potpourri 8

There’s so much happening since the last few weeks that June seemed to have been gone a long long time ago. That includes the vacation, the trip up, the events around it, coming back to work and how crazy the last week’s actually been. I need to start jotting down stuff before they get lost in memory.

1. Trip up to New England was good. Munchkin was quite the darling up and down, without making a fuss. Meeting extended family after a gap of 8-10 years was quite nice and a different experience. Everyone had changed and yet not changed in many ways.
2. Visited the Boston Museum of Science. AMAZING place. Really. After visiting the Smithsonian museums a few hundred times, this was refreshing time spent. The height was when the daughter, after spending 4 hours traveling the floors and exhibits, asked if we could come back again! There’s proof that if it could appeal to a middle schooler, the museum must hold a charm. Truly left bad that son wasn’t with us then.
3. Stayed a whole SIX days without speaking with son. It was a different kind of missing, and more than me I believe the husband fretted and wanted him back at the end of day four.
4. The interesting part is though I can’t nail it exactly, but son appears “changed”. Not in a bad, or significant way, but just changed. I guess this is what they mean when they say “every experience changes a part of you, and learning from it makes us a slightly different and better person than before”. I think I made those words up, but the sentiment remains. Feels good, definitely.
5. Sister and I in a frenzy to get my nose pierced ran to the tattoo parlor on the dot at 10 am. Only to find that apparently, they would open only at noon. So came home, ate lunch and then trooped back again. Can’t believe the husband actually humored me and stayed smiling through all the confusion. Boy, was there confusion. A set of family was leaving,and so were we to drive down, another family coming in, sister’s in-laws and parents each embarking on various discussions, with different sets of kids runnig all around getting in each one’s ways!
6. Had a panic attack when I was asked to sign a long very legal looking document for the piercing. Too many risks is what I thought. Half chickened out. Decided what the heck, it was just a teeny little shot of pain anyway. Thought this smooth middle aged nice looking man would do it as sister promised, but was called into a room by a short, pudgy chubby young man who sported a mohawk, jeans falling off his portly waist and a yellow bright tee which had way too many words on it for me to comprehend. His ears had ping-pong sized holes and he had more silver on his face, tongue, and hands than the gold in Tirupati. His voice on the other hand was probably the most soothing I’ve ever heard. With surgical precision he dove into the skin, right after the guy matter of factly told me “yeah, sure, everyone’s nervous”, just a bit, not much pain, but it will” and “stay comfortable, it does’nt matter to me how you sit” and “close your eyes, and we’re done” . Phew. The piercing as such was bearable, it was the twisting of the end inside that hurt, and I did say a few “aahs and ouchouchouch” but it was over before I knew it.
7. Come home to be welcomed like a strange being from outer space. The brother-in-law armed with a handycam, I had 6 pairs of eyes searching my nose and my face and the most inevitable question: “Did it hurt?” and constant approval nods. The husband just refused to offer any opinion and smiled through the whole thing. I even stuck my nose right up close and personal, and he just shooed me away “yea yea, it’s fine”. The poor guy. The stuff I put him through. In any case, I must give credit where it’s due. He’s a darling for allowing me to do what I want, and not let himself be burdened by it.
8. Then got into the vanand drove home down i-95 in record 8 hours, with 3 stops!!! No, I didn’t drive, he did. On complaining coz I feel he doesn’t let me drive, as he thinks am incapable of it, I was quite strongly reminded of another viewpoint by sister and sister’s father-in-law. That point being, that the husband cares for me so much that he’d rather bear the stress of driving than put me through it. Yeah. Okay. The husband had a look of relief when this was mentioned aloud.
9. Watched July 4th fireworks along with a few friends at the local High school. Drenched to the skin. The spirit once the fireworks started didnt wane a bit and in fact it dodn’t seem to bother anyone absolutely despite the crowds, waits and traffic. Seeing the enthusiasm, the joie de vivre and the sense of belonging folks exhibited, mom and I wished we Indians could do the same on such days at least.
10. Realized leaving work early only meant doing 8-10 hour work in 6 hours. That’s a lot to cram in, but at least I leave happy. I swore I would never bring home work and I hope to keep that up. It’s work. It’s part of my life and it shall stay back where it belongs.
11. This past week has been crazy and I’ve probably been putting in close to 70 miles a day. Pressing the accelerator with my right foot has only laid major stress on my right knee. It now hurts more than I can ignore and it’s only getting worse. Hoping to get rid of it in the next couple of weeks. The pain that is. The leg’s staying.
12. 70 miles is driving back and forth from work, then shuttling daughter and son to respective activities, and then the dance rehearsals in the evenings running late into the nights. The days were running into each other and it all came to an end Saturday night for the performance.
13. It was amazing to be back on stage again and the appreciation that flowed from folks who’ve never known me as a dancer before just added onto the most enjoyable evening in a long time. Probably the best moment was when my guru called me aside after the end of the show and said a few things that I would always cherish and keep in mind. It was a crowning moment and a timely affirmation, something that boosts a sagging morale. Accordingly, my foot and knee didn’t hurt the whole Saturday. Just proves that when you are involved and engrossed in a passion, the little pains, and annoyances cease to exist.
14. Have set a few goals for myself, now I only hope my bones and muscles allow me to realize a few of them.
15. Basement project’s driving all of us a tad crazy. I think it’s finally coming together, now to find a time to pack the junk we’ve been accumulating over the years a new home.
16. IKEA never fails to amaze and always delivers. Thank God for the swedes and their sense of style.

