Wednesday, February 28, 2007

The past two times that SunuA's dad has walked into his home while I've been there, Sunu, Aunty, and I are huddled around the TV watching someone's wedding video...like it's a must see episode of Lost. Last week it was Nina's...Yesterday it was Sonia's. Uncle never asks us why we're watching them. He just sits down on the couch and watches it with us. Before I left last night, I promised him I'd be back next week with another wedding video...same time...same place. He chuckled. I guess he just assumes I'm in some sort of preparation mode for my own. But actually, I just love weddings. I could watch them *and fast forward the preaching* all day...every day.

Last night I brought over the henna tubes that Sangita gave us since we missed out on the mehndi part of her baby shower. SunuA painstakingly created a pretty fly design on my hand. She impressed both of us with her natural skills. Of course, her mom wasn't too happy about us temporarily tatooing our hands...because we pentes never get to do the fun stuff. But, I'm in a rebellious mode these days...and I know my own mom wouldn't notice my red stamped hands even if I waved it 2 inches from her face. I figure if someone notices at church and starts to cow...I'll just throw up my henna tat and say "talk to the hand!" HA!






Monday, February 26, 2007

Sangita's Babies' Shower...


At the time, I didn't realize how great this past weekend really was, but looking back, I had lots of fun. Sunday, Sunu A and I went to our friend Sangita's "Indian Baby Shower" in Tulsa. It reminded me that making new friends is great, but spending time with old ones is the absolute best.

I feel like I learned a lot about Gujarati culture. Mainly, Guju chicks really know how to do it up Indian style. Their clothes and jewelry are so vibrant and gorgeous. I thought I had somewhat of an impressive bangle collection until I saw Sang's.

The drive back to OKC consisted of a mad search for the perfect reception song. I want a definite upbeat Indian flare. I never knew how hard this decision was going to be!!

Below...pics of Sang's festivities...

Sang making her grand entrance with her bin...





my artistic shot of the day...of my own lap. ;)




blessings from big brother and the world's sweetest sister-in-law


the parents to be




all the lovely ladies that will be spoiling the babies wrotten






the coconut transfer... =)







my favorite part...bead bracelets!






cake cutting...






two peas in a pod are on their way




















me and the beautiful mom to be

























Sang and Sunu





















































Friday, February 23, 2007

Stopping for Milk...

Billy and I had our 2nd go-around at starting a writer's group yesterday. We're both fed up with our inability to focus on writing. I don't know why we call ourself a group since it's just 2 of us...but we hope to recruit more hopefuls into our circle. Matt is eager to join us. However, I must inform him that he has to fill out an application, which must be approved by the board before admittance. ;)

Last night's excercise consisted of a 10 minutes of writing. The story had to begin with the phrase, "I don't remember..." After the 10 minutes, I left him with the assignment of perfecting the story for our next session. The following is my feeble attempt....

Stopping for Milk

"I don't remember if Maggie wanted me to pick up 2% milk or skim milk," I thought as I stood staring blankly at the rows of various kinds of milk in the dairy section. They called the store Quickie Mart, but there was nothing quick about my shopping trips, which typically consisted of 30 minutes spent trying to remember what I was supposed to pick up and another 30 minutes standing in line. Luckily, it was late, and the store was empty at the moment except for me and the clerk. So, if I could just remember what kind of damn milk to buy, I knew I could get out quickly for once.

If I called Maggie to ask her, she'd start nagging about how I never pay attention to her. I don't know why she always said this. It was certainly not true. I listened to all the important things she said, like "we're having steaks tonight." It was the unimportant things I didn't comprehend correctly, like "take the trash out." Isn't that what happens naturally after 13 years of marriage? You begin to filter through what your spouse says in order to retain the important and forget all the rest.

Maggie had a way of nagging that surpassed the way my mother used to nag my poor dad. I didn't think any woman on earth could have a more annoying tone of voice than my mother, until Maggie and I got married, that is. It's not like we weren't happy. We were. It's just that coping with the challenges of living with each other forever and raising children became more important than loving each other.

