9.6.11 Adam News and Info

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ADAMTOPIA!!! A ZILLION THANKS TO Q3 AND THE MODERATORS WHO HELP MAKE THIS SUCH A WONDERFUL HOME - - - AND THANKS, TOO, TO ALL THE TOPIANS WHO BRING LOVE AND INTEREST TO THIS SITE!!!!!

AND, THANK YOU TO ADAM FUCKING LAMBERT - - - THE CATALYST FOR JOY AND GROWTH AND MUSIC AGAIN IN EACH OF US!

I can't wait for Sauli's blog, either! His Burning Man perspective will be a delight!

I have a few more "Burning Man" answers . . . . .

The 'ticket' to Burning Man is beautiful; with holograms and designs within a design. When we entered the Playa, we also received a 'tip sheet' regarding driving (park your vehicle and leave it!), gifting, photos (ask first!), where to find medical aid or law enforcement (park rangers patrol the Playa) - a map of the layout, information about the art, and a 160 page book filled with events taking place at different camps during the festival. We also received a 'Survival Guide' - especially valuable to first-time burners, as it answered about every question you can think of. Every day, a double-sided one-page newspaper, the "Black Rock Beacon" is handed out at Center Camp. The "Gate/Birth Edition" for August 29th headlined "Welcome to Nowhere"!

I became interested in Burning Man - the concept of a Utopian, self-reliant society that did not welcome monetary exchange - way back in the 80s when it took place at Baker Beach in SF. Didn't go; was busy with family and college. Along with things like 'hiking the Grand Canyon', it became a part of my list of 'must-dos' while I still can. It was not on my DH's list - - but, as a surfer/artist who married this flower child in the Summer of Love, he didn't hesitate when I said, fianlly, that I just had to experience the Burn. From the moment we arrived for the first time - even though it was freezing cold outside (what a huge surprise!) and snowing on the surrounding mountains - it felt like we had found a place. We huddled around a fire, burning in an old oil drum, and met people that felt like old friends from the beginning. We saw a double rainbow that evening (the one Cheeks has commented on!) and from that moment Burning Man became something we plan for, long for, and participate in with others who have become a little 'Station 9 family' to us. Think of how you plan for Thanksgiving dinner; the reunion, the sharing of tasks, of food, of memories, of walks and conversations, and, above all - love. BMan is like that. Thanksgiving. We keep in contact through emails from our ESD 9 site. Friends who exchanged 'commitment' vows on the platform of the Man last year flew out from Boston almost two weeks ago and stayed with us. We caravaned to Black Rock City, and were 'next door neighbors' at our camp. Their wedding is in three weeks. I also couldn't wait to see our friends from Nova Scotia, who drove a van painted pink 4747 miles to share this experience.

Many people bring their own generators. We were among them. It powered the water pump (used for brushing teeth, mainly) and allowed me to fire up this ol' computer and log on a few times. That was a luxury! Station 9 came through with internet!
I'm one who just cannot use the bathroom in campers/RVs. They're all too close to my bed! And my nose is super-sensitive, after all these years in a hospital. I'd rather use the porta-potties that are located in groups of 5, 10, 25, 50+ throughout Black Rock City. The sanitation crew is huge; and they are constantly out there pumping. They'll pump personal RVs, too - just flag them down. Remember - there are no flies at Burning Man. That makes the PP experience bearable, if not down-right contemplative at times!

Let's go from porta-potties to Playa foot. That kind of rhymes!
The dust storms at Black Rock City can be a fierce white-out. What swirls around is not like sand; it's more like flour. Masks and goggles are essential at times like this. Sometimes a white-out lasts an hour or more; most often it's just a minute or two. The warm dust settles; and it feels soft on your feet. But the pH is extremely alkaline; and feet will become dry, calloused and cracked very quickly if one goes barefoot. The cracks are extremely painful; rarely do they become infected, but they just won't heal in this climate. I wore my flip-flops alot; but bathed my feet (usually while sipping a glass of wine!) in a water/vinegar basin; then moisturized and put on my sox and boots.

I know. Another long post. Sorry. I'm almost done!

I answered a 'mass email' from the creator of the 'Troy Project' - the Trojan Horse. He was looking for gods and goddesses, and I replied that he probably wouldn't want a goddess with white hair! He responded to the contrary, and I became 'Epione' - goddess of relief of pain. My DH then emailed 'Homer', and told him how he was going to give two interactive wine-tasting lectures during Burning Man; and then Homer asked him if he could fill the 'demanding' role of 'Dionysus' which meant wine and legions of satyrs and nymphs! Ha! DH assured him he would have no problem! It became a fantastic part of our journey. I'll PM a few photos - the Horse was magnificent! And I did feel like a Greek goddess!

The Trojan Horse, as well as the Clock and virtually all the art displayed on the Playa, is made somewhere else - and either brought to Reno or to BRC to be assembled. DH made a panel for the Clock, and delivered it to the creator of the Clock for final shipment to BRC; much of the Trojan Horse was constructed in the Bay Area. An area near 5 o'clock - a huge block - contains cranes and all manner of heavy construction equipment; it's sort of hidden, though, behind vans and RVs - and not really noticed! The Temple was built onsite - to the best of my knowledge. As was Burning Man. The creator of the Burning Man concept of 'radical self-reliance' died only a few weeks before the Burn. His ashes lay in the heart of the Burning Man, which made the experience especially poignant, and now, one of shared longing.

Thanks for reading through. Hope I've answered most of the questions. Your interest has fueled my reminiscence.

momtomany

I don't think that's Adam.....sure not his legs. They're leaner.

LOL, you embedded! Height, shoulders, long sleeves... It's possible? He will tweet a pic for us. Now I'm gonna patiently wait to hear what kind of experience it was for Sauli.

Thanks for all of your info and experiences momtomany. I still don't get why people don't shower though. Jugs of water, sun showers (bag of water with shower nozzle that you hang up), hell just dumping a bucket of water over my head would work. Are they not allowed to dump water in the Playa or something?