…keeps on turning. And so the Journey continues. *ahem*

More of the same around here. Nothing wrong with that I suppose.

Something “interesting” from yesterday’s walk:

I couldn’t feel the burn yesterday, but I could sure as hell see it.

Well, they warned us that if Trump wasn’t impeached he would have limitless power. And now he’s gone and changed the twenty-dollar bill into a 2020 note.

And what are you doing for Valentine’s Day?

I’m actually going to return to Baguio City for the Valentine’s run with the La Union Hash House Harriers.

And that’s all I’ve got for today boys and girls. Thanks for dropping by!

I don’t know, maybe I’m just turning into the stereotypical grumpy old man. Or maybe I’m just at a stage in life where I’m going to do whatever I want and not give a damn what anyone else does. More precisely, I’m going to NOT do what I don’t want to do without apology.

Take yesterday’s Hash for example. The Hare was Vienna Sausage (Günter) so I had every expectation it was going to be a fucked up trail. Günter is all about the steeper and higher the better. I called him out on it once and he responded: “This is nothing like the Alps”. I, therefore, determined going in that I’d decide which part, if any, of his trail I’d hike. To me, if it ain’t fun then what’s the point?

So it turned out being even worse than I feared. He was starting the trail in Olongapo City and taking the “stairway to heaven” to the top of the mountain. That’s 555 stairsteps if you are counting. Okay, I’ve climbed them before and it was miserable. But what I really couldn’t countenance was the long-ass ride out there in the overcrowded Hashmobile. And once you are in Olongapo, there is no shortcut back to our “on-home” at Johan’s on Baloy Beach. So, I just shook my head and said “nope” and went off to do my own trail.

I’ve decided to Hare more frequently, maybe as much as once a month. I figure that way I will at least have the kind of trail that I enjoy more frequently. If the die-hards and masochists don’t like it, too fuckin’ bad. So I have my next trail in mind already and took advantage of my freedom yesterday to do some scouting. I know where I want to go up (yeah, I don’t mind a reasonable climb) but wasn’t sure how to get there. Instead, I went from the back, figuring it would be easier to find a way down. And it worked!

So, now I’ve got the beginning and middle of my trail pretty much figured out. Need to scout where I’m bringing it down and see how much more distance I may need to add, but I’ve got some ideas for that as well.

Anyway, I got back to our on-home around 5:00 and was really surprised that none of the runners doing the Hare’s trail had arrived yet. That’s pretty unusual, given that it had been an hour and a half since departure. Plus, Hash ethos doesn’t allow anyone to partake in the free beer until the first runner has returned. It was a good 20 more minutes before someone finally made it back. And then I enjoyed my ice-cold Zeros and watched my fellow Hashers straggle in.

By most accounts, the trail was a disaster which made me feel vindicated in my decision not to participate. Some of the guys actually jumped out of the truck on the way because traffic was so heavy. Others who did the stairs had no desire to stay on trail afterward and came back down the mountain into Barretto at the first opportunity. I don’t know if anyone actually did the whole trail, but once again we had people getting back after sundown. That’s a big fail in my book.

Günter asked me later if I had done any of his trail. I told him honestly that while I respect the Hare’s prerogative, I had no desire to take a long truck ride in heavy traffic. I also pointed out that the short days this time of year should be factored into how long the trail is. He looked a little snake bit, so I’m guessing he had gotten similar feedback from others. Anyway, we’ll see if he learned anything come next month I suppose.

And that’s how I roll these days. Get off my lawn, whippersnapper!

Another robbery at the house last night. I woke up at 0400 to the loud voice of one of my domestic helpers. From the sound of it, I thought maybe she was just coming in after a night of hard-drinking. When I finally got up to tell her to quiet down she exclaimed: “I was robbed!”

