On Hold Recovering from ACL Festival

Be back soon with more workouts. Yes, I've kept up with them.

Day 214 = Running + Random Facebook People

You ever get Friend Requests on Facebook from people you don't even know? Of course you do, unless you are one of those freaks who thinks he can avoid being on the grid. Nice try, loser.

So recently, I got this friend request on Facebook. I read this woman's Info page and she goes on and on about her family and how VERY HAPPY (she wrote in all caps) she is and SO IN LOVE with her HUSBAND and KIDS (again, all caps).

Why the fuck should I care, D.P. of Round Rock, Texas, that you are soooo fucking happy? I don't even know you. Aren't you happy enough in your life without having to make a new virtual friendship with me? Is there some emptiness you are denying in your life? D.P., I think you need to probably take a long hard look at why you are stalking a total stranger on Facebook. You're 50, for God's sake. Shouldn't you be established enough by now?

Anyway, then I went for a run. Have a nice day!

Day 213 = Gym + ACL Music Festival

OMG. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that I don't have to sleep late, pack a cooler, clean off my rain boots and head to Zilker Park for a fourth day in a row. After the wonderful finale (PERRY EFFING FARRELL!!!!) of ACL Fest 2009 last night, it was actually nice to sleep late and take it easy. And catch up on Jerry Springer. Wait. His show is still on? There are still rednecks and white trash among us?

I did fit in a workout with Regan at the gym today at 3 pm. Someone asked her if I'd start coming more regularly at that time in case I liked that time slot. And Regan was like, "No, Heather has a real job." But yeah - I'd love to sleep late and work out at 3 pm. It's not a bad idea. I'd also like to win the lottery and travel the world. How can I outsource an assistant in India to get right on that for me?

Since Kara and Amy W. met in Lake Tahoe on a ski trip in 2007, they've been MySpacing and Facebooking and emailing ever since. I love bringing people together and seeing friendships blossom. This is us yesterday at ACL (Amy, me, Kara). They are both a lot taller than me. Or I'm just a shorty.

Tonight, Amy invited us (and our other friend Jennifer) to join her for dinner and chit-chat at her house where she made salad and ravioli. Good times. And thank you, Amy Love, for your genuine southern Alabama girl hospitality!

Day 212 = Walking + Pearl Jam

Day 3 of the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival, and I am rallying. I plan on just counting this day and the last three days as a big, fat workout of walking. Walking in a lot of mud, which by the way contains treated waste. I am thanking my British stepfather Richard for me wellies I've had for 20 years now.

My personal anticipation has been for this day and for the headliner tonight: Pearl Jam. And they totally delivered. I've loved them for years. I wore out a cassette tape of "Ten" when I was in college and driving back and forth along the Pig Trail. However, I really wanted to hear "Yellow Ledbetter" because it's probably my favorite Pearl Jam song, but they rarely play it live. Like how I just gave you two versions of that song? That's how much I love it.

But you know what, Pearl Jam? I'll forgive you for that. I'll forgive you because PERRY FARRELL FUCKING ROCKED THAT SHOW!! I love Perry Farrell and I absolutely LOVE Jane's Addiction. "Nothing's Shocking" is most definitely an album I would take with me on a deserted island. He came out during the encore and sang "Mountain Song."

I love this photo from ACL Fest of Eddie Vedder on his knees as Perry jumps in the air, just fucking rocking it out. I was reading somewhere where someone wrote Pearl Jam is one of my "childhood favorites." Shit, I'm getting old.

Day 211 = Resistance Bands + Mute Math

When you are ready - and you need to be prepared for this - but when you are ready for your ears and your mind to have a completely spiritual experience (like the feeling of when-you-have-to-pee-really-bad-and-then-you-do-and-you're-just-like,-AHHHHHHH,-now-that-could-not-have-come-at-a-better-time-or-I-thought-I'd-lose-my-mind kind of feeling?), then listen to Mute Math. That drummer is just pure awesomeness.

I'm not saying they are my favorite band, but I really, really like what they are throwing out there. Of course, I also have Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA" on my iPod, so it's really just my opinion, and maybe not even a persuasive one at that.

