Hyperbole

I like these kind of blogs where I muse about random stuff and ramble incoherently. It not only acts as a talk back but also gives me an opportunity to vent some spleen. I think I am blogging a bit too much dogs nowadays. Liking dogs, or your own dog, is one thing and talking or writing about them extensively is another thing. I have become like the mothers who just can't see beyond their kids. I am like the Helen(?) of Goldbergs, I am wearing "mommy glasses". But on the other hand I had thought that I would exclusively write Alex from now on in my blog. Was that decision too layered in my obsession for him? Why don't they have spell check in this blog? I thought it was a rather standard stuff where ever you were supposed to type. I can type xgftersd and this page will not even blink! What a jerk. Where are the winters? I have cracked open my blazers wardrobe and have to still be a bit uncomfortable wearing it. If not now then when will I wear all the suites an

I have had dogs throughout my life, pure bred as well as in these politically correct times the one's they call as Indie, which in the days gone by were called "mongrels". Despite tall claims by so called experts I always felt that the Indies were cunning and independent, hence a lot difficult to train. Pedigreed on the other hand came almost pre-assembled. Till the time you were not a total ass they were not that difficult to train. I guess this came from their inherent desire to please the owner. The Indie were also affectionate and playful but they also had a free spirit which was untameable. And I had all the dogs right from the time they were pups (except for Lucy) so obviously there were no external factors involved. I think I am rambling now. So my guy Alexander, or Alex for short, found the love of his life. An indie born toLucy, an old friend of my Suzana. Now this indie gets along so well with my guy that you wonder about love in the stars and fated to m

Alex. More of an Alexander, now that he has grown up all muscular and tall. He used to be a small pup and now he has grown into one big hyper teenager. Oflate he has picked up the joy of riding cars. The minute a car door opens he pops in and is already for the ride. Thankfully so far he doesnt bark while the car is moving on dogs and cows. A dog this old is just like a kid at 2-3 years. Everyother day he'll come up with something new and surprise you.  During the dewali holidays he picked up coming down stairs. I say coming down because he was always pretty confident going up. It was the coming down part which used to have him all whiney and weepy. Imagine carrying a dog this big in your hands and walking down 12-15 stairs. Thankfully he got the hang of it once he was left alone on the landing to manage it. Now he can't wait to run up & down the stairs. More later about the love of his life, his childhood sweetheart Roxana.

I had it (obviously referring to makki ki roti & sarson ka saag) for the first time day before yesterday at a wedding in Lucknow. Which of course is very ironic cause I come from a place where both maize and mustard is all over the place and roti and saag is a staple meal. Maybe the reason that it was so common was why I never bothered to have it. At the wedding after the round of fish tikka, kababs, noodles I wandered of to the stall serving it and on impulse took it. As I was having it for the first time went the whole hog and put dollops of melted ghee on rotis and saag. And took a bunch of pieces of jaggery too. It was delicious!

On a lazy Sunday morning my thoughts drifted towards the time I had spent with Suzana. I missed her and the thought that I did came out of nowhere and enveloped me like a light cloud around me. I took my bike and rode to the place where she is, right on the banks of Gomti. It was still early morning and the sun was still not out. On the riverside a light breeze was blowing and the flock of wild ducks were flying down to the water. Just the kind of place and time of the day Suzana would have loved to run around in. On the left side was a railway bridge and a passenger train lazily trudged across it. How she would have gone all curious on seeing a train, got all excited and then barked herself crazy taking the train to be some giant lumbering animal trying to flee from her barks. She would have loved the whole experience. Stood around for a while soaking in the scenery and had a small chat with her, telling her how much I missed her, how she had to be put to sleep due to the debi

So I am on this Indigo flight on the 23rd of this month, from Bangalore to New Delhi, and just as we queue in to board the tarmac bus there is this guy right in front of me. The first thing I noticed was his brown loafers which he wore without socks, and thought hey! I have the same pair at home though of a different brand and I often wear them the same way. As it was a long queue and there was nothing else to do I started observing him more closely. He had khaki cotton trousers on which too is one of my preferred casual wear. He was in a black checks shirt on a back ground and I was in a blue checks on green. He had a unruly mop of salt n pepper hair pretty similar to mine. He was though a bit shorter, maybe 5'9", and a bit hefty. Looks vise he did resemble Ajay Jadeja. He was wearing a watch which I had almost bought a few months back, a white dial one with black rubber strap, but instead I had taken a white dial with silver metallic strap at the last moment. A black t

