But I’ll be in Korea for Thanksgiving. I’ve got an e-ticket on Korean Air that says so!
This is kind of a spur of the moment thing. And it will be a quick trip, arriving on Tuesday evening and departing on Sunday morning. I will spend a couple of days in Seoul and a couple in Pyeongtaek. One thing on my to-do list is spending some time with my former Deputy. Donna is leaving Korea in December and life being what it is and all, I expect it will be our last time to see each other. I reckon I’ll get together with the nephew as well and hopefully meet up with some old friends as time and schedules allow.
Everything is just dandy, thanks for asking! Here’s what passes for a good day here in my world:
A first-place finish in darts last night was a fine way to end the day.
I haven’t been playing very much lately. Just haven’t been in the mood I guess. The lack of practice certainly hasn’t helped to improve my inconsistency, but I had my moments of goodness during the tourney. No win is complete (or possible) without taking down Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, and that’s just what me and my partner managed to do. By the way, I’m getting to know Steve better and really enjoying his company. He has a wicked sense of humor.
Yesterday morning I did the Sausage Walkers group hike. We were all disappointed that our planned out of town sojourn had to be postponed because of the uncertain weather. This was going to be one of those do a hike then cookout gatherings that gave the group its name. Our planned destination included a river crossing and with the recent rains, the river was deemed too high for our vehicle to safely drive through. Ah well, another time.
We left for one of our standard local walks under cloudy skies. And as if on cue, once we reached the mountain top the rain commenced to come pouring down on our collective heads. And everything else, we were drenched. That’s how it goes, and once you are thoroughly soaked it really doesn’t matter anymore anyway. Coming back down the mountain was a muddy and slippery nightmare though. I somehow managed to keep my feet but I had several close calls. Not to overstate why avoiding a fall is my primary goal, but I couldn’t help notice the path was strewn with broken tree trunks sticking several inches up out of the ground. I nicknamed them “Vlad the Impaler” and my overactive imagination could picture the end result for some unfortunate who happened to fall on top of one. Yikes!
The calm before the storm. We began our march through the peaceful streets of Alta Vista.On trail with me falling behind the pack as per usual.And then on up we go. The rain began shortly thereafter so I had to put my phone/camera away in a ziplock bag to keep it dry.There was a pause in the storm just about the time we reached the flat ground again. I snapped this picture of Easter mountain in the clouds.
Gunter the Austrian is the leader of the pack but I take his leadership with a grain of salt. When he deemed it wise to climb yet another mountain shortly after my self-congratulation for surviving the previous descent, I balked and bid the group farewell. Made my own way back on flat ground.
I still managed a 7.5K hike and more importantly, lived to tell about it!
What else? Well, I’m always trying to engage in self-improvement efforts. So, I took this information to heart:
Yeah, I know.
Things are going well so far today too. I’m getting more creative in my breakfast selections these days.
Welcome to the club! Hey, it’s got egg and bacon on it, so that makes it a breakfast sandwich, right?
I took a stroll down Baloy Beach after breakfast and was in for quite a surprise. The tide was high but not as high as it had been a few hours ago.
This picture doesn’t really tell the story that well but it’s the best one I got. The water came all the way up to the wall of this resort. And the places with Nipa huts on the beach were shoveling sand out of them this morning. As I stood there watching a wave came up behind me and soaked my shoes real good. Sneaky bastard!
What I really wanted to see though was how the Kokomo’s floating bar was faring.
Not well I’m afraid. Now, I don’t think it sunk because there was no wreckage on the beach. I assume they had it towed back to storage. It will be interesting to see if they bother bringing it back out.
This reminded me that sometimes humor just doesn’t translate well. Especially puns:
Oh well.
I woke up this morning with the sundown shining in I found my mind in a brown paper bag within I tripped on a cloud and fell-a eight miles high I tore my mind on a jagged sky I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in
I pushed my soul in a deep dark hole and then I followed it in I watched myself crawling out as I was a-crawling in I got up so tight I couldn’t unwind I saw so much I broke my mind I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in
Someone painted April Fool in big black letters on a Dead End sign I had my foot on the gas as I left the road and blew out my mind Eight miles outta Memphis and I got no spare Eight miles straight up downtown somewhere I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in I said I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in
I do drink more than my fair share of brew and I have the belly to prove it! Geez, guys bragging about their six-pack abs; I’ve practically got a keg under my shirt. Anyway, I walk so I can drink with impunity. And notwithstanding my girth, I’m maintaining my weight in the 200-205 range.
I’m sorry, what were you asking?
Which is not to say that I don’t consume calories in more traditional ways. I’m not talking about ice cream, although that’s a sweet tooth indulgence I can’t seem to resist. Last night I enjoyed a home-prepared meal:
Ribs, corn, and not shown, freshly baked cornbread. Slow-cooked those ribs to optimal tenderness, then baked on a bbq sauce crust. Pert near perfect if I do say so myself!That’s how it looked all together on a plate.
I did manage to get my steps in yesterday afternoon, despite the rain.
I played it safe and stayed close to home in the Alta Vista subdivision. I managed to hit at least some of every street in just under an hour. That squiggly looking “5” near the bottom center is my house.
I took a few “between the storms” photographs from one vantage point on my neighborhood walk.
This one was my favorite. I like the sunbeams illuminating the water of Subic bay.But this one generating the most “likes” and comments on Facebook.
It rained again like a motherfucker last night. I was glad I had the foresight to carry my umbrella with me to Cheap Charlies. I still wound up taking a trike home. And as infrequently as I use something other than my legs to get home, the driver not only knew where I lived but called me by name. Even after several beers, I found that somewhat disconcerting.
Speaking of the rain, I’m sorry to report that the Kokomo’s floating bar I recently visited hasn’t faired too well in the current stormy weather.
