My new Thomas Wayne wand arrives!!

So beautiful I don't want to use it. But I'm going to. What good is owning a fancy sports car if your not going to use it.



Gonna test drive it this afternoon and this evening!



What a splendid piece of wood. Gorgeous grain, smooth as silk. . . a work of art!

Golfing!!!

T Time 7:30AM @ Riverbend. Heavy fog lifting by 8AM



Tim Flynn bashing it out of a bunker.



I don't know what I'm doing here. Actually got a pretty good whack on this ball. Middle of the fairway. . . not our fairway, but what the hell. It's golf. . . and I like it!

I've got gas. . . and we all know how painful that can be.

Prices keep going up lately. Not good.



I was sucking fumes. I love to live on the edge and see how far I can push it.



I'm such a dumbass. I was so busy taking the picture, I drove off with my gas cap sitting on top of my car. 2 hours later, I went back to see if it was at the gas station, I wasn't. I backtracked my route and fund it a couple blocks away. MORON!

The City View From West Seattle

Before - 12:37PM



After - 3:45PM



Street Performed for a couple hours this afternoon. Still feeling a bit under the weather with my sinus infection. This evening Buster and I will go to the Lynnwood IBM Meeting. Shold be a fun magic meeting. Afterwards everyone goes to the Buzz Inn and hangs out.

Another day in paradise

My alarm goes off at 6:10AM every school day. On a good day Buster will be in the shower and I knock on the door indicating the time. He holler's, "I'll be out in 5" when we both know he'll be in the for another 15 minutes. I go to the kitchen and make his lunch. This morning with only 3 hours of sleep I try and think of what to write on his napkin. This is what I came up with.



This was a line from my old street act. "I know what you're probably thinking. . . this guy has no act. . . well your right, I've asked you all here today to talk about. . . . Amway products." Always got a laugh, maybe I should resurrect that joke.



Julie joked the other day about the blog geeks out there who tell you what they had for breakfast. At least I include a picture. The time 6:27AM Buster's breakfast is on the table. Note how I put a plate over his bowl of scrambled eggs to keep them hot. The boy has been known to drag his ass.



I see signs in him that the magic bug has bitten him. I always hoped that this day would come, but never wanted to push him. At the last session he shared with the guys "The Hammon Twist" a delightful little routine I had taught him last week and that he had been practicing diligently. He used to do a street act of his own as a 9 and 10 year old; but then he found religion in Pokemon cards. Well he's using poker sized bikes these days. As he gathered his things for school he made sure he had two decks of cards. Shades of my own misspent youth. Makes a father proud

The fog rolls in

I must be feeling better. The antibiotics are working. I had a great time as always at the Owl and Thistle. I love watching to good dancers. . . and don't mind being one of the shitty ones. A very slick young man named Jake Steel Steele has offered to swap out dance lessons for some magic lessons. I think will be cool for the both of us.

Life is good, dancing on Wednesday night, golfing og Friday morning; smoking cigars and shuffling cards. . . what do I have to complain about.

The fog was thick as I drove across the West Seattle Bridge. I couldn't see shit, but I knew where I was going. I kind of feel this way about my life. My destiny might not seem clear. . . but I know where I am going. . . right off the edge of the bridge like that sorry fuck this afternoon. That's a long way down, hope he enjoyed the ride.

Smoke on the water. . . YEAH!!!

Buster, Making the GRADE!!

I love my kids more than life itself. For most of his life my son Buster has lived with me. To my most recent ex wife's credit, she showed him as much love as one could imagine. She created a loving home when my first divorce offered nothing but turmoil. She worked with him academically and pushed him physically and socially in sports, summer camps etc. . . .

When I moved to Seattle 2 years ago, I gave him an option, come with us; or live with your mom. He chose stay in Cincinnati and live with a parent he had never lived with except as a 1 and 2 year old. It didn't take long for him to start a downward spiral. They were at odds and after the first year he flunked out of the same school I flunked out of the School for Creative and Performing Arts. He's been with me since October, and we're really getting back on track.

