Pictures from TV Commercial

Today I received some pictures from the commercial shoot that I participated in last month in Kansas City. Here are some of them:

Discussing how the shoot will go

Greg, Don, Tina, Terry, Karen, Dave, Toto, & Benny

Terry, on his tiny bike

Don, stuffed into the trunk

Must have been a good take

Catching my suitcase

As the car approaches the parking lot

And my odd favorite:

It was a lot of fun hanging with the clowns, and just as much fun with the filming crew. Some dressed as clowns for the day, others had on weird clown ties, etc. All in a day's work.

DonB!

Report on the L.O.L. Tour

It is always nice to be home. Back to my family, my motorcycle, my hometown. However, this last tour was one of my favorites.

I travelled with Randy Christensen and Ben Christensen, and we toured for 12 days performing the L.O.L. Tour. Some have asked what L.O.L. stands for, and it is an abbreviation of "Laugh Out Loud" that people use when sending text messages from their cell phones. It was chosen as the title of this particular show because of its simplicity and how well it fit the description of our show.

Randy started planning this tour last year, and we rehearsed a few times, putting the individual elements together that would eventually become the show.

A few months back we "tested" it in Brainerd, MN., and it was met with great response from the audience and the sponsoring group.

On August 10th I drove over to Willmar, Minnesota to do the final run throughs, and then on Tuesday morning we set out driving, headed to our first show at Calvary Temple in Springfield, Illinois.

On our way, we made a short stop in Wisconsin Dells to play 18 holes of miniature golf. The scores fluctuated throughout the game, but Ben & I tied our scores. (to be continued...)

Randy, Ben & Don, after Golf: Round One

The first show in Springfield was on August 12th, primarily to a kid audience. Even with a couple of tiny rough parts in the show, it went really well.

The format of the show is that Ben, Randy & I all do our specialties, and throughout the show we combine our talents into complete routines, such as the ring juggling, diabolo and the finale. The show consisted of various routines involving mime, ball juggling, ring juggling, ventriloquism, slapstick physical humor, stand-up comedy, unicycles, diabolo juggling, magic illusions, plate spinning and really tall chair balancing (still makes me nervous every time). Randy does a Gospel presentation at the 3/4 mark of the show, and then we come back for the big finale. The show runs about 90 minutes, and was very well received by everyone.

For our second show, we drove up to Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, and played to a full house of really excited people at First Assembly, finishing the show with a standing ovation. Before the show, Ben & I borrowed our host's bikes and took a 2 mile trip and picked up a couple of geocaches.

Ben & Don getting exercise

While in Bloomington, Randy & Ben went to visit the historical Lincoln Museum. I was feeling a little antsy that day and was worried about standing around in a museum, so I went and geocached at Washington Park.

We then had a couple of days before the next show, so we made another quick stop in the Dells, played another 18 holes (to break the tie, of course), and once again Ben & I tied each other's scores.

Don, Ben & Randy, after Golf: Round Two

We then went over and visited the House on the Rock Museum. I highly encourage everyone to see this place. It is not only a house, but one of the most eccentric collections of amazing things ever gathered under one roof (actually multiple buildings). The house is amazing, but the museum was filled with incredible one-of-a-kind things.

The third show was at the Assembly of God church in Necedah, Wisconsin, pastored by Randy's brother. Not sure of what the attendance would be at the program, everyone was very happy when the sanctuary packed completely full at showtime. The laughter was especially loud and strong during this show, and the adrenaline was a rush to all of us performers. Maybe too much for Randy, as he threw his back out during a strenuous mime piece, called "Pop Machine".

We stayed in Necedah for two days, living in the Christensen's RV. It was very comfortable, but I felt bad that I kept Ben awake with my snoring.

We made a trip to Circus World in Baraboo, and saw some great shows, and met up with another clown from Minnesota, Neal "Roger" Skoy. He was a funny guy, and we enjoyed our short visit with him while there.

"Roger" and Don, after the Circus Show

While in Necedah, Ben & I borrowed two bikes again to ride around town and explore. We ended up finding a geocache on an army tank in town, but realized it was the only cache in this very scenic town.

So we assembled our own cache, filled it with official L.O.L. merchandise, and hid it right near the church that we performed at. It was found later the next day.

As we left Necedah, we took a detour into the Dells again, but this time so that Randy could have his back looked at/taken care of. Of course, Ben & I had to break our tie in mini golf during Randy's appointment. We played at Adventure Falls, and as you can see by the picture, I came out the victor.

We drove over to Crosspoint Church in Portage, WI., and performed to another full house, and finished once again with a standing ovation.

Our last performance was at Celebration Church in Green Bay, where Randy was once the children's pastor. The current senior pastor is Mark Gungor, with whom I travelled with a few years back during his "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" conferences. This was our largest audience on this tour, with approximately 700 people filling the main sanctuary.

Our Travel-Mobile, now officially a "Cash for Clunkers" recipient

On our way home to Minnesota, Randy's van started having trouble getting into 3rd gear. We stopped to add transmission fluid, but it didn't need it. So we drove the last 2 hours at 40 mph. Getting bored, I resorted to making craft projects out of anything I could find in the van. Hence, this photo of with a clothespin picture frame. (It was a looonnnnggggg 2 hours)

The "L.O.L. Tour" was not meant to be evangelistic, and the message was a clear Gospel presentation by Randy, so I really have no numbers of decisions made during the tour. It was a great time to spend performing with 2 of my best friends, doing what we like best: sharing the joy of being a Christian with those that are willing to spend an evening with us.

It was a great tour. Ben & Randy are both such great performers, and it seems that all three of us think the same about what the program should be. It was a stress-free tour for me, and we all returned home safe and sound.

DonB!

From Unicycles to Motorcycle(s)

When I was 16 years old I took a motorcycle safety course in Minneapolis and took the exam to get my motorcycle permit. I passed, and drove around Minneapolis for about a week. Knowing little about motorcycles I forgot to check the oil level and burned out the engine of my cool little Kawasaki 90:

Well, it's been 28 years and I've always wanted to get another "bike" to travel around home with. After mentioning it off & on for the last few weeks, my wife, Deb, simply said, "You're not getting any younger. Go get one."

So I started looking online for the right cycle. Not too big, but not so small that I would be disappointed in a month that it can't go where I want to go.

I checked eBay, Motorcycle Trader and Craig's List. I knew my parameters: must be able to maintain 55 mph in case I go on a highway, must be able to safely carry one other passenger, must be less than $1000.00 and must be in good/great condition.

After narrowing it down to 2 different cycles, and with feedback from my brother and father-in-law, I decided to purchase a 1982 Yamaha 400 Seca from a young man that was getting ready to ship off to basic training for the Navy.

It is a great cycle, but needs new tires and a basic overall check-up before I totally trust taking it out on the open road.

We made the drive to Rush City, MN, to find new helmets for us. Dennis Kirk is the largest supplier of after market cycle and snowmobile parts in the country. We found two nice helmets at a great price.

While the cycle is in for it's exam, Debbie & I went this morning for our motorcycle permit tests. We both passed with almost perfect scores.

The cycle should be ready for us by Wednesday. Sadly, I will be gone on tour until August 20th, so Deb will get to test it out while I am gone. I'll get my opportunity when I return.

Anyone else have a cycle and want to go riding some afternoon, please call me after the 20th of August. And my goal, if at all possible, is to avoid interstate highways and explore all the back roads of east central Minnesota.

Watch for us, wave and smile as we go by.

The L.O.L. Tour Promotional Video

The promotional video for the variety show I am touring with in August is ready to see. Take a look HERE.

If your church is interested in booking the LOL Show into your church, please contact Randy Christensen at pastorrandy@willmarag.org

See you this Summer.

DonB!

