Why Only Us?

Come a Calamity from the (Un) human kind- we fail..
We fail to defend ourselves...
Be it a large scale well executed one or a so called minor badly planned one.
Where is strategy?
Why the repeat attacks?
Why are we targets?
Where are those who go on hunger strikes for inter state issues, intra state issues or even world issues?
It's not about blasts in a city like Mumbai or Delhi or Bangalore. It is about all of us. Everything ploughs back to the country in effect.
We can fight for every thing except critical emergencies.
Come a natural calamity...
We are yet again unprepared.
Continuous rains... (that's the dustbin that floated to the middle of the road)

Cities waterlogged... People wading through the water- these are our main roads in posh coloniesPoor visibility for motorists...this is at 5.00 pm Vanishing Pavements...And Contrasting Signals -While one road is dry the other side is waterlogged Trees fallenA median broken down at various points to allow water flowWater that does not soak in inspite of supposed rain water harvesting...
Water invading homes, farms and our prawn farm... And that's the Raj Bhawan- what an equalizer todayEconomic losses...
No electricity...
No water supply...

It's happening to people whom we know or who have touched our lives in some way or another.
Our heritage sites are targetted...and we can only talk about it.

We can't get the basics right....

So what are we really talented at?

Oh Wait! Is that the dark clouds leaving and white clouds struggling to defeat it?

Seeing Eye to Eye...

...For Once
One morning in an MBA classroom workshop....
The students are being taught about the importance of eye contact in a sales call and asked to practice with their partners.
That was easy peasy as, by luck or design they selected same gender partners or friends.
So the challenge was to look eye to eye with someone of the opposite gender.
By luck and design the Lecturer selected This Girl & That Guy to role play in front of the class of 50 students.
For a whole minute that they to look eye to eye perhaps for the first and the only time.
The giggling girl and the supposedly feeling demure guy performed for the audience and it is but natural for the lecturer to consider himself responsible for what happened some 6 years after that day.

Vroom Vroom Vroooooooooooooooom

There is this go karting track for kids above 3 right outside Planet Yumm at Besant Nagar beach. A short well laid and safe oval track separated by tyres. Well lit at all corners as you can see. So no problems doing it at night too. There are 2 bikes and a car all operated at the push of a button. They stop if the child accidentally bang against an obstruction which I assure you will not happen once they finish 3 rounds of guided driving.

The Bike ride costs Rs 30 for 3 rounds and the car Rs 40. Good value for money considering the fun the kids had. At first they were satisfied with 1 round each and had to be pushed for second. Soon they went out of control, grabbing whatever vehicle was available the moment they would be pulled off one. The first few times, the manager helped steer the kids on the track. Soon self appointed guide (hubby & one kid) would run alongwith the go-karter and Mamma would photograph them dilligently on the mobile camera. At one point Mamma was wondering where Tejas vanished after alighting from the car next to her and suddenly a red T shirt figure on a yellow bike appeared in the visor of her phone camera and she realized that Tejas had started the bike and vroomed off on his own.

Stingy Mamma had budgeted for not more than Rs 80 for 1 ride each. She ended up shelling out Rs 220 for 4 car rides and 2 bike rides.
And the next day we went out for shopping and Ojas asked- are we going for a drive?

I promise it is addictive if a child takes to it and also for the parents.

Shopping Behaviour Study

So what does a kid (Tejas) pick up if he is left free in a store with a shopping basket-
2 Treat Jim Jam
2 Tropicana tetrapacks
B Natural 1 l pack for Dadda
1 Lays Spanish Tomato Tango
1 Lays American Sour Cream and Onion
Kurkure
Gems
Dry Fruits

