Favorite Literary Characters

From Mystic. Thanks girl, I raelly went bonkers doing this tag. and whittling down to 10 was so hard.

D’Artganan
From Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. Swashbuckling hero. The angry young man. Full of good old fashioned adventure and chivalry, he was one of the first characters that made a lasting impression on me. I read the Three Musketeers (abridged) when I was in third standard and while I did not quite finish the book then (the whole Milady thing confused me so), D’Artganan made a lasting impression.

Mr. Darcy
I don’t know a single girl who did not read Pride and Prejudice and did not have a crush on Mr.Darcy growing up. Need I say more? Suffice to say, I married a Mr. Darcy of sorts.

Dagny Taggart
From Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I think Dagny represents the dichotomy in all of us. A part of her feels that she can “fix” the system, a part of her wants to give abandon everything and run away.

Monsieur Poirot
Created by Agatha Christie, one cannot but adore the egg-headed Belgian with a waxed moustache, a keen eye, a sharp mind and love for pots of chocolate.

Jeeves
By P.G Wodehouse. How can you not love the smug, self assured valet (not butler) always pulling out his fumbling employer Bertie Wooster from the traps he constantly falls in? Jeeves is also a true renaissance man. He knows his history, literature, science, horse racing, weather, you name it.

Ford Prefect
From the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Galaxy, Ford’s original name cannot be pronounced. Or rather can only be pronounced in the original Betelgeusian dialect. A modern, no rather a futuristic D’Artganan, he always knows what to do and never forgets to carry a towel and belives in the words written (in large reassuring letters) across his hitchhikers guide – Don’t Panic.

Little Prince
The protagonist of the eponymous book by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. The little prince lives on a little asteroid with three volcanoes. One day, bored, he sets out to explore the universe, going to six neighboring asteroids, meeting their inhabitants and finally visiting earth. Through the little prince, one goes on a journey within, returning to the simple profoundness of a child’s eye.

Jean Louise “Scout” Finch
Scout Finch impressed me very much when I read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in middle school. As its main character and narrator, she is a tomboy, is mature for her age and is very clever. The best part about her is that she actually gets to see Arthur “Boo” Radley (the kids are terrified of this recluse) and even learns from him.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
A cult figure. Created by Richard Bach, he made his appearance in the eponymous book. A castout, he leaves his flock behind to learn everything about flying. He is rewarded in his zest when two older, spiritual gulls take him to a higher plane of learning where he learns to fly anywhere in the world in an instant by knowing “he has already arrived”.

K
This protagonist has no name. Only a character. From the book I admire the most, The Castle. Neither here not there, unsure of what to do, K embodies a metaphor. He arrives in a distant village as a stranger to do his job as a land surveyor. Throughout the book (which ends in a mid-sentence) he strives to contact the mystifying people of the castle, only to be offered a job of a school janitor instead.

Anyone else who feels interested, please take up this tag and share!

The 55 tag

Preethi tagged me to complete the story in 55 words exactly.

What happened so far.

"She wondered if she could ever count each of the twinkling stars in the night sky. The clock in the tower struck 9. She had to get back to reading her text book, ignoring the weird grumbling noises her stomach was making. The flickering orange street light looked like it would go put any minute." [galadriel]

she considered her options. she cud complete reading before the light died on her. or she cud eat. or of course, she could attempt to count the stars. it was in the midst of this contemplation that her phone buzzed. books aside, hunger aside... she now focussed on the screen. should she answer... she wondered. [rayshma]

She decided to let it ring.. must be her mother calling to find out if she was alright. She was really tired of her mom checking on her four times every day! And then she heard it, a blood curdling scream filled the air. There were sounds of running feet ,followed by another shrill scream! [preethi]

And now 55 from me.
She stood up to see where the sound had come from. It was a bratty toddler throwing a tantrum. The phone was still ringing shrilly. She picked it up. It was not her mother. “Hello”, said a voice from the other end. “Did you get my e-mail?” “Yes” she laughed. “I just finished reading it.”

Tagging ~nm

Better late than never

Apya and Bubbu tagged Chip. This tag is so long overdue, its not even funny. I have been down with a mother of all colds, so blogging has been super-light. Will resume when the wretched virus has let go of its congestive clasp. But here's this for now.

8 Things I am passionate about (right now):
1. Lawn mowers
2. HVAC Units
3. Pressure Washers
4. Tractor trailers
5. Giant Pandas
6. Dumpers
7. Back hoes
8. Airplanes

8 Things I do that drives My Mom crazy (Just 8??)
1. Assume later = no. Make a big fuss about it.
2. Eat a few bites of breakfast/dinner and then twist Aie's arm to narrate endless stories about one of the above things I am passionate about, changing location and characters. All the while forgetting to eat.
3. Tell the overhead light fixture in the foyer to not fall on my head. Or to scold me. About two dozen times a day.
4. Make strange connections. E.g. when Aie tells me the above mentioned light fixture is not a person, I ask if it is a pizza. (Aie is not making this up)
5. Assume any black, semi-circular object is a nipple. Pronounce the fact loudly in stores.
6. Make my own plans and throw a tantrum when they don’t come to fruition. E.g. I will wake up from my nap and tell Aie I plan to go to a friend’s house. I will further more decide I will wear my jeans and take my truck. When the plan does not materialize because I have forgotten to check with Aie dearest if the family has plans for the evening, I dissolve in a crying heap on the floor.
7. Throw tantrum when Aie says no. (this deserves a post of its own)
8. Did I mention run, run, run. Everywhere?

8 Things that I say often:
1. Are we going out right now?
2. Are you happy, Aie?
3. I am tired of eating this.
4. That means no [insert object/meal/activity] for Chip.
5. Yay!!
6. Thank you
7. I am not happy, Aie (when my plans are thwarted)
8. Will Baba fix it?

8 Books that I have read:
1. Goodnight Moon
2. Silly Dilly Duck
3. Best friends in the snow
4. Elmo’s Easy as ABC
5. Winnie-the-pooh
6. Autumn Leaves
7. Big Book of Airplanes
8. Big Book Of Trucks

8 Things that make me the person I am:
1. Boundless Energy
2. Endless Persistence
3. Gentle Affection
4. Slapstick Humor
5. Curiosity about how things work
6. Love of Nature
7. Hard rock / prog metal fan
8. Intense

8 things I have said or done this week to crack my family up:
1. To my father while driving-“Drive with both your hands on the wheel.”
2. Set a table properly when asked to and immediately collect dishes and play with them.
3. Get very, very worried because the Roomba is stuck under the table and can’t find a way out.
4. Stick my hand into the hollow of a speaker and pretend for about 10 minutes it is stuck badly, to the point Aie has almost called a fireman to come and get it out. Then laugh silly.
5. Stand in the middle of the road in a parking lot to wave to passing cars in acknowledgement of them stopping to let me cross. But cross the road I won’t. I just stand and raise my hand.
6. Enter a grocery store and head over to the water melons and plonk one in the cart. Then head over to the bananas and get a bunch, then pasta, then the olive bar. You get the picture. Ah. But I do pick a bottle of very expensive wine for my parents.
7. Refuse to speak in English with the neighbors, insisting they speak in Marathi.
8. After Aie steps out to use the restrooms in his daycare ask in a very loud voice– “Did you finish peeing, Aie?”

Top Ten Countdown

Courtsey Juxtaposition.

10 things you wish you could say to people right now (don't list names)
1. Stop being so shifty when you talk to me.
2. Do you know my brain is turning into a sponge here?
3. Please don’t ask me why I am not having another kid.
4. Will you call me when you say you will?
5. I can’t believe I am not going to see you for three weeks.
6. Thank god I don’t have to see you for three weeks.
7. It just is going to be you and me for three weeks.
8. Does it actually hurt to be nice to other people?
9. I need a raise.
10. Never mind, I’ll do it myself


9 Things About Yourself
1. I have a fondness for blue cheese.
2. I plan to pull out the junipers in our front yard this summer.
3. I like 80’s pop. Culture Club, Duran Duran. But I am usually embarrassed to admit that.
4. I cannot step out of the house without some makeup.
5. I am afraid of heights.
6. Jesu, Joy of man’s desiring always brings tears to my eyes.
7. I am a libertarian. No pinko socialist c*** for me thankyouverymuch.
8. I fret. And worry.
9. I am trying to find my faith.


8 Ways To Win Your Heart
1. Be nice to everybody.
2. Laugh with me and make me laugh.
3. Be assertive.
4. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
5. Be philosophical.
6. Be a warrior inside.
7. Have a passion.
8. Be rich ;-)

7 Things That Cross Your Mind A Lot
1. Will BigGeek be OK?
2. Will BigGeek be OK?
3. Will BigGeek be OK?
4. Will BigGeek be OK?
5. Will BigGeek be OK?
6. Will BigGeek be OK?
7. Will BigGeek be OK?

6 Things You Wish You Never Did
1. Fret.
2. Bite my nails.
3. Go on frequent guilt trips.
4. Cry.
5. Be unreasonable.
6. Compromise

5 Turn-Off's
1. No imagination.
2. Dishonesty.
3. Lack of common courtesies.
4. No desire to learn.
5. Shallow.

4 Turn-On's
1. Good conversationalist.
2. Renaissance Man.
3. Twinkling eyes.
4. Enthusiastic.

3 Things You Want To Do Before You Die
1. Run a ten miler or a half marathon
2. Get Rich
3. Be Happy.

2 Smileys that Describe You
1. :-P
2. ;-)

1 Confession
I lie.


Passing it to noon, Preethi and moppet's mom

From A to Z

This from Orchid.

