The long way | Long Time Gone

Well, by my low standards, yesterday’s 10K group hike was practically a marathon. And did I mention it was hot? I had suggested two options for the group: a hike up Kalaklan or a flat valley walk. When two Jeepneys passed by completely full, I changed my vote to the valley, and off we went. En route, I opted to forego the typical circumnavigation of the valley and instead took a seldom-used trail that led to a Govic Highway rendezvous. It was a nice hike, but wound up being longer than I remembered. Oh well, it is all part of the adventure.

***Hearts afire. They must be lovin’ the trail.***

***We passed through a seldom-visited village.***

***The river is as dry as it gets, but come next month, it will be raging.***

***Taking the road less travelled through a banana tree forest.***

***I only pass this way a couple of times a year, but the kids remember and come running for cookies.***

The other “big” event in my day was attending the SOB dance competition at Wet Spot. A couple of good performances, with Wet Spot taking home top honors. It was good to see Daddy Dave in attendance again.

***Two of the groups had a candle dancer as part of their performance. Hot wax on my tongue would not be fun!***

As usual, I drank my money’s worth (750 entrance fee, free drinks from 6-8 p.m.) and I’d had my fill by the end of the show. A trike ride home, some dessert, and then off to bed.

Friday’s report card: 22,055 steps. 16.96 kilometers. 3937 calories burned.

A couple of memes I saw took me back to those crazy times in the 1970s:

***I wore my hair long, but didn’t adhere to the “hippie” mentality.***

***I was definitely highly educated. I recall an English exam in high school that required writing an essay. I wrote about trying to write an essay after smoking a joint before class.***

Of course, we are still living in crazy times, I just don’t have any drugs to ease the pain these days.

***At least I was one of those “conspiracy theorists” who saw through the scam.***

Welp, I made it to January 2009 in the LTG archives, and it seems I’m posting with more regularity. The posts are taking on that “day in life” quality that I rely on now. Here’s a blissful recounting of my ignorance one day.

A sad memory from nine years ago–the passing of one of the most unique individuals I’ve encountered in this life, and I was blessed to call a friend, Bridget Werner.

***We met through darts, but we developed a mutual friendship that extended to other aspects of our lives. Her*** ***husband, Chris, was in the military and stationed at Yongsan. When his tour finished, he moved on to the base in Columbia, SC, where I spent half my time, and we continued to share adventures.***

***Here we are on a weekend getaway to the west coast of Korea. Sadly, Bridget’s son died a couple of years after she did.***

I was surprised to come across a YouTube video featuring someone I actually know–Matt, the owner of the Mope Resort in San Narciso, where I frequently stay. Last year, he was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in the loss of a leg. We had a chance to sit and chat during a recent visit to Mope. I was so impressed with his positive outlook and attitude. An avid surfer (that’s why he opened his beach resort), he was looking forward to getting his artificial limb and riding the waves again. Indeed, you can’t keep a good man down. We’ll be back to see you soon, Matt!

Today’s Zen moment:

I Feel Like I’m Diagonally Parked In A Parallel Universe.

And the humor:

***Yeah, I don’t want to kick the bucket, but fuck it, you gotta live your best life.***

And with that, I’m done. Time to finish preparing for my weekend in Angeles City. I’ll be participating in some events associated with the AC Hash anniversary, including tomorrow’s trail. I will head back to Barretto on Monday morning, and hopefully, I will arrive in time for our Hash trail. I’ll make sure to update you tomorrow.

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