There's something magical about waking up to strange birds singing unfamiliar songs. In the quiet of Austin's East Side, this is how day two began.
And the morning of day two was difficult. My lower back was definitely still in pain and my right ear wasn't fully functioning yet. (Later, a passing ambulance would prove it was back to normal). But, a hot shower, some good stretching and the fact that there was no coffee in the house was enough to get me motivated.
If for purely economical reasons, I decided to walk from the house to the convention center downtown – a distance described to me as "around ten blocks." Very long blocks. It was still a brisk 40 degrees, and I could see my breath as I passed the businesses on Comal St. Several places in the predominantly Latin community offered party rental services (pinatas, moonwalks, table and chair rental) and were staging their colorful wares (yes, even the moonwalks) sometimes dangerously close to traffic on the dingy, gray curbside.
I arrived back at the ACC just in time to catch the first workshop of the day, "Profit by Mobilizing your Online Community." Definitely a disappointment. When I think "mobilize," I think "inspire to action" or "cause to move in an excited and motivated manner." The panel from Unwired Nation apparently understood the word "mobilize" to mean "sell them a mobile API with a voice and messaging plan." I should've known.
This article appears in Mar 11-17, 2009.