We returned to the Bay area this past Sunday for a night out – at the circus! Neither Melody nor I have been to the circus since we were little kids. For me, it was the Ringling Bros then, complete with acrobats, clowns, and elephants across three rings in an enormous stadium. In contrast, Cirque du Soleil’s new show, Kurios, was a fantastic production of sights and sounds with steampunk elements and a cool electro-swing soundtack. The memorable acts included a Japanese yo-yo champion, a rolla bolla genius, and a miniature woman who is one meter tall. We had secured a ghetto parking spot for the show through ParkWhiz, but ended the evening with a festive holiday dinner at the Michelin-starred Boulevard, which featured a delectable white truffle polenta and lobster bisque among the highlights. The meal stood out among my other holiday dining experiences this week, including Paesanos for our lab lunch, Shoki Ramen for a VA candidate luncheon, and Mexican take-out at my wife’s division holiday party at her boss’ house. Back home, we interviewed several interior designers including Misha Lindsey and Kerrie Kelly (her minion at least), with the hope of putting our home improvement projects back on track.