I’m advised that all crew and passengers made it safely to shore.
In other disconcerting news, I received this email from my older brother today:
I received a voice mail from some very rude bitch who did not identify herself or her firm. She stated she had a right to contact me because she is unable to contact you.
Her message: There is a formal complaint filed against you. You must call 833-960-XXXX and reference file BFA 14598 regarding the pending allegations.
I honestly have no idea what this is all about. My scam radar went off, but that doesn’t really make sense either. The 833 prefix is a toll-free number apparently. Anyway, as far as I’m concerned she can keep on looking, I have no intention of calling. I haven’t lived in the USA for years and years, can’t imagine how I might have generated a “formal complaint” from anyone. If it were something from my working days, well, they have my email address. Hell, even a Google search would probably reveal my current whereabouts.
Oh, wait a minute! Did one of you readers finally complain about the boring drivel I post here every day? Damn it! Guilty as charged.
It’s not like I’m washed up or anything, but yesterday’s Hash was a washout for me. Or more precisely, a rainout. The skies opened up around 3:00 and the rain continued periodically throughout the afternoon. Of course, the Hash goes on, rain or shine, but I just wasn’t feeling it. The Hare, Vienna Sausage, has a reputation for doing Alps-like climbs and I just wasn’t prepared to go there in the rain and the mud. I was not alone in that decision as probably only a third of 39 Hashers in attendance actually did the trail. I opted for a one hour hike on pavement and left it at that.
The runners are already gone, these hardy walkers are being driven out to the start of the short (5.7K) trail.
After I’d completed my own trail I popped into Cheap Charlies to await the beginning of the on-home activities across the street at Hot Zone.
I had to laugh because the place was packed with like-minded Hashers.As seen from the vantage point at Cheap Charlies, the first of the runners arrived after completing the muddy trail. That was the signal for the rest of us to join them and start drinking our free beer. (Hash tradition holds that socialites and other early returners are precluded from partaking in the liquid refreshments until the first person to complete the trail returns. Oh, and the beer is technically not free. Men pay 350 pesos ($7.) in weekly Hash dues for the privilege of enjoying an all-you-can-drink on-home event. I always work hard to get my money’s worth!)The rooftop provided no shelter from the rain showers that periodically came down upon us. Umbrellas did help though.
Anyway, it wasn’t a great day for a Hash but we made the best of it. Still raining off and on today as well. I guess if all I’ve got to complain about is the weather things must be going pretty good, right?
Oh, I did come across some more Fiesta related information on my personal Hash trail yesterday. It’s a barangay-wide event as opposed to being city-wide, with events taking place in the various puroks around town. (A barangay is a village within the city, a purok is a neighborhood within the village).
Lots of exciting events are on the menu! Barrio Barretto will be rockin’ this weekend! I’m especially looking forward to the “Gay basketball exhibition”. Well, actually I don’t give a hoot. But one of the things about Filipino culture that I do admire is that gays/transgenders are totally accepted as part of the community. No one gives a shit about sexuality or how you identify. Be who you want to be and leave us to be who we are. Folks back home would do well to give that a try!
Damn it! It’s pouring rain again, just when I was fixin’ to do my afternoon walk. Now what? Well, I came across this mildly interesting article today:
I talked to a Russian man who, during the 1980 Moscow Olympics, found himself working near the stadium box where Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was going to sit for the opening ceremony. He was standing by when Brezhnev’s security detail stormed in ahead of the General Secretary, and demanded to know what certain metal poles were doing in a particular place. Technicians explained that these were the supports for the TV lights that would illuminate Comrade Brezhnev.
“We didn’t agree to these things!” one of the KGB men barked. “Get rid of them!”
You didn’t argue with the KGB. Down came the poles. And so, at the 1:25 mark in the opening ceremony (see above), when the camera lands on Brezhnev as he is introduced to the crowd, and to the watching world, the General Secretary is shrouded in darkness.
“That was the first clue I had that the system was going to fall,” said my Russian interlocutor. He meant that a system that caused a globally humiliating mistake like that to happen, because certain people in authority thought they knew better, and everybody below them was reasonably terrified to tell them no — a system like that was going to collapse.
I guess the reason I found it noteworthy was that it reminded me of one of the highlights of my government career. As usual, the Korean government was not wanting to pony up the amount of money the Americans thought necessary to pay for the US forces stationed in Korea. So, the USFK Commander (a four-star General) was frustrated and decided to pursue action that would send an appropriate message to the Koreans. I was invited because I was the civilian personnel director with oversight of our Korean workforce. So, the General’s big plan was to furlough our Korean workers. The room was packed with General Officers, Colonels and the like. They were all nodding their heads approvingly and saying “yes, sir!”. I’m sitting in the back of the room pretty much unnoticed. So I raised my hand and said: “excuse me, sir”. “Yes, what is it?” the General barked. I responded “I can do the union notification and issue the furlough letters. But I hope you understand this means we won’t have anyone to drive the school buses, clean the hospital, serve food in the mess hall…” The look on his face! He turned to the 2-star Marine General next to him and asked: “why wasn’t I informed of this?” Woo boy! Suffice to say we didn’t do the furlough and I got a lot of dirty looks from the yes men after that meeting.
This is the sight that greeted my weary eyes when I awoke at 0600 this morning:
I’d call that a good start to the day!
After taking care of my morning chores (coffee, perusing the internet, walking the dogs) I headed out for my traditional a.m. hike. And I noted that it is fiesta time once again in our fair city. Honestly, I’m not all that clear on the concept, check out the link above and you’ll know about as much as I do. I have noticed that at least in Olongapo the fiestas are celebrated within an individual purok (neighborhood), and not necessarily on the same dates.
