Catch-up

Since returning from the southern most tip of Nevada from the AZ fairs Assoc. Convention I have failed to post a blog for those faithful friends, family, and fans.  I am sorry. A lot has gone on in those two or three weeks. Time seems to just spin sometimes.
I will work backwards.

Today the last (we hope) of the four of us that had the unfortune to catch that stomach bug is in the what seems to be her final day as her body begins to normalize. Mami was the last to get sick with this nasty little nausea-maker. I should point out that Mami rarely gets sick so that proves this bug to be nastier than most. James was the first to catch it and the handed it off to me. Olivia seemed to have a very minor case with nothing more than stomach cramps that did not slow her down in action or appetite.  We aren't 100% sure that she had the bug or just over worked her abs with her Contortionism. We are lucky in the fact that our case seems to be a little less potent than others we have heard about who have caught "the bug". We were able to control the top half of our bodies from reproducing our meals. The other half I will not discuss.  One strange thing that "the bug" did in James, Me and Mami was to give us all strange dreams and nightmares.

BTW, Cynthia is suffering a bug that has the earmarks of a cold with a fever back in KY.  She and Miles come home for the Holidays December 15.

"The Bug" took up most of this past week. Yup, even Thanksgiving. at least for me.  James' was Pre-TG and Mami's was post TG so only I missed out on gorging myself in the gluttony of an over flowing table of tasty treats. I managed a very small plate with very select, mild foods then went to sleep.

Somewhere before and after "the bug" I have been feverishly marketing for the show. After all, we do like to eat and having a roof over our heads is a nice thing to have. We did loose a big regular November gig that we have been doing for nearly ten years to the economy. That seems to be a theme over the last couple of years. So many of our clients are going under, out, or streamlining to survive...if they survived...this economy. But what can one do except persevere.

Over The TG holiday cousins and family and friends came to visit:

 Olivia lives for cheese and flexibility.

Two weekends ago  Jim and I performed for the Museum Row event in our hometown. I dressed the part and rode my Penny Farthing Bike and James wore my 1910's outfit and ran the sideshow "single-O" sideshow tent.  We did the gig mostly out of community spirit and the  town offered us a stipend of sorts. Today I got a bill from the city for "working in the city" and I have to buy a Business license for the city. (I should mention that we call this town our hometown but we actually live in the county.) So much for civic spirit. We did have a wonderful time performing and demonstrating that day though. It was fun.
(These pictures below are from the city of Oroville's Facebook Page.)

Now we get back to the convention. We did rebook a fair from last year. We were told we were the talk of the fair. That was humbling because we were among a world record unicyclist, a Magic Castle magician, a top notch hypnotist and a famous knife thrower and others. I have a lot of respect for all those performers. But we made the paper and we drew the crowds.  And we had fun doing it.
Another fair has expressed interest and a third wants to book our robot.

The convention was as all conventions are busy and slow and ... well, unless you have been to one it's hard to say "and what".  Jim is a natural at these things but I fear I am not anymore. I suppose that kind of marketing and politicking and schmoozing is gone from my veins.

Here is a funny story.  On the night of Nov 12 I could not sleep.  I don't know what it was but I had a bad back day and the pain pills and muscle relaxers were doing their job but a faint echo of the pain kept me awake. So I took a shot of bourbon. That usually, all by itself, would put me out like a baby. And it did...so I thought. What it actually did was create a state of amnesia the next day for me. I woke up the next day and checked my email. The night before sometime, late, I had gone to Ebay and bought a bear mascot costume.  It was one that I had saved in my want list but had no intention of buying for a while. Lesson learned.

Cute costume and it will add to our show but, wow, I don't care how tired I am now mixing medication with bourbon!!!

I was very happy to hear a magician friend from Chico had landed a TV show. It is a 9 part show on Discovery where the claim is showing the science behind magic. The magician is Wayne H. and I saw the 4th episode before seeing any other episode and it turned out to be an exposure show. The masked magician kind of thing with a very loose mask of "science" to excuse the exposing. The four Magicians involved have all at one time or another created a magic trick. However, none of the tricks they created did they expose. They gave away secrets that weren't theirs to give away and then described very quickly and very ineffectively the science that makes it work. I bet you no one who saw the show could tell you anything about the science of the trick but they sure could tell you the secret of the trick.  I admit the show is also mixed with a lot of nonsense classroom science stuff that was likewise inadequately explained. I have since seen one or two other episodes and still hold my conclusion that these guys have crossed the ethical line. 

Prayers needed for my good friend Bill. He was in a fender bender, or in this case a fender tear-aparter accident in Chico. He is fine but his van's front fender and bumper have seen better days. Well, in spite of the  people he hit claiming to be fine at the scene, even to the police they have hied that sleazy Australian lawyer on the back of your phone book to sue the pants off Bill.  The letter from them reads like a script from a 70s CHiPs episode where the schister Lawyer tells his clients what to say and do so they can get rich.   We certainly hope no one is really hurt but this whole situation just stinks. 

I know this entry is filled with a lot of bummers and sounds a little down beat. I apologize. Life, however, can be just that way. Since the last writing America has lost Twinkies and Ding Dongs. So as you can see life can just be a bummer sometimes.   But I end on an upbeat note. In-spite of all the crazies and  let downs, bugs and bummers I now there is a God. A God that is way bigger than me, after all he created the cosmos, he would have to be pretty big. Yet he promises that not a bird falls from the air or a hair falls from my head that he is not unaware. So I rest in a confidence that I rest in Him. 

Well, back to work. I have a lot of work to do. Got to get the bookings coming in so off I go.....