Dig THIS SHIT!!!!!



We are working hard every day to be the best that we can be!

New wand on it's way!!!

Why Thomas Wayne is so nice to me is a puzzle in my mind. I fellow I barely know presents me with a gift from the heart that I treasure and destroy in less than three days. Then he makes me another one. I don't feel worthy. I've always had a problem receiving gifts, I don't know why. I love to give, but I have trouble receiving. How do I repay this sort of generosity.

I have been lucky and blessed in my life to have met and befriended some of the greatest magical minds of our era. And to think It's just me . . . a hack from Cincinnati. I will treat this new wand with the respect and admiration it deserves.

Thank you Thomas for the gifts and the friendship. I look forward to your next visit to Seattle.

E-mail from Thomas Wayne

Man, when I built that wand I knew you liked to bang on your cups a bit, so I made it a one piece shaft with no joint. I couldn’t possibly have known, however, that you actually BEAT your cups with an enthusiasm that is better saved for an ex-wife - especially MY ex-wife! [Disclaimer: the forgoing analogy is meant to be humorous, and should in no way be legally misconstrued by anyone’s ex-wife - especially MY ex-wife].

Though there was no center joint, each ferrule end WAS jointed, to allow for the Silver rings. Little did I know that your own little form of therapy consists of excessively destructive behavior directed at your props. Silly me.

Accordingly, today I have sent a replacement wand, consisting of one continuous piece of Cocobolo, without joints of any sort and with your initials inlaid – in Ivory - into each end (as before). Cocobolo is one of the toughest exotic hardwoods around, its toughness matched only by its beauty. While I believe THIS wand able to withstand the rigors of your unbridled thumping, anything can be broken – given enough… um, enthusiasm. So you won’t hurt my feelings if you decide to lighten up a bit on the pounding; but you also won’t hurt my feelings if you DO break this wand. What you WILL have accomplished is to beat my best effort.

With best regards, and plenty of love for my misguided cup-thumping brother, I remain

Very truly yours,
Thomas Wayne

Sick as a dog. . . what ever that means

Unless you are my pal JR , then I guess you know exactly what that means. I've spent the better part of the last three days in bed, resting, popping antibiotics, decongestants and trying to think happy thoughts. Last night was our regular Tuesday Night Session at my house. I missed the first half as I went to a DAD's meeting (Dads Against Discrimination).

I got back to the house around 9:30PM and the session was in full swing. Tony Chang & Brian Masters were special guests. Tony has been in town visiting from NYC. When I first opened up Seattle Magic it was just Tony and me at the first back room sessions. Who would have guessed that they would become what they did, a revitalizing force in the Seattle Magic Scene. Tony has always impressed me as gifted. He can see through all the bullshit and zero in on the heart and soul of an effect or a move. His coaching helped me with many effects I had been doing for years. I hope he is having a good time on his West Coast vacation

Tonight is dance night, it's questionable as to whether or not I feel good enough to go. But I'm dying to try out my new and improved dance steps after my lesson on Sunday.

Sunday

Street performed at Pike Place Market . Pulled in $160 in a couple hours. Not liking not being able to get up on my newspaper box. Definitely effecting my hats. But playing the game. Using my strongest powers of negotiating to get to "Yes". "Marlene, I understand your concern. Certainly the issues of liability and risk is important to both of us. The International Brotherhood of Magicians offers an insurance policy with $1,000,000.00 of liability insurance and allows me to name the Pike Place Market as the insured. I hope you will consider this option. I am happy to pay for the policy and provide the paperwork to you at your convenience." " Now can I please get back up on my fucking box and do my show. . . please."

Ruben stopped by and tossed a $5 bill in the hat as he always does when he walks by. Thanks Ruben, I appreciate it. . . so does my landlord. Thanks for the lemonade too, just what I needed at that moment. Your a pal.


