This weekend is the annual Beach Bash, sponsored by the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). I’ve participated in a couple of dart tourneys associated with the event and will play in another this afternoon. Tonight there is the Miss Beach Bash swimsuit contest which I look forward to having a look at. Ahem.
Anyway, last night was a great night of darts. Early in the tourney I threw like I have been in practice. Later on when the beer kicked in I was not as accurate or consistent, but still managed to hang on for a first place finish worth P1500 ($30). That’s pretty big money in these local tournaments.
Drew my pal Cherry as a partner and she kept up her part of the challenge.In fact, I was so impressed that I proposed we get married. Marissa was there to capture the moment for us. Oh, Cherry so “no thank you”
After darts we took a trike out to Baloy Beach to see the live band at the Lagoon Resort lounge.
I don’t recall the name of the group but they were one of the more talented bands I’ve ever seen in a local bar. Really enjoyed there music.
Anyway, it was a pretty good day here in paradise.
My life is relatively good here in the Philippines. I certainly have everything I need to live comfortably and well in retirement. And honestly speaking, the disappointments have for the most part been of my own making. As I’ve alluded to in previous posts I’ve yet to find “the one” who fulfills my desire for a loving and nurturing relationship. Instead I’ve been settling into a rather bizarre “friends with benefits” deal that satisfies in a somewhat unsatisfactory manner.
Regular readers will have guessed that I am speaking of Marissa. I recognize that continuing this relationship basically precludes me from pursuing (or being pursued by) the woman of my dreams, whomever and wherever she may be. And while I believe Marissa is a good woman with a kind heart she can also be quite frustrating as at times she appears incapable of meeting my relationship expectations. Consequently I’ve attempted to end our arrangement on several occasions, most recently yesterday.
Here’s the most recent example of our disconnect. Marissa normally works on Thursday nights at Alley Cats. I avoid the bar when she works because I don’t care to watch her engage in the craft of securing lady drinks from her customers. Normally she lets me know when she is finished at work and we’ll meet up for some food or videoke (karaoke). I did a little barhop on my own and dropped into the videoke bar around the time she normally gets off and waited. After a couple more beers there without hearing anything I headed out to Alley Cats to see what was happening. And I was told she hadn’t worked that night. Hmm.
I sent her a message and got no response. So I called her and got no answer. I honestly had no idea what was going on with her so I contacted Cherry, a mutual friend. Cherry advised that she had last talked to Marissa that morning who told her she wasn’t feeling well. That was news to me as Marissa had stayed over at my place on Wednesday night and seemed fine on Thursday morning. I was actually a little worried at this point and decided to finish my beer and walk to Marissa’s place to check on her. Before I could do so I received a message from Marissa saying she was with friends at the videoke bar.
That really pissed me off. Not that she was out with friends, nothing wrong with that. The fact that she hadn’t bothered to take a minute to let me know she wasn’t working and wasn’t going to meet up with me later was to my mind extremely rude. I certainly wasn’t happy that I had wasted my night waiting around for her while she was out partying so I said (wrote) the first thing that popped into my head “fuck you!”. She responded “fuck you too”. And we left it at that. And as I drunkenly made my way home that night I was resolved that this was the end.
The next day Marissa sent me a good morning message and I responded how her actions the previous night had me feel and that I thought it best that we just call it quits and be done with it. She was surprised and remorseful saying she hadn’t realized I was waiting on her to contact me or that I would be upset if she didn’t. I responded that was the problem, it hadn’t even occurred to her to consider my feelings. And then I logged off and took a long walk.
In the afternoon I got another message from Marissa saying she now understands that she was wrong, that it wouldn’t happen again, and asking for me to give her another chance. I told her I didn’t blame her because I realize it is just not in her nature to do the things that meet my needs. She said that she had no choice but to accept my decision and that she would move back home to Manila and go on with her life. She thanked me for all that I had done for her in the past and that she would cherish our memories.
Well, damn. Now I felt bad. I hadn’t expected her to want to pack up and move away. And I realized that despite her flaws I would miss her company. I had been really impressed with her willingness to join me at the Hash and to even hike “My Bitch” with me a couple of days earlier. Was I being too harsh? And then as if in answer to that question, this popped up in my Facebook feed:
When our nails are grown, we cut the nails, not the fingers. Likewise, when there are misunderstandings, CUT THE PRIDE, NOT THE RELATIONSHIP
Shit. Well, what the fuck. She had apologized and seemed sincere in trying to better accommodate my neediness. And I’d feel like crap if she moved away from a place she’s lived for a decade because of me. So I relented and decided to give it another go.
And that’s where I’m at. We’ll see what happens next I suppose. I don’t anticipate any great romance with Marissa, but she’s okay company and if she makes an effort to be better at not pissing me off I might be willing to keep her around for awhile as a companion.
Safer than being in love again, that’s for sure! And yes, it has occurred to me that there are similarities in this arrangement with my failed “Plan B” I tried with Loraine. Maybe this time will be different!
And all I can do is keep on telling you I want you, I need you But-there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you Now don’t be sad ‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad Now don’t be sad ‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
Or maybe less is more. But the more things change the more they remain they same. Or so it seems. Hell, I don’t know anymore. It’s all good, no complaints. This may be the worst start to a blog post in the history of poorly started blog posts here at LTG. So, let’s get on with it. Whatever it may be!
I’m reminded that time flies. It’s been 12 years since I played darts in this tournament in Seoul with one of my earliest dart mentors.
My life is pretty simple these days and that’s my choice. I have my routines and I’m maintaining a level of discipline that helps stave off getting lazy and completely unmotivated. I’m not unhappy with my choice to live here and although there are things I want and don’t have, it is easy to look around and see what a lucky bastard I truly am. Hell, I even have love in my life!
My Buddy lets me know that every day!
It gives me happiness to see how far Buddy has come from those first days after he was rescued from an abusive home and the trauma he experienced when he ran away from mine. He ain’t going anywhere now, that’s for sure.
Here he is taking his friend Marissa for a walk.
Other dogs aren’t so lucky. Like this little guy:
He’s tied up on a short leash near the entrance to my subdivision. No food or water. I asked one of the security guards about him and was told that he belongs to one of the maintenance workers. Apparently he just ties him up and leaves him when he goes to work.
I gave the pup some food and water this morning but it breaks my heart to see him like this. I’m thinking I’ll try and track down the owner and see if he is interested in selling his “pet”. Most dogs I see in these parts live a miserable life. You can’t save them all of course, but I might have room for one more in my house and in my heart.
And of course, I’m still walking my life away. A life I might not have if I wasn’t walking to maintain it. I guess that’s what you call a win-win. Yesterday I was out and about with the Wednesday Walkers group.
We leave out of Angel’s bakery at 10:00 a.m. I had a nice breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon and toast there before the walk. Cost me P195, or less than $4. Interestingly (more or less), the first part of our 3+ hour hike was on My Bitch of a trail. I was happy to keep the group on the right path to Rizal Extension!Once we reached Rizal, Gunter the Austrian took over and led us straight up the fucking mountain. It was tough going. I bitched some and he said this is nothing compared to the Alps. I guess you just have to maintain perspective. And enjoy the views.Finally made it to the summit!Arcel (I’ve mentioned her before) was feeling frisky after the climb. Who am I to complain?Anyway, it was a good day on trail with my walking buddies.
And that brings you up to date on my so-called life. More or less.
I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we really content. We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand. We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests and mountains, deserts and hidden rivers, and the lonely cities as well. Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as is our laughter. To share our sadness with one we love is perhaps as great a joy as we can know – unless it be to share our laughter.
We searchers are ambitious only for life itself, for everything beautiful it can provide. Most of all we love and want to be loved. We want to live in a relationship that will not impede our wandering, nor prevent our search, nor lock us in prison walls; that will take us for what little we have to give. We do not want to prove ourselves to another or compete for love.
For wanderers, dreamers, and lovers, for lonely men and women who dare to ask of life everything good and beautiful. It is for those who are too gentle to live among wolves.”
― James Kavanaugh
UPDATE: Well I’ll be damned. I used the “More or Less” title once before in September 2013. It was a post about my darting exploits back when I was living (part time) in the USA. A lifetime ago.
*Actually, I do know her name but out of respect for her privacy, I’ve deleted it from this post. The picture of me and Petro will remain. And just for the record, a polite request goes a lot further with me than a rude demand.
A nice Hash yesterday. It was good to see Salty Cum (aka Marissa) make a rare appearance. She’s actually quite the trooper, nary a complaint on trail. We even climbed two mountains! Might be I’ll turn her into a walkaholic yet! Here’s some photos:
I lifted this selfie from Salty Cum’s facebook page. For whatever reason she wasn’t keen of me taking a photograph of her…Of course, what she can’t see me doing she can’t complain about, right?Why was the mountain sad? Because all his friends took him for granite. *ahem*The way up…I’m King of the hill!A view from the top…A view of the bay….And down below lies Barrio Barretto. Can you imagine a better view?As a matter of fact, yes I can!Back “on-home” at Treasure Island I was required to join my fellow Americans on the ice. Some pretext about losing some sporting event or another. I protested that we had just won the Super Bowl and someone else reminded that we had also won the World Series. The Aussie in charge wasn’t impressed.Poor Marissa had the misfortune of kicking over someone’s beer in the Hash circle. And when one Filipina sits, all Filipinas sit!
Anyway, it was a pretty nice Hash day.
This morning I convinced Marissa to walk back to her place on the recently discovered trail affectionately known as “my bitch”. So, I guess you could say I walked with my bitch on my bitch. Eh, maybe that wouldn’t be good to say. Seriously, I was impressed to see Marissa at least making an effort to be part of my non-drinking life.
Anyway, I have no illusions about the future and her role in it. It is what it is. And what it is is better than nothing. For now at least.
Here comes Johnny and he’ll tell you the story Hand me down my walkin’ shoes Here comes Johnny with the power and the glory Backbeat the talkin’ blues
He got the action, he got the motion Yeah, the boy can play Dedication, devotion Turning all the night time into the day
He do the song about the sweet lovin’ woman He do the song about the knife He do the walk, he do the walk of life
One of those days yesterday. Feeling a little out of sorts and grumpy. I said fuck off to darts and started drinking beers instead. Drinking beers alone that is. It occurred to me that I actually didn’t have any friend to call on to just sit and join me. So I just kept my laments to myself. Late in the afternoon I moved down to the Arizona floating bar where I continued to drown my sorrows, such as they were.
There’s something about being on the water though. Surrounded by the peaceful beauty of mother nature makes it hard to stay in a bad mood. And then of course the sun started going down and I decided to document it’s departure in a series of time-lapsed photographs. Okay, yeah. I was alone and a little bored. Sue me.
First shot, still relatively high in the sky.second shot, is the sun really going down or is the horizon rising?third shot. nope, them mountains didn’t just get taller…fourth shot, no more sun to see…fifth shot. And yet, the sun shines on…sixth shot…ashes to ashes, dusk to dusk…
Which one is your favorite?
Anyway, drunk and relatively happy again I went to dine at the Arizona restaurant, one of my favorite eateries here in Barretto. Had me some BBQ ribs and they didn’t disappoint.
Got home relatively early and was feeling some pain in my left leg. Normally it is my right leg that hurts, but only when I’m sleeping on it. Weird I know. Anyway, one of my helpers (Gina) gave me a nice leg massage and coupled with the alcohol I soon fell asleep. Life is good, no?
Facebook shared a memory of one year ago when I was Hashing in Pyeongtaek.
I’ll be Hashing again later this afternoon but with a lot less clothes on…
And oh by the way…
That’s me on the floating bar yesterday. You might notice that I’ve discovered how to reverse selfie images to the proper orientation. Thanks for the tip Kevin Kim!
So anyway, given my leg pain Marissa asked me if I was still going to Hash. I told her of course. I actually don’t experience the pain when I’m walking. She responded that I walk too much, and I countered that maybe I’m not walking enough. She was incredulous and said “what are you, a walkaholic?” Now that cracked me up, especially because her English is not all that great and that’s a pretty nice pun. And I always enjoy a good pun!
Speaking of the Hash it’s about time I get ready to head out for today’s event. I saw this posted on the page of one of the Hash groups I belong to:
Yes, I can be a sick bastard but I found it funny.
Keep on lovin’ life, that’s what I plan to do!
I can’t light no more of your darkness All my pictures seem to fade to black and white I’m growing tired and time stands still before me Frozen here on the ladder of my life
Too late to save myself from falling I took a chance and changed your way of life But you misread my meaning when I met you Closed the door and left me blinded by the light
Don’t let the sun go down on me Although I search myself, it’s always someone else I see I’d just allow a fragment of your life to wander free But losing everything is like the sun going down on me
I can’t find the right romantic line But see me once and see the way I feel Don’t discard me just because you think I mean you harm But these cuts I have they need love to help them heal
I’ll just drop this here to rub it in for all you folks experiencing winter. Or walking in the rain. (Sorry Kevin. I wrote that line before reading about your mini-disaster/major disappointment).
Damn…
But seriously, the weather has been great these past few weeks. Mid-80s with a comfortable breeze is about as pleasant as it gets in these parts. Come March it will warm up and then I’ll start looking forward to rainy season.
Some of my neighbors. The goats roam free here in Alta Vista…And I’m living large too. Steak night tonight!Still enjoying my sunsets. This one is from the Blue Rock floating bar…Facebook is keeping me humble reminding me of when I actually had some game. I’m not throwing anywhere near that well now, but I’m throwing good enough to win. Another first place in the tourney last night…In the category of “things I miss” is my son and sweet granddaughter Sydney, all dressed up for a father-daughter dance…Crappy photo, but there was some fire on the mountain this afternoon. The locals are regularly burning up there. I’m surprised things never get out of control. This fire was completely unattended…I reversed course today and walked the trail from Alta Vista this time. Other than the fire and some jerk who had thrown tree limbs and crap over the trail to make room for a new fence, it was a hassle-free adventure. Will likely make it or some variation a part of my weekly routine…The Wednesday Walkers group. It’s nice to have a little company on trail…Although I guess wherever you are, you are with yourself…But it’s easier to carry on a conversation this way… Laundry day for the locals. I’d call it old school but there ain’t no new school option…On the rocks!Livin’ large and lovin’ life. For the most part anyway…
This ain’t a song for the broken-hearted No silent prayer for the faith-departed I ain’t gonna be just a face in the crowd You’re gonna hear my voice When I shout it out loud
It’s my life It’s now or never I ain’t gonna live forever I just want to live while I’m alive (It’s my life) My heart is like an open highway Like Frankie said, “I did it my way.” I just wanna live while I’m alive It’s my life
…but sometimes it makes good enough. At least it did last night.
