Spend Spend Spend!!!!!

Today I decided to check out the Walmart super center that recently opened in this town. Well, the motivation to go there actually came from the salary deposit in my bank account last night. To be honest, I really did not need anything from there. But then, as the wise men say, old habits die hard, and the habit we are discussing here is not going to a superstore on saturday afternoons, but actually spending money - wherever and however possible.

For some reason I took the cart today instead of the usual basket, and a cart usually means a bigger bill at the checkout counter. I bought a few useless things, and by useless I mean stuff that I don't "really" need - a webcam, kitchen towels (have 5 of them already), screwdriver (have two sets already), wrenches (seriously?), a radio clock (Got two of those), night lamp in the shape of a tea kettle (no way dude!), guitar picks, and a few more things. But honestly, the number of items were around ten to twelve, that's how I qualified to get into the express checkout counter. The lady at the counter was nice. She asked me if I played the guitar - I said I try. The kettle shaped night lamp actually brought a smile to her face :). She thought it was cute. I said it was funny.

Then it happened. After ringing all the items she said, "One O Seven please". While paying for stuff I usually don't pay attention to the amount that the person says - I just swipe my card and give my autograph on the electronic card machine (whatever it's called). But today was not any other day. I was about to swipe my card when I suddenly thought to myself - "now wait a minute. Is it really One O Seven bucks? The lady must have made a mistake while ringing all the items". But after two seconds I did swipe my card. She gave me the receipt and said that I should have a good afternoon. I reciprocated and while walking out of the store decided to do a manual addition. I pulled out the receipt from my pocket and started adding numbers. When the first four items (out of ten or twelve) added up to fifty, I stopped. I had no doubts about the (mis) calculations anymore.

From Walmart I went to Fareway to buy some grocery - basically beer. I usually get Ice House because I think that beer can really give you an orgasm, plus it's cheap, perhaps the cheapest. If I don't feel like drinking Ice House, I get my favorite beer - Rolling Rock. Since my day was already screwed (in terms of careless expenditure, that is), I decided to go on a rampage. I paid an extra dollar and bought Leinenkugel.

Then in the evening I did not feel like cooking anything, so I decided to get something from Subway. I went there and bought not one, but two footlongs. Yes, Footlongs. Two. Not One. And then on my way back home I stopped at Gumby and got ten chicken wings from there.

F*ck!

So actually, this story can tell you a lot about me. When I decide to screw up, I do it big time. If you don't believe me, go ask the credit card companies.

Doesn't the Fed just love people like me these days?

Enlightenment For The Brown Kid

I broke my own promise. I had decided to publish not more than 12 posts in a month (and not less than 12 posts in a month) because I just thought that the number "12" next to every month in the blog archive would look cool. Well, this post's going to turn March's number to 13, but then, what the hell - It's a stupid, baseless, illogical promise anyway.

So Andrew has been "teaching" me a lot of stuff about what he (and other kids) did when he was little. I must say that whatever he tells me is very very enlightening. Now, did we (Indians) ever know that a cartoon character called Rude Dog existed? No, I don't think so. Did we ever know anything about Cabbage Patch Kids or Garbage Pail Kids for that matter? No no no.

I told him today that in Illinois I hung out with the wrong crowd. Lol!

And seriously, I find these things really interesting because the information is pretty much useless. Now that's how I always like my information. Useless. But - it should be entertaining. If somebody tells me something about any random scientific/philosophical theory..I usually yawn. So whatever Andrew tells me is fudgin' A.

A slight digression - I have decided not to use the F word on my blog anymore.

So like I said, these sessions, if you will, are very informative. He also tells me a lot about the 90s music *drool*. So basically, I am that Indian kid who thought he knew "a lot" about America but was absolutely totally ridiculously nimrodically wrong. Well, not for long, because I have a tutor now.

So Andrew, if you are reading this post - Thank you! ;)

Dang it, Bobby!

...And Another One!

300 pieces, this one.

I am on a roll, aren't I?! ;)

Another One

Nailed another one..this one pretty much broke my back though.

500 pieces.

Beep!

I just hate it when the microwave keeps giving the constant "friendly" reminder beep after the food is done. Why can't it just sit quietly and mind its own business? My microwave is actually beeping away to glory as I sit in my bedroom and type this post.

Mr. microwave - I know the food is done. The only reason I am not taking the food out is because I am doing something that is probably more important.

I am hungwee *groan*.

To Bathe Or Not To Bathe

Every saturday afternoon (not morning), when I am taking a shower, a thought comes to my mind - Why is bathing a necessity? Why cannot it be a hobby, or an activity?

This thought comes to me only on saturdays because that is the only day when I bathe with no worries - of getting late to work, etc. I just stand under the shower - and sink into oblivion. I must confess that I thoroughly enjoy the process..only on a saturday, that is. So again, why is it a necessity? Why can't I just wash my face, brush my teeth every morning and just go to work, without bothering too much about body odour and all that nonsense?

*sigh*.

Hair Cut

I have not had a hair cut in 3 months. I am trying to grow my hair, and I really want to see how much more can my hair make people scream in disgust and agony. I look shabby already, and to be honest, I really don't know how to take care of my hair. I do use shampoo and conditioner fairly regularly, but that's it. I don't know any other magic trick that would make me look like Zoolander.

I usually get a haircut every month, or perhaps one and a half months.

Today, however, I thought that it's really not such a good idea, and decided to get a hair cut. I have a job now, and I really cannot afford to look like a hippy - my officemates would start despising me. So I bathed, shaved, dressed up and got out of my apartment. It was a little cloudy and windy, but nice overall. I reached Main Street where I checked out six different salons, one by one.. - all fudging closed! Can you believe it? Not even one was open. All closed! Now the people that run those salons should realize that their are some businesses (like theirs) that thrive only or mostly on the weekends. So those involved in such businesses cannot afford to shut down on saturdays and sundays. That's utter foolishness. If they were cutting hair for free then it would have been a completely different issue. But no, they charge you 12 - 15 bucks, and they want you to go to them at their convenience - not yours.

How in the world is that supposed to make life comfortable (mine, not theirs)?

Have We Met Before?

Have you ever wondered what your childhood friends are doing? Where they are, how they are? Are they married? Do they have kids already? Are they happy?

The reason I ask this is because many of us cherish the time well spent with all the wonderful friends we had when we were little kids, but somehow lost contact with them because they either changed their school, their family moved to a different place, or something else happened.

I have always appreciated the presence of my friends in my life, and like all of us, lost touch with them when I was growing up.

However, thanks to Web 2.0 and social networking, I found most of my long lost school friends after 18 fudging years!! How many? Let me count - seven! I am still on the lookout for a few more, but its okay, I atleast found some of them :).

I spoke to two of them over the phone recently. It was an amazing feeling! Of course, their voices have changed. They sound very very matured. They throw in a hint of sophistication when they talk, yet they are very down to earth. They have their own issues in life, but they walk unafraid and face whatever that bumps into them. Surprisingly, six of them are still unmarried - one would tie the knot this year though.

Two are sitting in Dublin, Ireland (student, nurse), one is in Baltimore, US (doctor [MD]), and the rest of them are in Bangalore (manager, maintenance engineer in the Indian Air Force) and New Delhi, India (service industry).

After talking to them, I want to meet all of them now. I want to see those lovely faces, share my experiences with them, and bring joy to them.

I hope I get to meet them, and if everything goes well, I will be able to meet them. Distance is an obstacle, but I think it would be easily tackled by my determination to see them.

It's a small world afterall, isn't it?

Perfect!

Background.

Solved another 300 pieces puzzle today. The outcome was good. No missing pieces this time.

But there were times when I totally panicked because I could not find the piece I was looking for. Everything did work out well in the end but I still do not trust the manufacturers' quality checks ;).

Colours Run

For some reason I have not been able to grasp the music that's prevelent these days. I think the bands that used to make music for the sake of music and not for making big bucks do not exist anymore. Today's music is very glamorized and commercialized. I really cannot focus on the music made in this decade.

