The Weather Won

13 Aug

Hubby and I were partners for the Scramble tournament on Sunday, and our plans to play well never took off – it wasn’t the pace but the weather that derailed the situation.

We had to stop twice because Mother Nature decided to open up the skies. And after playing nine holes (eight for some), the tournament could not go on, and everyone had to abandon the game. Bummer!

Playing in the rain was not ideal. I had not fully recovered from the last game in the rain. And here I was, doing the same thing again on Sunday! Eeesh. Maybe it’s best to rest longer before playing in the next tournament. And let’s hope the weather won’t win again.

Wet, wet Sunday. Not ideal for golf, let alone a tournament.

Under the Weather

9 Aug

I have not recovered from last weekend’s event exhaustion and have been under the weather for the past few days. On Tuesday, when my golf group resumed our weekly game, the weather did not help as it drizzled, but the siren did not go off. So we played in the rain.

Bad idea. The wet and hot situation sealed my fate, and I’m sick now. Sigh.

Maybe I am playing too much golf? I think so.

I played yesterday because I volunteered to replace someone—before I fell sick—who withdrew several days prior. Oh well. I hope to recover on time before the next tournament on Sunday. Fingers crossed.

Winning Again, Part 2

6 Aug

I have never been playing better golf than ever. My distance has been far upon tee-off, second and third shots are good, and putting is accurate with the Scotty putter. When all departments are good, what more could I ask for? It feels very uplifting and wonderful. Everything seems to click because I have been winning when it matters.

I thought I had icing on the cake with the last game, returning as my club’s Best Pair with a friend, but it’s another cake with more icing on Saturday!

For months, together with my golf buddies, we planned the annual game for our Tuesday golf group. Being on the committee, we brainstormed, planned, argued, and discussed to ensure the tournament would be the best, being the third edition. There were a lot of logistics to consider when customizing items with the group logo for the goody bag, besides the running of the tournament itself.

Finally, the day arrived, and I’m pleased to say the tournament went smoothly without incident. We had 52 happy golfers, delighted with how things turned out. Although there were minor hiccups, I did not let this affect my focus on playing well, and I did! I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite no more beer available upon our cross-over. I thought my 35 Stableford points were commendable. Little did I realize it was enough for me to come out tops.

The fun and camaraderie continued during lunch. When the Prize Presentation came around, I was declared the Overall Champion! Woo hoo. How’s that for extra icing on the cake? I’m over the moon! Not only was I busy to the core, being on the organizing committee, but to come out tops in the tournament with better players amongst us was exhilarating.

Receiving the trophy from the person the tournament is named after. Taking the customary selfie!

I don’t know if this consistency can continue because I was exhausted mentally and physically by the time the weekend was over. I caught the sniffles soon after, so perhaps it is okay to take a break. I deserve one.

It’s August!

2 Aug

My goodness, it is August already! And it’s so freaking hot, my brain is so numb being in this scorching weather. Not only am I feeling the heat, but the ants as well.

🐜 🐜 🐜 and more 🐜

There has been an increase in ant count on the kitchen counter lately. We think they are taking refuge indoors, away from the heat outside. Poor critters. As much as I find them a nuisance, I don’t have the heart to eliminate them. Maybe my brain is too fried from the heat and humidity to reason.

Winning Again

30 Jul

It is nice when we play golf and win. It is nicer when this winning repeats itself. During my weekly Tuesday golf with my group, I returned as the champion for two weeks. What brought about this change in fortune after the disastrous Annual Club Championship outing not too long ago?

My glasses. My prescription glasses were giving me problems because the prescription was no longer correct for my vision. And I find it irritating when I play golf, especially when putting. The vision was blurred, and this affected my concentration. But all this discomfort is a thing of the past with a pair of new glasses.

The icing on the cake was the Interclub match over the weekend against the visiting club, Royal Perak Golf Club. It was a four-ball Best Ball format. My partner and I returned as the Best Pair from our club. We both played well, taking turns to score points on each hole. Both of us combined for a best-ball score of 47 Stableford points! Woo hoo.

A dozen new balls! Nice

I’m glad I discovered and rectified the problem affecting my golf performance over the past few months. The game is enjoyable again because I have a clear vision and better concentration to play well and win.

Stalled at Homescapes, Part 3

26 Jul

I was stalled at Homescapes again the past few days. It looks like the updates are for only 50 levels each time. I was at Level 15398, thinking I could go on, but I had to wait for Level 15401 to open when I completed the last two levels in no time.

Why is this game so addictive?

Well, it’s good that I had a packed golf schedule to occupy my time rather than being home to play Homescapes. I didn’t even sit at my workstation to look at my incomplete miniature, left unattended and collecting dust for the last six months.

Level 15401 opened this morning, and I’m just taking my time to play until I get stalled again. I’m too fast for the developer of the game!

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.

Stalled at Homescapes

19 Jul

My three-year-old iPad Mini5 has always been my go-to device at home instead of my iPhone for games, news, and movies. The game I have been playing a lot is Homescapes, having downloaded the game a year later after getting the iPad and playing daily.

But yesterday, I found I could not progress further! I have completed Level 15350, and Level 15351, in black and white, is not ready. Wow. Perhaps the timing is right with this pause because I find myself staring at my device too much if I am at home.

What do I do now that my favorite game has stalled? Hmm, I should revert to crafting my miniatures! That’s what I should do – something to consider and rethink my dependency on the iPad at home.

Waiting for Level 15351 to release!

The Wrath of Mother Nature

16 Jul

We have been having some inconsistent weather lately. Last week, when we returned from the East Coast, we came back to strong winds and pelting rain.

Luckily, we were home already when the weather changed for the worse. It was scary as the tall trees in the area were swaying spinelessly with noisy leaves rustling, and the rain was pounding the windows. Our garden bamboo blinds were flapping like crazy. It was alarming, but we could not do anything.

The next day, we discovered the wrath of Mother Nature when we surveyed the garden. Besides leaves and branches everywhere, creating a mess, our second papaya tree was uprooted. This unfortunate mishap happened despite the tree being protected by a wall and in a narrow garden space.

There goes our second papaya tree!
Salvaging the papayas from the tree

We had no choice but to cut down the tree. And there were so many young papayas on the tree. Oh well. It looks like I can make pickled papaya or give them away. As for the space, we will leave it empty for now, and it’s been hot like a furnace.

East Coast Escapade

12 Jul

Towards the end of last week, we drove to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia with the girls to escape the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. It was not a golfing trip but an escapade to catch the sea breeze and eat local fare and fresh seafood. The drive was pleasant, without much heavy traffic, and we arrived on time.

A colorful display of all things old and older

The resort we stayed at, Adena Beach Resort, was a pleasant discovery and was not too crowded because it was a Thursday. We thoroughly enjoyed the warm sea breeze and the beach with its soft sand. The weather was perfect to build a sandcastle, and we did. We found some left-behind tools, which made it easy, and we had so much fun building and seeing our sandcastle come to fruition.

Our sandcastle with a moat

Mealtimes, we ate a lot of spicy food, not our usual choices but very flavorful. In terms of activity, there wasn’t much to do besides chilling and eating. After all, this was a chill-and-do-nothing trip.

The busy tablecloth added more zing to our colorful and spicy meal!

But, the next day, we decided to visit the Kemaman Zoo. At the zoo, the thrill for me this time was seeing the pair of Malayan Tapir. The enclosure for the pair did not have high fencing, only a moat separating them from us. It was quite a sight to see. The biggest thrill was when both tapirs decided to walk into the moat and swim towards us! So cool.

Strange but interesting animal

This East Coast trip is not just about food and tapirs. We discovered several jellyfish washed up on the beach on the third day. These creatures look very alien, being out of their comfort zone. Thank goodness, we did not swim in the sea, as there were signages warning of the jellyfish danger.

Aliens?!

The short trip ended with a glorious grilled seafood dinner on the final night. Sumptuous and fresh, the delicious spread was a fitting cap to end the East Coast escapade. I look forward to our next escapade again!

The banana leaves added more oomph to the taste