Commodore Minxie.... bring me that horizon!

Public Emenies is ALIVE!!!!

2009-03-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

At long last the trailer for Public Enemies movie directed by Michael Mann, starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard due for theater release July 1, 2009 is out!

From the looks of the trailer, this is going to be a BlockBuster Must-See movie for 2009!

Here are some screen caps from the trailer. *Screen caps are taken from the trailer no copyright infringements are intended or implied*

*PLEASE DO NOT POST THESE PICS ON YOUR WEBSITE.... SIMPLY LINK THEM...... THANK YOU!*

Its been a while...OOPS!

2009-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since I posted a new blog, so here is a simple one.....

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!

Ooops! It appears that I forgot to turn on the comments.... :D

Thanks to all my friends near and far, your friendship means the world to me!!!

For My Friends.... A Look @ 2008

2008-12-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Just a little something that I put together for my friends.... you are the most amazing group of people and I am VERY blessed to have you in my life and to call you FRIEND!!!!

2008 has been a year of ups and downs.... it has been a year of love and heartbreak.....but the constants in my life have been my friends and the fun filled times that we have had. I wish a farewell to 2008 along with the bad.... but hold dear the memories of the wonderful times!

I look forward to ringing in the New Year and making 2009 another fantastic year or memories!!!!

Thank you one and all.... near and far for being my friends and blessing my life with your incredible spirits and love!!! I love you all!!!!

Merry Christmas to all.....

2008-12-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!!!
May your Christmas be filled with Peace, Love, Happiness and the true Spirit of Christmas!!!

The pirate tree!

What pirate doesnt have a chest filled with booty?

Or a bottle of rum?
Why is the rum gone?

The white tree
for the magic of the season...

Thank you all for being my friends....
You mean the world to me....
May you be blessed in the wonderful
ways that you have blessed my life...
and more!!!!!

Your friend,
Commodore Minxie

Third Annual Caribbean Christmas

2008-12-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

What do you get when have a party with monsters, rennies, Drunken Dragons, alcohol and a Christmas theme?.....

You get the Caribbean Christmas Minxie Style!

Welcome aboard the ship Amardon as we set sail for the Caribben with pirates, elves, and a cast of characters that make you smile!!!

The third annual Caribbean Christmas party was a grand success! This year was the best turn out we have ever had and we only had two people that showed up that needed to be decorated.... rules: come in costume or your Christmas finest or be decorated by the crew! :)

Of course there was enough alcohol to keep everyone warm and lit all night long, great music, a 99 cent gift exchange, bon fire, limbo, potato game and of course we had our very own special Santa..... The party started at 5pm and went until 5am .... Yup, we know how to party and party hard!!!!

As always, pictures say a 1000 words......

Minxie as a SteamPunk

I made the goggles and the skirt... I was pretty proud of the skirt...

This is the famous Christmas pose... :)

First adventure of the night was having to make repairs to the gate... The Master Gunner, Lu, thought his little White Pearl was smaller than it was.... He took out the gate and half the Christmas lights in the front. Good news is there was only a small scratch on his sideview mirror. The gate and lights however, did fair as well. What do you do? Grab some tools and head on out to make some adjustments.

Whats a steampunk without her tools?

Just a few adjustments and we were good to go

It took a few of us to get it... but we did.
Gotta love my friends... they are
always there when I need them! *MUAH*

I took great pleasure in giving Lu a ration of crap all night
for maneuvering skills. It was all good!!!

The best gal pals a Commodore could ask for!!!!

Once again TruBBle looked amazing in her
outfit!!! I have to pirate that hat!

The quartermaster was in his finest.... damn he looked good!
Let the drinking begin!

And drinking there was!

Captain Jack Sparrow had his
own wench for the night! ;)

And the fun begins....

Beast looked like the Mad Hatter when he
pirated TruBBle's hat.

The Brotherhood presented the Commodore
with their "wood"! And so the games begin!

We started with the limbo..
you cant spill your drink if you fall!

Denise was our winner!

She acutally tied with LeRoy, so we flipped a coin!

They did have some flexible competition though!

Everyone is waiting the arrival of our special guest...

Santa "Claws"!!!!
Our very own werewolf Santa!
He was a BIG hit!

Time for pictures with Santa...

The Lycans snarl together!

Of course every Santa needs his elf!
Thanks Lu & Dy for bringing the Christmas Cheer!

I think the Christmas Bunny was too much for Carrie....
she doesnt like furry things!

He is the "Quarter Master" NOT the Master of Verticality! LOL

Hanging by the bon fire!

It has now become a tradition that Lady Eyes and the Quarter Master
trade clothes with eachother.... its always good for a laugh!

Party in the kitchen!!!!

As the night turns to morning...
they start dropping like flies!

And so the party comes to an end....

Another Caribbean Christmas is now down in the log book. As always it is the wonderful friends that make these parties so terrific!!! I am blessed in so many ways to be surrounded by the most incredible people, near and far!!!

Merry Christmas to all........

My Night as a Monster @ Knotts Halloween Haunt

2008-10-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to TPA (Theme Park Adventure) for hosting the contest that enabled me and my friend Diana to become monsters for a night!!!! You can read TPA's article about our night and see additional pictures here. Thanks to Rick West of TPA, Michelle Wischmeyer, Marketing Knotts Berry Farm, and all the monsters of the Corn Stalker Maze and all the rest of the monsters for the their support. WE HAD A BLAST!!!!!! Special thanks to Rick for allowing me to use his photos. (All photos are copyright by TPA & Rick West)

It started off as a whim to enter the TPA TERROR X2 HAUNT CONTEST. I entered it online at their website never even imagining that I would have a hope or a prayer of winning. Then one night I got a call from my friend Gina who was at Haunt for TPA night. He asked what my last name was and I asked her why. She laughed and said "They just announced the winner of the contest and it was your name!" I thought for sure she was yanking my chain. But sure enough the next day, it was posted on the TPA site. I had one a night as a monster for me and a friend, 2 tickets to Knotts Haunt, 2 VIP dinners, and 2 Haunt T-shirts. I was floored.

I have been asked many times by the monsters when I was going to cross the "veil" and work at Haunt. I always laugh and say never! NEVER SAY NEVER!

I was contacted my Michelle @ Knotts and the night and details were set into motion. At first I was told that we would probably get masks (ick), but they later decided that without a proper fit there might be a safety issue so we were going to get makeup instead! (YIPPEE!)

As always, here are the pics to tell the story.... enjoy....

Off to Knotts wardrobe to get our shrouds...
we were to be zombies

Our sweet Sugar Monster stopped by to wish us luck.

Once in our wardrobe it was off to makeup

Start with a pale basecoat

The we get the airbrush paint job

All exposed skin is painted

and the transformation starts to take form
(I look like a Smurf! LOL)

Additional colors are added for depth and effect

And another color is added for highlighting

again all exposed skin is painted

Once all the base colors are finished
then starts the detailing

And the zombie starts to come to life

Beast dropped by to show his love and support

Finishing touches

Meanwhile, Diana was getting her zombie look on

Do you think I am done ?

Oh no, theres the hair
as Lu looks on for his approval

Hey my turn for hair!

She said she was sorry for me when I had to brush it out. LOL

Diana and I see eachother for the first time....

Taking my pic for her portfolio

My amazing makeup artist, Deanna!
Thank you so much love!

At last the finished product!

The zombies LIVE!!!!

MY first look at myself!
Damn! I am scary looking!

Then is was off the maze and my darling Daughter
was there waiting for me...
She was my first scare of the night!
*tee hee*

Corn Stalkers

OH MY!!!!
We are scary!

and so our night begins in the maze....
scaring guests and having fun

I worked near the "Tin Man"
he was great!

And our pumpkin head
was a great help too!

Diana worked the front of the maze

And got some GREAT scares!

The hardest part for me was keeping a straight face
It is TOO funny watching people get scared~
I dont know why that is....

My little princess and family came to visit me
she was the only one who got a smile from me

I couldnt bring myself to scare the little ones
so I would just high five them...

Waiting for my next victim

Thanks to Lu for making the shaker can!
Thanks to Dementia for the use of her gloves

This guy was priceless....
I followed all the way out of the maze.
Later that night while on break, I saw him
elsewhere in the park and walked up to him
again....
he screamed AGAIN!!!
LMAO!

Guests walking thru the maze
is like shooting fish in a barrel!

Sometimes all it took was a creepy look
and a crooked tilt of my head

My favorite was chasing them
out of the maze.

The shaker can is very effective too.

Thanks again to Rick West of TPA!!
YOU ROCK!!!!

The zombie and her friends and family

It was the most aMAZEing experience... the have crossed the veil and lived to tell the tale.... I am still asked if I plan to work Haunt next year..... I guess we will just have to wait and see....

Thanks again to everyone who made our experience the best ever!!!! I adore you all!!!!

