And did I mention that today is fabulous? The sun is out shining benevolently on everyone after almost 12 days of more or less continuous rain and some people are actually out in t-shirts. Spring is still some six weeks away but it feels so like spring today. It is 4:05 and the sunlight is just streaming into the family room where I sit, suddenly filled with the desire to blog endlessly. My Roomba retired to its base station some 15 minutes ago and is quietly blinking orange to tell me it is charging up, the Man is in the backyard trimming the bushes and the half man is as usual on the PC doing what he does till he gets a earful on the endless playing. All are as they should be.
If only it were the same on the job front. Where would I be in six months?
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Lawrence Livermore Lectures
And did I mention the half man and I went to Livermore this morning to attend the Lawrence Livermore Lab's first of four science lectures for 2010? Today was on superbugs. No, not the ginormous ones you battle in sci-fi films but the vicious kind that are immune to antibiotics because we abuse the antibiotics. He got the questionnaire, he filled in the answers from the lecture. And he got it stamped with the LLL stamp. Let's see if he remembers to turn it in to his science teacher for the extra credit. 0.65 of a mark to push into A+ and he won't talk to his teacher. My heart rejoices at the straight A's but grieves at the loss of another A+ for the absence of 0.65 of a mark.
Roomba
Watching my Roomba iRobot 550 clean the family room, dining room and kitchen is fascinating and also agonizing. It is meant to help me with the chore of vacuuming and sweeping but watching it go over and over the same spot and missing others can be jarring. Still it is an interesting contraption and certainly very clever. It knows how to avoid falling over the edge of a step, it knows when it bumps into a wall or object and it knows how to un-entangle itself from wires. And get this, it knows how to go back and dock itself in its base station to recharge the battery when it is out of juice. How cool is THAT?
And it comes with 2 virtual walls that I can set up to confine it so it does not wander where I do not want it to. Virtual walls!
Funny thing is I ended up moving chairs, small tables and miscellaneous objects out of its way and curling up carpets as it wound its noisy way around the house so that it would have an easier time doing what I would otherwise be doing. it doesn't pick up everything such as the peanut skins from the munching while watching the telly. But then again, it is meant only to do the in-betweens. You still have to do the heavy lifting to really clean the place. Now at least I can space out the thorough cleaning.
And it comes with 2 virtual walls that I can set up to confine it so it does not wander where I do not want it to. Virtual walls!
Funny thing is I ended up moving chairs, small tables and miscellaneous objects out of its way and curling up carpets as it wound its noisy way around the house so that it would have an easier time doing what I would otherwise be doing. it doesn't pick up everything such as the peanut skins from the munching while watching the telly. But then again, it is meant only to do the in-betweens. You still have to do the heavy lifting to really clean the place. Now at least I can space out the thorough cleaning.
Having said that though, last week when I first tested out my Roomba on the living room carpet, I was astonished at how much wool came out of the cannister and the cleaning brush when I finally sat down to clean it out. That little boy has some suction!
My Roomba. What a joy!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Wet & Wintry
In the 3+ years we have been here, we have never seen the amount of rain we have in just the last 10 days or so. In rapid succession, 5 storms hit California bringing a steady stream of rain. Not the heavy but short lived thunderstorms or even the monsoonal type of rain we are so used to in near the equator but rain more like what I was so used to in Vancouver in Fall and winter when the wet comes down for hours in a steady drizzle. Maybe not quite as relentless as in Vanouver where the rain can last without a break for days or even weeks. The rain we have had is more intermittent - hours on end with some breaks in between for maybe an hour or two.
So different. But defintely much more than I have ever seen in California which is perpetually parched.
Despite the lightness compared to the afternoon thunderstorms common in Singapore, the rains caused a fair amount of damage. Thousands of people lost power to their homes, not a nice thing considering it is winter.
