Escapism

A couple of years ago, we bought a beautiful house in a beautiful locality. However, like all things that get old, we're now bored of it. The structure is one of the things we plan to change. A couple of walls in the house are unnecessary and make the space look small. So we want to bring them down.

But there's a problem. The house cost us a bomb, and we don't have money to do much else. So what did we do? We hired really cheap labor, who would do the job for us. No architects, no engineers, no masons required. All these guys need is food and a place to poo and pee. They're awfully slow, but steadily doing their job. And we all know that slow and steady wins the race, right? Right.

So here's what they've accomplished in the past couple of weeks. That's 400 mms long and about 60 mms wide. Impressive, huh?!

They believe in doing a thorough job, peeling down layer after layer of their target. So, of course, the color and putty comes off first. It does look like we're renovating, doesn't it?

All that back breaking work tires the crap out of them. They don't even have a decent bed, so they sleep in whatever little space they can find.

Oh, and while they were at it, they realized that the mattresses were no good. They were too fluffy and gave them backaches. So off came all the stuffing. If you don't provide us laborers with good living conditions, we'll make things comfortable for ourselves, thankyouverymuch.

Indescribable

Apologies to my non-MaraaThi audience, but here's a heartfelt मराठी rant that I can't translate.

आज माझ्या desktop वर गाण्यांचे folders sort करताना काही मराठी गाण्यांचा dump सापडला. कोणाकडून ती copy केली, कधी केली, माहित नाही, पण त्यांत ही दोन गाणी एकाच folder मधे, एका पाठोपाठ होती:

• ऐरणीच्या देवा तुला ठिणगी ठिणगी व्हाउदे
• ढगाला लागली कळं
  

तुमची नस्ती का चीड्चीड् झाली?

Sociophobia

This morning, I leave my cellphone for charging and then forget to carry it to work. A while later, the husband pings on GTalk, and asks me to try and remember where I left my phone--he thinks I'm clueless about the exact location of all my important stuff... it is true sometimes, but not always. So I call him to save time and the effort of typing. He doesn't realize his phone is ringing until I say so on chat. Then the bugger has excuses for low volume, yada, yada. [Snigger]

Then he offers to hand over my phone on his way to work, which is really a detour of about 1.5 kms. I tell him to ring up a colleague who lives nearby and pass it on with her instead. He totally avoids that situation by begging me to let him come and give me the phone. I try reasoning with him. The colleague not only takes the same route to the office and can pick the phone from home (hubs doesn't have to make any effort), but also sits in the adjacent cubicle and so meets me at least once a day (I don't have to make any effort)! That, however, is not good enough for him.

He just wants to hand it over himself so he can come and see me (do not judge, people, there is no romanticism here). The truth is, he always tries to avoid situations that involve interacting with people. I am not even remotely close to being a social butterfly, but I mostly do stuff that's necessary or if it helps (like in this situation). To conclude, driving extra in peak traffic conditions, burning fuel, waiting at the office gate, and risking being late for a meeting at work is all worth avoiding that painful 30-second call to an acquaintance. Now, if the acquaintance had a pet dog...

the phone would be promptly delivered to their residence, even if takes an extra couple of kilometers :P

PS: I too try to wriggle out of most social situations , but pointing fingers and making fun of the spouse is totally a "duty" in the marriage contract I wrote up in my head.

PPS: Dear hubs, if you read this before you leave home, please don't get mad. I love you. I still want my phone to see you before you go to work; I can't wait till you come back tonight.

Recognition

Today, when I coordinated with some people and set out a plan for some necessary chores to be done, the husband said:
"My sweet little resourceful [insert mushy pet name]"
"You are awesome"
...without me asking for it. Or making him do it in return for a favor.
Much improvement, I say.

Maybe I need to do a post about all the things he does, without being asked. Actually, it's been on my mind since a long time now, but laziness and the resentment against him for things he never does unless asked hold me back. Will make an effort to get over that.

Random weekend plan VI

Update: what actually transpired

Saturday:

1. Hope to wake up early, prepare and eat breakfast
   Woke up early, prepared tomato-onion-oregano-omlette-sandwiches and gobbled 'em up (hubs loved 'em, of course!).
   
2. Make a trip to the bank while hubby gives his bike for servicing
   Did some of the banking chores while hubby gave his bike for servicing and then we scooted from that oft-overcrowded place.
   
3. Attend my Katthak class on time and not make silly mistakes
   Attended my Katthak class (on time!) where we began a new song in the Bollywood section (Aaja Nach Le--title track).
   
4. Rest for a while and do some housekeeping
   Goofed around for a while, felt hungry by 15:00 and so headed to Vaishali for some sinful lunch. On the way I got a Calligraphy pen and some ink, whipped it out at the restaurant and showed off like I was an artist, but all I really did was scratch the paper until it tore. (The shopkeeper did tell me to work the nibs until they gave in and started doing as they were told.) Later, went shopping for some doggy stuff--got those collar+leash things, nail clippers, and a few snacks.
   
5. Walk the dogs separately and then walk by ourselves or go for a longish drive
   Goofed around some more, but didn't take the dogs for a walk--the heavy meal had slowed us down. The hubs began to cut the dogs' nails only to realize that the clipper wasn't very good.
   
6. Prepare dinner or order in and bathe the dogs while it is delivered
   Made an excuse out of getting the clipper exchanged, bought some more snacks and a Train Your Dog CD instead, and rushed to the Baskin n' Robin's where we really intended to go :)
   
7. Sleep early without gawking at the telly like a zombie
   Stuffed with ice-cream, we came back, brushed like good li'l kids (brushing aside the temptation of letting the nice, ice-creamy taste linger) and cleaned up a little before hitting the bed; also, no TV!!
   

Sunday:

1. No choice but to wake up early, cuz I've booked tickets for The Informant @ 09:00
   Didn't I say we had no choice? Also, I cooked up my own recipe of corn-bhel, and needless to say, the hubs loved it. The poor chap eats and appreciates anything I make on a whim I am so cool at making junk food! The movie was good too, although it's the sort that you need to pay complete attention to. You'll find it boring, or won't understand it unless you hear every dialog. Matt Damon is among my favorites: the Ocean's trilogy, the Bourne series, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and now this--good range of characters.
   
2. Rush to the dance class
   This was postponed to the evening because my teacher was out of town, but she eventually cancelled it after she got stuck in the train on her way back :(
   
3. Rush back home and freshen up
   We did rush home, but to my gran's and then my mom's place, for lunch instead of dinner. Mom made rataalyacha khees (a preparation of sweet potato) for hubs and batatyache kaap (potato made with the same formula as these) for me. There's nothing as gastronomically satiating as gorging on a special dish that you think your mom makes best.
   
4. Rush to the FoC event to meet Unmana and to give my old techie books away ('donate' is too pompous a word)
   I got late for this and eventually missed it. I started in my car and called up Unmana to locate the exact venue, but those FoC folks had wrapped up the event and left by that time :( The carton of books will now rest in the boot until it's given to people who can make use of it. Hmpf!
   
5. Rush to my mom's place while hubby gets his bike back from the garage
   Yep, this was done, although in a different order. And I must mention that the hubs slept over at mom's for over an hour and a half, while I had to run home to let the maid in--who neither turned up, nor called!
   
6. Rush back home in the hope of finding some time to rest
   I did rush back home, but there was unrest in the household after that. The dogs had scraped away huge chunks of two different walls inspite of being muzzled, for which they received a little trashing and a really long time-out. I know that doesn't work on dogs, but that was all I could do to not beat them to death. I swore I'd get crates that same evening and locked them up everyday. The hubs, however, did not think it was a great idea and avoided their dreadful fate by just being non-cooperative.
   
7. Prepare dinner and eat if I have enough energy to even care for food (a good idea would be to have it at mom's place!)
   And guess what we did again? It was BnB, encore, tonight!
   

Pray I follow through and not toss the plan outta the window. Been doing that too often. This post is really my to-do list. Must take a printout in Arial Black, 72 pt.
Ooh, I really did take a printout, but then the only time I looked at it was when I tried out the Calligraphy pens and tore the same paper :P

Counting my blessings

Thank you, God,
...for blessing me with a fresh supply of cool water in the office rest room yesterday. The winter that's just set in brought along some nasty boogers, and the sun that's still blazing (through late mornings and afternoons) made them dry up and encrust the inside of my nose. It felt like I'd just flown over from a Siberian desert. (Of course, I wouldn't know for sure unless you send me enough money to go there, would I?) If it wasn't for the water that not only melted the boogers, but helped flush 'em out, I'd have gone about all day feeling like a rhino with a newly sprouted horn (not that I'd know that for sure either).

Thank you, Dog,
...for spraying me with a fresh supply of your nasal fluid this morning. I've been praying to God to help me find some inspiration to wake up early and feel invigorated. You are the answer to my prayer. I couldn't ask for better.

After the birthday rant

I could feel the effects of venting even as I was writing this post. Inspite of not wanting to work, I came to office around 08:30 so that I could put in half a day's work and then leave. That plan went for a toss and it was 16:00 by the time I actually left...

I had begun to write this post the day after the rant, but I got so bored writing it, I knew it would put any reader to sleep. So I cut out the boring "what happened" crap. As I said to a friend who sent a sweet email wishing my worries away, all those unhappy thoughts were drowned in cake and coffee and 4 hours of non-stop chit-chat with friends.

Then yesterday, another friend read that post and said, "I think we all need something to be sad about." Is it necessary to say she had a point? My problem is, why do I choose my birthdays to feel that way?! I guess, like my dad says about my mom, "she's happy to be unhappy." Sigh! Why do we have to grow up and turn into photocopies of our parents? Especially in those aspects that we so abhor?! Why can't we simply inherit or imbibe their good qualities? Shrug.