Happy Haunting

Knotts Halloween Haunt.... Monster Mash 2008

2008-10-02T12:42:00.001-07:00

WARNING: MAY CAUSE NIGHTMARES!!!!

Well, you have all heard me talk about Knott's Halloween Haunt..... this event has been going on since the 70's and is STILL going on strong! Starting in September and running thru October the dark veil is lifted and the monsters roam the streets of Knott's Berry Farm..... it is the most fun and the world's largest haunted house!!!! There are 3 scare zones: Ghost Town, Camp Snoopy's Gauntlet and Carnevil. There are 13 mazes this year: Slaughterhouse, Labyrinth, Quarantine (for the movie release Oct 10th) Corn Stalkers, Killer CLown College, Lost Vegas, Alien Annielation, Doll Factory, 13 Axe Manor, Asylum, Club Blood, Pyromaniacs, and the train ride that escapes me right now....LOL. If you ever get the chance... you have to go!!!

This is only a small portion of the over 500 pics that I have taken so far this year... but its a good start..... stay tuned.......

Me and Bastard

Me and Lucifer (Lu)
My Master Gunner
He is losing the "game" this year...
Score:
Minxie = 9
Lu = 2
(and he scored for the first time on the 5th night!)

Not sure if this is a Ghost Town
or Gauntlet Monster.

Jackyl

Daddy & Jabber

Vasoline

My dear friend Wada Monster

Ghost Town/pre-scare Monsters

The Famous Bride
she hisses and smells like roses.

The Hangman
*1st time in 4 years that I have gotten his pic*

Nonni
I captured this cool pic by accident.

Andros and his chainsaw
(so glad I conquered that fear this year!)

The Undertaker
(he is GREAT rookie)

Sparky
We <3>

The Crow
(not sure her Haunt name... but she is awesome)

Uncle Mike

This face just freaks me out!

CS Gauntlet Monster

The Queen in the Labyrinth

Labyrinth

CS Gauntlet

My friend
The Heartless Queen

The King of Knotts

CS Gauntlet

Quarantine Maze...
the talent in here is amazing!!!!

Quarantine Maze

Corn Stalkers

Our Little Dove
Carnevil

Carnevil

Ghost Town

Sugar... NOT Riff

The Lovely Chanel

Hello Lu

Lucifer

Ghost Town

Necros

MonStar
Why so Serious?

Quarantine

Our beloved Dusty Geezer
usually he is funny, this night
he was scary!

Asylum Baby

Club Blood

The most awesome talent in the
Doll Factory
JILL
*MUAH*

Outside the Doll Factory

I hope you enjoyed the pics.... mroe to come as I get time to load..... I am off again for Haunt tonight....

Happy Haunting......

Minxie the Haunt~arazzi!

Burning Man Day 5 Friday.... Critical Tits Day

2008-09-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, Sorry, I have been pretty sick this week so I havent had a chance to update the blog.... so here we go onto Friday, Day 5.

WARNING:
NUDITY CAN AND WILL HAPPEN ON THIS DAY!!!

Friday started off like most every other day on the playa, with coffee and breakfast.... but since our time on the playa was running short, we decided to get an early start on the day by going to Center Cafe for our morning Chai Tea latte and to replenish our ice stock.....

We thought it would be fun to have some fun with our Chai.... and fulfill some of our "fantasies"......

Magic was adored by two blue men!

And I was worshipped by one of my own... :)

When we suddenly saw a strange animal.....

If you look closely, it is two humans as the legs....
what a great costume!!!

Center Cafe is always got something going on
Here a man was doing henna Tattoos on women...
They were truly works of art....

So here is my artistic pic.....

After an exciting morning at the Cafe.... we went back to camp just to hang out and do much of nothing...... when all of sudden we realized that almost the entire day had slipped away from us..... we rushed to get ourselves ready for the famous "Critical Tits" parade.

This parade is for women only and is to signify that we as women should be allowed to go topless/shirtless just like men are able to do. It is a parade of protest so to speak....thousands of women on bikes ride from the Man to the Esplanade and then to the after hours party.... Of course, thousands of topless women on bikes will no doubt bring HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of men to "see" the parade. The men line the parade route at times squeezing us down to only two bike width so they can "encourage" and "support" our protest! LMAO! Yeah ok! We all know they just want to see topless women! LOL....

AGAIN A WARNING:
THERE WILL BE TOPLESS WOMEN IN THE NEXT FEW PICS!!!

Magic and I at the start of the parade!
Yes, I cropped it!

At first it is a little bit of an unorganized mess....

But then things get moving....
when I get the videos up, you will see the
line of men on the parade route....

And of course, no parade would
be complete without a float!
or Pirate ship....

The women riding from the Man to the Esplanade

Yes, there were more than what you see here!

Magic and I got separated, so a kind "Fireman"
offered to take my pic....

Yes, cropped again!

Since Magic and I got separated, I decided to head back to camp and hang out.... on my I got a chance to get some more pics....

And my "cheese head" friends we well
represented on the Playa!
But I think they missed the parade.

I was afraid to ask what this was all about.

A view of the Man and the dust
created from the parade

These two were fun on the wings....

And I was able to get my pic taken again...
Yes, I added the "hearts" ;)

Art Installation
Origami on the Playa

A view of the playa

I met some interesting people on my way back to camp

And they were more than willing to have
their pics taken with me. ;)

And once again, I was able to watch
the robot move! It was cool!

Once Magic made it back to camp, we exchanged stories. She was able to make it to the after parade party that was PACKED! I am glad that she was able to do that, she needed some fun. We ate dinner, drank a few beers and then as the sun went down... we got ready for a Friday night on the playa.....

The lights on my basket on my bike...

This was one of our neighbors...
He designed and built it...

It reminds me of the Sidney Opera House
Dont you think?

On our way the playa
Once again the winds started to blow...
but not too hard

This is the "lamp lighters" camp.... one day I will
be on the playa when they come out to light
the laterns that light up the playa..

Off to Center Cafe we went.....

And ran into a faire friend, Damon
He is always dressed in such wonderful costumes!
And his body is INCREDIBLE!
RRRRAAAAARRRRRR!

Center Cafe at night....
Jumping with life!

They had a place to make your own mutant vehicle
and put it on their streets...
most of the art on the playa is interactive!

Can you guess who's vehicle this is?

Then who's would this be?

And of course, it would not be
complete without the Man

The "Wo"Man! LOL

There was some great art pieces
in the Cafe... I loved these

Also, in the Cafe, there was a "dream" room
inside was a huge canvas that had been painted.
There were little sayings etc.... and there was
a book to write your own poems, dreams, art etc.

It was very peaceful and wonderful...

And one of my favorite places to hang out...

Once again, playa time had gotten away from us.... it was after midnight before we knew it. We headed back to camp... honestly, I was pretty worn out from the week. On our way back.... I got some more interesting pics....

The "Iron" Horse....
It was amazing!

A group of bikes with glow sticks or
"blinkies" as Magic calls them.

The "Spank" Club....

And of course more Pirates....
Peace and Pirates
who could ask for more!

So this ends Day 5 on the playa.... I hope you enjoyed it...... I will get the next day up within a few days..... it will be the DAY OF THE BURN!!!!

Love and Light....

Minxie

Day/Night Four (Thursday) Billion Bunny March

2008-09-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

WARNING: NUDITY MAY APPEAR AT ANY TIME!

Thursday morning... WOW, where has the week gone.... seems like we JUST got here. We started off by having some much needed coffee and breakfast. We decided that we should go out on the playa while it was still in the coolness of the morning. We wanted to see the Man and the Temple...

I loaded up Playa Jenni and her new "friend"
Poor guy was lost on the playa and needed some help
Which she was more than willing to give him!

Magic and Minxie heading out for the Man

When we reached the Man, we noticed a crane was there. Seems that they were fixing some lighting problems...

A crane along the Man

View from the Man to the Temple

The Temple is just as beautiful in the day
as it is at night...
More details can be seen

One of the side buildings..
made all from drift wood
It smelled of the ocean
It was incredible!

The Glass panes were painted with
different designs
Trust me when I say these pics
DO NOT do it justice!

Inside the driftwood building
were little details like this lock.
The crystals caught the light of the
sun and made the inside sparkle!

View from atop the Temple looking AWAY from the
Man.... you can see more art installations
and the planes for the sky divers

Inside the Temple were many
wind chimes...
On the playa the wind blows frequently
and the sound was beautiful.
Who knew that someones trash could
sound so beautiful!

View atop the Temple towards the Man
By Thursday, the City is pretty full
and there is lots of activity.
You can see the City in the distance.

I dont do heights, so I HAD to get proof that I was
on top of the Temple!
LOL
DONT look down and its all good!

Again, the details of the Temple are impressive.
If you look, you can identify all
kinds of things...
simply amazing!

