Upgrading of Lot 10?

Thur 290410

Yup, of late there had been hardly any activity in Lot 10 OFH. That inactivity could have been due to many reasons. However, the most prominent being that of the application of the "Need & Want" philosophy...

And yup, the "want" for a better tool to seal fresh foods eg meat, fish, etc for proper storage in our fridge became a "need" after me took over the affairs of the kitchen while the other half was temporarily unable to perform her daily control of her prized domain. I had found it very inconvenient to seal such foods in assorted plastic bags, to be stored in our freezer & refrigerator sections of our fridge while using the sole kinda tiny battery-operated sealer unit previously bought by my other half from the nearby wet-market.

And so it was, during our first walk-walk session (after her full recovery) yesterday that we kept our eyes open for and finally bought an electrically-operated impulse sealer unit c/w adjustable heating control knob to accomodate varying thicknesses of plastic bags to be sealed. Fast & Easy! Cost? RM49.90. Here it is ...the box it came in & the device itself!Nice? And yup, it came with a spare heating element, too! And of course, like most things these days, it's a Made in China item....

The second "need" arose after we had a scare the other day after a close shave with the flash flood that had taken place then after a heavy prolonged downpour. The flood waters came up just less than 2 inches before it would have inundated our "living room" or hall area!! Our makeshift preventive measures then might or might not have worked...

All this while the best advice we've had was to use a 4"x2" solid wood bar put across our main door frame and sealed with plasticine. However that idea, although practical & proven to work by a former colleague, was kinda KIV-ed because there wasn't that "need"...as yet then!

But now, there IS!!

And so it was that both inmates felt that procrastination should not pre-dominate any more. We went out and bought 1 long wooden bar 4"x2" of 10ft length which was then sawed into 2 pcs of 56" each at the shop.

A minor shaving off at each end of the 4x2" bars had to be carried out before they fitted snugly as in pic below...plasticine would be used to seal off the gaps between the floor & the sides of the door frame as & when the need arises.

Well, what do you think? Would it work? Sincerely hope so...

But at the same time, we are hoping that we really, really would not need to use it though...

Anyway, it's still only a stop-gap measure. The only permanent cure is for the collapsed drain to be cleared and be capable of directing all rain water out to the main drain channel along the Wester By-pass main road.

However, that, my friends, appears to be kinda "politically dependent"...at the moment...phew!

Frankly, I had a talk with a few residents in our area recently and all the problems we are having now are caused by a few non-civic minded residents involved and the so-called leaders of our Residents Association who had claimed to be only concerned with the welfare of the DEAD than that of the LIVING!! A bunch of inactive, non-proactive group of ppl sitting on their laurels basking in the glory of the titles & positions they hold as officials of the Residents Association! Can they be that blind to the plight of the residents they are supposed to represent & whom they are supposed to care for?

May we be saved from such ppl & so-called "leaders" in our society...

What a day!!

Tue 270410

Yup, what a day it was! Mon 26th April....

And yup, it first poured & poured! Rained cats & dogs...idiomatically & literally. Then there was lightning & thunder. Like never heard nor seen before!

Out of fear & as a precautionary measure, me disconnected our satellite dish antenna input cable from its decoder module. Our old lightning isolator unit was faulty recently & had to be discarded. It has then cut signal strength down to only 55%. Upon its removal, the signal jumped up to 71%, a whopping 16% increase! So, if you're experiencing any inferior signal strength of your Astro services, that would be a good area to investigate.

Anyway, what happened next put paid to any hope of even watching any program on Astro!

Yup, the ensuing storm, probably a lightning strike, brought down a whole huge branch of a giant tree just behind our block! (See pic of tree & fractured branch)

That, in turn, brought down a couple of power cables! Total power failure for residents in our area! Total blackout! Just before 4pm.

Luckily it was kinda early with sufficient daylight...a bit gloomy though, as it was raining heavily!

And to add insult to injury, the long-time-no see flash flood occurred once more! Worse than before! It was just another 1 & half inches before waters entered our hall! Both ole inmates of Lot 10 OFH frantically made impromptu preparations to stop possible in-flow of flood waters! However, Thank God the rain kinda decreased in intensity and the waters began to recede. Lot 10 was saved!!

As it grew darker as time passed by, residents around were anxious as to when power supply would be resumed. Well, our anxiety was unfounded cos LLN ppl were soon on the scene to re-connect the broken cables! 2 of them had come down in an awesome display of "fireworks" witnessed by some residents near the area.

