aarp | The Direction of Intention

See The Signs [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on February 18, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

“You know you’re getting older when…” you delude yourself into thinking life used to be simpler. Lately, I am a festival of delusion. Or, perhaps, I’m a keen observer of social trends! Yes. That must be it. I can’t possibly be like other people!

Case-in-point: most people have muses or angels that sit on their shoulders. I have a “Savvy.” My Savvy tells me things like this: we live in app mentality: the notion that we can personalize our “screens” with an infinite selection of choices is post-modern bubble madness. Choices for the sake of choices but not necessarily meaningful choices. Personal preference run amok!

Of course, my Savvy might be taking advantage of my weakening eyesight. Just like angels that perch on shoulders, I have two Savvies. A Good one. And a Savvy with a sense-of-humor dedicated to making me the butt of every joke. Actually, the good Savvy has probably already retired and is sunning herself in Boca Grande. Bad Savvy is having too much fun to retire. I can’t really tell if Good Savvy is still around because I can’t see like I used to.

In addition to seeing Good Savvy, I mostly want to see the traffic signs at night. That’s it. How many choices are required to achieve my simple desire?

read Kerri’s blogpost about GLASSES

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, artists, cartoon, choices, composer, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, desire, eye exam, eyes, glasses, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, lenses, middle age, middle age romance, musician, optometrist, painters, personal preference, post modern, savvy, second chances, smack-dab, story, studio melange, the melange, two artists, writers | Leave a comment »

Stack The Crate [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on February 11, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

I was getting calf-cramps almost every night and then my mom told me about the sock-trick. I was dubious at first but in the months since I’ve initiated the sock-strategy, I’ve only had one cramp. And it was mild. Who knew!

My night-table used to have a stack of books and a digital clock. That was it. My current version has books AND reading glasses, socks (yes, more than one pair), multiple notebooks with pens, phones with charging cables and a computer, also with a charging cable, Post-it notes, and the manual for a humidifier. There’s room for my coffee cup but just barely. Apparently, aging comes with paraphernalia.

The good news: Dogga’s crate sits next to my night-table so, as my accessories multiply, I have ample room for spill-over. The top of the crate is like a garage: a place for piling random stuff for possible use someday. And, since it’s technically not my night-table, I don’t have to acknowledge the growing stacks.

read Kerri’s blogpost on this SATURDAY MORNING SMACK-DAB.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, dogga, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, leg cramps, middle age cartoon, musician, night table, nightstand, painter, parapernalia, reading glasses, second chances, smack-dab., socks, story, studio melange, the melange, two artists, writiers | 1 Comment »

Think Like A Man [on Saturday Morning Smack-Dab.]

Posted on February 4, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

20 calls this this type of logic “man-thinking”: it’s a car -we drive cars -therefore we can drive THIS car. The problem with man-syllogisms is that sometimes reality and logic are a mismatch. Sometimes A does not equal C, even when we want it to. That we drive cars does not mean that we know how to drive all cars.

Man-thinking is at the root of my suggesting “Maybe-I-should-try-it.” I eat crow every time but that’s never stopped me from making the suggestion. Besides, Kerri is WAAAY more mechanical than I am so, if she can’t fix it, what chance do I have [note: I’m good at opening jars that she can’t open but opening jars is not really a technical problem…no thought required]?

And, if you really want to know what’s funny AND typical man-thinking, consider the dialogue that would happen in the next cartoon panel. She’s just suggested that we ask for help. What?! COME ON! I’m a guy (mostly). Asking for help is the LAST THING I’m capable of doing. I have to break it first or be totally lost before admitting that I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing. What will happen to my “flex-n-strut” if I admit defeat? What will happen to my self-image and my dedicated man-thinking if I say, “Great idea” ?

read Kerri’s blogpost on this saturday morning smack-dab

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, cartoon, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, man-thinking, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, musician, painter, smack-dab., story, studio melange, syllogism, technology, the melange, two artists | 1 Comment »

Think Like An Old Guy [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on January 28, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

Little-Baby-Scion was minted in 2006. Big Red rolled off the line in 1998. Both of our vehicles are old. Oh, yeah. The VW Bug in the garage is vintage 1971. I rarely think of it as a vehicle because it hasn’t moved in years.

