I find it rather comforting to be truly unavailable to the outside world for the week. There is not one darn thing that can happen outside that I can't wait to hear about for a week. Sometimes it is just really nice to not have to react to all the things. All of them.

Me too. I grew up in the era if you weren't home people couldn't reach you. When I realized last year (virgin year) that my phone wasn't working I put it away and was able to just stay in the moment all week long.
The land is a magical place and I am greatful that the outside world is blocked from making it in to our sanctuary.
If you NEED to keep it touch there is the phones away from the magic.

Prepaid cards at the store are $8 for a $5 card. I had to buy one because my son called with an emergency (in his eyes). I spend $8 on a 3 minute phone call. So I don't consider them a good value, but in a pinch they will do. Pre-buy one at a dollar store if you think you will need it. I have no use for them outside of fest.

Secondly, some sort of emergency contact with festival should be available in case a loved one at home dies. Where I am from, they will be in the buried several days before I would ever know about it. The only reason I knew my son called with an emergency was a letter with my name on it at the triangle message board. It was a total fluke I found it. I thought my girlfriend who had stayed home had died, she has problems with blood clots. I had left detailed instructions for my son and girlfriend because of the phone situation - Call only if someone is dead or is dying. It took me over an hour to get to the cuntree store and then way out to the phones (out at RV/parking) and back.

My best advice for someone who has to keep in contact with someone outside of fest for health reasons is to bring a pre-paid long distance phone card to use the phones at fest or drive to town to get cell service. Oh and check the message board at the Triangle. Otherwise enjoy the cell phone signal free zone.

CG~ I agree.

I have always left the Fest office number with my family. I assume in the case of a true emergency that they could announce it from a stage. I thought I had heard such announcements, could be wrong.

My grandma is in pretty poor health right now and I'd like to leave the phone number with my family *just in case*...is it just the Wahalla office number we call for tickets?

that's the only one i know of.

When I left that number with my family, I also told them to tell the office to contact (name withheld), a well known, longtime worker, because she knows all the people I know on the Land, and she could get the word out and about and around to me.

Trixie e-mail me your phone # so I can talk with you at sujidyke at aol dot com.

suji