I make her nervous…

There’s something about having a new driver in the house that …. well, it inspires me to embarrass her, I guess. Truth be told, Ashley’s become a very good driver. She started her first job this week ( summer jobs, remember those? ) and we’ve been carpooling with her behind the wheel. Everything was going great until I took her car out ( we’ve started calling her “Turbo Smurf” ) for lunch and triggered the dash to light up like a Christmas Tree. Technically, I “broke” her car and have been getting just the tiniest of stink eyes ever sense. 

Live live. Stay healthy. Don’t drive your daughters’ car

-Scott


#mini #studentdriver #summerjob #familycomic #drawnandcoded

Triggered

Yes…..I did stand in the Costco vitamin aisle for longer than I’d like to admit scratching my head and pondering this particular dilemma. It shook me more than I thought it would. Fortunately, I’m just 50, not “plus” yet….

Live life. Stay Healthy. Take your vitamins.

-Scott


#vitamins #costco #centrumvitamins #overthehill

With or Without Me

I took a hiatus on drawing and started writing some original music, and then something unexpected happened – I wanted to start drawing again. Fortunately, my family has been on a roll as far as providing me with material.

As far as music this song is called, “With or Without Me.”

It’s about being a Dad ( or Mom ) with kids that are growing up just a little too fast. Yes, it still needs some polish ( starting with a nice kick drum ), but I’m trying.

Live life. Stay Healthy. Go make something.

-Scott


#comic #singersongwriter #illustrator #raisingdaughters #ranchbernardo

Mario Kart

We added a Mini Cooper to our stable for our newest driver.

Thing is? Now I want one, too!

They’re like little Go-Karts. Coming from a Honda Pilot ( and before that, a minivan ), I forgot how much fun smaller cars are. For starters? You can park em’ anywhere. But, I also like the smaller confines of the interior, too. I swear I can hear my own echo in mine, sometimes, when I am driving alone.

Still Undetectable

In other news – if there is any cancer in my body, it’s behaving. I have been in remission for just over four years now. My anxiety still goes through the roof every single time I get blood work done, though, You would think I’d be more relaxed the further out I am from treatment, but no. It’s taken four years to get back to living and every time I get tested I feel like everything could just fall apart again. I hear the 5-year and 10-year marks are monumental, but I still find myself celebrating ( just a little ) every day.

Live life. Stay healthy. Create something!

-Scott

#minicooper #newdriver #ranchobernardo #comic #drawnandcoded

It’s not what it looks like…

I take care of all the house plants in my house, so yeah, I feel a little guilty being a vegan when eating in front of them.

I’ve been a vegan for a few years now – since being diagnosed with prostate cancer. I can’t prove that it’s helped keep the disease at bay, but it has helped my well-being tremendously. It took a while to “find my stride” – find adequate recipes and all, but I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t miss the foods I left behind anymore. I just wish my house plants would stop giving me the stink eye..,

Live life. Stay healthy.

-Scott


#vegan #houseplants #illustration #greenthumb #ranchobernardo #sandiego #drawnandcoded

She likes driving…

Yup. Ashley is driving. She loves it, too. Last night she even drove us on the highway so we could go shopping at Costco.

The benefits are two-fold.

First, it’ll take some of the responsibility off of Mom and Dad during next school year as she’ll be able to drive her sister and herself to school. Second, I have a whole new muse for comics!

I do worry, though. There’s more distractions and traffic than when I was her age. I guess part of her growing up though is trusting her not be that person playing Wordle on their mobile phone while weaving through traffic.

Oh, wait. Thats me…

Stay healthy. Live life. Put the mobile phone down.

-Scott


#NewDriver #Sixteen #DistractedDriver #WorriedParent

Questionable Restaurant Choices

This is real, folks.

I don’t know what property management company approved of this, but it definitely made me stop in my tracks before following my ravenous family into the restaurant for dinner.

The sushi was actually pretty good ( although the restaurant closed a few months later ). I imagine the bait was even better because that shop is still in business.

Live live. Stay Healthy
– Scott


#powayrestaurants #baitandsushishop #sushirestaurants #sushi #familydining #poway #cityofpoway

Bye, Bye Twenty Twenty-Five

Good-bye, 2025, you were a good year. I guess I am in the minority as 25′ seemed to have a bad rapport amongst a lot of my friends and family, but for me it was good.

I’ve seen my girls grow up a little more and become their own not-so-little people. 

I saw my wife’s business, Vandervort Realty, grow and expand.

My band, The Rubber Band, has been playing more ( and bigger ) gigs, and I’ve taken on more vocals and acoustic guitar to fit in a little better. 

I’ve been drawing a lot more. Although a lot of it is hidden away in a sketchbook, here’s a couple fresh of the press!

Feeding kids on a budget … we’ve all done it!
Yes. She did.

I’ve been composing my own music and accompanying myself. 

I’ve started playing music with a new, smaller, group of people with the hopes of doing some open mics next year. 

I’ve been happily employed at Poway Unified for the better part of a year now. It was a nice change of pace compared to the last couple of employers I had. The people are great, the workload is manageable, and for the first time in a long time, I believe in the product ( education ).

Lastly, I, along with my friends and family, walked in my fifth Prostate Cancer Walk.

So 2025 set the stage for 2026, which I have big plans for. Hope to see ya’ all around next year.

Take care of yourselves. Live life. Stay healthy.

-Scott


#newyears #goodbye2025 #illustration #costco #costcofreebies #costcosamples #therubberband #singersongwriter #vandervortrealty

Run Away

When I was working at a certain company under a certain boss not so long ago ( Crazy Train, Clearing out the files, Straight from the top, Budget Cuts, Heel! ) an under desk treadmill was my “static” pathway to sanity.

I’ve now been working as a Programmer Analyst with the school district for seven months ( The Coolest ) …and the difference is night and day. I feel like a valued human again – not a cog or number. The work is all on-site – so no more treadmill, but I’m also not walking 14.6 miles daily in frustration, either.

Happy as I am – it’d be a waste of a good comic to not post it, so here ya’ go!

Take care. Stay healthy. Live life.

-Scott


#worksucks #underdesktreadmill #exercise #badbosses #burningoffsteam

Never tell me the odds…

September was prostate cancer awareness month. For me, and every other person that’s ever had, known, or loved someone that’s fought cancer – every month is. 

Like Star Wars? ( Hate cancer? ) Me, too. Here’s another one from almost four years ago : That’s no moon!

Take care of yourselves, people. And please, get checked.

-Scott

P.S. I’ve posted ( and drawn ) a lot on my cancer journey over the last six years. If you want to know more go here : Prostate Cancer


#prostatecancer #survive #cancer #prostatezero #psa #hormonetherapy #gleasonscore #cancersucks #starwars