Why not? What else is there to do? Oh, Vienna Sausage (Guenter) is the Hare? Well, how bad can it be? Let’s go!
Oddly enough, the trail was not all that bad. Yes, the anticipated steep up but it was at the beginning before my strength had ebbed. And it was a new path I had actually been curious about, so now I know not to do it again! The down was steep and semi-treacherous and there were better and less dangerous ways to go, but again, no surprise that this Hare took the hard way. Actually, the biggest complaint besides my usual whining was that the trail was poorly marked. Saw quite a few Hashers along the way who had lost the trail. My group did too on one occasion and we had to spend several minutes looking for the trail again later. That’s very unusual for Guenter.
Anyway, here’s some pictures from the afternoon:
The trail from above. The yellow line is the longer version. I also bypassed the last mountain, so had a more comfortable 6K hike.Gathering at the starting point.Getting last-minute guidance from the Hare.The hard up. This wasn’t hiking, it was literally climbing. I would not have even attempted it. Fortunately, there was an easier start to the ascent for those who desired it.Note that I said “easier” not easy.Hard and steep it was.Damn!Onward and upward.Did I mention it was steep?Let’s catch our breath and enjoy the view.And we still ain’t at the top!Back at it.This “scarehasher” didn’t deter us…Watch out for that fence!Finally some relatively flat ground…“No, I ain’t shittin’ you. I started WAY down there!”What goes up, must come down.We didn’t see that coming! Actually, we did and thus posed for this picture. What we didn’t see was the strand of barbed wire stretched about one inch off the ground. Luckily for me, Pubic Head tripped over it first.Looking down on the way down…And no, I didn’t forget to snap a shot of Easter mountain. I know y’all look forward to that!Yes, you are!You still with us, Pubic Head?I don’t know what she is doing, but I like it!Going down, down, down…Of course, this is the easy part. Once it got steep, rocky, and slippery I couldn’t be bothered with pictures. It took all I had to keep my feet!Well, well, well. I made it down with only one time on my ass. Not bad for a Guenter trail!On the ice!Gash ass on the ice…Slot Licker with the Hashit,Bush Diver was recognized for 300 runs with the Subic Bay Hash. All the more impressive because he lives in Angeles City and makes the two-hour trip every week.After the circle, I had dinner at Sit-n-Bull, then a nightcap at Mango’s. A nice way to finish the Hash Monday.And so concludes another Hash post. Hope you enjoyed it!
Another Hash Monday and that means an early morning post with even less for me to talk about than normal. Although perhaps my blog is an example of less being more.
After my shopping misadventure, or more precisely, after I wrote about it here, I headed into town for some much needed liquid refreshment. As I sat at my usual observation post I couldn’t help but notice something a bit different:
The normally deserted beach was teeming with Filipino families enjoying a Sunday afternoon outing.
As usual, I did a shitty job capturing the true view, but all up and down the beach folks were acting like things were, well, normal again. I remember on the drive out of town seeing the parking lot of one of the resorts just jam-packed with cars.
As you can see it was already late in the day but people were still hanging out.
The significance of this I think is that the Filipino people are finally waking up to the fact that they’ve been scammed and are saying “fuck it”. My driver called the checkpoints and other restrictions on movement bullshit and I kiddingly suggested it was time for a revolution. “Yes, it is” he replied in all seriousness. Hmm, Filipinos are normally docile and compliant to authority up until you push them too far. All indications are that time may have arrived. Good for them!
I came home early because I had some cooking to do.
Ribeye steaks on the grill… …and on my plate.
This batch came out pretty damn near perfect if I do say so myself. I think I’m finally getting that searing technique down and managing the time on the grill better. Juicy, tender, and medium-rare. Sweet!
Well, the steak wasn’t sweet, but this sure was:
Pecan pie! A la mode of course. It’s been too long since I’ve enjoyed my favorite pie and I have to give S&R credit, this one was quite good. You know it’s odd, but I can’t even find pecans in this country. I have to substitute walnuts in my fruit salad.
Oh, there was something else strange that happened yesterday afternoon. I heard from a gal named Joy. What was weird about it is I haven’t seen or heard from her in a year or so. And even back then she was just an acquaintance I met at the Hash. I wasn’t interested in her at all, I was kinda after one of her friends. Anyway, we are Facebook friends still.
That’s Joy. She sent me her picture to start the conversation, probably to remind me who she is.
Here’s a copy and paste of the Messenger conversation:
sent Yesterday at 2:56 PM I want to meet you john if good for you? You sent Yesterday at 2:58 PM What do you have in mind? sent Yesterday at 3:00 PM I want to seeing each other like wtf john my friend if good for you? You say naman na you there in baretto You sent Yesterday at 3:00 PM It’s been a long time…well, I live in Barretto so I’m usually here. I stay pretty busy. sent Yesterday at 3:01 PM Ohh you are busy.? You sent Yesterday at 3:01 PM you mean like right now? Today? Yes, I have plans this afternoon. sent Yesterday at 3:04 PM Ohh not this afternoon, tommorrow morning okay? If good for you John? Ohhh plss answer me You sent Yesterday at 3:05 PM Joy, I have the hash tomorrow. Starts at 12. sent Yesterday at 3:06 PM Hmmmm 9:30am john plss i want to see you What time you are free? You sent Yesterday at 3:07 PM I’m not sure what the emergency is…I don’t hear from you for one year and now you HAVE to see me tomorrow…? doesn’t make sense. sent Yesterday at 3:08 PM Nooo john i want to see you almost 1year did he see each other i want to see you not tomorrow, i said when yourre free time? You sent Yesterday at 3:09 PM I’ll have to let you know. sent Yesterday at 3:09 PM Ohh you are not swallowing mee? You sent Yesterday at 3:10 PM what does that mean? sent Yesterday at 3:10 PM Do have a girlfriend? Or husband? You sent Yesterday at 3:10 PM no husband…I date. sent Yesterday at 3:11 PM You have a girlfriend? You sent Yesterday at 3:11 PM not really, just someone I see. sent Yesterday at 3:11 PM I dont have choice okay fine You sent Yesterday at 3:11 PM okay sent Yesterday at 3:12 PM Sad
That’s where we left it. Very strange and I have no idea what her motivation might be in wanting to see me so urgently after all this time. I suspect it revolves around money, but who knows?
And I had another first this morning when I was taking my walk. I’m on the highway and a car is waiting to make a turn from a side street and blocking my path. No big deal, I proceed to walk around behind the car when suddenly the passenger side window rolls down. There are two “women” in the car, and the driver leans over and asks me where I’m going. I said just walking. Then she propositioned me. Why don’t you come with me, baby. I’ll show you a good time. Umm, not today thanks. Are you sure? Yeah. Maybe another time.
Okay, we have prostitution bars here but you don’t see many freelancers. Especially in cars. At least I never have. It wasn’t hard to tell this one no though. First of all, she wasn’t very attractive. In fact, my bakla (transgender) radar was sounding alarms. I didn’t really even notice the passenger, s/he just stared straight ahead during the interaction with the driver. Even if I had been game ain’t no way I’m getting in a car with two strangers to be taken to god knows where. I may be a perv but I ain’t stupid. Well, that stupid anyway.
So, that takes y’all right up to the present moment. Guenter is the Hare today so I’ll likely be finding my own way on trail this afternoon. I guess I’m just becoming risk-averse in my old age.
Well, here we are with Thanksgiving right around the corner. I guess I can’t help but feel a bit like a pilgrim coming ashore in this wild and wonderful land. And the natives, at least the female version, are very, very friendly! Lots of them anyway. For a price. Or maybe that’s just the ones I tend to meet.
I took a long and solitary walk yesterday morning during which I mostly reflected on my good fortune and all that I have to be thankful for. I’m living a rich and easy life and I’m starting to understand that not having a woman to share that life with me may in fact be yet another blessing. Positive thoughts like that were the highlight of the walk for sure. I got my feet soaked several times doing stream crossings and once the trail dead-ended into a muddy rice field I had to wade across. Even so, my spirits were barely dampened.
I’m usually only good for 8K or so at a time these days, but I pushed myself a little harder yesterday. Weighed in at 205.6, which is down over 5 pounds in three weeks. The belly still protrudes embarrassingly though.
The Hash Gash (aka Harriettes or females) had a girls’ day out yesterday at the Alta Vista pool. One of the photos from that event now graces the cover of the Subic Bay Hash Facebook page:
Ain’t they sweet? Especially that tall one.While I was out on my hike, Lazada (sort of like Amazon) delivered the trekking poles I ordered. No, I’m not going to use two at once, I just like having a backup if I need it. They both expand in different ways too. I’ll have to decide which version I like best I suppose.
I went to Alley Cats in the afternoon to play in the regular Saturday tournament. Didn’t have enough players show up for doubles so we did a singles tournament. That suits me just fine, no one to blame but myself that way. Billy, a fine darter who also runs the tourney, knocked me into the losers bracket. I fought my way back to meet her again in the finals and beat her twice to take the championship. Good darts and hard-fought matches all afternoon. I like it that way!
First and second standing tall!Speaking of darts and singles, here are the stats through week 1 of the Barretto Singles League I’m running. Most everyone has played one or two matches ahead. I like that enthusiasm!And how and where I finished my Saturday should come as no surprise to my regular readers…
Now, I mentioned before about having bought a frozen turkey a few days ago. Well, yesterday my neighbor and fellow Hasher, Ed, invited me to his house for Thanksgiving. I told him I was already preparing for a feast at my house and he suggested we combine forces. Sure, why not? That’s what the spirit of the holiday is all about, so the more the merrier. I had already made plans for a pilgrimage to S&R (a large Costco like store) in the hope of acquiring some hard to find traditional TG food.
This morning Ed informed me that the plans had changed again and now the gathering would be at the Alta Vista community center. Ed’s Filipina girlfriend wanted to invite more of her friends so a larger venue was needed. Hey, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the natives, right? Now we are looking at upwards of twenty guests. That’s more than my turkey can feed but Ed is going to bring a ham as well. Alrighty then, I headed out to S&R to see what I could see.
Here’s that map from the Friday hike. But this time you can follow the thick line up to San Fernando where S&R is located. I’d forgotten what a long ride it is to get there (over an hour) on bad roads.
It’s been over a year since my last visit and today I was reminded why. What a major disappointment. I picked up a few things I can use but nothing like what I hoped and expected to find. Not even sour cream for fuck sakes. A lot of the stuff comes in huge ass sizes too so it’s problematic with my already overfull and too small refrigerator. In addition to the hassle and expense of getting there, I had to purchase a membership and that was also a pain in the ass.
The S&R warehouse supermarket. 3000 pesos for my driver to take me there and another 700 for the membership. So, I’m out seventy bucks before I make a purchase.
Like I said, little or nothing of what I needed but I did get some stuff I can use.
Like this heavy-duty blender. That ought to chop up those frozen strawberries anyway.And how could I resist this big box of Choco Pies from Korea? And the packs even come with LOVE!
I thought I might at least be able to get some frozen pies to bake for the feast. Nope! I did see some tables with baked goods and found this:
The much-coveted pecan pie! How desperate was I? I paid 15 bucks for that sucker. I actually bought two at that price. Plus two pumpkin pies at ten dollars each. Geez.
Oh well, I’ll do Royal again on Tuesday and hope to at least find some cranberry sauce.
I threw my boys a bone and they were happy. I guess I should try and learn from them.
My Buddy boy…And my Lucky boy…Hmm. Have I made up my mind about being a perverted old man or am I just trying on the shoes?
Anyway, things don’t always go as planned, but they go regardless. Best to just enjoy the ride!
Maybe it gets better than this. But even if it doesn’t, I really can’t complain. Much. I was ruminating the other day about how I seem to miss out on enjoying what’s good in my life because I’m too busy lamenting what’s missing. Looking back now on my year in Pyeongtaek for example–I had it made; a great job, a free house, nice places to walk, and all I did was feel miserable because it wasn’t the life I wanted. Well anyway, I don’t plan to make that mistake again. Things aren’t perfect in my world but I’m living my life my way and that ain’t bad. Yeah, I know–more insights from Captain Obvious. I’ll shut up now.
But before I go let me tell you about yesterday. It’s a good example of what I was talking about above. Did a nice 8K morning hike with a couple of buddies, played some darts in the singles league I’m running, had some dinner and beach time at Mango’s, then came home and flirted some via messenger with the gal who delivers my meat products. Does it get any better than that? Probably. But it’s also good enough for now.
During my walk, I found Jesus.Me: “Hey baby, where you been all my life?” Her: “Um, most of it not born.”These kids were happy to see me at least. Well, happy to see me pull a bag of candy out of my backpack anyway.
I made my debut in the Barretto Singles League in the afternoon. My match was with Christy who I expect will be the top player in the league. I knew going in I’d have to be on my game to hang with her.
I did have some moments of brilliance like this perfect throw…That’s three triple twenties, AKA ton-80 or 180, the highest possible score in darts.
For most of the rest of the match, I was barely mediocre. Meanwhile, Christy was on fire throwing some of the best darts I’ve seen her toss. The result looked like this:
Not the outcome I wanted but I’ll get better. I’m still nowhere near the darter I once was.
After the match, I crossed the street to Mango’s to drown my sorrows grab some dinner.
Had the roast chicken salad. Still watching my weight…down to 206.5 yesterday–a loss of 4.5 pounds since the first of the month.And as usual, mother nature provided the entertainment.
As to my flirtations with Irene, the delivery woman, well all I can say is she started it. All in good fun but even in my semi-inebriated state of mind I knew I had to be careful. She’s got an Aussie boyfriend for one thing. Irene has also been trying to set me up with a friend of hers but I’m really not interested. Older and not so cute. Also, she is friends with Iline. Too much potential drama, I’ll just stick to darts. And beer.
