Each year we buy new dresses during Hindu festive season, which is during September to November time frame. We continued the practice even after coming to this country in 2005, missing the opportunity to buy them during the tax holiday days. Today is the last day of 4-day Florida tax holiday on Books and clothes and we have no plans to buy anything today. When I tirelessly talk about saving money in almost everything, missing out on almost $50 in tax savings (on our overall purchase) is heartening.

Saying that, welcome readers to the chit-chat session. As usually, I will talk about the blog and some publishable facts of my life. I admit my week-day articles do not reveal much, rather nothing about my life. They are all about my learning penned down to help others. Chit-chats articles are my only vent to tell you about who I am, what I do and what I think.

Howdy folks, thanks for sticking in with me for another week. This is another chit-chat after a long time. I love doing weekend chit chats. But I can’t do it unless I have some publishable things to share with you. I think this week I have much to talk about. Let’s talk about work first and then a little bit on my personal life.

It was an average week with less hectic work schedule. In-fact last few weeks were like this, days were more or less event-less. At home things are steady. In first week of February, I got my performance appraisal and as expected my performance was rated outstanding. Last year around this time I published my most commented article Does blogging affect your work? It was my confession.

So after about a month here’s another personal talk edition. In past one month I was away, I had been to India – my home country. Met parents. in-laws and other relatives. My mother is not keeping well which is bothering me a lot. I hope and pray that she gets well soon and lives a longer life. SMB and I returned on Christmas eve. Then we went on a short road trip to Savannah, GA  for three days, before coming back yesterday.

Overall, we had a satisfying break from monotone of life and I think I am energized enough to start the new year with good enthusiasm. This chit-chat is a sign that I am charged-up to get OCAAT going with new vigor.

Readers, friends it’s nice to finally have completed the much awaited OCAAT site redesign. The original concept was taken from one of my favorite productivity blogs. Let’s not mention the name here. This was the original concept I created with simple tool MS Paint.

Initially I put up the project on freelancers.com and awarded to an India based software firm. They couldn’t implement the idea properly and at the end even attempted to take over the site ownership. I scrapped the project immediately and the savior, Andrea from So Over This, rescued the site and got the new design contract. She, on behalf of her company, Nuts and Bolt Media, just delivered the project yesterday.