Little by little I’m tearing down the old life and working towards finding a new future.  I’m struck by the fact that it seems like I’ve come full circle.  In 2010 I was in the job that I’ve recently re-acquired.  I was looking to retire in the Philippines in September of that year.  Then Jee Yeun convinced me that she was a better option.  I believed in her.  Turns out a life with me was not a happy one for her.  And so she turned her back on all I had worked to build for us.

Which has pretty much left me with nada y nada.  Nothing to do but move forward from here and try to get it right this time.  Those six years I invested in the woman who supposedly loved me can never be recouped though.  I say this tonight because I think I’m finally over it.  I’m back to where I was, and perhaps I’ll be smarter this go round.  We’ll see.

So, I am flying to Olongopo in the PI on 1 September.  I’m going to try and get a feel for whether that is someplace I could make home for myself and perhaps find some peace and satisfaction in whatever remains of my so-called life.  I wish I didn’t care but I can’t seem to help myself.  And so it goes.

(yes, I am blogging while drunk.  sue me.)

On Friday I called an “all hands” meeting and laid out my vision for the future and my expectations from the staff. Which is that they continue to be the amazing professionals that they are and make me look good in the process. As motivation, I bought them pizza and chicken. That’s my leadership style..

In all seriousness I am proud to be associated with these folks. My work family gives me a reason to get up and engage every morning. Otherwise I might just revert to my natural state of being a worthless drunk. Shuddup!

With rank comes privileges…

On Saturday I took these stairs to the top of Namsan. It was not a pleasant experience.

I feel worse than I look as improbable as that may seem…

But i got ‘er done!

This morning I prepared some Mississippi roast beef. Tweaked the recipe some and IMO got a juicier and more flavorful result.

And then I spent almost 4 hours on the river. Hardly got rained on at all.

You’d have to be crazy to date a guy like me.  But this weekend I met a gal who was willing to give it a go.  Friday went so well she came back for more on Saturday.  And it was nice to be reminded that maybe, just maybe, I’ll find my way back.  Thanks for that Eun Oke!

Mientras estás vivo hay esperanza