Push up and push on

Shocking, isn’t it?

Besides the Hash, which I’ll get to in a minute, I spent some time in the kitchen yesterday. I made the usual double batch of crockpot chili and it sold out again. A captive audience of hungry Hashers helps in that regard I suppose. I also baked a carrot cake, and that turned out to be a real treat. Now, I’m no Kevin Kim–I make hardly anything from scratch. I was very surprised to find a carrot cake mix at the grocery store, it’s been literally years since I’ve seen one. It was a brand I’ve never heard of, Maya, but what the hell, pseudo-bakers like me can’t be choosers.

I see now from the fine print on the back of the box that Maya is a local producer of flour and baked goods.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, being a Pillsbury/Betty Crocker kind of guy, but I was pretty damn pleased with the results. The only real difference from the American brands I’m used to was that the contents did not include the carrots. Grating 1 3/4 cups of fresh carrots would be a real pain in the ass, but luckily, I have a domestic helper to do the jobs I don’t want to do.

I discovered the timer on my oven isn’t working properly, but I checked it early enough to avoid disaster. Actually, I’d say it was baked to near perfection!
Slapped on some cream cheese frosting from out of the can and had me a cake to enjoy.
I was happy with the light texture. Quite flavorful as well. I bought another box of cake mix today. I want to add some nuts and raisins to the next one.

Alright then, are you ready to Hash? Leech My Nuggets was the Hare and he’s another one of the guys who prefer a very challenging trail. Always marks them well though and that’s something I really appreciate. He also gives our “sane” group a map of the route in advance, which facilitates our shortcutting. Yesterday’s trail had three big climbs (and of course, three descents). Our group did the first up, and then came down the mountain on the path that was Leech’s third up, thereby avoiding the worst part of the trail (anytime there is a rope involved to get over a rock, I ain’t interested!).

So, I’d never done the up we took at the beginning, most of the middle was over the familiar My Bitch trail, and we modified the end to avoid having to cross a wet rice paddy. I’d call that a win-win–the trail was as hard or as easy as you wanted to make it. I’ve got some pictures, of course.

The trail as the Hare intended.
The sane group heading out with our customary 30-minute headstart.
Making our way through the winding back alleys of Barretto.
A right turn, some steps…
…and then the real “fun” began.
Steep it was…
…and seemingly endless.
I looked up and saw the terrain ahead of me and I almost despaired…
…but then I looked down at the path directly in front of me and saw what I assume was a message from the Hash gods encouraging me to PUSH onward and upward.
And that’s just what I did.
Nature has its own rewards.
Sometimes looking back on where you started makes the effort seem more worthwhile.
Perhaps I should rename her “Inspiration Mountain”.
Hikers in the high grass but not high on grass. Promise!
Chopping wood for uling (charcoal). Hard work on the mountaintop.
Love this pic of Anal Receptive (taken by his girlfriend) attempting to avoid the hazards of the rice paddy.
Meanwhile, the sane Hashers did a walkaround.
The final uphill to our On-Home in the Alta Vista community center.
Our newest named Hasher, Arrested Development. I had suggested Spins Like A Top but was voted down.
And as yet unnamed Martin joined us for the first time. He’s a big guy but kept up with us sane Hashers without a problem.
The view from our On-Home left no doubt that it is indeed burn season once again.
And that’s it for this Hash post. If you are interested, the markings indicate that this is run #1461 and those lines advise that there is a right turn ahead.

What time is it? I have darts tonight.

Oops, wrong watch!

Sometimes you come across something and think, yeah, I can relate…

Or maybe that’s just some half-assed opinion…

Can hardly wait to see what happens next!

Baby, it’s BER outside

And here it is the first day of SeptemBER.

Yeah, that’s really a thing here in the Philippines. The BER months (September, October, November, and December) are celebrated as the holiday season. Last night I heard someone playing Jingle Bells. And this morning I got a message from a friend wishing me a Merry Christmas. I shit you not.

Here’s Buddy and Lucky enjoying their BEReakfast this morning.

Yesterday morning found me at Baypointe Hospital having the required tests administered so that I might be able to schedule my much-needed cataract surgery. An electrocardiogram, blood work, and a chest x-ray are apparently necessary to ensure I won’t die during what the eye doctor described as a fifteen-minute procedure under local anesthesia. I’m sending my helper to pick up the results and provide them to the cardiologist on Friday. Hopefully, I can get the operation next week. It really sucks not being able to see clearly.

I played darts for the first time in a week last night and didn’t lose a leg–defeating all of my opponents in the winner’s bracket 2-0. I wore my old Seoul International Dart League shirt and I guess it still had some of that old good luck in it.

That’s me in 2015…
…and last night. Everybody’s so different, I haven’t changed. Much.

I was very surprised to see that Jessel is once again working at Alley Cats. She told me she resigned from her position at the hotel. I was friendly and bought her a welcome back lady drink, but I didn’t feel a thing. Well, that’s not entirely true. I felt sorry for her not getting to experience the life I had fantasized about us sharing. I felt lucky for myself that she proved her unworthiness before I took things to the next level. I still can’t figure her out, but I realized last night she is just not who or what I thought she was. Her ability to communicate, at least in English, seems to be close to nil. Not sure why I didn’t realize that before, but I guess in my heart I was making excuses for her. I am happy to report my brain is once again in full control and I have let go of any and all emotions I recently felt for her. It was definitely a winning night!

I guess we’ll see what happens next in my so-called life. Stick around!

Just another manic Monday

Actually, it’s a Hash Monday–how manic can that be?

Changed things up a bit and took the dogs for a walk on the beach at Baloy this morning. Probably won’t do that again any time soon. Too many strays to fend off. My secondary purpose was breakfast at Treasure Island, which was fine once it was served. It took WAY too long though. Ah well, how bad can things be when that’s all I’ve got to complain about?

On the beach.

Started my evening yesterday at It Doesn’t Matter. Enjoyed some more laughs with Roan. I like her company so much I decided to ask her out for lunch on her day off tomorrow. She accepted. So, I guess it’s a date. We even discovered something we have in common last night. Her “real” name is Rochelle and that’s the name she went by in school. But at home, everyone knows her as Roan. So, when friends from school came to visit and asked for Rochelle, confusion ensued. When I was growing up, I was John at school and went by Mark in the neighborhood. Long story, but my parents couldn’t agree on my name so dad called me John and mom and my brothers called me Mark. It’s no wonder I’m borderline schizophrenic.

