I almost had a breakthough, again:-)  I had decided not to make wishes or resolutions..but there it was in bold letters on a bumper sticker..enticing me...'want peace in 2006? make the wish!'...Huh! I gave in...okay..no more wishes, yet.

This is not going to be a mall-shopping/roaming year for me. I am tired of malls, big malls...bigger malls...the biggest malls..frankly, I am all 'malled out' (except for the bookstores!)!It is hard to keep that natural enthusiasm alive, when it is created by the buzz and hype, solely based on selling mostly unnecessary stuff  There is nothing quaint or cozy about malls...they are so impersonal....unless you are trying to escape the even more mundane.. and how many times, can go into the Gap or Starbucks and overeat in the same identical food courts (or observe the people who frequent these places?)  So, decided to try the movies... is it me or is there an oversaturation of the same sounds and tiring sights?...I really did not want to see 'Brokeback mountain' (no offense to anyone...just did not want to pay to watch two cowboys falling in love with each other or certain heterosexual movie couples for that matter..will wait for the DVDs!)...and certainly did not want to pay to watch King Kong- not that desperate, yet.

So ended up...reading a lot of new books and old movies...Some were interesting..

One of them was...'As good at it gets'...which I have been putting it off...not great, but had some memorable lines...."you make me want to be a better man"..Ah..it is inspiring when one can make us feel that we should be better..as a person, or in anything we want to do..

Among the books was,  ‘The Year of Magical Thinking,’ by iconic writer Joan Didion who shares a personal look back at one terrible year in her life with the death of loved ones.. not recommended for the soft at heart..it can be wrenching..

Speaking of loss and grief...went to visit my neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Smith..not Brad and Angelina..this couple is real and married for more than 65 years..(it is hard to meet a more amazing couple)..they had recently lost their only son...losing a child no matter how old one is has to be the hardest thing....but, they are always warm and filled with love and optimism... 'Hello Senorita Maria...' that was the Mr.. who looked like he had downed a few margaritas..'No Mr.Smith..it is Shrimati Maria'...he looked at me like..Senorita, Shrimati..."what's the difference really? I like you"...any brown woman with dark eyes and dark hair usually must looks the same to him, and thankfully he has stopped telling me that he was reminded of another Indian woman (no, not 'our Indian'..an American Indian (Native American) who apparently charmed him a hundred years ago..goodness, he had to have  been a huge flirt..it takes energy to keep him at a distance...Mrs. Smith quietened him..'stop telling her the same old boring stories'...'are you up for a game of chess'? I kid you not..it is hard to beat these octogenarians. It gives me hope that the 'mind can be sharp'- at any age.

Oh..before I forget, what is the problem with bloggers who do not respond to those who comment on their blogs?  It is the least one can do to be civil..so, going back to resolutions, unless- one responds, am not going to bother reading the same author's readings. It is not like there is no choice..and if I want to be ignored I might as well be - by best selling authors and Nobel Prize winners (strangely all of them have responded...or atleast their staff/publisher send notes of acknowledgement!)...in otherwords, not that desperate, yet:-)

Maria