Hold on loosely

Another day in paradise. The thought occurred to me that maybe I should be feeling bored with my life here. Most days are pretty much the same. I fill the hours with my walks and time spent in the bars. Oh, sometimes the walks take me somewhere new and I see familiar faces in different bars. There’s the Hash, darts, and an occasional game of pool. Is that enough?

I’m not sure what got me thinking about this subject this morning. I dreamed about working last night and that seems to be a frequent occurrence when I sleep. Is my subconscious telling me to find some meaning and purpose in my life? Hell, when I contemplate what I might blog about, sometimes I feel sorry for you, my faithful readers, once again being subjected to my daily drivel about nothing of substance.

But then I think of the little things that make a life. Spending time with the dogs and soaking up some of the pure love they provide me. Pausing to look up from the computer and out of my window and feeling the peace that nature’s beauty brings to the soul. Sitting down for breakfast at Sit-n-Bull and being warmly (and sincerely) greeted by name. Just feeling part of a community rather than an anonymous face in the crowd is somehow comforting.

So, maybe it is a boring life. But there are much worse things than being bored. I’ll cop to playing it safe and not putting myself “out there” and risking my heart or peace of mind. Some might call that cowardly I suppose. I choose to embrace my routines and be satisfied with the simple life I’ve made for myself. If someday that’s not enough I’ll look for something different. For now, it is what it is and I’m glad to be here.

Okay, enough of that self-reflection. Let’s get to the good stuff, or at least as good as it gets:

You want excitement? I heard the sirens yesterday afternoon and discovered this morning what it was all about. This is right at the edge of Alta Vista and a path I take on a regular basis.
Buddy investigating the change of smells.

I’m not sure what it is that makes me find litter so “interesting”, but here’s another trashy photo:

This bottle has Lucky’s name on it.

Life can be a beach sometimes.

Barretto beach this morning as I took an after-breakfast stroll.

What else is cooking? Well, there is this:

Pork chops in the crockpot, seasoned up with spices, cream of mushroom soup, and some ranch dressing.

The lack of news and updates about the coronavirus here in the Philippines is a little disconcerting. It’s been weeks since any reports of new infections which doesn’t seem plausible. This is the Philippines after all. Anyway, not much you can do but take the standard precautions and hope for the best I suppose.

I’d be happy if I could consistently find soap in the CR (comfort room as they are known here). You NEVER find paper towels and there ain’t no way I’m drying my hands on the nasty cloth towel left hanging in there. I just shake the water off as I walk out.
Is this you, Kevin Kim?

Politics anyone?

This is an easy choice for me!

This made me laugh:

Bear with me…

Thanks to all for your indulgence!


You see it all around you
Good lovin’ gone bad
And usually it’s too late when you, realize what you had
And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago (Who told me)
Just hold on loosely
But don’t let go
If you cling to tightly
You’re gonna lose control

3 thoughts on “Hold on loosely

  1. Here are a few ideas for what you might blog about:
    – More salaciously detailed accounts of your fellow ex-pats fortunes in love or life
    – Philippine politics at the local, national, and international levels
    – Transcribe verbatim conversations with your “staff”, with an eye to providing insight on cultural miscommunication and misunderstanding

  2. Thanks for the suggestions, Dan.

    Hmm, I tend to avoid getting involved in Filipino politics. It’s a good way to get deported. There’s a lot of corruption from the lowest level (i.e. “paying your fine” for a traffic violation directly to the cop) all the way to the top (China is literally purchasing this country piece by piece). That’s as far as I can go with this.

    I honestly have very little interaction with my staff beyond I need you to do this type of stuff. We all get along but don’t get involved beyond the work relationship. For example, I have no idea what they even do when they go out at night or on weekends. It’s like I’m living with strangers now that I think about it.

    Stories about my fellow expats may have some potential. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open. Some of them are just pathetic drunks and not interesting at all. But there may be something going on with others that is worthy of a blog post.

    Ha! Come to think of it, I’ve been blogging about that one guy for years. What’s his name again? Oh yeah, McCrarey…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *