Alan came up with the idea that if everyone in the contest had the same tops then it would be a contest of skill rather than a contest of who bought the best top. So he and Eric set about making several prototypes of the new battle top.

Alan with the afternoon’s work.

Eric, Alan and I all have slightly different ideas of what this contest should be about. Here are my two goals for the contest:

1. It should be fun. i.e.: Not boring. Sometimes battletop contests get a little slow when you end up just standing around waiting to see who’s top is going to slow down and fall over first.
2. There should be mayhem and destruction. When old-timers come up after my show to talk tops they often tell me about how they used to split tops in two when they would battle as kids. That sounds awesome to me… AND I recently learned the deadly overhand throw.

Eric’s son Woody came up with a good scoring system, and we all fleshed-out the tentative rules:

• Everyone throws at once, and there are multiple rounds.
• You can only score points if your top ends up spinning in the arena.
• If you knock another top out of the arena (or hit it and keep it from entering in mid-air) you get a point.
• If you land the tip of your top on the crown of another top you get two points.
• If you break another top (or break a chunk off) with your top you get 5 points.
• The tops that are spinning in the arena get points according to which ones spin the longest. If three tops are spinning in the arena, the first one to die gets one point. The second one gets two points, and the third one gets three points. If there are 10 tops spinning in the arena, it is the same point progression all the way up to the last one to stop spinning, which gets 10 points. If no one lands in the arena, no points are won.
• Before the first round you decide on the winning total number of points. The number of players times 3 seems like a good recommendation.

This scoring system makes the game exciting, but it basically eliminates my favorite goal. There is very little mayhem and destruction. One possibility is that there could be a separate division that is just about the destruction, but I’m hoping that some of the other top spinners have more ideas. Please leave a comment if you do.

It’ll be a short visit here; on Friday we’ll take off again back to the good ol’ Midwest. After another stop at Steve Brown’s house, we’ll be home again for a couple of days before heading up to Milwaukee for a gig (in Chicago), and for me to fly out to California for my brother’s wedding. Vader will hang out in his “vacation home” with Lenore’s mother in Milwaukee. After that I’ll be home for a few days, then back up to Milwaukee for the Shorewood juggling festival where I will be MC for the big show.

March is a big month for traveling but April won’t be so bad.

As luck would have it, the Threadless Christmas party was Friday night and my friend Harper invited me to come. Since I am often in Chicago in the middle of the day with some time to kill before or after gigs, I have spent a fair amount of time hanging out at Threadless. Mostly I hang out with Harper, but I know a few of the other folks there a little, so going to the Christmas party wasn’t the awkward I-don’t-know-anybody experience that usually happens when you go to someone else’s work party. The other thing that made it good was that Threadless really knows how to let it all hang out. Where most work places have one or two wild and crazy characters, at Threadless it’s the opposite, almost everyone is wild and crazy. There is never any shortage of wacky stuff going on with those cats.

Harper and Crystal

In case you don’t already know, Threadless.com is an online t-shirt company that prints shirts designed by the members of its online community in an ongoing design contest. It’s really cool, and they have some of the best shirts around.

The Threadless party was fun. It was held at a swanky bowling alley called 10 Pin, and there was a ton of catered food, unlimited drinks, and free bowling. As one would expect, there were zany antics like backwards granny throws, bowling without using the finger holes, and three bowlers using the same lane at the same time. I’m not exactly sure why, but everyone at this party was beautiful, crazy-lookin’, or both. Even the girl who had to keep coming over to yell at us for throwing too many balls down the lanes at once was beautiful.

Santa LOVES the Jager Bombs!

The party got going quickly, and Harper did his best to help it along by ordering lots and lots of drinks for everyone. His personal rule for the night was that he could never order fewer than ten shots at once… and he did that ten times. Ten times! I think it’s safe to say that the party was not cheap.

We stayed a little while after the party ended at midnight, and then it was off to another club with Harper’s buddy Tag.

I should point out that I am not really the going-out-to-clubs kind of guy. I’m not much of a drinker, I have never really enjoyed the bar scene, and I have rarely lived in an area with a club scene. Harper, on the other hand, is a major presence in the Chicago club scene and goes out regularly. I don’t go along often, but it’s a lot of fun to go out with Harper on occasion since he’s already all the way in the scene, and I can just tag along for the ride.

The first place we went was called Debonair. I don’t think there was a line out front, but I do know that we didn’t have to pay to get in, and the guy at the door knew Harper by name. It was a cool club, the music was loud, there were people dancing, it was a nice atmosphere. We went downstairs and it was like it was a totally different club. It was much darker, the music was different and much louder, and I recognized a bunch of people I have met over the years of hanging out with Harper. It’s funny to me how well Harper and his pals communicate on where to meet. I’ve seen some of these people several times, but never at the same place twice. It’s also funny how wherever we go Harper knows all the bartenders.

We hung out for a while at Debonair, and then it was off to the next spot. I had steeled myself for a long night of cabbing around town hitting a bunch of spots. Even though this would turn out to be a fairly low-travel night, it also turned out to be the quintessential Goin’ Out With Harper experience.

