This is just to say

I've been acting strange lately. Something's up. I think it's the weather. Whenever the weather changes I get a lot of headaches. Probably has something to do with it. It's warm and sunny outside and I'm stuck here because the light and the construction noises make my head hurt. That and I have to clean the house today.

Went shopping yesterday. Bought some things for camp. I now have a sleeping bag that packs down to a quarter of the size of the old one and takes less than ten minutes to roll up. Something of an improvement, I think. Also a paddle, a tiny air mattress and a pillow that doubles as a bag. All handy stuff.

I think I'm just about getting through this I'm-sad-that-I-don't-have-a-girlfriend phase. Glad that's over. I just get lonely, sometimes. But you know that. It doesn't help that even Chase has a girlfriend now - and he's a girl. The world being what it is, and all. I stop dwelling. I'm fine.

Mini-soiree went well. Shame we were late. Got held up in traffic over a bridge. It's nice to see what we can come up with when we don't have any great limitations. This was mine:

The Robot’s Pilgrimage

A robot was working the quarry one day
when he found himself strangely perplexed.
I wonder why we eventually die
and what can I expect to come next?

So he tried to forget, but now he had thought
things he’d never considered before.
It seemed that his life contained nothing but strife
and his chips longed to find something more.

So the robot went to his Master,
and he said, My lord, please listen.
I’m just a machine, I’m not meant to dream,
but I feel that there’s something I’m missing.

And the Master said, I understand,
it’s right that you have your say.
There’s a wise man deep in the Devil’s Keep
who can help you find your way.

So the robot crossed the river S
and he found the Devil’s Keep,
he could feel the hate as he crossed the gate
but downstairs he began to creep.

And deep in the darkest dungeon there
the wise man sat in his cell.
And the robot said, Master and friend,
can a robot find Heaven, or Hell?

The man slowly lowered his long hash pipe
and his eyes rolled out of his head,
as the smoke disappeared he opened his beard
and this is what the wise man said:

Robot, you won’t ever get sick
and your parts can be replaced,
you don’t need heaven, you can live forever
just as long as you stay safe.

The robot replied, I give you my thanks,
I can go back to working in peace.
I’ll be well looked after while I’ve got a Master,
I’ll eternally stay in one piece.

So the robot went back to the deep, dark quarry
and although he was safe from hurt,
he began to detect the advice was suspect
as his circuits filled up with dirt.

He was never fixed, and he knew he’d been tricked
as he breathed his last virtual breath.
You see, the Devil pays the Master’s wage
for each servant he works to death.

The moral of this story
can be found in this last rhyme:
Everyone lies and everything dies.
The robot just wasted his time.

I think it's garbage, but people seemed to like it. That's generally the way with my work. Maybe my standards are too high.