It has been two weeks already since my mishap missing the last step on the flight of stairs. The donut on the left ankle subsided, but the bump on the right ankle is still evident, albeit smaller.
Bump has reduced on the right ugly foot
I have gone back to playing golf after resting for five days. And I played one of my best games ever, coming back with two under my handicap! I guess the break was not only good for the ankles but the body. However, to be safe, I wrapped my right ankle for protection. The weather was excellent, and the game was exceptional. And I didn’t let the ankle bother me.
Since then after that personal best, I have played three more games. And I’m pleased to say the ankle held up okay. I hope by the end of this week, the bump will subside and the ankle back to looking normal. The road to recovery can sometimes be an arduous track, but I’m hanging in there with exercise and positive thoughts.
The two-story bungalow is finally complete! Yay. Towards the end of the project, I was sidetracked with my busy golf schedule, cooking, and my unfortunate mishap. But all’s good now.
The set has been very challenging from the start. From wiring, wall alignments to dealing with fabrics, it was a test of patience and skills. But I suppose I can be forgiven if the set has not been perfect because after all, this was my first DIY project.
Gaps in the wall and windows but not obvious at a glanceMessy wiring & difficult sofas
The wiring was stressful compared to the cafe because firstly, it’s a much bigger set, and secondly, there are more light points. The biggest challenge, however, was dealing with fabrics. The pillows! Ugh. The last few pillows delayed the completion of the set. I sat myself down and got this over and done with when I couldn’t do other things much because of my recent fall.
Citizens of Gigglesville testing the sofas before the pillows were added
It was another proud and exciting moment when I switched on the lights. I could feel a sense of accomplishment. So now, this piece is being displayed on the dining table, together with the cafe.
Last week, I had an unfortunate mishap that resulted in unnecessary injuries. It wasn’t even clumsiness and totally my fault. I was looking at my iPad Mini and not the stairs when I was walking down, and I missed the last step. The iPad went flying, I took a tumble and both landed with a thud. Ouch!
Quickly, I hobbled to the sofa and iced the right ankle because it was throbbing the most. Icing was a good precaution to reduce the swelling. But somehow, a good bump still developed. Strangely, the left ankle had a donut effect which I’m sure was not there before. Hmm… Thankfully all other body parts were intact and no bruises. Phew.
A week ago: a lovely donut and a bump!
While I should rest, I played golf the next two days because firstly, I didn’t feel too uncomfortable after the mishap, and secondly, they were games that I couldn’t cancel.
The Tuesday game was out of sorts because I was very conscious not to put weight on the right leg even though I wrapped the ankle, and hobbled pretty much throughout the game. The next game on Wednesday was slightly better as I was more relaxed and didn’t focus too much on the ankle which was wrapped again. I hobbled less and played so much better.
To be safe though, I stopped playing golf for a week after that. The donut on the left leg is less pronounced now but the bump on the right leg is still there albeit smaller.
I find that at certain angles when I walk down the stairs too fast, I can feel a pinch in the nerves because the movement compresses the ankle area. So I have to remember to descend slowly or sometimes move like a crab, sideways.
Ankles aside, I discovered to my dismay two days later, some discomfort on my left wrist! Yikes… I just hope nothing too serious.
It’s been a week already since the mishap. I try to ice the right ankle whenever possible, massage the left ankle and left wrist daily, and hope for a speedy recovery. I play my regular game tomorrow and we shall see how I hold up.
The completed DIY cafe now sits at the dining table and I find myself switching on the lights now and then to admire the handiwork. There’s a sense of satisfaction and joy when I do this.
Until now, I still find myself in awe of the tiny pieces that I had managed to put together. I’m glad M2 helped wherever she could since I don’t think I could have handled gluing the teeny-weeny props deftly on my own.
Plants that were so hard to make and glue up
The decor and overall ambiance of the compact cafe are very busy and packed with so many things. There’s always something to discover or a new angle to admire. When I look at the unfinished bungalow to compare especially the first floor, it looks very empty because things are so spread out. Well, I shouldn’t compare because both sets are different altogether.
Once the swimming pool is up and the lights are functioning, I am sure my DIY bungalow will be equally impressive too.
It was a proud moment when the lights came on brightly. The DIY cafe project was finally completed over the weekend! Yay.
