Merry Christmas!

I absolutely love Christmas movies! A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Carol, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone (Yes it's a Christmas movie because they always show it around Christmas!), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Scrooge, and it goes on and on! I love them all! But my favorite Christmas movie is "It's a Wonderful Life." Man that movie rocks. And it's not just because I think that Donna Reed is so hot. Mmmm Donna Reed. But really, it's such a nice story because it teaches you that you don't need money to be rich. After all, George's brother exclaimed that George was the richest man in town. It also goes to show what a profound affect we have on each other and that a lifetime of doing little good things for others can tremendously affect the world around us. Oh what a good feeling I get when I watch it!

"Teacher says every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!"

arg!!!

I might've gone bananas at work today! Ok, not really hehe. But it was such a long day and H was so annoying. He kept trying to delegate stuff to me while he bullshitted around all day. First of all, I don't report to him so he has no authority to delegate stuff to me. Regardless, I helped out by getting my invoices done, but then he keeps sending more my way. When I walked by his desk after he sent me more stuff to do, he was on Hotmail writing an email. So I didn't do any more invoices for him. M could've helped but he was too busy handling his failing real estate business or researching stocks after strolling in at a leisurely time.

Let's see what I did today:
- Patched & verified secondary servers
- Wrote up patching instructions for M for Saturday
- Fixed at batch file which updates our antivirus that either M or H modified/broke because I sure as heck didn't modify it
- Placed & fixed a few purchase orders
- Participated in a conference call w/ Sungard & STEP and finally convinced those guys that it's a printer setup issue after an hour of explaining that it's not a network issue.
- When they finally realized it was a printer set up issue, I sat in on another hour long conference call to help them troubleshoot this printer (They still can't figure it out)
- I was called into my 3rd conference call of the day to evaluate a product for our security group
- I set up a new user
- Moved another user
- Had a meeting to go over new PP changes then proceeded to gather all of the information I need to work on these changes next week
- Spoke to HN about exporting certain notifications to Excel. Apparently consultants gave a quote for $700,000 to do this job. Haha I think I can do it. I think I'll charge Sumi only $500k and undercut the competition ;-)
- Fixed a reboot error on Mr. T's laptop
- And in between all of those things, got called away to fix a printer, set up for a lunch n learn, swap out a busted monitor & install software on a few users' PCs.
All the while M & H sat around all day! And then H had the nerve to dump his work on me!

Yeah this sounds like a major bitch fest and I know my manager's wife frequents my blog and he'll eventually see this bitch fest but we're all allowed to bitch once in a while. I am a hollow reed....

Waiting for the bus sucks

There is a Bubbles laundromat on the corner where I wait for the bus in the morning. Bubbles is a chain of laundromats. It's actually a pretty big one and I must say, they keep it very clean. You wouldn't think this, but there are quite a few people who do their laundry before 7am. Who knew? This bus stop doesn't have one of those booths which can shield one from harsh weather. So on mornings like today (22 degrees and breezy and the bus is 10 mins late) it can get rough.

There's this Spanish girl that waits at this bus stop everyday. When the weather gets cold she sits inside the laundromat on the seats by the large windows facing the bus stop. I have seen others do that from time to time, but this girl does it every day. Now, I don't like waiting in the cold but I also don't think it's right to just go in and sit there if you're not there for business purposes. It is a business establishment, after all. So she sits inside and I stand in the cold/rain/snow/sleet/etc. I pace back and forth when it becomes unbearable. When I see a bus coming, I get so excited. Oh the number 85 bus will come and shelter me! I am quite disappointed when I see that it's the number 83 bus. Anyways, when the 85 comes, I take a few steps toward the curb to get on. Usually, there's a middle-aged Spanish guy that gets off at our stop, so we let him off first before we go in. However, the Spanish girl that I mentioned before is very sneaky. When she sees the 85 coming, you can see how flustered she gets as she gathers her belongings and rushes out of the laundromat so she can be the first on the bus. She jets out the door and CUTS IN FRONT OF ME! She does this everyday. She comes from taking warmth from the laundromat without reimbursing it in anyways and acts as if she's entitled to be the first to be comforted by the warmth of the bus. I deserve to get sheltered first! I don't care if this sounds childish or politically incorrect because women should go first, but I paid my dues! I froze my ass off! Sometimes I try to make it difficult for her by getting as close to the bus as possible, but I don't want the guy who gets off at the stop to think I'm not giving him his space. So she sneaks in. I guess it's not the end of the world if I wait a few more seconds but she is what's wrong with this world. People take the easy way out and feel as if they're entitled to the same rewards as those who worked for it. Want another example? The mortgage rate freeze offered by Bush today. People took the easy adjustable rate mortgages and now that it's time for the rates to increase, they get bailed out. And here I am, still chugging along with my responsible 30 yr fixed mortgage at a higher rate than these punks w/ the ARM's.

Seinfeld is Timeless

...or is it?

Well yeah we all know that the stories and experiences are timeless - they're just everyday normal stuff with a twist - but there are things from the show that are so 90's that I find it funny when they pop up. Don't get me wrong; I'm not trashing the show at all. I love it. I watch it almost everyday and end up quoting stuff from the show all the time. In fact, my manager and I throw quotes back and forth all day long. But do you remember the episode in which Jerry's mechanic stole his car and drove it off into the country? Well Jerry had a car phone installed in that car. Who has a car phone? haha. In the Chinese restaurant episode, George waits and waits and waits to get a chance to use the pay phone. GO GET A CELL PHONE MAN! In the episode in which Jerry and Elaine are stranded in Long Island after a party, Jerry gives Kramer directions and Kramer ends up getting lost. Get a GPS! or at the very least, Google the directions!

The preceding was what kids today will think of Seinfeld.

Done!

Ok well we're not completely done with my sister's room but we've gotten most of it done. Here's the link to it:

http://picasaweb.google.com/apatel0/CTSRoom

Read the captions! I'm going to get some blinds tomorrow and then move in her bed! :-)

Home Improvement

So when I was spackling yesterday, I was thinking about random things. One of the things that I thought about was how I've read countless articles on financially savvy home renovations. Each and every article says to not go overboard on renovations because the payoff on certain renovations may not be so great. This is especially the case if a certain renovation is not in line with what your neighbors have. But I beg to differ. What's wrong in going overboard and getting something nice that your neighbors don't have? I mean, so what if you don't recoup 100% of the money you spent on the renovation when you sell your home if you were able to thoroughly enjoy said renovation while you owned the home? If the level of enjoyment of living in your home goes up because of a renovation then I think it's definitely worth it. Even if you recoup 50% of your investment when you sell, just think of the rest of the money that you spent as the fee for the greater quality of life that it provided for you.

