Now that I have your attention. I’ll get to the good stuff soon, just be patient.
I do things systematically around here, ya know. Let me check my list. Yep, just finished my nap so it’s time for my daily blog post.
Anyway, my life pretty much is that simple and routine. It is what it is and I’m not complaining about it.
Mother nature gave me a fine morning for a walk, so I took advantage and got a long one in. Since I can’t complain about the rain I’ll just say “damn, it’s hot when the sun is out!”
There’s always something to see when you are out and about if you keep your eyes open.
Like these boys fishin’ old school style at the local shit water hole. I personally wouldn’t eat anything that comes out of that toilet, but that’s just me.And no, that shack isn’t on fire. The health department was actually out spraying for mosquitoes today. I’ve never seen that before here. Guess the dengue has spread to this area. Something else kinda interesting in this photo is that despite the poverty that living in this squatter ville implies, they’ve still got a satellite dish on the roof. Good for them!And in what is pretty big news for my little town, we are getting a Divimart! That’s a combo grocery/department store apparently. Very popular and the locals are glad to not have to go to Olongapo or Subic town to go shopping now. I especially like the abbreviation on the sign which perfectly captures Filipino illogic. I’ve never seen “market” shortened that way, but if space were an issue, why not abbreviate department? Who knows? Who cares! This is the Philippines damn it!Okay, I really don’t know what “Filipino style” tomato sauce is all about. I found this in my kitchen so apparently the domestic helper prefers this taste in whatever it is she cooks for herself.Speaking of food, I had dinner at Sit-n-Bull last night. I think it has become my favorite restaurant overall in town. The pulled pork sandwich came in two sizes and I opted for the large. It was awesome. I had to pay extra for the side of cole slaw, but it was well worth it. Yummy!
Okay, sometimes I get bored (shaddup!) so I’ll step out of my comfort zone. Like today I answered a question on Quora (yes, that’s still a thing) about the skin color of Filipinos. Why someone asked that, I have no clue. And no one else had submitted an answer so I stepped up to the plate. Bottom line, Filipinos run the gamut from fair/light complected to very dark. I even included some photos:
This is one of the indigenous Aeta people. Almost African in appearance.One the other end of the spectrum, a famous actress here named Sharon Cuneta. You can see the coveted Spanish blood in this one…As for me, I really do appreciate the natural brown beauties that are in abundance here.
I could do a whole post on the skin color thing here. Lots of advertisements for “whitening” cream and the like. Being fair skinned is what most Filipinas seem to covet, so they try and avoid being overly exposed to the sun. I find it all kinda sad, but I guess it’s a culture thing that I don’t fully understand.
Alright, and now the moment you’ve been waiting for. I didn’t attend the SOB dance competition this week, but my friend John always goes and takes photos and videos. According to him, this gal is one of the best at doing a twerk dance. At least that night. It’s only a minute long, so I’ll let you judge for yourselves. No nudity or anything like that, but probably NSFW either. And turn down the sound, the music is godawful.
After two straight days we caught a break in the rain this morning. So after grocery shopping and walking Buddy, I headed out for my first long walk of the week. I opted to avoid the mountains but got in a pleasant enough 1.5 hours on the backstreets of Barretto. Well, the last ten minutes was in a deluge, but whatever. It still was good to be out walking again.
I need to be mindful about not letting my motivation for walking be sapped by bad moods or bad weather. I noted yesterday that my weight had crept back up to 204 pounds. I need to get busy and work that back down under my threshold goal of 200. Some discipline in my diet would help as well.
Last night’s dinner, a plate of chicken enchiladas from Dryden’s Cantina. Probably the best Mexican food in town. Sorry about the lighting, but I had my dinner served in the Wet Spot bar where I perused potential desserts dancing on the stage. I took a pass last night, but more and more I find myself thinking “Fuck finding a girlfriend, just take a different gal a couple of times a week and avoid the drama and hassles”. Haven’t convinced myself yet, but…
Speaking of moods, I came across this on Facebook and found myself nodding in agreement:
And not a “bad” mood among them. (Sorry for the poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation. That’s the way I found it.)
In the memory feature of Facebook was this photo of the McCrarey family back when we were whole:
Those were the days my friend…
What else? Well, how about a brief interlude into politics? Had to love this RNC ad featuring “the Squad”. The President nails them with their own words:
Still, there is disturbing evidence that Trump is racist:
The camera doesn’t lie!
Okay, that’s enough fun for one day. Oh wait, there was this. The ex-wife posted that bullshit from MSNBC about there being “no evidence” that Trump had visited ground zero after 9/11. Of course, that fake news has already been debunked by, wait for it, an NBC news clip of Trump on the scene. I honestly don’t even like delving into politics much these days, but damn, shit like this just can’t go unanswered. Well, Carol hasn’t answered yet, but given the time difference that’s probably understandable. She won’t accept it I’m sure. “You gonna believe what a ‘journalist’ says or are you gonna believe your lyin’ eyes?”
I’m gonna play darts, drink some beer, and forget about all this crap for awhile. I’m in the mood.
UPDATE: Well, apparently I was “in the mood” back in May of 2016 as well. Go figure.
It’s been pouring down rain for the past two days. That’s put a damper *ahem* on both my mood and my willingness to get out and walk. I’m ashamed to admit I even declined to do the Hash trail yesterday. I kind of regret that now.
It was raining when the Hashmobile pulled out and I just wasn’t up for a wet ride out to the trail. Also, the Hare was the one who did that trail two weeks ago that threatened life and limb. So, those are my excuses. The rain stopped for an hour or so shortly thereafter and by most accounts the trail was wet and flat. Also 9 KMs long. Anyway, what’s done is done, or in this case, not done. Hopefully I’ll be back to normal next week.
I did eat though. On-Home was at D’Kudo’s on Baloy beach. Inspired by Kevin Kim’s creative efforts, I ordered up the meat pie. My first choice was chicken but they were out, so I settled for the beef pie.
It looked pretty good (the gravy is on the side)……it was meaty but after the first bite I’m thinking “where the fuck are the vegetables?” Well, I encountered some a few more bites in, but still. Anyway, it was average at best, but better than the frozen ones I’ve had from the grocery.
D’Kudos is a scuba diving resort not known for it’s kitchen. I’ll try the meat pies at some of the better restaurants soon and report back.
Well, it was no lunar landing, but yesterday turned out to be a pretty good one.
Speaking of that historic event 50 years ago, I distinctly remember thinking at the time “I will always remember where I was when I saw a man walk on the moon”. I was 13 years old, sitting in a crappy motel room somewhere on Route 66 in New Mexico, watching “a giant leap for mankind” on a black and white television. The family was on the way to Memphis, Tennessee to visit my dad’s mother. We were traveling in a 1964 Rambler Classic that looked just like this one:
The 50 years since that day have been an interesting ride, that’s for sure!
Anyway, back here in the present, we finally got a break in the rain. I went out with Scott (Pubic Head) to scout a trail for Monday’s Hash. Scott volunteered to be my co-Hare and it was a big help for sure. He’s been with the Subic Hash House Harriers for over 15 years and knows just about every path that exists in and around Barretto. So he showed me a trail I’d never seen before and hasn’t been Hashed for quite some time. To me, something new and a little different is a quality I really appreciate and I think the Hasher pack will too. It’s a little challenging, with two uphills and a pretty steep descent. Kinda surprising because Scott (who is a few years older than me) normally will shortcut to avoid the climbs. Still, despite it being wet and muddy when we hiked it yesterday, it was not outrageous. The trail is right at 6 kilometers and I’m happy with it overall.
This is what the trail will look like (it starts/ends at the checkered flag, I just forgot to turn the tracker on when we left Johansson’s).
We will go out tomorrow morning and put down powder and chalk to mark the trail. Here’s to hoping the weather holds!
Another good thing to happen yesterday was a second place finish in the dart tournament at Alley Cats. It was a big one, with 20 participants (10 doubles teams). Me and my partner Cherry went through the winners bracket undefeated. That included beating my nemesis, Steve the Englishman who doesn’t drink, and his partner Nancy. Now, Steve is a better darter than me and Nancy is usually better than Cherry. And me and Cherry were very inconsistent all night. But we put it all together in that match and sent Steve and Nancy to the losers bracket.
Alas, they came back for revenge in the finals and reaped it by beating us twice for the championship. Still, it was a fun night. I didn’t play my best darts by a long shot but was just good enough to take home some money. Not as much as my bar tab, but still…
The dart action at Alley Cats.
Alright, indulge me in just a little bit of politics please. This whole “if you disagree with me, you must be racist” thing has gotten out of hand. Kevin Kim has an extensive write up on this bullshit over at his blog. Please go give it a read as it is spot on.
Apparently, no one thought #DeportMelania was racist or deplorable when it was being used by verified Democrats and journalists (is there a difference?) on Twitter just a short time ago.
My ex-wife #3, who is about as liberal as they come, left this comment:
She is not a person of color. So not racist. She could be purple and it still would not be racist. Its not xenophobic. Its lashing out at the hypocrisy of Trump. But then you knew that. You’re a smart guy.
The ignorance of that statement is mind boggling. And it is why you can never change minds of people who are so invested in hate they will never see reason. Ah well.
I also saw this on Facebook and it triggered my retroactive outrage. Shocking to discover my parents must have been racist:
I just realized my parents were racist. As a teenager, they often told me, “if you don’t like it here, you can leave!”
Damn. Is it any wonder why I turned out the way I am?
And now before I go (well, I actually went this morning just like I do every morning), let me share this fascinating article on the pooping cycle. You are welcome!
I hope I didn’t create a shit storm with this post!
Remember, if it goes in greasy, it comes out easy!
Fly me to the moon Let me play among the stars Let me see what spring is like On a-Jupiter and Mars
Ah well. Another one bites the dust. Sometimes you just have to accept that you are wasting your time. I don’t need a woman who doesn’t want to be there for me. Stupid shit really. So I’ve got to let it go and move on. I honestly think I’m done. There are worse things than being alone. Yeah, I know when it comes to relationships I sound like a broken record. Some fools never learn I guess.
But on a more positive note, the sun was shining when I awoke this morning. I did my routines and rituals, then headed out to scout some trail. Got a text message from Scott (Pubic Head at the Hash) asking me to join him for the Sausage Walkers. He wanted to do a flat trail starting out from the other side of Subic town and walking back to Barretto. I was down with that plan, so I retreated back to the house to load my backpack with snacks and water.
We met up at Angels Bakery then we loaded up in a passing Jeepney for the 20 minutes ride out to our starting point.Then the five of us hit the road. Kids cooling off in the dirty canal on a summer’s day…And onward we walked and walked ignoring the heat and humidity…That’s “Easter” mountain from the previously unseen (by me) backside. Kinda like the dark side of the moon…A farmer working hard preparing his rice paddy for planting…And still we marched on…Despite the heat, it was a beautiful day. The surrounding mountains were resplendent in their shimmering greenness…Eventually we came upon the Matain river…upstream before the denizens of Subic have filled it with trash…A trike driver took the opportunity to wash his machine beside the river.“Isn’t this the bridge you were afraid to cross last time?” Um, no it isn’t. But we are not crossing this one either. We need the next one down river…There’s the bridge we need to cross!A final view of the river from said bridge…Now, this was just freakin’ bizarre. I was just on this trail a couple of weeks ago. The rains this week completed washed it out. Powerful stuff!And then finally the traditional re-hydration at Cheap Charlies… A 10.6 Kilometer hike all told.
And so ends another day in the twisted life of your humble correspondent. But the night has only begun! Time to get out there and see if I can meet my future ex-girlfriend!
I can read your eyes just like a book You tell me different, but I know that look And I don’t have to guess what’s between the lines
So what in the world am I still doing here You push me away when I get too near Saying love’s too simple to analyze
So why do I feel confused Why do I feel so used Like a worn-out thought you threw away It wasn’t what you said, it’s what you didn’t say
Where are the windows, where are the doors? I haven’t the key to your heart anymore I haven’t a clue to what’s gone wrong
‘Cause you look at me sometimes as if I weren’t there You say you’re listening, but you never hear The strains of silence have grown so strong
I never wanted to doubt you But I’d be better off without you I’m no good at looking the other way It wasn’t what you said, it’s what you didn’t say
So look at me one last time With eyes that still know how to shine Hold me like you won’t let go But you let go anyway
No one belongs where they’re not wanted You’re just a ghost, and my heart is haunted When I said goodbye, you didn’t even beg me to stay It wasn’t what you said, it’s what you didn’t say No baby, it wasn’t what you said, it’s what you didn’t say
It was a wet one yesterday, but sort of like my mailman days, we Hash rain or shine. Granted, we do make concessions to the weather as reasonable and necessary. Before leaving the house I made the decision that I was not going to be climbing any mountains in the rain. So I carried an umbrella rather than my walking stick.
Apparently others were of like mind. We had less than 20 in attendance as opposed to our normal group of 30 or more. And the Hares (Demolition Derby and Anal Retentive) had not been able to mark a trail due to two days of heavy rain. As an alternative, they left 30 minutes ahead of the group and laid out an impromptu trail. Alas, it was for naught. Right about the time we departed Johannson’s (our meet up place) a crazy heavy downpour commenced, washing away all of the freshly laid powder. Oh well. Me and a few others hiked around the elevated Alta Vista subdivision for an hour or so before making our way on-home to Treasure Island on Baloy Beach.
