On my flight back from St. Martin I got the idea to start making little videos to show my Seattle cousin (cousin Kitty) around. At first I was going to make it a private YouTube Channel but then figured, what the hell, make it public. It’s part social anxiety project because you get attention (which I normally shun) when you walk around filming. Part I’ve been a little lonely and a vlogger I like to watch, Life with David, started his channel in the pandemic because he was lonely. Also figured, I met friends blogging, maybe I may make some vlogging???
The first vlog was named, Cousin Kitty and the Goat, naming it after my cousin and I (I’m a Capricorn), but I realized he hasn’t had the time to watch it so I decided to switch it, tie it into my blog. I found Cousin Kitty on Ancestry.com during the pandemic. His DNA popped up and he is the only relative I know on my Dad’s dad’s side. My grandma cut ties with Chicago when they left for NYC in 1939. So I only know my Dad’s mom’s side. I never quite fit in with the women in my family. They are GIRLY. The dudes in the family are fun, have crazy stories, and I always looked up to them. Cousin Kitty and I are different yet not. He’s one of my favorite cousins! After all these years, I have a relative and we kind of “get” each other. It’s nice. I always felt ostracized for not being “girly”. He’s a bit of a girl and I’m a bit of a dude. He even says, “You’re like a dirty old man in a women’s body.” And I’m like, “Yeah, I am.” We both identify as our birth gender but we both don’t fit in a perfect square box.
What surprised me was I found I enjoy making videos. I have a lot to learn and just like blogging I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m currently trying to figure out how to not get an echo sound when recording audio at home and how to make videos look crisper. It’s fun using a new medium to communicate. I use a free video editing service, Clip Champ. I film on my phone, Pixel 7 PRO. I was going to buy a little gizmo to shoot video but we’re drowning in vet bills so I’ll continue to use my phone. I do feel weird like I’m making myself a target for someone to rob me. So in high traffic areas where there’s more risk I bring Vic along to be my extra eyes. I see a lot of other people running around shooting videos on their phones, SLRs, etc. I’m just paranoid. My life is on my phone and it’s expensive, so I’m always going to take the paranoid route.
As for “feeling lonely,” this helps. I feel like I’m showing my friends around 🙂 If you’ve never been to NY, maybe it’ll give you ideas if you’d like to visit or not. Never worry about hurting my feelings, NYC isn’t for everyone. Cousin Kitty once told me that he doesn’t think he’d like NY and it’d probably feel claustrophobic. After traveling and meeting so many people online and in person, I understand. I’d hate for anyone to travel to NY and hate it because it’s an expensive city. So I hope these videos going forward help you see if you wanna take the plunge or not.
I do have friends here but things are just weird now. I’m very liberal and that’s how I vote (you need to know that for this next part – you vote however you want, it’s a free country) but I can’t stand a lot of my loud WOKE friends. We vote the same way and they yell at me, telling me how to think and speak so fuck that. I’m limiting my time with them. We are all our own individuals and we are entitled to be ourselves. Some other friends moved away and I’m in my 40s, a lot of friends have kids and we’re kid free. Cousin Kitty is more moderate than me (he votes both ways) and we don’t yell at each other so seriously some people need to chill the fuck out. Hence the let’s try and see where this vlogging project goes. Will I make friends through it…who knows. Either way, it’s a fun project and I get to show you my home 🙂
Jebus Mews & Andrea 
The videos are well done, Andrea. I am originally from Connecticut, and have been to NYC on rare occasions. My husband goes back to the Greenwich Village music days, but both of us prefer the rural side of life and prefer to stay out of cities. I am sorry people feel a need to yell at you. That is sad. Seems to be an unfortunate sign of the times we are living in.
I’m craving for nature but our middle child, Jiminy, hasn’t been feeling well. We’re having trouble controlling his IBD. I think it’s time for steroids. He’s also semi feral and hard to take care of. We can’t pill him either. We have to put his medications in gel caps, wrap them in butter and pray he eats them!
Thanks! Let’s see if my patience holds up a so I can figure out how to fine tune them. My goal for today was to watch videos on mics and how to clean up the echo sound but of course, I’ve done everything else but that!
Happy Holidays!
Good luck with Jiminy.
Thanks!
Politics has ruined many a friendship…we need to stop judging each other. I’m sorry this is happening to you.
I like all those Halloween colors. (K)
It’s kinda funny since the people that annoy me vote the same way as me. We ate with a friend last night and she even said she can’t stand a lot of liberals (she’s also one).
Thanks! We aren’t sure when it happened. (Halloween). We’ve been living in Bay Ridge since 2015. In the pandemic we noticed the decorations but our friend that’s been living out here since the 1990s says its a more recent thing. We LOVE it.