Eh, it's just my 2 cents on the matter. Maybe it's because my family is big on the renovation thing. When my sis and I graduated in 2003, our parents had a little graduation party in our backyard for us. The week before the party we built a HUGE tent in the backyard (it was the size of our entire backyard - about 20 x 30 ft) out of 2x3 studs and a bunch of tarps. We put up lights and stuff and it looked so nice. The funniest and nicest comment that we got was from my cousin's wife. She said, "You don't even feel like you're in Jersey City anymore." hehe no offense taken. We took it as a compliment. Yeah, that was a random thought but I'm going somewhere with this so hold on. If you go through w/ a renovation that makes someone feel like they're somewhere else then does it really matter if it's not common in your neighborhood?

Vacation! ...not so much

Soooo I have the week off from work. Actually it's a week and a half. My dad took a week off too so we can both work on my sister's room in the basement. We moved the kitchen/laundry area out of their original location and are going to put it in the middle of the basement. The old kitchen/laundry area and the room next to it are being combined to make my sis a HUGE 18 x 11 bedroom. It'll be cool. Her bed and stuff will be on one side and her closet and desk will be on the other. I'm going to put up pics as soon as I can. She'll just have a subfloor for now. I have to put it all over the basement before I start putting down the laminate flooring. This is really hard work! I wake up at 7:30 am and start work at about 8 am and work all the way until at least 8 pm. My arms are actually aching right now so I'm going to stop typing. adios!

gulp!

oh god... oh god oh god.. oh god oh god oh god oh god! Oh God! OHHH GODDD!!! oh god oh god god! Dammit! oh god! why? god oh god oh god!!! why god!? DAMN! why? oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god!

ok, i'll spit it out. i touched dog poop w/ my bare hands.

OH GOD! OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD! WHY! OH GOD!

My dad and I were putting this huge mirror out with the garbage. This mirror is rectangular and my dad was carrying it and he put it down on the shorter side. The corner of the mirror laid down on some grass. Then my dad swiveled it so the longer part of the mirror would lay flat on the ground. This brought the corner which was in grass up. My dad needed a hand so I grabbed onto the mirror onto the corner that was in the grass. I felt something gooey. GULP! It was dog poop! :-( OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD! It felt gross. It smelled. It smeared onto my fingers. :-( I ran in and cleaned up. WHY? WHY GOD WHY? I spent the day taking care of my mom because she's sick. I waited on her hand and foot. I'm Hindu; I believe in Karma. What sort of Karma is this? arg!

I washed my hands a million times already... They're like so dry now. I still feel dirty.

Happy New Year!

So today's the beginning of the Indian new year! Let me tell you, I loooooovee this time of year :-) Oh, I like doing the pujas too. The one I did on Thursday for Dunteras (I don't know the spelling) is my FAVORITE! hehe, is it weird to say you have a favorite puja? Our family isn't really that religious; we don't regularly go to temple. But we do go during this time of year. And it's fun because the mandirs are all decorated with lights and there are so many people there all celebrating/praying. It's very festive and they put out soo much food offerings to the statues. We normally go to a couple of mandirs one after another and stay for the aarti. So we did that today. Oh and I want to make a song like Adam Sandler made but have it start like this: Diwali is the festival of lights...

Yankee Game

So Lennox's wife, Tanya, got tickets for the Yankees game today from the firm at which she works, and since they offered me 2, I took Anand w/ me. I've been told that I have a really loud clap so you know I had to get my stadium-clap on! Oh my God, those seats were so hot! They were in the second section right by first base. We also got passes to the Yankee Clubhouse which was a pretty nice little bar. Since the game was rain delayed, we all went there for a few drinks. Tanya got us tickets last year as well and in that game we left early because the Yanks were getting blown out only to find out that while we were stuck in the parking lot trying to get out, the Yanks mounted an amazing 17 run comeback. We missed it. So today since T and Len had to leave early, Anand and I stuck around. In the 8th inning, stupid Farnsworth gave up a couple of runs to give so Anand and I were so pissed that we just left. So what happens? They go into extra innings and win the game!!!! Of course! Why would it work out any other way? I've learned my lesson. I'm never leaving early from a game again! (By the way, Farnsworth is garbage)

My Pics

We have a bunch of clowns at work. One of the biggest clowns is my lifelong friend, Mike. For those of you who don't know, Mike and I have known each other since we were 5. That has its upsides and downsides. The good: a really good friend. The bad: he has dirt on me! lol Well not really dirt, but rather embarrassing pics of me. A few years ago, he brought a picture of me from Kindergarten in which I had paper rabbit ears on and was holding a paper egg basket. He was actually in the picture w/ me but when he made a copy of it, he conveniently cut himself out. So this little bunny was photocopied and resized and put ALL over the office. He can still be found on various cubicle walls and even in the small kitchen by I.T. For a while, it seemed like he was actually multiplying like a real rabbit!

A couple of months ago, a doctor from England was taken in for being a terrorist and his face was blown up on the cover of The Post. This guy just happened to look like me. So by the time I got to work (and mind you, I get to work pretty early) I see a copy of the cover of the post on my desk. I proceed to find copies of it all over the place at work. So what do I do? I autograph them :-)

T got tickets to the Yankee game tomorrow! I'm going w/ Anand, Len and T! Woohoo!

Bathroom

We've been working on our basement bathroom ever since I bought this house 3 months ago. You may think that it took a long time, but a) we're not professionals, b) we didn't always have time to work on the bathroom, c) I was injured :-P (I had thrown my back out for a while moving cement bags.) Finally, however, we're done. Click on the link below to see my album of the bathroom's transformation. I'd like to thank everyone who helped us - especially Rishi for helping us tear it up, Prahlad Fua for helping us with the tiling and m&m for the support, encouragement and company on many a Home Depot runs. :-P

Basement Bathroom Renovation

But I AM a boy!

This is a funny story. When I was a little boy, I had gone back-to-school clothes shopping w/ my parents. My mother handed some clothes to me and instructed me to go try them on while she and my father went to check out more clothes. I walked into the changing room and went into a stall. Shortly afterwards, one of the employees at the store came into the changing room and said, "You know, this is a men's changing room." I replied, "But I AM a boy!" hahahaha I still crack up every time I think about it. Why did he think I was anything else but a little boy? Once I got out of the changing room, I told my dad what happened and he made fun of me. hehe Actually, back then I had not yet hit puberty so my voice was still soft. So I remember that when my dad made fun of me, he said it in a really high voice hahahaha

Fall Memories

I'm sure a lot of people are like me in this regard, but certain things tend to always trigger specific memories and feelings for me. For example, when I was younger, I dreaded fall because it meant back-to-school and I hated going back to school after summer vacation. I had associated such a negative feeling towards it that I couldn't bring myself to appreciate what a great season it really is. When I started to work, I began to figure out that it's not so bad after all. For the past 3 years, I've opted to take my 2 weeks' vacation at the end of September because the weather would be perfect - no overwhelming heat or mugginess. I had taken my official 2 weeks earlier this year because I was moving but I will probably end up using two more weeks before the year's out.

When I woke up this morning, it was pretty chilly and I didn't really want to get out from under my covers. It was so warm and cozy there. But at that moment, I got a really good feeling that rushed through me; the feeling of October baseball. No longer did I dread fall. No, I had embraced it. A bunch of great moments from the Yankees' post seasons past came back to me as I recounted Donnie Baseball's first playoff appearance and coincidentally his last year as a Yankee, Mr. November Derek Jeter, Jim Leyritz' homerun against the Braves to turn the series around, losing my voice after Aaron Bleeping Boone's hr verses the horrid Red Sox, Wetland's filthy cap, Paul Oneill tumbling over the pile of Yankees over the pitcher's mound after they won, Wade Boggs riding the horse around the park... man I love baseball. Just typing the last paragraph put a smile to my face. :-)

I don't understand how anyone would not want to be a Yankee fan in the fall. I believe that I've once spotted Elmer Fudd wearing a Yankees cap. "Oh those wascally Wed Sox!" :-)

Ankit's Nose Is Like A Rubber Hose!

My 9th grade Latin teacher, Mr. Martin, used to sing that in class. He also once drew a profile of me on the chalkboard w/ a realllly big nose hahaha. He's lucky that I have a good sense of humor! But seriously, that guy was awesome. I hope he's doing well.

Anyways, this new-post-a-day thing is kind of hard. I try to keep my subjects interesting - not just run in the mill stuff - so it's hard to think up interesting topics. I wonder how shows that air daily keep up the quality of their content. Well they have a team working on it so it's probably easier. Anyways, I digress.

My dada (grandfather) has been staying over for the past few weeks and I really like having him here. However, I can't help but feel that he feels isolated. I mean, in India, he knew everyone in the neighborhood and was a part of various organizations. Here, there aren't as many Indians in the neighborhood and during the day most of the family goes to work so there's not much else to do. He's a sharp guy so I know he needs to keep his mind active. He does go for walks to the Indian Senior Citizens center on Kennedy Blvd every once in a while and that's the closest he gets to attaining the contact he's used to. His situation isn't unheard of in our society. Many elderly people who do not have the means to go where they want, when they want and don't have a polished handle of the English language do feel isolated for much of the day. I'm sure this can be very frustrating for those that are used to enjoying a much more active lifestyle. That's why I think that the Senior Citizen's association is so important. Or going back to my previous post, it's also why the mandir is important for them. It gives them a place to re-form a community with those who can relate to them.

Requests, anyone?

So, as per request, I am going to post blog entries more frequently. Actually, I'm going to do one better. For the next week, I am going to post one blog entry per day. So be sure to check in between poopee and peepoo diaper changes :-P

I've done a lot of little finishing touches in the bathroom this weekend. Yesterday I put up the molding around the doorway and today I put wood putty along the ends of the ceiling molding. Maybe tomorrow, after work, I'll tape up the molding to paint it. I need to get a small paintbrush though. So why a sudden rush to finish off this bathroom after a period of very little work put into it? Well, this one pesky little critter, among others, have been asking for pictures of the bathroom. I feel like I do talk a lot about it so I should get to the point where I can show them some results.

I also went to the Swaminarayan mandir on Tonnelle Ave this evening. My mami sponsored something today because her mom recently passed away. We go there a couple of times a year but what I always like about it is the sense of community there. The kids have their little Sunday school type of classes, the elderly have a place to go and make contact with others and there are all sorts of things to do for the rest. I don't have much else to post on the topic - just that I liked the communal feeling you get when you go.

Yanks/Red Sox on. Go Yankees!

Superman Returns

So I finally saw Superman Returns last nite at Palu & Sagar's house and I have some issues with it. Well I have one big problem that really pissed me off.

Ok so the premise of this movie is that scientists believe that they may have found traces of the planet Krypton so Superman goes back to see if it's still there. Superman returns after he finds out that it's not there. Anyways, how'd he make the trip there and back? Well in the movie he flew. But how can he fly there? Everyone knows that Superman is super because of our galaxy's yellow sun. Krypton wasn't filled with super people because they had a red sun. So how can he go from one galaxy where he's super to another galaxy where he's not super without dying? Once he left our sun's reach he would've become normal and then died in the void of space. I mean, come on people! Do some fact-checking.

ROI

Return on Investment.

I'm a big fan of return on investment. That's one of the things I look at when I screen stocks but I don't just apply it to the market. I like a good ROI on anything I do. I don't really mind if I have to put in more work into something if I feel that the return I get is worth the extra work. But I absolutely hate it when there is no ROI. If I put in time and energy and everything I have into something and I can't reap the rewards in the end, then I feel like I haven't accomplished anything. And I hate treading water.

Ankit-san is number 1

Jay and I say dumb/corny things to each other all day long. During lunch there was something on tv about construction and Jay said something about a stud-finder. And, of course, my response was "I don't need a stud finder, I'm right here." He shot a look of "are you drunk" at me. So I told him to take a poll of everyone in the cafeteria if I'm a stud. He didn't want to poll everyone because there were people in the room he didn't really know. But he asked this one Japanese girl and she gave and emphatic yes and added that I'm very popular with the Japanese girls there. Oh yeah! :-) I'm going to go over and drop my pen in that area and give the ladies a treat. hahaha i should take advantage.. it's not like I have a girlfriend or anything.

Sicko

So I've run into a first-hand experience of what Michael Moore's Sicko is all about. My aunt lost her balance and fell outside our front door on June 23. We brought her in the house and put ice on her wrist but it really started to swell so we took her to St. Mary's emergency room. They put a splint on her and wrapped it up but did not put a cast on her. They gave us the contact number for Dr. Boiardo (Cross County Orhtopedics, 769 Northfield Ave., Suite LL-20, West Orange, NJ 07052; 973.669.9595) and told us to make an appointment w/ him to get the cast put on.

We got an appointment for 12:15pm on June 26 and got there a half hr early but ended up waiting about 2 hrs before they took her in. They took x-rays and Dr. Boiardo then told us that it doesn't look bad but he wanted a catscan done. At this point i started to think that this guy is looking to make money but I didn't want to create a situation in which we didn't do all we could for my aunt so I got an appointment for a catscan for the same day at 3:30pm. It was at their imaging center across the street so it wasn't far to travel. We waited til about 4pm before she was called in. My poor aunt was in so much pain from all the cramped sitting she did that she was about to cry. So after the catscan we were given an appointment to visit the doc at his Secaucus location on Sunday July 1. We got there a little more than a half hr before her 10:30am appointment but there was still a huge line. More waiting! When he finally called her in, they told us that he needs to set the bone and since he couldn't accommodate that in the office we were in, he instructed us to call a number and schedule a time for Thursday July 5 at St. Mary's so he could set the bone and put a cast on her. When I called for said appointment, I was told that she needs to get her preaddmission testing done asap. So I scheduled it for 9:15am today and my father and mother took her.

When they got home, they got a phone call from Dr. Boiardo's office telling us that my aunt's insurance will not cover the operation and that if we want to move forward w/ Dr. Boiardo, then we have to pay for the operation out of pocket. I was FURIOUS when I found out. What else will we be charged for? We had given them her insurance card 3 times (once for the initial appointment, once for the catscan and again for the last appointment on Sunday). Why couldn't they tell us then? What is wrong w/ these people? When I called and got mad, the lady had the nerve to give me an attitude. These people do not understand what they put the patient through. My aunt is physically and mentally handicapped. She has limited motion as it is and all of this running around was a lot for her to handle. And after they make us run-around they say they can't do it.

So now the surgery for this Thursday is off and my aunt is still in pain. She's still got a broken wrist and no cast. It's been 1 and a half weeks since she broke it. Why do we live in a country where we treat those in need like this? And she's disabled for God's sake!

I've made an appointment with another doctor for Monday at 3:00PM. I have to bring in my aunt's xray and catscan film with us to get his diagnosis. After that, the earliest appointment he can make is for Friday July 13. That will be about 20 days after her injury before she'll get help for a fractured wrist. When I came home today, my aunt was crying. If we get a bill for even 1 cent from Dr. Boiardo's office, all hell is going to break lose.

of bathrooms and bees

So I had a few days off from work and figured I'd be productive so I've done a few things here and there and have also worked on the basement bathroom since my dad's plumber friend lent us his jackhammer. (See pic of that sexy guy below) I think I've made all the holes in the cement floor that the plumber needs to re-route the drainage pipes for the new tub, toilet and sink. However, I should wait until my dad comes home and gives me his OK.

After I jackhammered the floor, I started clearing the rubble out and making a pile of it in the backyard. After I was done, I thought, "Hmm maybe I'll shoot some hoops." So I went over to the old backyard and started shooting around. Before I know it, a swarm of bees came out of the metal pole for the hoop!!! They came after me! I had flashbacks of My Girl and remembered how sad it was when Mcauley Culkin died at the end. I didn't have time to wait around. One stung me on the back of my neck and it hurt like hell! I ran home and told my mommy and she pulled the stinger out and put some ointment on it. Damn you, bees, this means war.

Salty Suggestion

So I've been told that I need to update my blog. I won't mention who! Anyways, my dada (grandpa) and uncle and his family left today to go stay over at Jinita's for a few days. I'm gonna miss Aesha! She's my cousin and she got so attached to me over the past few days; as I did to her. She's 4 and she says the darnedest things. She'll be going back to india and forget about me! :-( Ah well, I'll try to stay in contact w/ her and her brother. At night we'd all stay up late (my dada, uncle, father and myself) and they'd all tell stories about how it was back in the day in India. I loooove those stories. I've been up late everyday since they came listening to them.

On Saturday, we took them to my other aunt's house and then when we got back, my other aunt fell on the landing in front of our front door. We put some ice on her wrist and after 10 mins we saw it was really swelling up, so we took her to the emergency room. It wasn't so bad. We got there at 12:30am and were out by 3am. There were like 2 pple ahead of us so it didn't take too long to get some time w/ a doctor. Anyways, they didn't put a cast on her. They put a splint and wrapped it up and told us to make an appointment w/ a doctor to put a cast on her. So I called today and they said they don't take patients on Mondays so I'll take her tomorrow. It's in West Orange. Ugh!

Aye It's Gorgeous!

$10 for anyone who guesses where "Aye it's gorgeous!" is from!

I'm still alive! Construction on the new house is moving along. I think we're going to tackle the basement bathroom next. We plan on ripping out what's there now and putting in a full tub (since the current bathroom only has a standing shower) and new tiling. That will be quite a feet. The rest of the house looks so nice! I can't wait to move stuff in. We have been moving things in a little at a time as we get done with rooms. I still don't have internet at home. I am at panera right now using their free internet. Oh, how sad am I? I miss being able to check on my fantasy team! Ah well, I am too busy working on my house to have time for going online. At the end of the day, i'm so exhausted that I don't even want to move.

Ok I have to go now because we have a tenant coming to sign a lease in a few!

Exhausted

Man I'm pooped. I'm writing this entry because I will be offline for a few days and I didn't want to forget anything. My cable modem is being disconnected tomorrow and my DSL isn't going to be installed until next Tuesday! Gulp!

Well yesterday was a loooong day! I mixed about 900 lbs of cement. Not all at once! hehe. They come in 80 lb bags, but then you add water and the weight balloons. We also started working on the foyer that we wanted to make. I was so pissed because we had two small spots left to sheetrock and we ran out! So we had to go back to Home Depot for another piece. I hope to finish that off tomorrow and start spackling. After that we'll be ready to paint the living room. Once that's done, I think we should just start moving stuff into that room. Actually as we finish painting a room we'll start moving the stuff in. There's so much to do!!!!

See you next week!

Block No. 877 Lot No. 304A

That's right.. I own Block No. 877, Lot No. 304A! I had my closing today and let me tell you, it took forever. I was there for 4 hrs! Overall, I thought my lawyer was pretty crappy except for the actual closing. He took so long because he reviewed every piece of paper with me before I left. Anyways, I don't have to deal w/ him anymore. I went for a final walk through afterwards and met with the family that's moving out. They seemed cool. The daughter and her husband were there as well. She seemed like she was about to cry.

