PolyParadise - 2011 - Wrap-up

Thursday December 8, 2011

Can you believe another year in BRC has come & gone? PolyParadise 2011 was the truly the best Theme Camp iteration we have ever created, each year there are many challenges and together we overcome, together we build an amazing space within the gates of BRC, a place to really call home in the desert.

Each year as Benevolent Dictator, I learn more and more about why I love all things Burning Man, why I love all things PolyParadise.

Of course there is an amazing personal journey for me, but it is the journey I watch in others, their self-discovery, their triumphs as well as low points, watching people grow and blossom.

This section of the Year in Review; The Wrap-up is my way of thanking all of the amazing people that assist us in creating PolyParadise, not only On-Playa but all year-round here in Phoenix. I am taken aback by those that give even when they are not PolyParadise campers or give to the community even if the Playa is not in their travel plans.

Here-in are my THANK YOU's for Burning Man 2011...This list in not an all-inclusive list and if I left someone or something out it is not because I was unaware of your contribution it is just a minor oversight. EACH ONE OF YOU HAD A PART AND A HAND IN MAKING US THE SUCCESS WE WERE!!

The first Thank You has always been reserved for my Life Partner, Wife, Friend & companion, WildChild!!! She continues to be an awesome inspiration for all things Burning Man, stands by me in my ever increasing need to volunteer…Thank you my love!!!

BIG BIG Kudos - To our fellow AZBurners who are always available to assist during the year; for Truck Loading & Unpacking; carrying, cleaning, sorting and building PolyParadise year-round here in Phoenix. Special Thanks to (UncleBob, Big Phreekie, Alien, Sarge, Knotch, Shadow, Soroka, Kilted James, The Doctor, Corvus, Sandman, CactusMan, Cassie, Lauren, Captain Jack, Filos) You are all ACES in my book!!! Thank you all so very much!!!

Thanks to the Truck Packing Crew: UncleBob, Alien, Sarge, Kilted James, The Doctor, Soroka (44), Big Phreeky. It is so much fun to share the excitement of PolyParadise hitting the road with all of you!!! YEAH!!! You guys are GREAT!

Thanks to UncleBob & Big Phreeky for being here for Truck Unpacking, I cannot thank you enough because doing it myself would just have way sucked!!! Thanks so much!!!

Early Arrival - Many, Many thanks to all of our Early Arrival crew. Kudos go out to Mr Bird & JenyBe , Touch, Kiera & Trevor, Jacques, Theresa, Brother Luv, Knotch & Shadow, Nikki, Patrick , Stephanie, Ranger Beethoven, Pete, Uncle Bob, Captain Jack, Kilted James, The Doctor, Bill, Stealth Angel, Alien & Sarge, DeRo, Brian, Tailfeather, Wanderingangel, Endeavor, Cristal Light for their tireless efforts to get the camp erected and all system connected. You guys ROCK!!!

MANY, MANY thanks go to the most amazing takedown crew we have ever had. There were so many people that stayed and assisted with the huge job of getting things in some order before it heads to the truck. Those folks include: Trouble, Stealth Angel, Touch, Keith, Lenel, Theresa, Jacques, Knotch, Shadow, Nikki, Trevor, Kiera, Endeavor, Maxx, UncleBob and so many others. THANK YOU ALL!!! Both WildChild & I appreciate your efforts.

HUGE thanks to all who stayed On-Playa till Tuesday doing that last MOOPING of our space - Was very excited that as this year’s MOOP MAP was revealed - we were shown as ALL GREEN!!! Amazing job to all that assisted all week in Never Letting It Hit the Ground!!! Thank you to everybody that stayed for teardown and beyond...You guys ROCK for making those last sweeps through our space and making sure we would be GREEN! Kudos to Stephanie, Mark, Patrick, Jacques, Theresa, Uncle Bob, Knotch, Shadow, Nikki, Wanderingangel, Tailfeather & Endeavor.

We all must collectively thank Tailfeather for his amazing efforts on the Poly Play Space. A place to let loose, a space to explore sexually. Thank you Tailfeather. Thanks to everyone that assisted in the assembling & teardown of the dome.

Major Judos to the organizers _Greg & Crew (HCW), Facilitators & participants of Poly High Tea, BrotherLuv (Mind Melt) , Keith & Lenel (Heart of Now) , Aurelia (Jealousy Workshop) & Pete (Hiney Hygiene Station) , Endeavor (Radical Honesty), The Ted’s (Revolutionary Honesty & Herpes/STIs Out of the Closet). You all are aces in my book!!! Thanks to everyone who assisted in each and every event. The events are as much for us as a camp as well as sharing with the Playa Citizenry.

Thanks to Tailfeather for the running water in the kitchen – what an amazing surprise to have not only running water; but Hot water for dishwashing.

The Carcass Wash...Many thanks go to Touch - Trouble and others for heading up the Human Carcass Wash. A HUGE THANKS to everyone else who helped with Setup & Cleanup and to those that ran the event each day.

Many Many thanks & Kudos to Twist for his ingenuity several years ago in creating the pumps/basins for collecting the drain water from the sink & shower and sending it to the Gray Water Tank, you rock Twist!!! Thank you as well for taking on creating a 2500W Battery Backup system, that worked even better than the initial design plan. It was appreciated that you took on this project by fronting the huge $4000 cost and were willing to take payment as registrations permitted. Your Master Skills as a Rocket Scientist have no gone unnoticed.

