Some ranting

I find it hard to accept when I hear someone killed himself/herself. Even worse is when I hear a father killed the whole family and then killed himself. Seriously – what can be sooo bad that you have to take a life/lives? If you have the courage to kill your innocent 4-5 year old kids, what is out there that you can not face? I’ve seen multiple cases recently where the family is losing their homes, losing jobs and then as a last act of desperation, killing the whole family and themselves. Why?!!! Why?? Why?? People get set on a type of a lifestyle and they just can not see themselves living a lesser of a lifestyle. Atleast that’s one reason I see behind these killings. When did we become so vain?

P.S. This and this prompted this post. And I just found this!!! God help us!

Beating myself up

Yet another year went by and I still weigh about the same as I did at the beginning of the year, if not more! No clear muscle definition is visible either! So it's not like I've lost fat and gained muscle! On top of that, Tanveer has gone all out on health and fitness this year! As some of you already know, he did the Livestrong challenge this year. He is planning on doing it again in 09. He is also digging up all these core strengthening exercises from the web and actually doing them! He has made a lot of changes to his eating habit and I can see the results of all these, yet I still am not motivated enough to do those things for myself! How sad is that!? Oh did I mention he actually bought a treadmill for me since I always said that if we had one at home, it will be easier for me to workout? Meanwhile, yet another of my uncles suffered a stroke this year. This one brings the number to FIVE strokes/heart attacks on my mom's side of the family! So I am a high risk too.

I secretly wish for my pre-pregnancy body back. I fantasize about how I will work out, eat healthy and become a size four again, but put any food in front of me and I forget all about eating healthy, getting that body back, let alone be more responsible for my health. I tell myself I'll work out when I get home, but when I get home, I feel too lazy/find excuses not to exercise. It scares me to think what would happen to the kids if I am not there to take care of them, but I obviously don't feel strongly enough to make becoming healthier a priority. What an awful person I am!

I've been soooooo down last couple of days. What can I do that would not let me forget what my priorities should be when there is a box of cookies in front of me? I don't need to go to a body building competition. I don't even need to look good in a dress. I need to be healthy - for myself, for my kids, for my family.

No more sad endings

I have come to the conclusion that I don't ever want to watch a romantic movie that has a sad ending! I watched "Mr. and Mrs. Iyer" last night. If you haven't watched the movie yet, stop reading here. Major spoilers ahead. Why the hell couldn't she go with him? She should have just gone off to the jungle with him and had dinner with him under the moonlight while getting bitten by the mosquitos! AND she would have been happier! Who cares that there is no running water? Who gives a damn that they are from different religions? After all, they are not real! Its only a movie! Just make the audience happy!!!!!!!!!!

Same goes for "Lust, Caution". Its only a movie people! Just let the general save the poor girl and let her wear her quail diamond ring and her nice clothes and let her lust after him. Done. everyone is happy. What's so hard to understand with this concept?

I think I am going to watch more hindi movies from now on. 100% guaratee that the guy is going to get the girl, no matter how many twists there are in the plotline. One movie gives you romance, action, suspense: what more do you want??!!

Life is not fair

We were eating lunch when his phone rang. He looked at the number and excused himself to answer the phone. Within seconds, I could see the smile getting wiped off of his face. He is usually always smiling, somewhat of a goofball. It was really unsettling to see the range of emotions playing on his face, none of them a familiar look on him. Looked like he wanted to cry. After he hung up, he told me his grandmother just passed away in India. He is moving back to India in a week. I spent a lot of my drive home imagining him as a little kid, being spoiled by his grandmother. Hope he is doing ok.

Election Night Tidbits

7:48 pm
It must be surreal for the candidates to sit there and watch the numbers

7:57 pm
I hope and hope and hope that I NEVER, EVER have to see Sarah Palin after tonight. Not even on 2012! Please go away!

8:21 pm
Huffington Post is saying: Obama 103, McCain 34!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

8:47 pm
I want something sweet...