Anyway, I don’t think of Roan as a potential girlfriend. She’s fun to be around, that’s enough for me. We are going to eat at Arizona. It’s on her side of town and she’s never been there for a meal, so it will be a new, and hopefully nice, experience for her.

Anal Receptive (my neighbor Ed) is the Hare today. I ran into him at Mango’s Saturday night and he described the trail that he’s plotting. I expect I’ll be shortcutting again.

Today’s inflictor of pain and suffering.

I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Peace out!

Back to the old life

I guess I never really left but I did take a detour to explore a dead-end road called Love. So, I still have my darts, my walking, and my drinking adventures to post about. That’s probably best for you readers and me.

Another third-place finish in darts last night, but no complaints about it this time. I threw better than I did on Friday and we lost to superior teams. That’s the way it goes. After darts, a group of us went across the street to Mango’s and enjoyed a late dinner. I devoured my pork chops favorite. The other end of the table had roast chicken and baby back ribs. No one was disappointed in their meal. Kevin and I split the $70. tab. Not bad for seven diners, eh?

That settles it!

In other news, the canteen I’m sponsoring for a friend is making progress towards opening. She’s had a crew out cleaning, painting, and fixing things up. I wish her well. Tough times to be opening an eatery, but the business model she plans doesn’t rely so much on foreigners. Hopefully when the lockdowns are lifted there will be lots of Filipino tourists back in town to enjoy the beach and her Filipino delicacies.

It’s an open-air kitchen.
That’s the exhaust fan for a big ass grill…
It’s primarily going to be a take-out place, but there will be counter seating and one table as I understand it.
Good luck!
I suggested this as a possible name…it didn’t seem appreciated.

And here’s a public service announcement:

Yeah, I know. I butcher the language. Let me serve as a bad example!

A long (for me) 10K solo hike this morning. I snapped a photo every kilometer or so…

The boys seeing me off. It looks like they are in jail…
They were waving everyone through the checkpoint. I guess COVID is off on Sunday.
Filipino failures.
Home on the highway…
Not a pretty day, very hazy out. No rain on the walk though.
“The river flows, it flows to the sea. Wherever that river goes, that’s where I want to be…
Bamboo–is there anything it can’t do?
My hopes to keep my feet dry were dashed in the end.
Home sweet home at last!
I was hoping to make 5K an hour. Stopping for photos and the ATM didn’t help.

You can Relive the hike here if you so desire:

And that’s where things stand in my loveless world.

The river flows
It flows to the sea
Wherever that river goes
That’s where I want to be
Flow river flow
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town

All he wanted
Was to be free
And that’s the way
It turned out to be
Flow river flow
Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town

A week in the life: Tuesday shopping

I do my weekly grocery shopping at the Royal Duty Free supermarket on SBMA (the old Navy base). There is a premium to be paid for the experience, especially when your purchase imported goods. I also allow one of my non-resident helpers to accompany me and fill her personal basket with miscellaneous items as well. Today she added a $35 rice cooker to the mix, but that’s the exception, she is normally reasonably frugal on my dime.

My driver, Danny, provides transportation to and from the shopping excursion. I pay him twenty bucks for his time and use of his vehicle.
This is the new Royal, a modern and well-appointed supermarket.
I must be nuts to pay these prices. Most of the imported goods are (over) priced in U.S. dollars.
Fresh chicken…
I don’t have a beef with the meat selection.
Yes, I said “cheese” when I took this photo. Get a load of those prices!
Filled the cart, as usual.
Ouch! That’s painful in either currency. I always pay (via credit card) in pesos. Otherwise, I get gouged on the exchange rate. My weekly grocery budget, or should I say, goal, is $200. Not even close this time.
Loaded up. Let’s go home.

And that’s how I spent my morning. I feel a nap coming on soon. And they said retired life can be boring. No way!

Giving her the business

I had mentioned before that I was going to be an investor like Jimmy John Shark in a friend’s business endeavor. She wants to do a canteen-type place featuring the Filipino foods she enjoys preparing. We had looked at a place that was formerly a small bar called Generals. It had been closed for several months but had a kitchen and a small seating area. We offered the asking price and then our offer was rejected. I figured it was all a scam, but today I happened to be walking by and it was the grand re-opening, except now it’s called MacArthur’s.

Kind of what I wanted to do with the bar portion of the business. Good luck!

So, my friend kept looking for another option. And it looks like it is going to be this:

Beach Please. Not the actual bar on the beach, but the food kiosk out front.
It is small, but all she needs is a kitchen.
And there is a small seating area as well.

Her business model is to provide meals for the bargirls working around town. She will also provide food to the hungry customers at Beach Please. And of course, the passerby on the highway out front. It could work, especially since the rent is only 12,000 pesos ($240.) a month. She signed the lease today. I was trying to give her some advice and she said “leave it to me”, so that’s what I’ll do. Good luck!

I’m going to play darts tonight. Facebook shared this memory today of me and my sweet friend Sohee after a victory in 2017. She was a special woman but took her own life two years later. What a waste.

Miss you!

Google maps sent their monthly update showing me everywhere I traveled in July.

How pathetic is that?

And that’s the news from here. The day started off nice enough:

But that didn’t last long.

Still, the Friday group got a nice hike in without getting too wet. I’ll call that progress.

More on that tomorrow.

Wet and mild

A relatively easy 7.5K trail at yesterday’s Hash, but totally appropriate for the weather conditions. Mother Nature certainly does seem to have a sense of humor though. The clouds were breaking up and the sun was shining through as I headed out to our starting place at the VFW. Then, almost as soon as we started our hike, the skies opened up and gave us a good soaking. Ten minutes later the rain stopped and we marched on. Later in the hike we got drenched again, but once you are wet, what difference does it make?

Our path. Very similar to the hike we did on Friday.
Let’s roll!
By the time we got to Alta Vista we were already sopping wet.
I got a chuckle when I saw the trail included the shortcut to my house…
Here comes the rain again…
A wet trail…
Our two virgin Hashers…
I guess rice farmers like the rain…
Not so much dump truck drivers…
Looks like there is such a thing as too much water in your rice field…
On-On!
Put away that umbrella, Buddy Fucker!
Mostly an urban trail…
On-Home was at Da’Kudos on Baloy Beach.
More rain on the way…
Our Hash motto: It’s nice on ice!
I’m thinking “not so much…”
The birthday boy enjoying his cake…
And another Hash draws to a close.

