Back to the Canyon

I'll be back by New Year's Eve. Not looking forward to that awful treacherous road, but I am looking forward to the paycheck. I'll try to check in if a computer becomes available...and if the satellite works.

Until then, please listen to the NEW Podcrapular! This is a full show filled with far too much of our usual crap.

Christmas in Las Vegas

Merry Christmas from The Martellos!

Beats a white Christmas ANY DAY!

Funny Thing About Working At the Canyon

They have a whole western town set up here. Cattle drives, wagon rides, the works.

It would follow that there are also cowboys and staged gunfights in the street. So...

Whenever someone gets shot dead in the street here, the spectators always applaud.

When I die on stage, nobody claps. When somebody dies in cold blood before there very eyes...thunderous applause!

How to Tell When You Are Bored

When we're busy here, we're very busy. When we're not, we're REALLY not.

When there's so much free time you have to do what you can to make the minutes go by.

Suggestion: Watch "The Outlaw Josey Wales" on DVD.

Better yet, watch it in French.

Better that that...watch it in French and have English subtitles.

More later if the satellite and a friend's computer hold up.

Safe and Sound

The Grand Canyon, at least what little I've been able to see, is beautiful. Damn fine hole in the ground if I do say so myself. One of the days I'm here I plan on heading out early and riding one of the horses to the rim and taking a little tour. Works out well. They need to warm up their horses for the tourists and I need to see the canyon while I'm out here.

Not sure how eager I'll be to come back here once a month. The 14-mile stretch of treacherous, unpaved road leading up to the ranch is a bit too much to take. just thinking about leaving here on the 23rd (probably the 24th during the day so I won't have to drive it at night) makes my spine tighten. Thing is, after the unpaved, unlit road comes mile after mile of paved, unlit road littered with free-range cattle. Not the best driving circumstances.

It is very cold here and the traffic is somewhat slow. I'm entertaining those who are here and entertaining myself the rest of the time. If all goes well I may even check out the Skywalk.

Communications here are almost nonexistent and I'm a bit stranded. They have one satellite phone which apparently doesn't work all too well if it rains. By the way, it rained today.

The wireless internet they have here works pretty well, so long as the satellite is working. Did i mention the rain today?

All told I'm actually having a good time and I'm thankful to be working. This is not a glamour gig by any stretch, but it is a gig. That's all I really need.

Out Of Town. No Posts for a While (I Think)

Not that there are too many people still reading this blog anymore (but I do LOVE the five or six that are), but I will most likely not be able to post much for the next few days.

I'll be at the Hualapai Ranch in the Grand Canyon until the 23rd. Phone service and internet access may or may not be nonexistent. So...um...listen to Podcrapular I guess?

Busy and Anxious

I've been rather busy of late. Work has me...well, working. I also have a gig coming up next week at the Hualapai Ranch in the beautiful Grand Canyon West. It is a new gig and I'll be there from the 18th through the 23rd and again from the 26th through the 30th. I will be home on Christmas Eve and Day, but I'll be working at the Houdini's. BUSY!

Now I've been a bit anxious about the new gig because it is somewhat far form home and in a part of the world where things like phone service and electricity that isn't produced from a generator just don't exist. I have no idea where I'm going or just how screwed I'd be if something happened to me or my car along the way. It is also something of an open-ended gig in that the shows are not really scheduled and the lengths are rather dependent upon how many people, if any, are there to watch them...if they happen at all.

As long as the check clears (and it is a good amount to finish the year off and help me into 2008) I'll be happy. They are planning on having me there at least one week a month indefinitely so that could really help me get a little closer to being caught up. I'm still hopeful for more work locally, but time will tell.

I'll also have some info about the recent Samson TV show soon. For now, listen to the increasing number of Podcrapular Lites.

Living in Oblivion

As you well know, I am very thankful for the good fortune my family has enjoyed in the light of the otherwise tragic misfortune we endured earlier this year. Specifically, I speak of the micro burst that brought us to Las Vegas. Along with the storm came the huge monetary emergencies, the constant state of panic and fear, and the seemingly endless sense that it would get better eventually (but when would "eventually" come?)

