You must go and stand your trials
You have to stand it by yourself
Nobody else can stand it for you
You have to stand it by yourself.

Oh, you gotta walk that lonesome valley
Oh, you gotta walk it by yourself
Nobody else is gonna walk it for you
You gotta walk, walk it by yourself.

Well, it’s Hash Monday, so I won’t be walking alone. My advance peek at the trail does show it going through the Naugsol valley, though. It’s a Gunther/Leech trail, so it won’t be easy. The On-Home is at the Alta Vista country club, so at least I won’t have far to go when the Hash is over.

Last night was more of the same old, same old. Beers for me and drinks for a couple of the girls at IDM. They gave me a nice leg and shoulder rub in return, so that was pleasant. One of them might be crushing on me, and I admit, having someone at my side who likes to touch would be comforting. But I’m a selfish bastard, and I don’t want to take on the burden of four(!) kids. I’ll just settle for some bar companionship instead,

After I left IDM, I encountered “mama.” I didn’t have any small money on me, so I took her into a nearby market and let her buy a few things, got my change, and gave her the usual 100 pesos. Ah, the satisfaction that comes from making the world just a little bit better for someone is worth so much more than I spend. Yes, I understand that it is kind of perverted to use charity to make you feel better about yourself, but that’s just the way I roll.

I decided to have a couple of more beers before catching the trike home, so I popped into Mango’s. Got there in time to enjoy the sunset.

Speaking of beauty, there was a woman sitting a couple of stools down from me who really grabbed my attention. She wasn’t dressed sexy or anything like that; there was just something about her that attracted me. At first, I figured she was waiting to meet someone, but then I saw she ordered something off the menu and was dining alone. It occurred to me that I ought to strike up a conversation and see if she might welcome some company. In the end, I didn’t have the courage to do so. The fact that I’m still thinking about her this morning may be an indicator that I made a mistake. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I guess the easy game with bargirls has ruined me.

The waitress had offered me a menu when I arrived, but I declined because I was cooking at home. To answer the question posed in the title of this post, the beef was in the crockpot.

I haven’t been sleeping all that well the past few days. Been waking up in the middle of the night and needing to use the nebulizer to restore easy breathing. Then I get serenaded by that damn gecko when I try to go back to sleep. I did manage a six hours of sleep last night, so that’s progress.

We are starting the Hash a couple of hours earlier than normal today. In part because we are celebrating the 1500th running of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. And also, the long trail is over 10K and includes a tough climb up to Kalaklan ridge. The short trail is a 6K version with a somewhat lesser climb. You can read all about it here tomorrow.

According to my blog stats, I’ve lost nearly a third of my readers over these past few weeks. Can’t say that I blame them. Still, a big thank you to the faithful few who check in regularly to see what’s going on in my so-called life. Maybe one of these days something of interest will take place. Hey, you never know; it could happen!

I met the newest doctor(s) in town this morning. A husband and wife team, although technically, the husband doesn’t practice medicine. An American trained in the USA is not eligible for licensing here in the PI. The wife, a Filipina, runs the show. I was actually quite impressed with both of them. A thorough intake interview and then some suggestions for natural vitamin remedies that may eventually allow me to reduce some of my prescription drug intakes. I got a shot of B1 in the butt and something else through a drip bag in my arm, for starters. I confessed to my doc that I haven’t been vaccinated, and she responded, “neither have I.” That led us into a nice chat about the downsides, including potential long-term health risks, such as blood clots in my case. Anyway, it was a fascinating discussion with two medical professionals who see things pretty much the way I do regarding the scamdemic. I still may not have any choice but to get the jab since I need to leave the country soon in order to renew my visa. We’ll see. Anyway, I’m looking forward to traveling the road to better health with these two.

Speaking of doctor visits, Facebook reminded me of the Hash run four years ago that left me in stitches:

I came across this article that says that slower walking speed is associated with a higher risk of dementia. That’s pretty scary, given that I’m almost always last on our hikes. Some of that slowness can be blamed on my forays into picture taking, but I’m just not that fast, especially on uphill sections. The article talks about becoming slower as a warning sign, so I paid closer attention to my speed on my walk yesterday.