The other domestic helper came out of the bedroom and said it was warm so she had opened her bedroom window (both workers share the same room). The culprits (there were three of them) climbed onto the roof of the downstairs bathroom and tried to enter through the open window. Gina woke up, saw them, and began yelling. They took off but not before grabbing Teri’s phone. That’s all they got this time.

The security guys came out and did a perimeter search. Came back with a baseball cap, a pair of slippers, and a bag of coins. These were apparently dropped by the thieves as they fled. Turns out there was another robbery in the neighborhood earlier last night and the speculation was the coins had been taken from that house.

The guards pleaded with me not to tell my landlord (who also employs them) because they were threatened with termination after the earlier robberies. Well, I don’t blame the security guards, they can’t be everywhere. And since the subdivision is not fenced anyone can enter without using the front gate. It’s Christmas season and according to lawyer fighting criminal defense claims, here and property crimes always increase as folks turn into wannabe Robin Hoods. They are poor and anyone living in Alta Vista must be rich.

I guess the only positive is that my enhanced downstairs security measures seemed to have worked as intended. When you’ve got the burglars climbing on the roof to get in that’s a sign of improvement. Now I’ll work to secure the upstairs windows better and break down and buy some outside CCTV cameras. I need to make sure my house isn’t the softest target around.

Typhoon Eisoy blew threw town last night. No damage, just some rain, wind, and the requisite power outage that comes when there is more than a breeze. Went to bed in the dark but when I woke up to pee the power was back on. I was pleasantly surprised at the quick fix.

Fixin’ to head on out to La Union. Five other Hashers will be sharing space in my driver’s Toyota van. Done it before and it’s not uncomfortable, but then again, I’m riding shotgun. That’s the privilege that comes with paying.

Had a nice chat with Ilene this morning, she wanted to be reminded what her new Hash name is and what it means. I gave her the generic definition of hot to trot–“ready and eager to engage in an activity” but also felt obligated to mention that the context it is most often regarding sexual activity. She seemed okay with that and mentioned she was happy she didn’t get one of the crude/rude names our kennel is famous for. She also shared this photo from Monday’s naming ritual:

During our conversation this morning Ilene mentioned she has two kids, girls aged 14 and 10. Well, that should be enough for me to keep her firmly in the “just friends” category. Been there, done that, got the fatherhood t-shirt already.

So, that’s it for now. I’ll keep y’all posted on my impressions of La Union and my first ever Haggis Hash.

I’m going to be the Hare for Monday’s Hash, so me and my co-Hare Pubic Head were out scouting around for a proper trail this morning. My Girlfriend’s A Lesbian also tagged along so he could see the science behind a successful Hash.

We had gone out a couple of weeks ago thinking we’d incorporate the Black Rock climb into our trail but found the conditions unsuitable. And then in an unfortunate coincidence, Leech My Nuggets did a trail in the same area, including Black Rock, the very next week. So, our challenge now included finding some new terrain for our Hashers to traverse. I think we accomplished that.

We’ll go back out on Monday morning to lay powder and chalk to mark the trail. It should be challenging without being overly difficult or dangerous. Probably the best thing going for it is that we will be taking paths that haven’t been recently Hashed. That always makes it a bit more interesting. And my attitude is that if the kennel doesn’t like the trail, fuck ’em!

Justin leaves in the morning for Manila. Hopefully the Korean embassy there will get his new work visa processed in the promised three days. He’ll then return to Barretto for a couple of days before departing for Korea next Saturday.

And so it goes.

Life in the Philippines is pretty much okay for me overall. The only real disappointment has been that I haven’t found love here. Of course, I haven’t been looking all that hard either. The few Filipinas I’ve met have proven to be disappointments, but I’ll take the blame there as well. Fact is, I’m just not willing to put my heart on the line which is a necessary prerequisite for engaging in a meaningful relationship. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.

Anyway, over at Kevin Kim’s walking blog, he provided some great insights on overcoming inertia and gravity and laziness.

