Blog du Wren

Flying Karamazov Brothers in NYC

Being in New York means seeing a show, right? Actually, let me rephrase that: being in New York means seeing a show.* And while I would go see the Flying Karamazov Brothers any time I could, seeing them on stage in New York was really a treat. To further sweeten the treat, I got to hang out with the gang before the show, watch them warm up, and even toss a few clubs around with them, all a real treat for a geek juggler like myself.

The new show at the , which used to be called 4-Play but is now just called Flying Karamazov Brothers, was great. Lots of music, juggling, juggling while playing music, playing music through juggling, and some unexpected hilarious comedy. It's my hope that the show catches on and gets big not only so the group flourishes, but because the more people that see this hilarity the better. To that end, go see the show! It's reasonably priced, a totally great experience, and unlike anything else you'll see here in New York.

Also, it is worth pointing out that Steve and Amiel, who stood in for some travelling members of the group, did a spectacular job on stage. So not only did I get to see a great show, hang with the gang, and be inspired by some creative juggling, I got to see 2 friends hit the big time! Chalk one up for New York!

Sunday October 24 2010

File under: juggling, travel

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Canadian Crosswalk Guy

Canada and the U.S. are pretty much the same, right? Well, there's that whole health care thing, and everything having to be written in both English and French, and the foreign policy thing, and well, almost everything governmental. But when it comes to actually being there, the similarities outweigh the difference.

Perhaps it is because of this that I find such incredible humor in a tiny little difference between the U.S. and Canada. I giggle every time I see the Canadian crosswalk guy. He just looks so awkward to me. When I try to explain to Canadians that never in a person's stride are both of their legs totally straight, they don't get it at all. Many U.S.-ians* don't either.

I guess it will have to remain my own little joke and will probably continue snapping pictures of the little guy whenever he really speaks to me...which is almost always.

Thursday October 21 2010

File under: travel, Canada

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Careers 101 by Yours Truly

You never know what a day on the road will hold. Just last Friday, in Toronto, I got the chance to talk to a high school Careers class about my "career". Ha!

While I tried my best to tie stories about traveling, circusing, housesitting, etc. back to applicable information, making smart choices, and other "teachable" topics, after the kids warmed up to me, it turned into more of a Q&A with perhaps somewhat of a less teachable feel. I mean, the story of pooping in a cup in Guatemala can't have too much value in a Careers class, but it is a pretty good story.

Then, of course, it degenerated into a juggling demonstration. It's hard for me to say no to the request for a personal juggling show. The kids seemed to enjoy my impromptu mishmash of juggling tricks, although less so with the rope tricks. Oh well. Anyhoo, here's a brief clip of me throwing some balls up in the air. Hope you like it. (And if you want to book me to speak at your school, I come cheap!)

Sunday October 17 2010

File under: travel, juggling

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Musee Mecanique

On a post long, long ago, former* BdW reader Jenelle suggested that if i was ever in San Francisco, I should check out the Musee Mecanique. Well, since I found myself in SF with lots of time to kill, I did just that and boy was I glad I did.

Imagine a room chocked full of row after of old-timey arcade machines. Love testers, strength testers, laughing creepy dolls, elaborate scenes where everything moves when you drop in your quarter, player pianos, s, stereographic slideshows, and on and on. There are a few nods to modernity, like some classic video games*, skee ball, air hockey, penny smashers galore, and one "game" where you grab onto these two metal posts and it progressively shocks you more and more until you let go. The more shock you can stand, the more points you get. Oy.

Located at Fisherman's Wharf, the Musee Mecanique is quite a treat. Admission is free, with the only money you spend being on playing the various games and novelties. The attendant, at least when I was there, cruised around on roller skates and was glad to show off his skillz at the various obscure games.

Tuesday October 12 2010

File under: travel

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I Heart Craigslist Rideshare

I, for one, love craigslist rideshare. While it isn't always the most convienent way to travel, necessarily the most comfortable, or the surest travel bet in the book, the environmental perks, the cost savings, and the interesting people I meet make it my #1 choice for flexible travel.