The really bad damage, however, has been at Pacifica where for months, the high surfs California has been getting in recent months have been serously eroding the cliffs on which some apartment blocks sit. The tenants there have been watching their hillsides crumbling into the ocean for a few months and some significant efforts have been made to try and curb the erosion by plunkiing down tons of large boulders to weaken the force of the waves. But to little avail. Last two nights' news show at least one of the blocks teethering inches from the sheer drop into the ocean. From some of the apartments, the balconies were even starting to tumble in pieces down the cliffs. Scary. The die hard tenants are finally admitting defeat and moving out but the company that owns the apartments still maintains it can salvage the complex. Unbelievably many of the tenants are staying put. Somehow, it all seems so futile.
And today, a tornado warning was issued for Contra Costa county where we live after some funnels were spotted at Brentwood where UJ, YY went for a long drive with us to look at some beautiful homes just a year ago almost to the day.
On a lighter note, we are all about done with the seasonal flu. It has been a really rough couple of weeks battling the cough. I am so paying the price now for the two weeks away from the office. Catch up time.
And my eyesight is now so much better. The lasik done in December has really made a difference, especially to my bad right eye that used to be just a haze of blurry objects. What is surprising is that immediately after the lasik, I could actually read easily wiithout my reading glasses. As the weeks went by, however, I am gradually losing that. My right eye is now 20/20 and my left eye is slowly catching up but as the doctor warned, the lasik is to help with normal vision, and I will still need reading glasses. But truth is I can read without glasses now and I love it. I am typing this long blog right now on my laptop without them.
'Cept now, of course, I have no glasses to help cover up the bags and dark circles. Oh well.
And in another half hour or so, the Lai's and the Tan's will be here for dinner. Lay Keow has been having this craving for the bak kut teh since the countdown party and finally pluck up the courage to cajole me into getting the Man to cook it for a small gathering. She said she had not craved anything like that since her last pregnancy which would be Mason who is all of 14 years old!
And to end this, I love that the days are getting longer again. It is 5:35 and the day is slowing dying but at least it is dusk, A month ago, it would have been dark already.
So different. But defintely much more than I have ever seen in California which is perpetually parched.
Despite the lightness compared to the afternoon thunderstorms common in Singapore, the rains caused a fair amount of damage. Thousands of people lost power to their homes, not a nice thing considering it is winter.
The really bad damage, however, has been at Pacifica where for months, the high surfs California has been getting in recent months have been serously eroding the cliffs on which some apartment blocks sit. The tenants there have been watching their hillsides crumbling into the ocean for a few months and some significant efforts have been made to try and curb the erosion by plunkiing down tons of large boulders to weaken the force of the waves. But to little avail. Last two nights' news show at least one of the blocks teethering inches from the sheer drop into the ocean. From some of the apartments, the balconies were even starting to tumble in pieces down the cliffs. Scary. The die hard tenants are finally admitting defeat and moving out but the company that owns the apartments still maintains it can salvage the complex. Unbelievably many of the tenants are staying put. Somehow, it all seems so futile.
And today, a tornado warning was issued for Contra Costa county where we live after some funnels were spotted at Brentwood where UJ, YY went for a long drive with us to look at some beautiful homes just a year ago almost to the day.
On a lighter note, we are all about done with the seasonal flu. It has been a really rough couple of weeks battling the cough. I am so paying the price now for the two weeks away from the office. Catch up time.
And my eyesight is now so much better. The lasik done in December has really made a difference, especially to my bad right eye that used to be just a haze of blurry objects. What is surprising is that immediately after the lasik, I could actually read easily wiithout my reading glasses. As the weeks went by, however, I am gradually losing that. My right eye is now 20/20 and my left eye is slowly catching up but as the doctor warned, the lasik is to help with normal vision, and I will still need reading glasses. But truth is I can read without glasses now and I love it. I am typing this long blog right now on my laptop without them.
'Cept now, of course, I have no glasses to help cover up the bags and dark circles. Oh well.
And in another half hour or so, the Lai's and the Tan's will be here for dinner. Lay Keow has been having this craving for the bak kut teh since the countdown party and finally pluck up the courage to cajole me into getting the Man to cook it for a small gathering. She said she had not craved anything like that since her last pregnancy which would be Mason who is all of 14 years old!
And to end this, I love that the days are getting longer again. It is 5:35 and the day is slowing dying but at least it is dusk, A month ago, it would have been dark already.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sick
This flu has been the most horrible. One week of myriad aches, gut wrenching coughs, a miserable night of shivering from cold despite wearing 3 layers and wrapped in a thick blanket and the constant irritating dry itchy sandy throat. Oh Ryan, what have you done?
A pile of work now awaits me in the office. And this being salary administration time, I am a bundle of nerves. My team depends on me to defend their performance and I am too sick to attend to their needs.
2009 into 2010 have just not been a great time for me where health is concerned. First the most injurious sprain in summer to the right ankle that crippled me for ever so long and still hurts after 5 months or more. Then the infection to my middle left finger that kept me awake nights from the unceasing pain and led to a bulbous lump of pus around the edge of the fingernail - the only good thing about that was that it was not gout as the doctor had feared. Then a bad round of this type of flu round about the time of the house handover. And barely a month later, flu again but much more vicious and devastating in its effects. One would have thought the earlier bout would have provided some immunity but noooo.
What next? My immunity system must be totally shot. Gotta get back to my exercise routine. Even the flu shot did not help.
The flu was bad. First the Man, then Nic, then Ryan who valiantly shared the love.
What a start to a new home - move in with a flu followed soon after by another ... flu.
A pile of work now awaits me in the office. And this being salary administration time, I am a bundle of nerves. My team depends on me to defend their performance and I am too sick to attend to their needs.
2009 into 2010 have just not been a great time for me where health is concerned. First the most injurious sprain in summer to the right ankle that crippled me for ever so long and still hurts after 5 months or more. Then the infection to my middle left finger that kept me awake nights from the unceasing pain and led to a bulbous lump of pus around the edge of the fingernail - the only good thing about that was that it was not gout as the doctor had feared. Then a bad round of this type of flu round about the time of the house handover. And barely a month later, flu again but much more vicious and devastating in its effects. One would have thought the earlier bout would have provided some immunity but noooo.
What next? My immunity system must be totally shot. Gotta get back to my exercise routine. Even the flu shot did not help.
The flu was bad. First the Man, then Nic, then Ryan who valiantly shared the love.
What a start to a new home - move in with a flu followed soon after by another ... flu.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Here is the link to the New Year eve countdown. Hope access is not a problem. Enjoy!
And the madding crowd:
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Countdown
Countdown to 2010 was a boisterous affair at Elvin and Eve's new house in Mountain House. We had the largest gathering of Singaporeans and a couple of Malaysians since we came to America celebrating both the coming of the new year and the Low's new home. Because newly arrived Hwee Hong and her son, Jun Wei was joined by the man of the family, Anton, who arrived during Christmas for a two-week sojourn with his wife and son, sans daughter who flew to Singapore immediately after finals at NYU. They are the lucky green card lottery winners.
Aside from the usual spread of Singapore food, there were poppers and noise-makers as we joined Ryan Seacrest in San Francisco (on telly, of course) counting down the final seconds to 2010. Then poppers blew out tinsels all over the family room and Daynan started a frantic scooping up and stuffing of the colored paper down his parents' and aunt's backs and all over their hair. I think he missed Nic all night. While the other kids were busy with their computer games and the younger ones were watching Jet Li battled out on the DVD, he was pretty much by himself, in that awkward stage between teen and adult. Until the final seconds of 2009, that is.
There was a lot of the normal laughter and teasing that go on with these gatherings. Even the Low's two small girls are opening up to us. They now snuggle up for hugs and embraces without reserve and the teenagers, Mason, Tedmung and Stella are finally acknowledging our legitimacy by deigning to smile and answer our greetings. It has taken them about 3 years but we are becoming familiar.
The Man was not feeling great all through the evening - he must have caught a chill from the winter rains. Still sniffing around the house and moaning every so often. Still he participated fully in the evening chatter and his bak kut teh was all gone in no time. Complaints of how little he brought, methinks, pleased him.
