Steel Kaleidoscopes

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After 10 years, it's time.

Since 2003, I've written 2,694 blog posts and read 4,579 (and counting) of your comments.

As of today, the start of a new year, Steel Kaleidoscopes, my creative writing outlet, will remain silent.

Priorities.

If you're reading this, thanks for visiting. If you've been here before, thanks for checking in.

Steel Kaleidoscopes has given me the opportunity to share some life-changing events like 9/11. It's also kind of cool to be one of the first few choices for searches on airplane etiquette and emotional songs.

And who exactly is Dave Tomlinson?

Really, it's been a pleasure.

If you're a good friend or acquaintance, you can find me on Facebook. If we've worked together, hook up with me on LinkedIn. If you're just browsing and like what you see, you can follow me on Twitter (@YeahThatDan). And I'm sure you'll find me on whatever is next.

Have an awesome day and make someone smile.

'We Have a Deal'

In a classic "Seinfeld" episode, a distraught George runs over a pigeon and yells "We had a deal."

In other words, when birds fly in front of your car, there's no need to swerve. At the last second, they will get out of your way. No harm, certainly no mess.

The same can apply to driving courtesy with merging vehicles.

When traffic is heavy on back roads, there are certain intersections with a line of cars waiting to enter the main road. The "deal" is that courteous drivers on the main road will let one car out. That way, no one is left waiting.

Not two, one.

So when someone tries to piggyback on your courtesy, they are breaking "the deal."

Pay attention, people.

Rush-hour courtesy is limited.

Christmas Eve, 1967

My brother, Bob, pulls me on a wooden Flexible Flyer sled through the woods behind our house.

The banks of snow seem enormous underneath the tall pines. We watch birds flitter across the bright blue winter sky.

Back at the house, my mom is making us hot chocolate. The kitchen is steamy warm, a clean well-lighted place the reward for kicking off our snowy boots at the top of the basement stairs.

We sip from our hot chocolate as we work on a jigsaw puzzle.

Soon we will open gifts, but only after church service.

It's a magical day on the calendar, easily the best day of the year.

'Tis the Season

Surf, sand and holly.

Question

Are deep-sea fishermen thoughtful?

Hope

The sun always rises.

Serafina

So The Little Person Who Lives in Our House has a Figit.

Her name is Serafina.

She talks.

Kind of cool, except when it's left on and I come down to the kitchen at 4 a.m. to get a glass of orange juice before my workout.

And Serafina senses my presence. And starts talking to me.

Loudly.

Echoing through the kitchen.

In a panic, I grab Serafina to try to shut her off. But she likes this and says, "What do you wanna do now?"

I walk her through the kitchen and into the mud room and set her down. Her face is glowing in the darkness, eyes beaming at me.

I walk away, thinking as long as I'm not near her, she won't talk.

Wrong.

"Wanna dance?" she asks.

Just as she asks "have any good jokes?" I find the button to shut her off.

And the house is quiet once again.

Eerie.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

To grandmother's house we go.

Dreamlike Few Seconds

Driving toward our corner, a large owl peers at me through the woods, his face old and wrinkled, his eyes intense.

There are horses — several of them — in place of the cows, which have been gone since summer. The horses are wearing jackets on this cold December morning.

All set to Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends" playing softly from the dash.

Dark

The night lingers driving into work.

The night settles in early on the drive home.

It's the holiday season — a time of bright colorful lights and sparkling glitter.

But why does everything else have to be so dark?