 

potpourri 7

Too many things happening and a potpourri is so overdue, so here goes:

1. The daughter has started off on a 2 year trip towards ‘gorgeous perfect smile-ville’. She has braces on her top row, and expanders above and below. Enough metal to start off the alarms at any security gate at a decent mile range. She thinks she can be the next bully in town just by opening her mouth. The poor thing has issues eating anything though, which also means now I have to get creative about cooking mushy foods for her. It’s going to get challenging packing lunch for her once school starts again next week.

2. The house feels like a tornado. it’s amazing how much food gets consumed and dishes get piled, and books get strewn when folks are sitting at home. Munchkin’s become a complete junk food goblin. Husband refuses to say ‘no’ to her, and she knows it. The power of the pout indeed. She even says “you can’t catch me’ before she laughs and scoots all around the house as I try unsuccessfully to tame her down.

3. Talking of food, in a valiant attempt to get the family eat healthier and sick of cooking the same veggies, in an adventurous trip yesterday to Costco, picked up a 3 lb bag of Asparagus. Decided I’d cook it today and jumped on the net to find some interesting recipes, though I was told by my sister to pretend they were beans and just cook it usual desi style. As I search, I decide to tap the network. Find 3 boys on chat. No girls. One guy I know does’nt care for food and is clueless about cooking, the 2nd guy can eat well but sure as hell couldn’t tell the difference between a cucumber and zuchhini, so my hopes rested with the 3rd. As always my rescuer, he tapped his network and got me a smashing recipe for Asparagus pachadi [chutney] . Yessir, delicious telugu style, and tasted just like tindora.

So without further ado, I chopped and cooked a curry and a chutney much to the shocked looks of the husband, though later on, he quietly polished it all off and refused to look into my eyes up until now.

4. In the middle of making this dinner, the kids bathroom’s commode decided it would continue to flow and not stop. Just like that, out of the blue. Ice cold water kept gushing like the clear springs as I arrived on the scene. Guppies could’ve survived in the depth of the thick 2 inch layer collecting on the floor. So hurried shutting the water, and then search for mops which would never be where they were sposed to be. Luckily, I’d piled a collection of old clothes to give away and used them one by one, as the whole family walked in, from a “chakkar” trip, on me while munchkin screams “but mommy, ew, you are using my shirt” and then “oh my gosh, is that my pants?” and husband goes “why you using old curtains, just use old towels, they pick up water much quicker” . Such arbit quips, safe on the dry carpets while I stand in cold water with my pants hitched to my knees looking dangerously calm than my maid back home did in similar situations.

5. Suddenly too many nice people are dying. Artists. Sujata, Clarke, Raghuvaran and then today Shobhan Babu. I had a major crush on Raghuvaran when he first debuted in Tamil seriels. His voice, Lord his voice. Tall, bone-thin, sunken cheeks, and the commanding powerful way he’d speak. Brilliant. What a waste of a life. Shobhan Babu - his last daughter is the same age as I and we were friends in a quiet way. His sister and family rented our home for a while back in Madras and thats how we knew them, apart from the fact that my mom thought he was the most handsome hero ever on telugu screen, and was a huge fan of him. Vague rememberance of him from when I was 12 or so, and clearly remember him being very solemn, quiet and respectable.

6. In other news the wretched lump is back, and am scheduled to go under the plates next week. No fun.

7. One cousin brother - all of 24 years old is happily typing the knot on Sunday in India to someone he claims is his junior at college, and insists that it was “arranged” . Sure, I believe him. He’s a fun chap and a favorite cousin of ours, wish I could’ve gone for his wedding. His fiance didnt send too nice a vibe to my mail, so am a little anxious. Ah well, as they say, every man changes with the wedding, and so he can be written off too. I don’t like it though. My husband didn’t, but he probably belongs to some rare breed they don’t make anymore.

8. Talking of whom, I saw a video of us over the christmas holidays and felt I looked well, fat. In an attempt to garner some sympathy [I never learn after 14 years] from the husband who was just walking in from a trip to the Home Depot, I said “I am so fat!” and he looked up at me quite puzzled at what he heard and said “Yeah, you are.”

I then wail loudly “you aren’t supposed to say “yes” ” - to which he comes around puts his hand on my middle and says “you are teen-bachey-ki-ma, it doesnt matter anymore, you’re fine. ” and walks off to fertilize and fatten the shrubs and the trees. In the meanwhile I polished off the remaining Dibs carton, though I absolutely hate the peanut butter flavor.

9. Finally watched Om Shanti Om. Nice and entertaining, however ridiculous and unreal it may be. Thats the whole charm of bollywood. Drown your realities away in silliness, just like some bloggers do it in humor, some in poetry, some in songs, and some others just write..

10. At work they’ve started “March Madness” - Basketball Bracket - just like fantasy football. I staunchly voted for my alma mater, only to be told now by my son that they lost. Humpf. So much for gambling, no luck there too!

11. There’s a new girl at work, and am stuck with her. She’s nice and I had interviewed her earlier, and then don’t quite know why, along with her thank you note, she sent me a poem of hers. I just hope she works better.

12. Theres’ a void within, quite like the one you have when you try fitting a square peg in a round hole.

 

potpourri 6

1.  I got an email from ICQ last evening. I now have an official ICQ number and was encouraged quite charmingly to start using it. They must think am a dinosaur.

2.  Got linked to this article :

Japan is suffering a crisis of confidence these days about its ability to compete with its emerging Asian rivals, China and India. But even in this fad-obsessed nation, one result was never expected: a growing craze for Indian education

and then this:

Its 2-year-old pupils are taught to count to 20, 3-year-olds are introduced to computers, and 5-year-olds learn to multiply, solve math word problems and write one-page essays in English, tasks most Japanese schools do not teach until at least second grade. 

Let kids be kids for goodness sakes!

3. Impression Management on Steroids. Quite the lofty title for all networking and dating sites that are out there.

In one study of online dating, professors at Rutgers, Georgetown and Michigan State found that in the absence of visual and oral cues, single people develop their own presentational tactics: monitoring the length of their e-mail messages (too wordy equals too desperate); limiting the times during which they send messages (a male subject learned that writing to women in the wee hours makes them uncomfortable); and noting the day they last logged on (users who visit the site too infrequently may be deemed unavailable or, worse, undesirable).

Yikes! For once am I glad I am not in any dating scene, nor did I have to go through it. It does pay to be born in the 70’s I suppose and on the flip side being a dinosaur is oh-so-relaxing. Stress-free.

4. It’s official. I am the shoe and the bag lady at work. After the fantastic colorful entertaining conversation starter display I have on my cube the last coupla months, a colleague was inspired to get me a one-a-day calendar that features, handbags.  So far the bags have been quite cute. Champagne bucket look from Anne Marie of 40’s, a pepto-bismol pink with Christian Dior initials, and a white mirrored evening purse.
Am waiting for the bizarre days. As the one pictured on the cover - corsets and the like.

5. Also, this is my first ever gift an getting from someone other than the obligatory husband, in a really long long time. Am thrilled beyond words. I know, am lame, but what can I say, being the giver almost all my life has made me appreciate the sparse rare little gifts I ever get. I tend to associate gifts with thoughts. When someone’s gifted you something, anything, it means you have been in your thoughts enough to warrant an action. That is a good thing. Gets some hope going that the world is alright after all. Balanced, still sane.

Going by that hypothesis, it also means that there aren’t really too many out there who either think that way, or in a more cruel sense, don’t have me in their thoughts enough. Oh, what a vain crybaby I am!

6. Kite Runner - is killing me slowly. I have yet to finish it though. Usually I chew pages at an incredible urgent pace, but this book makes me want to slow down. The daughter caught me blinking out the tears as I turned to stare outside the plane on our return flight, and she told me in quite the mommy tone “mom, it’s just a book, don’t be a baby now”. 

Some of the passages are strong, evocative, that it’s hard to not stop and let the meanings flow through you, visualize the descriptives, and perhaps even draw parallels of the characters in your own mundane life.

 

potpourri 5

Been a while since I did had random arbit stuff going on in my mind to mash a potpourri together, so here goes

1. Chiru’s daughter eloped. Once you get over the sadness of the situation, you can laugh merrily on the various nincompoop, dumb 19 year olds do just outa spite. Okay, I’ve been there and done a few stupid stuff myself, but this was spectacularly winning the Oscar for bad daughter gone even cuckoo.  Yeah, am judgemental when it comes to irrational acts. I mean, for crying out loud, she’s frikkin 19. Why marriage? Doesn’t make sense. But then again, 4 years ago, a dear fav cousin of mine, a smashingly gorgeous dancer, favorite of all known grandmas/aunts and uncles, eloped same Arya Samaj style with her boyfriend of 7 years. She must’ve been 13 when she met him.

13yrs. 19yrs. Is it me or there are some really astonshingly young females with no ambition and drive in life out there? Whatever. Anyways, here’s a video if you care or understand telugu.

2. Son’s off on a camping trip at 7 am tomorrow. He has not seen 7 am for a while, am wondering what kind of drastic measures I need to take to get him to move. Apart from that, he will be on his own for 30 hours flat with a bunch o 11 year olds and 3 dads. He seems all geared up and raring to go, at least boyscouts seem to be teaching him some life skills. Brownie points to me. All the way. For getting him into the troop against husband’s wishes.

3. Munchkin knows all her alphabets, numbers, shapes [yes, she knows the shape of the STOP sign too!] colors, and a bunch o’ rhymes. No thanks to me at all. Her Spanish is growing by leaps and bounds, and all she knows in telugu is “nee talakaya” - I take all the credit for that.
And oh, she choreographed her own little 6 steps for Bhool Bhulaiyya’s Hare Ram, Hare krsna chorus line. Nice too. So decided I’d slap an orange kurta on her and step her up on stage as an ISKCON femme. That should do. If diva consents that is.

4. Daughter created such a racket this morning coz she wanted help in choosing what to wear. Like I help and she’d take it?! Nope, no one’s getting married nor is she going to the prom, but it’s just a portrait/picture day at school. Yeah. After a brief fighting-yelling frenzy, I said ‘you look fine just the way you are’ to which she rolled her eyes, and walked off.

5. Lots of houses to skip to this evening and weekend. Golu scene is in full swing, I had to refuse a lady’s invite as she lives on the other end of the parkway. Sundal collection should be decent. ;-)

6. Yesterday our team at work acted like ’twas Christmas. We got to lay hands on some data we’ve been waiting for awhile. The rest of the girls thought we were high or something. I know, sorta nerdy, but who cares. If numbers tick you, then numbers it is.

Happy Navratri and Vijayadasami to all. Eat and enjoy :-)

 

potpourri - 4

Am starting off with a complaint -

1. I just lost a whole long comment I typed up in response to the comments for the earlier post.
It sucks! I typed and hit “publish” and it decides to “vanish” :(
Ive been hit with a few other mysterious happenings with blogger and am just a teeny bit hopping mad and sad coz of that. Someone was suggesting WordPress. But then again, it’s a pain to move and I don’t like moving. So we’ll see.

2. Discovered that letting plums sit outside in balmy 80’s weather is good for it. The skin’s tad wrinkled, but the fruit’s juicy and sweet. So yes, am having one now, and it’s delicious!

3. Today was the last day for the year before we share the road with yellow buses and long lines behind them at stops. Last day when the whole house would be empty by 8.30 am latest. Last day I didn’t have to pack lunches, and worry about going home by 5. My work times would change, and life would be a nice little tornado. Juggling school, homeworks, assignments, work, activities, and fights. Seriously, I could give Durga Ma a run for her hands!

4. A little bit of twisted’s rubbed off on me. The dude’s gotten me hooked to stats. Not funny, considering I was in dire need of a hobby while sitting at the desk, and this was like being peeping Tom. Like the movie Disturbia - where the guy’s peeping onto neighbor’s lawns and girls. I feel quite like the voyeur. Voyeurism isn’t bad now, is it?
In any case, it’s a perverse pleasure to know folks like to come back to read the stuff I dole out. By any long shot, this isn’t creative writing. So am guessing poeple just like to know how others lives go?
hey, wait a second, that’s voyeurism too!
So great, we are all in it together. It’s heartening!

5. As an extension, now I’ve facilitated subscribing. Look right.

6. Am enjoying churning posts out. It seems like I can’t just seem to shut up. Is that a bad thing? Sorta lost a confidant over the last week, so blog’s become cathartic, like a backup, like a mute listener. Didn’t realize it would become one, but looks like it has, and well, am not gonna try and change anything anytime soon. Consciously.

7. Dad’s got my mom a Santro car for her 60th birthday. Isn’t that cute? She was so excited, she called me up first thing in the morning [in India] . Buddy at work’s 10th anniversary and they spent 2 days holed up at the Ritz. Spa, massage, the works. She showed off her lingerie to me. Hmm..
The husband emptied the diswasher this morning as I overslept. That counts for something?Baby steps.

8. Work’s off by 1 today. Have a dinner to serve, so I know what I’d be doing, considering I dont have the menu and hence the veggies.

9. Munchkin goes to pre-school on Tuesday. Heart’s a-breaking.

10. The daughter heads to middle school where a kid can break or make is what Ive been told. At open house 2 days ago, I looked short next to half of them, and am 5′ 6″ and I wore heels. The place is huge, mad, crazy and insanely confusing. To me. She seemed unfazed, and very controlled. Thank God.

11. Son’s mighty upset that he’s with a new teacher and he’s got a bunch o uninteresting mates in his class. On trying to console him saying, but hey there are just 20 kids - so that’s good, teacher would give you attention he consoled me “mom, I can get attention when I want and how I want, class size doesn’t matter, friends matter!” - ahem! the dude surely knows what he wants.

12. Munchkin’s becoming atrociously stubborn and quirky. An incident from last evening

Munchkin: Mom, am hungry.
Me: Am making mac n cheese baby, it’s hot, give me 2 minutes. ok?
Munchkin: No, but am hungry.
Me: Ok, how about some OJ?
Munchkin: But mommy, I said am hungry, not thirsty!
Me: ?!
Son: Mom, she has her wants and needs in place.
Daughter: Yeah, Santa better be good to her this year.

?!

Enjoy Labor Day weekend everyone!

:

 

potpourri - 3

A bunch of random bullets in no particular order or importance.

1. I am suddenly quite bored. Pretty sure I have ADD or one of its cousins. Have tons to do, but nothing seems right.

2. Work’s getting frustrating NOT because its not challenging coz it’s just a bunch o useless hoops we are running through. Have a deadline tomorrow and there is some amount of work to be done, but weirdly I don’t feel like it. Ah heck, tomorrow will be a better day.

3. Had some nice tuxedo-black-marble-chocolate-mousse cake. Pretty sure am calling it all wrong but it was yum! Birthday celebration and all. I indulged and succumbed to the C food. So for those of you who’ve turned a nice shade of green can go back to being snug again. The size still has remained same, so there!

4. Are adults allowed to be jealous? As in not envy, but jealous.
If yes, I am. I know, am no saint.
If no, tough luck, I am.

5. Have to write a toast for a friend’s wedding this Sat. I’d like for it to be sweet, loving, teasing, humorous, and well, not boring! Known them a while and it really is a cause for celebration. I started, and laboriously managed 2 lines. They are terrible. Need to get a rush on it, but how can one create romance and love when one doesn’t feel it. Maybe I will feel the love tomorrow.

6. Coffee is becoming very bad at work. Forced to spend a toll of $4 on Starbucks almost everyday. Not funny.

7. Bourne was awesome. One of the best sequels I’ve seen. Seeing it with a friend helped. I like to enjoy my movies. Popcorn and laughter, whispers and shock, comments and nudges. Yep, that’s the way I like a good kick ass action movie.

8. Got my left ear cartilage pierced over the weekend. I yelped more than the daughter. Shame on me.
She says ‘aah’
I say ‘Oww, oww, ouch!’

Thank heavens all the 5 yr olds who’d lined up got done earlier. I am no role model. No Sirree!

9. Is it good to hog a friend? Considering how difficult it is to make one when you can’t just rely on the sandbox o your apple to share.

10. Will be meeting a friend-turned-nemesis tomorrow. I hate such situations. Awkward and no fun when it’s supposed to be fun. Should I smile and nod, or just nod, or should I act like I don’t care, or should I act like nothing happened and make small talk. All choices suck.

11. I’d rather be laying there right now. And stay there.

12. I backed out of the garage yesterday to a loud screeching sound. I’d rammed the right mirror into the edge and nearly pulled it off the car. Drove with no mirror help, and had to keep craning my neck to check right lanes, and was very irritated when I got to work. The flip side is the husband wasn’t informed. This morning, taking a skill from Mechanic Mary, I figured I should fix the mirror myself. So nudged and pushed and grunted it back into position. Squeezing my pinkie in the process. It is sitting well, and the controls work. So now I need to account for just my sore pinkie, which really isn’t a biggie considering the lack of husband’s observation skills wrt wife. So another war averted and the bombs have been tanked. Hallelujah!

13. I need to shut up, log off and get dressed to go for a sangeet for the above friend. At least there would be some singing and dancing. Which always puts me in the mood, so there is hope after all!