A Last Limerick

All the sights this year now have been seen
And the things to do now all have been
So let's bid adieu
To the year we've been through
While we welcome two thousand fifteen

Old Computer

It's old, it's slowing down a bit and the fix I tried yesterday didn't work. However, the diagnostic says there's nothing wrong with the main hardware, so I guess it'll just keep limping along for a little while longer. I figure the longer I can keep this one going, the more interesting its eventual replacement will be.

Memories

Computer problems still concern me
Now its memory is shot
I'll go replace it, then we'll find out
If it's fixed or if it's not

Another Misadventure

There once was a cow who was spotty
Who had misadventures a lot-y
Like she once tried to ford
A small stream with a board
But fell in cause the thing was all rotty!

(Not much of a post tonight - I've been fighting with my computer which, after nearly 6 years of faithful service, is starting to get a bit cantankerous in its old age!)

Vacation Days

Vacation days all run together
Seeming to go on forever
Is it Monday? I don't know
I think last Thursday there was snow
Perhaps that makes it Saturday
It's hard to tell - time slides away
But still, I'd better not complain
Cause soon I'll be at work again

Rhino Summit

And here's the other Christmas picture - this one drawn for my brother-in-law.  (If you've been paying attention, you might recognize the theme for this from a few days ago...)

A Balloon!

Merry Christmas! This is one of the pictures I've been working on for the last few days (instead of putting much effort into these blog posts!) The original for this one (8" x 10", ink on cardstock, matted and framed) was given to my sister earlier today. Based on her reaction, I think it's a safe bet that she liked it.

Click to enlarge

Merry (Almost) Christmas!

So Christmas is finally here
I wish you all health and good cheer
And on this Christmas Eve
I hope you receive
Enough joy to last all through next year!

Last Minute Wishes

Busy drawing
Busy wrapping
But this post
Has caught me napping

Look at the time
There's not a lot
I'm making this
Up on the spot

There's just one thing
That's left to do
Wish Merry Christmas
Eve to you!

(I literally remembered I hadn't posted anything today at 20 minutes to midnight. This took at most five minutes, as you can probably tell!)

Up The Mountain

This time of year, does anyone else feel like they're trudging up an increasingly-steep mountain? Don't worry, we're almost at the top! (And it's all downhill from there!)

Or is this instead a teaser for something else?

Hard At Work?

Why another stupid poem
When I've got this time at home?
I should use my hands and head
Drawing something great instead
For my sister - could it be?
You'll just have to wait and see

Elf

What would Christmas be without a friendly elf? (Aside from all the religious significance, of course.) Why, look! Here's one now!

A Well-Earned Reward

Today I headed back to work

Though weak, my team I'd not forsake

And now I can enjoy the perk

Of two full weeks of Christmas break!

A Ray of Sunshine

Though I'm sick and the weather is gray
This one thought drives the sadness away:
That the new Star Wars flick
Is approaching real quick
And will open one year from today!

(Worse than normal? I can't tell! Blame the viruses, I'm going back to sleep!)

More Ugh

Spotty and I have been spending most of the day sleeping.

There was one bit of excitement this evening, though, when we got a nice visit from two charming young ladies from Child Protective Services. Apparently someone saw the big teal eyepatch our youngest daughter has been wearing recently (to help strengthen the vision in her other eye) and decided that it must be there to cover up signs of abuse. We had a nice chat and I think they went away satisfied that nothing bad was going on. 

Ugh

I just got back from the clinic
And guess what? I've got the flu!
I think I'll be going to bed soon
Admit it, you'd do the same, too.

(I actually have a doctor's note requiring me to stay home for the next couple of days, so I might have time to do some big, elaborate drawings - but I'll probably just be sleeping.)

RoboWorm

So they modeled a little worm’s brain

Every neuron and synapse the same

Then they hooked up the lot

To a little robot

Made of Legos! Now ain’t that insane?!

(This is all true! Click here to read the article and see a video of the roboworm in action!!)

