Yeah, that joke is already a cliche. But this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, damn it, and I ain’t gonna miss out!
See what I mean?
Anyway, I spent the last hours of 2019 doing what I do best–drinking copious amounts of San Miguel Zero. I started out on the Arizona floating bar where I captured the last sunset of the old year.
I like the perspective that I gain from scenes like this one. My life is far from perfect and I certainly carry the wounds of past disappointments wherever I go. BUT damn, I am actually living here surrounded by nature’s glory. I could do worse.
I hit a few other bars on the way back home, but no surprise I didn’t make it to midnight. That’s okay, I was awakened by the explosions that occurred with the commencement of the new year. They don’t use firecrackers around here apparently. Whatever they were setting off sounded like bombs. Ha! Can’t put rice on the table, but fireworks? No problem!
This morning I’m going to do a Sausage Walkers hike to kick off the year. And this is one where we are traveling out to the boondocks and we’ll do our thing and then grill some sausages over an open flame. Rumor has it there’s gonna be beer too! I’ll try and get some pictures.
Cheers! And Happy New Year to all my faithful readers. It’s so nice to have y’all along for the ride!
Still feeling subpar. Based on my internet research I’m suffering from bronchitis. I’m hoping it is a bout of acute bronchitis which should clear up in a few days versus chronic bronchitis which can go on for months. Having COPD, of course, makes any respiratory issue more intense. Time will tell what this is and there’s not much else I can do about it in the interim.
I wasn’t feeling good yesterday but went out for the Hash anyway. I figured I’d play it by ear and not push myself should the trail become too intense. Well, we drove and we drove to the far side of Subic-town to begin the trail. I had never hiked this area and had no clue what was in store. In Barretto I can shortcut a trail as necessary, here I wouldn’t’ have that option since I didn’t know where I was. So, I made the decision to follow the highway back to our “on-home” on Baloy Beach. It was a good hour-long walk on flat ground, and given that I was coughing a lot of the way I think I made the right call. Being out of breath on a climb, heart racing, and having a coughing fit is probably not a good thing for an old fart like me.
So, I don’t think it’s a secret that I’ve been using an app called Grammarly as a means of making fewer mistakes in my writing. I’m not sure it has resulted in much improvement, but they did email me a report card today:
Your Weekly Writing Update
Did you know that you used more unique words than 96% of Grammarly users? Check it out, and keep up the great work!
MASTERY
You were more accurate than 75% of Grammarly users.
VOCABULARY
You used more unique words than 96% of Grammarly users.
WORDS CHECKED WITH GRAMMARLY OVER TIME
118,797 total words checked by Grammarly since Sep 15, 2019 (6,675 last week)
TOP 3 MISTAKES
1.Missing comma in compound sentence Learn More36 alerts
2.Incorrect punctuation with quotation mark Learn More27 alerts
What else? Well, it was 9 years ago today that I retired for the first time and enthusiastically embarked on my new life. Five years later I hit a brick wall and detoured back into the role of a working man. I’m frankly still amazed how that entire world fell to pieces, but it turns out those additional three years of work were the best and most satisfying of my career. Well, it’s not like I had much of a life outside of work. Everything changes and life will take you where it will. No point in kicking and screaming. Just enjoy the ride.
Alright, let’s get this last night of 2019 out of the way, shall we?
It’s a Rizal Day, a national holiday here in the Philippines commemorating the life of Jose Rizal, an independence fighter executed by the Spanish on December 30, 1896. Do I need a better excuse to whip up a batch of fruit salad? I don’t think so!
This is the first time since moving here I’ve managed to make the holiday dish that has been my tradition for over 40 years now. The problem I’ve had is getting together all the needed ingredients that make the unique blend of flavors I’ve enjoyed since first experiencing this concoction as a child at my Aunt Pat’s Thanksgiving feast. But it all finally came together during my last trip to the Royal supermarket.
Well, Royal didn’t have the coconut (buko) I use. Instead, I bought it at the local outdoor market. Quite the process. The stand proprietor whacks a hole in the top and drains the juice into a bag. I gave that away although it is considered a real treat here. Then he took the machete and whacked the buko in half, scraping the contents out with a big spoon and bagging those up.Once I got it home, I diced up the buko so it would blend well in the fruit salad. An immediate difference is that the bags of coconut I’m used to were dry, this fresh buko is wet. I also think the store-bought bags of coconut are probably artificially sweetened.
