Here’s my advice…

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…don’t take advice from someone like me.


When I came I felt it was in the face of everything decent, white sperm dripping down over the heads and souls of my dead parents. If I had been born a woman I would certainly have been a prostitute. Since I had been born a man I craved women constantly, the lower the better. And yet women—good women—frightened me because they eventually wanted your soul, and what was left of mine I wanted to keep. Basically I craved prostitutes, base women, because they were deadly hard and made no personal demands. Nothing was lost when they left. Yet at the same time I yearned for a gentle, good woman, despite the overwhelming price. Either way I was lost. A strong man would give up both. I wasn’t strong. So I continued to struggle with women, the idea of women.
–Charles Bukowski, Women

The more I read Bukowski the more it seems we have in common besides both having worked at the Post Office. Now, I don’t think I’m quite as bad as he describes himself above but I can certainly relate to the sentiment. It was especially weird just randomly coming across this Bukowski quote during my morning internet stroll. Are the Gods trying to tell me something? Nah, they know I don’t listen to reason anyway.

Maybe it also resonated because of an odd experience I had last night. I’m home after my nightly rounds at Cheap Charlies and Mango’s and a message pops up on my screen from someone I haven’t heard from in awhile. She asks me if I can give her some advice. Sure, I tell her. What’s up? Can I call you? Well, okay. I can’t remember the last time I actually used my phone for talking to someone, but why not? So, she calls and tells me her boyfriend in Canada broke up with her. I told her I heard she had broken up with him and that she was in love with someone else now. She told me no, he had ended the relationship before she started seeing the new guy. Anyway, the Canadian guy has had a change of heart and he wants her back again. What should I do? she asks me.

What am I gonna say other than my standard response. Follow your heart I tell her. If you love him and think he is the one, then forgive and forget. But I also reminded her of some of the things she had told me about the guy. Like how he believed he should be able to visit Angeles City to covert with prostitutes whenever he pleased and she would have nothing to say about it. You okay with that now? I asked. She told me that he insists he has changed and doesn’t feel that way now. Okay then, if you believe that… But then she said the breakup had been ugly. He called her a lot of names and then said “I hope you die painfully”. What? Are you fucking kidding me? He really said that? Yes, she responded, but now he says he didn’t mean it, he was just angry and upset. I told her in all of my failed relationships and in my most insane moments I had NEVER wished harm to come to a woman I had loved. I said any man who would utter such a desire is the type of narcissistic bastard who would act on those emotions if he were physically present. You asked for my advice and my advice is to stay as far away as possible from this fucked up piece of shit. She thanked me for sharing my thoughts and we ended the call.

Good luck to you, Iline.

My salad daze

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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.

Can’t get it out of my head

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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?

That went well

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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?

And that was my day. I declare it a good one.

Made it by a Hare

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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.

See you then!

Moments like these

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This morning I’m laying trail with my co-Hare for tomorrow’s Hash. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with some random shit from my so-called life.

The tools of the trade: Powder and chalk. I’m a big fan of a well-marked trail.
A good afternoon of darts yesterday. I threw pretty well and I had a good partner for a change. Made it through the winner’s bracket undefeated.
After the tourney, I headed out to Mango’s for my weekly grilled pork chops fix. Delicious as usual.
A sunset for dessert.

I always assumed there was something not quite right about Lucky. I had it pegged as retardation. I mean, is he winking at me? The other eye has a look about it like there is some evil plot afoot ( a paw?).

I may be a pervert but that’s no reason to treat me like trash.
Another non-traditional breakfast–chicken pot pie. Yum!
I was planning to gift my old laptop to a “friend” who lives nearby. Figured she could use it for her kids’ homeschooling tasks (they are always borrowing her phone). I invited her to drop by (she literally walks past my house to get to her housekeeping job) but she always had some excuse. No, I didn’t specify it was a laptop I wanted to give her, I just said I had a gift (it was her birthday yesterday). Not going to beg someone to pick up their present. Sheesh.
Let the payback begin!
I like this one too…
Looks like trouble ahead!
C’mon! That’s pretty funny…

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for now. That powder isn’t going to lay itself!

13 isn’t always bad

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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!

After the storm

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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.

Yeah, you can blame Ulysses for that too!

Dealing with depression

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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

The way it goes around here

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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.

Anyway, I’m in no hurry to stop breathing.

That’s the way you do it

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No real complaints about yesterday’s Hash trail. A good 6K hike with one moderate climb, nice weather, and no falls or injury. Just the way I like it!

Our path as seen from above…
We headed out from Alta Vista which was certainly convenient for me.
On-On!
Bum Burgler bringing up the rear. No pun intended.
Speaking of the rear, I kept my eye on What’s Up Doc for a goodly portion of the trek.
You cross this bridge to get to the other side.
At least the Hares were honest about it this time.
Passing by Easter mountain.
There are only so many ways to get to the Hunter Jo on-home from Barretto. I appreciated the fact that the Hares found a couple of places along the way that were new to me.
They also did a good job marking the trail. That’s really important.
The big up for the day…
An outpost in the wilderness…
The way ahead.
A view from the top…
Looking back.
A portion of the Hash circle…or should I say a slice?
I voluntarily joined the Hares on the ice as a testament to their fine trail.
An assortment of Gash.
Our newest named Hasher, Where’s My Money?
Cream Filled Cupcake received the Hashit. She’s so damn cute!
And then the sun set on another Hash day.

I took a tricycle back to Barretto and devoured some pork chops to satisfy my well-earned hunger. Then it was on to home and in bed by 8 p.m. Not as sad as it sounds, it was a fine day.

Pubic Head and I will be Hares for next week’s trail. More on that later.

Something fishy

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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.

Until then, peace out!

What a pain in the neck

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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.

That’s it for this time.

Upwards over the mountain

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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 chances
We 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

Quick and easy

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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!

You’ll be sorry

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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…

Life’s a beach sometimes for sure.

Ignorance abounds

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It’s election day back in the USA. As of this writing, I have seen no returns or other reports on the potential outcome of what just might be the most important presidential vote in my lifetime. I’m nervous about the outcome, not because I have any questions about who is the better-qualified candidate to lead our nation these next four years, rather I have my doubts about the competence and intelligence of the electorate.

I guess the above sounds pretty generic in the sense that a supporter of either of the candidates could reasonably make that statement. Although I don’t delve into politics much these days on the blog, regular readers I’m sure know where I stand on the issues our nation faces and the leadership we need to successfully move into the future. I’m no Trump fanatic, far from it in fact. But just as I chose the clown over the crook in 2016, I’ll take the asshole over the idiot in 2020. I do hope it turns out that way and I reckon I’ll know for sure soon enough.

All of this is a leadup to a post that appeared on my Facebook newsfeed yesterday, written by a “friend” from back in my Korea days named Martin Kelly:


No, that’s not what I am saying. ….I’m not saying I think all Trump supporters are Nazis. I’m saying I know that for a fact. The sky is blue, the sea is green, all Trump supporters are Nazis.

But surely you are not accusing 39 million……

Yes, I am. Sure, of course, some of them are nice guys. But there were nice guy Nazis too

Wow. That is without a doubt the most ignorant thing I have read from someone I know on Facebook in all the years I’ve been wasting time on that platform. And if he is any indication of just how stupid my fellow Americans have become then I truly do fear for my country. I actually went back and looked at his profile page to see if maybe I was missing his sarcasm or some context where such an outrageous comment would make sense. There was none.

I don’t know why I even bothered responding. Someone that far gone with Trump Derangement Syndrome can’t be saved by offering up a rational opposing view. Instead, I said this:


Reductio ad Hitlerum (/ˈhɪtlərəm/; Latin for “reduction to Hitler”), also known as playing the Nazi card,[1][2] is an attempt to invalidate someone else’s position on the basis that the same view was held by Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party.[3] One example would be that since Hitler was against smoking, this implies that someone who is against smoking is a Nazi.[4]

Coined by Leo Strauss in 1953, reductio ad Hitlerum borrows its name from the term used in logic called reductio ad absurdum (“reduction to the absurd”).[5] According to Strauss, reductio ad Hitlerum is a form of ad hominem, ad misericordiam, or a fallacy of irrelevance. The suggested rationale is one of guilt by association. It is a tactic often used to derail arguments because such comparisons tend to distract and anger the opponent.[6]

Wikipedia

And just in case the words were too big for his closed little mind, I added a helpful illustration:

I haven’t unfriended him on Facebook or even checked to see if he has canceled me. The other comments on his post were from fellow travelers though. Scary to see that people really believe this shit.

Oh well, nothing I can do about politics except live as best I can with whatever the future may bring. Thank God I have the benefit of living thousands of miles away from my troubled homeland.

So, after that experience, I went out to ease my mind with some darts competition. Somehow the headgear of the tournament director was comforting:

I like your style, Billy!

Good fortune was with me as I drew Christy, one of the top players here in Barretto, as my partner. She did the heavy lifting and I made some meaningful contributions as we sailed our way to victory without losing a game.

Well played, partner!

I also received my meat delivery yesterday. How’s this for a slab of beef:

That layer of fat on top and bottom was disconcerting the first time I ordered one. It looks nothing like the beef roasts I used to get back home. But it turned out to be quite tasty last time.
So I sliced it up and smothered it in vegetables. Looking forward to chowing down tonight!

A small turnout for today’s Wednesday walking group.

Me, Steve, and Jim braved the fine weather and did a pleasant 6K hike together.
I was tasked with leading the hike and chose to do a trail featuring My Bitch. Y’all have seen that one a million times already, so not many photos today.
Thank you, Mother Mary, for keeping us safe!
And thank you Easter mountain for watching over us.

And as always, thank you to my readers for blessing me with your presence here at Long Time Gone.

Oh wait, I almost forgot. Turns out that litter DOES grow on trees here:

Will wonders never cease?

And I’m also going to share the unlikely news that I DID NOT see a discarded facemask during my hike today.

There was this face shield though…

Until we meet again, then.

It’s hard to be easy

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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.

Rolly folly

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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.

See y’all here tomorrow!

NO! vember

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There’s a first time for everything!

And so it begins. Again. I can no longer pretend not to notice that large protrusion around my mid-section popularly known as a beer belly. How it got there I haven’t a clue but I’ve resolved to take appropriate actions to make it go away.

Yes, Google is my friend and the WebMD tells me my beer belly may come from my consumption of beer. Go figure. Also, unhealthy eating habits like indulging my sweet tooth and other high-calorie carbohydrates. This usually happens after I drink a few beers, so I guess there is some correlation. So what to do about it? Well, the web is full of advice, most of which comes down to diet and exercise. Tell me something I don’t already know!

I don’t expect I’ll have six-pack abs, but I want to get rid of the keg I have now.

Truth is, I do get plenty of exercise in the form of walking. Admittedly my step count has fallen off somewhat of late, averaging around 18,000 steps daily rather than the 20,000+ I used to do routinely. I’m going to work on bumping that back up but I’m also planning to add some strength training as well.

Nothing real dramatic though, just some resistance band training and using the ab wheel to strengthen up those stomach muscles.

The real challenge will be in reducing my calorie intake and regaining some discipline when it comes to just saying “no!” to the foods I enjoy, like ice cream and other sweets. That’s why I had that big breakfast of French toast yesterday; just my way of saying goodbye. For a while at least.

Compare and contrast to this morning’s breakfast–no bread at all!

So, this is basically my plan: I’ll have a big breakfast and skip lunch. If I get hungry, I’ll eat something healthier like nuts or a slice of cheese. I’ll cut out the sweets as much as I can too. No big ass bowls of ice cream but maybe an occasional strawberry smoothie. What am I forgetting? Oh yeah, the beer. Hmm. I do drink low carb, low-calorie beer now but I’m drinking too much of it. Starting today I’ll cut way back on the beer consumption. I’m thinking I’ll indulge on Hash day because beer is all that is available. On other nights when I’m out and about I’ll switch to something carb-free, like gin and soda water. I’ve already checked with my favorite bars and I was pleased to find that they all stock soda water so I should be good to go.

I’ve done this regimen before. Dropped 70 pounds in about 18 months by taking up walking and engaging in some dietary discipline. I weighed in this morning at an even 211 pounds. My goal is to bet back under 200, so that means at least 12 pounds have got to go. I’d actually like to drop around 20 pounds and then try and maintain a healthy for me weight of 195.

Two years ago when I was back home in the USA I was happy to discover I could still wear my letter carrier jacket. I think it would be a tight squeeze now.

What else is going on? Well, everyone is these parts is waiting expectantly for Super Typhoon Rolly to roll in. I thought it was due to hit in the wee hours of this morning but I hadn’t noticed the times in the tracker were GMT. Arrival is now expected tonight around 9:00. Looks like it is going to be a doozy, probably the strongest storm I’ve seen since moving here. Rolly is hitting at the same time as high tide and word is there will be a storm surge of 2 or 3 meters. So flooding could be an issue for those near the beach. Rolly is also packing big winds and that could cause some damage, especially for those who are living in shacks and squalor already. I guess my worry about loss of power is meaningless, comparatively speaking. Still, I’m fully prepared to suck it up and book a room at Mango’s should the need arise.

It was clear an hour ago, but now the rain has arrived. Good thing I got my morning walk in at least.

So here’s your daily dose of mask litter porn.

Speaking of porn, you should see my ass. Almost a week after taking my spill during the Hash, my butt is still sore. Here’s why:

Just be thankful I cropped out the crack. You are welcome!

It’s highly unlikely I’ll be doing a Hash tomorrow. For one thing, Guenter is the Hare again. For another, there’ll be a frickin’ typhoon. I’m hoping things have moderated enough that I can do a bar crawl type trail. We’ll see.

And that’s it from here on this rainy Sunday. Wish me luck!