St. Patrick's Day.

SXSW is always held during the week of Spring Break. I guess this is so college students can attend and can also be free to volunteer. This isn't always a perfect time because a lot of students are also out of town (which does make Austin less crowded) and it's also the week when St. Patrick's Day falls. This year it feel on a Friday and that made the day for partying even more convenient for most folks.

I took the day off from work and slept until noon then headed downtown to the Alamo for 1:30 screening of "The Last Romantic." I called my parents, who had come in to town unexpectedly yesterday and they had gone all the way back to Giddings before they could find a place to stay for the night. They were going to Washington on the Brazos. I don't even know what that is.

Because it was St. Paddy's day, the downtown warehouse district was a mess with all kinds of streets blocked off for street parties around the various supposed Irish pubs in Austin. I forgot all about having my camera and didn't take any pictures until I was in my car and driving so it doesn't even begin to show how crowded these places were by mid-afternoon.

I hadn't planned on much problems parking so I was running a little late but once I got acclimated to the way the streets were blocked off, I actually parked fairly close. I walked the Alamo and as I entered someone offered my a flyer for a band playing during SXSW and told me they were the ones who did the music for the film. I don't even recall their name.

The movie started with a short introduction by a volunteer and the usual Alamo hype fest. The Alamo have these cool trailers that tell you to be quiet or you will be removed. Sometimes they are video clips shot by celebs who have done personal appearances at the Alamo (Peter Bogdonavich, George Romero), sometimes they are clips from movies where someone is talking during a movie and then gets killed ("The Blob" from the 80's), and sometimes they are homemade vids. This one is a homemade vid starring Ann Richards who comes in to remove a loud talker at an Alamo screening. It's funny. Ann has always been one of my favorite people (can you imagine how wonderful this country would be right now if she had defeated George W. Bush for Governor of Texas in the 90's? (I searched 10 websites and could not find the exact year she left office. Jesus, how do kids use the internet to write school reports). Ann just announced she has cancer of the esophagus, so we should all meditate and think good thoughts for her.

I ordered some food and drink during the movie and when it was over I got up and was all the way to the lobby before I realized I had never gotten any change from the 20 I used to pay for my order. Thus began a five minute ordeal to get what was owed to me. It was a nightmare. This has NEVER happened to me before at the Alamo. I was pretty pissed. I had to talk to a manager. It was just ridiculous.

I was kind of in a hurry to get to my car because there was only 2 hours on the parking meter and I wanted to make sure and get to the Dobie in the for the 3:45 screening of "Bondage." On the way downtown to campus via the warehouse district I noticed a plethora of hot rocker guys walking here and there. God, I love SXSW. These boys would be walking in groups of 3 or 4 and you'd look and them and think, "There's an album cover."

I got to the Dobie Mall with plenty of time, so I went into the bathroom before the movie to pee. It was horrific. It was hot and there was no ventilation and someone had dropped a nuclear deuce in there. I literally gagged. It was all I could do to piss and not vomit. I'm surprised I didn't catch dysentery.

I went into the theater, the angular and jaunty Egyptian room and checked messages and made some phone calls. John, Lauralee and I were supposed to hook up for the 9 o'clock showing of "The Oh in Ohio" later that night.

The film began with a simple introduction and the usual SXSW trailer.

After the film, I went to my crib, Lodgopolis, and chilled for a bit. I decided to skip "Live Free and Die," "Beethoven's Hair," and "Bickford Schmeckler's Cool Ideas," all of which were on my list of films to see. I was just too movied-out.

At 8:30 or so I headed downtown and found the last parking space in a little lot near the capitol that I know about. I called Johnny, who is the person that taught me about this lot, to tell him it was full. He was going to look for parking elsewhere. Parking in Austin has become a nightmare for the middle class. There is a plethora of lots for rich people who want to pay 5, 7 or even 10 dollars to park. And the poor, let's face it, the poor can't afford Austin anyway. Or, at least, they can't afford to do anything in Austin after they pay outrageous rent or outrageous property taxes. This town has really gone to hell in a handbasket since Will Wynn became mayor. We need to vote this money-grubbing businessman out of office and get someone who wants to recreate the vibrant, friendly, artist's paradise that Austin was in the past. Hell, this was going away when I got here and I actually thought the city getting bigger was a good thing. Now, it's a nightmare. It isn't getting bigger or better; it's just getting more expensive.

I walked down to the Paramount and got in line. I noticed on the way there that the restaurant that Johnny and I ate at yesterday was called Darushi. While I was waiting in line, which had ended near the corner, a guy came out and was putting out barriers so that the line would curve and remain separate. We got to talking about films and he told me that he really liked "Fuck" and "This Film is Not Yet Rated."

We went inside soon thereafter and I saw Gabriel behind the bar and walked over and ordered a Coke and popcorn. He hooked me up, so I gave him a five dollar tip. Lodgey falling in love. Gabe wasn't wearing his sea captain's hat (AKA the Fallout Boy Hat) and he still looked awesome. He is such a beautiful little fey boy. And he's so sweet. Which probably gets him a lot of five dollar tips. I hated to stop talking to him and go in to the theater but there were other admirers behind me in line and the boy was working for a living.

I went in and waited for Johnny. Lauralee had already called me and told me she wasn't going to come. I struck up a conversation with a guy and eventually he told me he often writes for a website called cinemastrikesback.com which mainly concentrates on Asian films. He was a pretty interesting guy. I struck up a conversation with him by asking him if he had seen "The King." I was looking for someone, anyone, who hated this film and would validate my hate of it. He hadn't seen it.

Johnny came in and we chatted a bit and soon the film started. Johnny keeps telling me that there are nude pictures of one of the guys from Fall Out Boy somewhere on line. He said that he sent them to someone via his cellie or something and somehow they got leaked on the world wide web but because the guy is under 18, most websites have pulled them. He told me a website to look on but I can't remember what it was. Oh well, Gabriel and my imagination will have to do.

Afterwards, I went home and did some writing and was going to go to bed because I had a full slate of movies I wanted to see on the last day.

lodger @ SXSW2006