唉…

不长不短的假期转眼就过去了。

因为临时的计划改变，和家人的旅游花了很多钱。

但是有很宝贵的和家人一起互动的时光，所以是值得的。

（这样想心里比较好过，有时做人就是要阿Q点的。）

每个假期我都只是想要好好休息，如此而已，真的。

但两个瓜总会确保我没有一天是睡到自然醒的，唉…

明天又要开工廖，真的是显到… -_-

随兴随想 |系列|

To have or not to have?

That's the question.

On the one hand, I really really really REALLY want to have a daughter. Really.

On the other hand, I do not know if I can handle another son. As wifey put it, will I go into depression if it's another son?

Hence, to have or not to have a third child?

Home sweet home

Back from our family holiday to Phuket, home sweet home.

Five days four nights. Well, really more like three and a half days and four nights but whatever.

Will probably take me some time, if ever, to post photos so here's one for the time being.

quality time when it's pouring outside

Stayed in a hotel suite that has two rooms, a lounge with kitchen and dining area, and a pool view balcony.

Swimming pool was probably the most frequented area, then a lot of walking about for meals, the occasional beach, and let's not forget the bath tub, the kids indoor swimming pool. =P

Got some quality family time, but not much of a relaxing trip. With little monsters around, it simply won't be a relaxing trip.

Oh well, glad to be home. I missed my bed.

Overhaul

This is really just a record for my future reference, drafted 19th of May, when it happened.

My brother-in-law and a few of my colleagues bought new car this year. Upgrading to bigger or grander vehicle. Perhaps a better reflection of their grade level and income? =)

Have to admit that my interest got piqued, albeit just a little, and I spent about half an hour browsing for sporty looking car. This happened in early March this year.

For the record, I am not crazy about car, I just think of it as something that gets me from A to B and back really.

Oh, this led to another note I took in March about mid-life crisis. ^_^

So there I was looking at stylish sporty car, when the thought hit me whether my sudden interest has anything to do with mid-life crisis since, well, I am almost at that stage of my life.

And buying luxury or expensive car is one of the ways people deal with mid-life crisis. A quick browse on the internet, then a brief instant messaging session with finance minister, a.k.a. wifey, checking on our bank balance and financial status pretty much sealed the thought...

...I simply cannot afford to have mid-life crisis! >_<

Oh well.

Anyway, let's get back to the main topic. =P

I don't really want to change my MyVi, honestly. It has served me well all these years and the fuel consumption is still 15 to 16 kilometres per litre. And of course, it's not an expense that I can justify, not to mention that MyVi suits my grade level and salary better. =)

But seven years took its tolls on my faithful car, the bearings, especially the front ones, were damaged. It's actually something I noticed for quite some months already, just never got the chance to get them fixed.

Until the 19th of May, when my day ended earlier due to teambuilding event.

I ended up changing all four bearings. Getting the front bearings out took a longer time, and involved more banging and brute force than I anticipated.

how many people to remove a bearing? One to hold, one to hammer, and one to supervise

Also changed two tyres, the front wheels disc brake pads and the rear absorbers.

All those plus alignment, balancing and labour cost totalled to RM1325. Ouch.

But still a lot of cheaper compared to getting a new car. =P

Common sense, not common

When I was approaching the lift to my apartment this evening, I smelled something rather unexpected.

The burning smell like in a temple, you know, something like burning joss sticks.

I soon discovered the truth, and the first word that I uttered was: "idiot!"

See, there is this small lounge thing with sofa and a dustbin with ashtray top in front of the lifts. And just now, on top of that dustbin ashtray top was a McDonald's hot drinks takeaway holder, the hard cardboard type that we hold on the edge or bottom, not the one that has loops to hang four cold drinks that we carry using fingers through loops.

And on top of that hard cardboard hot drinks holder, was an unextinguished cigarette butt, which was happily burning away the cardboard holder, giving the joss stick like smell.

Yup, cardboard, safest thing to extinguish a cigarette, NOT.

I mean, seriously? Come on!

okay, I have always wanted to post this image, relevance be damned!

I guess common sense is just for common people like me, it does not apply to special people. You know, those abnormally special people. Abnormally retarded.

Well, McDonald's, bless them, used some kind of cardboard that doesn't burn with flame. So while the cardboard was merrily burning away giving out smoke, there was no open flame. Of course, it's just a matter of time before the fire got to something that does burn with flame, like the napkin, the straw, the paper cup.

While I pride myself not being those whose first action is to take picture of anything and everything to post on social media, I did regret I didn't do it today. Take a photo, that is.

See, my first reaction was to extinguish the fire. So I emptied my water bottle on it, refilled at nearby tap, and emptied it again to make sure it's really out.

Then, being the grumpy old man that I am, I grumbled about this idiotic incident to wifey as soon as I got home. Wifey, being a much more responsible person (and smarter, nicer, beautifuller, more social, et cetera et cetera), went down to take a photo and filed a report to the management.

I suppose a photo while it's still burning probably has more impact compared to a photo of wet cardboard...

Oh well.

Thomas Cup, almost

So close, yet so far.

22 years ago, in 1992, we won the Thomas Cup, tonight we hope we could do it again.

But alas we didn't. Japan, the country that kicked China out from entering final, won it.

It was nail-biting, hair-pulling, intense, frustrating. There were lots of cheers, moans, elations and ultimately disappointment.

Oh well, I am sure the Malaysia team did their best. It's a nice to watch final, kept you watching till the very last match.

That said, I am just so very sad now.

Busy week

It has been a busy week.

The week started off pleasant enough with a full day outdoor teambuilding event. Outdoor treasure hunt, while not a new thing, was a first for me since I didn't join any such prior events.

It was tiring but fun, though I am rather let down by the supposedly fear factor challenges. The supposedly fearful stuff didn't even give me pause or moment of hesitation. I was expecting something that I have to psych myself before I can do it. Oh well.

Of course our team already identified HBK as the culprit for us not winning, due to his failure to get the marble and shoot a can. No we don't know our score, it may or may not just be a few points off but it's not important, it's all HBK's fault no matter what. =P

It went downhill after that fun day. One obstacle after another. It's as if people really want things to get into critical mode before they want to do something about them. And there I am, seemingly the only one who cares, trying to resolve things before they can turn ugly, and I have to fight for every single step.

What's wrong with these people?

So there are meetings, and meetings, and more meetings. Early morning ones, late night ones, and of course the usual work hours ones. Justifying, convincing, persuading, negotiating.

Had to prepare materials late into the night everyday, that didn't go too well with the early morning meetings.

There was a recognition dinner Thursday night, while I appreciate them recognising my contribution, I had to work till even later that night after the dinner, and needless to say there was an early morning meeting the next day. That door gift of a mini bolster is just... so temptingly appropriate yet so office conduct wise wrong. >_<

On a side note, I was seriously underdressed that night, didn't expect others to really turned up so formally-dressed. Why so serious?

Anyway, I am absolutely sleep-deprived this week.

The work week ended with a pleasant note though, a karaoke session! Yes it was a late evening session and it's almost midnight by the time I got home, but I didn't have to prepare any material yesterday night and there was no early meeting today. =)

Pleasantly surprised by a colleague's singing prowess, and mightily sad that she is leaving us soon. Would really love to go karaoke with her more. =(

Guess I should admit that I had to turn on my laptop after lunch today to clear some e-mails before they expire. Cleared enough to buy me another week before I lose any e-mails to retention expiry date. slacker point -1