The Other Senior Citizen Pets

6 Oct

I confess… Rooney is not the only senior citizen pet that we have. In fact, there are two others, one which is much older than him and another, about the same age as him.

Unofficial pet number one is actually our green terrapin turtle. We have had Todd for the longest time. In fact, he is much older than M1 and M1 is 19 this year. And being a senior citizen, Todd also has his fair share of issues. Unlike Roo, his issues are health related. 

Several years ago when hubby and I were leaving for London on a business trip, Todd had floating issues and the girls, along with Grandma had to take him to the vet for a week for his daily jab. Fast forward to now, it looks like this problem has recurred.

Poor thing. When we put him in the community pond to chill with all the fishes in there, he just floats and cannot submerge. We will have to monitor his well being.

Then we have another senior citizen. Our regal Arowana. If memory serves me well, Miao-Miao came along before we adopted Roo. Miao-Miao? Another time for the story behind the name. He is one pretty fish. Thankfully, Miao-Miao does not have any issues also, only an occasional diet preference. Definitely nothing compared to the Roo.

Maybe these two are harder to interact with because of their need to be in the water, hence Rooney became official pet number one. Nonetheless, we love them all.

Sigh… Pets. What would our lives be without them?

   
    
 

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Blessing in Disguise

4 Oct

I thought Monday being a replacement holiday was a blessing in disguise because I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning on Sunday to watch the Ryder Cup until almost the end. The singles battles were thrilling and was of epic proportions especially certain match ups. Sleep and the comfort of my bed could not match them!

And when one stays up until 5.30am, it sure would be tough to wake up three hours later to get ready to go to the office. Thankfully it didn’t have to be like that. Never have I been so caught up with live showing of any sports and following it so closely, not even the recent Olympics because of the time difference; sometimes it’s a putt off. But not so with this year’s Ryder Cup and the 13-hours time difference.

It was worth it! Well done Team USA.

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It’s Not Right

3 Oct

Ever since my iPad Mini updated to iOS9.3.5, everything has not been right. It has gotten so slow and unstable. And when apps get updated, it’s worse. I am having problems with my two virtual candy games – unstable upon launching and quits instantly, so can’t play. Hrmph. Strangely, the apps only work if I don’t connect to the wifi but this is such a hassle especially when I am home.

So over the weekend, I was down to only two devices to crush some candies – the MacBook Air and my iOS7.1.2 iPhone5S. Sigh…

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Another Break!

30 Sep

I thought the back-to-back three day weekend two weeks ago was the end of such breaks but no. I was surprised to learn that the coming weekend is yet another three-day weekend with Monday being a replacement holiday.

In the midst of several busy design projects, I find such things an interruption especially to the thought process and workflow. But such interruptions are actually good for the soul, to search the inner self for sanity and calm to deal with the stress that I am feeling.

So I do look forward to Monday being a holiday.

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Antics of a Senior Citizen Pet, Part 2

29 Sep

The OCD-ness in official pet number one has surfaced yet again! Two nights ago, we changed the drainage pipe of the washing machine and he totally lost it. Roo just cannot stand the sudden change because it’s something new and out of place.

As his little abode is just next to the washing machine, he can see it and irks him to no end. Hah! Such an OCD but annoying (for us) at the same time because he keeps barking at it. And it’s insufficient to just raise the pipe over the machine to be out of his reach because it’s still there and he can see it.

So what did we do? We had put the pipe away and instantly, there was peace until the next wash and the pipe has to be fixed back. A very inconvenient situation but I hope this is temporary until we find a permanent solution for we cannot allow him to be a Little Napoleon in total control of us. 

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Antics of a Senior Citizen Pet

27 Sep

Rooney, our English bulldog, affectionately called ‘Roo’, was recently elevated to “Senior Citizen” on top of being official pet number one because of the food we recently bought for him. And with his recent change in status, we suddenly see a lot of the picky pot’s idiosyncrasies. It has always been there but now being a senior, it becomes more obvious and here’s some of it.

Idiosyncrasy #1: He does not like drinking water from his water bowl. With the weather sometimes so hot, I suspect water left in there tastes flat and warm. He prefers to drink off the tap, kind of like having draft beer, only this is water of course. And he makes it known (by barking obviously) he’s gotta have his draft water at every opportunity when we are home.

Idiosyncrasy #2: He cannot stand that once he’s done eating, his bowl is left there, unwashed. And he makes it known he’s gotta have his dish washed and put away. Like immediately. Now, this instant.

Idiosyncrasy #3: He insists on being escorted to and from the garden when clearly he can do it himself. Sometimes we feel it’s just plain silly, a brave bulldog needing someone to escort him in broad daylight and at night in semi-darkness for the short walk.

Idiosyncrasy #4:  He cannot stand the fact that when we eat, he does not. Every time when he’s out in the garden, he can see the dining table and there we are having our meal whilst he is just standing there, looking longingly. Half the time our meals, dinner especially are very hurried and hardly relaxing because of the constant noisy interruption.

Idiosyncrasy #5: He also cannot stand his poop left there for even two minutes after he’s done. Obviously he makes it known until we have to go clean it up.

Idiosyncrasy #6: We all sincerely believe that Roo has OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). He just cannot stand it when something is not put right in its place. Irks him to no end and he makes it known insistently. I don’t know how many dogs are like him. If a towel fell on the floor or the kitchen mop is not put right, we will surely hear from him.

I wonder if there are any bulldogs out there like our Roo? Hmm…

  

  

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The Snickerdoodles, Part 3

26 Sep

Just when I thought the little aquarium was fine, disaster has struck. Early July when I last posted about them, the community had eight Bettas and rather unhappy. As I sort of left them alone hoping they will change their mind, suddenly we find the Snickerdoodles down to three! Dear oh dear…

Hubby thinks the poor Bettas just expired their shelf life, hence the demise. Whatever it is, I think we will not replenish the aquarium anymore. It’s morbid to think that it’s a waiting game now…

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Much Improvement

23 Sep

It has been past a month since I last held a golf club, 21st August being my last game played at Raffles Golf Club in Singapore. Amazingly, despite such a lengthy break I don’t have any withdrawal symptoms for the game. Have I lost my passion? Save for a couple of bouts chipping in the garden at home, I don’t have the urge to quickly head back onto the golf course. Maybe my virtual games and work at the office kept my mind busy to quell any thoughts.

The treatment for my left hand has progressed well. I have done 12 sessions already! It was after the tenth session that I could feel a big difference in the overall mobility of the hand. I am pleased, very pleased. One of the main factor to this progress is the discipline to do the home exercises, ice the hand and of course, going for treatment three times a week. As there has been improvements, treatment is now down to twice a week.

When I first started, the pain level was 6/7 out of 10, 10 being very painful. As of yesterday before my twelfth session, it’s down to two. I foresee by next week, this will improve further. Although my doctor has approved for me to continue the garden chipping activity, going to the driving range is still off limits. I am also encouraged to hold 1kg dumb bells to increase the muscle strength and this I will do during my once-a-week gym sessions.

Recovery from an injury sometimes can be long and arduous. A simple injury like mine has taken this somewhat long journey, what more an injury of a more complicated nature? But with discipline and patience, I feel my journey has not been that difficult or taxing. I am not counting the days yet to when I can play my first pain-free game, I just want to be totally healed. No rush after such improvements.

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So So Annoying

22 Sep

Two nights ago the annoying iOS9.3.5 struck again on the iPad Mini! I was in the thick of things crushing candies when suddenly, the device just blacked out. Quit the app and blacked out, not once or twice but three times! Man, I was annoyed.

And yesterday morning, again! I just made it pass the challenge of Level 1941 in Candy Crush with four lives to spare when it blacked out, thus the victory was not captured! Aarghh.

It is unfortunate that my iPad Mini, being the first generation model, is too old to update to the new and improved iOS10. So I am stuck with the annoying iOS9.3.5 that is so unstable. It’s almost as if the OS is conspiring with the iPad to stop me from crushing any candies. Hrmph…

This has again reaffirmed my stance for my iPhone5S – maintain the stable iOS7.1.2. I must say I am perfectly happy with it because I don’t face the issues like the iPad is giving me. Furthermore I don’t see why I need all the new stuff that comes with the new OS. What you don’t have, you won’t miss, that’s how I look at it.

So with one device ‘down’, I will be maintaining status quo for my phone. My poor iPad.

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Am I Missing Out?

20 Sep

Over the weekend, M2 upgraded her iPhone5C and iPad Mini4 to iOS10 and loved it. When the OS was first released last week, there were a lot of update problems reported with people’s phones becoming bricks. I told her to hold off the update last week until a patch came out which I think did to fix the problem. She’s happy.

As for me? Err… I am still on iOS7.1.2, dinosaur that I am. When iOS8 came out sometime back, I refused to update because I had read somewhere that it wasn’t stable. So I left my phone as is. Then iOS9 came out, I took the plunge and updated my iPad Mini first only to be traumatized by the act because it wiped out my iPad. I know, there is this thing called ‘backup’ but it’s complicated.

Fearing the worst for my iPhone5S, I held back any further updates for it. And when my iPad went on to iOS9.3.5, I found it to be unstable. This reaffirmed my stance not to update the OS for my phone.

But am I missing out on the new OS’s goodies if I held back? Or am I being paranoid for nothing? She’s been gushing about the new stuff and thinks I should. Hmm…

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