We're only PRETENDING to be retired

I love what I do for a living. My whole life I've been a teacher. Straight out of college I got a job as a weight trainer and aerobics instructor at the YMCA. From there I saved my money and opened my own karate school and would occasionally substitute teach during the day. Ultimately I went back to college for masters level work in education (where Andrea and I met) and got my TEA teaching certificate. After teaching in the classroom full time for eight years we started this crazy business of providing educational, motivational assembly programs.

Covid hit during our daughter's senior year of high school. She has always been into theater (not sure where she got that from...) and loved ALL aspects of theater from acting and directing, to prop building and costume design & construction. She was actually making her own prom dress when we entered spring break and then, as everyone knows, we never went back. Ultimately she ended up repurposing the prom dress into a very cute cocktail dress, but not until it hung sadly, unfinished on the dress form for almost six months.

I mention all this because she is now enrolled in college at a small, private university that specializes in Theater and Performing Arts. That makes me and Andrea "empty-nesters" which sounds like an old-person term, but I don't feel that old. I can't collect Social Security for another 15 years or so. I can't even get a discount at Denny's or IHOP!

Still, the Covid crisis created a major shut-down for us. I have not performed a live show since very early March...that's about six months. We felt the need to follow the instructions of the scientists and medical professionals and so we've been adamant about self-issolating. But we also didn't want to be prisoners in our own home for six months or more. We decided that if we are going to be pushed into an empty-nest with no work to attend to, we might as well live like we're retired.

So we packed up the RV and started planning trips! The RV gives us the luxury of travelling without having to go into restaurants, hotels, and other communal places. We can see all of America from six-feet away while cooking our own food in our own kitchen and sleeping in our own bed!

So far this year we spent a week in west Texas, three weeks in Colorado, and we're currently wrapping up a three-week tour of Pennsylvania. We'll be stopping by to see our daughter at school on our way home, tend to a few things there and then start planning our next trip.

All this to say that we are able to use the cell phone as a wifi hotspot with the laptop as long as we are able to get a cell signal, which is not always. So we can still check and respond to emails and we check our phone messages every few days. Just be patient if you try to contact us.

We're not retired...we're just pretending to be.

Dr Seuss Tribute Assembly Show

My Dr. Seuss Read Across America school assembly show is a tribute to Theodore Seuss Geisel and has become one of my most popular school assembly programs, particularly at this time of the year. The truth is, the assembly program is a great way to kick off the school year or as a reading reward incentive ideas for students who have met certain reading goals like AR or Bluebonnet. The show is a fun, whimsical production filled with more magic tricks than any other show I do. Like most of my shows, I include several short book talks, obviously focusing on books written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss.

However, this is also an educational school assembly program, so there will be new insights students will pick up and even a few things that your most experienced teachers might not know; like the story behind the dedication Seuss made to his father in the front of McElligot's Pool or the challenge from a fellow children's author that spawned GreenEggs and Ham.

If you'd like to learn more about this show or any of our others, check out the web site of Texas author Julian Franklin or watch me describe the show in more detail in this short Dr. Seuss Tribute Show video clip.

2020 Summer Dates Filling Fast!

Booking the best entertainer, speaker, presenter, magician, for Texas SRC Summer Reading Club can be a challenge. One of the problems that libraries in my area face is that budgets are not revealed until mid-to-late January and by that time most of my schedule for the summer has already been filled. Some systems won't even let their librarians engage in discussions for booking until AFTER the budgets have been approved and released!

For years I've told librarians who wanted to book me to reserve a date way in advance since it doesn't cost anything to plan ahead. I offer a no-risk, no-obligation reservation for my clients so they can tentatively save a date without having to sign a contract, make a deposit, or actually commit to a booking. It's like a dinner reservation, only easier.

WARNING: Shameless plug coming up....Not all presenters are this easy, but it is certainly this easy when you book Texas author Julian Franklin.

