It is Popeye from Popeye the Sailor. I remember getting ready for school and watching Popeye at 7AM daily before catching the bus. Not only kids, but our parents watched with us too. The famous spinach-powered man, his love interest Olive Oyl, with pencil-thin arms and legs, and the muscular, mean man Bluto were amazing.
I used to love those characters and used to wait for the right moment when Popeye would eat spinach and become a powerhouse, sending Bluto to the moon or some remote place with a punch. Hillarious.
You know what? The irony is that Popeyes, a fast-food restaurant, doesn’t offer vegetarian options and is famous for chicken. One is near my house, and it always reminds me of my favorite cartoon character.
What about you? Do you have a favorite cartoon character or show from your childhood that brings back fond memories? Share your thoughts and nostalgic moments in the comments below—I’d love to hear about the cartoons that shaped your early mornings and made you laugh!
A beautiful, memorable August just passed. We created lots of memories, including a visit to Omaha Zoo, a day at six flag white water park, a pickleball tournament, watching the movie Odyssey together after a long time in the theater, and completing a 25-mile biking challenge. We also got a good crop of tomatoes, onions, chili, green peppers, and raspberries.
Here are the pictures that capture those moments:
Happy Reading! Keep traveling!!!
I’d love to hear from you—what’s one moment from this past August you’ll still be talking about a year from now? Share your favorite memory in the comments below!
How does your mindset affect your financial success?
Whatever we gain or lose, our mindset plays a vital role. A positive mindset can find the best in the worst things, while a negative mindset might not even recognize the good.
Finance is very important in everyone’s life, but unfortunately, many of us are clueless about how to manage it efficiently. We learn to work for a paycheck, but we are not taught how to manage our finances. That’s where most people struggle.
That’s a lack of knowledge and awareness, but what about the mindset, which is equally important? Financial success also differs from person to person; for some, a huge paycheck is success, while for others, sending a kid to the best facility without worrying about the money is success.
For me, financial success means not worrying about money and working only when I want; money should not be the driving force. To achieve this, I keep a positive mindset, know where to put my money, what and where to save, and how to grow my investments and reach a worry-free retirement through financial Independence.
It’s a learning process, and my mindset keeps me on track. I also discuss such topics with my spouse, and we plan together. I listen to podcasts on these topics on my way to the office and learn whatever I can. I frequently listen to Jim Rohn and Warren Buffett.
I know I will achieve financial Independence soon, and I’m working towards it. If I put my mind to something, I get it.
If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of financial advice, what would it be?
If your pet could talk, what would be the first thing it says?
My pet is a female Cat, named Pixie. We adopted her almost a year after Aayansh was born. Her arrival in our home was unexpected; we never thought we’d own a pet, and that too a cat.
One of the interns in my office posted about 4 rescued cats that needed homes. I asked Harmit to check on them and whether we wanted to move forward with the adoption. Reluctantly, we went to that girl’s house and got Pixie; she was the one we liked out of all four. She is an American Shorthair, similar to the cats we usually see in the neighborhoods in India.
At first glance, we loved her and decided to welcome her into our home. We never had any pets before, so we were nervous. During our drive home, I kept thinking, ” What have I done? How will I manage a cat at home? How will our responsibilities change now that we already have a small kid? Was it a good decision, or just an impulse?
Once home, we kept her in our washroom, as instructed, so that we wouldn’t scare her and she’d have time to feel comfortable. We kept checking on her and left some food nearby. She was hiding behind the toilet seat. After 2 days, she came to our bedroom and started her little exploration. Finally, she accepted her new house.
When we came again to check on her in the evening, she was nowhere to be found. We checked everywhere in the house, but no luck. We spent almost 1/2 an hour looking for her, and it was surprising how she vanished into thin air. Harmit was very tense, and then I finally found her in an unexpected place: the drawer of our nightstand. She was curled up there; God knows how she got in and closed that drawer. Kudos to me for finding her.
Slowly, she got comfortable with us and his new house, and is now an integral part of our family. We call her our beti (daughter) and tell Aayansh she is his sister. She is a darling; she never scratched Aayansh or any of our guests. Cats are generally very territorial and private. That’s not the case with her; she is friendly and easy-going.
She was meant to be part of our family. When we bought our house, the previous owner also had a cat, so our home is already cat-friendly. It’s not by coincidence; it was Pixie’s destiny to be with us in that house.
She loves us unconditionally and unapologetically. When she wants our attention, she takes it. If she wants to sit in our lap, she will take the place. She knows her place in the house and takes pride in that.
I honestly don’t know what she will say if she can talk. But I think it would be: “I love you guys so much; don’t leave me alone”
Do you have a pet at home? What would your furry (or not so furry!) friend say if they could talk? Share your stories in the comments below—I’d love to hear about your beloved companions!
Have you ever regretted reading a book — which one and why?
I love reading books. If I recall, my first book was You Can Win by Shiv Khera, which my English teacher gave me, and that was the start of my reading journey. I was fascinated with books from an early age. When we went to the school library, I always wanted to get children’s books. I remember trying to get hold of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and the librarian wasn’t very friendly; he acted like the books were coming from his house.
My dad subscribed us to Nanhe Samrat. Also, the newspaper hawker was our friend, so he used to give us new books to read. My mother used to read lots of magazines at that time – Sarita, Manohar Kahaniya, and novels by Gulshan Nanda. This habit passed from my elder sister, who reads a lot, to me, and finally to my younger sister. When we siblings meet, we discuss the books; it’s such a pleasure.
Right now, I am reading The Mist by Stephan King and Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty. I have read Kafka, Stephan King, Grisham, Premchand, Chatursen, Wells, and so many notable authors. Each of them impressed me with their writing and taught me something.
I was chasing the classic novels and came across Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, which is by far my only regretful read. Nothing against the novel; maybe I couldn’t understand the author’s point, or I wasn’t the right audience for it. After reading that book, I felt like I had to take a holy bath in the Ganga River.
The story is told from the perspective of Humbert, an aging professor in love with a 12-year-old girl he calls Lolita. Throughout the book, he fantasizes about the girl and justifies his actions by calling it love. I don’t know how this novel is a classic; I found it perverted. It took me almost 6 to 7 months to finish this masterpiece, even though it’s roughly a 330-page book. I have a habit of finishing what I start, whether I like it or not; that’s the only reason I finished it.
What’s the most uncomfortable book you’ve ever read — and did you finish it or put it down?”
