The Bitchinariam: AKA Why you missed Burning Man

[GreyCoyote]

So. Here we are. The left-out. The socially wounded. That Thing in the desert is in full swing and here we sit, eating cold beans out of a can and trying to pretend it does not matter. Sure, there is a microwave sitting on the counter, but we cant bring ourselves to use it for fear of losing what little connection we have left with the playa. We spend days listening to BMIR on the net, watching the webcams, and living vicariously through the weather station sensors at Center Camp, but it just isnt the same. No sparkle ponies asleep in your bed. Nobody throwing-up on your shoes. Ah... Burning Man!!!

For us, I have created The Bitchinarium. A virtual conservatory for self-loathing, odes to poor planning, or just lame excuses for why we are still clean, sober, and not-so-sunburned.

Post em if ya got em! The lonely hearts club is in session!

[Elderberry]

I don't want to talk about it.

[Box Burner]

But I don't eat cold beans at burning man.

[BBadger]

For me, this isn't a bitch-fest, even if going to BM would be a lot of fun. I just foresaw too many to get done at this time of year, and it's proven to be correct. I didn't even sign up to buy tickets, and don't think I'd have even gone if I had been offered a free ticket -- though it would've been tempting. So I have nothing to be bitter for, as I didn't have any expectations of going.

I do wish I could go to M&G this year as I enjoyed last year's, but there will always be other M&Gs. Anyway, I'm content to know that they'll be setting up a Buddha-like shrine in my honor -- a reclining effigy in the shape of a toothy meat-cake -- to mourn my absence.

[Canoe]

... Nobody throwing-up on your shoes. ...

Burn-all-week,-then.png

[tummler]

No lame excuse or bitching here, either. I knew I wouldn't make it, so I do not have envy or regret. Determination to get my joyful obligations out of the way before I can do some joyous delights, yes, I have that.

[tahiti_treat]

I wanted a year off for a few reasons. My second year was kind of emotionally tough and I wanted a year away, to get some distance from the things that had brought me down. Also, we had some house repairs to take care of which ate into the vacation budget. So, I don't exactly regret not going - I know it was the right choice, but man am I yearning to be there right now. I knew I'd miss it, but I didn't realize I'd miss it THIS much

[miz wired]

Sad that I am not there but way too much to do at home
plus not long ago discovered BM,

House sale to deal with, son off to college, no time to do it all

But on the up side got way more time to plan for 2014

[Fire_Moose]

This all shows ya that if you really need a ticket, you get one


My gal broke up with me 6 weeks ago or so. Then and there I decided I wasn't going. For one, we had just gotten a Kodiak canvas tent, and SWEET camping sitch all set up, and I didn't wanna ruin my streak of going even years. Sure it's be cool to be out there, but fuck it. Regionals are where it's at anyways.

I made it to the end of the M&G in '10, met up with Misa, Eric, Yggy. It was a good time, I'd love to be at the whole thing next year.

[RedHeaven]

Hey y'all! I have missed the eplaya. I stopped posting last winter, I knew at Bman last year that I would not be able to go this year, so not a shocker or anything.
Thank you for this thread.

Why did Burning Man have to ruin my life? AND, BRC is only a measly 4 hours away from where I live. FUCK ME.

Ive never done an On the Fly Burn, I like to prepare and be there for at least a week. It is SO stressful even to do Bman low pro. I like to save up energy points and mojo and money for it, so I dont do anything a month before (except attempt to focus on regular work, and anything burning man prep related). After the Burn, its a month of recovery. There is an anxiety that comes with that, especially when you are there, Shit I gave up 2 months of my life for this week gaaaah! Maybe even more.....

The past month I have done a super fun tahoe area adventure EVERY weekend on a budget and had so many great times, and will continue to throughout Sept. Been pickin' lots too and playin music and generally being creative. Also, my sign business and shop is in full swing and I am not lagging on my clients and I am making a few bucks. Feels good to not push that important stuff away for a change. I dont have to recover or put all my eggs in one weeks basket (although I would GLADLY do so to go back to BRC) It just feels good to not do that this time.

I had to put my burning man funds into going to Seattle last Spring to visit my brother and his family before they moved back east. Worth it and I dont have to feel like a BurnDoucheTard. I have been neglecting doing that for over 7 years......Because I needed to save for Burning man. LAME AUNT. LAME.


Anyways thanks for listening and I am going to read thru this thread now after I got to vent to you guys and I am sure I will be coveting it for the rest of the week and venting more.

[kittyrodriguez]

Well, I can't really bitch, but I am super depressed I am not on the playa this year... The reason? We went on a family vacation to Italy. It was amazeballs. My husband, my two sons, and I (plus more family) had the wonderful opportunity to see Rome, Florence, and Venice. A once in a lifetime experience. Even if we go back, it won't be the same, as my in-laws and even my husbands elderly grandmother were all there. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.

