Heading out to the airport now and I have my parole papers in hand.

See you on the other side!

Glad you asked!

Preparing for my departure to Seoul at 0200 tomorrow. Pulled out the passport and noticed that the immigration folks had stamped this under my last visa sticker:

REMINDER: Secure Emigration Clearance Certificate Before You Leave The Country.

Hmm. Well surely I can get that down at the airport, right? Being the prudent guy that I am I had my driver take me to the immigration office in Olongapo City to get the lowdown. Hoo Boy. I was given a list of things I needed to bring and a long ass form to complete. And oh yeah, the first thing on the list said I needed to apply for the ECC one week prior to departure and that processing the application required 72 hours. Shit!

I told the immigration officer I was scheduled to fly on Thursday and asked if there was anything I could do to expedite the process. She said if I bring the required paperwork back that day I could pick up the ECC on Wednesday. Thank you, m’am!

The first thing I needed was three 2×2 photos of my handsome face against a white background. Luckily my driver knew where to go to get that done and we were off. I flirted a little with the gal in the hole-in-the-wall shop to no avail. But in the end she did give me what I came for:

The second thing on the list was a copy of my flight information. I needed to go back to the house for that though. So next I had the driver take me to the grocery store so I could pick up some supplies for the orphanage I sponsor. I got some stuff for my house as well but kept them separate in another cart (I had my domestic helpers to assist). After paying for the orphan stuff, the clerk rang up mine. I handed her my credit card and she said “sorry, only one transaction per card.” I was incredulous but couldn’t get an explanation beyond it being store policy. So I just kind of stood there in a Mexican standoff sort of way to see what would happen next (I had my debit card with me but preferred not to use it). The clerk finally relented and processed my card with a don’t do it again admonishment. Noted.

Back to the house and I asked my driver to return at 1:00 p.m. to take me back to immigration. I finally got my printer to agree to print my itinerary and I then completed the ECC form. Having everything required now in hand I made my triumphant journey back to immigration and handed over the paperwork.

So back I went to the photo shop where I found the young gal running the place fast asleep at her work station. I guess I could have taken a nap too and told the world we slept together, but there was no time for that now. She awoke and took a new photo sans glasses and I was off.

So next thing I knew I was being fingerprinted and then I was relieved of 500 pesos and told to return this afternoon to pick up my ECC. Fingers crossed!

After completing my immigration ordeal it was off to the mall. I had told the orphanage director that I would host a monthly dinner for the kids and also celebrate any birthdays that happened during that month. There were two birthdays in May so I needed to get the requested presents. And the cake.

Anyway, I delivered the goodies to the orphanage, made my usual donation, paid for dinner, and left. Honestly, I’m really not comfortable with this commitment. I feel like the time and money could be better spent somehow. In fact, one of my helpers thinks the place is a scam and the kids aren’t really in need. I don’t know about that, but I do see more desperate folks everyday. But for now at least I’ll keep on keeping on and see where it goes. The Director’s assistant is a real cutie, so there’s that.

What else? Spent a little time in Alley Cats last night and they gave me a little farewell party. That was sweet.

Here’s to hoping I don’t encounter any surprises at immigration this afternoon. I’m flying Asiana business class so I should be comfortable and even catch a flew zzz’s before waking up in Seoul tomorrow.

See you on the other side!

Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.

Life, to be sure,
Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.
–Alfred Edward Housman 

And at the moment it is Memorial Day, a day on which a grateful nation gives thanks to those who lost their lives in defending our freedom.

I always take a moment to pause and remember my great uncle Frank as well.

Other than that, there is not much to differentiate today from any other day in my life. Same with yesterday and probably tomorrow. I’m not complaining mind you. I’m doing what I want when I want and I reckon when I don’t want to do that anymore, I’ll figure out something else to do. Isn’t that what retirement is supposed to be all about? Sure, there’s more to life than walking and drinking. And I’ve done a lot of those things. Walking gives me peace of mind and drinking takes the edge off my brain’s tendency to overthink things. So it’s all good.

Last night I dined at a small Korean restaurant here in Barretto. I’ve walked past it numerous times and never saw any customers which made me a little leery of the place. But I recently read a couple of positive online reviews so decided to give it a try. Of course, I had the place to myself.

What else? Well, this gave me a chuckle:

Oh, and any grammatical errors here at LTG may be an indication that all those beers are taking a toll.

Anyway, life is what it is and for me it is mostly good. One day at a time, just taking it one day at a time.

If this life is one act
Why do we lay all these traps
We put them right in our path
When we just wanna be free
I will not waste my days
Making up all kinds of ways
To worry about all the things
That will not happen to me
So I just let go of what I know I don’t know
And I know I only do this by

Living in the moment
Living my life
Easy and breezy
With peace in my mind
With peace in my heart
Peace in my soul
Wherever I’m going, I’m already home
Living in the moment

The valley so low. Both physically and metaphorically.

