My very dear friend is dying of cancer. She's taken a serious turn for the worst, and it's hard not to fear what's ahead. I'm scared. She's scared. Her husband's scared. Her daughters are scared. She's uncomfortable and can hardly breathe. And there's nothing anyone can do. The hospital sent her home.

I know this is what everyone says in this situation, but this helpless feeling is horrible. I will go to her tomorrow, but knowing what state she's in, I don't know if I'll sleep tonight.
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I didn't go this year and I'm regretting it. I'm trying to focus on the facts that I'm comfortable at home - my own bed, the temperature is normal, access to flush toilets(!), and I don't have playadust gook caked in my hair - but images of the playa are haunting me. I wanted to go, but not badly enough. My crew made a group decision to skip this year after last year's dramas. I considered going by myself, but I don't think I'd be comfortable with that. On the other hand, it might be the best... read more

Here it is, about 6 weeks out from Burning Man 2006, and I still haven't made up my mind about going. I'd really like to go, but last year was so tumultuous and labor intensive coordination-wise that I'm reluctant to go in the same cruise-director capacity. It'd be great to find another female who is laid-back and not into too much freakiness to maybe share a rental van with, but how?

Maybe it's best to take a year off at this point. Yet every time I talk about BRC, the spark gets lit insi... read more

This was my second burn this year, and wow, was it ever different from the first. Last year I was in utter awe of the incredible absurdity and unrelenting weirdness of it all. I loved it. I was completely at home in the atmosphere of kindness to strangers and felt like I was at home at last with the sense of community I'd been stifling in my own spirit for so long. I craved an exit from my perfectly normal little life - good job, good home, good friends, etc.. It was exactly what I needed. An... read more