The most popular dates and times seem to be Wednesday mornings. If you want a fun library magic show on a Wednesday, particularly a Wednesday morning, you pretty much have to reserve it as I leave your library the year before. Some clients book me two years in advance, but that's usually not really necessary. Also, if you have your Texas Summer Reading Club shows and events on Mondays, Fridays, or Saturdays, then it is much easier to get a quality performer. But if you wait until the last minute, you won't be able to get top name performers, who frequently perform in public libraries at LESS than other presenters who might not even be as skilled or entertaining.

Imagine paying MORE and getting LESS. I know the best performers tend to book up quickly, and they almost all allow tentative reservations without a deposit or signed contract. If you can't get me, Julian Franklin, then see if you can get someone really fun and engaging like Lucas Miller the Singing Zoologist or Storybook Theater, or even San Antonio Birthday Party Magician, Mr. Magico. You will be pleased with ANY of these talented performers.

And if you work at an elementary school, don't forget that during the school year, I perform more Texas elementary school assembly programs than any other Texas author or presenter!

Asst. Lib. Dir. kills City Council Member in Cage Fight

January 11, 2020. Last night a tornado ripped through the Friendswood area destroying fences, knocking down trees, and redistributing all manner of outdoor furniture among neighbors. But just hours before another tornado of sorts was wreaking havoc among five of Friendswood's most recognized community members. Fortunately, no one was hurt in either of these storms.

The evening started innocently enough with five upstanding Friendswood City community members agreeing to a friendly dash though an obstacle course. The competitors included City Manager Morad Kabiri, Police officer Kevin Crouch (who was recently promoted to detective, so congratulations Kevin!), City Council member Steve Rockey, Assistant Library Director Karen Hart, and Youth Services Librarian Christina Hicks. Sadly, Ms. Hicks, and Mr. Rockey would be the only competitors to cross the finish line as the others lay critically crippled on the course.

OBSTACLE COURSE: I should make it very clear at this point that all of this happened through the iconic collaborative storytelling game known as Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D, for short. So, technically Mr. Rocky didn't actually win first place in the race, his PC (player character) Strong Linen took that title as well as the magical boots the king granted as the prize for winning. Ms. Hart took a close second, leaving everyone else in broken agony, covered in oily mud at the base of the 20' climbing wall from which they had each fallen after losing their grip.

Even though City Manager Morad Kabiri's PC (Donatello) didn't actually win the race, or technically even survive to the finish, everyone agreed that the highlight of the race was him dashing straight down the middle of "Sucker Punch Alley" avoiding every single swinging padded log. The dice might have failed him on the climbing wall, but they were on his side then!

ARCHERY: After having all their injuries magically healed by the court clerics, everyone gathered for the archery competition. The targets were placed at a reasonable range of 75' then moved back to 150' which caused Ms. Hart...er...I mean, Willow to shoot at disadvanatge because her weapon of choice (hand crossbow) was beyond normal range. For the final round the targets were moved out to 300' where everyone shot at disadvantage due to the extreme range.

The king has decreed that future matches will have 3 arrows at each range increment as this short competition demonstrated that a gust of wind, the call of a bird, or an unlucky roll of the d20 can cause a skilled archer like Detective Crouch's PC Rolen to barely hit the outer circle of the target on one shot and miss it entirely on the other two shots, while brutish barbarian Strong Linen dominated and took first place with two bull's eyes! And while Aspen and Rolen were trading quips earlier in the competition having come from different elven clans, I suspect that Rolen was secretly glad that second place went to Aspen. Everyone knows that elves are rather proud of their archery skills and if Rolen couldn't take second place himself, he must have felt some modicum of solice knowing that it at least went to a fellow elf.

MORTAL COMBAT: All the contestants walked into the cage, but only one would walk out. The rest would be carried out on stretchers. Strong Linen already had two first place victories and he was the crowd favorite to win this competition for a triple crown. I mean, a tough meat-shield of a human barbarian against a few elves and half-elves, some of whom weren't even proficient with martial weapons.

But the other competitors knew that Strong Linen was a threat and so they seemed to focus their efforts on him, trying to take him out in the first round. In fact, the only attack that injured anyone else the first round of combat was when Donatello "accidentally" shot Rolen in the back while Rolen was busy engaging with Strong Linen. Eveyone in the crowd could see how such a mistake might happen as it seemed obvious that Rolen was simply in the way of a shot targeting Strong Linen. However, some by-standers suggested they saw a glimmer in Donatello's eyes as he drew his bow and a satisfied smirk as the arrow pounded square into the middle of Rolen's back.

