house of cards Archives - My Inner Shakti

Weekend Recap – Three Highlights

As far as weekends go, this one was pretty great. We had a few set plans, however, most of our time was spent in a more leisurely fashion.

Instead of revisiting every last detail like I usually do, I thought I’d share the three highlights that come to mind as I sit down to type up this post.

One — St. Pete Grand Prix

It was race weekend in St. Pete, and the the annual St. Pete Grand Prix was happening in our backyard. Literally. I could hear the cars zooming around all weekend…from inside our apartment.

On Friday afternoon, Vishnu, our friend Cara, and I met up with one of the doctors from the hospital and his friends to watch practice rounds. It was such a cool experience. We were on the 23rd floor of a condo building facing the race course. I’m not a big race car fan, but even I got into it!

We planned to go back on Sunday to watch the actual race, but Vishnu decided that boards studying was more important. Such is life!

Two — Venice, Florida

On Saturday morning, Vishnu and I got ready and drove down to Venice, Florida to spend a few hours with our friends Jayesh and Ankita who drove up from Naples. Vishnu and I visited Venice for our minimoon and really loved how cute and quaint the downtown area is. Fortunately, it’s still just as nice, if not better!

We decided to meet in the middle and grab lunch at Made in Italy. The four us shared a spinach salad and pizza – a meaty one for the guys, an eggplant one for me and Ankita, and the margarita for all of us. The pizza was delicious and just the way I like it – a thin crust and perfectly balanced/seasoned toppings.

After lunch, we checked out the local farmer’s market, walked to the beach, and indulged in Kilwins amazing ice cream (peanut butter chocolate for me!).

I love that J&A are only a few hours away. I just wish they had moved down sooner…like 3 years ago!

Three — House of Cards

When it comes to shows that we both LOVE, Vishnu and I are a little nuts.

A week or so ago, we decided to not watch House of Cards until after boards. Then we said that we could watch it separately as long as we didn’t get ahead of the other person. Well, all of that went down the drain the minute we decided to watch the first two episodes last Thursday. In fact, by Sunday morning, we had finished ALL of the episodes. NUTS!

In our defense, this season is incredible. The story lines, the character development, the twists and turns. Every single episode left you hanging and wondering what the heck would happen next. Can’t wait for season five!!

Your turn – what did you get up to this weekend?!

10 Random Updates

written by Parita 21 Comments

Mom’s new job – First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for your sweet comments on the post about my mom, her job, and her big message. We loved reading them and marveled at how amazing perfect strangers can be! I’m happy to report that mom’s absolutely loving her new job! She loves her boss, she loves her team, and she loves the work. Win, win, win!

Minted – Thank you for all the feedback on the Minted post. I loved reading about why you chose the picture you did. So after going back and forth for a while, Vishnu and I decided to go with the Georgia picture! We may also purchase a similar print once we find out where we’ll be headed come June. More on that to come (along with a giveaway)…I promise!

Big Little Lies – Big Little Lies is the book I’m currently reading, and it is SO good so far! Liane Moriarty also wrote The Husband’s Secret which I really enjoyed. If you’re looking for a book that will grab you from the start and keep you guessing the whole time, Big Little Lies is for you.

House of Cards – This weekend + Vishnu + Me + Couch + Season 3 of House of Cards. Enough said!

Italy!!! – For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to visit Italy and take in all its beauty – the sights, the people, the FOOD! And in a little more than a month, Vishnu and I will be doing just that. I. Cannot. Wait!

I plan on sharing more about our trip and the cities we’ll be visiting. But in the meantime, if you have any suggestions (and I mean anything!) for the following cities, we’d really appreciate it — Sorrento, Naples, Rome, and Florence.

Puerto Rico – But before Italy, there’s Puerto Rico! I’m so excited to celebrate my friend Sweeti on a beautiful island with beautiful beaches. And it’s my first time visiting PR!

Highlights – For the first time in 31 years, I’m doing something drastic with my hair. And by drastic I mean highlights! My stylist promised she would keep things as natural as possible since I’m going for more of a sun-kissed look. To be quite honest, I’ll be happy as long as my grays are covered. They’re out of control right now…like give me a few months and I’ll be sporting a full on salt n’ pepper look. I’ll post the after picture on Instagram. Fingers crossed that my new look turns out ok…eep!

Work dinners – One of our sub teams met in Miami this week. I’m not a part of this particular team, but they were kind enough to invite me to some of their dinners and lunches. I’m happy to report that I stuck to my dairy-free ways (it was so hard to say no to baked brie!). I did not, however, say no to the wine!

Healthy eating at home – After our trip to Atlanta, Vishnu and I vowed to eat better and cleaner. Well, I’m happy to report that we’ve been doing just that. Lots of salads for lunch, veggie centric dishes for dinner, juices in the late afternoon (check out our latest juice – recipe included!), and fruit for dessert. I know this sounds boring, but you’d be amazed by what a little coconut oil and spices do to vegetables.

Ripped in 30 – So far so good! I did level one three times last week and started level two this week. I’ve also been running and walk a ton. I plan on writing a more detailed post about my experience with levels one and two soon. For now, I’ll say this. Even though Jillian’s super annoying, she knows how to put together a good workout!

Well, that’s all I have today. I hope you have an amazing weekend – enjoy!

Just the Two of Us + a Giveaway

written by Parita 14 Comments

This was the first weekend in a long time where it was just me and Vishnu hanging out. We went out to eat (twice!), we finished season two of House of Cards, we napped (totally Vishnu’s idea), we cooked. Just the two of us!

