You Know Times Are Hard When....

Life's Journey...

While I was consoling a bereaved ex-colleague whose husband had passed on, my mobile phone beeped with the message that another friend from way back when also passed on in Kelantan.

This evening, I am going to the hospital to visit a friend's daughter whose newborn baby, her fourth child, was warded due to breathing difficulties and who, hereself, had been warded due to post-partum blues.

The deceased were in their late fifties while the young mother is in her mid-thirties.

The wheel of life goes on...what goes up must come down...the once young and nubile is now old...and the healthy becomes sick. The cycle is unstoppable; we just have to go with the flow...and hope that our time on earth does not come to naught...aah...life's journey!

Rusty Rollers

It is a game I used to excel at more than twenty years ago and I have many trophies to show for my competitive standing back then. So, when a friend asked me to participate in a ten-pin bowling competition last week-end, I did not hesitate. I managed to coax two of my friends, Audie and Mahani, to join me in forming a team.

My bowling bag, which can accommodate two balls, had to be dusted and cleaned as it had gathered dust and cobwebs in the store room. Two balls, why would one need two balls to bowl? Well, according to the pros, one ball is for strikes and the other for spares but it turned out that strikes and spares were few and far between on that day.

We went to the bowling alley early so as to practice because we did not want to be an embarassment since all of us had not bowled for years. Our scores were not too bad so we were really looking forward to the competition.

There were 100 competitors, men and women, and the women were given a handicap of 20 pinfalls as we had to compete with the men. Each competitor had to bowl 3 games.

We did not do too badly considering that we were competing against regular bowlers but during the second game, aches and pains started to surface. It was a torture to finish the third game and boy, were we glad when we did!

Including the practice games, I had bowled a total of 5 games. Assuming that I needed two throws for every frame and spared in the last frame, I would have swung my ball 105 times for the 5 games. To put it in perspective, swinging a 13-pounder 105 times and balancing on one knee when delivering the ball can cause all kinds of aches - to the thighs, upper arms, neck and back!

The real impact of bowling 5 games was felt the next day - I came down with the flu while the other two had to take painkillers just to be able to move around. Moving around felt like a robot due to all the stiffness!

Much as we had a lot of fun during the game, we all unanimously agreed on one thing - NEVER AGAIN!

My Favorite Things

Those of you who had seen the movie "Sound of Music" must remember the song "My Favorite Things" in that movie made popular by actress/singer, Julie Andrews. Ms. Andrews turned 69 recently and to commemorate her birthday, she made a special appearance at Manhattan 's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" with lyrics appropriate for a 69er. Sing it, and you will see how hilarious the song is!

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,

Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,

Bundles of magazines tied up in string,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Cadillacs and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,

Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,

Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,

These are a few of my favorite things.

When the pipes leak, when the bones creak,

When the knees go bad,

I simply remember my favorite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,

No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,

Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,

These are a few of my favorite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin',

Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',

And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,

When we remember our favorite things.

When the joints ache, when the hips break,

When the eyes grow dim,

Then I remember the great life I've had,

And then I don't feel so bad.

Well, Ms. Andrews....the truth sure hurts....ouch!