Please remember that all the weapons, of course, had been magically enchanted and caused only half damage, and even that damage was merely sudual. But any of the contestants will assure you, it still hurts!

Willow (played by Karen Hart) seemed to have the strategy to attack from afar while everyone else seemed to mix it up a bit. If it was a conscious decision to stand back and let everyone else battle it out then it seemed to work on this day. Ultimately it came down to Youth Services Librarian Christina Hicks fighting for her life against her boss, Karen Hart. I'm not sure if Ms. Hart has ever actually fenced with a rapier before, but her PC Willow certainly seemed comfortable with the weapon. After several rounds of cat-and-mouse sword play involving jumping from behind cover to swipe before spinning behind another barrier of protection, thrusting, parrying, dodging, and ducking, Willow ultimately defeated the agile Aspen (Christina Hicks) and stood triumphant in the blood splattered ring.

CONCLUSION: It is both interesting and informative to note that all of the first place winners in this tournatment were played by people who had NEVER played D&D before this game. D&D has a reputation for being a confusing game with lots of difficult rules, but the truth is that a good GM (Game Master) should make it easy and seamless for a new player to learn the rules WHILE they play. If you've ever been curious about D&D, visit your local library or a nearby gaming store and see if they have an opportunity for you to either watch, or better yet, play.

I'll be back at Friendswood Public Library on Saturday, Jan. 11, at 12:30 pm and again the next day, Sunday, Jan. 12 at 11:30 am. All the events at Friendswood Public Library are free, just like all the events at YOUR local library, so come out and enjoy the fun. I'll also be hosting similar games across Texas this summer at a library near you, when the theme is based on fantasy and story telling.

RPGs: Like Playing Barbie, but with rules

I've been thinking of the best way to inspire YA participation in the 2020 SRC. The owners of the D&D franchise describe the iconic game as “collaborative storytelling” and, as a long-time RPG enthusiast I completely agree. I've hosted probably hundreds of RPG games including Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Pathfinder (a fantasy RPG similar to D&D), and even a home-brewed RPG based on the video game Fallout that I hosted for Rice University's Owl Con gaming convention a few years ago.

D&D is group storytelling. Imagine YOUR Story in 2020!

FYI: RPG = Role-Playing Game...my daughter, when she was six and we played our first game of D&D, described RPGs as being "like playing Barbie, but with rules."

Ultimately I decided that offering a professional level RPG gaming experience was the PERFECT way to combine the fantasy elements of the 2020 SRC Collaborative theme with the CLSP concept of "Imagine Your Story." The adventure that I've created will be run using the D&D 5e mechanics, but it won't matter whether your patrons are familiar with this system or not. A good Game Master (GM) can guide a group of players through a gaming experience where the rules are almost invisible. It is, after all, a group storytelling experience.

The adventure I've outlined (the details and ultimate conclusion will be added by your YA patrons) includes many of the iconic D&D tropes that have inspired generations of players: underground mazes of tunnels, caves, catacombs, and mysterious subterranean complexes inhabited by mythological creatures, magic-using antagonists, and hoards of amazing treasures that are protected by ingenious and devious traps.

Don't let your patrons miss out on this fun-filled adventure. If you've ever thought about establishing a regular YA gaming night at your LMC, this could be the catalyst that sets it all in motion. A gaming session of D&D might last as short as 2 hours, but the “game” never ends! There is always another abandoned mine to explore, a haunted house to exorcise, an evil necromancer to arrest, or even an ice-breathing blue dragon to hunt down. Get your patrons "hooked" on the most addictive YA SRC program ideas ever!

Of course, I'm still available for your more traditional fun assembly programs if you want a Texas author. Julian Franklin is also available for escape room challenges in your library and a TON of other fun reader reward program and incentive ideas. Google search "Julian Franklin" or click one of the links in this article. You won't regret it.