We are all that exists in all the world. There is nothing but fine dust in every direction shining in the hot afternoon sun. We are alone, alone and free and everything disapears. In this state, that world back there is nothing. There’s the now, the now and the wind.

10 things I have have been up to since getting home. 

It’s been a few weeks.  I haven’t been blogging for the last week. I’ve been busy. I’m a bad blogger. So here’s what I have been busy with. The top things. 

1. Katie and Brian’s Wedding. Yeah, pretty much the best wedding I have been to.  It was incredible and inspiring. Just wow. See my previous post for details.

2. Went up to Benton Hot Springs with my friends Jerri and Ed. Benton is up near Bishop, you know on the way to Burning Man? Every time I pass through there, I think to myself, this is the most beautiful part of California. I’ve always wanted to visit. You know, I was right! It IS the most beautiful part of California! The hot springs were incredible. It was situated in between these huge mountains. The stars were so bright and the sky so open. I can’t wait to go back!

3. On this trip, Jerri, who is a real badass, brought her quad and dirt bike. Fuckin’ awesome! when I was thirteen or so, my dad bought my brother and I quads. I had forgotten how much fun speeding along in the dirt. I forgot the power of that. I left really thinking about buying one. Jerry had made her quad into an art car this year for the Burn. I am all about stealing people’s technology for Burning Man fun. And I hear that utility quads can pull a trailer…

4.  I’ve lost 15 pounds since July. The no sugar, no booze, and working my little tail off traveling all over the country has been paying off! I feel great!

5. I got this great program for my Mac, Delicious Library (http://www.delicious-monster.com/). It lets you scan in your media using the built in camera on your lappy. I have a pretty extensive book, comic, game and DVD collection. I tend to lend my things out. Books are best when they are shared. One of the great features of Delicious is that it lets you loan things to your contacts, giving you reminders when it’s due. It also gives you the option of selling your books on Amazon. Brilliant! I can’t wait to really get into it!

6. I’ve been working for my family’s business for the last week or so. I’ve been sorting through the little numbers for the little metal parts that we sell to keep industry alive in this country.  My grandmother started the company, Monarch Bearing,  in the 50s. It’s been in my life my whole life. That smell of industrial grease and steel. It always brings comfort to me. But this time, while counting oil seals and snap rings i saw art. I am going to make some jewelry from the parts. I kept visualizing these awesome designs. In the next few weeks I should have some pieces. 

7. Since being back in LA, I suddenly find that I have no time again. This is in stark contrast to how my life behaved in Baltimore, Black Rock City, and Denver. There I was busy, but I had nothing but time. I am really going to have to work on chilling a bit here. Nonstop.  Who am I kidding? I love it. 

8. This coming weekend is LA Decom and our party Saturday night Homecoming. (http://www.hipgenesis.com). I am really looking forward to this one. We haven’t officially thrown a party since The Winter Ball. That and as a high school student, I never made it to any of the dances. And lately, it seems like HG is doing school dances. Watch for the Sadie Hawkins Dance coming soon. 

9. I got Facebook spotted the other night. Some guy knew my name and said he saw me on Facebook. Then Y2 said he saw my picture as a Facebook ad! Kind of disturbing. The age of privacy is kind of dead, I guess. I don’t think any of that will discourage my Internet footprint.  There is much more to explore in my media creation experiment.  I think Internet famous is only 15 seconds of fame, anyway.

10. San Francisco Decom. Yeah. Going to that, too.  I miss the Playa. I am going to party the next few weekends. Who’s with me?

When working out of town, I get these habits. I get up early. I head to a spot with coffee and internet (here it is a starbucks and the wf is free in downtown denver). And I write for a bit.  It is actually pretty similar to my playa habit (at least on non-partying days). It’s so much easier to get into good habits when you aren’t really confronting your survival in a windstorm or even with your own acclimation. It’s so easy here. Get up, take a shower, get dressed, brush teeth, head down to coffee, get on internet, blog, walk to work, etc.  When I get back Camp Hotel Room is remade and I can easily redo the pattern.  

I am back to the regular world and acting all regular. I’m being productive.  I’m being healthy. I’m getting enough rest. It’s almost as if a few days ago I wasn’t dancing my ass off in a converted city bus across the desert. I am really missing it to be honest. I miss my town.

