Archive | Activity RSS feed for this section

Rainy Season

28 Oct

The weather has changed. I would say it’s the beginning of the rainy season. And when it rains in the evening, official pet number one does not get to come out to play in the garden, like last night. Poor fella. 

If it rains during the day, neither does the tortoises. The birds would also not get their food. Sad. Golfers too, do not appreciate this kind of weather. Hubby has had a couple of morning games delayed due to rain. I would be agitated too if caught in this situation.

But it sure is nice for me to be horizontal on the sofa in the living room. With a nice read in hand and my hot tea within reach, I actually enjoy such days because the temperature is just so comfortable to relax and not move. Most of the time, I would fall into a slumber.

Brand Loyalist

25 Oct

I am a brand loyalist I must say. If I buy a product of a particular brand and like it, I will continue to buy it as long as I have a need and use for it. Like my handbags for example. It has to be Salvatore Ferragamo. Different sizes and shapes for different occasions, all my handbags–save for one Furla–and two pairs of shoes are Ferragamo. Brand loyalist. Let’s not even go into the other stuff… 

Recently the loyalty in me acquired yet another Thermos to my collection! There’s already five flasks (six if M1’s unit is also counted) of different sizes and there I was purchasing another. 

It could have been a simple thing but I suddenly needed my coffee to be always hot. So a sipper lid was required. But I didn’t fancy having to use my flask every morning for my coffee because the flip-top is too tedious to flip plus the flask does not have a handle like a mug. And frankly with this criteria, there are not many choices out there, that’s why I ended up with yet another Thermos product.

The purchase was a mug, the ThermoCafe serving this different need. And I love it.

  

Feeling Detached 

21 Oct

My iPad Mini is failing me and I am feeling very detached from it. I simply cannot play my Candy Crush Soda on it for weeks and this frustrates me! Ugh. But the funny thing is, I can launch and play the game whenever I am in the car, on the way home, without any connection.

In fact, on Monday evening I did just that and managed to pass two levels during the journey home! So I concluded if I want to feel attached to my device again, I should just disconnect when I am at home or in the office, do the five lives and then reconnect again. Easy peasy and I don’t have to feel any frustration.

Full Steam Ahead

18 Oct

Today will be the first day that I will play a full 18-holes of golf. After a 57-day lay off, I think I am ready now. I started out with the driving range, working on my swing again, then a nine- and seven- holes outing. The 7-holes was due to darkness, hence we could not complete the remaining holes.

The wonder gel has worked wonders for the knee so that’s one less problem to worry. The wrist? It’s good too but the thumb, I still have to be careful because the pain does not seem to go away. But then again, at the gym last night, I did 500 reps of everything. Everything that involves the hands, core and legs, and I held up. Thank goodness. Just a little sore here and there but generally okay.

So let’s see how I fare with this full steam ahead step.

Feeling Restless

17 Oct

For several weekends I have been feeling very restless. It became more pronounced when I had to sit out from golf. And days that we don’t go out and do something, I become an unhealthy couch potato.

There were times I channeled my energy to art. So I painted and carved. But I don’t enjoy it when I am interrupted (mostly by official pet number one’s insistent barking for attention) or be at it for long periods of time. It’s very hard to find a balance. 

The stain glass activity on the whiskey bottles have stopped because I find it very time consuming and tedious. And it hurts my back if I bend over too long. As for the balsa wood carving, it’s very messy because with the ceiling fan on, the light wood chips fly everywhere!

I am torn on what to do next. Should I carve the remaining balsa wood, paint on canvas instead of whiskey bottles or try my hands at something new?

So much creative energy, so little activities…

I Am Pleased

7 Oct

I went to the driving range last night. After close to a seven-week lay off (45 days to be exact) from swinging a golf club proper, I am back at it. Chipping in the garden does not count because it is not a full swing like being at the range. 

My wrist injury has recovered well with therapy and rest during this time. At the last visit for the weekly therapy, my doctor had finally approved for me to take this next step.

