I’ve settled into the Alumapalooza routine:  Up by 6 a.m., get on the computer and do some work, then outside to tote a load of gray water to the dump station before it gets hot, write the blog, eat a quick breakfast, and then working day really starts …

Yesterday the Airstream crew finished electrifying the “China” section of the field, and we began putting trailers in there.  We’ve got the place divided into sections: Baja is the main field, China is west of the manufacturing building, Cairo is between the paint/lam building and the Terra Port, and Wild West is the last two western rows of Baja (for generator users).  Lake Bambi has dried up to a small wet spot, and the North & South China Seas are pretty much just damp now too. So we have unfettered access to every part of the field now, and that has helped. Yesterday the parkers helped about 30 trailers and we are now officially at 130 trailers on the field. Another 65 are expected today.

The weather has been spectacular.  Yesterday was nearly 100% sunshine, temperatures only peaking around 80, with a pleasant breeze all day.  Couldn’t ask for better.  The morning Yoga session was overloaded with 51 people, which was amazing, even though we knew it would be popular.  If we do it again next year we’ll have to find an even bigger tent!

All of the seminars went very well.  We’ve got a new backlit screen for huge slide presentations and a pro sound system, plus video cameras for the detailed on-stage demos.  I did my “Airstreaming for Newbies” seminar and got about 70-80 people in the audience, which seemed pretty typical for yesterday’s seminars.  (I also sold all the Newbies books I brought with me, 30 copies in total.)

In the late morning Airstream used a forklift to haul in a fantastic gift they made: a complete portable Airstream galley for on-stage cooking demonstrations.  It is fully self-contained, just like an Airstream, with 5-gallon fresh and gray-water tanks, a car battery for power, 20-lb propane tank, stove/oven, double-basin sink, water filter, and a Corian top.  Eleanor will use it today to make Bananas Foster on stage (she’s replacing Colin Hyde’s seminar, since he can’t make it due to business obligations), and Eleanor will use the galley again on Saturday to make a complete gourmet meal.  Brett has rigged up a little video camera from above to show what she’s doing on the big screen.

The people who come continue to impress me.  My favorites from yesterday:  Sheryl from Kansas, and Rhonda from Oregon.  Both traveling separately and solo, both had trailer tire blowouts on the road, and both just dealt with it and came anyway.  Sheryl learned how to change a wheel right by the side of the road, with two little girls waiting in her car, and arrived here at APZ in good spirits, a few hours later than planned.

All kinds of fun things keep happening.  After Happy Hour and door prizes (about 30 given out last night), Alex used his fire-breathing skill to light the Open Grill, and then the JC Fire Dept came by and demonstrated how to chop up a car.  Later, Adam, Charon, Michael and slaDE found the stage empty and organized a drumming circle.  Not everything we planned is on the official program, and not everything that happens is even something we planned!  It’s more fun that way.

OK, I’m late to get out there and start hustling things … I can hear people testing the sound system in the tent and setting up coffee already.  Alumapalooza waits for no one …!