Mindful Musings

After quite a bit of reading, some research through the web and after talking with a bunch of people, Jennifer and I decided to splurge on the BioFresh HEPA Air Purifier made by Mitsubishi. It can be purchased from various online retailers including Amazon and eBay. We ended up getting ours from eBay for a little less than $300 with rebates and shipping, which made it a pretty good deal. We have had it now in our house for about a week. More information for the product can be found at RabbitAir but it looks like the design and manufacturing is by Mitsubishi and there is some relation with Sparo products (might be another retailer/distributor).

In three words, I love it. Right from the start, the company seems to have their ducks in a row. The packaging is not flimsy and has a very solid feel to it. Imagine unpacking an expensive LCD monitor or a plasma TV as opposed to unpacking a $50 microwave from Walmart. The instructions were precise and useful, the box was well printed and very sophisticated and the machine itself was not flimsy. In addition, the filters were neatly and carefully packaged in dark plastic and everything was neatly tucked away for shipping. I could easily tell that a lot of attention had been paid to packaging and shipping the product.

After plugging the unit in, I turned it on with the thin remote and set it on full auto. It has a “pollen sensor” and a “smell sensor” and they work in tandem to determine how fast the unit runs. It was interesting to know how polluted the unit thought our house was when we turned it on.

• The unit is very close to silent. Only when it senses something nasty does it get a tad bit louder but the brushless fan is perfect.


• It cleans quickly and automatically. Cooking smells and odors are gone in a few minutes, never longer than a few hours (yet)


• The pollen and smell sensors work, which is quite amazing. Cooking makes it automatically run faster and so does Jennifer’ nail polish smell. When the dogs wag their tails near the pollen/dander sensor, the unit wakes up and starts sending more air through.

We have not had the chance yet to understand the benefit of the “Biofresh” filter technology and I will write about it after we have had it for a few months. But for the time being, I am really satisfied with it and wish I had bought it sooner. The air is fresh and clean, there is no “dog” odor, cooking smells dissappear within a few minutes and it is extremely quiet. The only surprising thing was that they advertise that their filters should last upto three years but their warranty is only valid if you replace the filters every 18 months (which are a sum of $50 from Amazon for 18 months). It looks like the filters will need to be lightly vacuumed every three or four weeks to get the dust and dog hair out.

Come back in a few months for the rest of the review.

A more detailed post forthcoming, I wanted to make people aware that I have posted pictures from our trip to our online album.

Here is the album with pictures from Jennifer’s camera including Victoria Memorial and Missionary of Charity

This is the album with pictures from my camera including St. Xaviers and La Martiniere among other family pictures

Jennifer and I are busy getting ready for the holidays, setting things up in the new house and busy working our tails off to keep our bosses happy (among other things of course). We took some pictures this holiday season of our house, of the lights that we put up and the new 55 gallon fish tank that I setup in Jennifer’s chinese room.

Here are some pictures for everyone.

There are plans to go visit India this spring but nothing is finalized yet and I don’t want to get people really excited till we have all the plans in place. I would like to have a Wordpress Meetup in Calcutta if we do end up going. I will post more information on weblogtoolscollection when I get my ducks in a row.

I am also working on a secret project that I cannot divulge yet. However, for those interested, it has to do with my primary occupation and involves people from my educational background. I am pretty excited about it.

Hey you, yes you, got your Christmas shopping done yet?

Jennifer and I just purchased a Serta Nightscape Pillowtop King sized mattress from Sam’s Club and Jennifer had to “personalize” our bedroom. So here are the pictures of her new room, her new bed, her new chair from Overstock and my Miata. I am loving every moment of the Miata so far. Lots of repairs and upgrades planned and I cannot wait for my father to get here again so we can work on it together.
PS: Sleeping on the Serta is just freakin dreamy. We LOVE the pillowtop with its memory foam (I think) and the sheer expanse of a king sized mattress.

Pictures of Jennifer’s new King sized bed and my 1990 Mazda Miata

PS: Just for the records, I really like the way Jennifer has decorated our room.

