I entered work today to some heartbreaking news. A coworker's husband was killed in combat during the weekend. He was with the U.S. Air Force. I feel so incredibly sad. I didn't really know her until three weeks ago when we started working on the same account. She was to travel with me to a client site tomorrow. I know not what to say except WHY?
How do you prepare for a moment like that? That call or that knock on the door. One moment life is perfect and you're working on Saturday morning chores and the next .....
If you do read this post, do say a prayer for my friend. And be appreciative of all you have.
My girls who inspire me to wake up at 7:30 on a freezing Saturday morning.
Yeah, no faces. What can I say, we're the SHY kind ;)
And yes, I am totally aware, with every fiber of my fat being, that if I don't lose weight after all this massive publicity then really, I should consider vanishing from the online world for sometime. Or I can try convincing the Universe that it's the air I'm breathing. Bloody fattening oxygen.
Take my advice with a pinch of salt, or whatever else you'd like. Know that I'm the jaded sort, sometimes.
- You don't have to be buying cards for your neighbor and third cousin. Or your child for that matter. It is Valentine's Day not Mother's Day. And yet, on the card aisle at the grocery store section there's all sortsa love going on - Grandfather to Grand-daughter, Sisters, Best Friends... Really? REALLY? Is it just me who thinks it's all so damn unnecessary?
- Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday this year. It's okay if you had your date-night this weekend or are postponing it to the next. Tuesday is but a spillover from Monday and if you're like me you have the weight of the world on your mind on a Tuesday night, hearts and flowers be damned.
If you're married:
- Don't be jealous of your coworkers who will have flowers delivered to the office. Tell 'em your husband is traveling, and he's on another planet. Either that or your grand aunt passed away and you're not celebrating anything this year.
- Don't binge on the chocolate, please fatty don't do it.
If you're Single: (I've been there and this is straight from the heart)
- Put your head down and plough through. It will be over before you know it. Besides, them bit**** are all going to break-up any way.
If your Facebook status says "In A Relationship" (this is a very important day for you)
- Fortunately or unfortunately, there's a ton to decipher from everything he does and doesn't do.
- Keep your expectations low so you can allow yourself to be surprised, even while that little voice at the back of your head is chanting Is he going to propose? Is he going to propose? He's shuffling around awkwardly I'm sure that's what it is. NO, YOU CRAZY HALLUCINATING WOMAN.He's shuffling because he has a wedgie and it's damned uncomfortable to have your underwear in your crack.
- If the day goes by with no big declaration of love, well then there's your birthday, Christmas, New Year, your dating anniversary and next Valentine's Day to look forward to!
I have to end with a beautiful love song. And it's only fitting that it's a Whitney Houston classic.
Much love, chocolate and overpriced flowers to all.
So who doesn't know about the 7 year itch? The tipping point of adultery. Where men let their wayward eye (and wayward other things) get the better of them. Where if you make it past the 7 year itch you're golden, good for life. If you don't then you find yourself a therapist and a really good lawyer. We all know that .....
But the 3 year glitch? Apparently an up-and-coming study says that this is where little irritations become major issues after 3 years. An article even suggests "Is the 3 year glitch the new 7 year itch?"
According to another article, some of the Top reasons for these glitches:
Weight gain/lack of exercise - Have ya seen my recent pictures?
Anti-social working hours - Have I told you the story of how I sometimes wake up at 2:00am to bright lights and think I'm dreaming, only to discover that the husband is plugging away on his laptop? Have I? Have I?
In-Laws/extended family - *Coughs*
Alcohol - drinking too much -I guess we're okay here.
Snoring & anti social bedtime habits - Refer point 2
Bathroom habits - Stray nail cuttings etc., - This one could be a list of its own, starting with wet bathroom floor. Stray nail clippings are mild.
Dear Universe, I think I have me a glitch. Many of them! Do I run for the hills or wait for the glitch to become an itch?
Happy Anniversary SK :) It has been an amazing 3 years. (glitches and all).
I am an AVID romance fiction reader. Sometimes I wish I didn't love the genre so much. I wish I could say I love reading biographies. I mean, how much more important does that sound? Lettuce versus arugula... rice versus couscous? But no, romance it is and I have embraced it, every last sappy bit of it.
