Yesterday was a stay-at-home day. Well, Swan joined me for a 6K walk on the streets of Matain and Calapacuan, where she sweetened the day of the kids we encountered.
Her work here is done.Ran into a Hasher, Wonder Woman, I hadn’t seen for a while.Better than the highwayLiving on the bay. Literally.Swan is hard at work. No idea why these kids aren’t in school.Yep, you got to watch for those pernicious demons.
Back home to do my usual chores passions like blogging, and then settled into the comfort of not having (or wanting) to go out. Netflix loaded on my TV for a change, and I am now progressing into the final season of “Shameless.” Beer o’clock rolled around, and upstairs I did go.
Yes, I see it too. A couple of Facebook commenters mentioned the obvious weight gain.Besides, there is more of me to love.
I am working on it. Swan and my helper Teri are removing temptations (they took my ice cream supply downstairs), and I’m doing my best to avoid those foods that brought me to this sad condition. The bad news is I’m not feeling well, which may or may not be related to my obesity. I had to abort my participation in the group hike this morning because I had a breathing attack during the first easy climb. I don’t know what to make of that. If I can’t walk, I’m screwed, and for now, efforts like HIIT (high-intensity interval training) are beyond my capability. I’m going to do my best and see what happens.
In the meantime, I’ll focus on the positives in my life.Swan served me a nice bowl of beef bulgogi for dinner.And there was this……and this.I hope to stick around a while longer.
So, a quiet but nice night at home. And up with the morning sun to make the best of a new day.
Enjoy it while you can.Glad to be here!
Today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: What did you do in your first month of retirement after working for over 30 years?
A: After leaving my office for the last time, I went straight to the airport and caught a plane to the Philippines. I spent my first month of retirement settling in to my new lifestyle. Found an apartment to rent short time while I looked for a house, joined the dart league, took up hiking and hashing, and making new friends. Over four years later, I’m still going strong and enjoying my new life of freedom from work.
Yep, another hike on Kalaklan Ridge. Note I said “on,” not “up.” One of the members, Brian, discovered a rough dirt road leading to the ridge from the Olongapo side and offered to drive the group up in his 4×4 pickup truck. I love walking the ridgeline but despise climbing up there, so this idea was a real treat. We took the truck to the top and parked where the road ended, then commenced our walk in the direction of Tralala, a mountaintop village. We arrived 4K later and kept on going for a bit into territory none of us had previously traversed. Then we reversed course and walked back the way we came (no other option on the ridge) concluding what for me was a 9K hike. I enjoyed it very much much. Here are some pictures our group took along the way:
The purple line is the route we drove up. The orange is the route I walked with Scott and Steve. The green is the addition that Brian and Jim explored.Out of the vehicle and ready to ramble!The ridgeline had its ups and downs along the way.A pleasant stroll through the grass.A multitude of views along the way were our reward.The ass-side of Easter Mountain as seen from above. More mountain viewsAnd the Subic Bay.From another vista.Keep on truckin’The view from where I stopped before turning around. Jim and Brian went on to the end of the ridge in the distance.Taking a break on the way back.Cookies and smiles go together.The church in Tralala. The only way up here now is on foot.As trails go, this one was a breeze.I love this panoramic shot.A trail leads to that hilltop, but we opted to save that for another day.Making our wayThe pause that refreshes.The group shot (minus Brian)What’s that up ahead? Men with guns!Turns out they were police. We didn’t ask what they were doing up there and they didn’t say.Armed and friendly.Horsin’ aroundTaking the long viewJim getting his rocks off.Walk on!Back in the truck for the ride home.
The dog walk, the ridgeline, and my trip into town made for one of my biggest days in a long time.
I occasionally break the 20,000-step barrier, but 25,000+ is rare.
About that trip into town. I dropped into Hideaway for Joy’s birthday. Had a pizza delivered and gave her an envelope with the gift I knew she could use. I stayed an hour or so and said goodbye before the cake was cut. Next up was Cheap Charlies, a venue I don’t frequent as often as I used to. Come to think of it, I haven’t been hitting any of the bars as often now that I have more motivation to stay home. None of my old crew was working, but I stayed for two beers anyway.