As I’ve mentioned, recently I have rededicated myself to the sport of darting. Well, what I mean is that I’m practicing daily at home. And I’ve had some pretty amazing practice sessions. Sadly, they haven’t seemed to carry over in competition. But in last night’s singles tournament I could feel the difference. Although still too inconsistent, I was hitting big scores and throwing my double-out shots better. Most importantly, I was throwing with more confidence which probably explains the better play over all.
Last night was probably the best I’ve played in years. And I needed every good throw I managed. I beat some damn fine players along the way and then came back through the loser’s bracket to beat the guy who put me there for the championship. I really enjoyed the challenge and had a lot of fun playing again as well. Let’s see if I can build on this success and take it to the next level.
Speaking of winning, I had another success this morning. Let’s tell that story in photos, shall we?
As commenter Kevin Kim suggested, I renewed my quest for the elusive path from Alta Vista to Rizal Extension by working the trail backwards. The end of the beginning if you will. Here’s where the pavement of Rizal turns to soil.And here’s the beginning (or end) of the path.And once again, I used the valley as a reference point, knowing it needed to stay to my right (from this direction anyway).The trail is not a bad one, but you do have to stay alert and watch your step…Last time I came to this junction I took the path to the right and it led me down into the valley near Marian Hills. Close, but not my desired destination. Left it is then!Walkin’ in tall cotton. Er, grass or whatever that shit is. Shoulder height on me. The worse thing is that it makes it hard to see where you are putting down your feet, which can be perilous. I remembered from previous attempts that I need to keep the fence on my left…Yonder is where I don’t want to be. That’s the area Rizal Extension runs through. Earlier attempts have twice taken me in a big circle dumping me back near where I had started. Want to avoid that fiasco if I can. Alright, I’ve gone wrong here before . There are three different trails running through the grounds of this fine estate. I’ve done the left one and the right one without success. So going with the center route was a no-brainer today…My old nemesis razor wire. Stepped over the barbs this time without incident.Another house and yard with barking dogs. It always feels like I’m intruding as I walk past. Kept going straight, judging the path to the left as going back from whence I came.And there in the distance is my destination–the lovely Alta Vista subdivision I call home. Now just how do I get there from here?Decisions, decisions. My flawed sense of direction said turn right, and so I did. Will it lead me home?I enjoy rocky road ice cream. This path? Not so much.Getting back to my roots.One false step and I’m screwed big time. Obviously since I’m writing this post, my step was true…
And then suddenly it was all looking familiar. Could it be? Could it finally be?
Why yes! Success at last!No pain, no gain. Actually, didn’t feel this at the time although I suspect it happened in the tall grass. Those blades can be rather sharp…
Anyway, thanks for sticking with me until the quest was done.
Oh, and I just noticed that this is post number 3001 here at LTG. Talk about coming along on a journey! Thanks for joining me. Having readers of my ramblings is both quite humbling and very surprising. But it means a lot. I appreciate your support!
Today the Wednesday walking group ventured way out past Olongapo City to Old Catlaban and the Forest river. 45 minutes each way in the Hashmobile was a killer on the ass, that’s for sure.
Let’s get loaded!Stretching the legs out after a long ride.Passing through a small village I forget the name of…On the river trail. We had to ford the river several times.Heading for the hillsA river runs through it…There was a waterfall further up the trail but we ran out of time so went no further than thisIt will be there somewhere in the future I suppose…A lonely flower trail side…A final river crossing. Yes, we got our shoes wet.The rush to get back to our campsite was because we had to utilize the fire Chief Tucker Fucker prepared…That don’t call us the Sausage Walkers for nothing…Milling about the campsite prior to the long drive home.
While it is always nice to see new places and things, I can’t say the long drive was worth it. I’d rather be walking than being bounced about in the pick of a truck. But that’s just me I suppose.
Anyway, another day has been filled, so there’s that. Now for some darts and beer drinking!
This afternoon I found a trail that led me back to my Alta Vista subdivision. It wasn’t THE trail I was looking for, dropping me about a block away from where I anticipated arriving, but still…
I arrived at the end of a dead end street I had never ventured to before. But by God, it’s in Alta Vista, so mission accomplished!
I’m still going to find the trail I was expecting to find, I’ve got a pretty good hunch now as to where it might be.
