All we need to know, Should we stay or should we go?

All we need to know, Should we stay or should we go? We recived this e-mail last Friday; Chuck Jones to michael, Elk show details Feb 12 (3 days ago) Michael It has been given to me the obligation to inform you that; the company officers have made a decision to go in another direction relative to the entertainment at Elk Meadow. So; it is with reluctance that I must inform you that your contract has been cancelled. We wish you the best! Chuck Jones This is very bad for our up coming tour. Our contract with Elk Meadow Resort in Estes Park, CO was to be a dinner show. We were guaranteed a minimum of 2 shows a week with perks for the whole summer season. As a norm we have to book shows 1 year in advance. Now here we are 2.5 months out and we have lost our summer! The whole summer! Now we are down to "the bird in the hand" syndrome. We are working at an RV resort in CA. that pays the bills and we can stay here for as long as we want too. We can book shows in the area and here at the resort. So, Should we stay or should we go? I think about the fact that I (Michael) am 50 y/o now and I don't have a lot of time to get my name back out there. On the other hand it would be a full time job to book shows this late in the game and the shows would be what ever we could get. Its very frustrating. The road calls to me. I want to show Christi this great country in our bus. Time is going by so fast these days. I don't want to wake up one day and say, " I Should Have Done That!" Should we stay or should we go? I keep asking myself. Should we stay or should we go? All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

Mrs. Jones roars to life!

Mrs. Jones roars to life! There is something exciting about the sound of a Detroit Diesel starting up. The hum runs through my body, the hiss of the air system reaching its peak. Mrs. Jones stating, "I'm ready now". We discovered the strange thing that happens when we are parked for an extended period. When another bus rolls by, we get that yearning to get on the road again. I have had the roar in my blood all my life. I've hitchhiked and driven across this country more times then I can remember. The far away places from my 8-3/4 Navy years and later the RVing & touring time. Christi & I had a house in Tombstone, AZ and thought we would never leave it, but the travel bug constantly gnaws at me. So we built Mrs. Jones. What was totally unexpected to me was that the travel bug bit Christi! And her case is much worse than mine. Now we are managing a RV resort in So. Cal. and now our blood boils every time we hear a Detroit Diesel screaming by. The only cure is to batten down the hatches and press the button. Mrs. Jones roars to life! "Honey, it's time to go." Oh wait, she's already strapped in! Here we go. North, South, Beach, Desert? We love our Bus! HUMMMMMMMMMMM. All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

I know it has been awhile. (michael)

Hello All, I know it has been awhile. Christi and I have been very, very busy. After building Mrs. Jones, moving out of our house, a 4,500 mile, 9 states tour, we are now in Ramona, CA managing an RV resort for Western Horizon Resorts. While we were in Blue Mesa we were offered the job. Christi and I gave it alot of thought. We love being on the road touring but the "Pass the Hat" plan for our shows could not support the tour. So we took the job. We started on Sept. 21st, 09 and boy are we knee deep in it now. Well, we have done all kinds of jobs in our life time but nothing like this. This is like running a small city. Christi is the General Manager and runs the admin. side of things and is responsable for everything. I am a co-manager and deal with the resort systems and grounds. Thank goodness we have a great staff here to help us. With all this we are still doing shows within 100 miles of here. Every day we learn and then we learn that we need to learn more. One plus is that our son Jared can come down to see us on the weekends. All in all we are having a great time. All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

A Post to Toast (michael)

A Post to Toast

http://blog.toastfloats.com/

My Dear Toast, Christi and I think you and the Doc. are doing a fine job. We will be on the Road in just 60 days. Can you believe it? Our son Jared, a true tween, will be going to his dads' in CA for 7th & 8th grade. There is a small chance that he will come with us and we will home school. Christi has been reading your War Intell and will implement your tactics. We tried the traditional home school program before and it was a total flop. We truly believe you have paved the beaten path for a HS system that WORKS. Now for the important part, where do we send the Care Package??? Stay Safe, M&C

For those of you how don't know of her, her blogging was the catalyst for us to take the Giant life altering step into the bus and blog world. We will forever be grateful to Toast.

All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

Mrs. Jones said "You Got 6 Weeks MISTER!" (michael)

You Have 6 Weeks MISTER! That's what Mrs. Jones told me last night in my minds ear. You see, I didn't spend any time with Mrs. Jones yesterday. Who is Mrs. Jones? That is the name we gave the Bus. On my 1st album I recorded the song "Me and Mrs. Jones". Now, Christi says I spend more time with the bus than with her, which, she agrees, is a good thing, (unlike another woman). So we felt the name was fitting. Mrs. Jones is a very demanding ol' girl. Back to the 6 week thing. It's just 6 weeks 'til we move out of our house to start our full-timing life. Mrs. Jones looks like she has been abused by a ship load of sailors. Then there are the real jobs that have to be completed before we leave, along with the 2 more jobs I still need to find to put money in the "BUS FUND". Other than that, we need to do our shows, yard sale this weekend, taxes, clean out my garage, put a tow hitch on the Jeep, untold trips to storage and clean the house out, "Oh" and book all the 2009/2010 tour stops/shows. I could go on but you get the point. We have alot to do. And while all this is going on we still have to complete the bus. What ever are we to do? Now Iv'e got 2 "Honey Do" lists. I can't win! All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/

TIPPING, what the heck are you thinking? (us)

TIPPING, what the heck are you thinking? When I started in show business, I was too embarrassed to ask for tips. I felt so bad about it that I would actually refuse a tip when offered. I couldn't even put a tip bowl out. I felt like it was begging for hand-outs. Then I met an old saxophone player, Doc Diamond. He asked me, "What the heck are you thinking?" He explained that the people watching your performance, your fans, want to tip you. They want to show you how much they appreciate your hard work on stage and that it's part of the show. If you shun their tips, you are not only insulting them, but you are not performing 100%. Learning to accept tips with grace and gratitude is not only important to our fans, it is necessary for us, as it is a big part of our income. In learning to accept tips for what I do, I also have become more aware of my tipping practices. I appreciate even more, those who give good service and care about the job they do. Here are some tips on tips. Who gives a tip? Everyone that receives a service, should give a tip. Whats a tip? A tip is a gratuity. A gift. A little something extra that someone gives to a person who performs a service. When that service is performed above and beyond your expectations you want to tip them well. When the service is not so good, then what? Most folks will still give a minimum tip. Sometimes you may not be sure when a tip is appropriate or not. Some of the usual places you would tip would be when you are served by valets, street acts, performers, wait staff, chefs, hosts, baggage handlers, paper boys/girls, anywhere or anywhere there is a tip bowl. You can also ask at a check-in counter or information booth as to who should be tipped. Sometimes giving a tip is as easy as adding it to your bill or tab. Sometimes, when the service is especially good, you want to give it directly to the person who performed the service and thank them face to face. In our particular profession, we find that people may be shy about coming up to the stage to put something in the tip bowl. They don't want to draw attention to themselves. To those of you who feel that way, just remember that when you step up, others that are hesitating will gain the courage to do the same. And of course, if you have a child with you, send them ! They love to run up and put it in there for you. So then, how much do you tip? Well, for food service it's about 20% of the total bill. Drinks are about $1.00 for each drink. Other professions have different expectations. As for performers, it really depends on how much you're enjoying the show. If the show is a "pass the hat", the only pay the performer receives is tips, so please be as generous as you can. Speaking for ourselves, we appreciate every dollar that goes into that tip bowl. We do a lot of "pass the hat" shows due to today's economy and our audiences are generally very generous. It keeps us able to do what we love doing. In case we ever pass your way we say, "thank you very much" in advance for your generosity and appreciation! As a matter of fact, we are basing this Summer's, "Rolling With The Flow Tour", on the economy and our appreciation for our fans. 90% of our shows will be, "pass the hat" shows. All the Best Michael & Christi All the Best, Michael & Christi See our other Blog;http://michaelhargisshow.blogspot.com/