#ChallengeAccepted

I'm To explain briefly, I have a close friend and we love joking about silly, ridiculous, or even just stupid things in pop culture. I think this is because we both work with young people and have to deal with and manage these things on a regular basis. Recently we were joking about hash-tags and spent probably 10 minutes saying "hash-tag" before everything we said. At some point my friend challenged me to write and entire blog using hash-tags and well I'm competative what can I say. You decide if you want to keep reading. #trainwreck #sorrynotsorry

#whodoesthis #seriously #todaysyouth #butforreal #cultureshock #howdidthishappen #mytheory #socialmedia #instantgratification #instantinfo #shortattentionspan #noconsequences #Twitter #thebeginning #hashtags #hashtagsonfacebook #hashtagsofinstagram #hashtagsinconversation #whathappenedtogrammar #imissgrammar #wheredidthearticlesgo #nottomention #punctuation #peopledontwantthem #sadface #communicationchange #faster #easier #isitbetter #thismakesmefeelold #butsomeoneshouldask #otherwise #wewontknow #EVER

#itskindafunthough #hardbutfun #tryitwithyourfriends #neverstops #likeateenagecouple #onthephone #noyoustop #noyou #noyou #noyou #yougettheidea #usefulsometimes #forexample #insidejokes #evenihavesome #CFYIMA #tooanythingforahat #whenthesnowfalls #makesmesmile #friends #goodtimes

#notallhashtagsareequal #suckstosuck #whyisthat #lotsofthings #annoying #toolong #overused #askateenager #oranyone #idid #hereswhattheysay #bragging #inyourface #cliches #stupidstuff #missedthepoint #didyouknow #therewasapoint #hashtagslinked #linkedpeople #linkedsimilartopics #notanymore  #eitherway #heretostay #whatsnext #IDK #couldbebetter #couldbeworse #lol #teenswillfeeloldthen #dontworryillfeelolder #askedmykids #askedfacebook #bestandworse #subjecttoopinion #tallyho

#BEST
#thestruggle
#nerdgirlproblems
#godisgood
#none
#suckstosuck
#icannotbelieveijusthashtaggedahashtag
#restingbitchface

#WORST
#hashtag
#yolo
#selfie
#bae
#nofilter
#firstworldproblems
#tbt #wcw #mcm
#bros4hos

True Blood "Thank You"

I should start by saying SPOILER ALERT: I will be discussing not only Super Sundays but also the series finale of True Blood. If you do not want to know what happens stop reading.




It has been a while since I've written about Super Sundays. This is in part because I've had several other things I've been trying to get to but also because Super Sundays has been less that super lately. With performance season several of our regular attendees, myself included, have been unable to attend. Our numbers have also suffered due to several people moving away. I am hopeful that interest will pick up again soon especially with the News Room which I am super pumped to have back! This got me thinking about why television draws people together the way it does. Perhaps some of you have a show that you get together with others to watch, or maybe you don't but you're the person that can't wait to chat about your favorite show at work the next day with your coworkers. I have no evidence to back this up nor do I expect others to agree with me. I feel like our urge to get sucked into TV and watch with people or talk about it in person or in social media is connected to the same thing that draws us to telling stories around a camp fire or the instinct we have to continue passing on our personal histories verbally to our children. So when I start to sound like a TV addict just know that I am a story teller and drawn to other story tellers.

So True Blood. Say what you will but I liked the end. There are so many shows that spend seasons building up to a finale and don't deliver. This time they did. The plot threads were tied up and the viewer did not need to know more. Myself, I didn't want to, but in a satisfied way not in an "I give up way". Eric, my favorite character was totally on top where he should be! (Jackie take a shot) I came so close to punching the air and shouting "yes" at the moment you see all his suave Viking charm put to use :)

 I also liked that Sookie ended up with someone random. It was better story telling and probably the only smart thing she did in the whole run of the show! I like that we don't see him and it feels fresh like she is really truly starting over. The only thing that would have made me happier would be if they had killed her. But that's my own gripes, hate me if you want. 

TIME WARP!!!

As you may have noticed I'm a super slacker on writing regularly so now you get to hear me fan girl about my new TV obsession. It doesn't air on Sunday nor does anyone watch with me, except my one friend I was able to talk into it. But really Outlander is consuming my mind!

I read the books and the whole concept has always been fascinating to me. But standing stones pull at something in my soul. But if we are being honest here the main reason this show is successful is that they did an amazing job casting the male lead. Pretty good actor, although to be fair to him most of what I've seen him in has been fluffy stuff, and he looks the part. Which to clarify is sexy. I'm super pumped for it to come back in April!!! Not super pumped about waiting till April 😡

When Circus Meets Dance

Well now I've been writing lots about festivals and fairs which I like to think you all enjoyed but all of these things need costumes and this past weekend we went to the UDMA. Or in layman's terms is a giant room full of more costumes than anyone actually needs. But they're pretty!!

Once again feeling out of my element I dove in to a world of glitter, spandex, grace and extreme pressure. I learned about running a studio and rhinstoning and fixing bad ballet habits. Did I mention I've never danced in my life? But who cares! We got to wander around taking a look at all the potential costumes for silks and stilts and contortion, all our circus needs. The other wonderful part was looking at all the other things that the dance world unintentionally provides us with to make our aerial studio even better. I can only speak for myself but sometimes I get so emersed in the circus aspect of what we do that I forget how many things the aerial arts share with dance. 

I found that looking at costumes is not only like playing imaginary dress up, it's also good inspiration. As I looked through catalogues and racks of all types of costumes I found some much needed inspiration for my small assortment of ground acts. I am not always the most creative of types so I will take inspiration where I can get it. 

