Up, up, and away!

A fun-filled Wednesday is in the books, jam-packed with healthy activities that any retired old-timer is sure to appreciate. At least this one did.

I kicked things off with the Wednesday Walkers for an enjoyable morning hike. Only three of us in attendance this week and I led the group up into the hills on a trail I haven’t attempted in way too long.

That’s the hill I’m referring to, as seen from upstairs at the Oasis Bar. I’d sit there sipping a beer and thinking, “I need to get back up there.” And now I have.

It turns out not many others have been making that climb either. We were surprised at how overgrown and hard to find the trail had become. We went off course a couple of times but plowed ahead through the tall thatch grass until we reconnected with the desired path.

My fellow adventurers, Gary and Ed.
We fought our way to the top for views like this one.
A bit further on, things cleared out some. But not for long.
But we trudged on regardless. The tall building is the Central Park Reef Hotel.
And yes, we did encounter a trash pile.
The Easter Mountain shot
I was enamored with a couple of trees I saw. Like this one with a dwarf-like trunk but still standing tall and proud.
“I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down…”
Coming back down to civilization on the other side.
An impressive job of wood stacking.
Steppin’ on down
A comfortable 5K jaunt. I feared I was destined to become a flatlander, so I’m happy to be tackling some uphills again.

There was no rest for the weary when the hike was done. I went home for lunch and a shower, then headed back out to the VFW to participate in some dart league action. My game was every bit as good as I expected it would be. Our team did win the match by a lopsided score of 11-2. And I was directly responsible for those two losses. On the bright side, I guess that makes me the best player on our opponent’s team.

I’m not the darter I used to be, that’s for sure.
But I was indeed better than a forfeit.
And how about this outshot to win the team game? That’s an 88 out–triple 20, single 20, double 4. And no, I didn’t throw it, but my teammate did. Good job!

After darts, I made my way to Hideaway for the Wednesday feeding of the crew. I brought along a new dessert I found at the Pure Gold supermarket.

The girls must have liked them; they were gone in no time.
Chowin’ down

After Hideaway, I went to the Green Room and used my 50% off coupon on some beers. The coupon was also good at Wet Spot next door (same owner), so I went there and had some more beers. One of the reasons I don’t play dart league is it requires an early 2 p.m. start to my beer drinking (and don’t suggest I play without my “aiming fluid”; that defeats the purpose!). That’s my excuse for being a little more inebriated than usual. I didn’t do anything stupid, though, unless buying some food for my two favorites and pecan pie for me is dumb. And I did have a 15% discount coupon for Sit-n-Bull, so it was practically a steal!

Home and in bed before nine; that’s how I roll these days.

And it is nice to wake up early and enjoy the morning sky.

I’m happy to report that the money the bank “stole” from my account has now been returned. Two days is much better than two weeks!

Commenter Kevin Kim was asking about the Kalaklan Ridge. I’m still trying to find a good map, but I’ve hiked it for several kilometers without issue. One thing I’ve never seen up there are motorcycles (it’s impassable for cars), but I came across this video of some bikers having a Kalaklan adventure. It gives you an idea of what the trail is like, at least on the most commonly traveled portion.

I’ll be making the journey up here again one day soon.

I also found this video showing the Barretto beachfront, warts and all. Yeah, it ain’t exactly pristine, but I’m glad I’m here.

Coincidentally, that hill in the background of this video screenshot is the one I climbed yesterday. One of my photos shows the Central Park Reef Hotel from the top.

Are you ready for today’s lame pun? Here you go:

A good joke would dwarf this one.

That’s all I’ve got for today. More to come tamale.

6 thoughts on “Up, up, and away!

  1. I enjoyed the tree shots, and congrats on winning the darts match 11-2. Are you going to start practicing at home again? And will home practice be with or without aiming fluid?

    Your box of banana-marshmallow choco pies has Arabic on it. Careful, or the ladies might eat them and turn into ululating jihadis.

  2. “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you’re never gonna keep me down…”

    Based on the above, I was willing to bet money that your song would be Tubthumping

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc

    How wrong I was. LOL

    Re: Darts – How many games are you involved with during a match? You said that you lost two, but that was better than a forfeit, so I assume you participate in at least three?

  3. Brian, I love that song and considered using it, but “Up, Up and Away” seemed a better fit with the post’s theme. And yes, those two songs are like day and night in tone and spirit.

    Damn, I hadn’t done the math–maybe I’m not better than a forfeit! The key to having enough players is doubles–automatic losses there if you are one short. I participated in four games, losing one singles match and one doubles.

  4. Kev, I can’t seem to find the motivation to practice at home. I’ve just lost my passion for the game. Oddly enough, I rarely drink at home and try not to imbibe outside of my 4-8 p.m. window, so I’d likely practice without the aiming juice.

    I hadn’t noticed the Arabic. Hopefully, I won’t lose my head over it!

  5. “That’s all I’ve got for today. More to come tamale”.( LOL) First thing I thought of was South of The Border in Hamer, South Carolin just before you enter North Carolina on I-95. They have their billboard signs alongside interstate 95 as you travel. Here’s one of the sayings I’ve seen on their roadside signs as I’ve traveled north from Georgia. “Pedro’s Weather Report!”” Chili Today—Hot Tamale!” Then the bottom of the sign shows your miles to Pedro’s South of The Border. On my many travels I’ve never stopped but its on my bucket list. It’s lit-up like Christmas when you go by there at night. Hotel, dining, shopping and attractions. Been there since 1950.Quite the institution. Anyway, if your daytime job doesn’t work out for you, it looks like you can get a job with South of the Border as a digital nomad and write witty Mexican-themed quotes for the company.

    What do people in Idaho say when they touch something hot?
    Hot Potato.

    What do people in Mexico say when they touch something hot?
    Hot Tamale.

    What do people in China say when they touch something hot?
    Hot Dog.

    And Peace Out McCrarey!

  6. Soju, I lived in South Carolina for many years (technically, I still do) and have actually visited South of the Border a couple of times. It’s too touristy for my tastes, but I’ve seen their punny billboards, and they always make me smile.

    And when it is cold in Mexico, do they say chili today?

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