The Last of 2015

I did this exercise last year and after rereading it, I'm giving it another go!!

Vignette Cascade for 2015:

-Being chased by a team of umbrella mushrooms and spraying myself in the eye with fake hairspray
-Trekking for three miles in two feet of snow due to a completly disabled train system
-Seeing my beautiful bride-to-be approach among the plants and flowers
-Screaming triumphantly with friends in a clown wig on my birthday
-Drinking POG juice on an island hopper to Kona
-Hanging upside down on a fellow actor's back, eyes rolled and mouth clicking
-Staring out on the Boston skyline from the 33rd floor, champagne in hand
-Leaping out from behind a car to surprise recently engaged friends in a park in North Carolina
-Making sure everyone on the course cheered Emily on for the last 3 miles of her marathon
-Playing card games at home during Christmas while watching the entire Harry Potter movie collection
-Dancing recklessly with my brother Will to BNL's "Alcohol" at our wedding reception
-Poncho clad in rain and darkness, two head-lamped newlyweds pursuing the deep orange glow of a volcano in the distance

Here's to 2016 everybody!

Haiku of the Day:

We ring in the year

in our former apartment

These prospects look good 

Tired Storm Metaphor

Haiku of the Day:

The hurricane's eye
Try to enjoy the stillness
while winds rage outside

Banana, Peeled

Haiku of the Day:

The brown galaxies

on the skin of my breakfast

speak fragile volumes

Dark Noggin

Haiku of the Day:

Sooty, roiling pitch

seeps out the wells of my ears

and drips on the street

(Blank)Sitting

Haiku of the Day:

In our friend's homes
we care for their living things
Privacy stagnant

Shouting Match with Nobody

Haiku of the Day:

What is it you want?

Seriously, I told you:

Don't come here again!!

Xmas

Haiku of the Day:

We miss our family

but despite this heartache we

have a great Christmas

Splash to the Face

Haiku of the Day:

Folding tamales

in the heart of a kitchen

gets the soul healing

One Flew Over...

Haiku of the Day:

Unexpected break

I'm milling about the house

like a ward patient

Holiday Blues

Haiku of the Day:

Something in the mind

pops likes a boiled cranberry

I can't stop crying

Whhaaaat?

Eleven hour day

and then rehearsal after

I become lofty

I Wish I Had a Million Dollars

HOT DOG!

Haiku of the Day:

Double fisting beers

with a full dose of Christmas

BERT! My lip's bleeding!!

Choo Choo Dude

Haiku of the Day:

All around the world

in 19th century trains

Our "Ticket to Ride"

COLLEGE

Haiku of the Day:

When watching beer pong
focus on just reactions
You'll thank me later

Humph

Haiku of the Day:

What do you mean, "weird"?

Usually I'm cool with it

but your tone is mean

Batman movie?

Haiku of the Day:

City in the rain

steam rising from the sewers
Where is our hero?

Hooligan

Haiku of the Day:

Hey you! In the hat!
What do you think you're doing?
Get off the statue.

Danger Here

Haiku of the Day:
Pacing in the cold
I am bursting, radiant
thumbing the knife's edge

La Quinta Chill

Haiku of the Day:

Hotel vagabonds

livin' off lobby java

and yesterday's scraps

Marathon

Haiku of the Day:

26.2

The number of grueling miles 

my wife ran today

Boston Driving

Haiku of the Day:

White knuckle traffic

Adrenaline in high gear

I'm going to die!

Opulame

Haiku of the Day:

Big office party

at the tip-top of Boston

We're so out of place

The Leviathan

Haiku of the Day:

Full, fierce belly rage
burns effulgent and righteous.
Stay out of my wake.

Odor

Haiku of the Day:

Shock to the system

with one terrifying whiff -
Smells like origin

Ho Ho OH NO!

Haiku of the Day:

Christmas in the air!

Dive under your desks and wait

for peppermint death.

We Could Be Dancing

Haiku of the Day:

Choreography

in the corporate meeting room

we shake our booties!

Car Talk

Haiku of the Day:

Insightful car talk

reminiscent of high school

when the world seemed young

Take a Break

Haiku of the Day:

A day to myself

I return the broken pot

and putz about home

Much Ado

Haiku of the Day:

Watching the Wiz Live

with fellows, blithe and bonny

Hey! Nonny Nonny

Buzz Buzz

Haiku of the Day;

Exhilaration
from the first cup of coffee
charges the vessels 

Empathy Exercise

Haiku of the Day:

Try to imagine
the complexity of the
next person you see

Let me tell YOU about so-and-so...

