The exercise:
Write something to do with: compromise.
Sweet mother of mercy, that was quite the game. I'm not really sure what else to say but... bring on the Kansas City Royals and the American League Championship Series. Oh, and maybe I should admit to watching the replay of that Bautista homer a few (dozen) too many times.
I spent the afternoon putting our squash into storage and planting out next year's garlic in the garden. We're doing a lot less this go around, what with baby number two due to arrive in the spring, but it's still a big job. Good thing the Jays won to give me a surge of energy or I would have had trouble getting through the remainder of the day.
Kat had a counselling client right around dinner time so I took Max into town for pizza. What can I say? I was in a celebrating kind of mood. He didn't quite understand the sentiment but he did enjoy the pizza and the rare nighttime outing.
Mine:
To strike the bargain
Sacrifices were made.
The deal's not perfect,
But a price must be paid.
Only time will tell
If the means were justified.
But what could we do?
Give up, shrug, say that we tried?
They are not happy
Either, I hope you know;
They bent just as far,
As far as they could go.
There is no winner,
But no loser as well.
A deal has been struck!
Let's move on from this hell.
Tuesday October 13th, 2015
The exercise:
Write two haiku around the theme of: unstoppable.
Because, for whatever reason, Max was wired from the moment he woke up (early) this morning until he fell asleep (surprisingly on time) this evening. There was just no stopping him today.
At this point I can only assume that he is siphoning my energy while I sleep and then burning it all off during the day so that he can do it again the next night.
Mine:
This kid could give the
Energizer Bunny a
run for his money
* * *
He was a hot knife;
I should have known better than
to be his butter
Write two haiku around the theme of: unstoppable.
Because, for whatever reason, Max was wired from the moment he woke up (early) this morning until he fell asleep (surprisingly on time) this evening. There was just no stopping him today.
At this point I can only assume that he is siphoning my energy while I sleep and then burning it all off during the day so that he can do it again the next night.
Mine:
This kid could give the
Energizer Bunny a
run for his money
* * *
He was a hot knife;
I should have known better than
to be his butter
Monday October 12th, 2015
The exercise:
Write something which takes place at: the polling station.
Today was the final day for those wishing to vote in the advance polls ahead of next Monday's federal election. Kat and I took the opportunity after having lunch in town and Max came with us. I'm quite confident he had no idea what was going on but I was still glad to have a chance to expose him to the process.
The Blue Jays put together another huge game today, this time winning 8-4. This sets up a deciding game five on Wednesday. I suspect I will be watching between my fingers.
Heading up to Penticton tomorrow for an appointment and to run a couple errands. It still feels a little weird to not be going up there on Saturdays.
Mine:
"So... who are you voting for?"
"Um, what?"
"Who you voting for?"
"I'm pretty sure that's none of your business."
"Ah, come on. I'm just making small talk."
"In fact, I'm pretty sure it's illegal for you to ask me that."
"What are you gonna do girl, call the cops? They got worse folk to worry about than little old me, don't you think?"
"What I think is that this is highly inappropriate."
"I'm just a dude talking to a chick. What's so wrong with that?"
"I am trying to cast my vote..."
"So?"
"... and you're the one who will be accepting my ballot."
"True. Be a doll, won't you, and make sure you put your number on there too."
Write something which takes place at: the polling station.
Today was the final day for those wishing to vote in the advance polls ahead of next Monday's federal election. Kat and I took the opportunity after having lunch in town and Max came with us. I'm quite confident he had no idea what was going on but I was still glad to have a chance to expose him to the process.
The Blue Jays put together another huge game today, this time winning 8-4. This sets up a deciding game five on Wednesday. I suspect I will be watching between my fingers.
Heading up to Penticton tomorrow for an appointment and to run a couple errands. It still feels a little weird to not be going up there on Saturdays.
Mine:
"So... who are you voting for?"
"Um, what?"
"Who you voting for?"
"I'm pretty sure that's none of your business."
"Ah, come on. I'm just making small talk."
"In fact, I'm pretty sure it's illegal for you to ask me that."
"What are you gonna do girl, call the cops? They got worse folk to worry about than little old me, don't you think?"
"What I think is that this is highly inappropriate."
"I'm just a dude talking to a chick. What's so wrong with that?"
"I am trying to cast my vote..."
"So?"
"... and you're the one who will be accepting my ballot."
"True. Be a doll, won't you, and make sure you put your number on there too."
Sunday October 11th, 2015
The exercise:
Write about: disarray.
With a huge 5-1 win this evening the Blue Jays live to battle another day. That day is tomorrow. Fingers crossed they now have some momentum on their side.
I harvested potatoes this afternoon. Kat's parents were out doing the same in their part of the garden so Max tagged along to help them. It's okay, they had more to do than I did. Plus it let me overhear things like the following:
"This one looks like... Mr. Potato Head!"
I always feel better about laughing at my son when he can't hear me doing it.
Mine:
"Your organization is in disarray."
I hide a laugh behind a cough. At least ten heads turn in my direction. Maybe I could have done that with a little more subtlety. Though to be fair to myself, the... observation caught me off-guard.
"You need solutions," the consultant tells the managers in the crowded room. Which includes me. I'm the most recent to join this level of our... company. I'm still getting used to the title. "Nothing is off limits. No idea is too crazy. So let's hear it."
The silence in the room is as oppressive as it is unsurprising. Of course nobody is going to stick their neck out. Not now. The executioner's job doesn't need to be made any easier.
"Come on, don't be shy. I'm sure each of you has at least one idea on how to set things right. Just shout it out."
The whiteboard on the wall remains blank as the marker in his grip hovers over it. Glances are exchanged behind his back. Somebody needs to say something, that much is understood. Otherwise we might be stuck in here until starvation starts to claim the weakest of the herd.
"Not speaking up is how you guys ended up in this mess! Let's not k-"
"Yeah, I've got an idea," I call out. I'm pretty sure my resume is up to date. I might need to switch out a reference or two after this though. Oh well.
"Awesome! Hit me. Whatcha got?"
"If we are in, as you say, disarray," I say slowly as I struggle to keep the smile from my face, "perhaps we should stop referring to ourselves as an organization."
Write about: disarray.
With a huge 5-1 win this evening the Blue Jays live to battle another day. That day is tomorrow. Fingers crossed they now have some momentum on their side.
I harvested potatoes this afternoon. Kat's parents were out doing the same in their part of the garden so Max tagged along to help them. It's okay, they had more to do than I did. Plus it let me overhear things like the following:
"This one looks like... Mr. Potato Head!"
I always feel better about laughing at my son when he can't hear me doing it.
Mine:
"Your organization is in disarray."
I hide a laugh behind a cough. At least ten heads turn in my direction. Maybe I could have done that with a little more subtlety. Though to be fair to myself, the... observation caught me off-guard.
"You need solutions," the consultant tells the managers in the crowded room. Which includes me. I'm the most recent to join this level of our... company. I'm still getting used to the title. "Nothing is off limits. No idea is too crazy. So let's hear it."
The silence in the room is as oppressive as it is unsurprising. Of course nobody is going to stick their neck out. Not now. The executioner's job doesn't need to be made any easier.
"Come on, don't be shy. I'm sure each of you has at least one idea on how to set things right. Just shout it out."
The whiteboard on the wall remains blank as the marker in his grip hovers over it. Glances are exchanged behind his back. Somebody needs to say something, that much is understood. Otherwise we might be stuck in here until starvation starts to claim the weakest of the herd.
"Not speaking up is how you guys ended up in this mess! Let's not k-"
"Yeah, I've got an idea," I call out. I'm pretty sure my resume is up to date. I might need to switch out a reference or two after this though. Oh well.
"Awesome! Hit me. Whatcha got?"
"If we are in, as you say, disarray," I say slowly as I struggle to keep the smile from my face, "perhaps we should stop referring to ourselves as an organization."
Saturday October 10th, 2015
The exercise:
Write a four line poem about: the mercenary.
Max let me sleep in until 7:30 this morning. What a great way to start my first non-market Saturday of the off-season.
I am full of turkey and pumpkin pie and am ready for sleep. So... on with the show.
Mine:
Whose side am I on?
Who picks my enemy?
I keep it real simple:
Whoever pays me.
Write a four line poem about: the mercenary.
Max let me sleep in until 7:30 this morning. What a great way to start my first non-market Saturday of the off-season.
I am full of turkey and pumpkin pie and am ready for sleep. So... on with the show.
Mine:
Whose side am I on?
Who picks my enemy?
I keep it real simple:
Whoever pays me.
Friday October 9th, 2015
The exercise:
Write four lines of prose about something (or someone) that is: dull.
Because this morning I drove past Tom Dull Road on my way to picking up a couple packages that Kat had ordered and it caught my attention. I just kept thinking, "Man, talk about losing the last name lottery."
Anyway. Speaking of losing, the Blue Jays are now down 2-0 after losing in extra innings today. Winning three in a row isn't out of the question by any means, but maybe lets just start with winning the next one.
It's Thanksgiving weekend here, which means Kat's aunt and uncle have arrived from Calgary for their yearly visit. We went up for dinner this evening and we'll be back up there for turkey dinner tomorrow night.
I am very much looking forward to not attending the farmers market tomorrow.
Mine:
"I'm sorry my love, I just can't do it."
"It's... it's my last name, isn't it?"
"Oh sweetie, you know I can't take your last name... and hyphenating would be just... you know..."
"What would be so terrible about being called Mrs. Dull-Bottoms?"
Write four lines of prose about something (or someone) that is: dull.
Because this morning I drove past Tom Dull Road on my way to picking up a couple packages that Kat had ordered and it caught my attention. I just kept thinking, "Man, talk about losing the last name lottery."
Anyway. Speaking of losing, the Blue Jays are now down 2-0 after losing in extra innings today. Winning three in a row isn't out of the question by any means, but maybe lets just start with winning the next one.
It's Thanksgiving weekend here, which means Kat's aunt and uncle have arrived from Calgary for their yearly visit. We went up for dinner this evening and we'll be back up there for turkey dinner tomorrow night.
I am very much looking forward to not attending the farmers market tomorrow.
Mine:
"I'm sorry my love, I just can't do it."
"It's... it's my last name, isn't it?"
"Oh sweetie, you know I can't take your last name... and hyphenating would be just... you know..."
"What would be so terrible about being called Mrs. Dull-Bottoms?"
Thursday October 8th, 2015
The exercise:
Write about: hindsight.
The Blue Jays opened their baseball playoffs this afternoon with a 5-3 loss to Texas. Not, obviously, an ideal start to things, but hopefully they'll get things moving in the right direction in game two. Seeing as it's a best of five series, they really better.
Oh, hey, look at that - I'm completely caught up on comments on the blog. First time in... you know what? I don't want to look that up. I'm just going to celebrate being back on track and do my best to keep it that way.
Deal?
Deal.
Mine:
Dylan hated looking back. He wasn't one of those people who believed anything about learning from history or repeating mistakes or any of that junk. Back was gone, unchangeable. Forward to the future, with choices to be made and paths yet to be taken.
Turning to the past only lead to regret. Wishing that more information was available at the instant poor decisions were made. Wanting the impossible - to know the future so as to avoid it - and screaming at the injustice of its elusiveness. It was, as far as Dylan was concerned, the worst kind of futility.
And yet, there he was. Flipping through faded photo albums. Listening to songs that brought him back to moments that should have remained buried beneath hourglass sand. Visiting cafes, parks, museums, beaches that he should have forgotten ever existed.
All while the same thought kept hammering the inside of his skull. Over and over, like the endless crash of waves upon an isolated beach. Eroding, slowly but surely, the rock of his psyche.
I shouldn't have let her go.
Write about: hindsight.
The Blue Jays opened their baseball playoffs this afternoon with a 5-3 loss to Texas. Not, obviously, an ideal start to things, but hopefully they'll get things moving in the right direction in game two. Seeing as it's a best of five series, they really better.
Oh, hey, look at that - I'm completely caught up on comments on the blog. First time in... you know what? I don't want to look that up. I'm just going to celebrate being back on track and do my best to keep it that way.
Deal?
Deal.
Mine:
Dylan hated looking back. He wasn't one of those people who believed anything about learning from history or repeating mistakes or any of that junk. Back was gone, unchangeable. Forward to the future, with choices to be made and paths yet to be taken.
Turning to the past only lead to regret. Wishing that more information was available at the instant poor decisions were made. Wanting the impossible - to know the future so as to avoid it - and screaming at the injustice of its elusiveness. It was, as far as Dylan was concerned, the worst kind of futility.
And yet, there he was. Flipping through faded photo albums. Listening to songs that brought him back to moments that should have remained buried beneath hourglass sand. Visiting cafes, parks, museums, beaches that he should have forgotten ever existed.
All while the same thought kept hammering the inside of his skull. Over and over, like the endless crash of waves upon an isolated beach. Eroding, slowly but surely, the rock of his psyche.
I shouldn't have let her go.
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