Since I left school, I have needed a good place to practice. With my, um - shall we say, "colorful" way with words while juggling, that place has needed to be a private one, hence this year's "big project".

Over the past year, I have had work done, and have been working myself, on my juggling studio - a dedicated space just to train circus arts. That's a fancy way of saying it's a giant playroom for dad. If you are jealous or green with envy, then good - you should be. It's COOL, COOL, COOL! and I like to go out there sometimes and practice in the nude, just cause I can. Don't worry, the camera is always off, and there are no mirrors...

OK, really it's just the back of a barn, and with the exception of the mice (see earlier posts), it suits me just fine. Most of the furnishing have either been "acquired" as hand-me-downs from relatives or scavenged from dumpsters. I am quite proud of the shelves and cabinets that I have salvaged from the back alleys of some local stores.

Heat, air, and a sixteen foot ceiling. The lighting is pretty good, and soon, when the money becomes available (lord knows when), there will be a good sound system as well. I've got a water cooler and a small fridge with drinks, but if you need to whiz, you will have to go out and use the bushes (no running water - hey, nothings perfect...)

I took some pictures this evening, not only to be able to show to fellow jugglers, but to document the single moment in time when the entire place was actually clean. Check out:

http://www.stevenragatz.com/bkstg/studio.htm

I also have been working on finishing up the wood shop which is also on that page.

At this point, I'm not sure if the studio project is there to support my juggling, or if my juggling is there to support my studio project.