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Another Towering Giant

5 Mar

It took me awhile to figure out what should I carve out of the four inch basswood block and finally I decided it should be a Gnome, a Giant Gnome. I felt that to do a Citizen, on this big scale, it would be a ‘waste’ as most of the wood would be shaved off to shape a Citizen.

Citizens generally are shorter, averaging about 26mm, compared to a Gnome that is about 50mm except for Gnome 2 who is 43mm. The Gnome’s height especially the cap is determined by how much balsa wood is left without wasting any of the wood upon carving.

If I had a 50mm piece left, it is better to carve a Gnome than to carve two 25mm Citizens because it’s just too short and hard to hold. So in essence, Gnomes came about because I did not want to waste my precious balsa wood.

This chunky short adorable fella definitely stands out from the other three Gnomes.

And Gnomes will also grow in numbers like the Citizens of Gigglesville. Maybe they should have their own hamlet. Gnomesville? Hmm…

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Box of Happiness, Part 2

2 Mar

I didn’t expect my workbench to arrive so soon! It was ordered only on Sunday and arrived two days later. The other two items (for Rooney and M2) which were ordered earlier are still being processed. Nonetheless, this is another box of happiness. Work space has shifted from the living room to the terrace that Tuesday night itself. So exciting!

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Box of Happiness

27 Feb

It is awesome when my Aunty gave me a box full of Meranti (Shorea, Parashorea) wood pieces, excess or rather off-cut pieces from her factory. It’s more like a box of happiness. Imagine the carvings that I can do with all of them!

All the more reason to get that workbench. I went to the store, Ace Hardware to check out the Black & Decker WM225 model that I have identified but decided to order it online instead because the online price is a better deal. So over the weekend, the order was made. Yay.

My box of happiness awaits the new workbench. This is the beginning of something new. The Citizens of Gigglesville are now seeing a new growth, in size besides the numbers.

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Online Shopping, Part 3

26 Feb

I have said several times in the past that online shopping is fun. I recently ordered a toy for official pet number one, Rooney, and ear sticks accessory for M2. While browsing, I stumbled upon something which I don’t really need but would want to have nevertheless.

It’s a workbench.

Why?

Well, my carving has taken up a lot of space in the living room. And at the same time, it’s leaving a lot of fine dust especially when I file down the carvings. I know I shouldn’t do this indoors but sometimes when one is in the thick of things, it’s hard to move.

And each time after I am done, I have to put things away so the living room don’t look so messy. Now if I had my little workspace at a proper location, the living room would look much neater and I don’t have to go through the tedious tidying up. Hubby argued that the round table at the garden terrace is good enough but I don’t think it’s sufficient.

His tools and plants are hogging that space and I wouldn’t want to make it any more crowded. So I need my own table or work station, hence this urge to get a workbench which I think is practical and not crazy.

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A New Interest

22 Feb

Of late my iPad Mini has been lagging and not compatible with my usual games – Candy Crush Soda and both the Monster Busters. I can launch the apps, collect the daily rewards and that’s it. Just can’t play and it’s exasperating.

So prior to Chinese New Year, I diverted my attention to a new interest, jigsaw puzzles. A mundane game, if you can even call it a game but at least there’s more interaction with it than the others. I’ve completed five puzzles already, and started on a 560-piece puzzle this morning.

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Kong Hei Fatt Choy!

16 Feb

Happy New Year! May the Year of the Dog bring happiness, prosperity, peace and a healthy year ahead.

The Reunion Dinner last night was a gastronomic affair because Mom overdid herself. There was an overwhelming spread with 12 choices and a soup! While some food were purchased (like the pork chop, roast duck and two chicken choices), she still managed to cook two types of fishes, two types of vegetables, a soup and seriously, I lost count. I contributed a homemade colorful Yee Sang. Everyone was stuffed to the brim. As for me, I managed with little morsels and avoided the wine.

Today we hit the road to make our journey up North. Let’s hope the highway will be clear of heavy traffic and a pleasant drive ahead.

Finally It’s Done

12 Feb

Over the weekend, we finally pushed ourselves to get ready for Chinese New Year. And when I say get ready, it means putting up the customary red cloth at the entrance of the house. Finally it’s done. Yay. But am I ready for the upcoming festivity?

I think I am looking forward more to the break to relax and do nothing because lately, work has been overwhelming and a break is much needed. As for the festivities, merry-making and food, it will be a challenge to manage because my intestines are still a bit sensitive.

I have gone a week without coffee and somehow doing well. And watching what I eat, I have lost 1.5kgs already as a result of all this extra precaution. Who knows in three months’ time, I would lose a few more kilos! Let’s see how I hold up with during Chinese New Year.

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Where Did Time Go?

2 Feb

We had two public holidays in a row in the middle of the week, Wednesday and Thursday. And suddenly, it’s February already! My… my… where did time go? While it was nice to have a two-day break, honestly, it’s wasting precious time when another long holiday is coming up soon.

This year, the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year falls on 16th February and as usual, I am unprepared. With work catching up and the urgency to finish up as much as possible before we break for the holiday, I find myself hardly having any time to prepare for the festivities. Throw in my carving and wanting to play golf, 24 hours in a day is simply insufficient to prepare. Sigh…

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The Shoe Queen, Part 4

1 Feb

The Shoe Queen in me struck over the weekend! Not another pair of work shoes or sandals but golf shoes…

My current Adidas spiked pair does not seem to be holding up good. Although it has been under utilized (I haven’t played for nine and a half weeks), the leather on the surface has cracked and water does seep in occasionally if the fairways are soggy. And there’s mold and discoloration under the brand’s stripes on both shoes. Eeeeks.

During last Saturday’s game, my first game of the year, somehow the shoes held up but only because the fairways wasn’t soggy despite all that rain.

Now the new shoes was a good buy as it was on sale and I couldn’t resist, being the undisputed Shoe Queen. A Footjoy again, this brand’s a better golf shoes than Adidas.

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The Versatile Chopsticks

30 Jan

Chopsticks are the best. Most Asians use it to eat meals, be it noodles or rice. I use it too especially when it comes to noodles but I find myself doing more with it.

I eat my salads with chopsticks in the office instead of the fork, I take my toasts from the toaster with chopsticks, and I even cook using a pair of chopsticks.

From an omelette, testing the boiling spaghetti strands in the pot to stir frying a dish, I find the versatile chopsticks can do just about anything. Maybe I should pack a set with me whenever I travel. Hmm…

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