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What does the YardBoy dig?
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Sow & Reap

My Bookshelf Listed at:
BookCrossing.com

Fav Flicks w/ Links to great lines
(which I don't have the capacity to remember) Being John Malkovich
8mm
Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai ...
Fight Club
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Se7en
Shawshank Redemption
Wo hu cang long
Big Fish
Scent of a Woman
 
Pix (pure paparazzi, no releases)
More fine Indian cuisine
Yercaud, India hill station
Field of Red Sox Dreams
Canada from St. Lawrence River cottage
Sunset at St. Lawrence River cottage
Corn Roast on Chennai, India beach
Bedtime for ducks in Ontario
Fishing in Ontario
Falls near Portland, Oregon
Dogs and deer at a dump in Chennai, India
My Royal Enfield Bullet in Chennai, India
Golden Showers in Chennai, India
Easter Bunny
You're Semi-literate
Goose on Watch Near Buffalo
Ft. Myers algae runoff
Hotel Runs in Chennai, India
Red Hot Poker in Oregon
Oregon Sea Kayak
Plumber doing business
Caching Mecca in Oregon
UP (Upper Peninsula), Michigan
Winter in NY
Sault Ste Marie, Ontario Fox

Archives
02/01/2002 - 03/01/200203/01/2002 - 04/01/200204/01/2002 - 05/01/200205/01/2002 - 06/01/200207/01/2002 - 08/01/200208/01/2002 - 09/01/200209/01/2002 - 10/01/200210/01/2002 - 11/01/200211/01/2002 - 12/01/200212/01/2002 - 01/01/200301/01/2003 - 02/01/200302/01/2003 - 03/01/200303/01/2003 - 04/01/200304/01/2003 - 05/01/200305/01/2003 - 06/01/200306/01/2003 - 07/01/200307/01/2003 - 08/01/200308/01/2003 - 09/01/200309/01/2003 - 10/01/200310/01/2003 - 11/01/200311/01/2003 - 12/01/200312/01/2003 - 01/01/200401/01/2004 - 02/01/200402/01/2004 - 03/01/200403/01/2004 - 04/01/200404/01/2004 - 05/01/200405/01/2004 - 06/01/200406/01/2004 - 07/01/200407/01/2004 - 08/01/200408/01/2004 - 09/01/200409/01/2004 - 10/01/200410/01/2004 - 11/01/200411/01/2004 - 12/01/200412/01/2004 - 01/01/200501/01/2005 - 02/01/200502/01/2005 - 03/01/200503/01/2005 - 04/01/200504/01/2005 - 05/01/200505/01/2005 - 06/01/200506/01/2005 - 07/01/200507/01/2005 - 08/01/200508/01/2005 - 09/01/200508/01/2007 - 09/01/200709/01/2007 - 10/01/200710/01/2007 - 11/01/200711/01/2007 - 12/01/200712/01/2007 - 01/01/200801/01/2008 - 02/01/200803/01/2008 - 04/01/200805/01/2008 - 06/01/200806/01/2008 - 07/01/200807/01/2008 - 08/01/200808/01/2008 - 09/01/200810/01/2008 - 11/01/200811/01/2008 - 12/01/200812/01/2008 - 01/01/200901/01/2009 - 02/01/200902/01/2009 - 03/01/200908/01/2009 - 09/01/200912/01/2009 - 01/01/201001/01/2010 - 02/01/201003/01/2010 - 04/01/201004/01/2010 - 05/01/201005/01/2010 - 06/01/201008/01/2010 - 09/01/2010

Adventures with YardBoy
aka PiraticPlogger (name concept: Pat W & Carl H)

disclaimer: most words in this Blog are taken from Anglo-Saxons without permission
ad-neutering/financial support: Carl H
modified Blogger template: Andrew Hoshkiw
Comments from HaloScan as BlogOut is down
 
Sunday, April 28, 2002  
Last Saturday, I visited Ragu's house & had a cup of coffee with some pickled mango.
I met his mother & brother, also noticing the rice flour drawings on the threshold.
(This is a blessing & keeps the ants outside)

Taking giant strides, I had lunch today with co-worker Bhanu, her husband Bhaskar & extended family.
It was their son's 1st b-day & Bhanu hovered over the table like an Italian grandmother.
(Yes, I taught her the word "manga")
They are from the next state north, Andhra Pradesh, speaking Telugu & cooking with spicy masala.
Their maid served Bhaskar & I first, Bhanu insisted she would eat later:
lamb biryani, prawns, brinjal (eggplant), more lamb, fish, onion raita (yogurt curd),
and to soothe our stomachs: curd rice, rasam (pepper water), & ice cream.
Contrary to practice, we ate with utensils.
Looking in their puja (prayer) room, I noticed more of the rice flour symbols.
(These were done with templates as the HelpDesk Indian has little time on their hands)

3:43 PM
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Saturday, April 27, 2002  
Management style: big topic, writers of any opinion are getting rich.
How 'bout you? Big-picture type or micromanager?
Then there's Ozzy Osbourne

Speaking of biz, we all know that banks make money on our money.
You deposit a check, the bank works the interest & your funds are available in a day or two...
I discovered tonight that in India, my funds are available in 21 days.

The construction banging around my flat started at 9AM today after about 4 hrs sleep.
I was scheduled to look at another apartment at 4PM...that fell thru, but I've got leads.

While I was grocery shopping tonight, I priced out Celebrex, my arthritis meds.
$20+ per month rings a bell in the U.S. It'll be about $3 in India.

1:23 PM
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Thursday, April 25, 2002  
After looking for weeks, I finally got a toaster (thanks to Saira).
What does the YardBoy toast when he gets home at 4AM?
(buns, he wishes)
masala bread: spiced w/ menthil & coriander leaves, ginger, chili & onion
ragi bread: a millet w/ slow digestibility & high calcium content from the state of Karnataka.

Cable TV is out for 2nd night in a row...
it works when my driver is waiting for me to get dressed.

6:55 PM
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Wednesday, April 24, 2002  
Happy 79th b-day to OJ the 2nd
who's on a cruise thru Panama with mommy.
You're doing a great job of avoiding Inheritance Tax ;^)

4:27 PM
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Monday, April 22, 2002  
The Pasha of Pavilion is living well.

7:24 PM
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A big, friendly wave to the Lord of Linwood! Please get in touch.

3:21 PM
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Sunday, April 21, 2002  
Le Royal Meridian Hotel brunch with Jeff today. Excellent.
Haircut & Ayurvedic massage afterwards. Nice oil with camphor. Don Henley in background.

Girls should be returning from Ft. Myers vacation today.
Tomorrow, they'll be busy again.

Attention all Web SearchEngines: my ISP, Sify.com stinks.
After paying a year in advance, they've deactivated my account twice in the last 2 days.
They claim to be ISO9002, I've tried to submit a "Dis-satisfier" (to which they don't respond).
I may go to their office & get the Certification info off their wall.

5:41 PM
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Saturday, April 20, 2002  
Jaideep postponed Pondicherry, so I went GeoDashing with co-worker Ragu & driver Rao.
Our venture took us 19km north to the unmapped, 5 hut villiage of Kottur:
-little kids swarmed around their first American, nobody begged :-)
(and I practiced "Yeppadi irukkireergal", "How are you?")
-we visited the nearby Red Hills Reservoir, one of Chennai's water sources
(water looked reasonable, but I think city itself has distribution problems)
-I saw symbols stencilled on rural walls: light bulb, ceiling fan, etc.
(independent political logos - see an appliance, remember the party)
-I noticed thatching & scarecrows on new building construction
(this is to block or absorb the "evil eye" and ill wishes)

I finished Clancy's "Shadow Warriors" & picked up new books at Landmark.
They don't have adult audiobooks, just a few children's.

4:39 PM
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Friday, April 19, 2002  
In line with my father's Quebec heritage, I am the "frenchmen"...
and the breath occasionally smells of eldeberry ;^)

Chief of Delivery Capability "Jaideep" has offered a weekend excursion:
140km south to the Union Territory of Pondicherry, once the capital of France in India (?) and
home to Auroville, utopian town of tomorrow conceived by the Aurobindo Ashram (??).