I forget what I was going to say next. *ahem*

My Saturday evening activities included beer drinking in an assortment of venues. Started at Hideaway Bar.

I had a special coupon for Hot Zone: buy one customer drink, get one customer drink, ALL NIGHT LONG. Well, Hot Zone doesn’t open until 6:00 p.m., but when the time arrived, I hoofed on over to try and get my money’s worth. After I sat down and placed my order, I was surprised to see Anna come in with a Hot Zone uniform. I’ve known her since before I moved here; she lives just outside of Alta Vista and works as a housekeeper for one of my neighbors. And all the time I’ve known her, she’s been a Wet Spot girl. I’m not clear on the circumstances, but she’s now a Hot Zone dancer. Naturally, I sat her down and set her up with a lady drink. My two-for-one deal had suddenly become much more expensive, and after my third free beer (and three LDs for Anna), I reckoned it was time to move on. Damn, those coupons are actually costing me money!

I still had one more stop to make along the way–Alaska Club. My new favorite, Karen, was working the door and invited me in. We shared some drinks and laughter. I was really pleasantly surprised to learn she’ll be participating in next week’s SOB dance contest–the first one since the scamdemic lockdown back in 2020. One more step towards normalcy.

It’s good to be alive, anyway. I’m going to try and keep it going for a while longer. Hopefully, my new docs will help me find a way to do that.

Or is Mother Nature calling me a fucker? This is the sound I’ve been hearing in the wee hours of the morning these past few days. At first, I thought it was some weird phone alert coming from my helper’s room. I asked her about it, and she said it was a lizard at the vacant house next door. She said it was called a “tokay.” So, I looked it up on the internet, and this is what I learned.

A gecko heckle, whaddya gonna do? And yes, if that’s the worst I can come up with to complain about, I am living a charmed life indeed!

An enjoyable Friday group hike with a twist–we followed a marked trail.

Well, it turned out that the trail was very familiar, most of it on the portion of My Bitch that we regularly hike. Still, it was nice not to have any tough climbs to impede our enjoyment. I had actually intended to join the group for the Sunday morning fun run, I’m up early anyway, but I have a doctor’s appointment at 10:00 a.m., so that would be pushing my luck. This is a new clinic in town, and I was surprised that it had Sunday hours, but if the doctor is in, then so am I.

I’ll upload the photos from the hike at the end of this post. At the end of our hike, I invited the group over for some beverages and snacks.

Yesterday, my other big event was my plan to help the mountain girl I support celebrate her birthday. We agreed to meet at the Arizona resort at 3:00 p.m. She hadn’t shown by 3:15, so I messaged her asking if she was coming. While I was waiting for a response, the “Dick” who sabotaged my previous relationship walked in and joined a group at the next table. We ignored each other, but it accelerated my already souring mood. I paid for my beer and left. Outside on the highway, I finally heard back from my date. It seems the brake on her motorscooter broke, and she had to walk rather than ride to our meeting. That’s not good. She lives on the mountain at the far end of Rizal Extension–that’s at least a 30-minute walk. I told her to take a trike, and I’d pay the fare. Of course, she’ll have to walk a ways to get to a place the trikes can access. She finally arrived at 3:45. I cut her some slack, seeing as how it was her birthday, and she can’t be blamed for defective transportation. Still, it would have been polite to message me, but she’s a Filipina, after all.

Instead of Arizona, I took her to John’s place to dine. We sat in the air-conditioned dining room in the window seats. A nice highway view from there. I was impressed when she ordered the pulled pork sandwich, one of my favorites on the menu. Disappointed she didn’t eat much of it, but she did get the leftovers for take-out.

During a lull in the dinner time conversation (and we don’t communicate all that well, I have difficulty understanding her sometimes), I pondered what she’d be like as a girlfriend. I know she would take good care of me and my needs; she has a good and loving heart. I pictured putting up a little one-bedroom nipa hut on her mountaintop with those million-dollar views. But when I considered the inconveniences that come with an isolated life, I knew I would not be happy. For one thing, it’s too far to walk to the bars, and most trikes can’t make it up the steep hill to carry your drunk ass home. I’d best stay put for now. I’ll will, of course, continue to provide weekly food stipends for her and the kids.

