A Chocolatey Lick

It has been 10 months since we moved to our new den, new dreams, new hopes and just all the things every new homeowner goes through. There is a feeling of pride and joy when you sign the deeds for your first home, forgetting the big monthly mortgage payments. Might be it is the first step towards the ultimate goal or is it that every lifetime dream starts with a white picket fence or is it just that being a homeowner gives a better tax break?

Ten months, in our new home, our first dream home, we have faced our own ups and downs. Renting was so much easier, especially when you air conditioning breaks down on a Saturday evening in the middle of a hot Texas summer. Frantic phone calls, two nights of sweating it out and a few thousands of dollars lighter we were back to normal. The pleasures of home ownership.

Might be it is just us, or might be every homeowner feels this in the first few months of owning a home, a feeling of pride and happiness. A sense of coming home to your own house, lazing in the couch and munching on chips is different from coming home to an apartment. It is just four walls, a cardboard dabba we call home but every bit of it brings a sense of happiness. Even the creaks of the staircase seem like music.

The wise man never stops learning they say and I say as homeowners we learned and learned a lot. From fixing the the dripping water closet to handling power tools to built a brand-new wardrobe. From learning to differentiate between crown molding and molds in the ceilings, from learning to replace the air filters regularly to regularly taking the trash out!


HGTV became our favorite channel the past few months and we have been looking for low-cost (proof we shell out big bucks for our mortgage) renovations plans. And we decided to follow the golden advise given, a can of paint is the cheapest way to change the room. Easily said than done, the plan was to paint the white walls of the guest bedroom and kind of make it look better with a few accessories. After the 30 minute decorating shows on TV we safely assumed that in a couple of weekends we should be done with our project!

A trip to Lowes armed with ideas and we started the process of deciding what color we wanted. The choices numerous and the time consumed countless. After a long tiring session, the decision and work was wisely postponed to the next weekend. But determined to decorate the room, another trip to Lowes and a couple of gallons of paint, a few rollers, brushes later we were all set to go.

The TV shows make it look quite easy but painting is not so easy well it is not too tough also. We cleared the room, the spread out the drop cloth and started preping the room. Preping basically involves taping off the areas you don't want the paint to go using those blue duct tapes and then cleaning the walls. Believe me preping takes a looooong time. And then we decided to start!

The rollers do a good job of evenly distributing the paint but there are times when the paint drips on spots you don't want it making the place a mess, the paint supposed to be on walls does get on your hands, face,legs and hair getting you in the Halloween mood.A bit of determination and fun attitude, we were able to get the room painted in about 4 hours. Not at all bad!Yes the walls of our guest bedroom have had a lick of chocolaty paint! And it looks good!

Our to-do list for the room is not yet done, plans include crown molding and then ofcourse the decorative touches! Soon and pretty soon it will be done and then we plan to tackle the master suite!

Homeownership is a pain when the toilets don't flush and when the AC conks out but it is a absolute pleasure when you get to paint those walls and admire your work! Ahh! the pleasures of homeownership!


Eggitibition


We were in Dallas a couple of weekends back and decided to head to the Texas State fair held every year at Dallas. We were there on the day when the UT played against OU and we were in a sea of orange and red. And here is my take on the state fair.

Some of my fondest memories of growing up are the visits to the exhibitions (rather eggibition in the local slang!) aka porutkatchis that made regular appearances in summer and the festival season at the neighborhood school grounds. It was such an exciting event and off we went! The merry family ohing and ahhing over everything.

The smell of the dust mingled with assorted fried foods, the dripping ice creams, the sweaty bodies added another dimension to the whole evening. And did I forget to mention the blaring loudspeakers? Lit up like a birthday cake, the exhibition was a sight set to attract people of all ages. The milagai bhajis, Delhi appalams, karmpu charu (sugarcane juice) and the pink panju mittais (cotton candy) were a treat to enjoy. Fast food, the Indian style served with on disposable plates made our mouth water and yeah we went to the exhibitions for the cheap trinkets, the thrilling rides and the amazing food!

The State fair of Texas was definitely bigger than any exhibition I had ever been to, after all it is Texas, everything is but big in Texas. The Texas State fair, showcases and sells not just the typical household items but also ranch animals like cows, pigs, goats. So in the market for a painted pony? Just head out to the state fair.

Quite a change from the typical fair foods I was used to in India, the Texas state fair does offer some yummy food. Corn on the cob with butter and cayenne chili powder for the kick, corny dogs, fried cheesecake, fried bananas with chocolate and nuts and cream, fried coke, fried cookie dough, fried latte and the list goes on! Yes! I know many of these names sound really weird and yucky but believe me they taste amazing. Just reinforcing my belief, anything fried and sold in the fair tastes good.

Oh yeah, it is no where close to the eggibitions from the growing up days in India but something is definitely better than nothing. Stop by, stay Howdy to Big Tex (the official mascot of the fair), show unwanted stuff, dream about expensive luxuries, listen to loud blaring music, ride the skyway and try your luck at some of the game stalls, attend a few shows and top off with some amazing fair food!

But be warned it will leave the desi in you carving for real eggibition food, milagai bhajis and delhi appalams here I come!

The mascot, Big Tex




Back in H-town

After a dose of history, fall foliage and small town USA wanderings we are back in Houston. Our trip details are here!


Happy Birthday S

We are so glad you are a part of our family and in your own way you bring smiles and joys! Here's to R's bro-in-law S! Wishing you a wonderful birthday and a good luck at your new job!

On Air

Here are some tidbits from around the world... that made me stop and think...


Honor Killing


Toddler weddings

Back to School

Season of Change

It is the season of change, you can smell it in the air. The dog days of summer are almost gone, there is a crispness in the air, the leaves are no longer on the trees but rather decorating the yards. It is the festive season, there is joy and happiness as people look forward for Navarati,Halloween, Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. Stores are stocking up with pretty orange pumpkins, ripe red cranberries! Time for change from the hot days of summer, time for change..

The best way to enjoy these amazing falls days, open toed shoes, the morning sun rising in the horizon, the silence as the day break outs, dew on the grass... walk along the grass, let the dew tickle your feet, take a deep breath to enjoy the fresh morning air.... bliss! a much needed slow pace before the hectic day rolls in!

And as it goes there is a lot of changes going on at Poohsden, it is time to step out of certain roles and embrace new roles in life. And the transition is just going to be long and taxing on us. It has started taking its toll and one of the places its effects are directly seen is this blog..we'll try keep updating with news and changes as we enter unchartered territories...

Till then, stay safe and enjoy the season of change