Fuck me.

Buddy is gone. While I was out playing darts yesterday afternoon a construction worker left the front door ajar and the dog ran away. I was incensed that my helper didn’t have the sense to put Buddy in his enclosure. I was tempted to fire her ass for incompetence, but I could tell she was upset by what she terms “an accident”.

The front gate guards say they saw him running out of the subdivision and turning into an adjacent squatters village. I know Buddy can’t find his way home (here or his former residence) so he’s got to be just wandering the streets alone and hungry. I’m going to get some flyers done up offering a reward and post them in the surrounding area. If I can enlist the support of the street urchins perhaps he will be found. I’m just sick to my stomach over this.

On the flip side of the coin, I felt compelled to keep my date with Marissa despite my loss. I drank extra to dull the pain. She seemed to enjoy herself and the dance contest. She was also quite cuddly which I took as a good sign that she has some affection for me at least.

When the SOB was over we moved to another bar for an event known as the “Aftermath”. This features a series of raffle drawings (you get a ticket for each drink purchase) and culminates in a “find the Joker” progressive jackpot. Each week a lucky raffle participant gets to turn over a card. If the Joker is picked, he wins the pot, if not, money is added for the following week’s drawing. Last night the pot was 31,000 pesos ($620) and there were 8 cards remaining. Well, I had been disappointed all night that not one of my numerous raffle tickets had been drawn. And no, I wasn’t drawn for the “find the Joker” either. But Marissa was!

She was in the CR (as restrooms are called here) when her ticket was drawn so I picked the card. And yes, I picked that fucking Joker! Pandemonium broke out in the bar, and not in a particularly good way. Immediately there were calls “to ring the bell”, which provides all the working girls a lady drink for 2800 pesos. It’s a suckers bet that I never do, except last night I was drunk and overwhelmed so I relented. But the calls for sharing the wealth didn’t stop there. The girl who had pulled Marissa’s number thought she was worthy of a tip, and the waitress was also looking expectantly for a piece of the windfall. I had a huge roll of cash in pocket and was feeling uncomfortable with all the attention. When the damn doormen asked me to buy them dinner, I told Marissa I was leaving. She suggested we go to Alley Cats (the dart bar where she works and I play) for a final drink. And so we did.

It turns out they only pay half the jackpot in cash, and the rest in vouchers redeemable at the bars hosting the SOB/Aftermath events.

Good for a year, but I reckon I can use it up in half that time. Although I really don’t like drinking in the girly bars so much.

Anyway, I gave Marissa the cash. She didn’t want to take it, saying I had paid her entry into the event. I responded “it’s your name on the winning ticket” and she eventually relented. That’s a big chunk of change for her and really nothing to me. How big for her? She had told me earlier in the evening that she had a good day at work the night before scoring eight lady drinks. I asked how much she made per drink and she said 60 pesos (the customer pays 150). So, a good night for her at work is making just under ten dollars. Wow. Her date with me wound up paying off big time.

With the money burning a hole in her pocket she proceeded to buy all her coworkers drinks. Hey, her money to spend any way she chooses, right? I was beyond drunk at this point and feeling depressed over my dog, so I bailed despite Marissa’s entreaty to stay for “one more”. I guess I might have had it mind that she’d come home with me last night. She might have if I had asked her to, but I was just not in the mood. Another time perhaps.

I miss my Buddy.

UPDATE: BOLO

Here’s what greeted me when I woke up and looked out the window:

I didn’t find the pot-o-gold though…

My Buddy is making slow steps towards normalcy. Well, more normal than he was yesterday. Still very skittish but not quite in a state of perpetual terror.

Buddy’s preferred hangout is still under the table. But he did venture outside for a bit today.

Had breakfast at Treasure Island this morning and Mike, the guy who found and delivered Buddy for me, was there. He shared a photo of Buddy’s parents:

My daughter speculates that the mother might have some Jack Russel Terrier in her. Hard to say and it’s not particularly important to me anyway.

Speaking of breakfast, I rewarded myself for no particular reason:

I’d say those carbs are just about off the charts. Hey, if you are going to cheat on the diet, cheat big!

Spending more time walking around the neighborhood now that it is my neighborhood….

And I’m still not tired of the view…

But of course, I still spend time on the beach….

Anyway, dart league this afternoon and the SOB dance contest tonight. I’ll be taking along Marissa so it should be interesting to see if we have developed any chemistry. Either way, I’m just going to go with the flow.

Peace out!

His name was “Antonio” or “Tony”. But since the caretaker downstairs is named Tony I don’t want him coming every time I call the dog.

Henceforth, my new friend will be called Buddy. Yeah, not so original but it works for me.

This is the first time I’ve done a dog “rescue”. I guess some shyness is to be expected when an animal is torn away from the only environment he’s ever known and thrust into totally unfamiliar circumstances. But I think it goes beyond that with this one. I suspect he has been both abused and neglected. It’s going to take some time to win his trust I think.

He does have a healthy appetite at least. I’m going to fatten him up in no time…

I also bought him a cozy house for those occasions when I need to yard him…

“Where the fuck am I?”

“Nothing smells familiar”

“How in the hell do I get out of here?”

I had hoped to get a photo of Buddy and me together, but he ain’t having none of that cozying up shit. At least not yet. I’m not going to rush him. He’ll grow more comfortable in time I’m sure.

Anyway, welcome home my friend!

Another day, another blog post. Ain’t life grand?

Thanks to my readers for your indulgence. I’m trying to keep my promise to myself to post something everyday here. Why I’d want to subject you loyal followers to such abuse is inexplicable. Just chalk it up to having too much time on my hands.

Anyway, as I was walking home from dart league this afternoon (we lost a tough match 6-5, but I went 4-0 so selfishly I was pleased) I was thinking that while my life here is far from ideal, it is far better than the misery I endured the last couple of years in Korea. Truth is, it is much easier to leave the past in the past here where there is nothing left to remind me of what I had and lost. Except that fucker Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook “memories” feature.

Back in 2010 I had captioned this photo “Are you sure the baby is mine?”. The belly is gone now and so is the wife. And the beat goes on.

Work is getting done around the house at least. Well, the work I’m paying for out of pocket anyway. Although the construction worker I hired to build me some kitchen shelves says it looks like the landlord has given the go ahead (and funding?) to commence with the promised repairs. Hope springs eternal.

In the meantime I got damned sick and tired of taking cold showers. So instead of waiting for the non-functioning water heater in my bathroom to be repaired as promised, I went out and bought a new one. It was a joy to shower like an American again today!

I also paid some pretty big bucks to replace three sliding glass doors and to install some screens. The landlord’s promise to fix the downstairs aircons hasn’t proven to keep me cool. Maybe mother nature’s breezes will do the trick.

One of three new sliding doors that actually, you know, slides. In the background you can see the dog pen I’ve erected. Hope to have some blog worthy news on that event tomorrow. Stay tuned!

And my fancy dancy screen door in the back is a beauty, doncha think?

Well, I’m not going to sweat the small stuff. I’ve been blessed enough where I can pay out of pocket for things I shouldn’t have to pay for. But, I do intend to be here for the long haul, and through the miracle of amortization the cost is not that big. Or so I keep telling myself.

I went back to the Globe phone service store and upgraded my package. I now have the unlimited data I’ve dreamed about since leaving Korea for the almost bargain price of 3700 pesos per month (just over 70 bucks). Actually used my headphones to listen to youtube music videos as I walked around the neighborhood this morning and it worked out just fine. That pleased me!

And the beat goes on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS3O5zg290k

Flash flood that is.

Yesterday’s Hash turned out to be wet and wild. By far the most challenging Hash I’ve experienced in my brief Hashing career. It rained earlier in the day, so going up the mountain was muddy and slippery. Made it down to the other side with only one fall (no blood!) and then the final hour of the hike was in a deluge. I was wading ankle deep along the road and of course was soaked to the skin. Glad I had the foresight to bring a baggy for my phone!

The foul weather limited my picture taking opportunities. But here are some of mine and some from a fellow Hasher:

The trek we made…

Waiting to load up the Hash truck and head out…

Final instructions at the trail head…

And it’s on-on and away we go…

Up, up and away…

A bit of a log jam at one point. Steep and muddy make for tough going. Actually, a couple of the Hashers hung back to give folks (including me) a hand up…

But the delay afforded time to enjoy some of the natural beauty this land has to offer….

Oh, and the scenery was nice as well…

See what I mean?

Made it off the mountain just before the skies opened up….

When it rains it pours…even the goats thought we were nuts…

The National Highway was more like a river by the time we reached it for the final stretch of the Hash. But we slogged on through and made back on-home at Midnight Rambler.

Bimbo got the Hashit (still not exactly clear what that is) and drank from the ceremonial toilet plunger while sitting bare bottomed on a block of ice. It’s a Hash thing, you wouldn’t understand.

In other news, I now have a locking front and back door installed in the house.

Still lots of work to be done, but it’s a start…

Took the malfunctioning crockpot to a repair shop today but it was a no go. Something about a “regulator”. I’ll have to come up with a plan B, I suppose. I’m not inclined to pay over $200 dollars for one here when I know the retail for $50 back home. In the meantime I’ll just have to figure out how to cook without one.

This was tonight’s effort, meatballs and all the fixin’s.

And that brings you just about up to date on my life and times in the Philippines. Speaking of dates, I have one this Friday. A follow-on with Marisa. Looking forward to escorting her to the SOB dance contest. She seemed pretty enthusiastic about it too.

Forward!

Isn’t it?

Pretty much unpacked and settled in. More odds and ends to buy yet but for the most part this is how it is going to be. I guess I’m alright with that.

It’s quiet out here in Alta Vista, and that’s a good thing. Noise is one of the most consistent complaints I hear from my fellow expats. Traffic, roosters, barking dogs, and loud ass karaoke at all hours of the night are pretty normal here in the PI. None of that has been in evidence here, at least from my two days of experience.

Going to put the crockpot to work in the morning. Finding good meat here may prove challenging, at least in the cuts I’m used to using. Also quite a bit more expensive as well. I miss the commissary already!

As to my other routines, well there is dart league on Wednesday and Friday. Tournaments just about every other day. And the Hash on Monday afternoons of course.

It is always good to cum together with my fellow Hashers each week.

Still no girlfriend, but I have’t given up hope that she will find me soon. And if not, well it’s not like I don’t have other relationships.

We’ve grown so accustomed to being together over the years….

I’m also looking forward to getting my dog next week. My driver Donnie came by with his today and wanted me to buy her from him. Nice enough dog but I’m going to start with just the one for now. I will certainly consider a second pet once I get acclimated to being a dog owner again. It’s been about 15 years since my last one I reckon.

I had to get rude with a persistent beggar yesterday which bummed me out. A good reminder to get off my ass and find some charity work to do. I’ll definitely make a visit to the Fil-Am Home for Orphans next week to see what they need.

Speaking of kids separated from their parents, I’m so sick of the insanity taking place in the USA. I rarely even do politics these days. Just not going to change any minds, especially those of the willfully ignorant. My blog buddy Kevin Kim is still in the fight however and I’d say our political viewpoints are very similar. So, go read his take and I’ll just say ditto. I really did love the un-PC correctness of this cartoon he posted:

More hypocrisy from the left…

I stirred the FB pot some this morning with this post. Hey, I was bored.

One thing that gets my goat is the restaurants blaring CNN (or even worse, Al Jazzera)) when I’m trying to dine. It’s hard to ignore and it is shocking just how far the “mainstream” press has gone over the deep end. Ah well, not my problem now. I just don’t want to hear about it.

And that’s about it from here for now. I’m realizing you can change you location but that won’t necessarily change your perspective. Still, no regrets. This is where I need to be. I’m sure the “why” of that will be revealed in due course.

Woke up at 0300 and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I busied myself around the house getting unpacked and (somewhat) organized.

Enjoyed the first of what I hope will be many, many morning views like this one…

I realized last night that in my haste to vacate my former premises I’d left a couple of items with pretty significant sentimental value behind. The landlord’s brother agreed to meet up with me and I’m happy to report I recovered my lost treasures.

After breakfast, I trekked through Barretto and purchased a shitload of replacement light bulbs and some extension cord/power strips. Then I ordered some bottle water and a tank of propane. Got back home and set up some of the kitchen while awaiting the delivery of the aforementioned items.

And the work on repairing the house continues apace.

The door to my future?

I had the worker pictured above do some side stuff for me today. He’s also agreed to build me some much needed shelving in the kitchen. Progress!

Then it was off to my Friday afternoon dart league where I turned in a 3-0 performance. The game is getting there, but still a long way to go to get back towhere I used to be.

Back home after darts for a brief interlude of cataloging some of my recent purchases.

The water….

The gas…

The microwave and rice cooker….

My fancy knives….

and the crockpot I shipped over inside my balikbayan boxx…

Then it was back into town where I served as a judge in this week’s SOB dance contest.

It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Back home good and drunk now and in desperate need of some sleep. So I’m gonna go grab me some.

As days go, the was a good one. But then, I’m easily pleased.

More to come!

Well, here I am in the new house. For better or worse.

I’m still not entirely comfortable with the way things have gone and certainly have some worries about whether the promises that have been made will continue to be broken. Ah well, I’m in too deep to turn back now. Let’s see what happens next.

Packed up my shit in the old crappy apartment and moved it on up to the highfalutin Alta Vista neighborhood….

Just how crappy was my old place? This crappy:

So, I’m packing up this morning and opened a suitcase that has been closed since I moved in over 5 weeks ago. I kept a backpack containing my backup laptop inside. I was shocked to see said backpack encrusted with a mold-like substance. Wonder what my lungs look like?

So after dropping off my meager belongings at the new place I had my driver (doesn’t that sound pretentious?) take me by Savers Appliances where I purchased a microwave oven, a water dispenser, and a fan. Also bought a small refrigerator for my downstairs helpers. Then it was off to the S&R store in San Fernando to get the basic outfitting for the house squared away.

Dishes, pots and pans, silverware, and some other must have items….

The trip out to San Fernando is a pain in the ass and takes about an hour and a half. But, there are some compensations if you just chill out and enjoy the moments as they come…

It was pretty cool watching the storm brewing in the distance, and then driving through its intensity…

And so ends my first post from my new house. I’m sitting in front of my big ass window watching a lightning storm as I write this. Pretty shocking, huh? (sorry)

Anyway, more news to share with my loyal readers soon. Still need to get my mind around things before I put it into words. Which sounds a lot worse or more meaningful than it probably is, but it’s a change in circumstances. That doesn’t make it bad.

Stay tuned!

Woke up this morning to the all to familiar sound of buckets of water being poured onto my leaky roof by the rain gods. For the 11th straight day. And then in what felt like a miracle, the skies turned blue and the sun came out to shine. Don’t know how long this respite will last, but I’ll enjoy it while I can.

In other news, damn it’s hot!

The view from my new master bedroom balcony. Hello Mr. Sun, don’t be such a stranger!

So yeah, I was out to the house this morning, bright and early. Mrs. Ocampo’s assistant “Zeny” told me last week she’d arrive at 0800 on Monday. I called her at 0900 to see what was up. “oh, I can’t make it today. I’ll be there tomorrow”. What about all the stuff that needs to get done? “I sending two young men to help you”. WTF?

Anyway, they arrived at 11:30. On foot (they had taken the bus from Manila). I wasn’t sure how much help they were going to be, but I’ll be damned, they moved all the excess furniture out on their strong young backs. I was impressed!

Before they arrived all the shit I’d ordered from the appliance store had arrived. I just had them park it in the dining room for now. Hopefully, the repair crew will get busy tomorrow and at a minimum replace the doors so I can secure the house. Makes me a little nervous having my purchases just sitting there with not even the minimum ability to lock it up. Well, Tony and his wife are living in the “servants quarters” portion of the house, so I’m glad for that.

I’d asked Mrs. Ocampo about what was going to happen to Tony and the wife once I took over the house. She said they’s be evicted. Well, fuck that. I don’t mind them staying there downstairs, they just won’t have free rein inside my place anymore. I like having someone around actually and I’ll probably through them a few pesos every month for helping me out when the need arises. Already told Tony I’d get them a small refrigerator for their quarters.

Anyway, I felt like progress was made. I’ve got a list of stuff that needs to be done before I move in and a list of stuff to fix that can be done while I’m living there. Hopefully that all gets squared away in our meeting tomorrow. I really want to be moved in by this coming weekend at the latest.

It’s good to have a dream.

Oh, my daughter posted this old photograph on Facebook to wish me a Happy Father’s Day.

Where does the time go?

Onward!

