Fall is my favorite time of the year.  I love the weather and the fact that most of my performances are done during the holiday season.  In October I celebrated many family birthdays.  I’ve had lots of gigs taking me all over the state, lots of sushi dinners with my friends the Baileys, lots of poker tournaments and lots of prepping for a tour. I was also fortunate to attend two shows at the Peacock Theater (one of magic’s hidden treasures).  Plus, I spent the day at the State Fair with a good friend.

My East Coast tour took me to (Long Island, NY), (Salem, MA), (New Haven, CT), (Providence, RI), (Philadelphia, PA) and (Baltimore, MD).  It was 6 stops over 10 days.  It was very profitable.  Some of the highlights were seeing Marc Desouza’s amazing home theater and his collection of magic memorabilia, Denny & Lee’s huge magic shop, Diamond Magic’s new owner and renovations and the extra time I spent in Salem getting to know the town.  I flew to NY and rented a car.  It was the perfect season to drive the tour to see the changing colors of the leaves.

Upon returning the following day I had a six hour strolling gig and then a fun private event that night.  The following week I had a couple more shows and then flew to Burbank, CA to stay with a buddy.  That night I saw many magician friends in a theater benefit show.  I was very happy to attend.  The next day I went to see a special premier of the movie Coco with friends and was granted free admission to California Adventures.  The place was packed but the rides were fun! A lot of my time on this trip was spent with my good friend Chloe.  She’s an upcoming magician.  I see a lot myself in her with her passion and dedication to the art.  She’s one to look out for!

The next night I had an important business meeting at the Magic Castle that should put some money in my pocket soon.  The following day I found the fashion district in LA and bought some items. That night I was lucky to attend a free comedy show with six upcoming comedians.  It was a good show.

The next day I flew home to Dallas and had a show that night.  While at this show much of the young crowd kept saying, “That’s the magician from Dude Perfect!”  I filmed an episode for their new series on Nickelodean about 6 months ago.  I had forgotten about it.  I’ve posted a clip below but the full episode can be seen here.  I also did a podcast interview for The Commute with Steve Olivas.  My part starts at 17:30. Listen to it here.

I was blessed to celebrate Thanksgiving with many of my family and friends.  Basically, I celebrated four separate times so I could see everyone.  So much food!  I’ll be hitting the gym soon to rectify all the carbs and sweets I took in.  Things are great.  December is looking better than ever.  Currently I have 23 shows booked for December, which consists mostly of corporate events.  I still have 15 days off because there are many days where I’m doing 2-3 shows a day.  Frankly, I hope to do more. I love my job!

I started off August with my new trainer who has been helping me work out muscles I didn’t know I had.  I’ve been busy with lots of projects and product releases.  I’ve added several new things to my site that laypersons will enjoy as much as magicians like the Magic Phone Spinner, Ace of Spades Bottle Opener, Joke Viagra Pills and Magic Money.  All of these items have been selling well.

I made a quick jet to Burbank and Hollywood to work on a magic project and attend the Castle.  It was great seeing friends while I was there. I then flew to Vegas to attend the MAGIC LIVE convention.  It’s always an awesome experience.  It was fun hanging with my friends and especially Cupcake and Rosebud.  I bought some new toys and made some great contacts.  The talks during the afternoons are always my favorite part of this convention.  I witnessed WonderGround for the first time.  It featured hookah pipes, belly dancers and top rate magicians.  The food and atmosphere were good. I’d also like to thank Chris Kenner for inviting me too his palatial estate to hang out with some of the best magicians on the planet.

Once home I got caught up on office work and attended the Amazing Jonathan’s awesome comeback show.  He and his wife Anastasia are truly amazing and kind.  The next day I attended the IMPROV again to support my friends David and Kylie who were doing a family show there. It was fun to attend both of the shows with a good friend.  She and I had a nice time in Fort Worth that weekend and ate way too much food.

