Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in leahkadwell's LiveJournal:

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Sunday, June 11th, 2006
7:22 am	New Blog Site Goodbye Livejournal... Hello Blogger! http://leahkadwell.blogspot.com/ Visit me there! ~lk (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 24th, 2006
9:04 am	Sunday Scribblings - Three Wishes Slowly opening her eyes upon the first ray of sunlight that entered through the hole in the roof left by the wind-blown tattered blue tarp, twelve-year-old Sunita noticed the fly on her eyelash and swatted it away. Rolling over onto her side and *wishing* for a few more minutes of sleep, she knew that she had to pull her body up and begin her work for the day. She pulled her floor-length housedress over her nightclothes. Finding her blue-strap “chappals” or flip-flops as they are more commonly known, she knew the tasks which stood before her. Reaching for the dented, three-gallon, slightly rusted, steel bucket near the entrance way to her “home” – in reality a “hut” made with broken bricks, leftover pieces of cement sewer pipe, and the aforementioned tattered blue tarp – she knew she would have to dump out the leftover water from yesterday. A few mosquitoes had made their home in the dark dampness of the family watering can. The handle of the bucket squeaked loudly as her small hand brought it to an upright position. She hoped that her father would not be awakened prematurely from his nightly slumber. He had been out late the night before. Supposedly working, but Sunita knew better. He’d been out drinking. Again. She had heard her mother welcome him home late in the night, only to be greeted by a slap across her worried face. Sunita *wished* that she had not heard that all-too-familiar late night encounter. Carrying the bucket by her side, she trekked through the early-morning fog-smoke mix that surrounded her home and the thousands of others like it in the slum in which she lived. The airplanes would be landing soon – the start of business at the airport runway, just 200 yards from her humble neighborhood. She enjoyed getting to the community water pump in time to watch the first Indian Airlines flight land. Some people told her that the flight she likes to watch carries people coming from Mumbai, a city on the other side of the country. She *wished* that some day she could get on the airplane and go to Mumbai. She would wear her best dress and pack some delicious food in her tiffin box for that trip. She would take her mother with her, but leave her father at home. Awakened from her daydream by the sound of rushing water, Sunita knew that it was her turn to rush to the hand pump and crank it, thereby filling her bucket. As she did, the airplane flew by as it did on every other day. Lifting the now-full bucket carefully above her shoulders and carefully arranging it on the padding on her head. A few flies escaped their comfortable nesting in her hair. Sunita walked steadily back to her home, thinking of the tea she would make for her mother and her father upon her arrival. Another day had begun; Sunita’s wishes far from fulfilled. ~lk (4 Comments |Comment on this)
8:48 am	Thanks, Mom! Thanks to my mom for this helpful article which I will add to my cache of information opposing hand sanitizer. :) ~lk From: Joint Commission Resources Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 2:51 PM Subject: Teach Safe Practices When Using Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs On April 26, 2006, a health care worker at a Michigan hospital received a small (2cm) burn to her left hand and redness to her left wrist after an electrostatic discharge (ESD) ignited alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR). The employee had just applied the alcohol-based hand cleaner when the nurse call system rang. She reached for the handset and, upon contact, received an electrostatic shock that ignited the hand gel with a bright flash witnessed by other staff in the area. The source of the ESD may have been the fully carpeted environment. The nurse call system went into alarm mode. Injury to the employee, who was quickly treated and released, was limited to the hand burn. The hospital responded immediately to the incident by taking the nurse call system module out of service on the unit and calling the manufacturer. The nurse call system was inspected by a qualified electrician and found to be in good working order. Upon further investigation of the incident, the hospital has instituted an action plan, including the following: -- Assessing potential for ESD, which may include the following actions: - Interviewing staff regarding ESD occurrences - Conducting a humidification study -- Educating staff on appropriate use of ABHR, according to manufacturer labeling and recommendations -- Taking other precautions Improving hand hygiene compliance is a major quality and safety initiative in health care, and communication with staff should continue to focus on this topic. In addition, organizations should remind ABHR users to be sure to allow the alcohol to adequately dissipate prior to their contact with any potential source of ESD. Organizations may also want to consider reducing potential ESD in the environment, such as reviewing humidification strategies and other environmental concerns. The Joint Commission would like to thank the hospital for this timely alert. For more information, please contact the Joint Commission's Standards Interpretation Group in the Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations (DIVACO) at 630/792-5900. Joint Commission Resources 1515 West 22nd Street, Suite 1300W Oak Brook, IL 60523 Copyrighted - Joint Commission Resources, Inc., all rights reserved ___________________________________________________________________ JCR is an expert resource for health care organizations, providing consulting services, educational services and publications to assist in improving quality and safety and to help in meeting the accreditation standards of the Joint Commission. JCR provides consulting services independently from the Joint Commission and in a fully confidential manner. (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 18th, 2006
8:29 am	Satisfied Well, I must say that I am satisfied with the American Idol final two. Notice that I did not say 'happy', but merely satisfied. I'm now pulling for Taylor to win. I think it may be extremely close in the voting. I couldn't believe how close the show said the voting was this week. My background in research tells me that in actuality and taking into account statistical error, the results were actually considered 'equal'... So it probably only came down to a few hundred thousand or less votes... which in American Idol voting is basically nothing. Maybe they should have a re-count in Florida. Ha Ha. I am of course very happy, though, that BJ and Tyler -- aka The Hippies -- won the Amazing Race this season in a shocker that went down to the wire. I think that was the first time that the team who entered the final roadblock and/or challenge in 1st place did not actually win it. I thought that was great. Brains won over braun. Satisfied. Happy. Sleepy. Good Night. ~lk (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 17th, 2006
7:56 am	People are Funny People are funny. There's no other way to say it. I am presently chuckling after reading a friend's blog that just struck me as hilarious in its quirkiness and desire to be something that others expect. I'm sure no one else will laugh or understand the humor I find in it. But that's OK because at least I got a laugh. (Well, maybe my husband will understand and join me in my chuckling. In fact, I must remember to show him the blog so he can smile with me.) People are funny. How many times do I have to simply delete an email without responding because I know that the person has had a bad day and has sent off an email filled with negative emotion that I'm sure they will later regret. I used to reply to all those emails trying to either apologize for something I'm not sure I did in the first place... or... respond back trying to talk them off the ledge... However, I've come to the discovery that it's just easier to think to myself, "I'm glad they were genuine with their feelings... but I'm just going to chalk that irritated-angry-sounding email up to a bad day on their part" and hit DELETE. I think DELETE is my favorite button. People are funny. We change and morph in ways in which we want others to accept us. We say things we don't mean. We say things we *want* to mean but in reality don't. We often *don't* say things we should. Good grief, how can any of us ever really know what someone else is saying!? People are funny. I am a person. Therefore I am also funny. I am included in the group known as humankind. I have quirks. I have flaws. I make others laugh at my ridiculousness. (Some of you are likely chuckling right now, "Oh there she goes again.") But at least I know that in my shortcomings and at the laughing/judging I receive from others, I am not alone in my oddities and failings. I am a person. Created in HIS image, but of course far from a perfect match. People are funny. God is good. Now it's back to work. ~lk (Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 16th, 2006
8:34 am	Sunday Scribblings - The Books I Would Write The steam rising from the recently delivered, oversized mugs of hot, sweet, non-fat vanilla lattes drifts toward Elizabeth’s face and threatens to fog up her gold wire-rimmed glasses. Backing away slowly, she thinks to herself, “Dang, I have got to get contact lenses.” Chuckling at the thought, she reflects on the thousands of times she has told herself those same words. “Contact lenses?” she privately ponders. “More like lasik surgery. That’s the ticket… as soon as I have an extra few thousand in my bank account.” The smile that creeps across Elizabeth’s face as she continues her internal dialogue awakens Mary Jo’s curiosity. “What’s so funny?” she asks. “Oh nothing… just thinking about contact lenses again,” Elizabeth reveals, embarrassed. “Why don’t we get back to this book,” she prompts. “Chapter Seven was revolutionary to me. What did you think?" Turning the pages of the colorful yet tastefully designed matte finish-covered books in front of them, they begin their weekly dialogue as prompted by author Leah Kadwell on the dangers women face when they compare themselves to others. Leafing through the pages of Chapter Seven, Mary Jo, age 53, an accomplished pianist and respected mentor within her community and church reviews the portions of the text she had highlighted in pink at 9:00p the night before. She had fallen asleep as she had done so many nights before, while preparing to meet with one of ‘her girls’ – those younger women to whom she felt called to give her life. Mentoring and coaching was her calling, as was also true of one of her favorite authors, Leah Kadwell. This was not the first time Mary Jo had read one of Leah Kadwell’s books. Her other books on Passions, Personal Coaching, Mercy, Forgiveness, Friendship and Living in Community had been equally compelling. She had even taken several of her ‘mentorees’ to the Leah Kadwell conference held at the local sports arena last fall. Leah and some of her friends and colleagues had put on an excellent day full of inspiration, personal reflection, challenge to change, and individual attention that had really left a permanent mark in Mary Jo’s life, and in the lives of those younger women she had brought with her that day. Getting down to business on this sunny Thursday afternoon at Starbucks, Mary Jo and Elizabeth reviewed and discussed the reflection questions at the end of their selected chapter. As usual, Elizabeth cried a little, smiled a little, made some notes in her tattered and very well used journal, and left their meeting with a promise to make new goals in her life and fulfill them one by one as she was able. As the sun was just barely on the horizon, the girls decided it was time to say goodbye for this week. Grasping their clutch-style Coach-wannabe purses, their half-full coffee cups and their personal copy of their latest Leah Kadwell book, Mary Jo and Elizabeth walked out to the parking lot, embraced, and drove their separate ways. Will there be personal change as a result of their discussion? In her faraway home in Hyderabad, India, Leah Kadwell surely hopes so. “That’s the point of all my writing,” she reminds herself before turning off the light after a relaxing, yet long evening of work on her new book. ~lk (2 Comments |Comment on this)
8:01 am	It's the Thought... Rachael Ray (one of my personal heroes...well, one of my 'fun to watch people on tv'...) would be so proud of me today. We were visiting St. Augustine, Florida -- America's oldest city -- and we took so many of Rachael's tips for traveling and eating while at holiday destinations: 1. We did our research in a book/online before going 2. We ate at a local favorite restaurant that had fresh, local cuisine 3. We chose our menu items from the "Specials" which had more-typical dinner fare at lunchtime prices 4. We asked a local vendor for suggestions on what beach options would be best for our young children 5. We spent less than 40 dollars on food today :) Our time in Jacksonville visiting my dad has turned out to be a vacation-a-thon for the kids... with a little work crammed in for mom and dad whenever we can find an internet connection. We've already visited two beaches -- with the goal of going swimming in the ocean every day at a different beach. The kids are loving it! Nap times and bed times are remaining relatively consistent, and food has taken a completely back seat. But that is OK. We are also meeting a lot of friendly people along the way. Take, for instance, the woman we met in the Winn-Dixie supermarket this morning. I had just put my oh-so-quickly-melting bag of ice on the self-check scanner, when the machine malfunctioned in some way and required the store manager's attention. The delightful woman came over to the machine quickly, scanned her red and white manager's card through the thing in a flash, and got me on my way. However, before leaving, she reminded me to scan my Winn-Dixie card so I could avail the maximum discount on my $1.49 bag of ice. Apparently it was on sale. Explaining to her that I was out of town and had no Winn-Dixie card, I settled on paying full price. But! Going beyond the call of duty, the nice-manager-woman input her own home phone number on my behalf to get me what must've been some kind of amazing discount in her head. To her exteme disappointment (and mine, I guess), she had remembered the sales of the day incorrectly, and I indeed had to pay $1.49 for my now pooled bag of ice. Nonetheless, it was surely the thought that counted. Thank you Winn-Dixie-Manager-Lady! And now, at the end of a full day, I sit here by the light of my USB computer light while the rest of my family is fast asleep. Editing stories from India to send to our friends in America who are anxiously awaiting good news about the work being done in that gigantic and delightful country. I actually love my USB computer light -- with its sculptable goose-like wire neck that holds its place in any position into which I mold it. My turn to sleep should come relatively soon. But for now, a-typing I shall go... into the dark hours of Monday night and into the wee-hours of Tuesday morning. Remembering my 40-dollars-a-day success, and the thoughtful actions of another working mom. Sweet, sweet sleep awaits. Let's pray for kids who also desire to sleep in. ~lk (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 11th, 2006
11:23 am	So Sad... UGH!! I am so sad that Chris Daughtry got voted off American Idol tonight! I hope that he goes on to have a good music career. I will buy his music. Now who do I want to win? I don't know. Poor Chris. So sad. ~lk (Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 9th, 2006
12:20 pm	A Month Realized this morning that we only have one month left in America for this trip. Exactly one month from today we get on the plane again to go back to India. Mixed feelings. Will definitely miss watching Rachael Ray every day! (But will definitely bring back her books to India!) Will definitely like getting back in to our usual routine and learning new ways to clean my house and keep it completely decluttered all the time. But we still have three great destinations left with a lot of visiting left to do. Anticipating some major memories in the next 4-5 weeks. Not ready to leave Portland, but ready to see my parents and eventually get home. ~lk (Comment on this)
Monday, May 8th, 2006
12:10 pm	Sunday Scribblings - Shoes My friend Kim (http://embroiderthesilence.blogspot.com/) challenged me to give my writing skills a boost by joining in the Sunday Scribblings writing exercise (http://sundayscribblings.blogspot.com/). They give a weekly theme... and then anyone can write about anything within that theme. So here goes. ~lk ******* It's the end of the day. I sit on the brown leather couch in front of a gas-powered fireplace with my feet propped up on a kitchen chair covered with a throw-pillow. My feet are tired. My eyes are tired. My body is tired. Tired. Tired. When I woke up this morning, still cuddled up in the warm sheet--comforter combination of the guestroom bed in which I had been sleeping, I had high hopes for the day. I did not anticipate sitting here in this tired and slightly depressed and overwhelmed state of being. As I rolled out of bed and looked into the Samsonite suitcase on the floor next to the bed, I chose my denim skirt and purple Sag Harbor sweater with relatively bright eyes and renewed energy. I love my purple sweater. Yes, the sweater I purchased a month ago for $1.50 at Goodwill. Dry Clean Only... gives off purple fuzzies like crazy. To complete the outfit featuring this delightful sweater, I chose my favorite shoes as of this date -- black sandals with a 1 1/2 inch heel. Like most women, my 'favorite' pair of shoes changes almost daily... But today, the black sandals were the choice. When I wear those shoes, I often feel as if the day is somehow filled with a sense of optimism. That I'm going to be magically transformed into a beautiful, thin, successful woman that everyone loves. Who knew a pair of shoes had such life-transforming power? Slipping my feet into those shoes, however, I did not anticipate that while walking a day in those shoes I would experience an unexpected range of emotions. A range of emotions including anger, disappointment, sadness, anxiety and depression. Simply put, my shoes walked with me through a lousy day. I talked to people who made me mad and showed an utter lack of respect. I experienced events that fell far short of my expectations. I approached a stack of work feeling a twinge of failure because of the sheer volume staring me in the face. How could my shoes let me down in such a dramatic manner? Walking through the door around 9:30p after more than a dozen hours on my feet, I slowly plodded to the same guestroom in which I began my day. Feeling the tiredness oozing from every extremity, I slipped off my favorite shoes and lined them up neatly against the same Samsonite suitcase out of which they came just after sunrise. Sitting there so neatly, stretched out ever-so-slightly from a day of wear I looked down at them and began to reflect. I reflected on my day, on my ironically disappointing footwear failure. The ruby-slippers, the golden shoes which should have led me through a day of happiness had lost their magic effect. But reflecting further, and attempting to step away from the oh-so-easy self-absorbed, 'it's-all-about-me' attitude, I began to think of the paths the others I encountered would have walked that day. The people who made me so angry and upset likely walked their own steps of disappointment that day. They likely slipped on their own favorite pair of shoes, but still met their own set of overwhelming circumstances which eventually led them to me. What had they gone through during the morning hours that allowed them or prompted them to speak so harshly to me. Why was I the target of their defensiveness? Maybe I wasn't the only one. Could their beautifully clad feet led them to others who ripped in to them? Possible? Yes. Probable? Definitely. I hate bad days. I'm sure others also hate bad days. Well, most people do. Somewhere in my personal notes, journal or blog I have a list of ways to overcome a bad day. Sadly, I must've written those on a good day because at this moment in time, at the end of a particularly bad day during which my favorite shoes helped with absolutely nothing, I have no energy or desire to go check that list of 'things to do to overcome a bad day'. Hmmm. So much for forward and positive thinking. Regardless, I move on. There must be some cliches I can use. 'Tomorrow is another day'... 'The sun will come out tomorrow'... But really, will tomorrow be better? Will tomorrow bring a greater sense of encouragement? A greater sense of optimism? But more importantly... Which shoes will be my favorite? What shoes will I wear? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, May 6th, 2006
11:30 am	In My Next Life If I ever quit what I'm doing now, I plan to do the following things... Enjoy! 1. Professional Tennis Player 2. Broadway performer 3. Talk Show Host 4. Cooking Show Host 5. Famous author/speaker 6. Personal Chef 7. Professional Life Coach 8. High School Athletic Coach (Volleyball or Softball) 9. Leader of Women's Ministry at a Local Fellowship 10. Stay at Home Mom I think that's enough for now. The real question is... am I passionate enough about any of these things that I should actually consider quitting doing what I'm doing now to begin this new life of mine? Only time will tell. ~lk (Comment on this)
5:33 am	Switch? Thinking of switching from this LiveJournal to Blogspot. Or maybe I should actually try to format my LiveJournal to make it look better. No time. No motivation. Switching means copying over so many entries. What to do?? I am actually one of those people who is fundamentally opposed to those who 'switch' all the time... particularly email addresses. I made it a point for so long not to change my email address. I have had three email addresses in my lifetime. And even that makes me cringe. Wish I could've only ever had one. But I guess the reality of life is new email addresses. We've been doing a lot of driving around the Portland, Oregon, area lately and thinking to ourselves, "Where would we live if we lived here?" There are so many sections of town here in the metropolitan Portland area. However, we came to the conclusion that we would likely move around a lot. Yes, I know, I know... there are mortgages and downpayments and taxes and fees to be considered. But we would likely move a lot -- whether it be from apartment to apartment or from house to house. This unusal fact is an oddity to me since I don't generally like to make a big switch. I dread the day we have to move to a new home in India... unless of course we build our own home and must move to it. I am so happy with our present abode and don't even want to think of the great hassle it would be to move somewhere new. Thus the very reason why I declutter (see www.flylady.net). Decluttering is my favorite activity. If I ever have to move I do not want to move junk. I do not want to move clutter. "Get rid of it! Out the door with it all!" I shout with unbridled enthusiasm. If we must make a big switch, it should at least be easy. Switching blog engines? Thinking of it. One of the minor decisions I must make in life. But thinking about it nonetheless. ~lk (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 4th, 2006
