Archive: August, 2011

Farewell VEDA 2011

Today is the last day of Vlogging Every Day in August. I have to confess that I’m so happy it’s over. I will return to just vlogging weekly instead of daily on Totes Awesome Channel. Last year it was a life changing and rewarding experience. This year, it was rewarding and fun but I have to be honest, I’m burnt out keeping up with it with the traveling and the moving!

Before I bid VEDA adieu, here’s the obligatory blooper reel.


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Alan wanted me to be sure to add that he looked annoyed only because I picked the most tiring day of the year for him to join in, Moving Day!

Finally, today’s vlog is of my last thoughts. I basically summarized the vlog in the beginning of this post.



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Question: When was the last time you pushed through something and was proud of yourself for it?

VEDA Vlogs from Vancouver

Be very proud of me. I vlogged straight through moving, through Dallas, and now through a vacation in Vancouver. I haven’t missed a day! I’ve been patting myself on the back all morning. Here are my VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) Vlogs from Vancouver.


Day 25 – Pet Peeves


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You don’t need sound to see this video! I write it out. In case you still can’t view the video, I listed tardiness (>10 minutes), flaky people, and people who talk during movies in movie theaters as my pet peeves. You get to see my bad handwriting!

What are your pet peeves?


Day 26 – Most Valuable Possessions


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I happen to travel with the things I love the most. My journals!

What are your most valuable possessions?


Day 27 – Day in the Life / First Day in Vancouver


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For the Day in the Life topic, I talked you through my first day in Vancouver. We landed at 10. I was running on 4 hours of sleep, Alan on 0. We got to the hotel at 11 ish and Alan napped while I explored and lunched. We met up our friends Mike and Amy who live in Seattle and drove up to see us. We all visited the Vancouver Aquarium and had a grand time. We both adored the sea otters. No penguins at this aquarium. (Sad!) Then dined at a Japanese tapas place (look for it soon on my food blog!) and drank 3 bottles of Sake. Then Mike and Amy left and Alan and I met Paul, a new Canadian friend. We enjoyed some live music with Paul and then was in bed pretty late.

What does a typical day in your life look like?


Day 28 – What I Used to Believe In


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I wrote this vlog out so if it’s sound that keeps you from watching the vlogs, you can watch this one! If not, I listed out things I used to believe in but no longer do.

1. True love is first love.
2. Friends who do wrong are not friends at all. (No one is perfect.)
3. Wait til you’re married to sleep with someone. (Ha!)
4. Wait til you’re married to move in with a dude. (Ha!)

What are things you used to believe in but no longer do?


Day 29 – Passions


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There’s not much about which I’m not passionate. Good food, books, family, love, travel. There’s so many things that taste good, look good, smell good. I know I can be annoying when I’m raving about things so enthusiastically so often, but I just cannot help myself.

What are you passionate about?

See you back in Austin!

Kismet?

Hello from Vancouver! I fly back home tomorrow and am terribly sad. I had my favorite cities being a toss up between San Francisco and New York City, but Vancouver has blown both of those cities out of the water. I love everything about it. More about my love for the city later!

Yesterday, I was walking about the city with Alan when I came upon this sight.

A room full of balloons in Vancouver tickled me so much that I had to take a picture of it.

The reason why it tickled me so much is because two weeks ago, I came across a room in Dallas full of balloons.

I adore coincidences. I think the stories can be whimsical. Especially when involving balloons. My other favorite travel coincidence involved a mouse, cat, and dog.


Question: What is your favorite coincidence?

I will be in Canada this time tomorrow!

I will be in Canada this time tomorrow! With plans to check off 2-3 things off this book.

I don’t know what the internet situation will be but Expedia told me we paid for internet. I strive to be in touch!

The last time I left the country was for Spring Break 2002 in Mexico. Before that it was 1999 in Vietnam. Then 1998, Scotland and England. My worldly travel endeavors are sparse. I haven’t given my trip to Vancouver with Alan much thought recently. We’ve both been so busy with moving, socializing in neighboring towns, and surviving without internet and cable and hot water. Last night, we watched Anthony Bourdain’s show in Vancouver and afterwards, I caught a huge smile on his face and pointed it out. “I guess it just dawned on me that we’re going on a trip in just two days.”

I’m excited to see a new land and eat some new things. I can’t wait to see the sky and the ocean.

