0g Vlog

It dawned on me, as I was considering another stretch for my birthday, that I hadn't posted the vlog that I did after my last stretch yet to the blog.  So here it is =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Today is the Last Day For Google Reader & Google Friend Connect!

You're probably aware that today is the last day for Google Reader & I really probably should have gotten this reminder post up sooner, but as you've likely noticed I've been too busy to spend much time here.  

There are several options, and you may have already found one that you like, but if not let me recommend Bloglovin' - it's super simple, and to transfer all the blogs you follow all you need to do is follow the instructions HERE:  http://blog.bloglovin.com/2013/03/moving-from-google-reader-to-bloglovin/ - with just a few clicks, you'll be all set!  I just did it myself - I know, procrastinate much?  Well, yes - you all know I procrastinate TONS.

So, now that you've transferred all the blogs you're following, you want to learn your way around Bloglovin'?  Well, to be honest I don't know my way around that well - but I found this awesome post on BlogHer that explains everything very well & even has pictures to illustrate the finer points!  So check it out: http://www.blogher.com/google-dumping-your-ass-comprehensive-how-loving-bloglovin

I don't feel like life has actually been that interesting lately, but my birthday is coming up so maybe I'll get some awesome gift like a winning lottery ticket or a lonely billionaire ... and if either of those things happen, I'll be sure to let you guys know =)

Thanks for reading

~Colette

Checking Out The Snow With Dude

Winter really tried to start on Friday night, but it was only about a half an inch of snow, it just made the roads disproportionately dangerous & slippery.  I saw a lot of accidents on my way home from Grandma's on Friday night.  Thankfully it was just warm enough Saturday for most of that ice to melt before the snow started again late Saturday night.  As of right now it is still coming down pretty steady ... I just hope it's plowed by the time I have to go to work!  Dude likes the snow:



I don't really care for how the Avalon handles in this weather.  It's like I don't feel the road as much as in my Buick, when the traction control kicks in I can barely tell except there's an icon that pops up on the dash.  And I'm NOT looking forward to doing test drives in this either.  But, I don't really have a choice.

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

Vlog - Car Accidets Suck or RIP My Buick Regal

This is really not the return to this blog that I had planned.  I had some poems I was considering posting, and a few new knots I've been doodling.  But I never got around to that, and now I've got something much more unpleasant to deal with:



I think I forgot to mention in the vid, I went to North Memorial Hospital.  The ambulance offered to take me wherever I wanted, and I chose North Memorial because it's close to home, less than a mile actually, and I've also been seen there before.  Three times actually, all for my asthma.  And as long and boring as this visit was, it was cake compared to those trips.  No unconsciousness, no overnight in the ICU, no freaking commode next to the bed since there's too many wires & crap hooked up to go to the bathroom like a normal person.

Another thing is that this was one rare instance where I really wished that I had a cell phone.  In my normal day-to-day life, I could care less if I have a cell.  Extra hassle & extra expense.  But in this case I couldn't call anyone until I got to the public phone at the hospital.  I guess I could have asked someone, but my point is, my vague consideration to buy a cell phone for Christmas has become a more firm intention.  But that's a whole other hassle of choosing a phone & a carrier & a plan & etc and since I have a time limit on the rental, a new car is going to have to take priority.

I'll try not to go AWOL on this blog for such a long period again - although I hope things don't stay quite so interesting as this.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #28 - New Boots

Uploaded this on Friday & totally spaced out on actually posting a blog on it as well LOL:



Weekend is going well, getting a lot posted on the main blog which is what reminded me that this needed doing =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #27 - Update Resolutions, Work, Etc

I was excited about my promotion all week - then the last few days I've been a bit down, almost like I used up all my good mood even though I didn't have any particular reason to be in a bad mood.  Still, feeling better today, actually getting a lot accomplished this week as far as playing catchup, editing & posting & continuing this seemingly never-ending attempt at organization.

This upcoming week will be interesting, I feel like with reporting to my new boss work should be a lot less stressful, so I'll be more in the mood to get things done when I come home instead of just being focused on trying to relax.  But I won't know until it's actually happening I guess.  Another good thing is my old boss (who I do still have to work with to an extent, just not report to) will be on vacation for most of the week & that always makes things more mellow.  Plus I am off Friday, so it's a short work week for me & that's always a good thing =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #26 - New Year's Resolutions

I don't ever feel like I completely fail at my resolutions, but neither to I feel that I succeed fully.  Maybe this year will be the year that changes?  I feel like I get so much support through my followers, especially those that follow my vlogs =)  I really do appreciate it!

I hope keeping it simple will help.  Taking small steps at a time to reach a far goal ... as a step towards being more organized, I've actually created myself a to-do list.  Not just in my head, but literally wrote down in a notebook everything I keep thinking about needing to do.  And I've already been able to check several things off & add some new things.  Working to get the pile on the desk catalogued & put away, and think good thoughts even when I'm having a bad day...  I've heard it takes something like 30 days to form a habit, so if I can keep it up through this month, I can keep it up the next month & the next.  I'll try to do some periodic updates on my progress.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #25 - My Christmas Gifts

I should make editing my vids faster one of my New Year's resolutions I think LOL.  Still, I made it in under a week!  Which is better than many times:

Today if I have time, or otherwise tomorrow - since I do have the day off - I'll be considering my resolutions & recording a vlog for those.  Some of the usual suspects will be on my list of course like weight loss, but I already know what my big #1 is going to be & that's more sleep.  Yes I have tons to do, but when I'm tired I'm less efficient so I'm not really making that much progress when I'm up until midnight or later & need to be up at 5 in the morning for work.  Other than that ... well, you'll just have to stay tuned & see =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #24 - Pre-Christmas Update

Quick turnaround for me at only 3 days for editing LOL.

Christmas was good - here's a look at our tree, the present still left underneath is Dad's:

I've got another vlog toe edit showing some of my gifts =) Hope you all had a good one as well.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Dark Poem

I think I'm doing better, but I frequently have moments of ... well, not-so-better I guess.  I enjoy having my nails done, but I'm not really enjoying doing them ... still behind on the blog ... and periodically going through black moods, which is always when I seem to write more & maybe even better?  I've never had a happy poem I like as well as my dark poems.  And sometimes they're literal, and sometimes they're more metaphorical - you're welcome to take it in whichever way it speaks to you.

Speed bumps like mountains in my path

So much pain, and fear, and wrath

Looking down ... contemplating old scars

Distant - it's been so many years

And yet ... the thought is there, the urge

To purge with blood instead of tears

I wrote that sometime last week, although I didn't date it so I'm not sure exactly when.  But I thought I'd post it up because it's been such a long time since I put up any poems.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #23 - Shiny Things!

Well, if you've read my rant on my main blog, you know why this didn't get up before Thanksgiving LOL.  In addition to that, this new wide screen & HD loveliness has a very un-lovely side effect - a ridiculously long upload time.  So between converting, editing, publishing, uploading, blah blah blah the process is a lot slowed down compared to how I used to operate.

On a side note - all the camera/computer drama also took up the time I was going to be researching recipes & cooking - and I committed the sin of purchasing a pie for Thanksgiving.  Oh, the horror!  It was still handmade - just not by my hands LOL.  My Minneapolis followers may know of the 50's Grill - it was a mob scene Thursday morning, people picking up multiple pies for the big day.

Thanksgiving was a bit subdued but nice.  I'm looking forward to Christmas & most of all to cookie day =)  Not to mention lots of holiday nail art!  And to get you in the spirit - here's at "my" tree all decorated at grandma's house (we started it out in a bucket when I was a kid & now it's probably like 15 or 20 feet tall!):

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #22 - Grief

Things have been pretty mild around lately, since I started vlogging ... really even my vlog about depression, I was in a pretty good mood when I recorded it.  But I don't foresee a time when I'd be able to talk about this & not be strongly affected.

There's no way to make death an easy thing to deal with.  There are perhaps times it is less difficult, but even when it's expected, there's something about it that's a shock to the system.  My grandpa was 84 years old, had outlived all 6 of his siblings, countless friends, and even one of his grandchildren - he himself was ready to go but none of us left behind were ready to lose him.

I credit him with my love of reading - when my parents first came back to this state they lived with them, and he would read to me every morning before he went to work when I was not much more than a baby - just old enough to grab a book & run out to him.

Some of the smallest things bother me ... I had an eye appointment yesterday, & it was hard because when he worked he was in the industry, and he always liked to see my new glasses.  Even blogging is a little difficult, because he was absolutely my biggest fan.  He would always want to see what was on my nails - but if there'd been a blog post, he'd already seen them.

I am not back to normal.  Things really aren't normal anymore - but all I can do is go on until this new situation becomes normal.  There's no telling how long that will take - but whatever the tragedy, it always eventually does happen.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #21 - Depression Awareness

I think I said pretty much everything I have to say about it for now in the vid:

I have talked about it before on this blog, and in some of my poetry I've posted here, but it's still not a comfortable topic for me.  I'm less comfortable right this minute posting it than I was last night recording it - so I guess it's good I did it while I could =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #20 - Shoes & Work & Clothes & ... Stuff

My original estimate of a day for editing was ... (drum roll) ... a FAIL!  Almost a week LOL:

Part of the reason it took so long was of course the overtime at work this past week, not only staying late there but it throws everything else off, my commute home takes longer & I just felt rushed for time all week.  Which has thrown a huge wrench in my whole getting back to exercise plans, but I'm going to make the attempt next week - because if I can fit it in & do it now, with everything so hectic, it will be simple to do it once things settle down & are back to normal.

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

Vlog #19 Baby Tunnels

Another editing FAIL!  Man, I don't know why it takes me so long to do these:

I'm so pleased with my little baby 8 gauge tunnels - 8 is the smallest gauge you can get an actual tunnel that's hollow in the middle, although it really does have to be at just the right angle to see through it LOL:

The boat trip was supposed to be me, mom, her sister & her husband, but my aunt was unfortunately not able to come so it was just the three of us.  It was a lovely time & a gorgeous day - the sky was blue, the leaves changing, and the sun shining - we stayed out almost until dark:

Still enjoying pretty nice weather for October in MN, but it's really going to start cooling down this week.  I've got to get this a/c unit out of my window, it's letting in a bit too much of a draft =)  & I already have the space heater out LOL.

Thanks for reading

~Colette

Vlog #18 - Quick OOTD & Exercise Update

Wow, talk about procrastination ... took me more than 2 weeks to edit this!

& sad to say that as good as I did that week, I have SO fallen off the exercising wagon since then.  The following week I only exercised once, and this week I didn't exercise at all =(  I haven't been feeling well & actually right now have a headache that has come & gone for 2 days straight.  Thank goodness it's the weekend, at least I'll have time to rest up & hopefully if I get more than a few hours of sleep it will go away.  I am soooo tired all day, then in the evening it's like I get my second wind until by the time it's "bedtime" I'm wide awake.  I need to adjust my internal clock or something LOL, I'm going to try very hard next week to get back to my yoga - which does help me sleep I think - and put together a schedule that puts me in bed even if I'm not sleepy.  I'll keep you guys posted on how that goes =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #17 No-Buy, Shoes, Free Stuff & Weight Loss

I didn't realize until I uploaded this how long it had been between vlogs.  

Doing well so far with the exercising, I did yoga yesterday & today & did the bike today as well.  Not worrying about food too much yet, I know from past experience I'm less inclined to snack when I'm exercising, so that will come on its own in time.

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #16 - Update - New Stud, Broken Window, Work & The Fair

So ... yet another case of extremely delayed editing LOL.  Whatever I forgot to mention in the vid, if anything, I've now forgotten in actuality as well, so I won't be adding anything groundbreaking to the blog post =)  Here's the vlog:

I can say that I ran out of time & didn't have time to pick out plates before I went to the Fair - so I had to stand at the booth & decide, but I did come home with 5 new places =) Those will be up later on my main blog. Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Lame. Sucky. And Generally F'd Up

I was too shocked to even curse when I discovered this as I went to leave for work this morning:

Glass all over the interior, even up into the front seats & onto the dashboard.  Luckily my insurance will cover it, but stuff like this just leaves such a feeling of violation & I honestly cannot relate to anyone who finds some kind of twisted pleasure in random vandalism.  I can put myself in the mindset of doing something to hurt someone who's hurt you, although I like to think I'd never go there myself, but where's the "fun" of hurting a stranger?  At least half a dozen vehicles in my neighborhood had chunks of cement hurled through various windows.  I wish horrible, horrible things upon whoever did this & the wish that karma comes back quick & hard.

The insurance-approved repair company will be out tomorrow.  I hope they come in the early end of their time window because mom & I have tickets to the King Tut exhibit at the science museum in the evening & I was supposed to drive ... I prefer driving LOL, I had to be passenger in her car - she drove me to work today - and I'm just not used to not being in control.  & my car is more comfortable too =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Vlog #15 - Audacious Fashion & Hair Show

I really meant to post this up shortly after recording it ... just illustrates I guess how busy I've been lately that it took over a week LOL:

I picked just a few of the best pics to include here from the show:

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette