This and that

My dog Frasier

2010-12-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

Ending this year on a humorous note!Heres my dog frasier stealing his gifts on christmas day before he was allowed to open them!

The end of a decade

2010-12-28T11:34:00.000-05:00

There have been questions about 2010 being the end or the start of a decade.I think I will go with it being the end of a decade mainly because its my blog and what I say goes !!
I do a review of my year around this time and as I look back I am happy with the way things went.Reached two goals.Ran a marathon and learnt how to drive.I have to say that the marathon was far easier than the learning how to drive goal!
I have been in great health and so has my husband and next year we are going to focus on being better.I gained weight training for the marathon and have manage to lose most of that weight this year.
Its a bit scary standing here looking out over a blank canvas -the new year but God is good and with me all the way so bring it on!

Christmas

2010-11-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

I think I finally have a hold on Christmas this year!
Have most of my gifts wrapped and ready to go.Working on Christmas cards.Have my tree up
Finally!

The only reason I am able to do so is because my mom is here and I dont have much to do in terms of housework!

More politics

2010-10-20T13:43:00.000-04:00

Is it me or is everyone just sick of the political ads on TV.I find that every person attacks their opponent rather than use the ad as a platform to say what they plan on doing.

Though it seems like empty promises flow when any promises are made.

GA seems to be having some very tight races.The governors race is pretty tight.Our local congressman is pretty useless so I would love to see him go!But the Republican candidate is very new to politics so not sure if he is a good candidate!

Decisions decisions decisions!

Local Politics

2010-06-01T14:54:00.001-04:00

Its been a while since I blogged and have forgotten how cathartic it is!
My latest gripe is the local politics.Our elections are coming up in July.
Two years ago,we had a bunch of crooks running the show.And yes,I literally mean that.The DA's husband was the county comissioner and their best friend was the sheriff.Together they ruined the county I live in.The DA had so many cases on backlog it was not even funny.The sherriff went around giving every single one of his friends a badge,fired all the white cops(they sued him for that),gang related crimes increased etc.They were all voted out of office,mostly in run offs and things had limped back to normalcy since then.Last heard the DA and her husband ran a law firm and the sherriff was sued for all the firings and lost.He declared bankruptcy and went to work as a car salesman.
Well,this time around they are all running for office.
Sad part is,if people dont go and vote these idiots will win

Anniversaries

2010-02-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

This weekend hubby and I celebrate 8 years of wedded bliss.
We joke about it being 8 years of extreme torture!But the years have just flown by.

Most of you know we met online and got married 4 days after we first met.Most people thought it would not last but it has!
Sure we have our ups and downs but at the end of the day we can truly say that we are happy.
Hubby says our marriage succeeds because of my compromise!The truth is every marriage survives because of compromises made.
I dont really understand when he talks about Twin Cam and Brake pads and I'm sure he does not care what my mileage per week was or my running stats for last year was!
But I do care when the bike is working in perfect order so that I can ride on the back without any worries!
I've been blessed...

Where have I been?

2010-01-30T19:01:00.004-05:00

It may be time to get serious about blogging again!
Though most of you are my friends on FB and probably know me too well by now!
I am seriously training for my marathon and its not been easy.If I dont finish a scheduled run,I get depressed.
My whole life is governed by the weather.
As in....will it rain on Friday...day of my long run...if it does ,then does that mean I get to do a treadmill workout which I do not look forward to!
Longing for the days when I ran only because I wanted to and not because I have to.
On that note,I have dropped 2 lbs since I started training so that tells you a lot about how much I eat!

2009-10-13T08:58:00.002-04:00

Cant believe that the last time I posted was May 23rd!!!

When I got over mom going back home,I decided to visit home for a month and spend time with my grandma who was sick.I did not want to look back and have any regrets.

I had a great visit.Also got to spend some time with my new sister-in-law (well about a year and a half old).

But I'm back and dont plan on getting on a plane in a while!!!

Of Vidalia Onions and the like

2009-05-23T21:29:00.004-04:00

Mom is leaving next week so I am trying hard to take her to do stuff that we were not able to do so far.
I will be in a deep depression so please pray for me.I am not sure if I remember how to clean etc!

We went to Vidalia last month and had a great time.We got to bring back tons(about 100 lbs each) of Vidalia onions(per person)
We went to an onion sorting/labelling place and was shown how all that was done and the farmer was kind enough to let us burrow thro his reject pile of onions.The grocery store had rejected his truck load of onions because the Texas onions were in the stores and the Vidalia onions were not yet needed.Not a thing wrong with the onions but he could not do anything with them and was going to throw it in the fields and plough it in.
Also visited the Onion festival there,was neat.My favorite part was the Tumi store that is open to the public at this time of year and I got a $495.00 bag for $40 bucks!

One of the tub of onions that we went thro
The labelling machine
An onion field that has been picked...yes,Picked !
The sizer/sorterOne of the smaller onions

My garden is coming along great.My beanplants have flowers and so do the tomatoes.It may have needed more sunshine and is slow on fruitition part!
I put in cabbages too(from Vidalia,30 plants for 3 bucks).Also Cilantro,basil and oregano
The worst part is the bugs around them.Have to keep dusting it and then worry about all that pesticide!
Of course Frasier has done his utmost to stand in the middle of the vegetables and ponder.
In the front yard,the deer ate all the new growth on the apple trees and all my hosta and lilys.
Any takers for some venison?

Will be back after I get over my depression..............

Time flies

2009-04-18T15:14:00.003-04:00

How fast does time fly when you are busy ?
I cant attest to the fact that I am busy as my facebook friends know I spend a lot of time there!
Maybe I can blame FB for a lack in posting!

I have been doing great.We extended moms tickets so she will be going back at the end of May.I think she is morbidly homesick now !
I am in running competitions with strangers on Nike+ challenges.Everybody thinks its funny!I am in an Indian Challenge which is most miles in 2009.Its for Indian runners from all over the world.I am competing with people who are not Indians(I suspect one is Canadian and the other is Dutch),cant do anything but kick their butts in competition

Easter was great.We ate out on the back porch since the weather was so pretty.Its amazing how this weather has not changed as it usually does.It goes into summer heat as soon as April hits but not this year.I have my little vegetable garden all planted and look forward to beans and cucumbers and two types of tomatoes.As long as my dog does not pee on the plants!

A crazy world

2009-03-30T17:11:00.002-04:00

Has the world gone crazy or is it just me
Lately I have been looking around me and at the news wondering what on earth is happening?Its in everything and everywhere.
I wont even start with the political part as thats beyond crazy.
I sometimes feel like digging a hole and jumping into it and never coming out.
Surely its time for the end of the world ,right?

My race

2009-03-12T10:57:00.002-04:00

I had a great time preparing and running my race.I can check off a half marathon of my to do before I turn 40 list !
Now that its done and behind me I plan on doing a marathon..maybe in November or March.Waiting for my body to recover and then I will start training for the next one.

My Church

2009-03-03T12:46:00.005-05:00

My church has a new pastor and he has a differant way of working.I try to give him a chance and end up praying every Sunday morning that God will give me a sweet spirit and take away my judgemental one and help my mind not to stray away during the message.
I thought it was only me until I realised that a lot of older people felt the same way.And we all feel guilty about it so that means we are trying !
But its hard to concentrate when he talks.My husband does not attend church anymore just the Bible Study that follows which he enjoys.I know thats not right for us not to attend together and I love my church a lot.I would hate to change churches.But if my soul does not get a feeding than the rest of me withers and dies.Weight wise i would welcome that but not spiritually.
Selfishly I will pray for the pastor that his preaching will get to me.Or that my mind will not wander

On a differant topic,I will be away in sunny Florida for a few days.Floridians please keep the weather at 60 when I run my race and at 75 degrees when my husband and i ride the bike at Daytona Bike Week

The Oscars

2009-02-24T09:58:00.002-05:00

I usually dont watch the Oscars on account of it being filled with pompous actors who love telling me who to vote for and who not to vote for.
This year I had to watch and I blame "Slumdog Millionaire"for it.
The movie was good,very realistic and made me grateful for my very sheltered upbringing!Hubby liked it so much he went back to watch the movies a few more times.
But anyway,back to the Oscars.I was very happy for cast and crew and all that they won.
An Indian movie won for best short documentary too.
So as my husband says"You are finally in fashion"!!!
The only moment I wished I was not watching was when Sean Penn started telling people his political opinions when he won.Which I think was to be expected.
Dont mix entertainment with politics,thats one of the reason most people dont watch stuff like the Oscars etc.Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican you dont want anyones political opinions shoved down your throat.

A dogs lunch

2009-02-21T11:46:00.005-05:00

According to my mother,this is the face of evil.
She had bought some shellfish from a Farmers market.The Farmers Market is about 45 minutes away and so we hardly go there and when we do,we buy stuff that we normally dont buy.The shellfish was expensive so she just got three.Its the kind that is filled with meat.
She boiled it as soon as we got home and decided to add it to a gravy(Indian style)on Tuesday.
We are banned from cooking anything "fishy" inside the house so she cooks fishy stuff on the grill' s burner.
To show you the makeshift kitchen,I include this picture.
The key point I want to make is the dog sleeping on the chair which to an innocent eye would think,he is enjoying the company and the sun.But the experienced eye would note that the dog is paying close attention to whats being cooked.

Well,she came in to get some salt and was telling me how much meat was on the shell.We walked out together so she could show me and voila!it had vanished.there was just shell without any meat.
The dog had climbed on a chair to get to the table(the chair was really close to the table)and had eaten every last bit of it!
I was laughing so hard,I could have died.Mom was so pissed at the dog,she would not even look at at him!

New Orleans

2009-02-16T14:14:00.003-05:00

We went to New Orleans to get on the cruise ship and I had to say how different it is from how the media projects it.
I somehow imagined gangs hanging around street corners waiting to mug people!
We went around the town to see the aftermath of Katrina.Our driver was a man in his 50' s retired from the AirForce and someone who called it as he saw it.
He did not blame FEMA and George Bush and we learnt some inside stories on the crooked mayor!
He told us some horror stories about the cops there and how they reacted at that time and thankfully he mentioned it on the way to the airport as it made my husband really mad.
My opinion is that its a nice town,a little expensive but filled with friendly people.
We had a whole day to spend there and my father-in-law gets a case of the wanderlust when he does not have anything to do so my mother-in-law arranged some swamp tours to keep us all busy.
It was pretty neat.Saw a lot of alligators hanging around the swamp like roaches and turtles everywhere.
Here are some pictures

Back with a tan

2009-02-11T09:10:00.007-05:00

Well.....people with my coloring dont need a tan !

I had a great time on vacation.I usually dont like going on a Carnival cruise because it has too many teenagers and kids but suprisingly this time there were more older people on board.It may be the timing...kids are back in school,families with children would rather spend that money on other stuff than a cruise etc

Got hit with two back to back migraine attacks which I was not expecting!So I was not my usual chirpy self.I usually organise everyone into activities and things to do.
It was cool in Mexico about 68 degrees.I have been there when its blazing hot so I wont complain.hence no bikini pictures of me either.

I had actually taken my running shoes and ended up running 9 miles facing the endless span of water.The only problem was that the treadmill was below glass windows and the temps there were a 100 degrees !The rest of the gym was airconditioned but not the treadmill part!
I managed to gain 2 lbs on top of the 4lbs that I gained from a cruise in November which added to the 12 lbs that I was trying to lose so thats a total of 18 lbs !
Cant diet as I have a half marathon coming up but all that extra running should help!

My most favorite part was going to High Tea with the ladies.We had tea with pastries and little sandwiches while a lady played the piano.It was relaxing and I got to spend time with hubbys grandma,my mom and my mother-in-law.

I am not a gambler but those gambling machines just beckoned !I lost 5 bucks !!!
Father-in-law put in 50 cents and won $ 350 and grandma put in 25 cents and won $50.00

Heres some pictures
This is in Cozumel and what I assume is the most touristy part of the city!
This is a Mayan archealogical site in Progreso

What have I been upto?

2009-01-27T11:09:00.002-05:00

Lots of celebrating this week.
I celebrated 3 years of being an American citizen on Saturday

Yesterday we had a dinner to celebrate my moms 58 birthday which is actually on February 8th and also to celebrate our wedding anniversary which is on February 7th and we celebrate 7 years of wedded bliss.

We are going on a family cruise next week and are easily embarrassed so we wanted to finish the festivities here instead of a few strangers on a ship singing to us!

To my new friends who don't know much about me.My husband and I met on Christian Cafe.com married after 6 months of talking and emailing.I was in India and he was in the US.The day we actually met was 4 days before our wedding!!!
My dad died a day after the wedding so that was a sad point in our lives
But here we are 7 years later and I still love my husband with a passion.He says that its not flaming(the passion) as it did the day we met but what does he expect?A few million loads of laundry and dirty dishes will definitely kill it!
I ' m just joking.I love my man and am so glad we met.We have our ups and we have our downs but as long as we are there for each other thro it all,nothing else matters

People enjoy us talking to each other as we are very sarcastic like George and Wheezie!!!

I bought my husband a dress watch for our anniversary and he was whining about it not being waterproof(because he is a barber).I failed to see why he would be cutting hair or washing hair in his dress clothes.His mother asked him if he was planning to scuba dive in his suit,to which he replied "No".Then he thought for a moment and said that James Bond scuba dives in his dress clothes and dress watch all the time.
I love my Daniel Craig and my husband but never the twain should meet !!!

President Bush

2009-01-22T10:37:00.001-05:00

Have to ask as my husband cant remember:
Was the media circus like this for President Bush?
Did he also do 10 balls?
Did Cheney dance with his wife?

Tagged

2009-01-22T10:22:00.002-05:00

Alphabet Meme

Got this meme from Suz
Here's the deal:
Leave a comment on this post and I will assign you a letter.
Write about ten things you love that begin with said letter.
Post the list on your blog.
When people comment on your list, you assign a letter, and the game continues.
I will only assign a letter if you request it, so don't hesitate to comment ...

I was given P- for poo

1)is for Pork-yes I love pork !Especially after McCain went on and on and on about Pork Barrell spending!I started craving it then!
2)is for Poo-I call my dog Poo and you all know how I love him!
3)is for pecans that people give me by the bushel full and that I have to crack and then I dont like it as much till i go to the grocery store and realise how much it costs

I give up...I cant find anything else that I love in P!Who knew it was this hard!
let me know if you want me to tag you

In honor of today and tomorrow

2009-01-19T17:16:00.003-05:00

I am going to start this post by mentioning that I am a firm Republican and always will be.I did not believe in what the then Democratic Candidate and now Pres elect Obama had to say and that was the extent of my qualms against him.But being a good American,I will support our new president.But putting aside the politics and concentrating how far we have come is the main topic for this.
Yesterday we went out shopping with in-laws and the topic in the car was how African Americans were treated before.
My f-i-l was from Pittsburg and was based in Columbus,GA at the army base where my m-i-l worked.His best friend was a young black man and they hung out a lot.My m-i-ls family was from Alabama.They lived on the GA/Ala line.They were about 16-17 years old then.She was talking about how scared she was that my f-i-l would bring his friend over for dinner at her house and how her parents would react.But it did not bother them.I personally think they were still trying to digest this Italian rebel type boy their daughter was dating !!!He was into bikes and was very James Dean-ish.
Those were the days were there were seprate drinking fountains etc etc.
Even my husband who is 41 now talks about how there were no Black students in his class.Which amazed me.There were a few Indians though.
They talked about the stuff that people went through and it was scary.Especially since this is the South where prejudices were worse.
I dont think the young people even have a clue what people went through for this freedom.
We' ve come a long way and its about time we had a woman president next!

Weird Friday

2009-01-16T13:01:00.001-05:00

I used to do a weird stuff from the local news a long time ago but I will leave you this picture this weekend.

My vicious cycle

2009-01-16T12:59:00.000-05:00

I run therefore I get hungry and so I eat so how can I lose weight?
Any tips?
Its worse because mom is now completely in charge of all the cooking and who can resist moms home cooking !

Disillusionment

2009-01-16T10:11:00.004-05:00

Monday is Martin Luther King Day and to most children,its just a holiday.Very few know why they are getting a holiday.
Indians love(d) Martin Luther King.Because of the similarities between the circumstances and the way he believed in non violence as Gandhi did.
When I came here and learnt a lot of the background of the King family,I was so disillusioned by it all.
That got me thinking about it...Is it wrong to judge a person by their personal life ?
He fought for freedom and had a huge part in achieving it and thats what i should remember him for.Not what he did in his personal time or why he did.
How can I judge anybody?Especially since I havent done anything worth mentioning.

Every Indian visitor that comes through my home wants to visit the King center and Ebenezer Baptist church and so we go there a lot.There is a memorial outside with water around it.It is very beautiful.well,my husband decided to wash his face in the water and my father-in-law waited till he was done and then informed him thats where some of the homeless people from the shelter come to pee!

Where has time gone?

2009-01-15T10:57:00.003-05:00

I realized that its been a week since I last blogged ! And look at the date..
Before you know it ,it will be Christmas again!
Though I think all my time is spent on facebook!Its addicting.
Mom is getting her first taste of cold weather in GA.The high today is 34!
We plan on beating the cold with some spicy chicken and rice !As in she is cooking and I am here....blogging!
On my way to see what you guys are up to....

My Dog-Frasier

2009-01-08T14:03:00.002-05:00

I have a Jack Russell called Frasier.
He is very hyper yet sleeps long into the morning piling all the comforters in the bed on top in winter.
He can smell food a mile away or a rustling of a food wrapper 10 miles away.He is a foodie-always eager to try new foods !Is not very picky,the only things he does not like is Buffalo wing sauce and Jello
He loves running with me.If I ever have a lazy moment he drives me crazy when he keeps jumping all over the place.We can run 10 -12 miles and yet when we come home,he follows me around the house like I may decide to run some more and forget to take him.
He loves watching Animal Planet and absolutely does not like me being sweet to any other dog in front of him.
He is my constant companion.
This is a picture of him sneaking a nap on hubbys new bean bag !He always scouts out the best spots.
(My tightwad hubby found a small spot on the bean bag and asked the manager to mark it down for him,and he bought it for 20 bucks !)

This is another picture of him on Christmas day eating a Bar-B-chew corn cob that Santa got him.He absolutely loves them !
He wants a certain blogger friend who has a dog called Abby to get her one too.
He is very sure Abby will love it too!

My mother and me

2009-01-06T10:26:00.003-05:00

I have completely forgotten to tell you whats been happening since moms been here.
It just goes to prove how much she adjusted to.... so quickly.
She cooks and she cleans and when there is nothing left to do...she takes the dirty dishes out of the dishwasher and washes them too!
She has been kept busy in a flurry of christmas socials and family get togethers.
So far(she came here on the 16th of December)she has been to Alabama and North Carolina !And theres more travelling to come.
She is not a big dog lover but my dog has attached himself to her side especially when she is eating or cooking
Heres a picture of them cooking lunch together!

Hubby gets to eat like a king.He is spoilt rotten and I will have a tough time bringing him back to normal after she leaves !He cannot get used to the house being so shiny clean !

An Award

2009-01-05T18:05:00.002-05:00

WIXY gave me a Top Banana Award.
My category
The I Want to be like Mike Top Banana goes to Frasypoo of This and That fame.
Frasypoo decided that she was too busy to keep up a blog this past summer and decided to retire from blogging. A month and a half later, she did a Michael Jordan on us and started blogging again, finding that blogging is incurable.

Thankyou Cliff !Did I just last a month and I half ?

I am a serial deleter !I like the old gone and the new,nice,shiny and clean.I retired from blogging and deleted all my old blogs.And I had quite a few !
No regrets other than my dog blog.I had some fantastic pictures on it.The most priceless one was of my dog, Frasier kissing a turtle.

But I missed all my blogging friends a lot and lurked around their blogs till I wanted one so badly!Plus it was election time and Cynthia McKinney was running for president.How could I be quiet?

Roll in the New Year........

2009-01-02T12:19:00.005-05:00

Its the second day of the New year already!

I have a new look on my blog, a new Nike+ mini me(thats exactly how I look when I run,minus the jacket though),cleaned the sweatshirt section of the closet and found several new ones and so a good start to a new year.If it involves clothes,I' m happy!

I want to start a new year of blogging with a shout out to my favorite people...the Armed Forces who are overseas.Without them we would not be able to do whatever we do today.
A big Thank you to them and their families

I would not be doing justice to my political blogging side without talking about the worst thing to come out of GA.Cynthia McKinney
She was with 16 people aboard a medical supply boat that collided with an Israeli naval ship Tuesday as it tried to enter coastal waters around Gaza.Lady,does the words"closed military zone" mean anything to you ?
It was reported by the ship she was on that the Israeli military fired machine guns into the water in an attempt to stop its progress.
(Taken from fox News)Israel's foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told Reuters that an Israeli vessel and the 60-foot Free Gaza Movement boat did make "physical contact," but only after the aid boat failed to respond to radio contact. He denied any gunfire had occurred, and he said no one was hurt in the incident. He told Reuters the Israeli ship escorted the damaged boat back to Cypriot territorial waters.
Ambassador Reda Mansour is Consul General of Israel to the Southern United States hit the nail on the head when he said "Why take a small boat from Cyprus and sail in the middle of the night and surprise the Israeli navy near the coast of Gaza?" Mansour asks. "The only explanation we could think of is that it was an act of provocation to get some titles in the media," he contends. "It's just unfortunate. We also have to mention when she was escorted outside the Gaza area, instead of coming back to Cyprus she detoured the ship and went to Lebanon where she was received as a hero by Hezbollah leaders."

Out with the Old..........Bring in the New

2008-12-30T22:54:00.004-05:00

After writing the post on death,I have tried to be cheerful and have a positive outlook on the future.As I was thinking about a new post,I heard police sirens in the distance.It did not pass thro but kept on getting louder and when I peeked out my window,I saw that it had stopped right outside our house.I screamed and ran out and saw 2-3 police cars outside.Hubby ran out in his robe and we realised that the neighbors house was on fire.
We stood outside as the Fire dept tried to save the house as it burnt down to the foundation.The couple that lived there had 3 boys,none of of who were inside.So glad no one was hurt
All the neighbours were out there with a single purpose of helping a neighbour or just to be there for them.
Please pray for this family as they start from scratch and for good neighbours who are there to help.
On that note,I am glad that 2008 is over and that 2009 is ahead.Its a clean new slate,with blank pages to be written on.
I pray that I will do what Christ would want me to do and that I will approach every negative thing with the attitude that its Gods will

I had to add this bit.we just got back from a trip to Biltmore and stayed at a cabin in the Smoky mtns and realised that a whole host of bloggers did too!Was it a blogspot retreat ?Now why did we not co-ordinate with each other?So we could have met!

Death and the void it leaves

2008-12-30T09:32:00.002-05:00

December has not been a month I will ever want to cherish.
It has too many deaths in it that make it a sad month
Most of you know thro WIXYS blog about Suzannes passing.A wonderful photographer,we became blogging friends thro a very sassy self potrait she had posted.I posted it on my fashion blog and people loved it.She would send cheery emails from time to time.She will be missed

Most of you remember my druggie neighbour,well he lost his son in Afghanistan.The boy was 19 and the circumstances of his death are strange,they said his gun went off when he was cleaning it.

My front door neighbours wife died of cancer.She was a sweet,very southern lady.

I dont like ending 2008 on a sad note but I understand that there was a part these special people played in peoples life

Merry Christmas

2008-12-17T11:09:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone.May this season be filled with love and joy and peace.
Had to add the Christmas Santa on a bike picture.I love Norman Rockwell' s pictures

Us Indians do it again

2008-12-14T20:54:00.005-05:00

Had to post on some (minor)achievements in the light of all the tragedy in Mumbai
Miss India was crowned first runner-up at Miss World

I swear I look just like her.....................NOT!

The Indian Navy has been very busy,they captured 23 pirates (two days ago)who threatened a merchant vessel in the lawless waters of the Gulf of Aden and a German naval helicopter thwarted another attack Saturday on a freighter being chased by speedboats off Yemen.

Obviously Somalian pirates are boldly operating in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes kidnapping/hijacking crude oil laden ships.

This next picture is for blogging pal,Pat Jenkins who has a problem with the Indian armys head gear!I had to prove that the Indian Navy has a very smart uniform incidently derived from The Royal Navy

Dont forget my blogging will be sporadic the next few weeks.

My mommys coming ......

2008-12-13T11:46:00.002-05:00

Imagine me skipping and singing Tra,la,la my mommys coming.
And thats exactly how I feel.
I am also nervous.I can see dust everywhere and places that need to be cleaned.
I will be a crazy loon until I actually see her at the airport.
I worry about her on that long flight but remind myself that she has done it before.
Best of all she has 2 suitcases filled upto 50 lbs each with stuff for me !
She will be here for a bit and we plan on travelling a lot so you will hear snippets from our adventures.
This is the first time she will be here in winter and its supposed to be 68 degrees and raining next week which means that it will be a humid Atlanta day.
It will be an Indian christmas for me this year.We always go to other relatives houses for Christmas lunch/dinner but this year both of us are going to cook a traditional Indian Christmas meal.

"Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you

2008-12-11T18:15:00.002-05:00

In the spirit of Christmas,I thought I would share this story with you.
It happened this June on a HOT Atlanta day when the heat indexes were well in the 100's.
Hubby was getting ready to leave for work and he noticed a car parked by our mail box.Mail boxes on our road is on the left side of the road so our house faced our mailbox.He noticed it was an older woman and asked her if she needed help,she said that she was okay and had run out of gas.He had some gas in a gas can and offered it to her.This was also around the time gas prices went sky high.
He left for work asking me to keep an eye on the woman.Around 12.00 in the afternoon he wanted to know if she was still there and I peeped outside and yes,she was still parked there.He asked me to go outside and offer her some water.People who know me know how much I hate talking to strangers but I did walk upto her car.She was an older woman looked like someones grandma and she mentioned that she was waiting on a ride.I gave her the water and told her to come upto the house if she needed anything.30 minutes later she came up and asked to use the bathroom.I showed her where it was and was silently freaking out.I am suspicious of any stranger.She finished with the bathroom and asked if she could use the phone which she did.In the meantime I got her an energy drink since it was still blazing hot outside.
At 2.00 in the afternoon she was still there,so I took her some bags of chips and some juice.She thanked me and was very grateful.I felt bad as I was so suspicious.I came inside the house and something made me go on Guideposts.org and send a prayer request for her.
Later on that day hubby got a call from a good friend who said that the woman was his sister and she had called him from our house and he recognised our house when he came to pick her up.She had a problem with alcohol and had not told her family where she was till she called him from our house
I was so ashamed of myself.I could have invited her inside to sit in the airconditioning,made her lunch but on the other hand suspicion got the better of me.
"Do onto others as you would wish them do onto you..."

Happy Birthday to me

2008-12-08T12:44:00.004-05:00

So I turn 34 today...There I said IT...
34 does not seem as bad as turning 30.
I seem to have come to grips with it this year.I was freaking out last year,some of you may remember that!

My husband assured me that I look good for 34,good skin,no jiggly bits,no greys but said that I have started dressing for comfort rather than to look "sexy".Wonder what he wants me to wear ?
I did not dare ask !
Somehow I do not think I will accomplish much by wearing "sexy stuff".Will scandalise the neighbours and may bring in some tourism here but not much else !

My 33rd year brought about a sea of changes and I am hoping 34 will just slide by without much happening.
I did manage to complete a goal I had set -to run a half marathon by the time I turn 35.
All in all I am glad I have my health,am still a good person,am pretty grounded,still have a conscience etc etc

So heres to 40 more !Hoping the Rapture happens before that.
Indian women dont age too well,we shrivel up and look ugly so I dont want to llive longer than 74-75!

Cross posting from my post on Red County-Terrorism in India contd ....?

2008-12-04T15:08:00.001-05:00

My mother has been my main source to all thats been going on in India.
She mentioned that threats of more attacks on the 6th were circulating.The 6th of December was the day that the Babri Masjid(a Muslim mosque) was destroyed by Hindus in 1992. It lead to a lot of riots then.The Hindus in India want to build a temple on that site and its been a bone of contention for a long time.

There have been news flashes sent out asking people not to go to the local malls,theatres and restaurants as warnings of more bombings continue. The local airports have been threatened too. The news had reported that there were a few terrorists who came in with the others were in Bangalore,Chennai and Delhi.

So when you thinks its over,is it really over ? Is it a case of being cautious and heeding every rumour or warning?

Heres how this affects me personally. My mother is travelling next weekend to the US and had planned to spend a few days shopping in Mumbai. And is now wondering what she needs to do? Whether she even needs to travel at this time.Which is what every other person there is going through.

I also feel for the average Muslim who lives in India.The everyday person like you and me who just wants peace but is probably looked at with suspicion because of all thats going on.They are not radicals and believe in a religion of peace.

Security has been tightened of course and every citizen is very aware of their sorroundings.
It is truly a time of turmoil and unrest in India.Again,I hope that nothing happens and the rumours were just rumours.

Tagged-SEVEN RANDOM AND/OR WEIRD FACTS ABOUT ME.

2008-12-03T11:27:00.002-05:00

I was Tagged by Don to do this
I am very boring so its been tough to find anything even worth mentioning!

1)I love reading and read 2-3 books at one time.
Right now I am reading Fannie Flaggs,Welcome to the world,Baby girl and Julia Alvarez' s-How the Garcia Girls lost their accents.Its a crazy time for me so I am only reading two books at the same time !
An ex once told me that mentally disturbed people do stuff like this !

2)I hate buying new books and only buy them at .99 cents a piece at the thrift store or borrow them from the library or if I absolutely have to buy them new,I buy it on Half.com/Amazon.

3)When I am stressed out,I eat Lindor truffles or Ferraro Rocher chocolates.Since August I have personally kept these compnies out of bankruptcy or in need of a bail out!

4)I am very happy when I am cooking.I love cooking huge meals and the fridge is stocked.

5)I am the fattest runner I know.Cant even use the words big boned in my case.I am small boned with fat and I run...almost every day.

6)I talk to my dog...constantly.Its embarrassing when we are running and I catch myself talking to him about which turn to take.Neighbours probably call me the crazy dog lady

7)I dont make friends easily.I dont like anyone getting too close to me.If they do,I lie and get out of it !

Secretary of State

2008-12-02T14:06:00.002-05:00

So me,like most other people are still wondering,why Hillary Clinton ?
After Condoleeza Rice,this will be a far fall from grace for the US
Wonder what the Bosnians will think?
Remember when she misspoke?Click here for a funny article from The Huffington Post

Cross posting from my post on Red County-Terrorism in Mumbai

2008-11-27T19:36:00.001-05:00

As we celebrate Thanksgiving today,India mourns the loss of many,many human lives.
There has been an escalation in violent terroristic acts there,though none as bad as what's going on there today.
I sometimes wonder...... why India?
Is it because India is an ally of the US? Or because India is enemies with Pakistan?
Pakistan has said(warned) that India should not lay the blame on them. When I heard that on NPR,I huffed and puffed a lot(mainly because there is not much else I can do about it). I find it hard to believe that there is no connection there.
I have had calls from friends all day,wondering how my family is doing and even though they dont live close to Mumbai,it is still a tragedy. A senseless waste of human lives.
It was reported that they have arrested some of them and my husband was asking me if they would be subject to trial like the court system here.We dont have a jury system in India but yes they will be tried in court and heres where I have a problem with it....it will take a very long time to mete out justice.I believe in a speedy trial and off they go to meet their maker.
My husband also asked me why the Taj and Oberoi hotels were targeted.These hotels are usually frequented by the rich tourists and heads of companies .The cheapest rooms at the Oberoi cost on average $430.00 to $3000.00 for a suite.Those people knew exactly who they were targetting.
Someone asked me why the airports were not targeted. I traveled home this year and I have to say that the Indian security check at the airport was the strictest and most thorough of all the airports I have travelled through. There were about 6 checks before you get on the flight. 2 of them were by police men(women) actually patting you down.Its hard to get on a flight in India with anything that is even remotely suspect.
It was a sad heartwrenching moment to watch the hotel burning and I just wish this violence would all end

Sunday Faces

2008-11-17T16:51:00.003-05:00

I did a post on this a while ago and have to say that it is still a topic that comes to mind every Sunday at church.
I love my church,its large and there are spots for everyone to fill in.I have my niche and I love it.But its the "in crowd" that I hate.
They are the ones who think that they are above all the common folks and attend the trendy "class".Not to improve themselves but to network.
Their kids get picked to sing solos or act the main roles in plays.
I hate the way they ignore newcomers to church.How much does it cost you to say hello to someone you dont know or recognise?
I have a hard time being social but I always try to say hello to anyone I see and there are those who will turn their heads if you dont belong to "the holy grail" and dare say hello to them!
Our adult Sunday school class is gaining in numbers and its because everyone is so friendly and talk to each other and I am grateful for them.
This verse comes to mind....
Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land

An Award

2008-11-16T14:51:00.004-05:00

Firstly Thankyou WIXY for this award.

Let them eat cake award

This is an award for being a real blogger with real interesting stuff to post.

So I want to pass it on to good blogging friends

1.Suz:She has a very common sense approach to life.She talks about stuff that happens with a great sense of humor and our husbands like the same woman-Sarah Palin!

2.Incognito:A wonderful actress and a good blogging friend with fantastic political knowledge

3.DD2:A blogger with a passion for our country and its politics-good or bad.He tackles all the current issues and discusses it.He sometimes beats the news in reporting it on his blog !

4.My kids mom:This is a sweet mother of 3,she is a lot like me in her thoughts though I suspect she is sweeter and kinder than I can ever hope to be !

5.Rebecca:She is one of my newest blogging friends.She makes the most wonderful pictures.

To all of my blogging friends........you are the encouragement I need to keep on blogging!

Things I love about Fall

2008-11-15T16:51:00.004-05:00

It comes before Winter

Time to start knitting scarves(I churn out 2-3 every winter)

Soups and stews and melty cheese on everything

Perfect running temps,Frasier my dog is happy

Of random notes

2008-11-10T09:56:00.006-05:00

Hubby and I did our first 5 k together.It was his first race.We were the last 10 people in front of the cop car and the First Aid cart!It was fun though.They had a nice hot breakfast waiting for the runners after the race.Chick fil A biscuits and coffee and fruits and candy.

The tree went up on Halloween,we went for a traditional look

I got a letter,on Friday, from the local court system thanking me for serving my week as a juror.I am wondering if its a new thing or meant for people who do it for the first time.

The Dog(Frasier) stayed up last night eating a ham bone as big as my head.It was a remnant of my druggie neighbour' s dinner.I want to fling it over the fence at his head.But thats not a Christian thing to do or think so I refrain.

Off jury duty

2008-11-05T16:20:00.002-05:00

I' m off jury duty today...Got sent home early
Heres why.I was picked to be questioned on a panel of jurors on Monday.It was for a murder trial.Two young boys with shaved heads sat next to their lawyers.Nice suits but evil eyes.
They asked if we knew any of the prosecuters etc.I knew the judge.Hubby cuts his hair,we have gone out to eat Indian food and he sings in the church choir!
I also mentioned that I knew two other judges there and hubbys godfather is running for State attorney.
I also mentioned that hubby has loads of cop friends who I discuss crime and punishment with.Which I do.
They also asked if I watch CSI!Yes,yes,yes every day...3 episodes !
Then they asked if we believed if stuff happens and its due to
1)personal responsibility
2)Faith
Me and the lil old lady next to me raised our hands.The lawyer looked surprised and said it was FATE not faith.
By now I knew he had labelled us as Crazy Baptist women....Which we were,not crazy but Baptist women.
We were not picked and I am grateful for everyone my husband cuts hair for.
I plan on befriending more cops and judges.It gets me out of jury duty
Not to mention the vermin on trial was there on a second offence.
My opinion...straight to the gallows

Off on a mission

2008-10-30T10:29:00.005-04:00

Firstly,Happy Birthday WIXY.Have a wonderful,wonderful year.Heres a cake I would help you eat(sugarfree ,of course)

From now on every week and weekend is filled with something that has to be done.It seems like my calendar is filled up till the New Year.
Tomorrow is the putting-up-the-tree-day and next week I have Jury duty.
I will be at the local courthouse cooped in when all of you are able to see the butterflies flutter around,the roses bloom and watch the grass grow.
Whats the worst part about it?
Its election time.... and the county I live in is 99% Democrat and I cant cheer too loudly when McCain wins for fear of being ostracised!
Doubly worse is the fact that I get claustrophobic in big rooms with people and not much noise,I feel cooped in and get panic attacks,so please pray for me.This will officially be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.I dont want to make a fool of myself !
I'll see you all in the second week of November and dont forget to change your clocks back.