It Runs In The Family

My daughter’s been wearing an eyepatch

It’s to strengthen the sight in one eye

But if anyone asks her about it

She thinks that it’s more fun to lie

Well, not lie quite so much, as embellish

When she’s asked why the eyepatch is worn

She’s responding, completely sincerely

“I was poked by a young unicorn!”

Which makes me, as a dad, when I hear her

Fabricate things with such smooth aplomb

Wonder where she got these inclinations

Then I realize, it must be from mom!

Turtumpkin

This one's for my niece, Queen of the Debaters!

What a nice shell!

Make A List

Yesterday I asked you all

What you might want from me

So far I’ve only heard the crickets

Chirping merrily

So here’s the deal, if you might want

A drawing as a gift

I need to know what sort of thing

Might give your heart a lift

And if you’d rather not reveal

Your wishes publicly

Just go online and send a good old

Email off to me

But if I don’t hear anything

It might just give me cause

To think there’s nothing that you want

From dear old Womas Claus

The Gift

It's a gift!

It's for YOU!!!

What's in it? I don't know.

(This is my way of requesting gift or drawing ideas. Have an idea what you want? You gotta ask for it!)

A Teacher's Lament

A class like today’s makes me frown

Every kid seems to act like a clown

We could have so much fun

And we’d get so much done

If they’d simply shut up and sit down!

Pterodactyl

Ptake cover! It's ptotally pterrifying!

Seasons Greetings

Tomorrow, December 9, is Christmas Card Day. To help celebrate, here are a few verses for you to (not) include in your homemade cards this year.

***

For Christmas I got you a puppy

But it wouldn’t fit in the box

So I sold it and kept all the money

And bought you a cheap pair of socks

***

Happy Christmas, my old friend,

I hope it’s full of cheer

Enjoy the lovely snow and ice

And don’t fall on your rear

***

Though I pondered for many long minutes

I didn’t know what I should get

For you, for this holiday season

So guess what? You’re looking at it!

***

Poinsettias sure look so nice

A splash of color in the ice

It’s just too bad I’ve killed them dead

So here’s a ragged weed instead

***

Seasons Greetings to you and yours

(Except your wife, she really snores!)

***

In this holiday season

I wish you were here

Cause you ate all my chips

And you drank all my beer

***

Here’s hoping Santa brings you lots

Of special stuff, you kid!

Because you’re getting squat from me

Cause I know what you did!

***

Noses are red

Lips can be blue

Get out of the cold

Or you might catch the flu!

Nutcracker, Part 2

Here's the finished nutcracker from a couple of days ago that I know you've all been waiting anxiously for!

The Recital

(My oldest daughter has been taking piano lessons, and today was her recital in a packed room with close to 100 people. She did very well, so today's post is for her. The finished nutcracker picture will come soon.)

My daughter faced her fears today

And played in her recital

She played a lovely little tune

(I don’t recall the title)

Regardless, she did very well

With parts both soft and louder

And from hard work came art and skill

I couldn’t be much prouder!

Nutcracker, Part 1

Tonight, my youngest daughter (and the Children's Choir she's a part of) sang for our local production of The Nutcracker. It's a pretty big deal and I'm very proud of her. She did one show tonight and will do two more tomorrow, so here's the first part of my Nutcracker drawing. The rest will be coming soon!

All You Get

I’m sorry for this tiny post

I beg - don’t throw a fit

But I’m tired, sore and cranky

So this is all you get

Take That, New York!

Tonight out in old NYC

They lit up their big Christmas tree

And though it looks chic

Mine’s been up for a week

So in this race the victor is me!

Emu Shoes

Today I met a new emu

There’s something strange about him

An old emu I knew wore shoes

But this one goes without ‘em

He said the rules call shoes taboo

And emus dare not flout ‘em

After review this seemed untrue

And so I had to doubt him

Into a rage this emu flew

With incoherent shoutin’

He then withdrew a block or two

And he’s still out there poutin'

Surfing Skunk

Tonight I felt like doing something different. Here's a surfing skunk.