On The Same Page

Of Live Mint sharing our thought so bloging about our kids, posting their pictures and whether or not we violate their privacy that way.
I reproduce the article here also.
The baby bloggers
From the time their baby got potty-trained to his first scrawl to any number of photos of his growing years--blogging parents can’t seem to stop talking about their tots. Is this an invasion of a child’s privacy? Or is it just the baby album updated in the digital era? Four bloggers tell us what they think:
Seema Chowdhry
It is a virtual scrapbook of a child’s growing years
Riti
http://itchingtowriteblogs.blogspot.com
I have been blogging about my twin sons for eight months now. I find it easier to type what I feel rather than write it down in baby scrapbooks or journals. Writing a journal can be limiting, but with a blog I have been able to do so much more in
terms of pictures, recording events etc. I don’t think writing a blog about your children is an invasion of their privacy. For me, this blog is more about me as a mother and the person I am as I bring up them up. I want my sons to know me as this woman 20 years down the line when they read the blog and are able to understand all that went into bringing them up. Also, this is a platform for me to connect with other mothers.
NM*
http://anirudhsworld.blogspot.com/
This is my way of making a memory scrapbook for my son. It is a record of his antics, his conversations with me, his images and all the little things he does. If it were not for this blog, I would have forgotten these stories. I used to worry about uploading pictures and about sickos seeing them, but now I believe that you can’t always live in fear. Also, with a blog you have the option to put checks in place. If I don’t like a comment, I can delete it; if at some point I feel that the blog is attracting the wrong kind of traffic, I will make it private.
*Name withheld on request
It is an invasion of a child’s right to privacy
Sowmya
http://shallowthgts.blogspot.com/
I am, and always have been, against blogging about one’s kids even though I am a parent. It is a violation of their privacy. Once they grow up, how will you tell your kids not to post their pictures online when you have been doing that? Are these mothers really unaware of paedophiles lurking on the Web? You keep only 10% of your child’s identity private by not revealing his/her name and your address but violate the rest 90% by posting pictures. Paedophiles do not need names, they need pictures. Remember the times when your parents asked you to sing a song in front of the guests, but you wanted to go hide under the table? Some of these blogs are just that, but in front of the whole online world.
Sridala Swami
http://spaniardintheworks.blogspot.com/
I have one child and I feel that my life with my child should not be up for public consumption. I blog to have another life from the one I live every day. If I continue to bring my child into my online world, I would have no reason to blog. Parents have a responsibility towards their children and must decide how vulnerable they make them to stalkers or to those who might use images without their consent.
Also, if you blog to create a memory scrapbook, keep it offline. I think anyone who starts a blog wants readers and that’s why private online journals don’t work for them.

Tiny Thoughts- Evolution

Does it mean we will progressively lose the muscles required for writing and develop further the ones require for typing?

A Story of 2 Pujeris

A Decision Has Been TakenSo We Evoke The Lord

Take Some Teeka
Apply On Our Foreheads
And Then Some More
And Look Mighty Pleased At Our Good Work

Coffee, Tea and Us

One afternoon, 4 ladies vanished from their respective workplaces. Giggling like truant teenagers they met at Cafe Coffee Day looking over their shoulders, just to meet a certain lady from Kolkatta.
To their credit, they behaved quite decorously, save for the fact that they bullied the servers to move the luxurious sofa to accommodate one of the ladies as they were meeting at a time when "nobody would (bunk work and) come" and chatted extremely noisily.

They got talking like old friends, for old friends they were after having met each other atleast 3 times and having been in constant touch over a Certain Talking Team group...or otherwise. Anyone would have thought these were a bunch of mad old friends meeting each other over coffee, tea, cakes and sandwiches and not caring at all about decorum and talking of breast feeding, being bad mothesr and getting ready to become even worse MILs especially the mothers of boys.

They talked right through the afternoon until family and duty called. At 5.30 pm the truant Cinderellas were ready yet so reluctant to leave the party.
Clearly sharing tales of rearing the kids are as satisfying as the actuals.

The Home is Here and So Also the Heart

Long long ago, 9 years ago to be precise, I came to this city to join my first job. Completely clueless on how to find accomodation for myself and most important, where to stay while I looked for accomodation. I was told in no uncertain terms at my office that I need to find a place to stay on my own when I come over to join or atleast find (unearth) some relatives to accomodate me. Which I finally did- approached the relatives, stayed with them, moved over to another set of relatives, spent my first salary on them in gratitude until finally outstaying my welcome and moving over to my own Paying Guest accomodation.

That was the time I made a pact with myself. I will always keep my doors open for any guest to Chennai and if it has not been already asked, I will make the first move to open my home and heart to them.

Because I know how tough it is in a new city, how expensive a decent short term accomodation is and how little it is going to cost me to accomodate them.

So whether it called for approaching my landlady for providing short term accomodation for friends who were in town for an entrance exam or having friends looking for a job as house guests even when I was pregnant or never refusing whenever someone expresses a wish to come home.

I may not be the perfect hostess, I may not cook large meals- I may just serve Maggi or bread, I may not be able to provide a proper bed but lay out mattresses in the living room even or may not be able to provide an exclusive bathroom and I may not even be home if I am unable to get leave of absence from work- but my doors are open for my guests to make themselves comfortable in my home.

I have never been able to refuse people when they want to come over, no matter how much it may inconvenience me. It might be bedtime for my kids or a lazy weekend with family or I might be going out. But I have faced situations when I have called up friends or even relatives just to check if they are home and if it is comfortable for them if I come over, I have been outright refused without an alternative meeting occassion being suggested. Somehow, everytime this happens, my faith in warmth of relatives, friends and society takes a beating.

Once upon a time, before the kids were born, Hubby and I made it a practice to host atleast one dinner every month- for us it was a chance to call people home, socialize, take out the new crockery and cutlery, show my cooking skills (?) off and generally have a good time. The motto being, if you want to be invited, invite first! Well, I can finger count how many times we got invited!

A lot of people complain when they come to a new city especially a city like Chennai where language is a problem- I know nothing about this place, I only know my office and home and Gemini Flyover. I wonder, why they hell did they not even feel like picking up the phone and giving me a call? A few minutes into the conversation and I would have been calling them over to my home or planning to meet during festivals or weekends or I would have definitely offered to help them shop! Only a shopaholic like me will know what it is like to go to a city and not be able to shop or explore and as much as possible, I make it a point to help my guests to shop!

Enough said- the point is that this is no shameless self promotion but just a statement of facts that I have not forgotten my past- the desperation I felt when I had to "ask" for help and to wait with bated breath until I get an answer and this nagging feeling that there is a shade of reluctance lurking somewhere. The helplessness I felt when I knew I had no alternative and I had to make do with it until I could find a roof of my own over my head and them hold my head high. I have faced hesitation, reluctance and refusal and have been scarred for life and even now I am uncomfortable about staying in someone's home and try to ensure that I give as less trouble as possible! Wonder where the world is heading towards- we dread it when people come home to see us!

Ojas Tejas Begin to Write...

...Right on Dawaat Puja evening.
Tejas has started putting strokes which resemble an A without us teaching him.
So we praised him and clapped him while Ojas looked on. He got very annoyed that we were clapping for Tejas and took his slate and began drawing. He drew a banana, a strawberry and a brinjal and they were quite close to the real thing!

The new cycles are a hit. They do double riding also and carry a lot of toys in the basket.

They are familiar with both Hindi and Tamil vowels. I am trying to speak more and more in Hindi with them to hone their skills and get them comfortable with the basics. So instead of saying fish I say machli or pankha for fan and so on...I have become used to talking in translational language- talk in Hindi followed by English or English followed by Hindi so that they understand both.

Music-
Put the CD of Jaane tu and the first strains of guitar(?) played. Ojas immediately said- billi waala song- that was kabhi kabhi Aditi...

Snippets of their conversation
Nani- go on cycle and buy me chips & chocolate
Ojas/ Tejas- no, only tomorrow. It is spicy (teeta) na.
Nana- Give me some chips (from what you are eating)
O/T- first say please
Nana- Please
O/T- now wash hands
O/T- no its spicy
Nana- please give
O/T- now its over, how will I give

Nani- Tejas what are you doing
Tejas- tum baat mat karo (don't talk)

Ojas- Nana don't move
Tejas- Nana move karo
Nana moves a bit
Tejas- looks at Ojas- dekho move kiya
Ojas proceeds to hit Nana for moving

Tiny Thoughts- Solitude

While I love to help, just somedays, only a few days in a month on average, I don't want company in my car. I want to drive alone. Stop anywhere at whim, shop anywhere at leisure, take a detour if I so wish...I might have to pick a friend mid-way, I might want to meet my husband somewhere and we would be going off for a drive...I simply may have other plans which I don't want anyone to know.
If you are there with me, I am obliged to keep you posted, obliged not to take a detour and feel apologetic if I have to go shopping and hence request you to get down several stops ahead of your desired stop!
Well, I am just building on the good karma.
I am just saving the earth by helping in having one less vehicle on the road.

