Sorry for yesterday’s cryptic post. I was having a bad day. Today is a new day and maybe that rotation of the earth provided some much-needed perspective. At least now I am resolved to accept the bad that comes with the good and not let my emotions overwhelm me when things aren’t going right. I’m still not sure what the long-range will bring but I do feel a bit more in control of my destiny. I’m confident I’ll figure out an acceptable way forward.
There were some positive aspects to the day. The Wednesday Walkers hike was a nice distraction. We inadvertently took a path that led us to one of the hardest climbs I’ve attempted in quite some time. It was a steep motherfucker and covered in loose leaves and soft dirt. Trying to get a grip to avoid sliding backward after each step was a real challenge. We eventually made it to the top unscathed after what we all agreed would be a once-in-a-lifetime event–never going that way again! I still came away with a sense of accomplishment, so there’s that. Pictures from the hike are at the bottom of this post.
My Lagoon dart league team pulled off a 12-1 victory over our opponents from Queen Victoria bar. It was closer than the score indicates–we won the games but didn’t dominate. That kind of challenge makes darts more fun.
A former teammate of ours lives at Lagoon in one of their monthly studio apartments. He’s been hospitalized at a public hospital in Olongapo for the past week. That particular hospital has a reputation amongst the expats as “the place where you go to die”. We had been working on making arrangements to have him transferred to a much better facility in Angeles City. In the process of getting him released, we were advised he had tested positive for COVID. That precluded sending him to Angeles City. We were all gobsmacked to learn that he was still being released but would have to undergo home quarantine for seven days. So, he was transported by ambulance back to a resort hotel where presumably he’ll be confined to his room. Crazy times, but wishing him the best.
To those hike photos then:
A short but challenging trail.Our group for the day.We did the first kilometer or so on the highway…These are the steps you want me to climb? Fine, let’s get on with it then!And so it begins.Friendly locals.Onward and upward.Damn, no end in sight.Finally made it to the end of the stairs.A nice bay view.And another. That’s the Hanjin shipyard, rumored to be re-opening soon under Aussie and American ownership.No more concrete steps, but the climb wasn’t over.Trudging on.And on.And then we had to make our own way up.This photo fails to capture the steepness and challenge of getting to the top.The stronger lent a hand, well, a stick, to get the stragglers to the top. Having a way to pull yourself up and to avoid slipping backward made a big difference.Finally made it to the summit.Scott taking some much-needed R & R.Back on the downside.Through the woods.A little spooky looking if you ask me.I hope this post wasn’t too much of a downer.
Last night might have been my worst since moving to the Philippines. It’s a special kind of pain when you are honestly doing your best but your best just isn’t good enough. How do you fix that?
It’s another whacked Wednesday. Did my morning hike with the Walkers group. Now I need to shower up and get ready for dart league. I really hate feeling rushed and not having time for my nap. Oh well.
Speaking of darts, I went undefeated through the winner’s bracket, then dropped out of the tournament last night. My mind was somewhere else altogether and I just wasn’t feeling it.
Yeah, I’m falling apart. I need to figure out how to get my shit together and get back to being content with my life. So much for my illusions of being in control of my emotions.
And man, am I getting dizzy. Not sure if it’s the spins or the ups and downs, but it has been quite a ride lately. I’m slowly adapting to my new lifestyle and might actually make this work despite the efforts of those determined to see me fail. If failure is to ultimately be my fate, it will be a choice, not something imposed upon me. Yeah, brave words I know. But my eyes are wide-open and I’m willing to make the effort as long as it seems worthwhile. Now, if only I could make all the drama feel entertaining. Oh well, that’s unlikely, so I’ll just have to deal with it all as best as I am able.
In the meantime, there are many positives to embrace. My gal and I continue to make progress, even if it is sometimes in a two-step forward, one step back, mode. We have good times and good experiences. We are getting better at communicating our thoughts and feelings with one another. And we share certain compatibilities that make it all seem worthwhile.
My lunch yesterday at her favorite restaurant, Papagayo. And the view from our table.
It was also Hash Monday, and in the afternoon I enjoyed a relatively easy 5K trail. Only one climb with a couple of dicey spots, and most of the rest was on familiar turf. Well, there was one section behind the squatter village adjacent to Alta Vista that is apparently a makeshift trash dump for the locals. We were literally walking through shitty diapers and other disgusting garbage for a bit. I know I won’t ever be going back that way.
Photos from our hike:
Up the hill behind Alta Vista, down Baloy Beach, over the river, and On-Home at Smokes and Bottles.Waiting to get started at the VFW.Last-minute guidance from the Hare.And we are On-On!Our climb began with some stairs.Lots and lots of stairs.That will get your heart pumping.The stairs ran out but the climbing continued.Not as fun as it looks!But we eventually got it done.Pretty much smooth sailing after that.A nice day to hike–cloudy skies but no rain.The Easter mountain photo you’ve been waiting for.We came back down into my Alta Vista neighborhood.An Alta Vista vista.Then we walked the beach at Baloy...And enjoyed a beer stop at Da’ Kudos…Preparing to cross the Matain river by banka boat.A river view.Finishing our journey on the back streets of Matain.Destination achieved, On-Home at Smokes and Bottles.
And that’s the way things have been rolling around here. Thanks for checking in!
For better or worse. I do need to do a post about the dramedy that is my life these past few days. But in the meantime, I’m doing okay overall. Take last night, for example. I was made to feel unwelcome in my venue of choice, so me and my gal hit the roof. The rooftop of the Central Park Reef hotel, that is. It turned out to be a very pleasant alternative.
