My last day in India was great. Neetha met me at the hotel and then Baba took us around. The first stop was a church. It is said that when you enter you should make three wishes and then climb the stairs on your knees and your wishes will come true. The church was beautiful. Across the street was a statue of Mary overlooking the ocean. The statue was amazing. It was hand carved out of marble with so many tiny details. From there we drove down the street where a lot of actors and cricket players live. Certainly not Hollywood! The buildings didn't look all that spectacular. And they all live in flats - no mansions here! Then we had a traditional lunch. Yum! Then we went to some area with a lot of street vendors. I bought a pair of beaded shoes. Vaishali met up with us there and we looked around some more. Being white I was the target for everyone that was trying to sell something and for all the begging children. Neetha and Vaishali did a great job of protecting me. We stopped at an ice cream place to cool off.
From there Neetha left us (still helping a friend with her wedding sari) and Vaishali and I headed to the beach! The beach was... interesting. The beach itself was dirty with broken glass in the sand. I hear the water is dirty too, but didn't get close enough to actually see that. But the breeze was nice and we wandered around looking at the vendors. We even saw a few boys walking around with monkeys.
Our next stop was a Hare Krishna temple. It didn't open until 4, so we sat on the marble steps waiting for it to open (after being yelled at to take our shoes off). The outside was beautiful! Again, hand carved marble everywhere. When it opened everyone followed a rope path around the perimeter of the temple. There were shadow boxes of various gods and their stories on the walls. I was a little confused when everyone sat down. When in Rome... so I sat too. I'm still not clear as to if it was a service (it only lasted like 10 minutes) or if it was just an informational talk that I was a part of. But it was interesting.
After leaving that area, we went to Powai to find some tea. With that done, we walked to a park and watched the sun set. When we got back in the car Vaishali had a good talk with Baba about driving. It was amusing! Since we didn't have much remaining time, I offered to talk Vaishali home. She said yes, that she wanted to show me her place and make me some tea. So that's what we did. She makes her tea with milk and a little water, so it was quite different than what I am used to. But it was good. And then it was time to say good-bye. :(
I was so touched... When Baba dropped me off at the hotel, he gave me a gift. It is a cute little elephant with mirrors and beads covering it. It was a very sweet gesture.
The trip home was uneventful. When I got home Ben and I went to see the new Bond movie (figured that would help keep me awake). Finally around 8:30 I couldn't stay awake any longer. I woke up at 3:30 and could not get back to sleep! But then last night, I slept all night long. Ahhh!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Last Days
Thursday I slept in as long as I could, which was about 10. I put on my suit (swim that is) and headed to the pool. Linda was already there. We had a very relaxing couple of hours out there. It is very warm here so every 20 minutes or so I took a swim to cool off. And I cheated... for lunch I had a grilled pita sandwich and fries. This was my first non-Indian meal here. Felt a little guilty, but the fries were so good!
And then it was off to work! It was another busy day. I had a meeting with my team. Followed by a meeting with the leadership team. Followed up by a meeting with the manager there. Then we headed to dinner.
Dinner was fabulous! We went to the same place as Monday (still can't remember the name). I was at the non-veg table and they kept ordering dish after dish, drink (non-alcoholic) after drink. I was so stuffed! I literally was having trouble swallowing I was so full. The team was very animated and we had a wonderful time. But it took us forever, so we didn't get to take team pictures before we had to head back so everyone could work.
Linda and I packed up our stuff and headed over to the GMI offices. There we met some of the people that used to work for Intelenet and now work for us (after time passed as we have a non-compete). They were excited to see us and to show us around. It was one of the guy's birthdays so Linda had brought a card for him and said that I didn't know what birthday bumps were, so he should show us. Boy, was that interesting! One guy picked up his arms, another his legs to suspend him above the ground. Then the rest of the guys kicked his behind! Did not look fun at all! Finally close to 3 am we finally headed back to the hotel.
After what seemed like a short night (wonder why) we were on the way back to the office. There we spent some time with the team answering any final questions or in my case, talking with my new friends. Then we did an award ceremony where everyone got a bag of Dove chocolates (yes, Linda carried 50 pounds of chocolate from the US for this occasion). They love our chocolates and it was a special treat for them. After the ceremony, most people immediately took their bags and locked them up so no one would steal them. Hasina didn't. When she stepped away from her desk Nikunj took them and put them in an empty drawer of a different desk. When she got back she asked who took her chocolates. Everyone was giggling. It took only seconds for Sangita to point the blame on Nikunj. I told him he best be careful... he is the only guy in that area. Everyone had a good laugh.
In between shifts, Sunita (my team lead) and Darshana took me shopping at the mall. I wanted to buy a few traditional Indian outfits. This might come as a complete shock to everyone, but I guess I am a different size and shape than Indian women! I did find some that fit. Everything was so pretty that it was hard to decide what to buy. So I bought too much. Oh, well. It was pretty cheap. Oh, and one dress was a little loose around the middle so it was altered at the store in less than 20 minutes!
Then it was back to work. But really it was just another award ceremony. Once again everyone was pleased with the chocolates.
Since we didn't have a chance to take pictures the night before, we wanted to take them before we left. Intelenet is very strict about cameras. They are not allowed in the building (my camera was with Baba, the driver). We thought we could just take them outside the building, but were quickly told by security that we couldn't do that either. After trying to get approval (and failing) we finally decided to just walk to the parking lot of the mall to take them. That worked well and we took a bunch of pictures.
Then it was time to say good-bye. It was very sad as now having met the team I feel even closer to them than I did before. They also gave us presents. I got a beautiful fresh water pearl set (earrings, necklace and bracelet). And some postcards of old Bombay. Shilpa also had given me a very nice silver bracelet.
When I got to the hotel I started to pack. And amazingly, everything fit!
And now I am going off with Neetha and Vaishali again to see some sights and do some shopping. I probably won't buy much more... :)
And then it was off to work! It was another busy day. I had a meeting with my team. Followed by a meeting with the leadership team. Followed up by a meeting with the manager there. Then we headed to dinner.
Dinner was fabulous! We went to the same place as Monday (still can't remember the name). I was at the non-veg table and they kept ordering dish after dish, drink (non-alcoholic) after drink. I was so stuffed! I literally was having trouble swallowing I was so full. The team was very animated and we had a wonderful time. But it took us forever, so we didn't get to take team pictures before we had to head back so everyone could work.
Linda and I packed up our stuff and headed over to the GMI offices. There we met some of the people that used to work for Intelenet and now work for us (after time passed as we have a non-compete). They were excited to see us and to show us around. It was one of the guy's birthdays so Linda had brought a card for him and said that I didn't know what birthday bumps were, so he should show us. Boy, was that interesting! One guy picked up his arms, another his legs to suspend him above the ground. Then the rest of the guys kicked his behind! Did not look fun at all! Finally close to 3 am we finally headed back to the hotel.
After what seemed like a short night (wonder why) we were on the way back to the office. There we spent some time with the team answering any final questions or in my case, talking with my new friends. Then we did an award ceremony where everyone got a bag of Dove chocolates (yes, Linda carried 50 pounds of chocolate from the US for this occasion). They love our chocolates and it was a special treat for them. After the ceremony, most people immediately took their bags and locked them up so no one would steal them. Hasina didn't. When she stepped away from her desk Nikunj took them and put them in an empty drawer of a different desk. When she got back she asked who took her chocolates. Everyone was giggling. It took only seconds for Sangita to point the blame on Nikunj. I told him he best be careful... he is the only guy in that area. Everyone had a good laugh.
In between shifts, Sunita (my team lead) and Darshana took me shopping at the mall. I wanted to buy a few traditional Indian outfits. This might come as a complete shock to everyone, but I guess I am a different size and shape than Indian women! I did find some that fit. Everything was so pretty that it was hard to decide what to buy. So I bought too much. Oh, well. It was pretty cheap. Oh, and one dress was a little loose around the middle so it was altered at the store in less than 20 minutes!
Then it was back to work. But really it was just another award ceremony. Once again everyone was pleased with the chocolates.
Since we didn't have a chance to take pictures the night before, we wanted to take them before we left. Intelenet is very strict about cameras. They are not allowed in the building (my camera was with Baba, the driver). We thought we could just take them outside the building, but were quickly told by security that we couldn't do that either. After trying to get approval (and failing) we finally decided to just walk to the parking lot of the mall to take them. That worked well and we took a bunch of pictures.
Then it was time to say good-bye. It was very sad as now having met the team I feel even closer to them than I did before. They also gave us presents. I got a beautiful fresh water pearl set (earrings, necklace and bracelet). And some postcards of old Bombay. Shilpa also had given me a very nice silver bracelet.
When I got to the hotel I started to pack. And amazingly, everything fit!
And now I am going off with Neetha and Vaishali again to see some sights and do some shopping. I probably won't buy much more... :)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Pool Side
Wednesday I slept in since I was going to be working until 1 am with the night shift (so glad I don't have to do that on a regular basis!). I got up and ready because we were going to go visit a school (the old manager of our team, his wife is a teacher and invited us to visit). I got to the lobby in plenty of time, but didn't see Linda or Baba, our driver. So I waited for a bit before deciding that they had left without me. So I wandered to the pool where I found Heather. She is OK. As well as can be imagined, I guess. She is in work mode where she has pushed her emotions aside so she can focus on getting home without falling apart. She left last night and should be back to Minneapolis by 10 am Thursday (CST).
I changed into my suit and hung out with her until it was time to shower and get ready for work. It was nice to be out in the hot sun. I think a few freckles appeared. :)
Last night was my first night with the IRA team (Issue Resolution Analyst). They are the team that I work with mostly. And they work at night to be able to work similar hours to the people in the states. Once again everyone was super friendly.
Around 8 pm we left during break to visit with Darshana's family. Darshana is one of our team leads and she really wanted us to come to her place. Her family is considered middle-class here. I could not believe how small the apartment is! It is a three room apartment. When you walk in there is a room that is the living and dining room. Off of the short hallway there was a very small bathroom and a kitchen. The final room was the bedroom where Darshana and her parents sleep (she has a trundle bed). This type of living arrangement is very common. But they were some of the happiest people that I have met! Her mother insisted on serving us a "snack." But there was so much that it was more like a meal. Again, can't remember what I ate, but I liked everything. Her mother made sure to keep everything mild so we would enjoy it. I asked Darshana to send the recipes to me.
Then it was back to work. I swear, the time here is just flying by! At one point Linda came up and asked me if it was ok if we stayed 10 more minutes. I looked at my watch and realized that it was already 1 am!
There was very little traffic, so we were back to the hotel in no time.
I changed into my suit and hung out with her until it was time to shower and get ready for work. It was nice to be out in the hot sun. I think a few freckles appeared. :)
Last night was my first night with the IRA team (Issue Resolution Analyst). They are the team that I work with mostly. And they work at night to be able to work similar hours to the people in the states. Once again everyone was super friendly.
Around 8 pm we left during break to visit with Darshana's family. Darshana is one of our team leads and she really wanted us to come to her place. Her family is considered middle-class here. I could not believe how small the apartment is! It is a three room apartment. When you walk in there is a room that is the living and dining room. Off of the short hallway there was a very small bathroom and a kitchen. The final room was the bedroom where Darshana and her parents sleep (she has a trundle bed). This type of living arrangement is very common. But they were some of the happiest people that I have met! Her mother insisted on serving us a "snack." But there was so much that it was more like a meal. Again, can't remember what I ate, but I liked everything. Her mother made sure to keep everything mild so we would enjoy it. I asked Darshana to send the recipes to me.
Then it was back to work. I swear, the time here is just flying by! At one point Linda came up and asked me if it was ok if we stayed 10 more minutes. I looked at my watch and realized that it was already 1 am!
There was very little traffic, so we were back to the hotel in no time.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Horn OK Please
Yesterday (Monday) I worked the day shift. I quickly found out that my guesses on how to pronounce names were off... not too much, but enough that I had to look at the printed name to figure out exactly who I was talking to. (I guess the accent probably didn't help me either). The morning passed very quickly answering questions, observing my team work and getting to know them. We took the team out for lunch. I had butter chicken. It was so good! We had some other stuff that was good too, but don't ask me what it was. We took team pictures then headed back to work. I felt bad because we left shortly after but the teams stayed and worked late to get the rest of their work in.
