I traveled to Marfa, TX last weekend with my husband, C. We were going to help out with the opening of El Cosmico, the new Liz Lambert venture in Marfa, along with some co-workers and friends.

Liz has a interesting story. She was an attorney working for the attorney general’s office who tired of the business and decided to take a seedy, trashy old motel and turn it into the Hotel San Jose, which is now one of the hippest and most relaxing places to stay in Austin while still having excellent access and proximity to great music, food, and entertainment. She even made a documentary about it called The Last Days of the San Jose. She’s also the force behind the cool coffee stop Jo’s Hot Coffee.

El Cosmico is (and I quote the website), “… the latest lodging concept from Liz Lambert and her management company, Bunkhouse… Lambert’s new project, El Cosmico, is currently under construction on 15 acres of land in Marfa, Texas. El Cosmico will be part yurt and hammock hotel, part residential living, part art-house, greenhouse and amphitheatre – a community space that fosters and agitates artistic and intellectual exchange…”

All of that translates in to a super cool opening party that was laid-back and fun in a truly Marfa way. C and I camped. Here’s our spot…

…there was a yurt…

…and a lonesome train…

…gorgeous dogs (in fact, I think the dogs thought the whole thing was about them)…

…transcendent music, courtesy of one Miss Barbara Lynn…

…amazingly delish Corn Raspberry muffins from the The Brown Recluse…

…and, of course, contemplative cowgirls.

Sure do miss you, City of Marfa…

…you took my breath away.

Austin City Limits festival this year was fun. I can truly say that after it’s all over. Some bands I was looking forward to dropped out , but I got a VIP pass so !

Friday and Sunday were the best lineups by far, but Friday and Saturday I was afflicted by the worst allergies ever. Most people who live in Austin experience horrible allergies at some point, and I thought I had ‘em licked. I felt like a frickin’ allergy meds commercial with the constantly runny nose and sneezing. I normally don’t take pills (even for headaches) but I tried antihistamines and when those didn’t work, I finally gave in and got the big guns. Decongestants. I’m normally fairly high strung and any kind of speed makes me nuts. However, the payoff was worth it and I felt WAY better on Sunday. Saturday I mostly spent sitting around the VIP area, relaxin’ and drankin’. I didn’t see one band. Not one.

My pictorial of the highlights and lowlights (click to see larger photos):

Best- Bjork

Worst- The fire(s)

Most hilarious- M.I.A. inviting the crowd on stage

And possibly regretting it:

That guy with the white headband is awesome! He’s so happy to just touch M.I.A.! He has a total “Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!” expression on his face.

Overall, it was a lot of fun and I am a new fan of Bjork’s live show. The Christian protesters awaiting the festival revelers on the street after the show were a little creepy (and straight out of a movie), but, hey, it’s a free country.

Ahhh, Austin, you gotta love it!

The title is the most pretentious thing I’ve ever heard and so, appropriate for today’s theme: douchebaggery. Austin City Limits festival is upon us, and along with it a lot of silliness. This is one of the times of the year when everyone in Austin instantly transforms into a jackass. Suddenly, there’s an obsession with getting on lists and going to afterparties and what level of pass you have. I remember when this event was very small and I worked for my friend in the VIP area and had a great time. Over the years, it’s gotten better known and more crowded and had to deal with all the problems that come with huge crowds, big acts, and unpredicable weather.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pining for the “good old days” because that’s just a waste of time. But my best friend and I have agreed that during festival times, Austin suddenly becomes a mini-L.A. or New York. It’s funny because most people live here to avoid that sort of thing. I was going to sit out the whole ACL madness this year (there aren’t really any bands that I was dying to see in the lineup) but my friend got me a VIP pass which is the only way to do this particular festival. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

I hope I don’t regret it.