Straddling the Grid
I received a lot of questions that can be lumped into one: how are you posting this? I had tried to be as explicit as I could with original post but looking back, it seems muddled as to what the scope of this project entails. To be specific, I am aiming to reduce or eliminate screen usage while at home. Outside of that, I operate normally: use my laptop for work, my phone to receive robocalls, and can watch movies & shows but just not at home. A friend summed it up best: “so you’re basically camping at your apartment?” Yes. That’s exactly it. But without the campfire. In practice this becomes straddling being on/off the grid.
SXSW: Love what you hate
The city of Austin breathes a collective sigh of relief today as it says goodbye to South By. I am by no means a SXSW veteran or authority. As this is only my second to attend/witness/survive, I’m still very green.
Why I dislike it: Austin gets crowded, you need a badge to do just about anything, and this year saw the 11th plague swarm the city--electric scooters. I’m still too traumatized to talk about those.
Why I like it: There are 1,683,201 things to do, free food and booze if you look around, music galore, people watching that is second to none, and the economic impact for Austin comes in at a cool $350m. For that price I’ll happily embrace the city swelling by 400,000+ people for two weeks.
Terlingua is a state of mind
On Friday I went to a premiere of The River and The Wall. Not only is it a phenomenal film that artfully tackles a polarizing subject, but it was made by incredible people I’m fortunate enough to call friends. The premiere turned into lunch which turned into Lonestars which turned into more Lonestars. Suddenly I looked up and it was Sunday morning. The quick passage of time was not due to inebriation but rather a slip back into the mindset I adopted while in Big Bend. When I was there I never turned down an opportunity to go on a hike, help out with a project, grab a beer, or find some water to dip in. Being around the river crew again, I eased back into Terlingua-time. It was a refreshing change of pace and I realized how much I miss being ‘out there’, where my day’s structure meandered as much as the river.
What to do what to do
This week will be the first time I’m back to status quo since starting this shindig. A normal schedule, no events going on, etc. Spring has arrived in Austin and I plan to take full advantage of it. Yesterday I read in Zilker park which led to a nice sunburn on the back of my knees. Worth it. I also bought a kite because when was the last time you flew a kite? I haven’t noticed any Jack Torrance thoughts creeping into my brain while at home…yet. As long as those can be kept at bay, I’ll come out of this unscathed.