You’re my blue sky, you’re my sunny day.
Lord, you know it makes me high when you turn your love my way,
Turn your love my way, yeah.

Ten straight mornings of rain that is. To give mother nature her due though, it did stop raining for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. So there’s that.

During the break in the action I got some walking done. Including a visit to my soon to be neighborhood Alta Vista. Took some photos of the place that I will hopefully be moving into sometime next week.

The approach…

The room upstairs with the balcony is my master bedroom. I’ve not actually seen inside it yet because the door is locked and the key is Manila. It’s supposed to be here Monday morning…

The front of the house…

And the ass side… I’m going to put a little fence back there for my soon to be acquired dog. Half Dalmatian, half Filipino dog, I’m told it looks like a Dalmatian but with short legs.

Let’s go inside, shall we?

The front door opens into the living room area. Way too much furniture in this space for my liking. I’ll mount my TV where that picture is hanging and get rid of one of the couches (not shown). Also will install a ceiling fan.

The view from the living room. Same view as the MBR, but it will be even better from upstairs I’m sure.

It’s sort of a tri-level floor plan. These short steps from the living room lead to the kitchen dining area…

I’m going to remove the furniture at the far end of this room and set up a desk/office space. Will also install a newly purchased dart board.

The kitchen. I’ve got my new stove coming to replace this relic from the 1960s. Also have a new refrigerator…

These steps lead up to the as yet unseen master bedroom….

And these carry you up to the other two bedrooms and a bathroom….

Anyway, I’ve decided I like this house about the same as the first one. It’s called Casa Rosenda. It too has extensive termite damage that must be repaired. Hopefully that work starts tomorrow. I can’t move in until the front and rear doors are replaces as they have been eaten nearly all the way through. We shall see if Pablo’s mom is as good as her words.

My friend Eva and her nephew drove up from Manila this morning and delivered my balikbayan box I had shipped from South Korea. It will be nice to get that crock pot set up and cooking again. She also picked up a fitbit for me which is much appreciated.

It’s a different model than my old Charge 2, but I’ve got it strapped on and ready to start earning my next badge…

Once I get moved into the new place and have this dartboard hung I can try to recapture some of my past darts glory. Such as it was.

And another friend, Maria, has sent me a package of goodies including some custom Hash shirts, coffee mugs, and key chains. She also is having a fitbit sent to me. I’d rather have two than none!

Maria is in the printing business and makes all kinds of interesting stuff, including coffee mugs like these….

Key chains with the logo she created for this iteration of my blog…

And some keychains I can share with my fellow Hashers…

My second Fitbit (a Charge 2 model) when it arrives will give me some comfort level that I will never have to take another unaccounted for step…

Speaking of darts, I had a good run in last night’s tourney at Alley Cats, going undefeated through the winner’s bracket.

With some outstanding assistance from my lovely partner Espie. She’s as sweet as she is cute. Alas, she has a boyfriend in Sweden. And she is only 21. It was a fun night regardless…

After darts I stopped into Rosie’s, a girly bar next door to Alley Cats. It was late and I was already pretty drunk, so I just had one beer as a nightcap.

And being the generous sort that I am I bought these two lovelies a lady drink each which they seemed to appreciate.

And that pretty much brings you up to date on my life in paradise. Supposed to be meeting with Mrs. Ocampo’s assistant tomorrow morning at 0800. Hopefully we can get things moving so I can get moving. I really have come to dislike my current quarters.

We shall see.

Has it stopped raining yet? Nein!

Interesting development regarding my house situation. Yesterday I got a call from the landlord Pablo’s mother. She said she was at the house and wanted to meet with me. So, I took a trike over to find out what was on her mind.

We started out with some interesting small talk. She’s obviously very intelligent and apparently extremely well-connected. She mentioned being part of the “Manila 400” for example. She also said her daughter is a member of the Philippines House of Representatives. Mrs. Ocampo told me she was raised in China (and speaks Chinese), formerly had a business in the USA before returning to the PI, and she is in fact the owner and developer of Alta Vista. Her name is own my lease agreement, not Pablo’s, so I know this to be true.

