Getting Your Body Ready

[SilkenTofu]

Okay folks, less than 30 days away and projects are coming together, accessories for costumes are being created, and all the gear is coming out and being dusted off and checked. But my question is what are you doing for yourself to be physically ready. New hair color? New tattoo's? Working out at the gym to get buff? Crash diet? Trying to gain weight? New body jewelery? Fasting? Extra sleep? Pampering with manicures and facials?(MOISTURIZE!!!) or nothing at all.

I am trying to lose weight so I can get into last years skirt (I know once I hit the playa I can count on losing about 3-5 lbs. during the event) and am starting to ride my bike off road to prep my ass for the bounciness of the playa. I remember my first year (2001) I came home and my thighs and bootay were black and blue. Was worth it tho.

[TheJudge]

Trying to eat healthy as much as possible. A lot more veggies, etc.
I start taking a daily multivitamin and ween myself from caffiene. Then when I need a boost, a single cup of coffee when I'm out there is all I need to keep going most of the night.

When it gets down to the last week, I start pouring on the water. I try to drink a gallon per day to make sure I'm ready.

The day I drive up, I try to get a good night sleep, then take a long shower, condition the hair, moisturize hardcore and I'm good to go.

[TheJudge]

Trying to eat healthy as much as possible. A lot more veggies, etc.
I start taking a daily multivitamin and ween myself from caffiene. Then when I need a boost, a single cup of coffee when I'm out there is all I need to keep going most of the night.

When it gets down to the last week, I start pouring on the water. I try to drink a gallon per day to make sure I'm ready.

The day I drive up, I try to get a good night sleep, then take a long shower, condition the hair, moisturize hardcore and I'm good to go.

[TheJudge]

OK, that's what I get for reloading the "sending message" page.

[Selkie]

Well I'm upping the amount of water I drink (not that I don't drink a lot anyway) as well as trying to conquer my fear of bikes. Yes, I know it sounds totally silly, but me + bikes = badness and freak out. My friend who told me about BMan and is taking me this year is being really great about helping me with this, but it's still tough.

Other than that, it's just getting supplies together, trashing my house to find the camping gear I know I have *somewhere*, and just trying not to think about it at work cause then I get really excited and I start bouncing up and down in my chair and my co-workers already think I'm a freak.

[TheJudge]

Emotional readiness should be something people should consider as well. Supressing the ego and trying to be more zen.

I carry a small notebook with me while I work, so when something comes to mind that I might forget, I jot it down and add it to my checklist of stuff.

[Dork]

I'm eating lots of fast food and not getting much sleep. Also, spending vast (for me) sums of money which stresses me out when I check my online banking statements. I have been grooming my feet and getting some sun (while working on the project) so that's good I suppose.

[SilkenTofu]

Emotional readiness should be something people should consider as well. Supressing the ego and trying to be more zen.

Good point Judge, no matter how ready the body is, if the mind/spirit aren't prepared then it could be a terrible time on the playa. Possibly resulting in a mental breakdown. That is one place where depression could kill you. Seriously.

[TheJudge]

To paraphrase Steinbeck: The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry...on the playa

There is a very real possibility of someone working all year sweating on a project, burning their funds for supplies and materials...only to get out to the playa and find that their incredibly cool art or whatever doesnt work right (if at all), their girlfriend dumps them from the frustration, their campmates turn out to be total flakes, their tent rips, they gash their ankle on an unseen chunk of rebar and they get placed next to a camp that decides to play what sounds like a boot in a dryer at full volume 24 hours a day.

Lack of sleep, intense heat and people who arent used to those conditions can make for some very bad experiences out on the playa. It would be very difficult to not have a meltdown if you werent prepared for it.

[diane o'thirst]

I'm not a caffiend to begin with, but I've been drinking more water, and trying to make sure I get adequate nutrition. That's tough though, since most of my money that clears the general bills is getting eaten up in last-minute purchases. I just threw $50 into a bunch of lanterns for camp and I made a plea to my campmates to reimburse me for them, but I'm not holding my breath...

Found out that my shade structure is pretty rickety so I need to buy a couple 4x4 posts to secure the uprights and a couple pieces of lattice to insure structural integrity. I can't sign off on the canopy until all the pieces have been acquired and assembled. Finances aren't holding out.

Being real careful to not get any dings now because I want everything healed before the Playa.

I'm waiting until next week to henna my hair, because my roots are really starting to grow out grey and I don't want this silver streak in the middle of my red hair!

New tattoos? Too soon. You should let your tattoo heal for at least a month before going out there.

Giving the cat lots and lots and lots of attention because I know he'll miss me. And I gotta stock up on my kitty fix, too. I've been lucky enough to encounter people with a kitten out there some years but that's not a dependable.

Watching for good recipes to make out there, stuff that's wonderful and fresh and quick, like beer-poached salmon (10 minutes all told).

Mentally preparing...I want to take a day and do a shade-erection drill, see how quickly I can get my various shade canopy pieces unhitched and the shade put up. I'm aiming at ten minutes.

My gleaners' group netted me some nice plums this week and I have a ziploc of them in the freezer right now, alongside the buffalo, blackberries, lamb, turkey and salmon burgers.

I'm eradicating the fruit flies that just hatched in my kitchen so I can start my sourdough barm and do my bread doughs.

[nipples]

I crush apricots & peaches (whole, with pits) with my blender every night for the week prior to driving out, and pack myself in the abrasive fermenting waste each night in rest stops along the way as I travel.

Most R.V. Parks welcome the citrus afterglow in the shower. Had one complaint about a clogged sewer, so I started to place a used & rinsed (non-bleached) coffee filter over the floor drain, and pick it up (important!) when done with the stall.

[Sensei]

I feel it's important not to overlook basic survival skills. After much diligent practice, I can now roll a fatty - in less than 1 minute - that looks like it was made by a friggin' machine. Thank you.

[paps]

Burning as wind through bushes
evenly each leaf, twig, branch consumed.

[paps]

That is how I like my sauna.

To have no vapors unknown
to the ashes below.

[paps]

Body Preparation

Take oil (stolen is best)
Need well muscles
Carry load (deposit on welcome)
Drink heartily
Eat well

[amnesia]

I often forget to eat, which has become a problem as my weight then falls below the precipitise number of my I.Q., which is blank blank blank.

When it falls (my weight), so does then my appettite for betterment/knowledge, with me a craven fool drooling & pounding fists into sand as though it might enrich? But loe, behold, a clam might scurry into these mitts, rewarding ignorance, or am I the intelligent banterer you just spent the night with, over sherry & cheese rather than crab legs on the beach?

[amnesia]

Your legs within reach, so long been waited for

though no other has been better
none has lesser bore

what it is i seek
same as wanted you be
perfect crab leg musculature

[amnesia]

hot butter & garlic

[Sensei]

Drops from my fingers... fingers...

[nipples]

these finger tips want
though each digit seems surprised
sated with your skin

[nipples]

Okay, so it seems (back on topic) that hands require a certain amount of extra care when on the playa. Sometimes people are not enough, you may need lotion, too.

[paps]

Please spare me the "Hot Butter & Garlic" injection talk. I've been through time-share come-ons, too.

[Sensei]

spiny shell outside
succulent on the inside
I, crustacea

[amnesia]

I forget now which it was, but if you were to go into the horse care isle of your local feed store, they will likely have a hoove cream cheaper & much much more effective than any "bag" balm or hand moisturizer. Open them first, get the one without chunks.

[Sensei]

arms legs claws pinchers
"Elmer's" is the besthoove cream
I soak in butter

[amnesia]

Seriously now.

That was the advise of a Class "A" Diary person whom I dated two years ago. To get the HORSE HOOVE cream (without chunks), instead of BAG BALM.

Her mother even asked the Pharmacist™ if it were safe. It were.

[Sensei]

Oh, Wilbuuuuuuuur.

[amnesia]

in butter we soak
each our twenty digits peek
wait for turn to play

[Sensei]

time is on whose side
numerically sequential
i hate mickey mouse

[nipples]

if his arms a wheel
set to motion aghast time
bet he will right that