Our “Treat” for Halloween this year was a visit from Pops!
Thanks for coming Pops!
ClaraJane was a great Bat Girl.
Gavin was a, um, Barbarian Viking Business Man.
Kitten was a pumpkin.
In Other Family News:
Miles was Wolverine and a Gladiator, while Mary was a pirate, saying “Arrgh!” when she got candy and everything!
Cousin Jason -a professional opera singer, Cousins Henry & Lisle in Carlisle, Aunt Jane Ann in Dallas, and Uncle Christopher’s pumpkin in Minneapolis:
Passing the ice cream store, the kids wondered if they could Trick-or-Treat in there. Reminding them there’s only one way to find out, I encourage them to go in. Upon seeing the bewildered looks of the men working inside we start to leave when they say, “We don’t have any candy but we can… give them …ice cream?”
So there you have it kids; you never know what’s possible in life until you try! And it never hurts to ask.
Happy Halloween @Christina’s Ice Cream!
After Trick-or-Treating, we settle in to our favorite pub for some hearty replenishment with Pops. Any Halloween that includes real actual food is a total winner in my book. Let’s ask Bat Girl:
Plus it was so fun. (Holy Bob Ross happy-little-trees and T-Rex trick-or-treating at The Druid Bat Girl.) Go Gavin GO!
Near home we pass by a bunch of police making sure all is well at the local convenience store, and they hand out candy too, who knew?! #LoveOurCambridgePolice
Oh and he speaks in pretty complete sentences. With fleshed out proposals from his core values, global observations and decades fighting for social justice. With not bad good grammar too.
Selfie of Sorts: with Gavin and the Good Senator
After my shoulders got tired of holding Gavin up he graciously climbed down and slipped BEHIND the press!
Don’t touch anything honey… besides your fidget spinner?
(I think I felt like my mom did that time her sister’s cat delicately threaded its way through the porcelain nativity scene before I was born.)
Thank you for coming Bernie, and reminding us to keep fighting!!
You were -and always are- just the oxygen I need!!!
I went to the rally to slake the parched chokehold of desperation in the desert of what is our currently horrifying Chump-inspired global political climate. And to get a better sense of our City Council candidates before the election in two weeks.
I brought my son because he’s been wanting to see Bernie Sanders in person for a long time -moreover- and he is my #1 political revolutionary buddy!
Next up, Jeff Santos, whom I didn’t know before he posed for a photo with my son (not shown), but whom I have since discovered is, among other things, the host of his own progressive radio show.
Next up, this officer: “Good for you!” he told Gavin, “You literally are the future!”
‘You AH the FYOOCHAH!”
“Are you supposed to be in school? Well you’ll get a lot better education here today… not that you shouldn’t go to school! But this is important too. YOU could be president one day!”
(Even today he’d be legitimately more mature than the one we got. #bigly)
SIDE NOTE: We made a friend in line whose name I sadly forgot. She was awesome and sweet and I lost track of her before finding out if she’s on social media etc. Mystery Girl if you’re out there please let me know either in the comments here or on Facebook (Jenny T Juggler). Thx ♥!
Once inside, we find Gavin’s doppelganger:
Twinsies
This awesome woman was an actual delegate from Massachusetts at the DNC last year (no doubt undergoing the crazy times when the Clinton campaign confiscated their signs and shut off their lights & drowned out their voices etc. etc. etc. Fun times).
Linda Sophia Pinti, Democratic State Committee, Middlesex & Suffolk District Representative
Here’s Nadeem Mazen, City Councilor extraordinaire!
I said, “Can I ask you a really dumb question?” (Of course he said yes.) “Are you RUNNING (for Cambridge City Council) again?”
He said, “No.”
“OK! That explains why I haven’t seen anything about your campaign! Now I don’t feel so dumb! I’m sure you’re onto greater and brighter things; I look forward to learning about it.”
And we parted ways.
Well I looked it up and now I feel kinda dumb again; he’s running for CONGRESS!
Duh! Well this is great news if you ask me. He’s always seemed amazing to me and I look forward to tracking his bid (to represent his childhood’s district, not this one, but still).
SHOWTIME!
First up, my favorite State Rep. Mike Connolly introduces the most newly elected (progressive) State Rep, this wonderful guy Paul Feeney:
Next up, here are the Our Revolution Cambridge City Council endorsed Candidates!
Dennis Carlone, Vatsady Sivonxay, Jeff Santos, Sumbul Siddiqui, Jan Devereux, and Quinton Zondervan
[Not shown: candidates for Somerville alderman. Gratuitous Cambridge snub I guess!]
And on our way out, we managed to find Bob Massie, a progressive Democrat who is running for State Governor against our incumbent Republican Charlie Baker in next year’s election. I am just learning about his campaign and I hope he’s got a lot of fight in him!
Getting dressed, Gavin is all about his new barbarian viking beard hat. I can’t explain it. You’d have to ask him. He LOVES it.
For a button from my collection he chose “Feel the Bern” for one horn, followed by this other one:
“Mom this is the symbol for female, right?”
“Yes.”
“And the fist means ‘Resist’?”
“Yup.”
“And the rainbow stands for, um…?”
“Gay rights.”
“Yeah, that’s me. Just, any equal rights; that’s what I want to stand for. OK, let’s go!”
YOU GOT IT BUDDY!
We also enjoyed rocking our corresponding Kaepernick t-shirts:
Kap kneeling behind Rosa Parks & on the face of SCROTUS, respectively.
