An evening of explosion

The hare and the tortoise(retold)

Lets set the stage now, shall we? Well for starters, we're not exactly talking about a hare here, its a rabbit. And the tortoise happens to be me. But the title still applies, because...well.. its my story and I get to say so!

While I was at the trail recently, over the weekend, I started off with a light jog just to get the juices flowing. It was rather early in the am...that time of dawn when the sun has just declared it a new day. All beings, big and small, awaken to accept the declaration...cardinals, sparrows, bluebirds, deer, plants, trees, shrubs...one and all. With my ipod on, I almost felt like the skies were singing, the sun was shining and the quiet of the dawn hours was soothing.

A few minutes later a little rabbit bounded out of the bushes. It waited till I was closer to where it stood and then frisked along in a dash a few yards ahead and over to the other side of the path. It again waited for me to catch up. Once I got closer, it made a dash this time over to the right side, again a few yards ahead and turned around expectantly. This went on for about 7-8 times with this little chit zigzagging across the path. I could almost see a smirk on its face and a tinge of mischief in its eyes. It was a game and I was roped in for good.

This went on till we reached an intersection with some heavy foot traffic. Off the rabbit went into the bushes again, looking back at me bidding a rabbit-y goodbye.

Nothing like a good game to make a run fun. And while we're on the topic of walks, trails, runs, hares, tortoises and I guess life as a whole...here's a fun quote I 'ran' into recently.


'A line is a dot that went for a walk' ~ Paul Klee(whoever he is/was, he sure had a sense of humor)

How do you test the range of a cordless phone?

...you take it out for a spin in your car, of course!

Erm, serendipitous discovery, I must say!

I was talking to my mom one morning and trying to get ready to head to work. So I figured I could talk to her enroute, I mean- we live in a cordless, wireless world now, don't we?.

So I slip on my sandals, pick up the car keys, laptop bag, lunch bag, hand bag(sigh, ALL the bags), cell phone and get into the car, pull out of the driveway and make the first turn to exit out of the subdivision. All along I am having a conversation. When I reach the next stop sign, suddenly I realise that the phone had died. Hm! The calling card couldn't have been drained, so why could it be?

A few seconds later I realize I'd been on the cordless phone. And boy! I was impressed. The signal strength was significantly long-range.

QED.

Lights, Sound....Action!

...as we begin the first few days of the onset of the month of Shravan, we here in Virginia are being treated to some entertaining shows that have arrived in the form of thunderstorms.

After a busy work day- filled with presentations, meetings and a random brownbag tech discussion thrown in here and there- summer months are busy at work. Once that is done, I have my date evenings with Jessica, my spin class instructor. She keeps me straight, she keeps me sane and she is the only person that can make me do what I should. When that's done with, its time to move on to chores.

Have all the bills been paid? Are there any stray renewals that need to be done? So many little things that all add up to one giant headache! Then its dinner time. With the dishes cleared away, one gets a chance to indulge in front of the idiot box, the sun room sofa seems like lying in the lap of luxury.

A few minutes into mindless entertainment and the DISH receiver goes into 'Downloading software...' mode. There's brilliant sound and light effects from the outside and before long a thunderstorm has decided to be the master entertainer.

I drag my feet to turn off the lights and get ready to hit snooze. There's more of the magnificent lightning effects that illuminate the trees and the houses around. Thunder chimes in with background music to make a complete package for an orchestra. Watching this live show sure is a good way to drift into the land of nod, me thinks.

This incomplete state

...Huh?

There are these states of incompleteness. Let me explain...you know..like an unfinished/unsent email(sitting in the drafts folder) or unread email pileup in the inbox or unopened postal mail or unfinished posts/drafts sitting in the blog...ya those items that haven't completed their destined cycle.

Those bother me. Whenever Seren visits me and logs into my laptop/PC with her credentials, I get a peek into her inbox. And instinctively I feel like cleaning it up for her. When I see a popup that says Inbox(1029) the obsessive-compulsive personality in me kicks into overdrive. When I have to login to Amma's email account, I clean it up for her- without fail.

And thus there are two drafts in blogger right now...not ONE..TWO of them. I decided I'd write a post on that and include these incomplete posts. At least this way, I have provided them a channel to complete their cycle. Very rarely do I start something and lose my train of thought. To me, a post languishing in drafts, it means I haven't given it my full. And that would cause me many sleepless nights(sigh!). So for what they were worth, here they go.

Statutory disclaimer : Please don't be asking me where I was headed with either one of them. Actually the first one is pretty obvious, the second...hmmm I really can't tell. I suppose I was recording a dialogue between the mind and the body. Surreal, huh?

1. Titled 'Guess who's coming to dinner?'
Some time ago, after reading some online reviews, I decided to sign up for Plinky. You know, for those times when you're at a loss for topics to write about. I signed up for a weekly digest of prompts to be delivered to my inbox which I promptly delete right after- because I usually already have fodder to write about and/or I am just not in the mood to write to begin with.

But these have been prompt(pun intended) and have been at it without complaint.

Just this morning I received a batch right at that crossroad where I was beginning to wonder about what to write. This one caught my eye and I figured I'd give it a shot.

If you could invite any three people in history to a dinner party, who would you pick?

Hmmm, here's my guest list then.

Daphne Du Maurier , the author and playwright. She intrigues me, she must had an interesting life and/or a very fertile imagination. Either way, she'll have tales to tell at the dinner table.

2. Titled 'In the calm of dawn'
5:30am : My body alarm went off and I was up. I am one of those that can't be in bed if the senses are fully awake. Its like an on-off switch, no idling in neutral. Usually within the next 15 mins or so, I am out in the trail for a good jog/walk and then back home to get ready to head to work. But this am, before the body could get to its schedule, the mind had decided to play a game(the coffee must've played tricks).

Mind - 'Do you really need to get out there this morning? Why can't today be a slack day? You know, just lounge in the sofa and finish the book?'

Body - 'Hmmmm'(its a 'thing' of few words, apparently)

Mind - 'Its alright dude, seriously. How does it matter if you didn't follow the schedule for one day?'

Body - 'Yes, there's gym class in the evening regardless'

Mind - 'Exactly!

Earth laughs in flowers

...says Ralph Waldo Emerson. Flowers, those that provide a dash of color, a burst of joy.

Flowers....if one were to ask me what is always included in my weekly grocery list(apart from the mundane milk and bread)...it would have to be the choicest bunch of seasonal flowers.

Growing up, I've always imagined being at a workplace with a flower on my desk. Something I'd change everyday. While that hasn't happened, I know that I will always have a fresh bunch of flowers to perk up my home. That much is assured.

The flowers are seasonal...from tulips to daisies to mums to lilies and carnations- my weekly trips to the grocery store accentuated by the last stop I make at the blooms section. Its the one thing that is different each week, its not definite or predictable. It could be a different color, a different species...either way they provide light up the place with the varied hues and perfumes.

Have you tried peonies? They smell lovely on the dining table. This week, in what seems like ages, I managed to find gladioli. These have a special fondness for me because they are available in plenty back home. The flower lady in Gandhi Bazar would always pick the freshest batch of gladioli for me(in a different color every time) and I'd pair it with something else...like a pack of daisies and make a bouquet of my own. Yes, gladioli and I go way back!

'When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.' says a Chinese proverb. Ya, go do just that. See how much a difference it makes.

Have a colorful weekend y'all!

Nutty treats for the weekend

Its been a while since I've posted about food, its even been a while since I baked. A friend of mine used to say baking was therapeutic. The measuring and the mixing and patting into baking trays- shaped as cookies or loaves or muffins all adds up to a combination of art and science and the aroma that pervades a home once the goods are done is unmatched. Last night I made a batch of pecan squares and chocolate-almond biscotti. The pecan ones went by fast, the poles didn't take to biscotti that much.



Happy weekend y'all!

Fatak

On repeat mode for over 48 hours now.....

All time high-July 2009

This month I bring to you one of my all-time faves(yes, it is an all-time high, no less)- this masterpiece by Gulzar, sung by Manna Dey from the movie 'Anubhav' directed by Basu Bhattacharya, produced by Basu Chatterjee. A heady combination which makes for an all-time high.

I specially like the second paragraph, chockful of meaning. The tune, the voice, the lyrics- love love love it all.



Phir kahi koyi phool khila, chaahat na kaho usko
Phir kahi koyi deep jala, manzil na kaho usko
Phir kahi koyi phool khila...

Mann ka samundar pyaasa hua, kyu kisi se maange duwa
Lahero ka laga jo mela, toofaan na kaho usko
Phir kahi koyi phool khila...

Dekhe sab woh sapne, khud hi sajaaye jo hamne
Dil unse behel jaaye to, raahat na kaho usko
Phir kahi koyi phool khila...

Positive affirmation

This morning, as I set my laptop to boot and walked away to get fill my water bottle, water the plants and start a new work day, I came back to realize that my laptop had decided to revolt. It refused to boot and spewed some error about something missing and hence being rendered unable to login and/or connect to the network.

With my limited PC skills, I tried to remedy the situation- not very successfully though. After about an hour of wrestling I decided to admit defeat and called the HelpDesk. I left a message describing my problem and requested express service since I was incapacitated. Some 3 hours later I got a call from them asking for more information about the problem at hand. Another hour later, as I was walking to the break room to grab a late lunch, I noticed a petite woman walking the aisle with a piece of paper in hand. As my eyes followed her, I observed she was headed towards my cube. I walked up to her and pretty soon realized she was going to be my savior.

I provided her with my login details so that she could be well on her way, offered her my chair and walked off for a long lunch. When I got back, I found a yellow sticky...from Faith. That was the person that had been my savior and had fixed my main mode of income-generation. She had left her contact information and a smiley face caricature as her signature.

Faith, what a positive-affirmation kind of name to have. Innit?

And on that topic, I noticed there was this new thing on facebook - a group that people could join to aid the cause of having a 'dislike' option. Like you know- 'Comment', 'Like' and now possibly 'Dislike'. I don't get it. Why specifically call out something negative. If you don't like something, you stay away from using the 'like' button. Period. Why do you need to express the 'dislike'? Whatever.

I read somewhere that 'Positive anything is better than negative nothing'. Enough said!