Let’s see what happens!
Fruit cocktail and mandarin oranges out of the can and drained.A Granny Smith apple diced and into the bowl.Followed by some bananas…Pecans are my nuts of choice, but I made do with walnuts.I’ve always used baby marshmallows, but these were more like premature birth in size.I was in for another surprise with the hard-to-find key ingredient sour cream. Every sour cream I’ve ever seen had to be spooned out of the container. This stuff was liquid. Yikes! It serves as the base ingredient that holds everything else together. Would it work?Well, it may not have the same consistency I’m accustomed to, but it thickened just fine I am happy to report.
How did it taste? Well, different but still good. It might be a tad on the bland side, at least the flavors didn’t seem as sharp as I’m used to. Then again, overnight in the fridge is when the magic takes place as the flavors all blend into a unique mixture of goodness. My initial taste test satisfied my craving for this long-time favorite. And it has now been prepared in three countries!
In other news, I bought a thermometer today and as I suspected I am not running a temperature. That’s kind of a relief. The coughing is much reduced so far today, but my nose is still running like an Olympic medalist. We’ll see how I hold up at today’s Hash.
Here’s some scary stuff:
Don’t forget to duck!
If these guys ever start a band, could they be named anything other than “Boys in the Yard”?
Preparing their hit single “Who let the dogs out?”
Damn, I might not be running dry but I’m at a low ebb. I think a big part of it is I’m just not feeling well of late. I’m hocking up crap from my lungs at a rate I haven’t done since before I was diagnosed with COPD. It’s worse when I’m laying down, and of course, it’s hard to sleep with a hacking cough/spitting out phlegm. Hopefully, this too shall pass soon.
At least my stye seems to have shrunk and is not as tender and painful now. So there’s that.
I guess my bad mood carried over into a “discussion” in one of the Facebook groups where I’m a member. Some dick posted this and it just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason:
One very simple truth about this country and all the people who retire here : the vast majority of you wouldn’t be here if the locals didn’t almost all speak your language.
Lots of you where just being lazy eventually learning another language and thus live in another country. I honestly can’t see any other reason since for almost everything else, PH is a hell hole compared to most other options. I personally lived in other countries (Thailand, Argentina, Ukraine, etc.) and can find sooo many reasons why they were better experiences than PH.
If there was no English and almost no one spoke the language like in Cambodia (for example) the number of expats in Philippines would be divided by 10, minimum.
Prove me wrong? And if you can’t, then, although of course it’s a very important point, ask yourself : is it worth it to be in this country just because people can talk English? (Which implies easiness to find gfs, which is also a very very important point for most here) I guess some will think that yes, some won’t… / Discuss
I should have just ignored him and scrolled on down, which is my normal M.O. when I encounter an asshole. Instead, I responded thusly:
I don’t know you so I’ll overlook your arrogance and presumptuousness. And I don’t have to “prove” anything to you or anyone else.
The common language was a factor but not the main reason for my choice. I lived in Korea for 12 years and overcame the language barrier, at least well enough to get by. I chose the Philippines because I genuinely like the people and I’m comfortable here. I like the fact that my being here gives me a chance to make a difference in some of the lives I touch. I have a generous pension and could live pretty much anywhere. I considered Thailand but didn’t like the police state vibe. Cambodia is my Plan B or perhaps Vietnam. Bottom line, if I thought the Philippines was a “shithole” I wouldn’t be here.
It never ceases to amaze to encounter folks who hate their life, and yet here they are. Might I suggest a long look in the mirror to see what the real problem just might be?
I won’t be surprised if I get booted from the group. Not that I actually give a shit.
That’s how my day has gone so far. And really, if this is as bad as it gets I’m one lucky motherfucker.
Lucky is keeping an eye on things.
Oh, please help me, oh please help me, I’m livin’ by myself. I need someone to comfort me, I need someone to tell.
I’m sorry for the things I’ve done, I’ve shamed myself with lies, But soon these things are overcome And can’t be recognized.
I left my love with ribbons on And water in her eyes. I took from her the love I’d won And turned it to the sky.
I’m sorry for the things I’ve done, I’ve shamed myself with lies, My cruelty has punctured me And now I’m running dry.
That headline is about as racist as it gets, isn’t it? Well, how about this: “Two whites make a wrong”. Is there any difference?