But, I’ll tell you, I am so lucky to be working wih the crew I am working with: Jesse, Josh, David Ede, Jedi, Brian Foley. These guys live the Playa. So I guess the real trick is to keep those playa habits alive. What the hell… lets do a  a top ten! 

Top Ten Playa Habits: 
1. Say hello and make new friends. Wherever you go, you will meet new people. Say hi to them. You never know who you will meet. 

2. Wear comfortable shoes and walk far daily. There is much to do and see.  If the biking is good, you may bike. 

3. Appreciate art. It really is everywhere. Acknowledge it and love it. Find it and seek it out. 

4. Drink Water. Really. I think people may be seriously dehydrated. This could explain some of the grumpiness I am encountering in the default. Is it appropriate to respond to people’s complaints with “have you been drinking enough water?”

5. Party like a rockstar. The first week or so of BM, I was dead sober and had a great time. Then I walked the streets until dawn and danced my silly ass off. When you party, give it everything. There is no room for half-assing the the good times. 

6. Give freely. What if we brought the gift economy to the default world. “take it, it’s a gift.”  I’d say we have a pretty serious gift deficit in this world. I miss that most of all.  All I got to say is thank god for per diem. It’s been almost like I haven’t really been spending money while I have been here. 

7. Some days, stay in. Work on your camp. You don’t have to do something all the time. 

8. Make things and make things work. One thing burning man teaches you is that you can get by with what you have and make things work. That bit of rope, that will hold down your shade. That piece of wood, that will work as a cutting board. You cant do that one thing, do this thing instead. Working with The Do Lab helps reinforce this one for sure. 

9. Appreciate theme camps everywhere. In teh default, I got to experience Airport Security Camp, Camp Sheraton (I prefer Ashram Galactica), Camp Convention Center (I prefer Center Camp) and camp downtown denver.  They are just more permanent things with different sets of rules. 

10. Start planning for next year this year. I love ow goal oriented burning man can be. We already started talking about the tavern we want to run next year, and our zeppelin art car.  It’s best to dream big early, rather than when it’s too late.

“Dust Disrupts Burning Man”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/arts/01arts-DUSTDISRUPTS_BRF.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin

So I am missing my Playa. I am really missing it. This is only my second burn night in the last ten years that I have been anywhere but Black Rock City.  It’s hard. But, I am here, an here is really a kind of paradise, no matter how you slice it. Because really, I am the burn. 

So, in no particular order, the top ten adventures I had on the playa. 

1. Getting my mustache shaped twice in the Barber Shop of DOOM! My friend Santi (Barber of Doom) brought out a barber chair and hot towels and straight razors and shaved my face. I have never had another person shave my face. It is a profound intimacy. It is especially intimate that Santi must at every second suppress the urge to slit my throat with his platinum razor.  I even manifested Santi in center camp to give me a a touch up shave shortly before dawn on Wednesday for my flight home. He gave me a Hulk Hogan Mustache, also known as the Enforcer. 

2.  My walk out to the peak of the trash fence. Monday Night, I wandered out to the deepest playa, along the way stopping and visiting some of the incredible art I encountered like the Tower of Babel (the hilton tower) and the indian encampment. At the peak  encountered Wolf, a perimeter interceptor. We watched the moonrise together and had a great conversation. 

3. Going to the Hot Springs. For the first time ever, I went to the Hot Springs before the event opened. Although, the springs themselves were just okay, the wild offroad ride with the other Box Office staff was a blast. I’ll have to do that again. Although I am more interested in high speed rolling through the open playa next year. 

4.  The day long dust storm on Monday. i worked the box that day. It was one of the most intense shifts I have ever worked. White out conditions. Computers going down. Internet failing. People crying. Closing the gate and greeters. Me with a bullhorn working the box. It was a wild day and I took on a lot of energy. It took me until my walk to the trash fence to clear my head. 

5. Watching the moonrise every night. I came with the intention of seeing every sunrise. I saw three. But at moonrise every night, I was there. I became acutely aware of the cycle of the moon. It’s so beautiful. When I arrived the moon was full and popped up just after the sun wet down. On my last night, the moon was a tiny sliver and came up shortly before dawn. I felt very close to the moon out there. Mainly because I was becoming a were-tarantula. Beware the next full moon. I’m just saying. 