The Temple is for remembering loved ones who
are no longer with us.
For your own thoughts, prayers, wishes, dreams etc.
People come and draw, write poems, share thoughts,
place pics of loved ones etc all over the Temple.
This is a beautiful drawing someone drew!

One of a few writings that I place upon the Temple!

Outside the Temple was this
area....
It was wonderful to lie down on the earth
and look up at the Temple and everyone
enjoying it.

This was a wonderful phrase for the front of the Temple!

The top of the Temple

We headed back to camp for lunch, and some relaxing time
and came across the HUG DELI from last year!
It was great to get hugs!
I just love HUGS!!!!

Back at camp full of some wonderful cucumber sandwiches and a couple of beers and just kicking back doing nothing! It was finally time to get ready for the Infamous Billion Bunny March!!! It is a HUGE event on the playa. Thousands of people dress up like bunnies and march from the Bunny Camp to Center Cafe and then out to the Man. This was our first year at the bunny march... we had NO idea what to expect... but off we went, ears on our head and bunny love in our hearts......

Just gotta luv my glasses!!! *tee hee*

The bunnies are VERY out spoken!
I guess the bunnies are tired of losing their feet!

Bunny Tail!

There were bunnies of all shapes, sizes and colors
I wonder what it means when you are a "green" bunny?

Minxie and Magic at the holding area for
the Billion Bunny March!
We were sworn in as bunnies!
(will have video once I get around to loading them)

Hmmm... strange looking bunnies!

This just made me smile!!!
(ok, it really made me LAUGH!)

Such a white fuzzy bunny!

The Bunny Camp Art Car
It was VERY fuzzy!

There was even a bunny ambulance!
It made sure that you had your ears, teeth and tail..
oh and carrot juice for energy!

Then to our surprise!!!
The carrots started invading us!
They protesting against the bunnies!

This carrot was quickly attacked by bunnies!
They were hungry!
Eat him Magic! LOL

Hey WAIT!
Minxie Bunny need a nibble!
=0P

Hey! NICE Carrot!!
*tee hee*

A true bunny Motto!

This was cool carrot!

What can I say here...
I just had to take the shot!
;)

The march headed for the Center Cafe...
I got thirsty along the way...
thank goodness there was water!

This talented bunny could walk and hula hoop
at the same time!

Thousands of bunnies invade the Center Cafe!!!
After taking it over for about 20 minutes...
the march heads out for the Man!

To our horror, the animal control vehicle was there
waiting for us bunnies!
It was total mayhem!
Bunnies were running everywhere trying not to get caught
and licensed or thrown in the cage!

Playa Jenni enjoys her iced chai as she watches
bunnies run from the animal control.

Bunnies scatter across the playa hiding from animal control.

As reinforcements arrive... we set our fellow bunnies free
and take over the Man!

Animal control being over taken by bunnies
retreats to the city....
HA HA!!!!
That, thats all folks!

And the bunnies take over the Man!
The flag waves in honor of
our triumph!!!

Once the march was finished, it was time to head back to camp
for dinner and plans for the evening.
Playa bike are the main way that everyone gets around
and decorating them has really become an art form.
This bike is probably ONLY ridden on the playa!

The Black Rock City sign with Center Cafe in the distance.

As the sun set on the playa.. and we were headed to camp,
I noticed these people doing a dance with umbrellas.
The way the looked against the sun set was breathtaking.
So of course, I had to stop and take some pics.

These are only a few of what I took.
I will post the better ones when I do my
"art" blog.

The lighting was perfect!

I guess I wasnt the only photographer who liked
the potential shots!

Then all of a sudden the skies were filled with
sky divers!

It was some of our neighbors from Lodie Camp

The smiles on their faces tell how much they love to jump!

As we headed back to camp... Magic played the "flamingo game"
She got her arse kissed because she couldnt get the flamingos into the bucket!
I think she missed on purpose!

This was our piratical neighbors camp!
I "pirated" pics for ideas for our own camp next year!

After dinner and some more relxation, we headed out to the
playa once the sun was down.
WOW! Who knew the Golden Gate Bridge
was on the playa?

The mobile band stand!!

The famous ThunderDome!
Mad Max style!
I guess someone had some sort of problem, because later
that night there was an ambulance leaving from there.
Hey, if you are gonna act like barbarians, then you
will probably get hurt! LOL

More art cars on the playa....
we actually got our first ride on an art car!
It was great fun. You jump on and go wherever they go!
Sometimes, you have a long walk back to camp!
It was getting late, or should I say early...
we decided to head back to camp for the night,
yes, we had a long walk back....

We ended up at about 3:00 on the Esplanade... so we got to see some
things we hadnt seen before....
When I saw this sign, I had to think about
Jack and his Mother of Pearl...
could the Pearl be on the playa?
It was worth a closer look....

I tried to interrogate this ping-guin..
but he was more interested in how the
lights in his flippers were affecting peoples
eyes! hmmm.... what kind of fish have you been eating?
=0P

I thought the Mother of Pearl was lost...
we headed to Center Cafe to get our nightly
Chai and I to my surprise....
I saw this woman with ping-guins in
bondage!
I was pretty sure they had
been in the service of Chin Strap...

This was gonna take some more searching.....

That ends day four of the playa..... again, what a wonderful time is had on the playa..... I still miss it.....
Stay tuned for day five!!!!!

Remebering 9/11

2008-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today... the world as we knew it changed FOREVER! Terrorists attacked our country and took TOO MANY lives in the process.

Please take a moment today to reflect on how our lives have changed and remember those who lost their lives. The innocent people trapped in buildings, the courageous fireman and police who were doing what they loved, trying to save people.

NEVER FORGET!!!!! Please fly an American Flag today to remember those who lost their lives that fateful day.... and for those who continue to fight for our FREEDOM every day!!!!!

Peace, love and freedom.........

What were you doing on 9/11? How did you hear of the news of the attacks?
Please share your stories....

Day/Night Three on the Playa (Wednesday)

2008-09-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning was pretty uneventful. We woke up had some coffee and breakfast and checked the schedule for any events that we were interested in doing. We decided to go the Black Rock City post office and get a postcard and mail them to ourselves. It is the ONLY time that the post mark will actually say: Black Rock City. We also decided that we wanted to get a massage. Thats right, you can even get a massage on the playa for FREE! After days of riding our bikes on less than smooth roads, we were in serious need of some TLC. So we dressed, (if whatever matter of dress that consisted of) and headed out to find Silicone Camp to get a massage.

As we were leaving, I noticed that our neighbors
camp was taking form.
They now had the scaffolding up and the bar was up
and serving!
Time to party on the playa!
and the best part was that the bar was stumbling
distance from our camp! ;)

As we traveled around the city looking for our massage tent
I came across this sign...
it just struck me as funny!

Once we found the massage tent and waited for about an hour, we both were on the massage tables getting massages. Magic had Raj and I for the life of me cant remember my massage therapists name. Just as well because he wasnt even a licensed therapists, just a guy who like to do it as a hobby. I could tell when he started that he didnt really know what he was doing, but he tried hard and it was enjoyable all the same. Hey, really, what can you expect for free? It still helped my aching muscles and enabled me to ride my bike the remainder of the week, so I am NOT complaining.

After about and hour and a half of getting the kinks worked out, we headed to Center Cafe and the post office. Of course, Center Cafe is a normal stop for us and our Chai Tea Latte was what was ordered. Now, you have to keep in mind that everyone who works the Cafe is a volunteer... some know what they are doing and some do not. This morning we got the do nots. When we asked for our Chai Tea Lattes, the gal looked at us like were crazy. She says, "but that is two different drinks"... uh, NO.... its simply a chai tea with steamed milk... she couldnt grasp the idea.... we ended up with chai tea and a splash of milk... oh well, it still tasted great! :)

There is always something going on at the
Center Cafe. This morning they were
giving hula hoop lessons....
I wish I had known about it sooner, it would
have been fun to join in.

We headed to the Post Office, and trust me when
I saw, they give a whole new meaning to
"going postal"! LMAO!
Since no money is exchanged, you had to figure out
what the postal worker that you were in front of
wanted in exchange for doing their "job"!
Some times it was as simple as giving them a hug
or a kiss. Sometimes you had to dance a jig
or tell a funny story. It really is entertaining and
loads of fun. Magic and I sent each other post cards
and made sure that we rubbed them with
playa dust.

Can you imagine this sign in front of your local
post office? LMAO!

Of course, we HAD to go back to the Cafe for another
attempt at a real Chai Tea Latte...
This time we got a real barista! and a real chai tea
latte! LOL

Magic went to the community information
center to register, in case anyone was
looking for her. As I waited, I began talking to
some guys who were in this art car.
One guy was from Australia
He was wheelchair bound and the art
car was built for him by a friend so
he could get around easier.
They were great fun and full of laughter.

Some people have the best imaginations when
it comes to decorating the mutant vehicles.
I thought this seahorse was great!

