unSCruz 2015

Bill,

My good friend from Santa Cruz Team in Training, Mahala/Haley like the Comet Carver, is way into this scene and I know she will be there.

If you end up meeting her give her a hug for me.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Bill,

My good friend from Santa Cruz Team in Training, Mahala/Haley like the Comet Carver, is way into this scene and I know she will be there.

If you end up meeting her give her a hug for me.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

She is one of the coordinators!  I met her about a month ago at an event planning meeting!  Awesome person ... I'll be sure to do that.  Always a good thing to 'name drop' BigJim 

Only 15$ at the gate on Sunday?  Seems like a good enough price to me!

Not sure how much is actually going on Sunday but find me if you do come!  Our camp will be right next to 'Club Bounce' from Santa Cruz!

Bill,

My good friend from Santa Cruz Team in Training, Mahala/Haley like the Comet Carver, is way into this scene and I know she will be there.

If you end up meeting her give her a hug for me.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

She is one of the coordinators!  I met her about a month ago at an event planning meeting!  Awesome person ... I'll be sure to do that.  Always a good thing to 'name drop' BigJim 

LOL! She's awesome for sure.

Hope you guys all have a great time!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Been at the unSCruz regional burning man event since Thursday afternoon.  Just got home from it even though it was only 15 minutes from home.  So, I have a whirlwind of emotions from the event and this only sparks the fire for my quest to attend the 2015 Burning Man in Black Rock NV.  What an awesome event it was.  6 hours of sleep since Thursday and worth every second i be been awake.  Life changing on many levels without going all hippy on ya!  Post more tomorrow.

So it's been a few days now since the event.  I'm still as pumped as I was when there.  I could write a VERY long story about my experience and truth be told, I'm actually working on that right now.  Rather than unleashing this in its entirety, which will, I hope, never become an "entirety" but rather the story up till that point.

A little overview...
I was first introduced to the thought of Burning Man back around 1996 when a co-worker at the time was looking for an old golf cart to build a “Mutant Vehicle” for the playa.  So based on that one statement to me, it had my full & undivided attention with a side-car of curiosity.  Needless to say, we had one at home to give her.  It didn’t take but a few hours before I hit the internet to see what this Burning Man was all about … which took quite some time one dial-up to search out on the internet.

Fast forward a number of years.  I would find myself looking at new images throughout the internet of various Burning Man festivals & Mutant Vehicles which is governed by the DMV; Department of Mutant Vehicles (no kidding).  The fire & desire for what this society had to offer for that one week a year out in the NV playa was a flicker, but a flame for the arts never the less.

I transitioned jobs a couple years ago and am now working at a very local Lab with a number of people who were co-workers with my dad & I’ve known them for 25+ years.  Somehow the conversation came up of Burning Man & that flame came to life!  The owner of the Lab is an 8+ year Black Rock citizen (you become a citizen of Black Rock City after you attend & turn over your life, soul & being to the Playa) & Burner.  The past 2 years have been in preparation for my turn at citizenship to BRC.

Just over a month ago, we caught wind of a Regional Burn which occurred last weekend at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds; unSCruz 2015.  Tickets were purchased and our Camp was forming for this, my first official event as a Burner.  The community of Burning Man extends far beyond the 1 week a year at BRC & is actually a global movement with burns all around the world.  We are lucky enough to have a Regional group of 700+ people here in Santa Cruz County.  Regional events pop up as part of Pre-Compression & Decompression events (before/after the main BM event) as a way to prepare & decompress.

To understand the ability of this to change people, if you let it, is to understand the 10 principals by which it operates (2004).  I posted these earlier in this thread & a simple “google” of ‘Burning Man 10 Principals’ will yield you enough information to last a lifetime.  Each community gathering is based solely on these 10 principals.  To read them is one thing, to live them … even for these short 3 days … was life changing for me.

We came into camp as 4 individuals with no real common threads.  I had only met the other 2 people briefly a year earlier.  People from all around the county & world for that matter arrive at the grounds packing in tents, coolers and whatever exotic wares allow their radical self-expression to shine thru.  For me, it was the ability to finally debut ‘Project X’ trailer as part of our basecamp.  Community sharing for food drinks & “other stuff” was in full swing by Friday afternoon.  I sparked up the BBQ over the course of the three days cooking steaks, sausages, bacon wrapped hot dogs, ribs, hand-made jalapeno poppers & skirt steak.  Food & the gallons of libations we provided sure can open the door for self-expression, conversation music & dance!