I must admit I procrastinated on the remaining three hanging plants, thus causing a delay to complete the cafe. I had to push myself. When I finally got going, things were moving.
After glueing the plants, I checked the circuit of the wiring again to ensure all lights were functioning. A quick tab to identify each wire and a proper grouping of all the wires, I beamed just as brightly as the lights the moment I switched on the battery pack.
The items in the cafe are so detailed. I could go on marveling and photographing them, and at the same moment, be totally impressed with my ability to complete this DIY project. All that patience and aggravation were worth it.
Top floorGround floor
So now that this set is done, I will attempt to complete the 3-story bungalow which has been unattended and collecting dust. It will be done, I can do it!
Last weekend when we were away, we had some pesky four-legged intruders. They were making themselves at home in the wet kitchen area. How did we know? Put it this way, they left evidence here and there: droppings or should I say, poop. Ugh.
So we had to trap them, otherwise, they’d get too daring and cause a lot of problems. On the first night, however, an unlikely intruder was nabbed! A squirrel. Eeesh… Not the culprit we were hoping for, and hubby lets it go.
Then for two nights in a row, the trap that was set up was successful in trapping a young rat each night. Let’s hope this puts an end to unwanted pesky intruders.
My iPad Mini has been acting up again. These days I use it mostly for the game Homescapes and it has not been stable. Sometimes when I try to play a level after launching the app, it’d just quit the game.
So much so, I have to resort to doing a hard reset, which is just about several times at each attempt to play. And every time after I do this, it does not help the situation.
The worse part of my Homescapes woes is that the game is not synced with the iPhone XR! The levels on the phone are not updated to the more advanced levels on the iPad Mini, I don’t know why… sigh.
The weekend’s post-MCO road trip was nice. The drive up North was pleasant and didn’t take too long. As always, going away is about food. Our first stop was in Ipoh for lunch; we had Chicken Rice and bean sprouts.
The must-eat choice when in Ipoh
After lunch, it was smooth sailing all the way and we arrived by mid-afternoon. The folks are fine and doing good. But weather-wise, it rained a lot so we couldn’t go out. Anyway, with social distancing still in practice, we didn’t want to and was contented just to laze at home.
Before we knew it, it was dinner time! We decided to have Thai food at the restaurant that we visited the last time and discovered the restaurant has changed its name! Despite the change, the food quality was still good.
Previously it was called Khun de Thai
Saturday was our customary golf day. We make it a point, every trip to play at Darulaman Golf Club, which is a short drive away. And I am pleased that this round, I played so much better than all previous games.
After the game, we got boba teas!
The weekend quickly passed with another sumptuous dinner on Saturday night with the parents and an Aunty before we left on Sunday morning. On the way home, we opted for noodles instead of the usual crab porridge at Nibong Tebal and I must say, they were good choices.
The dinner spread for sixLunch at Nibong Tebal
The journey home was peppered with rain now and then, but not too heavy until it made the drive tiring. It was a good weekend away.
We are going on a road trip! Yay. After staying put for four months during this pandemic, it is okay to travel across the state borders now. So hubby has decided it’s time to visit his parents. Moreover, M2 has been back for so long now, it will be good for her to see the grandparents.
We are taking the drive leisurely without any hurry. And no road trip is complete without a stop or two to savor delicious food along the way! We left home at 9.30 this morning and will most likely do lunch somewhere along the way. Hopefully, the traffic won’t be a crawl and we should arrive by mid-afternoon.
And as always, we will be playing a round of golf. Looking forward to the short break away.
The DIY cafe diversion has been very encouraging within a short time. Even the wiring for the lights is much easier. Learning from this experience, one should choose a DIY project with more paper than fabric if one does not wish to be aggravated and end up with more glue on the fingers than the parts.
The wiring cleverly taped to a crossbeam before painting
I have to say again the difference between the three DIY pieces is the choice of material. The two houses had more fabrics to deal with whereas the cafe had mostly paper. For me, the paper-based teeny weeny pieces are must easier to deal with over fabric. Then again, this is a matter of preference as some may think otherwise.
A few more potted plants and it’s complete
Nonetheless, I am now at the tail-end of finishing up the set. The structure and furnishings has been completed and what’s left are just several plants still to put together and it can be proudly displayed. I can’t wait.
Like the top floor, a few potted plants to decorate
Angieneering 
Remarks