My four days of doctor-mandated post-operative rest have ended, and I celebrated by hitting the road.
This morning, I successfully completed my first hill climb in over a month with the Friday group. It wasn’t easy, but it never was. Even my fellow hikers commented that I was breathing quietly these days.
As for my nighttime activities, I was never all that much incapacitated, but I’m definitely back fully in the swing of things. I started my evening at Sloppy Joe’s, where I reviewed the status of my remaining SOB coupons. Two were due to expire at midnight–a “buy one, get one” at Green Room and a five hundred peso voucher at Whiskey Girl. I planned to move next door to Green Room, drinking for an hour until 6 p.m. when Whiskey Girl opened for business. I finished my third Sloppy beer, said goodnight to Troy and Chris, and headed for Green Room.
I settled into a seat at my favorite table and ordered a Zero. As time went on (and beers went down), I began to reconsider my plan. Five hundred pesos of free customer drinks is a great bargain, but it requires walking to Whiskey Girl to use it. And it was happy hour until 9 p.m. at WG, which meant my beers were half-price. There was no way I would be able to drink five hundred pesos worth of beer in one night. Plus, my regulars there would be expecting me to quench their thirst for lady drinks. Doing the math, I determined that staying at Green Room doing the “buy one, get one” for the remainder of my time out was the best deal. I ordered some lumpia for the girls to share, had a GRO backrub, and enjoyed watching the girls play pool.
When it came time to pay the piper, I was surprised that my tab was a little over a thousand pesos. I had the waitress double-check the amount, and she said, “Three lady drinks, ten beers, and I was charged for five.” Wow! Turns out I’m drinking better than normal! I don’t usually count my beers, but ten in one sitting is quite a feat. I wasn’t feeling any pain, but I wasn’t falling down drunk either. That’s the advantage of a low-alcohol beer.
Back home, in bed at 8:30 and woke up at 4:00. Just like the good ol’ days. It’s nice to be back!
Things are back to normal with Swan, too. She’s joining me at the SOB tonight and bringing along a girlfriend. Should be fun!
And here is one of life’s mysteries I’ve often contemplated:
And then there is this:
Oh well, bad humor is also the normal around here. I hope you’ll come back for more!
re: Star Trek joke
The title “Jollyco” is a reference to Captain Edward Jellico, who temporarily assumed command of the Enterprise in the Next Generation 2-parter episode “Chain of Command,” the one where Picard is captured and tortured. Jellico was played by famous actor Ronny Cox (pictured), who has a long filmography that includes everything from Deliverance (he was one half of the “dueling banjos” scene) to Beverly Hills Cop to Total Recall to Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think the fictional captain’s surname “Jellico” is a reference to a real-life historical figure, but I haven’t figured out who that might be.
Congrats on feeling better. Ten beers… that equals how many trips to the restroom? Even with the low alcohol content of the beers, your liver must have packed up and gone back to Pattaya (for the temples, not the bars) by now. Do you ever talk with your docs about fatty-liver disease?
the new McDonald’s on the corner
I went through a bit of a McDonald’s-fiend phase. Now, though, I haven’t ordered anything from a McDonald’s in a long time. Good luck as you face this new temptation.
Oh, and Lucky has found a new love.
So, he’s definitely staying. Uh, congratulations?
You’re obviously breathing better, and with your pulse-ox up, it’s now easier to tackle those hills. Good to know. Keep on a-huffin’ and a-puffin’.
John, glad to hear that things are pretty quickly getting back to normal.
Re: Kevins comment on your liver. Not sure what tests they can do, but probably not a bad idea to at least ask.
The Ben Franklin quote reminded me of the George Bernard Shaw quote (though I guess there is some debate on whether or not he was the originator) – “Youth is wasted on the young”
Brain, thanks! Regarding my liver, blood work, and a recent ultrasound both showed my liver was in the normal range. I’ll continue to monitor it, but it should be the healthiest part of my body–it gets a daily workout!
As to youth being wasted on the young, I agree. My favorite fantasy is to go back in time and relive my life knowing what I know now.
Interesting. I wasn’t familiar with the Jollyco/Jellico reference, so it went right over my head. I’m sure I’ve seen Mr. Cox in some of those roles, but he doesn’t look familiar to me.
Ten beers is definitely at the high end of my limits. My pee pattern is I don’t have to pee until four or five are consumed, and then it is every other beer thereafter. And yes, my liver is monitored and thus far remains in the normal range.
I’ve only been eating McDonald’s a couple of times a year, usually on a road trip because it is convenient. I’m not a big fan anyway, so resisting temptation shouldn’t be too hard. At least when I’m sober.
Yes, Lucky would have to fuck up again before I abandoned him. If he ever bites Swan, he’s a goner.
Having nostrils that work is really a breath of fresh air!
I had to chuckle when I read your response to Kevin. “so resisting temptation shouldn’t be too hard. At least when I’m sober.”(said the man who drank ten beers in one sitting). LOL You’ll be on a first name basis with the Mickey D’s crew. You’ll have 20 million McDonald’s Frequent Flyer program points. Mark my words McCrarey, by the end of 2024 the Barretto Mickey D’s will have renamed the McDouble to The McCrarey.
Peace Out!
I would assume Jellico is named after Admiral Jellicoe or perhaps his son…
Soju, in my pre-emptive defense, I will just note that the new McDonald’s is the nearest food source to my house. Don’t blame me; blame convenience.
Duly Noted, McDouble.
Peace Out!