Mountain Buggy Urban Double

I wanted a double stroller, for all those times I'd be taking walks - by the river and in the neighbourhood. I knew having a good double stroller was the key since the doubles were heavy and huge, and I didn't want them to deter me from getting out.

I looked at
Bob Revolution Duallie
Mountain Buggy
Valco Runabout Trimode
Easywalker Duo
Bumbleride Indie Twin

After a lot of research and bargain hunting, I settled on the Mountain Buggy Urban Double (MBUD). I got one off of Atlanta's Craigslist for $350, a decent deal for the Elite version.

Weight/Footprint:
Its heavy!! And a rugged beast at that. I could get it through all the doorways at home very easily, but loading it into my CRV was a problem. The handlebar had to be folded down completedly while I huffed and puffed to hoist it up, and it took the entirity of the trunk space. lying flat. NOT a good choice if I had to be lifting it in and out of the car all the time.

Steering:
Is just amazing! It moves so smoothly that I didn't mind pushing it uphill either with almost 80lbs (Sudha - 30lbs, Brinda - 10 lbs, Stroller - 40lbs). On level ground, I can push it with one finger - literally.

Seat/Comfort/Canopy:
The seat reclines completely flat for Brinda. She has gone to sleep every single time, so I can only imagine that it is not uncomfortable. It doesn't sit up 90degree upright in the "upright" position for Sudha, but then I'm yet to see a stroller that does.
The canopy is my greatest peeve, it is a single canopy and is quite inadequate when I go walking in the evenings. I got the sun/bug screen to go over the MBUD and it does a great job of shielding, although Sudha hates being "covered up".

Price:
I'm never one to pay full retail price. New ones (older models) are around $500-800.
Sell for anywhere between $250-400 on craigslist.

Overall:
Awesome double stroller, rugged, minimalist, no cheap plastic, great steering, great resale value. Just wish it was a few pounds lighter.

Sudha's bedtime routine

starts with her being hoisted on Dad's shoulders amidst squeals of delight at the play and screams of despair at having to end it all by going to bed.

The Big Blue Bug

The Big Blue Bug hit on Thursday.
And it hit bad.
And hard.

Around 5000 IBM employees were layed off all across the country, called "Resource Action".

I am so thankful to God that Guru wasn't part of it.

Friends of our were though.



IBM didn't NEED to layoff people - they posted profits in the last quarter (unless they cooked up the numbers in the books).
IBM is negotiating with Prez. Obama to get some part of the stimulus money for some project that reportedly will create 900,000 jobs.
IBM is sending off atleast 50% of these layoff jobs to Brazil, India and China.
IBM totally took advantage of the economy to pretend they needed to cut jobs, when they were actually just trying to increase profits by exporting 50% of those jobs to lower cost countries. The other 50% was unfortunately, a true layoff.
IBM could've offered buyouts to their long term employees before the layoff(lots of people 50+ actually wanted it), so the layoff could've been reduced in half and saved a lot of jobs.

I am a complete capitalist and am all for the power of free economy, but it is things like this that makes me want to turn and rant about the greed of the corporate.

Sigh. I am so thankful that Guru still has his job.
But I'm mad that I am basing our happiness on someone else, and its not in our hands.
I am thankful that had something happened, we didn't need to have panicked.
But I am mad that had something happened, we would've have cushion only for 4-6 months and then nothing.

Happy Ugadi

A Very Happy New Year to all my Family and Fellow Kannadigas.

The funniest joke ever

is apparently when I sing !

Brinda looks at me like I've lost my mind and starts laughing her belly out. Hmmmpf .. I had always considered myself a decent singer. Trust these kids to crush you pride :)

Tummy to Back Rollover

Brinda rolled over twice !!!
She tilted to one side and slowly and deliberately put her head down and stayed there for a while, and kind of shifted her leg around a while until she was flat on her back.

She did it once more and got bored the third time and preferred to eat the blanket. Same thing when I tried later on. She would roll over once, but if I propped her back on her tummy she would refuse to roll.

Sudha never got to any of the physical milestones so I am super excited.

On a "Zari langa" kick

Sudha wants to wear one every single day. This pretty one was a gift from Shali.

I want to ........ again.

I want to feel the flush of love again.
I want to look in your eyes and get lost in them again.
I want to daydream while at work again.
I want to call radio stations and request them to play favourite love songs again.
I want to dance the Rhumba, and the Waltz again.
I want to walk on the streets with my shoes in my hands and giggling with you again.
I want to have something to look forward to everyday again.
I want you to serenade me again like I was the only woman on earth.

Geez, I'm all harmonal and sleep deprived ... again.

This post could have so many titles

"The fable of Friday the 13th is true"

"WHAT!!!"

"I knew something was up"

"I should've trusted my pregnant instincts"

"The day Amma wanted to find that article on coconut oil"

"Why am I feeling drained?"

"Shouldn't I be feeling more?"

"What could I have done to prevent it?"

"What can I do to prevent it in the future?"

"Thinking about accountability now, eh?

"Why me?"

"How can I stop having nightmares?"

"How can I stop worrying every single week?"

"How can I learn to move forward?"

and finally -

"The ball's not in my court anymore now, but I will continue to play the game and not forfeit."

3 months old

The "good" kind of pain

I am sore all over from self inflicted torture at the Boot Camp from Saturday. Every.single.muscle in my lower body hurts.

But I am going to keep up with it. I need to do it for me.

Pet Peeve About Blogs

I love reading blogs, especially ones that are more "personal" (i.e, non-political or non-general). It used to be websites, now blogs have taken over. I like the idea of blogs, because its so much simpler to maintain. But the UX person in me cringes everytime I see some blogs.

• I hate it when images on the blog are all oddball sizes. There are three sizes you can choose when uploading a pic(in blogspot atleast), why not choose the same size consistently every time!
• I hate it when images are not lined up. You don't have to do anything extra to line it up, so why don't you?
  
• I hate it when people change the text size for no rhyme or reason. Blogger's editor gives a title text - change that in the settings so it will be consistent throughout all your titles. Use ONE other change inside the content if you really have to, and that needs to be smaller than the title text. If the title text is smaller than the content text, what is the point in making it the tittle text?
• I hate backgrounds on the content text. Some background obscure the clarity of the text, so why use it? Nothing against background that are outside the content area, but still wish it would be something that is meaningful to the blog. (This peeve might be just me, I'm sure some people think my blog's background/template is plain and un-interesting). While on the topic of background - why do people think back blackground with white text is great? Every design study confirms it gives the reader a squint.
  
• I hate it when the title of the blog is more than half the page fold area. It pushes most of the latest post below the fold. And keeping the post above the fold makes great readability.
• I hate when content text is some wierd scrolly font which is very very hard to read. Why? Why? Why? What is wrong with simple verdana (not Times New Roman)?
  

Smiling model for mama-made longies & socks

Snow Day !!!

And in March too !!! (And some people claim that there are no climactic changes taking place)

Snow "Ghost" that Daddy and Sudha Built