Wishing all my readers who celebrate the holiday a Happy Thanksgiving!

I tend to rant and rave and accentuate the negative aspects of my life here, but on a deeper level, I realize I’ve been blessed. As one commenter noted on yesterday’s post, being an old man back in the USA is a whole other level of boredom and misery. I may not fill my hours in any meaningful way, but I do find ways to enjoy myself, at least most of the time.

Take yesterday, for example. Started out with a challenging hike with the Wednesday Walkers group and ended with some fresh walnut pie a la mode. The fact that I was a drunken mess by then isn’t really all that important.

I bought 1500 pesos ($30) worth of food at Sit-n-Bull to feed the gals at Hideaway. The menu included lasagna, chicken wings, chicken fingers, and Shanghai lumpia. It being an early Thanksgiving celebration, I did something I very rarely do–bought all the girls working a lady drink. By the time I left a couple of hours later, my bar tab was 2500 pesos. But can you really put a price on a good time?

Speaking of Joy, Thursday is her normal off-day, and I was going to ask her to be my date for the Thanksgiving dinner party tonight. Alas, she told me (before I mentioned dinner) that there was going to be a brownout (scheduled power outage) in Barretto on Friday, so the bar was going to be closed. All the staff has that day off now instead of their regular schedule. Oh well. I did hear from a contrite Lydell later in the evening, and she agreed to join me for the feast tonight. So, I have a date!

I’ll have a full report on how dinner goes tomorrow. And food pics, promise!

Speaking of photos, here are a few from yesterday’s hike:

You can Relive the hike here if you are so inclined.

You never know which day will be your last day, so treat each one as the blessing that it is. I have much to be thankful for in my life, and I hope I have many more Thanksgivings to reflect on my good fortune.

I’ll leave you with this reminder of just how damn old I truly am–the best Thanksgiving song ever. Probably the longest too, but it’s fun–play it for background noise.

Another strange ending to a day that started off in full bloom.

So, I did the Sunday feeding at Hideaway as planned.

After having enough beers to catch a buzz, I decided to head to my side of town and visit the girls at Snackbar. Well, I had one girl in particular that I longed to see. Alas, she wasn’t working last night. So, I sent her a message, and she asked me how my day was. I told her the same as usual, walking in the morning, beer in the evening, and being lonely all the time. That was my silly attempt to tell her I missed her. Her response left me flabbergasted:

“Why don’t you find a partner so you are not lonely at night?”

What the hell? I thought that is what I was working on with her. Mind you, I’d been drinking some, but it still felt like an icy-cold rejection. So, I told her, thanks for letting me know. I’ll keep looking, then. She said she was sorry if she had hurt my feelings, and I told her I appreciated her honesty.

“I like you yes but im shy to tell you that. And im not really sure about my feeling to you i dont want to hurt you.”

All I could say in response was, “thanks for that.” And that’s where the conversation ended. Still, I guess I should be thankful for a kick in the nuts now as opposed to a knife in the heart later. And it was good of her to honestly share what she was feeling. I guess I’m a lucky guy, after all.

I went to the CR and took a piss. There was a mosquito on the wall.

Sat back down at my seat, ordered up another beer, and proceeded to get on with the rest of my life. Bought my waitress a lady drink and started thinking about Plan B.

Oh, well. Who knows what today will bring? Actually, I do. Catching a bus this morning for Pundaquit, where we are doing a special “outstation” Hash run. I love that area, and I’m really looking forward to the trip, even though there will be a mountain climb in my immediate future once we arrive. A full report on that adventure tomorrow.

Alright, about those flowers the title of this post alluded to–I devoted my morning walk to taking photos of some of the blossoms I encountered along the way. It was my standard Sunday Solo Stroll; I just kept an eye out for some of nature’s finest. Here you go:

Anyway, you can Relive the walk if you want.

Oh, I also made a reservation for Thanksgiving dinner at the Papagayo Resort hotel. Let’s see if I can find a date to join me.

Damn, I hadn’t thought of this song in decades, but if the shoe fits, you gotta wear it.

It used to be so natural
To talk about forever
But 'used to be's' don't count anymore
They just lay on the floor
'Til we sweep them away

And baby, I remember
All the things you taught me
I learned how to laugh
And I learned how to cry
Well I learned how to love
Even learned how to lie

You'd think I could learn
How to tell you goodbye
'Cause you don't bring me flowers
Anymore

Things don’t always go according to plan, even when you don’t have much of a plan to begin with. Last night should have been a good time, but I wound up sitting alone in a bar, feeling sorry for myself. I hear what you’re thinking: what else is new? Well, things got worse after that, so I drank more, and maybe that wasn’t such a good idea. I don’t know, still feeling blue today, but I’m fixin’ (man, those years down south left a mark) to put it all behind me and see if tonight turns out to be worth remembering.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Paula, the Snackbar owner, was celebrating her birthday, and her loyal customers would help her make the day as special as she is. My initial plan was to show up around four, head to Alaska Club for the SOB at five, and then return to Snackbar afterward. But I changed my mind and decided to skip the SOB and just enjoy the birthday party vibe.

I arrived early, expecting I’d spend some time with Lydell, but she was otherwise occupied. I talked to some other folks, and then the tiny bar (most of which is seating outside at tables in the parking lot) began to fill up. I went to use the restroom, and when I returned, the waitress had seated several strangers joining me at my small table. Eh, I understand at a crowded event with limited seating, you can’t expect to have prime territory for your exclusive use. Still, interacting with strangers is not my nature, so I moved to a less desirable location. And as I sat there, my mood darkened until I reached the point where I didn’t want to be there anymore. So, I wished Paula a happy birthday again and left. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next, but I knew it would involve beer.

As I approached Alaska Club, I saw people outside signing up for the SOB. I approached the table and saw that there had only been a dozen or so admissions so far, so I figured I could still get a good seat. I paid my 700 pesos and went inside.

My favorite spot was already taken, which was no surprise, but the waitress sat me on a small couch (big enough for two) along the wall in front of the stage. That’ll work. I usually have someone from the host bar join me for the event (I buy their company with lady drinks), but last night a customer brought all the Alaska girls down from the stage for drinks. That’s okay; I figured my regular Joy (the skinny one with no boobs and stretch marks) would join me after her team danced. She didn’t, though, and so I sat there alone. The storm clouds in my brain continued to darken. I tried to drown the discontent in beer without success.

When the show was over, I left Alaska and stood on the highway thinking, what next? Fuck it; I’ll go back to Snackbar. When I arrived, the party was still in full swing, but I was able to find a seat inside. Lydell had already left but came back when I messaged her, so I was finally able to buy her a drink. I was in big spender mode and bought drinks for several of the other girls as well. And I finally started feeling a little better about things.

And then a drunken guy I know (I’ll call him Earl) came in. He was being loud and obnoxious, which is not unusual for him when he’s been drinking. Earl hadn’t ordered a drink yet, but when the waitress walked by with a half-finished drink from another table, he attempted to grab it from her. I reached out and grabbed it first, and told him if you want a drink, buy one like everyone else. He tried to argue that it was just going to be thrown away, so why not. I told him it didn’t work that way. I guess the argument escalated, although I don’t recall what all was said; eventually, Earl left in a huff. The other customers applauded his departure, and several thanked me for intervening.

I left shortly after that, and when I got home, I saw that he had sent me some messages:

You a bitch

Fucking with me

Suck my dick ass hole

Dont be a prick towards me

Ill fuck you up Bitch

Be peaceful dick head

If you understand peace dick

Apparently, I pissed him off. He didn’t talk so tough in person, though. I sent him this response:

You were being an asshole. If you don’t like it, don’t be an asshole.

This morning I noted that he had deleted all his tough guy words to me. No apology, though. Fuck him; I don’t need that kind of drama in my life anyway. Normally, I can’t be baited into those types of confrontations, but it was just one of those nights for me for some reason.

