The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

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It’s odd the things in life you remember. I took a typing class in high school, and the sentence in today’s post title contains every letter in the English alphabet. We used it to practice our keyboarding skills (it wasn’t called that back then, though).

Remember those? I’ve certainly used those typing skills I learned more than I ever used the algebra.

I won’t say that things were completely off-key, but yesterday was not as rhythmic as most of my Tuesdays. There was a rainbow at the end of the day, so you take the bad with the good and count your blessings.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way to Olongapo City was explained when we came upon this broken-down truck. It was still there a couple of hours later on our way home.

Shopping as usual was the first order of business, but on the way to YBC supermarket, we stopped by the computer repair shop. The parts to repair my computer keyboard have STILL not arrived. I sarcastically asked if they were being shipped from Mars, and the repair guy responded, “China.” I’m starting to wonder if I’m being scammed (I’ve already paid 2000 pesos for the parts), but I’ll give it another week before demanding a refund.

No surprises or issues at YBC or Royal, so the cupboards are stocked for another week.

Loading the bounty at Royal

With the grocery shopping completed, I asked my driver to take me to the nearby Harbor Point Mall. I just couldn’t bear another week trying to blog without the letters z, x, c, and v. I never realized how frequently those letters appear in words I routinely use. So, I headed upstairs to an electronics shop in search of a portable keyboard.

This wireless version was 1100 pesos, but I liked the convenience of not having to plug it into a USB port.
All set up and ready to roll, er, type.

I still want my laptop fixed. This new keyboard is a temporary solution and is far from ideal. The layout is different; the keys are smaller and not lighted, making it hard to use in the dark mornings while Swan sleeps. Still, it is Very niCe Having Zero holes left in the words I use.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more! When beer o’clock rolled around, it was time for Swan to enjoy some toes in the sand on Baloy Beach.

She’s easy to please
A lovely afternoon so far
Waiting for the raft ride to the Kokomo’s floating bar

And shortly after boarding the floater, we saw this on the horizon:

Looks like the pot of gold is somewhere in Kalaklan
Make that two pots of gold

And then we got hit by a rain squall like I’ve never experienced when visiting a floating bar.

Everyone had to retreat to the far side of the floater to avoid being drenched.

Into each life, some rain must fall!

The rain is heading your way, Mr. Sun

The storm passed soon enough, but the clouds dashed our plans to watch the sunset.

That’s as good as it got
Next stop, dinner at Treasure Island
The hamburger steak hit the spot.

Home a little earlier than usual, but that’s okay. Some internet time, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then off to bed for this old-timer.

Life can be hard sometimes
So, fewer beers meant that the ice cream didn’t put me over the top. Funny how that works.

Sometimes, a walk down memory lane can be a walk in the park. Like that time almost twenty years ago when I discovered Yeouido for the first time.

Ten years later, I watched this traffic jam from my apartment window.
Eight years ago, I was vacationing in Barretto. They took that sign down now. I guess too many of the gals were looking like the one in the foreground.
Also, during that vacation trip eight years past, I discovered Alley Hideout, the bar that was destined to become my home bar after the move the following year. I’d spend Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday playing in tournaments there. These days, since retiring from darts, I almost never go back.

Hmm, I think I know what tonight’s “seldom visited bar” will be.

Here’s more of what makes heads explode on Facebook:

Every problem has a solution
Damn, that’s a shame!
Sorry, Justin, but this made me think of you.

Alright, onward to today’s YouTube video. I don’t view this vlogger often, but the gal he interviews is articulate and full of good advice. It was an enjoyable watch. And by the way, I’m not the “John” that gets mentioned.

To the humor, we shall go:

Fixing it is easier said than done
That reminds me of those old transactional relationships I couldn’t seem to avoid. I guess it made for more interesting blog posts, though.
Ha-ha! That’s the flip side. So far, Swan and I just agree to disagree.

Life is good, and I’m not bored or feeling the need to change the way things are. Perhaps that’s a vestige of old age, but I’ve come a long way to reach this stage of my life, and I want to enjoy it. One aspect I want to incorporate more of is travel. Swan is big time into that, and we will do a get-out-of-town once-a-month routine to ensure a periodic change of scenery. And something new to blog about!

A Gash Hash

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Yesterday’s Hash outing was an enjoyable, albeit mostly familiar, trail. The Hares were all female Hashers (Gash), but they still managed to chart a course I found worthy of shortcutting (I didn’t do the Black Rock climb at the end). Even so, it was a good 6.5K journey for me. That’s plenty on a hot day.

The trail began at the Alta Vista clubhouse, a mere two blocks from my house. That’s a nice start!
The clubhouse with the ever-watchful Easter Mountain in the background
And we are On-On!
Kicking things off we an Alta Vista hill climb
Making our way through the ‘hood
Heading for the junction with the My Bitch trail
On the Bitch
Easter Mountain from afar
A quick hello and cookies to Mountain Mama Onelia
Making it under the wire
Doing what we do
That cabin in the woods I’m fond of
Heading back down
Back on flat ground again
Streetwalkers and a goat
Easter Mountain from anear
Heading down the road to On-Home
Our venue this week was Smokes and Bottles

I tried my hand at a video of the Hash Circle opening: Introductions and the Hares on ice. (Don’t worry; it is less than four minutes long).

There was a big turnout (55), with Hashers joining from Angeles, La Union, and Puerto Galera yesterday
The way we went (green is the shortcuts)

And as usual, we did an after-Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter.

Let the good times roll

I tried my best, but sometimes your best just isn’t good enough.

Close, but no cigar

Some Facebook memories from this day in history:

Eight years ago, I was here on vacation and looking for a place to live. I saw this one in Alta Vista, and as fate would have it, I rented it eighteen months later.

Three years ago, a new bar opened in town, and the customers were invited to decorate the walls.

My contribution. The bar (can’t even remember the name) didn’t last six months
One year ago, I was at the Beach Bash, and so was Barbie from Green Room.

Anyone up for some political bullshit in the form of memes?

Yep, I’ll let AOC do my thinking for me. Not!
As we used to say in Arkansas, “That dog won’t hunt!”
Based on my Facebook feed, this seems to be the standard position of lefties.

Enough of that nonsense; let’s hear what Reekay has to say about the advantages of dating an older Filipina. I had to smile thinking about that scenario. The youngest woman I’ve dated here was eighteen years old. These days, I’m with one of those “older” gals, Swan, who is forty. Of course, “old” is a relative term, especially in light of the fact that I’m thirty years her senior. But Reekay’s points are all valid, and in my experience, older is definitely better.

Maybe these will make you smile:

Sounds like a stinky proposition
My dad found a gay porn magazine in my brother’s room, and woo boy, he went ballistic. I don’t recall the circumstances of how the magazine came to be there, but my bro is as straight as they come. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.
I think that requires further examination, Doc.

I reckon that’s enough of my nonsense for one day. Come back for another fix if you dare tomorrow.

Bashed on the beach

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Plus a lifetime achievement award!

I survived another wet and wild Sunday. But at least this time, the venue and entertainment were different. I’ll get to that, but first things first, and the first thing was the Candy Walk.

And so it begins in the usual way
Smokin’ in Marian Hills

Let’s try another video from a street along the way.

Sorry for the abrupt ending. I thought I had just paused the video, but when I tried to restart it, it had shut down.

Some of the 250 kids we treated
The lonely life of a solitary palm tree

Swan told me she was making payments on a lot in San Isidro, so I asked to see it.

It’s down at the end of this road
A neighbor’s place
But you can see Easter Mountain from here.

I intend to help Swan build a small, simple house on her lot. I have thirty years on her, and when I go, at least I’ll know she has a place to stay.

