Born and raised in southern California. My career exodus has taken me to Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. And as of 23 January 2005, Seoul, Korea. Married with 6 grown children (blended family). First grandchild is in the oven! I created this blog to document my adventures as an expat living and working in Korea. I'm also pretty confident that I will on occasion feel the need to express my views on current events and other matters I find of interest.
Today I was feeling depressed motivated, so I took a longer than normal walk. I wanted to map out my trail for next week’s Hash and so I set about doing so. I hoofed it over to Johansson’s and turned on my tracker then walked the “short” trail, ending at the scheduled “on-home”, Treasure Island on Baloy Beach. That portion was 6.5 KM and took me right at two hours to complete (I’m slow on the uphills and descents).
While I was at Treasure Island I enjoyed a BLT sandwich and reflected on the fact that this is where I was staying one year ago while looking for my permanent lodging options
Now I needed to incorporate the longer trail into my map, so I turned off the tracker and walked Baloy Beach road back to the National highway. I turned the tracker back on at the junction where the short trail veers off to Alta Vista subdivision and proceeded to walk the 5 KM section that will hopefully give the runners the additional distance they crave. Anyway, the map came out looking like this:
That big loop to the left is the long trail portion. It rejoins the short trail at the checkered flag. The long trail doesn’t include the first 2 KMs of the short trail, so in total the long trail is 3KMs more than the short version. Basically 9 and 6 KMs. That’s good enough said the Hare.
I was a sweaty mess when I finished that hike! Speaking of motivation, this photo from 6 years ago appeared on my FB feed this morning:
A fat man on the mall in DC. Well, that was a heartbreak and 70 pounds ago. Man oh man, I didn’t have a clue what was coming…
Now that I’ve reached my weight loss goal (at or below 200 lbs) I will indulge myself when I so desire. Like last night. I was having a sandwich and I saw on the daily special menu “fresh baked pecan pie”. I’ll have some of that I told the waitress. And put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it.
Sorry the picture quality is so poor, I guess my flash was turned off. Anyway, it tasted much better than it looks here.
And finally, it is Mother’s Day and I’m of course missing my mama. It’s been over eight years since she passed but time doesn’t diminish the memory.
A mother’s hug lasts long after she lets go.
And so it goes.
I used to hurry a lot I used to worry a lot I used to stay out till the break of day Oh, that didn’t get it It was high time I quit it I just couldn’t carry on that way Oh, I did some damage, I know it’s true Didn’t know I was so lonely, till I found you
Today is the anniversary of my retirement and also my arrival in the Philippines.
I said goodbye to my Eighth Army family……and left my “palace” in Anjeong-ri.
Got on a plane that same day and started my new life here in the PI. Hopefully y’all have been following along with my “adventures” here at LTG.
Like anything else I suppose, you fall into your routines and rituals in retirement life. Finding ways to pass the hours, not necessarily in a meaningful way, but hopefully in a satisfying way. Reading the blog you might have concluded that pretty much all I do is walk and drink beer. Come to think of it, that is pretty much all I do.
I’m not complaining. Life isn’t perfect here but it’s comfortable at least. Probably my biggest disappointment has been not finding love, which I thought would be relatively easy once I made the move. In large part I know that failure is on me. As more than one reader has pointed out, I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places. I think in a fucked up kind of way I’m purposely setting myself up for failure. I’m honestly not wanting to put myself out there in such a way that I can be hurt again. Maybe that makes me a coward. Or maybe that makes me smart. Either way, for now I’m probably going to continue playing it safe.
I’ve also had a learning curve when it comes to friendships, at least with Filipinas. Eva proved to be a tremendous disappointment, “ghosting” me for reasons I still don’t understand. Gem simply took the money and ran. Who says you can’t put a price tag on friendship? So my track record at being a good judge of character remains pretty close to 0%. Ah well, live and learn. I don’t make friends easily anyway. I’d say I’ve established some friendly acquaintances amongst the expat community here, and maybe that’s enough.
On a more positive note, I do feel I’ve made good progress on my “making a difference” goal. I have my charity work, primarily with the orphanage. And four Filipinos on my payroll. And then there’s these two guys:
They never stand still long enough for a good picture…
So yeah, on balance I’m happy with the move. It’s a long way from my USA home and family but that life just doesn’t work for me anymore. There are certainly frustrating aspects to living in the Philippines, but on the plus side I’m learning to be patient (deep breath, relax, accept the Filipino way). And even on the worst of days, this is the view from my living room window:
I could do worse. Much worse.
Let’s see what year two holds in store, shall we?
This is the day of the expanding man That shape is my shade There where I used to stand It seems like only yesterday I gazed through the glass At ramblers, wild gamblers That’s all in the past
You call me a fool You say it’s a crazy scheme This one’s for real I already bought the dream So useless to ask me why Throw a kiss and say goodbye I’ll make it this time I’m ready to cross that fine line
UPDATE: Well damn, I used the “one year in” title for a post in January 2006. In that case I was talking about completing my first year in Korea. It was kind of interesting (to me) comparing my perspectives from then and now. What a ride it has truly been!
Ah, Facebook reminded me today that one year ago I was saying my final goodbyes in Korea.
It was good while it lasted!
I honestly haven’t missed my working life much, but the people, yeah that’s what mattered. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the old team in three weeks.
Meanwhile, my Philippines life continues on in the usual manner.
A long and satisfying walk this morning.And beers and sunsets at Cheap Charlies yesterday…
Oh, yesterday I also finalized my upcoming trail that I Hare on the 20th. It’s just a bit over 6 KM and that’s about right I think. I thought it was a pretty nice hike, two moderate uphills and a semi-steep descent. Everything in between was pretty easy and rather scenic. I’ve got an additional 3 KM I’ll incorporate for the runners, but that’s all streets. Fuck ’em.
And oh yeah, I won’t be hosting the “on-home” on the 13th. I offered but the powers that be decided to keep it at the Grandmaster’s bar (Hot Zone). The downside is our Filipina Hashers won’t be permitted to drink alcohol because it’s election day. Oh well. I’ll invite them over to my place for some beer when the Hash is done.
Now it’s time for me to head out for dart league.
I loved you all the summer through I thought I’d found my dream in you For me you were the one But that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone We walked together hand in hand ‘cross miles and miles of golden sand But now it’s over and done ’cause that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone
“We’re the only club event in the world where someone was rushed to the hospital because they forgot to take their drugs.”
So, I saw this article about old folks in the UK getting together on a weekly basis to get down and get wild and it gave me a chuckle. Elderly folks need to party too, don’t ya know?
The other day I had been sitting at Cheap Charlies and musing on life as I sipped beers and watched the world pass by below me. At least the portion of the world within my field of vision. Which is of course the world in which I reside. Anyway, it occurred to me that Barrio Barretto is really just a down and dirty retirement community for oldsters who just aren’t ready to settle down to a quiet and staid lifestyle. And man oh man, I see some expats here who are barely ambulatory but are still out there plying the streets with the help of walkers and canes. Got to respect them for that!
Ha! I’m reporting on this phenomenon as an observer, but of course I’m also a participant. Pretty much everyone who lives here full time is a pensioner of one type or another. The exceptions might be a business owner (most of the bars are foreign owned) and some people work via the Internet. And I’ve met a couple of folks who are just outright wealthy and could live anywhere in the world. It’s telling (about them or here I’m not sure) that they’ve chosen this little corner of the third world to call home.
Anyway, I know people as old as their late seventies. A couple of military retirees in the mid-forties is the other extreme. So, I guess that puts me somewhere in the middle. I’m still relatively healthy and active, which is more than I can say for many of my peers. The fact of the matter is that when I look around me I honestly don’t see anyone I’d want to trade places with. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing, but it is what it is.
So then, why are we all here? I think it’s because, like the Brits in the artilce linked above, none of us are quite ready to settle down. I remember seeing the retirement communities developed for oldsters in places like Sun Valley, Arizona. And even back then I couldn’t fathom the attraction of living such a boring and vanilla lifestyle. Here we have a vibrant nightlife scene, ranging from prostitution bars to more traditional activities like pool and dart leagues. There are also daytime activities like the Hash and golfing clubs. Or long walks on the beach. And perhaps the biggest attraction is having the freedom to come and go and do as we please without being judged or considered “too old”. The girls here have a saying “age is just a number”, and judging by the couples I see out and about they must be sincere. I have one friend who is 66 and his live-in girlfriend is 22.
John and Mango. She adores him and he is devoted to her. Isn’t that what a relationship is supposed to be all about? What’s age got to do with it?Oh, did I mention Mango is a hottie? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not envious. Much.
So yeah, I think the women here are part of the attraction. Guys like me ain’t gonna find any smokin’ hot babes half (or less) our age back in the homeland. And Filipinas are not your standard Western feminazis either, their natural instinct is take care of their man. Geez, I need to get out there and find me one of those! Seriously though, you can find a genuine caregiver for a fraction of what it would cost back home. And sometimes us old folks need that tender loving care. I sure do wish the one I had trained up hadn’t run away.
While far from perfect, life is good here for us old farts. And I do admire these ancient fuckers who are still in the game and not ready to sacrifice an active and engaged lifestyle for the proverbial rocking chair on the front porch. I think most of us who have chosen to live here know that we will likely die here. And we intend to do it with a smile on our face.
Over at Big Hominid’s Hairy Chasms, Kevin Kim shared his recipe for what he dubs a “dildo omelet”. Now, I usually just scramble my eggs because properly preparing an omelet is just too much of a pain in the ass. But Kev’s method of cooking one up was so fascinating I had to give it a try. You can follow his step-by-step preparation instructions at the link above, but here’s how I did mine in pictures:
I put a pot of water on the stove to boil and grabbed some eggs and cheese from the fridge. I wasn’t sure how much I could trust my bargain brand baggies, so I decided to double bag.Eggs and cheese in the bag. Next time I’ll consider adding some mushrooms too. Anyway, you kinda smash all the ingredients around until they are well-blended then hold up the baggie and let them settle to the bottom.Turn the water down just enough to where it stops boiling and drop in the baggie, eggs at the bottom. Let that cook in the pot for around 12 minutes then flip it around so the other side of the eggs can get some heat for around 3 minutes.If you are like me you’ll want to be frying up some bacon while the eggs are cooking.You’ve heard of a Denver omelet, here’s what my dildo omelet looks like. Honestly though, I’m not sure it looks all that much like a dildo. Maybe I did it wrong.I like some salsa with my eggs and I’ve got to say it was damn delicious! Thanks for the tip, Kevin!
I had never heard of preparing eggs in this manner. One of my Facebook commenters says they did eggs like this in Girl Scouts. Who knew? I’ll definitely be using this method in the future.
Yesterday’s Hash was challenging. Given that the German (Almoranus) and his Austrian pal (Vienna Sausage) were the Hares, that’s not surprising. Of course we did the big mountain, but the up route, while steep, wasn’t vertical like they normally prefer. No, it was Mother Nature who set about mucking things up.
The afternoon was cloudy with some light sprinkles. I was fine with that because it cooled things down a tad.
Loaded up in the Hashmobile and ready to roll on out of Johansson’s.
Even so, the climb up the mountain was a hot and sweaty one. Took about 30 minutes of hard work to reach the top.
I stopped to catch my breath about half way up and snapped this photo…
The sky continued to darken and the clouds were looking ominous as we continued along the trail. I knew it was just a matter of time, but would the rain hold off until we were safely ensconced at our “on-home”?
We began making our way back down, slowly and surely as is my style. You might recognize Easter mountain off in the distance.