It's 5PM and they still haven't moved out yet. I wanted to go in and get started on some construction but they seemed emotional so I didn't want to shove them out. I think it'll be soon though because they seem like they're wrapping things up. We have another tenant coming to look at this apt at 6!

Construction and Renters part Deux

So yesterday we tore down the first section of fencing and cleared out the 6" ditch that used to be under it. Today we got cement and filled up that ditch to complete our side of the walkway for moving day. Take a look at the before and after pics below:

Before...

After...

We also made a little bridge further down the backyard so we can walk over between yards and over the plant bed. Check it out:





















It's basically a small deck walkway. The last board isn't in yet. We'll put it in once we remove the fence behind it.

We had a few more people come over to see the apartment. We didn't like the last two guys that came over. I mean they had 6 people! 3 couples! Plus I didn't enjoy the way in which one of the guys spoke to me. Anyways, before they came over, we had a family take a look. They seemed so nice. My mother got along w/ the mother of that family (Mina) so well that when the father (Ajay) was ready to leave, they had to call her like 3 times before she broke out of her conversation w/ my mom. hehe. Well Ajay said he'd tell his current landlord that he will be moving out in 1 month and would move in starting July. We haven't signed the lease yet so nothing's official. But it looks good.

The family who rents the second apartment above us gave us notification that they'll be moving out at the end of July. DUM DUM DUMMMMMMMM

Renters: Round 1

So we put up "For Rent" flyers around Newark Ave. (For those who don't know, it's a street full of Indian stores and such.) We put it up in that area because we would like Indian renters; not that we're racist against others but it would make communication between them and my mother much easier since she'd be home most of the time and would be the person to interact w/ them. We're also looking for a nice family for the stability.

Anywho, we've gotten a few responses; I think it's because of our cool flyer (pictures and all). One family came to look at our place earlier today. I didn't really get a good vibe from them. I was right, too, because the father called back later and said he would take it for $250 less than what we're asking for. So I said that won't work. What's he thinking!?!? Then this couple came by around 9PM and I really liked them. The wife graduated from STEVENS! And her brother is currently attending Stevens. But the couple seemed really nice. She's preggy w/ a kid on the way in a few months so it seems like a good fit. I just hope that they say yes! I would even negotiate a cheaper price for them (by a little) because they are nice. Fingers crossed!

Summer of Ankit!

So I just started my two week vacation and when I got home, the episode of Seinfeld where George hurts himself during "the summer of George" was on tv. His body was in a state of severe atrophy because he didn't do anything but sit around at home. hahaha! Well, I don't think I'll the luxury of laying around. I'm closing on the house next Wednesday so before that I'll be working on our current place so it'll look nice when renters come to look. Then we'll work on the new place (painting/some construction) before we move in. I think I'll tear down some of the fencing this weekend in preparation for moving day. Plus there's so much stuff to get!

My Cousin Floated Away!!!

My cousin, Palu, and her parents were evacuated last night because the river near their apartment building was flooding due to the 7-8 inches of rain we got!!! She was first taken to their local fire station where she hung out w/ some firemen. I bet she liked that. As I was on the phone with her, someone screamed in the background, "The bus is here! Everybody on the bus!" So she had to hang up. She called me back once they reached their shelter. They had gotten cots with Red Cross blankets but NO pillows! At least they were dry. Palu said that their garage was flooded again and they probably lost a lot of things (a bunch of her cookbooks to name just one). Poor Red Crossed Palu! I know she's reading this because she told me to write a piece on her so read this:

THE NEXT TIME IT'S GOING TO RAIN A LOT JUST COME OVER TO OUR HOUSE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A REFUGEE AGAIN!

hehehe.. steal a Red Cross blanket for me.

House

You know how they say that buying your first house is one of the most stressful things you'll do in you're life? Well it's totally true. I never thought about it, but it's totally true.

The sellers want to close on the house as soon as possible and I'm not opposed to that but they really pissed me off while we were in Attorney Review. They took forever to respond to our Rider! One the one hand they want to rush me but on the other they take their time negotiating the contract! I really couldn't start w/ the normal house-purchasing procedures like inspection and looking for a mortgage until I got a contract signed. Anyways, I got word that they signed the contract yesterday so I booked my inspection for this Saturday. And I'm speaking with a few mortgage people.. but the trend in interest rates seems to be upward so I hope to lock in with one of them soon.

The money is probably the biggest stress causer. I guess it's because I've never laid down so much money at once. Plus we'll be balancing mortgage payments for the new house and our current house. (well we'll be renting this place but what about until we find tenants?) I have to send in a check tomorrow for 5 figures. gulp! 5 freakin figures! Ok I should stop freaking out. I'm getting a house. That's a good thing. I can't wait for my tax refund next year!!

Knee, Therapy and House!

So I haven't posted a blog entry in a looong time. I apologize to the two or three readers that check my blog. hehe Well my knee is still not 100%. I have been going to therapy and I find it very enjoyable. I go to Mile Square on 6th St. They took over the place where Swift Photo used to be. Since my dad was a photographer, I used to go to Swift all the time to make runs for him. The people at Mile Square are cool and knowledgeable. When I first went, Cesar thoroughly explained what was going on in my knee much more in depth than the orthopedic had ever explained to me. The parts I really enjoy are the heat up and icing parts that bookend the therapy. I get to sit back and relax and my knee feels really good at that time. The ultrasound part is cool too.

I was really sore & tired this week because while I was off last week, I had pretty much rested the entire time so I wasn't used to much activity. Plus when I walked around that week, I hadn't put much weight on the right leg because of the pain. So as you can imagine, when I went back to work, I really felt it. I still limp around but I think that the leg is better than it was last week. I met this guy named Jeff in therapy and he was telling me that his right bicep tore off and he had to have it re-attached. His advice is to take any recovery one day at a time and to do my exercises at home regularly too. Now this guy's had surgery on both shoulders and actually had an operation for the same injury as mine (torn meniscus), so I think he knows a thing or two about recovery.

