Monday February 28th, 2011

The exercise:

On this final day of February, let us write about: delays.

Kat's flight was delayed by almost three hours - thankfully I knew about the first hour and a half before I left home. Luckily I brought a book with me that helped cover the other hour and a half.

You can find all the honeymoon pictures I posted on Facebook here.

Oh, actually, that's just the first 200. Because apparently there's a limit to how many pictures you can have in a Facebook album. So here's the rest.

Don't worry, there's only 14 more in there.

Mine:

Standing at the top of the cliff, looking straight down at the still pool a hundred feet below, Jimmy was feeling very annoyed. He looked over at his older brother and scowled.

"Why can't we just do it now?" he asked, the words sounding polite and patient in his ears.

"Because I said so," his brother replied. "And stop whining."

"I wasn't!"

"You still are."

Jimmy folded his arms across his chest and clamped his mouth shut. Looking away, he contemplated doing it right then, without his brother's permission. Like a real rebel.

"All right, get ready," his brother said. Jimmy's scowl disappeared in a heartbeat as he made his final preparations. "On three, okay?"

"Got it."

"One... two... three!"

In unison they threw their rocks straight down. They seemed to twist and turn forever before they finally landed with a thunderous splash, just as their sister and her friends arrived at the edge of the pool.

Their shrieks of terror let Jimmy know that the delay had been worth it.

Sunday February 27th, 2011

The exercise:

Today we're doing a slight variation on the random CD prompt that (I think) I've only done once before. Pick a song at random, or just one that comes to mind, and use the song title as your prompt.

Definitely feeling better, but the cough is still hanging on to my lungs with both hands. So far it has failed in dragging them out of my body through my mouth, but I'm remaining vigilant.

Watched House of Flying Daggers this evening. Beautiful movie. A bit difficult to suspend my disbelief at times, but utterly enjoyable.

Picking up Kat from the Penticton airport tomorrow afternoon. The time apart has been good, but I'm quite ready to see her again.

Mine:

Locked In The Trunk Of A Car - The Tragically Hip

It smells like doughnuts in here. Why would you put doughnuts in the trunk of your car? Shouldn't they always travel up front, within easy reach? Unless I've been kidnapped by the sort of people that always leave a box in the trunk, for emergency purposes.

Oh God, did I let fat people take me? How incredibly embarrassing.

Okay, maybe I should be focusing on coming up with an escape plan. What I'm going to do when they open...

Seriously, though. Do fat people even do this line of work? In the movies kidnappers are always fit and in shape. Skinny, if anything. Never, ever fat though.

Not that I'm exactly a top flight athlete myself, but at least I'm within spitting distance of fit. I'd never let myself get to the point that called for an emergency doughnut supply. In the bloody trunk, of all places!

Right. Focus. This could be serious.

What if they're planning on eating me?

No, they've got doughnuts. I'm safe.

Until the doughnuts run out, at any rate. I mean, if it only smells like them back here, that means they took them out. Probably working their way through them right now. While I bounce along, hitting my head at every pothole.

I really need to pull it together here. Come on, I can do this.

I could totally go for a doughnut though.

Saturday February 26th, 2011

The exercise:

A four line poem about: the chase.

Feeling a little better today. I did some writing, rested, read, watched Taken, rested some more, and watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. When you're able to properly relax, being sick can be all right.

Also: I'm one week away from 1,000 days in a row and I have no idea how I'm going to mark the occasion. Suggestions are welcome. As long as you don't suggest me writing a thousand four line poems. You can just keep that to yourself, thanks very much.

Mine:

We're getting close,

I can almost smell him;

My twin brother,

My fetid phantom limb.

Friday February 25th, 2011

The exercise:

Four lines of prose about: the hitman.

Just finished watching In Bruges on Netflix and had to continue the theme of the evening. We recently signed up for the free one month trial and so far it's looking like we'll keep with it once the monthly payments start. It's hard to argue with the price and convenience.

Kat's in Vancouver this weekend for a workshop, so I'm home alone, sick, with a whole lot of Netflix movies I haven't seen. I think I can predict my weekend's activities pretty safely.

Mine:

The gun in his pocket felt heavier than usual as he approached the train station. He told himself that was nonsense, that he was only imagining it, but his steps slowed all the same. As he drew to a halt twenty feet from the entrance, he looked around, trying to figure out what was happening.

And the little voice in the back of his head told him for a final time, "You shouldn't have taken this job."

Thursday February 24th, 2011

The exercise:

Let's write about: the roadside stall.

I'll conclude our Jamaican odyssey with these three. First up the inspiration for this prompt, one of the many roadside stalls to be found all over the country:

We bought a pineapple and the guy sliced it up for us. It was... pretty much the best thing ever. We spent our final night just outside Falmouth on the north coast. We were right on the beach, part of which you can see here:

We decided to get up early (okay, early for me) to see our final sunrise before heading to Montego Bay to catch our flight home:

I'll probably share a few more pictures at random, but this marks the end of the photo overload for now. Once I have all of them uploaded I'll share a link to the full gallery in case anyone wants to see them all.

Mine:

The car pulls up in front of my stall, a cloud of dust momentarily obscuring the vehicle and the passengers within. Customers at last! I put on my most charming smile and ready my sales pitch.

"Hey, how's it going?" the driver says through a rolled down window.

"Just another day in paradise, my friend!" I reply with a laugh. Why isn't he getting out?

"Can you tell us if we're heading in the right direction for Blackwood City?"

"Yup, you're on the right track! But it's a long way to go still, maybe you'd like some -"

"All right, thanks man!"

And with that they're gone in another brown and grey haze. I sigh heavily before taking out a cloth from my back pocket and dusting off my display of hand grenades.

Wednesday February 23rd, 2011

The exercise:

Today we're writing something that takes place: inside the fort.

Kat has been battling what has come to be known around here as The Jamaica Flu ever since we got back. Now that she's starting to get a bit better, it's obviously my turn. I've been fighting it off for the last few days but it's starting to wear me down. Hopefully a good sleep tonight will help.

Anyway, back to the fun in Jamaica. While we were in Kingston my aunt and uncle took us out to Port Royal (the link is definitely worth the read if you want to learn some pirate history), where we had a little tour of Fort Charles:

I'm the sort of guy who just has to climb up something like that the moment I spot it. So here's the view from up top:

And a shot along the barrel of one of the many cannons:

It was an interesting place, but the sun was out and there was little shade to be found so we had to get out of there a littler sooner that I would have liked. Still with me? All right, let's get to writing.

Mine:

Their enemies at the walls

And their supplies running low,

They gathered in the courtyard,

Lit by the moon's ghostly glow.

No one called for surrender,

Not a tear dared to appear.

They agreed to one last charge

Into death's arms with a sneer.

The drawbridge lowered at dawn

And every last soul poured out;

With swords and daggers held high,

They left this world with a shout.

Tuesday February 22nd, 2011

The exercise:

Two haiku about: doctors.

As promised yesterday, here are my favorite pictures from the entire trip that don't have Kat or myself in them. Behold, the national bird of Jamaica:

That there would be a doctor bird. Here's a closer look at this striking hummingbird:

And one last one for good measure:

Considering how much I love birds, and hummingbirds in particular, watching these guys come and go while we ate lunch high up in the Blue Mountains was absolutely amazing. I'll never forget it.

Mine:

Wearing a white coat,

he endorses the best meds.

I change the channel.

*     *     *

He sounds so sincere

when he tells me it won't hurt.

He's a damned liar.