After all, it can’t get much gooder than Friday, right? Alright, I’ll leave my punniness be and get to the real stuff. And I’ve got lots of pictures to share, so let’s do it:
The dart bar was closed last night, so I decided to visit my friend Joy at the Hideaway Bar. She’d been sending me sad messages about not having money for an Easter meal with her family. So I figured she could use some lady drink commission. How do you get to Hideaway? Glad you asked!
I stayed long enough to buy her three drinks and tipped her enough to buy the food for her Easter meal. Mission accomplished!
My next stop was Cheap Charlies. I arrived in time to watch the sun pull its disappearing act.
It being Good Friday and with the local Catholic church located just up the highway, I guess I should not have been surprised to see an Easter-themed procession pass by on the street below. I didn’t really have a good angle for taking photos, but here is what I managed:
I had my beers, bought the girls some dinner, then headed on out. Next stop, Alaska Club. Not real busy there, but nothing really happening either. Some big spenders had brought all the dancers down from the stage and were plying them and the waitresses with lady drinks. I watched that shit show until I finished my beer, then said my goodbyes.
I finished my night out at Queen Victoria.
So, I successfully completed my beer quest while traversing Barretto from one end to the other. Not bad for an old guy, eh? It was indeed a good Friday.
So far today I have completed my morning jaunt, doing a 7K walkabout in San Isidro.
I’ve got a pot roast cooking in the crockpot. Been a long time since I’ve done one of those. Also made some cornbread to accompany the meal I’ll enjoy later this evening. I also got a message from Sit-n-Bull saying they had made a batch of pecan pies and asked if I wanted to reserve one. I responded affirmatively, so tonight’s dessert is taken care of too. That’s a nice benefit of being a regular customer and a Facebook friend of the owner.
Since I couldn’t play darts last night, I’ll make a rare appearance at the Saturday night tournament. Baking up a batch of my popular brownies for the girls as an Easter treat.
And that’s where things stand as of now. As promised, here are some photos from the Friday group hike for your enjoyment:
And that was that. You can Relive the hike here if you’d like:
That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll be back like a bunny for Easter.
Happy Easter 🐣
Glad to see you’re mixing things up and varying your routines.
I would like to hear your thoughts on finances in Barretto. Didn’t Joy just get an infusion of cash recently? I was led to believe that amount would be equivalent to a month’s salary, and a wiser woman would’ve saved a few dollars to treat herself to dinner.
But then again, being a single mom with a fairly large family is not easy. Are most of your friends not only raising their children but also bankrolling some boyfriends and unemployed uncles ?
Looks like a tough life for a young gal.
I’m assuming that your largesse puts her above the average Hideaway Guest Relations Officer. 🤔
You’re a generous friend and patron, and her colleagues may not have such an avenue 🎶
When you get some time, I’ll be happy to read an article of you crunching the numbers and shining a light on some financial issues. You know quite a few about the neighborhood issues and I’m curious 🤔
Also, that big fella Martin. Every time I see him on the hiking trail I’m motivated to move my behind. The man is an inspiration 🙌 🙏 Not that you and Troy are not fit or anything, your impressive beer bellies are left in the dust as Mr. Kilowatt puts in the miles to reduce the pounds 😉
I thank you
Hey James, I normally give the gals 3000 pesos ($60) for their services. The daily salary in the bars is around 250 pesos, so my “gift” is the equivalent of maybe ten days’ pay. Usually, there is an immediate need to use the cash for something past due, like rent and utilities. I’ve seen Joy’s squalid living space that she shares with her two kids and alleged brother. I actually gave her the cash to have running water piped into her kitchen and bathroom. I think the “getting by” required income would be around 7,500 pesos a month. It’s a hard life for most of the working girls here and I do feel sorry for their situation. I’m not sure how Joy does in comparison to her co-workers, but she often complains that no customers = no commissions.
Yeah, Martin really is an inspiration. He can get up those mountains better than I can! And he is definitely getting more and more in shape. Nice guy to and fun to hang out with.
Wow
That was a quick turn around.
Also, glad to learn that I was way off. So a good 300 ~500 dollars would be ideal. Turns out it’s not that much cheaper after all.
This may well be a situation in a small rural poor part of middle America, or a gritty inner city area 🤔 and I presume a modicum of pride is what keeps her entreaties infrequent enough and only when the need is immediate.
Funny line about the alleged brother 🤣 usually they go with ‘cousin’.
Thanks for the write-up. You’re doing wonderful things
James, I used to give my ex $200 a month in cash. That paid her rent and utilities and combined with whatever else she earned in commissions she lived better than most of her peers. $500. would put you in the upper echelon of the working class here. As an example, I pay my helper $400. a month, but that comes with room and board. That’s probably twice the going rate for live-in domestic help.
Yes, Joy is one of the better ones in her methods of asking for help. For Easter she didn’t come out and say give me money, it was more along the lines of “I’m sad because I can’t prepare an Easter dinner for my aunt when she visits”. Not all are so subtle and some are outright voracious in their money demands. I’ve had to block a few of those. The ones who ask only when they are truly in need are easier for me to accomodate.
Cool 😎
I’m wrecking my brain 🧠 trying to recall which ex you’re referring to who’d be earning commissions 🤔
Whatever happened to that kitchenette business venture you invested in ?
You may not be Jeff Bezos , but you’re right up there with the wealthiest 1% of Barretto….I guess Alta Vista is the Monaco of San Isidiro.
I’ve often wondered why you don’t get a boat .. a simple banka to do some island-hopping and enjoy the view 😉
The King of Monaco 🇲🇨 has a few 🚢
I imagine you’ll be dubbed King John 🤴 ,fourth of his name ,conqueror of Easter mountain and provider to all fair maidens.
“I imagine you’ll be dubbed King John 🤴 ,fourth of his name ,conqueror of Easter mountain and provider to all fair maidens.”
Alright, now that gave me a laugh. Thanks!
The ex I am referring to is Marissa. And yes, she is the one I helped open the kitchenette. The business failed and she moved to Manila. I don’t ever hear from her these days.
I’m not sure Alta Vista is like Monaco, but it does afford us the ability to *ahem* look down on our fellow citizens. Easy to rent a bank boat when the urge strikes, I’ve done so twice this year already.