So, apparently my phone did not survive yesterday’s walk in the rain. I’m told that W170,000 will fix the problem. Meanwhile I’ll use my not as nice but sufficient back up phone.
Took a 12-4 beating tonight in darts. I was playing one of the top players and actually threw decent darts. Decent doesn’t beat quality though. Oh well.
Otherwise, everything is just peachy with me.
If Namsan were the world and I was a Spanish explorer my name might just be Magellan. I circumnavigated that bitch of a mountain on Saturday. And that required some creative walking since I had to find ways to work around the tunnels. Nothing like a little adventure in life!
Bring it on Lapu Lapu!
You’ll note I finally had the good sense to buy a headband. Looks dorky but it keeps the sweat out of my eyes. I’m convinced it was the sweat that caused the stye.
One of my tunnel detours put me smack dab in the middle of the Dongguk University campus…
…where I unexpectedly encountered a herd of Republicans…
Came home after 3 hot hours and had a spare rib lunch.
Saturday night I met up with Sam, an old pal visiting from the UK. Had a nice chat about Brexit (he was against it, and I of course favored it) then threw some darts. Sam was still on British time so he made it an early evening. I must have stopped by Debut bar on the way home. I don’t actually remember getting home. I woke up on the floor. And later found a receipt in my pocket from Debut for W135,000, I hope I had a good time!
Fixed this fine breakfast Sunday morning and set out on my river walk…
I was bound and determined to go further west than I ever had before. It was not a good plan for an extraordinarily hot day. It took me two hours to reach my destination bridge which I feared might wind up being a bridge too far. I was getting lightheaded and although I didn’t hallucinate like Kevin Kim, I did imagine myself having a heat stroke. I seriously considered taking a taxi home, but then decided fuck that, I’ll just plop down at a convenience store and drink copious amounts of water. And so I did.
The view from the bridge over the river Han. At least the last bridge over the Han that I made it to…
I was trying to capture that huge ass Taegukgi flapping in the wind. My stunted skill with a camera (and lack of patience) doomed me to settle for this…
Anyway, four hours and four bottles of water later I was safely home enjoying the pulled pork bbq out of the crock pot. I went out later and brought my step count to just over 30,000 for the day…
Monday night was dart league, and me and my What the Bulls? teammates took home a 20-7 victory over our sister team from Shenanigans…
Today was a busy but satisfying day. For one thing I purchased an airline ticket for a planned Labor Day adventure outside the friendly confines of Korea. More on that another day. Had a refreshing walk into work, a sweaty lunchtime walk, and then I got the bright idea to stroll home via the Han river.
It started out pleasant enough…
And then almost out of nowhere the sky opened up and dumped some of the hardest rainfall I’ve encountered in quite a while. Not to mention lots of thunder and lightning. Seeing as how I was on the river sans umbrella, there was nothing to be done but walk on through it. For an hour and a half.
I took this photo under the bridge that adorns my masthead. And yes, my spirits were somewhat dampened.
Still, not bad for a weekday…
And finally (the words all my readers doubtlessly look forward to seeing), I got some news today. It seems I’ve arrived back to where I ended.
Yes, I’ve been promoted to the job I retired from over 5 years ago.
Well, I don’t blog about work these days so I’ll just say I expect it to be challenging, necessary, and well-compensated. The plan is for me to lead us through the transformation and relocation to Pyeongteak. I’ve promised to stay on through the move and several months after, then I will re-retire. And then what? Stay tuned.
I celebrated my good(?) fortune with a rib-eye steak and green beans.
And now it’s time for the periodic legal disclaimer:
All thoughts, opinions, and commentary expressed on this blog are mine and mine alone. My views are not sanctioned (or necessarily condoned) by my employer. I blog on my own time, from my own computer, strictly in my personal capacity. I do not speak for the government I serve (and lately they don’t speak for me!) Thank you for your support.
You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?
And when you’re looking for your freedom
(Nobody seems to care)
And you can’t find the door
(Can’t find it anywhere)
When there’s nothing to believe in
Still you’re coming back, you’re running back
You’re coming back for more
So put me on a highway
And show me a sign
And take it to the limit one more time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fyY-TxGEwE
Ah, time for my Sunday night reflections on the weekend that passed way to quickly.
My leather couch and love seat sold for $830. About 1/3 of what I paid for them, but no complaints. Daughter-in-law informs me that the guy who bought them intends to sleep on the couch. It is in fact big and comfortable. And great for sleeping.
See what I mean?
Anyway, the reason the guy needs to sleep on a couch is that his wife of 28 years left him and now he can’t bear to sleep in their bedroom. I feel for the guy. Hope the couch is luckier for him than it was for me.
The big yard sale is next weekend where the remnants of my shattered life will be sold off piece by piece. I’ll be glad when it is over. I looked at pictures of my house and stuff tonight and it jut makes me sick to think about it. Ah well, what’s done is done.
