…sometimes you’re the bug.
I had a 15% discount coupon for Sit-n-Bull due to expire soon, so I decided to splurge a bit on the Wednesday feeding at Hideaway. Lasagna for Joy, tacos, chicken wings, chicken fingers, and lumpia for the rest of the crew. Even with the discount, it came to over 1600 pesos ($30). Still, I often spend that much on myself during a night out, so I’ll revel in the feeling good from seeing those smiling faces.
I stayed at Hideaway a little longer than usual and played Joy in pool again. This time I won! That’s surprising because she is a good shot. I still had four balls on the table when Joy missed the winning shot at the 8-ball, then I ran the table for the victory. As they say, it is better to be lucky than good.
Walking up the highway after Hideaway, I decided to pay a rare visit to Blue Butterfly for my nightcap before heading home. I was surprised to be warmly greeted by Tanya, who used to come to the Hash occasionally. Naturally, I invited her to join me for a drink at my table. Another waitress approached and greeted me by name. She was vaguely familiar looking, but I’ll be damned if I have a clue as to who she is. I bought her a drink as well. Then a vendor came by selling balut (fertilized duck eggs), so I got some for the girls to enjoy.
I had a couple of drinks, then Tanya hailed a trike for me, and it took my drunk ass home. I’m still looking for the sweet spot when I’m drinking gin and sodas.
I’m doing okay on my informal diet plan so far, I think. I had a few strips of bacon before my hike, an orange, and some seaweed chips as a snack after the hike, and then limited myself to two small tacos (one corn shell, on soft) for dinner. And no beers. I won’t know until I do my weekly weigh-in on Sunday if going without is making a difference.
In the morning hours, I was huffing and puffing with the Wednesday Walkers group out Subic way. The thing about the Wednesday/Friday hikes is that we have a general idea in mind but no actual trail like at the Hash. Sometimes that leads to adventure. Yesterday, we got stymied multiple times by deadends as we searched in vain for a path down off the mountain that used to be there (we did it over a year ago), but it is apparently so little used that the jungle vines have overgrown it. We eventually retreated and took another path down, and it turned out fine—all part of the fun. I reckon even Lewis and Clark had some deadheads when they ventured out west. Not that I’m comparing our group to theirs–we don’t have anyone like Pocohantus to guide us.
Here are some photos from our quest:
Things don’t always go as planned, but that means it doesn’t get boring. I’d call that a good day!
Another interesting chat with Gen today, but I’ll need to process my thinking a little clearer before I can decide what exactly I’m feeling. If anything.
Stay tuned!
Well it's a strange old game you learn it slow One step forward and it's back you go You're standing on the throttle You're standing on the brake In the groove 'til you make a mistake Sometimes you're the windshield Sometimes you're the bug Sometimes it all comes together baby Sometimes you're just a fool in love Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger Sometimes you're the ball Sometimes it all comes together Sometimes you're gonna lose it all You gotta know happy - you gotta know glad Because you're gonna know lonely And you're gonna know sad When you're rippin' and you're ridin' And you're coming on strong You start slippin' and slidin' And it all goes wrong because Sometimes you're the windshield Sometimes you're the bug Sometimes it all comes together baby Sometimes you're just a fool in love Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger Sometimes you're the ball Sometimes it all comes together Sometimes you're gonna lose it all One day you got the glory and then you got none One day you're a diamond and then you're a stone Everything can change in the blink of an eye So let the good times roll before we say goodbye because Sometimes you're the windshield Sometimes you're the bug Sometimes it all comes together baby Sometimes you're just a fool in love Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger Sometimes you're the ball Sometimes it all comes together Sometimes you're gonna lose it all Sometimes you're the windshield Sometimes you're the bug Sometimes it all comes together baby Sometimes you're just a fool in love
Pocohantus
Who?
Nice hike pics. I’d probably give up a lot sooner than you guys did.
Continued good luck with this diet you’ve started. I recognize that kim (seaweed).
I might try a balut just once. Just to have the experience and say I did it. Because once it’s done, it can never be undone, and I’d always be “that guy who ate the balut.” Alas, years ago, when I was younger and even stupider than I am now, I did that in Seoul with dog stew. It was a lark back then, but years later, I saw some of the horrific secret video footage coming out of those Korean dog slaughterhouses, and I elected never to touch boshintang again. But unfortunately, I’ll always be “that guy who ate boshintang.” Once done, it can’t be undone.
Sins of the past. For what it’s worth, I’m sure you’d never eat Buddy and Lucky. They’d be only about a serving apiece, anyway.
Ah, you spell Pocahontas in the manner of the White colonizers, whereas I deliberately misspell the oppressor’s name so as to honor her tribal heritage. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! What I can’t excuse is getting the history wrong–it was Sacagawea who helped guide Lewis and Clark. Let’s go, Brandon!
It’s funny, Gem asked me yesterday seemingly out of the blue whether I’d ever eaten balut. I told her “no way!”, but she insisted we eat some together and that she would “reward” me if I’d try it. Hmm, I’m thinking about it.
I’ve never eaten dog meat and I never will. I left a comment on your old blog post just now, but I know people who visit Korea and want to experience that aspect of the “culture.” I’ve also seen firsthand how much dogs being raised as meat suffer from their cruel treatment. No excuse for that! I’m not sure I would support making eating dogs illegal, but damn, treat them humanely. (says the man who eats beef and never thinks twice about the conditions cows are raised under.)
What I can’t excuse is getting the history wrong–it was Sacagawea who helped guide Lewis and Clark. Let’s go, Brandon!
Yes, there was much implied by my “Who?”
I don’t recall actually spelling “Pocahontas” in my previous comment, but yes, I cleave to the white colonizers’ way of writing the name. So scalp me.
@John @Kevin Either of you guys ever eat the live octopus “delicacy”? Had it once on the beach in Busan. Of course, alcohol had been consumed in large quantities prior to trying it. LOL. Read afterwards that a couple people die each year while eating it. I guess the dying octopus gets the last laugh as it chokes the human to death.
As the saying goes: “Alcohol – because no great story ever starts with someone eating a salad!”
Nope, never felt that adventurous. I don’t care for raw seafood much to begin with, but having my dinner fight back is a non-starter.
I tried barbeque shell a couple of times. That’s where they open up the live shellfish and slap it on the grill. I could practically hear the poor thing screaming in pain.
Yeah, it didn’t look right when I wrote it, but I was too lazy to go check. And then when you busted me for what I assumed was the spelling error the light bulb in my head came on, and I had an “oh shit” moment. My bad.
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