Wedding Vendors

Wilton, CT

When Lindsey and I were planning our wedding, we knew it was too much to tackle between just the two of us. And really, the effort  was divided between 70% her and 30% me as it was. So we made the great decision to put this amazing day in the hands of people who we trusted, who shared our similar vision, and who ended up being amazing. Despite the oppressive heat, our big day turned out incredibly well, and a huge part of that was due to the efforts of these people. If you're planning a wedding in the tri-state area, I highly recommend any of these vendors and services.

• Photographer: Robert Norman
• Officiant: Elizabeth Phaire
• Band: Central Park Orchestra
• Venue/Catering: Larchmont Yacht Club
• Invitations: Wedding Essentials by Ulrike
• Flowers: Noreen Enright
• Rehearsal Dinner: Barcelona Greenwich

A Weekend at Okemo

Wilton, CT

A few weeks ago, Lindsey and I went back up to my old snow-hunting grounds of Ludlow, Vermont. We went with friends to ski Okemo and check out a concert from Yukon Kornelius. 

The 34th Year

Norwalk, CT

Spring Forward Playlist

Wilton, CT

Here's a list of songs that have been on heavy rotation on my iPhone during work, practice, and in the car.

Something to Believe In - Parachute
Red Hands - Walk Off the Earth
Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. Wanz)
Mark IV - Ashtar Command (feat. Joshua Radin)
Lego House - Ed Sheeran
Knights of Shame - Awolnation

2012 By the Numbers and Favorites

Wilton, CT

The Numbers:
Number of pounds gained: 30 pounds
Number of bones broken: 1 bone
Number of wives gained: 1 wife
Farthest from home I traveled: 5,042 miles
Fastest I traveled on skis: 61.2 miles per hour
Number of Instagram photos taken: 90 pictures
Number of tweets written: 1,125 tweets
Percent increase of cars owned from 2011: 100% increase
Percent increase of money spent on gas from 2011: 100% increase
Number of jobs left: 1 job
Number of jobs gained: 1 job

The Favorites:
Favorite Film: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Favorite Television Show: Downton Abbey
Favorite Video Game: FarCry 3
Favorite Band: Muse
Favorite Book: Born to Run
Favorite Podcast: Doug Loves Movies
Favorite Hotel: The Inn at Palmetto Bluff
Favorite Restaurant: Vine Street Cafe
Favorite Car Driven: SLK350 Roadster

The Unfinished Masterpiece

Wilton, CT

Spread out before us; a multicolor mosaic of plastic. The future building blocks of some huge unimagined greatness. This was a standard rainy day afternoon for us. A bin of Lego pieces dumped on his family room carpet, astronauts mixed with pirates mixed with knights. No plan existed, for our creations were made up as we went along. We'd work individually, eventually combining our buildings or vehicles into a larger singular entity. And, as with most things, the fun was in the journey not the destination. We never finished a single Lego build. Not one. And that was the point. We didn't want to run monorails around our city, or fight hidden rangers in an enchanted forest. Before we started, we knew we'd never get around to putting the final Lego piece in place.

I've had a recurring dream these past few weeks. With each one, I wake up with the singular shock and sadness I had when I heard he'd died. The dreams revolve around a childhood experience, each one different. Playing in his backyard, riding our bikes, delivering newspapers, playing capture the flag. We're young. And upon waking comes the realization that we're no longer children and he's no longer around.

Friends since birth (we lived in the same neighborhood), we spent most of our free time together. Ski trips, vacations, school assemblies, birthdays ... we're together in most of the old photos stuffed into books in my parent's house. And back then, we never thought about how one day we wouldn't really know each other. How we'd live in different cities. How painfully short life can be.

After high school, we fell out of touch. We had different interests and moved to different parts of the country. There was no fight or falling apart, simply a drifting away. I'd often search his name on the internet to catch a glimpse of where he was or what he was up to, but he managed to be one of the most un-Google-able people on the planet. (So careful was he with his privacy that I'll refrain from mentioning his name here.) And so when I received news that he was sick, my heart sank with shock and disbelief.

You want to hear that your childhood friends are doing well. They've become fantastic artists, they've met the love of their life, they've journeyed to exotic places. You don't want to hear that they're fighting a horribly cruel disease.

And yet, his name popped up in my Gmail. A "thanks for checking in" message sent from his email address. The first I'd heard from him in about ten years. When he felt better, he came into New York to hang out a few times. We filled in the blanks of the last ten years. We laughed about times past. We put a few more pieces into the unending project of our friendship. And when we parted ways as he got onto the train at Grand Central, I told him to do a better job of keeping in touch. He laughed.

