My Stuff

Hello Philadelphia!

dustynipples — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:07:53 GMT

Hey you sexy folks... I'm heading to Philly for work and I'll be there for an entire week! I arrive Monday 11/16 and wrap up work on Friday afternoon 11/20. The question is... shall I extend my stay through the weekend and leave on Saturday or Sunday? What say you? xoxo Dusty

If this is true, I think I just threw up a little.

dustynipples — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:10:02 GMT

2010 is an election year for 1/3 of the senate and all of the house of representatives. It would be nice if congress got the message; the voting taxpayers are in charge now. Propose this in 2009: START A MOVEMENT TO PLACE ALL POLITICIANS ON SOCIAL SECURITY Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and Congresswomen do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their rare elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congress person has felt the need to change it. After all, it is a great plan. For all practical purposes their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die. Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments. For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White and their wives may expect to draw $7, 800,000 with their wives drawing $275, 000 during the last years of their lives. This is calculated on an average life span for each of those Dignitaries. Younger Dignitaries who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives. Their cost for this excellent plan to them is $0.00. NADA!!! ZILCH!!! This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds. From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer), We can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement. In other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits. Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made: Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen. Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us. Then sit back and see how fast they would fix it! __________________________ If this is as true and clearcut as it sounds, then it begs to question: HOW DO WE CHANGE IT?

Hello Boston area friends!

dustynipples — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:14:22 GMT

I'm helping my buddy Jason spread the good word about the Boston truck bound for the playa. Here’s the news on the boston to burningman truck: There is a second container started…but only 16 shares have been sold. One of which is Jason's. If it doesn’t sell out then it will be cancelled and Jason will be sad. The shares are $390… yes this is a lot BUT…. If you team up with friends you can get your camping equipment out to the playa for WAY cheap... I think like 5 people could send out basic camping equipment in one share! This will be FAR AND AWAY, WAY CHEAPER than paying the airline the extra cash on checked baggage fees… AND you would be helping other burners get their projects out to the playa.. Seriously… this is probably the only way that the second truck is gonna happen… so we're spreading the word for ALL you friggin awesome people that were gonna just pack tight and bring your stuff on the plane to pack it tight and throw in some extra ‘cool clothes’ and maybe a few other bits and pieces that you usually do without out there and buy up a share on the container! It really isn’t that much of a pain in the ass… plus loading and unloading would be a GREAT way to meet other burners and would help bring the vibe home for you! We can SO make this happen… The Jason says he'll pinch each and every one of you on the ass if it does! Thanks... xoxo Dusty http://burningtruck.chaoshacker.org/

Seeking friends near Yuma AZ

dustynipples — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:55:36 GMT

I have a great friend who recently moved to Yuma, Arizona. I'm trying to help connect her with other like minded folk in the region. If you know of any people or events in the Yuma area, please get in touch with me. It's kind of remote so it's hard for people to make contact. No commitments, no expectations... just hoping to find some people in the area that can help a dear friend get acclimated. Thanks! Dusty

BMan Rideshare offer... got my plane tickets today.

dustynipples — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:03:45 GMT

I'll be arriving in Reno on Saturday 8/29 about 12:30pm. I'll pick up my rental car, do an uber quick shopping trip, connect with friends then head to the playa. I'll be leaving the playa on Monday 9/7, hang with friends for the night, then return the rental car and fly back on Tuesday 9/8. I haven't rented the car yet, so not sure if I'll have a mid-sized or SUV, but I'll be using flyer miles so I'll get it for cheap. I'm posting here to see if any of my Tribe friends are interested in ride sharing with me to/from the playa? I'm pretty flexible about splitting the costs of the rental car and gas... whatever you can afford basically. Though you will need an early entry pass since we'd be arriving on Saturday, and ideally you'd arrive in Reno somewhere close to noon so we can get errands done, and arrive on playa well before dark. I won't have much shopping to do, but if you need to shop we will... my only request no dilly dallying. I'm pretty diligent about hitting the road so I can pitch tent before dark. Then, I can drop you at the airport on Monday, but I'm hoping I don't have to leave the playa at the crack of dawn on Monday. I'd like to beat exodus, but since my flight isn't until Tuesday, I'm not in a great rush. I realize my time window is pretty specific, but I still wanted to put it out there hoping someone's travel plans coincide with mine, and we might be able to be travel buddies! Let me know! xoxo Dusty

