Four Years Ago...

Four years ago today we were doing this.
Happy Anniversay, hun!!

I love you very much.

So, what are we doing to celebrate this wonderful occasion? Well, not too much. We are going to our (currently) favorite restaurant...Byblos. After which we will head over to the Burlington area where family members will be waiting for us. Well, that is about it and that is the plan right now. Lets see if we stick to it.

Pictures...

Found a really cool blog today. They just post pictures of random things. Take a look.

Click Here For 'Damn Cool Pics'

(I'm also adding it to my links.)

X-mas weekend over

Can't believe Christmas is over. Buying the gifts, decorating, family get-togethers...are all over. It was a great year. First time we did xmas at my house. Opening the gifts was fun. Hanging out with Om and Rosh was a blast as always.

Waking up this morning was really tough. Couldn't believe I had to go to work today. Most people I know have today off. The roads were empty! The company parking lot was also empty! Seems like no one is here and getting enthu to do work is almost impossible. I am the only one here from my group. Yes, there are only 4 in our group, but still. Will try to escape little early today. Good thing it is only a 4 day week.

Looking forward to the New Years weekend.

New machines

I'm not sure what happened, but I am magically able to upload images again! Blogging without images can get boring.

So, anyway, as you can see we got new appliances for the kitchen. We got a new range and dishwasher, both stainless steel! We have a flat top stove now. (We had coils before.) It took a little getting used at first, but now I have pretty much mastered the tough stuff like making roti and boiling milk for daahi. The best part is cleaning!! It is so much easier now. The washer is something I am still getting used to. With our old one I knew exactly how to fill it to the max. I haven't quite figured out the 'dish-layout' yet. But the cool thing is..well there are 2 cool things. One, it fits a lot more dishes than our old one. It feels like we don't need to turn it on as much. Two, it actually dries the dishes. (Our old one didn't dry them.) So now I can actually put away the dishes as soon as the load is done. No more opening it up and letting it dry or using a towel to dry everything.

Both look really sleek and go really well with the exhaust fan which we put in some time back. Only thing that doesn't match now is the fridge which is white in color. But, I am not complaining because I really love my fridge. It is big enough for all our food and I like the layout of it inside. We have a 'home' for all the food in the fridge.





So, do I feel like cooking more now that I have these new machines? Well... not really :)

Weekend update

I know it’s a little late to have a weekend update since we are already in the middle of the week, but I feel like it anyway.

Friday Night:
Came home from work and went to Mango for dinner. I was craving their Tom Yum soup and it was really nice to have it. The food really hit the spot. Came home and slept.

Saturday:
In morning did some grocery shopping. Had a nice lunch at a new place that recently opened up in Millis called ‘Bagels Best’. In evening went to a friend’s 30th surprise birthday party. It was lot of fun. We were up really late playing games. First we played charades then played Cranium. Charades is when you act out something and the team has to guess what it is. It was sooo funny!! Cranium was good too.

Sunday:
My mom’s birthday! Mom, dad and Deesh came over for lunch and dinner. It was really nice. Made veggie puffs for lunch and lasagna for dinner. Both came out good. Last thing we had was cake. All turned out well and I think mom really had fun.

Coming weekend we have no plans. All I want to do is sleep.

BLaugh

As you can see in the right column I added something new...BLaugh comics. It automatically updates itself everyday. So now there will be something new to read on my blog everyday. You can go to the site and read the previous comics too. Seems like they are pretty good. If anyone knows of something better let me know.

What a site

I was driving home from work yesterday. I finally reached the one long back-road I take that gets me into Millis. I have never seen any traffic on this road. But, yesterday it was bumper-to-bumper. It was moving very slowly. An ambulance drove by and few minutes later it drove back. There had to be an accident ahead and someone was being taken to the hospital. Now the traffic was totally stopped and I put my car in park. Some people got out of their cars. Waited for 10-15mins. Finally, the traffic started moving. I could see the police lights and tow trucks ahead. As I reached the scene of the accident I slowed down (to check it out of course) and I was shocked. I had never seen a car get this totaled before. This car was literally wrapped around the telephone poll. It went head-on at full speed into the poll. The hood of the car went all the way around the poll. The poll was actually broken into 2 pieces from the impact. The air bag was out and the windows were all shattered. Dibri was everywhere on the road. If the car was in such bad shape I can't imagine what the people inside went through. How can anyone crash like that? The driver had to be blind. There are no lights on this road, but if you have your headlights on you can see everything. The driver must have been drunk or high.

Weekend Discoveries

Interesting things discovered in the past weekend...

-DF and I weigh the same: I'm not sure if he weighs too less or I weigh too much or maybe it’s both! The worst part is that I lost some weight so I actually used to weigh more than him! How sad? Can someone please inject him with some fat or some rocks so at least he weighs more than me?

-Deesh's friends know how to buy nice gifts: Some of her college friends took her out on Saturday to celebrate her getting married. They got her a wedding gift...a ROOMBA!! It is such a cool idea and for a lazy person like her its the perfect gift.

-There is a rat living in our shed: We actually didn't discover it this past weekend, but we confirmed that it was a rat. It has made a little home for itself and yesterday I had the guts to actually take a closer look. It is definitely a rat.

-Premal is just as scared of the rat as I am: He tried to get me to go in the shed to get stuff. I refused and he had to do it himself. So before opening the door he bangs on the wall, the roof, the window of the shed. Then he opens the door and runs quickly away from the shed. He waits few seconds to be sure nothing is moving then slowly walks in keeping his eye in the area where we saw it last. It was still there. I think it might be dead, but neither one of us have the guts to touch it.

Dreaming

I have dreams all the time. When I was little I could actually control them. It was pretty cool. I would be in a dream then somehow I remember that I'm dreaming. (That was the hardest part....realizing that it was a dream.) But once I did I could change the people, the location, the events....almost anything. As I grew up it got harder to do this or maybe I just didn't try as hard. The dreams have also become more serious. I still have a little control. If I am having a nightmare and I'm at the worst part of it (like I'm just about to be captured or killed or about to fall) I realize its not real and I can actually wake myself out of sleep. There is actually a term for this its called Lucid Dreaming.

Last night I had 2 disturbing dreams. In the first, I had just about fallen asleep and I realize I can't speak, move or do anything. I try really hard to scream for help, but nothing. Then I try moving around really fast, at first nothing happens and I try harder...then poof!...I jump and I'm awake. I guess my mind thought I was awake, but my body had fallen asleep and they couldn't work together. In the second dream I was at a really dark and dirty doctor's office. I'm helping the doctor with his patients. All the patients are injured kids. They all have something different wrong with them. One's face is infected with some bacteria then one little baby is walking around like he's drunk and then he falls. The doctor says something about how this is the worst side to be on.

Many people think dreams have meaning. If you understand the meaning it helps you work out problems in real life. The objects, sounds and colors mean something deeper. Many believe you can even cure fears by dreams. I believe that they tell you what your subconscious is thinking. If you can remember more dreams and try to make sense of them you can really see what is really going on in your head.

Voting Day

Early this morning I exercised my right as a citizen and voted in the Gubernatorial Elections. Every election I’m always surprised at how they don’t check ID at town hall. Anyone could have gone in as me and voted on my behalf. All they have to know is my home address and my full name. Those were the only 2 things I was asked for. No one checked any ID. I actually didn’t remember my street name. I was rushing and reading everything when a cop out of no where asked what street I live on and I just went blank. I remembered after few seconds, but even this little incident didn’t concern him. He just let me walk in. I have only been voting since I moved to Millis so I’m not sure how other towns are, but if they are the same it is a little disturbing.

Anyway, I’m glad that all the ads will at least stop after today.

Plantmania

The other day I was walking into the office building and saw all the plants that are usually in our lobby in an area next to the dumpster. There were about 20-30 of them and most were about 4 feet tall. They were all healthy, really good looking plants. I asked the maintenance guy what was up with those plants. Get this…all those plants were being thrown away! Perfectly fine plants being thrown away…why?...well apparently our building has a contract with a ‘plant company’ that maintains all the plants in the building. Our building’s coordinator didn’t like the plants from them so she fired them and hired a new company. Therefore, all the old plants had to go. So, naturally, being the desi that I am, I grabbed not one, not 2, but 3 plants! I told my colleagues and they all took one. Some took them home and others kept them in their office. Even people who don’t know how to take care of plants or already have too many plants took one. Next day that area was empty…none of the plants had to be thrown…they were all taken by people.

So I learned 2 things from all this:

1) There are such things are ‘plant companies’.

2) All people are desi’s at heart when it comes to getting free stuff :)

SAW

If you are a SAW fan, you know (or will be happy to know) that Saw III comes out today. I've seen I and II and will see definitely see III. These are movies that you like to watch, but while you are watching you have to cover your eyes....at least I do. I like scary and horror movies so its no surprise that I like these movies too.

SAW is a has a lot of killing in it, but it doesn't have any guns or bombs or anything. It involves torturing people to death in some really gruesome ways. Can you imagine being a writer for these movies? You just sit around and think of some really horrible ways to die. I think I could be one of these writers. I have so many fears that coming up with a way to die and incorporating those fears would be easy.

