the vet with btg, 9.24.24

we went in for bagel’s annual this afternoon. he is doing good, according to the vet. she complimented his teeth and that made me feel good about things. bagel handled his blood being taken very well and i’m always so amazed at his willingness to go through things so long as i am with him. from a dog’s perspective, the idea of medicine or drawing blood or even brushing teeth must be so foreign to them. yet and still, when it’s time to do those things, bagel will go along with it. it’s truly incredible. i thank God and the Universe that he is in good health. we did our post-vet chick-fil-a run afterwards. i just fed him and i think in a few minutes we’ll hit the park for a few rounds.

-ratha, 5:25pm, 9.24.24

internet couples, 9.23.24

i came across an internet couple on tiktok. the guy is paralyzed from the waist down and the girl is perfectly able. the guy was in an accident a year and a half ago (if i’m remembering correctly) and no matter what, she stayed with him. i love that. that to me is true love. of course we love the whole package, but no matter what happens to the physical, the spirit is something that cannot be replaced. i’m a stranger to both, but i am rooting for them.

at the end of the day, true love always wins regardless of the course of the relationship.

-ratha, 7:23pm, 9.23.24

throwback with kellz, 9.22.24

kellz sent me a photo last week of us from 2010. it’s a legendary photo. we went to some chalk drawing festival in downtown raleigh and then to southpoint afterwards. 2010 was such a good year, a lot due to her. the summer riding around to cudi and drizzy, watching fireworks with meezy on july 4th, and all our late night adventures. i’ve been thinking about that photo and how quick the time moves. 14 years later and she’s still in my life. how incredible is that?

i’m grateful for the universe introducing us to each other in the back of andy’s all that time ago.

-ratha, 7:20pm, 9.22.24

free books, 9.21.24

when i walked into smartlabs yesterday, they had a free book library. you can take one, you can bring one, or you could just keep one. i looked in the bin and found two which interested me. one was a book about tidying up, which i desperately need to do, and the other was a novel by the same guy who wrote the alchemist. i still have yet to read the alchemist, but i’ll read this one then get to his magnum opus.

what better way to spend a weekend then to watch football and read??

let me know because i can’t think of one.

-ratha, 12:24pm, 9.21.24

uncc at the apple store, 9.20.24

i went to apple store in rockingham mall in new hampshire to buy a new phone. my phone hasn’t been getting texts and calls every so often, plus the charger port is messed up as i have to angle the cord exactly to perfection to get a charge. the apple store opened at 8am and i got to the mall at 7:30am. i tried to open two doors, and they were closed. i sat in my car until 7:55am. i saw someone walking in the mall so i went and tried to open the door, but it was locked. that’s when i figured some door is open and i have to find it. i drove around and eventually found the door in the back side of the mall was unlocked. i walked in at 8:10am and the line for apple was long as shit. as i’m waiting, i’m hoping that they had the phone i wanted, which was the pro max black titanium. as i’m in line, an older lady reads my shirt. i’m wearing a uncc basketball shirt. she asks if i went there. when i told her i did, she asked what i was doing up here. she mentioned she was on campus a few weeks ago, which surprised me. she said it was one of the most beautiful campuses, but that it’s a shame that it’s a commuter school. i asked why she was on campus and long story short, we played jmu in football. her son is the offensive coordinator for the dukes and her son’s friend is the defensive coordinator for uncc. she was decked out in purple, and her nails were purple. i loved it. as i’m waiting in line, a guy ahead me says he overheard that i worked in biotech. he said his daughter works in biotech for janssen in new jersey and that she just graduated. he then mentions how he’s recently divorced, but seeing a new lady in north carolina as he has a house in north myrtle beach. he was so kind, too. he said he lost his phone and was getting a new one. his advice to me was to max out my 401k and by the time i’m his age, i’ll be a happy man. eventually we all got our phones and parted ways, but it was nice conversation early in the morning.

life is amazing and you never know who you’ll run into.

-ratha, 9:23am, 9.20.24

lunch in the west lobby, 9.19.24

i grabbed some food from smartlabs. they had asian mediterranean food today. by the time i got there, they had some pork and rice left. it was actually really good. i sat outside the west lobby eating lunch with schuni. we were catching up and i really believe his youtube will take off. i wanna make sure i can do what i can to support him because he has the vision, the skill, and the work ethic. the only thing missing is the platform, but that will come in time. this 9-5 isn’t it. i know i’ve said that ad nauseam, but it’s the truth.

and sadly, it’s the truth we’re currently living.

-ratha, 2:11pm, 9.19.24

maya decisions, 9.18.24

the sequoia came out the mechanic today after getting all 4 o2 sensors replaced. i have to drive it 100 miles, which hopefully after doing so the check engine light stays off. i met p and jennifer at maya for their wednesday night dinner buffet. we were talking about work and i made a decision in the parking lot tonight. 2025 will be my last year working a biotech job. i wanted to write this down so i’d remember. it’s seems crazy. i know it’s all talk until it finally happens but don’t be surprised when it finally happens.

you know?

-ratha, 9:32pm, 9.18.24

gum drop dilemma, 9.18.24

i opened my snack drawer and found gum drops i bought for 75% off from stop n shop a few weeks ago. though it was a nice surprise, i don’t think i’ll be able to resist temptation as i’ve been eating well lately. even if i’m able to resist temptation, i’ll justify eating them by saying if i don’t, then it’d be wasting money though i’ve wasted more than a dollar some change on other useless things.

-ratha, 4:11pm, 9.18.24

finishing touches, 9.17.24

i still can’t stop working on coming home lateee. it’s because i’m insecure about my music i always feel i can do more. i love the music i make and i do think it’s of quality, but sometimes when i think about it too hard, i begin to second guess myself. but then i have to remind myself i’m just starting out and that i will grow with it in time through consistency. i don’t know. days ago, i felt good about it. today, not so much.

but i guess that’s a part of the journey.

-ratha, 11:25pm, 9.17.24

falling asleep on the bus, 9.16.24

isn’t it crazy how one small thing can trigger your memory to an experience you forgot about? i was sitting on the edge of my bed on my phone facing the window. a school bus pulls up to drop some of my neighbors off. as soon as i saw the bus, i was transferred back in time to elementary school at sanfordville in warwick, new york. i remember my bus driver was skinny white lady named ms. barbara. i’ve been so lucky to come across kind people all my life, and she was one of them. ever since i was young, my family would take road trips what felt like all the time. i always fell asleep during them. this is something that hasn’t left me all these years. when i’m not driving, if i’m in the car, i get drowsy. well, one day after school i fell asleep on the bus after school and missed my house on the route. i woke up and was so confused where i was at. i didn’t recognize any of the houses and that’s when i knew i missed my stop. i looked up at ms. barbara and she told me she noticed i was asleep and she let me sleep. after her last stop, she circled back and dropped me off. at the time i was aware of how kind that was of her. years later, now that i’m thinking about it, it makes me emotional. she was so nice to me, even outside of that situation. if it’s one thing, kids do remember. it’s been over 20 years and that moment just came to me after seeing my neighbor’s get off their bus.

ms. barbara probably doesn’t remember me, but i remember her and i hope she’s doing well.

-ratha, 4:13pm, 9.16.24