Day 4

This is where things begin to get fuzzy. The days bleed together becoming a tangled knot in my memory. Thursday may have been a day I spent mostly alone. I think I slept in a hammock somewhere after visiting a friend who had been bar-tending at Pink Mammoth. He had another friend visiting him, a co-worker of his, who wasn't in the highest of spirits. He was disenchanted and downtrodden on his second burn. He said things like "I'm starting to think all burners are assholes," or "look at that girl over there, she's like some high-maintenance playa-chick." I began to tire of his sweeping generalizations and baseless judgements. He carried on by complaining about how every girl was with a guy, overlooking the fact that he might be one of those guys if he'd stop complaining and ditch the negative disposition. His gravity began to grate and pull on me, so I left.

I rode around in the midday sun, sleep-deprived but wanting to dance. It was when I passed a tall teepee full of exquisite Persian rugs and shaded silky hammocks that my desire to dance wilted and died. I laid down. Slumbered. I woke and somehow felt more tired than I had before I slept. Stumbling out of the teepee, I swayed and staggered as the sun stabbed at my eyes. I struggled to unlock my bike and eventually wrestled it free of the drunken bikes that had fallen over on top of it. I rode toward the radio station, through a stampede of hundreds of human rabbits, to get a schedule of the live musical events for the next few days. A boy, probably 13, was working at the station. He helped me get the information and I was back on my way. I mused about the fact that the adults here are drug addled and useless, but the children are manning the radio station and handing out pamphlets.

Back at the camp, nearing sundown, I spun poi as the sun was setting and spoke to a few passing spinners who severely outclassed me. I haven't practiced nearly as much as I would like to. I think once night fell, I rode out to watch some structures burn, but only caught them as they smoldered. I tried to reconvene with the crew out at the bliss statue but I had gotten there too early. I rode out to deep playa to explore while I waited. I got caught in a giant spiderweb and gazed up at the stars. Fireworks exploded overhead and there was laughter and excitement in the air. I relaxed in the web, stuck to its stillness. Soon I left and was ensnared by a dance party on my way back to the statue. I skirted the outskirts and peddled back toward the spot, but it appeared either the party had dispersed or I was mistaken as to where my friends were.

After riding around a bit more I set course for camp. I think Prof was there with Sherwin and Vincent. I think we smoked a blunt. What happened after is foggy and indistinct.

The sleep I had teased earlier in the day came back, making aggressive advances. I took her to my tent and laid her down.