Tiny Thoughts- Bunking

So I bunked office and went off for a lunch at City Centre with a friend. And I wondered why it was so full of shoppers. Young girls, mothers, men even. What were they doing on a working afternoon in City Centre?
Were they sales people bluffing their way in their offices and coming here on pretext of a client call?
Or were they people like us who simply bunked office? Why the heck is everybody bunking office the same day I am doing so?
And that brings me to the point that why the hell all bunking population are seemingly going to City Centre via the same route I am taking- judging by the crowd in my lane and in my direction?
Were these shoppers college goers with an afternoon off? Great Life!
Were they housewives with kids in college or school and a free afternoon off for shopping?
Or were they travelling personnel taking some time off and doing shopping just like what I do when I travel?
I begin thinking - what potential India has. A huge percentage of employable people shopping on a Tuesday afternoon? Go to a Nallis or a Pothys and judge the potential.
I look at the buzz at the coffee shop, a guy dozing on the bench, the Security idly looking at the crowd and my friend typing furiously on the laptop. Same place, different pace, Single system, different players. I am reminded off the Physics problem (theorem?) wherein a ball thrown vertically upwards in a horizontally moving train falls back into your hands because you and the ball and the train are a single system and there is no net individual horizontal motion. I feel the same as if I am outside this system, observing each player. I take in the scene, smile to myself and walk in to join this system.

Detectives Galore

Just read Alexander McCall Smith In the Company of Cheerful Ladies & Sunday Philosophy Club back to back. These books are about Women detectives, no thriller crime to be uncovered but normal, everyday, garden variety problems and incidents that need a piece of detection and logical thinking. Detection is the backdrop but the story is the offering actually. A light book with simple characters and their simple problems, reminiscent of the school day English Readers. They drag in the beginning but per up towards the second half. Once develops a rapport with and a liking for the protagonist very quickly. There are funny moments scattered about. I will definitely go for more in the series.

3rd Birthday Photos

So here are the photos of the birthday party.

Background- I wanted to have a cartoon of their choice as the cake. Now choice has to be derived by Mamma off course so I familiarised them with various cartoon characters over the last 6 months like- Mowgli, Noddy, Sesame Street, Elmo, Pooh and the winner was Noddy with a clear majority in terms of top of mind recall, preference and popular demand as story books so the cake was to be Noddy in his trademark car.

With all due respect to Noddy and cake cutting- the yawn below was unintentional- they had just woke up from sleep and hence were not even there to welcome the guests. So in the words of some guests- they arrived late for special effects because of the sherwanis they were wearing.
For the first time in my life I was worried that "inko meri hi nazar naa lag jaaye"

I even visualized them making a grand entry to the party venue in their new cycle - which was a gift from Mausi & Mama. But Dadda would have none of it.

This time too I wanted us parents to be centre stage so that when the kids grow up they shouldn't feel bad that we never bothered to be part of cake cutting so instead of calling for the grandparents we took special care to cut the cake.

Now the first thing everyone and a blogger does is to look for photos of self after any photo session. To my utter pleasure I found lot of pictures of mine. Here I present the unedited ones and leave it to you (and the kids in future) to reconstruct me from these bits. So much for being part of the cakecutting and for wanting to be present in the same frame as the kids while the ceremony was going on...

I swear these are unedited, flattering pictures of mine taken on the occassion - yes the large object wearing white clothes, with a crop of curly hair looking always uncombed and the odd arm or hand interspersed in the pics is me... and don't blame me for blaming hubby for not being smitten enough of me and my new dress to click many pictures of mine. His only consolation offered to me is that so aren't there enough pictures of him but that's not the point is it?

Other Minor Details

1. I organised a treasure hunt for the older kids within the campus. That generated a lot of excitement among kids leading them to bunking their various classes like music/ karate etc that evening

2. The snacks were pre- packed in a box from the baker itself- sandwich/ cookies/ samosa/ chips.

3. Juice was prepared at home and dispensed

4. The clear hits were chips and juice. So if one is planning to have lot of kids and less of adults, it makes good common sense to have more of such items.

5. Take home favours were stuff like sketch pens, crayons, activity books

I am Brilliant- Yet Again

This time Hip Hop GMom awarded me this - in her words- "for the lovely accounts she gives of her twin delights."
So this time I award this to those who can answer this question right as per me or as per brilliant, unarguable logic
"There is a room.
Ajay and Meena are lying dead on the floor.
There is a broken glass bowl and some water spilt on the floor.
Who are Ajay and Meena?"
Answers will be revealed on 12th with the comments published.
Those brilliant ones who get it right may collect the badge from Hip Hop G mom's post linked above as I am too lazy to post it!