I think around Halloween time a lot of these types of movies come out. It is one of the reasons I like this time of year. Any other good, scary movies out there?

Work your brian...

??????

I got these in an email and thought they were worth sharing. Try not to look at the answers until you are done.

First Question: You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person.What position are you in?


Second question: If you overtake the last person, then you are...?


Third Question: Very tricky arithmetic! Note: This must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it.
Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20, now add another 1000, and now add 10. What is the total?


Fourth Question: Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4.Nono
What is the name of the fifth daughter?


Bonus round: A mute person goes into a shop and wants to buy a toothbrush. By imitating the action of brushing his teeth he successfully expresses himself to the shopkeeper and the purchase is done.Next, a blind man comes into the shop who wants to buy a pair of sunglasses; how does he indicate what he wants?

*********************************************************
1st Answer: If you answered that you are first, you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

2nd Answer: If you answered that you are second to last, you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST Person? I think you could be in first position

3nd Answer: Did you get 5000? The correct answer is actually 4100.If you don't believe it, check it with a calculator!

4th Answer: Did you Answer Nunu? WRONG! Her name is Mary. Read the question again!

Bonus Answer: He just has to open his mouth and ask. It's really very simple.


I'm sure you didn't, but if you got any wrong, don’t feel bad. I got tricked on 2nd, 4th and the bonus round. Let me know how you did.

Diwali...not yet

My Indian calendar is telling me that Diwali is October 21st. That is this Saturday. Today is Thursday and I am already getting emails wishing me a Happy Diwali. Don't get me wrong, I love Diwali and its great to spread the wishes at this time of the year. But, its a little early, don't you think?

I guess since today is Dhun Teras many people start the celebrations today and totally get into the spirit by sending the Diwali emails. Even I am a little excited about doing the pooja tonight. It definitely gives you the feeling that wonderful times are ahead.

Here in US we are definitely missing out on the Diwali celebrations. Well, actually.... I don't know. Last time I celebrated Diwali in India I was 6 years old. Been to India many times, but never during Diwali. So I guess I am kind of lucky that I don't know what I'm missing. All I remember from my last Diwali in India is the fire crackers! Lots of them everywhere. All the shops are decorated and so many people stop by and visit that day and everyone is wearing nice clothes. And of course there is also the $$ :)

my seal 'n more

So, I went to create a seal for my site, as you can see, but I was kind of upset at the icon choices they had. This is the only female looking figure I could find. I was looking for a female action hero, but I guess I will have to settle for this. Not much action to it. If you still haven't created one and want to here is the link to it.

I think we are getting addicted to this show, we watched last 2 episodes. There are few things about it that are kinda weird, but I think they might have done that on purpose. I think its the freaky/gross stuff that we like best. The scene where the cheerleader wakes up and her insides are open...that looked pretty cool. The previews for the next show look good. The guy learns to speak English finally. If nothing else it definitely keeps you wondering what will happen next.



Ok, are you a bad speller like me? Well, here is your worst nightmare come true.

Happy 30th!!!

To mom & dad,

HAPPY 30th ANNIVERSARY!!!

Wishing you all the best.

Love you lots :D

Have a nice weekend....

Loooong weekend is almost here! I had to say that to rub it in Deesh's face :) I know I am so mean...

So what does the weekend hold for me? Well, usually only I have this holiday off and it is little boring. But, this year even hubby has it off! So, we are going to Peru! No, not that Peru...we are going to Peru, Vermont. We leaving from work little early and should reach by evening.

I watched the best show yesterday...Jeopardy!, 'Back to School Week'. It is like regular Jeopardy, but the players are all little kids age 10-12 years old. The categories and clues are a lot easier than regular. I was able to actually answer the clues. These kids are so smart though! They were getting more questions correct than me. Can you imagine being the parent of one of these kids? It will be on again tonight. Click on the link to find out when and where.

Back from his trip...

...and got me this.

Kudos 'n more

First of all major kudos for JAY for his great garba and dandiya performance on Saturday!! Not only did he do good garba and dandiya...he even dressed the part. Good job :) Just waiting for the pics now.

Next, a big Thank You for TULAN. Thanks for not going to CT and joining us instead. Having you there was the icing on the cake. I just hope that you didn't get into any trouble with your relatives in CT the next day.

Well, weekend is over and work week is in action. Already I have some good news and some bad news. Bad News: Premal is in Virgina for work leaving me alone. Good news: I will stay at my parents place and watch chik-flik shows with DEESH and have mom's cooking and punch dad while we eat.

