Road Trip Again

14 Nov

We enjoy road trips every now and then. Four years ago, we went on our most epic road trip and what I called ‘The Great Adventure Road Trip‘. It was a 21-day trip that covered three states and a driving distance of 2,285 miles of the West Coast of the USA, flying distance not inclusive.

We started off from Phoenix getting in from LAX with Southwest Airlines. From Phoenix, we picked up the keys to our rented MPV and headed off to Chandler, Flagstaff (to visit my college), the Grand Canyon, Henderson, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Long Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

It wasn’t so much to eat but rather to see old friends, places and do things; to share with my family places that I’ve experienced and to enjoy new sights together. Aahh… What an adventure we had and I would do it again if the opportunity came around.

It sure is nice to reminisce and while we don’t do such lengthy road trips anymore, it is equally nice to go on one, albeit shorter. And of late, the short local trips taken focuses more on food. 

Over the weekend, we took a 3D/2N trip to Penang to attend a cousin’s wedding, skipping work and school on Friday. And while we were there, the local Penang food was top most on our mind. This gave us an opportunity to compare the flavors of Penang with Ipoh, which we visited two weeks ago.

I must say there is a difference and conclude that the Char Kueh Teow, Lobak and Assam Laksa in Penang are simple mouth watering while the Loh Shi Fun and Chicken Rice with Beansprouts in Ipoh are tops. So be sure to have these items at the top of your checklist of must-eat before you try anything else.

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Happy Birthday My Senior Citizen Pet!

11 Nov

Today our Rooney turns nine. That’s 63 years old in dog years! Dang, he’s old. No wonder of late he has been behaving like a senior citizen.

He may be grumpy, annoying and demanding all the time but he is also silly, goofy and lovable. He breathes heavily, slobbers, snores and farts unabashedly, loves the color orange (any toy of this color will do for him) and enjoys fish-based treats, apples, peanut shells (yes, the shells) and even bird seeds. Quite the clown our official pet number one. Fish-based treats? Wait, is he a cat or a dog? Hahaha…

Nobody said having an English bulldog as a pet was easy for we have had our shares of difficulty with his skin problems, stubbornness and laziness. He doesn’t believe in exercise although he enjoys jumping at soap bubbles occasionally. On top of all these, he is also very OCD for a dog! We still have not resolved the washing machine drainage pipe issue.

But we love him regardless. Happy birthday Roo!

   
 

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Daily Visits

10 Nov

The birds have been coming daily and it sure is nice to have my coffee with chirping in the background. Sometimes it is not just the birds that visit.

Yesterday somebody’s cat was lurking ready to pounce on the feathered ones. And the squirrel, I suspect it’s Sammy, the one who eats Rooney’s leftover senior citizen food, was present too, stealing in some bites! Why? Did Rooney not leave any crumbs behind?

Maybe it’s the taste of the birdseeds for it certainly can’t be the birdhouse because I don’t see any of these critters chilling in front of it. Whatever it is, I am just simply glad they are visiting on a daily basis and thoroughly enjoy them.

   
 

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Ready for Action Again

8 Nov

I have decided to use my BMW Golfsport cart bag to officially mark my return to active golf, weather and office work-load permitting. After all, during the rain-drenched Ipoh outing, there was no major setback. A much improved outing compared to the couple of earlier games. And even after a trip to therapy, all was good. I think I am ready although I still have to take precautions to prevent any recurrence.

I must say the past three months of non-action made me ponder about the many factors of the game of golf. Analyzing how to approach the game better so that injuries do not recur or occur was on my mind a lot. But I also had doubts, that’s why I was not in a hurry to get back and seem to have lost my passion for the game. Thinking too much?

On top of all these thoughts, it made me realized something I often overlooked. I have one beautiful looking golf bag that I won two years ago at the Qualifying Leg to enter the finals of the BMW Golf Cup International. And it’s just sitting there collecting dust. Why? I should use it! Make myself feel good about the game and be passionate about it again. 

So on Sunday, all the clubs and knick-knacks were transferred over to the spanking new bag, ready for action, and the existing Taylormade stand bag will be retired.

  

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A New Family Member

7 Nov

After the demise of the Snickerdoodles, keeping pet water or pet rocks are no fun. It’s just so boring. Over the weekend, we had an impulse to buy a new pet for the little aquarium but we didn’t want another school of fishes. We were at the mall and debated what we should acquire.

And… we bought ourselves a red crayfish! The purchase was very exciting and we couldn’t wait to get home to settle it down. But another big debate ensued on what to name the newest family member. 

We ended up naming it Luna. Say hi to Luna everybody!

  

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Therapy Has Helped

4 Nov

I am happy to say that my wrist and thumb are good again after all that rest and therapy. At my second to last therapy session, the pain has subsided totally despite playing a round of golf in Ipoh over the weekend. It was indeed very encouraging because no pain was felt nor was there any aggravation.

In fact, during gym on Monday I was back to my normal routines that involved the hands. There were no problems doing push ups. And in order to maintain this progress, I have to continue the hand and finger exercises to strengthen the muscles. But it sure looks like I am ready for golf again. Yay.

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The End of the Snickerdoodles

3 Nov

It’s sad that the last of the Snickerdoodles died. Somehow the little aquarium just cannot have a thriving community. I think we have to accept the fact that we can only keep some pet rocks or pet water in there. 

And I think we will do just that for the time being. RIP little fishes, pet heaven is a much better place for you with the others.

  

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The Little Escapade, Part 2

1 Nov

The plans for the ‘Little Escapade’ was a little different from our previous trips to Ipoh. We stayed at Z Hotel this time, a new boutique hotel with an impressive cafe offering a wide range of artisan coffee, tea and cakes. But these drinks and desserts were not on our mind, local food was.

We walked quite a fair bit going on a food trail during this trip. I think Ipoh can rival Penang as a food paradise. We had two dinners at two different locations which were very good. Simple and cheap, we were definitely sated.

 

Day 1, dinner #1

  

Day 1, dinner #2

 The ‘hor fun’ in Ipoh is really, really good. It’s a known fact that it’s the water source at this place that makes the ‘hor fun’ and beansprouts taste different. Besides these two, we find that we also like the local coffee and snacks.

We made many foodie stops, trying a little of everything so that we get to eat as many varieties as possible. And with everything within walking range from the hotel, we did not have to feel guilty with the input.

 

The long breakfast queue for dim sum

  

Day 2, breakfast #1

  

Day 2, dessert after breakfast #1

  

Day 2, breakfast #2

 The peanut snack is one amazing snack. We found ourselves queuing up twice to buy it. On Saturday we were in line for half an hour only to abandon the attempt because it would derail our golf plans. So the next day, we went again and ended up queuing for an hour and a half! A friend asked was it that good and worth the wait? Yes I would say. The taste is definitely unique.

  
On Sunday, we had two breakfasts so lunch was not even on our mind. Working off the breakfast, we walked and discovered Concubine Lane, an interesting lane that has quirky shops as well as street vendors selling trinkets and snacks. With such wonderful discoveries, Ipoh is fast becoming the choice option for a getaway for us.

 

The little boy with his ice ball

 
By mid-afternoon, it was time to leave and head home before the traffic built up. And with a car full of food and snack purchases, I think this ‘Little Escapade’ was a deserving one. I sure look forward to our next destressing trip!

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The Little Escapade

31 Oct

Last week work in the office was very trying. I was kept so busy, the iPad was ignored as in managing my virtual games. Instead I had to manage my design projects with my team on the challenges we faced. Initially I thought I would set up my canvas over the weekend and exert some creative energy into painting but when a friend suggested an impromptu overnight getaway with them, we readily jumped at it without hesitation.

The destination? Ipoh.

For all my life, I have never frequented Ipoh as much as the last two years. All this due to friends, food and golf. This trip was termed the ‘Little Escapade’ simply us to getaway from the work stress. With Saturday being a public holiday, the thought of a possible traffic crawl did not even deter us to make the trip.

We had a really gastronomic time and a wet golf outing over the weekend. The weather did not stop us and we ended up playing in the rain, and being totally soaked. The wrist felt good, there was no nagging pain and the condition was not that hot with the clouds and rain.

There were many firsts as far as golf was concerned. My raincoat was totally utilized throughout the game. And for once, my umbrella was used to shield me from the rain instead of the sun. Despite such measures, everything was soaked – the golf bag, the shoes and socks, the cap, myself, right down to the sports bra and undies. But I didn’t care nor felt any discomfort. In fact, I was having the time of my life!

We were also very naughty, sneaking in three cans of imported beer. But we drank only the 12% ones for we felt if we did the 16%, everything would go downhill. So we decided to tell the flight behind to bypass us to save ourselves some embarrassment. However, when the rainy condition persisted and no siren sounded to abandon game, not many flights stayed on to continue like us. We basically had the place to ourselves. It was a really fun outing.

We completed 16 and a half holes before calling it quits. Not so much from the rain but rather due to darkness. We could hardly see our balls flights. We really had a blast and after a nice hot shower, a good dinner capped off the day.

 

Day 1 lunch before tee off

  

The beer choices

  

After the rain…

  

 

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Rainy Season

28 Oct

The weather has changed. I would say it’s the beginning of the rainy season. And when it rains in the evening, official pet number one does not get to come out to play in the garden, like last night. Poor fella. 

If it rains during the day, neither does the tortoises. The birds would also not get their food. Sad. Golfers too, do not appreciate this kind of weather. Hubby has had a couple of morning games delayed due to rain. I would be agitated too if caught in this situation.

But it sure is nice for me to be horizontal on the sofa in the living room. With a nice read in hand and my hot tea within reach, I actually enjoy such days because the temperature is just so comfortable to relax and not move. Most of the time, I would fall into a slumber.

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