Ramblings....

friends

nikiniki — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:45:01 GMT

it was SOOO GOOOD seeing some familiar faces at decomp. i didn't get to kick it with effie, which i really regret, or have coffee with mr. michael like last year, but my campmates were AMAZING. decomp is my most favorite of events. i hope we can get a fall decomp kickin just to do it all over again... You know, when it isn't so goshdarn hot outside. burning man *may* be in the cards, though it's too early to tell. i got two months to kick some serious ass at work to justify going and have some fun money to spend on things that light up. getting the airstream there with gas prices the way they are is going to be a huge task, and i don't know if i want the new shiny airstream getting playafied with dust and rust. i was kinda thinking i should just be kinda hardcore about it and camp in a tent like most others. having a generator and a tent with an a/c unit would be nice.... i got some crafty ass friends.... *thinking seriously about that idea* i'm done ranting for the moment. major tom-- sorry i missed you at decomp. you know i got mad love for you! life is good. i have few complaints, other than the workin' weekends thing. it usually only REALLY bothers me in the summer, which for those of you who don't live in texas is about half the year.

Already in need of extra tickets

nikiniki — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:44:54 GMT

Two of my most awesomest hometown friends have arranged to come to Flipside! Problem is that they found this out after the ticket deadline. If you know someone who is in need of tickets, please let me know. Rob and I have two extra burningman tickets that we bought at the third tier of $250. Perhaps we can work out some kind of trade? :) NIki

it's been a minute

nikiniki — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:10:04 GMT

checking in with an update! the nomadic life has begun! rob and i spent the better part of last week snowboarding in santa fe and ruidoso. it feels good to get outside and enjoy some fresh mountain air... we're back in el paso now, and we head to winter park, co to meet jordan, julia, and the rest of the gang for a snowboarding trip. then it's back to austin, to wrap up some business, and we're freeeeee!!! on the agenda for next year is a trip around the world, interfuse, flipside, burningman, and maybe the san francisco decomp... though we're not making solid plans for much else. if i'm coming your way, i'll shoot you an email, and maybe we can have lunch or get into some trouble! i'm looking forward to this year! the last year was one of the best of my life. i always seem to get where i need to be, even if it's in a round-about way. i'm content and i'm happy. i've been making jewelry lately, mostly with ammonites. (fossilized shells). they're spiral in shape and i can't help but look at one and get lost in the mysteries of the universe. our lives are short in the grand scheme of things. every day is amazing. everyday is a new day. happy new year! nix

BRC here we come!

nikiniki — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 06:20:09 GMT

i can't believe that tomorrow, i'll be organizing and packing for BM. i can't hardly wait. today, rob and i traded out my honda pilot for a ridgeline. the timing couldn't be better. we'll have it to haul shit to burning man and have it ready for our road trip in december. in the meantime, i'm packing and starting an address book of friends to visit this year at BM. i've got some really kick ass gifts for old and new friends on the playa, and it will be nice to see friends from flipsides past as well as party on the playa for the first time. my group couldn't be better! the psychedelic warriors have joined forces with the midwest's "freaks beyond boundaries." i think it's a great fit! everyone i've met from the FBB group has been insanely nice and friendly and willing to make the space for us. for those of you who don't know, we'll be behind the 9 and 9:30 behind the plaza. i'm happy to learn that some friends won't be that far away! i'm very much looking forward to seeing all of you. until then, nix

timing....

nikiniki — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:21:02 GMT

you can make more money, but you can't make more time. it's for this reason that i've decided to quit my job and take the next year to travel the US and abroad with my awesome hubby rob. i gave notice early last week, and i've been all but guaranteed a position upon my return. considering the national housing market is in a slump (though Austin is faring better), and i've traditionally been a commissioned sales employee, this isn't a bad time. we are financially stable enough to travel for a year and have some money left over upon our return, which is more than i could ever ask for. i feel so very blessed to have this opportunity, and i can't wait to see what adventures lie in store. i don't have a "last day" set in stone at work, and i've offered to make sure that my successor is trained fully and completely before i leave. once i return, i am entitled to benefits, vacation accrual, 401k, and cash balance plans, as though i had been here the whole time. in other words, i don't lose my tenure here. still, my dream patterns have changed somewhat slightly, and last night i dreamed of the playa. i was sitting in an RV when the phone rang. i looked down at my phone and was surprised that it worked. a coworker was needing something help, and i remember telling her to hurry because i might lose my phone signal at any time.... in other words, making the mental shift from employed to unemployed is going to be interesting and new for me. the most time i've taken off in 10 years was the month and a half i involuntarily took off while my new company was busy fucking up my drug tests (two "diluted" samples and a 3rd "lost" blood sample, and i was hired anyway.) during that time i stayed busy. my house was clean. i went to the gym every day. i had time, and i had to do SOMETHING with it, because years of working had led me to believe that i had to always be doing something productive with my time. this time around, i plan to focus on my husband. and truly enjoy our time together before we settle down and have kids and i return to work. so burning man, then, will be the gate to a new (albeit temporary) existence.... i'm looking forward to it.

