Adios 2009 and Welcome Twenty10

It's New Years' Eve today. The last day of 2009.

Reminds me of this quote: "New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. "


As I reflect on the past 12 months, I realize that it has been a very blessed year for me and my loved ones. And a very eventful one as well.

It started with my sister's engagement is January, and post-wedding puja at my in-laws hometown in Gujarat. Then my hubby found a permanent job in the same town as me, so finally we could settle down here. We then made a huge decision of buying our first new home together, and invited all our family and friends for a wonderful housewarming party. Some of my close friends are now our neighbors, and the house has kept us busy since we moved in.

On the work front, even with this depressing economy, both hubby and I managed to sustain our jobs. Hubby had to work harder than me on that front, and I am proud of all his efforts.

My sister got a summer internship with P&G, and got a great work experience for 3 months as a result. This will help boost her efforts to find a full time position in her field.

We also traveled to new places - like Burney Falls, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Channel Islands. We did a bunch of new activities together, like sea kayaking, lake kayaking, river rafting, camping and biking.

We celebrated Diwali with a great BBQ n potluck party at our home with friends. We also celebrated my sister and her fiance's birthday in LA/San Diego, where we all went to see Lion King LIVE on Broadway.

I also read few good books, watched some great movies, and spent quality time with friends. Blogging was another enriching experience for me this year.

The end of this decade also marks my decade in the US. YES - I came to this country in January 2000, and never thought I would live here for so long. I entered as a fresh graduate, fresh off the boat, naive person, with dreams to study and work in the corporate world. Little did I know that I would land a job at the #1 semiconductor company in my field. I had no idea of my capabilities as a professional, nor my vulnerabilities.

It's been such an enriching journey, and it just keeps getting better.

Twenty10 promises to be a fantastic year. There are so many exciting events to look forward to.

I wish all my blog readers a happy and blessed 2010 - full of love, warmth, laughter, good health, peace and prosperity!

Cheers to the new decade :)

A book review on Rowing the Atlantic

St. Augustine quoted:
"People travel to wonder at the height of the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet they pass by themselves without wondering."

Adventure fascinates me. I love to explore. And travel. I think I got it from my dad.

Growing up, we traveled a lot across India. Every couple years, we would visit new places. I have been to Kashmir twice, and it is still #1 on my list of "favorite places I have visited so far". Each trip with my family would be an adventure. We were not rich, so we traveled mostly by train and bus, and mom packed lots of meals from home to save money on food. Every trip brought our family closer, and every trip taught me few lessons worth cherishing.

After coming to the US, I have done several adventurous things....and maybe the most significant has been my hike to Half Dome in Yosemite (~18-mile round trip with 4800 ft elevation gain). Each trip to a national park in the US has been amazing - kind of sacred - and has taught me so much. Apart from hiking, I love biking, playing tennis/racquetball, kayaking, etc and have tried adventurous things like hang-gliding, white water rafting and most recently sea kayaking.

I read an article recently on CNN.com about Roz Savage , the ocean rower. I read a few of her blog posts, and came to know that she was releasing her first book "Rowing the Atlantic" - Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean...and was intrigued. I decided to order the book and finished reading it last week.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely loved the book.

How many of us would dare to leave our jobs, divorce our husbands, leave all materialistic possessions behind and decide to row SOLO across an ocean to find happiness and a purpose to live? I just admire the guts this woman has. Agree that the measures she took to find happiness are extreme, and not everyone needs to go to the great lengths she did, but I do admire her courage.

While reading the book, I reflected upon my life a lot. I love books that make me do that. I realized I am fairly content with how my life is right now. I am not unhappy. I don't hate my job....I would love to do something different than engineering, if given an opportunity, but I certainly don't hate my work at this time. I feel extremely loved by my family, my husband, and my friends. At every point in my life when I am going through difficulty, I feel blessed to have people who I can rely upon and who can be trusted.

Having said that, there are few things that could definitely change in my life to make me feel happier (it's a relative term, isn't it?).

Coming back to the book, what I loved the most is Roz's description of all her challenges at sea, and how she handled them, and the thoughts that went through her mind at that time. She was the last person to start the race, and she didn't like that. She secretly hoped she would do better, and she did. I saw a bit of myself in her when she described that.

Throughout the book, she beautifully illustrates Mr. Self-critical, Mr. Self-Doubt, Mr. Guilt and Mr. Competitive. I enjoyed reading how she deals with them during her adventure.

While reading through her pages which described her upbringing and education, I reflected a lot upon how I grew up. In a very different environment, to say the least. I will not say that I don't desire for materialistic possessions, but I do feel I am mostly content with what I have, at any point in life. When I came to the US, my dad helped fund a loan for my education, and it was the first time I had taken such a huge debt. So I used to think twice even to buy a banana for a snack, which I found very expensive coz I was still converting $$ to Rupees in my head all the time.

When I recently purchased a home, I bought the most affordable one, which a lot of my friends feel small. I find it more than spacious for my needs and I am happy. It doesn't have a huge backyard, or a pool, or a big kitchen, or a jacuzzi....but it has all the basics that a couple would need, and much much more than that. It has a lot of upgrades, which I like, and its brand new. More than anything, it fits our budget at this time, and when I go to bed every night, I feel peaceful, rather than stressed.

Coming back to Roz's adventure. I loved how she always found a way to believe in herself. When, one by one, all of her oars broke, and she figured out how to move on. Her blisters, her tendinitis and how she dealt with them. Her days after her satellite communication failed. I was impressed that she carried a sprout maker with her on the boat - a lightweight inexpensive thing which had such a great use for this kind of journey. The Ziploc bag of homemade greetings cards from her mom reminded me of mom's love - nothing can beat that.

Solitude - how many of us have spent so many days by ourselves, anywhere on this earth, with no contact with human beings? It's frightening for most, I am sure. I routinely have days when I am off the internet, minimal phone calls, no TV, with just a book to read. But that's just a day and its easy.