Haiku of the Day:

Talking politics
under hazy bar spotlights
Judgey in our cups

Let's Talk about Nothing!

Haiku of the Day:

Boardroom palaver
vague phrases hurled to and fro
Get me off this ride

Archery

Haiku of the Day:

The body bends back
like a bow string being notched
May your aim be true

Beachwalk

Haiku of the Day:
Peaceful walk at dusk
We brush the cold wet sand and
watch sea foam gather

Thanksgerving

Haiku of the Day:

Family gathering
over mounds of steaming food
Let's eat 'til we burst!

All Aboard!

Haiku of the Day:

The train conductor

bellows out for our tickets

like in the old-times

Bayou on the Hill

Haiku of the Day:

Water main broken

the boiling water flooding

our now swamp-office

Catching the Worm

Haiku of the Day:

Early morning wake

I greet the train in darkness

damp leaves underfoot

"Pie"fecta

Haiku of the Day:

Emily's birthday!

Three kinds of delicious pie

We gorge like nobles

Irreverent Setting

Haiku of the Day:

Our Catholic workplace,

pristine and grand, a harsh backdrop

for our bawdy tricks

Make a Wish

Haiku of the Day:

Plucked from the counter

Eyelash on a fingertip

What blows you away?

Grumble-grumble

Haiku of the Day:

Night train mumbler

so full of speech he can't quit

until the last stop

Ever in Your Favor

Haiku of the Day:

Double Feature Time

A four year tradition ends.

They gave us lanyards

Flighty

Haiku of the Day:

Holding on tightly

the earth rushes from beneath

and the sky opens

*Groan*

Haiku of the Day:

Underground descent

We sink fast into Monday

Goblins chew our limbs

Bargain Decadence

Haiku of the Day:

Continental feast

Our omelettes made to order

Briefly, we feel rich

Jeff + Jackie

Haiku of the Day:

Wedding on a pier

The harsh cold bites the skin as

Soft joy warms the heart

Happy Feet

Haiku of the Day:

Boozy foot ballet

coaxes a good friend to flee

to a countertop

Social Edge

Haiku of the Day:

Halitosis breath

punctuates conversation

my endurance test

Laundra-Twat

Haiku of the Day:

This faulty dryer

left our clothes damp and musty.

Seven quarters lost!

Zed Heads

Haiku of the Day:

Glimpsing behind us,
we see the horde ambling on
Nighttime wanderers

Violent Morsels

Haiku of the Day:

Roiling underbits

tussle in the white hot pan

and caramelize gold

Science Girl!

Haiku of the Day:

My wife, the hero,

ran 16 miles and wrestled

with a garbage spill

Nostalgia High

Haiku of the Day:

Walking high school halls

A stranger in a strange land

Remember lockers!?

Half of a Grand

Haiku of the Day:

Five hundred haikus

seventeen beats for each day

Let's hit a thousand!

Rain Dance

Haiku of the Day:

We leap and giggle
filled with boundless triumph from
discovering rain

Walkabout

Haiku of the Day:

Unspeaking, we trod,

packs laden with essentials,

into wilderness

Push-me Pull-me

Haiku of the Day:

Under mossy cloak

we lay our limbs head to foot

and make a Cat-Dog

Dumb Eyes

Haiku of the Day:

My screaming eyeball

cries demon fire skyward

and I weep all day

Here it Comes Folks...

Haiku of the Day:

Darkness falls early
as we begin our descent
into bleak season

Hallow's Eve

Haiku of the Day:
We leave our gifts quick
our hands orange with labor
Trick or Treat, Suckahs!

Duh duh duh, what?

Haiku of the Day:

Space-case of a day.
What was I doing? I can't...
Why does my head hurt?

Pass the Can

Haiku of the Day:
We can't weep. We'll rust.

Such is the terrible plight
of heartless woodmen.

Gods En Route

Haiku of the Day:

Glassy wet city

teems with celestial beacons

searching for a home

Spoooooky

Haiku of the Day:

Bloody crimson brain
plopped in a bed of limp kale
Your fright for the night

The Chore King

Haiku of the Day:

Laundry, groceries,

clean bathroom and do dishes.