Shortly after the above photo was taken the skies opened up and the rain came down hard and fast. This created several problems. The already challenging downhill became muddy and even more treacherous. And the rain washed away most of the powder used to mark the trail which made it quite difficult to follow. Then my glasses got so damn wet I could barely see.
About half way down I lost the trail. No big deal. I knew where I was so it was just a matter of finding a decent path back down into Barretto. And I managed to do that without falling or otherwise fucking up. Once safely on the road (my old friend Rizal Extension) I noticed several Hashers on up ahead of me a couple of blocks. So I guess my downhill path must have run almost parallel to the one I should have taken. From there is was just enduring a rain soaked walk back to Johansson’s. All told the path I walked was just under 6 KM.
In other news I bought a plane ticket to Korea yesterday. I’ll fly out on May 30 and return to the PI on June 13. I’ll spend part of the time in Seoul and the rest in Pyeongtaek. I plan to catch up with some friends, walk old trails, and get my annual physical examination. Looking forward to it.
It’s Children’s Day in Korea…And for my Mexican friends, it’s Cinco de Mayo!But as far as I’m concerned this sweetie’s birthday is the best thing about May 5.Granddaughter Gracyn turns 14 today. I don’t see how that is mathematically possible seeing as how I identify as a 30 year old. Shut up! Don’t be a hater!I reckon I’ll celebrate in my traditional way–copious amounts of beer!
So, it turns out yesterday’s journey wasn’t to a remote island after all. Instead we traveled to a remote cove, Sampaloc Cove to be precise. A scenic place with some interesting history. Feel free to read more at the link above. Here’s some photos and commentary from the trip:
The boat what took us.My fellow passengers waiting to load up. On board and ready to travel!Departing from the Arizona Resort and leaving the floating bar behind…Across the bay we must go. The trip took right at one hour…My hung is better. *ahem*Off in the distance is the now defunct and bankrupt Hanjin Shipyard. Rumor has it the Chinese would love to come in and take over. Which is why I have an exit strategy….Some purdy mountains…The lighthouse at Redondo Peninsula…Around the bend and coming into Sampaloc Cove.On the beach……beach viewSetting up camp.Girls chillin’A Yank, a Kiwi, and an Aussie went to the beach…Cookin’ Filipino style…“Damn it, isn’t that food ready yet?”A traditional Filipino card game broke out. I don’t know what it’s called or how it’s played, but I did see money changing hands.I did a little walkabout….Native children…The local tribe is called the Aeta. They live a hard and poor life, but like most Filipinos they are happy and friendly. We paid them 100 pesos ($2) a head for letting us use “their” beach. Money well spent!Some of our group frolicking in the clear waters of Sampalic…Late in the afternoon we loaded up and headed on home…Arriving back at Barretto beach before sundown…It was a good day for the beach. Unlike this morning…
Just a quick update on the health front. Most of my leg pain is gone although the swelling has not entirely dissipated. The nebulizer has helped some on the breathing front. I was still feeling lethargic and unmotivated yesterday but perhaps that’s a side effect of the drugs I’m taking. Or maybe I’m just lazy. I’ve had two days of great BP readings in the one-teens but my resting heart rate is way up in the mid seventies. Weird. Anyway, I feel like I’m making progress on the road to recovery.
In fact, I’m feeling well enough to take a boat trip out to some remote island I can’t recall the name of at the moment. Going with some friends from the Hash. Should be interesting, or at least more interesting than blogging about my health.
More to follow. In the meantime, I’ll leave you this:
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
Sorry. I’ve got a real dislike of our so called “fourth estate”. The media has a traditional role in keeping our government honest which they’ve abdicated for partisan purposes. And now they have no credibility whatsoever. That does not bode well for our future. Luckily, I’m just a grouchy elderly man and maybe won’t be around to witness the fallout.
Last night was the first night since moving to the Philippines almost one year ago that I haven’t gone out drinking. And no, I didn’t have some kind of epiphany that nothing good will come from the pleasures you find at the bottom of several bottles of cold brew. Rather, my abstinence was a reflection of just how damn sick I truly was.
The illness seemed to come out of nowhere. Everything went fine at the Hash on Monday. The only thing that was unusual was a couple of Hashers happened to wander into the bar where I was enjoying an after Hash beer. Well, one thing led to another and the next thing I knew someone had bought a round of vodka shots. Of course under the rules of bar etiquette, I was obligated to reciprocate. So the back and forth continued until I had consumed at least four shots. As a low alcohol beer drinker, those shots hit me pretty hard. Yeah, I went home drunker than I’ve been in quite some time.
So, the next morning when I woke up feeling poorly I assumed it was merely a hangover from my over indulgence. But then I noticed some pain in my leg, light-headedness, and a lack of energy that gives new meaning to the word lethargic. I actually had a hard time just making it down the stairs. I knew then whatever was ailing me was not about alcohol consumption.
My domestic helper Tere is also a certified caregiver and she went into full-on care giving mode. She took my temperature and I was in fact running a fever. While I was napping on the couch (too damn hard to get up the stairs) she scheduled an appointment with a doctor at our local hospital.
That would be Our Lady of Lourdes International Medical Center.
I really didn’t want to go. First of all it seemed pointless and secondly I just didn’t have the energy to get up and go. Tere was insistent saying the doctor was waiting on me and finally I didn’t have the energy to keep saying no.
I thought the doctor seemed okay. I mean, I knew there wasn’t much he could do. He took my blood pressure and it was sky high (160!). He listened to my breathing and noticed right away that I’ve been having some issues. I told him I have COPD but that it’s been a lot worse for a few weeks. I suggested maybe because of the heat and he nodded but said I might also have a bronchial infection. He also referred to me as “elderly” once. Bastard! Bottom line, he wanted me to schedule a chest x-ray and some blood work which I may do tomorrow. In the meantime he wrote prescriptions for two antibiotics, some other stuff that is supposed to help clear my lungs of phlegm, including some juice for a nebulizer.
My old nebulizer I brought from Korea wasn’t functioning well, so I picked up this one yesterday. Ain’t she a beaut?
Anyway, by my count I spent around 18 hours in bed/on the couch yesterday. After a nebulizer session I did feel like I was breathing easier and lost the hacking cough. I still have no idea what’s going on with my leg. I was so out of it yesterday I forgot to mention it to the doc. A few days ago I got what I thought was a mosquito bite, but it was bigger than most and never really went away. Then I was thinking maybe I got poked by a thorn on one of my hikes. Whatever it is it got infected. My leg was very swollen this morning and quite painful. Oddly enough, it hurts more when I am inactive. I got my morning 10,000 steps in without much problem. And maybe the antibiotics are kicking in because the swelling appears to be down this afternoon.
And yes, it crossed my mind that the water with the nasty ass ice the half drunk guy provided me on Sunday’s hike may indeed have made me sick.
Not much to report on the Hash this week. A little over 8 KMs, but completely flat (both the Hares are in their 70’s). Not really new territory for me either, although one section is where I had been exploring a few days ago when the trail I was walking on dead ended in someone’s yard. The kids that live there showed me how to get back on the road and I rewarded them with 20 pesos each. Monday’s Hash trail went through the same damn yard! The kids really smiled when they saw me coming.
And I did run into a bunch of cocks on the trail as well.
Here’s to your health!
UPDATE: I’ve used the “sick and tired” heading twice previously. Interestingly (to me at least), in November 2016 I wrote about the coughing fits I’d been having. They continued and got a lot worse before I was finally diagnosed with COPD.
The other post was from February 2012 when I still had a wife to share my illness with. Oh well.
Plying my favorite bargirls at Alaska Club with chocolate and ladydrinks. I quaffed a fair amount of SM Zero beer myself. How much does that kind of fun cost me? A little less than $40! Only in the Philippines!
Up earlier than normal this morning so I decided to take advantage of the relatively cooler hours and do an elongated hike.
Just under 14K. Took me 3.5 hours, but I move slow going up and down the mountains.Spent some time on the beach……but mostly I was above the beach…The majority of the trek was along the mountain ridge line. Which I guess technically put me closer to the sun…And the sun was a pretty bitch today. I don’t recall seeing that rainbow effect before.
I didn’t really expect I’d be out so long and didn’t bring enough water. I took my last swallow as I started my descent from the mountaintop and once I reached the bottom I was on Rizal Extension. I popped into one of the ubiquitous sari-sari stores and asked for a bottle of water.
I didn’t take this photo, but this is the typical look for these small markets. As Wikipedia describes them: “A sari-sari store, or neighborhood sundry store, is a convenience store found in the Philippines. The word sari-sari is Tagalog meaning “variety” or “sundry”. Such stores form an important economic and social location in a Filipino community and is ubiquitous in neighborhoods and streets.Wikipedia “
Anyway, this one didn’t have any water available but the owner vaguely pointed across the street and said something in Tagalog. I was pretty thirsty at this point so I walked over and asked an older gentleman sitting there if he had water for sale. There were several empty bottles of Red Horse (a powerful local beer) sitting on the table in front of him so I think he was halfway drunk. But he hopped up and went inside then came back out carrying some chunks of ice in his unwashed hands. He said the water wasn’t cold and I said that’s fine, I don’t mind warm water. He waved me off, then proceeded to smash the ice against the dirty wall until the pieces were small enough to fit into a container sitting on the table. Then he filled the container with water from a dispenser he had sitting on the porch. He smiled and said “just wait, it will chill”.
Hmm. Well, I would have preferred the water direct from the dispenser, but what are you gonna do? He asked me how old I was, I told him 63. He smiled and said that he and his friend (who was sitting at the other end of the porch) were both 55. So, we all shook hands. Then I poured the water from his container into my empty water bottle. I offered him some money for his trouble and he refused it saying “we are neighbors”. So I thanked him again and was on my way.
And there you have a good example of Filipino friendliness. I’ll let you know if I develop a case of diarrhea. Yes, I did quench my thirst with the gifted water. I also bought a bottle of Gatorade at the next sari-sari store I came across.
Anyway, I finished my hike with a jaunt over a portion of My Bitch without further incident. Well, I was accosted by a pack of dogs, but I was prepared for those bastards since they always seem to lay in wait of an ambush at the end of that trail. I had my walking stick and a handful of rocks at the ready and challenged them with a hearty “come and get it motherfuckers!”. The keep barking but back off a respectable distance from the crazy guy. I learned that the best course of action is being aggressive with aggressive dogs from my days as a mailman.
And that was the end of today’s adventure. So far.
It’s not having what you want It’s wanting what you’ve got
I’m gonna soak up the sun I’m gonna tell everyone To lighten up (I’m gonna tell ’em that) I’ve got no one to blame For every time I feel lame I’m looking up I’m gonna soak up the sun
I refrain from engaging in politics much these days, but that doesn’t mean I’m not observing the ever escalating bullshit emanating from the Democrat presidential wannabes. And now Joe Biden has entered the fray by recycling the whopper that Trump said some of the neo-Nazis at Charlottesville were “fine” people. Which as anyone with half a brain knows is a complete fabrication. As Althouse notes:
I can only hope the vast majority of Americans are tuned in enough to utterly reject this kind of bullshit. Well, I guess with the economy humming along, lies are all the Democrats have to run on.
Nope!
Meanwhile, here in the real world (at least the one I live in) things continue pretty much as the always do.
Beers and sunsets on the Blue Rock floating bar…Morning walks……and afternoon walks…With views like this along the way.
Summer is upon us now so I find it best to be off the streets by 10:00 a.m. and pick up again after 3:00 p.m. Two shorter walks as opposed to one long hot one. We’ll see if I can maintain that kind of motivation.
I continue to self-medicate my bout of the blues.
