2020 in numbers

2020 was a year of big changes, primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacts the whole world, forcing people all across the globe to adjust their lifestyle.

I thought I had the busiest year in 2019 workwise. Well, I thought wrong, 2020 was way worse... In fact, I just ended my work day about 20 minutes ago, had my shower and now writing this last blog entry for the year.

Here are the 2020 numbers:

125 blog entries, this is the 13th year in a row. Whenever I need some self-assurance that I am disciplined, persistent and consistent, I just have to remember this.

57 days of commute to work recorded, which covered 2091.6 kilometres, giving an average of 36.7 kilometres per day.

7 petrol filling recorded. My two years old Civic is doing an average of 14.7 kilometre per litre of petrol.

123 days of worked till overtime-worthy late. I used to consider working more than an hour beyond normal work time as overtime. There was nothing less than two hours this year, with regular at least four hours in the weekends.

To put this into perspective, 52 weeks of 5 working days = 260 working days. Take away 17 public holidays and replacement holidays we have 243 working days. Out of the 243 days I worked overtime 123 days, that's 50.6%. This is just horrible, there is no work/life balance and absolutely not conducive to my wellbeing. >_<

7.5 days of leave taken. Again, I thought I had the lowest last year... This also means that I only had 235.5 working days and so I had worked overtime 52.2% of those days! >_<

0 days on business trip. For a recluse and introvert this is actually not a bad thing, thanks Covid-19!

28 novels read, a mixture of new books and rereads, average of 13 days for a book. Oh, also reread the Dragon Ball comic, 42 books. =)

2 patent filings, what a pleasant surprise. Good achievement in life.

43, 16, 13, 11, 2 for my own reference.

Happy New Year dear reader, wish you a safe and healthy 2021. Please do your part in curbing the pandemic.

Other |hyped up heads up| category entries.

Hoverboard

Thanks to brother-in-law doting on the kids, we have two hoverboards in the house.

Having always been showered with gifts and stuff from family and relatives, I sincerely hope that the kids learn appreciation and gratitude, and not take things for granted.

Riding a hoverboard felt a bit awkward initially but once you got used to it, it becomes intuitive. At least that's the case for me and my family.

A few days after use, one of the wheels of a hoverboard developed a problem, where the inner tube stem was sucked inwards, pushing onto the rim, making inflating the inner tube impossible.

We never found out what caused that issue, because in my overzealous attempt to fix it, I ended up bursting the inner tube and we had to replace it. Replacing the inner tube was a painful process, at the time of drafting this, the wounds on my hand are still fresh and smarting.

Oh well, at least I have the experience of changing the inner tube and wheel of a hoverboard now. Learned something. Prefer not to have to do it again though.

It's about three weeks now (this entry is drafted on 27th of December) since we have the hoverboards, while the younger son still plays with the hoverboard, the elder son has already lost interest after the first few days. And no, I am not surprised, such is his nature.

Anyway, a tool to replace walking is always good for lazy people like me, kekeke. Here's a video showing hoverboard in action.

Other |geeky gaming| category entries.

Bliss

Initially the plan is to write about either the received Logitech G502 gaming mouse, or the hoverboards.

But then when I was looking up the relevant image and/or video file, I saw this and decided to post this instead.

Snowball in its wood shaving hole, with its eyes closed, blissfully enjoying its carrot snack. ^_^

Cute little thing.

Other |enjoyable events| category entries.

冬至

今天冬至，愿大家冬至快乐！ ^_^

面子书被汤圆图洗版的今天，两个瓜和情人老婆仔在家里一起做了一锅的汤圆。

虽然最后只有我一个人吃真的汤圆（他们都是吃「麻芝」），至少午餐和晚餐都是一家人一起同时吃，算团团圆圆啦！

哦，也是家里一份子的「雪球」没有得吃汤圆，可怜… 是为了它好啦，因为不知道安全不安全，怕它哽到。

希望可以调整一下我的心境啦，不喜欢负能量爆棚的自己。

随兴随想 |系列|

Shame on me

I woke up around eight in the morning on a Sunday thinking about work. The unease persisted and it bothered me so much that I couldn't get back to sleep.