She’s worth it
We ran out of goodies before we ran out of kids this week.
A tree grows in San Isidro
Another week is in the books

And now for the different part of my Sunday. Every year, the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars holds its big fundraising event, the Beach Bash. It’s a weekend extravaganza culminating in the Miss Beach Bash beauty pageant on Sunday evening. This year, we were on the beach at the Outback Resort.

The stage is set
I was one of the proud sponsors of the golf tourney and also purchased 1000 pesos worth of raffle tickets. I didn’t win, but was happy to contribute to a good cause.
Swan enjoyed herself with the Gash contingent
A Zumba performance to entertain us prior to the pageant
I ordered fish and hips from the Outback kitchen—lousy Dory fish. I ate only half and gave the rest to Swan and her group.
Eleven contestants this year. I knew two of them–Hershe from It Doesn’t Matter and Barbie from Green Room.

I made a video of each gal’s introductory walkabout. Feel free to speed through the twelve minutes at triple speed.

The event offered beer cards–450 pesos for six beers. I bought two cards, which might explain some of the commentaries in the video above.

Here are a few shots from the swimwear competition:

I swear that shot was not intentional!
That’s Hershe from It Doesn’t Matter
And Barbie from Green Room
Barbie is well known for her tattooed ass. I really don’t like it.
And the winner is…
I wasn’t a judge, but it is hard to disagree with their ASSessment.

So, the pageant kept me out until the ungodly hour of 9:30 p.m. When we got back home, the vanilla ice cream in the freezer wouldn’t stop calling my name. Turns out, the only way to shut it up was to eat it. And so I did.

I better get my shit together

Today’s episode in The Story of My Life is from my “friends with benefits” chapter. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but looking back is almost painful. Until I happened upon this post from 2020, I’d forgotten all about this Mary (there was another that came after her). I have no idea what happened to this one; she just disappeared when I stopped funding her. Who is using who in this type of situation remains an unanswered question. Mary was a starfish in bed, and I learned later that a lot of what she had told me (i.e., I was her first foreigner) was bola bola (bullshit).

I haven’t posted the political memes here that I share on Facebook in a while, but these achieved the goal of triggering my lefty friends:

That’s a real shame, but when people choose a fascist dictator, that’s what happens.
I’m surprised the Facebook goons didn’t flag this one
The truth will set you free!

Alright, enough of that nonsense. Today on YouTube, we go back in time to a Manila I might have actually enjoyed.

The joke is on me:

Maybe she wants to bite it.
Dude, you might want to transition out of that relationship!
I have seen all of these reactions to my joke telling. But I know I’m funny when you’re drunk.

And there you have the story of my Sunday. Today is Hash Monday, so a new hiking adventure awaits! And hopefully, tomorrow, I’ll be getting my laptop repaired. See you then!

So smooth

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Some people won’t admit their faults. I would if I had any.

I’m going to try to keep it simple today and not use words with letters that don’t work on my keyboard. To start things off, I took a Saturday stroll with Swan.

The first neighborhood we walked through
And naturally, Swan always dispenses sweetness along the way
The filthy waters of the Matain River are full of Tilapia. It’s a Filipino treat that I prefer not to eat.
I used to wear a hat like that 50 years ago.
This is a urinal setup for trike operators. It drains into that pond below. Welcome to the Philippines!
Easter Mountain from here
The neighborhood that is going to be upcoming (damn, I’m trying hard not to use those letters that don’t work, but it sure makes for some jilted phrasing)

I did a video of that portion of our walk.

This restaurant has not opened yet, but the name sounds tasty
Swan under siege
Behind the barbed wire
Short and sweet

We are making some alternative plans for today, so I did the Hideaway feeding yesterday.

Filling the holes left by USAID

After finishing with my business at Hideaway, it was time to hit the sand.

Saturday on the beach in Barretto
And then I was on the water
Here comes Swan to join me
What we saw from our table
Us at our table
Money floats
And the sun sinks
It’s time for dinner

We walked on the sand to the Papagayo Resort to eat. Here’s what those five minutes looked like:

Here’s a last look at the sundown:

As seen from Papagayo

They were still doing Valentine’s weekend promo menu, which was disappointing as most of the regular menu items were not being offered, and what was available were couple-sized portions at double the price.

So, it was tacos for Swan
And fajitas for me

A nightcap at Wet Spot and an early finish to our Saturday night.

I managed to stay on track, although it appears I’m establishing an every-other-day pattern.

This morning, I made breakfast. Or should I say, baked breakfast:

Swan loves my brownies. And caring is sharing, so I had one, two.

A Memory Lane trip, thanks to Facebook:

7 years ago, I was upward bound in Asan, Korea
6 years ago, I was upward bound on the steps in Baguio, Philippines
Four years ago, I didn’t know whether to get the pancakes or the French toast. So I had both. And you probably thought this was a beer belly.

Today’s YouTube video shares some thoughts on nine things that will keep a Filipina’s legs unopened. The woman seems to really mean it.

And then he tried to be funny again:

Honestly, I don’t miss it as much as I do other things I deny myself
I’m still paying my own way, thank you!
My hearing ain’t so good these days either.

Anyway, it is what it is. Things will get better around here soon. I hope.

Love Day

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Here’s a brief recap of my sweet experience with VD.

It being a Friday, I started off the day by leading the group hike. Things didn’t go as intended because, at the end of a moderate hill climb, we found ourselves locked behind a fence in a gated compound with no apparent escape. So, we retreated back down to the bottom and walked on from there.

This week’s Friday hikers
Through the back streets of San Isidro we go
The Easter Mountain shot
valley view
Another bamboo dwelling
Up we go
Making our way to the top
We entered through the back door, but the front door was locked.
This worker showed us a path back down. Biscuits and water were his reward.
At least it was a different way down for the most part
Hell, Mary. Where is Grace?
Down in the valley again.

We did a walk around back to San Isidro. Here’s a two-minute take from there:

The Rite Spot at the end of the hike
Michael and his gal Tae joined us for a snack on the roof.
The route of our 7.5K journey

When the dinner hour rolled around, we headed to John’s place for our holiday meal.

My lovely date for the evening
A John’s eye view from John’s place
An unhappy street dweller. I have given him money sometimes, and he is not in his right mind. He slept there throughout our meal, which was not a pleasant view.
We both enjoyed our tenderloin steak special at 745 pesos.
And it included a cheesecake dessert

After our meal, we stopped by It Doesn’t Matter. Apparently, there had been a big party before our arrival and most of the waitresses were drunk. I had one beer, and then we moved on to Green Room for our nightcap.

I blame it on VD!

Ten years ago, I spent my Valentine’s weekend in Busan with my wife and my nephew, Justin.

I always enjoyed my time in Busan

Today’s YouTube video talks (in an AI voice) about ways us old farts might extend our life. Most are just common sense, but I think achieving old age is as much about good genes and luck as anything. I know my candle grows shorter with each passing day, but here’s hoping it will be a slow burn.

The joke’s on me:

400 hundred calories versus almost none in pussy (yeah, I looked it up)
Hmm, I wonder if I have the balls to try this line when I fly again.
Um, I think the engineer would see them before the conductor would.

Man, writing is tough without a properly functioning keyboard. Bear with me.

Teed off

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It occurred to me that there are two days in the week that begin with a “T,” and it just so happens that both of these are the only days with seven letters. Can I substitute Thursday for Tuesday? Well, as a matter of fact, that’s just what I did!

Having spent Tuesday in Manila instead of engaging in my normal routines for that day, some things didn’t get done. So, I filled in those gaps yesterday, starting with a trip to the supermarket in Olongapo. We had stopped at the S&R store in San Fernando on the way home from Manila, but we couldn’t find all that we needed there, so off we went to get what was missing.