A few beers do seem to change my outlook. At least temporarily…
Honestly speaking I’ve got no room to complain and what I do complain about are things pretty much within my control to change. Sometimes it’s just easier to go along to get along. And sometimes it isn’t. I’m kind of in a transition between the two at the moment I think. But rest assured a bad day here is better than a lot of the so-called good days I’ve lived in the past.
I’ve just got to stop giving people the power to hurt me. Heh, you’d think after 63 years on this planet I’d have figured that out by now.
You stand in the line just to hit a new low You’re faking a smile with the coffee to go You tell me your life’s been way off line You’re falling to pieces every time And I don’t need no carryin’ on
‘Cause you had a bad day You’re taking one down You sing a sad song just to turn it around You say you don’t know You tell me don’t lie You work at a smile and you go for a ride You had a bad day The camera don’t lie You’re coming back down and you really don’t mind You had a bad day
Yeah, one of those wallowing in self pity kind of days.
A two hour hike in the mountains and on the beach (heh, bitch and beach) took some of the edge off.
Anyway, I’ll get over it. Soon I hope.
In the meantime, I decorated my dart board up some with souvenirs from my glory days, such as they were.
Pins and medals…
All the love I’m getting these days is of the canine variety.
Lucky ain’t got a care in the world.
And this gave me a chuckle:
I’m old school…PB&J.
That’s all I got today folks. I’m off to the orphanage for my monthly pizza party with the kids this afternoon. That ought to cheer me up. Or at least snap me out of this feeling sorry for myself bullshit. We’ll see.
To think that only yesterday I was cheerful, bright and gay Looking forward to, well, who wouldn’t do The role I was about to play
But as if to knock me down Reality came around And without so much as a mere touch Cut me into little pieces
Leaving me to doubt Talk about God in His mercy Who, if He really does exist Why did He desert me?
And in my hour of need I truly am, indeed Alone again, naturally
The worst thing about being retired is that you never get a day off. To hell with that, I took one yesterday anyway. Of course, since I don’t do much anyway it’s hard to tell the difference. In this case, the difference was that I just completely blew off walking. Other than walking to the bars I mean. I’m not crazy!
That’s my feet after Monday’s climb/hike. It was dirty work. Maybe I just needed some recovery time.
Speaking of the hike, thanks to Kevin Kim for the shout out on his blog. As I told him in the comments I am unworthy of such high praise. But I appreciate the support!
We can all use a little encouragement after all:
Motivation!
And oh yeah, I stole this one from Kev’s blog too:
Ain’t it a shame?
What else? Well, we had a little aftershock at 0200 which I happened to be awake for because I was doing one of my coughing jags. Not sure what is going on with the lungs but I’m periodically hocking up gobs of phlegm and experiencing shortness of breath. Not as bad as it was a couple of years ago, but not as good as I had been doing a couple of months ago. Maybe it’s just the heat or a touch of bronchitis. I plan on getting a complete physical exam when I visit Korea next month.
Also, deafness is getting to be quite a problem for me lately. I never thought I’d hear myself say that. *ahem*
Speaking of the earthquake situation, there was another largish quake yesterday on the next island over. The Philippines sits on the infamous “ring of fire” so I guess this is nothing to get all shook up about.
Enjoying my beers at Cheap Charlies last night and observed what may or may not have been damage from the recent quake. The bargirl I was drinking with says it was preexisting damage, but my story is much more exciting!
Alright, well time for me to get off my lazy ass and walk the dogs. But not before leaving you some gratuitous proud dog owner photos.
Here you see Lucky and Buddy learning to obey the “stay!” command in the face of temptation! And here they are utterly failing in that endeavor…But I love them anyway of course!
Happy trails to you!
Please don’t ask me what’s on my mind I’m a little mixed up, but I’m feelin’ fine When I’m near that girl that I love best My heart beats so it scares me to death!
She touched my hand what a chill I got Her lips are like a volcano that’s hot I’m proud to say she’s my buttercup I’m in love I’m all shook up Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah!
Quite an adventure yesterday climbing the rocks on Easter mountain and once we got back down, the rocks began to roll. But bottom line up front, I made it to the top.
Success was in question before I even got started. As we made our way to the drop off point in the Hashmobile I realized I must have left my walking stick back at Johannson’s. Shit! Well, I wasn’t sure I was going to attempt getting all the way up anyway, discretion being the better part of valor and all. But without my stick I knew I was fucked. I rely on it for balance going up and more importantly, as a brake on the way back down. So upon arrival I get out of the truck and I’m contemplating my next move when a fellow Hasher hands me my stick and says you left this inside. So, it seemed fated that I was going to at least attempt to climb the mountain.
And indeed it was more of a climb than a hike. Getting up required the use of hands as well as feet, which is unusual. I knew from observing the mountain from a distance that the last 1/3 of the trail would be the steepest and toughest and I was not disappointed in that regard. There were a couple of times the voice in my head was saying “fuck this!” but my response was always “too late to turn back now!” And as I mentioned at the outset, in the end I persevered.
Coming back down presented its own challenges, primarily gravity and forward momentum. But with the aid of my trusty walking stick I maintained balance and kept me feet on the ground where they belong.
So, when it was all said and done I’m glad I made the climb and will look forward to doing it again next year. Maybe.
Once back on flat ground we were awaiting the arrival of the stragglers. And then I heard a low, rolling, rumble. And suddenly there was a whole lotta shakin’ going on. Yep, an earthquake was upon us. I grew up in SoCal so it wasn’t new to me, but that feeling of helplessness in the face of Mother Nature doing her thing is something you never get used to. Some reports put the epicenter at just a few kilometers from where I stood. And at 6.1 on the Richter scale, it was quite a ride. Only lasted about 15 seconds which is a good thing given the general lack of quality in construction methods and materials in these parts. That said, news reports say 8 died and several buildings were damaged, including the terminal at Clark airport in Angeles.