The view from my stool. And the view from the CR.
Swan was visiting a friend and wasn’t going to join me. I decided to go to Whiskey Girl to say hello to my waitress friend, Jenn. Except she wasn’t working either. The girl I know from Voodoo now works at Whiskey Girl, so I bought her a drink before I headed back down the highway.
I made Snackbar my final stop of the night. Months and months have passed since my last visit, and the vibe was pretty depressing. Things change, and life goes on. There are lots of nice memories there, but the past is gone.
Home before eight (and Swan). For some reason, Netflix still won’t load on my television, so I finished season 10 of “Shameless” on my laptop. One more season to go.
Today, I’m going to spend my evening at the Rite Spot On The Roof. I’m sure it will be more fun than I had last night.
Facebook memories reminded me that it was seven years ago that I was diagnosed with COPD.
The Army hospital on Yongsan Garrison made the diagnosis that my Korean doctor had missed for several months, giving me worthless antibiotics for an “infection.”
Today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: Do you ever think about your old job after retirement?
A: Funny you should ask. I dreamed about working in my old job last night. It’s been over four years since I retired. I guess my subconscious wanted something to do.
And you regulars know what is coming next:
I normally drink out of a bottle, so I should be good. (Zero has 60 calories)I always wanted to get a dog in Korea and name it Bosintang.Now tell me a Covid joke. Oh, wait, the whole thing was a joke. Never mind.
Tuesday is in the books, my shelves are restocked with groceries, and I’m still among the living. Hard to top that!
My big event was a visit to Dr. Jo to review the results of my recent bloodwork. It wasn’t quite as good as I hoped it would be, but not so bad that I’m hopeless. Comparing the results of my previous test in May and this one, here’s the lowdown:
My uric acid is high. Up from 438.74 to 529.52 (high normal is 416)
My fasting blood sugar is high. Up from 6.35 to 6.49 (high normal is 5.49)
I also have increased levels of kidney enzymes:
Blood Urrea Nitrogen. Up from 4.20 to 6.80 (high normal is 8.33)
Creatine. Up from 82.0 to 102.0 (high normal is 104)
In the good news department, my cholesterol is down.
So, I have a couple of new meds to try for the next thirty days. And I have to develop more discipline in my daily dietary habits. Back on low carb and limited sugar intakes. My motivation is not to become diabetic like my mother was and to avoid kidney failure. Wish me luck.
After the doctor’s appointment, I hiked out to Baloy Beach to do my Tuesday gig on the floating bar.
It was only 3:30 when I arrived and the sun was still high in the sky.In an unusual turn of events, I got to sit with some blokes I actually know–Alex on the left, an old dart buddy, and fellow Hasher Steve in the middle. Gary is the guy on the end, and I enjoyed making his acquaintance. An old Navy guy who lived on Baloy in 1985. He has a Filipina wife he’s been with for forty years now. Time was passing as I awaited Swan’s arrival.The girls broke into a dance.The raft carrying Swan approached.Welcome aboard, sweetheart! Glad you are so happy to see me!The moment I’d been waiting for was approaching.A pretty good crowd for a Tuesday.Get down!Swan and the Kokomo owner’s wife hit it off.Going……going……gone!
And when the sun goes, so do we. This time, we visited DaKudos for our supper.
We shared this plate of grilled porkchops.Another nice night out together.
Via Facebook memories came this from five years ago:
Before Lucky was lucky. He was tied up on a short rope with no food or water. I adopted him a couple of days later.
And in the sad news department, Toby Keith has died at 62. I first became familiar with Keith as a performer when I heard “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” which resonated with me after seeing the 9/11 attacks up close and personal in DC. That event also transformed me from a Democrat voter to a person who puts America first. And I hear this song frequently played in The Hideaway Bar and others:
You left us too soon. Rest in peace!
Today’s Quora Q&A question:
Q: If you could go back to 1986 and restart your life from that moment, would you do it?
A: Yes, I would. There would be lots of IPO stocks to buy.
Today’s funnies:
Like looking in a mirror.Ferme la bouche
Alright, got to run. I have a birthday party to attend to at Hideaway this evening.
