I started off the year doing a show on January 1st for Phoenix House in Dallas.  It’s for teens with drug and alcohol addiction problems.  Before starting the teens are mouthy and skeptical.  After I begin they huddle around me and request more.  By the time I’m finished they don’t want me to leave and I’m there friend.  It’s always empowering to see how my magic connects people.  After that the year continued with lots of private parties and corporate events for regular clients and many new ones.  Drew accompanied to one fun gig that was an auction for charity that raised over $100,000 plus it was a chocolate soiree with great food, music and wine in Wichita Falls.  They have me back each year and I’ll return in 2024.

Come February I stayed busy working and planning our big trip to England.  I returned to Blackpool to lecture at the world’s largest magic convention for the third time.  There were about 4000 attendees.  My lecture was well-received.  I also performed in the close-up show alongside four big named close-up magicians.  I was showered with compliments after and held my own.  It’s not a competition however.  I was happy to be working with some of the best in the business.  Before Blackpool Drew and I saw some of my family near Leeds and visited the Armory there.  I was excited for everyone to meet Drew and vice-versa.

As we made our way south we met up with family in Great Waltham.  My cousins Adrian and Laura own a nice restaurant there.  Laura’s parents Graeme and Geneen put us up and all were very hospitable.  I loved seeing all of my family there and spending some quality time with them.  Adrian and Graeme showed us an amazing flight museum.  Adrian gave us a wonderful tour of Cambridge.  And then Adrian, once again, gave us a speedy but thorough tour of London.  We saw all the favorites like Big Ben, The Eye, Tower Bridge, toured the British and Sherlock Holmes museum, and saw the Tower of London.  It was an amazing trip but sadly I felt rushed so we hope to return soon.  I had to fly back to do a show for a high profile client.  Plus Drew stays busy with her job too.

Once home I was hired to work Jason Kidd’s birthday party.  Jason is the coach for the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and his achievements are unbelievable.  He and his wife Porshia were fun to entertain.  Jason couldn’t get enough of my magic.  Many of the Dallas Mavericks were there witnessing me work and most thought I was the Devil.  Ha ha.  The owner Mark Cuban was there with his wife Tiffany.  Both said nice things about me and my magic.  It was an unforgettable evening.  I was happy to be part of that memory for everyone.  I have a wonderful job and lead a blessed life.

Come March my plethora of shows continued as I prepared for my third lecture tour across New Zealand.  This time I built in more vacation time so that I wasn’t only seeing lecture venues, hotels and airports.  I setup stops in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown.  Luckily Drew was able to go with to make it extra special.

We flew the direct flight of about 15 hours from Dallas to Auckland.  We built in a free day to relax and site see.  New Zealand is breath-taking.  The next day we visited a museum to learn more about the Maori people.  That night I gave my lecture to a fun bunch of magicians.  The next day we went on to Wellington and I gave another lecture and did some site-seeing.  We also visited Hobbiton where the actual set from the Lord of the Rings still remains.  It was a fun and informative tour.  It definitely made me want to watch the movies again.  That series of movies is probably the leading cause for most tourism in New Zealand.  Peter Jackson’s work on those films has done wonders for New Zealand’s economy.

From there we went onto Dunedin to the Law Courts Hotel owned my friend and tour organizer Jia Liu.  What an incredible human he is!  He set up the tour, chauffeured us around the whole country, runs the hotel and has a farm.  He’s originally from China but has called New Zealand home for 25 years.  His hotel has slowly been taking on a magic theme.  I performed a lecture there one night and did my one-man show there the next night.  He’s created an amazing theatrical space to perform in.  Plus Dunedin is a beautiful and fun town that most have never heard of.  I can’t wait to go back and see my friend there.  Because of Jia I’ll have some cool projects in 2024.

Jia showed us around Dunedin proudly and then took us to Queenstown.  The multi hour drive was very scenic and Jia knew all the cool places to stop.  If you’ve been to New Zealand and seen the north island only, then the south island will blow your mind.  It’s other-worldly.  Drew and I had a blast touring this island.  We visited many wineries at the foot of mountains, did hikes, drank in a bar with everything made of ice, walked along many beaches, visited Jia’s farm, went to the top of the steepest residential street in the world, ate well, rode a gondola to the top of a mountain and even rode a luge several times, etc.

From there I went on to lecture in Christchurch to another fun group and we made our way back to Auckland to prep for our return trip.  Alan and Michele Watson were kind enough to meet us coming and going to Auckland.  We had a nice dinner with them and Andrew Wonder with his wife Alli.  Everyone was wonderful and the memories are countless.  We flew from Auckland to Sydney, Australia which is about 4 hours.  After a few hiccups or long layover became longer and we ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner all in the same Qantas lounge. Then we made our 15 hour flight home.  That was a long day!

The next day we attended the Texas Pinball Festival with some of Drew’s family.  Imagine about 500 mostly pinball machines and some arcade games on free play.  Typically there is one new release that everyone will line up to play.  This year there was about ten!!  New machines like Scooby Doo, Pulp Fiction, Galactic Tank Force, The Godfather, Foo Fighters, etc, were displayed for our amusement.  I am the proud owner of 11 pinball machines now.  My two latest additions are the new Godzilla and the must desired classic Twilight Zone.  Yes… I’m a big kid!  Seen here is my friend Alex Gerst who made the pinball/magic video tour of my collection.

Come April 1st we flew to Oregon to entertain a lady who has become a great friend.  30 years ago I developed Hodgkin’s Disease, a cancer of the lymph nodes.  I underwent a few surgeries and radiation treatments.  My oncologist was Dr. Margie Sunderland.  She helped get me through it and became a friend in the process.  So she flew me to Oregon to entertain her and her family for her 70th birthday party.  What an honor it was to be amongst them all.  I was happy Drew got to meet her.  While so close to Drew’s brother Mike in Battleground, Washington we made the trip over to spend a couple of days with Mike and his wife.  They were lots of fun to play games with and relax with.  Now Drew and I are soon to celebrate each of our birthdays this month plus one year of dating.  Time flies when you’re having fun!

November began with me finishing my shows at the Fairmont Kea Lani resort in Maui.  I returned home November 10th.  I have lots of fond memories from Maui.  All in all I think I did about 60 shows while in Hawaii.  The audiences and reviews were wonderful.  I’m excited to return one day.  On the 12th I performed for one of my long-term clients Jackson’s Pottery and did 6.5 hours of strolling magic for them that day.  I was happy to return on November 13th to the restaurant Drakes where I perform regularly on Sundays from 6:30-8:30pm.

Once home I got back into my routine of working out three days a week with my amazing friend and trainer Brandi.  I resumed my weekly poker tournament with friends.  Drew and I had a nice Thanksgiving with all of my family.  She and I have also been trying to make time to see our friends more.  We also took an Improv comedy class together that was lots of fun.  All in all in November I did 21 shows.

Doing 21 shows in November sounds like a lot.  It is.  In October I was in Maui working in The Magical Mystery Theater where I did about 50 shows that month.  However those shows were all a short walk from my suite and many of them were back to back.  In December I tied my best record for separate private shows in a month with 30 gigs.  That’s 30 different locations throughout Texas.  It was a busy but fun month.  It was nice to attend various holiday functions to see friends and family as well.  Having Drew in my life is the best gift of all.

During December I also received in the car that I had built which is my new 2023 C8 Corvette with the Z-51 package.  It’s the same color scheme and my last Vette.  This is now my 5th Vette and they progressively keep getting nicer and nicer.  It’s such a head turner and a fun car to drive.

I’m very lucky to have found my calling at such a young age.  The passion that I have put into my magic career and products has paid off.  I reap the rewards on a daily basis.  I try to encourage others often to chase their dreams and practice often.   I’ve worked since I was 13 years old.  When I work now it seems like play but folks have no idea the time and money that we as magicians put into our craft.  I love my job and it shows. Beyond the paycheck it is very fulfilling.

My Bamboozlers books sell consistently.  Bamboozlers 4 came out late last year and I’ve just reprinted Bamboozlers 3.  Volume 3 is now in it’s 3rd printing just like the previous two volumes.  Originally when Vol. 3 came out it had a pretty blue turquoise cover.  When I ordered the second edition of it that specific color was not available so I choose a shade of green.  I’m happy to report that the 3rd edition will have the original turquoise blue cover again.  The Bamboozlers Deck is also selling well and so is its companion the Labyrinth Puzzle Box.  Guess what?  There will be more Bamboozlers spin-offs in the future.  Just wait!

Culling through the Scam Nation videos I’ve appeared in, I noticed that I forgot to list one.  The instructional video below focuses on tricks with just your hands.  I always enjoy my banter with Brian and his guests on the show.

All in all 2022 was a great year.  Work keeps falling into my lap.  Every year I seem to get busier and busier.  I am so happy to share my world with Drew and learn more about hers as well.  We are making lots of exciting plans for 2023.  It looks like we will be traveling lots in 2023.

 

September 1st I kicked off the day by training with my amazing trainer Brandi.  I’ve met with her 3 times a week for over a year now and I’m really seeing a difference.  Plus I have more energy and I am much stronger.  Her and her husband Deacon are two great positive influences in my life and I’m lucky to know them.  That night I played in a poker tournament.  I play regularly with a great group of friends that are all excellent poker players.  I learn from all of them often.

Another Scam Nation video released making it my 62nd episode.  Plus I have about 15 remixes with the super gracious, funny and talented Brian Brushwood.  Brian is one of the smartest guys I know.  Treat yourself to his highly entertaining and informative The World’s Greatest Con series by clicking here.

In September I pressed on doing 20 shows.  I returned to the House of Spirits in Dallas where I only did a few shows compared to the dozens that I did for them last year.  I had to turn down this fun gig only because I had so many others.  Business is great.  I returned to XOXO and finished up a series of gigs for a chain of retirement homes all across Texas.  To give you an example of my rigorous schedule on the 22nd I did two shows in Longview, TX.  On the 23rd the House of Spirits.  The 24th a party for my mother.  The 25th Drakes, my regular restaurant gig on Sundays from 6:30-8:30pm. On the 26th packed for a BIG 5 WEEK TRIP and played in a poker tournament.  On the 27th I had two shows in Beaumont.  On the 28th I had two shows in Houston.  And on the 29th I flew to Maui to begin my adventure there!

I landed in Hawaii on Sept. 29th.  My father and stepmother arrived the same day.  We were put up in a very luxurious suite at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea.  The resort and the scenery are breathtakingly beautiful.  I was hired to be there to perform in a small intimate theater to do 2 shows a night 6 days a week.  The opportunity was too good to say no to.  My father and step-mom stayed one week.  My girlfriend Drew took her longest vacation ever and stayed with me for 2 weeks.  Upon her departure my mother, stepdad, sister and nephew all joined me for my 4th week there.  Getting to share all of this with my loved ones was by far the highlight for me.  Everyone agreed it was expensive there in Maui but also that it was some of the best $ ever spent.  None of them had ever been to Hawaii before. We will all have those memories together in Hawaii to treasure forever.  That to me is… priceless.

I did two shows every day at 5pm and 7:30 that ran one hour each.  My only days off were Wednesdays.  All in all I did about 60 shows.  We all ate well.  Almost every night my toes were in the sand or I was in the North Pacific Ocean.  I got rave reviews from the patrons, the hotel, the locals, and even the booker gave me a bonus.  I have a feeling they’ll have me back.

My mind is flooded with memories from Maui.  I snorkeled for the first time with Drew.  I loved it.  I found one reef that I frequented where I was always able to swim with the same sea turtle.  The sunsets and sunrises are amazing!  Being able to lay on the beach and look up and see the stars so clearly is vivid in my brain.  Drew and I rented a Jeep and drove the road to Hana.  There are over 600 curvy turns along that journey with perilous drop-offs but amazing land and seascape views.  On that trip we hiked, took in a botanical garden and snorkeled on an amazing beach and ate well.  Being able to do that with Drew was dreamlike.  I adore her and she adores me and she’s always calm, cool and collected.  She gives me inner peace every day and to say that I love her is an understatement.

My family and I also visited La Haina which was once the capital of Maui.  There is one main strip there with tons of shops, restaurants, vintage buildings, an amazing Banyon Tree, and lots of art galleries.  I did purchase a little bit of art while in Maui to remind me of my time there.

