sxsw 07 lists

top 10 movies:
1) helvetica . what design geek wouldn't love this docu that discusses the impact of fonts on our daily lives

2) the lather effect . a fitting film about getting older while trying to avoid growing up

3) lost in woonsocket . an inspiring film documenting the struggles of life and the power of kindness

4) hannah takes the stairs . a fun film created by a very talented group of individuals who have mastered the art of improvisational acting

5) fall from grace . an amazingly unbiased and well-made docu about the westboro baptist cult church, led by phycho pastor fred phelps

6) knocked up . a hilarious film about the joys and sorrows of pregnancy, love and life's major decisions

7) big rig . a beautifully shot docu about the interesting and unique lives of truck drivers

8) skills like this . a very funny film about following your dreams, no matter how wrong they might seem

9) what would jesus buy? . a eye-opening docu highlighting the madness of american consumerism, especially around the holidays

10) black sheep . a comedy horror film about sheep gone mad


top 5 good memories
1) the boiling pot . this was one of those cajun, family style restaurants where they dump all the delicious shell fish out on the table for you to smash apart and eat. there's few things more funny than watching a 100 lb girl beat the crap out of her food with a wooden mallet.

2) the alamo . who wouldn't remember this awesome austin theatre where you can enjoy a cold beer, fried pickles and delicious pizza with your movie?

3) the first night . i always love the inaugural night of a vacation, and this one was no different. amg, ambf, magnum di and i all sat outside at an amazing mexican restaurant and enjoyed getting away from the 20 degree weather we had left behind.

4) "i thought passanger pick-up meant something different" . the magnum di quote of the trip.

5) bd rileys . i almost consider this cozy irish bar a home away from home. i love listening to live irish music while drinking a beer with the soft breeze blowing through my hair without a care in the world.


top 5 not-so-good memories
1) the car accident . after my good friend drove down from dallas to visit us, she got in a car accident while trying to go home. luckily we were both ok, but her cute little v-dub bug wasn't.

2) sitting in wet clothes in an air-conditioned theatre . it's spring so it rained in austin and while running from one film to another, i got pretty soaked. this happened more than once.

3) that one restaurant . magnum and i went to grab some lunch at this restaurant where there's a buffet, waiters, tickets and a cashier, but no one explains how they work together. and when you ask because you don't know what's going on, they're pretty big jerks about it.

4) my name not being on the list . granted this one got resolved quickly, but when you pay about $300 for a badge and they can't find any record of it, it's pretty scary.

5) sunday's ride home . although it seems like a good idea to get a bunch of captain in you the night before you get in a car for 8.5 hours, it is not.

am i there yet?

being the "artistic type," i could potentially be considered an indoor kid. sure, i played volleyball and ran track, but i never quite fit in with the jocks. i also was a decent student, but definitely not smart enough to fit in with the brainiacs. so the thing i can't figure out is how i never quite fit in with the people who never quite fit in. for some reason that's always brought to my attention when i go to things like sxsw.

obviously the reason i'm here is to watch fun, different, weird, scary, intersting movies, but i also catch myself watching the fun, different, weird, scary, intersting people. for those of you who don't know your texas geography, austin is where the artistic culture thrives -- artists, musicians, film makers, etc... also, if you're a texas democrat, you most likely live in austin. i love austin. you often see stickers or buttons that read "keep austin weird." and that's truly why austin is so cool. so of all places, i should fit in here... right?

maybe i expect too much. i guess in my mind it's like i'm a foreign exchange student who can live happily in my daily life as a 8-5 working woman living in conservative suburbia, but i long to be "home." "home" in this case is being around liberal, artistic people who have similiar interests and think about the same things i do. people who get completely annoyed with shitty logo design and don't think that someone with 4 colors in their hair is "bad." people who feel that missing work for a week to go on vacation and enjoy life is a good, healthy decision and not a "lack of commitment to the company." people who get choked up at musicals. people who care about others and crave positive change in this world.

don't get me wrong, i do have people like this in my daily life -- my awesome husband, for example. but i want more, and i guess i keep excpecting to feel completley surrounded by people like that when i'm here. instead i almost feel even more out-of-place. maybe that "home" i dream about doesn't actually exist, because this is life and people are different and that's the way it always will be...