Tuesday May 31st, 2011

The exercise:

Welcome to the final day of May (already?). Give me two haiku about: the surgeon.

Planted more beets and carrots today, as well as our selection of pumpkins and ornamental gourds. Then we worked around the yard this afternoon, mostly in the rain. I'm ready for the sun the forecast is calling for, and I suspect the plants are as well.

Game one of the Stanley Cup Finals is tomorrow night in Vancouver. At last.

Mine:

Scalpel held steady,

patient safely in dreamland...

it's time for some fun!

*     *     *

Don't give me that look.

I just need one little drink

to steady my nerves.

Monday May 30th, 2011

The exercise:

Write something which takes place at: the circus.

Kat and I had lunch at the beach today, which we managed to squeeze between resting around the house. We were considering going out to watch a movie this evening, but Netflix won out.

We watched Dirt! The Movie. I think our farmer is showing.

Mine:

"I haven't been to the circus since I was a little girl!" She leaned against his arm as they entered the massive tent, smiling dreamily up at him. "Thanks for taking me - this is such a surprise!"

He grunted in response as he checked the seat numbers on their tickets. Looking up, he spotted their section and led her towards it. She was too excited to notice his sullen silence.

"Do you know if they have trick riding?" she asked, her head constantly moving as she tried to take it all in. "That was my absolute favorite when my dad brought me. I used to pester him all the way home, pleading for him to let me learn how to do it."

The man looked at her out of the corner of his eye but continued to say nothing. It would all be over soon, he reminded himself. Just hold on a little longer.

A few minutes later the lights went out and the crowd was filled with excited whispers. Then the plump ringmaster was illuminated by a massive spotlight and they were properly welcomed to the show. Under the cover of darkness, the man finally allowed a smile to appear on his lips.

"For our first act of the evening," the ringmaster bellowed, "please welcome Kole the knife thrower! Now, I understand that someone in the audience has volunteered to help Kole with his act... would this lovely young lady please step forward?"

"You're up," the man said with a sincere smile as his wife was caught in a second spotlight. "Have fun, sweetie."

Sunday May 29th, 2011

The exercise:

Let's go with: the wreck.

Today we planted more corn and potatoes, and got some more pepper plants into the garden as well. We're getting rather close to filling up the entire garden, which will be nice. Then we can just concentrate on weeding and harvesting.

Tomorrow is a day off. Not sure what we'll be getting up to yet, but I'm sure it'll be good.

Feel free to continue mine - I'm afraid I ran out of inspiration.

Mine:

They woke to find an unfamiliar car parked in their front yard, steam still rising from beneath its hood. The man went out to see if anyone was inside while the woman called the police.

The man couldn't understand how the driver had managed to get the vehicle on to the lawn. The back left tire was missing, both front tires were flat, and, as best he could tell, there was no steering wheel. He pulled open the door and looked inside, hoping to find someone who could explain but found no one.

His wife watched from the safety of their living room, worrying at her bottom lip with her teeth. The operator had told her to stay on the line but she had hung up without really hearing the instructions. She watched as her husband popped the trunk and went around to look inside.

When she saw him climb into the trunk she couldn't stop herself from going outside in her night gown to yell at his foolishness.

By the time the police arrived ten minutes later, they found no sign of the car or the couple who had reported it.

Saturday May 28th, 2011

The exercise:

A four line poem about: blue.

I missed being at the market today, but it was the right choice. We would have been miserably cold and made enough to pay for gas and maybe a little extra. But we'll definitely be there next week.

Plus we were very productive around here, planting corn, squash, and melons while dodging raindrops.

Mine:

I'm thinking of you

And feeling blue -

But then you kiss Fred

And I see red.

Friday May 27th, 2011

The exercise:

Four lines of prose about: the rental.

Boston vs Vancouver in the finals. Can't wait for Wednesday night.

The forecast for tomorrow morning is wet and cold, so we're skipping the market this week. People just don't come out in that kind of weather, and we don't have anything to sell that won't keep for next weekend. Hopefully the sun comes out for that one.

Mine:

The man behind the car rental desk swallowed noisily as he held out the keys to the obviously unimpressed customer. His fingers trembled slightly, causing the keys to jingle unpleasantly in the otherwise silent room.

"A Pinto?" Henri said, his cell phone already in hand. "I'll have your head on a platter before the sun goes down."

Thursday May 26th, 2011

The exercise:

The word of the day is: tame.

With more crappy weather all morning and most of the afternoon, Kat and I spent some time in the greenhouse potting up eggplant and pepper plants. Things calmed down after dinner so we went back out and did some work in the garden but it wasn't exactly warm.

Mine:

Just before lunch today I loaded up the truck with various bits of junk and then early this afternoon I took it to the dump. While I was dropping off the recycling just outside the gates, I spotted maybe five or six marmots hanging about. Up to no good, no doubt.

Anyway, I went in and made my first stop at the concrete station. I started dumping out the blocks that had been taking up space in our yard, when I noticed a couple of the marmots had come over to watch me. Cute, right?

Right. Except these guys are way, way too tame.

One of them came over and stood right where I was throwing pieces of concrete. So I started throwing them a bit more to the right and he went over to check that out.

Those blocks were in the 30 pound ballpark. One in particular was probably closer to 40. In other words, if I hadn't been watching out for this marmot's well being, he would have gone squish.

Come on, little dude. Show at least a little shred of survival instinct. Please.

Wednesday May 25th, 2011

The exercise:

I think it's time to have another go at the random CD prompt.

So go ahead and randomly (however you want to manage it) pick a song and use its first line as your own (giving credit where it's due, of course). Then carry on from there however you like, in poetry or prose.

Got the rest of the tomato plants out in the garden while dodging raindrops today. Also got some much needed weeding done, as well as some work in the yard. On the hockey front, Tampa Bay won tonight, so they're going to game seven against Boston.

I'm sure the Canucks won't mind the extra rest.

Mine:

John Legend, The Roots - Hard Times

Cold, cold eyes upon me they stare. Everywhere I look, they are watching me. Accusing me. As though their fates are my doing.

But I didn't pull that trigger, never held that knife. My only goal is to help find the men and women who are responsible for these pale, lifeless bodies. To bring them justice? I don't know about that. Maybe just to help me sleep at night.

The door swings open behind me and I turn to find another body being wheeled in. My assistant doesn't say a word, doesn't even look at me. He just makes his delivery and walks out again, off to finish some test or another.

I look at the sheet covering this latest victim, the way it conforms around the nose and toes. I wonder what his story is - I can already tell it's a man. Maybe I've been at this job for too long.

But I can't call it quits now. I owe these lost souls answers. They need me.

And maybe I need them too.