Ft Worth, TX 2014 - Pretty City
Aug. 17th, 2014 10:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taz_39The run was short, but I did get a nice pic of the Margaret Hunt Bridge leaving Dallas.
We rolled into the yard on Monday night.
Tuesday was load in, meaning it was a free day for me.
I took my bike out for a little bit. The roads are wide and traffic is light near the yard, and there's a little residential area, so I pedaled around there for a while until I got tired. This yard stands out in my memory because we're parked next to a large grain elevator.
This was the yard where I first started buying air filters because the pigeons were pooping/dropping feathers into our ventilation. And this was where I bought my Brita water filter, because of the open vat of raw sewage right next to our hydrant and because the tap water came out orange the first time I turned it on.
Aaah, the memories!
After lunch I took the bus to the arena, playing Ingress on the way. There isn't a grocery within walking distance this week but there's a Walgreens, so I stopped by to pick up a few things I'd forgotten to get last city. Next to the Walgreens was a tiny coffee shop called Buon Giorno. Being low on coffee and noticing that they roast their own, I stopped in and got a bag of Chanchamayo, named after the valley in Peru where it was grown. Should be good!
On the way back I played Ingress some more. Many portals in this city are located at churches for some reason. Here is a lovely church...I don't remember whether it's a portal, but it doesn't really matter :)
This public art "Man With A Briefcase" is a portal. The artist is Jonathan Borofsky. Incidentally I saw his "Hammering Men" work at Northpark Mall in Dallas, but didn't make the connection until getting here. Neat!
I got back to the train in time for dinner, and in time to film Jameson doing the ice bucket challenge!
CLICK HERE to watch. Yeah, it's not a real 'bucket', but neither of us had one, having small rooms and all. Anyway it's for a good cause :) He's not the only circus worker participating, either!
(LaRena, clown) (Kathryn, Blue Unit keys) If you can't see these videos, I apologize. Some people have them on the 'friends only' setting.
Opening day went as usual, with a nice little surprise: a former clown sent us a box of pastries in honor of Slick's birthday! How awesome is that!!!
On Thursday Andrew (trumpet) and I split an Uber to Sprouts, an organic grocery of sorts. If I bought everything I wanted, half of it would go bad before I could eat it :P I picked out some great produce and bulk foods.
After that I took the bus to the arena to catch an afternoon showing of Guardians of the Galaxy with Jameson and Tom. It was a funny movie. A few cornball moments, but what do you expect!
Friday was a split. The morning show was great with an energetic crowd of summer camp kids. After the show I played a little Ingress, then returned to the train to boil some eggs and do laundry. Terribly exciting.
Around that time I got a text from Brett informing me that I'd won an item from the circus school's silent auction: a sparkly Ringling shirt and hat! AWESOOOOOME
Saturday was a typical three show day. It seemed to go by quickly, maybe because we only had one show on Sunday! The show wasn't until 3pm, so I used the morning to prepare for the train run by cleaning my room and putting my bike away. There was a thunderstorm early in the morning so I took extra time to dry the bike off (it's got a steel frame = rust).
After the show, Jameson and I went for dinner at place called Del Frisco's only a block from the arena. It was far fancier than I had expected, however the prices were extremely reasonable and they had a great "Summer Prime" meal offer going on. We each had a salad, entree, and dessert for less than fifty bucks. He had Caesar salad, a beautiful piece of grilled salmon, and strawberry cheesecake. I had spring mix, filet mignon, and banana bread pudding. Both the service and the food were FANTASTIC. I've never had filet mignon before. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious...something I never thought I'd say about a steak! It didn't need any sauces or seasoning; in fact none of the food did. As Jameson pointed out, there were no salt/pepper shakers or any other embellishments on the dining tables, probably an indication that the restaurant is confident in its cuisine.
In addition to the fabulous food we each had the VIP, a cocktail made from Svedka mandarin infused with pineapple for two weeks before serving.
After dinner we strolled around and enjoyed the downtown area, especially Sundance Square which had been under construction when we were here last. Oh, and we played Ingress :P
A lovely end to a relaxing week in Forth Worth. Next up is Austin, our last Texas city!
Other stuff:
The clowns make casts of their faces.
I assume these are for use when decided makeup/wigs/character design. Very cool!!!
(photos courtesy Lindsey)
The circus kids put on a play at the Convention Center this week! The theme was "Greek". I didn't attend, but heard the kids did a fantastic job! They're so talented :) And CUTE!! <3
(photo courtesy Richard)
The KCT troupe takes advantage of the beautiful Ft Worth scenery with a sweet shot at the Ft Worth Water Gardens.
(photo courtesy Greg)
The ceiling in this arena is circular and has circular catwalks. Neato!
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no subject
Date: 2014-08-26 06:48 am (UTC)What an amazing entry. I love how I always learn new stuff reading your entries.
That may be the first time I've looked at something from a ceiling and thought, "Bet it would be neat to walk on that."
That's right filet mignon is melt-in-your mouth good, very glad you tried it. That drink looked good too. Everybody should! We gotta get a pic of you in that shirt & hat.
The kids look terrific, so some people travel with children then?
Making masks sounds cool even one isn't a clown. :)
no subject
Date: 2014-08-26 03:45 pm (UTC)Many people are third/fourth/fifth generation circus...that is, their father/mother was a circus performer, and their parent before them, and so on. So yes, many kids are born into the circus life and travel with the circus. There are teachers who travel with us and educate the kids using a homeschooling method. Kids can graduate and choose to stay in the circus or go to college or work elsewhere. Kids are not allowed to work in the circus until they reach an appropriate age.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-27 04:22 pm (UTC)Whgeifjowjei wjrofjwa
Date: 2016-08-17 12:30 pm (UTC)