This was near the Post Office
I am still not sure what it was all
about other than a skeleton at a
work cubicle... LOL

This is one of the most famous and incredible
mutant vehicles on the playa.
This "robot" was made by the guy sitting in the front.
It has 8 legs and he revs the engine to make them
move forward and then uses a brake to slowly
let them hit the ground. Every time the feet hit
the ground you can feel the ground shake.
It takes a lot of time for it to move and well
turning is a whole different situation.

Rear view of the "robot". I have video that
I will load, once I get to that point.
It really is an incredible thing to watch.
The crowd along the sides, love to put cans on
the ground for it to crush!

Back at camp to rest and have some lunch.

As always the colors were flying....

Behind us was a tee pee.
I loved the picture that was painted
on the side. There are quite a few
people who put up tee pees for
their shelters. Most seem to
hold up pretty well to the wind storms.

Hanging out at camp, provides its own form
of entertainment. We get to watch some
interesting vehicle drive by.
Not sure what this one was all about, but it was
entertaining all the same.

Of course, I had to get a pic of the dragon vehicle.

On the playa, every citizen is required to give at least two hours of their time to help keep the playa clean and free of MOOP. MOOP = Matter Out Of Place. In otherwords, if it isnt something that would "naturally" be on the playa, then it is MOOP. It is the duty of all citizens to stop and pick up MOOP as they travel around the playa. Sadly not all citizens live by this rule of the playa.

Our neighbors thought it would be fun to "fish" for good citizens. They had a fishing pole and attached different types of MOOP to the end to see who would pick up the MOOP. I tried to tell them that they were using the wrong "bait". The were using empty water bottles at first, then cans, and even a little bag with a white substance in it... the little bag failed big time.

Later in the week, when we were on the Esplanade, I saw some MOOP, a glow necklace, as I approached it to pick it up, I noticed there was a string attached to it. I was NOT going to be "fished" so I rode my bike tire over the string and then picked up the glow stick. I was rewarded with a beautiful Burning Man patch for being a good citizen and picking up MOOP! YAY Minxie the MOOP picker! LMAO!

Here is the neighbor's attempt at "fishing" for MOOP pickers.
Even though they didnt have any "prizes" to give the MOOP pickers,
we made sure they got a big applause and hugs for being good citizens.

Pedal powered mutant vehicles do not have to
be licensed with DMV.

Sunset on the city

You can see the Man in the distance.

Thanks to the Loadie Camp for helping me up on the
scaffolding to take these pics... I dont do heights!

Our humble little camp viewed from the scaffolding.

Once again, night falls on the playa... and the playa comes to life with lights and sounds. There is really no way to accurately describe the playa at night. It is really something that you MUST see and experience for yourself.

There is always some form of art lit up at night
even on the streets of the city.

Last year we had heard about the Grand Hotel. It is a theme camp that puts together an incredible "hotel" like environment. They have specialty rooms that you can stay in IF you win a night. This year it was called the Ashram Galactica. It was VERY impressive. They had 6 or 8 rooms for guests to win a night in. The rooms were complete with queen size beds, Egyptian cotton sheets, lounging couches, mood lighting and more. I think they even have some sort of room service. It is quite impressive.
The Hotel is complete with Valet bike parking and the bartenders and servers wear the typical service uniforms. Inside the hotel lobby is grand ballroom, complete with large oriental rugs, crystal chandeliers, and enormous flower arrangements. Everything is lit with mood lighting and very well decorated. Unfortunately, my pics didnt turn out so well. But here are some that came out decent any way.

This is the hallway between the lobby and the dance area.
They had beautiful tapestries hanging from the ceiling and walls.

Magic and I loved the Ashram Galactica.

The front of the Hotel even had a
stone statue with water. It was very impressive.
Who would have thought that all of this could be done
in the desert?

A beautiful mutant vehicle that was valet parked
in front of the Hotel.

After having a drink at the hotel, we headed for Spike's Bar. The famous Vampire bar. Next to the bar is a fire stage and we were lucky enough to see the end of a performance there. Sadly, this was the last year for Spike's, they burned the bar to the ground on Saturday night....

This fire dancer was using a jump rope!
It was pretty cool!

Magic & Minxie taking in the sights and sounds
of Spike's Vampire Bar.
They were serving warm red wine. ICK.

The front of Spike's Vampire Bar

Spike's was hot and crowded.... so we headed out onto the Esplanade and the playa. I wanted to see the Temple at night..... so off we rode.... taking in all the sights and sounds as we traveled.

The lights on the playa....

I cant remember what night it was that we rode
our art car.... maybe it was this night...
time has no real meaning on the playa
and the days seem to run into one another.

The Temple
Basura Sagrada
Very impressive and beautiful day or night.
You can see the pics from the building of the
temple here!

The Temple was made from old and discarded materials.
You can see the materials that were used here.

The wind chimes inside the temple
were breathtakingly beautiful.
Truly, words cannot describe the Temple.
It is simply amazing to see what treasure someone can
make with another man's trash.

After some time and reflection at the Temple... we headed back to the playa, checking out different art installations along the way... and the wonderful lit up art cars. The playa really is like Disneyland's Electrical Light Parade on Acid with all the lights and cars!!!! There is NOTHING like it any where else on the planet!

This was one of my favorite art installations.
This is the Celtic Forest.
The metal structures blast flames on que from a computer
and I believe that they were some manual controls as well.

It was beautiful to watch it light up the night sky.

There was also a stage for the fire dancers to perform.
Again, I will have to load my videos at some point....

Another amazing day and night on the playa had come to and end... I think I got back to camp about 4am.... still amazed the way time has no meaning on the playa......

I hope you have enjoyed day/night three..... there is still much more to come.... please keep checking back.....

Missing the playa life,
Minxie

Day/Night Two on the Playa (Tuesday)

2008-09-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

After a few hours of sleep, we started day two of the burn. The wind had finally died down and it was a beautiful day. Clear skies, nice and warm and hell, we were on the playa.... life doesnt get any better.

We started our day with some great coffee and breakfast (which was Shakes FABULOUS granola~ if you havent tried it... YOU MUST!) Se decided it was time to head to Center Cafe for some Chai Tea and to get some ice (which is usually a daily need). We stopped by our fellow Drunken Dragon Mark's camp Friendly Fire and say hello.

Mark & Magic

Well HELLO Mark! *tee hee*

Of course, I needed to don my dragon hat and my
new furry clothes! I got lots of comments about the hat!

My bike...
All decked out for the playa

As we traveled the city, we checked out different camps etc.... this one I found interesting and disturbing all at the same time.... WARNING... Foul language and nudity can appear at ANY time while on the playa or viewing pictures from the playa!!!

I just dont even know what to think about this sign!

Magic on the playa

I am sure this is the LARGEST teeter totter I have ever seen!
The only rule:
You MUST topless to ride it!
It looked like fun, but I wasnt even gonna try it!

I thought this was too funny....

We decided to travel the East side of the city and get
our "pee funnels". We had heard about them last year
but never got to get one.
Too Funny! It is simply a clear plastic cup hot glued to a clear tube
Its the simple things!

On our way to back to camp, we took
shade shelter at the BRC Radio Station
I thought this was an artsy pic...

Next to the radio station was this
lovely pink flamingo that reminded me
of Robbi!

I thought this little art car was cute
and island oasis complete with
palms, shells, tiki torches and waihini!

Magic reading the playa newspaper while
sitting in front of the radio station.

This was ONE art installation that I wish I had NOT
seen.... to much of a reminder of the
REAL world beyond Black Rock City!

This is one of my FAVORITE art installations.
Its called Spread Eagle!
It is a 30 ft. wing span and can be rotated by the
wind or by hand. It was solid metal and
simply GORGEOUS!

And of course, I wanted my picture taken on it!
Dragon Minxie takes her first FREEDOM flight!

A view of the Man's tower with the torch light
towers and another art installation.

I loved this art installation.
It was 3-D art. There was a wolf, and eagle and a gecko
and lots of masks. I wish I knew where it was located on the playa
so I could look it up....

This pic kind of freaks Magic out ~
I thought it was GREAT!

At times you find the most RANDOM and unusual
theme camps... like this one!

YUP! That is the name of the camp!
ROFLMFAO!

This is one of the most famous clubs/camps
The Deep End
We heard rumor that this was their last year... I really hope not.
It is always PACKED, but they seem to only
run during the day, and its just TOO hot to
dance and drink like some of the "younger" crowd does.

This art car always brought a smile to my face..
Its a couch laid across the vehicle.
But the back is what makes me smile..
I wonder why?

After our daily travels, we headed back to camp for some beer, food and relaxation. As the sun set, we donned our new playa garb and headed out for the night life......

The glowing palms were incredible.
The picture does NOT do them justice.

