Memorial Day Weekend 2010

Memorial Day is the first summer long weekend in the US. Every year, I eagerly await for this weekend as it's the first time I get to travel and spend the weekend outdoors with great weather.

This year, I am grounded from travel for the next few months, and so decided to do a staycation at home. However, being in the house for 3 days not doing much would be boring. So I planned to do few things to keep me busy and entertained, but also kept a lot of time for relaxation.

I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the way the weekend turned out.

It started with me leaving work a little early on Friday afternoon, and heading straight to Borders. I could spend hours in a bookstore, and these days spending time there relaxes me a lot. I picked up a few magazines and spent time reading them for few hours. I also had company of my good friend A and we chatted about various things in between our reading. After that, I felt like watching a movie, and my friend A said he had a movie that he had rented from the library that we could watch. Both of us had talked about watching "Tuesdays with Morrie" a while ago....and that's the movie he had rented from the library.

After having dinner at home, we watched the movie. I absolutely loved it. I have read the book, and had heard a lot about the movie as well. I must say it lived up to its expectations. I will not say much except that if you get a chance, do watch it.

Saturday morning was beautiful - bright and sunny. I woke up early but then decided to stay in bed a little longer to get enough rest. I then had a light breakfast, did my yoga exercise, and cooked lunch. I spoke on Skype video chat to a friend's family back in UK - it was wonderful as we saw each other for the first time face-to-face and we also showed each other our homes via video camera. We had lunch, got ready and headed out to spend the evening at Lake Natoma with few friends. It was a lovely evening out there....I love being at that lake and each visit to Lake Natoma fills me with energy as well as relaxes me. We took bread to feed the geese, and spent some quality time with the birds. Here's a picture of me feeding the geese :).

\

The NCAA National Womens Rowing Championships were ongoing at Lake Natoma, so we scouted out the arrangements to come back on Sunday morning for the finals.

After that, we went to a friends place to hang out and had dinner with them. I had a blast playing with their 2 year daughter P and was thrilled when I got a chance to feed her dinner. I have a lot of friends whose kids enjoy being fed their meals by me, and I feel so content and blessed to be able to cherish these moments with them. Very few things in life come even close to this feeling.

We then headed home in a hurry as we were hosting a poker night at our home. Our friends arrived on time, we all chatted a bit, and then played poker until 1am in the morning. It was a blast, just as usual :).

I could not sleep in till late on Sunday morning, so just woke up early and chatted with my mother-in-law and uncle in India. It's always fun to talk to relatives back home....they lead such a different life from us and sharing everything with them is fun.

I then got ready and went to Lake Natoma again to watch the finals of the rowing championship. The entry fee plus parking to get into the event was outrageous, so we found a spot across the lake which was free, on a hill, from where we got a clear view of the competition. We enjoyed the last 3 races from out there, and then headed to our favorite joint sunflower-drive-in to enjoy delicious nut-burgers with fresh squeezed carrot juice for lunch. Here is a shot of a bird at the lunch place :).

I met an old friend S, her hubby and her 17-month old son there. It was fun to catch up with her for few mins, and getting a glimpse of her son who was napping in the car. I had not met them since the baby was born, as they moved out of town....so it was good to see him.

We then finished groceries at Trader Joe's and the Indian store and spent the rest of the afternoon/evening at home. I did some writing, some reading, watched some telly, and relaxed. Right before sunset, we drove to Folsom Lake Marina, and reached just in time to watch an amazing sunset which lit the sky up in spectacular colours. This is becoming my favorite things to do after moving into our new home, and makes me LOVE my small town so much. Here's a picture :).

Memorial Day Monday was mostly spent at home...cooking lunch and dinner, doing laundry, hubby spending time in the backyard, and shopping for few home improvement items, which included buying a fan for mom-dad's room and its installation.

I usually don't like to stay home on long weekends. I get bored. And since I love to travel, I just get an itch to plan a trip and head out. It was wonderful to spend this long weekend at home and enjoy the staycation - we got an opportunity to explore local events, meet few friends, enjoy the sunsets, watch movies, relish home-cooked meals, relax and rejuvenate.

Hope you all had a lovely Memorial Weekend as well!

Two blessed weekends

The weekend of May8-9, 2010 


My parents came to the US for their third time on May 7th this year. The weekend they came was an amazing weekend. My sister and her fiance came over to our home from LA, and my close friend P drove from the bay area. On Saturday, we were all busy preparing for my baby shower on Sunday May 9th. We also had a surprise ultrasound appt. booked for mom-dad to see the baby on Saturday afternoon.

After lunch and my yoga class on Saturday, we headed for the ultrasound appointment. We could see the baby's face and a lot of her antics inside my tummy. We got some cool 3D pictures and a video to bring back with us. Mom-dad and others were thrilled to see her for the first time :)!

Sunday was a triple bonanza...it was my mom's birthday, Mothers' Day here in US, and my baby shower. We had a small puja at home with the ladies in the morning, and then headed over to our close friends Harish-Deepika's home for the baby shower lunch. Everyone who was invited showed up on time, and the party was a huge success. We played a couple games after the cake-cutting and lunch...and everyone who was present participated.

I came away from the party with a feeling of content and a huge sigh of relief. It all went as planned, and more than anything, we were all happy and had so much fun.

I also felt very loved that day. As I reflected upon the weekend later, I realized that I am surrounded by so many people who genuinely care for me, and love me. Some of these people (apart from my family) have been there for me through many of my difficult times, and have never hesitated to offer help when I needed it or asked for it. Also, they have never made me feel obligated for what they have done. I truly cherish these relationships and feel very blessed.

In the days and weeks leading up to my parents arrival, we had spent a lot of time getting the house ready for them, as well as preparing for the baby shower function. I tend to be a detail oriented person, and don't like last minute panic situations. This time around, because of my physical condition, I could not do much by myself, so I had to rely on help. And I must say I was not disappointed at all.

Another few weeks and the much awaited baby will be here. Life will be so different, so exciting, so much more fun :).

The long weekend from May12-May16, 2010


Right after a sooper busy Mothers Day weekend, we had another busier weekend planned. This one involved air travel, which I had not done since I got pregnant. So I was a little nervous about how I would feel.

My younger sister was graduating with an MS in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from USC in LA on May 12, and my close friend P was graduating with a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Binghamton University, upstate NY on May 15.

I had taken couple days off to attend these graduations and be able to travel. On May 12, we got ready in time to leave for the airport, and on our way found out that the flight was delayed. The ride to the airport was filled with anxiety, frustration, disappointment, and phone calls. I was trying to find alternative flights that could get us into LA area by noon or 1pm, so that we would not miss the graduation. My parents had come all the way from India to attend it, and it would be a huge letdown if we missed it because of a flight delay.

On reaching the airport and looking at the various flight options, we decided to stick with our original flight. Hubby let the pilot and air hostesses know that we were running late for a graduation, and they provided some good humor during the flight announcements by making graduation announcements to all the passengers :). I survived the flight okay as well.

After the flight delay and horrible traffic through downtown LA, we finally made it in time at the venue. The graduation ceremony was a blast. My sister got hooded on stage by her department chair, and got her degree and we were able to see her walk down the red carpet and click some good pictures. Mom-dad and I felt extremely proud of her achievements. It was great to see her get her second Masters' Degree. She has been the youngest in our house, and we have watched her grow up so closely. This was a moment to cherish!

The second ceremony at the USC main campus was also good, but the place was too crowded and hot. We got out from there as quickly as we could.

The flights into Binghamton, NY were surprisingly comfortable. I got front seats on both the flights, and my friend P came on time to receive us (which is rare). The entire time we spent in Binghamton - meeting P's college friends, getting him ready for the commencement, attending the actual ceremony and clicking pictures, shopping in a frenzy at the university bookstore, Indian buffet dinner back at our hotel, a tour of the campus and P's apartments around the next day morning, etc - everything was just perfect. I was so happy just to be able to make it there at this stage of my pregnancy. And I also felt very blessed to not have any health concerns due to the travel.

I flew back home Sunday night and went to bed feeling so content, so blessed. A lot of times you plan things for so long, and they don't work out for some reason. Sometimes they do, but you hit roadblocks. And sometimes, they work out just perfect. Each experience is a blessing, and teaches you so many things.

These moments and occasions of my life will be cherished forever. The memories have made a permanent place in my mind, and heart!

Oh the taste of coffee!!!!

I had a decaf soy latte with sugar-free hazelnut and no foam at Starbucks after ~17 months yesterday.

I love coffee so much that even after so long, I missed it often. I could not stand in a coffee shop for too long.

I must admit - decaf did not taste half as good as the regular....but it was still coffee, and oh the taste of it :).

I am still staying away from it until the baby arrives, and then will slowly resume...will ensure not to get addicted again :).

Observations at the laboratory

I spent 3+ hours today morning at the Quest Diagnostics laboratory in town. I had to be there for a 3-hour GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) to diagnose Gestational Diabetes. I failed the 1-hour test and hence I was asked by my doctor to go through this torture.

I say torture - because I hate getting poked on my arms for blood draw. Not that it's painful, but I always get rude and cold comments from the lab technicians as I have small veins, and they find it hard to find one for the purpose. I also bruise very very easily, and they don't like people like me.

{Left and Right hand bruise pictures after the test.}

Today was the worst, coz I had to be poked a minimum of 4 times in the 3 hour duration. They were as worried as I was by the time I walked up for my last poke :). Three different technicians had to work to complete this test for me, and to my horror, when I was done, the technician who withdrew the last sample asks me:


Tech: "Are you going to work after this"?
Me: Yes
Tech: "You should cover up your arms in that case. People will think you are taking drugs if they see so many pokes on your arms". She was serious, I could tell!
Me: "I'm like, what?"

First of all, I fasted 15 hours for this test, then went through so many pokes at different places on my arms, missed important stuff at work on short notice, and then I would be accused of taking drugs? I told myself, "Whatever" and walked out of that place :).

As I was waiting in the lobby for that time, I made some interesting observations:

- Most women who walked in were carrying a coach purse. I never used to notice it before, but ever since my sister gifted me one and I use it, it is always the first thing that comes to my attention. Coach is indeed very popular among women out here.
- Half of the people who came either forgot their lab slip or their insurance card.
- Today was not a busy day at the lab. Even when there was no queue, people walking in would ask questions like - "I didn't make an appointment, can I get the lab done"? or, "I am few mins late for my appt, will you still take me"? - LOL!
- I met a 72-year old lady, who had come for a similar test as me. She had 48-year old twin boys, and when she was pregnant with them, she kept telling the doctor that something is different with this pregnancy (she had 2 older kids) but he didn't listen to her. There was no ultrasound at that time. When she delivered her twins 4 minutes apart, everyone was shocked :). Her story left me wondering, one more time, how our grandparents and older generation dealt with so many pregnancies with little or no information on how everything was going. Science has advanced so much, and it's great to see lower infant mortality rates and higher survival rates of pre-term babies.
- Most people who expected to wait at the lab brought a book with them. Today, most of the book covers I saw were self-help books :).
- Elderly people who could not understand English very well were ill-treated by the lab staff. I observed this last Saturday as well, when I went for my 1-hour test. I helped one of them today, but I feel this needs to be fixed, so I think I will send in a comment form online regarding this issue.

I was able to connect to work using an unsecured wi-fi network, so my time went by quickly. However, I hope I don't have to go through another round of this painful procedure :).

Simply awesome things to cherish from this weekend

I had a simply awesome weekend :). I'm so happy and content as I write this post....and I am not dreading to go to sleep and wake up to a manic Monday tomorrow.

Here are some of the simply awesome things that I will cherish from this weekend :):

- Having my sister feel the baby kick
- Using the new vonage phone at home to direct dial phones in India - I used to have this luxury years ago (and paid a lot for it), then switched to calling cards and cell phone, and having it back was just bliss!
- My neighbors kids A n R coming home from tennis practice on Friday evening, having dinner at our place, and A complimenting me - "This is the best corn I ever ate :) :)".
- Being served hot dosas with chutney early Saturday morning for breakfast by my neighbor and close friend V.
- My Saturday AM prenatal yoga class - my energy-booster for the week.
- Watching my first ever IPL game (IPL3 finals) at home with a group of friends while having hot tea made by hubby and sabudana khichdi made by my sister and me for breakfast :).
- First BBQ of summer 2010 in backyard.
- Getting introduced to my neighbor's 1-DAY old daughter Lindsey - my oh my that kiddo is sooooooooooooo adorable and cute :).
- Sunset at Chelsea Empire Ranch Entrance - with Shubhika and Waj.

I could add so much more to this list, coz the entire weekend was just so memorable. I feel truly blessed!

Hope you had a great weekend, and here's wishing you a happy and healthy week ahead :).

Interview nostalgia

When was the last time you went for an interview? Did you have to dress up formally in a suit? Were you a bundle of nerves that morning while getting ready? Do you remember how you felt when you walked into the office that day and were waiting at the lobby? And how you felt as you walked out at the end of the interview? How did you spend your evening?

These are the questions that went through my mind as I walked into work today. There were 3 young folks, all dressed up in crisp black suits, smelling heavy on perfume, in the elevator with me. They were nervous, I could tell. They had come to Intel with a lot of hope and dreams. One could easily guess that they were fresh graduates out of some college, and I could also assume that if they got this job, it would be the first professional full time job for them.

I remembered the day of my first interview at Intel. The exact date I am not sure - it would be sometime between Oct13-Oct18. However, that was my first on-site interview. When it got scheduled, I was thrilled. I had taken admission at CSU, Sacramento for my MS with high hopes of getting a job at Intel. So it was the first step towards that dream coming true.

I shopped for formal wear the weekend before, and was all ready for that day. I prepared the technical stuff as well as I could, and the behavioral stuff I didn't have to work on much. The group that interviewed me was amazing. Even though my interview lasted 8+ hours (including questions during lunch), I felt great about the entire team. They treated me really well. I was exhausted at the end of the day and just wanted to crash in bed, and I did precisely that with a feeling of content.

I was offered a position with that group on Oct 19, 2000. It was a full time position, only 9 months after landing in the US as a student. I was sooooooooooooooo excited!!!!! The job profile wasn't exactly what I had imagined, but it was the first step of my professional career.

I got several offers from other groups at Intel, as well as other companies. But I accepted this first offer that I received, mainly because I felt most comfortable with the team I was going to be a part of. And I was so right about my decision. I could never have found a better group to begin my career with. They were great mentors and friends. One of them is still my colleague after 9+ yrs, and others who have moved on are close professional as well as personal friends and mentors.

All these memories came back to me in a flash as I saw those 3 young folks in the elevator today morning :). I wish them all the best!

Managing time on the internet

As I walked into work today, I was told by a friend not to connect to the corporate network. There was a virus going around which was bringing everyone's computer down.

I did as I was told and later realized what a blessing it was to bump into someone who was kind enough to pass this message along to me before I brought my computer to a standstill and spent all day trying to fix it. Oh imagine the frustration I would have to deal with!

As I logged into my daily 9am meeting (on the phone), we talked how cool it would be to not have network for half a day every week. Think about it - wouldn't it be amazing? You can use this time for innovative thinking, reading up on material that you otherwise would not find time for, managing your PC/inbox/etc (which I only do on weekends), and so much more. There would be no meetings to attend during this time and no conference calls. The possibilities are endless.

At the same time though, I was able to get onto the Internet from my iPhone and find out what the problem was, and also a fix for it. I helped a few people with this information and they could bring their computers back up. Ah - the power of Internet!!!!

However, as I reflected upon this all day, I realized that you can spend all day, every day on the Internet, doing various things. But as much as its beneficial, its detrimental too. It is important to strike a balance and not become a slave to it.

I do some things for managing my time on the Internet:

- On most days, I browse news, social networking sites, personal emails, blogs, etc only twice a day - once in the morning and once in the evening.
- I finish my work during my work hours and do my best to not login from home in the evening/night.
- I use the wi-fi capability on my iPhone to do most of my personal stuff during the work day. I do this when I'm not at my desk - like bathroom breaks, going to cafe, walking towards car in the parking lot, etc. That way I spend the least amount of time for such things on my PC.
- I take print-outs of manuals, documents, etc that are lengthy and need more than 15 mins to review. I read those instead of spending that time reading them on the computer screen.
- I could never read a book online. Audio books are okay, but kindle is just not for me.
- I only use one instant messenger - gtalk. And I stay offline during work hours on most days, so as to minimize interruptions.

There are some off days, where I don't follow the above mentioned things, but I make a conscious effort each day to stick to these rules. It helps me focus and be productive at my work, and also gives me quality time in the evening to spend with myself or my family at home.

All these are from a perspective of an individual working in the corporate world, like me. There are several exceptions and these may not apply to your situation.

Do you have any tips for managing time on the Internet effectively? Please share, I would love to hear them.