Anyway, if was a fascinating conversation. And then she was ready to get down to business. She asked what was the agreement I had reached with Pablo. I explained that it was what is in the lease agreement, with the exception that I would initially be paying the rent 6 months in advance rather than annually. She nodded and then dropped the bombshell. She wanted to keep the house I was planning to move into and asked if I would consider taking the house next door instead. I was pretty much gobsmacked and couldn’t quite grasp the reason for the switch, something about feng shui and her plans to have her daughter run for national office next year. I responded that I had already made arrangements and purchases for this house. She said I know we have an agreement, but would you at least look at the other house. So I did.

It’s a nice enough house, similar in size but with a different type floor plan, sort of on three levels. The view is equally as good as the first house, and this one is fully furnished. Still, there is the pain in the ass factor to consider. I’d already bought the aircon units for the first house and also have two beds, a stove and refrigerator due to be delivered tomorrow. Mrs. Ocampo assured me she would make all the arrangements for a smooth transition and I could tell she really, really wanted me to make the switch.

Damn. Well, I decided she’d make a better friend than an enemy (and I actually did like her quite a bit, much easier to communicate with than Pablo). So I somewhat reluctantly agreed to take the second house. She was very happy with that decision and told me the best part of this deal is she now considers me “family” and I could let her know if there is anything I ever need. So I guess that’s a good thing. Jesus, I hope so!

I’ll try and get up there for some photos of the new place today. If this fucking rain ever stops.

Another rainy day. It’s all that bitch Ester’s fault. Apparently.

From my breakfast perch at the Treasure Island outdoor bar. The rain is bad enough, but when accompanied by blustery winds there’s just no escaping it. Umbrellas are useless at that point.

Even the sea is angry about the incessant rains…

But in the grand scheme of things I’m in no position to complain. It could always be worse, and for some it is.

I walked in the rain (like I had a choice) to the Our Lady of Lourdes hospital and got the last of my stitches removed. I guess we can consider the subject of that wound closed. Ahem.

As much to get out of the rain on the walk back as anything else, I popped into a beauty shop for a little pampering…

Pedicure baby! For six bucks, including tip. Compare to Korea where it was $25 on base, and $40 off. Some things are definitely cheaper here. Including the beer, which in my case is a an especially good thing.

So anyway, the shop fronts the national highway and this stupid cat decided to try and cross the road. Halfway across he recognized his peril and tried to retreat. Sadly, he didn’t make it. It appeared he died pretty quickly, just a few twitches and jerks then just laying there in the middle of the road for the traffic to dodge the corpse. It was a real cat-tastrophe. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. And I did refrain from taking a picture. After awhile a trike driver stopped and retrieved the body out of the road. I really respected him for doing that.

After my foot spa was done, I hoofed over to the new house. There was a guy in there painting the baseboards and I was surprised at the progress made in the kitchen. So provided I can get the power turned on on Monday (today’s a holiday here) I might actually be able to move in. The gate guard told me that the CATV folks can’t install without electricity, so I guess everything is riding on that. We shall see.

The landlord hasn’t called me, but he did call my contact in Manila (Gem) and told her he’d been sick and would not be coming today. The prick still hasn’t bothered to respond to any of my messages or call me direct. Anyway, I can report some progress so there’s that.

What was I doing 30 years ago?

Enjoying some fucking sunshine and looking pretty in pink, thank you very much. I definitely had the Tom Selleck/Magnum P.I. thing going back then!

And in my home bar of Alley Cats I found these words to ponder:

All I can say is I’m funny when you are drunk!

Today I’ll make my debut appearance in the Friday dart league. I prefer to play darts in shoes, but since I have to wade through water everywhere I go, that won’t be possible. And my sandals and flip-flops are wreaking havoc on my feet. The combination of wet leather and wet skin seems to be a recipe for chaffing and blistering.

Oh well. First world problems and all that. Although I guess technically that qualifies as a third world problem, right?

It has been said that into each life some rain must fall. But this is getting ridiculous. Six days of continuous rain now. I’ve experienced the “monsoon” season in Korea and the summer rainy season in South Carolina. But those are nothing like this. Well, complaining about the weather won’t change the weather, so enough said.

My physical health seems good. I monitor my blood pressure twice a day. The average for the month is 128/84. I can live with that. I hope. It’s down considerably from where I started, so I reckon the diet, exercise, and meds are working. My weight is 202 pounds, down four since the beginning of the month. Since I’m eating out all the time it is harder to avoid the carbohydrates as much as I’d like. So I’ve taken up the intermittent fasting routine, or as I call it, “skipping lunch”. Early breakfast then nothing of significance ingested until dinner. Not counting San Mig Zero beer.

Exhibit A. Last night’s dinner. Chicken kabobs.

And the dinner view. No calories in that!

As to my mental health, well you know me. Still have my ups and downs. Feeling a little vulnerable right now which could lead me to making some poor choices if I’m not careful. Patience is a virtue, but I’ve never been accused of being virtuous. And I’m really tired of being alone. Anyway, I’ll stay the course. And I’m going to try to not read too much into things. Like my dart partner’s t-shirt last night.

What can I say?

Speaking of darts, I’ve joined two leagues. One on Wednesday and the other on Friday. That ought to keep me out of trouble.

And so it goes.

Back to Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center this morning for the scheduled removal of my stitches. They wound up leaving three in as the wound has not yet completely healed. Told me to keep it clean and dry and return on Friday. Okie Dokie.

In the meantime I guess I’ll just wade around for the weather to change.

5 straight days of heavy precipitation. I guess they weren’t kidding about this being the rainy season

Walked up to my house this morning. No sign of construction workers which is a bit concerning. They’ve turned on the water though. This I know because the pipe from the meter is busted and water was shooting up like a geyser. The security guard came by and taped it up the best he could, but the meter was still spinning like crazy which indicates a leak somewhere else as well. The guard shut it off and said he’d notify the water company. Oh boy, I got a feeling this is going to be another pain in the ass to deal with.

Otherwise, no complaints. Well, none that I’m going to bother mentioning right now at least.

Today marks the one month milestone on my pathway of retired living in the Republic of the Philippines.

As my days go, this was a pretty busy one. It’s been raining like mad for the past four days which doesn’t facilitate spending much time walking. And what little I can get is more akin to wading, the roads here do tend to flood. But I made some progress in getting things together for the big move to Casa Cristina (yes, the house has a name which apparently also serves as the address) which seems to be on track for this weekend.

Met up with the landlord Pablo this afternoon and his driver took us on the long trek out to Castillejos where the Zamabales Electric Cooperative main office is located. Pablo sat behind closed doors for a half hour or so with the man-in-charge arguing about the arrears on electricity from the former tenant. It must have been a successful negotiation because when we left the power was in my name. Supposedly the lights will be turned on later today.

A quick trip back to the water company to pay a 250 peso connection fee. I’m told I’ll have water tomorrow.

Then it was over to the cable TV/internet provider that services Alta Vista, aptly named CATV. I told them I wanted fast and reliable internet with unlimited data. The look on her face seemed to say “Sir, you do realize this is the Philippines don’t you?”. Ah well, I opted for the most expensive package and we’ll see how that works out. There’s another provider coming to Alta Vista “soon” that is supposed to be quite a bit faster than CATV, but for now I’ll take what I can get.

Then we headed out to the house that will soon be mine, which is where Pablo parted with some of the money I gave him (135,000 pesos; two months deposit, one month rent with an additional 5 months due when I move in) so the construction guys could start work on the repairs.

Then we went to the local appliances store where I purchased a bed, a stove, and a refrigerator (67,000 pesos). They will come out and measure for three window a/c units for the upstairs bedrooms on Wednesday. That will get me started, but there is much, much more to buy before that house will be a suitable home. Well, that’s why I worked hard and saved for retirement, right?

Speaking of money, I apparently paid triple at the S&R store yesterday. Checked my credit card statement online today and it showed me being charged twice for the same stuff I paid cash for at the store. I guess the “connection” wasn’t down after all. Anyway, I will dispute the charges and I’m confident they will be reversed. Still a little disconcerting to have that happen at a reputable retailer.

What else?

Life is good. And so was tonight’s BBQ chicken dinner.

Last night found me at Alley Cats, my darts hangout. Got home from Pampagna too late to play in the tourney. But the beer was as cold as ever.

And it is always nice to share a drink with Epsy, bless her sweet 21 year old heart…

And why not finish this post with a meme I saw on Facebook today…

Everyone I meet must be blind. Apparently.

No worries, I’m feeling good about the progress I’m making. I’ll just stay busy and let the future be whatever it will be.