…Tuesday is for the show.

In addition to the shopping excursion to Royal for groceries, I visited a couple of furniture stores to fill some voids at my new dwelling. I found what I was looking for at a surplus store in Subic.

Those purchases emptied my wallet of 37,000 pesos ($650), but it should make the living a little easier for us all.

The big news of the day was a message from Subic Water saying that a major pipeline was being repaired and service to Alta Vista would be unavailable for approximately one week. Who needs water, right? Well, not to worry, Subic Water is sending a truck around every other day to fill the water tanks in the neighborhood. The only problem is my house doesn’t use a tank; we are connected directly to the water line.

I guess I’m not old-fashioned. I booked a room in town for the next two nights. I’ll just use it to shower in the comfort of hot, running water. That’s the premium you pay for a first-world lifestyle, I suppose. I’m tentatively planning to get out of town for the weekend, probably to San Antonio. If I’m going to pay for a room, I might as well have a bit of a vacation while I’m at it.

I began my imbibing at Sloppy Joe’s and ran into Jim there, so we shared the camaraderie of drinking buddies. Several beers later, it was time to move on, so we made our way to Whiskey Girl and drank some more. It was nice to see my waitress friend Jenn again, and I was glad to quench her thirst for lady drinks. When I’d had my fill, I said good night and headed out. Since I had to walk to the trike stand at Baloy, I popped into Snackbar for my nightcap. My oh my, how that place has changed. And not for the better, in my opinion. The new owner has reduced the waitress staff to two gals. So now it is basically just a drinking bar without much opportunity for female companionship. That’s fine, of course. Especially if you enjoy drinking with a nice view of the 7/11 parking lot. Me, not so much.

And so ended another day in paradise. Tomorrow, I’ll tell you all about the walk I took today. Now, it is time to check into my hotel and take a shower. Then, I’ll feed the Hideaway girls and fill the remaining evening hours in the usual way with my Filipino pal, San Mig Zero.

Tuesday, afternoon
I'm just beginning to see
Now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me
Chasing the clouds away

Something, calls to me
The trees are drawing me near
I've got to find out why
Those gentle voices I hear
Explain it all with a sigh

I'm looking at myself, reflections of my mind
It's just the kind of day to leave myself behind
So gently swaying thru the fairy-land of love
If you'll just come with me and see the beauty of

Tuesday afternoon
Tuesday afternoon

Friday felt like I ran out of gas. Today, I just feel old and tired.

I’m also dealing with a sore throat, some acid reflux, and a feeling of lethargy (did I spell laziness wrong?). Took a longer than normal nap and now I’m just going tough it out until I feel young again.

I kind of had a nothing-burger of a Saturday night. I invited Swan to join me for dinner, but she was busy with a tutoring session. She promised we’d have a date next weekend. So, I made my way to Sloppy Joe’s and drowned my loneliness in some San Miguel Zeros. The cute little waitress from Sit-n-Bull brought me a menu, so I ordered a chicken burger for dinner. I had a couple of beers at Alaska, then a couple more at Wet Spot, and I called it a night and was home by 8 p.m. Told you I was old!

I’m going to test the leg again later this afternoon with a hike to Hideaway for the Sunday feeding. We’ll see how I feel after that.

In other news, it was good to see one of my former dart mates has made it to the pro level. Back in my glory days, I was his mentor, well, tor-mentor, usually kicking his ass in our matches. But he kept getting better, and I didn’t, and the last year I played in Seoul, he got his revenge by dominating me.

This is the best pun I could find today:

Here’s hoping for a better tomorrow.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I experienced some issues with my left leg during the hike. Here are a few photos from that abbreviated adventure.

I grabbed a lunch to go from Sit-n-Bull (chicken enchilada), ate, napped, showered, and ventured into town for my Friday evening entertainment. I decided to forego the SOB this week. Joy messaged that her kids needed medicine and that she was hoping to earn enough commission to buy them some. So, I surprised her with a visit to Hideaway and the requisite lady drinks that come with such a visit. I also had a pizza delivered for the girls.

Hideaway is about the furthest bar from my house in Barretto; getting there proved to be a bit painful. I was fine when I started, but then the tingling returned when I had to do a brief uphill exiting Alta Vista. I started feeling numb as I walked the highway. I had to traverse two small steps at the back entrance to Hideaway, and each time I stepped up, my knee buckled. I didn’t fall either time, but I could have. Bear in mind, this was before I’d even had my first beer. I was already thinking about what I might experience on the way home. Joy offered to massage my leg, and I assented, but it was painful. Then I had her briefly do the other leg so I could compare, and it hurt, too. So, I decided the pain was from her rubbing, not the muscle.

I had planned to pay a visit to Cheap Charlies, but as I contemplated climbing the stairs to get there, I had second thoughts about the wisdom of doing so with a bum leg. I enjoyed my time at Hideaway but wanted to get out before dark, so I paid my tab and gave Joy a 500 peso tip to buy the medicine she needed. The leg felt a little weak but otherwise fine, so I stuck to my original plan and climbed the two flights of stairs to the rooftop at Cheap Charlies.