(I still haven’t got my laptop repaired; I’m waiting for a part to be delivered. Just now, the “see” and “vee” keys, which had been intermittent, have stopped working altogether. The missing letters you see in this sentence were filled in by spellcheck. Worse, without the control “see,” I cannot insert links to things I want to share. I’m hoping to have the needed repairs done by Tuesday, but until then, I’m handicapped, and blogging is going to be incomplete and difficult. UPDATE: Swan just showed me how to copy and paste using the mouse. Duh!)

The video from S&R was supposed to go here. And here it is now that this old dog has learned a new trick. The video sucks, but the good news is I was able to edit its length on YouTube: baby steps, but progress.

I walked back home from Olongapo. Here is some of what I saw along the highway:

Departing the YBsee supermarket in Olongapo
The entrance to SBMA
No shopping for us this week at Royal
Crossing the river formerly known as “shit.”
Where the dead dwell

I did a brief video of this portion of the hike that I would have posted here. If the keys start working again, I’ll insert it later. And now here it is thanks to the magi of cut and paste:

Still holding the camera too low, but in my defense, I was trying to watch my footing so as not to trip and fall in front of oncoming traffic.

A bay view
Art on the wall
That may be the stairway to heaven on the right
The new road down to the village of Bantay Bayan is almost complete.
That’s Barretto on the far shore across the bay
Hillside living

I made another video as I walked through Barretto:

Hold the camera up, you idiot! Sorry, I need to get off my ass and order a GoPro. I will soon, I promise! If you make it that far, I had a fun encounter with Mama along the way.

The back way to Alta Vista
That other world
In the ‘hood again
And home at last
7.11 kilometers from start to finish

The other Tuesday activities we did yesterday were putting Swan’s toes in the sand, visiting the floating bar, and having dinner at Treasure Island.

Look at that smile!
A banka boat owner acquaintance of Swan
Baloy Long Beach
Our destination. We arrived during a brief rain shower.
The view on arrival
No sunset because of the see-louds
A busy day on the floater. I saw one guy buy all the girls (ten of them) a bottled lady drink at 350 pesos each two times. Good to see the two-week millionaires buying, so I don’t have to.
As we arrived we saw someone out swimming in the bay, then he boarded the floater. Turned out to be my hiking buddy, Stephen
A ship heading out to sea
The ladies earning those lady drinks

Then it was back ashore for a meal at Treasure Island.

I went with the beef enchiladas. I had one for dinner and brought the other home for breakfast
And I managed to finish under budget
By the dawn’s early light

I woke up this morning to the view above and a message from Swan on my desk:

Ain’t she sweet?

And inside, she had written a poem, especially for me:

Roses are red
violets are blue
Your farts burn my eyes
But I still love you

I’m a lucky man!

And Happy Valentine’s Day to all my readers, or as I tend to say, Happy VD!

That should be everyone

And now for those Facebook memories:

Nine years ago, I briefly tried courting this lass. She’s happily married these days, and I’m happy for her.
Last year, we celebrated VD at John’s place. Little did we know he would not be around this year. That’s him in the background. We will be dining there again this evening.

Today’s YouTube is a new walkthrough of the Barretto nightlife scene. A bar that meets the needs of everyone is there if you look for it.

And to the humor we must go:

I don’t want to jump to conclusions
Soldier on, then!
It is always strange to see one of my stolen jokes appear in print. Still funny, though

Damn, this post was really a struggle with my faulty keyboard. I’ll keep posting, but I may limit myself some until the repairs are completed. Or maybe I’ll just leae out the letters that don’t work and let y’all figure out what omes net. Or maybe not.

Damn, that song was so painful I couldn’t finish—too many memories.

Re-throned

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The day before today begins with “yes,” and I can affirm it was a good one, no doubts about it.

This was the first thing I saw when I woke up and looked out the window.
I couldn’t decide if I liked the zoom shot better or not, so I’m posting both.

