295/366
october twenty-
first, not bad. first time this year
I turned on the heat.

296/366
snow dusts the tops of
the mountains, outlining the
evergreens in white

297/366
my feet are frosty
a sign perhaps I should start
wearing socks again

298/366 eeeek!
cat? raccoon? no! skunk!!!
hold very still and try to
look non-threatening

299/366
oh, number 3 bus
drunk guys rambling on & on
always an adventure

300/366
just 3 weeks ago
I was still running in shorts
and now? not so much.

301/366 (overheard, on the bus)
“…I’m younger than my
niece…” “MAMA!” “…faces on TV
were getting smaller…”

.

whee! I’m in the 300s!

288/366
sunday afternoon,
the mall as amusement park
filled with families

289/366
hey, a man calls out
he’s just seen a coyote
running in the rain

290/366
someone underlined
the word ‘glistened,’ wrote in the
margin: shine brightly

291/366
on the left, rubble
and, for a moment, I am
disoriented

292/366
all you will want is
for your satisfactions to
outweigh your regrets

293/366
fingernail of moon
illuminating dark clouds
a Halloween sky

294/366
woken by sudden
pounding rainstorm pummeling
the roof with its fists

281/266
it’s thanksgiving eve
tomorrow is thanksgiving
being pedantic

282/266
outside everyone
is acting like it’s summer
on thanksgiving day

283/266
why is the sky brown?
today, a veil of brownish-
gray shrouds the mountains

284/266
on the bright side (heh)
gloomy days are awesome for
productivity

285/266
construction nail gun
goes snap snap snap snap plastic
flaps in the wind snap

286/266
is it too soon to
start complaining about it
being cold & dark?

287/266
the rain stops but the
humidity remains; sweat
seeps from every pore.

274/366
still sunny but the
leaves are turning yellow orange
red brown anyway

275/366
and in the midst of
the sawing and hammering,
a house-builder sings

276/366
I guess smokers are
more resistant to the cold
than the rest of us

277/366
waking with windows
closed against chilliness for
the first time since spring

278/366
switching to capris
officially entering
fall running season

279/366
telemarketers,
here’s a pro-tip: do not call
at 3:12 am

280/366
temperature drops
complementary colors
bloom orange against blue

267/366
and finally, a
good run. happy feet humming
along the sidewalk

268/366
buttercup squash soup
biscuits shaped like maple leaves
fresh from the oven

269/266
not-so-random thought:
wonder how one goes about
hiring an intern

270/366
how you know it’s fall:
running in the dark again
sunset comes early

271/366
I feel like Martha
Stewart: organization…
it’s (quite) a good thing.

272/366
sultry air slithers
and the sky reluctantly
begins to spit rain

273/366
the bus stops and out
spill a throng of old women
to do week’s shopping

260/366
legs are so heavy
each step is like pulling foot
out of a mud bog

261/366
the dissertation
is officially started
let the fun begin

262/366
summer, you fooled me
thought you were drifting away
but you’re hanging on

263/366
“holy shit!” —from a
car’s open window as it
crosses a speed bump

264/366
my new favorite thing:
home fries and fried eggs baked in
a cast-iron pan

265/366
scanning is hella
boring but later will be
appreciated

266/366
first day of autumn
on cue, the sun disappears
a cloud curtain drops

253/366
yellow leaves crinkle
in the trees, fall to the ground
the weather has turned

254/366
rain falls through the night
it’s been a while since we heard
that familar sound

255/366
welcome, computer
says. fifty-six important
updates to download.

256/366
rediscovery
almost forgotten story
surprisingly good

257/366
today I am grateful
for this time to focus on
my dissertation

258/366
revisiting goals
autumn: time for a reboot
focus on writing

259/366
from Granville Island
Market: crab cakes and chocolate
cheesecake. yumminess.

246/366
stay up late to read
ignore scratchy sleepy eyes
must finish this book

247/366
and so it begins
back to school, not exciting
as it used to be

248/366
day 1 of the fall
semester. where to begin?
anywhere. just start.

249/366
September issue
of TC— just one Snark Zone
away from wrap-up

250/366
outside, it’s warmer
than I expected. summer
lingers, teasing me

251/366
this morning, skip the
procrastination, get straight
to writing, finish.

252/366
one last day of sun
without a chill behind it,
enveloping heat

239/366
early morning run
along breakwater. fishing
boats drift in the mist

240/366
4 o’clock sailing
empty cafeteria
sushi, book, eavesdrop

241/366
the perfect photo:
sometimes so easy to find,
other times so hard.

242/366
happiness, always:
all my favorite poses
in one yoga class.

243/366
train station faregates
self-checkout at London Drugs
out from under rock

244/366
wrong number: “ok,
then, I liked it better when
you had all the names.”

245/366
the Mini-Nano
Challenge begins! 5,000
words in 30 days

232/366
summer running is
fleeting. too soon it will be
cold wet gray again.

233/366
laptops, tablets, phones
low hum of conversation
coffeeshop people

234/366
silly videos
(Bob Ross remixed!) distractions
I should be writing

235/366
dodge knot of people
on sidewalk for second time,
hear: “didn’t we just…?”

236/366
research + writing,
revise, revise, revise. push
to the finish line.

237/366
summer work goal: check!
up next on the agenda:
vacation. woohoo!

238/366
the ferry is packed
with tourists; it’s sunny and
summery. perfect.