Sean

I lost a very sweet friend last night. Like everyone who knew him, I am completely heartbroken.

Sweet, sweet Sean, we already miss you.

Ahrre's coffee

Here is my sweet friend and host for (most of) the week at his coffee
roastery. Live in northern Jersey or near NYC? Visit him! 104 Elm St.
in Westfield. http://www.ahrre.com

Photo...hmm...

Don't know what happened there, but things get tangly when you're
blogging via phone. Here's the photo!

Favorite sxsw picture

Me, Tish Hinojosa, Will T. Massey.

Photo by Valerie Fremin. Thanks Val!! This was at that great vintage
shop Amelia's now on South 1st St.

In case anyone's interested, I'm going to open a show for Tish in the
Woodlands at the end of May. Fun!!

Shoreline Grill

Mmmm this is definitely one of my favorite places in the world!!

Prosciutto-wrapped giant gulf shrimp stuffed with goat cheese and
basil with mashed potatoes in cream sauce with wilted spinach and
(garlic?) chives.

Okay, I think about food a lot.

taco tour, cont.

It was a return trip to Las Cazuelas as we revisit some of the best of the tour thus far. A little disappointing, I have to admit.

First, the good stuff: the jukebox was a little quieter as opposed to deafening. The food was still really, really delicious (exceptions noted below...). The waitress was pleasant, kind, helpful - note: you have to speak Spanish here.

The downside: they were out of horchata. And chorizo. The red salsa tasted like dirt - I remember it being really good last time. The food took so long that some of it was piping hot but my tacos were cold - almost refrigerator cold. The coffee was miserable and weak.

When we revisted La Cocina de Consuela a few weeks ago, however, that was a totally different story. La Cocina may still be at the top of the list for me. If you've never been, go NOW.

The drag race

Tonight I was introduced to a new show. My sweet friend Abi is in town for the week, and she took me to a viewing party for RuPaul's Drag Race. Very entertaining.

A little sad that the final determining competition was a lip-sync off to a RuPaul song, but what did you really expect?

While we were all pretty much rooting for Nina, Bebe was a close second in my book. So I'm not overly disappointed. The winner's tiara was a little out of control. But I got to wear my own headgear, courtesy of our gracious hosts.

I look a little tired. I am. I'm not gonna lie. This week has kicked my rear a little bit.

Opal / Harry connection

I have discovered something very important. Opal Divine is really Harry Potter in drag. I don't know how I feel about this.

We love Will

Here's Will, playing right now with Mario Escovedo - Alejandro's brother.

Adam falls

Holmes fell for the temptation. I led him to the tainted food, and he
succumbed.

Adam's rib

So Holmes and I were partying southeast Austin style. There were short ribs on the bbq, but we didn't get one in time. By the way, I had no idea my dream home was already built out there, but it is.

Amazingly, someone was unable to locate a trash can and abandoned their half-eaten rib right in front of us. So I ate it. It was delicious. I ate it down to the bone. And I ain't sorry at all. I gave
Holmes one bite.

Graham Weber is my hero

I'm speechless. He's beautiful.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman

Here is the gorgeous Finley with her wonderful portrait of me!

Sonny Throckmorton is my other sweetie

Here he is...singing "Trying to Love Two Women" Tuesday night at Threadgill's. But I did tell him I couldn't try to love two men and that Dave might not understand.

Hey little cupcake!

Sweet Reanne, fellow Sxsw volunteer baked and brought cupcakes to share.

Yum!!

Observe and Report

Oh my gosh. Just watched this movie. So out of control. I have never laughed so hard while being totally shocked saying out loud, "holy crap, did they just do that?!?!"

hair cut?

I'm toying with the idea of cutting my hair. Not right away - and not committed to it, just toying with it. What do you think?

I've just pulled the long layers out of the left picture here, letting the short layers hang out... I think it could be cute. Yes? No? And comfortable for summer. Too boyish? I know it's messy now b/c it's not actually cut/shaped, but you get the idea.

Anyway, I'm not sold on it just yet, but I've had long hair for a long time now...

Bowling champs

The Shoveler (aka Will Sexton - not William H Macy) reigned supreme at the bowling alley last night. We knew we were in for trouble when he said, "I'm gonna have to stop by home and pick up my ball..."

He whooped us. As you can see.

I just ate a whole box of these

The remorse that followed reminded me of something I've known for some time but have trouble heeding - if you want to eat well, you have to subscribe to the "don't buy it diet." But the chips aisle is always the most beautiful aisle in the store. Well, okay, the chips aisle and the candy aisle. Very enticing aisles. And...the frozen ghetto pizza roll aisle. And the ice cream aisle. And the bakery section.

