I haven't blogged in so long or so it feels to me at least. Right after the school shootings things seemed to mentally slow down for me. I felt as if anything I could write would be so terribly trite, that somehow it would be wrong to just start jabbering on about some bum who (again) asked me for 100 bucks on the streets (yes, this actually did happen twice) or some such equally vapid every day story. So I decided to take a break for a bit but it's the new year and I wanted to get back to one of my favorite past times I have...writing. So here were some of the highlights that happened since I last took virtual ink to paper.
Just before Xmas P looked at me and declared that I needed a few days away from all the craziness of our lives. Actually he meant he needed time away so after a lot of debating as to how to ask the folks at my office for 2 days off, I bit the bullet, sent out an email saying I would be away (and unavailable while gone) and made some plans. P's fab idea was NYC. Why NYC? Well I've gone on endlessly about how much I want to go to the city, stay there, take a ride through Central Park in a horse driven sleigh, catch may be the Nutcracker and go to Serendipity for some frozen hot chocolate, may be even a stop at FOA Schwartz. You know, cool New York-y things to do.
But anyone can tell you that around the holidays although NY is gorgeous, it's also expensive as heck. My man was still okay with that but I scratched it thinking that the laptop he bought me was gift enough for my impending birthday and that being a bit wise in spending was called for after so many birthdays/weddings/anniversary and other such occasions that we face near the end of the year. I think he was secretly pleased. Anyhow we ended up booking a room in Williamsburg, VA and it was a super relaxing trip. Some of you who know me well also know that we've been to this location numerous times and probably can not conceive as to why we go back at the drop of a hat as often as we do. Well honestly besides the point that we actually enjoy it every single time, there is the added bonus that since we have vacationed there so much there is no pressure to see anything new therefore if we feel like lazing around in our hotel room watching television or wandering the small village when the tourists have already gone away, we can do so with minimal guilt at not having seen everything we should. This particular trip we were able to eat and sleep a lot but I had noticed a lot of advertisements for some "Christmas Village" at Busch Gardens (see pics I posted on FB for frame of reference if you wish) and pestered P into taking me. It was so silly fun, wandering around aimlessly with no agenda, listening to Christmas music, gazing at strung lights everywhere and drinking hot peppermint giradelli chocolate. We nearly froze our buns off but seriously, so worth it. If you've never gone and you live close by, take the trip.
So we left for the trip on Thursday and came back on Saturday only because a dear, dear friend, who is also very much like a younger sister, had invited us to her wedding reception and if we were given the honor to be one of those lucky invitees, I was not going to miss it. And yes, it was worth the 4 hour traffic back home and the next two hours to the reception venue. Unfortunately we weren't late on purpose (like I don't believe in DST (Desi Standard Time) where everything starts 2 hours after the actual invitation time indicated by the host/hostess) but we were able to enjoy ourselves nonetheless and the bride and groom both looked so happy and radiant.
The next event was my birthday. Okay so wait it's not an 'event' really but it also happens to fall onto Christmas hence it often feels like one considering all the prep that leads to the day. P gave me a lovely bouquet of flowers the night before and then the day of we were off to my parents place to spend a nice day hanging out and in the evening a few friends and family came over to wish me happiness and love. The thing I like most about my birthday isn't the focus on me, actually quite frankly I hate that part of it but I do enjoy seeing my loved ones together (however many of my family were missing since they decided to take trips back to the homeland). The feeling special part is really nice too I won't lie. My parents still are able to create the illusion that I'm a little girl and P treats me like a princess. What more does a gal want right?
The next thing on the agenda was new years eve to look forward to and this is always rather a tricky subject for me. Here's the thing, I've always thought that NYE is the time to have fun, to kind of get away from the whole 'family' thing and just let your hair down. We've done the big fam parties many many times but lately P and I have sort of altered our thinking to where we want to focus on what we want to do, not what everyone else wants. And also, since we have no children we don't feel as if we have to necessarily hang out with the family while they are with their kids. For years P has pressured me into going out while the family have equally laid the same pressure to stay in. I actually have come to dread the end of the year cause of this and push back any decision making for as long as I can. Anyhow at one point 3 weeks prior to NYE P suggested we have a party at our place and invite a couple of friends over. I agreed thinking that it would be better then freezing our buns off at the Inner Harbor and then trying to figure out what we would do next.
Of course inviting people with such short notice for such a significant event is actually not the smartest idea. You're assured that you'll get a lot of 'no, we're busy' responses but P was insistent. Friday before new years I left work with a cherry stride to my step and by Saturday morning I was wracked with body aches, temperatures that were soring as well as lingering into the 103 domain and a cough that felt as if it was tearing my chest open. Huddled under 3 blankets, eyes puffy and clutching my head due to a pounding ache that wanted to take up perm residence in my cranium, I tried to focus on the party plans which P was making enthusiastically but when one is that sick, nothing matters. The news started to filter out that I was a contagious mess and the advice was to cancel the party. But new years cancellation? I can't be that big of a jerk. No, I simply kept taking flu medication, a tea brew that included ginger, honey and lemon and did a lot of praying. Come Monday morning though the flu germs had pretty much decided that it liked my body and was hunkered down for the long haul. I can't begin to tell you how agonizing getting dressed for that party was. Or how exhausted I was before it all started. I somehow managed to get downstairs in order to set things up but after about 30 minutes of putting chips and dips out, arranging some of the decorations, I retreated to bed to try to get a few more hours of sleep before the guests started to arrive.
Prior to the first persons arrival I will admit that I was shivering beneath 2 layers of clothing plus 3 blankets, moaning somewhere deep within the recess of my throat. The thing is, will power counts for a lot, and I certainly have it in spades so I somehow managed to swipe on some mascara, add a touch of lip gloss and joined the guests for what I think was a fairly successful party. 25 people showed up (whereas I thought not even 5 would come) and my last guest hung out till 4 am. I can also assure you that on new years day, I was dead to the world. The flu didn't like me ignoring it as I had the day before and laid down the law in making itself known (through out my body).
For those who are going through the same thing, you can attest to the fact that this little bugger is nasty. It lingers forever, even when the soring temperatures are gone, you are often visited by the weird shakes and chills, and then at one point the best aspect of it makes an appearance: the nausea. Oh yes, this has been my constant companion for the last 6 days. Ginger ale, Gatorade, saltines...nothing has worked. I have systematically puked up every single morsel of food that has been consumed resulting in 6 lbs shed (I suppose there is a silver lining to every dark cloud).
So P, who was feeling pretty darn good about himself cause he thought he had dodged the flu bullet, was laying in bed on Wednesday morning and expelled a cough that rocked him and I knew immediately. And seriously sometimes he's such a dude...I jumped up from bed (okay rather I tumbled weakly out of bed) and made a beeline for the dayquil but he stubbornly refused saying he was 'just fine'. by 2 pm his temperature had spiked, he was fully dressed under the covers and his eyes were nothing but slits peering out from under the blanket. I shook my head wondering how I was supposed to take care of him when I myself felt as if fainting was a better option then standing up. Let me tell you, two sick people in the same home is just not right. Where I mustered energy to make him tea, get him breakfast, lunch or dinner (all which he refused to eat, the big ol' baby) I have no idea, nor how I managed to drive to the pharmacy (one of many drives I would make in the next few days) to get more medicine without getting into an accident because my hands felt boneless and my reaction time was super slow. All it all I (and P) was (literally) a hot mess.
*pant pant, gasp gasp*
Then came this past Saturday and my dad's birthday. This man loves his birthday. No joke. At the age of 69 he still behaves as if he's 12 finding the joy of the day of his birth as any child that age could/would. He is all about being the center of attention while for the most part my brother, me and mom are happy with none of it. For weeks even before my bday he started to talk about his own until I snapped at him and told him that we need to focus on one thing at a time. Sigh. Heh. Anyhow, he wanted to have a big party at our house, invited 120 of his students and said that we would cater it. This all sounded fine to me weeks ago when we initially planned the party but when one was sick and laid out for almost a week, the idea of joining a house full of people through a night of music seemed less then thrilling.
This is where my super mother comes into play. And yes, she is a super star of a woman. All my life I've watched her entertain scads and hordes of my fathers students with nothing but a warm welcoming smile even when she herself is sick/unwell/unrested/ailing. She is the quintessential hostess with the mostest, but not just during parties, no my mother is like this 24/7/365. Even when I'm irritated and annoyed at the lack of privacy, she is smiling and radiant. How the hell she does it I'll probably never know, may be to some extent it's a genuine love of people, to another a strict abidance of her religion which says that guests take the form of gods blessings. I don't know, may be I don't like human beings that much nor am nearly as religious? I'm sorry but I like some privacy and not to be in the kitchen all the time. Sometimes I enjoy having my house to myself but that's me, not her. She's amazing, pure and simple.
At least during prior occasions I have been able to go early and help with the preparations but due to this wonderful flu I didn't make an appearance to my parents home until 4 pm on the day of the party. Nearly everything was completed. Did I feel guilty? Yes! I couldn't shake the 'I could have done more' feeling but honestly the options were limited for me, I mean what good would I have been laid up in bed with my mother having to take care of me as opposed to me helping her? No, Super Ammu had everything in order well before I made an appearance and really also thank god for those lovely students of my fathers who came to the rescue and her assistance...I won't name names but you know who you are and I thank you from the depths of my soul.
The party was a rousing success...I was even able to muster up the strength to sing a duet with N (Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo) without sounding like a constipated cat and only threw up once (although I ate also once) throughout the entire day. By the time people left P was nearly mindless with exhaustion as well as running a temperate so he retreated to bed immediately and I was dragging royal bootay. Laying down never felt so good though sleep stayed stubbornly away for quite a while. Sunday my eyes popped open at 9am although I forced myself to stay still for about an hour more then made my way downstairs to a house still quite full of people.
Although this end of the year has been irritatingly busy (as it has been every single year in the past) to the point where I quit looking forward to the holidays, I admit that there is a lot of comfort in seeing people who I usually only keep in contact with throughout the year via Facebook or the occasional text. Family is always a bonus to have close by to share some food, some laughter, some gossip with and you never quite feel alone when the whole world is also celebrating with their loved ones when you also are equally surrounded by those you love...well bonus, right? Therefore once home last night I was took a moment to murmur a little thanks to Allah for his benevolence and kindness to me. No matter the things that didn't go right, the plans that failed, the dreams that seemed to crash and burn, I had to pause to also see what I did have and what I gained. I prayed for my parents, and P's parents health, my family and my husbands families welfare. I said a special thanks for those friends still in my life and those who were just brought into it. I thank god for the job I got when so many others are struggling to find one. I prayed for the souls that have departed and for man kind in general hoping that somehow we will become a better race which populate this earth. I really prayed too that no one else gets this stinkin' flu and ask God to make me into a better person.
For now I'm working hard at simply trying not to faint from lack of food (thanks to this lousy bug) and will sign off. I have long since given up on the whole 'new years resolution' bit cause frankly I don't know a darn soul who has really been able to keep one thus far, nor have I ever been able to. But yes, I am promising to myself that I will keep this blog running. Let's see how much motivation stays with me through the year and the other small promise I made to myself is to see if anyone out there in the publishing world would be interested in seeing a manuscript of mine. I wonder how my name would look splashed on the front page of a book : ) Hmmm...
Happy New 2013 y'all...do make it count.
No comments:
Post a Comment