Dear Diary . . . day by day

Monday October 9th - Water Restoration
Burning Man
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2000 I turned my brain off this weekend. The drive out was full of traffic because I left too late, but once I got there, there was no thought, just eat, soak, and try not to let the sulfur get to me.
I wasn't prepared for the hot stinky water, to be honest. I was thinking mineral baths and visualizing (in an olfactory way) herbal scents. Instead it smelled like an end-of-summer creek that needs a good storm to wash away the decay. The entire place smelled like this, and the shocker to me was that it was supposed to.
So, yeah, I soaked in hot stinky water that reminded me of rotten eggs. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. And the swimming pool was fresh water - no chlorine - which was sooo refreshing. I love being able to swim with my hair down and not worry about the frizzy discoloration that usually happens (plus, my hair is only just past shoulder length these days, so I never came up choking on wet ropes wound round my neck). Swimming in that pool (which was bordered by rocks to make it look all lagoony) reminded me of being a kid on vacation in Florida, and swimming underwater, pretending I was in a different world. I love swimming like that and looking around underwater, pretending to be a mer-person. The fact that I was naked - all pale white with dark hair in clear, cold water under a bright sun - made it feel even more appropriate. Oh, yes, I loved me that fresh water pool. I wish I had access to it all the time.
It was a little like summer camp, not that I ever went to summer camp. There was a gigantic kitchen and wonderful food cooked by my co-workers (Jamie wins my prize for most gourmet meal - soooo delicious, squash-stuffed ravioli with gorgonzola sauce, a melon soup for appetizer and a grape torte for dessert). We all sorta hung out here and there - tried to play some music Saturday night (Kimio really rocks on the piano, which impressed the hell out of me; I had no idea he had that talent). Most of the group bathing was at night, so I still don't have a clear picture of what my co -workers look like naked (not that I need one). I stayed up as late as I could both nights, going to bed only after everyone else was gone. Saturday I woke up at 11:30am, ate a bun and had my massage at noon (after which I read by the pool, fighting the urge to sleep again). I took a hike on Sunday morning that was hot - especially with SPF 50 sunscreen holding my sweat on my skin. Still, I got farther in an hour than I would've a few months ago, and on the uphill I was pleased with my body's endurance. Hooray for practical applications for workout results!
Sunday was determined to ruin my happy/mellow mood (I don't know that I would call the weekend happy. It wasn't that amazing - just calming. I was at peace, letting go of things I usually would've obsessed over, such as "was what I said rude?"). I wasn't even on the freeway yet and I got a speeding ticket (my first one on my record, dammit). The cop gave me a court date, and I'm annoyed that I might have to appear in Colusa County Superior Court in November. Anyway, I saw a sign for cheap gas ($1.79/gallon compared to the cheap gas around here at $1.84) and was hoping to stop off and fill my almost empty tank. I started getting nervous, as it had been a good 20 miles since I'd seen the sign and knew I had to get gas before I got on 505, so I gave up and got gas at a 76 station for $1.97. And as I passed the last stop before 505, which was the next exit, I saw the cheap gas station. I tried not to look. Rrg.
After I got home and I was carrying my stuff in, my backpack with my drum in it opened on its own and my ceramic drum came crashing down onto the concrete. Shattered. Gone.
I lay on the ground and cursed loudly. My housemates came out and helped me pick up the pieces. Superglue was mentioned (the head is miraculously intact) but I just stuffed it all back in the bag and have not looked at it since. It may take awhile to deal with.
And then I went to David's to watch the A's game. And we lost. At least we rallied a bit, but we still lost. Oh well. They had a good year, and I'm looking forward to next season. But there's a long winter without baseball coming up. I'm beginning to understand David's yearly lament.
That's about it for now. I'm working the early shift, so I was up at 5am this morning. I've eaten, but I'm hungry again. It's a work week. Oh, joy.

Exercise log:
Swimming. Hiking under the noonday sun (doh!). More swimming. Stairs. Massage (oh, wait, I guess that doesn't count).
Writing log:
Didn't even crack the laptop all weekend long, but it was there in a pinch. Do I feel bad about this? Nah.
I'm currently reading:
Woman: An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

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