bringing dinner home, 7.13.22

chan and i were having trouble bringing dinner home for the family. first, we called multiple places and asked if they would do a takeout order. one place said no takeout orders until after 8pm, the other said no takeout orders after 5pm. it was 6:35pm. eventually, we found a bbq joint. we pulled up and it was busy as hell. there were no parking spaces, so i parked the sequoia with emergency lights on. before i went in to get food, i told chan if people come out to the cars we’re parked in front of, to move. as the guy is getting my order, i look outside and chan is in the driver seat struggling to move the car. as i go there, he’s trying to move the differential to drive, instead of the shifter near the steering wheel. not only that, the parking brake was still on. i went and got him right, then got the food. as we’re driving off, i drove 4 or 5 miles past the airbnb. the airbnb address doesn’t register on google maps, so it took us 15 more minutes to figure out how to get back to the cribo.

when we got to the house, luckily the food was still hot, the ribs were tender, and the bbq sauce was delicious.

-ratha, 9:01pm, 7.13.22

the fifth piece, 7.12.22

dad and i picked up boun, amelie, and her friend bailey from the airport after work today. this will be the first time since 2010 we all are together as a family. 12 years is a long time, but it feels like a flash. mom cooked prime rib tonight with beef skewers. then chan, amelie, bailey, and i went to walmart to buy ice cream cakes and drums. i still gotta shower and pack for bagel and i, but a quick getaway is on the horizon for us.

feels good to have everyone back here together, we need to do this more often.

-ratha, 10:45pm, 7.12.22

switching plans, 7.11.22

originally, we had planned to go to martha’s vineyard, but there were no available hotels within the timeframe we wanted. it’s actually short notice, because we need a place for wednesday thru friday. this was a major inconvenience, but i think it worked out for the better because we booked an airbnb in bar harbor near acadia national park. the airbnb is a whole house with a pool table, 5 rooms, 8 beds, a hot tub, and plenty of parking. total it was $3500 for two nights, but i think the memories we’ll make there will be priceless.

one more day until vacation starts.

-ratha, 4:31pm, 7.11.22

2 hours at the flume, 7.10.22

dad took chan and i to the flume gorge in new hampshire. it’s literally 2 hours skraight up 93. the day was perfect for hiking, warm, but not too humid. when we got there, we got prime parking. what amazes me, is that these ‘walls’ were made of all granite. not only that, during the ice age, glaciers were around this area. when they melted, years-later lava came and coated the sediment, which is why the granite had a dark-red tint to it. even mountains eroded due to the frost and the melting of these glaciers. this happened of 200 million years ago. things like this amaze me, but i have to keep myself at bay, otherwise i’ll research myself into an existential crisis.

for now, i’ll admire the beauty of all the things we couldn’t control.

-ratha, 4:25pm, 7.10.22

big bro in town, 7.9.22

big bro touched down from rdu today. he got here early at 8am, but i napped until 1pm. i couldn’t sleep until 4am last night. don’t ask me why, because i couldn’t tell you. at 4:00pm, we went over my cousin’s house for my nephew’s 7th birthday party. the food was incredible, they even had short ribs. kids were swimming in the pool. presents were opened. candles were blown out. chan got to meet everyone. it was a good time. at one point, i went to the cooler and among all the waters and sodas, there were caprisuns. i hadn’t had one of those since i was a kid. the second i started sipping from one, i was reminded of how good they used to be. i might’ve killed like 6 or 7 of them. because there were kids around, i went on to water, but damn i’m thinking next time i’m in walmart of purchasing a box or two of them kiwi-strawberry joints.

i gotta do it one time for the one time.

-ratha, 11:24pm, 7.9.22

the perfect bumper magnets, 7.8.22

i was in line at dunkin’ donuts trying to get some donuts. they didn’t have strawberry-frosted, nor did they have maple-frosted, so i settled for boston creme pie and chocolate-frosted. after i ordered, i pulled up behind an suv with two bumper sticker magnets. one said ‘all dogs matter’, the other said 'i love my catahoula leopard dog.’ that’s my first time ever seeing a catahoula leopard dog magnet. i almost wanted to run up to that person and share with them that i love my catahoula leopard dog, too though that would have been creepy af lmao. seeing catahoula leopard dogs getting shown love gets me excited. this is like the time i was watching jeopardy and the answer was 'what is a catahoula leopard dog.’

when i got home, i told bagel all about it but he didn’t seem to care.

smh.

-ratha, 5:36pm, 7.8.22

early work cravings, 7.7.22

i arrived at work at 6:13am this morning. i brought a salad for lunch, but i’m craving ihop tres leches pancakes. there’s an ihop 2 miles away and i’m thinking of it. the first time i had those pancakes was in early 2019 when i visited chan and we went to the ihop by his house. them joints was mad sweet, i gotta get the sauce on the side if i do go.

i shouldn’t but damnit do i want to lol.

-ratha, 9:40am, 7.7.22

jumping ship, 7.6.22

i provided a timeline for my corporate plans to my dad during conversation over the past month or so. while cutting my hair, my mom brought it up. she said i should have something lined up before i attempt pursuing writing full-time. she said a lot of people would love to be in my position, especially with my job. i told her i know, because i do know. despite my ambition, i’d like to think i have enough perspective to realize i am in a good position in life, but at the same time, my wisdom at this point is telling me i deserve more out of life. i am also aware my wisdom could be naïve, but that’s a conclusion i’m willing to accept with the road i’m traveling down.

because it’s either this, or slowly walk down the path of regret.

-ratha, 9:44pm, 7.6.22

speaking to google, 7.5.22

a strange thing happened tonight. i was laying in bed thinking of life, as i usually do, when i got bogged down by thoughts of paranoia, anxiety, and the fear of regret. when this happens, i try to snap myself out of it by thinking of something i’m thankful for. when i thought about how i’m thankful for the financial situation i’m in, i said thank you god aloud. my google home (which hasn’t worked in months due to poor wifi connection) responded ‘if you’re happy, i’m happy.’ i was so confused. since i’ve been here, i’ve only used my google home to check the weather, but since it lost connection to wifi, it’s been a paperweight under my television in recent memory.

strange happenings, but maybe god (or google) is trying to tell me something.

-ratha, 8:24pm, 7.5.22

a quick lake trip, 7.4.22

bagel and i went to my cousin’s in-law’s lake house for the fourth. it was an hour and a half away in a small town called rindge, new hampshire. the food was good (they even had short ribs!), the weather was breezy under the trees, and the family was doing well. i brought bagel and he got along with one of my cousin’s dog, bowser. however, bagel kept getting antsy. this is due to him being overstimulated with new foods, new people, new environments, and most of all new dogs. i tried to get him into the lake to swim some energy off, but he was not having it. then, when one of the other dogs ran around him, he lunged twice. at that point i was stressed, he was stressed, so we left. despite this, i think we both had a good time still. since we’ve been home, we’ve been hanging watching goodfellas.

it’s still pretty early, so i’m plotting on what to get for dinner.

-ratha, 4:34pm, 7.4.22