The Thursday Think Tank # 82 – The Road

A blank white canvas

turns into a work of art

with footprints of love.

Snow covered road

Untouched. Undisturbed.

Also unloved?

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This is my entry for The Thursday Think Tank # 82 – The Road

About The Day We Chased Thunderstorms and more

As we started our last stretch of drive towards the campground after dinner Friday night, I called the park office to ask for directions. The ranger, along with confusing me with his non-stop ‘this-is-how-you-get-to-the-park’ dialogue, also warned me over and over about bear sightings in the area multiple times just that evening. “I don’t mean to scare you”, he said, “but be warned…do not leave any food outside.” I hung up and relayed the ‘warning’ message to the other three souls in the car only to hear tones of excitement over how we might get to see a real bear! And thus, we started the weekend with a bang. (If you are wondering whether we spotted a bear or not – no we did not. Oh well, maybe next time.)

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Saturday was spent hiking. Wild berries and mushrooms, leaves starting to change color, streams flowing from the mountain top, trees uprooted, lake in the valley – all that and more. And we concluded the exhausting day by relaxing near the campfire that night. Marshmallows and oranges to munch on while discussing science, society and Rajinikanth. What more can one ask for!

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Sunday was spent driving around the neighboring areas taking in the splendor that mountains are. But before we started that part, we did something that had many people looking at us going ‘you are brave.’

During our hike on Saturday, we had come across this pool of water that was freezing cold (that’s an understatement, as K puts it). As we woke Sunday morning, H was determined that he wanted to go swimming in that area. But as we reached the place and put our feet in the water, he realized how biting cold it was and wanted to give up. Just as we were nudging him to close his eyes and take a dip, there came this old guy, who without second thoughts, jumped into the water and started swimming. Looking at our eyes open wide and jaws drop, he came to us and told us that it’s just the initial shock and that it’s not so bad after. And that was enough to give H the push that he needed. He got rid of his apprehensions and walked right into the water. And man, was he glad! As cold as it was, he said that nothing else can be as refreshing. And before we knew it, K was in the water swimming, and claiming the same.

I sat there, hugging a tree, listening to these two discuss how it feels like million needles pricking their body as soon as they came out of the water. With so much talks about how this is one of the best experiences ever, I thought that the least I could do was wet my hair. So there I was, walking into the water, only planning to go ankle deep, enough to freeze my feet, and help myself wash my hair. But as I walked in, something came upon me and I kept going deeper and deeper, until I found myself desperately wanting to dive right in. And that I did. Not once, not twice but thrice, I think. And this surely did redefine the word ‘refreshed’ for me. The way I felt every time I walked out of that water has no comparison to anything I’ve felt before.

Now, with three of us drenched in ice cold water, it wasn’t hard to push S to do the same. And, no doubt that she was more than happy to have done it!

So, after this invigorating experience, we started our drive through the mountains, with stops every now and then to enjoy it all without any distractions. During one of our stops to sink in the beauty that surrounded us, we noticed the black clouds that hovered above. Thunders, so loud, we heard. Flashes of lightning every few seconds, we saw. Was someone trying to descend from heavens above using the silver ropes of lightning, while hiding behind the veils of mist and clouds, all the while distracting us, earthlings, with roars of thunders? We’ll never know, will we?

We spent some time there taking it all in and then ran to the car for refuge as the first few drops of rain came rushing down. And, oh, were we glad we ran! Because, within seconds, the clouds burst and a hailstorm poured. We sat there as we waited for the storm to pass while eating the apples that S had just plucked from a tree off the road. Bliss, at its best!

We resumed the drive as the storm passed, but as we drove a few miles we realized that we were chasing the storm. So we took a detour, went the opposite way taking a longer route. The best thing about having no destination, setting no agenda, is that we get to do things the way we want to without freaking out about time or anything of the sorts. We drove all afternoon, roamed around in a charming little town in the evening, and had dinner before starting our drive back. And that drive, again, had us going along with the clouds that were pouring generously on us. What better way to relax after The Day We Chased Thunderstorms but by falling asleep to music of rain?

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Monday was mostly about wrapping up and driving back. Other than cleaning, packing, and traveling in more rain, the one notable thing about how the weekend came to an end was when I slipped on a banana peel. No I did not fall, but thankfully balanced myself. But that short slip after I put my foot on the peel had both S and K laughing so hard. Apparently, they had only heard, or seen on TV about how people can slip when they land on banana peel and now they got to see it for real.  They laughed and laughed, and laughed some more when they narrated the episode to H, who joined the laughter party. Oh well, I shall not complain, for I had a good hearty laughter session myself. What fun!

Eventful Weekend?

An accident, after which we played Doctor and checked each other for signs of concussion. (What? A few episodes of Grey’s Anatomy do qualify me to perform basic checks, right?)

Traffic jam that lasted for hours, which led to us reaching the mall the minute they announced its closing owing to severe weather conditions. That accident and all those hours in traffic for nothing, yes.

Junk food and more junk food.

A hurricane that kept us indoors for most of the weekend.

Silver lining? – slept a lot, watched few good movies, spent time arranging stack of new books on the bookshelves, listened to the glorious tunes of stormy wind and rushing rain, and slept some more!

How was your weekend?

You know you are too tired when…

…you feel the ground under you shaking for a few good seconds, you see things on your desk sliding here and there, you look at the lights above dancing to some non-existent tune, and yet dismiss it all assuming it’s either someone dragging something heavy on the floor above or your overworked mind is playing tricks on you making you feel dizzy, until a colleague walks over and informs you that that was an earthquake.

Hope folks from those areas that were hit bad are doing ok. Stay safe !

The end of an era

Back when I was in school the library used to be my second home. Say, I was done with classes for the day and had time to spare, or I was working on an assignment / project, or I was studying for a test, or I just wanted to rest for a while – there was only one place I would go to – the library. My home away from home; my sanctuary.

Then came the time to graduate and to move to a new place, new job. The first few months here, I spent most of the time at work trying to get used to it all. And once I was settled in comfortably, I found myself with so much spare time in the evenings and started missing the library back in school. As I was debating whether or not to go visit the public library nearby, the distant dream of one day having a good collection of books of my own started knocking on my heart’s door more frequently. Now, I could afford to spend on books that weren’t textbooks and I thought why not.

And that’s when I became a regular at the Borders store near work.

Since then, so much time I’ve spent in the company of books there! And how attached I’ve gotten to that place because it holds so many memories – of the time I took my sister there and she picked book after book all the while telling me it would be the last, but still couldn’t stop; of those weekends I studying for the test while K sat next to me and passed time with a good book in hand; of the evenings K spent preparing for interviews while I sat there lost in a world that the story took me to; of those days when we would meet there after work, sit upstairs at the store and just watch people walk by down in the streets – people rushing home after work, tourists stopping here and there to take in what the city has to offer, kids chasing pigeons, couples, hand in hand, smiling for photos; and of all those afternoons and evenings that I have spent there alone – wandering around different sections of the store, browsing a page or two of a book here and there, sitting near the window and reading a novel, digging through coupons to buy the books I want – good times!

I’ve made Borders a part of my life only in the past few years and I was heartbroken when I heard the news of all stores across the country closing. What must they be feeling – the ones who’ve seen the franchise grow alongside them; the ones who’ve spent time with their children and then their grandchildren in the stores seeing the generations after theirs grow just as fond of the written words as they are; the ones who’ve made it part of their routine to go to the bookstore to meet friends or family to spend time every now and then to appreciate the world of books, be it in the form of discussing favorite reads or recommending good books or buying a bestseller; and most of all, the ones who’ve spent years  working for the company, the devoted employees.

This post might sound like an exaggeration to many, but to me it’s just the way I feel – deeply sad to know that one of my safe havens would be no more in a matter of months. Of course there are other bookstores around and I am sure I will come to like those too, but that’s a different thing altogether. For now all I know is that I’ll miss the comfort that comes from being in a place that always brings a smile, the memories that are written all over the walls, the familiar faces that I get to see every time I walk into those doors, and those isles that I’ve strolled through so many times or those shelves that I’ve skimmed through week after week.

Borders – you’ll be missed immensely by me and so many others. Thank you for all these years of service. My best wishes to all your employees.