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.
Assessing the latest train wreck. In the meantime there’s this:
Laughter is good medicine.You know, a real man doesn’t have to respond to attacks on masculinity, no matter how toxic the haters say it is. But this is funny anyway!Bite it bitches!
She died at home. The last few days she was happy to be reunited with her sisters. I had retired and moved into the house and she thanked me for coming home to her.She always did her best to raise me up right. Even when I proved to be a disappointment she loved me anyway.She was a fantastic grandma to my kids as well. In fact, she was instrumental in helping me raise them after my divorce.And she loved my father through over 60 years of marriage!
Miss you mama!
Coincidentally, me and the brothers just accepted a buyer’s offer on the parent’s house today. And I guess that just leaves the memories now.
Mother don’t worry, I killed the last snake that lived in the creek bed Mother don’t worry, I’ve got some money I saved for the weekend Mother remember being so stern with that girl who was with me? Mother remember the blink of an eye when I breathed through your body?
So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten Sons are like birds, flying upward over the mountain
Mother I made it up from the bruise on the floor of this prison Mother I lost it, all of the fear of the Lord I was given Mother forget me now that the creek drank the cradle you sang to Mother forgive me, I sold your car for the shoes that I gave you
So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten Sons could be birds, taken broken up to the mountain
Mother don’t worry, I’ve got a coat and some friends on the corner Mother don’t worry, she’s got a garden we’re planting together Mother remember the night that the dog got her pups in the pantry? Blood on the floor, fleas on their paws, And you cried ’til the morning
So may the sunrise bring hope where it once was forgotten Sons are like birds, flying always over the mountain
Another relationship journey is now complete. This one makes me sad because she was also a woman I loved. She chose a different path long ago but we had remained friends and I appreciated that. But keeping that door open also made me vulnerable, and in the end her actions caused me pain. That’s a power I choose not to cede to anyone.
I wish her the very best in life. I admit I’ll never understand the choices she made or why she lacked the courage to fix her mistake before it was too late. Everyone walks the path they choose and some people choose poorly I suppose.
Back in the day me and my teenage buddies would head down to Tijuana, Mexico to party since none of the bars requested to see ID like they did in the People’s Republic of California. One drunken night I recall that we must have run over a Mexican weatherman. He stood up, shook his fist, and yelled “sunny beaches!”.
Okay, that’s all true except the part about the weatherman. I have no idea what that poor bastard did for a living.
Anyway, I have been spending a lot of time these past couple of days on the beach. The ones with sand, just to be clear about it. I used the occasion of my beach walks to capture a photo of the three floating bars anchored offshore of the Barretto and Baloy beaches. Sad news about town is that the city has declined to re-issue operating permits so this will be the end of an era. Or maybe someone will bribe the right person and life will go on as usual. We’ll see.
The Blue Rock floating bar, probably the most tame and laid back of the three.The Kokomo’s floater, the smallest of the three. Probably my favorite. Girls are friendly (and thirsty!) and the music is good. If you don’t like it you can even make requests.And then there’s the Arizona floater, the wildest of them all. I’ve written about it some in the past. After dark they’ll turn the lights down low and the girls get naked wild. Just not my thing. I like a cold beer and a nice sunset to look at, thank you very much.Speaking of sunsets, I snapped a photo of this one yesterday on the beach at Treasure Island resort.
Today I joined up with the Wednesday Walkers for a 15K hike along the beach to and on the old Navy base. I’d actually just did that walk on my own last week, although this time it was quite a bit longer.
There was a cruise ship docked where the Navy ship had been last week.Upon closer observation it was a Chinese cruise ship. Hey, some of those China dolls I saw walking about were pretty damn cute!We took our packed lunches out and ate at a small park after a tiring walk.I was ready to catch a ride back on any vessel going to Barretto. We decided to do the 5K walk back to the gate and catch a Jeepney there…
As it turned out just as we were approaching the gate a couple of Hashers passing by in their private vehicles offered us a lift. We gladly accepted and soon found ourselves enjoying cold beers at Cheap Charlies. A well-earned reward!
Oh, and Heidi was there. She’s not even pretending to be friendly these days. What a beach!
Another Monday, another Hash. My 33rd with the Subic H3. This one was a little different though because I had some company on the trail.
I had invited Marissa (aka Salty Cum) to join us for the after Hash activities on-home at Johansson’s. I mentioned it was a good deal because she could drink all the beer she wanted for 150 pesos ($3.). She seemed interested until I mentioned she would be attending as a “socialite” (people who attend but don’t actually hike the trail). And socialites are required to sit on the ice while they explain their unwillingness to participate in the walk. Marissa wasn’t too pleased to hear that and said she would let me know later if she was coming.
