Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
A trailer with a view.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Musings on mediocrity.
September 26, Tinley Park.
The recent success of a photographer friend of mine has had me musing about coming to terms with my own failures yet again.
Coming to term with my mediocrity is a theme I've grappled with often in the past, each time hoping I had finally settled it for good only to see it raising its ugly head again at the first opportunity, as in the next time an acquaintance or a friend reaches new heights, and being a graduate of one of the best photojournalism schools in the nation, that sort of thing tends to happen often. Scott Lewis, winning at the foremost photojournalism international contest, Brian Storm, running the hottest multimedia studio in the United States, Mary Beth Meehan's cover photo and story running in one of the most fashionable photography magazines in France.
I stop making dinner to run outside and take a picture of Kody, one of the animal helpers, and later post it online.
Dinner wasn't bad.
Ah but the choices we make or is it the ones we didn't make, and coming to terms with them once and for all. Letting go of the old longings, or is it the old envy - and I am reminded of the Gore Vidal quote about dying a little every time a friend of his was successful, and I laugh. That, and also reminded that life, love are just the opposite, knowing how not to cling to one's own needs but to embrace other people's infinity.
The recent success of a photographer friend of mine has had me musing about coming to terms with my own failures yet again.
Coming to term with my mediocrity is a theme I've grappled with often in the past, each time hoping I had finally settled it for good only to see it raising its ugly head again at the first opportunity, as in the next time an acquaintance or a friend reaches new heights, and being a graduate of one of the best photojournalism schools in the nation, that sort of thing tends to happen often. Scott Lewis, winning at the foremost photojournalism international contest, Brian Storm, running the hottest multimedia studio in the United States, Mary Beth Meehan's cover photo and story running in one of the most fashionable photography magazines in France.
I stop making dinner to run outside and take a picture of Kody, one of the animal helpers, and later post it online.
Dinner wasn't bad.
Ah but the choices we make or is it the ones we didn't make, and coming to terms with them once and for all. Letting go of the old longings, or is it the old envy - and I am reminded of the Gore Vidal quote about dying a little every time a friend of his was successful, and I laugh. That, and also reminded that life, love are just the opposite, knowing how not to cling to one's own needs but to embrace other people's infinity.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Cold.
September 23, Richton Park.
It's turned downright cold in a week, bringing us into winter rather brutally. Yesterday it went down to freezing and the generator was left on all night.
Dylan and I have been sick for what seems like a long time, long before the cold assault, and we have been blowing our noses with such dreadful regularity that boxes of tissues are gone in a couple of days. Dylan has now started to cough as well, so I have had to brush up on the asthma fighting protocol; funny how you forget in a few short, wonderfully warm and asthma-free summer months.
It's turned downright cold in a week, bringing us into winter rather brutally. Yesterday it went down to freezing and the generator was left on all night.
Dylan and I have been sick for what seems like a long time, long before the cold assault, and we have been blowing our noses with such dreadful regularity that boxes of tissues are gone in a couple of days. Dylan has now started to cough as well, so I have had to brush up on the asthma fighting protocol; funny how you forget in a few short, wonderfully warm and asthma-free summer months.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Walk in a new town.
September 19, Lyons.
Night jump again last night, Chicago traffic oblige, and the kids are all over the place until the second they fall asleep, the second I hit the road.
New town, right next to Berwyn, where we were a week ago, and it seems an eternity, the way time flies when you are in the circus and moving all the time, or maybe just the way time flies.
A good day in a new town, right next to Chicago and you can see the skyline in the distance, tantalizingly close, a heavy Latino presence, working class neighborhood or is it middle class but isn't the same? of small, neatly kept brick homes, we walked through the neighborhood to go to the library nearby, and Dylan stopped us to watch a large black beetle escaping into the sidewalk grass to safety, and I almost stepped on it, Mom!, it was a good day, even if practice was a little tense with Dylan easily distracted and Fridman easily frustrated.
Night jump again last night, Chicago traffic oblige, and the kids are all over the place until the second they fall asleep, the second I hit the road.
New town, right next to Berwyn, where we were a week ago, and it seems an eternity, the way time flies when you are in the circus and moving all the time, or maybe just the way time flies.
A good day in a new town, right next to Chicago and you can see the skyline in the distance, tantalizingly close, a heavy Latino presence, working class neighborhood or is it middle class but isn't the same? of small, neatly kept brick homes, we walked through the neighborhood to go to the library nearby, and Dylan stopped us to watch a large black beetle escaping into the sidewalk grass to safety, and I almost stepped on it, Mom!, it was a good day, even if practice was a little tense with Dylan easily distracted and Fridman easily frustrated.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Bed and beyond.