Ok so enough about my knee. A few weeks ago, I went to an open house around the corner from where I live now and I liked the place. I mean it's not a jaw-droppingly amazing place, but I see potential for improvement because we do a lot of renovation on our own. Plus it's got a lot more space that we have now so that'd be good too. Also, even though it's around the corner from me, my current backyard and its backyard both share one common fence. So we can tear that down and open it all up. So when we rent out both units in our current house, we will be right next door to handle any problems for our tenants. I put in an offer and they countered and we countered back and they accepted my final offer! I signed the paperwork today and so did the seller. We're in attorney review now so things are taking off.

If you asked me two weeks ago about what I need to do to buy a house, I would've been clueless. I think I've learned a thing or two in the meantime. Trust me, it's only a thing or two... I'm still pretty confused by a lot of it. I believe that the entire process takes some real project management skills to be the liaison between the agent, the lawyer, the inspector, the various mortgage people, etc. and handling their requests without being overwhelmed. I've started keeping a notebook with everything I've got to do and questions I have so I don't miss anything. I'm excited!!!

MRI

I got the MRI done on my knee yesterday. It was actually pretty cool. As previously mentioned, I got it done in Hoboken - about a block from where I work. They have an open MRI setup and it was so nice. The tech. put my leg in a brace and had me lie down on the table. The lower part of my body was under the MRI and the top half was out in the open. It took 24 minutes for the entire process but it didn't seem long at all. They had the radio blasting so that helped. However, I was told to stay very still and pumping music in the room can't possibly help someone remain still. I did have some leg spasms while the machine was running so I tried very hard to stop them. If spasms are involuntary, can one voluntarily stop them? I don't know but I tried. I guess my leg didn't move too much because the tech. said I did well. I can totally understand how people feel claustrophobic in the regular MRI machines. Especially if you're in there for about a half hour - totally enclosed - and you're not allowed to move. Thank goodness they had an open MRI or I would've cracked!

My knee still feels icky. I can't really put much weight on it so I limp along when I do get up. I spend most of my time in bed and that sucks. Before I get up, I have to massage my legs because that makes it easier to "walk." Gosh, is this what it's come to?

Knowing is half the battle

Sgt. Slaughter used to say that at the end of the G.I. Joe cartoon.

I know a little about my knee but not everything. I went to Dr. Steinway's today and we're still not sure what's wrong w/ the knee. I mean it was fruitful in that he took x-rays and nothing showed up in them. He elevated my leg and then hit the back of my knee with his forearm and it didn't hurt. So apparently that means my ACL is ok. He twisted my leg in many directions and it was ok so that ruled some other things out.. But then he poked certain areas and it hurt. So he wants me to get an MRI done. The sucky part is that I have an appointment at Hoboken Medical Imaging tomorrow at 3:30 and I hear we have snow coming.

Nilesh

What do you call an Indian guy w/ bad knees?

Nilesh... get it? Knee-less? (for those non-Indians reading this, Nilesh is a real name)

S told me that one. I still find it funny. What's not funny is that my right knee is really shot! I had such a hard time putting weight on it today. And my mind races much faster than my body can take me. Like I was walking to the restrooms today and in my mind I would make it to the end of the hall in a split second but it took me several long, agonizing seconds to get there. blah.

I'm really scared that it's something bad. I don't want an operation but I am slowly coming to a realization that it may be serious. I think not knowing is so scary. That's why I wanted to see the Orthopedist today but I couldn't get an appointment. The earliest appointment my sister was able to get was for tomorrow at 1:30. It seems so far away. :-(

Bum Knee & Dark Ages

I'm getting so old. I was jumping to reach something the other day and I landed awkwardly and ever since then my knee's been killing me. It isn't swollen or anything so I'm hoping a few days of rest will fix it up. If not, I'll go to the doc's and see what's up. I remember the good ol' days of high school when we'd go to Nick's house every day and play basketball. I got hurt so many times but after a night of rest, I'd be as good as new. Not anymore. Actually, I think playing basketball on that court every day is actually what messed up my knees in the first place.

So as I was resting my knee, I put on the Dark Ages special on the History Channel. The fall of the Roman empire, the invading barbarians, the plague, Justinian and his courtesan wife and the Hagia Sophia, Charlemagne... I LOVE IT! It really seemed to have been a depressing time. Those dudes seemed to have regressed from the glory of Rome. I LOVE history. And I love it when they piece together contemporary things to give you a richer idea of what was going on. For example, they mentioned how after the fall of Rome, the empire was split into an Eastern and Western half. The riches of the east had always supported the west, but after they split, the economy of the west suffered. Roads and infrastructure that defined Rome fell into disrepair. Then the plague and constant warfare caused the population to dwindle. All of these things combined to isolate small communities from each other with little communication with each other. So there weren't enough people in one area - a "critical mass" as they put it - to really
feed off of each other and create things to better their lives. Hence, the Dark Ages.
Plus not many people were educated back then either. Until Charlemagne came around, the monks were usually the only ones that were educated. After the Crusades, texts were brought back from the East that really sparked the intellectual advancement that laid the foundation for the Renaissance.

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed the special.

Locke's LOST his mind

Ok, so what the heck is up w/ Locke? He's completely obsessed w/ pressing buttons! At first it was in the hatch where he obsessed over entering the code. Then he lost his mind and didn't press it and caused the hatch to blow up. Last night he presses buttons on the computer at Flame which started a self-destruct sequence and left Flame in, well, flames. He's like a two year old! I bet he lost his ability to walk because he came across a button that said "Don't push or else you'll lose the use of your legs" and he pushed it. So to recap, Locke likes to push buttons and blow things up.

Murphy's Law

Ok, if you are easily bored by computer talk, stop reading right here.

So the crap hit the fan today at work. At 8 AM, our DS3 line went down. Blah, I thought someone cut the cable again but that was not the case. If that were the case, then maybe we'd luck out and be the 3rd client up and running like last time :-) But I called our provider and found out that there was a fire and/or a possible battery explosion in Verizon's central office in Newark. So it really hit the fan then. Some clients came up pretty quickly but not us. It took us until 2-ish to get connection back. In the meantime, my manager was luckily at our disaster site so he was able to get people up and running there. The support guys at our provider must be so annoyed with me. I kept calling like every 10 minutes to get updates. We weren't the only one's affected but I didn't care! Then once we were back up we had email problems. It was a loooong day.

If this happened on any other day, it wouldn't have been AS bad. I mean, don't get me wrong; it's insane to not have connectivity for 6 hours, but it was much worse today. You see, today was month-end so pretty much every group in the company is swamped. To top it off, we're going to finalize an asset transfer for a major client tomorrow so we needed to prepage. And of course, whenever we have a major network/system outage, our group is under-staffed. haha it's so funny how it always ends up that way.

I was so exhausted when I left work that I almost fell asleep on the bus. When I got out of the bus, I looked out way, way into the distance and I saw fireworks. I don't know why there were fireworks today. But I was walking in the general direction of Newark. Verizon better not have another fire!

Blah

I'm kind of bummed because a friend of mine from work was recently let go. I don't know the real reason for his dismissal but I've heard that it could be "performance." I really doubt that because this guy was the type of guy who would work up a sweat lugging boxes or water bottles or whatever around. If something broke, he'd be on top of it. This was his job. So if "performance" is the reason being given out, then it's insulting to the hard work he put in while he was here. Maybe I'm letting my personal friendship w/ him overshadow something else. Maybe he did something he wasn't supposed to. I don't know and I don't really care about the real reason he was fired. I do know that he was a really nice person who was willing to help out where he can. And I also know that this guy was really stressed about money. You see, his wife is 7 months pregnant so their first baby is just around the corner. He had even been working part time after work at a bar to save up some cash. So knowing that, I really felt bad for him. I really hope he lands on his feet.

Taxies

So I started my taxies today. I only got the federal done so far. TurboTax says that I have one error. I'm too lazy to fix it right now so I'll do it this weekend. I'm also waiting for Samir to get back to me about the LLC taxies. So after that it should be smooth sailing.

So why do I call them taxies? Well it's from a very special episode of Full House after Becky and Uncle Jessie got married. Michelle asks Joey what Jessie and Becky are doing in their attic room and he responds by saying that they're doing their taxes. Michelle then asks if they're going to do their "taxies" every day and Joey says that they will for the first few months. hahah. Oh Full House!

The Roots

I was just watching the awards and I saw that the Roots have an album called Game Theory. haha. Now I'm going to have to go download it.

Idle Mind

I had signed up for a Network Security night class at BMCC and it got postponed until the summer semester because there weren't enough people enrolled in the class. :-( Oh well. It's funny because when I signed up for my CCNA I class at BMCC, it got postponed for a semester as well. That wasn't so bad because my mind had been idle for so long that another 3 months didn't hurt. But it's different now. I really wanted this class to start because I can't be stagnant any longer! The CCNA class also went through the entire summer and I sort of felt like I lost a summer. And now if this class does start next summer, then I'll end up spending another summer in class. blah! Plus what complicates this matter is that I had gotten approved for partial tuition reimbursement from work. So now I have to work out with HR to move the money allocated to me until next semester.

But my mind won't stay idle. I have resources. I've been buying books left and right on network security and MCSE and I also have a whole bunch of CBT's from work that I can make use of. It's so hard to study at home because it's so noisy and there are so many distractions. Plus if I'm studying at home, it's a given that someone will ask me to do something and I'll be called away from my reading. I had studied at Dunkin Donuts with S before but that place's anti-loitering policy is in direct conflict with the loitering involved when one studies. So I'm thinking of going to Starbucks near work or maybe the Wiley's cafeteria in our building. I'll go right after work and read for a couple of hours a few times a week - Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. I think it's easier if you make a routine out of it. Plus since I haven't done much reading after work, I feel like I should be productive during the weekends. And that takes away from doing fun things during the weekend. So this after-work studying sounds like a plan to me. S is invited to study with me too but we'll see how that goes with her starting a new job and all. I start my study routine tomorrow! Yay!

Cold ears -> Winning Bets -> Game Theory

I haven't posted in a while but there's a reason. I was going to post on why my ears couldn't feel the cold. You see, one day I came home from work and my hands were freezing. I put my hand against my cheek and it was so cold, but when I touched my ear, my fingers didn't feel cold at all. This led me to believe that ears couldn't feel cold and I was going to post on this matter but then I thought that I'd think about it some more. I came to the conclusion that my ears were too numb to feel my cold fingers. Duh. So simple. That was an example of how dumb I am but here's an example where I'm not so dumb.

I love winning bets. Actually if it's something that I can control to win the bet, then you better believe that I'm gonna put in 1000% to win it. A guy at work made a bet w/ me that I couldn't un-wrap the text in a text file report and then put the text in the right columns because he had tried doing that many years ago and there were too many variables that made 100% accuracy impossible. And I agree, it is a pretty complicated report, but I took him up on the challenge. The secret is finding all the patterns in the data and then creating the code for each pattern type. At first glance, I couldn't find a pattern and thought he was right, but after staring at it and going through each line of data, I found a pattern! I felt like John Nash finding patterns in newspaper and magazine clippings (minus the made-up people in my head.. they're not made-up, they're real)! After you find the pattern, it's as simple as writing the code to manipulate the data the way you see it in your head. It's hard to explain, but when I was looking for a pattern in the report, I was actually thinking up loops and conditions in my head that would produce that result. And not just thinking them up but actually visualizing the steps to get what I need in the output. I tend to forget such thoughts easily so I had to go and draw out the flow of the program so I could refer to it when I'm actually coding.

Anyways, that probably bored 99.99% of you, but I think I got the code to work! Now my co-worker owes me lunch! Mendy's! And it's not a meal if I only order soup. Soup is not a meal... unless I crumble (my manager made that clear). Actually, I shouldn't put up the "Mission Accomplished" banner yet. I only got the code working with one set of data. I need my co-worker to send tons of reports to it to really test it. But if anything, I'm really close!

Let's go back to John Nash for a second. Was the coding example above an actual example of game theory? If there's an economics major reading this, please let me know. Wikipedia gives the following definition:

"Game theory is often described as a branch of applied mathematics and economics that studies situations where players choose different actions in an attempt to maximize their returns. The essential feature, however, is that it provides a formal modelling approach to social situations in which decision makers interact with other minds. Game theory extends the simpler optimization approach developed in neoclassical economics."

My co-worker made a decision to challenge me and also to tease me that I would never be able to do it (albeit jokingly). I made a decision to prove him wrong. Although he had one goal by putting up a challenge and insisting I couldn't get it to work and I had a goal to prove him wrong, the maximized return would be a correctly formatted report created in a short period of time. Is that or is that not a social situation in which decision makers interacted with other minds to maximize results? Or is that a stretch?

Hi, did you bring me my presents?

Today after work, we went to my nephew Saahil's birthday party. He turned 5 today. That little groundhog! The first thing he says to us when we walk in is, "Hi, did you bring me my presents?" hahaha When we went to his mother's birthday a few weeks ago, he kept asking if he was getting presents. Well, we did get him presents. A Spongebob soccer ball, the main dude from the Cars movie and a remote control car. I wanna play with the remote control car. When we visit him tomorrow, I'm totally playing with all his presents.

You down with ADD? Yeah you know me!

My friend, S, completely mistook my theory of learned-ADD with "stream of thought." They're completely different. Stream of thought is as follows: I write down something about S and then realize that she will read this blog. After realizing this, I recall that she's a grammar freak and will spot any missing or mis-used commas. So then I go back and fill in the commas that need to be there.

I told S about learned-ADD a long time ago because I had diagnosed myself with it. And I think I might have invented it as well-- I'm not sure if it existed before I thought it up. Anyways, I have learned-ADD. And I didn't have it before I started this job. I was once a sharp guy able to concentrate on any subject for a very long time. However, at my current employ, I'm constantly being called away from my desk to attend to users' tickets/phone calls while I'm trying to concentrate on a project. So my thought process is constantly interrupted throughout the day. This break in concentration is okay once in a while but it happens on a regular basis and it's gone on for over 3 years now. So this constant interruption to my thought processes have led me to develop ADD. Now when I have a few moments to myself -- be it at work or at home -- I keep expecting to be interrupted. I feel like I'm going to get called away any second and that sort of makes it harder for me to focus on what I want to. I wonder if I'm eligible for workers' comp!

Anyways, my stomach still hurts!

Mistakes

I know everyone makes mistakes but I really, really, really hate it when I make a mistake. It eats away at me! JP from work says that I shouldn't let it because it'll just lead me to make more mistakes. But when I think about it over and over, I think about what I can do to not make the same mistake again. I HAVE to fix my mistakes. I'm just that anal.

Dunkin Update!

Alert! I'm in Dunkin Donuts right now with S. We planned to study here after work and actually got a lot done since we've been here for about 1.5 hrs. I just got up from our table to go to the restroom and noticed a sign on the counter saying "Please No Loitering. 30 minute time limit while consuming food. The manager must enforce these rules. Your cooperation is appreciated." And that just goes to show how much they can change their attitude to people hanging out there and studying or reading or whatever. As soon as I noticed this sign, I told S and we had a good laugh. No sooner than we had started to laugh, one of the ladies behind the counter came out and told two guys sitting on the other side of the store that there is a 30 minute limit. S and I stared at each other and got scared that we will get kicked out. Our plan is to leave when her laptop's battery dies. Gulp! I hope we don't get yelled at! Stupid company policy.

Starbucks vs. Dunkin

Last night I admitted to my friend S (I say S because she doesn't want me to use her full name online, weirdo) that I have been known to frequent Starbucks on occasion. Now, if you don't know her, let me fill you in. She's a Dunkin type of girl and thinks Starbucks is pretentious and overpriced. But I think she's a hypocrite because when she told me about the type of coffee house she'd like to open one day, she was describing Starbucks to me. Yes, S, I called you a hypocrite!

The Starbucks vs. Dunkin debate led me to think of Dunkin's business model. If they ever want to expand on it, they should read on. I'm no business genius but here's the deal. Dunkin Donuts focuses their entire business on breakfast and coffee or the ever-so-needed afternoon boost. Yes, they sell donuts but when is the last time you've seen a Dunkin Donuts commercial advertising donuts? Their current slogan is "America runs on Dunkin." I think that 9 out of 10 times, I go to Dunkin for coffee and/or breakfast. And that model has worked fine so far but now they face legitimate competition since McDonald's has come out with premium coffee to go along with their breakfast sandwiches and I've heard that it's pretty good too. It's not only the fact that they face some competition, but they have the capability for a sound expansion on their product right under their nose!

So what is it? I say go with a modified Old Navy/GAP/Banana Republic model. It's really the same company which caters to different audiences/niches. Do the same thing with Dunkin! From my limited knowledge of how Dunkin Donuts' franchising works, I believe that one store with a kitchen supplies satellite stores with donuts. These smaller satellite stores are a perfect fit for the breakfast/afternoon boost crowd. Not many people are going to linger around there. They want their coffee and food and then they're on their merry way. Now what if you approach it differently for a larger store with more room? What if you make it fancier? Put in carpeting and big couches and chairs. Dim the lights. Put on some music and I don't mean a radio station. Put in a wireless hotspot for God's sake! Minor tweaks!

I know that some people believe that when a company tries to go in a new direction which is not in line with the formula that's worked for them for years, it could lead to a big failure, but I believe that this isn't the case with my proposal. They already make flavored coffees and pastries! Add on some brownies and cookies and cakes to the menu and you're on your way to catering to a different crowd. One that will come out at night and hang out there with their laptops and textbooks; going back to the counter for a another latte or snack. I think it's a sure winner.

I want the credit for this if it really happens. Wait, not only the credit but I want COMPENSATION!

Symptoms

Whenever I'm going to get sick my throat burns, nose runs and face hurts (sinuses). I know, those are pretty typical signs but I can pretty much measure the severity of the cold from how much my sinuses hurt. Sometimes it's not so bad but many other times it leads to my entire face hurting. Weird? If there's a doctor reading this, let me know if it's normal for sinuses to cause my eyeball sockets to hurt and my teeth to hurt. Yes, you read right-- teeth. Such was the case this afternoon as I fell asleep watching a show on the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World on the History Channel.

Allow me to introduce myself...

I used to have a blog a very long time ago. It was on my own server and I had actually put up some really good posts like Hairy Infidelity but that server died and I lost it all. I think it's still recoverable but I'm too lazy to get the data from the hard drive. I've wanted to start one up again but I wasn't sure if I wanted to host it on my new server or somewhere else. A few days ago, my manager's wife started a blog on this site (madrantingsofamiddleclassmom) and it made me want to put one up to. I'm a total copycat. I don't normally post on a daily basis; only when I have something to say.

So why did I choose to call it The Untold Legend of Ankit S. Patel? I've decided that when I write my autobiography when I'm old and gray that's what the title of it will be. Also, the cover will have a picture of me dressed in a cowboy outfit and riding a horse out in the Wild West -- possibly chasing cattle, but only with the intention of praying to it after catching it. And not only that but each of the chapters will named after the title of a book that encompasses that stage of my life. So far I have Frankenstein for my high school years and Metamorphosis for the years following Stevens 'til the present day. If anyone tries to steal my idea of naming chapters of your life after books you've read I'll find you and kick your ass!