I enjoyed some drinks and chat with Alma and Nerissa and bought them some pancit from Foodies downstairs for supper. Then I did my nightcap at The Green Room and headed home.

Swan asked if I wanted to join her for some Netflix, so I prepared a dessert (pecan pie a la mode) and sat beside her on the couch. She had queued up a movie called “Morbius.” I’d never heard of it (I wasn’t into Marvel comics growing up) and had no idea what to expect. Maybe my ignorance made it more entertaining, at least it held my interest enough to make it to the end. Lots of things don’t these days. Reading about it today I see that it got generally bad reviews.

It was raining this morning, so it gave me a good excuse to give my leg a rest.

Today marks one week in my new digs. I still have some furniture to buy (nightstands, a dresser, and a table for under the TV), but I’m settling in. I probably shouldn’t be surprised, but things sound different in my new location.

Anyone up for a tour of the new place?

There’s also a guest room that, for now at least, is Swan’s space.

And there you have the latest update from my so-called life. Thanks for coming by.

I got nothing but time
No time for living
I used to be somebody
But that was so long ago
Look around but you won’t see me
Just a picture of what I used to be.
There ain’t nothing to set me free
Without a leg to stand on

Something weird is going on with my left leg. I first noticed it Wednesday evening while crossing the National Highway en route to Hideaway. I had to go from a walk to a jog as I had misjudged the speed of an oncoming Jeepney. When I took the first step in running mode, my knee gave way. I somehow managed to regain my balance and avoided falling down on the road, which may have been fatal if the Jeep were unable to stop. The leg felt weak afterward, but there was no pain. After a few beers at Hideaway, I felt fine, so I walked to Harley’s for the meet-up with my friend. By the time I reached Baloy Road, the leg was acting up again–it felt numb, and I had a slight limp. I took a trike home from Harley’s, so the leg got plenty of rest.

On my morning walk yesterday, I felt a twinge in the leg early on, but I kept going, and eventually, the leg felt normal again. You might say I walked it off. Today for the Friday group hike, we took a Jeepney all the way to Castillejos for a long loop walk. About a kilometer into that trek, the leg flared up again. This time, the more I walked, the worse it got. I pressed on until the 3.5K mark, and then it felt like my knee was going to collapse. I miraculously found a trike to take me back to the highway. Until it ran out of gas about a half kilometer from our destination. I hoofed it the rest of the way without much problem, then caught a Jeep back to Barretto. After the rest during the ride, the leg feels normal again. I’ll test it out again tomorrow and see how it holds up. It would really suck to lose my ability to hike. Still, I was thankful we were on the pavement today. I’m not sure what I would have done if we were somewhere up in the hills.

Last night, I began my beer-drinking ritual in Calapadayan for the grand opening of a new “resort” called 13 One Three. It was formerly known as Hunter Jo’s Inn and was a regular stop in the Hash On-Home rotation. Monday night, the Hash will be returning to One Three to give it a try.

It’s a fifteen-minute Jeepney ride from Barretto, so I don’t expect I’ll be a regular visitor here, but it’s a nice change of pace from the same-old, same-old once-in-a-while. Last night, the guests received a free beer upon arrival, and you could purchase a beer card for 500 pesos, good for six more. So, I had my seven and headed back to my little town.

It was too early to call it a night, so I camped out at Wet Spot for a bit and had a nice chat with some visitors from Angeles. These guys have been in the PI for over twenty years, and it was interesting hearing their perspectives on how things have changed. All in all, it was a good evening out.

Facebook memories reminded me of the night six years ago that I helped Loraine celebrate her 50th birthday on the beautiful island of Boracay. I was still living in Korea then and Loraine was slated to become my caregiver in retirement.

Three weeks later, we were professing our love for one another. A love that lasted two days before she shattered my heart. I wrote about that in a post entitled “FUCK ME!”

We are still connected on Skype and this morning I sent the picture above and wished her a happy Birthday. This was her response:

Hi John
Thank you very much!
Nice and very memorable photo.❤️
Hope all is well for you.
I’m doing fine and thankful to God for all the people who became His channel of blessings for me and my family.You’re one of them.😊
Thank you very much and take care always.❤️

Hmm, a channel for God’s blessings. I’ve been called worse, I suppose. Still, it is good to remember your past, no matter how painful, so you don’t repeat the same mistakes. Not that that has ever stopped me before. Knowing and doing are two different realms. I’ve still not mastered the latter. And for the record, I am happy that Loraine says she is doing well.

I had another blast from the past when I checked to ensure I hadn’t used the “out of gas” post title before. That led me to read this post about a typical day spent with my most recent lost love. I don’t know if there was an intended message for me from the Love Gods, but I couldn’t help but note that mundane twenty-four hours included eating and drinking together, walking the dogs together, and doing the group hike together. Perhaps it is high time I got my shit together. Lots to think about.

Friday night is on the horizon. I’m thinking I’ll forgo the SOB tonight. We’ll see where I wind up.

Is everything all right?
I just called to say how lost I feel without you
Miles away
I really can't believe I'm here and how I still care about you

Hearts can break
And never mend together
Love can fade away
Hearts can cry
When love won't stay forever
Hearts can be that way

Is everything the same?
Do you ever think of me and how we loved one another?
Will you change your mind?
Will you want me back again or have you found yourself a new lover?

Hearts can break
And never mend together
Love can fade away
Hearts can cry
When love won't stay forever
Hearts can be that way

Is everything okay?
I just thought I'd write a song to tell the world how I miss you
'Cause each and every day
I think of all the words I never said and all the chances that I had to

Hearts can break
And never mend together
Love can fade away
Hearts can cry
When love won't stay forever
Hearts can be that way
Hearts can be that way
Hearts can be that way

But wait, there’s more! Like the photos from the Wednesday Walkers street and beach walk in Matain, Calapacuan, and San Isidro.

Later in the afternoon, I did the Wednesday feeding of the Hideaway girls. On the way there, I got a call from an old friend I had not heard from in several months. I met her shortly after she arrived in Barretto a couple of years ago when she participated in one of our group hikes. I tried courting her, but she rejected me as a potential boyfriend after a couple of dates. She hooked up with an alcoholic instead (and if I use that term to describe someone, you know they must be bad). She joined him in his European homeland, and based on her Facebook posts, she seemed to be having a good time. I noticed the drunk guy was back and with a new girl and was wondering what happened to her. She asked if I would meet her at Harley’s for a chat, and I agreed to do so.

So, she told me her sad tale, which didn’t come as a surprise to me. I reminded her of the loser she came to Barretto for and the one she left with and asked if she detected a pattern. And yeah, I get the irony of me pointing out the relationship failures of others. Alas, she expressed no regret about the one who got away. She’s moving back home to her province today, so we said our goodbyes, and I departed with John Greenleaf Whittier echoing in my head: “For of all the sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these–it might have been.”

The move has not allowed me to escape from the construction noise I suffered at the old place, but at least now the work is to my benefit.

So, my days as a would-be Sugar Daddy are over and done with.

You know I’m a punny guy, and this meme was right up my alley:

Thanks. I’ll be here all week.

It’s too soon to say but things don’t seem so different. I’m going to give it some more time before making up my mind once and for all. In the meantime, life goes on.

The big excitement at Royal was finding a frozen Sara Lee cherry pie on sale for 50% off. How could I refuse?

Of course, man does not live by dessert alone. So, while the pie baked, I got busy setting up my grill.

Around beer o’clock, Swan and my helper departed for a shopping expedition in Olongapo. Left to my own devices, I ventured into town and found myself nursing a beer at Sloppy Joe’s. Jim was there with Rob, another hiking group member, so I joined them at their table. A couple of beers later, Rob left for darts, and Jim and I moved on to The Green Room. I enjoyed watching Jim get his ass kicked by a waitress in a couple of pool games. They both played well, so it was entertaining to watch. After more beers at Voodoo, we paid a visit to Alley Cats, where the dart tournament was still in progress. Once Troy was eliminated from the tourney, we continued our bar crawl with a stop at Queen Victoria. Jim and Troy moved on to Lux, but I’d had enough and headed home.

I slept alone again. Heavy rains during the night woke me up twice. But with the sunrise the storm subsided.

I’m refraining for now from commenting on other aspects of my life until I get things sorted out. No need to rush to judgment.

My first morning wake up in the new place. I rose a bit before five, enjoying my morning coffee as I scrolled my favorite blogs on the internet. Then I glanced out my window and saw this:

I spend a lot of my home time at my desk, or should I say, on my laptop, so I decided to take advantage of those windows to the outside world:

I had coffee on the patio with Swan before she left for her Sunday “me” time.

Lots of questions about what happens next are filling my head, but the rent is paid in full for the next twelve months, so I don’t need to hurry to resolve them.

I went back to the old place and fetched Lucky today. He was sheepish around me but allowed me to leash him up and walk him to his new home. I’m leaving him out in the yard for now until I can decide whether he can be trusted again or forgiven for his transgressions against his master.

I’ll be doing the Hideaway feeding later since I’m home alone anyway. After that, who knows? I reckon it will involve my partaking in some additional San Mig Zeros. Hey, it’s what I do best.

Here’s a chart I came up with to illustrate the likelihood of my giving up the bar life:

And I’m not a whiz in the kitchen, but I’m thinking I could make this low-calorie meal:

And this one struck just a little too close to home:

One day at a time and see what happens next. That’s the mode I’m in. But, I’ve got both feet firmly on the ground so I won’t have far to fall if things go wrong.

I get this feeling I may know you
As a lover and a friend.
But this voice keeps whispering in my other ear,
Tells me I may never see you again.

'Cause I get a peaceful easy feeling.
And I know you won't let me down
'Cause I'm already standing
I'm already standing
Yes, I'm already standing on the ground