My biggest take away from this is someting I already knew but when I experience it happening in front of me it surprises me every time. If you act like you belong, people just accept that you do. We were in the company of big, established and really intense dance studios and even though some venders didn't take us seriously, for the most part they were just as excited to talk to us and made our time super fun!

1. Rolling Meadows does NOT sell alcohol after 11pm

2. The head bitch always knows everything 

3. Tote bags come in many sizes and colors

4. Double 2s, double 2s, and double 5s do not equal snake eyes

5. Everything should be rhinestoned!!!

6. Put me on a convention floor and I will find the free stuff

7. The TV in the bathroom will always be more interesting than any other TV

8. Costume catalogues are heavy

9. The dance world is actually as dramatic as it appears on TV

10. Sabrina and I are pretty much shower planning geniuses

Summer Cirque Part 10 - The End

To every season there is an end and the first weekend in October brought an end to this years "Summer Cirque" season. Of course the gigs will not stop but there is a different feel to them.

Our last fair is one of extremes. On one hand it was cold and uncomfortable. 

On the other hand the vast majority of acts we love to share stages/fair with were here. Over come with nostalgia I realized several things about how far I've come in the 3 years since cirque was introduced to my life.

Fisher's Renaissance Festival was my very first Renaissance fair 3 years ago. We did not perform there last year so when I arrived back this year the differences in myself and my acts were clear to me. Then I was not part of the company, now I have two seasons under my belt. I am performing aerial and comfortable doing so in less than ideal weather conditions but I am also performing ground acts and making a presence on stage. Then I struggled to find clothing that was period appropriate and also warm, now I arrived with the multiple piratey layers needed to stay warm complete with boots and a cape. The cape saved my life! Then I was the strange newby that was meeting everyone for the first time and didn't wander about with out the safety net of my new possy, now I roamed the fair comfortably and visited good friends.

Stripey socks though, stripey socks are constant ;)

I am happy to have the season end. It will give me time to get back to all the other odd activities I do. I will get to spend some much needed time with friends outside my cirque world and visit family. I will also have time to work on new acts and making my current acts more exciting! It is time to take a break from fairs and turn my attention to other things. Here's to ending the season on such a positive and warm note!  So to all my faire friends:
Farewell where every you fair.

This years last lessons of Ren Faire:

1. Tentception = warm and makes you popular

2. When you have heater brownies appear

3. Wind cancels out spinning

4. Sometimes pumpkin ale just starts appearing 

5. Max is random

6. Squire Paul gets bored easily

7. You can spot an imitation  TARDIS because it is not bigger on the inside

8. The stripey sock market is no longer saturated

9. We are SO FAST at setting up the rig in the cold

10. The "eat what ever you want because it's fair weekend" policy catches up with you in the end.... 

Summer Cirque Part 9

"Good morning Baltimore!"

Last weekend KB worked a gig at the University of Martland for an all night event. Several things stood out for me on this one. The first was that Baltimore is really far away. 

I mean not just kinda far but bordering back seat induced insanity! Our car was full and everytime we stopped I feel like I stumbled out and crawled to the bathroom. At one point there was hysterical laughter for no reason at all. 

The ripleys museum in Baltimore is SO COOL! 

Some highlights that got me real excited, Popsicle stick hogwarts, won't lie I couldn't stop looking at it. 

Super model mirror that made me look awesome. 

Tight rope to play on, Woot! 

Small scale subway tunnels to crawl in. And a mirror maze! Shout out to the tactile kids for making it through!!!

This gig was great for me on a personal level because I did something I have never done and wasn't really sure I could do. We each went up and and did two 10 min sets each. I realize that doesn't sound so bad but 3 songs worth of aerial is a lot! Especially if you're not used to it. This kind of set requires you to slow down everything and be, for lack of a better phrase, "artsy". This is not my strength. My fears were this: 1. I physically wouldnt be able to handle  being in the air that long and 2. I would look stupid and like I was trying too hard. For my first fear, I did it! No falling, I made it through both sets and only normal sore feelings after! As for the second I very well may have looked stupid but it felt better than I thought and the second set felt better than the first so that's all I can ask for. 

But really, Baltimore is far away!!!

Summer Cirque Part 8

This year we spent the weekend of Sept 13-15 in Iowa!! That's right Des Moines Renaissance Festival! 

It was a blast, and castle. We met lots of new people and castle. Had to wear unitards and castle. Actually got running water for a change and castle. I got to see my friend from study abroad and... Yep you guessed it CASTLE!!!

So now that you're wondering ;) our stage was actually a castle. And I felt like a bad ass doing aerial in front of a castle. Look: 

Seriously though it was cool. 

I really enjoyed not being "the new kid on the block" this time around. This is different than what I wrote about from earlier this summer. That was more of a feeling of being accepted into a community of performers which I loved, and cherish the memory of that experience. But this time it felt like everyone in our troup was on equal footing. Yes it was clear that Sylver and Gwyd both lead the troup and have the most experience but we came into this new fair as a solid unit and the solidarity held. We were new as a group and they accepted us into their community as a goup. Now this is not to say that I am ungrateful for the performing community that was gifted to me in Michigan. I am celebrating the cohesion that has developed over this year that allows others to view KB as a unified troup and not individual performers clumped awkwardly together. I am excited to be a part of it and for this to continue

Things we learned in Iowa:

1. Captin James T Kirk will be born in an alley

2. Even bees attacking small children can't stop our show

3. Renny hair braids are amazing

4. The soup disappears

5. Every fair has doppelgängers

6. BEES!!!!

7. The Knotty Bits makes a great verse to "what do you do with a drunken sailor"

8. Every fair has participants with questionable morals

9. Watching a dragon eat French fries is awesome!

10. When the Pirates storm the castle the Jolly Roger looks amazing up top!