Video Killed The Radio Star
I’m just going to get right to this. I am WOEFULLY behind in tackling my 30 Before 30 list…woefully behind! Out of the 30 tasks on that list, I’ve only tackled about five of them and I only have about five months left to finish the remaining 25. Uh oh…crunch time! At least my grad schooling (a master’s in business administration) has taught me the fine art of procrastinating and whipping out amazingness at a moment’s notice. Can I tackle the remaining items on that list? Perhaps. In the infamous words of Barney Stinson…challenge accepted!
One of the tasks on that list was to learn how to shoot videos on my new-ish DSLR camera. I’ve had the camera for over a year and have just recently figured out how to shoot a video on it. Not a great video by any means, but a video. Since I went public on the 30 Before 30 project, and vowed to complete it before our dear readers, I should probably share the results of this task. So I present to you my sub-par efforts in video production (Steven Spielberg and George Lucas I am not), starting with the first video I ever shot. It’s of Goose “opening” his presents at Christmas. And yes, our dog child gets wrapped Christmas presents. I’m pretty sure he likes the wrapping paper just as much if not more than what’s underneath the paper.
The second video is a little more recent, from a few weeks ago after a snow storm. I know I tell you guys about a million times how crazy Goose acts, so here’s to mentioning it number one million and one, Goose is crazy. Here’s the evidence.
That dog cannot get enough snow shoveled into his face. Crazy fool. And this was a mild snow Goose outing for him too. You should see him run! And at full force! If only we could harness that energy for the greater good?! Goose will spend HOURS running down that path…back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, typically chasing squirrel.
And then there was yesterday’s video of Colby hammering in cut nails in our guest bedroom.
I think my video shooting skills are getting ever so slightly better. I don’t look down and find out I’m accidentally shooting my feet instead of the dog and I’ve learned to keep the expletives at a minimum, you know, to keep these flicks PG. Okay…more like PG-13. But I still have some work to do in the video recording front. And maybe even the video editing front.
And it wouldn’t be a complete 30 Before 30 list post if I didn’t share the full list and what I’ve checked off the to-do list so far:
Get Married(August 10, 2012)- Go see the Timber Tina Lumberjack show in Bar Harbor
- Consider having children
- Join Colby for a romantic date night out
Learn how to use the video function on my Nikon DSLR(March 5, 2013)Purchase a big girl couch(September 3, 2012)- Try surfing
- Track down the world’s most amazing Sangria recipe
- Travel somewhere outside the continental US
- Run the Beach to Beacon road race
- Hike Cadillac Mountain
- Finish a quarter of the books on “The List”
- Go on a picnic
- Learn to sew
Bake Colby a birthday cake(August 19, 2012)- Learn to knit
- Dig for mussels on the Maine coast
- Finish the yearly photo books
Make my own Christmas cards(December 7, 2012)Spend a weekend in Southern Maine(July 20 – 22, 2012)- Go to an auction
- Send my mom flowers
- Watch all 10 seasons of Friends start to finish
- Explore Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Cook through my recipe idea files
- Attend the infamous Brimfield antique show
Become a mug club member at a local bar(November 14, 2012)- Organize the house
- Conquer Julia Child’s Le Boeuf Bourguignon
Host a yard sale(September 1, 2012)
Okay, so I lied. Eight down and twenty-two more to go. Wish me luck! I’m gonna need it!
Pssst…Do you guys have any video recording tips or tricks up your sleeves? Do share! I could certainly use them! Or any resources you find helpful for learning how to shoot videos or general DSLR help? I feel like such a camera spaz most days, but at least I’m tryin’!
Sangria- is it the worlds best, I dunno, but it comes out pretty darn good- I cheat a bit and start with bottled sangria flavored wine- Don Simon is the brand I use most often… its fairly cheap, but tasty enough on its own, and the plus side to starting with “sangria” is it will still be good if you need to add more partway through your party! Of course you’ve gotta have fruit… I love using something like cherries or strawberries for a deeper flavor.. let these sit at LEAST overnight in the sangria. If you add citrus fruit be sure to peel it completely first, if you leave any of the white pith it will add bitterness- you’ll definitely taste it. If you want the pretty little rings of citrus fruit in there when you serve it, add those right before serving. Also if you leave the skin on during your pre-soak they will turn red/purple. Not so appealing! Dont overdo it on the citrus, orange especially- it can overpower the wine. The day of, I’ll add triple sec (this is where i generally get my orange flavors from, and then add my slices for garnish), and depending on how you’re feeling that day, maybe some lemon lime soda to brighten things up. Really, i like different types of sangria for different things… though I generally start with that bottled sangria. Sometimes I’ll do lots of lime, other times I’ll do mostly cherry… I’ve even thrown bananas in with success! (These will def turn purple, but I think they taste amazing!) Play around! I’m not sure there is ONE perfect sangria recipe!
As for the rest of the list, it seems you can get several of them knocked off with a few tasks! Date night to the lumberjack show in Bar Harbor? (Drive a few extra hours to spend some time in Canada?) Or date night in Portsmouth, which is a super accessible, walkable town (though wait till the weather warms up a bit… but go before school is out for the summer! Make a day of it and check out nearby Odiorne Point (in Rye) for some easy hiking. You could have a picnic there! Digging for mussles and surfing could totally be done around the same time/trip to the coast. Learning to sew and to knit can be done while watching Friends on netflix.
As for organizing the house… You’re on your own, LOL.
Best of luck, and thanks for the great bloggery entertainment!
~Shannon
Oh my gosh…I love you…you are awesome! I’m totally going to try playing with Sangria this weekend. This could be dangerous! Thanks so much for all the tips! And I love that word, “bloggery”…I’m totally stealing it! You’re the best!