Crazy for Fiber

My Pet Dingo, Lindy - A Truly Wonderful Pet

Lindy is 1 year old; I paid $850 for her when she was 3 weeks old. I bought her from a dingo farm. Dingoes come in shades of red, black and white. Lindy’s color is red; she is originally from the desert region of Australia. Her coat is very soft and everyone comments on the softness of the coat.

The dingo is the oldest pure form of dog in the world, and all other dogs stem from the strain. However, they have no dew claws (an inner toe found on some dogs). Every Monday a personal trainer puts Lindy through obedience and discipline lessons. She is well mannered and intelligent. During the training sessions, there is a film crew from Foxtel/Discovery Channel making a film about dingoes and the training of dingoes as pets.

The purpose of making the film is to show people that, like any breed of dog when given love and attention by responsible owners, dingoes make wonderful pets. Laws vary in different states –- some ban ownership, some allow ownership, and some require permits. It is my hope that the film will create an interest for all states to have the same law: allowing the dingo to be domesticated as a pet, like any breed of dog. This will help to keep the pure strain.

Dingoes don’t bark so Lindy is very quiet. She gets along with our two dogs and they are the best of friends. Dingoes are not fond of playing in water. While the dogs love to plunge into the river and swim, Lindy will go in only chest high. However, she loves to run, play and surge through the mass of wild reeds and bulrushes near the house. She has to be washed every two weeks –- not her favourite experience, but she is getting used to it.

Lindy has a wonderfully warm and friendly disposition. She almost smiles when she sees anyone coming towards her; her tail wags and she screws up her face until her forehead wrinkles! She is funny to watch. As a dingo, she has a few natural traits like: trying to bury food under pillows and cushions around the house.

Lindy sleeps at the end of my bed and snores! She also dreams and her legs will go at full pace during a very active dream.

Her favourite food is smoked pork bones and chicken meat. We never buy tinned food, and spoil her with prime cuts of porterhouse and T-bone steaks. The shine in her coat makes is quite obvious that she is a healthy dog.

Dingoes are very clean animals and do not have a “dog smell”. They don’t jump on people like some dogs, yet they show loyalty, respect and admiration for their owners.

My days are spent with this beautiful animal and she has made life more enjoyable. She really is a wonderful pet dog!

The History of Halloween and its Facts!

Halloween, one of the world's oldest holidays, is still celebrated today in several countries around the globe. The autumn rite is commemorated in the United Kingdom, although with a surprising and distinctive British twist. In Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, All Souls' Day, the third day of the three-day Hallowmas observance, is the most important part of the celebration for many people. In Ireland and Canada, Halloween, which was once a frightening and superstitious time of year, is celebrated much as it is in the United States, with trick-or-treating, costume parties, and fun for all ages.

The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (pronounced sow-in), which means "end of summer", the Celtic New year.

Trick for Treat

The custom of trick or treating probably has several origins. During Samhain, the Druids believed that the dead would play tricks on mankind and cause panic and destruction. They had to be appeased, so country folk would give the Druids food as they visited their homes.

An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, bread cake, cheese, eggs, butter, apples, etc., in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill.

Also a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes" made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.

The Witch's Broomstick:

The witch is a central symbol of Halloween. The name comes from the Saxon wica, meaning wise one. When setting out for a Sabbath, witches rubbed a sacred ointment onto their skin. This gave them a feeling of flying, and if they had been fasting they felt even giddier.

Some witches rode on horseback, but poor witches went on foot and carried a broom or a pole to aid in vaulting over streams. In England when new witches were initiated they were often blindfolded, smeared with flying ointment and placed on a broomstick. The ointment would confuse the mind, speed up the pulse and numb the feet. When they were told "You are flying over land and sea," the witch took their word for it.

How can I begin exercising if I have never done it before?

Don’t be bothered if you haven’t exercised much before. As long as you have your doctor’s consent, even women completely unfamiliar with exercise can start an appropriate program. The first step is to find one aerobic activity you enjoy doing. Walking, either outside or indoors on the treadmill, is always a good place to start. Other activities include swimming, indoor or outdoor cycling, stair climbing, low impact aerobics or using an elliptical machine.

