An exhausting weekend

What did we do over the weekend?

Friday - we went to the zoo. Reached there about 930am and there was a crowd at the entrance. Full of parents with their kids and well, it was rather a breeze to get in once I collected my membership card (thanks to a mummy, we managed to get our membership with a 10% discount). The zoo has really changed quite a fair bit since I last went with my nephew (about 4 years ago). We did the usual meandering around the various exhibits, before it got way too hot at 11am, and we took the tram. The only highlight, which my girl missed as she was fast asleep, was when we sat outside the orang utan exhibit and had our own breakfast (our cheap version of breakfast with the animals). From our view, we saw one orang utan dragged a heap of leaves on top of its head, while it snuggled into a crevice. Brilliant camouflage! Another decided to do some exercise, which included crossing it arms above its head and slapping itself. The same one used some leaves to wipe its backside and pee in front of us. Decided to head for the "Ampang Yong Tau Foo" for lunch, but the place was so packed (no parking lots at all!) so we headed to Casuarina curry instead. Had a quick lunch before proceeding home when I had to bake a cake for my Wilton Cake Decorating Class on Saturday.

Found out at dinner (after slaving over the damn tempura and trying to fry the stuff) that my helper was not feeling well. Think she ate something wrong during lunch and she had the vomitting, the stomachache and headaches. So had our dinner, got the hubby to send the helper to see the doctor, and I went to bed to Vanessa (who was already fast asleep). By the time they came home, I was too tired to make the icing for the cake, so I went to bed and set my alarm clock at 6am.

Saturday - woke up at 6am! Then I washed up the dishes from last night to clear some workspace in the kitchen. Started fixing the icing at 630am, and I am glad none of my neighbours complained cuz my Kenwood mixer makes one hell of a ruckus. By the time I was done sifting the icing sugar, I was staring at the clock in despair, wondering if I was going to make it! Anyway, I just did what I had to do, and I finally managed to finish icing the cake by 10am. Had a quick shower after I started cooking porridge in the rice cooker and it was off to the class. At the class, the other 2 classmates said my cake was nice and I was quite incredulous until I saw theirs. Well, it wasn't the same since I slather on a THICK layer of icing to hide all the defects (too numerous to name here). The class was fun, learnt some of the piping stuff, and tried to pipe roses but it was difficult. I am supposed to practise for the next class, so let's see how it goes :P

Came back, played with Vanessa a little, and I promptly conked out by 4pm. We had tempura leftovers and we cleared up all the porridge (with some help from Vanessa). Watched a little TV and went back to bed.

Sunday - woke up at 6am and headed for the Chinese doctor to get a queue number. My hands are feeling numb again and decided to check it out. When we came back, Vanessa just woke up, so we went out for breakfast at Bukit Timah Hawker Centre. Took a short nap then headed out to the Chinese doctor, waited for 1 hour before it was my turn. Usual tension at the shoulders, causing the nerves to bunch up. Wanted to do the "gua sha" but had to wait again, so I probably will return another day to get it done. Headed for to my mum's place with the cake that I decorated in class, with some cupcakes and leftover icing bags. The kids were having a ball of time hunting for Easter eggs in the garden, and as usual, some were unhappy that they had collected less eggs, didn't get the eggs they designed (they decorated the eggs earlier), but all ended well once we headed back in for the CHOCOLATE eggs. My gal collected her first Easter eggs! I think she enjoyed it although she doesn't have a clue what was happening! As a treat for the kids, who squabbled over the colour of jelly beans, I took out the cupcakes and let them decorate. They had fun, but guess who will end up eating the cakes - the adults or the bin I bet!

Now, my back is killing me and I am wondering if I should bake another cake. Promised my colleague to bake a cake for her so let see how "motivated" I am after dinner.

Back to the grind tomorrow, but it was a fun, although exhausting one, LOOOONNNGGGG weekend I will have in a while. There's another one coming up in May, but I have to work on that Saturday, so I am really looking forward to a nice long break (just 3 days, that's all I am asking for!) after all the weekends and deadlines I have to deal with till end of June, before the vicious cycle starts again in July.