Visitors' weekend!

Tue 290909

Yup, last weekend was loaded with visitors to Lot 10! A rare weekend...I call it a "visitors' weekend"!

Sat 26th Sept saw a vanful of ladies who came all the way from Penang Island, arriving @Lot 10 as part of their itinerary on a trip they had planned to Kedah. Their stopover at Lot 10 was slotted for after lunch time. And yup, the group of 5 ladies was led by our fav SIL, the mother of our fav niece. Lot 10 was full of sounds & chatter for a couple of hours before a request to visit our aunt in A/S was fulfilled. The ladies left after dropping us back @Lot 10 on their return journey after visiting our aunt. Thanks a meg, ladies, for all the happy sounds that echoed through Lot 10 that great afternoon! Good "Feng Shui" indeed...

The following day, Sept 27...early in the morning...an sms announced a surprise visit by my other half's bro & his other half!

Supposed to be after breakfast, a call came in soon after which kinda disrupted our preparations to "wake up"...And yup, the couple had already arrived in A/S! They'd decided to skip breakfast but instead, to take it upon arrival! Another surprise...

Well, I went to meet them while they were having breakfast at a nearby "mamak" shop, had a drink with them and then led them to Lot 10. And yup, it's been more than 2 years since they'd come to A/S to visit, resulting in not knowing the way to Lot 10...haha!

The most part of that morning was spent sharing stories & misc roundtable chit-chat & news about relatives whom we all share. Lunch was at the recently opened Georgetown White Coffee Restaurant in AS Mall after a walk-walk session during which they presented us with box of nice special mooncakes...one of which was the unique BLACK mooncake made of Bamboo Charcoal & Chestnut filling. Here are pics of the package as well as what remained of the special black mooncake...haha!

Thanks alot, KY & LH!! Those mooncakes were truly special & delicious...a gift to remember...

Time after lunch was spent with another walk-walk session at Tesco Mergong. Ya lo...borrowing ppl's aircon lo....a hot afternoon lo...haha!

Finally, a video call was arranged to enable the couple to have a chat with their son in Australia, via Skype. Line wasn't too good cos connection was dropped many times.

Both of them left soon after as they had to be back in BM by dinner time to meet up with the rest of their family members. Tks a meg, KY, for making the effort to visit these ole inmates of Lot 10!

Our own dinner was had at Kg Perak...yup, taking our fav KS Mee!

Then it was back to the ole "idiot box" to keep us entertained for the rest of the evening...

A bz day...yup, it indeed was...

Sat 260909

Yup, Fri 25th was indeed a bz day! However, it started out like any other day in Lot 10 OFH BUT...

And yup, there's always that "But..." in our lives, right?

And in Lot 10, me just wanted to clean up that mess left behind by the recent "internal flood" that caused damage especially to certain items which were prone to water damage. The most affected were 3 utility shelves with doors in our dining area. Being made from compressed chipboard material, it literally "sucked in" water like a sponge!

Firstly, me removed their contents and tried to dry them out under the (luckily) hot sun that morning. Sadly though, only the newest unit could be saved. The other 2 were so badly damaged that even opening its lowest door practically tore it open like paper. The door just came off its hinges like me were Superman! Ha ha! No wonder though...These 2 units had undergone a previous round of water damage - from an earlier "internal flood" by the same causes!

Being a Friday, only 1 avenue was open as a remedy...buy new replacement units! And so it was that 2 new units were bought at the nearest mall, namely AS Mall. Total cost? Almost RM120! We literally "sapu-ed" the only units available for sale...

The new units were really nice. Better than the old ones. Nicely coloured, too! Sky Blue. Have a look see...

Nice? Me not wrong, right? Yup, the new ones are the extreme right & left ones...the middle multi-coloured one is the one that me managed to save.

And yup, those 2 new units truly brightened up that corner in our dining area. So we can honestly say that this unfortunate event did have its good side, too. Ha ha!

Well, that incident related above practically took up the whole day & early evening! The clearing, sun-ning, attempted repair/reconstruction, via "frankenstein-ed" parts, took the whole morning & afternoon. The assembly of the new DIY units was done after dinner. Phew!

Weekend is here again...and Lot 10 is expecting some visitors...hehe...bzee...bzee...bzee!

Wonders of the little "mouse"...

Thur 240909

Yup, that little "mouse" that's attached to our PC...what pure simple clicks on it could do!

