Tag Archives: golf

A Rescue

1 Mar

We played our usual golf games over the weekend. Sunday’s outing, however, was unusual. Hubby stumbled upon a baby bird after his tee-off at Hole 6. It fell from the nest above the tree. The poor thing!

When he picked it up, I thought we were going to be parents again, having to care for it. He couldn’t leave it there because firstly, the ants especially would devour the hapless thing alive, and secondly, mummy bird cannot lift it back to the nest. She has to accept the loss.

The little fella slept in the cup holder of the buggy

We had to care for it to ensure it has a chance to grow up. So little birdy came along with us in the golf buggy. After two holes, we went to the halfway hut and asked the attendant for a container. A makeshift nest would make it easier to carry it home.

When hubby explained the need for a container, the attendant took a look at the little birdy and was keen to care for it! So after a short debate, we gave the little birdy to him.

We will have to check on its health and well-being the next game we play and when we see the attendant. Stay tuned on this.

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Some Normalcy

19 Feb

The lockdown situation eased a little, and it was indeed good news when outdoor activities were allowed last Friday. Even eat-in, albeit two per table, was allowed but following a strict SOP. The eat-in rule has further relaxed this week.

When the news broke, we were ready for some golf and played our first game last Saturday morning. But we found ourselves having forgotten the routine to prepare after a month of no golf and took a while to readjust. The hardest part was waking up at 5.30am. Nonetheless, it felt good to be out on the golf course; the greens were in superb condition. If only we played better.

Then on Valentine’s Day, we took the opportunity to dine-in at one of our favorite restaurants, as this was also allowed. A welcome change and we had a good dinner with a couple of pints. Our decision also helped the restaurant owner to recover from its lack of business during these trying times.

A cold pint each, crunchy gizzards, marinated pork strips, Wagyu beef, and although a bland-looking paella, it was good and an enjoyable meal overall.

On Monday, we played our second golf game on the Hills course. Unlike Saturday’s game on the buggy, everyone used a golf trolley for the afternoon game. And it was a scorcher because typically, the Chinese New Year weather is hot and dry! By the 15th hole, everyone decided to call it quits because not only the heat got the better of us, physically, the will to walk with the trolley for the last three holes was not there. The stamina is off for everyone with a month’s lay-off from the game during this MCO.

The heat was unbearable!

It is nice that there is some sense of normalcy returning when dining-in at restaurants for occasions and outdoor activities are allowed. And this week, the 10 km travel limit restriction has been lifted, but interdistrict and interstate travel is still off-limits until further notice.

Nice as it is, the MCO is extended again until 4 March! I think we are immune to the extension already, having lost count. So adhering to the strict SOP rules at all times is the best way to keep things nice and stay safe.

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What Version MCO Now?

9 Feb

There have been several extensions to this year’s MCO, originally termed MCO 2.0. How do we categorize these extensions? Typically it’s a two-week duration, but the second nine-day one threw things out of order. Do we say version 2.3, 2.2.1, or part three for the latest extension for 14 days until 18 February? Sigh. Whatever it is, one thing is for sure, the coming Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year on 12 February will be very different with the latest MCO enforced.

No interstate travel back to hubby’s hometown up North to see his folks, no Reunion Dinner even with my Mom, my brother, and his family because we are well beyond the 10km distance allowed for in-state travel. Other secondary no-nos include the customary New Year golf game with hubby. The list can go on. A very muted celebration, if one can even call it a celebration.

Despite the bleak outlook, we have put up the customary red cloth at the house entrance to brighten the situation. And we will have to find a balance to keep well for the remaining MCO days until further notice.

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I Have Been Gardening

29 Jan

I have been busy during this second MCO phase. I have been gardening! Unbelievable. For someone who does not even venture out into the garden, this is an improvement.

Seriously, the weather the last few days have been beautiful. Cloudy without a hint of sun, it is the perfect weather for golf. But alas, with the MCO in place, golf is a no-no. So hubby and I kept busy diversifying our daily activities. Instead of sitting at my little work station working on my DIY sets or him in the kitchen, baking, both of us have been outdoors.

First, we washed the moldy wall in the back garden. Then we relandscaped the front lawn, planting new grass and getting rid of old plants. Then came the big task – excavating the leftover roots of the red palm tree.

Several weeks ago, hubby asked the gardener to remove the old red palms. But he did not do a good job. After chopping down the tree, he left the buried roots still buried. And then, MCO hit and hired hands are not allowed to come into our guarded community.

As we have been working on our garden, hubby wanted to plant something in that particular spot. But with the roots still in there, this is not possible. So we found ourselves doing the excavating task. I felt as though I was either digging for gold or excavating a fossil.

The blob from the excavation site, a foot and a half deep.

For several days, we took turns hacking at the blob. The rotation was in between the landscaping and wall washing chores. Eventually, the massive root blob was reduced to a manageable size and removed. Now, this is just one of three! There are two more blobs to remove. And with the MCO until 4 February, I am sure we can get the job done.

At the end of the task, both of us will have a super strong hacking swing and skills!

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MCO 2.0, Part 2

18 Jan

It’s coming to a week already that we are under lockdown in the MCO 2.0 phase. I must say this time we are better prepared. There was no panic-buying for grocery on our part because it feels normal, like what we have been going through. The only difference being no golf outing and no need to be in the office.

We have been good staying home this time because there are things to keep us busy. Hubby baked while I worked on my DIY project. There is also much to catch up on as far as house chores are concerned. I even washed all my golf shoes to the point of removing all the laces to bleach them white.

Giving the shoes some sun to dry!

Before this latest MCO, I did not have time to clean my golf shoes. I just rotated them because I was playing so much. Now, with this two-week break, the shoes are getting a makeover. Other than this effort, I am, of course, working on DIY project number ten. It’s coming along swell. I reckon I can complete it before the end of the week! Yay.

Almost done with project #10!

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MCO 2.0

15 Jan

We were all expecting it, another lockdown. True enough, on Monday, the announcement came that MCO (Movement Control Order) 2.0 will be enforced from January 13 to 16, 2021. However, not the whole nation will be under MCO, only states with a high number of positive Covid cases. And where I live, we are affected, and thus, we have to follow the MCO rules. States that are faring better will be under either the CMCO or RMCO phases.

This lockdown is inevitable as the public healthcare sector cannot cope already with the surge of positive cases in four-digits for several days now. During this MCO phase, SOPs are more strict going out and being out in public areas. If possible, don’t go out.

So for the next two weeks, golf outings are out of the question. Maybe this is for the best. I can rest and focus on DIY project number ten that has stalled.

Design work in the office picked up a little during the last two weeks. As such, I couldn’t devote too much of my time to my whimsical project because I was tired-out when I got home. But now, with this forced break and no golf, I can focus on it. Perhaps I can complete DIY project number ten before the two weeks are up? We shall see.

Coming along swell!

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A Packed Schedule

4 Jan

The year-end golf schedule was a crazy one. It was packed! I had games on the 26th, 27th, 29th, and 31st of December 2020. And as if that was not enough, I ushered the New Year in with games on January 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

Only rain thwarted the game on January 3rd, and instead, we had a lazy day at home on that wet and chilly Sunday morning. It was too troublesome to go out, let alone move. The temperature was perfect for doing nothing. Hubby did bake, though – a sinful cake that was enjoyed thoroughly with a small scoop of coconut ice cream.

I had to go easy on the ice cream or else suffer cramps because of my Endometriosis problem

Initially, I was not supposed to play on January 2nd because I wanted a break, having lined up so many games already. I even declined an invitation to a game on December 30th. But an unexpected problem cropped up that day.

A friend had pulled out at the eleventh hour after inadvertently being exposed to a Covid-19 positive person. He had to self-isolate, and I replaced him.

Well, this year, the golf games may not be so packed as the holidays are over. And I do have to be in the office. So the weekly Thursday game is out, keeping only to Tuesday and the weekends for me.

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The Year That Wasn’t

1 Jan

Goodbye Year 2020! What a year it turned out to be. I felt that it was a year that wasn’t – in other words, we were, firstly, short-changed for nine months in our lives and secondly, didn’t turn out so great as many envisioned it would be.

Before reaching this nice number, people, myself included, thought it would be a spectacular year. But alas, how wrong we all were. The Covid-19 pandemic created so much havoc in the world. And everything is never the same again.

Gone are the closeness and freedom that we took for granted with our movement with friends, society in general, and places we visit; in place, it is now constant caution, fear to a certain degree, and restriction.

For me, I felt my 2020 was just three months only, the first quarter of the year. After we went into lockdown in March, the next nine months, day-in, day-out felt like deja-vu. A new routine was born, and old habits had to give way because we had to learn to adjust to the new normal. Thank goodness we didn’t go crazy with cabin fever, and instead, discovered ourselves in many other aspects.

I learned to appreciate my friends, the home, and family more. Although work at the office took a beating to practically zero design work in March and April, it did not dampen our spirits. M2 came back from Ireland and had an extended six-month summer break. M1 stayed put, and we talked every morning to keep her company.

The new normal made both of us manage our time better to be more productive in other things. Hubby learned to bake, an unthinkable endeavor in all the years that I have known him, and I brushed up my cooking skills to widen the variety in our meals because eating out was not an option.

I also picked up a new hobby to keep myself busy after my Meranti wood supply for carving depleted by May. From June onwards, I started working on DIY miniature sets, and have completed nine DIY sets thus far in a spate of six months.

Another good thing that came out of this situation was my golf game, which improved tremendously. With downtime in the office, I was playing more golf than ever. After the lockdown eased, and golf was allowed because it is an outdoor activity, I was golfing up to four times a week! So maybe the year wasn’t that bad after all on the personal front despite being in deja-vu mode.

As 2020 is behind us now, it does not mean the pandemic is over. Far from it, in fact. We should remain vigilant, put on our masks whenever we are in public areas, and keep a one-meter distance apart to be safe.

A toast to a better year ahead – may 2021 bring better fortune and goodness for everyone. Happy New Year, and stay safe wherever you are!

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Surprise, Surprise… Not

22 Dec

Well, well, the CMCO was extended again until the end of the year! It certainly wasn’t a surprise and expected. What can we do? Life goes on with my routine revolving around cooking, cleaning, golf games, and DIY miniatures. Oh yeah, and the occasional design work to do in the office.

The last nine months went by rather quickly. When we went into lockdown in March during a global pandemic, we thought how dreadful life would be. But as I reflect now, it wasn’t that bad. Instead, we should be thankful that we are healthy. Along the way, both hubby and I discovered new skills and hobby.

If the CMCO phase continues to usher in the new year, so be it. We need to continue to contain the spread of the Covid-19. Stay safe, folks!

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Yet Another Extension

11 Dec

It is yet another extension of the CMCO. We expected this because cases have been on the uptrend. Anyway, we are immune already because we are so used to the routine and requirements now. And it feels weird if we don’t abide by the rules especially, putting on the mask.

Frankly, there is no let-up as far as the pandemic and prevention SOP is concerned. During the previous CMCO phase, the single-player, single-buggy rule for golf was in effect, although couples from one household can share one buggy.

But this latest extension from 6 December until 20 December allows twin-sharing golf carts for golfers not necessarily from the same household for a round of golf. So from here forth, a flight of four golfers will have the usual two twin-sharing buggies instead of four individual ones.

I think I will feel weird sharing a golf buggy with someone else other than hubby because I have gotten so used to it already! Also, ever since we’ve been playing together, we have an ongoing Matchplay rivalry, tracked with the Hole 19 app on my AppleWatch Series 5. I will miss the Matchplay challenges if we don’t play together. Oh well, we’ll see how the golf outings turn out.

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