A Magical World

Leaving for Manipal tonight, back on Jan 2, 2002.

Maybe I'm off my rocker, but somehow I'm full of hope for the New Year. Perhaps its due to 2001 being so bad, things could only get better. A war looms ahead, but I feel the world will pull through. Good things are due in 2002, I feel it in my bones.

Like the lastCalvin & Hobbes strip, a magical world beckons...

Happy New Year, everyone !

Vodka for the holidays

An old joke:

With the holidays coming, here's a fruit cake recipe that will help take the
stress out of this normally stressful time.

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups dried fruit
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 ounces lemon juice
1 cup of nuts
1 gallon of Absolute Vodka

First, sample the vodka to check for freshness.
Take a large bowl.
Check the vodka again to be sure it is of the highest quality.
Pour 1 level cup of the vodka and drink it.
Repeat.
Repeat again.
Turn on the electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add water, eggs and 1 tsp. sugar and beat again.
Make surr the vodca is still OK. Cry another tup. Turn off mixers.
Chuck in the cup of dried fruitt or something.
Mix on the turner.
If the fried druit gets struck on the beaterers, pry it loose with a
drewscriver.
Sample the vodka to check for tonsistancity.
Next, sniff 2 cups of salt. Or something. Who cares? Check the vodka.
Now sniff the lemon juice and strain your nuts.
Add one Table. Spoon.
Of sugar or something. Whatever.
Grease the oven.
Turn the cake ttin 350 degrees.
Don't forget to beat off the turner.
Whip the bowl out the window.
Check the vidka again.
Go to bed.

Another alien sighting. Someone called sreejayan_...

Another alien sighting. Someone called sreejayan_in sent me a message on yahoo. He said he was happy to see me online and that he had Sreedevi with him. Obviously he thought I was Boney Kapoor, and wanted some money as ransom. Where do all these guys spring from ?

(actually he thought I was a Major Nandakumar, but same difference)

No, not now either

Still blah. Maybe its the end-of-year blues.

Oh well. Back home to bread and yesterday's dish.

Finished reading (again) Harry Potter and the Gob...

Finished reading (again) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Yum Yum. Cant wait for the next one. Started Luigi Pirandello's play, Six Characters in Search of an Author. Promising opening.

Lots of work keeps me busy and out of the devil's workshop. The office is filling up, with more people relocating from Dallas expected to arrive in Jan-Feb.

Sindha finally got a bus ticket to Kottayam. Her train ticket was wait listed at the time of going to press, so we decided to opt for the bus. Both of us will reach Tvm by noon on the 22nd.

I don't have any sharp comments, witticisms or sarcastic remarks to make. Maybe I need to wait till evening.

Cricket

South Africa vs Australia. Hyped up, yes, but I liked watching the match. At the time of writing S.A needs 358 to win, with 8 wickets in hand. I would have predicted a draw yesterday, but now an Australian win looks likely. To my mind, Shane Warne is the major difference between the two sides. Once Allan Donald comes back, the S.A attack will look much better and balanced.

Congrats to our great Indian team for not losing against England !

Saturday

Went to the Strand book fair with Nachiket, and later on to the SP Jain Alumni meeting at Central Park.

The book fair was no great shakes - they had a few interesting titles, but no big discounts. I picked up the fourth Harry Potter book (Goblet of Fire), The Mammaries of the Welfare State, Six Characters in Search of an Author, The Breast and The Information.

The alumni meet went of surprisingly well. Wasn't too bored. :-) There were five from my batch of 97. Talked, joked and ate. Burp.