So, that’s how my day ended. It started out much better with a hike in the Bolon Falls area out in the hills on the far side of Subic town. We only had three folks show up for the Friday group, so once again, Scott volunteered to drive us to some rarely-visited areas. We were last out that way over a year ago. A couple of moderate climbs and several get-your-feet-wet creek crossings, but still quite nice overall. We also passed through an Aeta (native Filipino) village, which I always find quite fascinating for some reason. Very friendly and smiling, despite living in abject poverty.

And it turned out to be the best part of the day.

A diamond of a morning
Waked me an hour too soon;
Dawn had taken in the stars
And left the faint white moon.

O white moon, you are lonely,
It is the same with me,
But we have the world to roam over,
Only the lonely are free.
–Sara Teasdale

I’d call last night’s dinner for two a success, at least by my admittedly low standards. I had no expectations, so I couldn’t be disappointed. That’s just the way I roll these days.

We had agreed to meet at Hops & Brews at six, but I arrived a little after five. Hey, I just wanted to get a couple of beers in make sure we had a nice table to sit at. Here are some views from the one I chose:

Once again, I was greeted by name by several of the waitresses. The manager also came by for a fist bump, and later the owner and I had a brief chat. They all certainly make you feel welcome here; I’ll grant them that.

I sent Lydell a message around 5:30 telling her I had arrived early, and she asked if she could join now. Of course! I was glad she was anxious to start our date too.

We had some beer and ordered our food–spaghetti bolognese for her, calamari and Yom tom soup for me. Sorry, Lydell had all my attention, and I forgot to take a photo of our meals.

Just some small talk over dinner, no great revelations or professions of undying love (thank God I kept those thoughts to myself!). I’m kidding, of course. I’m still in getting to know her mode, and I’m intentionally taking things slow. She did show me some pictures of her kids (a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son), and they looked cute and happy. They stay with her mother in Subic-town when she is working.

About the time we were done eating, an acoustic duo started playing their guitars and singing. Old songs I knew the words to and at a volume that didn’t deter table talk. A nice touch!

Anyway, I asked Lydell if she had any post-dinner plans, and she told me she was going back to work. I asked if she wanted to join me for an after-dinner drink at Voodoo (I had a coupon, and it was right around the corner), and she agreed. We did our drinks, chatted with one of the dancers there (I had a free lady drink coupon, too), then said our goodnights.

Lydell wasn’t able to join today’s hike, but I’ll see her later this evening at Snackbar. It’s the owner Paula’s birthday, and they are having a special event in her honor.

So, that’s the story of my first date with Lydell. It seems like she’ll be interested in a follow-up get-together too. Maybe I’ll cook for her next time. We’ll see.

As much as I always lament my lonely life, the reality is I’m not all that eager to let it go. As the Teasdale poem I posted above says, only the lonely are free. Still, it was nice to share a meal for a change, so I’ll just try and keep thinking with my big head and see what happens next.

Wish me luck!

I reckon Tuesday isn’t that much different from any other day in my so-called life, but I do take a day off from walking and spend that time shopping for groceries. The only blog-worthy news in that regard is that for the first time since the scamdemic began, I was permitted in the supermarket without a mask. Can sanity once again be on the horizon?

I guess the fact that prices continue to inflate is not a surprise, but I’m sporting a sore neck from all that shaking my head in disgust.

But it wasn’t all bad news:

I’d say things are bound to get better soon, but I’m just too pessimistic.

The day took a turn for the better when my mountain mama friend paid me a visit and gave me one of her special massages. I even managed to avoid a breathing attack at the end–barely. That’s progress.

I do sometimes wonder how much longer I’m destined to spend time among the living. Don’t get me wrong, other than the lung issues, as far as I know, I’m getting along okay for an elderly man. I’m still out there doing the things I enjoy, and I’m in no hurry to slow down. I wouldn’t even call it morbid curiosity; it’s more of a fleeting thought like, “how much longer can I keep this up?” I don’t even dwell on that beyond thinking “as long as I can.” Still, it is an inspiration to take each day as it comes and live it like there’s no tomorrow. Someday there won’t be.