Dr. M. Scott Peck, in his pop-psych classic The Road Less Traveled, argued that the most basic human character flaw is laziness. If there can be said to be a “physics of the spirit,” then concepts like gravity and inertia would apply to spiritual matters. Laziness is a function of both spiritual gravity and spiritual inertia: gravity, insofar as the human tendency is to find the downward path of least resistance; and inertia, insofar as the human character resists switching tracks once it decides on a certain course of thought and action. Laziness, then, was the devil on one of my shoulders today. It’s the devil that always tells me I can sleep another 40 minutes when my phone’s alarm sounds at 5 a.m. It’s the devil that makes me think, now and then, about how nice it’d be just to take a bus back to Seoul and spend the rest of my break lazing around in my apartment with nobody else the wiser.

I can totally relate. Lately, it seems I have to push myself to avoid taking the easy trail rather than the mountain walk. I’ve always got some legitimate rationale for doing so, but I’m likely just making excuses for my inherent laziness. It occurs to me that this logic probably applies to my love life as well. In taking the easy and safe path I’m missing out on the breathtaking vistas that true love might show me. I don’t know, my fall back argument that there are worse things than being alone still resonates. I reckon I’ll just wait and see what happens next.

In the meantime, I’ve still got my walking to keep me company. And sometimes I’m not even walking alone. Here are some shots from Wednesday’s hike.

I’m happy to report that I did not short cut the trail this week, telling the devils on my shoulders to shut the fuck up. There were a couple of times during the walk that I had to overcome some gravity, but I got it done.

I’ve been hanging out a Cheap Charlies quite a bit of late. Both me and the nephew enjoy the views and it is hard to resist our favorite bargirls, Maya and Rosemarie. Speaking of views, here’s one from last night:

And the latest news on the owner of Cheap Charlies doesn’t sound good to me:

1. He’s had a massive stroke. It’s left him totally paralyzed on the right side and aphasic (unable to speak).
2. He had a massive bleed which caused a subdural hematoma that required opening his skull to drain the blood.
3. He has additional medical problems; most of which are under control. These include hypertension, renal failure, possible diabetes and pulmonary congestion. The congestion is troubling as he has lots of sputum that must be suctioned regularly.
4. The prognosis is not promising. Much will depend on his resolve. Strokes often cause severe depression whereby the patient loses the will to work with their physical and speech therapists and don’t recover. The best thing that could happen is he becomes well enough to travel back to Scotland. Tim tells me his sister is a nurse practitioner who specializes in stroke recovery.
5. Tim’s handling all the bills and doing a great job stepping up to the plate. Graham’s bills are going to be significant. 

At least all the money I’m spending on beer is going to a good cause. It does put my meaningless problems in perspective. Get well soon!

I’ve had it to here
Bein’ where love’s a small word
Part-time thing, paper ring
I know it’s been done
Havin’ one girl who’ll love me
Right or wrong, weak or strong

Don’t know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who’ll stay
And won’t play games behind me
I’ll be what I am
A solitary man, solitary man

Out walking the dogs this morning in the neighborhood as usual. Then I turn the corner and see this thing raise up and give Buddy the evil eye.

So, I sent the pic above to one of the old-timers here and asked if he knew what kind of snake this is. He responded with this photo:

Damn. Wikipedia wasn’t all that reassuring either:

The venom of the Philippine cobra is a potent postsynaptic neurotoxin which affects respiratory function and can cause neurotoxicity and respiratory paralysis, as the neurotoxins interrupt the transmission of nerve signals by binding to the neuromuscular junctions near the muscles. Research has shown its venom is purely a neurotoxin, with no apparent necrotizing components and no cardiotoxins.^[9] These snakes are capable of accurately spitting their venom at a target up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) away.

Although venom toxicity values can vary greatly even among specimens of the same species, the Philippine cobra is considered to possess one of the most toxic venom among all of the Naja (cobra) species based on murine LD₅₀, according to most toxinology studies. 

I showed my photo to the subdivision guards as well and they said: “many cobras here”. Now you tell me. Guess it’s time to update my “top ten ways I’m going to die in the Philippines” list. Hmm, I guess I could replace #7 (fucked to death by a horny Filipina) as that is seeming less and less likely these days. Or maybe a subcategory of #3 (Hashing). For sure, it is one additional thing I’ll have to think about whilst on trail.

Speaking of Hashing, I’m scheduled to Hare again on October 14. I once again enlisted the help of Pubic Head as my co-Hare. We did some scouting around in the Calapacuan area yesterday. And we climbed Black Rock mountain which I had hoped to incorporate into our trail.

Alas, our efforts were mostly for naught. Once we made it back to flat ground we both agreed that the climb (mostly the coming back down) was too fraught with peril to utilize for the Hash. A bit surprising as I’ve been up there a couple of times previously and it was never this bad. Not sure if we missed the regular trail or if things have changed up there. Oh well. Two more weeks to find some alternatives.

Some other things I’ve seen while walking recently:

And speaking of things you’ve seen a hundred times but never really saw, there’s this:

It wasn’t until last night that I noticed this detail that enhanced my enjoyment of the painting so much more:

And finally, all this whistleblower talk reminded me of the last time a President got impeached.

Don’t forget to check-in on Kevin Kim’s odyssey here.

And so we took a stroll
Wound up down by the swimming hole
And she said, “do what you want to do”
I got silly and I found a frog
In the water by a hollow log
And I shook it at her and I said, “this frog’s for you”
She said

I don’t like spiders and snakes
And that ain’t what it takes to love me
You fool, you fool
I don’t like spiders and snakes
And that ain’t what it takes to love me
Like I want to be loved by you

Two noteworthy passings of music legends from my past this week: Eddie Money and Ric Ocasic. If you weren’t around for the ’70s and ’80s, you missed some rockin’ good music.

Can’t embed YouTube for some reason. Here’s My Best Friend’s Girlfriend from Ocasic and The Cars.

I’ve been listening to both on my walks this week.

Thanks for the music. Rest in Peace.

A pretty decent Hash yesterday despite the rainy weather. Actually, the rain stopped a bit before we started, and it didn’t reappear until most of us were safely “on-home.” I say “most” because as the slowest of the group I spent the last ten minutes or so walking in the rain. Such is life.

So much for the trail, now about that error. I think I broke the little toe on my left foot this morning. I have a loose tile in the dining room. I stepped on it, causing the tile to sink slightly lower than the adjacent tile. I lunged to grab Lucky who was under the table. Toe met elevated tile, and toe lost. Hurt like hell too. Now it mostly only hurts when I walk. And of course, I walk a lot.

That’s today’s dose of my so-called life.

Here’s a quick after action report on my one week visit to Vietnam. I’m not going to recap everything I’ve already blogged about; this will just be a brief summation of highs and lows.

Overall, I really enjoyed the city. It’s certainly not up to Seoul’s standard infrastructure-wise. For example, there’s no subway (although one is under construction). Saigon is comparatively cleaner than what I’ve experienced in the Philippines, but that’s not saying much. It appeared to be foreigner friendly, at least in District 1 where I was staying. There was a vibrancy and “hum” about the city that was kind of exciting, especially for someone like me coming from a small town.

So, without further ado, here’s a “Top 5” good and bad list.

The good:

• 1, People were friendly. It probably helped that I had friends there steering me to the right places, but I never really encountered any outright anti-American sentiments or anything like that.
• 2. The women were beautiful. Although I did not partake in a physical way (other than a massage that ended happily), I enjoyed meeting and chatting with several lovely ladies I met in the bars. Well, chatting may be an overstatement given the lack of a common tongue, so maybe it was just body language.
• 3. A very friendly and close knit expat community. This was not unlike what I’ve experienced in Barretto, and it’s a big deal for me. I would have a hard time living anywhere where I was the only person around who looked like me. The folks I met were very warm and welcoming and it felt like I fit right in with them.
• 4. The food. I shared pretty much everything I ate in earlier blog posts. Obviously, I didn’t go all-in Vietnamese, but that’s really my point. There was a variety of foods available to suit my mood and with few exceptions they were all quite good.
• 5. The service. Maybe this ties into the first point, but damn, people serving you there certainly aim to please. At my hotel, the Lotus Central, I was honestly shocked at how accommodating the staff was to all my needs and requests. Hell, one night there was a personalized handwritten note on the bed wishing me “sweet dreams”. I’ve stayed in hundreds of hotels in my lifetime and as far as costumer service goes, this one was the best ever.

The bad:

• 1. The traffic. Okay, it’s a big city, and most big cities have traffic. And the traffic certainly wasn’t as bad as it is in Manila. If my tour guide is to be believed, there are 15 million people in Saigon and 7 million motor scooters. Many intersections are not even regulated with traffic signals. It was really something to see the vehicular dance they call driving there. Very surprising how few accidents there seem to be.
• 2. Not walking friendly. There are actually sidewalks on most streets. And “sidewalk” is Vietnamese for motor scooter parking. Apparently. It was a little shocking how the streets were lined with these scooters blocking both the sidewalk and the street front businesses. I’m not sure if that is something you get used to or not. And crossing those busy streets as a pedestrian? Scary stuff! You’ve got to find the rhythm of the traffic–an inopportune hesitation could be fatal.
• 3. Not as cheap as the Philippines. But then, where is? And really, Saigon is a big city which always tend to cost more than the ‘burbs. Manila is probably similarly priced.
• 4. The language barrier. This is huge for me. My Vietnamese is non-existent and with a few exceptions most of the locals I met spoke little to no English (my hotel staff was a happy exception). Thank goodness for Google translate! English speaking ability was one of the primary reasons I chose the Philippines for retirement purposes. Although I could see myself living in Saigon or Phnom Penh, I expect I would be lonelier there.
• 5. Yankee guilt. Time marches on and all that, and certainly no one (other than my tour guide) ever referenced some of the atrocities that are inherent during armed conflict, but it was hard for me to shake the memories of that regrettable war. I was very much anti-war in the 1970’s. With time I’ve come to see that our intentions in preserving the South’s independence may have been good, but the execution was both flawed and deadly on both sides.

There you have it. A fascinating city that I will perhaps one day visit again. Although if I return to Vietnam I would definitely like to get out of town and see new sights, including the beaches near Da Nang.

Would I live there? I could. But I like where I’m at now better. It’s a good fit for me. Things could change of course so it’s good to have a Plan B. Saigon remains a possibility should I ever decide to move on.

UPDATE: And so without further ado, I bid you adieu.

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.

Speaking of moods, I came across this on Facebook and found myself nodding in agreement:

In the memory feature of Facebook was this photo of the McCrarey family back when we were whole:

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:

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.

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.

And that’s all I’ve got for now.

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:

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.

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…

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.

I couldn’t resist posting this example of the left’s hypocrisy on my Facebook page:

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!

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

…it’s what you didn’t say.

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.

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.

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!

Deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way.

That was yesterday and yesterday’s gone.

And some pictures speak for themselves. Like this one:

Facebook reminds me that one year ago I woke up to this view for the very first time:

Kevin Kim and I took a photo of the same moon on Monday. His view was from Korea, mine on Baloy Beach.

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

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:

In September 2012 I wrote about my life in Prescott, Arizona including this Google image of the first house I ever bought.

And finally, in August 2014 I shared some photos from my darting life in Korea. Everything changes.

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.

I saw a house on the internet that I like even better than mine.

And I guess I’ll close this meaningless post on a religious note:

And that’s all there is.

Life continues apace. And a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.

Like walking.

And eating.

Then there was breakfast.

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

Just think about it