FIRSSSSSSSSST!

I am a Youtube fanatic.

There’s something about that rush of when you are the first to see a video.

Or the surprise of finding an underground video treasure that nobody has seemed to notice.

It’s the virtual equivalent to finding forgotten money in your pocket.

What I love more than anything, though, is discovering new artists through their Youtube channels.

So, as a sort of virtual gift to my readers, I present to you my top favorite performers on Youtube…

Savannah Outen (Savannah7448)

I began to listen to Savannah, who is now 18, in 2007. She would cover songs in her room with just her voice and guitar. She has since been signed to a record label but still remembers her roots. She often posts cover videos and sometimes will introduce new songs not yet released on her label.

Meghan Tonjes (tonjesml)

Meghan puts it out there, no hold bars. She covers any song she can  from old classics to clever mashups. I think what I like most about her is that she’s not a cookie-cutter performer. She’s a big girl with a big voice. Subscriber from first listen.

Erika David (ekaiann)

Watching Erika is like watching a star that is about to break out, you just know that at any minute some record label is going to scoop her up. I love the soul she brings to her voice as she takes on R&B greats like Beyonce and Alicia Keys.

Tyler Ward (TylerWardMusic)

If this man showed up at my doorstep, guitar in hand, I’d run away with him. I could listen to his voice for hours on end, and occasionally…..I do. =)

Ahmir (ahmirTV)

The men are like the Boys2Men of Youtube, only braver. They take on anything from Bruno Mars to Taylor Swift and all of their music can be found on iTunes. I always look forward to what they’re going to do next.

Kelly Rose (KellyRoseMusic)

Kelly is fun to watch because she’s hilarious. If you go through her videos she shows no shame in singing to random people on the street, covering 90’s cartoons theme songs, and being an overall goofball.

Megan and Liz Mace (MeganandLiz)

These girls, twins, come in a package deal. One sings harmony, the other plays guitar, together they make sounds that rival any Disney star out there. I personally like the overall feeling of happiness that comes from viewing somebody doing what they truly love.

That rabbit is judging me.



People do weird things when other people aren’t around.

Some people walk around naked. Others sing and dance like they’re in a musical.

My roommate and I…we have conversations with our animals.

I have a cat named Bella Marie and as you have previously read, she is French.

Her voice, which we have created, is a cross between a drunken french call girl and snotty royal.

Some catchphrases include: “I veil not stand for this!”, “Stupid Amer-i-cansss!”, and “I vwell get choo in ze middle of zee night!”

My roommate uses one of these exclamations and responds swiftly, to herself, with a “MARIE!”

We also have a rabbit, Wicket.

His voice sounds like a grumpy old man with a sore throat.

His phrases include: “My god!” and random yells.

We like to vision him as an extremely judgmental little man who is stuck with our craziness via cage.

I mentioned the craze to friends and found out that our hidden habit is fairly common.

One of my Facebook friends admitted to asking her pet rabbit questions.

Another friend mentioned in passing that she picks her outfits out in front of her dog, choosing whichever he gets most excited about.

So are we crazy?

Apparently not.

In a study done by German researchers they found that dogs can process words and commands much like a small child, according to MSNBC.com.

If animals understand us, what’s the difference in talking to a cat/bunny and talking to a newborn baby. Both react, but neither speaks English.

I often ponder if Wicket is aware of his surroundings and can understand our language.

The next time he stomps his foot in disapproval after my roommate and I come in late, I’ll know it’s because he cares.

Dog Study, for your entertainment:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5180799/ns/health-pet_health/

Falling off the Vegan wagon.

Photo Courtesy of Google.

The sultry aroma and come-hither lights drew me into the building.

As I approached the doors, slowly, I spotted the big floppy slices of cheesy goodness.

Damn you, Celestino’s.

As I ordered I glanced around.

“God, I hope none of my readers see me.”

It started with one cheat day, which turned into a cheat weekend…that later turned into cheat week.

And now, I have officially fallen off the vegan wagon.

After several feast days with my roommate over the course of her birthday week I decided I could no longer ignore it.

I began to walk past my scale like a gun-slinger.

Finally, after several stare-offs, I weighed.

Holy crap.

I gained back seven of the 23 pounds I’d lost since September 1st.

After I composed myself from my mini internal freak out, I decided to come up with a game plan.

I thrust myself into Envy (which is going great btw!) and tried to stretch every workout I could into the little time I have during the day.

I began to take stairs instead of elevators. I walked to school instead of taking the bus. I even avoided my biggest vice, iced coffee, in an effort to save calories.

