Two noteworthy passings of music legends from my past this week: Eddie Money and Ric Ocasic. If you weren’t around for the ’70s and ’80s, you missed some rockin’ good music.
Can’t embed YouTube for some reason. Here’s My Best Friend’s Girlfriend from Ocasic and The Cars.
I’ve been listening to both on my walks this week.
Thanks for the music. Rest in Peace.
A pretty decent Hash yesterday despite the rainy weather. Actually, the rain stopped a bit before we started, and it didn’t reappear until most of us were safely “on-home.” I say “most” because as the slowest of the group I spent the last ten minutes or so walking in the rain. Such is life.
So much for the trail, now about that error. I think I broke the little toe on my left foot this morning. I have a loose tile in the dining room. I stepped on it, causing the tile to sink slightly lower than the adjacent tile. I lunged to grab Lucky who was under the table. Toe met elevated tile, and toe lost. Hurt like hell too. Now it mostly only hurts when I walk. And of course, I walk a lot.
That’s today’s dose of my so-called life.
I make a lot of unforced errors when I write. Some of that is just old fashioned sloppiness. And the rest is simply ignorance. Back in high school, English was one of my better subjects. But even in those long-ago days, I would earn an “A” for content and a “D” for mechanics.
Don’t believe me?
Obviously, grammar, spelling, and punctuation have never been my strong suits. Thank God for spellcheck! And as I write this I’m downloading an app called “Grammarly” which purports to flag the kind of mistakes I frequently make here at LTG. We shall see.
What prompts this newfound interest in getting it right after almost 15 years of blogging? Shame mostly. My buddy and grammar Nazi regular reader Kevin Kim will occasionally point out my most egregious errors, either via comment here or in an email. I actually do appreciate his willingness to help me improve the quality of my writing. He’s threatened to use me as a bad example in a post on his blog concerning proper comma usage. In a recent email exchange, I foolishly asked if he had noticed my efforts to improve my comma placement. His reply was along the lines of “not so much.” He then proceeded to point out no fewer than six usage errors in the first three paragraphs of my most recent blog post. Ouch!
Honestly, I was very impressed with his sincere efforts to educate me in an area where I’ve been pretty much clueless. And it also prompted him to finally begin writing about commas on his blog. You need to go give it read, whether you care about proper punctuation or not. It’s really quite in-depth and fascinating. Who thought a mere comma could be so interesting? And his post is just part 1 of a six-part effort. I’m not being facetious when I say that when it comes to all things grammar, Kevin Kim is a freakin’ genius.
I’m going to make a sincere effort to apply this new-found knowledge, starting with the concept of “FANBOY”. If like me, you hadn’t heard that term, it relates to using a combination of a comma plus a coordinating conjunction: for, and, nor, but, or, yet–-FANBOY, get it?
Now, what I need to avoid is being self-conscious when I write. I’m kind of in a storyteller mode when I blog. I don’t want to feel like I’m back in high school writing an essay. But given the low-quality of my content here, I do hope to improve on the composition grade!
Have at it!
UPDATE: I did run this post through my new Grammarly app. How did we do?
A couple of rain free days will spoil you. Woke up to rain this morning and it hasn’t stopped. I hate being stuck in the house almost as much as I hate walking in the rain. So here I sit, alone with my memories of yesterday’s hike.
It was an interesting path I found myself on. I was following the Hash marks from last week’s trail to see what I had missed. Fortunately, the Hare had used shredded paper rather than powder so it was still mostly visible. I had a hunch where the trail was leading but I turned out to be wrong about that. I missed a couple of turns and I had to retreat and search out the true trail. I was kinda of proud of myself for being successful at that, but finally I lost the trail for good on top of the mountain overlooking Barretto.
But now I wasn’t seeing any Hash marks and it appeared there were only two options: straight down or walking the ridge line. I took a few tentative steps on the steep down path and then thought better of it. Once I committed to the ridge I noticed there was no more paper, so I had chosen “wrong”. But I was pretty sure I had been walking the trail from last week in reverse, so if it was the steep path, they had come up it, not down. And down looked “slipping and sliding out of control dangerous” to me. No regrets with my choice!
I wasn’t exactly sure where I was, but I eventually could see my subdivision below me in the distance. I found a path that led down to that familiar ground and I deemed the afternoon a success.
After a poor showing at darts last night, I returned home to be greeted by my loving boys, Buddy and Lucky.
No real progress on the weight loss to report, but I’m working hard at staying on plan.
And that’s all I got on this rainy afternoon. Well, there is this:
Peace out!
Here’s a quick after action report on my one week visit to Vietnam. I’m not going to recap everything I’ve already blogged about; this will just be a brief summation of highs and lows.
Overall, I really enjoyed the city. It’s certainly not up to Seoul’s standard infrastructure-wise. For example, there’s no subway (although one is under construction). Saigon is comparatively cleaner than what I’ve experienced in the Philippines, but that’s not saying much. It appeared to be foreigner friendly, at least in District 1 where I was staying. There was a vibrancy and “hum” about the city that was kind of exciting, especially for someone like me coming from a small town.
So, without further ado, here’s a “Top 5” good and bad list.
The good:
The bad:
There you have it. A fascinating city that I will perhaps one day visit again. Although if I return to Vietnam I would definitely like to get out of town and see new sights, including the beaches near Da Nang.
Would I live there? I could. But I like where I’m at now better. It’s a good fit for me. Things could change of course so it’s good to have a Plan B. Saigon remains a possibility should I ever decide to move on.
UPDATE: And so without further ado, I bid you adieu.
Actually, no I wouldn’t. Okay, I will. But it will take me 53 days. I just did the math. Now, Kevin Kim on the other hand, is fixing to walk from Incheon, on the west coast of Korea, all the way down to Busan, which is at the southeastern tip of the peninsula. That’s around 650 kilometers! Kevin has created a new blog to document his adventure. Feel free to join me in following along.
As a hobby walker I’m always happy to just achieve my 20,000 steps/15 KM daily goal.
It was mostly a rain free day, which helped. I also spent the afternoon with My Bitch.
If I were to do a Kevin Kim-like distance hike, I might enjoy something like these four Hashers did back in 2014: Barretto to Angeles City. Here’s a short six minute video of that adventure. Three of the guys were in their sixties, so perhaps there is hope for me yet!
Speaking of Hashers, I got a kick out of this Michelob beer commercial, which captures some of intricacies associated with Hashing. Without the perversions and un-PC songs of course! Damn it, I can’t embed for some reason, so you’ll have to click on the link below:
https://www.tvcommercialad.com/watch/KaGegkoiKBBzFSA
Sometimes this is how I feel when I’m doing a trail laid by one of the more masochistic Hares:
Hmm, better (bigger) view at the link. Sorry!
So, I kicked off my diet plan yesterday. Had a nice big three egg omelet with ham and mushrooms for breakfast. No lunch, although I did have a handful of nuts. Then I had this for dinner at Sit-n-Bull:
Four more 60 calorie beers at Cheap Charlies, then walked back home. Made a sugar free banana pudding for dessert. It’s a start!
So, my goal is to get down to 190 pounds and then maintain my weight within the 190-195 range. My big surprise yesterday was weighing in at 199 pounds. That’s less than I weighed when I left for Vietnam! Granted, I did weigh-in right after my sweaty mountain hike, so I wasn’t carrying much water weight. Still, being under 200 and appearing fat confirms my suspicion: It’s my damn beer belly that’s the problem. We’ll see what I can do about that (and for the record, I’d rather be fat than give up my beloved beer!). Regardless, I have 10 pounds to go. Let’s see how long that takes.
When I’m lonely, well, I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who’s lonely without you
And when I’m dreaming, well, I know I’m gonna dream
I’m gonna dream about the time when I’m with you
When I go out (When I go out), well, I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you
And when I come home (When I come home), yes, I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who comes back home with you
I’m gonna be the man who’s coming home with you
But I would walk five hundred miles
And I would walk five hundred more
Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
To fall down at your door
Be it ever so humble, I’m back home to reality. I’ll take it as a good sign that I’m happy to be here.
My last night in Vietnam was spent at an Aussie bar named Blue Gecko, playing darts with my old friends Alex and John, along with my new dart league teammates who made me feel welcome. I was pleased to play well enough to win all the games in which I participated, and that contributed to an upset of one of the top ranked teams in the league. A team consisting of Filipinos, which I thought was a little ironic.
Speaking of John, he was involved in a motor scooter accident after our dinner gathering on Saturday night. I felt especially bad because during dinner I had asked him about how dangerous it looks to ride in this city and whether he had ever experienced a crash. He hadn’t. Until I jinxed him I guess.
Got home from the bar late (for me) and had a 5:30 a.m. alarm, ahead of my 6:30 ride to the airport for my flight’s 9:30 departure. All were accomplished on time, no thanks to the Vietnamese immigration departure queue. Longest damn line I ever did see, but I made it through with 30 minutes to spare.
The fact that I was flying on the anniversary of 9/11 didn’t escape my thoughts. I couldn’t help but notice the Muslim gentleman sitting on the aisle across from me (as evidenced by his beard and taqiyah), but I figured the odds were good that he was a peaceful follower of the faith. Still, when the flight attendant serving lunch reached our row and announced they were out of chicken and only had a pork dish remaining, I surreptitiously watched for his reaction. It was just a shrug and he went without. Mine was up to the standards you’d expect from a third world airline. We landed safely, avoiding damaging any buildings along the way.
My regular driver, Donny, was ill but he sent someone to pick me up as scheduled. We got stuck in Manila’s notorious traffic (crawling along bumper-to-bumper for over two hours). I guess the distance we traveled in that time to be maybe ten kilometers. I know I can walk faster than we were moving. Anyway, once we reached the expressway things went better, but it was still over 5 hours of driving all told. I hate Manila and try to avoid flying out of there, but there were no direct flights to Saigon from my preferred airport in Angeles City. Oh well, it’s done.
My dogs were ecstatic to see me, and it’s always good to feel that kind of pure love. The first thing my domestic helper said to me was “you’ve gained some weight”. Nice to see you too! She’s right though, I threw my semi-good eating habits out the window, reasoning that I was on vacation so why not? I also got in fewer steps than normal, and it shows. I’ve not gotten on the scale yet, but I’ve set a new reduction goal–down to 190 pounds.
In that regard, I’m re-instituting a strict(er) low carb diet regimen (didn’t even buy ice cream at the grocery store today!) and will get back into my 20,000+ steps per day habit. I’m planning on doing that intermittent fasting thing too–a hearty low-carb breakfast and not much else until a light evening meal. I will of course continue drinking beers, but at least I’m back on those low calorie San Miguel Zero’s.
And there you have it, one day back and already my blog is boring again. Normal ain’t so bad!
Never forget.
I fly out in the morning, so here’s a photo essay of my final hours in Saigon.
Still a few nighttime hours to fill. Plan is to see Alex and the boys play darts then say my goodbyes. Probably head over to In Sai Gong for a final cold beer as well. Then it’s off to the airport at 0630 for my 0930 flight to Manila.
I’m glad I finally made it to Saigon. And even more glad it wasn’t as a soldier.
UPDATE: Well, turns out I was also “wrapping it up” back in November, 2015. I also had no idea that Jee Yeun would be wrapping up the marriage just a month later. Still hurts.
Winding it down on my penultimate day in Vietnam. I’m still enjoying walking about and exploring my little part of the city during the day, and of course, the bars at night.
Speaking of walking, I intended to Hash yesterday with the local Saigon kennel. Walked over to the meeting place and arrived early. Then it started pouring down rain. Well, I had been on the fence about participating to begin with. I wasn’t comfortable being bused out of town and getting lost or something, then missing the ride back. Yeah, I’m a wimp. The rain gave me a good excuse to bail and I took it.
Here’s some random pictures from my journey I haven’t posted yet:
Life is good.
I’m going to say right up front that I’m no “foodie”. In fact, I’m not all that adventurous when it comes to exploring local cuisine in general and street food in particular. So, why am I doing a post about the food I’ve eaten thus far during my Vietnam adventure?
Let’s eat!
Last night, my pal Alex invited me out to his favorite restaurant for some leg of lamb.
The best meal I’ve had so far though was the lunch served during the Mekong river tour I took on Friday. It was also probably the most traditional Vietnamese fare I’ve had on this trip.
Now one Vietnamese diet staple is the bahn mi sandwich. I think I saw them featured on an old Anthony Bourdain episode and I’ve wanted to try one since I arrived. Oddly enough, when I asked hotel staff for a good bahn mi restaurant, I was told the best ones were from the street vendors. Go figure. Anyway, after my morning walk yesterday, I brought one home:
Here’s how Wikipedia describes the bahn mi:
A typical Vietnamese sandwich is a fusion of meats and vegetables from native Vietnamese cuisine such as chả lụa (pork sausage), coriander leaf (cilantro), cucumber, pickled carrots, and pickled daikon combined with condiments from French cuisine such as pâté, along with chili and mayonnaise.[6] However, a wide variety of popular fillings are used, from xíu mại to ice cream. In Vietnam, sandwiches are typically eaten for breakfast or as a snack; they are considered too dry for lunch or dinner.[7]
Here’s how mine looked:
Dining out has kind of been hit or miss. Usually drink until hungry, then either eat at the bar or pop into a nearby restaurant. Sometimes I’m not even sure what’s on offer. Stopped into this place the other night with some mates, and it was almost like being back in Korea, but without kimchi.
And about the only other Vietnamese delicacy I’ve had thus far is a soup called Pho.
Phở or pho[) is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles (bánh phở), herbs, and meat – usually beef (phở bò), sometimes chicken (phở gà).[4][5] Pho is a popular street food in Vietnam[6] and served in restaurants around the world.
And there you have it, a post about food. I’ve been a bit more adventurous in trying the local brews.
Did an all day tour yesterday, featuring the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong river delta area, both of which are about an hour and a half from Saigon. I do enjoy travel and seeing new places and things, but I don’t like being a tourist. Or to be more precise, I don’t enjoy guided tours much. Yesterday was a prime example of why.
Got picked up at the hotel as scheduled at 7:30, then drove a ways across town in heavy traffic to pick up more tourists. When everyone was on board a bit after 8:00 we headed south. Our tour guide was a 20-something Vietnamese man who said his name was “Laughing”. His English was almost understandable. He seemed very proud of his country and there is nothing wrong with that of course. But my first red flag of the day was when we pulled into a small factory where traditional Vietnam paintings made from eggshells and seashells were manufactured. Laughing told the government built the factory to enable area residents who had suffered birth defects after American use of poison gas during the war. I assumed he meant Agent Orange. Throughout the day, Laughing never missed an opportunity to regurgitate the anti-American propaganda he’d been fed his whole life.
Anyway, the factory was NOT part of the tour package and it was only mildly interesting to see the process used by the workers in creating their art. And surprise, surprise the guide led us into a large showroom full of completed objects available for our purchase. For the first of many times I muttered “this is bullshit”.
In due course we made on way onward to the Cu Chi tunnels that had been instrumental in the North’s attacks on the South throughout the war. It was a pretty impressive engineering fete, no question about it. Laughing’s commentary about the means and methods used to kill the American invaders got old pretty fast though. I found myself biting my tongue to avoid asking what about the South Vietnamese Army troops, who far outnumbered the Yanks, were as fun to kill as well. Anyway, you get the idea. And I acknowledge that the victor gets to write the history of the war in the manner of his choosing. Hell, I was a vocal opponent of the war back then, but something about Laughing’s gleeful stories about how the wise Viet Cong lured the foolish Americans into their gruesome traps was off-putting. I was glad to finally depart for the Mekong portion of the tour.
We stopped for lunch along the way and I’ll have to give credit where it is due, it was a damn fine meal. I’m going to do a “foodie” post tomorrow, so I’ll save that story and photos until then.
The Mekong was disappointing as well, or to be fair, not what I expected. I was envisioning a river cruise, instead we boarded a derelict river boat and went to the other side. Upon arrival, we were served a honey tea and some banana chips. Both were quite good. Then Laughing came around with a beehive and talked about how the honey was used in several “miracle” products to improve health and skin. And wouldn’t you know it? Those products just happened to be available for purchase. I thought now that is real B.S. (bee shit). I did buy some overpriced banana chips which were quite tasty.
Next we walked a bit up the river to a place where we were treated to some traditional Vietnamese music. I’m sorry, the Vietnamese spoken language is even more grating on the ears than Chinese. At least to me. And when sung it sounds like high pitched screeching. The instruments were twangy but not unpleasant however. Tip boxes were conveniently brought around to our tables and of course I contributed. After all, the did stop singing and that was a behavior worth rewarding!
We then walked some more, boarded golf carts for a bit, then walked through some yards (felt like Hashing almost), and then boarded some canoe like things for a ride down a canal and back to the riverside. We were encouraged to tip the boat rowers, and hell, they deserved it managing to move our fat asses downstream.
Once back on the river shore we were given a demonstration of how coconut candy was made. Didn’t much care about that, although the sample was tasty enough. And of course, they had some for sale. No thanks!