the maya

nikiniki — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:45:47 GMT

I'm not sure why, but lately I've taken to a fascination with Mayan culture and religion. Perhaps it was a string of events that peaked my interest-- from the mention of the Mayan calendar ending in 2012, to the extended coverage afforded by National Geographic. Duck man Rick heard me talking about it, and brought me a book called "The Mayan Factor." To make a long story short, it covers the calendar and intermixes spirituality, DNA, consciousness, astronomy, and energy. (Sounds good, don't it?) The Mayan calendar officially "ends" on December 21, 2012. When I saw this mentioned on a History Channel blurb, I thought to myself, "awesome-- another Armageddon theory." after doing some reading, though, i was floored. The Mayan calendar, you see, is the most accurate calendar created to date. The Mayans even accounted for leap year, and to this day, their calendar, unlike our Gregorian calendar, has not needed adjustment. I was floored to learn this. Time is such an essential part of our being. It is a dimension that looms over our existence. After reading more, I learned that 2012 does not mark the end of existence, but rather the end of one of five cycles in a chain of cycles. Many have theorized that the aforementioned date is an "end" to civilization, but others believe that it is a new beginning. Some believe that a polar shift will take place, in which the north and south poles will reverse. Such a reversal would be catastrophic for humans. Still others believe that a change in magnetism will alter our DNA, creating a "Harmonic Convergence" in which new dimensions are revealed and a single consciousness will exist amongst all humankind. Is there proof? Maybe! Earth's resonant frequency, long thought to be stable, has recently changed. The author of The Mayan Factor claims that changes in electromagnetic energy are to blame for the Challenger shuttle crash as well as three subsequent explosions in our atmosphere. Technology, the author claims, is our way of creating and maintaining history. Regardless, it's very fascinating to me. Though the viewpoints on this date vary, and the outcome is uncertain, I am intrigued by the possibility of a new dimension. Is it possible that the Mayans had a knowledge and understanding of technology that we do not possess, even with our super computers and giant telescopes? Is it possible (like many claim) that the changes in the Earth's resonance are causing 24 hour days to feel more like 16 hour days? Would humans be aware of such a change? There have been many great societies before us. Is it possible that relative to time and space, they were more advanced than we are now? Say, hypothetically, that a couple thousand years from now, long after our civilization has vanished, that someone unearths remnants of our society. What will they think? Will our society seem so "advanced" as we think it is? Or will they see us as a group poisoned by plague-like technology that filled the air with electromagnetic waves and mountains of non-biodegradable waste? I guess time will tell.

Impressive!

nikiniki — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:26:33 GMT

Thanks for the PLETHORA of flipside barbie shots that have graced the flipsidebarbie gmail account. Somehow, one group who will be attending transformus ended up with a big batch, so I expect to see that the barbies will be photogrpahed in another round of burneresque debauchery. I'm thinking they deserve their own website. I will be printing some of these photos and framing them in my house as well. A little piece of flipside, all year round. Thanks again!

Farm Boy needs a ticket!

nikiniki — Tue, 22 May 2007 02:40:25 GMT

One of our dear friends, a sweet boy we call "farm boy" was supposed to purchase a ticket from a gal who flaked and sold it to someone else. If you or yours has an extra, give me an opportunity to purchase it! I got cash money and can travel. I know there's bob's list, etc, but I thought I'd try my network first! :)

holy shit

nikiniki — Sat, 19 May 2007 15:44:18 GMT

flipside is days away. i can hardly contain myself.

que super WOW!

nikiniki — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:36:31 GMT

man, WORD to the fine fugu folks who hosted one of the most AMAZING parties i've ever attended! it was very intimate and infinitely beautiful, espcially bluetech's set. :)

life is good.

nikiniki — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 05:44:48 GMT

took a job promotion! internet sales is good stuff, especially when i can work from home and for the first time in 4 years, i have weekends off! married life is everything i thought it would be and more! i never thought i wanted kids until i met rob. it's very primal and very beautiful. can't wait to see all the beautiful friends i haven't seen in a year-- stacycats and broken bear, smudge (maybe), and the OK city boys, the holy cummunion and bloody mary boys..... fun, fun, fun!!! p.s. bluetech is here on the 21st. reggae fest is the 22nd. rob and i are hosting a pre-reggae pool fest fajita throwdown and then walk together to marley fest. if you're interested in coming, send me a message!

BOOOOOYAH

nikiniki — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:03:58 GMT

git yer dance on.

