taz_39 | NC to Duluth, GA

On Super Bowl Sunday, I drove up to Winston-Salem to visit my friends Jeremy and Charlie!
We went to a neighbor's Super Bowl party. By the time I got there, it was the 2nd quarter and, well....we only stayed for a half hour.

I spent a night with them and we shared a meal in the morning, then trucked over to Raleigh to visit my Aunt Chris. She took me to Daniel's, a very nice Italian restaurant. I had chicken piccata (a non-breaded version) with capers over pasta. Very good!

For dessert, my aunt and uncle got me a white chocolate raspberry cake! I felt very loved <3

Oh yeah, Tuesday was my birthday! I'm 30. Do I feel any older, not really!
Because my birthday was during load in and I wasn't at the train, I once again didn't get pied by the clowns. MUAHAHAHA.

On Tuesday night I drove to Atlanta for dinner at Jameson's brother's restaurant, TPS Pizza.
The drive down was less than awesome. It took an extra two hours because I went the wrong way at one point(!)...this must be what happens when you get old...so I wasn't in the best of moods when I finally made it at 7pm. But Jameson came bouncing over and gave me a big hug and a smile, and there went my troubles :D
We went inside to find that Kyle (Jameson's brother and the owner) had decorated a table for us!

There were markers at each table.
The writing on the walls and tables is from various people who have eaten there.
We shared a delicious handmade "Sloppy Southern" chicken pizza: BBQ chicken with pineapple and onions. The crust and sauce are homemade, the pineapple is fresh, nothing is prepackaged, and Kyle has a hand in making every single pizza.
TPS Pizza. If you're ever near Atlanta, give it a go :)
(EDIT: Closed as of 7/30/15, sorry :/)

My present from Jameson was the BBC's "Blue Planet" 5 disc set!!
Can't wait to watch it!! I love nature documentaries!!

In and around Atlanta this week there were several circuses performing, including Big Apple, the Gold Unit, and Cirque. Many members from these shows paid us a visit on opening night. Needless to say, we had an energetic crowd ;) Thanks for the support y'all!

On Thursday a bunch of Ringling folk went to see the Big Apple Circus's new show, Luminocity!
The style is very different from last year's show (Legendarium), a little more modern, and with several new acts. The liberty act was wonderful. The horses were very spirited! I also really enjoyed Rob Torres's clowning. He channels Grandma very well. Daniel Cyr has been with Big Apple for several seasons now. This year he did an act with a ladder instead of a ring. He's my favorite Big Apple performer, because he's so calm and very graceful. The highlight of the show for many Ringling visitors was Duo Guerrero. This couple has won multiple awards for their incredible skill. They got a heartfelt standing ovation from our section.

Afterward the band was treated to the view from the bandstand. It's much more a part of the show than last year's, which was a bit hidden from the audience.

Hey, where's the trombone?????

We ate lunch at a nearby sushi bar, then returned to the arena for our show.
Friday was a split show day. During the split Jameson took me to an awesome taco joint set up inside an old gas station. Everything was delicious! I'm not usually a fan of slaw on tacos, but the cabbage was very fresh and crunchy so I enjoyed it a lot.

Over the weekend we had a six pack. Most crowds were really boisterous and the weather was fine, so it was an enjoyable work week :) Now we have two days off before starting a long week of shows in Atlanta. The train will not be moving, so that means two days of relaxation. Hooray!!!

More stuff:

A private preshow event for some kids and parents. Looks like a fun time was had!

(photo courtesy Alicia)

This week the train was parked almost an hour away from the arena. Many people chose to sleep over at the arena rather than return to the train every night. Clown Alley had a sleepover...Oscar made pancakes!

(photo courtesy Oscar)

In Charlotte, there were several photos that I didn't get to post because LiveJournal's app is horrible.
Here we have an usher standing with a "STOP" sign to prevent patrons from walking around under the high wire during the act (we had a problem with this the week before).

(photo courtesy Ryan)

Red and Blue Circus trains passing each other in South Carolina.
That's our trainmaster Brett and one of our teachers, Eryn.
GIVE OUR GENERATOR BACK!!!! :P

(photo courtesy Eryn)