The Catbird Seat

Here at Cirque du Martin, there are only two of us adult performers, so we have a lot of jobs.

Today, with a Christmas party looming and subsequent food and presents to be made, bought, wrapped and transported, and two little circus animals to entertain, feed, clothe and in general, care for completely, the circus is in full swing.

So far, with a little on-the-job training, I’ve developed some level of proficiency as the following:

Juggler: painting pots to hold Amaryllis bulbs for female gender-specific gift under $10, making grocery store run(s), baking a dessert, making dip(s), going to Counseling, washing a load of clothes, general kitchen cleaning, and present-wrapping. WHEW! Maybe one ball too many.

Clown: self explanatory.

Medic: for both the animals and the circus staff; though on-call 24/7, fortunately I’ve not doctored today.

Ringmaster: self-explanatory; shared job with other circus employee

Bareback rider: driving in Paul’s Nissan Maxima to and from Counseling in bad traffic, rainy weather (slick roads), and a time demand , I swear a bareback horse would’ve generated less white-knuckling.

Balancing on the High Wire: terra cotta pot-painting required poise and balance from fingers/hands/arms that my low-blood sugared body could barely manage (shaky hands!)

Janitor: You know the guy that walks behind the elephants and horses and cleans up poop? Yeah, that guy is me.

And for the other employee, my beloved Paul, who maintained the lion’s share of the work:

Juggler: Calling the defunct Verizon wireless plan, transporting little animals around town, searching unsuccessfully for woodworking tools, buying Christmas presents, not to mention preparing breakfasts, lunches and dinners (as I juggled my stack) for the whole Cirque du Martin troupe.

Ringmaster: see above

Lion Tamer: Ever spent any time with Elizabeth lately? In the car? When she’s hungry? Need I say more?

Rodeo Clown: taking stabs from the little animals to protect the other circus performer. Try distracting a 3-year-old from her mother who is painting really neat things with really bright colors. This is a true feat.

Trapeze Artist: swinging wildly from role as father, husband, job-hunter, problem-solver, babysitter taxi, etc. Makes me dizzy just thinking about it.

Bandleader: Crowd getting bored? No problem, just strike up the one-man band for a rousing rendition of “Crazy.”

Janitor: see above. (except that guy is him, too.)

Honestly, folks, it’s quite a task to be an employee of the circus. And the Cirque du Martin, well, it’s actually quite a sight. You should check it out sometime when we roll into town.

You know what they say…it’s the Greatest Show on Earth!

Filed under: General, Catbird, Like a fire, SAHM on December 14th, 2006