So I got up and worked. Both simulation cases had diverged, basically failed. Not surprised really, that has been the recent trend. And a big source of stress to me.

The lack of results lately, coupled with my sense of responsibility and the perfectionist within is absolutely not conducive to my wellbeing. Wonder if I have atelophobia?

Already engaged the technical support of the software provider, not making much progress on that front since the technical support is... well, let's just say I have reservation on the quality and competency of the support. None of the things the tech support suggested I try have been successful thus far.

So I am still trying to solve it myself mainly. For goodness sake I am the software user, not the software developer, I don't know the intricate details of how the software work! I can only do it trial and error and hope I hit gold.

Well, shame on me nevertheless! Waking up early on a weekend, thinking about work some more. Such disrespect!

I have dishonoured the slacker extraordinaire I claimed to be, I am devastatingly ashamed of myself.

Other |wretched workaholic| category entries.

怨气很重

工作和生活上有太多不顺心顺利的事在交接的时间点连续的发生。

无法保持好心情，我坠落沦陷。现在的我，负能量爆棚。

我想，如果有电影效果的话，我现在是被浓浓黑黑的气势围绕着的。

而且是有股寒冷的力量由我为中心点往外扩散，让人无法靠近、让周围的人不由自主地颤抖和难受的。

现在的我，怨气很重。

随兴随想 |系列|

Tipped

I have not been doing overtime since last Friday.

Well, more or less. Still did some work after I woke up in the weekend, but just for a relatively short duration and once I found out that the simulation cases had error I just quit instead of trying to resolve them. Left them till the weekday, the normal work hours.

And these few days I ended my work day at dinner time, more or less on time. Even if I turned on my laptop after dinner it's just something quick so comparatively that doesn't count as overtime.

At least that's what I am trying to convince myself.

I am done with working day and night and through weekend. I am done working overtime. Enough is enough.

Never ending changes and demands, the more I do the more I am asked to do.

It has reached the tipping point and was hovering there while I continued to burn myself out for the insane workload and due dates. Then it tipped over last Friday.

So ya, I am done. No more.

I will work on a more sensible pace and duration now, my wellbeing matters. At least the high level leaders seem to say so.

This is my current resolution. I am trying my best to stay true to it.

Other |wretched workaholic| category entries.

When the planets aligned

Or perhaps I should say, when the ten realms aligned...

... usually luckless person on Midgard would get a sliver of luck for a change.

A bit of background is in order. I think the background story will be the lengthy part of this entry, so just take it as the main content, hehe.

My room gets dusty frequently. The sea breeze brings with it dust from the multi-years land reclaimation project happening off the shoreline where I stay.

After I was done with comparatively short work hours (since my heart was not in it) this morning, I tidied and cleaned my work table. Basically wiped everything down with a moist cloth.

Even though I haven't had much time for gaming, I still called myself a gamer, and my preferred gaming platform is the computer, with keyboard and mouse as the favoured input device.

Any self-respecting computer gamer will have a gaming mouse, mine is a Logitech G5 bought many years ago. Before that I had the MX518.

Despite the once in a while cleaning, the inner circumference of the scroll wheel on my G5 has accumulated grime over the years.

When I tried to rub off the grime with moist cloth, the plastic or rubber scroll wheel turned soft, gluey and sticky, I didn't noticed it at first, it's when, to my horror, part of the wheel started to deform and broke off that I realised. Oh my goodness!

Why oh why a cleaning activity ended up ruining my mouse?!?!! I now have a wonky scroll wheel with chunk missing, if it's any consolation, at least it's not that sticky any more with grime stuck to it... >_<

Out of curiosity I looked up what's the successor for Logitech G5, and currently it seems to be the G502 Hero, which Logitech official site has it priced at RM399.

