taz_39: (Default)







I flew home on Monday. This adorable service dog was on my first flight.


Both flights were easy. The weather was unusually cooperative. I actually fell asleep on the second flight, a rarity for me.

My Dad picked me up and drove me home. It was great to see my Mom, who I haven't seen since May. She had a major head surgery over the summer and I couldn't make it home to see her through it. She is recovering well but she's photo shy so sorry, no pics :P It was nice to be home.

I was DYING to check out the new trombone! It was packaged very well and came in a brand new ProTec case. Looking at it in person, I can't believe the excellent shape it's in. This horn was probably made in the 70s and it looks like it's never been played!!



The grip is slightly more curved than Brett's Minick, so I'll have to get used to that. It also has two leadpipes as opposed to the three that came with Brett's. But they're both original; one has an "M" scratched near the bottom. I played the horn for a little bit, and thought it felt just like the other Minick. The deeper grip means a small adjustment, but that will take a few days to overcome at most. I can't wait to play both Minicks and compare them! Huge thanks to JoyBrass and Yoshi, and BrassArk and Noah, for making this happen. I'm very excited to see what this horn can do!

The next day I got to sleep in. Glorious sleep. Mom and I ran errands and she prepared dinner. When Dad got home we ate, and after that he went downstairs to work on the unfinished basement. They're going to turn it into an office.



When we came to a stopping point it was time for ice cream! Mom got us some Yuengling ice cream (I had no idea there was such a thing) and it was amazing. Another must-have treat from home :)

Wednesday, more errands and shopping. Shopping is not a favorite thing of mine, so after a few hours we came home and ate lunch, and chilled.

On Thursday Mom had several medical appointments, one for eyes and one for her foot which has been bothering her. Between the appointments we rested at home.



That night I visited my sister Kate and her fiancee Pat. We all went to dinner at The Blind Pig, a new place downtown. The food is all local and fresh. I had sweet potato gnocchi with apples, squash, pesto, and goat cheese. I really enjoyed it :)


On Friday I had breakfast with my Aunt Nicole and Mom at Perkins. After that we ran some errands, then all went home to play cards. Dad came home around dinnertime; we had leftovers, then chilled.

The next morning Kate picked me up, then we drove to Shippensburg to get my brother Jonah, then we three drove down to North Carolina to visit our Aunt Chris and Uncle Andy! My sister Raven flew down and met us there. It's the first time we've all been in the same room together in AGES. Jonah is so TALL. My Aunt was throwing a party so several of her friends were there. We enjoyed some amazing finger foods, and a variety of seasonal adult beverages! A fun time was had :)



After saying goodnight to the guests, we all enjoyed a good night's sleep. The next morning after breakfast, we decided to visit the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. Almost as soon as we stepped inside we were ushered into a live animal presentation. We got to view a flying squirrel (in a box, they're quick buggers), pet a hissing cockroach, hold a small black rat snake, and view tiny week-old mice.


After that we went to the butterfly room and enjoyed watching lots of butterflies, big and small, fluttering around bowls of fruit and sugar. We also saw snakes, whale skeletons, and laboratories where DNA samples are analyzed. The museum is free and takes charitable donations. It's worth a visit!


When we were finished at the museum, our aunt and uncle took us to Busy Bee Cafe. They've got a pretty awesome menu that changes pretty often. Kate got a "spinach burger" that turned out to taste way more fantastic than it sounds. My aunt and I got a chicken sandwich with pears and a BLT made with house-cured bacon (it looked more like pork belly!) and we each had half of each sandwich. The food (and drinks) were delicious! Company was pretty good too :)


(photo courtesy Uncle A.)

Now we're all back at the house relaxing. Tomorrow I think our only major plan is trivia night with some of our Aunt's friends. And that's just fine. Chilling with family is what the holidays are all about.


Other stuff:

Meanwhile in Florida, the circus train has arrived and the animals are enjoying a lovely vacation!


One animal was not so happy, however. This poor little alligator got himself caught on a rope hanging from a dock where the circus trailers were parked.


(photo courtesy Claudia)

Claudia (wardrobe) saw him and ran to get help. Pretty soon several members of animal crew had arrived and were working to free the alligator. The bald guy is Jonathan, he works with most of the circus animals and has experience with reptiles. The partially-bald guy is Terry, our head elephant handler and trainer.

(photo courtesy Claudia)

Claudia got this great footage of these two gents pulling the gator from the water. Terry uses an elephant goad/bullhook to help lift the animal, and Jon covers it with a towel to calm it down.


Finally the little guy was all taped up and ready for release back into "the wild". Great job everyone, especially animal crew. You guys are awesome.

(photo courtesy Jonathan)
taz_39: (Default)







We had Monday off thankfully.
Jameson's parents took us to a place called Eataly. It's like an entirely Italian grocery, featuring handmade breads, pastas and desserts, imported candies and sauces, and deli sections selling rare cheeses and cured meats. It was pretty amazing!

On the second level was a restaurant section. We enjoyed a delicious Italian lunch. I had the squid ink pasta with mussels and it was fantastic.



After that we ran a few errands, then took the dogs to a nearby dog park. Mo had to go in the small dog section (he gets defensive with big dogs) and Addison in the main park was distracted by his whining and barking. Still, she seemed to enjoy herself :)

The next day we had two shows. Jameson's parents took us to Little Goat, one of our favorite Chicago restaurants, for brunch. I decided to be adventurous and try the This Little Piggy Went to China: a cheddar sesame biscuit with Szechuan sausage, two eggs, gooseberries, and a zesty chili sauce. It was delicious and the sauce made my tongue tingle!



The shows went well, although attendance was lighter.

Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







For our second week in Anaheim, of course the train didn't move.
We are in a yard that is fairly safe, but covered in graffiti.



There was a punch party on Sunday night. We enjoyed the infamous bucket-o-punch mixed by the infamous Brett Barlow, and added some graffiti of our own.



(photos courtesy Claudia)

This graffiti is in memory of our trumpet player, Slick. It's supposed to say, "Keep it Funky, Keep it Sexy, Keep it Classy", but a light rain washed some of the words away.


Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







On Tuesday in LA we had two more shows. Nothing special :P
During the split Jameson and I went to a nearby sushi place. I got the sashimi special. Yum!



After the last show load out took place as usual. Except this time, Lina Angelina (aerial artist) decided to take some photos! She's given us a great look at how the circus packs up and gets outta town :)
Here are some crew members dismantling the portal.



Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







Looking back at last week for a moment, we had one show on Monday, and it was Aaron (drummer)'s last day with us. Aaron has been with the circus for fourteen(!) years and has never missed a show. During intermission there was a toast for him, and the Ringmaster recognized him during Entracte. And just like that, he was off on a new adventure. See you down the road, Aaron!

(photo courtesy Benjamin)

Our new drummer, Chris, has learned the show and will be touring with us from now on. Welcome Chris!

(photo courtesy Chris)

After the show Jameson, Brett, Tim, and Chris piled into a car and took off on a sort of baseball-tour-of-America road trip. Four major league games in as many days! My Aunt Nicole had come to the show, and graciously offered to drive me back home (two hours away). I arrived to find my parents chilling in the backyard, having just finished hosting a Memorial Day picnic. We caught up, and just sat and enjoyed the fine weather. It was good to be home.


Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







This short run from Trenton to Hershey might be one of the last for me for a while. Jameson will have his car, and we've got a few road trips planned once the circus heads west :)

The weather started out pleasant, but got stormy later in the day.




(photo of flooded tracks courtesy Rob L.)

On top of that we were delayed due to a railroad defect detector not responding like it was supposed to. In the words of Eryn, a circus teacher: "The Circus Trainmaster has a radio on the same channel as the train engineer. Every once in a while, you will hear an automated voice on the radio say, 'CXS (or NS or BNSF), TRAIN DEFECT DETECTOR.' This is an automated system that inspects the train as we pass over it for safety hazards such as dragging equipment or hot wheels (such as if a brake is stuck). Most of the time, after the train has passed, the detector will announce, 'NO DEFECTS.'"

Apparently, one of the detectors that we passed over didn't respond at all. Because of that, railroad crew had to manually inspect for safety issues by walking the entire length of the train. It cost us a lot of time, but Safety Absolutely First.

We arrived in Hershey around 8pm. The animal walkers (self included) had been waiting in Pie Car for the radio call to get off the train. The train would not be spotting in Hershey; we were just going to do the walk, unload the flats, and from there take the coaches to Harrisburg where they'll be parked for the week.



Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







After the last show on Sunday I drove a few hours to my Aunt Chris's house. It was late at night so I went straight to bed in her guest room, but the next day we shared a cup of coffee and talked for almost two hours, catching up on as much as possible :) A lot has happened this year already, only four months in. It felt great to sit together and talk about everything. I've missed her company.

After a tasty omelette breakfast we went for a walk in a nearby park. We continued to chat while enjoying the lovely weather and natural surroundings. We walked for nearly three miles!! Felt so athletic :P Then she took me to Great Harvest Bread Co. for some amazing bread! Although Great Harvest is a chain, each of their stores mills their own flour from whole wheat berries. They do this because when flour is milled, the nutrients in the wheat begin to deteriorate immediately. Grinding the flour fresh ensures the maximum nutritional content and also gives the bread a flavor and quality not found in other brands. My Aunt treated me to a loaf of honey wheat and a peach oatmeal square. Yum!!

Then we visited LaFarm Bakery, an authentic French bakery run by Master Baker Lionel Vatinet. In addition to the amazing baked goods, the cafe also sells sandwiches that vary depending on what's available locally. We got a poulet tartine to go and shared it back at the house. Chicken, spinach, brie and havarti on LaFarm's sourdough bread smothered in pear slices, petite tomatoes, onions, a bit of salad, and some honey mustard. You can't see the bread and cheese in this photo, but believe me, they were there and delicious!



When she's not working, my Aunt has been participating in many "extracurricular" activities, including painting! After seeing a tutorial about painting a pear in acrylic, she wanted to give it a try. I was reluctant given my last fiasco with the watercolor leaf...but what the heck! We ran to the art store for supplies, then got right to work. We had to stop partway through to prepare dinner (chorizo-infused yellow rice and chicken thighs!) but were able to continue afterward. It seemed to take hours, but we were both pretty satisfied with the results. Here they are, our first acrylic paintings!


Finally finished, I spent a little time cleaning up and catching up with my Uncle Andy before heading off to bed.


Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







On Monday we had a day off. Sinus infections are the bane of my existence; every time I get one it lasts for weeks. For the fourth night in a row I was unable to get a good night's sleep. So first thing on Tuesday morning, I walked to the local clinic to recruit some assistance in the healing process.

I was given a nasal spray and an antibiotic, a pretty normal treatment combo for sinusitis. The size of the pills was something new. I had to break them in half to swallow them.



That evening Jameson and I went to Sawa, a Japanese restaurant down the block. It was a very cold night and I was still feeling crummy, so a bowl of genuine tonkotsu ("pork bone") ramen topped with pork, soy-pickled egg, nori, bean sprouts, corn, cabbage, bamboo, chives, and garlic oil sounded like the perfect comfort food.


Actually, I have never had "real" ramen before. It was absolutely delicious! The broth was surprisingly rich and creamy. With a little research, I discovered that it's made by boiling pork bones for fifteen hours! Wow! (CLICK HERE to see photos of the process).

Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







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.
feb23-2015-1
And there was some very nice scenery. Photo courtesy David Shipman, Ringmaster.

feb23-2015-2

Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







Woke up to a dreary Monday in Jacksonville, FL.
The view was still pretty good despite the rain :)

10384116_10101391423737702_8698552162615643470_n

I was nervous about the audition, and wanted a little extra time to myself. And felt like a little pampering. So for only the second time in my life, I got room service. Smoked salmon and capers on a bagel and a "side" of fresh fruit (that huge thing is a side??).


Luckily I had a clean tupperware in my bag, so managed to save half the fruit for later.
After that lovely meal, I decided to walk to the performance hall as it was only 1/2 mile away. It was raining but I didn't care. Audition personnel were waiting to sign me in.


Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







After our night's stay in a gorgeous hotel, Jameson and I went out to explore Savannah GA!

First stop, brunch at Funky Brunch. This place looks like a breakfast-y Mellow Mushroom.


(photo courtesy scaddistrict.com)

A unique feature of this restaurant is the tables, some of which have built-in griddles so you can cook your own pancakes! The kitchen mixes your batter and includes any fruits/toppings you'd like, and you assemble everything yourself. Neato!

We didn't get pancakes, but enjoyed some mildly alcoholic treats along with our breakfasts.



After that we wandered.
Savannah is a very pretty riverfront city, so just walking and enjoying the scenery was a big part of our day.

Jan24-2015-4

Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







Monday got off to a great start with some awesome gifts from Theresa Barlow, our boss's wife. She brought us each a loaf of chocolate pumpkin bread, and lots of cookies!


After the band's run-through in the house, Irina surprised me with a gorgeous hand-painted music box from Russia! I love it <3


On Tuesday and Wednesday we did full dress rehearsals in the house. We had most of our music and were able to play along with most acts. After playing for the Mongolian act for the first time, several members of the troupe turned around and applauded us. That felt really good :)

Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







I flew home on Monday. The flights were ok, though there was quite a bit of turbulence due to weather. I was lucky to catch an earlier flight for the second leg of my journey, so arrived at the airport "on time" despite both of my flights being delayed. Some of my parents' friends had planned to pick me up, but because it was dark and rainy my Dad left work early to come get me. Thank you Dad!!!

While waiting for him, I played a little Ingress. There are lots of portals in the Philly airport.



I made the fields between gates E and D, and after I left someone else built on those fields at gates C and B :)

Dad and I got home around 9pm. After a much-needed night in a real bed, I woke up late on Tuesday and Mom and I went shopping for "Early Thanksgiving". My sister Kate came over, and together we three prepared some of the food for the next day.


Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







After a night at a Holiday Inn, Jameson and I made our way to my parents' house in Bloomsburg, PA.

Although we only had one evening to spend with them, it was really great. We had dinner at a local Chinese place, and spent the rest of the night just talking. We don't often talk over the phone so it was nice to get caught up :) I'm looking forward to having a week with them this month!

My tiny backwoods hometown doesn't change much, but I did notice a few new things...some new businesses, remodeled buildings, a new hospital near the Walmart. Overall though, it's still the same :P


We left the next day after lunch at Perkins. On the way to Pittsburgh we passed by several small towns, and in a few of them we made sure to play a little Ingress, dropping resonators on a few lonely-looking portals in the hopes of maintaining our Guardian badges. We'll see how it goes!

We arrived at the train around 6pm. I was glad we hadn't been on this run, as apparently CSX had forgotten to pick us up in Rochester resulting in an eight hour delay!!! ARGH. Although load-in time will be limited, at least it won't be a total load-n-go. Once we got to the train I unpacked and relaxed. I've got a lot to do before the end of the tour but most of it couldn't be done that evening. Plus there was blazing fast 4G and I had to take advantage of it ;)


Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







I decided to ride the train to Bridgeport, so that I could use the "free" day to sort through my room and figure out what needs to stay/go before the end of the year. I was really hoping that my bass trombone would fit under the sink, so I cleared it out.


Totally didn't fit :( But I did reorganize under there.
.....ok, yeah, it looks just as messy as before :P



The New England scenery on this run was lovely. I didn't stay on the vestibule as it was very cold (too much time out West, I'm becoming a wuss) but sat near my window and enjoyed the view.




Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







The train run was really nice :)
I didn't take all that many pictures...tried to stay off the vestibule this time to help my sinus issues wind down, and I think it might've worked...? But on the first day we had a lovely sunset.



Late on Tuesday we arrived in Cincinnati. Internet signal is pretty strong there, so I was finally able to watch a preview clip from the upcoming season of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire! For those who don't know, my sister Raven is in an episode! She's the youngest contestant that's ever been on the show!!! She appears in the preview at about 00:18.


Yeah, this has nothing to do with circus. I am just so proud of her!!! I don't know how much money she won and it doesn't matter. She got on the show and had a blast. SO AWESOME :D

Anyway, we were pretty much a day late getting into town. Thursday was supposed to be a dark day but ended up being load in. Once again we are parked in the RJ Corman yard. I remember it well because the yard is literally in the parking lot of the building, and it is immaculate...no broken glass or rusty nails here! I was happy to see that the RJ Corman "museum" is complete; two years ago it was just a framework. Now it's a weird building in the middle of a parking lot...but hey, it's the unique things that attract us :)



Jameson and I went to a Kroger that we remembered; the walk was a bit further than I remembered but maybe that's just because it was very hot out. We were dripping by the time we got back to the train!

Read more... )
taz_39: (Default)







We got off to a late start on Monday morning.

Jameson and I had pork chops and rice at the Pie Car for dinner. Dessert for that evening was my last Mexico Coke. I don't normally drink much soda so it was a special treat :)

We arrived in New Loredo almost on time; it didn't much matter anyway because we stayed there overnight.

On Tuesday we woke up early to do customs once again. Train crew came through first to confiscate any "banned" food items. I find this funny because all of my food at this point is stuff I snuck into Mexico from America at the beginning of the trip. Does that mean I can't take my American food back to America? Lol. So we went to Pie Car to have our passports stamped again, then waited and waited and waited to the point where people with early evening flights were freaking out that they might miss 'em. There was eventually a van to take people to the airport.

We finally started moving around 3:30pm, and stopped short of the border for American customs.

june24-2014-1

On the other side of the bridge, my phone started working. Aaah, 4G...the sweet, sweet nectar of civilization. I called my parents to let them know I'm alive. Then we sat in the yard until after 9pm while our water tanks were filled, animals were watered/fed/cleaned, and Pie Car was restocked.

Wednesday was an all-day run. I was able to tether my phone several times throughout the day to make plans for a short trip after we reach New Orleans. Otherwise it was a pretty boring day. I did all the things I normally do, and cleaned our donnikers, and didn't take many pictures because it's Texas. Rebecca and I are the only ones on our car this run; everyone else chose to take flights out of Loredo. I don't mind the quiet, but I'll be happy to get to our destination.

On Thursday we were able to make up quite a bit of the time we'd lost getting "side-tracked", and arrived in New Orleans pretty much on time.

june24-2014-2
june24-2014-3

Going through a lower income neighborhood, I can't help but think that America's lower classes often have better housing than Mexicans of similar standing.
june24-2014-4

We crossed the Mississippi River via the Huey P. Long Bridge. Neat!
june24-2014-5

I was super excited to be anywhere except on the train :P I remember the area and immediately found Big Lots, then Guitar Center for some Slide-o-Mix, then Walmart for everything I could carry (and that turned out to be too much). LJ and some other circus folks were there too, so we snagged a cab back to the train. I was happy to see my fridge full again! The water was hooked up, so I started some laundry and packed for my mini-vacation :)

vacay )
taz_39: (Default)







Train runs. It's been almost four months since I've been able to enjoy one.
Although I miss my car, gotta admit...I've missed the train too.

apr2014-2

Two years ago, this was my first ever train run, from Anacostia to Charleston.
(CLICK HERE for pictures from that run)
The scenery is beautiful. The train creaks and snaps as it makes sharp turns in the mountains on tracks meant for shorter coal cars. There's no internet and no phone signal. How wonderful :)

For the first day of the run, I decided to do a "Day In The Life" post for the DITL community on livejournal. It's an hour-by-hour account of what your basic train run is like :) CLICK HERE to experience it!

On the second day I went out onto the vestibule after breakfast to capture some scenery.

apr2014-5

We went over a pretty awesome bridge!!
apr2014-3

Probably the coolest shot that I got was of this waterfall. Turns out I had taken a picture of the same waterfall two years ago (the older pic is better haha). Here are the two photos side by side.
apr2014-4
Read more... )
taz_39: (woody2)







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!

1
(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!!!
2

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.
3

Read more... )
taz_39: (woody2)







After the last Sunday show Jameson and I went to his parents' house in Virginia.
There we were able to rest and enjoy a few activities. We ate at Seasons 52, a grill and wine bar specializing in seasonal meals all under 500 calories. The food was simple and fresh, and very enjoyable. For an appetizer we shared a lobster flatbread (flatbread is one of their specialties). For my dinner I combined the cider-glazed chicken skewers with a quinoa citrus side salad. My photos turned out too dark, so here are some from other sources so you can get an idea of presentation, which was lovely.




Desserts are served in shot glasses, for guilt avoidance I suppose. It was tempting to have them leave the tray.
I picked the red velvet.


(photo courtesy shescookin.com)

After that fantastic meal, we watched the new Muppet movie! It was very funny, lots of celebrity cameos. The next day we shopped for green curry ingredients at H-Mart, an asian grocery. I was tempted to buy lots of things but was able to exercise restraint. This time :P Jameson's Mom made us a wonderful green curry using fresh herbs, shrimp, Thai eggplants, baby corn, and red peppers over jasmine rice. It was absolutely delicious!

I also had the chance to do a little classical music geeking with Jameson's Dad. He sings with the Fairfax Choral Society, and they've just finished a concert series with Morten Lauridsen. That guy is AWESOME. Anyway, it was a wonderful time. I really enjoy spending time with Jameson's parents!

After a quick Walmart run we returned to the train. I immediately recognized the yard...this was the place where I first saw the train on March 29th, 2012 while dropping stuff off in my new room and filling out paperwork at the arena. I remember pulling over at this crest on the hill, and staring at the circus train, and telling myself, "This is really happening".



Yep, this week I am hitting my two year mark. I have now done a full two year cycle with the circus, and will be repeating cities from now on. I think that being able to recognize the workplaces will make my life easier!

I remember this arena fondly too. This was where I first met Asia the elephant, and was overwhelmed by the kindness of the people I was going to be working with, and the scale of the show. And faced the horror of learning the music so quickly, LOL.



Working here turned out OK :) At times I get tired of all the movement and noise, the dirt and drama. Some days I just don't want to do my job or deal with people. But these days are few and far between. Overall I still love it here, still get a thrill from the experience of working for Ringling. It is wonderful to see so many new places, meet new people, and experience so much in addition to playing music for a living. I'm proud to work with this group of people and for this company.

Read more... )

Profile

taz_39: (Default)
taz_39

July 2025

S M T W T F S
   12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 3rd, 2025 03:12 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios