Sexier, slow n steady and infusion

1. I notice two styishly dressed guys walking on the street by my house. Each of them has a toddler in his arms. One of the tots is fast asleep with its head resting on it's dad's shoulders, but the other one is very much awake, and looking around at the sights with much curiosity. The men walk on, engrossed in a conversation, and I think to myself that there is some truth in saying that men who can handle kids with ease look a lot sexier and attractive than otherise...
2. I think I'm too tired to walk home from the bus stop. I decide to give it a shot anyway... it takes me a good 20 mins at the slow strolling pace I take, but I do make it, and am none the worse for the walk. In fact, it makes me feel a little fresher and my muscles get nice n loosened up.
3. At a new cafe that has opened in KP, I have a black mint tea with ginger... inhaling its warm vapours feels so good... and then drinking it feels even better...

Talent, chic and ability

1. Picking up a fight with Gullu after lunch, just because I need to do something to keep awake, or I'll fall asleep on my keyboard... I discover I bicker pretty well even when I'm half asleep... quite talented, I am!
2. My new haircut looks good. Or so they tell me :-)
3. I read this and think to myself that I must never forget it: Love is not a feeling, its an ability.

Indulgence, being 'nice' and deciding

1. It is a day of indulgence - we lunch at Chhaya, our favourite Paratha place in Pimpri, where we haven't been since I moved to KP... The onion parathas are just as good as ever, and are made all the more sinful by the butter melting on them... I hog! And then at night, I give in to tempation again and have a blueberry cheese cake at Sweet Chariot. Every bite is a mouthful of heaven...
2. I'm cross, and to make up with me, Shenoy tells me, "Uh... nice shoes." I almost forget I'm cross till the time he points out that I never really can stay cross for a long time!
3. The feeling of relief on reaching a conclusion and a decision. The uncertainty has been banished and now action can be taken. Its quite liberating...

Matter of faith, missed chance and far, yet present

1. Waking up early, and keeping my resolve of going to the temple. Its Ashtami, and Navratri is almost over, and I hadn't yet been able to visit the temple to pray. It feels good to do some things as a matter of faith and to take the effort to get them right...
2. Dharana is very excited about watching tomorrow's 20-20 match between India and Australia at the Wankhede stadium, not just because of the day long outing with friends, but also because she expects to see some action. At the previous instance when she had gone to watch a match at the grounds, it was the first day of a test match. The only action during the entire day had been the fall of one wicket, which she missed, because she happened to be yawning just then!
3. Though I'm hundreds of kms away from home, I attend the evening Aarti for the first time this navratri via telephone. Its not exactly the same, yet standing by the side of the road, I sing along with everyrone. I'm the only one who can hear me, but I can hear everyone... its a strange feeling to be part of a family ritual from so far away. A good strange feeling, of course...

Indulgance all the way

1. I'm not feeling up to it. So for once, instead of dragging myself to work, I decide to take a day off and stay at home. I just sleep sleep and sleep all day!
2. Today is a day of indulgence. I treat myself to a coffee-walnut ice-cream from Natural in the evening. I especially enjoy the chunks of walnut in it.
3. A long chat with George. George's exploits are always entertaining!

Lovely pictures, LRG and catching up

1. Receiving a lot of mails telling me that my Goa pictures have come out splendid.
2. Harshal sends a long email, which starts with a 'Hey LRG!'. LRG stands for 'Little Radical Girl' - something he's called me since we've known each other, more than 5 years ago. Sounds funny now - I'm neither very radical any more, nor do I fit the bill for 'little'! But I still love the way he insists on calling me that :-)
3. Chatting with Aparna after what seems like ages... well naturally, it has been ages! She's off on a vacation soon and sounds pretty excited...

Picked up, evolution and Johnny Gaddar

1. After travelling part of the way in a shared ric, the luxury of being picked up in a car.
2. I note with pleasure how much Chinchwad has changed since I moved out of Nigdi. The place is getting hepper by the day. The swanky new adlabs multiplex, especially, is something that the area absolutely needed, because, with it comes not only a good place to watch movies, but also a lot of hangout places for the young crowd there, which earlier had no option but to head to Pune for entertainment.
3. Johnny Gaddaar. Wow! What a thriller... the pace is quick, and the story sharp. Neil Nitin Mukesh doesn't look like a new comer. And he's handsome!

