Pink Heart Camp Video

Yes, I know. I have not posted since before I left for my trip. Honestly, I didn't feel the need to post. But, now that I have decompressed, I MAY start writing again.  Until then, here is the video of our Burning Man experience. As made by my friend Halycon.

<3

Single Digits

Holy freaking cow...we are down to the single digits before I leave. How in the world did I get here! When I first decided to go on this journey to Burning Man, part of me really didn't think I would actually go! Seriously. All things were stacked against me, including myself. But, as we are here in the final countdown, this is really happening. All the major logistics are worked out: transportation, shelter, food, camp. I am SO HAPPY that I joined and was accepted into the fold of my theme camp. I feel so loved and cared for already, it is hard to describe. I have tried my best to be a part of the camp even though I am up here in Washington and the majority of them are in cali! The things that are left are minor: clothes, coat, sleeping stuff, shoes, cool stuff, etc. And, if something gets left behind, or, I can't take stuff I really wanted to, then that is ok. All will work out and this experience will be awesome and amazing.

I am such a planner and need things all detailed out. Through this experience, I have learned to let that go (to a point!) and just float. I am trying to float. Trying not to have a panic attack that I am not packed yet, that I am not sure how to get everything in, not sure what I will do on the train, not sure if I will find a camera to take, not sure how I am going to handle "playa time" and many many many more. Just going with the flow of things and allowing the universe to guide me. So far this year, it has mostly been a good thing.

In two weeks....

Two weeks from now I will be on the playa. Setting up my tent and help set up the camp that I have only been a virtual part of so far. Mixed emotions going through me right now :) I am so excited and scared at the same time. I am such a planner, but out there I will be learning to let that go and just float.

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I need this!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QTXKCE/ref=oss_product

 I want one of these for my trip! Not only can I listen to the radio on the train, but it will keep my cell phone charged as well on the trip! And, it will be handy for Burning Man! Anyone care to purchase me a late birthday present or early christmas present? :)

Pink Heart Beads

I just scored 300 of these beads....aren't they awesome! Now I need to find some leather or ribbon or something to make necklaces or bracelets with them! :)

more preparations

Well, taping the tent didn't work. Went out to inspect it today and its coming up. Stupid tent material. I am now debating if I should try to glue gun nylon fabric over the mesh or just say screw it and just to with the rainfly....hell, its going to be dusty anyway, right?

I am also trying to do a little research on my camelbak thing. I KNOW I need to stay hydrated and drink water. BUT, I have never been one to drink straight water. Even when I was a baby I would spit it out, yes, I know, I am weird ( but that is another story). I am sitting here tonight attempting to drink straight water and it just is not working well at all.  Now, who knows, out on the playa, maybe the magic fairies will take over and I will be able to drink straight water, but, I am not planning on that. So, I am thinking a little flavor would be a good thing...like crystal light. But, wondering if it is OKAY to put that into the camelbak. I imagine that I would never get the flavor out of the bladder, but, that is okay, as it will be for Burning Man only anyway. But, is there any health issue with it? Last thing I will need out on the playa is to get sick.

Tent Taping

How to prepare a tent for the playa? Well, you must cover all the mesh.  I had been debating for some time about how to cover the mesh at the top of my tent. Furnance filters? fabric? Cut up the rainfly and hot glue it? Well, my cousin suggested we use duct tape. So, we did. I am hoping it will stick. I am leaving it up for a few days to see....

Hair....

My hair is extremely thick. REALLY THICK. As such, I keep it about shoulder length. For Burning Man, I have been waffling about what to do with my hair. Some thoughts are just pony tail with a hat, bandannas, etc. But what i REALLY would love to do is small braids. Similar to these below...

Not the cornrows, but the small braids. but, when I asked my regular hair lady about it months ago, she just laughed at me! It would take too long and kill her wrists! :)  But, I still would like to do it. So, I am hoping maybe someone knows someone who is just starting out in the hair biz and needs the experience and to show off for thier portfolios and stuff. Not sure if I will find anyone, but I can hope and wish!

Two weeks to go

Exactly two weeks ( and a few hours) until i leave for the burn. As I type this on my cool new phone, I realize that I have gone into a manic mode. I have not slept more than 4 hours for the past fee nights and my mind is racing like crazy. I know this is all in my brain, but I wish I could do something to slow it down and get out of this manicness. It will pass, always does. But, I dont want to make any bad or rash decisions or do anything stupid. So, I need some support please. Thanks. I will write more later as there is alot to tell that is going on!

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19 days...

So, I must say that I have been a bad bad horrible blogger. Really, there just has been no time to write. Or, by the time I thought about it, my mind was already too jumbled to make anything make sense. I MAY go back and explain the events over the last few weeks, but, it has all been good. We survived the craziness of Squishy's show and are now enjoying family from out of town.

Today makes my 19 day mark until I leave on the train. CRAZY. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this journey is really coming true and trying not to be scared of how it will all turn out.