Friday Post

Finally...its FRIDAY!!!

I wish the weather was a little better though. It is going to be rainy all day long. But still, at least its Friday. Plus, my boss is not here today. He is moving into his new house. This guy moves fast. Last month he got married. This month he is moving into his new house. I wouldn't be surprised if next month he says he is gonna have a baby. The shocker is that he is younger than me by 3 years!

Anyway, Friday means we go out to eat in the evening. Usually, we go to Taco Bell, but not tonight. We made burritos couple days ago and don't feel like having mexican again tonight. I have been craving Olive Garden. I see their commercials on tv and my mouth waters. Never ending Pasts bowl, Eggplant Parm, Soups.....those breadsticks and their salads...yummy. I haven't been there in so long. Can't wait to go. We are planning to go tonight to the one in Framingham. Anyone want to join? Hopefully it isn't too crowed and we get a seat in decent time.

So tomorrow is yet again another garba. Anyone know what time we need to be there by? I know some losers won't be there, that's fine we will have all the fun without you. They are getting food from a new mandir. So that will be good too.

Bad drivers

I need to vent a little about my drive to work this morning. I got so frustrated. It is bad enough that I have an hour commute to work, but then there are freakin' idiots on the road that make it even worse.

Here is what happened...
I had just gotten out of the driveway and hadn't even reached the main street when I see 2 cars stopped in the middle of the road. They were facing each other and the drivers were talking. I pulled up behind the car and waited a few seconds. Then I tapped my horn. The car across moved and drove past us. But, of course, the car right in front of me is still just standing there. AAAaaaahhh! So now I am getting really mad. I expect traffic on main roads, but early in the morning I don't need this crap on my own street! The driver in front of me was an old guy. God! If you are too old to drive...DON'T DRIVE! He doesn't show his blinkers or pull to the right. So now I let out a couple of honks. Still the car doesn't move. I can see in the car and the old 'bapo' is just looking around. What the hell is this guy's problem!! Finally, he motions for me to go ahead. I go around him and think of what a bad way to start my drive.

But it wasn't over. To get to work I get off 128 and off the ramp is a huge intersection. I have to get from the left lane to the right most lane and go through 2 traffic lights. I was almost there and had just about pulled into the right most lane when a car from no where just flies by. If I had driven a second faster we would have crashed. What an absolute idiot this guy was. I got a glimpse of his face...He is a guy that works at my company that I reeeeeally don't like. He cares only about himself and never thinks about others. Well, his driving shows it too. He has almost crashed into me in our company parking lot too.

Well, at least I reached in 1 piece.

Garba!

I can't wait for tomorrow!! Garba season is here! It seems like it came so fast this year. I actually like our samaj garba the best. We don't have too many people. We have familiar songs. We know everyone there and we can pretty much do any style we want. This weekend we have garba on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday is like a bonus.

One thing I don't get is why most guys don't like garba. I mean, Premal hates it. He is actually trying to bribe me into not going on Sunday. He is not the only one. I know many other guys that don't like it either. They like to do other types of dance, but not garba. I feel like it is so effortless. I just do the steps and listen to the good music and just zone out. It is fun, you get to wear nice clothes and it is good exercise. Plus, there is a whole religous aspect. So, why not just do it.

I think we should do bhangra tomorrow. I love that. I will try to remember to bring my cd of bangra songs.

Mulholland Drive

If you like mystery and scary movies then watch this movie. It is called Mulholland Drive. Premal had heard some great things about this movie so we watched. Let me tell you...it is one strange movie. I still have no idea what the story of the movie was. We were trying to discuss it, but didn't come up with anything reasonable. I have to warn you that it is a rated R movie and there are a couple of scenes which you probably don't want to watch with the whole family. But if you like mysteries that you have to let your imagination solve then watch this movie and please let me know what the movie is all about.

Breakfast Date

This morning I did something totally out of routine. I had a 'breakfast date' with hubby. Usually, on weekday mornings we both have some cereal or bread or something small and we both leave the house at same time. We do our goodbyes then Premal takes a right turn out of driveway and I take a left turn.

But, today was different. We heard Dunkin Donuts was doing some special. We decided to check it out. So instead of having our usual breakfast at home we went to Dunkin. It was funny because we both took our cars and we met up at Dunkin. We got our food, did our goodbyes then went off in our own direction. It was a nice little change. Reminded me of old times.

If anyone is interested Dunkin is doing a promotion 'til the 24th where you get bagel and cream cheese for 99c. It is a nice idea for a breakfast date ;-)

Cool magic trick!

Check out this link...its pretty cool!

http://www.youtube.com/v/RB-wUgnyGv0

Anyone have any idea how they could do that?! I wish I could change my clothes that fast.

After a long time...

I know, I know...I am the worst blogger ever. I give them a bad name. I have not made any updates in over a month!! In my defense I have to say that I was out of the country for 2 weeks of that month. The rest...well...life has just gotten busy. Anyway, let's catch up.

So, Deesh's wedding was a blast. I am so glad I got the chance to attend. I met Vipul couple of days after we reached India. His family had come over for a visit. He is a really nice guy. I told him about how Deesh's new initials will be 'DVD'. He cracked up laughing. That was a good sign in my book.

Wedding ceremonies went well. Deesh looked absolutely amazing!! I am not just saying that because she is my sister. I really thought she looked great. She is beautiful anyway and those days she just shined even more. Vipul was totally swept of his feet ;-)

After wedding I got to spend some time with the family. It was nice and lot of fun. Only bad thing was RAIN! There was so much rain all the days we were there. Fortunately, it didn't rain during the wedding.

Life has now gone back to normal. Back at home and back at work. At work I have so many project getting in their final stage. At home I've been a little social butterfly. I have invited guests over for dinner/lunch for last 3 weekends. I think I am finally done now.

Looking forward to the coming holidays....navrathri and diwali!!!

We went on the Mohwak trail last weekend. This was taken on a flower bridge. This flower really was the size of my face.

We're off!

It is almost time!! Our flight leaves tomorrow at 8:05pm EST from Logan. We should be in Rajkot by Sunday 8am IST. Masa will be dropping us off at the airport. We are flying Virgin Atlantic to UK, then Jet to Bombay and Jet again to Rajkot.
I can't believe the wedding is in one week only!!



Latest news from the wedding preperations are:
-Reception will be Aug11 in Rajkot.
-Disha has finished her major shopping. Now accessories(fake jewelry, shoes, bangles, bindis...etc) are left.
-Disha and Vipul are going to Cochin after wedding.
-Disha has extended her stay in India by 1 week. She will return on Aug 23rd.

Ok folks, this will be my last post until I return. I'm sure I'll have lots to post when I get back. Wish me a happy journey and a great time.

Later!

Disha's wedding preparations

Three days 'till departure for India!! I'm getting very excited. I talked to Deesh, yesterday (actually I have been talking to her almost everyday). She is busy with shopping now. She went shopping with her future mom-in-law. She picked out her 'ghar chodu' and all other saris from their side. She has also picked out gold from other side. Next on list, which might be completed by now, was 'chaniya choli' and 'panethar' and saris from our side. The shopping list is never-ending. I can't wait to go there and do a little of my own shopping ;-)

Meanwhile, the groom, Vipul has been harassing Disha to get a cell phone so he can call her ;-) (We all know about these phone calls.) He is also busy trying to book tickets for their honeymoon. This whole thing is so cutie, cutie.

Below is the wedding schedule:
Aug 8th: Lagan Lakhe
Aug 9th: Mandavo (morning)
Aug 9th: Saanji (evening)
Aug 10th: Wedding
*not sure about reception details

Mom and dad are going to Adilabad to visit mota-ba. She will not be coming to the wedding since she cannot make the journey to Rajkot. Rajubhai and Diptibhahi will also not be coming since Tirth is too small. They will definitely be missed. Mom, dad will be back in Rajkot on 6th and guess what!!...that is when we will also be reaching.

Aug 9th is Raksha Bandhan and I will actually be with my brothers in India for this day. It has been so many years since this happened last. I'm really looking forward to that!

Ok, that's it for now. More updates later.

Meri Pyari Beheniya Banegi Dulhuniya...

Just wanted to make a quick post about some exciting news. My sister is getting married!!! The engagement was yesterday and the wedding is on August 10th 2006. Her fiance's name is Vipul Dedhania...my sister will be Disha Vipul Dedhania...DVD! He is doing a fellowship and doing medical research. He has a younger brother who got married two months back. That means Disha is a 'Jetani' right of the bat.

Premal and I plan in attending the wedding. We will be leaving in next few days and will stay for 2 weeks. I welcome all of you to come and join us for the joyous occasion.

Before and After

Here are some updates on our plants!

Our veggie garden before and after...



Strawberry plant before and after...

few of photos from the wedding...

Past few weeks...

Past few weeks have been a bit busy. On Saturday, July 15th my cousin Nisha (my mama's daughter) got married. The wedding took place in US, but at many times it had the India feel to it.

One week before:
The guests started to arrive about a week in advance. Couple of days before the big day all guests and family had lunch and dinner at the bride's home in Billerica. Each meal had a different menu. On Thursday evening after dinner, all ladies were in the mendhi mode. Although 'mendhi rasam' was scheduled for Friday night we were all busy putting mendhi on each other.

Friday:
On Friday morning we all compared each others hands to see who had the best color. Of course this is when we started to joke about the darker the color the more love your husband had for you. Friday afternoon was the mandavo ceremony. It was held inside the house in the living room. The ladies sang wedding songs. The evening was supposed to be mendhi rasam as I said before, but it turned out to be a fun dance night. The guys mounted the speakers on the windows and we all danced in the driveway. It was fun.

Satruday:
Saturday morning we had a big responsiblity...we were in charge of bringing the groom and his mother to the mandap. Everyone was all dressed up in their saris. Nisha was looking beautiful. The ceremony was held outside and the temperature was climbing to 90 degrees. The heat was getting too much at times. But ceremony was not too long and soon it was photo session. Saturday evening was the big finale...the reception. Again everyone was dressed to impress. There was garba, slow dancing, and club dancing. All was fun and the food was great too. Soon the guests started to leave and party was over.

One week later:
One would think that things should get back to normal after that. Well... not quite. The out-of-town guests were still here and the personal lunch and dinner arrangements were made. Finally, after a week all the guests had left.

So now things should definately get back to normal, right? Wrong! My mom and sister head out to India. Then a week later we drop off dad to airport so he can catch his flight to India.

Today:
It seems like things are actually slowing down. Dad has reached India. All went well and everyone is doing fine there. They are waiting for us to join them, but that probably won't happen.

Funny Polls (2)...

It is so much fun to create a poll. Thanks to Tools I am stealing his idea. Feel free to pass on this URL to your better haves for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Who will have baby after Julie / Mehul?
	Aarti / Dhanesh
	Avani / Tulan
	Deepa / Premal
	Dolly / Mukesh
	Indu / Vijay
	Julie / Mehul
	Meghana / Raju
	Pintu / Rakesh
	Sital / Sanjay
	Swaroopa / Sukesh
	Zinkle / Sam

Funny Polls (1)...

Who will be married next?
	Ashish
	Disha
	Ekta
	Janki
	Jay
	Mamta
	Nirav

Mumbai Help...

Yesterday was a very sad day for India. Seven bomb blasts in Mumbai in 15 mins time killing 185 people. For what reason? For what purpose? Thay say terrorists planned this. The whole things gets me so angry. These terrorists obviously have no heart and no soul.

Anyway, I saw a link to help people find their loved ones in Mumbai. Not sure how helpful this is but it is worth a post. Link is Mumbai Help.

Around the house...

Seems like after 2 years of owning our home we are slowly growing a 'green thumb'. Last year we planted a few random things. But this year we have gone all out. We have new bushes, tulips, random flowers and other plants for the front of the house. In the backyard we are growing a full-fledge vegetable garden! It includes tomatoes, green chilies, bell peppers, zucchini, cabbage, and eggplant. We also have a mint plant and a strawberry plant. Thanks to my in-laws and all the rain we got this year the plants are doing great. You can see the pics below.

For the longest time I thought growing all these plants was probably a desi thing. But I was wrong. Yesterday, the hubby and I went for a walk around our neighborhood and to our surprise we saw another house with a vegetable garden. The owners were not desi. Their garden was actually bigger and better than ours. They even had some of the same veggies as us. So, I guess it's not a desi thing after all.

If you are really interested and want to see the whole album of the plant photos, click here.

Update...

Ok, so vacation ended a long time back. Sorry for not updating earlier. We had a blast. We went to Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Powell, Zion National Park, and of course Vegas. We also had a nice surprise at our stop over in Salt Lake City. It's hard to pick a favorite out of these places. Grand Canyon was wonderful, definitely wish we had more time to do some hiking there. Sedona was gorgeous....the architecture was beautiful. We went to a chapel which was so clamming and peaceful. Lake Powell was nice too. Went to a damn and Horseshoe Canyon....both worth seeing. Vegas was nice, but not really my scene as I don't like gambling and I don't like cards. But it was worth going at least once. The hotels were amazing, the lights, the decor, the attractions were all great. We had a 4 hour stop over in Salt Lake City so we took a tour of the city. To our surprise it turned out to be a very beautiful place. Weather was mostly in our favor so everything turned out great. See our snaps: Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Powell, Zion, Vegas, Salt Lake City.

So what's going on now?...well seems like a lot of things. First is that the in-laws are going back to India in a week. I can't believe it has been more than 2 months already. Seems like just yesterday Premal and I were making the house ready for them. And now it won't be the same without them. Its sad to see them go, but I won't miss the frequent trips to the grocery store or the shopping malls.

Second, work has been a little crazy. I have many projects going on right now. Some are more interesting than others. I'm going on my first training...pretty excited about that.

That's all for now.

Vacation Time

Sorry for not writing an entry for awhile. Life has been very busy recently. In-laws are in town and work has been crazy. But the good news is that this Saturday I am going on vacation! Whole family is going together to visit Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. I have never seen either so I am looking forward to it. I'm not sure which one will be better. Grand Canyon has the nature aspect and Vegas is totally opposite where everything is man-made. Grand Canyon will also be a bit cooler where Vegas will be in the 80s. I'll give all the wonderful details when I get back.

While I will be on vacation a major move is happening in our office building. Our whole group will be moving from 2nd floor to the 1st floor. I will get a window office again! But before I go not only do I have to wrap up my work I also have to wrap up my office. Coming back is gonna be killer. I will be tired and running on few hours of sleep, on top of that I will be getting back to a packed office. It's sad that I am already worried about getting back even before I go.

Spring or summer?

Spring is here! And I don't mean the one on the calendar, I'm talking about the real spring. At least it feels like it today.

I went out for lunch, got in my car and it was hot and stuffy. I can't remember the last time I felt that. In mid-summer I hate that feeling, but today it was welcomed. I had to roll down the windows and it felt absolutely great! People were running, going for walks, and sitting outside.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer than today. It will be nearly 70 degrees! But wait...maybe that's too hot too fast. Spring temperatures are around 60s and we are talking about 70s here. Is spring only today? If so, it looks like I'm gonna miss it. (And I was so looking forward to seeing the tulips come up this year.)

My in-laws are coming from India for a visit in the 2nd week of April. I told them a week back that it is very cold here. But, if the temperatures keep up then by the time they get here it will be summer weather and they will think I my definition of cold is crazy.

Well, what can you expect...it's New England weather....if its hot and humid today, don't be surprised if its snowing tomorrow.

Mad Hair Day

Recently, I went for a haircut. Oh, the horror. I really hate going for one, but my hair was getting really long. So it was time.

It is such a big risk everytime. I told the lady I wanted just couple of inches off the back and then some long layers. Well, her 'couple of inches' and my 'couple of inches' are very different apparently. She cut way more than I wanted and there was nothing I could do about it. Seriously, what could I do? She can't glue it back on....she can't redo the whole thing. I am basically stuck with what she has done.

Wish there was some rule that if the hair stylist makes an error with your hair, you should be able to cut their hair. That would be great.

Birthdays...

Month of March is a big Birthday month. I have so much family and so many friends who's birthdays are in March. Consider this a shout out to all those birthdays...

March 1 - Bhartimasi

March 3 - Sital

March 7 - Dad

March 8 - Anvibhabhi

March 9 - Soni

March 10 - Jagdishmasa

March 12 - Mummy

March 19 - Kishoremama

March 19 - Rakeshjijaji

March 21 - Diptibhabhi

March 21 - Charu

March 24 - Amita

March 27 - Pintu

March 29 - Daddy

Happy Birthday to all!

Indian Women

It is safe to say that for many Indian women their career is not their top priority. Especially, a woman that is married and has children. For her, her family is top priority. In many cases their husbands' are earning enough and there is no need for her to work.

But, it is always nice to hear when a fellow 'desi' woman is striving in her career. It gives a sense of hope that you can have it all and it can be done.

Today, I guide you to read a very interesting blog entry from Curry Youth .
It talks about a recent, special publication of Business Today Magazine dedicated to Powerful Woman of India.

'Tis the baby season...

If there is such a thing as 'Baby Season', then it is going on now. I know a total of 6 people that I encounter in my everyday life that are currently pregnant. I won't mention names, but I am gonna list them just for fun. I will go according to due date.

1. Woman at work. Though I am not too close to her, I see her all the time. She is due this Monday, the 27th.
2. Friend at samaj. She is a tiny little thing. My prediction is that she will have a girl. She is due early March.
3. Friend at samaj. She has become tiny during her pregnancy. My guess is she will have a boy. She is due late March.
4. Friend from college. We studied the same major. Her baby shower is coming up. She is having a girl. Think she is due in April.
5. Woman at work. She is friends with the earlier woman I mentioned from work. She is having a boy. She is due in June.
6. Friend at work. She has not told anyone about her pregnancy yet. She is due in August.

But, wait...I'm not done. As if the above isn't bad enough...I know another 4, yes 4, women that are trying.

So, of course with all this going on around me I can't help but wonder about my life. Am I gonna miss the boat if I don't jump on?....Naaaa...after some thought, I decided I don't mind being the only one on the boat when the time comes. Plus, I want to see how all these people handle being moms. Maybe I can learn a thing or two for when it is my turn.

Happy Valentine's Day Sweety...

Today's entry is dedicated to my sweetheart...

I know it may sound sappy, but I love him very much. He makes this thing called life a better place to be in. He is my Valentine all year around. He knows me so well and still wants to be with me. He is a great guy and a wonderful husband. I can't imagine my life without him.

Snow Bored...

Let it snow....let it snow...let it snow...(but not ALL day).
It started snowing here last night while I was sleeping. I woke up and looked out the window and the world was covered in a beautiful sheet of white and it was still snowing. Something about seeing mother nature do her thing put me in a good mood. I was hoping after breakfast it would stop snowing so that I could go out and enjoy it. Unfortunately, it didn't. Infact, it is now 6:00pm and it is STILL SNOWING!!

We haven't had too much snow this year so I was looking forward to this storm, but enough already. I have been stuck in the house all day and it is getting boring now. Earlier, I thought that maybe a walk in the snow would be fun, but it is too cold and windy. Going for a drive is out of the question. All the roads are a mess. So I have no choice, but stay inside with nothing to do. I am almost looking forward to work tomorrow...well almost.

So, after this experience I have decided that a snow storm might be better on the weekday. Especially, if the weather is so bad that you can't get to work. Just the thrill of not having to go to work on a day you would normally, can get you through the day.

Do you SU DOKU?

SU DOKU...a Japanese name that means "the digits must remain single". A game from Japan. It was first published in US in 1979. But I guess no one really liked it then.

My first encounter of this game was on a flight where I saw it in a magazine. My hubby and sister were with me and they explained the rules to me and I was hooked. Next day at work I asked if anyone had heard of it. Turns out I was the only one living under a rock. It has been popular internationally for the past year.

Recently, I have been noticing it everywhere. Most papers run it, magazines run it, bookstores have whole sections dedicated to it, its online everywhere....and who knows where else it is. And why shouldn't it be. You don't need to know how to read, or write or even how to add. It' s a puzzle that almost anyone can do.

Click here for a link to SU DOKU...or just do a search for it...you will get hundreds of hits. Happy SU DOKU - ing.

License to have babies

I read about this story few days ago and I just couldn't believe it. This baby was born premature and was kept in the hospital until she was healthy. When she was finally released the mother took her home, put her in a plastic bag, drove to the river and dropped her in. Luckily, she was rescued and is doing fine now. You can read the whole story here.

Why would anyone do such a thing? There is no reason for it. I feel sad when I think of all those couples who want a baby so badly, but are having trouble conceiving. And here is a mother who was able to give birth to this baby and just throws her in the river!?

Sometimes I think you should have a license to have babies. Really. There should be some interview process that checks your mental health. If you pass only then you can have babies.

Where does the time go?

Today was just another day. I woke up, got ready for work, drove in the crazy traffic and finally got to work. I continued my daily ritual at work which is to get coffee, check email, then read today's new Dilbert. I have a daily desk calendar which I have gotten so used to reading every morning. Thanks to Deesh, who gave it to me for my birthday, I am now totally hooked. So, today while I tore off yesterday's date and read today's I was a little shocked....it's Feb 1st!!! Where did January go?

It's not like a lot happened last month either. It was a nice relaxing month. No crazy schedules on the weekends, got to sleep in late, no major parties....and still it went by fast. At this rate we will be seeing 2007 soon.

Oh well, what can you do? Today actually happens to be our Accord's 3rd birthday.

Adding Images

I'm learning how to add images to this blog. I love to take pictures and hope to be posting a lot of them here. So I guess this is like a trial run for me. This one was taken on our trip to Bermuda last September.

This is another one taken in Bermuda. It was an absolutely amazing place.

starting my blog

It was bound to happen...there was no avoiding it...everyone is doing it these days. So, I finally joined those millions of people (who don't need to spend any more time than they already do in front of a PC) and started a blog.

LOL!!

Let me explain that laugh.

If anyone has ever chatted with me online you know I am a bad speller. This blog has a wonderful option for checking spelling. So I ran it on this entry you are reading. First word with error was......'blog'....apparently 'blog' is not in the dictionary of this BLOG site!

Oh, this is gonna be fun!