September continues to roll along and so do I. Here’s how the 24 hours since I last posted went down.

I had a one o’clock in-house appointment with “my” masseuse, Nicole. I told the story of how I met her here, but here’s the recap:

I’m walking home from Baloy beach and suddenly this woman pops out of the bushes in front of me (I believe she was avoiding the checkpoint on this highway). She smiled and said “you’re the guy who is always at Mangos”. Then I recognized her as the woman I’d seen on the beach there several times, just standing around. She explained that she was tapping into Mangos free wi-fi. She then asked where I was going and I told her “home”. Then she offered me a massage. Hmm. Attractive enough and I do enjoy a good massage so I agreed. We get here and it turns out she actually is a trained masseuse and did an outstanding job.

I had scheduled Nicole to come about a week ago and she didn’t show or call or message. Pissed me off and I was going to be done with her. She later explained that she didn’t have anyone to watch her kids and didn’t have load on her phone so couldn’t contact me. She has been persistent in asking for another chance, pleading that she needs to pay the rent and so I finally relented.

Nicole actually arrived about thirty minutes early but she did at least message me to let me know she was on the way. And she is pretty talented, as good as any salon massage I recall getting. I was happy when it ended. *ahem*

Interestingly, Nicole told me a friend of hers, Lilah, knows me. When I asked who is this Lilah, she said I had brought her home from the bar she worked at for a massage. Hmm. Well, I don’t do “take out” that often, so I vaguely recall paying the “early work release” fee for a gal from that particular bar a couple of years ago. I honestly don’t remember anything about Lilah though. I jokingly told Nicole that maybe next time she could bring Lilah with her, four hands being twice as nice as two and all. Nicole took me seriously I guess, she messaged me this morning and said she’s already talked to Lilah. Oh boy. A once a week massage is plenty for me, so the girls are going to have to wait.

After the massage, I hurried off to Alley Cats for the Saturday dart tourney. I still haven’t been motivated to practice and consequently, my game is nowhere near where it used to be when I considered myself a player. Ah well, me and my partner Cherry were good enough for third place money.

It had been a while since I’ve seen Cherry. She’s like best friends with the ex. Another friend of theirs, Jona, was also at the bar. So it was no real surprise when the ex showed up as well. No big deal to me, I still consider her a friend. But there was a surprise in store for me:

I also learned a new Tagalog word: Namonamo. That’s the way you say “fuck you!” in these parts. Good to know!

After the dart tournament concluded, I invited the gals across the street to Mangos and treated them to a grilled pork chop dinner. Food was excellent, and as always, so was the view:

And oh yeah, we all got pretty damn drunk. Cherry’s driver graciously gave me a ride home after the festivities.

And that brings us to lockdown Sunday. The good news is that this is the final lockdown, at least in this iteration of Olongapo’s war on COVID-19. Next week the curfew is being raised back to 9:30 p.m. as well, which suits me just fine. Even in the good old days I rarely stayed out past nine anyway. But hopefully, this will provide some boost for the businesses (bars, restaurants, and hotels) that have really been struggling. We’ll see.

This five-year-old photo from Facebook memories provided me with some motivation today:

There’s no lockdown on the Subic side of the river so that’s where I took my hike. Almost three hours’ worth. What was I thinking? Actually, I took an unfamiliar route which carried me much further from home than I intended. I got my 20,000 steps in though.

The sky was threatening and the thunder was rolling early in the walk, but I kept plodding along and my steadfastness was rewarded–no rain fell on my head and this Bob Dylan song I had never really listened to was in my Spotify playlist. Perhaps it helped provide me shelter from the storm.

‘Twas in another lifetime one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue, the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness a creature void of form
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

And if I pass this way again you can rest assured
I’ll always do my best for her on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death and men who are fighting to be warm
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Not a word was spoke between us there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

I was burned out from exhaustion buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes and blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile ravaged in the corn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Now there’s a wall between us something there’s been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Well the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much it’s doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker he blows a futile horn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

I’ve heard newborn babies wailing like a mourning dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

In a little hilltop village they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence, I got repaid with scorn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Well I’m living in a foreign country but I’m bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razor’s edge someday I’ll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Good stuff.