September 7, 2006: - We made all 5000 snow cones! All 40 gallons of syrup got used up. What an amazing experience. A lot of hard work, but also a lot of fun.
More info and pictures to come. Posted 4 pictures to the home page today. Here's the picture where we're serving snow cones to everyone at the Man (we went for about an hour, and eventually everyone out there had a snow cone in their hand!)
It's amazing how much stuff we packed and took to Burning Man this year. We're still not fully unpacked and recovered. Much playa dust remaining to wash off. Will write more and post more photos within the next week.
August 24, 2006: - It's really coming together now....
Oh, the snow cone machine is here too. Picked it up yesterday. It's a 2 week rental.
August 21, 2006: - Much of the electrical wiring got done. Robin also finished painting everything except the hand washing station.
Here's a couple photos of Stuart drilling a path for the many wires to come up to a nice little control panel.
August 20, 2006: - Leslie designed this great sign. Two were printed and laminated at Kinkos today!
August 19, 2006: - More progress. Counter and frame built for the trailer (the section where we'll make the snow cones). Robin painted the platforms green and is doing more painting today! More building too, little finishing touches, like a stand to hold the water and basin for the required hand washing station.
Here's more pictures. This is the counter that will be on the trailer, as the "kitchen" for making the snow cones. In this photo, it's not quite finished...
Here is the golf cart, with the platforms and wire mesh mounted on. The plants are supposed to attach to this stuff.
This is the trailer Stuart has. We'll use it to haul the golf cart to Burning Man, then when we get there, the golf cart comes off and the counter and frame get built on it, and the trailer gets towed by the golf cart.
Robin's busy painting away. Much of the snow cone area is going to be purple :-)
August 16, 2006: - We've been working away. Much left to do before heading out at the end of next week (just 10 days). But a lot of the work has been done.
I'd originally intended to keep this journal updated with our progress. Yeah, sure! Well, here's some photos of the parts and work-in-progress laying around.
First, the golf cart itself. I wish we'd taken a picture when it was in its original condition, with the top and windscreen still on it. Oh well. If you look close at this photo, you can probably see the many holes that have been drilled.
These are the many parts of the platform which mounts to all those holes. Stuart built almost all of these platforms! It's white from primer. Soon it'll be painted dark green, and not long after that it should start getting the plants mounted onto it.
It turned out there just wasn't room for the ice machine and other snow cone stuff on the cart. So we're putting it all on the trailer. The outside edge will be covered with bamboo. We cut all this weeks ago (completely green) and it's been drying in the sun. What you can't see in this picture are the 2 tiny holes drilled in every single one of these, for steel wire that will hold them in place.
Robin had her eye on these large tikis that Target had this summer. But they were quite expensive. Well, we saw they on clearance for only $35, but didn't buy. She went back, but they were gone. So she called around, and one store in town still had 'em. Only $13 each! These babies will be on the front of the car!
Quite a lot of work has gone into reinforcing and moop-proofing the umbrella. In this picture, you can see the steel bars that we've added to strengthen 4 of the 8 poles. Those 4 poles will also have guy wires to the corners of the car, with vine plants hiding the wire.
Robin added gromits to the umbrella canvas. The larger ones are to hold it to the poles, and also securely attach the straw using cable ties.
Here's a picture of the straw. It looks like a moop disaster waiting to happen. Maybe that's sort of some of its appeal?
Robin glued and sewed fabric strips onto the bottom, which really hold all the straw bits well. And they're not very visible when it's rightside up, so the straw still looks great when on top the umbrella.
The other huge piece of good news is Robin managed to get the food service health permit, after many phone calls and emails. First Washoe county said was the state's jurisdiction. The state said health permits are issued by the county, and the try contacting Burning Man. Emails to the BMORG went unanswered. For a while there, things were looking pretty grim.
Finally, she managed to get an answer from the Burning Man folks, who directed her to the right person with the state. He was on vacation and at first it seemed we weren't going to get a reply, but the next week he turned out to be extremely helpful. Very nice guy, and in a week (and $50 later) we had the permit!
Turns out, Robin never actually said "extravaganza"... they wrote that in. The guy really was very cool and seems to really get what Burning Man is really about. They truly do care about keeping food safe.
Wow, so much I didn't get a picture of. Like the 10 cases of 4 gallons syrup (40 gallons total, 8 flavors). Or the little kitchen-like counter that goes into the trailer. Or the battery and inverter. Or the costumes. Or the Leis and wrist bands. Or the "gift ice..." sign (not printed yet). Hmm... maybe another update soon, but for now, BACK TO WORK!!!!