By the way, since Jennifer and I are getting married, we decided to blog the marriage at Gittin Hitched Look for tips (on how to not fall apart), techniques (of avoiding spending way too much money), tidbits of our ceremony, the trials of a marriage between a “Hindu” and a “Catholic” and other fun little diversions of our happy times.

We bought and installed a Viking Supreme Hot Tub in our new house today. I wanted to get it into the house before my parents left for India to make sure that they could use it for some time. However, like everything else in my life, this was not without its trials.

We had tried to get estimates from various electricians to add a new 220 Volt connection to our backyard so we could connect our Hot Tub (along with the GFCI and everything else). Their prices are ATROCIOUS! John had graciously offered to have his brother help us out (John’s brother is an electrician). Without getting into the bad details, it is suffice to say that before the job could even be started, there was a tragedy in their family with John’s brother. We were not only dumbstruck, we were also very, very sorry at their loss.

So my father and I decided to put the connection together ourselves. That was quite a challenge since neither of us had done any kind of wiring ourselves. However, after a couple of trips to the local Home Depot, we finally managed to get everything in place and not burn the house down.

The Viking Hot Tub (or Spa) is great so far. It is small and compact. Yet it is a lot of fun. We had spent some time looking at various hot tubs and comparing the various dealers in our area. We came to the conclusion that no matter who we went with, they would provide us with about the same level of service and products. We chose Lite House for our dealer and purchased a Viking Supreme 300 Gallon model with two year unlimited and three year limited warranty.

We plan to keep using the hot tub over the winter (though in much lesser frequency) and thus opted for the best insulation that we could get. I plan to add more insulation foam to the system come closer to winter. We will see how it goes.

One last thought. The old addage is true when it says that the fruits of labor are sweeter if it comes after a long time and a lot of trouble.

Feel free to ask questions about Viking Hot tubs, Lite House Pools and Spas in Toledo and electrical wiring if you like. We will try to reply to all those interested.

Allowing dogs in the workplace can lower stress and lift morale I would gladly take a few thousands dollars less in remuneration if I could take my dog Luckey to work. Seriously!

Dog beds for your office or workplace. Mammoth beds are so comfortable that your dog will rest easy while you do your job. Come and vist us today.

Krissy and Jeetu, my childhood friend, got married this weekend in Ann Arbor and thats where I spent most of Friday evening and all of Saturday. It was a grand event with family, friends, beer, revelry and fun. I was Jeetu’s best man. Jennifer had a very good time at the wedding and even got in a few dances with me. The food was very nice and the atmosphere was very classy. My parents were dissappointed that they could not be here in time for the wedding but we took lots of pictures and they are already up on my gallery.

Pictures of the wedding rehearsal.

Pictures of the wedding night.

Krissy looked gorgeous in her off shoulder wedding gown and Jennifer was in a nice black dress with a colorful handmade bead necklace. Jeetu and the rest of the groomsmen were in black tuxes. All in all, it was a fun weekend and we had a great time. There are too many little details to write about, but enjoy the pictures here and if you want to know more, call one of us!

Well wishers of mine would like to know that another paper of mine, my masters thesis has been published at the International Conference on Internet Computing Journal. I do not have the details or the PDF yet, but here are the details fo the publication:

Ghosh M., Makki S., A Secure Framework for Electronic Payment System, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Internet Computing, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, June 21-24, 2004

S Makki was my thesis advisor. This brings the total number of published papers to my name to 4 in four different journals.

Jennifer, you complete me and I would not change anything, ever!
I love you and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Jennifer and I along with John and Linda visited the “Lights Before Christmas” at the Toledo Zoo yesterday. I tried to take some pictures of the lights without using a tripod. The results were not as bad as I anticipated though I should have tried harder to keep my hands from shaking.

Black Friday 2004 – The OFFICIAL Site for the Hottest Day of the Year If you do not know what Black Friday is, and you are any kind of a shopping buff, you should really look into it. I have been caught up in this craze once, and let me tell you, it is fun.

Basically, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when all kinds of stores will have great deals on all kinds of merchandize. The trick is to show up at the right time at the right place. I have stood out in the freezing cold with Jennifer at 5 in the morning to get a laptop at rock bottom prices (my Toshiba) and have also had Jennifer’s mother pick me up a VERY nice leather jacket for cheap. Most shops will post their deals in the weeks before Thanksgiving, especially in the paper the day before Thanksgiving. The link above (among many, many others) list some of these as and when people find out about them so you can be prepared.

