Today is the day the Hash makes the annual climb to the summit of Easter mountain.
I did the climb three years ago and it was a tough motherfucker. I’m attempting it again today as a matter of pride and also knowing it may be the last time I’m still physically capable to do so. At least I hope I am!
A full report on the adventure (with photos) tomorrow.
The get-together at my neighbor’s place for an Easter meal was nice.
A little smaller turnout than expected (Ed had said 12 would attend). There was plenty of food to go around, that’s for sure. I reckon Ed and Helen will also enjoy the bounty of leftovers.
You might have noticed there is one thing missing in the photo above. Everyone is coupled up and I’m the odd man out. I don’t socialize much (outside of the bars, that is) but I did feel the absence of someone by my side to share the experience. It’s a sad commentary that I have no one in my life that I feel comfortable inviting to an event such as this. This may be my new normal and I should just get used to it I suppose, but I left shortly after eating because I felt out of place.
Of course, there are places where someone is always willing to sit by my side and have a drink with me. So, I walked my sorry ass down to It Doesn’t Matter and commenced to enjoy the company of Agnes and Armie. Later, my pal Max came by and we had some white man conversation with our adult beverages.
My next stop was Cheap Charlies and my regulars were quick to join me and rub my back while we drank. I’m actually rather fond of Alma and could see her playing the role of loving girlfriend under other circumstances. But yes, I know and remind myself that she is just doing her job. We are Facebook friends and the fact that I never get messages from her outside of work tells me everything I need to know.
I was sitting at the street-facing counter in Cheap Charlies when I spotted mama setting up camp across the street.
Nothing like a little perspective to end the night. My bed may be empty, but at least I have a home to go. And really, despite my whining, I’m really doing okay. I still think of my recent failed relationship frequently, but in the wee hours of the morning today when I woke up with her on my mind, I asked myself, “if she wanted to get back together with you, would you do it?” Remembering the good and the bad times, I ultimately concluded I would not. I never want to be someone’s second choice. And as good as it could have been, she never had the time to do the things we talked about and dreamed of. A life of loneliness is far better than a life of disappointment. How’s that for climbing a mountain of discovery?
I was just talkin’ to the moon
Hopin’ someday soon that I’d be over
The memory of you
Too hard to hold
Wish me luck on the mountain today!
Good luck with the hike. I’m typing this in the very late morning, so your hike might be over already. If so, I hope it was a good one. Happy post-Easter!
Speaking of which, that Easter spread looked good.
Nope, it’s an afternoon thing… a couple of hours of anticipation yet.
Right on.
The man who is known as the conqueror of Easter mountain ⛰ shall ascend. 😉
I have decided that I’ll join Kevin and write a comment on a daily basis. You already know that I’m a regular reader.
My comments often take the form of a question as I am quite the ignorant fool 🙃
I see a few solar panels in one of your pictures 📸 of course there’s more of spaghetti mish-mash of electricity power lines above the houses , and that utility pole in the middle of the street on the main road still makes me smirk.
I’m guessing that the initial investment in solar panels is quite high, but would be perfect for those brown-out days or when a storm takes out the entire grid. And Philippines probably has more days of sunshine than Alaska. Who’s the rich guy with those solar panels and when will u join him in making the jump
Hey James, I love comments and questions, so fire away anytime.
I don’t see many of those big rooftop solar panel setups. A few houses here in my neighborhood and maybe a couple of big expat houses in town. I’m a renter so I won’t be making the investment. I do see lots of those small solar panels that feed an outdoor light. My old landlord installed several as security lighting. They worked great–when the sun went down, they came on. My mountain family friends mentioned having to hike into town to charge the cell phone. One of our Hashers brought them a small solar-powered charger I thought that was really cool.