9:43 AM
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Wednesday, April 17, 2002  
As "only" a few are being killed in Gujarat daily, it's pg. 11 news:
3 more died yesterday due to shooting, stabbing & incineration.
Another is critical after stoning (like Jesus, not hippies).

Border tensions continue with the Pakis:
a border intercept exposed a suicide bomb plan for Parliment.

Expresso pot doesn't seal well & leaks under pressure.
Nonetheless, I've enjoyed my 2nd glass of "mud".

10:13 AM
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Monday, April 15, 2002  
I met Jeff, capo di HelpDesk, at the airport last night (minus his luggage).
Today, as I headed in early to meet him, I had my driver Rao detour to FoodWorld.
Once again, that store only had plain, white bread, so Rao suggested a market called Nilgiris.
I found some nice masala (chiles & spices) & garlic breads. As I left, I saw IT in the window:
an EXPRESSO POT
(Nilgiris has 3 different sizes & a good selection of "decoction" coffee).
I've been without for a month, tomorrow will start with hot & black!

10:22 AM
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Saturday, April 13, 2002  
Is your company ISO 9002 Certified?
The manufacturer of my flip flops is!
Anyone else call them chappals, slippers/slippahs, sandals, thongs, or zori?

BTW, Happy New Year from Tamil Nadu!

2:29 PM
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Wednesday, April 10, 2002  
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) & the environment:
Delhi has more than 10,000 public busses, half of which run on diesel, the rest CNG
Supreme Court, attempting to reduce pollution, ordered the diesels off the roads & fined daily
Some say the infrastructure to convert them to CNG would take a year & a half
Others question the remaining remaining 30 lakh (3,000,000) vehicles in the city, many 2-stroke riceburners
Many ask why this couldn't have waited 2 weeks until school kids go on summer holiday

I actually got an MRI & never drank so much foul liquid in my life.

3:26 AM
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Tuesday, April 09, 2002  
Problems with my flat continue to mount:
neighboring construction is louder than ever & they don't shut the doors/windows as asked
low voltage varies by wall & contradicts advertised genset backup
intercom works, but maintenance is always busy
lift didn't work today & I'm on the 5th (6th if you count the Indian "ground")
toilet continues to leak waste
AND, measuring my sanity, cable went out during "Bay Watch".

I've got a CAT Scan in 4 hrs...hitting the rack.

6:21 PM
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Sunday, April 07, 2002  
No, India doesn't have Daylight Savings Time. I recommend my worldclock.

Watching some tube while I'm having breakfast & noticing censorship:
-cursing is blanked out & MTV gets a lot of blurring ;^)
-I'm not getting excited about field hockey

Just wanted to give credit to the Wilcox's & their Upstate Guide Dog puppyraising.
Suzy has spent years on these dogs: at home, at work, at events (including last week's bowl-a-thon).
Last week, Suzy took on a 2nd "highly energetic" pup as another raiser wanted to go on vacation.
The differences of dogs & their training come out when they're together, tangling their leashes.

7:40 AM
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Saturday, April 06, 2002  
Took a Saturday off & went to a huge park in the middle of the city of Chennai (at least 100 acres).
The preserve is run by the Theosophical Society.
There were lots of identified trees, flowers, temples & one of the world's largest Banyan trees.
I'll be back to hide India's first NaviCache.

Afterwards, I removed my shoes (questionable, but I've got all my shots) & visited my first temple.
I learned a little bit about Vishnu, Ganesh, etc. AND the blessing of a brand new car.
The car received not only puja (prayer), but burning camphor, garlands of jasmine, smashed lemons & coconut.

At sunset, I took a walk along a beach & bought some roasted corn on the cob (stomach has been good).
India has nothing on NYS sweet corn.

3:53 PM
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Friday, April 05, 2002  
Actress Tawny Kitaen roughed up husband Chuck Finley, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.
Here's the clickable link on her arrest for spousal abuse.
She's a 42 year old redhead who knocked Finley out of his season debut against the Anaheim Angels.
A 3rd party called police who arrested Kitaen after seeing Finley's wounds.
A judge has issued a restraining order against Kitaen, but she gets their Newport Beach, CA home
while Finley stays elsewhere. D'oh, get a lawyer, Chuck!

10:46 AM
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Thursday, April 04, 2002  
The day at the laboratory started with "we're going to check you for thyphoid"...
"No, I don't want to be checked, I want prevention, vaccination, immunization".
"Oh, we don't do that here".
"Let me make make a call & have my people tell you a few things".
I ended up getting Hepatitis B. Then I went to a pharmacy, buying my own Hepatitis A (and syringe!)
I got conflicting stories about needing/not needing Typhoid, so I'll get that at a real hospital tomorrow night.

The physical was pleasantly comprehensive:
my first ever abdominal ultrasound
EKG
full blood work
diabetes reaction test (I just love a glass of sugar)
chest x-ray (technician took my biz card)
doctor's exam & consult (including the presentation of his son's resume).
All for Rs.1400=US$28

2:17 PM
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The day started off with "we're going to check you for thyphoid"...
"No, I don't want to be checked, I want prevention, vaccination, immunization".
"Oh, we don't do that here"
"Let me make make a call & have my people tell you a few things".
I ended up getting Hepatitis B. Then I went to a pharmacy buying my own Hepatitis A (and syringe!)
I got conflicting stories about needing/not needing Typhoid, so I'll get that at a real hospital tomorrow night.

The physical was pleasantly comprehensive:
my first ever adominal ultrasound
EKG
full blood work
diabetes reaction test (I just love a glass of sugar)
chest x-ray
doctor's consult (including the presentation of his son's resume).
All for Rs.1400=US$28

1:46 PM
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Wednesday, April 03, 2002  
Downloaded software often contains hidden "SpyWare", an invasion of your computer's privacy.
Do a websearch on "SpyWare" & if it still doesn't make sense, turn in your computer for a refund.
Here's a clickable Link on the suspect Kazaa music trading program.

Today's trip to the "doctor" turned out to be a lab where I left urine & got nothing.
I start over again tomorrow (today) at 7:15AM.
The banging continues next to my flat & I'm so tired, my cheeks hurt.

1:41 PM
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Tuesday, April 02, 2002  
At the nunnery next door to work, I often hear "slap-squish-slap-squish..."
and it's not deja vu of 5th grade's Sister Mary Elephant!
It's someone doing laundy against a rock.
While the officeboy takes my wash to the cleaners, I've noticed many buttons come back smashed.
Not totally missing, but smashed. I'm making a connection here, lights are flashing.
On the way to work, I'm driven by the building that houses the cleaners. What's inside?
Rows of buckets with a rock beside each? Or do they put the rocks in the washing machines?

Time to crash. At 7:15AM, I get immunizations for Hepatitis A & B, & Typhoid (co-workers have it).
And, I get a physical so I can jack my insurance to the max (d'oh).



1:13 PM
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Monday, April 01, 2002  
A big shout to Juiced Jenny! Fun lady, but then, I'm a fun guy (at least for a little while).

I had a BIG weekend...HUGE:
bought a TV & cable is US$4/mo
-clarification: bored in an empty flat & bought furniture that happens to have a 21" screen with a remote
-modernization: when I had a 1BR flat with cable internet, I bought a 13" TV...now I have 3BR
bought extra sheets & towels
bought Kingfisher beer (Rs.46=US$1/650ml bottle=22oz)
bought papaya, bananas, & guava juice (I feel like I'm back in de islands, mon)
bought John Grisham's "The Summons" (for sale in India only, Rs.195=US$4) & read 3/4 already
houseboy cleaned the flat & took my laundry away
converted Georges to Rs. & got the evil eye over stamp/highlighting

I awoke this morning, turned on ESPN2 & there was Opening Night, Cleveland kicking Anaheim!

Dial-Up just got installed. I'm on sify.com @ 49.2Kbps ($90/yr. plus a WalkMan, but no webspace)

3:55 AM
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