Okay, can't justify that kind of expense so I asked wifey if there is any offer since businessmen like to have these same day and month number sales and today happened to be the 12/12. Didn't expect it to be within budget even if it's on sales so I asked her to also check if there were any G5 still available.

It appears that the planets were aligned at that particular moment, because Logitech had a flash sales on that exact model, for RM209. It's still not cheap but it's just too good to pass.

Wifey has some other mojo that further reduced the price so she bought me the G502 Hero at less than half the official listed price.

To be honest I still can't believe the luck and timing. Imagine the profit margin the company must be making to offer such discount. But I am looking forward to recieving and using the mouse. Yes I am. ^_^

Other |temperamental thoughts| category entries.

徒劳无功

“人生本来就有很多事是徒劳无功的。”

才不管之前有谁讲过，总之我只记得电影「那些年」沈佳宜的版本，呵呵！

几天前一句 “this workload is not conducive to my wellbeing” 老板马上就一对一网上会议。

其实我就只是实话实说，根本没有什么其它目的。没日没夜没周末没私人时间的忙，事实就是不健康的，没有可能、如果、但是、什么的。

那一对一的会议，也是让他可以交差，名正言顺说有关注、有即时反应。

毕竟我没有要为难任何人，因为我早知道是我自己命贱，那要命的责任感和完美主义的执念。

现实就是做越多的人，就会被老板给更多的工作。说好听点是能者多劳，说俗气点就是水鱼。

是我命贱。我劳碌命。我认命。

今天一整天和顾客的会议，得到的是那卖命忙碌了这么长的时间所换来的是那徒劳无功的感觉。

又要从头开始做起，唉～

真的，工作、生活、人生里很多事情是徒劳无功的。

随兴随想 |系列|

有感而发：活着，就好了

二零二零年十二月六日。

因为疫情，有些人说，二零二零年就这样废了。有些人说，二零二零年白活了。

也许疫情和行动管制令对我这宅男的影响不大，生活和平时没有什么大差异，所以我由衷认为，二零二零年，活着，就好了。

一直想尽办法要让孩子们懂得感恩，而不是总是抱怨的我，在没日没夜的忙得精疲力竭的时候，也是这样告诉自己的。

要感恩我还有工作，还能养家糊口。很多人因为疫情失去了工作，生活成了问题。

要感恩我还活着，家人都还安康。世上很多很多的人因为这新冠肺炎失去了生命。

真的，健康活着，已经很好了。至少，我是这样让自己撑下去的。

疫情不能受控，完全是人的态度和自律的问题。

就是有那些侥幸心态的人，那些无视或违反控制疫情蔓延恶化而制定的规则的人，那些就只是根据自己的需要好恶来行事的自私自我的人。

唉，人类，很累人。

有感而发 |系列|

小小心愿

二零二零年最后一个月了。

可不可以，不要让我这么累？

心语细述 |系列|

For the first time in forever

For the first time in what feels like forever, but probably closer to eight months time, I am not running any thermal simulation.

I ended work before lunch today, but unlike all previous weekends lately, I do not plan to continue work after lunch or after dinner. I am done for the day.

To say that the overtime has been crazy lately is an understatement. It's more appropriate to say I haven't got a break day or personal life at all, I have been working 15/7 for many, many weeks now.

It's a miracle that I haven't burnt out, really.

Anyway, after I post-processed the cases I ran yesterday and overnight on the server before lunch today, I didn't set any new ones to run.

It's an event worth recording because for the first time in many months, I am not using any of the Computational Fluid Dynamics software licences, not utilising any of the servers' computing power. I am not running a thermal simulation.

I have been running thermal simulation 24/7 for months, non-stop except for the few hours when the servers went down for monthly maintenance. And it's not just a single simulation, I have been solving cases in parallel on multiple servers, up to four simultaneously at one period of time.

Until I got a warning using up too many software licences. Since then I limited myself to running three simulations in parallel in my daytime, and two while I sleep.

Yes, I kid you not, that's the kind of workload I am having.

I am sure this whole non-stop 24/7 multiple simulations cycle will resume tomorrow, but at least until the official work day starts tomorrow morning, the workstations can have a break. For once I am not using any of the software licences.

