SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT...

I am the first to say I hate mass mails and those "send this to 10 people or your eyelashes will fall out and you will be doomed to a world with no Diet Coke" chain letters, and admit that I tend to delete them without so much as a glance.... Strangely, though, was feeling a little down today, and while trying to distract myself by clearing the mass of unread mails in my inbox, happened to open this one. Made much sense. Erm, except the freedom of speech thing. And too much email. Well, sorta. Enjoy. I AM THANKFUL: FOR THE WIFE WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT, BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME, AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE. FOR THE HUSBAND WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO, BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS. FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, NOT ON THE STREETS. FOR THE TAXES I PAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED. FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS. FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME. FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.. FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION . FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM. FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR. FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR. FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD. FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE. AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

CONGRATS HASH!

Finally getting round to blogging again, and pleased to announce that yet another one of my darling nephews has done it. Hot on the heels of big bro Lavin, Hashvin has GRADUATED (yes, from university, and yes, making me feel extremely old). There he is: Whiz Son (number two). Congrats Hash! There's always something about seeing someone in graduation robes that makes me stop and think... Part of it, I guess, is about missing school. The structure, the predictability, the ever-reliable odds that over the course of the day, at least one person you know - and who likes you - might have actually done the homework or read the reading and will give you the two minute version before class. Then there was the fun, skivving tutorials, the million parties. The lack of need to worry about tsunamis and planes smashing into skyscrapers. Life was good. And graduating, well, I guess it was the last hurrah before the real world sucked you in, mortar board and all. But that sounds more depressing than it should. What it is about more, really, is about witnessing milestones - and major achievements. It makes you stop and stocktake. You get hit with the realisation that time is passing at breakneck speed, leaving some of the "would be great to dos" that you carefully crafted (to be achieved by 20, to be achieved by 25, to be achieved by, whenever) shattered in its wake. There were dreams about doing my Masters, PhD (and having my name prefixed with a Dr). Contemplating another job that I was good at. Getting my second degree. There were other things - learn how to wakeboard, bowl with one hand, make amazing desserts. And now, counting down to my, well, 20-10th (Thank you Earl, I am ever grateful for the loan of the phrase) birthday, I realise that I have done few of these things. I jumped head first into my career, and am glad I did. I got married. As a couple, we now think for two instead of one. Suddenly, hanging on for dear life to a rope being dragged by a boat doesn't seem like that much fun, and (glancing at the scales), I realise I don't like desserts that much. I have no regrets, really. But I do sometimes wonder - will I ever really get around to finally doing any of these things, achieving those dreams? And, do I want to? I get the occasional pangs. Apart from receiving Hash's graduation pictures, today, I chatted to a good friend who gleefully announced finally getting his PhD by chastening me for not referring to him as Dr. Then, a second contact and friend called to say he was leaving his successful radio career (of, like, a gazillion years) to go back to school. His wife and two children - one a young teen - were also uprooting and moving to Canada. He had always wanted to study film and theatre, he said, and now that he had a chance, he did not want to look back on this moment years from now with regret. Makes you think. Art

ERM, CLOVERS?

The house just got a wee bit more Irish.... Look what popped up in the flower pot of the fern! Wondering if it will harm the plant, or if we should just leave it be and hope that one day it'll sprout a lucky four-leaved clover and we'll strike 4D... I mean, stranger things have happened no? We didn't even know clovers/shamrocks/whatever in the world these are even grew in Singapore... Perhaps we have some sweet migratory bird to thank for this. In any case, spent the weekend chilling out, mostly. T'was nice and peaceful. Had a couple of unexpected "visitors", like this chap, who was happy to hang out by the window and pose for snapshots... Also turned our most recent crop of chilli padis from Hotstuff into an EXTREMELY potent garlic chilli sauce... My lips are still burning from tasting as I was going along - and that was yesterday. Ah well... I'm sure I'll figure it the art of making it without suffering eventually. Hotstuff is thrilled with all the new space and has rewarded us with another 30 or so little ones that are starting to ripen. In any case, things have been as good as they can be with one half of TeamWilliams on crutches, heh. Wanting to give me a day out (yay!), Pete and Pradeep conspired to whisk me to Colbar for a quick lunch today. The chicken curry and big greasy fry up combo.... Fantastic (note to self: We have to go to Colbar more often, it really is a wonderful place...). Was starting to get cabin fever so I was pretty thrilled. While I have been working from home and actually been rather busy, there's just something about being out and about and actual human interaction that is unreplaceable... Second high point of the day - we went to catch the VERY superb Superman Returns before I ended up missing it altogether. Attempting to navigate a crowded mall was not fun, but it was completely worth it. Sigh. I donno what it is about that movie - and the Man of Steel - that's just so timeless... And while I have a very soft spot for Christopher Reeve, Brandon Routh (incidentally, a Libran, too) is absolutely GORGEOUS. And I think the updated get-up is so cute... Swoon... Okay, will drop the giggly teen routine now. I wasn't too impressed with Kate Bosworth (though I'm quite sure Pete was, haha). Thought she did a better job in The Horse Whisperer (which was a better book than a film in any case, but I digress). The opening credits didn't rock my world either... My heart was pounding from hearing the theme song again, but after a while, all that twirling and whirling started to make me nauseous (that might have been the mid-afternoon shandy though, ah well). But otherwise, its a 10/10. Next up: Pirates of the Carribbean... Maybe I should dress to the theme - with an eye patch and a parrot, the crutches will simply complete the look.... Yo ho ho.... Art..

THE COUPLES OF THE HOUR...

It's been a weekend of LOVE. Newlyweds David & Triona O'Brien stopped by Singers on the way to Bali for their honeymoon, one-time bridesmaid Sam finally tied the knot with long-time love Ash, and little bro Kishore got engaged to Sheetal and will tie the knot in a year. Congrats guys!

GIRL, INTERRUPTED...

Meet Itchy and Scratchy. Apparently my new best friends for a while. While there wasn't a fracture, it would appear that my little fall tore the crap out of the ligaments in my ankle. So I'm off my feet for at least a month more. I am not particularly fond of them... They strain my arms and don't seem to always go in the direction I need them to (ok, ok, I'm not the best driver either)... But right now, they are keep me upright, so guess I shouldn't complain. Plus, I am perfectly fine otherwise - hands and brain functioning as normally as ever (if you'd call what it was normal, haha), so not dying of boredom coz I can still work, albeit from home. So... Hobble, I will. Art.

PROUD MUMMY MOMENT...

Check out how happy Hotstuff is.... Forgot to say, we just had a crop of 30 chillies and he's flowering again! Art

IN SICKNESS AND IN HELL....

If you didn't want to hear this story, blame Ling, coz her comment in the last post forced a lot of questions so its easier to just tell it. If nothing else, its worth a laugh at my expense. The truth is, yes, I have been reduced to hobbling around on crutches. Why? Because I am an idiot, and because whoever made steps, and high-heeled shoes, are idiots too. To cut a long story short, Thursday night, stepped out to go grab a cab and land strangely on a step. My high-heeled clad, well, heel, buckles under me, landing in what I imagine is a position it did not like. It. Hurt. Bad. Was pretty much seeing stars, moons, lightning flashes and Pete came to the rescue, whisking me off to the A&E where we had to wait THREE hours. Eventually got in to the doctor (what a WASTE of a night), and thankfully, nothing was fractured, but its a bad sprain, which means not being able to stand, walk or move around very much... And my foot looks completely weird because its double the size. And blue. This is not very fashionable. Thankfully, the swirley office chairs that Pete made a couple of months ago are coming in amazingly useful.... Instead of inflicting major arm-strain, I've been rolling all over the house haha. He's been very good about making sure there's enough Coke Lite and food thats been cooked and stuff, so that he can guiltlessly go to work, and he's been doing just about everything I could possibly ask for. Very sweet. Plus, got prescribed drugs that are making this whole ordeal somewhat bearable (understatement: The Jackson Five have been playing "live" at the foot of my bed at night... ) Still, I (and, surely, he) can't wait for this dang thing to heal. It's completely getting in the way of everything, including my social life. In.The.Week.Of.The.Crucial.Matches. Argh. I hope I'm up and walking for the semis so I don't end up having to watch it at home with a glass of milk in my hand, sigh. On a happier note, our "pantry" is FINALLY ready. In the absense of us being able to make me a walk-in wardrobe, Pete's converted half the storeroom into a little walk-in larder cum wine cellar... It's really cool, and it means being able to everything from diced tomatoes to baked beans at a glance, heh. Now, all I have to do is get on my feet so I can put the dang things on the shelves... Ps: Is anyone getting slightly disturbed at the thought of a domesticated me... Besides, er, me? Art