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Candy Crush on Hold

5 Nov

Candy Crush finally updated its app for the iPad (last Friday) but see I told you, I passed the chapter and it’s no use for me, I still have to wait for the next update.

It is indeed one chapter at a time and I am way ahead at the next chapter at level 466. Sigh.

Well, I am going to put it on hold for the next few days as things need to be prioritize, I have some serious golf games and fun ahead to be enjoyed.

A Green Halloween!

1 Nov

Halloween came and went, and here we are in November already! My goodness, where did time go? Before you know it, the Christmas decors have to be out and up.

Halloween is a day old already but I’d like to write about it. I had posted several pictures (on Facebook) prior to it but never quite told the whole story, so here goes…

Two nights ago, I decided to indulge M1 and M2 with some Halloween fun. Now, in my country, pumpkins are very expensive because they are imported. Those huge ones specifically for the occasion are even more expensive. But a friend inspired me to use watermelons instead of pumpkins. At a fraction of a price from a pumpkin, why not? What a brilliant idea! Thanks B1, you’re a star too.

So, on our way home, I told hubby to go buy the two biggest watermelons that he can get his hands on. Thankfully, the sensibility in him landed us two decent sized ones, any bigger, we’d end up with watermelon overdose.

The girls were thrilled. We’ve never carved pumpkins nor watermelons before. But the occasion was met with zest. The fruit I must say was much easier to cut being all water inside, therefore easy for the knife the pierce through. The whole process took less than an hour. A quick research, an impromptu set up and not much of a mess was made.

They enjoyed themselves thoroughly and we ended up with 4 liters of fresh watermelon juice! Even Roo, official pet number one, enjoyed some juicy watermelon pieces. Subsequently, there were many suggestions given to maximize the watermelon juice, from making ice cubes to creating vodka cocktails, it sure was creative.

Let the pictures show you our carving efforts for Halloween this year. Given the final outcome, no one would have guessed our creations were made from watermelons and not pumpkins if it was not mentioned. Nonetheless, it’s the result that matters. Happy Halloween!

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The two unassuming eventual stars.

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M2 scrapping her melon.

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M1 outlining her melon.

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Off with the head for M1’s red melon!

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M2’s melon is complete!

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Work in progress for M1’s melon.

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Ready to be lighted.

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Tadaa… our creations!

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M2’s work of art.

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M1’s work of art.

Life is Candylicious

29 Oct

Coming home from work yesterday, the first thing I did when I walked into the house was to flip open the MacBook Air to get my dose of Candy Crush. I told hubby, “Let me have five rounds before we go out again, ok?” and quickly went on with my crushing business.

Two rounds into the game, hubby called me on the mobile! “Hurry up.” I could hear impatience in his tone. I guess he was too annoyed to come upstairs to hurry me. I was in the midst of some exciting moments, overcoming two levels to arrive at 455. What’s even more exciting was that right after I wrote about my predicament, waiting for the release of the update on the iPad, I was on the verge to complete the Butterscotch Boulders chapter.

But the imminent going out was more important. So I had to leave the game to join hubby at the driving range to hit some dimpled balls.

The next morning, routine kicks in first with the iPad to check email, a round of Zookeeper Battle and then on to the laptop for another round of crushing candies. I couldn’t believe my luck! Level 455 has been conquered!!! And with a trophy and title to my efforts! Life indeed is candylicious.

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Just call me Cherry Sheriff!

Life is Tough

28 Oct

Despite my candy crushing days now limited to just playing at home on the MacBook Air, I have made tremendous progress. JC, my closest rival, is still stuck at 445 whilst I have moved on to 453, two levels shy of completing this chapter. Two contenders from my list of friends have finally made their way to 442 and 441 respectively.

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Catch me if you can!

I now fret if I reach the end of this Butterscotch Boulders chapter (455 is the last level) and King.com decides to release the update for the iPad these few days, it is still no use for me as each time the updates are out, it is one chapter at a time. Either way, I face playing on the laptop to move forth or if I am still stuck and the release is not out before I reach 455.

Life is tough.

Decisions, Decisions, Part 2

25 Oct

I had a prompt on my iPhone4 yesterday afternoon for an OS update to 7.0.3, which I did. But I have yet to update my iPad Mini! Should I update it or not at this point? The OS has had two updates ever since the new OS7 release came out, if I am not mistaken.

I must say ever since my phone was updated, I have mixed feelings about it. The color of the text bubbles still irks me but I appreciate the shortcuts especially to music and the torchlight.

