...entered a contest like this

Last night I turned in my application to Live Off Groupon for one year. I have always talked about entering contests like this one, but Live Off Groupon is the first one to inspire me to actually apply. When chosen, the Groupon Groupawn will give up all of their possessions to live solely off of Groupons for one full year. If they succeed, there is a $100,000 prize at the end. To start, the Groupawn is given a phone, gps, camera, computer and a paper suit made of Groupons. After that, they will travel across America using nothing but Groupons.

To apply I had to submit two videos, a blog and an essay about why I would make a great candidate to Live Off Groupon. For one video, I had to interview a Groupon business so that they can see what kind of work I could do over the next year.

I decided to interview Cornucopia. When I got to the store, I realized that I needed an introduction to my Live Off Groupon interview. So, I found a steady place to set my camera and started talking to myself. Now, grumbling to yourself in public about a bad day/item left at home/something you forgot = not a difficult task. However, to be animated and loud enough for the camera to pick you up = much tougher than I had originally thought.

It took a few takes, but soon I decided to embrace the awkward stares from passerbys and just went with it.

Overall, I had a great time applying to Live Off Groupon and now I just have to wait and see if my efforts will pay off. The finalists will be announced March 8th so I'll keep you all updated on my status!

Check out my application videos:

Introduction Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wppYd4IeBEY

Interview with Nadia from Cornucopia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3F8a_dHJCY

...eaten at Polvo's

Last night my friends and I had planned on grabbing dinner together but had no real plans in place.  So, I took the opportunity to visit another Austin staple that I haven't yet had the chance to try.

Polvo's is a delicious Mexican restaurant on South 1st.  Usually there is a really long wait so we showed up at 6:30 pm to beat the dinner crowd.  The fajitas were okay and the service adequate but the margaritas are what will keep me coming back to Polvo's.

...been to a Punchline stand-up comedy show

Last weekend I had an old friend in town and I was introducing her to all that Austin has to offer.

On Friday night, we decided to go watch on of my fellow AmeriCorps members in a stand-up comedy show.  The show, Punchline, is hosted each Friday night at ColdTowne Theater.  It is an open-mic night and features 10 amateur comics who get four minutes each.  ColdTowne Theater offers a lot of free shows, but at only $5, Punchline is a great option for affordable entertainment.

...seen a Cine Las Americas film

At the beginning of last week, I had no plan for what new things I could experience.  Luckily I was presented with three fantastic options before the week end.

On Wednesday, a friend asked if I wanted to join him for a free screening of a Cine Las Americas film at the Mexican American Culture Center (MACC).  Since films and free are two of my favorite words, I eagerly accepted the invitation.  This week's screening was Flor Silvestre, and it is the first in a series of five films that will be shown each Wednesday at the MACC.  Even though it was made in 1943, Flor Silvestre held my attention and had me laughing, crying and secretly wishing that all films ended with a happy ending (like most do these days).  To top it all off, the MACC even had hot chocolate available to keep us warm on one of the coldest evenings of the year.

All in all it was a fantastic evening and I'm looking forward to coming back next Wednesday.

...mingled with singles

On Thursday, a college friend and I decided to attend The Bobby Bones Show Singles Mingle benefiting Safe Place.  Never have I ever considered going to this type of event but we decided to throw caution to the wind and jump in feet first.

When we walked in, we were handed a name tag bearing the name of one half of a famous couple.  We chose Cher and Kelly Kapowski and headed straight to the bar.  Not two minutes later, "Tiger" came up to us and started making his move.  Let's just say Tiger looked like he was about 15, but for kicks we wanted to see what he had to offer and quickly double checked that he was sporting an over 21 wristband.  Here is a quick highlight from our conversation.

Tiger - "So, how do you guys know each other?"
Us - "Well, we were in the same sorority in college"
Tiger - "Oh really?  Which one?"
Us - "Chi O"
Tiger - "Cool, well I'm a Sigma Chi"
Us - "Like...right now?"
Tiger - "Well yea. (Blank/disapproving stares from us)  What?!?  When did you guys graduate?"
Us - "2006"
Tiger - "Ohhhh, so you're like cougars."

As you can imagine, our conversation quickly ended and we enjoyed watching Tiger pounce on every other lady in the bar for the rest of the evening.

I've always been curious about who would attend a singles mixer and in true Austin fashion, every type of person was definitely represented.  There were about 30 girls for every guy and the clothing ranged from people who came straight from work to those gals who got their hair and make up done and pulled out their bedazzled cocktail dress.

I think next time I'm going all out complete with glitter eye shadow, an up-do and my high school prom dress.

...had a breakfast taco from Bomb Tacos

Last week on my way to work, I stopped by Bomb Tacos to grab breakfast.

Newly opened on the corner of Dean Keeton and Guadalupe, Bomb Tacos offers a wide selection of tacos for breakfast and lunch.  I was hoping for a bacon, egg and cheese taco to start my day, but I got there too early and the bacon wasn't ready.  So, I settled for a potato, egg and cheese and had enough food for two.

...visited Boulder, Colorado

Before I begin, let me just state that I love Austin.  That being said, after spending last weekend with two of my best friends in Boulder, I could definitely see myself moving there one day.

Since there were so many new things I did this weekend, I'll just post the top 5 highlights from my trip.

1. The University of Colorado at Boulder - When I travel to new cities, I like to visit the university there.  So, on Thursday, we caught the bus to campus and walked around for a few hours.  Upon arriving, we ate lunch in the University Memorial Center and listened to live music by some students in the cafeteria.  Afterward, we explored the beautiful campus and visited the heritage center and accidently broke into the stadium.
2. Walnut Brewery - One day we ate lunch at the Walnut Brewery. This was one of the best meals we had and we only got nachos, a pretzel and some local beer.  Oh, and did I mention we ran into Vince Vaughn?
3. The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse - For my birthday we ate at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse.  The Teahouse was a gift from Mayor Maksud Ikramov of Dushanbe, and was given to Boulder to celebrate the establishment of sister city ties between the two cities.  The building was built in Tajikistan and then shipped to Boulder.  The restaurant was exquisite and the food was even better.
4. St. Julien Hotel and Spa - We only stopped by the St. Julien hotel for happy hour before dinner; however, it was a really neat place.  The unique lobby is a great spot for a quick drink before heading out to Pearl Street.  Next time I'm in Boulder, I hope to go back for a longer stay.
5. Chautauqua Park - If Austin has Town (Lady Bird) Lake, Boulder has mountains.  One afternoon we headed out to Chautauqua Park for some sightseeing.  A lot of the locals like to come up to Chautauqua and the other surrounding trails to hike, bike or just spend a day with nature.  The view of Boulder is unmatched and is definitely a place I'd like to visit again.

All in all, we had an awesome time in Boulder and I'm already looking forward to my next visit!