I pulled the cell phone out of my pocket and began to dial. The phone rang once, and I quickly hung up. I just couldn't bear the thought of having this argument again. I decided to grab the gallon of 2 % milk. Seriously, what was the difference anyway? One was more watery than the other? If so, she could just add more water to the 2% and call it a day. As I reached for the milk, I could feel a surge of cold penetrate through my skin and send shivers down my spine. But, it wasn't the coolness of the gallon of milk that had this affect on me. It was the sting from the cold of the barrel of the gun that was pressing against my temple.

I had been so lost in thought about stupid milk and my faux functional marriage that I didn't hear the commotion at the front of the store. I guess I had really learned to tune out the things I didn't want to hear because I never heard the man in the tan over coat and masked face urge the cashier for the contents of the register as he nudged a gun to his forehead. The young cashier was then thwacked in the head with the butt of the gun after refusing to oblige the masked man's wishes. Even the thud of his limp body hitting the floor didn't register in my mind and alarm me to the danger.

In fact, it wasn't until the exact moment when I felt the barrel of the gun against my flesh that I became fully of aware of the presence of danger. From that moment on, every sense was awakened. I could smell the stench of sweat and alcohol, feel the pressure of his arm around my neck, and hear the sobs of the young cashier as he writhed in pain. It was as if this moment in time forced me out of my mundane, lackluster existence and forced me back into life. Suddenly, all I could think about was going home. I wanted to hold my wife in my arms and take in the scent of perfume in her hair. I wanted to feel her fingertips gingerly caress my back. I wanted to love her, not just cope with living our day to day life and raising our kids.

My ears were filled with a sound sharp sound. As my body fell to the ground and I took in a final breath, I remembered that Maggie asked me to bring home skimmed milk.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Me vs. The Joy Stealer...

Life. Sometimes it gets the best of me, and I can't seem to dig myself out of the funk despite the fact the sun's shining.... A few weeks ago, I received a call from a friend. Our lives are typically pretty parrallel. When I got in an accident, she got into one 2 weeks later...when I fell down and sprained my ankle, she fell down and hurt her knee a few days later...now, she's getting married in April, and I'm getting married in September. We both had a hard time finding Mr. Right...so this should be a really joyous time for both of us. But sadly, it's not...

For the past several weeks, her father, her only living parent, has been suffering very strange and unexplainable health conditions. Instead of picking out flowers and invitations, she's been on bended knees crying for her dad's healing. At this point, his health condition is so bad that she doesn't even know if he will be able to walk her down the isle. When she called me a few weeks ago, she made a statement...that I often think about..."Sue, God's given us our blessing, but that doesn't mean the devil is going to let us keep it. He's going to do everything he can to steal the joy we have."

I can't measure my current situation against my friend's. However, on a daily basis I have to deal with something that steals my joy. I guess this is just life. It won't always be rosey. You won't always be on cloud nine. Things won't always make sense. And things definitely won't always go your way. But, you have to keep on...keeping on...and have faith that no matter how high those waves get, God will carry you over to the other side...and give you strength to keep walking once you get there.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

I said V...Veeeeeee as in Victor!!!

Last night, I began to really think about how my life will be changing drastically in just a few months. I examined my day, incorporated Matt into the picture, and decided life is going to be a heck of a lot better...

My eyes will open at 6:30 am. Instead of sleeping through the alarm until 7 am, which I sometimes do...he will assuredly wake me up to tell me the alarm is going off. Once I stumble out of bed, I let Mousse out of her kennel and take her for a walk to the apartment's "pet station", so she can take care of business. This whole chore will be Matt's responsibility. I couldn't be happier. He will take on all Mousse-related duties. This leaves me able to sleep till 6:45 and get ready for work accordingly. After getting ready, I'll make my way to the kitchen to eat breakfast and pack my lunch. Of course, I'll have to make sure that he too has breakfast and lunch, but that won't be too bad since I love to cook. Then...I'll open the closet where Mousse's food is stored and fill up her bowl and inevitably notice that the trash can is full. I'll sigh in relif because all trash-related duties will now be his as well! No more walks to the big trash bin.

