A NEW BEGINNING & THE END OF AN ERA

For the last 19 years, I have worked in the Outdoor Amusement Business for the same great group of people.  Today, that came to an end.  On May 26, we had a severe windstorm in Seward, PA blow down the tent.  We were 30 minutes into the 1st show when the wind suddenly started.   We immediately gave an evacuation order but within 10 seconds of the order, the tent blew over.  This was only the third time I saw this happen in 19 years. We always regrouped, repaired, & reopened. Today, I was told that the show was closed permanently.

I have so many fond memories of my time that I spent with them.  From the first time I left Seneca, SC in 1992, it was an experience that I will never forget. 

I got involved with this business because I felt a need to watch over my younger brother.  He decided to leave Seneca because someone told him that he could make a thousand dollars in 2 weeks in Hiawassee at the Georgia Mountain Fair.  We have always had a close bond & I wanted to make sure he was going to be able to survive on his own.  I was only going to go & play the spot & then return to Seneca.  Needless to say, I never returned to Seneca.  I grew to love this new life.  I finished the season in Laurens, SC in October at the Laurens Co. Fair.  As the Winter of 1992 drew to a close, I found myself eagerly awaiting the start of a new season.  We opened in Fountain Inn & on the last day we were there, an ice storm hit.  I spent the next 5 days huddled in an aluminum van, using a hair dryer for warmth.  As soon as the ice melted, we headed down the road to Columbia.  I can go on with my travels year by year, but I'm just going to highlight those that really stick out.

In 1997, a rockslide closed I-40 between Tennessee & North Carolina. We left Wytheville, VA & had to go down Hwy. 19/23 to get to Bryson City, NC.  The highway was pretty backed up as this was the way all traffic was being diverted.  We had some steep grades & all of our brakes got hot with the stop & go traffic.  One truck in particular couldn't get stopped near the bottom on one of the grades.  I lost a good friend that day & shortly after he passed, I had a dream about him.  We were all sitting around, talking, when all of a sudden he stood up & said "It's time for me to leave."  I said, "Please don't go"  He said "I have to. My time is up."  Looking back now, I think this was God's way of letting me know that he took an Angel home. 

The following year, our concession manger, went to the hospital early in the morning because he couldn't keep anything down.  Turns out, he had an aneurysm in his stomach.  They operated on him & he went back to Easley to recuperate.  He hadn't been back 2 weeks when he had a heart attack & passed away.

Life for the next 4 years was pretty good.  I learned so much about the business, including how to program computers, lay out lots, & wire electric.  Then, just as I was hitting my stride, I was sent into a tailspin.  In July of 2002, I started hurting in my stomach.  I was spitting up green.  My mother took me to Kings Daughter Medical Center in Ashland, KY, where they did blood tests, xrays, & a CAT scan.  The blood tests showed an elevated white blood count so the Doctor thought maybe I had appendicitis.  After he did the CAT scan though, the truth came out.  I had a large mass in my abdomen.  They admitted me to the hospital that Saturday night & I was scheduled for exploratory surgery on Monday.  They removed a 10 lb tumor from my abdomen along with one of my ovaries.  The tumor had been growing from my ovary.  I have always been somewhat heavy my whole life so I never even felt the tumor.  After they did pathology on the tumor, it turned out to be a very agressive cancer.  I had to leave the road for the first time in 10 years to undergo more surgery & chemotherapy. At the age of 30, I discovered that I had a 15 percent chance of a 5 year survival.  They enrolled me in a clinical trial to give me the best chance.  After a complete hysterectomy, I underwent 3 rounds of chemotherapy, each round lasting a week.  I was sick & weak for the duration of treatment, to the point where I wanted to curl up in a corner and die.  The Doctor prescribed Zoloft for depression.  Gradually, with love & support from family & friends, my life returned to normal.  I sought out & reconnected with my friends & to break from depression, I would go & visit them on the road, & volunteer my services.  It was a great way to reclaim my sanity.

Then 3 years later,in 2005, near the end of the year, I lost another friend.  She had pneumonia.  We had just had a Christmas party & she was laughing with everyone.  To look at her at the party, she was a picture of health.  Little did I know in less than a week, I would be saying good-bye.  After we buried her, I came home & got wrapped up in my Mother's dog's leash & ended up falling down the back steps in high heels.  I broke a couple of bones in my foot.

