9 posts tagged “haiku”

Can someone tell me
Why I woke up so early
And so easily...

When I didn't get
To bed last night until like,
Half past twelve o'clock?

No, seriously
Cuz every other morning
I CANNOT WAKE UP!

My dang snooze button
Gets hit about fourteen times
And THEN I sit up...

Maybe, maybe not.
But anyway, I digress --
(And are we surprised?)

This Friday morning
I made it to the shower
Before SIX O'CLOCK!

And that, my friends, is
Why I had this extra time
To write some haiku.

Bah, humbug. I should've seen it coming, but alas, I woke up this morning surprised by how totally blah I felt. Granted, I didn't get enough sleep last night, but I definitely feel like I'm getting sick. My throat is dry and scratchy, my head's all cloudy, and I just can't focus on anything. I think it's time for some Zycam and resting up this week, because this weekend is gonna be just as busy as last, and then it's Christmas and New Year's! And then it'll be 2009 -- eek!

Anyway, thanks to all this rain, I feel gloomy, too. Like I just would love to curl up in bed all day watching Gilmore Girls and eating cookie dough. Or snuggle up on the couch with Joe, sipping hot chocolate and playing Boom Blox on the Wii. Instead, I have to work another FOUR DAYS after today, before I get my vacation time. And then it's right back to work on January 2nd. So yeah...gloomy and kinda missing my "break" this time of year back in the days of final exams and Donut Man runs. I remember my freshman year, our winter break was actually FOUR WEEKS LONG! Oh how I would've cherished those weeks back then, had I known how lucky I was to have them.

In other news, I have GOT to regain control of my life right now. Mostly the disaster zone that is my bedroom. So tonight I'm going home after work, cleaning up and wrapping as many presents as I can before I head back down to Joe's to hang with our friends Jeff and Leah. It's kind of frustrating that my room gets so messy so quickly, but I really think it's because I don't spend enough time at home to keep after it. Instead I'm always rushing in and out, packing for this day trip or that weekend trip, throwing crap all over the place to find OTHER crap, and never having time to pause and think, "Gee, if I had ten more minutes to do this, I could put stuff away while I'm figuring out what I actually need." Alas...I guess I just need to learn to be more disciplined in spite of my busyness. Cuz let's face it...my life isn't gonna get any LESS busy anytime soon. I mean, after the next two weekends, Joe and I won't be in Santa Barbara on ANY Sundays for three months. And chances are, more often than not, we won't be here much the rest of those weekends, either. And here I am about to start considering maybe possibly thinking about looking into going back to school, too. Maybe. I must be crazy.

Last but not least...a haiku about something I know ALL of you reading this were just dying to know about me today:

I don't know why I suddenly felt like quizzing myself, but I did. And here it is. Feel free to post your own responses if you feel so inclined! I'm always interested to learn more about my friends and fellow bloggers.

***
True or False: You've reused (or WOULD reuse) gift bags and/or wrapping paper for future gifts.

Personally, I see no problem with reusing gift bags, or even wrapping paper, assuming they are in good shape and it won't be totally OBVIOUS that you're a cheapskate who didn't buy their own wrapping materials. And anyway, it's like saying, "Thanks so much for the great gift you put inside this bag! I think I'll share the chain of giving by using the same bag to give something to someone else!" (Okay, that was totally cheesy...I just needed a way to use "thanks" in this one...)

***
When are you officially "okay" with hearing Christmas music: After Halloween, after Thanksgiving, not until a week before Christmas, or any time of year?

Officially, I'm okay with it after Thanksgiving. But I don't get my panties in a twist if I hear it after Halloween. Honestly, I sometimes wish I had Christmas music on in the summertime...I think it's more a matter of how OFTEN you're hearing it; that's when it can get to be annoying. Like, if I worked in a department store at this time of year, I'd probably hate Christmas music forever.

***
If you had to live without one basic condiment for the rest of your life, what would it be? (We'll say that "basic" condiments are ketchup, mustard, mayo, barbeque sauce, and ranch...just to keep it simple.)

Well, in a perfect world, I'd be able to eat mustard (which I only recently discovered I'm allergic to), and therefore I would probably eliminate ketchup. A year ago I would've said mayo, but then I couldn't have it with my artichokes, which is unacceptable. So anyway, I guess now I'll say mustard, since I'm not really supposed to have it anyway. And let me tell you...my $5 foot-long Spicy Italian Subway sandwiches just aren't the same without it.

***
What is the strongest personality trait you think you got from each of your parents?

Well, I think I have my dad's quick temper (mainly when it comes to road rage, lol), and my mom's empathy, but more so than those two things, I feel like I get my extroverted side from Dad, and my introverted side from Mom. I'm definitely more in- than ex-, and some would argue you can only be one, but I (to some extent) disagree. Both my parents are good in social settings, but I think Dad really flourishes in more public situations, and Mom is better in smaller, close-knit groups. And (I think) my mom definitely refuels by having time to herself, which is how I am, too. As much as I love being around people, hanging out, socializing, laughing, and all that stuff...it's getting by myself, spending time doing nothing or doing solitary things, that allows me to recharge and be ready for MORE hanging out. I don't know for sure whether my dad is an alone-refueler or a group-refueler...hmm...I'll have to ponder that one.

***
Do you ever laugh out loud (not to be confused with "lol") in awkward or inappropriate places/situations?

Umm, yes. It's like, a RULE in my life, that on any given day, I will burst into laughter when everything around me is totally silent, somber, serious or otherwise not a light or laughter-friendly situation. It's especially embarrassing when I'm sitting at my desk at work and Joe send me something funny to read or look at, and I just explode. I mean, it's not like I can go around and show everyone what was so funny...cuz I'm at work. Working. Duh. Oh, but even worse than that...I remember SO many times in school where we'd be taking a test or hearing a lecture or something, and I could just be thinking about something someone said three DAYS ago and find it so funny (again...or sometimes for the first time...I am blonde, after all) that I start giggling uncontrollably in the previously dead-silent classroom. I've been asked to step outside on more than one occasion.

***

I think that'll do for now. And since I haven't done it in a while, I'll leave you with a haiku.

Okay...I'm gonna do it. I am going to post at least once every day in December. That's 31 days. Thirty-one holiday season days. Am I crazy?!

Well...yeah. I probably am. But that's beside the point. The point is, I really enjoyed making the attempt at posting every day in November (from the 4th, anyway), but since I didn't manage to do it successfully for even 20 days, I just HAVE to try again. And I have to succeed. This is life or death, people.

Did I mention this is also the month of exaggeration? :-D

Right. Anyway, the suggested theme from NaBloPoMo is THANKS. (In all caps, too.) I think rather than post specifically about stuff I'm thankful for every single day, I'm gonna try to use the word "thanks" (not "thank" or "thankful" or any other variation, but "thanks") at least once in each post. Maybe I'll even get creative...or sneaky...or totally unimaginative, boring and predictable. You'll never know unless you stick around and read every day.

Well, last night I finally got to move back into my house. After the fire in my neighborhood two and a half weeks ago, we had to evacuate, and even though our house was only slightly damaged, it took that long to get repairs done, get the place de-smoke-smell-ified, and back in shape to be lived in again. I think Saturday they did some kind of sealant in the attic, or something? The house still isn't totally back to normal, though, because there are two rooms without carpet, and whatever chemical/process they used to get the smoke out put a whole different (weird) smell in its place. But I can't even tell you how great it was to sleep in my own bed last night. I mean, I was totally, completely, unbelievably blessed to have a place to stay during the time I was displaced, and it was perfect because the family was great, they lived close to my work, and they let me do my own thing and even gave me a key so I wouldn't have to coordinate with their being home in order to get inside. And Joe, of course, took excellent care of me, too. AND...my housemate (who is the homeowner) arranged all the repairs and stuff so wonderfully, and was even able to get a company to come in and take ALL of our clothes and bedding to be professionally cleaned to remove any smoke smell.

The only bummer, then, was realizing that "clothes and bedding" really meant "everything in your entire freaking room" -- so, when I walked into my room yesterday after a wonderful, relaxing weekend in LA with Joe's family, I was greeted by like 12 HUUUUUGE boxes. I mean, I couldn't really even walk INTO my room. The door wouldn't even open all the way. The boxes had taken over every corner of the place...and my first thought was, "How in the heck do I possibly have this much STUFF?" So, I just started digging into the boxes. Most of them were mini-wardrobes, meaning they had a rod across the top so that they could hang my clean clothes up. Once I got all that stuff taken out, boxes flattened, and clothes hung up or folded (all my pants, shorts, and even bathing suits were hung on hangers, too, so I had to take that all apart and put them in my dresser), my room looked a little bit more like a bedroom. But let me sum this up by saying that I spent about five straight hours last night unpacking and organizing stuff, and I'm still nowhere near having my room back in shape. But I am extremely thankful for all the hard work that has been done to get our house restored, and I was glad to finally see one of my two housemates again, and I'll be glad to see the other today, too!

So, thanks to my housemate Sarah, her amazing insurance/fire relief/restoration people, Connie (the lady who let me stay with her), Joe, and everyone else who made these last two and a half weeks more than comfortable for me as I floated around homelessly for awhile...I am seriously blessed!

Anyway, gotta sign off for now. I'll leave you with a haiku.

The last week has been hectic in more ways than one. And writing about a lot of it every day has taken a toll on me that I didn't expect. I'm really exhausted. And the strange thing is, I kinda feel like I'm more at odds with myself. My thoughts. My emotions. I keep writing about it, and if there's anything to be said in history, I should be feeling a smidge more relief...self-awareness...inner...uhm...chi? Or something. I mean, I'm not saying I'm a nervous wreck or anything. But speaking of nervousness...I think that this afternoon I had a moderate anxiety attack. At about 4:15, almost instantaneously, I felt this wave of shakiness flood through me. My hands became clammy, my heart started racing, my face felt flush, and then I thought, Anaphylactic shock! I'm about to die! Aaahhh!!!

Okay, to explain that little freakout of an inner monologue, I got allergy tested today. And while I'm pretty sure a skin test wouldn't result in anaphylaxis, given the mildness of the reactions I had to the stuff I was tested for, it was seriously the first thought I had. Because I am a freak. And I don't think rationally when my body does irrational things. So sue me.

Anyway, I don't really know where I was going with all that deep stuff at the beginning. Basically I'm just a little disappointed in the lack of togetherness as a result of my daily explosions of musings. And if that sentence didn't have enough prepositions for you...well...take comfort in the fact that I had to look up the word preposition to make sure it was the word I was looking for.

I need to go back to school.

Ha. Or just find my old books and re-teach myself.

ANYWAY. I'm officially not allergic to shellfish or seafood, according to the skin test. Which means, after 23 years of avoiding shrimp and all things shelled (well, not ALL things...but you know) on the basis that I might die because my dad is deathly allergic to it (but mostly because it looks and smells icky and I just never really cared to try it), I now no longer have an excuse. And thus...on or before New Year's, when Joe's parents make their famous blackened pepper shrimp, I think I'm gonna have to try it. Ack.

Aaaaand that's all I have in me for tonight. Like I said...

Drained.

First order of business is to give the LAST (hopefully) fire update EVER: it's 100% contained! Yay! As far as our house, they're coming in this week to do a bunch of cleaning and restoration, and we're hoping to be living there again sometime next week. Double yay! Side note...is it weird that I'm a little bummed that I probably won't get to see the burn hole/damage on our wall before it gets fixed up? Sounds like it's going to get a temporary fix today until they can fully restore the wall, so unless they don't do it until after 6 or so, I'm gonna walk in to an already-being-restored house, and I'll never have gotten to see it in its original post-fire state. Maybe Sarah has some pictures, though. *Sigh* Okay...I'm officially CLOSING this discussion forever. NEVER gonna talk about the Tea Fire again. Never. Ha. Yeah right. But hopefully there will be nothing new or crazy to report regarding the fire, and anything related to it will be either funny, encouraging, thoughtful or otherwise not devastating, worrisome or boring. That's the plan.

Second: Ho...lee...cow. I have not had a single second to breathe today! I started this post when I first got to work (since I was early) and now it's 4:15 and I'm forcing myself to take a five minute break. But I totally don't remember what the "Second" was going to be, waaaaay back when I started writing. So...okay then. How about another haiku...or two?

Work takes much focus
Sometimes, I possess little
Please don't tell my boss

I love Christmas-time
Especially gift shopping!
What's on your wish list?

Just got home from the weekend in the desert with my family...and so, with ten minutes left of Day 6, I've got to make this another quick one.

Things about this weekend I'd like to write a lot more about if I had time (and hope to do so, at some point):

1. The old man who kept saying, "I'll never forget..." (Actually, that happened last Thursday.)
2. Mom's '50s 50th party.
3. Shopping/winter clothes/gift cards.
4. My semi-successful three-mile run.
5. About a zillion other things I thought of during the weekend that already escape my mind at this moment...

What is it about Cheez-its that is so deliciously addicting? I mean...CHEESE is the TENTH ingredient. There is more vegetable oil in Cheez-its than there is actual cheese. And, this tiny little package I got out of the vending machine at work contains 220 calories, 11 grams of fat, 25 carbs, and less than 1 gram of fiber. Pathetic. Unhealthy. Despicable. And yet so, so, sooooo pleasing to my tastebuds. (Much more pleasing than Diaper Ointment m&m's...)

Just thought I'd throw that little thought out there to start today's routine NaBloPoMo post. Now on to the real, deep, thought-provoking stuff.

Can you detect my sarcasm yet? You'll get better at it as you keep coming back to read every day...assuming you decide to do so. Basically if you're mildly offended or confused or put off or surprised by something I've just said, chances are I'm being totally sarcastic. Or totally insensitive or incoherent. Those are always possibilities, too.

Last night I watched parts six and seven of the mini-series Band of Brothers with Joe and his neighbors Jeff and Leah (who happen to live in the apartment I was trying to get into when I first moved up to Santa Barbara). We've been watching it together (the four of us) from the beginning, usually just one part at a time whenever we can all be there together to watch it. I am really impressed by every aspect of this series. The writing, the acting, the cinematography...everything is very artfully executed, and the story is so intense that you start to feel unusually close to a bunch of guys who fought a war decades ago and most of whom aren't even alive anymore. The coolest thing is remembering, at every crazy twist and turn of the storyline, that it all actually happened. The whole series is based on a novel which is the retelling of the TRUE story of Easy Company. I can't wait to read the novel...but it won't happen until we finish watching the series, and then probably after I finish a couple books I'm in the middle of already. So anyway, Band of Brothers is excellent.

It's also very disturbing at times. Last night we watched two parts because Joe, who is the only one of the four of us who has seen all of these before, knew that part six was a major downer, and we'd need seven to bring us out of a sense of total despair and hopelessness. Part six was told from the medics' perspective, complete with lots and lots of very realistic blood-and-guts action. Death. Dismemberment. Depression. It's hard stuff to take in...and it only gets harder when you think, Holy cow. This is real. That guy ACTUALLY got shot in the rear. And that one seriously had his leg severed by a flying piece of tree. Yeah...I don't ever want to fight a war. And I definitely don't want to be a nurse. And if I'm perfectly honest with myself, I kind of wish that everyone I know and love would stay as far away from situations that would put them so directly in harm's (or more specifically, death's) way. Ever. So maybe I'm a pacifist. I don't really know if this has anything to do with my personal stance on war as it pertains to our country, or my morals or beliefs, or whatever. I'm just saying that in my heart, I don't want anyone to suffer such horrific experiences. And again, being perfectly honest at the risk of revealing my selfishness, it's largely about the feeling I would get if I had to bear the news of a loved one being killed in combat. I'm too weak for that. And I know this because the only times I've had anyone close to me die, it took me a LONG time to really deal with it.

Whoa...totally did NOT see all that coming when I sat down to write this one. In fact, the plan upon mentioning last night's movie-watching event was actually to segue immediately into the brief conversation we had about birthdays and anniversaries. I mentioned I was going home for Mom's 50th this weekend, and Jeff said his mom just had a birthday last week. Then someone said they knew a lot of people with November birthdays, and we all did the math (November babies = Valentine's Day action). It was funny. And THEN someone said something about an anniversary being on January 6th, and I said, "That's my brother's anniversary! And it's also the day that the girl gets married in Father of the Bride."

And that was going to be the end of THAT random thought in today's post.

Wow. I do believe I have just found further evidence of my inability to ever even consider writing a novel. I can't stick to one train of thought for thirty-seven seconds. Much less for thirty-seven chapters. Or even pages.

If I had my way
Cheez-its would be healthier
Calories are lame

My bedroom is an absolute disaster. I'm not even exaggerating. I don't know how it happens, either. I mean I only spend like half an hour in my room AWAKE every day, if that. Yet somehow, no matter how often I clean it right back up again, it keeps turning into a scene from my mom's worst nightmare (that is to say, my mom always dreaded I would grow up and never learn how to keep a clean room).

Part of the problem may be that, when I notice how messy it's gotten, rather than stop and DO something about it, I think, Geez, this is awful! I should probably clean it up... OR I could use it to inspire me to do some journaling, get my fingers a little keyboard exercise. Yes...yes, I think that might be part of the problem. But only part.

Anyway, in addition to discovering nablopomo.com the other day, I also came across a website called mapmyrun.com. It's incredible. Okay, maybe incredible is a little extreme, but listen. It's really cool! You can search for routes that other people have mapped out, or you can create your own. It will track the distance of the whole route, and add mile markers, water stops, and any number of other markers and notes you want to put in there. It even tells you the elevation during your route, and what the total incline is from the lowest point in the route to the highest. AND once you've saved a route, you can then input your time, age, weight, etc., to see how many calories you burned and other great stuff like that. Basically I think it's incredible. But I already said that.

So this weekend I'm going home (that is to say, the home where I grew up, where the rest of my immediate family still resides, and where my mom's 50th birthday party will be held on Saturday). And I've already mapped out a three-mile run in my neighborhood and hoping/planning to tackle it on Saturday morning. It will be my first time running more than 2 1/2 miles at one time (outside, that is; I've done it millions of times on the elliptical machine), and my first time running on purpose in the desert since PE class in high school. Maybe even middle school. But it's November, so I'm hoping it won't be too hot. And I'm certain it won't be too cold. And I don't think I'll get lost...but I wouldn't put it past me.

Wow...I just thought about the prospective readers here, now that I'm finally getting a little publicity on this blog through NaBloPoMo (and maybe BlogHer.com), and you all must think I'm ridiculous. Especially since I forgot to preface my post with my usual disclaimer, which is this: I am the queen of the tangent. The tangent is my best friend and my worst enemy. I have conceded to the fact that I will never escape the tangent. And I have embraced this fact.

And speaking of haikus, I have a new friend on my nablopomo page who is taking the challenge and writing a haiku every day. This brought to mind the fact that I haven't written a haiku since the one I composed for Dr. Cathey, my UCO director at APU, for his birthday a couple years ago. And that fact is simply tragic. Thus, I will conclude tonight's post with a brand new, Tabitha original haiku. I make no promises about its creative quality or relevance to anything within this post (or without it). Thank you.