The Happy Gardener

I am sitting on my couch (tangent : Much to my distress and dismay, I recently found out that the piece of furniture I've owned for more than 4 years now is a loveseat and not a couch(!) How I could have owned a loveseat for 4+ years is beyond me. It probably has something to do with His sense of irony. Anyhoo, I choose to ignore this fact and still call it my couch. Come on. Seriously, how can I ever frame a serious sentence with "I am sitting on my loveseat ..." ?? : end of tangent) after a late dinner - perfectly happy with life, people and the world at large. The late dinner was preceded by a late run. I had a super long drive back home this evening but since then, things improved significantly. AJ unexpectedly joined me on my run - I don't usually run with a buddy 'cause I am much better off with my ipod or my own thoughts but this turned out to be quite fun. We managed to run ~ 6 miles and had a very pleasant conversation as we most often do. And now the b...

I needed that rain. After spending the day working from home on this warm, muggy day and after the kinda distracted and discontented week I've had, I was very happy when the breeze from the open windows brought news of upcoming rain. And it came at the right time - when I finished a big chunk of work and was ready to take a break for the evening. I stepped into the balcony and hobnobbed with the drops and it was as much fun as it used to be when the monsoons finally came to my city in India. And the 20 minute downpour followed by the sun breaking through the clouds inspired me. I undertook one more of my therapeutic home cleaning and re-organizing efforts. It's amazing how much stuff you accumulate that you can easily do without. (Remind me to talk about Jerome K Jerome's amazing thoughts on the same subject - in a a philosophic vein). I was pretty happy once I was done - got rid of a bunch of things and made the apartment more airy. I think there was some parallel between...

I really should be working right now. But it's been a beautiful weekend and there's still a few hours of a graceful Sunday left and I am in my balcony and things are just so in place. So I shall, instead, post this piece that I started a few evenings ago, after returning from a nice jog around the river. I am happily committed. To Boston. And by Boston, I don't snootily mean only that tiny city on the "right" side of the river. I mean Boston and the surrounding areas - everything that I associate with when I use the name "Boston" in the context of my life. It's an arranged marriage, of course. It wasn't like I fell in love at first sight. Or that I liked it more and more every time I saw it and counted days for our next meeting until I couldn't stay apart any more and had to move here. No, nothing so romantic. In fact, it was a marriage of convenience. I had a job here. It offered security and contentment - a completely materialistic decisio...

Lovely day. Started out alright and kept getting better. The sun showed up and smiled at me all day and I smiled right back at him. Had a breezy ride back home, ran ~ 6.5 miles around the beautiful Charles, and thanks to obliging SP, added a black Raspberry ice cream rush to the endorphin rush and am now finally dog tired. Ah, the sweet pain and tiredness of an over-active summer day! And now for a dose of Zen ... and bed.

Ok. I admit it. This city is growing on me. Last night I ran my 6 mile loop - down to the river, around the river and back home. It was pretty late and dark but there were still folks running along the route. And the lights of the city and their reflections on the water made a pretty sight as I crossed the bridge on my way back. Of course, they probably looked much more beautiful due the fact that I was walking, not running at that point. Again, someday, I will figure out which part of running it is that I truly enjoy :-) Today, there was a man sitting a couple of chairs from me at my cafe - vigorously sketching the people who walked in and out of the cafe. It was great to sit there, drinking my cider, writing idly and watching him sketch. But I have got to watch myself. Pretty soon, I will be the snooty urban chick types that drinks herbal tea, wears shawls and multiple layers of strange & colorful clothing and just does not smile. If that happens, you have the permission to whack...

Chronicles of a new home.

The fridge magnets are all packed. The walls are bare, save for the nails that held the paintings. The shoe-stand stands forlorn. My life waits patiently, all packed up and waiting for the morrow. Good music is essential for packing. Ilayaraja has been such a comfort - the mostly 80s, early 90s music adding to the whole nostalgia of the moment. And so to bed.