Then, not even 3 months later, my stepfather passed away from lung cancer.  I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't at home when he passed to give my Mother the support she needed.  I was out in California with my brother & sister-in-law.  My brother was in intensive care, suffering with acute pancreatitis.  He was also bleeding internally.  I think my stepfather finally gave his soul up so my Mother could make the trip out to California to be by her son's side. 

Since 2006, I have lost three more good friends, two within a 3 month period.  They were husband & wife.  She had a heart condition & he was diagnosed with cancer shortly after she passed.  The last time I saw him, we were in Powdersville.  I knew then that when I returned at the end of the season, he wouldn't be there.  He passed away 2 weeks later. 

I have seen many of my friends pass during the last 15 years and each one holds a special place in my heart.  It seems that I remember the loss of them keenly.  As long as I remember them in my memory, they will always live on. 

The last 19 years haven't always been about loss though. We always had parties to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and more.  There were more good times than bad.  I remember on one such occasion, at a birthday party, I overdid it just a little.  They had to put me to bed.  At the time, I was staying in a small Chevy Stepvan that had a single bunkroom.You should have seen them trying to put me on that top bunk.  It was the stuff that a comedian's dream is made of, LOL!   At the show's opening, the Boss opened my door & was video taping me.  I told him to go away & buried my head under the covers.  I never left  my room until the sun went down that day.

I have learned so much about myself over the years.  I have found that I am capable of doing tasks that 19 years ago, when I was called Greenhelp, that would have baffled me or seemed impossible. I can straight wire electric from a live electric panel, change the oil in my generator, replace breakers in my home, get water from a fire hydrant, know the sound of grinding brakes, and pull trailers up to 45 feet long all over this country, down 11% grades & back up.  I have even pulled double trailers up to that length.  I can do marathon hours, sometimes not going to bed for 48 hours because we had a 300 mile jump & then had to set up everything to show that day.  The longest I have ever stayed up was 64 hours.  We drove from Wytheville, VA to Hiawassee, GA.  We opened at 10 am Saturday in Wytheville, ran rides until 10 pm, then tore down.  We finished tearing down at 6 am, then got in our trucks to drive 300 miles to Hiawassee.  I arrived in Hiawassee around 4 pm Sunday & then we went to work setting up.  We worked all thru the night because it was August & it was just to hot to do it during the day.  We finally finished setting up everything Monday evening around 10 pm.  I remember sitting in my truck trying to give out draws to the workers with my head drooping.  That was a long weekend.

It has been a fantastic experience with people that I will never forget.  Over the years, they showed me the steps that I needed to be successful out here.  I want to thank all of those who were there for me, guiding me along the way.  You have shown me that I am a strong person & there isn't any such  phrase as I can't do it.  For all of you, I salute you & wish you well wherever the tides may take you. I consider you all great friends & I enjoyed every moment I spent with you.

I suppose I could find another show to go to if I wanted to continue in the Outdoor Amusement Business.  But after working for 19 years for the same company, I don't think it would be the same. For now, I am going to take a week vacation & plot a course for my new beginning.  After all, I still have plenty of working years left in me.

As always, thanks to all who have followed my ramblings & I will most likely only post one more time to let you know what course I decide to take.

Until later, God Bless, see you down the road...

MEMORIAL DAY...A TIME TO REFLECT

For the first time in almost 20 years, I find myself at home to celebrate Memorial Day. I am at a loss of how to spend rest of this weekend because it's normally a regular working weekend.

I have had the opportunity to take a look at my family's proud military history & reflect upon that. My Grandfather and Great-Great Uncle were in Europe for World War 2.  My Grandfather was a part of the group that cut the locks off of the gates of the Dachau concentration camp.  He has a VFW hall named after him in Niagara Falls, NY.  My Uncle sacrificed an eye in one of the many battles he fought in.  They both have left behind a legacy that hopefully will never be forgotten.

My father served two tours in Vietnam.  He was just an 18 year old kid that was forced to grow up quickly amid chaos & destruction.  He told me stories about his buddies being wounded & how he would try to save them.  He was a field medic.  I can only imagine the horrors that he had to witness.  The orders for his second tour came hours after his son was born.  That must have been a heart-wrenching scene as he said good-bye to my Mother & newborn son, not knowing if he would ever see them again.

My two Aunts also served.  They both were in Germany during the Cold War.  I have one that is still here with me today & the other lives on in my heart.