12:25 pm	Restless I 'learned' a good word today for what I believe I've been feeling lately. Restless. It's a professional restlessness. A feeling that the work that I love doing today is actually preparation for something new, different, better, bigger in the future. What will come? For what am I being prepared? I really have absolutely no idea. What opportunity will present itself? What will I be doing 5-10 years from today? No clue. But I am ready and waiting to see what God might have for me. But in the meantime I strive to remain content with my present condition. Content to love my children and raise them the best I can. Content to work hard, work late, and work with a certain degree of enthusiasm. This contentment is not easy. This contentment takes great effort. But it is required. It is my duty. Therefore content I strive to be. Restlessly content, ~lk (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 19th, 2006
7:17 pm	Loading up the iPod Here I sit, five hours before departure, loading the iPod up with children's songs and other favorites from our CD collection. Can't believe I actually remembered to do it. The to do list is becoming shorter and there are only a few things left to do... Next update? Hopefully from Holland, Michigan, where we'll spend a week with Uncle Brian, Aunt Sue, Aunt Sylv, Uncle Ron, Aunt Marilyn, Beth, Scott and Suzy and Lowell. Fun times ahead! In America looking forward to: 1. "Real Simple" and "Martha Stewart Living" magazines 2. Ice in most beverages. 3. Buying new flip flops and new jeans. 4. Seeing our family and friends. 5. Having a steak. 6. Exercising in clean air. 7. Renewing my drivers license. 8. Office Supply stores. 9. Meeting Baby Anna for the first time. 10. Old Navy Outlet Store ... and many more things, but those are the things that are coming to mind in my completely tired state of being. More from the US of A. ~lk (Comment on this)
Friday, March 17th, 2006
10:37 pm	I think I might fall over Have you ever been so tired that you think you might just fall over as you're walking from room to room? Well, I'm feeling that way today. And the end of the work that needs to get done is absolutely not in sight. So now begins the process of determining which of the things in my list of things to do can wait until I have internet access/time to work again... Which (after Sunday evening) will likely be Monday evening... ok that sounds lame... but really the "Monday evening" I'm talking about means "Tuesday morning" in my usual time zone. And yes that still sounds lame. I guess I'm glad we're traveling over the weekend this time because usually not much gets done on mondays. And I'm also happy my boss is traveling. Hopefully the urgent work will get done. I've started my final "To Do" list of things to do before we leave. No idea if even all of that will get done. But I'm going to try. ...ooo... just thought of two more items for that list... Until the next time. Let's hope if I fall over I at least land on something soft. ~lk (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 15th, 2006
4:42 pm	Proper Packing Ok so I thought I was ahead of the curve with my packing for the US... but maybe not!! Got overwhelmed and a little discouraged while surfing www.marthastewart.com today! Am I packing properly??? Likely not. Enjoy! ~lk From http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel1564 Packing A Suitcase Before you can pack properly for a trip, you need to determine your priorities. For a business trip or a formal event such as a wedding, you’ll want to keep clothes in perfect, crease-free condition. But if you’re packing for a hike in the mountains or a drive down the California coast, you might tolerate a few wrinkles in exchange for an extra pair of walking shoes squeezed into your baggage. Experiment with the following packing methods until you find the one that best suits your travel style. Hanging For the most foolproof wrinkle-free packing, suits and blouses should be stuffed with tissue and encased in dry-cleaning bags before going into a travel garment bag. The tissue keeps the fabrics from crushing, and the plastic reduces friction so clothes can settle into their natural shape. Pack everything else—shoes, toiletries, books, papers, valuables—in a separate carry-on bag. Layering Instead of using tissue paper to stuff clothing, try layering garments over one another so that each layer pads the next. For example, begin with a pair of pants folded over the bar of a hanger, then hang a sweater around it. A silk shirt can go over that, and a jacket over the shirt. Slip on a plastic dry-cleaning bag last, and place the whole thing in a garment bag; or fold, and set into a duffel. Overlapping Keep delicate clothes from wrinkling by folding them around cushiony items like sweaters and knit shirts. Place the top half of a pair of pants in your suitcase, for example, smooth a sweater over that, and fold the pant legs up over the sweater. Never fold clothes more times than is necessary to fit them in a bag—once across the middle should be enough for most sweaters and blouses. Rolling Fill the corners of suitcases and duffels with clothes rolled into little sausages. This way you can distribute lots of items evenly throughout a small bag. This method saves the most space but is best for casual clothing—blouses or blazers will rumple. Toiletries To avoid leaks caused by pressure changes during air travel, fill travel-size plastic bottles partway, squeeze out excess air, and cap them, creating a vacuum. Then double-bag them, first in a cosmetics bag or large resealable plastic bag, then in a plastic shopping bag. Never pack toiletries in the same bag with clothes—a single spill can cause great damage. Along with toiletries, your carry-on bag should hold your jewelry and other valuables; eyewear; a travel first aid kit; travel documents; maps; and reading material. Shoes To protect shoes from scuffing and being crushed, stuff them with tissue or socks, and slip them into fabric show bags or plastic bags. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
11:40 am	American Idol So as we enter the finals of this year's American Idol competition, I gotta say I'm a little disappointed with this year's final 12 participants. There are about 4 or 5 of them that are any good in my opinion and the rest are just "fillers"... some of them will make excellent television, but definitely not the best 12 singers in the country at the moment. In this order, here are my 5 favorites: 1. Chris 2. Mandisa 3. Catherine 4. Ace 5. Paris Others can just get eliminated now. Looking forward, however, to seeing all the variety of places in which I will watch AI over the next 3 months as we're traveling all over the place. One definite place -- BenC's house in Portland. Oh and by the way, AI's Ace *is* BenC. hee hee hee ~lk (1 Comment |Comment on this)
11:19 am	Getting Ready to Go It is truly a miracle... I actually dragged the suitcases out of the storage area a full 6 days before we are set to leave for the USA. Another miracle... I fit all of my clothes and the children's clothes for our 2 1/2 month trip into one suitcase. Yes, we are in the process of getting ourselves ready to begin our "home assignment" in the USA from March 20-June 9. I am actually kind of enjoying the packing process and the cleaning up the house process. I of course love to get rid of things and have been doing quite a bit of that. Have 4 new bags to be given away since yesterday... and have probably at least 2 more bags of stuff ready to be packed up... just have to find the stuff to put in the bags :) We are thrilled about the fact that we only have to take 2 flights to get to our first destination. That is another miracle in my book. All the way to America in only 2 flights. Wow. I think from where we live that is the shortest it will get in the next 10-15 years. Will there ever be a direct Hyderabad to Detroit or Hyderabad to Minneapolis flight? Likely not. So we are rejoicing in the 2-flight itinerary we'll take on March 20. More later on our travels. ~lk (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 14th, 2006
11:23 am	New on the iPod Relient K.... (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 25th, 2006
11:10 am	My New Best Friend While sitting in the hair salon of the Taj Krishna Hotel in Hyderabad having my hair done for a fraction of the cost of in the USA, I had a fabulous experience. During the course of the afternoon, Thanuja (my hair stylist) was interrupted several times by the receptionist asking if she wanted to take a variety of phone calls... "Ravi is on the phone" - no. "Sunita is on the phone" - no. "Your mother is on the phone" - no. But then, one phone call that broke the cycle. "Sania Mirza is on the phone".... What?!?!? I thought to myself? Did I hear that correctly? My Thanuja was getting a call from Indian tennis great (well, mostly great) Sania Mirza? I thought maybe I had heard incorrectly. But then, about 15 minutes after taking that call, who should walk into the salon but my new best friend Sania Mirza herself. Now, when I say "new best friend"... I actually mean someone I watched get her hair done (by my stylist, by the way) and couldn't think of anything tactful and not irritating to say to.... She had just crashed out of the Australian Open and did not look particularly happy and I didn't want to bother her. But nonetheless, we're best friends now. Thinking of ways to be at the salon at the same time as her again.... hmmm is that stalking?? ~lk (1 Comment |Comment on this)