taz_39 | Circus Xtreme Duluth, GA Week 1

After the last show on Sunday we hoofed it over to a place Tim (sax) and Brett (bossman) found near the arena, called Smoke Ring. It's a southern BBQ place with a focus on meats smoked "low and slow" daily. On Brett's recommendation I opted for the smoked wings, and on Tim's I got a side of roasted brussels sprouts. That's the stuff!

Full of great food, we drove over to the nearest movie theater to catch Deadpool. It was graphic and violent and hilarious! A great way to unwind from a fairly busy weekend.

(photo courtesy Brett)

Then we enjoyed a blissful two days off. Well, some of us did. One of those days was a work day for anyone involved in loading into the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth. But hey, at least the train didn't move. Sometimes a lack of movement is a nice break.

On Monday I relaxed.

Excuse me as I digress for just a second. Recently a few people have commented on the fact that I enjoy more down time than the average bear (time between shows, days off, sleeping time, etc.). Their commentary has brought it to my attention that few people who read my blog know what my life was like before I joined the circus.

I'm not going to bore you with My Life Story. I will say that because of my life experiences leading up to this point, I am well aware that I am extremely fortunate to have "down time". I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate this job and the benefits that come along with it. So I hope no one is reading my blog and thinking, "Gosh, what a spoiled brat!" or "She doesn't know what a real job is like." I most definitely do know, and that experience allows me to cherish what I'm enjoying now. My first few months of blog posts reflect how grateful and relieved I was to receive this job. Current posts tend to focus on the day-to-day, but believe me, I am still grateful and humbled every day.

What I'm getting at here is, if you don't know me personally, please don't chide me for enjoying the life I have now. Anyone who'd like to know what I did before joining the circus, feel free to ask! I've got nothing to hide. Almost nothing :P

Anyway, Monday. Relaxing. I did laundry and cleaned while Jameson ran errands and took his car for a much-needed oil change and cleaning. When he returned I borrowed his car for a grocery run.

On Tuesday I borrowed the car again for some errands. Partway through the day it occurred to me that it's been two years since I repotted my plants(!) and I really should at least give them fresh soil. I drove to ACE Hardware for the soil and some basic terra cotta pots. That was supposed to be all...but in the back of the greenhouse I found an overgrown Wandering Jew. I felt bad for it. I took it home.

Oh, and a Venus Fly Trap!! I have raised these before with great results and would like to try again.

The rest of my afternoon was spent pruning and repotting my two philodendrons and the Wandering Jew. The new plant needed much pruning, as in addition to being overgrown it was also overwatered with many rotting and dead parts. This little guy was also eating it.

My other two plants have some sentimental value. The oldest I bought in 2007, on the day I moved to New Jersey to start a new job. The other I found in 2012 in a New Orleans grocery store, overgrown and on clearance because it was choking itself to death and no one wanted it. It was a good thing I remembered to repot that one as it was becoming a little rootbound. So now I have a whole side of a table dedicated to plants. Here's hoping the two new ones make it to spring!

Opening day was nice, an average rehearsal and one show.
The next day we had a photoshoot in the afternoon for the new programs (because now that the elephants will be out, we'll need a new one). It went quickly and we had some time to kill, so Jameson and I hit Pure Taqueria for "lupper". We had been here two years ago. Delicious then, delicious now. I had the grilled fish tacos with housemade grilled pico de gallo, salsa verde, and black beans.

Afterward we were curious about a pie place across the street and decided to check it out. It was called Crave Pie Studio. They had mini 5" pies on display in the cases. Jameson got the last Dutch apple pie, and I snagged a specialty pie called "The Fiery Courtney": Aztec chocolate, chili powder, coconut chunks, and real whipped cream topped with shaved almonds. Yowza!!

(photo courtesy Crave Pie Studio)

After that we went back to the arena and messed around until the evening show (which went well).

Saturday, three shows. Jameson had friends at two of the shows, so I didn't see him much :P And apparently Ludacris dropped by for one of the shows and to check out the elephants.

(photo courtesy Ryan H.)

Sunday, two shows. Attendance was light compared to Saturday, but the crowd was energetic. Back at the train I enjoyed a piece of The Fiery Courtney, oh man, it was AMAZING. We've got to go back to that pie place someday!!

We have one more week of shows here in Duluth, which means the next two days are days off for almost everyone!!

Other stuff:

Elephant crew apparently has a "poop chart". Why is this important? First of all, to monitor the health of the elephants (it's good to be regular!). And secondly, so that crew members can have an idea of which elephants might begin pooping during the show and be ready with those shovels! #themoreyouknow

(photo courtesy Bernadette)

A short clip from the high wire POV! Mustafa Danguir jump roping. Eeeek, I can't watch!!

Happy Birthday to Monjok Monjok and Jonathan Miller! There's no escaping the pie :P

(photos courtesy Lindsey)

I walked in on an argument between the bossman and Jameson, about which pie is the best, and specifically why key lime pie is/isn't in the "best" category. Weirdos.