Dr Deborah Honeycutt for Congress-Georgia 13th District

2008-10-28T09:23:00.004-04:00

I did say I had political fatigue and would not blog about it anymore but I blogged about this lady on Red County(where I blog every Wednesday,Incognito blogs there too,shameless plug,Thankyou very much !) and had to say something here
Have you ever looked at a person and felt that they were honest people.Well,Dr Deborah Honeycutt made me think that.She just seemed very regal,clean and like she meant business.I am not a person who judges a person by the cover so I delved into her background.
It seems like the Democrats dont like her because well...she may be a threat to David Scott who is the present Congressman.She raised a lot of money for a newbie and seems to be getting the vote because she has not delved what her party affiliation was
Again,who cares about party affiliation?If I found a Democratic candidate I believed in ,I will cross over(hell may freeze over,but...)
Actually hubby and I voted as Democrats in the last primaries to kick out the corrupt incumbents
She is my choice for Congresswoman.She has been in health care so hoping to see some changes there.She is a small business owner and knows the pinch we feel.She is new and maybe able to wipe out the corruption from the oldies here.
Cynthia McKinney brought a negative face to congresswomen from Georgia and a Deborah Honeycutt may be able to change that

Weekend

2008-10-27T09:59:00.003-04:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend.Mine was mainly uneventful which in my book means great!
This week is gift wrapping week for me.I bought gifts for everyone throughout the year and now I am done.Well,except for my husband...I havent started on his as yet!He is a pain to buy for.
This weekend, the kids will be staying with us and it is the week we(stepdaughter and I) put up our Christmas tree.She puts a lot of thought into it.It may be a Harley Davidson tree again as dad had a rough year !We dont usually repeat themes but its for a good cause!
Hubby has predicted a big to-do in the political world.
Any predictions ?

Indians for McCain

2008-10-21T17:33:00.002-04:00

Just recently a friend told me about this group-Indians for McCain.Since there are very few Indian Republicans in the US,I was wondering what brought us together.

They had a neat comparison chart on their website.Interestingly enough they have very strong, solid points.
Two main points I want to bring up here is :
Obama wants to raise taxes on any business you do with India.
McCain endorses the US-India Civil Nuclear Deal .Obama has remained silent on that issue

I also learnt something new. McCain and his wife have been to India many times.

The average Indian living here and who has registered to vote is a Democrat and no one knows why they are a Democrat.All they can come up with is that Republicans favor rich ,white people tax wise.

I wish I belonged to an Indian organisation just so that I could show them which presidential nominee stands for what and educate a fellow Indian.
But in the meantime I do spread the word back home as my family thinks that McCain is bad and Obama is good! The general concept there is that Americans are racist and would not let a Black man win!

This post would not be complete without mentioning Joe Bidens racist comment "You cannot go into a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.""I am not joking."
And on the other hand Sarah Palin appointed an Indian,Anand Dubey as Director of Information Technology

My weekend-race,polls

2008-10-19T19:08:00.005-04:00

I had a half marathon today(Sunday).Its a Nike+women's virtual half marathon.You run with your ipod with a Nike+ sensor and sync it on your computer,the results are uploaded to Nike+ and you can compare results with other runners like you.
My ipod froze at Mile 12.35. .75 miles to Finish.How much worse could it be ?When you restore your ipod,it wipes out the unsaved data which would be my 12.35 miles.So I don't have any data to prove that I ran.You know whats worse?Me sending my ipod to Apple to be checked thoroughly before the race and them not finding any faults.
The Nike+ people said they would consider sending me my finishers kit(a t-shirt and a Tiffany key chain) but that I had to call in a day or two to check back.They said it would be in "good faith".I am grateful to them for being kind as I was so close to crying.I have trained for this for so long,thro injuries etc .I hate my ipod

To cheer myself up,I bought another Anya Hindmarch for Target bag.What would I do without materialistic pleasures ?

On a positive note,I finally got a poll call.It sounded like it was from/for the local Democrat senator.

Hubby is at Daytona,FL for Biketoberfest so I had a free weekend.Was dogsitting a friends dog,Jake and in-laws dog Jezebel who guarded me !

And its Monday again

PBS Poll-Sarah Palin

2008-10-18T11:23:00.001-04:00

Is she qualified to be VP?
Click on the link to take the poll

Joe the Plumber...or frasypoos husband the barber

2008-10-17T09:24:00.002-04:00

Joe the plumber is my husband....not literally but they are symbolic of the same person.
They work hard for their money,they save when they can and invest when they can.They want to pay their mortgage on time and do not depend on credit cards to bail them out.All they want is something put aside for retirement and something to be able to give their children for the future.

Most small business owners do not have retirement benefits or health care.We did not till we thought that my husband may be diabetic,I still dont have health care.We really cant afford it.

There is a reason we dont like"share the wealth".We work hard for our money and we want to keep what little we have, not enable someone who is healthy and should be looking for a job.
Its not fair.

It literally breaks my heart to think of what will happen if Obama comes into office and implements this policy.I dont want a handout.I want to go to sleep knowing that the reason I am tired is because I worked hard that day(or rather my husband did)

Political Polls

2008-10-15T13:01:00.001-04:00

Want to do a political poll ?
I found some .....Click here http://www.wsbtv.com/election-surveys/index.html

Happy Birthday to my husband

2008-10-15T09:15:00.003-04:00

My husband turns 41 today.
He is a great husband,a wonderful provider and a good Christian man

He keeps me humble.When I suggested that I needed to take a brief break from running,he said that I should'nt as I would blow up like a house.

He says he needs me all the time........when he gets breakfast in bed,sometimes spoon fed,foot massages!

He is my fashion critic,he gently points out the flaws......you look like Barbara Bush,you have a muffin top,you are' nt going out with me wearing ballet flats like my grandma

Seriously though,I am so glad that we met and married.We were made for each other even though we are poles apart.I love this man and look forward to going grey together!

To my wonderful husband
Happy Birthday dearest.

State of Anarchy

2008-10-14T09:35:00.002-04:00

Thats what I would call our local Home Owners Association(HOA).

We live in a nice neighbourhood,little windy roads overlooking a lake with beautiful houses.A long time ago,it was where people who retired from Delta and places like that came to live.We live on side that overlooks the houses that overlook the lake.My husbands grandfather owned this house and hubby ended up buying it from his father and uncles and thats how we can afford to live here.

There has always been a HOA which was somewhat active but it generally maintained the upkeep of the lake and signs and stuff like that.
My husband had a falling out with them and refused to pay his dues.
Anything to do with the HOA was voluntary.