And the half man has slowly been getting accepted into the circle of the teens. Stella is a bit of a loner and seems to have an air of the diva - cold, aloof and usually looking rather surly. But the half man assures me she has a warm heart and the demeanour is just a put on. She is the one he likes best of the lot because for some reason, they seem to click even if they don't outwardly talk much or seem to even like each other. Strange kids. Mason of course is always with Tedmung and I imagine it cannot be easy for anyone to break into their space, much less an introverted stranger from so far away. And kudos to him for befriending Jun Wei and making him feel comfortable despite being younger by two years.
Only Nic has been able to really get accepted right from the get go. She is more outgoing than her brother and never had any reserve just breaking into a circle and getting responses. Except maybe with Stella but then I don't see Nic bothering with her at all. Interesting teen dynamics. Nic and Stella vs Nic and the boys. Ryan and Stella vs Ryan and the boys.
We don't have as many opportunities to meet with CJ, Tommy and their two boys nor with Sunny, Janet and their two boys. Not much to observe there.
Jeanna, Victor and their two kids were not there. Otherwise it would really have been a very large gathering.
The Lows' house was very well done up. Elvin did a marvellous job painting the entire house and Eve has a good eye for interior decor. I must say I was a little jealous of the space. For less than half the cost of our home, they have more than twice the space, even an in-law quarter that they managed to rent out to a single man who hardly comes back. Five bedrooms, a bonus room, an in-law unit, ... Why is San Ramon so darn expensive?
That was our countdown to the new decade. How was yours?
Aside from the usual spread of Singapore food, there were poppers and noise-makers as we joined Ryan Seacrest in San Francisco (on telly, of course) counting down the final seconds to 2010. Then poppers blew out tinsels all over the family room and Daynan started a frantic scooping up and stuffing of the colored paper down his parents' and aunt's backs and all over their hair. I think he missed Nic all night. While the other kids were busy with their computer games and the younger ones were watching Jet Li battled out on the DVD, he was pretty much by himself, in that awkward stage between teen and adult. Until the final seconds of 2009, that is.
There was a lot of the normal laughter and teasing that go on with these gatherings. Even the Low's two small girls are opening up to us. They now snuggle up for hugs and embraces without reserve and the teenagers, Mason, Tedmung and Stella are finally acknowledging our legitimacy by deigning to smile and answer our greetings. It has taken them about 3 years but we are becoming familiar.
The Man was not feeling great all through the evening - he must have caught a chill from the winter rains. Still sniffing around the house and moaning every so often. Still he participated fully in the evening chatter and his bak kut teh was all gone in no time. Complaints of how little he brought, methinks, pleased him.
And the half man has slowly been getting accepted into the circle of the teens. Stella is a bit of a loner and seems to have an air of the diva - cold, aloof and usually looking rather surly. But the half man assures me she has a warm heart and the demeanour is just a put on. She is the one he likes best of the lot because for some reason, they seem to click even if they don't outwardly talk much or seem to even like each other. Strange kids. Mason of course is always with Tedmung and I imagine it cannot be easy for anyone to break into their space, much less an introverted stranger from so far away. And kudos to him for befriending Jun Wei and making him feel comfortable despite being younger by two years.
Only Nic has been able to really get accepted right from the get go. She is more outgoing than her brother and never had any reserve just breaking into a circle and getting responses. Except maybe with Stella but then I don't see Nic bothering with her at all. Interesting teen dynamics. Nic and Stella vs Nic and the boys. Ryan and Stella vs Ryan and the boys.
We don't have as many opportunities to meet with CJ, Tommy and their two boys nor with Sunny, Janet and their two boys. Not much to observe there.
Jeanna, Victor and their two kids were not there. Otherwise it would really have been a very large gathering.
The Lows' house was very well done up. Elvin did a marvellous job painting the entire house and Eve has a good eye for interior decor. I must say I was a little jealous of the space. For less than half the cost of our home, they have more than twice the space, even an in-law quarter that they managed to rent out to a single man who hardly comes back. Five bedrooms, a bonus room, an in-law unit, ... Why is San Ramon so darn expensive?
That was our countdown to the new decade. How was yours?
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