So, I’ve gotten to a place where I can pretty much shrug and ignore the political bullshit back home in the USA. I mean, I ain’t gonna change any minds and people gullible enough to swallow the bullshit they’re being fed pretty much deserve what they get. I’m an old man, I won’t live long enough to deal with the destruction that would ensue should their policies ever actually be implemented.
But what I can’t ignore is blatant racism, you know, the kind where you judge individuals solely based on the color of their skin, not the content of their character. The type of racism Martin Luther King stood up against. Racism like this:
“White people have not changed. Two-thirds of all white guys voted for Trump. That means anytime you see three white guys walking at you, down the street towards you, two of them voted for Trump. You need to move over to the other sidewalk because these are not good people that are walking toward you. You should be afraid of them.”
–Michael Moore
Geez, I’m old enough to remember when crossing the street to avoid a black man was considered racist. How is this different?
In fact, whenever the elites are wailing about all the bad things attributed to white folks I do a simple test to determine if they are racist: I change the color of the skin. If I can’t say it about brown people as a group, you can’t project your own racism on white people. Funny how that works (or at least it should work).
If you encounter a white supremacist, by all means, call him/her out on their ignorance. See a group a Ku Klux Klan protesters, have a counter-demonstration. I bet lots of white folks would be proud to attend such an event. But don’t call me a racist because you don’t like people who share my skin color or share my political beliefs. In other words, don’t be a racist.
I believe I mentioned a while back that in lieu of the orphanage I decided to sponsor a woman with five kids living nearby. Over the past few months, there have been some bumps as some of my expectations weren’t satisfied. I think we’ve worked through that so at least for now my support continues. Anyway, the oldest of her children, a 17-year-old daughter, gave birth to a little girl on Christmas eve. Yeah, the cycle of poverty continues. So far at least the father is still in the picture which I suppose is a good thing. Time will tell how this plays out.
So my friend Anna is now a lola (grandmother) and she is from all appearances happy about that. I share her thankfulness that the birth went fine and mother and child are doing well. I got a message from her yesterday afternoon saying they were due to be discharged from the hospital. And oh yeah, could she “borrow” some money to pay the bill. How much I asked? P9300 (just under $200). By any measure, that’s quite a bargain for a birthing and two-day hospital stay. On the other hand, when it comes to Filipino medical care it’s been said you get what you pay for. I asked Anna why the father’s family wasn’t paying the bill and she said all they had was P3000. Well, shit. All I had in my wallet was P5000 so I told her to come and get that. She was grateful for my assistance and I’ll reduce her monthly stipend until it’s repaid, so win-win I guess.
This morning I needed to go to immigration and renew my tourist visa. I had my driver swing by on our way to the grocery store. I filled out my paperwork, turned over my passport, and sat down to wait my turn in the queue. And then I remembered I didn’t have any money in my wallet, having used it for someone else’s hospital bill. I asked if immigration accepted credit card payment and of course, the answer was no. Alright. Off to find an ATM.
First stop was at the mall a few blocks up the street. That machine didn’t accept my card. I told my driver to take me back to the old Navy base. On the way, we passed another ATM from a bank I’ve used before. Pulled over, went through the transaction process, and got a message that the machine was out of service. Damn it. We drive on and come to a bank with an ATM out front, and pulled in there. I was third in line, and the woman in front appeared to have never used an ATM before. Then I noticed my driver pointing next door at another bank so off I trotted. No line, but no go on my card either. It seems only a few banks here are set up for international transactions. Back to the previous bank and my turn comes but once again, the machine would not accept my card.
At this point, I was wondering if something else were amiss. Was my account balance depleted? Had my bank in the USA put a block on my card? Well, nothing I could do about it standing on the street in Olongapo, so I had my driver take me back to immigration to recover my passport. I asked what time they closed (4:30) and when they’d reopen (next year), so I had to get the extension today or be an overstay subject to being fined. I keep some dollars on hand at home for emergencies, so I knew I could go to a money exchange to get the pesos I needed for the visa. But first, we’d take care of the grocery shopping.
Once back on base I had the driver pull into a bank branch I’ve used before for one last try at the ATM. And wouldn’t you know, this time it worked! And I guess my luck was changing as I secured everything I need for my fruit salad the grocery store. Well, I still need to go out and buy fresh coconut and have it shredded. And I have to substitute walnuts for pecans. But by God, I’ve got the sour cream!
