Sometimes, you just have to make concessions to reality. Despite a brutal night before, I attempted to participate in the Friday group hike. I knew there was going to be one climb, but I figured I’d give it a shot, and in the worst-case scenario, I’d just retreat and go back the way I came. Well, at the 2K mark, just before the hill began, I gave up. Even the flat hike had left me feeling weak. I knew then that trying to go onward and upward was a fool’s mission. After saying my goodbyes to the group, I intended to continue walking towards home. And then an empty trike approached, and I called it a day. Maybe I should have titled this post wussed out.
A lazy afternoon at home, and then it was time to embark on another mission–a visit to McCoy’s on Baloy Beach. McCoy’s is not a regular stop in my bar life, but it will be the On-Home venue for Monday’s Hash. And since I recommended it to the Hash, I wanted to make sure the McCoy crew was adequately prepared for our upcoming invasion. They have already purchased the beer; I hope they have a way to keep it cold. I also suggested they pick four or five items from the menu that are quick and easy to prepare and call them “Hash specials.” I worry their one-man kitchen might be overwhelmed by 30+ hungry Hashers. Anyway, I’m hoping for the best.
I got a kick out of this gal’s hat:
One of the decisions I made when I first moved here was to avoid driving. It was the right call, as I am reminded daily while walking the roads. On the occasions I ride with my driver, I sometimes get road rage as a passenger. And yes, he does some crazy shit too. I’ve seen bad drivers, but the Filipinos I encounter are the least skilled I’ve ever observed.
I think I’ve posted these here before, but Facebook memories took me back to my high school daze today:
My writing was not confined to newsprint. I fancied myself a poet as well.
Growing old gets more bizarre the older I get.
Today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: When I retire, should I move to Thailand where the murder rate is lower by 60% than America, housing price lower by 80%, meals 90% and rental 85%?
A: Go for a visit and get a feel for the place. I enjoyed my stay there, but in the end, I decided to retire in the Philippines. Both countries have large expat communities, so you won’t have to feel like an outsider. I also enjoyed my time visiting Cambodia and Vietnam. There are lots of options.
Today’s lame attempts at humor:
Alright, I deem you to have suffered enough for one day. Come back tomorrow for more punishment!
It’s too bad we don’t live several centuries in the future when you can just go home to a special cabinet that has your spare lungs, then switch out your bad lungs for the spares, snapping them into place within seconds—no fuss, no muss.
With your lungs making the news almost every day, now, this is becoming worrisome. Please get looked at soon.
Otherwise, good sunset pics, and a nice shot of the nachos despite the onions.
Kev, I don’t know; a future featuring immortality could be even worse. Reminds me of the story I once read, “I have eternal life, and it is killing me.”
The nachos looked better than they tasted. I still ate them, of course.
I wouldn’t equate replaceable lungs with immortality (other irreplaceable systems can fail, after all, like the brain), but I can see how even a long life might get boring or annoying… especially if you spend your last few centuries as an old, decrepit person. I think what we’d all rather have is the wisdom that comes with age plus the bodies of our youth. Read the sci-fi novel Old Man’s War for more on that idea.
What? You’ve got me watching TV again, and now you want me to read? Dude!
To “have…the wisdom that comes with age plus the bodies of our youth” is indeed my favorite fantasy and my dream of the afterlife. (I just read the Wikipedia page for Old Man’s War. Sounds interesting.)