8:55 pm
Was trying to convince Neetha to come over. Didn't work :-(

9:09 pm
Glad to hear that Toot's vote for Obama will be counted :-)

9:26 pm
THANK YOU OHIO!

9:48 pm
Can't wait for Obama's victory speech. I think I'll most definitely cry! :-P

10:01 pm
Found THREE old friends on FB

11:04 pm
HELL YA!!!!!!!!!! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!

11:38 pm
Proud to be a part of this historical moment in this great country

11:43 pm
What is Anderson Cooper going to do from tomorrow? :-P

12:26 am
(sigh of relief) Yes we can!

My take on Palin

Those who say they are going to vote for McCain because they like Palin, scare the shit out of me. Come on people! Do you not realize that, God forbid, if something happens to McCain, it will be her running the country!?! Didn't we learn anything from EIGHT embarrassing years under Bush?! Come to think of it, compared to her, Bush seems intelligent! She is just too bubbly, too pageant like! I don't want my VP to be an intellectual featherweight! I don’t think I've ever disliked any woman this much without really knowing her! Every time I hear the expression that Palin is "only a heartbeat away from the presidency", my heart skips a beat! God forbid, if they make it to the White House, I’ll have to start praying for McCain’s good health!

BTW, Tina Fey was just ridiculously awesome as Palin! :-P

Holy Guacamole!!!!!!

It just rained over here. Well, there really wasn't any raindrops! It was all hail. This was picked up after another five minutes of rain and still look at the size!

Mosquitoes

I got a chuckle out of this piece as I was listening to it on the radio on my way to work this morning. You could read the article here but I'd say listen to it. It was kinda funny! Or maybe its just my weird sense of humor :-P

Look what I found at the library!!!

I went to get some books for the kids from the library yesterday and the first book caught my eye! How cool! Needless to say, I brought it home, but we were not able to read it cause a little girl was intent on reading "Run, mouse, run". Most of the words were simple enough that she could read them on her own and I think this new found achievement made her want to read it over and over and over again. Raffae patiently waited, and waited and waited for his turn, but I was not allowed to put "Run, mouse, run" down. I'll have to make sure we read Raffae's pick first tonight.

Space junk

I was driving the other day and wasn’t really paying attention to the radio. Something must have caught my ears and I started listening to the interviewer talking to some Hillary supporters, asking them if they are ready to support Obama. This one guys says something like “I don’t trust Osama, I mean Obama. I’m sorry. Their names are very similar. His middle name is Hussain. He used to live in a Muslim country. I am just not sure if I can trust someone like that.” I swear I wanted to hurt this guy violently. I mean seriously! How can you be this close minded?! As far as I am concerned, you are occupying valuable space on this earth. Could I please hurl you out of this earth into the vast space where you can be just space junk?!

Weekend Frolickings

Our local shopping center opened a Coffee shop and we have been meaning to take the kids there to see how they behave! So on Saturday morning, put some coloring books, crayons, books etc in a bag and took the kids there! They LOVED it and were content to sit there on the couch/rug and color! At one point, Zoya was laying on the couch with her feet propped on the back of the couch, eating her apple! Looked very comfy! :-)

Then we went back home, filled up the small backyard pool/slide combo my sister sent for the kids and let them play in there for a while. We have had trouble with getting Zoya into the pool in the past, cause she thinks the pool is just an extension of the bathtub and wants to take off ALL her clothes when she gets to the pool! So when we saw that she was happily playing in the small pool, we decided to take the kids to the community pool. She just jumped right into the pool and never came out! She was in 2.5 feet of water, floating holding one of those foam noodle thingy! Raffae has been going to the pool for the past two years and still can't float! She is just such an daredevil! I should also mention that she was wearing a mickey mouse swimming trunk and nothing else. So a lot of people thought she was a boy! :-P I couldn't get her to wear any of the pink/yellow girls swim suits!!!!!! So I got her the trunk thinking she would probably wear this since she loves Mickey Mouse. Now she refuses to wear anything else, even a top! LOL

I then went to a co-worker's wedding reception which was fun, cause I got to dress up and all my non-desi co-workers were completely at awe at my saree!!!!!!!! I am such an attention hogger!

On Sunday, we got up late and went to a birthday lunch party. Within two minutes of arriving there, Zoya got hit on her nose by a frisbee! It was ugly! There was blood everywhere and I had to spend the rest of the time there, trying to placate her! I was just glad her nose was ok!

So didn't do anything this weekend as far as laundry, cooking etc is concerned but did have loads of fun and the weekend just ended way too quickly!

This I believe

This piece made me cry. Seriously.

Read and listen here

She might never know it, but I am so very proud of this young lady.

Ramblings on a Tuesday

I've been going through mood swings a lot lately. I get annoyed at the kids easily, I am stressed at work, I keep telling myself I'll start going to the gym this week and "this week" never materializes. I often think I will not be materialistic, I won't be vain, I won't be judgmental; yet I find myself in knots from worries that are truly vain in nature, I judge people when I don't take the time to get them to know better. I am nearing 40 and I feel like I should be able to do/say what I want to do and say, yet find myself stifled by my own inhibitions. I am letting myself down, I am letting my family and friends down and I have no one but myself to blame.

The Ogre in me

I have been in a nasty mood this past weekend. I took out my frustration and anger on people around me. In an effort to stay away from everyone, I tried cleaning out closets and drawers; threw away whole bunch of stuff, but I still bristled. I cleaned bathrooms, yet the raging bull inside me was dying to get out. I need to get a handle on my emotions. I need to say what’s on my mind even if it would mean confrontations that I try to avoid. By avoiding confrontations, I am creating conflicts. Not a win-win situation.

Am I too paranoid?

I heard this story on the radio this morning. Came to work and looked it up online. It really scared me even though the news article is saying they have ruled out terrorism! The fact that this happened in a small town makes me even more uncomfortable. The person they interviewed on the radio said the town never used Chlorine for their water system before and visitors used to praise how the water tasted there. Now they have to use Chlorine to flush out the Salmonella. Made me sad.

Link to the article

Let’s start with what’s on my mind. Shall we?

Raffae is scheduled to attend Kindergarten orientation in May!! I can’t believe he will be going to school, making friends, going to the cafeteria, making lunch choices, reading, writing – all by himself?! I hope he loves school. He is such a happy child that I know he will. I hope no one picks on him or bullies him!

I am ready for summer, ready for a new job with shorter commute. Need to start applying…….

Blog Hiatus

I have been soooooooooo busy at work these past couple of months that I didn't even think about blogging. Now I don't know if I want to come back! I don't know if I have anything to write about. Did anyone miss me?

Such a waste

My kids scare me sometimes!

I was watching Amazing Race last night. This morning, as I was driving the kids to school, Raffae gave me a scene-by-scene description, along with the exact lines spoken by the different people on the show. He remembered everyone’s names, which team got to the finishing line in what order, everything! I’ve been watching the show diligently as usual, but I still don’t know everyone’s names!

Yesterday, I was sorting out the Baby Einstein DVDs that Zoya loves to watch. We have 10 -12 DVDs. So I had all the DVD boxes and all the DVDs in front of me. Zoya would pick up a cover, look at the animal picture on the cover and tell me “Mommy, can you find green?” - meaning that specific DVD has a green border!!!!!!!!!!! She was correct every single time! Good God!

I wish I had memory like that!

2007 in pictures

I meant to put this post up on December 31st. Raffae got sick and we also planned a last minute New Years Eve party, so I never got to finish this post ontime. Nonetheless, here are highlights of the clan from 2007.

• Raffae and Zoya made new friends






• I met up with friends: old and new.





• Zoya grew an insatiable appetite for apples!





• Raffae's accomplishments:




• Did loads of stuff with the kids




• We traveled to visit family and new places




• Had good food!!!




• It was GREAT to have my mom here with us!

To all the important people in my life, wishing you a wonderful year ahead.