He died. Those are two painful words. Those are two unbelievable words. Words that are too small to carry such a profound weight. My best friend from childhood is now spoken of in the past tense. 

I purchased a Lego kit recently. An intricate representation of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater," a set I figured would be more appropriate for a 33 year-old man to purchase. Subconsciously, I'm sure,  this was to pay some sort of tribute to him. To hold onto a memory we once shared. As I put it together, I often thought of those afternoons with him, with Lego pieces and dreams spread out before us. And when I finished the kit, I thought about how much more enjoyable it would have been had he been there to complete it with me.

But he, like those Lego projects from long ago, has been left unfinished. We never got to see him put the final piece in place. But what we do have are the fun and memorable experiences of watching him snap his pieces together, and for that I'll be forever grateful.

The Jarbowski Year-End Recap

Norwalk, CT

We've had a pretty exciting year. Here are some of the highlights:

January

After finally being paroled, Lindsey spent some time at a Buddhist Monastery in Las Vegas in an attempt to discover “the peace within her.” The monk she studied under, Bhante Mike “Groovy Hips” Sanchez, said Lindsey was the most “righteous” student he’s ever had. Meanwhile, Adam continued his quest to become a part time hand model. Let’s hope they let him leave early from his other job of unclogging jams in the machines at the textile factory.

February

With the statute of limitations expired, Adam felt comfortable to travel within 500 yards of a Wetzel’s Pretzels. Now able to visit malls, Adam began a quest to discover the finest Bath & Body Works in the country. (Dadeland Mall, Miami, FL.) He met a lot of new friends on his journey and hopes to keep in touch with all of them in 2013. France awarded Lindsey with the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur.

March

Lindsey, having given up tennis due to her hyper-tolerance to lactose and her allergy to indoor toilets, was able to return to the sport she loves due to advances in medicine. Under the tutelage of Coach Dirk McGibbons, her performance on the court has never been better. Adam used the month of March to organize his collection of woodland creature porcelain figurines into a caste system.

April

Due to the town ruling that all dancing and rock and roll is illegal, Lindsey and Adam convinced the main preacher in town as well as the city council to let the high school students have a dance in an old grain mill on the outskirts of town.

May

Lindsey spent most of May with her tennis coach at his private retreat on Anguilla. Wanting to give her one-on-one attention, they spent the majority of the month running drills, exercising, and enjoying the warm breezes of the Caribbean. Adam thought it would be a good idea to buy camouflaged cargo pants.

June

Upon returning from her solo lessons, Lindsey invited Coach Dirk McGibbons to move into Lindsey & Adam’s home. This allowed Lindsey to continue with the strides she’d made in the sport, and let Dirk monitor her diet and sleeping habits. With a limited budget and a small cast and crew, Adam began shooting his feature film, “I’m Not Racist, But…” He’s hoping to secure a distribution deal in the next few months.

July

At Dirk’s suggestion, Adam, now sleeping in the guest room so as not to disturb the fragile downtime of a finely tuned athlete, began playing World of Warcraft until all hours of the night. With noise-cancelling headphones, he escapes this world and embarks on missions that take him to the wonderful, mysterious, and dangerous world of Azeroth.

August

Not much happened in August.

September

Lindsey and Adam proudly announced to the world that after months and months of trying, they’re having a baby corn garden planted on their balcony! The two couldn’t be happier, and look forward to stocking local Asian restaurants with their delicious miniature produce.

October

Convinced that The Goonies was based on a real story, Lindsey flies to the Oregon coast with Dirk to locate the treasure of One-Eyed Willie. Sadly, while investigating a cave, a boulder accidently and oddly came loose squashing the young, virile, and toned body of Coach Dirk McGibbons. Lindsey mourned his loss for weeks, ultimately having his name and a pair of tennis rackets tattooed on her shoulder. Adam refused to comment.

November

With Monkey Boxing season in full swing, Lindsey and Adam once again entered their beloved chimp, Mr. John Pricilla Montgomery, into the local circuit. So far, J.P.M. has a record of 4-2-2, and the couple hopes he’ll make a great showing at the Monkey Boxing Finals in Atlantic City in February. In other news, bees!

December

Lindsey and Adam spent the month reflecting on what a great year they shared together. The friends they made and what the future holds for them. They also spent two minutes throwing this recap together.