I also had many friends come and see my show at the Fairmont and I made lots of new friends too.  My last week I was alone there but it gave me lots of time to rest and reflect.  I’m a very lucky man to have so many wonderful friends, a loving and supportive family and a girlfriend who looks at me the way I look at her.  I flew home November 10th and have hit the ground running since then.  More later.

In June I returned to Austin to film more episodes for Scam Nation.  See one of the videos above where Brushwood’s 9-year old daughter Calliope gives me a run for my money.  She’s very clever and super smart like her dad.  Subscribe to Brian’s channel for tons of videos to learn cool magic tricks and bar bets.  If you want to do the dime-penny bar bet like I do, then find what you need on my site here.

The best thing to happen to me recently was meeting a wonderful woman named Drew.  She’s the calm and balance I’ve been searching for.  When not doing shows we have been experiencing lots of fun adventures together.  She’s an amazing lady who happens to be a jet pilot, who trains other pilots.  She’s humble and very inspirational.  I’m lucky to know her.  My new favorite word is “withdrew”.

In July Drew and I attended a concert in Fort Worth featuring my favorite band Cheap Trick.  The first time I saw them live was when I was 13.  I’ve seen them in concert at least a dozen times now and have had the pleasure of hanging out with them a couple of times after their concerts.  I have a signed poster and guitar by all the members that hangs proudly in my game room.  Drew is now a big fan too!  They put on a great show.  Although CT was recently inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, they opened for Rod Stewart.  I’ve always been a fan of his but now I have the utmost respect for the performer that he is.  He put on a helluva show and did over 20 songs.  For a 77 year old man he killed it.  I’m so glad we got to see him live.

After that we visited one of my favorite places on Earth…. The Magic Castle, in Hollywood, California.  I wanted to introduce her to the mecca of my art.  We had a blast.  It was truly a magical night.  One day we will return and she can see me in my element there.  She’s already attended many of my shows and is very supportive.  We dined at Yamashiro’s.  We did the tour at Warner Brothers Studios.  We saw awesome fireworks on the 4th of July.  We did two rooms at the Escape Hotel and finished in record time.  Needless to say we make a good team.  We did a lot in the short time we were there.  Once home we visited her sister’s place and had a fun Murder Mystery themed party.  It was very nice meeting some of Drew’s family.

Come August we took a trip to Santa Fe.  What a unique and beautiful place!  There we took in the town and shopped the various galleries and museums.  We bought jewelry, clothing, art, stones, ate well, etc.  I liked the vibe there.  The highlight was seeing Meow Wolf.  It’s an immersive art exhibit that you have to see to understand.  I could post pics but it wouldn’t do the place justice.

Once home I prepped for my big theater show and had a sold-out enthusiastic crowd.  It was nice to have so many friends, fans and family come out and support me.  My good friend Joe, who owns the theater ran the lights, sound, video, etc.. and made me look like a superstar.  It was a fun night and many have asked when I’ll do it again.  I’m pretty booked up for the rest of 2022 so hopefully the show will return in 2023.  Work has been plentiful and I’ve driven all over DFW to razzle-dazzle my clients.  I also had an overnight gig in Madison, Wisconsin and had forgotten just how pretty that town was.  It was an epic event for a bunch of folks in the medical field.

As an artist one of my highlights was releasing the long awaited Bamboozlers Volume Four.  It’s 75 bits of business with 188 pages, and over 170 illustrations by the amazing Benjamin Vincent.  Expect the same classy layout with superior paper, a purple leatherette cover, a satin ribbon marker, with silver foil stamping and silver gilt edges.  This book has been in the making for 9 long years.  Copies have been flying out the door.  Bamboozlers One is now in it’s fourth printing.  Volume Three will soon be in it’s third printing.  However I think I’m going to make this volume a limited run.  Get yours while you can.  Order here.  You can also order all four volumes with 300 effects for a special price here.