This morning I explored a valley I’ve skirted the edges of several times. It’s mostly rice paddies with a few scattered shacks here and there. It might be something I can incorporate into a future Hash trail, especially if I need something flatter for rainy season. We’ll see.

I’ve been in a funk these past couple of days. In fact, today is the first day I’ve made it out for a hike since Monday. That is not at all in keeping with my walkaholic nature. The lack of energy and motivation and the difficulty I’m experiencing sleeping are reminiscent of the symptoms I’ve had in past bouts with depression. I’m hoping I can pull myself out of myself before I fall deeper into that black pit. Overcoming my inclination to blow off walking again this morning was a good first step (well, more like 12,000 steps) in moving onward and upward.

This too shall pass and all that jazz.

Down in the valley valley so low
Hang your head over hear the wind blow
Hear the wind blow dear hear the wind blow
Hang your head over hear the wind blow

It started raining yesterday about two hours prior to the start of the Hash. I was worried about how well the powder I had laid on trail would hold up but there was nothing to be done about it and after about 45 minutes the skies cleared.

As the Hare I didn’t actually walk the trail with the Hashers (other than the first kilometer as I made my way home to man the beer check). But I got good feedback that the trail was well-marked and easy to follow. That was one of my main goals. Several others came to me to compliment the trail and to say they enjoyed the hike. The only real complaint I heard was about the long trail portion I added being boring. Yeah, that’s legitimate. All flat and on roads through subdivisions for the most part. The runners wanted distance and I gave it to them. Too bad if it was not challenging enough. Oh, and I did have a couple of people say the trail was harder than they expected it to be. I’m not sure how to take that, maybe they think I’m a wimp?

Bottom line, no one got lost and no one got hurt. I’ll take that any day! One of the Hashers posted photos from the hike on the SBH3 Facebook page. Let me share some of them here:

Speaking of the runners, I was really quite impressed. The Hash started at 3:30. I got back to my place to man the beer check at 4:00. I estimated I might see the first runner come by at 4:45, but I was wrong about that. A female (don’t know her name) came trotting by at 4:30 and didn’t break stride for a cold drink. Her partner was a couple of minutes behind her. So that’s 8K + on terrain that including two climbs and a fairly steep downhill in one hour. Good job!

Not bad for a rookie, eh?

Just a quick update:

I went ahead and marked the long trail yesterday afternoon. Made for a 29,000+ step day, but I got it done.

It DID NOT rain last night or this morning. Although as I write this I can see some worrisome clouds building up. Ah well, out of my hands and nothing to be done about it anyway. The chalk markings will hold up even if the powder doesn’t I suppose.

This morning I went out and walked the short trail again. I really didn’t want to but I reasoned that I needed to get some steps in anyway so might as well. I carried more powder and re-emphasized some more trail markings where appropriate. Actually the trail was looking pretty good so my efforts this morning were not really necessary. Well, at least I have some peace of mind about it now.

Let’s hope it doesn’t rain!

Buddy doesn’t always sleep sprawled out on his back, but he does it pretty damn frequently. It seems strange to me but apparently it is not that uncommon.

If your dog is sleeping with all his limbs sticking up in the air (resembling a dead bug) he is submissive and vulnerable. Not all dogs sleep like this, but if yours does he is a laid back independent pup that feels secure in his surroundings.

Oh, I don’t think I mentioned that the Hare is not expected to do the trail with the other Hashers. So I will not be walking it yet again this afternoon. My plan is to tend to the beer check at my house and then move on down to the Hash “on-home” at Treasure Island afterwards. Should be a good day.

Now for a nap!

UPDATE: I see that I used the “ready to roll” title back in November 2015. I was flying out of Seoul for some vacay time in the USA. That was a lifetime ago.

Tomorrow I make my debut as the sole Hare responsible for setting this week’s trail with the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers (SBH3). It’s a huge responsibility and an even bigger pain in the ass. Here’s how my day of preparation has gone down (so far).

Up even earlier than normal so I could get on with the business of marking the trail while beating the worst of the heat. I arrived at Johansson’s (our starting point) at 0630 and got to work.

Now, obviously I’m not an experienced Hare but I had a decision to make. Some Hares prefer to mark the trail the day prior to the Hash. Others do it the morning of. The downside to the day before is that the powder can fade or even worse, wash away should there be rain overnight. Doing it the day of the Hash is a risk because it could be raining that morning or something else could go wrong causing a major fuck up. Anyway, I opted for today. Checking the weather forecast I see there is a possibility of isolated thunderstorms tomorrow. Hopefully all my hard work doesn’t go down the drain before we Hash. Nothing to be done about it I suppose. Well, if it rains this afternoon or tonight, I could go out in the morning and re-mark the trail. I’d rather not of course.

With powder and chalk in hand I commenced to walking the trail I had been piecing together these past few weeks.

So, as I may have previously mentioned, my trail has two medium length uphills and the climbs are not very steep. One significant downhill and then a relatively easy meandering path covering much of “My Bitch”. It does require walking through the yards of a couple squatter shanties. I always feel bad about creating a disturbance, dogs barking and the like. And knowing I’d be leading 30+ Hashers through their enclave is going to make a lousy day for them I suspect. Anyway, to assuage my guilt make up for their inconvenience I handed out tins of cookies as I passed through today. That seemed to be appreciated.

The trail continues on back into Alta Vista on our way “on-home” at Treasure Island in Baloy Beach. And since we are passing by my house I’ve incorporated a beer check into the hike. A stop off to refresh yourself and replace vital bodily liquids prior to hiking that last kilometer to T.I.

So the short trail is marked and ready. I still need to walk and mark the long trail (another 5K). I may go ahead and do that this afternoon so I can deal with any contingencies that may arise in the morning.

And oh yeah, because of my need to get out and get busy early this morning, Buddy and Lucky had to forego their walk.

Follow the yellow brick road
Follow the yellow brick road
Follow, follow, follow, follow
Follow the yellow brick road

Follow the rainbow over the stream
Follow the fellow who follows a dream
Follow, follow, follow, follow
Follow the yellow brick road

Yesterday I decided to walk the dogs past the house where they were recently attacked. There are only two or three routes I can take here in the neighborhood and I like to mix them up. Plus, it’s a matter of principle. I’m not going to let some irresponsible dog owner deprive me of the right to walk down a public street. And I came prepared with my walking stick fully intending to inflict whatever pain and suffering necessary to repel a crazy animal.

As I passed the house the dog was in the yard and as usual barking furiously. The street is a dead end and on my return past the house the owner was waiting outside for me. She said “do me a favor” and not walk past her house. She said I never know when you are going to pass by and my dog was out earlier. She told me “I don’t want anyone to get hurt”. As politely as I could muster I responded “Let me get this straight. You are telling me not to walk my dog on a public street so that you can let your dog run free?” She repeated “I don’t want anyone to get hurt”. And then said “Please!”. I shrugged and walked on.

Just around the corner one of the subdivision security guards pulls up on his scooter. He tells me he got a call from Mrs. So and So about me walking past her house. I said so? It’s a public street isn’t it? The security guy went into some kind of explanation but I didn’t really understand his English that well. He said he would talk to the So and So bitch as well, but in the meantime I should avoid “her” street. Well, that’s bullshit of course. But it seems since I am a renter here the homeowners get preference in these matters. And oh yeah, the security guy lets his dogs run free too. Anyway, this is clearly one of those situations I can’t win. I’m the foreigner after all.

I do love my dogs. And according to this article I can’t help myself. It’s in the DNA.

What else? Well, I played the worst darts I can remember yesterday in league. My own damn fault as I’ve not been practicing at all. Honestly, after this season I might just hang it up until I can rediscover my motivation to work on my game.

Oh, and here’s a couple more photos from Wednesday’s Sausage Walk.

Stay tuned for the next installment from my so-called life…

A good time out in the countryside yesterday with the Sausage Walkers. I’ll tell the story through photographs if you don’t mind. Well, even if you do mind…

Anyway, it was a good day. Well, shortly after we finished eating it started raining. We had no shelter and of course the back of the truck was open. So we just sat there drinking and getting soaked. After the first few minutes it seemed pretty natural. The deluge probably lasted 30 minutes and then moved on.

Oh, and the beermeister didn’t have any San Miguel Zero, so I wound up drinking the strong stuff. With predicable results. I don’t recall much about the trip home. But I did wake up in my bed this morning. So there’s that.

And so it goes.

I knew yesterday’s Hash would be a tough one. It was hot and the notorious Leech My Nuggets was the Hare. So, when Leech announced that the medium trail was “only” 7 KMs I thought to myself “why not?” and hopped in the Hashmobile. Just before departure Leech looked in the truck (granted, not at me directly) and said “some of you ought not be doing this trail”. Who knew a masochist could be so kind? Well, when Leech My Nuggets admits his trail is a motherfucker (or more aptly, more of a motherfucker than normal) I ain’t one to argue. I hopped out of the truck and went with the group doing the shorter 4 KM trail. That turned out to be a good decision.