July 19, 2006: - Much happening... should really take some pics to post here. Hitch attached to golf cart. Stuart got new tires for the trailer. Robin's got lots of the plants and has been working on reinforcing the straw covering. Went and cut lots of bamboo to use in decoration. Leslie made a great new logo for the website... need to get it posted here soon.
July 9, 2006: - It's officially official. Got the approval email from the DMV Hotties a few days ago.
Yesterday Stuart & Paul went out and bought a golf cart! Pics coming soon.
Robin shopped for the flake flowers, and also ordered a bunch of stuff on-line.
The snow cone machine rental is reserved, pickup Saturday before Burning Man.
July 5, 2006: - Excellent news... we heard from the burning man dmv folks. They're going to approve us, but they're concerned about moop issues. The email actually came in days ago. Responding today.
Such happy news!!!
Stuart's shopping for golf carts. Going to call about renting the snow cone machine today. Robin's about to start buying the plants and decorations.
June 23, 2006: - Still haven't heard anything from the Burning Man DMV Hotties about our application (except for the automatic confirmation email).
Stuart's been talking with two folks selling used golf carts. We'll probably go look at the nicer of the two Saturday afternoon. Should we spend hundreds of dollars to buy it, not having heard anything yet??
I sent them an email about a week ago. No reply. Going to try again today. Who knows, maybe we'll hear something from them before tomorrow afternoon when we go look at the cart?
Now only 9 weeks til the burn. We really need to start building pretty soon if there's going to be time to do a really nice job and not rush everything at the last minute.
May 4, 2006: - We talked last night at McMeniman's (over beers, of course). Agreed the website is ready, and the pre-approval application goes in today!
Yay.
Really hoping we can really start building soon! Only 4 months til the burn...
May 1, 2006: - More text from Stuart, added to build and people pages.
April 29, 2006: - Stuart drew a new mechanical construction sketch, and also wrote new description of the night lighting ideas.
April 29, 2006: - Robin made another color sketch this morning. Added it to the home page (and here). Also added images from Robin to the art page.
April 27, 2006: - We met at McMeniman's last night. Stuart brought his laptop, came up with lots of info to add (mostly things we've talked about over the last few weeks but didn't write down), which is going onto the site now. Decision was made to add an 8th "operations" page, since the operating procedures and much of the safety info doesn't really fit on the "building" page. Later in the night (or maybe technically the morning), Stuart drew a nice build diagram:
April 25, 2006: - Created this little 7-page website, filling the pages with everything we've done so far, and only had collected as bookmarks, text files, sketches and lots of writing and scribbles on notepads.
April 24, 2006: - Meeting at Portland City Grill. Great view, good food & drinks (happy hour). Discussed purpose, safety, info for website. Need to get the website up with sketches and other info, so we can get the application submitted.
Later in April: - After much discussion, Robin created another, much better sketch while laying in bed one night.
Mid April: - Robin & Paul went out to late happy hour at Applebees. Paul had printed out the application for approval from the Burning Man DMV and it was becomming clear we needed a good sketch. Robin drew, as she sipped margaritas and Paul drank beer, and both munched on boneless chicken wings and celery:
April 14, 2006: - Registered the domain name for this website.
Early April: - The three of us met for the evening. Went to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy a consumer ice shaver machine for experiementation. We'd talked about art themes, Robin & Paul mostly liking the Hawaiian theme (commonly associated with "Hawaiian Shaved Ice"), but Stuart rightly felt it was a bit too commercial. Suddendly we were surrounded by Tiki party theme stuff, and it just seemed to fit! Tiki, not Hawaiian. Went over to McCormick & Schmicks for late happy hour, and came up with the name "Tiki Ice Bar" (and dozens of others we didn't like so well). Robin has been envisioning a lush oasis of vegitation and flowers, and the first sketch was drawn:
March 2005: - Ok, the weaner dog idea sucked. But what then? A Jetson's sauser car was considered (would fit with "hope of the future"). Suddenly one day at McMeniman's (after a few beers), Stuart commented that everybody would love snow cones out on the playa! Paul was a bit skeptical (as usual). Robin loved the idea! Snow cones it was.
December 2005: - Robin & Paul took a short vacation to San Francisco and away from the distractions of work and the computers, brainstormed several ideas. Tentatively settled on making a giant weaner dog, with a "so damn cute" theme.
September 2005 (Burning Man): The three of us agreed to build an art car next year. Many ideas tossed around, nothing really written down. We agreed to keep it managable, and most likely a golf cart for the base would be about what we could reasonably transport all the way from Oregon to Nevada.