My week that was....

Last week started rather gloomily with me in very low spirit and depressed, despite my rather funny episode on the toilets. It was a brief respite for me to think back to my childhood and younger days in hilarious situations, and to laugh over them. Nowadays, I tend to be melancholic. Also I am trying very hard on anger management, through prayers and self control. It is tough going, especially when confronted in an angry situation with someone, and restraining myself from being angry about it.

Plagued by the anxieties of my en bloc sale and my current financial state, and other domestic problems, I seemed to be in some sort of limbo. The gloomy weather of late did not help much.

The week saw me serving at the church altar every morning, covering the duty for a friend of mine, who is recovering from a knee operation. This boosted my spirit eventually. I always feel good and calm serving the altar

Monday and Wednesday saw me on the track doing my brisk walk of six laps. My weight now stands at 64.5 kg. Quite an achievement.

Wednesday also brought me news from my son and housing agent that a choice HDB apartment could be available for sale. A corner unit in which the owner had built an extension to the living room, and a spacious garden around the side. Two doors away from my son's place, it is very much like a terrace house. When I first visited the place, I could not believe that it was a HDB estate, given the green grass, trees and open space. Priced at $600k - 700k, it would be well within my budget. This news certainly lifted me up from my depression.

Tuesday, my free day when I normally pick up my bag and jump in and out of buses around the city, I was not in a mood to wander far. Wife went out with her friend, so I took the bus to Holland Village and had Indian curry lunch alone. Home after that and after a cold shower, sat down to watching documentaries on the television.

By the time Thursday and Friday came round, I was in a better frame of mind when Emma, the live wire came to us for the two days. Lively and full of mischievous antics, she brought some laughter and noise into our lives. It has always been good to have her around.

Friday night, I was at Novena, rehearsing for Our Lady's Procession, scheduled for Sunday 2nd September afternoon. For many years, I have been taking part in this very meaningful Catholic event. This year it is no different except that for the first time, we have ladies Eucharistic Ministers. I pray that Our Lady will grant us fair weather on that day.

The EGM ( Extraordinary General Meeting) for our en bloc sale was held on Saturday at 2 pm. Filled with trepidation at first, the meeting went off very well and amicably among the owners present. The salient sale terms were discussed and a revised timeline was projected. At the end of the meeting, there were many happy 'money-faces' applauding. I was surprised because for once there was no fighting and shouting among the owners, which was very much the norm, resulting into chaos and unhappiness.

Prior to the meeting, we had a nice family lunch at O'Brien, Jelita. My chicken bacon triple decker toasted went down very well. A short spiel at the Cold Storage and we were home.

Sunday, I had lunch at the Botanic Gardens with my son and wife. The curry chicken leg was rather tough due, I suspect, to it being frozen before cooking. Can always tell the difference because if it had not been frozen, the chicken meat would have been soft and tender and separated from the bone after cooking.

After lunch, we drove to view the HDB property from the outside, since we were not able to go inside as yet. It was two doors away from my son's place. Nice property with the extension but what a terrible paint job. The extension wall was painted purple. In front was planted a Franjipani tree, which I thought was rather weird and obtrusive. The extension roof was sloped in an awkward angle and will need to be re-structured. There was a nice garden space by the side. The property sits at the corner facing the road in, and appears to be a terrace house more than an apartment. I met my agent there and he re-affirmed that he will work on the property and will also continue to source for a corner unit. All in all, my family and I would be interested in the property, if and when it becomes available soon. There will be a fair amount of renovation work to be done to it.

That was my week that was, started rather poorly but finished on a brighter note.

Till then....