Hello, 2009

I have discovered that the only place I can get myself to blog is at work. I never meant to take such a long hiatus from my blog, but no matter how hard I tried I could not get myself to cough up a decent post while on vacation. Not even to mark the new year. But this week I am back at work and the first thing I am doing after clearing my desk is write this post. But then it makes sense. It makes me feel like I am getting paid to work as a columnist. That thought in itself is so stimulating for my creative juices to start flowing.

So anyway I am back at work and more importantly in the land of non-stop rain. Its freezing, its raining and its depressing. Makes me want to whine. Too bad I wasn't blogging in sunny California, I would have blogged about nice, bright, sunny stuff, for a change. But here I am writing my first post of the new year and already I am complaining. OK maybe I will rein back and just focus on my vacation and talk about it and the new year.

So, aside from helping my sister move, getting huge doses of love from my darling asadee and spending QT (quality time) wid M, Guru ji and aapi, I did pretty much nothing. There is something about being with your loved ones. It is so warm and comforting and just so...right. You don't really need to do anything and its the most fun you will ever have.
Of course that's not always the case. If you are frustrated and unhappy in your life, you may be annoyed by the presence of the very same people. They start seeming too intrusive or too self-involved and less empathetic than ever or even too sympathetic.

I remember when I was jobless and stranded in Cali, I just had no patience with my people. I just could not get them to speak up or shut up, take notice or stop noticing, be sympathetic or stop smothering. Nothing they did was right and everything they did was annoying. I am not saying I was a total bitch or they were saints, but it was just better to be alone. When I landed in Seattle, I had heaved a sigh of relief to be away from everyone. I knew that feeling wouldn't last and it didn't. I missed them so much that I had flown back the next weekend.
So this vacation I did nothing other than be with my people. It was so relaxing and enjoyable and it was mainly due to the fairly calm state of my mind. I truly had no worries and no commitments and no where that I needed to be.

I also got in touch with some of my old people from another lifetime. That was sort of bittersweet, and brought on a wave of nostalgia and homesickness that has somewhat stayed with me. These days, I find myself looking at old pictures, calling my relatives and watching old Pakistani dramas and shows on you tube. I guess I am low on carbon-monoxide and desperately need a trip to the city of candle lights and mini buses. Two and a half years is a long time.

Coming back to my loved ones. It seems that I am always traveling in the opposite side of things than them. My boom is usually their slum and vice versa. So of course now that I am kind of doing OK, aapi, guru ji and M are not so much. That was a bit annoying to know that we are all not OK at once but Moi, my sweet lil sister from another mother, told me this:

Moi: That is tough, but there should be one sane person in all the madness.
Me: Ya or an insane one in all the normality (remembering the jobless bitch)

That was amusing and comforting. But of course, its now my turn to pay back. I am ready to be the rock in their world or at least the joker. If anything, I can make them smile.

Anyway, the vacation was a nice change of pace and I loved every minute of it, including the baby-sitting that ended in me passed out on a chair baby in arms and toddler on lap lol!! Also the horrible flu that I got from the baby, that still has me sounding like Rani mukerjee with a sore throat (yeah its that bad). Also, the horrible fight that M and I had. Also, painting the bedrooms in aapi's new house (I absolutely loved that). Also the packing and the movie drought. Also, the cooking that I was forced to do for a party (M is not so nice is she).

New Year started with me dancing at a party. That is my very first time. I have never entered a new year dancing lol. The New Year also saw me miss my One-time best friend's wedding :(. It also saw me fight with aapi, M and Guru all in one night lol. It also saw me end my vacation, leave my sweet sunny California and fly back to my rueful rainy Washington.

So now that I am done with this bulletin-like post, I wish my handful of readers a happy new year (i have wished most of you anyway). I hope this will bring you all a world of success and happiness and me a few more readers :)