Garrison Play Days

Last weekend, Dale & I went up to Garrison, Minnesota, and performed for the Garrison Play Days Celebration.

On Saturday we rode our unicycles in the city parade, did some strolling entertainment in my stilts, and then did a show under the big top tent. The tent was completely packed with people by the end of the show, probably around 300-350 total.

On Sunday I did my version of "Jonah & the Whale" in the morning community service, did some more strolling entertainment prior to the afternoon show, and then did another show at 3PM under the big top. The crowd was smaller that day, but they were a fun bunch of folks from around the area.

I even had some geocachers from the area come up and talk after the program, so it was an added surprise.

Here is the program for the Sunday AM community church service:

Funniest Show last night

My final Trout Lake Day Camp show last night was at First Baptist Church/New Hope Church in Cambridge, Minnesota.

I did my show in two sections. The first part went fairly normal. Fairly.

But the second part went weird somewhere. When I asked "Tim" up on stage to help during the toilet paper routine, everything seemed to be going just fine. Until we actually got to the stage.

Tim was acting as if he may have to go potty (gestures and dancing were my cue), so I muted my microphone and asked him. He said, "No", so I suggested he not "hold himself", or the audience may laugh at him. He "went normal". Until about 3 minutes into the routine...

When the 2nd toilet paper ball disappeared, I asked if it was hiding under the chair. He looked, sat back and said, "Nope,..." and I made the mistake of turning towards the audience, turning AWAY from Tim. He then continued his sentence by saying, "but it might be hidden in HERE." Before I could stop the train wreck that was about to happen, Tim practically stripped himself clean from the waist down. Thank heaven for Under-Roos. Keep in mind that Tim was about 9 years old.

I quickly blocked the view of the audience to Tim, while he re-clothed himself, and then I spun his chair to face the back of the stage (comedy improv moment). Well, with Tim's antics, and my reactions, the audience went into hysterics. (I realize you really had to be there to completely understand, but it was out-of-control FUNNY) With a few more improvised lines, and a the proper facial gestures of embarrassment, the funniness built to a spot that I could barely hold together. I was laughing. The audience was laughing. Tim may have been laughing. Tim's parents? I don't know what they were doing. But it was funny!

The routine eventually came to an end, coming in at almost 5 minutes longer than usual, and Tim was escorted back to his seat.

Then came the Unicycle Medley. The two kids that helped me were not as tangent as Tim, but the young boy was pretty close. (cough) ADHD (cough)

When I put him in his spot to stand, he was gone before I could turn away. I put him back again, and within a second, he was back again trying to uncover the hidden unicycles behind my curtain. I placed him there again, firmly said to remain there, and he (almost) did.

Every time I asked the audience, "Should we get a bigger one?!?!", the boy ran backstage to retrieve the next unicycle, even though he didn't know which one I really wanted.

It all went fine after all. Nobody died. Everyone laughed. I aged about 15 years in 10 minutes. And the senior pastor came up afterward to ask if I would come back and perform for their Christmas Party this year. "Sure," I said, "but NO toilet paper!"

I'm tired. :)

DonB!

Where have I been?

What a Summer this has been! I've been all across the country, performed for groups as small as 30 and as large as 1200+. My travels have taken me to 5 different states, with completely varied climates and scenery.

On May 23rd I performed for the 44th time at Camp Lebanon, near Upsala, Minnesota. The crowd was excellent. "Bobber Bill", whom I refer to as my best publicist, got the crowd hyped for the show, and they remained hyped throughout the whole 50 minutes. The shows at Lebanon are ALWAYS fun, and never the same show twice (for Bill's benefit).

The beginning of June found me in Rockford, Illinois, performing for the National Junior Bible Quiz Championships. There were (I'm guessing) 30-50 teams from around the country, testing out their knowledge of Scripture. On opening night, I performed, and challenged them to remember that whether they "won" or "lost" the individual heats, they were all working toward the same goal: knowledge of the Bible. It was a fun trip.