Shortly after I got to work, I found out that our system was down for a portion of my process. We weren't able to use our laptops (darn secure firewalls wouldn't let us through) so when we got back to the hotel, I jumped into the pool for a quick swim then logged on and fired off some frantic emails to IS to try and find and fix the problem. When my laptop battery was just about dead (I had left the power converter at work) I called it good. I cuddled into bed and tried to watch cricket (the sport). I was so confused! So I switched channels and watched an episode of "The Nanny" instead. Stupid snooze guy is still roomed next to me. But this morning the alarm first went off at 7, so at least it was better than 5:45!
Today was my team's busy day. The weekend mail volume is very heavy, so the team in Minneapolis is busy on Mondays so when my team comes in on Tuesday they have a lot of work to do. Add that to the issues that we had on Monday (fixed!) they had ~1500 items today! Yikes! But my team is so awesome - by the end of the day they were helping out other teams with their work load.
Again the day went by very fast. Yesterday I had mentioned to Hasina that I am almost always hungry. This afternoon around 4:30 she asked me if I was hungry. I was. She asked if I wanted to go to the cafeteria. I have been warned to stay away, so I declined the offer. Later I was in the hallway and she walked by with Swati on their way for a coffee break. She invited me to come, so I decided it was a safe option. We had a small cup of coffee and some cookies in the stairwell it was nice to be able to chat with them.
Shortly after I got to work, I found out that our system was down for a portion of my process. We weren't able to use our laptops (darn secure firewalls wouldn't let us through) so when we got back to the hotel, I jumped into the pool for a quick swim then logged on and fired off some frantic emails to IS to try and find and fix the problem. When my laptop battery was just about dead (I had left the power converter at work) I called it good. I cuddled into bed and tried to watch cricket (the sport). I was so confused! So I switched channels and watched an episode of "The Nanny" instead. Stupid snooze guy is still roomed next to me. But this morning the alarm first went off at 7, so at least it was better than 5:45!
Today was my team's busy day. The weekend mail volume is very heavy, so the team in Minneapolis is busy on Mondays so when my team comes in on Tuesday they have a lot of work to do. Add that to the issues that we had on Monday (fixed!) they had ~1500 items today! Yikes! But my team is so awesome - by the end of the day they were helping out other teams with their work load.
Again the day went by very fast. Yesterday I had mentioned to Hasina that I am almost always hungry. This afternoon around 4:30 she asked me if I was hungry. I was. She asked if I wanted to go to the cafeteria. I have been warned to stay away, so I declined the offer. Later I was in the hallway and she walked by with Swati on their way for a coffee break. She invited me to come, so I decided it was a safe option. We had a small cup of coffee and some cookies in the stairwell it was nice to be able to chat with them.
Traffic was bad on the way back to the hotel. Our driver taught us some Hindi. I told him I noticed that many vehicles had "Horn OK Please" on their back bumper. He said it is required for all trucks and large vehicles to have this. We laughed about that.
When we got back to the hotel the driver went to go get his family to meet us. In the meantime, I was hungry (surprise) so I ordered room service - tandoori chicken pizza. It was so good! We had a nice visit with his family. His wife is gorgeous! And his two kids are adorable. I'm sure we are the whitest people they have seen in person.
When they left to go home, I came back up to my room to finish my pizza and this post. Linda and Heather stayed in the restaurant for a late dinner. I no sooner got back to my computer when I got several IM's from my team in Minneapolis. They needed to get a hold of Heather. I went down to tell her to call her parents. Linda and I went to her room after Linda finished her meal to see what was going on and if she was ok... She found out that her brother committed suicide. She is currently making arrangements to leave India early. But she is not sure if she is emotionally ok to make the 24 hour journey alone. Please pray for her and her parents as they deal with this sadness.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Are you Serious?!
Last night I slept pretty well. I woke up a few times to check the time because I wasn't entirely sure if I set the alarm correctly. Then at 5:45ish my neighbor's alarm went off. I guess they haven't really felt like waking up because the alarm has been going off every 10 minutes or so! URGH!!!
That's a New One
This morning I decided to roll myself out of bed around 10. I didn't want to sleep away too much of my one of two days to travel. I showered and got ready. Neetha came to the hotel at noon. She was so sweet - she was a few minutes late because she was trying to find a flower shop to buy some flowers to welcome me to India!