6. Flying out of Burning Man. Yeah, definitely the way to go. 

7. Waiting in line to go up to the man, and kind of bumming that there was already a line on Monday night. Then the DPW guard says “is anyone in line Norwegian?” And I, automatically say, “I am Norwegian.” to which he replies “Front of the line, sir.”  It’s good to be big and blond I always say. 

8. Camp Voodoo Bistro. My camp was the best. Again. Our Voodoo Altar was incredibly effective. We gave food to the gods. we made offerings. We asked favors. I totally summoned Kalla using the altar. I loved being in that energy all week. And then there was my Voodoo Man Doll. That thing turned out so amazing. I was really proud of it. I hope they are burning it right now! And then there was our Campmate Zaragun. He is a 6′ across furry were tarantula. So fucking cool! He really became  part of the camp. And the human members of our camp were incredible as well. KT, Brian, Wolfie, Jennie, Scott and Kymber, Steve and Julian, Anastasia (my new pal!), Art (my oldest pal), Rand, Rif, Janneke, Denise, Radhika and all the people who came later… I love you all! 

9. Having Dinner with Rob, the guy who designs Black Rock City Every Year. What an honor. The lasson of this year really was that you never know who you are sitting next to. What an incredible guy. I was able to acknowledge hm for all he has done for my life through his city, to which he turned it on me. He thanked me, for without us, there is nothing. 

10. Camp Veal. When I went to the Virgin Mobile Festival a few weeks ago, I had this idea that I tossed around with Scotty. About Richard Branson (Virgin) went to burning man every year. We created this whole story. Then I started telling it at Burning Man this year, about this camp that Branson had set up. That he arrived in a silver hot air balloon (there was a takeoff and landing of a hot air ballon). That he was arranging a low altitude fly-over of the Virgin Galactic Spaceplane (this sparked  lot of anti-corporate sentiment) and that he camped in a huge silo of RVs far afield with his massive entourage (a comment on the number of massive RVs I saw this year.) I had so much fun dropping this little meme into the consciousness of Black Rock City and I wonder how far it spread.  I really wonder. If you heard it independently of me, let me know. 

I know there were more. But I gotta go party with my do lab people! Getting present to the great adventures I had sure makes me feel less sad about missing the puppet show tonight.

I went to Sparks yesterday and got a amazing light sweater. It’s all voodoo and pipes and top hats. It’s so ugly, I love it.  I also got a unicorn sweater, which is awesome. It’s weird going to ”civilization” everything is so bright and saley. I really didn’t spend that much though, so that’s nice. Ross in sparks. It’s awesome. 

So the box is getting busier,  the city is getting even more fun and my friends are arriving. So blog posts are going to come less frequently. 

The weather is awesome. Bring a light jacket, as well as your fur. Just saying. Just get here.

I love sleeping out here when you can. It is peaceful camping. Early is when it’s at. Soon there will be no rest for the wicked. Last night I passed out right after my shift. I slept like a baby with plausable dreams of utopian anarchist futures. 

Still no shade built, but the aor is cool and the sun shines but really… today is the most beautiful day I’ve seen on the playa in some years. Cool and breezy and clear.  I can see the man base from my camp, a three story skyscraper beneath where he will be. wow. But the carport will have to wait untl I have a friend to help me set it up. 

I decided to finally do some work around my camp. I tried to set up my shower tent. Well it is an awesome tent. But there is nothing more emasculating than a man fighting with a 3 foot across tent in the wind that will not let up. I gave up. but when it calms down, it’s on. Needless to say, I am pretty ripe and dusty. My hair does interesting things.  

So I decided to construct the Voodoo Man Doll. The wind proved excellent testing for it.I went with a simpler and more efective stand, using the nautural angles to keep it solid. I tested it in wind and I think I can get away with just one or two anchor wires. This is good news! Now all I need to do is attach some canvas, drill some holes for the 8″ “pins” and attach the hammer, the nails and the sharpies for the curses and blessings.  I am really happy with how it’s coming out. 

