All Good Things (and some mediocre ones as well) Must Come to an End

One final haiku
To finish Two Thousand Eight:
Thank you for reading.

Yes. Thank BOTH of you for reading. Hahaha! With the closing of A Year in Haiku check with dullgloomy tomorrow for information on a new project (or two) for 2009.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Out of the Box

From long-closed boxes
Come odds and ends from the past --
Pale ghost memories.

There were a few rather amusing little tidbits, like cards and letters from old friends, random pictures from the walls of my teenaged room, and little cards and pictures made by kids who are now college aged (or older).

Save Your Intervention

I fell prey again
To an enormous book sale.
Hey, I'm not on crack!

If one is to be addicted to something, it may as well be books (and movies), right?

Bang Bang!

A goofy waiter
And a fun musical that
Starred a flying car.

That was my day.

Season Finale

As of this evening,
It's the end of an era
For a ten-year gig.

One of the places I work is closing up and relocating, and even though I plan to move with it, it still seems like a chapter coming to a close. It was great having a bunch of friends come and join me on that last shift.

Boxing Day

Hangin' out with kids
Was a fine diversion on
This year's Boxing Day.

Merry Happy

A nice quiet day
Spent with a few old people
With whom I share genes.

It was a pleasant, laid back Christmas day with the parents. Tomorrow will see the rest of the family join us before I head back home. Merry Christmas!

C.E.

From friends to fam'ly,
Christmas Eve has taken me.
Merry Christmas, All!

Promiscuous Visitation

Friends, friends, then more friends:
That's my kind of holiday.
(It just needs more naps.)

Evening Spent

Friends came for dinner
Tea, snacks, and conversation.
Happy Holidays!

Finish Line

Christmas shopping's done
(At least I believe it is)
Let wrapping begin!

Declining Balance of Patience

Dear Gift Card Woman:
When you ask for fifteen cards
We want to kill you.

There was a woman in front of me at the ole Tim Hortons today and she was getting at least fifteen cards (that's how many I could actually count in the piles she had lined up; there may have been more) each being loaded up with with five bucks. Needless to say, we didn't appreciate it as we were just waiting patiently while each was taken, swiped, loaded up, receipt printed, and packed back into its little envelope. Naturally there was difficulty with a few of them, not loading up properly on the first try. One woman just gave up and left. Can't say I blame her.

Blizzard

Ridiculous snow
Confirms this is Canada
And that winter's here.

Stupid amount of snow fell today.

Jolly

Happy singing man,
Despite your lack of talent
You did make me smile.

This enjoyable fellow was doing a little bopping dance while waiting in line, occasionally singing along with the carols playing in the store, and was jubilantly wishing people a Merry Christmas. It was very enjoyable.

Commentary

Always flattering
To be told that one looks tired,
Even if it's true.

I love it when people just come out and say things like that.

"You look tired."

"You feeling alright? You look sick."

"Man, you're ugly as sin on a gatepost."

Mercury Rising

A frosty morning,
Both on the inside and out,
Gives way to new warmth.

The furnace has been fixed. After awakening to 49 degree F temperatures in the house, I was eager to have everything taken care of promptly.

Aged

Informal visit;
Happy Birthday to Sonya.
Take-out and a couch.

Woohoo! Still, it was nice to just hang out.

Bob

Another season
Of Survivor has ended.
It was a good one.

I was pleasantly surprised. I was resistant to the whole Survivor thing for the first while, then a friend made me start watching and I've caught it more often than not since. I'm not tooth-and-nail about seeing it, but I catch it when I can. This season was pleasantly entertaining.

Spells Relief

What a pleasant change
To fill my take with gas for
Less than thirty bucks.

Seriously.

Labourous

Work in the morning,
Work in the afternoon, and
Work in the evening.

My day in a nutshell.

Engage!

Children being cute
Means that the season is now
Officially on.

The Doctor is In (Apparently)

Something in my face
Must beckon, "Please talk to me,
Though we are strangers."

Seriously. People strike up mini-conversations with me despite my best attempts at looking prickly and unapproachable. I'm just glad I no longer have to use the laundromat. Those places were packed with persistent conversationalists.

Hello, My Name is Claude Rains

Nothing like being
Treated as invisible
By the store sales staff.

I hate that! You wait patiently, trying in vain to get help in a store. Then, after actually physically speaking with someone, they disappear and don't return for another fifteen minutes to actually assist you. Grrr. I really need to stop being polite and well-mannered.

Accessibility Options

DVD makers
Really ought to consider
The colour-blind folks.

I hate it when I can't tell what's highlighted on a menu. Drives me nuts. Just put a little symbol that moves around, okay? Is that asking so very much?

Paging Nancy Drew

I wish to solve the
Mysterious vanishing
Of my winter boots.

Pancakes and Prophets

Perkins past midnight:
Theological debates
At volumes too high.

While enjoying a late night meal with Jackie, I had to endure the intense (and sometimes bizarre) theological interpretations of a woman one table over at extremely high volumes. It was rather difficult to focus on my own conversation as a result. The two gentlemen with whom the loudspeaker was dining were, in contrast, very gently spoken and mellow.

Homeward

On a midnight drive,
Snow drifting in street lamp light,
Winter deceives me.

Deceives me how, you ask? Into almost believing that it's not so bad. But nay, dear readers, I shall not be fooled, for I know that this is not all that winter is or shall be. It will soon turn ugly with bitter cold, damp winds, and plenty of pain.

Colour Blind

Dear Sedan Driver,
When I have a light that's green
It means I can go.

I nearly slammed into the side of the aforementioned sedan when the driver decided that he could enter the intersection on a red light. Fear not. The crisis was averted. Dennis would be proud.

Aesthetics

It takes a good friend
To tell you your eyebrows have
Gone out of control.

Yeah. Thanks.

Proverb

Early to bed and
Early to rise will make me
Bitter and grumpy.

Okay, so that's perhaps a bit overstated, but I'm not a morning person.

Ground Control to Major Tom

The Countdown is on:
A Year in Haiku will soon
Complete its last month.