Road to Recovery

23 Jan

I had a follow-up appointment at the hospital last Friday, and all are fine with me now. Phew. I only have to continue my meds, and the road to recovery is clear.

Technically, I’m not supposed to drive or go for long car journeys nor exert myself yet, i.e., no golf for a while. So I’m staying put, not going anywhere to usher in the Lunar New Year of the Water Rabbit.

And to keep myself busy, I have decided to finish up the DIY miniature that has been sitting on my table for months, a wise decision to minimize my dependency on my iPad Mini constantly.

There’s progress, and I should be able to display this with the rest of the completed sets. Yay. However, I’m wondering whether I should immediately jump into the next one – DIY project #26. Hmm. We shall see.

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Not Ready

20 Jan

This year’s Lunar New Year is happening too fast, way too fast! I find myself not ready in terms of preparation. But I suppose it’s okay given the circumstances that I was in last week.

In my state of being a sloth, the Water Rabbit is hopping in at a breakneck speed! There’s hardly space to catch my breath. Sigh.

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The Sloth in Me

17 Jan

I have been moving ever so slowly ever since my return on Saturday. It’s at an unbelievable sloth’s pace. Although I feel fine, perhaps I am not quite yet.

I don’t think I should move around too fast or too much because, at times, if I move too fast, my head feels lightheaded!

Sometimes, even at a tortoise’s pace, it’s too much for me. So a sloth I shall be, and a sloth I am until I am off my meds and able to move around more steadily and comfortably.

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Never Assume

16 Jan

The back pain I mentioned at the beginning of the year led to more than what it was. One should not assume and brush things aside when in pain, be it a nagging back pain, pinched nerve, or pulled muscle. Initially, I thought with rest, the pain would subside, and I would be fine. But no, it was far worse.

For more than a week, I experienced excruciating pain five times which had me almost keeling over each time it hit. Something is not right with my body!

I consulted a doctor friend verbally and then saw three doctors for the recurring issue. And I also did several blood and urine tests to identify the problem.

And what a problem it was – I had kidney stones. Dang! By Thursday afternoon, the urologist specialist I visited ordered a CT scan to be done. And that evening, I was hospitalized. Everything happened very fast!

The next day, I underwent a cystoscopy and had the stones blasted to smithereens. Being sedated in the OT room, I could hardly give a first-hand update on the situation then; hence no story on Friday.

I am home now and recuperating well after being discharged on Saturday afternoon. I am thankful all this is behind me by now and in time to get ready to usher in the Lunar New Year of the Water Rabbit!

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Itsy Bitsy Messy

10 Jan

So my new routine is now checking up on Itsy every morning. This morning, I was aghast because it’s a mess out there. What is going on?

I think the weather has a part in this mess. Perhaps the rain and wind have compromised the web, and Itsy decided to expand upwards. And debris has stuck on the web, thus making it look itsy bitsy messy. Sigh.

It’s hard to take a picture of the scenario because the iPhone XR can’t capture the web well, especially with the busy foliage background.

I hope Itsy can clean up the debris and make its home nice and clean again. With the situation as such, I have to check on it more than once daily!

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Spying on the Spider

9 Jan

Since discovering our new spider resident, I have had a new morning routine when I come downstairs. I’d open the front door every morning to look for Itsy. Yes, I’ve decided to name our Golden Silk Orb Weaver spider as such. And it’s not easy to see it because of the busy background foliage.

Finally coming in handy!

So I use a set of binoculars instead! It’s funny because I’m a mere few feet away, yet I have to use the Bushnell binoculars. I hope the neighbors on the opposite end do not think I am spying on them. I am simply spying on our spider in the front garden. Hahahaha.

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Itsy Bitsy It Ain’t, Part 2

6 Jan

The long-legged spider is one fascinating critter. Every morning, I check on it, and its intricate web has grown. It is certainly making a home in our front garden.

The golden silk orb-weaver spider

We managed to take better-angle photos of it, and hubby and I decided to google more on it to be sure of its species. And sure enough, photo evidence on the internet supports our initial assumption that it is a golden silk orb-weaver spider.

Commonly found in warm regions, we are lucky to have one in front of the house because some cultures believe such spiders bring good luck. Wow. They symbolize prosperity, abundance, and happiness in many parts of the world. However, it is up to one to believe the significance.

In reality, it is simply beneficial to have them around. I hope the female spider will continue to spin its complex web and nab pesky flies and bugs in the garden. It’s a win-win situation. Less pesky insects for us to deal with, more food for it to survive.

Making a meal out of the fly

I should name it. Hahaha. Any suggestions?

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Itsy Bitsy It Ain’t

3 Jan

There is a new resident living with us! And it’s a creepy crawly long-legged spider. Yikes. While it looks like a Daddy Long Leg species, I suspect it may not be. I tried googling what species, and so far, it’s not easy to narrow down.

Ain’t no Itsy Bitsy spider

I dare not approach the spider any closer to take a better picture for fear it may jump at me. Then again, if it did, would I be empowered with superhero spider power? Hehehe.

One thing is for sure the critter is not an itsy bitsy spider because the legs are darn long, and it looks scary. Shudder.

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Starting Off with a Bang

2 Jan

The New Year started off with a bang, literally. Fireworks went off at the stroke of midnight, and 15 minutes into the new year, the fireworks continued. We have gotten used to this, having firework displays close to home.

For many years, we don’t even have to drive out to join the merry-making crowd to see the colorful displays and usher in the New Year. The comforts of home, especially from the bedrooms, give us the best views without the crowd and sweaty bodies.

My New Year did not start so smoothly. I injured my left knee while golfing. To make matters worse, I pulled my back muscle too. And at the end of the New Year game, I was in excruciating pain from the back injury. During lunch, it was horrible; I was nauseous and could not eat. We left so that I could recover from this unexpected ordeal.

I felt like a machete was chopping my back repeatedly. Even the painkiller could not help. Why is my New Year kicking off so dramatically? Ugh. Thank goodness all that excruciating pain subsided with rest and some roll-on medication. Lesson learned: do not pull weeds at awkward angles before a golf game. Happy New Year, people!

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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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