Our breakfast this morning, procured by my non-Frenchie manfriend. We still haven’t figured out the coffee situation. Any recommendations of French brands?

He went off to take some exquisite photos around the neighborhood this morning as I researched running routes. Found a great run, but didn’t make it out yet (à demain, la promenade plantee).

For Mr. Man’s photo fans, I’m not letting him post his pictures, for fear of him loading up my computer with gigs of gigantor files! You’re just going to have to deal with my cameraphone for now. Our delightful friend and fellow synchronaut just flew in this morning, so we’ve got to take him to his apartment around the corner. A bientôt!

Made it to Paris yesterday, after what felt like an entire day of flying. Good thing Mr. Man called to confirm our flights at 10pm the night before the 8am departure. It had been cancelled. They had been trying to contact me for months, but were using a wrong telephone number, nevermind that they have the correct phone number and email address in my Mileage Plus account.

Luckily, they were still able to get us to Philadelphia (where I finished the second of my ugliest socks ever) for the flight to Paris, but with a lay-over in Chicago. Oh, did I mention the new flight was at 6:15am in San Francisco? They rearranged our flights home, making it one flight less and arriving 3 hours earlier (but still not early enough to pick up Janie from Pet Camp on Saturday).

Thanks to cashed-in miles, we were flying business class on all flights. It was my first time flying non-freight internationally, and I highly recommend it. They feed you non-stop and there’s plenty of room in the wide chairs (which you need from all the food and wine). One of the flight attendants out of Philly recognized me from my college year, some 13 years ago. He was a student at Temple while I was at Penn. (It’s a small gay activist town.) Thanks to him, we walked off the plane with an unopened bottle of wine and a whole bunch of little vodkas and gins. (Scout, I need to learn the word for pomegranate to raise a glass to you and use ‘em up!)

We landed in Paris at 7am, having barely slept myself. It was nice to finally see Pan’s Labyrinth and Stranger than Fiction, but I certainly paid for it as I was in a daze all day. We made our way in the rain to our rented apartment in the Marais. I barely conversed in French with Fanny (French isn’t her mother tongue either!) and we signed the contract and handed over our Euros and we were “home” by 10am.

We wandered around the neighborhood (I promise better descriptions) and had an adequate meal at a cafe before I passed out on the couch at 7. Therefore, I was up by 3am and forced myself to listen to tourism podcasts and not get out of bed until 6. I read up in the Rough Guide, as this trip has been completely unplanned—I’m going to decide on what I’m doing as we go.

Our first swimming commitment is Wednesday, with practices on Thurday and Friday morning, with competition on Saturday and Sunday. That leaves today and tomorrow for wandering, shopping and drinking in the beauty that is this city. Then, another week to try to see as much as we can.

Wireless has been spotty at my hotel, but, then again, so has my down time to craft lengthy posts detailing the goings on my first South By. Yeah, that’s what the locals call it. I’m so down. Let’s talk knitting…

I went to Hill Country Weavers Knit ‘n Nosh, local knitting bloggers edition. My travel companions (and the kind people I’ve hung out with most while here): Harold and Jenny (of Stash&Burn). I met a whole lotta fun women from Austin, Houston and beyond… and now I have more blogs and podcasts to follow!

• Amy (also of Fat Caddy Records)
• Split Yarn (of the fabulous Scrabble stitch markers)
• Yarn Maven (aka Julia)
• Yarn and Order
• Yarn Bar (who’s adorably pregnant and due soon!)
• verypink (who brought an insane baby wardrobe)
• Meg (who invited me)
• Christine (of b.p.c. and Pointy Sticks)
• Rhonda (of the Knitting News Cast podcast)
• Michelle (a fellow swimmer who I don’t know if she’s got a blog)
• and others I didn’t meet…

Sadly, I didn’t get to talk to everyone (next time, Rhonda and Staci?). I was kind of overwhelmed and uncharacteristically shy. I’m really much more fun, loud and spazzy. Trying to keep track of who was who and ripping out 6 stitch/8 row panels to fix, kept me pretty quiet. Trust me, I can be more of a party… just ask Jenny. I did my best to charm and woo her (in French, even) at Hotel San Jose the previous night (with our friend Alan Cummings—who was pretending he didn’t know us.)

So much more to report… music this morning, a gay bloggerati’s karaoke triumph, more Alan Cummings sightings, and a crazy coincidence of friends of friends of friends that prove that the Checks are meant to be my new BFF’s.

edited to crorrect an error: Yarn and Order is not adorably pregnant to my knowledge. She is adorable—I confused her with Yarn Bar.

I’m here in Austin, wandering from panel to panel at SXSW, right now typing this in a session about Web Hacks and current usage trends. Some of this stuff is way over my head, but it’s fun to see what’s out there and where things may go in the future. Pretty much a dorkfest (in a positive way)… I feel at home, though somewhat under-geeky. I only wish I was as smart as many of the men and women here.

So, there I was, lying naked (I forgot my ‘jammies) in my bed last night, reading about today’s panels, so I could plan what to see. There, among the Internet-erati that I read about was a name I recognized, someone I knew. She’s a knit-erati (or is it knit-erata?)—Ms. Vickie Howell! Her panel is the one I’m off to next. Courtesy of MySpace, I let her know I was in town and I’ve already run into her (and her dreamy man). However, I couldn’t chat much because I was running late. I didn’t get a chance to congratulate her or see the ring!

I didn’t know how much time I’d have on my hands while here, so I brought a bunch of socks in progress to keep me busy. And I have three on the needles right now. On the flight here, I finished the toe of the Gentleman’s Fancy Sock from Nancy Bush. Last week, I realized that I was closing in on the halfway point of my yarn, but still inches away from the toe decreases. Thank you, postal scale at work!

