Lease Takeover

How would you like to live in a place where you can see the National Cathedral from your living room.

Not enough you say, then how about a beautiful sunset, in fact you will see a new one every day. I have lived at this apartment for three years and have yet to see a sunset that I have seen before. If you don't believe me, look at the album below.

Still not sold, how about living 2 blocks from the Silver Spring Metro Station. 2 blocks from Downtown Silver Spring, 15 min to Downtown DC, walking distance to Grocery stores and a 7-eleven downstairs for those emergency supply needs. The management is building a recreation room, yoga studio et all in the common area.

Our lease ends on November 15th so we need you to take over our lease by September 15. After the lease period ends you will have an option to renew the lease. So, whether you need a place to stay for two months or just looking for a place to stay, this is where you should be.

The apartment is 1100 sq ft with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The washer dryer is just outside the front door. The building has a garage in the basement though there is some renovation going on there at the moment. The rent is $1910 and the utilities come to around $100/month.

Please contact me at 240-479-9078 if you are interested.

Views from our House

Need tips for backpacking

This is a short blog post just to get us started.

We are heading out on a backpacking trip around the world for 4 to 6 months.We plan to stay mostly in hostels and the occasional hotel and camp sites. I have put together a list of items that I think we need to carry with us or have it done and ready before we leave. Its the first draft, so its not organized yet. The list contains items that have been added as they come to me. Once I get the list finalized, I plan to organize it in categories.

The link below is a link to a google doc which you can edit. Please add items to the list as you deem necessary. I am hoping the collective intelligence will help us prepare better for the trip.

Click here for the doc

Reddit Revelation

I have realized something and I have to thank Reddit for this. If you don't know about that site, please do so on your own accord, I don't want to held responsible for your lost productivity.

Reading through posts of people posting stuff like this for example, one after the other, until you realize most of the quirks that you thought were only yours aren't just yours anymore. I mean, who would have thought someone takes two steps per square!

So, here's what I come to understand. You are not alone, there are a lot of people who share a lot of your interests. At the same time you are unique, and its the combination of all your qualities that sets you apart. Finally, If you feel lonely or left out, all you have to do is open up, you will be surprised at how many people, strangers they may be, feel the same way or are willing to help you out.

Here Nicky Nicky Nicky

I have been house sitting my friends cat Nicky for the past week feeding him and playing with him. Hes fun to be with, especially when he walks up to you, then drops, literally, to the ground right beside you, does a quick rollover, and the does it again one more time. He reaches out with his front paw trying to touch you when he is rolling over. Weird but funny.

He spends the day indoors and prowls the neighbourhood at night. Last Wednesday, I had duty at the squad. I fed him and since he wasn't interested in going outside, I left him in the house. I come back the next morning to see him outside waiting for me! I didn't think too much into it. I figured, maybe one of my friends tenants let him out.

The exact opposite happens Friday. I let him out, and find him inside the house Saturday morning. This started getting interesting! Not enough to pique my curiosity though. I was too busy with other stuff that needed to get done.

Saturday evening was my weekend duty. I left leaving him indoors. I come back Sunday evening and hes outside. Now now, this cannot be! I had to find out how hes doing this.

I go downstairs check with the tenants but they are gone for the weekend. I then search all over the house for some  kind of opening. All the windows are either shut or have mesh on the outside. After a 15 minutes of searching I found this 2 inch wide cut on the duct tape by the bedroom window A/C unit. I did not want to cover it, but still wanted to find out if he was using. Oddly enough, Misery by Stephen King came to mind. Specifically how Annie Wilkes glues strands of her hair to things to figure out if Paul Sheldon is snooping around the house. NO, I DID NOT USE MY HAIR, but used a book to close the gap partially instead. If I find the book on the floor I know he has used this route. I also needed to know by tomorrow since I was leaving for NJ the next day. I set the whole thing up and wait that night.

I purposefully come in late the next morning to check on him. He's inside waiting for me. No surprise there I guess. I rush into the bedroom to check the book. It was still standing! Wait! this cannot be?!! How the hell is he doing this? I checked the whole house again. There really is other means of getting in or out. I look down and say, "Dude, how are you doing this?". He turns towards me, blinks slowly and says, "Meooowww".

Disappointed, I start to head downstairs when I realize the mail has been picked off the floor. That means someone did come in this morning! I guess he came in with them. I look back at him. He purrs and meows. My plan didn't work because he probably didn't have to use his entrance. Thats good news, but not good enough for me.

The fact is, and people who know me will tell you, I am not a patient guy. I need things to happen and happen right away. If they don't I will probably keep at it until they happen. Not this time though. Nicky has not just outsmarted me, but taught me a lesson in patience. I was thinking of emailing my friend when she gets back and have her test my theory but I am going to hold back myself till I get back. Its almost a month, but its gonna seem like a year. :)  

Oh..mom

This conversation that I had with my mom once just came back to me.

Me: Enn friend oda kalyanam churchulae aachu [My friend got married in a church.]
Mom: Naan kooda Surchkku(pronounced like Surreal) poirikein. [I have been to the Surch too]
Me: Starting to laugh, Gum...Surch illae, Church! [its not Surch, its Church!]
Mom: (Getting defensive)SARI DA, SEARCH!, podhuma?! [Ok..SEARCH, enough?!]
Me: I broke into laughter.

I love you Gum...you make my day, many a day, and not just by being funny.

Acts of appreciation

People will always try to do their job, but knowing that they are appreciated helps them enjoy doing it. I could see their faces light up when I thanked people for working on Christmas day.

Sometimes even a simple act of smiling at a stranger can lift up his/her spirit. Who knows what was going on in their lives that day that seeing you smile gave them hope.

Go ahead, make someones day :).

Happy New Year people.

Expressions - A Full Cycle

Well..almost :)