Quite the day! Let’s go to the pictures:
The trail. The runners ran back to Barretto and on-home at Hot Zone. The rest of us rode the truck back.The Hashmobile was packed as usual.Let’s roll!Our destination.Last minute instructions from the Hare.And we are off on our quest for the summit.So far so good.Steeper as she goes…Yours truly movin’ on up! Damn, too bad I’m not a mountain goat. You can see a guy at the top if you look closely.Now this actually proved quite tricky. Had I weighed 10 pounds more I would have been screwed. It was a tight squeeze as it was.I finally made it to the top and these Harriettes were chillaxin’ and taking in the view.And what a view! Looking North…East…South…And West.A shrine to the Virgin Mary was up top…And of course the Cross. Would it be “Easter” mountain without one?Filipina Rock Candy. Yum!Some reports say the epicenter was in Castejillos, just a couple of KMs away. I hiked out that way recently. It would have been real freaky if the quake had struck 30 minutes earlier when I was on top of the mountain. I likely would have shit my pants!So, at the end of the day I wasn’t a turkey after all. I came, I saw, I conquered. Why did I climb Easter mountain? Because it was there! You can quote me on that!In addition to the quake, there was an odd phenomenon in the sky. Looks almost like a blue tornado. Without the wind and destruction–just a light show.And finally, here’s a useful tip: Don’t wear new shoes to the Hash. Otherwise you’ll be drinking beer out of them. Just one of our rituals…
It was a day full of challenges and excitement. Just what I needed!
Nothing much happening around here. Early to bed last night and of course early to rise as well. That did enable me to get my morning steps in by 0930, thereby beating some of the heat. I’ve been chillin’ and nappin’ since then, but now it’s time to go out and Hash.
I’ve mentioned before that I just don’t watch much TV, online or otherwise. But since it’s too damn hot and I’m stuck indoors I figured what the hell, let’s see what’s on. I canceled my Netflix a while back and as much as I’d like to catch up on Game of Thrones I’m not sure I want to commit to an HBO subscription. Then I recalled that I’m paying for an Amazon Prime membership and that includes a pretty good lineup of online programming. The first series I clicked on “wasn’t available in my area” so I tried a series billed as original Prime programming. It’s called “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”. Here’s the trailer:
Now, back in the day I read some of Clancy’s books featuring the Ryan character and they were pretty good. John Krasinski as Ryan took some suspension of the memory of his role in The Office, but he’s not bad really. I’ve only watched the first episode so I’m going to withhold judgement for now. It did seem to be a little sympathetic to the motivations of the terrorist character so we’ll see if this show goes the full libtard route or not. I’ll commit to a couple of more episodes and let you know.
Today’s Hash will be the climb up Easter Mountain.
It’s an annual tradition to climb the mountain on the Monday after Easter. Some Hashers have said it’s really tough and they won’t be going back again. I’m going to attempt it with every intention of turning around in retreat if I ain’t feelin’ it. I’ll let you know how that goes.
And that’s all I’ve got on this hot Monday.
Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day; Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way. Oh, Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be. Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me? Every other day, every other day Every other day of the week is fine, yeah. But whenever Monday comes – but whenever Monday comes You can find me crying all of the time.
Congrats to Kevin Kim who just completed a 58K “stroll” in just under 17 hours. I guess you’d call that pulling an all nighter. I admire his accomplishment but it is not one I have any desire to replicate.
Speaking of Kevin, I also always appreciate his helpful hints on proper grammar and punctuation. Which is to say he is never a Nazi about it. I thought of the Big Hominid when I saw this the other day:
What would Jesus say on this Easter day?
Meanwhile, I’m having a hard time maintaining my 20,000 daily step goal. It’s fucking hot in the morning when I walk the dogs which saps my desire to do my morning 10K. And then by the late afternoon when it starts to cool off some I no longer have the time or energy to get out for a long hike. Ah well, I’ll just have to try and find some inspiration like the guy who literally walks all night long.
This morning’s effort. I found the dirt road through the valley I’d been looking for, but alas, it wound up being a dead end and I was forced to retreat.I did encounter this carabao/bird combination on trail today. Honestly, passing by those beasts always makes me nervous. They are huge and VERY horny…
Last night I prowled the streets of Barretto (what else is new?). The holidays are crazy here, but all my favorite haunts were open.
The lights of the city with the full moon providing additional illumination.
And finally, this made me laugh:
Build that wall!
Tough times these days. Need to change my life and get back on track. Am I up for the challenge? Stay tuned!
He’s got a daughter he calls Easter She was born on a Tuesday night I’m just wondering why I feel so all alone Why I’m a stranger in my own life Jump in, let’s go Lay back, enjoy the show Everybody gets high, everybody gets low These are the days when anything goes
Everyday is a winding road I get a little bit closer Everyday is a faded sign I get a little bit closer to feeling fine
It was in the springtime of my nineteenth year. I had a decent enough job doing vinyl plastic fabrication. I shared a two bedroom apartment in Huntington Beach, CA with my older brother and I was driving an almost new 1974 Datsun pickup truck. My girlfriend was a 17 year old hottie named Bridget, whom I wasn’t in love with, but she loved sex almost as much as I did. And I had just acquired an adorable German Shepherd puppy I named Angie. So life was as good for me as it had ever been.
I recall picking Bridget up from her job as a sales clerk in Westminster Mall. She got in my pickup and immediately announced “I’m pregnant”. I was stunned at this news and blurted out “Damn it! If I knew you were going to get pregnant I wouldn’t have got the dog!”. And so began my reluctant journey into fatherhood.
Bridget and I both agreed we were not ready or equipped to be parents. She was a Catholic though and abortion for her was not an option. So we decided instead to give the baby up for adoption. Bridget’s parents were quite conservative and had never approved of me anyway and they were very unhappy with the news of the pregnancy. So we decided it would be best for all concerned if she moved out of the house and we’d get a place of our own until the baby was born. We made all the arrangements with the County adoption agency and we were provided free prenatal care and monthly food stamps. And so it came to pass that we were living together in a small apartment in Midway City.