Culmination, siesta and walk

1. Finally, after the weeks of waiting, the internet starts working at home... Its such a pleasure to be connected from home...
2. After lunch, feeling drowsy and taking the time to have a shut eye... is there anything sweeter than an afternoon siesta... umm... well yes, but its still good fun to be able to take a nap when you're feeling like it, instead of having to strain to keep your eyes open and maintain a semblance of looking deeply interested in work!
3. Shenoy and I go for a walk after dinner. Its very cool outside. I'm reminded of the walks we used to go for when I was still staying in Nigdi and he lived nearby too...

Great colleagues, home and just checking

1. Everyone chips in to help when I'm stuck. A big thanks to Jatin, Dharana and Kaushik.
2. Finally finishing my work just in time to catch the 12:30 a.m. office cab home.
3. Tanmoy calls up to see if I've reached home. It almost feels as if he's still in Pune...

False impressions, ice cake and film stars

1. Starting the day thinking that there is a lot of work, and as the day progresses, realizing that it only looks like that...
2. A birthday is celebrated at work. Because the birthday girl is fasting for some reason, she can't eat cake, but she is allowed vanilla ice cream... so a slab of ice cream replaces the birthday cake and everyone enjoys the birthday party with a difference
3. They're shooting a promotional video about the company in the office premises. The film crew is all over the place, with their huge lighting equipment, cameras, rollers and thingamajigs. When they shoot in the cafetaria at lunch time, the excitement among all present is palpable. They even film us eating (and Gauri is upto a lot of buffoonery)... which is the whole point of this BT anyway..

Internet, retail therapy and Poirot

1. The internet. What a blessing it is.
2. Going grocery shopping to Food Bazar. I enter feeling quite irritable and somewhere in the aisles of the supermarket, checking out merchandise, freebies and discounts, I lose the irritation and come out feeling quite content. That's retail therapy in action for you...
3. Reading Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries. The pace is usually slow, but the books are nonetheless charming. They take me back to my school days when I'd read them all.

Lemony inspiration, hilarious, sunset and voice

1. There's no milk, so I make black tea. And then, as a last minute inspiration, I squeeze a few drops of lemon in my cup... ummmmm...
2. Watching Loins of Punjab presents. Its hilarious. No one is spared. An hour and a half is spent in absolute mirth.
3. A most gorgeous sunset. We go on a long drive to Mulshi lake and meet the setting sun on our way there... the sky is breathtaking
4. A phone call and a voice ensures I sleep well.

Lacework, chronicles and passionflower

1. The lacework of shadows on the road made by the late morning sun light filtering through the leaves of the tress by the side of the road.
2. Reading An Indian Summer - the journey of a young American woman in India. She chronicles her stay her with candour, and in what I feel is a very balanced style. She praises what she likes freely and raises questions about things she doesn't agree with. Free from bias, she writes about stuff the way she experiences it, and at times when there are things happening around her that she does not fully understand, she openly says so. Manjiri sent me the link to her blog, and I must admit that I spent the better part of the afternoon reading her posts, and with pleasure.
3. After a prolonged and dusty bus ride back home, a hot shower using the Passionflower shower gel makes me feel human again...

Temple bells, getting crafty and friend

1. At a distance, hearing the temple-bells ring. I like the clear resounding quality in their notes.
2. Shenoy and I discover a very quaint and charming shop called 'Hobby Ideas'. True to it's name, it stocks all sorts of art material and craft and DIY stuff. Its a cheerful and lively place and everything's so tempting. The prices are a little on the higher side, but the pretty stuff has me drooling. I'm saved from spending my money ('coz I know, I'll just buy the stuff and never really use it) because the electricity goes off and the shop does not have a back-up generator!
3. I think Shenoy understands that I'm feeling low and is nice to me in his own way. He even drops me home, in spite of him having stated quite firmly that he isn't going to... :-)