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My dear mother is the sweetest and most caring person that I know. She has done so much for Suraj and myself, and now for Neeraj as well. She is that pillar in our family which without we would not be able to stand. Mumma does everything, sacrificing her own happiness, for whatever we want.

My dear mother does every little thing with a smile. She says the most wonderful things that make anyone smile. She talks to anyone that comes in her way, and she makes a new friend every time. There are so many of Suraj and my friends that call her mother, didi, or aunty so lovingly for all the love that she gives everything she chats with them.

My dear mother is a great cook - she could have had her own show. She keeps her own house so organized and clean; I have so much to learn from her. She lightens the home, she makes me smile every time I see her, and I miss her dearly when I have to leave to go to my home. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t talk to her…..she is my idol - my role model, who I try to mimic….but its tough to be that wonderful.

So Mumma, Neeraj and I wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! We also wish you a very HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!! Also a very HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to Neeraj’s Mumma!!! We hope that we can give you both a lifetime worth of happiness.

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.

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A few busy weekends have past — an engagement party almost three weeks ago, Mata ki Chowki last weekend, and friends over this past Saturday. Overall the month of April has been good to us. Phase 1 of our home project has begun with fireworks. Neeraj and I are 80% complete with the master bedroom. We bought a new king size bed to fit our king size lifestyle (yeah right!! ) and then on Saturday morning our beautiful bedroom furniture arrived. Now the room looks like a master bedroom.

But we have noticed something…..companies and their deliveries.. not so good. The guys at Mattress Firm didn’t bring a frame when they delivered our mattress. So of course they wouldn’t set anything up without the frame. That wasn’t good. Then when the Value City delivery guys arrived on Saturday morning, there were no screws or hardware in order to setup the bedroom furniture. Why don’t companies do a better job or were we unlucky both times? I can’t think this was a coincidence. With the Value City guys, they had to drive to to get the hardware screws from another one of their drivers. So guess what - not only did you make us wait but you also wasted alot of gas to get those darn screws.

Anyway…..let's move on.  MTV Roadies. This week’s episode was okay - nothing too exciting. Ankita did an awesome job on both tasks - then a friend told me that she was on Facebook, and her location is STL. Well if its not a fake profile, then Ms. Ankita if you are reading this, then I suggest you add me as your friend, you will get a dinner invite from Neeraj & me. GO PRABHJOT!!!!!!

Crap…next set of MBA classes start on May 19. I had enjoyed the semester off.

I heard that Tashan failed miserably at the box office. Hilarious. I don’t care what anyone says but Kareena Kapoor looks anorexic in that movie. Not a good move by the director on this one. :no:  Akshay Kumar also looked horrible in this movie. Good thing Neeraj and I didn’t go see this one in the theater.

Congrats to my dear Kaush. She finally got the greatest news of her life. I don’ want to tell you so go to her blog and find out — and while you are there, convince her to update it

Thanks also to Kaush with her great tips….she has motivated me to be more aggressive with my exercise workout. I have changed my workout, and I felt really great today. Thanks dear Oh by the way, I bought those Special K strawberry bars - tomorrow I will have one for breakfast, and then I will determine if it is as good as you say they are.

Lakhon tar gaye lakhon ne tar jaana…..Maiyaji tera naam japke…

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.

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The past few weeks have been interesting and sometimes stressful. We have seen some movies such as Race and Life in a Metro. Both were okay and not that great. Yesterday we had a wonderful outing by going out and bowling and playing at the awesome arcade that they have at this place called Brunswick Zone. I think that we will be going back to that place soon.

Neeraj has become to invest into the stock market. He is learning a lot, and I love seeing him so interested in doing this. You can talk to him about stocks, markets, buying, and selling for hours.

We got some good things done around the house to get ready for the summer. The automated sprinkler system is now back up and running perfectly. We have also had the exterminator come in and done his part to make sure our home is ready for the summer.

Neeraj and I are both stuck like glue on the MTV India’s show, Roadies. Its just very addicting - very bad language, but very addictive. Anyway, now the next episode is suppose to be in Bangkok and I just have a few words - Go Prabhjot - Say Goodbye to Shambhavi!

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.

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Neeraj and I battled the first winter here in STL. With a few icy days, and even days where the office was closed, overall the winter was long.

I went on my first business trip to Phoenix while Neeraj gets to stay home from the office a day or two because of the heavy snow and ice.

Our dear Chicago Bears were in the Super Bowl, and we got to watch the game late because we were at the movie theatre watching the horrendous Salaam-e-Ishq Bears eventually lost but we missed some eventful plays.

Poonam’s father was named Regional General Manager of the Year. His big prize was a trip to 2 on a cruise to Mexico. We were so proud of him. A well deserved award and vacation needed for the parents.

Suraj received a promotion at the end of last year, and he started his new role in the first week of March.

Neeraj and I surprised his family by showing up at Hindaun train station in India in March right in time of Holi. I still remember the surprised looks of my bhabhis, nanads, and nephews/nieces.

We went to India with big ambitions that we would be able to get two families US tourist visas (Neeraj’s parents and Lata Didi/Kishore Jijaji). Both that I may add were successful.

We brought Neeraj’s parents with us in April back to the US. They stayed with us till late May in which we went to see Niagara Falls, around STL and IL, and celebrated our 1st year anniversary party, etc…

Neeraj and I celebrated our 1st Wedding Anniversary with a grand party. We got to spend some genuine time with Kaush for the first time. We also rocked the house by dancing continuously for 3+ hours.

Neeraj’s sister, Lakshmi, gave birth to a baby boy (Anmol) in the summer.

Neeraj, Suraj, and I chipped in to surprise Papa with a brand new 2007 Chevrolet Impala for his 60th birthday in July. Boy, was he surprised.

Neeraj completed one year with our current company at the end of August.

Neeraj finally decides on a phone - the iPhone! Ended up being the only Apple product that we will ever buy for ourselves! Apple sucks!!!

Mumma, Papa, Suraj, Neeraj, and I went to Las Vegas for the very first time together in the first week of September. We gambled, we saw Hoover Dam, and even saw the Grand Canyon (in the dark!).

Our dear friend, Kavita, was in the US for some shows and came to stay with the parents for a few days. It was great seeing her after such a long time.

Neeraj and I made a huge investment by buying a house in September in STL. We completed one year in STL, and by making this investment it showed that we really liked where we are and are settling here long-term.

Neeraj and I started our first semester of the MBA program at St. Louis University in September. We took two classes and recently received our grades. Read further to find out if we passed.

With the house, we made some first time purchases - all which required major researching. Overall, it was quite fun to do it together.

Life was overall very busy with the office, the home, and MBA throughout October & November.

Neeraj and I convinced my parents to go to India for a 3 week vacation. It was perfect timing to go so that they could celebrate Roop Mama & Sangeeta Mami’s 25th Wedding Anniversary with the whole family. It ended up to be a great decision, and they had a blast!

As part of their trip, they were able to get my Nokia N73 mobile phone fixed & brought a beautiful Durga Mata’s murti (statue) for our home. Not only that, it was a trip of seeing celebrities, as they saw the baby from the movie Heyy Babby, Priyanka Chopra, Bobby Deol, and Rohit Roy in various different places.

I completed my first year at our current office in the end of November.

Neeraj and I completed our first semester at SLU in the mid of December. Yes, we both passed with flying colors.

Neeraj and I put our dear sweet, Jollyface (1995 Dodge Neon), up for sale. So far no takers.

Suraj received another promotion at his current job which he accepted.

With all the great things that have happened, we did face some tragedies as well. Neeraj’s eldest brother-in-law (Shobha Didi’s husband), passed away in Sawai Madhopur this year. Neeraj’s middle sister-in-law’s (Maya Bhabhi) elder sister just recently passed away all of sudden in Ahmedabad in December. We had one friend who was fatally ill (after recently giving birth to a baby girl) due to misdiagnosis by the doctors (this was in the US). Thank goodness for Mata Rani to remain with her, and she survived. We had another relative, this in India, whose doctor had told her that her pregnancy was normal, and gave birth to a baby girl who now they realize has no functionality from the hip down.

This was the first time that we missed the jagran for Narendra Chanchal. The temple in Chicago did not do a good job of promoting the event, and we found out after-the-fact on when the jagran had happened.

Overall, it has been a great year for our health. Because of Mata Rani’s blessings, both families had great health and no such worries. We hope that it remains this way for a very long time.

We hope that 2008 brings for you & your families and us & our families more happiness, joy, prosperity, and great health.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!!!

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.

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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.

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