Circus Xtreme Brooklyn Week 1 - Xtremely Cold 9-Pack

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As the frozen train made its way to Brooklyn, I used the free day to get an updated driver's license and visit my parents. It was a normal weekday for them and both of them have nasty colds. We didn't get a whole lot of time together, but some is better than none! We shared a meal and just enjoyed each others' company :)

Meanwhile, some circus folk flew/drove/Amtrak'd into the city early to catch a Broadway show or enjoy NYC's many other delights. Some took the train run despite the lack of running water. Looks like it was a pleasant run despite that. They left while there was a pretty dusting of snow on the ground, as shown here in Rebecca's photo.

And there was some very nice scenery. Photo courtesy David Shipman, Ringmaster.


On Wednesday I returned my rental car and took my first Amtrak ride to Penn Station. Isn't it funny that I've been living on a train all this time, but have never ridden a "real" passenger train? :D


Jameson had gotten on the same train a few hours earlier, so when we reached New York we quickly found each other and made our way to Kaitlin's apartment. Kaitlin is Jameson's friend; they worked at Uno's together while attending Berklee in Boston. She now works for Mozilla and has an apartment near the Barclays, where we'll be performing this week. She is currently in Australia and has generously offered us the use of her apartment.



The train is parked in Uniondale, a two hour drive from the arena. So to us, Kaitlin is a godsend. Walking to and from the arena will take about 1/2 hour each way, plus we will be able to enjoy a kitchen, cable tv, internet, and a hot shower. Jameson and I are currently scheming about how to thank her for opening her home to us :)

As it turned out, most of the circus had to be put in hotels thanks to the freezing temperatures this week. Water pipes and tanks on the train were completely frozen, and some of the pipes had burst. Here's the hotel sign up sheet on the office door.


To be honest, I don't have much else to write about. We had a nine pack over the weekend, so there was no time for sightseeing. Jameson and I were also fighting nasty sinus infections, so every spare moment was used to rest.

The shows were well attended. Our dressing room was next to Mustafa's (high wire), so we got to see the recently rescued trainyard puppies pretty frequently <3


In the mornings, one of our favorite breakfast stops was Bergen Bagels. They make all of their bagels and other pastries on site, and offer lots of yummy spreads and sandwich fillings!

On Saturday Brooklyn got a few inches of snow which quickly became sludge. Despite that, we had good crowds :)



After the last show on Sunday, all of us were excited for the day off. Especially the dancers :)

(photo courtesy Grace)

Next week is a little easier, with several one show days and a six pack instead of a niner :P
Looking forward to Brooklyn part 2!


Other stuff:

This really cute, informative article from the New York Times describes Cody the camel and his friends perfectly! (CLICK HERE to read)

(photo courtesy Zaya)

Applesauce has done it again with some breathtaking photos of the Barclays from above the grid.