1.Virtual group run with Bengali group – 4 miles
2. Beach soccer with Niki for an hour
3. Another run in beach – this time no shoes – 2 miles
4. Meiomi Pinot Noir whole day
5. With Niki in ocean for a hour
6. With Niki in pool for another hour
7. Read “Pause Principle” while getting fried in the sun 🙂
8. Long beach walk with Sharmila
9.. Sunday night date night with Sharmila at Dunes House

Now, if I can 10. hit the sack sometime, it will be “Mission Accomplished” for me 🙂

Sharmila and I took a long walk on the beach hand in hand and all that stuff… Discussions swirled around our parents, India, life after kids, work and all things sundry. Somehow the discussion veered towards me having to sell her something (I think it was about the location of our retirement home). Anyways, she thought I am a terrible sales person. Touched to the quick, I reminded her that she had said “No” when I proposed to her and her parents were dead against the marriage. Yet, we are where we are – so I cannot be that bad in sales.
Not sure whether she was trying to make light of the situation or just being reflective but she said that I do not know what life would have been if we were not married.
This was getting awkward for me. So, determined to make light of the situation myself I pointed out that “life” is a four letter word. She laughed out loud. Thoroughly relieved, I proceeded with my joke – “as is ‘work’, ‘wife’, ‘kids’…..”. As she continued to laugh, I ratcheted up the challenge -“Name me one four letter word after our marriage that we have enjoyed”.
Her laughter came to a sudden stop and she dead panned “Wine”!
Did I mention when I said that I was holding her hand, I had a plastic cup of cheap house wine from our resort in my other hand? Boy, does she know how to nail me. 🙂
I continued to point out to her how beautiful the ocean looked …. 🙂

Once we reach our favorite resort….
Niki got her his dog and ice cream? Check!
Sharmila and I got our wine by the pool? Check!
Natasha stayed back in the room to chat with her friends? Check!
Everybody else on the beach? Check!!!

Starbucks cum Subway stop. On our way to Hilton Head …

Turning out to be a very bumpy ride back home. I can barely keep my fingers on the keyboard 🙂 We were promised an altitude of 37,000 feet. We are indeed hitting it. Intermittently 🙂

“I so do not want to be 13”, said Niki after clearing security at the airport. Evidently, she loves being able to tag along with me thru TSA Pre at airports. Sharmila, who is not cleared for Pre, of course never finds it funny. Especially, when she gets picked up for dabbing the palms to check for traces of gun powder or something.
So, I suggested to Niki that when mom comes thru, we will both point our fingers at her and do some mock laughter. Ever thoughtful, Nikita, considered the whole proposal and concluded “You know, dad, I agree sometimes I am rude. But I also now know where I get it from”!!
Okay then, somebody is not sitting next to her on the flight back!! 🙂

Met up with Vanessa after almost three years. It was great seeing her husband Patrick and the cutest kid in the whole wide world – Giselle!! Playing around with her brought back a lot of old memories oft own kids at that age!!!

The sky by the pool…

Two hours of being in the rough ocean with Niki and Sharmila today was enough to cancel salt from my margaritas for the rest of the day 🙂