It's Circus Time

Feeling nostalgic lately, and it's all because of PBS. We are smack in the middle of their documentary series, "Circus" about The Big Apple Circus and what it really takes to put on the greatest show on earth. The new artistic director said it best; this small, one ring, not for profit circus is such an intimate experience, that it could never be duplicated on a one-dimensional computer screen. And it's so true. While watching it on TV, I could smell the popcorn and even feel the hay in the air because our family went to see them every year. In July, they would put up their tent at Arrowhead Farm in Lenox, MA, where Herman Melville once wrote about a big whale. When my son was ten, we told him he'd been to see the Big Apple eleven times, because he was born August 1, 1984. And he was born because a rabbi told me to imagine trapeze artists once upon a time. I guess I should never have been surprised when he grew up to be a performer.

I talk quite a bit with my daughter, almost every day, maybe just for a few minutes on her way into the hospital. But on Wednesday nights during the series, we call each other to dish about the circus characters. Why did she leave with bomber guy? How could they fire the trapeze artists? You really cried when the miniature horse died? Going to the circus was the one constant I could bring with us when we moved back to NJ from MA in 1986. Needless to say, I was not happy about the move. I like to put down roots, maybe because I was carted back and forth as a child between foster parents and biological family, between NJ and PA, never really getting a sense of belonging. If I had my way, we'd still be living at the edge of a bird sanctuary on East New Lenox Road, in Pittsfield, MA.... But I married a gypsy, so what could I do? I packed up my house and instead of heading out to the farm in the summer, I made the trek into NYC during the holidays for the grand opening of the BAC at Lincoln Center. I bought and framed the circus posters. We were members and went to the galas, we dragged as many friends and family members as we could with us. Yes, we ate the cotton candy!

My MIL, went to clown college after meeting Grandma Clown, Barry Lubin. She actually wrote her doctoral thesis on humor in psychotherapy. And I continued to make our pilgrimage to Lincoln Center until my youngest middle-schooler, the performer who'd rather make his own music, refused to go. I bet he'd go with me now, if he has the time before they head back into the studio. His girlfriend, a beautiful Catholic schoolgirl who competed for many years in Irish dance, would love to run away to the circus with us! Oh, and our 3 year old flower girl cousin in upstate NY would absolutely swoon. My daughter the bride would drop everything and go in a heartbeat. Maybe soon, we'll have some grandchildren to introduce to The Big Apple? My big surprise this week was that Grandma Clown, Barry Lubin, just friended me on Facebook! I don't think I've ever been prouder of such a fast friending!

Don't tell my new son-in-law, but I thought it would be good for him to see what's bound to be a big part of his future with my shana maidela and his new family! Just ordered the "Circus" DVDs from PBS for his Xmas present. http://video.pbs.org/video/1612780127/

Vegas Wrap-up

Let me make one thing perfectly clear, I don't gamble. Why not just go burn some money for a giggle if that's your pleasure, it's so not mine. But how to sum up our trip to Vegas for the American College of Emergency Physician's (ACEP) conference with my two doctors - one who Gma calls her "little doctor" and the other my "old man?" Maybe I could sell a script to TV Land called, "My Two ER Doctors." Maybe not. We met at the Mandalay Bay hotel. My daughter and her colleague (another young woman with long blonde hair who might have been her twin sister and was just barely pregnant) waltzed into our room, overlooking the pool area, and collapsed around us with funny flight stories. Dinner included another colleague (we met many, her hospital's residency program sent over 20) at an Asian Fusion restaurant in the hotel, and then the young docs went out to party, and we turned in early since the time change takes its toll on us semi-seniors.

When my sweet hubby left for meetings early the next morning, I was wondering what to do with myself. Usually at these conferences there are tons of amusing travel adventures to choose from for the non-medical spouses. Years ago I toured the colorful Victorian homes in San Francisco, and on the same trip experienced a wonderful wine tasting tour of Napa. We even made it out to the Hearst Castle! But either the times have changed and ACEP no longer offers these side trips, or women are fast becoming ER docs themselves and no longer marrying them? I quickly realized I'd have to make my own fun, which incidenatally is how the French say it - you must amuse yourself, you do not have fun, fun cannot have you, oui? So I picked up the phone and found Canyon Ranch at the Venetian: http://www.canyonranchspaclub.com/las_vegas_nv/. One heavenly massage and an ice cream pedicure later, I was no longer feeling sorry for myself. Did I forget to mention that a few days before the trip my flip flops flipped me over the front steps and I was in desperate need of drugs and/or a massage?

So, back realigned, I successfully avoided the "death ray." Yes folks, it's a real thing that happens when the sun is reflected off one of those concave wonderwall of windows hotels and happens to refract itself next to a pool, thereby setting some poor unsuspecting sun worshiper's hair on fire...really. Next, in my swimsuit coverup - the girls plucked me away from the fake beach and wave machine...really - we trolled the conference center for free pens and candy. It was amazing to see my little girl with her residency posse walking around, Dad in tow, sharing Life in the ER stories and speaker's laments. He is the wise one, they are the new young Turks. We ultrasounded the colleague's expectant belly with a tiny wand that made Star Trek's scanner look like a possibility; looked for my husband's book on ER management in the library; and kvelled over lab coats that let blood just slide right off them! There was this shimmer in the air, here was my child the physician, a grown married woman, in a professional organization, having a wonderful time learning and sharing her accomplishments with her friends and her very proud papa. Sometimes I had to remember to breathe!

While they enjoyed their days of lectures and labs, I was learning to amuse myself Vegas style. Since I couldn't abandon ship and check into Canyon Ranch for the week, I figured out how to see the sights and use the monorail so as not to go broke taking cabs everywhere. Looking out of one overpass at a sphinx, with the Eiffel Tower behind it, gave me pause. There will be no Nevada retirement for this family, thank you. The piece de resistance of our Vegas trip, seeing Cirque du Soleil's "O" at the Bellagio. That and the gala dinner when we got to introduce the girls to the pioneers of Emergency Medicine. Oh what a night!