New Year, new resolutions, new purchases! In January, I treated myself and bought the new Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) version.
Initially, I was using a hand-me-down first-generation AirPods from M2. After some months of usage and getting used to it, I felt it was time to get my own. The old AirPods were having battery health issues, being five years old already.
And when we were in Bangkok, I found the perfect casing to protect my AirPods. By the way, the ANC worked exceptionally well in blocking out the loud hum of the aircraft engines.
I love my Snoopy case for my AirPods4 ANC version
Recently, I noticed a peculiar issue with my new AirPods. Despite using both pods equally, their battery levels tend to differ significantly. I hardly use the microphone or use only one side. In short, I use the AirPods evenly.
Whenever I place the AirPods back in the casing, the battery level differs, sometimes by 15 to 20 percent! The right side would be lesser than the left. What is going on? I checked online for solutions and followed the suggested measures, but it did not help. So, I scheduled an appointment with Machines, the Apple Premium Reseller in Malaysia, to diagnose the AirPods.
Two different occasions, uneven battery levels
During the diagnosis, the AirPods are okay, with good battery health. But, the feedback was that this battery imbalance is a characteristic of the AirPods. Unbelievable! For such a premium-priced device, it has such an issue despite equal usage. Why Apple why? I feel so let down.
I’m surprised it took me two weeks into the new year to play my first golf game! It is more circumstantial than by choice. Two weeks ago, I went to Bangkok for that impromptu trip with the girls. Then, this past weekend, I opted out of the weekend game to let a visiting friend’s daughter play.
In retrospect, the time off allowed more rest for my tennis elbow. Yup, that darn injury is still nagging. There are occasions when the pain spikes and it becomes an irritation. Ugh.
Regardless of whether I can or will play well due to the nagging injury, we will find out. I look forward to the fellowship with the lady golfers group for the first game of the year!
It is the last day of 2024! What a year it has been for me. There were more travels than ever, more memories made as the year progressed, and sadly, a new injury. Let’s recap for the record.
My DIY crafting and building miniatures waned and came to a complete halt when my travels kicked in. It’s unfortunate after four years at it, project after project. Well, maybe come 2025, the interest will return. Only time will tell.
At the beginning of the year, I went to Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, for golf and leisure. My flight distance and time increased dramatically with an app I downloaded to track these things. In October, I added Japan to round up my travels abroad. I figured I had reached a milestone, so I should travel more. In total, I flew 19,768 km with a flight time of one day, six hours, and 38 minutes. I’m wondering if I can top these stats with the new year. We will find out!
Wonderful memories are created with the travels and truly cherished. We played at new golf courses in Vietnam and Indonesia, and I savored the time with my golfing friends. What more can I ask for? My best memory is meeting up with an old college friend in Hanoi! The precious few hours we had is something I will never forget. We talked as if we were never apart for the last few decades that flew by.
The family trips were all about food, sights, and new experiences. Bangkok was all about walking, shopping, and eating. Likewise, Japan, but more. Wonderful, wonderful time together. I hope we can do such trips come 2025!
My golfing ability has been up and down for the year. The top highlight was being crowned the Overall Champion for my Tuesday Group’s annual game in August. I guess I peaked at the right occasion! I hope I can rediscover my momentum for the new year because I picked up a new injury right after that game.
The right tennis elbow sucks. As such, the golf has been on a downslide. But I’m not upset by this disability because hubby and I picked up pickleball to stay active! And I play with my left hand, thus preserving the right side from further aggravation. I wear an elbow guard, just to be safe, though.
Toward the end of the year, I reconnected with another old friend who migrated and was visiting. She’s my bestie’s older sister and an ardent golfer, so it was wonderful to host her. Despite the elbow woes, the time together was more important.
As 2024 winds down, I reflect on what has happened and look forward to the new year ahead. I’ve stopped making resolutions but tend to keep a positive mind as I believe in ‘you are what you think you are’ to face what’s ahead. Attract the good vibes and keep the bad ones away or at bay.
On a global scale, sports, politics, war, world peace, and climate challenges share the headlines. I’d rather not elaborate as details on these issues are available freely online. I am thankful I survived the year.
I take this opportunity to thank all my readers and supporters who have kept me going in my blog and to wish everyone a Happy New Year! May 2025 bring peace and prosperity to all.
Cheers and adieu 2024, it’s a wrap, and thanks for the memories!
This cough is taking its toll on me. I feel so sapped of energy despite resting at home. Could it be listening to music, reading, and being on my iPad for nine hours daily does not count as doing nothing and tiring me out?
I have not played golf for ten days now, and it’s a bit concerning because I have signed up for various golf games next week! I’m unsure if I have the energy to lift my clubs when walking up and down the stairs has been so tiring.
Sigh, a speedy recovery it has not been despite having seen the doctor and being on medication. Maybe I should stay away from the iPad and do nothing. Really. With the mind at rest instead of plotting the next game move or constantly on alert watching and reading, it may be the right thing to do. Hmm. Discipline is essential to less iPad interaction; otherwise, I will continue to limp weakly into the year.
Several days before ushering in the New Year, I was out with a nasty cough and flu. It was most depressing. Even the New Year fireworks at midnight could not lift my spirits.
You could say I limped, not leaped into 2024. I have been sapped to the core, nursing a watery nose and teary eyes. The sneeze just cannot come out! Ugh. What a weak start to face the new year. I’m just hoping for a speedy recovery.
The good thing about this misfortune is the sudden weight loss. I have been trying so hard to shed some pounds towards the fourth quarter of last year but have failed miserably. With so many occasions and birthday dinners, it was hard.
But with my current situation, I have no appetite, and going out is too much of an ordeal. And the pounds are gone! It’s nice to know there is light at the end of the tunnel. I will recover and face 2024 head-on.
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!
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!
This year Christmas is a complete occasion for the family, particularly for us, with M2 having graduated and back from Ireland for good. It was a boisterous get-together, and everyone contributed a dish for our annual Family Christmas Eve dinner.
The cheese platters were so good!
And for a change, everyone participated in after-dinner games. There were non-stop screams of laughter at the performances of each individual during the games. It was wholesome fun and so much love.
I feel very blessed that this Christmas is more meaningful than ever. I hope this festive occasion is just as memorable for everyone. Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and cheers for the New Year!
It looks like the negative vibes coming into the New Year have continued. Boo hoo hoo. When will I shed this?
On New Year’s day, we caught a rat, only for it to escape the next day! How did the rat manage to open the cage door? What stumped us was the unexplained fact that the cage was across the garden and on its side, and not at the original spot where we left it? Did the rat have assistance from the garden squirrels or otherwise? Creepy.
Lucky rat, it survived this round, but we will get it next time.
My first golf game for the New Year was a disastrous outing. Strange, considering just a week ago, I played one of my best games. And as if this was not demoralizing enough, I slipped and fell on the second hole. Although I was not injured, the mishap was enough to wreck the mental approach to the game. It was a downhill performance for the rest of the 16 holes. Sigh.
And last night, the aquarium pump started acting up with strange noises! It’s a brand new unit, hardly a year old, and this happened. I can cry with all these unfortunate happenings.
To top off the terrible start, my golf game this morning was even worse than Sunday’s game! I hope this is now rock bottom because when you’re right at the bottom and cannot go any lower, moving upwards is the next step.
I can only hope this belief will hold when I play my next game on Thursday. Let’s hope this terrible start to the New Year ends by then.
My new year got off to a terrible start. On New Year’s Eve, I scalded my fingers while preparing dinner. Ouch! We decided to eat at home than be out somewhere crowded to usher in the New Year. It was the beginning of more misfortunes.
The yummy cheese board
The dinner spread was simple and easy to prepare. The ham and cheese board especially was good, and I ended up eating a little too much cheese than I should. Tsk, tsk.
Then right before the countdown began, I started feeling nausea. Oh no. My Endometriosis problem of not agreeing with dairy has suddenly resurfaced. It must be the cheese more than anything else! I threw up half my dinner right when the fireworks went off!
It was spectacular, my retching and not the fireworks. In my moment of discomfort, the external background noise and celebration were happening! What a terrible start to kick off the new year. Could it be any worse?
Well, right before dinner, I found out I had one outstanding traffic summon that I never even knew! The comforting consolation was settling before midnight to enjoy the discounted rate.
Sigh, what a start I am having. I can only look upon these misfortunes as clearing all the negative chi to face the year better.
Angieneering 
Remarks