It’s another beautiful day in the SXSW neighborhood. The city and the conference are really crowded now. I didn’t get to as many sessions today due to several factors: I was still tired from yesterday, I took time to eat real meals, and I attended two Film events, each lasting about two hours.
Today was the first day of South by Southwest. Bill accompanied me to a few Interactive sessions in the morning, and then headed off to Film for the rest of the day. I stayed with Interactive throughout the afternoon, had tacos from the East Side King food trailer, and saw a movie in the evening. It was a long and tiring day, but informative and thought-provoking.
South by Southwest starts tomorrow in Austin. Our city is in a tizzy. Hotels are filling up with out-of-town visitors. Stores are brimming with new merchandise. Temporary event venues are popping up in vacant buildings and on the few remaining parking lots. Our ubiquitous street construction seems to be taking a break. And traffic is a mess.
Last Saturday was the 13th annual It’s My Park Day, sponsored by the Austin Parks Foundation. This year about 3,000 volunteers worked on projects at almost 100 parks around the city. Projects included weeding, mulching, graffiti removal, and garbage pickup.
Brrrrrrr…this year’s Cowboy Breakfast was a cold one! Friday morning’s temperature started out at a chilly 26 degrees. Even so, Bill and I bundled up in our parkas and headed over to the Long Center Terrace. After all, we wouldn’t want to miss a free breakfast.
On Saturday morning, Bill thoughtfully sent this photo while he was running on the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail. He suspected that I would be very interested in a Restroom Opening Ceremony. He knows me quite well!
Hundreds of Austinites enjoyed a pleasant Saturday evening walk in the second-annual Illuminate Austin. The purpose of this event was to raise awareness of domestic violence issues. Proceeds benefited non-profit SafePlace, which provides shelter and services to sexual and domestic violence victims in our area.
QuiltCon was back in Austin this weekend! For the past four days, our Convention Center was home to quilting-related workshops, lectures, and vendor displays, as well as a juried quilt show. Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the biggest modern (vs. traditional) quilting show in the world.
Hello lamp post, what’cha knowin’? I’ve come to watch your flowers growin’ — Paul Simon
Things might be getting out of hand here. Austin’s buildings, statues, and even light poles are now talking texting back to us.
The 2015 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon attracted about 15,000 runners on Sunday morning. Bill and I watched as everyone lined up on Congress Avenue, right in front of the newly-opened JW Marriott hotel.