I’ve been playing lots of poker.  I’m in a league.  In August I was 450th out of thousands of people.  No big whoop really.  However come September I was 18th in the league.  I’ve been playing in some tournaments that could ultimately win me a free seat at the World Series of Poker.  That would be nice to have a shot at one million dollars!

My calendar has been filled with many shows.  I seem to be going to Fort Worth a lot.  One show took me to Palestine where I entertained hundreds who worked for the school district.  Another gig took me as far as Possum Kingdom lake where I worked for a couple’s family who had met me in Hollywood at the Castle.  The event and venue were awe inspiring.  Plus, many many more fun shows to boot.

I am blessed with many friends.  One girl friend and I spent the day at Choctaw casino in a small poker tournament.  Another group of friends and I meet weekly for sushi. My friend Keith and his merry crew took me out on his mini yacht with his macaw parrot on Lake Dallas.  Another girl friend and I saw Depeche Mode live and I became a fan all over again.  Plus a special thanks to my friend Kim who helped me at the TAOM convention to make it one of my best profit weekends ever!  Life is great and I just released my new Delta Dice.

July started off with a bang by flying into Burbank and then settling into my apartment while I worked the Magic Castle from July 3rd-9th.  I did the late Close-up Gallery and performed 28 shows that week.  Things could not have gone better.  I counted at least one dozen standing ovations.  Keeping people engaged who are somewhat intoxicated at that late hour (10pm to 1am) can be challenging but I brought my A-game and was very pleased with the standing room only crowds and compliments from my peers.  This was my 11th time working a full week at the Castle.  All in all I think I’ve done around 250 shows there.  I lectured there for the third time and had a nice turnout and received more rave reviews.  There is no other place like the Castle and I love it more and more each time I visit.  This time I made some great new friends and some good business contacts.

I returned home and entered a poker tournament with 60 players.  I got first place.  I’ve had dinners with friends this month and some fun private engagements.  One show was for my attorney’s son and my attorney Jerry followed me around the room singing my praises before I could even begin performing for each group.  It’s nice to be appreciated.

I had such a good time in California with my new found friends that I booked another trip out there for 9 days.  I did 2 private events while there and worked with a new friend on a game plan for a big touring show.  He and I had several meetings and interviewed assistants.  I think we found just the right girl.  Plus I talked with a contact about hopefully doing another Asian tour.

Things are really falling into place.  I have several fun projects I’m working on.  I’m working on some new product releases that I hope to get out before year’s end.  I now own the rights again to my Diamond Deck which I plan to repackage and create new instructions with some improved handling.  Dude Perfect Season Two has begun airing on Nickelodean on Saturdays and the episode I helped with should air in the next few weeks.  I almost forgot to mention that while at the Castle I met and performed for Dick Van Dyke and Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman).

To close out the month I’ve attended some really fun parties.  One highlight that happened just this past Friday night was working the Peacock Theater.  The Pitchfords who own Gearbox and the Nerdvana restaurant and cafe put on an awesome show in their home theater about once per month.  I’m talking about a real theater with a stage, awesome lighting and sound and room for 80 people. It’s invite only and I’ve had to decline many times because of my work schedule.  Attending it for the first time a couple of months ago was a real treat.  The talent was first class.  This time I was asked to be on the bill and work alongside some of the best magicians, a juggler, a comedian, a singer, a sword swallower and more.  The show went great and I heard many nice things afterwards from the crowd of 100 plus.

Life is a blast and I’m having fun meeting all sorts of interesting people.  Ooohhh… while in Burbank recently my friend Mitch who helps run Power 106FM brought me in to entertain the singer Omarion.  See it below.

It’s amazing to look back each time to see how much fun I pack into each month.  My life and career is full of surprises.  This month was busy with shows for private clients.  One client raises about 50 Arabian horses and brought one to their event.  I did a lecture for the Shreveport club that was well attended.  The gang there put me up at the Horseshoe Casino.  That night I lost $100 quick playing some kind of new-fangled blackjack.  The next morning I planned to play in the Poker Room for a little while before driving back.  I played for 8 hours straight because I was doing so well.  The only reason I left was because I needed to pack for a Florida trip the next day.

