Swept Away

That's how I have been feeling ever since the year began. Swept away and spun around.
But before I get to the unnecessary details that I sometimes share through my posts on Indian Food Rocks, only to have those esteemed hecklers show up and say "where's the recipe", I do want to say a huge Thank You to all the wonderful feedback and terrific support for my entry for Click: Liquids in January. And, to Nupur, for letting me use a phrase from her comment as the title for the image: A tsunami in a martini glass. And, to Jai and Bee, for all the excitement they bring with each post, especially the event Click.

I raise a toast to you all! In Martini glasses, of course!


The winning image was this photo of a lemon splashing into a martini glass:


It won the following awards:




Yay! Yay! Yay! And one more Yay!

Many of you wanted to know how I managed this. It can be rocket science but I managed it with a worse-than-amateur setup. A detailed post is on my Inner Lens for your perusal.

I apologize for the delay in writing that post as I simply did not have the energy to do so. You see, I was hit with - no! not writer's block - but some really nasty looking numbers in my blood work. Together with my BMI, and my age, there was only one thing to do: get serious about becoming active. I had a session with a lovely personal trainer way back in October but no matter what I did, I just couldn't get excited about working on those machines three times a week. Come November, my resolve dissipated like a fast vanishing point in a clever photo. My sister - remember her? the one who memorizes recipes? - suggested that I try a new fitness rage that has been sweeping the nation. One that she herself was hooked onto. She's never one for fads and I am so glad I took her word for it and found drop-in classes in my 'hood. I now go to Zumba fitness classes twice a week and have a blast moving to throbbing Latino beats and working out all the muscles in my body. It's not just Shakira's hips that don't lie anymore...

The good news is that I will probably live a little bit longer as my numbers are normal again. And, no, it wasn't my cholesterol - that is like out of a text-book or whatever those medical tomes are called. Maybe it was a lab error. Maybe it was taking becoming active more seriously. Maybe it was eating smaller portions and drinking lots more water. Maybe it was all of the above. I don't know. At this point, I really don't care either as what matters is that this was a huge wake-up call for me and thanks to my good fortune, I found a fitness activity that I enjoy so much that I am ready to drop everything and rush off for the class. Excuses are a thing of the past.

The lesson to take away from this: don't wait for a wake up call. Find something you enjoy first, the motivation will follow. But become active as soon as possible. It only gets worse as the years roll by. Zumba, to me, takes aerobics and jazzercize to a new level. I get to shake my body with abandon and it's perfectly fine to have my hands go up when everyone else's are going down. Or to do a swirl when everyone is just doing a half turn. The instructor can make or break the class. I am lucky. I found Helene.

My other woes included a leaky roof. Luckily it didn't leak inside the house but over the front door. Every roofer we called told us the same thing; that the roof should have been replaced about 5 years ago. And this, for a roof, that was given flying colors - "excellent condition," I have it in writing - during the home inspection a little over 2 years ago. The drip edges probably vaporized, the tarp must have shrunk and the shingles magically nailed in since that fabulous report. All the roofs in our neighborhood had been replaced after a huge hailstorm hit Louisville 4 years ago. All but ours. It's hard to believe that our house, which was not ours then, escaped unscathed. We had no clue.

Replacing a roof is not a small job. We had contractors streaming through our house and then there were decisions: 30, 40 or 50 year shingles? What type of shingle? What color? What about ice and water shields? What about the ventilation? How much more for covered valleys? What about heat tape in specific areas? It was endless. Once this hammering on the head stopped, the real hammering began. But the good news is that we now have a new roof, with new ridge-vents instead of the old box vents. We also have soffit vents, which we didn't earlier.

The roof was installed but the gutters couldn't be because of high winds that were harbingers of a major storm that was headed our way. We were all very stressed and we have no idea how the winds let up, how the contractor - the gutter-walas as I called them - managed to be here that early in the morning and installed them within that short time frame. I literally had no nails left and I would have started pulling out my hair if all this had not fallen into place, just like that!

The lesson to take away from this is, of course, don't fret about what you cannot control and deal with the consequences, if any. The larger lesson being: get up on that roof with the inspector during the home inspection. We couldn't as we were over a 1000 miles away. Also look up past weather reports in the area to see if any major emergencies had been declared for your city, area, neighborhood: a severe hailstorm, a tornado, flash floods, anything. And find out the effect it had on your new home to-be.

In a way, it's all ended well for us. We now have a roof of our choice. One that is well ventilated and has quality shingles that meet code. I can sleep well at night. Especially tonight, when we have a high wind warning and wind gusts of up to 80 mph.

Through all of this, food took a back-seat to the extent that we were eating healthy meals but they were put together quickly and were nothing to rave about on this blog. Well, at least I didn't think so till I saw khichadi and kadhi doing the rounds. I'm sorry that I have no recipe yet again. Life is still a roller-coaster ride and there are new situations every day. But for every situation, there is a solution and then dawns a new day.

And with this, I am going to announce another NaBlo event, close on the heels of NaBloWriMo and NaBloPoMo. It really blows! It's called NaBloSiMo and I made it up! National Blog Silence Month.

It's totally rad! The rules are like no other event ever. Here's the low-down:

  1. This event can begin whenever you want it to begin and it can end whenever you want it to end. It says month but it could be a week, two weeks, a month, a year...you get the picture!
  2. You don't have to link back to this post. OMG. Imagine that! No need for linky-love.
  3. You don't have to use the logo.
  4. When you join this event, you stop posting for a specified or unspecified length of time.
  5. Going on vacation? Sign up for NaBloSiMo.
  6. Feeling burned out? Sign up for NaBloSiMo.
  7. Bored of blogging? Sign up for NaBloSiMo
  8. Got a writer's block? Sign up for NaBloSiMo.

It's a great event and it's one I am signing up for right now!

So, my friends, Indian Food Rocks is going NaBloSiMo. See you all next month! And don't forget to enjoy that extra day in February.

49 comments:

Anita said...

NaBloSiMo...it has a nice ring to it...almost Musical!!

I too am trying to be more active. This month has turned out better than others before; I am managing a 30-40 min walk 5 times a week! Not fun-shake as your zumba sounds though. But still.. Yay, for you and for me too!

Anita said...

I am not a heckler! I didn't say, "where's the recipe?" - not in a loooong time. We are glad there is a post! :D

Srivalli said...

well congratulations and all that...that was a lovely shot!..and yes thats a great event too with a cute logo!...now we have a reason to go on a break too...all for an event!

Padmaja said...

Manisha!!
What a post and you truely deserve those awards yaar as its amazing how you got that click at the right time. I just loved it!!
You know what manisha, as long as you enjoy your healthy regime its superb, Even i ahve started 3 months back, things i enjoy like walking,badminton and biking which I do 2 or 3 times a week and believe me I shed so many kilos and thats even making me more obsessive but in a healthy way.
So glad that you are enjoying your classes!! Keep it going dear!!

Nupur said...

That zumba thing sounds like a lot of fun! I started regularly exercising in November (going to the gym 6 days a week, and yes, using those machines). I feel great; it is the very first time in my life that I have been able to stick to some sort of exercise plan. But the hot latin beats sound like a lot more fun :D
Congratulations on that award-winning pic: you "swept away" the prizes at Click, didn't ya?!
Enjoy your time away!

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

Hi Manisha!
Zumba sounds like fun! Glad you are doing well. I really miss the eccentricity of CO weather! If there is one thing I repent about our move from there, it is that I wasn't able to catch up with you at all :( Maybe on our next visit, if you have the time!
Hope Medha is doing well.

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

and those pictures are simply gorgeous!

Purnima said...

Manisha..just dropped to say congrats !! Loved that lemon's suicide :D in a martini glass..hey all ur snaps r coming out like pro! Well I was engrossed in reading all that write up and went thru the links ( I was happy to see your snap in car! So now I can relate that visual to ur articles! yaaayyyyyyy)Again take care of ur exercises n health!
Warm Rgds-
Purnima :)

Anonymous said...

Glad that all is well now. Zumba Ho!

Tx for the Inner Lens post.

NaBloSiMo....now that's something that I can sign up for ;-)

-j

Miri said...

Congratulations on your win!! well deserved!

Come back when you have spent out your time out! :)

sunita said...

Congrats dear manisha for your well deserved wins...and dom keep up the good healthy stuff...never too late to start :-)

bee said...

you mean we have to wait a month for THE RECIPEEEEEEE ???????????????? :D

Shilpa said...

Ohh Manisha...I was wondering what was going on...Hope you are doing good now. We have got so many wake up calls, still I am not awake completely :(. V recently joined AOL(Art of Living), it is helping him a lot. I am trying my best to do some exercises(yoga basically) regularly. It helps me a lot. But I still have to develop a habit of doing daily. I am all curious abt this Zumba. I will read abt it later. Take care dear...

evolvingtastes said...

Congratulations on winning!!!
Remember maine kya bola tha?

Indian Food Rocks said...

Anita, she'll be along shortly. Of that I am sure! :-D

Hurrah to you and thank you for being so supportive. You can zumba at home to loud music. We do that every Saturday when there is a radio show that plays disco music - no less! - from the 80s. So we dance to Earth Wind and Fire. To Alicia Bridges. To Sister Sledge. To The Village People. To Gloria Gaynor. To Chic. To Donna Summer. Oh I could go on and on! The best part is that I can belt out the lyrics, too! There is renewed respect for this dancing mom, I tell you!

And heckler, you? No! You?! Hmmm!


Srivalli, thanks and take the event and run with it! It's the best kind of event ever. You don't have to do anything! I really like that part of it. Oh wait! That's the only part... ;-)

Padmaja, thanks! And yes, I am really having a great time. Those who watch me through the two way mirror wall? Maybe not! But who cares?! I wish I could shed kilos like you. I aspirate food just by looking at it and my fat has become so comfortable on my frame, that it does not want to break free. Keep with the active life!

Nupur, thanks again for the caption! I am quite thrilled about the awards! And yes, zumba is great fun. There is a zumba shuffle that is really cool and which I mastered in the first class itself! was so proud of myself! I get on the machines about once a week, too. I am sure you know this but do alternate between cardio and weights on consecutive days. Zumba is a mix of whole body toning and cardio whereas those machines let me focus on specific muscles. My tongue still trips over their names every time I have to say them!

Roopa (KitchenAromas), come back soon! The sun is out, the sky is gorgeous Colorado blue and everyone's spirits are high! And I will definitely have the time!

Purnima, that's hilarious! Suicide in a martini glass! And I feel for you. I have to see that face everyday. :-D

click/Jai, he he! I knew you'd like NaBloSiMo!

Miri, thanks and I will!

sunita, thanks! I've always only started. I just never moved ahead or got anywhere. I don't know that I will now, too, but I feel good, my body feels different and that's what matters!

bee, all systems say Heckler Alert! I gave you recipes for life in this post, men! What you thinking food food all the time! ;-)

Shilpa, you're doing just fine! Destress is the first part. Easier said than done, of course. My sister has been doing kriya and all those other aum-aum things through AoL for many years now. It has helped her a great deal. I hope it helps him with his migraines. And anyone can zumba. We have a 70+ year old man in our class. When Helene says who's feeling sexy, he's usually the only one who puts his hand up! And then his equally senior wife turns around, glares at all of us and says: hands off!

Zumba uses Latino dances like salsa, merengue, calypso, mambo and so on to make it enjoyable. I can salsa now, baby!


evolvingtastes, arre! Tum to boss aadmi hain! Hafta kidhar bharneka? :-D

evolvingtastes said...

I just noticed that I have two linky-loves too. Merci, merci.

Indian Food Rocks said...

evolvingtastes, I like to spread the love whenever I can instead of doing it because I have to! The power of the link... ;-)

Rajesh &Shankari said...

Manisha - U totally deserved all of the awards. I loved the picture so much..After our chat, I tried looking for zumba classes and this sleepy old does not have any. I have started working out, but zumba sounds more fun. I now declare you the official spokesperson for ZUMBA

Suganya said...

NaBloSiMo, I am all for it. in a few months time.

Aparna Balasubramanian said...

First of all Congratulations on the hat trick. You desrved them.
Enjoyed your post. Reminds me of ME! Except that I haven't started moving yet. Constrained circumstances prevent me (and this is not an excuse, its true). But two months down the line it will be a different story.
And I will sign up to NaBloSiMo. Have a lovely break.

Rachna said...

hey so si just started NaBloSiMo in December....dont know how long its going to be...

loved the tsunami in a martini glass the minute i saw it...

r u gonna do NaBloSimo on FB too?? :) i left u a mail...

musical said...

Cheers to all those woderful pics, Manisha! And enjoy your NaBloSiMo :).
Am so glad that you are enjoying your excercise routines, zumba sounds like total fun! i haven't been to regular in excercising, the only thing i can sometimes managae is an almost 3 mile long walk, and i enjoy it!

Have fun,
musical.

Ashwini said...

I am going blind..wrote that long mail and just now noticed your post on Taste.
I almost fell off my chair when I saw you signing up for another NaBlo..but the event you have conceptualized...now that I can participate in any time. I think I was doing just that for the whole of 2007 anyway.
Loved the idea of zumba. I just did Art myself and feel so so much better. The physical part of self improvement is next on the anvil. Life's passing by so fast... gotta take control before its too late.

archana said...

NaBloSiMo ! You are a genius !
Congratulations on your multiple CLICK wins. This post for me is truly an eye opener. I have been thinking and rethinking about going back to the gym lately, but i am so bored with all those giant machines. May be i will think Zumba now, it turns out that there are classes less than 10 minutes walk from my home.

Alpa said...

Congrats!!! The pic was so awesome, you totally rocked it. i totally agree - it's so hard to find something to stick with. i'm starting spinning and pranayama classes soon myself. i hope i like it, otherwise i may find myself signing up for zumba :) ahhh, old age :)

TheCooker said...

