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Milestone Achievement

1 Jul

Writing can be enjoyable, but maintaining a weekly blog can be a monumental challenge. Keeping the interest of an audience is not easy. I feel fortunate that I have been writing and improving my blog for many years now, and I still have an audience. It’s a very fulfilling feeling.

What started in an amateurish manner has blossomed over the years. Recently, I renewed my blog site and realized that it has been 12 years since I started it! Twelve years is a long time. Arriving at this milestone is an achievement, and I’m proud of myself.

A big shout-out to everyone who has been supporting my blog. Happy reading to all my, and happy anniversary milestone to me!

Happy Anniversary to me!

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A Lovely Gift

13 May

Mother’s Day is always a family affair, celebrating the three mothers in the family on Sunday – Mom, myself, and my sister-in-law. A sumptuous lunch and fun jabber to catch up with everyone.

This year, I received a lovely gift. It’s been almost two years since I last worked on building miniatures, and this gift is the perfect one to kickstart this activity again.

Project number 32 was the last miniature I worked on from October 2023, but sadly, I never completed it. I had golf, travel, and games on the iPad Mini, keeping me busy. At this point, I’m not sure if I can complete the set because it’s too tiny.

Anyway, maybe it’s long overdue to spend time building miniatures again. And of late, my golf sucks, and I find no joy in playing, so the timing is just nice to go back to doing things that gave me so much joy.

My Mother’s Day gift. Love it!

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Stalled at Homescapes, Part 2

23 Jul

Last week, I thought I had a break from Homescapes when I could not progress beyond Level 15350 – the game released the new levels the next day! Uh oh. So, building miniatures is a no-go again.

I try to limit my time on my iPad Mini, keeping the activity to just reading the news and watching videos on YouTube. But, as far as Homescapes is concerned, it’s hard not to play it.

I am now at Level 15398. Will I complete all the latest levels before I hit a snag again and stall? We will find out.

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Happy Anniversary

14 Jun

Yesterday, my blog site turned 11 years old. Wow.

I am most impressed with myself with the longevity of this. When I started this in 2013, I wanted to write better by keeping a journal, not just for me but also to share my adventures. Never had I envisioned that it would go on for so long.

I want to thank my readers who have joined me on my adventures and experiences. Without you and the support, it would never have gone on. Happy anniversary to me, happy reading, and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

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A Clever Hack?

29 Mar

Nowadays, we see people staying connected with their devices all the time, regardless of location. It’s so bad being so attached and dependent on our devices 24/7. If it wasn’t for staying updated with news or social media, it is for games, music, or movies. It is as if a minute of not being connected, one will be so out of touch. Isn’t this terrible?

I confess I am just as guilty, but only at home, with my attachment to my devices. The iPad Mini is mostly for games and movies, and the old iPhone 5S or iPhone XR is for my Spotify music on loop. I leave my iPhone 14Plus for communication and occasional news updates. Separately, I have a Kobo eReader for reading my novels, sparing my eyes from the glare of the iPad.

However, when I travel, I abide by the airline rules and don’t fuss with my devices, keeping them in the bag and turning on the flight mode. After all, the airline does offer some entertainment as an alternative, especially the long hauls. And anything less than a three-hour flight, I have learned and can live without my devices for that few hours being airborne.

On my recent return journey from Hanoi, the passenger in front did not put away his iPhone as he was deeply engrossed in watching the sitcom “Friends.” I couldn’t help but admire his clever hack of using the Air Sickness Bag to feed his sitcom fixation.

The tray table had to be closed, so he used the bag to hold his phone in place to watch hands-free! So clever. But clever as it seems, you won’t catch me doing this for my trips on a flight and leaving the bag intact for its actual usage.

Hand-free using the Air Sickness Bag

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Limping, Not Leaping into 2024, Part 2

5 Jan

This cough is taking its toll on me. I feel so sapped of energy despite resting at home. Could it be listening to music, reading, and being on my iPad for nine hours daily does not count as doing nothing and tiring me out?

I have not played golf for ten days now, and it’s a bit concerning because I have signed up for various golf games next week! I’m unsure if I have the energy to lift my clubs when walking up and down the stairs has been so tiring.

Sigh, a speedy recovery it has not been despite having seen the doctor and being on medication. Maybe I should stay away from the iPad and do nothing. Really. With the mind at rest instead of plotting the next game move or constantly on alert watching and reading, it may be the right thing to do. Hmm. Discipline is essential to less iPad interaction; otherwise, I will continue to limp weakly into the year.

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The Heat is On

6 Oct

The weather, of late, has been wonky again. It constantly flips between being hot, like a furnace, and cold, like being in the highlands when it rains. Unpredictable is what the weather is.

Playing golf in the afternoons is very taxing on the body when it’s hot. I find myself drinking more water than ever to stay hydrated. However, not all afternoons are hot, and there are days when afternoon golf can be a washout.

I’m glad I rested the last few days to allow my body to recover. Regardless of the conditions outside, I have been indoors chilling and doing nothing. It’s nice as I caught up with my reading.

Recently, there have been reports that the haze is back! The heat is on and gets to me. It becomes unbearable and uncomfortable. Sigh. I hope this won’t last; otherwise, we have no choice but to be indoors more than ever. We will have to monitor the situation.

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Crazy Weather

5 May

It has been unbearably hot lately. The heatwave is just too much to handle. But it rains also, and when it rains, it floods. We are going through a spell of crazy weather now.

I try to do less, play less golf, and move less. The thought of sitting down and starting the next miniature does not even appeal, likewise using my brain to think, read, or write. Ugh.

The heat does crazy things to the mind, and my sloth lifestyle is returning! I hope this will not last because it is not productive.

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A New Game

27 Feb

Lately, I find myself playing a lot more games again on my iPad Mini. It’s not good because it’s very unhealthy, especially for my eyes and time management. Being obsessed with my games, reading the news, and watching YouTube or Netflix derails me on more important matters, like house chores or crafting my miniatures.

So at times, I have to put the iPad aside to focus on those things because I tend to forget the time amid a game challenge. I am distracted by the latest game downloaded recently. These things happen when free ads promoting new games appear amidst my regular ones.

Piqued, I would check them out, and the next thing I know, the game is downloaded. And before I know it, I am playing a new game. Sometimes, the interest would wane, but the appeal is quite lasting for this latest download, Brick Out.

I find myself playing it until the wee hours of the night. Even Gudetama, the Netflix series I am watching now, cannot hold my interest as much! I should detach myself from my games and be more disciplined in putting down my iPad Mini when it’s time to sleep.

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2020 – The Year That Was

30 Dec

Well, another year has come and gone, almost. With another day left for 2022, it’s time to reflect on the year that was.

I have seen on the web that touted 2022 as ‘2020 Too’ and not 2022. Get it? A repeat of the year that upended everything. To a certain extent, it was true. But I think the good things that happened far outweighed the unpleasant, at least for me.

The highlight of the year for us was M2’s graduation, and we had the opportunity to travel to Dublin, Ireland, to attend the Commencement Ceremony. During that time, travelers no longer needed to be quarantined upon arrival, so that was good. It added extra days to our plans, and we added London to the itinerary to stretch the holiday.

The downside of such a long holiday was the weather! It was cold to the core, and at times, the numbness from being in the cold made the experience unpleasant. But we took it in stride, and it was indeed a wonderful time.

2022 was somewhat of a year of new beginnings for us. Regrettably, we gave up our office space and officially worked from home. However, it was a good decision and a blessing in disguise. We no longer have to stress over traveling to/from home/office and have more time and flexibility. And as far as work is concerned, well, there have been ups and downs, but we prevailed. Let’s hope the new year will be better.

2022 was also a year of medical concerns. With Covid cases on the uptrend, people I know were positive at an alarming rate. It was only a matter of time before I contracted it. True enough, I tested positive in June and had the most miserable week of my life battling it. I was in no mood to share my episode then and, as time passed, forgot about my ordeal. However, in the aftermath, I notice I frequently experience brain fog and memory loss! Yikes. And I lost distance when golfing. Double yikes!

Sometimes I say it was the booster jab that compromised my health. But then again, I should say the booster jab saved me from complications or worst. So I should be thankful in this sense. My golfing distance has since returned, but my brain fog is still there. Perhaps this is purely due to age instead? I have to monitor further on this.

The year also saw a decline in my miniature crafting. Weirdly, I have so much time, yet no time at all. We played golf often and ate out more, yet no progress for my miniatures. DIY project #25 has stopped for the longest time! Maybe 2023 will see a revival of my interest? We will find out.

So what do I envision for the new year? Well, nothing too extreme, better health would be good, after all, I am a year older. In short, let there be peace, harmony, and good health. Here’s wishing all my readers a very Happy New Year!

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