AUSTIN CITY LIMITS is this weekend!!!

I'm sure I will have lots of fun pictures when I get back...it seems like everyone and their brother is going this year. No wonder, the lineup is amazing!

Here's the list of bands:


Coldplay
Widespread Panic
Oasis
The Black Crowes
The Allman Brothers Band
Wilco
Roky Erickson & The Explosives
Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Lyle Lovett & his Large Band
John Prine
Lucinda Williams
Buddy Guy
Jet
Dierks Bentley
Thievery Corporation
Arcade Fire
Death Cab for Cutie
Bob Mould Band
Built to Spill
Bloc Party
Steve Earle & The Dukes
Blues Traveler
Franz Ferdinand
Gov't Mule
Drive-By Truckers
Kasabian
Zap Mama
Robert Earl Keen
Keane
Tortoise
Doves
The Black Keys
Kaiser Chiefs
Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon
The Walkmen
Jason Mraz
Rilo Kiley
Spoon
The Decemberists
The Bravery
Eisley
Blue October
Grupo Fantasma
Kermit Ruffins
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Bettye La Vette
Rev. Dan Willis & The All Nations Choir
Morgan Heritage
Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
Ruthie Foster
deSol
The Frames
Mates of State
Mindy Smith
Martin Sexton
The Fiery Furnaces
Aterciopelados
Kathleen Edwards
Asleep at the Wheel
M83
Tegan and Sara
Mike Doughty's Band
Split Lip Rayfield
Rachael Yamagata
Bobby Bare Jr.
Mofro
The Ditty Bops
The New Amsterdams
Ambulance Ltd
Slightly Stoopid
dios (malos)
Brave Combo
Aqualung
Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men
John Butler Trio
Bruce Robison
Missy Higgins
Nine Black Alps
Kevin Fowler
Jack Ingram
Cory Morrow
Grady
The Weary Boys
Wayne “The Train” Hancock
Monte Warden
Zykos
Soundteam
Asylum Street Spankers
Pong
Oliver Future
The Real Heroes
Bukka Allen
Hairy Apes BMX
Nic Armstrong & The Thieves
The Lost Trailers
The Gospel Stars
Donna The Buffalo
The Shields of Faith
Star Kids Yoga
The Jones Family Singers
South Austin Jug Band
The Lighthouse Singers
Kacy Crowley
Casey McPherson
Tristan Prettyman
The Massacoustics
Joe McDermott
Sara Hickman
Anthropos
The Palm Elementary School Choir
Lucas Miller
Imagination Movers
Free Sõl
Jeff Black
KJAE
Austin Hartley-Leonard
Maneja Beto
Austin Collins Band
The Biscuit Brothers
Naturally Seven
Patrick Davis
Kelley Hunt
Kate York
The Experiment Experience

Very exciting indeed. Not to mention the fact that I'm staying with Emily until Wednesday and therefore will get to see Toni Price play one of her famous Tuesday night shows. Can't wait!!!

If you are going and haven't been, here's my advice:

1) Carry a gallon of water around with you all day. Last year it was so hot (with zero shade) that I almost fainted in the first hour we were there. I had to go lay down in the kiddy tent because I couldn't see.

2) Bring a hat of some variety. Preferably a straw cowboy hat...when in Rome... You will be very thankful for the shade.

3) Don't wear any clothes you don't want getting dirty. Last year when I got autographs from the members of Wilco I looked like a hobo. You are in a dusty park and you sit on the ground a lot. You will be dirty.

4) Make sure to check out who's signing autographs and when. I felt kind of stupid waiting for autographs, but it's cool to be able to meet some of your favorite artists.

5) Go see Rilo Kiley on Sunday. They are the best!

The contents of my basket 9:30 AM this morning at Duane Reade:

• 4-pack of Hanes Her Way "Sporty Briefs"
• 1 Box of Super absorbency Tampax Tampons
• 1 Box Duane Reade Brand pantyliners
• 1 Lady Speed Stick "Orchard Fresh" Deodorant
• 1 Travel toothbrush with mini toothpaste

Explanation?

a) I was buying supplies for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

b) I stayed over last night at Debbie's hotel in midtown (She is in the city for interviews at law firms and they put her up in nice hotels) and got my period this morning on the way to work.