Friday was sort of the usual. Started at Shenanigans where I ran into Mark, a contractor on base and more importantly, a reader of my blog. It was good catching up with him again. Left Shenanigans and enjoyed a Thai massage. I guess I’m a regular now (about once a month) and the masseuse was comfortable enough to sing to me in Thai while she went about her work. It was quite lovely actually..
I left relaxed and thought about checking out some new bars. Went to King Pub which I had been led to believe is where the Filipinos hang out. The staff was all white women (Russians?) and the customers were all Korean. One drink and out of there. Then I started climbing the stairs to Lollipop. But the rainbow flag on the wall made me think it was a gay bar. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just not the way I roll. Yet. So I played it safe and went to East-West, the rock-n-roll version Grand Ole Opry. In fact, it is right upstairs from the Opry. Ran into a couple of folks I know and was made to feel right at home. So it was a good time. Or as good as it gets for me anyway.
(To be continued, I’m tired)
Woke up yesterday to find a small blister on my lower eyelid. This morning it was larger and when I touched it with a kleenex it oozed some violet-colored puss. Well, damn. Looks like I’ve welcomed a stye into my life.
I’d considered just letting it run its course but my boss suggested I should see a doc and get it looked at prior to the weekend. She even called and made me an appointment with an eye doctor at Soonchunhwang hospital. So this afternoon I found myself gazing into the eyes of the lovely Dr. Son. Her diagnosis matched mine, I do indeed have a stye on my eye. She prescribed some antibiotic eye drops, some steroid eye drops, and a cream containing antibiotics and steroids. We share the hope that these wonder drugs will clear up the problem prior to my next appointment on 9 August because otherwise she’ll have to perform a procedure that included the word “scraping”. We’ll see.
The latest editions to my medicine cabinet.
I found some encouraging words on the walk home from the hospital. At least I felt encouraged enough to take a photo…
Enjoyed these sunflowers on my sunny walk into work this morning…
…and paused to reflect on the anniversary of the armistice as I passed by the Korean War museum.
What else? I’m not sure if my loneliness problem is an inability to get past no or a failure to get to yes. Reckon I’ll have to do some research on that topic.
Yes?
or no?
In the end I suppose it doesn’t matter…
Lonely and winsome
Calling for someone
Living right now
Something is shallow
Ugly and hollow
Doesn’t even allow
You to want to know how you might
Live for the living and
Give for the giving.
Moment by moment
One day at a time
It doesn’t matter
It’s nothin’ but dreamin’ any how
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtC2LqB86pc
So, where did we leave off?
Really enjoyed the dinner party at the Cassady’s. Tom is an Army chef and his pulled pork is the BEST I’ve ever eaten. And I’ve eaten a lot of pulled pork in my time…
After the meal us menfolk retired to the gaming room and entertained ourselves with a darts match. Me and my partner Tom R. eeked out a victory… Gawd, will I ever lose that fucking belly?
The Rago’s were also in attendance. Bill and June recently returned to Korea after a couple of years in Vietnam. At first Bill didn’t even recognize the clean shaven and somewhat lighter version of myself. Anyway, it was nice to have a non-bar related social event on the calendar.
Speaking of bars, after I left the party I hoofed it over to Grand Ole Opry where I enjoyed some icy cold gin and sodas with my nephew Justin. I’d had several beers at the party so it didn’t take much gin to get me drunk relaxed. We sat at the bar and there was this Korean couple sitting at the table nearest us. The female portion of the couple was only marginally attractive but since she was in my line of sight I looked anyway. I could have sworn I caught her looking back a couple of times too. Then they got up to dance and I swear they did the two-step every bit as good as the country folk in the honky tonks I used to frequent in Oklahoma. At the conclusion of the dance I gave them a round of applause and she gave me a big smile. They danced again later and I found watching them entertaining so I had a couple of drinks sent over to their table as a reward. They both seemed pleased. She thanked me in English, so there’s that.
I’m not sure what the status of their relationship was, for all I know they were married. But, she looked back more than once! Justin even noticed so that is not just my drunken imagination. When she got up to use the ladies room I had half a mind to follow her to see if she might be interested in exchanging phone numbers. Of course, the sane half of my mind talked me out of it, as did Justin.
Justin did teach me to say “난 여자친구가 없어”, but I haven’t found an opportunity to use it. And some lady friends have suggested it would probably be better if I didn’t. Ah well.
Did my river walk on Sunday, about 3.5 hours all told. Not sure if it was the heat or what, but it was a tough hike. I was feeling light headed by the time I got home. Had a bowl of chili from the crock pot and took a nap. Feeling restored, I ventured to Shenanigans for some liquid refreshment. Made it an early night though, as I had to report to Soonchunhwang hospital for some blood work early Monday morning.
Last night was the first match of the season in the Seoul International Dart League.
