Halloween Anniversary!

When I was a little shaver... Halloween was a BIG deal! Free candy! Yippee! As much as you could get! Dress up like a .... and FREE CANDY!
Now that I am a mature old guy... Halloween has changed, my views have changed...
But I'm not going to go there... haha..
Five years ago, I was 44 years old and put together a magic booth for treats without tricks night at the church I attend. Little did I know what this simple act would cause in my life.
Five years later I am a bonafide, semi-professional magician!
Yesterday I taught a magic class at the prestigious Bush school in Seattle.
Last March I travelled to NOrth Carolina to perform magic at the inaugural Christian Lifestyle Expo.
I have performed in churches, Senior Centers and private homes.
Living the dream baby!
My dream, small as it may be, is fun, interesting, and exciting!
Creating wonder and smiles for young and old!
About two years into this journey I had to pause and ask myself, "Self, where are you going with this? You are spending money and time chasing this magic thing. How serious are you self?" I told myself I would give it five years and evaluate where I am at with at that time. It is now "that time."
Teaching at the Bush school yesterday was the perfect opportunity to evaluate what I am doing and where I am going magically. My friend Isaac Louie had me fill in for him at the school. He has a done a great job teaching the high schoolers magic. There are fifteen in the class and I was amazed by the diversity of magic they were showing me. We opened the class with a round robin. That is where each person does a magic trick or a sleight. The people on each side of me were not prepared so I went first, breaking the ice so to speak. It was great. I felt like my mentor Tom Frank.
I performed the cut and restored rope with the Professors Nightmare ending. I was rewarded with several ooh's and ahh's during the performance. This was good feedback, letting me know the magic was being noticed.
I chose this effect because Isaac had shared with them the Professors Nightmare the previous week and we were going to be going thru it later in the class. My intention was to teach them a little about how to go into a trick and how to come out of it.
As the round robin progressed I had a glimpse of myself from four years ago at the magic sessions at Tom's Alki Magic Studio!
I could see how far I have come in these last five years.
I saw nervousness, adrenaline spikes and competition amongst the class members.
It was great. They were engaged!
O.k. so now I am a magician! Time to believe, and act, and carry myself as one!

This also marks the two years since my younger brother went into the hospital with liver failure. Two years, wow, went by REALLY FAST!

Last Monday I golfed at Druidsglen with Steve Ameden and Mike Laik. We had a great time. Steve and I walked the course and I shot an 89. It was a beautiful fall day, Mount Rainier letting us know the beauty of God's creation!
Tuesday I smoked the steelhead I caught last Friday. It turned out really,really good!
Wednesday I golfed again with Steve Ameden and Mike Laik, and this time my son Ryan joined us! We hit the links at Sumner Meadows. Sumner Meadows is a ball eatin' course!
I shot an 87, starting out slowly but getting better as the round progressed!
Of course yesterday was the teaching of magic at Bush school. I met Ryan afterwards at a Starbucks near Madison park. He informed me that my daughter, age 15 had gotten an invite to go to the Homecoming dance! Ryan was laughing because the invite came from a senior! This was funny to him because of something I had said to him while driving to Sumner Meadows the day before. I told him that "I bet some senior will be asking Katie out soon."
Prophetic aren't I!?
Katie is dealing with the challenge of not wanting to hurt the young man's feelings, but not wanting to go to the home coming dance with him either. She had already planned on going with some of her girl friends as a group.
I think she was a bit taken aback, and the timing is short as the dance is Saturday night.
The young man gave her 18 red roses which were left on her chair at school. I think Katie was a little embarrassed... so now it begins! :)
It's a wonderful thing to be asked, I just don't think Katie was ready for it or expecting it.
So, here it is Friday, Halloween 2008!
Love life, get busy livin', or get busy dyin'!