For the unaware, this is mayhem, madness and everything in between. It pays to plan. If the savings are not worth the early mornings and the fighting with people to get the last jacket…dont look there, but if you want a good deal, try it one year and maybe I will see you there!

I have always liked season changes. The colors are just perfectly blended and shades fall colors in Ohio cannot be described in just words. Here is a picture I took along I-90 when Jennifer and I went for a walk a vouple of evening ago. Here are some more pictures from the walk. I could have done a better job with the pictures but there were a couple of dogs to keep out of trouble and I had left my tripod at home. I am going to be taking a fall series of photographs, so expect to see more soon.

In other news, my parents have reached home safely (a sigh of relief!)

My parents are leaving for home next week. Life is going to get a lot busier and I will have to get used to being by myself again (for a while). But that is what I start dreading the minute my parents actually come to visit me so I guess I am used to it by now (NOT!). I will however, be able to get more work done on WordPress and my other projects. Travelling is not easy for me parents and I always worry when they fly for long periods of time. Jennifer is going to be purchasing some Jobst stocking for them as soon as she finds some time.

We had a really nice weekend overall. Jim Coronado was visiting. Jim is an old family friend of the Molenda’s and is a really nice person. Linda, Jennifer’s mom, had a bunch of people over at their house through the weekend and we had a lot of fun driving around in the golf cart, taking pictures and jamming to music. Jennifer took some pictures of our family and they are posted here.

I miss my parents a lot when they are gone and though I like being a loner, their presence is very reassuring and leaves me with a lot less worry for them. When my parents left for home after their first visit five years ago, I felt sad for not having spent a lot of time with them when they were here. I distinctly remember that evening at the airport when I had dropped them off and was driving back home to my apartment at Wooster. Since then I make it a point to spend a lot of family time with them in spite of prior engagements/work, especially towards the end of their visit. I love my parents too much and the fact that Jennifer likes them as much as she does and will miss them, makes me very proud of her and brings us closer together as a couple (mushy, I know).

Jennifer and my dad, along with John and Linda flew to Columbus day before yesterday to attend the pharmacy banquet for new graduates. John flew them there.

Now, I had already known that my father was really excited about their trip and has always encouraged me to learn to fly. This trip simply solidified his views on the subject. They had a really good time and my dad could not stop talking about it after he got back. All in all it was a very nice experience for him.

Pictures for the trip are posted here and as an FYI I am starting ground school soon!

Accompanied by really nice weather, we had a really good time at the Michigan Ren Fest. The pictures from our visit are posted here. Enjoy!

Jennifer and I, along with my parents and Luckey are going to visit the Michigan Renaissance Festival tomorrow. We have visited the festival a couple of times and it has always been a lot of fun! The fact that I can bring my dog with me just tickles me pink. The costumes are elaborate, there are lots of visitors and if the weather holds up, we hope to have a really good time there.

It has been a busy holiday weekend and the next week is going to be even worse at work. I am working on a couple of “secret” projects with some friends and am also concentrating on finding a dedicated server for myself and my projects. I actually have just dabbled at one of the projects that I really need to get some work into.

A constant source of income has been really nice for me. After paying all my bills, and buying a couple of items of “want”, I am back in the red again. However, with a constant flow of income, I am hoping I will stabilize my financial situation soon. My parents are here for just about another month and I am already starting to miss them. I am hoping that they will go home, get real lonely and come back soon to visit me again. I know that Jennifer and Luckey will really miss them when they are gone.

My dad has just had a blast with garnening this summer. We grew two different kinds of championship roses that he just adores and we have had chilli peppers, egg plants and tomatoes grow in our garden this summer. He is even planning to take a tomato home with him to show his friends back home. We have lived in the city all our lives (in highrises) and have never had the chance of having a garden of our own. My dad loves gardening and he had always hoped that once I grew up and had a place of my own, he would be able to exercise his gardening skills. My teeny tiny back yard in the condo was a dream come true for him.

He is a very proud father and it gives me incredible pleasure and satisfaction to know that I have been able to give him the opportunity to enjoy all of this.

I got news yesterday that Jennifer has passed her Pharmacy boards with flying colors. She had more than 15% OVER the minimum amount required to pass. I am very glad for her and she is extremely releived. Congratulations go out to her.

She is enjoying a few days of freedom before going back to work full time.

Jennifer has been really really busy in preparing for her pharmacy certification and I have been missing the chances to cook for her. Here are some of the foods and recipes that we like to put together and really enjoy. I figured I would put them in once place and some people might benefit from our adventures:

• Chicken Yakhni – Mild Chicken curry from the Kashmir region of India which is very cinnamony and fragrant, yet deliciously light for the discerning palate. Good with fragrant Basmati Rice.


• Chicken Marsala


• Butter Chicken – Jennifer’s favourite. This is a tomato laden, slightly rich dish which can be cooked to creamy perfection by the most novice cook. Perfect with a little pita bread.


• Beef Biryani – A fragrant and often mild colored rice dish from the heart of India. This is a one pot dish that can be cooked very easily and is a complete meal in and of itself. Any kind of meat can be used (not limited to beef) and there are a myriad of spice packets available that make this dish a very easy one to put together. The secret of having a delicious biryani is to cook at relatively low heat for hours.


• Swordfish steaks – This fish, though exotic, is very very non-fishy. The meat is flaky and yet moist, very flavorful and very easy to cook. Just make sure there are no dark meats hiding inside the steaks, heat up some butter and garlic peices in a pan and lightly brown on both sides. This is great with rice, any kind of bread and works well with slightly flavorful vegetables such as asparagus or broccoli. Make sure the meat is seared rather than baked to retain the soft flaky texture. Quick, easy and very delicious.


• Chicken Tandoori – This is one of my favorite dishes. Invest in a nice clay pot that can be oven baked and a nice box of tandoori spices. Available at Meijer and other stores, the spices can be used as liberally or as delicately as you would like. Just marinate overnight in the refrigirator, put into the clay pot and bake at low heat for a long time. Again, the secret is the length of time the meat is cooked and the heat.

These are some of the recipes that we use almost everyday. I will try to provide links to the recipes as soon as I find some time this weekend. In the meantime, Google them and enjoy!

I would like to wish Jennifer good luck and hope some of my well wishers will do the same. She is off to take the pharmacy certification tests this week. This is the culmination of six years worth of advanced chemistry and clinical pharmacology that Jennifer has had to endure. She is a very intelligent person who has had very little trouble in working hard on keeping up with and doing well in her college education.

She has been steadily increasing her study times in recent months and after this is over, we have made plans to take a day off and go to Put-In-Bay for fun and frolic. It should be fun.

I wish her all the best in her two days of trial and know that she will pass with flying colors (well, she doesnt need the flying colors to pass, but it wouldnt hurt).

I love you, honey!

Jennifer is scheduled to come back to Toledo today. It has been a long six days. I have spent most of it looking for a job. I am picking up Jennifer’s friends from Detroit airport early this morning and then dropping them off at Jennifer’s house. Cant wait to see her again!
I have been in a sort of funk lately. When I had first started searching for jobs, I had been warned of possible changes in mood and attitude with each rejection and flirtation with possibilities in my job search. That is oh so true. This is a subject that I believe I will have to explore further.
A small set of vacation plans for myself might be in order.

This is going to be another sappy post.

Jennifer left this morning for the Bermudas with her mother who is going on a business trip and is allowed to take one family member. She is going to be gone till Thursday. I can easily live without her for one or two days and it does not bother me at all. As a matter of fact, one of two days without her now and then is very welcomed. I get a lot done and it is refreshing.

Six days is wayyyy too long! I am going to miss her. Her craziness, her shopping, her cheery banter, her wonderful personality, her friendship, her care for me and most of all, her warm hugs. Think I might be in love?

New pictures posted in the gallery of Jennifer’s graduation and my recent trip to Wooster with Jennifer.
http://mindfulmusings.net/gallery/jengraduation

Here is a nice picture of Jennifer’s graduation ceremony. I was supposed to have one a few hours later which I elected to not attend.