It was a nasty day, but that didn’t stop us. The Wednesday Walkers marched around 12 kilometers under a steady rain, driven by the passing of typhoon Jolina. We kept to the roads and highways though, so we suffered no ill-effects other than a good soaking.

The highlight for me, at least, was helping to welcome our newest member, Paula, also known as Pearl. When she arrived at the meetup location we all assumed she was with Chris, as he was the one who greeted her. Scott thought she was perhaps Chris’ wife but I told him she appeared way too young to be his wife (Chris had told me about a hiking trip he took with the wife in Europe several years ago). I thought she might be a daughter, although I don’t even know if Chris has a daughter. With a mask covering the lower portion of her face I thought she looked to be in her late teens.

As the hike commenced, I was, as usual, bringing up the rear. My oh my, Paula’s ass was one of the nicest I’ve ever seen. Yeah, I know that sounds creepy, but I’m just stating a fact that I couldn’t help noticing. It was such a distraction that I stepped up my pace and walked ahead of her so as not to be a total perv. Later in the hike, I had the chance to introduce myself and that’s when I learned her name. When I asked her age she surprised me when she answered “28”. I, in turn, surprised her when I responded that she was only two years younger than me. She laughed when I explained that I am thirty in my heart and reminded her that “age is just a number”. She smilingly nodded in what I assume was agreement.

I also learned that she was divorced, and I asked how that was possible (divorce being illegal in the Philippines). She told me had been married to a Japanese man in Japan, where she had lived for six years. Now don’t get your hopes up for me, dear readers, I’m not. She is very attractive, seems smart and interesting, although I didn’t get a warm fuzzy that she had any interest in me. I told her that our normal hikes are much more interesting than this road walk, and she expressed interest in seeing the mountains. I told her if she wanted to friend me on Facebook I’d add her to our hiking group message board. And she did. So maybe I’ll have a pretty face to spice up the photos from future hikes at least.

To the photos then:

Anyway, stayed too long and had too many beers so early in the afternoon. Put me off schedule, hence yesterday’s abbreviated post. It was rainy most of the night, and we lost power early in the evening and again in the wee hours of the morning.

Anyway, it was not a bad day despite the rain, almost 26,000 steps and nearly 20K. I’ll take it. That kind of exercise has got to be good for the heart, right?

I’m joking of course. I hope. And I’m also counting my blessings. I don’t want to ever be this guy:

More to come. Stick around.

Perhaps down in the bottom of a beer bottle is the best answer. At least for me today it was. Went out for the Wednesday Walkers group hike, then we did our aftermath at the Kitchenette. We each took turns buying a bucket of six beers. Next thing I knew I was feeling buzzed. Stopped in The Pub and bought some New York steaks on the way home. Took a nap. Then a shower. Now it’s time to head back into town. So, I’ll fill you in on all the details tomorrow. Promise.

In the meantime, there’s this:

Got an email from my former landlord regarding the refund of my security deposit. I was owed 150,000 pesos ($3000.) and they’ve seen fit to keep all but 40,000. What made it worse was the rationale given for the ass-raping–claimed damages to the house. I left that house in better condition than it was when I moved in, paying for the improvements out of my own pocket. Stealing my deposit is a hell of a way to say thanks. Some of the itemized listings were especially egregious:

Replace damaged tiles and exposed piping around toilet where water line was repaired
by others–10,000

Yeah, the water line broke about a month prior to my leaving. But the landlord hired the clowns who left a hole in the floor after the repair, not me.

Prep and apply 2 coats of paint–35,000

Ah, that’s rich. I’m not sure that house has been painted since it was built twenty-some years ago. What I am sure of is that I did nothing to warrant paying for the paint job that should have been done prior to me moving in.

Anyway, the list goes on and on, and all of the damage was a pre-existing condition. Now, shame on me for not documenting that fact, but shame on them because they knew or should have known about the poor condition of the house I rented. Oh well, nothing I can do about it now. I’ve disputed the charges but have no expectation that I’ll get a favorable response. I suppose I should be grateful that I’m getting anything back at all. I’ll be sure to spread the word amongst the expat community that you rent from these folks at your peril. I also take some satisfaction in noting that my former residence is still vacant. I hope it stays that way for at least a year, but the three months I’ve been gone already have cost the greedy bastards more than they are stealing from me. Okay, rant over.

A relatively quiet Sunday night. Started at It Doesn’t Matter. Roan had asked me to check on the Alta Vista community center availability for a planned going away party for one of her co-workers. I let her know I had made the reservation for Tuesday and I’ve been invited to join in the festivities. So there’s that to look forward to.

On my way home I popped into the Kitchenette and the place was almost full.

This is Hash Monday and the On-Home is here in the Alta Vista community center. That means making up a big batch of my chili to help feed the hungry Hashers. We’ll also be serving up some brats on a bun. And a short stumble home when the ceremonies are completed. Hopefully, the trail will be kind to my tired old body. Leech My Nuggets is the Hare, and he can be Guenter-esque. We’ll see soon enough.

And that’s the latest installment from my so-called life.

Well, I guess my life isn’t all that rocky, but from the begging requests I’ve been receiving this weekend, these must be tough times for lots of other folks. Sick kids seem to be a popular raison d’être for moms pulling at my heartstrings lately. I accommodated two–Jonalyn for the first time and Rose Ann for the last time. I think Rose Ann might be pushing me towards a violation of Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker) so I’ll be blocking her to prevent future requests. Jonalyn was a bit of a surprise, but I’ve had a bit of a crush on her so I didn’t have much heartburn about helping her out. My hopes that this act of generosity might open the door to a potential girlfriend experience were dashed almost immediately. I told Jonalyn that I hope I find a woman who will love and care for me like she does her children. She responded, “You are a nice and kind man, I’m sure you’ll meet someone like that someday,” Ouch.

So, the married woman who can’t spell my name and sent me loving messages and sexy photographs had really been upping the intensity and frequency of her communications. Wake up messages, “how are yous/what are you doing now” throughout the day, and goodnight/sleep well at bedtime. All seasoned with “I love you” and “I can’t stop thinking of you” and other pledges of undying affection. Alright, it was admittedly over the top, but damn, it was nice to have a woman express those sentiments to me. Of course, I reminded myself that she is not available and likely never would be given that divorce is not permitted in the Philippines. So, I took her words with much more than just a grain of salt. And then she started hinting around about us having an in-person rendevous. I considered it and was somewhat tempted by the offer, especially after gazing at the panty shots she sent me. But then the big head chimed in and reminded me that adultery is a criminal offense in my adopted homeland. I also knew that as bad as her home life was, this woman would be much worse off if caught having a physical relationship. I had understood that I was just a fantasy to escape the reality of her loveless life, and although I do care for her, I wasn’t going to be her Plan B. So, I told her I wasn’t going to endanger her by having an affair. This was her response:

You to take care always to… i just figure it out that maybe i didnt pay my attentions quite good in my life that’s why I have a bad life…but anyway I can stand strong and face it….nice to know and meet a man like you…thank you thank you….and I’m so sorry if almost I involve you about my miserable life I’m so sorry….but thank you really….thanks for everything…you are good and kind person….thanks a lot…bye….bye…No need to reply and always GOD BLESS YOU…

And I haven’t heard from her since. Love is so fleeting, isn’t it? Anyway, it’s kind of a relief. I don’t need the drama and I can get the sex elsewhere if I so desire. Still, I’m not sure I would have taken the safe and sane path in the past, so I’ll consider this turn of events progress.

Digging through the freezer the other day I found a package of Australian ribeye steaks I’d bought a couple of months ago when I last visited the S&R (think Costco) store in San Fernando. Thawed them out and then threw them on the grill this morning for breakfast.

Speaking of food and charity, my homeless friend “mama” is a daily visitor to the Kitchenette where she dines for free.

Let’s take a stroll out on the balcony and see what’s up, shall we?

I also got off my lazy ass this morning and did a long (for me) hike amounting to almost 11K. Kind of my standard Sunday walk with an extra loop to add some distance to make up for the previous couple of days. I did one of those “take a picture every kilometer” things some of y’all like. Here’s how it turned out:

That’s about it from here. Stay safe. Or live free. Your choice.

Drinks at It Doesn’t Matter with Roan, then some takeout Korean-style chicken wings from The Pub; that’s the way I roll on Wednesday evenings. Last night was no exception and Roan was particularly delightful.

Wednesday might just be my favorite day of the week because it also features our walking group hike. Scott wasn’t available, so folks looked to me to come up with a trail. For some reason, I was feeling particularly energetic so I suggested we climb Black Rock Mountain. No one objected but some thought it odd no doubt seeing as how on past hikes to Black Rock I’ve shortcutted to avoid the climb. Actually, I don’t mind the climb up, but the descent down the other side is a little unnerving. Regardless, it had been too long since I’ve enjoyed the unique views Black Rock affords, so off we went.

You can Relive it here if you are so inclined:

Popped in to see how the new business is shaping up. Appliances and chairs have arrived and the signage is up.

I went to Sit-n-Bull after the hike and the owner, Ron, joined me at the table for a nice chat. Told him about the new place opening and he agreed these are challenging times in the food and beverage business. He also thought targeting a niche market like the Filipino working folks was a good plan, provided the low price point required wouldn’t undermine the quality of the meals being offered. Yep, that will be a challenge. Not my business though. I’m just the sucker investor financing the start-up.

As far as days go, I had a good one. Now let’s see what I can do with this one!

Well, the right eye anyway. It’s getting worse. Everything is blurry when it is open. Reading is starting to be an ordeal. I need the cataract removal surgery and I have no choice but to jump through the hoops and overcome the bureaucratic hurdles to make that happen. I’ve seen the eye doctor already. Now I need “clearance” for the surgery he recommends. And that clearance must come from a cardiologist. The one who works at the local hospital only has office hours on Tuesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. until noon. And she doesn’t take appointments. You have to sign in and wait your turn. Which is bullshit.

My workaround was to drop my helper at the hospital Tuesday morning while I did the grocery shopping. After completing my supermarket duties, I went back to the hospital and sent her home to put away the groceries. Taking my seat in the waiting room I was pleased to learn my strategy had worked–I was first on the list! The doctor called me at around 10:15, asked me a series of questions, told me I’d need to get an ECG and chest x-ray. After she reviewed the results I could get the surgery clearance if everything checked out. She must have seen the look on my face, even through the mask AND face shield I was required to wear in her presence, because she told me I didn’t have to return, my helper could bring the test results to her. So, I guess I’ll make another trip to the hospital tomorrow for the required procedures. Ten minutes with the doctor, a $40. charge. I think I paid the skin tax on that one.

After my doctor’s visit, I sent Roan/Rochelle a message asking if she were ready for our lunch date. It was not quite 11:00 yet and I didn’t get a response. I caught a Jeepney to Barretto and got out at Arizona Resort, our agreed-upon meeting place for lunch (we’d left the time unspecified because of the uncertainty of when I’d been done with the doc), but still no response to my message so I hoofed it on home, arriving just before noon. Then I got a response from Roan (she prefers that moniker because it is not as common as Rochelle) and we agreed to meet to eat at 1:00. I changed clothes (the walk home had made me a sweaty mess) and headed back to Arizona for my lunch date. I arrived about ten minutes early, so I ordered a beer and chilled. At 1:00, Roan messaged that she’d be a “little late”. At 1:30 I sent a message asking if she wanted to reschedule. A few minutes later she texted that she was on her way, arriving just before 2:00. I guess you could say we got off to a slow start.

I was starving by now and ordered up some chicken enchiladas. Roan had the spaghetti. Over the course of our meal Roan explained that she was late because she had to prepare a meal for her “grandmother”, a chore her mother normally handles, but mom was unexpectantly not home. Okay, well at least this wasn’t a case of “Filipina time” causing the tardiness.

This led us into a fascinating conversation about her family. I was surprised to learn that Roan’s stepfather is an American. Sixty-two years old, which makes him younger than me. That felt a little weird. This was mom’s first marriage, but Roan’s siblings are from three different fathers. Roan never knew her father, but they wound up living next door to each other. Dad never acknowledged or spoke to her though. That was mind-boggling to me. The strangest and saddest story of all was where one of her half brothers killed the other brother by stabbing him to death. Roan was five at the time and witnessed it. That left me shaking my head. The surviving family members all seem to be doing relatively well at least. I told Roan her family history would make for a real blockbuster movie. Not sure anyone would believe it though.

I think I mentioned that Roan has two children of her own, nine and three years old, if I recall correctly. They’ve been staying with their father for a couple of weeks and after lunch, she was going to go to his house to visit them. I told her I thought it was fantastic that the dad was still involved with the kids, which seems rare in this country. I asked if her ex was in a relationship and she said, “yes, with another man.” No judgment on her part, they apparently all get along fine. She’s a fascinating woman and I hope we become good friends. If nothing else, she could entertain me with stories from her life!

I paid the tab and shared a trike with her as far as the turnoff for Alta Vista, where we said our goodbyes. I walked up the hill and grabbed my darts, then headed back down to Alley Cats for the dart tournament. Another singles tourney and both of my opponents threw exceptionally good darts, the best I’ve ever seen them play in fact, while I had one of my worst nights in memory. I didn’t win a leg at all and was the first one eliminated from the tourney. Embarrassing.

Feeling hungry again, I went next door to The Pub for some grub.

So, it was a full and busy day. Missed my nap and couldn’t find time to blog. I did share this on Facebook though:

This morning my old friend Jeremy posted that the image above reminded him of something he wrote while serving time in a Korean prison:

With Open Arms

Of house and home, love and loss, kith and kin,
Having which of them is a sin?
Only one remains true
While the rest eventually depart.
It stays when the others are through,
Unwittingly tormenting your lonely heart.
It is a faithful companion by your side
Telling you that all else is a lie.It reminds you of what you want and had before,
Unconsciously mocking you for what is no more.
Ignored when times are great.
In others, it provides something to hate.
Truly, it has done nothing wrong.
Only tried to comfort with a sad song.
Though you try your best to deny it as your friend,
Only it will be with you in the end.

And that’s the way it goes.

I’m not sure what got into us, but our Friday hiking group voluntarily decided to climb up to Kalaklan ridge from the Olongapo side via what has been dubbed “the stairway to heaven”. A lot of climbs begin with some form of stairsteps which eventually turn into dirt paths before you reach the top. The stairway to heaven goes all the way up to the ridge–some 200 meters, or 60 floors if the conversion calculator I used is accurate. It’s an ass-kicker, that’s for sure.

As much as I dislike getting up there, I really enjoy the scenery and views on Kalaklan ridge. Let me show you what I mean:

Let me try and leave you with a smile:

Well, the powers that be are beginning to demonstrate their ignorance once again. The governor of Zambales is implementing a new lockdown/liquor ban/curfew effective tomorrow. Luckily, the Mayor of Olongapo has not seen fit to follow suit, Yet. Our barangay captain has done this again though:

Oh, and they closed the gate to my subdivision advising that visitors are no longer allowed. That pissed me off. I told the guards, “so, the construction workers can come in by the truckload but I can’t have company?” I just got the blank stare and “following orders from barangay” response. Jesus.

Today we took the bus to Olongapo to start our hike. As we drove down the highway, I thought of all these bullshit COVID prevention measures being implemented.

I mentioned firing Joy from the FWB program for incessant begging. Now it seems Judy might be heading down that road. She’s more polite about it at least. School is starting and there are fees and supplies to be paid for. She did at least send me copies of the invoice. I told her no, we’ll see if that works. I have no intention of violating Rule #1 (Don’t be stupid). Well, at least I hope I can find new ways to be stupid at least.

And while we are on the subject of stupid, I’ll offer this for your amusement:

Anyway, time for darts. I hope I bring my smart game tonight.

Anyone up for a walk down Baloy Beach?

Right across the highway from the access road to Alta Vista is Baloy Beach road.

If I could find the right place I might consider living here. A nice expat community of its own and who wouldn’t want to live on the beach!

I need to rest and recuperate so I’ll write about today, tomorrow.

Hmm, and now for some reason I can’t load any pictures. So much for posting about yesterday’s hike. Told you I was having a sucky day. I’ll try again tomorrow.

As in Wet Wednesday Walkers. Hate to sound like a broken record, but it is still raining. By my count, that’s seventeen straight days. Oh well, life goes on rain or shine.

Nothing special about last night. A couple of drinks at Dive In. Just not the same for me without Jessa there. Then I had my usual good time with Roan for company at It Doesn’t Matter. And of course, it being “Wingsday” I hit up The Pub for some takeout dinner goodness.

But that’s why I walk, so let’s get to it. As I said, it was a wet walk. It didn’t rain all the time, but lately, we’ve been having heavy downpours accompanied by strong winds. Makes an umbrella pointless. So, I was soaked early and stayed that way for the duration. We took a Jeepney to Waltermart in Subic, then walked the 7K home to Barretto on the back streets. See for yourself:

Anyway, it was a good hike despite the wet conditions.

I might have some news tomorrow about a new business coming to town. Stay tuned.

I’ll leave you with this illustration of getting the most value for your money: