Still rollin’

Posted on by

A quick post this morning before we roll out of town with the neighbors for a birthday gathering at a resort in Castillejos I’ve never been to before. Sounds almost adventurous, don’t it? I guess I’m fixin’ to find out!

Another good Friday in the life yesterday, starting with a group hike to the Subic Hills area. I suggested we venture out that way, mostly because it had been a long time since my last visit, and I knew it would feel almost new again. Familiar enough where we didn’t get lost, but we all enjoyed being on ground we hadn’t trod in a while. Our journey coincidentally ended in Castillejos, and it will be interesting to see if today’s destination is near where we were.

My fellow travelers in search of adventure.
Moving out through the Subic Hills subdivision.
Off the road and onto the beaten path.
The view from here.
I don’t recall if this now-abandoned shack was occupied the last time we came this way.
I remember this outdoor toilet, though.
The wide-open spaces.
We “logged” another rickety bridge crossing. A fall from here would have been painful, but we all made it.

Here is a video of the others crossing.

Working the land on a hot day.
No need for a bridge here.
Today’s tree.
You can go see it yourself if you are so inclined.
Our journey was just shy of of 7K.
A nice air-conditioned bus ride back to Barretto.
That’s the way we roll!

When beer o’clock rolled around, we began our journey at the seldom-visited dart venue, Alley Hideout. Got to chat with some of my old darting pals before the Friday tourney began. Then we crossed the highway and enjoyed beverages and beach views at the Outback Resort.

Like this one.
Looks good from this direction, too.

Some shots of Barretto Beach:

Next up was dinner at Mango’s.

The view from our table.
The view of our table.

We had our usual grilled pork chops platter. Sorry, I was a little late with the camera.

They were good, though.

We did our nightcap at Cloud 69. We were the only customers, but we enjoyed the laid-back vibe and good music.

With no one to dance for, the girls didn’t even try.

That’s why I tip the Alaska dancers when I visit, they are always up on stage and at least making an effort to appear to be dancing. These gals didn’t earn anything from me this time.

Anyway, that’s how another day in the life came to an end. Now to get on with this day. But before I go:

This cryptic post from May 2008 entitled “Disconnected” made me wonder what the hell was going on in my life back then. It also got me thinking about how disconnected my current life seems to be. And then, as now, if friends and family choose to turn their backs and walk away, so be it.

In an odd twist, these Facebook memories serve to show that anything worth doing is worth doing again.

It turns out that it was two years ago when I did the Subic Hills hike I so fondly remembered yesterday.
Three years ago, I also enjoyed a meal at Mango’s. What are the odds?
Fourteen years ago, I was living the Itaewon life. Friends come and go, and you find a new life elsewhere. I’ll always be glad (and sometimes sad) for the memories.

For today’s YouTube video, we check in with Reekay as he discusses the phenomenon of mothers without children, which is so prevalent in the Philippines. I probably missed out on some good women because I didn’t want to raise someone else’s kids. Childless Swan proved to be worth waiting for.

Humor time:

Yeah, and the steaks are high.
That was a close shave!
I’ll take a stab at getting his point.

Okay, time for me to roll on outta here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *