New Kitchen?

Out with the old... and in with the new...
For over two years Mrs. Flynn has been wanting a new kitchen. She has made plans, scrapped plans, and put things on hold...
We contacted my friend and magician Jose Floresca 2 1/2 years ago.
He came out and took pictures, drew up plans and then things got in the way.
In the picture are two Jose's! Big Jose and my friend Jose Floresca. Jose Floresca is the one smiling!
Things called life.
A few deaths and funerals along the way.
But finally the kitchen remodel is under way.
At present we are in the "Rip & Tear" Construction phase...
Living by BBQing on the Big Green Egg, basically using the living and bathroom as a kitchen.
It has been an interesting week so far.
I sold the refrigerator that was our garage refer. Moved the one from inside the house to the garage, but not before cleaning both of them inside and out.
I think we have a few weeks left of this non sense...

The Table

Last weekend I traveled to Vashon Island to see my Cousin Larry and two of my other Cousins...
While visiting with them it was mentioned that our Grand Father, Lawrence Owen Flynn had built a desk for each of his children. The desk for my family would have been passed down thru my father. Some where along the line, this desk has disappeared.
My cousins, Cindy and Diane have theirs from their mother Carol, my Aunt.
I guess no one in their family wants the desk, it is not a very pretty thing, but it was hand crafted by my grand father and my children and their children's great grand father.
They gave the desk to our mutual Cousin Larry. He actually does not want it either as the space to slide a chair underneath is rather tight.
So, I said I would take it and refurbish it, so to speak.
Today I drove to Vashon Island via ferry boat and picked up the desk. I enjoyed the trip to Larry's home and we had a nice conversation for about an hour.
Here is that desk.

As you can see it has been painted a creamy beige color. It is also a roll top desk.
Probably built in the 60's.
It will take some time and effort to properly dismantle and make this thing look great.
I will try.

Four Years Ago

Today marks the four year anniversary of my younger brothers death...
I am still saddened by this as I suppose I should be.
Theodore Owen Flynn. August 30th 1960- May 23rd 2007.


It really does seem like yesterday.
I guess in the big scheme of things it really was only a moment in time.
Four years... what have I accomplished in those four years? Have I been doing all I can do to live MY Dash?
Sometimes I think I have, I know I have, but at others... ? Well maybe not.
It is ironic that "life" gets in the way of living...
We all have these wonderful dreams, plans to accomplish things, or travel... but we allow circumstances or others to get in our way. Sometimes we build a wall around our own self, stymieing ourselves. We pigeon hole ourselves by our life we live. We often do not live for ourselves but for others. Our spouse or our children. Our job or even what we think we ought to do because we think it is right and proper.
What about your dreams, desires, goals? Are they dead? Are you dead in a live body?
It is funny how we are always comparing ourselves with other people.
Ted was always the outgoing, charming one. He could walk into any room and liven it up. He fit in anywhere and with ease.
He should have been the magician. His easy rapport with people would have been so disarming. And yet... He had many challenges in life too.
Ted was a very special person in my life. We were a year and a half apart. Many people thought we were twins, in fact I was just asked this by my cousin two days ago. I loved playing sports with Ted. He was a lefty, and had speed and power.
I remember playing Little League baseball together. Ted was 11 and I was 12. I played center field and would laugh when a right handed batter would swing at one of Ted's left handed curve balls, a swing and a miss. Often while they missed the ball it would also hit them in the foot. I am glad I never had to try to hit against him.
He was also my friend.
We struggled in our relationship towards each other late in life as he liked to drink a lot, and I think he felt that I was judgemental about it. So, I didn't get invited to a lot of his back yard BBQ's...
of which he was famous for.
In our early twenties we enjoyed playing a lot of softball together. Ted played left field for us and was a great fielder. He was small in height, and he used this to his great advantage. I would just love to see the opposing teams outfielders begin to creep in closer in right field. Ted would take a pitch or two and watch them as well. Then BAM, he'd hit a home run over their heads!
We had some great times going to tournaments.
Boy did we party!
Ted had an easy smile, he was the most un judgemental person I know, and I wish I had more of that trait too...

Vashon Island

Saturday was a fun filled day on Vashon Island.


Two cousins of mine drove from Idaho to visit our Cousin Larry who has a beautiful place on Vashon Island. Actually he owns and operates a small guest house.
He built the guest house as well as refurbished the existing A frame structure.
Carpentry runs in our family as our grand father was a carpenter as well as my father and my brother John as well.
I have a few small skill in that dept. as well.
Anyway, Joan, Ryan and I arrived at Larry's place about 11;00 A.M.
We met up with Cindy, who I haven't seen in 39 years, and her sister Diane.


Hooked up with Larry who had to go do some charitable work for a few hours, so the rest of us went into town after a brief visit. We ate lunch at a wonderful restaurant called the Red Bicycle. I can heartily recommend the Clam Chowder. I ordered the Portabello mushroom burger. I was disappointed that when it arrived there was no meat on it. Geesh, what was I thinking? :)
I ordered a plain hamburger patty and chowed down.
Larry was able to break away from his duties and join us for lunch. As they had all heard about my magical endeavors, I knew it would be just short while before I would need to prove that I actually have some.
I didn't disappoint.
I think Ryan and Joan were not interested in it much as they have been around it and me long enough, but My cousins sure enjoyed the entertainment.


We did some shopping in various 'stores' on Vashon Islands main street. Visiting some stores looking for bargains and various other sundries.
Everywhere we went people knew my cousin Larry. He is the local bus driver and meets everyone, he is an outgoing person and gives love wherever he travels.

Walked along the beach and just simply enjoyed the day.
I am somewhat mad at myself for not visiting Larry and Vashon Island before this.
We had such a great time I will definitely be going back soon.

My Beautiful Mentor

Oh what a lucky man I am....

Recently I have had the opportunity to attempt to teach someone I work with some magic. His name is Gary and he is an older man like myself. He wants to learn some simple card tricks. I decided to teach him some self working card tricks. This is not as easy as I thought.
I have come to realize that through the last 7 years, by hard work and diligence, I have become rather smooth at this craft. Yes I am tooting my own horn. If I don't blow it, no one else will! :)
What I am trying to say is that my patter, or what I say during my card routines, as well as all my magic effects has become somewhat ingrained. The verbiage said during an effect or performance is just as valuable as the actual physical mechanics of the trick. They go hand in glove.
So, here I am trying to teach this fellow some magic and he is not taking notes, his hands are dirty from working on airplanes, I give him some cards and because he uses dirty hands as he practices they are looking extremely shabby which affects the way they work.
This all brings me to my mentor Tom Frank.
I never realized how gentle of a teacher he was and is. OMG!
What patience he had with me.
It is all I can do not to pull my hair out with this man.
I must be careful not to crush his excitement and exuberance.
And yet, his work is so stilted and jerky. ( I must have been the same, how could I not be?)
As I type this I realize that compared to the masters in our craft, men like Alan Ackerman, Juan Tamariz, Harry Lorayne, Bill Malone, Darwin Ortiz, Daryl Easton, and so many more, that I most likely look stilted and jerky to them as well.
Patience...
I want to thank my friend and mentor Tom Frank, and others that were there for me in the beginning, men like Steve Ameden who constantly told me, "soft hands." And "don't give up."
I find it amazing that they even put up with me.
I am having so much fun with this wonderful art.
What an amazing journey!

Disappointed in myself

Renton High School is celebrating it's 100 year centennial. This is an amazing accomplishment. I heard that because the building is now a hundred years old, it is an historic landmark...
I haven't been back to see the old high school since graduating. It was a lot of fun actually. I got on the committee putting on the event. I wanted to perform my magic show at the Ikea Performing Arts building, but that didn't happen. So... I helped in other ways. I did get to perform walk around magic
for the alumni as they mingled around during the Saturday event. Later that evening I also performed more formal walk around magic during the awards dinner.

Many alums were being honored for athletic awards or recognition of achievement.
Renton High School had never done this. No Renton High School "hall of Famers." Now there is!
The reason I am disappointed in myself is that I set up for my stand up show. I brought all my magic apparatus including my microphone and speaker system. But as I was looking around the room, at the set up of the place, I felt that It was not a good lay out for me. So I did do a lot of walk around or table hopping magic. I had a lot of fun and as I watched the portion of the evening that was when the honorees received their awards, I realized that the set up would have worked fine.
My challenge was a feeling of uneasiness because no would be announcing me, and I felt this nagging feeling that it would be like "tooting my own horn."
The next day while attending church, I kept beating myself up over the lost opportunity to perform. I felt like I stole from myself and my fellow alums. We could have had a BLAST. A lot of laughter and memories. But I guess I chickened out or something...
I didn't share my magical gifts.

I hope I have learned something from this.