Movies

So finally, after a long long time (~10 months), I watched 2 movies. I got a free Netflix account for one month, and streamed them online on my laptop.


The first movie I watched was "Listen to your heart" which was released last year. A friend recommended it. It was a moving story. I did not like the ending as much, but overall I found the movie to convey a great message. I am particularly attracted towards people who are physically challenged, and its fascinating to see how these people go about living their daily lives. Adversity truly makes one more resilient. This movie also reinforces the fact that we should enjoy the small things in life...and live in the moment, in the present, as much as possible.


The second movie I watched was "Salt" which was also released in 2010. I am a Jolie fan, and a big time fan of spy thrillers. The only TV series that I have been a huge fan of in the US is "Alias" in which Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan were CIA agents. This movie was very much like Alias. It has everything that you expect out of an action thriller and Jolie does a fine job. I liked it more coz it brought back memories of Alias. We had a small group at work who used to follow the series religiously, and after every episode, we would have a lunch time discussion on what we liked, what we did not, what will happen next, how the plot should evolve, etc etc. Sometimes we would go back and watch the episodes again after the discussion or before the next episode airs. I did not have a DVR during those days, so when I missed an episode, one of my colleagues who always recorded it would transfer it on a VHS tape for me to watch. The wait was always killing :).

You know how sometimes you are waiting to do something you haven't done in a while and you are disappointed when it actually happens? I'm glad I did not pick two awful movies to begin with. Both were light ones....and short....and well made. I watched them after the baby went to sleep, and didn't have to stay up very late either.

Now I want to go watch one on the big screen.....will have to check out the summer releases of 2011. Till then, netflix will do :)!

A Day at the hospital

So if you read my previous post, you must have read about my weekend plans. Life seldom goes as planned. This weekend was just another example.

My dad passed out - three times - fell down and injured himself - in the middle of the night on Friday....and we had to call an ambulance to take him to the hospital. He has epilepsy, which means he has a history of seizures. He also takes cholesterol medication, coz genetically my entire family produces more cholesterol than average...and so is always at a higher risk for a stroke. So with these two risks, he was admitted for a full checkup at the hospital to make sure it was nothing serious.

I was in constant consultation with my cousin who is a cardiologist over the phone, and his tips were very valuable.

We were all anxious throughout Saturday....tests kept running but results were pending. When we finally got most of the results, we were relieved to find out that nothing major was going on. The neurologist also visited late in the evening and diagnosed it to be a minor issue.

But he still had to spend the night in the hospital - coz you see, most seizures for him occur in the middle of the night. So they had to monitor him for 24 hours to make sure this episode would not recur.

Dad was admitted in the same (the only one in town) hospital where I spent 4 days recently when I delivered the baby, so it was all too familiar.

This time around, the emergency doctor and other staff were quite good. But the communication channel between them and the regular hospital staff is kind of broken, so its very important to be your own advocate.

After spending about couple hours in this environment, the sound of all the monitors gets to me. I think babies must feel this way with white noise. It numbs the brain.

The patients in our ward were all seniors. Most of them were frustrated, and wanted to leave as soon as possible. One particular guy was walking around with an IV and each time he met me, he told me he would leave the hospital at noon, whether or not the doctors discharged him.

When I think about or observe the nurses at the hospital, I always wonder how they manage to work 12+ hour shifts. Especially when it's the graveyard shift. They also have family and kids just like all of us - and they would have had to adjust so much to be able to work. It is indeed a noble profession to be in.

The picture at the beginning of the post is of dad undergoing an EEG, where 25 electrodes are placed on his head, and a couple on either sides of shoulder. The technician who did this test has been doing this for 25 years, and is the only one in our town qualified to do so. She has great job security :).

We spent about 36 hours at the hospital, after which we were happily discharged. I hope we have a clean bill of health for the rest of the year, and beyond :).

Friday Fill-In 1

Friday evenings these days are boring. I am so tired after a full week at work and caring for the baby and managing a host of other responsibilities, that all I think of is when I will sleep :).

Reading posts from some of my favorite bloggers takes away some of the monotony...and while doing that today, I thought of doing a Friday Fill-In post myself. I have never done one before and always wanted to try it out.

So here goes....


1. For me, it was _the best moment of my life (when my daughter was born)____.

2. _I'm hoping to rent a DVD tonite____ at my local supermarket.

3. Behind the sound of the wind in the trees, I heard __the roar of thunder___.

4. __Skydiving___ is something I always wanted to do. {hoping to do it this summer}.

5. When it was over, __my butt was really really sore (35kms bike ride from Old Folsom to Old Sacramento and I did not wear biking shorts - big big mistake)___.

6. __I've been through many tough times in life so far___ but I never felt alone.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __making chaat then watching a movie___, tomorrow my plans include __gym class with the baby and running weekend errands___ and Sunday, I want to __either go to  Six Flags or relax at home___!

Try Friday Fill-In out...it's not as easy as it seems, but fun!

Wordless Wednesday - 1

This was clicked right after we both woke up last Saturday :). Every morning, she snuggles into me and gives me countless smiles....so much better from the days I needed an alarm to wake up - These are precious moments!

Our Backyard - a photo post

We have a cute little backyard and a lovely garden in our home, and over the last 2 years have done quite a bit of work on it. Well, to be honest, hubby has done most of the work but I support him with motivation, kind words, and good food ;).

Here is a photo post from our backyard:

We have ROSES.....

And DAFFODILS....

And LAVENDER....

We also have ORANGES.....

And LEMONS.....

And BELL PEPPERS and TOMATOES.....

We grew mint and cilantro and parsley as well - I don't have pictures of it though.

We also have a cherry and peach tree, but we planted bare roots, so it will be another year or more before they bear fruit.

Our home is located on top of a hill, and we get to see pretty remarkable views from our backyard.

There are RAINBOWS....

And LIGHTNING STORMS.....

We see an occasional SNOWFALL.....{this picture is from the front of the house}

And breathtaking SUNRISES....

Gardening is very therapeutic. I haven't been able to do much because of pregnancy and caring for an infant. But I'm ready for it now that Spring is here :)!

Collage from Spring2009:

Grenade

One of those days when I can't get this song out of my mind. Each such song for me that I repeatedly listen to has a memory associated with it. Today it popped up when I was running my weekend errands and this song played on the radio :)!

Grenade by Bruno Mars
{chorus}
I'd catch a grenade for you 
Throw my hand on a blade for you 
I'd jump in front of a train for you 
You know I'd do anything for you 
I would go through all this pain
Take a bullet straight through my brain
Yes, I would die for you, baby
But you won't do the same


I love the tune of the song....don't like the video as much!

Proud to be an Indian - Today and Always!

After 28 years, INDIA has finally WON the Cricket World Cup! And for Sachin Tendulkar, one of the finest batsmen that we have seen in our era (arguably the best ever), it's a DREAM come TRUE!!!!

The final game tonite between India and Sri Lanka was amazing! I watched it at home, on HD, with my family and few close friends. It was a nail biter, and kept us on our toes until the very end. I had goosebumps so many times. We won it in style, and no words can suffice the pure joy and euphoria that every Indian heart is feeling today!

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was 5 years old when India won the last world cup, so I don't remember that victory very well. But this one will be cherished forever!

People in India are going wild with the celebrations! From the pictures and videos being posted online, I miss being with the crowds. However, it does not matter where you are, how you celebrate, whether you make noise or not, whether you drink or not, whether you wear "light blue" or not, whether you party alone or with friends - It's the pride and joy you feel for your country and the team for such an outstanding achievement!!!!

Proud to be an INDIAN - Today, and ALWAYS!!!!

Love you, India!