I got this bright idea of listing my favorite sub-genres of romance fiction yesterday, while chatting with my friends. So this is my humble attempt at classification.
1. Contemporary
Read single girl in a big city. Has experienced heart break. Maybe divorced and not really looking for love. But love finds her - right when she's least expecting it. In short, a Jennifer Aniston movie in a novel. There usually is a sub-plot, maybe with a sister, Mother or a best-friend. These books make for serious reading but have happy endings.
My Favorite: Sandra Brown
Other Authors:Elizabeth Lowell, Catherine Anderson
2. Chick-Lit
Short for Chick-Literature. Meaning no man would be caught dead reading this stuff. In my mind, chick-lit is much like contemporary romances but MUCH LIGHTER. Also, HUMOR plays a big role in these novels. The protagonist is usually a putz, a train-wreck going through life with tons of sass. She rips her pantyhose, spills her coffee and is usually strapped for cash, working two jobs one of which is at a pizza joint. Get the drift? She’s funny and bright.
My Favorite: Jennifer Weiner
Other Authors: Sophie Kinsella (from the shopaholic series fame), Michelle Cunah.
3. Romance – Suspense
Think Nancy Drew (and Ned Nickerson) and fast forward to ten years later. These books have a ton of romance but the romance is shrouded in robberies, strange disappearances, murder, local killings or a suspicious family rift. Love finds its way home only at the end of the book, once the mystery has been solved and the bad guys are behind bars.
My Favorite: Nora Roberts
Other Authors: Heather Graham
4. Historical
Let me start by saying this is my all-time FAVORITE genre. Also broadly known as the Regency era novels, these books are mostly based in Britain, in the 1600s onwards. The stories sweep you away to an era where women wear corsets and ride in stagecoaches, where men wear cravats and are Earls, Viscounts or Dukes. There is sensuality and love, balls and the beau-monde, curtsying and clandestine affairs.
There are different kinds of historical romances, based on the period – Victorian, Georgian, Regency. You also have American & Medieval historical romances.
My Favorite: Mary Balogh
Other Authors: Barbara Cartland (light reading), Philippa Gregory, Clare Darcy, Victoria Holt. Stephanie Laurens.
5. Frontier/Western
Two words – Pure American. These books take you from the ranches of Texas to the valleys of Wyoming. The Frontier woman is strong and bold. Her red hair is testament to her fiery will. These books bring out the best of small town and rural America. Where the widowed ranch owner (a cowboy down to his boots) and his two daughters fall in love with the feisty high school teacher and where everyone knows everyone else.
My Favorite: Debbie Macomber
Other Authors: Carol Finch, Kathleen Kane
There are others of course – Futuristic romances, vampire-moster romances (like Twilight) but those aren’t for me.
What have I missed? I’m sure there are many more classifications and tons more to read.
I'm profiling 3 wonderful bloggers today. In the highly competitive blogging space, teeming with one too many writers, it's so important to identify and carve your own niche. These bloggers have done just that. I enjoy each of their blogs and visit often for updates.
Go look up the word if you don't know the meaning. I didn't! It took me a while to understand her style of writing. One word. SATIRE. Giribala is the Steven Colbert of the Indian blogosphere. She hones in on the issue of the day, often a political malaise in India, and provides commentary with wit and mockery. Her insights lead to introspection of many misguided Indian ideologies.
As proof, I present a Republic Day blog post from her archives that she re-posted today - Read here.
Extra: I met Giribala at a friend's party last year and we have shared blogging tips with each other ever since.
Yes, Parinita. Long before Vidya Balan made it fashionable. I admire Pari because she too chose a road less traveled (referring to the younger sister). That's not to say I don't respect the engineers and IT professionals of the world but it takes balls to do something different. Pari is a professional photographer. Her husband - a professional chef. Her blog - a culmination of both their skills - scintillating photography of the art of preparing and presenting delicious food.
Check out her mouth watering clam and muscle spaghetti recipe here.
