Let the good times roll! It’s good to have a change of scenery now and again, and what motivation for getting out of town is better than a party? I didn’t know what to expect and had no idea who else was on the guest list, but these doctor pals of mine know how to do it right. I was actually surprised that I knew as many of my fellow attendees as I did. Quite a few of us were patients of our hosts, and the rest were friends and acquaintances. Good food, cold beer, fun people, and beautiful beaches. We had it all yesterday.

The venue was Mope Beach Resort in San Narcisco, about an hour’s drive from Barretto. I’d been there once before with the Hash, but that was the day many of us were detained by the Philippine Navy, and so we didn’t get much time to, um, Mope. Really enjoyed soaking up the ambiance at this out-of-the-way venue.

And pretty much so was I. Said my thank yous and goodbyes and headed back to Barretto. On impulse, I had my driver drop me off at Snackbar so I could have a nightcap before heading home. That turned out to be a mistake. Lydell was there and completely ignored me, not even making eye contact. I mean, that’s okay, she made her feelings toward me quite clear, but I’m still a customer and deserve to be treated like one.

My pal Ron showed up, and the third waitress got around to serving us. Then we said, “fuck this,” and left. Looks like I’ve crossed another watering hole off my list of places to frequent.

I didn’t let that ruin my day, though. It was a good one.

“Where are you hiding my love?
Each day without you will never come again.
Even today you missed a sunset on the ocean,
A silver shadow on yellow rocks I saved for you,
A squirrel that ran across the road,
A duck diving for dinner.
My God! There may be nothing left to show you
Save wounds and weariness
And hopes grown dead,
And wilted flowers I picked for you a lifetime ago,
Or feeble steps that cannot run to hold you,
Arms too tired to offer you to a roaring wind,
A face too wrinkled to feel the ocean's spray.”

--James Kavanaugh