It’s still raining today. And I’ve got a date of sorts this afternoon. I’ll fill y’all in on the details tomorrow.

A slippery slope

The rain held off for yesterday’s Hash. Until it didn’t. And once it started raining, the dirt path became a semi-liquid Messy Underfoot Disaster (MUD). Especially going downhill. So, when our group of “sane” Hashers realized that the Hare’s had us coming off the mountain on a trail that is steep and treacherous when dry, we sought out an alternative route. Pubic Head knew of a place where we could take concrete steps down which seemed like a good plan. Finding the right trail to get us there was a hit-and-miss affair, but in the end, we got there.

Ironically, those concrete steps had a layer of green algae growing on top. If there is one thing more slippery than mud, it’s algae. I was well aware of this fact and was being extra cautious, side-stepping my way down for better traction. In vain as it turned out. About halfway down my foot slid out from under me and I came down hard on my elbow. Fortunately, only a scratch and a bruise to show for it.

We were two hours into the hike with a long way to go to get back to the On Home in Alta Vista, so we did a shortcut. Good thing, too. Otherwise, we would have missed out on the circle which started less than thirty minutes after we arrived. But as always, it was good to be out and about with my fellow Hashers. Here are some photos:

And we are off!
The beginning of the hike was road work.
And then the climbing began.
It seemed like the stairs would never end.
No wonder we were so tired.
Then it got so steep the locals found it necessary to erect a handrail to pull themselves up. Worked for me!
All that climbing and we still weren’t at the top.
I was glad this carabao didn’t have much interest in us passing Hashers…
Mountain living…
…with a million-dollar view.
A brief rest for the weary, but sane, Hashers.
Show us the way to these fabled steps down, Pubic Head.
I’m coming, I’m coming…
I was proud to have found my way to the sought-after steps down. Turns out pride really does goeth before a fall…
And that’s all I’ve got for this Hash post.

Had a busier than normal Tuesday and now it is time for darts. Full report tomorrow!

Let me leave you with a laugh. Here’s a 3-minute comedy sketch you might enjoy:

Oh, Shenandoah

I’m bound to wander.

And now I’ve arrived at my new residence here on a street named Shenandoah Bend.

Said street as it appears in front of my apartment.

The actual moving part yesterday was every bit as bad as I imagined it would be and more. It took three trips in the Hash truck and several more in my driver’s car. When I moved here I brought two suitcases and mailed one box of stuff from Korea. I was astounded by how much crap I’ve accumulated in just three years.

A small portion of the move.

Making things more difficult was that it rained periodically during the move, necessitating pausing to wait for a break in the storm before making a dash up the hill to my new place. I hired four Filipino helpers to lug my heavy shit out to the truck then offload it in my new place. That included a refrigerator, stove, freezer, bed, washing machine, grill, and TV.

I was exhausted just supervising the operation.

Of course, the unpacking has been just as tedious and tiring. I’m probably 90% done now, but I’m going to need to get better organized I think. One of the big differences between here and my old house is that I have much less storage space available. It will all be fine once I get settled in and used to everything.

The boys are adapting to their new environment as well. I’m sure they don’t have a clue about what the hell is going on. After the dog walk this morning, Buddy tried to tug me back in the direction of the old house with a look of “where you going?” on his face.

As tired as I was yesterday I still went out for a few beers at Palm Tree. Took a trike back home and experienced what I expect will be a regular occurrence–the trike didn’t have enough power to make it up the big incline leading to my house. So, I guess I’ll be walking/stumbling the last couple of blocks home from now on.

There is a backway/shortcut I can take up to my place when I’m walking. Wouldn’t try it in the dark though.
The backside of my apartment as seen from the shortcut path.

This morning I went into Olongapo and had keys made. I needed extras for the front gate, front door (keys), and the maid’s room, which is now occupied by Inday and her boyfriend.

So, that’s what I’ve been up to. Sorry I couldn’t squeeze out a post yesterday. I did sleep great last night, hope that becomes a trend.

The way things look from my balcony just now.
Say wha? The way things were looking fourteen years ago. I didn’t have a clue then about what was in store for me. I still don’t, but I’m much better at living in the moment.

Alright then, we’ll try to get on with the new normal around here starting tomorrow. See you then.

So help me, God.

This too shall pass.

Quora quarrel

I fool around some on the Quora website. What can I say? I guess I have too much time on my hands. Mostly I’m just a reader, scrolling past the vast majority of questions/answers for which I have no interest. That includes most of the political posts because I learned long ago that arguing with strangers over politics is pointless. Still, occasionally I will answer a question directed my way. Especially when I’m bored. So, a while back the question posed was, “Am I lucky living in the Philippines?”. This was my answer:

There is no place else I’d rather be at this time in my life. No, it is far from perfect, but what place is perfect? I’m an American, but there is no way I’d want to be living there with all that craziness going on. Do I get frustrated sometimes with things that happen here? Of course, I do. But then I take a walk in the mountains or on the beach, and I remember what’s important in life.

This just happened today—I watched a documentary on Bangladesh and realized that even the poor people in the Philippines live a much better life than many people do elsewhere in the world.

Yes, I feel lucky to be here.

That’s about as innocuous it gets. Just my personal opinion based on my own experience here. So, I was shocked when the Quora team advised me today that they’d shared my response with two million members. It’s been viewed 142,000 times and received 647 upvotes. Wow, I wish LTG was that popular! It’s also generated a few dozen comments, almost all of them positive. That’s also pretty amazing for the internet. But yesterday this comment came along from someone who calls himself “Hung Lo”:

Yea, they’re so happy there that’s why millions of them are dying to come here to the U.S In fact Philippines makeup the largest if not the largest Asian group living there, but yet we have the poster here and others claiming that the people of the Philippines (or atleast insinuating) are happy and content with life in their native country which can’t be further from the truth.

Stop projecting and assuming that just because life has dealt you a better hand, living in a developed country one with stability and opportunities that there aren’t others such as the natives of the Philippines aren’t yearning for the same.

