Back On Stage (Maybe)

 

So… I’m auditioning for some kind of role in Shrek the Musical.

That’s right. Community theater has pulled me back in—this time with ogres, dragons, talking donkeys, and musical numbers that are catchier than they have any right to be.

I’m going for a small role. Nothing too demanding. Something fun, something weird, something I can do without torching my calendar or my sanity.

Why? Because the stage still calls, even if it’s just whispering now. And because saying yes to small things can sometimes keep the big parts of life moving.

I’ll share more once I know who I’ll be playing (and whether or not I have to wear green face paint). 

Cue the fairytale fanfare.

She Moves

This piece began as a dream, or a half-song, back in 2009. A character emerged and never quite left. I didn’t know what to do with her until now. So here she is—in her own rhythm, her own night, driving into something new.

---

She Moves

She wakes at three a.m.

Blinks to clear her head.

No sound.

The house is still.

Dark.

Silent, decisive footsteps—

in seconds she’s at the door.

Grabs her keys.

Her bag.

Doesn’t bother with the bed.

She hesitates

on the back porch.

Shaking, but sure.

She must.

She has to go.

Lets the door shut

like a closing chapter

then slips into her car.

And the road ahead

is an unknown life.

When there’s nothing left to do,

and no one left to blame—

hard times get harder

when you have to change.

When all you’ve got is the sound of blue,

you play a whole new game.

‘Cause no one ever

stays the same.

She drives.

Thinks back on the years

she just made do—

Empty men.

Empty jobs.

Bottles that went nowhere.

That first time in the mirror—

the ache in her aging face.

She broke down,

right then,

and knew:

This can’t be it.

She moves, she moves.

She knows what she’s gotta do.

Pomp and circumstance—

graduate to a whole new school.

Learn to win

with a brand new set of rules.

Use your heart.

Make it work.

Make all new friends.

Push down the fear.

Believe in the end.

‘Cause staying ‘round here?

It amounts to nothing

in the end.

Hello, Blob. (A Brief Encounter With Abstract Life)

Out in some math-born corner of the void, the Blobs float.

They spin. Pulse. Change color like they’re listening to music only they can hear.

Once in a while, a presence enters their realm. A viewer. A traveler. You.

The Blobs notice. They shimmer, respond.

They spin brighter, move with more purpose, like they’re dancing just for you.

This little animation started as a whim. I wrote it in Python with Processing. Just a way to make something move, something abstract.

But once the Blobs showed up, they didn’t want to leave.

And if you watch long enough, you might feel them watching back.

A Little Black Dog Plays in the Snow. An AI story.

There once was a little black dog named Beatrice who had spent most of her life living in a shelter. She was a sweet and gentle dog, but unfortunately, no one had ever come to adopt her.

One cold winter day, a kind man named Barky came to the shelter looking for a furry companion to keep him company. As soon as he saw Beatrice, he knew that the little black dog was the one he had been looking for.

Barky brought Beatrice home and gave her a warm bed by the fireplace, a cozy blanket to snuggle up in, and all the love and attention she had always wanted. Beatrice was overjoyed and couldn't stop wagging her tail with happiness.

As the snow started to fall outside, Barky wrapped Beatrice up in a warm sweater and took her outside to play. Beatrice had never seen snow before, and as she ran and chased after the snowflakes, she felt more alive and free than she ever had before.

She ran and played until she was tired, and then came inside and snuggled up close to Barky as they watched the snow falling softly from the sky. Beatrice knew that she had finally found her forever home and the love and happiness she had always dreamed of. And Barky knew that he had found the perfect little companion to share his life with. 

The end.

A Chilly New Years Ride

 

I've been wanting to go biking for weeks, but the weather has beaten us back to the interior of the house. Until today. Sunny but chilly, I took advantage of the break in the weather. The next 5 days look awful for biking, so it had to be today. 

I moved all the e-bike components to the new bike I bought for $20 at a local thrift store because the frame was better I think. I also added a solar panel. The idea is to charge the e-bike while I ride it. That panel isn't going to make it so that I can ride indefinitely but it does extend the range.

