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Friday, April 13, 2012

5 Floors

She ran from the class, constantly looking at the time, willing her legs to carry her home faster. It took all of seven minutes, but she knew it was seven minutes too late. She cursed her professor for keeping them five minutes extra in the class. She reached the apartment complex and sure enough the motorcycle was already in it's spot and she had missed sharing one minute with the most handsome guy on the planet. With a heavy heart she dragged herself to the elevator and pressed the right button. She stood there waiting, turning every so often to make sure the motor cycle was his.

She gave herself a wry smile, she didn't even know his name. She had heard his voice and it was just as sexy. The elevator came and she went up, promising herself she would be on time the next day.

He stood by the window in his apartment, the windows here didn't open, and they were tinted, so she couldn't see him, but he saw her. Saw the dejected look that came to her face when she saw his bike parked in the parking lot. He smiled to himself, he didn't know her name, but she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The only thing he knew about her was that she was a student, unlike him, she loved to wear sneakers and she had quite a collection of those, she dressed casually like all students but she carried herself well. He looked forward to the 1 minute ride in the elevator they shared sometimes. He had tried once to have a conversation with her, but a little boy had entered and she and the little fellow started talking about some comic book they both liked.

He walked out to his door and stood there to see if he would catch a glimpse of her when the elevator came up. He stood for five minutes, eventually it came up, the door opened and his neighbor came out and waved bye to her. She saw him then, and impulsively he raised his arm and waved her bye, hoping his face conveyed to her that she would never see him again. She looked perplexed, but before she could react, the doors shut and he could hear the hum of the elevator.

He walked back in, picked up his already packed up bags and his keys and left the building. He had a flight to catch and a wedding to get to, his own wedding. A bride of not his picking, but his parents and that was all.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Restrooming the book

A lot of us like to read in the potty. Newspapers, Magazines, books and now from smart phones and tablets. It just makes a necessary yet boring process more enjoyable. I know of some people who sit long after the deed is done so they can finish what they're reading.

I do this too - but I only take my books to the RR and not the books I get from the library or the books I borrow from friends. I won't let a magazine that has been in the RR come back into the normal circulation of books around the coffee table because it's just dirty to me. The one thing that I am extremely mindful of is not to take a borrowed book to the RR, it's not mine to defile. There's something unsanitary about that whole act.

So the other day, I visited a friend and she had borrowed a book from me. I had to use the RR and I went in and guess what - there sat my book next to the pot. I was transfixed for a moment, not knowing what to do, I had an urge to dump the book in hand sanitizer liquid sitting on the counter as well (this was also a major cause for concern - but i digress). I stood there wondering what I can do, if I can even do anything.

When I came back home, I went to the study and looked at all the books critically. Had someone taken them to the RR and defiled them? Had the book I had just borrowed from another friend been there too? And the ones from the local library? Suddenly imaginary germs and creepy crawlies were materializing on the books in front of me. I felt a chill and walked away. I am at a loss, I cannot toss the books, but I think this weekend I will put them out in the sun - my Mom always said that sun rays have therapeutic qualities. So maybe airing the books will make things better for me? Of course I will use gloves to carry the books out!

Seinfeld had an episode about this, when George takes a book from the bookstore, goes to the restroom and tries to put it back on the shelf. Of course the store wouldn't allow it and he has to buy the book, then he tries to get rid of it, but is unsuccessful, since the book has been flagged. If it were up to me, I would 'flag' George and not let him enter the store, but who's listening to me!

So dear friends who I lend books from - rest assured I will not take your book to the RR - but if you borrow a book from me - there is a really good change it's been to my RR, but please don't take it to yours? I wonder if this is something we all think about and it's one of those things that bothers us but we try and ignore it? To be honest, it's not the first time I have thought of this, but the first time, it's really bothered me.

Which brings me to the best part about this whole post - EBOOKS!!! They are the solution to this whole nasty affair. I am sure when epub, ibooks etc were created, they had this nasty problem on their mind ;)

As for that friend - she can keep the book and she is flagged - not lending her books anymore.

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Tornadoes and an almost twister

I NEVER want a repeat performance of what we witnessed yesterday. But we live in the glorious state of Texas and such and more is bound to happen, if not again this tornado season, then the next one.

So this was the first time that a tornado was rummaging through my neighborhood and the kids and I weren't together. I was in such a panic mode. For 2 hours I was stuck to the news channel on my computer at work. My heart telling me to run to the kids in the Montessori and my brain telling me to stay put. Neither was it safe to drive in that condition, nor would I have helped the chaos.
The challenges at the school were pretty big, they had to wake up napping kids, carry some, make some run to the the bathrooms and closets and contain them there. I spoke to Ms E and Ms J at the school and they were so good spirited about it, I know it must've been a HUGE challenge, not to talk of the responsibility that was on their shoulders. So proud of them and so happy.
I asked the kids later if they were in the bathroom at school, and their reaction was 'bathoon?' and they walked up the bathroom at home. Oh well!

The images from Forney, Tx are heart wrenching, one of the house only has the bathtub and the wall adjacent to it remaining, thankfully the family is safe because they were in the bath tub taking shelter. The entire house was gutted. There are other house, which though partially standing will have to be built from scratch. One of the schools is closed and there are about 10,000 or so houses without electricity still.

Nature yet again brought me to my knees yesterday. Not something I want to live through again.G and I sat last night and made sure our papers were all still in the bag which is the bag we pick, get the kids and run to safety. This tornado made everything so surreal.

God bless all those families who were not as lucky as us.