4.24.2008
Air Guitar Hero
Tonight was a beautiful night here in Chicago. It was warm, dark and drizzly. I decided to go for a walk to get to my 10,000 steps (more on that next week). I went out the back door and headed towards the lake with my ipod.
One of the reasons i like rem so much is that no matter how many times i listen to an album, i hear something new with almost each new listen be it thematic, lyrical or instrumental. Accelerate just came out earlier this month and i've listened to it many times but this was the first headphone, walk-in-the-rain, dark listen.
I felt like i was a 15 year old again walking around in a drizzle listening to his music so intently that the air guitar and air drums just flowed.
I made it to the lake and continued listening, singing aloud and doing my strange combination of air guitar, air drum and stipe dance. Long hair flapping the air and rain. It was wonderful. I shot some vid on my treo and added a track to help readers understand.
I returned from the lake listening to the pumpkins' siamese dream. I felt myself walking around like a 17 year old in college with all sorts of sticky sweet confidence... playing my six string electric in the air.
4.22.2008
21 weeks @ alamo hdr
The pic is a bit old but it's still fun. The baby will be a traveler if we can help it.
4.16.2008
Leftover flowers from Vishu
I got home a bit early to let somebody to onto our condo property and i've been reading and playing with off camera lighting a bit. I had some time and didn't feel like doing something truly productive for this Wednesday so I set up shop in the dining room aka our project room. My current projects are off camera lighting and a macro or product box that I made based on instructions from strobist.com. more pics after the jump.
4.14.2008
We Wish U a Happy Vishu!
Happy Vishu!
It's early but here's some high dynamic range fun.
More on the celebration later - i'm still wiping the sleep from my eyes.
4.06.2008
Spring is in the air!
Spring is so totally in the air in Chicago this weekend. On Friday at work, everybody was already talking about Saturday's forecast. True enough the forecast held and it was beautiful 65 and sunny. Nuthin but blue skies.
I took a walk midday to the library and toted along my 24mm f/2 that is finally back from repair. (Yes, 24mm f/2!)
Each spring, things start green. Each spring, I realize that we didn't quite put everything away the fall before. This year is no different and the plants that were in there died a slow cold death. I can't even remember what was in these planters - perhaps mint judging by the multiple sprouts.
Later that afternoon, i walked down Chicago's frat row - Sheffield - after the Cubs game let out. Everybody was out and about and lovin life while drinking cans of beer and playing bag toss (corn hole if you're from Iowa or Ohio).
I ended that second walk at the Cubby Bear to help celebrate our friend, Jim's 30th birthday. His wife, Mel, had set up quite the surprise having 20 friends show up to the Cubs game and prolly thirty to the bar to watch the final four. Happy Birthday Jim! Happy Spring to everyone else!
I took a walk midday to the library and toted along my 24mm f/2 that is finally back from repair. (Yes, 24mm f/2!)
Each spring, things start green. Each spring, I realize that we didn't quite put everything away the fall before. This year is no different and the plants that were in there died a slow cold death. I can't even remember what was in these planters - perhaps mint judging by the multiple sprouts.
Later that afternoon, i walked down Chicago's frat row - Sheffield - after the Cubs game let out. Everybody was out and about and lovin life while drinking cans of beer and playing bag toss (corn hole if you're from Iowa or Ohio).
I ended that second walk at the Cubby Bear to help celebrate our friend, Jim's 30th birthday. His wife, Mel, had set up quite the surprise having 20 friends show up to the Cubs game and prolly thirty to the bar to watch the final four. Happy Birthday Jim! Happy Spring to everyone else!
4.03.2008
Everything is closed on Easter in Texas
There is a town 90 minutes away from San Antonio that I can best describe as Galena of Texas. It's a cute basically one street town that has many boutique and knick knack shops lined up on each side. There are cafes, ice cream parlors, bed and breakfasts and the like up and down the street making it look really quaint - especially compared to San Antonio and many of the suburban mainstreets popping up seemingly everywhere.
We, Ranj, our friend Meera, and myself, went there our second day in TX. This happened to be on Easter Sunday. On the way there, we looked for a cord for my ipod to play in our rental Cobalt. Target, Best Buy and others were closed for Easter - who knew?
We took out time and drove on to Fredricksburg/town taking in the hills and such. Just before we got into town, Meera and i spotted this old drive in movie lot and noted that it would be a cool place to take some pics. Nonetheless, we continued into town.
What we didn't realize was that even this town would be closed for Easter. All but about three shops were closed. We were bummed but out purses were happy.
To top it off, it happened to be a really cool and windy day and there wasn't even a cafe to step into to grab some coffee or hot chocolate. There we were walking around on a sunny but cold day lamenting that everything was closed on Easter Sunday in Texas.
Does this happen everywhere? In all of my years, i don't recall things being closed on Easter but I can't recall ever trying to anywhere on that day specifically.
After a a couple of hours tooling around, we went back to San Antonio and of course stopped by the drive in for some pics. This one was done on a tripod through a car dealership opened up wide and then some HDR and tonemapping.
More Texas pics in Flickr soon and after the jump.
We, Ranj, our friend Meera, and myself, went there our second day in TX. This happened to be on Easter Sunday. On the way there, we looked for a cord for my ipod to play in our rental Cobalt. Target, Best Buy and others were closed for Easter - who knew?
We took out time and drove on to Fredricksburg/town taking in the hills and such. Just before we got into town, Meera and i spotted this old drive in movie lot and noted that it would be a cool place to take some pics. Nonetheless, we continued into town.
What we didn't realize was that even this town would be closed for Easter. All but about three shops were closed. We were bummed but out purses were happy.
To top it off, it happened to be a really cool and windy day and there wasn't even a cafe to step into to grab some coffee or hot chocolate. There we were walking around on a sunny but cold day lamenting that everything was closed on Easter Sunday in Texas.
Does this happen everywhere? In all of my years, i don't recall things being closed on Easter but I can't recall ever trying to anywhere on that day specifically.
After a a couple of hours tooling around, we went back to San Antonio and of course stopped by the drive in for some pics. This one was done on a tripod through a car dealership opened up wide and then some HDR and tonemapping.
More Texas pics in Flickr soon and after the jump.
3.29.2008
X's Ninja Party begins!
So we're in Austin preparing for X's 6th birthday party. He actually turned six a few days ago but birthday parties for younguns generally work better on weekends. He's excited.
The theme for the party is NINJA. It's not attached to a particular cartoon or disney character so it allows for more originality in the the party production.
Chetathi made a tray of brownies frosted it, sprinkled it, candled it, found some small ninja ornaments to put on.
The balloons have been blown up and stringed together. The chips are out. X and Bunzer are napping and the party begins in an hour....
3.27.2008
Can't beat this. . .
Major love from X & D on X's 6th bday. This Appachi was in heaven. So far, our trip to Texas has been a series of unplanned events. Most of the things that we have planned have not worked out but we are having blast anyway! More later.
3.25.2008
Baby, I Got Your Back
According to Elyse Rubenstein, a Philadelphia psychiatrist who counsels new mothers, the term refers to "an inborn tendency to want to protect and nurture one's offspring." Almost all mothers (human and animal alike) eventually come to feel this way after they have a child. (from BabyCenter.com).
It has been my experience that some women are born with this instinct to protect the young. I wasn't programmed that way. Don't get me wrong, if a kid is hurt, I will do my best to help it (unless it is bleeding - then I would just pass out). But I don't think my behavior would change dramatically if the injured person was 1 or 60; I would just help in the way that I could. Some people however, get really protective of young children. They are always watching out for it and making sure they don't get hurt. I always thought that I am too selfish this way and wondered if it would change once I became a mother. People kept telling me that it would but I wasn't so sure. When children cry for small injuries, I don't become sympathetic and tender - I get annoyed and want to tell them to suck it up. Che used to make fun of me for it because I was so cold with little kids. RC is much better at this which is why he was often asked to babysit and I never was. I remember the first time Didi asked me to watch Roti 2 on my own, I asked her, "Are you sure??" Then, when I babysat all four Rotis at once, I actually invited my friend who is a mom of two to come over because I didn't trust myself. Fortunately, no injuries occured on my watch so I am still allowed to play with them. =)
But then I became pregnant and nothing really changed. There is some book that I read that said that women become mothers when they get pregnant and men become fathers once they finally see their baby. I didn't notice any change in thinking so I began to wonder if I would ever feel this thing called maternal instinct. Well, then Revathi (odd days we are referring to it as a girl, even days we are trying out all the boy names) started to move around and I started to feel a little more connected to her. Then RC started to talk to her on a regular basis and that also started to make me feel more like a family but not quite maternal.
Then because of an event in my family, it clicked. I was being asked to leave her for a few hours with Mom to attend an event in the middle of August. Our due date is at the end of July so even if she was born two weeks early, that would make her only a month old. A few months ago, if I heard about this situation as an outsider, I would have thought, "What is the big deal? That mom is such a freak. It's only a few hours." In fact, I respected new mothers who would leave their kids after only a few weeks; thinking that they were not letting this motherhood thing cramp their style. But I couldn't commit to the event. I called Didi to see if I was overreacting. Since she is a pediatrician and a mom, I thought that she has heard of situations like this and would give me an honest answer. She told me that if a infant gets a fever in the first six weeks that the usual course of action would be hospitalization. Tears blurred my thoughts when I thought about Revathi in a hospital with tubes sticking out of her. I remember visiting Roti 3 in the hospital when he was five months and that was horrible to see. All the sudden, I felt it - the NEED to protect this baby from any danger out there. Also, I plan on breastfeeding and I thought, who else can feed this child if I am gone for a few hours? Newborns nurse every three hours or so. RC, Didi, or Mom can certainly provide outstanding care for her and will make sure she doesn't get sick, but I am the only one that can give her food. Perhaps it is my pregnancy hormones but let's be real - the post-partum ones won't make me any more rational. For that reason, I am making the decision now so that I won't feel guilty later. Even though making that decision has been agonizing, one good thing that has come out of it was that it has made me feel so close to this life inside of me.
I think I am finally ready for this motherhood thing.
It has been my experience that some women are born with this instinct to protect the young. I wasn't programmed that way. Don't get me wrong, if a kid is hurt, I will do my best to help it (unless it is bleeding - then I would just pass out). But I don't think my behavior would change dramatically if the injured person was 1 or 60; I would just help in the way that I could. Some people however, get really protective of young children. They are always watching out for it and making sure they don't get hurt. I always thought that I am too selfish this way and wondered if it would change once I became a mother. People kept telling me that it would but I wasn't so sure. When children cry for small injuries, I don't become sympathetic and tender - I get annoyed and want to tell them to suck it up. Che used to make fun of me for it because I was so cold with little kids. RC is much better at this which is why he was often asked to babysit and I never was. I remember the first time Didi asked me to watch Roti 2 on my own, I asked her, "Are you sure??" Then, when I babysat all four Rotis at once, I actually invited my friend who is a mom of two to come over because I didn't trust myself. Fortunately, no injuries occured on my watch so I am still allowed to play with them. =)
But then I became pregnant and nothing really changed. There is some book that I read that said that women become mothers when they get pregnant and men become fathers once they finally see their baby. I didn't notice any change in thinking so I began to wonder if I would ever feel this thing called maternal instinct. Well, then Revathi (odd days we are referring to it as a girl, even days we are trying out all the boy names) started to move around and I started to feel a little more connected to her. Then RC started to talk to her on a regular basis and that also started to make me feel more like a family but not quite maternal.
Then because of an event in my family, it clicked. I was being asked to leave her for a few hours with Mom to attend an event in the middle of August. Our due date is at the end of July so even if she was born two weeks early, that would make her only a month old. A few months ago, if I heard about this situation as an outsider, I would have thought, "What is the big deal? That mom is such a freak. It's only a few hours." In fact, I respected new mothers who would leave their kids after only a few weeks; thinking that they were not letting this motherhood thing cramp their style. But I couldn't commit to the event. I called Didi to see if I was overreacting. Since she is a pediatrician and a mom, I thought that she has heard of situations like this and would give me an honest answer. She told me that if a infant gets a fever in the first six weeks that the usual course of action would be hospitalization. Tears blurred my thoughts when I thought about Revathi in a hospital with tubes sticking out of her. I remember visiting Roti 3 in the hospital when he was five months and that was horrible to see. All the sudden, I felt it - the NEED to protect this baby from any danger out there. Also, I plan on breastfeeding and I thought, who else can feed this child if I am gone for a few hours? Newborns nurse every three hours or so. RC, Didi, or Mom can certainly provide outstanding care for her and will make sure she doesn't get sick, but I am the only one that can give her food. Perhaps it is my pregnancy hormones but let's be real - the post-partum ones won't make me any more rational. For that reason, I am making the decision now so that I won't feel guilty later. Even though making that decision has been agonizing, one good thing that has come out of it was that it has made me feel so close to this life inside of me.