Fuck the rain. Let’s Hash!On the mean streets of Alta Vista. No flooding up here.I walk the dogs here most everyday, so it wasn’t a real exciting trail for me.It was nice to run into my neighbor, the widow Heidi. She used to come out and Hash before she got “too busy”. The story I heard is she has a new Filipino boyfriend. But damn, she would have been perfect for me. Too bad she didn’t think so… A little rain didn’t seem to bother the goats or their herder much…Oh by the way, I didn’t take any of these photographs. Credit goes to Pubic Head for that. I really like this one a lot.When it was time to leave Alta Vista we got to experience the joys of getting our feet wet wading through the omnipresent puddles..I had the bright idea of walking to Treasure Island along the riverside. Baloy Beach road is notorious for it’s flooding. Alas, that proved to be a big mistake…The river was running high…How high? Right up to the bottom of the highway bridge…You know, one thing I’ve noticed here in the PI is that parents allow their kids to run free. Kinda like we did back in the 1960s. But this freaked me out some. I mean, I am going *assume* these kids can swim, but even so, one slip and they are in a raging current with nothing to grab onto. They’d be swept out into the bay along with all the garbage that has been accumulating in the river bottom.
No picture of this, but we had to exit the riverbank and walk/wade between a couple of flooded houses. The kids warned us the water was deep. It came up over my knees! Should have stayed on the road, damn it!
We did make it to Treasure Island in one piece. This is what the storm left on the beach. That’s the treasure of garbage the locals routinely through into the river. Disgusting.
We are both using variations of the Samsung Galaxy phone camera. I think nighttime photos appear blurry in part because it is hard to hold the phone steady long enough to get the full exposure required in limited light. Anyway, I still like both photos.
The women I’ve known I wouldn’t let tie my shoe They wouldn’t give you the time of day But the slit eyed lady knocked me off my feet God I was glad I found her And if they had the words I could tell to you to help you on the way down the road I couldn’t quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats ’cause it’s all been said before Make the best out of the bad just laugh it off You didn’t have to come here anyway So remember, every picture tells a story don’t it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8lGVIs2HqE
UPDATE: Well, so much for being original. This is the FIFTH time I’ve used “every picture tells a story” as a post title.
The first time in May 2010 I was lamenting a camera malfunction that erased all the photos I took on a trip to South Carolina.
Then in August 2010 I couldn’t resist mocking the President with this photo:
Not much going on that is blog worthy. I’ve been working on the next chapter of my lives within a lifetime series. Hopefully it will be ready tomorrow.
A nice night out yesterday. Ran into some Hashers and enjoyed some good conversation. One guy is actively looking to open a bar and his ideas closely coincide with my thinking on what this town needs. I’d never do it myself but I’m happy to share my enthusiasm with him. He told me he was the one who had come up with the Cheap Charlies concept and actually designed the building where it is located. Took in the current owner as a partner and he screwed him out of the business. That’s his side of the story anyway and none of my concern, but I wish him success in his new endeavor.
Raining everyday now of course. Got a good long walk in this morning on My Bitch but these past couple of days the afternoon has been a no go. Well, we Hash rain or shine so I’m walking today. In fact, it just now started raining again.
Before the storm.
I saw a house on the internet that I like even better than mine.
Not sure I’d like it during a typhoon, but…
And I guess I’ll close this meaningless post on a religious note:
Yeah, I’m big on the concept of time travel. I’d love to go back and fix some past mistakes. And buy stock in Microsoft. Reincarnation, eh, not so much…
Life continues apace. And a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.
Like walking.
A long one. And I wasn’t trying to be a dick about it. It just turned out that way.
And eating.
Now for the record, I do eat things besides BLT sandwiches. But I couldn’t resist trying this one from Foodies (a takeout place on the first floor of Cheap Charlies) because it was served on a baguette. I also appreciated that it came with mayonnaise on the side. Different not being on toast, but quite tasty.
Then there was breakfast.
This is at Mango’s. Scrambled eggs with ham and tomato. Right after I took the photo I thought I’d sprinkle on a little salt. Then the top came off the shaker dousing my eggs under a blanket of salt granules. Pretty much rendered it inedible.
And that’s about the worst thing that’s happened today. So far at least. I’ll take it and be glad.
Oh think twice, cause it’s another day for You and me in paradise Oh think twice, it’s just another day for you You and me in paradise
Ah, Facebook reminded me today that one year ago I was saying my final goodbyes in Korea.
It was good while it lasted!
I honestly haven’t missed my working life much, but the people, yeah that’s what mattered. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with the old team in three weeks.
Meanwhile, my Philippines life continues on in the usual manner.
A long and satisfying walk this morning.And beers and sunsets at Cheap Charlies yesterday…
Oh, yesterday I also finalized my upcoming trail that I Hare on the 20th. It’s just a bit over 6 KM and that’s about right I think. I thought it was a pretty nice hike, two moderate uphills and a semi-steep descent. Everything in between was pretty easy and rather scenic. I’ve got an additional 3 KM I’ll incorporate for the runners, but that’s all streets. Fuck ’em.
