Jumbo the Giant

When Anil Kumble decided to hang up his boots last evening, it brought a lump to my throat. I had followed his career all through those 18 wonderful years and it was exceedingly hard to beleive that the next time India play a test match, Jumbo wont be gliding down the wicket in search of his next victim. He was the shining light through 2 decades for Indian cricket and he was bang on target when he pointed out that Indian cricket was in much better shape when he was leaving than when he started out.

So what's so legendary about Anil, many may ask? So I decided to dedicate this piece in his honor. Anil's career has been in parallel with the Fab 4 and I know every miniscule detail of what they achieved and could have achieved in the great arena called 'Test Match Cricket' - a true mirror image of life's experiences encapsulated into 5 days.

Kumble made his debut in the year 1990. Thats when I was starting to understand what cricket was. My brother, 5 years elder to me knew much more obviously and was a major cricket buff (left to his choice, he still is). Thats how I started watching the game on TV. It was during one such TV broadcast of the 1992 South Africa series that I had the first glimpse of Anil Kumble. By then, having watched a full cricket world cup my understanding of the game for a 9 year old was first-class. Kumble was this bespectacaled, tall, wiry young man who would bound in with a jump in his action and produce deliveries that spat off the track with bounce and pace. They called him a leg-spinner but he looked more like a medium pacer who had a surprise faster delivery. Of course he was much better than that, as his records show. He was this fastish leg spinner from Bangalore in the Chandra mould, definitely influenced at some point in his young mind by that man with the freakish arm. In one test in Johanessburg Kumble scythed through the Proteas and brought get joy and cheer to the Indian fan for whom nothing had gone right through the series. That was the first impression that put Kumble into the reckoning as India's top spinner. 

It was a bleak time for Indian spin. After the famous quartet of the 70's many a spinner promised but never lasted long. Sivaramakrishan, Maninder, Hirwani all shone through briefly but lacked the single minded intensity and discipline. Someone had to emerge from the shadows and take up the mantle. Thats when Kumble with his unorthodox action and technique came through the ranks. His South African performance made him a surety for the 1993 home series against England, a landmark series in the history of Indian cricket.

His performance through that series against Gooch's men on red dustbowl pitches evoked awe from all those who saw him. He was literally unplayable. Top-spin, flipper, sharp bounce, sudden pace it was all there on view as the English batsmen were totally confounded in his web. It was the first whitewash they sufferd in India and it set the tone for most of the 90's under Azhar's leadership. Dusty tracks would be prepared and the captain would unleash Kumble on the hapless visitors after piling a moutain of runs with the help of another wonder boy named Sachin. Kumbles stock grew but the constant bowling on Indian pitches meant he was'nt expanding his repertoire as a bowler of international class. It was around the same time that Shane Warne had started his wizardry across different pitches and conditions all over the world. Kumble knew he would have to learn how to bowl on pitches abroad for India to win matches overseas. But before that transformation eventually happened in 2003, came a marquee moment in his career

Feb 1999, a cold wintry afternoon at the Kotla in Delhi. Pakistan well in pursuit of their target of 410. Kumble bounds in and picks up his first wicket. 9 more would follow in lightining quick succession and people gasped at what they saw. Kumble truly became a national icon after that performance when he annihilated the Pakistanis. It was a superlative performance that the Smiling Assasin would always cherish. Following this the expectations and the spotlight on his career grew immensely. A shoulder injury at this key moment in his career was most unfortunate. But when we look back today, it probably was the most impotant turning point in Indian Cricket's renaissance in the post Azhar era.

2001 - India faced the mighty Australians at home, a series every one expected the Indians to lose 3-0. After all with 16 wins on the trot there was no way an Indian team sans Kumble(hand in sling) could even think of challenging the Aussie juggernaut. The first test in Mumbai that ended in 3 days just showed how true the predictions were. Kumble silently worked with a young Harbhajan in the time between Wankhede and Eden, providing him ample advice and suggestions on how to unsettle the Aussies and the lines to bowl. What followed at Eden was sheer drama. A Bhajji hat-trick, a follow on, a double delight from VVS and a fighting century from Dravid all made sure the 5th day would be one that changed Indian cricket forever. The victory that day fuelled a surge whose drive can be felt to this day, 7 years down the line. Kumble the giant had played his part and the Aussies would sure acknowledge that.

Having missed such an important series and with Harbhajan suddenly pipping him to become the No.1 spinner, Kumble had to diversify and come back in a new avtaar that would make him the match winner again. To his credit he did this in fantastic style after the 2003 series down under. Before that came a most poignant moment in the Caribbean in 2002, when after he had missed India's victory in Port of Spain (with Ganguly the captain choosing Harbhajan over him), he came out with a fractured jaw to take the wicket of Brian Lara. Its a moment that will forever be associated with Kumble. He knew he would not be able to take any further part in that series, but that did not stop this man. David Shepherd who was umpiring in that match knew he had seen something out of the ordinary and immediately acknowledged it with a pat on the back. 

The following year India's ODI team continued their amazing vein of form in the last 24 months to carry them through to the finals of the World Cup in South Africa. As Sourav's men were stunned by the enormity of the occassion on that day one could'nt help but think what a difference Kumble's experience would have made to that bowling line up. He sat there in the pavilion hiding his extreme disappointment behind the shades as he was left out of the final 11 in favor of Harbhajan. India lost by a huge margin and Sourav's inept handling of Anil the champion will always evoke many a strong criticism at his captaincy.

But Kumble, ever the lion hearted team man would respond in terrific fashion later that year. As Harbhajan headed back home from Austraila due to a heel injury, Kumble got that break he so desperately wanted. Coming into the Adelaide test, he spun the game India's way on the 2nd morning and with it the whole momentum of the series as India went one up in the series. Kumble the complete bowler had finally arrived. At the SCG in Steve Waugh's farewell test, he single handedly took India to the brink of a series victory in Australia. Waugh's heroics and some poor keeping from Parthiv saved the day for the Aussies, but Kumble had made his statement loud and clear. He was well and truly back as India's No.1 spinner.

What followed was amazing success in Pakistan and then at home against the Aussies in 2004 and then West Indies under Dravid's captaincy in 2006. In the home series against England in 2005 he capturd his 500th wicket becoming the first Indian ever to get to that landmark. His batting improved as well when he slammed India's only century all through the 4 tests in the Oval in 2007 during the series victory. 

Following that tour Dravid resigned abruptly and the only shoulders broad enough to take up the burden of captaincy were those of Anil's. He took on the responsibilty at a very crucial juncture with Dhoni still in the grooming phase. The tour of Australia last year showed what a vital decision it was. The saga at the SCG was handled with amazing maturity and it was around Kumble the rock, that this team found the will and determination to put it across the Aussies at their fortress in Perth. It was truly one of the greatest moments in the careers of the Fab 5. Beating the Kangaroos at their mighty den was a dream come true. India had challenged them and shown to the world that they were on the way up. The tour also saw Kumble reaching the 600 wicket landmark -  a gigantic performance. 

Kumble has called it day at the perfect time. In Dhoni, India have found a vibrant, energetic leader who has caried on the mantle beautifully and showed it by beating the world champions 2-0 last month at home. The spin cupboard looks good as well with Mishra and Chawla competing for a spot. The old warrior knew his team was in a great shape for the future battles ahead. His choice of retiring at his beloved Kotla was spot on. It was the home away from home for him. 

Not only have Kumble's on field performances been spectacular but his behaviour off the field was exemplary all through such a long career. Never one to lose his cool or temper, he was a standout for the gentlemans spirit that the game embodies. Anil Kumble is one legend who will truly inspire many young cricketers. A role model and a great ambassador for the game, his example will be extremely hard to follow.  Those boots are mighty huge to fill, thats the legendary story of Jumbo's career - one that I have thoroughly enjoyed recollecting as I wrote this. 

The People Around Us

Every time I get back to blogging, the first thought that crosses my mind is why don't I use this forum more regularly. There is so much to talk about and tell the world but many times what we really tell people is mostly irrelevant and unimportant stuff.

Its been a strange kind of week this one. First up, I was horribly tied down to work. Eight hours at the workplace followed by a training which went on till an ungodly time every day. That in itself meant I was having a rather irritable 7 days. Add to this all the diplomacy that goes with folks at work. Sometimes its such a big turn-off, when you have to smile for the most horrible jokes or go for lunches and dinners that you would rather avoid. But then everything has a reason. I would rather tolerate or more precisely smile ignorantly in a formatted way and keep my slate clean rather than antagonise anyone. Its the way we all work, everywhere, everytime. Its fun as well when I sit and reflect about it in the middle of the night as I am doing right now. Brings a smile to my face.

