SXSW, Saturday afternoon, March 12

After checking in and getting our bearings at the conference, we started schmoozing. I always find walking up to strangers and starting a conversation to be rather intimidating, but what a difference when you’re being escorted by a six foot cut-out cow!

Everyone spoke to us – in the elevator, in the restaurants, in the bars and lobby. When Moopheus went up the escalator at the convention center, the majority of people coming down on the other side yelled out “The Meatrix – how cool!” We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of people who know the film.

Rebecca and I met the hosts of the “Austin Movie Show,” which airs on the Austin Music Network and was being shown throughout the convention center and some of the hotels. They immediately wanted to interview Moopheus on their TV show, so Louis Fox (director and animator of the film and co-founder of Free Range Graphics), Rebecca, Moopheus and I all walked over to the television station a little later that afternoon.

We were told by one of the show’s hosts that it was an easy walk, so off we went. We stopped at Coyote Ugly for a little pick-me-up on the way. If you’ve never heard about Coyote Ugly bars, it’s a different kind of place…. We only went because they have an outdoor patio, and it was beautiful and sunny out. We had to walk through the stale beer and somewhat vomit-smelling air and past the bra-covered bar to get to the patio, but it was worth it for a little sun.

After re-fueling, we headed off to the station, walking up hills, down hills, over major interstates, and through the Boggy Bottom Watershed (or something like that). Now, remember, three people and a cardboard cow are walking through the somewhat shadier parts of Austin, so we must have been a spectacle to watch.

I recently injured my foot at the gym so wasn’t supposed to do a lot of walking, especially hills, so after an hour of trekking, I’m hobbling. We’re all getting sunburned; Louis is sweating as he carries a six-foot cow, and Rebecca keeps yelling “Forward Ho!” (Okay, she really wasn’t yelling that, but she was like a sherpa herding us through the Himalayas…)

We think we might be lost, so we ask for directions, head up another huge hill, and come to the conclusion that we might be really lost. We stop at a 4-way intersection to take stock in our situation. We try to call the tv station; no one answers. We decide to hitch hike but couldn’t find a car big enough to carry a cow.

So we started walking back, retracing our steps. We passed a lovely group of people outside a small store and stopped to say hello and ask for directions. It turned out they were opening up a small restaurant there, their first business. You could see the excitement in their eyes as they stood outside the building. I wish I was going to be here when they opened because I would have made sure to go eat at their place, just to support them in what they’re doing.

It reminded me that so many small businesses go under these days and that we’re overrun by large chain restaurants and stores, so I reaffirmed my commitment to support family owned stores and businesses as much as possible.

So we got directions and carried on. One thing I must say about the residents of Austin, they are so friendly and warm, and that warmth and openess makes this city really special. Everyone we passed who was sitting outside said hello and asked us how we were doing. I asked one family if we were going in the right direction, and they not only gave us detailed directions, the son got on his bike and rode down to the main road to make sure we got to the right place. Now that’s what I call real southern hospitality. Everyone we passed had a warm hello for three lost souls and a cardboard cow.

We finally made it to the station, just in time to be the last interview for the day. Needless to say, Moopheus was a hit! I’m going to try to get a tape of the show so maybe we can post it online in the coming week or so.

And I can save you a long-winded walk home because one of the hosts was so mortified that they told us we could walk that she jumped in her car and drove us back to our hotel.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos from our Himalayan-like trek – we were too in the moment to think about taking photos and documenting our travels. Rebecca and I were talking about possibly doing a re-enactment – you know, go back, retrace our steps and re-enact the excitement for you in photos. We’ll see – we might not have time – but we think it might be fun.

But this time, we’ll take the car!…

Next installment – Saturday night mayhem and Sunday morning blues, only to be capped off by a big win for The Meatrix at the SXSW interactive awards ceremony! And we have the photos to prove it….

– diane