52 shows already ! Friday February 28 , 2014 . Tomorrow is 6 pack weekend # 4

Marshall having some border fun.

I can't believe we have done 52 shows already . I guess that means we are 1/10 th of the way done . Fresia has been practicing web with the Mongolian ladies , they have never done Spanish web so they have to learn all the ins and outs . Fresia is a great teacher . I sometimes help as well as Tavana , Nick and Raul . We have been practicing almost everyday . After practice today Tavana ,Sue ,Arwen , Amina ,Zaya , Fresia and I went on a Mall ,Wal-mart , Chick -Fil-a , Starbucks field trip ..It was pretty entertaining . It was a 4 hour journey . I really love being in the valley .

Last night we had a bar-b -que outside our trailer . It was a little cold outside and so nice to have a couple of warm grills to stand by . This was a dress rehearsal bbq we are supposed to do a more professional bbq Saturday after the 3rd show . Just saying 3rd show makes me tired !

                                                  Selfie with Fletcher who happens to be Fresia's helpful web setter .

                                
 The ladies entering for the production . I am not being pompous but this is so Degas looking to me .

                                          Did I say the men do this cool sashay dance step and the horses are moved like they are a carousel ride .

On a side note , Marshall slipped off the band stand and smashed his face into a quarter pole a while ago and his chops were in some pain . Yesterday he started playing his trumpet again . That makes me happy . 

Luis the prop boss had his appendix removed ! We hope he has a very speedy recovery . Lucky for us Nick and Raul are both here . Raul Olivares is the performance director and Nick does the ring and my rigging and assists me and  does special projects and juggles very well .

 

Raul and Johnny being all stylish ( next to a lovely wheelbarrow ) . Oh yes did I say we are getting a new WELL MADE tent sometime in the near future ? Can you say EXCITED ?

 

 

don't drink and rant on the internet

Note to persons who make big tough statements on social media..you will get called on it . This guy named little John was having the time of his life . I am telling you the time of his life !!! ..knock knock knocking Kelly Miller and certain personal . I guess it was EVERYBODY on the show was an unworthy trooper in his little demented mind . He showed his mug on the lot and was told he was persona non gratis . What did the big man do ? why he went on facebook and had more FUN ! knock knock knocking all of us "first of may mud show pies" yeah baby !!

One of the "smartest" things he said was to have the fire department hose down the tent . GENIUS !!!! We are on this grass/earth lot and when the ground gets wet it clings and you end up having shoes that weigh tons because the mud builds as you walk !! He is such a smarty pants , that is such a great idea .

I feel much better now .

Last week we went to Mexico , it is all about the ceramics for me ! Fresia bought a huge pineapple blended with coconut and yummy stuff .

I wish we had bought a beautiful sombrero but it would have gotten trashed in the trailer . On the way to Mexico we walk across a bridge crossing the Rio Grande , once you are on the Mexico side little children climb up the bridge and beg for $ . I was giving these babies dollars . When I saw little kids selling chiclet I gave them $ . I probably only gave 7$ but they were so small and hungry looking . On the way back I took a photo through the bridge and it was of grown woman . They called me a facking bitch . I didn't give them any $ .

The Mongolian women have a friend named Ugi  , she came to help the girls settle in and practice some web and generally give them advice . We worked on Tuffy N's show in Atlantic City . Ugi does beautiful contortion .It was fun having a visit with her

Primrose and TopoChico

I must admit I can't stop drinking TopoChico with a twist of lime ! I should be their spokesperson ! Thirst quenching , tasty and balancing ..so yummy so tasty so fine !
Yesterday was a set up day , we are doing a 4 day spot, how sweet is that ..
This lot is definitely a Texas lot . Yay for the rains , before we came , otherwise the amazing growth would not be clinging to the earth . One of my lovely coworkers Pat said she had never seen such big Primrose .

Mike R. has an insane weed whacker and most of the lot was already bushwhacked , so it is looking pretty fine .
Nik S .weed whacked the ring and Luis the prop boss waters the ring to keep the rogue ground at bay .
Yesterday a bunch of us hung out during lunch at cookhouse ( biscuits ,scrambled eggs and this magnificent ham that made me a hamster for sure ) anyway it was so fun hanging out with these amazing people I have trouped with over the years . One thing led to another and the group that was left ( not naming names ) had all worked for this sometimes innovative show owner . I wish I could post these stories of what this guy did to "get it down the road" but there are some thing in life that if you are going to write about you should be getting paid .
 The mercury hit the high 80's yesterday . I wish everyone was wearing deodorant because nothing stinks like the only costume you will be wearing ALL SEASON if you don't apply

26 shows

I questioned the sanity and dedication of all the people on Kelly Miller Circus until the crew arrived . Somehow through shear determination we moved the show and set it up 3 times without our big top crew !! The 3 Perez brothers were huge at making the tent safely go up . When everyone arrived Friday night it was the biggest hug fest , hand shaking happy time ! Things are slowly feeling normal here , except I am finding performing 16 shows a week very intense . I have a lot of self indulgent ( a quality I detest in performers ) performing . In the production I get to watch Fresia perform on the " Spanish Web " , that's right I am doing fabric and I get to watch her . I love this !! My trapeze act is extra fun because for the first time ever I am getting pulled up to my trapeze !! what was I thinking all these years of hand over hand up my rope ? The truth of the matter is I didn't want anyone touching my feet . I just started climbing that way ..ugh ugh..what a lot of work . The other part of my trapeze is the insane announcement I get AND my super cool music , that I love working to! The first tune " is for me to know and you to find out" ! HA, ok I confess , it is " Impossible " written by John Ringling North for Pinito del Oro ..so wonderful and for the swinging I am using a song called "1980" . Our friend Clarke W wrote an arrangement for my friend Tavana ( in the day ) and I always thought it was such a great tune . Both of these pieces of music have great trumpet parts so when Marshall finishes getting all the computer music cues for the show , he can then play his horn and it will be like "our act " .( in my mind)

The show has a very different feel and look than last year .
General manager  Jim Royal /  road manager Oscar Perez /superintendent Tava Perez /tent boss Teto Perez /Fleet superintenent Danny Brown aka Danny Carey

Produced by Johh Ringling North 2

ringmaster is John Moss , Johnny Moss is super amazing and helpful

Marshall computer aka keyboard and trumpet

Mike is the drummer

aerial production by Tavana

production , finale and intermission music sought out by Tavana

costumes for the aerial production by Karen , Carmen , and me

props for the aerial production built and designed by Danny , Ryan and Fridman and Tavana and  me , Clara did some sewing on the carousel

production and finale choreographed by Norbuto Fusco

Can Can by Carolyn Rice

lighting by John Moss with Fridman's technical input and probably Danny

Wardrobe mistress is Susanna

I am leaving out all the amazing prop guys and performance directors and all the other hugely important departments because I am not trying to write a novel and you can buy a program ( from Fridman )

this is the show

7 bengal siberian tigers

2 Mongolian contortionists

1 French gold medal juggler Nicholas with Arwen assisting

a new Patriotic mixed act with a new somersault dog , trained by the world reknown Dick Kohlr-----

starring dogs , goats , llamas .The act is trained by Carolyn with her sidekicks Shirley , Fresia and sometimes Lamount

a strongman clown bit by John "the new clown"

Fridman from Peru and Sammy saving a balloon and stacking chairs

the aerial production which is a carousel with amazing ponies and men actually dancing and parasols and glitter .The ladies do web and I do fabric ..there is a bunch of us from everywhere

tight wire with American Fletcher who does a back somersault on the wire by the way

Trapeze with iron jaw ! me

Can Can followed by the French Foriegn Legion and Zebras ...

A clown shark fishing production , clown goes fishing and gets eaten by a shark .

Elephants 2 from Oklahoma , Reyna and Zefta ride directed by Armando

Lamount from Connecticut does his club style poi awesome fire act

and then

FINALE

                                         Nik , John and Fridman

                                                    Arwen in blue

                                      
                                          Production cuteness

                                          Stretching !

in conclusion the show is great and believe it or not 16 shows a week does not cut into my "wine time"

Adventure du jour

Everyday is action packed with adventure and a challenge or two . 

The whole physical transport and set up of this massive beast is pretty impressive . When the entire crew is here it is a dance . We are making it happen with basically 2 big top crew and a lot of show volunteers , the elephant , zebra and tiger department making a great showing and about 6 day laborers . Hooking up water hoses for example is taking hundreds of feet of hose and hooking up to a hydrant . We then get water to play with . It is a job , the water department is being run by John RN, Shirley , Carolyn  and Tavana . The electrical department Is Fridman , Marshall , John M, Johnny M and Mike and Danny and Tavo and a bunch of people . Lighting is done by The Moss lighting company and Fridman and new guy . Props are being done by performers and animal department . We generate a lot of trash so after a show everyone who can picks up trash . Last night was a mixed group of pies at the pony ride . We let Mike R be the boss ,  I am glad I can sort of do the work but glad my main work is stilly tricks in the air . Almost everyone is pitching in . Oh yeah did I say it was cold a bunch and muddy ?

Today someone hung a main fall upside down !! Fridman put on a harness and climbed to the top , he had a safety line , when he got to the top he hooked off the frame and pulled the block and turned it around . What a crazy upper body workout ! 

lights

if you want to look all sparkly in the circus someone has to pull some cable

magnificent

all hands on deck

all departments pitching in

                                Jacob in his element

                              mud

                              guy it out

                               

welcome to showbiz baby or beauty sleep interrupted

so you want to run away and join the circus do you ??
it is not all glamour and happy children
circus is tough
weather can be challenging
sometimes beauty sleep is interrupted
I got to drive the snake truck this morning..first gear was a mystery
I hope the mechanic doesn't hate me
I want a new shiny truck
cold and rainy and we get to work in it almost naked !
the mighty who set up the tent save us !!
waiting for the guys to show up but making it happen !

costume in process ,the story of my life

flurries , frozen rain , amazing hearty people setting up the tent for us and getting us water and pulling electric cables so we can be comfortable as can be

Brownsville or bust

Fun times , sitting on my chunky rear while Marshall drove the entire way to Brownsville , Texas . That was about 1400 miles . The highlight of the journey was stopping in Henderson , Louisiana and going to Crawfish Town . We ate fresh spicy crawfish , Frog legs and other Cajun delights .

Upon arriving in Brownsville we got parked and got our own lights and water . The show / the people who are here got everything figured out rigging and prop wise on a skeleton crew . To make everything spectacular the weather has been cold , cold , cold ! I think I saw snowflakes this morning !!
I think the show is great !! My favorite part is the carousel . This is the production number .So magical and pretty !! Tavana's concept with the usual delegation of sewing and construction by the talented team , about 12 people create , build and sew to make this happen !

I can't wait till we warm up . Circus in a tent in the cold is -----
photo by me , The mixed animal act practicing ..

Snow globes

 I just want my shots of espresso and some whole milk mixed in . Is that too much to ask ? In case anyone cares I will tell you what irks me . Intellectuals who critique me !! Ha ! Can I tell you how f-ing difficult and sometimes painful it is to do my "work" my "art" ? Next project will be , documenting my motivation to get my sloth self up and out of bed . Up the rope , up the fabric , stretching , working out , taking my measurements , trying to pay bills , spinning by my teeth ,flossing . The list is endless