The thing about a bad day is that it makes you appreciate the good days all the more. Now, I ain’t saying yesterday was a bad day, it just wasn’t as good as my days usually are. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, congested and sneezing. That made sleep impossible, so I just started my daily internet travels earlier than usual. When it came time for the Friday hike, I was still feeling stuffed up, lightheaded, and tired. I hoofed it down to the 7-Eleven meet-up, but I bailed early in the hike, caught a trike home, and went back to bed.
Swan went to the drugstore and got me some medicine to relieve the congestion, and it did seem to help. I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway, even if I didn’t play. It was Liezel’s birthday celebration, so I baked up a batch of brownies to add to the smorgasbord.
After some arm-twisting by Billy, the tournament director, I agreed to participate. I got partnered up with a young half-Filipino, half-Swedish lad, who attended the tourney with his brother and Swedish uncle. Turns out, he had never played in a dart tournament before and didn’t understand the rules of the games we played (501 and Cricket). He didn’t throw badly at first, and once I figured out he needed to be told what to throw at, we did alright, taking our first two rounds in the winner’s bracket. I’m not sure how much experience the young man had with drinking, but he was knocking down the mixed drinks. Now, the more I drink, the better I throw. That was not the case with him, and we got our asses handed to us in our third match and were relegated to the loser’s bracket. Prior to our next game, my partner said he needed to leave with his uncle, and I told him no problem. It was already after 8 pm, and I’d had enough anyway. Billy tried to set me up with a new partner, but I declined and took the forfeit.
Anyway, it was not a bad time at darts, but I’ve still not recovered my old passion for the game. I’m not giving up yet, so we’ll see what the future holds.
And so a not-as-good-as-usual day came to an end.
In the memory lane department, here are a couple of poems I wrote when I was in high school. I posted them on Facebook seven years ago and probably here too, but poems are meant to be read again and again.
Thirteen years ago, I was dining at the top of Namsan in Seoul:
It’s still April 2018 in the LTG archives, and I’ve got twenty-one days left in Korea, so I’m busy closing doors. It wasn’t as over with Gem as I thought. I stayed in touch with her after the move and wound up getting scammed out of a thousand dollars. She still holds the record for taking advantage of my stupidity.
Today’s YouTube video is a good reminder not to put off retirement and to live your dreams while you can. I retired the first time at 55, but gave up my dream of the Philippines for what I thought would be a love-filled life with Jee Yeun. When that dream died, I went back to work, retiring again at 62 and making the delayed move to the PI. If I could have a do-over, I’d forego the heartbreak I endured and spend those wasted years in paradise.
And here we go with my attempts at humor once again:
Now to get on with making sure today is a good one.
Now, I ain’t saying yesterday was a bad day, it just wasn’t as good as my days usually are.
Wow, even after all this time! Spot the error!
I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway, even if I didn’t play.
And again! Spot the error.
I got partnered up with a young half-Filipino, half-Swedish lad, who attended the tourney with his brother and Swedish uncle.
And a third time!
In the memory lane department…
Spot the error! And remember: a tax-paying citizen, a six-foot man, that 10-mile hike, your brain-dead idea, her awesome-smelling chihuahua, etc.
It seems like I’ve been running from those “shadows of my mind” for most of my life since then.
I don’t know about your particular case, but there are a lot of people who think they can run from or at least drown out the voices in their heads. Maybe because most people are so social, they thrive on noise—the sounds of other people jabbering and blathering and singing and shouting and just filling the silence with ear garbage and other arrant bullshit. Sit these people down for a 20-minute meditation session—in which you just sit, drink in the quiet, and start to feel the oceanic rhythms of your consciousness—would drive these people nuts because they’re so superficial and so noise-addicted that silence actually makes them uncomfortable. So they’re unwilling to face the silence. Because they don’t want to confront the voices. A shame, really. It’s like sitting with a chatterbox who doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up. If he doesn’t hear a voice, he’ll talk just so there’s sound. I’ve ridden with taxi drivers who, to fill the silence, would reflexively turn on the radio just to have the comforting presence of sound. For some people, silence is oppressive. I pity them.
I’m not going to pick on your poem’s punctuation or the lie/lay problem. The words are nice. They indicate a kind of settledness that we readers of your blog normally don’t see. Were you smoking pot back then? I can’t imagine you ever arriving at a blissful state by anything other than a chemically enhanced route. Certain not through focused effort and discipline.
The view from Ciba Cima. I wonder if it is still open?
Oh, noes! Spot the error. Just one.
Sorry to read that you were still not doing so hot yesterday. I hope today turned out to be better than yesterday.
Damn, all that error talk, and I leave errors in my own comment. For what it’s worth, see here for the revised version.
Hallo Ser John, my loveliest boy!!! I am Coco!!!!! xoxo
These day I is very busy work new bar in Ermita, Manila – It is the capital city of our cuntry!!!
But soon back to Angeles to working. I know you are always curious boy because very naughty and mwah mwah muah!!!