By choosing one main activity and one back-up activity, boredom from a regular schedule will become less of a factor. Your back-up activity can also be used as a substitute if your main activity becomes uncomfortable later into your position.

Once you have preferred your exercise activities, remember to do not too much too soon. For the first week, begin with 15-20 minutes per day. As you become more comfortable, add five minutes each week until you are doing at least 30 minutes each day.

Actually, aerobic movement is only one-third of the exercise equation. Strength training is also important. You will want to perform strengthening exercises for all of the major muscle groups of your body, focusing especially on the abdominal, hip and pelvic muscles.

The ultimate, but very important, part of any workout equation is stretching. Many people do not view stretching as integral to their workout regimens, and will stretch only if they have time. When you come to the end of your workout, stretch all of the muscle groups that you have used. You will reduce soreness, increase flexibility and help prevent future injuries. For more stress reduction and focus on flexibility, try incorporating a prenatal yoga class into your routine once or twice a week.

The Best Things to Do on a Hot Sunny Summer Day

Few Ways to Stay Cool and Have Fun This Summer

 

When the sun is scorching outside you may feel tired and shattered, heck you might not even want to leave the house, but when it’s a hot day outside there are plenty of fun and refreshing things you can do. You may even actually want the mercury to start rising.

Find Water

 It doesn't matter if it’s a pond, ocean, lake, river, creek, or even a slip n' slide getting yourself next to some water is key to having a relaxing day outside in the heat. Some Ideas to consider are a small float trip, fishing, renting a speed boat or even going to a water park. Just remember whenever you are out in direct sunlight it is always a good idea to bring some good ol' SPF 30 sunscreen, especially if you are going to be in or around water.

Make Cool Treats

Nothing keeps the body temperature down quite like a glacial treat. You can even make a day of making Ice cream, frozen yogurt, or Popsicles yourself, which saves you from going out in the heat to pick some up. Making any frozen treat is a great thing for families or couples to do on a hot day, not to mention rewarding. If you don't have the equipment to make the frozen treat you want go out for it the heat will only make it that much more satisfying when you do get it.

Explore a Cave

Caves stay nearly 70 degrees year round and the United States is littered with them, so finding one to tour or visit in your area shouldn't be too hard. There are many different kinds of caves that appeal to different people so research the cave you want to visit before going. Some caves are large some are rather small. Some places guide you through the cave while others let you roam the cave freely. Some caves are so well lit and can walk right through while others are dark, difficult to go through and require gear. Whatever cave you choose they are all very beautiful and most importantly will keep you very cool this summer.

See a Movie

No better time to get out and go see a movie in a dark air conditioned theater than on a blistering day. It gets you out of the sun for a couple hours and you get to enjoy a relaxing movie, with an ice cold drink and popcorn in hand. Another good reason to see a movie in the heat of the day is that the theater will not be as crowded, which means a better movie going experience for you and whoever you’re with.

Well, these are some of my favorite things to do on a hot summer day to get out of the heat and have a good time. I hope you enjoyed these suggestions and I hope that you have a safe and relaxing summer.

Sopa de Azteca soup & Other Things

I will not be posting a lot of creative stuff for a while. I am in the process of publishing two newsletters - the one for the guild is almost finished and have to start the one for church later today.

I also had to go back to the Dr. yesterday. I finished my last round of antibiotics last Thursday and by Tuesday the headaches, vertigo and noises in my head were back with vengeance. Sudafed helps to control it, but then I can't sleep because I am wired. Last night I took half an ambien and no sudafed and finally slept 7 hours. I am seeing a specialist when I get back from AQT and have a catscan scheduled next week.

Karoda asked about the Sopa de Azteca. This is a soup that is delicious, nutritious and not for the faint of heart.

