burningman/honeymoon/birthday all wrapped into one

[Mrs.Damato]

Hey guys!

New on the forums and new to burning man! My wonderful fiance and i decided that we wanted to take our honeymoon at Burning Man and go through a challenge together. We aren't the kind of people who want the "perfect" honeymoon in a resort getting massages and sitting there watching TV in robes. That is just not us. We want something that we will never forget! So we discussed the idea of going to burning man as we have a handful of really close friends that just go on about what an experience it is. The more we heard the more we agreed that this was the greatest idea either of us could come up with to start our marriage. We know that living on the playa, even for just a week is going to be BRUTAL, that it isn't just a regular camping trip, but instead is an amazing test of strength and endurance, both mentally and physically and that if we can survive this together, we can get through just about anything. We have been soooooo excited about this trip and have been planning like crazy. We have come across some hurdles, such as "what tent will survive the playa's wind storms?" and "if we get the tent we REALLY want, how are we going to get a shade structure that will fit over the 10 X 16 monstrocity without taking up the rest of the Burning Man Budget but atill give us some extra shade to sit under when we are not in the tent?" We have come across some really great ideas and are well on our way to getting that taken care of.

BUT...

With preparation for survival aside, I have another thing that i am just stumped on...

During the period where we determined that Burning Man was the final decision for the honeymoon, we realized that my birthday falls right in the middle of the whole thing. Now, i am one of those girls that loves to get together with a few close friends and family members to celebrate. My family wont be there with us (how awkward would that be on our honeymoon haha!) and the few friends of ours that ARE going will probably be running around doing their own thing and i definitely don't want to take away from their adventure. i thought about throwing my self an alice-in-wonderland themed very merry un-birthday tea party and inviting the neighborhood for tasty snacks and tea or something, but i am not sure how well hot tea and biscuits (or the like) would work on the playa. I have pretty much scrapped that idea. The other thing i was thinking about is bringing a bunch of small presents to give out on my birthday, instead of receiving gifts, i would rather give a gift to the "strangers" that i meet out there as they will be my new family and friends that i will be celebrating with, and i couldn't be more grateful to have them.

So here I stand, asking all of you for your ideas and experiences about how to have a great birthday on the playa, even if we don't know anyone around us. I don't want to go the whole week not getting to know the people that surround me and the people i run into while exploring Black Rock City, but i especially don't want to spend my birthday as if it were any other day on the playa. So if any of you have ever had a birthday or honeymoon or other celebration on the playa, please let me know your ideas to make it special. And if you have any ideas for something special i can do for my soon to be hubby to make him feel extra special too, please! ideas, ideas, ideas!!! Thanks a bunch guys! I cant wait to see what you come up with!

[mudpuppy000]

I think you should just walk around on your birthday and have your fiancee announce to everyone that it's your birthday. Turn it into a random wandering birthday party.

[theCryptofishist]

Hot tea shouldn't be a problem. You can get milk in small boxes or the evaporated condenced stuff. Lemons do okay out there. Bisquits might be more difficult, but they're not going to as damp, and therefore as inclined to mold, as bread. Or you could take ingredients for biscuits or scones (have the dry ingredients pre-mixed) and back them on the dashboard of your car. Might not taste perfect, but it will be a memory...

[Mrs.Damato]

Thanks guys! I will definitely talk these ideas over with the hubby and see how feasible it would be for the tea party with your ideas, and i am pretty sure he was planning on announcing my birthday to everyone who would listen. He is such a sweet man!

Please send more ideas if you got 'em!

[moonrise]

My birthday lands in the middle of the burn. It is a good idea for your new hubby to announce it to everyone. Funny thing is, everyone (or many) will also say it's thier birthday too!

The Alice in Wonderland un-birthday tea party sounds perfect, especially if you like it. I think a food vacuum sealer would keep bisquits dry and in perfectly good condition. The rest, as Fishy said above, can be purchased in sealed packages.

I bring a 4 foot folding table, and table cloths (some are white, kept in plastic bags) and use it for everyday hard use, and add a table cloth for more formal use when I need to. It cost me about $40 at costco. I did not go for the longer folding in the middle type table, mine is solid, one piece. I think either would work well, however a longer table would be more Alice in Wonderland like.

