pink explosion, Golden Gate Park, Nikon Coolpix 4500

The Conservatory of Flowers just re-opened!
and the dahlias are in bloom.

If you live in San Francisco, you’ll want to visit these treasures… See the dahlias as soon as you can.
They are “peaking” right now. (Or whatever you’d call it in flower speak.)

whiteout, Burning Man, Olympus Epic

I caught a crazy virus last week. A virus unlike other viruses.

After weeks of sleep deprivation/overstimulation at Burning Man and a pretty major case of the blues, my body was primed and ready for attack. “Come all ye viruses! I am your host. You can destroy me without a fight!”

It started out innocently enough. Body aches, fatigue. I was even RELIEVED at the thought that I could lay on the couch guilt-free and soak up all that Oprah and Dr. Phil…

But then the blisters came.

By the time I flew to Denver for a wedding last thursday, my tongue and gums were swollen, I had blisters along my throat, blisters under my tongue, and blisters along my gums.

Anything slightly “tangy” would sear my mouth in pain. (Water qualifies as tangy in my world.) Chewing was a spectacular torture, and when I spoke it sounded like I had a retainer in my mouth. My head ached around the clock and I was in a foul foul mood. I have became highly dependent/addicted to Advil.

The doctors say they can’t do a thing. It will have to run its course. BUT, they say, “I can prescribe this handy mouthwash that will numb your mouth long enough to get some food down.”

This is some of the most ridiculous stuff I have ever seen. It is a close cousin of novacaine and it basically numbs your entire mouth (including your lips) for about 15 minutes. Who wants to eat in that condition?

Last night, Matt was kept up by a mosquito bite that he kept scratching. He finally went into the bathroom and put the mouthwash on the bite. Presto! numb for long enough so he can sleep.

At least it’s working for him.

I write all of this becuase it SUCKS ASS and now that I?m finally showing signs of recovery, I thought it might add a levity to it all if I could talk/laugh about it.

I’ve been trying to listen to this illness, figure out what it’s trying to tell me. It’s speaking so loudly and colorfully my ears are ringing and yet I’m still confused.

It’s on a bullhorn shouting, “Slow the fuck down!” like a crazed policeman on horseback.

And me, I am running ahead in the distance wondering what all the racket is about.

self-portrait, Circle of Infinity, Olympus Epic

Okay. I’ve been in denial about the comments being broken on my blog.

I’ve tried to fix it.
But I’m just not that savvy…
and I miss you
and your lovely comments

If anyone has any movable type tips, please email me with them!

P.S. The above photo was taken for the Mirror Project.

Erika, Burning Man, Olympus Epic

We’re back!

We’ve washed the blue paint, the beet juice, and the dust off and we are attempting to acclamate to the “real world” after a week away in the desert.

As usual, Burning Man filled me with visual delights, moments of awe, and enough physical discomfort to make me appreciate clean sheets and a cool dust free bed.

Sometimes I wonder why I go year after year. There are 75 mph dust storms that whip you into a cloud where for hours you can’t see or move, it gets so hot that you often feel nauseated, tired and crabby for much of the day, there is so much stimulation that even when you are “sleeping” the ground is literally vibrating with electronic music and energy. (Sleep deprivation ensues and by the end of the week my nerves are shredded to bits!)

There is even the occasional dust storm/rainstorm that creates a horizontal rain of mud! Who knew this was possible?

And yet we come back year after year because it’s the only place we can see 40 foot chandeliers that fell from the sky, opulent temples that are erected in a week and then burned to the ground, flaming hands, bicycles that shoot fire, tesla coils, angels jumping on trampolines, and gorgeous desert sunrises that make you want to weep.

It is the only place where our camp can transform into the “Beet people”, do our guerilla performance art piece, and (I think) be truly celebrated.

I suppose that’s worth all the heat and dust that mother nature can serve up.