I don’t like the passcode part every time I have to use my phone. What secret can there be when there you are, sitting next to someone (friend, family or even stranger), and they can see clearly what you key in to access!

Imagine having to do that every time I want to battle some zoo animals or crush some candies at the old levels. Pretty annoying, isn’t it?

It’s pretty obvious I love my iPad Mini for its easy access and how I have it the way I like it. I fear with the overhaul to OS7, I have to relearn to appreciate it. Sigh.

Decisions, decisions…

I’m Good at This

21 Oct

Yes I must say I am getting better at Candy Crush than ever! The last two updates have been conquered before the new update is released. A few nights ago, I unexpectedly crossed Level 440 and tickets has also come forth from my fellow candy crushers to move on, on the laptop. Currently, I am at 445, playing it only at home after work but Zookeeper Battle is still on the iPad, at work, at home, in the car…

My fiercest competitor had surpassed me earlier, having captured the trophy at the last level and recaptured the trophy from me at the level prior. Should I take on the challenge to try to win it back? Nah.

After my holiday in Bali, I decided it’s not the trophy that matters after all, but just ploughing on. It’s good enough to be good at this, being way ahead, there’s no need to have that showcase trophy.

Ten White, Twenty Black

17 Oct

Whenever I look into the mirror and spot a white hair, horror would fill me and I’d get one of the girls to pull it out if I can’t reach it myself. Vain, silly or otherwise, one just cannot have a white strand sticking out, shouting to the world to be seen.

Just back from my recent holiday, I decided to do an overhaul — starting with the face with a facial, the body with a massage and the hair with an inventory check on black versus white. As it was a public holiday, it was perfect to get these done.

The going rate is ten cents per white hair but a penalty of twenty cents is incurred for them to pay back if a black hair was accidentally pulled out instead.

M1 is usually more obliging for this task and makes about two to three bucks from the hubby, and about one to two from me. However, whenever I am under duress from some super duper stressful project at the studio, three bucks is easily made. M2 would add salt to the wound by stating, “Mummy, you’re old.”

Coincidentally, I just concluded one half of a very stressful project prior to the trip to Bali.

And the evidence was evident.

“I found the loot!” M2, who was available and obliging, proclaimed. Ooh… That hurts. “How many?” I cringed.

“I’d say 30 but I’d just do 25 then I’m going to bed!” Well, I can’t argue with that.

M1 who just came out of the bathroom, giggled and rubbed it in, “Nah! I think there’s 40!” Hrmph.

“Argh! This one’s a scam! Half black, half white. Does it count?” The ever dramatic M2 asked then decided, “I think no. Okay, back to 23. Right, mummy… 23?”

Sigh, the perils of a stressful creative designer’s life.

Taking a Break

11 Oct

The last few days has been a madcap rush as hubby and I are wrapping up work so that we can go away for a much needed break.

Wait a minute! Didn’t we go for a break recently (to Paris)? Yes and no. I went for a break visiting museums, he went for work visiting the business partner. So this time we are both taking a break.

But we are not going alone; the creative team from the office are coming along. It’s our annual company trip and we all deserve it!

It’s timely to take a break from overload, from work, from stress, from life and all else will or may be put on hold. Yes, even taking a break from Candy Crush. And Zookeeper Battle. And minding the children, and….

Stay tuned.

Dethroned!

10 Oct

Feeling smug about dethroning my closest competitor in Candy Crush on my list two days ago, I thought I could take it easy for a bit. But no, the challenge was too much for him. That (Tuesday) night, JC toppled me and became the champion of Soda Swamp! Noooooo……

I have to work harder in this episode if I want to regain the honor. It is no longer about being the leader of the pack. And as if King.com knows what is at stake, they finally had the app update on the iPad! Yay.

So it looks like crushing candies in the office is resuming.

A Pleasant Surprise

8 Oct

Yesterday was a busy day in the office and I did not have time to sneak in a game of Zookeeper. But when there was a pause for a breather from creativity, I launched my game only to find that it did not launch but went straight to AppStore, prompting me to update to be in line with iOS7! Eeeesh. Do I have a choice? I guess not if I want to keep on battling the zoo animals.

So update I did. Any difference then? Nah. It was a case of fretting over nothing. So my iPad still remains.

Also, I have been playing the old level of Candy Crush since I am still visible there on the iPad despite having move forth on the laptop. Funny when it should all synch. But am I complaining? No considering it turned out to be a good thing for I was rewarded as the Champion of the Soda Swamp episode! Beat that!

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