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January 31, 2006
Tuesday's Coffee
I've cut down on coffee to about less than ten cups per week. It's liberating, except for those first few days when I used about eight tea bags per day trying to replicate the same coffee buzz. It didn't work, but I believed in myself when I thought I felt better.
Posted by quickness at 09:20 PM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2006
Spring in the UES
Very, very strange weather this year. We've had breaks from the winter quite often now. It's mid-January but it felt like early spring, there was even a shirtless man in Central Park. I am sure those were spring buds that I saw on trees today.
Picture was taken on Sunday, 5:35 p.m. somewhere around 78th and 3rd.
Posted by quickness at 01:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 29, 2006
Salmon with Rice Krispies
It's Sunday again and N wanted pasta with alfredo sauce.
I've never made alfredo since that time my body rejected a similar meal I made thanks to a stomach flu.
"Let's have it with salmon," I said.
"Salmon?!! But you don't eat salmon!"
"Yes I do. Sometimes."
And so we went shopping for herbs and spices used during one of the shows I happened to see in the Cooking Channel (or was it the Food Channel?).
Whatever it was, it required things not currently in our kitchen: half a box of rice krispies, corriander, fresh rosemary and thyme, cajun spice, parsley and eight tomatoes. We substituted regular vinegar with balsamic. It was nearly as old as Azmina, but according to the Vinegar Institute, vinegar has an (almost) indefinite shelf life, and self-preserving.
After nearly 3 hours in the kitchen, the crispy salmon with vierge sauce and roasted tomatoes were done; and this time, like long lost friends, my digestive system was happy to greet the spaghetti alfredo.
Posted by quickness at 11:31 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 28, 2006
Wedding Singer
From the archives - taken during my brother's wedding.
By some odd chance a few weeks ago, I came across the same song that the boy was singing. I didn't know the song when I took the picture in June, and the words weren't particularly memorable. His performance on the other hand, was the total opposite. He had the sincerity that could only be explained by his age, and the voice of a child star. Music was provided by a man playing a whole band from his keyboard. The living room was transformed into a dance floor. The hosts, which were part of an extended, extended family, were my new kinsfolk. My own family, while small in number, was absorbed seamlessly during the day-long celebration.
Although the whole function had started around nine hours earlier, the party was still very much alive when we left around five hours later.
Posted by quickness at 09:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 25, 2006
I'm sorry
Through what was mostly my fault, Azmina didn't go to school today.
One may find that I seem to be making too much of a deal out of it, but most don't know how much school means to her.
I have the kind of conscience that irreversibly burns past avoidable mistakes into memory. When I was five, I stole a classmate's eraser. It was green and had a shape of a robot, with horns. Everytime I pass through the small town where my friend used live in, I think about that incident. I think it was some time before 2000, when I finally met this old classmate of mine, and I apologised within the first hour of meeting him. He laughed and said it was ok, but I still thought I didn't do, and could never have done, enough. He was probably six when I took his prized eraser. It might have cost 30 cents back in the day, but my friend was no longer the six year old that I wanted to apologise to. That six year old would have wanted it back.
Being a parent brings clarity to a lot of things. I see now the full extent of the sacrifices made by my own parents. I have a sudden urge to apologise for the many times that I made them worry. I wanted to apologise for the time when I ran away from a clinic just as the doctor was administering a routine shot. I was seven at the time. My father ran trying to catch me, but I was already a block ahead. My mother mirrored his expression of panic as I reached a main road. I slowed down and let my old man catch up. And I thank them for not giving me a hard time that day.
Being a parent forces me to address matters as they appear. Ignoring them would mean failing them and failing myself. I know it needs careful balance, and I can never be there for them all the time, but I am learning. And I am trying as hard as I can.
Posted by quickness at 12:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 24, 2006
Remotely Educational
Realising that the t.v. remote is one of the most powerful inventions in the universe, Farizah has been tyring to unlock its secrets for a number of months now.
So far she hasn't gone far from just knowing what it does. The cable box contains many of their recorded t.v. shows including Boohbah, the Tellytubbies, Dora the Explorer and Little Einsteins. It spoils them to have tivo conveniences at the tips of their servants' fingers at this young age. So when Farizah couldn't get N's attention even by waving the remote 2 inches from her mother's face, I intervened.
I offered to receive the powerful device. Always trusting even before things get desperate, Farizah surrendered the remote. She turned to the direction of the t.v. as I pretended not to understand what she wanted. I put the remote down. After a few seconds, she looked and handed the remote back to me.
After a couple of times, she started to become irritated, but still wanted me to magically summon the show about two twin sister bugs joining the Dribly Dell singers.
As I took the remote from her one last time, I pressed the remote against the side of my face, and smilingly, I said "Hello? Is anybody there? Hello?" She lost it and cried a long wail. Even N thought it was funny. The remote was a rectangular grey plastic thing, sharing that same description with our phone.
It wasn't at all cruel: Last time I checked, it followed all the parenting rules, and there were around 26 life lessons in that 3 minutes alone.
Posted by quickness at 02:12 PM | Comments (1)
January 23, 2006
... and she became entranced.
Posted by quickness at 07:20 PM | Comments (0)
January 22, 2006
... it was finally her birthday...
... and the Dora fan finds her cake agreeable...
Posted by quickness at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)
January 21, 2006
Azmina is three today
Azmina has been excited about her third birthday since her little sister celebrated hers in October.
When the day arrived today, she was quite irritable for no apparent reason. Maybe she was disappointed that the day started like many other days. Because we were too busy preparing for her do, which was supposed to start at 4 in the afternoon. Because she was indoors when it wasn't winter in January and regular New Yorkers were out enjoying record high temperatures outside.
When she was not crying, she was ecstatic about how the day would eventually unfold. She knew it was her birthday. She was excited about the prospects of having her own cake. She took out her own party hats at noon. Eager to see her friends, she planned which balloons to give to her friends, which indistinguishable party hat for which non-grownup.
"It's my Birthday!" she said to herself.
"Happy Birthday!" she exclaimed, savouring the thought.
N had planned the afternoon only two days earlier. The only preparation before today was the cake reservation. Two trips to the supermarket, one to a party-supply store and another to the cake-shop just as the first guests were arriving, we had everything we needed. Four dishes, 3 finger food platters, balloons and party hats, and we were all set.
Azmina was both tired and ready by 3 p.m., and took a nap by herself on the couch. By 3:30 p.m., we were done with the preparations. Farizah was also asleep. Tea-lights were lit to keep the food warm; and as N took a last minute-shower, the place stood still. Azmina looked happy in her sleep. It was the beginning of a great afternoon.
Posted by quickness at 11:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 15, 2006
Something on your teeth
That was what I told her...
... while hiding the camera behind my back.
Posted by quickness at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2006
Iron Gate
Posted by quickness at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2006
Tuesday Dinner
Due to several reasons, I don't usually cook during weekdays.
However, I had some free time today and so I thought I'd do something quick.
The grilled filet mignon with linguini in light tomato sauce took around half an hour from the moment I took my tie off.
Posted by quickness at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)
January 01, 2006
New Year
Have a Happy 2006.
Posted by quickness at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)