Speaking of Sani-Hut; Thank you again for providing us with a Gray Water Holding Tank and for the awesome service on Playa. We appreciate your efforts and hope to continue to do business with you again in 2012

Thanks to ‘The Doctor & Kilted James’ for bringing the Playa Tardis to PolyParadise. It was an awesome piece of Art, you should be way proud of your efforts.

Thanks to Elaine & Mu for bringing the Rope Bondage setup to our camp. The rope clothing that some of our campers were wearing was awesome!!!

A very special thanks to =DeRo=!!!! We have been friends for coming up on 30 years, Wow!!! I love you so my brother from another mother…I had been preaching to you for the past 10 years that you needed to jump on the Burning Man BUS! I understand that timing was not right; you needed to do the best you could with your wife being ill and then her passing. It hurt me to see you hurt; I had known Gail almost as long as you and yes she went way before her time. Both WildChild & I were honored two years back that you gave some of Gail’s possessions to us to lay at the foot of the Temple on the Playa and to pay tribute to her. We were more than honored that this year we got to share in mixing Gail’s ashes with that of the Playa…Dust to Dust

But this tribute to =DeRo= is also about finally getting on the Burning Man Bus; I knew it would change & transform you, give you reasons to reach for the stars…CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!

I had such a Fucking amazing time sharing Burning Man & PolyParadise with you. You gave from your heart, you gave even more than I think you knew you had and for that I am so grateful. You were there to make sure that WildChild & I were never without a drink, always had something to eat, You did ice runs each day and were there to deal with all the coolers each day, you were there to cook food, serve food and cleanup.

I LOVE YOU BRO!!! Thanks for all things Scotto & WildChild – Burning man 2011

I hope you find your way back for 2012 – I may not work you as hard – But it would be my honor to share another year of Burning Man with you!!!

Thanks to Stephanie, Patrick for arranging all things Early Arrival Crew Meal Plan. It was awesome to have food available to us after a hard days work ERECTING PolyParadise.

Special thanks to all the Playa Virgins that decided to make PolyParadise their First Home on the Playa. I hope your experience was awesome and that Burning Man, The Playa, BRC and the rest of us instilled in you a LOVE for the week leading up to Labor Day that your excitement will have you camping again with us next year. Each of you gave & gave & gave of your time & effort and we all Thank You...

Thanks to everyone who provided & prepared food for Community Meals, Washing Dishes, all who helped out when it was needed, for taking garbage home with you, for knowing what building community & sharing community is all about.

Thanks to Trevor for taking on several projects I asked of you, especially shading the Dish Washing area so that those washing dishes did not do so in the sun and get an unintended tan/burn. There were several other things during the week that you just went over and above the call of service, you did so because you saw it needed to be done and for that I am forever in your gratitude.

Thank you to Alien & Sarge for heading up the Garbage area and bagging of said garbage for proper hauling Off-Playa. I appreciate everyone who assisted in dealing with the garbage during the week and am most grateful for each and every person who took garbage Off-Playa. Thank YOU!

Major Kudos & thanks to Stephanie & Patrick for coordinating, setting up and facilitating an incredible kitchen area. You so rock!!!! The Community Kitchen was an awesome success! Thanks so much to all of their helpers that maintained the kitchen all week long.

Thanks to =DeRo= and others that went on the daily ice runs. Thanks to all who assisted with the Cooler drain & repack ritual we play each day.

Special callout to everyone that assisted in the creation of Trash Can Pizza on Tuesday, Of course to UncleBob for coming up with this crazy idea. Thanks to for everyone that assisted with Trash Can Turkey and a HUGE Thanks to Trevor, Patrick, Tailfeather, The Doctor, Knotch & Shadow for jumping right in and carving up all 5 turkeys (100lbs of BIRD) while an anxious crowd awaited food…Amazing!!! Thanks to UncleBob & Saebra for Turkey portioning per plate so that all 150+ people in line got to enjoy said Turkey!!!

Special callouts - Congratulations & Kudos to Corvus and Gizmo for becoming full fledged BRC Rangers!!

Thanks to everyone who assisted our fellow campers or walk-ins that needed medical attention.

The most SPECIAL of SPECIAL THANKS is reserved for my Partner & Wife WildChild!!Your love of everything Burning Man, Community, Hard Work, artistic talent and love of people is inspiring. Never let that light dim.

To those that camped elsewhere or who were unable to make BM this year, your spirit was always part of PolyParadise, and know that you were deeply missed & loved in this group.

As each year passes; the journey of BRC & PolyParadise just gets better & better; this only happens because there is so much love and effort from all of you; a love of PolyParadise; a Love of Burning Man and of Community. There are so many people that give of themselves, give without thinking about how long it will take or how heavy something is, so many people that give of themselves!!

Burning Man is a year-round event at our house; we take the contents of our garage out to the desert and create together an amazing, loving space on the hallowed ground of the Black Rock Desert. Thank you ALL for assisting me in creating PolyParadise.

I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!!

Only 262 days until we Burn again. Each of those days will have thoughts of all you and how good I feel having each of you as my friends and part of my family.
Playa Love,

Scotto
- Camp Daddy
- Benevolent Dictator
- Burning Man Lifer
- Geek
- Zealot