It was good but I had trouble with my five iron. And I seemed to have lost some distance. But I think a couple more visits to the range should get these issues fixed so I am not worried. The woods and driver impacted decent and the short irons well. It was encouraging. 

I felt it was unnecessary to push myself to do 100 balls, so I hit only 50 balls. After the session, there was some slight pain but not excruciating which my doctor highlighted to me was to be expected. Once I got home and iced the hand, it was okay.

Looks like the road to recovery is looking good! I am pleased.

  

Blessing in Disguise

4 Oct

I thought Monday being a replacement holiday was a blessing in disguise because I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning on Sunday to watch the Ryder Cup until almost the end. The singles battles were thrilling and was of epic proportions especially certain match ups. Sleep and the comfort of my bed could not match them!

And when one stays up until 5.30am, it sure would be tough to wake up three hours later to get ready to go to the office. Thankfully it didn’t have to be like that. Never have I been so caught up with live showing of any sports and following it so closely, not even the recent Olympics because of the time difference; sometimes it’s a putt off. But not so with this year’s Ryder Cup and the 13-hours time difference.

It was worth it! Well done Team USA.

It’s Not Right

3 Oct

Ever since my iPad Mini updated to iOS9.3.5, everything has not been right. It has gotten so slow and unstable. And when apps get updated, it’s worse. I am having problems with my two virtual candy games – unstable upon launching and quits instantly, so can’t play. Hrmph. Strangely, the apps only work if I don’t connect to the wifi but this is such a hassle especially when I am home.

So over the weekend, I was down to only two devices to crush some candies – the MacBook Air and my iOS7.1.2 iPhone5S. Sigh…

Much Improvement

23 Sep

It has been past a month since I last held a golf club, 21st August being my last game played at Raffles Golf Club in Singapore. Amazingly, despite such a lengthy break I don’t have any withdrawal symptoms for the game. Have I lost my passion? Save for a couple of bouts chipping in the garden at home, I don’t have the urge to quickly head back onto the golf course. Maybe my virtual games and work at the office kept my mind busy to quell any thoughts.

The treatment for my left hand has progressed well. I have done 12 sessions already! It was after the tenth session that I could feel a big difference in the overall mobility of the hand. I am pleased, very pleased. One of the main factor to this progress is the discipline to do the home exercises, ice the hand and of course, going for treatment three times a week. As there has been improvements, treatment is now down to twice a week.

When I first started, the pain level was 6/7 out of 10, 10 being very painful. As of yesterday before my twelfth session, it’s down to two. I foresee by next week, this will improve further. Although my doctor has approved for me to continue the garden chipping activity, going to the driving range is still off limits. I am also encouraged to hold 1kg dumb bells to increase the muscle strength and this I will do during my once-a-week gym sessions.

Recovery from an injury sometimes can be long and arduous. A simple injury like mine has taken this somewhat long journey, what more an injury of a more complicated nature? But with discipline and patience, I feel my journey has not been that difficult or taxing. I am not counting the days yet to when I can play my first pain-free game, I just want to be totally healed. No rush after such improvements.

So So Annoying

22 Sep

Two nights ago the annoying iOS9.3.5 struck again on the iPad Mini! I was in the thick of things crushing candies when suddenly, the device just blacked out. Quit the app and blacked out, not once or twice but three times! Man, I was annoyed.

And yesterday morning, again! I just made it pass the challenge of Level 1941 in Candy Crush with four lives to spare when it blacked out, thus the victory was not captured! Aarghh.

It is unfortunate that my iPad Mini, being the first generation model, is too old to update to the new and improved iOS10. So I am stuck with the annoying iOS9.3.5 that is so unstable. It’s almost as if the OS is conspiring with the iPad to stop me from crushing any candies. Hrmph…

This has again reaffirmed my stance for my iPhone5S – maintain the stable iOS7.1.2. I must say I am perfectly happy with it because I don’t face the issues like the iPad is giving me. Furthermore I don’t see why I need all the new stuff that comes with the new OS. What you don’t have, you won’t miss, that’s how I look at it.

So with one device ‘down’, I will be maintaining status quo for my phone. My poor iPad.