a television experience

Last year my fellow Super Social Food League member, Erica, attended the Austin Television Festival and made it sound so damn delightful that I immediately bought a ticket for this year's festival. Then I forgot about it until the festival started emailing me saying I should register for panels and get excited about the various shows they were screening. At that point I checked the schedule and got really skeptical about what was going to happen that weekend. Guys, I watch A LOT of tv and I didn't know many of the shows/actors/writers speaking on panels or being featured at screenings. But whatever, I was committed to this weekend so I pressed on, fueled by coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Stumptown take the wheel.

We kicked the festival off by attending a screening of Orange is the New Black where we watched Season 2, episode 1 and then heard from Big Boo, Crazy Eyes, and Taystee. They were right there! So close! Holy crap, this Festival was going to be awesome!

What I didn't realize is that sitting five rows from celebrities is not really close by this festival's standards. We went back to the hotel where celebrities were everywhere. I mean, seriously just hanging around us normal people! It was weird, like we're all just a bunch of humans. 

Oh, hi Uzo! You are lovely when not wearing prison beige!

Nick, you're pretty in person. Sorry I stopped watching Revenge when the show fell apart at the start of season two. Kerry, you were a good panelist even though you were on just about every panel I attended. 

Ray, get a haircut. Do that and I'll forgive you for asking Emily if her and her writing partner ever kiss. 

Friday night Erica and I attended an Adult Swim special at Alamo and I don't know what to say about it other than that The Heart, She Holler was like sticking a Q-tip into my ear too far and poking my brain. That and that Robot Chicken is still funny. 

Saturday a bunch of stuff happened including me talking to Brenda Strong and having no clue that she was famous. After that I was told to treat anyone with nice hair and exfoliated skin like a celebrity. The real excitement of that day came when we decided to try to attend the screening of Fargo, followed by the world premier of Guillermo del Toro's new show, The Strain. Despite our best judgement we got in line early and waited in the heat to get into the State Theatre to watch a show with a horrifying poster. 

"Hey Erica, won't it be funny if I manage to get in and you don't?" 

"We're letting in 15 more people! 1, 2, 3... 13, 14, 15" right at me. Too bad Erica makes a really good sad face because they ended up letting her in and now we both need therapy to deal with what Guillermo did to us. How bad could it have been? Well, check out the poster! After dealing with an hour of the show we then got to stare at that for another 45 minutes during the panel. Thanks Guillermo!

Here's Sean Astin acting out how we felt by the end of it. 

I know Sean, I know. It was tiresome and stressful. I just wanted a nap too. Especially since it was at this screening that Erica and I had full blown church giggles causing jparks to question if we were drunk when I recounted the story for him. For the record, we were not. We were, however, hopped up on ice cream and cookies. 

Thankfully the last day was less traumatic and we ended on a higher note. And by high note I mean, I embarrassed Erica by approaching Andy Daly and asking him about his coffee since she refused to take a picture with him. After finding out his coffee came from the Green Room (aren't you fancy Mr. Daly) I used my stealthy paparazzi skills (read as: none at all) to take a picture of Andy. 

I'm sure he totally didn't notice me doing this and also wasn't thinking "went to Austin, acquired a new stalker."

Now that it's over I really can't say enough good things about ATX Festival. I had a lot of fun, discovered a lot of new shows, and made an ass out of myself a shockingly large number of times. I plan on attending next year and can't wait to talk coffee with another famous person who will be confused about why I'm excited about coffee and not about meeting him. 

forward momentum

Lately I've been feeling unlike myself. I sit at the keyboard and it doesn't feel right. I pick up my camera and have to think about what to do with it instead of just doing. I prep for a run, step off, and stumble. Place a barbell on my back and I struggle to move it. You get the picture. 

I'm not sure what it is. I would say the keyboard/camera thing is from lack of using those muscles but I know that's not the case with the running/lifting heavy shit. To steal a line from Robert Frost "The best way out is always through" so I'm forcing myself to work through the discomfort. 

Today that meant not quitting the workout even when my coach asked if I needed to stop. (I can only imagine how bad I looked for her to ask that because quitting is usually not an option. Failing, yes. Quitting, no.) It means sitting down and droning on here with no point or plan or anything. (lucky you!) Just reacquainting my fingers with the keyboard. Making my brain flex its vocabulary muscle a bit.  It means dragging my camera bag out and taking my camera with me again. And learning to not feel like a tourist whenever I use it. I'm also trying to teach myself how to use Lightroom which is not going well at all. I am suddenly remembering that I am not the best teacher for myself. I would say I'm going to go run and not concern myself with stumbling but frankly my legs are done for today after this morning's lifting session.

So there you have it, I'm unlike myself lately and I can't pinpoint why. I'm trying to improve the situation but who knows how long that will take. I bought a bathing suit and plan to wear it with no shame this summer. (That is obviously unrelated to anything but important.)

Don't worry guys, the cat is as skeptical as you are. Stop scowling Tangi, I can do it! I can figure out Lightroom and run again! 

Now, does anyone have any suggestions for Lightroom tutorials? I've got work to do.