These are the life-learned philosophies that Roz has shared on her website :

• Don’t waste mental energy asking yourself if you CAN do something. Just do it. You’ll surprise yourself. I did.

• Be clear about your objectives. Ignore others, stay true to yourself and measure success only against your own criteria. I was last to finish the race – big deal. I went out there to learn about myself, and I did.

• The only constant in life is change. So don’t get depressed by the bad times, and don’t get over-excited by good ones. Accept that things are exactly as they are, and even bad times have something to teach us.

• Life can be magical, but magic only gets you so far. Then you need discipline, determination and dedication to see it through.

• Hope can hurt. The danger is that you hope for too much and set yourself up for disappointment. Be optimistic but realistic. Nothing is ever as good or as bad as you expect it to be.

• Be mindful of the link between present action and desired future outcome. Ask yourself: if I repeat today’s actions 365 times, will I be where I want to be in a year?

• Decision-making: act in faith, not fear, and don’t worry about making a ‘wrong’ decision – the way you implement it is more important than the decision itself.

• Be your own best friend. The more you rely on other people, the less control you have over your destiny.

• Be proud of your own obituary: a few years ago I wrote two versions of my obituary, the one I wanted and the one I was heading for. They were very different. I realized I needed to make some big changes if I was going to look back and be proud of my life. I am making those changes, and now I have a life worth living.

To sum it up, I was inspired by the book in many ways. It gave me one more example of someone who dares to dream big, finds a cause to fight for, and overcomes challenges to become successful in the pursuit of their dream. Roz is a great campaigner for our environment. Way to go Roz!

Here are some sentences in the book that I found very thought provoking:

"My lifelong tendency to rely on others meant that my repertoire of practical skills was sadly limited, and although I suspected that I was capable of more than I imagine, in ordinary life the temptation to take the easy option and ask for help was too much for me to resist.


Whatever you do, put your whole heart into it.


That night, I sat at my desk with two blank sheets of paper in front of me. I had decided to write my own obituary. What might people say about me when I died? Or, more importantly, how would I perceive my life as it was drawing to a close? Would I be proud of the way I'd lived, or full of regrets? I was going to write two versions. The first version would be the obituary that I wanted to have, and the second would be the one I was heading for if I carried on as I was.


What mattered was what I did, not what I owned. 


Life is easier in the storms. My strange ocean existence seemed more tolerable while I had the occasional crisis to divert my thoughts from negative emotions, and keeping myself busy with chores around the boat made me feel I was in control of at least some small aspects of my life. 


Loneliness had not been one of my demons. No, the demons that had plagued my first month on the ocean were feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and frustration.


A large bank balance didn't provide insurance against unhappiness, and wrapping myself in cotton wool was no guarantee against injury. It was better to get out there and live life, and to live it large, than to continue in my supposedly "secure" lifestyle, quietly dying of boredom.


Fear is rarely logical. Nor does fear have any reality - it exists only in the mind. 


It is the odd things that the mind chooses to focus on in a crisis.


For here am I sitting in a tin can far above the world,
Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing I can do.


I have learned a lot, although sometimes I feel I have acquired just enough wisdom to know how much more there is to be learned.


When you stand at the bottom of the mountain and look up at the mountaintop, the path looks hard and stony, and the top is obscured by clouds. But when you reach the top and you look down, you realize that there are a thousand paths that could have brought you to that place.


For we are all on a great adventure--the adventure of life--and even for the majority who will never row across an ocean or climb a great peak or trek to a pole there is much to be learned from living life with mindfulness and awareness."


Roz is currently rowing the Pacific - she has completed 2 stages and will begin her third and final stage in Spring 2010. Looking forward to it :)

2009 Birthday

Last Wednesday (18th November) was my birthday. 

Birthdays are very special to me. Not just mine, but everyone's. And I love it if I can make someone feel special on their birthday. I try my best to give unique or handmade gifts, write something original, arrange a surprise party, or plan a nice getaway for my family and friends on their birthdays.

For my birthday, I always like to celebrate it with my family and loved ones. Since the last 10 years, I have been away from home. So my friends here in the US have ensured that they make me feel special. The last couple years my hubby has done his part to make me feel loved on this day :)

This year, I had my sister with me on my birthday (after 10 years). The above picture you see is my Birthday Cake home-made by my sister....Vanilla + chocolate cake with strawberry filling, layered with an orange zest flavored mousse, topped with kiwis, strawberries and Ghirardelli dark chocolate shavings :) YUMM-OOOO!!!! She is an extremely talented chef and I am enjoying the luxury of her cooking as well as spending some quality time these days with her, after a gap of more than 13 years.

My birthday actually started on the 17th itself, with loads of phone calls from family outside of the US. The first person to wish me this year was my dearest+nearest bapuji (dad's elder brother in India). I love him and adore him so so much! 

Every year, I have a small group of close friends at work who take me out for my birthday lunch. This year was no different. Arvind, Saikat, Shubh and Jay took me to Mimis cafe for a wonderful lunch....even though this restaurant is girly and was filled with ladies over the age of 60, they didn't mind coz I wanted to go there :) Thank you and love you guys!

In the evening, my sister made a pasta baked dish for dinner, and a few close friends (some of them are also neighbors) came home for the cake cutting and dinner/snack. Since it was a Wednesday (middle of the work week), I did not do much post-dinner and slept early.

Throughout the day at work, I got tons of phone calls, emails, facebook/orkut messages and texts. I really really felt happy and blessed and LOVED - so many people remembered my birthday and wished me, and they do so every single year. Thank you everyone!

I hope next year I can celebrate my birthday with my parents and bapuji. It would be wonderful to be with them in India, and celebrate my birthday as well as Diwali/New Year at home.

