Worked the Metropolitan Grill for St. Patty's Day

Julie & Mark




Here I am about to load my final load. Glad I'm not flashing. I used the beautiful table top that Brian Cook made for me. As I left, Buster said, try not to break it. Smart ass. It's really nice, the cocobola trim with inlaid brass matches the Thomas Wayne cocobola wand I'm using. Pimping it up in my Versace Suit. The eving went very well and I had a great time making people happy.

Tricks from the past

Wednesday night I busted out a couple of oldies but goodies. I did the linking bar straws as well as the Dingle coins across to the spectators hand using the purse palm. Both great tricks that got great reactions. Tonight I'm working the Fenix Underground. Need to get dressed and go. Spent the afternoon in bed battling a battered pshche.

Call from Brian Cook

Well, it looks like Buster and I made the right decision the other day about turning around at the pass. Brian called me yesterday and said that they ending up closing the pass for 6 hours due to snow. Still pisses me off that I didn't get to see the kids. Talked to them on the phone tonight. God I miss them. Everyday without them, is a day without sunshine. Good thing I live in Seattle. Kidding, actually we've been having GREAT weather for weeks!

Not Happy

Broke one of my front teeth today. I look like a toothless hick, or maybe I looked like one all along and this just rounds out the look. Pissed off because of it. I should be out street performing trying to pocket some chump change, but I'm not in the mood. I set up an appointment with a dentist specializing in cosmetic dentistry on Monday. Doesn't sound cheap w/ no insurance.

Week in Review

Got a couple of nice mentions in Steven Pellegrino's magic blog "Magic Rants" he did an Interview, as well as a Product Review for the Phoenix Cups.

Went dancing on Wednesday Night, had a good time, A little street performing on Thursday afternoon. Golfed this morning with Tim and a couple of guys he works with at Boeing, Mike and Dave. Another beautiful day of golfing.

I finally takled to Nigel the drug evaluator and he agreed to see me on Wednesday. I hope we can get this going. Overnight visitations are long overdue and I know the kids miss me as much as I miss them. . . . or maybe I'm just fooling myself.

Talked to Chris Korn the other night. He was in Scottsdale, AZ doing a corporate gig. Sounds like things are really going his way. He said that his recent TV credits have helped him demand bigger bucks for his performances; must be nice.

Also talked to Lee Asher last night. The Buck Twins will be joing him in Eugene, OR for the Pulp Friction DVD shoot. I might take Buster down there and pay the boys a visit. Never met Dan or Dave Buck but have heard excellent things about their revolutionary take on magic and card flourishes.

The Incredibles

Took Buster to see the Incredibles tonight. It was playing at the Admiral Theatre. It's time to change clothes and go swing dancing but I'll tell you later my thoughts about the Movie and how it struck a cord the first time I saw it with the little kids.

The voice of reason. . . coming from a teenager?

The news last night said rain. Sure enough. . . rain. I called Moira around 10AM and asked her what it looked like over the mountains. Told her we might not make the trip depending on the weather. I miss my kids so bad it hurts. Or maybe that's just me going through withdrawal. As she would have everyone think, I am some kind of crazed drug addict. Here it's been months since I've done any drugs and no one wants my clean urine. What's up with that. Nigel the drug evaluator, the guy that seemed so enthusiastic about helping me is blowing me off day after day as I leave messages. Today I reminded him it's been a month ago that we had a scheduled evaluation that he said needed to be rescheduled. This frustration is getting OLD!!! Does it make me want to do drugs, no. I just want to see my kids and be a part of their lives.

So, It clears up in the afternoon. Sunny and around 50 degrees. I am happy. I pick Buster up at school, bring him and the little kids drinks and snacks and we get on the highway en route to Cle Elum. Just my luck clouds and rain hit around North Bend and by the time we hit Snoqualmie Pass, we've got pretty good snow falling and half an inch of slush on the freeway. We slide around a bit, and I ask Buster what his thoughts are. He said he thought we should turn around. I was not happy with his response, but knew he was right. We both knew if the snow kept up we were screwed. It was already becoming dangerous driving in daylight, after dark with one headlight and no snow tires or chains it would be even worse. So we called Moira told her what was up and turned around after driving for an hour.

I really want to use the "F" word, But my good friend Ken Klosterman read my blog and told me to loose the word from my vocabulary. He told me I had more class than that. News to me. We'll see. I guess I can convey my thoughts without using the "F" word; especially when there are so many other good words like cock sucker, shit and cunt.

Cups and Balls

Sent out a few set of cups today. Pictured here are the wands Thomas Wayne made for me. Notice how he made them to fit perfectly in the Phoenix Cups Box. I've really been enjoying working with my new wand. I'm trying to take it a bit easier on the cups.



Tonight at the session we spent a half hour or so on the cups and balls. Tim's handling of the cups and all the associated sleights is really coming along. Steve busted out a bunch of cup and ball sequences as well. It was a good session and a good dinner, thanks guys. I really like our Tuesday night sessions. They mean a lot to me.

Tuesday

Went to the market today. It was dead, lucky to get one show off. Saw Scotty Walsh there and he watched my show. Made enough money to buy some flowers. Probably shouldn't have spent the money, but needed to brighten up my day, it worked. I used to love to buy flowers for Moira. Oh well. C'est la vie.

Unrealistic Expectations

Got this in the mail today. I guess it is some kind of reminder of the Order of Withholding. What is the phrase, "Can't get blood from a stone" or something like that? Hell, I'm fighting to keep my head above water while the ex is plowing through her $400,000.00 trust! She's sporting the new SUV, bought a farm in Cle Elm and is building a house on it. The kids are enjoying their new bikes, Max my 8 year old has a new bunk bed, a TV in in his room with his new Play Station 2, while she lounges on her new king size bed. I'm glad life is so good for her! But let's be real, how am I supposed to come up with this kind of cash? I was current with my child support obligations (for the first 12 months) as long as I had the money. When the shop closed, that changed everything. Hey, I'm not going to let this get me down. She'll get her money as soon as I have it.

Good Morning at Alki Beach

Got up this morning, made Buster his lunch, fixed him a nice bagel and lox breakfast and was surprised that he was dressed and at the table before I was done. I like that!



We talked about the day as he ate and I worked in my planner. It's light outside now around 6:30AM. After he finished up, I had him do some of the dishes that were still in the sink from last night. I decided to throw on some sweats and take a morning walk. We left the house together at 6:50AM and I walked with him to his bus stop at the corner of 64th and Alki Ave. The location of the now defunct Alki Market. There was one kid already there and another showed up shortly after sporting a huge mop of hair on his head and a trombone in a case. At least I assumed it was a trombone, but for all I knew It was a high powered sniper rifle broken down and cleverly disguised as a band instrument. Kids these days. . . . you never know.

The yellow school bus arrived and the kids got on the bus. As it pulled away, through the window I could see Buster pretending to hit on an imaginary joint, very funny.

I walked across the street with my lit cigar in hand and down to the beach for a brisk 2 mile walk in the cool morning air. I'd have walked farther but my nub of a cigar was gone before the 1 mile mark. So I took out my cards and warmed up my hands by doing an exercise I am fond of. It's a combination of passes with quarter deck rotations after each pass. It goes something like this. Classic Pass (1/4 deck rotation) S.W.E. Shift (1/4 deck rotation) Longitudinal Pass (1/4 deck rotation) Top Card Cover Dribble Pass (1/4 deck rotation) S.W.E. Shift (1/4 deck rotation) Stroboscopic Pass and so on and so forth.

A strikingly beautiful woman walked passed me walking her dog. At that very moment with a fair amount of pressure on the cards they exploded in my hands and flew all over the place. She flashed me a nice smile as she continued walking. As I picked up the cards all over the ground I admired her, shape as she walked away.

I'm a sucker

I'm a sucker for peanut M&M's

I'm a sucker for anything with playing cards on it.

I just got this lovely little china dish in the mail yesterday. You got to love Ebay!

Fuck everyone else!

Today I got an email from my dad saying that I should be careful of what I write I'm my blog. He said, who knows who is reading it? All I got to say is fuck the ex wife and her pussy licking boyfriend, fuck the child support enforcement cunt assigned to my case, fuck the creditors and for that matter, fuck you.

Like I've ever given a shit. In high school I can remember the principle telling me, "You have a serious attitude problem". I would calmly explain to him, that as I saw it, HE was the one with the problem with MY attitude; therefore it was really HIS attitude problem. . . fuck you very much.

After making Buster's bag lunch and breakfast I went back to sleep and stayed in bed till noon. Felt good!

Got up, worked in my planner, back to evaluating roles and governing values. What matters most. My kids do. I made plans to drive over the mountains on Wednesday and see them.

Polished up a couple sets of cups and prepared them to be shipped. Cut the grass, did some laundry and went to a meeting with a lawyer who will help me for free.

He recommended that I meet the courts requirements as far as drug evaluations and random drug tests go, get some documentation from the drug evaluator and we'll file some papers with the court once that has been done. So, that's what I'll do.

More cups orders to fill tomorrow, and of course the Tuesday Night Session.

Buster was in a bit of a mood today. we talked about how we were feeling and what we could do about it. We have an excellent relationship and I am very proud of him. Here is Busta John's Blog

Dinner

Got home after a busy day of performing, opened up the door to enter a sweat box. The furnace was blasting and the thermostat read 90 degrees! What the fuck!! It had been sunny and almost 70 degrees today outside, what was Buster thinking? I opened the windows and doors, found him getting out of the shower (at 6PM. . . kid probably slept the day away) I yelled at him to use his fucking brain and not waste the expensive oil that heats our house.

Moments later I calmed down and was fine. . . burning up, but fine. I made a healthy dinner of chicken, rice and asparagus that was on sale at the grocery store for 99 cents a pound!

Street Theater

I've lived across the country and around the world. Few places offer a truly magical atmosphere that encourage the street performer to excel at his craft. The French Quarter with it's historic backdrop of beauty is one of those places, The Pike Place Market in Seattle is another.

Sometimes it's just street performing but today was Street Theater! Something magical was happing to me and all around me. I can't really describe it, I can only say that the people seemed to be engaged in a profound spell that the performers were casting. Whatever it was I was knee deep in it, and trying to fill my soul with the love I felt for all of mankind.

Friends at the Market

Saw Joey Papia in one of my audiences yesterday. He was there with his 14 year old daughter. I told her I had a 14 year old son and asked her if she was looking for a date. She said no, and I responded, "That's OK, he doesn't want one either."

Today I stopped in Market magic and ran into Don Brisbane. In his youth Don worked for The Great Virgil. We will be performing on the same bill at the "Smoke and Mirrors" benefit show on April 2nd. I will be the MC and he will be performing his classic paper act. I'll talk more about that show and who else is performing at a later date.




Don Brisbane



I also spent some time with Ruben Barron, one of the hardest working magicians in the area. Not only does Ruben have a keen sense of what an audience wants, but he really knows what he wants and that crazy mother fucker goes after it!

Another day. . . Another $300

Today I worked hard at the Market. Made $311.75 in three hours. Had a whole lot of fun doing it. My shows were tight, pacing was good. Gave my audiences an opportinity to register the effects and the jokes. It all worked like clockwork.





With any luck I should be able to pay my child support this month. As it stands I am over $11,000 behind. I talked to the little kids tonight and made plans to drive over the mountains and see them Wednesday afternoon.

Tomorrow I talk to a lawyer who has agreed to speak to me for free. I have not give up on the notion of fighting for overnight weekend visitations. It's been two years since my children have spent the night at my house. . . it's about time.

Sunday AM

Picked up Daryl at his hotel to take him to the airport. I was disappointed not to attend his workshop or lecture yesterday, but he said, at least I had a good excuse; I was making money doing magic. The drive to Sea-Tac Airport was filled with wonderful conversation with one of our eras great magical entertainers. How lucky I've been to call so many of the great magicians my friend. Daryl's contributions to the art are undeniable. We talked more about magic, life, love and sacrifice. Plans for the future and children. Life is an adventure and so is the world of magic. As I dropped him off curbside and gave him a big hug, I said, "Have a safe trip Mr, Martinez". He then confided in me one last secret. He told me about how he had his name legally changed to Daryl Easton the last name his forefathers. A terrific fellow full of surprises, charming wit and a successful career that has spanned three decades. It seems like just yesterday that I was seasoning with him as as 16 year old at Shawn's house in Norwood, OH. We ate Domino's Pizza, drank Little Kings Beers, perfectly faro'ed our decks as we performed for each other and smoked a fat joint into the wee hours of the night.

Naptime

Had a rocking day at the Market! Said fuck the rules, and got back up on my newspaper box to do my shows. I banked some cash and got a nice start on next months rent. In between sets while Johnny Hahn was playing the piano, I read my book "Carter Beats The Devil". I took a little nap and dreamed about Carter the Great.



This is a self portrait of me napping in my car. I was careful not to wake myself as I snapped this photo.



THis is part of a 6 sheet poster that hangs outside the Market magic Shop.

Always looking for an angle to scam

Of the many scams I run on the parking in Seattle I did a new one today. The have these machines that issue tickets that you display stuck to the inside of your car window. My normal scam is that I have about 20 or 30 of these tickets for all hours of the day. I pick the one I want from my collection and there you have it, free parking. Upon learning from a parking enforcement officer pal of mine, that they actually check the dates on these things I modified the scam today.



Note how I changed the 1 to a 4. Crude but effective.

Buskers Unite

I've always had a soft spot in my hear for fellow street performers. We are brothers in a different world. It takes a strange person to find his place in life as a Busker.

Saturday AM

Picked up Daryl at the airport around 10:45AM we had a nice drive and a good chat on the way to his hotel in Lynnwood. It was good seeing him again. The last time I saw him was in Vegas a couple of years ago. It surprises me that he recalls the details of a late night session in Shawn's Grandmother's basement over 20 years ago. Those were the days! Shawn and I sessioned almost every night back then. Dary's workshop was at 3PM and his lecture at 6PM. On the half hour drive to the hotel, we talked about his experiences at the Blackpool Convention last month, we also talked about the LVMI, His wife Allison, his 2 year old daughter Laura and his home in a sleepy mountain town outside of Reno. I dropped him off around 11:45AM and headed to the Market for some serious street performing.

Friday Night

Worked the Fenix. Did a bunch of routines that I don't normally do there. Took the "Dean's Box" and it went over great! To the loud thumping of dance music I perform my routines in pantomime. It's a great exercise in expression and gesture. The magic came through loud and clear without a word spoken. Also performed a great Gallo coin routine that Mike taught me in 1983 in NYC. Used my new wand and felt the magic in it. Kirk Charles dropped in again and we had a nice chat. I think I fooled him with the Gallo routine.

Buster stayed up all night. He spent the night cleaning the house. He washed the dishes and swept the floors, cleaned the bathroom and his room as well. Did a load of laundry and made a banner that he hung in the dining room that said "Father Appreciation Day". What a thoughtful young man. I love my boy!