I Have Invested Well

Howmuchever I quarrel with you, no matter how many times I argue with you when you choose work over me or kids, to whatever extent I hate it when you stay glued to the laptop or your phone, in my heart I know that I have invested well by marrying you- I would rather have a husband using his mental facilities and capabilities in doing the business you are doing rather than wasting time on a low challenging, mundane and safe job. (This is more a self realization and a pat on my back than a compliment to you so don't get too thrilled by the way Mr Husband).

Remember the Daawat Chicken Shop I posted about? I am proud that I can see potential where it is present. They have opened a restaurant at Gandhi Nagar 1st Main road- Nuts n Spice Basement and the prices are pretty ok. They deliver too 42019808, 42337860. Again, I don't know how the food is but if aroma has anything to do with indicating the taste of the food- I am hoping and betting that it will be good. So now I do not have to suffer the ignominy of desperately buying aromatic, drool evoking chicken by the road side.

And why talk of Hubby & Food in the same vein-Well - these are a few of my favourite things.

Animal Puzzle

This is one of the puzzles bought in Pondy a few weekends ago. The largest and my favourite- a 26 piece puzzle that makes a lion. Each piece is an independent carved animal like fish/ goat/ turtle etc.

I did the puzzle twice and from then on they are on their own with it- able to position the pieces correctly out of memory even if the corner pieces are not already placed.

And here is another animal of the 2 footed kind...

Memory Recall

The hip and happening blogger Phoenix Ritu who incidentally shares my pet name tagged me to bring on the memories.
So here goes
My oldest memory
is of a 3.5 year old lone me walking around in the school playground during recess eating a guava out of the tree at my home and hiding it behind my back after every bite. I was shy and thought people will make fun of me eating a guava at lunch- that too not sliced but whole. And I bore the entire ordeal bravely until I tackled the 2 guavas my Mom had packed in my tiffin box.

Ten years ago
Exactly on this date? A group of classmates had dinner in celebration of a meet well organised in MBA School- And why do I remember this- of course because then-not-my-hubby was in the same group! And he had dropped me off to my hostel on his bike! But generally, we were chilling out in MBA 2nd year, having fun, classes, exams, spats because the competition over placements had begun, bossing over getting friendly with juniors...Life was good yet there was this constant worry of placement in the backdrop.

My first thought this morning
Get up, the kids have to go to school

If you built a time capsule what would it contain
All the good times I have had and all the good people I have had in my life

This year
Has been eventful with many milestones met- the kids have joined school, our business has completed a year, and more than anything I have matured as a person in many ways I would have never thought of. I have made new friends via the blog and re started reading books with a vengeance - in true bookworm fashion

14 years from now
I fully intend to grow old in style, be a hip mamma of teenagers who would be surely tearing my hair out, and perhaps retired early and doing my own things. I definitely see myself working but not in regular work force. 'Touche'

In my unique manner, I tag all the November borns who visit this page this November '08

Another Adult Admits About An Accident

I will never forget my Third Standard classroom, the one on the first floor - nor the exact spot I did it- 2nd line from the door, last bench.
Sue pointed me to Tara's post and my heart went out to the little boy. Go on, read them before you read the rest here.
So I was in class 3 and it was a wet and rainy day. We had a free session of 90 minutes totally to go before we left for the day as the teacher was absent. A supervising teacher filled the time while we self-read- rather had a gala time - talking, leaving our desks and generally annoying the teacher. Now our school had the concept of a break every 2 periods so that the kids could ease off their bladders and not bother the teacher during the classes.
This was an exceptional day and as (bad)luck would have it I remembered badly wanting to pee right after the break. So I controlled because I knew the teacher would get annoyed at me for asking so soon after the break. And then I controlled some more and found I could no longer control so I went hesitatingly to ask - Miss please may I go to toilet.
The by now exasperated teacher refused in no uncertain terms and reminded me that I could go after the school was over.
So I went back and controlled or tried to. Made 2 more visits to the teacher and she still refused.
To my relief the school bell rang signalling the end of lessons and we stood up bag & water bottle in hand - to say our prayers.
To my horror, I lost control and peed standing right there- the last bench of the 2nd column of benches. I couldn't stop it and I couldn't hide the wet puddle near my shoes- though- thank God for dark maroon skirt which didn't make it too obvious on me. A few girls in the next line of benches commented - hey she's doing no 1. I just turned and retorted that it is just the water from the bottle falling down- I just hope they believed me or perhaps they were too focussed on leaving school and rushed out. I waited until everyone had left and made my way to the toilet to finish the job.
I can still remember the helplessness I felt but after so many years, I don't even remember the teacher who was supervising that day and neither do I remember who commented on my state.
Years later, 20 years to be precise, I went back to show hubby my school and laughing at my then self took a picture of myself sitting on that same spot on the desk-to mark the spot and class where I had had that accident 25 years back from today!

