Goodbye 2011...

Tue 271211

Hi Everyone!
Yup, 2011 would be gone in another 4 days!

Goodbye 2011! I'd be BS-ing if I say I'd miss it alot. Simply because I would NOT!

Why? Simply because it's so full of unpleasant events that I'd rather forget! However, to set records straight, 2011 did have its good days, too. The best being my being offered a means...an opportunity of a Once-in-a-Lifetime Offer to enable me to buy a NEW car!!
And yup, I thank God & our wonderful caring niece in Pg who made that no longer a dream! In April, 2011!

And as is, we have been enjoying our new ride...a Proton Saga 1.3 Exec Auto!!

Guess what had happened when I asked my 2 kids (in passing) on CNY eve early this year if they could stand as guarantors for a car loan in case I need to change my ole junk? Sorry, feel I'd better leave that to your imagination...

Then 2 other "bad" events occurred.

First my other half had to be admitted to PMC. Twice. And for a 3rd time when nothing was done to really treat her condition...I had to rush her to LGL Specialist Hosp in Penang to get a "stone" lodged in her ureter literally laser-blasted!!
A total loss of RM20 something K... :(

Thank God she's ok since the ops. Once again, our fav niece stepped in to help... Praise & Thank God for bringing her into the lives of these 2 ole folks @ Lot 10 OFH!! We really don't know how to nor can ever repay her in our present lifetime!!

Then came the worst blow in my Life!! My "prodigal son" who had shocked me in 2008, once more shocked, rocked and practically shattered my world beyond anyone's imagination!!

In front of our fav niece (finally a witness!) & at her place, this UNgrateful, UNloving & UNfilial "son" said to my face... "I will KILL YOU!!'
That finally struck that proverbial "Nail into my coffin"... I am DEAD!! To this son, anyway! And I have truly lost my son!!!
May God have mercy upon him...

Me? I have to accept my Life As Is...

Unfortunately, that was NOT to be the end of my troubles in 2011...no doubt, of course, that it was the WORST!

Early this month, I, too, had to be rushed to Penang and was warded in LGL Hosp for 3D2N! Thank God for a surprisingly great & helpful neighbour! Thank you, CS!!
And as always, our fav niece was always there! Thanks a meg, Amy!!

Well, 2012, I'm hoping & praying that upon your arrival, you'll bring happiness & good health to these 2 ole folks in Lot 10 OFH...

Dear God, please do bless us, keep us safe & healthy...in 2012...and in our years ahead...

Amen.

Sorry...

Sat 221011

Yup, sorry...sincere apologies...

And yup, Life is UNpredictable. Life As Is is now so eventful...unfortunately of the wrong kind! Anyway, so sorry again cos it's kinda personal.

So me am in here just to re-assure all who visit my Blog that this ole man is still around...in spite of what's predicted to the right of this Blog!!

Yup, 19th October 2011 has passed and me am still around & kicking albeit a mite softer nowadays!

And yup, good advice there...don't believe all that you read on the Net!! Haha!

Will write more when my present life takes a turn for the better...hopefully soon!!

Wishing everyone all the very best, Happy Deepavali for all our Hindu friends and of course, Happy Holidays for everyone else!!

Be safe always...

It's been a long time...

Sun 021011

Yup, it's been a long time...a long long time, to be exact...since me posted anything here.
Sincere apologies...I have been finding it harder & harder to sit down in front of my PC to post entries.

And yup, it's my Spondylosis(?) problem that has been a nagging issue since years ago when I had found it difficult to turn my head right, left, up & down! And it's now getting worse. The worst part is that I am allergic to that family of NSAIDs which I should take.

So it's back to the ole Panadol tabs that only lessens the pain when I need to. Sitting down in one position for too long aggravates the condition and I truly portray a "robot" when I do try to get up after a long sit!!

Anyway, there's nothing that I can do but to accept what I am today. Doc says it's kinda hereditary...wonder from whom did I inherit these genes? Haha!

Not matter, really...Life as is, must go one. True?

Anyway to update...I've managed to carry out a few mods to our still-considered new ride. Most were DIYed by "Yours Truly"! Haha!

Without going into details, these include an LED Stripe Boot Lamp, a front grille 9 LED Stripe, an OEM Auto Brake Lock, a Koso Digital Voltmeter and a set of Denso Iridium Power Spark Plugs ie not in any particular order. A pic to share of 1 of the DIY items :
Above : The Koso Digital Voltmeter.

Tomorrow, both inmates will be travelling to Penang for our usual "Value Time" with our fav. niece there. We will most probably be back in Lot 10 on 6th Oct.

After that comes what is expected to be a very hectic weekend!

NEVER grow old...haha! If only that were possible...

A great "Kay Pa"!!

Fri 190811

Yup, Pensioners do hv great (though different...from time to time(?)) "Kay Pa"s...

And yup, "Kay Pa" here refers to our country's PM...haha!

Recently the present KP (short for "Kay Pa", ok?) announced a half month Bonus for all Govt civil servants and a RM500 Special Allowance (so he called it...) for Pensioners. One cannot give bonuses to Pensioners for doing no work, right? Special Allowances? Of course! Why not?

Well, on the evening of 17th Aug, that RM500 was credited into our respective bank accounts! And yesterday, our August pension was also in! Nice Merdeka (Independence) Day gifts!

What more can any Pensioner ask for? Maybe another such Special Allowance for the New Year? Soon...? Haha!

Anyway, come 23rd Aug, both Lot 10 inmates would be going to Penang again to spend time with our fav niece for a few days. CU soon, Amy!! As always...Godwilling...