Africa se leke America.....

Today, as I write this.....

Dad is in Zimbabwe, Africa.

Mom is in Gujarat, India, Asia.

I am in California, USA, North America.

Three of us in Three different continents.....its sooper cool and sooper uncool at the same time.

Miss you ma-pa!

Weekend getaway to LA/San Diego

The third year in a row that I would be celebrating my sister's birthday (8th Nov) in LA....and the second year celebrating her fiance's (10th Nov) birthday with her.....

It all started with booking "expensive" tickets for the Lion King Show - yeahhhh, finally I was going to see it live on Broadway....

And then the fight to get a free rental car for the weekend from Hertz.....

One of the few trips where I packed an hour before leaving....

The crappiest rental car (Ford Focus) ever....

The beautiful drive to LA with the sun doing its magic on the mountains and the fields....

Leaf Organics being closed at 8pm instead of 9pm (as listed on their webpage)....warranting for change in dinner plans......

Fantastic dinner with Rohit, Sejal, Anish, Dharam n Hubby at CPK ....soup and tostada pizza yumm-O!

Followed by a "like it" coffee+dark chocolate Coldstone  icecream topped with toasted almonds....mmmmmmm!

Meeting Nikesh (Anish's roommate) for the first time, hours before his India trip....and having a very interesting conversation on whether he should get married, get engaged, do both or niether :)

Lunch at Fresh Paradise - Fresh squeezed sugarcane juice with ginger and lemon, dosa, chhole, pav bhaji, and grilled sandwiches!

The awesome drive to San Diego in the carpool lane - again with the sun rays playing their magic on the Pacific.....

The cloudy but fantastic sunset at Del Mar beach .....while watching the surfers riding out the last waves of the day......

The Lion King  show - live on Broadway San Diego...it was truly a delight to watch all the brilliant performances....and the orchestra was sooperb!

The drive back to LA with "Happy Birthday To You" songs for Dharam at midnite :)

Buying the lucky bamboo in a cute elephant pot from Ralphs....

The Gujju Thali awesome-amazing lunch at Rajdhani  in Artesia.....

The most peaceful and relaxing drive back from LA to Folsom....read a book for most of the time along with soothing music. Hubby treated me royally by driving the entire 400 miles himself :)

All in all, a great break from the routine life, mouth-watering food, and wonderful memories of fun with family!!!!

Here's a picture of my hubby, me, my sister and her fiance in LA!

Happy Birthday Dharam and Anish! Here's wishing you guys a great year ahead!

Trivia from National Geographic

I read these today in National Geographic and the answers were surprising....worth sharing with all of you.

1. Your left lung is smaller than your right lung.
Ans: True. The left lung is a little smaller because there needs to be room for your heart.

2. Relative to size, the strongest muscle in your body is your big toe.
Ans: False. It's your tongue.

3. Your brain generates more electrical impulses in a single day than all of the world's telephones put together.
Ans: True - Imagine that.

4. An average human scalp has a million hairs.
Ans: False. But the average scalp does have 100,000 hairs.

5. Every square inch of the human body has an average of 3 million bacteria on it.
Ans: False. Would you believe the real number is 32 million?

So how many did you guess correctly?

Getting back in touch with my aunt....

I was a student back then.

I was very new to the country (US), and was still adjusting to being in a new country all by myself. I was very motivated and determined to pursue my MS and get a job in the silicon industry. I didn't realize I was such a strong person from within until the time I came to the US. You see, I always had my mom with me.

But she was the one who pushed me to go for higher studies. And so I did. She still does....she wants me to get an MBA - don't know whether it will happen or not.....

Those days were difficult. I was lucky and blessed in a lot of ways. I found an on-campus job with a management professor (Dr. Patricia Cheshier) as her grader cum assistant right away. She was very kind to me. It was an easy job that paid me well ($8 an hour, I think). It also gave me access to the Management building keys, her office keys, and access to a computer with an internet and printer 24x7. It is a luxury to have all this, let me tell you.

That was my first year in the US. Year 2000. During that time, every few months, I would get a package from India. It would either be a letter, or a card, or some goodies, etc. My family would always send it by registered mail, which means my signature would be required for the delivery.

I would always miss the package when the postman came to deliver it at home, coz I would be in school all day. So on Saturday morning, I would take the bus from school to the intersection on Arden n Howe Avenue, from where I would walk about 2 miles to the post office to pick up my package.

On one such Saturday, during my walk to the post office, I saw an Indian restaurant named "Taj Mahal". While walking back, I was hungry and decided to have lunch there.

That's where I met my Jayshree aunty. She owned and ran the restaurant, along with her husband. She is one of the most caring individuals I have met here in the US. Till this day, she cares for me as her daughter. It was as if I found a mom here in the US. We clicked instantly - she was from Ahmedabad - used to live in the same area as I did....and we had a ton of things in common. Both her and her husband (Narendra uncle) welcomed me whole heartedly into their life.

During the 3 years that we spent together in Sacramento, we had a blast. We used to meet almost every other day, taking care of each other in every possible way. We went out for dinners, movies, watched football, had cookouts, hosted their family, went out on trips together (I remember our Hwy1 trip from Monterey to Mexico), and so much more. She cared for me when I was sick, and she cooked for me regularly. I never missed out on home cooked meals while she was here.

She needed help at the restaurant, and a desperate day off. So I introduced her to some of my college friends, who started working at her restaurant during evenings and weekends. They made some quick cash to help them with their expenses, and aunty got the much needed time off due to their help.

But then they decided to move out of town. They closed the restaurant and first moved to Fairfield, and then to Vallejo (about a couple hours away from where I live). They still live there. We could not meet often after they moved out. Also, I was single at the time they were here. I got married, and we both got busy with our lives.

We used to meet every couple months, but it was not the same anymore. I hate it when this happens - you adjust to a routine, and then it has to change. However, we still kept in touch.

