It doesn’t seem appropriate somehow to measure your good fortune in comparison to the misfortune of someone else. And yet, we’ve all heard that “there, but for the grace of God, go I” saw, or found ourselves saying things like “lucky that’s not me”. Still, I can’t help but appreciate my mundane and mostly no drama life all the more after hearing about a friend’s ongoing nightmare. Get well soon, Dennis!
Third place finish in darts last night. No complaints about that (other than the continued fall outs). The two teams that beat us threw exceptional darts and that’s what it is all about. No shame in losing to superior shooting.
My new Wednesday tradition is popping into The Pub after darts and getting me some Korean-style wings for take-out. Had a nice chat with the owner, John Kim, and after perusing his menu that includes a French dip and a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, I half kiddingly suggested that he add a Monte Cristo sandwich to the selections. It’s actually one of my all-time favorite sandwiches but it has been literally years since I’ve seen one on a menu. The old Dragon Hill Lodge on the Yongsan Army base had them prior to my first retirement in 2010, but I’ve not found one anywhere since.
Anyway, I was surprised when John responded to my request that he was “working on it”. Apparently, finding the right kind of ham cut for the sandwich isn’t easy here in the Philippines. Who knew? But it sounds like I will one day soon relive those glory days of melt in your mouth goodness. Come to think of it, my first time experiencing the taste explosion of a Monte Cristo was at a restaurant in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I recall the location was in the old train station downtown and the Monte Cristo was the house specialty. It’s funny what you can remember about the mundane details of a lifetime while forgetting some of the big stuff. I guess it’s about Biden your time. *Ahem*.
This morning I set out to do my “long” Thursday solo walk. I usually strive for at least 10K but came up a little short this time.
Kevin Kim has a post up covering the latest COVID news. His commentary, though. is astounding. As I mentioned in the comments, it is precisely the way I feel about the whole COVID fiasco. I’m going to paste that part here for those of you who might not be motivated to click though. Think of it like this–Kevin’s words, my voice. Is that plagiarism?
The narrative is that masks, social distancing, and all the other trappings of security theater are actually effective at slowing the spread of the virus. The reality is that the virus is going to run its course no matter what we do, and if anything, our vain precautions tend to make matters worse. The essential self-delusion is the same as it’s always been: man can somehow master nature. The harsh truth is that man can only wait for the tidal wave to strike; rebuilding is for the aftermath.
You might reply that fatalism is the wrong attitude to adopt: people have made enormous progress in terms of personal hygiene, public sanitation, and infection control over the centuries; raging diseases can be fought and managed. All true. But look around you: does any of that “progress” amount to mastery of one’s surroundings? No. So hunker down, keep practicing—at the basic level—that commonsense hygiene, sanitation, and IC that you’re so proud of, and don’t worry overmuch: if the destroying angel comes for you because of age, comorbidities, or other weaknesses, then… it’s just your time to go. So be stoic and accept your destiny. That’s about the best you can do. Meanwhile, go live a life unruled by fear.
Kevin’s piece was especially timely for me because my sick friend in Cambodia is hospitalized with COVID. I don’t hear from Dennis very often these days, but I often wonder how he is getting on. He’s a few years older than me and has always been a solitary nomad, travelling the world (Asia, Europe, South America) and exploring on his own. I admire that, but I couldn’t live that lifestyle. I need a home base and the feeling of stability that provides. Anyway, my nightmare would be just what he is experiencing now–stuck in a hospital for going on three weeks now with no outside support. Worse yet, only one of the doctors speaks English and he says he can barely understand her through the masks and shields worn in his presence. He doesn’t have a phone charger and had to “borrow” a charger for his iPad, which is how he was able to shoot me an email. And oh yeah, he’s in diapers.
The good news is that he is feeling better and hopes to get an all-clear test result soon so he can get released from quarantine. Speaking of which, I hadn’t been following the news in Phnom Penh very closely but last time I heard from Dennis the city was open for the most part. Not anymore. Apparently, five female tourists came in from, you guessed it, China, and instead of abiding by the mandatory hotel quarantine procedures, they bribed the security guard and went out partying. Dennis is just one of the 1000 cases that resulted from their inappropriate conduct. Makes you wonder if China is doing this shit on purpose.
Anyway, I’ve got a dart match to throw this afternoon. Thanks for coming by. Oh yeah, don’t expect to be fiddling around in Georgia anytime soon:
Well, good luck to Dennis. “Solitary nomad,” eh? Where does he get the money to travel?
The pic of the Monte Cristo shows a proper Monte Cristo—battered and deep-fried, with a fruit-jam dipping sauce on the side. Perfect. I’ve seen some people try to get away with an egg-dipped and pan-fried sandwich that is little more than French toast. A proper Monte Cristo is always batter-fried to crispness, and there’s always a dipping sauce—usually raspberry jam/preserves—on the side.
Ha—just looked at the Wikipedia entry, which says the egg-dipped version is more traditional. I call bullshit on that. If you want French toast, then for fuck’s sake, just order French toast.
The nomad has a government pension, like yours truly.
Totally agree with you on what constitutes a “proper” MC. I mean, I like French toast too, but that deep-fried hammy sweetness is what makes the MC an MC. I wonder why they aren’t more popular these days? Maybe because they are a pain in the ass to prepare properly?
Here is wishing Dennis a full recovery. He helped me many times. We seem to have some double mutation in the US. Also some people that have been vaccinated have caught the virus. Part of CCP quest for world domination.
Dennis is a tough guy, he’ll get through this I’m sure.
Sorry to hear about your friend. Hope he is on the mend soon. No fun being sick, regardless of where you are at. Though, made all the worse in a third world type of situation.
I kind of agree to disagree with you and Kevin on how to handle COVID, but you both make some good arguments.
This quote from Kevin:
“Meanwhile, go live a life unruled by fear.”
made me think of a tweet I saw that (at least I thought) was funny. The tweet was something like
“A guy who carries a gun everywhere, including church, told me I was living in fear because I wore a mask”
Thanks, Brian. Everyone has to deal with COVID in a way that is best for them. I think your analogy with guns is a little off though. People who wear masks don’t necessarily do so out of fear. I’d argue they have placed an unwarranted reliance on government edicts unsupported by science but to each his own. On the other hand, a man who carries a gun does so to avoid fear–the confidence of knowing you have the ability to defend yourself and your family means you do not have to be fearful of anyone.
Anyway, I’ve chosen to live as a free man, if COVID kills me, so be it. Folks who are staying safe at home have nothing to fear from me, right?
Always appreciate it though when people can disagree without being disagreeable. Thanks for that!
John, * thumbs up *
If I ever make it over to the Philippines, would love to have another beer (or three) with you. LOL
Hope to see you here, Brian. I’ll save you some beers…