One of those nights again. I’m laying in bed trying to turn off my brain so I can fall asleep and some random song is playing in the background of my mind. I try to ignore it as best as I am able, but with the song on a continuous loop, it starts to become such an irritation that sleep is impossible. This happens pretty frequently lately and I’m not sure if it is an indication that I’m slipping into dementia. Oh well, that didn’t stop the alleged President-elect. Last night’s song was Can’t Get it Out of My Head by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Yeah, ironic I know. It’s actually a pretty good song by a damn fine band. Not my favorite of theirs though, I like Showdown better. I saw them in concert back in the 1970s and they really rocked it. But please, let an old man get his sleep!
I got my weekly meat delivery this morning. Ribeye steaks, hamburger patties, and…
Yep, a 12-pound turkey! I’m going to do my best to prepare a Thanksgiving feast at home this year.
Of course, I’m limited to what I can find at the supermarket in that regard. Yesterday at Royal I secured most of the ingredients I’ll need for a fruit salad. Items like a green bean casserole and candied yams are going to be tougher though. I’d practically kill for a pecan pie. I’m going to make the long trip to the S&R (sort of like Costco) in San Fernando soon to try and fill in the gaps. Stay tuned.
Here’s a one-minute video that captures an example of the “new normal”. Attending a meeting via Zoom can be fraught with peril!
Desperate times call for desperate measures I suppose.
This is week one of the Barretto Singles League in darts. I have my first match this afternoon. Been busy updating the stats for the games already played. What a pain in the ass. Surprising how much I’ve forgotten since the last time I managed a dart league. It should get easier once I’ve re-learned the Excel spreadsheets.
Let me throw a couple of memes at you to fill in space here:
Already bought and paid for!But I guess there is still some small hope…Is that you, Kevin Kim?Facebook reminds me that it was one year ago today that I was captured by the Philippine Navy. You can re-read that adventure here if you are so inclined.As seen on this morning’s walk, it’s rice harvesting season here apparently. And as you can see that fresh rice must be dried. And what better place to do so than in one lane of a two-lane bypass highway. Amazing.Ah, and this love poem by James Kavanaugh also popped up in my Facebook memories today.
Well, I think I’m in love with the idea of being in love. The reality of it, not so much. The other morning while I was out walking I saw Iline and her new love walking together ahead of me. It got me thinking in ways that I don’t want to be thinking so I crossed the highway and walked in the opposite direction. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be. Or maybe I really do have a guardian angel up there saying “Jesus! Hasn’t he been hurt enough?” Heh. I’ll be fine.
Midnight, on the water I saw the ocean’s daughter Walking on a wave’s she came Staring as she called my name
And I can’t get it out of my head No, I can’t get it out of my head Now my whole world is gone for dead ‘Cause I can’t get it out of my head
Breakdown on the shoreline Can’t move, it’s an ebbtide Morning, don’t get here tonight Searching for her silver light
And I can’t get it out of my head No, I can’t get it out of my head Now my whole world is gone for dead ‘Cause I can’t get it out of my head, no how?
If I do say so myself. And that’s one of the benefits of writing this blog, I get to say whatever the hell I want!
The feedback from yesterday’s Hash was very positive. As I had hoped, several of the Hashers expressed surprise because they had been expecting an “old man’s trail” and instead got something a tad more challenging with TWO climbs! Yeah, I was actually surprised myself when we laid the trail. It took the runners a little over an hour to finish which is on the long side for a 6K trail. One thing about this trail was that it was difficult to shortcut so almost everyone did the entire distance. No one got lost that I know of although a few missed one of the early turns and had to retreat to find the right path. That’s the benefit of a well-marked trail. If you don’t see some powder or chalk every 50 yards or so you know it’s time to turn around and figure out where you went wrong. So, I’ll say mission accomplished for this Hare experience.
I’m also happy to report that our first time using the Alta Vista community center as our On-Home venue was by all accounts successful. People seemed to enjoy both the ambiance and the pool. The staff were all very friendly and enjoyed having us, saying they’d like to have us come every week. Well, that won’t happen but hopefully, we will add them to our rotation.
The only issue with the food was it turned out there wasn’t enough. I think we sold out before the last of the walkers returned. Definitely will need to at least double the quantity next time. One guy ate three of those sausages. He’s a German so they must have been good. I had been a little nervous about my chili. I’ve cooked for friends and workmates before but I don’t think I’ve ever actually sold anything I’ve made. It went quickly too and several people complimented me on the flavor. One person even ordered a serving for take-out. Ha! Honestly though, I don’t do anything special, just the standard ingredients and a store-bought seasoning mix. Well, I do one can of pinto and one of kidney beans but otherwise, it’s just a lazy man’s crockpot recipe. Didn’t even put pineapples in it this time! Anyway, I’m glad people liked it.
I was feeling no pain when the Hash concluded but that didn’t stop me from joining a group of folks going to check out a new place in town called Beach Please. I love the name and we are considering them as another option for hosting a future Hash. From there some of us visited Cheap Charlies but I was one and done after that. Hell, I was done when I got there. I vaguely recall going to Sit-n-Bull for some grub before taking a trike back home. Woke up in one piece this morning and that’s always a good thing.
I have a few pictures to share:
From God’s point of view. Looks like the best trail ever to me!I greeted the Hashers as they arrived for the noon start……gave them some last-minute guidance then sent them on their way…Had the place pretty much to myself waiting for the Hashers to finish the trail and arrive On-Home……so I killed time enjoying the view from the community center.And an hour and ten minutes later the first three to complete the trail arrived; Leech My Nuggets, Vienna Sausage, and Anal Receptive. Well done!My co-Hare, Pubic Head, did the back half of the trail while I held the fort On-Home. He was able to get a few shots of some Hashers doing what Hashers do…Here come some now!No surprise it was the runners, Anal Receptive, Demolition Derby, and Blow My Pipe.Anal Intruder making her way through the grass that is taller than she is.Leaking Pussy making her way On-Home…And here comes the lovely Preying Mantis…44 Hashers in attendance. I was expecting 25-30.The limited food offerings.Food on the grill but not enough to go around.Wonder Woman was a satisfied customer…My Boyfriend Sucks Dick and Preying Mantis sharing some smiles.The Hares on ice.We initiated two virgins…Recognition for completing 50 and 25 runs.After the circle was over some of the Gash decided to have a swim…In the shadow of Easter mountain.Our after-Hash watering hole and possible venue for future Hashes…A little rustic……but it could work.It’s right up the beach from Mango’s. That sunset does look familiar, doesn’t it?
Greetings and welcome to another Hash Monday! A bit different this week because I’m one of the Hares. That means we did the trail yesterday and won’t be re-walking it today. I will greet the Hashers at our Alta Vista Community Center starting point then send them on their way over our carefully prepared and well-marked Hash trail.