We didn’t realize how old our cars are until last week when we rode around as passengers in newer cars complete with the latest technology. Had we rented these cars, we’d have required a how-does-it-work tutorial. To say the least, it was eye-opening.

Riding around in the back seat I couldn’t help but think of the washing machine salesman that agreed with us when we walked by the newer computer-driven machines to the lonely old school washers. “We just want it to wash our clothes,” Kerri explained.

The salesman whispered to us, “The new machines are crap. Designed to breakdown and too expensive to repair. You’ll be replacing it in a few years.” We bought the old warhorse. It came with a 15 year warranty.

I nestled into my seat and laughed at my old-guy-thoughts, “Nice, but necessary?” 20 tells me that heated seats are the greatest invention since sliced bread. If I had them, I’d probably agree.

read Kerri’s blogpost about NEW CARS

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, cartoon, cartoon about middle age, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, Ford F-150, heated seats, invention, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, new car, Scion xb, second chances, smack-dab., story, studio melange, technology, the melange, two artists, vintage, VW Bug | 1 Comment »

Dream [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on January 14, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

Sleep is hit or miss in our house. If it’s a miss for one, it’s a miss for all. Synchronized sleeping is rare.

Last night, Kerri woke me at 12:45. “I’m-up-you-up?” We ate snacks. We talked. Our midnight conversation lasted until 4am. In case you’re wondering, important stuff arises when talking through the night.

The downside of world-class-deep-night-chat is that morning arrives and it’s brutal. Coffee is not a luxury. I immediately invoke the no-power-tools rule. It’s important, when sleep deprived, to stay away from sharp objects or motor-driven-blades.

It’s good thing I don’t work in construction. These days I’d get very little accomplished.

read Kerri’s blogpost about DREAMS

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, aging, artistry, cartoons, coffee, composer, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, dreams, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, midnight conversations, midnight snack, musician, painter, sleep deprivation, sleepless, sleepless nights, smack-dab., story, studio melange, the melange, writer | 1 Comment »

Write That Down [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on January 7, 2023 by davidrobinsoncreative

It’s a fractal. A cartoon inside of a cartoon inside of our life. We delight in poking fun at ourselves each week in this cartoon.

If you look carefully at the image pinned to the wall, the characters are laughing. It’s an accurate depiction of our life. We laugh. We crack ourselves up on a daily basis with the ridiculous things we think and say, with the outrageous circumstances we find ourselves in. There is more fodder for humor than I care to admit.

Of course, the panel preceding the laughter is a drawing of how we take ourselves too seriously. Knitted brows. Bunched jammies. Chasing our own tail. The banana peels we step on over and over again with the same result. The real stuff of life, the reason we find ourselves laughing.

“That was stupid,” I say after doing something completely idiotic. Kerri looks the other way to hide her smirk. “It’s not funny!” I exclaim as we burst into gales of laughter.

“Write that down,” she says, “It’ll make a great Smack-Dab.”

read Kerri’s blogpost on this saturday morning smack-dab.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, cartoon about middle age, cartoon strip, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, humor, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, laughter, poking fun, self deprecating, smack-dab, story, studio melange, the melange | 1 Comment »

Greet The New Day [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on December 31, 2022 by davidrobinsoncreative

“It’s like we have this one chance. To greet the new day. Outside. A night with stars. And…it’s a new year. Riiiight now. All ours. Under the big, big, sky.” ~ Kerri Sherwood, Smack-Dab.

It warmed my heart when she showed me this week’s Smack-Dab. A message of hope. Available Riiight Now!

My beautiful wife, whose very first words to me, when I asked her to tell-me-in-a-nutshell-what-was-going-on, were, “I don’t do nutshells,” has achieved at long last an exquisite nutshell.

