Random pics

Every now and then I feel like I just have to take random pics that I've taken and throw them out there. Here they are...

Nolan, with his concussion. He didn't do much at all. 

These two on dress CRAZY day. They did dress crazy! Max thought he was super crazy because one of his shirt sleeves was cut off. Did you notice?

Quite the stance from my 6 going on 16-year-old!

Our basement! We kind of love it. This was the last day Nolan was home for his concussion and was just starting to feel better. He made smoothies for everyone, and put out snacks for when they arrived home from school.

The theater seating. We kind of love this, too. It was funny because the day it arrived, Dave and I kept moving it all around in the basement, probably 20 different arrangements. We got it how we wanted it, and Nolan kept saying, "You should just try this..." and we kept telling him it wouldn't fit. While he went upstairs to get a tape measure, we decided to try it, and sure enough, it fit. So, we left it like that, and when Nolan came downstairs with the tape measure, he kept trying to measure, never even noticing we already changed it!

Abby and her girlfriends. A perfect basement for friends over!

Ummmm, don't know.

Random guy at work. This is Tim, our Director of Architecture and Interior Design. I told him I loved the t-shirt under the suit. It was our annual day of doing stewardship in my business group. 

Thought this was funny and sent it to Abby. Luckily, she thought it was funny too!!

Gotta love a good fire. Apparently, we had one! Not sure why I took this picture?

My favorite drink... Mike's Hard Strawberry Smoothies!

Ava and her bestie Chloe at the movie theater. I took them to see The Little Mermaid.

Clearly lots of friends with them!

WENDY! And Abby. We had fun after a football game at a Mexican restaurant. Too much fun, if there is such a thing. Wendy and I were both feeling fine. And my friend Jenny came over that night and Dave was supposed to cook. Instead, Wendy helped me shop for an make Souffer's Lasagne. She's an amazing friend that way. Really though, she IS an amazing friend. She came over to watch the other kids while Nolan had to go to the hospital for his concussion, and is always asking how she can help. All of this despite her own challenges with her mom and and in-laws.

Hi Max!!

that's all. Nothing major, just some random pics. 

Final India thoughts

I am in the car on my way home from India. Let me just stop right there for a moment. In.the.car. Isn't technology amazing? And for those that are wondering... NO. I am NOT driving. I have a driver.

Anyway, I thought I'd wrap up my India trip. If you had told me a year ago that I would be flying to India by myself, navigating to the hotels, to the office, my schedule in general, meeting with the girl in India who reports to me, meeting with groups of people at our technical center, all by myself, I would have told you you were CRAZY. But, I did it. I did all of those things. Plus I flew home by myself, through an airport in Mumbai (or Bombay, depending on who you ask), all by myself. And didn't get lost. Woo hoo!!

I was in the office at the ITC on Wednesday, which was the day before a holiday. The women were all dressed in their beautiful Saris and other fancy clothing.

 Me with all of the new joinees to the ITC. I met with them all by myself to hear how their experiences have been so far.

 They celebrated Dussehra while I was there. They bless all of the tools that help them do their work. This group largely supports our engines group, so there was an engine and some other tools like wrenches that were blessed. Once they bless the tools, they don't use them for the remainder of the day. I volunteered to have my computer blessed in the morning so I didn't have to use it the rest of the day!

 Me and Kadambini. She is the HR person in India on my team, and my India lifeline. She is wonderful! And I'm in in Kohler ITC shirt. They all lookes so beautiful, and I, well, did not!

 Groups of people from the ITC (India Technical Center)...

 And since Thursday was a holiday... I relaxed! I read a book (an entire book!), sat by the pool, got a massage, went to the mall, took a nap. It was a great day!

 The mall...

 For Dusshera, they used sand to make this elaborate art. I came across this one on my walk back from the mall. That's all sand.

 This wass all sand as well, in one of the hotels.

 And finally, scenery from the Mumbai (or Bombay) airport.

A successful 15 hour flight, and subsequent 2 hour flight, and I'm home! Can't wait!!

First World problem...

Coming into this trip to India, I thought I loved the Leela most of all. It's the beautiful hotel in Delhi with beautiful lobby, amazing service, delicious food, and amazing bathtub. But I spent two days there and it was nice. Great even. The room smelled a bit musty, but truly a good experience. And now I checked into the Westin in Pune. I gave them my name when I walked in, had three people introduce themselves, one walk me to my room, tell me that she knew that the last time I was here, I commented that they didn't provide enough towels, so she made sure there were towels in my room. She then sent up chocolates and had the spa call me because I have the day off on Thursday. And then there's the Westin Heavenly Bed, and an amazing bathtub as well. So far, I think the Westin is winning.