Our On-Home is also at the community center, a first for the SBH3. Because of pandemic-related restrictions, only two venues have been willing to accommodate the Hash. That gets tiresome and frankly, both locations are far from ideal. Of course, the community center may not be a great option either but at least it is worth a try.
Here are some photos from yesterday’s Hare work:
Yours truly and my co-Hare, Pubic Head, at the starting point for run number 1,419 of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers.As you may recall, we actually scouted the trail last Wednesday. Yesterday’s mission was to leave the Hash marks for the Hashers to follow the trail. The big storm on Friday had downed some trees across the path, but we found walk-arounds.The Hashers will enjoy views like this……and this from our trail.We marked our trail with powder (calcimine I’m told). This mark is at an intersection so is longer than usual in order to show direction…Chalk is another tool in our bag to keep the Hashers on trail.Here’s Pubic Head showing how it is done.We also carry toilet paper for special situations and hazards. Like this barbed wire crossing the trail knee-high. That’s a big ouch if you don’t see it coming.Being a Hare can be hard work. Pubic Head is the king of the roost while taking a break.All good things must end, including our trail. About 6.5K all-in, with two moderate climbs. Actually, the trail is a bit harder than what us old farts would usually lay. Should surprise some of the Hashers expecting an easy day of it.
One of the drawbacks of the community center On-Home venue is the lack of food availability. Then again, the food at the other venues basically sucks. Today a couple of the female Hashers have taken on the kitchen duties to feed a hungry kennel after the hike. Not totally altruistic as they see it as a potential profit-making opportunity.
Menu options will include:
BBQ meat on a stick.Grilled sausages……with buns from Angel’s bakery.I’m contributing a crockpot full of chili to the effort.
Here’s hoping for a good day of Hashing and a fun time at the circle afterward. As a Hare, my goal is always that no one gets lost or injured on trail. I’ll post an after-action report here tomorrow.
Even when it falls on a Friday. Nothing special about yesterday I suppose. But that’s a good thing sometimes, right?
A good day starts with a good breakfast. It may not look like traditional morning fare but I think I confused the evil 13th into thinking the day was over. Hey, it could’ve happened!
It was only Troy and me for the Friday walk as everyone else was too afraid to go out on the 13th. Cowards! Well, to be fair they did have legitimate-sounding excuses, but still.
Going up! Where’s the escalator when you need it?Looking down. This was the only climb on an otherwise flat 10K walk. Nice breezy day to walk though.Even had cause to channel Kevin Kim!
The Barretto Singles League officially kicks off tomorrow. A couple of players have played ahead and I appreciate their enthusiasm. I have a bit of pride in the fact that I invented the format almost ten years ago back in Columbia, SC. The league was also very popular in Seoul and continued on even after I left town. I’m kind of hoping that playing singles again will reinvigorate my passion for the game. It better, because being the commissioner and keeping up with the stats and standings is going to be a pain in the ass.
Yesterday afternoon I went out with the intention of getting a haircut and then going to the vape shop for some supplies. The barbershop was full though and I wasn’t going to wait around. The vape shop didn’t have the parts I needed either. Bought a substitute but I’m not sure it will work properly. Time will tell. And looking back, that’s the worst that happened to me on Friday the 13th.
I left the vape shop and headed over to Cheap Charlies for a gin and soda or two. Hell, maybe it was three. Then I crossed the highway and popped into Sit-n-Bull for some dinner. After perusing the menu I settled on my favorite French dish:
Call me a dip if you want, but I love these things. I know it’s French because it is served “au jus”. You hardly ever seen this type of sandwich anymore. And this one was actually one of the best I recall having. Yeah, not exactly low carb but I justified it because my second menu choice was the meatball sandwich and it came on a footlong roll. See, by that reckoning, I cut my carbs in half!
After dinner, I thought some ocean views would make a good dessert, so I headed to Mango’s. On the way, I saw this treehouse and I really, really want one!
Sadly, I don’t have the tree I would need for it in my yard.
If I sign a new lease on this house next year I’m thinking of putting my own nipa hut out back. Just a place to hang out when I have company over. I’d also like to hang a hammock inside to use for my afternoon naps.
Something like this is what I have in mind. I’m told you can have one built for less than a thousand dollars. We’ll see.
Going to do the dart tourney at Alley Cats this afternoon. As is my custom, I’ll bring the girls a little treat.
Don’t worry, the brownies always taste better than they look. Yeah, a tad overdone this time it appears. We’ll see.
And finally, there is this–an actual ad that appeared on my Facebook feed:
This sounds wrong on so many levels. I can’t read the non-English script, maybe it says something redeeming.
What I really want to know is what made Facebook think this was a product I might be interested in? Even at my creepiest I’d never want a sleeping partner. Starfish like Mary are bad enough.
And that’s it for today’s slice of life. Thanks for stopping by!
It looks like it’s gonna be a better day today than yesterday. Then again, today is Friday the 13th so I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Ulysses has come and gone now but the bastard won’t soon be forgotten.
I rode the storm out the best as I was able, mostly confined at home with no electricity for EIGHTEEN fucking hours! I ventured out during what I thought was a lull in the rain to walk the dog. Ulysses was just yanking my chain though. Once I got to the point furthest from the house he unleashed a new wave of wind and pounding rain upon my helpless head. I noticed the same pattern of on-again/off-again action throughout the morning and early afternoon but didn’t get caught in that web of deceit again until late in the day.
I mentioned in yesterday’s post about some water seepage. This was caused by the wind driving the rain sideways through some heretofore unnoticed gaps between the windows and the walls. I did experience some wind damage on my upstairs balcony, however:
Shit happens.
During my abbreviated dog walk, I noticed at least one tree down in the neighborhood:
At least it didn’t take out any powerlines. Not that it would have mattered at that point.
I don’t mean to make light of my good fortune though. I live in an elevated community. Down in Barretto, a friend was dealing with this:
Outside the house……and inside.
Everything is relative I suppose. South of us in Metro Manila things got scary bad:
I just can’t imagine being trapped on my roof for hours and hours in the driving rain.
Anyway, I stayed home all day, and finally around 4:00 the boredom seemed worse than the storm. Besides, I needed to go out to find mama and give her some food money. I waited for a lull in the storm and made a dash for Barretto. Barely got out of the neighborhood before the deluge began again. I had my umbrella but it proved pretty much worthless with the windblown rain soaking everything but my head. I did find mama taking shelter under the awning of a closed bar, so mission accomplished!
Seeing as how I was already out and about, I popped into Mango’s for a couple of beers. The beach had some souvenirs left by Ulysses.
Beachcombers had already begun the salvage operations.Plenty more where that came from.
I messaged my helper to see if the power was back on at my house and was informed that it was not. Briefly thought about booking a room but decided without a change of clothes or my computer it was pointless. But since I couldn’t cook in the dark at home I ordered me up some dinner.
Roast chicken and coleslaw. I couldn’t eat all that though so brought some back home for the hired help to enjoy.