Congrats on your many wins.
So Zumba rocks, huh? I hate going to the gym, but now my hips are dragging me there.
NaBloSiMo is one heck of an idea...it had to be you who came up with it!!

Richa said...

Congratulations!
true, it is easier to follow a exercise routine if you enjoy it ;)

Mansi said...

congrats on your very well-deserved win Manisha! right from the time I saw your pic I so knew you were winning it!!

Anonymous said...

Nice to hear that you found a fitness routine you enjoy! I joined aerobics classes sometime back but then they were repeating the same songs again and again in the same order and on the same days in the week. Dropped out much before I finished a month there .. That zumba sounds so much fun!

Anonymous said...

Found some videos of Zumba on the net .. Will see if I can do it at home.. :)
Thanks!

Anita said...

I think i have figured out why Indi-pop from the movies is so popular abroad as well! I just saw a Zumba video on Youtube and there was something playing on the TV, and what do you know - perfect beat! So, not just to Abba and the others, you can Zumba to Hindi music! (And that may just make me play some of this new generation music that I never listen to...)

Cynthia said...

I love you girl!

Cynthia said...

Ooops! I forgot to offer my congratulations on the Click win!

Pelicano said...

Greetings. This is your fairy godmother. I was listening to Seals and Crofts' "Summer Breeze" while reading over your post. Since I'm in such a good mood and since you totally stole the show over at Click!, I've decided to grant you your time off, but you'd better have a good recipe to share when you come down from your perch on the roof! :-D

Pelicano said...

Anita-
yes indeed! Especially the modern Punju dance mixes- great stuff!

Linda said...

Congratulations, Manisha! That was a rocking 'click' :)

Take good care of yourself, and let the posts come as they will.

Your lime pickle lives on in the fridge! ;)

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Hey that Zumba fitness sounds exciting. I am a sporty type of person by nature although I had a bit of a downer close to the end of last year. But I felt so bad that I am back to my 3 - 4 times a week training yes on those machines, and a lot of yoga, pilates etc.

Of course the main reason I am here is to congratulate you on the great shot for Click. I loved it and know how difficult it is to take such shots so appreciate it all the more. perfect Manisha!

Aarthi said...

u r awesome Manisha, somehow your posts brings smile on my face :)
Goodluck with working out.
You know to workout I just run somehow it is like meditation, therapeutic. take care and will look forward to you being back.

The Twisted Gourmet said...

Just wanted to say : Great Blog! . i became a fan :)

Meg Wolff said...

This is a great post ... love your award winning martini glass photo!!

Wow, 80 mph winds ... and glad you have a new roof of your choice.

I like the blog silence. When I am blogged out I will remember this and come back to it. Bookmarked. Another great photo too. Best wishes!

ThreeTastes said...

Congrats on the Click awards, I loved your photo when I saw it during voting! And thanks for your wake-up call on health and house inspections. We may be in the market soon, so your advice was very valuable to us. I'll be using your wonderful NaBloSiMo event badge when we move -- what a rockin' idea!

Subhodini said...

Hi...the post was amazing.I was completely blown away by the pic and thanks for the informative tips about do and donts while buying a house.And thanks for fitness tip too.I love dancing and am going to find the nearest zumbha place to go to :)

White on Rice Couple said...

Wow, we just found your blog today through "google" and wish we knew about you longer. You have so much valuable and interesting information about Indian cuisine, something we are very eager to learn about. Thank you for such a great blog.
BTW- Our google account does not link to our correct site. Don't know why, but you can swing by and visit us anytime at , www.WhiteOnRiceCouple.com

Shah cooks said...

na na na naa re..
anyway i too loved ur clicky photo and silence is always good to recharge..

Kribha said...

Congrats Manisha. Your awards speak for your talent. NaBloSiMo is something I'm already doing from time to time. :-)

Rockquelle, the Rollergirl Next Door said...

Manisha,
Manisha,

Someone has posted the entire text from one of your former posts on their blog, for some reason.

Amy
theoldecrone@gmail.com

Here is the link:

http://ckradrienne.wordpress.com/2008/03/03/downtown-louisville-rocks/

Indian Food Rocks said...

Amy, thanks a ton! I left a comment on the copied post but it went into moderation so there was no way of knowing whether the blogger would do anything about it. I then reported the blog to Wordpress as that blog is/was hosted by them. I stated my case and the blog has since been suspended. Apparently the blogger was not aware that this is something they cannot do. Maybe, one of these days, everyone will know...I can dream, can't I?

bee said...

NaBloSiMo is over ;-)
where is your post!

-j

KayKat said...

Love it all! You rock, Manisha :)

Those pix are fabulous, and I can't help but roll around laughing as I read your post.

Am truly glad you're on the workout wagon and doing better.