We rode in an interesting type of taxi... it didn't have doors and it was kind of a cross between a motorcycle and a golf cart. I didn't get a picture, but I will before we leave. We took this to a shopping area that was just done the street from where the General Mills offices are. We ate lunch at Noko, which is known for their sizzlers. I had a fish satellite. It was very tasty! It had a bunch of veggies and some fish smothered in a tasty sauce. I also had a lime soda. I was so stuffed! Then we walked around while we waited for Vaishali to join us (she was running late). We ended up at a store that sells milk candy... It was interesting. When Vaishali found us, Neetha left to go help a friend find a sari for her wedding. Vaishali's roommate was with so the three of us headed out.
First thing to do was negotiate with a taxi driver to be our driver for the day. That took a lot of Hindi words. :) Then we were off to the British part of town. We started off at the markets where Vaishali helped barter for some stuff. I got some bracelets, some shawls and a shirt. I also got some stuff painted on my hands. After that we went to the Gateway of India. It was pretty cool. It would have been cooler if it had been less crowded and not under construction. Then we went to the Queen's Necklace. It felt wonderful to have a breeze! We sat there for some time enjoying it. Then we went to a restaurant for dinner. It was a veg place. We split two dishes. I have already forgotten what they were, but I liked them both. It amazed me how little of the food it took to fill me up. Although, I suppose I may have been still full from lunch. From there we were going to go to a church, but it closed at 7 and it was nearing that time. Instead we went to a bay of some sort where people just hang out in the evening. We sat there for a while then decided to head back to my hotel. So here I am. I'm about ready to hop in the shower then snuggle into bed. Oh, on one of the times walking back to our car, we a barber shop that was set up like a street vendor. There was a guy getting a shave (with a razor like you see in old time movies) and another guy was just getting ready to have his beard trimmed. Interesting.
We rode in an interesting type of taxi... it didn't have doors and it was kind of a cross between a motorcycle and a golf cart. I didn't get a picture, but I will before we leave. We took this to a shopping area that was just done the street from where the General Mills offices are. We ate lunch at Noko, which is known for their sizzlers. I had a fish satellite. It was very tasty! It had a bunch of veggies and some fish smothered in a tasty sauce. I also had a lime soda. I was so stuffed! Then we walked around while we waited for Vaishali to join us (she was running late). We ended up at a store that sells milk candy... It was interesting. When Vaishali found us, Neetha left to go help a friend find a sari for her wedding. Vaishali's roommate was with so the three of us headed out.
First thing to do was negotiate with a taxi driver to be our driver for the day. That took a lot of Hindi words. :) Then we were off to the British part of town. We started off at the markets where Vaishali helped barter for some stuff. I got some bracelets, some shawls and a shirt. I also got some stuff painted on my hands. After that we went to the Gateway of India. It was pretty cool. It would have been cooler if it had been less crowded and not under construction. Then we went to the Queen's Necklace. It felt wonderful to have a breeze! We sat there for some time enjoying it. Then we went to a restaurant for dinner. It was a veg place. We split two dishes. I have already forgotten what they were, but I liked them both. It amazed me how little of the food it took to fill me up. Although, I suppose I may have been still full from lunch. From there we were going to go to a church, but it closed at 7 and it was nearing that time. Instead we went to a bay of some sort where people just hang out in the evening. We sat there for a while then decided to head back to my hotel. So here I am. I'm about ready to hop in the shower then snuggle into bed. Oh, on one of the times walking back to our car, we a barber shop that was set up like a street vendor. There was a guy getting a shave (with a razor like you see in old time movies) and another guy was just getting ready to have his beard trimmed. Interesting.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
It's no Brotchen
Today I flew to India. I left Minneapolis at 3:20 pm. The flight to Amsterdam was pretty uneventful. I had a nice meal and some wine. I sat next to a nice guy from New Castle, England who is returning from Omaha on business. We had some nice chats. I took a nap too. Boy, are business class seats nice! Plenty of room to get comfy.
We landed in Amsterdam around 6 am their time. We went to the first class lounge to chill. I kind of have forgotten that a) it was breakfast time and b) I was in Europe. I was excited to have a chance to eat a European Breakfast. The selection wasn't that great, and the bread was not nearly as good as some good German Brotchen, but it did hit the spot. I wandered around the airport for a bit. Then it was off for the final leg.
