<p>Yes. She Is Back. Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.</p>
<p>The art was incredible. The scene was Fellini-esque. The desert conditions were intense. And I had a ball!</p>
<p>The essence of Burning Man is serendipity and generosity. The gift economy is a key part; nothing is for sale except coffee and ice. Everything else is free to all who show up. Many many people come to Burning Man and have elaborate camps that they have created as gifts to the community at large. For example, Astral Head Wash-- you could go there and be shampooed. And there are hundreds of camps offering their particular thing to the community, whether utilitarian or goofy. As a result, you feel inspired to extreme generosity yourself. That was one of the best parts.</p>
<p>The next unique feature was the out-there-ness of everything which makes for a very free, non-judgemental environment. I am a fairly conventional person so I don't suppose I crave that environment as much as some do, but if you were at all odd it would be a huge liberation.</p>
<p>The art was incredible. I will be back later to tell more!</p>
<p>Okay I am back. Favorite art: </p>
<p>"Belgian Waffle" aka "Belgian Woody"-- made by 60 Belgian engineers who had costs underwritten by their structrual engineering firm. This was a huge swirling structure made of wood pieces that were about 3" x 3" x 7'... roughly the dimensions of large toothpicks. The structure was entirely swirling and asymmetrical and hollow inside and was as big as an airplane hangar. It resembled a dollop of whipped cream in overall shape. When you went inside the sunlight filtered through all the gaps in the sticks was gorgeous. By night the place was lit. Heartbreakingly beautiful.</p>
<p>Another great piece was this huge (70'?) tower made of very thick pieces of bamboo (maybe 6" diameter bamboo). It had four bamboo legs, tripoding outwards (each leg used several lengths of bamboo tied together, so they were each about as thick as a telephone pole) and the upper part was like a spherical porcupine with spikes of bamboo radiating out in all directions. Imagine a water tower in size and basic shape. There was one rope dangling down near one of the legs. The spherical portion was at least 25' above the ground so to climb this structure you either had to go hand over hand up the rope till you hit the porcupine part, or monkey up one of the legs. It was NOT easy. Very buff guys in their 20's were able to do it. My girlfriend (45) went right up it like a monkey climbing a coconut palm -- people were cheering. So cool.</p>
<p>The third piece I really enjoyed was the Temple. It was made up of about a dozen spire-like structures that were of differing heights (maybe 10' to 25' tall) and from a distance they were roughly shaped like candles, or torches; also kind of reminiscent of the roofline of a Russian palace. They were built out of a pale whitish wood. The bases of each were altars, with lots of shelves and levels, and were decorated with lots of small pieces of wood in designs that looked like garlands, vines, lotuses, wings, swirling smoke, etc. The idea was to write a message on one of the pieces of wood or to tuck a memento into one of the cracks. </p>
<p>It was a very beautiful piece because of all the messages, which were the thoughts that all those who entered the temple found the most important or resonant. I few were messages to the writer's self: "Let go of fear," or "Live in the Moment"-- but mostly they were messages to people: people who were significant in the writer's life. Some were so sad: "Dad, you just never understood me," or "Mothers should not commit suicide," or "Tom why didn't you love me back?" But most were like this: "Thank you grandpa for always loving me," "I wish you were here; you would be so proud of our daughter," "I'm sorry for not being with you at the end," and "Thank you Mom: you were the beautiful, loving, caring mother everyone deserves." </p>
<p>It was so clear that the meaning of life is those intense relationships between human beings. The Temple was my favorite place on the playa.</p>
<p>My camp situation was really nice because it was several old timers, each of whom had brought a new person or two. So we had good creature comforts-- a solar oven, a great parachute-tented living room/kitchen area, an airstream trailer, a sort of an open air porch for bikes, a solar shower, a sound system (solar again), plus all the tents for sleeping. We were a mix of gay and straight, older and younger (16-60,) women and men, and were from Canada, New Orleans, Arizona, & Ca. </p>
<p>If we do NYABM it would be critical to come up with a great gift piece of some kind. Also I vote for a Winnebago caravan, because the one flippin bummer is the bathroom situation which gets progressively worse over the course of the week. </p>
<p>Still it was a great time. I would like to go back with my older kids; they would love it. I also think it would be an excellent place to bring one's prospective daughter or son in law, for a trial run, to see if they could be a good sport and hang with the family. (Because of the intense weather, aforementioned hygiene challenges, tons of dust, etc-- if you have fun together at Burning Man it is pretty much the acid test of compatibility.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
...if you were at all odd it would be a huge liberation. --SBmom
[/quote]
Sinner's Alley...where odd is normal and normal is odd. :D Welcome back, SBmom!</p>
<p>SBMom, thanks for the update. I love your description of the art pieces. For me, alas, NYABM may be largely a cry of spirit. So I appreciate your post all the more.</p>
<p>SBmom - Just returned from holidays and the first post I read was your description of BM and the wonderful art...ahhhh...someday... :)
- just curious, how well did the solar oven work and can you describe it? I have some instructions on making a solar oven but every time I get ready to make one, the summer is somehow over and the lush rainforest once again encloses over me and starts dripping...</p>
<p>So wonderful to read your report, SBmom! I knew that the gift economy underlies the entire operation, and I've scratched my head to think of something I could offer. My older S suggests "water" but that seems so mundane... Did your camp have any theme?</p>
