But I Didn’t Win…

Posted on June 4, 2012 by rkpaulus

My grandma, who we called Biji, loved buying lottery tickets. I kid you not. When a woman asks for lottery tickets instead of flowers for her funeral service, you know the love runs deep. So my mom handed out scratch-offs to each of us grand kids when we arrived back home after saying our farewells. I think one ticket out of twenty won $50. But the remainder of the $200 worth of tickets were duds.

According to my husband who did a little research for his Facing Fear Talk, a person is more likely to be hit by lightening than win the lottery. Hmmmm? So what makes a person walk into the convenience store, slap down his or her cash, and lose. But come again, day after day, and do it again.

I’m not talking about addiction today. I have no intention of commenting on the morality of gambling. I’m simply addressing the human innate desire to win. If we’re honest with ourselves, we all have it. We all like to win. Continue reading →

Daddy’s Girl…Yes I Am!

Posted on April 27, 2012 by rkpaulus

I’m a Daddy’s girl. Always have been. Always will be.

Don’t misunderstand. I love my Mom fiercely. She’s one of my dearest friends. But when it comes down to which parent did I turn out like, I’d have to say my Dad. And I’m sure it has a little to do with genetics. But also a whole lot to do with connection. The connection began when I was a little girl.

My earliest memory of my dad is of man dressed in a suit who left early and came home late, always carrying a briefcase. Those were the days when he sold insurance and worked all kinds of jobs in order to afford his Masters in Engineering and provide for our family.

Growing up, when given a choice of chores, I always ran outdoors to help my dad weed the garden, wash the car, or hold the ladder when he worked on the roof.

We also have a lot in common. We both misplace things. Forget things. And we are both emotional. I’d like to say we’re in touch with our feelings, but when it comes down to it, we are the criers in the family. We are also known as the talkers. As far back as I can remember, Daddy loved telling us stories. Continue reading →

Enveloped With Love…

Posted on April 24, 2012 by rkpaulus

Back in the Day…1995

Not even hours after we “defined the relationship” with a very deep and profound sentence of:

Sun: “It seems kind of obvious that I like you…”

Me: “And I like you.”

We left each other. He dropped me off at a bus depot around midnight for an overnight ride from Chicago to somewhere in South Dakota where I had volunteered to be a week long camp counselor. This was our first taste of long distance. The week was very very very long.
Continue reading →

How Do You Get There from Here?

Posted on April 10, 2012 by rkpaulus

Some of us are born with an internal GPS of sorts. We have a natural sense of direction. And we backtrack like we’re a fugitive on the run, able to retrace steps and return home because we instinctively memorize landmarks, street signs, and pay attention to the ‘Do Not Enter’ warnings.

Then, there’s some of us who have two left hands. We tell the driver, “Turn right.” Then when the car begins to veer in one direction, we begin screaming, “No! No! My other right!” And the GPS is our best friend. We program it just to hear her cool British accent. Even when we’re heading to work. The same three minute drive we do daily. Just to be on the safe side. Continue reading →

My Love-Hate Relationship with Hunger Games

Posted on March 28, 2012 by rkpaulus

Photo Credit: HungerGames.com

After watching Hunger Games on an IMAX screen last night, I must admit. I love the movies. Nothing like seeing an amazing story come to life on the big screen. And for once, a book translated into the movie did not disappoint. From the dingy details of District Twelve to the neon colors bouncing off the cinema walls when Peeta and Katniss arrive in the Capitol. From the green hues of Gale and Katniss’ beloved forest to the dome of the hunger games. The setting came alive. Just as I had imagined it.

The characters were cast near perfectly. I did imagine Haymitch a little chunkier, but Woody Harrelson’s acted brilliantly. He might be my favorite after last night. Continue reading →

You’re Never Ready…

Posted on March 16, 2012 by rkpaulus

When I think about the times in my life when I just wasn’t ready. I can think as far back as my first day of high school. My first basketball game when the coach called me off the bench to run the court. My first day of college was the worst. I cried for possibly six hours straight after my parents drove off.

And then there was my first day at a real job. So nervous, standing in front of all the sixth grade students who stared at me for direction. I still felt like a kid.

And then the day hubby and I arrived at the hospital to give birth to our firstborn. My water broke and I thought I had just wet my pants. “You’re staying,” the examining doctor told us. “You’re having your baby today.”

“Today? As in now? As in today?” I was in shock. She wasn’t due for two more weeks. I wasn’t ready. Continue reading →

Where the Island Ends…

Posted on March 12, 2012 by rkpaulus

Went to the city to meet up with my college roomie! Hadn’t seen each other in ten years. With husbands and kids in the mix, it only made sense to head to Central Park for a gorgeous New York afternoon of play and catch-up. What I love about Central Park is how in the midst of one of the busiest cities in the world, there’s this carve out of grass, park benches, bike paths, gardens, miniature lakes, and playgrounds that make for a perfect pit stop before diving into the next week of hustle and bustle. The West Side sandbox park was perfect for the age ranges of all our kids, and while Sarah was climbing up a stairwell, and then the railing, I heard her squeal, “I’m on top of the world!”

Got me thinking. What is it about reaching the peak or finding the end or touching the bottom that appeals to us as humans? Why do we often journey till we reach a limit?
Continue reading →

Cobb Salad, the Soweto Gospel Choir, and my Writer Mom

Posted on February 18, 2012 by rkpaulus

“Is there an oil that starts with the letter ‘C’?” My mother-in-law asks me the other day during a visit.

“Huh?” I’m not following.

“I’m writing a story, and I can’t recall the oil that starts with a ‘c’”

“Canola.” That was easy.

My second mom, hubby’s mom, is a woman I love dearly. We call her Amma.

She wears white Reeboks year round, layers like there’s no tomorrow, and drinks hot water when she’s thirsty.

And the funny thing is, she’s a writer. Continue reading →

My Valentine’s Playlist

Posted on February 9, 2012 by rkpaulus

I love music.

So I married a deejay. Most people know hubby as a DR. but, I assure you, he was D.J. long before the R showed up. Hey, my name starts with R. But it’s not all about me.

So, as I was saying… Continue reading →

The Giants, “Warrior,” and a very Messy Banana Peel

Posted on January 24, 2012 by rkpaulus

“Who left this banana peel here by the kitchen sink?” Hubby calls out before breakfast.

I’m around the corner, putting the yogurt back into the fridge. Yeah, our refrigerator is not in the kitchen, but that’s a blog for another day.“I was just about to throw it out.” I say as I emerge from the pantry/shoe room/coat room/fridge housing room.

“You mean you forgot to do it. Don’t say you were going to do something when you actually forgot to do it in the first place.”

These few lines of interchange nearly started World War III last Sunday morning. Wait. That was yesterday. Continue reading →