Dog On It at the DB

 

We're Dog On It, Johny McDonald, Ken Cawley, and myself. And we've been asked to play at the Drunk Brush on Fridays recently. Some good ol' fun going on! Trying new stuff, new sounds as well as some old ones, of course. Why Dog On It? Because between Johny and I, we own 7 dogs.

The illustration I got from DALL-E, after a lot of prompting: Illustration of an Australian Shepherd dog sitting on a pile of broken instruments, including drums, guitars, fiddles, etc.

Grumpy and Cold

I asked ChatGTP and DALL-E to generate a story and illustration about an old man being grumpy about it being too cold and snowy to go out and ride his bike.

It was a cold, bitter Winter day, and old man Barky was feeling particularly grumpy. He had been looking forward to going for a ride on his beloved e-bike, with his trusty sidekick Beatrice, but the weather was just too darn cold.

As he sat in his cozy living room, sipping on a mug of hot cocoa, Barky couldn't help but feel a sense of annoyance towards Winter. "Why does it have to be so cold?" he grumbled to himself.

He tried to shake off his frustration and decided to take matters into his own hands. He rummaged through his closet and pulled out his warmest coat, gloves, and hat. "I'll show Winter who's boss!" he declared.

But as soon as he stepped outside, the icy wind hit him like a ton of bricks. "This is ridiculous!" he shouted, trying to make his way back to the warmth of his house.

Despite his best efforts, Barky just couldn't seem to get warm. His fingers and toes were freezing and his nose was running like a faucet. "I give up," he said, defeated.

With a heavy heart, Barky trudged back inside and curled up on the couch with a blanket. "I guess I'll just have to wait until Spring to ride my bike," he said, sighing.

Oh well, at least he had plenty of hot cocoa and Beatrice to keep him company until then.

What's Under The House?

It's totally my fault for not buttoning up the house. I have several places where any critter can get access to the crawl space. So, they've moved in whoever they are, and BB is going crazy trying to figure out who/what it is. I think she is worried they may make their way inside.

So, I asked ChatGTP and DALL-E to generate some text and illustrations about it.

As you lie in bed, trying to get some much-needed sleep, your dog's incessant whining grows louder and louder. You try to ignore it at first, but the high-pitched sound is driving you insane.

Finally, you can't take it anymore and drag yourself out of bed to see what's wrong. You follow your dog to the living room, where they are frantically scratching at the floorboards, their tail wagging a mile a minute.

You grab a flashlight and go outside to the place where there is access to the crawlspace, bend down to take a closer look, and to your horror, you see several pairs of glowing eyes staring back at you from underneath the house. You immediately start to panic, wondering what kind of monster could be lurking beneath your home.

But then, as you stare into those glowing eyes, you realize that it's not a monster at all - it's just a raccoon that's somehow gotten trapped under your house.

You let out a sigh of relief, but as you start to laugh at your own absurdity, your dog just looks at you with a confused expression, still convinced that there's something terrifying lurking underneath the house.

You can't help but chuckle at the silly animal's antics as you go back to bed, finally able to get some rest thanks to your faithful (and slightly paranoid) furry friend.

I Guess It's Not Summer Anymore

Outside my front door.

I guess it's not summer anymore. The once-endless days of sunshine and warmth have given way to a cool, crisp breeze and the changing colors of the leaves. The air is filled with the aroma of burning wood and the distant sound of geese flying south.

Gone are the lazy afternoons spent lounging by the pool and the sound of ice clinking in glasses. In their place are cozy sweaters and hot cups of tea, enjoyed in front of a crackling fireplace. The world begins to hunker down for the long winter ahead, drawing in and slowing its pace.

As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, the world prepares to slumber once more. The trees shed their leaves in a riot of gold and red, the flowers close their petals, and the world grows quiet.

It is a time of contemplation and introspection, a time to gather in the warmth and comfort of loved ones. So let us bid farewell to summer, for it is time to turn our faces to the cool and stillness of the coming autumn, and then the snows of winter.

(Text by ChatGTP,  photo by me.)

The World Changed

The world changed a few days ago.  OpenAI released ChatGTP, a conversational AI open to everyone. It's blowing minds everywhere.

I have big plans with this thing ...