taz_39 | Fairfax, VA Week 2 (Reply)

The Red Unit was treated to a whole three days off!!
On Sunday night we enjoyed a party thrown by the Felds,
to thank us for our hard work so far :)
There were arcade games, a bounce house, food and drinks. Looks like fun!

(photo courtesy Gemma)

Many people got out of town during these days off, to see family or just to catch a break from the circus. I stayed at Jameson's parents', and we just relaxed on Monday. I drove an hour to the train to retrieve some tax paperwork...thanks for nothing Utah. While there, I noticed that my perpetually leaky sink has been fixed thanks to Eric (train crew). Thank you Eric!!!

On Tuesday we enjoyed a "green egg and ham" waffle. It was delicious and I learned how to make a poached egg! Gotta try making one on the train! Then Jameson went to his massage appointment, and I got my hair cut. It was a very rainy day so we spent most of it indoors. The trees in the backyard seem to enjoy the rain.

Wednesday was sunnier, but still cold. We drove to Alexandria to window shop and enjoy lunch at The Wharf, a place Jameson's Mom remembered from a previous trip. I got stuffed shrimp, very tasty! Then we went to The Christmas Attic, a store specializing in, you guessed it, Christmas stuffs. Jameson's Mom used to work for a similar store in another city, and knew all of their products.

After that we went home, relaxed, and enjoyed pizza for dinner :)
Then it was back to work for Jameson and I! We had most of Thursday off, so ran a few errands before the night show. We had lunch at Matchbox, I had a tasty lamb sandwich with a side of chickpea fries.

On Friday the Felds paid a visit. I saw Mr. Feld shaking peoples' hands backstage, and he didn't have a tie on, meaning that he had given it to the first person who looked at it and said, "Nice tie".
Jameson's parents came to the evening show. They have both been to the show before, but there have been some changes since then. They seemed to enjoy it the second time around.

Saturday we had the usual three shows. It was World Circus Day, so there were lots of stickers given out and some extra announcements made. Ringling released a short video to commemorate the event:

Watch on YouTube

And Oscar took this great pic of the crowd as seen through the portal as the clowns were finishing a gag.

This weekend the band had a new sub on trumpet. I'm afraid to try spelling his name lest I get it wrong, but it's pronounced "Annibal" (like Hannibal without the H). He's a really cool guy and I enjoyed playing the shows with him. After the last show on Sunday, I asked him how he was feeling. "Tired," he said. "This is like the gig that never ends!" I agree, it can certainly feel that way sometimes! He'll be joining us again in Mexico, looking forward to it :)

Sunday was of course Easter Sunday! The circus kids had an egg hunt in the morning. I wasn't there for the event but saw some kids tallying up their stash of candy later on ;D Both shows went well, although the crowds were a bit sparse because of the holiday. Afterward, Jameson and I returned to his parents' house for a really fantastic Easter dinner prepared by Mrs. Boyce...honeybaked ham, scalloped potatoes (these were REALLY good!), asparagus with lemon zest, peas, cole slaw, ambrosia, and crescent rolls. Carrot cake cupcakes and Our Daily Bread wine for dessert. I'm telling you, I am SPOILED. The Boyces surprised me with a beautiful Easter basket with lots of goodies, including a spatula for flipping delicate things like omelettes and fish. Can't wait to try it out!

I am very grateful that Mr. and Mrs. Boyce opened their home to me these past two weeks. I will not be able to see my family again until November, so I can't even put into words how wonderful it was to share this time with the Boyces, who made me feel like a part of their family. Thank you for everything, Boyce Family. I can't wait to see Addison again when she's the same size as me, lol!

After dinner, we gathered our things and Mr. Boyce gave us a ride back to the arena where we caught the bus to the train. Can you believe this will be my first train run since December?? Crazy! I'm really looking forward to it though! Next stop, Charleston WV!

Other stuff:

"Kip" Jones, a member of the King Charles Troupe, gave a great interview to the Washington Times this week. Read about what it's like to be a unicycling basketballer HERE!

Cindy (teacher) was our Easter Bunny this year. Here she is riding Baby, with Ryan (animal specialist) and Alex (star performer). Great job Cindy!