This week was also funny because I caught up with some pretty old friends of mine from school time. Felt good for sure getting to know what each guy is upto in life. Been a good 8 years since I passed out of school, so most of the folks are either married or busy in some way or the other like I myself have been. Some of the folks its so good to talk to after so long. You don't wanna stop the conversation and there is so much that needs to be updated on either end. But some others, you would regret having pinged them. The fact that you did then forces you to indulge in a rather annoying conversation for sometime, the usual bullshit which goes like "Hows life? Where you these days? Hows the weather?". At the end of it you go like, "Gimme a break!!!", and then say something like "Dude, I gotta crash now" or "Hey I'll catch you some other time". Both parties are happy at the end of it. No pinging for another 8 years probably :-).

So that was essentially what the first 5 days were like. Then came Friday, the day we all wait for so desperately right from Monday morning!!! But hey I was attending a course. So Friday evening becomes night and then mid night and am still stuck to my work station. Finally class ends (was a good one though) and I have some relief in the form of a really nice chat with the one who matters most to me. So right in the dead of the night I drive back home with dogs chasing down my bike in every other dark road on the way. Thankfully the cops din't do their usual round of "Stop, show papers" routine. So I finally wound up a rather hectic week of work and woke up to a lazy Saturday morning.

Saturday was good, met a close friend of mine after a long long time. Truly unfair, that too when we stay about 5 minutes away from each others place. So a visit to the pristine beach after ages, some usual eye popping and dirty discussion meant things haven't really changed at all. And then when the legs got really tired of walking around, we promised to catch up more regularly.

Really amazing when you think about the fact that for most part of every week you are actually spending time with and talking to people who hardly matter. The good ones and the precious ones who do are invariably as busy as you yourself. More time and more chats and more phone conversations with the important ones, is what we all would ideally like. But without the other dumbos and their boring jokes & statements, we would be left with little spice and banter when we catch up with the people we like. So considering all that, am pretty much happy to have all these 'Special' people around me for 12X5 of week. Thanks guys, Cheers to you, my weekends are damn good :-)

Kalli is back !!!!!!!

Yepp, you read it right. Am back after a very long hiatus - 5 months to be precise. Blame it all on that dumb, drab and boring World Cup we had in April. So depresssing it was that I could not get myself to sit and write a worthwhile piece after that. But then, thats history now and I will certainly keep blogging at least for another 2 months and 10 days. Hehehe, my blogs are always cryptic so I leave it your imagination.

I must admit that its Big 'P', my buddy from college days who's been the reason i have started again. Go and check out his blog http://bikebloke.blogspot.com/. Leave out the poems though if you want to save yourself, hehe, just skip straight ahead to the last few posts. So what meaningful stuff do I sit and write about at 00:22 hrs. Something that comes to mind straightaway is that I have'nt been out of Chennai all through this year. That makes it 8 months and 3 days in this very same place. That's something which is indeed very strange for me. Normally I make it a point to go out on a trip or a tour every year, but these last 8 months have been so full of activity its been impossible to step out of Chennai. I must say its been a very productive year as far as acquisitons go and also on the personal front :-) . So, before I digress into those unnecessary details for which you folks don't have the privileges, let me tell you that this blog's about travel and adventure. So all you travel weary oldies don't you dare venture any further.

Ever since Prazee(Big P) suggested the idea of a trip to Manali and Leh, I decided that these next 2 months am gonna dedicate to my spirit of adventure and a natural love for travelling that hasn't quite borne fruition. But then at the age of 24, with my best years yet to come (Wow i liked that line) its not too late at all. So for starters we've decided to take my monster bike, my sexy black Pulsar 180 and scorch away to Pondicherry. Just a small matter of 300 kms along the beaches on the wonderful East Coast Road.

Planning has already begun and there will be a blog about it for sure after we return. Right now its about getting the bike in perfect condition for a 600 kms drive. So will have to shrug off my basic trait - laziness and get the monster serviced nice and tight for our drive. Its quite exciting the prospect of driving all the way along ECR, lots of photo ops on the cards and nice weather too at this of the year. Have biked my way through a maximum of 70-90 kms away from Thiruvanmiyur so far, but never got the chance to go further. And with Prazee around its always gonna be an adventure, rewind to Munnar/Chalakudy days :-).

