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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.

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.

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

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!

Pretty Colors

11 Oct

Hubby’s air plants have bloomed and the colors are so so pretty. I guess staying under the shaded Frangipani tree has really done wonders for them, protected from the onslaught of direct sunlight and rain.

I should go out to the garden more often to admire and appreciate all the greens and colors, weather permitting of course as rainy season has started.

 

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My Nike Just Can’t Do It

8 Oct

The phrase “Golf is one painful and mental game” that I have been repeatedly saying has now become my favorite phrase when writing about golf. There’s always a story to it.

My game over the weekend was so contrasting in the results from the previous weekend – disastrous in other words, is the latest incident linking to the phrase. It was just pain this time and was literal with the Nike FitSole shoes that I wore.

I had a huge painful blister on my left pinky toe and almost developed another on the right pinky toe!

For the record, the waterproof shoes are actually quite comfortable being very padded, cushy and wide. So I cannot comprehend why there was friction at the edges inside to cause both feet to hurt and I ended up like that after 18 holes. And this is the first time this happened, the blister that is.

I conclude there’s always, always something that will go wrong despite the perfect weather, the good company, my good iron shots and pain-free right tennis elbow. The left wrist hurt initially but the painkiller took care of it. Little did I know the shoes were the culprit this time.

There shouldn’t be any excuses but…. Maybe my thin socks were too thin? Or maybe I cannot play golf on a weekly basis yet? Or maybe I am kidding myself thinking the shoes suit me. Sigh… Whatever it was, my Nike just couldn’t do it for me that Saturday morning.

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Don’t mind the wrinkled toe but see the beautiful full blown blister?

Addictive Online Shopping, Part 2

5 Oct

There is a reason for doing online shopping on Fridays. It’s so that the parcel arrives the following week before the weekend. Yes, my latest purchase has arrived! You do realise my purchases are always small parcels unlike hubby’s that come in boxes…

It’s a mini drill set that comes with 60 pieces of mini drill bits. With the weekend coming up, I am super excited with this addition to my ever growing carving setup. Let’s see what I can do with it especially on detailing work.

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Addictive Online Shopping

4 Oct

Fridays are fun day days for various reasons. One, it’s the end of the work week and two, it’s the start to the weekend for most. For me, I find Fridays the perfect day to do online shopping and it’s fast becoming an addictive thing to do.

Every other Friday, I find myself ordering something online! So what did I just ordered this time? Another tool for carving of course! Can’t wait for the package to arrive.

A Sudden Spurt

2 Oct

Within a few days, I carved up several Gnomes at the pace of one a day. It’s a pleasant change from doing the easy peasy Citizens on balsa wood. The best part is the supply of the Meranti blocks are all about the same height, so these newbies are consistent in height.

Also I have gotten the process down to a routine and this helps in getting the carving done up fast. I just hope I can keep the momentum going. With Gigglesville’s population at 180, it’s Gnomie-wood turn to have a growth in its population. However, it’s a long long way to go as the Gnome count is a mere 21 only as of today.

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Painted but not varnished, gessoed and, carved & patched with wood putty