That being said, I am certain that the apocalypse itself could not keep me from the desert next year. This has been one depressing week. We've done what we could... sent gifts to our camp through friends, had our own tutu tuesday and white party at home, but my heart still hurts.

Planning for next year has already commenced.

[RedHeaven]

A trip elsewhere is a great thing. Europe sounds awesome. Next year Im going to have to put my planning duckets into a road trip with the hubby to see his family on lake superior. Hubby doesnt Burn so I gotta compromise. Needless to say he's a lot less stressed out, too that Im not going. But I did 7 burns without him. I do want to try for a sneak attack Burn next year, so I think I am going to secretly plan it lo pro mwahahahahahaaa

[RedHeaven]

I just went out into the sun in the garden for like an hour and I feel COOKED. super tired. If I was in BRC I wouldn't be phased as much thats for sure. I miss acclimating to the desert right now!

[FlyingMonkey]

I've always said that I want to go every year but being realistic I know that some years life will get in the way & prevent me from going. This is one of those years. I had the pleasure of spending 6 months overseas (winter/Spring) with people I have great respect for, then work sent me away for 2 weeks earlier this month. To be honest I just wanted to spend more time with my family. At least we can live the burn vicariously through the live streaming cam (kidding). Now my only concern is “holy crap, I only have 1 year to get ready for the Burn”.

Knowing that I would miss this year I have made a point to be more involved with my regional group & it been great. I have to admit I do stream BMIR all day at work I have been very distracted all week.

[GreyCoyote]

Only 360 shopping days until BM 2014!

[moonrise]

I got ambushed by a MONTH in the hospital....needless to say I am still struggling to stay alive! Fire Moose is correct, the regional burns will be good enough for me for a while but I have to add, going to the Big Burn is a must IMHO....there's nothing like it and it can take some YEARS to get there and do it right, or even come close to right-ish.

I kinda knew my health was fuckin' with me mid-winter but I never expected to be slammed into emergency surgery and the recovery to take soooo long and still on-going, arg! I'll definitely return some year and hope the same die hards are there to welcome me or who knows, maybe return with some new camp mates I meet at a regional some where if I move away from the shadow of the Black Rock (and of course go a lookin' for my old cronies...BDC BRC Dept. of Mobility, Last Bar Standing and a few other camps I'm loosely affiliated with.

Lastly, by not going you're allowing others to get a chance to go! so feel good about that, share the limited tickets and share the burn experience is one of the best ways to view you're not being able to go year after year after year....give someone else a chance for *ucks sakes! Tough love or whatever that means....share the gift.

Not to mention there are other things in life to do, see and experience and share the lessons learned at Burning Man...

PS Anyone have a last minute ticky they don't want? I could scoot on out for a day or so and gift a few thangs....hahahaha!

[Ugly Dougly]

Fuck the bitching. I choose this.

The SUN is going down, people.
HOWL with me!!!!





AARRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[BBadger]

Glad to hear you're recovering Moonrise, albeit slowly. Running into you on top of BallMart last year was an unexpected treat.

I had a great time at this year's regional. It wasn't the same as BM, but there were a lot of great times and a lot of things different that make them fun. Being able to swim in a salt-water pool was one of them.

[shroom]

I've only been once in 2010. Thought for sure I'd be there this year but life got in the way. I have to travel 2 days each way to get there and take off enough work/school to do it, not to mention travel money in addition to BM money. Besides all that, it's been a really crazy year for my family. I traveled almost the entire month of June and as much as I'd love to be in the desert, another road trip would probably depress me at this point.

I am planning for next year. fingers crossed already.

[Jax Dee]

I was supposed to be pregnant.

We've been working carefully all year with a high risk obgyn and my regular doctors. I gave up my spot at the burn because I have wanted another child more than anything. Every year my stepson gets older I get sadder that he's an only child. I lost a baby in 2004. It nearly destroyed me. So this has been a lot of work to build up the courage to try again and to wean me off all my meds cause they would be harmful to a fetus. But I'm really sick. And after 4 months with no meds I tanked bad. We had to take a giant step back. I'm back on more damn meds than I was before and I'm having horrific flare ups of pain that nobody can seem to help with.

And of course by the time this all happened it was a month til the burn, no way to try and go, and no way my body would function well enough to get me there anyway. Only reason I got to go last year was because an angel named Tinkermom gifted me a ticket and took me to the burn herself. I will be eternally grateful for that experience and amazing kindness. I may never get out there again. But I had the best burn ever last year thanks to her and the rest of the Barbiebarians. I love those guys.

Oh and my foster mom is dying of stage 4 stomach cancer and my foster sister is flushing her life down the toilet with heroin and I just want to eat a bullet. But whatever.