In other India news... the food is still spicy (but good!), and I still get car sick. And I still appreciate utensils. Unfortunately this guy at the airport doesn't.

Other sites at the airport... this cracks me up every time. Really? Yes, I'm a 14 year old boy apparently.

Also, I took a picture of the sinks at the office. They all smell like moth balls because the same thing is in them as in a urinal, I think. And while they have Kohler everything, I think it's from 1976.

It's also entering into Holiday season in India. This week Thurdsay is the beginning with Vijayadishami, and then Diwali, or Festival of Lights, is at the end of October. Here are some Diwali decorations... it's kind of akin to Christmas. But you know, not Christian. These cute elephants were in the lobby of the Leela...

 And the airport...

In other random pictures... Ava (in her India clothes) lost a top tooth. Just in time for Halloween!

You can't tell at all from these pics, but the Newark airport has some new really cool restaurants and bars throughout the middle of the terminals.

I thought this was funny, so saved it to my pictures.  

 I want to make this for Thanksgiving.

 I love the hands at the Delhi airport.

 This is part of why I love the Leela. An Indian welcome when I arrive.

 Max's gourd, which looked like a dead goose. So Dave helped him make arrows.

 I ate at Chili's. I wasn't going to, but they said it was "Indianized." I wasn't sure what that meant so I tried it. Now I need to go to a Chili's when I get home to restore my thoughts of real Chili's.

A selfie from my hotel window. 

And that's it! Work tomorrow, off on Thursday (can you say massage), meeting on Friday and HOME by 8:30 AM on Saturday!!

Dear dad...

Hey dad, this one's just for you. My posts are few and far between now, I know, and mom hates that. Just write, she says. It can just be little things, she says. And I'm just like her I know. Things seem so easy in other people's lives. And I'm super happy that I'm just like her, but mom, you need to close your eyes and stop reading now. This one's for dad.

So, dad, now it's just me and you, and I want to tell you something. I want to say… Thank you. As I look back on my 40 years, you were constant. You were never disappointed in me (except that one damn time when I was three and forgot my tricycle at the park!) and, here's the big thing, you never judged me. If I did well, you were proud; if I didn't do well, you were still proud. It took me awhile to realize that. When I was in college and came home to visit, I loved to come and see you at work. Literally while I was sitting here typing this I realized why. You had pictures and buttons there of me and Jen, and you always told the truck drivers and co-workers about us. Things I didn't even realize you knew about me, whether for sports or for school. I had one-sentence letters from you saying mom made you write to me, but they made me smile. You always sent me stamps. You did little things that, looking back, were the things that you knew would make me happy. More than the one sentence letters, they were the things that let me know it wasn't just mom who missed me. I kind of took those little things for granted when I was in school, but I remember them now. They don't seem like such little things now. They still make me smile.

I know you're struggling now, and I wish I could help. I wish I could send you stamps and make you feel better! You were always the one in the background, tagging along. Hopefully (for us!) not lost, but just 5, or maybe 50, feet back. You were the one who walked slowly with whatever grandkid was poking along, and enjoyed doing that. Even though we make fun of you for not noticing things, for not paying attention, I'm convinced you were actually noticing. You noticed the kid that needed a friend. Perhaps you recognized yourself in that kid a bit. You knew what it was like to be the one left behind while everyone walked ahead. And it wasn't just my kids and Jen's kids. I remember trips to the Juvenile facility to visit. And I remember visiting the friend with the adult disabled child. You were always a friend to those who didn't quite have it all together. I'm not nearly as comfortable as you in those situations, and I really wish I was. You recognized that words weren't always important… it was the showing up and simply hanging out. I always tried to fill the space with words. Now I'm not sure words were always needed. In fact, I'm pretty sure they weren't.

A few weeks ago you told me that for the first time, you feel old. I'm sorry. I wish you didn't. I wish you didn't need a cane or a walker, and I wish you didn't try to get to the kitchen today by going through the wall! I wish your body would cooperate with small walks around the block, and with mowing the lawn. It doesn't seem like too much to ask. But I guess I just want you to know that while I can't fix it, I noticed. I see you, and I see what you've done for us, and I see your struggles. And I appreciate it all, even if it doesn't always seem that way.