A family at Golden Corral asked me (Tony the Balloon Guy) and Face Painter Phyllis if we can come to the daughter’s birthday party in a couple Sundays.
I didn’t have the calendar with me, but I seemed to remember something being booked that afternoon. So I asked what time they were thinking of.
“We’re working around YOUR schedule,” Mom said. “We’ll have it on Saturday if we have to!”
It’s nice to feel wanted!
Have a fun day!
So Jay Leno’s 10pm show is a flop. NBC decides to move Jay to 11:35pm, and put the Tonight Show on at 12:05am, which would make it the Tomorrow Morning Show. Conan O’Brien says that would ruin the Tonight Show, and he doesn’t want to participate in that. So he goes on TV and says, “I’m Conan O’Brien, and I’ll soon be available for children’s parties.”
Hahahahah – wait… what?
Excuse me? What’s wrong with children’s parties? I love children’s parties!
Have a fun day!
Over the years, Face Painter Phyllis and I (Tony the Balloon Guy) have met a number of other family entertainers, and for the last several weeks, we’ve been looking forward to seeing some of them, and meeting others, at the Florida Super Jam (mmm, sounds delicious) in Orlando on January 9th.
Then, at the last minute, a regular client (more than 20 big jobs in 2009) asked us to do a three-hour gig for them January 9th. Then, once we committed to that, we figured we might as well accept the next job that was offered on that day. You know how things snowball.
So, we missed out on some socializing, some “industry” talk, and maybe some tricks of the trade. But we about made a mortgage payment in one day!
Life is trade-offs.
I hope the other kids had a great time in Orlando!!!
Have a fun day!
Mrs. Balloon Guy (Phyllis) is an awesome face painter, and she knows everything about horses, but when it comes to balloons, her specialty is decor – the big arches and columns and sculptures made out of big round balloons – not entertaining with little animals and such.
Saturday night I (Tony the Balloon Guy) had a magic-and-balloons birthday party that overlapped with my regular Saturday-night restaurant work, so Phyllis filled in for me at the restaurant, and I showed up later. She was mostly there as a face painter, and painted A LOT of kids, but she also made flowers and wands and swords and butterflies and bees and crazy hats out of balloons, because kids expect balloons there on Saturday nights.
When she told one boy that she can’t make all the things that I make, but she can make some things, he asked if she could make a giraffe. She said no, and asked, “Can YOU?”
Turned out, he did have an idea of how to make a giraffe! So she got the balloons and he walked her through it!
When I got there, a girl who was visiting from Wisconsin mentioned that she wanted the theme of her next birthday party to be Magical Ninja Princess, ’cause she likes magic, she likes ninjas, and she likes princesses. I told her that I had just come from a party where I did half an hour of magic, then made three princesses and one ninja out of balloons!
Then, since the restaurant had slowed down a little and I had some extra time, I made her a princess in a ninja suit holding a hat with a rabbit peeking out. Magical Ninja Princess!!!
I asked the manager if Phyllis did a good job subbing for me. She said, “Yes, she worked just as hard as you do!”
I was about to go fire Phyllis, but then I realized that the manager was actually complimenting me.
Have a fun day!
Sixties rocker Jim Morrison went to St. Petersburg Junior College in 1960, then on to attend Florida State University. Tony the Balloon Guy went to St. Petersburg Junior College 1987-88, then on to graduate with a Mass Communications (journalism) degree from the University of South Florida.
Jim Morrison died in the early 1970s in Paris, France. In the early 1990s, Tony the Balloon Guy visited Jim Morrison’s grave in Paris, France.
Jim Morrison worked as a singer/song-writer with band called the Doors. Tony the Balloon Guy often has to pass through doors as part of his work as a family variety entertainer.
Otherwise, the two are pretty different.
Have a fun day!
Today, Face Painter Phyllis got about a dozen new colors she never used before, and she was like a kid with a new toy at Anthony’s Italian Restaurant in Trinity tonight.
The kids loved them, too!
I (Tony the Balloon Guy) almost think that’s silly, until I remember each time I tried a new balloon color. Look, it’s teal! And periwinkle blue! And now I have lime, dark green, AND wintergreen! Woo hoo!
OK, so it IS silly. But fun silly!
Have a fun day!
When I (Tony The Balloon Guy) showed up to do a magic show and an hour of balloons Saturday morning, none of the guests were there yet. The parents were apologetic, but we just rolled with it, starting to make a giant birthday hat for the birthday boy, and then something for his sister.
As the guest trickled into the clubhouse, they filled the seats we had set up for the magic show, and I made them each something cool out of balloons, but as a performance, so the people already sittling would also enjoy it. Finally, when everyone was there and had a balloon sculpture, we did the magic show. So we just kind of turned the job upside down.