I then headed to Nashville for 4 days to work with Harris III, and some magic props he was planning on selling. It was 90-95 outside, and even hotter inside the storage unit that I spent 2 days inside of. We got it all done, and were able to get some of the props into the hands of other performers around the country that could use them.

I drove right back to Braham, Minnesota, and performed, along with my son, Dale, for the retirees in Braham. It was a small room, with a small group of people, but they were so very grateful to have us come over and entertain/visit that one lady baked us one of her famous rhubarb pies. I LOVE rhubarb! After the show, Dale continued visiting and entertaining various folks for another 30 minutes with his antics. They liked me, they LOVED Dale.

The next day I performed another one of the Trout Lake Day Camp Finales that I've been doing over the Summer. A few have asked what these camps are, so I'll tell you.

Trout Lake has some staff go into churches, and they plan and run an entire 4 day vacation Bible school at the churches. Well, when the program director, James Rock (that's him above), and I were talking about the day camps, I had an idea: I don't have money to donate to Trout Lake Camp, but I CAN donate time and my abilities. So, Trout Lake asked if I would be the "Finale Night" entertainment, and I said, "Yes." I performed at 7 of them this Summer, at churches around Minnesota and Wisconsin. My final one last night was an unbelievable way to end the Summer day camp "tour". More about this in a minute.

The next day I performed for the VBS of my parent's church, House of Hope Lutheran in New Hope, MN. Even though there were a lot of kids there, I was really happy about how many "older" folks came out for the show and enjoyed it. I love when everyone in a church gets involved with the shows. Another great show.

The next day I did some strolling entertainment on my stilts at Valleyfair in Shakopee, MN., for a private party in the picnic area. Thanks to A Touch of Magic for sending me out on that gig. I look forward to more like that.

I flew out the next morning to Issaquah, Washington, for 3 days of performing at Eastridge Christian Assembly, nestled way up in the rolling hills just East of Seattle. I have to say, I cannot get enough time in the mountains to satisfy; they are incredible, and more so every time I see them. I was able to take an evening and visit my cousin, Brandon, who currently lives in the Seattle area too.

I flew back on Thursday morning and drove right to my first of two Trout Lake camps in that day, one in Maple Grove, MN., and another in Champlin, MN. (Yes, it was a very full day).

At the end of June I flew down to Missouri to participate in the filming of a tv commercial for Kansas City International Airport. Wanna see the commercial? Click HERE. I'm the one on the unicycle. Duh.

I quickly flew home and did another Trout Lake Day Camp, and then took off for Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to ride in a parade and to perform in the evening for Praise Fellowship. Another very full day.

In and amongst all of the other 1-day things I did throughout July, I did 3 more Trout Lake Day Camps, strolled on my stilts for 4 hours in Andover, MN., performed as Paul Bunyan (on my stilts) for the International Lions Club Convention in Minneapolis, and got a few good nights of sleep in between somewhere.

Tomorrow, Dale & I are are driving up to Garrison, MN, to ride in a parade, perform during a Sunday service, and do 2 shows under the "Big Top" tent during the Garrison Fun Days.

It has been a busy, and rewarding Summer for myself and my family.

Talk again soon.

DonB!

Summer is here!

After school was out, and after we attended 8-10 graduation parties, Summer has arrived.

I leave tomorrow for Rockford, Illinois, to perform at the National Junior Bible Quiz Finals.

I then drive over to Nashville for 4 days to do some rehearsals for the October "Sens de Vie" shows that are booking onto the calendar.  So far, Ohio, North Carolina and Alabama have confirmed bookings, and there are a lot more inquiries coming in every day.  The show will look a little different this Fall than it did in the Spring.  Two of the biggest illusions are gone, and replaced by some one-of-a-kind things that very few shows have ever done.  I can't say much, but I have a unique part in the show, performing a routine that I have only performed 3 other times in my life.  I can't wait to tell you...

