Thanksgiving Week

Tuesday night I met up with Jose and Leslie for a magic session, Jose wanted to work on palming.
I do use a palm at this time in any of my card effects although I would love too...
The palm is a devastating tool to have in your arsenal. I recently purchased the Card College series by Roberto Giobbi. His volume two teaches palming. I brought the book along and Jose read the short chapter on palming.
We worked on some sleights together. It was a nice time to just be together magically.
Leslie's wife Sarah recently gave birth to their first child. A girl! At the time of this writing I have not found out the name of their girl. She was born Nov. 19th!
Leslie has produced a dvd of magic and it is really well done! He is planning a second one. He asked me to do an effect for it. I do not know which effect to do yet... we will see!
Thanksgiving arrived and we had my wife's family over to celebrate.
Thanksgiving has become the last pure holiday left. Not too much commercialization with it. I think this is why it is becoming many people's favorite holiday.
Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentines day etc have been hijacked.
Thanksgiving and the 4th O' July are the two last times that are central to family and just getting together. Maybe I'm jaded!? I know I am.
Christmas is about the gift of Jesus to a sinful world for redemption from sin into the presence of God. Somehow it has become all about what "I" want, what's in it for me. What can I GET!
Instead of, "what can I do for others!"
Kind of like the way our nation has become, a welfare state with a lot of people with their hand out looking for something for nothing. What can I get from the government?!
I remember the lines from a famous speech that went something like this, " Ask not what your country can do for you, but rather what you can do for your country!"
We have gotten so far away from that, that it is rather sickening!

Anyway, we had a wonderful thanksgiving, the bird was cooked to perfection by my wife, and the food was excellent, although the football was lacking. The Sea Chickens lost to Dallas.
Ryan stayed with us for four days and we enjoyed the time together.
We built a suspended bed for Katie.
I am pretty cheap at times and was looking for a way to cut costs, so I decided to purchase a used water bed and make the bed from the wood. The bed I bought cost me 30 dollars. The frame was 2X10 Pine in a very dark stain. I got out my table saw and cut the wood to 2X8 width, I then sanded the wood and stained it in a much lighter color. Looks pretty good! Also included in the water bed was the plywood for holding the bed. I think I saved some good money, but sanding all the pine wood was no picnic!
It was great working with him!
Cutting wood and talking numbers, measurements and the like. He has a degree in Civil Engineering, and has worked recently for a structural engineering firm, so he was able to put some of that knowledge to practical use!


We rented a couple of movies, both magic themed, The Prestige and The illusionist.
We liked the Prestige better, but they were both really good!
Ryan's drivers side door on his car hasn't been opened in about six months or more. He has had to climb in thru the passenger side all this time.We decided to tear it apart and see what we could see!
It was difficult because, since the door was locked in the closed position, we could only get the panel off a few inches.
With perseverance and some luck, we were able to get it opened.
We found that as long as he doesn't pull on the outside handle or inside handle with the door in the locked position, it will work fine.
I am chuckling because I know he will walk to the passenger side of the vehicle for awhile!

Two in a row baby!

I performed for some elderly folks yesterday!
It was a place called The Lakeshore near Renton, Wa.
Many people were in attendance including my wife and some neighbors I invited from my childhood.
They are now both 88 years old.
We all hit it off immediately!
That is why I posted under the heading Two in a row!
I don't want to jinx myself, but maybe I'm beginning to enter a new era in my performing.
I hope so! It is really great to connect with your audience!
I wasn't nervous at all and was just myself, whoever that is.
Lots of laughter, clapping, and smiling!
I was as uplifted as they were!
Now that is what I believe Shakespeare was talking about when he made the comment. "an entertainer is only as good as his audience!"
They were great and I was great, we fed off of each other!
OUTSTANDING!
I think I have turned a corner as far as being a performer, and getting over myself.
I have studied many books on the subject, about getting out of your own way and to the point of knowing your "stuff" so well that you can focus your energies on the audience.
Am I perfect? Am I "there" yet? I don't think those things are totally achievable, I just am having so much fun with it, that it is becoming more relaxing and enjoyable for all concerned.
Am I Bragging? Not at all. I am just recognizing that a lot of hard work is beginning to pay off and produce fruit!
I have been in magic for a full five years now and it is time that I realized that I am no longer "green."
I have some talent and am excited to be able to share it with the few people in the world that I come into contact with!
Confidence is becoming greater!
It is so awesome to hear people laugh, clap and make sounds of astonishment.
What a treat!

Magic For Children

(I have sat on this post for awhile, hoping to get some pics...)

