Fun in the Sun

My brother Kurt & I recently had the opportunity to escape the bone-chilling cold of Minnesota for the sunny warmth of Florida. We were able to spend some time with our brother Mike and his wife, Morgan. They took such good care of us that fitting into costumes after a week with them was somewhat of a challenge. Morgan is such a terrific cook. Everything was fantastic, but I think my favorites were the Chicken Tika Masala and her Creamy Garlic Cucumbers. We really had a wonderful time. We didn't do a lot of sightseeing, in fact we were indoors working on the day to day business of Five By Design most of the time we were there. We did manage to get out for a walk or to and the weather cooperated splendidly for the most part. I can understand why people spend the winter down here. While I would miss the snow at Christmas time, I certainly don't think I would miss the four to six months of cold back home in Minnesota. That being said, though, I still love the change of seasons and I would not want to be in Florida for the summer. At least not until I sprout gills making it possible to breath in the oppressive humidity.

We also had the chance to meet up again with some of our cousins who are living in the Orlando area. It's been many years since I last saw Keith and Debbi, and it was the first time I'd met Keith's wife Irma and their two kids, Keithie and Sara. In fact, Mike and Morgan and their friends were seated directly in front of Keith and his family and they didn't even know it until after the show. Email addresses and phone numbers were exchanged after the show but we were pressed for time since we had another show in just a couple of hours. All in all it was a lot of fun and we look forward to seeing everyone again the next time we're in the area.

Speaking of the show in Orlando, we had a great time working the the Orlando Philharmonic and it was the second time we'd worked with their conductor, Andrew Lane. We had previously worked with him in Sarasota where he conducts the Florida West Coast Symphony. It is truly amazing how small the symphony world is and all the connections we have made over the years. We certainly hope to be back in the Orlando area in the near future, so for those of you who may be interested, watch our website for any information regarding upcoming show dates.

We are currently in Waco, TX for a show here at the Hippodrome on Friday, Jan. 25 and then on to Richardson, TX for another show at the Eisemann Center on the 26th and then back home to Shakopee for a couple of days before heading back out on the road. I will say that I enjoy being in the South for the winter, but it will be nice to be home, even just for a few days.

Terrence Niska