Saturday Night Message: Week of May 11 to 17

Days Till Novel Launch: 168

This week saw our wedding anniversary on May 15! (Spoiler alert: No entry for that day/night.) Thirty-two years. Together thirty-five years. :-) Spent twelve years together before the arrival of our first child. Two apartments before arriving at our current home in 1997. Too many cars to count. Scores of doctor visits for the kids. Only one dog…so far. No dull moments around Casa Burkhead, for sure! :-)

Sunday, May 11, 2025
3:55 p.m.

Happy Mother’s Day, one and all. At this moment, most folks subscribing are friends and family, so I’m happy to share the video I created for Leslie. And for the few new folks from Internet Land who have subscribed, THANK YOU and Welcome. Enjoy the video. I might end up taking it off YouTube in a few days, so if you want to see it, sooner is better than later.

Oh, it was a success this morning, for sure.

Editorial Note: While I am thrilled to have the extra audio/video skills, I’d prefer to spend my time reading and writing. This was just one more thing we writers have to learn in order to simply…write. Ugh

It’s also Eryn’s 18th birthday. The newborn you will see close to the start of the above video is her arrival, eighteen years ago, today.

We are off soon to Leslie’s mom’s place for a multi-event celebration.

I am celebrating today, as well: Celebrating that I submitted the final grades for my WKU class. Next, I need to start planning for my online course in the fall, English 200: Introduction to Literature.

Monday, May 12
Lunchtime

The birthday/Mother’s Day combo event was way-more-than successful. :-)

And when we got home, Eryn tried on her cap & gown.

I get the feeling that she’s ready to graduate! ;-)

I was up late last night doing chores, odds, and ends. Looked up to notice it was midnight. Made for an early return to work this morning. Now, slipping in as many chores as Freckles will allow. She’s a master at being in the way of productivity.

If Mother Nature allows, I’m gonna spend some of my after work time on my back and upside down in the front floorboard of Eryn’s car. :-(

The break light switch broke, and it lets the break light burn…even when the car is off. I unhooked the battery, so it would start when I need it to start. Ordered the goofy little plastic part online just now. Ugh.

9:54 p.m.

For the first time in a good many nights, I’ve been unproductive. Took a deep breath and relaxed. Oh, I have been catching up on my snail mail, but that sort of writing is its own animal.

Gonna goof with social media for a bit, followed by a rare moment in front of the television with Master Seth. We are convinced tonight’s the night when those brothers find the treasure hidden on Oak Island. Don’t laugh. It could happen. ;-)

Tuesday, May 13
8:46 p.m.

Brake light part arrived, was replaced, and worked. Took it for a test run: no problems. Yeah!

Eryn took it for a ride. It’s back on, and I believe it’s brighter than ever. ;-(

Oh yeah, it’s Tuesday:

10:08 p.m.

Feeling a little bit better, after being blinded by the eternal light of the infernal break lights. My better half has gone to bed, Master Seth has crashed in his room, and Eryn is visiting with “Careless Whisper.” He stopped by on his way home from a long day of high school and a job.

Me, I’m listening to Kentucky’s new Poet Laureate, Kathleen Driskell. Use the below link to listen to her words. You won’t regret it. :-)

https://www.lpm.org/podcast/on-track

For a tiny bit of time today, my mind returned to what I need to do in order to wrap up the last of the Substack to-do items. My mind knows I should be productive this evening, but my body has needed the break.

I paused to watch an hour show with Leslie, and I know I kept falling asleep during it.

My email in-box is “down” to 35-ish messages, which is a good number for me. It was in the 80s when I started to clean it out.

Wednesday, May 14
8:50 p.m.

• Roy - 1

• Car Brake light rubber thing - 0

Car fixed, at least until the next time. Eryn is happy to have the car back, and I’m happy that she downloaded the car insurance app to her phone, with easy access to roadside assistance, cause who knows when/if she’ll need it.

Via the computer, I’m watching an episode of Great Conversations. Colm Tóibín and Silas House are having an interesting conversation. Click here if you wanna watch it.

While at the local grocery store’s deli counter today, I was reminded that my t-shirt said BOOK NERD when the dude behind the counter asked me what I was reading. Had a good conversation. He told me that last year he had a goal of reading 52 books, but he “only” made it to 32. I was sure to tell him that there was no literary shame in 32 books.

It’s fairly early (for me) this evening, and I feel as if I should be productive, but my brain is still a bit…pickled from being upside down in the floorboard of that car after work…fighting and swearing at all of the moving parts under the dash and attached in some fashion to the various bits and pieces.

I needed three hands to get the job done, and not being an octopus (and Master Seth being home for the day), I sent him a text to come out and help. And once it was fixed, he had to un-knot me enough so I could spring back to my original, upright form.

I’m the big 6-0 next month, and my kids (22 and 18) think they know all about me, as if my life started 22-ish years ago. ;-) If they would believe me (I doubt they would!), I could tell them about all of the times growing up when I changed my car’s oil and brakes, and the times when I tuned the cars up…and sanded them down and painted them. Another life, a million years ago, or so it feels sometime.

Anyway, those little turds would be shocked at what they could learn…if they only knew what the questions were. I refuse to supply both the questions and the answers.

I’m feeling like it’s a reading night. Won’t get anywhere near 32, but any reading is good reading.

Friday, May 16
8:13 p.m.

Now that classes are over, I have more time to make progress on other literary fronts.

If things are working correctly, this post should start and stop with literary quotes. As I understand it, the headers and footers are reserved for urging subscribers/readers to do all sorts of stuff, and I may do that…at some point. For now, less suggestive selling and more literary stuff. Enjoy the quotes. :-)

The following is a fun three-minute watch. Apparently, Harvard had an original 1300 Magna Carta on their shelves for decades and didn’t have a clue. ;-)

10:10 p.m.

I do believe that I am finished with all of the little bits and pieces that must be created to go along with this Substack. Oh, no: wait. There’s the main video. I have the clips arranged, and I created a smaller one focused on The Writer’s Loft. I am even writing a script.

With the class wrapped up for the summer, I have that most rare of things: TIME. :-)

I can focus on growing this site, creating related content, and READING. Tons of stuff to read all about the place. And I continue to discover new writers, as in keeping with the “If you haven’t read it, it’s new to you” video. Here’s that from today:

Final thought of the night:

Today was my daughter Eryn’s last day of high school.

Saturday, May 17.
4:10 p.m.

In less than an hour, we leave. A work friend of Leslie’s is having a high school graduation party for her daughter. Leslie screamed when she saw me grab my BOOK NERD t-shirt. So, not beinug born yesterday, I cleaned up, shaved, and put on dress clothes. I’m one Double Windsor knot away from being ready to go.

In that spirit, I’m wrapping up this Saturday Night Message. Until next Saturday…

Oh, Freckles sends her regards!