I celebrated my discovery by taking a walk down Baloy Beach, just before sundown.
What a life, huh?
And since I was already there, I figured why not visit the Kokomo’s floater?
And finding no good reason not to, that’s just what I did!
Am I posting while drunk now? Why, yes. Yes I am!
UPDATE: Well I’ll be damned, I used the “Eureka” title way back in 2007. No one can blame me for not remembering that.
“Human beings are remarkable – at what we can learn to live with. If we couldn’t get strong from what we lose, and what we miss, and what we want and can’t have, then we couldn’t ever get strong enough, could we? What else makes us strong?” –John Irving
Obviously you can’t live in the past. Learning to let the past go and move on with you life is both challenging and necessary. In many ways I’ve done better of late in that regard. But sometimes those bastards at Facebook and their godforsaken “memories” feature drag me back to days gone by.
One year ago I was either looking forward to my upcoming life in the Philippines or looking back on my latest broken heart. Or maybe both. But what I wasn’t looking at was this sweet woman Juhye. Well, who knows what you are leaving behind? At least until it’s gone. Juhye started a new life in Germany right around the time I started mine here.Two years ago I was in love with a woman destined to break my heart. I didn’t know either of those facts at the time though. Would it have mattered?
I think that’s my favorite picture of Loraine, although I don’t spend much time picking at the scabs on my heart to look at old photos from days gone by. The fact that I’m able to even post this one now is a milestone on the road to my leaving her behind once and for all. Admittedly, she made that easier by turning her back on the friendship I had attempted to maintain despite her betrayal. Ah well.
It did give me cause to consider my track record here in the PI since making the move. If you are keeping score, it looks like this:
Eva–the woman I considered my best friend. She had visited me twice in Korea and I was looking forward to having someone I could trust and rely on as I started my new life in a foreign land. Instead shortly after the move she ghosted me for reasons I still can’t understand. Hurt like hell though.
Gem–they say you can’t put a price tag on friendship, but Gemma has sadly proven otherwise. Regular readers may recall that she was the first woman I dated after the Loraine fiasco. And while the relationship did not blossom into a “love” thing (at least for me) I did value Gem’s friendship. So, we she asked to “borrow” a substantial amount of money to help her out of a short term emergency I didn’t hesitate to do what a friend would do in those circumstances. And all I’ve gotten since then is a string of broken promises. She has pretty much ceased contact with me now, although the last time I heard from her it was to tell me the money would be on its way in a few days. That was weeks ago. Whatever. The lies hurt more than the financial hit to be honest. Live and learn as they say. I still live, but will I ever learn?
Maria–another woman I had dated and then tried to maintain as a friend when the romance didn’t work out. She unfriended me on Facebook a while back because her new beau was jealous of me. Yeah, I can understand her doing that. I’m the past, he’s the future. Good luck, best wishes and all that jazz.
Marissa–I honestly don’t have a clue what I’m doing with her. She’s crap as a girlfriend so we have been doing the “friends with benefits” thing (or at least I have). Although honestly she’s been pretty disappointing as a friend as well. I almost walked away for good a couple of weeks ago but somehow managed to get sucked back in. Sometimes I’m just a weak and lonely old fool I suppose. I don’t pretend there is any future other than being drinking and fucking buddies. One of these days I’ll have to man up and let go for good. I mean, she’s a good woman and I don’t want to see her hurt. She deserves better. And so do I.
Moving on.
Eight years ago the family gathered to bury my mother in Enid, Oklahoma. I was just beginning my new life as a retiree back then and I had Jee Yeun at my side. No regrets about that, I’m glad she was there. I wish things had not ended the way they did, but that’s life.Me (in the middle of course) and the brothers circa 1960. It’s been a helluva ride!
Alright. The future awaits. Let’s get on with it!
Like every young man, I had some things that I Wanted to say Ere I could begin, you know the world got In my way
Oh Lilah, just sleep like a baby To open the window and feel the fair wind Oh Lilah, just sleep like a baby again
We spend so much time weeping and wailing and Shaking our fists Creating enemies that really don’t exist
Oh Lilah, to sleep like a baby? Just open the window and feel the fair wind Oh Lilah, to sleep like a baby again
All these comings and goings that cut like a knife These small, simple pleasures that make up a life A man needs a home, and a child, and a wife To always be there Always
After I’m gone, there are some things that I know I will miss: The taste of your mouth, the smell of the perfume On your wrist Oh, Lilah, the fields lie fallow Whate’r ye sow, so shall ye reap Oh Lilah, this ground we hallow Is ours to tend, but not to keep
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPUBu8HYZdk
UPDATE: It seems I used the “Past forgetting” title on a post back in August 2017. Ah, I guess I forgot about that.
The title of this post is the name of the Hare who laid the Hash trail I hiked yesterday. Fucking Masochist would also be apt. It was as if he picked the most difficult paths possible which made for a challenging day to say the least. To his credit I suppose, Leech did warn before departure that his trail “was not for cripples”. My goal was to complete the walk without becoming one which I did in fact manage to accomplish.
We took the Hashmobile all the way out to Olongapo City to begin our trek.Heading out and up…That’s me in the cap and brown shirt. It looks like I’m wearing brown stockings, but that is actually my tan line. I’m slowly turning Filipino…Our path took us through the hillside cemetery. I didn’t stick around thankfully….Yeah, people actually live this way. Count your blessings!My favorite part of the trail!I couldn’t take photos of the really hard parts, it was all I could do to keep my feet. “Rickety bridge” illustrated.Mountaintop views are always a reward for the effort I suppose.And seeing new things is always nice. Here we have the famous “Great Wall of Subic”…The sun was rapidly going down and I was still up on top of the mountain which was disconcerting. No quick way down either, the path Leech chose was rocky and treacherous.
But I survived to Hash another week so there’s that.
Ah, the joy and freedom of retired life. Where your time is your own to do with as you will. Of course, filling up all those vacant hours can be a chore in its own way I suppose. Here’s how I’ve been passing the time lately.
Darts. I believe I’ve mentioned that I’m trying to rededicate myself to the game. Jee Yeun had always been my biggest fan and supporter and when I lost her I also seemed to lose my passion for the game. But I figure if I’m gonna play in competition I owe it to myself to play up to my utmost capability. And so I have added a daily practice time at home to my routines.
Oddly enough I’ve had some really good practice sessions but they don’t seem to carry over to the tournaments. Played in a big money tourney on Saturday and finished a disappointing 7th place. Last night in a small singles tournament I also threw like crap and finished 4th. Well, I know my practice is not the cause of my poor play, that’s just a coincidence. I hope. Regardless, I’m going to keep after it and see if I can’t recapture some of the past glory days.
Walking. Hey, it’s what I do. Regular readers are probably getting bored with the recitations and photographs of my adventures in and around the streets of Barretto and neighboring jurisdictions. What can I say, it’s how I spend a lot of my time and some days it’s the only fodder I have for the blog. Oddly enough, I’m not really bored with the actual walks. It’s a good time to think about shit and listen to music on the headphones. It’s helped that I’m getting a bit more adventurous and exploring new paths, roads, and trails.
I’ve also got the social aspects what with doing the Monday Hash and the Wednesday Sausage Walkers, so there’s that. And I’ve been meeting and exceeding the goals I’ve set for myself. Last week I averaged over 26,000 steps a day. I think even in retired life you need that sense of satisfaction that comes with achievement. Or so I keep telling myself. That and I don’t want to get fat again.
Drinking. Now there’s something I excel at! I practice every single day, and I must be getting better at it, right? Seriously though, I’m not out of control. I mean, I see these guys at breakfast time ordering up beers and I’m always thankful I’ve committed to not being one of them. I don’t judge (much) but that’s just not the way I want to spend my daytime hours. One of the reasons I quit the Wednesday-Friday dart league is that the matches start at 2:00 p.m. And when I throw darts I drink. And I don’t like having a buzz on at five o’clock wondering “now what am I gonna do?”
Well, I have rejoined the Friday league and I do play in the Sunday tourney, both starting at 2. And quite honestly, I’m out drinking every other night of the week too. But I stick with low alcohol beer (San Mig Zero, 3% alcohol, 60 calories), although I do drink me quite a few bottles (usually 6+). Anyway, I don’t consider it a problem. I don’t get drunk drunk (i.e. falling down, out of control, acting ridiculous). Well, no more ridiculous than I act sober anyway. I very rarely ever drink at home, so it is primarily a social activity for me.
Take last night for instance. I was enjoying some time on board the Arizona floating bar, taking in the views and quaffing some brews as it were. Then a couple of Hash buddies (HIV and Demolition Derby) showed up and joined me for more beers and chat. It was a pleasant evening. Okay, maybe sometimes I do get a little bit ridiculous.
Anyway, that’s how I’ve been filling some of the hours, however comfortably and well. I’ve got some other ideas bouncing about in my head and maybe they will come to fruition. Or at least a mildly interesting blog post. Stay tuned!
Look around me, I can see my life before me Running rings around the way it used to be I am older now I have more than what I wanted But I wish that I had started long before I did And there’s so much time to make up everywhere you turn Time we have wasted on the way So much water moving underneath the bridge Let the water come and carry us away
The quest to find the mountain passage between my Alta Vista subdivision and Rizal Extension road continues apace. Yesterday I was quite pleased with finding a trail from Rizal that took me into the Marian Hills neighborhood, which is pretty close to Alta Vista.