Good things come in small packages. Apparently.
Back to immigration where I secured another 30 days of legal status, then headed on back home. What an ordeal!
Oh, and the stye is back. Not sure if it is the same one or a new one. It hurts more this time though. I’ll give it a few days and see what happens before I bother with a doctor again. Otherwise, I’m just feeling a little drained or lethargic or something. No motivation. Didn’t even walk this afternoon.
Hmm, maybe some beers will help. I’ll give it a try and let you know.
My friend Edward (Anal Receptive) put on quite the feast yesterday. It was good to have a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixin’s again.
Here’s the turkey, hot off the grill. It was funny because some of the Filipina’s present had never seen or tasted a turkey before. We told them it was like a big chicken. They seemed to enjoy it too. Especially the skin. Go figure.
About the way Ed prepared the turkey; I got there after it had been removed from the grill, but here’s how he said it went down: The turkey and stuffing were in the pan and wrapped in foil, then put on a covered charcoal grill. The trick apparently is to arrange the coals so they do not apply direct heat on the pan, essentially turning the grill into an outdoor oven. He cooked it eleven minutes per pound and it really did come out perfect– tender and moist. Tasted just like an oven-roasted turkey. Damn good! My peach pie a la mode and brownies received good feedback as well.
After a nice afternoon at Ed’s, I headed on home for a turkey feast fueled nap. Then I did a Christmas night bar crawl to places I less frequently visit– Rosie’s, Hot Zone, Rum Jungle, and Man Cave. It started raining so I took a trike back home and made it an early night.
Breakfast at Sit-n-Bull this morning:
What kind of shit is this? Tastes better than it looks.
Okay, I’d like to get y’all’s take on something. I don’t do Twitter but I follow some of what takes place there from a website called Twitchy. Yesterday they had an article highly critical of some rapper in L.A. who stood on the roof of his vehicle and threw money to the hordes of homeless. According to Twitchy, this action was not charitable, it was “dehumanizing”. The link above includes a short video showing the poor folks scrambling about trying to grab as much cash as they can.
So, here’s the thing. When I watched the video it was eerily reminiscent of how the kids reacted to the candy being thrown out to them during our Candy Run. Were we dehumanizing these kids too? Obviously, that was not our intent but were we wrong to do so? On the one hand, they got free candy they wouldn’t have otherwise received. But in scrambling to get the candy, did it cost them their dignity?
I’m of two minds on this I guess. The kids were happy and the parents seemed pleased. No harm, no foul. On the other hand, when I see guys in the bars “make it rain” (throwing cash on stage) and the girls go after it like a pack of hungry dogs, well, it does bother me. My style is to hand the girls a tip individually if I’ve enjoyed their performance. Maybe it is different with the kids. I sometimes hand out candy on the street but honestly, being surrounded by a pack of jostling children grabbing at me can be very disconcerting. I’ll say things like “one at a time, one each” to no avail. Throwing a handful and moving away quickly is sometimes the best means of escape. Looking back on it, I don’t think the Candy Run would work if we tried to deal with the kids individually. It would be utter chaos.
Anyway, maybe it is true that no good deed goes unpunished.
No, not those voices in my head. I mean that loud, off-key singing of Christmas songs on the videoke machine. Yep, that can only mean that the day of days has indeed arrived in the Philippines. Merry Christmas to you!
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
I got into the spirit of the season last night with a holiday pub crawl during which I sweetened up those hard-working bargirls with some chocolates. The Candy Man strikes again! I did Cheap Charlies, Alaska, Alley Cats, and finished up at Queen Victoria, feeling no pain. The gals there were having their Christmas party, which featured them singing their favorite karaoke songs. Suffice to say it’s good that they have other ASSets to attract customers.
Yesterday afternoon I got my fourth rabies shot, only one more to go! I also went to the mall and picked up my new eyeglasses. I want to have better vision in 2020. Ahem. I also went on a quest to find the ingredients for my traditional holiday treat–Aunt Pat’s Recipe World Famous Fruit Salad. I’ve been stymied by my lack of success in finding two key ingredients: sour cream and shredded coconut. You’d think that in a country that grows and exports coconut (buko as they call it here) that should be easy. Well, not if you want it from a bag at the grocery store. Instead, I need to go to the outdoor market, buy a fresh buko, and have them slice it up for me. So, that’s what I’ll do–once I find some sour cream. The two supermarkets I checked yesterday were “wala” (out). Maybe for New Year’s.