Sunday evening I had plans to go to a Contra Dance with Julie and a few of her friends. I had no idea what it was about, but I was game. There was a pot luck dinner before hand. We had brought our food, plates and utensils but were a bit late and thrown off by the bizarre vibe in the air as we peeked in the Sunset Community Center in Ballard. We opted to have our own little picnic on the hood of my car.



After supper, we scared up enough courage to go in and see what this was all about. The band consisted of about 7 fiddle players, a guitar and a lute. A woman named Mimi engaged me inconversation, asked me if I was going to dance , I told her that I thought I might just watch the first one and get a feel for what Contra Dancing was all about. I asked her if Ollie North would be calling the dances, my joke fell flat and she wouldn't hear of me sitting the first one out. So I got in line. Overall it was an entertaining evening.

One More Saturday Night

Saturday night at the Fenix rocked! Kirk Charles stopped by as well as Sakda. My sets were as strong as Becky's drinks, and my smile as big as her tits. A good time was had by all. The club owner is an interesting cat, Rick's office looks like NASA. He must have 70 monitors in there. Not a square inch of that giant 3 story night club that he cannot keep an eye on. He came up to me and said that he had been watching me from the eye in the sky. He then went on to describe with some accuracy the details of my riffle shuffle work. . . FUCK! He must really be able to zoom in on that shit. I told him, next time he does that to pop a tape in, I would love to see what my work looks like when I don't know the camera is on.

I left shortly after midnight after enjoying one last cocktail with an attractive young lady. Fired up a fresh cigar on my way to the session. Got there around 12:30AM and the session was in FULL SWING! There must have been 20 - 30 people there. Break out sessions all over the place and the strong feeling of magic in the air. All this for our visiting dignitary Tony Chang. I was tired from working and sat my ass down next to Steve Dobson and enjoyed his company. I didn't get to chum with everyone I wanted to but I tried to make the rounds. I did a few tricks, smoked my cigar and ordered another cocktail. Buster shot a bunch of video and we'll edit something fun. Session Pic Page

Saturday

Saturday started out fuzzy. Friday night turned late with a last minute decision to go to Jewels Maze and see the Vinyl Avengers after I finished up at the Fenix. More booze, more music, more magic. Had an offer to go to an after hours private Tikki Bar Party in Georgetown but made the smart move not to tempt my demons with what would most certainly be there.

Dragged myself out of bed around noon, blew off the busiest day of the week for street performing and met Carie at the dance studio for a lesson. It was an excellent hour and a half lesson. I wanted to clean up a lot of the moves I was butchering. Carie is an excellent teacher. I look forward to seeing if I do a bit better on Wednesday Night.

Buster, Chad & I picked up Tony Chang from the airport. He is visiting from New Your City for a week. From the airport we went directly to Chinatown to our favorite noodle joint that we used to frequent when Tony lived here and the shop was in full swing. It's not too far from where I used to live and we used to eat there often.

We went back to my house afterwards and had a mini session. I had to work the Fenix and would hook up with everyone at the South Center Magic Jam Session after I got off work at Midnight. Sakda stopped by the house and hung with us. Tony showed us some of the new Mental Magic he has been working on in NYC. Interesting shit

The Great Harry Houdini

Friday

Friday I had a decent planning session with my trusty Frankin Planner. I polished up some cups and got them in the mail. My Ebay sales continue to help me make ends meet. It's been 7 years since my trip to China and my international manufacturing adventures. I'm nearing the end of my stock and feeling the desire to do it again with a new product and a much smarter approach. I've shipped out most of the 1000 sets of cups and balls to all parts of the globe. And I continue to sell a few sets a week.





I also spent some time street performing at Pike Place Market. I have certainly matured as a street performer and come into my own. Here is a picture of my office



Friday night I had great sets at the Fenix Underground. Several time during the evening, while Rick the owner was watching me I had audiences with "over the top reactions!" I wondered If he might have thought that I paid these people to react so strongly. I love working in an environment where I can drink and smoke while I work. . . you got to love it!