Dana Law Archive

Spent most of the day at the desk. Got a lot done. Donna finished the mailing for me tonight online. She thinks it will be a hit. Hope so. Need the money. Did a show for the ultra seniors at the Redwood Terrace in Escondido tonight. Sweet old people mostly damaged by stroke, alzheimers and just age. Bonnie Sanchez is the sweetest activity director and has used me numerous times. She is about 55 and still has a great figure. Which is important. I had worked out in Escondido before the event and sat in my car for about 45 minutes beforehand. I get lonely on by myself sitting in the dark especially in the winter when I am on the road. Don't like it at all. I meet a lot of people when I work. I think it makes me more vulnerable when I am alone. I did a show in the afternoon at the Cabrillo Recreation Dept. in Point Loma. Weird, loud kids who are sweet in the core. I used to get angry with problem kids at my shows. Mistake. Just love on them and they are fine. That is what they need. Had them laughing hard. A kid can act out during the show then hug you after. Cooked my first successful pan of beans last night. Vegetarian and real good. Got the simple recipe from the guy buying some next to me at Henry's. I will make many more in the future and they will get better. Put up five portions in the freezer. Must have cost me about a quarter each.

Mom is out with a friend so Janessa said Sushi, so we did Sushi. I went up Cowles Mountain today for the first time in a week. I got sick and got right into Christmas and shows and everything fell apart. I have to get in shape for the walk on January 12th to Scissors Crossing from our last stop on the PCT. Should be fun and as usual I am overplanning it. Janessa asked me about her making her first road trip this weekend to Utah to see Amanda who went back to school near more Mormons than her own family here in San Diego could provide. I used to do road trips but I paid for them myself. I agreed to pay for her part of the road trip. What a guy!

Watched two movies last night. One was "an affair to remember" which was quite interesting. The most complicated love story ever by Graham Greene. It mixed faith and unbelief in a unique way. "Fast Runner" was a interesting violent Inuit Peyton Place from the past. The lives of two Eskimo brothers clash with evil. Long but they pulled off something way different. Janessa cooked up sage chicken breasts which were terrific while we watched a food network program.

Great show last night. Read the minds of a company that sells material handling equipment. The owner, Pete Lauder, has used me three times. I have have several handfuls of these "free agents." People who love me, feed me, and pay me well to perform for them. I need more handfuls. I transcended my normal show. It has happened before. Somebody with more talent, better cold reading skill and a quicker wit takes over my body and I blow the audience away. Pete said "you nailed everybody." Those are words I love to hear. I keep trying to find this nirvana with every show. I haven't found all the secrets yet but being rested and prepared help a lot.
We had terrific rain on Christmas that spilled over our leaf filled front gutter. Brendan and I cleared it out yesterday and found that the ash from the fire had filled it with muck too. The was another downpour last night and it did it's job. The denuded mountains to the east have snow on their peaks.
Donna and I went online yesterday, bought 850 leads for a new psychic mailing. All of them event planners in Southern California. Donna rewrote the letter and we are optimistic it will do well. We will mail it out on Monday, online!

We have been busy with Christmas. I have been sick for the last four days but getting better quickly. The first few days my throat hurt like hell and felt like it was going to turn inside out when I cleared it. I had to do two shows on Dec. 23rd and had to nurse my voice all day for each one. The first show had a girl helper who got mad at the audience when I pretend I am angry with them. She kept saying "he told you to stop squeezing!" We had many gifts on Christmas. I got a cool nose trimmer from Daughter, hint, hint. It actually works. Donna got a journal so she doesn't have to do this online. Brendan got Kung Fu Body Armor. Janessa got a makeup set and consultation. I forgot to mention an adult show where the wife of the boss got drunk. I thoughtlessly used her in the Ring trick and she ran off with the last ring at the end of the trick. The trick went poorly but mostly embarrassed the boss.

Busy weekend. Did a show for the owner of Checkmate, Susan Bassford, practically in Rancho Santa Fe. She owns a massive house on a hilltop. She had a load of interesting people there. One of them was the state representative for North County, Mark Wyland. Donna and I went together. I had to do the show in her living room. It went well. Donna was worried that a lot of people were talking behind her. It still was successful. I had the attention of most of them which is tricky in an odd shaped venue with too many people. The food was terrific and they thought I was psychic. Susan was beautiful, fit, thin and had a worried look. I met her trainer Barry and I can see why she looked so good.
Sunday we did a million things, made little headway, and had a terrific meal and off to bed.

Yesterday I had a show in Escondido so I took my first trip to the fire ravaged Wildcat Canyon and Barona along the way. It is terrible of course. All the chaparral and manzanita is gone and the hills are black and bare. The worst is the trees. Brush will be on the mend in a few years but the oaks, the oaks. These lovely trees, most of them dead, we shall never see again in our lifetimes. They are cutting them up in the valley. It is sad. I stopped at Featherstone ranch and talked to Georges wife. They lost all but two buildings. Ironically I had to turn around because of a fatal accident just before Ramona Country Estates.
Today I did two shows in Imperial. Bill Redman went with me and we finished off the 8 miles (round trip) from highway 86 to the Salton Sea on the Sea to Sea Trail along Arroyo Salado. The sea is huge and a mucky jagged mudscape near the shore. We walked out, touched the water, took some pictures and slid around. It was a nice day for a hike. Bill is doing fine.

I was just thinking about the wild party I did on Sunday. The father and uncle were chiropractors. Living the good life. Big new house. Moving soon to a bigger newer house. Full time Mom. Lots of money showing everywhere. The kind of life I would like for Donna that will never happen. Their little girl Jenna, cute as a bug and 2 years old, getting an adjustment on the floor from uncle. Weird. I don't believe much in chiropractic. Not real doctors or a real science. Maybe some good comes from it but not as much as they claim.
Brother Jim owns a Piper Comanche 260. I mention he flies to people and they always ask what kind of plane. I finally got it. We went to their house last night for a Christmas dinner. They are spending 2 weeks in London with friends so we needed an early get together. They gave us Henckel Steak knives!
Mark Sandberg and his sister Sue stopped by on their way to Tucson. Great people. Their Dad is nearing the end of his days. We hope to have Mark stay here in future.
It is nuts here. I have to get back to work and get out of here in 90 minutes.

Donna and Janessa spent about 8 hours decorating the tree and house yesterday. Brendan put up the lights. Except for a birthday party magic show for a wild kid yesterday in Escondido I was just the helper.
Brendan took Amee to the prom last night and came in at 4:00AM! Hope he had a good time.

Pummelos - Saw one of these the other day in Henry's. A picket free store.

Saturday I read the minds of a company called Syzygy floating around the San Diego Harbor on the Lord Hornblower. Great people and I think they do something in programming for the government.
Today I did a show at Lakeside Presbyterian Preschool. The office lady said her husband was a Navy Chaplain and had spent 6 months in Iraq. The troops had put a license plate holder on his Humvee that read "Repent or Die."

Picked up a new word, propinquity from the Sommerset Maugham story "Rain."

Did my yearly show at Santa Fe Springs High School for the Mentor program. Afterwords I visited Heritage Park and the Clark Estate. Seeing Art and Historical things is usually a lonely activity for me. This time an audience member worked at heritage park and I got a personal tour and the warmth of human kindness.