The first thing on yesterday’s agenda was the Wednesday Walkers group hike. We had something special planned: the rare journey to Tibag to start our hike. I asked my driver to take us there, but the turnout exceeded his vehicle’s capacity. Unbeknownst to me, Swan recruited a random van driver parked at the 7-Eleven to take us, and he agreed to do so for the same 1000 pesos I was prepared to pay my driver. So, that was a relief.

Offloading at the trailhead and paying the piper, er, driver.
This week’s iteration of the Wednesday Walkers. It appears Ed is God’s favorite.
Off we go!
Bringing up the rear
Much respect for this fella with a big-ass load of bananas on his back
Off in the distance is that ridge we call Kalaklan
Tibag shoolgirls
Rockin’ it!
Leaving the road behind
Adding some sweetness to their day

Here’s a six-minute video clip from this portion of the hike:

I’m coming, I’m coming!
Our hike had no big hill climbs, just the usual ups and downs.
A hilltop dwelling
A walk in the forest
Mountain view
Surrounded by bananas
The first of several water crossings. Steve says, “fuck it,” and wades across. I attempt to dance on the rocks.
Decisions, decisions
Yet another rocky crossing
This time, Ed built a rocky path across
It worked!
One of those bamboo dwellings I mentioned previously
I found this powerful view electrifying
Lollipop smiles
Our 9K trek ended on the busy streets of Magnan-Vaca at the Waltermart.
The way we walked

After the hike, we went back home for some rest and refreshment. Then, it was back into town to take care of some business. First up was finding a way to get that power of attorney shipped back to South Carolina. The LBC Express agent told me they could get it there in five to seven days. Good enough. They lightened my wallet 3000 pesos worth, I filled out the required info, and they placed the POA in an envelope for shipping. As this was going on, some workers were removing furniture from the back room and loading it on a truck. Seeing that was a little disconcerting, so I asked what was happening. The agent said they were closing the Barretto location and moving the business to Subic. Damn, okay. I hope they send my shipment first.

My next order of business was visiting my dentist, Dr. Barrera. My crown fell off while I was flossing a couple of weeks ago, and I needed it reattached. Dr. Barrera got it done, and I left his office feeling like a king again. (Does the title of this post make sense now?)

I was advised to not eat for an hour, but I clarified that liquids were okay to consume, and it just so happened to be beer o’clock. So, it being Wednesday, we headed up the highway in search of the venue for this week’s “seldom visited bar.” I had in mind Mugshots, but they are currently closed for renovation. We got invited inside for a looksee, and a dance stage is under construction. Just what we need, another go-go bar. We continued down the road and as we passed Annex Bar, saw my neighbor and high school mate, Mike, enjoying a beer, so we went in and joined him.

Annex features some of the nicest decorations in town.

I hadn’t been to Annex for several months because they did not have wine available for Swan on my previous visit. They did yesterday, and so we were able to sit and enjoy some camaraderie with our tablemates. I’m happy to be able to add Annex back to my list of pleasant open-air venues to visit.

We debated between Sit-n-Bull for dinner or another round of drinks at Cheap Charlies and ultimately decided on the latter. The place was busy, and after we ordered, the bartender came back and said they were out of wine, but she had sent someone to fetch a bottle from the store across the street. Well done! That’s how you keep your customers satisfied.

Our Cheap Charlies view

Downstairs from Cheap Charlies is a restaurant named Foodies. They deliver upstairs, so I asked for a menu. Swan ordered a chicken burger, and I went with the beef stew. Feeling generous, I ordered some chicken fingers for the staff.

It had been a long time since I’d enjoyed a meaty beef stew. It was delicious, although I only ate a couple of the potatoes.

After we had finished our meals and were preparing to leave, I saw something on the horizon out of the corner of my eye.

Fire on the mountain? A UFO?
Oh, it’s you again. The day was coming to an end much as it had begun.