So named I suppose because it was stuck midway between Westminster and Huntington Beach.
We were of course unsure when the child had been conceived, but the doctor estimated a due date in October. Now, I was big time into softball in those days and I happened to be playing in a tournament on a Sunday afternoon in early September. Bridget was there with me and around about the third inning she came to me complaining about not feeling well. I told her to go sit down and wait for the game to finish. At the start of the fifth inning my sister-in-law, a registered nurse, told me Bridget wasn’t well and I really needed to take her home. I remember making a big deal about apologizing to my teammates–“sorry guys, I have to leave now because someone has a tummy ache”.
On the drive back home every few minutes Bridget would start moaning loudly in pain. I was 19 and of course knew everything so I told her “it was just false labor, after all, you are not due until next month.” She persisted with her intermittent moans so as we were passing the hospital I pulled off the freeway and told her “Fine. We’ll go in here and they will tell you the same thing I’ve been saying!” And that is where two hours later my daughter Renee was born.
The next day I briefly saw Renee sleeping in one of those baskets in the maternity ward. Then I had to hurry off to work. My employer had moved to Pasadena, CA over an hours drive away. So I get to work and I can’t stop thinking about my helpless baby girl. At lunchtime I told the boss I was leaving and rushed back down the freeway to the hospital. As I entered Bridget’s room the woman from the adoption agency was handing her the papers to sign relinquishing custody of our baby. I shouted “stop! wait! I want to talk to Bridget first.” The adoption woman left and I said to Bridget “let’s get married and keep the baby instead”. Bridget said “okay”.
That was by far the best decision I’ve ever made. Bridget’s parents didn’t think so. Her father was livid and threatened to have me arrested for statutory rape (Bridget was still 17). I told him good luck with that. I had just turned 20 and still had some rebel in me I suppose. Anyway, he didn’t involve the law but he made things more difficult than they needed to be. Wouldn’t allow Bridget to marry so we waited for her 18th birthday in November. And he forbade Bridget’s siblings from attending our wedding ceremony. Petty bullshit. He came around in time and we were cordial but I never forgot how he treated us when we had nothing.
Well, I say we had nothing but that’s not entirely correct. We certainly were not prepared to have a baby in the house. That first night Renee actually slept in a dresser drawer. But we did have friends and the next day they held an impromptu baby shower and they filled our place with all things necessary to get a newborn started out right. I’ll never forget that either.
Life changed. We rented a two bedroom house next door to my parents (a loving grandma makes the best kind of baby sitter). I found a better job in route sales and about a year after Renee was born I started my government career as a letter carrier (mailman) with the United States Postal Service. With that new found financial security (and health insurance!) we felt it was time to plan for an addition to the family. And in March of 1978 Renee had a baby brother named Kevin sharing the house. Kevin actually arrived on his due date and having done the required natural childbirth classes I was present in the delivery room when Kevin entered the world. It was a beautiful thing to witness.
Being a parent makes you see things differently, or at least it did for me. For one thing I didn’t want to raise my kids in Orange County. We vacationed frequently in Arizona and just a few months after Kevin’s birth my transfer request to Prescott was accepted.
Without a doubt, the nicest place I ever did live. Probably around 25,000 residents at the time. Situated a mile high in the Bradshaw mountains. Felt like heaven to me!Meet the parents at our first house in Prescott, AZ. After a year we became homeowners and continued living the American dream.Celebrating Christmas in Arizona with my mom and little brother. I quite enjoyed the life as a family man.
Being a parent truly is “till death do us part”. Not so much for marriages. Bridget was 23, working at Prescott’s upscale restaurant, and running with a fast crowd. Sometimes she would stay out all night. I finally put my foot down and she told me “I don’t want to have to come home after work and be a wife and mother”. We got divorced and she gave me custody of the two kids, now aged 5 and 3. And thus began my journey as a single father.
Lord almighty, but it was tough going those first few months. I was a letter carrier which meant starting work at 0630. So I had to get up early, get the kids to daycare, do my job, pick the kids up, feed and bathe them, get them in bed, and then collapse in sheer exhaustion. And then get up the next morning and do it all over again. I’m not ashamed to admit that when I needed help I cried out for my mama. And she of course was there for me. We decided the best option was to send the kids home with her to the farm in Oklahoma. I would either come get them when I was ready or move there myself when a transfer came through. And that’s how it turned out that my kids were raised on a farm.
And what a life they had! Horses and cows and country living. Surrounded with love from Grandma and Grandpa and great Grandma Pernie. Granted, I was never any great shakes as a father, but damn it, sometimes I did get lucky. I did eventually move to the area, but I left the kids where they wanted and needed to be. I was pretty much a weekend dad in those days, but it all worked out for best.
Hanging with Grandpa Lee.And daddy was there sometimes too…Both of the kids really got into horses…Renee especially had a natural talent for horseback riding……and she has the ribbons and trophies to prove it!
HaHa! I guess that’s enough of the proud papa bullshit. On with the story. Well, it came to pass that I got to know a woman (actually, I got to know LOTS of women in those days, but that’s for another chapter) named Beckie. She was a widow with a one year old daughter. After dating for awhile, I moved into her fine home in Poteau, Oklahoma. She was and is a good woman and great with the kids. And then in 1986 I accepted a big promotion with the Postal Service in Columbia, SC. Now what do I do?
Well, as much as it pained me to yank the kids from my mother’s embrace (and it pained her much more I know) I wasn’t going to leave them behind. Beckie consented to my proposal to marry and so the deal was done. I’d have my kids and someone to help me raise them. How about that?
I’m not a totally selfish bastard. I promised the kids we’d find a place where we could bring the horses, and I did keep that promise. We lived out in the wilds of Lexington, SC and they went to school in nearby Pelion. It was a small high school and both of them excelled in sports and did well academically. Beckie was a Speech Pathologist and found work in a nearby school district. And I was busy kicking ass in my new career field of labor relations. More on that in a future chapter.
