Friday Night...

Almost there. God I love this. My throat is still sore, two 14 hour days in a row and restorative helpings of "Hawaiian Punch" haven't exactly helped, but oh well. I'm sleeping on the truck tonight, guarding our creation from the denizens of Bayshore who might take an unhealthy, unwholesome interest in her sublime, half-naked form.

Yesterday ended my 10 day fast, a cleansing, purifying experience that I shared with Nick, who unhesitatingly joined me in this simple but important act of will and self control. Ihad a great time this time, feeling stronger and happier than I had ever felt on the cleanse before. If you've never fasted, I have to tell you it challenges a lot of the conventions and routines in your life while opening you up to a whoie range of new experiences and perceptions. It's amazing how much you become aware of when you stop eating. I not only survived, but thrived on nothing but a simple concoction of juice I squeezed form organic lemons, grade B maple syrup, and a dash of cayenne.

Leapt forward again today. Total awe at the response, the enthusiasm, the dedication of our coconspirators. Dan and Greg put in the second staircase - the last thing tonight - after midnight. Now the driver can access the roofdeck via another hidden staircase, eliminating the need to open the massive, vertically pivoting side hatch altogether.

Dan got here at 7am to hold our parking spot next to the vehicle,preserving precious work space, and to relieve Lorenzo, who had slept in the truck last night. This must be the fourth or fifth night he's worked til midnight.He left the shop at 11, boight fabric for the truck and shade structures and scored free sheets of aluminum for the wheel treads, Do n affixed them to the treads today - they look great.

Jen, Dan's true love, came in today after work at the veterinary clinic. She painted, and drilled out the Sno-Kone trays with me. The trays, made of lovely curved pieces of leftover wood, now have little holes in them for carrying Kones to folks who can't make it to the truck. Jen is lovely - funny, brillaint, beautiful, and full of life, and she can go toe to toe with Dan in every department.

How can a boy who's spent the better part of three decades looking for a connection to his family - one that never really materialized - find himself suddenly surrounded by brothers and sisters?

It's really something watching Dan at work, He confidently directs several projects at once, coaching inexperienced would-be carpenters on how to complete their sundrt tasks and holding multiple measurements in his head. All the while, the whole design is clear to him, though it exists only in his head. There is no blueprint, no schedule, no plan per se, he simply forms an idea for the structure and constructs it in his mind, on the fly. He makes adjustments and corrections effortlessly, and he is nearly always right! I learned a long time ago to trust his instincts. The tower he designed for Frosty's Roilling Revival at Burning Man '03 was an improbable ice cream cone-shaped affair that tapered to almost nothing at its base and swelled to a huge ornamental "egg" at the top that contained a wicker throne on a lazy susan. The tower withstood everything that was thrown at it, including three totally inebriated women at the Critical Tits cocktail party who were literally swinging with all their weight back and forth.

The Bipolar Express is by far our most ambitious project to date. It is a shining example of improv carpentry at its best. What a mind Dan has! Love him lots. We are building it together and watching it take shape before our eyes, veer off in unexpected and delightful directions, and achieve a sublime beauty. It's a gift I will never forget. Thanks, brother.
posted by Caltrain @ 11:52 PM