Food – I have been lucky thus far…
Spiderhouse – GREAT atmosphere. All kinds of outdoor, picnic style tables, fairy lights, fountains (i think), great music playing, plus there are power plugs atvery table and wireless to spare. They also have an outdoor screen for showing movies. Looks like they are playing Pom Poko, anime western with pandas as the characters, this week – I will try to catch it. Service was confusing, but the experience made up for it. I felt like I was back at Casey Moore’s in Tempe.
Stubb’s – Went here for lunch Sat. Had delicious pulled pork bbq sandwich with cheesy spinach. Very happy. Plus OK GO, a Chicago band, played there that night, and we were eating with our new Chicago friends so it felt like Stubb’s was helping us represent.
Music
Radio Stations – 105.9 & 101.5
I don’t know who their programing directors are, but I feel liek I went to the same highschool. While here, I have hear: NIN, PM Dawn, Janet Jackson, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and a host of other music that I was loving in 91-93. All the other music was just god indie stuff.
Nostalgia + good indie = happy joi
Hotels
The happy part of this story, is that I have learned my lesson and proudly pass through over this threshold of my life.
The other parts… So, full disclaimer, all of this is partially my fault for searching for cheap hotels. I booked said cheap hotel room at Econo Lodge that I found on kayak.com (I try…). I accidentally booked a smoking room, so EVERY horizontal surface had multiple burns – dressers, bathroom counter, tv, bed. It looked so dirty that i couldn’t fathom taking a shower. I went for a drive to get dinner and found another hotel, but it wouldn’t let me stay until Sunday night. I decided to rough it for the next 2 nights.
I managed to exist the first night, but when I went to leave in the morning, the door wouldn’t lock (thank gods I locked the chain when i slept). I was already late for 1st day sxsw, so i took all my stuff to my rental car. After the conference, dinners and parties, I went back to the hotel. I unloaded all my stuff, walked up to the room, tried my key in the now locked door and it didnt work. Got a bad feeling, so went to the front desk and asked to check the card. They had checked me out and resold the room! He said that when I had left no belongings in teh room and the door open, they assumed I was gone and resold the room. No call, just did it.
Then to add insult to injury, when he called the Choice Hotel Corporate help line and they told the franchaisee that he had to find and pay for another hotel in the area, he was pissy to me! He gave me attitude for leaving no belongings and was very upset that he had to bend over backwards for me when he felt I had clearly been the person in the wrong. Oy!
I called Econo Lodge the 2nd worst hotel, as the one he begrudgingly paid for me to stay in the next night was the worst hotel ever. The story was more colorful at Econo Lodge, but the Patton Courts Motel was much worse. It was an hourly motel, which the stereotypical guests you would assume and a room that would make a film maker squeal, as no set designer could mimick this creepiness. Added with the screaming baby on one side and the couple having quite a good time on the other, needless to say, I slept, woke and left as quickly as possible.
SO… that threshold I was talking about was the one where I don’t stay at the cheapest hotel anymore. I am now a middle of the road hotel girl. sigh, there are worse things to be I guess.
Joi Podgorny 