Golf is beauty

Golfed Monday at Druidsglen, shot a 92 I think, it was ages ago (four days)... I like the track at Druids... All the holes are unique and very picturesque, It is a tough track but fair and fun. I walked the course because I am trying to get into a little better shape. My friend Mike needs to take a driving cart because of knee problems. I had been riding with him lately. It is easier to golf because you get less tired but it doesn't help your stamina and the leg muscles get more atrophied. We played 27 holes and I did ride in his cart the extra nine. Other members of our foursome were John Mason and his Bro in law Ray. Beautiful day!
Also golfed yesterday at Elk Run. Shot an 88. Elk Run is a shorter track and allows me to think more on the course about club selection. I built some new irons (money from the sales of some clubs! Just for fun. I put steel shafts in these irons. I have been hitting irons with graphite but wanted to see if I could feel a difference.I assembled them with Bomber Reaction heads. These are like the Callaway irons. They were sweet. Felt like butter. I think I am turning to quickly with my lower body. I push sliced some balls to the right that felt like really solid hits. Hmmm...
Oh well, a never ending learning process.. I had some spectacular sand wedge shots out of bunkers, Three to be exact. That new sand wedge I built is really nice. Lot's of confidence with it. Can't seem to figure it out from the fairway though.

Wiped out, whipped and thrashed

That is how I am feeling at present. Tuesday at 12:35 am. At work, Got up Sunday at about 9 am, went to church, stayed after and enjoyed fellowship with fellow church goers, Had some good grits and went to work later that night, got off work Monday morn. Went golfing and golfed 27 holes. Sleep eluded me because My body was throbbing.. Old age bites!

In box

I read on your blog that your show went well. Congratulations. You're my hero. Here's a short video that might interest you. http://www.youtube.com/watch
My response:
Thanks, I enjoyed seeing Harry Riser,
How's your egg bag coming along?
I haven't touched mine...

Magic is funny, I have been getting rave reviews doing the Crazy mans handcuffs...
I did it for Ann Rule and floored her. She is a Seattle Author, I ran into her at Costco last Saturday.
I bought her new book "Too Late Too Say Goodbye." She autographed it for me with these words: "For Tim, You fooled me with your slight of hand."
Again, it was extremely satisfying to be able to share my "art" with her and others.
People at work have been coming out of the wood work asking to see "the rubberband trick."
Word is getting around.

I performed the Chinese sticks as my opening last Saturday. Monday at work I spoke with the coordinator of the whole Family day event and he wanted to know if "the frog hair trick" was videoed?
He wanted to "see" how it was done. As if watching a video would give it away. My point is that I find it fascinating that people get off on some of the simplest of tricks. Tricks and effects that we take for granted. I think it important to remember the amazement we had the first time we saw the effect!
I read a column on website I found at dazzlingmagic.com. It touched me to get out and start sharing my hard earned talents in magic, not that I am great or anything, but just to realize that I have something good to share with people, a way to connect with other humans that we share this Earth with. You never know what is going on in the lives of your audience how you can impact them.

Magic In The Air!

Ta Da...
Today My wife and daughter and I went to Boeing's Flightline where I work and enjoyed the sunshine, the hot rod cars, (click picture to enlarge)
two hydro planes and lots of good food and fun. A live band played and after them, I did a half hour magic show. My set consisted of The Chinese Sticks,(click picture to enlarge)

The Acrobatic Knot, (click picture to enlarge)
The ring Rope and Wand, a paper Bag/Ping Pong Ball gag and the ever famous or infamous...

Cups And Balls.
(click picture to enlarge)

TA DA!!!
(click picture to enlarge)

I intermingled and did a few other close up effects, mainly the Crazy mans hand cuffs and the hot rod. Those crazy mans hand cuffs get the greatest reactions!
I wore a mic for the first time and it went really well. The show was fast paced, I didn't skip a beat. My chops were good and I think it was pretty entertaining. The one thing I would do differently is have the small children move further away from my performing table. They were right on top of it and people in the back could not see thru the children. I did however, invite everyone to stand and come forward and enjoy the magic. Many of the people were in chairs and didn't get up, so in a way, they only have themselves to blame, so there! I did ask one Small child to move back twice as she was leaning on my table, that's a bit too close!
I got lots of compliments afterward, mostly from adults who know me, but not that I do magic. It was quite satisfying. I am still very nervous before "I go on" and that is one reason I volunteered to do it. To get some Flight time and hopefully get over my nerves. It was all good. Many children stayed after and wanted to talk or were simply just excited by the whole event! YEAH BABY!

Boeing Flightline Family Day

This Saturday id the 2nd annual Boeing Flightline Family Day! Cool car show, Miss Elam Hydro plane, a band, and food, food, food! Oh yeah, and a magician will be performing for about two hundred people... That be me!
I am excited and a little nervous. But all will be well cuz I Believe!
I have a half hour time slot and am not sure if I will have a wireless mic or not. I requested one... we'll see. It will be a great opportunity to get some gigs and to simply perform!
I placed an ad on craigslist to teach magic lessons. I have received three emails from scammers overseas wanting to give their sons and daughters lessons. Funny but not funny. They want to pay via money orders, cashiers checks and always way more than your asking price. What happens is you cash their check which is a fake, somehow the banks cash them, and then they want you to take the amount you are asking for your product or service and send them the rest. I got offered $3500.00 for a $300.00 dollar gig. You get left holding the bag when the bank tries to clear the check and you've sent along the money thru a wire transfer.

In my in box

Hi Tim,

Just read your blog. That was really emotional, beautiful.

I was going to ask you a while ago where "Flynn" came from. I only knew where Cosens came from and I knew Ray for a while before he got sick (or when I think of it maybe during his illness) I was at your house the day he died. I remember Janet and I were eating toast and your mom coming in to tell us. She was so so upset. A very sad day.

If it isnt too private, will you fill me in on why you took Flynn? I understand why you wouldnt want Cosens anymore. Or was it simply because that was "your" name?

You dont have to tell me if you dont want. Just curious. I got an email from a highschool friend that saw Ted's obituary and wondered if we knew him. When I told him who he was he didnt realize it was Ted Cosens cuz he ddnt know your guys as Flynn.

My response:
Ronda, I took the name of Flynn because it is my bloodlines.
When I filled out an application for hire at Boeing, they called me in for an interview. They told me there was no record of a Tim Cosens being born at that hospital and on that date. They send all applications thru the F B I.
So, I had to explain to them about my moms marriage etc.
Mom put us into school under the name of Cosens because she was so bitter towards our biological father that she wanted nothing to do with him, in fact, when he came to visit over twenty years later, she left town to stay with her sister.
Being a little shaver of 3 or 4, I didn't know any better until years later.
I had a choice to make. Either legally change my name to Cosens, which would have meant going to court and legally changing it for a price, or just going ahead being Flynn. We all eventually chose Flynn. I don't know why the others did, but that is my reasoning.

Balls, Boys and Sticks

MOnday was a loooong day at Gold Mountain golf complex in Bremeton Washington. About an hours drive from my home. Our foursome arrived at the course at about 6 am. Gold Mountain has two fantastic courses. The Cascade course, which is the older of the two and the Olympic course which hosted the Seattle amateur last year. We wre scheduled to play all day, lunch included! That is exactly waht we did, played all day, in fact we played 63 holes. Three complete 18 hole rounds and another nine holes which we played in a scramble format to make sure we got done before dark!
We laughed and agonized and simply had a blast! I remember one shot in particular besides the two chip ins and some great drives and long putts. I was hitting about a hundred yard approach shot. As I hit the shot, I heard a loud crack like the sound you hear when you hit a rock with a club, actually the head of my sand wedge was flying down the fairway. I was looking for my ball and somehow it ended up on the green about 12 feet from the pin. Amazing!
I am fortunate to be able to build and repair clubs. Today I took apart an old sand wedge and reshafted it onto a new head that I happen to have. Sweet!

