You can’t make me

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

OK, here we go again. For a minute there, I thought I was going to skip Burning Man this year. I was actually looking forward to eating some of those ribs over on Victorian Square, but I guess I’m going to miss the expensive bonefest again.

See, I really didn’t want to spend $600 for Hunter and me to go spend three days camping on the playa. But then, somebody—John Murphy, general manager and BM virgin—told me that entry is free for children under 12. Hmm. 50 bucks a day apiece? Plus the cost of three days worth of sandwiches, V-8 and water, but minus the cost of beer. To be perfectly honest, we’d eat anyway, so really, it’s like Burning Man is paying me to be there.

And then, my buddy Evan calls from Chico, saying the CN&R was hoping for a story that relates to the BM Green theme this year. Well, I talked to our writer about how he envisioned his take on Burning Man at least a month ago. I even promised someone else we’d use her photos (provided she and I could make a media transfer on Sunday or Monday next).

Couldn’t very well let Evan down, could I? And Kris has that very handsome young man who needs to eat and pay for bike-tire-tube patch kits.

Then, gosh, my friend Laura drops me an e-mail, and she says she’s going to be at such and such, but she usually goes around topless so if Hunter or I might get offended. … Even Bruce says he’s going to register at Center Camp, concerned that my resolution not to bring beer to the event might be unnecessarily harsh. It seems like everyone I’d like to spend Labor Day weekend with is going to the Black Rock. Is there going to be anybody in Reno to keep an eye on things?

I can’t really refuse, now can I? Damn, twist my arm, why don’t you?