Hold on, I guess that what’s called a strategic comma placement.

Anyway, I was surprised to get a message from my dart league captain advising that I’d be representing the Lagoon team in the MVP end of season singles tournament yesterday. I’ve honestly felt like a part time member of the team given my propensity to miss matches due to travel, including the final two weeks of the regular season. Seeing as how I’ve not been practicing (I did play once in Korea) and the MVP features the best player from each league team, I fully expected it would be two and done for me (it’s a double elimination format).

Well, I won by forfeit in the first round because my opponent didn’t show. In the second round I faced Alan who plays out of Alley Cats and is someone I’ve had some non-dart related issues with in the past. He’s a good darter though and given my lack of practice I didn’t expect to beat him. I got lucky in the first leg of 501 as Alan struggled long enough with the double out to allow me to catch up and eventually win the game. The second leg was Cricket, which I consider my better game. I don’t throw any better in a Cricket game but I understand the nuances of strategy and sometimes beat superior players because of that. Well, despite taking an early lead I wound up losing the leg. Alan won the coin flip and chose Cricket again which pleased me just fine. This time I stayed on my game and won the leg and the match handily.

So I advanced to the finals of the winner’s bracket and had to face Steve, an Englishman who is relatively new in town. Of course the English have a dart playing gene and Steve is an excellent player. And he does not drink alcoholic beverages, which is almost heresy in a bar league. I’d equate it to those biological males who identify as female and compete in women’s competitions. So yeah, that’s my excuse for getting my ass kicked in two legs.

Back to the loser’s bracket where I eventually faced off against Alan again. Almost identical results, me winning the third cricket leg to take the match. Which put me in the finals against Steve. And he once again completely dominated me. Ah well, a second place finish was much more than I expected. Will I be motivated to get off my lazy ass and practice so that perhaps one day I might actually beat Steve? Stay tuned!

In other news it appears that rainy season is upon us. We’ve had rain for the past couple of days and nights, including a downpour just before I was to head out for the dart tourney. I almost said “fuck it” and stayed home but decided since I’d been asked to represent the team I should follow through.

I’m still shocked that in a country where it rains a lot there is such poor drainage. The streets were like rivers last night which is a real pain in the ass. And while it didn’t rain this morning during my walk, many of the streets were covered in mud from last night’s flooding. Oh well, that’s life in the Philippines. It’s still hot too, but at least with some cloud cover you can avoid the direct sunlight. And as I type these words the thunder is rolling once again. My afternoon hike may be in peril.

Continuing on with the theme of yesterday’s post, I remembered a song while I was responding to comments: “Is that all there is?”. It’s funny in a way because it was a big hit for Peggy Lee in 1969, but I don’t recall ever having heard it until I watched some obscure movie from 2007 called The Nines. Anyway, I think the song pretty accurately captures the way I feel at times. Hell, maybe we all do. But if one is striving to live in the moment it seems unreasonable to expect every moment to be full of wonder and excitement.

And whether my beer is half-full or half-empty I’m fully prepared to say “one more please!”.

I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire
I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face as he gathered me up
in his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames
And when it was all over I said to myself, is that all there is to a fire

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is

And when I was twelve years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads
And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle
I had the feeling that something was missing
I don’t know what, but when it was over
I said to myself, “is that all there is to a circus?

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is

Then I fell in love, head over heels in love, with the most wonderful boy in the world
We would take long walks by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other’s eyes
We were so very much in love
Then one day he went away and I thought I’d die, but I didn’t
and when I didn’t I said to myself, is that all there is to love?

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing

I know what you must be saying to yourselves
If that’s the way she feels about it why doesn’t she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me I’m in no hurry for that final disappointment
for I know just as well as I’m standing here talking to you
when that final moment comes and I’m breathing my first breath, I’ll be saying to myself

Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that’s all there is my friends, then let’s keep dancing
Let’s break out the booze and have a ball
If that’s all there is