There’s so much to see and be amazed by in this world, that I have no idea how I’m going to chip away at this task. It’s this delicious giant chocolate cake and there’s no way of eating it all, but I must try.

Mmmm. Did someone say chocolate cake?


Question: What are five things you want to see before you die?

Unsent Vlog to Someone

Today’s VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) topic was to vlog to someone.


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For those without video capabilities, I told someone that I don’t like having small talk when I’m still angry.

On a lighter note, yesterday’s vlog topic for VEDA was to simply vlog in pajamas. Here I am being lazy during the beginning of my Sunday.


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Question: What do you wish you could tell someone?

Austin, Texas Has Bats [Video]

Today’s VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) topic is to vlog something neat from your hometown.

Well, I find it mighty awesome that Austin, Texas has bats.


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Question: What’s awesome about your hometown?

Friday 7 Quick Takes (vol 56)


1.

This week on Totes Awesome Channel, we disclose some of our Secret Single Behavior. Coined by Sex and the City, Secret Single Behavior is what you do that you don’t want anyone seeing.


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For those without video capabilities, I like to do my grooming in private (plucking, pore strips, teeth whitening strips, and nail clipping) and also I revert to lots of Korean ramen when I eat at home by myself. There’s a bonus bit for those who can watch.


2.

Today’s VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) topic is to talk about some of our controversial beliefs.


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I’m Anti-Capital Punishment, Pro-Choice, and Pro-Gay Marriage. Let’s still be friends?


3.

I haven’t yet linked and embedded the videos from Tuesday through Thursday. You can catch them on my channel. Or! Here are the individual links: Books, Vlog to Future Self, and my laminated list.


4.

Last week I got my sketchbook from Sketch Book Project 2012 in the mail. The dust from the move hasn’t settled and we’re gearing up for a vacation but I cannot wait to get started. This will be my 2nd year participating. Here’s the post I did about SKP touring Austin in March (with links to some of my sketches).


My Sketchbook and Me during Austin Tour, March 2011


5.

Vancouver in 6 days! What’s on the agenda there? So far nothing!


6.


We didn’t have hot water til Wednesday. We still don’t have internet or cable but here’s hoping (for real this time) we’ll get them Sunday.


7.

This week’s moments of bliss: ♥ every time I flatten a box and put it outside our apartment to be picked up ♥ trash valet Sundays – Thursdays ♥ the first hot shower after not having hot water for 4 days ♥ admitting that it was worth the money to have a cleaning lady do the last clean of my old apartment ♥ data plan ♥ Alan surprising me with True Blood ♥ phone calls to my BFF freaking out and her reassuring that what I’m freaking out about is normal ♥ watching Alan kill a fly ♥ seeing Brandi twice in one week despite moving 30 minutes further away ♥ making a healthy slow-cooker meal ♥ making it through last weekend and this week


Question: Tell me something weird about yourself?

Weekend Recap & VEDA vlogs

I’m 99 percent moved into our apartment. It was a super tiring weekend but I still managed to upload videos for VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August). This is despite not having internet at the new digs yet. (Nor do we have a working stove or hot water.) Here’s my weekend recap punctuated by VEDA vlogs.

Friday, I spent all night packing. The topic for Saturday’s VEDA was to vlog with someone and tell the person how you feel about him or her. So I took care of that late Friday/early Saturday morning. Have you guys, met Alan? Meet Alan.


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Saturday, I moved all day.

Sunday, I spent unpacking all day. VEDA topic was to cook something and vlog it. I didn’t have internet, a phone battery charger, or a working stove. So I vlogged this 43 second vlog straight from my phone and car telling you just that. I’m shooting for a completion grade for VEDA, folks.


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Finally, today’s VEDA topic is to talk about what areas in which we consider ourselves experts. I naturally, told you a few jokes.


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Question: What are you an expert at doing?

Friday Quick Takes (vol 55)


1.

This week on Totes Awesome Channel, we talk about who we would like in our Breakfast Club Saturday detention.


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Planning this vlog was the most fun I’ve had in my history of making vlogs. I came up with this list with my BFF and I totally manipulated the reasoning behind each stereotype for 4 of the 5 people in my Breakfast Club. The one that actually fits the stereotype was not even my choice but my BFF’s substitute. I chose Michael Jordan for my jock and she instantly balked, “What are you, 40?!” She exchanged him for Kevin Garnett, a basketball player for the Celtics who is just as good looking and bald.

