Friday Fragments - 4th November

Heyylooo! Here I am back with my weekly ritual of unloading. Its been 3 long weeks since the last Friday Fragments. So here's what has been happening.

---) We visited my cousin's place in Virginia and headed towards Luray Caverns and Shenondoah Valley.

 Stalactites - hold on 'tight' to roof and Stalagmites - 'might' reach the sky - the guide told us how to remember which is which 

Dark Hollow Falls at Shenondoah Valley

The entry fee to the Luray caverns in quite steep - $23 each, but once you are there what choice do you have right?

---) Two great friends of mine from Netherlands and Canada visited me in the same week. I am becoming a better NYC tourist guide day by day! :-) Two cool things happened when in NYC with my NL friend. 

One - We both could swear we saw SnoopDogg in the metro! Nobody even realized it man! We kept staring at him until he walked off at some station. 

Two - We were standing outside a restaurant in downtown Manhattan trying to figure out where we were and there was this guy all suited up standing right next to us and fidgeting. Within minutes 2 shady looking guys came and handed him a small packet. In exchange the guy in the suit gave them a big bundle of rolled up cash and left in a hurry. It was like a scene out of CSI NY!!! We looked around to check if cameras were rolling somewhere. But No! Hmmmm....

With my friend from Canada, I still can't believe how we managed to talk non-stop for most part of the day! The day flew away so quickly! 

---) Diwali the festival of lights co-incided with my b'day this year. We went to Pennsylvania to celebrate it with some friends. We were all dressed up in traditional clothes and did like 101 poses in front of the camera. :-) 

---) My sister sent us some home-made sweets and savories all the way from Canada. Hubby who barely touches most of the sweets, fought with me for the last one. We want mooreeeee! Are you listening  sis :-D? 

---) Whats with the crazy snow storm last week? NJ faced incredible snow fall with quite serious power cuts and falling trees everywhere. The houses just next block had power shutdowns for upto 4 days!!!! We barely escaped! They even shifted the Halloween trick or treating days in some neighborhoods here. 

---) I got an amazing pair of boots last Saturday - weather proof, furry and all...Just in case :-) 

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Friday Fragments - 14th October

Its Fridayyyyy! :-) This week was good. Time really does fly like crazy, it has been almost 6 months since I came to the US.

So here are this week's highlights.

---) I had my first job interview since coming here (ya, it took that long!)and have been selected to go to round 2. Keeping my fingers tightly crossed!

---) You know that afternoon time after lunch, that lull period when you wish the world would wrap up for just a bit so you can snatch a quick look into that enchanted world? Seriously! that afternoon siesta is like the bestest thing in the world. After a long time I went to that enchanted world yesterday. Bliss! :)

---) We have been provided with free Hindi (regional language)channels by our cable people again! All the super "saas" (mother-in-laws) and "bahus" (daughter-in-laws) beware!

---) I made quesedillas today for lunch today from this recipe here. It was just so yummy, I wonder why I have never ventured much into this before despite having a grill.

---) We surprised our neighbor on her birthday with a nice cake and a gift at the stroke of midnight. She was so surprised by us that she was skipping around like a child. Totally worth it :)

---) Its pouring cats and dogs here at the moment. We are off to Virginia and Pennsylvania this weekend to meet up some family and friends.

Have a great weekend all you peeps!!!

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Friday Fragments - 7th Oct

I missed the Friday fragments last week! So this week I am trying to be on time.

---) Spent the whole of today cleaning and cooking - I go through this timely rituals mostly when guests come home. If someone comes often enough and has already seen the house messy, then they no longer count as guests :-D

---) I folded almost 200 give away t-shirts in the library as part of my volunteer work. When I told my husband about this, he immediately turned around, looked at my closet and smiled. I do wonder sometimes how my closet can look like I have tried out all clothes at the same time and just hung them out in bunches.

Friday Fragments - 23rd Sep

Okie, I am cheating. Its Monday already, but what the heck! I am still doing this.

---) The biggest highlight of this week has been that the drip-drip annoyance which has been lingering on and off on our bathroom tub for almost 4 months has been finally repaired and I felt oh so very blissful about it.

---) The libraries here are just great. There is some free event to take part in every other week. Attended a free Yoga class for beginners. Was OK. At parts where you are asked to meditate, I was plain sleepy.                      

---) Saw this incredible Iranian movie called "The Color of Paradise". From the director of "Children of Heaven". Some movies make you think of them and the meaning behind them long after you have finished watching. This is on of those rare jewels. Its a slow movie though, takes time to settle into your system.

---) It is strange how I have gotten to know few of my relatives after coming to the US, some of whom I have never met back home. An uncle, aunt and two of my cousins on their vacation to the US. Met them at their hotel, was good fun. :)

Thanks to "Half - Past Kissin' Time" for hosting the Friday Fragments. Click the button  below to join!

Picture Courtesy - http://www.plumbermiamifl.org/how-to-repair-a-leaky-faucet/

Friday Fragments - for the first time!

Inspired by fellow blogger at The Misadventures of Mub, I have started the Friday Fragments for the first time. It is a cool weekly feature initiated by Half - Past Kissin' Time which sort of recaps the past week's highlights. A neat way to keep track of life, I thought! :)

So here goes my week's highlights:

---) I finally completed my looong time on going crochet project. A simple scarf which I managed to mess up half through and had to undo all the way back and again knit it. I was so excited when I completed this, I tried it out several times even while the sun was shining ever so brightly :). Am thinking what to make next!

---) Being a new driver, I avoid driving on my own through highways as much as possible. After a strong pep talk from my husband and carefully tracing out a route which takes the highway for only few minutes, I managed to make it on my own for a needed car repair! Phew!

---) I joined swimming lessons. Again! It was oddly satisfying to see grown up people who all have some sort of water phobia and have hence not learnt swimming so far. Lets see if I get it this time around.

---) The weather changed dramatically from mid week here in NJ. It was as if the sun got bored and said a sudden brisk good bye. From turning the air-conditioning on one night, to taking out our warm blankies the next night, the "brrrrr.." season begins.

---) After some back and forth thoughts I finally started volunteering at the local library here. Just for a change. The lady there said while showing me how to label books that she found it therapeutic. And then she took me to a big stack of about 500 books. Ahem! Therapeutic, I don't know. Mind numbing, yes! :)

---) I have realized my favorite hangouts in general are two sorts of places - libraries and coffee shops (not the Dutch kind!). There is this cozy, warm, fuzzy feeling about them. After a wonderful Chai Tea Latte, me and hubby just took a walk along the Hudson river to this beautiful view of NYC skyline (above). Small pleasures are the best!

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