A -Available? For a vacation, totally.
B-Best friend: BigGeek
C-Cake or Pie? Hmm..tough choice. Cake. Make that a chocolate torte. Nonononnonono. Make that pie, pecan pie. Wait a sec. it’s really cake. On the other hand, I like apple pie too. Let’s do Einee, Minee, Miney Mo. Or someone invent a PAKE or a CIE fast.
D-Drink of choice: Right now, it’s hot ginger tea.
E-Essential thing used everyday: Toothbrush and anti-wrinkle makeup.
F-Favourite colour: None. I like em all. But if I have to pick, I’ll say turquoise.
G-Gummi bears or worms: Bears. Always bears.. brings back memories my dad’s trips abroad when he brought those back, when my brother and I would excitedly open the suitcase and smell the wonderful scent of foreign lands.
H-Hometown: Small, sleepy, non-descript town in Maharashtra.
I-Indulgence: A day off.
J-January or February: February. At least the days are longer.
K-Kids and names: Chip. Technically I have only one child, but as I like to say, he is the buy one get one free variety.
L-Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. (Lenon quote)
M-Marriage date: There are two. Married to the same man. Twice. Long story.
N-Number of siblings: 1
O-Oranges or apples: Neither. I like tropical fruit. Gimme mangoes and bananas and chikoo and guava and jackfruit any day.
P-Phobias: I am afraid of heights. Cannot look down from a 3 storied building without feeling dizzy. Despite that have walked in the Great Canyon and stood at precipices when preggo in the silly hope Chip would not inherit the phobia. But he has :(
Q-Quote: The one that adorns my blog. How vain it is to sit down and write when you haven’t stood up to live – Thoreau.
R-Reason to smile: Chip – the product of our supremely flawed selves.
S-Season: Spring. Hate the winter.
T-Tag three people: choxbox, girl-next-door, cee kay
U-Unknown fact about me: There is a reason why it is unknown, you dork.
V-Vegetable you do not like: Dill.
W-Worst habit: Typos. I type too fast and then have to remind myself to proof read.
X-x-rays you have had: Dental and lung.
Y-Your favorite food: Dosa, prolly. I feel like eating it right now and it’s past my lunch hour and I haven’t had lunch. Not a good time to be asking that question.
Z-Zodiac: Taurus

Narcissism

“What do you do when you reach the end of internet? You know those days when there is absolutely nothing to read anywhere online. What do you do?” BigGeek asked me out of the blue one night. He was reading his cases; I was vegging out in front of the TV. “It is a problem.” I admitted. “Rather, is used to be a problem before I started this blog. Now I just read my old posts. It’s guaranteed good reading.” I said trying to hide a smirk. BigGeek broke out in a wide grin. “I knew there was a really good reason I married you.” He grinned and went back to his work.

And here are mummyjaan and then Parul tagging me to be narcissistic (someone knows my secret) and what better person to wallow in self glory than me, huh? So let’s play this game.

Rules
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.

So here’s what I am going to do. I am going to put a small excerpt from each post and try to entice you to read the whole nine yards. And, if like me, if you have reached the end of the internet, thank your stars because this is your lucky day indeed.

Family
“I thought about you as I read these pages today.” My mother-in-law said smilingly as I stepped out onto the deck yesterday. I had just got home, given Chip his milk, peanuts, raisins, apple, milk again, juice (grape not apple), peanuts again. Finally getting tired of the game, I had given Chip an ultimatum, poured myself a glass of juice, helped myself to the Chivda the MIL had made and stepped out on the deck. The MIL was reading, or rather re-reading after a decade, Many Masters Many Lives, sitting on the swing, a cup of coffee in hand.
Read More

Friend
This is about Chip. It’s been a while since I have done a Chip-exclusive post and this would be a fitting sequel to my other bizarre post. Chip was a colicky, asthmatic baby and he was so hurting most of the time, he did not have any energy to bond with strangers. All that has changed and he is quite the Mr.Friendly to everyone now except a really good friend.
Read More

Yourself
I had always thought of myself as the been-there-done-that-person. So when I read this post by Usha, it made me reflect. I was a passionate twenty-something with a taste for adventure. Took a few years off after college despite the promise of well paying jobs and crossed the line into the artsy world. Jaded and a couple of years later, took a flight to the US, searching for new adventures and to go to a Grad school that had an excellent ranking in the artsy field. I was going on a mission of self-discovery, after all. Nothing was unattainable, not if I wanted it badly anyways. There were mountains to be scaled, rivers to be crossed and roads to be uncovered. Metaphorically, of course. And I had to do it on my own. No second-hand experiences for me, thank you very much. After all, the map was not the terrain. How far could I go?
Read More

Your love
The wonderful noon after having written a beautiful recount of her own engagement has tagged me to do the same. So here goes. It's a movie, mind y'all.
Read More

Anything you like
If you are looking at the title and are not quite sure what to expect, read on. This is about Chip and his passions. In order. Not a day passes without Chip alluding to all three of the above mentioned..umm..things.

Wine is an absolute favorite. Although tempted, I haven’t given him a six ounce in his plastic yellow lion cup yet, but that does not deter my budding oenophile from asking for some vino.
Read More


Passing the tag to new bloggie pals
The TAA Mom
Kowsalya
And old suspects
Altoid
Tharini
Boo

The Object Of My Affection

The inimitable Kiran tagged me to do this. And I have been having a hard time. Atlases and elephants and bangles. I have no such treasures. Well, maybe I do, I suppose. There is a little steel “gadu” - an odd shaped cup for water that belonged to my mother that belonged to me and now belongs to Chip. But it doesn’t inspire mushy feelings. I have a pair of my grandmother’s earrings and a silver platter that was awarded to my dad. And they are all wonderful things to have no doubt and they will be passed on proudly as such things usually are. They are mine only in transit. The earrings will go to Chip’s wife and the plaque will be given to him as well. They are not mine, not in that sense.

When I came to the States nine years ago as a student, I came with two suitcases and a backpack. Leaving most of my treasures behind. A collection of vintage and old coins. A carved rosewood chest. Little treasures collected as a girl. I felt a sad; perhaps a little nostalgic knowing that this is where we parted ways. These things would not cross the shores with me. But I sneaked in a little treasure. And most of you would have a hearty laugh if you knew what it was. A hairbrush. A little plastic hairbrush. Black. With hard bristles. About eight inches in length. Shaped like curvier paddle or a half-round. Take your pick. The hairbrush is more than a quarter century old and it has quite a bit of amusing history attached to it.

The hairbrush came with a hairdryer set. This was the late seventies, early eighties when hairdryers were a middle class luxury. My dad and mom on their maiden trip to Germany bought a cherry red hairdryer set made by Siemens complete with accessories on sale and brought it home. My mother obviously liked it but I don’t have too many memories of her actually using it. I am sure she was convinced her hair would fall off or turn gray (and no, I don’t blame her). Needless to say, I was completely smitten. Not just by the red hairdryer but also with its box that showed off pretty blonde models using the accessories and features to achieve silky straight hair and tumbling curls. Wow. I begged my mother to let me dry my hair with it and she permitted me to do so a few times, but not more. If I couldn’t have the hairdryer, I begged to use the accessories by themselves – a large comb and a brush. The comb was too commonplace. Every household had one. Brushes, on the other hand were a novelty and I declared the brush as my own. Over the years, the hairdryer was rarely used, although I used the hard bristled brush every single day. Many years later, the hairdryer brunt its coil and was thrown away. I was in my teens. My mother begged me to throw away the hairbrush that came with it. I had several brushes and combs by then, but this one held a special place. Never would I part with the silly hairbrush. For many years, I brushed my hair with it, sort of to finish my hair routine even if the bulk of combing and brushing was done with scalp friendly brushes. It had become a sort of a talisman. To part with it would be to invite untold tragedies upon me.

The brush crossed the Atlantic with me and to every house I moved to, it moved with me. I bought fancier brushes and nicer combs, but this one always stayed. Over the years it collected dirt and dust. It became faded and marked and scratched. It came so dirty that overnight soaking in sudsy water did little to improve its appearance. BigGeek threatened to throw the vile brush away. “You will catch a disease” he pleaded. Hairbrushes were not to be used for a zillion years. True. I had brought and thrown away many, many hairbrushes, but I was unable to part with this one. One day BigGeek followed up on his threat. I found the brush in the trash can. I, of course retrieved it and cleaned it. “It has to get out of this house.” BigGeek said, arms crossed. I relented. The hairbrush was causing him too much distress. “Ok, I promise to get it out of the house.” I said. I was glum. I slipped the hairbrush into my purse and all conversation on the matter ended. I hid it in the glove box of my old car. And it stayed there happily for a while. And then, when I sold the car to the dealer a few years later, I gathered all my stuff and put it in BigGeek’s car. The brush went in his car and hid in the seat pouch at the back. I think BigGeek knows it is there but he has given up on it. I once told BigGeek when I was pregnant that I intend to brush Chip’s hair with that brush. He was horrified that I would expose our little one to such atrocities. But I have sneaked and brushed Chip’s hair with the brush. And he has enjoyed it.

p.s. Wrote it in a hurry yesterday, so forgot to pass along the tag. Gauri, Preethi, choxbox, your turn now.

Purrrfect, no?

Preethi tagged me while ago to do the seven quirky things about myself. Then Sahiti's Mom did. And then it was mnamma But I try to be so purrrfect. I don't have seven quirks. I have only three. And they are here.

The Perfect DotMom

Tagged - What Women Want

The inimitable Parul has dared me. So here it is.

1.How do you feel after a one night stand?
Quite Yogic.

2. Do you ever get used to wearing a thong?
What’s a thong?

3. Does it hurt?
Then I am glad I don’t know what it is :-)

4. Do you know when you are acting crazy?
No. But helpful people often point that out.

5. Does size really matter?
Bank Account, Portfolio, yes.

6. When the bill comes are you still a feminist?
Absolutely not. What century are you living in?

7. Why do you take so long to get ready?
Huh? Time is relative. Go read your Einstein while I do my hair.

8. Do you watch porn, too?
Is it rated PG-13 now? I thought that wouldn’t happen for another 20 years at least.

9. Will something from Tiffany's solve everything?
Hmmm. Yes. Coupled with something from Burberry’s. Throw in a Chanel while you are at it. Let those be your magic words.