PASTIE MAKING PARTY

nikiniki — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 22:59:54 GMT

If I hosted one, would you come? I'm an amateur at making pasties, but there are a few Lunchladies who've been there, done that. *hint, nudge, nudge*

i heart my camp

nikiniki — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 21:11:00 GMT

oh yeah. goth camp is gonna be awesome. i would tell you all about it, but yer just gonna have to see it for yourself.... the lunch ladies are gonna be dishin' out good vibes as well. we've got an array of surprises. AND, just in! rob and i will be doing a special "jerry springer" skit at the trailer park. YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT. i promise it'll make you laugh. yay for flipside! i can't wait until work weekend out at the site. i promise to cut that grass down so when you ladies squat to pee, there's no grass ticklin' yo' ass. then again, that could be sorta fun.....

gothcamp....

nikiniki — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 05:20:07 GMT

we had our first official goth camp meeting (not to be confused with the lunch ladies, although all of the lunchladies are indeed a part of goth camp.) carrin has done some AMAZING planning, and the ideas keep coming from everyone in the group. as carrin says, we are all a bunch of DOERS! jana and i have some costumes planned, as well some fun posters/signs we plan to sneak into the portapotties. i'm beaming with anticipation! we have picked out a logo, ordered matching dresses, made aprons.... right now i'm working on some aprons for the boys. the one above is jordan's hippie apron. he picked out the fabric himself. rob's is finished, complete with iron-on letters. major tom's is next, and i've got some cool iron-on patches for his. i'm suzy fucking homemaker these days! i love married life!

chinese new year photo...

nikiniki — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 05:04:49 GMT

...of my dear friend, major tom. i love you, buddy!

full time chaos man...

nikiniki — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 01:31:29 GMT

the effigy base...a photo taken with rob's cell phone. it's all my fault. i told rob to quit his job. he gave two weeks yesterday, but this morning, he was going to leave and i cried, "nooooo! stay here!" so he did. he's now going to be my full-time chaos manager once again! hooray! we are in a fortunate position right now financially, so there isn't really much point in rob working. it's something we've discussed over the last few weeks. starbucks is a great company (i'm going to miss the discounted coffee and free pound of beans every week), but since rob's going to be going to school soon, it's only inevitable that he leave america's favorite speed dealer. i've got a "honey do" list for rob, including installing a plant shelf, getting the home office turned into an office, getting stuff off the balcony, setting up my "homies" collection, sorting/donating old books, and a host of other things in addition to the regular cleaning and maintenance stuff. (honey, don't forget to change the air filters.) life otherwise is good, i took a position as an internet sales specialist with my current company, responsible for tracking more than 2700 homebuying prospects every year. i think it's a good move. austin is growing at an insane pace, and i'm a bit nerdy when it comes to technology, so this the best of both worlds. plus, it's a new position that i will help to create and define as i see fit. the best part? weekends off!!! today i went to the warehouse to help construct the effigy. there were quite a few folks out there. i started by helping dottie with the model made from balsa wood, then, from the model, i drew chalk lines in the parking lot, where we moved the full size pieces into place. there were three saws chuggin' away, and lots of hands of varying skill, all helping out to build something that we will soon burn. i helped denshi prepare hot dogs, portabello mushrooms and hamburgers and we all clapped as the sun started to set, lighting the sky in beautfiul shades of orange. the effigy construction is moving right along, and at this pace, it'll be done way before flipside. it also has the distinction of being fairly easy to put together, which means it might be finished and ready to explore before flipside officially starts! i've got quite a few sewing projects including aprons for the greeter station boys who've volunteered to help greet, as well as wrap pants for rob, jordan, alex, and major tom. i'm figure i'm going to be spending the next few of my weekends doing nothing but sewing....and i'm okay with that. i've caught a little bit of slack from friends about my domestic engineering skills. i'm okay with that, too! PRETTY SOON, when the weather improves, rob and i will have our official housewarming. we're waiting for some good weather so we can have the party inside and out. our place isn't really big enough to accomodate all of our friends, but we've got a stellar courtyard outside as well as a pool. it's still TBD as to whether it will be a potluck or not. i might just do fajitas this time around and save the potluck for another event altogether. i'm thinkin' fajitas, mexican beer, and margaritas. we'll spin some fire next to the pool and have a dj setup. when that time comes, i'll let y'all know! :)

Happy Chinese New Year!

nikiniki — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 19:07:08 GMT

What a great day yesterday! Had breakfast with Major Tom and Jordan. Went fabric shopping for wrap pants and aprons. Went to the big box and picked up some presents for Indi's birthday. Stopped by frankenmare's and gave indi big hugs, broke confetti eggs (on jordo's head), gave cotton candy to kiddos and turned their tongues blue. Went to patrick and pharoh's chinese new year celebration. saw ram & z, PILA, pharoh and susan, sargon and taz, met kyle and robbie, heidi, and other folks (i'm sure i'm forgetting a few). helped patrick with the spring rolls, ate chow mein, fried rice, chinese style fish (oh my!), soup, and yummy rice ball dessert. pretended to be a chinese dragon with susan's awesome chinese dragon hats, drank some wine, laughed around a fire, watched a disturbance in the sky that made the lights dim and the radio fritz out for a second (did anyone else experience that!??) and came home, made love to rob, and ditched work today. now it's off to the warehouse to help denshi build shit. :) happy, happy, happy, that is me!

new hobby

nikiniki — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:43:53 GMT

my interest in leather started a few weeks ago when my mom brought my late father's leather stamping kit as a gift. today, rob and i went to a leather store in austin and picked up some various tools and leather supplies. needless to say, 6 hours later, rob's got new protective sleeves for spinning poi. he dyed them with a leather dye (that does NOT wash off our hands) and laced them up. a good protective carnauba wax coating and they'll be finished! they've got little metal eyelets, a liner, and black leather lacing. i decided to make some gifts for an upcoming "stitch and bitch" party with my flipside girls (the lunch ladies.) our first meeting is this weekend, and i'll be looking forward to getting some use out of my sewing machine. i've been so inspired to do more art lately. we're finally settled into our condo, and our rennovation from a powder bath to a bar is complete. i think we're about ready for a housewarming potluck! more details to come soon! nix

in-fucking-separable

nikiniki — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:49:55 GMT

that's how'd i'd characterize us. i'm so happy i could dance. rob and i got married on december 6th. that's right, bitches, we're married! we knew we wanted to be together forever. now that's a good feeling! forever is a really long time! i hate bein' away from him, even when i'm at work. i miss him every day. and everyday i love him more and more. i'm looking forward to a week of vacation that starts at 6:00 tonight. family is coming on friday, and there's much to be done around the house. life is good. happy holidays to you and yours.

appreciation

nikiniki — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:09:53 GMT

i'm glad we're friends.

Rubik's Cube Party

nikiniki — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:27:49 GMT

I attended Nicoolio's birthday party. It was a dashing good time. The white trash hot tub was in full effect and it was hand's down the BEST backyard-stocked bar ever. As sober as I was, I still had a blast. These are hands down some of the coolest people I've met since I've lived in Austin.... Check out the Rubik's photos on my tribe pages or see my myspace blog for all of 'em. If you want to have a Rubik's Party of your own, here are the directions. Directions: Everyone wears Rubik's colors to the party. (Take a minimum of 6 items in all different colors.) Anything goes! Wear layers. Wear hats. Wear underwear and earrings and yes, even a jockstrap! (Or not.) Wear yellow, red, orange, blue, green, and white. Then....trade off to be a complete color! When you're tired of that, change your color by trading off items again!

big news!

nikiniki — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:08:58 GMT

he asked. i said yes. he knew i would. i'm SO happy!

Austin TO BM 2007

nikiniki — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:44:26 GMT

We're doing it for $681 including tickets, airfare, gas, and RV rental! Check this out.... I just rented a 30' RV from Cruise America! Representative: BILLY Phone: 1-800-327-7799 x457 Reservation dates: 08/27/2007 -09/04/2007 Here's how it breaks down with 6 people (the RV can sleep 7): RV: $2008.00 (Costco membership takes milage rate from 29 to 20 cents/mile, with insurance!) The above figure includes a $500 security deposit, so subtract that out, and that equals $251 per person for RV rental. (I charged the $300 reservation fee.) It's about 1,000 miles. At 10mpg and $3.00 estimated per gallon, total fuel charges are estimated at $300, or $50 per person. Airfare is estimated (round trip) at $200, per person. (Try southwest! I got tix for $79 each way recently). Burning Man tickets are $180, if you get them early. $251 for RV $50 for gas $180 for ticket $200 for airfare -------------------------- $681.00 total! If you add a 7th person, that figure drops to $583 per person. RESERVATIONS ARE MOVING PRETTY QUICK. Tell Billy that Niki from Austin sent ya within the next week, and get the same rate! (I worked my girl charm like a mofo.) DO IT! To reserve is only $300!! See you in 2007! We have reserved two RV's from Austin. I'm checking around, but Rob and I might have room for two more people. We all plan on getting airline tickets FROM AUSTIN at the same time, probably in February, so we can get on the same flight and board the RVs and caravan. If you are interested in going with us, let me know!

the lawn party

nikiniki — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:29:14 GMT

was a ton of fun. rob wrote more about it, but thanks to all who came out. sorry for the ones i didn't get back to in time with directions, etc. next time i'll give you more notice! :)