hover over pics for explanations
I got out of work early (HOLY COW! ON A FRIDAY, NO LESS!). Finished packing up... Miss M met me ~5p. We chatted for a bit, and actually left the house close to 6p.
Just before we left, B called, and told us (approximately) where he was. I had a feeling it would be like finding a long-haired, tye-dyed, beer-drinking needle in a haystack, but at least N had dropped off a walkie talkie at work earlier : ) (right in the middle of a meetin' with me boss, of course!)
The drive down was uneventful, and the directions were easy enough to follow. I must say, they did a fine job of keeping traffic off the roads, and in the parking lots (where it belongs?) : P
We tried to avoid the crowds, and swung into one of the earlier lots. Found a nice spot, and unpacked. We then trekked the cart and the enormous cooler across the muddy rutted lot/field to the busses. Exhausting, laborious work, that. My shoulders are only now beginning to stop screaming.
We were about to hop a bus, when staff told us we'd need wristbands to get on. He directed me to WillCall, which was on the other end of the lots (of course!). M watched our schtuff, while I went over, got the tix, and was told that wristbands could only be gotten in person. D'OH! The wristbandguy then told me that there was another WillCall where the busses unloaded, and that M could get one there. Fine. No Prob.
Then back to the busses. What a BEYOTCH. Took us TWO HOURS to get on one... people kept cutting ahead of us... and since we had two enormous loads, we couldn't get ahead to save our lives. I finally threw caution to the wind, and got on the front of a bus (big stuff is supposed to be loaded on the back), enlisting help from bewildered strangers. Miss M took the next bus, and we met at the drop-off location.
Now it's getting really dark.
Where's WillCall? WillCall was evidently not up yet. Damn. So onto the campgrounds to see if we could find B & N. What an ordeal. A sea of people and tents as far as the eye could see. And the channel B & N told me to use on the walkie-talkie was VERY busy. How we ever got a hold of them is beyond me!! We did, though, and set up our tent close to theirs (they had saved us a spot, but someone else tooked it... so we kinda squished up between a bunch o' tents : P). It was a good location-- just off the main path, pretty close to the entrance, and within earshot of the main stage.
After we set up camp, we wandered a bit, grabbed some food (grilled cheese, with pizza sauce... quite good, really). Rumour has it I bought a couple large colourful balloons and shared them with friends (but I'm mum on the subject). Had a beer, watched a fabulous thunderstorm, and called it an evening. Glad I brought earplugs! : D
Saturday, we visited the vendors, watched Max Creek (the only band I actually got to watch : :P), and stopped by the cyber tent to say hi to me sweetie (and duinlas and dorm). I picked up a couple necklaces, a jingly-jangly ankle bracelet and a hand-made hippieshirt (for lack of a better term-- it's one of those that's light, airy and shows a lot of back). I wanted to get a
We heard the rain slow, then stop; then the fireworks and the great music (incredible jam session with DBB, Dicky Betts, Ray Manzerik, et al.), but just couldn't get moving. We slept more or less through the night.
I wondered how I could have possibly slept so much and missed all the festivities (and without earplugs) when I awoke Sunday ~7, until M pointed at my legs. Yes, serious sun poisoning can really disable a person! I made coffee, and we began to break down camp.
We took two trips to bring everything back... the hardest part of the whole thing was finding the car again ; P N was going to catch a ride back with us (B wanted to see Medeski, Martin & Wood-- can't say I blame 'im); but by the time we got loaded up, B decided it was time to go. Good thing, too-- we kept hearing reports of "severe thunderstorm and hail" warnings (the ones that instruct you to stay away from windows ; P).
Ended up being so debilitated by the sun poisoning that I took Monday off work (probably should've taken today, too; but I couldn't, really).
So I really didn't do all that much, and suffered greatly : P
Chalk it up to being fair-skinned and old ; )
In other news...
Where's
beatnikside? Where's enraptured? Where's lostcities?*sigh*
Well, I'm happy to see that
lostdream is back...
ldysingsbluesand
Sup! Aiyo! to
shaniquaHugs to those who need 'em, those who want 'em, and those who don't itch like the dickens.