So about an hour before the Hash I get a message saying “I’ve changed my mind”. About what? I asked. She responded “about being a social life” (yeah, I guess that’s what she heard me say). So I asked what does that mean, are you coming or not? And then she told me she had decided to walk the trail! Wow! She’s accompanied me on some Buddy walks (about 30 minutes) and complained about the sun making her brown. I just figured she was never going to attempt a Hash trail.
I was actually a little worried because some of the trails are really difficult for me and I’m certainly more experienced than she is at walking off road. Still, I didn’t want to discourage her and I was really quite impressed that she was willing to step out (heh) of her comfort zone. Luckily, the trail yesterday was not all that strenuous. She kept right up with me, didn’t complain, and appeared to pretty much enjoy herself.
Marissa told me later that she had said a prayer for success as we rode out to the drop off point in the Hashmobile. And she thanked me for helping her have the courage to try something new. Honestly, my opinion of her was quite enhanced by her actions yesterday. She went from being pretty much only a drinking buddy to someone with the potential to be a walking buddy as well. That’s huge!
As a funny epilogue to the story of Marissa’s first trail (she had done the Candy Run on Christmas eve, but that was just walking pavement handing out treats to the kids). I told her that during the Hash circle everyone will be asked their opinion of the trail. If you say anything good about it, you have to join the Hare on the ice. For example, my assessment was that the downhill portion of the trail yesterday was “not slippery enough”. I knew she wanted to avoid the ice so I suggested she just say the trail “was too sunny”. So anyway, when the Grandmaster (HIV) got to Marissa he overlooked her. I assumed he thought she hadn’t walked the trail so I piped up and said “HIV, today was the first time Salty Cum did the Hash trail”. He responded “Oh really? Then she needs to sit on the ice!”
The look on Marissa’s face! She had done the Hash to specifically avoid sitting on the ice and that resulted in her having to sit on the ice. It was hard not to laugh. And she pretty much took it all in stride. Fun times!
Here’s some photos (and no, I didn’t get one of Salty Cum on ice):
Loaded up Packed in like sardines and ready to roll! Salty Cum proudly wearing her new Hash shirt. Not wearing Hash attire is an offense punishable by–you guessed it–time on the ice.On the trailAbove the valley…….and down in the valley.A thriving local business? More likely repurposed signage.Doing what Hashers do…Hashing in action!
It was a good day. And a good additional benefit from my friend Marissa.
The King’s Fil Am Home, a small (currently 10 children) orphanage in Olongapo
Today I achieved one of the goals I set for myself when I moved here–establishing a charitable relationship with an organization that helps children in need. I’ve made some donations to the home during past visits but now I’m hoping to make some regular monthly contributions.
Had a brief meeting with the home’s director today. Of course, they always need money (which I’m not comfortable giving at the point) but food donations are also always appreciated. I brought some rice, canned goods, and other staples along with me today. I talked about having a monthly dinner party and birthday celebration for each child born during that month. The Director said they kids would love an event like that. So Jollibee’s (a local fast food chain) it is!
Anyway, I know what Jesus would say–don’t talk about it, just do it! (Hmm, I guess Nike would say the same). It’s not about me of course but it does feel good to get out of myself for a change and focus on making a difference in the lives of others.
Onward and upward!
Oh, here’s a video that gives some of the history and the mission of King’s Fil Am Home.
Greetings from the Philippines! I’ve been hard at work on my “to do” list.
Accomplishing the second item always makes my day!
Some days surviving is more challenging than others. Today for some crazy reason I decided to walk to Olongapo City. Similar to the hike I did with the Wednesday Walkers last week, except I took the National Highway into town. That’s always a thrill!
That’s me whistling past the graveyard. The Highway didn’t get me. This time anyway.
Alright, let me ‘fess up to the crazy reason for making that long ass walk. Last Wednesday as we were coming down the mountain into Olongapo I spotted a young woman with the most beautiful smile. I smiled back and she waved at me. And then we both smiled at each other some more. Of course, I was with the group and had to keep moving on, but damn! And she’s been in my mind ever since. It was one of “those” moments that felt like a spontaneous connection and I started the “what if?” thought process.
Like the love-starved sap that I am I made a drunken resolution last night to go back today and try and find her. I kinda sorta remembered the path that led past her house and that it was near the top of a humongous set of stairs we were descending that day. Of course, even if I found the path I realized spotting her house again was unlikely and even if I managed that it was against all odds that she would be home and smiling out the window at me once more as I passed. But by God, if love is my destiny I will not be denied without a fight!
So, by taking the highway route it meant I would be ascending the stairs this time, assuming I could find them. I did take one set up that resulted in a dead end so it was back down to the highway. But then a few minutes later I came upon some familiar looking steps and once again began my climb.
Would these truly prove to be my Stairway to Heaven?Looking back down on Olongapo from halfway up the stairs. I recalled that the future love of my life was last seen near the top, so with my heart pounding (literally) I continued climbing.
And then it happened. Almost like in a fairy tale. I saw a familiar looking house and then suddenly there she was! Standing out in the yard, looking even more beautiful than I remembered (before I’d only seen her face, she has a very nice body as well!). And when she smiled at me I knew for sure it was her. But this time it was a shy and almost sad smile. And the Filipino man (husband or boyfriend) standing next to her was not smiling at all.
I nodded, mumbled a greeting, and kept on walking. Turns out I wasn’t willing to fight for her after all.
Am I really this pathetic? Why, yes. Yes I am!
Anyway, I continued on until I reached the top of the mountain.
And I followed the ridge road that eventually led me down to the beach for the sad and lonely walk home.And I shouted down from the mountain to Barretto “WHERE ARE YOU HIDING MY LOVE?”
All was not lost however. My friends at Fitbit determined to reward my efforts in the mountains and on the stairways with a brand new badge for my collection.
I love it!
My day will come. I just got to keep on surviving!
I’ve just seen a face, I can’t forget the time or place Where we just met. She’s just the girl for me And I want all the world to see We’ve met, mm-mm-mm-m’mm-mm
Had it been another day I might have looked the other way And I’d have never been aware. But as it is I’ll dream of her Tonight, di-di-di-di’n’di.
Falling, yes I am falling, And she keeps calling Me back again.
Today marks eight months into my Philippines life. More good than bad by a long shot. The sadness that permeated my existence in Korea the last couple of years has largely dissipated. I’ve had some friends let me down and it is disappointing that I’ve not found the love I crave, but otherwise I have no complaints.
Regular readers know I live a pretty simple existence here consisting largely of walking and drinking beer. You gotta go with your strengths, right?
Last night my drinking venue was the floating bar at Kokomo’s on Baloy beach. It’s a great place to watch the sun go down.
I was feeling particularly motivated this morning so I hoofed it over to the old Navy base via the beach route.
I didn’t actually take time to smell the flowers along the way, but I did photograph them…And in due course I reached my destination.Just in time to watch a U.S. Navy vessel preparing to depart from its port o’ call for parts unknown.
It was my first time walking around the old base and I rather enjoyed it. Lots more to see there yet, so I’ll try and incorporate it into my walking routines. A bit of a pain in the ass to get to (almost an hour walk) but worth it. Might try and time it so I can enjoy some dining at one of the numerous Korean restaurants or maybe Texas Joe’s for some American BBQ. It’s good to have options.
My rent is paid in advance for the next twelve months, so I ain’t going anywhere else anytime soon. Just going to do my best to enjoy the ride and see what happens next.
Last night I played darts for the first time since last year. And managed to finish first. In fact, we didn’t lose a single leg during the tournament (we play best of three sets). First time I can recall that happening in all the years I’ve been playing. Not sure why, but despite not playing or practicing for weeks I threw some great darts, including a Ton-80 (highest possible score) for the first time this year.
I’m feeling almost motivated to start practicing again and maybe play in some of the big tournaments featuring top Filipino players. There’s a first time for everything I suppose. But first and foremost I want to keep it fun and enjoy myself.
First time I’ve drawn Mengie as a partner. She’s a bit erratic but plays a smart game. It was good to bring home the pesos!
UPDATE: Last January I used the “That’s a first” title for the, um, first time. That post was about my conceding to mother nature and declining to walk in -13 C weather. That’s the last time that’s gonna happen I reckon.
It’s easy to get sucked into your daily routines where everything is, well, routine. But sometimes you just need to take a step back and recognize just how special some of those routine moments can be.
Like last night for instance when I was enjoying this view from the Arizona Resort floating bar.
I ran into a friend guy I know and he invited me to join him at his table. He had three bargirls he was feeding drinks and he was also well on his way to being wasted (which is not at all unusual for him). Anyway, he told me his table was a “no bra, no panties zone”. I assured him I wasn’t wearing either, and of course he said he meant the ladies. Then he surprised me by having the gals demonstrate that they were in fact not wearing undergarments. Wow!
Actually, random acts of public nudity are really not my thing but I’m not one to judge those who feel otherwise. Still, it was one of those “only in the Philippines” moments. Although truth be told, I saw similar displays in Thailand.
This morning I joined up with the Wednesday Walkers group for a massive mountain hike. There were only four of us this go round.
A Swede, a German, and an Austrian go for a hike with a Yank…and the punchline to that joke would have to be in German because that’s pretty much all they spoke on our walk today.
We climbed up, over, and down the mountain into Olongapo City. Walked the city streets some, then hiked back up, over, and down the mountain into Barretto.
Looking back from whence we started….Mountain views…Me horsin’ around…And coming back down the other side into Olongapo City.Climbing the mountain from the Olongapo side was a different kind of challenge. Almost all steps. The guys called it “the stairway to heaven”….But after 30+ minutes of steppin’ up on uneven steps this was about as close to heaven as I got…We did make it to the top eventually and rewarded ourselves with a scenic lunch vista…This is what this hiker packs for lunch: apple and cheese, celery and peanut butter, and some nuts.We finished our journey as per usual at Cheap Charlies bar where we quaffed brews to quench our well-earned thirst. It was a challenging and satisfying walk today.
Speaking of Cheap Charlies, I got to see Heidi briefly this afternoon. She was handling cashier duties so we didn’t get a chance to chat much. Well, truth be told, we haven’t been chatting much period. Still no calls or texts. Yesterday when I popped in before the floating bar she was not in uniform, so I figured maybe she was getting ready to be off. She ignored me though, giving full attention to whomever she was texting on her phone. I finally got frustrated and left.
After a few beers at the floating bar I made another appearance at Cheap Charlies and was surprised to see she was still there. Chatting up another customer in standard bargirl fashion. She did briefly come by to say hello and to tell me sorry that she was so busy. Whatever.
That’s the problem I think. Heidi simply sees me as another customer and not even her “best” customer. She is experienced enough to know that most of what customers say is bola bola (Tagalog for bullshit) and I guess my expressions of amore for her don’t ring true. I mean, I get that and it is frankly one of the perils of trying to have a relationship with a bargirl. Honestly, IF things ever did click between us I would insist she quit the job and let me support her. The last thing I want to see is my girlfriend being the drinking buddy of random men.
Anyway, we are a LONG way from that point and it is likely to be a bridge too far. Today during the brief opportunity we had to chat I told her I had read up on the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain and the movie “The Way” featuring that hike (thanks Kevin!). She seemed impressed. I then told her that after she falls in love with me we’ll take a trip to Spain and experience it for ourselves. I’m not exactly sure how that went over, just got a funny look from her. Well, I’m just going to leave it alone. She has my number.
Meanwhile, I’ll continue enjoying my smooth life here in paradise, such as it is.
My new hometown is a pretty place, at least from above, that’s for sure.And a hell of a lot warmer than my old hometown, as this photo from one year ago today clearly illustrates.
And if you said this life ain’t good enough I would give my world to lift you up I could change my life to better suit your mood Because you’re so smooth And it’s just like the ocean under the moon Oh, it’s the same as the emotion that I get from you You got the kind of lovin’ that can be so smooth, yeah Give me your heart, make it real or else forget about it
No paddle, but I did have my walking stick. For all the good it did me.
This is kind of a continuation of my previous post documenting yesterday’s Hash. Not mentioned in that post was that because of dusk setting in me and the guy (a newbie) I was on trail with had to shortcut the final section of the walk. I hate doing that so I resolved that I would go back out this morning I finish the part I missed.
Big mistake. Worse trail ever! It literally went up a creek bed, including some steep inclines that must be magnificent waterfalls in rainy season. Some of those climbs took every thing I had physically and I was in constant fear that I’d slip and injure myself. And of course, I was alone on trail. I survived and the worst that happened was getting my shoes wet, in some places the water was nearly up to my knees.
Anyway, I would never voluntarily hike this particular trail again, with or without the Hash. The Hare must be some kind of masochist. It was that fucked up. The few pictures I took (I was focused on survival) don’t do the so-called trail justice, but here they are:
This doesn’t really capture how steep the incline was. In places it was hands and knees to get up. Ridiculous! Not sure what purpose this serves but it was rather ingenious… A mountain goat would have loved it I suppose.Not sure how many times I said “bullshit” out loud. Not as many as I said “fuck you, Leech My Nuggets” (the Hare who laid this monstrosity of a trail).An example of what I had to wade through. There was no getting around it. I tried!