I was going to visit Queen Victoria for a nightcap but they were already closed (it was only 6 p.m.). So I caught a trike for the ride back to Alta Vista. As we traveled I noted that lights were burning brightly everywhere so I took that as a good sign. Well, everywhere but Alta Vista. I asked the gate guard what was going on and he assured me Zameco (the power company) was “on the way”. Hmm, okay then. It is no fun going home to a dark house, that’s for sure.
Still, you just have to make the best of it. I had a little battery left in the laptop and my wifi hotspot connection so I wasn’t alone.
The battery finally gave out and so did I. I went upstairs to bed at 7 p.m. When the fan kicked on it woke me at just a bit past 10. Power had finally been restored! I went back to sleep as best as I was able and finally knew I’d had enough by 0330. Did all my usual internet stuff and finished well before my dog walk time of 0700. Nothing left to do but write this post.
A tropical depression, that is. Or typhoon if you will, although since it made landfall the storm became depressed or something and is weaker now.
What a difference a day makes!
Ulysses iS packing quite the punch, I’ll Grant you that. *ahem*
Pretty much a direct hit.
The sound of the wind’s fury woke me up around 0230. I figured the power grid wouldn’t withstand it for long and sure enough, things went dark shortly thereafter. I’m writing this post on battery power and my phone’s hotspot. Get it while you can!
It seems like only yesterday the sun was shining and I was out hiking and enthusiastically embracing the beauty of mother nature. Oh wait, that’s was yesterday. Mother nature can be a fickle bitch, can’t she?
Here’s the Hash trail we scouted yesterday. I’m thinking about what potential impact all this rain will have on our best laid plans.
It will be muddier and more slippery that’s for sure and one section may or may not be under water. Won’t know for sure until we go back out on Sunday to mark the trail. Oh well, we Hash rain or shine!
Me and my fellow scouts, Jim and Scott. Scott is the co-Hare on Monday, Jim will be working the logistics of getting the beer and ice chests to the community center On-Home…This should work…A little bungle in the jungle.My weekly tree shot.Valley view.I actually thought about this “house” during the windy night and wondered how (or if) it was holding up in the storm.A group of cookie lovers!What a cutie! I don’t mean YOU, Jim!Our second climb of the day included these steps…Scott tripped and fell twice during the hike but here is one of him on his feet!“Man, that would make a great post!”
Hope you enjoyed it.
Looks like I’m gonna be stuck inside all day with no power. If the rain lets up a little I might chance going out in search of a hotel room. Otherwise I’ll just tough it out I suppose. Oh, I have found several spots where the wind blown water is invading my house. Including the puddle under my desk that is soaking my feet as I write this. It could always be worse. I’m sure some of my less fortunate neighbors have lost the roof or walls in their shanty shacks.
I’ll count my blessings.
Walking through forests of palm tree apartments Scoff at the monkeys who live in their dark tents Down by the waterhole Drunk every Friday Eating their nuts Saving their raisins for Sunday Lions and tigers Who wait in the shadows They’re fast but they’re lazy, and sleep in green meadows
Let’s bungle in the jungle Well, that’s all right by me I’m a tiger when I want love But I’m a snake if we disagree
When almost every morning begins like this it’s bound to go downhill from there. Still, it’s more good than bad overall. I’ll take it as it comes.
So, I was in for a big surprise while grocery shopping at Royal yesterday–they actually got a shipment of frozen foods in stock. I mean, it may not seem like a big deal but it has been about six months now that I’ve gone without some of the things I enjoy. Like this:
Yeah, I could learn to make this kind of stuff on my own but I’m a lazy fuck. Of course, on my current low-carb kick, I won’t be enjoying these soon but it is comforting knowing they are safely in my freezer should the need arise.And frozen fruit! I still indulge in a smoothie now and again and it’s hard to get fresh berries around here. Not impossible, but expensive.
Best of all I was able to secure everything I need for my Thanksgiving feast:
Well, no fruit salad but I was able to pull that together last year. I’m kinda kidding, I’ll be keeping my eyes out for a frozen turkey so I can do the real thing.
I played darts in the afternoon. Drew another weak partner but at least she wasn’t as irritatingly bad as the one I had last Sunday. I wound up doing something though that I don’t recall having ever done before–missed on purpose. So, here’s the deal. The tourney started late because one of the girls had a birthday. Big turnout too, so that meant lots of time between games. We lost in the first round and it was probably an hour before we played again. In our second match, we were tied 1-1 and playing cricket, a game that requires more skill than 501 where every dart counts. We were getting beat pretty badly and then I hit some bulls to catch us up on points and close the gap. Eventually, it came down to whoever hits the next bull wins. I didn’t really try and win. Now, in my defense, I didn’t want to wait around to play later in a match I knew we couldn’t win. And since I’d done all the heavy lifting to get us in a position to win I thought it only fair that my partner should throw that dart. She didn’t and we lost. I got some looks from my opponents and my partner. Maybe it was unsporting of me. I did buy my partner a drink which is worth more than we were going to win anyway. In retrospect, I wish I’d just played my best and let the darts decide. Oh well.
After darts, I went to Sit-n-Bull and had me a salad for dinner.
Roast chicken. As good as it looks.
I’m pretty much not engaging in this whole political debate about Trump and the vote. It seems quite apparent from a distance that fraud played a part. If it was decisive fraud I hope the courts sort that out. My disgust continues to be directed at the ignorance of the fools who think that Biden will protect their interests or America’s. Unlike the liberals who post shit to goad and taunt, I keep my feelings mostly to myself. I did post this though:
Not surprisingly, it did cause several liberal heads to explode. Well, that’s the problem I guess. The sheep don’t know they are sheep. God help us all.
Once again, I was in bed by 8 p.m. last night. I guess that’s my new normal these days. Although the mayor just announced that starting Friday curfew will be pushed back to 10:30 giving us peasants an hour of our lives back every day. Not sure I’ll be adjusting my schedule though.
I may be a lazy bastard but I still dream of being a working man. Almost every night in fact. And this morning Facebook shared this memory from my work life four years ago:
It was good while it lasted but I honestly have no regrets about moving on. My time to live a new life had arrived and here I am living it as best as I am able.
Today is Veterans Day back in the USA and I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to all the brave men and women who have served their nation. Thank you!
And since 1973 they have all been volunteers.
Today I went out with Jim and Scott to scout potential trails for next week’s Hash. I think we’ve got something both a little different and perhaps more challenging than folks will be expecting from us oldtimers. More to come on that.
Also, next week’s On-Home will be at the community center here in Alta Vista. I guess I’m hosting that event as well. It’s a great facility but we’ve never used it for the Hash before. Should be interesting.
I was really surprised how nice this photo I took of the community center came out. I love how Easter mountain is looming in the background.The pool is looking good for any Hashers wanting to swim after their hike. Some of the Filipinas are making food to sell to the hungry Hashers in attendance. I’m donating a pot of my chili to that effort.I reckon this ballroom will suffice for the circle unless we elect to do it poolside…
And there you have a snapshot from this thing I call my life. It could certainly be much worse. Hell, it has been! I’m not dwelling so much on the things I don’t have that might make it better so maybe that helps me appreciate things the way they are all the more.
