Saturday

March 17, 2001

walking images

mouse over the image--Zoey broke after a cat and only caught sticky weed

rainy Congress Avenue with SXSWers

The forecast is rain but we defy it by taking a dog walk.

SuRu and I do the neighborhood because that way no wet and muddy dogs have to get in her vehicle.

It thunders, it does rain. But it rains mostly while we are under an awning 'sidewalk shop looking' at a complex of antique places near Burnet Road. There is lots of interesting 'concrete posing as wood' outdoor furniture, yard art, fountains. There is a fragile-looking antique coffee table that isn't protected enough by the awning and SuRu moves it to avoid more rain on it. I don't know if the shops are all open and stirring. There aren't many people around. A truck pulls in to deliver some stuff. But no one appears from the interiors of the shops and asks if we are interested in a fountain or a gaint giraffe or monumental furniture.

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I've been promising Mom and Dad I'd get them a Sam's card on our business account. So we steel ourselves for the Saturday crowd and go there. Forrest has lost his card, mine needs updating. But in about then minutes we all have new cards including one for Dad to come by himself. My hair is spiking up in the photo. Cool.

We shop mostly for food and paper goods. Paper towels, frozen chicken, cheese. Mom gets some asparagus and FFP a bag of grapefruit. Sam's is very seasonal in some of the stuff it sells and currently they have the ice chests and garden tools featured. And rose bushes. FFP buys some Echinecea and antacids. We avoid being seduced into giant tool selections, rope lights (although these look pretty cool and are only 9.95) or any books or computer stuff. The place is busy but it isn't impossible and we get out unscathed.

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The Human Rights Campaign Fund Gala always seems to be held at Four Seasons during South by Southwest. We don our black tie outfits. I'm wearing a jacket bought in Houston last year because FFP thinks it looks cool.

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We stand around the lobby of the Four Seasons for a while where elegantly dressed Gays and Lesbians ('and their supporters' as the media always says) mix with the SXSW crowd, some outrageously dressed by my standards. We manage to cadge a drink from the bar.

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We head down to the ballroom for the main event. In the silent auction area, Margaret Wright is playing. We meet people, introduce people, buy drinks, have drinks.

The areas outside the ballrooms are decorated with paintings. The show was hung by a waiter in the dining room, Travis Lindquist. The artists (including Lindquist) all worked on Richard Linklater's animated film Waking Life. which has a cool and esoteric WEB site (requiring Flash and Java). These artists have a WEB page, too. FFP decides he is crazy about a Kathy O'Connor piece and must have it.

Then there is the program and the meal. The program drags a little but we do get fed. Groups and individuals are honored. People talk and visit. Just another gala except a lot of the couples are same sex. Except for Lloyd Doggett and his wife, us, other hangers on.

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Weary, we go home through a wet and crowded downtown Austin.

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Today FFP went through the mail. There was some junk mail he almost discarded. We try to let each other make these assessments, though, so he passed it along to me. The U.S. Patent Certificate, Inc. organization, not assosciated with the US Patent Office (it says if you read far enough) wants to be the 'first to congratulate me on my granted patent.' I can get just all kinds of 'Deep-Etch' renditions of my patent, decorated with eagles or columns or Abraham Lincoln. You know what's amusing, though? They were the first to congratulate me! Even though I still work for the company that spent lots of money getting this patent granted.

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