I reckon we did alright. 23-4. I contributed a 6-0 performance and managed to throw a 9-mark (2 triple 20s and a trip 19) despite still not being on my game. Of course, I haven’t been practicing but I prefer to blame it on the weight loss affecting my center of gravity causing me to be unbalanced when I throw. It’s probably one of those.
This morning I had a doctor appointment with my cardiologist. All the markers continue to show improvement. I’m technically being treated for hypertension. My previous appointment I had blood pressure of 150/90 which was a huge improvement. Today I was at 140/80 which puts me in the borderline high category. I’m liking my trend line. The doc was astounded when I told him I’d lost 26 kgs thus far. In fact, he even shook my hand. Then he gave me a refill on my prescription and said he’d see me in three months. Hopefully he’ll be seeing even less of me by then.
The walk to the hospital took about 25 minutes. I walked back home, changed out of my sweaty shirt, and walked the long way to work, arriving sweaty enough that the Deputy Director asked if that was the color of my shirt or was I wet? I responded “both”.
In the afternoon the staff ventured out to Myeongdong for a luncheon at a restaurant called “Under the Sea”. I’m not big on buffet style dining, but this place put out a good spread. The occasion for our visit was to bid farewell to our Director who departs for a Pentagon job next week.
The staff…
The boss.
Still haven’t heard yet who his replacement will be. Chances are I know him.
I used to be indecisive. Now, I’m not sure.
You know, if the elevator is old and broken they should do more than just slap a sign on it. Why not fix or replace it?
I decided to walk back home from Myeongdong but wasn’t exactly sure how to go about it. Once I exited the restaurant and got my bearings I noticed a familiar building that I often pass during my Namsan adventures. But how do I get there? Walked in the general direction and sure enough, there was my old friend.
But getting from here to there was not as easy as I anticipated.
So, I figured going up was a good choice. Except this up led to a dead end. So I went down again.
Regardless, in a roundabout fashion I found my way. And something unusual happened along the road. Now, when I pass by a female version of the human race I’ve noted that they studiously avoid making any eye contact with me. I guess that is both normal and understandable. But today an attractive gal gave me the slightest glance as I passed by. Didn’t turn her head or smile or anything, but made a brief moment’s eye contact. As pathetic as I might be, that was milestone and I felt pleased. So pleased in fact that after about 20 more paces I turned around to look back at her as she moved on down the road. And I’ll be damned if at that exact moment she didn’t turn around to look at ME!
Well, I suppose a braver man may have turned around and approached her. But that man was not me. Besides, I was soaking wet with sweat. Anyway, after being virtually invisible to the fairer sex for so damn long, just getting “a look” makes me feel good about myself. Baby steps.
Not a bad day’s work. Although I’ll probably venture out for a bit later tonight just to move the marker past the 20,000 barrier…
Technically, my weekly goal is 125,000 steps (15,000 on weekdays, 25,000 on Saturday and Sunday). I managed to exceed that last week.
So that’s a lot of time on the highway. I’m not what you could call carefree when I walk, but I do try not care.
Turning back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she’ll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call living is just being satisfied
With knowing I got no one left to blame
Carefree highway, got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHaGBhl0U6E
I never saw such a place! Uncle Cho’s entreaty to come inside for a taste of his sausage was ignored however…
So here are some random photos from my so-called life this week…
Attended the Change of Command ceremony for the Korean Service Corps commander…
I’d worked closely with the outgoing commander on a couple of cases this year. He was appreciative enough to call out our office as having done a “fine job” during his speech…
I’m a sucker for pomp and circumstance…
My fellow office mates who attended the event…
My commie friend Choonae. Not surprisingly, there is next to nothing we agree on politically. She is vehemently opposed to THAAD deployment and posted on facebook that she “hates the U.S. Army”. I took some offense to that, noting that over 54,000 young Americans had sacrificed their lives to give her the freedom to hate the U.S. Army. She did reassure that it was the Army she hated not the people who work there. When I pressed her as to why she was opposed to a purely defensive anti-ballistic missile deployment, she said it makes China angry and that China is more important to Korea than the USA. I laughed and told her that that makes sense. Korea has been China’s bitch throughout history…
Not sure why I even bother to stay engaged…
I guess I just can’t help caring…
Thank God for chemistry though…
Thursday night we did a farewell event for my Army buddy Steve who will be departing Korea for his next assignment soon. We drank, we ate, and then we drank a little more. Got him back on base before the 0100 curfew so it’s all good. I was floored when I got home.
Fortunately I had the foresight to take Friday off. Despite the stifling heat, I spent some time on Namsan…
Objects in the photo are more distant than they appear…
One step at a time gets the job done…
And I came back for more today…
Tonight I’ll be changing things up by attending a dinner party at the Cassady’s house. The Randolph’s and Rago’s will also be there. It’s been quite some time since I’ve received such an invite to a couple’s centric event. I guess the failure of my marriage makes folks uncomfortable. Hell, it makes ME uncomfortable! Anyway, I’m bringing banana pudding.
And now you know everything I do.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb.
Came across this short essay by Steve Rosse and rather enjoyed it. It felt almost like looking into my future. If I’m lucky.
No, not that rack…
…this one! Baby back ribs for supper tonight baby! And lunchee tomorrow…
In other news, my kids are busy dismantling my American life. Yard sale scheduled for August 6. And meanwhile on Craigslist:
Listed at less than half of what I paid, who knows what the market will bear.
I just need to be done with it. It’s a sad reminder of what was, what could have been, and what will never be.
And that as they say “is life”.
during my visit to Samal Island. Unlike this unfortunate Canadian.
why, Mississippi roast beef. Thanks for asking!
So I upped my Sunday crock pot game a tad today. I got tagged with this recipe on Facebook by a friend who likes my leftovers. So I thought what the hell, let’s give it a try.
Started off with a four pound chuck roast…
“Dredged” it in flour, salt and pepper…
Browned in the skillet to form a crust…
Popped it into the crock pot and added butter and pepperoncini…
Mixed up some mayonnaise, paprika, dried dill, and cider vinegar…
…which I poured on top of the roast…
…and set the timer on low. Went out and did some drinking and got home to a wonderful smelling house and a crock pot full of this…
Not bad, eh?
Pulled that tenderness apart, soaked it in the juices, then put it on my plate…
Not bad if I do say so myself…
And of course I rewarded my efforts with a sweet strawberry-banana smoothie. Life is good. Or at least dinner was…
More effort than I usually invest, but it was a nice change from my usual pot roast….
And so ends another weekend.
Haven’t seen the sun in two damn days but that didn’t stop me.
With my head in the clouds and the rain on my back…
…Saturday’s objective was achieved.
The city below me.
No rain today at least which made the river walk quite pleasant.
The obligatory shot of the oddly familiar bridge.
I actually went the opposite direction this morning. Crossed the Han at the Banpo bridge and walked to this one.
Looking back on where I’ve been. Doing that a lot of late it seems.
Walked back through Seoul Forest and exited through “the 6th Gate”. Good to know.
I did manage to avoid getting into any “real shit” this weekend…
Played singles league dart matches Friday night (won 9-7) and last night (winning 10-6). Another match on tap for this afternoon.
After darts last night I walked on over to Grand Ole Opry for my country music fix. Got home in fair condition, although I was technically floored. By choice though, so I don’t think you can hold that one against me.
Today’s weigh in has me at 214.2, down 1.3 pounds from last week and an even 55 pounds lost overall. Well, 55 isn’t an even number, but you know what I mean.
Lost the belly (mostly) and the wife. Only sad about the one though.
Speaking of the belly, a friend was telling my about mesotherapy. Apparently, you get these injections into the fatty parts of your body and it supposedly breaks down the fat cells like magic. My friend swears by it. I was thinking that may be the answer for me, but the more I read about it and some of the side effects I’m like “meh, I’ll just keep doing it the old fashioned way.” We’ll see.
I’m a thousand miles from nowhere
Time don’t matter to me
‘Cause I’m a thousand miles from nowhere
And there’s no place I want to be
I got heartaches in my pocket
I got echoes in my head
And all that I keep hearing
Are the cruel, cruel things that you said
Found myself in a foul mood this afternoon so I left work a couple of hours early and took a longish walk.
I mostly succeeded in sweating out all those negative feelings.
Of course you can’t ever change who you are.
And still I find myself surprised at being disappointed when people let me down.
And so ends another weekend.
Got floored on Friday night. And again on Saturday night. What’s up with that?
Still had the energy to climb a mountain though…
You gotta do what you gotta do…
By the time I got to the top I was drenched…
Much more pleasant on my way back down. A shady trail on a hot summer’s day is like the ice in your tea.
Drank hard on Saturday night, mostly at the Grand Ole Opry. But I was up early this morning figuring on beating the heat. No dice. I was a sweaty mess long before reaching the riverside.
The return walk brought me to the oddly familiar Dongjak bridge…
And at the top of the stairs leading up from the river walk, I discovered a pretty nice cafe featuring excellent river views…
So I took advantage of the opportunity and re-hydrated with a refreshing “citrus tea”.
Got home and did some chores. Then took a nap. Then headed out for my season opening Seoul Sunday Singles League dart match.
15-1. I’d call that a fair start to the season.
Played at Shenanigans where the friendly staff did their usual fine job at getting me inebriated.
Had a little incident in the bar tonight with some rude drunks with British accents. They were being dickish all night but we did our best to ignore them. One of the dickheads was obviously looking for trouble, but us regulars outnumbered them and nipped that shit in the bud. Well, until the biggest dick among them started harassing the bar staff. Alex, my dart opponent today, is a big guy. And when the jerk started running off at the mouth with bartender Sonya, Alex politely asked the punk to leave the bar. And by politely I mean physically removed him. Just outside the door (and at the top of the stairs) the drunk guy started mouthing off to Alex. Not a good move. Alex picked him up by the throat and held him firmly against the wall. It was pretty funny in a way, because the guy’s tongue was hanging out of his mouth like a cartoon character. I told him “dude, you better just walk down those stairs or else you are liable to be flying down them.” About this time one of the asshole’s comrades tried to join the fray. Me and another John blocked him from getting through the door. A little pushing and shoving was as physical as it got for me. I guess even drunks have a sense of self-preservation, because they all exited the scene without further incident. And justice prevails in Itaewon!
What else? Well, I had a pretty good walking week.
Except for Tuesday when the rains *ahem* put a damper on things.
And I walked my ass off today as well. Sure do wish I could walk my belly off…
Tried a new crockpot recipe today.
Pork chops. Tasty and moist, but a little bland for my liking. Next time I’ll have to get creative with some seasonings…
My strawberry-banana smoothie for dessert was most excellent however…
Scale was kind to me today. Weighed in at 215.5. Down 1.8 pounds from last week and 53.7 overall.
I’m down to a 36″ waist and I have the new wardrobe to prove it.
Who knew dieting could be so expensive?
Why did I call this post “Landslide”? Well, it was the last song to pop up on my playlist as I finished my walk this morning. It suits my mood. Maybe you’ll enjoy it too…
I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Till the landslide brought me down
Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
Too soon to say much here but I’m considering and being considered for a new job. It’s a lot more pay and a lot more hassle. I guess my mindset is that if I get the job, great. If I don’t get it, well, that’s fine too.
Anyway, we have a casual dress code on Fridays. For me that means a short sleeve sport shirt and no tie. Just before lunch I got notified that I’d be meeting the person who has the biggest say in the aforementioned hiring decision. So instead of enjoying my lunchtime stroll (I actually do look forward to it) I went home and changed clothes. Upon my return I was advised the meeting had been postponed until Monday morning. Oh well.
I got home after work with only 1,600 steps under my belt, far short of my 15,000 daily goal. So I put on some shorts and t-shirt and hit the road. I opted for a riverside stroll and invested just over 2 hours in the effort. Finished the night at 18,315 which is satisfactory, but left me a sweaty mess. It’s gonna be a long hot summer as the Big Hominid reminds us.
Now I’m fixin’ to tackle the mountain. Wish me luck, it’s pert near as hot already this morning.
Today is Jee Yeun’s birthday. I sent her a message wishing her a happy one. She thanked me and told me “good luck”. So…
It’s been a little over six months now since I was sent packing. And I’m okay. The fact of the matter is that I’ve grown accustomed to being alone. I can take care of myself. I’ve even gotten to the point where I’m no longer achingly lonely.
One of the things I like about walking is that it gives me time to think. In a good way. Not like when I lay awake in bed at night wondering what the fuck happened to my life. Anyway, I’m not sure I’d call it an epiphany but I’ve come to understand some things.
For one, I’m a selfish bastard. It is just the way I am. I’m not willing to compromise or settle. I’d rather be alone than to accept less than what I want in life. I don’t need anyone to complete me. I’d be ecstatic to encounter a kindred spirit who accepts me as I am, but I’m guessing those are pretty long odds.
But here’s the thing: I just don’t care. Perhaps I’m broken beyond repair, but all those sweet words of love mean nothing to me. I’m dead inside and just don’t feel it. I’ve been burned one too many times to ever believe it again.
And I understand the ramifications of that portend a solitary future. So be it. I’d rather be alone than sucker punched again. Love me at your peril!
I don’t have the patience or desire to make the sacrifices that are required in a “loving relationship”. And that is so contrary to to everything I’ve always believed about myself. I never thought I could make it own my own, and now I’ve come to understand that it is my destiny to live a life of oneness. And I’m alright with that.
Baby we can talk all night
But that ain’t gettin us nowhere
I told you everything I possibly can
There’s nothing left inside of here
And maybe you can cry all night
But that’ll never change the way I feel
And all I can do is keep on telling you
I want you, I need you
But-there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
I can’t lie, I can’t tell you that I’m something I’m not
No matter how I try
I’ll never be able to give you something
Something that I just haven’t got
Baby we can talk all night
But that ain’t getting us nowhere
Americans like me celebrate Independence Day with our favorite patriotic songs.
I’ve been working hard and playing hard thus far this weekend. Here’s a recap:
I got reacquainted with Namsan after a two week hiatus. Still an ass kicker.
All that rain on Friday cleaned up the air some. Was expecting to get rained on at some point in my hike but other than some sprinkles I was golden.
Back home I set about freeing up some closet space.
It came together easier than most of my projects…
And it is functional. See those pants? They are all 42″ waist size. Which makes them too big for me to wear now. I reckon I’ll carry them to the on-post thrift store one of these days. What I need to do this afternoon is purchase some new pants for work. I tried on a 36″ pair and they fit. Snug, but they fit!
Saturday night I changed up my routine. I’m usually in the bar around 6 and stumbling home drunk shortly after 9. I wanted to see what the late night crowd was all about so I delayed my arrival at Shenanigans until 8 p.m. The staff was a little shook-up saying they’d been wondering what happened to me. Hey, I don’t want to be too predictable!
I left Shenanigans a little after 10 still relatively sober. Had a soothing Thai massage for an hour then headed over to the Grand Ol’ Opry to resume my hydration. Ran into a guy from work who told me he’s there every weekend. I’m like, so am I, but then I realized he’s there after I’m gone. It was actually interesting seeing the late night faces I’ve been missing. And an added bonus was being there for the traditional rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at midnight. It seemed especially appropriate on this Independence Day weekend.
Despite my late night I was up bright and early Sunday morning. Popped a chicken in the crock pot and set about on my riverside walk.
This is the farthest I’ve gone in the westward direction.
And this elevated pathway took me somewhere I’ve never been before…
…Seoul Forest. It was nice to see they had a designated farting area…
Even after just a brief visit I can say that Seoul Forest will always be deer to me.
Heading back on the opposite side of the river…
I crossed back over at the Banpo bridge and made a quick detour to the commissary where I purchased a walnut brownie mix. Nope, I’m not falling off the carb wagon (well, maybe just a taste), I’m going to treat the Korean staff in my office who are of course working hard this 4th of July.
All told, the morning walk was 3.5 hours. That is about my max. My legs were dead and my knee was aching and as this sign a couple of blocks from home reminded me don’t overdo it.
Kevin KIm achieved a “miracle” 40,000 steps on his Saturday morning walk. This is as close to a miracle that I’ll ever get…
And the only way I managed that was 2000 steps walking home from the bar at 0100 on Sunday morning, plus some steps I got in during the dart tourney Sunday afternoon. And yes, I took a round about way home after darts so I could break the 30,000 barrier…
Perhaps not so coincidentally, I had some good news from the scale this week.
Goal achieved and exceeded!
I initiated my lifestyle change on on February 21, when I weighed in at a robust 269.2. 20 weeks later and I’ve lost 51.9 pounds. My goal had been to get down to 220. But I’m still not pleased with my big belly so I’m going to try and get down to 200 pounds. We’ll see.
It feels good to have put down that big ol’ sack of rice though…
That’s my big news I suppose. As long as you are here, you might enjoy some random ass crap:
My crock pot chicken came out pretty close to perfect. Today the crock pot is slow cooking a pork roast…
These Filipinos put an ass whooping on me last night…
Never flown them, but I’d wager it’s a pretty shitty airline.
Maybe the “e” is silent. Or invisible.
What a pisser.
Is it something I said or didn’t say?
Hopefully, I’ve learned to avoid future mistakes…
Ah well, that’s enough for now don’t you think…
Here’s a photo dump from last week’s Philippines adventure.
Let’s go!
My “cottage” at the Camp Holiday resort.
What passes for a beach at Camp Holiday… That’s the port of Davao City across the water…
A street scene in Samal..
Maria’s business…
Hard at work..
Lechon for Maria’s birthday…
…and a cake of course…
I got a pedicure and the local kids treated me like a zoo exhibit…
Hot day, cold beer, lunch on the way…
Letting me know I was not welcome…
Maria on the beach…
Me on the beach…
Low tide…
Palm tree and water…
Climbed these steps to the waterfall. Not as many as Namsam, but a fair hike…
Was it it worth the walk?
There was this…
…and that…
A river runs through it…
At dinner I gave our waiter a round of applause…
Great minds think alike…
Visited a resort that was much nicer than the one I stayed in…
lots more expensive though…
The obligatory water lily photo…
A beer with a view…
Chillin’ at Camp Holiday…
Here’s a little eye candy for you ladies…
Next up was the bat cave…
No batman though…
or robins either…
but there was a carabao..
So, having seen all the sights on Samal, we moved on to Davao where the Philippine Eagle Center is a must see tourist attraction…
I came…
…I saw. And then I left.
Next up, the infamous Japanese tunnel…built with slave labor by Filipino P.O.W.s in WWII…
Apparently it was an underground garrison that went on for some 7 kms…
The commander in his office counting tribute from the locals…
Hey guys, MacArthur says he will return…
Tyranny is nothing to brag about. Just sayin’…
And then we did the crocodile farm…
What a crock…
Me having an identity crisis…
hungry goldfish…
When we got hungry we ate here…
Hey, give me that! I saw it first!
Nothing left to do now but reminisce…
That’s all folks!
LCHF=low carbohydrate, high fat
For no particular reason I kept track of my food and beverage intake today:
Lemon juice and water (heated one minute in the microwave)
1 boiled egg (breakfast)
2 hamburger patties w/cheese and ketchup (lunch)
1/2 oz. mixed nuts (afternoon snack)
2 brats w/ketchup (dinner)
5 Diet Cokes
1 bottle of water
It’s my kind of diet because you never have to be hungry. I don’t count calories. For me at least, it is not how much I eat (within reason) but what I eat. Hence, none of the high carb foods I crave and miss but pretty much anything else I’ll put into my mouth.
The walking helps me avoid temptation. I see chocolate or cake and think is it really worth sacrificing three hours worth of walking?
Dig those crazy 8’s!
I haven’t been on the scales since I returned from the Philippines. I drank a shit load of San Miguel Light beers and wasn’t as strict on the carb avoidance. Hey, it was a vacation! Plus, I didn’t get the opportunity to walk as much as I’m used to doing. I’ll wait until this Sunday to, ahem, weigh the damage.
Still, folks tell me they can see the difference.
January pre-diet. (that’s me on the left).
And last week. Both of the elephants have gotten smaller…
Since I shaved the ‘stache a couple of folks say I resemble Bruce Willis…
…which I’m not sure is such a compliment…
…but anyway, I’m just not seeing it.
Meanwhile, I got screwed yesterday. And not in the good way. In fact, the whole experience left me feeling a little flat. Luckily I made it to the repair shop before I had to break out the spare tire.
Fortunately, the tire was only flat on the bottom…
Given my temper tantrums in the Philippines, I had to laugh when I saw this on Facebook today:
Hey, anything worth doing is worth doing well…
But here’s one Filipina I do not want to piss off…
Maria, armed and dangerous…
But enough about me…
Or as my father used to say “that just frosts my balls”.
Philippine Air was supposed to send a car to take me to the airport this morning. Apparently they sent it yesterday. Philippine Air: Putting the “in” in competence. In front as it were.
I was perturbed by this turn of events but fortunately I had kept some pesos in my wallet for contingencies such as this. Caught a cab at the hotel taxi stand, loaded my bag in the trunk, told the driver to take me to the international terminal at NAIA and we were off. Before we were out of the parking lot I noticed the driver had not set the meter (something I have learned to always check). When I called him on it he said it is 500 pesos to airport. And I snapped, saying (well, yelling technically) “bullshit! it doesn’t fucking cost anywhere near that much!” Then instead of turning on the meter like I had asked, he had the audacity to want to negotiate a price for the trip. I screamed “stop the fucking cab, you’re not taking me anywhere”. He said okay, okay, I’ll turn on the meter. I’m like “bull fucking shit, stop the goddamn cab and give me my bag!” I’m yelling at the top of my voice by now, and for those who have not heard it, that’s really scary loud. My kids never feared spankings as much as they did my “big voice”. I’m sure all the other drivers in the taxi queue heard every word of it. Anyway, the driver popped the trunk, I grabbed my bag and stomped back to the hotel doorman. Who didn’t seem to give a shit, simply asking me if I’d like another cab. Yes, thank you.
I could see the other taxi drivers gathered around probably discussing who was going to get stuck with driving the insane ‘Kano to the airport. In short order a cab pulled up (not the first one in the queue I noticed) and when I hopped in he had the meter on and ready to roll. Clearly he got the memo. After an uneventful ride we pulled into the airport and the meter totaled 126 pesos. Having given all my small bills to the homeless I handed the driver a 500 peso note and told him just give me 300 change. He said he didn’t have any change. Mother Fucker!
Well, I wasn’t going to let him back door me into the 500p fare I had refused the first driver. So I told him to wait while I went for change. Which was easier said than done. I couldn’t get into the airport until I had gone through two layers of security (boarding pass check then bag x-ray). I went through the first and realized that my plan was flawed. Saw a semi-officious looking dude and asked if he could change a 500. He could and did. There was no exit from where I had entered, but the change guy said something to the guard and I was able to go out the in door. Gave the driver his fare and a too generous trip and was on my way again.
While waiting in line to check my bag I did something somehow that resulted in a feeling like I imagine getting stabbed in the ribs would feel like. At first I thought, shit I’m having a heart attack, but since it’s the right side I guessing I pulled a muscle. Still hurts when I move an hour later. Should make for a pleasant flight.
And now I am stuck in the worst international terminal I have ever visited. No restaurants or bars and no where to vape. Free internet though which permitted me to share this rant.
You’re welcome.
Wrapping up my visit in the not-so-lovely capital city of Manila.
Yesterday afternoon I had some time to kill so allowed myself to be enticed into getting a massage at one of the joints in the mall adjacent to my hotel. The already cheap one hour full body massage was on special for only 180 pesos ($3.83). The masseuse asked if I preferred hard, medium, or soft. I went medium and damn when she was cranking on my back and shoulders it was f’n painful. Of course, male pride wouldn’t allow me to scream in agony so I just lay there gritting my teeth while my torturer said “you have lots of tension”. Anyway, it was mostly good and I feel no aftereffects this morning.
Last night I cabbed over to Makati, the upscale area of Manila. There’s a strip of bars on Burgos Street I’d read about over the years so I wanted to give them a try. Well, I made it to four of them anyway before reaching my self-imposed limit on alcohol consumption. The bars that I saw were all of the “girly” type which I don’t particularly like. The girls get a commission on overpriced “lady drinks” and some of them will outright harass you until you relent and purchase one for them. At my first stop “Shampoo”, I’d taken like two swigs of my beer and the mamasan started in on me to buy drinks for the girls. Told her I’d think about it once I’d finished my beer. She kept on and I finally lost my temper telling her “do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I don’t know how this works? I’ll buy a lady drink if and when I’m ready. So leave me the fuck alone”. .I wasn’t so popular after that and I left.
The next bar was called “Bottoms”. I was happy they had an actual bar in the bar. When you sit alone at a table it is like an open invitation to be besieged by thirsty bar girls. Usually you will be left alone at the bar. Sometimes anyway. Not at Bottoms. Girl stood on my left and another stood on my right (apparently they are not allowed to actually sit at the bar). They weren’t pushy on the drinks though and we engaged in some friendly banter. I eventually rewarded their good behavior with a lady drink for each of them.
Moving on, I stopped in “Dimples”. It also had a bar so I plopped myself down. A couple of gals approached but I channeled Greta Garbo and told them “I want to drink alone”. Surprisingly they actually respected my wishes and I wasn’t bothered again for the duration of my stay. In addition to the drink beggars I also dislike the music played in the girly bars. It’s normally loud techno-pop dance crap which grates on my nerves pretty quickly. Yeah, I know. Kids and their music these days said the old codger. To Dimples’ credit they had a nice mix of tunes played at a reasonable volume. Even a few country songs! I had a nice time there but there was still one more place I wanted to see before I ran out of time (and money).
I had read about Crazy Horse on some of the Philippines forums I frequent and I wanted to see if it was as good as everyone was saying. It is. It had a large stage chock full of very attractive young women who could actually dance. They did choreographed performances every bit as good as those you see in K-Pop girl band videos. And best of all I did not get approached or pestered even once for a lady drink. That’s how it should be, a great selection of girls willing to keep you company if company is what you want, but you have to make the first move. I really enjoyed just sitting there watching the gals dance and chatting with the other customers a bit. When I was ready to depart I walked to the stage and gave my favorite dancer a 100 peso tip for her efforts. Yeah, I’m a cheap Charlie but she seem appreciative of the compliment at least.
Caught a cab back to the hotel with no problem (they’ve got that much on Itaewon at least). Driver got lost on the way and was asking the drunk man in the back seat (me) for directions. I just shrugged and said I don’t know, it’s by a mall. He stopped and asked a trike driver which I guess worked because I did sleep in the right hotel last night.
This morning I enjoyed my last free breakfast and walked to the convenience store for some Coke Zero. It was locked up tight, not real surprising I guess for a Sunday morning in a Catholic country. Across the street in front of the also closed mall was a group of homeless folks laying about on the sidewalk. Most of them were young children. A depressing sight that I don’t expect I’ll ever get used to, and frankly, I’d hate myself if I did get used to it.
I learned a long time ago that it is a fool’s errand to give money to a beggar on the street. As soon as you do you will be besieged by fifty others. It can also be dangerous as I’ve heard of do-gooders being surrounded and having their pockets emptied by the prying fingers of these hungry waifs. So, I just don’t do it. I always feel like a prick when I tell a filthy child “no” when the say “I’m hungry”. After a few days I actually get depressed. Which is one of the things I’m going to have to factor into my decision on whether the PI is a viable re-retirement option for me. One thing I’d consider doing is sponsoring an orphanage with a monthly stipend of some sort. Maybe that would assuage the guilt I feel when I can’t (or won’t) respond to beggars.
Anyway, I looked in my wallet and I still had some small bills amounting to 160 pesos. I walked across the street and handed them to the oldest woman in the group whom I assumed was the grandma. I didn’t technically break my “no beggars” rule because they hadn’t asked, I just offered. Ah well, as I walked away five or six young boys followed me asking me to give them money too. I told them that’s all I have but they persisted in their efforts. I kept moving so as not to be surrounded and finally let loose. “No goddamn it,I told you that’s it. No more!” I used my big voice which put them back on the heels a bit and I made a beeline to the security of my hotel.
All packed up and waiting for my ride to the airport and the completion of my journey back to the first world.