The latest bag of free rice arrived earlier than expected. I was pleasantly surprised with the speed of the delivery this time. The last two times, it took a much longer time.
It is not so much of an addiction to playing the game on the online shopping site, yet I am up to bag 13 out of 15 for the game within a short time to get my next bag of free rice. Do you reckon I can complete the task before the end of the month? It’s possible with my dedication to it.
You know it is time to change the putter again when putts go left and right instead of into the cup. Yes, my Scotty Cameron has been very erratic of late. For the last few games, there were several three-putts. But I brushed the stats aside because they did not bother me so much.
However, when several missed putts resulted in seven three-putts for the most recent game, I was ready to switch the putter! On one of the Par 3 – my ball landed and rolled to stop at two feet from the cup. A chance for another birdie! Alas, the putting was a letdown again! The ball rolled past the hole to the right, then left, and before finally third time lucky for a bogey.
This frustrating scenario repeated itself seven times throughout the game. Seven times, unbelievable! I scored a ‘hat-trick’ three-putt on three Par 5s, being on the green on four but three-putted to hole out. Grrr!
Why is putting so hard? Is it me or the putter? Perhaps it is the green speed or the terrain? Well, I have decided to switch my putter to recalibrate myself again.
So, out with the Scotty, and in its place will be the TaylorMade Spider Mini for my next game. Sometimes, a change and a refresh in equipment can build back the mental prowess to confident putting.
On a brighter note, my tee-offs were good, the woods and irons were also commendable, and the short game was sharp: a small consolation for myself here. It is the putting that needs to be better. So, I hope the Spider Mini will fare better from here on.
We will find out, as I have a game later today.
This morning, the first thing I did when I woke up was to water the rice field to ensure the last stalk bloomed. I knew I was getting my third bag of free rice today from the Free Rice game. Sure enough, my one kilo of rice was on the way the minute the 15th stalk was harvested! Whee.
I am now going for my fourth bag of free rice. Within a short period, I have harvested eight bags out of 15 already! With seven more to go, it is towards the end that needs more patience than ever. I can do it.
I am almost at the end of the Free Rice challenge! My third attempt after playing the game for some time now. Initially, after completing the second challenge, I wanted to stop. But at the start of the game, it lures you in and goes by very fast.
Before I knew it, I was raking up bags of rice quickly and halfway into the challenge. It is only towards the end, getting the 15th bag, that takes forever to complete. I should be able to complete the task by tomorrow.
Will I continue after this? It may look mundane and feel mindless, but when a kilo of free rice is sent to you, why not?
I find myself constantly second-guessing Mother Nature on her mood as far as the weather is concerned. It is a silly battle. The rain and sun are always giving me grief in planning my day. I’m talking about laundry days and not my golf games.
When the sun is out, it’s a good laundry day. But sometimes rain clouds would unexpectedly creep in. This situation then spoils the after-wash drying conditions. I love sun-dried clothes because they feel fresh and have a lovely sun-baked scent. Non-sun-dried clothes pale in satisfaction.
So, over the years, I have learned to look at the sky and gauge the cloud formations before I do laundry, although I could rely on the Weather app on my iPhone XR for better planning.
Yet, despite my efforts, Mother Nature still wins. Yesterday’s laundry load did not have enough sunshine to smell good. They will be out again today to catch some rays. Hopefully, it will stay sunny.
It looks like a silly battle, but instinct and technology cannot compare with Mother Nature.
DIY project number 31 is coming along slowly. Besides building, there are pieces of furniture and accessories that require painting to complete the composition. Otherwise, the set will look different from the picture on the box unless I want a total change. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoy building my miniatures, I find customizing tedious.
Whenever a set requires a paint job for the loose items, I use my acrylic colors. Sometimes, the DIY sets do provide little pods of colors to use. So, I use those because they are of the right colors instead of having to mix the shades myself.