Back on the boat at last and we were provided some coconut juice (still in the shell) to enjoy. Then we boarded the van for the two hour ride back to Saigon, where we arrived at 6:00 p.m. It was a long day of touring and it took several hours of beer drinking last night to wash the taste out of my mouth. Here’s the photos:
Alright, dinner plans tonight and hopefully something worthwhile to add to my foodie post tomorrow. Stay tuned!
So far, so good. Still feeling my way around Saigon/HCMC, but I rather like it. In fact, Vietnam is now ahead of Cambodia as a “Plan B” option should life in the Philippines not work out. Saigon (I prefer that name and will use it henceforth) is comparatively clean (isn’t everywhere compared to the PI?), modern, and bustling. I have never in my life seen so many damn motor scooters! I’m pressed for time this afternoon, so let’s let the photos do the talking.
DAY 1: Nice airport, only hold up was the visa process took about 30 minutes, but sailed through immigration/customs. Hotel transportation was there waiting and whisked us to the Lotus Central hotel.
I did a quick walk around the neighborhood, then had to get ready for a meetup with some old friends from my Seoul days who live here now. I had an address and a Grab driver dropped me off at said address. But there was no bar to be seen there. So I walked over to the bar district and started asking other bar patrons where Shooters bar might be. Most didn’t know or gave me wrong directions. Finally, an American in a bar was able to give me specific detailed guidance on reaching my destination. Which took me right back to where the Grab car had left me. What the hell? About that time my friend Alex arrived.
He apologized for the confusion and pointed up to the 3rd floor. I still didn’t see it as the bar has absolutely no signage. We walked into what looked like an office lobby and took an elevator upstairs.
I got drafted to play with Alex’s team in a league match against the top rated team in Saigon. We got our asses kicked, but I did manage to win a best of 5 singles match 3-1. So, I can add Vietnam to the countries in which I’ve played competitive darts (USA, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines).
Day 2: Took a good long walk in the city to see what I could see. Saw the Ho Chi Minh museum with some captured American tanks and planes out front and thought about having a looksee, but changed my mind thinking I’d find the actual war museum I’d heard about. I didn’t though.
I guess snapping that photo tagged me as a tourist because the vendors descended upon me. One guy actually started “repairing” my shoes with glue. I’m like WTF, no thanks! But he kept right on. Then he untied my shoe and that was enough, I just walked away.
Met an American couple from California enjoying their honeymoon and shared some beers with them. I’m now Facebook friends with the wife! It started raining hard about the time I was planning to leave, so what could I do? Stay for more beer of course! Hey, I’m on vacation!
It was back to Sai Gon that night where I expected to meet some Hashers. I didn’t see any. Later as one guy was leaving he saw my Hash attire and said I could join them for a run on Sunday. Meet up at the Caravelle hotel. Let’s see if I can find it.
Very drunk end to the day, but once again I successfully found my way back home to the hotel. Day 3 report will have to wait as I have plans for more explorations in the bar district tonight and need to prepare.
Peace out!
Arrived safely and without incident. Got checked into my hotel room, which is quite nice for the price. Now I’m going to hit the mean streets of Saigon and do some exploring.
First impressions: It’s a comparatively clean city. I haven’t seen anything like the poverty that is rampant back home in the Philippines. Traffic is crazy but somehow it works, like a mad dance or something. Oh, and the women are quite gorgeous. They appear sweet and innocent, at least from a distance. Of course, I’ll need to investigate further.
I heard about the great food choices here in Vietnam. And they were right! Right outside baggage claim I find this:
Just kidding, I’m holding out for some real food. Okay, time to get out there and have a look see.
Busy as a bee getting it all together for my next adventure. Completed my paperwork for the visa on arrival processing, did my Philippines Air check-in and printed out my boarding pass, and of course packed my suitcase.
I have a 6:55 a.m. flight to catch in Manila and my driver suggests we leave Barretto at 0100. Between now and then I’ve got a Hash to participate in and then hopefully a few hours sleep before hitting the road.
Forty-six years ago the last place I wanted to be on Earth is where I now happily choose to visit and explore. I guess the difference is that I have the choice. Back in 1973 you might say I won the lottery–a lottery to determine who would be called to serve (drafted) in Uncle Sam’s military endeavors. And also in 1973 the draft was ended (one month before I turned 18). At the time you might say it felt like I had dodged a bullet. I actually came to regret not volunteering for military service, but that’s another story for another day.
And now at long last Vietnam is indeed my immediate destiny. I’m looking forward to seeing what I missed, without all the gunfire, rockets, and bombing of course. As close as I’ll get to that violence is a planned excursion to the war museum.
And of course I’ll be sharing all the excitement from the trip right here on LTG. Stay tuned!
We met as soul mates
On Parris Island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives
We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight
We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy
They gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might
We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our Doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we’d write
And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Remember Charlie
Remember Baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didn’t matter in the thick of the fight
We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On Parris Island
We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said we’d all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
A second place finish in darts last night. Not bad considering my partner Jerlyn is pretty much a rookie. Friday night had a similar outcome, except that after coming back through the loser’s bracket to play the team that put us there, we all agreed to just call it a tie, split the pot 50-50, and take our drunken asses home.
In other “news”…
I don’t have much else, but let me just dump some stuff I’ve found on Facebook and my wanderings around the internets…
Over in Thailand there was an unusual story of a foreigner fleecing a poor local. I mean, that’s pretty fucked up. The Thai local was a street food vendor. What’s worse than stealing from the poor? It’s almost always the other way around. I’ve been scammed a few times myself. You know, helping out a “friend” in need with a loan, never to be repaid. I mean, I get it. When you are living day-to-day and hand-to-mouth paying a debt to a “rich” foreigner is not going to be a priority. The shocking thing to me was that they didn’t even bother to give me an excuse, just broke off all contact. And these were people I had known for years. I’m obviously a horrible judge of character. So maybe I got lucky having dishonest people removed from my life. I’ll trust to Karma to extract a form of retribution on their lying asses as payment in full. Good riddance!
Three years ago I was putting on the last suit I ever expect to buy. Tailor-made of course!
Speaking of women, this was my gal three years ago (thanks for reminding me Facebook):
Also seen on FB today was this bulletin board posted in an American schoolhouse:
Speaking of language, I had never thought of this before:
I’ve always admired creative problem solving:
Although my breakfast this morning at Sit-n-Bull wasn’t exactly low carb either:
And finally, this is the second time I’ve used “sloppy seconds” as a post title. Back in April 2014 I also finished second in a darts tournament. And afterwards went out for a nice samgyeopsal dinner at my favorite place in Itaewon. With my wife, her daughter, and some friends. The next day we dined at Tabom Brazil with the esteemed Kevin Kim.
It never ceases to amaze me how everything in life can change. Not always in a good way, but we find a way to survive. Well, it feels more like dying and being reborn, if you get my meaning. Either way, it’s good to be alive! Let’s see what happens next.
Oh, this lunch break is gonna take all afternoon,
And half the night.
Tomorrow mornin’, I know there’ll be hell to pay,
Hey, but that’s all right.
I ain’t had a day off now in over a year.
My Jamaican vacation’s gonna start right here.
If the phone’s for me,
You can tell ’em I just sailed away.
And pour me somethin’ tall and strong,
Make it a “Hurricane” before I go insane.
It’s only half-past twelve but I don’t care.
It’s five o’clock somewhere.
So, the other day I did a Google search of my name. Yeah, I was that bored. It had been awhile but there wasn’t much new I hadn’t seen before. Well, it was a little shocking to see that one of those “find me” sites said I was 91 years old and still living in Lexington, SC. The other thing I found interesting and/or amusing was a blog called Joyful Public Speaking (from fear to joy), written by one Richard I. Garber, who back in March referenced a post of mine from 2010 about diversity training. Specifically, the term “flip” and its offensiveness to Filipinos.
Here’s what he cited:
A 2010 web article by John McCrarey titled Concerning Diversity Training had the following discussion:
“Anyway, as an example of insensitivity the instructor solemnly informed us that the visual aid commonly referred to as a ‘flip chart’ was offensive. Seriously. You see, ‘flip’ is a derogatory term applied to Filipinos. And so according to the trainer we should henceforth call the flip chart a rip chart.
To our credit, we didn’t let the trainer get away without asking some clarifying questions. Like, it is wrong to ‘flip a coin’? Is it permissible to ‘flip through the pages of a book’? Or how about if someone cuts you off in traffic–can you ‘flip them the finger’? Yeah, it’s true. We were certainly being ‘flip’ about the subject.”
Heh, indeed that was one of my finer moments. And I was in good company because the next reference in Garber’s post is from Jordan Peterson, as quoted by the New York Times. The Times being the Times it is unflattering of course, calling Peterson the “custodian of the patriarchy”. I’ll just call him “my hero”!
