April sees from the Dry dry Desert to the Deep deep South

I don’t have as much to write about in this journal.

SO before I do, let me direct your attention to a charming and interesting photo I happened upon.

The basics: I am sitting in pink Hello Kitty pajamas stolen months ago from my lovely and patient wife. We’re parked behind our booth in Georgia, just after Student day, (which we no longer work) and coming up on the third weekend. There was a huge storm in the south last night. No damage for us, just a really cool light show as we tried to watch a movie that proved too scary to our never-sleeping child. The show is going well, especially when graded upon the bell-curve; Georgia’s attendance just-can’t-compare to the throngs of Arizona. I am 3 days late getting my journal in. Yesterday we saw Scream 4 to celebrate not having to work. Today is Laundry day. Tonight is Movie Night.

I promised to tell you about Dakota’s first Kayak trip

[portfolio_slideshow include="1239,1240,1241,1242,1243,1244"]

I transport my kayak, on top of our drum trailer all over the country. Though it seems I only actually use it at shows where both Byron and I are working. Dakota “DaKitty” is not only a dear family friend, but reads this journal; so she knows about my many adventures, and misadventures in kayaking. She asked Byron and I if we’d take her, and be careful and watchful of her since she cannot swim. We gleefully agreed. We took her on one of the easier paddles we have taken; Canyon Lake in Saguaro State Park. It features an easy entry, open-ended paddling, and even cave-like depressions in the rock. Dakota is the product of both family and friend’s full of wise-asses. She feared that like her brother we might tip her from her boat, throwing her in to the water so she could confront her fears … “For her own good”. We did nothing of the sort. It was a lovely paddle, and I’m sure, judging by her smile we’ll have no problem getting her to go with us again. Now to schedule a trip with Heather!

The final weekend of AZ was hectic, fun and bittersweet.

Heather took a little time off to run around with her birthday camera. Most of the following are her photo-credits. She checked in on our wonderful drum employees. Justin and Meghan had stocked decorated and run our drum business very well this season. We sold drums, we made friends, and we brought more joy and music into the world. Heather visited back stage with Adam, Dakota, and Adam’s assistant (and Riki’s former squeeze) Heather “H2”. That is a talented, lucky and smart man to surround himself with such amazing women. The lovely wife and some of her cohorts visited Twig the fairy. I don’t know about you – but I find the whole thing HAWT! Finally she returned home to me. We took turns attending the cast party, and watching Scarlett. We said many good byes.

Finally it was time to bid “adieu” to the Desert.

[portfolio_slideshow include="1245,1246,1247,1248,1249,1250"]

We leave town, usually just before the oppressive heat descends like a hammer upon the southwest. This year, the heat came early and set records. We do not regret saying goodbye to that blast furnace capable of melting groceries right in your cart. There certainly are things we’ll miss until we return - probably as early as December. We’ll miss the fantastic Asian Market, and the shocking cultural oddities they sell. We’ll miss the Millers, (Who we won’t see until Minnesota), Dakota – who due to the vicissitudes of life will not be coming to Georgia this year. But we’ll be heading to Atlanta, Our garden, Movie nights, and a whole slew of other experiences and dining unique to this time and place each year.

Packing and departure was leisurely, to say the least.

[portfolio_slideshow include="1251,1252,1253,1254,1255"]

Riki and Jef were both on-the-way to Florida early in the week. I think Jef left Sunday night! My two Gold Team companions were on their way to perform at our home fair, The Bay Area Renaissance Festival of Tampa. I sent young Jon/Lucio in my place. Tampa fans, I love you. That fair will always have a special place in my heart, but barring something miraculous, I think you will always be in the capable hands of Jon, and not mine. Heather and I can, when pressed break down and pack our entire house in a morning. We weren’t pressed, and I appreciated that. We had a lot more stuff to transport and it was more enjoyable to be able to take our time. We also had a lot more “Stuff” to break down. Between the “Tea house”, our lights, the garden displays, toys, grills, plants, chairs and the entirety of Spicetraders Café… it was a long process. By the time we were done, our once festive yard looked like a ghost town.

Thursday: Time to hit the road.

We attached our house to our newly decorated truck and began the three-day journey across the country. We got to take our time, which is nice. We stayed at two different trailer parks, one in Texas, one in Georgia. And stayed once in a rest area just across the state line in Louisiana. I tend to drive between 63 and 67 miles an hour. But every time we stop, trying to coordinate 2 dogs, Mommy, little girl and Daddy; especially with Daddy’s thimble-sized bladder we always seem to average 50 miles an hour. We listen to a lot of podcasts (for me) and this trip discovered a great one called “Stuff you missed in History Class”. Scarlett watches a lot of Scooby Doo, (her latest obsession) on her own video screen. We even managed to catch up on a Season One of Xena. But sometimes, both literally and metaphorically you have to stop and smell the flowers.

We arrived at our booth right before lunch on Sunday

One of the reasons I ended up owning the drum business was this booth right here in Georgia. I not only saw a potential to own and build another business, but I also loved the idea of parking our trailer in the huge yard. Last year I even built Heather a garden, and after a little of my wife’s tending we have our own little touch of Eden in our backyard. I have plans for this year and next to slowly improve and rebuild the booth, landscape and parking experience. But other than the oppressive humidity, and “sketchy” electrical supply, our quality of life here is pretty good.

Atlanta sure isn’t Phoenix!

And that’s okay. Some of the differences are positive; as much as I love the desert, I find that I have a visceral longing for green, living, and even wet. The audience is almost a polar opposite here. In Phoenix, all of our shows are pretty-well received. We can be awfully naughty. And we make a lot of money; second only to Minnesota. Here in Atlanta, we do Robin Hood twice, because the audiences really only care about our cleaner shows, and then the really bawdy one. We have the biggest crowd of the day for the R-rated show, pulling in more than the other three combined. When we’re hawking a crowd here, lots of folks either say “we can’t see you you’re too naughty” or “We’re waiting for the ‘good’ show at the end of the day” Oh Atlanta.

It is time to wrap up. I have some booth improvements, some Laundry and some more Twins business to attend to before tonight’s Movie Night event. Last week we did “Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” – which I have never seen. The food theme was “sexy food”. Tonight, Asian food will complement “Big Trouble in Little China”. In future weeks we’ll also show “The Thing” “My Favorite Year”, “Blade Runner”, and possibly “Brotherhood of the Wolf”. (check outthese photos!)

My daughter just informed me it is time to be done.

She isn’t a patient girl sometimes. She thinks it is time for me to color with her. We spend a lot of time together. This week I have had “tea” from her hello kitty tea set on no less than six different occasions. We spent an hour-and-a-half yesterday just running around the festival site together, and we visit the maze and the slide once or twice each day. She wants what she wants when she wants it – even if that means falling asleep in front of our front door with a towel as a blanket.

It’s time to go

So I’ll leave you with some shots from my two favorite Video games, Halo, (This image is photo shopped, of course. However I do have a crush on Cortana!) and Borderlands. When I came across this room in one adventure I literally almost cried, you see each of those boxes are weapons chests… *sniff* I do get some time to play, on breaks in my day or after the family has gone to sleep. I always feel guilty afterwards – perhaps I should have been working more?

Finally I want you to check out this little infographic I found whilst stumbling around the interwebs. It is amusing as hell, even though I don't lurk on 4chan, I do have a job. And I have actually spoken to a woman.

Have a great month, see ya again soon!