Cool videos.
Fabulous to see you branching out in this way. Not an idea I’ve introduced to Cardiff in the UK yet… but who knows!? I also love the idea of Vic running as security guy.
I think I would feel a little strange initially if I was walking along behind my phone commenting on what I was seeing… but you never know until you try it.
I’ll steer clear of the politics chat for the moment, as it could get a little soap-boxy… you don’t have a monopoly on political stupidity over there, though you do have some unique branding on it.
The long video ( the first version) of the blog I felt really weird walking around talking to myself. Def, a good social anxiety exercise and I did have to hide at home the next day to calm down. Ha. The short videos I’ve been doing the commentary at home which is why its echo-y. Vic told me I have to either make a sound proof room or get a better mic or post process. I really do feel like I’m showing you guys around when I’m making them. I have videos I need to edit from near where I grew up. I’d love to see videos of Cardiff!
My Argentine friend is really upset that they went right wing. The world is scary. Netherlands (sigh) and who the hell knows which way the US will go next year.
I know, I find it kinda funny I feel at war with liberals, my own kind. There are plenty of that are fine. It’s the loud WOKE ones, they’re the biggest hypocrites. When I go on my PC police rants which makes me laugh. I sound like a conservative. I forgot to mention in the post. I get screamed at for using the word girly and for calling myself dude like. Apparently it’s offensive to her. Some girls are really girly so I don’t see what the problem is, suffocatingly girly (and there’s always a lot of drama – just like her). When I hang out with those types of girls, I have to set up a lunch or dinner to hang out with “dudes” to cleanse my soul. Hahahaha. Not Vic’s nerdy friends, they’re like effeminate maybe a little sexist, kind of arrogant, a little condescending nerds. Dudes are fun to hang out with because there’s no drama. Unfortunately, we don’t know many real dudes locally, like 1 or 2 guys. Saying this makes me think of an SNL skit, Straight Male Friend.
I know what you mean about the loud woke people. I’m definitely left of centre but have no time for those who want language to become so meaningless. I know exactly what you mean about girly girls, and they don’t have a problem with the label. They play to it. As for dudes, we’ll that’s a very American one… more power to Jeff Lebowski!
I’m looking forward to another New Orleans trip next spring, but it could be my last trip if the Orange Fart returns at the end of the year. I would fear for just how low the US could dive.
I hope everything stays ok. Get here before the election just so you can eat your heart out! If things go badly, you can avoid us for a few years but at least you have your cravings once last time. We haven’t traveled to any red states since things got this way. The only exception we’ll make is to Florida to visit relatives I haven’t seen in over 30 years. We really don’t want to go to FL.
I think this is a great idea! Snapshots don’t always give you an accurate view of what it’s like to actually be there on the ground. (Plus Photoshop has given people ‘way too much power to alter a crappy picture.) I love the Halloween walks: they’re not just clever, they really stand out and make the neighborhood a lot more community-friendly. (Won’t bore you with complaints about how my neighborhood has very few decorations out due to the number of thefts here: I don’t know how anyone can steal a ten-foot skeleton, but they managed to do it at the building down the street from ours.)
It’s also cool that you found a cousin via Ancestry.com! And he’s actually stayed in touch with you! I hope you get to meet up with him in the future, and you write about it here.
Thanks! The vlog will probably be more NYC and tri state area centric (I think). On vacation I’m too busy being a tourist. Ha. I do plan to take you guys to my favorite food places! I really do feel like I’m spending time with my virtual friends!
I’ve tried to get interested in video, but it just hasn’t really grabbed me yet. Looks like folks really get into Halloween in NYC.
I also ended up with a cousin I didn’t know I had due to Ancestry. She discovered me first, and I kinda nursemaided an intro with her unsuspecting half-sibs. That was awkward, but I think they’ve come to terms with it now.
Halloween is more recent. We aren’t sure when it happened. We love it though. Other neighborhoods aren’t as elaborate as ours. Imagine what their electric bills cost!
I’m surprised my other cousins haven’t reached out to our Seattle cousin. he and I chat all the time. Growing up we always wondered about my Dad’s dad’s side and we finally have one.
Great vlogging 🙂 I’ve always thought how great it would be to get caught up in taking video, but I never seem to switch my camera to video mode… I think I get so comfortable in one mode (photos) that I’ll never be able to commit to video. Catch teach an old dog new tricks 😂!
And I hear you about politics. I’ve always been left-leaning in my political views, but I relate as a pure moderate right now, as the extremes on both sides leave me shaking my head. And as we enter the final few months of the political abyss of an election year, I’m a bit happy to have just flown out of the States. I wish you an excellent finish to your summer.