Archive | August, 2018

Is It A Sign?

14 Aug

Recently I started playing two new games, Age of Solitaire and Solitaire Cooking Tower by Sticky Hands Inc. I like the first one because it has funky music. Very rare to have nice jazzy pieces from such games. As for the second one, I am into it to see how high I can build my tower; currently I have six floors and my seventh floor is at 33% to completion.

Both games are a refreshing change from my usual candy games. Yes, I am still at them candies. But there is a hitch to my new entertainment.

My iPad.

It has been acting up, being laggy and always quitting mid-way through a round on either games. And it’s not just under-performing with these two apps, sadly even reading the news on Safari is too big a task for my poor iPad. Let’s not even go into the exasperation I have to deal with when it comes to Candy Crush Soda…

It’s like the device can’t cope with the speed of the internet or my deft hands, thus giving up on me at every opportunity. Is this a sign my iPad Mini is nearing its end? After all, it is almost six years old. And any device that can last this long is surely a miracle. My poor iPad.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Unusual Flavors

13 Aug

Over the weekend, we had the most unusual after-dinner dessert. We decided to visit a fine desserts cafe after googling it up, and decided to try it out since it was just a short drive from the mall where we had dinner.

The menu wasn’t extensive but enough with the usual offerings of dessert, coffee and tea. As always, we shared our portions.

The single scoop was rather interesting – ice cream made from Guinness Stout, yes the stout beer and contained alcohol. I still can’t get into my sorbet (there’s still half of the pint in the freezer) so I have resorted to indulging in small intake of real ice cream.

The other dessert choice was an Apple Strudel with a scoop of Black Pepper Mango ice cream! The strudel was normal like any other strudel but this ice cream…. obviously we’ve never had anything like it before! What a combination.

Comparing both flavors, the three of us preferred the stout ice cream. Although the crushed pepper was too strong and totally subdued the mango flavor, I liked that the pepper provided a nicer crunch than the pistachio bits. Very unusual.

I foresee this will be our new favorite haunt for dessert if we feel like having some dessert after dinner regardless of future dinner venues.

img_4541

Tags: , , , ,

A New Club

10 Aug

Several months ago I bought a new club, a 3-iron for a steal of a price! With thoughts of going back to playing more golf, I wanted to expand my iron usage ability.

Now I can handle my irons well, up to a 4-iron and I thought with this new addition, it could give me an edge. I don’t use my woods as much; the only wood I have in the bag is a 3-wood which sometimes can work and sometimes not. In other words, my irons work better.

I just need to build back my strength and regain my confidence if there’s any hope to improve the game a notch higher with this new club.

img_4518

Tags: ,

A Quick Job

9 Aug

Within less than a week, Monument 11 was completed! I ought to give myself a pat on the shoulder as it took less time than I anticipated with the usual steps (after carving) of sanding down to shape, patching any unwanted gaps, painting the base coat and applying the finishing colors.

I am finalising my thoughts to begin the glued two-piece Meranti. However, with several golf games lined up this month, one being a tournament, I will only begin after all the golf in case I aggravate the tennis elbow whilst carving away on the hard Meranti.

As for the idea, I am actually contemplating something new, a Gnome home! I hope I can pull it off.

img_4494

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Empty Nests

7 Aug

The trays that I use to house all the Citizens of Gigglesville look so empty these days despite a population of 170. Well, when so many of them migrate, 90 to be exact I am bound to have empty nests. I need to step it up to fill the void.

Forget the big Meranti pieces for the time being, just focus on the Citizens and I shouldn’t have any problems to fill up the trays again.

img_4491

The Giant Citizens, Superheroes and Baby Whales decided to take one tray to fill the void

Tags: , , , , ,

The Trophy Owl

6 Aug

A friend recently requested for a white colored Citizen of Gigglesville. Now I have never done a white one as the end result because white is always the base before any colors are added.

But I obliged her for special reasons and voila! I now have what I call the Trophy Owl. This could be the beginning of something new or a whole new category by itself. Hmm…

img_4330

Tags: , , , , ,

Stuck Yet Again

3 Aug

After that creative run to carve up 36 Citizens of Gigglesville, I now find myself suddenly stuck for ideas. I have been staring at this two-piece glued Meranti block for some time already but just cannot figure out what to carve. Another Gandalf-like Gnome? Or perhaps a Gnome abode, something totally different? Hmm…

Actually I am caught in between wanting to start a new piece on a Meranti and wanting to play more golf. Knowing that working on big Meranti pieces will aggravate my tennis elbow will inadvertently affect my golf, the balance is tough.

Then again the itch to carve is strong. That’s why I have continued with more Citizens on soft balsa to preserve the elbow after the 36 Citizens was done.

The block beckoned again. In the end, I opted for a one piece Meranti and started on Monument 11. The block would have to wait.

img_4432

Tags: , , , , , ,

Battle of the Boxes, Part 2

2 Aug

I seem to be losing to hubby as far as our battle of the boxes is concerned. I have stopped my online shopping for the time being because there’s nothing more for me to buy to enhance my carving tools while just about every week, he’d received a box or package at the office and it’s usually an air plant, what else? Haha.

This latest package came and for once, it’s not an air plant but a dozen plastic garden pots that are not available at the regular nursery.

img_4270

Tags: , , , ,

Newer Entries →