What’s Fun & What’s Not During Covid-19 Outbreak

Crosswords – it is always fun to do crosswords but our newsprint do not carry this anymore. Sudoku appears once a week though but I don’t like Sudoku as I am not a numbers person. I only need to know if I open my wallet, if there is cash. If no cash, then I panic LOL!

Working From Home (WFH) is such a bad word now. I can hardly have time to segregate after office and during office hours. My Lords seem to lump all as their time. I cannot blame them as Covid-19 has gotten us all quite mad, running around like mad monkeys trying to beat government timelines for imposition of their will to nuke this virus.

I need to do outdoorsy stuff, like taking a long walk or something. But I am chained to my laptop, plus my foot is not co-operating. I wonder if my leg muscles are now weak! I feel like an old coot, just getting out of bed.

Rushing to get a haircut was an adventure as I was afraid they will also be closed after 6 April 1159hrs. But thankfully, the Supreme Leader’s Task Force has classified it as Essential Services. Spa therapy and tinting of hair or beautifying needs are NOT Essential! So ladies or men with need to color or tint their hair to hide the whites or boost their egos – this is thrown out the window as we bare our natural locks and looks! My hair is chopped short, really short so as to sustain the 1 month “partial lockdown” or we call, “Circuit Breaker” episode.

Alot of trepidation for jobs as our Lord is now reviewing the need to cut salaries to sustain the business. Salaries are emotive and I am sure, even Monkey Lord and Eunuch are not happy! They are paid Lords and if their Oldie Lord says chop, they must chop wages. It is not unnatural to do this. If this method works, at least we all still have jobs. But it is hard on people with commitments to deal with, like me. I will have to survive and cut back on purchases and work harder to ensure usefulness to the Lords.

For everyone’s sake, I hope the Gods and deities will help us as people’s livelihood are at stake and I sincerely hope this will not drive up suicide rates nor bankrupt people.

Blessings!

Garfield and Mousey are keeping each other company in the corner of the room, oblivious to the world of Covid-19. Thank goodness they are safe from any infection!

Do I Have Hobbies?

I used to be able to travel once a year to a country I like and do winter fishing or squid jigging.

But with the recent surgeries, I feel it is still not timely for me to be doing this as lugging luggage and or throwing handlines and reeling in fishes may be a challenge for my shoulder just yet.

I still have a penchant for crosswords and am finding it harder to be getting those in a hardcopy book form.

Yes, I know there are digital crosswords, but I like the feeling of erasing the mistakes and using my mechanical pencil to write in the letters.

Digital crosswords do not seem to give me that kick of using a pencil and eraser!

I think the time will come for the death of pencils and erasers! Victims of change.

Collecting Garfields is not possible as they are quite extinct as kids these days, play more on digital games and are not the squooshy hugging type fellas.

I think in time to come, the teddy bear or soft toys will also be victims of the digital world.

Gardening is not for me. I have no green thumbs and whatever I touch do die. The only surviving plant is my money plant and it takes a lot of my time to ensure it lives a little longer.

So realistically, my hobbies are now vegetating on marble floor and watching soaps…at least till my surgically operated foot is well enough for me to go back to power walks and seeing the flora and fauna of the gardens!

Books Worth Reading

How Dentistry Started

Covid-19 Updates In Lil Red Dot Through My Lil Beady Eyes

It was a scary Friday afternoon for me when I heard that our Supreme Leader will be addressing us on the goggle box! My heart skipped several beats!

Medicines for my parents!

Groceries for my parents!

Earlier that morning, I heard ground rumblings that a “lock down” was imminent.

I quickly made a mad dash to the supermarket and prayed very hard whilst driving there that there would be things for me to buy, that the supermarket will not be crowded and that I can buy the groceries I need for my parents.

Whenever my poor Supreme Leader needs to speak, everyone has rushed off to the supermarkets. *Our lil red dotters do have a sense of humor here and I must say that our government takes it in good cheer though if I am Supreme Leader, I would be grrrrr!!!

Humorous Singaporeans always rushing to the supermarket whenever our PM Lee needs to speak!

My prayers were answered when I reached the supermarket around 11am. There was a crowd, but not jammed pack and I could keep my physical social distancing of 1 metre.

I could buy veggies, pork and some fruits. Although there was a ration imposed on key items, to prevent selfish hoarding, people were civil and obeyed buying rules.

We are in need of a “circuit breaker” as Covid cases have risen sharply daily and we now have more than 1,000 cases and in being prudent, we will be separated into essential and non essential services. This will help to break the transmission cycle.

Even our tax drivers find a lighter moment to laugh, despite them facing lower patronage and lesser earnings since Covid outbreak!

For those who are in the business of non essential services, we have to close the office for a month till 7 May 2020 inclusive and work from home.

I am in such a sector and my nightmare has begun.

Much to do within 3 days as come 7 April at 1159hrs we shut down.

New joiners not on board yet, leavers not leaving yet – decisions decisions!

I am now working through weekend to close out and worry about delivering monies at the end of the month else it will be another issue for wages.

I hope for everyone’s sake in lil red dot that this works. I do not want to see a Complete Circuit Breaker (another level up from current Circuit Breaker) – I must say that the taskforce has come up with a creative way of describing a mini shut down.

We are not allowed to socialise but allowed to go out, get essentials like grocery and food. No sitting and eating at the hawker center but doggy bagging home and eating at home.

Meanwhile my kind neighbor will be helping me to collect a reusable mask given out by our government as it is not somewhat true that asymptomatic persons can carry the virus and transmit.

A Great Sheep Dog

Good boy! You found 3 more to the flock!

Online Shopping Is Not For Me….Not Yet Anyway!

A bold statement.

Will I become a dinosaur in the digital world?

Nah!

I can handle digital disruption but hesitate to be freely doing online shopping and exposing risks on my credit cards or bank accounts.

Millennials so not hesitate to click and go but I wonder with ransomware and blackhats, I wonder if this arena is a clean place to visit and shop.

Call me old fashioned but I like going to the supermarket to get groceries as it is an outing that I like to physically see and choose what I need or just browse and see what new products are on the supermarket shelves!

As for clothes, it is hard to shop online when I need to ensure natural fibers as I have allergies to synthetics and would like to ensure fit and feel of the fabric against skin.

So I am being fuddy duddy!

Digital disruption is taking the world in leaps and bounds. At work, there is an app for just about everything and I welcome the ability to work from home through telecommuting.

Even telemedicine for simple ailments is available.

But would all these isolate humans so much so that they lose social skills?

Interpersonal skills are already waning for millennials and they do not know how to deliver client care or overcome an irate customer. They are always communicating on their phone screen or tablet.

It would be a shame if we lose the ability to make friends and or be a friend!

Paddy Is Back!

Roos Can Make Us Laugh Too!

4 Months Gone In 2020

Times flies and the saying, “Time and tide waits for no man” resonates with me.

As I grow older, I wonder what have I done or achieved in my life thus far?

I do not have accolades such as I married into royalty like those Hallmark movies that makes one feel so good. Stories like those play out so beautifully well that I get jealous to say the least. Girl meet boy in the dead of winter in some faraway cabin and they literally lived happily ever after!

I reflect back onto Prince Harry and his film star actress bride, Meghan – their decision to live a simpler life in Canada or USA (unsure where they will be really). The burning question I have is, how will it pan out for their fairy tale?

Will they adapt to a life of simpletons?

No butlers, no maids in waiting – I will miss that literally as I would just holler, “Jeeves, a spot of tea please”and then minutes later add, “Oh Jeeves and a bikky or two will suffice for the tea as well!

I have never lived life with maids in waiting and all I know is that when one is recovering post operation, it is tough to be without assistance as everything I need to strive to do on my own.

Hungry? Forage for own food.

Dirty Laundry? I need to personally dunk in the clothes and then hang up for line drying.

I wonder how will Meghan do their meals or will they order Grab or Food Panda delivery services?

Taking stock of my own life thus far –

I am not a millionaire.

I am not a spouse of any wonderful man who is very lost in the world somewhere!

I am gainfully employed and though work is hard and even harder with Covid19 challenges on the economy, I am not poor!

I found a new friend who is walking with me medically, physically and spiritually. I am grateful for the time and effort the person puts in and is genuinely kind to me.

Garfield is still with me – older but still a comfort!