Chasing the Monsoons

Work is taking me to the US again, third year running. Albeit this time the trip is to last only 10 odd days starting on the 10th of July.

I'll be visiting the mid-North US which I have never done. Intend to do some quick shopping, sight seeing and then finally head back home to my lovely wife. Oh did I forget to mention that I'll be working most of the time? I guess not.

I can already smell Starbucks, taste Taco Bell (Taco Hell for some) and hear the FM radio.

Well
I know what I've been told
You gotta work to feed the soul
But I can't do this all on my own

We decided to go out this weekend, and carefully (maybe not) planned a trip to Sinhagad with Rahul. We managed to take off from ground zero at around 3:30 in the afternoon.

Someone should have told us well meaning folks that it was a suicide attempt to mount that hill on a Sunday afternoon. We made it to the bottom with no problems at all, but there we hit our first (and only) technical snag. There was a lot of traffic on the hill, running into 3 hours of delay to get to the top. The cops were asking folks to turn back and not add to the mayhem.

One of the best forwards I've read in a long long while:

Celebration means......

A winter evening.
Four friends.
One barsaat.
Four glasses of chai.

(OR)

Hundred bucks of gas.
A rusty old bike.
And an open road.

(OR)

Rainy evening.
Holding hands with a loved one.
2 steaming corn cobs.
A long road ......

(OR)

Maggi noodles.
A hostel room.
3.25 a.m.

(OR)

A muddy field.
22 guys.
1 football
Game On ! !

(OR)

3 old friends.
3 separate cities.
3 coffee mugs.
1 internet messenger.

(OR)

2 a.m.
Sitting on your window ledge.

I've decided to get back into the reading groove, which I had left about 8-10 months ago..

My current reads:

• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
• The McKinsey Quarterly
• Knowledge @ Wharton

Aside of that, plans are on for some shifts in life, as well as in addresses :)

Imprinted in my memories:

• 20,000 leagues under the sea by Jules Verne

One of the better short films I've seen.. quite simply made yet moving..

So I got engaged.. I mean formally, with ring et al. Our engagements don't really have rings, in fact the bridegroom isn't even supposed to be around at the engagement! I gate crashed and we exchanged rings at the end of the so called bridegroom-less engagement :D

All said and done it was a great event, and I have a ring with a huge rock in it. I had wished for a gold band as that is more comfortable, but it didn't work out that way for me.

Dusty brown boots in the corner
By the ironing board
Spray on dust is the greatest thing
Sure is the greatest thing
- Beta Band, Dry the Rain

I feel like life has taken this turn from which there is no turning back (is there ever??). I miss old friends, am shy to make new ones, and am more than looking forward to life with my wife :D

I really liked this tag while hopping around, so doing it. Violet, CM, you guys should try it too.. I guess it tells more about your music collection than much else, but seems like fun :)

So, here’s how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool and no disclaimers allowed.

... for drama & petty things. So kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly