Chuckles!


Me: Hon, you have to make dinner tomorrow night.......
A: Oh no!
Me: Just make something different and nice and hot and spicy......
A: How about this - Let's go out for dinner!

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One night, A was busy looking up blackfriday deals on his laptop, and I was nagging him and driving him up the wall, as usual. He opened a new tab and ferociously typed http://www.dollhead.com/. Dollhead! Only he can come up with such names. Can you imagine? Someone with a doll's head, meaning having no brain. http://www.birdbrain.com/ would have been much better.

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It's a habit to eat something sweet after dinner, every night. Not for me, but for A. Just a small piece, but he has to have something sweet. Dessert. So, one night, he opened the fridge and asked,

"What would you like to eat for dessert, hon?"
"Hmmmm...nothing......."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep....what about you?"
"Ummmm....I was thinking of Gulab Jamun...."
"Oh, okay!"
"...with Vanilla Ice cream..... and some gulkand..."
"Whoa! Where did that come from?"

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So, we were watching Eat Pray Love and it just ended.
Me: "The movie doesn't have the same effect that the book has on you...."
A: "No, I like the movie!"
Me: "You like the movie, but you will love the book...."
A: "And you are Ketut?"

A snow day


A called at 3pm.
" I am leaving in 30 mins, baby. The snow is going to get worse and the roads are quite icy already.....everyone is leaving now....my bus is at 3:45...I'll see you soon."

"Oh cool! Be careful when you pick up the car and drive back home......"

Yay! A is coming home early, and the weather is below freezing and there is some potato sabzi left over from Alu Parantha. May be I can whip up some hot and spicy Alu Bonda. That with the hot n sweet Maggi sauce, will be an awesome treat, I thought. So I got out the sabzi from the fridge and warmed it in the microwave. I made up a batter with besan and went back to reading Michael Chrichton. I wouldn't have to get started with it until 4:30 pm or so, right when he would be home.

At 4:25 pm, A calls again.
"Baby, the bus just came....delayed because of the icy roads here....I should be home at least by 6:30pm"
"But it doesn't take more than an hour...."
"Yeah, but the road condition is bad....I must be there by 6:30.....will see ya soon."

Poof! My bubble burst. 6:30 pm is too late for an evening snack.....sigh. I curled up on the couch with my book, again.

At 5:30 pm, A calls again.

" What's wrong with your mobile? I am not able to get through to the land line.....have been trying for quite a while now...."
"Ummmm.....it has turned off.....needs to be charged..."
"Okay....am on I-5 and traffic is barely moving. The bus is so packed and there is no place to sit even. They have blocked the Express Lanes.....these f*@# heads. At this rate I think I won't get home for another 3 hours or so."
"Wh...what?"
"Yeah....don't wait for me...have your dinner."
"I thought you are going to get home early and I got all excited and got everything ready for alu bonda......"
"Oh, that's okay dear....I'll have it after I get home."
"Okay."

I switch on the local news channel on TV and listen intently for any traffic updates. I called A at 6:45 pm.

"Hey, was just listening to the news...looks like some disabled vehicle has blocked three left lanes on I-5. No wonder you are stuck. I looked up the freeway traffic map and it is green all the way from UW....you should be here pretty soon."
"UW? But am no where near it. It will be another 30 mins by the time I get there....."
"Oh....I see some black and red patches before UW....I think you are stuck some where there...."
"Hey, House starts at 8 pm, don't forget to record it for me..."

At 7:30 pm, A calls to say it is all clear and he should be home by 8:00 pm. Ah, at last! I start watching House while having my dinner. At 8:00 pm, A calls again.

"Guess what? The bus is stuck in the snow outside Masala Bar n Grill. I will have to just walk it from here to the car...."
"But, that's too far! What if you slip?"
"There's no other choice, dear....I'll see you in sometime..."

After walking for a mile and slipping and sliding on ice, he finally made it to the car. He got back home safely in one piece. Phew! What a day!

And this morning, when I looked out the window, I saw

This and that.....


