Mr. Patch

Me and Mr.Patch have had a great affinity with each other since the day we met. We had a grand introduction with each other. I still remember that day. I was 7 years old. And my dad decided to teach me to ride a cycle. I had been to my cousin's place to get his cycle. After an hour of serach in his garage, topped with a many cobweb cleaning, we managed to find his cycle lying is one small corner nicely camoflaged with the walls (means that its all rusty and nearly falling to pieces, coz the walls were painted brown). After we managed to extract it from the corner, we found that both its tyres were busted. Now this is a grand intro, isnt it? I had met Mr.Patch even before I knew to ride.

After that day, me and Mr.Patch used to meet each other nearly every week. My cousin's cycle was very fond of Mr.Patch and made sure that me and Mr.Patch did manage to spend quite a long time together. After a series of crashes and mis-adventures, I finally managed to learn cycling.

After lots of pleads and persuasions, I managed to convince dad to get me a new cycle. I got my new Atlas cycle when I was 10 years old. I said a happy farewell to my old cycle, and hoped that I had finally got rid of Mr.Patch. But it turned out that after spending more than 3 years with me, Mr. Patch could not let go of me so easily. I managed to meet Mr. Patch the very next week I got my Atlas. But one thing was sure, the frequency with which we used to meet did get reduced to once a month.

When I was 12, we moved out of Bangalore, and settled in Udupi. But the bonding between me and Mr.Patch had grown so strong that now we were inseparable. We started to meet atleast 10 times a month. I was a regular customer at the mechanic next door. I had a shrewd feeling that he could feed his family just by the money he earned from me. But whatever be the case, Mr.Patch did make me and that mechanic pretty good friends.

When I was 17, I decided that it was time to say bye-bye to my Atlas and get myself a new cycle. So, my Atlas paved way for a new Hero Ranger. But whatever come and go, nothing could come in between me and Mr.Patch. We shifted our house again, and this time too Mr.Patch made sure that me and the mechanic became fast friends. Although the frequency of our meetings were reduced, it was far from over.

And after 5 years with my Hero Ranger, I moved on to my bike, a Pulsar. I hoped I had got rid of Mr.Patch finally. But he did prove me wrong. I met Mr.Patch again after 7 months I got my bike. And after that, the visits started to get regular. I met Mr.Patch 3 more times in a span of just 2 months. Our last visit happened yesterday. I dont know when Mr.Patch will visit me next, but I surely dont want that meeting to happen even in the distant future. What do you have to say Mr.Patch?

Back to Coorg

Last weekend was special. I was getting a long weekend off after a long time. And so it was decided that we go to Coorg for the weekend. Coorg was special. It was one of the memorable trips I had made during my college days. So, it was like reliving the fun again.

I dont want this post to be a travelogue. So I will skip the details and illustrate only the highlights.

We started on saturday morning in a sumo. And we were in no hurry to reach Madikeri, as we wanted to enjoy the ride. So we managed to reach Madikeri at around 4 PM. With not much time left with us for sight-seeing, we visited Raja's seat and then called it the day. Next morning we visited Talacauvery and Abbi Falls. Both the places were too crowded. Looked like all the people in Bangalore had got the same brainwave as we had. So, by the time we were done with Abbi Falls, the day was ending. We started back next morning, visiting Nisargadhama and Golden Temple enroute to Bangalore. And Bangalore traffic rose to this occasion, giving us a tremendous welcome. We reached home at around 10 PM tired and happy.

This trip to Coorg was more pleasant as the weather was great and the landscape was more greener. But nothing could match the fun I had in my college trip. Man, Am I getting nostalgic?

As wonderful as

What next?

I finally managed to wake up at 9 PM. Only to find the whole house deserted. It took me a whole minute and half to register that my room-mates had gone home for the weekend.
"Hmmm, Now we have a situation at hand" I thought.

After waking up at 9 PM, you dont have much options as well. It had been quite a day. Or rather, quite a day and night. With the deadline to meet, I had no options but to stay over the night and get the work done. So, after all the work and sleep, I needed a break. And at this time of the night, I had limited options. I started to sort them.

Myself: "How bout dinner at a good restaurant?"
Me: "Nah, after all that sleep I am not really hungry"
Myself: "Then how bout cooking dinner?"
Me: "How bout options C and D. You gave me only A and B"
Myself: "Ok, then how bout going for a movie?"
Me: "Am I nuts? Am already having a hang-over. A movie will only give me a huge headache. Nothing doing"
Myself: "Then how bout getting a movie from the video parlour?"
Me: "Hmmm... No good movies have been released recently. Bad idea. Chuck"
Myself: "Well, then how bout a walk?"
Me: "Hmmm... a good idea. but am too lazy to go for a walk right now"
Myself: "Come on.. decide on something..."
Me: "Hmmmm.... Oooooh.... Aaaah.... Uuuummmmm"
Me: "Gotcha!!!!" (Imagined myself with a bulb lit over my head)
Me: "How bout a going for a drive?"
Myself: "Awesome idea!!! You are a genius!!!"
Me: "Ya ya!!! I know!!"

Myself: "Ok Einstein, tell me where to?"
Me: "Oh.. good question! How bout till ulsoor lake?"
Myself: "In this traffic? U gotta be kidding !!!"
Me: "Good point. Hmmm..... then, how bout just aroung Indiranagar?"
Myself: "A decent idea. But, what bout the street dogs?"
Me: "Ah.. an excellent point!!! Hmmm... "
Myself: "Ahem... just to remind you that you are hungry"
Me: "Oops!!! I forgot... Now what?"
Myself: "How bout driving down to the local store and getting some grub?"
Me: "Too good.. driving ka driving... food ka food.. One arrow se two prey"
Myself: "So get moving u lazy idiot !!!! The store will be closing any minute !!!!"

I managed to catch up with the store guy just when he was deciding to close down. And for a junkie like me, this store is virtual heaven. For a store not bigger than a cupboard, the store guy had somehow mastered the art to stuff in everything for a junkie. I bought all the Maggi and Lays I could lay my hands on and some Appy as well. And with all such good food, I couldnt wait till I got home. And it hardly needs to be told that, with such anticipation, driving home did not take more than a minute.

So, while I was cooking Maggi, I realised this was like back to square one. I still had not decided what needs to be done. I had only 2 minutes to decide, till my Maggi would be ready. And as I was pacing round the house, my eyes fell on something, a Tom and Jerry DVD. "Now, this is heaven" I thought.

A cold night. A soft bed. A plate of hot Maggi. Couple of bottles of cold Appy. Loads of Lays. A full DVD of Tom and Jerry. WOW !!!!!

"A perfect evening" I thought as I slowly drifted to sleep at 1 AM "But nothing is as wonderful as sleep".