I've come a long way baby!
Is it o.k. to pat yourself on the back once in awhile!?
I believe it is, as long as you aren't getting BIG headed about it!
Last January I set two magical goals. One was to develop a childrens magic act. The other is to develop a Christmas Magic act.
I am close to fulfilling the first.
I haven't really started on the second, although I have some ideas and props available.
It is difficult to find the time or make the time to work on new material. Or maybe that is just an excuse?!
Ever since going to the Ickle Pickle Lecture back in August I have wanted to redirect my magic to include the little children.
Saturday I had the opportunity to enthrall several young children and their parents!
I was booked for a little four year old girls birthday party. When I got the call for the party, I actually tried to talk the mother out of hiring me, as I was doing this I am mentally asking myself, "what are you doing? You are on strike, and here is an opportunity to make some easy money." As it turned out, I finally had a long heart to heart discussion with the mother about hiring clowns vs. magicians and the benefits of both. She was planning a tinkerbell party, but her challenge was the number of boys coming to the party, (she felt that they wouldn't be into Tinkerbell, although I thought Tinkerbell was "hot" when I first saw her!)and do I do balloon animals too?
Since the woman lived close by, I drove over to her home and left her with a 30 minute video of my show!
Two days later I received an email from her that she and her husband would love to have me perform for their daughters and guests.
Well, that is all well and good, but I like to perform an hour show, half an hour just seems to short, I'm just getting warmed up!
She wanted a half hour so that is what I planned.
As it turned out it was more like 40 minutes.
I think that is because of all the fun we were having. It is nice to be able to interact with your audience, and not be constricted by being tied to your patter.
There were about 15 little kids, mostly ages two to five, but one girl nine, and another 12. The show was great, the kids had a blast laughing, and yelling and the parents and grand parents were all happy too!
That's what magic is all about!
Having fun!
I got silly with them and it was a magical time for all.
So, I must say that I have just about completed one of my goals for this year!
Creating a childrens act!
Right on!

Be Safe Son

(click on pictures to enlarge)
Took the family on a Little vacation sort of...
Our son Eric is being deployed to Iraq again soon. Probably in a week or two. The Military doesn't see fit to let the boys come home before deployment to see their families. Instead they would rather the family spend a lot of money to come see them, what I mean is... rather than an airline ticket to send our son home for a week BEFORE heading to another country to possibly get killed, they make us buy four airline tickets and stay in hotels for the duration of the time we want to spend with our loved one. Now, having said that...
We had a great time in San Diego! I just had to get that off my chest! :)
We left Seattle and the pouring rain last Friday at about 11 am, and arrived in the afternoon to a beautiful November sun shiny day!
Friday was a get unpacked in the hotel day, and go out to dinner at El Torito's. The restaurant was just a short walk from the hotel. This would be the night we finally get to meet Eric's girlfriend, Kim!
She is a beautiful young lady and seems to love our Eric!
She was a bit reserved at first, and that is to be expected, meeting Eric's whole family all at once would be a bit daunting. All went well and we enjoyed a nice evening together.
Saturday was a day for the boys to play together and the ladies to enjoy some female time together too! Eric took Ryan and I golfing at the Marine Corps Miramar Memorial Golf Course. It was a pretty nice course considering it is on a military base!
Palm trees all over and sunshine too!
I shot a 91, I also had a nice birdie on one of the par fives.
Eric hit some monster tee shots! Ryan scrambled his way around the course!
We enjoyed our time together!
The ladies spent some time at Pacific Beach, getting to know one another!
Saturday night was the Marine Corp Ball. Eric took his lovely friend Kim, and they enjoyed dancing and fine food!
We enjoyed fine food that evening as well. Katie chose to have us eat at the Inn & Out restaurant. It was our first (and hopefully last) time eating at one of these hamburger joints. Everyone liked it but me. The french fries were a little to "light" for me. They were simply weird. But at least the meals were reasonably priced! I liked that! Inn & Out joints are a big hit in California, It has to do with the teenagers I guess?! Just there kind of thing to do, like a fashion statement, a place to meet and go, a hang out for them.
Sunday we drove to Mission Bay to play some volleyball. My kids are all kind of crazy, and full of energy! It was a very windy day. We goofed around at the park and had a lot of fun! We got kind of chilly so headed back to our hotel for some hot tubbin. After that we drove to "Old Town." That's a place in San Diego that has lots of stores along the sidewalks, kind of like Seattle's Pike Place Market,
but Mexican style. A little like going to Tijuana Mexico without the danger. Lots of Mexican restaurants. We go there whenever we are in San Diego. Our favorite restaurant is a place called Guadalajara's. I highly recommend it!
Monday! Disneyland!!!
Joan and I discussed making the one and a half our drive to Disneyland in Anaheim.
We didn't tell Katie until we got to our hotel, and we let her in on the secret, I was surprised by how excited she got! Katie was with us 12 years ago when we last went to Disney, she was three at the time. Of course she didn't remember any of it!
We had a great time at Disney. Since it was a holiday, they stayed open til midnight. Normally at this time of year they close at 8 pm and do not do their fireworks show. This was the first time we have seen the fireworks show! It is really excellent, highly recommend! All done to music and choreographed! Very nice!
My favorite ride was splash mountain! Ryan's was Pirates of the Caribbean.
We also enjoyed Buzz Lightyear! I scored the highest but have no proof. It is a funny story, but no one will believe it!
Since we were a group of five, and two people rode in a Buzz Lightyear car together, I rode alone. You have laser guns and shoot at targets for points! I decided to use both guns, one in each hand. Your score is tallied when you are finished. I score 81,200 with my right hand and 17,100 with my right!
I beat everyone in our party, (the boys scored somewhere in the 40 thousand range) Kind of astonished everyone, including myself! They didn't believe me, but they have a way of emailing your picture with the scores. My email didn't make it back to my email address, but at least "they" got to see it before we sent it, so I was validated! Too bad the email didn't come thru, it was a neat picture of me being intense with BOTH guns blazing!
I visited the magic shop in Disneyland. It was a big disappointment to me. I figured since it was the magic shop at Disneyland, the place "where magic happens" and the home of the original magic castle, they would have an awesome magic shop! Wrong! Tiny and limited. I think I am a better magician than either of the two people working at the shop while we were there. That was kinda sad to me. I really wanted to spend some money there, but I didn't find anything of interest.
I drove us home from Disneyland. Eric's drivers window does not roll up. Twas a cold wind blowing on the left side of my face. It was a late evening, we got back to our hotel around 1:30 in the morning.
So, Tuesday we all slept in! All except Katie. She fell asleep in her clothes, too tired to change when we got home late Monday (actually Tuesday morning) night!
The hotel we were staying at served free breakfast and Katie didn't want to miss it. The rest of us just wanted to sleep in, I think every vacation needs a "lazy" day in it! Anyway, she woke up at about 9:25 am, the breakfast was served until 9:30... Yep, she made it on time for breakfast!
We finally got up and showered, Eric took us to lunch or breakfast, depending on your view point... to a place called the 'Naked Cafe' where they served healthy type food. It was actually very good!