After my maneuvers I got my weight back down, and more. I had lost two more pounds from where I was, totaling me out at 25lbs down.

For now, I have decided being vegan was (and is) an insane idea.

I have begun to convert to vegetarian, with the occasional meat on special occasions.

My biggest test will be coming with Thanksgiving, but I plan on stacking my plate with as much mashed taters as it can hold and calling it a night.

We’ll see…for now, I will make peace with my Celestino’s break down and appreciate my vegan journey for what it was: the beginning jump-start of my weight loss.

Facebook Stalker.

Until fairly recently I’ve kept contact with an ex.

He would tell me about the parties he went to, show me pictures of his new girlfriend, and even link new music to me.

Only problem? He didn’t know it.

I, like many of my friends, Facebook lurk.

I guess it’s more of an easy access thing. I figure if an ex chooses to make his profile visible, I have as much right to see his every post as the next person.

So I lurk, occasionally. It’s not like it’s a daily habit.

It was going just fine until, out of nowhere, he changed his privacy settings.

As I prepared for my guilty pleasure of seeing how much weight he’s gained, I came face to face with just a picture and name.

Like an addict, I refreshed the page…hoping it might magically reappear unprotected.

After initial shock I began to think about how Facebook, and other social networking sites, have changed relationships.

Mom used to tell me dating stories from the eighties. Her and my aunt used to drive past an ex-boyfriend’s house to see if his car was there, often circling several times in one hour.

Oh how easy it must have been to have such limited information to go on.

The problem with social networking sites is that it takes the effort out. Instead of ACTUALLY stalking our ex-boyfriends we’re able to access everything from home.

This kind of peeping also FEELS different. We’re not parking outside of someone’s home and waiting to see who he brings home; we’re viewing things he shares with friends.

You’re able to maintain a connection to someone who doesn’t connect back.

By peeping at profile pages we allow ourselves to stay in the same mindset and not fully get over breakups.

So, as a reformed Facebook stalker, his decision to change his profile now seems to be for the best.

This, however, does not void his unprotected Myspace account.

Do YOU cyber stalk? Discuss the pros/cons in the comments!

Don’t look Haggard this Monday.

“Oh maaaannnn I’m so hungover.”

Oh how these words ring true to Sunday mornings for many of the Chico residents I know.

Maybe it’s just me, but after a long week of constant deadlines and stress all I want is a drink in my hand and a Katy Perry song to dance to.

The problem with taking a break from the stress is knowing when enough is enough.

I know I’ve hit my limit in drinking if I start suggesting extreme exercise as something fun to do.

Other friends can tell if they start getting feisty, red nosed or extremely flirtatious.

Going out to drink is all about having fun, but not too much.

Being drunk before everyone else is a major problem. You often have a way better time than everyone despite surroundings and become the friend everyone has to watch.

This kind of drinking is fine on weekends (or days where you can have a resting day), but on weekdays it leaves you dragging ass come Monday.

So how do we stay within “Good Drunk” lines?

Water- A simple tip to break up drinking is to make sure to drink water. That way, once you drink your Bueno Bomber you can dilute its effects. Order a glass of water WITH every drink to prevent an extra bar return and make sure you down a glass BEFORE you go out as well.

Eat- Again, this is fairly simple but also easy to forget. People who don’t eat anything beforehand get drunk faster. I recommend eating something solid, that way in case you do end up praying to the porcelain gods, you at least don’t puke as bad.

Good Foods: Bread,  Pizza, Fries

Bad Foods: Burritos, Pasta, Nachos

Pretty much anything messy is a no-go, head for the carbs to soak up booze.

Money- If you don’t bring enough money to get plastered, you probably won’t. I usually bring about $20, which is enough for a cab ride (there and back) and a few drinks. If you don’t bring a debit card, you’re less likely to over-drink.

Order- You are as drunk as what you’re drinking. If you start the night with a huge pitcher of Long Island Iced Tea, things really can’t get more sober.

For me, the best thing to do is have one signature drink and try not to experiment. I once go SUPER sick from this drink with Jager in it that I couldn’t pronounce. If you MUST experiment, do it in shots. There is less liquor in shots, so you’re less likely to get sick.

Be safe, drink smart, and have Advil on hand!

Change, without the rattle.

It finally hit me in my second semester of college. Where did all my money go?!

After I opened my checking account straight out of high school I ran up my account with overdraft fees. I thought I had been smart and I tried to keep track of all my receipts but I ordered one Carmel Frappuccino too many and incurred a $30 fee.

