Farewell 2008

It's the Last Day of 2008 ! What a year it has been, new car (since my previous car is already 5 + yrs old), new handphone (after I lost my old charger - what an excuse to get a new phone), new job (well almost new job), new computer (got me a new notebook), new printer (after the old one died on me). It's also been such a busy year for me, work has taken up most of my time. Trying to keep fit was the other thing but don't think it was successful.

 

Well looking back at the year, I guess it's time to see what happen to my resolutions. Oh dear somehow sometimes, keep forgetting that I have resolutions to keep. Well let's take stock.

2008 Resolution Checklist

1) Complete 4 XBox 360 games.

Well it looks like I only managed to get up to 3, it started well in the year but then did not have time due to work. So only finished Shrek, Mechassault and Kung Fu Panda. Currently I am 56% in Spongebob the Moive, about 50% in Spiderman 3 and just tried out a few other games. Guess I'm just slow :( maybe 2009 will be better.

2) Run 10km in under 1hr.

The closest I got to this was about 1 hr 11 mins. and I think I ran 3 10km races this year. Might have been 4. Maybe next year I try to run a half Marathon.

3) Complete Comic Book Cataloging.

Wow this was a really tough one, I think I managed to get around the 60/70 % range, still got a ways to go.

4) Complete my Mcquarrie Star Wars Toy collection

YA ! this I managed to complete woo hoo, after some searching and all that I managed to get all the McQuarrie figures. They are now hanging on my wall in my study room.

5) Loose 5 kgs

Damn this the toughest one of all and guess what as of today it seems I have put on 2 kgs !! what the hell, there goes my exercise routine, total no conviction to maintain. Looks like next year have more to loose.

 

So looks like only 1 out of the 5 resolutions I was able to fulfil. Well that's 20% guess it's a start maybe the resolution next year is to fulfil 2 of my resolutions ha ha.

Well off to watch some TV and maybe catch the fireworks. Happy New Year everyone.

Kat Killer

I ran down a cat today. I was driving towards the expressway and was about to get on it the slip road had bushes along it and suddenly this shape ran out of the bushes right in front of my car and bump, crack, thud and splat one flatten cat. It's likely a cat don't think is was a dog as it was just too small and it darted out very fast. Checked my car after that and everything looked fine, did not see any fur or blood stain on the fenders.

This is the second animal I ran over, I mean not counting the numerous flies, beetles and other insects making contact with the windscreen. Actually I hit a dog once, a big dog actually it was caught in traffic and started skipping around the lanes got hit by a car got up and went into my path and got hit but I say it in time and could break but still the car hit the poor dog. It yelp away but managed to get to the side of the road without any further damage, It seemed fine. Well the first animal I ran over was a RABBIT in New Zealand. We were driving around on a free and easy and it was night along the country roads. This rabbit comes up from the opposite side of the road, stops at the centre line, looks in my direction, with the headlights shining on it and waits, my car gets closer and closer and at the last possible second I have no idea why but the rabbit just hops out and bam, gets squashed by the wheels. That was really strange it was like the rabbit was sitting there waiting for me to pass before he crosses the road but then at the last minute guess he decided to commit suicide and hop in front of my car.

Post Christmas Shopping

Hah !! guess what !! Finally did some shopping AFTER Christmas :)

There were sales galore in town after Christmas, roads were jam and I finally did some 'sightseeing' of the Christmas decorations in town, yep a little late for that as some area's have started their Chinese New Year decorations and goodies for the Lunar New Year were on sale as well. All the Christmassy stuff was going at discounted prices, good time to pick up stuff for next year I guess ha ha .... Well in the end spent almost $300 to $400 on some new shirts, pants, belt, health supplements, causal wear, toiletries etc. Well there goes the year end bonus. :)

CHRISTMAS 2008

25th December, ah that time of year again where people decorate their houses with fairy lights, Christmas trees (some real and some not so real), go out caroling or just enjoy the carols and make their way to churches to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Reindeer horns and red caps with bells are also in fashion this time of year as well as those red suits and pillow's to give you that extra pot belly if you don't have one. Had Christmas Eve dinner with my family and as usual I always would open my presents on Christmas Day and never before, it's something which I like to do just keep all the little gifts under the tree until Christmas day and then open them up just like a little boy who has always enjoyed Christmas.

 

I love this time of year, Christmas has always been one of my favourite times of the year. Maybe it's because you get to reflect on the year and on what the birth of Jesus means to you. Then again maybe it's the presents ha ha .. anyways whatever it is I really love listening to carols, this year did not really have a chance to catch any, only bought CD's to listen in the car.

 

We went to church as usual and we happen to be standing behind Mr On. He had this black shirt with yellow luminous looking like patterns that if the lights went out he would probably glow in the dark. Yep definately a Mr On, a Mr Ne On :) me and the missus had a good little chuckle there.

Well Christmas is almost over, here's wishing everyone who reads this a very Blessed Christmas. Ho ho ho ....

Busy Busy Busy .....

Normally the Christmas Season is where there is a whole load of shopping to be done and I normally rush around getting stuff but this year none of that but still find myself rushing around the whole time. Well I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet for Christmas and teh year end, just going for a Chrsitmas Eve midnight mass and meet up with my parents, my sis and family, some friends coming over on Christmas day for dinner. Probably end up doing more housework since the missus has been askign me to do up some chores for the longest time, guess that's how I'll end off the year !

Open Eyes

Well it has been about 10 days since I went for my 'performance' enhancement Lasik Surgery. It's better now, I see things clearer, no more fuzziness, reading is easier now. When I went for the checkup and had my eyes tested I could actually read the small letters. Eyes are still dryish so have to keep th eye drops handy.

SCSM 2008 - Update

So the result's are in for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) 2008. Well I did check the website and it seems due to the crowd rush at the finishing line I guess the photographers were not able to get a picture of me so sad .... But I did get 1 shot at the Addidas booth where they did some free photo taking against the logo backdrop. At least there was something.

Well my 10km time was 1 hr 10 min 36 sec based on the chip time which is the time the run started and not the 'gun' time as they call it which is taken from the time the flag off was started. The chip time gives you a more accurate timing since you could be right at the back and only pass the start flag maybe 5 or 10 mins after the first few runners had started. I guess I'm relatively pleased with the timing. It's the fastest I clocked this year. So looking forward to completing a half Marathon next year.

Lasik Enhancement

Today I went for my Lasik Enhancement procedure. Doc said he will do a bladeless for me this round just to correct that astic that I still had. Both eyes were done again. Although I have been through it once before, somehow I was still tense when the procedure began. I did all the standard test before the procedure, had to wait a little as it was quite crowded today. Did the fix and it seems ok at least I hope it will be better. Eye still hurts and all that but it should heal over the next couple of days.

SITEX - new Handphone

At the recent SITEX show, I finally decided to get a new handphone after I lost my previous phone's charger. Went to the exhibition on a friday evening. It was not as crowded as it would be on the weekends. Found the phone which I was looking for the Omnia. I had tried this phone out on the previous week at one of those Hello! shops to get a feel for it. It's not too bad actually was looking to get the iPhone but decided against it.

Was at the Samsung booth and was talking to the sales person about the phone and finally I decided to get it I asked him if I could trade in my current handphone while was a Nokia 6110. He said he will check. He came back an said that can trade in for a $130 rebate, but needed my charger if not I could always go to any shop later and submit that in for the rebate as he said they needed the charger for the rebate. So I stood in line and when I got to the payment counter the counter staff took my order, got me my phone she was very helpful to get all my numbers transferred to the SIM card and put it in the new phone. I asked again about rebate for my Nokia and she said yes will accept even without the charger, how much I asked was the rebate ? She checked with her supervisor who was beside her and he said $140 and I said ok take it. I don't know why there was a $10 difference strange. Anyways got me my new Omnia still trying to get used to the interface.

We had dinner with some relatives a couple of days later and I got to use my handphone's camera, we were at Sakae Sushi and boy did they have the biggest bowl of noodles that I have ever seen, The waiter said that it's called the Bowling Bowl as it was as big a a bowling ball. The missus's nephew had a noodle soup and it came in that huge bowl, actually it's more gigantic than huge.

NOW That's what I call a BOWL of Noodles :)

Stan Chart 10km Run

Weekend was the Standard Charted Marathon, I entered for the 10KM event. I think among all the runs I went to this year, this has got to be the best organized. From the collection of the Race Bibs -- my only grouse with that was it was at the Singapore Expo which is way way off in the east instead of some place more central. To the end of the run, it was very well organized no wonder so many people took part in it.

There was 20,000 runners in the 10KM event, with another 15,000 for the full marathon and another 15,000 for the half marathon. Total of 50,000 people descended on the Padang and Esplanade area. The full marathon started at 5.30am and the half was at 6.30am with the 10km events starting around 7.30am for the men's while the women's had a 8.15am start. But our start was delayed by 15 minutes due to safety issues, well that was what the announcer said. Anyways what it did was to give us time to actually see the Elite runners of the Full Marathon coming in. Even before the 10km got off the runners were already coming back, I think they would have freshen up, showered and changed by the time I got back !!!

SO we finally got going at around 7.40am, the route was pretty similar to the Army 10km run over the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, there was some change to the starting run up to the bridge and after the bridge we got to run on the recently completed F1 race track, quite cool since we got to run on the starting grid. It was a relatively cool day. I enjoyed the run, did the fastest timing for a 10km this year, around 1hr 11 mins, just a minute faster than my previous best time. I was pleased. They had the runs staggered such that as you ended most of the other runners were ending too so at the finishing line all the 10km, Half and Full Marathon runners were coming in. I think that was great just that it got a little crowded at the end. I collected my finisher medal, got some freebies, had my photo taken at the Addidas booth, wolf down some bananas, enjoyed some of the carnival atmosphere and then decided to leave since I had parked at Marina (Raffles was full) and did not want to incur too much parking charges.

Over all it was a well organized run, I think I will be back next year for the half marathon !

$1.90 Wanton Mee

A rarity in this day and age, $1.90 Wanton Mee is still available in Singapore ha ha  .... they have Chicken Rice at that price as well.

This week had a real workout day. went to the gym in the morning for an hour, then had a bowling session for another hour played 2 games, terrible scores, first bowling session in a long long long while and it really shows. Had a game of tennis after that for 2 hours, at least it was not so painful as the other time when it was my first tennis game in 10+ years. at leas this was my second ha ha  ... after all that next morning back ache, hand ache, wrist ache, arm ache. But it was better than the previous time.