PThe events I am about to narrate are of this morning and the day has still not ended. A bit has been made up to add spice to the story BUT all the creepy bits are true. For the purpose of narration I feel that a third person narration would be better...... The day started on a promising note with a cloudy sky. He thought it might rain again today in the morning like the previous few days. But that was not be. It had become unbearbly humid by the time he reached college. Passing the whole day on the ground floor in some other department without AC seemed to be an impossible task for him. It had just been two days and already this holiday postings crap was getting to him. The idea of passing the day in his chamber on the 4th floor with AC at full blast seemed pretty tempting. The whole floor would be empty and the doors locked, but he had his own key to the chamber. Thank god for the foresight! It almost felt like a sin, a forbidden task, he thought and smiled to himself. He took t

How time flies and dogs grow!  3 weeks back he has just a little more then a hand full and today he is a snapping biting little Tasmanian Devil! He used to insist on sleeping on the carpet next to my bed and now he sleeps outside in the dieffenbachia flower bed by his own will at night.  How fast they evolve is almost amazing.  He's on his Honeymoon right now. Disciplinary classes and behaviour management will start once he's 3 months old.  Freak out till then buddy!

Well, well, well, never thought that I will come this far. And was surprised to note that there are 99 of these with this being the hundredth one.  I moved away in between for a year or so but with the advent of smart phones was back at blogging.  Someday I will sit back and analyse my blogs. I am sure there will be pointers somewhere.  So here's to a hundred more and counting.......

All these years while in academics you hear about Board of Studies this, Board of Studies that. The principal hypes it up, makes it sound like a 3 chaired bench at the Supreme Court! And then a quirk of fate makes you land up at the University as the college representative on "The" Board of Studies and you realise what a sham it is.  The principals from the different dental colleges are left to fend for themselves. Pushed away in a dark dingy corner of a delapitated board room. Huddled in a corner, arguing about the external examiners list and requesting (begging?) repeatedly for tea from the University peons.  They finally get bad tasting, lukewarm tea in disposable plastic cups which are smaller then tequila shots! That is notched up as a big achievement.  The only highlight of the trip were the mustard, very Yash Raj-ish fields, newly laid 6 lane highway and bread pakora at a road side dhaba on the way back.  That is another item "to-do" in academics struck down.

First night of peaceful though I had slept at 9:30, in anticipation of a long night.  Got up at 4:30am, totally fresh & awake.  Went to check on Alex and found him asleep like a baby on my Ts! I guess the extra t-shirt helped.  He has started running around now and also comes into the main house. Slept under my bed in the afternoon. This is pretty rapid development in 4 days. 

So here we go again! Alex is here. Alex cause thats the name given by the breeder on his pedigree sheet. Jane's elder brothers name is Alex, so will have to keep this Alex or his name hidden from her for as long as possible. One month and 4 days old today, 3rd day with us, he is taking a toll on me. I am too old for this, or atleast feel so. Its just like having another kid, with late in the night/early morning crying for food/attention. And of course the bed wetting and assorted accidents. This is the first of my "licensed" pet. I had always gone for keeping pets for the fun of it. This one comes with a pedigree sheet and a "micro chip" to boot! But he has a calm personality and is at peace till the time he knows I am around somwhere.

What do TTEs talk about when they gang up on a train? I had a whole gang of 8 with me alongwith their chief. They talk about trains and train crossing and train timing. That's but so obvious.  Then to add some excitement to the dead conversation there was a chain pulling in S2 on this Kathgar bridge on Ramganga. The beauty of all this is no one can get off here and neither can it be fixed. So they called up the commercial control to rectify it.  And then like most desis they talk about cells, apps and Whatsapp! Whatsapp seems to be the national pass time now days.  They do talk elections but with the highly charged up political atmosphere they pussy foot around it. Then there is the unifying factor: a hated senior or a bully colleague, we had a bully colleague in this scenario, who as luck would have it got the chain pulling episode rectified and afterward came charging in blaming everyone for not assisting him. Even the chief seemed to be wary of this guy. Hardworking kind, but wh

Chodo sanam Kahae ka gam Hastae raho Khiltae raho Mit jayaega Saara gila Humsei galae miltae raho.... :-D On a morning train after ages in winters. All stuffed and rounded like a snowman. Either the seats in Shatabdi have shrunk or I am overstuffed! Just reached Meerut station and it looks pretty respectable as compared to the crappy town it is. Just love red bougainvillea blooming at the platform. One sight you hardly seen on railway stations.  Everytime I have come to this city I have lost my way. For some reason this city reminds me of strife, rudeness and disorder. Kind of a western UP counter part of Cawnpoor! I saw first half of Dhoom 2 here, stayed for a night in some hotel, got stuck in a huge traffic jam, came for an univ inspection, and got lost once, no twice, while driving through it. Maybe someday I will have something good to say about Meerut. That day has yet to come.