And on that day, too, it's our son's Bday. Happy Birthday, EJ!! Sincerely hope this past year had contributed to making you a wiser & more loving person...and my special wish to have our "ole" EJ back! Yup, the EJ we had given birth to. Kinda not like the EJ we've seen these past few years...

After that, on 27th Aug, is, of course, my other half's own Bday! Thank God for still keeping her next to me for this past one year! And me sincerely hope & pray that God will bless this ole man enough to have her around till the last day of my life!

Happy Happy Bday, MDB!! Love you so...

That's it!

Until me back online after all the above, here's wishing one & all a Happy Happy August & a better September 2011!!

Me still around...

Sun 140811

Yup, me still around...hehe...

Just a short post to prove so...

Frankly, nothing much has happened to both inmates of Lot 10 since my last post. Life As Is has been routine...day to day...namely, wake up, eat, watch Astro, eat, afternoon nap, watch Astro, eat, watch Astro, sleep...a cycle...

Re our still "new" Astro Byond, I feel there is a need for a myth(?) to be dispelled! Yup, there was this strange belief that the new larger Byond would overcome the perpetual "Rain Fade" issue that had been haunting all Astro subscribers. And yup, that simply is NOT true!! Believe me...

Why? The other day it rained quite heavily for about 10 mins. Transmission was interrupted and stayed with a blank screen c/w Byond's onscreen message that "it might be a temporary problem due to rain". Fair enough, I said to myself.

However, even when the rain lessened to just a drizzle, the screen was still the same! And that was half an hour later!! Then the SD channels came back to life and only about another 10 mins later, the HD channels were back again. See?

So wonder what's all that hype about the Byond unit being better...? Nothing significant...IMHO!

Further, I've found that the information/guides that came with the Byond PVR was minimalistic, to say the least! Thank God for the Internet & forummers in forums directly or indirectly related to Astro Byond!

Other that those (maybe minor?) issues, Astro Byond HD broadcasts are a great gift to ole ppl like these 2 inmates. Why? Less of a strain on our eyes because images are so much clearer and a source of enjoyment to the fullest! We could see details that we had never seen before in TV/Astro broadcasts...akin to Blu-ray discs!

Oh yes! I almost forgot! Our "Kay Pa" (if you know what or who I'm referring to) did NOT fail all Pensioners (including these 2 inmates!!) one more time! And yup, it's a Bonus Payment of RM500 each...presumably for the coming Raya celebrations! In about 5 days time? Hurray! Now...maybe then(?)..., we can breathe a bit easier...

Ok...ok...time to be a "couch potato" again!

Have a nice week ahead, ok?

From SD to Byond...simply HD...

Sun 310711

Yup, Lot 10 has changed its Astro Satellite reception to that of Byond! Definitely a new dimension in watchng TV programmes!

And yup, on 21st July, the Astro Installers (2 guys) came with all the required parts and did their work...surprisingly very efficiently! They finished the changeover of Satellite Dishes (from the old light grey 60cm one to the new larger & darker grey(?)Byond 65cm one), new 2 lengths of co-axial cables from the new 2-output LNB of the Dish to the new Byond PVR module in our living room/hall and finally the setting up the whole system with everything running.

Pics show the new Satellite Dish and the Byond PVR module.

Lot 10 inmates were given a summary & quick run-through of how the PVR works, namely viewing as well as recording. Necessary documents were signed...RM150 flew into the Installer's hands...marking the start of a new Adventure! For these 2 Lot 10 inmates...haha!
Well, this upgrade has done lots to improve our viewing pleasure as well as no more worries about missing any programs or any part of any show which we might be watching at a certain time.

Yup, the PVR is really full of useful features! And, of course, the HD (High Definition) broadcasts really lessened our eye-strain a lot...and more importantly, they increased our "idiot box" enjoyment by a few notches!!

Well, all that did ACTUALLY come FREE! In Astro's current promotion. If not for our choice of a Byond PVR instead of the simple Byond box (w/o a built-in 500GB HDD), the changeover was truly completely FREE!

However, there was a RM150 installation fee for the PVR (previously costing RM300)...so a savings actually of RM150!

In addition, we had chosen to subscribe to a package now called "Super Pack 3"...@RM155/month excluding the 6% Govt Tax.

In view of the impending (confirmed actually) new charges for Astro subscriptions, it meant paying about RM50/month more but with all that was thrown into the package deal, it's really, really worth it! Believe me!!

Well, it's time to get back to our Byond and enjoy the HD broadcasts...simply beautiful!!

Join the Byond "Club" ?

Knock, Knock, Who's there?

Mon 180711

Yup, It's none other than lil ole me! Just to let one & all know that me am still around...hehe...

However, these days me not feel up to it to sit & post. Various reasons. Sincere apologies...TQ!

A few short updates...

1. Made a one-day trip to Taiping recently (Sun 100711). First long distance maiden trip for our still "new" car as the farthest we've gone has only been to Penang. It was also a kinda "Go while me still can" trip! Haha! And, of course, the car was still "new"...3 months? And still is...!!

2. Our fav grandaughter, KL, has been enrolled in a Kindy recently...mainly to allow her to socialise & mix with other kids. A positive step forward.

3. Me finally managed to fit in a third party paper aircon filter, c/w the original mesh filter, for our still "new" ride. Air flow appears none the worse in spite of an additional finer filter layer.
Now ride occupants have really clean filtered air to breathe!!

4. An extra Engine Oil change was performed on our car @ about 3500Km ie midway between 2 Oil Changes in its service schedule. This has been my philosophy all the while for each of our new cars in the past. For better protection & improving longevity of the engine. It appeared to have positive results in the past. Moreover, I had a new 4L bottle of Castrol Magnatec 10W40 at hand. So...Tradition continues.

5. Accepted Astro's offer to upgrade to its new "Super Pack 3", namely Family+Dynasty+Emperor+Sports+Movies+3 Mini Packs(News, Learning & Variety) c/w PVR module with HDD & FOC recording services (normally RM10/mth), for only RM155/mth (excl 6% Govt Service Tax). For the PVR Module, a one-time installation charge of RM150 is payable. The main part is the package includes an upgrade to Beyond HD services & channels which normally would have cost an extra RM20/mth!

All that considered, there is a huge saving if one were to subscribe to those packages previously.

Well, installation was promised within 5 working days and activation of new services within 24 hrs. Now we wait...

Well, that's about it for now...

Until the next "Sit-in"....

At G-Hotel, Penang...

Tue 050711

Yup, me now @G-Hotel in Penang...enjoying 3D2N stay, courtesy of our fav niece! A present to my other half on Mother's Day this year...

Nice room...plenty of accessories which one does not get in most hotels these days! Maybe me post some pics when back in Lot 10.

Also today is our fav niece's Birthday. Yup, hotel stay also to coincide with this special day so that we can visit & wish her personally.

Happy Birthday, Amy!! May you have Prosperity, Happiness & Good Health and all that you wish for!! We thank you for all that you have done for both these ole inmates of Lot 10! May God bless you & keep you safe always!!

That's it for now...a short post...till back in Lot 10, ok?

Have a great week!! Be safe alwaz!!

Here I am...once more...

Fri 240611

Yup, Here I am...once more...pen-ing a few lines in my Blog! Feels like it's been a long long time since me was in here...sincere apologies...

And yup, me have been pretty busy these days with God knows what...

Trips to Penang, caring for our new "ride", maintenance for Lot 10, and like usually used...etc., etc., etc....

Yup, Trips were made to Penang for a variety of reasons. To make it brief, we went to Penang to visit relatives, to seek medical care & meet up with appointments.

Well, for our new ride, one of the new noticeable changes was the addition of a new BLM Club Sticker to the front windscreen. This one is a "glow" type of Sticker. RM20. Here it is...

Yup, looks nice, doesn't it? Felt the rear was kinda "heavy" as is with all those "mods" that I've done and the front was kinda "empty"...haha!


Next was this feeling that using Air Freshener liquid fragrances kinda just cover up the "smell" in the car cabin which is not a healthy means. Agreed?

So it was a decision to use a suitable Car Ioniser and with only a few branded & reliable choices in the market, we got ourselves a MedKlinn Asens Auto unit! Pls see above pic. Well, it's supposed to use negative ions to remove all contaminants in the cabin air of the car as well as "destroy" possible harmful bacteria/viruses, while making the cabin air smell like just "mountain fresh"?

Not cheap though...RM290 after discount!

One not so nice event was the worst flash flood ever for Lot 10! Heavy rains on 200611 caused water from the rain to flood our porch and almost entered our hall! There was just about half an inch separating the flood waters and the innards of Lot 10!! Luckily the rain slowed down & stopped in time...Phew!
Pic above shows flood waters reached up to the edge of the rim of rear wheels of our car in the porch!

Well, what can I say? Such flash floods are caused by poor development planning by local authorities resulting in poor drainage caused by existing drainage systems having to cope with larger volumes of water from developed areas, not forgetting, clogged drains aplenty!!

Ok la...that would have to do for now....

Thanks a meg for still dropping into my humble Blog from time to time...

Have a great weekend!

Pics of recently added accessories...

Tues 310511

Yup, here are the pics of the 2 newly added accessories to our new ride..

Pic #1 is of the sensor unit (the black circular thing) on one side of the front bumper below the headlamp :
Pic #2 is of the replacement Twin Bosch Horns that was installed (behind the front grille) to improve upon the tiny "squeak" which the previous original single horn could output! Can you see them? In black so kinda hard to make out in spite of my "photoshop-ing" the image ie with fill flash & contrast adjustment!

Now the Twins "roar"!! Watch out, ppl! Haha!

Well, tomorrow is June 1st and it's our daughter's Bday...

Both inmates had planned to go to celebrate that day with her but it appeared she had other plans. She & family had planned & finally decided to go for a holiday up in Genting Highlands!

So, here's wishing her a very Happy Birthday! Have a great day with family...

As is always the case, it's a matter of "if our kid(s) are happy, both of us are happy, too!" True?

Yup, that's Life As Is ....

Until my next post, here's wishing one & all a great new week ahead!
TC always...

New accessories...

Monday 300511

Yup, new accessories have been added to our PS 1.3FL Exec Auto!

And yup, both were kinda "forced" by need than want...

Acc #1 : Twin New Horns by Bosch @ RM75 including installation.

Yup, these sounded so much like horns as they should sound!! The original single horn was more like a mouse squeak...would not even frighten a mouse! As the car alarm works through the car horn, we now have an extremely ear-blasting car alarm should it sound!! And yup, me accidentally (tested?) triggered it earlier and it even shook me up!

Acc #2 : Reverse ( actually now acting as Front ) Sensors installed to the Front Bumper to act as Front Sensors activated by a manual switch.

Yup, me had previously dented my ole ride while attempting to park into a parking lot in a crowded Mall basement carpark.
Now with this new ride, me not wanna make the same mistake again. And so it was felt that the cost of installing front sensors on the front bumper would be a good idea.

Well, it was done today, too! Cost? RM150 for a 2-sensor system c/w an LED & colour bar display besides the normal buzzer warning system. What can I say? It works!!

However, the real test would be when I do really use it when parking. Soon...real soon...hehe...

Well, that was my "adventure" today. Busy...busy...busy...

ps. Will post pics in a future post as it's now too dark to snap any. Me was too busy doing some clearing up and water-proofing of the reverse sensor module since it would now be exposed to the elements esp water, being installed in the engine compartment instead of its normal place in the luggage boot.

Filling the Gap?

Fri 270511

Yup, me just trying to fill the "Gap".... a gap of many days offline!

And yup, Life As Is is slowly but steadily getting back to like normal again...

So as not to be assumed as inactive totally, here are a couple of how me have been keeping myself busy...

Yup, our new "baby" (and yup, it's our new "ride"...barely 2 months old only) has been my latest and best distraction from the ups & downs of Life As Is. And yours truly felt the feeling of being in a 1-Malaysia kind of group...a 1-BLMer group! Me became a member of a BLM Club and this one even has its official stickers c/w Membership Registration No.! Me? #610...hehe...

A pic to share...of Member #610 :

Now I hear voices saying, "You are not alone..." Haha!

Beside that me was caught up in a new DIY venture after visiting another local car forum...concerning how one can improve the cabin air quality that one gets coming out through our car aircon vents!

Yup, the standard filter as fitted in our PS FL is nothing actually to shout about. In fact NOTHING at all to shout about because it practically allows almost all dirt/dust within the car cabin air to pass through! See pic of original filter below :

And there are aftermarket paper filters easily available which can do a much better job...of course at a nominal cost!

So me searched and found a couple of sellers. Of the two, one trader came out tops! And me had ordered a couple more such replacement filters for future use...they should be arriving tomorrow if everything goes fine.

Anyway, next pic shows where the replacement filter has to go in...the air-con filter box situated just behind the glovebox.

Simple, isn't it? Looks simple only!

Me had to cross a couple of "hurdles" before getting to this point of the DIY!

Yup, one unseemingly "huge" problem was to drop down the glovebox so that those aircon items were easily accessible.

What can I say? Eureka! I finally did it!

Well, this will have to do till the next post...having problems even creating this entry today!

Something is not working right...

Update (280511) : My 2 new replacement filters ordered have arrived! (Pic of one of them follows... ) Will be keeping them as spare replacement units when it's time to change the first one already installed...probably after 10 -15k km?

Btw I have tried to fit the new paper filter into the confines of the original filter but failed! Paper filter is too big in spite of it being kinda small when installed into the filter box in the car. Had thought it would make a better fitting installation than as is now.

Note : This entry has been subsequently edited & expanded on...

Juz 2say "Me still around la..."

Sat 140511

Yup, juz a short entry here in case visitors to my Blog are wondering...the worst, maybe?

And yup, not the worst yet...but recent events have been kinda depressing though...

And yup, me need the break for a while...my "rollercoaster ride" is finally on its way up...slowly but steadily...

All the very best to one & all, ok? TC of health always!!

Yup, Good Health is truly Great WEALTH!!! No doubt about that! Simply proven already...Believe me! RM15k+ flew in just 2 weeks... :(

Extras for the new ride...

Wed 130411

Yup, our new ride, the PS FL 1.3E Auto, got some simple extras added to make it more personal to these 2 ole inmates of Lot 10 OFH...kinda like its own identity...to set it apart from other PS FLs around...hehe...

For one, an "ABS+" Emblem was bought from AS Mall for RM7.90 only, followed by a unique "Static Antenna" for RM12.90. Yup, we would be able to identify & seek out our ride with these two items staring at us should they be in our field of vision!There you are...pics of the ABS Emblem on the left of its "butt" and of course, the special "tail" we'll be looking out for should we be searching for our ride in those sometimes crowded basement parking areas of Malls!

And the next pic shows a personal choice by my other half...yup, a pair of headrest covers for the front seats! To match the seat covers kindly "donated" by our daughter, EL, when she & fmly were here.

Well, what's left to be done to the new ride? Plenty really! But that would be more of "Wants" than "Needs", right? True...true...

We have as yet to decide if we should go for engravings of the car registration number on all the windows as was previously the practice. However, it is presently felt that such a measure would not necessarily deter car thieves. Agreed?

Moreover, the main windscreen & rear screen had been engraved (in the assembly plant) with the car chassis numbers which appears to be the current practice by Proton now. A better idea? Really dunno...

The other planned addition is a special sticker for the fuel tank filler cover. In that we have failed so far to find a suitable one. The "paint splatter" that was on our old ride could not be found at all...probably out-of-date now? No rush, right?

That's boring enough, right? Me just rambling about nothing else but our new ride! Haha! What do you expect from someone who just had a new car after 19+ years? Forgive this ole man, ok?

Thank you...

Introducing my really NEW "Ride"...

Tues 120411

Yup, it's time to introduce our really brand NEW "RIDE"!!

And yup, me am truly a Proton fan... :) Frankly? Yup, it's the most affordable value-for-money car (to me, anyway) to these 2 ole inmates of Lot 10 OFH...

So our ole junk, which had served us so well, namely ze ole Proton Saga 1.5I Auto of 19+ years ie KAC4396, is, hopefully, in someone else's good hands & tender care...

And now....Introducing our new Proton Saga FL 1.3 Executive Automatic !! In PURE WHITE, too! First pic shows the new car soon after delivery in Penang @our fav niece's home, followed by a pic of the ride with the "No Fear" sticker attached that me bought @AS Mall for only RM4.90! A DIY job! Not bad, eh?

And now...just look at its "butt"...beautiful, isn't it? Especially after the additions? I know...minor tidbits but still made a difference, right? On the rear spoiler...on the left (AAM reflective sticker) and around the number plate.

And finally...me also managed to improve & enhance the Ride by adding an original Ultra Racing Front Strut Bar. Cost? RM120 w/o installation. Why? A long story...me will not bore you more than as is...hehe.... ;)

A pic (below) of the bar installed in the engine compartment. Real good fit! Yup, it feels real good & on top of the world ever since the new Ride materialised...truly a dream came true!! Thanks a meg to all who gave all encouragement! And especially so to our fav niece & her other half w/o whom all this would never have happened!!

Most sincere & heartfelt thanks to one & all!! Me & my other half will forever treasure your love, support & encouragement in so many ways AND God knows lots more...for the rest of our lives! TQ...TQ...TQ!

Not to forget, however, thanks also go to our daughter, EL, who had visited Lot 10 inmates during the weekend and also so graciously got a couple of nice gifts to enhance our new ride!

Yup, our PS FL Exec is now more safe & secure with a new Solex Brake Pedal Lock and more comfortable with a pair of Tesco Bear car front seat covers!

Yup, a truly turning point in the lives of these two Lot 10 OFH inmates...we are so blessed! We thank God for what we have received to this day! Amen.

Just dropped in to say...

Mon 280311

Yup, me just dropped in to say that me will be away (and so, offline...hehe...) for about 2 weeks...

And yup, as previously mentioned in an earlier entry, one reason is because both inmates of Lot 10 would be celebrating my other half's sis-in-law's (mine, too, right?) birthday tomorrow in Penang. Besides that, my other half's sister from Melbourne, Australia, would be in Penang on 31/3 - 1/4 and she would love to meet up with her since her visits to Malaysia are kinda infrequent. So, we might be extending our stay then for a day or so...

The other factor, in the following days, would be to be with our fav niece, also in Penang, for about a week wef 4th April. A home away from home, so to say...

Sincerely really hope & pray that Lot 10 would still be safe & secure during our absence.

As is, nothing much had happened in the days after my last entry till now. Lot 10 had no visitors nor any event of interest. Quiet, peaceful days...except for intermittent noises / disturbances from an on-going renovation project of the new bungalow just opposite Lot 10!

Well, what more can these 2 inmates wish for, right? We count our blessings for each passing day...

That's it!

Have a good end-of-March...And, of course, a better April, 2011!!

Home again...

Thur 170311

Yup, me back home again! Lot 10 is safe & secure...

And yup, it's been a pleasant 3D2N stay @our fav niece's place in Penang! Both inmates were made to feel truly at home although away from home...a great feeling indeed.

Btw we also received happy news that our fav grandaughter, KL, is now in much better health & her overall development is progressing steadily...good news really!

And here is the most recent pic of KL sent by her mom via MMS (150311) :

Yup, it's KL enjoying one of her fav foods...French Fries @ KFC!!

Wish we were there to share them with her, too! Would have been fun...

Well, a wish is still a wish...this ole man is getting older by the day though... haha! What's more so for my ole junk! Each long distance trip is cause for worry...

Who knows...maybe one fine day, things might change? Godwilling, right?

Anyway, back to our recent stay in Penang...

The 3D2N just went flying by and we just had to say goodbye this morning after breakfast. However, we left with "We'll be back!". And methinks me had heard something like that in one famous movie series...

Anyway, me came home with a pretty addition to my so-called "new toilets". Yup, it's something small & pretty...even an original branded item! It's a Sony music player, namely the NWZ-B152F in Gold! Not all in gold actually...hehe...but just gold-painted in certain parts. Two units, ie the model with 2Gig built-in memory, were purchased from the Sony Centre located on 3rd floor of Gurney Plaza @RM159 each. There were 4 colours as choices. Me chose the Golden one...and the other was a Red...

And yup...the purchase came with a free disc of original Sony "Love Songs" mp3 disc each!

Pics above show the unit c/w its own earphones and a close-up showing its special feature of red LEDs which would flash in tempo with the bass of any music played when set in its special "Bass" mode. A rare gift these days...esp one w/o any expectations!

Thanks a meg, Amy!

Well, it's back to routine once more in Lot 10...until some time in the future?

After a long interval...

Mon 140311

Yup, it's been a long interval since my last entry...

And yup, cos nothing that can be considered exciting or interesting, has happened to Lot 10 inmates...which is kinda good, too. Agreed?

Of course, except for the disaster & tragedy that had happened in Japan due to the huge 8.9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that had resulted in the loss of more than 1500 lives with still thousands unaccounted for...

Our sincere condolences & sympathy go out to all those who had suffered such terrible losses in lives and property...

Indeed we, in Malaysia, should count our blessings!!

Well, to recap, after we came home to Lot 10 from our longest stay in Penang @ our fav niece's place, I tried to buy from our local auction site a "spare" AV Splitter for our Astro distribution system.

Fyi I had bought one 1 IN 4 OUT Splitter unit from the same seller last month to replace my original MASPRO unit which had become faulty ie one OUT port not working & picture quality in another was bad. The replacement unit has been working fine since then.

This time it had to be a 1 IN 8 OUT AV Splitter unit as I could not find the same 1 IN 4 OUT unit on sale in that website, even by other traders.

However, when this newly bought unit arrived, it was sheer disappointment! Even the power indicator LED would not light up!! On reporting to the seller, I was asked to send the unit back for a working replacement. I did. Then came the "waiting game"!

Like the saying goes.... "All's well that ends well.... " I finally got a good functioning replacement yesterday! Pics (taken much later) below show the new replacement AV Splitter...front & rear views respectively. Tested to be working fine. Phew...guess my activities in that local auction site would have to take a long breather now...just can't take all that unnecessary "stress"...

Another item of interest was that my past interest in Air Purifiers was re-kindled. As is, Lot 10 is experiencing another bout (with more to come...) of very dusty air! Yup, owners of the new bungalows in front of Lot 10 had started doing renovations cum reconstruction of their newly acquired houses!

Moreover, we have been experiencing uncomfortable episodes during our sleep periods...which, we suspect, might possibly be due to the presence of dust mites & their what-nots!

After having some experience of the Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifiers that our fav niece had installed in her home, I decided to investigate & find all relevant info about them. All findings came back mostly positive. Proven to destroy dust mites & neutralise their "by-products" as well as even the capability to destroy numerous bacteria & viruses such as the Avian Flu Virus & the H1N1 Virus!!

So it was that it was decided to get one such suitable unit and guess what? My other half was so supportive and even suggested that "if we want to get one, we might as well get the best possible affordable one"!!

Well, we did! Cost? RM1580. A free gift of a Thermos 1.9L jug was added by the sales person for our fast purchase!

The pics (above) show the unit now sited in its own little corner in our room...the front view followed by the top view. The blue light at the bottom on the front display panel indicates the Plasmacluster (patented) system is activated and Plasmacluster (both positive & negative) ions are being released!

This Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifier KC850E-W is now purifying daily the air in our Master Bedroom! And yup, it's "fresh mountain air" always in our room...and of course, no more dust mites & related problem! Haha!

Another item is thus now struck off our list of "Do's" for Lot 10...many more to go though...

Anything else? Guess I should stop boring all of you at this point...

Lot 10 inmates might be making another Penang trip soon...maybe as early as tomorrow?

A definite trip is scheduled for 29th March to be there in person for my other half's sister-in-law's birthday. We had told her much earlier that we would share her 70th birthday.

A future trip would be in early April...for a stay...so sincere apologies are in order should this Blog be noticeably quiet? TQ...

CNY is over?

Tue 210211

Yup, CNY is kinda over...at least the celebrations period, right?

And yup, Life As Is is kinda back to routine...for me & you...at least most of you, right again?

Well, the 15th day & night of this CNY kinda ended well. As the 15th Night of CNY, aka Chap Goh Meh, is the Chinese Culture's version of Valentine's Day, me had a surprise gift for my gf, my valentine for life!

Yup, the Chinese V-Day gift was bought through our local online auction site and was surprisingly well-timed & delivered on that very day ie 17th Feb aka 15th Night of CNY!!

The "Gift"? A replica of Calvin Klein ladies watch with genuine leather strap. Kinda unique design, too...

The great part of it was...my gf loved it...in spite of the kinda unique "Hi-tech" design! Haha! All the efforts were so worth it!! All RM63 (incl delivery charges via Poslaju) of it!! Pic on left is the "Gift"! Nice, huh?

The day's evening ended with a pleasant drive for two around A/Star city...as was our usual CGM do.

Surpise of all surprises...after my gift to her, my gf suggested that I should get a watch for myself, too! Since I'd not been wearing one for quite some time since my "Rolex" gave out on me some months back & the SS strap of my "John Masters" was giving me some skin allergy reactions...

So afer scouring that very local online auction site once more, me found one which appealed to both of us. An "Army Tech" watch. Even stated as "Original". Well...I entered my bid and voila! I got it that very same day! Total cost? RM70 incl Poslaju delivery charges.
Now awaiting despatch & delivery...hopefully by tomorrow. Well, wish me luck! TQ.

Pic of "Army Tech" watch above is captured from the auction site as I've as yet to receive the item.

That's the good part. Unfortunately, in Life, there's always a not-so-good part.

Our grandaughter, Jan, is now hospitalised after a bout of high fever since a week ago...probably due to a return of her Kawasaki Disease which she had caught very early in her childhood days. All signs & symptoms pointed in that direction but blood tests had come back negative to confirm. A heart scan was done this morning and we are all awaiting good news...

Stay strong, Jan, and both your grandparents are with you all the way to a very speedy recovery...soon!!

A piece of better news now.

Our other grandaughter, KL, would be under the care of a new babysitter wef next month as the former was probably the cause of her continuous repeats of bad health, namely fever, diarrhoea, sore throats & what have you! A professional also suspected that poor hygiene at bbs was a very probably cause, too, as KL was good & healthy when solely under the parents' care in-between those periods. As is, only time will tell...

Finally, both these inmates will be off to Penang once more for a stay at our fav niece's place for about a week beginning tomorrow ie 22nd Feb. We are indeed looking forward to sharing happy & value time with her & family. CU soon, Amy!

So until me am back in good ole Lot 10 OFH once more, this Blog would be kinda quiet...sincere apologies for the coming "long" leave of absence...

Wishing one & all a very happy year ahead!

First week of the new Rabbit Year...

Fri 110211

Yup, the 1st week of this new Rabbit Year 2011 is over. And yup, it's the 9th day today.

And of course, last night was a night of noise...firecrackers & loud fireworks! All kinda sort of in protest of the Govt's ban of such items being fired, even on festive days when they are supposedly a "necessity" according to beliefs of the Chinese community! And yup, last night was the offering of prayers to the "Jade Emperor" of Heaven. At the stroke of midnight, the festivities started c/w the letting off of firecrackers & fireworks!

Not that it was any disturbance nor of any consequence to this ole guy though...he had earlier just popped in 1 tab of Xanax (remember the late MJ & his Xanax?) and was in so-called peaceful "La La Land" when all those "explosions" took place! Haha!

Well, a recap here...
Firstly, a pic of our fav grandaughter to share. Yup, it's our very own KL!

Can you see how happy she was @AS Mall enjoying one of the many rides there! KL & family came a day earlier than expected. And I'm pretty sure that KL went home after day #1 of this Rabbit Year with many happy & pleasant memories...leaving behind 2 ole & very tired grandparents! Haha!

We wish KL a very progressive & speedy development in 2011!! May God bless her with the gift of being a normal healthy kid soon!

CNY eve was the first re-union dinner of the Tan family after 3 years! Why? It's a long long story to relate here but if you dig deep enough into the archives of this Blog, you might get lucky....

And so it was, both our "kids" & their families were back in their childhood home and so it is sincerely hoped that they had recovered at least a wee bit of what being part of this Tan family was all about and the meaning of family in Life ie not just about one's own extended family but also one's own family & roots, namely one's own parents. As is, we have long accepted that such feelings cannot be forced upon anyone but have to come from within oneself. Agreed?

Above : Pic of Lot 10 inmates with 2 of our grandkids taken on CNY Day #1.

Anyway, Day 1 of CNY2011 saw the departure of everyone...including these 2 ole inmates of Lot 10! As had always been the practice for years...time to visit our relatives in Penang!

Visits? Not really. More of only just 2. As is, most of our elders are long gone, with 2 of them leaving this world as recent as last year. It is sad but that's part of Life...everyone has to go, true?

We spent most of that first day & night at our fav niece's place and had to leave (as was the usual practice) the next day, in spite of continuous kind offers to extend our stay by our truly great host. As always, we left with the words, "We'll be back again...soon!"

Life was back to routine once we were back in Lot 10. Home Sweet Home. And yup, we were relieved & happy to find Lot 10 all safe & secure. It's where our home & our hearts have been, are and will still be...

There were the regular "mid-week breaks" & "CODs" for my other half. And of course, the walk-walk sessions at the local Malls.

And guess what? At one such session, we were fortunate to be there @ AS Mall when a LIVE acrobatic performance by some artistes from China was on! Not bad! Especially for an FOC one! We truly enjoyed all the acts put up by those talented youngsters...

Pic on left : 1 of the balancing acts. A truly great pair, huh?
And in the following pic, another act...a uni-cyclist. Can you see him...kinda in the "distance"?

BTW, me managed to modify the Dettol auto handsoap dispenser unit so that it can be continually refilled with a suitable but differently branded handsoap. And guess what? So far it has worked!
Now me not have to worry about getting any new Dettol refill for RM16.90 each! The anti-bacterial handsoap that me can use now only costs RM4 at the most!

On 7th of Feb, it was decided to add a bit more security for Lot 10 since we have been away a few times and would also be away from Lot 10 from time to time in the near future. As is, we knew of a group of RELA personnel who have been making rounds & checks on houses in our housing area for an affordable monthly fee. Well, me contacted them & applied to be in their list of residences to be included in their nightly surveillance rounds.
The very next morning we awoke to find a red painted metal box (pls see pic above...), with a big letter "R" (short as for "RELA"), attached to our front wall railings! And in it was a small "555" notebook with its first entry of a visit by our friendly neighbourhood "RELA" friends on their very first stopcheck @ Lot 10!

And yup, since then, somehow, maybe psychologically... Lot 10 inmates slept much better...and hopefully, for many many more nights, weeks, months to come, too!

Sincerely hope you are sleeping well, too...

Gong Xi Gong Xi, Everyone!

Sun 30th Jan 2011

Yup, it's really that close to saying "Gong Xi Gong Xi" to one & all! And yup, it's only just 3 days to Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit on Feb 3rd!!

So one update here of events of interest (at least to muah...hehe...) to post and before a long leave of absence cos of the festive holiday atmosphere!!

For one thing, the Pedilanthus plant so kindly donated by our #8 neighbour has grown steadily and very recently got an added stem...a cutting off its own self! Haha! Now me just waiting for this small bush to flower....hopefully lots of pinkish red "Hsiao Niao Hua" soon...

Pic on left shows its present status. Not bad eh? Do compare it with what it was on Jan 14th.

And yup....during our recent stay in Penang, both inmates were so well-treated...even to a sumptous lunch at the Miraku Japanese Restaurant in G-Hotel!
It was truly an honour & privilege to feel so very a part of the family. Thanks a meg, Amy!!

We will forever cherish such warm & pleasant memories....

On our return to A/Star ie on 27th Jan, our #8 neighbour was also generous and offered us a LIVE...mind you, a LIVE...Tilapia fish! He hooked 4 of these at a friend's pond.


Well, as it was the first time Lot 10 inmates had to deal with a real life LIVE fish, me tried "Googling" for how to kill a live fish! Thanks to Google me got a list of how to's and finally decided on the most humane way to do so...using ice & ice-cold water (since we do have enough ice at hand!)
One suggestion, including a video, even suggested slamming the fish onto a hard cement/concrete floor!! Phew!

Above...our very first "Tilapia" after cleaning & marinading...ready for the frying pan! Haha!

Well, what can I say? It was indeed a very fresh & tasty dish to set before this "King" & his "Queen" at dinner time! An enjoyable, nonetheless unforgettable, event!

Next, on 28th Jan, we saw an advert in The Star re a new product by "Dettol", namely an Auto Handsoap Dispenser! It was being intro by Tesco. Well, as you know, me always had an attraction for new tech-related gadgets & esp so for home improvement. Moreover, this one was definitely affordable @RM19:90...a complete set with dispenser, 250ml of hand soap & 4xAA batteries! Pic on left shows the installed gadget.

Nice? Worth it? For these 2 ole folks, it certainly was and is! No more pressing/pumping of hand soap dispensers! We just need to put our hand below the spout & out comes a measured quantity of hand soap. Just the right amount, too! Truly pampered...

And finally, this is what Lot 10 looks like now at night...externally, in preparation for the Year of the Rabbit...a small fairyland of lights & more lights...

As most of the light are so-called "twinkling" lights...the latest being of the LED kind..., not all the lights were, however, captured by my trusty ole iPhone.

Anyway, the mood is set for a Happy & Healthy CNY come 3rd Feb!

And for the first time in 3 years, Lot 10 inmates would have the whole family (Godwilling...) back home on CNY eve ie Feb 2nd.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Everyone! Have a great Rabbit Year...

Second page of Year 2011...

Fri 140111

Yup, this is gonna be the 2nd page for year 2011 in The Middle Lip!

And yup, how time flies...it's already mid-month for the 1st month of the New Year...

Well, Life in Lot 10 OFH has been kinda nice...most of the time anyway. As is, Life, as I've come to realise & accept, is never all nice. We thank God for His blessings for each & every day we see the sun rises in the morning and the pleasures ( & pains, too!) of another day of Life As Is...

For a start, my 2-doors away neighbour was kind enough to offer me a successfully cultivated cutting of what was last CNY's (Chinese New Year) popular plant, namely the Pedilanthus Bracteatus aka "The Tall Slipper" plant or locally nicknamed the "Xiao Niao Hua" aka "Little Bird Flower".
Well, this cutting has yet to bloom...but the flowers would look like little green birds then....beautifully-shaped flowers! I had further made 2 more cuttings which now appeared to have taken root. So, instead of a solitary plant, I now have THREE stems!!

Heard of this plant? Pots of them were selling like "hot cakes" for CNY 2010!!

Anyway, dunno if mine would bloom before this coming CNY...in abt 2+ weeks... ?

Anyway, like me said earlier, Life is never all nice....And yup, me had my fair share of misfortunes to start this New Year!

Somehow or other, me was careless enough to put my specs next to me while I was doing some re-wiring of our lounge area TV & sound system. And guess what? I stepped on the specs & got my first shock of 2011! The screw on the RHS part of the frame holding the lens broke...the frame was distorted & the lens dislodged! My heart practically dropped!

It was then a long, long night. Misfortune couldn't have knocked on the door @ Lot 10 at a more unfortunate time. Luckily, I finally found a way to put the specs back together, albeit only satisfactorily, with a bit of delicate re-adjustment, a string & some araldite glue! A temporary delay until finances are in better shape? Thank God for that!

Slept like a log that night...

As promised, these 2 ole inmates would be leaving for Penang on 17th Jan to be with our fav niece... to spend abt a week with her & family.

Frankly, there is a deep feeling of calm, peace & contentment to feel so honoured that one can still be of service to others...more so to be so much appreciated. For nothing much more than just our presence. And more so, to be able to share the same, coupled with close & happy feelings, at this point in our lives.

If only our very own "flesh & blood" could find it in their hearts to realise that they do have such ppl in their midst who have that much love in them but had to shower it somewhere else...simply because they do not see what they do have right in front of them. Unfortunately, they do not know how to appreciate what they have but would only realise & feel what they have lost when it's too late...too late to turn back time!

My comment to them had always been that they are " also a parent now... ". However, sad to say, that had been pitifully misinterpreted...

As is... I am, nowadays, always ready with this very simple piece of "advice"...to the young... :

"NEVER grow old... "

That's Life As Is....

Well, that about makes up the ending of this entry...

Me will be "off the air", so to say, till both inmates are back in good ole Lot 10.

Until then, do have a good first month in year 2011! Be happy...

First week of 2011...

Wed 05012011

Yup, it's day #5 of the New Year 2011!

And yup, the days have been happy, peaceful & nice...what more can one ask for?

The main event in Lot 10 during the past few days had been a kinda re-location of our favourite pastime "tools". Yup, those "tools'" are, in fact, our quite new 32" LED TV & Blu-ray Player!

Why? It was felt that with them in our bedroom, we were indirectly being "imprisoned" in that room!! As is, being "couch potatoes" have been, without a doubt, our favourite pastime do's. And yup, that meant hours & hours within the walls of a 17ft by 10ft room! A bit claustrophobic, don't you agree?

And so it was that me decided (& my other half concurred...heheh...) to move the LED TV & the BD Player down to our so much larger Lounge area, with an open adjoining Dining area. A few other re-locations of a couple of other related items were inevitable to bring about a new ambience to the Lounge area and, of course, in the process enhance its capabilities.

A minor spring clean was also inevitable! Phew! Didn't realise the amount of "uknowat" that had accumulated over the years...so unsuspectingly & so well hidden!

Pic on left shows the LED TV now occupying the prime position of our ole Philips 29" CRT TV in the Lounge area.

The following pic shows how slim this LED TV is... lots slimmer than LCD TVs! Phew! The wonders of technology never cease to amaze me...

Conclusion? It was a good move indeed! Both inmates now can enjoy modern amenities in a better environment...no longer so cooped up as it was pre-2011!

A great start to a great year ahead...I sincerely hope that the days & months ahead will continue to be so! May God bless this OFH & its 2 ole inmates...

Btw, the Year of the Rabbit isn't very far off...less than a month to go...Feb 3?

So, in the event, this ole man kinda forgets to make a special entry to make the wish, here's wishing one & all, especially all Chinese visitors to this Blog, a very Happy & Prosperous Chinese New Year!!

"GONG XI FA CAI"... "KEONG HEE HUAT CHYE" in the Year of the Rabbit!!