On the Road in New Mexico

It's hot. I just finished a great bike ride - went from Farmington nearly to Aztec and back. Some tough climbs and beautiful views. Rocky like in western Colorado - makes sense since I'm in northwestern New Mexico.

I had a really fun library show this morning. ABout 150 people, I guess. The fun part was it was a totally new show. So, new that I wrote one of the songs this morning before I left. Actually I had written the words yesterday and used them as a super hero quiz - kind of a chant, with the audience filling in the name of the super hero at the end of each verse. It worked okay when I tried it yesterday in Shiprock (tough show, older kids, smaller crowd) as a spoken word thing. It worked great today when I sang it as 12 bar blues.

I also started working on a song about engineers - not the train kind, the brain kind! The lyrics need more work and I need to figure out a melody, but it's a good start. Because I was trying to work it into the superhero show, it's kind of about how engineers are superheroes because of all the stuff they figure out and design that we get to use. So, here's what I have so far.

Engineers

How could we get here if we didn’t have a car?
Who designed the engine so we wouldn’t have to walk far?
Who designed the roads and bridges, street lights and tunnels?
Thanks to all those engineers.

Who designed the computer that I surf the web on
And the TV and radio, the list goes on and on?
Who came up with the internet and video games?
Thanks to all those engineers.

We give them problems and they solve them
With their calculators, rulers, and computer programs
Using math, science, and some common sense
Superheroes using their brains.

Who uses math and models and stress analysis
To figure out how to make things work and be safe?
Electrical, mechanical, aeronautical and general
Thanks to all those engineers

The scientific field of technology and invention
Has brought us cool stuff to use and have fun with
And important stuff we couldn’t live without.
Thanks to all those engineers.

We give them problems and they solve them
With their calculators, rulers, and computer programs
Using math, science, and some common sense
Superheroes using their brains.