A place called Spirit Lake in Iowa

It is some 200 miles from Minneapolis, MN to this place called Spirit Lake in Iowa. After drving some 3.5 hours, at night, arrived at this town.

Couldn't see much during the night, but, in the morning could see that the town seem to have quite a few lakes. One would have thought that being a 'land- locked' state, there would not be that many boats here in Iowa, but that is certainly not the case. There are quite a few boat dealers, with one right in front of the Ramada Hotel itself!!

Anyway, the weird thing was, there was absolutely no handphone signal!!

The mobile phone signal was only detected again some 20 miles out of town...
The wife got worried and called three times, and all three times could not get through, obviously. .

I am OK...

Travelling and not enough sleep and all that....

Flew off from KLIA at 315pm and got in to the hotel in Denver, CO, USA at 2AM on the same day!! Fantastic right? almost 24 hours of travelling before reaching destination.

Well, still in Denver; whole day meeting with client today, and now back to the room.. wondering what to eat for dinner later!

Not much chance to see Denver since tomorrow will still need to get back to the client's plant for more discussions. The last trip I was here, I tried the elusive 'rockies oysters'. If you guys want to know what this is, well, find out...

Some 13 more days here....

No more stray cats!!

Finally, got rid of those stray cats... NO, didnt kill or poison them.

Went to a pet shop, and asked them what to do. Paid RM20+ and got a bottle of some gel pellets... just put a tea spoon here and there, especially where the cats like to hang out.. and VOILA, they all dissappeared. The wife is real pleased...

Those gel pellets smell a lot like 'lemon grass' (serai), and believe me, the cats steered real far from our place now...

I am glad.

Wrong Visa application form from Travel Agent

For years, we have been using this travel agent that operate out of Amex Platinum Service office.

Latest plan is to travel to Canada and USA for a business trip. After 9/11, Malaysians now have to get a Canadian Visa before allow in to Canada. So, happily, all the forms as given by the travel agent were duly filled and signed.

Lo and behold, upon submission, we were told that the form we used have been superseeded by new forms more than 1 year ago!! Imagine, having to go to the Embassy, take a number, wait for your turn, only to be told something as silly as having filled a wrong form!!

Anyway, we are forcing the agent to somehow, by hook or by crook get the visas for us.

I am not going to the embassy again.

And to think that the tickets alone cost some RM55,000 for three persons!! I certainly expects the agent to at least know that the forms are up to date....

Well, so much for Amex Platinum Service.....

Problems with stray cats.....

For the past few weeks, a few cats have been making themselves at home on our front porch at night. They are such a nuisance... sometimes they s**t in the garden causing a big stink. I have tried various means to get rid of them, but so far have not been succesful at all.

I don't mind them if they just sleep there and don't relieve themselves where ever they like..

Friends said to try:
- chili powder (didn't work)
- soaking them with the garden hose (didn't work)
- spraying diluted vinegar where they sleep (yet to try)
- get a dog (may cause a bigger problem)

The missus is freaking out.. the kids are always shouting at the cats trying to scare them...

What to do??

14th Wedding Anniversary

Today, my wife and I celebrate our 14th Wedding Anniversary. Seems like yesterday the two of us got married. May seems like a long time ago, but 14 years is really not that long considering that my parents have been married for close to 50 years now!

Yes, there were times we yelled at each other, got angry at each other, didnt talk to each other. But, hey, which mariage did not have any of this trials..?!! However, I think through all this, we have grown stronger, love each other more.

So, dear wife, Happy 14th Wedding Anniversary, and I love you.

OK...got started

OK..got started.. and have actually signed in again to create this second postings... will have to try and update as often as possible...

I know.. I know.. the picture has absolutely nothing to do with this blog!! Just getting use to uploading photos...

blogging again

After a failed and rather disastrous start to a blog that was never maintained, weel, here I am ... having another go at it!!

How this will pan out and whether this will last is another story. (Sounds like a topic for another day)

OK... still have a lot to learn on how to upload pictures.

The picture you see here is supposed to be a plane infected by the bird flu... the wings are supposed to be flapping..since it is obviously not flapping, guess i will have to try again..