Anyway, I’m attending a Christmas dinner this afternoon at a fellow Hasher’s house here in my subdivision. I volunteered to bring some dessert. During my failed supermarket search I decided Plan B would be a pie. Now, my favorite holiday pie is pecan. Pumpkin is a close second. And in a pinch, I can be happy with apple. Of course, the only thing I found in the frozen food section (you didn’t think I was going to bake one from scratch, did you?) was peach. So, peach it is!
Thanks for all your help Sara Lee!
I also baked up a batch of brownies and I’m bringing along some vanilla ice cream. Oh, and a tin of Danish-style butter cookies. So, there’s your dessert!
I asked Ed how he was preparing the turkey–oven-baked or deep-fried. He told me that he’s grilling it. That’s a new one on me. I’m assuming it will a rotisserie type deal, but we shall see.
And finally, in keeping with the spirit of the season:
Well, if the metric is handing out copious amounts of candy and getting big smiles from happy children in return, yesterday’s annual Candy Run was a success.
This was my second time participating in this event and I guess I’m still learning the ropes. Most of the Hashers were carrying hard candies and they’d just toss a handful at a time into the crowd of kids. I wasn’t comfortable doing that with my chocolate bars, however. They were a pretty popular treat and I was trying to hand them out individually but that tended to draw a crowd. I was also trying to ration them so I’d have enough to cover the full 6K walk. Eventually, I got out in front of the truck carrying Santa and then told then kids the candy was “back there”. That allowed me to pick and choose my time and place for distribution. After a while, I focused on the mothers and lolas (grandmothers) for the chocolate treats and that worked well. I gave away my last morsels just before arriving back “on-home” at Hot Zone.
Anyway, it was enjoyable to give a little back to the community, especially the ones who have so little.
We walked through three distinct neighborhoods spreading Christmas joy.It was definitely a joy for me to get out of that crowded Hashmobile sleigh.“Gives us candies pleasssse. We wants it!” they said, making a Gollum-like sound as they swallowed. Okay, I just made that up. Sue me!Santa (as played by Fucking Old Man) and some of his fans.They’d follow him anywhere!Slot Licker playing the role of Santa’s slut helper.Anal Intruder working the crowds…Here’s one of your humble correspondent doing his duty…
Oh, I didn’t mention my bounty from the Christmas party.
A hat, a hankie, and a machete. What else do you need to survive in the PI?
The Almost Famous hat almost fits. I have a surprisingly big head holding my tiny brain.
I’m keeping this bedside. Hope I never need it for anything but whacking thatch grass. Still, last night the dogs barked and I carried it downstairs to investigate. False alarm, but gave me a sense of security. I just need to get good enough with it to deflect fired bullets…
It is said that it is better to give than receive. In the spirit of the season, we will be doing our annual Candy Run at the Hash today.
These are the treats I’ll be handing out to the kiddies as we do our hike through the poorer streets in town.And this is how I’ll look when I’m being the Candy Man!
Oh, who can take tomorrow? (Who can take tomorrow?) Dip it in a dream (Dip it in a dream) Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man (the candy man) The Candy Man can (the candy man can) The Candy Man can ’cause he mixes it with love And makes the world taste good (Makes the world taste good)
Anyway, a good time at the Alley Cats Christmas party last night. I got all dressed up for the occasion:
I don’t recall exactly when I where I received this shirt, but I’m thinking it was my last year in Korea.
Where’s my Ho Ho Ho’s at?
Ah, here they are. The staff at Alley Cats. Well, the little girl is the daughter of a staffer…
Owner Dean (black t-shirt above) put out quite a feast, including the traditional Filipino holiday favorite, Lechon.
Roasted pig. I like the meat, but the Filipinas were going crazy over the skin. They eat it like a potato chip.
Speaking of pigs, Facebook saw fit to remind me how I looked four years ago:
A couple of sad things besides me in the photo. I’m wearing the now deceased Sohee’s shades. And this is just around the time that Jee Yeun changed my life by dumping me.
Anyway, the quest for beauty in my life continues.
There was this tree in blossom I saw while walking the dogs this morning.
It’s a start. You just have to have a little faith.
And trust. Who am I to say otherwise? I’ve experienced the wrath of Mary first hand.
Carry on my wayward son There’ll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don’t you cry no more
Once I rose above the noise and confusion Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man Though my mind could think I still was a mad man I hear the voices when I’m dreaming I can hear them say
Carry on my wayward son There’ll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don’t you cry no more
Masquerading as a man with a reason My charade is the event of the season And if I claim to be a wise man Well, it surely means that I don’t know
On a stormy sea of moving emotion Tossed about, I’m like a ship on the ocean I set a course for winds of fortune But I hear the voices say
Carry on my wayward son There’ll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don’t you cry no more no!
Carry on You will always remember Carry on Nothing equals the splendor Now your life’s no longer empty Surely heaven waits for you
Carry on my wayward son There’ll be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don’t you cry Don’t you cry no more
I played darts for the first time in a couple of weeks last night. It’s truly odd that these long layoffs don’t seem to affect the overall quality of my game. Or maybe I’m just lucky. I was definitely lucky in the “luck of the draw” when I pulled Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, as my partner on the night.
One of us may have been a little drunk by the end.
Anyway, we were both on it and didn’t lose a leg throughout the tournament. Unstoppable we were! These days I only play when the mood strikes me and I try to just keep it fun. Maybe that’s the secret to my success. That and an awesome partner.
Tonight I’ll be back to Alley Cats to participate in the Christmas celebration. I’ve got an envelope I’ll be gifting each of the girls. Ho-Ho-Ho!
A nice day on the water, as seen from the Kokomo’s floating bar.
The sunbeams with a partial camera zoom……as seen with full zoom.And finally with no zoom.
Oh, and the beer was cold too.
In other news, I visited the newest business in town, a small hotel called Outback. In addition to a sports bar (which I’ve not as yet checked out), there is a very nice outdoor poolside bar. Both times I’ve been there I was the only customer. Which gave me the opportunity to chat up the bartender, Lyann. I’m not lyin’ when I tell you that is how her name is pronounced. Which provides plenty of opportunities for a jokester like me to have some fun.
I lifted this photo from her Facebook page so I have no idea what’s up with the Bounce.
Anyway, she’s got a wicked sense of humor (and not just because she laughs at my jokes, she’s funny in her own right too). She can hold her own in a conversation, and while not classically beautiful, she’s cute enough to trip my triggers. Anyway, I enjoy her company but the fact that she has FOUR kids (the oldest is 12) is pretty much a deal-breaker for me relationship-wise. Oh well.
And then there is Jen. I got a Facebook friend request from someone I’d never heard of. That in and of itself is not unusual. I normally look to see if we have any mutual friends and if not, I will just delete the request on the assumption that it is spam. For some inexplicable reason, I made an exception and accepted her friend request. A few hours later I got a message from her and we chatted a bit. I was still clueless about who she was, but I was enjoying our talk. She had obviously been perusing my FB page and mentioned a poem I had posted. Okay, now I was impressed and curious to learn more. I can’t remember the last time I met a woman who actually cared about words in general and poetry in particular. Who is this mystery woman and how did she find me? Finally, she told me her “real” name and sent me a picture.
“Do you recognize me now?” she asked.
Why yes, yes I do! Jen used to work at Double D, a videoke club that closed down several months ago. We are actually Facebook friends on her true account. Although I had met her on the several occasions I had been a patron at Double D, I really didn’t know much about her other than she loves to sing and that she works out at the gym. I had almost always been with Marissa back then, so I didn’t even flirt with her properly.
Anyway, she told me that she had thought of me as someone who is “not serious”, but after reading some of my FB posts she could see there was more to me than bad jokes and off-key singing. Hmm. I suggested we have dinner and find out more about each other. Jen responded that she is tied up with a work project through December 31. Ah. Not sure if that was a polite rejection or if we’ll get together in the New Year. We shall see. I’m definitely intrigued.
Then again, this song came up in my playlist as I did my morning walk:
I thought by now I was too smart Thought I was through givin’ my heart It’s only a game, tears you apart
Falling in love
My poor soul was about to mend Honey, then you smiled at me and then Lord help me, here I go again
Falling in love
Looking back through the bridges I’ve burned Each heartache was a page I turned Never forget the lessons I’ve learned
Falling in love
And I was all through ‘Til we met Never gonna love again and yet Funny how we all forget
Falling in love
And I’m falling in love, falling in love When will I learn? I think I’ll get burned Falling in love
Nothing is worse than a fool like me Think that I would finally see Heaven knows I shouldn’t be Falling in love
One day at a time.
