With just a few days until Father’s Day, we continue to feature a great dad each and every day. Today, it’s James Zahn.
After spending more than two decades working in various facets of the entertainment industry on-and-off (music, film, television, comics, journalism), James Zahn shifted focus upon the birth of his first daughter in 2009. Now, this work-at-home father of two channels his interests and passion into THE ROCK FATHER – A Pop Culture Magazine for Families that Rock. A culmination of everything he’s ever done in the past (with a “mostly” family-friendly twist), the site also hosts James’ personal “Daddy Blog” as he documents his journey through parenthood. Zahn and/or his work have previously been featured on/in CNN, NBC, G4, The Chicago Tribune, Fangoria, Starlog and more.
My first memory as a father is…
Watching Addie being pulled from my wife during a C-section after more than 24 hours of labor. It was a special day on many notes, but the really cool thing is that our first daughter ended up being delivered on our 10th wedding anniversary. Dual celebrations forever.
The funniest thing my kids do is…
Mock and mimic my silly faces, voices, and singing. They’re both very animated, and we feed on each other. I’ll sing a silly song and they’’ll try to match it. I’ll do a silly face or voice, and they’ll try to top it. I have a feeling it’ll get us all in trouble somewhere down the road.
What’s in your man cave?
I don’t have a “man cave” (not fond of the term), but I do have a dedicated office space. It’s a Central Command Center here at Rock Father HQ, and undoubtedly my favorite room in the house. There’s a couple of HP computers, my Peavey Half-Stack, eight guitars (5 electric, one acoustic, one acoustic/electric, and a child-sized), a child-sized piano, an assortment of artifacts and memorabilia from my past “adventures in rock,” some fun collectibles and toys, a hefty music collection, and last Christmas – Barbie moved in. The Malibu Dream House is here, along with Ken’s Mini Cooper, Barbie’s Corvette, and more. We also have a child-sized chair and ottoman, along with an assortment of baby toys for our youngest. Function + Play = Optimum Rocking for the whole family. My desk is also massively baby-proofed at this point with bumpers on all edges.
My wife is my hero because…
She works hard to support our family in ways I could never do. She’s extremely dedicated to her job, and has been with the same company for about 15 years – almost as long as we’ve been together. That’s a feat in itself, but what she sacrifices in family time means a great life for the four of us as a whole. Our girls have the benefit of an at-home parent, and I just happen to be the lucky Dad. My wife is a great woman, mother, and friend.
How many hours of sleep do you get each night?
Four to six. I do most of my work between 10pm and 2am. Depending on what we have going on each day, the kids and I are usually up between six and 8. If nothing is scheduled, we might cheat it and roll out around 9. Gone are the days of following the “Rock and Roll Handbook” and crawling out of bed at noon. Preschool comes calling pretty early.
What did you get your baby’s Mama for Mother’s Day?
We got my wife a really nice bouquet of flowers that Addie picked out. We put them in a big white vase we already had here at home, but added a few extra flowers from our own garden. We also did cards, which is a tradition for almost all holidays for us.
What’s your favorite meal?
Tie: Gyros – properly prepared (I’m a Gyros aficionado and critic). The best ones come from a place called Perros Bros. in Olympia Fields, Illinois. I only get there a couple of times a year (it’s about 100 miles from home), but it’s worth it. What most places serve as a “Gyros” is an embarrassment. Perros does it right.
The other perfect meal is Pizza. Again, I’m a pizza aficionado and very particular. My current favorite is a local franchise called Jimano’s.
If fatherhood was a beer, which type of beer would it be and why?
CLUTCH Dark Sour Ale by New Belgium Brewing. Truth be told, I’ve never even had CLUTCH Beer (can’t find it), but since it was brewed in the honor of one of my favorite bands (the mighty CLUTCH!), I can only assume that it rocks as hard as they do. That said, Fatherhood ROCKS, and it certainly requires a brew to reflect that.
Describe your perfect Father’s Day.
A sunny day spent here at Rock Father HQ along with my wife and daughters. Some playtime in the backyard, capped off with a fine Pizza pie for dinner. That’s probably just what we’ll do…
Make sure you head over and check out James Zahn’s fantastic website, The Rock Father. Also, be sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.