#john ringling

12/31 - Antics

This was a day spent at my favorite museums - and both are part of the John Ringling property. The circus museum, and the collected arts museum are a must see for everyone.

My biggest takeaway is to now find out who the real person was that managed the circus: who was John Ringling's right-hand man that was one of the earliest examples of project management. When I work with other project managers in the field of technology, they pale against the people that put concerts together, and those folks pale against what it takes to put on a circus. The details are overwhelming, and the timetables to make it happen seamlessly are mind-boggling. If there is someone I want to read about and his process, this is the guy. Before anyone says anything about me presuming the person is male, let's keep it in perspective that the job would not have been given to a woman. I am not saying that a woman was incapable of the position, I am merely saying that in that time period, no one was going to take orders from a woman and respect her authority, even if she was better at the role than anyone else.

So, walk into the circus museum and see all the little figurines and complete diorama of the entire circus setup. Look closely at the details of just one aspect and think about what it took to make that one part happen, otherwise you could seriously hurt yourself and lose a motor skill.

Another note was an incident at Target. I was buying graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars, and it was rather obvious what I was going to make. Here is what transpired.

Cashier: I see someone is making Smores!

Me: Who?

Cashier: Smores. With everything you have here.

Me: (confused look) More of what?

Cashier: No, smores!

Me: So mores?

Cashier: You don't know?

Me: I put these all into a casserole into the oven and make Grammy Dips. (Did I happen to mention that I was using a British accent?)

Cashier: That sounds really good.

Me: I know, you should all try them together, it is quite good.

Cashier: Well, yes, we have smores!

Me: I will have to look into those. And have yourself a very, merry, new year!

And I kept a straight face the whole time.

The evening followed with the new We Anderson movie, "The French Dispatch", and all I remember is the stunning nude woman. The little vignettes were too arty, and the humor flat on its face at most turns. Moreover, when all was said and done, I could not tell you what I had just watched or anything that really transpired. It sure to get an Academy nomination.

Ringling Circus Museum and Ca ‘D’Zan House Tour

Ringling Circus Museum and Ca ‘D’Zan House Tour

Visiting the Ringling Estate in Sarasota was an unexpected surprise. I covered the Howard Brothers Circus model in a previous post and in this video, I tour the Ringling Circus Museum and Ca ‘D’Zan House.

The Ringling Circus Museum offers insight into the workings and history of the circus. They even have the Ringling Pullman train car on display.…

Charles Thompson, manager of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (later acquired by the Ringlings) had built Palms Elysian along Sarasota Bay by 1893…

to bolster his initial purchase of 154 acres for $1650. Thinking that Sarasota could be a great destination for the winter circus season, and a worthy land development opportunity, Thompson persuaded John and Charles Ringling to explore the area in 1911,…

For anyone who ever wanted to run away and join the circus, ground zero is located in Sarasota, FL, where a legacy built by John and Mable Ringling continues to simmer in a culturally rich pot that still stirs the imagination.

It’s hard to believe that Sarasota, once a sleepy fishing village on the Gulf Coast of Florida at the turn of the 20th century, has become a shining example of shimmering…