Some of you have asked how you can help me right now in my final preparations. So, I am putting together a list of items that I still need. Maybe if you are out and see them onsale you can pick some up. Or, you can donate a small bit through paypal.  No pressure at all, but, if you feel like you can, than I will gladly accept the help! :)

Here is the link to the page with supplies I need. I will try to keep it updated with things as I think of them: http://purpleishealing.blogspot.com/p/burning-man-supplies-needed.html
Or...if you prefer to donate funds, here is the option you requested..

Missed my two year anniversary

So, i just realized that I missed the two year anniversary of my legal name change. On July 16,2008, a judge signed my petition to legally changr my last name. It has been a great two years being the new me.

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Staying focused.....

This is up on my bedroom wall. As the countdown gets smaller, I needed something to remind me why I am doing this and help me focus and not stress.

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39 days...ACK!

Well, after trying hard, unsuccessfully,  to find someone around here to sew some stuff for me, I went ahead and mailed my wonderful fabric finds to my dear friend in Kansas. I trust her with my precious fabric and trust that she will make awesome creations.  Sucks that I couldn't find anyone local though. I really think sewing is a lost art. But, I know my god-sister will create some awesome stuff for me!

I finished the sashes tonight. :) Yippee! One more thing off my list of things to accomplish before I leave. And considering I only have 39 days, it is not much at all. I still have a bin full of items I want to do something to (add gems, fur, etc.) but who knows if that will happen!

We are preparing for my sister and my niece to come out and stay with us. They are coming in Monday night. I haven't seen them in years. In fact, they have not been out here since 2003 and considering that my sis was in a car accident that left her with a brain injury and neck injury 3 years ago, it is a big deal.  They are going to be here for about 3 weeks. Excited, but it will make for a cozy house! :)

Squishy is in her final countdown to the opening of her show.  The cast is amazing and I am proud. I have been sitting in on rehearsals and I am so impressed with these kids.  If you are in the area, you must see the show...seriously, if you don't go see it, I will hunt you down!

My Burning Man stuff is getting organized. I will have to go through it all again and reorganize it, but, at least I know what I have and what I don't. And, more importantly, where everything is.

Okay Universe...

Not sure what the universe is trying to do to me. My health and my back had been going better this year. While the countdown is seeming to be going faster, the universe is hitting me hard. First my car issue and now my back. My nerve root block wore off on Thursday. :( For those that aren't aware, my nerve root block injections are what make it possible for me to live day to day without too much pain. And when they wear off, my pain increases hugely.  It has been awhile since I had my last injection, which is a good thing. But, it also means that I have to have my doctor's okay before his nurse will schedule a new injection. Problem is that he was out of town last week. So, he wont be back until Monday. But, hopefully, he will have time in his schedule to get me an injection next week. Until then, I am in limbo.

where is the time going!

So it is really starting to sink in that i am leaving in 43 freakin days for a trip that will be a first in so many ways. It is starting to feel like bipolar swings. haha. Emotions are changing so rapidly. Alot of it is the unknown. But i am learning to let go and float more.

(from mobile so forgive errors)

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45 days.....

Well, I just lost two days on my countdown today. But, that is because I decided to leave 2 days earlier to go meet up with some camp mates in San Francisco and ride out to Burning Man with them, arriving to the playa on Saturday (early arrival). Part of this decision came from the hot hot weather this past week. We had a week straight of weather that was in the 80s and 90s. In fact, it got to 98 and 96 at my house twice last week.  During this time, I really realized how sensitive I am to the heat. And, the extra precautions I am going to have to take out in the desert at 100+ degrees.  I also starting worrying about getting lost, not knowing where to go and breaking down in the middle of no where! Typical me, attempting to plan and know everything that is going on. Yes, I know I am going to have to let that go. So, in an attempt to help keep my sanity, I reached out to a  camp mate in San Fran area and asked if her offer to ride with them was still valid. She was excited to have me.

So, here is the new plan:
* Leave my house in the morning of  Thursday 8-26
* Drive the 721 miles in approximately 12 hours and 5 minutes (according to google maps) to my camp mates house. Perhaps I may stop at my aunt and uncles house, in Silverton, for dinner or a nap. We shall see.
* Arrive there sometime Thursday night and hang out with camp mates.
* Leave Friday afternoon for Reno (about 4 hours away)
* Meet up with our camp truck and a few other camp mates for some last minute shopping, dinner, gambling and rest(?)
* Leave Saturday morning for the playa to arrive about 12noon to begin setting up camp.
* Have an amazing time for the week
* Leave Monday Sept 6th from the playa and head to Reno for a real shower, dinner, gambling and rest.
* On to San Fran Tuesday afternoon to unload
* Leave San Fran Wed morning on my way back to Seattle.

Everyone got that? Subject to change of course. :)

This is a test.....

This is test of the blogger ap on my new Evo phone. Let's see how it works

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Seattle Fireworks

Here is video of the Seattle fireworks show.  This is not the show that we went to, since it is always way too crowded. But, I felt like I should put it up here since the people of Seattle (locals and businesses) saved the fireworks this year when the title sponsor pulled out. Way to go city!  More on what we did later...

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July 2nd - What A Day

Holy Cow! What a wild and crazy, roller coaster of a day. Seriously...up and down and up and down and weird events.....Ready? Hold on..here we go!