I did it.

dustynipples — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:21:46 GMT

I bought a house. It's cute, it's in good shape, the landscaping is wonderful, it's small... which means it's managable and doesn't scare the shit out of me. And it's almost mine. First I gotta let the bankers and lawyers have their way with me, then it'll be mine. Breathe.

Life is hard.

dustynipples — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:37:32 GMT

That's really all I have to say about that.

Dear Santa,

dustynipples — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:27:48 GMT

I've been a very good girl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAI9mF_cBu0

Random recollections of 9/11

dustynipples — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:26:32 GMT

I'm stuck in a hotel room in Minnesota flipping though TV channels and am confronted with images and memories of 9/11. With all the stuff that's going on in my life, it's shoved to the side as thoughts of living in NYC at that time come flooding back to me... overshadowing whatever current troubles I might be experiencing. Maybe it helps keep things in perspective, maybe it's just a diversion. Either way, they're thoughts I feel are worth capturing. I blogged once about what I remembered most, perhaps a bit more eloquently... http://people.tribe.net/dustynipples/blog/546df2f9-5c8f-4618-ab2e-bea6f3dbebc1 But there are other things I remember. I remember when the first plane hit we thought it must have been a bizarre accident, maybe a drunken pilot. When news came of the second plane I remember being stunned and knowing it was not an accident. I went to my office and made phone calls, as many of us did. I was not watching TV as the towers burned, but I knew they were burning. I remember a woman outside of my office screaming and collapsing in front of me. She cried 'oh my god' as she fell to her knees and sobbed. I asked what happend... she just kept saying 'it fell, it fell'. I wasn't entirely sure what she meant. The thought of the entire building collapsing never occurred to me. At that moment my sister answered the phone. She was crying hysterically. I asked "are you crying because you're worried about us? Or are you crying for humanity?" She said "both". She herself had just watched the first tower fall. I assured her I was okay. She assured me my other family members in NYC were okay. I told her I loved her, hung up the phone and went to watch the TV. I remember seeing the second tower fall. I went outside and paced for what felt like forever... but was probably minutes. I truly could not believe this was real. I went back inside and consoled the people I could. There were people in my workplace who had sons, daughters and husbands at WTC. They could not do anything but watch. I remember feeling helpless. And remember going through my mind thinking of anyone I knew who might have been at WTC that morning, and feeling thankful with each person I was able to rule out in my mind. I knew so many people who could have been there. I remember talking to Jeanette, and a couple of other friends, who's parents, family and friends were stranded downtown, unable to get home over the bridges. Giving them my address and telling them if they could make their way to my place, they could stay with me. And offering any assistance I could. I remember the smell of burning plastic. I lived on E81st Street... way uptown. For days, weeks it seemed, you could smell the smell of smouldering burning plastic emanating from downtown. Long after the fire was gone, the smoulder was there. Computers, office equipment, infrastructure... melting and hot, filling the air for miles. Weeks later the scent lingered. I remember, a couple of days after the fall, wanting to acknowledge my local fire department in some way. I did the only thing I knew how at the time... I baked them brownies and cookies and made up a batch of flowers. I trotted off to my local firehouse in Yorkville, assuming they were far enough north that maybe they didn't lose anyone but knew they were hurting. En route I remember thinking 'has anyone in our neighborhood said thank you?'. When I got to their station I was caught totally off guard. In front of the station were hundreds of flowers and candles, and photos of their fallen brethren. For some bizarre reason I thought it was mostly the first response teams, the downtown fighters, who lost the most. I was still grasping, and got hit full force with the breadth of it all. I remember feeling foolish offering them my brownies given all they had lost. I remember being embarrassed by my ignorance for not yet grasping the levity of it. I remember wondering if I was in denial. I remember the firefighter who accepted my gift, and my hug, and my sympathy and gratitude with grace and dignity. I remember feeling small and humbled. I remember kneeling by their candles and praying and saying thank you. I remember being angry. I remember walking down the street with my friends talking about what we had seen on the news. I remember the scene of a Muslim woman chanting in the street her joy at what they had done to the Americans. I remember mocking her chant as we walked and the people around me recognizing it and the feeling of hatred that it prompted in us to think that anyone, of any origin, would rejoice at the horror that had occurred. I remember being ashamed of myself for feeling the hatred I did towards her, but I felt it, nonetheless. Still, after all this time, I'm also left with remembering the love. I remember feeling the outpouring of support that came to NYC in the days that followed. I remember Union Square Park and all of the candles, and pictures, and prayers. I remember the silence. I remember everyone asking 'how are you' and really meaning it. I remember how much I love New York. I remember. Sometimes it's vague, sometimes it comes flooding back. Either way, I remember. With love, remorse, regret, anger, respect and hope... xoxo Kim

