OCD...

It was 12:37 PM!

"Enough time to get a cup of coffee before my next meeting," I thought.

I picked up my phones from my desk and as I started walking towards the elevator (I work on the 11th floor), I opened the Starbucks App on both my phones, checked to make sure that both had refreshed to the same messages / look-and-feel on the feed (a little quirk that some may call OCD)!

I hit "Pay" on both phones, smiled when I noted the balance, hit order on both phones and when the Starbucks App on my Comcast provided mobile phone did not locate the Starbucks in Comcast Center as the closest location to order from, I completed my order of a Tall Latte with 2 Shots (aka Double Tall Latte), with a few clicks of my right thumb on my personal mobile phone.

I was pleasantly surprised to see no customers (forget no line) when I arrived at the Starbucks store (in the lobby) and even happier when within a minute of arriving, the barista said, "Bala, your Double Tall Latte." It gave me sufficient time to get back to my desk, pick up my computer and walk over to one of our VPs' offices for my 1 PM meeting.

I should've probably expected it, given it was lunch hour and not many people would choose to get coffee at that time (especially if they had already had 3 cups since 5 AM)!

Most importantly, it gave me that extra moment to make sure the Starbucks logo on the brown sleeve aligned with the Starbucks logo on the white cup, after I had added to my hot drink, 1 packet of raw sugar and stirred it well with 2 wooden stirrers.

Trust me, it's not even my worst OCD!

I think that started with Numerology...

Even as my mother suggested I spell my name Lakshminarayan (and not the more common Lakshminarayanan), it occurred to me that numbers would play an important role in my life.

10 (my birth date) was lucky and so were 1 (the sum of the digits of my birth date) and for some reason, also 7 and 9.

It was when we started winning competitions every time my partner on the college Dumb Charades team picked a number (to decide the order in which we would take the stage), that that "5" became my luckiest number!

Now, lucky numbers are one thing but when you start adding up the digits of the time in hours and minutes to ensure you send an email (especially important ones) only when it adds up to 1, 5, 7 or 9, YOU NEED HELP.

Even shrinks would give up on me if they hear my restaurant routine!

For, every time I receive the check, I do the math in my head to make sure the tip (10 to 15% usually), adds up to make the total amount a perfect dollar figure (no cents please). If the dollar number ends in 5 or 0, it's sheer ecstasy...

As I started my walk back to the elevator after I got a new lid from the barista (the original one had fallen in the trash as I removed it to add the raw sugar), I pulled out my phone (only one this time as my right hand held my coffee), opened the Starbucks App and hit "Pay".

One of the reasons I love the Starbucks App experience is how quickly they refresh the data, and it gave me immense joy to note that, the balance, which was now showing $0.00, had been $4.27 (the exact price of a Tall Latte with 2 shots) before I ordered the coffee.

Tell me please, should I be worried?


P.S. I'm posting this at exactly 11.50!

Birthday Vows!

10 June 10

God, this is the BEST birthday of my life. "This day is very special to me", I said. "This is the day I was born in this world and this day I am KING", I added. "No matter what happens, I will make sure I enjoy every minute of this day and no force of nature can stop me from doing that", I vowed.

These were tall statements indeed for somone who had woken up alone in a hotel, far away from home and was about to face the most empty day of his life at work. I had been invited by my client for a meeting here today and have been here for the last 2 days preparing for this. At the end of the 2 days of real hard work, I was told that I was really not needed for the meeting. What a wonderful thing to do to me. If they had told me I was not needed for this meeting, I would have done all the prep work and caught the last flight back home last night and at least woken up in my bed with my wonderful wife and sweet son. Not to be.\

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

Even when I made the vow, I was angry. Something told me last evening that things were not right, but I persisted. I just wanted to make it right. So I did everything I should do, I made an effort. After all that I didn't feel good going to bed and I didn't sleep right either. So no wonder that I woke up feeling miserable. Not just in my mind but my stomach was also in big trouble. And I had to visit the bathroom quite a few times before it was all well. What do you know, no one except my dutiful wife really called to wish me till I was almost ready to walk out the door to work.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

