Jagged June

I think I might have used "Jagged" before, I'm not sure.   June started rather plainly I'd say.  Even though the kids were on their school holiday, we were all pretty much grounded as Phase 2 Heightened Alert was in effect.  We were quite worried too due to the growing Covid-19 cluster in Bukit Merah with cases that sprang out in Redhill Market which we frequently visits along with more in Lengkok Bahru which is just opposite our house across the MRT station and Henderson which is just a few blocks away.  

Just Another Day - Galaxy Note 9

A Quiet Redhill - Galaxy Note 9

I also started changing my diet by reducing my refined carb intakes.  I cut rice, noodles, cake, bread and all forms of added sugar from my diet, although I still allow a little bit of condensed milk with my daily kopi as I can't take my coffee just as it is.  I also allow myself 3 cheat meals a week so that I can sustain this diet for a prolonged period.  At the same time I also stumbled upon videos of "walking to 10% body fat" which is really fascinating - you only need to walk a minimum of 10000 steps a day while ensuring that your heart rate remains below your maximum (180 - your age).  The problem is, you need to commit a lot of time since you'll be just walking.  For me that's at least 90 minutes per session.  Nevertheless, I tried to achieve 10000 steps at least 3 days in a week to complement my diet regime while also picking up some running.  I can now run 3.6 km non-stop, albeit quite slow.

One of My Low Carb Meals - Galaxy Note 9

Hainanese Vegetable Curry, My Style - Galaxy Note 9

One of Those Walking Days - Galaxy Note 9

Also One of Those Walking Days - Galaxy Note 9

On the first week of the kids' holiday, we went to a McDonald's drive through in Alexandra.  I stumbled upon this scene of a delivery rider eating his lunch on a motorcycle.  Truly, it must be tough being him, to be out and about risking his health when the Delta variant is still running amok.   I hope he and his buddies will stay safe and well always.  

Stay Safe and Stay Healthy Buddy - Galaxy Note 9

And there was Father's Day too this month, the kids made cards for me, the cutest one is from Lindsay.

Cute Father's Day Card From My Little Girl - Galaxy Note 9

Sometime in the middle of the month, I was extremely overwhelmed with disappointment and anger.  I had sat for an interview for which I thought I did quite well but nothing came out of it.  A "friend" had advertised the opening in one of my chat groups and I applied for it knowing that he will be the reporting manager.  The JD was quite simple when compared against my skills and experience.  I was very sure I checked all the requirement boxes -> that was how the 1st interview came about.  But when nothing followed after, I was utterly incensed and dejected for having been taken for a ride.  It was as if this guy only wanted to prove that the company he's working for is so damn desirable.  What made it even more disappointing is that, the guy knew I have been seriously searching for new opportunities for years now.  What seems like a bloody boost to his 💢💣💀ego is a very serious matter for me.  And for the lack of better words, he's an absolute f💥💀king gloating asshole.  With friends like that, you don't need enemies.  Anyway, life has to continue and so I moved on knowing that it's every man for himself with this "friend".

Some out of the blue things that happened this month included my car's battery suddenly dying out which required an emergency service, just 3 days before I was due to send my car for servicing.  

Waiting For The Mechanic to Replace The Battery - Galaxy Note 9

Other holiday activities included sending Lincoln's dictionary for repairs, all the way in Ang Mo Kio.  We'll only get it back after 3 weeks.  

Total Journey Time Was 4 Times The Time We Spent in The Service Centre - Galaxy Note 9

I also got my first Pfizer jab last week.  I felt quite OK after the jab, although I was sleepy for the whole day.  I managed to squeeze in a quick 4 km run under 32 minutes in the afternoon to fight away the sleepiness.  The injection site hurt for 2 days but that was just it.  My 2nd jab will be in August, which I'm quite looking forward to.  

The day after my vaccination, I took a day off to spend some time with the kids as it was the last week of their holidays.  We went for a nice brunch at Wild Honey Mandarin Gallery and took a short walk in Raffles City, shopping for a wedding gift for a cousin.  As the maximum group size per table was only 2 persons, the missus and I sat together while the kids sat at another table further away.  We were not allowed to mingle with each other, which we quite enjoyed actually - together but still had our quiet moments.

Me And The Missus' Spread - Galaxy Note 9

Aside from the wedding gift, I also went back with a Totoro paper theater which took me about an hour to complete.  

Work in Progress - Galaxy Note 9

Final Result - Galaxy Note 9

I also tried baking again this month, which was met with mixed success.  My first try failed miserably, which I still can't understand why.  The dough had risen on first proof but simply refused to rise on the second proof.  The result turned out hard as rock although the interior tasted pretty much like bread.  I suspected that I didn't hydrate the dough enough which caused the yeast to become inactive.  That's my best guess for now.

Rock Chocolate Bread 😓 - Galaxy Note 9

On my second try, I decided to take a step back and simplified the bake.  Instead of trying for a sweet bread, I baked a challah bread.  I was really inspired to bake it after eating 2 slices of challah bread in Wild Honey.  This attempt was successful and the whole family loved the end result.  I think I will be baking more white and plain loaves until I can find some great sweet bread recipes.  

Mixing The Dough - Galaxy Note 9

The Final Result - Galaxy Note 9

June has been a long month.  I hope things will get better in July.  Here's a closing shot for this month's entry: 

One of Those Walking Days - Galaxy Note 9

~ Photos Taken With Samsung Galaxy Note 9 ~