So my buddy Jared Guynes took a guy, who had never left the state of Texas, to Disney World.  He asked if I’d like to join.  Luckily, I was free that weekend and we took in Epcot and The Magic Kingdom.  It was fun to watch our guest Homar experience travel, his first plane ride, a different climate, etc.  It was nostalgic for me to return there since that’s where I bought my first magic book when I was five years old.  See a video of our Disney adventure above.

My book Bamboozlers Three is back in stock.  It cost a pretty penny to print these books but they seem to stay in demand.  I’ve sold thousands of these little bar betcha bibles.  I am slowly writing Volume Four and creating a spin-off product too.  See all my books here.

I’ve been playing lots of poker and seeing lots of friends.  One group of friends rented a limo one night and took us all too a burlesque magic show.  It was an interesting concept.  Seeing the show made me want to work harder at creating my own one-man show here in Dallas.

I got a call from my friend Mitch in Burbank, CA and he wanted to know if I’d come back to Power 106 FM and do another magic video with the famous rapper DJ Khaled.  The last time they had me out to entertain Jason Derulo the response was big.  So I flew out and attended the Magic Castle one Monday night with a beautiful lady friend.  The next day I did my part for DJ Khaled who seemed like a genuinely cool guy.  See that video below.  The next night I attended the Castle again with my friend Mitch.  Then I flew back to do an in-town show.

Once home my buddy Jared had another wild idea.  He asked his facebook followers, “Who had never been to Medieval Times?”  He ended up arranging two party vans, thanks to our friends at Texas Motor Cars, and we took 15 people to Medieval Times and then onto the Cidercade in Dallas for free!  My job was to entertain the party-goers.  We all had a great time.

Now it’s June 30th and one hour before I leave for LA.  I’m returning to work the Close-Up Gallery at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.  This will be my 11th time working a full week there and my 3rd time lecturing at the Castle.  I always feel like a superstar there thanks to the amazing staff and audiences.  I’m very much looking forward to seeing many friends while in California.  Fotunately, I have family staying at my place while I’m gone to look over things and ship orders as they come in.  I love my crazy life!

This month has been fun.  I’ve worked many private events at some really cool venues.  One had me returning to the home of a millionaire with a home much like a resort.  Another was at the Frontiers of Flight museum for Southwest Airlines.  Another was at I-FLY where one can skydive indoors.  Plus I’ve done many other parties in people’s homes, at hotels and country clubs.  More of my Scam School episodes have aired recently.  See one of them above.

This month has been chock full of dinner and lunch dates.  It’s nice to have such a network of people I can rely on.  I’ve seen many old friends, new friends, cousins, siblings, my folks, clients who have become friends, etc.  The pic on the left is my mother and step-father.  When not performing or having dinner with friends I like to play Texas Hold-em.  I’m in a league.  It’s fun but I still have lots to learn.

My buddy Jared asked me recently if I’d like to help to judge at a Hooter’s bikini competition.  It took me only a short while to give him a resounding, “Yes!”  This was the final round held at the House of Blues in Dallas before the finalists went on to Vegas where one of the girls would become the sole winner with a nice contract to be the spokesmodel for Hooters.  It was a fun night!

Bamboozlers 3 is being reprinted now.  I’ve just received another batch of my Sherlock’s 7 Cent Solution puzzles.  I’m writing volume four of Bamboozlers slowly but surely.  Plus I’m working on another project that I’m keeping secret right now.

The gentleman that owns the game company Gearbox practices magic and lives in Frisco.  He and his wife have built a theater in their home and host a variety show at least once a month.  It’s a privilege to be on their list and I had been asked to attend several times before but could never make it.  Well I finally made it and their home, the Peacock Theater, the show, their hospitality was all absolutely incredible.  I was happy to share the experience with many friends.  See a pic from that night on the left.