Recently, I discovered a new trick to shortcut this step. Instead of painting, which requires several layers, I use a color marker! And since I have two brown shades, typical for pieces of furniture, it has been okay. The pieces look just as natural. However, I need to replenish my markers soon because they are drying up fast!
The weather of late has been wonky, going from dry and hot, suitable for outdoor activities like golf, to wet and cold. It creates a sense of melancholy, yet to be home and be a couch potato seems okay to enjoy the wet and cool conditions.
After that eagle achievement, I am not aiming to be a couch potato but raring to play some good golf, only to have the weather derail my plans. We abandoned our game yesterday afternoon after the rain came rather quickly. Sigh.
Recently, I went for several therapy sessions to address my plantar fasciitis problem. It turned out to be a pinched nerve on my spine, causing pain in my right heel. My spine? I never suspected this at all!
Initially, I thought it was plantar fasciitis because the pain occurred almost daily – in the mornings, throughout the day, and especially after playing golf. I even thought my golf shoes were not right for me. Well, this is a thing of the past now.
Immediately after the treatment, my recovery was spectacular, with an eagle shot on a Par 4 the next day! If I had understood my pain better to address it correctly, I could have avoided my recent golf downward trend. Oh well, better late than never, and the Eagle achievement has made up for all the past performances.
The lesson learned: always be aware of your body if something is wrong. Being a dinosaur, we cannot take things for granted. If there is any physical pain, take the proper measures to address the issue immediately to avoid months of suffering. I’m glad I am now cured and happy.
The golf game on Saturday, 19 August 2023, will forever be etched in my mind, for it was during this game that I holed out from the fairway for an eagle! A two on a Par 4.
Saturday’s game was the Carlsberg Classic tournament held at my club. I played well despite performing poorly on all the Par 5s again. This phobia is hard to get rid of. Slowly, perhaps to change the mindset.
Thankfully, I fixed some issues I had earlier, and it helped. I was sharp on the short game, and my Scotty putter was good. I also had good company on my flight, and the camaraderie eased our waiting for each shot.
I told my buggy mate we should all aim to finish with a par on Hole 1 because we started with three pars and a birdie on Hole 2 during the shotgun start. With that in mind, I teed up and launched my ball.
Typically, my ball would fly to the left, but that morning, it went right. And actually, it was a much better position to approach the green. I brought two clubs with me when I walked to my ball on the fairway. The distance on the Hole 19 app on my AppleWatch showed 119m. The hybrid choice came to mind since it was a white flag, so it is better to land the ball short for a one-chip, one-putt strategy.
But when I stood still at the ball again, the reading changed! Aiks. It became 125m. Maybe I better use my wood instead. One last effortless hit and a par is still within range.
I lined up my shot, took a test swing with my 5-wood, and struck the ball. It flew beautifully, landed on the green, and rolled a bit before disappearing into the hole! I saw the whole scene unfolding in slow motion. Holy moly, what just happened?
OH WOW! I could not believe my eyes! I just holed out for an eagle. Everyone on my flight whooped and shouted, and I was ecstatic! After twenty years of playing this game, this eagle achievement is my first.
After the game, the club presented a dozen golf balls to me, and I will get an Eagle Achievement certificate too. Nice! Sometimes when the going is so bad, a little surprise pops up, like this one, and you love the game all over again. I am officially an eagle achiever, be still my beating heart!
After a lengthy pause from crafting, I have decided to start on DIY project number 31. Number 31, wow! It’s been three years now that I have been building miniatures, and I find this activity very therapeutic. It’s nice to be immersed in my little miniature world, away from all the noise and disruption of reality!
However, sometimes it can be very aggravating because things are all so tiny, but I take the challenge head-on. Deft fingers and patience are a must. My biggest bane now is storage. Where do I keep the completed sets? I should consider acquiring a second Ikea display cabinet to house all my completed miniatures.
So project number 31, a kitchen, is a small set like projects number 25 and 26. They are from the same series. Three weeks tops to complete this, barring disruptions or travel? We shall see.
Angieneering 
Remarks