Another year at the Big E

Every year I am so very excited to go to the Big E (aka The Eastern States Exhibition). This year was no different.
Every year the boy eats a ton of food from the New England State buildings. But out first stop was to see the circus. I love circuses and this year even more because one of my favorite clowns was performing. His name is Rob Torres and everyone should check him out because be is charming and hilarious. We spent hours wandering around, eating food, and petting as many animals as I could.




The finale of the circus.






The state houses. Massachusetts wins best building because we have a golden lion and a silver unicorn on top.


Connecticut is full of pumpkin people. Some cute but most are creepy.



A super awesome Superman made of Legos.


Giving Tuukka a high five.


This sign makes me giggle every single year, I'm a twelve year old boy.



The boy's favorite food at the Big E, salmon on a stick. It's seriously amazing.


We saw a magic show.



A hypnotizing animatronic show. Every year I each at least two minutes even though it has never changed.



Cheering out local roller derby in during the parade.


I love a marching band, especially if they have baton twirlers.



The Clydesdales end the parade forever. They are gigantic.



Every year there is a food of the Big E. this year it was beeramisu. Basically it was tiramisu with beer. It was decadent and we couldn't finish it, but way less gross than the burger with two glazed donuts as the bun. No thank you.


I wanted to take the bunny home.


Rodney has been at the Big E for years, my goal is to someday pet him. He clearly loves me, this was after me talking to him for five minutes.


Yes, just yes.

We went back another night with our friend Jon, but that's for another day.

k.girl

A few weeks ago, I got to perform in Brattleboro, Vermont with the dance company I'm a member of, Eclipse Dance.



I love performing with these people, even when the circumstances are a bit wacky. We performed one piece inside which is pretty normal. The outside performance we did was in an adorable park named Plinky Park.


A park usually invokes grass and trees.


This one was cement. It also has a large planter on the middle of it, which when we tried to move to we saw a bevy of bugs living underneath it. So instead we incorporated the planter as a 7th dancer. Sometimes like is hilarious and ridiculous all at the same time.



We chose to wear shoes. It turned out well and it's now a story to tell.


k.girl

How to handle tough days.

Somedays are harder than others. Sometimes you need to put on your big girl panties and become your alter ego.




Meet Francois.

k.girl

Last month is over...bring on spring!

Every year I start off being ok with winter and then in New Englander style, I want it gone on March first. Sadly Mother Nature had decided to ignore my pleas but I'm just going to keep on pretending it's spring.
I didn't take a ton of photos in February.




It mostly consisted of hanging out with the boy, Valentines Day cupcakes (eaten well after the day because I managed to food poison myself), OLYMPICS FOREVER (I have a problem), and coffee.
I can't wait for spring and sunshine!

k.girl

Photo an hour: murder edition

So the title is way scarier than the day actually was. Our friend Sean got a really fun murder mystery at the science museum as a gift and invited us to join him and our friend Hali (who I only get to see once a year even though I adore her). It was as awesome as I imagined even though we didn't win. I mean we totally won. Team Ben Franklinstein forever! Here's our adventure.

10 am


As always I was running late so I ate breakfast in the car. There was apparently some sort of ice fishing event going on in town. Which I didn't find safe because it was an unnaturally warm day and I feared for their safety. I'm guessing all went well since there wasn't anything on the news that night.

11am


We met up with Sean and Hali and drove to the T. I'm terrible with the machine to purchase tickets and had to be helped. I hate the T and find it to be the most complicated public transit ever. I make Sean write me instructions whenever I have to go to Boston alone because I get so stressed. Luckily he was with us in this trip.

12pm


Traveling on the T. Hali and I decided we would be good at solving the mystery because we watch the tv show Castle. We also decided our team name: Ben Franklinstein! based on our theories from what we knew from the pamphlet Hali had, I enjoy conspiracy theory and the second Hali mentioned the Free Masons I was hooked.

1pm


We made it to the museum! All I wanted to do was climb the T-Rex, I behaved.

2pm-4pm








This was our time to solve the mystery at the museum. The company is Watson Tours and they have a bunch if different tours. We will be going to another one. It was basically a scavenger hunt that included problem solving. We did well finding the clues but at finding the murderer (I won't tell you in case you go) but had fun nonetheless.

My favorite picture is the most bottom left picture, you go into a cave and there's a video playing and they filmed the host lying down and talking but it all seems very creepy and you don't want to be alone watching this video.

4pm


After the murder was solved we went back in the museum to wander. A good point was raised that the T-Rex in the museum had a scarf but the one outside was left without one. Poor outside T-Rex

5pm


View from inside the museum as we were leaving.

6pm


Traveling back to the T.

I could see the Boston Garden from our stop. I have a small (insane) love for the Boston Bruins and may have tried to convince our group that we should go over and wave at the players as they left. No one would go with me.

9pm


I didn't take picture on the ride home because it was dark. Once we got home I had a glass if wine and passed out for the night.

It was an incredibly fun day and I think everyone should go on a murder mystery at a museum. I'm already looking into going to another one this summer.


k.girl

Location:Boston Science Museum

Photo a hour. Gala time.

Here us my January photo an hour. It's from a gala that Eclipse dances in to help raise money for our company. Here we go.

7am.
Cranky and out the door.



8 am.
Coffee makes life a bit better and were at the venue.



9 am.
Reading while I await instruction from the boy. He does lights for the show so we're there early to get lights set.



10 am.
Helping. At least that's what I call it. I pretty much sit there and he yells what channel he wants me to turn on. Not a bad gig.



11 am.
Reheating my coffee after helping to set up the lobby with people.



12 pm.
A water main broke on the street next to the theater. Luckily it didn't affect us.



1 pm.
Sitting in the balcony to run the follow spot. I get to run the spotlight for the ballet pit on by the ballet students. This year was Charlotte's Web, i love that they do creative and interesting ballets. I love that spot light. I would like one in my everyday life. It would be so dramatic. Maybe I'll just find a really strong flashlight.



2 pm.
Into the dressing room to get set to tech.



3 pm.
Watching Synthesis dance tech. They are fantastic.



4 pm.
Time to not look homeless anymore and put on the pretty for the cocktail hour. (Company members assist with different elements as needed)



I missed taking pictures at 5 and 6 because I was busy.

7 pm.
Eclipse performs a trio called Embers that I love watching, I almost cry every time I see it. It's beautiful.



8 pm.
In the catwalk waiting to drop some rigging down for a performer from the circus school.



I missed 9 pm because I was dancing.

10 pm.
Show over. Time to help break down. I love the no sign over the switch. We learned that it blows the fuse for the lights in the dressing room when a sign had fallen off another switch. Oops.



11 pm.
The pulls for the curtains as we turn lights off.



It was a fun, hectic, tiring day but it's always fantastic.


k.girl

Photo a day. The rest of January.

So far, so good with this project. The boy laughs at me for taking random pictures all the time but it's fun. Here's the rest of January.

Jan. 15.
Foggy day in our bipolar weather here in New England.






Jan. 16.
The view above my computer.






Jan.17.
Sick. I'm a cranky beast when I'm not feeling well. Luckily the boy is sweet and took care of me as I wallowed.





Jan. 18.
Some pretty snow from our kitchen window.





Jan. 19.
The icicles that were left the next day.





Jan. 20.
Visiting with Clancy. I think he thinks I'm a toy.






Jan.21.
My milk.






Jan. 22.
Dressed in ass kicker shoes for an interview. I got the job.






Jan. 23.
Feeling girly, at least from the neck up. I was already back in my pajamas that night by 6 pm.






Jan. 25.
Cool reflections of light.






Jan. 26.
Visiting mr. Clancy again.






Jan. 27.
My old high school. I had so many conversations on that porch.






Jan. 28.
Birthday present for one of my favorite kids. (A Snoopy snow one machine, which was a huge hit with her).






Jan. 29.
Setting sun through the studio window where I teach dance.






Jan. 30.
Sushi date with the boy makes life better. (Our first date was at this sushi place, we try to go every few weeks)







Jan. 31
Cleaning out my makeup and testing lipsticks.






One month down, 11 to go!

k.girl