The world of balloon entertainment, by Dale Obrochta
Years of repetition has spawned the question, “can you make me a dozen of those?” From entertainer to decorator I transform. Sitting in my chair, balloons sprawled all out in disarray, I sit and twist. Periodically, a voice on the TV draws me in like a moth to a flame. Time marches by. I take … Read more
I am like a child with a new toy who has no batteries in the house. Frustration, anxiety, and bewilderment rage through my brain. Instantly, MacGuyver channels me and I become Long Island Medium with all the answers. Duct tape fixes everything[/caption] Over the past couple months; I have replaced two car tires, an iron, … Read more
I do not know which is more frustrating, defective balloons or failing Christmas lights. One lousy bulb, and I spend hours figuring out what is causing the problem. On the other hand, I can easily detect a bad balloon in a balloon sculpture. Yet, the bad light bulb is not intertwined among three light strands. … Read more
I have been wracking my brain all month on what type of turkey balloon figures to make for my blog. Last year, I created several unique turkey designs, and I was stumped on what to make this year. Then it hit me like a balloon exploding in my face. Football! Football and Thanksgiving go hand … Read more
Years ago, when I started selling balloons, I would receive calls from people trying to buy 1,000 balloons. They wanted special quantity pricing, and I would have to tell them, “1,000 balloons are only seven bags”, 144 balloons in a bag. To a distributor, seven bags or 1,008 balloons is nothing. It’s not even a … Read more
“I read it because of the articles”, uttered by every man who’s subscribed to Playboy. I am days away from completing the 26.2 with my 500th blog post. As I embark on the next writing marathon, I feel like a political candidate seeking exit poll information. What’s important to the readers? What do they want … Read more
Ford or Ferrari Entertainer The world changed when Henry Ford created the assembly line. The handcrafted era was ending, and the era of quick, easy-to-produce, and uniqueness was worked out of the production equation, and everything was standard. As I entertained at the Chicago Bull’s pre-game on Halloween, an array of quickly produced Bulls … Read more
The Devil and Halloween All Hallows’ Eve, better known today as Halloween, is associated with trick-or-treating costumes, pumpkins, haunted houses, and ghoulish creatures of the night, both living and the nonliving. This holiday is a festive, fun time to dress up and eat candy. Yet, there is another thought that this night is about worshiping … Read more
Giving them more than they expect, not because you have to, but because it is a privilege. The client did not need to hire you. Work hard and practice more, especially when it is new. Do not look for accolades from peers or extra pay. Do it because you care about your craft. The industry … Read more
Putting the bite back into Halloween In this modern world we live in, we tend to fall back to the old stereotypes of Count Dracula with his black cape and pointed V-shape bangs. This year, I am looking to break the model and make a vampire girl. So I typed into the Google search box, … Read more