Tonight Gurf had his CD release show at the Cactus - it was a great show, of course, tons of people, mostly cheery happy funny songs. Just kidding about the cheery happy funny part. Although he did do this Blaze Foley hitchhiking song that was super hilarious. Lots of great stories, Ray Bonneville played some incredible harmonica, and Sam Baker was great. But Sam, how do you feel about me? Okay, sorry, that's only funny to Sam.

One last thing - I just posted a couple of songs from the new album on the MySpace page. Go listen! Tell me what you think! It won't be available for sale for a couple more months, but I'm getting very excited about releasing this album...

taco tour, cont.

Ahhhh the taco tour.

Some of you who know me know that I have been part of a weekly Austin taco tour - we've been going since early last summer, every week, to a different breakfast taco spot. There are four of us who have visited dozens of different locations.

Starting last week, we have started to re-visit our top half dozen spots, to ensure their staying power at the top of the list, before we begin embarking on more new places. This morning we returned to Mi Madre's on Manor Rd. Even more than I remembered, the tacos were HUGE, stuffed with filling and VERY hot. They were delicious, and the creamy, spicy, green diablo sauce was a hit again. Here are some photos of my wrapped tacos, Sean enjoying one of his tacos, and my machacado with egg taco. Delicious.

jogging again??

seriously...what's going on? someone with some insight call me and tell me why i'm so wound up. i'm sure someone out there knows...

but i went jogging again today! just really, really felt like it. so weird. i feel like i don't even know myself. another 3 miles, still a comfy 10 or so minute pace...

slightly painful but it also felt good. weird.

last night, this morning, and daylight savings

Last night was so great - the Townes Van Zandt tribute at the Cactus was packed per usual, with tons of folks lined up waiting to get in - and then waiting through the first set hoping to get in for the second. I sang "Squash" (thanks to the helpful choir!) and "When She Don't Need Me" (the song from yesterday's video). Butch Hancock hosted - and he was wonderful as always. David Garza was breathtaking, Michael Fracasso stirring, Graham Weber completely charming. Aimee was beautiful...everyone was great. It was an enchanting concert overall. But by the time I was driving home, it was 1:30 in the morning...pre-daylight savings.

Overslept - but didn't know it because I forgot to set my watch ahead. Missed early church but made it to a later service.

I'm so tired.

In happier news, I took the electric scooter for a ride this afternoon - first time in a while! It made me very, very happy.

Townes Van Zandt birthday

I made this little video of "When She Don't Need Me" this afternoon in honor of Townes Van Zandt's birthday today - hope I get to sing it tonight. See y'all at the Cactus.

jogging

I went jogging for the first time in years. YEARS. I was wound up - I don't know, woke up that way.

I used to jog a lot. A lot. I did lots of 5Ks, 10Ks, did some half marathons, pounded pavement. And then one morning, I was doing a run with my running group and it dawned on me: I don't enjoy this. So I up and quit - right then. I know, weird.

But then the past couple weeks, I felt the urge to go run, but it was always at bad times. This morning, felt it again, ran. 3 miles around town lake, about 10 minutes/mile. I was proud of that, even though lots and lots of faster people were passing me.

Woody was out there singing, dogs were swimming, the wind was blowing - it was a perfect day for a jog. There was some energy drink stand out there giving samples, and only the walkers were taking it. I wonder what that means. There were even some really nice people scrubbing the bird poop off of the railing on the bridge near Austin High. I thought, wow, that's great, how humble, they're probably getting it all over their hands and under their nails, that's nice. I don't want to do that - and they probably don't either, but there they are, and I appreciate them. And now people don't have to be scared of touching the railings, so it's very kind of them...even though it bugs me when too many people are crowded on the bridge holding onto the railings and stretching and blocking the path. And just then when I ran by, I felt some of the bird poop juice fling from the scrub brush to my leg. Niiiiiice.

Had my music strapped to my wrist by a very lovely blue sweatband, which came in handy as a strap and also, truly, as a sweatband. When I got to the car, I noticed that my face was covered in dark blue fuzz.

first home video ever

so...i made my first home music video ever. Click the photo to see...Now, it's very casual, nothing amazing. Pretty off the cuff - so don't have high expectations. And it's my first time. Be kind.

old blog posts...

If you want to see old blog posts, visit my MySpace blog. I left it idle so long, I knew I needed an easier way to do this. So I started this one instead. But if you click on the brainy face, you'll find my old MySpace blog. This is only for those who are insatiably curious with too much time on their hands.