Eidolon Panspermia Ostentatia Duodenum

We biked all over in the dark looking for their friend, who was having her birthday on "a white art car," and after an hour or two of zig-zagging the vast open-space unguided art gallery that is the playa we actually found it. It wasn't white, especially at night when all lit up, but I could see an old white school bus somewhere underneath the decorative enhancements. I was introduced, happy birthday, blah blah, and then some fire dancers started setting up, lighting their poi and so on, and my eyes lit on the Eidolon Panspermia Ostentatia Duodenum and I just had to climb it.

Borrowed from The Atlantic

I didn't know what it was called. It was just a round jungle gym thing to me. I know now because of the internet, which knows all things. It was spinning like one of those little merry-go-rounds at the children's playground. I had to time my jump and go as high as I could to get a grip, from which I pulled myself higher and swung up a leg and viola et cello I was aboard. The trick, of course, was to not let go lest I fall and break my back. Now the world was spinning below me and I found a comfortable spot to watch the fire spinners cycle in and out of view and was keenly aware that I was wearing nothing under my kilt. But of course if that was anybody's problem, it wasn't mine.

Before the jump

After the jump

After a while I got down again. I landed too hard on my heels and my lower back worried me for a few minutes, but it all worked out. Now and then I am unspeakably grateful that I'm still able to keep up with the kids half my age, though I can't account for it. I found my people and hunted around for good picture-taking positions. I only took my cheap little pocket camera with me, and being a couple years old it doesn't capture as well as my telephone, but I'm not manufacturing a problem out of that either.

Spin spin spin

Fire fire fire

In time we moseyed on and danced for hours but not before one of us blew out her tire and had to walk. Some of us walked with her, some of us (like me) just pedaled really slow. It was all good. And that poorly describes about thirty minutes out of the thirteen days.