When it rains it pours

And it has been pouring rain for over 12 hours straight now.

How bad is it? Well, I looked out my window and saw this at the end of my driveway:

What the duck?

Luckily I live on top of the hill, I’ve heard reports of localized flooding in town.

So I’ve been stuck indoors all damn day long. Got bored so I fired up the oven.

And prepared my first Philippines brownies. Well, same as all the other brownies I ever baked, just never baked them in the Philippines before.

I declare them “tasty!”

Dart league yesterday and I went 4-0. More importantly I actually threw some pretty good darts. Been awhile since that’s happened. Even beat one of the best players in town twice in singles and once in doubles. That was sweet revenge because she has owned me in tournaments.

Afterwards I rewarded myself by dining at Midnight Rambler, where I enjoyed this view:

wet and wild

And the house specialty, fish and chips:

hot and crispy

Of course, that’s a meal no vegan would enjoy. Where do vegans come from anyway?

Ah, I see what you did there!

Did I mention I’ve been bored today? How bored? Well, bored enough to find this funny:

or punny as it were.

Oh, and the Hash House Harriers were in the news!

Anyway, hope the rain lets up soon so I can get out there and get some steps in. Yeah, yeah. Into each life some rain must fall, but this is ridiculous.

Alien-ated

Hard to believe but I’ve been living in the Philippines for two months now. Achieving this milestone also necessitated a visit to the Bureau of Immigration office in downtown Olongapo. And that is just what I did.

Filled out the paperwork for a 60 day extension of my tourist status and paid the requisite fee of 8,100 pesos (around $160). And then I had my photo and biometrics (fingerprint scan) taken so that I can be issued the required Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) card. I can’t pick it up for two weeks though. This doesn’t really change my status, although I’m hopeful it will allow me to open a Philippines bank account. From what I’ve read it seems to vary bank to bank (and branch to branch) on whether a tourist is permitted an account. We’ll see. Long term I still plan to do the Special Senior Retirement Visa (SSRV) which provides permanent resident status. I’ll get around to applying for that one of these days.

Another dart tourney yesterday, but I didn’t finish in the money. Bar was packed as we were celebrating the birthday of one of the staff, Flor. It was a good time.

The Alley Cats staff. They are all pretty sweet (more or less) and call me Kuya (older brother) John which I’m assuming is a respectful term of endearment.

Well, so much for assuming. I decided to look up the definition. And yes, it means “older brother”. But this additional context was disconcerting:

2)Furthermore, a girl can call someone “kuya” as to cockblock him, emphasizing that the guy is only a brother to her, nothing more.

Oh well. Any girl who can resist this hotness doesn’t deserve it!

Come and get it!

Regardless, the Alley Cats bar has become my de facto home bar, my Shenanigans if you will. It’s only natural I suppose given that I play darts there at least four days a week. But I like the staff and most of my fellow patrons, so it’s all good. And really, the alternative is the girly “go-go” dancing bars that I just don’t seem to enjoy much at all these days. I guess in part it’s because I feel sorry for the girls and the desperation of their lives.

An action shot of yesterday’s dart tourney….

Buddy is doing well. I had considered changing his name to “Stay” because he would never come when I called him. At least that would create the appearance of a well trained dog. But this morning he did come when I beckoned him which made me feel good. He also gave me some dog kisses, but maybe that’s not a good thing.

I really do not believe a dog should be chained, but Buddy is such an escape artist that it is necessary for the short periods of time I let him outside to do his business…

But at least he has enough sense to come in out of the rain!

I’m still debating whether to bring home a companion dog for Buddy. My friend Mike sent me this photo:

These are Buddy’s brothers and sisters from another litter.

We’ll see. He’s such a whiner when he’s not getting all the attention he wants. Maybe a playmate would help. Or make it worse. Anyway, he did a little better on the leash this morning, although he is still very resistant. Going to keep working at it.

More darts on tap this afternoon. Life is good.

Singing in the rain

Well, more precisely, Hashing in the rain, but you get my meaning.

As anticipated, the weather was not a walking man’s friend yesterday. Fortunately, the Hare (Pubic Head) laid a relatively easy trail on paved roads with no mountains to climb. Took me about an hour to complete. Because it was raining I wasn’t able to capture the event in photos, as I wasn’t inclined to take the phone out of it’s ziplock baggie. Not that there was much of interest to see anyway.

Here’s yours truly at Johannson’s, the Hash gathering spot prior to the walk.

