Tag Archives: Raining

The Wrath of Mother Nature

16 Jul

We have been having some inconsistent weather lately. Last week, when we returned from the East Coast, we came back to strong winds and pelting rain.

Luckily, we were home already when the weather changed for the worse. It was scary as the tall trees in the area were swaying spinelessly with noisy leaves rustling, and the rain was pounding the windows. Our garden bamboo blinds were flapping like crazy. It was alarming, but we could not do anything.

The next day, we discovered the wrath of Mother Nature when we surveyed the garden. Besides leaves and branches everywhere, creating a mess, our second papaya tree was uprooted. This unfortunate mishap happened despite the tree being protected by a wall and in a narrow garden space.

There goes our second papaya tree!
Salvaging the papayas from the tree

We had no choice but to cut down the tree. And there were so many young papayas on the tree. Oh well. It looks like I can make pickled papaya or give them away. As for the space, we will leave it empty for now, and it’s been hot like a furnace.

Annual Club Championship Vibes

7 Jun

The Annual Club Championship at my golf club is tomorrow! I hope I won’t get butterflies in my tummy for the first tee-off. Last year, I missed out because my niece’s wedding ceremony was on the same day. And me, being the only aunty from her dad’s side, the wedding was far more significant than an annual championship golf tournament.

Well, this year, there are no weddings or other important occasions – I will be playing the two-day event despite an increase in the tournament fee. Besides not wishing for butterflies, I hope the weather and course conditions will be good.

It rains every evening, the thunder rumbles louder than usual, and you can feel the electric charge in the air. In the mornings, it is very humid, and the heat is intense, not comfortable on a golf course. Good weather should be cloudy with some breeze; good conditions mean the fairways are not soft and the greens firm.

Whatever the situation, managing the mental and physical, besides the game and approach, is essential for a good outing. I will not analyze too much but bask in the Annual Championship vibes. Wish me luck!

Vicious Cycle, Part 2

21 May

As you know, the weather has been super hot and very wet. I try all sorts to stay comfortable while playing golf. My umbrella has been working overtime! So, I bought a portable fan recently to attach to the golf buggy.

As it is, I have a palm-sized handheld USB fan, but it’s not enough. So, this new fan is a timely purchase. The 12,000 mAh fan has three speeds and works best when the buggy is parked. It helps when there’s no wind blowing.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department recently issued alert-level hot weather status in the coming months! Eeeks. I’m glad I made this purchase to get some relief on the golf course, besides staying hydrated with more water than usual. Otherwise, it’s indoor activities and no golf. Boo hoo hoo.

My portable fan for the golf buggy

Vicious Cycle

14 May

The weather of late has been super wonky. It’s humid, raining, or hot like a furnace, and the pattern repeats. It’s a vicious cycle, I tell you. It’s tough, especially when we want to play golf.

An early morning or afternoon tee-off cannot escape the conditions. Most days, it would rain in the afternoon so heavily that the fairways were soggy the next day. And golfing on soft fairways is not fun.

Then there are days that it is so humid and hot that my brain feels fried! I cannot wear my hat. Instead, I use my umbrella, but I end up being so tan – it’s not fun either! It’s a vicious cycle.

Derailed

2 Apr
Slight drizzle was enough to derail the golf momentum

Just when you thought the hot weather was here to stay to make golf outings hot and humid, it rained this morning to spoil things. The siren did not go off because there was no electric charge in the air. We had no choice but to tee off and play on.

It threw me off in every department when it came to ball striking. Maybe it was the air and the dampness. And for the life of me, my putting skills failed me miserably. After averaging 30 putts for the last few games, the record turned ugly with 38 putts this morning. Ugh, and double ugh.

However, I should not worry too much because the playing conditions were abnormal, with the weather throwing us off. So I shouldn’t retire my Scotty Cameron putter. And it’s not even a setback with the unfortunate outing.

Come Saturday, another game awaits. So, let’s hope the momentum returns.

A Washout

8 Mar

It has been raining lately, unusual for this time of the year after Chinese New Year. So, whenever it rains, planning laundry is hard; likewise, playing golf in the afternoon.

Yesterday’s afternoon game was a washout. We managed to complete only nine holes. Very unsatisfactory, if you asked me. But I try to take the positives from the shortened round, where the short game and putting improved. It was so much better compared to the previous outing on Tuesday. And I caught up with my golf buddies, which was more important than the game itself. I have not seen them since before the Chinese New Year festivity.

On the brighter side of the weather, the rain cools down the temperature and is more bearable. However, this won’t last, as the Weather app has predicted sunny conditions for the next few days. Brace for the biting heat again!

Short Game Setback

5 Mar

After playing two decent games with good putting (31 putts), today’s game was just the opposite. What happened?

It is darn right demoralizing when things do not go as planned. My short game was off, while the putting was not any better. Today, I did 38 putts! Yikes. And to add salt to the wound, I had six three-putts, missing several short putts. Horrible.

I hope all these, especially the short-game errors, are temporary. On a brighter note, my tee-off has improved. A slight tweak to my setup had me averaging at least 30 meters more than before! I am most impressed with myself with this newfound ability.

Now, if only I could say the same about my short game and putting. I have another game lined up to fix all these. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will hold for the afternoon game.

Slow Recovery

30 Jan

After all that medical calamity last week, I’m facing a slow recovery to get back on my feet. But I should not wallow at home in my misery. Instead, I decided to play some golf and get some sun. A little bit of Vitamin D might do me wonders. And wonder I certainly did.

I could not tee off because my rhythm was off. After nine holes, I managed to score a pathetic seven Stableford points! Never have I been so out of synch in my game. When an illness takes so long to overcome, all the muscle memory is gone, and the body is too weak to play decent.

I wondered if I made the right decision to return to golf so soon. Oh well, with another nine holes to go, I might as well plow on. After all, I had good company this morning.

Suddenly, things clicked, and before I knew it, I went from scoring zeroes to birdie, bogey, and birdie! Wow. What just happened? The birdies were on Hole 1, a Par 4, and Hole 3, a Par 5! Woohoo. I have never had two birdies in a game before. And it sure felt nice this morning!

The tonsillitis is gone, but there’s still some throat irritation, causing tiredness. It is a slow recovery indeed. With the weather getting hotter these days–gone are the continuous rainy days–I better be mindful more than ever to stay hydrated to take care of myself regardless of activities. Staying healthy is a number one priority for me these days.

First Game of the Year

9 Jan

After a two-week break from golf to recover from the nasty cough, I played my first game of the year this morning. The cough is at the tail-end, and I might as well go ahead and play to get some exercise. So, how did I fare?

It was more of an outing to catch up with friends and get some sun, but the sun was not even out! The morning was gloomy, peppered with light rain now and then. And when the sun did peak out, it was darn hot! Sigh.

A two-week break causes a lot of muscle memory loss. I could not swing my clubs well because my rhythm was way off. The tee-off was erratic, the long game was short, and the short game was off the mark. And the putting, I won’t elaborate further. Oh well, I expected this outcome. I take heart that although the rhythm was out, I did not lose a single ball, a small positive consolation.

Maybe once I’m back to playing more regularly, my golf mojo will return to normal. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for this to happen sooner rather than later. I play my next game on Thursday, and we will find out the performance then.

Merry Christmas 2023

26 Dec

Merry Christmas, everyone! It has been a low-key festive time for us because of the wet rainy season. When it rains constantly, the mood is not there to do anything! Luckily, we did most of our Christmas shopping online, capitalizing on the 11.11 and 12.12 online sales blitz, and there was no need to go to the mall at all.

As usual, the family had our Christmas dinner on the Eve, and it was a good spread of choices. I baked a pork tenderloin and called it a ‘Pork Log’ because of its sheer size to feed 16 people!

The Pork Log process. I cut off a portion to fit the Pyrex!

Initially, I was fickle-minded about what to make, as recipe ideas kept popping up on my Facebook news feed. The final dish was my third choice after two earlier attempts at something different.

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful time, and let there be peace. Merry Christmas once again!