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Friday, June 26, 2009

Diamondbacks Game vs Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

God knows why they picked such a long title, not that I have any interest in it. This evening, we are going for our first game of this 2009 season of the Diamondbacks. Its the first ever baseball game for my father-in-law, who is here from India., I hope he likes it,and the post game fireworks. Neither my husband, nor I, know much about the game, or other teams. However, we go just for the fun of watching it in Chase Field. We are in awe of the huge stadium, its huge HD tv screen(my husband secretly dreams of owning such a gigantic TV), and how the roof opens up in 2 , for the fireworks display.

I just hope my father in law also enjoys the experience,and , remembers it as one of the nice things he saw here.





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Death of the King of Pop

I was very sad to know that Michael Jackson died yesterday. He was THE icon of music, after the Beatles, to me. Very few have come up in the world of music, like he did. Even though he was famous, he still was not happy with the way he looked, and went in for plastic surgery. However, apart from all scandals, he was still such an inspiration and had his trademark moon walk on stage, that many kids in school tried to imitate him, to be cool.

I remember listening to his songs, as my elder sister borrowed tapes from her friends, and listened to them at home. His music was what we listened to, on weekends, while cleaning our rooms etc. The beats, the rhythm, just did not make us feel tired in doing all that work. Perhaps, its an after effect of that childhood memory, that even today, I hum some song, as I go about my daily chores.

I know the media is giving a lot of attention to his demise,and other aspects, how he lived like a king, and died as a pauper, in a debt of $400 million. I just wanted to pen down my own thoughts on this.





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Amish Friendship Bread


I am disenchanted with the Amish Friendship bread. I was given the starter by a friend, and religiously followed instructions on first and second rounds. After that, I found my freezer was getting loaded with Amish bread starters, every time I baked. I gave it away to friends, neighbors, and even strangers(after advertising on craigslist(free) section). Even after all that donation, I am still stuck with 4-5 bags in the freezer. Most online discussion groups on this topic, tell you to again divide the starter, or use half the quantity of milk, flour and sugar, to feed the bag. However, none of them answer my question.
Can I use all the batter, on the 10th day, after having fed it on the 6th day, and not have to divide it anymore? which obviously means, I will have more than 2 loaves(that comes with one cup starter), but I am quite ok with more loaves. Not more starters to give away, PLEEEEEEASE HELP.




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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Fathers and daughers -in-law


This story again, is based on my experience of one morning, breakfast time.

My father in law was preparing Idli uppuma, which my husband had liked a lot, the last time we gave it for lunch. So today again, was uppuma day. I was noting down the recipe, exact ingredients he put in, and quantity. So, we started discussing how he made sambar too, because my husband had gone ga-ga over the sambar prepared by his dad. Till now, sambar preparation was my responsibility,and i put in what I usually did. Sambar podi, coriander , cumin etc. Turns out, my father in law, does not put any of the above listed podis, but only, salt, turmeric,and red chilly powder. Adding red chilly powder is something i had done before, but only in addition to sambar podi. Adding only red chilly powder was new to me, and I said so.

My father-in-law's favorite refrain is that I make everything "North Indian style". So when He said I made my sambar too, north Indian style, I replied that there was nothing north Indian about making Sambar. as it was a south Indian dish. I said the difference is you make it the non brahmin style ,and I make it the brahmin style, by adding sambar podi.
Now this apparently, rankled him,, and he chided me by saying, "No. Its not that. you always need to come out on top in any discussion,. "

I was hurt. I asked him what ingredients he put in sambar podi, Turns out , his list added and subtracted quantities from the ingredients which I used to make sambar podi. Essentially, it was the same.

On reflection, it was clear that he has a fatherly prejudice against anything his son, does wrong.and insists its the way to be done,"Anything my son does wrong, it is because he does not know any better". On th other hand, if I challenged his notions, I am the one" who always wants to win the argument".

Incident in point: When he arrived here, I generally told him I did not like onions with every vegetable. I was making vegetables in 2 ways- with onions, for him and my husband, and without, the way I liked. So cooking one day, I told him how my husband had insisted , the previous year navaratri, that I make sundal with onion, for giving to guests. i was against the idea, since onion is not supposed to be used while preparing neivedhyam on festival days. My husband however, tells me, not to impose my " brahmin" ways on everyone. I knew his fondness for onion dishes,and so gave in, making 2 varieties of sundal. One for neivedhyam, and one with onion and garlic, just to give guests to eat. (On the phone, my father-in-law had also supported my husband, saying" What is the big problem? its okay if you make it with onion, even for Goddess". )

In my household, the mere mention of garlic and onion in the preparation of sundal for neivedhyam, would draw a series of scoldings and lectures from my mother and grandmother. Here, in their household, onion was OK. So I relented. The whole point of Navaratri was in being happy. It wasn't until one of the guests commented, "How is it, that you have used onion in sundal, on navaratri day?" i explained to them how I had been outvoted by my fatter in law and my husband. And for clarification, that guy was not a Brahmin, neither was his wife. They however, knew, that onion should not be used for festivals.

So, the lack of knowledge on my husband's part, in respect to onions and neivedhyam, was alright. Why? My father in law justified it thus- The town he was brought up in, had a lot of Naidus, Chettiars and so, there was very little Brahmin influence in my husband's life, for him to know about these intricacies of religious functions. However, when I mention, that sambar was made in non-brahmin style, I get chided for expressing what I thought. (What is Aachi milaga podi, if not catering to the taste buds of non brahmins?)

Since my wedding day, I have always tried to avoid mention of "iyer aathu" or brahmin/ non brahmin references. I strongly believed, if it wasn't stopped then, it would affect our kids later on in life. I told my husband, lets just distinguish between being vegetarians and non-vegetarians"

After this incident, I am just waiting for the time when I will have support. That will happen when my parents visit us,and they start chiding my husband, for all his ways- because " its not how it is supposed to be done" and " you always want to prove that you are right" references.




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Misuse of medical care


The following incident is narrated only on personal experience, and is based on personal opinion. There is no attempt to generalize anything or anyone's health condition,.

Over the course of past 10 days, I have had to walk the dog of one of my neighbors. We know he falls ill frequently, has a heart condition he is battling with, that leads his heart rate to skyrocket, makes him breathless and faint. I knew his dog was left alone and untended to, until he came back from the hospital. Therefore, I gave him my number, and told him to get in touch with me anytime he is hospitalized and needs someone to walk his dog.

So keeping this in mind, he called me one Saturday morning, saying that he had been rushed to hospital the previous night. He wanted me to walk his dog until his return. I did so. The poor thing, was quite lonely, starved for affection,and I spent extra time, petting her, scratching her ears etc. A few days later, he calls me again, saying that he was taken to hospital again, and the doctors were keeping him overnight to check what was wrong. Again, i told him not to worry about his dog,and that I would walk her until he got back,. Until now, he had not paid me a single penny, claiming that he would pay me when he got some money in hand. He didn't have money because he was unemployed, on disability insurance,and had not found any job yet. So his dues to me had come up to twenty five dollars.

Now, my observation against this person, is that, in spite of a heart condition, he smokes regularly. He walks around , going to check his mail, in the peak afternoon sun, instead of taking rest. He is sweating profusely, by the time he is near his house. He has been told to take it easy,
and not exert himself. In fact, I have seen him become breathless after one such visit to the mailbox,at 2:30 in the afternoon. The people at the sales office called 911 for him.

I do not see how summoning the emergency response vehicles twice a week is going to help keep his heart in shape, if this guy smokes so much. Its a gross disrespect of other people;s time, money and effort. Since one cannot be denied medical attention here, he is rushed to the nearest hospital every time. The expense of all this is going to fall on the head of the wage earner, the tax payer.

A pack of Marlboro's costs around 6 dollars,and this guy has money to blow up in smoke, but not pay me 5 dollars for walking his dog.

The good thing in all this, is that he at least does not pinch pennies in taking care of his dog. She has her food, treats, toys etc. And , he told me that after his most recent visit to the ER, the doctors found out what was wrong., His regular physician had mixed up his medication, and given him 2 medicines that worked against each other. So, the doctors in the ER were going to contact his physician and let him know of the error., In the meantime, he has been told to stop taking whatever counteracted against his system.




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Monday, June 8, 2009

Retirement and playing card games on the computer


There seems to be a strange link between retirees and playing card games like solitaire, free cell, on the computer. My father did it, in the months following his retirement,and now i see my father in law do it. They both play these card games for hours on end.When I say hours, i mean spending entire afternoons playing the games.

I often wonder what pleasure they find in seeing a deck of cards fall in place, and the muisic rings, at the end. Well, if i need to spend time, give me a good book any day.

Anyway, this is just my observation, not any kind of comment on this state of post retirement bliss.




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Pet friendly hotels in USA--from www.petfinder.com



Top 5 Pet-Friendly Budget Hotel Chains
Bookmark and Share| By| May 19, 2009 11:07 AM

Top 5 Pet-Friendly Budget Hotel Chains

Finding a snug hotel room is easy -- except when Barkley and Mr. Meow are your companions. Not every motel or hotel allows pets, and some require deposits and extra fees, testing the limits of your credit card.

Most chain properties are franchises, each property owned by a different management company. These separate owners set the policies for their hotels. Don't worry, though. You can find a place to bed down with your pets using two lists, a few hints and a phone.

The Top 5 Pet-Friendly Budget Hotel Chains

1. Motel 6 facilities, all 900 of them, leave the light on for you and your one pet per room. Motel 6 was the first national pet-friendly chain, and has been welcoming pets since 1962. No extra fees or deposits are required. Click herefor their pet policy.

2. La Quinta Inns & Suites allow pets at 99 percent of their 700+ properties, according to Teresa Ferguson, director of Communications and Public Relations. "People who travel with their pets generally have very well-behaved and well-groomed animals," she says. Accordingly, LaQuinta does not require deposits, fees or up charges on rooms with pets. (800-531-5900)

3. Red Roof Inn welcome pets at over 340 locations in 36 states. No additional charges. Click here for Red Roof's pet policy.