Then a bunch of new people moved in and took over the Board,elected members of the board who are"their people" and are trying to put in a HOA by force.No one who lives here wants it but somehow these people are moving ahead.
They sent out a form on which you had to write your opinions on and here are some of their rules
they can come and check your yard and house at any time.
they can raise dues at any time
your dog cannot bark constantly or cats cannot wander around as they please
they can fine you for breaking rules thro a letter sent by their lawyer($75.00 for the fine +$25.00 to pay the lawyer for fining you)
If you fail to pay,they can put a lien on your house(a couple lost their house for not paying $200.00)

These are some of the rules worded in "lawyerease".They have hired a lawyer who specialises in raising dues,some of the neighbourhoods he works for have dues at $2200.

Who can afford stuff like this ?We are everyday,middle class people,who work hard for their living and make do with what we have.We dont live on the lake and dont use the lake like people living on the lake do,yet we are supposed to pay for lake specific things.In todays world,is it feasible to pay out sums of money like that?Not to mention we live in the worst county in GA.People have moved out from here in droves,leaving empty houses behind

The HOA has twisted the laws to suit them(flat out lied) and misused funds and now a core group against them has formed and I am hoping that they end up suing them.They meet and discuss laws and stuff and its like an underground movement!Sometimes there is a Board member hanging out to see who meets where!

Running

2008-10-13T11:28:00.002-04:00

I am going to be doing my first half marathon this Sunday.If I do well in it I planned on doing the thanksgiving day marathon in November.
But my plans are not my legs plans!
Let me start at the beginning.I was training wisely,regular runs with periods of rest and had gotten to the point where I was running 33-35 miles a week comfortably.
Then my husband was diagnosed with diabetes and he started exercising regularly and we walked 3 miles every day.With all this added on my leg said"ENOUGH".So 2 weeks before a half marathon I had to take a weeks rest.I went for a short walk today and felt great.
To do or not to do is now a problem !I know I can do 13.1 miles but will I end up hurting my leg?
Not to mention that if I have to give up running,I will shrivel up and die or I will bloat up and burst,to be precise!

Me and my shares

2008-10-10T12:07:00.002-04:00

Two years ago,my husband opened up a trading account with $2000 in it and asked me to trade and buy.His theory was that people who did not know much about shares and stocks did well in the market as they studied it.And it was a comparatively small amount.... if lost.
Good theory...my first investment was Delta,good sound decision ?No!They claimed bankruptcy soon after.
Then I got a tip that Air Tran was going to go up....bad timing again.Gas prices went crazy and I lost on that too
Next,I played it safe and invested in energy shares.Those have remained steady but I am now at a point where I am scared to check my account!
Everybody has been urging us to invest right now as its so cheap and it should go up!
My theory:If I had bought a nice designer bag...I would still have something to show for it!

Brian Nichols-a warrior for the cause

2008-10-08T12:09:00.005-04:00

Excuse me...for I am about to cuss
This *&%&# killed a judge, a court reporter and a sheriff’s deputy and escaped from his rape trial at the Courthouse three years ago.His trial is underway right now.Yes,3 years later.

His defense is that he is insane.....I would agree,you would have to be insane to think you could get away with murdering a few people and kidnapping some more or holding them hostage .

But his story is that
1)he is a soldier for his people and that the people he killed died a noble death.

2)was at war with the United States government and “all of the persons killed were employees of the United States government, there was no collateral damage”

3)He thought that the Judge (Judge Barnes) was the Master. The slave master

Imagine being a juror on that case.

They showed pieces of his interview in jail and he talked about being angry about prisoners not being paid for jobs they did. it parallels significantly the treatment of slaves.”He said: “I felt as though I was a slave with them. As a soldier, I don’t feel like I committed any war crimes.

Seriously ???? Maybe he wants to sit in a Rolls Royce while being transported to court and drink champagne on the way there.

The reporter also mentioned that the only job this %^*# has was making his own bed.

Why do we take so long to prosecute scums like this ?Dont we need a speedy trial and boom,bam off to hell or wherever else people like him belong ?

Undecided Voters

2008-10-08T10:22:00.003-04:00

Who are these magical people ?Where do they live?Why havent I met any?
Have you seen any ?

Presidential candidates

2008-10-06T18:01:00.004-04:00

My husband was at a local Blockbuster when he saw a little girl pick up a movie on McCain and disdainfully put it back by saying "He' s no hero"
Well,to me he is.And that's based on the fact that he fought for the country.And that also applies to every soldier fighting for the country.
The little girl probably heard that statement at home and thats where I take offence.
Parents dont teach children why they should choose/or not choose a candidate and thats based on their stance on policys etc not a persons race.
Personally I think that Obama has achieved a lot by being a black presidential candidate,it is an achievement to be where he is.I just dont agree with a lot of the democratic policies and thats why I wont be voting for him.
I guess what I am trying to say is judge a person for what he stands for and nothing else.Judge for yourself

My weekend

2008-10-05T19:28:00.005-04:00

Firstly Happy Birthday Mr P.Since all of you know him,I wont bother introducing you guys to him.He was the first visitor to my first blog.He endured my blogposts about fashion,makeup,dog' s antics etc till I branched off!But heres to growing old with Mr P!!!

Enjoyed church immensely today.The Pastor spoke about trying to control our future instead of leaving it to God.
In our adult Sunday school we are studying prophesy and are talking about the end times-Russia plays a crucial part.

A month ago,we were invited to watch a special preview of the movie"FireProof" at the Fox theatre.It was fantastic.Dont know who invited us but so glad they did.On Saturday our Sunday School class watched it at the theatre again.Still a big Thumbs Up!

I realised that there are no Obama/Biden yard signs where I live but its almost chockfull of McCain/Palin signs.Hoping its a sign of the times to come!

I thought I was done with blogging...so why am I here ?

2008-10-03T20:42:00.001-04:00

Seriously I thought I was done with blogging but here I am....back with another new blog!
I blame it on the Democrats,they kept on and on and on and I had to come back to speak my mind or ruin my marriage !
Thoughts that stay in your head and that repeat themselves over and over again when expressed to your better/other half tend to ruin a marriage.
So my excuse in coming back like a bad disease is that its a sacrifice I make for the sake of my marriage.