Since last year, I lost touch with her. I tried to call her few times, but could not connect. I did not have her new cell phone number and she never picked up the home phone.

She finally called me today morning, and I spoke to her for an hour. She found out that I bought a home through a common friend, and decided to call me right away. I have no complaints from her as to why she lost touch.

We just picked up from where we left, and I'm sure we will meet soon, now that I have her new cell number to bug her :)

I thoroughly enjoyed my conversation with her. It brought back so many happy memories of the great times we spent together.

It was a great start to my Happy Friday.....Wish you guys the same :)

Diwali and New Year 2009

Here's wishing all my readers a VERY HAPPY DIWALI.

I also wish each one of you a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Most of you don't celebrate New Year at this time of the year. But where I come from, the state of Gujarat in India, we celebrate New Year on the first day of the month of Kartak according to the lunar calendar, which is typically the day after Diwali.

Growing up in India, New Year was all about wearing new clothes, visiting family, bowing down to elders to get their blessings and receiving gifts (mostly cash ;). Since I never worked while I was in India (except for the 3 months after my BE graduation), I always use to joke with Dad saying - "New Year is the day where I make the most money ;) :)".

It's been 10 years that I have been away from home now. This was the 10th year in a row that I spent Diwali and New Year away from my parents. I am going to try my best to be with them next year. Festivals have much more meaning when elders are around. Without them, I am kind of lost and spend all my time in social gatherings and outings.

Having said that, this year we celebrated our first Diwali and New Year in our new home. It was SPECIAL!!!! My sister is staying with me, so it was her, my hubby and me. We did not do anything fancy, but we did many little things that are memorable - I will cherish them for a long time to come :).

We bought Xmas lights, and even though we didn't have a 8-ft ladder to hang the lights from the roof, we managed to arrange them in a decent manner with my friend Andy's help, as you can see in the picture above. On Diwali day, my hubby lighted diyas and candles outside as well as inside the house.

The morning on Diwali was spent in making phone calls to family spread around the world - India, UK, Middle East, US, etc. Then my dear friend Prateek drove over from San Jose to surprise us....he bought a new car earlier that week, and wanted to show it to us, and also spend some time with me at my home, since it was my first Diwali in the new house. We had a great few hours with him, after which my friend Ekta came home to visit me from San Francisco. I went with her for garba at my college that night, and met so many college friends that I had not connected with in a long time.

Sunday we had arranged for a potluck at our place. I woke up early and spent time cleaning the house, and after my sister woke up, we started preparing the food (ras malai's for dessert :)). My sister had marinated all the veggies the previous night, and we were going to BBQ them on our brand new grill that was gifted to us at the housewarming.

The BBQ was a blast. We BBQ'ed paneer, bell peppers of different colours, onions, pineapple and corn. It was yum yum yum :). The rest of the potluck items was okay. I was little disappointed with the quantity of food that "some" people brought, but we managed it fine.

Since we are on the topic, I want to share my frustration w.r.t potlucks. There are few people who almost always show up with less food. Or some with no food. I actually don't like potlucks at all. I rather cook everything and treat my friends to a good meal, than deal with this kind of frustration. But since I work and don't have so much time to cook for everyone always, this works out good.

How do you tell these people (who are friends) to bring enough quantity? It is easy for me to ask each of my friends to bring something, and so I don't have an issue where someone shows up with nothing now, but I still find it hard to ask a person to bring more quantity. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Ofcourse one option is to avoid inviting such people, but its not always possible.

Anyway, after the lunch, we all played cards for a while, and then my friends had tea, and left. The sky was cloudy and we saw a rainbow from our backyard.

We spent the evening doing Satsang for an hour, and watching some telly.

I will remember doing the lights outside our home, also the look of the house with lights n diyas, Prateek's surprise visit and driving his new car, garba with Ekta, the first BBQ in our backyard, and the relaxing evening Satsang with my sister and hubby. And I will remember all the blessings and good wishes from my family and friends who I spoke over the phone.

I had a great festive weekend, and hope you did too!

The FLU!!!!

Almost 10 years and I had avoided this disease.

I never took the shot coz my doctor always advised me against it.

Growing up in India, I have suffered from malaria, typhoid, jaundice, stomach virus, chronic dry cough, and what not. So after coming here, I was hoping I stay healthy. As they say, it's a crime to fall sick in the US. And how true that statement is!!!!

Except for developing pollen allergy, I have had a fairly clean bill of health in the US so far. The weather in my sunshine state of California is amazing. It is wonderful most of the time, and it helps me stay healthy, not only physically, but mentally as well.

But this year, even before the flu season started, even before the flu shots were available, I got the bug. FLU!!!! It started with an itchy throat, then cold/cough, then fever, then chills, and last but not the least, headache and achy joints.

I took 3 days off from work, and was home for 5 straight days, just resting. I had never realized how tired flu can make you. The only thing I could do is fix up one meal for hubby and me everyday.

I could not do much at all. I read one book, watched couple movies ("State of Play", "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" - both were good), and watched some telly. Other than that, it was extremely boring and frustrating.

Saturday was good coz my friend Shubhika drove over from the bay area. I had a really nice time chatting up with her - every time I meet her, I am amazed at how much we have in common! We made a short trip to Apple Hill - did apple picking, some miscellaneous impromptu shopping (peacock feathers, incense sticks, a pair of earrings with a matching necklace, a kitty t-shirt for a friend) and enjoyed a nice picnic lunch at a pumpkin patch.

But I got tired after this short outing, and so took it easy all day Sunday and Monday before getting back to work on Tuesday.

I missed my sister a lot during this time. And ofcourse my mom. When I am sick, I like someone to make me warm meals - simple stuff, but I hate to do it myself. And even though I have an amazing group of friends around me, this time around no one offered me any help. I was taken aback a little bit, but maybe they were busy and wanted to stay away from the flu so did not offer much.

I am also very cranky and irritated during this time. I don't handle discussions very well - I tend to argue for no reason, I fail to take people positively, and in general, I am a pain in the rear.

Only when you are down you realize the importance of simple things in your life. The constant itchy throat, blocked nose and headache had taken away my peaceful sleep, which I cherish so much every single day :).

I am so glad I am healthy again. I am enjoying a relaxing weekend....with no agenda and no plans. I don't get many such weekends :)

And I am looking forward to my sister being back in town to stay with me tomorrow :)

You guys have a great weekend too!

Anacapa Island and the Seagulls

During Memorial Day Weekend 2009, I visited Channel Islands National Park in Southern California. Channel Islands are a group of 5 islands in the pacific ocean, an hour or couple hours boat ride (depending on which island you are visiting) from the mainland.

The first day, we visited Anacapa Island.

The boat ride to the island was fantastic.....loved the ocean breeze. I love being in the water, on the water, near water. As we approached the island, we saw this fantastic Arch Rock formation which I had only seen in pictures before.

After we landed, we climbed more than 150 stairs to the top of the island, to find ourselves in the company of hundreds of seagulls and their chicks and nests and eggs. This was quite a site!!!! We walked around the island loop which is about 2 miles, along with the park ranger.

The island is very small but has spectacular views all around.

I observed the seagulls all day along. I had never seen so many of them in one place. The chicks were uber-cute.....and I learnt a lot from the guide about this species.

There is a flat concrete ground on the island, which the guide said is the place for the gulls to meet. Seagulls prefer flat open spaces and this place is the perfect romantic spot for a date!!!!

Some of the facts we learnt:

- The seagulls primarily use this island as their nesting place because of relative lack of predators, and easy access to food (fish).

- Most seagulls are monogamous. 

- Some seagulls are lesbian.

- They have their colonies on the island. They lay their eggs in their colony and are very protective about the boundaries. If another seagull or chick tries to enter their territory, it will be attacked. 

- Seagulls drink salt water, and have a special pair of glands right above their eyes to flush the salt from their systems.

- Their lifespan is somewhere between 5 to 15 years.

Among the many plants endemic to the channel islands, we saw this flower - "island morning glory" which the guide said is only found on these islands in the whole world. Wicked! Here's a picture of it:

The Channel Islands are home to the most well-preserved archeological sites on the Pacific coast, with more than 10,000 years of continuous human occupation recorded.


The next day, we visited Santa Cruz Island. We spotted hundreds of dolphins on our way to the island, and explored many caves around the island doing sea kayaking. Will write up a post about it too :)


Here is a picture of my friends who made the trip memorable and special :)

Amtrak Train Ride from San Jose to Sacramento

Anyone living in California (especially Northern CA) would know that public transportation here sucks.

Ever since I migrated to California from India, I have either walked to places, or taken my car. If I have to travel somewhere far, I take a flight.

I traveled by bus (Greyhound) only once in my life - that is the day I landed in US. It was January 15th, 2000. My friends had come to pick me up, and we took the bus from San Francisco to Sacramento.

I love traveling by trains. Growing up in India, I have extensively traveled in trains throughout my life. During my last visit to India, I had a British friend traveling with me, so we decided to take the train from Ahmedabad to Agra. It was so much fun, and he had a different experience as well.

So, while traveling back from San Jose last weekend, I decided to take the train back to Sacramento. I was excited but a little scared because some friends had warned me about safety issues on the train.

The journey was fantastic. I boarded the train around 6pm, and I sat on the upstairs compartment at a window seat. The train goes along the Pacific coast from San Jose to Fremont to Oakland to Richmond, and then moves inland reaching Sacramento via Fairfield and Davis. I love sunsets, and was blessed to see a spectacular sunset from the train between Oakland and Richmond. With San Francisco and its bridges in the background, I could not have asked for a better view.

A lot of Raiders fans boarded the train from Oakland....after enjoying the Raiders NFL game. There were a lot of UC Davis students as well, traveling back to campus after a weekend in the bay area.

I spent the remainder of my time reading a book, and observing people around me. There were 2 brothers traveling with their grandparents, who were trying to pass their time by playing with an empty water bottle, and eating candy. There was one female who was knitting, while another one was knitting while listening to music. The person right across me worked on his laptop for not more than 5 mins, and then dozed off all the way. And then there were 2 other females who were traveling together, constantly yapping in Spanish.

All in all, I enjoyed my 3 hour journey. The best part was getting to see the sunset. I was very relaxed when I reached Sacramento, which is nice coz I am usually tired if I drive back.

 I am ending this post with the hope that public transportation improves in California and becomes affordable so that I can use it more often :).

A Saturday Morning phone call from Shalu

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. I had just woken up and was checking my email. I did not know what I would be doing next, except for a lunch commitment at a friend's place in the afternoon.

Right then, my phone started ringing. It was an unknown caller. I don't get many such calls. So I wondered who it would be.

It was my best friend Shalu from UK. She called me to congratulate me on our new home, and to catch up in general. It had been few months since we last spoke, and it was about time we connected.

Shalu and I go back a long way. We were roommates at "Sir Sayaji Rao Diamond Jubilee Girls Hostel" in Ahmedabad. She was from Bharuch (a town in Gujarat), and I was from Ahmedabad itself, but moved to hostel when my dad was transferred out of town.

It was my first time away from home, and I used to hate it in the beginning. We were four girls living in one room - Shalu, Alka, Nisha and I. Shalu and I hit it off almost instantly. We both came from similar family backgrounds, similar values, and understanding personalities. We went to different colleges and studied in different fields - she was doing Civil Engineering whereas I was studying Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Our other two roommates were - to say the least - difficult. We found out one was a lesbian, whose partner lived in the room across ours, and the other was a carefree bird who changed boyfriends on the fly, who smoke and drank, and was a trouble maker.

So Shalu and I got close - we loved to read books, we loved to go out and eat, we loved to go for Friday evening movies to Drive-in theatre, we loved to sit outside on the terrace and do star gazing while yapping up all we could - and so much more.

Shalu is a very loving and caring person. She always looked after me in the hostel. She made my stay at the hostel bearable :).

Our hostel warden Naliniben was quite a personality herself. She was very strict on all the girls, and most of us had trouble dealing with her. I had a family connection so I was always very well looked after by her. Shalu also did not run into problem with her most of times.... at least not as much as some of the other females out there :)....maybe coz she did not have a boyfriend or guys visiting her at the hostel premises :)

We used to gossip endlessly about the warden, and assistant warden - about the cooks, and the guards. In general, Shalu and I were on good terms with everyone, so we ran into very little trouble.

When I moved into the hostel, I was a mamma's kid. Hostel life made me tougher, stronger, independent - mentally and emotionally. I came out as a very different person, and I enjoyed every bit of my stay there. In fact, I feel extremely lucky to experience this life before moving to the US almost 10 years ago, because without it, I would have struggled a LOT more in this country.

So coming back to the phone call, Shalu and I spoke about anything and everything on Saturday morning. She has a lovely daughter, Aditi, who keeps her on her toes all the time. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and will go back to work once Gulla (Aditi) starts kindergarten next year. I have not met her husband Prashant and daughter Aditi yet, so I have planned a UK visit in 2010 to visit them....along with my sister-in-law and family who live in London.

It was so refreshing to talk to Shalu yesterday. I am very comfortable sharing everything with her, and I trust her a lot. It doesn't matter how far we are, we have always managed to keep in touch. We may not have been part of many good occasions in each other's life (mainly because I have been in US for all these years), but we are sure there to give each other a listening ear when its needed the most.

Shalu, your phone call really made my day, and my weekend :)

Love you and miss you a lot. XOXO.

Just click and Intel will donate 25 cents for you Sept. 16-18

Step 1: Get on your computer and visit Small Things Challenge
Step2: Click on the check to have Intel donate 25 cents.


The Small Things Challenge aims to raise awareness and money for two of the world’s most pressing challenges: increasing access to quality education and fostering economic development in emerging countries, such as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Sudan.

Throughout the developing world more than 75 million primary age children are not in school; and at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day, according to data from the United Nations. While these issues will continue to challenge our world for some time, we can improve peoples’ lives through pooling surprisingly small contributions.

The Small Things Challenge encourages people worldwide to get involved and be part of the solution. Intel Corporation is working with three respected organizations, Kiva.org, Save the Children, and Global Giving to raise funds and deliver hands-on support in the local regions where help is needed most.

Every small, individual action can make a big difference, especially if millions participate. A small donation to Save the Children and Global Giving, combined with other individuals’ contributions, will provide thousands of primary school children in conflict-affected and developing countries the opportunity to attend school or receive a higher quality education. Or, a modest micro-loan through Kiva.org will give an entrepreneur a hand-up to start a new business and provide for his or her family.



I personally have loaned a small amount through Kiva and I am hoping to see more individuals to do so.


Thank you for all your help!

Girl aged 12 dies in painful childbirth

I just read the story below on CNN:

AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- A 12-year-old Yemeni girl, who was forced into marriage, died during a painful childbirth that also killed her baby, a children's rights group said Monday.

Fawziya Ammodi struggled for three days in labor, before dying of severe bleeding at a hospital on Friday, said the Seyaj Organization for the Protection of Children.

"Although the cause of her death was lack of medical care, the real case was the lack of education in Yemen and the fact that child marriages keep happening," said Seyaj President Ahmed al-Qureshi.

Born into an impoverished family in Hodeidah, Fawziya was forced to drop out of school and married off to a 24-year-old man last year, al-Qureshi said.

Child brides are commonplace in Yemen, especially in the Red Sea Coast where tribal customs hold sway. Hodeidah is the fourth largest city in Yemen and an important port.

More than half of all young Yemeni girls are married off before the age of 18 -- many times to older men, some with more than one wife, a study by Sanaa University found. 

While it was not immediately known why Fawziya's parents married her off, the reasons vary. Sometimes, financially-strapped parents offer up their daughters for hefty dowries.

Marriage means the girls are no longer a financial or moral burden to their parents. And often, parents will extract a promise from the husband to wait until the girl is older to consummate the marriage.

The issue of Yemeni child brides came to the forefront in 2008 with 10-year-old Nujood Ali.

She was pulled out of school and married to a man who beat and raped her within weeks of the ceremony.

To escape, Nujood hailed a taxi -- the first time in her life -- to get across town to the central courthouse where she sat on a bench and demanded to see a judge.

After a well-publicized trial, she was granted a divorce.

The Yemeni parliament tried in February to pass a law, setting the minimum marriage age at 17. But the measure has not reached the president because many parliamentarians argued it violates sharia, or Islamic law, which does not stipulate a minimum age.

I know there are tons of such tragedies happening around the world, but whenever I read such a thing, I just get so angry and upset. Why did they even let her pregnancy continue? No one around her thought this was risky? And lack of BASIC medical care in this age, when medicine has advanced so much?


Lets all do our bit to prevent such tragedies to keep happening.


Peace!!!!


Article link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/14/yemen.childbirth.death/index.html

09-09-09 and my first year of Blogging.

09.09.09.

Today marks my first successful year of blogging.

This is the 39th post on my blog.

Blogosphere has enriched my life and experiences in so many ways. I have met wonderful people here whose blogs I love to read. Some write stories or poetry, some share their life, some showcase their talents....each of them makes me grow as a person.

