…and that’s music to my ears. I don’t feel like she’s trying to play me or pull my strings. Her seemingly good heart will be instrumental in whether we will go forward in concert. Her performance over the past couple of days led to a symphony of emotions and a satisfying climax.
Okay, I’ve stretched that pun just about as far as it is going to go, but it was fun (for me). Anyway, the point is, I enjoyed Lyn’s short visit and that’s a good start. I’m not feeling any of the love emotions at this point, but she is very high on the companionship scale. Honestly, that may be more than enough at this stage of my life.
Lyn had to leave early because there was no one at home to watch over her nine-year-old son. She wants to bring him with her the next time she visits. I asked where he would stay and she said she’ll get them a room. I know a mother is always going to put her child first, so it’s not a matter of whether I like it or not. I suggested a couple of hotels with nice pools they would enjoy. She plans to bring a helper to watch the boy while we go out. We’ll see how that works out.
Our last morning together was pleasant enough. I asked Lyn if she would like to join me for a hike and she agreed.
I took her on an abbreviated one-hour version of one of my standard hikes. She seemed to enjoy it.
We concluded our jaunt with breakfast at Harley’s on Baloy Beach road.
Once we returned to the house we just hung out some on the back patio. Another positive for Lyn is that she likes my boys. I brought home some leftovers from breakfast and she insisted on treating Buddy and Lucky.
A short nap, then it was time to head back into town to catch a ride to the bus station in Olongapo. We had a quick lunch at Mango’s prior to Lyn’s departure.
When lunch was done we stood on the highway waiting for a Jeepney. It was hot. Then a cab pulled up and I put Lyn in it and gave her the fare. A much more comfortable ride and she deserved it.
The house felt really empty when I got back home. It’s funny how quickly you get used to having someone around. But then it was Saturday evening and it was time once again for me to hit the town. I like to start early (around 4:30 or 5:00) and finish early (before 9:00), but now that the curfew has been lifted quite a few bars are opening as late as 6:00. I still have coupons to burn and the May 8 expiration date is fast approaching. Hot Zone and Wet Spot were on my itinerary, but both hadn’t opened when I first passed by so I made It Doesn’t Matter my first stop.
After a couple of beers, the coveted 6 p.m. opening hour was upon me. But rather than deal with the “first customer of the day” syndrome, I thought a quick snack at Sit-n-Bull was in order. I was delighted when I looked in the cake and pie cooler to see one last pecan pie available for purchase. When I pulled it out, the gals thought I was there for takeout and had a bag ready to go. Nope. I explained I wanted the pie heated in the microwave, and then I wanted a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Yes, sir! My waitress wanted some ice cream too, so of course, I accommodated her request. And to be fair, I bought a scoop for the other five waitresses.
With the pie safely stashed away in my stomach, I made my way to Hot Zone. It was still early, but there were a couple of other customers in the bar. My coupon here was “buy a lady drink, get a customer drink”, which meant I needed to find a worthy lady. My waitress is my usual suspect, but she dropped my beer at the table and disappeared. There were five dancers on stage, but none of them really tripped my triggers. I finally decided on one dancer but a guy at the other table beat me to the punch. Oh well. My beer was now empty and my waitress still had not returned. Fuck it then, I’m out of here. Paid my tab and approached a guy I’m slightly acquainted with who was sharing a drink with the mamasan. I gave him my two coupons and said it looks like you can use these more than I can.
Wet Spot was my next stop. I used a “buy one, get one” customer drink coupon and got down to work. The dance crew at Wet Spot was much better than what I had just seen at Hot Zone. I was using my imagination as the girls danced when my carnal thoughts were interrupted by Aine joining me at my table. Well, I did have a “buy a lady drink, get a customer drink” coupon to use, so I welcomed her company.
Anyway, Aine asked the waitress to take a picture of us together.
I wasn’t feeling it last night, so I finished the beers in my queue, paid my tab, then made my way for the door. Once again, Daddy Dave was there and foisted a free beer on me. How could I refuse? A brief chat, including the sad tale of a 72-year-old expat who is sitting in jail because of false charges brought against him by a disgruntled bargirl. That is my nightmare scenario, and I always do my best to keep my drunken self out of any kind of trouble. Just be nice to everyone and walk away from the assholes.
Just a tad past 8 p.m. when I grabbed a trike for home. I enjoy my beers and chatting with the gals, but after a couple of hours of that nonsense, I’m ready to call it a night. That’s just how this old guy rolls these days.
That’s today’s update. I’ll probably burn up a couple more of my bar coupons tonight and take it from there. It may not be much of a life, but it’s the best life I’ve got.
Here’s a way to kill a few minutes. I got 26 out of 30 right, including some lucky guesses. Must have been one of those increasingly rare lucid moments for me.
Your Boomer reign is secure. I got 10 wrong, for a score of 20/30. I’ve got a lot to learn about old car models, 60s tech, and gas prices from decades ago.
Condolences re: Jason. Death comes for us all, eventually.
Pie and ice cream look good.
Hmmm
Looks that Aine is your new favorite.
With regards to your budding romantic life, it looks like you’re not too enthused about her. She’s supportive, and partakers in your favorite activities…and yet, something 🤔 seems to be missing 😕 that you keep comparing her to the ex who did not enjoy any of your activities with you speaks volumes.
But it’s early days 😕..
My question to you today is
When do you meet the kid?
And when will you impose your ‘ I am in a relationship ‘ rule and curtail your bargirl flirtations ?
That’s something to think about
My 2 pesos worth of advice is to let Lyn know early on that you are not interested in raising/dealing with a kid. Not fair to her to give her some hope that this relationship may lead somewhere when you know from the beginning it is not going to happen.
Kev, that’s a pretty fine score for such a youngster. It’s all useless trivia now anyway.
James, I didn’t intend to imply that Lyn compares unfavorably to the ex. She has already proven to be a better companion. All that is missing is the “love” emotion, and maybe that is a good thing. The kid will be an issue in whether we are both willing to take the next step. I’ll probably meet her son if she brings him on her next visit, although I can’t accommodate him at my house. We’ll see how that works out. The bargirls mean nothing to me, just a way to pass the time and share some of my good fortune. I don’t do anything with them that would constitute “cheating” in a relationship. I did stop visiting bars with girls previously because my ex didn’t like it. I cared more about her than the bar scene, so it wasn’t a hard choice. For all the good it did me.
Brian, this past weekend was a “getting to know you” endeavor. That part went well I think. And now comes the part about deciding whether we might have a future and what that would be. We’ll start figuring that out on her next visit. She’s already said she wants to bring her son with her. It’s early still. My inclination is not to be a stepfather. But there are other aspects of a relationship we might be able to share. That’s what we need to find out. But as to your basic point–yes, I’ll be honest and upfront with her about my feelings.