I am the Chore King

Here We Pray

Haiku of the Day:

Such sweaty frenzy

as I worship at my church:

The House of Gesture

Kids these days

Haiku of the Day:

Bundled four-year-old
stares through a sex shop window
in bewilderment

Fall Again

Haiku of the Day:

The smell of dead leaves,

sharp and light on the wind's breath,

wafts up the crosswalk

A What Garden?

Haiku of the Day:

Outdoor arts and crafts

in the Homicide Garden.

Gotta make a dwarf!

Ouchie

Haiku of the Day:

Perplexed, I stumble
under dungeon florescence
and roll my ankle 

Sugar Rush

Haiku of the Day:

As the fever spikes

and nausea deepens, I think:

"Why so much candy?" 

At 30,000 feet

Haiku of the Day:

Tiny dot of light

rests on her purple eyelid

as we're soaring home

To Our Fallen Brethren

Haiku of the Day:

Dear swollen toenail,
Apologies for the offense.
You served my foot well.

Over 7,000 in Attendance

Haiku of the Day:

Waves of bobbing heads

top the multicolored sea

of humanity

On Your Marks...

 Haiku of the Day:

Anticipation

for the half marathon makes

the stomach falter

Holy WC

Haiku of the Day:

Stained glass fluer du lis

reminds me of France or Christ

from where I'm peeing

Something Old This Way Comes...

Haiku of the Day:

On the deep blue floor

we swim like ancient creatures

Ancestor reflex

Phalange Cut

Haiku of the Day:

Tiny jagged mouth
at my finger's meaty base.
Tell me your story!

Teacher Powder

Haiku of the Day:

Talc at the fingers

the bones of ancient fishes

dry as cosmic dust

Which Way is Up?

Haiku of the Day:

I am at your back

hovering, topsy-turvy

over your soft parts

Ailment

Haiku of the Day:

Sniffles at the edge

The throat screams red but silent

sickness this way comes

Unburdened

Haiku of the Day:

With a couple clicks

and my wife's blessing I am

free from student loans!

Air In

Haiku of the Day:

Amid my fellows
I breathe a breath collective
our lung-share program

Acro-Heart

Haiku of the Day:

You be my flyer

and I'll be your trusty base.

We'll soar together!

Perspective

Haiku of the Day:

Lady's red handbag

Painted with aphorisms

Why is she so glum?

Where are the Puppies?

Haiku of the Day:
This flight attendant
has the severity of
Cruella Devile

At the Table

Haiku of the Day:
Here we all gather
to eat and laugh and visit;
Family at ease

Michigan Union

Haiku of the Day:

Wonderful wedding

between two special people.

Congrats Hutchinburg!

Talk on the Road

Haiku of the Day:

Odd conversations

between clusters of strangers

litter my travels

This One's Live

Haiku of the Day:

Stripped to copper cores

we avoid touching our ends

for fear of frying

Bogey Bogey

Haiku of the Day:

Hail the Bogeyman!

As he creeps in the corner

sniffing at your shoes

Noysse

Haiku of the Day:

The pitter-patter

of brisk fall showers gallop

through chambers above

Can't go under it...

Haiku of the Day:

At a snail's cadence

I cross the oil black Charles

Laden and homebound

Sensation or Lack of

Haiku of the Day:

My arm fell asleep

cold and tingly it lies prone

Under the belly

Slog

Haiku of the Day:

Ran a ten miler

Through town and thick groves of trees

Troubles in our wake

Corporate Outing

Haiku of the Day:

On the upper deck
We shiver and watch baseball
It's all inclusive

Sick or Sad?

Haiku of the Day:

Dude sniffs while reading.

Is he sick or is he sad?

I'm left to wonder

Bird Butt

Haiku of the Day:

Beautiful dancer

He seduces from his back

in a peacock's tongue

Cultural Appropriation

Haiku of the Day:

Mexican standoff
with a Chipotle storefront
This doesn't end well

You wouldn't like me when I'm Hangry...

Haiku of the Day:

Clutching my bagged meal

The hanger rises fiercely

Stupid doo-doo heads

What's Left in the Cabinet

Haiku of the Day:

Cranberry Ouzo

The bachelor's lazy drink

Born from convenience

Broth

Haiku of the Day:

All the vegetables
collected in one huge pot
make a hearty broth

Pics

Haiku of the Day:
Grainy photographs
hold tight their sentimental
framework. Smooth to touch.