The next spot was around the corner, across the street, and down the alley to an unmarked door. I found out later that the place was called Ohm, and there wasn’t just one line at the door, there were two. One going in each direction down the alley, and each one had at least a hundred people in it. We had picked up a small group at the last bar, and after almost no negotiation Tag got all eight of us in… for free. Basically we just walked right up, past the two massive lines, the velvet ropes parted, and we were in. I felt like I was going to get busted any moment for not really being a member of the Cool Kids Club. It was very MTV, and very strange. Then to top it all off, we got to the top of the stairs, and as soon as the big, mean, and scary-lookin’ bouncer saw Harper, he smiled and gave him a big hug. Clearly I was with the right people.

The party was rockin’ at Ohm. This was the place to be. There were lots of people, lots of dancing, and many of the partiers, both men and women, were in various stages of undress. Some were clearly professional dancers (the ladies in lingerie), and some were just enthusiastic (the sweaty dudes). Following the same pattern as at Debonair, we went right upstairs to what was basically another club within a club. This is where the REAL party was, and it was PACKED. I followed Harper as he pushed right into the middle of the dancing throng, broke into the circle of hot girls, who he (of course) already knew, and said, “Hey. This is my friend Mark.” Of course I knew that it was odd to have two married guys in the middle of the dancing circle of hot girls in one of the hottest clubs in Chicago on a Friday night, but no one else knew that. Since neither of us was trying to hook up, it didn’t matter anyway.

It was at this point that Harper pointed out to me that part of the reason it was so hopping in there was that the DJ that night was James Iha, the former guitarist from Smashing Pumpkins. If that means nothing to you then just trust me that he is famous. It was strange to be unexpectedly within four feet of someone that famous.

I always forget how easy it is to spend all your money when you go out like this. Between coat checks, cabs, food and drinks (for you and for your friends) you can spend a LOT of money in no time. Since I wasn’t drinking and we didn’t get in any cabs, this night was fairly cheap, but I suspect that it was the exception and not the rule.

We enjoyed the scene at Ohm for a little while, and finally headed back to Harper’s place around 2:30 am (3:30 my time). It was much earlier than I had expected, and I was grateful.

Harper, Matiss and I showed up with a bag full of juggling machetes and two pumpkins.

We carved this one in advance, and the other was to be carved while we juggled.

Two guys passed six knives between them, and the thrid guy had an extra knife and hacked at the pumpkin for a second before cycling back into the pattern and letting the next guy take a few swings at it.  After a few minutes of reducing the pumpkin to a paste, Matiss stood in front of the slain gourd and did some solo tricks while Harper and I not-so-discretely switched the slain pumpkin for the nicely carved one we had kept hidden.  We got a good reaction from the audience, it was a lot of fun, and I really look forward to seeing the video tape.

I have to admit though that I was the weak link in the whole operation.  It turns out that it’s a lot harder than I realized to juggle knives for that long.  Harper and Matiss had recently been doing a knife act so they were used to it, but once my forearms cramped up I started dropping a lot.

On Saturday the three of us went down to Dailey Plaza and saw the Midnight Circus Halloween show.  It was really fun.  I highly recommend it.  I guess they do slightly different shows throughout the day, so if I can get back up to Chicago before Halloween I will have to camp out for the whole day.  After the show we got to hang out with Keith Bindlestiff of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus.  Always a good time.

I was hired to perform at the Zoo by the Milwaukee Zoological Society for their annual Memeber’s Kids Nights. Each year they keep the Zoo open late for three nights (Tues, Thurs, and Fri.) so the members can come and enjoy the Zoo without all the non-member riff-raff getting in their way. It’s a really nice event. It’s evening, so it’s not so hot, the crowds are entirely managable, and they have special things like entertainers and free pickles. This is something like the 6th or 7th year they have hired me in a row. I really like this gig, and I know that someday my luck has got to run out.

The shows went as well as could be expected considering that we were in a basically undisclosed location due to the rain. Normally I perform in the outdoor theater that they use for the Bird of Prey Show. In the time I have worked there I have performed solo, alternating with a ventriloquist, and this year I’m alternating with a sound effects guy in his 80s named Wes Harrison. He’s awesome.

In general I always try to get to a show about an hour ahead of time. It’s not as critical to have that much time if I’ve done the show before, or if I know in advance that they are really organized, like for a library show. On the other hand, gigs like Summerfest, or the WI State Fair require that I get there several hours in advance because there is a lot more ground to cover, and I can’t drive right up to my performing spot.

After my two shows were finished at the Zoo, I headed back to the car in the rain, and let the dog out for a very brief stretch before we headed off to Lynn’s house. At this point it was about 8:45 and I was starving, so I stopped at good ol’ Taco Bell for a Crunch Wrap Supreme with beans (no meat). Taco Bell and Subway are the saviors of the travelling vegetarian who’s in a hurry.

