Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Something about the Holidays..........

makes me gush.
This weekend is the Thanksgiving long weekend in US.. and though it’s not Long for me (Read working on Friday when rest enjoy lazy mornings or shopping craziness).. I am still excited about it.
.... This year we are meeting our very dear friends for a proper Sit Down Thanksgiving dinner. Very enthusiastic for that. Followed by another gathering of friends for the awesomest company.... followed by another gathering of eclectic cuisines and again most awesomest company...... topping it all with our Wedding Anniversary on Sunday!
..........Perfect..............
The weather has definitely cooled off, but we will try to make it for the yearly Macy's Parade for Vedika. She calls it the big balloons parade. Rightly so.
The trees are all lit, the excitement in voices and the sweet treats are everywhere. People just tend to smile a lot more this time of the year.
..........Perfect..............
V gave us a lovely TGiving card with her hand print representing the rooster. She is enjoying school and teaching me why there is pumpkin pie and why there is TGiving. So it’s a lot of fun listening to her babble.
..........Perfect..............
And these are all the more reasons why I heart Chicago this time of the year.
Great City, Great Friends and above all... Great Spirit!

Note: I know awesomest is not a word.........but its the perfect word!

Happy Thanksgiving to all... whatever your plans. Have an amazing time.

Chicagooooooooo

I love you! I really do. Yes, I despise the winters, the unpredictable snow, wind chills, rain and everything else cold weather related.......but Chi-Town.. I love you :-D
In US, I have lived on West Coast, East Coast and now am in the Mid-West... and all the different places I lived, I made memories. I enjoyed the cities I have lived in and the people I have met, my friends etc... but Chicago.. I heart you!
Why suddenly this gush?
I really don’t know.
But the street lighted up in holiday moods, the cozy indoors, the summer memories, the winter preparations for toddler entertainment, the lovely winter scarves are all making me gush! Really they are... and I am excited to wake up to snow sprinkled on the roads, lovely boots to be strutted and above all... Coffee and Coco... lots of them!

Aaah.. Chicago..and weather gods... please give us a winter exactly like last years.. Mild! :-)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Just below the boiling point....

How do you react? When you are right there, really ready to kick some A@@ or shout out profanities or just really blow off the steam. How do you behave when you are just below the boiling point?

A summer weekend, my husband went off for his weekly cricket game. I went to pick him up, since I had a few errands to run with him (Note: Spend some quality time with my husband and daughter! ;-))
I asked him, so how as your game? He replied.. It was good fun, lovely weather and perfect. Well almost.
He continues, there is this 'prick' at the games, who abuses left, right and center.
Now... this weekly cricket it with a bunch of likeminded people who love the game and enjoy this connection back to the roots.
Anyways, SD continues... at every ball the prick threw, every run he took, every shot he tried, this prick abused. And he didn’t just abuse randomly. It was directed at people. Just as effortless as one breathes, this prick abused.
I asked SD, how old was 'this prick'? You see, I think, when you are young, just getting over adolescent years, you somehow think it’s cool to abuse and get rid of the nerd glasses by just dropping F bombs. And I swear, I didn’t do that.. but I did see a few of my class mates doing that! We laugh about it now.
Continuing... SD said "It doesn’t matter. I gave him a piece of my mind and told the prick: "Once more, if you abuse me, the ball, the bat, the run, the ground.... its not going to be pretty". On a morning of the game, I am really not going to hear profanities."
The prick backed off and until I picked SD up, he didn’t utter anything. I was quiet astounded... by two things.
1. A person abusing just for the heck of it. Especially when he knows the audience is not appreciating it.
2. SD telling the guy point blank to back off.

Next weekend, I asked SD if he was going for cricket on Sunday.. he said.. Naah.. I really don’t like the prick. Game and all aside, it’s not worth it.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Just some time....

... for myself.
I have said it, written about it, discussed, it cried about it, felt guilty about it. But I have vented out and made sure to do something about carving some time out for myself. It might be just cooking. For me cooking is therapeutic. It’s relaxing and stress free... if I don’t have to entertain inquisitive toddlers questions all the time! But bottom line, with my continuous rants, I make sure to do something just for myself.. even if its once a week. It might be a girls night, a walk by myself, a manicure session, a gossip call with a friend, writing till wee hours of morning, a shopping spree.. anything!
The other evening, i thought about my husband- my team! He does not discuss, write, complain, nag or anything else for his lack of "me-time" Nothing. Nada. With both of us working, and him taking a daily two to three hour commute just so we can live next door to my work and daughter's day care reduces a relaxed evening for him to zero! The occasional downtime he does get is spent with our daughter, or catching up paper work outside work and other errands I ask him to do.
Hmm, now please don’t judge me as being a selfish prick who does not value the necessity for me-time for hubby. I value it completely and hence the realization -I am not supporting him as much as he is supporting me to carve out me-time for ourselves.
But, it leads to a bigger question, why does he not complain about the lack of "me time".
Are men wired so differently?
So I asked him?.. and all he said is, for "me-time" anything sports related is perfect. I don’t need to be doing something to feel relaxed. A mindless TV show, a movie or just sitting on the couch without getting bothered is good enough. When you are out for your me-time and kid is sleeping, it’s my me-time as well. No big deal.
Yes, I hugged him tight right there and then.
For me it’s not as simple, I need to be doing something for "me-time".
I am jealous. I am envious of the simplicity of his wiring. His me-time is a simple down time where he gets his mind and body relaxed. Nice.
I will try it sometime soon.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Smell of new...

..Its November already. Can you beleive that. Wasnt it just recently that I was planning the new years party and its November already. Wow.
So smell of new.... November is in the air.
Which for us Chicagoans mean, a chill in the air, falling leaves and gorgeous sun eluding us just a bit. It means summer clothes going in hibernation and the sweaters, covers, shawls, gloves coming out. It means warm coffees and warmer indoors. It also means the onset of festive seasons. Whether its Diwali, Thanksgiving, Xmas or just beautiful lights and "SweeT" atmosphere around.
The smell of New November is here.
I love Novembers! Lots of celebrations, milestones and a smile.
So tell me... aren't you feeling the smell of New Novemeber?