Burning Man: Day 6

Tom prepares to hit a "home run"

It has been stated that the brain is the largest erogenous zone. That makes this a dirty picture

It's a jam-session with a utilikilt and propane tank

Green machine

I'm pretty sure his teeth are real

Did I mention that I love big, reflective glasses?

JD goes down soooo smooth. He's being rewarded, for what I'm not sure

The family that dresses in green and trampolines together, stays together

"Derrick"

Little Kyle with freshly applied sparkle

I woke up again with my eyes glued shut -- my hair is a dusty, matted mess but I'm growing accustomed to dawning dark goggles and a bandanna first thing in the morning so it goes largely unnoticed. After the bathroom (the same one where the girl told me about her new religion... wait, did I forget to note that?? Although I don't remember her name, she screamed "I LOVE MUCUS" at me when I blew my nose, standing half in and half out of a Johnny On The Spot. We talked for a bit but the parts worth taking away were 1.) she did a hand-stand so that I could retrieve chap-stick from her upside down utility belt and 2.) she had created a theory of the origins of the universe (a religion if you will) that has been documented @ her myspace page.

I went down to center camp for ice -- 10 bags was way more than I expected and although I found places for all of it, my bike was not ridable and I walked back to camp. The ice was distributed and as a group we headed back to center camp: me for pictures, the others for coffee. Coffee was drank, pictures were taken... both were a complete success.

The briefest of pit-stops was made at the foot washing station as the slomads zig-zagged up to 6:45 x Chance street: the G-Spot Bar. We made friends (some clothed, some less than), we took pictures and we drank some lemonade-vodka combination. The pack consisted of Larry, Tom, Ben and myself and as the day drew on, our next stop called.

The boys knew of some theme camp that was having some sort of tea party -- as we drew close, Tom ran into one of his many lesbian friends and many empty promises of "getting together" were exchanged. Actually, tomorrow is her 26th birthday, so we are seeking now a gift worthy of Burning Man. Tea was nice and consisted of two types of tea, cookies, a heavy creme (55% milk fat) and a motherload of lounging. Lazy as we were, the energy to move on was eventually gathered and, sick from sun exposure, the troop came back to camp for rest and dinner. We had couscous and chicken with carrots somewhere on the side.

As a side note, earlier in the day at the G-Spot I was given the "playa name" of Steve... it was well received, but did not stick for more than a few minutes.

The sun went down and the weather was perfect; warm with no wind at all. Although I was torn between going out by myself for some night photography and partying with the team, I figured that I would wait for another evening to capture the night and we set off for the Lost Colony (tea from earlier) to greet the remaining members of the night's traveling side show. Soon after, there were disco parties, parties where everyone was dressed as cats, and parties that we were only invited to because some guy accidentally smacked Melissa in the head while flailing about in the streets. In that particular instance we ran into Paul Rubens and David Arquette who were sitting off to the side smoking cigars and generally seeming to enjoy themselves. They were gawked at and awkwardly chatted with and although Mr. Rubens took my picture (because he loved my fuzzy, pink, wide-brimmed hat) they clearly wanted to be left to themselves.

Down @ the playa, Thunderdome was in full swing -- naturally Tom and I scaled the side of said dome to witness what appeared to be a loving couple bashing the living heck out of each other with feet, fists and padded bats. It was a horrible thing to watch, and by horrible I mean gorgeous beyond belief. In the end they embraced and stumbled from the battle zone with punch-drunk smirks on their faces. Tom's love interest, aka "plan maybe" had had enough and requested an escort back to her camp. After an awkward departure between Tom and the miss, we negotiated our way to the playa for a last attempt at fun, and although much was happening we couldn't find a place to land. Melissa and Ben went up to the Opulent Temple to feed their inner groove-child, while Tom and I, having not given up hope but completely exhausted, headed in the general direction of 3:45 x Guess (aka "home") As we were about to turn up one of the road perpendicular to the Esplanade, I spotted Steve, a co-worker, which was really nice. He was with a group that was about to depart but I gave him my coordinates and he promised to stop by.

Although we were soon back to the camp and asleep, Tom and I did have one last mini-adventure before returning home. From atop an art car (really, a bus) a, in Tom's words, "thick blond" expressed her approval of my evening fashions, namely my big pink hat. Without hesitation, I threw it up to her for what I thought would be an invitation to climb aboard or a quick inspection and a prompt return of said hat. I received neither. She did indicate where she could be found later (4:00 x Guess) so round 2 and my pink hat may be in my near future.

Burning Man: Day 5

My magic carpet

Angel. A fire dancer from LA

Dust tornado. This one missed our camp, but its big brother was soon behind

A daytime view of the fire-breathing serpent

In years past this was called the Temple of Tears...

Solar-powered, L-wired, desert-grown sun flowers

The ravenous, blood-sick creature

In another life, I believe this was a parachute

The parachute from a distance

He seems friendly enough, a bit like Salad Fingers

Officially the Belgian Waffle House, but to me the Matchstick Palace

Inside, looking out

I love big, reflective glasses

Although friendly, I learned waaaay more about these two than I wanted to. Seriously.

Back at camp (inside the dome)

I woke up around 10:00am feeling like a sack of crap. A few hours of sleep and curled up on a little fold-out bed found me in a less than optimal state for sure... my eyes were crusted shut and hurt when I blinked them; it felt a bit like gluing sandpaper to the inside of my eyelids. Thinking back, it didn't help that we've got a shortage of clear (night) goggles and I went without for much of last evening.

Regardless, it was a gorgeous morning and I quickly devoured a breakfast of granola, a banana and sunscreen. The playa was calling, largely because I left my water bottle out at the far edge of the ridable space last night. I made a straight shot for the perimeter fence to recover my lost decanter -- it was not to be: there was no sign of my lost item, nor the resting spot I had assigned it. It's fine, I suppose -- I'll try down at center camp's lost + found, and I've still got my CamelBak.

The temp was right, the light was excellent and I was in a picture taking mood. I made my way haphazardly through the desert, bouncing from art installment to art installment, meeting many friendly people along the way. Of particular interest was a giant parachute-type thing that was suspended by bamboo that flexed in the wind. It became both a shade structure and a fluid piece of art. Loved it.

The 5 hours spent cruising around in the sun gave me plenty of time to reflect on life and after the massive sand storm that shook the camper's (and campers') foundation I was feeling completely exhausted but agreed to go out to the "white party" at the Opulent Temple. On the way we (Larry, Ben, Tom, Adam, Peter, Sandra and myself) stopped in at The Bad Idea Theater (still our fav.) to watch Wizard People, Dear Reader (illegal-art.com) which was hilarious. The others were on foot so Tom and I rode our bikes up to the party and gyrated in a sea of dust and white for about 30 minutes before the others joined us. I eventually journeyed back, alone, to find my bed waiting. I stood at the foot of my bed, briefly, and then fell both onto my face and into a deep sleep.

Burning Man: Day 4

People doin things that feel good

Like an ant hill that a kid poked with a stick. See how many people you recognize!

I call him Steve

Camp-mates Lizette and Erin

A view of Center Camp from the coffee line

Burning (wo)Man pose

Today started out slow -- I was up by 8:00 (before the heat) and went out on my own for a little bit. I circled down by center camp and was later joined by Adam, Tom and Larry for photos, coffee and updating our contact info so Larry's daughter and nephew (Melissa and Ben, respectively) would be able to find us when they arrive tonight. We tried some lemonade and stumbled around meeting lots of nice people. One big stop was The Deep End -- a day-time dance party; lots of great people to watch (see the pic of the green-haired guy with horns...). We also made a stop by the vinegar foot wash, as Adam has the onset of "playa foot". The whole process felt great, especially the balm that was individually packaged and smelled suspiciously of petroleum jelly.

After our feet were pristine, we biked up from 6 o'clock towards 10. We found a giant see-saw that, even though 3 people limped away with broken legs last year, Adam and Tom were first in line for. After, and with all legs in working order, we made some quick stops (talked with "God", etc.) and then back to camp to eat and cool off. Naturally we stopped at the Bad Idea Theater on our way back for a drink and a quick review of this evening's upcoming features.

We regrouped after sunset and set out for an evening of drinking and dance music. Things went really well but got cold quickly. We got back to camp around 11pm and found Melissa and Ben, fresh from the road. The whole troop ventured out and wandered the playa for hours on end, drifting from art car to party to art car again. At some point we were informed that it was 5:00am and thus we begin our long trek home.

Exhausted, we all passed out on impact.

Burning Man: Day 3

The Dome

Constructing said Dome

Our first sunset, taken from street level

We slept for what I believe to be 6 hours; Larry, Tom and I woke up collectively in a scorching hot camper. Adam opted to stay up until 7:30am and then sleep in the car. During the night Adam found Pete and Art and after stumbling from our cave-on-wheels to observe our surroundings really for the first time, we packed up and joined our friends.

Today was largely dedicated to building out our campground and arranging our belongings into sensible piles. We did venture out a few times, center camp for coffee + ice, the human carcass wash to check that out (chock full of homo-erotic goodness, btw) and of course out onto the playa to inspect the new stuff. The goggles that Larry brought have been a lifesaver; I've been wearing them constantly. No wind, no dust, minimal sun. Ahhhh.

The sun has just set and although the winds have picked up, people are taking to the streets and getting ready for a late night. I'm not sure what tonight holds but I've heard tales of art-cars that roam the dark outer reaches of the playa in search of passengers and party-goers. Things are looking good and I'm enjoying myself on this, the dusk of my first full day.

...

We adventured out, me wearing only shoes and a pair of silk pants from Walmart in Reno. The winds were so high that we had to wear masks and goggles -- our party-hopping was short lived, but we did find one diamond in the rough; at The Bad Idea Theater we sat and tried homemade beer and watched the first 10 minutes of the movie "Forbidden Zone". A must see, but it's only for those with a senses of humor.

Burning Man: Day 2

Thus begins our exodus from Reno... in theory. It's 5:00 and we're STILL unable to get out of town. Getting... closer.

Larry (pictured above left) guards our mondo stack of H20 with Tom (right)... 50 gallons.

I'd also like to add that my right hip hurts. It's going to be a long 8 days.

UPDATE:
We arrived at the front gates of Black Rock City @ 9:00pm and found shortly thereafter that the camping spot we had pre-selected was for "theme camps" only. Having been separated from Pete and Art just before we stopped for our "Indian" tacos, we circled the adjacent blocks without finding either of them. After a half-hearted search attempt, we biked out onto the playa (not pronounced like "playa-playa girl" as it turns out) and watched the teams construct the giant art exhibits to be revealed later this week.

We met several people -- Roland (a programmer from SF, who wore a suit and offered Maker's Mark to our four-man team), Candy (officially part of the Burning Man TV troop), Alex & Giles (A couple from Toronto) for example. We also watched The Vampirates, who played some lovely thrash-metal while we lounged below their makeshift stage / bar out near 10 o'clock. There were also two girls being whipped by an unnamed man in a giant cavern made of what appeared to be oversized matchsticks.

I've been taking it easy on my hip and so far I've been pain-free. Also, and remarkably, my eyes and skin are so far unaffected by the wind, sun and dust. I'm hoping that my good fortune lasts a few more days.

Burning Man: Night 1

Not much to report... We made it to Reno. Exhausted, Larry (pictured) and I prepare now for slumber.

Burning Man: Day 1

I got in to SFO at 7:30am and was promptly picked up by Larry. We worked until about 3:30pm getting things ready and making sure all supplies were accounted for. As of this post we are officially on the road.

Tonight we will be staying in Reno, stocking up on groceries and driving through Gerlach to Black Rock City tomorrow morning. I've been painstakingly re-packing my stuff into ziplock bags and whispering sweet promises of over-hydration to my body which is withering in desert-filled anticipation.

I'll be posting as I can, but there's no "connectivty" out on the playa. Many, many pictures to follow :)

Time to rock out...

... With or without anything else out. After his name caused quite a stir during a recent office inspection, Mr. Thrash was questioned about his immigrant status and the origins of his family's name.

Although he looks Middle-Eastern, Al D'on Rihab "Don Thrash" Tharwah was born in a small Norwegian fishing village. His love of the rock music brought him to the dirty steets of 10292 as a teen-aged boy. He got caught up in a 187 and after taking two hot pieces of lead had one hip replaced (the right) he vowed to dedicate his life to protecting the world from crime and avenge the innocent.

Leveraging his secret identity as a mild mannered application analyst for a local company, Thrash-man walks the streets seeking to extract his revenge on the unjust.

My back yard is all bright and sunny

Whew, what a day. Little was accomplished but I'm exhausted. It's probably due to the long-distance car travels, but I won't rule out any of the other things going on.

I was pleasantly surprised to find 4 sunflowers blooming in my back yard... It's only a matter of time before they seed and the squirrels come to pillage. I'm considering setting a trap so I can mail one to Dana. I can't wait for the post office to ask if I have anything "perishable, fragile or potentially hazardous" -- all three!

Frogs represent regrets to me

Although I have to admit that I was looking forward to fortifying myself against MS by licking all the bed-spreads in a budget motel, I'm glad to be home.

The little critters in the picture were part of this giant mob of froglings (soooo wee they were) atop a roadside bathroom light. At dusk they gather to pig out on the little gnats that buzz around the fluorescent flame. This will be the example I will use from now on when I attempt to make the best of a shitty situation...

A change of plans

Change of plans folks... The last night out along the Columbia River gorge has been cancelled and we will be heading home tonight.

Big thank you to The Dalles (pictured) for their playground and beautiful sunset!

Gettin noisy in Boise

With a population of 190,000, Boise is Idaho's largest city. Coming up from Utah, I'm amazed at how many coffee shops there are here. I'm talkin THOUSANDS, all indistinguishable from one another. Coffee Joe's, The Bean Factory, Java City, Buzz Factor, Sacred Grounds, etc.

It feels good to be almost home... should arrive Saturday night. Yay! Just in time to unpack my shit and go back to work.

Twin Falls, ID

I used to know this one guy named Jason -- dude had serious problems in high school with both the teachers and with putting too much product in his blonde mop. His dad used to own the Raxx restaurant on 11th in front of Fred Meyer (now a McDonalds). Anyway, I ran into him in a parking lot shared by an Applebee's and a Target in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Since graduating (way back in the mid 90's) he became a Mormon and moved to Idaho to complete his missionary work. He settled down in Twin Falls after he married the daughter of a car dealership baron. Now he's got 6 kids (2 boys and 4 girls) and is "second in command" of a huge chain of dealerships in the 12 western-most states.

I walked with him back to his beastly vehicle and noticed his odd license plate (pictured). When I asked him about it, he just replied, "Yeah, that's what they call me." No further explanation given.

Staring down the barrel of a T-Rex

Ogden, home of the ominously back-lit carnosaurs! There is some debate over the actual name of the pictured beast, but what is known for sure is that its diet consisted mainly of the sweet sweet Michaeldon. Any name suggestions??

I also posed the question to Ethan, "Do you want your picture taken with the one that ate only plants, or the kind that ate kids?"

dude... ranch

We stopped at a "bison ranch" and I was shocked to find these giant, disgusting chickens roaming about!

As a dear friend of mine once said, "Yeehaw!"

Exodus: Colorado

This, my trip to Colorado with a sky that looks like heaven and an earth that looks like shit. Pictured is hwy 25, north of Denver and headed for the WY state line.

PS: Thank you for the call last night. I'm feeling (a little) better.