So it is written, and so it must be.

Yesterday was grocery shopping day. It nearly broke my heart to see a nice looking pork roast on display in the meat case and me with no proper way to prepare it. As I considered the weekly menu options I realized just how reliant I am on my crockpot. What to do, what to do?

Well, I had my driver drop me off at the SM mall in Olongapo to see what I could find. SM is the biggest department store chain in the Philippines, so if anyone was going to have what I needed I figured it would be them. Up on the third floor SM has an appliance store separate from the main store. I went in there first and they had blenders, rice cookers, and assorted other cooking apparatus. When I inquired about a crockpot I was met with a blank stare. I said, you know, a slow cooker. “Sorry sir, not in stock”. I guess I wasn’t surprised, I seem to recall having checked them out before. In fact, I had brought a crockpot with me from Korea because I had never seen one in the stores here.

I needed a new charging cable for my phone so I headed up the the Samsung store on the 4th floor of the mall. As I exited the escalator, I noticed the kitchenware section of the SM store. I was there anyway, so I figured why not have a look-see. Lots of pots and pans and the like but not what I needed. A clerk approached. “Crockpot?” I asked. Blank stare again. “Slow cooker?”. His eyes lit up and he led me to a shelf that had, wait for it, slow cookers! And in four fucking sizes! Now, not the Crock Pot brand I hoped for, but damn, it’ll do.

Now, I’d sent my driver home with the groceries and helpers so I needed to find my own way back to Barretto. From the mall I usually just walk the 20 minutes to the Kakalyan gate of the old Navy base where I can catch the blue Jeepney to my Barrio. Lugging that slow cooker around didn’t make that an appealing option. So, I caught a yellow Jeepney in front of the mall and rode it to the bus station, and there I caught the blue Jeepney for home.

Last night I was in a celebratory mood. Beers at Cheap Charlies, a 500 peso voucher for Hot Zone, and a night cap at Alley Cats on the way home.

Actually, Jerlyn is a real sweetheart and sometimes I look at her ass in a non-fatherly fashion. But notwithstanding her cuteness I just ain’t gonna go that young. I know guys who do and I’m happy for them, even as I say to myself “you really look ridiculous with her”. Just not my thing. At least so far…

This morning I set to work at putting my new slow cooker to work.

Time to go out and do a hike with the Wednesday Sausage Walkers. Stay tuned!