So a scary thing happened tonight and thankfully, Sunil was home. We were watching TV in our family room when suddenly the alarm went off as if someone had opened a window or door. We knew it wasn't downstairs because we could visibly see all the entry points. Yet strangely, we couldn't hear any activity upstairs either. I told Sunil to hit the "police" button on the alarm. But after that, I was clueless what to do. Standing frozen in the family room with Saloni and Sohan, Sunil was quick to get us into action.
He directed all of us into the garage and we got into my car as quickly as possible. We waited in the driveway to see if we could hear anything outside. Nothing. And the alarm company didn't even call my cell, which they should have. I called the alarm company and sadly, got a long recording of options. When I finally got a person, she said that they really don't have an emergency number! What? Anyway, I told her about what happened and she (a little too calmly) said she would conference me into the local police department. I honestly could have just called them myself.
It turns out that the police never got our dispatch signal which makes me wonder if that "police" button even works. Thankfully, they sent a car out and the policeman thoroughly checked our home before we entered. While we were blessed that this was probably just a faulty window that triggered the alarm, it made me want to pass these tips on...
1. With two kids under five, be sure to always check on your supply of wipes, diapers, a blanket, spare toys/books and extra clothes in the car.
2. I've always been a muncher, and with kids you have to have snacks on hand. While we waited, the pack of Starburst in my bag really came in handy! But other great snacks that don't spoil rain or shine are goldfish, raisins, fruit rolls, cereals and good ol candy.
3. Keep your cell phone charged and when you're home, keep it near you. You never know when you have to grab and go like we did.
4. Keep a small stash of cash in your car. If we had to make a longer getaway, knowing we had enough for a Taco Bell or Walgreens run eased my mind.
5. Have your neighbor's numbers in your phone or in the car and not just the home numbers, because if they have call waiting, like my in-laws, you'll never reach them! Ask for their cell and work numbers too. Luckily, we have great neighbors on either side that we can call anytime.
6. And then there's the obvious stuff - flashlight, notepad and working pen, jumper cables, etc.
And oh, I'm changing my alarm company Monday morning. Any company that's supposed to keep us safe and doesn't have an emergency number, failed to ask if we were in a safe location, actually failed to ask me anything really, is not worth having!
If you have any stories like this, I'd love to hear them. Be safe.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Games, Gators and Gainesville
I love starting the weekend Friday night. When I say that, I mean that I love having plans or activities that makes me feel as though my hubby's been home for hours even when he might have just arrived at 5:43pm. Saloni had been asking for a while now to watch "The Wizard of OZ", so I ordered it from Netflix and after dinner started to watch the movie. Add popcorn and big blankets and you immediately know this is so much better than a freezing overpriced movie theatre!
While we only watched half of the movie as we all got sleepy early, I wrote a quick list of the weekend's plans and what to take. What to take to Gainesville that is.
Saturday morning was nothing short of a blur of color and noise. We frantically packed for the weekend trip, swallowed breakfast, tried to clean things up and thankfully remembered to grab Abbie's birthday present. Saloni was invited to her friend Abbie's, from school, birthday party. Chuck E Cheese is great at 10:14am because it had just opened and you could visibly see your kid from almost every corner. Sohan was everywhere and was in awe of all the sights and sounds. When Chuck E Cheese himself came out to sing Abbie happy birthday, he walked right and danced with him hand in hand!
We had fun watching Saloni explore and eat pizza with her friends. After the party and cake, we headed out on our road trip. This would be the second Gator basketball game we've seen this season. It's a great environment and I love that the games are long enough to keep your attention and short enough to get you home at a decent hour.
For me personally, being in Gainesville strikes a sweet emotional chord inside just knowing that my hubby spent a good part of his life here becoming the person he is today. I love catching his gaze as he looks out the window and sees what's changed or what's stayed the same. I love how suddenly he drives at 32mph so he can remember the shortcuts he'd take to class or how that new bldg. used to be the site of his old apts.
I don't have as much of a connection to UC Irvine. I worked full time and went to college at night. It was only in the last year that I went full time to college, but I crammed so many credits so that I could finish that taking interest in anything else was not an option. Sure I can still remember what that crisp California air smelled like and the walk between bldgs where my heels would go click clack. But going to Gainesville is special. I just have to look out the window.
Friday, January 22, 2010
22 Melancholy Days
So it's 22 days into the new year and well, I'm a little melancholy. Not that the year has been bad so far. It's just that whenever it is a new year, for some reason, I feel overwhelmed with expectations of myself and from friends and family. I don't make resolutions but instead I organize my mind and the stuff around me to hopefully make a good start into the month. And yet, I'm still down.
My work with local organizations has been very productive. Had my first board meeting with DCMSA. My first meeting with ALA about my role as the Silent Auction Chair and its progress. Sunil and I went to the first Team Teal kickoff for the Jaguars and I even interviewed to become part of the Champions Club for the team. So, why oh why can't I shake off this cloud of feeling sad?
Part of it must be my parents in CA and their declining health. Part of it might be that I'm 38 and feel it quite often in my dropping energy levels! But I'm trying my best to keep my head high and think of what's good right in front of me since I can't change what's far away. My husband's great sense of humor. My kids' love for all things new and musical. Bargain buys, milk in the fridge, a good hair day, friends to vent to, and family members that call as though they know you need a shoulder...
So, I'm going to make a cuppa joe and call today a day to turn around and WAKE UP! Goodbye melancholy, hello Manisha.
My work with local organizations has been very productive. Had my first board meeting with DCMSA. My first meeting with ALA about my role as the Silent Auction Chair and its progress. Sunil and I went to the first Team Teal kickoff for the Jaguars and I even interviewed to become part of the Champions Club for the team. So, why oh why can't I shake off this cloud of feeling sad?
Part of it must be my parents in CA and their declining health. Part of it might be that I'm 38 and feel it quite often in my dropping energy levels! But I'm trying my best to keep my head high and think of what's good right in front of me since I can't change what's far away. My husband's great sense of humor. My kids' love for all things new and musical. Bargain buys, milk in the fridge, a good hair day, friends to vent to, and family members that call as though they know you need a shoulder...
So, I'm going to make a cuppa joe and call today a day to turn around and WAKE UP! Goodbye melancholy, hello Manisha.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Letter to the Florida Times Union
Our local newspaper asked residents to write about lessons learned, experiences, etc., that we had in 2009. The edited version they published online is here.
Here's what I wrote in full:
What I’ve learned…
By Manisha S. Joshi
Starting the year 2009 was difficult. My parents suffered dual heart attacks within 48 hours in November of 2008. While my Mummy survived okay, my father was in a coma for about a week and when he opened his eyes and looked at us, I had never felt more scared. Scared because a thousand questions flooded into my head, would he talk again? Walk again? Know what happened?
Fast forwarding into 2009, after months of rehab (God bless all the nurses and patient assistants), my Pappa was able to come home. But he was not the same. Because of significant oxygen loss to the brain when he suffered the heart attack, his memory was impaired and his thought processes were scattered. Add to the fact that my parents live 3,000 miles away in California and you can see why “ringing” in the New Year had a different meaning for me. While my sisters bore most of the weight of their care and significant lifestyle change locally, it was hard not to have the chance to do things for them. Simple things like baking them cookies or taking them out for dinner. They were able to find a dedicated home healthcare aid, Weeda, and she has become part of the family now. She takes him on three mile walks and plays card games and talks to him to get him energized.
Through phone calls and photographs, I try my best to get my Pappa talking about family, our kids and everyday things like the weather, the news, etc. My Mummy, ever full of sorrow from such a sudden change in their lives, was even harder to console. Here they were on a sunny day in November preparing for a party when suddenly Pappa just collapsed. Their amazingly healthy diet and easy-going lifestyle would have never predicted this.
But I learned a very important lesson from this. And that is “live!”. Live with what you have. Surround yourself with what you want. Live in the moment, because it can be taken from you at any given time and at any age. Write that letter to your best friend. Send a thank you to your dry cleaner. Love the ones not just related to you but those that make a difference in your life, because that’s your family too. Channel your energy towards those you can help. Knowing I can’t do everything I want to for my parents because I’m far away hasn’t stopped me from channeling those desires towards my kids. Teaching them to donate to Goodwill, digging dirt with them, visiting their grandparents (my husband’s parents) weekly and just making sure they are loved helps me sleep most nights.
Mummy’s strength and commitment to my Pappa always inspires me – they have been married for 52 years now. While my Pappa doesn’t remember who I am on some days, I take shelter in the fact that I’m blessed with an amazing marriage of eight years and healthy, happy kids. And that is one memory no one can take from my parents.
Here's what I wrote in full:
What I’ve learned…
By Manisha S. Joshi
Starting the year 2009 was difficult. My parents suffered dual heart attacks within 48 hours in November of 2008. While my Mummy survived okay, my father was in a coma for about a week and when he opened his eyes and looked at us, I had never felt more scared. Scared because a thousand questions flooded into my head, would he talk again? Walk again? Know what happened?
Fast forwarding into 2009, after months of rehab (God bless all the nurses and patient assistants), my Pappa was able to come home. But he was not the same. Because of significant oxygen loss to the brain when he suffered the heart attack, his memory was impaired and his thought processes were scattered. Add to the fact that my parents live 3,000 miles away in California and you can see why “ringing” in the New Year had a different meaning for me. While my sisters bore most of the weight of their care and significant lifestyle change locally, it was hard not to have the chance to do things for them. Simple things like baking them cookies or taking them out for dinner. They were able to find a dedicated home healthcare aid, Weeda, and she has become part of the family now. She takes him on three mile walks and plays card games and talks to him to get him energized.
Through phone calls and photographs, I try my best to get my Pappa talking about family, our kids and everyday things like the weather, the news, etc. My Mummy, ever full of sorrow from such a sudden change in their lives, was even harder to console. Here they were on a sunny day in November preparing for a party when suddenly Pappa just collapsed. Their amazingly healthy diet and easy-going lifestyle would have never predicted this.
But I learned a very important lesson from this. And that is “live!”. Live with what you have. Surround yourself with what you want. Live in the moment, because it can be taken from you at any given time and at any age. Write that letter to your best friend. Send a thank you to your dry cleaner. Love the ones not just related to you but those that make a difference in your life, because that’s your family too. Channel your energy towards those you can help. Knowing I can’t do everything I want to for my parents because I’m far away hasn’t stopped me from channeling those desires towards my kids. Teaching them to donate to Goodwill, digging dirt with them, visiting their grandparents (my husband’s parents) weekly and just making sure they are loved helps me sleep most nights.
Mummy’s strength and commitment to my Pappa always inspires me – they have been married for 52 years now. While my Pappa doesn’t remember who I am on some days, I take shelter in the fact that I’m blessed with an amazing marriage of eight years and healthy, happy kids. And that is one memory no one can take from my parents.
Friday, January 1, 2010
My 2009 12 Best
What defined the months for us? I'd have to say, patience, growth, understanding and lots of laughter and play. My life has truly changed for the better since being married to Sunil. No matter what problem or stresses I face, I know I can't count on him to help me get through it. Plus, it's definitely a bonus that he has a hilarious sense of humor.
The kids, oh the kids. How much they have taught me in such a short span of their lives, I hope they will one day know. They have taught me to be more patient, less cranky, more huggable and less hurried. No matter how tired I am, they always give me a reason to stop and smell the diapers!
To my amazing friends and relatives near and far and to all the places and faces that make my life easier - you are a blessing to me!
So, it was hard for me to pick the 12 best photos from each month...but here's what the meant the most to me. Thank you God for keeping us safe, happy and healthy. You always know the way...
January - watching Sohan go from sitting to standing
February - a visit from my awesome friend April, who comes every year from Rochester, NY
March - baking and doing art projects with Saloni
April - the Joshi family reunion
May - our eighth wedding anniversary
June - those amazing Florida rainshowers
July - fireworks on the St. John's river
August - visiting my parents in Irvine, CA
September - happy 4th birthday Saloni
October - Jag games and family visits
November - Thanksgiving and being thankful...for everything
The kids, oh the kids. How much they have taught me in such a short span of their lives, I hope they will one day know. They have taught me to be more patient, less cranky, more huggable and less hurried. No matter how tired I am, they always give me a reason to stop and smell the diapers!
To my amazing friends and relatives near and far and to all the places and faces that make my life easier - you are a blessing to me!
So, it was hard for me to pick the 12 best photos from each month...but here's what the meant the most to me. Thank you God for keeping us safe, happy and healthy. You always know the way...
January - watching Sohan go from sitting to standing
February - a visit from my awesome friend April, who comes every year from Rochester, NY
March - baking and doing art projects with Saloni
April - the Joshi family reunion
May - our eighth wedding anniversary
June - those amazing Florida rainshowers
July - fireworks on the St. John's river
August - visiting my parents in Irvine, CA
September - happy 4th birthday Saloni
October - Jag games and family visits
November - Thanksgiving and being thankful...for everything
December - family, family, family - always the place to be!
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