I try and find the magic in life, particularly in this day and age. And I'm lucky to have good people help me along the way.

Beercade 2

Here I am at Beercade 2 on 13th Street in Omaha. Ash is a great friend and buys me a beer when I write a good poem. That's what I call making poetry pay! He's actually in two poems: on pages 8 and 9 in Poems for Pickin' When in Omaha pop in for a cold one when you get thirsty and play a video game or pinball. They have a great crew.

Virtuoso Pizzeria

It's no accident the best people make the best pizza, which is why I go to Virtuoso Pizzeria 6056 Maple St. What great pies David and Brenda serve up! Pizza and poetry -- there's your combination. Here we are with my second volume of poetry, Poems for Pickin'. Be sure and stop in Virtuoso next time you're in Benson. And since you're reading this, you should also order Poems for Pickin'.

Tixteco Mexican Restaurant

Look at these two crazy kids, Eusebia and Constantino, who fell in love a long time ago and made a life together. They are such good people, so of course they make good food. They fill my bowl with rice and beans and I, The Writing Dog, eat there. Best chili relleños tacos in Omaha!


Check out Tixteco Mexican Restaurant, then go to 16th and Dorcas and get you a chili relleños. Tell them The Dog sent you, Arf, Arf!

Oralia at Mercado

Kidding around with Oralia, the front-end manager at Mercado where I shop. She always makes me laugh. I wrote a poem about her called "Aurelia, What Color Is Your Hair Today"? in my Poems for Pickin' volume. 

THC Dispensary – Brian

What a friendly face – and a fellow Leo. Brian works at the THC dispensary just down the street from me. I wrote a poem on him called “I Ain’t Lying, Just Go See Brian.” He is a big fan of my poetry. Sometimes I run down a poem “hot off the press” for him to read. It’s great fun. He also sells my Ganja Tales collection of short stories at the shop. Thanks Brian!

And Here We Are

Sharing these books with readers at markets and festivals has always been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey. While I may be the one who writes the poems, Sandy is the person who helps bring everything together behind the scenes. From preparing for events to making sure every detail comes to life, she makes it all possible. I’m grateful to have her by my side through it all.

2000 was an incredible year for us. I'd written enough short stories for Ganja Tales to make a volume, so I got the book published and Sandy and I hit the road with it. Here I am slinging Ganja Tales at a Red Rocks reggae festival. Sandy and I were on our way back from Washington, where we'd been selling the book at the annual Seattle Hempfest in Myrtle Edwards Park. We also got up to Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario and sold Ganja Tales at a Canadian hemp fest in 2000.

The Neighborhood