Friday, April 30, 2010

Yahoo: 19 Things You Should Never Say to a Single Person

Read something hilarious on Yahoo! this morning and couldn't help sharing!


Since we could all use a good laugh, I asked some friends and Twitter followers to send in their most hated adages. I know you've heard them all before, but I just couldn't believe how many there were! Here's a tiny compilation. Enjoy -- today, they're not directed at you!

It happens when you're not looking. "This is just bull. Some people find people when they're looking; some don't. You're not doing anything wrong by going out and meeting people." -Beth

There are plenty of fish in the sea. "I dated a guy whose last name was Fish. People just had a BLAST with that one." -Kelly

So, why are you single? "I generally dislike this question. I mean honestly, if I knew why, I don't think I would be single right now, now would I?!" -Erica

You're too picky. "This may be true, but it feels like I'm getting criticized for my taste, vision, and close-mindedness -- when I'm already down." -Sarah

You'll find the right person for you. -Kelly

He's out there. -Kelly

It was just bad timing. "Like it's so easy to dismiss a guy on such an emotionless and objective reason." -Taryn

Just have fun with it! "Um, don't tell me how to date in my thirties when you got married at 24." -Maya

Have you tried online dating? "Duh!" -Elisa

He just wasn't the right guy for you. "I know! That's what I'm complaining about!" - Elisa

Well, when Steve and I first got together... "Wait, I still want to talk about me." -Elisa

When the time is right, you will meet someone. -Betsy

Wow, I wish I were single and in your shoes! "Really?! I'm pretty sure you CAN be single if you actually want to be. That there is an attainable dream, so if you aren't messing with me right now out of pity (which I suspect you are), please go for it!" -Kim

Your turn next [at weddings]. -Natlondon, via Twitter

It will happen when you least expect it. -dlegas05, via Twitter

Some guy is going to come along and ruin your career/life plans. "I am 32 and no one has ruined the last 10 years of plans." -frolicblog, via Twitter

But you're so pretty! Why don't you have a boyfriend? "There's just no graceful way to answer that." -earnesteats, via Twitter

It just wasn't meant to be. "Any of these platitudes are exponentially more annoying when coming from the mouths of smug marrieds." -Reberoodle, via Twitter

Sure, Steve rescues kids from abusive homes, donated my sister a kidney, and picks up fresh flowers for me daily on his way home from work, but will he QUIT IT with the sports on TV already? "Single people just hate to be complained to about petty relationship stuff. If you do this, I'm not going to want to hang out with you. (In fact, maybe I'll call Steve and ask him if he wants to watch the Yankees game?)" -Kim

Bottom line, if you're in a relationship or married and you don't have any specific, original advice or wisdom for your single friend -- and you must use an established saying -- we would prefer to hear neutral ones like, "This too shall pass" or "Take it one day at a time." They are so much more helpful and comforting -- you have no idea!



Source: click here

Monday, April 26, 2010

My Best Birthday

In the recent years, it has become sort of a tradition in the family to give surprise cake-cutting parties at midnight before birthday for all the family members regardless of their age. So as usual, we were coming back home tired from some shopping trip on the day before my birthday, which also happened to be a Saturday. It was later in the afternoon and everyone just wanted to get home and chill, relax. As we were getting closer to home, some of the people changed their minds and mentioned they had to pick up some random items from the shopping center close to home. I, being smarter than myself sometimes, figured it out and declared that I wasn't interested in eating ice-cream cake (ColdStone makes some awesome cakes with ice-creams and since we all love the place, it usually ends up being the default choice) tonight! You should've seen the victory smile on my face. Everyone laughed out loud at this statement... it was truly a "jab main chhotaa bacchaa tha badi sharaarat kartaa thaa, jab meri chori pakdi jaati.." kind of moment for them.

Now since I had already managed to figure out the surprise, I also announced that I would rather go to Ghirardelli Square before midnight for ice-creams and begin the celebrations there. And everyone just loved the idea. The best thing about having your birthday on Sunday is that you can have all the fun and the way YOU want it and spend the weekend doing ALL that you want without worrying about waking up early next morning!

Once we got home, we watched one of those funny movies that the family enjoys watching together. Quite frankly, I don't even remember now which one it was, probably Hulchul or Hungama, but I do remember that it being just great! Had simple Gujarati food for dinner and then we headed out to Ghirardelli around 10:30 PM. We probably got there around 11:15 or so and ordered our ice-cream sundaes and enjoyed them until after midnight. Everyone wished me happy birthday and got many hugs & kisses and it was the most wonderul start of a birthday I have ever had!


Hot fudge sundaes, chocolate chip ice cream & quake shake


Since this was right after Xmas, Ghirardelli folks had their world famous peppermint bark squares, which they usually only have it for holidays and very limited time. So I figured this was a good idea to pick these up as well while I was there to add it to my personal chocolate stash. While I was browsing around their chocolate store next to the cafe, I also found a nice looking tote bag with peppermint colors, that looked sort of like this. Filled with exciment and happiness after devouring all that fudge, chocolate and ice-cream, I was ready to buy a big bag of peppermint bark squares and the peppermint tote bag, I headed for the cashier with these two in my hand, waiting for the cashier to arrive at the register. And he did pretty soon. I placed the two items on the counter and was about to open my purse to pay for these items, and then everything went *blank* for a fraction of a second.


Hot fudge sundae with bananas



All done! :D


Next thing I realize, the cashier is coming out from behind the counter running towards me saying something like "Oh! I'm so sorry" repeatedly. For a few moments, I didn't even realize what had happened. Then I see that the the large chocolate bag, the tote bag are soaked with soapy water along with OH MY GOD! my pants AND my sweater AND my jacket! I was just standing there laughing away looking at the expression on his face and then laughing even more looking at my pants. It happens so that he had just knocked off a bucket full of soapy water from behind the cash register that another cashier had placed there a few moments ago as he was cleaning the area. The bucket happened to be on the side the customers stand and it fell off as the cashier touched the register spilling all of its contents on the counter, the floor and me! The cashier helping me just happened to be a manager or something and got super upset with the other cashier for leaving the big soap water bucket on counter. He asked another cashier who was passing by to take me to the nearest sink to get cleaned up and dried and went off to get another chocolate bag and tote bag for me. And all along, I am just standing there laughing out loud feeling so funny and amused about the whole thing. Some of the family members started getting upset and I had to cool them down.. they joined me in laughing too! :) I handed over my purse to them and went to the nearest special ice-cream sink to wash my hands and get some paper napkins. A couple of cashiers actually asked me whether it was raining this hard outside. That made me laugh out loud even more! I couldn't control it... and the look on the manager/cashier was so full of guilt I decided that it wasn't a good idea to share with him it was my birthday. ;) He apologized so many times I had to smile at him and tell him that it was completely alright. I think that made him feel more uncomfortable, but I truly enjoyed the whole experience. I was excused from paying any money for the chocolates and bag and he also asked me if I wanted to buy anything more. I said no and smiled and we wished eachother good night before I headed back to the car with family with drippy pants. Thank goodness there was a warm shawl to help me on my drive back to home. It was the funniest ride and we laughed all the way back!

The day was even more fun... it was a gorgeous winter day with lots of sunshine and I spent it enjoying time with my family!

Now would you have believed me if I told you that my best birthday ever was the one where the cashier spills a bucket full of soapy water on me? But it truly was! :D

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Garfield



(c) Jim Davis

Friday, April 16, 2010

The Story of Shishupaal

Today, I got to watch the Shishupaalvadh story in Shri Krishna.

Right at the beginning of Raajsooya yagya that King Yudhishthir is performing with his brothers and family and relatives, they are doing pooja of Shri Krishna and that's when Shishupaal starts insulting Shri Krishna. Shri Krishna had vowed to forgive 100 sins of Shishupaal to his aunt (Shishupaal's mother, sister of Vasudev) and after that he will kill him. So when the number of sins exceeds this count, Shishupaal is killed with Shri Krishna Bhagwaan's chakra. But even then, at the end Shishupaal claims moksha and Goddess Laxmi sends a "divya vimaan" (divine airplane) for Shishupaal.

Apparently, three births earlier, Shishupaal was Jay - a paarshad (gatekeepers) of Vaikunth (abode of Lord Vishnu) along with another paarshad Vijay. Whan sanatkumaar (sons of Lord Brahma) arrive at the entrance of Vaikunth, Jay-Vijay restrict them from entering Vaikunth. This is when they are cursed by the sanatkumaars to take birth as humans on earth.

Their first birth was as Hiranyaaksh and Hiranyakashipu and they were freed from that life by Lord Vishnu being born as Nrusinh bhagwaan. Then their second birth was as Raavan and Kumbhkarna and they achieved liberation with the help of Lord Raam. Then in their third birth, they came as Shishupaal and Dantavakra respectively. Shishupaal gets mukti by help from Lord Krishna. And Dantavakra is freed in the war he has with Lord Krishna when he attacks Dwarika.

At the time of Shishupaal-vadh, Bhishma pitamaha chants the following shlok:

mukam karoti vaachaalam pangum langhayate girim
yatkripaa tamaham vande parmaanandmaadhavam


Translation: With your blessings, a mute (speechless) gains speech (vaachaa) and a crippled is able to climb a mountain. O supreme blissful, Lord Maadhav, I salute You.

Shri Krishna even helps His enemies, His haters because they are making that effort to think of Him even in that form.