And hey, its gonna be fun for sure.. right now very very sleepy..zzzzz...apologies for a quick finish to this one... lots more I wanna write but then am getting into a nice sexy dream, so that will surely take precedence over the blog. More about travel after the Pondy trip. Keep checking out this space, lots more every day on more debatable and unconventional stuff. For now though am in a hurry, slipping into a nice, lovely ... Wow byeeeee!!!!

This is Crazy!!!!!!

The first week of WC 2007 has just concluded and what a start it has been. The most inexplicable things have taken place in these last 7 days. Brilliant bowling, sharp fielding, sizzling strokeplay and huge upsets -- this is it, this is the magic that the World Cup always has in store.

After a colorful opening cermony which showcased the vibrant hues of the Carribean, the WC opener on March 13th was always going to be a cracker of a game. West Indies versus Pakistan, unpredictability at its very best when these two sides match up against each other. It was indeed a fabulous contest. After a slow start WI finally broke the shackles in the form of Marlon Samuels, when he thrashed Ifthikar Rao in the 28th over. The momentum shifted towards the West Indies and from there on it was calypso time all the way. I would love to see the West Indies keep up this good form and carry it all the way through. They are one side everyone in the world wants to watch.

After a couple of dull and boring matches following the opener, the World Cup truly came alive when Ireland took on a young Zimbabwean team. The Irish are a surprise package with players having limited ability but tonnes of determination and an attitude to stick it out. In a humdinger of a clash that went right down till the wire, the Irish team sneaked out a tie when it seemed certain that Zimbabwe would cruise through. It was a morale boosting victory for Ireland and their cricketing ambitions were given a real fillip.

Then we had the incredible, mercurial Herschelle Gibbs perform an unimaginable feat. Six sixes in an over!!!! Phew.. its been done by Shastri and Sobers at first class level, but to do it in an international game and that too at the World Cup is just truly an outstanding achievement. Van Troose, the Dutch bowler need not be ashamed because the man who tore him apart is one of the most gifted players in the world. Gibbs for long has promised so much but the lack of self belief after the dropped catch in the 1999 World Cup has been his undoing in all these years as an international cricketer. This one over should mark a change in his career fortunes and I won't be surprised if Gibbs goes on to become one of the greats in South African cricket history.

If all this was'nt enough, what followed was unbelievable. On March 17th, two giants from the sub-continent Pakistan and India took on the supposed 'minnows' (time to knock off that word from the dictionary, there are no minnows at the international level) of world cricket - Ireland and Bangladesh respectively. By the end of the day, we had Pakistan kncoked out of the World Cup 2007 and India just another defeat away from packing their bags. The unexpected turn of events has left the whole of India and Pakistan shell shocked. While our neighbours were utterly disastrous right from the word go, we got into a seemingly good position and then threw it all away in sheer mid-day madness. 5 wickets in the space of 5 runs against a modest Bangladesh attack is unacceptable. India finally managed to set the Bangla boys a target of 191. And the way those young lads chased it was memorable. Tamim Iqbal showed glimpses of Saeed Anwar in that breezy knock of 51. And the confidence these guys have is an indication that just like Sri Lanka - who took a huge step forward in 1995-96, this Bangladesh team too has taken a step to the next level. Meanwhile, India better forget this as a bad dream. They have their task cut out. Two must win games against Bermuda and Sri Lanka, will give them a window of opportunity to make it to the next stage of the Cup.

Pakistan have had a shabby second World Cup in succession. If 2003 was a disaster then 2007 has been a catastrophe. They need to take a serious look at the quality of cricketers they are producing. 131 runs against an Irish attack is certainly not what we expect from the likes of Younis, Yousuf and Inzy. Its time to bid goodbye to the old boys and look at building a new team for the future. The same could be true for India if the old pros don't come to the party in the next week.

So there it was, a round up of the first week of World Cup 2007. It would do this wonderful game a world of good if the next few weeks can match up to this enthralling first one. With the Super 8's coming up from the 28th of March its just gonna be a treat for the cricket buff. I am just licking my lips in anticipation. At this stage I am rooting for the West Indies and their unmatchable and distinctive flair to carry them through. Cheers!!!!

The Men in Blue - Ready to Roar

WC 2007 -- 7 days to go ......

The Carribean Carnival

Just 18 days to go for World Cup 2007 and I cant wait to see the first ball bowled. The Carribean has waited 22 years for this and the people there deserve to host an event such as this one. It is without doubt the best venue in the world to play cricket. The wonderful cocktail of cricket, music, passion and absolute love for the game comes out beautifully in the West Indies. So why exactly am i looking forward to WC 2007 ? Just read on....

First up, its gonna be a real celebration and a last hurrah for some of my favorite cricketing heroes. These are the guys I have followed for the last 15-17 years and these are my heroes. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Pollock, Muttiah Muralitharan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Stephen Fleming.. what an outstanding list of players that is. Each a true champion. To have all these guys slugging it out for one last time to get that ultimate prize is dream stuff. What amazing contests we will have on the cards, superlative bowling performances, stunning knocks and great catches -- its all gonna happen at WC 2007.

So who has a chance at the Cup this time around? Australia and their aura of invincibility -- that is all gone. The recent reverses against England at the CB finals and the 3-0 scoreline at the Chapell - Hadlee series is not some blip in form that many Aussie fans would like to beleive. Having seen their performances in these last 5 matches, I can sense that an era is coming to an end. Some big names left the scene at the end of the Ashes and a few more will at the end of the Cup. Not only does this directly affect their performances but also their much vaunted bench strength is'nt all that promising. In Shaun Tait they do have an outright quickie but he needs to be groomed. I see them sliding down the world rankings in the next 2-3 years before the new breed gains experience and blossoms again. Australia need to be patient during this time. They might just scrape through and reach the semis with one last gasp, but their future seems pretty uncertain. I see a distinct lack of quality in both their batting and bowling as far as the reserves are concerned. Only time will tell if I am right.

Also Australia's loss in form has left the Cup wide open. To me there are six realistic contenders for the title, each with an equal chance. Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, India and Pakistan. You might be thinking I am crazy to leave out South Africa - the top team according to the ICC rankings. But thats not surprising - coming in to every WC they have always been the form team. But their performance disintegartes as they progress further in a World Cup(92,96,99 and 03). They get stagnated in the high pressure matches where they have to win at all costs. They will always be a brilliant team but a WC win also needs nerves of steel and I dont see them having that as yet.

West Indies are a firm favorite in their backyard. Lara could just be saving his best for something big like this. In crucial matches he could churn up some unbeleivable stuff. Gayle is another force to reckon with and their slow spinners are a handful in those conditions. New Zealand are playing some inspired cricket at the moment and are in sublime form. Ross Taylor is the new star and the Kiwis need just one reason for motivation - they better give back something to their skipper. Fleming's been around long now and his team ought to repay him for the way he has carried them through all the highs and lows over the last decade. This imaginative captain will finally have at his disposal a quality side that is expected to reach the last four.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are always the enigmas. All they need is an inspired performance by one of their lead stars. Jayasuriya and Sangakkara are the key men for SL. They will determine if SL go the distance this time around. With Vaas and Murali in their bowling ranks, they will always be able to place the stranglehold in the middle overs. Pakistan are a huge force becasue they have the most imaginative bowling attack of all the teams in foray. Watch out for Inzi and Yousuf, they could run into some big time form. For big Inzi it will be the last World Cup and he has been one of the most prolific ODI batsmen ever. Asif, Akhtar(if fit) and Gul are quite a handful when it comes to some pitches in the Carribean. But hopefully we will have some sporting tracks for this WC unlike some flat belters that we are used to in India.

So finally our very own Team India. A disastrous tour of South Africa, some lacklustre performances in the one day competitions such as the DLF cup and the Champions Trophy have only worked out to our advantage. For the first time despite the two back to back victories at home(SL & WI), high hopes are'nt being pinned on this team to go the distance. And having followed this Team all the way through for so many years, I can safely vouch that they play their best and most belligerent cricket when they are away from the pressure and limelight. Sit back and sample what we have in our team. Sachin, Sourav and Dravid - each with over 10,000 runs and in awesome form - they will be the backbone for our campaign. Add to that their experience of playing in previous WC's and their familiarity with the conditions in the West Indies. Now thats serious - these guys will go in with a plan to take us into that last four. Its the last World Cup all three will be playing. Then you have the Dhonis and the Yuvrajs, they are the future of our cricket and they already are through the grind. Zak has matured and become a better cricketer, more variety and a calmer presence means that we wont be seeing any more of that dreadful stuff he produced in the finals of WC 2003. So just relax and quietly follow Team India's progress. You might see some incredible performances by our most beloved cricketers. A Rahul Dravid fan, I would so much love to see him lifting that Cup.