My brother was in the opening of Desert Storm.  He told me stories that I soon won't forget.

My cousin just returned from Iraq.  I haven't really had the chance to ask him about his experiences but hopefully one day I will.

I know that Memorial Day is a time to honor those who have served our Country & made the ultimate sacrifice.  I would also like to take a moment to recognize & remember friends & co-workers that I have made thru the years that are no longer here.  Scottey, Jules, Meg, Danny, Kenny, Floyd, & Jeannette...I miss ya'll every day that I wake up.  I look forward to the day we are reunited.

I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend.

God Bless our Troops!! :)

A DAILY GRIND

Yesterday, I noticed that I heard a grinding when I went to stop.  I was told when I bought the truck, that everything had been thoroughly inspected & passed.  So here I sat thinking "It can't be my brakes, can it?"  After all, I was assured that everything was in top condition not even 3 months ago. 

Today, I kept hearing that same noise only it was a lot worse.  To give myself peace of mind, I decided to stop at Advanced Auto on my way back from going to get the bunkhouse & pick up a set of brakes just in case this WAS the problem.

Just a short while ago, our show mechanic took off the front passenger side tire & this is what he discovered:

One of the pads was completely shot & the other one had worn down so far that the rivets were starting to dig into the rotor.  I'm happy my intuition paid off & I stopped to pick up new brake shoes.

Now I shouldn't hear the GRIND as I come to a stop. 

Also on a brighter note, my outside sewer lines did get repaired.  The materials needed to fix it were picked up at our last 2 day stand 5 days ago & it was repaired the following day. I'm so happy!!

Today marks the end of 5 one day stands & I am thrilled! Sometimes, just being able to snuggle back down in the bed can be exhilarating. 

Last time that I blogged, I wrote about spending $25 every day that I ran the generator.  So far, this week I have been extremely lucky.  I have had city electric for the last 5 days so that amounts to $125 that didn't come out of pocket.  Now I have probably jinxed myself so I will do a Swedish Circle before leaving here to erase any bad juju. :D

Something else happened to me that was totally amazing! Actually, it was two events so here they are.

1.  About 2 weeks ago, I asked if I could have an evening off to go have an Evening with the Captains. You're probably thinking "Captains, what Captains?"  None other than Captains Sig Hansen, Johnathan & Andy Hillstrand in their Captains Tour.  It's a night of storytelling, drinking, & more! Needless to say, my Boss said I could go.  So on June 9, I will be about 80 miles away from Asbury Park, NJ.  I am dying of anticipation...It's only 2 weeks away! 

2.  Last Friday(May 20) Dennis from the Discovery Channel called & left a message that they were looking for a Hair Hang artist & wondered if we still had one.  After getting back in touch with him, he told me that they were going a different direction but asked if he could keep our number on file for the future.  He asked me where we were located at & I told him right now we're in Pennsylvania & would be here for the next two months but our city would change every day or every other day.  Who knows what the future will hold for our little Mudshow :)

As always, thanks to all who read my ramblings & until later, God Bless, See you down the road!!

A LITTLE HISTORY OF A MUDSHOW CIRCUS

A couple of days ago I had a follower on Twitter ask me what was the difference between a Circus & a Mudshow Circus.  I knew I couldn't answer back within the tweet allowance so I will dedicate this post to explain the differences.

In the early days of the American Circus, mostly all Circuses were under canvas, including some big name Circuses, like Ringling.  They traveled the dusty, unpaved byways in covered wagons thru the night to the next town.  Upon arriving, they would wash off the mud off the wagon wheels & put on a parade of all the performers & animals, starting at one end of town & ending at the grounds where the Big Top would be erected. Hence the name Mudshow Circus. Nowadays, we travel the highways in trucks but we still honor the memory of the original wagons by calling ourselves a Mudshow, because we do the same actions, except for the parade.  When we arrive in town, we wash the mud off the equipment to make sure that it looks its best for the public. 

The Mudshow Circus is a vanishing breed because of increasing demand for building offices, stores, etc.  & shrinking areas in which to erect a tent, or Big Top.  Because of dwindling spaces to place a Big Top, most Circuses chose to go indoors, to places like a coliseum, or gymnasium.  They are still a Circus but unlike a Mudshow, they do not set up any tents.  Going to a Circus inside a building does not have the same feel as one under canvas.  I have been to Circuses inside buildings & found that you can't get up close & as personable as one under a tent. 

I hope this helps anyone who may have wondered what the difference was.

Until later, God Bless, See you down the road!

CIVILIZATION AT LAST!

Two days ago, we left a town in West Virginia to drive 160 miles to the next town.  I was dreading it but thankfully the drive was a pleasant one, with no mechanical failures or flat tires.  We arrived after 4 hours of driving thru the mountains of WV to a lot no bigger than 6 parking spaces.  We did manage to get all of the equipment & tent in place though! 

The best part about this lot was the fact that there was a Food Lion in the same plaza.  I got to replenish my food stores & kitty supplies.  I also was told there was a laundromat not even 3 miles from the lot.  I was so shocked!  Needless to say, I rushed thru the store, scooping up my supplies, & then got to the laundromat.

It was 1 pm by the time I got there with another woman from the show & it was so hot inside there.  I grabbed a big washer for my clothes & still needed a smaller one to finish them off.  It had been almost 2 & 1/2 weeks since my last visit to a laundromat & I was in dire straits. Another two days, & I would have been completely out of everything. Thank goodness, civilization finally reappeared.

We left the mountains of West Virginia today to play one town on the panhandle of Maryland.  From here, we will journey into Pennsylvania for a 2 month sojourn.  I can't wait! 

Also, the 9 one day stands are coming to an end.  Only two remain before we get 2 two day stands in a row.  I was so tired today that I actually laid down for about 20 minutes.  I probably would have slept longer but the phone rang. 

On a brighter note though, today was the 1st day in the last week that we actually had city electric!  I spent almost $200 in gas for the generator so I could have power this last week.  I hope we can run into some more power poles. :)  Not only is it easier on the wallet, you don't have to hear the constant hum of the generator. 

Speaking of generators, one that I bought back on April 16 died after not even 2 weeks.  I took it back to Tractor Supply & they wanted me to leave it to be fixed. I explained to them that I traveled with my job all the time & would be more than 300 miles away from there when it got back, so I couldn't just leave it.  The manager was very nice & told me they didn't have any(the tornado had just happened the day before & they were sold out) but he called around & found me one near a town that I would be playing in a couple of days.  I took it to there & they were so nice and helpful.  They exchanged it for no added charge & helped me load it on the back of my truck.  Kindness & generosity still exist, a bonus for someone who was a stranger to these men.

Thanks to all who read my ramblings! :)

Until later, God Bless, see you down the road!

HARD TO BELIEVE...

I can't believe my last blog was over 2 weeks ago! So much has happened in that time.  After repairing the tent, we left Mountain City & headed to Virginia.  On our drive I saw the havoc the tornadoes wreaked upon the land.  Here's some pictures.

I was driving of course so the pictures aren't all that great. 

On our 3rd day in Virginia, I arrived at the lot to discover we had to drive over a small gully.  As I attempted to cross over, my outside plumbing got ripped off.  Oh the joy of fresh honey all over a pristine lot!  I'm still trying to get it fixed but since we have had long jumps it has been difficult.

About a week ago, I noticed it was time to do laundry once again. I have been looking for a laundromat ever since.  I had every intention of going to the laundromat at our last 2 day stand on Sunday.  Unfortunately, the town had other plans.  There was not a laundromat within 20 miles of that town. I just find it hard to believe that a town would not have a laundromat.

But wait, there's more!! Since we left there, it has gone downhill fast.  I have run out of bread, milk, sugar, tea bags, kitty litter, & wet cat food.  I am giving my cat treats sparingly because I am dangerously low on them as well. If he doesn't have his YUM YUMS in the morning as a bribe to get in the carrier, he can be HARD to load up. You would figure that every town would have at least a grocery store.

Tomorrow is Day 4 of nine one day stands & it will be a 70 mile trip.  Since it is a fairground, I hope there will be city electric as the $25 a day I have spent the last 3 days to keep the generator running is slightly killing my pocket. 

In 3 days I will be out of West Virginia & will play one town in Maryland, before hitting the Land of Milk & Honey, also known as Pennsylvania, for 2 months.  Hopefully, sometime before I arrive in Pennsylvania, I will find a laundromat & grocery store to attend to all my needs.  Otherwise, I guess I will be washing out more outfits in the sink to see me thru. As for the grocery part, I guess a convenience store will have to suffice.

Until later, God Bless, see you down the road!