I’m always honored when someone links to my blog, whether it brings me any new readers or not. And it seemed like the least I could do was leave Garber a comment. And this is what I said:
HaHa! I just did a Google search of my name and found a link to your blog citing a post I made referencing “flip charts”. A belated thank you for the mention.
I actually live in the Philippines now. I certainly would never call any of my neighbors a “Flip”. I still wouldn’t have a problem referring to a “flip chart” in the context of a presentation board. But since I’m retired now I doubt I’ll have the need.
Here’s a funny anecdote: A web forum where I’m a member automatically corrects any usage of the term “flip” to Filipino. So, were I to type “everyone here wears flip flop shoes”, it becomes “Filipino flops”. Cracks me up every time. And by the way, do you know what Filipinos call that type of shoe? You guessed it–flip flops.
You gotta laugh.
So, if any of y’all think my using the term flip in the context of a flip chart is offensive, well, all I can say is I don’t give a flip.
Or maybe I’ll just say “you’re right”.
The story of a lifetime continues. Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, part 1.
1985-1986–Safety Specialist, USPS–Fort Smith, AR
Bobbie McLane was the Human Resources Director, my first boss as a member of management, and a great mentor. I needed that, because I was pretty much clueless.
How clueless? This clueless: After I had applied for the safety job but before I was interviewed, there was a labor-management meeting scheduled up in Fayetteville. Bobbie came down to my work station and asked if I’d like to ride to the meeting with her. I politely declined. I mean, after all, I was the union steward; I didn’t want it to appear I was cavorting with management! A bit later, Bobbie’s secretary came to see me and asked me “John, don’t you want the safety job?” I told her of course I did. She gave me a look that said “are you really that stupid?” but the words she used were “Bobbie wanted you to ride with her so she could get to know you better and talk about the job”. Oh shit! Well, I made sure I was seated with Bobbie for lunch and a few days later it was announced that I had been selected as the Fort Smith, Arkansas Management Sectional Center (MSC) Safety Specialist.
I was actually quite surprised to have been picked because I had absolutely zero background or training in safety. I had met with Bobbie numerous times in my union capacity and she told me she picked me for the safety job because she liked the way I handled myself in those meetings. I guess that just goes to prove that sometimes it’s not what you know, but who you know. And that’s not always a bad thing.
So that first year I spent several weeks at the Postal Service training facility in Potomac, MD learning how to do my job. Most of the courses were two or three weeks in duration, which gave me a good opportunity to explore DC on weekends, a city I had never previously visited. I wound up doing quite a bit of traveling, and I came to enjoy meeting women the perks associated with traveling on the government dime. I’m just now recalling a wild time an important meeting in Chicago. And in kind of a weird turn of events, I was attending an accident investigation course in Norman, Oklahoma on the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded.
One of the nice things about working in a small MSC (consisting of around 100 post offices in Northwest Arkansas) was that I was given the opportunity to take on additional duties and fill various voids that were not staffed. For example, I was designated as the MSC Public Affairs Officer, where I answered media inquires and dealt with disgruntled customers. It was pretty cool to come home from work one day and have my kids excitedly tell me “daddy, we saw you on TV today!”.
Bobbie started having me write her grievance decisions as well and once she was satisfied that I was firmly in management’s camp I became her designee for dealing with the union. It was strange at first to be arguing over labor disputes from a management perspective, but I reasoned it was really just about interpreting the words in the collective bargaining agreement.
Labor relations work was what I liked best so I started applying for labor vacancies all over the country. I got interviewed for a job in Charleston, SC and selected for one in Columbia, SC. So I loaded up my family (had a new wife now) and made the move. I felt bad about leaving Bobbie in the lurch after all that training and only 18 months or so on the job. But as a good HR manager should be, she was happy to see me progress in my career and was glad that she had given me the opportunity to learn and grow.
Not much to talk about today, but y’all know that has never stopped me before.
Anyway, I just got wind of this:
The first thing I do every morning after I wake up is look out the window. I mean, I’m paying a premium in rent for the view, so I need to get my money’s worth. This morning I saw this…
I guess I’ve always struggled somewhat with spelling (thank God for spellcheck!) and grammar. I never thought much about punctuation though until a commenter (alright, I’ll out him–Kevin Kim) noted that my comma usage could stand for some improvement. So, ever since, I’ve been cognizant of that problem, and now I try to inject a few commas, whether I need them or not! And now this morning I’m reading another blogger, Althouse, who was giving her take on the Bret “Bedbug” Stephens meltdown. Then she tacks on this addendum:
Excellent except to the extent that the provost is still doing 2 spaces after a period. Come on! Also, there’s no extra space before the new paragraph. That too much/too little combination is mildly infuriating.