What I'm referring to is what one can do right from & in the comfort of our homes! And, in this case, banking transactions. There is no more the need to dress up, drive over to the bank, find an empty parking lot, drop coins into the parking meter (if there is one), get into the bank, get a Q-number, wait for our turn and finally carry out the transaction(s). Then one has to do the reverse to get home. Right?

With Internet Banking facilities so easily available & secure (so far...since me started using such facilities...that was more than a decade ago! Ha ha!), one's life can be so much more pleasant with the ease of doing practically most of one's banking transactions ONLINE! Except, of course, getting cash out! For that one still has to go to the bank proper...or at least an ATM somewhere...

Well, what me successfully did this morning was to place an e-FD ie an electronic Fixed Deposit placement online. Not that me had a lot of $$$ but just for fun...just the minimum permissible sum. Anyway, it was plain sailing. Click on the right choice, get a TAC number (sent to my hp) and a few more clicks and voila! It's done! $$ flew from my savings account into a new e-FD acct in a matter of minutes! A hardcopy of the transaction was then printed out for my record-keeping purposes. The wonders of the little "mouse" ... and, of course, the Internet! Try it...if you haven't as yet...and you'd be amazed at the simplicity of it all!

And, of course, it would have been that much more fun if me had lots more $$$ to create more eFD accounts! Ha ha!

The day before, me did a few house-maintenance chores.

2 leaking rubber connecting cups at the back of 2 of our toilet bowls were replaced. Pl see pic on the left. Only 60 sen each.



A 2-gang switch, which had been giving problems for the past month or so, for the dining area was replaced with a new one bought from Parkson Ria in SP on our trip back from Taiping the other day. Cost? RM5.80.

And new "legs" - cut from PVC piping @ the plumbing shop - (to raise them by abt 4") for our hall display sets were obtained & installed as a safety measure in case of future "floods". A total of 12 "legs" were used. Cost? 12 x 70sen only.

The other day's "internal flood" due to the leaking pump tank forced temporary "upliftment" of the units. Sincerely hope not anymore though & this improvement of sorts can then be considered a "beautification" project...hehe...

And most of this morning was used up clearing the mould that had developed as a result of the damp surroundings & soaked area of the 3-level cabinets from the recent "internal flood". Mainly the bottom-most shelves of the 3 cabinets that we have.

Anyway, it's raining now....sincerely hope not have the likelihood of an "external" flood this time around...

A month of outings...

Tue 220909
(This entry was started on 210909, partially saved...but finally posted on 220909)

Yup, it's one of those rare special months...a month full of unplanned changes in one's routine. And yup, this 4th trip was scheduled for the coming Sat ie 260909 but, as most things in life, certain events fall into place whereas others have to be re-scheduled. A simple matter of adjust & adapt...simply put, it simply is plain "go with the flow" thingy!

So it was...we packed on Sun Sept 19th night and after breakfast on Mon 21st Sept, our trusty ole junk took us all the way to Taiping! And yup, it's our 2nd trip this month, too!

Reason? To celebrate ( in advance ) our SIL's Bday ( "S" as in Son. IL? You should be able to guess...hehe... ) which actually falls only on Sat 26th Sept.

A simple affair. An Ala Carte dinner at the newly-opened Flemington Hotel in Taiping. Well, food was good...yummy lamb chops! Atmosphere was also good. That's all that counts, right?

Best of the best was our value time spent with our fav grandaughter, KL And yup, you can say it again! 'Cause that's what made each long trip from AS to Taiping so worthwhile. Me will post a pic or two of KL during this visit ie if me can find a couple of good ones. Ha ha! So watch out for them in "KL in 2009" slideshow...soon, ok?

On the left is a candid shot (taken on 220909) of KL popping into her playset...a rare snapshot indeed!!

After an "experimental" brunch late this morning (220909) with KL & family, it was time to "balik kampung" like what most were doing today...the end of the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri holidays...

The journey back was kinda smooth...more cars /vehicles on the highway than usual, as expected. However, the downfall was when we passed AS (North) Toll Plaza...JAM!! We had hardly left the toll plaza when we were stuck behind a long, long line of cars & whatnots! We could hardly move!! Only 2 crossroads stood between us and our housing area. And guess what? It took us more than 34 mins to reach our housing area!! Normally, that would only take us about 6 mins...

Now both inmates are back in good ole Lot 10...Home Sweet Home!

Alamak! Lot 10 was flooded...

Fri 180909

Yup, the morning of Thur 170909 was certainly one to remember! It was when both inmates had the shock of their lives...

It started innocently enough...my other half heard a strange noise when she woke up that morning & went to our adjoining toilet. I was alerted but also could not place the inexplicable sound that was kinda loud but strange. Never heard before but for a moment sounded like water gushing into a tank?

It was first thought to be probably emanating from the roof where our main water tank was located. However, on more intensive focussing of our hearing, it wasn't from there but more like from downstairs...

And true enough, a huge surprise culminating in shock, was right in front of me when I reached the bottom of our stairs! Yup, the sound came from our water pump. Worse still...our dining area & hall were totally submerged in water from the leak...a jet of water shooting up from the pressurised tank of the pump against the inside of its cover!! Phew! And this pump is only about 1 year old...our last one lasted 4+ years! How very badly had quality deteriorated but not the price...which had gone up to more than RM500! Same brand even.

We had, all this while, feared the day when (because of continuous heavy rain...) flood waters from overflowing drains outside would eventually enter & flood Lot 10. Little did we know that the threat from within would occur first! Yup, No rain but Lot 10 was flooded!!

And thus began a long, long arduous task of turning off the water mains, plugging the leak & clearing that huge "pile" of water in both areas that were literally "under water". Whatever furniture that could be raised to prevent water damage, was attended to. Then only could the removal of water begin...

Water had to be literally scooped up using dustpans when towels were found incapable. Even a large squeegee was used. It was past lunch time when Lot 10 was finally "dry" again.

Me called up our fav plumber but he could not come till Sat due to work constraints caused by the very close festive season. I was given instructions on how to adapt & cope with the situation in the meantime.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. So 2 different kinds of "araldite" glue (that I had in stock) were used with a small metal piece to plug up the hole in the tank of the pump. A stop-gap measure that hopefully would last till Sat when hopefully the problem could be attended to by a professional.

But alas, that was not to be.

Another surprise literally came down onto our faces when we were partly through late lunch! Yup, water pressure was so great that it was a leak through the patch I had made onto the original leak. That resulted in a huge fountain-like spray, covering even part of our dining table area!

That was the last straw!

I took the only action feasible at that time. The pump was totally severed & removed from its connections! Simple. NO more leaks. Period. Cost? Only RM6.50... with lots of spare plumbing parts leftover...

And yup, we saved RM500+ this time around. A huge sum. Mainly cos pressure is now so good that a pump is practically redundant. Nice feelings. And of course, our $$ still safe in the bank! Ha ha!

Last night was a truly peaceful one in Lot 10. No big hole in pocket. Both slept like babies...or logs, whichever you prefer...hehe....literally KOed. Ha ha!

Well, today peace & tranquility returned to Lot 10...now dry as a desert. Life was thankfully normal once more.

Tomorrow is our planned trip to BM. To visit my other half's bro's family but more importantly to get her medication brought back from down under by our kind & helpful nephew. Thanks a meg, TCB! CU all then...

For better or for worse...

Mon 140909

For Better or for Worse...yup, that's the conclusion me had to make these last few days. Nope, not the one related to the "I do..." ceremony!

For one, ever since I found the medication that could help me sleep so much better, I'm more calm, more relaxed and more able to face a new future ahead with my other half! And yup, thanks to our family doc who intro me to that med...

The "life-saver"? Xanax. Yup, the very same one that the renowned MJ was taking. Thankfully, too, it's not the one that took his life!

However, there appears to be different but similar products of the active ingredient, namely Alprazolam. I was prescribed one which had Upjohn 55 embossed. But recently, I discovered that many others in my predicament had been taking a similar but probably, generic version...APO 0.5. Basically they all contain Alprazolam 0.5mg...an anti-anxiety drug.

And guess what? Me am fortunate enough to be able to get hold of a "reasonable" supply of the tabs...20 tabs, to be exact! A great boost to my confidence in facing the months ahead... considering the fact that me needed only 4 tabs a mth, at the most! You see, my doc would not give me more than just 3 tabs per mth...I had to truly ration my intake la...stressful, isn't it? And that med is supposedly to reduce such a condition?

And yup, I know...I know... But MJ was taking 20 tabs A DAY! So what's my 1 tab per week? It is truly comparatively INsignificant. Agreed?
Now it's no worries for at least 5 mths! A great feeling. Ha ha!