Day 2 – We derived our Camp name & so we move forward in life as ‘Camp Sum Assembly Required’.  Ok, it sounds odd RIGHT NOW but stick with me here friends…..  The curiosity of the 1000+ attendees who showed up to make the fairgrounds our personal Playa for these three days was abundant as I gave hundreds of “personal tours” of the trailer.  Hence … “Assembly” but wait, there’s more!  One of the first people to make way through camp was the drum player for the band that played all Friday night.  Hours later the rest of the band showed up at our camp & we all PARTIED.  Live music formed at our camp through the band members, walker-by’s with instruments & our own 6’ long pair of wooden xylophones.  Music took form around 10pm & continued on till 3am within our camp & was made possible by the simple invitation of complete strangers walking by to join in on our shared festivities.  We assembled…  It took the Sum of our individuals to make this awesome music & camp festivities happen so it became abundantly clear that ‘Sum Assembly Required’ was in our blood!!!

Point of Reference-  Camps at BM & Regional events range from 1 person tents to VAST buildings with hundreds & hundreds of people making up its on infrastructure & operation …. We were 4 people, 4!  Other camps in attendance at this event had 30+ people making its base foundation … we were 4.  We had some of the largest single camp gatherings over the course of the 3 days.  It was SO awesome!

Friendships with people I didn’t know just hours before had formed over the single act of inviting them to come have a seat with us, enjoy a bite to eat … maybe a drink.  One participant that enjoyed camp with us was in attendance from the Ukraine and a KAYAK FISHERMAN!!!!  Others had musical talent to share & others great stories of travel from all parts of the globe.  Food, drink & other stuff from other camps arrived hourly to ours.

I came in with an open mind of acceptance and no expectations of what would, could or should happen these 3 days.  The results were life changing.  I watched as karma unfolded itself and resulted in some spectacular endings that started by saving someones life to return of 4 missing cell phones in a chain reaction … a story I will share around the next NCKA campfire if so desired.  It was a form of human kindness that needed no policing & no outside intervention to allow this community to gather for 3-days and 72 hours later vanish with absolutely no trace we had been there.  The music … Oh the music!  I can still hear it … feel it.  The artwork, the fire exhibits blasting flames 10-20’ in the air, the sense of radical self-expression & being there to see it, be a part of it and know that we as a community out here have not “gone to hell in a handbasket” is still alive & well.  When 4 people can gather & a community of strangers can form to create all of this there is still hope.

What's next for 'Camp Sum Assembly Required'?  Ahh yes ...  working on our hope for BRC in August of this year & full definition of our Camp for 2016.  Mutant Vehicle ... Yes!  We are working on thoughts, ideas & formation of our own Mutant Vehicle for the various local events and BRC.  Does any of this sound like something you'd want to be a part of?  Drop me a PM.  I know I would have been a part of this FAR sooner had I had an outlet in which to join in with & not be just 1.

Here are a few shots from the event!

I think it should be said that a good deal of the ncka events are quite similar in regards to the sense of a community, gifting, music etc.  After participating in unSCruz I see the connection clearly ... Just less tie-dye.  Lol

Very cool Bill!!!!

Stoked you had an awesome experience, and thanks for sharing a glimpse of it with us!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

LMAO...buncha "hippies" with high end REI and Marmot tents.

Cool pics. There's gotta be more than that, right?

That sounds awesome Bill!  What a fun filled weekend with cool people gathering to get down and party to awesome music.  No pics of the trailer being 'enjoyed'?    I bet it was a killer attraction and glad you got to show off your handy work.  I'd gladly help you with your BM vehicle project, if only to learn how you do such cool things with your toys. 

That sounds awesome Bill!  What a fun filled weekend with cool people gathering to get down and party to awesome music.  No pics of the trailer being 'enjoyed'?    I bet it was a killer attraction and glad you got to show off your handy work.  I'd gladly help you with your BM vehicle project, if only to learn how you do such cool things with your toys. 

So yes ... I would love to invite all who might be interested to participate in the ability to learn something new & play with potentially extremity removing tools 

   I hope to nail down a design idea SOON so I can start modeling it on the computer.  Thoughts last night included a 6-8 passenger Steampunk inspired submarine or maybe a large fish of some form ... both of which need to shoot fire of course!  Next local regional event is only a year away!

LMAO...buncha "hippies" with high end REI and Marmot tents.

Cool pics. There's gotta be more than that, right?

Oh yes, there ARE more 

I saw people show up with only the clothes on their backs & others with high end RV's & then my makeshift camper/trailer/thing    So, I learned a lot of things from various people over the days.  I've never been hugged by so many strangers in such a short period of time.   

No tit shots?

He will PM them to you 

Ah yes, like you did at Shelter?