Help me with my smart phone!

What era are we in? An era of touch...I mean touch phone or rather smart phone as far as communicative device is concerned.

My HTC Wildfire S with its 'non-original' case

HTC Wildfire S

This unit was the only one left in the store. I love the pink!

I have finally gotten myself a smart to keep up with the Joneses, that is after much ding dong. With the perception that a touch phone is not going to give me any hard time, I went hunting for one.  Nobody who is 'in-touch' with technology should be opting for anything less than a smart phone. However, being more cost-conscious now, I am not willing to part with anything near 2gran just to get the 'made for human' Samsung SIII phones, I am willing to settle for less hi-tech phones.  IPhone is definitely a big NO for me. As what Hoe said, it's not for people like me who seldom FB (Facebook). He's right, I am no big fan of IPhone.

So, my next logical choice is a Nokia, I am soooooo loyal to my old E71 (by the way, my loyalty WAS not questionable as all my previous phones were Nokia phones) which is starting to give me problems after 3+ years of faithful service to me. Lumia is what I was eyeing for,being a smart phone.  I even walked into a Nokia store, tested a few Lumia's but unfortunately Nokia salesmen weren't aggressive enough.  Otherwise, a Lumia should already be in my possession.

The sales went to HTC instead.  To cut the long story short, after some persuasion but not really hard sales, an HTC Wild Fire S (a 2010 model) sale was closed.  At RM699, I want to believe that it is a value buy.  AFTER paying for the phone and after a few enquiries of the price from other stores, it is confirmed that I did get a good bargain.

To cut another story short again, my HTC phone isn't as user-friendly as I would like it to be. Typing SMSes can no longer be done at lightning speed.  The keypad is too small for my fingers making composition of each message become more of a cautious task rather than an effortless one.  Frustration and stress are now part of sending messages.  I can never composed a zero-error SMS, not to mention a speedy one. Shuts! So, I have countless messages ending up as Drafts. And to go through the list of messages in the draft folder needs tonnes of patience as the latest draft will appear on the top of the list, whereas the phone always takes me to the bottom of the list ie the oldest draft. 

Calling someone is not a breeze anymore. Instead of selecting the person to call from Contacts easily, sigh.... some adjustments are really needed, a whole long list of contacts with any common first or second alphabet or number will appear. 

Having said all the above, my worst problem is still on texting.  I am even contemplating buying a new keypad phone to replace my smart phone!  Talking about being hi-tech....

Should I worry about my PID?

Do I have to be needlessly worried when my gynae gave me a clean bill of health?

Perhaps not. I should have full confidence in him, a gynae specialising in oncology.  Afterall, he was highly recommended to me by my ex-colleague who had her cancerous breasts and womb removed by him.

True enough, he is a very experienced gynae.  After seeing him and his diagnosis, I am more relieved.  

In 2007, this Dr Wong diagnosed me with PID which stands for Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. Check this web for more information on what's PID.  Never would I imagine myself contracting this disease with all the discomfort felt on the right side of my hip.  They were just dull but lingering pain which lasted for a few days, came and was gone.  As I was posting this, I had not had this pain for the past few days. Only sporadically.  In fact, I had gone to see a female gynae before going for a second opinion with this Dr Wong.  As I wasn't very comfortable with this female gynae's advice of going back for a follow-up 3 months later, I proceeded to get a confirmation from Dr Wong on this PID issue and another problem.

Just as what he had previously advised me 5 years ago, there is nothing I should worry about as I still have my normal menstrual cycle and that the dull pain isn't bothering me.  His last words before I left the clinic was if I am still worried I could follow up again after 6 months although he had initially told me to see him again a year later.

You look gothic!

Just because I put on my eye-liner, nude lipstick and blusher does not make me look gothic! But, that comment came from Hoe when he looked at me wide-eyed for a good few seconds, at least 10, I think.  I wasn't sure whether I should feel flattered or not!

Having a nude face most of the time except for the occasional lipstick during weekend shopping spree for the past few years invited that kind of remark from my observant son.  I wasn't even completely dolled-up.  And when I showed them my recent studio photos where I was all made-up and dressed to the nines, they drew 'yerrr'  (not equivalent to 'Yes', more of 'dislikes') and sarcastic giggles from them.

I just wished they could be fairer to me and give me a sincere compliment.  Those photos were the masterpiece of professional hands and touch-up as well. Can't be that bad, especially when Mom could still make some heads turn, err...maybe a decade ago.  Now? Not sure, daren't find out.

Mom needs help!

I've procrastinated getting an extra hand to help me with my....house chores..of course. What don't we procrastinate, by the way? Not because I'm trying to be a super woman. Probably, I can handle some house chores along with my home business.  And, I have a pair of teen hands to help out on Sunday (yes, only on Sunday) which means I am left with other endless house chores to cope with.  Oh! I should not forget my Mom (my sisters will kill me for being ungrateful) who helps me with the washing and cooking for dinner so that I have less things to worry.  At least, the kids have home-cooked food on the table for dinner.

After more than 2 years of staying in this bigger house of mine, I am calling it quits! Enough of rushing  frantically on a day when everyone is supposed to be relaxing or slowing down their pace or going to church.  It's one chore after another.  And by the end of the fourth chore, I'm drained!  When I am drained, other things go chaotic (a different story perhaps on this..).  Working from home doesn't mean I have to work 7/24.  I need a deserved break too.  

With my eczematic condition, the more I should be staying away from 'wet' house chores.  Anyway, it's a mountainous task maintaining a clean and reasonably tidy and presentable house with only so few hands willing to chip in some energy.  Thinking that it's easy to get help, I have asked my neighbour to give me the contact of her existing part-time domestic help.  To my surprise, she's fully booked and can't accept more jobs.  What!

There are dozens of cleaning services companies out there I can choose from, actually. But, no way, with news of cases of burglary or what not. No way am I going to let total strangers, especially those without any recommendation, to stay in my house for at least 4 hours.  So, I have to rely on recommendation from people I know.

There's another contact which I can call.  I've gotten hold of the number for about at least 2 weeks now. Too busy to call, I suppose.  Sigh... procrastinating again. My hands can't wait. 

No home-cooked lunch

It went on for one week since last week.  Pity my kids, have to make do with tapau-ed (packed home) lunches.

Not because Mom is lazy or an aftermath of the drought. It's just my hands playing tricks on me again.  In order not to aggravate the condition, I've decided to stay water-free with my right hand and stayed away from the kitchen basin as much as I can.  

Hoe is not complaining at all as he walloped anything to satisfy his hunger pangs.  Wyng, though he isn't really whining but from the speed he gobbles his food, I can tell he still prefers Mom's soup for his meals.

My eczema skin condition doesn't get any better, not that I expect it to.  It's been a while since I get this dry cracking of my skin.  But, this was the worst of all.  I've never had such deep crack before and it lasted for about two weeks.  Such discomfort whenever I contact with water.

I am encountering problem uploading my photos on Blogger.com.  The only picture I managed to upload was the one below which was taken about more than a week after my skin started to itch and dry again. There was no crack yet then.  I will upload a picture of an aggravated condition.

Apart from my fingers, the palm was not spared. Notice the red buldging rashes on the palm.

A week later...It's so bad that it began to crack,  deeper and it had spread to the adjacent pointer as well