Well, the pics show those LLN workers hard at work making right once more those broken cables brought down by the fallen branch (in the background of the 1st pic)!

And very soon after, at almost 8:30pm, there was LIGHT! Literally! Phew! Yup, you don't miss what you have until you don't have it...

Today the rains came once more but not heavy nor long enough to create any such havoc as yesterday.

Frankly, it's no joke to be living under such uncertain conditions. Especially when the root cause of the flash floods can be eradicated with positive action by relevant authorities. Whilst sharing information with other more informed residents, it appears that a RM50k allocation has been set aside to clear & make good again the collapsed drain which is preventing the outflow of water from our ares.

Now, the so-called "million ringgit (dollar)" question is...when will work ever start, if at all?

Some say maybe before the next general elections?

Well, your guess is as good as anyone's...

UPDATE @4:30pm :

And yup, it did rain again...later today! After the above entry was submitted. Updated pic shows the other end of the road in front of Lot 10. A snapshot taken while me was standing outside Lot 10.

And yup, you saw correctly...it was & still is flooded! Even after a few minutes of not so heavy downpour. Our front drain was full to the brim! But luckily, it didn't overflow its "banks" this time around.

Now, when will all this end?

Once again, your guess is as good as anyone's...

A new beginning...a new chapter....

Mon 26 April 2010

Yup, it's a new beginning and an opportunity to start a new chapter in our lives in Lot 10 OFH...

And yup, our "long lost son" finally found his way home...after more than 2 years!

Last Sat, ie 240410, he & fmly came on a "delayed" visit...delayed due to "unexpected" events which were inexplicable but acceptable. As many had advised, a parent has to exhibit & practise love without boundaries...

And so I did. To achieve happiness for both ole inmates of Lot 10 OFH.

As it was, the shortened visit was a success. We went for dinner, as a family once more, at Georgetown White Coffee in AS Mall, before they left for Penang. The heavens poured just before that departure. Maybe the heavens were kinda emotional, too? It was the first step taken by our son, who walked through the open door that we had provided during my other half's hospitalisation period. Thank God for that...

The future? Only time will & can tell...and so we put our trust & faith in God's hands...for He had answered our prayers & so it will be for Him to continue to shower his blessings upon this small family...

And, of course, my other half appears to have fully recovered from her recent ordeal...and hopefully, none the worse for it! She is scheduled for an appointment with the Taiping CA Hospital consulting physician on 14th May. And so, Flemington Hotel, here we come....from 13/5 to 15/5...and hopefully, a true clean bill of health for her!

The medical appointment was re-scheduled so that this ole man & his ole junk would not be overly stressed with too many trips within such a short period of time. Thanks, EL, for making the changes possible!

On 15/5, it's down to Penang from Taiping for a wedding reception by 1 of our nieces who would be holding a 2nd reception @G Hotel in Malaysia for her relatives & friends. Her actual marriage would have taken place in Australia at an earlier date. Congrats, M!!

We'd be staying the night at our fav niece's place in Penang before returning to AS the next morning.

Well, it looks like May is gonna be a busy month...busy with such happenings when most months are kinda quiet.

Have a great week, ok? Stay safe & healthy always!

All's well that ends well....

Mon 19th Apr 2010

Yup, it's the good ole saying that

"All's well that ends well...."

And yup, my other half has been confirmed clear of whatever infections she had that caused all the problems and her admission to PMC that early morning on 3rd April...

This was so confirmed via a no. of blood & urine tests plus medical examination by the Consulting Physician @CA Hosp, Taiping as per recommendation by our daughter there. We went to Taiping on 140410. Stayed the night @Flemington Hotel in the Lake Gardens area. Appointment with the physician on 15th morning.

Well, what can I say? Good news will always be good news! The physician gave her the "All Clear" sign...and the rest was a short holiday in Taiping...enjoying the amenities of the newest hotel in Taiping! Here are a few pics of the room we stayed in, c/w Internet access & LCD tv...And, of course, the most important part of any room....the bed!! A King-sized bed was our first request...for good sleep...

And yup, what you can ony see is HALF of the bed!! Ha ha! So that you can see the side table with the cute little lamp! And phone....

Well, for RM148 nett per night, it was worth it. With a lakeside view from our full-sized window/outer wall...

As there were a few other values in her blood test results which needed further investigations, we were given an appointment for a review on 12th May. Well, Flemington...we'll see you again...soon!!

As is, my other half is slowly but steadily on the road to full recovery. We thank God for answering all my prayers each night she was warded!! May God continue to bless these 2 ole inmates of Lot 10 & our warm little home...Amen.

Life is certainly a rollercoaster ride. And, as in any such ride, there will always be ups & downs. And in our recent unfortunate episode, there was also an up side to it. Our "long lost son" walked thru the door that was opened to him to find his way back to his family! A small step but it was a beginning. And, hopefully, he would get God's guidance & find it in his heart to fully become part of this family once more. Only time will tell...

An update : Our former colleague & good friend who had been diagnosed with lymphoma in his CNS had just finished his 4th chemo session. We are eagerly & anxiously awaiting positive results of his ongoing treatments in KL. In the meantime, we sincere hope & pray that God would also hear & answer the prayers of his family, his loved ones & all his friends...

I'm kinda tired these days...the emotions and all experiences, both physical & mental, had taken their toll on this ole body. I will make more entries when this ole body is re-energised by the complete recovery of my other half and the accompanying happiness that follows.

I sincerely thank, with all my heart, all who had expressed their concern & support to both of us during those troubled times.

Have a great week ahead!

A thousand apologies...

Fri 090410

Yup, I know...I know....it's been a long time since there was a new entry. A thousand apologies....

Yup, I'm truly sorry that I was really unable to find the time nor the mood to write about anything. It's simply because my other half, my dearest wife, has been sick...so much so that she had to be admitted to our local private hospital, PMC, since 3rd April. An unknown fever that kept on coming back...

Every suspected probability was tested but confirmed negative! Truly a mysterious cause...

The good news is that she's now home but still an outpatient. Her doc consented to her discharge from the hospital (yesterday) but she had to return daily for 2 IV (intravenous jabs) of the prescribe antibiotic. This would be till Sunday morning when her doc would have a review of her case.

Do join me is wishing her a speedy complete recovery so that these 2 ole inmates can continue on their last lap through Life, hand in hand...healthily & happily...

One very good event happened during this unfortunate episode of bad health. Yup, you would never have guessed it...

With my other half's consent, a door of opportunity was opened for my "long lost son" to find his way back into the Tan Family! And yup, to cut a long story short & minus a few minor disappointments along the process, he finally did what he should have done eons ago and we were finally re-united! More than 2 years later...

The first & most important "hurdle" has been crossed. Now let's hope what follows would be just as encouraging & fruitful. And that the son whom we had known, cared for & loved all these years, would finally find his way home....

Thanks to He who is all-knowing & compassionate!! Amen.

ps. me will be temporarily off-line till my other half is completely out of the woods...sorry!

A sigh of relief...

Thur 010410

Yup, both inmates of Lot 10 OFH heaved a great sigh of relief! And yup, there was the worrrying fact that my other half might have something serious brewing affecting her health because her fever had been very "stubborn" and had already persisted for 3 days...

There was even the possibility of having to have her admitted to hospital. I even toyed with the idea of taking her all the way to Taiping, with the hope of presumably better care & facilities available. The latter was shelved due to uninviting circumstances though.

And so it was that it was suggested & finally found wise & appropriate that she took relevant blood tests to eliminate all those possibilities. She did so this morning.

And when the results came in the afternoon, they confirmed that she was negative for Dengue fever and also that her blood counts & other values and indicators did not point to anything seriously infectious! No pneumonia even! Phew! No words could ever describe both our feelings! Thanks a meg, doc! And thanks more so for your personal interest, concern & good advice!

That's one "hurdle" in our lives crossed. Thank God for his blessings upon these 2 ole folks and for the bonus days ahead!

Well, it's raining now. Fear of a possible flash flood is back! Blockage to a section of the drain that contributed to the poor outflow of rainwater was partially cleared by a few good & civic-minded residents. However, the collapsed section of the drain needs to be rectified before there will ever be a permanent solution.

Until then, whenever there is heavy rain, there will always be a fear of overflowing of that drain & therefore, flash floods! Buck up, MPKS!

We do have a Residents Association but they hardly ever attend to residents' problems...none that we could see anyway...

BTW here's wishing one & all a very Happy & Special APRIL FOOL's Day today! However, from what I've observed in recent years, such a special day that was so enjoyable & de-stressing in my youth is no longer practised by this generation...