Category: On the road…

Wherein we discuss the calm before the storm and yawn.

MP3 File

Lent:

Fish Basket.

(Courtesy of Dan’s Hamburgers)

Hey there. I’m headed to New Orleans today to check out the relief effort my mom spearheaded as part of United Jewish Communities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Then it’s on to Austin and SXSW come Wed.

I’ll be blogging some a voz but expect postings to be light until I return home on the 19th.

Have a good few weeks, everyone. See you in Austin!

I’ll be there guy there not speaking on any panels or organizing any huge events or looking like a survivor of the bombing of Guernica which is what I felt like last year.

Friends, its all about the fun this time. Look for the fella with the relaxed shoulders and the dopey wide smile. I may even wear a funny hat.

I head home tomorrow. San Francisco, I’ve missed you. Los Angeles, I will miss you after I’m gone.

I have arrived safely in Los Angeles. Must sleep now. More tomorrow.

Time: Evening

Place: San Luis Obispo, California. Two Hours north of Los Angeles

How I got here: In a fury of 5 hours worth of driving. I made great time.

Some things I’ve learned:

1. San Luis Obispo looks a lot like Portland–overcast, wide sidewalks, lots of ranch houses–but quieter and less flannel.

2. Hearst Castle is nowhere from nowhere. 5 hours from either San Francisco or Los Angeles in the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town of San Simeon then 5 miles by bus up a giant hill surrounded by ranch land and cows.

3. Somewhere between the Castle and SLO is the town of Harmony, California, population 18.

4. Most of the towns between say Gilroy and Paso Robles on Highway 101 have Spanish names. So, after a little research, I now know what esperanza (“hope”), mariposa (“butterfly”) and obispo (“bishop”) mean.

5. The sink in my hotel room’s bathroom roars slightly when you turn on the hot water, like there’s a baby lion trapped in the piping.

For those headed to South by Southwest this year, The unoffcial conference blog SXSW Baby is back in operation. SXSW Baby is a great source for insider tips on how to make the most of your time at the conference as well as a line on events not on the official conference program.

It also means we’re a mere 5 weeks away from it all happening again. I can’t wait.

I’m back in San Francisco and all is well, spending time with friends and unpacking little by little. Family’s health and well being is strong. I’m more sleep deprived than I’d like be the weight of this very difficult year is lifting. I can feel it go.

So I’ll be in Florida until Dec. 29th due to a family health emergency which seems to have resolved itself. Plan on blogging resuming though the holiday season.

That is all.