Not a bad Tuesday as Tuesdays go. Got through the grocery shopping without blowing a gasket over the insane prices and frustrating “out-of-stock” issues. I just don’t understand how a major grocery store like Royal is so inept at ordering products before they sell out. Often, weeks or months go by before the next shipment arrives. Ah, well. If that’s all I have to complain about, I’m living a pretty blessed life.
After loading up the groceries, I paid my driver and walked a couple of blocks to Harbor Pointe Mall.
One of the purposes of my visit to the mall was to find out why the data plan I purchased for my phone wasn’t working. I went to the Globe store (my cell phone provider), and they checked the SIM card and settings. After about 30 minutes of fiddling with my phone, they said I had the wrong connection link and fixed it. Okay, I don’t speak technology, but at least it is working now.
Since I was already at the mall, I went upstairs to the Merrell store, hoping to acquire some new hiking shoes (my old ones have worn-down soles, and I like a good grip when doing those ups and downs on the mountain). I’m not sure what is going on with Merrell, but they didn’t have ANY traditional hiking shoes in stock, just like the last time I visited the store a few months ago. Weird. Not wanting to give up without a fight and having nothing better to do, I hoofed on over across the river to the SM Mall in Olongapo City (less than a kilometer away).
The department store shoe section had some good-looking Merrells on display, but when the sales clerk returned from the backroom, he advised that there were no size 11s available. He suggested I look at the Skechers collection. That’s been my fallback shoe for a while now, and they fill the need, even if they are not really designed for the dirty trails I walk.
On my way to the checkout stand, I saw some backpacks on display, so I went for a look.
So, I’d had enough of shopping but worked up an appetite. SM Mall has a Jollibee, and there was a McDonald’s just up the road, but I was craving something else for some reason, and I walked back to Harbor Pointe Mall to get me some.
I finished my lunch and caught a cab for home.
Did my usual afternoon routines (blogging and napping), then it was once again time to head into town. I started with a visit to the barber and successfully had my ears lowered. It Doesn’t Matter bar is just across the highway from the barbershop, and I had some amends to make there, so that was my next stop. I found the waitress I had been rude to the night before, apologized, and bought her a lady drink. She was gracious and happy that there were no hard feelings.
I only stayed for one beer, then went back across the highway to enjoy the ambiance at the Annex bar.
Where to next? It wasn’t 6:00 yet so that limited my options somewhat. Cheap Charlies was packed with RSL guys, so I risked life and limb and crossed the highway again to plop my ass down at The Green Room for a bit. A pool league match was going on, and it was quite entertaining to watch–the players I saw were outstanding. I had some Sit-n-Bull chicken wings with my beer and got my waitress some lumpia to enjoy.
Enough time had elapsed that enabled me to visit Alaska and see Virginia, so that’s just what I did.
Virginia is easy on the eyes, but I have difficulty understanding her English. That problem was exacerbated last night because the music was so loud I may as well have been deaf. Owner Jerry was doing pool league somewhere else; he would not have been playing those songs at that volume, not his style. Well, Virginia got a couple of lady drink commissions at least, and perhaps we can talk another time.
Sloppy Joe’s is right next door to Alaska, so I popped in there for my nightcap. I was pleasantly surprised to see my pal Chris and his gal were there, so I pulled up a stool and joined them. Chris was controlling the music and videos, so we did a pleasant stroll down memory lane with an emphasis on Bob Seger. Enjoyed the hell out of that.
Oh, the Belgian chocolate guy came by, and I bought five of his 100 peso containers and took them to the girls at Alaska for a special treat. Better than cookies!
It really did turn out to be a fun night out; everything Monday night wasn’t.
There were some interesting discussions regarding alcohol use/abuse in the comments to Sunday’s post. I don’t speculate as to where on the spectrum the medical community might place me but freely admit I imbibe several low-alcohol brews every night. While the “science” had previously said two a day or several a week weren’t bad, I came across this article saying that alcohol in ANY amount isn’t healthy. Well, fine. No need to try and cut down on consumption then–I’m going to die anyway. In all seriousness, I’m doing just fine. The gin was a mistake for sure, but as long as I stay away from the hard liquors, I’ll be okay.
Ah, and those Facebook memories. Today is my wedding anniversary with wife #4.
And how about this one from eight years ago:
The book is titled “The Accidental Citizen Soldier” and tells the story of a born and raised American getting drafted into the Korean military. Here’s how a Seattle newspaper reported that story.
Alrighty then, another feeding day at Hideaway is coming up. And I’ll have some photos of today’s Easter mountain climb here tomorrow. BLUF: We found a much better way down the mountain today by going up it first. Things are coming together for Easter Monday!
You put that apostrophe in your post title just to see whether I’d say something, didn’t you. I noticed that, when you pluralized “Goodyear” inside your post, you pluralized it correctly (i.e., without an apostrophe). I swear, you’re just fuckin’ with me. General rule: never pluralize with apostrophes unless there’s a screamingly obvious problem with comprehension, and I think there’s only one example of that. See below.
WRONG: 1980’s, Goodyear’s (as a plural), BFF’s, the Jackson’s
RIGHT: 1980s, Goodyears, BFFs, the Jacksons
THE ONE EXCEPTION: In school, I used to get a lot of A’s.
(possible/probable confusion with “as,” hence the apostrophe)
I think the French would be surprised to learn that alcohol in any amount is bad. Of course, the French, along with being fairly long-lived, are into wine, not beer, and wine has resveratrol in it. Plus, the French aren’t known as heavy drinkers like their neighbors—the Irish and the Germans (and I’m sure we should include the Scots, not to mention a goodly portion of the English—all separated from France by the English Channel but neighbors nonetheless). You’re a “Mac,” so some would say you fit the stereotype!
Young moved back to America. I haven’t had any updates from him since last year. I wonder, sometimes, whether he may be experiencing the lost feeling that a lot of us bicultural people have, never quite at home no matter where we are.
Kev, nope, it wasn’t intentional to misuse that apostrophe. I did the post title first, and later when I had to pluralize Goodyear in the post, I questioned the need for and decided not to use an apostrophe. Now, why didn’t I go back and fix the title? Because I’m a lazy fuck that couldn’t be bothered. Nothing personal! One of the helpful examples you provided gave me a smile–“I used to get a lot of A’s in school.” Yeah, without the apostrophe, someone might think you left an “s” off of “as”.
That post article did seem to be targeting the French love of wine and the purported health benefits of fermented grapes as the reason for the “faulty” science on drinking. Well, I call BS. Jesus turned water into wine, and Jesus loves me; this I know (for the Bible tells me so), so there is no way he would create an unhealthy beverage. Anyway, all things in moderation. I will continue to respect the diversity of opinions regarding how moderation is defined.
Good luck to Young back home. To me, after experiencing a taste of international life, the vanilla world of the USA would be hard to adapt to.
“I thought I had it made. I won’t lie; it still hurts”. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again McCrarey. She looks like a princess and you my friend look like Tony Soprano’s right-hand man(a good thing) IMO. Nazareth said Love Hurts and Skynyrd said Tuesday’s Gone With the Wind.Train Rolls On. Peace Out!
Soju, yes, it is true. The past belongs in the past, where it can’t destroy the present. There’s no going back, so forward march!