Lastly, my Ominous Deck is still selling really well.  There is a mentalist named Spidey who has been seen on America’s Got Talent and he loves the effect I created.  Recently he created a video of his take on it.  See that video below:

I kicked off the month by flying to Portland to do another Penguin magic expo.  That same night I rode with Paul Richards and his wife Wendy into Seattle so we could do it all again the next morning.  It was tiring, but lucrative and well worth it.  I’ve lectured and sold things at my booth hundreds of times and I learn something each time.

Once home the next weekend I drove to Austin, Tx.  That Friday night I dined with two of my favorite relatives, my cousins Rodger and Alex.  They are always fun to hang out with.  The following I hung out with my friend Brian Brushwood the host of Scam School.  Brian rounded up his film crew and we proceeded to the Handlebar to film five episodes; look for those episodes over the next few months on YouTube.  Afterwards we all went to a speakeasy called the Floppy Disk Repair Center.  Brushwood knew the password to get us in and we had a couple of drinks before meeting up with my cousins at a restaurant called Moonshine with excellent menu items.

The next day I visited UMLAUF Sculpture garden.  The garden and sculptures were very nice.  I grabbed some grub from a food truck and went hiking.  I drove back to Dallas that night after stopping at the Collin Street Bakery (home of the original fruitcake) for a little snack.

That Monday morning I drove to the headquarters of Dude Perfect in Frisco.  I shot an episode with Tyler and Garrett where I taught Tyler some magic to help him put on a great show as a Hibachi chef.  The Dude Perfect show features trick shots in sports and has over 17 million followers on YouTube.  The five stars of the show are doing well.  This show that I helped with is part of a series that will air on Nickelodean.  Look for it in about one month.  Set your DVR.  It was a fun shoot with the guys and camera crew and I hope to return to work with them again.

Now that things have calmed down I have finished revising Bamboozlers 3 and just sent it off to have reprinted.  Demand for it has been high since it’s not been available the past six months.  I’m soon to run out of my Winning Spinning Nickels and have begun the process to have them back in stock.  Each project takes time and money.  I’m slowly compiling Bamboozlers 4 and hope to lay it out soon.  My birthday is around the corner and I’ve learned that as you get older life only speeds up.

I did a Penguin Expo in Austin and Dallas this month.   The crowds were great in both cities.  It was nice to see so many friends in attendance. It was a pleasure working alongside some of the best in the business which was Mark Mason, Paul Richards, Gregory Wilson and the guys from Penguin Magic.  We each gave mini lectures and demonstrated our wares at our dealer booths.  I hope to do more of these soon.  Some of my magic was featured in Penguin Monthly too.

I was also a guest performer and lecturer at the Winter Carnival of Magic in Pigeon Forge, Tn.  It was a 3 day weekend full of magic.  Pigeon Forge is an interesting town.  It’s like Branson.  The buildings and attractions were unique.  The convention was a lot of fun and one of the highlights was visiting the home of a millionaire who refurbished old gaming machines for a living (like the old fortune teller machines).  The main party area where he entertained the guests looked like a speakeasy with an old authentic Chicago wood bar inside, an ice cream parlor, billiard table from the 18th century and more.

I’ve had swarms of shows from many of my clients to keep me busy as well.  When not performing I’ve been spending lots of time playing poker.  I attended the Texas Pinball Festival for the third time.  I had a great time despite my ulcer and met Sam Jones who played Flash Gordon in the cult classic 1980 film.  Basically, I had fun… and fun is the best thing to have.

In February Penguin Magic flew me to Columbus, OH to do a show one night and a live online lecture the next night.  The show went really well.  This was my second time lecturing for Penguin Magic which apparently is not commonplace.  My first lecture broke records for them.  Firstly, I broke the record for most magic taught per minute by teaching 20 effects over the course of two hours.  Secondly, they have a shortlist of products on their site that only have 5-star reviews.  My first lecture with them holds #1 with fifty 5-star reviews.  I guess it’s something I should be proud of.  The second go around I thought I would just perform material from my Bamboozlers book series by featuring bar bets, puzzles, jokes and impromptu magic.  This time I did over 40 effects and the good reviews are rolling in.

I had many shows across Texas in February but my most time consuming shows were two that I did for the North Texas Specialty Physicians.  For each show I entertained a group of 200 doctors. I incorporated my magic to discuss key topics like MACRA and RAFs and the CHIP Reauthorization Act.  Both gigs were rewarding and challenging.  The last one was held at the CR Smith Museum near DFW airport.  The Radiation Oncologist who helped cure my Cancer in 1993 Dr. Timothy Nichols was in attendance during my second show and had nothing but nice to things to say.  I’m a lucky guy on many levels.

I kicked off this year performing at the Phoenix House once again on January 1st.  It’s an awesome nonprofit organization that rehabilitates teens with drug & alcohol problems.  It’s always a pleasure performing for this group.  That night I had dinner with some good friends.

January was almost as busy as December which is typically my best month.  One gig took me to Oklahoma to work at the Choctaw Casino. Many regular clients booked my services again across Texas.  I’m so lucky that I make a good living doing what I love.  Seeing many of my clients is like seeing family.  One new client flew me to Palm Beach, Florida to work at the prestigious Bath & Tennis Club for his wife’s birthday. See a pic of the room I worked above.

I was recently in a small car wreck.  While sitting at a red light a car smashed into me.  I’m okay but it damaged the front and rear of of my car.  The fiberglass was cracked.  It couldn’t be repaired until January 31st.  I should get my car back Feb. 21st.  I miss my Vette.

I had a small tour across Florida lined up for the middle of January.  I was excited and packed and ready to go.  On the way to the airport I learned that my flight was cancelled due to fog.  Not delayed… cancelled.  I scrambled to find another flight and since I was booking last minute I found nothing available.  Then I tried to book a flight out the next day to go onto stop number two.  All flights were outrageously expensive.  Disappointingly I had to cancel the tour.  It was only 4 stops and I couldn’t make at least two of them.  Plus there were other factors that prohibited this trip.

With the car wreck and cancelled tour you’d think it was a bad month.  However, in January I took a mini-vacation to California.  I had an awesome time at the Magic Castle.  I also went to the Griffith Observatory which is amazing (seen above).  I went to the beach, walked Hollywood Blvd, visited Amoeba Music, toured Universal Studios, ate well and really enjoyed my time there.

Recently I’ve been playing lots of tournament Texas Hold-em poker. See a recent magic video I made that’s related to poker.  Enjoy!

I was happy to see the back-end of 2016.  I got divorced earlier in 2016, had health issues, lost two family members and had more stress than I can ever remember.  However December was great!  I did 20 shows for mostly repeat clients.  I made a few new clients as well.  One client had me changing folks $1 bills into $100 bills and letting them keep them.  I’m eating better, sleeping better and working out regularly.  In 2017 I hope to be the best version of me.  2016 was rough but I think it has made me much stronger and wiser.

In December of 2015 I had molds made for my new Ominous Deck.  In May I thought I had the finished product when 1000 of them showed up on my doorstep.  Unfortunately their were flaws with all of them so I scrapped them and had them remake the mold.  In late December of 2016, almost a year to the day, I received my order of 1000 units in and they look great!  They have been flying out my door and getting rave reviews from my colleagues.

December was also nice to see much of my family.  I had a nice Christmas with my mom, step-father, sisters and nephews.  See a pic of me and my sisters on the left.  I also had a nice Christmas with my dad’s side of the family.  For that Christmas we chose to adopt a family to buy them things they really needed.  That felt better than giving ourselves things we really didn’t need.  I also helped my father celebrate his birthday.

In late December I attended a small ComiCon in Dallas.  It was fun to see folks in their Cosplay outfits and cross paths with a few friends. The vendor booths were fun to peruse through. I did a little magic there for Michael Rooker of Walking Dead fame.  He was very cool and receptive to my magic.