This Diwali...

...We lit these handmade lamps...

Made out of the handles of the saree store jute bags and wrapped with left over material.
A loop was made with a wire for placing the goblet shaped coconut shell cup bought at a craft exhibition long ago. Another wire was used to tie under the shell for securing it further. A clay lamp was placed in a cup. I found that easier method was to put a broken candle inside the lamp and burn that rather than replenishing the oil from time to time.
The same goes for the hanging clay lamp.
Infact a smaller hanging clay lamp would have been an idea instead of the contraption we made for the lamp.
And there was the cardboard house - I tried to create a scenario with a boundary & gate made out of the building blocks and lots of cars parked inside and the autos and buses and police cars and earth moving vehicles moving outside the boundary; elephants at the gate, the dolls having coffee on the terrace..a garage made out of building blocks on the side.. but alas- the kids would have none of it.

The Diwali releases were scared off their wits especially Ojas and decided to not even look at the crackers.

Dear Ojas & Tejas

Gosh! you are 3 today! You are no longer classified as an "infant" in a journey ticket- even though I would like to tell the damn travel people that to me you are still babies- tiny people to be carried in the arms and made to sit on the lap- like you do in the movies, or wish to do in the car. To me these are precious moments- when I hug you tight and hold you in my arms- your tiny arms clasped round my neck, the little head resting on my shoulders- observing the world around you and the legs wound round my back.
Well, we have achieved most of the milestones we wanted to- as listed a year ago on this blog-

1. Potty trained- check- actually this issue is no longer on my radar- you are well and truly trained in the sense you do not mind going to a loo even if it is not your own toilet- making my life easier outside our house. The last pack of diapers - pack of 2 pampers lie unused in the cupboard- found some time ago during a clean up. You can even estimate and inform us that you are going to do a big potty.


2. Boot the Bottle- achieved pretty soon after your 2nd birthday accompanied by a huge sigh of relief from your Mamma
3. School- check- already cruising on the 2nd term, and passed the 1st term with flying colors making me one proud, preening purring Mamma who relished and swallowed the cake, chocolate, chicken sorts (and making Dadda proud too offcourse).
4. And school took care of the swimming part too - water activity weekly once and hopefully full fledged swimming subsequently
5. We have moved over to story books like Panchtantra, Jatak tales and Noddy/ Pooh/ offcourse.
6. We have enjoyed a glorious year full of activities like puzzles (and many more to come), sticker book, building blocks, coloring with crayons, pencils and chalk and play doh- honestly not so much.
7. Self feeding happens only if there are snacks or non veg- well- leaving no doubt that you take after Mamma's tastes.
8. And we did the writing of both sorts- on Vijaydashmi and on Dawaat Puja

1. This year we will focus on making you more independent - in tandem with what the school is attempting- you must be able to do everything necessesary without Mamma hovering around.
2. Let's try painting at home- with aprons and paints and the works. I think it is high time Mamma gets over the sheer laziness and aversion to painting- something she obviously sucks at!

3. More play-doh and work with fingers- something that we have to do so that your pencil grip improves.

4. We will try to make time for outdoor activities- zoo, beach etc.

5. More books and concepts off course anything to exercise your mind

6. Socializing in another activity on the cards- and that should be something beyond the familiar- new places to go

7. 5 S- This is something you must get used to. We have enjoyed messing around so far but now, we have to learn to keep our toys and books neatly and in an organised fashion.

And here's wishing you both a very Happy 3rd Birthday.

We have a lot of work cut out for this year!