The cafe is done up in a 1950s motif, including this authentic 1953 Chevy Corvette.And the rooftop infinity pool is one of the nicest I’ve seen.With 6 stories, Central Park is the tallest building in Barretto, towering over the surrounding neighborhood.The rooftop vantage point provides some of the best bay views around.Here’s a shot of the National highway heading towards Subic town.
Anyway, it was an enjoyable place to quaff some cold beers (the GF had mango juice), some snacks (calamari rings and blueberry cheesecake), take in the views, and forget about the recent bullshit for a bit. Just to be clear, the relationship is going fine despite the efforts of some to tear us apart. The fools don’t understand that their baseless attacks only make us stronger. Rock on!
After departing Central Park, we were planning on dropping in for a visit to the poolside bar at the Outback hotel. Outback is almost next door to the Car Wash, so the GF wanted to stop by for a quick check on how things were going. We wound up staying, which was fine by me. I knew a couple of the guys there and we chatted a bit. Other than some Dick walking by and calling me an asshole (takes one to know one!), it was a mostly pleasant evening.
One of the waitresses posing in front of some Valentine’s Day decorations.
Yesterday morning, the GF caught a cab home to Subic and I rode along for a drop-off way up on the Govic highway so I could have a change of scenery for my morning walk.
I commenced walking on the long road to Naugsol.And what would a hike be without a new perspective on Easter mountain?A river crossing on Bridge #4…And later a bamboo crossing.Why did the ducks cross the road?My fantasy life–a secluded hut in the middle of nowhere.
A short hike at just under 6K, but nice to be on some less-traveled paths.
The girlfriend rejoined me later in the afternoon and she picked a movie called 365 Days to watch on Netflix. It was one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. More like poorly made soft porn than a movie. No real storyline to follow and I despised all of the characters. I would have never made it to the end without a pretty young thing sitting next to me as motivation. I checked the Rotten Tomatoes site and saw that I wasn’t alone in my thinking. 0% of the critics liked the movies and only 29% of the audience scored it favorably. Don’t waste your time on this one. Incredibly, a sequel is apparently now in production. Yikes!
Bob Dylan wrote a song called “Love is just a four-letter word”.
I do love my beer!And I have the belly to prove it!
The doctor says I need to go see an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist. I did get a prescription for an antihistamine and a nose inhaler. We’ll see how that works out.
A solid night of darts and no controversy or yelling.
Another first!
After the tourney, I invited all the Alley Cats girls to join me at the Car Wash for some grub. I did encounter an issue there and left before the food was served. I paid of course. Hopefully, I’ve managed to resolve the problem now.
And that leaves the Friday morning walk.
A pretty easy 8K jaunt.Our group for the day.We spent most of the hike on the Subic side of the river…A brief encounter with the Govic HighwayThen through an alley neighborhood.Beginning our first climb of the day…A rest at the top.A valley viewCookie time!Half the group did Black Rock. You can see them up top if you look hard enough.The rest of us went down to the valley the easy way. We met up with the others there.Our trail led through this cemetery…Then we headed up…And back down again.Walk softly and carry a big stick, right, Martin?Almost done…The end of the trail.
You can Relive the hike here:
https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOd5nBD146
I apologize for the lack of substance here lately. I’m always pressed for time these days and yet I don’t seem to have much to say about why. A paradox indeed! I’ll figure it out. Stay with me.
Turns out maybe I am an asshole. Or at least I occasionally act like one. For the second week in a row I lost my temper during our dart league match. I felt especially bad because it happened at Alley Cats and in front of people I’ve known for years. What triggered me was an allegation that my foot was over the throw line when I tossed my darts. The accusation came while I was playing which was more than a little distracting. And it was a false assertion to boot.
Alley Cats has mats on the floor in front of the boards. I recall when they were installed that they were the standard distance from the board to the throw line–7 feet, 9 1/4 inches, to be precise. So, it has been my habit to “toe up” against the edge of the mat. My accuser claimed the throw line was at the far edges of the tape holding the mat down. I told her that was wrong–loudly. She responded “don’t yell at me”, and I, of course, was triggered and yelled even louder. I wanted a measurement done then and there, but eventually I calmed down enough to continue playing from behind the newly imposed throw line.
After the match, a measurement was done and I was vindicated–the proper throw line is the edge of the mat. Doesn’t change the fact that I was an obnoxious asshole though. I bought my victim a drink and apologized when we had finished playing. We hugged and made up, but that doesn’t excuse or change the way I acted. Ah well, I will definitely strive to be a better person in the future.
We did win the match 12-1 though, so there’s that.
A nice hike with the Wednesday Walkers in the morning hours. Here are some photos of that event:
Our route took us most of the way up Kalaklan, then we circled back on My Bitch.This week’s iteration of the Wednesday Walkers.And we are off!The long climb begins.Through the ‘hood.A pause to make a cookie delivery.Onward and upward.A handy handrail.Not as easy as it appears.But we’ll get there. Eventually.A little hot out to boot.Oh yeah, much nicer in the shade!The mountain life.These kids always seem to know when I’m in the vicinity.See you next time.The long and winding road.An elevated view.Max taking a pause to ponder the mystery of what the hell are we doing climbing mountains in this heat. I just found out Max is a reader of my humble blog. Welcome aboard!A welcome opening in the fence.A safe passage over the bamboo bridge.Beauty and the beasts.Nearing the end of the trail.I didn’t forget you Easter mountain fans…Finishing up on the My Bitch trail.A big post today!
Another damned whacked Wednesday, so I’m going to need to keep it short and sweet today. Well, short anyway.
Yesterday was my “lazy” day–grocery shopping instead of hiking. I also intended to renew my visa, but the immigration office had a lazy day too–closed for the Lunar New Year. No issues getting into Royal without a vax card, so that’s something to be thankful for I suppose.
Played in the dart tournament last night. Played just well enough to win, but I reckon that’s all you need to do. I honestly don’t even care that much about winning or losing. In fact, if I reach the finals I always offer my opponent a “tie” and just split the pot 50-50. We played doubles last night and reached the finals from the loser’s bracket. Our opponent did not offer the tie option, so we played it out. That motivated me to play hard for the victory and I threw my best darts of the night.
Sweet victory!
There was a time when I was a much better darts player. Facebook reminded me that it was only seven years ago that I threw my best game of 501 ever.
A 15 dart out is professional-level quality throwing. I’ve never replicated that performance, but it’s good to remember what I’m capable of.
A few of my fellow players joined me at the Car Wash resto-bar for food and beers after the tourney. A nice way to end the evening.
Had breakfast with the GF at Sit-n-Bull this morning, then I did the Wednesday Walkers group hike. I’ll post some photos of that tomorrow.
Dart league this afternoon. In fact, I need to hit the shower now and get my ass ready to play.
Today is also my younger brother Greg’s birthday.
He’s 65 now. Of course, I’m still the handsome one.
Just a real quick update here before I head out for the Monday Hash run.
In a twisted kind of way the Dick’s attempt to undermine my relationship backfired biggly. My gal and I had a long conversation about where things stand and she showed a great deal of maturity in concluding that anything I may have done was in the past and has nothing to do with us. She said I’ve shown her the kind of man I am and she trusts her own judgment.
As we continued to talk, I was reminded of the generational gap issues some commenters here had warned me about. My gal told me that notwithstanding her love for me, she had goals in life she wanted to pursue. And at least one of those involves moving out of the country, perhaps returning to Japan. I was a little taken aback at first but then I realized that I could totally understand and relate. Hell, I was 50 years old when I left my friends, family, and comfortable life behind to move to Korea. That changed everything for me. I also thought of people in my past who put me on roads that I might not have otherwise traveled. Iris Breed, for example, convinced me to pursue a management career. KaraLynne Pope and her professor friends gave me the confidence to complete my college degree. I’m not saying there wasn’t some pain involved along the way, but looking back, I likely wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in life had I remained in my safe places.
My definition of love has not led to many successful relationships, but I was struck by my reaction to the news that I would likely lose my newly found relationship somewhere down the road. I told my gal that her happiness was what mattered the most to me, and I would support her pursuit of those goals, even if it meant that she would be taken away from me at some point in the future. I can’t be everything she wants and needs in life, but I can be supportive and loving wherever her life takes her. At my age, I pride myself on living one day at a time. At her age, she is right to dream about the future she most desires. I told her as long as we are together I will be happy to share my life. When the time comes for her to leave, I will love her and let her go.
Anyway, for a selfish man like me, that felt like a big step in the right direction.
Here are some photos from my morning on the beach.
The view as I departed the neighborhood.The bay water was actually transparent today. That’s unusual.Me and my shadow.A kiss for luck and we’re on our way.The view from our breakfast table at the Arizona hotel.We have today, who needs tomorrow?
Alright, there you have it. Maybe I’m living on borrowed time. But I’ll embrace each day as it comes and we will see what it brings. If and when the end comes, I may be sad, but I won’t be hurt. This is my time to give, just as so many others have given to me throughout my life.
Greetings from my Sunday afternoon. Here’s how I got here.
Saturday morning I asked my gal what she wanted for breakfast and she told me a tuna sandwich. I’d made one for lunch the day before and I guess she liked it. So we dined on tuna with pickle relish and mayonnaise, served on toast cut into cute little triangles while watching some more episodes of Cobra Kai. Then we headed down to the resto-bar to catch a ride into Olongapo with her mother.
I think I’ve mentioned before that the girlfriend is opening up a second location soon. The purpose of this excursion was to search for some chairs, tables, and other assorted items to finalize setting up for a slated grand opening event sometime next week. It wasn’t a particularly successful quest in that regard, although she was able to purchase some stock for the bar at the old Royal supermarket. The excursion was about as exciting as it sounds, but hey, I got to spend some time with my sweetheart so I’m not complaining. Much.
There was also some good news. The geniuses running the country have finally seen fit to open up for fully vaccinated tourists, starting February 10. Let’s hope they stick with it. It will be a godsend for the struggling hospitality industry, especially the bars. I found it amusing yesterday that despite all the hoopla about not being able to enter indoor facilities like stores and malls without a vax card, no one anywhere asked to see mine yesterday. It is almost as if everyone has finally thrown in the towel and said enough of this bullshit. One can hope.
Once we returned to Barretto, we just hung out at the resto for the remainder of the evening. They had a new item on the menu so I gave it a try:
Yes, that’s a big ass taco.
The problem with a hard shell taco is that one bite tends to have an earthquake-like impact on the remainder of the shell. So, I wound up eating the contents with a fork and the shell separately. It was good though.
I also drank me a few beers.
The Lord blessed me with a special talent.
We left a little after 9 p.m., got to my place, and enjoyed strawberry-banana smoothies along with a little more Cobra Kai. Yeah, practically a suburban lifestyle I’m living these days. It’s taking some getting used to, truth be told. But the beautiful young woman on the couch next to me makes it all seem worthwhile.
Later to bed, later to rise. My routines used to start around 4:30 a.m., these days it is closer to 6:00. It’s that hole that has been throwing the rest of my day out of whack, but I’ll adjust. Eventually. Fed and walked the dogs, then cooked dinner:
Well, technically it is still cooking, but it will be ready to go when it is time to eat. It’s been a few months since my last batch of chili con carne.
Shit. I just realized I need to make some cornbread muffins to go with that. Hold on, I’ll be right back. Alright, done.
Simple Sunday breakfast as requested by my gal. Bacon, toast, some cheese, and canned peach slices. You may have noted that my busy day on Saturday didn’t include a hike, but I wasn’t going to repeat that aberration. Couldn’t interest the GF in joining me for this one, so I walked with her to the highway. She turned left, and I turned right.
My solitary Sunday stroll.
Early in my jaunt, I encountered a pedestrian on the other side of the street going in the opposite direction. He had a familiar look about him, and as we passed I saw that it was Dick. I just smiled and nodded and continued on my way.
I’ve not written about Dick lately because he’s an irrelevant loser unworthy of my time. There was an incident several weeks back where he attempted to call me out or shame me or something, by loudly asking me in the presence of all the customers in my girl’s place “how many times have you been married?” I ignored him the first time, but when he repeated himself a few minutes later, I stood up and said “none of your fucking business”. He tried to stand up for a face-off I guess, but his drunk ass fell backward into the sliding glass door behind him. The other patrons kept us apart after that and I left before things got out of hand. Since that time we’ve basically just ignored each other.
He’s apparently not given up his efforts to undermine my relationship though. Less than an hour after I passed him on the road, I heard from the girlfriend. She wanted to know about a note “someone” had given to Dick. The note said that he (Dick) should tell my girlfriend to “beware” of me. And that she should ask my ex-girlfriend about what a bad man I am. Hmm. Mighty suspicious that some random stranger would pass such a note. Why not warn my GF directly? And if providing my ex financial support for over three years and helping her open her own business makes me a bad guy, then I guess I’m guilty as charged. This incident pissed me off, but my GF wants me to be the bigger man (heh, that’s shouldn’t be a problem) and let it go. Anyway, I don’t have anything to hide from my past. I’ve been far from perfect for sure, but I’ve never hurt anyone or treated them poorly.
Fuck! I got distracted and overbaked my muffins. Damn it!
Oh, well. Probably still edible, just going to be harder and less moist than I prefer.
I guess after that baking fiasco I shouldn’t be so quick to mock the intelligence of our “president”. I just can’t seem to help myself though.
Zero sense sounds about right.
Pictures from today’s stroll:
Leaving home.The view from the squatter village outside my subdivision.On Sawmill Road.Entering San Isidro from bridge #1.A quiet backstreet in San Isidro…Back to Sawmill via bridge #2.Puppies on the road. That mountain looks familiar…A river view. Not much flowing water this time of year.No Jolly Green Giant in this valley. Did that reference just age me?Homeward bound.The backway to Marian Hills.A path to Alta Vista.Home again.
Feel free to Relive the hike if you are so inclined.
That’s been my weekend so far. In a little while I’ll wander on down to resto-bar I reckon and try to entice my girl away for some beer and views from the rood of the Capital Reef Hotel. Wish me luck!
Damn, I did it again. Or more accurately, I didn’t do it. Yeah, I’m still trying to adapt to the new fullness of my life and I’ve been dropping the ball on keeping up with my daily posts here at LTG. The blog is still a priority for me, I just need to get better at demonstrating that.
Spent Thursday evening hanging out at the girlfriend’s resto-bar. It seems to be one of the most popular drinking venues with expats these days.
Some of the crowd.
See that woman sitting at the table? She came in with the guy next to her, turns out he’s German and doesn’t speak much English. What was interesting was that after she sat down, she said, “you’re a Hasher, right?”. I answered, “yes, how did you know?”. She told me she remembered me from the Valentine’s Hash in Baguio back in 2020. Turns out she is a member of the La Union Hash House Harriers. Small world, huh? I was mostly surprised that I had somehow made enough of an impression on her to be remembered. I had no recollection of ever interacting with her previously. Seemed weird but nice.
Friday morning is usually a group hike day, but my gal didn’t want to make the trip out to Olongapo, so we decided to do our own trek. She’d never been on Black Rock mountain before, so that’s where I took her.
On top of Black Rock.
Turns out my girl has a fear of heights. It really manifested itself when we made this climb. She is seated in the photo above because she wouldn’t (or couldn’t) stand up. She did enjoy the views though.
There was a burn going on nearby which was a bit of a concern. I was a little nervous it might come in our direction and block the way back down. It did get closer, but not close enough to be a danger.Keeping an eye out. Did get hit with some ashes in the breeze, but nothing more.Hello down there!
Getting back down is steep, but not slippery. At least on the rockface.
The girlfriend decided to play it safe and come down on her behind anyway.
Anyway, it was a nice hike and I especially enjoyed the one-on-one time with her.
Darts last night and I managed to go undefeated.
I threw some good darts and I needed them. I’ve been impressed with how much some of the other players have upped their game recently.
Yesterday afternoon when I should have been blogging I instead watch a movie on Netflix. Maybe you’ve heard of it–Forrest Gump. The GF hadn’t seen it and it has been years since my last viewing, so we both rather enjoyed the experience. Looks like my television will be getting more regular use. She’s got me watching a series called Cobra Kai now. Seems to be about the Karate Kid guys all grown up.
Anyway, that’s how my life is going. I know it probably sounds more boring than usual (is that even possible?) but there you have it. I will try to find something more interesting to share. One of these days. For now, I’ll close with pictures of the boys.
My oh my. If I thought my Wednesdays were whacked before, adding a girlfriend into the equation has now filled all the hours of my day. Not in a bad way, mind you. It’s just that with the hike, the darts, and being a loving boyfriend, I don’t have the luxury of taking care of other business. Like my daily ritual of posting here on LTG. Sorry about that! Here’s what you missed:
I attended Martin’s (18 Kilo Ass) birthday party on Tuesday evening. Great guy and a good time.
Some of my fellow attendees…Most of the womenfolk opted to stay indoors and sing karaoke…
After the party, I wandered on down to the Car Wash and spent the rest of the evening with my gal. She joined me for breakfast on Wednesday morning at Harley’s.
The morning view from Alta Vista.And the bay view from our table at Harley’s.
The Wednesday walk was especially nice because the girlfriend joined us for the adventure. It’s been a while since she’s done a hike. Since we met the very first time on trail, I have a sentimental attachment when she is out in nature with me again. I think she had a good time too. Pictures of the hike will come later in this post.
Me and her on the trail.
Showered up after the hike, and took my girl for lunch at Da’ Kudos out on Baloy.
The view from our table.
After lunch, I crossed the street to the Lagoon Resort for my dart league match. It turned out to be an ugly afternoon of it. None of us were throwing particularly well, so a team we probably should have dominated was tied with us 6-6 going into the final doubles match. The game was cricket and I was partnered up with Nina to face off with the best two players on our opponent’s team–Liza and Ernesta. My partner and I couldn’t hit shit with our combined first 12 darts and so we fell behind early. We eventually started playing better but it looked pretty hopeless as we were down a significant number of points. I then had some magic happen. I pounded five 17s, good for 85 points, which helped us overcome a goodly portion of our point deficit. Then I threw five 16s, which gave us another 32 points. When my turn came around I pounded some 15s, finally taking a lead on points 272-260. We needed three bulls to win, they had to close 15s and hit 4 bulls for a victory. Yep, the game had turned around in our favor. Then all hell broke loose.
The scorekeeper when he added the points from the 16s and 15s I threw to our total score had mistakenly written 200+ points as 100+. Hey, it happens, but looking at the math, it was obvious we had broken the 200 point barrier. That’s why I had been throwing all those points trying to catch up. A simple fix, just change the 1 to a 2 and go on with the game. Nope, one of the opponents insisted we didn’t have 200-plus points. That was just plain stupid on her part. But then she walked up the scoreboard and erased some of our points. WTF? That’s flat-out cheating. I lost my temper and started yelling at her for trying to cheat. Yeah, I used my big voice. Then she said something like “why don’t you hit me?” I responded, “why would I do that–it’s just a game and I’m calling you out for cheating. I don’t want to hit you, bitch”, or words to that effect. I wasn’t the only one yelling, the other team was too. Finally, the other team’s captain admitted that erasing the score was a gross violation of the rules and agreed to forfeit that game.
The scoreboard in question. You can still see where the mistake occurred, even after the improper erasure. You don’t go from 161 points to 127. That should have been written as 227. When we got 15 more points, we had 242, not 142. Then when I threw for 30 more points, we had 272 points and the lead. The other player wanted to argue that we only had 172. Ignorant and a cheater.
After the match was over, the player I had yelled at said that I had hit her and she was going to file a complaint with the barangay. Well, the CCTV didn’t back up her story and neither did any witness. In fact, the bar staff said it never happened. So, then the story changed to I made a gesture threatening to hit her. Yeah, right. I don’t engage in violence period, but would never hit a woman or threaten to under any circumstance. It’s just not who I am.
Anyway, after things had calmed down, I did offer an apology for losing my temper and yelling at her. We’ll see if that’s enough
I finished the evening at the girlfriend’s new place, still not officially opened, but she was serving a select few customers. It is a very nice venue–small but comfortable. I’m looking forward to spending more time there with her. Hopefully, once this is up and going she’ll have more time to spend outside of work as well. Lots of things on my bucket list I want to share with her. We shall see.
Okay, to the photos of the Wednesday Walkers then:
I led the hike and chose an old favorite–My Bitch, then a descent to the Naugsol valley.We did one big climb at the beginning, the rest of the way was rolling and meandering.About as steep as it got.That’s my baby!Not quite to the top, but still a nice view.Whatcha lookin’ at?Ah, Easter mountain in the distance.And there’s my little town from on high.We did have some thatch grass to deal with. I tripped on a stump I didn’t see right after snapping this shot. Wound up on my back but only my pride was hurt.This week’s Wednesday Walkers.Good job, baby!Nice walking behind with you again.Heading down to the valley.Down in the valley with a closer view of Easter mountain.
That pretty much brings y’all up to date. Hopefully, I’ll do better at managing my time in the future so as to avoid missing a daily post here. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
Made it through one more day without any major disappointments, heartbreaks, or other self-inflicted wounds. That’s always a plus. A good Hash and some nice after Hash activities made for a full and satisfying day.
Our “sane” group of Hashers did a 7K hike with only one big climb. We walked around, rather than over, the second mountain as the Hares intended. That made it just about right for the likes of me. A good On-Home at Da’ Kudos on Baloy Beach with the usual beer-infused Hash rituals. You can see the photos at the end of this post.
The girlfriend messaged me that she wanted to meet up after the Hash at her favorite place to eat, Papagayo’s. Naturally, I did as I was told and caught a trike. Duh. When she finished her dinner, we walked back along the beach to her resto-bar. No easy trick on a dark night, even with a cellphone flashlight. I had some beers at the Car Wash and interacted with some of the other customers. At around 10 p.m. someone suggested going to Cheap Charlies and the girlfriend was actually enthusiastic about the idea. I was surprised because she had never shown any interest in joining me in my bar hangouts previously.
So, off we went. There were five of us all together (3 guys and 2 gals) and we were the only customers when we arrived at Cheap Charlies. The look on the bargirls’ faces, especially my regulars, when they saw me with a woman for the first time was priceless. A mix of surprise and disappointment. They knew there’d be no multiple lady drinks in their immediate future. Well, I did get my favorite, Alma, who dutifully served as our waitress, a drink and left her a nice tip.
One beer at Cheap Charlies, then we crossed the highway and gave BarCelona a go. Sitting outside on the rooftop was very pleasant. Music and service were good and we stayed until closing time at midnight. The rest of the group wanted to join the after-hours crowd at It Doesn’t Matter, but I was past my expiration date and headed home with the girlfriend in tow. We enjoyed a dish of rocky road ice cream and a short YouTube video from a vlogger we know, then hit the hay.
Alright, now for those Hash photos I promised:
The paths we took. Red is the Hare’s intended path. Yellow is the route of the “sane” Hashers.The actual start of the “official” trail. We’d done an extra 1.6K to get there from Alta Vista rather than ride in the back of the Hashmobile.Our path led to Easter mountain and that’s where we climbed.Not to the summit, but still a challenging up.Getting there required crossing a rice paddy. Thankfully, it was dry this time of year.Pack your bags, we’re going up!And up.Build that wall!The going got steep in places.Fuckin’ runners! This is where our 30-minute headstart was absorbed.Walk this way!A view from the apex of our climb.Poetry in motion.Heading down to the highway on the other side of the mountain.Steep going down.That’s one way to do it.Hello, ladies.Back on the pavement for a bit.Back on the trail.Just a hop, skip, and a jump!A crowded river crossing via banca boat.A river view.Disembarking on the other shore.A final stroll up Baloy road……before arriving On-Home at Da’ Kudos.A Hash circle at sundown…And a Hash birthday cake for 18 Kilo Ass.
I’ll be attending a more traditional birthday celebration at Martin’s house later this afternoon.
Life may not be perfect, but days like yesterday make it feel good to be alive. It will hopefully be fun, and at least interesting, to find out what happens next. Either way, come on back soon and read all about it!
Yesterday I had the bright idea of changing things up and renting a peaceful little nipa hut for some Sunday afternoon chillaxin’. I had seen one location I particularly liked on an earlier beach walk, so that was my first stop.
I wanted one of these nipas because they are somewhat elevated and right on the water.
So, when I arrived I saw that one of those two pictured above was indeed vacant. I asked the kid in charge how much for a nipa hut and he responded that a cottage is 1000 pesos. And then he showed me a small one off the beach. I pointed at my desired location and told him “I want that one”. He said that unit cost 1500 pesos. Then I tried to bargain him down, noting that it was already late afternoon and renting to me for 1000 was better than it sitting empty. He responded, “not allowed”. I asked to speak with the boss and he got on the phone. When he hung up he told me the boss had said no. Fine. It was now a matter of principle to me, so I went next door to El Molina.
Not nearly as nice, perhaps, but only 800 pesos.
You know, I’m not a cheap Charlie but I’m also not a sucker. I could see my desired unit from my cottage at El Molina and as I suspected, it sat vacant for the remainder of the day. So, instead of making a 1000 peso sale, they got nothing and also lost a customer in the future. I just don’t get that mentality.
My cottage on the beach did afford me some nice views to enjoy while I drank beer I brought from home at ate take out from the Car Wash.A peaceful Sunday on the bay.I don’t know what this was all about, but they seemed to be having a good time.And so was I.
Hash Monday again so I’ll be heading out soon to hit the trail. See y’all on the other side.
Changed things up a bit yesterday. Went out to Baloy beach, rented a banca boat for an hour, and did a pleasant ride around the Subic bay. It’s nice to change your perspectives now and then, and nothing does that quite like reversing the view of shore to water. Looking in at where you are usually looking out as it were.
Oh Captain, my captain!And the crew.Heading out…I’ve been on that mountain before. It looks different from here.Traffic was light on the bay.One of several islands in the bay waters. This one has a small lighthouse…The driver asked if we wanted to go ashore, but I declined. Been there before, and not a lot to see, although you can take a footpath up to the lighthouse. There are also some vendors selling beer and snacks. They seemed disappointed when we just passed on by.Moving on to the other side of the bay.This house appeared to be abandoned, but it must have been a pretty cool experience to live there. It’s on Snake Island in the bay, the site of an abandoned resort. There still appeared to be a few folks living on the island though.The foothills of Subic town. We’ve hiked and Hashed up there many times.The Keppel shipyard. Hiked back in that area before too.Hunter’s Jo Inn, a regular Hash On-Home, is on the right.A simple life on the bay.My companion for the day. Yeah, I went there.
Dinner at Da’ Kudos after the boat ride. Then a few beers back at the Car Wash.
Started the day today with a burrito for breakfast.
Whatever happens next is all on me, I get that. It’s not like I have anything better to do at the moment. If it all blows up in my face again, I’ll accept those consequences. I’m just taking things as they come now with no expectations.
The planned hike from Naugsol to Tibag didn’t work out as intended. We somehow failed to connect with the trail we wanted and wound up on a dead-end path. That’s part of the adventure sometimes, and overall, the journey was quite pleasant. Just not the one we planned. Next time we are going to start in Tibag which should make finding our way back somewhat easier. We’ll see. I’ll share some photos from the trek at the end of this post.
After the hike, some of the group planned to get together at the Car Wash, but I declined to participate in that because I didn’t want to see the ex. I just didn’t feel ready to deal with those emotions. Turns out she wasn’t there at the time, but that’s how it goes.
I also planned to play darts as usual on Friday night. Except it turned out we didn’t have enough players show up to hold a tournament. Oh well, I sponsored a game of super cricket for the girls to compete in with a 500 peso prize for the winner. My plan was for it to be just for the girls, but one of the guys there wound up playing, and he won. Damn it! I bought the girls all a drink instead. And to his credit, I think the winner shared the 500 with the other girls too.
With the dart plans foiled, a group of us guys decided to visit a new bar in town called Lux.
Last night was the grand opening.
I’ll need to go back and do a full review for the Bars of Barretto series, but Lux was very nice inside. It has a pool table, lots of comfortable seating, a dance stage for a future that allows dancers, and some very cute waitresses in sexy uniforms. I’m guessing they will do well.
I wasn’t ready to go home yet but didn’t really have a plan for the rest of my Friday night. I decided to drop by the Outback bar and say hello to my bartender friend, Bhel. Except the place was packed. Some type of big pool tournament or something. I turned around and walked back out. Now what? I thought I’d give Queen Victoria a try. Except before I even got in the door I could hear one of the bargirls singing karaoke loudly and badly. I was in no mood for that kind of noise, so I stopped and went back out to the highway.
I could see the Car Wash which is practically across the street from Queen Victoria, but I had no plans to go there. I crossed the highway in the other direction and wound up standing in front of the Whiskey Girl bar. The manager, Jonnie Tango, beckoned me to come inside. I had a beer and he chatted with me some, offering some words of support. I appreciated it but wasn’t feeling the vibe in there so I finished my beer and said my goodnights.
I guess the beer bravery kicked in because I said “fuck it” to myself and decided to stroll past the Car Wash to see what I could see. Dick wasn’t there. The ex was sitting with two female customers at the outside counter. I also saw a couple I know seated at the outside table and on impulse decided to pop in and join them.
The ex ignored me at first, but eventually, she turned around and we made eye contact. I gave her a warm greeting and she nodded in return. My friends ordered a pizza to go and then left to visit another bar while it was being prepared. I offered the ex a beer and she accepted. When her friends left, she joined me at the table. And we talked. And talked. For a couple of hours, all told. And I think we came to an understanding about what had happened. I mean, we still blamed each other for the abrupt ending, but at least we better understood our motivations for what had occurred.
Not sure what happens next. I don’t have a plan. Or a clue.
Ready for some photos?
Our trail to nowhere and back.Loading up the truck for our ride out to Naugsol.And we are off!Our assembled group at our departure point.Off we go!We began our quest along the riverside.A horny carabao.Riverside living.Heading into the unknown.The going got tough in places…I walked through some kind of briar patch and got these cockleburrs stuck all over me.We weren’t deterred.Lots of water crossings.Living the high life.Water, water everywhere.Rest stop.Plodding along.A helping hand.Into the wild.Shoes never got dry on this hike.Heading back to the truck.Some cold beers and camaraderie at the end of the trail. We’ll try again one day soon.
Overall, a satisfactory day despite the foiled plans. Maybe sometimes leaving things to chance is the best approach. As long as you keep your eyes wide open.
My whacked Wednesday was more twisted than normal. After getting dumped Tuesday night, I only managed about three hours of troubled sleep. That’s one way to reclaim my early to rise mode I suppose. I needed to ease my troubled mind and an outing with the Wednesday Walkers seemed like a good way to do it. It was only 0800 when I left for the 0900 meet-up, so rather than ride a Jeepney out to the starting point I hoofed it. It was a good hike with the group and I’ll share some photos at the end of this post.
My dart league match was out on Baloy, so after a post-hike shower, I walked to the Viking Resort to compete against one of the best teams we’ll face this season. Alas, we lost the match 7-6. I played decent, winning both of my singles games, and going 1-2 is some hard-fought doubles matches. And we won the beer round (team game) which is always a goal.
So, there I was after dart league thinking now what? I’d had a few beers by then, but still not enough to completely dull the pain of my broken heart. The few people I had confided to about the breakup were not surprised and encouraged me to just let it be and move on. That seems like good advice. Because I had been trying to be a good boyfriend I hadn’t visited some of my old haunts for a while. So, I grabbed a trike and ventured out to It Doesn’t Matter.
Everything changes. The vibe felt different somehow, and not in a good way. When Roan finally came out to join me there was a distance between us I hadn’t felt before. Maybe I was just seeing the reality of meaningless bargirl “relationships” without the rose-colored glasses. Still, I bought her a couple of beers and some dinner before I moved on.
I didn’t feel like going home just yet, so I crossed the highway and popped into Cheap Charlies. I was given a hearty “welcome back, where ya been?” greeting as I plopped down on a barstool. My regular girl, Alma, was busy with some big spending customer. Soon enough, a gal I didn’t recognize sat down next to me and said “nice to see you again, John.” Nice to see you too, but have we met? Turns out her name is Laya and she’s been working a couple of months now. Pretty perceptive as well–she asked me why I looked so sad. So, we got to talking a little and I learned she is 30 years old with three kids. No surprise there, this is the Philippines. She was nice and seemed to sincerely enjoy my jokes, which of course, were all new to her. But again, it all seemed empty and pointless so I paid my tab and headed home. In bed before ten and up at 4:30. Back on schedule!
The ex came by this morning to pick up her belongings. She wasn’t friendly at all. Just gathered her things in silence while I looked on. I marveled at how one can go from love to this in a single day. It was more than she could carry in one trip, so she said she’d be back later for the rest. She was back within the hour, got the remaining items, and left again. She didn’t respond to my goodbye.
We did exchange some messages later. She chided me for not helping her carry her belongings. I felt bad about that, but the way she was acting I didn’t think she wanted me around. We also talked some more about the breakup. From her perspective, I’m the bad guy and from mine, she quit me over something that didn’t warrant such a cruel ending. In the end, we agreed to disagree on who is at fault, wished each other well, and at least said we’d remain friends.
Watching her pack up and leave me left me feeling more than a little blue, so I took another long walk this morning. No big epiphanies, just the thought that I need a woman who will stay by my side through the good and the bad. Otherwise, I’m better off alone. I fully expect that my future will be a lonely one. It’s a little disconcerting that my pretend friends in the bars no longer seem to provide the illusion of companionship and offer no comfort. Ah well, one day at a time. I’ll get through this just like all the other times I’ve been left disappointed and empty-handed at love’s front doorstep.
At least I still have the great outdoors to provide some solace in troubled times. Here are the photos from yesterday’s hike.
Walk this way!The gathering before the start.And we are off!“When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me. Speaking words of wisdom, Let it Be”Are you feeling well?What a bunch of cocksGoing upJust passing throughNice to see Old Glory on displayA down before an up.Pardon our intrusion.Sometimes us Barretto folk find ourselves looking down on Olongapo City.An unobstructed view of the city from on high at the Kalaklan ridge.Walking the ridgeline road.Now what do we do?Down we go!Yes, indeed. That’s Easter mountain off to the left.Our destination–Barrio Barretto.These kids were the highlight of my hike. I’m only out this way every six weeks or so, but damn, they always seem to see us coming. They are sweet and polite and love getting some cookies. I threw in a bag of lollipops this time, too.I could swear someone was staring at my ass…Laundry day.Back on the mean streets of Barretto and headed for Dynamite Dick’s.The Dick I’m referring to. Not that other Dick that I don’t give a shit about. Especially now.
You can Relive the hike here if you’d like:
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vj1wr9nJq
So, now what? Well, given the generally unsatisfactory experience in the bars last night I might change it up and head out to Baloy. Sit beachside and quaff some brews. And focus on what I have and not what I’ve lost. Again.
I rather enjoyed the Hash trail yesterday. Even though the notorious Gunter (Vienna Sausage) was one of the Hares. Now mind you, it did kick my ass, even though it was only 5K or so. What I liked about it was there was nothing too crazy or dangerous, which is not always the case with this Hare. He even did an “easy” bypass to avoid one of the steep downhills and a climb back up through a rocky creekbed. This old guy appreciates that kind of gesture. What made it so difficult was an almost constant series of ups, then downs, without much respite of flat ground in between to recuperate.
Notwithstanding the relative harshness of the hike, I enjoyed taking some paths I hadn’t been on before. Seeing new sights on such a familiar mountain is another reason to give kudos to the Hares. Hope you enjoy these photographs of the trek:
The way we rolled.The trail started and ended in Alta Vista at Leech My Nuggets’ house. Here are the fellow “sane” Hashers who joined me on the hike.Leaving the neighborhood.The first climb begins. This was the longest of several.Are we having fun yet?Steppin’ on up!Laundry day on the mountain.Keep it up!Captain Prickhard flirting with danger…Still having fun?Getting it done.A junction in the woods. That’s Vienna Sausage in the black shirt offering guidance on which path to choose.What madness is this?Ah, I see! Yep, I’ve got a beer belly. This must be the trail for me!Pecker Checker and Cumslinger looking like I’m feeling.You got this!Easy compared to what?Leech My Nuggets, the other Hare, running his own trail and passing all of us slowpokes despite our 30-minute headstart.We had a virgin Hasher join us on the trail. Definitely a hottie.Still going strong.Damn, this is the longest 5K I’ve ever hiked!Stop being a showoff, Almoranus.What’s Up Doc refilling her water bottle from an iffy-looking pipe. I offered her one of my waters but she said that she was fine with this. I mentioned a bit later that I hoped it didn’t come from the creek I had peed in earlier.Do I look like I’m having fun?The obligatory Easter mountain shot.One of the downs.A simple shelter.Just passing through…Watch your step!It was a very well-marked trail. That’s something I always appreciate.I already have a girlfriend.Still climbing.On and on and on it goes, when it will end, nobody knows!The selfie I took near the end of the hike to capture the way I was feeling.And right about the time you start congratulating yourself on being such a stud on trail, you encounter a kid like this one lugging water up to one of those shacks on the mountain. Shame on me!At last, we made it back to Alta Vista!On-Home at Leech’s place. I’m in the back there ordering food from the Sit-n-Bull waitresses who came out to serve us.And speaking of Leech, it was his birthday on Sunday, so we prepared a traditional Hash cake for him to enjoy.
After the Hash festivities concluded, I caught a ride to the Car Wash. I was the only customer, so I bought drinks and nachos for the staff and my girl. Nice way to end the day.