To celebrate all my good fortune I decided to have a house party.  I tried to invite folks who had never been to my home and show them things I get to see every day.  There was a plethora of food and drink. The attendees got to witness a little of my magic, and my arcade like home with lots of pinballs and other games.  We were all entertained by Jobi the Monkey… he’s a capuchin monkey with lots of character.  Jobi looked good for 37.  My guests witnessed the educational and entertaining Daryl with Snake Encounters with lots of various sidewinders.  Then to close the night my friend Josh Ayala did his amazing fire show and I played DJ.  Fun was had by all and many said it was the best party they had ever attended.  Maybe I overshot a little bit.  Life is short so I wanted to give my friends a night they’d always remember.

Plus I have made an amazing new friend named Alex Gerst.  He’s a musician who helps others produce music and albums in his studio.  He’s also in a Cars cover band.  Alex and I share a similar passion for pinball machines.  He has not only repaired some of my machines but also has started his own YouTube pinball channel titled Empire Pinball.  Check out the episode he did about me below:

 

In April and May I did 21 private shows.  I also played in several poker tournaments.  In late April I celebrated my 52nd birthday.  I also saw lots of family and friends (like the Baileys, the Woodalls, Tony Trippi, Craig Raley, Dal & Cinde Sanders, etc.) throughout the months.  May also saw the release of another Scam Nation episode as seen above.

Since March of 2021 I’ve worked out 3 days a week with my personal trainer Brandi.  Brandi is an amazing coach and friend.  Thanks to her I’ve done things I’ve not thought possible for 125 days over the course of a year.  I’ve lost 25 lbs.  I’m in the best shape I think I’ve ever been in.

In early May I worked the Magic Castle for my fifteenth week since 1999.  I did 27 late shows in The Close-Up Gallery from May 2nd through May 8th.  That time slot was given to me because they knew I could jazz well with a sleepy or tipsy crowd and keep them alert.  Many of my shows that week led to standing ovations.  It was nice to see so many friends and fans in the audience and to make new ones.  It was a fun-filled week.

In mid May I attended the Magic Live conference.  What a convention!  I think I average 4 hours of sleep each night for 6 nights in a row.  The shows and lectures were amazing.  I hung out with 1600 other magicians.  It was nice to see so many familiar faces.  I also purchased some new effects in the dealer’s room.  Many fans inquired about my products too.  Also I booked some gigs out of it.  It was nice to recharge my batteries.

While in Vegas I took in many cool sites like the Pinball Hall of Fame.  They have several hundred machines that you can pop quarters into and play. Visiting Area 15 was incredible.  It’s like they hired futuristic artists to build a mall.  Inside of there I visited Omega Mart, which is like a Walmart, but everything sold there pokes fun at consumerism.  There are several hidden entrances inside Omega Mart that lead to Meow Wolf which is like an alien world with dozens of amazing artistic rooms.  I can’t wait to go back and see the other Meow Wolf’s around the country.  There are only a few but they are building 2 in Texas over the next couple of years.

The highlight for me was seeing the show LOVE- The Beatles at The Mirage.  I’ve seen lots of Cirque shows and this was by far the best.  I didn’t realize just how epic the Beatles’ music could be until seeing it accompanied by dance and acrobatics.  The lighting and imagery was spellbinding and highly emotional.  I hope to see this show again one day.  I’ve always been a fan of the Beatles’ music but the show was absolutely surreal.

These last few months have been busy.  So much so that I ignore this blog more often than I should.  After doing tons of show that last quarter of 2021 I decided to go on vacation.  I took a Norwegian Cruise to the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.  I danced, ate until stuffed, took in lots of cool shows (comedy, magic, Beatles, etc.) and entered every contest I could.  I won 3 out of 4 of them and got at least 3 free bottles of champagne.  I had many fun excursions as well.  I rode dune buggies through the mud and got filthy.  I went on a long uphill hike through a forest and jumped off cliffs into cold baby blue water many times.  I did zip-lines, ropes courses, city tours, etc. I did the beach thing and paddle boarded standing up.  It’s memories that I will always cherish.

Once back I did shows for clients like XOXO again.  They have been good to me and use my services quite frequently.  I just partied with the owner Obie at XOXO the other night and then we took it to his other club Opera.  That was a crazy night!  I have such a fun life.