More than anyone else Sachin Tendulkar desrves to have a World Cup victory in his long list of achievements. His teammates owe him this victory. Last time was so near yet so far. This is when they have got to make it count, make it happen for him. It will be a fitting tribute to this giant performer. And this is the most capable team to do it. These guys have been in a WC final before. They know what to expect. Buck up all you guys and girls - its gonna be party time this March and April. The Cricket Carnival is all set to unfold, pure delight awaits all the crazy fans who love this game more than anything else. Cheers!!!!

Life At Its Very Best

Sitting here in front of my PC at 11.10 P.M on a Sunday night, listening to 'Orey Chorri' from Lagaan, after a soulful phone conversation, theres quite a few thoughts going on in my mind. Just about the perfect mood and setting to drop in a few lines.

Its been a pretty relaxing weekend. Spent most of Saturday playing one sport after the other making myself and the folks around me tired with my persistence to practise. But then it was good, had a really sound sleep yesterday (only about 13 hours!!!) and woke up for a Sunday that would be spent entirely indoors. Its been close to a year now since I spent a weekend entirely at home. Have always been going around the town with all these friends I have, eating out and basically having a good time. So one of those rare days when I was at home thinking of the year so far, what lies ahead and stuff. I dont do this often, but then if and when I get into this contemplative streak, it gets pretty tough to shake me out of it.

For the moment though am not going to delve into those details, will make no sense for the reader as I will be totally cryptic in my statements. But then the day was spent typically watching a couple of really boring Tamil movies on KTV. At the end of the movie you kind of feel, 'I should have done something better'. Was just too lazy to go have a shower, but then I could'nt tolerate my own stink, so I had to go for it in the evening. Came out of the shower all fresh and energetic, so it had me thinking about a walk. But then I realized how sweaty an experience it could turn out to be, so decided I would stick indoors. The hall and the TV was soon getting very boring and monotonous, I had surfed as much as I could, even tuned desperately on the lookout for any new channels. But then disappointment as usual. So had to retreat to my badly maintained room, with the computer screaming for my attention, dust piled up all over it. But then cleaning that would be one hell of an ordeal that would leave me with a running nose for a week at least. Creepily ignored the computers wails and logged onto the net and checked out a few interesting stories on some of my fav sites - Cricinfo and Indian Express. There was one particular story on Indian Express that talked about Goa, its sizzling beaches and the recent lust for property in that place. That had me rock back in my chair and think of a holiday in Goa. After dreaming about it for 20 minutes(phew..what all I had thought of), came back into reality knowing clearly well that it was'nt gonna happen for some time. Any ways the longer the wait the more fulfilling it will be.

By now, it was time for dinner and the familiar calls of my mom 'Kalli vaa da seekram' resonated through the house. I knew it was time to get out of the room before I could test her patience. At the dinner table, we had some amusing discussions about some of the people around us. As usual, me and dad got into overdrive with our descriptions that bordered on the unparliamentary on most occasions. Luckily we had mom moderating those kinda situations, ensuring that our combined vocabulary did'nt go out of hand. Post dinner it was time to catch up with some mellifluous songs. And then this blog, and in between that chat on the phone....

As I was writing this, I was just asking myself, 'So what a productive day in the life of a 23 year old'..hehehe...well, the answer to that question is a simple 'Cut the Crap!!!!'. We folks need these kind of days where you would do nothing but just laze around. Most people that I know do'nt tend to do it and then keep cribbing that they hardly have any kind of free time. So for all those workaholics who dont spare even weekends, just follow the above model of 'A Perfect Day'. More often than not you will feel good about yourself at the end of the day. After all its life buddies, do unwind every now and then. Ok, time to crash now and get all dreamy, am already into it!!!! :-).