The on-home after event was at one of my favorite locations, Treasure Island resort. I’ve pretty much made it my morning stop for breakfast everyday.

The rain let up for the most part which allowed us to enjoy our Hash circle activities in relative comfort.

Waiting for HIV, our master of ceremonies, to call the circle to order.

I shared my dinner with these two fellow Hashers. They seemed appreciative.

And that was yesterday. A busy day today as well. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow.

Breakthrough

Super Typhoon Maria is passing to the north today and throwing some rain our way. Ought to make this afternoon’s Hash interesting.

Messaging the landlord and his assistant about the promised repairs without response so far. Three weeks living here now and NOTHING has been done. Well, except for the stuff I’m doing.

Like these shelves for the kitchen…

And three ceiling fans (living room, office area, and master bedroom).

There are other things I want and am willing to do (like interior painting) but I need the other stuff fixed before I can proceed. I’m holding onto the remaining four months rent until I some assurance that the promises will be kept. Disappointed to say the least so far.

This afternoon I was laying on my bed trying to catch a nap and Buddy came in whining. I put my hand down and said “what is it boy?” and he playfully attacked. Ha, he was bored and wanted to play! So I got down on the floor and we wrestled some. It was kinda fun for both of us I think.

Buddy still ain’t much for walking on a leash. Marginally better than yesterday, but as the videos I’ve been watching suggest, you have to be patient.

And I’ve got all the time in the world.

It’s snot bad

Another weekend is drawing to a close. Not that there is much distinction between days when you don’t have a job.

Experienced some of the joys of dog ownership first hand today.

Buddy apparently sniffed out the used Kleenex tissues in the trash can beside my bed and went to town on them. He must really, really love me!

While I was out and about Buddy decided he wanted to enjoy the balcony off my master bedroom. So he tore a fucking hole through yet another screen door. For a free dog he’s been costing me a small fortune!

Tried to take Buddy for a walk this afternoon but he was having none of it. Wouldn’t budge and when I applied some pressure on the leash he dug in his paws and pulled back even harder. Strong little guy, I’ll give him that. Hopefully he’ll come around, I’d love to have him join me on some of my walks.

Anyway, I promise this is not going to be all Buddy all the time here at LTG. It’s been a slow day and not much else to blog about is all.

Oh, and Buddy quite often sleeps on his back.

Alright, alright. I finished third in the dart tourneys on Saturday and today. I’m very inconsistent which is frustrating. And Marissa came home with me after today’s darts and helped ease my frustration. I’m a satisfied man.

Like a boss

I spent over 30 years of my federal service as a Human Resources professional, primarily in the area of labor and employee relations. In that capacity, I was the guy who gave advice and guidance on how to deal with wayward employees, including discipline up to and including dismissal. Now, I had the extreme good fortune to never have to discipline anyone who actually worked for me. Until now.

Last night my domestic helper was extremely rude to my guest. Rude to the extent that Marissa was very uncomfortable. She told later that she had planned to spend the night with me, but was unwilling to with the “crazy woman” in the house. That ain’t good obviously. She’s off on weekends and left this morning before I could speak to her. I just don’t get what is going on with her.

The job I’m providing is extremely well compensated by Philippine standards (about twice the going rate) and she performs the actual work up to my expectations. Marissa asked if I was having a relationship with her and of course the answer is absolutely not. Physical or otherwise. But her behavior did somehow reek of jealousy. Anyway, I’m going to have to deal with it and termination is certainly on the table if she cannot provide a reasonable explanation for her behavior and some assurance that it will never be repeated. We shall see.

Here’s some more photos of last night that I lifted from Marissa’s facebook page:

My date likes my dog…that’s a good start!

Grillin’ like a boss…

As I mentioned, the meat was tough. Getting a workout cutting through it. Thanks to the readers who sent me links on tenderizing techniques….

Ah….

Facebook also reminded me of memories from one year ago today. I was here in Barretto on vacation and my daughter Avery and I managed a brief reunion:

It was good to see her again. I’m planning a brief sojourn to the USA in October to enjoy a reunion with all the kids and grands…

Last year my “employee” Loraine was with me. She’s gone now of course and so is Avery’s partner Annie. And the world keeps on turning….

Buddy seems to be doing well. Still a little skittish, but with each day he seems more comfortable in his new surroundings.

He seemed to be enjoying catching the morning breeze today…

I’ve also been trusting him to be alone in the backyard. This seems to be his favorite spot out there. He does his pooping and peeing there as well which pleases me greatly….

And that gets you fully up-to-date on the mundane absurdities of my life in the Philippines.

“It is not in the world of ideas that life is lived. Life is lived for better or worse in life, and to a man in life, his life can be no more absurd than it can be the opposite of absurd, whatever that opposite may be.”
–Archibald MacLeish

Goal achieved

I’m drunk and tired, but post I must!

Woke up this morning and was greeted by Buddy sleeping outside my bedroom door. I thought, ah ain’t that sweet? And then I came downstairs to this:

Scratch one screen door. Now, I don’t think Buddy was trying to escape. I think he wanted to get outside to poop. Guess we’ll never know.

Of course, Buddy denies everything…

Today’s big accomplishments include getting my new grill all gassed up. And shopping for the makings of my first grilled meal here in the PI.

I checked every meat shop in Barretto before settling on these Australian ribeyes. The good news I suppose is that I bought four steaks for less than ten dollars. The bad news is you get what you pay for.

Here they are on the grill…

…and on my dinner plate. The steaks were tough. I knew as soon as I cut into one that it was not the tender and juicy meat to which I’d become accustomed. Everything else was fine.

And the company and *ahem* dessert were exquisite.

And before I pigged out as illustrated above, I achieved a long sought after goal…

…breaking the 200 pound barrier! We’ll see how long that lasts!

More to report, but too damn tired to get my mind around it now.

Laters.

Independence Day

Yes, they have 4th of July here in the Philippines. I kid you not.

Celebrating BREXIT since 1776!

As days go, this has been a pretty good one all things considered. Started the day with a nice surprise chat with my high school sweetheart. We’d periodically kept in touch over the years, but then she’d unfriended me on Facebook a couple of years ago for reasons I didn’t quite understand. Anyway, it was good to hear from Karen again.

Ain’t we sweet?

Then I had a traditional Independence Day BBQ lunch on the old Navy base at Texas Joe’s.

I’d eaten here on previous visits. It’s definitely got some authenticity going on. Plus the cute waitresses in cowboy hats are a treat.

The ribs, chicken, and sides were pretty damn fine too. God Bless America!

While on base I did some grocery shopping and also brought home this beauty:

I’m going to need to get some gas and a different regulator (US vs Philippine standard), but I’ll be grillin’ and chillin’ soon enough! About damn time!

One of the neighborhood goats was asserting his independence today as well…

So, I posted this on Facebook today:

But in the midst of writing this post, I had a text conversation with Marissa. It seems she has had a change of heart. Or more precisely, we cleared up some misunderstanding about what was in her heart. So I guess we are going to give it a go…

And there goes MY independence!

And it wouldn’t be the 4th without some good old fashioned American politics. So let me just say this:

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

America, Fuck Yeah!

The lonely Hash

A little bit of a change up with yesterday’s Hash. A short trail (2.2 kms) and a long trail (5 kms). Both trails ended with a small bar hop before On-Home at Hot Zone.

Despite being a walker I opted for the long trail which is intended for those who run. When I started out I thought there were several other walkers joining me, but turns out it was just me and one other Hasher hoofing it. About half-way through he picked up speed and left me behind, so I was Hashing alone for the last hour or so. Fortunately, the trail was well-marked so I didn’t get lost. Still makes me nervous to be out in the wild with no backup around given my propensity for slips, trips and falls. Only blood I spilled though was getting my finger in a sticker bush, but that’s no biggie. Walking the long way did result in my being the last person back and missing the first two bars of the bar hop. Ah well, it was still a good day!

No map of the long trail I’m afraid. Luckily I have some photographs!

In a first for me, the Hares actually laid trail through my backyard. That was pretty cool…

But those nasty Hares also made me get my shoes and socks wet by wading through this shit creek. I’m pretty certain shit is amongst it’s slimy contents…

I much preferred taking this bridge on the return portion.

That would be me alone on the trail.

But it sure was pretty out there…and no rain this week! Woot!

People here may live poor lives but they are surrounded by beauty…

Coming down the mountain all by my lonesome. Steeper than it appears and slick with mud, rocks, leaves and grass. I survived!

Got back in time to enjoy a cold brew at the third of three bars on the bar hop…Crazy Horse.

Then we were On-Home at Hot Zone…

And once again I was not charged with any offense that resulted in sitting my bare ass on a block of ice. Thankfully!