My friends the Spanns invited me back to their estate to tour their 15,000 piece mineral collection.  It’s in the top 10 of the biggest in the world.  They frequently loan out parts of their collection to museums around the world.  They are the sweetest people.  Gail Spann is also a gun aficionado and has offered to take me shooting.  I plan to take her up on that soon.

I was recently featured on the Magic & Mysticism podcastWatch it here.  I was also featured in Texas Lifestyle and Travel MagazineRead it here.  I participated in the Texas Pinball Festival the last weekend in March in Frisco.  It was amazing as always.  There were 500+ games there on free play.  I took my Wizard of Oz Ruby Red machine which got lots of game play.  I was also featured in two different Scam Nation episodes over the last month and you can see those clips above and below this post.  Come April I have lots of gigs and life is looking good.

Things seem to be returning to somewhat normal.  This was a record busy December with 30 in person holiday shows.  It was nice to be amongst so many repeat clients that I hadn’t seen in a long while.  It was also great to make some new clients and perform at places like Fair Park in Dallas.  I’ve performed in every nice hotel in Dallas as well.  I never know where my job will take me.

A long while back I bought a nice Quartz crystal piece in an auction to benefit a hospital.  That piece of natural art was donated by the Arkenstone Gallery.  My purchase included a tour for two of that private gallery.  Rob, the owner, gave me and my friend an amazing tour.  It’s literally a hidden gem of an exhibit in Richardson that everyone should seek out.

Also two of of my Scam Nation episodes aired in December.  See one above and one below. I’ve done about 60 episodes now and they have around 19 million views.  It’s weird to me when I run into folks I don’t know who watch the show.  I forget about it and find people staring at me sometimes.  I think to myself, “Do I know this person?”  I can’t imagine being super famous and having that happen every where you go.  I’ve never wanted to be famous but I wouldn’t mind being rich!

 

I stay so busy these days that I’m bad about updating this blog.  I’m happy to see things returning to somewhat normal.  We have a long way to go though.  Since March I have been working out 3 days a week with a personal trainer named Brandi who lives 5 minutes away and has her own personal gym.  Her and her husband Deacon are two of the kindest people I know.  I treasure my workouts with Brandi.  She pushes me to do things I didn’t know I could do.  I’m slowly turning body fat into muscle and I’ve lost 10 lbs.

September was slow with shows but I had the time finally to finish writing Bamboozlers 4.  The artist Ben Vincent has finished his illustrations too. I’m in the slow process of laying it out now.  Each of the volumes contains 75 effects.  I’ve laid out 48 of the bits with my buddy Tony who is a graphic designer and one of my best friends.  This volume promises to be the thickest yet.  It will also most likely be the last volume.  Also, my Bamboozlers playing cards have been selling well.

October was nuts with shows.  I think it was the busiest October I’ve had in 35 years of performing professionally.  I did 28 shows.  The majority of them were at a cool venue in Dallas called the House of Spirits.  It was a haunted mansion with a few jump scares, puzzles to solve, special cocktails, weird variety acts and more.

November was equally busy with lots of projects and shows.  I had to travel out of state for a couple of them for my clients.  I traveled to New Orleans for a wedding.  The couple were entertainers and so were most of the guests.  It was one the most interesting weddings I’ve ever attended.  The second line parade was epic and looked like something out of a movie.  I bet we walked 5 miles that day all dressed up.  It was nice to see much of New Orleans and get a feel for what the French Quarter was like.

I also took a trip to Austin where I saw Esther’s Follies which is always a blast.  Plus I filmed more episodes of Scam Nation.  The episodes will release sporadically over the next several months.  My Scam Nation videos now have about 19 million views. See one of my episodes below.

Also I’ve been learning to dance.  I began dancing months ago at Cowboy’s Red River.  I’ve been taking lessons at Sons of Herman Hall in Dallas.  I’ve always felt socially awkward dancing but this is helping to build my confidence.  I’m starting to get the hang of it.

December is shaping up to be one of my busiest ever too.  Wish me luck!

 

I’ve spent the last few months doing shows and lots of travelling.  It’s nice to see things are opening up again.  I spent a couple of days with my cousins Rodger & Alex at their lake house on Cedar Creek Lake.  Rodger grew up there and I visited frequently because it belonged to two of my favorite relatives who were my great aunt and uncle Bonnie and Harlan.  We had a great time visiting and kayaking on the lake.

A friend and I visited the Texas Chainsaw Massacre house where the original movie was filmed.  That film is still disturbing today.  Many people believed it to be real.  We stayed at the adjacent Antlers Inn which is unique in its own right.  If you’re ever near Kingsland, TX then you must see both.  We went on from there to visit an animal drive-around safari where we saw giraffes, deer, etc.

Later in the month I did my one-man show in Addison, TX at my buddy Joe’s theater.  I’ve done my show there about 6 times now and each month it is sold out with the 52 seats.  I could pack 100 in there but I try to space folks out and keep it more intimate.  I’ve been getting nice reviews.  I appreciate immensely all of the help that Joe and his team have given me.  His team runs the lights, sound, music, etc.  The next show is Friday September, 24th.

My new book Mini Magic Marvels has hit the shelves.  This is my third release with Dover Publications.  They make sure my book is found worldwide in bookstores and online.  The book is a collection of easy to do magic effects.  I’m proud of the way it turned out.  I’m hoping that when the world is more open that I can schedule some book signings in stores.  You can buy a signed copy on my site here.

My friend converted an ambulance into an RV and we visited Boise, Idaho.  It reminded me a little of Seattle.  From their we went on to Wyoming where we took on the breath-taking views and camped out in Yellowstone for a few days.  We went onto the Dakotas as well.  We stayed with a nice couple in Rapid City, SD and had to see Mount Rushmore. I can now proudly say that I have performed for four former Presidents and literally left them stone-faced.  Being a huge classic movie buff I was happy to visit the monument since it is where the epic ending takes place for the Hitchcock film North by Northwest starring Cary Grant.  We also drove through parts of the country where Dances With Wolves was filmed which is another movie favorite.

One night in Rapid City we walked around the town and found a different bronze statue of each former President on the corner.  The 10th President John Tyler is supposedly a relative.  The last picture here shows me standing next to the statue.  I think I see a resemblance!

From there we went onto Colon, Michigan “The Magic Capitol of the World” to see the Abbott’s convention and the famous magician graveyard.  We stopped at water falls, caves, the Potato Museum, Atomic City, Deadwood (which I loved), a hot air balloon festival and more.  After that we visited an Amish community as we passed through Connecticut.  We did New York and visited Times Square.  Plus we spent a couple of days in Salem, MA to learn more about the nefarious witch trials.  Many people were tortured and died for silly religious beliefs.  It was a very eye opening tour of several states.  Frankly I’m glad to be home back in Texas.  After this tour I can say that I have now proudly performed in all 50 of the United States!

I am still working on editing Bamboozlers 4 and my artist is fast at work trying to complete the last drawings.  I’ve been fortunate to have lots of shows as of late but things are still not anywhere close to what I consider normal.  Luckily I have poker games and friends to hang out with in my downtime.

 

 

It’s nice to see things returning to somewhat normal.  I’ve been busy with lots of private parties.  Most of them are still small, roughly 5-20 people, but performing for a live audience once again is nice.  I’ve done some Zoom shows and lectures and have more in the upcoming months.  I’ve also returned to playing poker with folks and seem to be doing well in tournaments.  I am at Drakes in Dallas at Lovers and Inwood every Sunday night from 6:30-8:30pm.  It’s an amazing place with a great atmosphere, terrific food and live music.

I turned 51 a the end of April.  I wanted to have a big party for my 50th last year but the pandemic prevented that.  So this year I went all out.  I had it catered with Tex Mex, a margarita machine, my DJ friend Pete Cormican worked it, my friends Josh and Vanessa Ayala did fire-eating, Jobi the Monkey came and I did a little magic here and there.  It was nice to see many old and new friends.  The party went on until the wee hours and I got lots of great compliments from the attendees.

April 1st my new car arrived!  Prior to that my good friend the home builder James Taylor helped me deck out my garage in prep for this beautiful piece of machinery.  I long awaited my customized C8 hard-top convertible Corvette.  I’ve had many sports cars but this is the sexiest by far.  Due to the shortage in parts these cars are very rare.  This one turns heads and I love it.  Click the pic to the left to see it in high-rez.