The famous Las Vegas
knock off sign

The art cars were lined up at the DMV
for check in and approval
It is seriously like Disneyland's Electric Light Parade
on ACID!

HEY!
I wonder if I can make a call?
It was SOOO nice not the have cell phones or
communication with the outside world.

WOW!
A reel to reel....
arent those things extinct?

More mutant/art cars as they wait at the DMV
We heard that there were over 600 vehicles
registered this year! I believe that is a
playa record.

We ended our night at Center Cafe (our favorite place)
and watched a large group HUG!
It seems that HUGS are really the language of MANY countries.
There people from ALL over the world who come to Burning Man!
Listening to their stories of how the made it to the playa are something to
hear for sure!!!!

This ends day two.... HUGS to you all!!!!!!!!!

Day/Night One on the Playa (Monday)

2008-09-03T22:17:00.001-07:00

After about 3 hours sleep, we awoke to a beautiful sunrise. We had some coffee and breakfast and decided we had better get the camp set up before the heat of the day kicked in.....

The sun rising over our neighbors camp
prior to them putting up the scaffolding.

View of the city from atop the RV

Our look at the Man on Monday morning

It took us a little over an hour to set up our camp, complete with carpeting, two canopies, tables, chairs and solar lights. Because of the strong winds, we staked the canopies down with 12 inch rebar stakes and ratchet strapped the canopies to the rebar stakes. This seems to be the easiest and best way to secure canopies and tents.

Shortly after we had set up the camp, the dust devils started blowing across the playa... a sure signal that MORE is to come....

The first dust devils started about 9am, little did we
know what was coming that day....

Of course we had to fly the colors being pirates and all

Soon the dust devils were replaced with stronger winds
and the dust storm was beginning

Playa Jenni kicking back after setting up the camp

Magic too enjoys a rest after the set up
notice the dust blowing behind her?

About 10am the winds really started to kick up...
and the white outs began...

Our next door neighbors were trying to get their
camp set up while the winds were blowing
unfortunately their setup didnt survive the wind storm

This is pretty much the same angle as above
but as you can (cant) see.... the white outs can be bad

And then they get total white out!
At times you can't see 3 ft in front of you

The wind storm raged for hours... we finally took shelter inside the RV... fire up the generator and kicked on the A/C and took a nice long nap... we were exhausted.... The storm raged until about 10pm that night. The neighbor who has been to Burning Man for 8 years, said it was the worst storm he has ever seen! Luckily our shelters held up without any problems.... gotta love them ratchet straps...

Once the wind storm quieted down we decided to venture out to the playa to get our first glimpse of the city.

Princess Playa Jenni was dressed and ready to go
Thanks to Shakes for the tiara and earrings!

Some of the art cars were lined up at the DMV to be checked
and get their papers to operate on the playa.
this is a submarine... it had all the sound effects
of a real submarine too!

Playa Jenni and her first view of the man lit up

The tower had the flags of the world
all over it!
NO, they didnt burn the flags with the man

We rode around the playa and checked out
some of the art installations
This one looked like crystals
and was very pretty to see...
but look closely,
can you tell what these are?

It amazes me to see what the artists use
for their art...

We found this guy near Center Cafe
This is the happy side

This is the NOT happy side.

In the Center Cafe, Playa Jenni tried
her hand at hula hooping...
she did very well!

However, this gal was AMAZING
she had THREE going all at once!

Outside the Center Cafe...
you can see the Man and the crescent moon

This is Center Cafe! A great place to see lots of art
and people, get a cup of coffee, chai tea etc....
By the number of times we went here,
I would say its out favorite place on the playa

A small replica of the Man

This art installation was beautiful
and caught your attention!

As the moon rose above the Man...
it was time to head back to camp

Time on the playa is strange.... you think only maybe an hour or less has passed and actually it has been 3 hours!!! I am not sure why this happens, but it does. It really doesnt matter whether it is day or not.... time on the playa is VERY different.

Once again it was 2-3 am before we got to bed...... and into the next day....

The Trip....The Arrival

2008-09-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

After months of waiting, planning and getting ready.... the day had finally arrived! Time to leave for the Burn! The day was Saturday August 23rd. We went to pick up the rented RV (a beautiful 26 ft. 2008 Tioga with a side pop out). We took our time loading all of our things into the RV and getting it organized. We had decided that we were NOT going to rush ourselves, we would leave when we were ready.... it was all good!

As we were loading up, my best friend Jenni (TruBBle) stopped by to lend a hand and drop off her counter-part Playa Jenni. Jenni herself will NOT do the camping thing (even in an RV) so she had this doll made to go in her place.... she was the cutest thing ever....

Playa Jenni
Complete with boobs, earrings and
ball necklace.

Once everything was loaded... we were off on our adventure...

Enjoy how clean the RV is.... it wont be that way for long...

With Jenni seatbelted in... we were off
it was about 6pm when we finally hit the road.

We fueled up and got a phone call from another Burner friend of ours and fellow Drunken Dragon, Mark. He was running hours late and was just leaving as well. We met up with him at the top of the Cajon Pass and caravaned from there. Mostly the trip was uneventful. We stopped for gas (getting GREAT gas mileage by the way). We finally stopped in Bishop about midnight and had a sit down meal. Mark wanted to make it to Topaz Lake about another 3 hour drive. We had hoped to make it to the rest stop in the mountains, but were not sure how far it was. So, Magic & I decided we didnt want to attempt the mountain roads that late, we found an RV park and crashed for the night....I believe it was about 2am when we finally got some sleep.

We got up early the next morning (Sunday August 24th), both of us not really sleeping all that well ~ the excitement will do that to you. We topped off the gas tank and headed up the mountains into the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. The landscape there is simply beautiful. Some wonderful places not yet tainted by buildings, houses and people. Highway 395 is the main highway into the mountains. People heading for Mammoth, Tahoe and the ski resorts all use this highway. About 2 hours later we found the rest stop that we had wanted to stop at the night before. (next year, we will make it to this spot to crash for the night) It was beautiful! Tall pine trees (the smell was incredible)... we stopped to take a break and enjoy the natural beauty around us!

Magic & our RV at the rest stop

We were in the Inyo National Forest
Inyo means: "Dwelling Place of the Great Spirit"
how true it is!
There is something spiritual about this place
you can feel it!

The tall pines had the most incredible smell to them...
hard to describe, but just a deep forest smell

After several more hours of driving we reached the other side
of a mountain range in a town called
Bridgeport. Cute little town with some VERY interesting
yard art in front of the hotel!

We decided to go the local market deli and get some
sandwiches, which were delicious.
I saw this sign and it just struck me as funny!
Makes you wonder what other "services" they provide! ;)

After about another hour drive, we were now following the
path of a wonderful river. It was calling my name.
I asked Magic if she would mind if we stopped
and enjoyed it for a while. She was a little hesitant, but
being the wonderful friend she is, she said ok.

The water was clear, clean and cold. It was refreshing and cleansing.
I splashed the water all over my head and face and allowed it to wash away
all the "ick" of my spirit. It was the reason the river had been calling me.
It was what I needed.

We just hung out for a while, quietly reflecting and enjoying the beauty that
surrounded us. Magic was VERY glad that we stopped after all.
I splashed more water on me... and drank some as well. It was
truly a cleansing that I needed. I felt so clean and purified afterwards.

Back on the road for a while, we finally got to Topaz Lake.
Yes, we want to go "that way"!

The picture doesnt do the lake justice. The color of the
water is the most incredible blue.... hence the name
Topaz Lake...

After several more hours, lots of quaint little towns and beautiful views. We reached Reno, NV. We wanted to get the supplies that we needed: food, water etc. After a little run around due to my GPS not knowing "where" WalMart was, we finally landed in the WalMart parking lot. (Just a little travel tip: WalMart has a policy that allows RVs, travelers etc to "camp" over night in their parking lots for FREE!) I guess we were not the only ones who know this little tid bit. When we arrived there were already about 20-30 RVs parked (all BURNERS). It was perfect because it was a WalMart SuperCenter and there was a grocery store in the shopping center as well.

The plan was to get our supplies, take a nap and then head out about 9pm to the burn. (you cannot get onto the playa before 12:01am on Monday.) We thought about napping first, but again the excitement was so great that we we couldnt sleep. So off the to the grocery store we went. (of course after we had a Corona to help us relax!)

Jenni enjoys her beer!

Packed up and heading to the grocery store.

We saw this "limo-van" in the parking lot of the grocery store...
Amazing the vehicles that people travel in to the Burn! You can barely see the "Man" logo on the back left door.

It was a good thing we went to the store when we did. They were running out of some VERY important items:
We got the last 3 cases of Coronas, and they were running seriously LOW on bottled water! After gathering our items and paying our bill (about $300) we asked the clerk to pose with Jenni.... little did we know what he was gonna do to her!

OH MY! You naughty boy! *tee hee*
Love the look on his face!
Hey, where are his teeth? LOL

The WalMart parking lot, pre-burn party!