We had our nightcap at Wet Spot. I had a nice chat with manager Brett and discovered that he also grew up in Southern California and that we had experienced similar youthful adventures as teenagers in Ensenada, Mexico. I can’t remember the last time I even thought about those wild days, but it was nice to reminisce. I couldn’t recall the name of the bar that was popular there, and neither could Brett, but he thought it began with an “H.” And then it hit me: Hussong’s Cantina! And I’ll be damned; they even have a Wikipedia page. It turns out that the bar was founded in 1892, and it is where the margarita was invented.

Been there, done that. They have been in the same building since their founding

Man, oh man, I sure hope my dream of a heaven where I spend an eternity reliving my life comes true. If so, I’ll definitely be going back to Hussong’s.

Home early and safe as usual, but I did screw things up:

I had not one but TWO servings of vanilla ice cream. What was I thinking? (Obviously, I wasn’t)

No Facebook memories worthy of sharing today, but I came across this blog post from March 2005 that made me smile:

I am in an embarassing slump. I find nothing of interest in my world to report and nothing of interest in the world in general, or at least nothing that inspires me to write.

I know this too shall pass.

My how things have changed! Now, I post every day regardless of whether or not it is interesting. So, is something always better than nothing?

Here’s some random shit I found on the internet today:

This is where the paperwork for my federal pension is stored. And as the DOGE folks discovered, it is only on paper. Welp, I’ve always said that my financial security is as solid as the US government. Save me, Elon!

Stickman Bangkok shared a post he wrote in 2011 about a bargirl he met in Pattaya.

Let’s get something straight, it’s hard to blame him. That’s a girl with something extra. You can read the link or guess what makes her different from most girls.
Damn, these Nazi’s are turning up everywhere!

Today’s YouTube video discusses ways to adapt to and become more in tune with Filipino culture. I’m probably 50% on board so far.

Ready for some humor?

I hope it cums together for her
Walk it off!
Death is the ultimate problem solver

Today, I’ve been doing the Tuesday I missed because of my Manila detour. I’ll fill you in on that tomorrow.

I wouldn’t want to live there

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It isn’t even nice to visit, which is why I’ve managed to avoid Manila for the last two years or more. The traffic, the grime and grit, and a big city vibe that I don’t find pleasant are more than enough to keep me away. Sure, there are nice places like Makati, but even there, you can’t escape the gridlock and crowds. But Manila is home to the US Embassy, and I had business to attend to there, so off I went.

My appointment for notary service was at 1:30. I arrived a little after eleven, had my phone and Fitbit confiscated at security, and took a seat in an outdoor waiting area. I got to chatting with another expat also there for notarization who lives out near Boracay. He was a friendly guy and agreed to be one of the witnesses required for my notarized signature. He kept trying to veer the conversation towards politics, but I didn’t take the bait. He was one of the anti-DOGE crowd and clearly indoctrinated in the lefty worldview. Still, talking helped pass the time until 1 p.m., when we were invited to enter the building and continue waiting there. Still, when my turn came, things went relatively smoothly. A notary service was fifty bucks a shot, and I had two POAs notarized, just to be on the safe side in case the one I mail back to the States gets lost. My driver charged 6500 pesos for the round trip drive, but given that he spent a full day in my service, that seems like a fair price. I got what I came for and made it home safe and sound, so that’s a win. Now, I just need to get the Power of Attorney back to my daughter. The service I tried this morning doesn’t do international shipments. I’ll try another this afternoon, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll go into Olongapo and try to find a FedEx.

I dressed up for the occasion just in case the embassy had a dress code. I hadn’t worn pants for a year or more.
On the expressway and southbound for Manila
Things weren’t bad until we neared the city limits
Driving in Manila is insane. And so is my driver. He told me he enjoys the challenge.
It was different seeing high rises again. The tallest building in Barretto is six stories
The poorer city dwellers live like this
Things clogged up as we neared the city center
I took this picture as I departed the embassy grounds, and a guard yelled out, “No photography!”
The buildings across the road from the embassy
I saw a few of these horse-drawn carriages in the downtown area
The National Museum
Who knew the KKK was a thing here?
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a commuter train
A river view
And on the way back home we passed through Mexico. No wonder the drive was so long.
We hit some rain on the way back but still got to see a nice sunset

So, we left home around 8 a.m. and got back at 6:30. I just stayed home last night and had zero Zeros.

