Should Mussina Go?

"Mussina sets tone in humbling loss Out by second, veteran puts Yankees in insurmountable hole"

Is it time for Mussina to go?!? Yes, I asked the question...

Facebook Outage?

I spend a few minutes every evening checking out the activities of my nutty friends on facebook. Well, the site is down tonight because the "server is too busy". I think the site has crashed ... ;)

Things have been very hectic at work, but I am getting closer to finishing my feature work. Friday is the first big deadline, and I am trending towards finishing my work before Friday night. What a perfect weekend it would be if I didn't have to think about implementing another list of something!

A few days can make such a big difference. Last Friday, my feature was completely broken, but persevering over the weekend, and some monumental check-ins later, 85% of the core functionality is working. The ritual of writing a post in bed was temporarily replaced by watching Sportscenter, but Sports news is a waste of time. The analysts spend so much time prognosticating the future of the college season, the NFL season, that it makes my head spin. Whatever happened to living in the *present*?

Hung with the goons last evening for a few hours, and it made me realize how much this new job has changed me. My focus is disproportionately skewed on work, and I need to achieve more of a balance. What's the To-Do List look like now?

- Achieve work-life balance
- Don't miss out on the subtle pleasures of life
- Get to 175
- Become a better squash player
- Max out the experience - at work, with friends, as a lover...

You believe in lists?

To Write or To Sleep

After a relaxing weekend, I am ready for the long week ahead of me. Cooking has become a ritual on Sunday night, and I conjured up a simple Indian curry that will serve as my lunch for the next few days. I might make an exception this week, and cook on a week night - I've been craving one of my pasta recipes, so maybe I'll treat myself. I would like to note the biggest time suck this weekend - talking on the phone. I know, most of my brain cells are fried by this point, but not even the censure of my friends is putting an end to the incessant phone usage. I hate using a headset, so I am done for come January 1, 2008 when the use of a headset becomes mandatory while driving.

Though I couldn't partake in the Laser Tag festivities last afternoon, I did join the crew to celebrate Apurva's birthday at multiple locations last night. The party started at Apurva's house, continued at Capitol Club, and finally ended with us eating pizza at Mamma's on Capitol Hill. Christa and her friends rolled by the pizza joint, and we finally got home around 3am after lively banter. The only deviation from a domesticated Sunday was the drive to pick Amru from the airport. The drive afforded the opportunity to experience the one situation I hadn't been in all my life - having my car run out of gasoline before I got home.

Juggy came and bailed us out, and as we were struggling to get the hose into the tank, a state trooper pulled up and aided our efforts with her torch-light. She ensured that we got the car started before pulling away to catch some poor sap doing 39 in a 35. We got home an hour later than we should have, way colder than we should have, and treated ourselves to dinner and Entourage. Amru left, I finished folding the laundry, and am now ready to pass out. Lights out!

Disgusting food

... and no sleep, make manoj a sad man. I was doing great till we went to JiTB where I had a oreo shake, and then TGIF where I had a lotta food. Wanna barf!!

To Soar Like a Bird

Nelly Furtado, seemingly from another life, crooned about being in love that was doomed to fail:

It's not that I wanna say goodbye
It's just that every time you try to tell me that you love me
Each and every single day I know
I'm going to have to eventually give you away
And though my love is rare
And though my love is true
Hey I'm just scared
That we may fall through

I no longer wonder about what drives people into a relationship that they know is going to end. If in the course of such a relationship, they can truly soar like a bird, that itself is worth the cost of admission - the imminent heart-ache. Time to find more reasons to be happy now...

On Separation...

The tale of my friend dating again has started an avalanche of synaptic pulses that are keeping me awake. The human condition is of great interest to me, hence the opinion piece. The thinking, and some personal experience has resulted in a deeper understanding of how guys and girls deal with break-ups. There are three distinct phases post break-up:

The Immediate Aftermath
Girls cry, voice their emotions, want to get back together, want things to work out, and are generally opposed to the change (unless they called off the relationship). During this phase, the girl continues to interact with her ex like nothing has changed. This is a girl's way of healing, biding time, and having a familiar shoulder to lean on. Meanwhile, since the girl is around all the time, the guy doesn't consider dealing with his feelings, or looking for other girls. Why would he when there is a familiar person by his side?

Enter the New Guy
The status quo is maintained until a new guy appears on the scene, at which point the girl is mostly healed, and sees the potential of a new relationship. Nothing hits a guy harder than knowing that he has been supplanted by another. If the girl has been professing her love for him through the months since the break-up, it makes the pain even harder to deal with. Guys are stupid like that, and the reason they are so distraught during this phase is because their ego gets smashed to bits. The absence of a girl to sympathize with, something that he has grown accustomed to, makes the pain seem harder to deal with than it really is.

... A Few Months Later
Some guys become stalkers, others get deeply depressed, and the rest carry on with their life. Both parties eventually end up with someone new, albeit with a part of them lost forever...

In general then, it would appear as if girls move on faster than guys do. Maybe guys just can't bounce back from a loss as well as girls can, or that the guy realizes (a little too late) that it's over and doesn't know what to do next. I'll let you pick...

New Beginnings

Here's to a friend who is starting a new chapter in her life. It was only a few days ago that she was professing her love to her ex, but that's a thing of the past now. After so much drama in her previous relationship, and still being in an emotional knot over her ex, she has decided to take the plunge and date a guy who has been chasing her for a few months. Time will help her get over the residual feelings, as will the presence of the new man. Let's all toast to her happiness, and the human ability to bounce back from the brink.

August Week 1

Hits and misses, strike outs and fly outs, close shaves and almost theres have characterized this week. Interestingly enough, this state has permeated every aspect of my life, and had it not been for this weekend, the negativity would have extended into the next week. The silver lining to this dark cloud has been a mix of impromptu weeknight rendezvous, and several trips to the gym that lasted at least 45 minutes.

Looking outside in, this week has brought some things to my attention that I should avoid in the future. The first lesson, sleeping at 6am on a weeknight is a bad idea. Solution - stop using the computer around midnight, work out earlier in the evening, bring the economist home every week so I have something to read while in bed, and turn my phone off at midnight. The second lesson, being a morning person works only if I have had approximately eight hours of sleep. The only day I woke up at 8am this past week was Friday, and my productivity hit its nadir that day. It might be because it was the last day of the week, or because I didn't turn my phone off at midnight the night before (smiles), but I'll keep trying this morning business. Persistence and perseverance result in ...

When I first moved in to my new digs, I was circumspect about the arrangement. My skepticism stemmed from my xenophobia, but two months into this and I must say, I couldn't have been more off kilter in my initial assessment. Saqib is reticent, weird (like that's a bad thing) and aloof at first, but he warms up with familiarity, and reveals depth, loyalty, and has an easy-going disposition. Such a stark contrast to Nishant.

I saw "The Prestige" last night, and like other Chris Nolan movies, the twist is in the tail (this isn't a play on words). Two aspiring magicians and close friends get estranged when the arrogance of one results in the death of the other's wife. The tragic accident starts a chain of events that lead to an unexpected climax that ties up all the movie's loose ends. The story alternates between the past and the present, which made some events hard to fathom at first, but the changing story-line piqued my curiosity and kept me engrossed. I had questions long after the credits were done rolling up the screen, the sign of a good feature film, and worthy of 4 stars.

Time to get back to reality now, the magic show is over. Work beckons...

Another Day, Another Late Night

A long yawn punctuates the stream of random thoughts in my head. As I prepare to get into bed, my mind drifts to the events of the day gone by. An early morning, a productive day at work, a quick yet effective workout, great coffee, an epiphany, and a rare sense of balance elevated today "beyond" my expectations.

These past weeks at work have been frustrating; I have made slow progress on my deliverables due to issues outside my control. It is true that stress causes your mind to focus on the single stress-inducer, which at first might seem like a good thing. The truth is, single minded focus causes you to miss out on the bigger picture, and precludes your ability to find other things to work on. In my case, while grappling with issues I couldn't fix, I overlooked the value of working on the unrelated, and therefore achievable, items assigned to me. Lightning struck me out of my rut this afternoon, and I found a purpose again. Two hours of focused coding, and I had fixes ready to go.

After a quick workout at the Pro Club, a quick cup of coffee (cinderella made it home on time with her sandals intact), and a check on how Amruta was doing with packing her belongings, I am finally sitting down penning my thoughts. Finally, I can rest in peace knowing full well that balance was achieved - the work, personal, and social chakras are rolling in the same direction, and propelling me forward. A long yawn...