Okay yeah, I get needing that space between paragraphs–it both looks better and makes for easier reading. But I’ll be damned if I’m not going to put two spaces between sentences. When did that rule change? I distinctly remember when I took typing in high school (for you youngsters, this was before keyboards were invented) two spaces after the period was not optional, it was a requirement. Someone is going to have to prove to me that two spaces is one space too many. Okay, rant over.
There was some good news on the ‘net today though. A new study has found that people who drink alcohol and coffee live longer. Well, you can’t argue with science, right? My only problem is that I usually only drink one cup of coffee each day. Hopefully the fact that I overindulge in beer drinking will counter any ill effects of my limited coffee intake.
And speaking of science, I rather enjoyed this take on “climate change”:
Scientists: Climate Change Killed Us Years Ago And The Trump Presidency Is Some Sort Of ‘Lost’ Final Season Situation.
There have been a number of dire warnings about climate change, with some saying we have only a decade to fix things. Others say we have only months. But now climate scientists have revealed the worst news of all: Climate change killed us years ago, and the Trump presidency is some purgatory-like trial similar to the last season of the TV show Lost.
“We’ve been crunching the data, and it’s the only thing that makes sense,” explained climate scientist Andrew Halloway at a press conference presenting the findings. He warned that their scientific conclusion is considered a spoiler for the final season of Lost but also said that the season was “terrible” and that “no one should watch it.”
“We probably died somewhere around 2016,” Halloway further explained. “That’s when everything got really weird — and everything since has been some sort of trial to teach us a lesson before we move on to the afterlife — maybe a lesson about teamwork or something.”
While the scientists presented a lot of data to back up their conclusion, many are doubting it or calling it “bad theology.” Some are even calling it “blasphemous” since it implies that God would copy the final season of Lost when God, being infinitely wise, most likely stopped watching the show after the first season.
I reckon the science is settled so no need to debate. We aren’t doomed. We are dead. It was nice knowin’ ya’s.
On a more serious note, if you are on your motor scooter, put the damn cell phone away!
Alright, I reckon that’s just about enough for now. Let me leave with you a couple of pics of my boys:
Yes, my dogs are gay. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
I was in for a bit of a surprise yesterday evening. I arrived at Alley Cats expecting a few folks would be there, but instead the place was packed. And I was greeted with a hearty “happy birthday, Kuya John!” I was stunned and a little embarrassed. Being the center of attention in a big crowd is really not my thing, but of course I went along with it, offering gracious and sincere thank yous.
So it turned out to be a good night. Despite my discomfort I was genuinely moved that so many people wanted to share time with me on my birthday. I know I rag a lot about being alone, a loner, and/or lonely; but damn, I was reminded that in just a little over a year I’ve met some good people that consider me a friend. It really did make me feel that I’ve found a home.
In the virtual world, I was astounded with the greetings I was besieged with on Facebook. They ran the gamut of the high school girlfriend, two of my ex-wives, friends from my Postal Service days, people I knew when I worked in DC, Korea peeps, folks from South Carolina, friends I’ll be seeing next week in Vietnam, and of course my kids and other family members. It may be hell to grow old, but you do acquire some nice memories with the people you have met along the road of life.
So yeah, it was a good birthday and a good time to reflect on all the positives I’ve been blessed with. I probably tend to dwell on the negatives way out of proportion to their importance or meaning in my life. I’ll try to hold on to the good thoughts and warm feelings as I plod along in this sixty-fourth year on planet Earth.
Nah, he knows not to bite the hand that feeds him!
I hope the day will be a lighter highway
For friends are found on every road
Can you ever think of any better way
For the lost and weary travelers to go?
Making friends for the world to see
Let the people know you got what you need
With a friend at hand you will see the light
If your friends are there then every thing’s all right
It seems to me a crime that we should age
These fragile times should never slip us by
A time you never can or shall erase
As friends together watch their childhood fly
Making friends for the world to see
Let the people know you got what you need
With a friend at hand you will see the light
If your friends are there then every thing’s all right
UPDATE: Well, how about that? I used “party hardy” back in May 2016 as well. Back then it was a friend’s birthday party and an ill-fated wedding party.