Getting your shit back together: progress reports

[nilasnake]

I'm guessing with all the over stimulation the lights, the love, the amazing sites....put my endorphins, dopamines, whatever, into overload...so now I'm just flat lining in my brain. put stuff out on the balcony and hopes the wind will clean it....eventually. avoid balcony at all costs.

[Madgirl]

Laundry is done, folded, and put away. Car is unloaded but not yet washed. Bins and camping gear are in a pile in the middle of the living room. Hoping to go camping this weekend so I guess that'll be the motivation to tackle that cleanup.

[Mojojita]

hardly anything. no energy, no incentive. Everywhere I look, I see a missing furry friend,and just sit back down.

So sorry Yggy. I love the old folk song line, "When I get to heaven, first thing I'll do, is grab my horn and blow for Blue".

[AntiM]

I washed every dish in the kitchen box except for the bag of cups I know were not touched since the regional. Am thinking we are far too generous with our cup and flatware/dish allotment. They are drying in the rack and a few things are in the dishwasher. If you bring ten spoons and there are ten people, you will have ten dirty spoons.

[spacetime]

Got the camelbak hawg cleaned out in the tub. Playa dust down the drain. Drying in the sun now.

[gustavh]

Ygmir, I stumbled upon this poem months ago on the web and your story reminded me of it:

I LOVED YOU BEST

So this is where we part, my Friend,
and you’ll run on, around the bend.
Gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you’ll surely find.

I will go on, I’ll find the strength,
life measures quality, not length.
One long embrace before you leave,
share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
but they be they, and they aren’t you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
Will remember well all you’ve taught.

Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed,
the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
take this with you…I loved you best.


Re-entry has been difficult. I was the camp lead and did way too much work this year. That, in combination with tension between campmates culminated in what I know will be some irreparable damage to what used to be a close friendship. On an unrelated note, I've been thinking it might be time to get out of the bay area so began looking for jobs elsewhere...
Of the 4 years I've gone, this was by far the most difficult year I've had at bm. But somehow it was still magical enough for me to miss it afterwards.

[danibel]

I washed every dish in the kitchen box except for the bag of cups I know were not touched since the regional. Am thinking we are far too generous with our cup and flatware/dish allotment. They are drying in the rack and a few things are in the dishwasher. If you bring ten spoons and there are ten people, you will have ten dirty spoons.

I took paper plates for the first time this year and I will not ever go back to washing plates on the playa again! Next year I will even bring paper bowls! Also - I am going to extremely pare down on the silverware, though that is harder because we make ice cream every afternoon and sometimes people don't have a spoon. I am thinking I will bring a small amount of paper cups and compostable spoons for the losers that don't have any. And make them take them home!

[Jovankat]

I haven't done any post-playa stuff since American Boyfriend went back to work on Monday except cleaning his kitchen (especially the stovetop) which needed attention when I arrived 7 weeks ago but has since been used to cook over 200 camp meals for the burn. He says it has never need so clean. Ever.

I also went through his pantry and threw out everything that was out of date. That amounted to about three garbage bags full, mostly of spices and herbs!

[robbidobbs]

Rinced off main tarp for Pottie Central and colapsable cooler (cloth)"
Reading about just how fucked my life will be next year re pimped potties if I don't STOMP THE SHIT OUT OF THESE PEOPLE!!!

[ygmir]

I haven't done any post-playa stuff since American Boyfriend went back to work on Monday except cleaning his kitchen (especially the stovetop) which needed attention when I arrived 7 weeks ago but has since been used to cook over 200 camp meals for the burn. He says it has never need so clean. Ever.

I also went through his pantry and threw out everything that was out of date. That amounted to about three garbage bags full, mostly of spices and herbs!

herbs and spices go "out of date"?

[Jovankat]

Yep, it takes a REALLY long time but they do. And I found some that had gone out of date in 2009 What's worse is that means they were brought to California from Indiana out of date when he moved here in 2011

[Molotov]

Truck and travel trailer washed and stowed inside my shop building-check
Perishables removed from RV fridge-check
3 weeks of laundry washed, folded, and hung up-check
3 weeks of yard growth of 1 1/2 acres mowed golf course short-check

Still to do:

Go through all the mail that was held while I was gone.
Clean and stow all the excess food and clothing I brought and didn't use-I won't have to buy much groceries for a month.
Need to get an oil and air filter change for the tow vehicle as well as the state inspection and registration that expired on my car while I was gone.
My trailer interior stayed remarkably dust free, but I'm going to put an exhaust fan in the door and go over the interior with an air blower to get any pesky playa out.

And probably another 100 things that I will remember before next year's burn.

[some seeing eye]

More of a humor item of failure in getting your shit back together "Help me get rid of Burningman girl" Craigslist post in SF:
https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid ... jIBtuRyJTY

[robbidobbs]

Just washed tarps & tent. Air drying now. Whew! Moving right along to the home stretch!

[Jovankat]

So it turns out emptying American Boyfriend's pantry was a very relevant thing for me to have done. We brought a cooler up from the car last night for me to unpack today and it full of non-perishable food that will now all fit in his pantry. Huzzah for off-playadipity!

In less good news while at the car last night I noticed the second box of our random crap isn't there. Looks like we'll be driving to Reno this weekend to (hopefully) find it in the storage unit. It's got things in it like my default glasses, the only pair of jeans I own that actually fit and (hopefully) his drivers licence. So that will be time consuming and annoying

[kiboy]

Ygmir, I stumbled upon this poem months ago on the web and your story reminded me of it:

I LOVED YOU BEST

So this is where we part, my Friend,
and you’ll run on, around the bend.
Gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you’ll surely find.

I will go on, I’ll find the strength,
life measures quality, not length.
One long embrace before you leave,
share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
but they be they, and they aren’t you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
Will remember well all you’ve taught.

Your place I’ll hold, you will be missed,
the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
take this with you…I loved you best.

OK now you've gone and done it. I miss my boy so much.

[robbidobbs]

Decompression.
It hits diff people different ways. I've been thru so many burns, it's hard to remember what it was like decompressing after my 10th burn let alone first. I seem to remember a nervous breakdown in October after the burn of '99. Full on melt down that resulted in 2 months of holing up by myself.
I had a lot of growling yet to do that year. I made innumerable mistakes. I embarrassed myself thoroughly. The breakdown resulted in another growth spurt however. And every year I get more and more whole and self sufficient. Every year I come out off the dirt seeing my life differently. This year was no different.

So the way I'm getting my shit together now is I'm looking very closely at what I'm doing, where I'm living, how I make a living and why I'm making any decisions at all right now. Fuck it, I'll make decisions later. October 4th is right around the corner.
Cheers,
RobbiDobbs
Covering your ass since 2001
Better living through amplification
(Edited to remove duplication)

[Aurelia]

Yes , Robbid, exactly !

but back on baker I had no clue how damn much growing I would need to keep up with all of you growing

last night i finally got a deep sleep
Here I am a new better clean

xoA.

[Madgirl]

Hosed down the shade tent, giving myself a healthy refreshing dose of playa dust in the process. Neighbor's dog came and played in the water with me. Tent is now drying in the sun, to be packed away until next summer's adventures.

[Drawingablank]

Been back at default home for 9 days and have compiled this list of post burn things I've accomplished so far:

1. Managed to throw all my dirty laundry in the hamper.
2.

Will have to unpack eventually though.

[theCryptofishist]

You forgot "Maintained diary of my progress".

[Drawingablank]

Update managed to reach step 2 - I unpacked the tail Ratty gave me at the meet and Greet, but clipped it to my kilt and went back to partying.

Forgot it was there and wore it all day at work - and nobody at work said anything to me about wearing a 30 inch purple fur tail!

Been back at default home for 9 days and have compiled this list of post burn things I've accomplished so far:

1. Managed to throw all my dirty laundry in the hamper.
2.

Will have to unpack eventually though.

[mgb327]

Well, today was the camper day. Opened it and spread everything out in the yard. Washed all that needed, repacked most back in for next year. Last load of laundry drying. Shit gustavh, I just saw that poem. I was taking a much needed nap this afternoon, and I woke right up, with some "knowledge" of something that needed to be done. I remembered my Olivias' and Jennys' (my girl-dogs from long ago) grave was in need of weeding, new flowers, and replace the solar lights. Didn't know why It struck me, but I loaded up some nice fake flowers, some new solars and went over to weed and fix it up. Got done, it was beautiful, and it struck me....Olivia died EXACTLY to the day, 14 years ago. She had to remind me.... ((((((Yggy))))))!

[spacetime]

Jogged over to PBR HQ in the peninsula yesterday morning and retrieved my bike from Loren. Had a vision of BRC with all the playa dusted burner bikes set out. Many furry bicycles.

Rode that back hosed it down, let it dry in the sun and inspected the damage. Before the hose it had lots of new rusting on the steel frame, it is from 1938 and I want it to make it to 2038 so I will take on a restoration this winter. I oiled it up, but it definitely needs a new chain soon too as it rusted. I know very little about bicycle repair or restoration, so I'm hoping to learn a general skill as a result of wanting a particular experience on the Playa. I think this could be a cool, learning new things that are generally useful but have a specific application at BM.

On Friday I did inventory on BM-specific gear and costumes and got them boxed and in the garage. Took photos of a few items for planned noob solo survival guide.

Considering a "project per month" thread to help me focus on bigger and maybe two smaller projects to do each month that are burning man related between now and next year. Sort of like the 'one thing a day' thread. September is "clean up stuff, refactor BM gear, chill out" or something along those lines.

[nixiebunny]

I've been home for three weeks, but can't seem to get back into the spirit of working at my home business.

I must need a vacation.

[TT120]

Cleaned and vacuumed my truck yesterday. Changed the air filter. Rolled all my monkey hut fixins up in a tarp and stashed it in the side yard for next year. Put away all my extra canned and boxed food. Shook out my camp carpet and made a little whiteout in my back yard, that was kinda cool.

[spacetime]

Lost a good potential BM planning day to DoTA 2 yesterday. Darn my neighbor for introducing me to that silly game.

[Sunbeam56]

TT120- put the canned and boxed stuff in the pantry. Use, replace... Most things have a long shelf life

[kiboy]

I can't believe I keep coming back to this thread. I didn't even go. I did however watch it on web cam from Camp Envy in my bedroom computer. I can still remember how hard it was coming back the three years I went. I hope to have those blues back next year.

[BootKickingStrumpet]

Well its been 3 weeks today since I left the Playa. I did more traveling not long after leaving and after being home a week from that....my playa stuff has exploded all over the place. Still no motivation to clean it at all.