A while back I posted A trip furthest from here. I had an plan then and the plan is being blessed by several powers that be (thank you!).

I am going to Sydney, Australia! No jokes, I am going for two-and-half weeks.  More on this shortly

Duke Amongst English Ivy

Every year, my company (mostly the management) does this incredibly generous thing of giving five-fridays-in-summer free. This is over and beyond normal earned time, holidays, etc. That is awfully nice of them to do so. This year, we had two fridays in June, one in July (because the we got 3rd July off for independence day) and then two in August.

I kind of remember taking one June friday, I think, I don't remember. Work has been keeping pretty dang busy. Busy enough through weekends and holidays (official ones and these fun-fridays). But all that changed today. I planned not to open the computer for work. Err.... I did open the same for writing this blog, catching up on facebook, emails - friendlies (non-work), and browsing on Amazon. But that is it, the rest of the day was spent in perfect relaxation.

A lazy start of the day with Duke (my cat) meowing every 10 mins or so at my head. He was like a persistent alarm clock whose snooze time was perfectly aligned to exactly the moment I had drifted into peaceful slumber. Every 10 mins or so he would come paw my face or stare at me, and meow until I patted his noggin (hoping that was a snooze button) and negotiated another 10 mins. When Princess came around meowing, I knew it was time to get moving. It was 8 am when I finally did get out of bed. This has not happened in the longest time. I haven't lazed in bed past 6:30 am, this is a new record.

The day (in the morning, at least) promised to beautiful, warm, dry and perfectly blue skies with few wandering white clouds. Too perfect to be indoors. After cutting some more gladolias for the house, I took my coffee and just chilled on the deck. Of course Duke and Princess had a great time hanging out with me outdoors.

I had a plan for the day: Cut and rearrange gladolias for home, drop gladolias at office, mail out bills, go to the movies, go the groceries, hang out at home.

Who knew that the day would go from perfectly warm and dry to perfectly monsoon day, with torrential rains? I did not, but that did not stop me from going to the movies and groceries and all other errands in between.

So, at the movies I watched Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince, and came away with mixed feelings. It was not as super-charged as earlier two movie were. It was definitely really cool to see Harry and friends in their teens and more mature themes in it. It was missing powerful soundtrack that I have come to relate with these movies. The scenes with Dumbledore and Harry were less profound than before, and maybe that was because I was coming out of seeing Angels and Demons with such a powerful soundtrack, or perhaps I went in with higher expectations. The end scenes were just right, but not as dark as I had imagined. But, all in all, it was a wonderful movie.

Tomorrow I go the movies again.... for another one, not Harry Potter. :) Anyone want to go, I have not yet decided what movie yet, so company and suggestions are more than welcome.  

Ok, the glads have officially gone nuts..... they are flowering and toppling over themselves faster than I can churn out vases to hold them!

So, I am cutting and bringing them in and putting them in every possible vase that can hold them. Last week, I took just about 10 of brilliant yellows and whites to office for the front desk. Office mates loved them to death (er.... no one really died, but they loved them). Early on, I was harvesting mostly whites and yellows, and now it is mostly pinks and really deep reds...

    

I never see TV series when they are in season. I usually catch them or rather the series usually catches my eye after one or two seasons. Some say, I am not in with the times or such-and-such series is old and there is a newer one that I should see. To them I say .... 'hogwash!'.... It is not old for me, if I have not seen it. It is not a re-run if it is the first time I am seeing it. Besides who 'times' are we talking about anyways? It is not like high school where we critique the past nights soap! So, I watch out of season, I watch when it makes me happy!

All that venting to simply say.... I am watching NCIS and loving it. :) It is a CBS prime time series, that is in season 6! I am watching season 2! Nope, I don't jump ahead and watch it out of sequence. Jumping out of sequence hasn't the sort of appeal for me. I don't read the end of the book before starting the booking! I really don't need to know how it ends, I want to enjoy each and every moment!

What caught my eye about NCIS? Several things:

1. It has Mark Harmon as lead cast. I rememer seeing him in the movie called Presidio and totally found him adorable

2. It has 'rules'.... 'Gibbs Rules'. For those who don't know, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs is Harmons character, he is a no-nonsense, go by the gut, electronic gadget challenged, and near perfect naval criminal investigator. And he has rules which all the team learn to love and live by. The team dynamics with Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), Tim McGee (Sean Murray) and of course the adorable M.E Dr Mallard (David McCallum) is like a disfynctional family that really really works well together... through thick and thin!

I don't think I have caught on with what all the rules are! anyone? That as got me to think what should my rules be? Do I have any? I am pretty sure I do. So, I am going to think about them rules.....

3. Did I say it has Mark Harmon... now he is eye candy!

PS: I am writing this as I wait for 6 pm tonight when I start do some upgrade work.... whoa! It is 6.04 PM....

Last year I planted 50 blubs and they blossomed just fine. So, this year, I planted some more in the backyard. I had not expected the 50 odd blubs planted last year should bloom again this year. Somewhere in end May, I was very surprised to see the little sprouts. Perhaps, these will not bloom, is what I though! But the little sprouts kept growing and growing and growing.... and past week they have just decide to bloom into these riotous colors! Another thing, that retaining wall is just about 2.5/4 feet tall! Blimey!

I simply love lavenders, the whole family, from Lavandula Augustifolia... to... Lavandula Vera. If it is classified as a Lavandula the chances are that I simply love them. If it was left to me, I would line every nook and crany of our streets with all sorts of lavandula varietals. Lavandula family is close to me as much as Paeoniaceae (Peony).

So, quite naturally, last year, I purchased and planted six little ones in my front yard. When I planted them, they were tiny little things.
The pic on the left, are the tinnnnnny little ones that have grown into these giant flowering bushes! Woohoo!

May 2009, Tinny little plants! I wonder if they would survive	July 2009, Survive! This is incredible! Giant bushes, fragrant blossoms