Fri, 30th Jul '04, 3:00 pm::
Today is also my 4th year in US. Exactly. Oh how I miss home...
Fri, 30th Jul '04, 2:50 pm::
One of the most annoying things is writing a long 'blog entry and having it lost by a stupid mistake. I just wrote such a nice entry and now I gotta write it again... so here I go...
Today is System Administrator Appreciation Day. In addition to being a Web Designer, Database Developer, and In-house Programmer, I am also the System/Network Administrator for my company. So today is definitely "appreciate me" day :)
Got some fun plans for tonight. Going to movies 'n dinner with Lynn. Can't wait for the weekend to start... in... 2 hours...
Tue, 27th Jul '04, 8:30 pm::
Life keeps getting more interesting. Work was good as usual. I feel like I need to work harder. My pace has gone slow lately. Anyways, here's some news that'll scare my dad - Zoey Chloe - Lynn's doberman! Lynn came over with Zo to my apartment tonight. I am not a big fan of dogs but Zo was pretty cool. We went running outside and she kept up with me for quite a distance. I tripped on her when she suddenly stopped but all's good.
Mon, 26th Jul '04, 9:45 pm::
Thus ends another awesome and busy day. Work from 8:30 till 6:30. Showed my work to the boss. He liked everything I had done in the past week. Then went to play soccer with him, his bro Brian, and friend James. We're officially part of a Football Club: FC FatGuys! Nobody's really fat but it's a funny name for the team. Anyways, as usual, I played defense and did a decent job. Our team won 4-2!
Life's going pretty good at the moment. Work is good, things are going good socially, and I'm getting a lot of exercise everyday.
Sat, 24th Jul '04, 10:20 am::
I just ran 9 miles (14.4 kms) in 1:50hrs! That's a little over 12mins/mile. I ran non-stop from 8am till 9:50am in 90F (32C) temperature without even one water break! I burnt 1162 Calories running at 5mph. That's about two small pies of pizza! Right now I can barely stand up and walk. Well I have nothing to do today other than relax and recover so all's good.
Anyways, yesterday was fun. Lynn came over @ 6 and I introduced her to the wonders of Scrabble Blast. We were supposed to go see The Bourne Supremacy at 7:40 but by the time we reached the theater, the tickets were sold out. We bought the next show, 10:10pm and decided to go chill somewhere for 3 hours.
Right outside the theater was the big Rooms To Go store. Lynn had promised me that she'll help me pick my furniture :) We walked in and within 15 minutes, we picked a beautiful living room and dining room collection. In another 20 minutes, I finalized the deal with the salesguy, put down the deposit, and signed the required paperwork. They will deliver the furniture around August 14th. Of course, lots of pictures to ensue once my living room is all setup.
So ya, that's me. Just like my dad. I walk in to a store not knowing whether I will even like what they have to offer and I walk out with a big dent in my bank balance and a huge smile :) Thanks a lot Lynn.
Fri, 23rd Jul '04, 11:20 am::
Quote for the day: "I got my first ever payckeck with a comma in it today" - Tim.
Wed, 21st Jul '04, 11:10 am::
Sometimes I lower my screen's resolution down to 1024x768 and laugh at how it feels to be a mere mortal. Muhahahahaha. Proudly @ 1600x1200 :)
Tue, 20th Jul '04, 9:25 pm::
Mon, 19th Jul '04, 8:45 pm::
A good day at work really boosts my confidence level. However, I think confidence is something that should come out from within and not be affected by good or bad days. Growing up, I used to think that there will come a day when I'll realize that yes, I've grown up now. Yet till now I feel just like a kid. I do what most grown ups do and I'd like to think that my maturity level is appropriate to my age but in my heart, I still feel like a kid. Now I don't mean the poetic notion of there being a child in every adult's heart. I mean I still haven't come to terms with the fact that I am 23, living by myself, working full-time. I feel like I belong in school, reading and writing.
Maybe that's my problem. A decade and a half of studies and I'm subconsciously unwilling to leave it all behind me. My mind's accustomed to looming homeworks and due papers. Somehow the freedom of being an independent adult is alien to me. Of course, I enjoy every minute of it. It rocks that I don't have to stay up late nights pouring over annoying classes I never wanted to take anyway. It's awesome that I can watch as much TV as I want without one bit of guilt arising. And best of all, I love the pace of life here in Florida - not too fast, not too slow.
My friend Erik is thoroughly enjoying being a small cog in a very big corporate machine. I, on the other hand, have selected to be an integral part in a small firm. Like he says, everything I do has a direct impact on the day-to-day workings of the company (or so I hope). That is in essence why I think I moved down to Florida. I cannot let myself be lost amidst the aisle of cubicles in a Big Apple behemoth. I'd rather get my tiny office in the middle of nowhere and slowly grow till I am satisfied.
Oh well, stuff like that takes time and years of effeort. But days like today make me believe in myself.
Sun, 18th Jul '04, 4:45 pm::
Sun, 18th Jul '04, 1:55 pm::
I've realized that often times I "find" myself while I do the most mundane chores. I was just ironing my work clothes, listening to songs on the radio, when suddenly something hit me. For a moment I was in sync with the world and the universe. As boring as ironing is, for a flick second I pressed the perfect crease and knew everything is going alright.
Why do I wonder if everything is going alright or not? I don't know. I guess I'm still confused about my life long goals. I told my boss that one of my goals was to keep learning throughout my life. I guess that goal will be fulfilled in time but in the meantime, I wonder if I'm going on the right track. Right now I have everything new - new job, new apartment, new car, new soocer cleats... but is this what I really want? I don't know. From the point of view of others I most probably have it "set" but I personally don't know. I love my work and try to spend as much time and energy as I can doing my bit to turn our company into a major success. But other than that, where am I going...
For some reason I don't feel like making new softwares and personal websites anymore. I guess it's cuz that's what I do at work for 8-9 hrs a day. What I do enjoy lately is cooking real simple stuff - from boiling potatoes to making pasta. I'm a miserably bad cook but I still find it pleasing to come home after a long day at work and cook up small meal. My running is going so-so. Last week was great but this week after the soccer practice on Monday, I've been too sore to run. This morning I ran 1.5 miles in 16 minutes. At 6:30 tonight I'm going to play some more soccer with Brian.
All in all, this is my life. Wake up, go to work, run/soccer, cook, chat with friends from Jersey, go to bed. Rinse, repeat. Weekends are slightly more relaxed. Yesterday I swam in the pool while I did my laundry. Then went to Walmart for some groceries (mostly fruits and vegetables). I guess I'm as settled as I could've been in just over a month.
But I do miss home. Hell I don't even know where is home - India or Jersey because I miss both equally. I don't think I'll make as many friends here in Florida as I made in Jersey simply because that was a college environment. But I'm hopeful. I met a buncha nice folks already, from Brian and Scott at work to Lynn, Heather, Ursula, and Dan. Who knows, someday I might even meet that special someone.
Till then I know what I have to do... You guessed it right - iron my frigging clothes! I still have 5 pants and 12 shorts to iron. So I better get back to it...
Sun, 18th Jul '04, 3:45 am::
Here's an interesting experience: Waking up at 3:45 am due to the sound of the thunderstorm! It is raining here like hell broke lose and the swooshing sounds of wind is deafening. I feel like the roof of my apartment is gonna blow off! I must get back to sleep...
Sat, 17th Jul '04, 6:00 pm::
I was just watching MTV and I saw my ex-roommate Mike in the show Boiling Point! It's weird how people I know get famous randomly.
Sat, 17th Jul '04, 11:55 am::
Since nothing's interesting going in my life, let's discuss the life of a friend who is making it big: Sunny! He has made it into Bollywood as Akshay Kapoor! I remember the times we studied Meteorology together and checked out hot chics. Now he's on the verge of success with the movie Popcorn Khao Mast Ho Jao. I don't know what people in India think of him but I hope it's all good. Here's wishing best of luck to a very good friend!
Fri, 16th Jul '04, 11:15 pm::
It's a busy life I lead. Work's going great as usual. After work went to the mall again with Lynn and then we saw I, Robot. I don't care what people say, I liked the movie and yes, I read the book too.
Tue, 13th Jul '04, 11:35 pm::
One month in Florida!!!!!!!! Had a long day at work today. Work's going good so far. Yesterday I went to play soccer with my boss, his brother, and their friend. Today I went to the beach with Lynn :) I'm still sore from the soccer game yesterday. Gotta run 4 miles tomorrow. That's my life in short. It's going good and quite fast. I can't believe one month is over already...
Sun, 11th Jul '04, 9:10 pm::
Went to the mall with Lynn today. Had a lot of fun. Bought myself a pair of soccer cleats and a book on Active Directory. Things are going pretty well. Tomorrow it's going to be one month since I left Jersey. I miss Jersey a lot... and my family & friends.
Sat, 10th Jul '04, 8:40 pm::
I had a great day today. Went to see Spiderman2 with Lynn. Then we went to the beach followed by Subway. This was quite possibly one of the best days I've had in months... She is a great girl with a beautiful and funny personality. We're definitely gonna chill more often :)
Sat, 10th Jul '04, 8:55 am::
I just ran 7.5 miles (12 kms) in 1 hr 27 mins. At this pace I can finish the marathon in just about 5 hours. So evidently I'm maintaining my speed as the distance increases. Next week I only have to run maximum of 5 miles but after that it's 9 miles! Oh well, I'll deal... somehow...
I miss my Dad. It's his b'day today :) Happy B'day Daddy!
Fri, 9th Jul '04, 2:30 pm::
Happy B'day Daddy!!!!! Well it's July 10th 12am in India already :)
Thu, 8th Jul '04, 2:05 am::
I drove 100 miles to Orlando to meet my Fark buddies: Ursula and Dan. Spent 3-4 hours with them just chilling in downtown Orlando. Both of them are really cool folks and it was absolutely awesome seeing them. If only they lived closer. And if I wasn't so tired I would go into the details of the night but right now I gotta hit the sack. I drove over 250 miles today!
Tue, 6th Jul '04, 10:55 pm::
Here's a picture of me on Tay's awesome PhotoBlog :)
Tue, 6th Jul '04, 8:40 am::
I ran 1.5 miles (2.4 kms) in 13:38 mins this morning. It's probably my best time ever for a mile - 9 minutes. You'll probably get bored reading my running times every day but that's all I care about in my personal life right now. I am running my first marathon and it's not an easy task at all. I'm on a strict regimen now so I eat well, sleep well, and train well. I like the discipline too. Makes time go by real fast.
Mon, 5th Jul '04, 8:45 pm::
I went to Tay's house today for some free pizza :-P It's been a while since I had pizza, esp. since I'm on a healthy-food-only balanced diet. I eat as much as I want but only non-cheesy non-fatty foods like fruits, vegetables, pasta, bread. Since I am running a lot these days and burning off a hell lot of calories, I eat as much as I want. Tomorrow I'm running 3 miles again. After 6 miles, that'll be a piece of cake. Hehe.
Sun, 4th Jul '04, 8:55 am::
I just ran 6 miles in 68 mins 18 seconds. If I can keep up my 11.5 mins / mile timing, I can finish the marathon in 5 hours! Oh by the way if you don't know it already, I am preparing for the Oct 31st 2004 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC. I am not in there for speed, just completion, this being my first marathon ever.
Song for the day: "I Saw Her Standing There" - Beatles.
Sat, 3rd Jul '04, 2:25 pm::
My town is currently under a severe thunderstorm and hail warning. There were 312 lightning strikes in the last 60 minutes. And of course, today is the day I decided to do my laundry. Well not for a while now.
Thu, 1st Jul '04, 8:30 pm::
My work environment is absolutely unbelievable. While it's very professional, it's also very homely. I leave home at 8am every morning and am usually there by 8:15 or 8:20. After wishing "good morning" to everyone I get on with my work. Around noon, Scott, Brian, Robin, and Tom start gathering in someone's office, just talking about work and stuff. I'm not much of a chatter (yet) but it's great listening to them talk. We pick up our lunch from a new restaurant or fast food place everyday. Thankfully they make sure something vegetarian and healthy is available for me. My lunch usually consists of salads, vegetarian sub sandwiches, and nachos :)
We all sit around a little round table and have our lunch together. Scott is the Creative Director, an altogether awesome buddy. Brian is my boss's younger brother and Tom is their dad. Robin is my boss' father-in-law who doesn't really work here but comes around every other day to help out with stuff. Then there's Guerry, the wise-old man with brilliant advice, kinda like my maternal grandpa (Kandivali Dada). Two others, Andy and Ken seem to have been with the company for a long time and are quiet experienced in their field of work. That leaves the three girls who actually run the business - Kelly, Linda, and Lisa. While the guys can pretend to manufacture this and manage that, it's Kelly and Linda who manage them all. Well everyone except my boss/ex-client Eric.
All my life I have wanted to see what my future-self might look like. I know it's kinda ambitious to say I see my future in my boss' persona, but I really do feel that way. He's a brilliant student, an avid reader, very cautious with his words, and extremely generous. While it'd be immodest of me to say that I already possess all these qualities, I would like to hope that a decade from now, I would.
So that's my new happy little family at work. When I left my job at Rutgers, I never thought I would meet so many great people to work with. But who knew... my luck has done wonders again and I landed a great job with some amazing people. Either I'm really easy-going or I'm really lucky. Either way, I'm happy where I am right now.