Anyway, I got through it but never again!
Time for me to eat that pot roast I’ve been crockpot cooking all day!
Not my best effort I’m afraid. Didn’t have any carrots for one thing. Ah well, just one of those days…
Well, I wasn’t in the Rocky Mountains but yesterday’s Hash found me atop a rocky mountain. And it was nice!
We started pretty far out in Calapadayan, over on the other side of that mountain way over there…And the second mountain climb of the day was something different for me at least, walking up a rock face… Not overly difficult, just a couple of places where I had to use my arms as well as my legs to get up.Killer views, although not worth dying for…A Calapadayan rocky mountain high……although it wasn’t raining fire in the sky, which is a good thing.Now those houses way over on the other side of that valley is Alta Vista subdivision where I reside. And that is where the trail took us on the way to the “on-home”… …at Da Kudo’s Resort on Baloy Beach.Thirsty Hashers recuperating from the day’s march through the mountains and valleys…Filipina Hash Ass on Ice!
It was another good day on trail!
In other news I paid the rent. One year in advance per the terms of my three year lease. I guess that makes me committed. Or crazy. Or both. Anyway, as a concession to the difficulty of amassing large sums of currency from the USA, the landlord accepted my personal check in dollars. At the current exchange rate that amounted to $10,319.00. That’s a chunk of change! Not to worry, what I do is deposit the amount of my rent each month in my savings account. When it comes due again next year, the money will be ready and waiting.
So I mentioned recently meeting Heidi, a bartender at Cheap Charlies. There was just something about her that instantly attracted me. She’s cute enough I suppose, but it wasn’t just her physical appearance that caught my eye. I really can’t explain it, but perhaps the chemistry that triggers a “love at first sight” reaction is inexplicable anyway.
I do know that at least for me it is a very rare event. I can count the occurrences in my lifetime on one hand. And I learned a long time ago that when those feelings arise you owe it to yourself (and the object of your desire) to at a minimum let the person know of your interest. There are worse things than rejection and I would count a missed opportunity for something rare and special among them.
But it is also true that even rarer than the type of attraction I immediately felt for Heidi is for those feelings to be mutual and reciprocated. That kind of power and intensity is usually only found in a Nicholas Sparks love story (and yeah, I really liked The Notebook, sue me!). So, there was no question I was going to find a way to convey my interest to Heidi, but how would she respond? Only one way to find out.
Given the nature of her work it was simple enough to buy her some drinks and chat her up. And honestly, the more I got to know about her the stronger my feelings became. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and a mature and responsible outlook on life. We have some common interests, including darts and walking. Heidi also has a nice sense of humor, she laughs at my jokes (well, okay the girls all laugh at my jokes because I’m buying them drinks) and she also tells her own. I like that!
I asked her if she had a passport and she said yes, although the only country she’s visited is Vietnam. I teasingly said we needed to take a romantic holiday in Bali and she told me she really wanted to visit Spain. I asked why and she told me her dream was to hike the Camino de Santiago. I had honestly never heard of that but when she explained I was once again very impressed. Could she truly be the one I’ve been waiting for?
So I dove in the best way I know how, which may not be the best way. I told her I’d really like to take her out when she gets a day off and she seemed down with that. Then I gave her my phone number. She didn’t offer her’s in return, but she did clean up my writing enough so she could read my number correctly. And that’s where I left it, the ball squarely in her court.
I dropped into Cheap Charlies last night for a beer or three and Heidi wasn’t there. Her friend Andi told me she had the day off. Okay, well then. I understand she might have been busy on her only day off, but it would have been nice to at least get a text message from her. Reading my disappointment, Andi suggested I enhance my pursuit game. And I told her no, I won’t do that. Heidi knows how I feel and what I want. If she doesn’t feel or want the same thing there’s no point in pursuit. I still have my pride and really as arrogant as it may sound, why should I have to chase after a Filipina bargirl? I could give her a life she can only dream about (including that trip to Spain). If that’s not what she wants, so be it.
Anyway, I’m good either way. I saw and felt something rare and I acted on it. Apparently it was just not meant to be. Such is life.
I saw her today at the reception In her glass was a bleeding man She was practiced at the art of deception Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands You can’t always get what you want You can’t always get what you want You can’t always get what you want But if you try sometimes you just might find You just might find You get what you need
I once more tried to find my way over the mountain to Rizal street, this time leaving from my subdivision and armed with all the good advice I received in the comments to my previous post. Alas, my confidence proved unwarranted.
Interestingly, at the point I picked up the path leaving Alta Vista I noted a Hash trail marking for tomorrow’s Hash:
So, I did part of Run #1330 today, although I was going in the opposite direction of tomorrow’s trail…
I followed that trail for awhile as it was leading in the proper direction. I hoped that it might actually be going to Rizal street, but when it took a right fork my sense of direction (and landmarks) told me to take the path to the left.
And I found myself on another marked Hash trail, this was from run #1321–nine weeks ago! I didn’t remember hiking it, so I either missed this part or was out of town.It started out easy enough and was going in the right direction. I’m thinking this MUST be it…All my landmarks told me so at least…And then things took a turn for the worse. The trail descended into a creek bed but once I had committed there was no retreating.
I have no fucking idea what was up with that laundry. I mean, I could see where it had been washed in the creek but there was no shanty shack or anything else resembling a residence anywhere in sight. Not even a hammock.
Well anyway, the Hash markings were nine weeks old and not easy to follow, especially in the creek bed. At some point I lost that trail and then I lost the path altogether. That was decidedly uncomfortable. I was blazing a new uncharted path in terrain completely unfamiliar to me. I didn’t like that feeling at all. Eventually I conceded defeat and retreated to the creek again to try and regain the path, or any path for that matter. I did find something finally and followed it until I was down from the mountain. And into the valley that bumps up against my subdivision.
Ah, at least I knew where I was, but damn, I had once again made a big circle to get nowhere. And I give up. It just feels too unsafe to be wandering around the wilderness alone and clueless. I had hoped to find an easy path to Rizal street but I’m not sure now that it exists. I mean, there is definitely a path that leads there, but not one that I feel safe hiking by my lonesome.
Well, on the bright side you my readers will not have to endure another post like this one!
UPDATE: Yikes! This is the fifth time I’ve used the “Curses, foiled again” title.
August 2010 about watching The Wire and going to E-mart.
November 2011, a one-liner linking to a story about the Happy Meal ban in San Francisco.
February 2014 in which I posted this cartoon (my nickname used to be “the Walrus”).
And finally, March 2014 where I go on a rant about my dealings with the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security and their race to the bottom for the most incompetent government agency award. Of course, the joke was on me. Jee Yeun finally got her status completed and then threw it all away. Me included.
I’ve been trying to find a back way out of my subdivision and over the mountain to Barretto, specifically to wear Rizal road dead ends. I know such a pathway exists because I hashed it once but try as I might I haven’t been able to find that trail.
It’s a pretty big deal for me to even attempt walking these backwoods paths on my own anyway. Overcoming my fear of getting hurt or lost has taken some time. There was a moment yesterday when I’m out in the middle of the wilderness and I encounter a man walking towards me–carrying a machete! Despite my feelings of vulnerability we exchanged a hearty greeting and went on our separate ways. So sometimes you just have to feel the fear and do it anyway I suppose.
My plan was to approach the mission of discovery from a different perspective–I determined to start my walk from the end of Rizal street. That was a good 45 minute hike the long way around from my house. Once I got off the road I figured my innate sense of direction would lead me to the proper trail back to Alta Vista subdivision. Turns out my sense of direction is similar to that of another famous explorer…Christopher Columbus. Except I didn’t see any Indians.
Long story short, after wandering around on the mountain for awhile the trail I discerned to be the correct one led me back down. And I found myself on Rizal street! Damn it!
That’s me starting out on Rizal street…The chosen pathway.At this point I felt like I was going right. That valley backs up to my subdivision so as long as it was to my right I should have been golden…. And then the bay came into view and I began to doubt myself…
And the trail started getting a little dicey as well……it eventually led me into this neighborhood whereupon I exited back to the point near where I had begun. One big ass circle as it were. Oh well. I’ll try again one of these days.
Speaking of being stymied, Facebook twisted the knife in my heart by sharing this memory from 2 years ago:
My trip to Puerto Galera with Loraine. Ah well. She found the love she was looking for and I’m happy for her.
Talk about going in circles.
UPDATE: Damn, turns out I’ve used “Stymied” as a post title once before–July 2016. It was about a medical issue I was experiencing. Is there no depth to the lack of depthness I’m willing to expose my readers to? Apparently not!