Anyway, I'm telling you - Mute Math. Listen. And Kara and Amy and I sat in our chairs in the rain today at the ACL Fest listening to them. I had on my rain boots and a poncho on my legs whilst sitting in my chair under my Marilyn Monrow umbrella (a birthday gift from Aunt Linda). I was completely chill and loving this band.

Tonight, after much partying, I worked out with my resistance bands. Plus, there is something to be said about trudging around all day at the ACL Fest in Zilker Park in the mud.

Day 210 = Gym + Kings of Leon

Remember how I said there are things I don't like at the gym? Today, I discovered another one. I don't like working out at 9 am when I'm really, really, really hungover. I only lasted 35 minutes and then almost scratched my eyes out and pulled my trainer's eyes out, too.

If I had a dollar for everytime I'd said, "I'm never drinking again..." well, I could probably buy a steak dinner or something. But this morning was one of those times.

However, a nap can really turn things around. Today was the first day of the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival, and my 5th year to attend. This year, my dear friend since 1982, Kara, flew in to drink, stay up late, eat junk food and listen to music with me. By the way, there's an app for that.

We saw lots of bands, and I showed Kara how festival-ing is done with a rolling cooler and folding chair. After arriving mid-afternoon (remember, I needed a big nap), we caught Phoenix, Raphael Saadiq, John Legend (who was SMOKIN HOT), a little bit of Them Crooked Vultures, Andrew Bird and then the headliner, Kings of Leon.

It's damn near impossible to meet up with people at ACL Fest. The crowd is just huge, and I'm, like, where do these people come from? Kara and I got lucky and met up with several of my friends. But toward the end of the show, it was just us two chillin' out in our chairs, drinking beer and enjoying the beautiful night. I sat there and looked at the moon while Kings of Leon was playing "Use Somebody." I had a conversation with the (almost) full moon. I was all, "Moon, you know about my crush, and I am crushing on him so bad, and I can't stand it. Moon, you know I am not good at playing it cool. So you've gotta put him in my life again. I mean it!"

And y'all, I opened my eyes and my crush WALKED RIGHT UP TO ME! Out of fucking nowhere. Out of the crowd that had been dissipating. He materialized. You could have knocked me over with a feather, and the shit-eating grin on my face was probably overkill, but I was JUST thinking about him. He was like, how are you doing and hugged and kissed me and I was trying to play it cool like all I could do was jam to Kings of Leon, who I've seen like three times before. Kara met him and thought he was cute. I was just so thrilled I couldn't stand it. He told me about his trip to Vegas and I told him about my girls' trip, and we talked about the festival. Then I felt the urge to get away and not blow it so when he walked back to his friends, Kara and I decided to bail, but I think the show had ended. It's hard to say. It was all such a spiritual surreal blur to me that I was just sitting there using The Secret, and it worked!

I wanted to leave so it wouldn't look like I was just lingering, but I SOOO wanted to linger and to hang out with him more. We went back to the Elks' Lodge and met up with some friends. Crush wanted me to text him about where we were going to be later. So I did, but I just went home. Too tired. Did not want to start the day tomorrow like I did today. Plus, I could go home and try to "play it cool," which I am absolutely awful at because if I like you then I want you to know. Dude, I like you.

Day 209 = Resistance Bands + Kara

So Kara arrives today. Via airplane, since her road trip plans were foiled by a stupid body shop in North Little Rock, which will remain to go unmentioned (North Point).

Last year she was here for about a week and then in 2006 she was here for about a week in the summer. I remember that's when I learned to make paella and sangria. For the past 3-4 years, we've met up at least once in the winter to go snow skiing. Kara's pretty good, but she's been patient with me, and now I'm skiing double-blacks. This pic is from 2007 at Heavenly in Lake Tahoe. The thing about Kara is if you suggest a drink, she's all over it. Apres ski? Also a yes.

So I picked her up at the airport - bless her heart, she'd been waiting for almost 3 hours because I couldn't get away from the magnet that is my desk chair. From there, we had dinner at Bess Bistro (Sandra Bullock's restaurant; new menu, and it's much better!) and then drinks at Key Bar (courtesy of my friends at CBS) and Molotov, then met up with Kristina and Michael at Rio Rita.

It is amazing that I was actually able to remember to work out today. But I did. With the resistance bands.