I am feeling very fortunate today. We took the train from New York yesterday and the Pud and I will fly to Texas on Wednesday. I have been able to experience so many different types of life. The rural Texas (east texas) , the hippie Texas (austin), country texas (houston), washington dc, northern va, new york city, conn, the traditions of my in-laws that they have graciously extended my way from India. I had always hoped for this kind of traveling life and now that I have it, I need to remind myself to truly appreciate it.

I'm a bit nervous about the trip to Texas. I'll be honest, I hate summer. Oh sure, I love the cool evenings, fireflies and outdoor activities. I just can't stand the heat. There is not much to do in 100 plus heat in a small town. Although, thinking back I did love the afternoons hanging out on my grandma's back porch with a trashy romance novel and enormous fan. I can hear the sound of the bugs trying to move in the heat, feel the hot wind and smell the wonderful smell of old books with crispy pages. She always had ice cream sandwiches, a water jug in the fridge and cokes for dry throats. She really knew how to do it.

Up here on the East Coast, the summers are not so bad. The hot days are less frequent and I have a beautiful autumn to look forward to. My sister says that I have gotten weak. I do love parts of Texas but June, July and August are not part of them.

Our trip to New York was great. So much to do and see. I have gotten used to the trash on the metros, no eye contact and weird smells. Everywhere you go there are things to see, people to watch and just stuff, stuff, stuff. We went to Coney Island. I was pretty cool. Just like you read about or see on TV, lots people, gloriously tacky rides and stalls and very messy. A real feast for the eyes, maybe next time I'll bring a camera. We watched the fireworks from Queens, and found a small, independent paper shop which I could spend a fortune at. We saw Waitress and Knocked Up, two great movies for different reasons. Next time I will do portfolio drop-offs, but this time was just for fun.

Speaking of portfolios, etc..I have a story with an agent. I contacted him, he asked for a story. This is the second one I've sent (the first one wasn't quite right) so we'll see if anything happens.