A lot of this and a little bit of that

If you owe me money, dear reader, what took you so long? Don't you have any concept of punctuality running through your veins? On the other hand, if you came by looking for new posts, why are you so impatient? I have a day job, you know. I will write when I feel like, when I get time from drinking beer, and when I am sober. Jeez! Some people are so inconsiderate! Anyway, since you are here, and I am here, we might as well make conversation.

OK, if you took this much of nonsense and still are here, I should be on my knees, and kissing your hands for being so nice. I am sorry for not updating this blog earlier. I really am. I have lots to write about, but I have just been too damn busy, and I apologize.

Anyway, we won! We won, despite being way behind the competition when we started, because we persisted. If you are wondering what the hell I am going on about, let me inform you, dear reader, that we won the Kingfisher get draughted competition (on till October 29th at various restaurants in Pune) where the group drinking most beer every week at a given outlet wins coupons worth Rupees 5000 of free Kingfisher draught. We kept at it till we were all drunk and the restaurant owner and waiters handed us the keys to the joint and told us to switch off the fans on our way out. With the help of my trusted friends Arjun, Senthil, Shrik and KP (with Gina providing moral support in form of Vodka) downed more than 30 pints of beer on October 5th, at the wonderful Indyaki/Walker lounge bar in Koregaon Park. As a result, I hold a wad of Kingfisher beer coupons in my hand waiting to be used (the wad is waiting to be used, not me). I am totally ready to desert my friends who trusted me with the coupons and am willing to live under a rock for the rest of my life, ordering draugh pitchers by home delivery from Indyaki.

And before you get judgemental and stomp out of this place accusing me of being an ingrate and a terrible friend, just let me apprise you of the kind of people who I prefer to befriend and associate with by relating this anecdote about Senthil. Senthil has a good friend Prabhjot who, for some reason not important to the context, broke his leg and was admitted to a hospital. Upon hearing of the mishap, Senthil and other friends visited Prabhjot in the hospital. Prabhjot, being out of town, didn't have anyone to stay with him through the nights. Senthil, seeing the comfy bed for the person who takes care of the patient, convinced, fought off and bribed no less than five other friends present at that time, and volunteered to be the one present at night and prove that he was a friend indeed. What Senthil did not reveal to the group, however, was the fact that he had not slept very well the previous night. As the night progressed, Senthil fell deep into the arms of Morpheus, till a point where he was only medically alive. Legend has it that late in the night Prabhjot developed some complications in his leg, tried to rouse Senthil up, but to no avail. Time went on, pain grew, and the rousing became more and more intense till it finally reached a point when nurses heard the commotion from far away, came to Prabhjot's rescue, did what was needed to be done, shot glares, abuses and even darts in the general direction of Senthil, without any result. My facts may be a bit inaccurate here but I heard that Prabhjot was shifted to another ward, tended to, discharged the next day, all before Senthil came to. He later told me, "I don't remember the events of that night very well."

Anyway, coming back to the night spent drinking at Indyaki -- I took the next day easy. Not because I was hung over (I was not), but because at work I have had my nose on the grindstone for so long that my nose is sharper and can be used for sharpening other stones now. I was burnt out at work, dear reader, and I needed a break. That's where BYOB thingie turned out to be a great help -- I gave myself a day off. I started off the day perfectly, with a visit to the dentist who was nice enough to not do any real damage. Then I went to Subway and had a yummy aloo patty cold sub with Parmesan Oregano bread, cheese and extra gherkins. Slurp and Yum, in that order!

That was followed by a ride on my bike to M G Road. A quick detour -- I really love driving a bike. My wife was really disillusioned when she found out that I was not trying to impress her by acting macho and saying I preferred riding bikes to cars and I actually meant it and that I was never really going to make a sincere effort to by a Honda CRV and that I would actually buy a Yamaha from a friend who was leaving town -- end of detour. At the same time, I also think that I enjoy driving a bike most on holidays when I am not in a rush to reach anywhere. That day I was not in a rush to reach anywhere. So I took my time driving through the lanes of Koregaon Park and to M G Road. Also, a second detour -- I and wife are planning a trip to Goa on a friend's borrowed Enfield soon. Watch this space for more details -- end of second detour.

OK, back to the day off. I had a large coffee at Barista on M G Road, watched the buffaloes block traffic and drive everyone mad, and generally enjoyed myself. Then I walked to Planet M and bought four CDs (Muddy Waters (amazing), John McLaughlin (I still haven't heard it completely), Chick Corea (again, amazing-- thanks whitelight) -- and Fifty Cents). Yes, an odd combo, I agree, so bite me.

Then I went on the search for the perfect elastic band for my long hair. Ever since I grew my hair long and started tying a ponytail there has been a subtle tension in my household (between me, my wife, and my sister-in-law) over the competition for the only elastic band in our house which doesn't pull the hair out when being taken off. It has reached a state when I have to wake up in the middle of the night to hide the band in a safe place for the next morning only to find it that I have been beaten to the hunt. It took me two rounds of the market at Clover arcade to find and buy the set of perfect bands (black, elastic, with a metal clamp at the end to prevent it from coming apart) only to find out after coming home that they are too tight for me and give me a headache when worn all day long. So, it's back to midnight searches for the band.

After that, just for the heck of it, I walked to Technical Book Store and browsed through books on Maths and Physics. I have come to face it -- I am an armchair scientist. I love browsing technical books at bookstores but not reading them once I buy them. Bought a book on global warming which I am reading and getting depressed over these days.

Then, I made the wisest decision of recent times. I walked to Piramyd megastore, did some perfunctory window shopping, and moved to Planet Sports. Just as I was about to finish the 32nd minute of my presence there ogling over various tennis racquets, wife called me on the cell. She enquired where I was, found out the details, and told me that I should probably buy a new tennis racquet, having broken one of my previous two (yes, I had two) the week before. I love that girl. So, I spent the next 50 minutes or so deciding between two final choices and settled for Wilson Hyper Hammer 6.2. So, dear reader, the next time you hear of minor tremors in Pune region, please don't be alarmed -- it is probably just me serving and volleying.

Anyway, then I went back to Barista where the bike was parked, had another coffee, went home and spent the rest of the day wisely. I even got phone numbers of a few guitar teachers and a violin teacher. I would love to learn to play the violin or, failing that, the guitar. I have been trying to get in touch with the violin teacher, but his phone is out of order. I will try for another couple of days, and then I will contact the guitar teachers. Wish me luck.

Take care, you lovely people, and if you break a leg don't call Senthil. And, oh, I recommend "Good morning little girl" by Muddy Waters.