celebrity encounters of the ATX variety

sorry about the lack of updates, people. that whole work-thing sometimes gets in the way (i mean come on! don't they realize that i'm just there for the free wireless internet? oh, and the opportunity to take $96,000 BMW M5s for a 100 mph cruise around the Austin hills during the middle of the workday? btw, if you have $96,000 to spare, get thee to a BMW dealership and buy one for yourself. i promise that you will not be disappointed. you may get a few speeding tickets and a lot more ass than you used to, but zero disappointment).

the thing is, i have things to say! stories to share! musings to post! so enough with the obligatory "i'm sorry i haven't posted in so long yadda yadda" crap and let's hop to it:

as most of you know, this wknd marked the beginning of the annual insanity that is SXSW. having moved to austin at this exact time last year (more posts on that later, one year in ATX plus a birthday, holy crap, how the mind boggles), i can distinctly remember how it took an otherwise chill town and turned it into this crazy hodge-podge of skinny-jean-wearing emo hipsters, importante artistes all clad in black, geeky chic types in designer glasses and spiky hair, LA hotties in designer gear, and of course, groupies galore. live music blares from every corner, a lanyard on your neck becomes a status symbol instead of a horrible fashion accessory, and craig's list becomes overrun with posts begging for the oh-so-elusive wristband. it is truly fascinating to watch.

it also brings some celebrities to town, and i had the good fortune of seeing them all up close and personal-like. the bizarre twist in the story that i was actually hanging out with a woman who many consider to be an internet celebrity in her own right... maybe because there are thousands of people who faithfully read her blog every day in order to keep up with the ins and outs of her daily life (there is something the phrase "internet celebrity" makes me feel somewhat ooky inside, like i am some creepy predator checking out 13 year olds on myspace or something). her name is amalah, and although i've been reading her site for years i never thought i'd end up spending the afternooon showing her around my little corner of austin. there was much shopping, much admiring of the weather, much snickering at some of the emo hipsters, much reminiscing about the DC life (well, reminiscing for me), much chatter of the superficial variety ("do these sunglasses make me look fat?") and heavier variety (relationships and life decisions and how to deal with being a public persona) and oh yes, much imbibing of beverages of the cocktail variety. it was unexpected and spontaneous and tons of fun.

which brings me to the next (and final) section of the story. ahem. so, setting: we were hanging out on the back patio of the hotel san jose, one of my favorite little sanctuaries in austin, because it's right in my neighborhood, the pool is relaxing, there's foliage every where to provide refuge from the austin sun, and you can order champagne cocktails and cheese plates. but bonus! as a chic austin destination in my hip little soco neighborhood, it also tends to attract a celebrity crowd... and yesterday was no exception.

yes, folks, yesterday was my second encounter with celebrities here in the ATX. it wasn't quite the lance armstrong - jake gyllenhaal sushi-eating divine duo of past encounters ("divine duo," who am i, some lame tabloid writer?), but hey, i'll take a free glance at luke wilson and alan cummings any day. luke wilson was a lot cuter than i expected him to be, and alan cummings was... well, the funny thing was that neither amy nor i could remember what movies he'd been in, and an IMBD search led to results like "spy kids" and "X Men 2" although we were both sure he'd been in other things. oh well. he was still very pretty to look at, and fantastically gay (i think he even had a hottie boy toy in tow).

anyway. this post is getting really long, and since i'm starting to get sick of writing it, i'm fairly certain that you're starting to get sick of reading it. suffice it to say that it's been a great wknd, i promise to keep an eye out for more celebrities, and hey! famous internet people can be fantastic in person as well (not that i'm "reviewing" her or anything because that would be strange and presumptuous... just pointing it out is all).

more musings to come on the one-year ATX anniversary and the birthday that will officially put me in late twenties...