Commutes in Darkness

Aahhh.. it's that time of the year again. I will leave for work in pitch black, and get home under the same conditions. One would think we live in the poles. So much for daylight savings when I don't get to see any of it. Well, it's not like I can't look out a window, but you know what I mean.

We were gone over Friday and Saturday for a leaders' retreat. Christy was kind enough to watch Priya while we were gone. The two had a great time together.

Priya has been acting really weird the last day or so. She's either really clingy, really whiny, or really defiant. Last night she threw the biggest fit to date. She was throwing herself around on the floor being completely hysterical. It was one of those moments where I had to look away and count to 10 - she was making me so mad. In the back of my mind I was thinking how I should be taking a video of this - but parental priorities won out.


The lone tree in our front yard is half way through it's fall shedding. So I will have one more major raking coming up. In the meantime, Priya raked up most of the leaves that were there presently.

Manual labor is tiring

Tish's second attempt in seven years at making Indian food. It turned out pretty good.

They were both horrified at how they looked. I don't get it - they look cute!

The Single Life

Tish and Priya were in Michigan for a baby shower (Tish's sister-in-law) and I got to spend the weekend by myself. I think it's a good exercise for all married men with families to spend a weekend once in a while like this (Fabio is going through the same thing, though for the whole week). It's a good reminder how much single life sucks (ummm.. sorry all you single folk out there!). What I mean to say is that it's a reminder what a blessing a family really is (does that come out better said that way?).

So I didn't really do much. Well, Saturday was DD and Beth's wedding. Did I mention how much it sucks being single at a wedding? Ok... We've been through this already. It was a nice wedding, and there will be pictures springing up in various blogs shortly.

I did play around with my newly acquired printer (see last post). The person included the Best Buy receipt with the printer. It was bought a little over a year ago for a total price of around $500, and it includes two additional years of the purchased Best Buy warranty. The Buy-It-Now price on eBay was $96. Hmmm... Is there something horribly wrong with this machine? So far it seems to have done what I want it to. The photo pictures are turning out great. Wireless works. B/W text printing works. I don't get it.

I am drifting away from my choice of the Nikon s7c (also see last post). My new choice is a Canon PowerShot SD700. This camera features a mechanical image stabilization (as opposed to the electronic in the Nikon). The former is supposed to be much better against image blur.

Hey my ClustrMap has finally updated! With 3000 hits the last time it updated, it takes a while for the next one (I figured out I'm at the 20% hit update rate). So now the next one won't take place till my hits get to over 4300). But I see I have made it out to Japan, Hawaii. several middle-Eastern destinations, and north Africa. Cool.

And now some pictures that you've scrolled down to see!

The bit lip doesn't look too bad here

I think the gun barrel can fit through here

Hangin' with Kavon

Check out those curls

Our self-portraits don't turn out so good

Just some stuff

• It's official - Priya now walks around, and when she sees my picture points to it and says "Papa." We had water baptisms during the morning meeting today, and while I was in the tub, she was squirming in Tish's lap going "Papa.. papa..." Now I need to hear her say it!

• Yay for eBay again. Somewhere I had mentioned that I was looking for a all-in-one photo printer. After looking and bidding for a couple of months, I finally won the printer I had my eye on - HP 2710. It does scanning, faxing, copying and six-color printing. And like most devices in my house, is also wireless. Why a photo printer when prints at Walgreens are 19 cents you ask? Well, I realized that if all you want is one or two pictures, then it's more of a hassle to run out there. And you end up buying more stuff anyway!

• Keeping in line with wireless devices, I'm also looking at the Nikon Coolpix S7c. Anyone have any experience with Nikon digital cameras?
  
  
  
• Here's a picture of Priya getting oil in her hair. This is as common in India as it is uncommon here. Of course, no one can beat the hair on baby Cora.

• Today was the first day I saw Priya bleed. She fell on the kitchen floor and bit her lip. At first I didn't even notice it, but then I saw her sucking in her blood. It wasn't too bad, but I had a little poignant moment seeing her bleed. To make up for it, we went to get some Cold Stone ice cream.
• For cost cutting measures, my work is requiring us to take the whole week of Thanksgiving and Christmas off. I'm not complaining too much.
  

Apple Picking

Yesterday we went to County Line Orchard in Hobart for some apple picking, and other fall fun. Christy had sent the recommendation, and I have to say I pass it along with high praises. The place is pretty big, and run fairly efficiently. It was crowded, but not when you got to the orchards - there you could pretty much have sections to yourself.

The End is Near

Well... the end of the year, that is. At this time of the year, time seems to go by pretty quickly. You wait for Thanksgiving, and when that comes, Christmas is but a few weeks away.

It's always hard for me to go back to work after spending a weekend with Priya - especially when it's just the two of us. During the week, I get maybe an hour of time with her (by the time I have put my day behind me, it's time for dinner, and so on).

I had a little bit of a poignant moment last night. Priya was fussing around on the changing table, and didn't take too kindly to a couple of "No"s. So, as a measure of discipline, she got her hand slapped. That ticked her off even more, and she grabbed a hold of the blinds, and started pulling on them. Oh boy. Just as I took her hand to give it one more flick, I saw her flinch. Well.. a natural reaction... But it's the first time I saw her do it. And the first time I could see her realize that discipline can be painful.

A couple of nights ago as I was feeding Priya right before bed time, I was praying out loud with her for the families in Pennsylvania. We had a good time praying "together." Every time I do anything with my own daughter, I have a fleeting sense of despair for the dads that lost their daughters. I've had to turn off the radio more than once when they started describing how the girls were shot. It doesn't make sense at all.

Ok. Now for the star attraction...

Flailing around because the world, for a moment, doesn't revolve around her

Have friends - will have tea party

Friends with Cameron

Our vegetarian girl loves "grape" tomatoes...

...And Coldstone ice-cream