Development Excercise

Haiku of the Day:

Games of "Yes" and "No"
we negotiate intent
with intense glances

Monster Bar

Haiku of the Day;

Plucky chimera
stirs a stiff gin martini
under a spotlight

Spider Dive

Haiku of the Day:
Spider free falling

on a single strand of silk
Legs out in the wind

Comfort Eagle

Haiku of the Day:

Down syndrome girl chomps

her teeth blissfully while train

folk squirm in tight skin

Hurtin'

Haiku of the Day:

Skinned knees and torqued neck

I am mid-grade agony

in a wrinkled suit

Murky Transit

Haiku of the Day:

Lost on the sidewalk

Routine shifts to adventure

We're breaking new ground

Speak with your Limbs!

Haiku of the Day:

Our talking bodies

spout lively conversation

like cafe patrons

The Cold Comes

Today the chill returned. Cool New England bluster. Bitter, damp and razor sharp.

Haiku of the Day:

The edge of dusk drifts

in pace with the path of earth

circling the drain

Turn and face the strange

I'm a beginner again and I kinda hate it. Starting anew gets old real fast.

I've crunched the numbers. This will be the 11th job I've held since graduating college five years ago. Additionally, this is the fifth apartment as well. Not much else to say...just feeling some change fatigue.

Haiku of the Day:

Barbie doll cabinet

Bright pink and full of horrors

peers from the corner

Khaki Ideas

Does anyone know where I can get long audio tracks of random people laughing? I'm not sure if these is a thing. I have done absolutely no research. Just like when I thought I invented the idea of veggie pepperoni. Who wants to have the fruits of a mind's hard labor be dashed on the rocks by a simple search? That's not my America dammit!

Haiku of the Day:

Easy to swallow

these khaki yellow capsules

that taste of nylon

Storm and Dark

There was wind.
It was dark.
The noise was loud and frightening.
And I was alone.
Made microscopic through my solitude,
minuscule by the vastness of its hunger.
I clutched the parts I could hold
for fear of spontaneous disassembly.

The lashings began with a single breath,
shapeless reed whips lit purple blossoms
on my goose-pimpled flesh.
I flinched and held and weeped
as the maelstrom whisked
tears from my crinkled eyes.

Haiku of the Day:

Nighttime solitude

I am alone with my thoughts

wonder re-emerges

Peaces

-I've taken to putting bird seed outside our bedroom window. When they finally came, I realized how starved for signs of life I had become. I revel in their little claws on the awning, their erratic furtive pecks, and how quickly they take flight at the slightest sound or motion.

-I've been reading a collection of letters written by Zen Master seung-San called Dropping Ashes on the Buddha and something about the borderline absurdism of Zen Buddhist teachings and the emphasis on don't-think mind strike a chord for me. The very act of thinking in zen creates suffering and therefore all imagined things are in some way the source of suffering. I'm also drawn to the practice of screaming "KATZ!!!" and hitting people with sticks as a response to any questioning (which happens a LOT in the letters) Check it out here.

Haiku of the Day:

Protective fluid
gathers on the eyeball crease
and drops at threshold

#4: Keep it Holy, Kids

Our Sabbath day. We hole ourselves up tight and cook delicious things. We absolve ourselves of our responsibilities. We take the time to sit, to allow the mind to waddle out into the prairies. We put our feet up and wear the same thing for the sun's waking hours. It is lazy rest and we savor the morsels of it like coin-sized truffles.

Haiku of the Day:

 Spiders flee their threads

as I reap the cozy nooks

where they gorged on flies

Classick

Caffeine in the form of light and sound - I am the energized wood sprite straight out of the woods and jacked on the sweet simplicity of smooth edges and symmetry. I am but a finger on a million limbed titan. Come close and caress the wrinkles at the base of my knuckled heart. Do you feel the etching of my machination? It is yours. 

Haiku of the Day:

I feel so Roman

sitting in our huge stadium

amid the gluttons

Break Away

I miss the drawings. There's a big stack of them in the closet, lifeless and amassing dust.

There's this moment during my morning commute where I think, "Today, I will stay on the train. Today, I will go places and learn and write and grow into the great adventurer I was destined to be. Today, I will follow my instincts and shut off the mind and live freely for the first time in years." I thought it was because my old job stunk. But apparently it's just a part of me. My wife and I joke about going into the wilderness and building a home. It's less of a joke everyday.