Thank you WalMart for hosting our
pre-burn party and allowing us to
stay for our "wait" time.

At 9pm, we headed to Black Rock City... home of the Burn. We had about a 3 hour drive so we thought we would be good to head out..... There were a LOT of RVs on the road, but the traffic moved smoothly. When we finally reached Gerlach, we could see the lights coming from the playa and our excitement grew even more! It took about 45 minutes to reach the dirt road to the playa.... we got our tickets out and ready to present!

Magic is scared of the camera flash! LOL

See, its easy, just open your eyes!

There ya go! LOL

Our first look, smell and taste of playa dust!!!

YUMMY!
Playa dust tastes....
like playa dust! ;)

The line to get in.....I think it took us a total of
2 hours to get onto the playa!
This is the kind of traffic that we DON'T mind!

Finally we reached our ticket taker! When he asked how many live bodies we had, I slipped and said, "Three!".... uh wait! Playa Jenni is NOT a live body! LMAO! He thought we might be smuggling someone! LOL
After his partner checking our RV for stowaways we were cleared to enter the playa and the 2 mile drive to the greeters..

This was our greeter! Yes, she is topless! (you see a lot of that and naked people on the playa)
She was very sweet and cute and had a lovely "fake" English accent!
She loved Playa Jenni and was happy to pose with her!
Notice the "grey" on the greeters...
that is the infamous playa dust!

We found another greeter to pose with Jenni!
WOW! Jenni was the first to find a hottie! LOL

The greeter's job is to welcome you home and make sure you know where you are going and have all the things you need, answer questions and do what they can to help you. If you are a virign, you get to ring the bell or get a spanking or whatever tortures they want to bestow on you...LOL. This is only part of the reason it takes SOOOO long to get on the playa! But we love our greeters!

We were HOME!!!
We were finally HOME again!!!!!

We had originally planned to park near 6 o'clock about D street, but found that all those areas were reserved for the theme camps.... so we headed towards 9 o'clock. We found a nice little spot on Hummer Street at about 7:50. (The city streets are listed A thru J from the center of the semi-circle towards the outside of the circle.... the streets that come down from the center are numbers like on a clock.) We were on Hummer between 7:30 and 8 o'clock. We were close to the privies (porta potties) and facing in a Easterly direction. We finally got landed and parked about 2:30 am. We decided to wait until the morning to unpack and set up camp.

We enjoyed being home on the playa... the sights, sounds, smells and wonder of the playa was before us again. We couldnt believe that it had already been a year since our last visit.

We finally got to sleep about 3:30 am and then woke up at about 6:30 am.... the sun had just risen and was shining a golden glow on the playa.......

Home?

2008-09-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I have made back to REALITY! (Man does it SUCK! More on that later)......

When we arrived at Black Rock City.... the greeters told us, "WELCOME HOME!"..... Ah..... the sweet taste of home..... but now that it is all over and I am "really home".... I miss "HOME".... thats right the Playa home..... I wish I was there right now... watching all the lights and people and miles and miles away from "this" reality.....

It does feel good to be around my animals and I am looking forward to seeing my darling daughter tomorrow.... there are many people and things that I have missed.....

I definitely need a "decompression" party..... and yes, there will be one SOON!!!

Give me a few days to get back in the "groove" of this world and I will have my pics and stories up for you all to enjoy!!!!!

Welcome Home..... hmmmm..... means SO much now......

Love and Light
Minxie

BURN BABY BURN!!!

2008-08-22T23:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all....

I thought I would post some of the many videos that I found on YouTube from Burning Man 2007. Please take your time and view each one at your leisure. (I will be gone until September 2nd.)

I thought that maybe this way, you all might feel part of the Burn with me. This way you can experience a bit of the Burn along with me.

We actually Burn the Man on Saturday August, 30th.

Here are couple of interesting links that will keep you up to date on the weather and the road into Gerlach, NV (the closest town). The second link is for the webcam in Gerlach, NV.... you can watch as we all venture into town on our way to Black Rock City..... We are HOME again!!!!

Ok, on to the videos.....
WARNING: There could be nudity at ANY time during the videos! So, please be aware of this when viewing them......

ENJOY!!!!

This first one is a time lapse camera that shows the ENTIRE week in about 10 minutes.... you can see the "premature" burn of the Man and the rebuild.

Kisses from the Playa

Dust Storms and Rainbows

Sunrise at the Temple

Hula Hoop Master

Media Coverage of the Burn

Camp Candy Mountain

Burning Man Deeksha Oneness Blessing 2007

Burning Man 2007 Part One

Burning Man 2007 Part Two

Short clip after the Dust Storm

Lets get Wet and Dance

Sights and Sounds of Burning Man

Inside the Dust Storm

Video Journal of the Burners

Time to Change Your Mind

Just Cant Get Enough

Pictures From the Burn

Burning Man Camps

Highlights

Taste the Burn

Critical Tits Parade... YES. the women are topless!!!!

A Day on the Playa

Free Your Mind Part One

Fire Dancers

Spinning Burning Man

Fire Show

Well, I think those should keep you all busy while I am gone.....

Be safe, be well, take care of you......

Love and Light to you all

Minxie

BURN BABY BURN!!!!!!

Final Day

2008-08-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

Well its finally here.... one more day until we leave for the burn!!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO!!!!

I have all my lists and have been checking them off as time closes in.... there is still odds and ends to do.... but I feel confident that it will ALL get done!!!

Please stay tuned..... I have something special planned for you all while I am gone......

Thank you all for your constant love and support! You have NO idea how much it means to me!!!!

Wishing you all a fabulous Friday!!!!!

Your friend,
Minxie

If first you dont succeed....

2008-08-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

Try again..... Well, we now have a new baby chick.... I found this little guy this evening while I was feeding the chickens. This one will be kept with the Momma. I just cant take on the role of Momma with me getting ready to leave in less than a week.... I have put them both in a secured area so no other critters can get to them....

I think I just might call this one Freedom.... what do you think?

5 Days and counting until I leave for the Burn........ where are those lists?

Life on the Playa....

2008-08-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Life on the playa can be harsh at times. The extreme weather conditions can range from heat of over 100 degrees to thunder/rain storms to dust storms that can last for hours and leave you in a total white out! You must be self reliant and drink plenty of water and make sure that you eat healthy to help you survive in this sometimes harsh environment. Other times, the weather is very pleasant and the evenings cool and inviting.

There is ALWAYS something to do.... literally 24/7! You can get a massage, do yoga, dance, have a coffee, join the multiple parades, enjoy food and music and live entertainment, meditate, any thing you can dream of is probably happening somewhere on the playa.... all you have to do it look for it or ask about it....

The main attraction to Burning Man for me is the total freedom and love that you feel when amongst the 47,000 (last years count) people. Everyone is friendly, kind, giving and totally into having a great experience. Honestly, the entire experience is somewhat surreal. And re-entry back into "civilization" can really be a bitch!

Here are some pictures that I put together to show you what life on the playa can be like......I hope you enjoy them!

Our camp last year....

Mother Nature blessed us with a
double rainbow that stretched
across the entire playa

Dust storm heading into Black Rock City
this one lasted about 2 hours plus

Total white out can happen during the
dust storms

An aerial view of the EXODUS
At times it can take up to 4 hours
just to leave the playa

Last year the man was set on fire
by arsons. They had to completely rebuild the
man to be properly set on fire at the end of the week.

A great shot of the Esplanade as the sun goes down
and the lights come on!

Step back in time and head for the roller disco!

One of the many fire shows that go on during the week

This is the crowd gathering around the
art installation:
Crude Awakening
There is another pic later on that shows the
incredible explosion!

One of many theme camps around the playa.

Domes and teepees....
anything that can provide shelter is used

And decorated!

Here is the explosion from the art installation
Crude Awakening....
The "people" you see in the pic are
actually part of the art. They are metal people that stand over 30 ft tall.

A view of the Martini glass over looking
Black Rock City

Theme camps are everywhere...
come on by, have a drink, dance or just hang out

Bikes are a MUST on the playa
from one end to the other is over 5 miles...

Dance... .dance..... dance....

Sunrise ceremony at the temple

Another pic of the rainbow...

YES!
There are even pirates on the playa

Aerial view of Black Rock City
Population: 47,000 +
2007

The Temple of Forgiveness
as it burns

A closer look at the "roads" of the city

Miniature Golf anyone?

LOVE to watch the fire dancers

Wouldnt it be nice to have a Hug Deli
down the street from your house?
Get your hug with a side of back scratch!
and its FREE!!!!!!!

The skies are even filled with
some sort of art as the gliders
fly into the city....

The start of the rainbow
over the Lotus flower

And interesting view of the camping

One of my faire friends, Damon
He is always a hit anywhere he goes!

One of the metal people from the Crude Awakening
Yes, it was HUGE sparks of electricity
It was amazing!