For the first time in forever, I can take a break.

Other |temperamental thoughts| category entries.

生活点滴：杂记

十六年

情人老婆仔，结婚十六周年纪念日快乐！

谢谢你接受番薯的我，感谢你这些年来的关怀和陪伴。

让我们继续手牵手走下去。

爱你哦！

「雪球」失踪记

十一月十一日，仓鼠「雪球」失踪了！

小瓜和老婆仔翻遍它的两个容器也找不到「雪球」。

两个容器是用塑料管通道接通的，那天发现其中一个容器的塑料管洞口被它的玩具阻着了。猜想它无法用通道去另一个容器所以便爬在塑料管外企图那样通往另一个容器。

塑料管最顶端是横越容器的墙的，「雪球」爬在管外到最高处时一定是失足掉到容器外了。容器到地上它还真的是跌了蛮高的距离…

最后小瓜听到厨房储物室里有声音，终于在那找到它。

找到它时它就乖乖的坐着，没有逃跑，就是很乐意地钻进我们一贯用来转移它的罐子。然后就把它放回它的容器里了。

观察它几天没有看到任何异样，所以应该是没有跌伤，真是万幸。

之后我们不再直接用塑料管通道做进出口了。我为它做了两栋楼梯高楼，高楼的入口很难会被堵住，而高楼的顶楼有连接塑料管通道的洞口，这样「雪球」就不会爬到塑料管通道的外面了。

至今十天过去了，没有再发生失踪事件。感恩。

刚过的周末我又为它做了另一栋楼梯楼，没有之前两栋那么高，但还是可以更换使用。每星期都要更改它的容器的摆设保持新鲜感，呵呵！

简单的幸福

标题是写这篇的初稿时起的，应该是上星期五晚上吧？又过了一个星期不知道还是否贴切…

忙了两个星期，是醒来就工作到入睡那种的忙。只有午餐、晚餐、拿水和用厕所的时候没有在工作而已，连早餐都是一边工作一边吃的。

上星期五做到晚上九点多我放弃了。既然已经逃不过长周末（星期一是屠妖节补假）还是要工作的命运，我就不做到累了要睡了才停。

放弃工作后我就一边吃零食一边喝可乐的看韩国综艺节目「跑男」。就那样顿时觉得很幸福，所以便起了稿把那瞬间记下。

（再续…）

幸福之后

…然后星期六又是从起身做到晚上十点半，唉… 朋友在群聊里讲什么电影什么的，百多个留言那种，真羡慕他们的悠闲。

星期天和补假的星期一醒来做到午餐，然后晚餐后才继续。之间的时间做些家里的琐琐碎碎，和给「雪球」做了栋新楼。

这星期二开始又是醒来就工作到入睡，除了星期三。星期三我在得知老板又给我加了一个新项目后暴走，傍晚六点我就准时下班了，晚上也没有再加工。

这星期四我呈报了其中一个项目的报告，当然又有更多要求要我去模拟。很正常，本来就是这样的一个流程的。只是通常一个时间点只做一个大型项目的啦。

两个同时进行的大项目要我都负责我已经要醒来就工作到入睡的程度了，星期三又加了一个，勾叉零蛋三角形！

呈报了报告的项目除外，其它两个星期五才给我资料，下星期五就要报告…

我说过每个新模拟我需要至少两个星期（经理自己的时间计划还是给四个星期的呢！），现在你们一个星期要两个？勾叉零蛋四角形！！

我不是超人（也不是蝙蝠侠）！现在我是一个满口粗话怨气很重的行尸走肉！

唉，我的劳碌命。

今天醒来后做到傍晚五点多就停了。好累，群聊里还有那些冷言冷语…

不写了，冲个凉后我要继续工作了。

生活点滴 |系列|

There is hope still

The older I get, the more antisocial I become.

Primarily because I generally find human beings disappointing. Too many ugliness, unpleasantness, and idiocy around. Which I can do without.

Of course there are decent and sensible people around, for which I am grateful of, but I am often deprived of positive energy so the dark side of humanity stood out more prominently.

Ya, I am a dense ball of negativity, especially when I am in depression.

Anyway, the USA presidential election showed that there is hope still for humankind. The result restored my faith in humanity somewhat.

Though it's saddening that there are still so many who voted for that sexist, racist egomaniac. Do they have no shame that their president is a moronic baboon? I don't care who the opponent is, but that raving idiot has to go, for the better of all nations and mother Earth.

That there are still so many who voted for the moron says a lot about the people of that country. Not that I have been to many countries, but of all the ones I have been, I definitely perceived that country as having the most arrogant and ignorant people.

But hey, my country is currently governed by a bunch of clowns, monkeys and crooks who made themselves government by disregarding the last voting result, disrespecting the nation's majority choice. So what can I say, huh?

I am truly ashamed of the politics and the politicians in my country. Hopeless bunch, corrupted to the core.

If Malaysia is based on meritocracy instead of kleptocracy, we would have progressed much further, the whole country would have been a much, much better place.

Sigh...

There is hope still for humankind, that a world without sexism, racism, unfairness, prejudice is possible, if we all work towards it. If we all strive for betterment.

I want to believe that. I have to believe that.

Human beings are all one race.

Other |sane side| category entries.

Scribble Pad is thirteen years old!

Happy 13th birthday, Scribble Pad!

As per custom, here are the accumulated number of views based on the counter. The one for 2020 is as of 20:00 hours.

2008: 4746
2009: 13300
2010: 23226
2011: 31677
2012: 37412
2013: 42469
2014: 46926
2015: 50532
2016: 53716
2017: 56798
2018: 59939
2019: 62732
2020: 65840

After a dip last year, the view count went back up to the plateau level, *shrug*.

Since I am treating the blog as an online diary, and a memory tool, whether or not others view it is not a concern.

I like to think that those who follow the blog get a glimpse of my life and my thoughts. Over thirteen years I have shared so many stuff that the faithful would have a pretty good idea of the kind of person I am.

I sure hope the viewers get a good chuckle, and maybe occasionally get some insights and learning.

Whatever it is, thank you for reading this blog, and I sincerely hope you get something out of it.

Other |hyped up heads up| category entries.

Number two

The experience of the first one is irreplaceable.

The meeting with the company's legal team made me believed it's really coming true, that I have my first patent.

Achievement unlocked! =P

I am contented. Truly I am.

Then there was that second notice, and a few days ago, the meeting with the legal team, so by the end of the year, my second patent will be filed.

Of course I am happy about it, but it does feel different to the first one.

The first one is based on my work, my idea, I have no qualm whatsoever with the claim.

The second one I only helped providing supplementary information, supporting data. The idea's not mine.

Guess I don't feel like I have contributed in a major way for the second patent idea, that I am just collateral lucky enough being roped into the ride.

Well, thanks for including me in the ride, hehehe!

So ya, I have two patents under my name now. Honestly not something I have dreamed of. Real yet so dreamy.

I am a happy bunny. ^_^

Other |hyped up heads up| category entries.

An unusual chore, part deux

Them pigeons have been busy.

The weekend after the clean up, I went out onto the ledge again to put up the net.

The little pigeon had truly flown away then, but the pigeon family had generated an impressive amount of droppings in a week's time so I had to clean the ledge all over again.

Then up the net went. Not an easy task given the limited space to work with, a lot of overreaching, bending and awkward posture that made me ache all over the next day.

But we got it done, so hopefully no more bird will make their nest there and no more carpet of droppings.

That was the 18th floor, there is still the 17th floor ledge, which is this week's task.

So after a short break after lunch today, I donned the homemade safety apparatus for the third time and went out onto the 17th floor ledge through the window.

And I was greeted by the lovebirds nesting on the 17th floor ledge with two newly laid eggs.

Yea, that's why I said the pigeons have been busy. As soon as the little pigeon could fly and had flown away, they immediately got the lady pigeon pregnant. Very productive indeed.

Since the 18th floor ledge is netted, they made their nest on the 17th floor instead. Bummer.

No, not again! Sorry, but no can do. I shooed away the pigeons, scooped up their eggs and put them on the top of the lower than knee-height fence, and proceeded to clean the ledge.

All the mess and droppings on horizontal, vertical and cylindrical surfaces. So the same old same old scrapping, brushing and hosing down with water. Not forgetting the shit-shower. Yea, great fun...

Shortly after I went out onto the ledge, it started raining. I didn't really get wet from the rain to be honest, it's the hosing within confined space and the shit-shower that got me wet. =_=

Put up the net after the cleaning. While we have the experience from last week, it doesn't change the fact that the ledge's limited space is just not work-friendly.

After about one and a half hours the job is done. I am sure I will be aching all over again tomorrow but at least this particular chore is done for good.

At least I hope so. Can't say I like going out onto the ledge all that much.

And I definitely do not like the shit-shower.

Other |sane side| category entries.

空想

我期待，公假的到来。

希望可以是连着周末的公假，可以有个长周末那种。

没有什么计划或想做的事，就是想要歇一歇。

忙了这么长的一段时间，我身心都累了。

我查了查我积存的年假，没到三十日，觉得不应该拿。

唉…

自从那每周一次的新会议开始至今，连续几个星期的会议项目都是我的，而且不是一个项目而已，甚至有三个项目都是我的那种。

有时真的很想知道，老板不觉得不太对劲的吗？

整个队伍那么多人，每个星期都是我的项目而已，不奇怪的吗？

我不是超人，也不是蝙蝠侠，请让我做回闲懒人可不可以？

唉，命贱如我，唯有空想。

心语细述 |系列|

I went out (8)

Since the previous entry of this series, I was out of the house fourteen times, so my total out of the house count stands at 38 as of today.

25th outing: went out to takeaway food for dinner on 29th of August.

26th outing: went to office on 7th of September for work.

27th outing: went to office on 10th of September for work, bought lunch home from Batu Lanchang market.

28th outing: went out to do chauffeur duty for kid's archery practise on 12th of September.

29th outing: went to office on 15th of September for work, bought lunch home from Batu Lanchang market.

30th outing: went to office on 17th of September for work, bought lunch home from Batu Lanchang market.

31st outing: went out to do chauffeur duty for kid's archery practise on 18th of September.

32nd outing: went to office on 22nd of September for work, bought lunch home from Batu Lanchang market.

33rd outing: went out on 5th of October to collect road tax and car insurance.

34th outing: went to office on 6th of October for work, bought lunch home from Batu Lanchang market.

35th outing: went out to do chauffeur duty for kid's archery practise on 10th of October.

36th outing: went out to pick up son from school and to takeaway food for Young's birthday on 13th of October.

37th outing: went out to do chauffeur duty for kid's archery practise on 17th of October.

38th outing: went out on 21st of October to pump air into a somewhat flat-looking tire and for a short drive to keep my Civic battery from going flat. Also took the opportunity to use the soon to expire ice cream voucher.

As of 21st of October, 31 weeks (217 days) have past since the beginning of Movement Control Order on 18th of March. I have been out of the house 38 times in 31 weeks, so 1.2 times per week on average, or about once every 5.7 days.

Here are the main reasons I went out:
- drive around to keep car battery healthy: 7
- work at office: 14
- bank: 1
- grocery: 1
- pick up takeaway meal: 4
- dine in restaurant: 1
- clinic: 1
- customer service: 1
- car service: 2
- pet shop: 1
- chauffeur duty: 5

Other |temperamental thoughts| category entries.

生活点滴：破功·见红

我们家仓鼠「吴雪球」，连续二十一天都很乖，没有咬我。

我吃水果都会留一小部分给它，用手指直接喂。

过去的二十一天它都是很乖巧斯文的留在我手指旁边直接吃手指上的水果，不然就是小心翼翼的从我手指取去水果，然后躲到一个角落去吃。

但昨天它又咬我了，还咬得很深，直接流血那种。

唉，破功了，还以为它已经不会那么忘恩负义咬喂它食物的人了，结果还是畜生一只。

真的是咬得蛮深的，今天都还会痛。

但比起手指的疼痛，更深的是失望，唉…

生活点滴 |系列|

Downtime

So, I have just shut down my workstation and ended my work day.

Erm... yay!

As a thermal engineer, majority of my work time is spent on thermal simulation, so the workstation is pretty much on and running 24/7.

Actually not just the workstation, since managers and colleagues seem to think I can do the workload of several persons, I have to run thermal simulations on several servers simultaneously until I get a warning recently using up too many licenses of the thermal simulation software.

Even with parallel processing I still have a backlog of thermal simulation requests...

Really, my dear managers and colleagues, I am not superman. And no, for those few who may be thinking it, I am also not batman!

Anyway, since there will be 'cold down' without power in the office for some upgrades or maintenance tomorrow onwards through the weekend, I turned off my workstation by the end of workday today so it's a graceful shutdown and not an abrupt power cut.

It will be nice to think I don't have to work from Friday to Sunday, and only resume when colleague who is going to office next Monday helps to turn on my workstation. A nice thought indeed.

But reality is that it's just a nice thought and nothing more. I will have to work directly using the server instead of my usual remote in through my workstation.

With the backlog of thermal simulation requests, I simply cannot afford the downtime.

Yea I know, what a pathetic work life. Sad, but true.

Other |wretched workaholic| category entries.

An unusual chore

A couple of pigeons decided to start a family and them lovebirds picked our ledge to make their nest.

So the lady pigeon got pregnant and laid two eggs. Both eggs hatched and the proud pigeon parents started to raise their hatchlings.

The family of four pigeons were not particularly noisy, but they produced a ton of shit. Pretty sure pigeon droppings are health hazard, so that family of pigeon was starting to be a concern for us.

The last straw was when we discovered that one of the little pigeons has died, I am guessing due to sibling "love". But anyhow a carcass on our ledge is a definite no no.

We waited until the remaining murderous little pigeon could fly before we do the carcass disposal and a proper clean up of the filthy ledge. We also want to put up a net to stop any other lovebirds making nest and pooing mess of the ledge.

Today's the day for that operation. It's a big deal because the ledge is on 18th floor and only has a lower than knee-height fence. It's an open and long way down...

Anyway, with a home made safety apparatus tying me to the window grill, I climbed over the windowsill to land on the ledge with the air-conditioning unit, thick layer of bird poo, and the remaining young pigeon.

Yup, the same young pigeon that's supposed to know how to fly already. Only it doesn't, so it's trapped there scared shitless. Probably emptied its bowel when I went out onto the ledge, couldn't tell really since the ledge was so full of droppings.

So the intel from wifey and son was wrong, the young pigeon can't fly yet.

Since I was already out on the ledge, the operation continued. The net wouldn't be put up today anyway, it's planned for the next weekend, but now it will have to wait until the young pigeon truly can fly and leave our ledge. For real, and hopefully for good.

The cleaning commenced, with the poor scared pigeon sharing the tiny space with me while I scraped, brushed, disposed of carcass and filth in plastic bag, unclogged the drain hole, and eventually hosed down the ledge.

Many home made tools were used. We should all be grateful of the mighty duct tape. =P

And yes, I hosed down the ledge, with further brushing of wet surfaces. The pigeons have special ability to get their poos on vertical walls, so it was raining shit at one point of the cleaning process, with me and that poor pigeon in the shit-shower... >_<

Probably should mention that I am not fond of birds, because I was attacked and pecked by a cock when I was young. Not scared of them, more like weary.

Anyway, so that's the special chore I did today.

Pretty sure the pigeon family will cover the ledge with droppings again by the time the little pigeon can fly and we can finally put up the net. Meaning a repeat of the whole cleaning process.

And the shit-shower.

Other |sane side| category entries.