Nothing much to speak of on this pre-Hash Monday morning. That won’t stop me though.
Played in the dart tourney at Lagoon Resort out on Baloy Beach yesterday. The good news I guess is I threw relatively decent darts. The bad news is I had maybe the worst partner ever. Listen, I get it that some people are less skilled than others, but if you miss the board entirely with two out of three darts, maybe you ain’t ready for tournament play. That was frustrating enough, but what really irritated me was giving her advice on what to aim at and then having that advice completely ignored. I can forgive a lot if you are striving to improve but to not even attempt to learn the game is bullshit. So, it made for a less enjoyable than it should have been experience. I honestly wanted to lose and be out early. But somehow we made it to the finals. I think the dart Gods were fucking with me because that required a LONG wait for the losers bracket to play out. And then we promptly lost our match to finish second on the day. Oh well.
The other day I ventured into a fish store on the Subic side of the bridge. Walked by it a hundred times and paid it no heed. To be more accurate, it is a store that sells Norwegian salmon and not much else. I’m not really a big fish eater, but the guy I was hiking with wanted to drop in and see what they had. He wound up getting some salmon steaks and I bought these:
They were on sale–buy two at 350 pesos, get one free. Well, 12 salmon patties for 7 bucks seemed like too good a deal to pass up.That made for a nice change in the breakfast meat category of my low carb breakfast. I remember as a kid my mom made salmon patties for dinner on a regular basis. We were pretty poor back then so I’m guessing salmon in a can must have been a cheap way to make a meal. Ah, memories.
Nikole, my masseuse, went on and on about an incident that occurred out in the Baloy beach area. Apparently, she has a client there and he falsely accused her of stealing his phone and 80,000 pesos (over $1500.). He even went to the police to report her as the thief. She was upset to the point of tears as she told the tale. Of course, without any evidence against her, the police took no action. She was concerned though that her reputation had been soiled and that she would lose customers as a result.
Those fears were confirmed as I waited for the dart tourney to start and witnessed two guys talking at the bar about the woman who had stolen from their friend. Damn, this is such a small town! Oh, and here’s the fucked up epilog to the tale. Nikole sent me a message today that the accuser had found both his phone and the money, apparently having hidden them so well he couldn’t find them earlier. What a loser. As Nikole noted, he has dropped the charges but her reputation isn’t as easily repaired.
Not that it is pertinent to the story, but my impression is that Nikole is not servicing these customers with massages. I think she might actually be a freelance prostitute. Still, being perceived as a dishonest hooker can’t be good for business either. Oh well, hope it all works out for her.
I’ll have the report from today’s Hash here for you tomorrow. The trail is starting in Alta Vista and finishing at Hunter Jo’s in Calapadayan. That’s a good long hike even as the crow flies. Should be interesting to see how the Hare’s get us there.
I’m a side-sleeper. Sometimes after sleeping awhile on my left side, my shoulder will start to ache, so I rollover. That worked fine up until a few days ago when I awoke after sleeping on my right side with excruciating pain in my neck and back pain.Just rolling over again felt like being stabbed. Oddly enough, once I change positions the stabbing pain subsides to a dull ache. In the morning when I’m up around the only lingering impact is having a stiff and sore neck with a somewhat limited range of motion. Not sure what’s up with my neck but I hope it goes away soon.Not my neck, the pain I mean. Hence,it is always important to consult a doctor who can help you in understanding upper back pain. This Recommended Site visit can help you to get rid off neck pain.
As long as we are on the subject of my health, today marks one week into the new low(er) carb diet routine. The results from today’s weigh-in: 207.8. That’s down 3.2 pounds so I’ll call that progress. Other vital stats include BP at 132/86 and a resting heart rate of 61 BPM. I reckon I can live with that. Provided I don’t die on trail or get run over by a Jeepney on the highway.
Today being Sunday I treated myself to breakfast out.
The view from my table at Treasure Island Resort on Baloy beach.My low carb breakfast: ham, cheese, and mushroom omelet with coffee. Hold the toast and hashbrowns.
Being in a beachy mood I did my morning walk on one.
Since the tide was low I took the beach route to the old Navy base.Still had to climb over those damn rocks though. They are higher than they look, perhaps that lone fisherman gives some perspective. Also, I mistimed one of my jumps and an incoming wave soaked my feet. Oh well.Nothing to do but to enjoy the day you have as best as you are able.
And that’s just what I intend to do. Nikole is due shortly to provide my weekly massage. After that, I’ll head back out to Baloy for a dart tourney.
Well, I do enjoy some paid-for company now and then, not that I need it.
As is my custom, I finished yesterday evening beachside at Mango’s. Took a couple of photos attempting to capture the beauty of one particular moment in time but can’t decide which one is best. What do you think?
This……or this?
Well, I reckon beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, right? Although I’m faithfully sticking with my new diet of gin and soda water.
Tough but satisfying hike with the Friday walkers. We had my driver drop us off in the Gordon Heights section of Olongapo City and headed out (and up) from there.
The route we took from Olongapo upward over the mountain then down again and onward to Baloy beach for after hike refreshment at Johan’s Dive Resort. My fellow hikers Jim, Troy, and Scott.Heading out to tackle that mountain in front of us.Hey, wait for me!And so the climb begins…A babbling brook…And a green wall.A bridge of fools?Welp, this mountain ain’t gonna climb itself!Where in the hell did our trail go? Consumed by thatch grass it was! Poor Jim and Troy had to literally beat down a new path.The tall grass made the climb all the more arduous and dangerous……As Scott can attest after taking this fall. No injuries though. Other than to his pride.Looking back towards Olongapo. Slow and steady as she goes, right Scott?I don’t recall the name of this fruit at the moment, but Filipinas love it. Had any been along with us the tree would have likely been plucked bare.Troy enjoying a reflective moment on trail. If I could read his mind I suspect he is thinking “why are those old bastards so damn slow?”I almost always find a tree that speaks to me. I can’t understand a word of it though because I don’t speak tree.And then it is down, down, down.You don’t get to be as old as we are by taking unnecessary chancesWe passed by Mary Jane’s place, so I headed up to for a quick hello…Got to meet her sister too. Wowza!
A good day on trail all and all.
And this post proves it, don’t you think?
That’s it for this time, folks.
So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten Sons are like birds, flying upward over the mountain
Or maybe this post is down and dirty. One of those.
I enjoyed the sunrise this morning.
There’s a rainbow in there somewhere.Zoom doesn’t help much. Sorry, my phone camera just doesn’t see things the way I do.
Anyway, just a quick update on my love life. I still haven’t got one. But that’s okay. I did get some news about Iline (remember her?) that left me feeling a little disconcerted. A friend of mine who wasn’t privy to my former relationship with Iline mentioned that she had met a friend of his and they have fallen madly in love. He also told me that she broke things off with her Canadian boyfriend when she met this new guy. What could I say other than good for her. Still, that was the one thing I wanted her to do before I went all in and she wouldn’t or couldn’t do it. Granted, I never asked her to, in fact, I intentionally left it entirely up to her–do what makes you happy–was how I left it. She wanted it both ways though and in the end, I had to walk away. Not without feeling some pain and regret though. So maybe this news tells me all I need to know about who she is and what we had. Perhaps I am indeed the lucky one. Oh, and I removed all the password protection from my previous posts about her. She’s free of the former boyfriend now so her cheating with me is no longer an issue.
In unrelated but somewhat coincidental news, I heard from Mary yesterday for the first time in a long time. She’s the sexy 22-year old I met on the street a few months back. Last I’d heard she was working in a bar here in Barretto. Our final get-together had been completely unsatisfying and I was resolved to be done with her for good. Well, she gave me the whole song and dance about how she misses me and wanted to see me. I reminded her of our last encounter and she promised this time she’d do better. I told her that I wasn’t going to pay her 5000 pesos again and she said that was fine–pay what I want or nothing at all. Hmm. Well, I had to give her credit for upping her game over these past couple months. I guess working in a bar will do that. After some back and forth I finally relented and agreed to meet her.
Turns out my original instinct was correct. She was 30 minutes late and as standoffish as ever. Still looked smoking hot though. Oh well, took her upstairs and did the deed, and once again it was less than special. While she was in the bathroom afterward, she messaged me asking if I would give her 5000 pesos. I simply responded “no”. As she was leaving I stuffed 3000 pesos in her pocket and told her that’s the going rate for a short time in Barretto and then I sent her on her way.
What the fuck is wrong with me? Oh yeah, now I remember. I’m a whore. Might as well embrace it. I blame Joe Biden!
Life goes on despite the occasional wrenching experiences.
Worth a couple of minutes of your time if you are in need of a smile.
A very nice walk this morning with my Friday group. More on that tomorrow. Time for me to get out and about. It is almost gin and soda o’clock!
Well, I guess we will all be sorry. I fear for the well-being of my country and I’m very disappointed in my fellow citizens. I think I’ll just leave it at that for now.
Good thing I’m in the Philippines where I won’t see the shit to come up close and personal. I’ll pay for it though. We all will.
I took a good long walk this morning hoping to keep the blues at bay. Can’t say that it worked but nothing to be done but to keep on keepin’ on I suppose. A solitary 12K, mostly on pavement.
One of those streets I marched.I thought Kevin Kim might have enjoyed this covered shelter featuring a comfortable looking upholstered chair. And the flowers growing on the roof are a nice touch.A different angle on Easter mountain…The first of a dozen or so discarded face masks I observed this morning. I guess some things at least never change.
And that’s about it from here. I blew off playing darts this afternoon. Think I’ll get a haircut instead. Maybe I’ll get drunk after that.
Here’s a new place that just opened. Haven’t been yet but I love the name…
There’s a first time for everything they say, and yesterday was the first time I was pleasantly surprised when hiking a trail laid by Vienna Sausage (Guenter). Don’t get me wrong, it was plenty challenging it just wasn’t insane. I appreciated that. I actually mentioned to the co-Hare, Anal Receptive, that he must have exercised some strong arm twisting to prevent the creation of a Guenter-style nightmare. He admitted that he did have to work hard to convince Vienna to avoid being overly extreme. Their compromise was adding a “hard” section to the trail for those crazy people who enjoy such nonsense. Anyway, it worked for me.
The green line represents the “easy” bypass to avoid a much more difficult undertaking. Easy is a relative term though. We had a very steep climb at the beginning and a slippery descent as well. One of each was more than enough for me!We had a nice turnout of 30 some odd (well, truthfully most of us are odd) Hashers.It was On-On and then almost immediately On-Up!To the Hare’s credit, they actually found a new trail for us to experience. That’s unusual indeed. Pubic Head (Scott) has been Hashing in Subic for 15 years or so and he remembers ALL the trails he’s hiked. Said he’d never been on this one.I’m not sure I’d do this one again voluntarily, but one thing about a steep trail, it gets you to the top sooner.That’s Pubic Head bringing up the rear. And I was back there with him to, um, photograph the event.And that’s the behind of K9 Linguist.Near the top was this neatly stacked pile of wood. It is destined to be turned into uling, which is Filipino charcoal used for cooking.A view from up top.And off in the distance the ever-present Easter mountain.Almost to the top girls, don’t give up now!Western Union Sperm Bank stands at the junction of Easy and Hard. She also had the good sense to take the easy route.I’ll end the suspense right now. Even out in the wilderness, I was able to find some mask litter to photograph.Ah, the joys of walking on almost flat ground. Comparatively easy it was.This was the one thousand four hundred seventeenth running of the SBH3. The Hare’s were feeling a little creative I guess.Yes, indeed I did get the Kilroy was here reference. I’m an old fucker though.Always nice to encounter some Gash on trail.Onward!A young father and child. Or maybe brother, hard to tell these days.Pubic Head still bringing up the rear and I’m right there with him!The way ahead.On-Down!Our destination in Barretto awaits us, but it’s a long and slippery descent indeed!Pubic Head says “I’ve got this, follow me!”And so we did.Safely ensconced at our On-Home in Queen Victoria enjoying some liquid refreshment after our hike.And later we enjoyed watching Vienna Sausage being recognized for his 69th run with the SBH3,
And so ended another day with the Hash. Considering how I figured we’d be precluded by a typhoon it turned out to be an unexpectedly nice time indeed.
Super typhoon Rolly must have encountered some Kryptonite on the way to Olongapo. Just a little rain but no winds, flooding, or damage in these parts. This is not to say there wasn’t death and destruction where the storm did make landfall, just noting my good fortune that it apparently bypassed us.
So unless things dramatically change I’ll be making an appearance at today’s Hash. Not as sure I’ll be doing Guenter’s trail though. I don’t know for certain what he has in mind but from our start point on Banaba street, I’d wager the long, hard, and steep climb up what even he calls “Motherfucker” is a distinct possibility. None of that for me, thanks. Once I get there I’ll just wing it I suppose. I’ll likely just stay on the pavement today.
I did make it out for a bit yesterday afternoon before the rain hit. Started at Cheap Charlies and had this in lieu of beer:
That’s my new preferred drink, gin and soda water. I get one shot of gin in a tall glass which makes it half as potent as the normal drink would be. I had two during the hour I spent there.
I was successful in avoiding my mid-day meal yesterday as well. Quelled the hunger pangs with a slice of turkey lunch meat and some processed cheese. It worked. But by 5:30 I was definitely ready for dinner. Foodies, the restaurant downstairs from Cheap Charlies, had their Sunday special on offer–roast beef. Tempting though that sounded, I had a hankering for the pork chops at Mango’s. So off I went.
Ordered up another gin and soda upon arrival and told the waitress I wanted the grilled pork chops. She came back a couple of minutes later with the disappointing news that the chops were not available. Hmm, now what? I asked if they had roast chicken and she went off to check. Upon return, she advised that I could get half a roast chicken now, or if I was willing to wait 40 minutes I could get a fresh whole chicken. Hmm, something about the way she emphasized the word “fresh” compelled me to ask how old the half chicken was. “A couple of days”. Although I didn’t need a whole chicken I had no problem waiting for it to be freshly roasted.
That’s a lot of chicken! And quite tasty as well. Served with a side of coleslaw too. Took the leftovers home to my helpers, so it was a win-win situation for sure. Oh, and I had a final gin and soda with dinner.
Then when I got home I had a strawberry-banana smoothie, likely eliminating any benefits I may have derived from my good behavior throughout the day. Ah well, it’s a process.
Had an abbreviated walk in the rain with the dogs.this morning But not to worry, I still managed to capture this image:
There is relatively less litter within my neighborhood than outside the gate, but it is far from litter-free. We even have discarded masks.
And here’s a bonus for you litter maniacs:
That’s right, a face shield! Now that’s something I don’t see every day. Kudos to Buddy for the photobomb too.
Well, here it is: The Post You’ve Been Waiting For!
I hope you are not too disappointed.
But wait, there’s more! Happy Halloween for one thing. And courtesy of Facebook memories I can share this blast from the past:
Eun Oke and me from four years ago. The whole dressing up thing was her idea and she was responsible for the costumes. I just played along. She could be a fun girl. I kinda miss her some.I didn’t dress up again until last year. Tonight I’ll go out as a COVID-free 65-year-old. That oughta scare ’em!
Speaking of memories, how about this shot of my work family circa 2005:
“Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.”
But enough about me. I saw this on my dog walk today:
I’m always shocked at all the things Filipinos can figure out how to load on a tricycle. Note that I didn’t say load safely.
And if you think that is funny, you’ll love this:
Sorrow floats.
So, I took this shot from my perch at Mango’s yesterday evening:
I thought it might be the precursor of the typhoon that is headed our way. Turns out it was just a thunderstorm. Been sunny and clear all day today. So far anyway.
But Typhoon Rolly is still rolling our way. The latest tracker I saw says it should come ashore early tomorrow morning.
It’s a category 4 storm and it looks like it’s gonna be pretty much a direct hit. That means lots of rain and high winds. It’s the winds I dread because I know the power grid won’t withstand the lashing of a storm of this magnitude and I doubt they’ll send out repair crews until the storm has passed. I’ve already made tentative plans to book a hotel room at a place with a generator. Maybe even Mango’s.
But I’ll worry about that tomorrow. For now, let me look back on yesterday’s hike to Tibag. We go out that way once a year or so and I was looking forward to the trek. Not sure why I like that area so much, it’s isolated and not all that easy to access. Heh, maybe I just answered my own question. As usual, I’ll let the pictures tell the story (and most of the photo credits go to Scott).
It was a small gathering of the Friday walkers: Me, Troy, Jim, and the man behind the camera, Scott.Our destination awaits.We followed the road on the way up to Tibag with the intent of finding a river crossing and coming back on the opposite side.Handed out some cookies along the way…This guy told me to keep my fuckin’ cookies. Or so it appeared.
So, it was a total of10K hike there and back. A couple of years ago we had done a picnic alongside a creek at the end of the road. Things change though. Here’s what the end of the road looked like this year:
WTF? They turned it into a garbage dumping area. A real buzz killer.And now this poor family is stuck living next to a dump. What a shame.So, we moved on and found a nicer view.A cabin in the woods.Bamboo teepees… Is that cultural appropriation?Poor Troy had to do a lot of waiting on us older guys…Here they are!And then we came to the proverbial fork in the road.Downtown Tibag features the elementary school and not much else. At least ii is a child-friendly school…We also found the river crossing we were looking for in Tibag. One of the neighbor ladies leaned out her window to warn us “it’s not safe!”. Jim was able to confirm that within a few steps. I could see that old bamboo bending to the near breaking point under his weight. That was a big NOPE for me. We wound up walking back the way we came.Onward!The locals were friendly.This picture seems a little creepy though…Improving the road to the dump I reckon…This little piggy hasn’t gone to market. Yet.A river runs through it.Doing the laundry the old school way…Jim on a rock.A bridge to nowhere. Does anybody recognize that mountain?Scott is homeward bound.And yes, as a matter of fact, I did find a discarded facemask…
It was a good day on trail. Looking forward to being able to explore the other side of the river next time.
And finally, here’s what I had for breakfast this morning:
French toast at Sit-n-Bull. There’s a reason I wanted to satisfy my craving today. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. Sorry, Kevin!
Nothing all that special I suppose, but having a good day that doesn’t even seem special makes for something special. Oh, I’m talking about yesterday by the way. I’ll tell you how special today has been tomorrow.
It started out like this.
Did the morning walk with the dogs. When I got home I saw a Facebook memory from two years ago showing Lucky in his previous life:
Tied to a stump on a short leash and left to sit all day without food and water.I think his current circumstances are more to his liking. He’s a fat lazy bastard now, that’s for sure!
I took myself on a longer than normal two-hour walk on the Subic side of the river. It was quite pleasant actually.
Even found the coveted mask litter to photograph and share here.
Over at his blog, Kevin Kim was talking about the wear and tear on his body and the change in his appearance upon the completion of his month-long hike from Incheon to Busan. Well, I don’t have blistered and mangled feet, but I’ve gone through some changes from my walking exploits as well:
Slowly but surely I’m turning into a Filipino!
After my morning walk was complete, I took a nap and did my Bundok post here. Then perused Facebook some and found these gems:
That was me nine years ago. A fat and happy married man.Cum on! If they named a girls camp that these days there would be an orgasm of outrage!Here’s a yard sign I rather like.And some scary behaviors I don’t like.I haven’t ranted about the stupidity of COVID restrictions lately. But this one is about as dumb as I’ve seen. Seriously, cars can’t park next to each other because of COVID? And now I’m hearing live music is being banned in the bars as well. Not sure why. There are so few customers around with the tourists excluded that social distancing isn’t an issue when a bar band is playing.
Alright, enough of Facebook. It’s starting to piss me off. Besides, it is time to play darts at Johan’s down on Baloy Beach. I was the first to arrive but soon enough a few others showed up and we had ourselves a little tournament.
Me and Vincent were the only males in attendance. Nothing wrong with that!
My partner was off her game but I was throwing quite a bit better than usual. That allowed us to go undefeated on the afternoon and take home first place money. Such as it was (300 pesos each). I don’t play for the money anyway, I come for the beer competition.
We got it done!
After darts, I headed over to Queen Victoria and shared my winnings in the form of lady drinks for my favorite waitresses. Then headed across the street to Mango’s to enjoy my ritual of watching the sun go down.
