Archive | October, 2018

Is Golf Really Healthy? Part 2

30 Oct

My earlier assumption of burning 200-400 calories during a round of golf was off by a whole lot! I used to be able to hit such numbers but these days, it’s not even close.

Two weekends ago, during the Saturday morning golf game, I clocked 5.9km with 9,993 steps but burned only 127 calories. This was according to my Xiaomi MiBand2. Hmm… has my metabolism slowed down?

Anyway true to my earlier take on the after game plans, the four of us (plus a friend) had lunch but skipped the alcohol. The spread may not look or feel heavy but I believe the calories tipped over what I burned. Oh well…

I shouldn’t be too nit-picky with such things if I want to enjoy the company of friends during a round of golf. Do note these days, it’s more the company than the game for me because of the nagging pain on the left hand.

Speaking of left hand, I have decided to go get an x-ray done to assess the situation and see where do I go from here. I am so not looking forward to this I must say…

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Noodles, vege, fruit vege, more vege, anchovies & onions plus a fish porridge, nothing too heavy…

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Thriving Garden

29 Oct

Although I am not a garden person, I am happy to say that our garden and plants are thriving despite the wonky weather that we are experiencing. Wonky in the sense that it’s either super hot or super wet.

The frangipani tree is all good, so are hubby’s collection of air plants and bromeliads. Even the staghorn ferns that he acquired are healthy.

The smaller ones, remounted on wood planks, are doing really well and now hangs in one corner of the garden. They were purchased from our trip back to his hometown for Chinese New Year early this year.

As for the two big ones, they are mounted on the trees in front of the house and are also thriving beautifully despite their exposed fern leaves or fronds looking brown. These fronds are known as the shield frond because they protect the roots from damage and store water and nutrients. And the brown look is due to humidity issues and not because the fern is dying, so they should never be removed.

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The three amigos

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Giant staghorn #1

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Giant staghorn #2

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Is Golf Really Healthy?

26 Oct

Many will think that golf is a good and healthy activity as a form of exercise but I don’t think so. Think about it for a minute.

You may exert a lot of energy and probably burn 200-400 calories from the four and a half hours outing but along the way, old sports injury – if there are any, are subjected to more stress. Such is the situation with my left wrist and obviously, this is not healthy. Or you may unfortunately pick up new injuries.

And usually after the game, a hearty meal ensues whether it is a morning or afternoon game. On top of that, the alcohol intake, be it beer or whiskey… goodness! All that hard work gone in a jiffy.

A pint of beer is about 180-208 calories (depending on brew type and brand) while a shot of whiskey is about 64 calories and more, depending on proof percentage. No one stops at just a pint or a shot, let me tell you. I know I don’t. This probably explains why I have gained some weight recently despite the limited diet due to my Endometriosis – the meals and drinks that follow after each and every game.

You may feel good thinking you managed to burn 200-400 calories initially but six hours later, if not careful or disciplined, you end up putting back more calories than what was burnt in the first place!

Imagine week in, week out, the once a week or more games with this routine. One may argue that consumption of food and drinks was in moderation or very little but mind you, every little bit counts.

In conclusion, golf may be a good and healthy sports by itself, it is the after-game indiscipline that will just void all that form of exercise and render it ineffective.

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Our Frangipani Tree, Part 3

25 Oct

It is slightly more than a month since its pruning and our frangipani tree has stabilised. New leaves are growing and so far they look healthy. No rust fungus splotches in other words.

I hope the netting covering the top, which has been providing an excellent shade for all the plants hanging on the branches beneath, won’t hinder the sprouting leaves. Maybe in time, the netting has to be removed; we will monitor the situation.

Thank goodness we didn’t have the tree chopped down as it’s been given a new lease in life.

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Busted Nail, Part 2

23 Oct

These few days I am more aware of my busted nail now that the bruised part has almost reached the tip. It is interesting to note that the white and brown coloring of the injury has ‘evolved’. From the time I took the two pictures two weeks ago and comparing to the most recent shots, it’s looking very different.

And no, I did not scratch the underside of the nail. On closer inspection, the brown on the underside looked like dried blood, stuck there for three months. Ugh.

Maybe by the end of this week, the nail can be trimmed and gone is the reminder of my unfortunate bathroom incident.

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up close on the ever evolving bruised nail

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Not Getting Better, Part 2

22 Oct

Could it be that I have a small Avulsion Fracture on my left hand, just like the LPGA professional golf player, Michelle Wie? Hubby shared the news of her injury with me last Friday.

It sounds very similar because I do have a bone spur and the symptoms sound about the same. I am pretty sure her description of ‘nerve entrapment’ is akin to my ‘tiny bumps along the vein’.

But this is where the similarity ends as I did not do all those medical check ups and treatments like she did.

If a professional like her will not play the remainder of the season to get well, me being an amateur and without any treatment should rest until the end of the year too to fully recover. Something to really think about.

So how did I play on Saturday? Like a cow, like a chicken, like a novice… you get the idea? It was worse that those rock bottom days in the middle of this year. Sigh… and super sigh.

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Not Getting Better

19 Oct

I am afraid the left wrist is not getting any better. The last two golf games I played was most painful especially from impact. And I haven’t even been doing any serious carving, just them tiny Gnomes. I don’t think I will ever recover fully.

The vein is constantly swollen and every night I use the battery-operated Acupuncture Meridian Pen to administer relief which it does albeit temporary. But perhaps the usage is insufficient and I need to use it more than once a day.

I play another game this Saturday; let’s see how I fare…

 

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Tiny bumps along the vein

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We Have to Be Patient, Part 2

18 Oct

We are getting two chillies a week and not more. The habanero chillies are growing ever so slowly but thank goodness all those harvested can be refrigerated. There are several more green ones on the plant and one on the verge of turning red soon. We reckon another week or so before we can harvest all.

Do I plan to eat them all? Of course not! I’d share them with friends and let them have a fiery experience of tasting these hot babies.

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It’s Not a Box

16 Oct

Hubby has won the battle of the boxes this time around with his latest online purchase except that it didn’t come in a box. So what could it be that it did not come in a box? Obviously it’s not another plant but a rack for plants!

The package, if you can call it that, came just wrapped in newspaper and clear plastic wrap, and not even bubble wrap! At three feet tall and flattened, I guess it’s the sensible thing to do for transporting purposes; we have to assemble it when we bring it home.

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It’s Not a Gnome Home

15 Oct

The second Gnome home has hit a snag, in fact a big snag for it does not look like a Gnome home at all. Instead it’s looking like one big ciabatta with a stump. I’m not sure whether to cry or laugh…

I need to go back to the drawing board and salvage this to become a proper home for my Gnomes. With their population count now at 25, they need homes!

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From a two-piece block to a ciabatta!

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