Theme Camp Map is out!

dustynipples — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:31:24 GMT

Theme Camps have received their placement maps! It's a PDF that's hard to print so I'm not sure you'll see it online, but it's out! Our address is published, but our actual placement is: Corvair & 4:10 Closer to 4:00 than 4:30, on Corvair, mountainside. Damn, I already made our camp cards that say 4:30 and C... oh well. I still luvs my neighborhood! Come visit! It's a great map... maybe someone will figure out how to post it soon! xoxo

Where you gonna be?

dustynipples — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:28:19 GMT

I posted a thread in the burning woman tribe too trying to collect addresses. If you posted there, no need to post again. I've collected a few but want to make sure I don't miss anyone! So... where you gonna be?

Feedback.

dustynipples — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:17:53 GMT

Just thinking about the value of feedback. How it's delivered, how it's received. How much we need it, how much we resent it. How some people have it in abundance and desire less, and some people hear so little they crave it and assertively seek it out. How some is met with defense, and some is warmly welcomed. How some resounds for years to come, and some hisses like white noise. How meaningful it is when we give it from the heart, and how valuable it is when we hear what we needed to hear most. How our emotions, fears and defenses can alter it's form from when it's sent... to when it's received. How it can change from positive to negative back to positive again... all based on how we choose to receive it. The key lies in receiving it. How we choose to receive the gift of feedback. Just thinking about the value of feedback.

Friends and Housecleaning.

dustynipples — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:45:04 GMT

Hey Friends. I love Tribe. I love that I've met so many great people through Tribe... that includes many of you! Even for some Tribe friends whom I've never met in person, I enjoy knowing what you're up to in the world and hope we will meet someday. Regretfully though, I have quite a few Tribe friends that have never evolved much beyond just appearing on each others list. And I suspect I fall in the same category for them. And others who no longer participate on Tribe at all. So I'm doing a little pre-spring housecleaning. It's nothing personal, please don't take offense... it's just that while our paths may have crossed online once, many moons ago, they haven't seem to cross again. And that's okay. If we're meant to be connected, our paths will meet and we'll become friends again. I hope most of you are comfortable with our connection, and realize that I'm not removing you as a Tribe friend. If you're unsure, please leave me a comment so I know you're still there :-) xoxo Dusty

Thank you to my job!

dustynipples — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:29:52 GMT

This just doesn't happen every day. We have a backlog of customers that need onsite support at work. We finally had a meeting to divvy up the workload and get it all covered. Stacks of folders needing to be claimed... the team going through them one by one, county by county, all across the U.S. Most customer visits are 2-3 days... it's pretty easy to piggyback a weekend visit if you happen to have friends nearby. These aren't scheduled yet, but sometime within the next couple of months, I'll be visiting some dear friends on the company's dime: Hawthorne, NV (real close to Reno/Tahoe so I'll see Kevin and Scully.) Oakland, CA (um, San Francisco, need I say more? I'll stay as long as I can.) Philly (I actually ripped the folder out of someones hand and told them they'd have to fight me for it. They did. I won.) Jersey (real close to where one of my bestest friends lives.) Renselier, NY (can't wait to connect with some of the Albany burners!) Awesome, right? I'll start making phone calls next week so I can plan some visits! After I get back from Illinois, that is.

A new tribe for Road Warriors

dustynipples — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 21:15:32 GMT

As some of you know, I travel for work. I'm sure there are other burners and tribesters out there who travel a lot also. I thought it would be great if we had a tribe just for us frequent travelers. We can share travel tips, get recommendations, vent a little, maybe even make connections. Stuck in Chicago for 3 hours? Maybe another Tribester is too! You're the only one of your friends who know what 3-1-1 means? Here, have a quart sized ziploc... I have plenty. Tired of eating at Chili's and Friday's? Tell us about it, we'll understand. After all, we're all Road Warriors here. http://tribes.tribe.net/roadwarrior If you know someone who travels a lot, please forward the link for them to join. They might appreciate it. There aren't many places for us to go online and connect with people like us, who do what we do. Thanks! Maybe I'll see you in Chicago, or Atlanta, or DFW. That's where I seem to hang out a lot lately :-)

In praise of praise.

dustynipples — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 02:02:42 GMT

So I'm a few months into my new job, and feeling pretty good about it. Sure, there are some things I've griped about, changes I'd like to see happen, frustration with people doing things a certain way because 'that's the way it's always been done'. But I've been plugging away, giving input, trying to make things better while still being on a major learning curve. Sometimes feeling stupid, like I'm not learning fast enough, or working hard enough. And sometimes feeling like I'm smarter than everyone around me. Most of the time, falling somewhere in the middle, and most of the time my input is well received. Tonite before I packed up to leave, my boss walked by and casually said "I'm glad you're here". I asked... "why, is there something you need"? He said "no, I mean I'm glad you're here. I really like you and you're doing a great job. I like your style and professionalism. I like the way you do things. You're a great addition to the team and I think everything is going to get better. I'm just glad you're here". I said "Wow... thanks. I kinda like you too... sorta". And laughed. He prides himself on being a bit of an asshole. I didn't want to take that away from him.

50 Random Things (not so random anymore since I stole this from Dillo)

dustynipples — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:53:06 GMT

1. Who was the last person to call you baby? People don't call me baby. I'm not a 'baby' kinda girl. 2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? Almost always, if I use one. When I don't return it, I justify it by calling it 'job security' for the guys that take care of the parking lot. 3. If you had to kiss the last person you kissed, would you? Um... I don't remember who the last person I kissed was. But I suspect I wouldn't kiss them again, or else I'd be kissing them still. 4. Has someone ever sang a song to you? Yes, many. 5. Do you play Sudoku? No... don't even understand the game. 6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness would you survive? Absolutely. 7. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you would do? Try to put it out. If I couldn't I'd grab my cell, call 911 and bang on my neighbors door to make sure they were safe. 8. Who was the last person you shared a bed with? My teddy bear... Currybear. 9. Who do you text the most? Dove 10. Who last said they loved you? My sister 11. What color are your eyes? Blue 12. How tall are you? 5' 2" 13. Do you like your parents? Yeah. Mom's pretty cool. And I liked Dad a lot, but he pissed me off royally when he died. 14. Do you secretly like someone? I wish. I need a good crush. 15. Why did your last relationship end? What's a 'relationship'? 16. Who was the last person you said you loved on the phone? My sister. 17. Favorite ex-Beatle? None. I think I'm the only person on the planet who hates the Beatles. But John Lennon solo was okay with me. 18. Where was the furthest place you traveled? France 19. Do you like mustard? Yes... brown and spicey! 20. Do you prefer to sleep or eat? Both 21. Do you look like your mom or dad? I look like my dad. It sucks, my mom is really pretty. 22. How long does it take you in the shower? It depends on hair wash and shaving... 5 - 20 minutes. 23. Can you do splits? Nope 24. What movie do you want to see right now? I don't even know what movies are out right now. 25. What did you do for New Year's Eve? Went to Toronto w/ friends. 26. Do you think The Grudge was crappy? What's 'The Grudge'? 27. Was your mom a cheerleader? First majorette, I think. 28. What's the last letter of your middle name? N (Ann) 29. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? 4 - 8, it varies. 30. Do you like care bears? Absolutely not. 31. What do you buy at the Movies? A ticket. Sometimes popcorn. 32. Do you know how to play poker? I used to, but I forgot. 33. Do you wear your seatbelt? Yes 34. What do you wear to sleep? My undies. 35. Anything big ever happen in your town? Not really. What's big to us is pretty lame to the rest of the world. 36. Is your hair straight or curly? Depends on what hair products I use. 37. Is your tongue pierced? Nope 38. Do you like Liver and Onions? No, but I like liverwerst. Does that count? 39. Do you like funny or serious people better? Funny - but only if they really are funny. 40. Ever been to L.A.? Yeah, a couple of times. But I'm an east coast girl. 41. Who or what is on your mind right now? All the stuff I gotta do tonite. Still haven't unpacked BMan crap yet. 42. Any plans for tonight? See question 41. 43. What's your favorite song at the moment? Nothing in particular. But I'd kill to hear that band from Burningman again... KOR 44. Do you hate chocolate? Isn't that genetically impossible? 45. Are you in college? That's funny. 46. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy? Do I have a choice? 47. If you could have any job what would it be? My own B&B type place. 48. Are you easy to get along with? If I like you, yes. If I don't like you, I can make your life hell. 49. What is your favorite time of day? Evening, before sunset. 50. Are you a generally happy person? Others might say yes. Honestly, I'm not even sure I know what happy feels like. But I'll keep workin on it.

I got a job!

dustynipples — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:06:44 GMT

The search is over... now the work begins. I got a job doing Tech Support & Customer Training for a local company. If you've ever used Microsoft 'Virtual Earth' to view aerial 3D images of a city, then you've seen our software. Not all cities have been mapped into 3D yet, but you should be able to see it for most major cities. Anyway, I'm psyched about the job... the product is hot and the people seem pretty cool, the pay is fair. The training part of the job requires travel, so I'll be on the road about 50% of the time all across the U.S. I don't relish the idea of so much travel, but I love training, and hey, a girl's gotta eat. Besides, with the travel I'll be doing, who knows, I may end up visiting a city near you! Funny thing. My first interview went well, but it's my second interview that blew them away and secured me the job. For my second interview they asked for a presentation. They specifically said do not present anything technical. They wanted to see me in front of an audience, and get to know my style and personality. I was given free reign of subject matter. So I chose Fire Spinning. I figured they're going to find out about me eventually anyway, I might as well clue them into the burner side of my life right up front. It worked. They were super interested, and super impressed. It was a really fun presentation, and I had no problem negotiating a week off in August even though I won't have accrued the vacation time yet. So there you have it! One less citizen living off the government dole. xoxo Dusty

What am I doing wrong?

dustynipples — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 02:39:56 GMT

Seriously, what am I doing wrong? I'd like someone to tell me, because sometimes I really think I'm just too blind to see it. Clearly, I must be doing something dreadfully wrong.

Just Kim.

dustynipples — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:27:42 GMT

A recent BMan thread asked us to explain how we got our playa names. Here was my post: _______________________________ I picked it myself when the Tittyman had me sign my painted tittie imprint on his wall. Signing it 'Kim' just seemed so dull. I've always been rather nipple-centric, and these nipples of mine have been known to gather dust from time to time... not just playa dust. So the inside joke worked. My friends who were with me had known me for a few years already, so it didn't stick with them, but new friends took to it quickly. I went to my first regional and when someone asked my name, another friend chimed in 'Dusty' and next thing I knew, it was my name. When I joined Tribe, it just seemed natural to use it, so now all my Tribe friends also know me as Dusty. When people ask my name, I sometimes tell them 'Kim or Dusty, I answer to both' and they choose whichever they prefer. Starting today, I'm just Kim. Plain ole me, with all my scars and insecurities. No frills, no bells, no whistles. Just Kim. I will continue to answer to both names, should you prefer to call me Dusty. But you know what? I don't want my nipples to gather dust anymore. ________________________ I like Dusty, I welcome Dusty. She's my friend, and she's not gone. But I'm Kim, always have been, always will be. Happy New Year everyone! xoxo Kim

I love this woman.

dustynipples — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 08:18:24 GMT

Thank you Dove! xoxo

Another bat incident.

dustynipples — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 08:48:48 GMT

Okay, so why am I online at 4:30am? Because I awoke about 2 hours ago to a bat circling above me in my bedroom. And this isn't the first time. Last time I did what they say you're supposed to do and it worked like a charm. Open a window and shed light from outside, it'll follow the light out the window. But, did that work this time? No. While I was outside shining the light near an open window, that fucker just sat there glued to the wall. He wasn't moving. And I'm way too chicken to come back in the house and try to get him moving, so I woke up my landlord Brian (young guy who lives upstairs). He came in, I showed him the bat, and sure enough, the sucker took flight. So now he's in my living room. We both went outside with the light while this thing circled and circled. Little bastard wouldn't come near the window though. So Brian went back inside, and at some point just about then - he vanished. Bats do that you know, they can vanish before your eyes. They are so freakin fast and quiet. It didn't seem likely that it flew out the door behind Brian, it would have had to go right past his shoulder. So we've spent the past hour or so searching for him. What a joy to have your landlord sift through your apartment with a flashlight... he now knows all my dirty secrets, from where I hide my dust bunnies to my bra size. Anyway, we didn't find him. But I KNOW he's here somewhere. So, it's 4:30 and I'm awake waiting for him to rear his ugly little head. I'm figuring he's hiding because he's scared (he's scared?) and he'll come out once it's calm, then I'll try the light in the window thing again. I don't know what else to do! I mean, if Brian can catch him, fine, but I'm not going near the fucker. This sucks. I'm afraid to even try to sleep on my couch because I don't know if he's hiding in the living room or my bedroom. And I don't want to just leave and crash at a friends house because then we'll never find him, and never know for sure if he's left, or if he's hiding somewhere. Once, I heard a bat in the walls here, I moved out for over a week before I could come back I was so scared. I'm much braver now, but still not that brave. You know, when I lived in NYC I used to hear mice scurrying in the walls. It would freak me out and keep me awake for hours. Sometimes I'd cry. When they'd get caught in the traps, I had to find someone willing to get rid of it for me, and they got caught fairly often. I move upstate, relieved that I will no longer have mice and roaches to terrorize me, only to become terrorized by bats. What's worse than mice? Giant mice with wings and really sharp teeth and claws, that's what. Maybe I'll sleep in the bathtub.

