Coming home from SXSW is always a huge letdown. You miss the music, the constant shows, the options, all the friends you only see once or twice a year.

1. I promise I'm going to get better at this blog thing.

2. So much happened at this year's SXSW, I really should have been keeping a daily (if not hourly) blog. But I didn't, so we're all just going to have to live with it. (I barely even checked e-mail, and very often forgot to eat, if it's any consolation.)

3. There was a lot of discussion about how SXSW has gotten too big. It's overwhelming the town, the lines are out of control, etc. Well, yes, it's quite big. But I didn't have the frustration I expected with too-long lines or too many people. I mean, sure, I had to stand in a couple of lines, and non-badge holders were quite often screwed when it came to getting into shows. But, like anything else, you set your priorities and make things happen. If there's a show you absolutely must see (read: Morrissey), you get there a couple of hours early and wait for it. If not (read: Arctic Monkeys), you skip it and go see something else.

However, I did feel that this year's SXSW was a lot more hectic. I was constantly on the run, from show to party to meeting to boozefest. (Yeah, I know: rough life.) There was barely any time to sit and reflect (OK, actually, there was none), much less sleep. It was nonstop action and activity for four solid days. And I loved it.

4.  Last night, I went to the Kevin Kline Awards, a black-tie St. Louis theater event. It felt...wrong. I felt out of place. Where were the tattoos, ripped t-shirts, blue jeans, and loud rock 'n' roll?

5. That said, we did have an absolute fabulous time in Austin. The weather, despite some rain, was really quite good—not at all cold, hooray! (Damn today's STL snow. I hate snow.) The music was great and, at times, other-worldly. Catching up with old friends is always great, and meeting new friends was this year especially rewarding. More details coming soon...

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