taz_39 | Entries tagged with state: maryland

On Monday night I got to enjoy a homecooked dinner with my Aunt Laura, Uncle Andy, cousins Ava and Calvin, and Aunt Kathy. This branch of my family lives just outside Baltimore, and I rarely get to see them. I got to introduce them to Jameson and get caught up on everyone's doings. Family time is the best :)

The next day we only had one show. I spent the morning doing chores.
The evening show went well.

On Wednesday the Red Unit held one of its last ever elephant walk/brunches in front of Lexington Market. The walk was short, probably about half a mile, and people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the elephants. In front of the market we met a huge crowd. Hundreds of people had come out to watch the elephants eat. I love hearing people exclaim over the elephants' size, how much they eat, how beautiful they are, etc. It was bittersweet and humbling, being a part of this event. Looking back on all the elephant PRs I've gotten to do, I'm so grateful to have been able to walk alongside these animals. I'm so proud to stand with the elephant handlers as they work with these amazing creatures. These are memories that I will always cherish. It saddens me to think that future generations will never have such an opportunity.

(photo courtesy Chris T.)

(photos courtesy Greg Mullinix)

After the walk I stuck around the building, took a nap, played online. The show that evening was dandy.

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It was a short drive from Richmond to Baltimore, but the train takes much longer to arrive. We ended up with two nights in hotels. Before leaving Richmond we ate lunch at Asado Wing and Taco Co. Jameson's burrito was HUGE.

We drove to the outskirts of Baltimore and after finding dinner, decided to go see 10 Cloverfield Lane. No I will NOT tell you what it's about :P If you never saw Cloverfield, that's ok, I hadn't seen it either and this movie still made sense to me. It was very engaging, scary, funny, dramatic...just really good. We had a great time!

The next day we wanted groceries, but the nearest Walmart was a disappointment with no produce and limited fridge offerings. Luckily there was a Wegmans nearby! I haven't been to Wegmans since I was little. It's a pretty awesome grocery! I found a few treats for the upcoming two weeks in Baltimore, and stocked up on the basics as well.

Opening day started with a long rehearsal as we prepare for a show without elephants. The modifications aren't that big a deal, but it's important to make sure everyone knows where they're going. The show featured a pretty great crowd.

Thursday was a split. After the poorly-attended morning show, Jameson and I walked over to Lexington Market. We'd heard that it had gone downhill since the last time we were through (2 years ago), but it looked the same to me...tons of great food, crowds and long lines, bustling storefronts, hecklers. We picked up the Best Cookies Ever, and headed over to Faidley's for some of their famous crab cakes, but the line was wrapped almost halfway around the food court. We settled instead on a small Italian stand selling the biggest hunks of lasagna I'd ever seen at that price. I'll be back for crab cakes next week ;)

After our meal we decided to stay at the arena, he to work on refinancing his mortgage, and I to play online, eat cookies and take a nap :)

Over the weekend we had a visit from one of the Disney on Ice shows. It was great to have a cheering section!! Several peeps from the Blue Unit also came by (they're on a break right now) to say hello and watch the show. Mike Brown, bassist with the Blue band, came backstage to spend some time with us. Great to see you, Mike :)

Sunday was a day full of surprises. Our ringmaster, David Shipman, came down with a nasty stomach bug, so his understudy Dean (clown) took his place for the first time! Dean's charisma and stage presence were a perfect fit for the role! He did an amazing job.

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On Monday we had a blissful day off. No moving, driving, etc.
I woke up with a nasty cold, so spent the day puttering around and watching Frozen and fetching groceries.

On Tuesday Jameson and I went to the National Aquarium. It was awesome! Four floors of fish, sharks, crustaceans, turtles, alligators, birds, and even monkeys! We learned that box turtles have a hinge on the underside of their shells so that they can close up like a box, and that electric eels can put out as much as 800 volts of electricity depending on how long they are!
Apr2-2014-1

We saw the aquarium's rescued sea turtle, who is missing a front flipper. When she was rescued she was only 50lbs...now she's 520lbs!!

(photo courtesy nationalaquarium.wordpress.com)
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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.

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goofball on a train

(adventures of a touring musician)

Entries tagged with state: maryland

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Baltimore, MD Week 1

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