Tagged by Association

dustynipples — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 15:05:55 GMT

Cathy White tagged everyone who reads her post. Well, I read it, so here's my 8... 1) I believe there is no such thing as an unselfish act. Everything we do, even seemingly selfless acts, has a primary motivation that gives us something we need or want in return. This isn't to say what we need or want is always a good thing, our selfish motivations aren't always healthy, and can border on masochistic. But they are selfish, and selfish is not necessarily a bad thing. I think if everybody recognized what they got out of every 'selfless' act, then people in general would feel less taken advantage of, and less victimized. Giving without expectation is a great way of getting in touch with what we get in return. We think we're giving selflessly, but we're really not. We're doing it because it feels good. If it didn't, we wouldn't do it. That's selfish, and I'm okay with that. 2) My career has brought me down a variety of job paths. My favorite is training. I absolutely love training and I'm good at it. I've trained on software and hardware, as well as administrative skills. I get the biggest thrill when someone doesn't think they can get something, and I'm able to present it in a way that a lightbulb goes off in them. Knowing I had a hand in opening a door for someone brings me joy. 3) I haven't quit smoking yet. It's a constant struggle. I'll do good for a while, then I'll smoke again. I really don't want cigarettes to be a part of my life anymore. I hate them and I hate myself when I smoke them. But it's such a pacifier and so easy to give into the craving. I have a really bad cold right now, so obviously, I'm not smoking. Maybe this time will be the last. I sure hope so. 4) One of the healthiest things I've ever done for myself was forgive my Mother. Oh, I still get agitated once in a while when I think about some things. But I love her, and being mad at her does noone any good. Life is too short, and she did the best she could given the knowledge and resources she had at her disposal. If you haven't forgiven your Mom yet, I suggest you get working on it. You'll thank me. 5) I have a ritual when I fly. During take off I say a prayer for the pilots and ground control. I pray they are of clear mind and well rested. I ask whomever may be listening to watch over them and give them good visibility and working equipment. I bless all of the crew and passengers and remember they are loved and ask that they all reach their destination safely. Then I put my faith and life in the hands of the pilots and controllers, and relax and enjoy my flight. When we land, I always say Thank You. 6) I lost my virginity at age 12. If you have young girls in your life, you're kidding yourself if you think 10 is too young to have 'the talk'. Talk to them. They are too young for sex, and if they don't get it, just send them my way. I'll be all too happy to share with them what my mistake taught me. 7) Growing up I was always a little weirder than my friends. My mom used to let me dress myself because she believed in self-expression. Let's just say, I was colorful. When my girlfriends wanted to play with Barbie, I wanted to play with Ouija. When I did play with Barbie, she would have threesomes with Skipper and Ken. I was convinced I was psychic and would sometimes sit for hours trying to move things with my mind. I dressed up like a bunny for Easter and hopped around school handing out jelly beans, we told a substitue teacher I was a special ed student so he'd let me bounce from class to class. I had a regular group of friends I hung with, but I also had friends from every clique - jocks, cheerleaders, honor students, druggies and dirtballs - I spent a lot of time being the outsider. I was always proud of being a strong individual, even though there were a lot of times when conformity would've been much easier. 8) I haven't had a serious crush on anyone in a long time. I'm overdue for a crush. Okay, I tag: Dove, ChaCha, Kamikaze Kelly, SparkleBottom, Almond Joy and Hotsauce. You're it! You have to create a blog entry saying who tagged you, and tell us 8 things about yourself. Then you need to tag 6 more people. And no tag backs. Have fun!

I've been Tagged!!!

