This assignment hit me hard – right in my gut. I guess there are times when you review your life and realize that you are a hardworking worker ant and not a guitar-strumming grasshopper. This was one of the times.
Here’s an abridged list of what I do when I am not writing (code or English.)
—————During the Day (5:00 AM to 9:o0 PM)—————
1. Do the chores prescribed by wifey and Mom.
2. Moderate the conversations between wifey and Mom.
3. Twice a week, drive Mom to the mall, follow her around with her shopping bags, then drive her home.
4. Twice a week, get caught by a neighbor while running the buy-milk-and-groceries chore.
5. Escort the dog on her morning and evening walks.
—————During the Night (9:00 PM to 5:00 AM)—————
6. Listen to wifey’s account of her day (including the stories of her interactions with Mrs. Chaddha)
7. Fight a losing battle with the dog for my share of the bed.
8. Try to ward off the nightmares of missing deadlines, not being able to manage the mom-wifey situation with Sumit’s finesse, and the dog succumbing to the charms of one of those street-side canine Romeos.
As you can see, there isn’t much to brag about. Now shifting gears to get into code-writing mode. (No, that’s not a tear-drop that you see glinting in the corner of my eye, it’s the hope for a less chore-ific future.)
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Anand's Parodies & Caricatures. 
I am.. a bit.. speechless. I think you are a great guy Anand because you do these for your wifey and for your mother.
So.. I think.. keep it up? 🙂 I hope your patience and love for them will never end. 🙂
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Thanks Rosema. But my patience is drying up 😦 It makes me wonder if I must go back to a 9 to 5 – but the scales still weigh more for work-from-home. A guy’s got to do what he’s got to do.
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Oh. I think it is better if you have some me-time and rest, too. 🙂 You can do it, Anand! 😀
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Trying hard to find some rest – but dog isn’t sympathetic to my cause. She hogs the bed. After I find rest, me time is next on my list.
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Yes. Do that for yourself. You deserve it. 🙂
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Yes. Trying – but the dog wants out, right now.
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Now now, you almost sound like cribbing . As if all you do other than writing weighs so heavily on your shoulders. 🙂
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Oh it does, Somali, it does weigh heavily – not just on my shoulders but also on my heart; especially as dad keeps smirking and adding his witticisms just to see me squirm.
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Wifey and Mom are in 7th heaven. Even the family dog too. All the females around you rule 🙂
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That sums it up. When I ask Dad to take mom shopping, he says, “I’ve done my part, now it’s your turn.”
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:):):) poor you. Enjoy the moments.
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Dad likes to rub it in.
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I would love to rub it in too 😉
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Jacqueline, you must decide. Are you my friend, or my family’s. They are still smarting from your refusal to adopt them.
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Errr…let me think about it 😉 I would love to adopt mom, wifey and family dog, but I need to know what I am letting myself in for 😉 I love you too. I think I should take everyone including yourself. You can be the family comedian
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We had started with the relatives, hadn’t we? And now you want us 😀 I can first send Mom and Dad – they’d love to tour Dubai. When they return I can send wifey and the dog. Look at the larger picture – the idea is that these two teams shouldn’t exist in the same house at the same time. The dog sides with wifey and this infuriates Mom!
We’ll work it out – it’s only a matter of time.
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Okay, okay. I kinda like the family dog 🙂
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Me too 😀
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It’s clear that you do.
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:):)
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OK.
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You’re a great guy. You put everyone else needs before your own. Yes, take on some me-time as much as possible when you’re able.
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Not really Phoenix. If it were so, I’d possibly not be crabbing at all – that I am tells us that I still need to ascend many planes of spirituality before I become sufficiently self-abnegating to enter the realm of greatness. (Phew! Those were some big words. They tire me out – the lack of sleep, you know.)
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I understand.
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Thanks. It’s awesome to see that you haven’t sided with the ladies of my family. Much appreciated. Hope the writing is coming along nicely.
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Oh, okay. You’re welcome. The writing is draining and I’m starting to slack.
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No Phoenix, don’t do that. Regardless of what may happen in our lives, we must hold at least one of its threads steady and strong – never allowing it to break, because by following it, we can find our way out of darkness. Write, even if it means finding just one undisturbed hour in a day. Stay strong.
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Thanks Anand. There’s always something creeping in the way of things. The days are just not long enough.
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I understand. Story of my life too. There’s never enough time. I’ve not drawn anything at all in the last one month. All I want to say is – don’t stop writing. It’s your dream.
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Tell me about it. Got to make time Anand. That popular saying, “so much to do in little time” rang true. Thanks for the push.
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You are welcome. Thanks for visiting my blog and connecting. Take care and if you feel you want to talk reach out.
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Sure thing, thanks.
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Hahaha…saas bahu ka rishta hi aisa hai (needs intervention) 😋
Keep it going, you seem to be good at multitasking 👍
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Thanks for understanding, Alok – and the Rishta between a Punjabi Saas and non-Punjabi bahu is often a bit lop-sided – and yet, you must give an impression of being impartial. I think by the time I reach dad’s age, I’d have mastered it.
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Hahaha…good luck with that 😊
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Thanks. Send me a truckload of good luck. They are reaching their limits of forced bonhomie.
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amazing… must say you have your hands full, buddy!! 😉
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When Mom and Dad come visiting, I usually have to run Dad’s chores as well. But we’ll soon be back to our normal boring routing, until of course, my cousin’s wedding, which will bring them to the town again.
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Enjoy – the chores and the wedding and mom dads presence too! 😉
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Aww! My heart goes out to you, Hardworking Ant. 😀 I do hope the guitar-strumming grasshopper returns from time to time!
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He’ll return – end October. When Mom and Dad go back (they’ll be back in December though – for my cousin’s wedding.) I’ll take out my guitar (actually a flute in my case,) sit under the honeysuckle and play the song of deliverance.
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That’s hopeful then! I am looking forward to that!
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Yes…grateful for an oasis of peace.
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Well the things a man gotta do, huh! I used to be mom’s personal driver to take her wherever she needed. Wasn’t so much fun.
And, I wonder if your wife refers to you as husbandey. No? Ok, I’ll stop 😛
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Aha, so you’ve experienced a part of it. Now imagine that you are married. If you can’t, follow the lives of some of you married friends closely. You’ll notice that they’ve flung their guitars aside, and are now seen carrying sabzi ka thaila (a bag of veggies) instead.
The reason behind my calling wifey, wifey, lies buried in the first year of our marriage. She’d call me hubby. Do you notice the shortening of the word? Those are beginnings – dear friend. Be wary of that word and its sugary sweetness. So when I became hubby, she became wifey – and that was that 😀
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You are wonderful Anand, your mom and wife are lucky to have you.
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Nadine, is there a chance that you talk to them and tell them this truth that evades them completely.
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I will but it will cost you 😀
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OK. I get it. You are a marriage counselor 😀
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Thanks Nadine…but honestly, anyone in my position would do exactly the same – none of it is by choice 😀
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You are such a sapoot Anand. They must be proud to have you in their life.
I hope you get relaxation you deserve and desire.
Have a lovely weekend.
LOve and light ❤
Anand 🙂
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Thanks, Anand.
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Welcome, Anand. Lovely Sunday 🙂
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Ha Ha! Oh poor you Anand. I love the way you ‘follow your mum around the mall with her bags’!’ I roared as well when I read about wifey’s conversation with Mrs Chaddha, how embarrassing! You can#t even get a decent night sleep as the dog hogs your bit of the bed. So funny. 😉
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Edwina, I am pleased to discover that my misery delights you. Mom, wifey, and the dog, if they could have their way, they’d trifurcate me in their attempt to own me.
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I do delight in others’ misery when they write it so eloquently and wittily!! 🙂
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Thank you, Edwina. I think I’ll never run out of it.
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Well that is lucky for us then – although of course I am sorry for you. 😉
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Misery halved – Mom Dad have gone back, and relatives have stopped crawling out of the woodwork! Mom-Dad have a relatives-magnet built within.
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Ha! Well I bet you are pleased not to have to get hassle from relatives although no doubt you will miss your parents. 😆
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Oh no…I won’t miss them at all. I need all the space they vacated in my life to fit in the work that I’ve been neglecting 😀
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Good for you, and of course for you to amuse us with some more anecdotes 🙂
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Made another post to please you 😀
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Somehow I think you cram a lot more into your day!
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A lot more? No way…my days are already bursting at their seams 😀
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I see. Soooo, who’s doing all that writing and art, not to mention programming? Oh, I know! Elves!
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Hi Anand. I find myself fighting a losing battle for my side of the bed also. I’m not quite sure i officially have a side anymore. 😉
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I am sorry to hear that. About the losing (lost?) battle for your side of the bed – things can be a lot worse. Just finished adding a humorous article on it to the next issue of QSM…the bed actually belongs to them.
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Yes it does. Silly of me to think otherwise. I thought ‘sharing was caring’ my little BellaPoo has a different idea. My lap and side of the bed belongs to her. 😉
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Celeste, that’s how they brainwash you…it’s called furry-trapping!
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They are constantly trying to pull the furr over our eyes. 😉
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Absolutely. A question: Celeste, are you a QSM subscriber?
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