We visited Pacific Beach, San Diego on Tuesday, and it was a a windy day and we had fun tossing the Frisbee around. Later we witnessed a spectacular sunset!
We headed back to the hotel for some warming up in the hottub and then walked on over to Benihana's!
Again, it was a wonderful meal and a good time. Eric had a problem though. He became ill and couldn't enjoy his meal. This was the only downer during the whole trip.

Wednesday, we visited Old Town, San Diego, and the flight home.
Usually when you are at the end of your vacation you can't wait to get home. This time it was different. We had such a great time that we wanted to stay and play!

I have never seen a sunset like this before, so indulge me my faithful 3 1/2 as I post some family photo's here!I mean, these look like they are faked with some type of back drop used!

I got a phone call from Eric on Thursday. He is flying back to the war zone on Monday.
Please pray for him.

Shame!

When you abort the innocent unborn child, and celebrate it as a victory, and you lift it up as an ideal of progress, shame on you. The same holds true on the other end of the spectrum. We have just enacted a death with dignity law here in Washington state. I see all kinds of problems with this law. It is a slippery slope we should not tread down lightly. And yet it is hailed as a victory for human rights! Ha!
When we as a nation, elect people to high office that believe in massive wealth distribution, just for the sake of tearing down those that have worked hard to create that wealth, shame on you. These same people use their wealth and enjoy their massive amounts of money and enjoy it, but do not want you too.
It is like biting the hand that feeds you. We are in for a big shock in this country now! You think we have massive debt problems now? Wait until these Socialist ideas rip this nation to shreds.
When a people or race such as the black population in America, vote for a person simply because of their skin color and someone calls them on it, and tells them that that is the epitome of racism, and they deny it and call YOU a racist, that is a joke, and shame on them.
There is NO EXCUSE for this blatant mis use of power by the woman, Diantha Harris in the above video. She is cruel and ignorant. She should be immediately fired.
If this had happened by a white school teacher brow beating a black child for their "Pullin' for Obama, I guarantee you that person would be fired before the video made you tube!
What really disturbs me is the nagging thought that Diantha was most likely on her best behavior during this video because she knew this was being documented. Makes me wonder what she says when there are no cameras running?!
Oh, and where is the American Civil Liberties Union now? They should be calling for this woman's head. Protecting the rights of the children and their parents in this school classroom. Where are they?
This is actually Fascism at it's highest level. This could even be considered a hate crime.
When a group of supposedly intelligent men and woman, spout ideas about global warming and refuse to discuss the truths or lack of truths of their findings, shame on them as they make millions from their lies and inaccuracies!
These are the same people that insist on teaching the youth of America the LIE of evolution as a fact. When we teach the LIE of evolution, and kill unborn children, and people euthanize themselves because we no longer value human life, because it is taught to us that we evolved, and are no better than that tree over there, I call them lairs and thieves of the truth. Of course they will call me many names to keep from discussing the truth. Like the homosexuals who have banded together to make a voting sect. You disagree with them and you are unenlightened, a bigot, a homophobe! HA! They are liars! They call you names so you have to defend yourself against their slander, this is a ploy to keep from discussing the issue of their homosexual, deviant behaviour.
Like the fool that smokes cigarettes. Always making some excuse or other why he smokes. The reality is that there is not one good reason to smoke. "But I enjoy it they cry, who are you to deny me my pleasure!?" As they slowly rob from themselves of their own health and prosperity.
No one wants to deny you your pleasure. The problem arises when you decide to force your ideas of pleasure onto everyone else in society as a normal behaviour.
Then you decide you should be allowed to celebrate it as normal and make society teach your abnormal lusts as normal. Not only that, but when your abnormal, sinful desire causes your death, such as the case of aids for the homosexual, or lung cancer as the case for the chronic smoker, you want everyone else to pay for your self induced problems.
If you counsel with a fool, you will be a fool!
Hitler brain washed the youth of Germany and we are doing the same thing.
Our wonderful youth are being indoctrinated by the left leaning school system that is ALWAYS asking for more money so they can hand out condoms to our children behind the parents back.
I find it ironically comical as I watch this unfold. These leftist liberals always screaming out about free speech when they want to hold marches in the nude, or have their "Gay Pride" parade. But if you speak out with your own free speech against them, woe unto you, you unenlightened bigot, homophobe, war monger. You,you Christian! What is wrong with you? What right do you have to tell us we are an abomination?
What's the matter with you? What is the matter with you? That is their relentless cry! That something is wrong with you! HAHA.(It's not funny!) FOOLS! The whole lot of them!

Back to work

The strike ended last week, I have been in to work three days now, Sleep is eluding me.
I find it comical that management has take the strike person.
They have gone thru some lockers, removing t.v.'s and vcr's and dvd players.
Removing personal items from break rooms and in other cases moving peoples lockers out of firmly established break rooms into smaller confines.
Welcome back is not really in their vocabulary.
Many of them are truly happy to have the work force back. They had to endure long twelve hour days and working many week ends.
Others, like my upper management, seems to have taken the strike personally.
They are intent on flexing what muscle they have left, and instead of a hardy "welcome back, good to see you!" It is like they are intent on angering the returning employees.
This is funny to me because it is counter productive.
They need us to build and move the airplanes, which of course, because of the strike, Boeing (us) is way behind on getting to the customers.
Oh well, in time things will get back to normal.

Wow!

SWEET!

I have been wanting to do a Silver Sceptre magic effect ever since watching A magician from England, Terry Herbert perform it!
It is a comedy effect that is great for children and some adults too, those adults that still have an inner child residing within them!
Anyway, after purchasing the apparatus, I soon realized that the magic wands (Silver Sceptre) Bag or pouch is made of a flimsy vinyl material. During the last part of the effect the wand must be in the bag, and then the bag shoots off of the wand creating much laughter.
Well, the problem I have been experiencing is that the bag rips or tears at the join and thus rendering the bag useless.
A magical friend of mine, Gary Smith is also a worker in leather. He loved the effect too after watching Terry Herbert perform it and decided that he wanted to see me perform it so he made this wonderful pouch for my silver sceptre!
It is beautiful!
A one of a kind article that will really enhance the splendor of the magical effect!
I cannot wait to get started on the routine!
Thanks Gary, you ROCK!

Daughter's homecoming Dance

Yep, they grow up fast, right before your eyes,....
Don't blink or you'll miss it!
Saturday our daughter and some friends went to the Homecoming dance.
Lovely young ladies.
And young men trying to figure it all out!
Also went to a wedding, a nice affair involving some young people growing up fast.
Our family enjoyed the event.
Congratulations to the young couple!

The Boeing strike was settled last week, our union membership voted on the new contract proposal on Saturday. We overwhelmingly accepted the offer.
I go back to work tonight.
We have been off work for two months. A nice relaxing non paid vacation, or one might say, pre retirement practice!