News Flash!!!

I've been a very bad blogger the last couple of weeks. I just wasn't in much of a mood to write. That doesn't mean that nothing interesting has happened though.

1. This guy, Mas Selamat, is a very "wily" character, as Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew referred to him, escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Center almost two weeks ago. He is the leader of of the notorious Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group. Although the government has conducted extensive searches, he remains at large.

Photo from Interpol website

2. In January the Singapore goverment announced the detention of 13 terrorist suspects for suspicious activity under the Internal Security Act. The Straits Times also reported that many suspects are "self-radicalised" even though the government does their best to block terrorist websites.

3. I believe that the government's efforts to keep Singapore secure has also caused the blocking of several non-terrorist websites which would include Stickam. They don't need jihadists chatting online and conspiring to blow something up. Therefore, I've removed my Stickam from this blog. I'll put it back up when I start my new blog.

4. The jack-hammering of Ardmore Point has still not resumed. I hear workers, but no jack-hammering and that makes me very happy. I hope it remains this way until we move out of this place.

5. I just talked to the mover guy, and he will have people here to begin packing April 5. After everything is packed, I'll "hand-over" the keys to the agent. Then, we'll move into a serviced apartment until April 30.

6. Next, the plan is to take the direct flight to Newark stay the night, and then go to Philadelphia for TequilaCon2008! at the North Bowl Lounge 'n Lanes. My WHH has agreed to attend too! Yippeeee! I'm so excited!

7. After our fun-filled adventures meeting a whole bunch of really cool and famous blogger friends, we'll fly to Atlanta and move back into our house.

Bullet'n

Jim, Michael, Patrick (my "boys)

• My WHH sent me all of the pics he took last weekend when he visited his family and our "bouncing baby boys" in Carlinville, IL. I miss everyone so-so much, especially my sons. No, they're not boys anymore, but still, they'll always be our "boys".
• The lady who drowned Sunday is still in a coma at Singapore General Hospital.
• I met some very nice people tonight at the Obama teleconference. There was a technical glitch, but it was still nice to meet everyone, eat, drink, and and talk a bit about politics -- or talk about how Americans don't talk politics. I think that will have to be another blog post (I promise no preaching about either side, though).
• My WHH will finally be home tomorrow. His flight arrives at 6:45 a.m.
• I have bowling at 9:30.
• I want to call Valerie and tell her that something has "come up", but I'm not a very good liar. That reminds me, you should check out Hilly's post from November 7. She's one of my "deep-thinker" friends. Actually, I have quite a few of them. I just let them deep-think for me ;-)
• I still might call Valerie to tell her I "can't" bowl this week.
• I am pretty sure that I hurt my Filipina friend's feelings this morning. She asked me about when our trouble sleeping started. Sheesh! It's been years. She was trying to be helpful, but when she told me that I needed to move my dressing mirror a few inches, I burst out laughing. I couldn't help it, but I think I really hurt her. I will apologize to her in person. Sometimes, I'm such a blurter-outer-of-things, when I should really be a deep-thinker-of-things.
• I'm still thinking I might have to call in sick tomorrow though.
• I miss my boys.

Friday Morning Ladies' Bowling League

Today was our first day of bowling. We decided that today's scores wouldn't count so that the new gals could learn about etiquette and generally understand how things work in a league. This year we have 8 teams! Lots of new ladies, and I think it's going to be even more fun than before (if that's possible because we had fun then too).

Val, Sung, and I have a new bowling buddy this year, Trish. I told her today that I will not be introducing her to the Way-Hot Husband because, uh, she looks like OMG... I am so NOT making this up!

The ONLY celebrity WHH gets all hot 'n bothered over! (OK, she's the only one he's told ME about)!

Problem is, she joined a bunch of us for lunch in the Union Bar and she's NICE too! Sonofa...! If that don't beat all. So, maybe I will introduce her to him some time after all. :D

Oh yeah, Thamo and Henry took very good care of all of us gals after we raided the Union Bar this afternoon. The Union Bar has the best service with a smile! OK, yeah, I'm partial because they're really great to look at too (heh)! *

The only thing wrong today was that our bowling buddy, Diane, was not there with her coffee and banana bread. She and her husband, Mike, repatriated recently. She's gonna be pissed at me for linking to her picture, but that's what she gets for getting away without letting us buy her lunch and stuff! That's just not right! So, Diane, you'd better email me to let me know where you're staying until that big-ass new house is finished! I've got a little gift for you that's been in my tote-bag in the dining room for 3 weeks. I think you should have it before Christmas!



*Some people may consider me old, but that doesn't mean I'm BLIND, dammit! ;0)

Bowling for $$$

Yesterday was my last day of bowling for the season. This has been the best season for me in my entire bowling life! Many, many years ago when I lived in Carlinville, IL, my dear friend, Leslie, asked me to be on her bowling team. I hemmed, hawed, and told her, "I don't know how to bowl. I can't bowl on a league!"

She replied, "Sure you can! It doesn't matter how well you bowl. You'll have a high handicap and it will help my team. C'mon, I just need one more bowler... Please???"

I relented and bowled on her team for two seasons with great suckage! I sucked so bad I didn't even get "Most Improved Bowler". Leslie would get so frustrated with me, "C'mon, Diana, focus!"

I am not, nor have I EVER been athletically-inclined. Leslie? Whatever she sets out to do, she can. Same with WHH and a couple of my sisters (I'm talking about athletic ability here). It's just there for them. It is not there for me. Leslie went on to become a pro bowler for several years. Since she left the circuit, she refuses to bowl because she's not 100% and it just wouldn't be fun.

There was about a 10-year gap from my couple of years bowling with Leslie until a new friend, Peg, in Morristown, TN asked me to sub for her team. Once again, I hemmed, hawed, told her of my horrible performance previously, and she said, "Look, it doesn't matter how well you bowl. Really, I promise. We just need a body so that we don't have to forfeit."

Alright, when she put it that way, I decided that I didn't have anything to lose. She went with me to K-Mart to help me buy a my own brand-new bowling ball and shoes. After that, I began to improve. I started bowling Monday mornings and Thursday nights. My average gradually went up every year and I actually started having fun. Most importantly, I made friends.

I didn't bowl when we lived in New York, but after we moved to Atlanta I did. Two of my friends from Morristown, TN lived there and were on a team with another "out-of-towner". We had so much FUN, and I miss those gals a lot! Damn, we had GOOD TIMES! (Atlanta team----->)

I asked WHH if we could please join the American Club specifically so that I could join a bowling league. Last year, the league got a late start and there were only 4 teams. We had fun, but we needed more teams. This year, we combined our Friday morning league with the American Women's Association and it was so much better. Particularly, since the "Girlfriends" were in 1st place all season -- a 1st for me EVER! AND, I had High Series Handicap from early on in the season.

That is, until yesterday. Two of our teammates were out, so it was just Val and me. Just to give you an example of my inconsistent "athleticism"... Last week I bowled 131, 111, 131. This week 164, 109, 124. I still suck at this game!

My first game was really great, but Val was off her game. She's usually very consistent. I think we won the first game, but lost the other two and total pins. I hate when that happens.

Nancy took it upon herself to organize our bowling banquet at The American Club. She made nice favors for everyone, had fun things for us to talk and laugh about, gave out some cool prizes that included a couple of bottles of wine. The food was yummy and there was free-flow of champagne, wine, and juice. Thank you, Nancy!

Then, Khai, came up to announce the winners and hand out the cash. I shared High Series Handicap with Wendy, and then the news of the winning teams... WE LOST 1st place by ONE POINT -- because we lost the games that morning! Whaddya' gonna' do, uh?

I've never been on a team that has placed this high. I'm very happy! Hell, in ATL, they always gave our team special awards because we were always in LAST place! :D We still had fun -- that's the whole point!

Bowling

I bowled shittily again this week! The last three weeks, I've just not been having much of a good time at it. I get into slumps, and it's hard to get out of them.

My bowling buddy, Diane, and I are flying up to Bangkok on Monday. We've been talking about it for quite some time, and decided last week that the time was right now. So, we booked our non-refundable flights and hotel room. While we were at bowling, we asked other gals who've been there what kind of stuff we should check out while we're there. Teresa actually lived there a few years, so she had lots of info for us including "dressing appropriately". We weren't clear on what the appopriately part meant.