I thoroughly enjoy blogging. I am a person who loves to read, observe, introspect, travel, learn a lot. Blogging for me is an outlet of my thoughts and emotions, my experiences and travels, and a whole lot more. Its like a personal diary, which is open to anybody and everybody.

Reading some of my own blogs from the past year brought back so many memories. I would have not remembered all of them had I not blogged.

As I am writing this, I was pondering over this question: "What is my most precious memory from this past year?" I thought for a while and the answer is - The day of my sister's engagement on January 18, 2009. I was with all my family, the ceremony was wonderful, everyone was happy.....it was a perfect day.

"Which is the best book I have read in the last year?" It has to be - "Three cups of Tea ". Reading the book was a very humbling experience for me and I loved the authors style of writing.

"Which is the best place I visited in the last 12 months?" It has to be an extremely brief visit to a small lake close to where I live - Sly Park lake . The reason that visit is so special and memorable is because it had snowed the previous night, and it was snowing while we drove to the lake. It was my sisters first time in the snow and she was thrilled beyond imagination. There was no one in the park around the lake....the view and scenery were simply amazing. Serene and peaceful and majestic!

As I am recollecting my life in the past 12 months, I want to blog about another very humbling and fulfilling experience. I volunteered this summer at a local hospital in the child life department. As a volunteer, my primary responsibility was to take care of the play room in the ward. The patients (kids from infants to teenagers) would come to the play room and we were supposed to assist them. Additional responsibilities included holding or nursing a baby (while their parents are busy), helping patients who cannot come to the play room by spending time with them in their room, taking a patient to the cafe for food, etc.

I was always in awe of the kids out there. Some were cancer patients, some had paralysis, some had complex surgeries done, but they were happy. They moved on with their life and did the best they could. They did not grumble or crib about petty things. They were so selfless. I saw kids helping and sharing with each other in the playroom.

For example, there was one 11 year old girl who suffered paralysis of her entire right side of the body while swimming in the pool at her home. She actually swam with one hand to come on top and screamed for help. She had been at the hospital for a while, and was slowly recovering. When I asked her about why she was here, she described me the whole incident in detail, with a smiling face. And then she told her grandma, "when i get well and go home, I can swim again" :). As an adult, I am not sure how many of us would be willing to get back into that pool.

I do not go for volunteering at the hospital anymore. We bought a home in May and all weekends are busy with some or the other house stuff. Or maybe, I am not trying hard enough to make it work. I plan to go back once summer is over and winter sets in. There will be less things to do outdoors, and this would be a wonderful way to spend part of my weekend.

My resolution for the coming year is to blog more often :)

Thank you for reading and commenting on my posts.

My 2nd Tag....

I was tagged by Samy for this tag.

I returned late last night from a wonderful trip to Burney Falls State Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern CA with my friends....and I am catching up on emails/blogs on this lazy Monday afternoon :)

So here goes....


1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn on page 18 and find line 4…
A: Tennis magazine - an article on Wii tennis - "But you like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova or Ana Ivanovic."
Very apt magazine article - considering I spent most of my day watching the US Open today :)

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can & catch air?
A: My Iphone....

3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
A: US Open - Verdasco vs Isner.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is?
A: 3.45pm

5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
A: 3.55pm

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
A: Commentary from the Food network series "Chopped".

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
A: Left home for a wonderful 2 day trip with friends to Burney Falls State Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park.

8. Before you started this Q&As, what did you look at?
A: Pictures from my above trip :)

9. What are you wearing?
A: A night gown :P

10. When did you last laugh?
A: Last night in the car - when I managed to find a Taco Bell in Red Bluff and made the statement: "I am a champ" :)

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
A: Lots of things - I am in the family room of my home.

12. Seen anything weird lately?
A: Yes - pictures of a surgery - colonoscopy.

13. What do you think of this quiz?
A: Boring!

14. What is the last film you saw?
A: The Soloist.

15. If you became a multimillionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A: Tons of things :)

16. Tell me something about you that I dunno!
A: I am ophidiphobic.

17. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
A: No wars and more peace. Also a better future for underprivileged children.

18. Do you like to Dance?
A: Yes - not that I am great at it though :P

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
A: Not sure :)

20. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
A: Adi :)

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?
A: Yes - living in the US for the last 10 years :)

22. What do you want GOD to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
A: I would be happy if God feels that my karma (good vs bad) is balanced :P


Hope my answers were not as boring as the tag :)

Do you ever forget your password?

I forgot my password today. For the first time in 9 years.

Today morning was chaotic. I decided to attend my daily 9am meeting from home (did u read that properly, DAILY 9AM MEETING), and reached work around 11am.

I had to scan an important and urgent document for my sister. I was instructed to do it as soon as I reached work.

I went to the MFD - Multi Function Device - and pressed "scan". It asked for my username and password. The password is my regular work password, which I use to unlock my laptop every single day, zillions of times. And I could not remember it.

I was in total disbelief.

I went around some cubes around the MFD to look for a keyboard where I could practice typing it, and could not find one.

So I opened my laptop, and entered A password to unlock it. And I could not.

I was totally baffled. And a little bit worried. This has never happened to me in the last 9 years that I have been working at Intel.

I was locked out of the network, because of all my unsuccessful attempts.

I managed to take a friend's help to scan the document and email it to my sister, and then went to my lab where I work.

I opened the laptop, and stared at it for few minutes, trying to calm my mind down.

I then switched it off completely, and turned it back on, and entered some password with my eyes closed.

VOILA!!!! It worked!!!!

Promptly, I wrote it down and also entered it on my Iphone as a note.

Phew.....it was such a relief.

I am going crazy with having so many passwords...and I am becoming so forgetful. Alzheimer's is going to strike me way too early I guess....

Do you guys have the same problems with passwords? Or am I the only one????

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on

I recently came across this article...and absolutely loved it. Even though it's from 2006 and many of you might have already read it, I thought of blogging it here, so that more people can read it and I can refer to it again in future.

