7 May
2016
7 May
2016
Bengali poem for a change…
I believe the poet was K.G.Mustafa. Talat Mahmud was the original singer. Many others including Ferdous Ara popularized this song later… This is the first stanza.
“Tomarey legechhe eto je bhalo
Chand bujhi ta jaaney
Rater-o bashore, doshor hoye
Tai se amaarey taaney”
That I have liked you so much
Perhaps the moon has gotten to know
(That’s why) befriending me in tonight’s party,
It keeps tugging at me
6 May
2016
From the bartender’s corner – Scottish Guard
Referred to as a Scottish Guard, this is made with Bourbon Whiskey (I used Four Roses Small Batch) with lemon juice, orange juice and grenadine. The origin of the name is commonly attributed to the fact that this was a very favorite drink in the Officers’ Mess in Scots Guard. This is supposed to be served in a martini glass but I decided to play against the rules.
6 May
2016
Friday Evening – His and Hers
Office work over, came back home and made a beeline for the bar. She wanted a gin based drink but I was in the mood for some bourbon. So two cocktails tonite.
First, hers – on the right. This is a variation of standard gin and tonic. The Gin is Tanqueray Rangpur. Rangpur is a part of Bangladesh that is famous for a citrus fruit that looks something like a mix of lemon and mandarin orange. It is often refered to as a lime but the taste is distinctly different. The Tonic Water is Fever Tree Indian Tonic Water. The quinine is sourced from the Republic of Congo and Rwanda while the ginger comes from India and Cote d’Ivoire. A slice of cucumber slipped behind the ice brings out more freshness in the drink.
Then, his – on the left. Usually referred to as a Scottish Guard, this is made with Bourbon Whiskey (I used Four Roses Small Batch) with lemon juice, orange juice and grenadine. The origin of the name is commonly attributed to the fact that this was a very favorite drink in the Officers’ Mess in Scots Guard. This is supposed to be served in a martini glass but I decided to play against the rules.
5 May
2016
What was that plane doing in Atlanta airport?
Yesterday, our plane started rolling off the blast pad end of the live runway and from a distance I could see a plane that looked different from the other normal colors I see on a plane. As our plane speeded up past the maintenance facility of Delta, I could see this plane parked there far better.
That was obviously not a commercial plane. The tail number 80001 told a story right there. A commercial plane registered in the USA would have started with the letter N. Therefore that belonged to the military. Even within the military, that was an unique number. Most military planes start with two letters standing for their home base. Only exception would be the Air Mobility Command of the US Air Force.
For the AMC, tail number starting with “8” would mean this was delivered in 1998 for the military. And this was the first plane delivered that year. This plane is most surely used to transport VVIPs (or be backup). [Another interesting side note – for the longest time I wanted to know where do they put the “tail” number in a B-2 stealth bomber – it looks like a bat and does not have a tail like in conventional airplanes. A pilot from our office recently showed me that it is actually in the front near the nose]
So, back to the question – why was that plane sitting in Atlanta airport in front of Delta maintenance hangar?
3 May
2016
7 miles trail run early morning in constant drizzle
The trail was virtually empty but very beautiful early in the morning with the overnight rain. I was enjoying the run taking in the sight of fresh green colored new leaves and the occasional red cardinals and blue jays darting thru the trail when I thought I spotted two known beasts on the other end of the trail. As they started approaching me very fast, I had no difficulty guessing that two svelte guys with short shorts and no shirt on and overgrown lock of hair running very fast could mean only one thing – Dan and Greg were on the trail too. I later found out that they were doing 800m splits – which means they absolutely had their beast mode on.
As we got closer, they recognized me too (apparently a wet running shirt camouflages me no better than a dry running shirt :-)). Not wanting to break our rhythm, we did not stop but did start yelling at each other to greet and check on each other as long as we could be heard. I also raised my left hand to hand slap them as they passed me.
Now, let me remind you again – they had their beast mode on. They were clipping at no slower than 5 min/mile probably at that point of time. I was plodding on with my 10 min/mile. So, we basically handslapped each other – as the harmonic-meanly-inclined would point out – at a resultant speed of 3min 20 sec per mile. Had I not had a last minute flashback of old Resnick Halliday chapters on conservation of momentum (being of heavier mass, I had that part going in my favor :-)) and center of gravity and therefore leaned forward on my left foot, I am sure I would have pirouetted there on my right foot in a way that would have made a pro ballerina proud. Might have even drilled a hole in the trail wood softened by the overnight rain 🙂
It was a great run. The trail was beautiful. Running into Dan and Greg was priceless.
[On my return leg, I did see them again and stopped them to pick up some tips on treating the sore IT Band]
3 May
2016
This one is a female cardinal…
2 May
2016
Very funny, I thought…
2 May
2016
From the bartender’s corner – A Furlong Too Late
1 May
2016