But call it serendipity or whatever, around 6-8 months ago I found this band called Colours Run on last.fm that simply swept me off my feet! Yes, I fell in love with them instantly. Colours Run is from Manchester, England, and their music is very very nice, very different, and very British. They sound a lot like Coldplay, and their songs bring happiness to my soul. I was listening to one of their songs today and decided to tell the world about it :).

They have recently released their EP called The Sticks EP. It's available on iTunes and on CD baby, and it's for 10 bucks.

My favorite Colours Run song: "Beautiful Waste of Time".

Note: I am stuck in the 90s and I am proud of it.

Self Control, eh?

I have been resisiting temptation - big time!

I have gotten into this habit of getting on to Amazon, Deals of America and other such websites and looking at all the wonderful materialistic things available on this planet. I instantly fall in love with them, and decide to buy them right away. I even click "check out", but the moment I am asked to enter my credit card information, I say to myself - "Hmmm..do I really need it?". My inner self gives me a big NO. Then I ask my inner self to justify the negative answer, and the answer that follows is "I REALLY don't need it". That is when some sense prevails and I realize how stupid I am. I just don't allow the devil inside me to control my thought process anymore. I close the browser window, and then say to myself - "Boy, I REALLY didn't need it".

Six days have passed (in this monh, that is!) and I have not bought even a single item that would make the devil inside me dance with pleasure. I am just thinking that that the angel inside me deserves better treatment. No more tears, my angel, no more tears.

Some of the things that I have avoided in the last so many days are:

- Laser Printer.
- Music System.
- Music System.
- Electric Accoustic Guitar.
- Wireless Speakers.
- Under Cabinet CD Player.
- Numerous HDTVs.
- Furniture at IKEA (!).
- Useless yet attractive stuff on Deals of America.

The Missing Piece

My worst nightmare has come true.

I could not finish a puzzle a few days ago because there was a piece missing in the puzzle set.

See the missing piece?

This is what I have dreaded all my life. For some reason whenever I bought a jigsaw puzzle I got the feeling that it would have a piece missing. For so many years, however, this never happened, and my fear was overpowered by the manufacturer's superb quality checks.

But it happened. Two days ago, and now my fear has resurfaced. I will never be able to finish a jigsaw puzzle with full confidence. There will always be an element of suspense. There will always be tension.

The only soultion that comes to my mind is to count the number of pieces in the puzzle first, and if there are any pieces missing, repack the puzzle, send it back to the manufacturer and ask for a refund. But what if I am about to solve a one thousand piece puzzle? Is counting the number of pieces before starting to solve the puzzle really feasible? I don't think so. What if while counting I get bitten by an ant on the floor? I will lose count of all the pieces and will have to start all over again. So I guess I should just keep my finger crossed and hope for the best everytime.

"A Short Digression"

While posting my previous blog entry I somehow realized that I have a tendency of sometimes digressing from the original theme of my post. I usually do this by starting a new paragraph with the word "Digression -". Let me tell you how I got into this habit. It all started when I was doing my undergrad last semester project (in VC++ ;) ). I was reading the "RFC 1939" to get a clear understanding of what POP3 does. In that document, on the very first page is a paragraph that is titled "A short digression". I did not really know the meaning of the word digression, so I quickly looked it up in the dictionary. I then realized that we could stray from our main topic/theme by simply using the word "digression".

I have been consistently using that word in my projects/research paper/blog since then.

Mixed Doubles

I just finished watching "Mixed Doubles" on youtube. The title of the movie is self explanatory. I kind of had the impression that this movie would be very erotic and sleazy. But it really isn't. The movie is based on a very bold theme. Apparently, the protagonist is influenced by his friend who is married and lives in the United States. Basically, this film is an eye opener - tries to tell you that Indians are opening up to certain things that are traditionally forbidden in our culture, the things that have long been associated with the Americas and Europes of this planet. The way the movie ends is really strange, but yes, it does convey the message.