snagabag

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Okay, with that out of the way, I thought I’d let you know about last weekend. I went to Austin for 36 hours to look at some houses. The trip started out with a redeye Friday night. Ughhh… next time I’m thinking of taking a redeye, please stop me. I can not handle those flights. Thankfully, after a tedious overnight flight, my buddy Rob was waiting at the airport to pick me up. Unfortunately, after a tedious overnight flight, I had to wait outside for 45 minutes until my useless friend Rob decided to show up. There was a silver lining though, I had someone to carry the boxes I brought from SF.

Garrett also joined us that morning. It was a very nice gesture on his part (Staying inside to play Xbox instead of coming outside to say hi when my parents arrived from Dallas is an example of a gesture that is not nice). It was great to see my pals, and as soon as possible, I ditched them to hang out with Aparna, mom and dad. Yep, Aparna, mom and dad all drove into Austin on Saturday. We headed off to meet our real estate agent, look at some houses, and check out Aparna’s new office. I’m looking forward to years of telling people Aparna works at a massage parlor when they ask what Four Hands is. You, I suspect, are not looking forward to it.

It was nice being able to consider “freestanding” houses after all these years in San Francisco. Ones with backyards, huge “spare” rooms, and Austin has great views too!

That evening, Aparna & I went to Mike & Amy’s housewarming party. We had a great time, and Mike & Amy’s new house is very nice. It’s also walking distance from Garrett & Amy’s house! I only have 1 photo from the party, and I’m going to put it right here:

This photo will serve me well for years to come. Why? Because this is how Garrett looks when he arrives and leaves any event. Housewarming party, church, 2-year old’s birthday party… Garrett’s always prepared!

On Sunday, Aparna & I had a chance to check out Dimple & Rahul’s amazing new plasma TV. Oh wait, I meant their amazing new house! Of course, I was there to stand around and take pictures while others worked. I really think people appreciate me noticing and documenting the hard work they do, while at the same time have the good sense not to “get in their way”.

Finally, I can’t leave without mentioning the bad news. Yes, there was bad news. Dimple & Rahul got a dog, Punk. Clearly, they don’t want me around, but owning a dog just to keep me away!?! I’m appalled.

Oh yeah, in case you needed a reminder, Dimple’s pregnant.

It’s official. Aparna has moved back to Texas. She boarded her 1-way flight to the Lone Star state on Friday. (yes, I know it’s Monday, but even I’m too lazy busy to blog everyday!) She had different emotions when boarding the plane. Part of her was happy to be moving closer to her family and best friends, and the other part of her was very happy to be getting away from me for a bit. Like I said, all sorts of emotions going on.

Aparna & I first visited SF together in February of ‘99. I think that was before I had even decided to move here. Sometime in the Spring of ‘99 I decided to move here (thank you Neil Desai!), and Aparna was more than happy not to follow me. I moved to SF in August of ‘99, and Aparna & I drove from Dallas to SF in my Z3! Too bad they didn’t have Fear Factor back then, because I’m sure that feat would’ve earned her a prize. I was only living here 2 weeks before I proposed to Aparna, and it was only 2 months after I proposed when Aparna said “yes.” (Thank you Miller Lite!)

Okay, enough reminiscing. I’m afraid you’ll think you accidentally clicked the link to Jay’s blog. Oh yeah, the pic is of Aparna & I from that very first visit back in February ‘99. As you can see, from the very beginning, alcohol has played a significant role in Aparna’s ability to put up with me.

Yes, I know it is Friday, but it has been a very busy week! More importantly, we finally have our own Lucky Cat! On Monday, Aparna & I went to dinner with John, Angel & Kendall, and they gave us a Lucky Cat as a going away gift. John is used to be a fellow blogger, but he realized after starting it that he does have a life, and thus does not have time to write. I, as you all know, do not have that problem.
John & Angel’s almost 1 year old daughter, Kendell, was as adorable as ever! Of course, her good mood was helped by John deciding not to feed her tabasco sauce this time. We always have a great time hanging out with them, and are hoping they make a trip to Austin soon!
Finally, you can’t leave without checking out John’s photos of Kendall on Halloween. Yes, she went as Humpty Dumpty. I can only hope I was not their inspiration for the costume. Just click on the picture below to view his pics.

