A Work in Progress

Train handles and garlands.

Gandhi's library.

An unusual and awesome Christmas Day.

Carrots and more shoes.

The world's largest sundial.  And a motorbike.

Santa! Just kidding: Taj Mahal! 

Brotherly love.

Finally.

An amazing tractor, and more amazing Ajanta Caves.  Such a long story about them, I'll tell you later...or wikipedia can. 

Cave 16 at Ellora Caves, built in the 6th century AD.  But more exciting:  a baby monkey!

Full service taxi. 

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal or CST or Victoria Terminal, or VT.

Okay, so only on day two and I cannot narrow it down to one picture.  So here are three, and I haven't even included the stereotypical cow in the street picture. 

There is so much to take in here, I know that I cannot do it justice in words until I have time to process it all. But, as a tease, I've decided to put an abbreviated version of a picture a day project for the rest of December. That is, as long as I can recharge the lappy, which remains to be seen. So, Day 1, flying over UAE.

No weather is going to make me late!  10 hours early to the airport...plenty of seating.

For the first time ever, I was coerced/forced/dragged to a post Thanksgiving shopping event.  There is a clear cast of black Friday shopping characters.  "The Planner" is strategic, cunning, and comes clutching competitors ads. They probably have a wing woman or two to grab and growl on their behalf. "The Bloodthirsty One" will do whatever it takes, including throw themselves on a pile of crock pots while shouting "I'm buying all of these, nobody touch them!" at the top of their voice.  They'll enter the store with three carts, not just to fill them, but also as personal crowd control. "The Ninja" took something out of your hands and checked out before you knew it.  Cart-less, ruthless, and back in the car within five minutes. Those unfortunate enough to find themselves as "The Newbie" can't find a parking place, a cart, what they came for, and is at the end of every line.  They skipped Thanksgiving dessert for this crap...

As I said in my last post, I am still employed, thank goodness.  In the time that I learned about these lay-offs and now, I decided to put double sided tape on my resume and throw it in all directions, just to see if it sticks anywhere. Short story is that it hasn't.  But I have only heard back officially from one place.  I applied to a job I was mostly qualified for for the local government of my town.  I guess they're in a rush because I was asked to interview within a week of applying.  I caught the closing date just in time, which was one of those silly things that made me think "It's meant to be!" despite that I don't believe in that. But anyway.  I put on my absolute best and absolute only business-type outfit and drove the five minutes to the interview.  A job that's five minutes from my door again reiterated "It's meant to be!".  Silly me. I was nervous.  Really nervous.  All of my previous job interviews were laughably easy ...

It is a sobering thought when you realize that everything you have and maintain you have because of your job.  Sobering, scary, and very adult. It is one thing to realize this when gamely and happily employed.  At that point, it's something to muse about and help to motivate you to do your best to maintain that job.  It is quite another thing to realize this at the same time your job is suddenly hanging in the balance. Many people avoid making adulthood career changes.  It makes sense to stay:  retirement plans, steady incomes, climbing that ladder, but what if that ladder is taken away while you're nearing the top? I've been thinking about this problem a lot recently, as it came to light that my part time and full time jobs would be downsizing at the end of the year.  I want to make enough money and I want to be proud of the patch on my shoulder.  I started this post when all this silliness at work was happening.  For about a week I convin...

I spent much of last week in a refresher class.  This year, I've transitioned from a Nationally Registered EMT Paramedic to the new title to Nationally Registered Paramedic (NRP)  I know.  That's a lof words.  But it is kind of important as the NREMT's is trying to make sure every paramedic in the country (more or less) is on the same page.  They've added some new things to the national standard curriculum such as end tidal C02 (I know you do that already) and the potential use of ultrasound and bed side lab work in the prehospital arena.  This is all very exciting, I guess, especially as I have survived the class.  I do love to see services expanding their horizons, questioning the norm, and demanding excellence. Medicine is an evolve or die kind of business and EMS should be the innovators, not the followers.  Okay, I'm done.  This is the second time I've taken the week long refresher and it is always odd.  It's the only time for one...