Groupon was offering an amazing dinner-for-two deal at Vapiano. It’s not my favorite restaurant in the area, but for $29 we got an appetizer (Vishnu chose a meat dish since I said I wasn’t going to eat any apps), 2 drinks, 2 entrees (Spinach and pesto pizza and a creamy gorgonzola spaghetti with pistachios), and two mini desserts (chocolate mousse and tiramisu).

When plans to meet up with friends fell through on Saturday morning, Vishnu and I decided to venture out and try a new restaurant. We ended up at Bryan In the Kitchen in downtown Miami. While there were lots of healthy options to choose from, we ordered two grilled cheeses and split them (Brie with Fig Chutney and Fontina/Apple/Sage). Oh and we had juice as well (apple, cucumber and mint for him and orange for her)! Yum!

I headed out for a long run just as the sun was setting on Saturday night. 6.5 miles done and done! This is the most I’ve run since my last half marathon in 2011. I’m hoping to make it 7 miles next weekend.

Our Sunday was very relaxed – just grocery shopping, laundry, food prep, and a little bit of work. The usual.

Well there you have it – a snapshot of our “just the two of us” weekend.

*****

And now for a delicious giveaway!!

My friend and fellow blogger Dixya recently (as in this past Friday) released her very first e-cookbook called 27. We’ve been reading each other’s blogs for a couple of years now, and I am so proud of her for taking on a huge project like this! And it turned out beautifully. All 27 of the recipes are simple and unique and will make your mouth water. From a breakfast burrito to a number of different kinds of salads to even a few of her mom’s specialties, this e-cookbook has a little bit of everything.

Dixya was kind enough to gift me my very own copy of 27. And since I love it so much, I am gifting three lucky readers their very own copy!

All you have to do is leave a comment below about your favorite kind of cuisine. In her book, Dixya mentions her love for Japanese and Mexican food. I would have to say Indian and Mexican cuisine are my top two.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday!

Life Lowdown

written by Parita 4 Comments

I was looking through my last 10 ish posts yesterday, and I realized that it’s been a while since I’ve done a general “here’s what the heck has been going on” update. Not that my life is all that exciting, but for selfish reasons, I love writing these kinds of posts because they’re fun to read down the road. And I know my mom loves them too!

So here’s the lowdown…

Vishnu finally started rotations. While he’s working hard and studying for yet another exam, he also has a fair amount of free time. During this free time, we’ve been exploring our “new” neighborhood, trying new restaurants, and hanging out with friends. We’re definitely trying to seize the moments and run with them. Live in the present, live in the present, live in the present!

I was in Chicago for less than 48 hours last week for a training class. It was a little hectic but lots of fun – spent time with my coworkers that I don’t see often enough, ate some pretty delicious meals, AND got to see my sister and Adarsh (her boyfriend). A very productive trip indeed!

Three of my grandfather’s sisters were in the Miami area visiting family this past weekend. Luckily, Vishnu and I were able to spend a little bit of time with them. It was honestly kind of emotional because I overheard the older sister say something about this being their last face to face visit. As sad as I was to hear her say that, everyone else seemed at peace. They were just happy to be able to spend this time together, even though it may be their last. A good lesson at any age.

My dad had hernia surgery on Wednesday. Even though it was a relatively minor procedure, I was worried (go figure). However, according to my mom he was and is continuing to be a trooper. I talked to him on their way home, and he sounded 100% normal and himself. And he was even cracking jokes during our evening FaceTime session. Oh dad, how I love thee!

My sister will be here next Saturday!! Woo – so excited! When I asked her what she wants to do, she said, “Well, let’s definitely go to your favorite Miami restaurants and make good food at home.” So she basically wants to eat. Ha!

Two days after Aek leaves, our friends are visiting. Jetan, Anil, Monica, and Monica’s boyfriend will be here for the weekend. When I asked them what they want to do, Monica said she’s looking forward to lots of beach/pool time, and Jetan said he wants to go to the casino and to a specific restaurant/lounge that I can’t think of right now. Hopefully we’ll be able to fulfill everyone’s wishes!

And the excitement doesn’t end there. The following weekend, Vishnu and I will be on our way to India for two weeks. I’m really looking forward to seeing my grandparents and meeting Vishnu’s family members that weren’t able to make it to the wedding. I’m not looking forward to the heat. More on this soon!

Remember Best Body Bootcamp? Well, I’m at it again, except this time I’m behind 2 weeks because of our trips to T&C and Atlanta. Regardless, this round is just as great as the last – lots of challenging and unique exercises, same level of flexibility, and lots of support through the Facebook group. I definitely feel a lot stronger than I did at the beginning of the last round (which is a good sign!).

If anyone is looking for a new show to obsess over watch, I highly recommend the Netflix original series called House of Cards. It’s a dark and pretty sinister political drama (I think this is my new favorite genre) that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire season. And since Netflix releases all of the episodes at one time, you don’t have to wait long to see what happens next. Except when you plow through the first 12 episodes like it’s your job and are then left to wonder what the heck happens in Season 2 (sigh).

And finally, it’s been raining a lot in Miami this week, which means I’ve been using my obnoxiously huge golf umbrella every single day. But I secretly love it…a lot! If nothing else, the rain has cooled things down a bit, which is a very much appreciated. And since I live and work on high floors, it’s been fun watching the rain come and go throughout the day. Now, if I had to drive in this weather, that would be an entirely different story!

Tell me – what the heck has been going on in your life lately?