10. Are guys as big of a mystery to you as you are to us?
Yes, you are actually. For instance we can never figure out why you need the new XBOX 360 or the Wii when you have played on the old one six times in the last 3 years. Or why you need to have 3 drawers full of cables. Or why you need to make a trip to Microcenter and Radioshack everyweek. Or why you have 16000 drill bits.

11. Why do you sometimes think you look fat?
The mirror turns on us, sometimes. And the answer is No. Always.

12. Why are you always late?
You are early.

13. Does it bother you when we scratch?
Nope. But it sure makes for a hilarious sight watching your 2 yr old toddler imitate you unwittingly.

14. Do you wish you could pee standing up?
Will it make you feel better if we say so?

15. Why do so many women cut their hair short as soon as they get married?
To give company to your balding pate.

16. How often do you think about sex?
Male or Female?

17. What do you think of women who sleep with guys on the first date?
Old fashioned.

18. Would you?
Would I what?

19. Do you realize every guy wants a girl just like his mom?
Then why do you look at our moms to determine how we will look 25 years hence? Huh?

20. Why does every woman think she can change him?
We don’t just think we can, we do :-)

21. Does it matter what car I drive?
As long as it doesn’t mess my hair and you don’t talk about it nineteen to a dozen.

22. Do you ever fart?
Only in obnoxious company. Otherwise only with my brain.

So who should I pass this on to? Hmm? CeeKay, Boo, Moppet's mom. Your turn now.

Edited: answer to Q10.

Pay it forward

So, in all my excitement yesterday, I forgot to pass on noon's engagement stories tag. Noon has tagged a lot of you so I am going to tag the remainder. And I will give you the third degree if you do not comply and tell us all your engagement stories. We all love mush. So here goes.

Usha
Cee Kay
Parul
Utbt - no, you cannot escape. I saw your comment on kodi's mom's blog.
Moppet's mom
ItchingToWrite
Just Like That
Sue
choxbox

BigGeek and DotMom - The Movie II

Recap

YetToBeDotMom
Hi. This is YetToBeDotMom.

BigGeek
Sorry to keep you waiting. I was in the middle of something. Well, actually I was in the bathroom

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Hehehehe. What did I say. Well. He should know I did not call him.

YetToBeDotMom
No worries. You aunt called me. I really hate to intrude on a family Thanksgiving.

BigGeek
Not at all. Its just a lot of good food and drink and talk and good arguments. Did you have a good Thanksgiving?

YetToBeDotMom
Not too shabby. My cousin was visiting from California and we went to New York and watched a broadway show yesterday.

BigGeek
What did you see?

YetToBeDotMom
Le Miserables

BigGeek
I have seen Annie Get Your Gun. I would love to see the Phantom.

YetToBeDotMom
Me too! I booked these tickets two months ago and Phantom was still sold out. Can you believe it? Even the matinee.

Montage: BigGeek and YetToBeDotMom talking. Clock shows time.

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
And so it started. He was so easy to talk to. He asked me what I was reading and I told him I was reading Godel, Escher Bach and was finding it quite daunting. He told me he had written to Hofstadter about a mistake in his book Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies. Hofstadter had written back to him and had sent his student’s thesis. We both loved StarTrek and science fiction. We both loved freshly ground coffee. He was a metalhead, I wasn’t. I liked literary fiction, he didn’t.

BigGeek
So what courses are you taking this semester?

YetToBeDotMom
A couple of independent studies, advanced screen writing and artificial intelligence.

BigGeek
Quite an interesting mix. Doing the AI stuff in LISP?

YetToBeDotMom
Yeah, lots of parens.

A kid is heard in the background
He is still on the phone! He is still on the phone!

YetToBeDotMom
Are you driving back to Virginia today? You better get going. It will be past midnight by the time you get home.

BigGeek
Well..atleast there won’t be much traffic. Hey listen. Do you have any plans for Friday evening?

YetToBeDotMom
Not really.

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
I can’t believe I said that. He sounds nice though.

BigGeek
Great. I can drive down to Philly. Anyway, we can figure out the logistics during the week. I’ll send you an email.

YetToBeDotMom
Ok. Sounds good. Drive safe.

3. INT. Fade to YetToBeDotMom’s office on campus. DAY
She is looking at an email that has arrived 1:30 am.

BigGeek Voiceover
Had a great time talking to you. Here is the email conversation between me and Hofstadter. Also attaching the thesis he sent me. Quite interesting. Send me directions/address when you get a chance.

4. EXT- Road at University Campus. –EVENING
YetToBeDotMom is crossing the road. She is in all black. Black sweater and black slacks. She crosses the road doing a small wave and peers through the window of a car parked outside.

YetToBeDotMom
(sitting inside the car) Hi!

BigGeek
Hi!

YetToBeDotMom
Had trouble getting here?

BigGeek
No, not really.

YetToBeDotMom
Let me get us to a parking lot and then I can show you around the campus.

BigGeek drives and pulls into a parking garage. They get out. It’s still quite windy. They get out and walk over the campus.

YetToBeDotMom VoiceOver
We went around the campus. He asked me if he could see some of my films sometime. I just laughed. I wasn’t enjoying the filmmaking so much at that point. The real reason for me taking a course in AI. It felt good to be in the quantifiable world again. I told him that.

Montage ends with BigGeek and DotMom in DotMom’s editing studio.

BigGeek
I know this great Thai place if you wanna catch dinner.

YetToBeDotMom
You know more about Philly than I do!

BigGeek
Actually the restaurant is in Arlington. Just outside DC. We can drive up there. It’s only a couple of hours. I can drive you back if you want.

YetToBeDotMomVoiceOver
Is he crazy? There are perfectly nice places to eat dinner in Philly. He doesn’t look like a playa’. Maybe he is? I better find out.

YetToBeDotMom
Actually I have a friend who lives in Fairfax. Let me call her and ask her if she and her husband can join us for dinner tonight. And can I give her your cell number? I disconnected mine this week since I am leaving on Thursday.

BigGeek
Ummm. Sure.

YetToBeDotMom disappears into another studio across the hall and dials her friend.

YetToBeDotMom
Hey.

N
Hey you! Didn’t you have a date today?

YetToBeDotMom
Yeah. Listen. He wants to eat dinner in Arlington. And I want you and R to join us.

N
Are you insane? Your date will murder me.

YetToBeDotMom
Pleaseeee. I told him it will be a double date.

N
Are you sure?

YetToBeDotMom
We are leaving now. Meet you at 8-ish? Here is his cell#.

N
Ok. Make that 8:30. R is flying in from Boston today. His flight gets in at 7:30.

YetToBeDotMom
OK. 8:30 then. Bye. Thanks. I owe you one.

N
Yes. You do.

YetToBeDotMom walks back to BigGeek.

YetToBeDotMom
OK. All done. We have a double date at 8:30 at ThaiPlace. R is flying in from Boston today.

BigGeek
Well.. they don’t have to come. I am not an axe-murderer you know (smiling)

YetToBeDotMom
Ofcourse not. I would not be in a car with you for two hours if I suspected so.

BigGeek and DotMom sit in the car and drive. Arial shots of highways, signs pointing to Washington DC. In car.

YetToBeDotMom Voice Over
Politics, gay rights, music, physics, filmmaking, hallmark holidays, video encoding algorithms, recreational drugs, Star Trek, movies, his job, the downturn.

BigGeek
It’s the same thing everywhere. Not very different where I work. My own job has a questionable future.

YetToBeDotMom
Friends I know are getting laid off right left and center. What will you do?

BigGeek
Don’t worry. Most people out there have just a skill to sell. I got talent.

DotMomVoiceOver
Either he is really stoic, or a complete dumbass who has no sense of reality. The market was quite bad. It was not easy to get a job in the biggest market downturn.

BigGeek
I have a couple of things lined up.

DotMomVoiceOver
It turned out to be such a short drive. But N did not call. We were near NiceThaiPlace and still no call from N.

YetToBeDotMom
Mind if I use your phone? Don’t know why N is not here yet.

BigGeek
Sure.

YetToBeDotMom
(dials. into the phone)
Where are you?

N
YetToBeDotMom! R’s flight got delayed. The tracker said 8:00, then 8:30 now it says 9:00. I would have come by myself if I did not have to go pick him up.

YetToBeDotMom
Why didn’t you call me before?

N
I did. Twice. Went to his voice mail. Didn’t want to leave a message. Why don’t you eat dinner and come spend the night with us?

YetToBeDotMom
OK. See you in a while.


YetToBeDotMom turns to BigGeek.

YetToBeDotMom
She said she called twice. R’s flight is delayed. Did you hear it ring?

BigGeek
Really? Let’s see. Oh! It was on vibrate and it was in the little pocket in the car door. That’s why we didn’t hear it. Sorry.

YetToBeDotMom
That’s ok. You will drop me to her apartment afterwards?

BigGeek
Absolutely.

DotMomVoiceOver
And so we ate and talked some. I wished him good luck on the job front. He dropped me off at N’s place. He called me on Tuesday while I was at my grad office.

BigGeek
(on phone)
I have some bad news. I just got laid off.

YetToBeDotMom
I am so sorry. You doing OK?

BigGeek
Yeah. It was sort of expected.

YetToBeDotMom
What will you do now?

BigGeek
I am going to go to a Steely Dan concert.

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Is this guy really insane? Is he not the least bit stressed?

YetToBeDotMom
I meant about your job

BigGeek
Don’t worry. I’ll have a job before you get back. And not just any job.

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
I had friends who were unable to find a job for a few months. He was crazy.

YetToBeDotMom
Ok. Good luck.

BigGeek
Do you need a ride to the airport on Thursday? I can drive up and take you. It’s not like I have anything to do (chuckling)

YetToBeDotMom
No, don’t worry. A friend will give me a ride.

BigGeek
Are you sure? Call me if the friend can’t make it.

YetToBeDotMom
Yeah. Yeah. You take care. Call you later today.


YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
And so I left on Thursday. To go to India. BigGeek was a nice guy. The lack of his job did not bother me one bit, his lack of anxiety did though. When I reached Poona, my mom quizzed me about BigGeek. She obviously had a bunch of six-figure incomes and BMWs lined up for me. But I refused to meet any.

5. INT. YetToBeDotMom’s house in Poona. – Day

YetToBeDotMom's Mom
Just meet them.

YetToBeDotMom
No! I am not the three week wonder wedding type girl. I don’t understand such marriages.

YetToBeDotMom's Mom
Just meet them. They are all nice guys

YetToBeDotMom
I am sure they are, but I am not meeting them.

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
And so the days passed. I wrote my exams, talked/IMed/emailed BigGeek. His old boss, a few friends and he had started a startup. And the time came for me to get back to Philly. My mom was disappointed that I had refused to meet a singe eligible bachelor. All her hopes I suppose were pinned on BigGeek now. But I wasn’t talking marriage. Finally on Jan 26 I landed in a snowy Philly. My friends had come to pick me up and it felt good to be with them. BigGeek was going to drive down for the weekend to visit. I had offered to ask my friend if he could crash in at her house, but he had declined. He had made reservations at a hotel downtown.

6. EXT. In car – Day.

BigGeek
No goodies for me from India?

YetToBeDotMom
Yikes. I am not unpacked yet. Need to find an apartment first.

BigGeek
You got a list of places you wanna see?

YetToBeDotMom
Yes.

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
Much of Saturday was spent in hunting for a new apartment for me. Tired, we were wondering where to eat dinner, circling the City hall yet another time.

YetToBeDotMom
Need to go to the restroom

BigGeek
Ok. Lets go to the hotel. Atleast I’ll find parking there.
Turns to go into the hotel.

7. INT. Downtown Fancy Hotel – Evening

YetToBeDotMom
Let me ask the front desk

BigGeek
Just come up

YetToBeDotMom
Ok. Hope you are not on the thousandth floor

BigGeek
16th

8. Elevator door opens. BigGeek and DotMom walk towards BigGeek’s hotel room. BigGeek opens door.

9. BigGeek’s fancy Hotel Room – Evening
YetToBeDotMom comes out from the rest room.

YetToBeDotMom
Nice view you got there (looking at the skyline)

BigGeek
Yes, pretty isn’t it. (points to a chair). Sit.

YetToBeDotMom sits down. BigGeek sits close to her, on the bed. Freeze Frame.

YetToBeDotMom Voice over
Since this is a G-rated (not even PG-13 movie) I am not going to tell you what happened (no, it is not that). Suffice to say he said these words.

BigGeek
I know this is a little early, but will you marry me?

YetToBeDotMom
Yes!

Silence.

YetToBeDotMom
Where is the ring?

YetToBeDotMom Voiceover
The nice sized double brilliant diamond came three wakes later. And replaced the yellow elastic band I wore on my ring finger to tease him. On Valentines Day. But at midnight, as I was dead tired and ready to go to bed. Cranky because he had not made reservations anywhere and we had ended up eating a sandwich at Panera. He was trying to beat the Hallmark Holiday which he hated (and give me the ring on the 15th) and still does. But there were flowers and chocolates. And a proper proposal made down on one knee.

--------------------

And so ends the movie. Tell me who you think should play BigGeek and YetToBeDotMom. How about Hugh Jackman and Monica Bellucci? :)

Our Song

Family Room 9:30 pm or so.
The room is painted in a deep wine red. Watercolors of a Parisian streetscape fill the wall on right, a huge poster of Monty Python fills the left. A black couch sits in front of the TV, a futon mattress with zillion cushions is spread under the Parisian streetscape. The TV is tuned to a music channel playing Red Hot Chilli Peppers. DotMom and BigGeek are watching TV, Chip is fast asleep besides them. BigGeek’s mother is sitting by Chip’s side, watching the shirtless guitarists on TV.

DotMom (suddenly remembering): What’s our song?
BigGeek: What song?
DotMom: What’s our song?
BigGeek: For what?
DotMom: What’s our song?
BigGeek: Who wants to know?
DotMom: What’s our song?
BigGeek: Depends on the time and place.
DotMom: What’s our song?
BigGeek: Depends on the mood too.
DotMom: What’s our song?
BigGeek: Paradigm Shift
DotMom (pauses): Why do you think Paradigm Shift is our song?
BigGeek: Because it has no lyrics
DotMom: Why did you pick a song with no lyrics as our song?
BigGeek: I made it up (turns to his mother) Not the song, the song is real, I made it up that it is our song.
DotMom: Why did you make it up?
BigGeek: Because you like it, I like it and it has no lyrics. And we listen to many songs.
DotMom:Out of the many songs we listen to, what is our song?
BigGeek: Paradigm Shift.
DotMom: OK.



DotMom and BigGeek go back to watching TV. Chip's poor grandmother has no idea what just happened. So enjoy Paradigm Shift.



Edited to add: Thus ends Kiran's Tag here

The Dream tag

Many moons ago, DDMom tagged me to do list of my dreams (she, I think meant the variety you have when you are asleep, not the I-dream-of-being-very-rich-and-very-thin type). With circumstances being what they were in the Kingdom of DotMom, this tag slipped from her mind, but was caught just in time before it was forgotten in the unknown abyss of her dusty, cobwebby brain. So. I am not much of a dreamer. There were complex, vivid dreams in hi-def resolution and color when I was pregnant, but since then I don’t think I have fallen into whatever stage of sleep (REM, alpha, gamma and all that dull nomenclature) one needs to dream. Or maybe it’s my hormones. Who is to know? So I am going to narrate two of my dreams – one my oldest, the prophetic sort and the other one from 2 days ago. I will also provide, for your entertainment only, since you have been awesomely great readers and such, an interpretation of the dream a la dream interpretation sites^* that have slightly more sophisticated algorithms than say, fortune cookies.

Dream 1 – The oracle appears to the DotMom
DotMom is not married. She is still a student, living in sin with BigGeek, mooching off of his princely salary. When one night a dream comes upon her. An adorable boy-child of 3 or 4 who looks a little like DotMom’s father, a little like her brother and a little like BigGeek stands on a footstool in a small bathroom. The boy is twisting and struggling, screaming and yelping, but BigGeek holds him still. In his other hand BigGeek carries a small toothbrush, brushing the boy’s teeth vigorously. DotMom enters – “Stop, stop his gums will bleed, his gums will bleed.” BigGeek strengthens his hold on the little boy and replies – “If I don’t, his teeth will fall, his teeth will fall.”

Six years later, this dream comes true.

What the Dream Interpreter thinks: Dreaming of Children shows DotMom’s innocence and her longing to look at life as a child and seeking to develop her self in new ways. The fact that she dreams of having a child with a man she is not yet married to is indicative of the guilt she feels about having him support her and denotes a desire to repay his kindness.

What DotMom thinks: She is mighty glad the dream came true.

Dream 2 – I dreamt this?
DotMom is married and has a kid whose father brushes his teeth with the same gentleness as a carpenter saws his wood. Her life is now devoid of dreams simply because her life is devoid of sleep. But suddenly one night, she dreams. Of being in India and being accosted out of the blue by a petite woman in a silk saree and a sleeveless blouse. DotMom knows this woman is a pediatrician. “Your child is malnourished” she says to DotMom. “Really? He is such a good eater though. Will eat a horse if that’s what is for dinner.” DotMom tells her. “I don’t think so.” Gosh. This pediatrician is adamant. DotMom, even in her dreams has decided that this does not merit a response, verbal in any case, so she raises an eyebrow slightly - a trick that always gains her the desired respect – with Chip at least. “He doesn’t eat enough carbohydrates.” He pediatricians proclaims smugly. DotMom is now slightly flustered. She looks at the meaty Chip and thinks there really is no way anyone can tell that. But secretly, she knows that Chip is the ultimate Atkins guy. He h-a-t-e-s carbs. “How can you tell” she shrieks at the maybe-she-is-a-wiccan-cum-quack-pediatrician. “Look at his ankles” she proclaims. “They are thin. Thin ankles mean he is not getting enough carbohydrates.”

What the dream interpreter thinks: Dreaming of ankles denotes support and direction. A friend is trying to help DotMom secretly. Difficulties followed by success. Dreaming of a doctor is indicative of mastery over many things and dreaming of children indicates a new beginning.

What DoMom thinks: They know Chip won’t eat carbs and are coming for us.

* http://petrix.com/dreams/

I think almost everybody has done this tag. Passing this tag to the new mom blog by Shobana. Also Gauri, MadMomma, Noon tell me your dreams. And yes, do ignore if you have been there done it.

Tagged

I have been tagged by Timepass to do a tag to list one fact related to my life for every letter of my middle name. My middle name is my maiden name and I don’t want to give it away and relinquish my semi-anonymous superhero second life. So, I choose BigGeek as my middle name.

The three rules to be followed are:a) The rules must be mentioned in the beginning of the tag.b) You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.c) At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

B – Benign
To borrow a term from Douglas Adam’s H2G2 - I am mostly harmless. But try pushing me too hard and too far and you will unleash the unrelenting, sarcastic monster.

I – Introspective
And not in the right doses. It’s good to look within now and then, but I do it with a strange compulsion. I am quite narcissistic that way.

G – Garrulous
I was a shy child, so my ability to strike up a conversation in an elevator makes me quite proud of myself now.

G – Go the extra mile
I try to do this. Everywhere. Especially in relationships.

E – Enthusiastic.
When I was in school, this is what my teachers called me. I am still like that and can’t seem to help it especially when I get all trippy over small things and when others look on with what can only be described as a sophisticated nonchalance. Ah. How I long to have that. But no.

E – Escape routes
I have an exit strategy for every situation. That is the first thing I think of when making a big decision. Do I have an escape route? Of course there are no escape routes to a few (and very important) things in life and that annoys me.

K – Karma-believer.
I believe in karma. What goes around comes around. In this life or next.


I am going to ignore the 3rd rule (simply because I don’t know that many bloggers)
So I tag Kodi’s mom, Moppett’s Mom, Tharini, Altoid, Swati, Something to Say, Mystic Margarita, mnamma.