Tag Archives: Graphic Design

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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Excuses! Excuses!

18 Dec

I find myself admiring and playing with project number eight instead of finishing it up. Every evening, I would place a Citizen of Gigglesville on the sofa chair and giggle at the scene before me. It’s very entertaining!

Citizens visiting the Study
Looking very contented!
Citizen #118 doing a balancing act

I am finding excuses to procrastinate and not to start on the lights. There’s the fact that I have work to do in the office this whole week, and I don’t have the time because I’m also playing golf and cooking. It’s becoming a mental block.

Honestly, I find reading instructions is not something I enjoy. But doing up the lights requires focus, and I need to be more disciplined about this if I intend to wrap up project number eight before Christmas. So, no more excuses!

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My Little Japanese Restaurant, Part 2

13 Nov

Work has stalled for several days on my little Japanese restaurant. Not intentional, but a good stall because there’s work at the office that is more important than DIY projects.

I have not been in the office physically for long durations ever since the pandemic started. Occasionally, I go in once a week. But in the two weeks, I was in the office daily to work on a digital publication for our client.

I even reduced my weekday golf games to focus on this project, playing only on Tuesday. And after the game, I head for the office. I must say it has been a welcome busy with my energy directed towards layout formats, grids, fonts, and such instead of tiny sushi, chairs, and accessories.

The publication finally closed yesterday. And I have a little break from today onwards, so perhaps I can go back to complete project number six by the coming weekend without any interruption.

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My Little Japanese Restaurant

2 Nov

Project #6 started well two weeks ago but has slowed down because of circumstances. Number one being my golf schedule. Last week I played four times, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I would have played on Sunday too if it wasn’t for the rain and the course was closed. Then I also had to work.

I should be thankful that we are getting design work from our clients, and I have been going into the office daily with hubby. Even on golfing days, after lunch, I was in the office instead of staying at home. So in between the golfing days and the office, there was hardly time to focus on the DIY set.

And by the time we get home, prepare dinner, eat and clean up after that, there’s no more energy left. It is too tiring to sit at my station to concentrate on the set.

Well, the first floor of the main structure is up, and my little Japanese restaurant is starting to look good with what I have managed to complete so far. I’m just saving difficult tasks for later when I can sit down without interruption and focus.

Furniture and decor pieces are done!
Itty bitty pieces

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Fake Saturday

30 Oct

Yesterday was a public holiday, and it threw me off. I thought it was a Saturday because we played golf when in fact, it was a Thursday. It did feel like a Saturday but a fake one though.

Today I will be going into the office to work on a publication design. Yes, I finally have real work to do, and it’s a welcome change from just cooking and cleaning.

And tomorrow being the real Saturday, golf is in the plans. I think I am playing too much golf until I have lost track of the days.

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A New Tray

8 Sep

The mood for online shopping struck a few weeks ago. And I purchased a silicon baking tray, not for me obviously but for hubby. He has been baking a lot during the MCO, so we thought it’d be fun to vary the bread shapes and sizes.

Now, this is our first silicon tray for baking, and it took hubby a couple of bakes to get it right as far as the temperature and timing control are concerned. On the first attempt, I was left in charged to watch the loaves in the oven because he had to leave for the office.

Obviously I cannot bake! 😅

And the mini loaves, under my watch, came out a little burnt! Oops. I had followed the temperature and timing accordingly though…

Second attempt using a wheat bread recipe

So hubby had to make some adjustments. On his second and third attempts, using a wheat bread recipe, the loaves turned out okay. And by the fourth attempt, the mini loaves turned out lovely. All these attempts, I wasn’t roped in to help, thank goodness.

A tad too little (dough) that resulted in skinny minis?

We love the new tray and the breads.

Lovely mini loaves by the fourth attempt

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My New Normal?

26 Jun

Last weekend’s plans to walk 18-holes was derailed by the rain. On Saturday, my flight had three holes left to play at the Hills course when the skies opened up. Luckily the halfway hut was close by and we got there on time to wait out the downpour.

When the rain lightened and there was a slight reprieve, we quickly made our way back to the clubhouse. It certainly wasn’t comfortable with the pants and socks all wet. Luckily, the weather on Sunday was better and we completed a full round but I had a terrible game. I am very inconsistent. Sigh…

Despite being another slow week at the office, I played only one game (on Tuesday), giving the Thursday game a miss so that I could sleep in. And today, I will be in the office.

I now wonder if this will be my routine for the next few months. Once or twice to the office, an additional Tuesday game on top of the weekend games and an occasional Thursday game thrown in. Welcome to the new normal.

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Getting Fitter

19 Jun

Life under RMCO has become quite enjoyable, although it is worrying at the same time too. There’s hardly enough work at the office to keep me busy, so I end up playing more golf to pass my time to balance all that cooking and cleaning. Then there are the DIY houses to finish up on days when I am neither in the office nor the golf course.

Last weekend, I managed to walk 18-holes on both days, carrying my bag with ten clubs. Then on Tuesday, I played 18, using the buggy at the Lakes course and walked 18 again on Thursday at the Hills course.

In between the golf days, I went into the office twice.

The coming weekend is without a doubt another two rounds of 18 carrying my bag. Yes, I am getting fitter and very pleased about it.

 

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