Posts tagged precious

Packing, Moving and Bacardi

The anatomy of a house move. Not many photos but I guess some will suffice. And here’s a freebie I cooked up last Monday. I didn’t have any photos since I was experimenting.

Bacardi Chicken
– Chicken breast, approximately 300gm.
– Bacardi rum obviously
– Herbs: oregano, marjoram, black pepper, garlic salt, paprika
– 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic and one medium size onion, coarsely chopped.
– 2 tablespoons corn flour

Cut chicken into small pieces and marinade with 1/4 cup Bacardi, and herbs. Add 1 table spoon olive oil.
Heat pan on medium heat, add olive oil to coat, add garlic and onions. Saute lightly.
Toss in chicken only (no marinade). Brown chicken with high heat, let rum catch fire if possible.
Mix 1/2 cup Bacardi, 1/4 cup water, corn flour mixture. Pour into hot pan, stirring till sauce thickens.
Serve with rice or potatoes đŸ™‚


New Home switches!

Thurs 5:30PM
Rushed back in heavy traffic to condo to get essential cleaning stuff.
Contractor workers came to touch up paint job, adjust wrong dimension kitchen stove top hole.
TNB connected electrical supply at 3pm so went to test all lights.
8:00PM
Cleaned up after the workers left.
9:00PM
Had quick dinner, went to in-laws place to borrow more samsonite bags for clothes
10PM
Packed a bit and then collapse into bed.

Good Fri 8:30AM
Go to house to meet contractor to fix leak in roof and finish touching up grills, etc Begin cleaning outside Massive whole house cleaning begins.
10:30am
Water filter guy arrives, can’t reposition water mains right away so shift to 3pm.
Clean up grills, windows, doors, bathrooms.
Autogate installation begins.
Wipe down kitchen.
2:00PM
Fried rice for lunch
Moved several non-essential boxes from condo 3:00PM Water filter guy arrives, starts work.
5:00pm
ML goes to pick up friend from Melbourne to the house.
House cleaning continues.
5:30pm
Water filter done, flush water system.
Sort keys, wax timber flooring
8:00pm
Go for dinner with friend without showering 10:00pm Back at condo, shower and see photos for a bit.
11:00pm
Drop friend back to Bangsar
Begin packing like mad
I dismantle sofa set, two beds, wrap spare mattress, dining table in bubble wrap.
Move mattress to living room.

Saturday, April 11
1:00AM:
Continue packing stuff,put clothes into bag, dismantle Ikea Effektiv/Aneboda/etc
2:30AM:
Collapse into bed
7:00AM:
Duck quacking (alarm clock), wrap mattress in plastic wrap, finish packing essential boxes.
8:00AM:
Bread breakfast & coffee while packing kitchen stuff.
8:30AM:
Mover arrives along with AK & JV (bro-in-law) Park truck in lobby with two SUVs and a one-tonne lorry Mover begins to move things down to lobby including single bed, fridge, washer
10:00AM:
Mover loads up lorry, truck and two SUVs.
10:30AM:
Me and AK depart in two vehicles to house.
Lorry and ML & bro-in-law depart condo 10 minutes later and meet dad at house.
11:00am:
Movers begin to unload. Labeled boxes go to specific rooms.
Big furniture gets dumped into dining/living Auto-gate guy arrives to touch up paint job on gate.
11:20am:
Mover goes for drinks, four vehicles head back to Condo.
11:45AM:
AK brings 7-11 big gulp. Need sugar badly. Continue packing and moving boxes down to lobby
12:00pm:
Mover arrives at Condo again. Begin moving closets, queen bed and effektiv storage down to lobby. More kitchen stuff moved down along with 300kg of books.
12:45PM:
Movers load up lorry for the second trip. CRV is full of hanging clothes (too lazy to iron again), boxes go into truck bed, glassware into AK’s X-trail. Pillows and bedding go into JV’s car
1:30PM:
Arrive back at house. Dad leaves for home. Unload begins
2:00PM:
Unload finishes, movers depart after being paid. Clean-up and a bit of stuff moved to correct place. AK and us go for lunch.
3:00PM:
Most important thing: assemble the bed and change sheets Sweep and mop the dusty house. Put back closet, chest drawers, etc.
4:00PM:
Inspector #1 arrives: Mom & Dad.
Sit for the first time all day and rest. Just plain water for drinks. Unwrap dining table and chairs in the process since they need to sit somewhere.
Restart fridge, move things from icebox to fridge.
5:00PM:
Take a quick cold shower (no water heater yet). Go back to Condo to get more stuff like hangers, electrical stuff and appliances. Mops, detergent, pails and toiletries. Make 4 trips down to car. Rain pours with unabated fury.
7:00PM
Arrive back home, unload.
7:45PM
AK arrives with SC & JT (Inspector #2) 8:00PM Hokkien mee dinner with ikan bakar, and more lard laden food.
10:00PM
Finish dinner, go home.
Continue unpacking, clean up cups, and unwrap essentials 10:30pm KW arrives with ladder (inspector #3) 11:00pm collapse into bed again

Easter Sunday
7:00AM:
Wake up, boil water for shower
Continue to unpack kitchen.
8:40AM: No coffee, no breakfast, go to church
10:40AM:
Coffee at last!
Go to ACE to pick up new locks, new mop, some light bulbs, etc.
11:40AM:
Go to in-laws place for lunch. Get bamboo poles for laundry line 1:00PM Rush back due to heavy rain.
Do Laundry, mop house again, unpack clothes and put into closet 3:00PM Put in external light bulbs, set-up master bed room, Clean-up kitchen, put in food stuff and arrange back glassware 5:00PM Back to Condo to get more things, collect laundry from condo clothesline, microwave, water filter, mirror and laptop, shoes, etc.
6:00PM
Back to house, unpack
7:00PM
Go to Mom’s place for dinner, get puppy home 9:00PM Arrive home, prepare place for puppy. Put up bedsheets for curtains!
Unpack more stuff.
11:30PM
Fall unconscious into bed!


Last minute packing!


Next morning, everything looks much cleaner!


Finally arriving at destination!


But this is just the beginning — the unpacking has to start!

Skylight

Well, haven’t really had time to catch up of sleep. Ten-years ago, I would have easily recovered from a month of 16-hour work days in 48 hours. Now it’s much tougher. I guess there’s a lot more responsibility on my shoulders now, from the burden at work (they don’t pay you to do nothing) and of course, my responsibility to my lovely wife but also not neglecting church ministries and family and friends too. Right now, our humble lil’ home is a construction zone and managing that as an extra responsibility doesn’t help. I really can’t wait to move out of our box in the sky to my new old home and have a pair of tail-wagging furry friends greet me when I pull into the driveway.

Edit: sorry, draft status prevented this from showing…

Happy Happy Birthday Baby!

To my beloved darling, wife, bestest friend and soul mate …

icon_ltgray_open_quote He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. icon_ltgray_close_quote
~ Psalms 91:1-4

For a very special person on a special day

icon_ltgray_open_quote For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you. icon_ltgray_close_quote
~ Psalms 84:11-12

Saturday and the greatest gift…

icon_ltgray_open_quoteFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.icon_ltgray_close_quote
~ Ephesians 2:8-10

icon_ltgray_open_quote For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him icon_ltgray_close_quote
~ John 3:16-17

The gift that no one else can give. The gift of life eternal.
Oh darling, my precious, the one I love. My heart rejoices and tears of joy are overwhelming. Beyond words, beyond anything, it is pure happiness.

TGIF!

icon_ltgray_open_quoteHow beautiful you are, my darling!
   Oh, how beautiful!
   Your eyes behind your veil are doves.
   Your hair is like a flock of goats
   descending from Mount Gilead.
All beautiful you are, my darling;
   there is no flaw in you.icon_ltgray_close_quote
~ Song of Solomon 4:1,7