PLANNING

Last update 8/4/05 12:01am

8/3/2005 PSYCHOaSIS Meeting Minutes

ART PROJECT:
Art project work days:  
    *Saturday August 6 and Sunday August 7 beginning at 11 am at Greg's studio.  
        The address is 2475 3d Street #252.  Cross street:  22nd.  
        On Sunday the building is locked; call Greg at 415 260 2600 to get in.
 
    * Next Saturday August 13 and Sunday August 14 location TBA.
 
If you have not yet indicated on the wiki page which days you are helping, please do so ASAP at http://blyssabyss.bingojones.net/twiki/signupPage
 
We are directing our energies towards having an excellent chill dome.  Art project work will include the following:
    1.  Cover:  cutting and sewing the lightproof cover.  We need your sewing machine!!!
    2.  Entranceway:  constructing entranceway out of PVC; cutting and sewing lightproof cover for the entranceway
    3.  Video Portal:  assisting Peter in assembly of transparent spandex video portal & altar to hold video projector.
    4.  Palm Trees:  building palm trees with lights (Todd & Andreij to think further on designs; others please make suggestions too).  Suggestion to use bamboo for trunks.
    5.  Banner/Flag:  having a banner/flag atop the dome (Andreij to lead)
    6.  Sign:  having a sign announcing our camp.  (Nicole/Greg to research/lead)

We will not have a healing dome or sand sculpturing.  We will not have the stupa on top of the dome because of engineering difficulties.

MEALS:
If you haven't yet signed up for a meal shift, please do so.  Terri may ask you to fill both a prep shift and a cleanup shift if there aren't enough people.

Terri will be contacting everyone to learn about vegetarian/non-vegetarian requirements.  

Terri will contact meal team leads to inform them of (1) number of people eating that meal, (2) number of vegetarians, (3) budget.  

Meal team leads:  please plan your meal, organize your teams to help you with shopping and prep work that can be completed here rather than on the playa, and have your teams help you transport the food to the playa.  It is  your job to keep perishable items for your meal cold until your meal.  

TRUCK:
We are no longer sharing a truck with Conscious Craving Camp.  Paul and Greg are researching the possibility of a smaller truck or cheaper rental.  (Our current truck costs $1766 including mileage.)  Another option is to use the extra space to transport bikes (at an extra charge per bike, equivalent to the $20 charge last year for those using the bike trailer).  Or we can have people put their items in the truck instead of their own cars, taking more people per car, and using the money saved on gas to defray the truck rental.   A final option is to see if there are other smaller camps that want to share a truck with us, which we will think about later.

SETUP:  
New lead roles have been added for setup.  Please take one.  The current setup plan is:
    Sunday: Set up the kitchen & kitchen shade area  Assemble dome frame and entranceway frame.
    Monday:  Cover dome exterior, add reflective cover and banner.  Hang interior fiber optic panels.  
    Tuesday morning:  Cover entranceway.  Assemble video portal.  Erect palm trees.  Erect sign.

RIDE SHARING:
Nicole will update the wiki/SignupPage to include a ridesharing section  Look there if you can offer or need a ride.

WATER:
Remember that each person must bring: (1) 1.5 gallons of water per day on the playa for personal drinking/use and (2) 2.5 gallons of water to give to the kitchen for communal use.  

Tish is researching the possibility of ordering 5 gallon water jugs for all who want to participate.  She would also order a water dispenser that uses the jugs The current thought is that each person would still be required to transport his/her own water to the playa, but the larger jugs may be (1) cheaper and (2) safer in terms of the plastic.  She will post to the list what she learns.  

EMAILS:
You can send emails to everyone by sending them to camp2005@blyssabyss.net  If you need a particular person's email address, look on the wiki page at http://blyssabyss.bingojones.net/twiki/signupPage

BIKES:
We do not currently have a lead person for bike trailer etc.  But see "TRUCK" above.

HUNTER/GATHERERS:
Tish & Carla have graciously agreed to be hunter gatherers.  We will be inventorying the storage unit on Sunday August 7 to determine what else we need.  We know we need carpet and futons and a 14 foot ladder.

We also need an AC unit or swamp cooler.  This is a big priority.

TOOLS:
We need a tool lead person.  This person will compile a list of tools we need and figure out where we can borrow or rent them, collect them, make sure they are loaded into the truck, and make sure they are returned.  Anyone?  Todd will post by email a list of tools he can think of.

Reminder that if you need rebar to hold your own tent down (and you do), bring your own.

PARTY:
We decided to have a cocktail party after dinner on Wednesday night.  Carla and Syda will lead.

DOME USE:
We agreed that we don't want our dome to become known as a place to have sex.  Several people expressed their desire for a "no sex in the dome" understanding.  Cuddling is encouraged.  Sleeping in the dome is also welcome, but everyone should have their own (or shared) tent to store their stuff (and to sleep in if they wish.)

INDIVIDUAL SHADE STRUCTURES:
If you have a large shade structure (eg to go over or near your tent) and you did not say so during registration, please make sure to inform Stella Lawson, our layout lead, at stellamaris@yahoo.com

RECRUITMENT:
We have about 22 people signed up.  We expect another 8 or so from our friends.  (Remind them to sign up right away at http://blyssabyss.bingojones.net/registration.html .  We will try to recruit the last 10 among people we know.  

We need more people to arrive early in the week (Saturday/Sunday) to help set up.  Please try to recruit people who can come early.

FUNDRAISER:
Depending on how the budget turns out, we may have a fundraiser after we return from the playa to replenish the seed capital that we started with this year.

NEW SUBLEAD ROLES:
New lead & sub-lead roles have been added.  If you do not yet have a lead role, please visit http://blyssabyss.bingojones.net/twiki/signupPage and sign up for one.

STRIKE:  
Thank you Todd for agreeing to be strike leader.  Strike will happen on Sunday before the temple burn. All communal structures will be taken down, truck will be loaded, and camp cleaned before the temple burn.  (The only things left standing will be individuals' tents and personal shade structures).  All campers are required to stay through strike.  

NEXT PLANNING MEETING:
Wednesday August 17, 7pm, at the same place:  835 Douglass St., SF (cross 24th).

See you all soon!
Adam
415 271 6469

 

Last Updated 7/26/05 12:35AM

Here's the latest from your Blyss Abyss planning team.  We can't wait to party with you on the playa.

 
* Who's Coming?  So far, we have 15 definites and 25 maybes.  Remember we're limited to 40 folks, and more are coming out of the woodwork every day, so those of you on the fence have to decide soon.
 
* When Can I Officially Register?
Now!! http://blyssabyss.bingojones.net/registration.html
 
*Where Are We Camping?In the application we filed with Burning Man, we asked to be placed in the theme camp area at 4:30 (cross street unknown).  We also asked to be placed next to Conscious Craving camp (organized by Gabrielle Fishman), with whom we'll be sharing a truck, generator and showers.  We'll have enough space for 40 people and several large vehicles, about 2/5 the size of our camp last year.
 
*When Are We Working On The Art Project?
We've set aside the weekends of Aug 6-7 and Aug 13-14 for work on the art project.  Right now that involves:  cutting and sewing the exterior dome cover and cover for the entrance area, building palm trees, and building the stupa.  We might ditch the stupa and instead have videoart projected onto a weather balloon or a white spandex canopy.  A decision on this will be made at the next planning meeting.
 
*How Much Will It Cost?
Camp fees will be $90 if paid by July 31, $105 if paid Aug 1-7, and $120 if paid Aug 8-15.  No camper reservations will be accepted after Aug 15.  Our total budget for truck rental, gas, generator, diesel, our storage unit, art, lighting, and party supplies is $3600.  We have about $1100 in the bank from last year but want to have a similar amount left over at the end for startup costs for next year. 
 
*What About Meals?
As usual we will have fabulous meals.  This year the meal plan will include communal dinner every night from Monday through Saturday.  In addition, there will be self-serve breakfast/lunch foods available Tuesday through Sunday.  Meal plan will cost $75 per camper, regardless of when you arrive.  Everyone on the meal plan must help on a meal team.  We really need you to arrive before Monday to help us set up the kitchen and the rest of camp (see below), but plan to bring your own food for this time.
 
*Who Has Stepped Up To Lead So Far?
We've filled the following lead roles: camp & infrastructure (Adam Gutride), meals (Terri Paine-Cameron), registration (Valerie Carey), web (Nicole Noland/Basem), kitchen/recycling (Greg Habiby). Also see Roles
 
*What Can I Do To Help?
Every member of our theme camp has to pitch in to put the camp together.  This means each person must be willing to do the following:
    (1) work at least one full day (or better yet, two days) on the art project.  Work dates are Aug 6, 7, 13, 14.  If you are not in the Bay Area, you can take on an equivalent planning role that can be done remotely. Email or call me for details.
    (2) arrive on the Playa early, preferably Saturday Aug 27 or Sunday Aug 28, to set up camp.  If we have more people wanting to camp with us than slots available, we will give preference to those who can arrive early and help set up. 
    (3 help with strike on Sunday September 4.
    (4) be on a meal preparation team, or even better, a team lead for a particular meal.
    (5) take on one of the remaining lead roles.  The open coordinator roles are: art, layout, strike, storage & transportation, power & lighting, music & sound, shower & evaporation pond, cruise director/party coordinator, safety & first aid, tools, beauty & order.  We also need people to volunteer to drive the truck to or from the playa, drive a bike trailer, and be "hunter gatherers" to help get supplies.
 
*When's The Next Planning Meeting?
Wednesday Aug 3rd at 7 pm at 835 Douglass St in SF.  We hope to fill remaining roles and finalize the art project.  Please come!
 
Adam
415 271 6469