In one of those “one door closes, and another opens” scenarios, Pubic Head’s girlfriend, Ice Queen introduced me to her friend Fucking Starfish. Not the cutest girl in town by a long shot, but she was friendly and definitely seemed interested. Perhaps one day we will Cum Together. It would be nice to have a Hash buddy next time so I won’t have to repeat the experience of being alone on the trail. We’ll see.

Strikeout

It seems I’m on a roll these days. Downhill. As usual.

Had my third date with Marissa yesterday. Lunch, then she joined me at the bar for darts. Finished first in the tourney for the second day in a row. And as is my custom, I gave my share of the pot to my “date”. After darts I asked her to join me at Treasure Island. Over the course of dinner and beers there I tried to ascertain if she was interested in taking our “relationship” to the next level. She wasn’t.

Very disappointing, and frankly I’m surprised at just how much her rejection hurts. Of course, that says a whole lot more about me than her. I’m just too fucking desperate to have someone to share my life here. But I still have my pride and I don’t beg and grovel. If someone is not 100% into me then it is best to just let go and move on. So that’s just what I will do.

A potential dog siting on the beach in Barretto. If it was Buddy he ran away when they tried to catch him. That’s going to be a problem I fear. He’s so skittish that even if found I’m not sure it’s going to be possible to collar him. Well, I’ll walk the beach later and see what there is to see.

And it’s raining again.

Caught in my fears
Blinking back the tears
I can’t say you hurt me when you never let me near
And I never drew one response from you
All the while you fell all over guys you never knew
Cause I’ve done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think it’s gonna hurt me for a long long time

Gone but not forgotten

No news on Buddy. Handed out and posted flyers throughout the vicinity. Posted on Facebook and had my local friends share the post on their feeds. So the word is out on the street and that 2500 peso reward should be a good motivator. If Buddy is still out there surely someone will find him. Two days gone now though so no telling where he is or what has happened to him. I’ve done all I know to do so it’s just a waiting game now while I continue to hope for the best.

Yesterday afternoon I caught some movement in the backyard out of the corner of my eye. For a fleeting moment I thought maybe Buddy had returned on his own. The truth really got my goat.

Grabbed some dinner at Treasure Island before darts yesterday. It’s sort of my place to go when I’m out on Baloy Beach. Check out one of my favorite waitresses there, Angel:

That is without a doubt the longest hair I ever did see. It’s practically a trip hazard.

Speaking of darts, I managed a first place finish which is always nice. Also got to spend some quality time with Marissa which is always a pleasure. She’s such a snuggle bunny.

I’m taking it slow, but so far, so good.

We are going to meet for lunch this afternoon and she will be joining me at the dart tournament afterwards. Marissa told me last night that I was a “blessing” in her life. Now, that could be because of the wad of cash from Friday’s raffle, but perhaps there is more to it than the money. I aim to find out one way or another.

So in regards to both Buddy and Marissa I’m engaging the power of positive thinking. For whatever that is worth.

Another broken heart

Fuck me.

Buddy is gone. While I was out playing darts yesterday afternoon a construction worker left the front door ajar and the dog ran away. I was incensed that my helper didn’t have the sense to put Buddy in his enclosure. I was tempted to fire her ass for incompetence, but I could tell she was upset by what she terms “an accident”.

The front gate guards say they saw him running out of the subdivision and turning into an adjacent squatters village. I know Buddy can’t find his way home (here or his former residence) so he’s got to be just wandering the streets alone and hungry. I’m going to get some flyers done up offering a reward and post them in the surrounding area. If I can enlist the support of the street urchins perhaps he will be found. I’m just sick to my stomach over this.

On the flip side of the coin, I felt compelled to keep my date with Marissa despite my loss. I drank extra to dull the pain. She seemed to enjoy herself and the dance contest. She was also quite cuddly which I took as a good sign that she has some affection for me at least.

When the SOB was over we moved to another bar for an event known as the “Aftermath”. This features a series of raffle drawings (you get a ticket for each drink purchase) and culminates in a “find the Joker” progressive jackpot. Each week a lucky raffle participant gets to turn over a card. If the Joker is picked, he wins the pot, if not, money is added for the following week’s drawing. Last night the pot was 31,000 pesos ($620) and there were 8 cards remaining. Well, I had been disappointed all night that not one of my numerous raffle tickets had been drawn. And no, I wasn’t drawn for the “find the Joker” either. But Marissa was!

She was in the CR (as restrooms are called here) when her ticket was drawn so I picked the card. And yes, I picked that fucking Joker! Pandemonium broke out in the bar, and not in a particularly good way. Immediately there were calls “to ring the bell”, which provides all the working girls a lady drink for 2800 pesos. It’s a suckers bet that I never do, except last night I was drunk and overwhelmed so I relented. But the calls for sharing the wealth didn’t stop there. The girl who had pulled Marissa’s number thought she was worthy of a tip, and the waitress was also looking expectantly for a piece of the windfall. I had a huge roll of cash in pocket and was feeling uncomfortable with all the attention. When the damn doormen asked me to buy them dinner, I told Marissa I was leaving. She suggested we go to Alley Cats (the dart bar where she works and I play) for a final drink. And so we did.

It turns out they only pay half the jackpot in cash, and the rest in vouchers redeemable at the bars hosting the SOB/Aftermath events.

Good for a year, but I reckon I can use it up in half that time. Although I really don’t like drinking in the girly bars so much.

Anyway, I gave Marissa the cash. She didn’t want to take it, saying I had paid her entry into the event. I responded “it’s your name on the winning ticket” and she eventually relented. That’s a big chunk of change for her and really nothing to me. How big for her? She had told me earlier in the evening that she had a good day at work the night before scoring eight lady drinks. I asked how much she made per drink and she said 60 pesos (the customer pays 150). So, a good night for her at work is making just under ten dollars. Wow. Her date with me wound up paying off big time.

With the money burning a hole in her pocket she proceeded to buy all her coworkers drinks. Hey, her money to spend any way she chooses, right? I was beyond drunk at this point and feeling depressed over my dog, so I bailed despite Marissa’s entreaty to stay for “one more”. I guess I might have had it mind that she’d come home with me last night. She might have if I had asked her to, but I was just not in the mood. Another time perhaps.

I miss my Buddy.

UPDATE: BOLO

Randomly speaking

Here’s what greeted me when I woke up and looked out the window:

I didn’t find the pot-o-gold though…

My Buddy is making slow steps towards normalcy. Well, more normal than he was yesterday. Still very skittish but not quite in a state of perpetual terror.

Buddy’s preferred hangout is still under the table. But he did venture outside for a bit today.

Had breakfast at Treasure Island this morning and Mike, the guy who found and delivered Buddy for me, was there. He shared a photo of Buddy’s parents:

My daughter speculates that the mother might have some Jack Russel Terrier in her. Hard to say and it’s not particularly important to me anyway.

Speaking of breakfast, I rewarded myself for no particular reason:

I’d say those carbs are just about off the charts. Hey, if you are going to cheat on the diet, cheat big!

Spending more time walking around the neighborhood now that it is my neighborhood….

And I’m still not tired of the view…

But of course, I still spend time on the beach….

Anyway, dart league this afternoon and the SOB dance contest tonight. I’ll be taking along Marissa so it should be interesting to see if we have developed any chemistry. Either way, I’m just going to go with the flow.

Peace out!

My new best friend

His name was “Antonio” or “Tony”. But since the caretaker downstairs is named Tony I don’t want him coming every time I call the dog.

Henceforth, my new friend will be called Buddy. Yeah, not so original but it works for me.

This is the first time I’ve done a dog “rescue”. I guess some shyness is to be expected when an animal is torn away from the only environment he’s ever known and thrust into totally unfamiliar circumstances. But I think it goes beyond that with this one. I suspect he has been both abused and neglected. It’s going to take some time to win his trust I think.

He does have a healthy appetite at least. I’m going to fatten him up in no time…

I also bought him a cozy house for those occasions when I need to yard him…

“Where the fuck am I?”

“Nothing smells familiar”

“How in the hell do I get out of here?”

I had hoped to get a photo of Buddy and me together, but he ain’t having none of that cozying up shit. At least not yet. I’m not going to rush him. He’ll grow more comfortable in time I’m sure.

Anyway, welcome home my friend!

And the beat goes on

Another day, another blog post. Ain’t life grand?

Thanks to my readers for your indulgence. I’m trying to keep my promise to myself to post something everyday here. Why I’d want to subject you loyal followers to such abuse is inexplicable. Just chalk it up to having too much time on my hands.

Anyway, as I was walking home from dart league this afternoon (we lost a tough match 6-5, but I went 4-0 so selfishly I was pleased) I was thinking that while my life here is far from ideal, it is far better than the misery I endured the last couple of years in Korea. Truth is, it is much easier to leave the past in the past here where there is nothing left to remind me of what I had and lost. Except that fucker Mark Zuckerberg and his Facebook “memories” feature.

Back in 2010 I had captioned this photo “Are you sure the baby is mine?”. The belly is gone now and so is the wife. And the beat goes on.

Work is getting done around the house at least. Well, the work I’m paying for out of pocket anyway. Although the construction worker I hired to build me some kitchen shelves says it looks like the landlord has given the go ahead (and funding?) to commence with the promised repairs. Hope springs eternal.

In the meantime I got damned sick and tired of taking cold showers. So instead of waiting for the non-functioning water heater in my bathroom to be repaired as promised, I went out and bought a new one. It was a joy to shower like an American again today!

I also paid some pretty big bucks to replace three sliding glass doors and to install some screens. The landlord’s promise to fix the downstairs aircons hasn’t proven to keep me cool. Maybe mother nature’s breezes will do the trick.

One of three new sliding doors that actually, you know, slides. In the background you can see the dog pen I’ve erected. Hope to have some blog worthy news on that event tomorrow. Stay tuned!

And my fancy dancy screen door in the back is a beauty, doncha think?

Well, I’m not going to sweat the small stuff. I’ve been blessed enough where I can pay out of pocket for things I shouldn’t have to pay for. But, I do intend to be here for the long haul, and through the miracle of amortization the cost is not that big. Or so I keep telling myself.

I went back to the Globe phone service store and upgraded my package. I now have the unlimited data I’ve dreamed about since leaving Korea for the almost bargain price of 3700 pesos per month (just over 70 bucks). Actually used my headphones to listen to youtube music videos as I walked around the neighborhood this morning and it worked out just fine. That pleased me!

And the beat goes on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS3O5zg290k

Hash flash

Flash flood that is.

Yesterday’s Hash turned out to be wet and wild. By far the most challenging Hash I’ve experienced in my brief Hashing career. It rained earlier in the day, so going up the mountain was muddy and slippery. Made it down to the other side with only one fall (no blood!) and then the final hour of the hike was in a deluge. I was wading ankle deep along the road and of course was soaked to the skin. Glad I had the foresight to bring a baggy for my phone!

The foul weather limited my picture taking opportunities. But here are some of mine and some from a fellow Hasher:

The trek we made…

Waiting to load up the Hash truck and head out…

Final instructions at the trail head…

And it’s on-on and away we go…

Up, up and away…

A bit of a log jam at one point. Steep and muddy make for tough going. Actually, a couple of the Hashers hung back to give folks (including me) a hand up…

But the delay afforded time to enjoy some of the natural beauty this land has to offer….

Oh, and the scenery was nice as well…

See what I mean?

Made it off the mountain just before the skies opened up….

When it rains it pours…even the goats thought we were nuts…

The National Highway was more like a river by the time we reached it for the final stretch of the Hash. But we slogged on through and made back on-home at Midnight Rambler.

Bimbo got the Hashit (still not exactly clear what that is) and drank from the ceremonial toilet plunger while sitting bare bottomed on a block of ice. It’s a Hash thing, you wouldn’t understand.

In other news, I now have a locking front and back door installed in the house.

Still lots of work to be done, but it’s a start…

Took the malfunctioning crockpot to a repair shop today but it was a no go. Something about a “regulator”. I’ll have to come up with a plan B, I suppose. I’m not inclined to pay over $200 dollars for one here when I know the retail for $50 back home. In the meantime I’ll just have to figure out how to cook without one.

This was tonight’s effort, meatballs and all the fixin’s.

And that brings you just about up to date on my life and times in the Philippines. Speaking of dates, I have one this Friday. A follow-on with Marisa. Looking forward to escorting her to the SOB dance contest. She seemed pretty enthusiastic about it too.

Forward!

First date

As mentioned yesterday, I experienced my first date since moving to the Philippines six weeks ago. It went well enough I suppose. Not sure where, if anywhere, it will lead. We parted a little ambiguously, but we both confirmed our interest in getting to know one another better.

More details for those who may be interested: Her name is Marisa. 33 years old, never married, no kids. She stands all of 5 feet tall and weighs a whopping 82 pounds fully dressed*. Yeah, she’s tiny. In fact, her nickname is “mouse”. She appears to have a good sense of humor (i.e. she laughs at my jokes). Like me, she has had a run of bad luck in her relationships. My sense is that we are both being very cautious at this point. Perhaps too much so, but we both agreed there are worse things than being alone.