At the end of March I returned to doing my large theater show.  It seats about 50 people.  The theater could seat 100 but I like to keep people spread out and for the show to be more intimate.  The shows received great comments from folks.  I will repeat this again on May 30th.  The previous shows sold out and the May performance will do so soon.  It’s a private theater in Addison near the airport.  If interested then contact me through my site.

I recently updated the Magic Shop area of my website to include lots of downloads.  Almost all of my instructional DVDs have now been converted into downloads.  However many of the DVDs include a special something that you may need or want.  So when buying the download you might opt to buy both since the option to do so is not that much more.  My DVD Pockets Full of Miracles has been chopped up into various segments since the DVD taught 23 routines.  See all the downloads here.

My buddy Brian Brushwood of Scam Nation fame recently uploaded a video to his channel teaching 11 quick easy to learn tricks.  I’m featured in the video many times.  I think I’ve done about 60 episodes now.  See the video below.

 

Shows have been slow coming so I am hard at work in the office.  I’ve been shipping orders nonstop for things like my new Ten Grand Prix, the Bamboozlers Deck, the Bamboozlers books, Magic Money, Diamond Marked Cards, 7 Lucky Dice, etc.  Ten Grand Prix is spreading across the United States and my friends are coming up with different handlings.  See my buddy Rick Wilcox above do his presentation for Ten Grand Prix.

One exciting thing due out soon is the new Labyrinth Puzzle Box.  It’s a beautiful box that was a collaboration between myself and Brian Brushwood of Scam School fame.  Inside, if you can open it, one will find two Bamboozlers Decks, some Delta Dice and a Golden Ticket.  If you present that ticket to Brian or I in the real world (not virtually) we have to show you a trick or buy you a drink.  This is our second puzzle box together, after the Black Diamond puzzle box, and I love all the thought that went into it.

Two more releases that collectors will be thrilled to learn I’ve just received is the gold-gilt edged Bamboozlers Deck and some uncut sheets of the Bamboozlers Deck.  Only 111 gold-gilt decks exist and only 25 uncut sheets exist.  These will sell fast.  I cannot wait to frame my uncut sheet of the Bamboozlers Deck.  It will make a nice presentation for 52 fun and challenging bar bets.

For years I’ve been meaning to convert my instructional magic DVDs into downloads.  I have now done 7 of them.  Checkout DiaMonte, Sweet, Collateral, The Squeezer, Diamond Jack, Telekinetic, and Quadrare Caan Opus.

Also, for those that are wondering I am trying to finish writing Bamboozlers Volume 4.  Each volume contains 75 routines and I have written 70 of them for the upcoming volume.  The artist has illustrated about 50 of them.  Once I have everything I can begin editing and laying the book out.  Once I order it will take months to receive back from the printer but I do expect to have the book in hand later this year.

With the pandemic scare my shows have slowed down considerably. Luckily I’ve had some shows during the holiday season, but most were for small gatherings where the folks masked up. I’ve stayed busy mostly working on projects. Most of October and November were spent packaging my new effect Ten Grand Prix where a stack of one dollar bills all magically and visually change to one hundred dollar bills. The trick is being well received and got a great review from the guys at Wizard Product Review. See that video above.

Another big release is my new Bamboozlers Deck. This has been on my mind for over 10 years. During the downtime I was able to work with the artist who illustrated the Bamboozlers books Benjamin Vincent, plus the mentalist/graphic artist Phill Smith to design my new cards. The artists and I all work well together at bringing my vision to life. It’s a deck that features a different bar trick or challenge on each card. The deck is gorgeous!

I was happy to see many family and friends during the holiday season. Like the rest of the world I’m ready for things to get back to normal. We are all social creatures. I did do one big virtual show for a hospital raising money to support itself during these times. After my show they had a huge auction for things like weekend getaways, wine packages, etc. I bought a large piece of quartz that I now I proudly display in my home. It wasn’t cheap but it was for a good cause.

Happy new year to all my readers, friends, family and fans!