But I sorry never comment you blog these day because busy with many naughty boys (Like you!!!)
I have two question, but maybe rude, if so I am sorry and please forgive Miss Coco!!! xoxox
Numbe 1 – When please marry you honey darling?? In The Philippine Islands all girl like me want to marry handsome gwapo. Because not stupud and dirty people like we Filipino!! You should marry her soon before naught6y Keven Kim cum and steal her!!!!!!! He he he…..just jokings mwah mwah.
Num 2 – Can you use the chopstick? You live the Asia so ling time. I know is difficult many foreign kano in. But is fun.
Happy Sunday lovely and naughty boy….Soon is Easter. Wilk you send an easter egg to Miss Coco Makisig? Sqqueeee!!! Big hug for you! if yes!!!
xoxo
I wish I kept my collections of poems I wrote when I was in Korea. I love poems.
Kevin, lots of times my mistakes are just sloppiness that I miss with a quick proofread. I had to actually think about what I did wrong with the ones you pointed out.
Now, I ain’t saying yesterday was a bad day, it just wasn’t as good as my days usually are.
Maybe I don’t need the comma after now. Or perhaps it should be a semicolon after day. Or maybe both.
I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway, even if I didn’t play.
I don’t know, comma after afternoon?
In the memory lane department…
Hyphenate memory-lane.
The view from Ciba Cima. I wonder if it is still open?
When I wonder, it is a statement, not a question.
Nice insights into those voices we all have in our heads. That’s why I fantasize about a “do-over” life: I’m trying to get them to shut the fuck up!
Yes, I was a regular pot-smoker in my high school daze. It was easier to buy dope than beer back then
BW, some of my earliest memories are of my father reading poetry to us kids before bedtime. Poetry has always been an important part of my life.
Nice to hear from you. I didn’t know you were still reading my blog.
Koko, enjoy your time with the naughty boys in Angeles. That’s never been my scene.
Question 1: I’ve been married four times. Never again!
Question 2: Yes, I can use chopsticks. I lived in Korea for twelve years.
Sorry, I won’t be laying any eggs this Easter.
Now, I ain’t saying yesterday was a bad day, it just wasn’t as good as my days usually are.
Maybe I don’t need the comma after now. Or perhaps it should be a semicolon after day. Or maybe both.
So you don’t remember the rule. The rule is: Don’t separate independent clauses with a comma alone. Use a comma-conjunction (comma-and, comma-but, etc.) or a semicolon. See here for the millionth time. We’ve been doing this one for years—since at least 2019.
WRONG: Yesterday wasn’t a bad day, it just wasn’t as good as usual.
RIGHT (1): Yesterday wasn’t a bad day, but it just wasn’t as good as usual.
RIGHT (2): Yesterday wasn’t a bad day; it just wasn’t as good as usual.
These are also possible:
RIGHT (3): Yesterday wasn’t a bad day: it just wasn’t as good as usual.
RIGHT (4): Yesterday wasn’t a bad day—it just wasn’t as good as usual.
The colon means “explanation to follow.” The em dash functions like a colon in this case, but it also implies a dramatic pause.
I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway, even if I didn’t play.
I don’t know, comma after afternoon?
You need to learn to recognize compound predicates, another thing we’ve gone over and over many times. Quick refresher:
• Chloe sat on the toilet and blasted out a torrent of diarrhea.
One subject (Chloe) and two actions (sat, blasted). Those two actions, separated by an “and,” are the compound predicate. And you never insert a single comma into a compound predicate. That’s the applicable rule here. Here’s another:
• Bill and Tom squealed liked little girls and ran mincingly out of the cabin.
Compound subject (Bill and Tom) + compound predicate (squealed… and ran).
So look back at your sentence:
I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway…
Your compound predicate has three actions: chucked, threw, decided. You can either remove the comma after “decided,” or you can add a subject after “but,” turning that into an independent clause.
Solution 1: I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway…
Solution 2: I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but I decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway…
Another possible solution:
Solution 3: I chucked a few darts in the afternoon, threw like shit, and decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway…
In a compound predicate with three or more actions, treat the actions like list items and separate them with commas. In that context, commas are okay.
• Cyndi belched loudly, leaned over, and trumpeted a proud, defiant fart.
Review compound predicates here or search for “compound predicate” over at my Substack. I keep hoping you’ll get this eventually, but what’s the point? Sigh…
I wrote:
Your compound predicate has three actions: chucked, threw, decided. You can either remove the comma after “decided,” or you can add a subject after “but,” turning that into an independent clause.
I guess “decided” should be “shit.”
Kevin, yeah, I do seem to be useless when it comes to grammar. Well, I guess I can always serve as a bad example. I understand the rules when I read them (thanks again for the reminder links), but I seem to be incapable of retaining those lessons and recognizing my fuck-ups. As my mental faculties continue to decline, I’m not sure long-term improvement is in the cards, but I’ll keep on trying regardless.