Well it's Friday and that's always a good thing. Except maybe for today. Because tomorrow (tonight?) we have to wake up at 3:30 and leave for LAX to catch a 6 AM flight to Dallas. It's my first-ever trip to Texas so I have some large expectations. The wedding we're going to is at a schmancy place called the Mansion at Turtle Creek, and Heather and Will will be there and so it should be fun. As long as we manage to set the alarm correctly...

BTW, of course everyone knows by now that the Red Sox lost. So Heather said there is a "dark cloud hanging over the city." Makes us both wonder if there's something to "the curse"... and we're not really even baseball fans. Not really. Plans for Dallas include the JFK assassination-themed "Sixth Floor Museum," brunch at the Kimbells' house, and the Texas State Fair.

IT'S OFFICIAL! Today we made the BIG PURCHASE - our RTW airline tickets. So the itinerary -- and the dates -- are set. No turning back now. Nov. 15 we kick off to Auckland-Christchurch-Sydney-Bangkok-Delhi-Bombay-Nairobi-London-Boston-home again. I thought it would've been fun to drive back to L.A. from Boston but I got nixed on that idea.

Meanwhile, the big game starts in 15 mins. - Sox vs. Yankees game seven. The bar was exceedingly loud that my brother was at when I called him in Boston a half-hour ago.

Today was not very productive. We looked at a couple of digital cameras and visited with some friends and then it was 6:30 p.m. I think it might be too early to pack.

So we're planning our big trip now. The itinerary is almost set. My (Akhil's) folks are planning on meeting us in India. I got Typhoid, Hep A, Hep B and Yellow Fever shots two days ago. I have to go back for Meningitis and Flu...

"The trip" is our honeymoon/soul searching/quality time/escape from the rat race/education by travel/living-life-to-the-fullest expedition. We're very excited about it deep down inside despite all the surface stress and anxiety we seem to be experiencing in preparation. It's fascinating to see how difficult it is to break free from daily habit. Sign of age, maybe?

Here is a family portrait from our wedding in Malibu, Sunday, June 29, at the Adamson House. From left is Shannon's brother Todd, father Alan, mother Nancy, Shannon, me, my mother Mina, father Dhanvant, sister-in-law Suzanne and brother Hiten.