Well, it only hurts until the pain goes away. And when the pain goes away, I’ll be dead. So, given the option, I can live with the hurt.

Let’s talk about yesterday’s Hash. It was a wet one. The rain never let up all day. The poor Hare couldn’t mark the trail in advance because the marking tools- powder, paper, and chalk couldn’t withstand the constant exposure to water. So instead, the Hare, Demolition Derby, led the pack of Hashers on a “follow me” trail through the streets of Matain and Calapacuan. I don’t recall having done a trail in that manner previously, but it worked out okay. Until it didn’t. After an hour or so, I discerned that Derby was going to lead us back to the On-Home at Smokes and Bottles via a long walk on the Govic Highway. That wasn’t appealing to me, so Swan and I had the bright idea of shortcutting through the neighborhood backstreets. Oops, that was a major fuck up. Turns out most of those streets were underwater. I’m talking knee-deep wading that went on for a kilometer or so. Not fun!

Here are some photos from the Hash adventure.

Still, better to be just passing through than having to deal with this 24/7 like the locals.

Wet and wild is the way we rolled through another day in the life.

The Facebook AI Gods offered to alter that old photo I posted yesterday of me and my daughter at her high school homecoming queen event:

Now it is November 2021 in the LTG archives, and it seems God is calling my bluff about giving up on love. Paula, the gal I had been crushing on from a distance, invited me to a gathering for her birthday and told me she was interested in giving me a try. Wow! I responded by inviting her to hike with me, and she accepted. Where do I go from here? Well, I know where I went, but that’s a story for another day.

Today’s YouTube video is about tipping in the Philippines. Unlike in the USA, tipping is not expected here, and tips of any amount are appreciated. I’ve altered my tipping philosophy since moving here, but I will usually tip at least 10%, especially when I can tip my server directly (the group tip boxes don’t resonate with me). I know many of my fellow expats don’t come from a tipping culture and think it is a stupid American habit. You do you, and I’ll do me. It’s my money to spend as I see fit.

Now let’s head for the humor zone:

And yes, it is STILL fucking raining today. Someone posted that this makes 39 straight days. I guess that makes this situation to be of Biblical proportions. Hmm, how long can I tread water?