More fire dancing

Night time on the playa
Palm Tree bike parking

This is a MILD case of playa dust after a
dust storm

ONLY 6 MORE DAYS UNTIL I LEAVE!!!!!!! TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND THERE IS STILL SOOOO MUCH TO DO........

Have a great week everyone!!!!

Hugs
Minxie

Tick Tock.......

2008-08-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Time is running out.....

Only 10 more days until I leave for

Burning Man!!!

Playa People.... the Burners

2008-08-08T02:59:00.000-07:00

Well today marks the 2 week countdown until my departure for the Burn...... of things still to be done, lots of lists all over the house and tons of packing and organizing to be done..... WHEW!

TWO WEEKS! WOW!!! Time is running out!

I thought I would take this time to introduce you to the people of the playa..... the people that I will be hanging with for a week..... the community that I will be a part of.....the citizens of Black Rock City..... Enjoy!

All pictures pirated are from the Burning Man website......

Burning Man Founder
Larry Harvey

Many weddings, ceremonies and events
take place on the playa

The costumes vary in style
every day....

Dancing is a minute to minute occurance

One of my favorite pics

Last years theme was
"Green Man"
Here we have the "Tree Man"

Riding thru a dust storm

Green Lady

Face masks and eye gear
are a MUST on the playa

You just never know
what you will see next

Nightly the torch lighters come to the playa
and light the torches that light
the "center" road to the Man

Exotic and unusual is an understatement

The "Key" man....

The Playa People are "lit" up at night

Hula Hoop Dancer

Preparing for the burning of the Man

Its 3:30 am and I am finally off to bed.......

Happy Friday all.......

Hugs,
Minxie

Relax.....

2008-08-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

Some days its just good to lay around and do..... whatever feels good!!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful day!!!!

Hugs
Minxie

Its 4am.......

2008-08-02T04:16:00.001-07:00

Got PEACE?

August 13th, 2008 Milwaukee BE THERE!

2008-07-31T01:40:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: I heard back from Angus, he says they play at 6:30 pm...... YEAH!!!! Take your cameras, take video clips.... have fun and enjoy!!!!

You have heard me talk about Brother.... the band. A fabulous celtic/rock style band. Well .... here's your chance to see them for yourselves..... take the day off from work, car pool with a friend, whatever it takes.... but be there!!!!

Here is the notice that I got from Brother:

"BROTHER returns to Milwaukee for the River Rhythms festival, Wednesday August 13.

It's been 2 years since BROTHER played on the river in Milwaukee, when the attendance record was broken and the vendors sold out of beer. Time to do it again, with more beer.

Angus - "Milwaukee was one of the first places in the country to embrace us. We have so many people there we look forward to seeing again, especially after being away a while. This festival is such a wonderful celebration there by the river. Even I end up dancing."

6:30pm Wednesday, August 13
Pere Marquette Park (on Old World Third Street; between State & Kilbourn)"

It doesnt say the exact time that they are playing.... I will see what I can find out from Angus.... I hope you try to make it there to see them! They are WORTH it!!!!

Here is a video clip taken by Lu at the Irish Fair here in Cali.... video quality is not that great... but will still give you an idea.... plus you can always listen to their music on their website at Brothermusic.com

On a personal note.... I would like to thank Vicky for the wonderful video she did for me on her blog.... brought me to tears! (happy, love filled tears of course!) Vicky, you are a love!!! And I love you dearly!!!

I love all of you dearly, you have ALL been so wonderful to me and I appreciate it VERY much! THANK YOU!!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!!

Love and light,
Minxie

Black & White.... the new color?

2008-07-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I have found that I love black and white photographs..... the emotions that can be felt while looking at them can be wonderful.....

What is it about a black and white photo that evokes such emotions?

Here are some that I found on photobucket.....

Say What You Mean.... Mean What You Say....

2008-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

BREAKING NEWS: EARTHQUAKE ROCKS SO CAL!

A moderate earthquake occurred at 11:42:15 AM (PDT) on Tuesday, July 29, 2008.
The magnitude 5.4 event occurred 4 km (3 miles) WSW of Chino Hills, CA.
The hypocentral depth is 14 km ( 8 miles).
No reported damage or injuries as of 1:00 pm PST.
There have been over 35 after shocks since the initial quake, largest of 3.8

Click here for website:

If you have google earth you can see the earthquakes just click on the google earth link.... and then when GE loads up... zoom in on Southern Cali.....

Click here for the google earth link:

Everyone is fine... we love to SHAKE N' BAKE in Cali! ;)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled blog fun..........

Some days you just need to say
"F - U!" ........and here is Johnny saying it all!!!!
One of the most generous, sweet, kind and gentle people has his own limits. It seems that Johnny's limits were pushed to the edge. Reports that Johnny was in a bad mood are an understatement!!! And with VERY good reason!

DO NOT TAKE PICTURES OF
JOHNNY'S KIDS!!

Why must the paparazzi involve the children!??! Isn't exploiting children AGAINST the law? Isn't the paparazzi and the RAG MAGS buying, publishing and making money off of innocent children considered EXPLOITATION?

By definition ~ Explote: to make unethical use of for one's own advantage or profit; specif., to make profit from others without giving a just return.

PLEASE LEAVE THE CHILDREN OUT OF IT!!!

When the paparazzi takes pictures of his kids, he lets them know EXACTLY how he feels about it! KUDOS to you Johnny!!!! Tell them how you feel!!! You gotta love him for being a man, protecting his children and letting his feelings be KNOWN!

I admire and respect people who can express their feelings, even without words. I even admire them more, when they are not afraid to let their feelings be known. It seems that it is too easy for some people to play guessing games instead of saying what they mean and meaning what they say. Being a straight shooter myself, I really don't completely understand why people feel the need to "mince" words.... why not just say it direct and to the point? It doesn't mean that you have to be cruel or insensitive, but for crying out loud, be honest and straight! You may not get a second chance to say what you need or want to say.... don't you want to make sure that what you are saying is perfectly clear?

Johnny made it perfectly clear that he was NOT happy about the paparazzi taking the pictures...
and all without saying a single WORD!

Photo credit to:
TMZ
Gossip Girls

Burning Man.... the Mobile Art

2008-07-27T10:06:00.001-07:00

The Man at the start of the Burn

34 more days until the BURN! My excitement is building.... the thought of being on playa (even with the dust) is currently driving me.

Speaking of driving, the playa has the most incredible "art cars" and "mutant vehicles". These modes of transportation are only allowed on the playa if they are fully checked out and approved. Only a certain number of vehicles are allowed to keep the impact on the environment to a minimum. The man hours and creative energy that is put into some of these vehicles is simply AMAZING! And to see them all lit up at night is well, like I have said, "The Electrical Light Parade on Acid!" I have pulled some pics from the Burning Man website .....please go and see all the others that I havent posted.....

I hope you enjoy them......

One of my Favs!

The Mask...
Note the gal in furry boots on the right side

Sunset shot for Vix!

A night the Playa is totally lit up from the vehicles
and art installations... this is the tree house

The Purple Party Bus

Yes, we have UFOs too!

This is LITERALLY a house on wheels!

Flame Blasts are everywhere

We have cupcakes on the playa....
sorry no brownies...LOL

Love the bunny slippers

Jellyfish

The mutant vehicle parking lot
NOTE: everything is lit by its own power!

Lotus, we dont have flying Monkeys...
but we have flying pigs!

Gotta love the creativeness!

This could be from Who'sville!

And of course...
a Jack-a-lope for a certain Sir

The "rig jig" is an art installation

I dont remember seeing this one...
DAMN how funny!

Cheshire Cat

Genie Bottle

The Skull Car

Of course, what playa would be complete
without a Pirate Ship!!!

As the burn gets closer, I will be posting more pictures of the people, art and life on the playa. It is the ONE experience that I recommend everyone have at least once in their life!

Burn on..........

Commodore Minxie

Inspiration.... What inspires you?

2008-07-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

After reading my friend Vicky's blog tonight about what inspired her.... I sat and thought about the things that have inspired me..... lately I have been gravitating back towards photography.... unfortunately I dont have a high dollar digital only my ancient 35mm Canon. I got to looking thru my photos on my photobucket account and found some pictures that I had taken a few years back with said 35mm and thought I would share them.... I have always been an admirer of nature, so most if not all of my favorite pics are of animals, landscapes etc...... here are some of my favorites.... my apologies for the low resolution on some of them.... there are a few that were actually "commissioned" pics so I have to protect them......

"Hooker"
my friend's Cougar... cool cat!

"Charlie"
Commissioned portrait

"Mister"
The DD's dog

"The Paint"
Commissioned Portrait

"Rocky Eye"
Commissioned Portrait

"Rocky"
Commissioned Portrait

"Jessica"
Commissioned Portrait
Champion Reining Cow Horse

"Critter"
My beloved pet
R.I.P.

