This weekend, I was greeted with Shubhika's warm smile, and California's cool weather. Later, we met up with Waj, and headed out for a nice long weekend, which included food, a winery tour, wine and cheese tasting, more food, a visit to Lassen National Park with two hikes, and still more food, hanging out in San Francisco, and then some more food.
Here are some moments from the trip...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
A week at Mt. Rainier
Here I am back in Austin, in this real world where I earn my keep that allows me to get back to the world where I spent most of last week. So we attempted to climb Mt Rainier last week. Did we make it to the top? No. Was the trip successful? Yes. In other words, we could not make it the top of Mt Rainier on our first attempt :-)
During the past 6 months, we had trained hard, pushing ourselves every week to carry lots of weight up the stairs, rocks, and rivers around Austin. The training gave us the will and energy to go beyond 10,200ft. During the training, we did not realize that attempting Mt Rainier was a race against time, and eventually, what we did not have, was the pace to reach the peak by 6:30AM, and the guides refused to take us beyond 10,200ft.
Standing over the rain clouds at 10,200ft on a clear sunny day feels unreal. Walking with a 50lbs backpack up a snowy mountain, however, feels very very real. So do the worn out legs, bruised shins, sore back, and the sun-burnt hands, nose and lips. Whether one makes it to the top or not, there are lessons to be learned and stories to be told.
Uploading the pics here
During the past 6 months, we had trained hard, pushing ourselves every week to carry lots of weight up the stairs, rocks, and rivers around Austin. The training gave us the will and energy to go beyond 10,200ft. During the training, we did not realize that attempting Mt Rainier was a race against time, and eventually, what we did not have, was the pace to reach the peak by 6:30AM, and the guides refused to take us beyond 10,200ft.
Standing over the rain clouds at 10,200ft on a clear sunny day feels unreal. Walking with a 50lbs backpack up a snowy mountain, however, feels very very real. So do the worn out legs, bruised shins, sore back, and the sun-burnt hands, nose and lips. Whether one makes it to the top or not, there are lessons to be learned and stories to be told.
Uploading the pics here
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A week with Siena...
Sir Lancelot, a brave strong knight who guarded the king
Miss Poop-a-lot, a mild 60 pound friendly golden retriever
Her name is Siena, and she is the friendliest heavy weight golden I have ever met. I guess the friendly aspect comes from being a golden retriever, but this one is special. Last few days have graced me with the an opportunity to take care of my adviser's dog, Siena. She is mellow, patient, and very eager to please me. But lets head back to the part where I get enlightened about a dogs life:
* Get up in the morning, have a nice hot cup of coffee, take the news paper, and the rest should not be mentioned on a public blog. Apparently, fresh green grass has the effect on dogs what coffee has on us bipeds. A few blades of grass here and there, and no news paper needed, if you get my drift.
* The bigger they are, the more they poop. This one is big, trust me on that.
* All my t-shirts are layered with golden brown strands of hair. She aint the Goldilocks we read as kids. Either that, or Goldilocks was bald at the end of the year if she shed so much. And yes, pizza is disgusting then when you find golden hair in it.
* There is nothing much one can do if a grown golden retriever decides to sit in the middle of the road. And then, she starts looking at people with eyes so charming to melt coldest of hearts, people become patient, simply drive around us and give me a sympathetic smile.
Finally, they shed like crazy, and we clean up after them, spend tonnes of time and money on their medication such as fiber pills, vitamins, heart worm treatment, ear medication, allergies, and finally, we pick up their poop. Is it still rational to call them man's best friend? Siiigh...I question, but would do that all over again.
[Click on the picture to see more pics of Siena]
Miss Poop-a-lot, a mild 60 pound friendly golden retriever
Her name is Siena, and she is the friendliest heavy weight golden I have ever met. I guess the friendly aspect comes from being a golden retriever, but this one is special. Last few days have graced me with the an opportunity to take care of my adviser's dog, Siena. She is mellow, patient, and very eager to please me. But lets head back to the part where I get enlightened about a dogs life:
* Get up in the morning, have a nice hot cup of coffee, take the news paper, and the rest should not be mentioned on a public blog. Apparently, fresh green grass has the effect on dogs what coffee has on us bipeds. A few blades of grass here and there, and no news paper needed, if you get my drift.
* The bigger they are, the more they poop. This one is big, trust me on that.
* All my t-shirts are layered with golden brown strands of hair. She aint the Goldilocks we read as kids. Either that, or Goldilocks was bald at the end of the year if she shed so much. And yes, pizza is disgusting then when you find golden hair in it.
* There is nothing much one can do if a grown golden retriever decides to sit in the middle of the road. And then, she starts looking at people with eyes so charming to melt coldest of hearts, people become patient, simply drive around us and give me a sympathetic smile.
Finally, they shed like crazy, and we clean up after them, spend tonnes of time and money on their medication such as fiber pills, vitamins, heart worm treatment, ear medication, allergies, and finally, we pick up their poop. Is it still rational to call them man's best friend? Siiigh...I question, but would do that all over again.
[Click on the picture to see more pics of Siena]
Thursday, March 26, 2009
My car I am telling you...
It was blood and carnage I am telling you. Broken wind shields all over. Glass and ice balls all around. Siiigh...here is my dear loved madhumati :(
Keeping melodrama aside, I was driving...and then it started. It was interesting that I actually didn’t hear the window break. I felt a draft, and some twigs and leaves blew in. So I looked back and heck, there was no rear wind shield. The first thing that struck me was, “hey, its so clear without a wind shield”. A second later I realized what had happened. Then I looked ahead and the front was cracking. That’s when I hit the panic button and any one sitting beside me would have downright disowned me after listening to the obsceneties I was screaming out. Any how, made it safe to the parking lot, and a shower curtain (yes ,that was smart of me, thanks for the compliments) and lots of duct tape later, I settled into the night.
Keeping melodrama aside, I was driving...and then it started. It was interesting that I actually didn’t hear the window break. I felt a draft, and some twigs and leaves blew in. So I looked back and heck, there was no rear wind shield. The first thing that struck me was, “hey, its so clear without a wind shield”. A second later I realized what had happened. Then I looked ahead and the front was cracking. That’s when I hit the panic button and any one sitting beside me would have downright disowned me after listening to the obsceneties I was screaming out. Any how, made it safe to the parking lot, and a shower curtain (yes ,that was smart of me, thanks for the compliments) and lots of duct tape later, I settled into the night.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Achievements and lessons...
I was recently asked to fill up a self appraisal form at work, and one of the questions in the questionnaire included, "list your achievements for this review period." Well, for those who know me realize that my joy knew no bounds. Me, being the humble man I am
* Achievement: Worked for 12 straight hours without any breaks or without actually realizing that I worked for 12 hours
Lesson learned: Nothing should be so engaging so as make you use a glue stic instead of chapstic on your lips
* Achievement: Made awesome vegetable and chicken biryani
Lesson learned: The test for checking if the heating element on the stove is hot is definitely NOT touching it
* Achievement: A record time for climbing down 4 floors
Lesson learned: Do NOT jump the last step, for if you miss it, you might just sprain your ankle
* Achievement: Benched 150lbs for 10 reps
Lesson learned: Do NOT eat bean and nachos for lunch on the day you want to bench 150lbs. It might just result in the most embarrassing fart on the first rep, and the girl you were talking to in the gym, will stop talking to you, forever
and Finally
* Achievement: Climb 9 floors of a building 10 times with a 20lbs sack on your back
Lesson learned: Find something better to do when you are bored
* Achievement: Worked for 12 straight hours without any breaks or without actually realizing that I worked for 12 hours
Lesson learned: Nothing should be so engaging so as make you use a glue stic instead of chapstic on your lips
* Achievement: Made awesome vegetable and chicken biryani
Lesson learned: The test for checking if the heating element on the stove is hot is definitely NOT touching it
* Achievement: A record time for climbing down 4 floors
Lesson learned: Do NOT jump the last step, for if you miss it, you might just sprain your ankle
* Achievement: Benched 150lbs for 10 reps
Lesson learned: Do NOT eat bean and nachos for lunch on the day you want to bench 150lbs. It might just result in the most embarrassing fart on the first rep, and the girl you were talking to in the gym, will stop talking to you, forever
and Finally
* Achievement: Climb 9 floors of a building 10 times with a 20lbs sack on your back
Lesson learned: Find something better to do when you are bored
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Its the journey, and heck yeah, the destination too...
The weekend was nice. Well, it was more than nice. I was really excited to spend time with friend from eighth grade. I think its been 13 years since I met Sheetal. As a bonus, this weekend, I got meet her and her husband, Vinod. To make life more exciting, the vehicle that took me to Dallas, about 220 miles from Austin, was my dear blue ninja 650.I was eager to experience the long interstate and the country roads. On the way to Dallas, chose to stick to I35. For most of the time, I was focusing on keeping myself alive. And then I reached Dallas county line. From there on, I was focusing on getting from 1st gear to the 2nd. Oh My God! The traffic sucked. At one point, traffic came to a stand still and I was on I35, with my engine switched off waiting for life to move on. For some weird reason, not sure why, but I decided to get down from my bike, remove my helmet and stretch a bit. To be noted, I am in the middle lane of an interstate...siigh, and then suddenly, the traffic on the right lane and left lane moved an inch, and guess who decides to move in as my neighbors. Two frigging 18 wheeled semis, with the drivers staring down at me trying to figure out what I was doing. Trust me, you dont how big these are till you are standing next to your bike in the middle of an interstate and they happen to be your neighbours. It was such a surreal feeling...
Well, the big picture is that I reached Dallas in one peice. Phew...
I wisened up on the way back. Decided to take country roads shown in the map on the left. I wasn't disappointed. Texas country side is pretty, real pretty. Curvy roads, pretty sunset, farms with cows and horses, nice people, bikers trying to go at 160, and more cows and horses, a few lakes,...no sir, I definitely was not disappointed. To end the trip, I stopped at Teji's at round rock on the way back and picked up some spicy biryani.I do regret not having a small camera to take with me on such trips. I would have loved to take pictures of street names such as, moody breeding ave, take pictures of cows and horses in front of a setting sun, and yes, the two semis surrounding me :-)
Yes, I am glad to be back home safe and sound, thinking of how far I am going to push myself on my bike...next trip, Denver maybe?
As I got back, I realized it was the journey, not just the destination that I have to talk, feel and smile about.
P.S. Bangalore to Chennai and back = 662KM (398 miles)
Austin to Dallas and back = 747KM (450 miles)
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