I think I am finally ready for this motherhood thing.
3.18.2008
O Baby!!
Wow. In two days, Spring Break is here. Until then, I am living at school. On Thursday, the students are turning in this massive project that they have been working on for two weeks. Last year, I had the students work on the whole thing at once. Knowing that my freshmen couldn't handle that this year, I modified the lesson plans to make parts of the project homework. That meant that in order to complete the project, I had to grade and return all the components so that they can revise them. FOURTEEN components. 105 students. Loads of bad grammar. The good news: the students are turning in some incredible work product; the bad news: I have been buried under paper for two weeks. I will have to take most of this work with me when I head to Texas on Saturday but hopefully, since I have read most of it already, it will go quickly.
In other good news, the ACT test prep class I teach ends tonight. The bad news: I have to proctor their last practice exam until about 8:30. I really should just sleep on the couch that I have in my classroom.
Strange pregnancy cravings for sugar this week. I can't stop eating cotton candy, Starburst and drinking Sprite. I guess it's not really sugar as is a craving for high fructose corn syrup. So much for all those healthy cravings for fruit.
I haven't measured my belly in a long time but it sure it getting bigger. I forgot to blog about how I am finally feeling the baby move. It makes this whole thing way too real. I have had conflicted feelings towards pregnancy long before I was ever thinking about getting pregnant. When it finally happened, I was a little spooked, anxious, and grossed out. These feelings melted away in one moment.
I was laying in bed last Thursday not sleeping as usual because there is no such thing as a comfortable position anymore. Plus, Q was in one of her squirmier moods. Rohit was dozing comfortably. He had been trying to feel the baby move for about two weeks with no success. At around 2:30am, I pulled his hand to my belly. He still didn't stir. Then, one swift kick, eyes flew open, a broad grin, and a whisper, "Was that it?" In that moment, it suddenly didn't gross me out to think that there was a parasite sucking the life out of me. That moment, I was superhuman - or rather, exceptionally human - I was creating life. Dramatic, I know. It is obviously the way we all got here so there is very little that is exceptional about it except I have never done it before. Regardless, it changed my feelings towards this experience entirely. I am looking forward to all these other new, wonderful things that pregnancy has in store for me. Especially the big show in the end!
More later. I have to get these kiddos to finish up their Science Reasoning test.
In other good news, the ACT test prep class I teach ends tonight. The bad news: I have to proctor their last practice exam until about 8:30. I really should just sleep on the couch that I have in my classroom.
Strange pregnancy cravings for sugar this week. I can't stop eating cotton candy, Starburst and drinking Sprite. I guess it's not really sugar as is a craving for high fructose corn syrup. So much for all those healthy cravings for fruit.
I haven't measured my belly in a long time but it sure it getting bigger. I forgot to blog about how I am finally feeling the baby move. It makes this whole thing way too real. I have had conflicted feelings towards pregnancy long before I was ever thinking about getting pregnant. When it finally happened, I was a little spooked, anxious, and grossed out. These feelings melted away in one moment.
I was laying in bed last Thursday not sleeping as usual because there is no such thing as a comfortable position anymore. Plus, Q was in one of her squirmier moods. Rohit was dozing comfortably. He had been trying to feel the baby move for about two weeks with no success. At around 2:30am, I pulled his hand to my belly. He still didn't stir. Then, one swift kick, eyes flew open, a broad grin, and a whisper, "Was that it?" In that moment, it suddenly didn't gross me out to think that there was a parasite sucking the life out of me. That moment, I was superhuman - or rather, exceptionally human - I was creating life. Dramatic, I know. It is obviously the way we all got here so there is very little that is exceptional about it except I have never done it before. Regardless, it changed my feelings towards this experience entirely. I am looking forward to all these other new, wonderful things that pregnancy has in store for me. Especially the big show in the end!
More later. I have to get these kiddos to finish up their Science Reasoning test.
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