Better safe than sorry | Long Time Gone

***Welp, my plans for tomorrow are to get on a plane and fly to Siargao Island for a few days.***

Okay, I *think* I have everything squared away for my upcoming journey. Online check-in, e-boarding passes saved to my phone. Have a cab driver I’ve never used before scheduled to pick us up at 0900, and I have made arrangements for the hotel I’m staying at to pick us up at the airport. Man, the older I get, the more challenging travel becomes. I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.

So, let’s get to yesterday’s news — run number 1717 of the Subic Bay Hash. It rained most of the day, which made me change my mind about doing the climb up to Kalaklan Ridge. For those who did the trail, it was the slippery down that proved the most challenging. Anyway, no regrets; better safe than sorry. Broken bones would have ruined my island plans.

***The few brave souls who gathered at the trailhead despite the weather.***

***Everyone else made the right turn and headed up to the ridge. These are the wimps who followed my lead and stayed on the pavement.***

***And then I was down to only two loyal followers.***

***My safe street walk still amounted to almost 6.5K, which is longer than the 5K climbing trail the Hare laid.***

***On home was out back at It Doesn’t Matter.***

***The socialites (didn’t do any part of the trail) on ice.***

***The deflowering of another virgin Hasher.***

And that’s the way I rolled on through another Hash Monday.

It’s the last day of 2020 in the LTG archives. The post recounts my first, only, and last ever grueling climb to the top of Mount Santa Rita. What was memorable for me, though, was coming across reflective road markers made by the Ray-O-Lite company. One of my post-high school jobs was working at the factory where they were manufactured. Given the timelines (I assume they were installed during the Navy base days), I may have had a hand in making them.

Today’s YouTube video poses the question, “Is it worth living in the Philippines in 2026?” The answer to that is obviously yes, and the vlogger does a good job showing the good and the bad of life here. Some things are harder than others to adapt to, but you just need to take a deep breath, relax, and accept the Filipino way.

It only hurts until the pain goes away:

***It could have been worse. No shit.***

Okay, another rainy day, but it is the season after all. I’m sure I won’t be dissuaded from venturing into town for the last time this week. Live it while you can!

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