Safe Journey

Had lunch today with my friend from India. Spirits where both high and low during our time together. He is working to crate (wood box) his most prized positions for friends here to ship to him when he gets settled in back in India. He plans on leaving next week Sunday or Monday on a train trip to California to see his parents for a week. They have U.S. citizenship. He'll also visit old college friends as well. Then it is off to India. He says that once he leaves, INS will not allow him back into the USA, even for a visit/vacation. That brings extra sadness to him. If he could return for vacations, his departure would be more upbeat.

As I said before, not much I can do for him but wish him well. I was really at a loss for words most of the time.

Recall that I said in my other email that he had not obtained an educational front? Well, I was incorrect. I recall a conversation a month or so ago with him in which he indicated that he did secure an educational position toward a PhD with a professor where I work, but the time span to renew for a change of status was running short. Did not know if there would be enough time for the application to go through and for that matter, for INS to approve it. Well, we know the answer now.

I spoke to a mutual friend about two weeks ago who said [his] friends from India are indicating that there will be heavy pressure for him to find a wife. I guess it must be part of Indian culture. Mind you, as long as I've known him, he has never shown an interest in finding a companion. His interest have mainly centered around math and physics. And he's got the brain for it. Really knows his stuff.

Here's to you RP. Hope peace finds you at the end of your journey.

Well, in lighter happenings, after lunch, I took a trip to the Botanical Gardens to check out the Butterfly Pavilion. Photo's next time. I also made pit stops to several bicycle shops and an automotive parts store. Projects to follow.

Projects on tap:
1) Continue cleaning up the pig pin.
2) Fix and shine two bicycles for donation.
3) Do some basic automotive maintenance on my car.
4) Get a handle on the finances.

Number 4 basically means starting a ledger tracking my expenses. The thought of looking to buy a home has been crossing my mind as of late, so I guess I'll need to know where I'm blowing my money. If I still feel the same in six months to a year, then I'll have the data to show if I can handle it financially.