Click here to see a slideshow of my photos from Saturday

Aparna & I had our California-based family over for lunch on Saturday (well, except for Jim). As Aparna is heading for Austin this Friday, we wanted to have everyone over one last time. I can say with no modesty the event was a resounding success! Everyone had a fantastic time. My favorite moment was probably when “the kids” were able to figure out how to log into my account on the computer and started trying to IM my friends. It’s always fun hanging out with the fam, and as a bonus Nalima came over, though I don’t know if she would have had she known we’d put her to work after everyone left.
Actually, Aparna’s cousin’s Karthik and Mallik, and Mallik’s wife Apurva stayed behind so we could all go out together in SF one last time (or at least one last time while Aparna & I are residents of San Francisco). We all, and Nalima, went out to a bar. Yes, Aparna & I lived the life of a twentysomething for a night! What can I say? We thought it was too crowded, too loud, and it took too long to get drinks.

Click here to see a slideshow of my photos from Friday night

Aparna and I had a couple of (mini) family reunions this weekend. The first was on Friday night when we went to Binny & Anil’s to celebrate Diwali. Most all of my California family was there, as was Anil’s. We had a great time with everyone, but it was especially great seeing our newest family members, Roshan and Sonia. It was your typical Diwali celebration… do puja, eat dinner, drink wine and scotch, open presents, and sing karaoke. Okay, so maybe not your typical Diwali celebration, but we had fun. As always, I took photos. Yes, people get tired of me always snapping away. No, I don’t care.

You might remember by entry from early October where I talked about the Boyfriend Pillow.

At the time, the company that created the pillow said their next project was pillow shaped like a woman’s lap. Well, I hate love to be the bearer of ridiculous news, but they have finished their project. I present to you… the “Lap Pillow.”

Can you imagine how disconcerting it would be to walk into someone’s bedroom and see a Boyfriend Pillow on one side and a Lap Pillow on the other? Me neither. I’ve got both on order.

Aparna & I saw The Incredibles today, and we both thought it was great! I highly recommend it to anyone who likes going to the movies as I feel both adults and kids will find it entertaining. Actually, it is more adult friendly that most Pixar movies. As you would expect from a Pixar movie, it has great animation and a compelling story. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s worth making an effort to go see.

I know unauthorized immigrant’s are a serious issue, and this little girl’s plight is not a joking matter, but this picture cracks me up.

It’s definitely one way to try and get someone across the border without proper documentation.

HAPPY DIWALI!

If you are wondering what I’m talking about, here’s a brief intro:

The tradition of celebrating fairs and festivals runs almost through out the year, in this country of festivities. It is the gayest of the festivals; an occasion of great excitement and rejoicing. The original form of Diwali comes from the word “DEEPAWALI” which means “row of lights”. Hindus believe that there is one God, one Supreme Being, called Brahman. Hindus also believe that Brahma can be pictured and thought about in many different forms. This is why Hindus worship Brahman through many Gods and Goddesses. The festival of Diwali has exciting stories about some of these Gods and Goddesses. Hindus believe that the God Vishnu preserves and protects the world with his goodness. Whenever the power of evil increases in the world, Hindus believes that Vishnu comes down to earth in a different form to challenge and defeat evil. These forms are called Avataras. Krishna and Rama are the popular Avataras of Vishnu. Gods are accompanied by Goddesses, who are sometimes called Shakti, meaning energy or power. Diwali celebrations are especially a time for telling stories about Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi, and about Krishna, Rama and his wife Sita.

To learn more, simply click on either of the images.

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I came home from Ketan & Anji’s went promptly went to bed on the couch.

Yes, on the couch.

We were having an open house on Sunday and the house needed to look as good as it can for the event. Part of that was having the bed made properly. Before Aparna left town she asked me to be sure and make the bed Sunday before the open house. In between copying DVD’s I responded with my typical “no problem.” A few minutes later she came up to me and asked if I would mind sleeping on the couch Saturday night. I was puzzled as I usually only sleep on the couch when Aparna is in town. She must’ve seen my confusion and with zero trepidation told me she just wanted to make sure the bed was made properly for the open house, with properly defined as “she made it” not “Mo made it.” To be honest, I didn’t really have a problem with this. I mean, I can throw a sheet on a bed, but am I the only guy out there not adept at perfectly arranging 7 pillows, 4 blankets, 3 sheets, and a stuffed animal on a mattress?

During the open house I attended the 49ers / Seahawks game at Monster Park. One of my coworkers, John (who I don’t have a photo of believe it or not) , is a season ticket holder and was gracious enough to take me. You can see a few photos from the outing here or by clicking on the photos. Being a season ticket holder, John has some inside info on Monster Park. For example, he knew which sections to move to in the lower level when we wanted to get closer to the action. He also knew where the cheerleaders exit the field at the end of the game, for when we wanted to get closer to the action. My favorite part was one drunk guy at the end trying to high five the cheerleaders (”trying” as they weren’t returning the gesture), and him repeating over and over, “You tried your best!” Oh man…too funny.

In the end, it was an entertaining game. As a Dallas Cowboys fanatic, it always makes me happy to see the 49ers lose.