Or at least I wasn’t yesterday. I had a nice day doing things my way, and it all worked out just fine, even if I didn’t attend the SOB competition.
Started things off with a group hike. There had been some talk about driving out for a waterfall hike, but we had more participants than space in the car, so we went with Plan B, which was no plan at all. Walking about and changing direction on a whim worked out just fine. Let me show you:
It was a good day to get out and about.
When I left the house for my night out on the town, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to attend the SOB or not. As I walked, I decided against it. No real reason other than that I wasn’t in the mood. Where to, then? I figured I might as well surprise Joy by visiting Hideaway on Friday. I didn’t want to come empty-handed, so I went to John’s place first to order some food. I was the one who was surprised when I arrived because the place was packed–not a seat to be had at the bar. I forlornly sat at a table for a few minutes, and then a couple of folks departed, and I had my coveted seat. Joy was without a customer and joined me at the bar.
When I’d had my fill of Hideaway fun, I moseyed on up the highway, unsure of the venue I would patronize next. I briefly considered Blue Butterfly as I passed by, but I just wasn’t feeling it for some reason. A light rain started falling, and that was enough to convince me to pay a visit to Mugshots. I chose to give their outside seating a try so I could enjoy watching the world go by. That proved to be a mistake. One girl came out and sat beside me, which was fine. I don’t mind some company. Then another gal appeared and started rubbing my back without asking permission. Soon enough, she was joined by two others, and I was surrounded. I guzzled down my beer, paid, and made a run for it.
I figured I’d be safe at Cheap Charlies, only being accosted by my two long-time favorites there. I was surprised to see Simon (Leech My Nuggets) drinking alone, so I joined him, and we shared some chat. Looking out across the highway I saw this:
After a couple of beers, Troy and Jim arrived and joined the fun. I decided I wanted to pay a final visit to the old Alaska, so I headed out to make that my nightcap venue.
Surprisingly, I was the only customer when I arrived. Then again, the SOB was still in progress, so maybe that’s where everyone was hanging out. Eight dancers were on the stage, and I decided to reward them for their entertainment efforts. No, I didn’t buy them all drinks; I wasn’t THAT drunk. I did have the cashier change some hundreds into fifties so I could gift each dancer a fifty peso note. Yeah, not a lot, but they seemed to appreciate the gesture anyway. After a while, the Alaska dance team returned from the SOB, where they had finished second during the competition. Joy, my second favorite dancer on the team (Karen wasn’t there), came by my table so naturally I rewarded her with a drink.
So, Sunday will be the last night at this location, and the new venue will open on Tuesday. Glad I was able to say my goodbyes here and will look for to saying hello soon at the new Alaska.
So, that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone. I thought I might hear from Swan about getting together this evening, but nothing as of now. I’m in the mode of don’t ask–she’ll ask me if she wants to see me. Otherwise, I’ll spend time with the friend who never lets me down–San Mig Zero.
And here’s one for you lovers of grammar:
Now it feels like a scene from a Stephen King novel.
Those windows look like gaping mouths with teeth. Chomp!
The stairs to nowhere
We have a lot of those here in Korea, but I tend to call them “stairs to mystery.” There is something weird and compelling about stairs or paths that lead off somewhere, but you’re not sure where.
When I left the house for my night out on the town, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to attend the SOB or not. As I walked, I decided against it. No real reason other than that I wasn’t in the mood. Where to, then? I figured I might as well surprise Joy by visiting Hideaway on Friday. I didn’t want to come empty-handed, so I went to John’s place first to order some food. I was the one who was surprised when I arrived because the place was packed–not a seat to be had at the bar. I forlornly sat at a table for a few minutes, and then a couple of folks departed, and I had my coveted seat. Joy was without a customer and joined me at the bar.
I think I got lost in this paragraph because, by the end, it sounded as if you had met Joy at John’s place, which was packed.
And Korean-style chicken wings were the evening’s treat.
Are those crunchy? They’re supposed to be—even after being sauced. Korean-style fried chicken uses a thick coating of potato starch and, like french fries, undergoes what is called a “double fry,” i.e., fry at a low temp first to get a little color, then crank up the heat and fry aggressively to finish.
We shared some good times together. Thanks for the memories.
The dark-side lightsaber in that picture gives the place character. Vader lurks somewhere.
re: Swan
Slow and steady wins the race. I imagine she’s still sussing you out.
Kev, yes, rereading that paragraph now, I can see that it is indeed confusing regarding location. I’ll try and do better in the future.
Regarding the chicken wings, you are correct. John seasons them in the Korean fashion, but they aren’t fried crispy like those tasty buggers I always drunkenly enjoyed in Korea. I need to ask him about that.
Regarding Swan, I am doing my best to hold on and remain confident. I’m just tired of being alone all the time and last on her priority list. We had a messenger chat last night that was somewhat reassuring. And she keeps reminding me that once I’m moved in, we’ll be sharing a lot more time together. Onward!
Interesting that basketball is a much-loved sport in the PI. Soccer I get but basketball is surprising. While we are on the subject of basketball, you may or may not know that Dennis Rodman’s dad lived in Angeles City up until his death a few years back.
I always enjoy the chalk-outline, for lack of a better term, of your walks in the hood. Can you take a walk one of these days where the outline looks like a penis? That would be epic.
When you were talking about spending time with a friend who never lets you down I thought you were going to say Rosy Palm.
“Just say no to grass”! Remember back in the 70’s it was, “no ass, no grass, no gas, no ride”?
And finally John, you are never alone. Your faithful readers are with you on this journey and rooting for you to find and hold on to what you are looking for.
As always McCrarey, Peace Out!
I see a lot more young people playing basketball than I do playing soccer. In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing any soccer fields in the area (maybe at the schools?) The NBA is a big thing on TV here too.
Well, Soju, I don’t share your attraction to penises, but I’ll see what I can do… 🙂
I do indeed recall the “no gas, no grass, no ride” bumper stickers. Back in the day, I almost always had grass, so no problem…
And as always, thank you for your loyalty and support. I’m going to be okay no matter what happens and trust me, that is progress indeed!
soju,
For what it’s worth, I think John has already done a few walks that followed a vaguely phallic pattern.
McCrarey, Kevin has informed us that you have done a few walks resembling a penis. I’ll bet those walks were hard(LOL). So disregard my request for a walk resembling a penis(not that there’s anything wrong with that). Change it up to a walk where the outline resembles a vagina. I’ll make it easy. No clitoris required. Peace Out!
Soju, those penis-shaped walks came *ahem* by accident. Thanks to you, I am now thinking about what walking a vagina would look like. Stay tuned; I might do some experimenting.
Oh, and what is a clitoris?