Answer: B

I also ran into my sister when leaving Debbie's hotel as she works in a law firm right next door, making me look incredibly shady. BUT, I did finally get to see her beautiful engagement ring-- yay Heather-- she's engaged!

The good news is: I am leaving for Austin City Limits on Thursday!!! I am so excited I might puke. Last year was great and I think this year will be even better. I bought a straw cowboy hat yesterday at Urban Outfitters for 5 bucks (HELLO extra 50% off sale!) and I am ready to get down with my bad self!

On a lighter note, I was watching TBS last night and caught the end of Blast From the Past, a movie I totally forgot existed. It's amazing to me that movies like this end up with all-star casts...I mean, how does this happen? I think the only possible explanation is that people in Hollywood often choose projects based on the people involved (friends, etc) and then one day they wake up and realize, "holy shit, I've gone and made Blast From the Past!" Okay, I guess it's not a horrible movie, but it's got Christopher Walken, Alicia SIlverstone and Brendan Frasier.

Okay, I take back this whole rant, cause really we should just question the choices of these three actors. All are actually really good, but all seem to not be choosy at all about what they appear in. I think they all must function under a philosophy of, "if someone wants to give me money, I'll play any part in the world."

The next movie on was Sugar and Spice, another movie I had forgotten about. Did you know that one of the characters in the movie is obsessed with Conan O'Brien? I totally did not remember that part of the movie. Weird. Especially cause that was made in the days before Conan was really huge as a talk show host...

huh.

I will now recount last Friday, September 2nd for your reading pleasure.

I went out with Katie Day Thursday night to our college friend Amy's Birthday party. I had a couple beers, but it wasn't like I was massively drunk or anything. I came home, ate something, drank a glass of water, and went to bed.

Friday morning I wake up feeling like I have been plowed over by one of those large and very noisy trucks that druise past my apartment on Columbia Street. I throw up. "Gosh," I think, "I must have been more drunk than I thought last night cause I am seriously hungover." I was mystified, but alas, I figured I made my bed so I should lay in it and made myself go to work. I get to work and at first glance my boss says, "Um, Are you okay??" cause I clearly looked like death warmed over. "Oh yeah," I say, thinking I am just hungover, "I just woke up this morning feeling like I could really use another hour of sleep..." Good one, Sam.

I actually had a lot of work to do, but any time I would start to focus on a given task I would feel a wave of nausea and have to head to the bathroom to throw up. I slyly did this three times before I start thinking, "Gee, maybe I'm not just hungover," and was suddenly hit by an overwhelming need to lay down on the floor. My boss wasn't in her office, so I sent her the following email:

To: Juliet
From: Sam
Subject: Help

i just threw up.

i hope you don't mind but i am laying down in martha's office.

i don't know if i have food poisening or what, but i am really dizzy.

And with that I went into Martha's office (she's not in on Fridays) and curled up on the floor clinging to a sweatshirt.

About two minutes later my boss rushes in freaking out because of course she hadn't seen the email and has just walked past Martha's office to find me passed out on the floor. She thinks I am dead.

FLASHBACK: It's Thrusday night. I'm pondering what to make myself for dinner. I open the fridge. I have no groceries except for some hamburger patties I made last Friday night for BBQ-ing and didn't use. Hamburger it is! Andy walks into the kitchen and says, "Um, are you sure that meat's okay?" "Oh, yeah, sure, it's fine," I say, "What's the worst that could happen?"

Return to me curled up in the fetal position on the floor of an office at work. Shaking.

Shit.

I continue to sleep on the floor of the office for the next four hours only waking to throw up what little is left in my stomach into a trash can, which Tiffany, angel that she is, disposes of for me. Eventually I take a dramamene, drink a few sips of gatorade and am sent to my boss' house in a car, toting Saltines, gatorade, canned soup and the latest copy of In Touch, so graciously purchased by Jenn and Tiffany at Walgreen's.

I fall asleep immediately in Juliet's guestroom (the comfiest bed in the world btw) and wake up around 6pm. I call my sister and find out she is engaged (!!!), eat some soup, and tell Juliet "I'm just going to lay down for one more hour." I wake up at 7:15am the next morning to Juliet poking me in the side, making sure I am alive. "Yeah, I'm alive," I tell her and fall immediately back to sleep for two more hours. I wake up. I eat breakfast. I finally go home.

I will never eat questionable meat again.