Independence Day

I love fireworks. I love them. I love how big and colorful and bright
and loud and powerful and Bless America, the Sky is on Fire.

-Sent from Austin's phone.

Birth

Birthday wishes from my dear friend, David Smith. His birthday is Dec.
9, so he has had about six months experience being 25.

-----Original Message-----
From: David Smith <david.espen.smith(at)gmail.com>
To: Austin Craig <austinmichaelcraig(at)gmail.com>
Subject: Birth
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:56:01 -0400

Welcome to the quarter century club, some of what you can look forward
to:

-A decreased confidence level.
-Being attracted to girls way younger than you and not realizing that's
pervy.
-Watching the Olympics and feeling like you wasted your life because
kids 10 years younger than you are participating.
-A decreased metabolic rate.
-This is the year where your fast twitch muscle tissue starts
disappearing if you don't use it.
-More and more suspicion of whether you will ever marry.
-Being home from your mission long enough to graduate from college but
realizing you still haven't.
-Not understanding youth and hip clothes they sell at the mall.
-Decreased car insurance rates.
-Ability to rent a car.

And these are just the ones I could think of off the top of my head.

Thanks, Dave. Sounds like an exciting time of life.

-Sent from Austin's phone.

Dear Austin,

Happy Birthday!

-From me.

-Sent from Austin's phone.

Merry Christmas!

I know that is late, but Merry Christmas anyway.

Break

I'm done. Done with finals, done with projects. Okay, so I didn't
really have much in the way of finals this semester. But what I had is
finished, and Christmas break starts NOW.

OUR Tree

Dan and Justin cut this one down before I started working at the lot. It's a good little tree. Merry Christmas.


P.S. I think I'm done at the tree lot. Yesterday I helped disassemble our Provo location (the one I was working at) and my boss didn't tell me if I still had a job, even when I asked. He said he'd call and let me know. He hasn't called. It's 10:00 A.M.

Visitors

Big shoutout to my kin, Angela and cousin Becca for coming to visit me
at the lot and bringing DELICIOUS HOMEMADE LUNCH FOR ME. Squash soup and
hot chocolate. It was delicious.

P.S. They wanted to pose next to the most expensive tree. It's well over $200.⁰⁰

Wonderful

This is a PG-13 Holiday post. I'm kinda sorry, but not enough to get me to not post it. Enjoy.


Starring:
David Smith as George Bailey
Mylee Morin as Mary Hatch Bailey
Austin Craig as Uncle Billy Bailey
David Peterson as Clarence
Dan Miller as Cabbie
Justin Anderson as Zuzu Bailey

Drums?

At the Lot, I listen to Christmas carols. All day. I'll never understand
how "Little Drummer Boy" made it's way into the canon of acceptable
Christmas music.

At Work

I'm running the lot by myself today. It's Jesus' day off. Good thing I
have this smartphone to keep me occupied, because I've got to be honest,
it gets pretty boring otherwise.

It's A Deal

If anybody is in need of a tree, I'm at the Provo lot by Towne Center
Mall, right off University, across from KFC. I'll cut you a deal (not a
huge one, though, or my boss'll get mad). I think I'm here every day
this week, during the day.

Promotion

I'm the new manager at the Provo Christmas tree lot. I get paid more, it
frees up my nights, and I work every day.

Well Wishes

This is late. I couldn't figure out how to upload it earlier (technical difficulties). Also, sorry, Jourdan, that I didn't get everybody who was there. Turns out I've made the mistake of thinking I was filming when I wasn't more than once.

Happy (late) Birthday!

Thanks?

A woman buying a tree just told me I look like Johnny Depp in "Secret
Window". Is that good or bad?

And Panic Ensues

New development in the world of Christmas Tree vending. The person who
was supposed to run the register couldn't make it tonight, so I'm in
charge of the cash machine. It's just me and Jesus tonight (the Mexican
immigrant, not the Diety, though I suppose they say he is everywhere,
too.)

Jesus doesn't speak English, I don't speak Spanish, and I just barely
learned how to use the register.

Wish us luck.

Vital Signs

The Turkish fir is by far our longest lasting tree, followed by the
Noble fir and the Grand fir. Grand firs are known for their strong
aroma, and Douglas firs will be your bargain tree.

Cut at least half an inch off the base of your tree before placing it in
your stand. This ensures that it can still take water. After cutting,
you have an hour to an hour and a half tops to get it in water.

That exhausts my knowledge of Christmas trees. Hope nobody asks me to
ring anything up. I don't know how to use the register.

I'm working tonight with Nathan, the son of the owner and a fellow BYU
student, and Jesus, who I have to assume is from Mexico.

My joints hurt from the cold. I sound like an old man.

In the spirit of things

Well, I'm here at work. Oh, you didn't know I work at a Christmas tree
lot, selling Christmas trees? I do. At least tonight I do.

I went around to a bunch of different places yesterday asking if they
had seasonal work. The Christmas tree lot was the only place to call me
back, and they wanted me to start right away.

It's cold, but not so bad if I keep moving. I've got four layers on, and
two pair of gloves. And it smells great, like fir and fried chicken
(we're across the street from KFC). So wish me luck, and let me know if
you need any evergreen branches. I think those are free.

Seasonal Warmth

Every year the Christmas season seems to lay in wait and surprise me
like a birthday party I wasn't told about. The signs have been
everywhere, literal and figurative. The Christmas displays go up at
department stores immediately after Thanksgiving. But even that doesn't
seem to tip me off. It's other things, signs more organic and unplanned.
Like the other day, I was walking home from school, and a guy behind me,
walking the same direction, started playing Chistmas hymns on a
harmonica. And after we put up the Christmas tree that Dan and Justin
harvested, I walk into our living room, and the smell of fir filled my
head. Then last night, when I went to the grocery store, who was there
greeting people but ol' Klause himself, red jumpsuit, full beard, and
little spectacles. It was good to see him there.

It's almost the end of the year. Another year. The adage of being wiser
is debatable in my case. In some ways it was a unique year, and in many
ways quite similar to the others I've had.

So a happy Christmas season to any and all reading this. Hope I get to
see most of you soon. And I hope that despite the cold and snow, you
find reason to feel warm.

Thanksgiving with the Craigs

Thanksgiving was wonderful. I didn't even do much. I just spent time with my family, did a little shopping, and enjoyed the Arizona warmth. And Barro's Pizza. And read a lot of Fast Company. It was wonderful.

I slept most of the drive home, but was awake enough to get this priceless shot in Southern Utah.

Halloween Pictures

I didn't really do anything for Halloween, but I figured a costume was appropriate anyway.