When I return from Nashville I will have one day off, then right into 8 days of shows, including 4 of those days in Issaquah, Washington.  An early morning flight there, and a middle of the night red-eye flight back to Minnesota in order to get back in time for my 2 shows on the 25th here in Minnesota.  I love being busy, especially when so many other people are out of work at this time.

See you all again really soon...

DonB!

New DonB! Ministries website is up

It's here!!!

Take a look at it!!!

The new DonB! Ministries website is up and running.

Albert Kiteck helped put the site together, including the FLASH animation on the home page.  I'm really happy with the site, especially that I am able to make changes to many of the pages on my own, including calendar dates, comments from churches, and pictures on the MEDIA page.

Check it out, send your friends to view it, and contact Albert for your next website.

Don

The L.O.L. Tour

Don        -        Ben        -        Randy

L.O.L. = Laugh Out Loud

My good friend, Pastor Randy Christensen, puts together a group of performers just about every year, and does a 7-10 day tour with the show.

This year, Randy, along with his son, Ben, came up with the "Laugh Out Loud" concept and decided that it described the elements of the individual shows that all three of us do.  Hence, the L.O.L. Tour was begun.

Our first show was in Brainerd, Minnesota, as a "FUN-raiser" for the Youth for Christ group in Brainerd.

We rehearsed 3 or 4 times over the last year, deciding which segments of our own individual shows should be included, as well as what new ideas we could work on as a group and incorporate into the show.

Ben Christensen, a student at North Central University, now performs throughout the Summer, and can juggle the diabolo amazingly. He did some of his hat & cane juggling, a newer tennis ball routine as well as his diabolo routine that boggles my eyes just to watch.

Randy, who can do just about anything performance related, did a couple of mime pieces, including his full William Tell routine (very creative) with an audience volunteer, and a fun ventriloquism act.

I did my favorite rope routine (the one people ask about after almost every show), the newer bowling ball act, and my unicycles.

For the finale, we revised the full 12 minute kitchen scene from the "Cirque Imaginings" show we toured with 2 years ago.  We expanded the club juggling portion, and finished with Randy's tension building 6-high chair stacking bit (scares me every time).

The show ended with a standing ovation from the audience, so they really liked it.

In August, we will be touring around Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois for two weeks with the show.  As soon as I have specific dates and locations, I will post them on my website (www.donbministries.com/dates.php).

If you or your church is interested in booking the LOL Show, go HERE and submit your information to Randy.  He can contact you with the details.

See you on the road...

DonB!

Music Boat 2009 - Summary

From what I've told you about this cruise, you may ask how in the world did I get to be a part of this.  Well, I ask myself that same question every single day.

Initially I was invited by Robert T., the guy that is famous for all of the BibleMan videos.  Thanks to the Premier people, I have now been privileged to take part in 6 of their cruises over the last 3 years.

At our dinner table each night were some great people, including Kurt Heinecke and his 2 boys (Kurt writes most of the music for Veggie Tales productions)and Jason McLeod, star of "Facing the Giants" and "Fireproof".  Needless to say, we had a blast at dinner each night.

Finally, when heading back to my room after my show in the Atrium, a guy from Altered (Memphis Jones) said that he "heard that I rocked!"  I asked him, "Who told you that?!?!"  Two doors down the hallway, a young man poked his head out and answered, "I did!"  It was Altered's bass player, Mike Stoker. You guys rock, too!

Whether I rocked or not, everyone we talked with and performed for really enjoyed their time on the Music Boat cruise.  They also gave us some great comments about the shows and close-up magic Bruce & I performed throughout the entire cruise.

To see many more pictures from the cruise, click HERE.

God is good, all the time.

Amen.

Music Boat 2009 - Saturday

This was to be our last day in Florida, so we decided to do a few touristy things.  We hit 2 flea markets, looking for bargains, and then headed up to Daytona Beach for some sun and swimming.

The weather on this entire trip was beautiful, and this day was no exception.  The waves were crashing at about 4 feet, and we jumped and played for 4 hours.