How did we meet? Well, she “works” at Alley Cats, the dart bar where I spend an inordinate amount of my time. I was surprised to learn that she doesn’t have a salary, she just makes drink commissions. I guess that technically makes here a juicy girl, although I’ve only seen her drink beer (a quality I like in a woman). She never pushes drinks, though. In fact, I had to call her over Saturday night to have a drink with me. Although I had noticed her in the bar, it was the first time we had ever chatted. Her schedule is as she put it “TTS” (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). I honestly don’t know how she makes enough to support herself, but apparently she is more popular than I realized. She showed me pictures of her small apartment where she lives alone with her dog. Hails from Manila (Quezon City) originally and returns home to visit once a month or so.

I met her for lunch on the corner near her apartment. We had agreed on 11:30, and when I arrived at 11:20 she was already waiting. I was impressed by her punctuality. She told me she didn’t want to do the “Filipino time” thing on our first date. I suggested Mango’s Beach Resort for lunch and asked if she wanted to to take a trike or walk (it’s several blocks away) and she responded “let’s walk”. I was impressed again.

We ate a simple lunch at a waterfront table and engaged in some light conversation. I asked if she liked to travel and she said yes, then told me the story of an ex who was a pilot for FEDEX. He promised to meet up with her in the places he typically flew (Hong Kong and Singapore) so she got her passport which went unused and is now expired. I asked her if she had a dream for her life. She hesitated and said “Of course. I want a simple life with one man who loves me”. I told her that should not be so hard to achieve. She shrugged and said “I know I have to be patient”. She concurred with my sentiment that finding the right one was important.

As we finished lunch I asked her if she had any plans for the afternoon. She had none and lacking the courage to invite her to spend the day making mad passionate love, I asked if she wanted to join me at the Alley Cats dart tournament and she agreed. I jokingly asked if her drinks would cost me extra and she said no, only customer price when I’m not working. Good deal!

My darts have been shit lately, so I didn’t last long in the tourney. We chatted some and she helped out with serving customers when needed. In between we snuggled a bit on my barstool, which felt nice (it’s been awhile since I’ve touched a female body). By late afternoon I’d had enough to drink and wanted to change my venue. I invited her to walk over to Treasure Island on Baloy Beach with me (yeah, I wanted to show her off) but she declined. I then asked her is she’d like to try the Hash with me on Monday and she responded she needed to do her laundry. And so I left her there and the date ended with no set plan for a second one.

I will ask her out again though and see what happens.

Are we a cute couple or what?

*Marisa came home with me after lunch when I went to pick up my darts. I gave her a tour of the house and she stepped onto my scale in the bedroom. That’s how I know she weighs 82 pounds fully dressed. I also asked her to sit on the bed. Now I can truthfully report that I had Marisa in my bed yesterday. Fully dressed. Alas.

I might linger…

…but I will never Teri. (Ahem).

I guess it may be newsworthy to report that I have hired a personal assistant/domestic helper. Her name is Teri and she is a certified caregiver who hails from Mutinlupa (Manila). In an odd and somewhat unsettling coincidence, that’s the same town where my former employee/heartbreaker resides.

I honestly don’t know a lot about Teri. We’ve been chatting some on Facebook these past few months. I eliminated her as a potential girlfriend early on. I don’t find her physically attractive and at least online she tended to get on my nerves. So, that turned out to work in her favor because I won’t be tempted to fuck her or otherwise engage in any type of relationship. I made that clear when I offered her the job. She seemed somewhat offended when I mentioned it, saying “of course not, I’m a professional!”. Well good, let’s keep it that way.

She arrived Tuesday afternoon and brought a female friend with her. I thought that was a little odd, but then again, she was meeting me for the first time in person. She told me later her parents insisted. Teri is in her mid-40s by the way. Anyway, the house wasn’t ready yet, so I put them both up in a cheap hotel room for the night. Teri’s friend left the next afternoon, and Teri slept on my couch in the apartment that night and we moved into the house the next day. Teri stays in one of the extra upstairs bedrooms.

So far, so good. Teri has been a great help in getting the house in order. Even though English here is the common language, it seems I’ve experienced a great deal of miscommunications. Teri has been an asset in dealing with the workers and even tried her hand at negotiating with Mrs. Ocampo. I warned her that was doomed to failure, but she had the guts to try anyway. So I appreciated her courage at least.

Teri still irritates me occasionally, but seems to take my impatience in stride. Which is a good thing because I’m an impatient SOB. Overall, she has been taking good care of the house and helping out with anything I ask her to do. And that’s what I’m paying her for–to make my life as easy and comfortable as possible.

In other news, I was all excited about preparing my first crockpot meal today. But the f’n crockpot doesn’t work. Brand new, right out of the box. Plugged it into the transformer I bought specifically for that purpose, and nothing. Damn it! I went through all the trouble and expense of shipping it here because I’ve not seen any slow cookers for sale in the Philippines appliance stores. May have to see about ordering one and having it shipped to me.

Oh, and I met a woman yesterday. We are supposed to have a lunch date today. Worse case scenario I’ll have something semi-interesting to blog about tomorrow. Best case, well, let’s wait and see.

I want to live
I want to give
I’ve been a miner for a heart of gold
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold

And I’m getting old
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I’m getting old

It is what it is

Isn’t it?

Pretty much unpacked and settled in. More odds and ends to buy yet but for the most part this is how it is going to be. I guess I’m alright with that.

It’s quiet out here in Alta Vista, and that’s a good thing. Noise is one of the most consistent complaints I hear from my fellow expats. Traffic, roosters, barking dogs, and loud ass karaoke at all hours of the night are pretty normal here in the PI. None of that has been in evidence here, at least from my two days of experience.

Going to put the crockpot to work in the morning. Finding good meat here may prove challenging, at least in the cuts I’m used to using. Also quite a bit more expensive as well. I miss the commissary already!

As to my other routines, well there is dart league on Wednesday and Friday. Tournaments just about every other day. And the Hash on Monday afternoons of course.

It is always good to cum together with my fellow Hashers each week.

Still no girlfriend, but I have’t given up hope that she will find me soon. And if not, well it’s not like I don’t have other relationships.

We’ve grown so accustomed to being together over the years….

I’m also looking forward to getting my dog next week. My driver Donnie came by with his today and wanted me to buy her from him. Nice enough dog but I’m going to start with just the one for now. I will certainly consider a second pet once I get acclimated to being a dog owner again. It’s been about 15 years since my last one I reckon.

I had to get rude with a persistent beggar yesterday which bummed me out. A good reminder to get off my ass and find some charity work to do. I’ll definitely make a visit to the Fil-Am Home for Orphans next week to see what they need.

Speaking of kids separated from their parents, I’m so sick of the insanity taking place in the USA. I rarely even do politics these days. Just not going to change any minds, especially those of the willfully ignorant. My blog buddy Kevin Kim is still in the fight however and I’d say our political viewpoints are very similar. So, go read his take and I’ll just say ditto. I really did love the un-PC correctness of this cartoon he posted:

More hypocrisy from the left…

I stirred the FB pot some this morning with this post. Hey, I was bored.

One thing that gets my goat is the restaurants blaring CNN (or even worse, Al Jazzera)) when I’m trying to dine. It’s hard to ignore and it is shocking just how far the “mainstream” press has gone over the deep end. Ah well, not my problem now. I just don’t want to hear about it.

And that’s about it from here for now. I’m realizing you can change you location but that won’t necessarily change your perspective. Still, no regrets. This is where I need to be. I’m sure the “why” of that will be revealed in due course.

On this day…

Woke up at 0300 and couldn’t get back to sleep. So I busied myself around the house getting unpacked and (somewhat) organized.

Enjoyed the first of what I hope will be many, many morning views like this one…

I realized last night that in my haste to vacate my former premises I’d left a couple of items with pretty significant sentimental value behind. The landlord’s brother agreed to meet up with me and I’m happy to report I recovered my lost treasures.

After breakfast, I trekked through Barretto and purchased a shitload of replacement light bulbs and some extension cord/power strips. Then I ordered some bottle water and a tank of propane. Got back home and set up some of the kitchen while awaiting the delivery of the aforementioned items.

And the work on repairing the house continues apace.

The door to my future?

I had the worker pictured above do some side stuff for me today. He’s also agreed to build me some much needed shelving in the kitchen. Progress!

Then it was off to my Friday afternoon dart league where I turned in a 3-0 performance. The game is getting there, but still a long way to go to get back towhere I used to be.

Back home after darts for a brief interlude of cataloging some of my recent purchases.

The water….

The gas…

The microwave and rice cooker….

My fancy knives….

and the crockpot I shipped over inside my balikbayan boxx…

Then it was back into town where I served as a judge in this week’s SOB dance contest.

It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!

Back home good and drunk now and in desperate need of some sleep. So I’m gonna go grab me some.

As days go, the was a good one. But then, I’m easily pleased.

More to come!