I just returned from Dallas after having spent four days over Thanksgiving weekend with some of my oldest and best friends. The better part of the days were spent travelling all over Dallas in what I consider picture perfect weather. The sun rose and set at normal hours and it wasn't biting cold even for a minute.
Seattle on the other hand has been dreary, cold and wet since I have returned. That's one piece of the puzzle but more than that, I'm not feeling all that peachy. I don't feel like working out, am hungry all the time and am low on energy. All of this might have to do with the fact that I have been sleep deprived since last Wednesday but that can't be everything now can it? No point analyzing this, I'll snap out of it when I will. Funny how a high is always followed by a low, crest with a trough...
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Firefox 1.5 is out
Go Get It
If you're already using Firefox, go to Help->Check for Updates and install the latest Firefox Release.
If you're already using Firefox, go to Help->Check for Updates and install the latest Firefox Release.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Dallas Days - Friday
To summarize, I can't type out of exhaustion and sleep deprivation after my first full day in Dallas. I got off flight xxx last morning around 5am and I haven't slept more than 15 minutes since I got off the plane. Not that I got any sleep while I was in Seattle on the day of Thsnksgiving but that's a story for a soon to be written post.
What did I do to keep myself going today? Laughed a lot, Chatted even more, drank too much tea, ate more meals than I'd like to count, and did whatever my friends did. Too tired to continue any further. More soon - peace out!
What did I do to keep myself going today? Laughed a lot, Chatted even more, drank too much tea, ate more meals than I'd like to count, and did whatever my friends did. Too tired to continue any further. More soon - peace out!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
The Night before Thanksgiving
I've been leaving work between 6 and 7pm this week so that I can play a few hours of tennis before I go to bed. I really enjoy tennis except for the fact that I break my strings too soon - restringing is very $$ intensive. A small price to pay for the rush I experience when I play well, especially against someone who is much better than me. This phase is similar to when my squash game started to improve by leaps and bounds. I shouldn't let this go out of hand though and stop enjoying the game a la the squash accident.
I might have overdid it tonight though. I've been progressively more tired every night this week but tonight my feet are leaden. I nearly passed out on the couch while mustering up the energy to get up and take a shower. The temperature in Seattle hasn't been very conducive to any kind of activity (unless you call being ensconced in a blanket an activity) - it's 36 degrees F tonight. I always struggle to get off the couch and do what needs to be done before I can call it a night - shower and brush my teeth. Maybe I should do those activities immediately after I walk into the apartment - brilliant!
This evening's tennis was special though. I first played with Mary Tait; she's respected by many at the Pro Club for her consistency and tennis skill. She was kind enough to play with me for what was supposed to be an hour but turned into a 90 minute session of side to side running for me. We warmed up, did some drills and played a long set that taught me a lot about the game. She usually works out after tennis with her husband and I would have joined them in the weight room but I had another tennis match to play - this time for Roger's USTA tennis team tryouts.
Roger made me play my match in torrid conditions - the temperature was 34 degrees F and the relative humidity had to be above 90%. I kid you not, it took 5 games for my digits to get warm but by this time, I was down 5-0. Josh is a great player and I don't really grudge the first set score of 6-0. My fingers were pale from the cold and my timing was completely off. I did start the second set well; we were on serve when we were asked to stop. Josh is in my cross-hairs now...
A small note about these practice sessions before I am done - I'm not going to play outside in the cold anymore. I don't think we'll ever have to play in sub 40 degree weather ever - the players are harmed more than benefited.
Finally, playing tennis has made me meet some of the nicest people I've gotten to know all year. We went to dinner on Monday night to celebrate Kristin's birthday and the entire tennis gang was at Tap House Grill. I have many reasons to give thanks this year, this new found love for tennis is just one of them.
I might have overdid it tonight though. I've been progressively more tired every night this week but tonight my feet are leaden. I nearly passed out on the couch while mustering up the energy to get up and take a shower. The temperature in Seattle hasn't been very conducive to any kind of activity (unless you call being ensconced in a blanket an activity) - it's 36 degrees F tonight. I always struggle to get off the couch and do what needs to be done before I can call it a night - shower and brush my teeth. Maybe I should do those activities immediately after I walk into the apartment - brilliant!
This evening's tennis was special though. I first played with Mary Tait; she's respected by many at the Pro Club for her consistency and tennis skill. She was kind enough to play with me for what was supposed to be an hour but turned into a 90 minute session of side to side running for me. We warmed up, did some drills and played a long set that taught me a lot about the game. She usually works out after tennis with her husband and I would have joined them in the weight room but I had another tennis match to play - this time for Roger's USTA tennis team tryouts.
Roger made me play my match in torrid conditions - the temperature was 34 degrees F and the relative humidity had to be above 90%. I kid you not, it took 5 games for my digits to get warm but by this time, I was down 5-0. Josh is a great player and I don't really grudge the first set score of 6-0. My fingers were pale from the cold and my timing was completely off. I did start the second set well; we were on serve when we were asked to stop. Josh is in my cross-hairs now...
A small note about these practice sessions before I am done - I'm not going to play outside in the cold anymore. I don't think we'll ever have to play in sub 40 degree weather ever - the players are harmed more than benefited.
Finally, playing tennis has made me meet some of the nicest people I've gotten to know all year. We went to dinner on Monday night to celebrate Kristin's birthday and the entire tennis gang was at Tap House Grill. I have many reasons to give thanks this year, this new found love for tennis is just one of them.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Mellow Saturday Afternoon
Woke up rested this morning around 11 and have lazed since. I'm ready to go out but don't want to leave, is this crazy?! I need to go to work and determine what has gone wrong with the build so I must leave after the current song finishes playing. I enjoy listening to songs from the past; everytime I do, I'm taken back to the time when that song first came into my life and I get a chance to relive those memories. The song for this afternoon is Private Investigations by Dire Straits.
I read somewhere (including on my blog) that as life goes on, humans get more and more complicated. You know what, I see no problem with that anymore. The more layers an onion has, the more flavour it packs in...
I read somewhere (including on my blog) that as life goes on, humans get more and more complicated. You know what, I see no problem with that anymore. The more layers an onion has, the more flavour it packs in...
Manoj on Yahoo Search!
My blog is the first search result on Yahoo when you query for "Manoj". How kewl is that? Feeling CHEAP!!!
Friday, November 18, 2005
Who'd have thunk it?
Preamble
I had just dropped Karan off to the airport for his first trip out of Seattle with the Wife. The Better Half in this case seems to be a calm, effusive and warm person; it's no surprise that Karan's sister did the picking. I had called ahead and determined where the mob would be after the Williams sisters event and headed straight for the designated spot. I expected nothing; I had met all these people (except Adrian) only on the tennis court and most of the time, our interactions had been all business.
Scene 1
Peso's, Queen Anne, Seattle
A raucous, drunken mob
The folks were sitting in a booth but I couldn't figure out which one. I decided to follow the familiar voices and found them sitting around a table littered with shot glasses. The lilt in their voices, the glazed eyes, everything made sense. What got my attention next was that everyone on the table was in non-tennis clothes and all I can say about that is, deamn! Why did I spend so much time playing squash?!
Multiple rounds of shots, a trip to Safeway to buy batteries so Angie could take pictures of the group and a lot of screeching ensued. The drink of the night became B-52 shots and I think we stopped drinking at just the right time. Everyone was tossed, no one was wasted and we had two people who stayed sober so that the gang could be transported to a club.
Scene 2
Neighbours
80s night
The 80s tunes crept out into the open street where we stood waiting for the others to show up. This might not be a bad idea after all I thought to myself. Little did I know how good the idea was. I've remarked earlier that I'm in an 80s funk these days and the music just hit the spot. My feet weren't moving at first, the movements alien and forgotten. But the folks I was with helped me find my groove and it was a total party once we got going. It was as if we were in the zone, extremely safe in each other's company, which left nothing to worry about. I haven't had this much fun dancing in a while and my aching feet are a testament to how much I did dance.
Scene 3
872 PYV
The Ride Back
Six people in one car. Lots of ducking down, lap-sitting, "Get your hands lower ...", and revoked invitations are all I remember about the ride back home. First stop: Outside Dick's on Queen Anne so Angie, Kristin and Christine could ride home independently. We followed Angie and Kristin to ensure they made it home safe and at the beginning, we thought we had made a mistake - Angie drove on the wrong side of the road for a while before correcting her ways! Next stop was Radha's place in Fremont and finally I dropped Adrian off in Bldg 26 at 4:20am.
Conclusions
The tennis courts are where it's at.
This should happen more often...
I had just dropped Karan off to the airport for his first trip out of Seattle with the Wife. The Better Half in this case seems to be a calm, effusive and warm person; it's no surprise that Karan's sister did the picking. I had called ahead and determined where the mob would be after the Williams sisters event and headed straight for the designated spot. I expected nothing; I had met all these people (except Adrian) only on the tennis court and most of the time, our interactions had been all business.
Scene 1
Peso's, Queen Anne, Seattle
A raucous, drunken mob
The folks were sitting in a booth but I couldn't figure out which one. I decided to follow the familiar voices and found them sitting around a table littered with shot glasses. The lilt in their voices, the glazed eyes, everything made sense. What got my attention next was that everyone on the table was in non-tennis clothes and all I can say about that is, deamn! Why did I spend so much time playing squash?!
Multiple rounds of shots, a trip to Safeway to buy batteries so Angie could take pictures of the group and a lot of screeching ensued. The drink of the night became B-52 shots and I think we stopped drinking at just the right time. Everyone was tossed, no one was wasted and we had two people who stayed sober so that the gang could be transported to a club.
Scene 2
Neighbours
80s night
The 80s tunes crept out into the open street where we stood waiting for the others to show up. This might not be a bad idea after all I thought to myself. Little did I know how good the idea was. I've remarked earlier that I'm in an 80s funk these days and the music just hit the spot. My feet weren't moving at first, the movements alien and forgotten. But the folks I was with helped me find my groove and it was a total party once we got going. It was as if we were in the zone, extremely safe in each other's company, which left nothing to worry about. I haven't had this much fun dancing in a while and my aching feet are a testament to how much I did dance.
Scene 3
872 PYV
The Ride Back
Six people in one car. Lots of ducking down, lap-sitting, "Get your hands lower ...", and revoked invitations are all I remember about the ride back home. First stop: Outside Dick's on Queen Anne so Angie, Kristin and Christine could ride home independently. We followed Angie and Kristin to ensure they made it home safe and at the beginning, we thought we had made a mistake - Angie drove on the wrong side of the road for a while before correcting her ways! Next stop was Radha's place in Fremont and finally I dropped Adrian off in Bldg 26 at 4:20am.
Conclusions
The tennis courts are where it's at.
This should happen more often...
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
What Do You Know?!!
I'm awake and at work and it's only 8:15 in the morning. I woke up at 7am (all by myself, okay, with some help from the cell phone alarm), checked email, showered, drank coffee and was in by 8am. I'm the Build Master this week (looks like) and as is always the case, my luck with builds is wretched :) - I'll report how this plays out in a couple of days. To all you folks out there that start your day early, I understand your motivation and hope I can do this maybe once a week. See, my problem has always been having very high expectations from myself. Once a week is an achievable target, a baby step. No?!
Update at 11:20am:
I am tired and sleepy. My legs are leaden and my eye-lids are half-open. I think it is time for a short cat nap.
Update at 11:20am:
I am tired and sleepy. My legs are leaden and my eye-lids are half-open. I think it is time for a short cat nap.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Soapbox - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Soapbox
---------
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search
For an article about the race car, see soapbox (car).
A soapbox is a raised, improvised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech, often about a political subject. Alternatively, the word may also be used to describe the box that soap comes in.
The term is also used metaphorically to describe a person engaging in often flamboyant impromptu or nonofficial public speaking, as the phrase 'He is on his soapbox.'
Hyde Park, London is famous for its Sunday soapbox orators, which have assembled at Speaker's Corner since 1872 to speak about religion, politics, and even shoe sizes.
The modern form of the soapbox is the blog, an internet site on which anyone can publish their thoughts, often for free.
---------
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search
For an article about the race car, see soapbox (car).
A soapbox is a raised, improvised platform on which one stands to make an impromptu speech, often about a political subject. Alternatively, the word may also be used to describe the box that soap comes in.
The term is also used metaphorically to describe a person engaging in often flamboyant impromptu or nonofficial public speaking, as the phrase 'He is on his soapbox.'
Hyde Park, London is famous for its Sunday soapbox orators, which have assembled at Speaker's Corner since 1872 to speak about religion, politics, and even shoe sizes.
The modern form of the soapbox is the blog, an internet site on which anyone can publish their thoughts, often for free.
Kansas education board downplays evolution in favour of Intelligent Design
“This is a sad day. We’re becoming a laughingstock of not only the nation, but of the world, and I hate that,” said board member Janet Waugh, a Kansas City Democrat."
This was bound to happen if you ask me; just look at the outcome of the presidential elections and how the winner was determined by the vote of the religious right wing. If Republicans were the gate keepers of heaven, I'd not want to go in; it's a different story altogether that I wouldn't be allowed admission regardless of the allegiance of the gate-keeper but I'll save that for another time.
Of course this move has critics screaming out from the rooftops:
This was bound to happen if you ask me; just look at the outcome of the presidential elections and how the winner was determined by the vote of the religious right wing. If Republicans were the gate keepers of heaven, I'd not want to go in; it's a different story altogether that I wouldn't be allowed admission regardless of the allegiance of the gate-keeper but I'll save that for another time.
Of course this move has critics screaming out from the rooftops:
Critics of the new language charged that it was an attempt to inject God and creationism into public schools, in violation of the constitutional ban on state establishment of religion.I'll be honest, I don't buy the whole big bang theory either but as ludicrous as it sounds, I definitely prefer it over Intelligent Design. If there was an intelligent being who fashioned the creation of the universe, where did this being come from? And repeat...
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Friday, November 04, 2005
Dreams Can Come True
And that's what has me scared this past week. I don't want my dreams to come true, especially those that I have in the wee hours of the morning. And I always have them after I've woken up but decided to go back to sleep again - yes, the half awake, half asleep state.
Aaron and I spoke about this for a short while before work beckoned. Freud helped us understand our dreams. His theories delved into what caused strange visions and events to unfold while we lay in bed with our eyes shut. According to him, dreams are an embodiment of a wish, repressed or expressed, and let you quasi-visualize yourself as if you had that wish fulfilled. From what I've been dreaming, I have some serious wish issues...
This morning's dream was interesting for another reason, it had characters in it from a show I saw for the first time - Reunion on Fox. I was particularly enamoured with Carla, Samantha and the 80s theme of the show (including the music). I've been in an 80s funk this past month; I watched Grosse Pointe Blank and listened to its soundtrack all of last weekend. I came to work the subsequent Monday and created an 80s playlist, which I've listened to for the most of this week. I can't connect the dots, I can't!!
Aaron and I spoke about this for a short while before work beckoned. Freud helped us understand our dreams. His theories delved into what caused strange visions and events to unfold while we lay in bed with our eyes shut. According to him, dreams are an embodiment of a wish, repressed or expressed, and let you quasi-visualize yourself as if you had that wish fulfilled. From what I've been dreaming, I have some serious wish issues...
This morning's dream was interesting for another reason, it had characters in it from a show I saw for the first time - Reunion on Fox. I was particularly enamoured with Carla, Samantha and the 80s theme of the show (including the music). I've been in an 80s funk this past month; I watched Grosse Pointe Blank and listened to its soundtrack all of last weekend. I came to work the subsequent Monday and created an 80s playlist, which I've listened to for the most of this week. I can't connect the dots, I can't!!
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