Our house in Lexington. Sitting on two acres of land. Built a barn and stable out back.
And so that was our life. When your kids reach high school age they are doing their own thing and parents are confined to keeping an eye out so they don’t go too far astray. I was lucky that my kids focused on athletics (well, and Renee was also into boys) and didn’t make the mistakes I did in high school. I spent a lot of my free time with them in the basketball arena, baseball diamond, and at the track.
Kevin was varsity baseball, basketball, and cross country.
Me escorting Renee at the Homecoming Queen festivities. Renee went off to Francis Marian University in Florence, SC but was home to watch her little brother graduate from high school…
Of course, even when your kids are grown, they are always your kids and an important part of your life. Just not a daily part. When it was all said and done and I had all those newly freed up hours previously spent at sporting events, I thought to myself “now what?” And sadly, I realized that the only thing I had in common with Beckie was our mutual interest in raising the kids. Yeah, I was that kind of motherfucker. So I started an affair with the woman who eventually became wife #3, which of course necessitated divorcing Beckie. I remind myself that whatever bad karma I may have in relationships was probably earned then and there.
I would also be remiss if I don’t talk about my other child, Beckie’s daughter Avery. She was only one when I met her mom and I’m the only father she has ever known. Unfortunately, I was a distant dad to her at best, and once I divorced her mother, I was almost completely absent from her life. Of course, Renee and Kevin considered her a sister and they all stayed close. As did Beckie with my kids. By now I had taken another promotion in Arlington, VA and they all remained in South Carolina. I was odd man out so to speak.
It was only as an adult that I came to terms with Avery and I think for the most part she has forgiven me for the hurt I caused her, however unintentional. Now we hang out when I’m visiting, and she even came here to the Philippines a couple of years ago to join me on vacation.
I got lucky again having a second chance with this sweet young woman.
And life moves on. I disappeared to Korea for almost 12 years and now I hang my hat in the Philippines. The kids have kids of their own and are living their lives just fine without me there. It is great that Beckie is still a mom to them and even their real mother reappeared in their life when she retired and moved to South Carolina.
We always get on and have some fun when I’m around, which ain’t often I admit.Kevin had a long and successful career in journalism and now is doing great work in the insurance biz.Renee has given me two beautiful grandchildren and after a hurtful divorce is finding her way in the world again.
And the wheel in the sky keeps on turning. Childhood ends. The rebellious teen years pass. But this chapter of my life will never end. Indeed, I’ll live on through my children. That’s a legacy I can be proud of!
All together again last October. I’m pretty much a once a year dad these days.
Winter is here again oh Lord, Haven’t been home in a year or more I hope she holds on a little longer Sent a letter on a long summer day Made of silver, not of clay I’ve been runnin’ down this dusty road
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin’ I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin’
Well, actually I haven’t felt groovy since around 1969. But that old song came up in my playlist while hiking yesterday so I thought I’d put the title to use. These days everything might not be right on, but my life is pretty far out and all things considered that’s outta sight! Damn, I can still speak 1970s.
So, I didn’t do the Wednesday Sausage Walkers yesterday, although I had planned to. In fact I was the first one to arrive at Angel’s Bakery for the meetup. When the Germans announced we’d be taking the Hashmobile out to some place I’d never heard of and walking back, I bailed. The thing is I’m just not thrilled that this Aryan contingent tends to like to take things to the extreme. They prefer the longest and hardest trail they can find. That’s good for them, but I’m 63 fucking years old with respiratory issues and it’s hot as hell these days. I’ll go with the group here in Barretto and find my own way back when I’ve had enough. Being driven out of town and dropped off in parts unknown precludes that option. So no thank you!
I’m used to walking on my own and so that’s what I did. I decided to forego my standard hikes and look for something a little different. I had a particular area in mind I wanted to explore but one turn led to another and I never found my way there. Ah well, another day I’ll try again. Most of what I did was new so in that regard, mission accomplished.
Pretty much all flat and easy. I did get a little lost when the path I was on seemed to end in someone’s yard. Some local kids were kind enough to point me back to the road and then followed along until I found it. I rewarded them with 20 pesos each and that sure did put smiles on their faces!
Via Facebook comes the news that my friend Mi Young Han has been named the Camp Humphreys Volunteer of the Year. I wrote about her and the work she was doing almost single-handedly for the Asan Angels animal shelter here.
Her hard work and dedication were quite the inspiration. I would help out financially, but she did all the heavy lifting. I was able to assist with getting the word out on base and she has a crew of volunteers assisting her now. Way to go Mi Young!
I developed a bit of a crush on her I admit, but alas, it was never mutual. If only I’d been a stray dog!
Speaking of dogs, I can thank Mi Young for inspiring me to do the rescue thing. I’m not sure who’s benefited more, me or the dogs, but I’m glad to have them.
It’s a dog’s life!And Lucky is loving feeling healthy again I think. He’s making a good transition to being indoors more frequently, no “accidents” for two days now!
Yesterday’s hike took me near “Easter” mountain. That’s not the real name, but it’s the traditional place where believers climb up on Easter morning to see the sunrise. And the Hash will do the climb on Monday.
I’m told it’s a real motherfucker to climb. The Hare next week is Bush Diver and he’s in his seventies. I’m thinking if he can do it so can I. I reckon will find out soon enough.
In the meantime, Keep on Truckin’!
Most of the cats that you meet on the streets speak of true love, Most of the time they’re sittin’ and cryin’ at home. One of these days they know they better get goin’ Out of the door and down on the streets all alone.
Truckin’, like the do-dah man. Once told me “You’ve got to play your hand” Sometimes your cards ain’t worth a dime, if you don’t lay’em down,
Sometimes the light’s all shinin’ on me, Other times I can barely see. Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been.
