Best part of 2013?

[strange love]

The bleacher art car, where it's ok to be a spectator!
Sunrises at Robot Heart.
The tilted church.
Lee Burridge playing an 8 hour set at Pink Mammoth on Sunday.
The amazing weather, although I couldn't wear my awesome fur coat at night.
All of you beautiful people <3

[graidawg]

Maybe not the best (by a long shot) but Graidawg coming up to me on Saturday with a huge smile on his face that he finally got laid at Burning Man by, and I quote, "…random strangers…" I recognize that most of you that would be a rather mundane experience, but Grai was so enthralled, I almost got a hard on. Good job Our American Cousin!

*cough* I may have changed names and details to save blushes

[graidawg]

oh yea, best bits. getting laid, coming back to camp to find friends sitting chatting. Friends staying so long they got so drunk that cycling was NOT an option. being a little late for temple burn - so we saw it lighting up as we approached, monday post burn sitting chatting with Bobbin and Mercedes - who also made my burn by not only showing me i was doing it wrong but dragging me out to do it right. Adam for asking a simple question that led to a great night on playa, Billy for coming with. Sadie for "no cheekies" (and telling her mum so)

I guess the best bits of my burn, as usual, are made up of people not the place. some of them off playa

[ACfromSAC]

This thread just brought to my attention that Elliot actually repaired my bike! Elliot, you may or may not remember, but I pulled in with some loose handlebars and you coincidentally happened to already have the allen wrench in your hand and I was on my way in just a matter of moments. I was camped right around the corner from you, I wish it had dawned on me that it was you! Thanks again for your service good sir. You are the first an only ePlayan I have met in person. I hope to cross paths with you again at future burns.

[Elliot]

This thread just brought to my attention that Elliot actually repaired my bike! Elliot, you may or may not remember, but I pulled in with some loose handlebars and you coincidentally happened to already have the allen wrench in your hand and I was on my way in just a matter of moments. I was camped right around the corner from you, I wish it had dawned on me that it was you! Thanks again for your service good sir. You are the first an only ePlayan I have met in person. I hope to cross paths with you again at future burns.

I do indeed remember that case, if not your face. It was pure coincidence that I happened to have the needed tool in my hand at the time. I suppose I simply had not taken time to lay it back on the table. Glad I was able to help!

[lucky420]

oh yea, best bits. getting laid, coming back to camp to find friends sitting chatting. Friends staying so long they got so drunk that cycling was NOT an option. being a little late for temple burn - so we saw it lighting up as we approached, monday post burn sitting chatting with Bobbin and Mercedes - who also made my burn by not only showing me i was doing it wrong but dragging me out to do it right. Adam for asking a simple question that led to a great night on playa, Billy for coming with. Sadie for "no cheekies" (and telling her mum so)

I guess the best bits of my burn, as usual, are made up of people not the place. some of them off playa

We do adore you Grai

[Teo del Fuego]

Loved the Playa Bumper Cars, red moon, the kind soul at Dusty Swan who gifted me two appliance bulbs our bar's antique lamps needed but got broke in the container (your name was Ludo?), Steely Dan Happy Hour and singing my ass off, Wet Spot Saloon, Goodwill Playa Fairy camp, Hashing for the first time in 13 years, Seven Deadly Gins camp happy hour, tending bar at Whiskey and Dust, Tango lessons at Whisky and Dust, perfect weather, gourmet meals from a campmate who used to cook with Golden Café, free American Spirit smokes at our bar, Basque meal in Winnemucca, staying at Hotel Nevada in Ely on the way home and winning in the casino!

[robbidobbs]

On monday night I heard Eeyore asking Gonzo if I had any schwag left for a couple girls who'd emptied out the piss bottles at th 2:30 bank (our camps bank). I yelled out from the tent: give them the Stop The Horror shirts! For the rest of the evening we were all in awe of these girls doing this amazing service. They totally earned those shirts!

[theCryptofishist]

Yes, Ludo is the proprietor of the Dusty Swan. I don't know if he's here often, or at all. He works with B.E.D.

[Nadafed]

Outside of the man being the most spectacular event my eyes have ever set forth on, the biggest impact was the Temple for me. This was my first burn and I have never truly felt energy before, nor am I an emotional person. But Monday I visited the Temple, it wasnt highly decorated yet and I went in with the anticipation to see some spectacular architecture, art and whatnot. What I got was entirely different... I was 100% overcome in emotion of grief to the point where I could barely support myself with my own 2 legs and had to take a leaner on the temple. A fella came to give me a hug and I embraced it. I had to remove myself from the temple. I went outside to quite a opposite moment with yet another stranger and we had laughs in regard to our conversation, it was well needed and the whole experience blew me away.

I went through the week looking at the temple but not returning to it. It was all to mysterious what came over me and I felt a little put off by it all. I awoke from a bad dream at 530am on Sat morn. I went to have a smoke on the playa and continued to venture toward the Temple by myself. As I approached the temple I felt fine and walking up to it past the outer gate was no different. As I made it to the entryway of the temple and stood at the opening, it happened all over again!!! Immediatley overwhelmed with grief!!! Not for anyone imparticular, but just absolutley overcome in emotion! I had to walk around the temple perimeter before I felt well enough to go in and I noticed a writing inside. it said something along the lines of "turn your grief into power" or something on those lines. At this point I had walked around the entire temple and back the the entryway I stopped at. I was "well enough" to go in, lol and I did. I wasnt so overwhelmed this time, so I was able to pay tribute to a few friends and family who had recently passed. (these people were not on my mind when I approached the first or 2nd time)

Anyhow, I have never felt anything like that and it gives a new direction to work from in life...I still dont know what to make of it, but it was real and means alot to me that I was able to experience the energy I felt at the temple. The dude snoring on the floor amongst the pure silence of everyone else was pretty funny too. Fuckin dude! lol

[Savannah]

Glad you had a powerful experience!

And hey . . . In Black Rock City, you nap wherever you can.

Maybe he'd been sad, too. Hell, maybe he cried himself to sleep. Or maybe he just hugged people until the [whatever] wore off.

[Nadafed]

Glad you had a powerful experience!

And hey . . . In Black Rock City, you nap wherever you can.

Maybe he'd been sad, too. Hell, maybe he cried himself to sleep. Or maybe he just hugged people until the [whatever] wore off.

It wasnt a bad thing at all... he was just very loud and I giggled to myself about it amongst the serenity of the temple setting. BUT STILL...I dont know what to think of the temple. Its powerful and thats all I know

[Ratty]

I have never seen the Temple burn. (I could have this year but didn't.) When I went in, I felt a grief and mourning for my 4 lost souls. I scratched their names on a shelf and talked to them for awhile. The pen didn't have any ink but there was noone to read it but me. It was a beautiful Temple.

I had completely forgotten about this until now. I wouldn't say it was 'The best part', but it was nice.

[Aurelia]

Nadafed,

you are tapped

xoA.

[Popeye]

Best part? the surreality of the playa at night, especially early in the week, with the bikes and art cars ghosting through the dark. The people I met and the things I saw. The amazing effort that is put into everyone's burn, all done for others and the quiet satisfaction of knowing you did something well.

[C187]

Acid Shirt-cock Guy
Watching people rush to the temple burn from on top the obelisk a campmate made. (While in an empty camp)
The people at Ranger Station Tokyo that one night, and the conversations.
This vistas as always.
Watching virgins get, and then embracing the Fuck that Guy attitude
Campmates taking me out on mini guided tours of Burning Man.
Random martini on the way to the portos on the other side of the city in the middle of the night.

[trilobyte]

Giving this a nudge over to Experiences At Burning Man, since that's a better fit.

To answer the question, that'd be impossible for me to say. So much stuff was over-the-top awesome, from individual interactions and spending time with friends to big, epic art. I wouldn't even know where to begin, and I barely got to even see or do anything.

[robbidobbs]

It was a pleasure talking with you at the M&G Trilobyte. Lovely conversation about so many subjects (incl kitties). I believe we got a rapport going.

[VultureChow]

It was a pleasure talking with you at the M&G Trilobyte. Lovely conversation about so many subjects (incl kitties). I believe we got a rapport going.

Yay robbi is here!

Potty patrol was one of my highlights and the source of some of my favorite swag!

[robbidobbs]

YAY Loving you VC! I so want you in the Poop Mobile next year!

[pink]

Our camps stealth virgins - one came for early set up & stayed for strike. But she was probably a shoe-in for stealth since she drove solo from Yellow Knife, Northwest Territories.
Watching another virgin go from shellshocked arrival her first night to die hard burner
Having my LDR not only survive being on playa together, but thrive

Realizing that BRC is 'normal' to me.

[The CO]

Telling a pair of sparkleponies trying to cut through our camp they shouldn't go that way: nevermind the rudeness, it's for their safety.

