Don’t call it a comeback
I been here for years
Rockin’ my peers and puttin’ suckas in fear
Makin’ the tears rain down like a MON-soon
Listen to the bass go BOOM
Explosion, overpowerin’
Over the competition, I’m towerin’
Wreckin’ shop, when I drop these lyrics that’ll make you call the cops
Don’t you dare stare, you betta move
Don’t ever compare
Me to the rest that’ll all get sliced and diced
Competition’s payin’ the price

Last year was a tough year.  Less focus on being me, and more focused on just surviving.  Two children driving us mad, sleepless nights, lots of professional travel away from the family and friends….. truly, the busiest year of my life, and I’m just 32.  I never got to exercise, no cycling, and there was no downtime.  I haven’t been to the doctor in years. I haven’t been to the dentist longer than that.  Enough, I say.

This year, it’s back to being me.  Back to having a life.  Back to being an outstanding employee, and enjoying my career.  Back to being healthy. Back to basics. The question is how do we accomplish this?

1. Having a life — my wife and I are taking advantage of the family babysitting, and kids’ night out events, so that we can go out to dinner regularly like adults with no high chairs or formula bottles necessary.
2. Enjoying my career and excelling — My schedule/workload has lightened up (or balanced out), and now I can actually concentrate. And I’m so much happier now.
3. I am also taking the CISSP exam this summer.  Have I said that before?  Yes, but see bullet #2 above.  It’s hard to find time to study when you feel like you’re hanging on by your fingernails.  This time, I will take it, I am taking, and I will pass.  Why?  Because f$%# it, this is my life, and I want to do it.  I passed the CISA with 3 months of studying.  That’s what I do. Even with kids, 6 months is plenty of time.
4. I had my first general physical checkup last week, after 4 years.  I went to the dentist last week for a checkup, and an intense cleaning today.  How long has it been?  Don’t ask, but hey, I did it.
5. I went back to the gym on Tuesday for the first time in almost a year.  Tomorrow, I have an appt with the trainer to start a fitness / get back in shape program for this year.  It worked for me 8 years ago, and it will work now.
6. Once I shed some excess baggage, I can fit in my cycling clothes, and be on the road cycling in the Spring.

Enough is enough. I am on the road to recovery.  I am going back to being ME, and I could not be happier.  I feel it already.

I used to read the gag magazine Cracked when I was growing up.  My parents would drop me off at the local New City library on weekend afternoons, and I would spend a few hours there reading Starlog, Cracked, and other books.

Anyway, Cracked is still around, and they recently had a great article, Lost In Translation: 20 Baffling Foreign Movie Posters.  It is unbelievable, and hilarious.

Lost In Translation: 20 Baffling Foreign Movie Posters | Cracked.com.

Now I know what I want to get Joshua for his birthday.  A baby Blackberry.  Too bad it’ll be offered in the summer at the earliest.  Maybe Christmas?

Leapfrog Text & Learn

Leapfrog unveils ‘baby BlackBerry’ for tots | Crave – CNET.

Dell is offering the PlayStation 3 new for $399.99.  It’s not quite out of the stratosphere, but it’s at least a bit more reasonable.

The Sony PlayStation 3 is on sale for $339.99

Return of the $339.99 PlayStation 3 | The Cheapskate – CNET News.

I’ve heard of a lot of support groups, and yes, I probably should join a few.  Now there is one called Dating a Banker Anonymous, a support group founded in November to help women cope with, well, the travails of dating a banker in this economy.  They even have a blog.

From left, Dawn Spinner Davis, Christine Cameron, Laney Crowell, Alexandra Pennington and Megan Petrus, members of Dating a Banker Anonymous.

It’s the Economy, Girlfriend – NYTimes.com.

Now if you will pardon me, I am going to stick my head in the doorway, and slam the door a couple of times for good measure.

Man in Black: All right. Where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right… and who is dead.
Vizzini: But it’s so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you: are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet or his enemy’s? Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I am not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool, you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You’ve made your decision then?
Vizzini: Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows, and Australia is entirely peopled with criminals, and criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.
Man in Black: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
Vizzini: Wait til I get going! Now, where was I?
Man in Black: Australia.
Vizzini: Yes, Australia. And you must have suspected I would have known the powder’s origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You’re just stalling now.
Vizzini: You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you? You’ve beaten my giant, which means you’re exceptionally strong, so you could’ve put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you’ve also bested my Spaniard, which means you must have studied, and in studying you must have learned that man is mortal, so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.
Man in Black: You’re trying to trick me into giving away something. It won’t work.
Vizzini: IT HAS WORKED! YOU’VE GIVEN EVERYTHING AWAY! I KNOW WHERE THE POISON IS!
Man in Black: Then make your choice.
Vizzini: I will, and I choose – What in the world can that be?
Vizzini: [Vizzini gestures up and away from the table. Roberts looks. Vizzini swaps the goblets]
Man in Black: What? Where? I don’t see anything.
Vizzini: Well, I- I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.First, let’s drink. Me from my glass, and you from yours.
Man in Black, Vizzini: [they drink ]
Man in Black: You guessed wrong.
Vizzini: You only think I guessed wrong! That’s what’s so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well-known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha…
Vizzini: [Vizzini stops suddenly, and falls dead to the right]
Buttercup: And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned.
Man in Black: They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.

10 points if you get the reference to the 80’s ad campaign.

If you know us, you know that we like to cook and entertain guests.  It’s fun.  For six years, we’ve been using a T-Fal cookware set that my cousin and his wife bought me for an apartment-warming gift, waaaaaay back on October 29th 2002.  Considering I had no cookware, and Nissin Cup O’ Noodles every night was not an option, my cousin basically bailed me out of a death by MSG overdose.  It was not the most expensive, fancy-shmancy cookware set, but the sturdy set worked well, and fed a growing Ipe family for over six delicious years.

Calphalon 10-piece Contemporary Nonstick

However, all good things must come to an end.  When one door closes, another opens…. with more cookware.  We bought the Calphalon 10-piece Contemporary Nonstick set from Crate & Barrel,  C&B has a special incentive, where if you buy the set, you also get a bonus Everyday Pan and a bonus Braiser Set.  That’s right — completely free.  How can one turn that down? Granted, I’m not particularly clear on what “braising” is, but it sounds pretty erotic to me, and I’m all for that.

The set is neat, but we just got it, and haven’t taken it out of the boxes yet. Our favorite features are the glass lids, pots/pans oven safe to 450 degrees, and nonstick.  The original set (not including the bonus items) includes:

• 8″ omelette pan
• 10″ omelette pan
• 1.5 qt sauce pan w/cover
• 2.5 qt sauce pan w/cover
• 3 qt sauté pan w/cover
• 8 qt stock pot w/cover

Raj, thanks for helping me pick it all up.

So, for all those celebrating, Happy New Year of the Ox.  I hope it is a prosperous and wonderful time for you.  Since that is all there is to say about that, I’ll share.  I was born in the Year of the Dragon.  I don’t believe in astrology, but I find the coincidences curious.  If I read the astrological description of a Taurus (not the car), that’s me.  If I read the background or description for those born in the year of the Dragon, that’s me too.  What’s the deal?  Written so generically that it can apply to anyone?

Without further ado, two descriptions I found online for those born in the Year of the Dragon, and by extension, an interesting and accurate description about me, courtesy of the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco

People born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also honest, sensitive, brave, and they inspire confidence and trust. Dragon people are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They neither borrow money nor make flowery speeches, but they tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. They are compatible with Rats, Snakes, Monkeys, and Roosters.

I’ve been pretty healthy all my life, full of energy, I do get excited easy, I do have a temper, which most people don’t see, but I control it, because it can burn very brightly, very quickly.  I’m fairly stubborn, which matches up with being a Taurus.  I think the 2nd sentence applies accurately, but people can always disagree.  The rest of the paragraph is accurate, IMHO.

Here’s another from chinesezodiac.com.  According to two separate websites, as per the year I was born in, I’m a Fire Dragon.  Roar.

Personality

Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled.

While Dragons frequently help others, rarely will they ask for help. Others are attracted to Dragons, especially their colorful personalities, but deep down, Dragons prefer to be alone. Perhaps that is because they’re most successful when working alone. Their preference to be alone can come across as arrogance or conceitedness, but these qualities aren’t applicable. Dragons have tempers that can flare fast!

This is mostly accurate about me, except for the working alone.  Among other things, I like to listen to all opinions, but I know that when I have agreed with one opinion, or just like my own, I’m just going to run with it, and stop listening.  I also find that I get bored easily without a real challenge.  Tell me there is an upcoming deadline in two hours, and I’m energized.

Health

Considering their hard-working nature, Dragons are healthy overall. They do get stressed and suffer from periodic tension/headaches, likely because they take so many risks. Dragons could benefit from incorporating mild activity into their lives. Yoga or walking would be good as these activities can work both their minds and their bodies.

I wish I’d relax on occasion, which my wife is helping me with.  Tonight, after everyone went to sleep after 11pm, I cleaned the fish tank, I did the dishes, cleaned the living room, uploaded more January 2009 photos (btw, check them out), and I’m blogging.  I’ll get up in a few hours for work.  I get stressed when I don’t have control, or when my life feels cluttered.  Messy surroundings = messy life.

Career

Dragons prefer leading to being led. Jobs that allow them to express their creativity are good choices. Some good careers include: inventor, manager, computer analyst, lawyer, engineer, architect, broker, and sales person.

Add auditor in there. I was always a meek, shy kid growing up.  In high school, I got involved with my church youth group, got drafted into leading the group in my sophomore year (dearth of available candidates), and I’ve been involved in one group or another ever since.  And not just any.  Representative this or that in church stuff, President of the South Asian organization at Univ. at Albany for a year, on the multicultural council for a year, etc.  While I like being an auditor, I most enjoy leading reviews.  Something about it is fun, deep inside. Calling the shots, making it all work.

Relationships

Dragons will give into love, but won’t give up their independence. Because they have quick, sometimes vengeful tempers, their partners need to be tough-skinned. Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit to that person for life.

That’s about right. Nothing to add here.  My wife is the most interesting person I have ever met, and she challenges me daily.  Man, does she challenge me daily.

Fire Dragons – 1916 and 1976

A Fire Dragon’s emotions can flare instantly. Fire Dragons put themselves on pedestals, and because they react quickly and recklessly, they sometimes make wrong decisions. Fire Dragons need to slow down and keep their tempers in check as that’s when they’re best.

I’m not that temperamental, am I?  I do react quickly once I’ve made a decision, for better or worse.

All in all, Interesting to read, but I don’t put much weight into it.  I find it all very interesting though.

Weekends are no fun if you don’t have a life.  I mean, what are you going to do with your free time?  Study? Practice configuring a network router?  No no no, that’s a waste of a weekend, unless configuring a router is fun for you, then knock yourself out.

I’m rambling.  Ok, I have a life, and I had a decent weekend.  Saturday, we attended a birthday party for one of Josh’s schoolmates, who turned 4 years old.  The party was at their actual school.  In the afternoon, the kids (and my wife) took a quick nap, then we were on our way to North Jersey to hang out with friends.

Half the dinner table @ Saturday night

We had a few birthdays to celebrate, namely our friends Pradeep, Reeba, and Sona.  We were supposed to go bowling, but that did not work out.  We hung out at Pradeep & Heidi’s house, then we all met up at the Garden State Plaza mall, and ate dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe, which is no cafe — it’s a huge restaurant.  It was very reminiscent of The Cheesecake Factory, and the About Us page states that David Overton, Founder of The Cheesecake Factory brand restaurants, developed the restaurant, theme, and cuisine. I thought the food selection was large, but the food was okay.  I’d still rather go to a steakhouse for a good steak, an italian restaurant for good italian, a mexican restaurant for good mexican cuisine, etc.

On Sunday, we went to church, then went shopping for housewares.

I like the relaxing weekends.  Not stressful, no work to try to catch up on (yet), no events to attend.  Just relax, and do what you want. I published pictures from the weekend.  Enjoy.

On Friday, I had not one, but TWO doctor appointments.  In the morning, I had an appointment with my dentist for a checkup.  I should have gone for more cleanings regularly.  Live and learn.

In the afternoon, I went to see a new doctor for a physical.  I also received an EKG, a flu shot, and a tetanus shot.  BTW, I know the tetanus shot is good for me in the end, but argh, it makes my arm hurt.  When does the hurting stop?

This is all a part of my initiative to get my life back on track.  Get healthy, be less stressed, and kick up the career up a 100 notches or so.  Booyah.