Sunday, June 23, 2013

Burning, Pinko and Me

I've been internet friendly with Pinko ABear for a while.  Our lives seem to have run somewhat parallel for a little while since we were both engaged to clueless rich folks back in Texas.  I was in Austin, engaged to a family of plaintiff's attorney's and he was in Dallas engaged to Rush Limbaugh's cousin.  Naturally he was engaged to a female and I to a male since it was Texas in the 80's after all, and only opposite sexes married back then.
In most of these United States, that's all that gets married today too.
I'm betting Pinko ran across some ecstasy somewhere along the way because he went from being a politically conservative business major at UT to DJ-ing in Dallas, then to Officer Training for the Navy in Hawaii and has wound up in Socialist working groups and driving a cab in Reno.  I think he's in Reno helping with aging and infirm family members.
He's still a DJ and posts his mix tapes, if that's what you call them these days, here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/djabear-blog-talk-radio-feed/id428694015
I even listen to them myself when I'm in the mood for something besides Talking Heads and the B52s.

The first time I noticed how much I like Pinko was when we were both up in the night and he posted the video of the drunk Canadian singing Bohemian Rhapsody in the back of a police car which became so popular on youtube that you can't find a decent version anymore on account of random people have doctored it up so much.  Neither Pinko nor I were strictly sober and we shared a virtual laugh together which always felt to me like combining consciousness on a cosmic level.  Our favorite part was at the very end, when the young man said, "Physical violence is the least of my priorities," at about 6:05




That was more than a year ago, and in the meantime, Pinko and I have participated in several FB threads about the challenges of dating at a certain age.  He's looking for a woman who is as Red as he is - my requirements may be more stringent.

Pinko shows great tact and understanding in political discussions and can explain anarchism as well as anyone.  This time of year, his attention turns to Burning Man.  He's gone so many times that he's become part of the larger community on The Playa.  I think he and some friends set up an all night bar on the Playa.  Or something like that anyway.  It's all very intriguing, and I'm tempted to go.

Given that my mother sounded alarmed when she heard that I went downtown by myself to see a dear family friend play guitar in a bar, and I was home by 10:00 - I'm pretty sure that I'm not allowed to go to Burning Man by myself.   When I was in college and wanted to drive home for the holidays, my father used to fly up to Dallas or Austin and ride back with me so I wouldn't be alone on the road.  Mother was convinced that some unscrupulous redneck would run me off the road, use me brutally and then either (1) leave me lying in a ditch or (2) sell me into white slavery.  Lots of people think that's extreme on my mother's part, but when you consider that bad people are probably in the Mall of America right this very minute tricking young people into becoming sex slaves, it's not so far fetched.  Human trafficking is big business (Info at Polaris Project).

Pinko might agree to keep a watchful eye on me like he did the other night when he drove a rowdy group of females around Reno in a van proudly labeled Vagina Wagon.  It was a bachelorette party. Even still, my mother would probably want to meet Pinko, and since that isn't happening, my father would very likely spend $25 on a background check.  One thing is sure:  My mother will say that I'm absolutely not allowed to go to Burning Man by myself.

So it's a good thing my cousin in Lake Tahoe wants to come too.

I haven't seen her since I went out to Tahoe to visit Granny the Ho some years ago.   Granny's been dead for five years now, so I must have been in Tahoe in 2006 right after I got thrown off the horse but before I had to have surgery on my shoulder.  The time I saw my cousin's shaman friend and got my DNA activated.  Pamela had just had her DNA activated too.
Good times.  Her birthday is two weeks before mine, and we're remarkably similar.  She hasn't ever been to Burning Man either, and we share a similar skepticism about facilities without room service.
There may not even be bathrooms on the Playa.
There are free pee funnels, however, which are apparently dispensed at Pee Funnel Camp



I suppose I have a lot to learn before I get to Black Rock City.  Meanwhile, I have to get some comfortable, stylish summer boots, googles, some sort of practical yet sexy outfit that involves corseting, and maybe a new sun hat.