As I am explaining that our camps nickname is 'tripwire camp' (in 2004ish our layout had 173 guy wires in a 10'x15' area)...

one of them trips over a guy wire, causing myself and Sgt Madcock to break out in hysterical laughter.


Close second:
Thursday of the Burn, I was hanging out in Rosie's Bar, enjoying some conversation and not being at work. Harlequin was tending the bar. Three younger fellows were at the bar being served. One of them clearly 'didn't get it'.

He tried to give Harlequin the red plastic solo cup he had been drinking from, so she would throw it away. She told him 'no, that's your Moop, we don't want it.' He kept trying, saying it could be reused (ew, yuck), or put tips in it (stupid, and again yuck). She kept telling him' no, that's your moop.' 

I could hear in her voice that she was rapidly getting more annoyed. The other two of the group were trying to explain that he needed to take his own shit, but even his chums words could not seem to get through to his brain cells. Right around the time Harlequin said for the umpteenth time 'that's your moop' and added 'If you leave that here you are a bad bad burner!" I decided to help educate the buffoon.

I stepped up next to him at the bar, tapped him on the shoulder and said "We'll make you a deal. Hold out your hand." He did so. I reached into my Moop pouch on my belt (everyone has one of those, right?) and grabbed everything in it. It was the end of the 'work day' on potty patrol. Cigarette butts, bits of garbage, some snack bag wrappers, all sorts of little crap. 

"I'll take your cup if you take this." I said, putting everything from my moop bag in his hand.
"Harlequin, give him some of the recycling from back there." She began handing him crushed cans and assorted trash. He looked very shocked as his hands rapidly filled with garbage, and said "I don't want all this crap!?!"

I replied "And we don't want your F**KING cup! Have a great burn!"

[Savannah]

Telling a pair of sparkleponies trying to cut through our camp they shouldn't go that way: nevermind the rudeness, it's for their safety.

As I am explaining that our camps nickname is 'tripwire camp' (in 2004ish our layout had 173 guy wires in a 10'x15' area)...

one of them trips over a guy wire, causing myself and Sgt Madcock to break out in hysterical laughter.

I would've laughed 'til I cried.

"I'll take your cup if you take this." I said, putting everything from my moop bag in his hand.
"Harlequin, give him some of the recycling from back there." She began handing him crushed cans and assorted trash. He looked very shocked as his hands rapidly filled with garbage, and said "I don't want all this crap!?!"

I replied "And we don't want your F**KING cup! Have a great burn!"

[robbidobbs]

I stepped up next to him at the bar, tapped him on the shoulder and said "We'll make you a deal. Hold out your hand." He did so. I reached into my Moop pouch on my belt (everyone has one of those, right?) and grabbed everything in it. It was the end of the 'work day' on potty patrol. Cigarette butts, bits of garbage, some snack bag wrappers, all sorts of little crap. 

That's fucking great CO! I totally imagined the weirdness that is normally in my right apron pocket going into this numbskull's hand! Cripes! I hope it had toilet paper in it! BWAHAHAHA!

[MyDearFriend]

I reached into my Moop pouch on my belt (everyone has one of those, right?)

My 19 year old son has a MOOP pouch and, since he left early to head back to school, I wound up packing it with all his other gear in a bin that got loaded on a shipping container for return to DC. So 3 weeks later I am delivering Puppy's precious objects to Philadelphia ("My party clothes! And my BELT!") and, bwahahahaha he's sitting on his bed opening everything up like it's Christmas presents when he comes to that dusty pouch half-full of trash. He shakes out cigarette butts, broken zip-ties and a cloud of dust. I look at him, he looks at me, we smile... while his non-Burner girlfriend and my non-Burner husband his father are shaking their heads...

[Aurelia]

MDF
a family story to treasure

my sons and I just shared the last of cleaning of shoes

(the darling Daughters are non-Burners)

xoA.

[fernley1]

I went to my first burning man this year with both of my sons. (They both have gone for about 6 years.)

[Aurelia]

Ah Fernley,
tell me how it was !

We (not all, but some sons) have been going intermittently since it began.

xoA.

[Ratty]

Yes Fernley, dish! Did you hang with them? Did you yearn for an older crowd. Was it just you guys? Were they glad you came? Were you glad? Tell, tell, tell.

[Bin Noddin]

That is great, MDF. I can just picture the moment, your big smile and the shaking heads.