I got home to see this headline on page 14 in the Straits-Times:

Thai haze causes surge in respiratory illnesses

Patient numbers are up by 20 per cent in the north, says minister

I guess I'll be shopping for masks before flying up there.

Bowling

I had a great time at bowling today, and we're still in first place. Today, was my best series of the year: 151, 130, 171. The last game I got a turkey in the first 3 frames -- yippee!!

Bowling and COLBAR

We bowled a couple of games at the club yesterday with Allen, Becky, Larry, and Pam. It's nice to do something a bit different now and then. Afterward, Larry and Pam took us to Larry's favorite place to eat (I think it's Pam's least favorite place), COLBAR. Below are pics of the metal signs explaining the history of the place. The food was really good, and they have a wide variety including "Spaghetti on Toast" and a number of other specialties I've never heard of before. I had the curry beef and rice -- yum!



"Opened in 1953, COLBAR was primarily a canteen for base personnel in the 2600-acre military complex stretching from Alexandria Road to Clementi Road. It was also an unofficial mess for the old British Army barracks in Portsdown Road. Established and built by Mr. Lim at Jalan Hang Jabal, COLBAR was named by a British friend of his and was an abbreviated version of "Colonial Bar". Popular among the British military officers and soldiers, it was a gastronomical oasis for Liver and Onions or Lamb Chops back in those days."


"In 2003, the construction of a major semi-expressway to connect Queensway and Ayer Rajah Expresway started. As a result, COLBAR had to make way for the construction of this major infrastructure. JTC, the master developer of one-north, initiated an effort to save this legendary eating house to preserve its hea
rt were -- the comunity of COLBAR."


"Together with LTA, SLA, and URA, they explored and studied different possibilities of saving this part of Singapore's history. From shifting the semi-expressway to evade the COLBAR building, to relocating and reconstructing it, all possible solutions were scrutinised. With thorough studies and support from the COLBAR community, the decision was eventually made to proceed with the construction of a new COLBAR at Whitchurch Road."



"From August 2003, the original COLBAR at Jalan Hang Jebat was slowly being dismantled. Part by part, fragile materials were taken apart carefully to be reused in the construction of the new COLBAR. Clay roof tiles, timber screens and solid timber swing doors were some of the reused treasures. By September 2003, the entire 60-year old building finally bid its farewell to all.

The design, conceived by in-house JTC, took a bold move to inject a new space in the "old" shell of COLBAR. The unique architechtural language that carried important characteristics and the intrinsic soul of the place were categorically retained and replicated to close exact. Materials, texture and colours were meticulously matched and applied throughout. What you see now is the entire two-unit eating house reconstructed to exact detail. A new outdoor terrace has been introduced to replace the other two units at Jalan Hang Jebat site to become a potential and well-needed alfresco dining space."

"The Heritage Wall is an art itself, it is built with original timber boards salvaged from the old eating house. These old materials are arranged in an informal fashion, thus creating a random series of openings that allow visual and physical penetrations. Timber boards with layers of peeling paint uncover evidences of COLBAR's rich 50-year historical journey.

With great support from the community, together with many government agencies, we have finally witnessed the resurrection of an icon. On 25 February 2004, the new COLBAR finally celebrated its rebirth at Whitchurch Road."

Bowling

I had ladies bowling league this morning at "the club". (Sometime you'll have to ask Jimmy and Patrick about being allowed "in the club"). Most of the teams are new this year, and that is WONDERFUL! We only had 4 teams last year, and it just wasn't the kind of fun it should be. This year, we've combined the Friday Women's league with the American Women's Association league, and it's much more fun.

Our team, "Girlfriends", Valerie, Diane, Sung, and I, has been in first place since we started about a month ago; an amazing feat for us! Today, we won the first game handily. The second game, Diane had the high game of 172! She was HOT! HOT! HOT! and we won that one. The third game -- we completely fell apart and all four of us were lucky to get "three numbers"! Sheesh! We STUNK! Still..........we had fun.

Next week, we have the traditional gift exchange, wherein we each bring a gift to exchange, then we can't receive a gift until we get a strike! TOO MUCH PRESSURE! That's why Valerie is bowling anchor on our team. Thanks Val!