This leg was also uneventful. I took a nap mid-way through the flight. I just couldn't stay awake! When I woke up I decided to watch a movie. I picked Wall-E. I was about 1/2 hour into it when they shut down the system because I guess we were getting close to landing. I was pretty bummed. It was just getting good! I'm hoping that the same movie selections will be available on the way home.
Upon landing, we got our bags and went through immigration. Again, uneventful (not that I am complaining!). We met our hotel driver that was taking us to the hotel. It took longer for us to get out of the parking lot then to get to the hotel. That is how close we are and how crazy busy the parking lot was.
Now I'm in my room. I showered off the travel grim and am getting ready to hop into bed. I'm so excited for tomorrow (actually just later today, technically). Neetha and Vaishali (two of Ben's teammates) are showing me some sights. Yippee!
We landed in Amsterdam around 6 am their time. We went to the first class lounge to chill. I kind of have forgotten that a) it was breakfast time and b) I was in Europe. I was excited to have a chance to eat a European Breakfast. The selection wasn't that great, and the bread was not nearly as good as some good German Brotchen, but it did hit the spot. I wandered around the airport for a bit. Then it was off for the final leg.
This leg was also uneventful. I took a nap mid-way through the flight. I just couldn't stay awake! When I woke up I decided to watch a movie. I picked Wall-E. I was about 1/2 hour into it when they shut down the system because I guess we were getting close to landing. I was pretty bummed. It was just getting good! I'm hoping that the same movie selections will be available on the way home.
Upon landing, we got our bags and went through immigration. Again, uneventful (not that I am complaining!). We met our hotel driver that was taking us to the hotel. It took longer for us to get out of the parking lot then to get to the hotel. That is how close we are and how crazy busy the parking lot was.
Now I'm in my room. I showered off the travel grim and am getting ready to hop into bed. I'm so excited for tomorrow (actually just later today, technically). Neetha and Vaishali (two of Ben's teammates) are showing me some sights. Yippee!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Zoey's Happy Day
For those of you who have met Zoey, you may know that she prefers to greet people with a toy in her mouth. Don't ask me why. She tends to get a little panicky if she doesn't have a toy. For that reason I try to make sure she has a few toys in the mud room with her when we leave for work.
The other day I get home from work and there is something in her mouth. But it's not a toy. It's a milk bone! I look around the floor and there are bits of bone all over! She is really crying, so I figure I best get her outside (but not before she quickly eats the bone that was in her mouth). When we get back inside I notice that her water bowl is empty. I fill it and she immediately starts to drink as fast as she can.
While cleaning up the mess of crumbs (that Zoey was happy to help out with) I found two more whole bones in the closet behind the unopened door. She was probably saving those for later, but I put them back in the bin. I have no idea how many she ate, but it was probably at least a couple.
We have a habit of leaving the closet door open. I had been wondering how long until Zoey tried to get into the treat bin. Now we know. We now make sure the door is closed before leaving her in there.
The other day I get home from work and there is something in her mouth. But it's not a toy. It's a milk bone! I look around the floor and there are bits of bone all over! She is really crying, so I figure I best get her outside (but not before she quickly eats the bone that was in her mouth). When we get back inside I notice that her water bowl is empty. I fill it and she immediately starts to drink as fast as she can.
While cleaning up the mess of crumbs (that Zoey was happy to help out with) I found two more whole bones in the closet behind the unopened door. She was probably saving those for later, but I put them back in the bin. I have no idea how many she ate, but it was probably at least a couple.
We have a habit of leaving the closet door open. I had been wondering how long until Zoey tried to get into the treat bin. Now we know. We now make sure the door is closed before leaving her in there.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Catch a Falling Star
At our old house we had nice, mature trees everywhere. I really liked the shade that they provided as well as the shelter from the wind on my morning walks. At our new house, the trees are young and short. As much as I miss the old trees, one great benefit of the young trees is that I have a full view of the sky. In the last few weeks I have seen 4 shooting stars on my morning walks (yes, it is dark enough at 5 am to see stars). I wake up hopeful that it is a clear morning and I can gaze at the stars as Zoey and I walk. I love it!
This Friday I leave for India. I am super excited to meet my team and get to experience the culture first hand. Neetha and Vaishali (Ben's teammates that were here this summer) have graciously offered to show me some sights. It is going to be a whirlwind of a trip! I hope I can keep up.
