Words

I’d like a better vocabulary. I would like my kids to have a better vocabulary than I had growing up. So I always incorporate big words whenever I can so they become used to them. I’ve learned though, that what works on my kids doesn’t work in kids’ stories. I really can’t write a kids’ story that is remotely pedantic or it sucks. Heck, I can’t write any stories with a message or it’s blatantly obvious. That’s what the editor told me when she read the first 10 pages of my Gandhi story. And looking back at it, it’s a story that parents would like their kids to read, but not necessarily one that kids would spend their own money to buy. So I can either rewrite it or say screw it, let me distribute it to friends who want to make their kids read it and be happy with that. And honestly, the lazy Sharan side of me is really leaning toward that. I should make a few changes (like changing the name of Burger Heaven since that incidentally is a real chain in New York) but otherwise, I think ‘The Adventures of the Gandhi Gang, book one: Taking Down ’ is done.
So now, I need some help. I need to come up with a catchy name for a chain burger joint. Right now, I’m at Burger Chain. Please, share your suggestions. I mean, with how small-scale this thing is going to be, I don’t see Burger Heaven suing me, but nonetheless, now that I’ve been made aware of the chain’s existence, I should respect it (if only in name). FYI: It’s about a group of boys who want to be superheroes – the way Gandhi would have been.

But anyhow, back to words. There was once an episode of ‘Blossom’ where Joey mentioned that if you use a big word 3 times, you own it. So throughout this episode, Joey, the normally adorable dimwitted jock, utilized a certain big word (which one, I can’t remember. And I just spent about 10 minutes searching through tv.com trying to find it to no avail). The point is, I’ll have to try that.

Anyhow, Merriam Webster’s website, www.m-w.com has a word of the day that I used to subscribe to (and to which I just re-subscribed). The word today (as I write this, not as you read this) is

quidnunc: one who needs to know all the latest gossip; a busybody.

Don’t know when I’ll use that, but we’ll see. I did happen to browse through the latest Entertainment Weekly to read the article about Britney Spears’ recent performance at the MTV VMA Awards and have to agree with the one comment that this really wasn’t the career-ending performance people are trying to make it out to be. Read the article here if you’re interested, though the main points were 1) that nobody watches the VMAs, and 2) you can’t criticize Nicole Ritchie for being too skinny then turn around and criticize Britney – after having 2 kids – for being chunky. So based on that, and a little review of the music that was positive, I might have to consider listening to her new album and perhaps – dare I say it? – buying it. (gasp!) Of course, since the last time I bought any music was when I picked up a Dora CD for a friend’s kid’s birthday, I don’t know how alarming an admission that is. Or realistic.

Addle:
1) to become rotten: spoiled
2) to become confused.

I think I can use both definitions. There’s my word for the day. If you feel addled after reading this post, sorry. Perhaps a brain-hickey can do that sometimes.
Now, what was it that Joey always said?

Browns Watcher Once Again

You know, I really should have posted this last night when I started it as opposed to now when I seem more like a fair-weather fan.

A while back, I had mentioned on this blog that I would not follow the Browns anymore. The logic back then had been that ultimately, the Browns are a business, and it really sucks that they can put out this shoddy product and still make money. Sure, they'd make more money if they won, but they don't really have much motivation since they sell out overpriced seats and plenty of merchandise.

Man, I can't even continue on this thread right now. Holy crap! If you didn't watch the game today, here's a quick update. The Browns won. Big time. 51-45. Sure, they could have stopped Cincinnati from scoring 45 points, but hey, since it was fewer than what we got, they did just fine.

So anyhow, I am back to watching the Browns. And here's why. On the one hand, I have my morals. On the other hand, I have an acceptable, and fully supported, excuse to sit - during daytime hours with the kids around - and do nothing but watch television.

So there you have it. I'm watching the Browns once again. But today, I wore an Indians tshirt to support my playoff-caliber team.

My only regret is that in the process, I'm passing on this doomed, accursed affliction - that of being a Browns fan - to my children. Maybe this will not be for naught. (see, there I go. I'm hopeless).

Enjoy the Irony

One day last week, as I was driving away from the grocery store, I heard the start of a song I liked, so I turned up the volume and enjoyed driving back home blaring the radio to this upbeat tune.

The song? Enjoy the Silence, by Depeche Mode.

My Wedding Speech

So my sister just got married this past weekend, which is why I haven't posted in a long, long, long time. But anyhow, at the reception, I gave a speech. Now, a few minutes before the family was to walk into the reception hall and be introduced, I went into the bathroom to freshen up and go through my speech one more time. At that moment, I discovered that my speech was missing. Now, I had stayed up until about 5:30 that morning finishing up work on the wedding, including revising the speech, so it was pretty fresh in my mind - as fresh as it really could be, I suppose, on 1 1/2 hours of sleep and an entire day of running around. But, as I got up there, I allowed myself to pause in order to remember what was coming next, and I truly believe the speech went better because I didn't have the printout with me. Because, frankly, had it been in hand, my 3 minute speech would have been done in about 1 1/2 minutes, because I do tend to speak faster when I'm nervous.

But anyhow, I thought I'd go ahead and post the original version of my speech, without my interjections and impromptu modifications. I'd have to wait for the wedding video to get the exact text, but for that, I guess I'd just say "you had to be there." So, enjoy:

Today we celebrate the wedding of my sister to her soul mate, Chris. Finding the right person to spend the rest of your life with is one of the most important choices you can make and I am glad to see that Niharika and Chris found each other. When you find your match, you can be happier than you ever thought possible. And certainly, there is no one in this room who is happier at this moment than Nikki and Chris, with the possible exception of my parents.

I imagine this event must remind my parents of when they were first married, of the life that was to follow. Shortly after their marriage, they left India, leaving behind everything and everyone they held dear, in the hopes of providing a better life for their future children. I’m sure they smiled at each other - in their own way – as each of us graduated from college.

But the nature of Indian parents is that their job is not done until they have fulfilled all their duties; not just that of ensuring their children are financially secure and responsible, but also that they are happily married. My sister graduated from college, my parents looking at every college graduate as a potential son-in-law, and the games began. “There’s plenty of time for marriage,” she would say. “I need to first get a job.” They relented… for the time being.

A few years passed, and my sister had been working for a while. My parents started hinting, sometimes not so subtly, that it was about time there was a wedding in the family. Well, I took the hint, bit the bullet, and agreed to get married.

A few years passed, my brother graduated from college, my sister was still working, and, she seemed in no rush to settle down with just anyone. When an opportunity arose in Atlanta, my parents weren’t eager to see her move away – at least without a husband – but, I suppose they figured that at least by moving, she’d get to meet more people, including, perhaps, that special someone. So they waited. But nothing happened.

Finally, they could wait no more. My parents weren’t getting any younger, and they longed to someday hear the pitter patter of little feet wandering around their house. So, in a great move of self-sacrifice, being the only child who seemed to care at all about the feelings of my parents, and hoping to distract my parents from pestering my siblings to get married, I gave my parents their first grandchild. And, seeing as they had been abandoned by their other ungrateful children, who went so far as to move to opposite coasts, I even moved back to Cleveland to take care of them in their golden years. See a pattern here?

A few years later, still no marriages. So I gave them another grandchild. Two more years went by, and who was the giving one? Me. Three grand children, and still, nothing from my siblings. This spring, I even put my house on the market to move closer to my parents – so they wouldn’t even have to drive on the highway to come visit – and then, what to my amazement happened? FINALLY, my siblings started picking up the slack.

So today, as we celebrate their wedding, I want them to know how happy I am for them and I have but one more thing to say “Didi, Chris, it’s about damn time.”