I can only feel fortunate thinking about how well we quite literally weathered the storm. I am proud of the fact that we managed to make a dream come true and move out to Vegas. I adore the friends and family that have been so supportive and I cannot stop reveling in the relatively large amount of good luck we'd have bestowed upon us after all has been said and done.

That being said, I cannot believe that the good fortune, at least for myself and my wife, continues. Unfortunately, the good luck has not fallen upon those around us and my heart goes out to the families and victims of Tuesday's school bus shooting, which happened quite literally down the street from our house.

Six students were shot by two lunatic gunmen at a bus stop near Mojave High School, the school that is just across the street from my home. I drive by it twice a day or more every single day and I watch students walking to and from there all the time.

Somehow, April and I were not only unharmed, but we were completely (and rather embarrassingly) UNAWARE that it even happened. I only heard about it on the news tonight. I am certain it was all over the news last night, but I simply do not watch the local news every single night and I missed it completely.

Thankfully, April was already at work when it happened and I was on my way to work soon before the shooting. While we were out enjoying a simple day at work and looking forward to having some dinner that night, a horrific tragedy was happening a few miles from our front door.

I do recall seeing a news van parked on the side of the street when I got home last night, but I had no reason to think anything was out of the ordinary. Can you believe this? I feel like such an ass for not knowing about it. I guess that's one of the odd benefits/side effects of living and working in a town where so much of life is a 24/7/365 - no holidays - have fun at all costs- kind of place. Sometimes you just miss the big things that happen right outside your door.

So, to the families & victims of the shooting, my heart goes out to you and I am hopeful for swift justice towards the men who did this (a suspect was arrested just a few minutes ago) and that everyone injured returns home safely very soon.

I Got Nothin'

See?

I told you so.

Nothin'!

Wisconsin Loves Andy Martello!

Hot off the heels of my appearance on Milwaukee Public Television's,
"Samson: Then & Now" (be sure to watch the replay on December 8th at 3:30 PM), I found out I was featured prominently in the current catalog for the Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum.

Check out this killer photo, taken during the 2007 Mustard Fest!

I know I've mentioned many time how much I love Barry, Patti, and the Mustard Museum. It is long past the time you started loving them too. Head on over to their website and do a little shopping. At the very least you should request a catalog so you can keep your Andy Martello collection up to date.

This marks the second time I have been featured in the catalog and I can't be happier.

I've even won a Golden Mustard Award!

Every time I see the images I get a smile on my face. I think about how much fun I have every year at the Mustard Fest and I look forward to the next one.

I also can't stop thinking about all the fantastic meals I've created with their endless supply of mustards!

There's a new Podcrapular Lite up and running. this one features myself and Golfwidow. If you ain't gonna get yerself any mustard, then listen in!

Ice is Starting to Crack...I Hope

The folks at Houdini's got me a couple of school shows. Very cool of them to do so. The owner of the company came to one of them and videotaped it for his website. He even offered to help me get more entertainment work, which is always appreciated.

That same day I got a few other calls. looks like the gigs at the Grand Canyon are back on and I'll be out there as soon as December 18th. More on that later.

I have even had some luck with an event planner in this area. Believe it or not, this one returns phone calls and e-mails. Maybe she never got the memo that people don't do that sort of thing here. In any event, I MAY have a gig through her in January. Keeping fingers crossed.

I also have a potentially BIG gig in the works. I can't say anything about it as I don't want to jinx it nor get my hopes up. I've sent the requested press kit and video. I am naturally assuming that it won't happen since they've not confirmed receipt of the kit, which usually means...you suck and we suck for even asking you in the first place. I am hopeful for a short time, nonetheless.

MILWAUKEE READERS! Watch me on PBS Channel 10 tonight at 7PM CST in "Samson: Then & Now"!

Reminders and Updates

Hope you enjoyed the El Rey Casino week. There will be more information and updates soon.

Just dropping a little reminder to everyone who lives in or has friends in the Milwaukee area.

Check out "Samson: Then & Now" on Milwaukee Public Television (Channel 10) December 4th at 7PM to see ME blather on about my time with Samson the Gorilla. The show will rebroadcast at 3:30 PM on December 8th.

A new Podcrapular and a new Podcrapular Lite went up while I was talking about the El Rey. Check them both out if you'd be so kind.