It’s funny the things you remember sometimes. When I was thinking about how to characterize how I spent my time yesterday, the word “satisfice” came to mind. Then, I recalled the days when I was climbing the ladder through levels of government bureaucracy as a supervisor and manager for Uncle Sam. Periodically, we’d be sent to training seminars at the taxpayers’ expense to learn skills to become more effective leaders. At one such session, I was introduced to the concept of satisficing. Contrary to most of my training, this tidbit proved useful over the years. The way the instructor explained it, as managers, we had to both make efficient use of our time and encourage the growth and development of our subordinates. An example I remember from the training went something like this: You assign a staff member to write a policy memo. When you are provided a draft for review, you find that while it conveys the purpose adequately, it is not written in the manner you prefer. So, you can reject the work and have it redone, or you can waste your own precious time rewriting it yourself. The third option was to accept that while it was not done the way you would have, it did serve to communicate the policy’s intent–it satisfices. Over the years, many things passed my desk for approval, and I would invoke that mantra in acceptance. I did a quick Google search of the word today and was surprised to see a Wikipedia entry for satisficing. They describe a more scientific approach than I took, but the idea is pretty much the same.
About yesterday, then. I mentioned that I had decided to forego the Hash, but I needed to determine how I might best fill those hours in a meaningful way. But as I considered options, nothing particularly appealed to me. I hadn’t spent any time over the weekend in the bars of Barretto, and oddly enough, I wasn’t missing that scene. I thought about doing my own hike, but I wasn’t feeling up for a solo walk either. In the end, I walked across town to John’s place, ordered the Korean wings to go, and took them across the street to Hideaway to share with the crew since I hadn’t been there for the Sunday feeding.
After an hour, I moved on. Blue Butterfly Bar was sold and is now called Roadhouse. I like that name much better. I dropped in to see what was up, but other than some new signage and fewer girls, it didn’t seem much different. I had one beer there and departed. Now what? As I stood on the highway, considering the multiple bar options surrounding me, nothing appealed more than the thought of going back home. So, that’s what I did after stopping in at Sit-n-Bull for some pecan pie (Swan’s favorite) to take with me.
When I walked through the door, I put the pie on the counter, grabbed a beer, and headed up to the roof. Swan was already there enjoying a glass of wine and was happy to have me join her.
The sun was mostly gone by now, but the sky still was full of color.We had some music playing, and Swan was rocking the rocker (which is why the photo is blurry).The night was young.
Later, we went downstairs with the intention to watch some “Shameless,” but for some reason, Netflix wouldn’t load on the TV. We settled for a couple of YouTube videos, then headed off to bed for some bliss before sleep.
It was a far from perfect day, but it satisficed.
Today’s Quora Q&A (from November 2022):
Q: What would you say to someone if they became a millionaire overnight?
A: Sharing is caring.
Today’s attempts at humor:
Stop, you’re killing me!Reminds me of the Meatloaf song: So now I’m praying for the end of time To hurry up and arrive ‘Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you I don’t think that I can really survive I’ll never break my promise or forget my vow But God only knows what I can do right now I’m praying for the end of time It’s all that I can do (ooh, ooh) Praying for the end of time So I can end my time with you
We’ll so something a little more upbeat for today’s song:
The brownout party at the Rite Spot On The Roof turned out to be a lot of fun. It was also a bit of a marathon for a lightweight like me, with the first guests arriving just before noon and the last departure around 9 p.m. During the course of the event, we downed over fifty(!) beers, and the lady folk enjoyed several bottles of wine. There were lots of compliments on the chili and corn muffins, and we didn’t have many leftovers from the other food offerings. I think at the peak, we had fifteen or so in attendance, which was a better turnout than I expected. Ironically, we had ANOTHER brownout late in the afternoon, although this one only lasted thirty minutes. The neighbor said it was scheduled, but I hadn’t heard about it. Anyway, the attendees all said they had a good time, and that’s what a party is for, so I’m calling it a success!
The party was slated to begin at one, but Gem messaged they had to check out of the hotel at noon but would stop by before departing for Manila. So, we started the party early.The rest of Gem’s crew.
I have to conclude that the visit wasn’t about me, and I never got a clear understanding of what was going on with Gem’s situation. She said she has an Israeli significant other, but he is currently visiting Thailand. So, maybe she’s just trying to fill in space until he returns. Anyway, it is nice to be remembered after five years, and I hope things work out well for her.
Pancit was ready for the early arrivalsAnd Christian, Inday’s guy, manned the grill.Kebabs coming up!And the lumpia was served.Then the white folk began arriving.It was too early in the day to enjoy a sunset, so I arranged a fire for my guest’s entertainment.(joke lang)The zoom view. I’ve climbed that hill before, and there is a squatter shanty about halfway up. Hope everyone is okay.Dr. Jo and hubby Chris joined in the fun.The Filipina tableWine, meat on a stick, and cheesecake is how they roll.The testosterone table.Let the good times roll!The party in full swing.As I feared, the afternoon timing of the gathering put us at the mercy of this beast.
The shade provided by the roof was inadequate, and throughout the afternoon, we were rearranging tables and chairs to try and capture what shade we could find.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Christian hung some sheets to block the sun, but damn, him standing on that railing was freaking me out. A misstep would likely be fatal from up there (a three-story fall)and he’d had some beers.A shady spot. Good job, Christian. I’m going to buy some roll-up bamboo blinds to install before the next gathering.But eventually, the problem disappeared.Happy girls. Wine will do that.The lights of the city.Dave and Jo were the last guests to depart. Thanks to my co-hostess, Swan, for all her hard work.
The best damn party I’ve attended all year, if I do say so myself. Good times!
One of my guests, Jim, gifted me one of my favorite treats. He had his sister include it for me in a care package she mailed from the USA. Thanks again!Another guest, Ron, thought the party was for my birthday, and gifted me this shirt and shorts. It fits!
And now, it is Hash Monday, but after a careful assessment, I’ve decided not to participate today. Vienna Sausage (Guenter) is the Hare, and his trails don’t suit my survival instincts. Strike one. The trail begins at Court 4, near the end of Rizal Extension, which makes it very inconvenient for me to reach (it’s all uphill, and some trikes have difficulty getting there). Strike 2. The On-Home is at a Hasher’s house (Always Wet) and is also at the end of Rizal Extension. That makes getting back home, especially after drinking and in the dark, problematic. Strike 3. Yeah, maybe I’m a wuss, but I don’t expect I’d have a good time, so what’s the point?
I’m not sure what I’m going to do in lieu of the Hash. Fact is, I’m concerned about some lung issues I’m experiencing. Even on the morning dog walk today, I was huffing and puffing. I’ll see Dr. Jo tomorrow, but I may go back to the pulmonary specialist for some advice on minimizing my breathing difficulties.
Today’s Quora Q&A (someone’s question, my answer):
Q: Do people regret moving from their original home country and living abroad permanently or do they feel it was a good decision? If so, what makes them feel that way?
A: I’ve been living in the Philippines for over five years now. No regrets whatsoever. Every time I read the news from back home in the USA I am so thankful to be far away from the nightmare my country of birth has become. Of course, the Philippines is far from perfect, but I’ll take the ups and downs that come with living here over the vanilla American lifestyle any day.
Now for the funny business:
LSD=Let Shoes Dance!Unless you were lying down.
Alright, that’s all for now. Thanks for stopping by.
Which version of this song is best?
While I like them both, I’ve got to go with the upbeat sound of the original by The Drifters.
More or less. Yesterday’s brownout ran a bit longer than scheduled, with power being restored at 6:20 rather than the promised 6 p.m. Early this morning, while I was doing my usual internet browsing, the lights went out again. In typical unscheduled brownout fashion, things were back up and running within thirty minutes or so. Until the next one.
There is an all-day scheduled brownout in Barretto today (I’m on the Subic grid, so it doesn’t impact me), and in a show of sympathy and brotherhood to my comrades in the Barrio, I’m hosting a rooftop party this afternoon featuring cold beer and a variety of food offerings.
I’m unsure how many will show up, so I made a triple batch of chili, the biggest in my history. I hope I got the mix of ingredients correct in the large version.
So, I filled the brownout hours by taking care of some business and then heading out of town to Pundaquit in San Antonio. The business part was picking up my blood work results, then hitting Royal for more beer, some snacks, and another table for the rooftop.
After dropping off my purchases at home, I had my driver take us to Baloy Beach to meet up with Gem and her five companions. I had assumed it was all females in her group, but it turns out three of them were guys. Younger guys, so I hesitate to call them couples. Anyway, my driver said we could squeeze all six in his vehicle, but Gem and her friends opted to take their own vehicle and follow us. Sounded good to me.
I’m not sure who was driving Gem’s car, but I was impressed with his ability to keep up with my crazy driver, Danny. Danny seemed to be as well, saying he must be from Manila (where crazy driving is mandatory). My first stop in Pundaquit (a 45-minute drive) was the Car Wash bar and restaurant, my favorite venue there. It was lunchtime, and I was hungry and, of course, thirsty.
I hadn’t seen or heard from Gem in five years. I’m still not sure if the visit was about me or just getting out of town.
Gem has been living in Israel and said it had been scary times since the latest outbreak of war, with her city being subject to frequent rocket attacks. I can’t imagine that nightmare. I dropped some hints about the purpose of her visit, but she didn’t have much of anything to say in that regard. The money issue didn’t come up directly, but she did pay for our lunch, so there’s that.
I had the everything burger…Swan had pork ribs.
I asked Gem what they wanted to do after lunch, and she said her friends wanted to go swimming. I assumed that meant on the nice ocean beach in Pundaquit, but no, they wanted to return to their hotel and swim in Subic Bay. Well, I still had hours of brownout ahead of me, and Gem assured me they could find their way back without us, so we said our goodbyes. Her crew is supposed to join the rooftop party this afternoon. We shall see.
Swan’s sister and her family had also escaped the brownout by visiting Pundaquit, so we stopped in at Monty’s Resort to pay them a visit.
Half the group was swimming in the river; the other half were enjoying Monty’s pool.I sat at the bar and chatted with these gents (the guy on the right is Swan’s brother-in-law, Jack.)When it was time to head home, I fetched Danny, who’d been napping in the riverside nipa hut.
Being home with no power sucks. Without fans, it is uncomfortably hot. I tried to nap a bit on the couch where I could catch a breeze through the window, but I didn’t achieve forty winks. So, I headed up to the roof to wait things out.
Set up my new table and chairs.Watched the sun do its thing.Buddy kept watch on the road down below.Lazy Lucky just chilled out.And as the sun disappeared, the lights finally came back on.
I finished my beer, went downstairs, turned on the fan and the TV, and enjoyed a few more episodes of “Shameless.” I had a good night’s sleep, then up this morning to start the party prep.
No RSVPs, so no clue. But I can comfortably accommodate up to twenty guests, I think. I’m cooking the chili here rather than carrying a hot crockpot up those stairs again.Forty-eight San Mig Zeros……and forty-eight San Miguel Lights.
And yes, I’ve got them on ice now. When it comes to beer, I’m not worried about leftovers. I spend a lot more time at home these days!
Swan and Teri preparing more food selections…lumpia and……kebabsI baked some cornbread muffins to go with the chiliAnd brownies for dessertSwan made this cherry cheesecake.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you how it went.
Today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: What is the difference between a restroom and a bathroom? What do they call it in other English speaking countries, if anything at all?
A: In the Philippines, they are called a CR—comfort room.
And for your amusement:
Gandalf visited the Philippines and met some bargirls…lucky wizard!I only posted this one because that Vulcan gal is so damn cute.
I’m in the dark this morning and operating on battery power, so I’m going to knock out this post as quick as I can, while I can.
