A nice ending to a great month!

Sat 301010

Yup, a very short post here to make it a great ending to a great month! My Birthday Month! October 2010.

And yup, it was a simple, yet very meaningful addition to all the purchases (gifts) this month from my other half...an original Blu-ray disc pack!

And it was decided that we should get the latest available here, namely Iron Man 2 Special Edition (2-disc pack).

Cost? A whopping RM149! Now we really have a genuine original set of discs to view to our ultimate entertainment pleasure...

Like me said before, a fitting & great ending to a great month!

Thank you all for all the good wishes...no wonder I got to be so happy this time around! TQ...TQ...TQ!

That's it for now. Have a great weekend!

A good match & companion...

Mon 251010

Yup, a good match & companion...for our latest Samsung UA32C4000P LED TV!

And yup, it's a Panasonic Blue Ray Player, Model DMP-BD45GA-K! What can I say? It's simply that the HD Ready LED TV is kinda incomplete w/o a Blue Ray Player ie what's the point of having a HD Ready TV when one does not have any way to watch HD movies on it? True?

That particular BR player model was found to be on offer for RM499 ie down from its original price of RM999! As the offer was only till the end of this month, me had to make a fast decision then. It was a BIG "Yes!" And fully supported by my other half...Thanks a meg, MDB!!

Here are a couple of pics...the box in which the unit came so that you can see the item more clearly; and of course, the slim unit itself installed just below the LED TV (Check out the display on the TV!!) :
Don't they look so well-matched?

And of course, the unit by itself with its remote. ( This pic was courtesy of one of the reviews in the Net.)

Well...again...what's the point of having a Blue-Ray Player & a HD Ready TV when there are NO HD movies to watch?

And so it was that a special trip was made to Star Parade where I knew there were video shops selliing "fake real" BR discs! Just can't afford originals! The latest original BR discs of "Iron Man 2" is selling for RM149!!! Other old movies cost around RM70+ each!! Phew! Now where can I ever afford throwing such precious & hard-saved $$$ for just ONE movie? Could have even gone to the cinema to watch it on huge screens for at least 18 times & that even with $$ left over for snacks!!

To cut a long story short, I managed to select a couple of movie titles which we've not watched yet. And these cost me only RM25 each!

Well, that should last us at least a couple of weeks till we go hunting for new titles...hehe....

To end this post, Lot 10 had 3 visitors last weekend, namely KL & family. As always, such times spent with KL were hectic...especially for this ole inmate. Watch out for new pics that me took of KL recently in her slide show...sincere apologies for the delay...this ole man needs time to recover. Haha!

October this year has been a great month for Lot 10 inmates...if only it lasts & lasts so...

So here's me wishing you guys a great week ahead!

When I was 56...

Wed 201010

Yup, when I was 56 only for yesterday...

And yup, it was yours truly's special day in the year! And yup, I turned 56 or was it the other way around? Frankly, if only it was the reverse...haha!

The day was just great!

However, so as not to bore you with all my probably so-called "exaggerations", here's a brief summary of that nice day...

1. On waking up, me found a nice angpow on my work table! From my other half! With great, sincere & loving wishes written all over it. A truly fat angpow. Tks a meg, MDB!!

2. A special trip to mark the day. "Pak Tor-ing" at SP. Toured Giant...had favourite Roasted Duck rice with Fried Kangkong with sambal prawan...then toured Tesco, SP.

3. Had a surprise call from our fmly doc...a new loaf of my fav "Stupid Bread"!! Reached A/S in time to collect it lo...Tks a meg, Doc!!

4. Went shopping...my other half had so happily & graciously consented to getting muah an item to add to our Master Bedroom...as a special Bday present! A huge one...fulfilling my latest "dream" to bring our common interest up2date...to an even higher level, namely a new LED TV! Not the usual run-of-the-mill LCD, ok?

Yup, we finally decided on a Samsung UA32C4000 unit. It was a close fight between it & a Philips 32PFL5605S/98. Specs wise, there was a huge difference.. eg the greatest diff was that the Philips was a Full HD set whereas the Samsung was only an HD Ready set (Resolution wise)! Price wise it was even RM50 cheaper for the Philips although it was a better specs model!

Decision was only made after about 2 hours examining both models & viewing changes in views at different settings...using Astro B'yond channels as the source of HD signals. Ultimately the Samsung won!!

Reasons why we chose the Samsung? It's ultra slim & modern design with its very friendly UI including its many other useable features which the Philips did not have. Besides those, we had a very satisfying & great year with our now "old" Samsung 22" LCD TV. And many many more plus points...

Well, here it is now sitting so cosily where our former Samsung 22" LCD TV was...

Nice? Yup, and big enough for our Master Bedroom, too! Really nice in real life!

Muah finally got every setting needed fully set up & going by 1:30am!! Phew! My Bday was a really long day...a day that me just refused to let it pass!

No way, right? Yup, it has passed...

Well, what can I say? A day that me will remember for years to come!

Happy Happy Bday to me!!

ps. And what would be my wish for my next Bday? ATM it would be a Full HD LED TV for our lounge area...hehe...wish me luck!!

The proverbial "Last Nail in the Coffin..."

Fri 151010

Yup, the proverbial "Last Nail in the Coffin" has been hammered right in...today!

And yup, that literally meant that it's now 100% confirmed that none of our children nor their families would be visiting these 2 ole folks @ Lot 10 OFH to celebrate this ole man's special day of the year which would fall sometime soon...

And yup, as that special day falls on a working day, it had been ( and now, too ) wrongfully assumed that Lot 10 would be privileged to receive at least a visit from those "kids". But, alas, like all OFHs & their residents, such visits are never the norm but considered a rare "luxury" which their kids feel only possible at their whims & fancies...and yup, certainly not a matter of the heart nor feelings associated with their blood ties.

Sad? Pitiful? Unbelievable? Probably all those BUT true!!

If you've read the story that's been circulating in the Net for quite a while.... "The Boy & The Apple Tree"??....then you would be nodding your head in agreement.

And how true...Parents of such "kids" are taken for granted, used to satisfy their needs at every stage in their lives...until their parents have nothing left to give! At the extreme end, such parents are even "non-existent"! As if being parents, they have no needs, no problems and eternally healthy & will live forever! How we, as parents, really wish if only that were true...

Well, like it or not, that's Life As Is...

Ever since my realisation of this "Reality of Life As Is", I've always advised the young to "NEVER grow old..." As if that is humanly possible...if you get what I mean...haha!

Let them then look into the "Mirror of Life" at themselves when they do reach our age & situation...

And so I end this entry with the hope & prayer that your Life As Is has not been, is not & will not be even near to what is narrated above...

ps. On a more positive note, maybe it's God's way & His blessings to these 2 ole folks to have their lives back...to be as they were during those good ole "Pak Tor" (dating) days of yesteryears? Would be a happy thought to cherish, wouldn't it?

To those who had been following this Blog, it was the exact same situation during my other half's birthday in August. And with God's blessings, we both had a memorable day doing what we do best...spending time together...happily!

I will do my best to count my blessings...to remind myself that I am still of sound mind, independent and in reasonably good health...still mobile! And with a great "Kay Pa" to take care of our financial aspects.

Thank God for His kind blessings...Amen.

After 10.10.10...

Mon 111010

Yup, it's after 10.10.10 today....it's 11.10.10 already...

And yup, it was a quiet & peaceful 10.10.10...my wish come true in my life these days! This ole heart isn't built for any more of those heartaches & stresses of younger days...

Anyway, the previous weekend was another wish coming true...my 2010 birthday wish!

What was that wish? To make my other half happy...

And it was doing for her what would make her happy, namely to spend time with our grandchildren...just like what me did for her many years back.

Well, first stop planned was in Taiping on Fri 8th Oct with an overnight stay to Sat 9th Oct. We arrrived in time for dinner with KL & family. And guess what? KL was all smiles & happy to see & have her grandmother around...and those smiles practically lasted our whole stay!! A very rare sight to behold on a child's face...all lit up throughout the evening & the next day! Not forgetting the shrieks of delight & happiness in the air...

It was really, really worth my efforts making that special trip!! I certainly wished that my body was not what it is today....because making that trip was no easy task!

My only regret for that weekend was that part 2 of what was planned for that weekend did NOT materialise!

Yup, it was supposed to be a visit (Sat 9th Oct - Sun 10th Oct) to our other grandchildren in Penang. To cut a long story short, it kinda fizzled out because it was supposedly NOT the "right" time to visit. A few reasons were given...easily rebuttable though. It's not like we have been visiting or staying in their place so often...it's like the FIRST time in about FOUR years!! And even so, I was the one "offering" to visit & stay...sad but true.

Well, what can I say? Normally, when one's kids grow up, marry & start their own families, their families, in reality, are extensions of the original family...growing larger. Alas, it is not so, unfortunately & sadly in my case which has seen not the gain of new families but losses!

Karma? Fate? Destiny? Call it whatever. Same difference. Life as is...one just has to accept and move on. I've learnt that in Life, especially when one grows old, one only gets hurt if one does not go with the "flow"....the ole "fighting cock" has to die or will be killed...literally!

Frankly, one cannot ever hope nor wish for what is not in the heart...and yup, the word "family" has different meanings to different ppl. Moreover, as ppl often quoted... "Times change...People change..."

Life as is...

ps. For a change & as part of my "giving" happiness theme, this Bday me gave my other half a special present...new specs c/w progressive lenses of the "modern tech" kind, namely Essilor Physio lenses! Total cost? RM1790...with a true full Titanium frame and a "cover-up" design Polaroid sunglasses! Her smile & happiness were like the whole world to me...if only I could do more for her...

I truly & sincerely thank God for opening my eyes...to Life As Is...

A month full of birthdays...

Fri 011010

Yup, October is a month full of birthdays...of my friends & former colleagues!

First on the list is Ms Theresa...the first of the "OKT" gang to celebrate her birthday. So here's wishing her all the very best with special wishes on her special day (today, 1st Oct) in the year...Happy Happy Birthday, Theresa!!

Next would be our Mr L's birthday ie on 3rd Oct. As you all know (those who've been following this Blog...), Mr L is presently in hospital fighting the dreaded "C". To him, our wishes for a successful fight with God's blessings!! Our hopes & prayers that you'll recover well enough to enjoy your special day...Happy Happy Birthday, Mr L !!

It would then be Yours truly's turn ...soon after that...hehe...

Only time will tell what's gonna happen when that day comes...maybe another back to "Pak Tor" days "Blast from the Past" happening? Haha!

And finally on 30th Oct, it would be another fellow "OKT" member...Mr LBH's turn! So another round of good wishes to our LBH for a very happy day with family & loved ones! Happy Happy Birthday to you, too, Mr LBH!!

Well, that about covers that!

Btw the drain repair works appeared to have been completed. Now we just need one heavy downpour for at least 30 minutes to confirm that that was the true & permanent "cure-all"...of the periodic flash floods in our area.

Have a great weekend!!