dustynipples — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:21:09 GMT

I've been tagged by LyingBare... I feel so loved :-) *************************** RULES - Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 8 facts/things/habits about yourself, saying who tagged you. In the end you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. No tag backs. *************************** 1) The way to my heart is kissing and wildflowers. I'm an awesome kisser, I could make out for hours. And I love daisies. If a man were to present me with roses, diamonds or furs, I'd say blah. But pick me some wild daisies and kiss me long and playfully and passionately? I'm yours forever. 2) My niece and nephews always picked on me because I'm short. Growing up, they each counted the days until they were taller than me. Now my nephew has 2 girls of his own, Abby and Lexi. Abby will be 10 in January and she's growing fast. Her dad insists she'll be taller than me by her 10th birthday, and of course being the loudmouth that I am I challenged him. I say she won't be taller, he says she will. So, on her birthday we'll measure in and whomever loses has to jump in the lake. By the way, it's fucking cold here in January. I hope Santa Claus gives me a wetsuit for Christmas this year. 3) My sister Rhonda was killed in a car accident during my first year in college. She was 21. She's been gone nearly 25 years now, and my brother still has never really dealt with it. He asked me just the other day how is it possible to take something tragic and find a positive angle to it. I reminded him of Rhonda and said she only lived on this earth for 21 short years, and never got to be a wife or a mother... how incredibly lucky are we that we got to have her for a sister. We're the only people who will ever truly know how fantastic she was, her presence was a gift to us. Man, she was funny. 4) I don't believe in a supreme being, or that anything happens for a reason. I think we are just here, and life is what we make it. I do believe we are all connected by a force, and we contribute positive and negative engery to the world around us. I believe the force that connects us all wasn't created by a god, I believe that force is god. I believe the notion of a seperate god, or a supreme being, was manufactured by man to control the masses. I believe the next phase in evolution of the human race is the disintegration of religion, and the true realization that we are all connected, we are one, we are god. 5) I'm a really good cook but it's not so much fun cooking for just myself, though I really do love my own cooking. I love to entertain because it gives me an excuse to cook. Sometimes I feel like it's a waste that I have this talent and noone to cook for... like I need to find myself a man just so my cooking skills can bring someone pleasure. 6) I was a camp counselor at a summer sleep away camp when I was in college. It was the best summer of my life, so far. 7) For a couple of years while I lived in NYC, during the early 90's when we were all rolling in dough, I did the Hamptons thing. I partied with the rich kids and acted like a total snob. I shared a big house with a group of girls with an olympic sized swimming pool and giant hot tub. We went dancing all the time, burned through cash, and managed to get into some of the Hamptons more elite parties. They nicknamed me Hollywood because I used to go to the beach wearing giant Jackie-O sunglasses, platform sandals and fancy sarongs. Obviously, I outgrew it, but damn, those were good times. 8) I have no fingerprint on my right index finger. *************************** Okay, my turn to tag 6 people! BeenJammin', Blue, Troll, Jess, Armadillo and Puddingston... YOU'RE IT! (Can't wait to see what dark scary truths Troll has to share :-)

Sure takes some of the fun out of Burningman.

dustynipples — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 20:36:05 GMT

So I'm in the process of booking my flight, which is going to run me no less than $520. I could get it a little cheaper but I'd have fly in and out of Buffalo, an hour away, which means imposing on a friend to bring me to and from the airport - which I'd rather not do. Plus the flights from Buffalo get me into Reno later than I'd want, so I'd end up arriving on the playa at night. Since I'm driving solo, I'd rather arrive during the day. It can be a harsh drive after a long flight. And speaking of driving, the freakin car rental is more than the flight! I wish I were one of those peeps who could just arrive in Reno with a backpack and hitch a ride, but I'm not. Granted, I've learned to pare down a bit over the years, but there is no question I need a vehicle, a Walmart run, a trip to Trader Joe's and the liquor store. I probably can find another burner on ePlaya to share the ride with me, and hope they can help offset the cost, but at the moment I can't count on that. Plus, it'll have to be someone who isn't hauling too much shit because it's looking like an SUV will be too expensive, both the rental and the gas. No SUV means no extras. Maybe I'm just in a funk, maybe I'm just sick and fucking tired of being single and never being able to count on sharing expenses or logistics with anyone, or feeling like I have to impose on people because some things are just too hard to do solo, or maybe the prospect of yet another burningman without someone of my own to love to share it with has me sick to my stomach, or maybe I'm just getting too old for this shit. But at the moment I'm more inclined to sell my Burningman ticket than confirm my flight. Tickets actually, I bought two. Stupid freakin optimist that I am. This sucks.