Happy 2nd Birthday, KL!!

Jan 24th, 2008.

Me back! Back from spending a few days with my grandaughter & fmly. As mentioned in my previous entry, KL, ie my grandaughter, celebrated her 2nd Bday on 22nd Jan. My other half & I made the trip to spend some time with KL & hopefully had brought a few more smiles and some extra happy moments to her.

Now to share some pics...

KL's 2nd Bday cake...in tune with the season...a Mickey Mouse decor cake! And KL kinda saying to herself, "Hey! How come the cake is so soft wan...?"And here is a happy...smiling...playful KL...

Happy 2nd Birthday, KL!

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to KL...

Happy Birthday to you!!

Pluses & Minuses...

Sunday 20th Jan :

What can I say...life will forever remain a mystery to me. Life is forever full of pluses & minuses...ups & downs...no way we can predict nor stop things from happening. Sort of like enjoy or suffer the ride as we go along...acceptance appear to be the key these days...

Pluses? My HZ period is fully over! Confirmed by our fmly doc. But marks remain & will be there for some time, it seems. A kinda reminder...? Pic below...the marks still around...today!Car alternator, which is now a recon unit, appears to be working ok...charging when it should. No starting problem now in the mornings. However, the "clunking" or "clonking" sound is still around...esp audible at low revs. It does not increase with increase in engine revs. Sort of drowned out then. So me am still wondering what is causing that sound emanating from the recon alternator. Maybe me should follow the saying..."Let sleeping dogs lie". Or maybe "Not touch what is not broken"? Not matter really. Gotta bear & live with it...for now at least. Maybe when me am financially more capable, a really new alternator would be best.

Now, is that a plus or a minus? To me, it's both a plus & a minus...haha!

Best plus to-date is there's $$ in the bank! Yup, it's that day of the month again. As a matter of fact, 1 day earlier than scheduled tho. But a real welcome sight to see in one's online account...was truly & practically dry...down to single digit stuff, in fact!! Phew! Bad month...need to really recover...

Tomorrow is our day of travel. Yup, time to make a trip to Taiping. Our grandaughter, KL, will be 2 years old on Jan 22nd. Happy Birthday, KL!! Sincerely hope you can still recognise us tho...hehe...the once-a-mth grandpa & grandma!

Will post a pic or 2 of KL when me back, ok? Till then, hv a great week ahead!

The week that was...

Monday 14th Jan:
Phew! The week that just passed was truly an eventful & hectic one...albeit with a few heartaches along the way.

First of all, the episode with the car battery did not end where my last entry ended. Simply because my car couldn't be started the very next day in spite of a 2nd NEW battery! Now all fingers were pointed at the alternator...the only likely culprit! Family mbers agreed, without any hesitation, from their own past experiences. One even challenged me that she was right thru a bet which she never throws! Ha ha!

So, I was up early on 12th Jan morning & decided to take my trusty "steed" over to a new workshop...one that supposedly specializes in car electrics. The boss, a Mr L, after listening to my grouses, also felt it was the alternator and a test with his meter proved true. A recon alternator was installed. Cost? RM150 incl labour & a new belt cos the orig just couldn't accomodate the larger recon alternator pulley. Well, the real test would be the next morning...

(Note: Frankly, between you & me, I would NEVER send my car to that workshop ever again! Atrocious workmanship! Imagine...a worker who has never done such a job was put to attend to my problem...he did not even know how to remove the old alternator nor the belting! On my enquiry, he admitted he had just recently started working there besides a few other shocking revelations!)

The final letdown (hopefully so) came that same 12th Jan night...a chip came off my right upper filled molar while me was flossing my teeth b4 brushing them! My heart practically dropped! Luckily it was just a small piece and it was felt that it was not big enuf to cause any problems for the time being. Follow-up treatment can thus be delayed till a later more convenient date. Month had been terrible enuf for th head, heart and even the pocket !

13th Jan was another early morning rise for me. And it brought good tidings. My ole junk started at first crank! A real relief, it was. However, the recon alternator was making some kind of clanking noise. Felt no point going back to lodge any complaints cos it is, after all, a recon unit...an old unit. Like most ppl would say, as long as it works...

Above : The 2nd new Yokohama battery and the recon alternator installed.

13th Jan, the next morning, me decided it's time to have better things in our lives...to breakaway from this chain of bad moments and fill our lives with happier thoughts, feelings & environment. So, after an early breakfast, it was...Tesco, SP...Here we come!! Next was the usual Giant on the other side of town. Lunch was at a nearby coffee shop near to Parkson's. Finally, life looks & feels so much better...refreshing, to say the least!

Well, that day and that week ended well. Like ppl also believed, bad things come in threes...and then the good things follow...sincerely hope so...

I'm really looking forward to a better if not great new week ahead. Have a great week yourselves, too!

Update...Thur 10 Jan 2008

Should I update with not-so-good news first or the better news first?

Well, like in similar situations played out in movies, I should start with the not-so-good news so that this entry would end with better & more welcomed news.

Ok...the new battery for my ole junk. After installation that day, the car started instantly aand it worked fine when we went out to run some errands in town. After that, the car was left idle for the rest of the day & night.
The next morning, bright & early, me went to the car & pressed the "On/Off" button on my car alarm to open the driver's door. Nothing happened. Total silence. Thought maybe the problem was my alarm remote control. Tried with that of my other half. Same silence. Oh No! Don't tell me the battery is all dead again...

Yup, true enough. I opened the driver's door manually & the alarm did not go off! Bad sign. Put the key into the ignition switch & turned it to the Acc. position. No lights on the instrument panel...not even the clock was working! Really bad news! Popped up the hood & used my multimeter to check on the battery voltage...only abt 2V...battery is dead! Truly dead!!

Somehow, I had a feeling in my guts that probably one of my recent added "gadgets" might be the root cause of the battery draining off. So me removed the VS unit. Guess what I saw? A wet patch underneath the unit. 1 or more of the capacitors must have leaked! That probably resulted in a short circuit and killed the battery.

No choice now but to make a call to my friendly neighbour, Mr C. Used his car to jumpstart my ole junk once more. However, when the car was running after a successful start, me tested the CD cum radio player. Discovered that the output was intermittently off...something must be wrong with the amplifier unit. On checking, the remote cable was kinda loose. Tightened it. Same difference! The amplifier on/off red LED was seen to be going off & on. Figured the amp must also be faulty. Disconnected its power source & speaker connections and re-connected the original ones. The playback was instantly great & continuous...albeit with less Oomph...

With that done, it was felt that the root causes of the battery drain had been solved. So off me went to the shop where the new batt was purchased. It was confirmed there that my car alternator appears to be working fine but the batt was FLAT. That batt was kindly replaced w/o any hesitation! That's great after-sales service!!

Well, we took the car out for a similar test run like before. Ran a few errands. So far so good. In the late afternoon, me tested the car again. Instant start. Voltage looked fine on the multimeter. Just now, after dinner, me took the car out for a night test...with lights, aircon & CD Player on. Still looking good. Finally a check on the voltage. Abt 12V.

The final test would be tomorrow morning! If my ole junk can start normally, it would be just beyond words to describe my feelings after all that has happened. Wish me luck...

Now for the better news...hehe...

Simple. My "shingles" appear to be much improved. Pls see pic below. Pain is gone. Just a slight discomfort. Redness & "bumps" are still around tho. No formation of expected "blisters". Felt the HZvirus was stopped in time b4 they went "wild"...haha! Our fmly doc gave me the med for another 3 days, with assurances that I would be ok soon. Marks, however, would remain for some time tho.

So, if all goes well...namely my car batt & my "shingles"...we would be able to share our grandaughter, KL's Bday on 22nd Jan.!! Let's keep our fingers tightly crossed for that to come true. A few prayers, perhaps? Should know for sure in abt 3 days...

A Not-so-good Start...

Wed 9th Jan.

What can I say? Life is a rollercoaster?

For me, in this 1st month of 2008, me thought things would go smoothly cos my first planned move was to replace my ole junk's Timing Belt & Water Pump...as mentioned in my earlier post. Well, that one went fine altho the replaced belt wasn't of the same source. Now still a Proton product but a Made in Singapore version. Hopefully it's just as reliable tho. Total expenditure came to a whopping RM547.23! Included an optional replacement of the air-con pulley bearing tho - RM25.

What happened next was unexpected! That same evening, me wanted to go get a mobile prepaid reload card. Got into the car. Switched on the ignition. Then a click & nothing else! My ole junk just won't start!! No lights, No horn, no nothing! Battery kaput! Sudden death! Too late to do anything...

On the next morning, called our friendly neighbour, Mr C. He helped ferry me to the nearby Tyre & Battery shop. Bought me a new Yokohama battery. RM185 now! It was only RM120 a couple of years back...

Replaced the dead battery and the sweet sound of my ole junk coming to life was a great feeling!
That was not the end of my calamities. I have had what appeared to be like insect bites on my forehead & scalp for the past 3 days or so. The swellings & redness of the areas refused to subside in spite of my applying our "miracle" med.

No choice but to visit our friendly family doc. At first look only, our doc exclaimed...you have Herpes Zoster! Simply put...Shingles...in layman's term. Phew!Pic above shows what I can show...hehe...on my forehead. Can't show those on my scalp tho. Doc warned me not to get near any of my grandchildren. Fear of transferring the HZ virus to them esp if they have not had "Chicken Pox" yet. And that's another disappointment...

My grandaughter, KL, would be celebrating her 2nd Bday on Jan 22nd. And with this advisory, me just can't risk going & sharing the joy in person! So so sorry, KL...

Sincerely hope that my rollercoaster would be on its way up the tracks soon if not now...

Happy New Year 2008!!

Bye bye to 2007....And Welcome, 2008!! Happy New Year, everybody!!

A New Year...hopefully, a better year...

2007 ended well for Lot 10 OFH cos it received unexpected visitors! Yup, my son & fmly came visiting...unannounced! Both were happy to see our 2 other grandkids...J & Jan. Haven't seen them for quite some time. J is in Std 3 this year while Jan is going to her first kindy. Tks, EJ, for still remembering us...

2008 has brought MORE dust...our house is now forever covered with a layer of fine dust! If mopped, it would be no different just an hour or so later. I practically have given up maintaining a dust-free floor! Now me would do so just for the exercise...haha!

The cause of all the dust? You got it! Same ole on-going construction opposite our place...till October 2009! The pace of construction has quickened...see present scenario now...below :

Lot 10 is getting ready for CNY 2008...the year of the Rat! A small step. New lanterns were kindly donated by EJ during his recent visit...the old ones were already 2 years old and faded badly.
Don't think Lot 10 would be changed much with escalating costs of most items everywhere. Moreover, our little "piggy" is more full of air than what should be in it. Like my other half said recently...

think of those who do NOT even have a mattress to sleep
on....

The "wise" one has spoken. How true...

Nothing much has happened since my last entry. Have been a good boy. Rber...No petrol how to move? Hehe...

Moreover, our ole junk needs a major ops. Replacement of its timing belt & water pump. Kinda overdue now according to advice by most ppl & in car forums. So far so good. Plan to get it done on Jan 7th when me am free again to "sign"...hehe... Thank God for such little things in life as a credit card! Has kept me going all this while. Really a "Never leave home without it" item. Use it wisely & it does help you get thru life...independently. Just don't sign yr life away... haha!

Well, the new year is just starting...let's be positive abt what we have to face & go thru. May yours be as good as if not better than what me am hoping for mine & ours!

Happy New Year!!