That time of the year. No, actually, much before that time of the year, when you wake up one morning, draw the drapes, look out the window and your jaw drops at the sight of fresh white snow that has been assiduously working on covering every inch of the ground with a soft fluffy white comforter. Only, it is not all that comforting. Sigh! It is going to be a very looooooong winter.

I have not been feeling very well and could not get myself to write a post or two. A lot has happened at my end. I'll summarize it here-

1. A does most of the cooking these days as am not feeling too well. I get to be picky and blame it on my illness. So, I would do the occasional, "This is not hot!" or "Too salty..." or "Bring it over fast!" and drive him up the wall. But, seriously, he is a much better cook than me.

2. Watched My Sister's Keeper. I had been dodging it for a while just because it is very tragic, but then I wanted to get it off my DVR, so thought, what the hell, let me just get over with it. The movie has touched a part of me and has almost left a scar. It was a lovely concept, but why make such movies? To remind people of what? To be happy with the wonderful life we are blessed with? To live each moment as if it were the last? Yes, I am really thankful to God for the lovely life I have. But I just don't like watching all the suffering. It was very disturbing.

3. I am reunited with Maggie Hot n Sweet Tomato Chili Sauce. I eat it with Alu Parantha, Dosa, chips, just about anything. Cheese and cracker, Chips with the said sauce, roasted nuts, buttered toast with jam and Boost are my favorite these days. Am becoming one of those weirdos.

4. A went to the Huskies Football game last week. I am not sure if he enjoyed the game, but he enjoyed the food and the booze. He had got these VIP tickets where you sit in glass enclosed booths. It is actually great for this biting cold weather.

5. I really look forward to Thursdays because I get to watch Big Bang Theory and S*#%t My Dad Says. So hilarious. And Outsourced is so silly but I like watching it.

6. Saturdays have a schedule of their own. A makes coffee and toast, we have a leisurely lunch at Mediterranean Kitchen, run some errands and get back home to watch a movie or two. What else can one do in this darn weather?

7. Looks like our planets have lined up in some rare favorable positions, because, we are winning things these days. Totally unexpected lucky draws.

Rest, later. I gotto go now.

Diwali ki shubh kamnayen!


Happy Diwali to all my readers! Being a party hopper is not that easy, I realized. Festivity and celebration was in the air from Thursday night, with lights put up everywhere. With Diwali during the Fall and Pumpkins stacked all over Grocery stores like huge balls of fire, I was inspired by Veggie Belly to make Pumpkin Halwa. It was a lot of work but quite delicious indeed.

On Friday, the official Diwali day, we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I know, quite a mockery, but we did not want to head out to an Indian restaurant and wait in the long line to be seated and then get crappy service, reason being big crowd for Diwali, and then grumble about the whole experience. So, Chinese it was. We went with some friends and loved the spicy food and the atmosphere. After dinner we went to the old, stinking Indian Movie Theater and watched Golmaal 3. The movie was rubbish, as well. I am not a fan of slapstick comedy. Um...no can't do.

It was also the weekend when we got to meet all kinds of people. My friend K was leaving Seattle for good and so, she had a going away party at her place. It was nice to meet Microsoftees, Ex-Microsoftees who finally realized they need to get a life, Deli owners, Technical Writers, Opera Singer, Stay-at-home mom and many more. I was a little overdressed for the party because I had another Diwali party to go to, right after. With my batik and highly ornate Rajasthani outfit, big hoop earrings, a beautiful necklace and an assortment of red bangles, I received compliments like "Very pretty..", but quite honestly, I must have looked a little scary to them.

Our next stop was a Desi Diwali Party. Lots of food, fire crackers and games and gupshup. We got back home past midnight. Sunday, there was yet another Diwali Party, at an ABCD's place in Downtown Seattle. More food, Bollywood Dancing and meeting a very different group of people. Now, I am done with parties. I am tired of the -

"Hi, I am so and so....Nice to meet you!"
"What do you work?"
"Where are you from?"
"Where do you live here? Oh, so far!"
"How do you like it here?"
"Miss your family?"
"Do you plan to go back?"
"Oh, you bought a house! Then, you are not going back!"
"How do you know so and so?"
"What's happening otherwise?"
Blah blah blah!

Oh no...not for a while, at least!