Christmas Twinkle

Twinkle, twinkle, little house

Nearly lovely as my spouse

Shining brightly in the night

Bathed in blue and yellow light

Twinkle, twinkle, home of mine

I’m so glad it’s Christmastime!

(In case you hadn't guessed, we put up our outside lights today.)

Wheeeeee!!!

Tonight, a quick self-portrait. (If you can't tell, I'm the 10-year-old with the giant grin flying the awesome new X-Wing!)

What A Tease!

Today I’m so excited

My brain is gonna melt

My eyes are gonna bug right out

My hair is frizzed like felt

My smile’s wrapped around my head

So what’s this all about?

Today’s the day the brand new Star Wars

Trailer has come out!

The stormtroopers are awesome

And so’s the rolling droid

That triple-bladed lightsaber

Means something gets destroyed!

There’s TIE fighters and X-wings

And a speeder bike and more

The Falcon doing banks and turns

To Williams’ epic score!

The whole thing is so awesome

But there’s just one thing I fear

I don’t know how I’m gonna last

Till it comes out next year!

(click here to watch it for yourself on YouTube!!)

Hand Turkey

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm now back home, on the couch, recovering from a wonderful family dinner. Here's my take on a classic Thanksgiving image.

Thanksgiving Eve

For Thanksgiving, I got the day off

Full of dreams of tomorrow’s big trough

But instead of that thrill

All day long I’ve been ill

And I sit and I ache and I cough

(Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow. Either way, I'll be at dinner tomorrow, but I might end up sitting on the couch, coughing and blowing my nose and generally trying not to get anyone else sick.)

Long Eared Owl

Maybe practice pays off. Tonight I was tired and uninspired with no idea what to draw. Recently, though, I was invited to join an owl-themed group on deviantart, so I figured I'd just do a quick speed painting of an owl. I found a source photo on Google and was able to crank this out in about a half hour. Looking at it now, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, especially since something like this would have taken me hours and hours not too many months ago.

Windy

I just heard a little boy say,

“Golly Mom, it’s sure windy today!”

She said, “You’re not wrong.

It’s incredibly strong!"

Then they jumped up and both blew away

(Edit: I just noticed that this is my 700th post! Who'd have thought I'd be able to come up with that much random junk to say or draw?)

Sid the Ape

At work recently I got a new whiteboard for my door. It came with some magnets for mounting that said "TAPE SIDE" on them, so you know which side to attach the mounting tape to. However, I ended up sticking it directly to my door, so the magnets went unused - until I realized that due to the way they were printed, all I had to do was break them apart, rearrange the letters a little and add an H in the middle, and they spelled SID THE APE. Now, of course, I need a picture of Sid to go with the label. Here's my first attempt:

Putting Up The Tree

I know it’s not Thanksgiving yet

And some say it’s too soon

But we put up our Christmas tree

Just this afternoon

We did it cause I love to look

At all the pretty lights

It makes the days more cheerful now

And brightens up the nights

It’s full of lovely ornaments

And with a star it’s crowned

And so I think I’ll leave it up

Til Easter rolls around

Ode to the Alascattalo

(Just in case today was Alascattalo Day instead of yesterday, here's a little poem for the occasion!)

Alascattalo, you’re so neat

With walrus tusks and moosey feet

And boy, those antlers! What a sight!

You must be strong - they don’t look light

You’ve such a rich and pungent smell

Your flippers help you swim as well

I promise you don’t look so odd

Despite that blubber on your bod

You’re truly king of land and sea

And that’s why you’re so dear to me!

Alascattalo

Behold, the rare and elusive alascattalo! This magnificent creature is found only in the most remote heart of deepest, darkest Alaska. It is the genetic cross between a moose and a walrus, and every year on November 21 (a few of) the residents of Anchorage celebrate Alascattalo Day with a tiny parade down a back alley. I have never wanted to visit Alaska more than I do right now!

Top Hat

Today, November 19, is Play Monopoly Day. However, that doesn't leave me much time for anything else, so how about Draw Monopoly Day instead? Either way, I still get to be the Top Hat!