<p>SBmom--your trip sounds hexa fun!</p>
<p>So, there have been some changes in my son, home on break before going back for his third year at Chicago. He has started lifting weights. And eating large amounts of powdered whey mixed with milk in order to bulk up. So he has gained about 20 pounds. No one can tell. He is still incredibly skinny. </p>
<p>He also does 15 minutes of DDR as a prelude to the weightlifting. His younger sisters are fascinated by his skill at DDR as am I. I'm also fascinated by the fact that he wouldn't have been caught dead doing DDR a couple of years ago! Anyway, it looks like it gives a good workout. I've been thinking of trying it. Perhaps tonight is the night :eek: . Not sure if I want to try it when the girls are home. The sight of me doing any kind of dancing is preetty amusing to them. The stinkers . . .</p>
<p>Wow, SBMom! Sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing. :)</p>
<p>OK, I just have to get back to the whining that is at the heart of SA.</p>
<p>After many instances of cajoling, threatening, bribing, pleading, and pointing at the big chart printed on the whiteboard propped on a spare chair in the kitchen near his place at the table, TSFH completed his first application last night! :eek: </p>
<p>/me faints</p>
<p>Some of you may say "I told you so", but I swear it was not a slam-dunk in any sense. It is the most minimalist of applications, in that it only requires grades, SATs, senior year course list, GC report, and a brief personal statement, but it's for a rolling admission and he was apparently motivated (perhaps by my refusal to make dinner until he revised his personal statement) to get it done early. He is handing the packet, including a stamped self-addressed return confirmation postcard and the appropriate postage for the package, to his GC this afternoon.</p>
<p>I have to say, his personal statement wasn't one <em>I</em> would have written. Like much of what he writes, it seems slightly off-topic (which is hard to do when your topic is yourself, LOL!), but at least he wrote something, and then printed it on some paper watermarked with a graphic design he'd done this summer. Afterwards he sighed and said, "Oh man, now I have to do that 8 more times? Sheesh!" </p>
<p>As long as I'm missing him <em>and</em> his brother at this time next year, with both of them off at a college somewhere, I'll be OK with the process. sluggy, maybe he could take lessons from sluggson in how to succeed even when you seem to be trying your best to sabotage yourself: is sluggson offering?</p>
<p>I joke, but... big day. It might be too much to hope for good news in a few weeks, but we'd take it. I just won't hold my breath.</p>
<p>What is DDR?</p>
<p>SB...LOVE the descriptions of BM. I'm SURE I could cook up a temple we could assemble.</p>
<p>Dance Dance Revolution. Available on the PS2.</p>
<p>D turned 18 yesterday :)</p>
<p>Away from home and family :(</p>
<p>With new friends, who celebrated with a pancake breakfast :)</p>
<p>But still miss her presence :(</p>
<p>Ferrets have pulled up stakes for another four years, until my S is a HS senior. </p>
<p>Wait, come on back, he is applying to the Creative and Performing HS in the Winter!</p>
<p>DDR = Dance Dance Revolution, a video dance game. See <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Dance_Revolution%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Dance_Revolution</a></p>
<p>OMG. Chills up and down my spine. Fate. Cheers to design the temple. SBMom to bring the video camera (and S to film?), Moot to design the cc@BurningMan website and live feed of something, mootson to provide VW Service Lessons for the gift economy, slugg to provide the ongoing narration and blog of our experience...and so on and so on...</p>
<p>Maybe I will anonymously run the fundraiser so everyone gets merit money to attend:).</p>
<p>And the mascot, of course, m&sdad's D can create a huge art object in the shape of a MARMOT!!!!</p>
<p>How do you DDR at home, pray tell?</p>
<p>Alum...why can't you attend a BM? I'm a bit nervous about the timing, thinking both Ss will be home at that time in '07. Given the way I was launched to college, I suppose I could give a "Sorry darling, I can't pack you up for your first year of college--I'm off to an orgy of generousity in the desert!"</p>
<p>That should add to my already legendary status.</p>
<p>The solar oven was excellent; it worked really well. </p>
<p>The great cook of our camp made banana bread & lasagne in it, and both were excellent. It looked like one of those big plastic cone dog collars that they put on dogs so they wont worry a wound... only a little bit bigger and silver. At the bottom of the cone was a glassed-in oven space.</p>
<p>As for a gift to the gift economy, I don't think drinking water would suffice (radical self-reliance means everyone should already HAVE water). However, a swimming pool or a room full of cold misters would make you many, many grateful amigos.</p>
<p>There were bars in abundance, or I'd say we should do a SA on the playa. Maybe a giant marmot art car? That could be fun!</p>
<p>Do people bring generators? We could do a Misting Temple....</p>
<p>Yep, generators allowed. Solar generator maybe?</p>
<p>A misting temple would be COOL!!!</p>
<p>Now, I have to say that, while Alu's ideas for our BM gifts are truly excellent and there is clearly none better than cheers to design our temple..... wouldn't it be an awfully useful contribution to the gift economy to gift them Sinners' Alley? Our booze is virtual, so we wouldn't violate any rules or sensibilities... We could lug the naugahyde booths out of our Winnebagos, create the necessary atmosphere rather easily after our 4000 posts of practice... Need I say more?</p>
<p>We passed MICA a minimum of three times in our comings and goings to and around JHU this week. At no time did we see a candy-apple red desk hanging out a window. From this I conclude that m&sDaughter successfully negotiated the placement of said desk in the room (and there were no displaced roommates hanging out of any windows either). :)</p>