Another late wake up, and we were off to the Urban Outfitters concert. Shopped Urban Outfitters, then Gio had to leave urgently on a MegaBus.
We then repaired back to the apartment. I prepared for the Sabbath, this time with proper accoutrements like Shabbos Candles, pre-boiled hot water in a thermos, Challah, kiddush cup and grape juice, etc. Instead of starting the party early the people I was staying with decided to actually have a normal meal for once, so the menu included marinated chicken with kale and tomatoes for them, plus challah, salad, and cold cuts for me. The wine was had then as well, all by candlelight (and the sound of "Blue Velvet" on the TV - what a strange movie).
Afterwards, I walked to downtown with an ID in a plastic bag attached to the pants belt, passing immense traffic and numerous revelers, but interestingly enough fewer SXSW attendees, perhaps because they were outnumbered by Friday-night people. Once my hosts arrived (by car), we waited in line to see The Savages with trepidation as badge holders were admitted first. Nardwuar got to bypass the line. Eventually we got in, just before people were about to start climbing the fence.
Savages - Husbands:
Very intense sound.
Then came Youth Lagoon.
Merely okay. Probably an acquired sound.
Looked like this at the concert, right in front of me:
Then, knowing it'd be a long walk, I headed back and accidentally took a shortcut through 6th Street. Much too crowded. Collapsed upon entry to apartment, but cheered up soon, and that Friday.
Saturday - Hosts went to six hours of concert at Urban Outfitters. I prayed, ate, slept, walked around campus to see the bluebonnets. Walked three steps, then stopped, then again, to be able to carry Don Quixote to a hill and read 150 pages of it. Most delightful afternoon on a college campus ever. Not quite like that, ever, at University of Houston. Walked back to apartment, read some more and waited for hosts to return. They were exhausted, and without Gio it was no fun, so we stayed in and had a "house party" instead of seeing more SXSW acts. Thus, I did not get to see New York Gypsy All Stars, Steffaloo, or TOKiMONSTA. We played 21 questions and just generally vegged. I managed to make a Bloody Mary with some supplies of alcohol and V8, though the Rum Fizz wound up all over the kitchen.
Post-Sabbath analysis - No Eruv is a bummer. The jury is still out on whether it is permissible to carry outside of an Eruv using the emergency 1-2-3-stop method (to avoid walking more than four amot), in a situation other than an Eruv. Lack of Chumash to read the Torah portion is a problem, but if you read at least the first aliyah it's probably better than nothing. Food was fine, plus I brought along a cutting board, knife, candlesticks plus candles for the candlelighting, and also a havdalah candle. The kiddush cup was the top off a thermos (round). I poured the wine myself during the communal meal, and thus all was OK. One problem was lack of napkins, and tearing off paper towels with your elbows is barely a permissible substitute. (And issues with the prohibition of Yichud were avoided with the multiple windows in the house [yes that's an issue too]).
We then repaired back to the apartment. I prepared for the Sabbath, this time with proper accoutrements like Shabbos Candles, pre-boiled hot water in a thermos, Challah, kiddush cup and grape juice, etc. Instead of starting the party early the people I was staying with decided to actually have a normal meal for once, so the menu included marinated chicken with kale and tomatoes for them, plus challah, salad, and cold cuts for me. The wine was had then as well, all by candlelight (and the sound of "Blue Velvet" on the TV - what a strange movie).
Afterwards, I walked to downtown with an ID in a plastic bag attached to the pants belt, passing immense traffic and numerous revelers, but interestingly enough fewer SXSW attendees, perhaps because they were outnumbered by Friday-night people. Once my hosts arrived (by car), we waited in line to see The Savages with trepidation as badge holders were admitted first. Nardwuar got to bypass the line. Eventually we got in, just before people were about to start climbing the fence.
Savages - Husbands:
Very intense sound.
Then came Youth Lagoon.
Merely okay. Probably an acquired sound.
Looked like this at the concert, right in front of me:
Then, knowing it'd be a long walk, I headed back and accidentally took a shortcut through 6th Street. Much too crowded. Collapsed upon entry to apartment, but cheered up soon, and that Friday.
Saturday - Hosts went to six hours of concert at Urban Outfitters. I prayed, ate, slept, walked around campus to see the bluebonnets. Walked three steps, then stopped, then again, to be able to carry Don Quixote to a hill and read 150 pages of it. Most delightful afternoon on a college campus ever. Not quite like that, ever, at University of Houston. Walked back to apartment, read some more and waited for hosts to return. They were exhausted, and without Gio it was no fun, so we stayed in and had a "house party" instead of seeing more SXSW acts. Thus, I did not get to see New York Gypsy All Stars, Steffaloo, or TOKiMONSTA. We played 21 questions and just generally vegged. I managed to make a Bloody Mary with some supplies of alcohol and V8, though the Rum Fizz wound up all over the kitchen.
Post-Sabbath analysis - No Eruv is a bummer. The jury is still out on whether it is permissible to carry outside of an Eruv using the emergency 1-2-3-stop method (to avoid walking more than four amot), in a situation other than an Eruv. Lack of Chumash to read the Torah portion is a problem, but if you read at least the first aliyah it's probably better than nothing. Food was fine, plus I brought along a cutting board, knife, candlesticks plus candles for the candlelighting, and also a havdalah candle. The kiddush cup was the top off a thermos (round). I poured the wine myself during the communal meal, and thus all was OK. One problem was lack of napkins, and tearing off paper towels with your elbows is barely a permissible substitute. (And issues with the prohibition of Yichud were avoided with the multiple windows in the house [yes that's an issue too]).
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