The next sock is number two of a Lisa Souza. It’s a joy to knit, compared to the Opal stuff on the other guys. Instead of just black and orange, it’s a wide range of richer blacks, warm maroons and flickers of fire and gold. Straight up merino is one of the yummiest things for my digits. I could finish this over the next few days.

Last, and certainly not least, my favorite of the three is a blue toe-up baby of my own design… well, my design input on Rachael’s sock-a-go-go. I guess I’m man enough to take on a lace-based sock and sub in some cables. I’m missing Rachael’s knit-one-one class (chez Sile’s) because I’m deep in the heart of Texas. The furtherest I can get on them is to the heel on the second sock, ’cause I don’t know what’s next!

Mr. Man told me that a package arrived today from Scout, so there’s more socks in my future. It’ll be waiting alongside the Rockin’ Sock Club shipment that came earlier in the week from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. So expect prettier colored socks in progress in the near future.

written this afternoon, posted after midnight, pictures to come

I’m headed to SXSW Interactive on Friday. It’s held the week before South by Southwest’s music festival. Work is sending me to check out how cool and geeky the Interwebs can be. I hope to post, as I’ll have a lot of knitting time with no doggie to walk. Maybe I’ll even post (when I’m not attending panels or running).

Got any advice for a week in Austin? Know any groovy people there, knitters or otherwise? Do you live there? Help a homo out… so far all I’ve heard is Hill Country Weavers. Coffee, grub and off-the-beaten-path destinations would be appreciated.

It’s not like I’ve been sitting here and picking my nose, ignoring my blog. I’ve been sitting at work picking my nose, not blogging. Don’t feel left out, I haven’t been writing over at Runagogo.com, nor have I been running!

Sure, work’s been busy, but when isn’t it? It’s the nature of busy-ness. The new month offers a chance for a new beginning. But, before I rush into the future, let’s look back at the first month of 2007.

I have tried a new restaurant, Sebo (or on Yelp.com) with my dear friend M. Great, fresh fish, but TINY nigiri! I won’t be running back anytime soon, unless it’s with my neighbor who’s gotten friendly with one of the chefs.

Speaking of food, I enjoyed some amazing eats on a business trip to New Orleans. Here’s breakfast from a po’ boy place down the street from our hotel. It wasn’t business as usual. In lieu of sending people abroad to work with Habitat for Humanity (like my 2005 trip to Poland), we’re going to send people to the Big Easy. In addition to the local H4H, we met with Common Ground Relief, Acorn and Emergency Communities. All are doing amazing work, and so needed. The magnitude of the devastation that remains 17+ months later cannot be described. If you can, donate, get your butt down there or find a way to help out. It’s more than a tragedy, it’s a national disgrace. Luckily, people are coming together to make things right. I hope to head back there, myself.

Knitting-wise, I’ve finished one of my Scout’s Swag socks, and I’m closing in on the toe of the second. Photos upon finishing. I started a scarf, but I’m not proud of that (a variation on a certain drop-stitch sensation that everyone and her mother did a year or two back—MdV, I’m so ashamed). I am proud of finishing and gifting the Knucks for my synchro team coach (Tsunami Tsynchro). She’s a knitter too, so she appreciates all the finishing required by that embroidery.

Speaking of said coach, Dr. S. (she’s a physicist) and I swung by Stash to say hello to Ms. Vickie Howell. Still cute as a button and rocking some killer shoes. I wish I could have stayed longer to chat… next time?

There’s a snoring puppy (who turned 3 today) and a snoring boyfriend next to me on the couch. I should go walk them before we head off to bed.

Thanks for your kind words during my absence.

‘Twas five nights before Xmas and I was away from the house;
Playin’ hooky in Las Vegas, wearing a nice blouse.

We had arrived at midnight, Wednesday A.M.
Our goal was simple, see a show with some friends.

The first room they gave us, had only one single bed.
Fine for the engaged couple, but not right for my head.

Back to reception, to ask for one more.
They kindly obliged, giving us 16-304.

I awoke early, put my feet to floor.
While B slept quietly, next to her C snored.

A trip to the lobby, procuring a cup of Starbucks,
Wandering to kill time, realizing casinos are f@*!’ed.

At last they arose, and breakfast we ate,
At a proper sit-down restaurant, with nary a buffet plate.

Then back to the room to shower and repose,
A chance to unpack, knit and change clothes.

C went off to the gym; a headache rendered me ill,
So B and me wandered in search of water and Advil.

I started to feel better, so to celebrate (I suppose)
What could be better, than a bag of pretzel cheddar Combos?

We talked all afternoon, and I practiced my splits.
B shared her journal and my Knucks I did knit.

At last it was time to leave for the show;
Off to Bellagio to meet Onofrio.

He’s the head clown and gave us our tix;
We quickly grabbed a bite, so we could be in our seats by half past six.

The show was magical, better than before;
Even though just a dress rehearsal, I didn’t leave wanting more.

The swimmer Bill May, whom I had met in the past;
Showed off double-jointed shoulders, the most flexible guy in the cast.

After it was over, we remained in our seats;
Bill and Onofrio came to get us, and to backstage we did retreat.

A brief little tour, showing costume rooms and the gyms;
Said hello to other performers. Alas, we couldn’t swim.

When make-up was off, the artists ready at last,
We piled into cars with Bill to get tapas.

A mojito and conversation mixed with sangria and laughter,
A night to remember for many, many years after.