Here I am again after a long break. Every time I think that I will write more on my blog, those are the times that I write less. 
I am not sure why that happens. Oh wait, I know….. because job is too busy, because personal life is too busy, because life in general is too busy. 
But I do come and visit you dear blog, and I think about you. So I will try to find more time to write to you.
Right now I have something to share with you: the good, the bad, and the ugly since the last time we chatted like this. 
The Good
So many good things have happened since Neeraj’s birthday. Overall it was a wonderful birthday for him. We enjoyed with family and friends, went out to a Mexican restaurant, had good conversation, and overall enjoyed incredibly.
Then the weekend after was my parents wedding anniversary. We went to be with them on their special day which brought in much snow. 
That was also enjoyable, and I think they enjoyed having us around together.
Then the weekend after that we went to my cousin Gudiya’s baby shower in Chicago. I am going to be a masi soon, and it is quite exciting for the extended family. Neeraj and I had thought that we would do a small dance for the baby shower, but it didn’t pan out because we didn’t have enough time to practice. Overall there was a lot of snow that night as we reached Chicago, but we had a good time. It was nice to see everyone as well. Wishing Gudiya and Jijs a very happy & safe delivery.
We have made some good financial decisions such as changes to our first mortgage, new savings account, plan to payoff one of the cars, and potentially looking at a long term investment in India.
That made the month of January just fly by… we made some purchases as well. Bought a new 37′ LCD TV on Super Bowl Sunday (it was an amazing deal) for the bedroom. Neeraj is putting together the TV stand as we speak. 
Then for my Christmas present that just came this week was a treadmill. Now I am able to exercise in the comfort of my own home, which I have wanted for a very long time. I bought Neeraj, for his birthday, the Cricket Ticket package so that he is able to watch the India cricket matches on TV rather the PC.
Saw a good movie last night, Halla Bol. If you haven’ seen it - NP would recommend it. 
So overall, the year has started well for us. *touchwood* Let’s hope the rest of the year stays the same way.
The Bad
Not blogging is bad, not updating to the latest and greatest Wordpress edition is also quite bad. 
Not getting our transcripts from our first semester of grad school has been bad. 
Look for why in the Ugly.
As for the news, its bad when all the media has to share with you is that Britney Spears being in and out of the hospital (frankly, I don’t care 
)……Saif / Kareena married, not married…. again… if you don’t have the facts, don’t share it. Raj Thackeray causing a mockery out of nothing… And that ruthless Joran Van der Sloot still out in the loose when he should be in a jail somewhere.
Having issues with our favorite computer came, Age of Empires Expansion Edition. Don’t know if its the network that is causing the issue (with one of our PCs on wireless it could definitely be a reason ), or something else. But it has been irritating for Neeraj and me when we are playing the game head to head and then all of a sudden the game comes to a halt. 
Then you have to restart the game after getting soo involved.
The Ugly
Customer service. I come to this all of the time. There is an issue with customer service in this country. We are losing it more and more. Companies and their employees are caring less about the customer than ever before. Along with customer service is having employees who know what the heck the company is selling, or be atleast somewhat knowledgeable to help the customer. Recently Neeraj and I have bought many things, but have faced many issues in various top notch stores like WalMart, Best Buy, Target, Circuit City, Sears, etc… where first it takes forever to find someone to help you find something, and then when you do find that person they don’t have any clue about the product that you are looking for — no matter if they are a specialist or not. Quite frustrating it can be. Another example would be that we had gone to the mall to check out treadmills. First we went to Sears, asked two people who were working in the exercise machine area, both had no clue which treadmill companies their store carried. Then we went to an exercise speciality store, and the “boy” (he seemed like a boy and not a man 
) flatly told us that if we didn’t want to buy a treadmill less than $2000 then there is no reason to be in the store. 
Ok idiot, that can’t be good for business. 
So overall, these retail companies need to get their act together. I would say the same for fast food restaurants, especially our favorite Taco Bell, but the hope that you would have a better staff at that type of place is pratically impossible in today’s day and age. Sad isn’t it?
Now the issue with the transcripts. This has been ridiculous what Neeraj and I have gone through to get our transcript from our grad school, SLU. Well first of all you need to get immunizations in order to request your transcript. The reason that we need our transcripts so badly is that because that is the way we are able to get tuition reimbursement from our company. So I turned in both of our immunization forms - in fact I sent it overnight to the university. Then the next day in the afternoon I call them and I get to talk to a very rude lady in the Health and Counseling Services (not a good place for a rude person to be working, don’t you think? ). She told me that no one is here to give me an answer on whether they got my immunization form and that I needed to call back tomorrow. She didn’t tell me the timing of course - that I had to ask. 
Then I call the next day again bright and early in the morning. After another lady put me on hold for more than 10 minutes, she comes back and tells me that I need to get two more shots (Tetanus Booster and Tuberculin Skin Test). First of all, I don’t know why as grad students we need to get immunizations. We are on campus for less than 3 hours in one week, and in fact, as an undergrad @ Bradley, where I was on campus throughout the whole day, I didn’t have immunizations done. The harder part was going to be for Neeraj. So then I asked the lady to tell me about what Neeraj needs to have done, and she says that we didn’t get his form. Now lady, both immunization forms were in ONE envelope, how could you have gotten one and not the other???? 
When you have incompetant people working at places such as these, its then you face such problems.
So I said forget it - we will just go together to the Urgent Care place when we go back to Morton, and Neeraj and I both will get those two shots. So then we went to Methodist Urgent Care in Morton on North Morton Avenue on a Friday afternoon in January. We took all of our immunization forms, prior immunization history, EVERYTHING that we could think of that they may ask. First they asked for all that information, and then we waited. Then the nurse comes through the door and says: VERMA. So I said, “which one”? She said, “Both”. So we both start walking towards her, and then said, “Which one of you is Verma?” I told her that Verma is our last name. It seemed that she didn’t comprehend. Then she said whose form is this one as she pointed to Neeraj’s medical examination form which showed the shots that he had gotten for immigration purposes. She wanted more information about the form, so I told her that he had to get a medical examination for immigration purposes, and this shows which shots he had gotten. You could tell that she didn’t want to understand nor was she listening to what I was saying.
She then took us to a room where we sat. Then numerous times she came in with Neeraj’s form bringing up stupid things, such as there are no dates listed on that medical form. Note that this form is a government document with the original kept with the USCIS, of course there are dates listed everywhere which Neeraj and I pointed out to her. So then she would leave and then come back and bring up some other stupid reason. Now I was getting quite frustrated with her. At the end she said that they will not be able to get Neeraj the TB or Tuberculin test because they don’t know what prior shots he had gotten. So now I was mad. We brought you the medical examination form that you don’t want to understand, and now you are causing us grief because we want preventative shots?? This is what our Medical System is all about??? Someone goes to you for help and you tell us that you can’t help us???? 
I was upset - and I could have said much more than I did at that time.
So then I told her that to give me the shots. She went back out with my baby book that had all of my shot information since I was a baby. She comes back and says again the dates are not listed. I was pretty pissed off at this point, and I pointed to her to the “Date” column, and said that this is the dates, what don’t you understand??? So then she goes out, and few minutes later comes back and says, “Yes we can do you because your prior history is listed”. FINALLY - the idiot finally understood. So I got my shots. I saw the doctor for a mere 1 and half minute because the shots were done by the nurse only (a different one from the idiot - thank goodness 
).
The first nurse had also said earlier in the conversation that the doctor would have to charge administrative charges, visit charges, etc… At the end when I walked out, I asked how much I needed to pay, and the receptionist said, “nothing”. Great. For all the grief you people caused, I didn’t want to pay you a DIME ANYWAY!!!!!!!! So guess what, Morton Methodist Urgent Care on 1909 North Morton Avenue is strongly not recommended, unless if you want to jump through hoops and cause yourself a heart attack.
We finally sent off my papers to SLU, and they have accepted, and now I have requested a transcript copy. Geez louise. What a hassle. Neeraj’s form I still have to fill - who knows if he can even get those two shots done. Its just ridiculous when you can’t even get preventative shots.
Alvida. Jai Mata Di.
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