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on
by Regina Brett
Sunday May 28, 2006, 10:13 AM

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Source: http://www.reginabrett.com/

Ending this post with a powerful quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"To laugh, often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

Coloma Rafting and Camping

Cooking and packing loads of food....

Stuffing the car with all camping gear.....

Slathering on the sunscreen before rafting....

Getting soaked in the cold American river water....

The strategy to steal a water gun....and the taste of success.....

The water fights with the green water gun....

The whitewater rapids and the adrenaline rush....

The cool icy taste of orange squirt at the end of rafting....

The dislike expressed at site #15 booked for camping.....

Setting up campsite #53....

The fire, the burgers, the grilled onions, and avocado....

Watching the stars from the tent while playing scrabble and falling asleep....

Waking up to the sound of the birds.....

Showering and then having dudhi theplas heated up on the fire for breakfast....

The drive to Foresthill bridge and back....

The pitstop at Raleys for Gatorade to quench our thirst....

The drive back home with soothing music.....

These are my memories from last weekend's rafting and camping trip. 

Details in a later post with more pictures :)

What's your favorite perfume?

Aaah Perfumes :)

I love them....I indulge in them.....

I need to buy a new perfume soon. I am currently using two - Ralph Lauren Summer Romance and Versace Bright Crystal, and very soon they will be over :(. Both of them are gifts from my favorite people!!!!

I am extremely picky when it comes to buying perfumes. When I go to a store to purchase one, I will only find a couple that I would like. I get testers for the ones I like to try them out, and then come back after a week or couple weeks to try them again. Usually, I will figure out quickly if I really like them or not. If I do, then I indulge.....else the search continues :)

I love coffee too - so a simple act of trying out a perfume, then smelling the coffee beans, and then trying out the next perfume - gives me a LOT of pleasure :)

Since I get disappointed often with what's available in the stores, I do some research online before going to the mall. I look at all the top brands and best selling ones, and look at the top, middle, base notes of some of the perfumes that interest me.

Then when I go to the store and smell them, I have a better idea of how the perfume will smell when I wear it all day.

Over a period of time I have realized that the base notes of any perfume are the most important to me - I love a lot of perfumes which have one of the base notes as Sandalwood.

I like light perfumes with a clean and fresh smell. I cannot tolerate heavy smell.

Some of the perfumes I have used in the recent past are - D&G Light Blue, Hugo Boss XX, Burberry London, Estee Lauder (most of them), Maria Sharapova (for tennis), etc.

I have tried Chanel a few times, but never bought it. I do like it.

So since I will be buying a new perfume soon, I would like to know which one is your favorite and/or which one are you currently using?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions :)

A sneak peek to say hello :)

How are ya'll doing? Hope everyone reading this post is doing fabulous :)

The last couple weeks have been extremely busy at work. I've been working long days....and I am exhausted by the time I get home. I've also had visitors at home from out of town the last couple weekends, so I have had very little time for myself. 

The good thing is - work is extremely challenging and rewarding....and weekends have been fun as well. So living the "work hard, play harder" kind of life right now :)

I am enjoying my evening walks around the neighbourhood - I love the cute rabbits that I spot everyday.

I enjoy the beautiful Folsom sunset every single day - and I can't seem to get enough of it.

Yesterday, it was poonam (or full moon day), and the sight of the moon from my backyard was just fantastic. We live up on a hill -above the rest of the city.....and there are no city/street lights around the house....so the moon and stars shine oh very bright :)

I went kayaking again at Lake Natoma with my husband and bro-in-law. Kayaking was relaxing as usual, but swimming & diving into the lake was much more fun....after which we went to a famous local creamery here, Leatherbys....and shared a huge banana split sundae. Bliss!!!!

I am currently reading the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. Everyone at work has read it, and we have a book discussion scheduled sometime soon....so I want to finish it ASAP.

I have also borrowed "Shantaram" from a friend - has anyone of you read it? Reviews? The book is 900+ pages, so I am not sure when I will be able to finish it (if at all).

I played poker with my gang last Friday after a long time....and it was a blast as usual.

I am also preparing for my housewarming party - which is tentatively scheduled for Aug 29th. I have yet to send out the evite though :(

I am waiting for Aug. 22nd, when my babie sis comes back to CA. She is doing an internship in Ohio, and I haven't met her since end of May....it seems just too long and I am missing her too much.

I am shopping around for furniture for my home office - desk, chair, monitor, etc. I have decided upon the desk now, and I know which chair I want so it will be easy for me to buy. I am still deciding which monitor to purchase....currently inclined towards a 24inch Samsung LCD with an HDTV tuner.....let's see.

I celebrated Rakhi yesterday with my rakhi brother who I met here in the US in 2006. We met at work for a diversity day dance meeting that I chaired....he came to help out. We clicked instantly. He helped me choreograph a garba dance that year, and I could participate in the dance as well coz he took over the choreography from me during the later stages. I cared for him as a younger brother (he is 4.5 years younger to me), and he is now family to me. So yesterday, him and my close friends took me to my favourite restaurant - Olive Garden - for lunch :) I made a card for him at home....and he loved it so much that he wrote a beautiful poem for me, thanking me for the card. 

I watched a movie - "The International" - with my hubby and close friend P. My review - Average.

My neighbour and friend, V, is back from India after a two month vacation. She was on sabbatical. I adore her two boys, A (6.5yrs) and R(4.5yrs) and I missed them while they were gone. I call R my munchkin and moto-moto, and R calls me his pinchkin and piggie-piggie :) I have known R since he was 6 months old, and have played with him regularly.....so he is very attached to me. He comes to my house and spends a lot of time with me...and he is my #1 stress buster :)

That's what I've been upto....I have a few topics in mind that I want to blog about....and I hope to find time this weekend and next to do so. 

Till then....take care.