4. Best Western is the world's largest hotel chain and has over 1900 pet-friendly locations, 1000 of which are in the U.S. & Canada. With so many locations, it's a good bet there's one where you and your pet are traveling.

5. Candlewood Suites- Pets less than 80lbs are always welcome at this chain. Candlewood may feel more like home for your pet as larger accommodations for extended stays include a full kitchen and seating area. There is a fee for pets and vaccination records must be available. Click here for guidelines.

Selected Other Chains Accepting Pets

Families staying in one area for several days sometimes prefer residential hotels with kitchens and living rooms in addition to bedrooms. Suite hotels (and most moderately-priced hotels) usually charge cleaning fees of $100 or more. Hotels say they perform a more thorough cleaning to remove pet hair and dander, and spruce up any nose prints doggie dearest left on the walls. These fees may be worth the cost if you are staying for several days. Speak with the manager directly so you are clear on the finances.

Honorable Mentions (Total Number of pet-friendly properties)

- Econo-lodge Hotels (380)
- Days Inn Hotels (most locations pet-friendly)
- Comfort Inn (Over 550)
- Holiday Inn (450)
- Americas Best Value Inn (400)
- Clarion Inn and Suites (60)
- Comfort Suites (85)
- The Intercontinental Hotels include InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express (some pets welcome), Candlewood Suites and Staybridge Suites. Prices vary between these brands. (1,600)
- Quality Inn (300)
- Rodeway Inns (80)
- Travel Lodge (300)

Pet Travel Resources

- Petside.com Travel Center

- Petswelcome.com offers a fabulous techno-service that allows you to download pet-friendly hotels into your GPS so you can find the pet-friendly lodgings along your route as you drive. Hotel names, addresses, numbers and pet policies are included. This site also offers a route-based search capability - one that will show all the pet-friendly lodgings between your departure point and destination.

- Dogfriendly.com is a complete source of information about pet travel.

- Pettravel.com maintains a directory of pet-friendly hotels searchable by city, state, and country.

- Petsonthego.com offers a travel magazine for dogs, guide books on pet-friendly travel, and an website that pinpoints pet-friendly hotels, B&B's, inns, resorts and private rentals around the country.

- Fido Friendly Magazine is the print magazine dedicated to the travel lifestyle of mans' best friend. Order through FidoFriendly.com.

See Petside Picks: Best Hotels for our choices of the best pet friendly hotels in the US.

Comments (9)

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Marilyn May 19, 2009 8:38 PM

I would add Omni to this list; they do charge a pet deposit, but really welcome your animal - they provide a pet bed and divided dish for food and water - and everywhere I've stayed, all employees seem to really love animals.

Add one to the list May 29, 2009 10:49 AM

The Hampton Inn in Martinsburg, WV allows pets for only a $25 fee for any length of visit. Plus a great hotel to boot.. Just stayed last week. Located right off Rt 81. Not far from Harper's Ferry

Donene June 1, 2009 5:08 PM

I've taken by teacup poodle puppy on two road trips, we stayed at Extended Stay America in Fremont CA and most recently at Western Village in Sparks/Reno. Extended Stay charges a "deposit" which is actually a fee as it is not refundable. Room had kitchenette but wasn't clean/lots of particles puppies love to eat on hall floors and in the room. Western Village was OK, refundable pet deposit but casino didn't allow pets inside which reduced by gambling losses (didn't gamble) HAHA LOL. Thanks for the list of pet friendly spots as we do travel quite a bit for Senior Softball.

SurfinPaws.com June 1, 2009 5:08 PM

How about the Hilton they are dog friendly in Huntington Beach CA !!! luv it !

Rick June 1, 2009 5:51 PM

A lot of hotels allow pets that include the Kimpton (they have an in house pet...could be anywhere from a goldfish to a jack russell terrier.

Glenda June 2, 2009 8:15 AM

We have 2 little dogs. A Chihuahua Pug (Chug), and a Japanese Chin. There are lots of hotels that take pets, however, not 2 pets. Usually only 1. Our dogs are very well behaved and are great travelers, however we find there is a 1 pet restriction in most hotels when we travel.

iheartqueens June 4, 2009 2:33 PM

all Starwood hotel properties are pet friendly, including their new budget but trendy aloft hotels. They offer pet toys, treats, bed, and food and water bowls.

Linda June 4, 2009 6:11 PM

I have taken my cat, and have seen dogs, at the Westin Hotels. My cat is extremely quiet, does not cry excessively, cheek rubs the furniture upon entering room, has her dinner, does her "business" and then goes to sleep. I clean up any cat litter scattered from litter box, dispose of litter discreetly, remove any cat hair with miracle cleaning brush, leaving no evidence of a pet. I really appreciate hotels/motels that allow pets.

Carrie June 5, 2009 5:41 PM

Actually not all Hiltons are dog friendly. I quite frequently go down to San Diego from LA for weekend classes and out of the 4 area Hiltons only the newest in the downtown area is pet-friendly. Also just to those adding places like Omni and Hilton (some that is not all) the places listed in this post are specifically "Budget Friendly" hotels. There should be a post for medium level hotels




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