Angel Emily

Long day yesterday. Lots of folks watching until I mention tips. Big walk offs. No interplay, I think they all just watch TV for a living. Short shows, short money. I was building my pocket but not near what I needed from the day. About 7:00 I gave a great show, big crowd...10 dollars.

I was so piss off I wanted to quit. At 7:30 I do another show. My anger gave me energy, I kicked butt. I got a good hat from that but what made it worth while is a little girl named Emily and her 3 sisters. She came up right after a guy in a suit put change in my hat (cheap ass suit). She opened her billfold and gave me a dollar for each one of them. 4 total out of her own money. I melted. I told her those 4 dollars were more important than any other money in my hat (and that was true).

She told me she missed the start of the show so I cleared off my table and started doing some magic just for them. From that I got another crowd and worked into another show. Big Hat. Almost as soon as I clear my table another crowd comes from nowhere. Another even bigger Hat. Those two shows helped me more than clear my target pay for the day. I made more in those 3 shows then I did the entire day.

By then it was a bit after 8 and time to eat. I told Rich I would spring for pizza for him and his son.

As I was leaving I heard a man say "Look, it's the magic guy". I was Emily's father pointing me out to the girls. They all waved.

Angels are everywhere.

Thanks Judy

A woman named Judy took some photos of me Friday.

I'm having a blast. The guy behind me is trying to figure me out, the guy with the bear...well, he is holding a bear.

Back at it

Nasty headache today but I still feel good about work. I was exhausted yesterday, drive from Detroit and right to the pitch. I was there from 2 until 8:30 but only got 4 shows in. Half this job is the wait and that wears me out more than the work. I love when I have the chance to bang show after show out. I still make more money in 4 shows than I did working a “normal job”. My shows are slowly getting better and tighter. Pay gets better for less shows.
I am staying at Rich Markovic’s place. He has a spare bedroom. Rich rocks!!!
He is amazing at so many things. His balloon creations are beautiful. I don’t mean balloon dogs or swords like the guys in the Quarter push, I mean 4 or 5 balloons in a creation of something like a mermaid, Spiderman or a monkey in a tree. Penguins too!! Little works of fine craftsmanship. He is also a great memory guy. He broke the Guinness worlds record in memory but they canceled the category. They keep the category for the longest watched TV but remove memory. No comment.
Most important is he is a great Dad to his son.
I am luck to get to meet folks like him.
It is 11:00 am and the sun is already pounding hard. I got here at 9:30 to get my spot and doubt I will get a show off till noon or so. I can use the shade till about 2 and then I have to do quick shows, no one wants to stand in this sun.
I hate the waiting.
I still get the “Oh no” feeling right before I get my first hat. I always worry this will be the day I don’t make anything. I wonder if that feeling ever goes away?
I still love my work.

time to go

A coffee and shower and I am back on the road again. Every time I leave a place there is both a melancholy and excitement all at once. I have seen some old friends and made a couple new ones and certainly learned a few things.
My Blazer is a mess, clothes cleaned but not all put away, decks of cards and books in random places. I will clean up the car before I go, makes me feel a bit "cleaner" on the road, like I know what I am doing.
I spoke with a friend last night and realized some missed pitches to work as well as some close-up shows I could have done. I have to come back to fix that.
I miss home but I really don’t want to end my traveling yet. Plus I heard they are watching a couple fronts that could turn into hurricanes. Here comes that damnable end of august and I just can’t run from another one of those things.
Now I am just babbling, time to finish up and drive.

Leaving Detroit

I am leaving Detroit tomorrow. I really didn't know what to expect when I got here...so much bad news about how this city is doing, what do I find...folks who love their city as much as I love mine. So much of the city is vacant, building empty and boarded up. We took a ride through an area that was considered bad and what we saw were mansions, real mansions...some boarded up and gates on the doors. These things are beautiful. Such sadness and yet....we went thought Heidelberg street.
In the area of Heidelberg street there were many vacant lots, drugs, prostitutes and garbage. There was very little done about the crime or destruction of property in this area. Tyree Guyton, his father and wife at the time began cleaning up the area using the garbage to decorate the vacant houses and lots. As is often the case the real crime was allowed but the “destruction” of property was noted by the city officials. Though there were many awards given for this effort the improve the area the city tried both in 1991 and 1999 to destroy some of the buildings and art structures. I am sure the politics of it all can be argued on both sides but instead of trying to tell you myself I would suggest looking it up for yourself. Start with http://www.heidelberg.org/ and go from there.
I will also like to mention Kings book store...one of the greatest places I have ever been. Four floors of used books plus another building of collectibles. I must have spent 3 or 4 hours in this place. A great place and the staff was very cool.
This city had a mayor that had 250,000 gold Krugerrands on the cities plane when the city didn’t even know they had a plane, big industry ran into the ground by short sighted CEO’s. On the outside the city looks rough but the people keep the spirit of the very historical city alive.
Strange how much Detroit and New Orleans have in common both historically as well as it’s inner city issues.

These folks still love their city and keep it’s heart beat going. I am glad I came here.

Taveling

I really, really, really had plans to go to Europe this summer and due to stuff that is and isn't I didn't get a chance. June the 10th I jumped on a plane and went off to find America...or me in the said place. Two months later I still can't find me but I am having a blast looking.
I have been busking around, performing for tips and I can't think of a better way to live. There are some amaazing performers and people out there that use the street as the stage. I have been planning to write about it but I have been spending too much time doing and not enough time writing, I will start trying to tell you guys and gals (all two of you) about some of these folks. They need hearing about, and maybe you can hear a bit about me too...and after all that is what this blog is all about me. Glorious Me.

And the silly things I want to write about.