USA Diary---Day 8--- Cary ( 18 Jun 2010)

The temperature is slowly coming down.Earlier, it used to be in the 90s but has now come down to the 80s.

I had a walking date at 7 AM but my partner ( Fred) didn't turn up.
In fact, I had got up earlier for a conference call at 6 AM. I hope some of my office colleagues are reading this so that they know how hard I'm working even during my vacation.

I finished my walk at around 8.30 AM, came back and had a breakfast of Dosa with chutneypudi and ghee---- yummy. To hell with cholesterol was my feeling.

Nalini ( Sundari's daughter ) called up from Cincinnati and said she would meet us on 21st Jun and take us around Cincinnati.Very sweet of her and we are looking forward to meeting her.

Then we sat and watched a Turner Classic Movie ( actually two) while I had set myself up with a glass of Woodbridge ( Cabernet Sauvignon), a bowl of cherries, a smaller bowl of chips and a still smaller bowl of crackers ( we call them Parle Biscuits in India). God was in his Heaven and everything was all right with the World.

I went to the Condo Office and read the papers ( the BP Chairman had been grilled by the US House of Representatives) and also returned " Divine Justice".

Came back to a lunch consisting of rice and onion gojju and then sat down to finish Mickey Spillane.

Sachin was back by 6 PM and then we went shopping.We went to DSW where Sudha bought a purse and looked for some loafers for me ( not like me, for me).Everything was pretty expensive and so I dropped the idea.

We then dropped in at Sweet Tomatoes for dinner.This is a Soup and Salad Restaurant and the fare was just yummy.All of us thoroughly enjoyed the food topped off with some frozen yogurt and icecream. Got back in time for another conference call at 11 PM ( poor me, more hard work during a vacation)and then went to bed at 12 Midnight.

A little more Americana for all you folks.When you go out of home, there are basically only four surfaces you encounter. The first is asphalt or bitumen for the roads.The second is grass as in lawns.The third is concrete as in walkways and pathways for pedestrians.The fourth is mulch which covers pretty much everything else, like flower beds, hedges etc.This mulch is mostly made up of dried twigs and is blanketed on everything which is not covered by roads or pathways or grass.
The mulch allows rainwater to seep through but retains the soil.This way, there is no dust or dirt as we see it in India.

You can go out for a walk or a jog and then walk through your carpeted home without feeling guilty.

That's it for now folks.Enjoy your weekend.

Kesari