We then met one of my best friends, Kevin, and his son, Joseph, for a 36-hole game of miniature golf.  No matter how hard we tried, Kevin beat us pretty badly.  It sure was great to see him again after a year apart.  I just wish his wife and daughter could have come also, but too much work for school to be done.  Oh well, next time then.

To finish off our trip, we boarded the plane at 7 AM on Sunday, and were back in Minnesota by 11 in the morning.

Home sweet home.

Music Boat 2009 - Friday

We made port at 8 AM back in Port Canaveral, Florida, but our day was only beginning.

Bruce had met a family, that had met a lady, Jennifer, that worked at Disney's Magic Kingdom.  When she found out that it was Bruce's birthday on Friday, she met us at Disney's Hollywood Studios and signed us in for a free day of fun and playing.

We rode the new Toy Story Mania interactive ride, as well as the Rockin' Rollercoaster 5 times, and even the Tower of Terror 5 times.  By 7 PM when the park closed, we were exhausted, and returned to our hotel near the airport for a good night's rest.

Music Boat 2009 - Thursday

Thursday turned out to be our busiest day on the cruise this year.

At 9:30 AM, Bruce and I headed over to the two dining areas where the autograph sessions were to take place.  There were people in line already, so we got right to work performing for all of the families waiting in the lines.  I performed until 11AM, and then headed to the Atrium Stage for my sound check.  After completing that, Bruce & I brought all of my equipment over from the main Premier Theatre that I performed in the night before.

Entertaining for the autograph lines

"Take a card..."

We grabbed a bite to eat (there were 8 places to eat on this ship!), and at 1 PM I did my own show on the Centrum Stage.  It is an interesting set-up, in that I was completely surrounded by people, including 2 glass elevators behind me.  It was funny watching Larry the Cucumber, from Veggie Tales, squeeze out of the glass elevator just prior to my show.

The Centrum stage, with glass elevators in the background.

Starting my show

My favorite, the Egg Bag.

The show went great, and I had many people talk with me afterward about my ministry work around the country, and how they could get me to their own churches and radio stations.

Immediately after the show, there was another autograph session to do close-up magic for, and while that happened Altered and Matthew West did their afternoon concert (I sadly had to miss it).

That night we listened to speaker, David Nasser, and then the music of MercyMe.  What a great night it was, and over $60,000 was donated by the ship guests to help pay for orphanages in Haiti.

The last thing of the night, usically speaking, was the farewell concert in the Atrium.  My personal favorite was The Katinas, with their Samoan/Latin/dance sound.

Music Boat 2009 - Wednesday

I woke up on Wednesday, knowing that it would be a very full day.

We got up early in order to be off the ship by 8 AM when our excursion in Nassau, Bahamas, was leaving.  We opted to go Clear Kayaking.  It was fun, but about 20 minutes into kayaking, the guide asked if we wanted to snorkel instead.  It didn't take us more than 45 seconds to get to the boat, get our gear on and jump back in the water!

Don & Deanna

We purchased 3 bags of fish food and fed the fish as they came right up to us to eat.  Bruce saw a small stingray swim under him.  I saw Dori & Nemo, though they look a lot smaller in real life than they do in "Finding Nemo".

On the way to the snorkeling area we saw what used to be Charlie Chaplin's home, as well as the Michael Jackson Suite in the Atlantis hotel.  Amazing structures they both were.

The Michael Jackson Suite - Atlantis Hotel

We did a little geocaching on Nassau, then headed back onto the boat.

I then started assembling my unicycles for the 2 shows that evening.  I was told that I was opening for illusionist Brock Gill, but what they neglected to tell me was that I was also opening for Toby Mac!  Yes, you read that right: Christian music artist Toby Mac.  And those crowds (I did it twice) were pumped up for a great concert!

Toby Mac, Deanna

(does she look excited?!?!)

Both Brock Gill and Toby Mac were great.  Toby always puts on a great show, as well as inspiring and fun music.

After the Toby Mac concert, we headed up to the Viking Crown Lounge, a piano lounge with a 360 degree view of the ocean at the top of the ship.  Bruce & I started performing magic for the people already there, and we continued on for almost 2.5 hours, as people came and went the entire time.  There were about 8 people that stayed the entire time, and later referred to themselves as our "groupies".  It was very fun, as we tag-teamed back and forth doing routine after routine, trying out new stuff and throwing in the good old stand-bys when needed.

Don, getting a laugh from Won Ya

Viking Crown Lounge

Bruce, trying to glimpse Sarah's card

Viking Crown Lounge

Making coins go right through the glass table top

Viking Crown Lounge

It was another fun day at sea.

Music Boat 2009 - Tuesday

Tuesday, day 2 of the cruise, saw us headed for CoCoCay Island in the Bahamas.  As soon as we arrived on the island we went out geocaching, finding one only 15 feet off of the trail.  Then, it was out in the sun.

Don, geocaching on CoCoCay Island

We used a lot of spray-on sunscreen, and then later learned something about it: you should not apply it in the wind.  If you do, all you get on you is the "glue" substance, and very little of the "screen" part.  All three of us ended up more red than expected (alright, we were burned).

CoCoCay Beach

We swam, touched jellyfish, saw fish jumping right out of the water next to us, and Deanna even found a large shark's tooth.

That night we saw 33 Miles, Jars of Clay, Audio Talks (formerly Audio Adrenaline), 321 Improv, Pillar and illusionist Brock Gill.

While standing at the back waiting for the next concert to start, a man in a ball cap walked up and introduced himself.  He was Bello Nock, star of the Ringling Brothers Circus back in 2008.  The next night, I had the honor of introducing him to the folks on the cruise during my 2nd show of the evening.

Bruce, Bello, Don

MusicBoat 2009 - Monday

On May 3rd I had the wonderful privilege of working on my 6th Premier Christian Music Cruise.  Here's the basics of the trip:

The plan was to have my wife, Debbie, go on the trip with me, but due to her school schedule she could not go.  So our daughter, Deanna, as well as one of my magician friends, Bruce Kilber, went with me.

Bruce, Deanna, Don

We flew to Florida on Sunday morning, landing in Orlando around noon.

On Monday, we hopped on the air conditioned bus, heading to Port Canaveral where the ship was docked.  On board the bus, we ended up riding with The Katinas and some of their family members.  One of those boys, Eli, actually knew some magic tricks, so we spent the 45 minute trip sharing magic effects with hum and the rest of the Katina crew.  If you ever want to hear some music that will definitely make you get up and dance, it is The Katinas.  Check them out on the web, as well as as your Christian music outlet.

 

Don, Eli, Bruce

When we arrived at the port, most of the people were already on board the ship, so we didn't do much performing in the terminal, but when we got onboard we found plenty of people to perform for.

Don in the lobby

While walking around the ship, I was able to listen to a few songs by First Day, an acappella group made up of guys from all walks of life.

On Monday night we enjoyed the concerts of FEE and the David Crowder Band.  Both were really fun concerts, and it was obvious that the musicians in both groups really enjoy the music they make.

After those concerts, we headed up to the outdoor stage to listen to the Katinas.  They really know how to get everyone moving, despite the interesting set-up of the stage (overlooking the swimming pool!).

 

The Katinas

We then headed indoors to hear one of my favorites, NewSong, including "Defining Moment" and "Arise My Love".  Both songs have such great lyrics and melodies.

Bruce, Deanna & I then had our first of way too many trips to the 24 hour ice cream machine.  We then headed back to our room to laugh, tell jokes, recite limericks, and continue laughing until 2 AM, when none of us could take any more.

Bruce, getting soft serve cone #1 (of over 40)

And that was the end of Day 1.

Found another DonB! picture on the Web

Found this photo of me from last Summer.  I was doing strolling entertainment on my stilts at the Twin City Polo Classic in Independence, MN.

