Well, it’s the sharp end of the dart that sticks into the board after you throw it.

My darts are a few years old now and over time the points wear down. I tried sharpening the tip and putting a patina on the stem with sandpaper, hoping to get a better grip on the board. All to no avail. My darts were falling out of the board with increasing regularity and a dart that falls out doesn’t count. This phenomenon actually caused me to lose a couple of games recently. At first, I blamed the dartboard but then someone told me I needed to replace my points. Who can do that, I wondered? Ask Cristy was the response. So, that’s just what I did. She had the equipment to do the job and an extra set of points, so the deal was done. And the best thing about it was she did the work in time for my singles league match yesterday. Against Cristy.

Speaking of Cristy, I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that she is currently the best player in Barretto. In fact, through 13 weeks of the inaugural singles league season, she has never lost a match. Until yesterday, that is.

A game starts with a diddle (some call it a cork) to determine who throws first. The closest dart to the bull gets that privilege. My first dart was a bullseye. So was Cristy’s. I threw again and hit another bullseye. So did she. My third throw (I’m the black darts) was just above the bull and Cristy’s was a bit further away, so I got to start. Not that going first makes a big difference at the amateur level of play, but our battle for the right to start was indicative of how we would fight each other throughout the afternoon.

In other news, I rented a place for “mama” today. It’s 3000 pesos a month and includes electricity and water. It’s off Baloy beach road in an area where “mama” has been known to frequent. In fact, the landlady and one of the neighbors I’m friends with both know of her. My friend has promised to help keep an eye on “mama”. There is an eatery on the corner that “mama” has visited as well, so hopefully she’ll feel at home in the neighborhood.

Anyway, I’m getting some extra keys made. I’ll leave one with the neighbor and I’ll keep one. I’ll get a cushion to go on top of the wooden bed frame and a shower curtain for the CR. Probably pick up a plastic chair while I’m at it. I expect “mama” will still spend most of her time on the street, but at least she’ll have a safe space to sleep in. If she adapts well and actually uses the place as intended, I’ll spring for a small refrigerator and any other appropriate creature comforts. Commenter Kevin noted when I mentioned this plan that when it comes to housing the homeless, good intentions are rarely enough. People become homeless for a reason. That may very well prove to be the case with “mama”. Still, I saw her on the street last night and told her I was looking for a place and she was very excited at the prospect. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’m not out much if she winds up preferring the street life.

Speaking of rentals, I’m not sure how serious I am about moving when my lease expires. I like the Alta Vista lifestyle and I’m comfortable enough where I am, I suppose. But there is a house for sale up the street that I think I’d like to live in if the owner (who I understand lives in the Netherlands) is willing to do a long-term lease. I’ve got his email address now so I’ll shoot out an inquiry and see what happens.

I’ve never been inside, but I’m sure it has at least three bedrooms and all the space I need. And the view from that deck must be spectacular. There’s a house under construction across the street that I walked through this morning, and this is the view from upstairs:

Well, it’s nice to dream. We’ll see what happens.

That’s about it from here. Except for the crap I’ve been posting on Facebook.

Nothing like having the freedom to post what you want, just to get the dialog going. Right, Wokesters?

I’ll be back with more tomorrow. Thanks for dropping by!