Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Haiku Mondays: Hobbies Winner


What on earth is going on with Blogger? I sure hope the fact that it's misbehaving again didn't prevent anyone from submitting a haiku. I waited a few hours after it seemed to be up and running to see if there were more submissions. But it seems we're solidly locked in at 12 players and 18 haiku, each a most excellent rumination on what it is exactly that we do in our off time. Or, if you're Buzz, don't do because in Buzzworld, there is no such thing as off time.

Anyhoo, let's get to it, shall we?

Aunty: Could it be that Aunty is a secret gamer? Or wishes she were, and if that wish came true, she would be some kind of leather-outfitted avenging angel of dominatrix-ey doom? Food for thought, y'all.

Boxer: One of my favorites this go 'round, a top contender for its air of nostalgia and the way the last line bitch slaps our low tech past with today's digital wizardry. Five miles up the hill through a foot of snow much, Moi? Yes. And I refuse to apologize for it.

Buzz: Another top tier contender. Someday soon, Buzz, you will have all the time in the world to do . . . absolutely nothing. Because when that time finally arrives, why in the heck would you want to fill it right back up?

Czar: Ladies and gentlemen, the hardest working man in the Publishing Industry. He forgot to also mention wrangling Hunter S. Thompson, kissing Jane Fonda, and temporarily assuaging Thornton Dial's mistrust of white folk.

Fishy: Ladies and gentlemen, the hardest working woman in Haiku Mondays, regaling us with no less than three snap crackle poppy ruminations on her favorite past time: playing board games. Single best line of this week's competition: Donald has been trump'd.

Fleurdeleo: Fleur hasn't been playing with us long, but she's been playing hard and fierce. This week she contributed yet another stunner, a pitch perfect ode to the beauty of making something out of nothing.

Foam: Foam never fails to make me suck in my breath with her evocative imagery, this one shrouded in mist and dripping with dew as she ponders her love for long, ambling walks. So pretty.

K9: I love the staccato simplicity of this, like a Morse-coded call to arms for the insomniacally conspiratorial set, sipping endless mugs of Morning Thunder while half eyeballing the contents of their gun cabinets just in case the revolution decides to hit at 2am.

Karl: Karl strikes me as someone with a very upbeat disposition—all of the sunny without any of the hippie. The winner of our last competition, his entry this time was a short and sweet exhortation to go ahead and do something, anything already, so long as it brings you happiness and peace.

Pam:
Has camera, will travel. And take photos of what has to be my most favorite virtual kitty of all time: Sterling. Have you seen him lately? He's a contenda.

Princess: Another multiple haiku entrant, two that focus on jam and preserve-making, the other on quilting, all beautifully written and making me thankful that the domestic arts are alive and well in the hearts of many of this world's men. I also love this line: "lashings of jam." Tres cool.

Troll: One minute he's here, the next he isn't. Is he off saving the world from Rampaging Rapturers or is he secreted away in some smokey dark room paying his mortgage by outsmarting the competition in Texas Hold 'em? We'll never know. But we do know he can write Haiku, and in the end that's all that really matters.

Now, for the winner. For me, it was neck and neck between Boxer's ode to old fashioned darkrooming and Pam's cat wranglin' 'ku, with Buzz and Troll nudging up closely from behind. For Karl, it was never a question: Pamela all the way.

One cat in; two out
Two cats in; one cat garage
My life: cat herder.

Why? Anyone who's ever had to manage a multiple-animal household knows exactly what she's talking about. I also like the sing-song-ey way she structured her words to mimic the constant bustle of that management. And because we all know what it means when someone says, "That's like herding a bunch of cats." In other words: near impossible to the point of chaotic hilarity.

Congrats, Pam, on another worthy win. Now go snag yourself some pistol ice cub trays and see if you can't sneak 'em through your metal detector at work.

22 comments:

czar said...

Excellent choice, Karl/Moi, and a fine write-up, Moi. Alphabetized and everything. Congratulations, Pam! Great verse.

Anonymous said...

"Cat herder" ! Best mental image--
hooray PamOKC!

Thanky Moi for the Haiku Hospitality.

Boo blogger.

Aunty

fishy said...

Moi,Karl,
great judging entertainment, again.

Kudos! to Pamela who has cleverly confirmed who owns whom in her household. Do you suppose there will be days when she will wish the prize could be used to chill a cat?

@ Karl,
hope the welcome home celebration was every attendees dream of perfection. Great choice of prize.

Jenny said...

I'm happy with second place because I really loved Pam's too. Of course, Pam is currently ducking a major tornado that just touched down in the OKC, but she and the cats are safe (thank you Facebook.)

Thanks to Moi and Karl for doing a BANG UP job of hosting and providing swag.

..................... said...

congrats to pamela's wonderful haiku!
and what with 2 cats and a dog i know exactly what she is haikuing about .. :-)

Pam said...

WHAT WHAT WHAT???? Woohoo! Can't even believe it. Wait, this wasn't a sympathy vote based on horrendous weather patterns, was it? You can't even BELIEVE the cat herding I was doing trying to round up kitties and assign them to various small restrooms for tornado safety. I'm excited! What a great way to end the day, and I didn't even channel any song lyrics this time around!

Pam said...

P.S. I was rooting for Fishy with that board game Haiku. Brilliant!

Fleurdeleo said...

Congrats, Pam!

And Moi, your write ups are as well written as the haiku!

Another fun week with great entries.

Sharon Rudd said...

Congrats to Pam - for the win, the cat herding, and escaping the tornado!

Karl said...

Congratulations Pam! If you send me your address, you too will be the proud owner of the coolest set of handguns around. My e-mail is: karlfair@yahoo.com

Moi Thank you again! Your reviews are a highlight of any event.

@ Fishy: It was a fine time indeed.

moi said...

Pam: Wow, I had no idea a tornado was headed your way; I turned off the news after getting so upset over what happened in Joplin. Glad to hear you all are okay.

So, you get to host the next fete, complete with topic. If you don't have time to host, then it will go back to Troll.

Enjoy!

Buzz Kill said...

Way to go you Okie cat herder you. That's a way more miserable hobbie than mine. That's the way it is with day-in, day-out everyday life that goes on in perpetuted. We call them hobbies so we don't blow our brains out.

A really good theme this week because everyone seemed to have fun with it. Am I the only one concerned about Boxer's naked dolls?

Thanks to Moi and Karl for sponsoring.

chickory said...

yay pam!!! The truth of this was demonstrated to me recently at a friends one evening. cats let in and out multiple times. One cat came in one door, walked to the other door and meowed to go out that door. instead of walking around the deck. spoiled princess cats!

congratulations Pam. It reminded me a little of how a dr seuss book reads. enjoy the guns!!

Karl and Moi: well done team work.

Jenny said...

@Buzz - I took more doll pictures last night!

Karl said...

Moi did all the work, I'm just coasting in her wake.

Princess said...

Great Haiku Pam Congratulations!

Brilliant write up Moi.. thanks again for the fun

Anonymous said...

Great haiku by Pam and write up by Apple-Biter.

Pam said...

Ms. Moi, can I ask a favor. Life is not normal here yet so if you could host next week, I will provide the theme and a little prize. I can judge or if you want to continue the excellent write-ups, power to ya! Not sure what the prize will be, but will come up with something!

How about this for a theme: MISSING

Pam said...

Ixnay on that theme.... let me mull for a bit longer on the theme.

Cats are always on the wrong side of the door. Chickie, that is too funny at your friend's house. I can totally identify.

moi said...

If Troll doesn't want to host, I'll be happy to, but you will have to judge. I'm gone all day Tuesday and won't have time to do a write up.

Just let me know!

Pam said...

Okay, if Moi or Troll can host, I will judge!

After much deliberation with Kymmie, the theme decided is:

CLICHE

(and please do a visual if you can - not required, but extra pam points).

Prize to the winner!

moi said...

Love it, Pam! I'll post this weekend!