The 2nd issue is related to my ole junk. For the past months, my trusty ole junk had been giving me the vibes off & on whenever we travel at only around 40+kph. I had earlier had both the front wheels re-balanced because I'd noticed some "missing" balance weights on 1 wheel.

When the vibes persisted, it was diagnosed as worn drive shafts. Both were subsequently changed. The vibrations resurfaced and less than 6 mths later, it was diagnosed that there was more significant wear on the right drive shaft. It appeared that the replacement China-made products were unable to take the stress of an auto-gearbox. That bad? A new German-Taiwan product was found to replace the more worn right shaft. However, the vibes, which appeared diminished at the beginning, came back! Me raised the front of the car and checked the free play of both drive shafts. They appeared equal.

So, this morning me took my ole junk to have both its front wheels re-balanced. Actually one mechanic did hint on this possibility...saying vibes at that low speed were usually due to wheel imbalance. When me told him that the wheels were then just re-balanced, he replied that probably the balancing was not done well enough.

Well, that's done now. Cost? A measly RM8...compared to the hundreds me had paid for the drive shafts! The next few days would confirm if this remedy was the right cure...wish me luck!

A trip to BM is "scheduled" for this coming weekend. To get med brought back from down under for my other half. And, it's also an opportunity to visit my other half's bro & family. 3rd trip for this month. Then 1 more to go...

And finally, a new pic of KL taken recently, has been received (via mms) from KL's mom. And it's already posted in KL in 2009 slideshow. KL does look different in what her mom called her "silly" hat...phew! Check it out, ok? See the diff?

Have a good week, ok? Btw, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri to all our Muslim friends!

My First Encounter with "fresh" scallops...

Thu 100909

Yup, had my very first encounter with "fresh" scallops today! Previously I had taken special samples of good quality scallops in soup during CNY @ our fav niece's place. However, I then had no idea what it really was...yea, the dumbo that I was! Probably still am...haha!

Anyway, I eventually found out that it was a kind of shellfish. Now that made me wonder...could a shellfish have that kind of cylindrical body of springy (QQ) flesh? Do you know...?

Today me saw with me very own eyes that scallops were what they were...do see for yourselves in the pics me snapped with me same ole trusty N73 hp cam...Yup, now you also know...if you didn't earlier...

The first pic shows an opened up shellfish & a separate outer shell to show the true colour of its cover shell. The 2nd pic is a close-up of the white fleshy cylindrical QQ part which we eat...after cooking, of course...haha!

Well, like has been often repeated...we live we learn! And me learnt what a real scallop looks like in today's real life lesson!

And yup too...today my ole junk kinda got a "cooler" face. Its recently replaced front windscreen was improved by the addition of a heat-reducing tint film. Cost? There were 3 different grades of tint, namely RM150, RM250 & RM400. On valuable advice, I chose the RM150 which included cost & labour charges. It seems that unless I chose the RM400 one, the RM250 tint film would not produce noticeable reduction of heat. Finally, our generous Mr T, the shopowner/technician, who did the tinting, threw in a free upper darker strip of tint film! Thanks, Mr T!!

A short recap here...

Our recent trip to Taiping to visit KL & family was good...fun-filled esp when spending time with KL! And, of course, as tiring as ever, too! Ha ha! New pics of KL have been added for your viewing pleasure...

This month appears to be a month of trips! Yup, me going on a trip to Penang tomorrow. Next weekend, it'll be to BM. And the next next weekend, we'll be making our 2nd trip to Taiping...

Phew! Sincerely hope this ole man & his ole junk can take all the "hammerings" of such hectic journeys & be back in good ole Lot 10 in still reasonably good form! Ha ha again!

090909 - A very special day?

Wed 090909

Hi everyone!

Yup, today is kinda special in our lives...a date to remember? And yup, it's 090909...9th Day of the 9th Month of the 9th Year of this century!

So here's wishing one & all a very very Happy & Memorable 090909!!

Have a great day & may the future be one of Peace & Happiness for Mankind in this World of ours....

ps. Yup, me back in action but above will have to do for now...not wanna spoil a good day...hehe...

Sincere Apologies...

Thu 3rd Sept 2009

Hi...so sorry but me am on holiday in Taiping...haha!

Yup, me visiting our fav grandaughter, KL, & family....for a change...hehe....

So me will be back on "active duty" most probably late next week. And yup, me need the usual "recovery" period...if you know what I mean...haha!

Until then, have a great holiday yourself, too!