The Big Top

Over a year ago Technology Bytes celebrated our 10th anniversary with a party downtown. For reasons now quite forgotten, Cynthia decided to make aprons for herself and for our friend Katie. They wore them while serving birthday cake to our guests that evening. The one that Katie wore was done in a dog theme because of her pet Beagle, Lucy. Cynthia thought the apron would be a nice gift.

Cynthia has also been known to make the occasional apron as a birthday or Christmas gift for a friend or family member. She also has an extensive collection of hand-made aprons she has sewn for herself and hang in in the kitchen next to the refrigerator.

Fast forward to a few months ago. I am having a drink at the Continental Club and conversating with Alison Fisher, a local musician and long time friend. During the course of of our discussion she discloses that she has no apron. An odd thing to bring up but she was at the anniversary party I mentioned previously and I figured maybe she was fishing for a hand-made apron from Cynthia or something. I asked her what her favorite thing was and she said she loved dogs.

I made a mental note and when I went home I mentioned this to Cynthia.

Keep in mind that Cynthia does not know Allison. She met her at the anniversary party over a year ago but has no lasting memory of the interaction.

Cynthia volunteers to make Allison an apron. We go to the fabric store and pick out an appropriate dog print and Cynthia puts it together and we present it to her while she’s playing a show at the Big Top. Allison is very surprised and appreciative.

One might think that would be the end of that, but no. Cynthia gets it in her head that Allison, a woman she has spoken to for a grand total of maybe 10 minutes over the last year and half, should not have just one dog apron. Oh no, Cynthia decides that Allison should have a collection of dog aprons.

We set out to purchase all the dog print fabric we can find and over a several weeks we come up with quite a few. Cynthia takes a few days and sews together 7 aprons.

Allison’s band plays at the Big Top two Saturdays a month and we settle on a date to ambush her during a show with the aprons. Last night was the night and we showed up with 7 separate gift bags, each containing one apron. As Allison is playing a song Cynthia goes up to the stage and places a bag at her feet. We expected that she would open the bag at the end of the song and be surprised to receive an apron and then continue presenting a new bag during each subsequent song.

As it turned out, Allison eyed the bag and made a comment about her curiosity but did not open it. As she started up the next song Cynthia placed another gift bag at Allison’s feet. When the song ended one of her band mates asked what was in the bags and Allison said she did not know. Still she did not open the bag and started the next song and, as before, Cynthia place the third bag at Allison’s feet.

This went on for 7 songs with the conversation turning to the bags with more and more frequency. Eventually Allison did open the bags and was quite flabbergasted but seemingly delighted at having an instant dog apron collection.

In fact, she even played the rest of the show wearing an apron. We got her and her husband/drummer Clint to pose for a picture and a good time was had by all.

God knows what the patrons of the club who witnessed this must have been thinking. Not that we really care. I’d like to think it adds to the mystique of the Big Top and to the Allison Fisher musical experience.

The most important thing is that Cynthia enjoyed playing this out and I think Allison was not only a good sport, but enjoyed this rather surreal evening as well.