Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Trip to Louisiana for LSU-Auburn game

We headed to Baton Rouge last Thursday for a quick trip to see LSU play the impostors in the Tiger Bowl.
It was Tim's first LSU game, so I made sure he got the full experience.
We joined the crowd as fans gathered below the Journalism Building to await the arrival of the Golden Band from Tigerland.
Mike VI was looking better than ever. He must be nearly 600 pounds by now.
I pointed out my brick in front of Mike's $3 million habitat, which sits across the street from Tiger Stadium.
This was the view from our seats as the two teams warmed up before the game. That's Mike VI in the trailer, making his traditional trip around the stadium to help work up the fans.
We were very happy with the results. LSU won 31-10.
We spent the day before the game hanging out with my family and seeing some of the sights around the Capitol City. This is Nottoway, an Italianate plantation home built in 1859 across the River from Baton Rouge.
Nearby in the community of Point Pleasant, we found The Chapel of the Madonna sitting in front of a cow pasture.

The tiny church measures 8-feet by 8-feet and is regarded by some to be the smallest house of worship in the world. It was built by an Italian-American family after a relative recovered from a severe illness.
There's just enough room inside for a small altar and a couple of kneelers. The keys to the church are left in a mailbox at the door.
Of course, we also did some serious eating. Here's Tim about to tear into a fried seafood platter at Walk On's, a popular restaurant in Baton Rouge that was founded by a couple of LSU grads who were walk-on players for the basketball team.
Me with my mom and dad. Much of the talk over the weekend among my relatives revolved around the question of whether my dad now has more hair on his head than I do.
My niece and nephew. They grow up so fast!

Friday, October 02, 2009

Burning Man - the movies


Scenes from our camp site, the Playa and Pink Mammoth, a camp that hosted a huge afternoon party everyday featuring the most amazing music mixes.


This video starts under the giant wooden sculpture that formed the base on which The Man stood.


I've saved the best for last. This clip condenses the hour and a half leading up to and including the burning of The Man on Saturday night.

It's the climax of the entire week, and it features amazing pyrotechnics that would make any Hollywood producer proud. It seemed as though all 45,000 Burners were gathered in the huge circle that ringed the platform.

It's an experience I'll never forget.