Don’t go around thinking the world owes you anything. The world owes you nothing. It was here first. That’s a badly mangled version of a quote often incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain that I mutter to myself at least three times a day. Entitlement is the single worst trait in a human being. Expecting a… Read More »
I bought a fitbit recently. For those of you who don’t know me, that’s kind of a big deal. I don’t really buy things. It’s a watch that encourages you to walk 10,000 steps each day and then celebrates with you when you do it. I love it. I’m in love with it. And no,… Read More »
I’m learning to cook my mom’s specialities. This particular dish (pronounced “chew-da”) is a good afternoon snack. I ate it everyday after school. For years and years. To this day, Ma puts a bag or two in my suitcase when I visit. It screams “childhood.” My childhood. Probably not yours. Every family in India will have… Read More »
I recently spent about a month in the Middle East. Not nearly as scary a place as I envisioned. In fact, it was just the opposite. Clean and modern and safe. My Middle East Bucket List 1. Visit two new countries. I’m making my success explosion noises here pretty loudly. I visited four countries in… Read More »
I’m trying to cross off Life Bucket List Item #6 (write a book). Cliché, I know. Here’s my process (so far) if you’re thinking of writing one too. 1. Make a book proposal. First, I read some stuff on how to write a book proposal. A book proposal is an enormously helpful way to think about the… Read More »
It’s time to update my glorious early retirement chart for the last four months of 2016. I do it three times a year because I don’t like to think about it more than that. Thinking about money is boring. I’d rather think about burritos. Here’s where I sat at the end of August 2016. The… Read More »
I gave you the recipe for sweet chutney last week and now I need to give you something to eat it with. You can’t just eat plain sweet chutney. So, may I present bhel. Pronounced “bear” or “bare.” I don’t know why there’s an “L” in it. To confuse people probably. **As numerous people have pointed… Read More »
More book reviews! I read a lot self-help manuals recently. Overdosed on them, you might even say. I think I would have appreciated the avalanche of good advice more if it had been dispensed as a light shower instead. A light shower on a sunny day so the rain feels like a treat. I snuck in… Read More »
The classic appetizer you’ll always find in Indian restaurants is the samosa. It’s a fried ball of dough with peas and potatoes and spices and such inside. No, I’m not giving you the recipe for that. On the side of the samosa, most places will give you a couple of chutneys to eat, a spicy… Read More »
I plunged into my retirement with so many lists mapping out experiments and thoughts; future ablaze with potential different lives. Everything looked fun and I wanted it all and I wanted it RIGHT NOW. Predictably, my greedy paws picked up too many shiny ideas at once and now I don’t have enough time to play with all of them. I overstretched. Overreached. My… Read More »