"Straw Horse"

"Chance"
My beloved "Bitch"

"Snow LineUp"
My friend's horses in Up State NY

"Charlie"
One of my bitch's pups

"Post Card"
Coast of Kauai Hawaii

"Cliffs"
Island of Oahu, Hawaii

"Autumn Bridge"
Peaceful Valley, CO

"Rock Waves"
Oahu, Hawaii

"Autumn Sunlight"
Peaceful Valley, CO

I hope you have been inspired by some of these pictures....

I have found that when I start to create things: pictures, jewelry, sewing, cooking gardening etc.... that it in turn feeds the creative juices and I get even more creative..... perhaps this is just what I need to help get me over the hump..... I love inspiration.... it opens doors to much more....

Thanks Vicky for being MY inspiration with your blog!
Thanks to all of you for inspiring me to be a better person!

Inspiration is all around us..... sometimes we just need to stop and look!

Happy Friday all!

Commodore Minxie

Times are Hard.... but My Blessings a GREAT!

2008-07-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Times are hard right now .... but my Blessings are GREAT! I have the love and support of so many wonderful friends!

THANK YOU!

It seems that there are quite a few people dealing with life's trials and tribulations .... I am glad that I am not alone in this... but sad that my friends are feeling down as well.
I am here for you all, just like you have been there for me.... its hard NOT to feel the love, when everyone is so loving and wonderful!

So, here's something for YOU, my friends.....

Thank you all for being my friend.....

You mean the world to me!!!

I am truly blessed to

call you

FRIEND!!!!!

Somedays.....

2008-07-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Just arent even worth getting out of bed.... today is one of those days. So to try to kick myself in the arse and cheer up.... I posted some of my Burning Man pictures from last year..... Life in the playa is sooooo much better than life in this world. I cant wait to get to Black Rock City and forget this world and this life!

The big white truck loaded for Burning Man!

Me. Gatemistress & Magic @ the Burn!

Dancing in a "mild" dust storm!

Life is so wonderful and simple.....on the Playa!

Whats your thing?

The Temple of Forgiveness....

Mother Nature blessed us with a double rainbow....
And a Lunar Eclipse

Night life on the playa...
Electrical light parade on acid!

Just getting to the playa..... good times await!

Kicking it at base camp.....

Our daily ice run......

I just cant wait to get back to the Playa. Life and times are very hard right now. My moods are dark, depressing and not too happy (which are not normal for me AT ALL!) I need an escape.... I need pure love..... I need..........

THE BURN!!!!

Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs!

2008-07-20T23:09:00.000-07:00

It seems that everywhere you look there is some sign trying to catch you eye to give you direction, tell you location or sell you something....

Its interesting when you look at a sign and it says one thing..... you read only a "portion" of it and it now takes on a whole new meaning.

During my recent visit to the Orange County Fair I found some signs that caught my eye as funny, interesting and open to one's own interpretation. I hope you enjoy them and I am interested to hear your thoughts and comments on these little "signs" of life....

This is actually on the recycle can

its like there should be more to it....

See "Its all good!"

This is just to let everyone know that not ALL
food in Cali is "salads" and "sushi"

LMAO! Ok, I admit it, I altered the
"old man shakes" line in PhotoShop
Sorry, I couldnt resist.... It must have
been Osh's OMW comments...

Apparently this was the theme for this
years fair....
Yeah, the only curds they had....
were pictures of curds... WTH?

So could this be a ride...
or
a midway game?

Ha ha .... guess this answers the question...

PhotoShop could have fun with this one!

Yeah, I know, this one is pretty simple....
but I still had to have the pic

Care to add the noun?

Ok, this just makes you pause...

Whats the "one"...?
and
What do I "win"?

Reggae anyone?

Do you REALLY want to eat one of these?

Or one of these?

And if you read this one just right
you might get a different thought

(I didnt know that a pig's shoulder had a "BUTT" LMAO!)

WARNING: Objects in this
picture MUST be smaller
than they actually appear...

Yup! This says it ALL!

As does this one!

Proof that a fair will
fry you!

Seriously,
Whats wrong wit this one?

Again, care to add a noun?

And of course, you always need a sign
to tell you what to do!

Happy Monday!!!

Commodore Minxie

PS: Sad news, the little chicky died tonight....my heart is sad, he was a treat to have around. RIP LuLu......

Johnny with "featured" extra...

2008-07-20T03:21:00.000-07:00

(Photo credit: Andy Goodwin (deppdance) Flickr.com)

To go with yesterday's blog heres a cute little story about a 6 yr. old "featured" extra who played a scene with Johnny in PE while in St. Anne, IL.....

See story HERE!
(link fixed)

Love the part about Johnny reciting the lines from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

(Story credit: Dawn Aulet HeraldNewsOnline.com)

Just a small dose of JD

2008-07-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

I thought we might all need a small dose of Johnny today..... so here it is.....

Update: Baby chick is doing well.... no new babies yet.....

Wishing you all a wonderful Saturday.......

Hugs,

Minxie

Kids with Chicks

2008-07-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

We are still searching for a name for the little chick.... the kid says "Omellette" I say "Lucy" or "Lu" depending on the sex..... I guess the little chick will make his/her name known as time goes on.....

No other eggs are hatching just yet.... but we can see the chicks inside when we candle them..... stay tuned....

Here are some pics of the little cutie:

The chick seems to like to hang out in my cleavage

And on the kid's shoulder

Love the face!

The kid isnt so quick to let the chick
near her eyes now as the chick decided
to peck her eye last night....

Feeding the little chick

Wishing you all a terrific Thursday......

Commodore Minxie... the Mother Hen

Spring in July.......

2008-07-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

Typically Spring is the time for new beginnings, new flower blossoms, and baby chicks (and other babies)..... NOT Summer in July.... but at Sanctufairy, anything is possible......

I have been raising chickens for the past 10+ years and have only been blessed with a few (maybe 5 baby chicks) because of predators, or unable roosters. My current flock of chickens consists of 7 hens and little Bantam rooster.

About 3 weeks ago, my favorite hens (the red Araucana or Americana and the black Cochen) started to "sit" the eggs.

They have done this before to no avail. Since the rooster (Bantam) is "size" challenged up against the full size hens, I have not had the pleasure of any baby chicks for about 5 years.

Sunday, I took a look at the eggs the girls were sitting on and found that one had the indications that a chick was trying to get out..... unfortunately, that poor baby "disappeared" in the night. However, I did notice another one had the same indicators yesterday....

So as the day wore on, there was more and more indication that the chick was ready to hatch.... I brought the egg inside and set it up in its new home complete with hay bedding and a warming light....

Being the "nervous" mother hen that I am.... I watched over the little chick all night/morning..... and as of 3:30am July 15, 2008 a new baby chick was hatched!!!!

Welcome to the world little one..... and on the same day that my friend "Lu" was born as well... hmmmm.... that might have to do with naming this little chick.

Since I was lucky enough to get this one baby, I decided to "candle" (shine light on the egg to see if there is a baby inside) the other eggs... and it looks like we will be having more chicks soon.... some are almost ready to hatch, others have some more time to go........

I have now been up all night hatching this little chick and since he/she is sleeping, I think I will get some sleep as well (still fighting my migraine some).

Wishing you all a terrific Tuesday........

Commodore "Mother Hen" Minxie

PS: There are some more pics from the Labyrinth on Richard Lowe Jr. page (he is the photographer that takes pics at our Renaissance Faire as well.... check them out!)

Labyrinth of Jareth.... 2008

2008-07-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball was AWESOME!!!! This year the costumes were even more fantasy oriented then the last two years.

The weather was nice, not too hot, not too cold.... just pleasant (though still somewhat humid ~ hence my flat hair).

The Gang:
Lucifer, Dy, Hungwell, Magic, Minxie, Lady Eyes

My Annual "pose" with
the werewolf!

The Labyrinth ....

The costumes were incredible this year....

Brother was there and played outside in the courtyard and on the main stage... they really got the crowd going..... and I finally got my pic with Angus! Yippee!!!

I decided to just post the pics in a slideshow.....

What a great night......its nights like this one that make me aware of how lucky I am to have the wonderful friends that I have.... and how blessed my life is that I get the opportunity to experience so many wonderful things.

Thank you all for being my friend and sharing this amazing life with me......

Commodore Minxie

Ping - Guins & Crabs

2008-07-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

It seems that the ping-guins are under attack from another sea creature...... Sir Jack, did you have to send the "sharken" after them just because they stole the Mother of Pearl?

And since Lotus was a love and sent me some crabs..... I had them cooked up nice and steamy hot and dipped them in melted butter...... YUMMY!!!

But first one must be educated in the handling of crab 101.......

Enjoy your Saturday..... I am off to the ball...... I hope the clock doesnt strike midnight too soon......

Commodore Minxie