Extra: Pari and I are cousins. Second Cousins. Our Mums are first cousins. While she lives in Seattle, like me, her soul is in Mumbai.
Rachna writes about the art of writing. In a world of amateur blogging, Rachna shows us what the real thing is all about. How to Create Characters, How to Develop a Plot, Finding Your Publisher, Pen Names..... her content is so rich and useful to people like me - the wannabe folk. An author herself, her own style of writing is easy to read and follow.
Extra: In my professional life, we provide strategy and consultation to corporate blogs and help them develop a brand personality online. Yesterday, as I was drafting a document for a client about their blog, I kept referring back to some of Rachna's old notes. That's how good she is.
And then, just like that, last week, out of nowhere, she wrote about their separation. Heather, my favorite blogger from Dooce.com. It was a sock in the gut. A what-the-f***-are-you-talking-about moment. You are Heather the fabulous Armstrong - blogger extraordinaire. Savvy businesswoman. PR genius. Crazy stylish. SuperMom and yeah fantastic WIFE. I mean, 2 days ago you wrote about the girls and Jon and new years and hair and food and your perfect life!!!!
So what happened?
I feel personally affronted - as if I should have somehow known. It just goes to say how little, and I repeat, HOW LITTLE, you know about the next person's life. Even with a person like Heather (or myself) who writes publicly about her life, there is so much that is left unsaid.
I had to re-read the post to make sure I read it right the first time. Oh Heather, I feel so sad.
In what continues to be a time of celebrity divorces (Heidi Klum and Seal - the latest??) this one saddens me the most. Maybe because I feel like I knew her - through her writing, of course. Even the @MrsKutcher and @AplusK split wasn't as bad :(
And that's what brings me to the advice part of this post. Last year, around the time of my 2nd anniversary, I wrote a similar post - A Tip or Two. That was intended to be light and self-deprecating. This one, today, is a tad bit more serious.
5 No-Nos for fights:
- It's okay to sleep over a fight. Contrary to what the world says. Things always seem much worse in the night than they do in the light of the morning.
- Physically extricate yourself from an argument when you feel like it's heading south. Another room. A book. A drive.
- Don't ever, EVER, bring in the in-laws. Because then there's only one way that fight is going - downwards.
- Don't YELL. Goddamit woman, put those pipes to better use.
- Last but not the least (and this one I struggle with the most), hold back on the smart-ass snipes. Even if you have the perfect rebuttal. The male ego is a fragile thing.
This song is for you Heather. Adele did a fine job with it.
And just like that, we found ourselves in Texas, on a surprisingly chilly Saturday morning.
My SIL lives in Houston and we hadn't visited her since her graduation, 3 years ago. It was always “in the works”. It’s one of those things you know you will do and you want to do but you just don’t know when. And then, a few weeks ago we received an Evite to one of SK’s best bud’s son’s first birthday.
The tickets were booked.
For the husband, it was a walk down memory lane. For me, it was the ability to put a face to the people and places I’d heard so much about in these past years. Our first stop was the University of Houston and Cullen College of Engineering, the husband’s alma mater. From the cafeteria to the library where he arranged books as a Grad Assistant to the very ghetto apartment community and bookstore, I saw it all. Soaked it in.
(Still a Cougars fan)
Saturday evening was the birthday party. I met about 6 of SK’s old friends and was content to sit by and listen to old stories. Old stories are the best – no matter how tainted the experience may have been then, eight years later they’re worth solid gold. Even a mugging tale seems funny, even good.
(With the sweetest little birthday boy, ever)
On Sunday evening we found ourselves at AG’s home. AG and myself are old school friends from Bombay. We met two days ago, 15 years after we graduated from high school in 1997. What can say? She is as pretty as ever, only now she has a little one who she has passed her loveliness onto. She did her Masters degree in Petroleum and works in the DRILLING department with an oil company in TX. DRILL BABY DRILL. How smart is my friend?
Makes my world of PR seem humble indeed.
(15 years later)
We got home late last night with the sinking feeling that the mini-vacation was all over and reality was but 8 sleepy hours away.
But then, along with all those old memories, we made some more. A nice consolation indeed.