As I left, the mom told me how very happy she was with me (the best show she had ever seen!), and confided that she had been a little worried when she hired me, because, unlike most people who hire me (after getting my card somewhere else I’m working, or getting my number from someone else who had seen me, or seen my stuff online), she had never seen what I did, but just picked me out of an ad, and wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I’m so glad I did take a chance,” she said. “I would recommend you to everybody.”
That felt good!
Have a fun day!
Last night as my family and I (Tony the Balloon Guy) were driving home from our weekly entertaining gig at Chili’s, the female junior partner in our family business asked, “So, the Beatles… they were like the Jonas Brothers of their time?”
***
At a party Sunday, the male junior partners of our family business were nearby, helping me out by cranking out balloon swords for the partygoers to battle with. On the way home, one of them told Face Painter Phyllis (about me), “I heard him do a lot of stuff I hadn’t heard before. Some of it was hilarious.” Then to me, “Oh, sorry – ALL of it was hilarious.”
***
At that same party, a little girl getting a balloon said, “There’s going to be a pony here today.”
“There IS?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said. “And you can’t RIDE it.”
I copied her sassy voice and said, “I don’t HAVE to. I have ponies at my HOUSE.”
***
And I bring them to parties! If you ever need a pony at a party. I’m just sayin’…
Have a fun day!
I (Tony the Balloon Guy) read and hear a lot of people saying good riddance to 2009. And I have met a lot of people who were sick (I run into cancer a bunch), who lost loved ones (even my own grandpa died this year), and who are struggling financially (been there).
But I love it when I read about people who had great years. And for others who enjoy a little success with their doom-and-gloom, here are some of the good things from our year of 2009.
On the family side, the junior partners of our family business are just one level under black belts in karate now, so don’t mess with us. They’re growing into fine little people, funny, smart and artistic. They’re a little too crazy about Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, but it could be worse things, I guess. Face Painter Phyllis and I are still happy together as senior partners. I’m lucky to have her!
The business itself had its best year ever in 2009. Our income was up almost 18% over the previous year, and I don’t remember ever getting an 18% raise when I had a real job. Balloon, face painting and pony parties were up, magic shows were WAY up, and we did some balloon deliveries along the way.
We did some big balloon decor jobs for school dances, a Best Buy grand opening, and the winner of the NFL Play 60’s Bring an NFL Player to School sweepstakes.
I spent a week doing balloons at the Pasco County Fair.
We did entertainment at community events that included the Week of the Young Child, the Hernando County Reading Festival, and the Bluesapalooza Festival in Spring Hill.
We did mall events in Brandon and Citrus Park, and weekly at the Shops at Wiregrass.
We did grand openings and re-openings for such companies as Best Buy, Target, and Dunkin Donuts.
We worked for such civic groups as Rotary Club, the Eagles, and River Country Crime Watch’s National Night Out.
We did jobs at schools, including Spring Hill Elementary and Suncoast Elementary, and such churches as Nativity Lutheran in Weeki Wachee and Sea Breeze Community in Seminole.
We did company picnics for the likes of Bank of America and Honda of Port Richey.
I did balloons for senior citizens at a number of communities.
We appeared at a Cadillac/Toyota dealership every other week for much of the year.
I did balloon “stage shows” at such venues as the Sumter County Youth Center, Genesis School, and Little Achiever’s Daycare.
Holidays kept us busy: Easter at the Heart Center Church of God; Memorial Day at Black Diamond Branch; 4th of July for the community of Trilby, and also Hernando County’s Freedom Fest; Halloween at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, and at the First Church of the Nazarene in Bradenton; a Christmas tree lighting in Old Hyde Park Village; breakfast with Santa at the Safety Harbor Spa and Resort; Hanukkah on Ice in Countryside; a community Christmas party at Hillside Estates; and a New Year’s Eve bash for about 30 Indian-American families in Pasco County.
In addition, this year found us at the Performing Arts Center in Tampa, and even at soccer’s opening day at the East Lake Sports Complex.
By the end of 2009, we were entertaining at restaurants five nights a week, and at the Shops at Wiregrass every Wednesday morning.
The start of 2010 finds us with jobs booked throughout January, February and March… even into June. (Not EVERY day, so still book YOUR party or promotion!)
We are very grateful to everyone who helped make this year so fun and successful for our family.
If 2009 wasn’t a great year for you, we wish you the best in 2010. If 2009 WAS a good one – congratulations, and we STILL wish you the best in 2010.
Have a fun year!