Haiku of the Day:
Little yellow traps
stop the fungus gnats spreading
to all our house plants

Wilds

I had a dream I was a fiscal counsellor, negotiating with my grandmother and late grandfather the terms of their estate and whether or not they should move. We were in their old home and all three of us were bizarrely ageless, like you assume we all appear to each other in heaven.

Some mornings you wake to find your well-kept lawn has been overrun by a thick jungle terrain and nasty buzzing fauna. Yesterday you were a metropolitan, but today by necessity, you must wear the skin of the bushman. To survive, you smear your face with the blood of black fruits and strip to your white underclothes. You craft wooden implements with your hairy muscular arms and tinker with your fingers, twin spiders at play. And you crouch in the heart of the brutal forest floor, the canopy above casting spectral rays of yellow life, waiting for a skittering of fur, a flight of feather, to snatch out of the green danger.

Haiku of the Day:

Thought, caught in the throat,

wriggles with fetal longing

and decides to stay

Risky

Happy September friends.

I am once again employed and entrenched it corporate acronyms, email signatures and forms and numbers. There's a tiny mouse in me that mewls for an artistic apprenticeship, for a chance to quit the safety and lunge out into the wide open sea of no agenda. The window was there. But the fear of my own malaise, my anxious and broken mind keeps me grounded. It is a leaden, vexing affliction, this horrible head stuff. Structure coos and calms it. 

Haiku of the Day:

Fluttering blackbird

skirts the shallow pool's smooth edge

just because it can

Urban White Water

Haiku of the Day:

Eight spewing fountains

Unrelenting in their charge

Patter the pavement

Pile

Haiku of the Day:

Flip flops and sandals

Heaped like dead fish carcasses

On the patio

Drifter

Haiku of the day:

Sleep, she swoops in low

and snatches up the later

Portion of my day

Bleary

Haiku of the Day:

 Red bricks and blankets

Shapes confounding on low light

Adjust the muzzle

Behind Closed Doors

Haiku of the Day:

Confession to tunes,

the history peels back harsh

crimson undertones

Starting again again again again....

Haiku of the Day:

First day at new work

a hush sets in the belly

It is a good move

Settle Up!

Haiku of the Day:

Hexagons vex us

as we vie for precious goods

by the d6 roll

Thinking spell

Haiku of the day:

Unexpected sick

A fierce cognitive maelstrom

leads to hospital

Coast Spray

Haiku of the Day:

Boston harbor mist
spits on my turtle-shell frames

A droplet barrage

Invasion

Haiku of the Day:

These elder tree trunks
intertwined with chain-ink fence
are unsettling

Celebration Thieves

Haiku of the Day:

Bubbles tickle mouthes

as we savor the sweet taste

of stolen champagne

Whew

Haiku of the Day:

Breathing easily

leads to my loosening the

obligation belt

Job Job Job Job

Haiku of the Day:
I have accepted
a job at a staffing firm
I start in a week!

The Condition I'm In

Haiku of the Day:

Shut off from the world
I relish in the soft hum
of air, conditioned

Office Schema

Haiku of the Day:

Multi-colored walls,

Vibrant planes screaming missives

at the passerby

Bryan Bernfeld

Haiku of the Day:

In a sky blue box,

we waited under white masks.

Clowns at the ready.

I only knew you for a small fraction of your time here, but the time you gave was smart and rambunctious and kind, and I'm thankful for every minute of it. I'm reminded in particular to the moment of us prepping to exit the cabinet during Lover's Quarrels and how intimate it felt as we mirrored each other in the dark, hands pressed tight to the handles, waiting for our cue. Rest in peace Bryan. 

PS -Also, you rapped like a motherf**king boss.

Cinema

Haiku of the Day:

Two bowls of popcorn

accompany us on our

double feature night

Musical

Haiku of the Day:

Saw a musical,
which I haven't done in years.
It rang some old bells

Bees of the Head

Haiku of the Day:

Horrible head bees

With their stingers, swift and sharp

Assault neural flesh

Business, Man

Haiku of the Day:

Interview turmoil
I lose myself in the suit
A corporate shroud

Reception

Haiku of the Day:

There's only one spot

in the entire apartment

where I can make calls

Bugged

Haiku of the Day:

Gross ass centipede
crawling around my bathroom
No shower today

Exertion, Type: Over

Haiku of the Day:

Dual blisters screaming

lengthy on the wrinkled soles

The fruit of eight miles

Zoo

Haiku of the Day:

Vibrant monsters stroll

in our blue floored catacombs

Are they dangerous?

Unbound

Haiku of the Day:

Final day at office
The release of thick shackles
makes me rub my wrists

Sardine Town

Haiku of the day:

So many humans

crammed in tight, you see the dull

glazed on their eyeskins

Gradual Descent

Haiku of the Day:

New pain receptors

blossom like atomic bombs

where shockwaves come late

Eww

Haiku of the Day:

Bad breath on the train

Bacteria laden mouth

Microbial farts

Self Humid

Haiku of the Day:

Sweat - my companion -

you blanket the whole of me

pungent and murky

Sympathy pains

Haiku of the Day:

Poor exhausted heart

trapped pumping in a rib cage

crowded with offal

'Supdate

So it's August. I guess I should update!

Going strong on a few of the goals I set out to achieve in June. There are a few I've been neglecting, mostly due to my recent employment shakeup (all my doing, but it was a long time coming and the timing couldn't be better). Enjoying my Duolingo "studies" and I've taking geography quizzes frequently enough that I can now place most of 190ish countries. Started up the Hero's Journey once more and enjoying the hard work and day-to-day continual soreness. Emily's mom will be coming to town later this week and I'm looking forward to the both of them getting some lovely R&R. They both work stupid hard and deserve it.

Looking forward once I have gainful employment, I'm going to start adding a few new things where and when I can. Until tomorrow!

Haiku of the Day:

Racing the train home

I sweat and hop the rail ties

Cursing while I fly

Prudential Center: Late July

Haiku of the Day:

In the fountain mist

Children run unencumbered

Under skyscrapers 

Tin Can Turmoil

Haiku of the Day:

Supreme train tension

Overloads the nervous grid

My head is all bees

Cocina de Payasadas

Haiku of the Day:

Barefoot and boozy

we flit about the kitchen

Culinary pros

FOOOOOOOOD!

Haiku of the Day:

Biscuits and chili

with a coleslaw so crunchy

summer meal delight

Talking Heads Reference

Haiku of the Day:

Some days you wake up

and realize you have a wife

"How did I get here?"

Fan Fan

Haiku of the Day:

Remote controlled fan

Technological marvel

The future is now

Looking

Haiku of the Day:

A job search flurry
kicks off this stressful weekend
much gnashing of teeth

Case Closed

Haiku of the Day:

I finally found

the strength and fortitude to

put in my two weeks

Diving Lessons

Haiku of the Day:

At the water's edge

I plug my nose and leap in

change leads by trauma 

SNAKES!

Haiku of the Day:

Please stop dumping snakes

in my head. There are plenty

in there already.

Vitriol

Toxic struggles - manically scrambling at the surface - a roiling dance of grasping limbs and gaping mouths.

Haiku of the Day:
Poison in the lips
I spit burning mist at my
grim adversaries

Baked

Managed a second day in a row of 50 push-ups! It's invigorating to dig into oneself and continue to find water when the well appears dry.

Haiku of the Day:

The soft of this heat

lulls one to a slow death; baked

in a clay oven

Coming Out Veg

Made another 'bout of 50 push-ups and did some work around the house in preparation for a visit from Emily's mom.

We've draped a blanket over the TV in hopes that we do not remove it for the rest of the month.

We've also gone vegetarian after reading the wonderful and enlightening book, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. We're making this shift in a move to combat, in what little way we can, the unethical and vastly ecologically destructive effects of the meat industry. I have no qualms with the act of actually eating meat if it comes for a sustainable and mindful source, though I'm finding it harder to track down any valid arguments. I know this is unpopular and tough, and we have only "came out" about this to a few people for that reason. Often vegetarianism all on its own is perceived as an attack to other's lifestyles and the few people I have told have responded with defensiveness of their own eating habits and mild ridicule. I'm excited to develop some tactics to respond to these reactions. Any suggestions would be helpful!!

Haiku of the Day:

 In a Harvard lab

I listen in repose to

Charlie Wilson's War

Droves

Haiku of  the Day:

On and on we go

clinking in glassy columns

Salient as sin

Happy Day

Haiku of the Day:

Though we are distant

I can feel my family's joy

from across the plains

Pushing On Up!

I managed my first 50 push-ups in a row today! Wooo! Only 49 more instances to go...

Haiku of the Day:

The machinations

fire across pink neural chasms

The journey of thought

Fancy

Haiku of the Day:

By the Elvis lamp
we mull over bleak futures
wearing ermine pelts

It Speaks!

Time to break radio silence.

I've been enjoying some time away from the often oppressive responsibility of this space with mixed results. Some days I feel it was too much and other days I feel it was a necessary valve; a place to release those pesky savages that grate and gnash away from my city gates.

I've also been working up some projects: I've got a couple shows now that I'm working on where I have a role in creating both written and devised content and am currently hashing out ideas for a humble comic with my younger brother Will. To top that of, I've started the seriously daunting task of finding new employment.

Also here are a few of the things I've completed so far:

Date #1:

Campfire on the beach with hot dogs!

Date #2:

Chinese food outside!

Home Improvement #1:

-Made our oven level!

-Cut shelves for the TV/Kitchen Island!

In the future I'll try to provide pictures for these because pictures are pretty and provide more solid evidence.

Haiku of the Day:
Swallowing poison
puts the liver through hell fire
such slick alchemy

Witch's Brew

Haiku of the Day:

In searching for terms

to describe my disorder

I find cauldronous

Air Thickness

Haiku of the Day:

This oppressive heat

cakes on in our attic space

like molten jelly

Creature Feature

Haiku of the Day:

In shadow and light

we scramble in the corners

grasping at monsters

Drink like a Fish

Haiku of the Day:

In a darkened pub

we exchange secrets over

the aquarium glow

No Soy Normal

Haiku of the Day:

Spanish Learning App

insisting "Yo soy normal"

but I'm not so sure

Regularity

Haiku of the Day:

These coffee flushings 

clear the flesh pipes and basins

a bitter Drain-O

Fumes

Haiku of the Day:

Applying wood stain

I find solace in wiping

it could be the fumes

Octopus?

Haiku of the Day:

Fractured and diminished

the modern mind drowns in tasks

like an octopus

Shopping Day

Haiku of the Day:

Through the neighborhood

we walk slowly with broad smiles

Laden with groceries 

Nixed

Haiku of the Day:

Nixed on the fireworks

and instead opted for games

set in a space realm

Her High Holy Magicalness

Haiku of the Day:

A prolonged visit
from the sorceress herself
She leaves with a plant  

Brainstorm

Haiku of the Day:

Breakthrough on the board

we light up in white scribbles

and discover land

Modern Writing

Haiku of the Day:

Here, I clack away

on a black and tarnished board

of alphabet keys

Wood Working

Haiku of the Day:

On our building's roof

we cut wood for a pine shelf

Sawdust in the wind

Garfield

Haiku of the Day:
After birthday bliss
riddled by the terrible
scourge that is Monday 

Midsummer Nights

Haiku of the Day:

Some drunken Shakespeare

livens up the night and we

stay up past bedtime

Escape from the Island!

Haiku of the Day:

Escaping the rain

we flee north on a ferry

to the warmth of home

Island Living

Haiku of the Day:

On bumpkin island

we marvel at the soft peace

of isolation

Welcome to Round Two...

So I've completed my project...now what?

On to the next thing!

So I already posted this a week ago, but I'm going to reiterate it here because I still like it and want to try it out:

All of the goals will be based on 50. I will post them as I finish them (either in photo or written form.) This gives me a "once a week" sort of requirement with a bit more flexibility than the "everyday" requirements of last year. I may call these goals "The Big Ten".

I have 5 Lifestyle Goals (with potential peak goals):

-50 instances of 50 consecutive push-ups Peak goal: 100 consecutive
-50 runs over 5 miles in length  Peak goal: Run a half-marathon at a 8:00 min/mile pace. 
-50 days of rest (Where the only thing I do that is blog related is post a haiku)  Peak goal: Learn how to nap effectively
-50 day streak of Duolingo in Spanish. This was something I put on for last year's goals and it fell off the wagon on day 15 or so.  Peak goal: Complete the all the Spanish lessons they provide
-50 dates (Go on 50 dates with my wife for being so wonderful and patient during the whole process) Peak Goal: Go on a date in another country

And 5 Creative Goals:

-50 drawn comics (for the segment I'm calling "The Vagus Strip")
-50 "revised" works from last year's project (either a written, draw or crafted project. Basically make whatever it is better in some way.)
-50 pieces of poetry or free writing (can be revised from above goal)
-50 collaborative works (can be anything as simple as cooking a large meal or as complex as a full production of a play. Most probably won't be easily represented here, but I'll at least provide some pictures or something)
-50 homemade constructions (They can range from simple to complex)

I also have a few of annual goals:

-Quit one thing every year indefinitely. Here's the list so far:

Age 25: Cigarettes

Age 26: Energy Drinks

Age 27: Ground Beef

And this year is:

Potato Chips

 (As with my ground beef abstinence, the only exception is when I make it myself. Tortilla Chips are exempt if used as a vessel for other foods.)

-Read a number of books equal to my age (This year it's 28. Obviously what constitutes a "book" is crazy all over the place, but I'm going with anything over 100 pages.)

-Write a haiku a day until the end of time

Update days will probably be Thursdays now because that's when it began!

So without further ado, I'll post my haiku to start this sucker rolling! I will be camping for the next three days so the first few posts will be sparse.

Haiku of the Day:

28 years old

I revel in the deluge

of birthday wishes

ONE YEAR DONE!!

IT'S OVER!!

And there it is. An entire year of weird drawings, of quippy haikus, of crafty projects and faces in food. A year of reading and running and writing.  It's the year I got married, the year I lost a grandfather, the year I played a silent Russian clown and a contorted, slimy Leech. This year I've visited Maine, Hawaii, North Carolina, Baltimore and Michigan.  It was the year of The Horrible Winter, the year we moved to the third floor of the Jewish community center and had to dissemble our bed spring at midnight. A year of new and old friends coming together, a year of board games and plants, of crying in the kitchen. It's been a long hard wonderful year. And I would do it all again.

But not quite yet because I need to rest a bit.

So here are a few acknowledgments:

Thank you to all the friends who sent in guest posts and continue to read and give me feedback and support. And thank you for the miles! Especially those few who gave so much...both in effort and in shear numbers. You inspire me.

A special shout-out and thank you to my old friend, flatmate and abroad companion Gavin, who has his own blog here and was kind enough to feature my blog on his sidebar. Gavin is one of the smartest, most thoughtful and globally conscious individuals I have had the pleasure of knowing.

Thank you to my family, for your constant support with all the crazy things I've done over the years. It's been so nice to learn you've been following and reading throughout the process; it's a huge help in making this feel a little less like screaming into a void.

And of course, a massive thank you to my wife Emily. Your patience, love and understanding know no limits. I'm so glad to have you along for this crazy ride.

All that being said, tune in tomorrow for the rules for next year's adventure!!

FINAL SCORE WITH ALL GOALS COMPLETED!! (52 Weeks)

Stats:
Running Mileage: 750.12/750
Running Mileage (With Friends): 1,089.76/1,000
Push-ups: 10,000/10,000
Sit-ups: 10,000/10,000
Pages Read: 10,128/10,000
Books Read: 29/25
Words Written: 100,150/100,000

Fasts (Days without) 
Internet: 101/100
TV: 146/100
Gaming: 261/100
Meat: 109/100
Junk Food: 104/100
Booze: 102/100

Haiku of the Day:

Gazing distantly
a fondness softens my face
as the year flies by

Today's Drawing (inspired by the word "Success" spoken by Emily Kuehn!)

Today's "365" Project (Do something loud and make sure everyone knows it's your last day! WOOO!)

Today's Runners

THE UNSTOPPABLE JOE COOK

And here are the kick-ass runners who joined me for the final run (1.63 miles):

THE DYNAMIC MICHAEL UNDERHILL
THE VIGOROUS KIKI SAMKO
THE INEXORABLE WILLIAM SCHULLER

TOTAL DAY'S MILES: 10

FINAL FRIEND MILE TOTAL (Since May 17th): 339.64 !!!

Take a bow guys. This is amazing!!!

For those interested, here are the books I read this year. I've bolded a few of my favorites. (I counted a third of the pages for the graphic novels. Also please understand I wasn't aware of Orson Scott Card's homophobic views until halfway through his fourth book):

The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card
Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
The Locke and Key Series (Graphic Novel) by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card
Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Datacylsm by Christian Rudder
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Do androids dream of electric sheep? by Philip K Dick
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks
The Graveyard Book (Graphic Novel) by Neil Gaimen
Black Hole (Graphic Novel) by Charles Burns
The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K. Dick
Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
An Artist in a Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
No Mud No Lotus by Thich Nhat Hanh
How to Build Self-Discipline: Resist Temptations and Reach Your Long-Term Goals by Martin Meadows
The Upside of Irrationality by Dan Ariely
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss
The Collected Works of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis (Duh)
The Martian by Andy Weir