September 19, Elburn.
These days we have gone about home improvement, trailer style, or how to make lemonade out of water leaks, and better late than never with a month left in the season.
Following the Mister Fix-It quick fix episode of water management system of late, we donated the old mattress to Wonder Ryan, who can summon a world of fantastic creatures out of humble foam (and it tickles me to imagine my bed turned into next year's laughs,) bought an Ikea mattress, the only one that would fit in the narrow alcove space, and one of the four-day-stand nights Fridman created a brand new bedding area, complete with built-in night stands and as book shelves. All the while the kids were watching El Chavo, the old favorite Mexican children's program they have taken to recently.
Then we walked out to Denny's for dinner.
These days we have gone about home improvement, trailer style, or how to make lemonade out of water leaks, and better late than never with a month left in the season.
Following the Mister Fix-It quick fix episode of water management system of late, we donated the old mattress to Wonder Ryan, who can summon a world of fantastic creatures out of humble foam (and it tickles me to imagine my bed turned into next year's laughs,) bought an Ikea mattress, the only one that would fit in the narrow alcove space, and one of the four-day-stand nights Fridman created a brand new bedding area, complete with built-in night stands and as book shelves. All the while the kids were watching El Chavo, the old favorite Mexican children's program they have taken to recently.
Then we walked out to Denny's for dinner.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Dump and dance.
September 15, Vernon Hills.
We spent last night, the first of a four-day stand, driving half an hour each way to a travel center off I-94 to dump, as Fridman found out today that our black water tank was broken and leaking and we needed to have it empty and dry for him to repair it today.
Much different program tonight: Sara rented a DJ and organized a dance party in the big top.
We spent last night, the first of a four-day stand, driving half an hour each way to a travel center off I-94 to dump, as Fridman found out today that our black water tank was broken and leaking and we needed to have it empty and dry for him to repair it today.
Much different program tonight: Sara rented a DJ and organized a dance party in the big top.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
A few days here.
September 12, McHenry.
Three whole days in McHenry, parked in a beautiful park, within walking distance of my favorite grocery store (not a bad thing when you live in a traveling circus, walking distance,) and the kids and I discover backyard goats in the park near the playground across the street and the playground suddenly fades away and we come back to say hello to the goats, the kids love them because they have horns, there is the lake beach there too, and on Tuesday we build sand castles and walk in the water to cool off, it's been unusually warm the past two days.
It's nice to stop and enjoy a few days without the daily drive.
Three whole days in McHenry, parked in a beautiful park, within walking distance of my favorite grocery store (not a bad thing when you live in a traveling circus, walking distance,) and the kids and I discover backyard goats in the park near the playground across the street and the playground suddenly fades away and we come back to say hello to the goats, the kids love them because they have horns, there is the lake beach there too, and on Tuesday we build sand castles and walk in the water to cool off, it's been unusually warm the past two days.
It's nice to stop and enjoy a few days without the daily drive.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Rescue Rangers.
September 10, Round Lake Beach.
How could I forget the best part?
The ritual, yes, the convoy speech in the morning, Jeremiah our daily announcer, but the best part about the ritual is the name, for we are the Rescue Rangers, and there can be no speech without mentioning the Rescue Rangers.
We are the Kelly Miller Circus Rescue Rangers, what more can you ask for?
How could I forget the best part?
The ritual, yes, the convoy speech in the morning, Jeremiah our daily announcer, but the best part about the ritual is the name, for we are the Rescue Rangers, and there can be no speech without mentioning the Rescue Rangers.
We are the Kelly Miller Circus Rescue Rangers, what more can you ask for?
Night Jump again.
September 10, Round Lake Beach.
Another night jump, but no rain, and an early arrival.
Another night jump, but no rain, and an early arrival.
Sunday, September 09, 2012
A mellow morning.
September 9, Harvard.
Hard day yesterday for everyone but especially show workers who double up as drivers, as we were up at five in the morning to drive the fifty miles to Lake in the Hills in time for early shows then up until late at night to drive to today's town, under pouring rain and high winds.