Alright, enough of that depressing kind of talk! This gave me a chuckle:

A commenter asked about food at the Hash. Here’s what I had Monday:

Just in case you are worried that you’ve wasted precious minutes of your life reading this blog post, let me share this piece of valuable information with you:

Spent some time up on the roof at BarCelona yesterday evening with my pal Max. Hadn’t seen him for a while, so it was good to catch up. And the view up there is always nice too.

After BarCelona, we paid a visit to Alaska Club. I had a voucher to use, and Max hadn’t been there before. Hey, any excuse will do, right? Naturally, I invited my dancer friend Joy to join us. She was still tired from Monday’s pool party. I wasn’t able to attend that event because it conflicted with the Hash, but I saw some pictures, and it looked like a good time.

Max had to go, and my voucher was fully utilized, so I said goodnight to Alaska. Once on the street, I realized that my beer desire was not yet fully satiated, so I popped into Whiskey Girl and visited my friend Jen.

Home by a little after 8:00 and in bed by 9:00; seems I’m getting back on my old schedule once again.

It’s feeding night at Hideaway, and after that, who knows? Stop by here tomorrow for a full report.

Too much of nothing
Can make a man ill at ease
One man's temper might rise
While another man's temper might freeze
In the day of confession
We cannot mock a soul
Oh, when there's too much of nothing
No one has control.

Say hello to Valerie
Say hello to Vivian
Give them all my salary
On the waters of oblivion.

Here’s how it all went down. Started off with my usual Sunday stroll, with a couple of deviations.

As usual, here’s your chance to Relive the moment:

Back home for some napping, baking, and blogging. Saw this on the internet and found myself nodding in agreement:

This poem showed up in my Facebook memories, and it still resonates:

Now while my lips are living
   Their words must stay unsaid,
And will my soul remember
   To speak when I am dead?
Yet if my soul remembered
   You would not heed it, dear
For now you must not listen,
   And then you could not hear.
--Sara Teasdale

Anyway, I’m not dwelling on the past so much these days; making the best of what I’ve got is good enough. The cupcakes came out good, had to wait almost 45 minutes for my take-out order at John’s place, but then, I guess you can’t rush quality. Everything was delicious.

I also learned a new phrase in Tagalog: utang na lang, which loosely translates to “I’ll pay you later.” A Filipino customer said that when he couldn’t pay his bar tab. I guess he’s a regular and pays once a month or so. I tried it out, but I can’t take credit. They just laughed.

When I left Hideaway Bar, I walked all the way across town to Baloy road to visit the Snackbar. My favorite, Lydell, was there to greet me. Had a few with her and the other gals, then called it an early night (8 p.m.); I guess these past couple of days have been too much of a good thing.

Woke up early and rested. Even though it is Hash Monday, I decided to take a walk out to Baloy beach and back.

Not a bad little morning beach stroll. You can Relive it here if you like:

I’ll grab a nap, then get ready to Hash. That’s the way I roll.

A fun-filled day here in my little town. I pushed my tired old body to the limit and lived to tell about it. So, let’s get to it.

A small turnout for the Friday walking group, but we motivated ourselves for a longish (by my standards) 10K valley walk out past Naugsol. Mostly flat but wet in places forcing us to do walk-around detours.

You can Relive the hike here if that suits your interest.

An after-hike nap, shower, and blog post, then it was time to head out for my Friday night.

When I left the house, I was surprised to see a rainbow over the neighborhood. I wasn’t aware it had even rained.

The SOB competition starts at 6 p.m., and doors normally open at 5:00. This week’s event was at the Green Room, a bar that opens at 4:00. So I knew that an early arrival was going to be necessary in order to ensure getting a front row seat. I left the house a little before four but had to make a detour to see Joy at Hideaway, who needed some financial assistance. I had a quick beer there, then made my way back down the highway to the Green Room.

It was good that I made the decision to arrive early. I got my coveted table up front, but folks who came at 5:00 or later were relegated to less desirable seating. In fact, for the first time since the scamdemic, people were turned away at the door as the bar had reached maximum capacity.

Here’s what SOB host and bar owner (and occasionally one of my readers) Dave posted about the event:

A bit of background. Sons of Bacchus (SOB) is in it’s 20th year. We started in 2002 in Angeles City and migrated to Barrio Barretto, Olongapo, Philippines. Originally Dionysus was the Greek god of fertility. Later, he came to be known chiefly as the god of wine and pleasure. Bacchus is his Italian name.

Each week we rotate between 7 of the best bars in town. The 2 hour event features: All you can drink, two rounds of free food from Sit n Bull, a dance contest between the bars.

Here are a few pictures from last night’s event (also courtesy of the host):

Now, arriving early comes at a cost. Until 6:00, you pay for your own beers. Not to mention the lady drinks you provide also come out of your pocket all night long. I had two thirsty gals at my table, but no big deal; that’s why I always bring a little extra cash on Friday night. The real cost for me is imbibing more than usual and getting close to crossing the line between feeling good and being drunk. The Aftermath event was next door at Wet Spot, so I also attended that. My bedtime expanded somewhat in Cambodia, and that seems to have carried over with my return. It was after 11:00 when I hit the sheets last night.

And I woke up to another beautiful morning.

A long day, a long hike, and a long night at the bar. Might as well enjoy it all while you can. We’ll see what happens next.

Oh, I almost forgot. I came across this old song from when the Navy was here. Wanted to share it with y’all:

Ballad Of Subic Bay

I joined the Navy for sixteen years,
sailing the seas that brought me here.
For sixteen years I'm running loose,
for sixteen years, I'm a Seaman deuce. 

Horny sailors, all are we
for we must sail the seven seas.
One thousand miles we steamed today
to see our girls in Subic Bay. 

Silver dollar on my girl's breast, 
she's gone short time with Americas best.
One hundred men she laid today,
but only three in a normal way. 

Take me back to my old joint,
my ship is anchored in Cubi Point.
And that girl I use to lay,
she's now the mayor of Subic Bay. 

Silver dollar on my girl's breast,
an overnight, she does her best.
Of all the men that she's been with,
I'm the only one who caught that syph. 

I joined the Navy; I don't like it.
Sailing the seas that brought me here.
And every time I sail away,
I long again for Subic Bay. 

I long again for Subic Bay

Back in the saddle again, ridin’ out the days like there’ll be no tomorrow. It was boots on the ground for my regular Thursday hike, but it felt almost new again after my vacation.

You can Relive the trail here if you so desire:

I started out my evening activities at the Snackbar, where I handed out the last of my pasalubong.

I had an especially good time at Snackbar; lots of beers and lady drinks for the girls. We also played Uno, a game I hadn’t played for decades. Something a little different and a fun way to interact with the girls.

It was the last night for a “buy one, get one” coupon at Hot Zone, so I made that my next stop. The owner there, Jay, is a former Marine, and I’d forgotten that yesterday was the birthday of the USMC. The joint was packed with Marine buddies, and I felt almost like one of those “stolen valor” guys just being there. Had my two beers, said congrats and headed out. I visited Green Room next, then finished my night at Wet Spot. I had another nice chat with Daddy Dave, including discussing ideas for reestablishing a floating bar at Baloy. Stay tuned for further developments in that regard.

My sleep patterns are still a little disrupted, but it’s not like sleeping in until 6 a.m. has any real impact on my lifestyle. It was another beautiful morning here in paradise.

Facebook memories reminded me of those long ago days when my life had purpose and meaning.

Coincidentally, it is also one of my former employee’s birthday today.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t send a shout-out to all the military veterans who have served their country in war and peace. Thank you for the sacrifices inherent in defending freedom. Our nation owes you all a debt of gratitude.

That’s all for now. SOB tonight at The Green Room. Those beers ain’t gonna drink themselves. And maybe I’ll find my Elvira there. Giddy up!

Eyes that look like heaven, lips like cherry wine
That girl can sure enough make my little light shine
I get a funny feelin' up and down my spine
'Cause I know that my Elvira's mine
So I’m singin'

Elvira, Elvira, my heart's on fire, for Elvira
Giddy Up, Oom Poppa Oom Poppa Mow Mow
Giddy Up, Oom Poppa Oom Poppa Mow Mow
High-o Silver, away.