9.09.2004
This year, I had my shortest playa trip, ever. Left work at 5pm Thursday, arrived at SFO to pickup rental car. Stopped in SF to pick up the pre-staged stuff and was on the road by 7pm. Spent the night at the Peppermill (the Annex rooms are cheap, but the ceilings are low and the walls are lined with mirrors!). In the morning ate breakfast and hit the Albertsons for groceries, was on the road by 11, on the playa by 1:30. No lines at the gate, easy ride into BRC, found our space in the BLD lickety-split, thanks to the big map near Newt's Bar.
Ate lunch with friends, cheered riders heading to Critical Tits, made my daytime rounds to center camp for a iced chai soy latte, visited the ToA to hang with friends. Back to BLD for dinner. Cleaned up. Borrowed stuff. Returned stuff. Handed out some playa gifts. Dressed for nighttime adventures. Got to wear my new playa coat. (You know, playa frugality, buy a $13 coat at Goodwill then buy $40 worth of trim at Mendells to decorate it)
Walked clockwise from BLD along the esplanade. Grooved at the Stonehenge-like sound structure at 2:00, walked down the strobe aisle to the neon tube sculpture, played with the control panel a while. Walked the entire Temple of Stars from one end to the other, arriving at the center in time to see a wedding proposal (Be my eternal flame, ...bitch!) delivered on scrolls by the couples' friends who were standing on the ground. Gave the happy couple the pair of matched bracelets I'd made and brought along just in case there was "some special occasion." Wandered through the playa towards 11 appreciating Foo's tree, the sea anemone, the glory hole, and other playa installations. Hung at Lush for a bit, walked the rest of the way around the esplanade. Cuddled in bed. Was actually able to sleep once I put in my earplugs. No van-shaking sub-woofers this year!
Woke at dawn coughing and unable to breathe. The cold night and dust caused my lungs to seize up, and I couldn't stop coughing. Decided to drive home. Packed the van in about 15 minutes. Left the playa by 7:30 am. Breakfast in Reno. Back in SF by 2pm.
What's that, about 17 hours on the playa? Looking back on it, I really got a chance to do everything I wanted to do AND I got home to enjoy an unexpected nice weekend in the east bay.
