Anjuli's happy post

Anjuli mentioned that my last couple of entries were anger based, so here's a happy, rainbows filled, Bambi bouncing around before she gets killed entry.

I was under the weather last week. Felt sick Monday night and then got worse on Tuesday; came home early Wednesday and slept through the day. I felt better by Friday and when I came home that day, i did what I do best when I am feeling on top of the world. I made my kitchen into a war zone. I hadn't cooked in the few days and my sister had commented how there wasn't any real food in the fridge. Once I start cooking, I am euphoric. In fact, I could be diagnosed as manic while cooking.I love taking all these raw ingredients and seeing something tasty come out. And it could be a simple thing like an omelette but I love cooking!!!

So, I started by making an Indian vegetarian dish with potatoes and bell peppers:

Then, having some tomato sauce that I needed to use up, I made pasta sauce with mushrooms and sweet peppers:

I tried making chocolate covered strawberries, but my ratio of cream to chocolates was all wrong, so the chocolate wouldn't dry on them. But, we ended up just dipping and eating them anyways.

Now, I started prepping for oatmeal cookies that I have been wanting to make for years. But, right after I mixed the butter and sugar together, and went to add eggs, that I realized we didn't have any eggs. So, that had to wait till Saturday.

I also made kheer (rice pudding) on Saturday.

       

Funny thing, after all this cooking, we ended up going out on Saturday night to Chevy's for dinner and enjoying a pineapple coconut margarita with some really good Americanized Mexican food.

      

And then my good feeling lasted well into Sunday. I have decided to get a sewing machine so I can alter my own clothing. I took a pair of black pants to an alterations place to be taken in and it cost me $15. I could just invest in a sewing machine, do it myself. So, I went through my closet and put clothes into piles: give away, maybe alter etc. I took these photos while I was trying on clothes and let me tell you, between all the cooking and then this, I am on the top of the world!!!

          

Drastic Moves

Click on the picture to see other views.

I have NEVER had hair this short and I never want it this short again. We'll see how it feels after I wash it at home and attempt to style it myself!!!

Anti - anti - holidays

You know what irks me? People who are against holidays, against celebrating them, against buying anything for that holiday but most of all, they need to make sure everyone knows how anti they are. It's your choice to not support the marketing gimmicks and spend money on cards, chocolates, easter eggs, green beer, pine trees or anything associated with any holiday.

It is NOT your right to make me irritable by bringing your anti-holidayness into my world. I am not forcing chocolates on you today. I didn't force you to do a jig in green suspenders on St. Patrick's Day last year. I didn't even wish you a Happy Valentine's Day or Happy Diwali or a Happy Kwanzaa. So, why must I be subjected to the knowledge that you don't celebrate this day and how effin commercialised it's become and how it's not what it was when St. Valentine died for young couples worldwide (or probably just the ones in Rome). Rant away but do not rain on my good mood.

I love all holidays as they stop me in my very busy tracks and make me appreciate what I have. Be it my husband's birthday, our anniversary, one of many Indian holidays, Valentine's day or even Christmas; for us, it's another day out of routine days to do something non-routine. I know people say why do I have to do something special on this one day. Well, I'll bet you a hundred bucks, those people don't do anything special the rest of the year either. Tell me when was the last time you had a date night with your loved one? Just a night to relax, just the two of you and just to enjoy each other's company?

Single moms in Baltimore = bitter and angry?

I really cannot come to that conclusion because my boss and good friend was a single mom and she is not bitter or angry and doesn't take out resentment on everyone around her.

But

At the old apartment, the lady below us complained constantly about our sound system ... at 6 p.m. on the weekends. So much so that when I asked the apartment managers about it, they rolled their eyes and said she complained about everybody. This letter was left on our door last year.

Now we have a single mom who lives next door. She complained about Smokey barking all day when we were gone and we understood completely. He doesn't make a single sound when we are at home so we didn't realize he was constantly barking when we weren't there. So, we got him a bark collar and we put it on him when we're out. No problems since then. Till today. I forgot to put the collar on him when I went out for a couple of hours to grocery shop. This is the note I found on my door.

What really makes me laugh and want to stuff her note down her throat is how she asks if the dog's crate is next to "her" wall.

I wrote an apology and said I would be more careful about putting his collar on him. But, it irks me. Some people act like they deserve extra special treatment. I understand her concern; I would be unhappy if I was home all day every day (don't know how she feeds her children) and the next door neighbor's dog barked non stop. But, we took her complaint the first time and acted on it. I even told her to let me know if it happens again and to feel free to leave me a note. She leaves me a note but it's filled with an undertone of entitlement that pisses me off.

Video tour of our condo