After our meal, I took her to the Goldilocks bakery and bought her a birthday cake. Also gave her some birthday money as a gift (she said she’ll use it to fix her scooter), and we said our goodbyes. She met up with some friends, and they enjoyed an evening at Baloy Beach. I’m glad she had a happy birthday.

After our parting, I spent some time at It Doesn’t Matter. The place was packed with bikers from the local motorcycle club. Not Hell’s Angels, thankfully, just a bunch of friendly guys (with their hot girlfriends) enjoying adult beverages in the midst of a Barretto bar hop. My waitress, Agnes, took good care of me, and I, of course, rewarded her with lady drinks. Martin (18 Kilo Ass) was there, and we had a nice chat. I had another drink coupon burning a hole in my pocket, and so I moved on to my next venue.

Wet Spot. It had been several weeks since my last visit and the “misunderstanding” that resulted with my favorite there, Aine. I wasn’t sure how’d she react to my return, but I need not have worried–she acted like nothing had happened. She sat down next to me, I ordered up a lady drink, and it was all business as usual. I asked if she was hungry, she said she was, so I ordered her a cheeseburger from Sit-n-Bull conveniently located next door (they actually have a waitress from Sit-n-Bull serving the bars). She seemed happy enough when she was doing her snuggle and cuddle routine, and what can I say, I liked it too. The manager sent me over a beer which kept me in place long enough to buy a second round of lady drinks. Later, owner Dave came in, having just returned from a trip to Amsterdam and Cincinnati, his two former hometowns. We had a nice chat and he bought me a beer too.

Aine told me she has a birthday next week (she’s turning 40!) and I promised I’d come by with a birthday cake and help her celebrate. She really is fun to hang out with–at least in the bar. And that’s the only experience we’ve shared. So far. (That’s not exactly foreshadowing, because I don’t have a clue what might happen next. I don’t usually do “take-out” from the bars, but I’m tempted to make an exception in her case. Stay tuned.)

I’d started early, so as is my custom, I finished early. Had a bit of a rough night at home, but I’ll elaborate on that in tomorrow’s post. Now, let’s get to those hiking photos, shall we?

That lizard only barks at night. Bastard.

Anyway, it was about as good a day as they get around here. I ain’t complaining. Much.

Just another day in the life.

Western Union was not accepting my transactions, so I used another service to wire my rent to the landlord’s bank account. I also sent $350 to a friend in Bohol for her son’s school tuition. I did that last year too. Paying for education is one of the more satisfying acts of charity. At least it can potentially make a difference in someone’s life.

I had made tentative plans to meet up with my newest Facebook friend, Gwenie. I just wasn’t feeling it, so I tried to back out. She said she was already dressed and ready to go. That made me feel bad, so I agreed to a late lunch at Sit-n-Bull.

Anyway, it was a nice enough lunch. No bells or whistles for me, but I’ll probably consent to a future massage.

After lunch, I gave Gwenie 500 pesos for the rejected massage and another 50 for trike fare home. She seemed happy with that.

My next stop was Hideaway Bar. Joy’s youngest has a birthday today, and she asked for some help to make the day special. I gave her 1000 pesos and a couple of lady drinks.

Agnes from It Doesn’t Matter had messaged me earlier in the day that she had three sick children and no money for medicine. She came into town and met me at Blue Butterfly. She stayed for a couple of drinks and left with the 1000 pesos she came for.

I wasn’t sure where I was going to go after I left Blue Butterfly. Then I had to go, and the closest place to pee was Cheap Charlies. So that’s where I went. After I took care of business, I stayed for a beer. I noticed that my homeless friend “mama” was camped out across the highway. I sent my waitress down to give her the standard daily 100 pesos. I rewarded my waitress with a lady drink for her assistance.

It was only 7:30, but I’d had enough. Paid my tab, caught a trike, and was home before 8:00. Sometimes that’s just the way I roll.

Maybe my Friday will be a little less normal. You never know what will happen next.

Lived through another day in the life. Started with the Wednesday Walkers group hike, assuming three participants constitute a “group.” Still, we had a nice hot climb up the Great Wall of Barretto on a beautiful day. Pictures at the end of this post.

In dart league, we faced off with the second-place team in a match that would determine the league champion. We lost 9-4. I played sloppy darts and lost at least one game I should have won, but even so, the final outcome would have been the same. Bottom line, they are the better team and earned their victory. Congrats to the Alley Wildcats team.

After darts, I went to It Doesn’t Matter. They were having a memorial gathering for the recently deceased JR.

Bob said JR would have loved this. Mission accomplished!

There is still a lot of controversy surrounding the manner of JR’s death. The official autopsy results have not been released. The consensus of the expat community is that this wasn’t a suicide. I’m not convinced either way. If the rumors are true that he had other knife wounds, then I’m going with murder. The embassy and a veteran’s group here are also involved in finding answers and representing JR’s interests. I’ll update when additional information becomes available.

It was a very long day of drinking, having started at 1:00 p.m. for darts. I somehow made it until 8:30, then headed home to sleep it all off. Woke up this morning to a brand new day, and I’ll make the most of it.

To the pictures from the Wednesday Walkers hike then:

Stick around to find out what happens next!

I can almost hear my readers asking, “aren’t they all?” Yeah, pretty much. But Tuesdays even more so. Instead of hiking, I do my grocery shopping. Nothing much I can say about that. Well, here is this week’s inflationary example:

The mountain girl I sponsor came by in the afternoon to give me a massage. During the happy ending, I became breathless, and she had to stop. Should have used my nebulizer before she started. I’m getting a little worried about my lung capacity of late, and I had my helper renew a prescription for a drug I stopped taking several months ago. Hopefully, that will help. And yes, I’m also making a doctor’s appointment.

Speaking of massages, I got a Facebook friend request from this girl:

Speaking of my helper, I found out she got married last week in Manila. She didn’t tell me; someone posted photos on FB. I congratulated her this morning. She says she is not quitting her job; he is going back to the states. I guess the plan is for her to get a visa to join him eventually. Best wishes to them both.

I totally sucked at darts last night. Some of the worst I can remember throwing. Two matches and out. Today is the big league match against Alley Cats with first place for the season on the line. Damn, I hope I throw better than I have been.

After the darts disaster, I took a long walk up the highway to John’s place. He had posted on Facebook about a new sandwich he was making:

I don’t think I’d ever had that kind of meat on bread, so I gave it a try:

I was tired and beered out of my meal, so I caught a trike on home.

I used to love making coffee for my ex:

Speaking of the past, Facebook reminded me that this is who I used to be:

This apparently is a true story:

My pal Scott shared his photo album for the month of May, and there are some very nice shots of the local landscape. Give it a look if you are interested.

That’s it from here for now. Thanks for dropping by.

It turned out to be a very nice visit to the Castillejos countryside. Five of us road rode the Hash truck out to join the dozen or so folks who had camped out the night before. They were waiting and ready to hike when we arrived. Lots of pictures to share, so let’s get on with it.

That was the day. Took a much-needed nap when I got home. Then it was out for my Friday night. Started with dinner at John’s place:

Next stop was Cheap Charlies.

The night then took a strange turn, but that’s a story for another day.

A quick morning post before I head out for today’s Sausage Walk out in the wilds of Castillejos. Not sure I’ll be in shape to post when I get back this afternoon. So, here goes.

Another typical day in the life here in my little town.

And yes, I had some afternoon delight as well.

It’s always a nice treat when you are not dining alone. Avoids misunderstandings like this too:

Jim showed up at It Doesn’t Matter, and we enjoyed some beers and chat together. Then we made a rare appearance at Hot Zone and had a nice visit with owner Jay. Still a lot of controversy surrounding the “suicide” of JR. More on that as it develops.