*It’s not Scottie, it’s Scotty. Names matter! Thanks for the education, Kevin.
No, not me. Not yet anyway. I’m too busy trying to figure out how to find my “happy place”. I’m pretty sure the first step is to stop wallowing in self-pity. Anyway, more on that later. And in the meantime, I’ll be okay.
So, I came across this story written by a dying art critic named Peter Schjeldahl. I’d never heard of him but I found his insights and reflections quite interesting. Food for thought and putting things in perspective kind of stuff. It’s long but entertaining. Give it a read if you are so inclined.
Me? I’m going to shower up and go drown my sorrows. Such as they are.
Günter wasn’t here today so I got elected to lead the Wednesday Walkers. As is my wont, I made it pretty easy. One hard but short climb up to My Bitch, then a meandering trail back around to near Rizal Extension. My twist was taking a seldom-used path leading back to the valley floor. Near the bottom and out in the absolute middle of nowhere is this statue of the Virgin Mary:
I have no clue as to who had the idea or why they went to the expense of constructing this shrine.
All I know is the damn thing is powerful! As we approached I called out “hey baby!”. And immediately my feet came out from under me and I went down hard on my ass. It was both painful and embarrassing. The Filipinas in the group posed for pictures with the statue and one of them said to me “Don’t call her baby.” I won’t, I learned my lesson.
Once we hit the valley, I let Almaranus take over leadership figuring he would just head us back towards town. Nope, he took us climbing up a mountain. I was cursing my self for being so cursed.
Nice view from up there though.
We had lunch at the top then made our way back to Barretto for liquid refreshment at Cheap Charlies. Not a bad day’s work on trail:
I need the peer pressure to push myself this hard these days.
That’s about enough for today. But at least I’m not this guy:
…of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. I was a co-Hare, but had virtually no input on the trail selection. The other Hares, Pubic Head and Blow My Pipe, knew what they wanted to do and did it. I was basically there to carry the powder as it were. No complaints, it was a good trail. Only hitch seemed to be that no one found the trail through the rice paddy. We suspect the farmer erased our marks as he didn’t appreciate the traffic. Oh well.
Here’s some photos:
An easy 6K mostly flat trail.Off loading the truck. I HATE having to travel to the trail head in the Hashmobile. I was overruled by my superiors. Well, seniors. On-On!Low hanging fruit.On the road.One of the nicer vistas on our trail.Another angle…Unusual clouds at our On-Home at DaKudo’s on Baloy Beach
That’s it for now. Time to do the Wednesday Walkers group.
Our Lady of Lourdes International Health Center that is.
Finally got to see a doctor about my eye this morning. I wouldn’t call getting that done an ordeal, but it did qualify as a pain in the ass. It’s Tuesday and that’s my grocery shopping day. Figured I’d take advantage of having a driver and get the medical chores out of the way as well.
Well, we left my place at 0900 and the domestic helper advised that the Lourdes eye clinic wouldn’t open until 1000. Okay then, let’s head out to Baypointe Medical Center for the third of five rabies shots. Maybe I can see a doc there about the eye. Nope, no one available until late afternoon. Did the song and dance that is a prerequisite for getting my shot: pharmacy for meds, supply room for an invoice for the needle and shot paraphernalia, cashier to pay, back to supply to pick up the stuff I paid for, then upstairs for the actual shot. Even my helper was shaking her head at the hoops this poor patient was forced to jump through. The next shot is due on Christmas Eve and the clinic is closed, so I get to use the emergency room which bypasses everything but the cashier. Woot!
After shopping, I had my driver pop into Lourdes. The clinic was open but the doctor was not in yet. Clinic hours are 10:00 till 12:00 on Tuesday, it was after 10:00 and the doc was “on his way”. Hmm, well I had frozen food in the car so home I went. After the groceries were safely stored away, I took a trike back to the hospital, the doctor was in, and after a short wait, it was my turn to be examined.
The swelling is down quite a bit but the eye is itchy and sore. I showed the doc a picture from yesterday. As others had speculated, he immediately declared it a sty, most likely from an infection. So now I’ve got ten days of four times a day eye drops to add to my daily medication regimen. And a boiled egg.
