When you have just enough wine in your body to make everything around you – beautiful. Like the four tomatoes I am keeping on the counter by the window so that they are just right for the rasam I am planning to make tomorrow. And the green onions that are begging to be plucked and added to a Thai dish or a delectable omlette with a side of a perfectly cubed avocado. Or the basil leaves that shine in the sun, waiting for my mind to create a recipe worthy of their flavors. Or the string lights on the maple tree that light up every evening after soaking the sun’s energy all day.

Or the scene in our house right now where Tara is enjoying Somebody Feed Phil. He is exploring Venice today. And Agam and I are reminiscing our trip to Venice, now 12 years ago. I told him the only two cities I want to come back to and enjoy more are Venice and Munich. For two very distinct reasons. Venice is so romantic. A city by the water, is all a crabby in me desires. And I felt so lost and yet so present in the alleys of Venice. We reminisced our last dinner in Venice, under the Rialto bridge. It was candle lit and umm expensive for our pockets at the time 😉

The wine might be speaking here. But I feel good about the week that is ending. To celebrate some endings and some beginnings we drove to Sweet Diplomacy for a cupcake fix. The women at the counter were busy baking. I enjoyed watching them at work. I asked how the business was picking up. And they said, it’s almost back to normal. I uttered an amen and they repeated.

Yes, can we please go back to normal? My normal has changed. When I go back to work, I won’t be going to back to that section of the floor, those desks, that team. But it’s for the better. For me at least. About others, they all say how bummed they are, but do they mean it. I don’t trust them anymore. So I will never know. I hate when people play with that word / trust. I heard it today in a context where it should not have been used. And it put me off for the rest of the day. Trust is a social contract you agree to with someone. Social contracts are based on values, principles and ethics. It’s not a commodity / lost and earned.

I digressed. When I went back to work this week I kept slipping into the negative state over and over again. And there was one thing at the end of the day that got me back on track. It was my workout. It was good to anchor my day in that task. Phew! Week summary – 150min of workout = 1 Jaipur cup cake. Sums it up well huh 🤔