Most of the trail was easy going, just the way I like it.Although it did get “tiring” in places. *ahem*I kept the valley to my right as a reference point, and tried taking the first turn-off path going in the general direction of Alta Vista.It eventually dropped me into the valley floor about ten minutes away from where I had hoped to wind up. Still, I was encouraged by my progress–I had avoided the dreaded loop leading me back from whence I’d started.
So this morning I headed out once more from Rizal Extension full of confidence–now it was just a process of elimination. I would take a different trail going in the general direction of Alta Vista. I mean, there are only so many options. Eventually I’ll find the right one. Alas, instead I wound up lost. And worse, the trail I was on came to an abrupt dead end. I started to blaze my own path up the mountain, but after a few minutes thought better of it. It was tough going and the footing was very unsure. Discretion prevailed and I retreated.
Found another path but had absolutely no sense of where I might be. And after a while it led me to, you guessed it, Rizal Extension. Damn it!
I didn’t see any one’s or two’s passing either…
In non-walk related news, I’ve mentioned that I’m trying to recapture my past glory at darts, such as it was. That means practicing at home on a daily basis and taking my game a little more seriously. I’ve also rejoined the Friday afternoon dart league and I made my debut yesterday.
I’m playing for the Lagoon team out of Baloy beach. We kicked off the season successfully...
After league, I dropped into Sit-n-Bull restaurant for an early dinner.
They had a french dip sandwich on the menu. It’s one of my favorites but you just don’t see those much anymore, so I of course gave it a try. The sandwich itself was quite tasty, but the au jus sauce was more like gravy. Glad to have had one again, but Arby’s is still better overall. No Arby’s here in the Philippines though, so you take what you can get…
Later I played in the Alley Cats Friday night tourney and managed a second place finish. Despite the home practice, my darts are still way too inconsistent. I’m hitting my outs with my regularity though, so there’s that.
And finally, I don’t do politics much these days but I do get a good laugh out of some of memes I’m seeing on Facebook lately. Like this:
That gave me a good LOL!
I also enjoyed this one:
Turnabout is fair play, right?
Anyway, it’s all good.
I went to see my doctor. “Doctor, every morning when I get up and look in the mirror… I feel like throwing up; What’s wrong with me?” He said, “I don’t know but your eyesight is perfect.”
Metaphorically speaking. Or so at least Fitbit tells me.
What a long strange trip it’s been!
In other news, I’m sorry to report an especially violent outbreak of darts drama last night at Alley Cats. Thankfully I was only an observer, not a participant. Still, it put a damper on the evening’s festivities and made my winning of the tourney a rather hollow event.
Here’s what went down, with a little background to give it all some context. Now, I don’t know if I have any local readers of this blog but as a matter of discretion I’m going to change the names of the not so innocent those involved.
We’ll begin with the instigator, Keith, with whom I’ve had some drama in the past. My understanding is he was recently voted out as dart league president. The coup d’etat came as a shock to Keith and he was pretty bitter about it. So I think he showed up to the tourney spoiling for a confrontation. It didn’t help matters that the Wednesday tournament is played following the afternoon dart league, which meant Keith had been drinking a lot before arriving. He is one those Jekyll and Hyde type drunks. Nice at first and then transforming into an asshole.
Alright, so the trouble began when Keith and his partner were playing Bruce and his mate in the losers bracket. It just so happens that Bruce was voted in to be Keith’s replacement as dart league President. During the match Keith started grousing about the scorekeeper giving advice on what number to target. Bruce noted that the rule only applied to league, not the tournament, but Keith wasn’t having it (technically, Keith is correct scorekeepers should remain quiet during the game). Anyway, the argument escalated into a shouting match. And then in a fit of pique (not to mention unsportsmanlike conduct) Keith intentionally missed the potential winning dart (his partner being collateral damage I suppose). Bruce and Keith continued screaming at each other and it appeared violence might soon ensue.
Which is when Kathy, Bruce’s wife, intervened. And not in a good way. Now, there is also apparently some bad blood between Keith and Kathy as it is rumored that Kathy instigated the coup against Keith. So they began screaming at each other and then Kathy totally lost it, picking up a coke can and throwing it at Keith, hitting him in the mouth and drawing some blood. And then it was really on. Kathy picked up a motorcycle helmet intending to do some serious damage to Keith’s head, but fortunately someone grabbed her before she could do so.
When Iris, Keith’s girlfriend, saw the blood on his lip she went stark raving mad. Never seen anything like it. She was intent on doing some serious bodily harm on Kathy and it took several people to hold her back. The jostling and yelling continued on for several minutes until finally Bruce ushered Kathy out the door. Man, it was an ugly scene!
So the end result was that three teams wound up forfeiting in the tournament (which was a total fuckover of the dart partners of Kathy, Bruce, and Iris). And it made it an easy path to the championship for me and my partner, tainted victory though it was. Someone called the bar owner and she came after the excitement was over, talked to some people about what happened, and then told Keith and Iris they were not welcome back to play in the future.
Who says there is no excitement in my life? I did question myself later about not having tried to intervene. But I stand by my decision. First of all, I am just not going to engage in dart drama. Period. And I’m certainly not going to get involved with belligerent drunks who may be prone to violence. Too much can go wrong and I absolutely do not want to do anything that could lead me to an encounter with the police. I have no doubt that confinement in a Filipino jail cell would be a death penalty for me. So I’m just going to continue to mind my own business and try not to make any enemies here.
And that’s what’s cookin’. Well, that and these baby back ribs:
I’m getting there. These were so tender coming out the crock pot they were falling off the bone. That’s a huge improvement over the last batch. Gave them some oven time to get a BBQ sauce crust, so we’ll see. I think I should have poured the sauce on a little thicker perhaps.
And that’s about enough adventure, don’t you think?
I mean, I can lament all day long about what I don’t have, but all I have to do is look out my window…
…to be reminded just how damn lucky I am.
Overall, I really am enjoying my life and my routines here. Today being Wednesday I spent the morning/early afternoon with the Sausage Walkers.
Today we had a party of six.
The trail the Austrian Gunter chose to lead us up the mountain was hard and steep…
…a real motherfucker. That’s what we decided to name it–the motherfucker.But we eventually made it to the top.
The rest of the hike was mostly pleasant and uneventful. Except the part where I got tripped up in some razor wire. A small gash on my leg but thankfully not deep like the last time I got tangled up.
Another routine is darts, and I’m fixin’ to head out soon to play in the tourney at Alley Cats. I’ve also been getting in the habit of practicing at home so hopefully that result in some improvement in the quality of my play. We’ll see. Oh, I’ve also signed up to play in the league on Friday’s.
So all in all I’m getting by just fine. Disappointments notwithstanding.
Still working through some shit in my head but in the meantime of course life continues.
Yesterday’s Hash was the worst ever. Not so much the trail we hiked but the total incompetence of the Hare in marking it. Even the experienced Hashers were bitching about it. In fact, in my opinion for some inexplicable reason the Hare must have intentionally laid a shitty trail just to fuck with us.
During the portion of the circle where we give feedback on the day’s hike, the criticism of the trail was universal. I called it “total bullshit” and another member said Cabbage Patch should not be permitted to Hare in the future “without adult supervision”. I personally will not participate in any event where Cabbage Patch is once again the Hare.
Needless to say I was in no mood for picture taking yesterday. I did snap this shot of the full moon rising above our Hash circle “on-home” at Johan’s on Baloy Beach.
My mood hasn’t improved much today either. When I returned from my morning walk with Buddy I noticed I had lost one of my vape pens. Damn, no idea how I managed that. I do wear headphones so I wouldn’t have heard it drop, but still.
And then when I was walking the next portion of my daily regimen, I happened to feel it when a vape dropped out of my pocket, only because it hit me in the leg on the way down. I’m like “What the fuck?”. And then I discovered I had a hole in my pocket. I transferred the vapes into my other pocket and walked on. And then I got to thinking “oh shit, where are my house keys?” Yep, I had lost them somewhere along the way as well. Luckily my domestic was home to let me in when I returned.
I’ve got a hole in my pocket. I don’t feel crazy but I sure do feel nuts.
Walter Lee McCrarey “Dad Jokes”
So in addition to my regular Tuesday morning grocery shopping I had to detour into Olongapo to get some keys made.
That’s pretty much how my life is going lately. Oh well, there’s always more beer to drink.
Woke up a bit early this morning and gazed out the window. The moon was looking particularly brilliant. So brilliant that I was inspired to put on my sandals and go outside for a better look (there’s a big ass tree that was partially obstructing my view). Unfortunately, my photography skills phone camera was inadequate to capture her full glory. Here’s the best I could do:
Maybe if I had waited a bit longer I could have captured the moon sinking behind the mountains. I can’t wait to become less impatient.
And the wind across the plains Is all that now remains
The night shakes loose the names But they never quite go back the way they came
So, goodbye rodeo It’s a long, funny way for a man to go And never change And never change at all
I was just talkin’ to the moon Hopin’ someday soon that I’d be over The memory of you- too hard to hold on
…over the state of my emotions. But I took my worries out last night for a ride on the Blue Rock floating bar.
Nothing like a scenic view to cure what ails you.That and copious amounts of San Mig Zero.
Sadly all three floating bars in Barretto are not long for this world. The city has declined to renew their operating permits which expire 31 January. It’s all bullshit of course. The city “leaders” are making a big show of cleaning up the bay, but the floating bars have self contained holding tanks so nothing from the toilets goes in the water. Meanwhile, the local citizens continue to pollute the water in ways that sometimes defy imagination. Easier to put the foreigners out of business than address the real issues though.
Ah well, gotta take the good with the bad I suppose.