Doctor said as hot as I can stand it, several times a day. I went to bed with ice on the eye which turns out was the opposite of what I should do to reduce sty swelling. Who knew?
That’s actually a pretty nifty trick for applying heat, lasts a lot longer than a hot rag and you get a tasty snack afterward!
What else? Well, on the walk back home from Lourdes I saw this shop selling rice:
Maybe it’s just my love of puns, but I found the signage worthy of a photo.
I was hungry when I got home so I got busy in the kitchen.
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a tasty burrito… Oh, and Buddy and Lucky in the background is just a bonus. I used ground beef. Honest!
And finally, Facebook reminds me that I posted this five years ago:
Damn, the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Well, I am sleeping alone these days.
your life is your life don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission. be on the watch. there are ways out. there is a light somewhere. it may not be much light but it beats the darkness. be on the watch. the gods will offer you chances. know them. take them. you can’t beat death but you can beat death in life, sometimes. and the more often you learn to do it, the more light there will be. your life is your life. know it while you have it. you are marvelous the gods wait to delight in you.
@Charles Bukowski
One of my favorites, I’m sure I’ve posted it before. That’s the nice thing about poetry. It’s always there to remind you of the lessons you’ve already learned.
It seems to be more of a sty than something like pink eye, although I do have some itchy irritation in the corner of my eye. I figured it was best to get it checked out by a doctor. I asked my helper to call the eye clinic at Lourdes hospital. She said we could just go there at 9 a.m. I told her no, I want to be sure the doctor is available. So she calls and we leave. Get there, and the clinic is closed. She hurried off to the information desk, probably as much to escape my wrath as anything. She came back and said the clinic had changed their hours and the receptionist she had spoken to on the phone didn’t know. Bottom line, they are closed on Mondays.
Deep breath, relax and accept the Filipino way. I’ll go to Baypointe Hospital tomorrow and have it looked at. Need to get my rabies shot there anyway.
Otherwise, I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. I’m sure it will pass. Just need to maintain my patience and wait for the next big thing to come along. In the meantime there’is always:
Sunday dinner at Sit-n-Bull., probably my overall favorite restaurant in town. First time I’d tried their roast beef and it was outstanding.Sunsets on the water to enjoy…And the full moon shining down on my house to guide my drunken feet home.
Just received some sad news from Korea. A dear old friend, Sohee, took her life this morning.
A smile that could light up a room. Who knew the pain it was hiding?
I’ve always said that suicide is the ultimate in selfishness. The pain doesn’t go away, it is simply transferred to those you leave behind. I’m so sorry that you found yourself alone in that dark place and couldn’t find your way back out. You were loved by many and will be missed.
Damn, girl. I just wish you could have felt the love we all had for you.
Up and out early this morning to lay trail for Monday’s Hash. My co-Hare’s, Pubic Head and Blow My Pipe, picked the trail. I merely carried the powder and marked the path the Hashers will hopefully follow without getting lost. I know what I like to see on trail and that’s what I tried to provide. We shall see how it works out.
We also marked the trail with chalk. This is on the sidewalk right in front of my house.
It’s a relatively easy hike of 6K with only one real climb. The only thing I don’t like is that we have to be trucked out to the starting point in the Hashmobile. I am a little worried that the number of Hashers present on Monday could exceed the capacity of our vehicle. Oh well, nothing I can do about that.
Speaking of the house, I’ve taken measures to further secure the place from break-ins. One of the weak points was my open-air downstairs bathroom. There was a gap between the ceiling and the wall large enough for someone to climb through.
Not anymore!Maybe it will make climbing up on the roof more difficult too.
Anyway, the upstairs windows have also been secured with wood blocks in the window tracks. No one is getting in that way without breaking glass. I have a new neighbor moving in catercorner from me in a house that has been vacant for years. Not to be an ass about it, but if my house is a tougher nut to crack I’ll be a less inviting target. Just saying. And of course, once they are here I’ll give them a heads up about what I’ve learned the hard way.
That’s the news from here. Oh wait, I’ve been meaning to get around to this:
Methinks he’s not as smart as he thinks he is.
Kevin Kim had recently posted on the Dunning-Kruger effect, or as the accompanying YouTube video put it “why stupid people think they are smart.” Now, Mr. Yglesias is a very educated man. I’d argue his biases and arrogance makes him stupid about many things though, especially politics. And his grammar and comma usage? Oh my!