I did go to work, I showed up. I was made to sit on the sidelines, but that did not shake me up. I organized my thoughts on what all I could accomplish in the half day and set myself to work. Emails came and emails went and then came the email which announced to all my company's employees in the US who all were celebrating their birthday today. My name was the first in the list and some well wishers who noticed it emailed me and wished me. Life was turning sunny. Many, but my boss wished me a Happy Birthday. We all get so many emails in a day, but when you don't get the one email you are waiting for, that doesn't leave you anywhere.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

A one dollar breakfast was all I had had. Knott's strawberry cookies were worth that much in the vending machine in the break room at the office. So by the time it was noon, I was hungry. The meeting was still on, though I was not a part of it and there was food too. I walked out and inspected the spread. I rightfully assumed that though I was not part of the meeting, I was at least part of the lunch. That's how it had been in the last 2 days and my colleagues had even been kind to order vegetarian stuff the last 2 days. But not today. I did not see anything that looked vegetarian and when I asked our office manager if that was the case, she sincerely apologized and said that she forgotten to order any vegetarian food.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

Off I went to the Indian restaurant 5 minutes away. Palak Panneer, Channa Masala, Alu Gobi, Naan, Basmati Rice and Kheer later, I was feeling really good. The clouds had passed and the sun was out again. I walked out of the restaurant a sated man and walked in to the office 5 minutes later (give or take a few). The office manager was waiting for me and let me know that the client was looking for me. When I walked into the conference room, where everyone was sinking their teeth into their happy sandwiches, my client announced proudly in front of 10 others that she had some FEEDBACK for me. No mention of the all the great work we had done in the last 2 days, but just FEEDBACK.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.I wrapped up my work at half past one and started my drive to the airport. I hit the highway and stuck to the right most lane. My wife has told me not to drive fast and I ardently follow that instruction. As I was approaching an exit, a car coming in from the exit refused to yield and so I tried to move out to the next lane and right in my blind spot was a big van who quickly swerved to his left, skilfully avoided me and honked as he passed me at what seemed like a 100 miles an hour. I recovered fast from the jerk and stayed slow on the right most lane and soon reached the airport. It's only 20 minutes away anyway. But ah! I had forgotten to fill up the rental car with gas and the attendant was all smiles when he handed me a fuel charge of $13.99 added to the rental cost.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

"I hate small planes", said my neighbour at 5F. He was huge. 6 ft something and built well. He shouldn't have been flying this plane at all, but the plane ride was not so bad from the discomfort of having to sit next to him. It was the spots of bad weather where the flight was shaking like it was in a giant mixer that was scary. Imagine starting the day with a bad stomach, still indulging in an Indian buffet and then going through this ardor. I still landed safely, my stomach in shape and walked from terminal F to E to avail the airport shuttle. My phone was completely out of charge and I managed just the one call to my wife to let her know I should be home by 530 (it was 430 then). And like luck would have it, I found an electrical socket to charge my phone and what could be better, the shuttle made me wait for 45 minutes so I was able to fully charge my phone.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

I called my wife the moment I was in the shuttle and told her I should be home my 615 PM. My son was waiting to go to his music class and he wanted me to take him today. He is the apple of my eye, alright, and I assured my wife I would be on time to take him. We crossed Walt Whitman bridge, passed the crowded section of route 76 and hit I295 North at exit 26. All I could see was a mile of cars, bumper to bumper. What a sight it was. One of the most wonderful machines created ny man, lined up by the million. When we passed exit 30 and the traffic started clearing up, I started to breathe again and was waiting for exit 40 when we would get off and get home. But that was not to be. We took exit 36 to drop off another passenger.

Yet, I vowed to make this a special day.

My shuttle is now pulling up into my apartment community and it is 630 PM. My son should have been in his class right now but is dutifully waiting for me to take him there. I will now transfer from the shuttle straight to my 2005 Blue Honda Accord and off we will be gone. And here is my wife at the parking lot with a cup of hot tea in her hand and a water bottle for me for the ride.

Believe me, Nothing can stop me from having a great day today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MYSELF.