But this morning, the mundane joy of waking up slowly and having breakfast together lazily, Dylan snuggling up in the dinette bed with us early on, the both of them bouncing up and down the moment they were up together, "Go get dressed!" repeated many times over and then yelled to more bouncing around, no need to get impatient for nothing could spoil the lovely morning, the crisp air outside, windy and cool and already autumn, Dylan and I have a cold but there is the freshly ground coffee, and Italian cookies from the international store yesterday, and I feel like music so we put Bob Marley on and then there come the memories, my first real party at twelve, dancing to Jamming and flirting with Thierry Oustalet, my first crush and I can only remember his name now, all of us children still, all in that song and in the mellow morning.
Hard day yesterday for everyone but especially show workers who double up as drivers, as we were up at five in the morning to drive the fifty miles to Lake in the Hills in time for early shows then up until late at night to drive to today's town, under pouring rain and high winds.
But this morning, the mundane joy of waking up slowly and having breakfast together lazily, Dylan snuggling up in the dinette bed with us early on, the both of them bouncing up and down the moment they were up together, "Go get dressed!" repeated many times over and then yelled to more bouncing around, no need to get impatient for nothing could spoil the lovely morning, the crisp air outside, windy and cool and already autumn, Dylan and I have a cold but there is the freshly ground coffee, and Italian cookies from the international store yesterday, and I feel like music so we put Bob Marley on and then there come the memories, my first real party at twelve, dancing to Jamming and flirting with Thierry Oustalet, my first crush and I can only remember his name now, all of us children still, all in that song and in the mellow morning.
Friday, September 07, 2012
Night sky over Berwyn.
It seems like every year when we come to Berwyn it either rains or storms and this year is no exception.
And each year I can't help but take a picture of the stormy night sky.
It has turned cold unexpectedly, and I love it.
Rituals.
September 7, Berwyn.
We moved at night to avoid Chicago traffic, and Jeremiah drove with his brother, Christian, and Jacob, three young guys working in the circus, the three Cook bothers here now, Jeremiah, Christian and Daniel reunited.
To Jeremiah I owe one of my favorite circus rituals. Every morning as we set out, last of the lasts off the lot, Fridman and Castro first with I following them and Jeremiah closing behind us, Jeremiah makes a little speech on the CB radio, and it inevitably ends with "the perfect combination for a convoy," with the two syllables of convoy drawn out in a falling guttural cry. The speech can include everything from comments on the weather for the day to the reason why we had to wait half an hour on the lot, but the end never changes.
Another ritual, Jeremiah asking Fridman if he can stop at a gas station for a cup of coffee, and as we stopped last night there was Christian talking out his skateboard for a few quick figures on the station's parking lot, like a kid who can't stop himself, and that's what they are, really, the whole gang of them, kids having fun, working hard at the circus.
But for me, being grateful for more rituals to remember fondly, and miss.
We moved at night to avoid Chicago traffic, and Jeremiah drove with his brother, Christian, and Jacob, three young guys working in the circus, the three Cook bothers here now, Jeremiah, Christian and Daniel reunited.
To Jeremiah I owe one of my favorite circus rituals. Every morning as we set out, last of the lasts off the lot, Fridman and Castro first with I following them and Jeremiah closing behind us, Jeremiah makes a little speech on the CB radio, and it inevitably ends with "the perfect combination for a convoy," with the two syllables of convoy drawn out in a falling guttural cry. The speech can include everything from comments on the weather for the day to the reason why we had to wait half an hour on the lot, but the end never changes.
Another ritual, Jeremiah asking Fridman if he can stop at a gas station for a cup of coffee, and as we stopped last night there was Christian talking out his skateboard for a few quick figures on the station's parking lot, like a kid who can't stop himself, and that's what they are, really, the whole gang of them, kids having fun, working hard at the circus.
But for me, being grateful for more rituals to remember fondly, and miss.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Monday, September 03, 2012
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Deja vu.
September 1, Schererville.
He did it again.
The now classic Mister Fix-it quick trick: water leaks in from above (the exact point of origin still a mystery) then is allowed to go out gently below, through a hole drilled for that purpose by Mister Fix-it, aka Fridman Torales, circus acrobat by day (mostly.)
My old quinta boasts a similar and quite unique RV feature, under the dinette, where water was accumulating into pools and mushrooms were growing into bouquets, deja vu all over again.
He did it again.
The now classic Mister Fix-it quick trick: water leaks in from above (the exact point of origin still a mystery) then is allowed to go out gently below, through a hole drilled for that purpose by Mister Fix-it, aka Fridman Torales, circus acrobat by day (mostly.)
My old quinta boasts a similar and quite unique RV feature, under the dinette, where water was accumulating into pools and mushrooms were growing into bouquets, deja vu all over again.
A trailer with a view.
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