[Fire_Moose]

Glad yer doing better Moonrise.

Good luck Jax.

[PoppyFitzgerald82]

I am here at home, even though I have two tickets waiting for me at will call. I have everything I need to be there. I even rented a car. My financial aid was holding me up. I did receive part of it yesterday. when I went to pick up my rental car and get money for gas and last minute supplies, my card was declined. I called Sallie Mae and had a hard time communicating with the customer service rep who was clearly outsourced to India. I hate it how I just took out school loans at over $84,000 for a Bachelors Degree, and I cant even manage to speak with someone who can say the name Erin Shepherd.
They claim my account is closed even though I have a positive balance. Now, it is the Holiday Weekend and my house is full of all my stuff for the Burn and I am heart broken. One of my tickets was a gift and now they're just going to waste. I cant Friggin' believe it is happening! My two wonderful tickets and friends who are there are wondering where we are. This is especially hard to deal with since I am a Temple Voice and Guardian who planned on doing a Memorial for a close friend I lost in April. Everything Sucks!

[moonrise]

Man poppy, you got reamed! (fed ex them tix to po box ____, _ _, CA zip _____ I'll make 'em work for Sunday... (jus kiddin pal...must be the gawds saving you from a REAL train wreck or sumthin'???????) Hang in there and have a BIG drinkie!!

Thx Fire Moose...I'm tryin to make it all work out....saw ya there at Camp Envy for a few seconds btw!

Jax, fuuuuck...I'm wondering did you stay away from spinal surgery? (I hope so but it's your decision, but in my experienced opinion it ruined me 13 years ago bc they just don't know enough about the spine yet, we hope someday...) I'm now STILL battling the damage that first back surgery the docs did 13 years ago and who knows how long it'll take me to recover to semi-normal from this recent bizarre set back, ugh! Good luck with the rest and wean off prescription drugs with yer docs advice, me thinks and IMHO!! Nuff said....(it was fun riding with ya in the moonmobile that strange night haha!...what a sight that was!) heh heh...whoa

Cheers to the rest of us!

[BBadger]

I am here at home, even though I have two tickets waiting for me at will call. I have everything I need to be there. I even rented a car. My financial aid was holding me up. I did receive part of it yesterday. when I went to pick up my rental car and get money for gas and last minute supplies, my card was declined. I called Sallie Mae and had a hard time communicating with the customer service rep who was clearly outsourced to India. I hate it how I just took out school loans at over $84,000 for a Bachelors Degree, and I cant even manage to speak with someone who can say the name Erin Shepherd.

That sucks, but $84k for a Bachelor's degree? In what? And are you using some of that money to spend on a trip to BM? Not wise, unless your resulting job is well-paying. That debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy.

[Jax Dee]

Wow Poppy, that blows chunks. Nothing I can say will make that feel better but you have my sympathy and hugs.

Moonrise we had so much silly fun that night! And that mattress you loaned me kept me comfy and pain free. Bless your heart. I hope your recovery is going well. I haven't had surgery yet cause my insurance still won't pay for it. It might be dangerous and not for me...but I'd like to be the one to sit down with my doctors and make that informed decision. It shouldn't be made by some accountants for an insurance company. I shouldn't be FORCED to stay at home on disability. I shouldn't be FORCED to put my plans for motherhood on hold or lose them completely cause a company decides it will be cheaper to not treat my medical condition. I am just very angry and frustrated and each year that passes it gets worse. I am doing my best to work thru it with my therapist and my family. All I can do is hope it will get better before it gets so bad I give up.

[Box Burner]

(((((((((((((jAX))))))))))))))

[Box Burner]

Sad to hear Poppy and Moonrise. Hope to see you there next year.

[moonrise]

yeesh poppy!

JAX.....WTF! You must remember what I told I learned about the spine....BE PATIENT!! It CAN heal itself, but you won't hear me UNLESSS I YELL! (call me, PM me for my ph#! if you don't already have it, for the love of gawd....!!) Spinal injury sux Jax but focus on what you can do and NOT what you can't do and I can tell you much much more about what I've learned the hard way...maybe it'll help. I can't advise on the parenthood thing but I KNOW spine injury and it's ins and outs somewhat...

[junglesmacks]

Missing 2013 just gave me more fire for next year.

I don't wanna just burn it down, I want full scale thermonuclear warfare.



Back to the laboratory.

[5280MeV]

Missed 2013 intentionally.

I wanted to build stuff and burn it down. I knew I had the time, money, and energy to either learn how to build stuff and burn it down, or go to Burning Man, but not both. So I have been hanging out at some regional events in driving distance.

May or may not be back in 2014. BRC and the playa are pretty damn awesome, but so is seeing a small crowd of crazy people and mutant vehicles gather to watch your shit burn. Decisions, decisions...