Friday September 30th, 2011

The exercise:

The last day of September? Already?

Anyway. Go write four lines of prose that have something to do with: spicy.

Had a big harvest this morning, which tends to happen when we skip a market like we just did. Lots of tomatoes, colorful peppers (including our hot ones - thus today's prompt), squash, eggplant, potatoes... and on and on.

Right, I promised house pictures. Here are the befores:

That's the front. Here's the back:

And here be the afters:

And back:

We're quite pleased with how it has turned out so far. The back and sides still need a second coat, but it'll do for now.

Mine:

The knife slices through the red flesh as he struggles to keep the smile from his face. A few more quick movements and the cayenne is added to the simmering dish before he reaches for another jalapeno. He hears the doorbell ring but doesn't move to answer it until two more peppers are added to the pot.

After all, he'd hate to spoil the surprise for his dear, sweet, elderly, rich mother.

Thursday September 29th, 2011

The exercise:

My final cruise inspired prompt shall be: gluttony.

They had a dessert extravaganza at 10 pm one night. I found it... unsettling. So mine is my thoughts on the event, with the volume cranked up (meaning exaggerated just a wee bit).

Right, pictures of the ship's interior. Here's one of several lounges to be found on board:

And here we have a view of the library, from floor level (I did most of my writing on the cruise in here):

And finally, here's one of several bars on the boat:

I think that's all the photos I wanted to share from the cruise, so tomorrow we'll have a look at the new paint job on the house, if that's okay with you good folk.

Although, honestly, we're doing it whether you like it or not. Just so you know.

Mine:

They called it a dessert extravaganza.

It was well attended by portly patrons carrying overflowing bowls of chocolates, cakes, pies, and other items parading as food meant for consumption. Going for seconds was expected. Thirds were celebrated. Fourths were spoken of in awed whispers, secreted away behind sugar-coated fingers.

Heaven forbid, after all, that any of it go to waste.

The staff smiled encouragingly, all too eager to slice and scoop and sprinkle. Their evil intent was plain to see, for those with eyes to look for it.

For those like me.

They could call it whatever they wished. I knew it was just the first of seven smouldering steps on the fiery staircase down to hell.

Wednesday September 28th, 2011

The exercise:

Today we write about: the cynic.

Inspired by a man I was sitting near the day we didn't dock in Ketchikan - to say that he was unimpressed with things would be an understatement. In fact, he made a comment about our doing only 11 knots (so that we wouldn't rock around so much in the big waves) was b.s. and that the ship could totally go faster.

I think he was just ready to get off the ship.

I'll share some pictures taken while we sailed through Tracy Arm Fjord, beginning with the scenery:

There were loads and loads of waterfalls (one thing the rain was good for, at least):

But my favorite part were the icebergs:

Tomorrow I'll pick out some pictures of the ship's interior, and then I'll finally get to the house pictures. That's the plan, at any rate.

Mine:

All of his forecasts call for rain,

He's constantly surprised by sun;

His lips are so straight it's as though

He's never even heard of fun.

His complaints could cover the Earth,

His pessimism has no end -

And yet he can't stop wondering

Why in the world he has no friends.

Tuesday September 27th, 2011

The exercise:

Two haiku about: the navigator.

I wrote my second one the evening after we didn't dock at Ketchikan because of bad weather. In all fairness, there was no way that could have been done safely. But I was feeling a little bitter, so there we go.

Oh, since Greg enjoyed the waterfall in yesterday's post, here's another one we visited:

And... let's see. How about a picture of our cruise ship, docked in Skagway:

I'll share a couple more pictures from the cruise tomorrow. And then maybe I'll share some pictures of the newly painted house? Maybe.

Mine:

He keeps insisting

on only making left turns -

damned Nascar driver.

*     *     *

He claims the water

is too rough to safely dock.

I say he's just drunk.

Monday September 26th, 2011

The exercise:

Write something to do with: celebrity.

It rained on us for most of the local harvest this morning. I was not impressed, especially with the world still moving randomly (dear body: we're on land now) and a migraine coming on. But we got 'er done.

Oh, here's a picture of the lake I mentioned yesterday:

We really had no idea it was that big when we started hiking around it. Elsewhere, here's Kat and I posing in front of a waterfall by the Mendenhall Glacier, just outside Juneau:

I'll share a few more randomly selected photos tomorrow.

Mine:

So by the end of day three of our trip, Kat and I were cruise ship celebrities.

You see, on day two they announced they'd be doing something called The Marriage Game the following night - ideally with one couple that had been together for a long time, one that was as close to newlywed as possible, and one somewhere in the middle.

Kat and I decided to be the newlyweds and showed up at the on-board theatre in the hopes of being picked. We were, so they brought us up on stage with the two other couples and we answered a bunch of questions separately and were able to match up on most of them. We ended up tying for first, and had a pretty good time of it, too.

We thought that would be the end of it.

The first time we were recognized was about two hours after the show. Fair enough.

The next day we were stopped two or three times. About the same the day after that. We had not bargained on this happening.

But we weren't the only ones.

On the fifth night I ran into the husband of the other winning couple in one of the many men's rooms on the ship. We preceded to have the following conversation:

"Are you guys getting it too?" he asked as we washed our hands at the sink.

"Oh good, it's not just us."

"Everywhere we go."

I found that rather comforting.

Sunday September 25th, 2011

The exercise:

Back home on solid ground again. Patiently waiting for my body to realize this.

Your prompt: the loop.

Inspired by Kat and I doing a hike in Skagway that looped around a lake. It took us much longer than expected, but it was still good. Aside from the rain.

Anyway. Cruise was good. Pictures and more starting tomorrow.

Mine:

"I feel like Matt and I are stuck in this miserable loop," Jodie tells me through a haze of cigarette smoke.

"What do you mean?" I know exactly what she means, but I have a role to play.

"Argument A always leads to Argument B, which is inevitably followed by Argument C, and on and on," she says, waving around her cigarette baton like hell's conductor. "Until finally Argument Q takes us by the scruff of our necks and drags us back to Argument A."

"Only Q, not Z?" My curiosity sounds pretty convincing if you ask me.

"Oh, we have exactly seventeen different arguments." She pauses to blow seventeen smoke rings. "So we don't bother going all the way through the alphabet."

"Well, it's good to have room to grow," I say with a laugh I cut short with a sip of gin and tonic. Maybe next time we get together I'll have a rum and coke.

Probably not.

"Oh sweetheart, don't make fun." One final smoke ring. "It's absolute hell. You just can't understand."

Actually, I'm pretty sure I do.

Saturday September 24th, 2011

The exercise:

A four line poem about: chocolate.

I suspect I'll be having a fair bit of that on the cruise.

I'm back tomorrow! Hurray for the end of scheduled posts!

Hurray for finally being able to go to bed...

Mine:

It makes everything better,

Whether melted or in chunks.

It even makes insects tasty -

Who would have ever thunk?!