Run Maddy run...

Last year I watched the movie ' Bucket list' and made one of my own. One of the first few things on the list was running a marathon. As a kid, I was always into sports. I was a good runner, even in college. But nothing ever came out of it. Last year I did some contemplating. I thought I was getting lazy. I was too complacent. So, I embarked on this journey...

In April this year, I bought a pair of New Balance and started running. The first day I ran 1 mile and was sore for two days. Ever since then, there was no looking back. I ran my first 5K on May17th and finished in 25 minutes. First 10 K on May 31st and finished in an hour. I would call myself a slow runner, averaging at 10 minutes a mile. But as stereotyped as this may sound, running has set me free. It has changed my personality for the better and has done everything for me that I had hoped for and more. I have had my set of setbacks and injuries and will continue to have more, but, the joy of finishing a race is unparalleled. I am headed towards my first half-marathon in less than 6 weeks from now and can hardly wait to run in the nation's capital.

What makes me feel even better is that I am not lazy. Pushing myself during the runs, and going on long after my legs have given up is not easy. Choosing the harder path, is something I never thought I could do, but I do it. Every time I run. It has brought out the best in me.

And now for the lack of better words... three cheers to Running, hip hip hurray!!!

Shall we dance?

I've had the writer's block for a year now. Thank goodness I kept my day job!
I have had a really exciting year since September'08.
I learned Ballroom dancing and realized I did not have two left feet anymore!( finally understood the meaning of that phrase) In ballroom dancing, ladies start dancing with their right foot and gentlemen with their left. It is THE golden rule. So, if someone is a bad dancer, they would not use their feet right, thus the term!
Ballroom dancing was fun. It was hard for me to let go of the control, as gentlemen are the 'leaders'!
The Rumba is my favorite dance, which is Latin, but still ballroom. Our instructors were so graceful and for some reason, very nice too.
I wish the classes went on forever, if it was not for their cost! Maybe when I am rich and old I will be able to afford them again...
But till then, whenever I hear music, I will ask Amit, ' shall we dance'?

Love you Maggy

Its' noon on a gorgeous Friday. ( my day off). I am lazing around in the living room watching "Forbes top 20 cash queens". The rest of the family is away for the weekend, its just me and Maggy. She is in vacation mood too. We just had breakfast and are ready for bed again. I have known Maggy for the last 5 months and have no clue what life was before I met her.
In any other situation, I am a very practical person. Ruthless sometimes, but this is one part of my life I have no control on. Yeah, this 20lb, hairy little creature owns me! She is a parti color american cocker spaniel. We got Maggy after my husband's year long persuasion. I love pets too, but wasn't sure if I could care for one. Well, we got her anyway. After the initial hiccups with potty training, it was a smooth sailing ride. She fit right in. With my husband out of town a lot, her and me became best friends and pretty much inseparable. She follows me EVERYWHERE.
She amazes me. How is it possible for a little thing like her, to be capable of so much love and devotion. There is so much to learn from her... whatever happens on day one is completely forgotten on day two. She starts with a clean slate every morning! Always happy and eager to please. She is sad when I leave everyday but never holds a grudge if I am gone for too long. She is elated to go out and exercise and passes out when tired! She is very health conscious too, she stretches every morning and keeps herself as clean as possible. Her antics are so funny I could go on forever. Her latest one is holding her own leash in her mouth while walking!!!

For all those who think of having a pet, take the leap. It is worth it. They are definitely a joy.

Sweet 16

I just celebrated a birthday. 26th. Had a nice day. I took a little walk down memory lane. Got thinking about my 16th birthday, 10 years ago!Wow! It was a great. My friends gave me a surprise. Was fun. That time of my life almost seems surreal now. Since then, it has probably been the most 'happening' decade of my life. I'm sure most of us would agree.
I read somewhere once that we spend most of our lives waiting for life to happen. So true. I have always been waiting, to finish school, to find a job, then the right job, right guy, so on and so forth. I am not complaining, I have a great life, but just feels so rushed. At 16, even with all the waiting, life was so close, I could almost feel it. There were so many things unexplored, unknown and unfathomable. There was so much I was unaware of, which made it all the more beautiful. If I ever had a chance to go back in time and do it all over again, I would probably not do a single thing differently. Those mistakes, their consequences, none of it. But I would sure want to live it again.
I am still learning everyday, and I'm sure will never know it all. Nevertheless, nothing can beat the charm of sweet 16!

Wonder why?

Times are hard. Which means money is scarce. The only way to keep it circulating is by spending. But guess what, it is tough to spend. I have made some interesting observations for the last few months. Doctors offices are not as crowded as they used to be. It has affected our Rehab set up also. People don't want to part with their co-pays. The real estate market doing poorly is no secret. I didn't even see as many people on the ski slopes this year. Some people have abandoned their pets, as they are not able to feed them any longer.
But there is one place which never seems deserted. The Mall. Now I don't have any statistics to prove this, as I said earlier, its just an observation. I know someone who works for a big brand name in the clothing line. Their clothes are priced towards the higher end. Their Michigan outlet exceeded its target sales by millions last year. Now that is very surprising for a state which is doing so badly otherwise. P.F.Chang's still needs reservation or there is at least a 45 minute wait. Amit told me that he read an article which stated that only two industries did well during the Great Depression: the restaurant business and cosmetics industry! Makes one wonder, as to how our minds work. Is it the desire to take the mind off all worries, or just the primal need for food? Or just convenience? What about the desire to 'look good'? Is this man-made or an instinct. Why do we do it? Any explanations, similar or opposite observations?

Decisions

Decisions, decisions,decisions! They drive me nuts. There's just so many of them to make. Right from what clothes to wear to work at 6 a.m. to what to have for dinner at 9.p.m. Not to mention the 'bigger' decisions in 'life'. How I wish I could just type in questions and get answers to them and my decisions will be made. That would be awesome.
But then, I look at the other side ( so typical of me)... What about those who can't make decisions for themselves. Either they are incapable of them or are just not allowed to. Everyday I hear and read about so many innocent lives being sacrificed just because of some eccentric man's whim. I have been reading quite a bit of history lately. Have watched a few movies too. They were set in different eras and in different parts of the world. Like the Second World War, Indian history before the British and during their rule, terrorist attacks all over the world.But everywhere it was always one decision made by one leader which changed thousands of lives not just in that time but for times to come.. I don't know if I am going anywhere with topic. I just wanted to give a thought to all those helpless people who lost their lives and their loved ones just because of decisions made by others.
And even though I hate to make them at times, I am thankful that I have the ability to take my own decisions and hopefully I make the right ones.

CHANGE

I remember reading graffiti in one of my friends' room once which went something like this: 'if you haven't changed anything in the last six months, check your pulse, you might be dead.' I might have screwed up the words here and there, but wow, what a strong message. I thought about it today and ran the last few years in my mind. I did change a lot. I loved it. I moved to a new country without a doubt in my mind. After that changing was the only way I could survive! Things improved after a while and change wasn't imperative. That is actually when things changed!
Now I don't know why the same 'change' sounds a little iffy! I would have loved this exact same thought few years ago. Now, it seems like so much work. That' scary. And by change I don't mean just change of location. Any type of change. It makes me pause for a bit. Before I would do it in a blink. I heard somewhere that the older you grow the more difficult it is to learn and adapt!!! Its happening to me already? So I did some introspection. What I found out was I had turned lazy! Yeah, there is no other answer. Lazy here applies to the mind. My body works pretty hard, (guess it doesn't know any better) but I haven't exercised my mind very well lately, except for the bare minimum needed to get by. Is it being complacent? I hope not. Or is it just taking a breather! Maybe it is just a passing phase in life, but nevertheless, a thought to ponder.

A treat for the eyes!

Last weekend, I had the experience of a lifetime! I watched ' The Lion King': The Broadway Musical. I had heard a lot about it and am glad I finally bought those tickets. What I saw was above and beyond words. This show has taken theater to a whole new level. I had enjoyed the Disney creation of 'The Lion King' too, but nothing beats this live performance. The director Julie Taymor has achieved unparalleled elegance in theater with this show.
Right from the moment the curtains were raised till the last scene, I could not take my eyes off the stage. At times I didn't even want to blink lest I missed something. Stunning, amazing and breathtaking are just a few adjectives, which actually don't even match up to the actual show.
As always, Disney has created its magic. Even in a three- dimensional theater, the touch of Disney is still very much there. If it is the masks or the costumes or the cast, it brings the story to life. I have never seen anything like it.
To all those who read this, the show is a must see. It is on a national tour right now, so do check it out if it is in your city, 'coz The Lion King is worth every penny spent!

A Familiar Face

For three years now, I was so used to going out and not knowing anybody. Every face I saw, was for the first time. Everyone I met, I met for the very first time. Not to mention, nobody ever recognized me either. I was so used to it, that never thought it would make any difference to me.
I have realized the importance of that feeling now, when things have changed. Today I went to a totally new city on the other side of town and met three acquaintances... felt awesome! Just like home. That gives me a sense of belonging...I guess it really is important, as we are a social species. We like to gather!
That reminds me of a short story I read in school. Its written by Anton Chekov. Its called ''The Bet." I guess it is available online now. I found it on Google. It is about the sudden change a bet brings about in the life of a rash young lawyer. Years later now, I am still trying to grasp the entire meaning of the story. A man in isolation for fifteen years. Never sees a human or an animal. Just has books to spend time with. His point, a life sentence is better than capital punishment. Living is better than dying! I can only imagine how heated that argument could get. But that's besides the point.
Right now, my point is that I just enjoy meeting people I know. (No offense to people I haven't met so far!) And, a familiar face does make me happy.

A Real Good Movie

Browsing through our local library, I came across this movie "North Country". I remember seeing some trailers of it about a year or two ago, so I just picked it up to kill my time over the weekend. Was I in for a surprise or what.
Its inspired by a true story. Its a movie about the first, class-action lawsuit against sexual harassment in the work place, in America. It is about women miners in Minnesota, back in the 80's. It definitely marks a historical event, but at the same time stirs up a very strong emotion. It did, at least for me. It is because of those women that I feel safe going to work today. That is huge.
Each and every character in the movie has done an amazing job. Hats off to the director, Niki Caro. I can't say enough about it. Probably, it might not leave as big an impression on others, but it is a powerful movie nonetheless.
The one question that comes to my mind after some introspection is that if I were one of those women, would I have stood up against injustice? When everyone else was against me? When my livelihood was at stake? It is a very brave choice and I am almost thankful that I have never had to face anything like it. Wow, that is rough terrain, I am sure at some point of our lives, some of us have or will have to make these tough choices. Some, stick it out and some don't, they fight back. I just hope I belong to the latter half.