Vlogging Heaven

Aug 03, 2008

Posted by: John Admin

Uncategorized

I’d like to introduce you to a few of my friends. Collectively, we’re known as the Room 3428 Vloggers. Search for us on You Tube. It’s well worth it! Each of us vlogs on a particular day of the week. We ask each other questions, discuss current events, and occasionally challenge one another to daring deeds. All in good fun.

But I couldn’t do this kind of vlog if I didn’t enjoy the people I work with each week. We are all from different stages in life¦ student, professional, mother. Male, female, straight, gay. Young, old (that would be me) and in between. I think we’re a well rounded microcosm of the universe. And I can’t think of anyone else I’d like to hang with. So I thought I’d introduce them to you through my eyes. .

Sundays are MJ. What can I say about MJ? I met her in the heat of the NYC summer when Jo came to speak at Carnegie Hall. What an awesome lady this is¦ I don’t think anyone can ken just how much she does for LeakyCon and the website and Corner Booth and still¦ she manages to filk. Amazing. Her voice can uplift and inspire, or make you just plain crack up (Her “Deatheaters scare the S*** outta Me” is a favorite on my MP3 player!). A particular favorite vlog of mine is her rendition of “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”. I just don’t know what I’d do without this wonderful lady in my life. When MJ ˜disappeared’ for several days last winter, we panicked. We couldn’t find her. Then we found out she’d been in a car accident, but was ok. I’ve never been so glad to see a skype note in my entire life. I just know that if I needed her, she’d be there for me. No matter what, no matter when, no matter how. She’d make it better for me. Cuz she’s a fixer, in all the best possible ways. When I have good news, or bad news, or just need to chat¦ MJ is my gal. We can always laugh about things and she reminds me that, in the end, it’s what you do with your overall arc of life that matters, not the day to day picayune crapola..

Mondays are Kim. When I met Kim at Prophecy last year, I wasn’t quite sure what this chick was about. Beautiful and funny, she seemed too good to be true. Well, she is too good to be true. A genuine mix of fun, funky, frilly while remaining grounded, Kim is a contradiction, and I mean that as a compliment. I’ve watched her this year, facing her wedding day with such love, joy, and bliss (and the occasional dress issue). She’s confident in her life’s path, and doesn’t let herself be overwhelmed, even when circumstances should warrant a little hysteria. She knows when to back away from the extracurricular activities to focus on herself and her personal live, confident in her ability to rejoin the show in progress once everything’s back on track. Or at least limping along on track. Through it all, she never loses her sense of humor. I love that about her. I mean, anyone who walks down the aisle to an acoustic guitar version of “Love Shack” is beyond cool in my book. For a particularly excellent experience with Kim, view her 80’s challenge vlog. It’s pretty special..

Tuesdays are izzie-lay day. Or rather, Lizzie Day. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again¦ I am comfortable with the future of the world so long as we have young people like Lizzie waiting to run the show. She is smart, beautiful (inside AND out) and possesses a soul deep grace that gosh darn it, I wish I had! She’s open to the world around her but doesn’t subscribe to the “I’ll do everything!” mantra of her generation. She picks and chooses what will work for her, and what she can do, and what she should do (that last step is KEY). She’s got it together in a way that most corporate CEOs would envy¦ yet she’s a kid at heart. She loves her family, her friends, her life. Most importantly, she doesn’t take any of it for granted, which is refreshing and wonderful. Yeah, I loves me some Lizzie. Even though we are 25 years apart in age, I consider her a contemporary, and I value her opinion and her advice. How cool is that? For drop dead laughter¦ you gotta see her pig latin vlog. Or the one she does as the Queen of England, complete with cotton ball wig. Too priceless!.

Wednesdays belong to the Brits! Andy, Andy, Andy. When I met Andy he was a mere lad of 17¦ then days later, he bridged to 18. Didn’t change him a bit, and I have the before and after fo-toes to prove it! Did ya’ll know that Andy is brilliant? Yeah. Brilliant. He has this way of looking at the world, and dissecting it into packages that can be turned on their side and viewed in a totally different way. He’s got this innate visual core to the way he films, and the way he speaks, and the way he walks through life that is endlessly fascinating to me. I thought, in the beginning, it was because we had different nationalities and backgrounds. I’ve come to find, however, that it’s Andy. It’s him. He’s just got this uniquely fascinating way of viewing the world, and I’m glad he’s asked me along for the ride. One of the things from Prophecy that sticks in my mind is when Andy asked to take a picture with me at the Ball. I thought it was so sweet, and I treasure that fo-toe (and it’s on the Room 3428 background!). I think one of my favorite vlogs of Andy’s is the one where he has to deal with this little cowboy hat and an American accent. I thought I was going to pee my pants..

Saturday IS Josh. Josh, Josh, Josh. He’s like a present that you unwrap with delicious anticipation and joy. His outer presentation can be so exuberant you miss out on his inner mushiness of love. He’s so sure of who he is as a person, and that is rare these days! Josh is the kind of man who will go through life always giving more to others than taking care of himself, and that could be a detriment if it weren’t for the fact that he also surrounds himself with loved ones who won’t let him overextend. Some people might be quick to label Josh a social butterfly and be done with it¦ but he’s ever so much more than that. He’s an eclectic mix of wonder and realism and can look at anything in a way that will make you laugh¦ and think. That’s talent. He uses his quick wit and humor to show us the world as it could be, as it should be, as it will be someday. Josh may seem like the life of the party, but he’s soul of it as well. For proof, just watch the vlog of Josh and his “friend” Farrah LaWinde, complete with catfight. It’s a classic. Oh, the bubble bath one is pretty darn good too. And the one with his mom¦ just do yourself a favor and watch all of Josh’s vlogs..

I know. I know. I went out of turn. I left Addie for last. Addie, who does our Friday vlog. Well, I’ve known Adds for the longest time, so it’s my prerogative to put her where I want! I’ve had the pleasure of watching Addie grow up through her teenage years. Through boy troubles and graduation and university and everything that goes along with this turbulent period of time. Through it all, Addie has retained this inner core, this sense of herself that she can return to like a touchstone. She may stray from that inner core on occasion ’ who doesn’t? ’ but she always comes back to her authentic self for re-evaluation and in her typical no-nonsense way regains her balance and strikes out again. The way she approaches life, with love, enthusiasm and a handbag of tricks (and yes, shot glasses) that most would never be able to achieve, Addie quite frankly can do anything. Her grounding with her family allows her the ability to fly, because she always knows where she came from, and what it means to truly soar. I’m blessed to have her for a friend. The magnificence of her most recent vlog ’ she was challenged to do a silent vlog and OMGosh it is INCREDIBLE ’ proves that Addie is a force to be reckoned with. Thank goodness she uses her talents for the forces of good!.

So, there you have it. My vlogging buddies, through my eyes. I’m not trying to say that everything I’ve said here is the gospel truth¦ just my observations. If I’ve made any mistakes in how I view these wonderful, amazing, incredible people¦ the fault lies totally with me. I’m an imperfect Seer, this I know! .

So come on over to You Tube and search for us, if you want a few laughs, a few items to think about, and loads of love. We’re Room 3428, and we’ll leave a key under the doormat for ya..

Oh… here’s the linkage… Room 3428





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