Dia de los Muertos - Austin 2009

The Mexic-Arte Museum celebrated its 26th Annual Día de los Muertos last month – Austin’s largest and longest-running Day of the Dead festival. I'm finally getting around to posting pictures! There festival ran during the day and included music, food and art, and a 'Grand Procession' in the evening. The photos below are from the procession. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it. Día de los Muertos is a wonderful holiday that celebrates the life of the ones we've lost, not just their death.

And of course, there's always a good number of Chihuahuas in costumes, how can you say no to that?

Harrison: 9 Months!

You might recognize this fella, I just can't get enough of him! It was a perfect day, Austin isn't quite ready to embrace fall. We took a walk thru the neighborhood, pulling Harrison in his brand new red wagon and then headed over to the park. It was a big day of firsts - first red wagon, first visit to a park, first trip down a slide and a swing on a swingset! Who knew 9 months was so exhausting!

 

Observable Differences

Harold and Maude was on TCM tonight. I watched that movie so many times over the years it's all I can think of when I hear Cat Stevens. It's sweet and quirky and full of wonderful, memorable lines. If you haven't seen it, you're missing out.

Maude: I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They're so tall and simple. What flower would you like to be?
Harold: I don't know. One of these, maybe.
Maude: Why do you say that?
Harold: Because they're all alike.
Maude: Oooh, but they're *not*. Look. See, some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have lost some petals. All *kinds* of observable differences. You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who are *this*, [she points to a daisy] yet allow themselves be treated as *that*. [she gestures to a field of daisies]

Driver @ Saxon

I've shot Driver a few times before, they're always good fun. Things were definitely different this time around though - they have a new lead guitarist and set of almost entirely new songs. They sounded GREAT.

I hear a rumor (from them, so probably not a rumor), that they're heading into the studio next week. Looks like a new CD is on the horizon!

Crushes @ Mohawk

Crushes are like nothing you've ever heard before - trust me! From their bio:

Crushes are a duo featuring Smith and Jones, who may or may not be humanoid. Smith screams as he distorts the purple instrument hung around his neck, a no-strings-attached wood/steel device he affectionately refers to as "the Albatross." Jones sings and adds random noise textures as she attacks the rubber pads of her electronic drum kit, a trigger-happy contraption she affectionately refers to as her "electronic drum kit." Free-form noise, abstract lyrics, male/female vocal melodies, and an electro-dub backbeat all converge, resulting in brief blasts of day-glo splatter spiked with dark pop-art humor.

Sadly, they are moving to Boston, so if you haven't seen them in Austin by now, you may have missed your chance. If you're in Boston, do yourself a favor and check them out. They are a sight to behold.