...seen 4th of July fireworks from Auditorium Shores

Fireworks are neat

The orchestra was cool too.

4th of July. Yay!

...met Harry Potter

Ok, well I didn't meet him but I did go to his Wizarding World in Orlando.

And I drank a Butterbeer.  It was delicious.

Also, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has inspired me to read the books.  Stay tuned.

...been kayaking

So, when I was planning kayaking back in April, I actually went canoeing.  This time I went kayaking and it was a lot more work but just as much fun.

...gone canoeing

This past weekend some friends and I headed out to the lake for an early morning canoe trip.  Originally, I had planned on using my 50% discount for a one-hour kayak rental that I had purchased from Living Social but we hadn't made reservations.  

Not to be discouraged, we headed over to Zilker Park Boat Rentals and went ahead with our plans.  It only cost $10 an hour per canoe which makes for a very affordable Austin activity.  Canoeing on Town/Lady Bird Lake was so much fun and I cannot wait to go again!

...attended SXSW

Of the eight years that I've lived in Austin, I've never really attempted South by Southwest.  But this year, I decided to brave the crowds and enjoy a 'practice' year so that next year I can do it right.

Since SXSW can be overwhelming, I only planned to attend the few concerts and events that I knew I wanted to see (aka. events that I had some connection to).  Other than that, I just rode the bus downtown and followed the crowds.  I ended up having a blast and got to see some great shows.

Here are the highlights in pictures:

The Groupon Recovery Breakfast to kick off the week and San Francisco's Stone Foxes

Andrew's film is screened with the Texas Film's and I'm on the big screen!

From hipsters to cowboys, I even made it to the Austin Rodeo to see my oldest friend, Jessica.

Flush at Guero's to end the weekend.

...been to Spencer's Corner

Last time I was in Cowtown, I headed over to Spencer's Corner with a friend.  To set the stage, Spencer's Corner is in a building that used to be called Coconuts Night Club.  To say the least, I didn't have high expectations but was willing to try it out because my friend was insistent.

To say the least, I was pleasantly surprised by this live music venue.  It was the closest thing I've found in Fort Worth that begins to compare to my favorite places in Austin.  There was live music, dancing, billiards, air hockey, shuffleboard and even a photo booth.  If there had been an outdoor area and if Fort Worth had the indoor smoking ban that Austin has adopted, the night would have been perfect.

Overall, we had a great time, ran into some old friends and I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit to Spencer's Corner.

...been to a sing-along at the Alamo Drafthouse

Every time the previews play before a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse, I will turn to my friends and ask if we can go to the next Sing-Along.  Whether it is Ladies of the 80s or Love Bites: The Power Ballad Sing-Along, I have always wanted to attend one of these signature events.

So, we finally made our move and hit up Jiggy Crunk:  The 90s Pop-Rap Sing-Along.  The night was complete with costumes, dancing on stage, MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, glow necklaces, a smoke machine and oh yea, Andy Roddick was there.

Finally, here is a little treat for you.  A video of MC Hammer's - Hammer Time Dance

...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

...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.

...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!

...sung karaokee at Ego's

Sunday night we headed down to Ego's for a wild night of karaoke. This very well may be my new favorite bar in Austin.

Everyone at Ego's is there to have a good time and although there are some heavy hitters on the mic, the crowd welcomes everyone to the stage. Regardless of ability.

...played adult dodgeball

My first new experience for 2010 is adult dodgeball.

After walking out of the gym on the last day of 6th grade, I thought the days of being pummeled with small plastic dodgeballs by boys who were trying to prove themselves were over.  Alas, when asked to join a dodgeball team with Austin Sports and Social, I just couldn't say no.

I must say, adult dodgeball is serious business.  Last night was our first game of the season and I think there were more cheaters there than were playing in the old Rock Gym in 1996.  Also, I'm super embarrassed to admit that my arm and back are super sore from the 5 or 6 balls I actually got to throw.  Pathetic.

Look forward for some sweet dodgeball photos to be posted soon.