I never expected anything special on my birthday, the whole week is fun, hard work too. It's not just a party, but out of the blue some old friends of mine happen to own a small plane and they took me flying over the city a few times, wow! That's been a dream of mine and (corny sounding) it came true, on my birthday.

There's also a giant birthday cake mutant vehicle...I've tried to get a photo of me and friends in front of or on it it, but my camera has been dust "stuck" everytime. This year I have a new camera, dust proof, very popular as it has no moving parts. The fuji xp20 fine pix . I also ordered an extra card and several extra batteries. all for under $200. AntiM says she has this model, and suggested the extra card/batteries, she is right, they are needed and the camera is a good choice. I've also seen them on the playa, they're a very popular camera out there.

Congrats and happy honeymoon & happy birthday wishes!

[Mrs.Damato]

My birthday lands in the middle of the burn.

How exciting! Mine is Sept 1st. What day is yours?

Thanks for the tip about the tables and vaccuum sealed baggies! That is a great idea! I may have to make cookies then, I love to bake and cookies would probably hold up nicely, yes?

Well if i don't see you on the playa, i hope you have a wonderful birthday! And WOW about your friend with the plane! what an awesome experience that must have been and what a great person to have in your life, very thoughtful!!

[moonrise]

Ahhh, I keep the exact date quiet....just in case I'm distracted but I do tell once on the playa, hehe...

I think vaccum sealed cookies will hold up just fine. If I am wrong I hope someone corrects me. We wouldn't want you to end up with funky cookies now would we?!

[Mrs.Damato]

Yeah, funky cookies would be no bueno! although i am trying to mentally prepare for the amount of playa dust that will inevitably get on all foods right before it goes in my mouth and the awkward taste that i will end up having to get used to haha (crosses my fingers in hopes that it wont be too bad)

[*Kat*]

Nah, just don't have your party right during a white out and you'll be fine. I love the Alice in Wonderland idea! Totally go for it! And what better place to have it than the playa?!

[Mrs.Damato]

I really want to do an alice party, and thnks to all of your support, i may just put it back on the table, especially with all of these added ideas! Thanks a bunch guys!!! Time to hit the thrift stores for a bunch of really nifty tea cups!!!

[moonrise]

You'll get over and learn to love the dust soon enough. Look at photos of burners hands, often they are dusty. Yes, we do wash up before we eat, we're civilized afterall! Many carry those wet naps, babywipes etc and we try to keep our hands clean while out and about, and if setting up/heavy duty chores we do try to wear work gloves.

I don't think I taste the dust in foods And yea, you won't want to cook or do the party in a dust storm, that faux pas would be obvious to you.

BTW, there's a thread seeking particpants for an Alice in Wonderland adventure event during the 2012 burn. They are looking for more burners to join!
I think you should find that thread and contact them... Please keep us posted and let us know which characters you two will become...

[*Kat*]

I used to have to eat dust when I studied geology/palaeontology... it helps you be able to determine the grain size.

My professor actually got great delight out of munching 300.000.000 year old shark poop. That's right. Just to see the delight on our faces as he took a hearty bite.
Trust me. There are worse things than a bit of dust on your cookies...

Now you can go back to your happy Alice in Wonderland tea party topic

[Mrs.Damato]

Yes, baby wipes is a BIG item on my list, i am just thinking of as i go to take a bite of something and a gust of wind goes by and now i have playa in my food. yuck! and yeah, nothing worse than trying to cook with dust flying around, especially if you are cooking for more than just yourself And thanks Moonrise, i will look up that thread for sure!

@kat: hahahahahahahahahahahaha you just made me burst out laughing so hard, i would have loved to see that! i suppose you are right though, there ARE much worse things to eat than playa dust. thinking back on some of the stuff that i have eaten, yeah, i've probably had worse.

[AntiM]

Biscuits in the American flaky things under sausage gravy in the South, or crispy cookie thingies ala the UK?

We bake biscuits out there. Have a nice propane oven and bring the tubes of dough. Cookies too.

[Mrs.Damato]

i was thinking the traditional tea and biscuit (a la the UK i guess), crispy cookie thingies is the best way to describe them i think hehe, not so much the biscuits and gravy type, that could get a bit messy as they crumbled to easily. Cookies might have a fighting chance though, especially if i package them correctly. and i can decorate them to say EAT ME