Lynn was already asleep when we got to her house, but that didn’t stop Vader from going up to her room and licking her until she woke up. Lynn and I are on nearly opposite schedules. I’m a night owl, and am usually up until 1 am or so, and Lynn usually is up at 4:30 am, 5:00 if she decides to sleep in. It can be a bit tricky, but it’s worked out so far. One side effect of being a performer is that you get pretty good at changing your sleep schedule. I read for a bit and went to bed.

As usual, Lynn, Vader and I were out the door at 7:40 am to go on the dog walk with a bunch of other dog owners. I usually wait to eat breakfast until we get back, when I am fully awake. By 10:00 I was reading in bed, and well on my way to a nap. Today I don’t have to work, but tomorrow I will have to leave for the Zoo at about 5 pm. The plan for the rest of today is to write this article, and go practice juggling with my buddy Marcus Monroe in a raquetball court. Tonight Lynn and I are going to eat her awesome marinated mushroom and green pepper sanwhiches, and watch the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still.

I will leave Milwaukee Saturday morning to head home, with a brief stop in Chicago to pick up some of my wife Lenore’s artwork from a gallery there. I get to be home Saturday and Sunday. We have some friends coming into town to look for an appartment, and then on Monday I am off to Portland for a week for the International Jugglers Association annual convention where I will practice, learn new tricks, network, socialize, sit around, and be the MC for the Cascade of Stars Public Show. After that I will be home for a few days before Pierogiefest in Whiting IN on July 29th.

Vader travels with me whenever I am going somewhere dog friendly for a few days. Mostly that means Lynn’s house in Milwaukee, but he comes with me when I go to my Mom’s house in Madison WI, to my friends Jeni and Adolfo’s house in Green Bay WI, or to my sister-in-law’s house in Geneva IL.

That’s pretty much how I live when I’m working. Winter is less busy, and there is more doing stuff around the house, doing office work, seeing friends, going to the dog park, and working on computer projects. I hope that this was interesting for you, if not, then you are not the audience I wrote it for. ;)

The show in Madison was a lot of fun, as I expected. I actually asked to come back to this one after I did it a few years ago. As a part of the intensive week-long music clinic for middle-school kids they also bring in entertainers so that the kids can learn to be good audience members, and therefore be more appreciative when they have a good audience themselves. It’s a really nice theater packed full of kids, and it’s always a great show.

Evansville was a lot of work (five 45 minute shows at five different locations in 2 days) but it was a great time. It’s always interesting to see how different the shows are when you do a series like this one. Some of them were packed, outrageous riots, and some were more low-key, calm, lightly attended affaris. The shows were great, and something I didn’t expect at all was that there were a bunch of kids who came to more than one show. One kid came to three! One show on the first day, and two on the second.

At one point in my show I tell a story with yo-yo tricks, and one of the tricks is the Runaway Dog where you throw a fast spinner, take the string off your finger, and the yo-yo rolls away from you. I always aim this trick at a specific kid so they can grab it and throw it back to me, but sometimes they miss the yo-yo as it rolls by. At one of the shows on the first day in Evansville, the kid missed the yo-yo so I asked for someone to go and get it. About 6 kids got up and sprinted for it. As they did, I sarcastically said, “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Fight over it. And see if you can knock some teeth out while you’re at it.” I’m not used to people taking me seriously. The kids actually started fighting! No teeth were disloged, but neither were any parents. I had to go over and break up the fighting kids myself. It was very strange.

It was a slow drive back up to Indianapolis that evening, but I had my Berries & Cream Dr. Pepper so it was ok. I LOVE that stuff! It tastes like cough medicine. It’s awesome.

I REALLY didn’t want to have to get in the car for more driving on Thursday to go up to Skokie. The show ended up being delayed a few hours because of the rain, but that actually turned out to be good since I got to have lunch with Harper and some of the threadless.com guys. After lunch there was a short Half-Life video game session where we played in a level that Ivan had made to look like the threadless office. It was really cool.

Since Monday I have driven over 1600 miles. Yow.

Jeni was gone, so Adolfo and I got to have a Man Weekend. We did Man things like make “wraps” (black beans, cilantro, green onions, sour cream, hot sauce, cheese, and green pepper on flour tortillas… and no, they weren’t burritos), eat unbelievably good ice cream sandwiches, walk the dogs, go shopping, drink smoothies (Adolfo is a master smoothie maker), and play video games. You know… man stuff. It was awesome.

Bay Fest went well, with decent crowds, especially Sunday afternoon. I had standing room only, and it was an outside show. I got to eat some delicious sweet corn. I’m still regretting that I only ate one ear. What was I thinking?

The drive home was BRUTAL (8 hours with no help from Vader with the driving), but at least I got to stop in Chicago and see my friends Harper, Hiromi (visiting from Japan!), Matiss and Erica.

For me juggling festivals are fun no matter what, although I ususally don’t get much juggling done, and this fest is no exception. I already knew that a bunch of my good juggling and yo-yo friends were going to be here, but I got the added bonus that Crash, Sky, and Luke Wilson are here too!

The yo-yo contest went well, although it always takes longer than I want it to. Today I get to actually do some practicing… or at least I have the option of practicing… I will probably end up hanging out and talking.