New Blue Gloves

I went to Target after work

And got myself a treat

A bright blue pair of rubber gloves

I think they’re pretty neat

They’re padded and they’re moisturized

To help protect my hands

And keep my skin from drying out

While washing pots and pans

Cause otherwise my fingertips

Will crack and peel and bleed

And putting up with pain like that

Is something I don’t need

And soon it will no longer hurt

To hold a drawing pen

Until that day you’ll have to bear

With poems like this again!

Mammoths

Today I read an article about the biological and ethical issues some scientists are facing as they try to clone wooly mammoths. I don't know - I thought it was pretty easy!

It's Happened Already

It’s happened already - the girls do not know

Tomorrow they’ve got a delay due to snow

It’s coming down heavy, it’s coming down quick,

The streets are already all icy and slick

And since I’m the guy who must drive them each day

I’ll also be getting a little delay

Which means I’ll be falling asleep with a grin

They’ll still wake up early - I’ll get to sleep in!

Gung Wu

Though it may not be cool for a guy

I think I’m in love - you’ll see why

Her name is Gung-wu

I think you’ll love her, too

So click here and give it a try!

Radio Dreams

Denied!

I got the email this morning telling me that my lifelong (okay, maybe only week-long) dream of being a star voice actor on a radio commercial was not to be. Actually, she was very nice and said she appreciated the demo track I sent to her and would definitely keep me in mind for future projects. So maybe it's just delayed for a bit. If I ever get the call, I think it'll be a fun thing to try, and if not, oh well...

Kindness?

It’s a holiday not to postpone

So live it and make it your own

And say hip hip hooray

Cause it’s World Kindness Day

Now shut up and leave me alone!

(Happy World Kindness Day, everyone!!)

On The Record

One of these days, I'll have a nice, normal, relaxing day at work. I'll come home wide awake and full of energy at the normal time and not have any major commitments all evening long. On that night, I'll take my time and do a heartfelt poem or beautiful drawing. Tonight is not that night. However I did do something somewhat interesting tonight so here's a few lines about it before I go finish my laundry and wash the dishes and (eventually) go to bed.

I just made a recording

Of a demo vocal track

I sent it to a lady

And I hope she mails me back

And if she says she wants me

To the studio I’ll go

To be in a commercial

On our local radio

Go Philae Go

Tomorrow if all goes as planned

A spaceship called Philae will land

On a comet - what fun!

Cause it’s never been done

Although sadly the mission’s unmanned

(If you're interested, you can click here for a site with a lot of good information about the mission!)

Family Time

Today is my 13th wedding anniversary! Unfortunately, my wife has a pretty nasty cold, so my 10-year-old daughter decided to write her a couple of poems to cheer her up. We thought they were pretty cute, so we asked her if we could post them here. She agreed, on the condition that I draw our family as hearts, like she had done on her card. So here are her two poems, followed by my version of our heart family.

    It's not fun when you're sick
    Sitting down and laying all day,
    But when you're sick I'll help you
    Move and get on your way.

           *****

    I'm so happy that you're in my life
    You are the best Mommy of all,
    You help me stay happy and cheerful
    Even if I fall.

Cow With A Pearl Earring

Tomorrow is my sister's birthday! She's a genuine classic who has inspired me more than once, so here's another classic with a twist inspired by her. Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday to moo!

Rhyme Time

Oh goodness gracious, it’s after eleven

I haven’t got anything written at all

So let’s do this quickly and jot down some verses

I’ve got to get rhyming, I’d better not fall

See what I did there, it’s pretty apparent

I twisted the line so the last word would rhyme

It pains me to do it, I try to be clever

I’d be less cliched if I had some more time

Oh no, time and rhyme, now it’s getting appalling

These horrible verses will make me look bad

I can’t seem to help it, I’m spiraling downward

Until I hit bottom and then I’ll be sad

So let’s wrap this up cause it’s getting too late now

I’m sure you’ve grown weary of reading this trash

Of course with the way the world works this most likely

Will be my big breakthrough and earn tons of cash!

Bear Hugs

Believe it or not, today is Hug A Bear Day again! How did it creep up on us so quickly? So anyway, go out and hug your favorite bear. (If you don't have one, might I suggest this fellow!)

The Force Awakens

Is that a shiver that I feel?

A tremor running through my soul?

As if a million voices cried

A million fanboys’ dreams made whole

Because today they just released

The Star Wars title coming next

The seventh episode will be

“The Force Awakens” - I’m perplexed

Cause does that mean it’s been asleep?

And after Jedi’s final cheers

The midichlorians all took

A nap that lasted thirty years?

Or, perhaps, the force itself

Is waking other people up?

We might just see it offering

Luke a steaming coffee cup

I guess we’ll all just have to wait

Until that cold December day

When everything will be revealed

It’s only thirteen months away!

Numbat

I've been trying out the latest version of my favorite drawing app recently. There are many nice, new features, some that will take a little getting used to, and just a few things that I really hate - like the fact that it likes to randomly just quit every 5 minutes. I could try to fight with it and figure out what's going on, or I could just do a very quick and sloppy sketch of a numbat and consider myself done for the night. Guess what I'm going to do?

One More Job Tonight

There’s not a lot of time tonight

For pics to draw or poems to write

I’ve got to venture out into

The dark, cause there’s a job to do

My mom-in-law is flying in

And so I’m heading out again

To pick her up and bring her back

But then I still can’t hit the sack

I’ve got to take the garbage out

Recycling? Without a doubt!

And lots of dishes fill the sink

I can’t leave them, they’ll start to stink!

The laundry! I need clothes for work

Another job I cannot shirk

But worry not, I’ll get it done

Although it might not sound like fun

Cause no distractions fill my head

My family has gone to bed!

Be Like Laika

On this date back in 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 2. Onboard was a little dog the scientists had grabbed off the street a few days earlier - and that's how Laika became the first living thing in orbit! Here's a super inspirational poem to commemorate her daring achievement!

On this day, the old USSR

Changed a dog from the street to a star

So be just like Laika

When the right chances strike-a

And perhaps even you could go far

What I Want

After the recent tragic events out in Mojave on Friday I've been giving some thought to what I want, and I came up with a few things:

1) Peace and support for the wife and children (ages 10 and 7) of Michael Alsbury, the test pilot killed in the accident. A memorial fund has been established at this link.

2) A full, thorough and open investigation, so they (and everyone else in the industry) can figure out exactly what went wrong and how to fix it.

3) All necessary upgrades or redesigns made so the vehicle ends up as safe and amazing as Virgin Galactic says it is, even if it takes more time.

4) Continued public support and interest in the private spaceflight community. I would hate to see one accident end this industry in its infancy.

And all of this is because:

5)

Whether it's with Virgin Galactic, XCOR, NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin or someone else entirely - I'm still expecting to make it up there (and come back safely) some day. 

Drawtober 2014, A Retrospective

I wanted to write a quick and easy limerick looking back on the past month, but I couldn't fit it into the standard five lines, so I guess this is more like a "long-rick"...

All the days of Drawtober were fun

And I drew something new for each one

Cars and cows in the air

With some hippos up there

And a mole with a crown

A poor penguin fell down

Lots of cats, one was king,

And a dragon-fern thing

It was great, but I’m glad it’s all done!

(at least until next year!)

Unspeakable Horrors

Prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and all those at Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic. 

Trick II Treat

Drawtober, Day 30 - The Robot City

Not a lot of time today, so this had to be a quick one. Happy Halloween Eve, everyone!

Wy-Fern

Drawtober, Day 29 - A Mythological Animal Combined With A Common Plant

Have you ever wondered what you'd get if you combined a wyvern (a two-legged, two-winged dragon) with a common fern? Me either! Until today...

Hawaiian Vacation

Drawtober, Day 28 - Pick (at least) two elements and include them in your art: Surfboard - Lava - Rain - Dolphins

I actually managed to fit all four in, if you can find them!