Dear Shal,

That long overdue post isnt coming up yet, I have nothing wise, funny or eye-poppingly smart to say. Instead I thought Id just write you a letter so that at least we can catch up.

As I type this, there is freezing cold rain outside (setting the scene), everythings wet and each time I go out I have to change my pants. Go out and come back in that is. Hmmm so what am I upto?

Right now just getting X'mas cards, gift cards, gifts etc in order so that I can start giving them out next week before flying out. Yes, the vacation is around the corner and I am SO up for the break. Going to Dubai before and then India for the wedding. I'm wearing a coral coloured saree finally, with that nice gold zari work (filligree like) not the yellow one that makes me feel like a wrapper. AND it has tiny shiny crystals (not the real thing puhleeese) that sparkle and glitter and oh its so gorgeous. Like a watermelony coral. Even Nadia was satisfied. So y'know.  I'm feeling so excited about wearing it. Its so young and shaadi like for once. Instead of the stuff I normally wear - y'know not finding what you really want and settling for blah. Got it from Silkys by the way, I just love their stuff. By the way - a what is that- geez I forget - one of those major saree stores yaar - Jayalakshmi or Kalyan something has opened in Cal. Like we needed another saree market. (sour grapes - I'm not going to Cal).

But I do hope to get some nice Home Decor stuff from Dubai this time. Past coupla times that I went I bought NOTHING. This time we got some work done around the house, got some sockets and stuff where there never used to be so I'm looking forward to putting up some console tables, lamps and hopefully come a bit closer to realising my dream nest. Not that I have a dream lol - it just materialises. I saw the coolest itty bitty lamps at Home Center, (I wish I'd just bought them last time itself something tells me they're not gonna be there this time. But I checked with Tani and she told me not to fret, theyre there. They have some nice pottery too. About time I changed the huliya of some of the rooms here that have been the same for the past four years. I had decor block and now those juices are flowing again. AND oh the best part - I found a terrific handyman. (No, not R!) So suddenly, I'm excited about lugging home stuff.

The kids are fine, that strange phase that Reh was going through has gone, I think it was nazar. Go on and laugh all you want but this mom whose kid goes ice-skating with Reh said I'm jealous of you with a slitty eyed expression (she was kidding, I know) but my God he flipped out for that whole week. I thought the devil had gotten into him. He chose that week to get out on the street to catch up with a dog (the handyman's), he just wouldnt behave in public, talking loudly, just basically getting on my nerves. I did what any sane mom would do. Read some duas and 'phooked' him out of the house practically. If that didnt work, I'd have lit incense and whacked him with a jhaadu...

no but seriously, theyre such babies. I think at any age they'd be willing to be smothered with kisses and squeezed to oblivion if they're caught at the right time. Of course too much of that and they wouldnt know what they were getting. u shud see them at swimming or ice-skating. sneaking looks at me for approval. funny thing about the swimming though is we're seated behind a dark window so he's usually grinning at some other mom or looking like he's about to cry at another mom too. depending on the situation. He got this thing from me too  - either you think you're born with it or else its not worth trying for. Which is why I gave up on math and which is why he fights tooth and nail not to go for swimming because he realised its a lot more than bobbing with a floor under you. So he wants to quit. But he got over the fear of jumping in and it made me cry. I dont cry at his developments so much like I do for Nosh obviously bcos she's breaking new ground and y'know.. (it doesnt come yaar) and this hurts me but this time because Nosh hasnt learned swimming, watching him go from clinging to the teacher and literally climbing onto him like he was drowning, from jumping in made me choke. I even went into the 'ugly cry'. 

Noshi's back! Since school started the newness of everything and the busyness made her disappear for a bit. My God that was painful. Homework, classes, projects, etc etc and I am telling you, it was so bad, it was like being with a room mate you saw before she left for work. We were running parallel lives. Try as I might, we couldnt connect and it was getting worse. Finally recently got the hang of it - to do things we stopped doing before. I feed her sometime s now bcos she feels babied and taken care of, we got homework and other such stuff down to a routine and now things are fine. Phew. This reconnecting business is not easy. And she happens to be my easy one. Cant imagine what happens when they get their own lives. And I'm not talking about adulthood. I'm talking about friends that you do things with, gossip, have just a whole other life with. In school. In like another two years! I see this little women in her school. Probably third and fourth graders - they're little women! The clothes, the attitude, the panache of some of them my gosh. I'm not joking when I say I feel like some gawaar with my bun and sweats.

I watch TV now. (No, I'd stopped for years) I watch The Wife Swap! For some reason  I like watching it. I joined the gym again with Lisa my good friend here. Its fun now. Didnt know it could be so enjoyable with a friend. We hit the machines, and then weights and usually end with a steam/sauna. Its good fun. Lisa's a blessing. She seemed really tired today. Was probably thinking about going to work tomm. She's one of those super-organised nuts. (A good one) Stepping into her home is therapy for me. Minimalist but so warm and inviting. Clean. Even though she's all over the place, she's calm and enjoying it. She's 45. So she's finished with all the uncertainess of the 30's where I am and when I yap to her she immediately tells me its normal and that she's so glad she's done with it. LOL. 

We go shopping sometimes, she's good for me because she keeps saying - "d'you really need that?" and of course I have to put it back. Lately thought I've been coming up with some really good reasons as to why I do and she's getting sucked into retail therapy as I type. Tee hee hee. Not that she's not aware of it. I go for a toy and she goes "you bad bad girl" and it makes me want to fall down on the floor laughing. Once we went to IKEA and they had this weird study table with a  stupid plank of a chair attached to it. And she stood there squinting at it and wondering how the hell dyou sit on it. I told her you sit astride obviously and we laughed. Told her I could just imagine it in her house and Andy (her husband) coming up behind her and going "oh Hon you started without me?" And we were laughing silly. 

Yesterday at the gym she was telling me how she had managed to stop getting a lot of paper junk in the mail (saving trees and all dat) by signing into electronic accounts and stuff. She gave me examples and was feeling pretty good about herself. Like - great going huh? And then I said good - next stop, toilet paper and she almost did a split over the skiing like thingamajig we were mock skating on. Doubled over laughing. Seriously a lot of trees would be saved if more rural methods than toilet paper were used. But of course you wont find that suggestion in any of those environment consciousness raising mags 'here'. But of course. Oh I can your comeback to that one too. Podi.

OMG its 7:00, I havent gotten dinner going yet. 

Hope you're keeping well and are much better now. I get angry when I come down with a cold or the likes of it now. I dont have time for this! And believe it or not, my colds are New York colds. Y'know like they last for the equivalent of a NY minute. I was on the path to a full blown bronchitis attack and I went to the doc! Yes, the last time I did that was when I was preggers with Nosh. Cracked a rib coughing so this time I made sure I vibed the doc with gimme the prescription to the anti-biotics and dephlegmer or else. Little Asian man said yes yes. And that was the end of that.

Gotta go. 

Love you.

Love to Aadu and Ammu (!!)

To the Viking a hug

Take care my friend. You are sent squeezy hugs.

Oh and Merry X'mas and a Happy New Year. Filled with every possible imaginable blessing you want.