Friday JohnKu – TGIF

July 11, 2014July 3, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 23 Comments

Friday finally. Hope your week was a good one. I was sorry to see both daughter and granddaughter leave and as usual the visit was way too short. All is back to normal and the house is quiet again. Can’t say this is a good thing, but it is what normal sounds like. I suppose if the two lived here full-time I would be happy to see them take a trip. All I can do is watch the airplane lift off and look forward to the next time. Daughter did leave the grand dog with us as she takes care of some travels where dogs aren’t welcome. I know she will be back soon. Granddaughter is going off to Mexico for a year. I know she won’t have the opportunity to return for at least that length of time. This week’s JohnKu (term coined by Words4jp) reflects a bit of lonely.

Time to Go…. By John W. Howell

Leaving time creeps in,

While laughter rings throughout home…

Switches smile with frown.

Friday is Here. Yay.

June 6, 2014May 31, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

Friday again and it has arrived just in time to make a truly great weekend. Good weekends seem to happen more than they are planned. Usually when we make some big plan for the weekend things happen to disrupt what we had intended. When we plan nothing for the weekend those plans usually go through without a hitch and in the end a great weekend has been had. Just shows, expectation of a good time sets you up for the possibility of disappointment. In the end, maybe it’s better not to have plans and therefore no expectations, since this would be a way to eliminate disappointment. Naw I don’t think so. Living to avoid disappointment is way too negative. Half the enjoyment of doing something fun is looking forward to the activity. Here is a Johnku on the subject of planning for fun.

Fun plan is ready,

Anticipation very high . . .

Summer rain melts cake.

I always wonder what others do on their weekends. Do you plan for a great weekend or just let it happen? When the plans fall through is it worse than having no plans at all?

TGIF and Haiku

May 16, 2014May 10, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 20 Comments

Friday at last. As amazing as it is the month is half over. Soon we will be graced with the Memorial Day holiday which is worth the expectation of good times, weather and a little time off. Of course we must keep going for another two weeks before the promise of pleasure. Today’s Haiku is a small tribute to the fact that the winter weather is finally behind us and the warmth of summer nearly upon us.

Shiver in the cold,

Too long waiting for the sun . . .

Complaining, too hot.

Friday is Haiku Day

April 18, 2014April 14, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

Today is known affectionately on Fiction Favorites as Haiku day. It is also the last day of the work week and a day we all look forward to having completed. It is also a day when we can take a moment to reflect on the previous week and take stock of what we have accomplished. Of course we need to be pretty sure of those things we put down on the accomplishment side of the ledger. One of the things I accomplished this week is a complete set of photos of my FJ 40. In order to do this, I had to put the roof and doors back on. The roof is no small feat since it weighs close to 400 pounds dripping wet. Now you may ask, why a full set of photos of your 1978 FJ 40 Land Cruiser? Well it is a sad day, but a day I knew was coming for the last year. It is now time to sell my beloved FJ.

I’m not selling her because I’m no longer in love. No far from it. I am selling her because I no longer have the time to pay attention to her as she has become accustomed. She sits for weeks with no-one to play with and talk. Her terminal rust is not getting any better and I have no time to treat the condition properly. Her heart keeps beating and she gets worn down since she must be driven routinely or her sensors and systems begin to malfunction. She becomes deflated with the lack of use. In short, I have another lover, my writing, with whom I am totally committed and it is not fair to her to stay with me.

I originally got her as a project car and did a lot of work to put her on the road. Now I must turn to other things and set her free. Oh yes the Haiku, I almost forgot. It’s titled Goodbye.

Goodbye by John W. Howell

Together is good,

One absent the other not . . .

A new day is here.

How about you. Do you look back and evaluate your week?

TGIF is as TGIF Does

February 14, 2014February 9, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 32 Comments

Friday is here. Happy Valentines day. Feels like we have been pulling a sled packed with tons of ice. Oh wait a minute, we have been pulling such a sled and have new meaning to the term “huddling masses.” I don’t think I have ever been this cold for this long. We normally have temperatures thirty degrees warmer and none of us are prepared for this. We go outside in flip-flops and shorts this time of year. If one were to do that now a frost bite kit should be carried along as well. It is so cold (how cold is it?) I saw a sea-gull trying to hitchhike to Miami. It is so cold, the coyotes have pulled out their human fur wraps. It is so cold, the pelicans have their bills packed with frozen fish. Anyway enough of the Henny Youngman jokes. Here is a Haiku to celebrate the coming spring.

It is damn fridged,

Spring is a far away dream . . .

Beer stays real cold.

Weekend is as Weekend Does

December 20, 2013December 13, 2013 ~ John W. Howell ~ 38 Comments

English: Christmas decorations illuminating th... — English: Christmas decorations illuminating the exterior of the Ellen Lovell House, also called Oakenwald Terrace, a bed and breakfast on the National Register of Historic Places in Chatfield, Fillmore County, Minnesota. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Friday is here. Hoo Ray. Now is the time to start planning for an outrageous weekend. Those of you who are working full-time need to take some of the bosses minutes today and really think on how you want to spend the weekend. Go ahead the company won’t mind. After all you think about the company and your job on your time off don’t you?. . . *crickets* . . . Of course you do. You can’t fool and old fool. So what’s it to be? Here are a few suggestions to get the old thought process working:

Christmas is next Wednesday so how about packing up the kids, grandparents, and go shopping at the mall? Yes siree that sounds like a joyful thing to do. Don’t forget you will be out and about with thousands of your closest friends, enjoying the Yuletide spirit. If you have any luck you will be given the privilege of buying what you really didn’t want at a price you really didn’t want to pay. As a capper if you are really lucky you and the family will pick up a mild case of the flu that will progressively get worse by Christmas day.

Maybe you would rather go to an exclusive bed and breakfast just the two of you. There you can settle into a quant room that sort of reminds you of your grandma’s house. A degree of authenticity will be found in the mix of mothball, old sock, and camphor smell that you know and love. The real nice part is the cost of the room is just slightly below your month’s rent, but breakfast is included. Speaking of breakfast you will be able to join about ten of similarly minded people all dressed like you and all on their phones. The menu will include fresh squeezed gooseberry juice, cranberry scones with homemade elderberry jam, egg white omelet, and decaf cappuccino with soy foam. You are living now.

A final choice might be a simple weekend home with a few friends. Y’all can start on Saturday with the favorite punch before the football game. You remember it from last year. It’s that milk kind of thing with a rum base and kerosene taste finish. A few of those and you are suddenly transformed back to your undergrad days. You can try as hard as you will, but resistance is futile. Luckily the rest of the weekend will be a blur of football game on the TV, a pickup game of touch football in the snow, several bottles of wine and drinks, something for dinner, exactly what escapes you, and finally to bed in the car in the driveway. (Why you can’t explain) Sunday morning will be all about trying to figure out how many of the guests were offended by whatever when on before you went to sleep in the car. You will tread carefully until the Bloody Mary kicks in and then you will find out the whole truth. Of course you will never do this again.

Hope your choice is at least as good as these. Have a great weekend.

Friday Catcher Is as Friday Catcher Does

November 22, 2013November 15, 2013 ~ John W. Howell ~ 24 Comments

Friday is here. This is a very good thing. I decided in celebration of Friday I would write a very short story about the day. It is in the dialog set that I have been working with lately, so here goes. I hope you like it.

“So what is that thing you got there?”

“It is a Friday catcher.”

“A what?”

“Friday catcher. You heard of a dream catcher right?”

“Well yeah, but never a Friday catcher. How’s it work”

“You put this thing above your bed the night before you want Friday to arrive and then go to sleep.”

“What happens?”

“You wake up and it’s Friday morning.”

“Like the next day?”

“Yeah. Like the next day. Duh.”

“I want to try it.”

“Okay, but make sure you are ready for whatever Friday brings.”

“Waddaya mean?”

“Let’s say it’s Monday night and you want the next day to be Friday. Let’s also say you have a project due on Friday. You just have to make sure you do the project before you use the Friday catcher.”

“Oh I get it. Give it to me I want to use it tonight. I can’t stand Wednesday’s and would like to wake up tomorrow on Friday.”

“Call me when you get up.”

“Will do. See ya.”

***

“Hello this is Helen Baxter. Is this Frank?”

“Uh yes this is Frank.”

“My husband was talking some wild stuff about a Friday thingy that you gave him.”

“Yes I gave him a Friday catcher. What’s the problem?”

“He’s gone.”

“Gone. What do you mean gone?”

“ He went to sleep last night with that thing hanging on the headboard and when I got up he’s missing and so’s the thing.”

“Oh yeah. . . He’ll be back Friday.”

“Friday? Do you know where he went?”

“Not really, but since this is Wednesday and he wanted to wake up on Friday, I assume he is sleeping somewhere.”

“What the hell do you mean somewhere?”

“Where ever the time goes between Wednesday and Friday that’s where he is. Haven’t you ever heard the expression ‘I don’t know where the time goes?’ Well I sure don’t know either. Where ever it is, your husband is there. Is it clear? Hello Mrs. Baxter. You still there? Hello.”

The Best Workday Is as The Best Workday Does

November 15, 2013November 14, 2013 ~ John W. Howell ~ 20 Comments

Friday is the day we have been waiting for. We started out the week on Monday and made some personal notes to self that we would never ever party like a rock star again. Look at us today. We are working our duff off so we can go out tonight for another meeting of the Bacchus Brothers Social Club. WHAT IS WRONG WITH US ANYWAY? Did we not learn a valuable lesson last week? Did we not make it home in one piece? Did we not swear to the ceramic deity that we would never cast major dispersion onto the still waters again? Yet here we are looking anxiously forward to another Friday night and weekend. I think insanity has been described as repeating the same action expecting a different outcome. Okay so here is a question:

How many think that the number of drinks we had last week will not produce the same effect as before is we do it again this week? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? *Crickets*

I thought not. Of course the answer is, the same number of drinks in the same amount of time will produce the same results. You know the results:

Speaking into the ceramic microphone.
Calling train arrivals such as, “Poughkeepsie,” and “Pittsburg.”
Walking around with a headache so big you wish for bolt of lightning to take you out.
Hands shaking so bad people think you’ve got at least three of each.

Well, since we never learn, here is a little Haiku to help you through the weekend.

Find the light today,

Yesterday is not too clear. . .

Tomorrow is life.

Have a great weekend.

Time is as Time Does – A Haiku

November 8, 2013November 3, 2013 ~ John W. Howell ~ 17 Comments

Friday has arrived (Ta Da) and it has been a very good week. The household managed to survive the Fall Back to standard time. We now get a lot of things done between six and seven when we used to lie around in the bed SLEEPING. The reason for this situation is, our two dogs cannot get used to the time change. I think the real issue is we never taught them how to tell time. They use little inner clues like; hungry, potty, and sunrise to let them know when it is time to alert their humans that the sleep cycle is over and it is now time to hunt.

Our boxer is used to placing her nose right under the sleeping human’s nose to detect life. (Or not) Once life is detected, the emotional glad-you-are-still-able-to-provide-kibble-and-a-walk lick is placed starting from the chin and ending at the forehead. No amount of holding breath or other forms of faking it works. When the lick is applied, the human is expected to throw back the covers and exit the sleep module. Failure to do so is challenged by a quick, but piercing bark followed by what can best be described as a butt sit. This is where all sixty pounds of the boxer is concentrated in her butt which she promptly finds a spot to perch on you. If this fails to produce the results, she then goes to the Silky Terrier to generate a response which produces a round of barking that only the dead could sleep through.

Instead of this process beginning at six-thirty it now begins at five-thirty and there is no sign that it will ever change until we go back to Daylight Savings Time again.

Here is a little Haiku in honor of Friday and Central Standard Time.

The alarm wakes some,

Dogs disturb the sleep…

Friday please have clouds.

Tropical is as Tropical Does

October 25, 2013October 22, 2013 ~ John W. Howell ~ 30 Comments

It is Friday and it has been a lovely week. Here in South Texas we got a whole bunch of rain. This means that the water restrictions, as a result of the drought, will be lifted soon. A cold (relatively) front moved in on Tuesday so the night-time lows are in the sixties for the next few days. This means we can open some windows and allow the air conditioner to have a few nights off. We’ll be back to the higher degrees, but for now it is great. The cold front also signals the end of the hurricane season so we can put the survival gear back in the closet and enjoy the rain and wind without worrying about the surge and damage that hurricanes bring.

You know you live in a tropical climate when you become pretty nonchalant about storms with names. The only time it gets dicey is when the barometric pressure starts dropping toward the nine-hundreds. Oh yes we have a barometer that we read and understand. I never thought I would ever be able to understand the barometric pressure situation. There are other things about living in a tropical climate that I never thought about. Here are some:

Never thought I would understand the difference between a cockroach and Palmetto bug. (hint: there is none, nicer name is all)
Never thought I would need a dermatologist on call. (Knows me by name)
Never thought I would stop wearing socks. (and underwear)
Never thought I would be concerned about gophers and spiders the size of gophers. (Both carry weapons)
Never thought I would be concerned about door hinges rusting off from the salty spray. (No slamming of doors around here)
Never thought I would have to have the house repainted every three years. (salty spray again)
Never thought I would be concerned when a gang of ants decide they want the patio furniture. (I just give it to ‘em now)
Never thought I would be glad for a cloudy day. (Few and far between)
Never thought I would be super happy to have spent the money for a parts and labor extended warrantee on the air conditioning system. (Full ten-year and the system has been replaced twice)

There are more, but it is time to wish you all a happy weekend