I had a very odd dream. It was regarding placement of our theme camp at Burning Man.  Placement announcements were supposed to be out on the 1st. But, its Burning Man time, so, its all relative. But, there was alot of talk about it yesterday, so, it was on my mind I suppose.  Our camp had requested to be on a certain spot, a big spot. And, all are hoping we get it. If not, we will still be cool. But, our plans are so much better if we get this certain location.  This location is called Esplanade.  If the open playa were ocean or a beach to explore, the Esplanade would be the boardwalk. With all the hustle and bussle and all the cool kids setting up shop. Got it? Okay. So, in my dream, we were mistakenly placed on the very last row of the city...in the back. The read our application wrong and thought that is what we wanted. We were all bummed about it, but, decided to make the best of it. We turned our camp around so our backs were to the rest of the city and we were facing out to the empty open playa "behind" the city. Not that we were being anti social, but,  our plans were for a viewing station on the playa and we wanted to keep it that way. Well, when people were arriving during the week, they realized what we had done and the whole city turned around with us. So, we were in front again! :) It was an awesome dream. (Note that we got our placement announcement this afternoon, more later.)


Squishy's phone broke last night. (Don't get me started on her and her cell phones!) But, the charger port thing came out...not good. We decided to get up and get to the Sprint store at 10 when they opened, so there wouldnt be a long line. Well, we didn't really get out of the house til 11. Not really a big deal. Got the store and were told that because it was physical damage, the insurance would cover it, but, it would be $100 to get a new phone. But, I had an upgrade available on my line (not hers) UGH. So, we had a decision to make: get Sam the exact same phone or, spend the same amount and get me a new phone. We looked around for a bit and then decided to go to the other sprint store, since we like their service better for new phones. (The original store we only go to becuase it is the technician store.)

Before we left and while in the store, I was frantically sending emails and text back and forth with a couple Pink Heart camp mates regarding the waterbottles we are ordering. They are on sale today only and we needed to finalize the details. Crazy! But AWESOME! Can't wait to get them! I was having Squishy write an email to someone, but then he called. As I was talking to him, my car starting acting weird and started steaming badly. UH OH! Hung up and parked the car. Luckily, we were right where we wanted to be anyway. I took a breath and opened the hood. More steam. Great.  But, I couldnt tell if it was just a hose or what.  But, the entire water reserve thing was empty.  I decided to let it cool down and we went into the store.  But, my mind could not concentrate or make decisions.  We ended up apologizing to the sales guy. Went next door to get water, poured it in and it just poured out the bottom of my radiator. WONDERFUL. No driving it home.

Called AAA for a tow. They were great. Said the truck had an hour to get there, but, he was there in no less than 20 minutes. Seriously! :) It was great. Nice tow truck driver. Now, I must admit that during the time that I realized I was screwed and the time the driver got there, I was not in a good mental state. Started crying and really worrying. Thinking thousands of dollars to fix, that I don't have, etc. I called a friend to see if his dealership could fix it. He didn't answer. And, didn't respond to my texts.  But, as we got home, he called me back. He was in a meeting, but could tell something was wrong. He could tell I was super upset and was so calming and great. I super appreciated it at that moment in time. He is someone I have known for years and I know he cares about me. Even if we can't be together as a couple, I know he is there when I need him. I love him for that. Anyway, he put it in good perspective for me: "Hey, at least this happened now and not when you were driving to Burning Man.  That would have sucked even more!"  Made me smile and I knew he was right. It could always be worse! :)

I knew I needed to just chill for a bit and needed to respond to some emails. So, I logged on and chatted with a few people. Made me feel better. And, while I was online, our placement announcement came! (Placement!) That was another swing. So happy and exciting!!

Called around to some places to replace my radiator and discovered it wasn't going to be AS BAD as I thought to fix it. Not that I really want to spend $400-$500, but, tis better than the thousand I was thinking. But, since it is Friday before a holiday and they have to order the radiator, no one can fix it until Tuesday. Ya. So, no car for the weekend. Another up then down, right! UGH.

All during this, I still had the phone decision in the back of my head to. Squishy was being to patient about it, but, we needed to figure something out for her phone. So, I did some research on the phones we had looked at in the store. Talked it over with Squishy and decided I was going to get a new phone and she was going to get my Palm Pre. I can't believe I gave it up. I love that phone. But, time to move on, right? And, I hear such good things about the android phones. So, I got a Samsung Moment. I can't wait to play around with it!

After spending an hour or so at the sprint store getting the phones switched and such, I wanted teriakyi for dinner. Went to 2 places and they were closed. WTF. 8pm on a Friday night. Another, closed. had to settle for Taco Bell :( All in all, it was just a weird weird day.

PLACEMENT!

Pink Heart Camp (and therefor me) was granted the requested space on the playa we wanted! We will be at 9:00 & Esplanade!

Below is the 2010 Map of Black Rock City! Being on 9:00 and Esplanade means we will be right in the middle of 24/7 thick of it! :) So amazing. Who needs sleep anyway, right!

Welcome To July? WTF!

