It's Weird

It’s weird to live in a place where it seems that the entire internet and entertainment communities have converged. While seemingly the entire world is partying in your backyard, you’re just commuting to your job, going to the doctor, and assiduously avoiding downtown. Because the whole world is crowded in there. I asked Mason if he was doing trivia tonight and he retorted “Can’t go downtown during SouthBy”. Oh, right. And then, especially with that downtown avoidance, I’m experiencing SXSW the same way the entire rest of the world is – virtually on my computer screen. Oh, Prince is playing a surprise show within 5 miles of my house? That’s nice, I’ll hear about it on the internet, same as my friends in Chicago and Portland.

It’s very strange.

SXSWi 2013

SXSW (South by Southwest) comes to Austin, and completely takes over the town, every year. It's a multi-headed monster, with an Interactive conference (internet/tech), a Music conference, and a Movie festival. Despite it right here in our backyard, we've never gone and participated in anything. Badges to attend the conference are $1,500, and who can take a week off work all willy-nilly? Plus, Mason has never had any desire to fight any crowds.

But this year, Grumpy Cat was coming to SXSW Interactive. Interactive is the one I'd be interested in anyway. And Mason is so besotted with Grumpy Cat that he was willing to fight the crowds for it. So on Sunday, we headed downtown.

Grumpy Cat was scheduled to be available for pictures from noon-1:00, and at 10:30 the line was already wrapping around the corner. Mason dropped me off to secure position while he hunted for parking. Then we took turns waiting on line while the other one wandered around the area looking for food, bathroom, and the free swag that was being handed out all over the streets. Around 12:30, we finally got our pictures!

After the Grumpy Cat photos, some quick tacos, and running a gauntlet of free swag all over the place, we headed over to Sixth Street. Google was supposed to be running free duck tours with no badge required and no RSVP -- you just find the Google guy on the street and the first 50 people to sign up with him get on. We got on! Free duck tour of Austin dive bars, sponsored by Google, with free vodka drinks on board. Woo!

In the end, I enjoyed myself and felt really gratified to get something for myself, as a local, out of the SXSW circus. It really made me wish I had a badge, though, so I could go to the actual conference and get into all the free lunches and concerts and parties that were everywhere.

Renaissance Faire!

Jennifer P's Day Off

 Not as action-packed as Ferris Bueller's day off, but then I'm not 18 years old. :-)

First I went downtown to the Whole Foods HQ for breakfast.
 

After that I had plans to walk around all the shops nearby -- Title Nine, Lululemon, Bookpeople, Chico's, West Elm, etc etc. But then I thought about it and realized I wasn't going to buy expensive yoga pants, or books or home decor. So what was the point, really?

However, I did stop in at the Lush store. And quickly discovered that 10:00 am on a Friday is a bad time to go to Lush. Because they had 3 salesgirls who had *just* opened the store so they were still all bright-eyed and busy-tailed and they Really! Wanted! To! Show! Me! Everything! Please let me demonstrate this shower gel! Me, I just wanted to wander the store and smell things but the salesgirls totally wouldn't leave me alone. So I got a few bath bombs that I already know and love and got out.


After that I went to the mall to Sephora in pursuit of concealer but was denied in my pursuit. So I texted Mason to meet me at home for lunch, came home, and met him for some Afternoon Delight. :-)

After he went back to work, I read a magazine and ate ice cream while Mao purred on top of me. Then after that I had to go lay down because eating ice cream was a terrible idea that made me feel awful. So I took a nap while Dumpster purred on top of me.

And I did a load of laundry. Aaack, a chore during my Day Off! I know! Boo! :-)

Then in the evening I'd set up plans to go to an art opening at City Hall. Basically, city hall solicits art and puts it everywhere throughout the building and it stays for a year, and then when the year is up they re-solicit and put up all new art with a new opening reception (free to the public). So we met our friends Elizabeth & Amanda and Amanda's boyfriend there and looked at art!

This was Mason's favorite piece:


And this was my favorite piece (it comes with a sign that says to yes, please touch the artwork)
 

 


Mason quickly got overheated and needing to get away from the crowds, and I looked at some more art but it wasn't fun without him, so we went into the short-film screening room to get a real chair and to get away from the people crowding doorways and hallways.


After the girls were done looking at art, we went to a bar and had a drink, and then we all traipsed around the Second Street district looking for a restaurant with less than an hour wait. We settled on Coal Vines and had luck, because the 40 minute wait turned out to be more like 5 minutes! We had wine and pizza and conversation and it was all delicious!
 

Then around 10:00 we broke up and went home, having had a lovely night.

All in all, not a bad Day Off. :-)