After several of these overdraft fees I wised up and asked for help. Nana, being the kind soul she is, taught me old-school lessons on how to manage money.

Now, not everyone has a Nana in their life, so in an effort to save you the time and money you’ll use handling money carelessly, here are some easy tips that worked for me…

1) The Checkbook.

Now I realize that carrying around a checkbook can be daunting. But really, it’s worth it in the money you not only save but keep track of. The trick I use to keep track of money is a sort of “keep the change” method. When writing something down I write the amount down and then next to it I write the amount rounded to the nearest whole dollar. For example: the hot boots you buy are $27.30. When you write it down make sure you write $28 next to it. By doing so you can keep track of money in whole dollars AND keep the change. 70 cents may seem trivial at the time, but think of the money you can collect over months if you do this with EACH purchase.

Nana calls this a cushion. So that when times get rough you can dip into the cushion for cash. Also, if for some reason you forget to write something down, you have some cash in the bank to cover it and avoid a late fee. Sweet!

2) Do NOT trust the bank.

For some reason people have this blind faith that the bank runs smoothly at all times. It doesn’t. The bank is run by people, like you and me. People make mistakes. About once a month I sit down with my checkbook and access my account online. I make sure each receipt matches up, each check went through, and that there are no double charges. The bank fixes mistakes all the time, but they can’t fix them if you don’t catch them.

3) Write it down.

The hardest thing to keep track of, for me, is all the bills I have to pay. At first I did it all online, through email. This worked for a while but sometimes I wouldn’t receive a bill in my inbox and I would forget about it, leaving me with the late fee. Now I make sure to write it all down in the beginning of the month. I use a small notecard to write down each bill, how much it’s for, and when it is due. Once paid, I draw a thin line through it and move on. Not only can you look to see what bills are due instantly, but when it’s all crossed out it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. Aha! Take that bills!

Overall, make sure you’re paying attention to your money. It’s easy to depend on automated systems and online account summaries but nothing beats an actual person keeping track of where money goes after it leaves your wallet.

We work hard for our money (duna duna), let’s not let it be a waste.

Virtual Racing.

Baby bumps, engagement rings, and wedding pictures.

This, my readers, is how my Facebook life has looked most recently.

While I wish happiness to my social network, frankly, I’m sick of looking at it. Which is why I recently “liked” the group “Everyone I know is getting married or pregnant, I’m just getting drunk”.

I must not be alone in this sentiment because as of blog time, the group had 731,112 fans.

It’s not that I hate the idea of babies or marriage, I just know better.

Most young adults are ill-equipped to have children. In fact, sometimes I think that people my age aren’t aware that pregnancy yields human babies. It just seems like a fun new adventure.

Maybe it’s just that I, like many people I know, am a product of bad planning.

Mom had me at 16, a time where her fascination with Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam rivaled excitement for her growing fetus. I don’t think she was fully prepared for the difficult job of motherhood.

I know better than to jump the gun on life.

It seems that people take life as a competition, trying to one up each other in the race to happiness.

Slow down.

A happy relationship doesn’t need to lead to a marriage proposal approximately one year into it. With divorce rates being what they are, we could all take the time to REALLY get to know partners rather than following a formula.

I guess what I’m really getting at is to take life slow and enjoy it for what it is: a once in a lifetime experience with no do-overs, no timeouts, and no regrets.

Jello the key to my Heart?

If you’re going to be my man you better get familiar with the many flavors Jello has to offer and be able to identify them blindfolded.

This random tidbit, along with 99 others, is part of my “100 Qualities” list.

The “100 qualities” were made up by me and a few of my closest friends on a ladies-only weekend.

It includes simple things like having a great smile, job, and education along with fun/more entertaining must-haves.

As we cooked up our list we sat scattered around my living room, a few on the ground, some draped over one another on the couch.

We shouted out qualities, giggling at the most random and “ahh”-ing at the smartest.

After we were done I tucked it into my bookshelf, like a hidden little treasure, where it remained until I recently rediscovered it.

As I looked at it, through new/ more sober eyes I became enchanted with how simple dating would be if all potential partners and competitors had a list themselves.

Think about it. How often do we go on first dates with men, then second, even a THIRD to find out he’s REALLY into World of Warcraft? If we all had a list we may be able to weed out bad matches initially, even immediately after meeting someone.

It also would serve as a self-check for women who fall fast in love. I once dated a man with no job, no car, and who lived with his mother. I convinced myself that his humor carried him up and over all deal-breaker qualities. I was delusional.

This list helps me have perspective on what I REALLY want, the big picture.

