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.
Here is a video of the others crossing.
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.
Some shots of Barretto Beach:
Next up was dinner at Mango’s.
We had our usual grilled pork chops platter. Sorry, I was a little late with the camera.
We did our nightcap at Cloud 69. We were the only customers, but we enjoyed the laid-back vibe and good music.
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.
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:
Okay, time for me to roll on outta here.
At least that “rickety” bridge had a railing. As long as I have something to grip, I’m okay with most heights. And that bridge didn’t really look rickety; it looked rather solid. If this were a primitive, violently swaying suspension bridge over a perpetually windy canyon and a half-mile plunge, I’d be freaking out.
re: Reekay video
He made the right decision: the mother would have been selfish to abandon her kids. Better for her to be with them than with him.
the phenomenon of mothers without children
This is a contradictory phrase: by definition, a mom is a mom because she has kids (or is that a bigoted thing to suggest these days?). The kids might not be physically by her side, but they still exist. “Mothers without children” sounds like “triangles without angles”—an impossibility.
That said, I can’t think of a short, neat phrase to replace the problematic phrase. “Mothers who’ve abandoned their kids”? “Mothers separated from their kids”? I don’t know.
I hope today went well/is going well. Get your damn laptop fixed. Or buy a new one, you stingy bastard.
Kev, actually, the railing made it worse…it was flimsy and wobbled when you gripped. If you were to lose your balance, it wouldn’t prevent a fall. But yeah, the logs were firm and didn’t move as you walked, so it was better than the typical “rickety” bridge.
Yeah, I was being intentionally contradictory with that phrasing. I just don’t see how a mother would agree to give up her kids to have a relationship with a foreigner. Now, there are circumstances like going overseas to work that necessitate that, but that wasn’t the situation Reekay was describing. No, I don’t want to raise someone else’s kids at this stage of my life (I had step-children in three of my marriages, and it was okay, I just don’t want to do that as an old man). Still, a woman who would walk away from her children to be with me is downright scary and not someone I’d trust with my heart.