So here’s my Breakfast Club.

Jock = Kevin Garnet (only legit answer)

Princess = Ryan Gosling (He’s really not a princess in attitude as far as I can tell, but he sure is pretty!)

Brain = Bill Clinton (I think he’s so sexy and would love to have him in my BC. So if charisma and saxophone playing count for intelligence, then he is my Brain.)

Criminal = Anthony Bourdain (What? LSD and cocaine are illegal.)

Basket Case = Eric Northman (He’d normally be classified as the Criminal but he’s currently a basket case in True Blood because he lost all his memory.)


2.

Today’s VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) topic is what we wish someone had told us. I also tacked on my first walk through of the apartment I’m moving into TOMORROW. (Don’t ask me if I’m close to done packing.)


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I wish someone had told me a BA in Philosophy is useless and a BA in Biology is only slightly useful. I wish someone had told me a minor is CS isn’t quite useful either because it’s not deep enough. I wish someone had told me to major in CS or in engineering.


3.

I slacked on posting the VEDA videos from yesterday and day before. You can catch them on my channel. Or! Here are the individual links: We talked about TV shows (♥ Sex and the City, True Blood, Ally Mcbeal) and things we’re awful at doing.


4.


I was in stitches discussing the Breakfast Club in Take 1 with BFF. Here are some snippets of our conversation. (Broken into two takes)

Me:
Michael Jordan for jock!

BFF:
No. NO!

Me:
I love black and bald!

BFF:
What are you, 40?

Me:
Michael Jordan!? He’s perfect. He’s hot. Space Jam! Hello!?


* * *

Me:
Oprah can be my princess. She’s TV royalty. She’s more a queen
but lets downgrade her.

BFF:
What happened to Gosling? Are you kicking him out?

Me:
He’s the hottie. Is there a hotite? No hottie?

BFF:
There’s no hottie.

Me:
NO HOTTIE?


5.


Re: Ally McBeal as a basket case.

Me:
I don’t like her. I just relate to her. Hmm. This says something.


* * *


BFF:
Eric Northman, Ryan Gosling, Bill Clinton, Anthony Bourdain, and Kevin Garnett

Me:
Can I tell Youtube I might need a change of undies?

BFF:
Yes.


6.

I’m moving tomorrow at 8 am. I’m not nearly done packing so it might be another late night tonight. There are things I’m going to miss. Living close to most of my local girl friends. It’s really fun to drive just a few minutes and be able to sit in front of the TV with Brandi. I had some great friends who didn’t have to drive too far even though they live just north outside Austin. I’m going to miss my library and seeing Deesh’s brother who works at that branch every other week. I’m going to miss my gas station cashier.

However, I’m also looking forward to starting a new chapter. I’ve only lived with one male roommate ever, and it was Alan. We lived together as platonic friends so it’s kind of neat to now live with him as a boyfriend. I’ve never done this before but I’m excited to learn and grow.


7.

This week’s moments of bliss: ♥ helping Alan pack up his apartment, the conversations and bossing him around were super fun ♥ conversation with my BFF coming up with my Breakfast Club companions ♥ conversation with my coworkers who called me out on stretching all the stereotypes for my Breakfast Club just to have dreamy men around me ♥ email from Brandi reminding me to be selfish sometimes ♥ smartphone! ♥ coffee ♥ waking up 2 hours late and still finding a parking space (typically impossible) and still being on time to work ♥ air conditioning ♥ VEDA ♥ Totes Awesome Channel this week ♥ bubble wrap


Question: Who would you want in your Breakfast Club?

Where to Find Inspiration

Today’s VEDA (Vlog Every Day in August) topic is inspiration and where we find it.


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I talk about how I love communicating with as many people as I can because when I listen, I can find common threads that tie us together. This is why I love VEDA so much. We have so much in common while still being unique. It’s beautiful to me that as often as we feel alone, we are surrounded by kindred spirits.

I find inspiration in seeking new experiences. New experiences invoke new thoughts, sights, and feelings and that could give way to a spark, passion, or new path to explore.

Finally, I find inspiration in feeling tiny. Stargazing. Oceans. Mountains. They’re all real life symbols on how big our world is and how endless the possibilities are.

For more, view the 3 minute video.


Question: Where do you find your inspiration?