1. Cut chicken breast into small pieces and add to 2 quarts of chicken broth and heat.
2. Meanwhile, saute in olive oil, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1 medium chopped onion, 1 diced green pepper, 2-3 diced stalks of celery, 1 diced carrot, 1 diced zucchini - until wilted.
3. Add to the chicken mixture with 1 package frozen chopped spinach and 2 cans diced tomatoes (14 1/2 oz) and 1 tablespoon basil and 1 tablespoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon pepper
4. Simmer for 1/2 - 1 hour
5. Grate lots of jack cheese.
6. Dice lots of fresh avocado
7. Dice chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (Find them in a can in the Mexican food shelf)
8. When ready to serve - put some cheese and peppers in the bottom of the soup bowl, ladle in soup, spoon on avocado. WARNING - use chipotle peppers sparingly unless you have an asbestos lining to your mouth!!
9. Serves 10

I'm off to get my hair color refreshed.

 

Memories of My Abroad Visit – And Clippings

It is true. I cannot hide my dazedness. I wondered at the inherent irony of the situations that I have observed and thought it would not be presumptuous or indecorous to record them and share my thoughts through this blog.
 
I am referring to my recent visit to USA. It was a memorable trip and I enjoyed every moment. I was mystified as much as Columbus was when he landed in USA mistaking it for Indies! He chose Atlantic route and I opted for Pacific and both have reached the same destination and both experienced the same bewilderment.

                                   Columbus statue in front of Union Station, Washington D.C.
My 40 odd days of stay in USA passed off swiftly in just 6 weekends! I am back on my feet only after returning to India on 20th June’09. I was going around the USA cities by ‘hop-on and hop-off tours’. I am no journalist to have the luxury of having an ‘escort photographer’ to shoot the locales and events. I was busy shooting the pictures myself and registering the impressions in my own ‘headtop’ screen! I was concerned however, how many names of the locales I could recall later to caption the photographs.
 
My preparation for the trip started in right earnest. I planned to visit four countries in my proposed 2-month tour. But I had to drop the idea of visiting UK as the time for visa processing was not adequate. I had to plan my time and resources for visiting USA (major part), Australia and Singapore. My son is employed in USA and I need no invitation to visit him, yet the US consulate expects a formal invitation! Mahesh, my bosom friend, had migrated to Sydney, Australia and I wanted to visit him for long and I included ‘down under’ in my itinerary. As I was transiting Singapore both ways, I decided to spend ‘a few dollars more’ on my return lap. The timing of the trip was dictated by my wife’s school vacation. As, a teacher she can plan a holiday only during her summer vacation and our timing of the trip was thus cast.
 
The preparation for any such overseas trip is quite arduous and needs careful planning. The important requirements are having adequate finances, compilation of documents for obtaining Visa for the countries and scouting for a good travel agent to plan the itinerary within the available resources.
 
We cannot adopt war field strategy of decoys and carry 3 extra bags on the trip hoping that chances of losing the right bag is reduced to 25%! Prepare for the worst and hope for the best (order is intentionally changed) should be the watch word on international trips. Risk assessments hardly provide assurance. The lost baggage may not be of much use if it is restored after 3 months. Let me share my personal experience. Due to less physical activity and more gastronomic ingestion at USA my trousers refused to measure up to my girth! Now you know what purpose the lost baggage would offer if found after months.

My nephew had a harrowing experience at Raleigh on landing from New York. His both suitcases were not loaded during switch from one airline to another at New York even after he identified them as per the requirement.  Fortunately, I didn’t lose my baggage nor there were any cancellations, delays, rerouting and I reached my destination Los Angeles on time. Only surprise on landing was my son wasn’t there to receive us as he was caught in the traffic!

Remember, the longer the trip you undertake the lesser that you can buy as your dead volume of clothes would increase geometrically if not exponentially! The positive volumetric coefficient of expansion of used clothes makes the suitcases unwieldy by the time you are half way through your itinerary, as washing and ironing are not always possible. Well, if you have decided to manage with ‘wear and wear’ jeans then all your dress issues are somewhat resolved. You don’t have to wash them on your trip..unless you get drenched on your visit to Niagara Falls. One should take pride in adopting a royal option of Queen Elizabeth-1. (It is said that she regarded herself as very clean and took bath once in three months!)

 
I would like to dwell a bit more about washing practices in USA (and Australia). Washing of utensils and clothes are assigned to respective machines. These appliances are a must in every house-hold. You cannot expect the comfort of a maid to attend to these chores. ‘Maid in USA’ is not an easy and affordable commodity to look for. (Mary Romero's work: ‘Maid in USA’ brilliantly brings to light the complexity of the lives of domestic workers in USA.)

