Hey folks,

I know i've just been lurking, but i've been really busy.  IN a
nutshell, something i've been preparing for is going to happen soon
and i'm soooooo stoked to be a part of it.  I've been preparing since
May for this first time experience.

Three words......

Burning Man Festival

I've never been and I'm so excited.  I knew there were venues that had
a gigantic wooden man set on fire, but until April I had no idea that
it was this HUGE festival.

So I made up my mind and decided to do it.

I read up and researched everything and watch YouTube videos, etc.  I
then realized that this was not just an event i wanted to visit, but
one i wanted to be a PART of.

So, because I love to be a performer, and because i've always wanted
to, I decided to join a club that performs the lovely art of fire
dancing.

Yep, FIRE DANCING.  As in Flaming Poi, or round wicks on chains that
are spun around a person in wile crazy arcs.  As in Fire Staff, as in
Fire Breathing, and as in Fire Fans, which I chose as my specialty.

I've taken a few pics but haven't had a chance to really post them.  I
did however send the pics to my parents.  muhahahaha!  My mom just
LOVED the one with me breathing a huge fireball.

Over the last few months i've developed pretty decently for a
rookie.

My club has a theme camp at Burning Man and we are going to be part of
the Fire Conclave, a show which consists of thirty groups of people,
each doing their own fire show.

The last month i've been practicing, shopping and packing.

The cats are not amused.  Day by day more and more 'foreign' stuff
appears in the living room.  Mommy starts playing with fabric and
thread and yells if they try to play with it.  Mommy starts packing
things and the cats KNOW that something is up.

My old roomie, who I lived with when i got the cats, is going to stay
at the apartment and take care of them while i'm gone.

I'm leaving on Friday and am going to drive up and spend the weeked
with my family in Northern California.  Then on Monday the 27th, i'm
going to drive up to Black Rock City, about 100 miles northeast of
Reno.

I'll be spending an entire week out in the desert where i have to be
prepared for extreme weather conditions; where i have to provide my
own food and water and shelter; where there will be lots of port-a-
potties, but not enough; where there are no dumpsters and you have to
take all your garbage when you leave; and i'll be speading it with
about 40,000 other people who just want to get away from the world,
celebrate our individuality, share our works of art and ideals without
any persecution, party without worrying about going to work the next
day, and loving and respecting each other with no reservations or
expectations.

I'm going to have a MAJOR blast.

Like I said though, the cats have definitely noticed and have been
QUITE put out that Mommy has been busy packing and making costumes
instead of bowing to their whims.

Do you know how hard it is to sew trim on a costume when one cat is
trying to bite the thread and the other is attacking the trim?

Do you know how hard it is to try to paint something and trying to
keep the cat hair out of the paint?

Do you know how hard it is string beaded necklaces with three cats
watching your EVERY move??

Hopefully they'll survive, cause i'll be gone about a week and a
half.

So that's where i've been.  I disappear for weeks and then show up to
let people know i'm going to be gone for another few weeks.  ah
well......

Now I need to go and shoo a cat off of one of my costumes....

Take care all,

Kristi