Running away with the circus?

This week was great. I:

Paid my last rent check to my landlord in Connecticut-------- who decided since I have been such a great tenant (paid my rent on time EVERY month, never had a complaint filed against me, only told off one neighbor-and she really deserved it) he was going to let me out of my lease 15 days early, and only charge me half for May! He also decided I didn't have to paint my apartment back to white (I think he felt bad for accidentally giving me an eviction notice intended for the neighbor I told off).

I went to NYC and swatched for the last show of the season at the Hartford Stage. I love NYC, and I will admit, I had a few pangs of sadness at the idea of not moving there, but a few less when the job I had applied for in NY called and offered me waay less money than the one in DC.

I started giving away furniture for my move. This might not sound like a great thing, but it feels really good to give your furniture a new home.

I spent a day backstage at Cirque Du Soleil fitting thongs on hot Italian acrobats.








NOT.


but I did spend a day backstage working on building stage masking for Cirque.


It was amazing. In general it was a lot like any backstage experience, only international and with contortionists. The best part about it- it was so not an American experience.

They played French rap, German techno, and Canadian folk music while the technicians set the stage and rigging. Everyone was really, amazingly, insanely hard working, really nice, and even the Americans had a Canadian accent! Their kitchen trailer served healthy food, separated all their trash into compost, paper, glass, plastic, and 'other' for recycling, and they had "did you wash your hands?" signs from the Canadian government everywhere. It was completely the same as an American Backstage experience, only completely different.

Oh, and if you ever wondered how all those performers keep in such tip top shape- it's because they work......hard. We arrived at 9am to begin work, the performers were already there working out, standing on each other's shoulders, bending over and kissing their own *sses. It was amazing. At one point we had 3 young contortionists rehearsing beside our sewing area, I was having a really hard time concentrating. My mind kept going back to the 12 year olds folding themselves in half backwards. All I could think was the dialogue that must have happened in their lives- Here is a sample of what I imagine it was like

Adult: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Girl: hmmmm

Adult: Veterinarian?

Girl: No.

Adult: Doctor?

Girl: No.

Adult: School Teacher?

Girl: No.

Adult: What then?

Girl: Contortionist.

Adult: That's nice.


We finished work and quickly toured the costume area---where they make their own shoes. And I don't mean they make ballet slippers, they make beautiful, colorful, artisan quality gorgeous shoes. I went home and have started to wonder.....could I run away with the circus?

Like I said it was a really, truly, amazingly, great week.