Let me ask you this. What makes the Philippines so great that a more developed country doesn’t have? If I had to guess I’d bet all my marbles that it has something to do with the very young/youthful and all the pleasures it brings for the old, the forgotten and the perverted. *Sicko

I found this response both ignorant and irksome. I decided to just let it go as unworthy of a response. But then I read it again this morning and didn’t want Mr. Hung Lo to get the impression that my silence was an acknowledgement that he was right in his assessments. So, I wrote this:

Millions you say? In the USA Filipino immigrants represent the fourth-largest origin group after the foreign born from Mexico, India, and China. Of course, like all immigrants (and the USA was founded on immigrants) people here look for opportunities to better themselves and live a more comfortable life. That doesn’t mean they are unhappy. In fact, I’ve not seen any of the violence and hatred here that is occurring in the USA. Nope, not one city burned or looted. Go figure. The happiness of the Filipino people is not about money, it is about the love of family. You have to see it to believe it.

You shouldn’t bet all your marbles on anything, because it appears to me you have already lost them. Your racist and sexist comment assuming that all young Filipino women are whores makes you the “sicko”. Crawl back into your hole now, snake.

Probably shouldn’t have bothered, I know. But I’m glad I did anyway. Here’s another comment that disagreed with me, but I actually respected his viewpoint:

As a Filipino citizen (born and raised here), I wish I could say the same. It’s only ever fun to be here as an outsider/foreigner, from my perspective, since that’s already somewhat of a privilege. The economy is a headache, the extremely conservative mindset of a significant portion of the population is equally frustrating, and I won’t even dare touch the topic of politics and justice.

Being happy in spite of all that’s happening isn’t much of a good thing in my perspective too, going back to my point regarding conservative mindsets and such. Resilience in hardships is praised here a lot, as well as by foreigners I think, but I truly can’t cope with that. Resilience and staying happy isn’t always good, especially in such a fragile and hostile political environment (again, not diving deeper into that but I hope the point gets across). It’s quite defeatist in my eyes and I don’t think I can stomach living the rest of my life seeing this resiliency mindset “thrive” so much.

Again, it’s just a matter of perspective but I really can’t help but post my opinion.

Now that is how you agree to disagree without being disagreeable. He makes a fair point that if people remain accepting of the status quo and resilient in the face of the hardships that result from incompetent and corrupt political leaders, nothing will ever change for the better.

Anyway, putting Quora down for now and moving on, let me tell you about my breakfast. Pizza! Other than leftovers, I can’t recall ever having a pizza so early in the day (or seeing one on the breakfast menu). This one was topped with egg and sausage, so I figured, why not?

It was actually pretty tasty. Don’t think I’ll make it a habit, but a pizza breakfast was a nice change of pace.

It’s another Hash Monday and I’ll be heading out soon to climb a mountain. The “sane” group I Hash with has determined there are better ways to do so than the Hare (Guenter) has planned, so just like the Burger King, we are gonna have it our way. Stay tuned for a full report tomorrow.

It’s bee a while since I’ve shared the lyrics to one of our Hash songs here, so let me leave you with this:

(sung to the tune of “If you’re happy and you know it”)

If your girlfriend tastes like shit, roll her over
If your girlfriend tastes like shit, roll her over
If your girlfriend tastes like shit,
It’s her asshole not her clit
If your girlfriend tastes like shit, roll her over

And now you know why I infrequently share Hash songs here. Sorry!

Itchy and scratchy

The struggle continues…

Once again I failed to make it out to Baloy, but It Doesn’t Matter suited my purpose just fine. I’m rather fond of the camaraderie with the friendly expats who also hang out there. A nice change of pace from drinking exclusively with the bargirls.

I had dinner waiting for me at home in the crockpot:

Eat my balls!

Another rough night of trying to sleep with itchy hands and feet. Hopefully, I can get a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.

It’s been unseasonably warm these past few days. I’m sweaty even after a brief early morning dog walk. I keep hearing rainy season is imminent and I’m looking forward to having something different to complain about.

I have it on good authority that it will be chili this afternoon at least.

Yes, the Hash On-Home today is at the Alta Vista clubhouse and I’m contributing a double-sized batch of chili to help assuage the after-hike hunger of my fellow Hashers. There is really nothing special about my chili, but I do appreciate the positive feedback I get from the customers. A couple of folks even ask for takeout. If my bar-owning fantasy ever came true (it won’t!) I’d keep a pot of chili on the stove every day. The house specialty and it goes down easy when accompanied by an icy cold beer. I’d rather dream about it than do it, though.

That’s it for today. Hopefully one day soon I’ll have something exciting to post about. Hmm, maybe I I should be careful what I wish for.

Reupholstered

Or maybe recovered is the better word. Either way, I overcame whatever it was that ailed me yesterday, and have now rejoined the land of the living. It’s good to be here!

Obviously, I wasn’t all that sick. It just seemed that my get up and go, got up and left. I baked brownies in anticipation of visiting the floating bar, but when it came time to shower, I just didn’t have the energy to make the effort. So I sat on my lazy ass and watched some TV. I was surprised to find Lonesome Dove, the Larry McMurtry Western series, available on YouTube (I’ve canceled Netflix and Amazon Prime). Been years since I’ve watched that program and I enjoyed seeing the first part of Part One again.

It was the first night in a very long time that I hadn’t gone out to enjoy a beer at one of the many fine venues available in my sweet little retirement town. Here’s to hoping it’s a long time before that ever happens again. I’ll be doing Friday night darts at Alley Cats today, so that will hopefully get me back in my groove.

What else have I got for you?

This pretty much sums up why I decline to argue with my Facebook “friends.” What’s the point? I posted this today with the admonition to not take my silence for acquiescence of their bullshit arguments. As I am wont to say, “all I know is that everything you know, is wrong.” Once I thought that I was wrong, but I was mistaken.
This one was posted on a friend’s timeline. Not sure why I had a “you talking to me?” reaction. Yeah, it sounds a bit like my “friends with benefits” charity program. But I still believe that people helping each other is its own kind of charity. And it is certainly better than nothing.

Here are just a couple of photos from my Wednesday Walkers group hike I was too lazy didn’t have the energy to post yesterday:

Hey, maybe that’s why I was so tired!
It’s burning season. Here they took out the whole side of the hill. Won’t miss the thatch grass, that’s for sure. Still have no idea how they avoid creating those California-type wildfires I grew up with.
Harvesting bamboo looks like hard work to me…
And so does doing laundry in a creek bed.
We don’t have autumn here, but I did take a fall down this hillside. Luckily, I came down on my ass and didn’t hit anything hard or painful on the way to the bottom.
And no, I didn’t forget to get a shot of Easter mountain. You’re welcome!
After the hike, I did some lunch at Sit-n-Bull. Sorry, I took a couple of bites before remembering to take a photo. The ribs were good, the sides were excellent.

And that’s all I’ve got for today. I joined the Friday hiking group for a trip out to Tibag this morning. I’ll post about that tomorrow.

Winging it

Another Wednesday is in the books. Here’s how I spent mine.

I’ll save the hike for the end. I already told you about the drama with my house. Nothing really new to report, other than one of the landlord’s family members, Pablo, is in town. He’s the guy I actually rented from originally. My basement neighbor told me he didn’t know anything about the rent increase. Hmm, maybe some family drama on the horizon. Meanwhile, the rental agent for my new place sent me a draft copy of the lease, which looks pretty standard. A concerning item on the “pet amendment” says only one dog is allowed. Obviously, that will have to be modified or it is no deal.

An image from yesterday’s dog walk. I love both of my boys. Buddy a little more than Lucky, but I ain’t letting either one go.

Put on my darts attire and carried my arrows down to Alley Cats for the tourney last night, but after arriving, I just wasn’t feeling like playing. Wednesday is league day, so the tournament starts later and there are more players than usual. I just didn’t want to invest that much time sitting around a crowded bar. A couple of beers and I was off to a less crowded venue, It Doesn’t Matter. Some more beers there, then I headed out to The Pub to indulge my Wednesday tradition of Korean-style chicken wings.

I get them to go and enjoy them with a side of kimchi at home. Had the leftovers for breakfast this morning.
I’ve also been enjoying the full moon these past couple of days.

What else? Well, this is the photo I used for this week’s episode of making my liberal friends on Facebook heads explode:

It worked. Seems now that Trump is gone, the left and the media (but I repeat myself) need a new villain to be their Hitler. Looks like DeSantis is the man for the job!

I was taking a leak in Mango’s the other night and saw this cartoon posted on the wall. I like it because it provides a good excuse for me being such a slowpoke on our group hikes.

Of course, about the worse thing we encounter on trail is barbed wire. And some holes.

I guess that provides a good lead-in for my report on yesterday’s Wednesday Walkers hike. We did a relatively easy 6K trek with one moderate climb. That’s the way old fuckers like me like it! Anyway, lots of photos (many courtesy of Scott) will tell the story better than I can.

Our trail began at my house and ended at Dynamite Dick’s.
A larger than normal group this time out in my front yard. Sorry my photo came out so blurry…
And we are on our way!
Down and out of Alta Vista.
Regrouping before we start our big climb of the day...
Up we go!
Not real steep and not too long, but still plenty challenging for the likes of me…
I see someone has smashed off the face of the Virgin Mother. Please watch over us as best you can anyway, Mary…
Almost to the top…
Hmm. This would be quite a change in lifestyle. No, I don’t think that’s the life for me!
On the other hand, I would practically be neighbors with my sweet friend, Mary Jane Gamgam. Looking pretty good for a mother of three young ones…
And a nice view from her house of the valley below…
One of my least favorite obstacles on trail…barbed wire fences. A couple of years ago, one of them left me in stitches…
Making a cookie delivery...
Hiking on the familiar My Bitch trail.
The descent begins…
You can see the thatch grass is finally growing weak and brown. Lots of burning going on now, too.
Pausing to enjoy the view…
And what a view it is!
Steps to the bottom…
…and down we go.
Rehydration at Dick’s…

Another good day on trail!

I will endeavor to leave my faithful readers with a smile:

Nice tits, too! Hey, I thought it was funny

It’s official

Cristy is the #1 player in the Barretto Singles League. We had a nice end-of-the-season round robin tournament for the Stars (upper) division players yesterday. In the championship round, Cristy kicked things off by beating Espie 5-2. I played Espie next and also won 5-2. That set up a finals best of seven match between me and Cristy. Cristy won the first two 501 legs, and I won the following two cricket legs. So, it came down to 301 DIDO (double in/double out). Cristy took both and earned the 1000 pesos first prize money.

Well played, well earned, and well deserved, Cristy.

On the other board, the remaining three Stars players competed for the Best of the Rest prize money (500 pesos), and Billy prevailed. So, the tournament results matched how things played out over the course of the season–Cristy first, me second, Espie third, and Billy fourth.

The players of the Stars Division: Jocelyn, Billy, me, Espie, Cristy, and Nancy. Congrats on a great season!

Padz was working at the tournament venue, Alley Cats, and was looking especially lovely in a sexy dress. I snuck this picture of her

Poor quality, but I couldn’t use the flash without revealing my creepy, stalking-like behavior.

But wait, it gets worse. I’d asked her earlier if she remembered those days in grade school when kids would pass notes to each other. She laughed and said yes. So, before I went to play my championship match with Cristy, I passed her a note like I would have as a kid. She never said anything, but as I was leaving the bar she came over to me and put something in my pocket. When I got outside I took it out and had a look:

OMG! Maybe there is hope, after all. Yeah, I’m pathetic. I know that.

Alright, enough of that. This morning’s internet trolling led me to an interesting article written by a person who retired in Mexico–“7 downsides of living in a beach town”. What I found interesting is they are the same kind of things I bitch about here in the Philippines, especially #2–the noise. Then I got to thinking “what do Mexico and the Philippines have in common? Well, how about centuries of Spanish colonization? Those bastards!

I also deemed it time to make a pot roast in the slow cooker. I had bought a brisket roast from my meat lady, and it was now defrosted and ready to go. I sliced it up and put it in the crockpot. Then I poured in some pepperoncini, mushrooms, corn, peas, tomato, and onions. Reached on the shelf for my seasoning mix, and wala (Tagalog for none), nothing for pot roast or beef stew. Damn, now what? It goes against my nature, but I went on the internet and found a recipe for making my own seasoning. I had most of the ingredients and made a couple of creative substitutions (Italian spice covers a wide range, right?) for the ones I didn’t. One difference was that this is a rub, not something I could just pour on as usual. Oh well, I pulled the meat slices up from the bottom and rubbed on my seasoning. I also put some in water and poured it in for old times sake.

Here’s how it looks so far. All the veggies are still on the bottom. I’ll let you know how it tastes tomorrow.

And finally, there’s this. I got one of those Facebook messages from a person I’ve never met in person. She was looking for work and asked if I needed a housekeeper. I told her I already had someone for that, but asked if she did massage. She told me she could and so I made arrangements to give her a try out today.

Here is a picture of Mari I lifted from her Facebook page.

I did as much due diligence as I could. We have several mutual friends on Facebook. I looked through some of her posts there and saw she had two children. When I met her today, she told me she had worked in Alaska Club previously.

She gave me an okay massage and then asked if I wanted anything else? Shit, is there more than one answer to that question when the person asking looks like the girl in that picture above? So yeah, I opted for the happy ending. It probably looked something like this:

It’s all a matter of perspective, I suppose.

She seemed satisfied with the compensation I provided (2500 pesos), at least she gave me a hug. Then I walked her out to the subdivision gate. I asked “how old are you anyway?” and guessed 22. She laughed and responded 19. Yikes! Legal but scary. Youngest I’ve been with since I was, well, 19. It’s a whole other world here, that’s for sure.

Lucky thirteen

The Friday group hike turned out to be an all day affair. Got home in time for a quick shower before heading out to the darts tourney. Alas, that gave me no opportunity to post about the nothingness of Thursday’s events, but as you can probably imagine, you didn’t miss much.

So, as I’ve mentioned before, the Friday group tends to seek out adventure, at least to the extent that we like to hike in places we don’t normally visit. Yesterday was no exception. We took the Hashmobile and traveled about 40 minutes out of town to Cawag, where we hiked up into the hills and back again. A couple of the folks with has had done this hike several years ago, but things change. Once again, we didn’t find the trail we sought and wound up having to blaze our way through the first climb of the day. It was tough going.

We did find the trail eventually and it made for a much easier trip back down the mountain. A few of us came down ahead of the pack because we were tired and hot. We all regrouped later at a nice little roadside cafe that was just recently opened that we happened to find by chance. And in an odd twist of fate, one of our hikers knew the proprietor and she was familiar with the Hash because back in the day, her now-deceased husband had hosted several On-Home gatherings at his house. Small world, eh?

Let’s do the pictures then:

The view of our hike from outer space. What I found most impressive was how much different the landscape was from what we find in Barretto. Almost no trees or foliage on the mountains out here. Lots of fucking thatch grass though…
In the truck and on our way…
13 hardy hikers made the journey to Cawag…
Let’s get started!
Our first decision point of the morning–turn left or go straight? Those boys adopted us as tour guides and indicated going straight would lead us to the pool we were seeking. We chose to take the path to the left. Unwisely as it turned out.
Because instead of a well-used and easy-to-navigate trail, we had to maneuver our way through fields of boulders.
A rocky road indeed!
But we made the best of it and continued onward.
The first of several stream crossings…
Forgive us our trespasses…
The scenery was different and that was what gave the hike a special feeling somehow….
And eventually our perseverance paid off…
…we found the pool we were seeking!
Judging from the litter-strewn about, this must be a popular picnic spot. We took a short rest before continuing on to the second part of our hike–the climb.
Our trail was allegedly on the other side of the stream…
But what we thought was a path was not. So, we were forced to blaze a trail in hopes of finding one…
A mountain view…
A view of Linda, Max, and me taking in the view.
What’s everyone looking at?
We eventually found our trail and came across this “waterfall”. Max refilled his water bottle here. I asked if that was a good idea and he said he didn’t see why not. Okay by me!
This is Max an hour later after puking his guts out…
Time to head on back to the truck. Our shoes had gotten muddy from the water on the trail, so the stream crossing served as a good opportunity to wash them off.
The final kilometer for your intrepid reporter…
But we had the good fortune to find a place serving up the liquid refreshment we were craving. Some of the guys ate burgers as well…
Our gracious hostess who was married to a Hasher back in the day…
Chillin’ out after a good day of hiking…
And that’s it for this outpost…

I’ve got to rush out now for my singles league match. I’ll bring y’all up to speed on the rest of the doings and goings on in these parts tomorrow.

You didn’t think you’d get away without having to endure a bad pun, did you?

Stick a fork in me


In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”

Stephan Crane

A challenging night of darts last night. I teamed up with Billy, one of the top players, but we both struggled early on. Kevin and Troy, a solid team but one we should have beaten, knocked us into the losers bracket. We fought our way back against some other tough opponents, before meeting Kevin and Troy again in the semi-finals. This time we managed to secure a victory setting us up for a showdown with Cristy and Gerlie for the championship. Cristy is currently the strongest darter in Barretto and Gerlie is no slouch. We had our work cut out for us and almost miraculously I finally started throwing some decent darts. We needed them to play it out all the way to the final leg of the second match. And we won!

It was a great finish and perhaps my last hurrah.

During the evening some of the dreaded darts drama reared its ugly head. Nothing related to the tourney, rather some people were complaining about a decision I made regarding the singles league. I’d been drinking of course which does reduce my ability to tolerate bullshit so I might have overreacted a bit. But I take personal attacks, well, personally. And when someone doesn’t like something I’ve done, I’m fine with agreeing to disagree. It’s over the line though to accuse me of being “unfair” when the decision I made was predicated on fairness.

In a nutshell, here’s what happened: A player quit midway through the season, which is a chickenshit thing to do to begin with. So, I needed a replacement and offered the spot to Espie who I promised could have the next opening. Now, the guy who quit was ranked last in the league. Espie is a very solid player, certainly capable of holding her own in the top tier. I was in the process of splitting our 12 players into two divisions and placed Espie in the higher group. It seemed to me that letting her play in the lower division which she would likely dominate wouldn’t be fair to that group. I did reach out to the 6th ranked player and asked if he was willing to play in the lower division rather than the spot he had earned in the top division. He readily agreed. And so it was done. And several players proceeded to attack me and my decision. I went home pissed, slept it off, woke at 2:00 a.m. unable to go back to sleep thinking about it so I posted this on our league Facebook page:


AN ANNOUNCEMENT
As most of you know, we had a player quit the league at the end of Round 1. The league format works best with an even number of players so I needed a replacement. Espie had asked to join the league at the beginning of the season but I already had 12 players. I told her she would be at the top of the waiting list. For this reason, I invited her to join the league for Round 2 Divisional play.

The player who quit finished last in Round 1. As you know, Espie is a very strong player. In my opinion, she would have an unfair advantage playing in the lower division. I asked the player who finished 6th in Round 1 and qualified for the upper division if he would object to playing in the lower division. He told me he did not have a problem with that. So I thought we were set and made the schedule and spreadsheets for Round 2 with Espie in the top division.

I have now heard from several of you that my decision to do so was unfair. I admit I was shocked to hear this. The whole purpose of Round 1 was to establish competitive divisions based on a player’s performance during Round 1. In my opinion, Espie is a much stronger player than the one who quit and belongs in the upper tier. If I’m wrong about that it is unfair to Espie, not the other players in the league. Again, to allow a stronger player to dominant the lower division is unfair to those players in my view.

I first founded this singles league format over 10 years ago. I have run the league in the USA and Korea. In Seoul, we had four divisions and 32 players. The intent of the league has always been to have fun in a competitive environment while improving our darting skills. This is the first time I’ve ever been accused of being unfair.

Therefore, I am resigning from the league. Espie can replace me which should be “fair” to everyone. I will leave it to the players to find a replacement for the vacancy in the Champs division.

I will continue to update the stats for the remainder of the season unless there is an objection to my doing so.

Good luck and shoot well.

You know, running a league is a pain in the ass under the best circumstances. I had avoided starting one after my move here because I didn’t want the headaches and hassles. But I know it really helps people improve their skills and strategies and I thought I should make a contribution to our darting community. I wasn’t looking for a thank you, but damn, I wasn’t expecting a fuck you either.

So, as of now, I’m taking a break. From the league, from tourneys, from the darts scene in general and the people who populate it. I certainly don’t want to be perceived as unfair so I think it is for the best. On the bright side, it is always a good thing when folks reveal what they truly think about you.

UPDATE: Wow! I feel vindicated:

Espie’s first match in Singles League against the top player in Barretto. She more than held her own and look at those marks! A 160 -In is pro-level. Can you imagine the shitstorm if I had allowed her to play in the lower division? Hell, she would have likely gone undefeated.

On a lark

Yesterday my Friday walking group went off in search of new adventures.

Specifically, we made the 45 minutes drive up to San Marcelino. Ignore that thick yellow line, we went the other way.

Scott drove and notwithstanding his long-term residency here, he’d never ventured out to the area we had planned to hike. He still hasn’t. We weren’t exactly sure of the best driving route to take and we ended up on a road that was essentially impassable in less than a four-wheel-drive vehicle. So we just parked on the side of the road and hoofed it from there. Six kilometers later we arrived at the location we had intended to start from. Seeing as we still had 6K ahead of us to get back to the car we decided to save the planned trail for another day. We did at least find a different route back, so there was that.

Actually, the hike we did was pretty nice regardless. The first half was along a dike that holds back the floodwaters when the Santo Tomas river has had too much to drink. The only downside was a lot of dump truck traffic kicking up dust on the road. But it was really nice to be out exploring new vistas. I commented to the group that I couldn’t remember the last time we did a hike and didn’t have an ocean view. I haven’t walked that much river since my hiking days in Korea. Good times!

Credit to Scott for most of these photos:

Our path in the river basin. (that purple line on the left bank) This shot also gives you a sense of just what this river becomes when it is in flood stage.
Scott getting ready to get started.
An example of why we parked the car and walked.
An example of me walking.
You needed this kind of vehicle to drive the road that stymied us.
It dawned on me that here in the Philippines rice-growing season is year-round. Duh!
The first of several water crossings. Oh well, once your feet are wet you are free to enjoy whatever the trail has in store for you!
What, you thought bananas grew on trees?
Hello, children…
…do you like cookies?
We made it to the river!
This river basin was buried in volcanic ash after the explosion of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. Those Andisols are still being harvested today, apparently for use in mixing cement.
That peak in the center of this shot is Mount Pinatubo today. Well, yesterday. But you know what I meant.
The water level was so low that I watched folks walking and riding motorbikes to get to the other side. There is a village called Santa Fe on the opposite bank. We’ll save that visit for another day.
Digging it out and loading it up.
We were rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ on the river…
Look at that water. You need water to make beer. Ah, beer. I miss you. I need you. I want you…
On our alternative path coming back. Passed through several small villages full of friendly folks.
But we still had to walk through some water…
You coming, Scott?
Um, no thanks! We like coming here.
Even if it is kind of a hole in the wall place.
A field of flowers is always nice to see.
And here’s my tree shot from the hike.
Um, Jim. The correct bridge is over here!
We stopped in a small bar/restaurant out in the middle of nowhere on the way back. Very friendly staff and decent food at reasonable prices. I’d go back if I’m ever in the area. Despite the good meal and cold beers, this is the only thing that caught my imagination enough to pull out the phone for a picture. I’m not sure why.
Our hike came in right at 13K. I added some more to that throughout the day. Speaking of Fitbit, it monitors my sleep patterns as well. Today it told me: “Night owls go to bed late and wake up late, while larks do both earlier. Based on your trends, you’re more of a lark.” Well, if Fitbit says it, it must be true!

I did make it out to Mango’s to watch the sunset.

Some sexy gals were playing volleyball (without a net) on the beach as well.

And like the lark that I am, I was home and in bed before 9:00 p.m. and up at 0500 to start my day.

These posts don’t write themselves you know!

And there you have another day in the life here at Long Time Gone.

Moments like these

This morning I’m laying trail with my co-Hare for tomorrow’s Hash. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some random shit from my so-called life.

The tools of the trade: Powder and chalk. I’m a big fan of a well-marked trail.
A good afternoon of darts yesterday. I threw pretty well and I had a good partner for a change. Made it through the winner’s bracket undefeated.
After the tourney, I headed out to Mango’s for my weekly grilled pork chops fix. Delicious as usual.
A sunset for dessert.

I always assumed there was something not quite right about Lucky. I had it pegged as retardation. I mean, is he winking at me? The other eye has a look about it like there is some evil plot afoot ( a paw?).

I may be a pervert but that’s no reason to treat me like trash.
Another non-traditional breakfast–chicken pot pie. Yum!
I was planning to gift my old laptop to a “friend” who lives nearby. Figured she could use it for her kids’ homeschooling tasks (they are always borrowing her phone). I invited her to drop by (she literally walks past my house to get to her housekeeping job) but she always had some excuse. No, I didn’t specify it was a laptop I wanted to give her, I just said I had a gift (it was her birthday yesterday). Not going to beg someone to pick up their present. Sheesh.
Let the payback begin!
I like this one too…
Looks like trouble ahead!
C’mon! That’s pretty funny…

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for now. That powder isn’t going to lay itself!

That’s the way you do it

No real complaints about yesterday’s Hash trail. A good 6K hike with one moderate climb, nice weather, and no falls or injury. Just the way I like it!

Our path as seen from above…
We headed out from Alta Vista which was certainly convenient for me.
On-On!
Bum Burgler bringing up the rear. No pun intended.
Speaking of the rear, I kept my eye on What’s Up Doc for a goodly portion of the trek.
You cross this bridge to get to the other side.
At least the Hares were honest about it this time.
Passing by Easter mountain.
There are only so many ways to get to the Hunter Jo on-home from Barretto. I appreciated the fact that the Hares found a couple of places along the way that were new to me.
They also did a good job marking the trail. That’s really important.
The big up for the day…
An outpost in the wilderness…
The way ahead.
A view from the top…
Looking back.
A portion of the Hash circle…or should I say a slice?
I voluntarily joined the Hares on the ice as a testament to their fine trail.
An assortment of Gash.
Our newest named Hasher, Where’s My Money?
Cream Filled Cupcake received the Hashit. She’s so damn cute!
And then the sun set on another Hash day.

I took a tricycle back to Barretto and devoured some pork chops to satisfy my well-earned hunger. Then it was on to home and in bed by 8 p.m. Not as sad as it sounds, it was a fine day.

Pubic Head and I will be Hares for next week’s trail. More on that later.

Ignorance abounds

It’s election day back in the USA. As of this writing, I have seen no returns or other reports on the potential outcome of what just might be the most important presidential vote in my lifetime. I’m nervous about the outcome, not because I have any questions about who is the better-qualified candidate to lead our nation these next four years, rather I have my doubts about the competence and intelligence of the electorate.

I guess the above sounds pretty generic in the sense that a supporter of either of the candidates could reasonably make that statement. Although I don’t delve into politics much these days on the blog, regular readers I’m sure know where I stand on the issues our nation faces and the leadership we need to successfully move into the future. I’m no Trump fanatic, far from it in fact. But just as I chose the clown over the crook in 2016, I’ll take the asshole over the idiot in 2020. I do hope it turns out that way and I reckon I’ll know for sure soon enough.

All of this is a leadup to a post that appeared on my Facebook newsfeed yesterday, written by a “friend” from back in my Korea days named Martin Kelly:


No, that’s not what I am saying. ….I’m not saying I think all Trump supporters are Nazis. I’m saying I know that for a fact. The sky is blue, the sea is green, all Trump supporters are Nazis.

But surely you are not accusing 39 million……

Yes, I am. Sure, of course, some of them are nice guys. But there were nice guy Nazis too

Wow. That is without a doubt the most ignorant thing I have read from someone I know on Facebook in all the years I’ve been wasting time on that platform. And if he is any indication of just how stupid my fellow Americans have become then I truly do fear for my country. I actually went back and looked at his profile page to see if maybe I was missing his sarcasm or some context where such an outrageous comment would make sense. There was none.

I don’t know why I even bothered responding. Someone that far gone with Trump Derangement Syndrome can’t be saved by offering up a rational opposing view. Instead, I said this:


Reductio ad Hitlerum (/ˈhɪtlərəm/Latin for “reduction to Hitler”), also known as playing the Nazi card,[1][2] is an attempt to invalidate someone else’s position on the basis that the same view was held by Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party.[3] One example would be that since Hitler was against smoking, this implies that someone who is against smoking is a Nazi.[4]

Coined by Leo Strauss in 1953, reductio ad Hitlerum borrows its name from the term used in logic called reductio ad absurdum (“reduction to the absurd”).[5] According to Strauss, reductio ad Hitlerum is a form of ad hominemad misericordiam, or a fallacy of irrelevance. The suggested rationale is one of guilt by association. It is a tactic often used to derail arguments because such comparisons tend to distract and anger the opponent.[6]

Wikipedia

And just in case the words were too big for his closed little mind, I added a helpful illustration:

I haven’t unfriended him on Facebook or even checked to see if he has canceled me. The other comments on his post were from fellow travelers though. Scary to see that people really believe this shit.

Oh well, nothing I can do about politics except live as best I can with whatever the future may bring. Thank God I have the benefit of living thousands of miles away from my troubled homeland.

So, after that experience, I went out to ease my mind with some darts competition. Somehow the headgear of the tournament director was comforting:

I like your style, Billy!

Good fortune was with me as I drew Christy, one of the top players here in Barretto, as my partner. She did the heavy lifting and I made some meaningful contributions as we sailed our way to victory without losing a game.

Well played, partner!

I also received my meat delivery yesterday. How’s this for a slab of beef:

That layer of fat on top and bottom was disconcerting the first time I ordered one. It looks nothing like the beef roasts I used to get back home. But it turned out to be quite tasty last time.
So I sliced it up and smothered it in vegetables. Looking forward to chowing down tonight!

A small turnout for today’s Wednesday walking group.

Me, Steve, and Jim braved the fine weather and did a pleasant 6K hike together.
I was tasked with leading the hike and chose to do a trail featuring My Bitch. Y’all have seen that one a million times already, so not many photos today.
Thank you, Mother Mary, for keeping us safe!
And thank you Easter mountain for watching over us.

And as always, thank you to my readers for blessing me with your presence here at Long Time Gone.

Oh wait, I almost forgot. Turns out that litter DOES grow on trees here:

Will wonders never cease?

And I’m also going to share the unlikely news that I DID NOT see a discarded facemask during my hike today.

There was this face shield though…

Until we meet again, then.