Pop's day

I am getting old and cynical.
I have never liked father's day. My father left us when I was about three. Five kids he left for my mom to raise. Mom was crippled in her left arm. It just sort of dangled there. She was able to raise it and bend it, but the fingers didn't work and she was unable to pick things up or hold things with it. My dad was a loser! That is my opinion of him. The Bible says to honor your father and Mother. In fact it is one of the ten commandments. I find it extremely difficult to honor someone who did what he did. It was I who finally broke the ice when I was 22 or 23 and got ahold of him through his mother. I think we got together three times in the remaining ten or so years. His statement, "it's all water under the bridge now" really epitomizes his character or lack thereof.
Mom remarried by the time I was four. His name was Allen Cosens. His is the name I went to school with. So, until I was eighteen, I was known as Tim Cosens. She had one son with him. Later he left her because his son became mentally retarded from too much oxygen (I'm told) when he was about a year old with pneumonia. He left long before he physically left. He hid his shame in a bottle and beat us kids. He beat us bloody according to my older brother and sister. I guess he took out on us his anger at the condition of his only son. He lived for many years on skid road in Seattle. What a shame and a waste, he was draftsman for the Boeing company before he lost it.
Mom remarried when I was about twelve. This man is who I consider my dad.
He was a generous man that had been afflicted by Polio as a child. He was special to me because he married my mom. He was in some ways a hero because he lightened her load. Here was a man that married a woman with six children, one of them retarded. He provided for us financially and kept working hard and took us on several trips to places like California, Montana, Minnesota, The Dakotas and Oregon and so forth. His name was Ray Sticha (pronounced Stee ha)..
My wife and I named our second sons middle name for him!
Needless to say that I admired and loved this man because he was a gentleman. He must have been in love with my mom to put up with us rowdy, swearing, rambunctious kids. He was also powerful in his working habits and knew what was right and wrong. He was a good provider until he died when I was fourteen from lung cancer. when he died, I was very angry at God. I had not yet met Jesus and I remember going out in the back yard and cussing God out. Ironic, but I wouldn't have done that if I didn't think he could hear me, in other words, I knew He was there! I basically at that time told God to go to hell. Like he could do that.. anyway, my point is that I wanted nothing to do with God. Why would He take a loving man from my mom when FINALLY it seemed her life was getting good?! My mom had been thru two divorces and now a death to her beloved Ray.
It wasn't long and mom met a man named Bob. Actually my brother John worked with Bob at a restaurant and brought him home for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. He never left, figuratively speaking. They stayed together for twenty years. Bob actually is who my sister Janet thinks of when she thinks of "Dad."
None of these men were perfect. Who is? Let him who is cast the first stone. They all have had impact on my life and on my childrens lives. They are all dead and gone. They live in my memories and in pictures. In a way, they all live on in the lives and attitudes of my children that I have passed on, sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly.
Fathers day. Well, at least I had the plurality of it right!
Maybe I should be thankful for all the input they each gave unto me?! Their negative and positive influences have made me who am, for good or bad.
I have tried to use the lack of a father to make sure I was there for my children. I took them fishing, read to them, played with them, wrestled with them, swam with them, coached their sports teams, skied with them... Took them to church and prayed with them. I think the most important thing I did with them was to sit down at the dinner table regularly with them. Creating a home base for them. Instilling in them a solid foundation. I once heard it said that the greatest thing a parent can do for his children is to love their mother. The more I think on that... well, it develops in them a great security! Isn't that really what we all want? To be secure in the fact that we are loved unconditionally?
The ultimate father, the one and only one that loves us truly unconditionally is God the Father. He gave his only son to us so that we could live with him forever.
Thank you God!

Too Much Fun

Golfed Tuesday with Dan the man and a big fellow named Matt.
Dan is my old fishing buddy. Matt is 6'8" and works with me at Boeing.
We played Elk Run. Elk Run is a short track, but the price is right and it's near home, so I don't have to drive far when the round is over. I like that!
We had a blast! The weather was great and the company was enjoyable. I had two birdies and shot an 83. Some people call the course a pitch and putt because of the lack of length. Oh well, we had a good time.

