Here's what it's like having a professional type job in the music industry the week before SXSW when you work in Austin and you have three (well, four, if you count the trade show) events coming up in the next week.

It's 8:30 a.m., and you've just sat down at your desk and logged into your work computer. You check your voicemail. You check your email. You make a list of things that HAVE to be done, things that MUST be done, things that NEED to be done, things that SHOULD be done, and things that maybe won't ever see the light of day.

You take a deep breath and chant "focus, focus, focus" while staring at the first item on the list.

The next time you have a chance to think, "Hey, self, how's it going today? How're ya feeling? What music would you like to hear today? Hmm, Radio Paradise sounds good," it's 11:37 in the morning and the day is close to half over and you are only one quarter of the way down your To Do list and you've answered only 7 of the 50 emails in your inbox and three phone lines are ringing at the same time.

Then you go home on your lunch break and thank your BF for getting up early to wrangle the cats into the pet taxis and meet the Fleabusters man and drive to the vet clinic and put the Advantage on their shoulders; you eat a Lean Cuisine meal and feel vaguely dissatisfied with the floppy chicken floating in orangey gel stuff surrounded by a handful of "wild" rice, and then you drive back to work trying not to spend your break time thinking about your work time.

Then you start over with the list.

Yeah.

Then later you drink a beer while sitting at your computer on Friday night trying not to think about all the stuff that still needs to be done. And maybe you get just a little bit excited about the parties and booths and shows and your Music Badge and the panel with Ani DiFranco on Saturday, and then maybe you feel better.

Lucy loves you |