Another Meanwhile is that my most excellent buddy, ML, who hails from Pennsyltucky, is going to be a marshall for the Sirens in the Pride Parade.  She may even be the head marshall since she's been a marshall a few times.  I was a marshall myself years ago - it may have been right before I got thrown off that dang horse.  As it happens, I was holding the Sirens Motorcycle Club banner with ML, going down Fifth Avenue and Buzz Kill took my picture with all the lesbians.  He made copies and sent them to Velvet up at camp.  I suspect it made Buzz Kill feel better to think I had been converted by the lesbians even though nothing could be further from the truth.


Random photos from the Internet of The Sirens, formerly known as Dykes on Bikes.
Don't know why they changed the name

Turning the corner onto Christopher Street, leading the parade, the rumble of dozens of motorcycles filling the air and the cheers raising up to the sky as we slowly moved toward Stonewall was one of the biggest rushes of my life.  It will be fun to do it again - especially as a warm up for Burning.

7 Comments:

Blogger Cali said...

That sounds like a great summer, if you ask me. Don't worry about your safety at Burning Man. You'll be fine. My friend took her eight year-old daughter a few years ago.

Do take:
Tons of lip balm and lighters, not just so you have plenty yourself, but because those are high demand items on the Playa and can be traded for good stuff.

Plenty of sunscreen. Twice as much as you think you'll need.

Some sort of goggles (swim goggles should work) and, gas mask or long gauze scarf that can keep dust from dust storms out of your nose, mouth and eyes.

Lots of water.

Any gadget or gizmo that will help to keep you cool because it gets HOT. (You'll need this less if you are camping in a motorhome.)

Trash bags. Everything you take in, you must take out.

I'm sure I've forgotten TONS. The Burning Man website has better lists and suggestions than me, I'm sure. I've never been, but I would have loved to have gone when it was still possible. Ah, yes. Another bucket list item that I'm not going to get to do. *sigh* They've been coming fast and furious in this 50th year of mine. Oh well. I go vicariously through other peoples' photo streams at Flicker. I hope you have a blast and I get to read all about it!

June 23, 2013 at 8:52 AM  
Anonymous dissed said...

One word: YES.

June 23, 2013 at 11:41 AM  
Blogger PENolan said...

Well, I guess we can consider this matter settled. For my next trick, I'm going to meet Pinko at Burning. But first, new boots.
The man from San Antone hasn't called me back, so I'm not sure I have a lawyer anymore. That's what you get when you call a man a sell out . . .

June 23, 2013 at 11:53 AM  
Blogger ellen abbott said...

I've wanted to go to Burning Man ever since I found out about it but I found out about it way too late. Hanging out in the desert for a week in the middle of summer? I don't care how crazy kooky it is. I don't even go out in the sun in the middle of summer here on the Gulf Coast plains. Give me shade.

June 24, 2013 at 10:07 AM  
Blogger Kulkuri said...

Your mention of Reno reminded me of when we lived there 30 years ago. There was a local chain of haircutting places called Happy Looker and one day a couple of their employees were arrested on charges relating to prostitution because they were handing out flyers on the street advertising Happy Looker. This was back when people still remembered the book Happy Hooker!!

June 24, 2013 at 10:45 AM  
Blogger PENolan said...

Kilkuri - I totally remember that book, but I never read it. I read some book that recommended greeting your husband when he comes home from work wrapped up in Saran Wrap. Those days were swining - even though I was a freshman in the dorm at North Texas State University.

ellen - I hear you on that, and am, in fact, a little daunted. The good news is that Pinko's RV is about as close as a girl can get to the Burning Man Hilton.

Cali - I'm going to rely on your advice, so keep it coming

June 24, 2013 at 8:09 PM  
Anonymous rexvisigothis said...

after all these years I get a chill down my spine everytime I hear, or ever READ, the word "stonewall ". Good on ya for riding with the sirens ( tho I lament the passing of D's
on B's ) of which I only now have learned..my third wife, the hooker, was a lesbian so of course we always brought the kids to the San Fran parade and the Dykes on Bikes were always the highlight.

June 25, 2013 at 1:22 AM  

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