Jim went home, and I finished my night at Alaska Club. They always make me feel at home there.

This morning was all about prepping for today’s adventure.

It should be fun exploring new territory and, of course, grilling out with the group. Full report and photos tomorrow. Assuming I survive the day.

…to add the “s” to walker. Only Troy and I showed up for the hike yesterday, but the Wednesday Walkers marched on anyway. A lot of the group is preparing for our special event “sausage walk” on Friday, I suppose. There is also a campout tonight out where we’ll be hiking. I’m not going to do that particular activity. I’m a creature of comfort these days.

Photos from yesterday’s hike later in this post.

In darts, we beat the team from Blue Butterfly 11-2 yesterday. Next week we go head-to-head with our second place rivals in a winner-takes-all match. We will need to bring our best game if we have any hope of winning.

It occurred to me that I’ve never actually eaten at our dart league sponsor’s venue, Lagoon. I rectified that yesterday. The posted daily special was a “grilled meat platter,” so I gave it a try.

After my meal, I headed up the beach for some beers at McCoy’s.

After a couple of beers, I hoofed it back to Barretto. Stopped at the Snackbar because it was there, and she wasn’t. I had a pleasant enough time telling my old jokes to new faces. Finished my night at Outback. My bartender friend says she is going to Hash on Monday. I hope she does. I’m one of the Hares, so I probably won’t be hiking the trail during the Hash though.

Alright then, here are the pictures from the Wednesday Walkers:

You can Relive it all here if you’d like:

That’s how my yesterday went. I’ll tell you about today, tomorrow. I’m expecting some Joy this afternoon.

Another lazy Tuesday is in the books. This one had a nice start, as seen during the dog walk:

A nothing kind of day, all I accomplished was paying inflated prices for my groceries. Things are going to get real ugly, I expect. Let’s go, Brandon!

My darts didn’t show up last night. I can’t remember the last time I played so poorly. Hope I do better in dart league today.

It was also the sixth anniversary of the passing of my dear friend Bridget Werner.

After darts, I headed over to Mango’s for some grub.

And that was that. Today I have the Wednesday Walkers hike followed by dart league. I reckon I’ll hang out at Baloy Beach afterward and enjoy me some adult beverages.

This is the best damn life I’ve got. Might as well enjoy it.

Here’s how my Sunday Funday went down.

Started the morning with an abbreviated walk on the streets of Barretto.

When I arrived home, I got busy filling my crockpot with the ingredients for a batch of chili. Then I showered up and prepared for the arrival of an afternoon visitor.

She’s got a certain style and grace about her. I mean, I know it’s all about the money, but money is never mentioned. None of the usual sob stories about hungry kids or bills to pay. Just “I want to see you” and “I want to be with you” entreaties. And of course, she accompanies her requests with some pictures emphasizing her ASSets. I held out as long as I could, but after all, I’m just a man.

I’ll give her this; she’s a real pro. Once we got down to business, she was quick to cater to my wants and desires. I didn’t last long. What was missing was any type of emotional connection, and for me, that ultimately makes the experience less than satisfying. Oh well, I expect my resistance will hold for at least a couple more weeks unless something better comes along.

When beer o’clock came around, I made my way to It Doesn’t Matter. Sat at the owner’s table with a couple of other guys I know and did some socializing. It was raffle Sunday, so I bought six tickets. When it came time to do the drawing, once again, three of the six tickets were winners. I came away with a 200 peso discount at IDM and dinner for two (Thai food) at Jurassic, located way out in Calapadayan. It might be worth the trip if I can find a date. I also won another packet of discount coupons for various bars around town.

One of the coupons was for Cheap Charlies. Since being ignored by the girls on my last visit, I hadn’t been back there. I decided to end the boycott, but I would ignore the girls this time. Instead of waiting to be served, I went directly to the bar and ordered a beer, bypassing the waitress. Alma, who was only guilty by association, was soon by my side. After the way I had been treated, I told her that my days of buying lady drinks at Cheap Charlies were over. That didn’t dissuade her from staying and chatting, though. And when it came time for my second drink, I relented and let her get a lady drink too. A bit later, another girl came and started the back rubbing routine. I ignored her at first, then told her of my disappointment in her previous behavior. She insisted she had been occupied with another customer that night. Oh well, it was really my fault for pretending I was ever anything more than a source of drink commissions. In the end, I bought her a drink as well. So much for my intention to be a hard ass. I guess I do enjoy playing the game.

Anyway, it’s all in fun. Just don’t take any of it seriously.

As soon as I walked outside from Cheap Charlies, the skies opened up, and the rain came down. Luckily, there was a trike waiting for me across the street. That kept some of the rain off me on the ride home.

I was hungry and knew supper was waiting for me in the crockpot.

I did my traditional Monday beach walk this morning, right at 5K roundtrip.

I’ve got the Hash coming up this afternoon. A Guenter trail and the “sane” Hash group are already plotting our shortcuts. Look for a full report tomorrow.

Next!

Just a quick update on JR. His death was the talk of the town last night. There is a lot of speculation, but the evidence supports that the throat-slashing was self-inflicted. I can imagine it being a drunken impulse responding to some severe emotional stress. Reading his Facebook condolences was very touching. He served with the US Army all over the world, including Somalia, Bosnia, Germany, and Korea. He was well-respected by his subordinates. A good man has gone too soon for sure.

I dropped into It Doesn’t Matter. Bob, the owner, was best friends with JR. In fact, JR spent the last night of his life at IDM. There was definitely a sad vibe as folks came in to offer Bob their condolences. I left after two beers.

I decided to grab a bite to eat at John’s place. Went with the ribeye beef burger and onion rings. Also ordered some fish tacos and Korean chicken wings for the gals at my next stop, Hideaway Bar.

So, I made Joy and her friends at Hideaway happy by satiating their hunger and thirst. Well, it’s Saturday night, might as well pretend I’m a big spender.

My last stop of the evening was Alaska Club. It was just one other guy in the bar and me, and he was playing pool with the owner, Jerry. Since I’d blown my cash at Hideaway, I couldn’t treat the dancers to a drink, but I did give them each a fifty peso tip. It must be damn hard to stand up there and pretend to dance when you don’t have an audience.

I also met a new waitress at Alaska. Only 24 and very cute. During the course of our conversation, I learned that she is a cherry girl (virgin). Yeah, that’s not going to work. The funny thing (for me) was that her name is Karen. My first love and high school sweetheart was named Karen.

I teased my new friend that meeting her tonight must have been fate: Karen was my first love, and now I’d found a Karen to be my last love. Sadly, she wasn’t buying it.

I had a nice chat this morning with my high school Karen telling her about my fun with the new Karen I’d met. She got a kick out of that. We shared some laughs and memories about the long-ago night I’d taken her to Huntington Beach to see the submarine races. The back seat of my mom’s 1969 Plymouth Fury is where I made a woman out of her. Those were the days!

Saturday morning, I took my standard solo hike through San Isidro.

There is nothing new to see or photograph on this trail, so I figured I’d document the various blossoming flowers before the season ends.

Hope you enjoyed the show. Until next time then, peace out!

I changed things up some and hoofed out to Olongapo to visit the mall. I really did need to buy more socks. Not sure why they are hard to find, maybe because most everyone wears flip-flops around here.

So, passing through SBMA with the police out in force and the typical Nazi-like attitude to slavemask requirements, I kept mine on my chin to pull it up whenever I saw the need. Then some pissed-off asshole came up behind me and started giving me shit.

Here’s the Relive version of the hike:

I started my evening entertainment at It Doesn’t Matter. I had planned on having a couple of drinks there, then heading up the highway to John’s place for some grub. Mother Nature interceded with a downpour of rain. That’s three straight nights; it looks like the rainy season came early this year. I was without an umbrella, so I made my way to Sit-n-Bull, which was much closer.

My waitress wanted ice cream (yes, I spoiled her), but Sit-n-Bull was out of stock. Went to the market next door and bought a half-gallon of the requested Double Dutch, whatever that is. Made some girls happy for five bucks. I’ll call that a win.

Went next to The Green Room, thinking I might see Marie. She wasn’t there, but some new girl kept me company. Her name tag said “Shy,” and she was just 19. Not enough in common to get me to stay for a second drink.

At darts on Wednesday, our opponents had a player who works at Thumbstar as a waitress. I wanted to get to know her a bit better, and I had a coupon to expend, so that was my next stop. She was there, so I sat her down and shared some drink bounty with her. I was surprised to learn she is 46. That’s older than my daughter, for goodness sakes. Still very attractive, though. All my jokes were new to her, so I enjoyed sharing my repertoire.

Nine o’clock was fast approaching, so I called it a night. Found a trike relatively quickly to carry me home in the rain. And that was my Thirstday.

A great hike today to a place I’ve never been before–The Three Crosses. More on that tomorrow. A couple of other things of interest you might enjoy as well. I’m running late for darts now, so come back and see what I’m talking about next time.

I’m not doing the “On this day” series, but I will share a post from May 20, 2014, where I was celebrating 2000 posts here at LTG. I’m over 4000 now, and there is no end in sight. Stick around; it can only get better!

I survived another whacked Wednesday intact. That’s more than I can say for my hiking buddy, Chris. He did the Wednesday Walkers group Hash as usual. I saw him later in the afternoon while I was on my way to darts enjoying a beer in front of the Snackbar. This morning I learned that Chris took a fall while walking home (he lives on Baloy Beach) and broke his leg. It’s going to require surgery to repair. Get well soon, Chris. It was kind of weird because during our hike yesterday, Chris told me the story of a friend of his who fell off his balcony and died. So, from that perspective, we can say that Chris is lucky it wasn’t worse. I don’t envy him the pain and suffering that lies ahead during his recovery. He’ll be missed on our upcoming hikes.

It was a nice hike, doing most of what I avoided on Monday’s Hash, but in the opposite direction. Photos to follow at the end of this post.

Darts went as well as can be expected; we won 13-0 for the second week in a row. Probably lucky we were playing the worst team in the league because, as a team, we threw like shit, and the games were a lot closer than they should have been. We are done for if we play that poorly in two weeks against the second-place team. Hopefully, we get it together by then.

I got introduced to a published author during the dart match. He graciously sent me a draft of his latest novel this morning. I’ll let you know what I think after I give it a read.

After darts, I went across the street to Da’Kudos for some dinner. I went with the enchilada plate, and it was good enough but not great. The next stop was McCoy’s on the beach. I had to tolerate the videoke again, but at least the gal singing was a cutie. I threw her some smiles from the bar, and she smiled back. The guy next to her wasn’t smiling, though.

Well, after an afternoon of drinking, my judgment was somewhat impaired, and I found myself sitting at the Snackbar, a place I used to frequent with my ex. They had done some remodeling since my last visit.

It started raining hard again, and so I was trapped at the Snackbar longer than my “one beer and out” plan. I guess it was still just one beer; I had a gin and soda while waiting for a break in the storm.

When the rain turned to a sprinkle, I headed out. I wasn’t sure where I’d go next, but I did have a pocketful of drink coupons from Sunday’s raffle. When I passed by the Carwash resto-bar, she was there. I waved and kept on walking. Seeing her in my state of mind would have just been too painful.

I wound up stopping in at the Lux bar, another new joint in town. I visited during their grand opening and haven’t been back. It is actually very nice inside. Three dancers on stage. I grabbed a table seat and was joined by a GRO (guest relations officer) named Ruth shortly thereafter. She was actually very pleasant to chat with and quite sexy as well. Of course, she earned herself a lady drink. Or maybe it was two.

I probably should have gone home after Lux, but on my way to find a trike, I decided to have one for the road at Outback. So, that’s what I did, then called it a night and made it home safe and sound.

Let’s do those Wednesday Walkers photos, shall we?

You can Relive the hike here if you’d like:

I will leave you with this gem that gave me a chuckle: