Changes…Is the Whirlwind Over?

So finally I have time to write. I am happy to see my dear blog again. Now the tough part…where to begin? Let’s just go through this whole month and maybe then you will see the reason that I didn’t even see my PC for so long.

September started with the Vegas/Grand Canyon Family Trip. What an awesome time we had and because there are so many details that I want to share it will be the next post that I write. Look for it soon with some pics.

We came back from the trip and headed into this deep whirlwind which may have not ended yet but has atleast slowed down. The closing of our new house was the 14th September, and we had to get the necessary bank papers, house inspections, etc.. completed before that faithful day. The week just passed getting everything into order as well as shopping for the necessities (i.e refrigerator, washer, and dryer). Plus all the calling to the necessary companies (i.e. electric, natural gas, water, satellite dish, phone, internet, etc..) to ensure that the new house would have everything by the time we close and move-in time, and the old apartment would have all of that turned off at the time we move out. There was also getting the pest guy to come and clean out all the spiders before moving in as well. So much went on to get that in order.

Soon 14th September was here, the parents came from Springfield to be with us, and we headed over to the title company’s office to complete the necessary paperwork to get the keys of our new house. The closing itself took two hours then only to find out that the bank had not sent the money over in order for us to get the keys. Neeraj had to get back to the office, so he left, and the parents and myself waited in the office until they confirmed they had gotten the wire. It took only 45 minutes for them to figure out that the bank had sent two checks through Fed Ex three days earlier and that had been filed in some cabinet somewhere. So everything was fine, and the house was ours:!: After having a very late lunch, I went back to the office, and the parents helped clean some of the apartment and then get new locks for the house setup.

Then we went to Springfield then Morton that evening. That Saturday, the extended family was going to celebrate Rakhi in Chicago so we had to get there. Once all of the family members reached, the good news from various directions started. First it was the fact that we had gotten the house and then shortly we found out that one of my cousins (Gudiya) is pregnant! Everyone was very excited that after so long we will have a little one in the home. Congrats to Gudiya and Jijs! Then once Rakhi ceremony was completed, we went to O’Hare airport where another surprise was unveiled. Kavita, our dear friend, was here in the US for a show in California and was going to come and stay with Mumma and Papa for a few days:!: It was awesome to see her after a long time, and it would have been great if Prasad would have been here with her as well. Her flight was two hours late and reached O’Hare after 10pm. So we didn’t get back to Morton till the wee hours of the morning.

Sunday we stayed in Morton as long as we good to enjoy the time with Kavita. We went to an Indian restaurant in Bloomington, Puran, which by the way, I do not recommend to anyone in the Peoria-Morton-Bloomington area:!: I have never been treated so horribly at a restaurant before, and that too, an Indian restaurant! The service was horrible, the food was theek-thaak, and again - the service sucked!! Debu and Pinky, and their little one Aishani, had joined us for lunch, and we all agreed that this was the worst treatment we had ever gotten at a restaurant. Here’s an example of the treatment that we had gotten, Kavita had asked for nimbu pani (lemonade type) with no masala (being a singer, she didn’t want anything to affect her throat). The waiter comes like 45 minutes later, after much request, with the nimbu pani with masala. So Kavita asks if he can just make it without the masala, and he says no they only have it with the masala. Dost, how do you make nimbu pani? Its just lemon and water:!: Unbelievable! Anyway, so we ended up telling the waiter to bring some lemons, and Kavita would just make it herself. Idiot. These guys don’t know how to treat customers, and here they have created this so-called “restaurant”.

So we had a fun filled day with all of them, and then Neeraj and I headed back to STL late that night. The week again started with some more shopping (TV), packing, MBA Orientation, and then our first MBA class on Thursday. It was a busy week but lots we had accomplished. Then on the 21st September, Mumma and Suraj came because on the 22nd we were going to do the moving into the new house.

Not only were we moving on the 22nd, but all of the necessary people (i.e. delivery guys from Sears with our refrigerator/washer/dryer, DirecTV guy, etc..) were also going to come to get all of their stuff setup. The morning started early for the four of us (Mumma, Suraj, Neeraj, and myself) but all of our other friends were going to get here after 11am. We had bought a new 50 inches Panasonic HDTV Plasma TV from Best Buy (which is awesome by the way ) that needed to get picked up so the guys, after getting the Uhaul truck, went to get that first. That was one of the first things that came into the new house. Then all of the other big stuff began to get moved from the apartment to the house. I remained at the new house for quite some time because of the delivery people showing up. We had some major issues that day including after the delivery of the refrigerator, it began to leak like crazy, due to the filter not being put in properly. It was only at almost 7-8pm that night that we finally got another guy to come out and get that fixed for us. Then the DirecTV showed up late and stayed late, and still didn’t complete the job. Plus due to the move, we lost all of the serials that we had taped in the DVR. It was not good.

And the fun continues….so maybe I will complete this post before I write about Vegas.

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.