Of course, the climb up from Olongapo was no easy walk in the park. If I had to name it, I’d call it the “Come to Jesus” trail. None of the veteran Hashers could recall ever having hiked that way previously. Indeed, in places it felt like we were blazing a brand new path.

Made it back to the “on-home” at Hot Zone without incident. Over an hour and a half hiking to go 4 KMs says something about the terrain. As slow as I am going up, I’m even slower coming back down. Gravity is not my friend.

We did our usual Hash circle activities. The festivities were a little muted because it was election day and the Filipinas among us were not permitted by law to drink beer.

And yes, I spent some time on the ice as well.

It was also announced that I would be next week’s Hare. I told the circle it was going to be “an old man’s trail”. The old men present seemed to appreciate that!

On-On!

Had a bit too much excitement whilst walking Buddy and Lucky this morning. I always stay in the neighborhood with the dogs because there are too many aggressive strays on the streets outside. There are a couple of assholes in the subdivision that let their dogs out, but all they do is bark. Usually I just pick up a rock and they turn tail and run away.

So today I’m walking and I see a dog up ahead, just standing there staring at us. As I approach he continues to stand motionless, no barking, just that stare. To be on the safe side, I cross to the street. But as I pass he comes charging in full attack mode. He was probably twice the size of Buddy. Buddy to his credit wasn’t taking any shit and got right back into it with the aggressor. I hollered and picked up a rock, yanked Buddy back on his leash, and chucked the rock at the fucker. He took off for home. Man, I was pissed.

I recognized the dog as the one who lives on the last house on this street. The dog has always been within the fenced yard and barks like crazy when I pass by. That’s natural and doesn’t bother me. Anyway, as I approached the house I saw the aggressor dog was in the yard but the gate was open. So I called out to the house and the female owner came out. I told her I had been attacked by her dog. She seemed surprised to hear that, but not for long. Because, you guessed it, that bastard attacked us again! She screamed and yelled at the dog to no avail. And the fight was much more brutal this time. Buddy and him are really going at it, I’m trying to pull Buddy back but of course that had no effect on the bully dog. The owner tried to come in between them, got tangled in the leash, and knocked to the ground. I started kicking her fucked up dog, he’d back off for a second then come back in. I must have kicked that bastard three times as hard as I could and he wouldn’t back off for long. After one kick, he did leave Buddy who was fighting back hard and then attacked poor little Lucky, who didn’t stand a chance. Some other people came out of the house and managed to chase the demon dog back into the yard.

Buddy had a couple of bite marks and Lucky was bleeding from one of his ears. The owner was on the ground in pain, apparently she had recently had back surgery. I almost felt sorry for her until she admitted she had intentionally let her dog out. “I didn’t expect anyone would be walking by” was her excuse. I told her I walk this way every other day and she had seen me do so. I asked her if her dog had his shots and she assured me that he did. The dog looks healthy and well-cared for so I tend to believe her. Both of mine have had rabies vaccinations so I trust they will be fine.

Hell of a way to start my morning though. Jesus.

This is political but I had to laugh:

And to cleanse your palate, a non-political joke I like:

An 85-year old man is having his annual checkup. The Doctor asks him how he is feeling.

“I’ve got an eighteen-year old bride who’s pregnant with my child. What do you think about that?”

The Doctor considers this for a moment, and then says, “Well, let me tell you a story. I know of a guy who’s an avid hunter. He never misses a season. But one day he’s in a bit of a hurry and he accidentally grabs his umbrella instead of his gun. So he’s walking in the woods near a creek and suddenly spots a beaver in some brush in front of him! He raises up his umbrella, points it at the beaver and squeezed the handle. BAM !
The beaver drops dead in front of him.

“That’s impossible!”, says the old man in disbelief, “Someone else must have shot that beaver.”

The Doctor says, “My point exactly.”

That joke is especially apropos here in the PI where December/April romances are not uncommon. And yes, I see guys older than me raising up newborns. Not how I intend to spend my golden years, that’s for sure. Luckily I’ve been shooting blanks since I was 50.

Alright, I’ll leave y’all with a song I hadn’t even thought of for decades. I think it’s the only song I know that features a dogfight. Enjoy!

In the nick of time, a hero arose
A funny-looking dog with a big black nose
He flew into the sky to seek revenge
But the Baron shot him down –
“Curses, foiled again!”

Now, Snoopy had sworn that he’d get that man
So he asked the Great Pumpkin for a new battle plan
He challenged the German to a real dogfight
While the Baron was laughing, he got him in his sight

That bloody Red Baron was in a fix
He’d tried everything, but he’d run out of tricks
Snoopy fired once, and he fired twice
And that bloody Red Baron went spinning out of sight

Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more
The bloody Red Baron was rollin’ up the score
Eighty men died tryin’ to end that spree
Of the bloody Red Baron of Germany