Forget something?
--- yellow line ---

So, going to a conference to talk about moblogging and the hiptop, it would be bad to forget to pack my hiptop right? The hiptop I did remember. The power supply for the hiptop - forgot it entirely. Until I was at the airport. With no transportation to get home and get it. So I used my hiptop to find some Radio Shacks in the Austin area. They seemed to think they might have something. I hoped for the best.

While at the airport I managed to squeeze in an interview with the Dallas Morning News about moblogging, since the reporter couldn't actually make it to SXSW. We actually talked at some length about moblogging and the Moblog Nation panel, but in the end just a couple of phrases made it into the article (free reg required). Also, I have to wonder how after a bunch of email exchanges and so on, that my name is still spelled wrong. Hey, check out that From: line next time for confirmation :)

I'll spare you the extended story of my flight delays, but you can check my moblog posts from various airports if you want the details and the pics I took while wandering around bored. But the upshoot of it all is that I arrived at my hotel at about 9.30pm, instead of 5.45pm as expected.

Thus, I missed hooking up with people at Break Bread with Brad as planned. I left a few messages with people once I arrived, but didn't hear back. I walked into my hotel room, put down my suitcase and contemplated just going to sleep and being well-rested for Saturday. But, I was hungry, so instead turned right around and walked out in search of food.

I headed over to the Iron Cactus, figuring if it was good enough for breaking bread, it must have some good food. And it did. I had some enchiladas and a some beer, then noticed there was an upper floor where a bunch of people with URL nametags seemed to be drifting in and out of. So I headed up.

Upstairs were the remaining breadbreakers. I scanned around but didn't see anyone I recognized. I got a nametag, and sort of hung around looking for some conversation to drop into. Several hours later (well, five minutes, but you try standing around that long) I noticed a couple of people using hiptops. Figuring there was at least some chance that I might know them through hiptop Nation, I busted into their table and introduced myself.

Well, I didn't know them and they didn't know me, but it was all good anyway. I ended up hanging out with Chuck and Lori.

I should note here, that I deliberately chose not to bring my regular digital camera and instead got by on my hiptop camera. One, because I hate carrying around so much stuff and then trying to get pics of everything/one with two devices. Two, I figured there would be enough people taking good pics and I could just find them online later. So, for example, you will find a lot of good pics on Chuck's site and over at PhotoMatt (who I also met that night).

So, most of my photos were taken in the day, or under extreme lighting conditions at night so they would show up. I did go to the trouble of rigging up a camera-on-belt carrying system, enabling faster picture-taking.


Really, I can sing much better than that
--- yellow line ---

After some food and some meeting of people and talking, it made sense to get my over-tired self back to the hotel for some sleep. Or go do some karaoke. Sure that sounds about the same.

To the other karaokers, I have only this to say: sorry about that. The thing is, I can actually sing. I've performed with community choirs, sang latin Mozart classical stuff, been in an off-off-off-off-Broadway musical and so on. Not to mention singing in the car and the shower. I usually don't do karaoke. As mentioned before, I am not a big fan of the spotlight on me. My reasoning, partly, was "hey if I just do this I won't think doing the panel Sunday is a big deal at all." And it worked. But did the ends justify the means? Probably not. I think my only saving grace is that I probably didn't hold the microphone close enough to be heard too well.

Also, there were a ridiculous amount of songs to choose from. It was like that old Robert Klein routine "Every record ever recorded". Halfway through the song I started thinking, "Yes, I should have gone with 'King Tut' by Steve Martin."

But, I was glad I went if only to catch the performance of the night, Chuck "Devo" Olsen's rendition of "Whip It" (narrowly beating out my previous favorite performance of the evening, "The Piano Has Been Drinking" by Metagrrrl (to her credit, I think I later saw Metagrrrl at our panel and she did not run out upon seeing me in front of a microphone again (also, thanks for coming to the panel even though I never got to say hi in person))).

So then, to the hotel. But not mine. To the very echo-y lobby of the Omni Hotel, which according to others is not as cool as it used to be, this mostly because they stop server alcohol a lot earlier. Soon after, back to my actual hotel and some much-needed sleep.

It is pouring.

< back to Before | On to Saturday >