I’ve just arrived back in New England only one short hour ago, and though I had a wonderful time in Vegas, I must admit that it’s good to be home.

Despite the fact that I stayed in low gear and didn’t “live it up” in sin city, I was able to enjoy myself and do a remarkable amount of creative work and, more importantly, share some ideas with other great thinkers at the first annual MindVention.

MORE…

I was able to catch up with some old friends, make a good deal of new ones, and see some great lectures and performances.

As some of you may know, I have never gambled in my life. Not in any standard way, that is. My onstage gambles are much different than casino gambling off course. Yet prior to my departure for Vegas I studied up on Blackjack and applied my memory training to the game. It would be understating the situation to say that it “payed off”, as I consistently walked off with a healthy helping of the casino’s money each time I played. Let this be a lesson to all of you who think that I spend too much time in fruitless study and thought!

Overall a very enjoyable trip, tinged with the negative only at the very end, which found me in an unusual situation onstage at the Showgirls of Magic show. Perhaps a story best if not repeated here. Who would have guessed that I could feel embarrassed onstage? I suppose that I got a taste of my own medicine.

As many of you are undoubtedly aware, these last two months have been exceptionally busy for me. Evidence of this fact has been the lack of news here on the website as well as the delays in my responses to your messages. I have been playing catch-up during the days that I have not been travelling, and relying a great deal upon the wireless services of the national bookstore chains to keep myself as up-to-date as possible.

Constant touring for the past two months, including a stretch of 21 days wherein I performed 24 shows, has left me eager for a brief respite. Mind you, the performing has been an absolute joy and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but a guy has to rest a little too!

Thus the title subject of this post. I am off to Las Vegas for six days, and upon my return I am absolutely free, save a few small local shows, until the end of the year! This should give me more than adequate time to rest up, catch up and overall recharge my batteries.

I intend to use a large portion of the time adding new material to the show, as well as incorporating some new scripting and multimedia into the current routines. This means that for those of you who saw a show this year, you’ll be in for a treat during the next.

I’ve had several memorable shows during the past two months, including a long run at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire. I’d like to take a moment to thank absolutely everyone that was involved in putting on that production, for it was fantastic, and I’d like to thank everyone that attended one (or more) of my shows. I met many, many wonderful people and am pleased to have made so many new friends. I’m looking forward to more good weather, good shows and good company in CT next year.

I was also back at Westbury High School on Long Island and would like to thank them for inviting me back for another year.

Notable corporate shows were VIP Software, which was an absolutely hilarious and fun-loving group, as well as Baystate Financial, who had such an interest in the sword swallowing that I let one of the executives pull a blade out of me.

So without further ado, it’s off to Vegas and back for a rest. Feel free to email me and leave your comments. I’ll be able to respond in a more timely manner now!

In keeping with what seems to be a yearly ritual, I have once again redesigned the website. I plan on utilizing the new space to provide a higher level of self-service to the clients who hire my skills, making more publicity material available to them in an easier format, as well as to continue populating the site with the up-to-date news that all of you keep coming back for.

I also aim to sprinkle more current photos and show snapshots, as well as video and audio into the layout. One soon-to-come addition is the personal blog, allowing all of you to read my intimate, non-stage related thoughts and ideas. I hope that by bringing you my ideas in an open and honest interaction I will be able to not only allow you to know me better, but more importantly, to create a mechanism for two-way communication and forum for discussion. Look for that addition to come towards the new year.

In the meantime, please do take a look around and let me know what you think. I’m still placing more pictures here and there, and with my travel schedule it may be some time before I’m finished. But do email me with your thoughts or leave them here on the news page. Without you guys, this website would not exist. You’re the lifeblood that keeps the information fresh.