Rolling along the rocky road of life

Well, I guess my life isn’t all that rocky, but from the begging requests I’ve been receiving this weekend, these must be tough times for lots of other folks. Sick kids seem to be a popular raison d’être for moms pulling at my heartstrings lately. I accommodated two–Jonalyn for the first time and Rose Ann for the last time. I think Rose Ann might be pushing me towards a violation of Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker) so I’ll be blocking her to prevent future requests. Jonalyn was a bit of a surprise, but I’ve had a bit of a crush on her so I didn’t have much heartburn about helping her out. My hopes that this act of generosity might open the door to a potential girlfriend experience were dashed almost immediately. I told Jonalyn that I hope I find a woman who will love and care for me like she does her children. She responded, “You are a nice and kind man, I’m sure you’ll meet someone like that someday,” Ouch.

So, the married woman who can’t spell my name and sent me loving messages and sexy photographs had really been upping the intensity and frequency of her communications. Wake up messages, “how are yous/what are you doing now” throughout the day, and goodnight/sleep well at bedtime. All seasoned with “I love you” and “I can’t stop thinking of you” and other pledges of undying affection. Alright, it was admittedly over the top, but damn, it was nice to have a woman express those sentiments to me. Of course, I reminded myself that she is not available and likely never would be given that divorce is not permitted in the Philippines. So, I took her words with much more than just a grain of salt. And then she started hinting around about us having an in-person rendevous. I considered it and was somewhat tempted by the offer, especially after gazing at the panty shots she sent me. But then the big head chimed in and reminded me that adultery is a criminal offense in my adopted homeland. I also knew that as bad as her home life was, this woman would be much worse off if caught having a physical relationship. I had understood that I was just a fantasy to escape the reality of her loveless life, and although I do care for her, I wasn’t going to be her Plan B. So, I told her I wasn’t going to endanger her by having an affair. This was her response:

You to take care always to… i just figure it out that maybe i didnt pay my attentions quite good in my life that’s why I have a bad life…but anyway I can stand strong and face it….nice to know and meet a man like you…thank you thank you….and I’m so sorry if almost I involve you about my miserable life I’m so sorry….but thank you really….thanks for everything…you are good and kind person….thanks a lot…bye….bye…No need to reply and always GOD BLESS YOU…😐😐

And I haven’t heard from her since. Love is so fleeting, isn’t it? Anyway, it’s kind of a relief. I don’t need the drama and I can get the sex elsewhere if I so desire. Still, I’m not sure I would have taken the safe and sane path in the past, so I’ll consider this turn of events progress.

Digging through the freezer the other day I found a package of Australian ribeye steaks I’d bought a couple of months ago when I last visited the S&R (think Costco) store in San Fernando. Thawed them out and then threw them on the grill this morning for breakfast.

Well, I’ve had worse. Thin and not as tender as I like, but chewable. I need to get back to The Pub and buy myself some American beef.

Speaking of food and charity, my homeless friend “mama” is a daily visitor to the Kitchenette where she dines for free.

Sometimes the small things make a big difference.

Let’s take a stroll out on the balcony and see what’s up, shall we?

Am I a lucky bastard, or what? It is so easy to get distracted by the disappointments of life or thinking too much about what you don’t have. So yeah, I don’t have love but I’ve got a nice view. I know which one of those will likely last the longest.

I also got off my lazy ass this morning and did a long (for me) hike amounting to almost 11K. Kind of my standard Sunday walk with an extra loop to add some distance to make up for the previous couple of days. I did one of those “take a picture every kilometer” things some of y’all like. Here’s how it turned out:

The start. Fuckiing stray dogs are always knocking over the neighbor’s trash can. I keep mine inside the fence until trash day. I wish he would too.
1 kilometer. I don’t even like Divimart and rarely go there. But turns out it is 1K from my house.
2 kilometers. This flower was the most interesting thing to photograph when I reached this milestone (kilostone?).
3 kilometers. Still on the National Highway in Calapacuan.
4 kilometers. Looking at Black Rock mountain from a distance.
5 kilometers. Walking the Govic highway.
6 kilometers. On the backstreets of some barangay–maybe San Isidro.
7 kilometers. A river crossing.
8 kilometers. Heading towards home.
9 kilometers. The backway to Marian Hills.
10 kilometers. A look back at Easter mountain.
Almost 11 kilometers. Home again. And look, someone cleaned up the trash.
The stats. When I first started out I was doing a tad over twelve-minute kilometers. That slowed considerably as the hike went on. Now, I was stopping to take the photos and I also handed out four bags of cookies, but truth is, I get tired around 8K and can almost feel my feet dragging. I don’t really care about the speed factor that much though.

That’s about it from here. Stay safe. Or live free. Your choice.

Time for me to fly!

8 thoughts on “Rolling along the rocky road of life

  1. Glad to see that the kitchenette’s business is booming. You’re still their favorite customer.

    And to see that your old friend actually comes in for something to eat is great. 2 birds 1 stone. Glad to see you’re not holding it against her that she couldn’t stay at the apartment.

    With the kitchenette already being so successful, it is a good omen that whenever international travel is permitted that she will be so busy she’ll need another pair of hands.

    Congratulations 👏

    Thanks for the writing as usual

  2. Nice pics of the walk. I thought it was “a photo every 1000 steps,” but I may be going senile.

    Good to see you’re choosing to avoid potential soap operas with the local womenfolk. Stay safe; stay sane; shoot for quality (which, as I’ve said, may mean leaving your comfort zone), and who knows? You may just find the woman of your dreams. Just remember that “finding love” means looking for equal partnership in which you both aid each other’s growth, whereas “finding a caretaker” means looking for someone who’s more like a slave/prostitute—subservient and sexual.

  3. No, it was 1000 steps. I changed it up to a kilometer for a bit of variety and because my tracker app speaks in KMs.

    Yeah, those are good definitions and by those standards perhaps I’m not cut out for love anyway. I may just be too damn selfish.

    And yes, I’m relieved to have not gotten sucked in (no pun intended) by the married gal. Nothing good was going to come from that.

  4. Hey James, yeah the Kitchentte seems to have a steady flow of customers. I think the proprietor is overwhelmed. She needs to hire an assistant. Her target clientele are Filipinos, so international travel probably won’t matter much, but if it helps the economy more locals will be able to eat out. We’ll see.

    Yeah, it is nice that mama has a place to sit and enjoy a meal. She’s special!

  5. “Stay safe. Or live free. Your choice”. I think New Hampshire has it right. Live Free or Die. Makes me want to move there. Peace Out!

  6. I remember someone telling me,

    If it flies, if it floats, or if you mate with it – rent it!!! LOL

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