I am in my hometown Mangalore, on vacation. Usually, most of the evenings would go off roaming the length of breadth of Mangalore with my friends. This time though, I stayed at home almost all the evenings, except the wandering into the ice-cream parlors. My version of 'home-alone' was not by choice, but by chance. Happens that most of my bike-savvy friends are all out of town.

I did meet one of my closest friends today.. He too, has a weakness for ice-creams. Small wonder, that the manager's eyes were lit up like a 10k bulb when he brought us the bill.. "Gosh buddy!!! You have aged ten years since I met you last year.. Whatever has happened to you?? Age has started catching onto you huh??" grins my friend!!! This pal-o-mine, flies down from Australia; meets me on my birthday; chats with me for more than an hour; and still forgets to wish me...

AGE!!! must really be catching onto all of us.. ;o)

And oh!! By the way folks!! This day, the 28th of March, happens to be my birthday!!! So.. It's still not late... I am still open to presents..

"Your nails are so long and so well shaped... Do you manicure them daily???" asks my colleague with a twinkle in her eyes. I look at my fingers in embarassment. All I can do is smile at her ignorace.

I have been kept so much with my work these days, that I hardly find time for the niceties of life. No early morning jogs, no chai from the local chai-wallah, no reading newspaper in the mornings, no TV in the evenings, no chatting with my roomies, no movies, no weekend trips to unknown lands...

Omigosh.. My hands just go on typing the list... Have I been missing all this? No wonder I feel drained out these days.. I have always been so vociferous in advocating that people should enjoy life; go out if you want to; watch a movie if you want to; eat a stomach if you fell like it. But have been failing in my own preachings...

Does this happen to all preachers??? ;o)