At lunch time, I'll call Matt. No longer will I have to worry about my minutes being consumed on my cell. He'll be one of my 10 friends and favorites and I can talk to him for free. Not only that, but our conversation won't be filled with "Huhs, Whats, and I can't hear what your sayings."

On my way home from work I can actually stop at the grocery store, book store, my moms, etc...without having to worry about Mousse's bladder exploding or her being mad that I'm late and chewing up something she shouldn't....because, again, all Mousse-related duties will be Matt's! He can take the beast for a run, and i can run at my own pace with out being dragged 60 miles an hour behind a maniac dog.

Then, we can come home and have dinner. I won't have to sit at my table alone and watch TV or stare at Mousse while she gives me the "I'm a poor, sweet, starving puppy" look. And weekends will be great too. I'll actually have someone to use my 2 for 1 Allied Arts Card with...we can watch plays and go to the arts museum...and I won't have to beg or plead because he likes to do those things too.

Best of all I will no longer have to have this conversation with people:
"Varghese. Var-geese. V as in victor...ar..gh..e..s as in susan...e. no, no, not B. V. Vee. no. not B as in Boy. V as in Victor."

I'm sure along with the good will come the bad...like cleaning up after him, finding the toilet seat up, arguing about caloric and fat content of food, blah blah, etc etc....but right now, the good's looking pretty dern' good.

Monday, February 19, 2007

It's Monday..AGAIN?!?

The weekends seem to come and go so fast. I'm back to Monday...wishing for Friday all over again. The weekend was extremely productive. I did 3 loads of laundry, cleaned the apartment, dress shopped, walked the beast and read. yes, READ. yesterday, I found myself at Barnes and Noble...eager to drown my sorrow (from dress shopping) in a hot cup of java...while there, I stumbled upon some really great ideas in a few bridal magazines and i found a new book for a mere 5$. It's called the Village Bride of Beverly Hills by Kavita Daswani. It's an interesting read so far...I actually got to chapter 8 last night. It's amazing what progress can be made when you don't watch TV. Like I said, it's an interesting read...but it's a bit over the top and unrealistic. We'll see if I like it better at the end.

I've had my fill of dress shopping. If I never walk into another wedding dress store, it will be too soon. The good news is, I found a dress that I absolutely love. The bad news is, I can't seem to find it or anything remotely similar in any store. So, I'm going to bite the bullet, and pay a bit more than I wanted for the only dress I know that I will truly love. Dress shopping certifiably SUCKS.

My kid cousin's friend, Jostlyn drew this amazing picture. The kid is merely 16, beautiful, brainy, and obviously artistic. I'm trying to convince her to draw me a little something for my apartment. She's so talented...I hope she never forgets that while she's buried alive under text books while in college...

Friday, February 16, 2007

Feelin' Good Friday...

Friday is upon us...YAHOOEY. Thankfully, it will be warming up a bit this weekend. I see the sun spilling through the open blinds of the boardroom, and I am overjoyed. My "umph" has been restored! This weekend will consist of several loads of laundry and wedding dress shopping. I'm not at all anxious to do either, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I've been thinking of creative ways to incorporate more Indian culture to the wedding. Mainly because my American friends are so excited to go to their first Indian wedding. I hate to tell them that since I'm Pentecostal, the only thing Indian in my ceremony will be bridesmaids outfits and the malayalam song. =/

Although my friends incessantly tell me that I'm a "coconut" and "White-washed"...which I HIGHLY disagree with...I really am bummed that Christian weddings don't have more of an Indian flare. Actually, Scorpsy and I talked in detail about Jacobite and Marthoma...and even they do things are special and different than the standard American wedding. I really was bummed when my photographer asked me if we were serving Indian food or doing henna. We've got none of the fun stuff!!

So, now I'm searching desperately for ways to throw in some Indian flare. Suggestions would be more than welcome!!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

sunny days...need to chase the clouds away!

it's a cool, crisp 14 degrees this morning. i'm so tired of winter. GO AWAY. It's making my life suck right now...

First of all, my dog is driving me nuts. I can't take her for walks when it's so cold outside that it's painful!! Therefore, her behavior is that of a helliants! We fight constantly. How do you fight with a dog? Seriously guys, you don't want to know. We straight up wrestle. I'm scared that if she doesn't get out and release her agression soon...it will be a duel till death.

Second, my car is completely jacked. I get nice, warm, toasty heat when my car is actually moving. But the minute I stop at a light or get stuck in stand still traffic...it switches to cold air. This morning, I thought I was about to suffer from hypothermia...

Third, I feel like a bear in hibernation. I come home from work, make dinner, eat, grab a blanket, turn the TV on and vegitate. I have no desire to go back outside and head to the gym. I'm turning into a fat..ter blob and I hate it. Things have got to start changing 'round here!

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

It's VALENTINE'S DAY!!...I woke up bright and early this morning to rummage through my closet to find something that's just the right shade of red. What did I come up with?? My usual Valentine's black dress with a red sweater over it. Hey, it's better than the black dress with the black sweater over it. I'm progressing! ;)

Happy Valentine's Day to you all...I have 2 special V-Day shout outs...The first goes out to Sunu A, who has been my faithful Valentine companion for the past several years. We usually both splurge and buy cards and heart shaped nick-nacks for each other in the firm belief that every girl should feel special on Valentine's day, then we go out to eat and discuss how much singlehood sucks. This year, my faithful companion is out of town, so I think I'll fix dinner for me and Mousse and discuss how much Mousse's most recent behavior sucks!

The second shout out goes out to my Valentine, Matt. *CAUTION- THIS MIGHT BE TOO SICKENINGLY SWEET FOR YOU, RAT RACERS* Happy Valentine's Day, Love. I am so happy to have finally found you....You are worth every minute of the looooooong wait!! ;) I'm looking forward to spending next Valentine's Day with you...and all the rest of them too!

My absolute favorite moment of my India trip comes to mind...Remember listening to this song on the train?

"You Found Me"
Is this a dream?
If it isPlease don't wake me from this high
I've become comfortably numb
Until you opened up my eyes
To what it's like
When everything's right
I can't believe
You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know just where I would be?
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
You found me
You found me

So, here we are
That's pretty far
When you think of where we've been
No going back
I'm fading out
All that has faded me within
You're by my side
Now everything's fine
I can't believe
You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know just where I would be?
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
You found me
And I was hiding'
Til you came along
And showed me where I belong
You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know?
How did you know?

You found me
When no one else was lookin'
How did you know just where I would be?
Yeah, you broke through
All of my confusion
The ups and the downs
And you still didn't leave
I guess that you saw what nobody could see
You found me...

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Pictures Galore!

Baby Alexis...how cute is she already?!?














Alex with Momma and Big Sister, Angelina















Alex w/Sue Aunty...probably the last time she'll let me hold her. =/












The big moment has arrived!




Ruby and Abu with their bridal party












Sheryl and Hannah @ the reception







Sheryl, Sujith, Jess, and Ash












The happy newlyweds











The couple and their tired looking wedding planner









hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil















Sunu A and the dapper Benjamin














Sheryl & Sujith















Baby Isiah making his social debut















First IPC crew with me cut out
















Sunu and Wins

















Flip, D, and Becca @ church Christmas get together












Donna, Densey, Dorette, and Priya













3 cuties...Ang, Jason, and Becca...they're all singers too!











Micahji..I just wanna eat him up sometimes!
















Precious Landon's sweepy...












The girl after our performance...


















Monday, February 12, 2007

Kids Say the Darndest Thing...

Sunday afternoon, Alexis Grace decided to grace the world with her early arrival. Congratulations to big sis, Ang and proud parents, Julie and Derrick. I have pictures to share, but as usual...I forgot my card reader. Hopefully I'll have my act together tomorrow, so I can post her pictures. Let's just say, that so far, lil' Miss Alex is a mini Ang. I can't wait to see what she looks like as she gets bigger. Seeing Micahji and Alex in the same room was so crazy to me. It just seemed like yesterday that he made his grand entrance. Now, he looks a little like a giant compared to the newest baby. Kids grow up way too fast.

I had the pleasure of co-babysitting Ang and Micah on Friday night. For the first time ever Ang actually warmed up to me quite a bit. She sat on my lap and brushed my hair. I was pretty excited, so I decided to push my luck a bit and strike up a conversation with her...

Me: Ang, are we best friends?
Ang: *NO RESPONSE*
Me: Hmm...ok Ang are we friends at least?
Ang: *NO RESPONSE*
Me: Hmmmmm...ok Ang, are we acquaintances?
Ang: YEP!

Ha! Kids say the darndest things! Meanwhile, Micahji decided he wanted to be a night owl. Try as we might, none of us could put us to sleep. It was time for me to step up the game and pull out the old "Ba-bo" technique. This technique has worked for 3 babies in the past, so I knew it was no-fail. Basically, it consists of me chanting "Ba-Bo" in very monotone voice while bouncing the child rythemically...pretty soon the child enters a trance like phase and then finally sleeps. According to the Illustrious Finuji, Micah mentioned that he was so tired of hearing my horrifying lullaby, he just shut his eyes so I would stop. Although Micah can't really talk to communicate that...it sounds HIGHLY probable.

In other news...I loved the photographer I met this weekend. I'll definitely be using his services. As for the dress shopping. It was just as horrifying as I suspected it would be. But, I have no choice but to try...try again!

Friday, February 09, 2007

Perturbed about Papercuts...

It's Friday..the day I've been waiting for all week. It's dreary and cold, which isn't doing much good for me. I tend to believe I'm solar-powered. I can't seem to be 100% if the sun isn't shining.

Have you ever noticed that if you somehow get a papercut, then you end up getting several more? Kind of like what happens when you bite the inside of your cheek or lip...and you keep biting it over and over again. It's like one bite or one cut makes you susceptible to a dozen more. I have like 5 paper cuts on my hands right now. That's what I get for becoming a professional paper pusher.

I discovered yesterday that I have exzema on my elbows. Those of you who have seen my elbows know that I've got some chronic dry skin. People tell me I don't put enough lotion on. But lately, I've basically been immersing my elbows in all sorts of gelatinous concoctions in the search for sufficient moisture...and STILL my elbows are dry and scaley. My namesake called me yesterday and mentioned that her hubby has the same problem and the doctor said it was exzema. I feel better knowing this is actually a medical condition and not some lack of lotion induced ashyness.

Next week is Valentine's Day. For once, I will not be wearing my trusty black dress, black tights, and black pumps. I might actually celebrate and wear RED this year. My Valentine isn't on the same continent, but hey, atleast he actually exists outside of a daydream. ;)

Thursday, February 08, 2007

The weather outside is frightful...

Believe it or not, Billy's story about the capuchin monkey in his office was absolutely TRUE. I wouldn't have believed it myself lest he forwarded me a message from one of his co-workers regarding the subject matter. I think Billz might have finally found an environment suitable for him...

Well, my meeting with the she-pastor went very well. I now have a church and reception hall reserved for our wedding. I think I can relax for the rest of the month...I tend to get excited and want to do EVERYTHING all at once. If I don't slow down, I'll have nothing to do later, which will only make the months go by even slower. Before I left for India, Miss Shirley told me that the time between our engagment and our wedding would be the hardest time to get through. She's right. Week 2 and I'm already having Matt withdrawals. I can't imagine how it's going to be at MONTH 6.

It's freezing in OKC. I'm ready for spring. But, I don't expect to see it until some time in May. Sheryl, me and Sunu A were supposed to go to a Hornets game tonight, but since parking downtown is atrocious and we can't get there early to find a decent space we decided to bail. It's no fun going to a game when you have to park 10 miles away and walk in 6 degree weather. (okay, maybe I tend to exaggerate just a wee bit!)

Gandhi once said that he would have been Christian if it weren't for Christians. I've been thinking about that lately. That is such a sad statement. But, very true. It seems that the Christians that proclaim Christianity the most are the ones with the most biterness and hatred towards others. How can we be used by the Lord as a witness of His love if we have more foes than friends? I've had to check myself on this issue this week when I reacted VERY badly to something that made me very angry. I had to totally take a step back and examine my response, my language, and my thoughts. I guess sometimes it's easier to point out how others hurt us or what others do wrong instead of really thinking about what we do wrong. If more of us practiced what we preached and treated each other with love and respect instead of trying to get the last word in all the time or responding with hate instead of love...maybe we could be more of a testimony of Christ's love and grace. Just something to think about....

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

I'm sleepy. This could be because I only went to sleep after 1am last night. I have been playing phone tag with someone all week and finally caught up with her. Three hours later, we were completely finished with catching each other up on our lives for the past 6 months. Billy just emailed me telling me his company mascot is a capuchin monkey. He says it has an office next to the CEO, and it bites men. I'm sure this is one of his fictitious stories that he creates in his interesting mind when he finds himself bored throughout the work day, but if I accuse him of creating it he gets all sensitive and sad and questions how I can doubt him. Ahem...quite easily.

I had a visit with the newlyweds last night. Ruby and Abu just got back from their Hawaii in honeymoon. I will have to invade Sunu A's computer and post some of their wedding pictures to share with all of you. I just remembered I never told you all how the wedding went....Ruby was beautiful and the wedding was beautiful! I was a little nervous Friday night of the rehearsal since I had no clue what I was doing. But, by Saturday...I pulled myself together...and with the help of my 2 trusty assistants (SunuA and Sheryl)...I was able to pull off my first wedding!...Now on to the 2nd...

Today I have an appointment with the pastor of a potential church for the wedding. She's a female...which I think is pretty cool. I haven't met many female pastors, so this should be interesting. The church is nice...it's actually prettier on the outside than the inside. Hopefully the meeting will go well, so I can seal the deal. This weekend I have a meeting with a photojournalist. His work is quite amazing and his prices seem reasonable, so hopefully I'll be able to seal that deal as well. Last but not least...a local store is having it's largest sale ever on wedding gowns. Ahem...I don't want to go but I'd be dumb not to. I'm just not physically prepared for this...somehow, I think I'll look like a powdered doughnut.

Tonight's the season premier of Lost. I'm gonna go watch it with Finuji and Micah. I haven't bonded with the two of them in a long time, so I'm looking forward to it. I need my Micah time with out any of his pushy aunts trying to steal him out of my hands!

Monday, February 05, 2007

The latest happenings...

It just dawned on me that I haven't written a blog in days. All of sudden I've been slammed with a zillion things to do. Wedding planning frenzy has officially begun, guys. But, I'm not complaining. I've waited my entire life for this.

Anyhoo, I've been trying to grow my nails out per the request of my fiancé. This is a hard task for me because I've been biting my nails since I've had teeth. After the false set that SunuA hooked me up with for my engagement finally popped off, I tried real hard to keep my teeth from nibbling. But, this morning I got stressed about some trivial matter, and I could hold them back no longer. It was actually a liberating feeling. I know, I'm sick.

Mousse has been a challenge lately. Her behavior is getting worse by the day. Any time I leave the house, she shreds whatever she can find as some sort of revenge. I tried to appease her last night by taking her for a long walk...despite the fact that it was freezing cold and my snot was forming iciles at the end of my nose. I thought it'd make her happy, but apparently, not so much. I tell ya...this dog is definitely training me to be a more patient person.

In other news, I really have no other news. So until tomorrow.........

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Character Profile...



Character Profile: Mathew
Initials: MT (I'll be SueTee pretty soon!)
Nicknames: Matt, Matty, Mattz, Saji
Best feature: his eyes
Best quality: his compassion for others
Annoying habit: answering questions with questions
Most surprising fact: He lives in Bollywod, but hates hindi movies and music
Pet: A black cat, which is NOT coming with him to the U.S.
Hobbies: writing, working out, riding around on his motorcycle, & reading SueVee's blog
Matt and his crew...