The cooler weather, the fact that the mini is currently out of service, an I have to take the truck to work has gotten me back on the kayaking bandwagon.  It had been far too long since my last sojurn to the lake.  I can measure how long it's been by how easily I can get the rack and kayak on the truck.  It's also been the first time I've regularly taken the new fancy cam on the water, and I'm pretty pleased with the results.  I don't really know why this deserves it's own post.  I think I just feel bad for september. 

September is one of my favorite months.  Topped only by October and November.  I'm a fall girl.  This year, I noticed that I didn't do any blog posts in September.  Shock!  Horror!  So, I decided to do a retrodated post to tell you why.  Don't get excited, there's no one real reason, but it's been a busy month. 1.  The Fair.  The fair in my town is the best event of the year and I try to go as often as possible in th week.  As a kid, I liked the rides and games, but as an adult I go for food and adorable baby animals.  So much food.  I can't even tell you the wonderus things that could delight your taste buds at the fair.  But I can tell you that my brother's friend from NYC insisted on making it an annual trip because she loved the food so much.  Additionally, I love the demolition derby.  It's good old fashioned american fun and I love it.  I feel so united with my countrymen at this event.  We all w...

For the last several years, I have navigated my life around what I like to call 'Wild-Ass Plans.'   A WAP is a goal, a plan, that doesn't have to be spectacular, just something you want to accomplish.  One should always be there, somewhere on a back burner.  Anything from starting a family, making a expensive but meaningful purchase, to going back to school or traveling to a new and exciting place. I firmly believe these things are essential to a meaningful life.  They have helped me be decisive on big things, helped me to be frugal, and helped me to strive toward a purpose driven life. The first and my favorite step of a WAP is to always say yes.  Despite what your friends, family, or colleagues say, if you want something- go out and get it. If someone questions your plan and your instinctive answer is "Why not?" then you are well on your way.  All you may need is a little spark in your mind. A little idea that becomes a (healthy) obsession.  Yes is...

Yesterday I witnessed something magic.  For the second time in my town, we hosted a High Wheel bicycle race.  This is a race between those huge one giant wheel/one small wheeled bicycles.  Yes, it is as awesome as it sounds.  In fact, more awesome, I discovered, as I wandered through the huge crowd that had gathered for the occasion.  All sorts of people were there, and all stood for an hour, encouraging the racers as they went by.  These cyclists, due to the unusual fortitude required to sit five feet up on a wobbly bike with no brakes, have clear personalities.  There was the guy who fabricated his bike by hand into a work of art.  Another who wore (rather wisely) a full face helmet and was guided by the skull figurine welded to his handlebars.  The more traditional riders wore early 1900's garb and looked right at home atop their impractical velocipedes.  Well, at some point they were practical.  Until the chain drive was invente...

I've found that using 'I can't do that tomorrow, I'm driving a Lamborghini.' as an excuse is very satisfying, especially when it's true. Last week, with my dad and friends we went and participated in a super car driving experience.  It was about five minutes of driving bliss.  The track was set up in a parking lot, which doesn't sound glamorous, but they packed in as many turns as possible.  And when you're in a Lamborghini, that's what matters.   Although, I would have liked to drive it in a straight line for a longer time, just to see how fast I could brave.  It is a powerful car.  So powerful that when I did get to punch it on the straight, the speed pushed me back in the seat and my foot slightly off of the pedal.  If you're wondering, it was an automatic, or had stupid flappy paddle shifters.  I did a lap and a half with the paddles before the guy asked me if I wanted to switch.  "I don't know.  How am I doing?"  "No so w...

I love facebook, but it has its drawbacks, as we all know. Poised to turn 30, it is my generation whom has taken over this free version of classmates.com and made it what it is today: a place where we can all annoy each other based on accomplishments, vacations, jobs, spouses, and babies. I’ve seen pictures of babies I will never meet, weddings I didn’t attend, and vacations I didn’t go on. It’s really rather insane. While I love hearing about everyone’s successes and accomplishments, seeing your vacation pictures and keeping up with kids I rarely see, sometimes it’s all too much. Now I know that I’m guilty of too many pictures, too many meaningless updates, and too many ‘wish you were here’ posts, but...I don’t know, I’m empowered to complain. Here’s a list of things I’d consider banning if I were in charge of anything. 1. Baby development pictures. I know you’re excited about your baby and you should be! I just don’t want to see every moment of its gestation. Especial...

I recently acquired what I call my ‘pirate tooth,’ a crown of gold atop a, now humiliated molar. It was very expensive, so I like to show it off. It can’t be seen unless I pull my cheek back, so showing it off is difficult and gross. But all will appreciate my hard earned tooth! I have one, unrelated half crooked tooth in my mouth and when I first met my new dentist, she looked at me carefully from each side and then determined that the side of my smile without the offending tooth was my “better side.” Well, thank you, that is the angle used in all of my photo shoots. Then she suggested that I get invisalign for my one semi-crooked tooth which I entertained for a second before she said it was $4000. Then I laughed for five minutes, but what if I had two “better sides”? Anyway, back to the pirate tooth. I found the whole thing traumatic as I hate all things teeth and dentistry. Like many people, I have an irrational anxiety at the dentist. I guess I should stop hiding my anxi...

In cycling, if one rides 100 miles in a day, they call it a century. It sounds cool. When I did 50 miles for a charity ride last week, they called it 50 miles. I think it would be much better if cycling adopted cool names for smaller accomplishments with your velocipede. Such as 50 miles is a 5 decade. It can be applied to any number of miles under 100. "Yeah, I did a 7 decade yesterday, it was awesome." or, "I did a 2 decade! And I lived!" or, "I did a decade on my bike yesterday," he proudly sniffed. "Wasn't so bad." Anyway, I did 50 miles and it really wasn't so bad. Probably because I was slightly prepared, had good company, and the terrain was more or less flat, but I did survive. I'm not sure how I got roped into it, but, it was one of those situations where I knew I wouldn't regret saying 'yes.'  Only three days before, I bought my first proper road bike.  It's a 1983 trek, sold to me as 'vint...

I have some strict beliefs about running.  I really don't understand doing it for recreation.  Why run when bikes exist?  As a rule I only run away from things, or in the airport.  But I will modify that from now on having had to run to a pier to catch a boat.  Both my friend and I were running uncharacteristically late.  Well, we left on time, and the uncontrollable elements of a big city got in our way.  But we found ourselves arriving at the port for our boat to Victoria, Canada with literally minutes to spare as we parked the car.  So, I only run away from things, or toward things that will take me on a trip.  That adage is a work in progress. Running toward your transportation is an exhilarating way to start a holiday.  Then sitting in a boat for 3 hours is less exhilarating, but, as I love boats, I didn't mind.  I'm sorry, Canada, but it is easy to forget you are a foreign country.  I blithely put my passport back in ...

At 5000 feet in the Paradise area of Mt. Rainier National Park, one is still 9000 feet from the summit, in spring it makes rare, unscheduled appearances.  From the visitor center, we did glimpse the summit for a glorious 5-10 seconds, it's curved, snowy, outline barely discernible from the clouds behind it. Wind and snow decide how tall and how straight the trees grow here, and even in late May many struggle to peek out of the snow.  They are called krummholtz, a German word meaning twisted and crooked.  Shrouded in cloud, Mt. Rainier is a mysterious force.  It is considered an active volcano, which is more concerning having visited Mt. St. Helen's.  25 glaciers adorn the mountain which would melt in the case of an eruption, forming a violent mudflow that would travel for miles into populated areas.  But, that is unlikely.  Kind of. Even on a rainy day, the park is amazing. The mountain road to 'paradise' is windy and wonderful and full of view...