So I challenge you, get a paper and pen and write a top 10: Top Ten Qualities I need in a Mate.

Even braver? Post it in the comments!

MY FAVORITE QUALITIES

66. Can do accents/ has a fake accent/ or gets an accent when drunk.

86. Knows the personal stories of all the women on “Sex and the City”.

89. Can parallel park.

32. Cannot like pickles or must give them up.

50. Be ready to forego any and all remote control privileges.

100. (The last and most important) Will say he loves me, everyday.

Boozing on a Budget.

 

Happy 21st Monkeybabes!

 

My friends and I have a saying: “We’re not alcoholics, we just live in Chico”.

It seems that if you live in Chico, odds are that you probably have a freezer full of booze.

Alcohol is dandy, but the dent it takes on your bank account—sober or not— is a downer.

Drinking at home is fairly cheap on the wallet (when split with roommates) but most students can agree that bars offer a social setting that cannot be challenged.

So how do we maintain a bar lifestyle while maintaining a roof over our head?

Easy…

1.       Hit it when it’s cheap. Most bars offer nights where the liquor is cheaper, often in the form of dollar nights. On Wednesday’s , for example, it is dollar night at the Crazyhorse Saloon and University Bar.  That way you can come with $15 and get five drinks plus cab fare.

2.       Drink on the weekdays. My favorite place to go on weekdays is Tuesday nights at Lasalle’s. It’s 90s night there and the cover is often fairly cheap. Best of all, they have $5 pitchers all night of well drinks, including AMF’s (Adios mother f-ers) and cranberry vodkas.

3.       Pregame. Try to drink as much as you can at home and stick to water at the bars. It may seem like a drag but you’ll save a bundle (and maybe your liver) for the night. Also, you can sober up throughout the night and wake up with little to no hangover. Always great.

4.       Bring what you need, and what you need ONLY. A girl only needs three items: Cash, Identification Card, and cell. If you’re low on cash do not bring your debit card with you under any circumstances. “SOBER you” may know that you’re saving for that killer dress, but “DRUNK you” often has no self control. Avoid the discovery of last night’s $40 ATM withdrawal, and ditch the plastic.

5.       Flirt. It’s shameless, yes, but it has worked since the dawn of time. Flirting is almost a guaranteed way to get free drinks at bars. Make sure to not look too intimidating and maintain an easy going attitude. Not only will you be more likely to receive a free drink or two, but you may open yourself to a whole new pool of men.

Always make sure to stay safe when being thrifty at bars.

Drink plenty of water and ALWAYS call a cab if inebriated.

Stay safe and save money!

 

 

Make sure to check out local bars online! Specials are often posted!

http://madisonbeargarden.com

http://www.rileysbar.com/

Location, Location.

I have contemplated moving to three different locations over the course of this month.

It seems, my blog readers, that I have become burnt out.

In an effort to shake things up, I have been cooking up elaborate life-changing plans.

I first considered moving to England. I figured if I’m going to move out of the country, by myself, I should probably go somewhere where they speak English.

I also enjoy a fair amount of tea and wouldn’t mind meeting a nice London chap, falling in love, and building a nice little cottage home somewhere.

My initial plan was to spring this on a longtime chat buddy, Joe. Joe and I met when I first discovered the internet. I was on a site called vampirefreaks.com, trying desperately to keep tabs on my emo ex boyfriend. He sent me a message and well, we were “in like” at first click.

As I approached the topic of visiting he was more than enthused, he was thrilled. We mulled over how much to save, what to bring, and what sites there were to see. As I approached the topic of studying abroad for a semester he became skittish and it was very apparent that England wouldn’t do at all.

I decided to keep the trend going with location two and shoot for another English-speaking country, Ireland. My roommate and I have always had a dream to go there and after several viewings of “P.S. I Love You”, we decided we must move there, find a Gerard Butler look-alike, and be next door neighbors for life.

Plans still are being hashed out, but it’s proving to be quite difficult with our schedules and money flow.

Location three seems to be more feasible, San Francisco. This location is not as exotic as I would like it to be, but it is more practical. I have a close friend who moved there from Chico and raves about the events, men, and nightlife. I also have a roommate who is planning on moving there soon, for schooling.

It seems to be the best plan so far, if all works out.

The problem with burnt out plans is that the person executing them lacks interest in doing much of anything.

It takes genuine effort these days to gather energy to check the mail, much less plan a cross-country voyage.

For now I’ll ponder what could be and try to narrow down plans.

I’ll leave you with one question: Where do you dream of moving to in the future?

Let me know in the comments below!