And oh yeah, I won’t be hosting the “on-home” on the 13th. I offered but the powers that be decided to keep it at the Grandmaster’s bar (Hot Zone). The downside is our Filipina Hashers won’t be permitted to drink alcohol because it’s election day. Oh well. I’ll invite them over to my place for some beer when the Hash is done.
Now it’s time for me to head out for dart league.
I loved you all the summer through I thought I’d found my dream in you For me you were the one But that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone We walked together hand in hand ‘cross miles and miles of golden sand But now it’s over and done ’cause that was yesterday and yesterday’s gone
Nothing much happening around here. Early to bed last night and of course early to rise as well. That did enable me to get my morning steps in by 0930, thereby beating some of the heat. I’ve been chillin’ and nappin’ since then, but now it’s time to go out and Hash.
I’ve mentioned before that I just don’t watch much TV, online or otherwise. But since it’s too damn hot and I’m stuck indoors I figured what the hell, let’s see what’s on. I canceled my Netflix a while back and as much as I’d like to catch up on Game of Thrones I’m not sure I want to commit to an HBO subscription. Then I recalled that I’m paying for an Amazon Prime membership and that includes a pretty good lineup of online programming. The first series I clicked on “wasn’t available in my area” so I tried a series billed as original Prime programming. It’s called “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”. Here’s the trailer:
Now, back in the day I read some of Clancy’s books featuring the Ryan character and they were pretty good. John Krasinski as Ryan took some suspension of the memory of his role in The Office, but he’s not bad really. I’ve only watched the first episode so I’m going to withhold judgement for now. It did seem to be a little sympathetic to the motivations of the terrorist character so we’ll see if this show goes the full libtard route or not. I’ll commit to a couple of more episodes and let you know.
Today’s Hash will be the climb up Easter Mountain.
It’s an annual tradition to climb the mountain on the Monday after Easter. Some Hashers have said it’s really tough and they won’t be going back again. I’m going to attempt it with every intention of turning around in retreat if I ain’t feelin’ it. I’ll let you know how that goes.
And that’s all I’ve got on this hot Monday.
Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day; Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way. Oh, Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be. Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me? Every other day, every other day Every other day of the week is fine, yeah. But whenever Monday comes – but whenever Monday comes You can find me crying all of the time.
Congrats to Kevin Kim who just completed a 58K “stroll” in just under 17 hours. I guess you’d call that pulling an all nighter. I admire his accomplishment but it is not one I have any desire to replicate.
Speaking of Kevin, I also always appreciate his helpful hints on proper grammar and punctuation. Which is to say he is never a Nazi about it. I thought of the Big Hominid when I saw this the other day:
What would Jesus say on this Easter day?
Meanwhile, I’m having a hard time maintaining my 20,000 daily step goal. It’s fucking hot in the morning when I walk the dogs which saps my desire to do my morning 10K. And then by the late afternoon when it starts to cool off some I no longer have the time or energy to get out for a long hike. Ah well, I’ll just have to try and find some inspiration like the guy who literally walks all night long.
This morning’s effort. I found the dirt road through the valley I’d been looking for, but alas, it wound up being a dead end and I was forced to retreat.I did encounter this carabao/bird combination on trail today. Honestly, passing by those beasts always makes me nervous. They are huge and VERY horny…
Last night I prowled the streets of Barretto (what else is new?). The holidays are crazy here, but all my favorite haunts were open.
The lights of the city with the full moon providing additional illumination.
And finally, this made me laugh:
Build that wall!
Tough times these days. Need to change my life and get back on track. Am I up for the challenge? Stay tuned!
He’s got a daughter he calls Easter She was born on a Tuesday night I’m just wondering why I feel so all alone Why I’m a stranger in my own life Jump in, let’s go Lay back, enjoy the show Everybody gets high, everybody gets low These are the days when anything goes
Everyday is a winding road I get a little bit closer Everyday is a faded sign I get a little bit closer to feeling fine
Today the Wednesday walking group ventured way out past Olongapo City to Old Catlaban and the Forest river. 45 minutes each way in the Hashmobile was a killer on the ass, that’s for sure.
Let’s get loaded!Stretching the legs out after a long ride.Passing through a small village I forget the name of…On the river trail. We had to ford the river several times.Heading for the hillsA river runs through it…There was a waterfall further up the trail but we ran out of time so went no further than thisIt will be there somewhere in the future I suppose…A lonely flower trail side…A final river crossing. Yes, we got our shoes wet.The rush to get back to our campsite was because we had to utilize the fire Chief Tucker Fucker prepared…That don’t call us the Sausage Walkers for nothing…Milling about the campsite prior to the long drive home.
While it is always nice to see new places and things, I can’t say the long drive was worth it. I’d rather be walking than being bounced about in the pick of a truck. But that’s just me I suppose.
Anyway, another day has been filled, so there’s that. Now for some darts and beer drinking!
This afternoon I found a trail that led me back to my Alta Vista subdivision. It wasn’t THE trail I was looking for, dropping me about a block away from where I anticipated arriving, but still…
I arrived at the end of a dead end street I had never ventured to before. But by God, it’s in Alta Vista, so mission accomplished!
I’m still going to find the trail I was expecting to find, I’ve got a pretty good hunch now as to where it might be.
I celebrated my discovery by taking a walk down Baloy Beach, just before sundown.
What a life, huh?
And since I was already there, I figured why not visit the Kokomo’s floater?
And finding no good reason not to, that’s just what I did!
Am I posting while drunk now? Why, yes. Yes I am!
UPDATE: Well I’ll be damned, I used the “Eureka” title way back in 2007. No one can blame me for not remembering that.
Welcome to the New Year! Here’s wishing all the faithful denizens of LTG a healthy and happy 2019.
I expect I’ll keep plodding along, both literally and figuratively. Hey, it’s what I do! But I’ve got my eyes wide open for the next big thing and hopefully I’ll have the good sense to know it when I find it. And you my faithful reader(s) will as always be most welcome to follow along.
I did meet a new gal that piqued my interest. Her name is Heidi and she’s a bartender at Cheap Charlies. 36 years old, no kids. I asked her why no children (it’s very unusual here) and she said would not want to raise a child as a single mother. She told me that’s what she experienced growing up and it was a hard and unhappy time. I was impressed with both her candor and strength of character.
Heidi asked me where I lived and I told her Alta Vista. She said she has a friend that lives here and sometimes they walk together. I said “you like to walk?” She responded, “of course”. That scored her some points! I also learned that she plays darts. Anyway, she told me she doesn’t have a boyfriend now (they all say that, they are working for drinks after all) but I’m intrigued enough to maybe invest some effort in the pursuit. You never know.
Yesterday’s Hash was short and easy and done in a light rain. There was a brief bar hop at the end and then the “on-home” at Hot Zone.
On the trail…Now what? (and oh yeah, my new year’s resolution is to get that beer belly under control)At the Hash circle I passed the Hashit on to Pubic Head. As I explained to the group, this was the one year anniversary of my first Hashing experience and Pubic Head was the one most responsible for my joining. So, everything that has happened since is his fault!
After the Hash was done, Justin and I did a New Year’s Eve barhop. Strange night in that many bars were closed or closed early. The one’s that were open had a real shortage of staff. While for Westerners New Year’s is about celebrations and drinking, here it is an almost sacred time to spend with family. Consequently, a lot of the gals go back home. Anyway, we wound up welcoming midnight at a bar I rarely frequent named Rosie’s.
They had a big crowd. Shortly after the countdown to 2019 we headed on home.
So, that’s how my new year started. Can’t wait to find out what will happen next!
your life is your life don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission. be on the watch. there are ways out. there is light somewhere. it may not be much light but it beats the darkness. be on the watch. the gods will offer you chances. know them. take them. you can’t beat death but you can beat death in life, sometimes. and the more often you learn to do it, the more light there will be. your life is your life. know it while you have it. you are marvelous the gods wait to delight in you.
Today I was on a quest to find a back way out of the subdivision that would give me a more direct route the Purok Barangay I’ve been exploring these past couple of days. I started as pictured above on a dead end street where I sometimes walk with Buddy. I’ve never ventured off the pavement this way until today. And I’ve certainly never braved a new trail into the wild unknown all by my lonesome. What’s life if you don’t live dangerously, right?
As I proceeded there were a couple of forks in the path. One just came to an in explicable dead end. Another led back up into the subdivision club house area. The only other option led in the general direction I thought I needed to go and only had a couple of spots that were a little dicey. But it too eventually seemed to come to an end in someone’s backyard. Well, we do walk through the common areas of these squatter villages during the Hash, but it was really uncomfortable doing it on my own. There were kids outside playing and a couple of adults standing around so I just proceeded on like I had every right to be there. I got a few “looks” but no one said anything. After a couple of minutes I encountered an older woman raking the dirt and asked “is this the way to the road?” She nodded and pointed and I found myself back here:
A familiar road from the Wednesday”Walker’s” hike. Yay! Mission accomplished. Hello Purok, nice to see you again!
Anyway, the route I discovered today took about an hour to complete. I really don’t like invading the space of these poor folks so tomorrow I’ll look for a different path out of the neighborhood. But the main thing is I’m getting the confidence to venture out on my own into areas I haven’t had the courage to attempt alone. I’m still not willing to tackle a mountain by myself, too much can go wrong with just one false step. About the only precaution I took today was leaving my wallet at home. Who says a fool and his money are soon parted?
What else? Well, ’tis the season and all that. And I don’t mean Christmas season, although it is that as well. I’m talking about tourist season. This is the first time I’ve been in the Philippines as a non-tourist so I’d never really noticed the difference before. But the bars are filled with strangers, some of whom are loud and obnoxious or just otherwise rub me the wrong way. Or maybe I’m just becoming a grumpy old man. One of those.
Last night my dart bar was packed with these touristas and I just wasn’t feeling the buzz, so I decided not to play in the tourney. Instead I made my way to the other side of town and visited the Arizona Resort’s floating bar. I was surprised that it was not very crowded. Easily found a table and settled in for a few cold brews on the water.
It’s a crappy photo, blame it on the beers…
Afterwards I headed over to the videoke bar Double D’s where I ran into my friend Cherry.
Cherry was there with a group of other friends and we joined forces for some bad singing. I did Elton John’s “Sorry seems to be the hardest word” and “I started a joke” by the Bee Gees. Both were apropos for my particular brand of singing. Which is “sucks”.
So there you have it, another day in the life. Sometimes I feel bad about my daily output of meaningless drivel here at LTG. But I know that readers looking for some meat with their potatoes will find their way over to places like Kevin Kim’s Hairy Chasms. He’s been on a roll with reviews and political insights that I quite enjoy. Then you can come back here for a dose of “gawd, I’m glad I’m not him!”. Well, as a girlfriend once told me: no man is totally worthless. He can always serve as a bad example. I reckon that goes for blogs as well.
See you tomorrow!
UPDATE: one of the things that happens after fourteen years of blogging is the seeming inevitability of repeating the title of a post. After publishing this one, I saw the URL was “steppin’ out 2”. Honestly, I’ve noticed that in previous posts as well (once it was the fourth time I’d used the same title!). So, I’m going to turn that bug into a feature. Henceforth I will post a link to all previous entries of that name. You may be asking yourself “why does he torture his readers like that?” Well, because I can. Here is the first “Steppin’ out”.
This riddle thingy seems to have gone viral on Facebook. The answer seems fairly obvious to me, but seeing as how I don’t have anything else to blog today I thought I’d share it here. You can leave your answer in the comments.
Riddle: It’s 7:00 am. You are asleep and there is a sudden knock on the door. Behind the door are your parents, who came to have breakfast. In your fridge: bread, milk (pasteurized!), juice, and a jar of jam.
Greetings from the heart of the big city! I’m no fan of Manila, but if you gotta be here I reckon Makati is the place to be. Getting here is a real bitch though, Manila is notorious for its traffic jams.
Other than traffic the trip went smoothly. Marissa’s mother lives in the area so I invited her to ride down with me. Gina (my helper’s friend) also wanted to visit her family in Manila and asked if she could come along for the ride. I said “sure” but didn’t mention to Gina about Marissa until we were about the pull out Tuesday morning. But they got along fine which was somewhat of a relief.
Anyway, they got dropped off in their neighborhoods and my driver then proceeded on to my hotel. Got checked in and hoofed it over to the offices of the Philippines Retirement Authority. Honestly, I was not real impressed with level of service. I mean, I was given prompt attention but the bureaucratic processes left me feeling befuddled. For example, I need to provide proof that I have a pension of at least $1000.00. So, I brought in my latest Office of Personnel Management Annuity Statement. I also provided my 2017 income statement from the Internal Revenue Service showing the amount paid and taxes withheld. These weren’t copies, they are the original documents. The PRA rep said I would need to have those documents “certified” as authentic by the U.S. Embassy! I was incredulous but they assured me it wouldn’t be a problem and they would even schedule the appointment for me. Alright, whatever. Then they come back and tell me the next available opening at the embassy is December 7. Well, bullshit. I’m NOT making the trip back down here in December.
And then I find out that the $10,000 I’m required to deposit in a Filipino bank must be wired from the USA (I had planned to deposit cash). Well damn, last I checked my credit union will not do wire transfers to other banks. So I could be facing a classic catch-22 scenario. This morning I was supposed to pay the visa processing fee of $1700. and get my physical exam. I decided not to do so. I fear if I pay the processing fee and can’t get the money wired here I’ll be out the fee. So I’m not going to move forward unless and until I get that wrinkle ironed out. I did keep my appointment at the NBI for fingerprinting/biometrics. I’m thinking it may be just as easy to stay here on a tourist visa. We’ll see.