To those of you who haven't experienced a ride via craigslist before, let me share a few tidbits fro my most recent ride. I caught a ride from Portland to Sacramento. While the train ride would have been 18 hours and $100, it only took us 9 hours and I paid $35. Not bad. The best party, however, was the peolple. Folks who are inclined to take a chance on a stranger are typically more interesting than most. In our [2-door honda civic], I met 3 good, interesting people; a hiker just coming off 4.5 months on the trail*, a world traveler who, conveniently, recently traveled to my next hopeful destination, and a no-traditional-job/lifestyle-for-me-thank-you-very-much free spirit. The great conversations made the miles just fly by.

The catch of the whole thing, however, is that I wasn't going to Sacramento. I had to cobble together transport from Sacramento into the Bay area, a task more expensive and difficult than you might think. But thanks to a couple helpful good people, I made it in time for juggle club at the Vulcan.

All in all, chalk it up as another positive craigslist rideshare experience!

Saturday October 9 2010

File under: travel, transportation

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Sleeping Around 2009-2010

Of all the various projects I have going on here on this blog, the Sleeping Around schedule is by far my favorite. Essentially, it is a graphical and statistical look at where I sleep*. Last year about this time, I posted about it, and being that I've just completed my second year of record keeping, I thought I would do a little summary post about this year's sleeping around.

Overall stats
Nights spent at home:	79 (21.6%)
Nights spent housesitting:	122 (33.4%)
Nights spent travelling:	164 (45%)

Travel Breakdown
In-state travel:	50 (30%)
Domestic travel:	83 (50%)
International travel:	31 (19%)

Other stats worth noting: I slept in a tent or under the stars* 39 nights—that's over a month! Also over a month (34 nights) in hotels/hostels. I spent almost a month's worth of nights (24) sleeping in cars, trains, or planes (but mostly cars, for that stat).

Being able to look back on a year to see where I've been and get a clearer picture of how I've spent my time is so interesting and beneficial. I'm so glad I started the habit of keeping track. I hope I keep it up (and that it stays as interesting and diverse) for years to come.

Wednesday August 4 2010

File under: stats, travel

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Tuesday Thoughts on Happiness

Happiness is...
     :-) Last minute, on a whim
     :-) Free airport WiFi
     :-) Fancy in bed
     :-) Unexpected that I would never find in a travel guide
     :-)
     :-) Good friends
     :-) Seeing I've always heard about.
     :-) Being reminded that we had the long long ago
     :-) All around us

Tuesday July 27 2010

File under: travel, misc

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Oregon Coast

Alas, 2010's New Old Time Chautauqua is over. But instead of returning to the real world, I've opted to let the fun and magic continue, albeit in a slightly different form. I'm currently enjoying all that the Oregon Coast has to offer, and believe me, it has lots.

The past 2 nights have been spent at Nehalem campground, a small county park up Nehalem River that is exactly what we were looking for (after being hugely disappointed by the commercialness of Oregon State Park campgrounds).

During the day, entertainment has been found in the form of on the beach, exploring the quaint little towns, and visiting the cheese factory....twice*. On the possible agenda for the rest of the time is sea lion caves, more beach time, and maybe, just maybe, another visit to the cheese factory.

This little vacay to the coast has been just what I needed to buffer re-entry into the real world. Back to back vacations is really the way to go. Dare I try back to back to back? Stay tuned to see.

Thursday July 8 2010

File under: travel, USA

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Redwood Vaudeville Tour

Are you in Northern California? Do you live in a little town that doesn't see a lot of entertainment? If so, the New Old Time Chautauqua might be coming to your town. Come enjoy a vaudeville show filled with energy, juggling, music, acrobatics, comedy, and lots of last minute improvisation. (For example, the power went out due to a truck hitting a power line here in Pt. Reyes Station, CA. Luckily, the Dance Palace here has a little solar backup system so we at least had lights.)

But on the other side of the stage, it is more than shows. There is camping, parades, workshops, swimming*, and all sorts of intangibles. And then there are the stories. After just one year, I've got my fair share. The people that have been here for all 29 years have that many more.

Yep, Chautauqua: the Redwood Tour. Such an experience I can't even put together a cohesive blog post.

Wednesday June 23 2010

File under: travel, circus

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Familiar Giant

Familiar giant (remember?) with a familiar goober in front.

Friday June 18 2010

File under: travel, USA

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