I finished this all before noon. I’m now at my shift in the box. I gotta say, my work is a pretty sweet deal. I get to be that first face people see when they come in. I get to meet artists. I get to work with great people. I get to interact with the gate crew who are AWESOME! I get to experience the dust storms from an air conditioned box.

They have locked down the internets now, so while it is calm in the box, I will still be hitting the blog. But it probably won’t stay calm for long. People will start arriving very soon. My last shift is Monday. 

I love this town.

It looked like rain this morning, so I drew out a few of my tarps and covered my stuff outside my tent. I also packed all of my rain gear for work today. By the by, the surest way to prevent rain? Pack rain gear, bring rain boots, be rain proof. If it’s raining, you can be sure some jackass on your crew forgot their raingear. I’m just saying. 

I am camped in the middle of nothing. I have a one block radius in all directions and a bank of portapotties to choose from. They are clean, mainly because I am the only one using them. But they fill with dust and the blue chemical is steadily drying up. Soon, these will be surrounded by people. The plus side is that I will be leaving before they get really bad. Hopefully. 

We opened the box office a day early.  Our shifts start today, and I was given a field promotion to shift lead. My last shift is Monday night. I’ll have a few days to party at least! The box office is right adjacent to the gate. It’s interesting. The cultures of the two groups are totally different. Box is all about being nice and making peope feel welcome. The gate is about getting your ass in, making sure you have your tickets and early arrival passes, and looking for stowaways and other shenanigans. I’m looking at a 12 hour shift today. Sweet. 

The wind still hasn’t let up. So I still haven’t set up my shade structure or shower tent. My hair is doing interesting things. But early on there is this odd aversion to being clean. Everyone is just expected to be a certain level of filthy.  I’ve been accused of being clean at least four times. So by the time most of you get here, I should be a shriveled monster. No matter what, I can’t seem to keep my lips unchapped.  

Now, here’s the thing. Every year, for the last four or five I have come out early. Every year, I have been given reports of off weather or terrible dusty conditions. And then, every year things have been fine when people get out here. It is a very unpredictable and challenging environment. It changes constantly. It is beautiful or horrible depending on your perspective.  Come prepared. Come ready for anything. Be adaptable.  

The playa is beautiful.  

And dusty…  And windy. 

and now, the videos I wanted to share (I got some fast speed). Just go to the link. it’s still processing now. Man there’s gotta be an easier way. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/spacemaneric

So last night i was sure I would be swept up into a tornado. I could almost hear the cackling of the wicked witch of the west as I got carried off to Oz. 

Windiest I’ve experienced since my first year in ‘99. I really feared that my super awesome canvas tent might fall down. It didn’t, but i woke up several times in the night, fists clenched in serious peril. Prepare for wind, friends. Bring rope and rebar and be ready to batten down the hatches. Bring chapstick.  It has been crazy windy nonstop for the last 24 hours, steady and fierce. Dust storms are common.  

And as a rule, you should always keep you tent door shut ( i mean, unless you are going through it or airing out your tent). You should never head out onto the playa with an open tent door, not even a crack! Trust me. 

And a request, I had a dream last night and the gods asked for cigars. So if you find yourself inclined, please bring a cigar for us to smoke in the Lwa’s honor.

I just set up my tent and campsite. Voodoo Bistro is more like 4:40. We’re between astral headwash (yeah!) and JLo’s topless camp… whatever that is. 

I arrived yesterday to see the most magical sunset and moonrise. When the moon is full, it is directly opposite the sun, did you know that? The moon rose in a cloud of dust. So beautiful. 

The city is so empty. Infrastructure is just being set up. I was so tired when I landed. It took every ounce of energy I had to unpack my car so i could sleep in the back. I love my car. 

I decided though to wander out to Early Burn, where men were burned. Fireworks were launched. Old friends were seen. I was so tired though. I ended early. I had to walk. The playa is so soft around my camp that I couldn’t ride my bike. Boo. It was like walking on the moon. 

So what I am hearing is that this is the dustiest year ever. It’s hot. I heard 108 yesterday. Today it’s very hot. But overall, it’s lovely. I love it here.  Don’t forget the sunscreen. 

Comment to the blog with specific questions, I’ll see what I can do. I am getting wifi in my tent at this point, but there’s almost no interference at this point. I’m gonna see about putting a video in here! okay. not this time. More to come. I promise.