6 February 2024

5K run in one of my old time routes

In fact, this goes back fifteen years – around the time I had just started running. Running in Dallas area felt surprisingly easier than in Atlanta area. I am sure the flatness of the land had a lot to do with it. My guess is checking out all the new buildings that have cropped up kept me distracted from feeling tired too!

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6 February 2024

Seeing that airport always brings back some sweet memories from the past

None sweeter than those of Sunday mornings when Natasha was a preschooler and I would bundle her up in the car, take her to the airport and standing against those giant glass windows next to the gates watch the planes take off and land. Those days, you did not need a boarding pass to get thru security. We would visit the American Airlines Admirals club where she would always drink some orange juice and then head out to the train that would take us from terminal to terminal for some free ride.

Best couple of hours in an airport for me.

Best couple of dollars for parking I have ever spent!

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6 February 2024

Breakfast with retired Lt. Gen. Twitty

There are very few things as delightful to me as having a breakfast with this much decorated Lieutenant General. Most of our time was spent discussing geopolitics – from the two conflagrations in the Middle East to the Ukraine war which the American psyche seems to have already forgotten and the cooling down of the sabre rattling between China and America. We also exchanged points of views on where America is headed in the global stage what kind of America our kids are likely to see when they get to our age!

Given his service across all the continents, there is always new angles and nuances I pick up in geopolitics that otherwise would have escaped me.

Can’t wait to come back and have another couple of hours with him again!

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4 February 2024

“Lucky” intersection point!!

After quite some badgering from Sharmila and a threat from DJPJ that if I did not upgrade my good old, much shattered iPhone 11 by this weekend, they were going to order one for me, I finally caved in and went to the Apple store with Sharmila. Got a new iPhone 15. Spent quite some time debating what color phone to choose. Picked my favorite one. Then promptly got a cover (hopefully less screen shattering) to completely hide the phone color. Go figure!!

Anyways, after all that, Sharmila and I went over to the bar next door in The Hotel. It was pretty empty. Ordered my Old Fashioned and then a salmon dinner.

I had not noticed that a gentleman had come and sat in a chair not too far from me. When Karmen went to him, he said – “I will have the same order as him”.

I looked at him. A young gentleman with head clean shaven and face with trimmed beard. I joked – “I like your hair style. I wonder why?”

We both laughed as he said “Rajib, you are always good with your one liners!”

WAIT!! WHAT?

And then I realized that it was Lucky Gilja!! Remember how I mentioned his head was shaven and he had beard? Well, last time Sharmila and I met him – four years back – it was the other way round! He had a headful of hair and a clean shaven face!!

We used to work together in the same PE firm a few years back. There is an interesting story about how I met him in an elevator and found out he grew up a hop, skip and jump from where I was living at that time!!

Lucky was in town for work and did not realize that we had changed homes and now live a walking distance from he was staying!!

We had a great evening!

Officially, the first photo taken on my new iPhone was by Karmen. “Lucky” omen, I say!!

Category: Intersection Points | LEAVE A COMMENT