Here’s a few photos for your viewing pleasure:
What the hell? We passed this park like place coming into town with “KKK” signs up all around the perimeter fence. I’m sure it stands for something innocuous here, but it was still a bit disconcerting…
The view from my room.
Now, Makati is the upscale area of Manila with lots of high rise high end condos. And this one street called P. Burgos has a strip of girly bars. And coincidentally, that’s where my hotel is located. No, I wasn’t surprised I’ve visited the area a couple of times in the past. And honestly, I’m not all that interested in dancing girls. I can get my fill of that back home for half the price! Instead I sat down in a nice open bar/resto, drank beer, and people watched. Lots of freelance hookers, some of who were obviously transgender (bakala as they are called here). And in the bar restroom I observed this sign:
Welcome to the danger zone!
I did opt for a legitimate massage which was good enough for me. The masseuse did give me her number in case I wanted to experience an “in-room” service where as she put it, I “could massage her too”. Hmm, what did I do with that number?
Not sure what my next move will be. Really nothing else to do with the PRA this trip. Could go home early I suppose, but I have paid for the room already. Decisions, decisions.
Well I’m lonely now but my heart is free
I enjoy a beer and watch a tree,
I can see a cloud and feel the breeze,
I can buy some bread and a bit of cheese.
And I know full well it is my right
To begin to live the rest of my life
Yep, cracked open one of the poetry books I lugged back from the states. That’s a taste of some James Kavanaugh.
Started my Monday off right with a good walk up the National Highway towards Subic Town.
Which afforded me a new view of the bay from a different perspective.
I think I’m going to establish a walking route for each day of the week. I’m somewhat limited in where I’m willing to hike unaccompanied. I love being up on the mountains but it just feels to risky to do so alone. But I have the Hash for that, so…
Last night Jessa joined me for dinner at Mango’s. It was a bit of a fiasco in that she brought along her friends Kat and RuRu. I mean, that’s fine but I was anticipating our first one-on-one meeting and maybe some intimate getting to know you better talk. It just kind of put me off I guess and I was disappointed. She did stay and join me for a couple of beers after dinner but by then the moment was gone. I think she realized that because she sent me a message saying she’d come alone next time. Well, assuming there is a next time.
It seemed that even the moon was smiling on my foolishness last night.
Well, it is Hash Monday and I’m looking forward to being back on trail after a two week hiatus. So there’s that at least.
Now I have no plans for security,
No proper wife can depend on me,
I’m not too sure of eternity
But I know when a heart is really free.
And I walk along with a step that’s light
To begin to live the rest of my life.
–James Kavanaugh
Buddy has been found. Well, captured is a more apt description of the event.
I got a call from Mike, the guy who got me Buddy, that a trike driver said he had found Buddy. I thought that meant he had him in his possession, but that was not the case. As I feared, Buddy had resisted being brought in and ran off into a nearby swamp. Apparently he swam about 100 yards out before getting tangled up and stuck in some tall grass. When I arrived on scene they were just pointing out at the water saying he “was there”. Well, yeah but what good does that do me?
Then a brave soul waded out into the trash filled morass to try and bring him back in. Despite his dire circumstances, Buddy barked and snarled menacingly at his would be rescuer. So then another guy improvised a harness by running some rope through a PVC pipe with a noose on the end. Somehow the wader managed to loop that around Buddy’s neck and dragged him ashore. It was both sad and impressive.
The swamp where Buddy was trapped.
Buddy swam part of the way back to shore….
Once he was on solid but trashy ground he collapsed. I tried to comfort him the best I could…
….but he was having none of it. He went absolutely wild, jumping and biting the rope to try and escape…
I was startled and stumbled backwards, cartwheeling down this trash hillside several times before landing at the fetid waters edge. I was fucking lucky I didn’t hit any of shards of glass in that heap. My pockets emptied during the tumble, but I only lost one vape pen, so…
Buddy was like a wild animal, never seen a “domesticated” pet act like that. We put him in a muzzle and a small cage and transported him to the vet. They got him calmed down but said I need to wait a week or so before getting his shots and de-worming. I’ve got some meds to give him in the meantime.
But he’s back home now and giving me a look that says “you still suck, but this is better than living on the street!”
…”and the food is marginally better too”
So, the original owner asked if they could have Buddy back in exchange for a puppy. Their son apparently really misses the dog. I briefly considered it, only because I wondered if Buddy would be happier there. But then I said no, he’s staying with me. I’ll give him a much better life in the long run. I’m thinking I’ll still go for a puppy though. I think Buddy might be more comfortable with some canine company around the house…