Happy New Year. Greet the new day. All yours. Under the big, big sky.

read Kerri’s blogpost on this saturday morning smack-dab.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: 2023, aarp, artistry, brevity, cartoon strip, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, hope, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, new beginnings, New Year, nutshells, presence, saturday morning smack-dab, smack-dab., stars, story, strip comic, studio melange, the melange, universe | 1 Comment »

Celebrate The Pivot [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on December 24, 2022 by davidrobinsoncreative

Rob and his family celebrate the solstice. Arnie and his family celebrate Hanukkah. My sister and her clan observe Christmas. The earth travels. There is a moment when the tide of retreating light tips and returns. A touch more light than dark. Minimum declination pivots and slow walks, minute by precious minute, toward maximum. For eons, humans have celebrated, personified, and symbolized the moment of light’s return.

The best story. The fewest words.

[in preparing for a cantata, she wrinkled her brow and said, ‘I need another piece!” She noodled for a few minutes on the out-of-tune church piano, pulled a few phrases from the imagination-sphere, and then sang this song. It sprang into earth fully formed. Thank goodness I had my old iPhone at the ready to capture it. We didn’t record the performance. I tell her, again and again, that she needs a proper recording of this beautiful song. She says, “Someday. And maybe with a cello line…” In our own way, we await the return of the light]

read Kerri’s blogpost on this saturday morning smack-dab.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, artistry, cartoon, cartoon about middle age, celebration, christmas, christmas tree, comic strip, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, declination, Guidance, Hanukkah, holiday season, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, light, personification, ritual, rituals, smack-dab., solstice, star, story, studio melange, symbol, the melange, two artists | 1 Comment »

Unlock Her Mind [on saturday morning smack-dab.]

Posted on December 17, 2022 by davidrobinsoncreative

This cartoon strip would be funny if it wasn’t so true. I talk her into a stupor on a weekly basis. I’m an introvert so have rarely thought of myself as “too much,” but coming out of a monologue to find her dazed-into-submission has opened my eyes. Apparently, when on a roll, I can be like cold rain to the Tin Man.

The key to bringing her back from mind-lock-up is to first guide her to a comfy chair and then I play a terrible chord on her piano. I’m also gifted at producing grating chords. The chair is necessary because the jarring sound could possibly make her momentarily lose consciousness.

Once she’s sufficiently snapped-out-of-it, I’ve learned NOT to ask if she heard a word I said. Because she usually comes back into her body screaming the question, “WHAT’S THAT TERRIBLE SOUND?” I want her to believe “the terrible sound” is the awful chord and not my overly-generous monologue. So my pat response is, “What sound?”

When guilty of a mind-numbing monologue, the best path forward is to pretend that it never happened. Answer her question with a question. Play dumb and don’t say another word.

[Kerri’s response after I read her this post: “You make up so much sh*t!”. True. Too true.]

read Kerri’s blogpost on this saturday morning smack-dab.

Filed under: smack-dab | Tagged: aarp, AI, Alan Turing, artificial intelligence, artistry, cartoon, cartoon about middle age, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, deflection, discordant, jarring sound, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, middle age cartoon, middle age romance, monologue, overwhelm, second chances, story, studio melange, the melange, Tin Man, two artists | 1 Comment »

Laugh Your Way Into Slumber [on saturday morning smack-dab]

Posted on December 10, 2022 by davidrobinsoncreative

Once again, instead of peacefully sleeping, the mother-lode-of-comedy rolled through my brainpan. If I could only remember, after the lights go out, to order a drink, sit back, and play audience to the nonsense that takes the stage-in-my-mind, I’d laugh my way into slumber. Seriously, what I think is funny.

I’ve read that a mind needs to be occupied with something. It doesn’t matter what the “something” is as long as it’s sufficiently occupied. Without some parameters, that monkey-mind will latch onto anything passing through and then whip it into a full-blown stand-up routine. I suspect that the person who first said, “Don’t take yourself too seriously,” arrived at their insight after several sleepless nights.

I’m putting a post-it note by the bed. It reads, “The joke is on you.” No, really. It’s on me.

r ead Kerri’s blogp ost about SLEEPLESS NIGHTS