Went to church Wednesday evening for our continuing learning on finding out what your personal spiritual gifts are. It was a good time as well. Afterwards there was a girl about 7 and her mother coming up the stairs. The young child was whining a bit about something... I asked her if she liked magic, she replied timidly, "yes", I produced my hot rod and proceeded to entertain her and her mom. Then there were about 5-6 people around so I asked her if she would like to see an illusion? She said, "yes"... so I gave her some rubber bands to hold and performed the crazy mans hand cuffs for her and the little audience. It all went extremely well. Everyone had fun, and left with smiles on their faces and little more bounce in their step!
Now that makes all the work learning magic over the years worthwhile!

The Effect We Have

In My in box:
Hey
Tim: Want a good laugh. It had been about 1 1/2 years since I played an 18 hole course. I had lost interest in playing golf. I played twice with you and went out and spent about $225 on three clubs.....lol. I can hear you laughing all the way over here. I hope you are happy....lol. I bought a Cleveland 3 & 5 wood launcher. I also have putter on order.
I have 4 complete sets of clubs from driver to putter. I have a total of 5 drivers and 7 putters. I have 3 golf bags....lol
I went out to Elk Run Thursday and Carroll kept score. He said I shot a 44 on the front 9 and 52 on the back 9. I still think I get tired on the back nine walking...lol. Back 9 is always higher. I think he added incorrectly..lol..because I lost four balls. That added 6 strokes to may score. I took the distance on 2 of the lost balls. I couldn't putt. That's why I ordered a new putter....lol. Did you know that Elk Run has a free stamp card. You pay for 9 and the 10th round is free.
Have you been out?...............Dan

My reply:
I am laughing...
It is your fault however, as I recall, you got me back into golf about 9 or 10 years ago and I have been playing ever since! Also, it is you again that is laughing at me... you are the one that brought a broken six iron into work and asked me to help you repair it... now I have about twelve sets of irons in my garage, broken clubs all over the place, under my boat, in boxes on shelves, about five golf bags and several pull carts... not to mention all the gadgetry that Tin Cup laughed at his female client about... heavy clubs, putting mat, Medicus driver and five iron that basically made my game go from bad to worse...
GLAD I COULD RETURN THE FAVOR!
I went golfing Thursday at Auburn. I stunk up the place. I wasn't really even there...
My brothers funeral was last Saturday. He is on my mind alot. More than I thought would happen.
I am getting better in that regard though.
Look forward to seeing you soon and losing a few of my thousand golf balls together!
Your friend,
Tim

Going Thru The (E) Motions

Tuesday night I took my friend Jose up on his offer to join him in magic session. In attendance were Randy, Leslie and Jose. Later Roger showed up. I didn't take any photo's but did video Jose doing his egg bag routine. It was funny because Jose remarked that "You are traveling light tonight." Usually i carry in a big duffel bag and my magic case full of props. I showed up with a deck of cards. Funny because two years ago when I first started going to magic sessions at Tom Franks home, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with cards!
I told Jose, that I am cheating because if needed, everything is in my car!
Of course one thing led to another and before you know it I was headed out to the street to get my buskers pouch, cups and balls, and my magic case. We worked on the Vernon wand spin and wand thru fist vanish and the striking vanish for about half an hour. Leslie and Jose and I... twisting the wand, hitting our palms with it and laughing!
All Jose has been studying is the egg bag. Most prominently, Gazzo's routine. So with a bit of prompting we got him up to perform it. Jose has a wonderful childishness to his performing. I don't think he realizes it. He was off a bit with his patter, that's what happens when you first begin to do a new routine or trick. You finally get to the point where you want to do it "live" and there is this audience staring back at you. Jose had Randy come and help him as the involved spectator. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Jose perform. His chops are pretty good. I saw no telltale or conspicuous bulges. Just a few more (100's) performances and it will be flawless! Ha Ha!
We did some Crazyman's hand cuffs and discussed the various aspects of it. Leslie did a Sweet illusion with the rubber band wrapped around all his fingers and then slipped a ring onto his finger thru the rubber band. It was a nice fooler.I did Brother John Hamman's signed card for Jose and later for Randy. It is coming along. Sure don't get the same reaction from magicians...
I performed WOW for Randy, his response... Wow!

Wednesday Joan and I went to church for some information gathering about finding your spiritual gifts. I really didn't want to go because I have a Bible study on Thursday night as well. I am not prepared for the Bible study so I cancelled it. I am feeling somewhat listless these days as my brothers passing is still fresh. But we went to the Wednesday night church meeting and we enjoyed it. My wife is awesome. Tender and loving and beautiful. A sweet woman. We didn't pin point any gifts yet, but we will. I probably have the gift of a big mouth. If you look you might even see a foot sticking out of it! ;)

Thursday morning found me on the Auburn golf course at 6:30 a.m...
I met up with Dave Huffman and John (Walker) Mason...
I played terrible, stiff back, stiff neck, thinking about my little bro and life and.... It was mostly a forgettable day on the course...

Big Mouth!

Sometimes I crack myself up!
At jam camp I brought my new video camera, the nice JVC with a 30 GB hard drive..
I was video taping much of the proceedings and few fellow harmonica players asked if I could make them a copy... sure I said, well one thing led to another and by the end of camp I promised every harmonica player there a dvd...
Well, I video'd nearly 12 hours of the instruction and fun at the 3 day camp!
It took 6 dvd's to put all the video on... I will be making about 25 copies... you do the math and that's 150 dvd's!
I charged everyone about 5-10 dollars and got all their email addresses... recently I emailed everyone and they all sent their physical addresses. I went out and purchased 150 dvd's and 30 bubble envelopes!
I am not worried about losing any money, I am sure I got enough from all the people wanting a set... It's just funny to me how I get myself into these wonderful situations!
Burnin, burnin, burnin... keep those discs a burnin...
Rock on dude!

Sunday Brunch our place

Sunday after church we had some of Joans' family over for BBQ hamburgers and Salmon.


It was mostly to see Eric off and Ryans' 23rd birthday is Monday! It was a bit of a rushed affair, but sometimes that's the way it goes.
Ryan brought his girlfriend Myoko. She is a sweetie!


I headed back to work after a two week break. It will probably be good to get back into the "swing" of things. Maybe now I can start practicing some of the harmonica stuff I learned about last weekend.

Don't know what to say!

Talked our son Eric into coming home for his uncle Ted's funeral. He arrived Friday night at about 6pm-- stayed til Sunday about 6pm.
It was great to have him home for a few days. Joan whipped up a great meal of rice and pork chops and all the trimmings... He may be going to Iraq in September. He is looking good. He spent a lot of time with his cousin Michael.

The funeral was a really nice funeral, as far as they go... It was hard to see old friends and family under the circumstances.
A bagpiper played some Irish songs... The minstrel boy, and wearing of the green. He did a really nice job.
A prayer was said by a Reverend and then one more song by he bagpiper, Amazing Grace was played, something we all can benefit from... Grace.

Ted was cremated and his ashes were distributed to all the family members in little two inch urns. I think I will put mine in a nice mesh bag and tie it to my golf bag. Then every time I go golfing I will have my brother with me... Morbid?
I spoke about Teddy at his memorial. I started out reading a poem called "The Dash" Written by Linda Ellis:
I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
from the beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
that she spent alive on earth...
and now only those who loved her
know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
the cars....the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard...
are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left.

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile...
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read
with your life's actions to rehash...
would you be proud of the things they
say about how you spend your dash?

I told of a couple stories from our childhood. There are sooo many To tell...
Ted was a character. He could fit in anywhere, anytime.
I am truly worried about his children.
I will miss him as I walk thru this life!