Though my wife is conversant with the use of washing machine in India (including her maid) she is not accustomed to accumulate the soiled clothes for weeks to wash. Washing and drying is a daily chore. But after coming to USA washing had become a weekly or a fortnightly routine. We have to look for 4 quarters and load the machine with clothes. After the wash, we have to take out the clothes and put them in the dryer; put another load of clothes in the washer. Oh! I never saw such a heap of clothes in my lifetime. I and my wife had all the time to sit back, relax, fold them and assort them. According to Vatican newspaper, l'Osservatore Romano, and reported by Reuters, women can best thank the washing machine for their liberation in the 20th Century!

My wife busy at Kitchen...standing close to dishwasher (San Diego, CA)

A friend of mine carried a dishwasher from USA and by the time he could find suitable place for it in his kitchen and overcome the 110V/220V; 50Hz/60Hz issues…it became a liability because it didn’t substitute a maid servant!

If you are also thinking on the lines…what if Microsoft sells Dishwashers….it will be a gallant idea. It makes economic sense to beat the recession. It can sell Dishwashers with preloaded Vista, IE8 and Service Pack 3.

(Wait for my sequel. There is more to share than ‘dishwashing’!)

A Funny Weekend with Friends and Relatives

It’s Hard to believe I’m sitting down to watch Brothers & Sisters already, weekends always fly by.   I’m getting really excited for this coming week though; it’s going to be jam packed with tons of fun times with good friends, plus its Thanksgiving – my favorite holiday!

I got to bed a little later than usual last night but was still up by 5:30am because of our little furry babies… :-S  Weekends are great though, because I can make Breaky a little later than usual and it eliminates my need for a snack mid-morning. 

That morning’s grub was some yummy scrambled eggs and toast.

My mess up included 1 egg, 1 egg white, 15g melty old cheddar & 1 tbsp real bacon bits.  Slice of crispy whole wheat toast.

My Mom came over later on in the morning; she brought J his b-day card and was surprised me with a basket of fresh Autumn goodies too! Apple Crisp anyone?!

We had no actual plans in mind so we headed over to the Farmers Market to pick up some fresh produce.  On the way there I stopped for a much needed coffee.  There really is nothing better than Justus! Silly I bought some French Vanilla Maxwell House to try but I couldn’t even drink it this morning.  Double YUCK! :-X I was quick to make a trip to the grocery store to pick up a bag of Justus in time for my Monday morning coffee.

For lunch I whipped us up a group of the wonderful Curried Cauliflower Soup that I discovered a few weeks ago. I really can’t say enough about this recipe, very tasty and 100% healthy; it was perfect for this chilly day.

With a generous slice of crusty Calabrese bread smeared with a bit of real butter for dipping.

Mom and I enjoyed a rather long lunch sitting around the table chatting, we eventually finished it up with some fresh coffee and a slice of heaven.

We moved into the living room for an old good old fashion game of Scrabble.  Mom kicked both of our butts as usual.  I sipped on some leftover Riesling while we played. 

Dinner was more Better Butter Chicken w/ basmati rice & naan.  I really enjoy cooking so much for now; it’s a blast whipping up yummy tasting healthy dishes!

I admit my weekend was full of indulgences but I did get a work out in this afternoon and I don’t feel guilty at all for celebrating the Friends’ B-day.  That cake was worth every single fantastic calorie! ;) FYI, the recipe is here for those wanting it.

My First Interview Experience in My Life

Few months ago I received an e-mail from a recruiter at Google asking for a chance to talk to me about available development positions. Needless to say, I was pretty excited. I’m fairly happy in my current job, but–it’s Google. You don’t say no to an interview opportunity at Google.

I traded a few e-mails with a recruiter in Mountain View. I had a phone discussion with him, wherein he asked me general questions about my skills, desired work locations (giving me a choice of Santa Monica, Mountain View, and Boston). I chose Boston.

The phone interview went very hastily. He was very nice and asked about my specific talents, things I enjoy doing, and projects I’d worked on–especially those I listed on my resume. He asked about the ray tracer I wrote in college, since he had an interest in that. He also asked some general questions about the stuff I do for work. Then he got into the technical question. It was an interesting problem, and I asked follow-up questions, talked out loud, wrote things down in front of me (and told him what I was writing and why).

The subsequently week, I got an e-mail from my recruiter who said I had impressed and was going to get the opportunity for an in-person interview in Boston! They hooked me up to a travel coordinator, as well as the recruiter in Boston.

My first interviewer came in and we got started. I talked about my projects for a bit, they answered my questions, and then we got to the problem. Each interviewer asked me to solve a single problem (could be some sub-problems involved), and I had to do it on paper or on the board. I wrote C/C++ code. They take note of what you write and ask you further questions, especially if your first solution isn’t optimal.

I tried to take additional care with my code and not let stupid mistakes creep through. I used good variable/function names, made sure my braces matched, and I ran through the algorithm on the board once I had written it.

The first interview was one of the toughest. I was more panicky. I think I made more mistakes–I didn’t see things as quickly as I did later.

I think by the end of the day, I was really pulling that off well. Once I got over my nervousness in the first interview, I really did have fun and enjoy it.

They didn’t ask me any dense questions. None of this “what’s your biggest weakness?” garbage. Not even the recruiter asked me anything like that. Nothing silly at all. They also didn’t ask me easy technical questions. They got right into the problems and the code. I had to describe an algorithm for something and write code for it. It was serious, they were all nice–I met people with serious reputations online. I felt like they were respecting me as a fellow programmer–almost. I wasn’t one of them, but they really wanted to see if I could become one of them.

I did receive prompt to get through certain problems, but not overly so. I answered every question they asked. Some I answered better than others, but the ones I didn’t get right away, I had alternate solutions, and I understood where they were going as soon as they started talking about it.

Hopefully, that’s all I have to say on the subject, but if you have any questions, just leave them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them!

My Personal experience about Life, Paint & Passion.....

"I have cultured much about painting from Stewart and Michelle good friends of mine. But learning is not limited to the physical act of applying paint to paper. Through The Painting Experience, I have located crannies of resistance in my mind and opened them up. I've been freed from concepts of inadequacy, from limiting opinions of what's beautiful, from censoring emotions and desires. At one point I bolted from the workshop to finish writing a chapter that had been giving me much difficulty and was suddenly revealed as my brush stroked the paper.

In working with Stewart and Michelle, I found I had to give up my thought of what a painting should be: portraying a beautiful scene in a pleasing way. Instead, it is about the alive act of moment-by-moment listening to the flashes of thought at the periphery of perception, and responding in color and form. They taught me what I knew to be true in writing but now had to learn in another medium: that creativity is a process that it takes practice and intuition, that it is full of surprise and discovery and cannot be known ahead of time.

This painting is an unlimited deep meditation on what it means to be alive and to express one's true being. It is about mining the uncensored self, that part of us that is our life's blood, the true foundation of creativity. I am moved by the writing, which is full of urgency and dedication; Michelle and Stewart want share what they know. And they know a lot! This book is thorough, detailed, and leaves no aspect of the force of inspiration and vision untouched. I almost envy them their medium—painting seems so delicious, lush, and exuberant. Color seems the gateway to the place where words falter.

Anyone with the aspiration to create should see this painting, for what is written here reaches far into the psyche and the realm of human suffering and delight. It cannot be digested at one sitting, but that is the great luxury of paintings. This one can and should be read again and again: the first time, perhaps, with surprise; the fourth time maybe for serious study. Life, Paint and Passion provides what every creative spirit thirsts for; a long, slow drink of the experience of the imagination.

Heart 2 Heart

Mmmm! We just had a great dinner of grilled beef fillet, baked potato and Caesar salad. We enjoyed a wonderful bottle of Zinfandel. We were going to go out to dinner, but I surprised Mr C with the makings for this meal. Now, I am feeling very mellow.

Today, I finished more postcards for the Heart 2 Heart project. I further embellished one of my discharged pieces with rubbings using neocolors.

Tomorrow, Steph and Jack are going on a little trip out to the gorge, overnight, so M & M are coming to spend the week-end with us. I am very excited to have these wonderful kids for a whole week-end.