a trip to roche bros, 7.7.24

our last day in cape was today. we decided to grill out, so we went to roche bros to get some food. it was burgers, hot dogs, salmon, and juices. the burgers were american kobe beef, and we had sirloin steaks with franks. the cookout ended up being sooo good. the lady who checked us out was so kind. she was originally from boston and worked for fidelity. then she said she had two kids while her parents bought a house here in hyannis. she moved here and has been working for roche bros for about 30 years. she checks her phone and says 30 years today, exactly. apparently, she made great money at fidelity, which i believe. good for her. she told us that roche bros is her job for fun and truth be told, that’s the dream. she had such great energy, and it was good talking to her for a few moments. just as everything happens for a reason, i believe conversations with strangers aren’t by accident.

i think we’ll head to get some ice cream later, but our trip to roche bros included more than groceries.

-ratha, 4:24pm, 7.7.24

biking at martha’s, 7.6.24

we spent the whole day at martha’s vineyard today. most of it was biking to edgartown and back, but it was gloomy and a bit shady, so it wasn’t bad. we ate at the sandbar, explored the island, and got some ice cream. pretty new england if you ask me. everybody says the cape and martha’s vineyard is nice and i was able to see that firsthand today. it’s a shame it’s only an hour and a half from me and i’ve never taken the time to make the trip. i remember andrew, my best friend in elementary school, him and his family would go here and to nantucket for vacation. they loved it. one time, he brought me back a nantucket zip-up hoodie at one of our sleepovers. it’s a random memory, but it’s a good memory.

seeing as nantucket was the island we didn’t visit, we’ll be back in the next month or so.

-ratha, 8:11pm, 7.6.24

alberto’s ristorante, 7.5.24

after a late outdoor dinner tonight, i’ve learned the best clam chowder i’ve ever had belongs to alberto’s ristorante.

-ratha, 10:03pm, 7.5.24

missing the boston fireworks, 7.4.24

i missed the fireworks again this year and a party at the lake house. it’s for good reason as i’m working on finishing coming home lateee, a few things for rdl365, and merchandise design for the label and my writing. i think i’ll celebrate the fourth this year by eating a burger, but this work will pay off one day and i’m hoping one of these years i’ll get to see the fireworks in boston or maybe even dc.

-ratha, 8:11pm, 7.4.24

wednesday hooping, 7.3.24

decent individual performance today but went 0-3. the first two games were close, within 2, but the last we lost by 4, smh. we had our opportunities but couldn’t get it done. i did feel my endurance coming back though, because by the third game i lost my legs. normally this happens within the first game or two, so i’ll take that as good progress. afterwards we were going to hit maya for their buffet, but they were closed. instead, we went to sura. i haven’t been to sura in ages and the galbi was still incredible. definitely as good as i remembered it. this time i opted to try milkis, a korean cream soda, over my typical sura fanta pineapple. i also had some pineapple ice cream afterwards and it was actually one of the best ice creams i’ve had. it came in a small pineapple shell and it was $7.50, which is worth it everytime. especially compared to taiyakis lol.

sura was an awesome ending to a great hoop session, but let’s hope for some wins next week.

-ratha, 9:58pm, 7.3.24

the quarterfinals, 7.2.24

this afternoon, we had a cornhole tournament at work. it was decently hot, but they had a ben & jerrys truck pull up with free ice cream and gatorades. i have only played corn hole once, and that was at another work tourney at the museum of science during the summer of 2021. joe was my partner and i thought we were going to win it all by his confidence. our first game, we played against maranda. she won a cornhole tourney once, so i thought it was a wrap for us. fortunately, we had beginner’s luck and somehow won. joe and i eventually lost in the quarterfinals, but it was still such a fun time. it was way better than being in the lab. i went to newbury street to do some shopping afterwards, then came home, and hit the park with bagel.

it’s a short week this week, so we just have to get through tomorrow then the weekend will be upon us.

-ratha, 6:12pm, 7.2.24

welcome july, 7.1.24

from here foward, we are closer to 2025 than we are to 2023.

i pray we make the most of it.

-ratha, 3:23pm, 7.1.24

good gym conversations, 6.30.24

i was at planet today after getting my tire from costco. as i was doing triceps pull-downs, someone asked me where i got my shoes. i told him they were levi x crocs collabs and that they could be found online. i said they were comfortable and i end up wearing them everywhere. we put our headphones back in and get back to working out. 10 minutes go by and he asks me if i go to ipswich park. it caught me off guard, but i told him i did. he then said he’s seen me there walking bagel and that he goes there often to play pokemon go. we get to talking and we have a 10-minute conversation about living in north reading, our majors in college, and how expensive boston is. i find out he used to date a girl that lives in my neighborhood, though i don’t know her, i know her dog because i’ve seen her dog around lol. it was good to have conversation at the gym today. i don’t know if it’s the right word, but i’m always thankful (?) when people recognize me? i don’t know what i’m saying because it sounds arrogant and that’s not the way i want this to come off so i’ll end today’s entry here lol.

shoutout to him, it’s always nice meeting nice people and having good conversation.

-ratha, 7:02pm, 6.30.24

the funko pop, 6.29.24

before madison’s going away event, p surprised me with a gift. he gave me a customized funko pop! he told me that’s the first one before they make the actual funko pop that’s coming soon. that gesture meant so much to me. the funko pop has a beanie (that i always wear) and a microphone with headphones and a dog for bagel. i couldn’t stop staring at it. i told him i’d put it on my dresser so i’d see it every morning. man, i am so thankful for him. God blesses me with tremendous people in my life. it’s never about where you’re at, more so who you’re with and i try to keep that in mind when life doesn’t feel as good as i think it should. that funko pop inspired me. when it’s all said and done, i gotta give credit to p because not only has he been here for me, but he helped manifest everything that will work out when it works out.

i only hope i can do the same for him.

-ratha, 2:11pm, 6.29.24

fortune cookies from the universe, 6.28.24

i rarely have a craving for chinese food, but after the gym, i went to lin garden in wilmington. it was ironic because as i was ordering, a guy walks in and asks me if i’ve ever been here before. i told him i hadn’t and he responded saying he hadn’t either. i ordered an egg roll with orange chicken. i sat and ate and it was delicious. i gave the guy a thumbs up as he was waiting for his food. when i got to my car, i opened the fortune cookies.

one of them said: a new project will lead to achievement.

the other said: your greatest achievements are the ones that inspire the world.

those two hit home. i took those as a sign from God and confirmation from the Universe. my first project, coming home lateee, is due at the end of july and the timing of these two fortunes were impeccable. i mean, what are the chances?

call me crazy but it feels that things are coming together.

-ratha, 7:22pm, 6.28.24