the ringmaster smiled and shook my hand

Let's get the shout-outs out of the way first. Please, by all means, stop wasting time on this paltry post, and congratulate maisnon (ESQ, b*tches). Wait, before you go, also take note that you ought to go wish Saheli a very happy birthday.

Yesterday, the bro-seph's SO/girlfriend/hanging out person (what's with the hang ups around terminology, peeps? Is it so bad to call a woman your girlfriend? Does that imply a shiny bauble from Cartier must soon follow? Seriously, I don't understand.) and I went to see the latest Cirque du Soleil. It should be noted that this is not really my thing. What's hilarious is that I have managed to see Cirque du Soleil twice in my life, both times quite without having any real choice in the matter. When it's your first outing with your bro-seph's hanging out person, however, you stifle the inner b*tch, put on a happy face, and make the best of it.

All of that said, my mind wanders whenever I have gone to see such a show. Everyone in the show is completely insane, with their abilities to stick their legs behind their ears, or to dance along a tightrope, or to hurtle themselves off a see-saw without betraying a hint of fear. It's undeniable that many of them nurtured such skills since they were wee little ones. How did they fall into such a life? And what sort of life must it be? It occupied my mind every time a solo performer came out to contort himself or herself, or dance, or juggle eleventy billions frisbee-like objects in the air. What compelled them to do it? Did they have a natural predilection towards it? Did they come from a long line of overachieving acrobats who would have disowned them if they had gone off to work a nine to five gig? Did they consider their lives normal, traveling from town to town, performing these wild antics to crowds of the masses? Did they look out from the stage and contemplate, looking at me, how I came to be one of their audience? I doubt it, but I was quite content to think on such things.

In other complete randomness, I know this is old news, but I just want to say that, if this guy is considered the sexiest man alive, I just might have to take switching teams under serious advisement. Is trailer chic the new big thing? Wash your hair, McConaughey! And then, drop down on your knees and beg John Sayles to cast you in another one of his films. Your cameo in Lone Star was probably the best role of your career.