These are the wordings from the card that V gave me the day I arrived back from India.
Yes I am back. Finally.
After two and a half months away from home, and one and a half months away from V, I am finally back to our mining town life.
I have yet to start unpacking. I have yet to start cooking meals. I have yet to clean the house.
Bottom line, I have yet to get back to being the Novice Housewife.
I did get a start on it though, on 27th.
27th was also my birthday and I thought I’ll make myself a cake. I know its depressing that I made my own birthday cake, but there’s more to the story than that.
And if the party is hosted by me, then definitely I like the food more the next day.
Probably the effort that goes into it (even if its just a tad bit of effort), just puts me off my food the day its made.
If anybody else is cooking, then I don’t mind the food that day- in fact even at its worst I love food made by others! C’mon what’s there not to love about it- some one else has taken the effort, someone else is going to do the dishes, someone else has to worry about it being tasty. All that always adds to the taste.
“Johnny, Johnny Yes, papa, Eating sugar? No, papa Telling lies? No, papa Open your mouth Ha! ha! Ha!”
It’s my dad’s birthday today!
Yup, while the whole of America celebrates their Independence Day, we, the Chauhan family, celebrate my dad’s birthday.
My dad’s name is Johnny. It’s actually Jasvinder. Johnny’s the name that his course mates gave him. I can totally imagine my dad as the boy in the rhyme. He was a chubby kid, lost weight during his NDA days, but then put it back on, later in his life and weighs quite a lot these days. (Don’t worry Papa, I am not telling anyone how much you weigh)
Its not that he doesn’t exercise. Oh! Poor thing! he exercises and tries so hard, but like me, he has this love affair with food that he just can’t break. Unlike me, though, he doesn’t snack, but, when he eats his meals, the portions are pretty big. The main damage though, happens when he is invited to someone’s house for dinner. He is every hostess’ dream- he will for sure be going for seconds and as a result ends up putting on weight!
He loves food. Loves trying out new stuff. If its raining outside, he will always tell my Mom, wishfully, to make pakodas (fried Indian goodness and of course,fattening!)
He also needs something sweet after every meal. Its his way to know that the meal is over.
This time when I was in India, I taught him how to use the bread machine. So, these days he loves making his own bread, and then eating it too!
I have never seen my dad sick (touch wood!)- barring this one time when he had a slight fever and cold (and of course when he had his ejection). Seeing him unwell I had tears- I guess one always thinks of their dad’s as invincible and don’t realize they too are normal human beings.
And of course, like any daughter, I think my dad is the best (no offense to everyone else’s dad). I’m of course, biased but had I been an outside spectator and a judge of my dad as a dad he would have got top marks for the job he does!
You tell my dad that something is to be done, even if you just mention it casually to him, and though you might forget, he for sure would remember and do it for you. Something he gets from his father. My grandfather is a really efficient man and so is my Dad. Every wish of ours has always been their command.
He has always given me whatever I have asked for, and remarkably, not making me a spoilt kid in the process. He, along with my mother, has kept both my brother and me grounded and I will always be thankful to them for that!
I am really proud of him. Hope one day I can give him the same feeling too- of being proud of me!
I have yet to start unpacking. I have yet to start cooking meals. I have yet to clean the house. 