Yesterday Swan joined me on an end-to-end hike of the My Bitch trail. It’s been quite some time since I’ve done the entire length. To make it a tad more interesting (for me), I did the photo every 1000 steps routine. Here’s how it came out:
Zero steps on the front porch1000 steps. A goat road as we left Alta Vista.2000 steps. My Bitch.3000 steps. Mountain mama (Jennifer and her kids)4000 steps. The view from here.5000 steps. Looking down on Naugsol Valley.6000 steps. Off the trail and onto the road (Rizal Extension).7000 steps. A nice home on Rizal Extension.8000 steps. A narrow passage9000 steps. Jasmine StreetBonus shot: You can rent a hoe to use?10,000 steps. The Rizal Market. The tall building on the left is the local jail. I never want to see the inside of that place!11,000 steps. A poser at Hotel Bella Monte.Such a lovely place, such a lovely face.The hike ended at Sit-n-Bull where we ordered some take-out for lunch.When I showed Swan the map of our hike, she immediately burst into laughter. I assured her I wasn’t trying to be a dick.My lunch: A roast beef dip au jus with baked beans.
My visitor from Manila was running late, and since she’s staying on Baloy, I figured we could meet up there, and I’d wait at McCoy’s for her arrival. Swan and I headed out at beer o’clock.
The sky as it appeared when we departed the house.A zoom shot.Baloy Beach upon our arrival.The bay view from McCoy’s.McCoy’s. If you look close you can see my sweetie.The beach portion of McCoy’s as seen from our perch.
That’s the manager on her phone. The big news is that the barangay has disallowed McCoy’s from having videoke. Now, that made me selfishly happy, but I could see how upset she was. McCoy’s is primarily a Filipino hangout, and videoke is a big part of their business. I suggested they try the norebang (private singing rooms) style like they do in Korea. She said they might look into that.
The beach from my seat. That four-wheeler is much more dangerous than videoke, especially when the beach is crowded. I was surprised it was even allowed.Sundown on the beach
My friend messaged that they were still in Manila (there was some issue with their driver), and I said I’d see her tomorrow then. I guess we’ll meet up later this morning.
I wasn’t drunk last night, but I had enough beers where this seemed like a good idea to bring home for dinner:
Typical McDonald’s quality, but service there sucks.
So, we’ll see what the day without power brings. Lights are back on at six, and I plan on killing some of that time in San Antonio. Full report tomorrow.
Today’s Quora Q&A entry:
Q: Can you share any humorous moments that have occurred during a meeting at your workplace?
A: My boss, Sherrie, was holding a meeting with her senior staff members in the conference room. After an hour or so, she said she needed a cigarette break. One of the staffers jokingly said, “Gee, Sherrie, do you smoke after sex, too?” Without hesitation, Sherrie responded, “I don’t know. I’ve never looked.”
Yesterday was a different kind of nothing. It began with a morning fast and then a trip to the clinic in Olongapo to have my blood work done. They require at least an eight-hour fast, but more than ten is a disqualifying “over fast.” I split the difference and did nine. Once the blood was drawn, I was free to eat once again, so we visited the Xtreme Xpresso Cafe on SBMA.
I broke my fast with waffles with a mango topping.Coffee came with the meal.
On the way back home we stopped at DiviMart where I purchased these:
Six more chairs for the Rite Spot On The Roof
I’m planning a rooftop gathering for Sunday afternoon and wanted to be sure I’d have adequate seating for everyone.
Back at the house, I was feeling lethargic and lightheaded all day. I don’t think they took that much blood, so it must have just been one of those days. I blogged and napped, but I just didn’t feel like going out when beer o’clock arrived. That meant sacrificing the last day of validity on my “buy one, get one” coupon at Alaska Club, but some things just can’t be helped.
But The Rite Spot On The Roof was ready and waiting for me.
I settled in to watch Mother Nature’s show with a cooler full of cold beers, a comfortable seat in my rocking chair, and a personally tailored playlist of songs from Spotify.
No bargirls available, but Buddy was there to keep me company.Buddy seemed to enjoy the view, too.
I placed my order for dinner, and it arrived in due course.
Good job, Swan!R&R for the cook.Inday joined us on the rooftop with her mother and daughter.Let the show begin!Ya done good, Mr. Sun.
I enjoyed another beer by lamplight, then headed back downstairs for my daily dose of “Shameless.” I’m into Season 10 now, and it is still holding my interest, which says a lot. There is one more season to go after this one.
A good night’s sleep, and I woke up feeling somewhat better this morning. Still, I bailed on the Friday group hike and took a walk with Swan instead. I’ll post about that tomorrow.
On this morning’s dog walk, it occurred to me that this was the first time I’d left the house in over 24 hours. I don’t think that’s happened since the scamdemic.
Someone posted the virtues of hiking on Facebook this morning and I stole it to share with my faithful readers here:
I didn’t write this, and it is pretty poor grammatically, even by my low standards. But the sentiments are good.
Today’s Quora Q&A (these are questions I’ve answered over the years):
Q: How do I find out what my purpose is in my life?
A: Well, I’m not a religious man, but the other day, I was feeling depressed. So, I got down on my knees and prayed to God, asking, “Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?” Again, I’m not a true believer; I’m just getting it off my chest. I certainly wasn’t expecting an answer. And then, I heard God’s voice. He said, “John, what is your purpose in life? You are my gift to women!” At least, that’s how I remember it.
It has over a hundred views and not one upvote. Go figure.
Luckily, I only saw this sign on the internet. But it brought to mind that scene from “Deliverance.”
I’m not exactly sure what’s on tap for tonight. I’m supposed to meet up with an old “friend” I haven’t heard from in five years. I have no idea why she wanted to see me again, but she traveled to Olongapo from Manila to do so, so I’m curious enough to find out. And don’t worry, she knows I have a girlfriend, and I’m bringing Swan along. I’ll let y’all know how that goes.
Oh, and we have a scheduled all-day (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) brownout (no power) tomorrow. I’m having my driver take us to Pundaquit to fill some of those hours. I’m not sure when or how I’ll blog, but I’ll do my best to post some form of update. Till then.
Today’s song is even older than me. Not sure why it came to mind.
Apparently, I can’t get enough of a hard thing. With Monday’s torturous Hash trail still fresh in mind, the Wednesday Walkers said, “Hold my beer,” and attacked the Kalaklan Ridge from the Olongapo City side of the mountain. As I’ve frequently said, there’s no easy way up, but the route we took this time was among my least favorites. Still, the beauty we witnessed during the all-to-brief time up top made it almost worth it. Almost. And then, once again, our downward trek on the Barretto side of the ridge proved to me much more challenging than anticipated. The consensus of the group was that we would never go down that way again.
Getting to our starting point required two Jeepney rides. And yes, Swan and my helper Geraldine once again participated in the hike.Our group pretty much filled the entire Jeepneyin Olongapo. (we needed two Jeepneys to get out of Barretto)The largest gathering of Wednesday Walkers we’ve seen in quite some time.Off we go!Or should I say, up we go? A long inclined road started our hike.Yes, that’s me getting ass-kicked ten minutes into the trek.The road ended. The stairs began.And they seemed endless.Motherfucker!The stairs ended, but the climb had just begun.Swan sharing some sweetness.Onward and upward.Our fun in progress!A look back down to Olongapo town.A shady spot somewhere.Be honest, guys. Was that climb evil?Be that way!The Ridgeline is achieved at last!Practically a walk in the park.And then it was time to start down the other side.But first, a pause to take in the views.We’ll be down soon, Barretto!Despite being born and raised in Subic, Swan had never been up here. The vistas wowed her.Down we go.This part was comparatively easy.By golly, Easter Mountain is on fire!A blue sky day.Then the down got a little dicey.Troy lends Swan a helping handNature’s beautyFeeling tiredThe final steps down.
At the conclusion of our journey, Swan, Geraldine, and I popped into Sit-n-Bull for some lunch to bring home.
I went down on this Surfer Dude sub sandwich.
Facebook memories reminded me that 8 years ago I threw the best dart game of my career.
That’s a 15-dart out. A perfect game is a 9-darter. That’s as close to perfect as I ever got. And it was close enough to perfect for me.
Today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: What is a small, everyday decision you made that unexpectedly changed your life for the better?
My answer to this question was sharing a blog post I wrote back in 2010 called “The Road Not Taken.”
On to the fun stuff:
Some folks are crazy about it.Necrophilia is overrated, right Prickhard?
Alrighty, then. Time to get on with the rest of my lazy day. Back tomorrow with more of the usual BS from my so-called life.