For example, the folks on this street will be celebrating this weekend. I’ll have to check it out and see what the hell the big deal is.
In news that is more pertinent to someone like me, my beach walk revealed that the Arizona floating bar has been anchored offshore. Word on the street is that it will be opening later this week. I’ll have my own damn fiesta!
They’ve still got a lot of work to complete to get it ready for customers. Not that it matters, but I noticed it’s been positioned opposite of the way it was last year (restrooms and stairs were in the front).
On my afternoon walk yesterday I imagined this conversation:
Pulot maaari mong alisin ang basurahan?
Oo mahal
Oh, I guess I should translate that for you.
Honey, can you take out the trash?
Yes, dear.
Yes, yes, I’m showing off my mastery of Tagalog Google translate. But back to my story. As I’m coming down the mountain, I see this:
Someone has just been carrying their household garbage a hundred yards up the trail and throwing it into a ravine. Their personal landfill I guess.
Now, I can kinda sorta understand this. There is likely no city government trash pick up service out here in the sticks, so what are your options? Lots of people just burn their garbage which is probably equally bad for the environment. I honestly don’t put this in the same category as littering, that’s just pure laziness. Anyway, this is sort of the opposite of my morning rainbow.
And I’m reminded just how filthy some Americans can be.
Yeah, you suck Schiff!
Alrighty, then. Time to move on. Got a Hash on the horizon this afternoon. Thanks for stopping by!
Somewhere over the rainbow way up high There’s a land that I heard of once in a lullaby Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Someday I’ll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh, why can’t I?
If happy little bluebirds fly Beyond the rainbow Why, oh, why can’t I?
UPDATE: Well, I’ll be damned. I used “somewhere over the rainbow” as a post title for the first time way back in August 2006. I had totally forgotten seeing The Wizard of Oz performed as a Korean play, featuring an acquaintance of mine in the role of Dorothy. It was really nice taking that stroll down memory lane this afternoon.
Not much happening on this lazy Sunday. Nothing to speak of from Saturday night either, unless you want to hear about cold beers at Cheap Charlies. Didn’t think so.
So, what does that leave me? The last bastion of a desperate blogger–shit that popped up in my Facebook feed.
Admittedly, I’m a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to getting grammar, punctuation, and pronunciation right. Is there a word for that?
I remember looking up the word “inexplicable” in the dictionary once and all it said was “cannot be explained”. So I still don’t know what it means.
Speaking of Kevin Kim, he’s taking his pie-making to a whole other level. Check out his Windmill’s breakfast pie. It’s a masterpiece! After reading his post, I went out to breakfast myself. And when I saw the chicken pie on the menu, I couldn’t resist.
I’ve never had a Windmill’s, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
And finally, I learned something today about the origin of darts:
Works for me!
I’ve actually not been playing all that much lately. When I do play, I’ve been throwing pretty well. I just can’t seem to recapture my passion for the game. Anyway, no big deal. I play when I feel like it or don’t have anything better to do. Last night I started out at Alley Cats but just wasn’t feeling the darts vibe, so I drank beer and took in the view at Cheap Charlies instead.
It’s all good.
Smile an everlasting smile A smile could bring you near to me Don’t ever let me find you gone ‘Cause that would bring a tear to me This world has lost it’s glory Let’s start a brand new story Now my love right now there’ll be No other time and I can show you How my love
Talk in everlasting words And dedicate them all to me And I will give you all my life I’m here if you should call to me You think that I don’t even mean A single word I say
It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away It’s only words, and words are all I have to take your heart away It’s only words, and words are all I have
All Saints Day is apparently a big deal here in this predominately Catholic country. Who knew?
I took a Jeepney out to the mall yesterday morning. Got there a little before the assumed opening time of 10 a.m. Nope, a late opening (noon) due to the holiday. So, I took a goodly long walk around the old Navy base then popped in here for lunch:
So, in other words, you are NOT open 24 hours. I’d seen this place before but never tried it. I had me a hankering for some Korean so I popped on in.The side dishes were excellent. The best I’ve had outside Korea for sure.A little disappointed the meat wasn’t grilled at the table, although honestly, I’m glad I didn’t have to do the cooking. The galbi was quite flavorful and tender. I left satisfied, praise be to the saints of good food!
Returned to the now open mall in search of some new shoes. I usually plan to just re-stock on all my personal needs during my annual trip to the USA. I decided not to go this year, so it’s time to see how the locals do it. I found a nice pair of New Balance sneakers to wear for everyday use. The mall also has a Merrill store which is my preferred brand for hiking shoes. Saw some I like but don’t need any just yet. The also had a Nike and Columbia store. I’m boycotting Nike and the Columbia store didn’t have much in the sizes I require. Anyway, I got what I came for this trip. Praise be to the saints of shopping!
So, it occurs to me that in my self-indulgence I’ve been negligent when it comes to sharing with you some insights into Filipino culture. And what better way to do that than through song? Mikey Bustos is a very popular actor/comedian here in the PI. In the video “If Freddie Mercury were Filipino” he hilariously depicts some of the things that make the Philippines unique, especially the food.
HaHa, when I went to pull that video, I see he’s done parodies of Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson too! So much culture, so little time! Saints preserve us!
Speaking of culture, Kevin Kim has a post about learning the native language of the country in which you reside. Now, I’ve learned a handful of words in Tagalog. But Visayan and Cebuano are also widely spoken here (depending on where you are in the country). Which is why English is supposed to be the common tongue in the Philippines. I’m working at getting better in that one at least! That doesn’t make me a saint, I know.
Despite being a colony of Spain for a few hundred years, Spanish is not really a thing here. I mean, you can see the Spanish influence in some Tagalog words, but it doesn’t sound the same to my ear.
Hey, do you want to see my dogs?
Buddy boy……and my Lucky boy.
They are not perfect, but they love me like I’m a saint. That’s good enough for me!
So, I did the Halloween party thing last night. I’m not into that whole wearing a costume routine, the last time I did was three years ago at Eun Oke’s insistence. Anyway, people kept asking me if I was going to “dress up,” so I figured, hell, why not? I got my old work suit out of storage and dressed up for the occasion. It was actually pretty funny hearing people guess who I was supposed to be. And I couldn’t help but think that I’m far enough removed now from my working life that dressing as a government bureaucrat makes for a good enough costume.
The party was held at the Queen Victoria bar and it was packed. Even had a live band playing. There was also a makeup artist on hand, so I took advantage to spice up my “costume” some.
I didn’t feel a thing.
There was a woman there I hadn’t met before, but I just had to pose with her:
I think we might have wound up getting married…Oh, and Ilene was there as well. Looking amazing. Those eyes! She got second place in the costume contest. The bride pictured with me earlier took first.That Trump 2020 hat must have scared the shit out of any liberals around last night.That clown next to me is a Hasher…I didn’t spend much time listening to the band, but they sounded fine as background noise.“He did the mash. He did the monster mash…”
A drunken good time was had. Apparently.
I was working in the lab late one night, When my eyes beheld an eerie sight. For my monster from his slab began to rise, And suddenly to my surprise, He did the Monster Mash. (The Monster Mash, ) It was a graveyard smash. (He did the Mash, ) It caught on in a flash. (He did the Mash, ) He did the Monster Mash.
Overall, a very nice Sausage Walkers adventure yesterday. We took the Hashmobile 25 minutes out of town and walked back. Our path was for the most part along the banks of the Matain river in an area I had not previously walked. I always enjoy new vistas.
We’re here! Um, wait a minute…are we gonna cross the river? On that?
Well, it wasn’t entirely new. When the truck pulled off the roadway I spotted an all too familiar bridge. One that on a previous long ago walk I had refused to cross, subjecting me to some good-natured derision from my fellow hikers. Once I had confirmed that it was, in fact, the same bridge and it was indeed the plan that we should cross, I came to the same conclusion I had back then–a big NOPE! This time several others in our group agreed that discretion actually is the better part of valor and joined me on an alternative hike a few meters upriver for a more suitable crossing.
The bridge too far.I don’t mind getting my feet wet. Water dries faster than blood after all.After we waded across we rejoined the main group who had all done the bridge without incident. Good for them. I’m not sure what it is, but I just know me trying to cross that bridge would not have ended well. The first time I got about a third of the way over and when it started swaying I was done. I have a fear of heights anyway which seems to compound my natural lack of balance.Fuck you, bitch. It ain’t NEVER gonna happen!
It’s similar to this “stairway to heaven” video Kevin Kim shared on his blog. At least for me.
Anyway, the group re-formed and we went on our way (the last time I’d avoided this bridge, we turned left. Yesterday we turned right. Hence, a new trail for me).
Let’s walk!That really gets my goat…Passed through a peaceful village…The local schoolhouse…They say that every picture tells a story. Not sure what this story is all about. Nothing in the cart I’d spend a quarter for though…And on we march!Another river crossing. We weren’t going that way, but I wouldn’t have any trouble crossing this bridge. It’s new, it’s more stable looking, and with all that netting, even a clumsy oaf like me couldn’t fall off…Speaking of falls…A river runs through it…And on and on we go……through orchards……and fields of green.Lunch break time. I know who I’d like to be eating. Er, eating with I mean.Instead, I enjoyed a granny smith apple and cheese, some mixed nuts, and a cinnamon roll from Angel’s bakery.Christmas season here is in full swing…The rice crop has been harvested and laid in the street to dry…After lunch, it was time to make our way to our traditional watering hole. Some hearty members of the group wanted to do a mountain climb before we finished. The rest of us made our way through the comparatively flat streets of Alta Vista.The view from Cheap Charlies. As you can see, the National Highway remains under construction.All told, we had us a nice little 7K hike through some pretty countryside. I’ll call that a good day!
Oh, and Happy Halloween! I’ll be going to a party tonight at Queen Victoria bar. Everyone keeps asking if I’m going to dress up, so I guess I will. Pictures tomorrow!
And a quick update on Ilene. Ran into her last night at Cheap Charlies. She was with Stuart, another member of the Wednesday walking group. He asked me if I’d mind taking a photo. Well, of course I wouldn’t mind.
I made my way out to Baloy Beach yesterday afternoon and visited the recently re-opened floating bar called Kokomo’s. It’s the first one out this season (Blue Rock and Arizona also feature floating bars). I enjoy the ambiance of drinking my beers on the water for some reason.
As seen from the beach……and from the raft used to transport patrons to the bar…
And once I was on board I had a bit of a surprise. Amongst the dozen or so working girls young women waiting for customers were two gals I first met at the Hash–Arcel (Subic Ice Queen) and Julica (Libre Boom Boom).
That’s Julica in the white dress. I had a pretty major crush on her when we first met. Turns out she’s a butterfly, always looking for the next best thing. Rumor has it that she also has a Filipino boyfriend. Whatever. I got the sense last night she might have figured out she blew it. That’s the way it goes. I bought her a couple of drinks just to show there are no hard feelings.Now with Arcel, you always know where things stand and I appreciate that. When we first met she was dating another Hasher. After they broke up, I met her a couple of times for, shall we say, transactional purposes. Anyway, it was a fun evening hanging out with her at the bar.I didn’t get a chance to meet this girl but I will never forget her, um, face…
And there you have an update on the drunken portion of my life. And speaking of dogs (ahem), how about these:
I came across this picture I took of Lucky before he was mine. The fucked-up nature of his life on a two-foot chain was what motivated me to rescue him.And here is Lucky last night tolerating hugs from his drunk master…Don’t worry, I saved some love for my Buddy boy too!
My dogs ain’t heroes or anything, so I guess I don’t have to worry about whatever shady things they may have done being exposed by the likes of CNN.
Although I did catch Buddy peeing on my kitchen trashcan the other day…
Now, wasn’t that fun?
Off the Florida Keys, there’s a place called Kokomo That’s where you want to go to get away from it all Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand We’ll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band Down in Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go oh I want to take you down to Kokomo, we’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow That’s where we want to go, way down in Kokomo
I was officially a Hare yesterday (by officially I mean I didn’t have to pay Hash dues, Hares are free) but it was all Scott (Pubic Head) and Jim (Blow My Pipe) doing the heavy lifting, I was just along to assist. The big news was that it was Scott’s 184th time in the saddle as a Hare, making him the most prolific Hare in the history of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. Congrats!
With all that experience there are very few trails that Scott hasn’t hiked. He’s like a freakin’ encyclopedia on Hashing and actually maintains an electronic library of Hash trails going back years. Still, I was a little surprised when he declined my offer to go out and do some scouting on Sunday. Instead, he sent me a map of his intended path and said we’d mark it Monday morning. Alrighty then.
So we gathered at the appointed hour (0800) at Johansson’s. Grabbed the jugs of powder, chalk, and shredded paper then caught a Jeepney to the trailhead in Olongapo City.
Me and Pubic Head in the Jeepney. Not pictured but present, Blow My Pipe.
I personally prefer to not have to be transported to start a Hash run. As uncomfortable as a Jeepney might be, that f’n Hashmobile is much worse. I asked Scott what we’d do if the number of Hashers exceeded the Hash truck capacity and he just shrugged and said they could take a Jeepney. Again, it wasn’t my trail so I didn’t argue.
After disembarking from our transportation, we began the first of two major climbs on the day.I kept myself busy along the way marking trail. Here I’m drawing a chalk arrow on a rock showing the intended direction.
We came down from the first hill at a spot on the highway different from where Scott intended. He was able to recalibrate and shortly thereafter we began our second ascent of the day. And it was a steep motherfucker! Quite surprising really. Some Hares have a nasty reputation for killer trails. Old dudes like Scott and me are thought to be saner. Usually, that’s the case. Not so much yesterday, at least on the second hill.
This wasn’t so bad. A bit later though we somehow wound up off-trail so we made our own path for awhile……and in due course, we intersected with the trail we wanted and all was well.A nice view from the top.
One thing I did like about the trail was that we had a portion where we walked the beach.
It’s been a while since we’ve Hashed on the beach.These flowers were growing in abundance on the beach portion of our trail… See what I mean?
Anyway, when it was all said and done the trail came in at 5.5 kilometers.
Here’s how it looked from above. I like this image because it clearly shows the mountains that separate Olongapo City (on the right) from Barretto (top left). You can also see the dirt road path that runs along the ridgeline. I spend too much a lot of time up there suffering on exploring the wilderness trails.We had a big turnout for the Hash that afternoon and just barely managed to squeeze everyone into the back of the Hashmobile. I was so thankful that I was not one of those sardines.
The feedback from the Hashers was mostly positive and with just a couple of exceptions, folks did not have difficulty following the trail. And most importantly, no one got injured. When I Hare I always worry about that. Heh, it’s kinda like being a parent I suppose. All’s well that ends well!
When I got back home after laying trail I was hungry. Had some leftover pulled pork in the fridge, so…
…I figured a pulled pork burrito would hit the spot. It did.
What else? Well, Facebook shared this memory from three years ago:
You know, I always had fun with Eun Oke. It’s too bad we couldn’t find our way.
Up for a little political humor?
It’s quite shocking to witness the depths to which our so-called mainstream media has sunk. Sad, because democracy depends on a free and vibrant press to keep those who would steal our freedoms in check. Instead, the press has largely become enablers of the deep state powers that be. When the criminals like Brennan, Clapper, and Comey are exposed, will they and their minions be held to account? I’m not holding my breath.It’s really sad that so many on the left actually hate Trump more than this guy.
Okay, enough of that bullshit. I am fortunate to live in the Philippines from where most of the insanity back home can be ignored. Let’s cleanse our palate with a cute dog picture, shall we?
This is how Lucky likes to sleep. Looks damned uncomfortable to me.
One of the floating bars (Kokomo’s) has just opened for the season. I think I’ll go welcome them back!
Honey came in and she caught me red-handed Creeping with the girl next door Picture this, we were both butt-naked, banging on the bathroom floor
How could I forget that I had Given her an extra key All this time she was standing there She never took her eyes off me
How you can give your woman access to your villa? Trespass and a-witness while you cling to your pillow You better watch your back before she turn into a killer Let’s review the situation that you caught up in a
To be a true player you have to know how to play If she say a night, convince her say a day Never admit to a word when she say And if she claim, ah, you tell her, “Baby, no way”
But she caught me on the counter (It wasn’t me) Saw me bangin’ on the sofa (It wasn’t me) I even had her in the shower (It wasn’t me) She even caught me on camera (It wasn’t me)
She saw the marks on my shoulder (It wasn’t me) Heard the words that I told her (It wasn’t me) Heard the scream get louder (It wasn’t me) She stayed until it was over
Just a quick post before I head out to assist the Hare in marking the trail for today’s Hash. He asked if I’d help and I’d just as soon do trail in the morning as I would this afternoon.
Last night saw me back at Cheap Charlies. Thus far in the battle of the bars, I’m finding my comfort level higher in the familiar surroundings of CC. Plus I got a nice back rub from Maya in exchange for a couple of lady drinks. That’s about as good as it gets! Well, it gets LOTS better in my fantasies, but you know what I mean.
I did up some pulled pork in the slow cooker for nourishment.Some type of religious procession passed by on the highway while I was enjoying my beers. Not sure what Catholic occasion warranted a parade, but it was something different to look at anyway.A commenter wanted more dog pics. Here’s Buddy and Lucky enjoying their yard time.I thought this response to Patton Oswalt was genius.
So, I just discovered that I can post GIFs here. I guess I’m a sick bastard, but this one cracked me up.:
Kevin Kim has successfully completed his 633-kilometer trek from Incheon to Busan. It was far from a walk in the park, notwithstanding the natural beauty of Korea surrounding him. He had to overcome massive pain in his feet that started early in the hike and rarely subsided, even with massive doses of pain relief meds. Kevin persevered through a strong sense of willpower and dedication to accomplishing his long-planned for objective.
Well done! It was great to follow along with you in a “better him than me” kind of way. Looking forward to your after-action report and recounting of the lessons learned during 29 days on the road.
Yep, last night I attended the grand opening of the newest bar in Barretto–Bar Celona. It’s a rooftop bar, similar to Cheap Charlies. Beers were a bargain at P50 ($1.00) each. They have a pool table, big-screen TVs, good music at a reasonable volume, and friendly staff. That’s a good combination for success! Speaking of staff, I recognized several employees who had previously worked at Cheap Charlies. Familiar faces on the first day of operation, can’t beat that!
Truth be told, I don’t actually like the name. When I open my bar I’m going to name it “The Rite Spot”. Of course, I’m never going to actually open a bar.The pool table area. There’s actually a dartboard back there too. Essentially unplayable when the pool table is in use. Ah well, no bar is perfect.The bar area. The bartender and my waitress had both previously worked at Cheap Charlies.And there across the highway is my old favorite, Cheap Charlies. It appeared they had some customers last night too, so it will be interesting to see how this competition plays out. It felt a little bit like I was cheating on a girlfriend. Ah well, I’ve not made up my mind about which is my favorite yet. I’ll probably patronize both. Everybody wins!
Speaking of Cheap Charlies, the news isn’t good. As seen on one of the forums I frequent:
Popped into Foodies ( cottage pie historic!) and spoke to Tim. Graham’s massive stroke has killed 50% of his brain, so he is robbed of speech functions, memory and does not recognize anyone! He has no chance of recovery and the hope is he can be repatriated within the next 3 weeks, it will cost approximately £28k to get him back to Scotland, so his sister can take care of him. It’s a shame as he wouldn’t want to live in this state and I am sure you would agree that you wouldn’t let a dog suffer like this!
A good reminder to us all to live each day for today, tomorrow may not come and we may not know it if it does. Sad for Graham.
Anyway, came home from the bar via trike, so I wasn’t feeling any pain. And waiting for me in the crockpot was some hot chili:
I’d also baked up some cornbread before I went out. Good eating!
And finally, from my walk this morning:
Damn, I wish I’d gone to a “child friendly” school. Those mean bastards at mine were quick with the paddle and had a hatred for smart asses like me.
Luckily I survived. In fact, it’s probably fair to say I’ve outlived them all now. What goes around comes around and I reckon my time is coming. But not yet!
Well, I’ve never been to Spain But I kinda like the music Say the ladies are insane there And they sure know how to use it
They don’t abuse it Never gonna lose it I can’t refuse it
Just some stuff I’ve seen while I’ve been out and about.
Woke up to a beautiful morning so I was inspired to step out on the upstairs deck to snap a photo. Oops, some ugly bastard is blocking the view. There, that’s better!This blossomed right out in my front yard…I was so inspired I took the dogs for a walk on Baloy beach and then we had breakfast at Treasure Island. Lucky is saying “More Bacon! More Bacon!”I guess she won’t be giving any more head. *ahem*When I saw this door beckoning to me I wasn’t sure if it was a Lewis Carroll or a C.S. Lewis adventure that awaited me. I decided to play it safe and just walk on by.The infrastructure in the Philippines is poles apart from what you find in the West……thank goodness this country is so wired. Otherwise, the telephone pole would fall down.It rained for an hour yesterday afternoon. The hour I happened to be out walking. Got soaked and couldn’t find the pot-of-gold either. Oh well. I got my steps in.That’s pretty much me when I think about commas…
And that’s the way I see things around here.
Step out the front door like a ghost into the fog where no one notices the contrast of white on white. And in between the moon and you the angels get a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right. I walk in the air between the rain through myself and back again Where? I don’t know Maria says she’s dying through the door I hear her crying Why? I don’t know
Round here we always stand up straight Round here something radiates
Another day, another journey. This time with the Wednesday Sausage Walkers group. Lately, I make a decision on whether to participate or not based on where the group is going and/or who is leading the group on that day. Now when it was announced we would ride the Hashmobile out to Gordon Heights in Olongapo City and then make our way up to Tralala, I normally would have been in a “thanks, but no thanks” mode. But there were a couple of other slow walkers in attendance so I decided what the hell and went along despite my reservations.
I’d done the climb to Tralala once before back in February. I swore back then “never again”. And all the way up this time I was swearing at myself for being so stupid as to consent to this replay. Ah well. According to my fitness tracker, we did a 400-meter ascent. I’d say two-thirds of that was steps, and the remainder a less arduous path meandering its way to the top. It was a challenge for this tired old man, that’s for sure.
Here’s the path we took. Up from Gordon Heights, then across the ridge, and back down into Barretto. All told, just under 10K.In the truck for the uncomfortable 30-minute ride into the heart of Olongapo City. Yes, that’s Ilene on the left ignoring me.Out of the truck and psyching up for the ascent.And up we go!Up and up. In my mind I’m like that obnoxious child in the back seat “are we there yet? Are we there yet?”These kids were cute and friendly, although I’m sure they were thinking foreigners must be nuts to climb up here for no reason…I’m going up, he’s coming down. And the world keeps on spinning around. Heh, I’m a poet and don’t know it.It’s not like I’m above it all or anything like that. But I found myself looking down on Olongapo City…The Sausage Walkers taking advantage of a photo opportunity to catch our breath. At least I was. I’m told Stuart (on the far left) is not Ilene’s boyfriend. Hmm.We ain’t at the top yet, but we are entering the Tralala sitio, whatever in the hell that is…Jim offering me words of encouragement: “Come on slowpoke, we are almost there…”“Hold on, Jim. Just let me stop and smell these flowers first.”We lost the trail briefly and this kind woman came out of her shack to point us in the right direction. She said she was the President of the Tralala school. It must not pay well, we were all surprised to see her shanty occupied. I counted at least 3 young kids in the yard as well. But she was very friendly and helpful, as are most Filipinos.And after just a few minutes we arrived at the church/school that sits smack dab on top of the mountain. There are no roads up here whatsoever. I have no idea how this large building was constructed.A view from the top of Tralala…We took a brief lunch break in the schoolyard. Hey, it looks like Ilene is checking out my ass! Hmm.We had a long walk back to Barretto ahead of us. At least the ridgeline was pretty much level and easier on my tired lungs…And it was a beautiful day in the mountains…The path did get a little rocky in places though…I’m the fat old guy in the back. As usual.And finally, we began making our way back down…Barrio Barretto (and cold beer) awaits!“Hurry up, Scott! I’m thirsty!”Jim stops to assist a goat who got tangled in his rope…
And then finally we were done. I was so tired I only had two beers, then hoofed it on home. Took a nice nap and said fuck darts tonight.
This was my day according to Fitbit. The big thing here is the 268 floors, at least for me. I’m a lazy bastard who prefers flat land.
I’m no Kevin Kim, that’s for sure. These past four days of strenuous (for me) activity make what Kevin is doing all the more impressive. My daily output is about 1/3 of what he’s doing routinely on his hike across South Korea. Well, if nothing else I’ve learned my limits.
This morning I rewarded myself with a foot spa and pedicure. It was just what I needed!
I’m going to keep on walkin’, it’s what I do. At least when the sun is up. Nighttime is for rehydration, and beer seems to do the trick.
Those hours ain’t gonna fill themselves!
Look at the time! I need to get my afternoon steps in. I’m going to take it slow, flat, and easy today though.
Thanks for following along!
UPDATE: Okay, now this is kinda funny. I used the “there and back again” title once before, back in April 2017. That post was in recognition of Kevin Kim’s beginning a walk from Seoul to Busan. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
My third Hash event in three days is in the books. Now, the Bundok Hash is a once a year thing here and it’s “special”. Well, special in a way that I am duty-bound to not discuss publicly. Suffice to say it is limited in attendance to 22 brave souls who are biologically male. I met those stringent conditions and had the money required (P3500/$70) to participate. And so I did.
Now, it was like other Hashes in the sense that it did involve a walk/run and beer drinking. The Hares advised that the long trail was around 8K and the short trail was 4K. There was also a beer stop set up 2K into the hike.
Okay, well. I opted to do the long hike. And as usual, the runners and faster walkers soon disappeared way out in front of me. The trail began in familiar territory going through my subdivision and down into the small village of Marian Hills. That’s where the beer truck was parked and waiting. Now, I didn’t see the wisdom in providing beer so early in the hike, but so be it. What was surprising was that just me and another slow walker, Cannonball, were at the truck. I asked the Hares where the runners were and was told that we were the first to arrive. That didn’t make sense at all.
I found out later that everyone in front of me had missed the trail in Alta Vista, and went off on a tangent of some sort. In fact, NO ONE else made it to the beer stop at all. The only explanation was that the trail markings were confusing. In one sense they were–the short trail was simply to the beer truck and back. And the Hare had arrows going in both directions. I had correctly surmised this is what was going on so I had continued on the proper path. So, suffice to say this was a pretty major boondoggle. A Hare should always avoid having the trail cross over itself to ensure this kind of confusion doesn’t happen. And having the beer stop at the beginning of a long hike is also stupid. I had one beer and then a decision to make.
I chose to continue on with the long hike but planned to short cut as needed. The arrows pointed up to a familiar path and eventually intersected with My Bitch, so I figured I’d been well within my comfort zone. Cannonball opted to come along with me. Now, Cannonball is built like, well, a cannonball. Big and round. He asked if it was a hard trail and I responded that there was one moderate uphill and then it should all flat or downhill back to Barretto. So off we went.
Well, Cannonball struggled mightily with the uphill. I had to help him up in a couple of spots (I usually come down this way, so the climbing was a bit more difficult than expected). It was slow going, but we eventually made it to the top without an accident. My plan at this point given the time was to shortcut down to Columban College and then walk the streets back to our on-home at Hot Zone. Alas, I somehow missed the proper downhill trail and found that we were taking the path that leads to Rizal Extension. Oh well, it just added thirty minutes or so to the hike. Food was served at 5:00 and we arrived at 5:15. They saved us some.
We were later recognized as being DFL (dead fucking last) and required to sit on the ice for that sin. I did note that we were the only two in attendance who had walked the actual trail, but of course, no one cared.
Another boondoggle was with something I can’t really discuss here. The Bundok euphemism is “software”. So, we’ll just say there was a software problem. The Grand Master had mentioned a week or so ago that he was short on software and I told him no problem, I’d bring my own. Well, I guess things resolved in the interim and he had plenty of software to go around, but I had already made arrangements for mine to be, um, delivered. When it was he got pissed and got in my face yelling some, but in the end, it worked out. My software performed well and the Grand Master apologized.
And I guess that enough about the Bundok. Oh, I did get this nifty shirt:
The front…The back…
And then there was this warning label inside the shirt:
Quite an event yesterday in celebration of the SBH3 26th anniversary. 121 Hashers in attendance, the third largest gathering in the history of our group. Normal attendance is usually 30-40, so it was something to behold. Logistically it was a bit of a nightmare. We had the Hashmobile and two Jeepneys on hand for transportation, and that wasn’t enough so they had to make two trips. I got “lucky” and got on one of the first Jeeps, but it broke down a bit short of the trail, so I had to walk a little more at the beginning. I wound up shortcutting on the end, so I guess it all balanced out.
The on-home of course was packed and the line for the provided food (tacos and chili) was long. I wound up leaving before the circle was completed. I was in a pissy mood about something non-Hash related. Wound up hitting some bars and getting pretty damn drunk. Oh well, all the nights can’t be good ones I suppose.
Johansson’s was packed with Hashers getting the low-down on the upcoming trail from the Hare, Leech My Nuggets.Packed like sardines into a Jeepney that couldn’t make it up the hill on Rizal Extension. So we walked.On-On…A pleasant view…And another.The grass was high but manageable.On-Home at Da Kudos…Hashers on the beach…And the sun sets on another Hash.
Another Hash this afternoon, the Bundok. This one is for males only and promises to be a little, shall we say, spicier. We’ll see. Maybe it will help get me out of this piss poor mood.
Yesterday I participated in the Angeles City Hash House Harriers 41st-anniversary run. It was my second time joining an AC Hash; I was also there for last year’s anniversary. Six fellow Subic Hashers made the journey with me, filling my driver’s vehicle to capacity. The actual trail we hiked was about 45 minutes outside of AC near the town of Porac. I am firmly in the camp of “it’s good to see something new,” so I enjoyed that aspect of the trip. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.
I did the long trail (6.7K) which was mostly flat. Lots of rice fields and other agriculture. The natives were friendly, one guy even offered me water from his well. And I’m off…Something was growing but I’m no farmer so can’t say what it is…You stay on your side of the path and I’ll stay on mine…That’s Anal Retentive and Blow My Pipe, both of whom joined me for the trip from Subic.Harvest time…I guess all you need in life is a roof over your head and something to eat…Pigs in a pail…Not many hills and what there were, were not so bad.Come on down!Who in the hell is that old guy? Oh wait a minute, that’s me!Mounds and mounds…Peace like a river…The view from on high, such as it was.The street of a dusty little village we walked through…Pubic Head gingerly crossing a stream…It was a relief to not have to deal with that damn thatch grass on this hike… A lonely road…Wide-open spaces…Making our way on-home…The on-home was a big open field. Over 100 Hashers in attendance.The actual circle was very disappointing. For one thing, they ran out of beer! How does that happen? Now, the Subic Bay circle is proudly non-PC. But damn, this one guy leading the group talked about which ASEAN country had been shown to have the lowest IQ. Of course, it was the Philippines. And then he proceeded to make mocking references about Filipinos. Um, dude. Lots of guys there with Filipino wives and girlfriends. Probably not the time or place to make fun of the people and the nation where we have chosen to live. It was good to get back to Barretto and enjoy some beers at Cheap Charlies in our new SBH3 anniversary shirts.
Anyway, I was not impressed with the AC Hash. Attending once a year is more than enough for me.
Today we celebrate the Subic Bay Hash 26th anniversary. I’m sure it will be much more fun than I had yesterday. Stay tuned!
If you think my grammar and punctuation are bad, you should have seen me doing math at darts last night.
I’m not the most accurate or consistent thrower, but I do pride myself on knowing my out shots. For you non-darters, the game of 501 requires that you finish with a double-out. So for example, if you have 32 left on the board, you would need a double 16 to win. But that’s the easy part. Setting yourself up to have an outshot requires some strategic thinking. Or at least the ability to do some simple subtraction.
So, last night my partner leaves me with a 91 out. The best way to throw a 91 out is to go triple 17 (51 points) and double 20 (40 points) for the win. Easier said than done of course. So I step up to the throw line brimming with confidence, aimed at that triple 17, and let my dart fly. Thunk. Single 3. So, with 89 left the preferred shot is triple 19, double 16. I threw a single 19, precluding any possible out with my remaining dart. Best you can do in that situation is to leave a good outshot for your partner’s next throw. I threw a single 18 leaving a 52.
Except the scorer said we had 51 remaining. I respectfully disagreed, having done the math in my head as I threw. She said “3 + 19 + 18 = 40. 40 from 91 leaves 51.” The scorer even illustrated her point by writing out what she was saying. How can that be? I mean, I couldn’t argue that the numbers didn’t equal 40, but I was quite certain that I was leaving my partner an even number. So I said, “91 – 3 = 89. 89 -19 =70. 70 – 18 = 52.” She looked at me like I was stupid or something. So, I started to explain my reasoning again, 91 – 3 = 89… She shook her head and said “no, it doesn’t. That leaves 88.” Oh shit. “Never mind,” I said and sheepishly walked away.
Dumb as a rock, but good enough to take first place anyway. My partner is also a Hasher (Demolition Derby) and will be joining me in Angeles City later this morning.
Walked the dogs, grilled some brats for breakfast, and baked up a batch of brownies to share on the drive down to Angeles. Busy morning.
A high view from Alta Vista taken during yesterday’s afternoon walk.I wish my camera skills could match the beauty of the sunlight sneaking through the clouds. Hopefully, you get the idea.
Alrighty then, time to prepare for the Hash with my fellow Hashers in AC. More drivel to come, but at least from a new venue! Stay tuned!
