Blink! .. and its 2 years later! Marriage, moving and job searches have consumed my time more than I realized they did. And every time I return to this page wanting to embellish and exaggerate on the little events in my life as usual... a hungry husband, overflowing laundry baskets and impending project deadlines have beckoned me away.

This time however, the hubs managed to string some words together that completely tugged at the strings of my heart. Hopefully, I'll be inspired to spend more time here. As for now.. I'll let him have the stage -

Out of the ‘Nothing’, springs ‘something’ – The universe unfolds; Space fights the void; Gravity tugs; Gases coalesce; Atoms collide; Suns blaze, breathe the planets into existence; Inorganic turns organic; Proteins combine, they twist; Life blooms; It endures, it evolves; Nature selects; Consciousness awakens; Bipeds walk; Paths, they cross; I begin to comprehend, “you are my soul mate”; Love ensues; Two become one; And two years hence you read these words.

The universe seems to have taken so much trouble & beaten unimaginable odds to survive. For what reason, I cannot possibly conceive. But what I do know is that it has presented me these few fleeting moments with you. For which I feel incredibly lucky.

In the cosmic game of chance, I have won the ultimate ‘lottery’- You.

A very happy 2nd anniversary

Dearly Beloved

My S.O. finally found some time away from Star Wars spoofs and Marvel comics to ask me to marry him… and the wedding day is coming up pretty soon!

The wedding is expected to be very traditional including ceremonies that emphasize the alliance of the two families, hundreds of guests completely unknown to the bride and groom, and all the jasmine flowers available in Mumbai.

Planning a wedding (a traditional Tam-bram wedding + a few Mallu-isms, at that) to take place across the globe is quite a challenge. Things that I could have explained to my mom with some animated hand movements now require sketch artists previously dedicated to forensic court cases.

In spite of these disabilities, my parents and future in-laws have been doing a great job of putting things together; and my little sister (being the voice of the new generation) is having a great time bossing my folks around. The Kanjeevaram sarees have been bought, the accomodations have been booked and the invitations are on their way.

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Top 10 Reasons I think this is the right time to get married:

1. My fiancé and I have graduated from appreciating sit-coms like 'That 70s show' to 'Frasier': a clear sign of maturity.

2. The wedding trip to India needed to be scheduled before airline prices become unbearably unaffordable. Especially since my fiancé doesn't swim.

3. We need to save our planet. Studies show that: One-person households are the biggest consumers of energy, land and household goods, such as washing machines, refrigerators, TVs and stereos, per capita.

4. Getting a room-mate is getting harder with all the other single women getting married.

5. I feel nagging skills budding inside me. If I don't use 'em, I might lose 'em. And saying "I told you so" to myself all the time is starting to suck.

6. The "buy 1 get 1 free" coupons have been piling up and will expire pretty soon.

7. My facebook/orkut profile is getting stale. I think a 'status' change can freshen it up.

8. I need new excuses to miss work, like:
8.1. Hubby has a rash all over, I need to scratch him
8.2. Hubby told me it was Saturday
8.3. Hubby drooled on my pillow last night and I caught pneumonia

9. If I lose my job in this economy, I can live off my hubby (guilt-free). Of course, I would spend my time praying that he gets to keep his.

10. Most importantly... I'm bored of minding my own business!

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My Addiction

I can't fight it
However hard I try
There's a force
Unknown, uncelebrated

I decide to fight it
But then I succumb
I curse, I fume
I vow to amend

And not to despair
But as much as I try
I can't get my ass off this chair!

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Bridezillas à la rhyme

Bridezilla: (Bride+Godzilla) A mutation found among women planning their own weddings, craving attention and becoming monstrously obnoxious, demanding or stressed out in the quest for 'their perfect dream weddings'.

There once was a bride – incredibly happy
Remarkably romantic and astoundingly sappy
Recited her 'perfect' fairy tale
Until it was tired and stale
Everyone around couldn't feel more crappy

There once was a bride – so whiney
Complained that her ring was too tiny
That her face wasn't fair
That the groom wasn't debonair
And that her hair was not suitably shiny

There once was a bride – loved to coordinate
Anything less would make her irate
Her nails, the décor, the band
If only the groom had followed plan
He would not be standing alone at the gate

There once was a bride – in despair
Hated anything she would ever wear
So, she over-stuffed her bra
And yelled hip hip hurrah
Alas, her dress couldn't help but tear

There once was a bride – a fitness freak
Worked very hard to tone her physique
But she went over-board
Until she was seen no more
So, the guests played hide-and-go-seek

There once was a bride – with grand dreams
Expenditure growing to the extreme
Splurged away to the last dime
To make it ‘the’ wedding of all time
Who needs 401(k)s or savings schemes


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How low can you go?

It's one of those days - the clouds are gray... and my hair is bigger than the state of Rhode Island. Is that all it takes to turn my smile upside down, u ask. No, no, I reply. I can't really put my finger on it. (Not on my hair, the reason for my frown.)

It's how jobs and marriages take us so far that just getting together with gal pals requires a 5-year plan.
It's how agonizing the curve to proving our capabilities is and how easily some people b.s. through it.
It's what my life is meant for... to help save the environment?... or to come up with the best way to nap? (...which could be pretty world-changing).
Or it could very well be this hangnail I've been chewing at all morning!

It's people who walk by my office calling me 'smiley'.
It's people who don't leave their trash out on Fridays and stink up the place by Monday.
It's people who mercilessly drive over little creatures on the roads.
It's people who won't stop talking about gas prices.
It's people who can't stop complaining... o wait... that's me.

It's one of those days when I feel like leaving the majority of the money-making to my significant other and taking up a low-stress career: like baby-sitting. Why not? I love babies. And I love them even more when they sit.

It's just one of those days!
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Un-common cents

With everything costing me an arm and a leg these days, my brain seems to be in financial overdrive – constantly adding up dollars and cents and drawing up comparative analyses to explain why cooking a potato subji for dinner is more financially sound than going out to get that roasted eggplant Panini with cheese. Also, I wouldn't want a ticket for driving back with just one arm and one leg.

I get a 'bargain-high' when I buy $200 worth of groceries to get a $5 Old Navy gift card or drive an extra 12 miles for gas that's 2 cents cheaper . And, I ogle at the points adding up on my frequent buyer programs. A little voice inside my head applauds me and I do a happy dance. The feeling takes me back to the days of haggling at Mumbai's Fashion Street where the thrill of getting the bargain transcended the disappointment of the clothes being a few sizes too big or the shoes whittling away at my ankles. It reminds me of the dizzy feeling of getting through the school inspection with long fingernails. (Yes, I am documenting this in case I need therapy)

I do digress, this story is about financial awareness. To meet this end , I had set up an elaborate Excel spreadsheet to document, categorize and grade my expenses and I had set up a much more elaborate presentation on why my seemingly improvident significant other should be doing the same. After several hundred sarcastic & pointed remarks, I got him to cave - only to find out that he has already reached financial moksha. His devilish indulgement in Saravana Bhavans and beer turned out to be completely harmless against my sporadic splurges at shoe sales and cosmetic counters.

On having realized this and being forced to eat crow (probably all I can afford right now... as he shops for a new car!), my poor penny-pincher brain has taken quite a blow. Could be another reason for therapy. Hence, my blog.

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Happy Mother's Day :)

This is awesome!



P.S.
Why don’t you offer to help?
Learn to pick up after yourself!
This is a house and not a hotel!
Don’t walk away! Are you deaf?

How can you waste your food?
People will think that you are rude!
Be grateful for what you have!
There are hungry kids everywhere!

Why can’t you score as much as him?
Why play tennis? Why not swim?
Smile! Don’t always be so grim!
Your hair needs more than just a trim!

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