Note: Gavin fully understands the importance of showing respect to elders and elected officials… and ALSO that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. In the case of this unspeakably grotesque, unacceptable racist bigot masquerading as a human in the White House… all bets are off. The Chump has earned no respect and we owe none.
Having arrived at the venue early, here is my boy sitting on the tin barrel we brought as disposable furniture, enjoying his hot chocolate, reading The New Yorker:
He literally wants to be a barbarian in a business suit for Halloween.
Either way I’m a little proud; not gonna lie.
He also insisted I try on his hat. Who’m I to deny?
I don’t really know WHAT I did wrong while trying to support ClaraJane in tackling her Math Journal, but she certainly let me know WHEN.
Dry erase marker on the mirror
“Great strategy honey! Though doesn’t your teacher need to see your work… in the journal?”
She leaves the room, returns with SWORD.
Cute in picture; scary in person.
AVAST WENCH, I STAB YOU!
She ties me to the chair with invisible rope, and tells me the only thing she doesn’t like is the talking.
ClaraJane persists. I look to Daddy for solidarity. He refuses eye contact.
Somehow we make it through. I am completely sincere when I tell ClaraJane I am impressed! With her perseverance. Her effort. Her focus. How she didn’t give up, even when it was hard! She came back again and again. And tried lots of strategies.
She cuts me free from the rope. I ask how she feels about her SELF, and she goes:
[Celebrating with roller skates is one of the strategies.]
Parking outside the client’s venue in Charlestown MA, I am almost done unloading my props when I hear a voice ask, “Juggler?” “Yes,” I say, turning to face a man suddenly grabbing one of my two carts of props. Although I’m taken aback at his gruff, bold approach, I’m glad enough someone greeted me outside to escort me in. Fine. I finish locking up and turn to see that my whole cart of props he grabbed has been thrown on its side into the trunk of a car, including my basket of actual bunny rabbits.
“Wait where are we going?!” I ask.
“You are, Jengar?” he asks in a thick accent. And then I see it; the sticker on his car says “Uber.”
“OHHH!” I tell him, “I am not your rider! I thought you were from the event I am performing, inside this building!” He is not amused. He doesn’t speak much English. Or say much that I can even guess where his accent is from.
He unloads my stuff and we part ways. I roll my own props -as is my custom go figure- up to the locked door of the building and start to wonder how long I will be stuck outside in costume before making it through security for Logan’s 5th birthday party.
On my first full day of hospital clowning, I am still bandying about NAME possibilities, including; Dr. Lubbity Dub, Dr. Tinkle, Dr. Daisy and Dr. Deely Bopper. Either way I a safe because not only is there no pressure to pick a forever name, today I am paired to train with two extraordinary and experienced, naturally dignified professionals:
Getting ready with DOC SKEETER & DR. BAFU
First up: BADGING!
After final clearance from Occ. Health, and and a visit to the Child Life Services HQ, we’re off to “Badging.” I am leaning towards “Dr. Deely Bopper,” which so far is well received, but turns out people don’t necessarily know what that IS.
deely boppers. /ˈdiːlɪˌbɒpəz/ plural noun.
1. a hairband with two balls on springs
attached, resembling antennae.
So I’m floating Deely Bopper and BE Bopper. I ask my team mates and they each like one, so it’s a split vote. I ask the incredibly personable officer in the Badging office -a favorite employee of our team- which she likes better and she says, “Dr. Be Bopper,” which I was leaning towards anyways, for reasons including it is a nod in deference to the great “Nurse B.B.,” whose enormous proverbial clown shoes leave an indelible influence on the community, not to mention the opportunity for me to have this job!
Voila. Smile for the camera!
Wait! “Smile” for the camera? Or clown for the ca… **POOF!**
“OK how do you spell that,” asks the man from behind the desk, printing up my badge.
Dr. Bafu interjects, “Is it one word or two?”
Right! I nervously sputter out some letters, and then ask the Badge Man if he’s got it.
“It doesn’t seem that complicated,” he flatly replies.
He was unamused.
So apparently my first act as Dr. Be Bopper is to get burned by the Badging Guy.
I may still have everything to learn about clowning for the camera -and everywhere else- but right now I’m. Just. Happy.
Outside Badging we step directly into a frenzy of patients and Papa Razzi parents, gasping with delight and cell phones at the unexpected arrival of clowns! Poor Doc Skeeter is trying to get us going to our packed schedule of rounds when I hear a parent’s voice say, “Are you Jenny?!?” And there it is, a mother with her little girl whose birthday party I performed not long ago. #Amazing.
Finally we’re off to rounds, wherein I can begin pinching myself that this is actually happening. Like a real job and everything. #WOW!
Was SO looking forward to the first workshop day with my new hospital clown team mates. And it WAS wonderful. And I LOVE them. Especially every single one of them!
And our team therapist, and most of the clown exercises; even when they were uncomfortable or confusing, excruciating or challenging, and requiring great trust and vulnerability.
Unfortunately there were also aspects of it that left me embarrassed, dismayed, awkward, shrinking and ashamed. Really shitty feelings basically. For reasons beyond my understanding, this has affected me beyond my ability to shake the deep feeling of ICK I’m experiencing inside. It’s oozing sadness and I’m perplexed as to WHY it’s so acute.
So if I don’t look like much of a clown in our group shot above, that might explain it.
)●=
I know I’ll get through it (obvs), especially as I’m performing my FIRST full day off rounds TOMORROW.
Oh well. It was just one f*cking workshop. My team mates are still all 100% the tops, and that’s all that matters.
circuskitchen 