25 April 2013

New Puzzle!!

Flying back from St. Louis. Thought of a puzzle that incorporates my love for running in it..

There are 4 runners in a race. How many possible outcomes can be there in that race. Be aware that there can be ties. Which means two or three or even all of them might finish the race at the same time.

To explain it further, if A B C and D are the runners, one outcome could be D came first, A and C came joint second and B came last. This would be different from D coming first , A coming second, C coming third and B coming last. Got it?

For people who is reading this on FB and not on my blog, always send me your answers by personal message. I just made this up – so I do not know the answer myself, but I have an hour of flight left to figure it out 🙂

Category: Puzzles | 15 Comments on New Puzzle!!
24 April 2013

Go Blues!!!

Thanks to Midwest-sized hospitality from my good old friend Dann and his team in St. Louis – Vince, Debbie and Scott and the rest, I saw my first full (ice)hockey game of my life. Best seats in the stadium. We had the two teams and the commentators on either side of the plexiglass. Right on the center line. And on the ice. And I mean right on the ice. I was one plexiglass away from pronouncing “boss, it was blown to smithereens” as “boff, ith waf fluh fo ffithereenf” (Tintin aficionados, no doubt recollect the villain Alan’s talk after his teeth got blown out 🙂 )

I had no idea about the rules of hockey. As it is, whenever somebody says hockey, I think of the hockey I used to play in India – which is called field hockey here, I think. I had no idea growing up what ice hockey is all about. Ice is something you got out of a refrigerator and on very hot days (which means any day in India), you put it in Dipy’s Squash and enjoyed the drink. That you can cover a whole darned field with ice was beyond my wildest level of imagination of refrigeration capacity.

My brush with a field filled with ice in Dallas, wasn’t a particularly pleasant one. There is nothing more frustrating than being an adult and having to go thru the same process you went thru when you were eight months old – trying to stand up and falling down. In front of our friends. Repeatedly.

And then I had heard about the old saying – “I went to see a fight and a hockey game broke out”!!

So, you will pardon me for not knowing what to expect. I have to say I had the best time of my life. Learnt a lot of rules. BTW, whose great idea was to put 3 periods in a game? It is like “we are not as small as soccer but not as big as football either”!!! I also learnt three key things:

1. Plexiglass is very important 🙂
2. Concept of fun while playing can be highly relative concept 🙂
3. Midwestern hospitality rules !!

Above all, I know have some awesome friends in St. Louis.

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Category: Travelogs | 3 Comments on Go Blues!!!
23 April 2013

Married to running :-)

Funny incident at the gym today: Sharmila and I had decided to meet up after our morning exercises at the LA Fitness on Holcombe Bridge. The idea was to hand her over my gym bag after shower so it would not have to sit at the airport parking lot for three days in the car. (I was flying out this morning).
After a beautiful run by the Chattahoochee river (brought back memories of the runs by the Potomac), I ran back to the gym, took a shower and sat at the juice / coffee bar inside the gym since I was a few minutes early.
There was a cute lady at the bar who I was chatting up as she made my drink. Most of the time I was trying to convince her that just because I pay LA Fitness 35 bucks a month to take a shower four times a week in any gym, does not mean I have lost my marbles. I do not think I was waging a winning battle.
Eventually Sharmila showed up and the lady, obviously recognizing her, asked if she would have her usual drink. (This is my first time at that gym but Sharmila uses it a couple of days a week). And then when Sharmila started talking to me, the lady was shocked. I guess, in her mind, she would not associate people like Sharmila with people who pay to take a shower 🙂
She looked at both of us and exclaimed to Sharmila – “You look so young and beautiful”! – once again proving the age old adage that the best way to look young (or thin) is to be seen with a old person (or fat) 🙂 As my good friend Matt Semrad had mentioned, it is always about comparative excellence 🙂
Not sure what Sharmila’s facial expression was to that comment – but the lady had some doubts. She gingerly asked – “You guys are married, right”? You could see that it was getting really awkward for her and she was trying to ease it up. But before I could say anything to increase her awkwardness, Sharmila burst the bubble by saying “Yes”. I was going to say something like “She wishes” and see how the lady would react 🙂
Down, but not out, I also said “Yes”… but put in a rejoinder – “but not to each other”. You should have seen the look on her face as she was trying to figure out whether she was in the middle of a very dicey situation or a very funny one 🙂
After a few seconds, Sharmila let her off the hook. “He is kidding”, she said.
We had a hearty laugh.

Category: Humor, My Family, Running | 6 Comments on Married to running :-)
17 April 2013

Standing up for boys!!!

One more of those “moments” with Nikita why I wish I did not have to work …. at least till she goes to college. I offered to drop Nikita at school today. She had picked up two lovely hydrangia flowers for her teacher – Mrs. Smith. In the car, to tease her, I asked if it was for her boyfriend. 🙂
Ever indignant, she shot back “No. It is for my teacher. Besides, boys give flowers to girls, not the other way round”. I duly noted that nowhere did she refute that she did not have a boyfriend. So, I decided to take the high road and said “That is an unfair rule. Boys and girls are the same.”
For a moment, I thought I had the upper hand of the exchange till she fired back – “Do you even know how girls go to the bathroom?”
I could not help laughing out loud. So, my nine year old daughter thinks that boys should give flowers to girls because they get to stand up when they pee!!!

WHATEVER!!! 🙂

Category: Humor, My Family | 6 Comments on Standing up for boys!!!
17 April 2013

Had fun!!

5 miles in the morning at 9:06 min/mile in the gentle slopes of Milton. Forgot my cap today. I was profusely sweating from my head by the second mile. I am not a pretty sight to begin with. Sweating did not exactly help me there either 🙂 But I had fun this morning. Hope you did too!

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16 April 2013

Losing innocence

Flying lost its innocence in 2001. Sadly, it seems we will mark 2013 as the year when running lost its innocence.

There is nothing that is as basic as running. You can do it by yourself. You can do it without any gadgets / tools / equipment. You can do it most anywhere. You do not need a lot of money to run – in fact the poorest countries – Ethiopia, Kenya, Jamaica have produced consistently great runners!

There was a time we ran to catch our food so we could eat. Now we run because of the amount of food we eat 🙂 There was a time mail was delivered by “runners” (running mailman). Now, we have problems running a postal system 🙂

But above all, every runner that you see on the road will tell you that they do it because it is “fun”. Some are competitive, some see it as a social activity – but all see it as a “fun” thing to do.

I should know. I am one. And I know many runners. Starting with my wife. And my closest friend. And my boss…

The important thing is that while some idiot might have taken the innocence out of running, it is up to us to keep the fun in running.

So, if you are a runner – continue to have fun. Go run with somebody you have not run in a long time. Inspire a child to run with you (bribes work more effectively on them 🙂 ) Get your family out for a Sunday run.
If you are not a runner – when you see a runner, do something fun. Lower your windows and wave at them as you drive by. They get a great kick and will wave back.
And if you are a Facebook friend of mine and follow my travels, drop me a note if I am near you if you want to go for a run, try out running or simply talk about running. I will surely be there to have some fun.

Category: Musings | 19 Comments on Losing innocence