Due to copyright, click HERE to view it.

DonB!

DonB! Juggling DVD is here!

After teaching juggling to at least 700 people over the last 20 years, and being asked multiple times, "Why don't you just put out a DVD?", I've finally done it.

This DVD includes the entire step-by-step lessons I use to teach others to juggle.  It includes tips on learning other juggling equipment, such as balls, clubs, rings, spinning plates, etc.  It includes over 5 minutes of funny outtakes.  And the BEST PART is that it comes with a nice, quality set of juggling scarves.  You don't have to go out and buy ANYTHING; it's all here in one package.

Right now you can get them by either emailing me or calling my office (320-679-0060).

Price for the DVD and the set of quality juggling scarves is only $15.00. And I'll pay the postage within the United States.

If you've always wanted to learn to juggle, this may be your answer.

Stay tuned, because my other DVD is about ready too...

Summer has arrived. Finally.

Well, after a busy Spring, filled with show stuff, family stuff and of course, Easter, Summer is here.

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The "Sens de Vie" show here in Mora was a success.  The 300+ people that came to the theatre for it all said it was a great show.  I loved it, and felt even more energy than usual, probably because of all the people I knew in the audience. 

Thanks to Harris III and his wife, Katie, for their willingness to put on the entire BIG show, regardless of how little money they would make.

Thanks to Emmanuel Baptist Church for helping cover the advertising costs, and for putting up posters all around the community and neighboring cities. 

Thanks to the folks that helped unload and re-load the truck, even into the late hours of the night.

Thanks to Danny & Matt for working so hard making us performers look great.  You guys ROCK!

Thanks to KBEK and WCMP radio stations for going the extra mile on interviews and radio spots.

Thanks to Kanabec Publications for putting together such a nice looking ad in the paper.

Really, thank you to all of the people that gave of their time, their finances and their resources to make it possible.  Without all of you, there would have been no show.

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As I look at my calendar, I see that things are a bit slimmer this year, but by the grace of God, the phone still rings, and churches still invite me to be a part of the outreach to their communities.

As for calendars, my laptop hard drive took a nose dive 2 weeks ago, but the Apple care center took care of everything for me.  No cost, but I got a new hard drive installed.  And thankfully I was smart enough to back everything up onto an external drive that I had just purchased two days prior.  The only thing I haven't been able to completely restore is my calendar.  I am sorting through everything in my office making sure that I don't neglect showing up for a show this month.

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Both of our kids, Dale & Deanna, have their birthdays in March.  Instead of buying expensive toys that break, or electronic gizmos that wear out, we did something completely different: We took a family trip.

We loaded up our car and headed to Chicago.  We had made reservations at a 4-star hotel (that we got for a 2-star price) right on the waterway of Chicago.  We were on the 17th floor, so we had a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline.

We purchased a $5 all-you-can-travel pass and toured around Chicago, including the Federal Reserve building, the Navy Pier and up & down the Magnificent Mile shopping area.  Most everything was too expensive for us, but we did find the Lego store, a huge Borders Bookstore and some coffee!

The finale of the trip was on Friday evening, when we dressed up and hopped on the e-train.  We arrived at the theatre, just in time to go see the Disney production of "Mary Poppins".  It was amazing!  The sets all folded out like large pop-up books.  Thanks to an illusionist I read about, many impossible things happened onstage that would be impossible otherwise, such as Mary pulling large things out of a small carpet bag and a human-sized doll coming to life from a tiny dollhouse.  We had a supercalifr......

We had a supercalifragile.....

We had a supercalifragilistic ex....

We had a great time.  The entire trip was a memory that no gizmo nor gadget could replace.

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Well, I have to go outside and pack for my show tomorrow in Rochester, MN, at Evangel United Methodist Church.  It is my 6th appearance there over the years, and I look forward to seeing all of the great people there again.

May all your days be circus days...but without the sneezing.

DonB!