Back To Work

Today I head back to my job
With a big elementary mob
And though no days remain
My vacation's made plain
I prefer sitting 'round like a blob

Anybody There?

So I'm checking my postings and it seems everyday
That I'm getting from 6 to 8 views
But it gives me no data on who has stopped by
So I end up all sad and confused

And I wonder if anyone's reading this thing?
Do they like it a little or lots?
Does my audience have any people in it
Or is it just trackers and bots?

So if you're a person who's reading this thing
Post a comment or note to say "hi"
And if you have stuff that you'd like me to draw
I'd be happy to give it a try

Still Ill

Another day's done
    And I'm still feeling icky
A headachy, queasy and
    Tired old sicky

Since I don't feel like drawing
    You just get this verse
And if I'm not well soon
    You're sure to get worse!

Day 3 - Collect

Collect

Inktober 2016 – Day 3

A hostess with eight little feet

Invited her neighbors to meet

But as they got there

They were trapped in her snare

And she said, “My collection’s complete!”

Day 2 - Noisy

Noisy

Inktober 2016 – Day 2

Some things are just loud and nobody denies it

A rocket or earthquake, those things are not quiet

Nor will you find peace with a firetruck near

Or a middle school flautist right next to your ear

But the noise I hate worst is more subtle and pink

When some dude smacks his gum while I’m trying to think

Day 1 - Fast

It's Drawtober/Inktober time again. Each day this month there will be another drawing prompt and I'm going to try to create not just a drawing but also a poem to go along with it. Also for the first time this year, my oldest daughter is participating with drawings of her own (but she's over on Instagram, where all the cool kids hang out). She's also doing better than me at posting in a timely manner, so I'd better hurry and catch up.

So here's Day 1. The prompt is "Fast".  (And don't worry, I don't really need a blood test...)

I need a blood test

So they say

It’s scheduled in about a day

Until that time

I cannot eat

No fruits or veggies, soup or meat

No coffee or

Blueberry pie

It’s water only for this guy

So as I starve here

For so long

I think somebody got it wrong

Cause in a day

Without repast
There’s absolutely nothing fast

Happy Birthday, Bett!

My body's old

My brain is leaky

Back is stiff

And joints are creaky

And though I find it

Sad to say

I'm more like Munley

Every day

But there's one thing

That helps me through

I know you're getting

Older, too!

Bears, Bulbs and Me

Like a bear, who in the spring

Arises from his slumbering

Or like a bulb, who dormant lay

Sends up green shoots once it is May

I, too, must find the energy

To rouse myself from lethargy

Because tomorrow, once again,

Drawtober makes me lift my pen

And every day draw something new

A bit of art to share with you

So buckle up cause here we go

Tomorrow we’ll begin the show!

Ode to Old Gold

Today I had to say goodbye
My little car just got too old
And so, despite the times we've had
I took it in, and now it's sold

Ah yes, those times, they were so good
Like driving in to work each day
And then back home, where it would stop
In the garage, where it would stay

For eight long years it took me forth
And back and forth and back again
And in that time it gained some quirks
That popped up every now and then

Quirks like a wobbly back end
Providing me a chance to feel
A sense of wonder as I though
If I was gonna lose a wheel

The dashboard lights would sometimes pulse
The headlights pointed different ways
And though I might not see at night
They seemed alright during the days

Beneath the hood, something would leak
And leave a puddle on the floor
I thought the leak was just one thing
Surprise! In fact there's several more!

The engine, rough and grumbly,
Was also an exciting part
Cause every time I turned the key
I wondered whether it would start

So last week, in to get repairs
The service people took the keys
They looked it over, then they said
"Two thousand dollars, if you please"

To fix a '97 car?
That figure seemed ridiculous
And though it pained my wife and me
Our only choice was obvious

We traded it for something newer
(That will be another rhyme)
So here's to you, my old, gold car
You served me, well, most of the time

Campfire Stories - The Aftermath

That owl contest is finally done
And they've announced the ones that won

I wasn't first with that big bird
But... Yay, hooray! I came in third!

And as a prize for that old picture
I now am fifteen dollars richer!

(After re-reading this, it's probably good it wasn't a poetry contest! Anyway, click on this link if you'd like to see the official announcement of the winners.)

First

I know that I've been gone a lot
I'll blame it on this thing I got

A new computer! Hip hooray!
I use it every night and day

And then some more, both day and night
The screen is such a pretty sight

With memory and speed to spare
It cost a bit, but I don't care

And best of all, at least to me
It doesn't turn off randomly!

That's what this little poem is from
The first of many more to come

Cheese Doodle Day

Here's a thought that I'd like to convey
On this National Cheese Doodle Day
Mr. Morrie Yohai
You're my kind of a guy
Though your doodles increase what I weigh!

(Today we celebrate Morrie Yohai inventing cheese doodles back in the 1940's and me eating Cheetos right now!)

Ice and Snow

Ice and snow
Snow and ice
Normally not very nice

Snow and ice
Ice and snow
Unless we do not have to go

Rain and sleet
Sleet and rain
Off to our old jobs again

Sleet and rain
Rain and sleet
So back to bed, pull up the sheet!


(A little poem inspired by the fact that all the schools were closed and I got a work-from-home day!)

The Final Countdown

A week from Monday - that's the day
Apple should reveal new stuff
Then I'll be able to decide
Cause choosing what to buy is tough

But if there's nothing new to see
I'll head to Best Buy north of town
And take the best one I can get
Cause this dumb thing keeps shutting down!

Polar Bear Day

It's Polar Bear Day
So remember our friends
With their little black eyes
And white furry rear ends

They're perfectly fine
When the icy winds blow
And they'll frolic and play
In the cold northern snow

So think of the moral
These bears teach you, son,
When conditions seem worst
You can still have some fun

But one thing's for sure
And make no mistake
I won't take off my clothes
And jump in a lake!

Remorseless Killing Machine

No time to sing, no time to dance,
Tonight I must go deal with ants!

The little monsters roam around
Inside my house! That's where they're found

But not for long, today I got
The stuff to kill them on the spot

And wipe out their whole colony
Their creepy, crawly family

And would I mourn? Of course not, I'd
Be happy in my ant-icide

So wish me luck, cause off I go
To vanquish my insectile foe!

No New Computer

No new computer
The same one I've had
Sometimes it acts okay
Sometimes it's bad

And soon I'll do taxes
Is the rebate enough
To pay off our card
And then buy other stuff?

Until then, I'll wait
Cause I really believe
That Apple could have
Something new up their sleeve

But when I eventually
Get something new
Informing you all
Is the first thing I'll do!

Please Stand By...

Near future posts, I'm sad to say
Might not be coming every day
They might be few and far between
As I fight my old machine
So bear with me, I beg of you
Until I purchase something new

Save Our Software

And so, today, my laptop did
Another funny thing
A thing that signals changes
That the future soon may bring

As I sat here and surfed the net
It shut down on its own
But that's occurred before
And by itself won't make me moan

But then, while it was black and dead
A mournful tune it sounded
It played nine beeps - an SOS!
It left me quite astounded!

And so, while this one's served me well
And done it's job with honor
I think I need a new one soon
Cause this one is a goner!


(It actually started working again, but has been randomly turning itself off all evening. I'll wrap this up now before it shuts down again in mid-post! Happy Valentine's Day everyone!)

Date Night

It's late - I've been out all night long
Enjoying food and fun and song
And now there's one thing left to do
Wish happy Valentine's to you!

Okay, that's about as short and cheesy as it gets, but I really was out all evening enjoying a lovely time with my darling wife. This morning, she got an email about Guylenn, a fairly well-known French jazz singer, performing tonight at a local bed and breakfast. We just got back, and she was fantastic. It's a very small space, just enough room for the singer, a small piano and about a dozen tables for two. I highly recommend it to anyone - here's a link to the Facebook page.