So, it is July 1st today. YIPPEE, right? Not in Washington state. Today it did not get above 60 degrees at my house. SERIOUSLY! WTF! I was actually starting to hold out hope that we would keep with the 70 degree weather for awhile. This is one weird year for us in the Evergreen state. And, my body is NOT liking the swings we are having from hot to cold! So, Ms. Mother Nature. Do you hear me? I am not asking for the 90 degree weather of last summer, but, let's stay a bit consistent, okay?

Getting Creative...Again

Many of you may not be aware of this, but, I NEVER have been a crafty person. Not even in like elementary school. Hated art time. Always thought inside the lines and everything had to be perfect. I never was one of those kids who could take a big pile of stupid objects and turn it into a piece of creative art. NEVER. I would organize that pile of stupid objects into rows and sort them all out. My sister and others however, could see that same pile of stupid objects and create something of it.

As part of my new journey this year, I decided I would try to get more crafty/artsy. Letting go of "things must be perfect" and such. And just trying out the other side of my brain. Slowly working on it. As such, on a whim, I decided to volunteer to make sashes for our camp. Not have ANY clue on how I would get it done. I am not going to go into my whole process of how I decided on this, but, really it just happened because I was in the fabric store (on one of my many trips) and noticed this blanket binding ribbon stuff on sale. Looking at it more closely, its basically a 3 inch ribbon, that is already sewn on the sides, that is sold in 10 yard spools.  Looking at the label, it said it could be used with a glue gun. MAGIC! So, I bought a little and experimented with it. Lovely. :)

After obtaining all the pink in the Seattle area and requesting my fellow camp mates get some, I went to work. Here is the progression of the sashes and the final product! :) Go me!

Oh ya, and I made the collage too! Look at all the new stuff I am learning how to do this year. Proud of me yet?

Got A Bed!

I have been debating about what kind of bed to get for Burning Man. I had narrowed it down to a couple and was just waiting for the right sale or sign to get it. Then I found this one on freecycle!

Walmart.com: Ozark Trail Queen Airbed: Camping

It isn't the exact one I wanted, as its lower to the ground. But, can't beat the price! I love how the universe provides!

(P.S. I used a new blogger feature for this post, so, if it looks different, thats why! Testing it out!)

Record Broken...

Well, today was the day.  We hit 77 degrees today! YIPPEE! So, officially breaking 2 records!

1) the longest in the calendar year not hitting 75 degrees. The previous record was June 9th.
2) the longest number of days from 75 degrees to at least 75 degrees. 272 days.

Crazy!

Birthday

My birthday was Saturday. Squishy made plans for us to go see a high school production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" on Friday night.  On Saturday, she had rehearsals until 3pm and I just laid pretty low. After I picked her up and she rested a bit, we went out to dinner. Went with my mother (who shares my birthday. I was born on her 21st birthday!), Squishy, a friend of hers, 2 of my aunts, an uncle and one of my cousins. Had a good dinner and got their awesome Strawberry Banana Cream Pie..yummy. If you have not had it, I highly recommend it. :)

After that I went out for a drink with an old friend from high school. Had a nice low key time. :) (THANK YOU!)

My mom and Squishy got me a gorgeous ring and necklace set. Just realized I didn't take a picture of it. :(

On our way out to dinner, I told Squishy to pose for a picture and she did. Then she said that my mom and I should pose the same way. So, here our our bday poses.

My name is Plumeria.....

My name is Plumeria and I am addicted to fabric shopping.

NO MORE FABRIC SHOPPING!

While at Joann's today..again...I realized that I have entirely gone crazy with fabric shopping.  So, if you see me in or near a craft store, STOP me! If you hear me or read me talking about going to a craft store, yell at me in all caps! :)

Pillows Pillows Pillows

Part of being part of my theme camp is that we are creating a lounge on the playa. That means we need to bring in comfy things to sit on, cuddle with, etc. Obviously I can't fit a couch into my car, but, another thing we need are pillows. Everyone in camp is being asked to provide at least 5 pillows (or stuffed animals, etc) to the camp. Pink of course. Well, I have gone a little pillow happy. I keep getting pillows and have the fabric to cover them. But, I realized yesterday that there is no way I can bring all these pillows with me down to BRC! HELP! So, I think I will be mailing some pillows down to my camp mates in california for them to load on the truck. But, please, for now, if you see me buying more pillows, spank me!

Family in Oregon for my Cousin's Graduation from Univeristy of Oregon

This is a picture of all the family who was present at my cousin's graduation from University of Oregon. We went to the ceremony for just her department and there were only about 30 people.  Most of them had 4-5 people present...we had 20. And no, this is not even 1/4 of my family...

This is a picture of the cousins at the graduation party.  Now, we use the term "cousin" loosely in our family. Since the "1st Cousin's" range in age from 45-14 and some of us have kids.  Instead of getting all technical, we are all just cousins. LOL

The real cousins at Emily's graduation.  Again, this is only 4 of us. We have like 30. LOL

My mom, me and Squishy.  Do we look alike?

Squishy is still shorter than me....and always will be dammit!

My cousin Emily had a good day. She is so pretty and actually wore a dress with heels under the gown!

Really surprised at number of girls who wore flip flops...

And guys with no shoes at all.  And no, these are not the only two of the 30 who wore flip flops or nothing. Was a majority of them....craziness!

More Prep And Shopping!

I am back and recovered from a great, yet stressful weekend in Oregon, for one of my cousin's graduation from college.  That is a story in itself that I will reserve for another day. hehe  But, I must say that I made sure to make time for a little shopping down there. Oregon is full of great little shops and NO SALES TAX! hehe

Here is a picture of my awesome coat I got at this little thrift/antique/consignment store that was litterally in the middle of fields of crops...seriously...

It was 80 degrees outside, but, I wanted to get a picture!  $4 for the cashmere coat! I got some other little items there as well, but, this was the best find of them all for sure!

Slippers I got.  They are WAY too big for me, but, thought they would be awesome for a friend of mine. hehe

Slippers to wear around camp :)

More shoes...pink with hearts.

There is lots more that I got. But, thats it for now. :)  Excitement is building for sure. I am going to take this week and get organized. I feel like i have been buying stuff and don't have an actually handle on what I have and what I need.

Cassette Tapes, Caboodles & Sewing....FLASHBACK!

I don't think I posted this, but, I have decided to go ahead and drive my Focus down to the playa by myself. I can handle the drive and it will be good way to start my trip.  I am planning to leave here and drive to Klamath Falls to stay the night and then drive to the playa the next day.  Well, my 2004 Focus is the basic model and has a tape cassette player instead of a CD player (ya, I know....weird!). I do have an adapter for my portable cd player, but it is a tad bit of a hassle.  I thought maybe I could get some tapes and record some CDs (like we used to do in the old days) but wasn't even sure if they still sell blank tapes or not....its on my list of things to check out.

This past weekend, we were cleaning out the garage. Going through old boxes, getting rid of stuff, setting things aside to donate or sell, etc.  And, I came a cross a box with ALL of my old cassettes in them! From junior high and high school. So WEIRD that I was just thinking it would be neat to have those, but figured they were lost. Yet, there they all were!  Squishy thought I was crazy when I squealed about my tapes.  I've got mixed tapes made by friends, mixed tapes I made, singles, full tapes, all of them!  It will so awesome to be driving to the playa listening to all this old school stuff. How can you not smile while listening to stuff from your youth! :)

Speaking of youth...if you were a girl growing up in the 80s and 90s, chances are pretty darn good that you had a caboodle at one point.

I know I did. Actually I think I had like 3 or so...lol  With the hard plastic case, mirror, trays and compartments, they are just awesome! hehe  Well, at goodwill, I found a perfectly in tact pink one. I just had to get it. Not only will the mirror be great to have on the playa, but, it will be good to keep small things in! Again, how can you not be happy with you have something around you with this much nostalgia?

The last time I can remember sewing anything was back in Girl Scouts. It was to earn a badge. So, I am thinking like 4 or 5th grade. I remember I sewed a pair of shorts, a pair of pants and a bag. All did not turn out correctly. LOL  But, with all these BM craft ideas I have, I have made the decision to attempt to sew as much of it myself as I can. Seriously though, that thought terrifies me.  Using the big sewing machine! UGH! Well again, while I was out in the garage again, I came across a craft box.  In the craft box was a BRAND NEW Sewing Genie and Mini Stitcher!

These are smaller and perfect for what I need to make. Less intimidating for sure. I am so glad that my mom bought this years ago and never opened it! :) Funny how things work out. The universe has a plan! This past weekend sure taught me that. Look at all this stuff that came about just after thinking about it!

40 Degrees at night!

So, as I was laying in bed last night (or maybe it was the night before...), under my lovely covers and with my AWESOME heating pad turned on high, I started thinking...CRAP! At  Burning Man I am going to be sleeping OUTSIDE in like 40 degrees! Now, you need to remember that I am a cold person. Always have been.  The only time I can really ever my feet being warm is when I was in Spain the summer after my freshman year in high school and it was literally 118 degrees outside.  Everyone else was complaining about the heat, but I was finally hot! It was awesome.

Needless to say, there is a reason I don't go camping around the Pacific Northwest much, unless it is in cabins! But, I will be tenting it at Burning Man. And, after the sun goes down, it gets pretty darn cold out in the flat dessert at 4100 feet! I really can't sleep if I am not warm. When I sleep, I have to be surrounded like a cocoon, feet and all! So, I am preparing myself for this coldness. I know it is coming in 80 days or so. I will be bringing lots of warm stuff to wear and sleep in. But, for today, I am freaking out! hehe

Miss me?

Yes, I know. I have been a horrible horrible blogger. Between getting really sick, being tired, a little depressed and just not feeling like writing,  I have been bad about posting. I will try to see what I can remember and post.

Planning for Burning Man is coming along nicely. Getting things daily and setting them aside. Talking with new friends and creating craft projects in my head that I have NO CLUE how I will execute.

Got 8 yards of this fleece fabric for free. :) Was not sure what to do with it. As of now, I am thinking that I am going to make adult footed pajamas to wear at night. Get a teddy bear backpack with some lights and some fuzzy slippers! :) It will keep me warm for sure and cute, but silly.







Hawaiian fabric :)

More cool fabric. Not sure what it will turn into. I am thinking a halter top.

I also got an awesome purple fur fabric and a silver shining ....

Awesome pillow I found! :)

This is a dress I got from hot topic. I had been eyeing it for awhile. But, it was $62 and no way would I pay that much! I saw it once on clearance for half off, but, still didn't get it. Well, when they were having their super clearance sale, I thought I would check. And, they had one in my size and it was only $15. :)

found these cute trinket boxes for cheap at a yard sale.  Squishy and I decided to get them out and start painting! :)

Squishy painting boxes!










Speaking of Squishy....she is going to be quite the busy girl this summer.  We were able to get her an audition with another local theatre company that is doing a teen musical this summer. It is group she has not worked with previously at all.  Her audition went GREAT and she got a call back this last weekend. They cast her as a lead. Well, one of the best friends of the lead..but still, a lead. :) She is so excited. But, this means even more work! Rehersals start tomorrow!  The musical is called "13" and is a new one. Just was on Broadway in 2008. Music is great! :) It is going to be a fun show for sure.

Memorial Day weekend was rainy and cold. Seriously, it did not get over 60 the whole weekend. Craziness! Sam left for a church retreat Friday evening. I got a call at about 11 that she hurt her knee again. We decided to wait it out until morning.  Well, he called again about 130 because it had swollen more and she was in so much pain. So, after some discussion, we decided they would take her into the ER and my mom and I would drive the 2.5 hours to meet them. Ya...170 miles one way..funtimes at 2am.  Her knee is okay, it just needs time to heal. We had breakfast at a local 24 hour diner and Squishy really wanted to stay and camp. So, I let her.  I will admit that I spent the remainder of the weekend worrying, but didnt hear from her. When I picked her up on Monday, she did admit that she probally should have come home. But, still had fun.  She couldnt go hiking, but, did get to go river rafting and other stuff.

I really need to get on a schedule. My sleeping schedule has been all messed up and I have been napping too much. I am hoping to start correcting my schedule this week. I also have to get some house chores done. I hate doing housework and such. Anyone want to come over and just keep me company? I wont even make you work, I just seem to work better when someone is here!

I am sure there is more, but, that is it for now!

Burning Man Shoes

I bought this shoes at a yard sale a few weeks ago. Well, I got crafty with them. Went to the craft store and got some awesome rhinestones and got out the trusty glue gun! Not worrying about making it perfect or even what pattern or how they would turn out, I started gluing. This is how they turned out! And, I made sure to use enough glue that those suckers are not coming off!

Getting Creative

For some reason I felt a little creative this evening.  I found what was left over from a pre-purchased kit of "decorate yourself denim lunch sacks" and figured I would see what damage I could do. These are cute little sacks with a handle and velcro shut, my thinking is they would make a good gift for Burning Man.  The kit came with fabric paint, glitter, buttons and some other stuff.  I decided not to use the glitter or the buttons and stick with the fabric paint. LOL  Here is how the 3 remaining sacks turned out.  Mind you, I am not a creative person....lol

What do you think?

Bipolar Story

For those that are not aware, I am BiPolar.  Yes, I am admitting to the world that I am bipolar. Some see this as a stigma and hide it, which I did for many many years. But, part of my health and healing in the last few years is embracing this aspect of who I am.  It is a disease just like asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., that can be controlled with medication, is hereditary and is something that is in your genes.  I have Bipolar Tyle II, which is the lesser type. It means I am not prone to the episodes you read about on the news or in movies of really extremes, like running the streets naked or suicide, etc.  But, I do cycle pretty rapidly from really depressed to really high moods.  In coming days/weeks I will be writing more on my condition and what it means to me and how I am dealing with it. As, I am deciding now how much I want to let out on the internet. But, this is a start for me.

An online friend of mine wrote this short story about bipolar.  (Posted with his permission)I think it gives an awesome idea of my condition. I post it with his permission in hopes that it will give those of you who are not familiar with this condition an idea. More to follow later. But, if you are curious, please do feel free to email me privately.

My Ice Maker Is Bipolar by "Joe"
The ice maker in my refrigerator is bipolar. I am seriously thinking about either getting it some meds or at least some counseling but maybe we will be alright. Sometimes in a whole 24 hours it will barely make enough ice to fill a large glass. I'll ask what the hell is going on and it will say,

"Oh, I don't know. Why are you yelling at me? I just don't feel good and I think I have a leak."

No, you are fine but I need you to work harder. I need enough ice for my cooler every day for work and you are not pulling your load.

"Pulling? I don't have arms. Why are you yelling at me? Life sucks and you're yelling at me."

So we talked and I said I could buy some ice or something but I don't think it heard me. It looked really depressed.

Then a few days later I opend up the freezer and there is ice every where and it is falling out of the freezer and onto the floor.

"Hey, dude! Where you been? I have been working my ass off making ice day and night and it is the best ice I ever made and I am the best ice maker ever. I feel great and I know I look great and ... oh man ... look at these last cubes I made. Gorgeous, huh?"

Yeah, they look ... uh ... great. Look as long as you are so ... uh ... hyper why don't I go and buy some gallon Zip Lock bags and we'll store away some of this extra ice for later for a party or something.

"Yeah, whatever, man. All I know is I feel great and I look great and my ice is the best ever and ... oooh, dude! Look at these I'm about to drop! Brilliant! What can I say? I am brilliant."

So I went to the store and bought some gallon Zip Locks and when I got back I opened the freezer and announced I was back.

"Why are you yelling at me? Look at my ice cubes! They suck and this job sucks and I suck. And I think I have a leak again. I just want to go and lay down and never see ice again."

The rapid ice-ling went on for a while and so we compromised so when he was making extra ice I stored it for later and, like today, when I opened the freezer and there was barely enough ice to fill a glass I just smiled and told him thanks and reached for a Zip Lock already filled with ice. I told him I knew that for him some times are tougher than others and to hang in there and that he should know I am always there for him ... good or bad ... and that no matter what I appreciated him.

He smiled ... dropped a few pitiful, half-formed cubes into the ice bin ... and mumbled, "Thanks, man. That means a lot".

I whispered, "You're welcome", and closed the freezer door.

From inside I heard a voice ...

"Why are you yelling at me?"

(A half-hour later I heard ice cubes beginning to drop every 12 minutes. As long as he tries and knows I appreciate him and that I will be patient with him when times are tough ... 'cause I know it isn't his fault anyway ... I think we will be OK.)

It is 2:30 AM now and my own hypomania has finally decided to let me sleep for a couple or three hours. I am beginning to doze off when I hear coming from the kitchen ...

"DUDE! You have got to get up and come see these ice cubes! Gorgeous! Perfect! Gorgeously perfect! Perfectly gorgeous! I'm Super Ice Maker! That's what I am. SUPER ICE MAKER! I need a mask and a costume, dude! Top of the world, ma!"

PATIENCE .... CHILL ....

Update on what is going on!

So, I have been sick this week. Not to bore you or give you all the icky details, but, I have been doing ALOT of sleeping and NOT alot of eating. Not alot of computer time either. So, I figured I would catch up quickly while I am feeling a tad bit better at the moment.   So, this post is a little of everything rolled into one!

My cats LOVE my new bed.  Emeralde (black one) lays with me all the time on it.  Anytime I am in it, so is she. Safire (grey one) actually has been sleeping with me too.  She used to only sleep with mom.  I have found that she likes a certain spot and if Emeralde is there, she will kick her off. Kinda funny actually.  Yes, I am becoming that cat lady!

I will be finishing my Ten Days to Mental Health before the month ends, I promise. :)

The pizza party for the acting group went well. Squishy was a great help in getting everything and all the kids loved it. I have a tendancy to do over board, but, Squishy was good about telling me to keep it simple.  Only thing that I would have done different is the type of pizza. More cheese & peperoni!  See, my daughter is weird and LOVES vegetables. So, I have just gone through all the kid years with that.  Well, in ordering pizza, I ordered how I would for her and her friends...but I should have just gotten cheese and pepperoni! Oh well.  I did get a very lovely email from the woman in charge thanking me. Which is nice. I look forward to helping out more with this group.

Squishy has a dance performance tonight. I love watching her do what she loves. And, this dance is something she has not done a whole lot of: pair dancing! I will make sure to let you know how it goes. Hopefully I will make it through it sitting up right!

I must say that I am happy and sound in my decision to change camps.  The people I am talking with in the new camp are wonderful. So inviting, full of information and caring. Some of my friends and family don't understand why I don't find a camp of people more local. But for me, this makes sense. Hard to explain, but it just does.  Deep down, I am a shy person and talking to these people online is easier for me.  Yes, there is a community of *burners* up here, but so far, I have not racked up the courage to go.  In time I will. Baby steps.

The raffle for my Burning Man camp is coming together quite nicely.  I am still looking for a grand prize, but, it will come.  We are going to have some awesome prizes! :)  We are also progressing on our water bottles! Stay Tuned!

I have started to think about what I should do with my hair while out on the playa.  I am trying to grow it out again since cutting it short.  But, short may be better with all the dust and wind. Unless I continue to let it grow out and then maybe put it in braids for BM.  I never have had braids, so it would be different, but hey, that is what it is all about, right!  So, right now, I am leaning towards mini braids with maybe some fabric in them for color.  But, I may change my mind. Who knows. I need to talk to Cindy, my hair lady to see what she thinks I suppose.  But, my hair is so thick, I don't want to have to deal with it out there!

That is it for now. I am going to post a story a friend of mine wrote here shortly, but I wanted that to be in a different post.

(from my cell) I have been sick. Will be posting blogs when I feel better!

Pink Heart Camp Fundraiser Help Needed!

As part of our fundraising efforts, we are putting together a raffle.  Most camps do events, but, we are trying something different!  We are currently looking for Burner Based businesses who may be willing to donate prizes for this effort.  This is a GREAT way to gain a little more exposure for your business and help bring people to your business both before and after Burning Man this year. 


Personal donations will be accepted to, if you have skill and are willing to donate it for a prize (making a costume, a piece of custom jewelry, etc!)  Prizes for things that are local will be accepted as well (massages, spas, etc.), just please be sure to tell me what city it is for!


Anything that you, or your business, are willing to donate, will be used as raffle prizes for a fundraiser towards our camp expenses (lounge area, fur, truck rental, water bar, generator, etc).  Please email Plumeria with any questions or donations at by CLICKING HERE. by May 31st!  Look for raffle details starting June 1st!

Squishy in Beauty & The Beast!

My daughter is going to be in a production of Beauty & The Beast in July.

Since ALOT of her friends and our family have expressed interest in going to see her and the Hi-Liners in Beauty & The Beast in July, I thought I would organize a group of tickets for those that want me to.

Tickets just went on sale! While you are free to buy them on your own, I would like to get everyone to go on one night and get us all seats. So, if you want your ticket, arrange to get me the appropriate funds by Thursday May 28th! $10 per ticket for the Saturday, July 17th 7:30pm show. Let's get tickets early so we can get the best seats! 

Again, you DON"T have to be part of this group to see the show. But, it is neat having all your friends/family together and cheering loudly from the audience for an actor!  If you want to purchase your own tickets, you can purchase them here .I will purchase tickets and then distribute them either hard copy or via email.  i am going to inquire about a group rate. If we can get a discount, I will refund any extra monies (or ask if you want to donate it to Sam's tuition for her next musical, "Les Miserables" - hint hint! hehe)

If there are people who would like tickets but cannot get the funds to me in time, please still send me an email by clicking here or give me a call or facebook message and we can work something out.

For anyone that is out of town and wants to come up that weekend: you are more than welcome to stay with us. But, please know that Squishy will have little time to socialize the week before or during the weekend. So, don't take offense.

For anyone that is out of town or can't make it: we can order you a copy of the DVD production and/or you can donate to the funds for her costs to participate in these shows. With items, shoes and fees, it is expensive. But, she really enjoys it.  You can take heart that when she is on Broadway in a few years, she will give back in some way, for that I am certain.

Thanks to everyone for their support of her. :)

Oh! One more thing! If you are local and have some work or something Squishy can do to earn money towards her costs, please let us know. She is willing to work for it.

Day 7: Eat Well

Eat Well!? Ugh. This is a tough one. Especially as it fell on a day when I was responsible for a pizza party! I will say that I have always had a tough time with eating healthy, always. But, I am starting to get better. I love carbs, need carbs, embrace carbs.

But, I have been starting to get better. Including taking supplements and being more conscious of what I am eating. I will continue to work on this. It is something that does not change over night.

Squishy?

After reading my blog, shopping for things for Burning Man and really embracing the fact that I AM going to attend it, but daughter decided that she wanted a "blog" name. Got to love creative kids! I said, okay. Since I go by Plumeria, maybe we should do something that goes along those lines.  No, she wants to be called "Squishy!"

For anyone who doesn't have kids...its from Disney's "Finding Nemo"  Here is youtube video to refresh your memory!

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So, any posts mentioning my daughter's name have been changed to Squishy.  And, going forward, that is how she will be referred to.

super mom....

(from my cell) Playing super mom today. The acting group my daughter Squishy is with is gearing up to do a production of "Les Miserables" and are having a pjviewing party this evening. I was in charge of all the food. So today we went shopping and made brownies. Currently watching a version the group didabout 8years ago. I love my daughter but really don't get opera! My brain just really doesn't understand it and can't process it. My daughter however, is totally enthralled. Making a list of who she wants to audition for and what she needs to work on.

Yard Sales!

Went to yard sales today! Yippee! Got some awesome deals! :) Super excited!


Really awesome sleepingbag thing!  As you can see, this sleeping bag is also like a jacket, with arms, a hood, button up and it even has a zipper for your feet so you can either walk around or sleep with your feet out!

Cow fabric.  It is very thick: feels like denim actually.  It was hand made into a table skirt thing. But, it was too cool. Who knows what it will become!

Pillows!  The red ones are sqaure and really fluffy! (will be covered with pink fabric).  The pink ones are a little smaller, but still fluffy.  I also got a light pink twin sheet set to the fabric.  The keds/converse shoes will make neat things once I bling them out and the slippers, well, I just liked them.

Two metal tins with XXX on them. Very sturdy and thick.  They metal will get hot so nothing that will melt can go in them. But, other goods can be stored in them.  Two small igloo water cooloers! :)

Fur coat! :) It is awesomeness for sure.  I also got a vest, but, didn't take a picture of it.

We also found some awesome things for gifts, plants for mom, an amazing dress for Squishy, tons of books for her and alot of other stuff that I can't even remember right now.  Part of going to yard sales is the amazing people you meet and get to talk with! We had a great sunny day.  After getting home, organizing everything and then going to pick up Squishy from dance, I totally passed out asleep! Just woke up. Guess I am still sick!