As I have been getting myself ready for the trip, I have also started to get Ben ready for my absence. Yesterday I taught him how to use the washing machine. Last night I made a batch of chili and am planning on freezing it for him. Today I threw some chicken in the crock pot before I left for work for shredded chicken for quesadillas. I probably won't do too much more since I'm sure he will be going out too.
I just realized that I should probably expand on the whole washing machine thing... our washer is a side loader and yesterday Ben saw me put the detergent in the little compartment thingy. He commented that he wouldn't have thought to put it in there.
This Friday I leave for India. I am super excited to meet my team and get to experience the culture first hand. Neetha and Vaishali (Ben's teammates that were here this summer) have graciously offered to show me some sights. It is going to be a whirlwind of a trip! I hope I can keep up.
As I have been getting myself ready for the trip, I have also started to get Ben ready for my absence. Yesterday I taught him how to use the washing machine. Last night I made a batch of chili and am planning on freezing it for him. Today I threw some chicken in the crock pot before I left for work for shredded chicken for quesadillas. I probably won't do too much more since I'm sure he will be going out too.
I just realized that I should probably expand on the whole washing machine thing... our washer is a side loader and yesterday Ben saw me put the detergent in the little compartment thingy. He commented that he wouldn't have thought to put it in there.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fish Drama
Last night I went to the fish room to feed the fish. I didn't see our wrasse. Strange. He's usually the hungry one. Out of habit I checked the floor behind the tank (we have been known to have some suicidal fish in the past). Not there either. While that is a good thing, I was very puzzled. Then I checked out the overflow box to see if the air bubble needed to be removed (hard to explain, but there is a U-tube that goes from the inside of the tank to a box outside that brings water out of the tank to go to the other tank to circulate the water to maximize oxygen flow. Sometimes air bubbles form in the U and cause the syphon to break. So, every once in a while I remove the air bubble with a hose... anyway, probably getting too technical). The U-tube looked fine, but guess who was in the small box?! The wrasse! He must have tried to jump but landed in the box (thankfully) instead! So Ben came down to help me fish (hee hee) him out of there.
So why do fish jump from tanks? The most common reason is because the water is not to their liking (too warm, too salty, not salty enough, etc.) the other common reason is out of fright from a predator. After checking salinity and temperature, we think it was too warm for our little fish. With the weather going back and forth between cold and warm, we don't have the air on any more and yesterday it was warm outside causing the house to be warmer and causing the tank to be warmer.
So why do fish jump from tanks? The most common reason is because the water is not to their liking (too warm, too salty, not salty enough, etc.) the other common reason is out of fright from a predator. After checking salinity and temperature, we think it was too warm for our little fish. With the weather going back and forth between cold and warm, we don't have the air on any more and yesterday it was warm outside causing the house to be warmer and causing the tank to be warmer.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Hawt Deal
Ben frequents fatwallet.com to find deals. Here's one that he found for me!
Victoria's Secret has new promotions going on.
1. Add Two of VS Cotton Bra, 2 for $40
2. Add One Cotton panties for $7.50
3. Add anything $2.50 or more: Items under $5
4. Check out. Make sure to check the box that you have promo codes
5. Enter and apply 3 coupon codes:
* FA814857 for free messenger bag on $50+
* FA813789 for $10 off any bra
* 25PTY for $25 off any two full priced bras and free cotton panty
6. Your price is around $20 shipped, depending on the items you select in step 3
Tips: The cotton panty has to be a solid color. I didn't want the messenger bag, so I didn't add another item (or that promotion code).
So I got two bras, a panty for $15 with shipping. How hot is that?!
www.victoriassecret.com
Victoria's Secret has new promotions going on.
1. Add Two of VS Cotton Bra, 2 for $40
2. Add One Cotton panties for $7.50
3. Add anything $2.50 or more: Items under $5
4. Check out. Make sure to check the box that you have promo codes
5. Enter and apply 3 coupon codes:
* FA814857 for free messenger bag on $50+
* FA813789 for $10 off any bra
* 25PTY for $25 off any two full priced bras and free cotton panty
6. Your price is around $20 shipped, depending on the items you select in step 3
Tips: The cotton panty has to be a solid color. I didn't want the messenger bag, so I didn't add another item (or that promotion code).
So I got two bras, a panty for $15 with shipping. How hot is that?!
www.victoriassecret.com
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