grade. I was six years old. (Please forgive the college-freshman Photoshop job. Moral of the story: Back up your files, kids.) This was the year I first talked to a girl close to my age. This is two years after my brother was born, two years before I would get my first detention (for shouting the word "boobs" during recess), 6 years before I would pick up a guitar, 9 years before I would pick up a camera and 16 years before I would start full-time work. At this age, I had not yet driven anything. I had not yet studied anything voluntarily. I didn't know who Nirvana or AC/DC were. I hadn't yet watched Star Wars. I barely knew how to read. I hadn't chosen my college major, I hadn't decided to play basketball, I hadn't even taken a photo. This picture shows a pure John Nelson. (Fun fact: My posse referred to me as "Johnathon" back then. My parents called me - and still call me - "J.R.") Anyway, heres the point of this whole post: It tugs at my heart strings to think about the decisions I made between when this picture was made and now. Not that they were bad, but I want to take away the bad parts. The mistakes. Oh, the mistakes. But what are we without bad decisions? We're quiet. We're unknowing. We're green. We're inexperienced. These mistakes - and triumphs - have made me who I am today. (Well, I guess I should also give some credit to my fair Norwegian genetics.) As Wayne Gretzky put it: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." I've taken my share of shots, but the game ain't over yet. Although I've made a wide range of mistakes in the past 18 years, I've also made a lot of good decisions. The best of which - without a doubt - was to marry Stacy. Here's to the decisions we'll make in the next 18 years and beyond.
Staying in CheckWith only 11 days until my wedding, I'm taking inventory and getting stuff done. I'm checking things off of my list and also keeping myself in-check to avoid stress-induced mental cloudiness. To do: - Pick out some music to be played during the meal/social hour before the band starts playing at the reception (about 3 hours) - Design and print the ceremony programs - Pack up my little things (smaller than the back seat of my car) in Brookings and bring them to Sioux Falls. - Exercise whenever possible to fend off anxiety attacks - Edit my clients' photos in between all of the above (they're aware of my situation) - Spend time with my family who will soon be visiting from far-away places - Blog stuff between/after all of the above Not to do: - Play Super Mario Brothers on my Wii as if it were my only purpose in life - Engorge myself on every meal until August 14 - Manufacture a future stress bomb by procrastinating my to-do list - Watch Entourage during every waking moment of my life (it happens) Thank you for sticking with my blog as I get all this stuff done. I plan to start cranking out awesomer posts after the wedding. There's always plenty of subject matter to write about (and/or photograph). Eleven days to go!
One Month
Photo: The first photo of Stacy and me together. Snapped on Dec. 21, 2005 - one week after our first date.
With 31 days of singlehood left, I find myself thinking about weird things. Not about bachelor-party-ish things, but about obscure things like jazz music and photographer organization memberships. When I'm not in my cubicle, I'm still playing Wii and taking pictures. I'm not morphing into an obsessed groomzilla. I'm just John.
Call me naive or ostentatious, but I honestly feel like I'm half-ways ready for marriage. I've done my homework (12 hours of marriage counseling and additional hours of reading articles like this one) - and becoming one with my other half doesn't scare me. It quite literally completes me. Pardon the flowery language, but my forthcoming unity with Stacy gives me certitude and confidence in my life's purpose. It feels right.
I rode the real emotional roller coaster back when I proposed to her. In those days, I was still waiting for the fog to lift. I didn't know exactly what I was getting into, but that's part of the rush. To put it in practical terms, I just knew that I had to move things along. It was quite obvious that we were meant to be together. God put it right in front of me and I liked it, so I put a ring on it. I was ready to commit myself to this girl and this future.
Now that most of the wedding plans are in place, I'm feeling very well. We've got a great list of vendors lined up to serve us and our guests. Although we've got a couple phone calls to make, the plans are all done. Things are falling in place, but these 'things' are only temporary, largely ceremonious things. August 14 is going to be a great day, but it's the subsequent lifetime with Stacy that I anticipate the most.
For those of you who will take the time to join us on our wedding day, I want to thank you in advance. No matter how many thousands of dollars we may drop on photographers, catering, dresses, tux rentals, cake, booze and music, your kindness and support are really what will make the day special for us.
See you in one month!
John
Wedding Photographer FailYikes. This made me cringe. I feel sorry for this guy, but seriously - what a gomer. I've had my share of embarrassing moments, but hopefully I don't have to worry about this happening to me #1 because, as a large person, I don't need to hover down the aisle during the ceremony and #2 because our modest midwestern churches don't feature humongous indoor fountains.
Five simple things that always make me feel goodThis summer, another string of events, appointments, holidays and to-dos has pushed me to the limits of my wits. Don’t get me wrong – I love being busy. Work has resulted in more work, and now I’m preparing for my own wedding and subsequent transition to living with my beautiful bride. Things are crazy. Thus, I’ve recently found refuge in simple things which often go unappreciated. Some of these might seem obvious, but I thought I’d give my own perspective on these methods: 1. Water: Especially in summer, one needs to remain hydrated. Duh, right? Well, after suffering many throbbing headaches and subsequent spells of grumpiness, I realized what was going on. The caffeine in my daily gallon (actually ~20 oz.) of coffee was taking a toll on my hydration. My health-minded coworker said that the average humanoid needs 64 oz. of H2O every day. That’s half a gallon. So, I dug out my 32 oz. orange Nalgene (neatly customized with a white Apple logo) and started filling it at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every day. I felt better on the first day.
2. Words: Yes, it’s an obtuse and slightly cliché thought, but I believe words help me cope with life. Whether its perusing my blog subscriptions on Google Reader, writing marketing materials at my day job, taking a quick adventure into the New Testament, talking with Stacy on the phone or listening to my iPod – words make me feel better. Communication is always good.
3. Sweating: I’m a large person, and I don’t eat as well as I should. (By the way, I’ve come to the conclusion that anything is bad for you in some way.) Thus, I’ve been taking daily 15-minute jogs through my neighborhood. It doesn’t take much for me to work up a sweat, and it makes me feel like I’m getting the “bad stuff” out of myself. After two weeks, I’ve lost about 5 lbs. It might not seem like an amazing feat, but it’s a great way to break up a day of computer jockeying. If I’m feeling a lack of motivation to get my butt outside, I go on Facebook and click through pictures which feature my ever-present double chin and man boobs. These are my enemies. The urge to conquer them never fails to get me out the door.
4. Family: Just like any good self-respecting South Dakotan, I take pride in and respect family traditions. My family is every bit as imperfect as yours, but even with thousands of miles between us, we never hesitate at the opportunity to spend time with one another. Even if it’s just a simple phone call or a “Hey, what’s up?” on Facebook chat – I always feel better after spending a few minutes with a relative. This year, Stacy and I will graft a new branch to the Nelson family tree. I’m pretty sure it’ll be the best feeling in the world.
5. Bananas: If I can give one piece of advice to anybody who wants to feel better a.s.a.p., I’d tell them to put down the nachos (and the accompanying Mt. Dew) and reach for a good ‘ole banana. They’re cheap, they’re portable, they're sugary (in a good way) and they’re just plain good for you. I keep a bunch conveniently-placed on my kitchen counter so I can grab one on the way to work. They’re full of potassium (which helps you with # 1 and #3), they’re scientifically proven to reduce stress and they’re an easy way to suppress a stomach’s mid-morning/afternoon growl.
Next time you’re feeling like crap in your cubicle, try one of the above. I’m sure it’ll get your mental, emotional and physical health back on the right track.
Do you have a special feel-good tip? Please, please, please share it in the comments below. Thanks! The Celebration of CelebrationsAs our country turns 234 years old this weekend, I'll be partaking in what is probably my most favorite event ever: The Nelson/Hagen/Versteeg Family 4th of July. It takes place at my Grandma Nelson's farm near Monroe, S.D., and it's attended by representatives of every branch of my father's family tree (and neighboring trees), This year, we'll also be honoring Grandma Nelson's 85th birthday in conjunction with the usual summertime activities. She's an amazing person, and she deserves the amazing celebration. There's going to be horse riding, boating, backyard sports, camping, grilling, four-wheeling, clay shooting and bonfires. My cousins and second cousins will provide the quinessential 8-hour display of fireworks - probably one of the largest causes of global warming - in my Grandmother's driveway with the barn looming in the background. When I think of summer time in South Dakota, this is where my mind wanders. As my aunts, uncles and cousins venture to rural South Dakota from places like Sioux Falls, Dallas, Seattle, Minneapolis, Nashville and Yuma, I'll be making a very anticipated trip back home to reunite with them all. I'm excited for the weekend. Perhaps more than ever. Happy 4th of July! Photo: The Nelson/Hagen/Versteeg 4th of July Celebration at the Lowell Nelson Farm near Monroe, S.D. (C)John Nelson 2008 Taking InventoryIn the middle of my freshman year of college, I spent two weeks taking inventory for a hardware store. Each day from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., I did nothing but scan bar codes and count screws, lawn mowers and everything in between. I wasn’t sure why someone would subject a human to such a mind-numbing activity, but I was getting paid well, so I didn’t complain. After reading David Allen’s Getting Things Done, I’ve learned that taking inventory is also a good practice for personal life. According to Allen, knowing exactly what's in front of you helps you function with less anxiety. Allen's big secret to stress-free productivity? Make a list of your “things” and check it often. That’s it. The rest is human instinct. If we write things down and keep them handy, we’re more likely to actually do them. Who’d a thunk it? Allen’s version of “taking inventory” involves writing down the projects or goals you’re working on and keeping track of the next observable action necessary to complete the task. This way, you don’t have to spend time finding your place when you come back to the task. I like this concept because anxiety does not motivate me. I don't need anxiety to get the wheels turning. My big-boned genealogy has already given me a good shot at getting heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Instead of obsessing and stressing over our actual tasks, we should spend more time doing them. Guess what: It feels good to do things. That hardware store knows what they have on-hand, but it isn’t the most successful business in town. Why? Because most of their inventory sits on the shelves and collects dust. So, I encourage you to dust off those goals and ideas. List it all out. You’ll be surprised not only at how quickly the list goes, but also at how good you feel while you’re getting things done. --- (Photo courtesy of 123rf.com)
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