I have completed most of the pieces of the DIY set. Now I have the most daunting task ahead, that is making the tiny sushi. And this has to be done before I can erect the upper floor of the restaurant.
The task looks daunting and feels daunting. I am approaching this with a sense of trepidation. What if I messed up? They are all so minuscule! Well, there’s no turning back if I want to complete my little Japanese DIY restaurant.
Project #6 started well two weeks ago but has slowed down because of circumstances. Number one being my golf schedule. Last week I played four times, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I would have played on Sunday too if it wasn’t for the rain and the course was closed. Then I also had to work.
I should be thankful that we are getting design work from our clients, and I have been going into the office daily with hubby. Even on golfing days, after lunch, I was in the office instead of staying at home. So in between the golfing days and the office, there was hardly time to focus on the DIY set.
And by the time we get home, prepare dinner, eat and clean up after that, there’s no more energy left. It is too tiring to sit at my station to concentrate on the set.
Well, the first floor of the main structure is up, and my little Japanese restaurant is starting to look good with what I have managed to complete so far. I’m just saving difficult tasks for later when I can sit down without interruption and focus.
Today the CMCO ends after two weeks. But guess what? It has been extended for another two weeks. Are we all surprised?
Hardly I’d say as Covid-positive cases are on the up and up. So routine remains the same until 9 November.
The giant staghorn fern at the front garden is back to its beautiful glory. This second fern is the one that the pesky woodpecker made a hole when it tried to make a second home. The fronds have grown well, and I managed to take a picture of the semi-covered damage before it was closed out.
Unfortunately, the first staghorn, a more precious species, could not be revived. Even after removing it from the tree to a better environment for intensive care, the fern did not make it. The hole made by the woodpecker was too deep, and the overall structure of the staghorn damaged beyond rescue.
We have not seen or heard the woodpecker for months now. I hope it stays away so that our revived staghorn can continue to thrive.
Last week, the CMCO phase was enforced, and there was confusion as far as activities are concerns. Initially, I thought it would be a blanket ruling, and no golf allowed because the situation now is very different from the first CMCO period. The sudden steep spike in Covid-19 positive cases in the country is worrying so much so, the authorities decided to reinstate the CMCO to curb the contagion.
Well, golf is allowed but back to the single-buggy single-player ruling. However, if hubby and I play at the same time, both of us can share a buggy because we are from one household.
Contrary to this option, we can choose to use the golf trolley or carry our bags if we play at the Hills course of our club. So far, I have had a mixture of the single buggy, shared buggy, and golf trolley games the past week. I anticipate the same again for this week’s games.
Hopefully, positive cases will decrease and the CMCO lifted by the end of the second week. We can only hope. Until then, golf rules for social distancing remains as is.
I have been working on DIY project number five for almost three weeks now. And boy, does it have its challenges, unlike the previous projects. One would think that with the instructions in English, it would be a breeze.
Contrary to feeling good, I’m stressed instead. There were signs of problems at the outset, but I chose to ignore them. However, as I progressed along, the issues became more glaring.
There were missing pieces and incorrect sizes of paper in ratio to the corresponding wood. Luckily, I managed to figure out the solutions to overcome them.
The most glaring problem was the lack of an inventory checklist. I had to rely on the pictorial guide in the manual, which wasn’t very clear to figure out things. Most of the packages are labeled ‘A’ – making it hard to find the pieces. When the instructions called for an item from package ‘A’ to paste to paper, I cannot find the said item. It was very exasperating.
The instruction manual is another issue. Printed in A4 and 14 points (sometimes 18 points) font-size does not necessarily mean they are clear! The instructions are vague, and I found myself at a loss sometimes.
Sigh. I come across as not enjoying working on this set. Well, I have to finish it regardless.
Just when we think the pandemic situation in the country is under control, things have taken a turn for the worse! Cases are on the rise, and the government has just announced that the CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) will take effect for three states by tomorrow until 27 October. Oh, dear.
Schools are closed, parks and places of worship will also be closed during this period. All sports activities, social, cultural, and wedding receptions are also not allowed. I guess this means no golf for the next two weeks!
Sigh. We were anticipating this measure to be taken when there was a sudden spike in Covid-19 positive cases recently. When will this ever end? We are back to square one on our fight with the virus.
Two weeks have gone by so fast, and M2 has completed her self-isolation. We are most pleased to say that she has a clean bill of health.
As such, she will leave the quarantine quarters and check into the dorms officially. And she has two days to organize herself before classes begin on Wednesday. Yay.
We ran out of bird seeds and haven’t had the opportunity to swing by the pet shop to replenish. So the birds are not happy.
In the last two days, our daily visitors had nothing to eat and were disappointed. And curious at the same time, because they can see us but not their food. So much so, they even daringly came into the house as if to inquire about the sudden drop in service!
I sat at my carving spot and managed to take a picture without alarming them. It would be utter chaos if they were spooked and attempted to fly off. Luckily the curtains were drawn, and two sauntered off soon after without any incident.
We have to buy the bird seeds soon.
At the beginning of this year, I purchased some mini drill bits from my favorite online shopping site, and they arrived several days later. The last bit to make the whale eyes had broken, and these were the replacement. And I used them a fair bit when I was carving my whales then.
But now that my drill has kaput, it will be some time before the bits see any more action. Sigh. The question to ask should I buy a replacement drill or not?
Seeing that lately, I am more into doing DIY miniature projects and not so much carving and woodworking, a new drill may not be necessary yet. We shall see.
So sadly, the mini bits are just sitting there with the rest of the bits, collecting dust.
Angieneering 
Remarks