Zero snacks made a big difference.

Facebook memories from this date in history:

Eight years ago, I enjoyed a Han Riverwalk in Seoul. Manila is the complete opposite of Seoul in every way imaginable.
Two years ago, I was Hashing in Baguio and enjoying views like this one.
Zooming in on those hillside dwellings had a freaky effect

Today’s YouTube video might be AI-narrated, but the images are nice, and the descriptions seem accurate. Despite my frequent criticisms, there is much to love and enjoy here in the PI. It is just easier for me to live in a place like Barretto.

Hmm, it won’t let me embed for some reason. Watch it here if you so desire.

As a bonus, here is a video about the good and bad of Manila. It may be AI-generated, too; I’m not sure, but the content seems consistent with reality.

Humor time:

Maybe someday, but not yet
I just tried it and she’s right!
Now what do we do?

Anyway, that’s how I spent my Tuesday this week. Of course, the things I usually do on Tuesday weren’t done, so I’ll have to fill in those gaps as best I can as the week goes on.

My nuggets got Leeched

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I made some ill-advised prediction that Monday’s Hash trail could not compare with what I experienced in La Union on Saturday, despite Leech My Nugget’s reputation as one of the toughest Hares in Subic. Well, Leech’s trail wasn’t as long and high as the La Union adventure, but it was an ass-kicker regardless. And to make matters worse, a small group of us made an ill-fated attempt to shortcut that proved more difficult than if we had just suffered through the remainder of the Hare’s trail. For me, the worst part were the ground-level vines that were constantly trying to trip me up. I stumbled several times, but never fell. Hey, shit happens, and you just have to deal. You can always whine about it later on your blog.

I’m tired after my journey to Manila today (I will report on that adventure tomorrow), so I’ll let the Hash photos do most of the talking:

We met up on the far side of Subic town, across the highway from Waltermart
The Hash Gash waiting to begin the trail
And we are On-On!
On the busy main street of Magnan-Vaca
Up…
…and over the bridge
Walking the same riverbank I videoed last week, only in the opposite direction
Back on the pavement
And headed for the hills
I got a kick out of this fountain of youth
Walking the plank
A big ol’ downed tree
And then we started climbing
On the up and up
Jesus Christo!
The hidden vines that would grab you as you walked made things even harder
Swan says she likes the climbs
The view from here
Bamboo can be a bitch, too
Vines grow on trees as well
Speaking of trees, here’s one I liked
And then there was this. I’m not sure I would have made it up without a helping hand
Luckily, Action Man was there to offer one
It was a struggle
But we all made it to the top
And we were rewarded with this view of Easter Mountain
Those hillside houses across the valley are the Alta Vista subdivision
And that’s the one I call home
And then the trail headed down
And of course, back up again
But in due course, we found our way down again. I would love to know the history of abandoned dreams like this one.
And at last we arrived at our On-Home venue, the One-Three Resort

I made a two-minute video to celebrate successfully completing the trail.

My cadre didn’t finish until two and a half hours after we started. So, the Circle commenced before I had finished my first beer!

The price you pay for paying the Hash fees last
Leech’s trail is in yellow, the purple is our silly shortcut effort.

My stats upon completion of the trail:

At least according to the MapMyWalk app. No way I had the same elevation gain as I did in La Union. Still, you can see how freakin’ long it took me to walk less than 6K. It was tough going!
My heart rate didn’t climb as high as it did on Saturday, but it was pounding regardless.

After the Hash, we triked out to It Doesn’t Matter for some more comradery. And I was fine after ten Zero’s for the day.

And stayed under the calorie budget to boot!

Here’s another installment from The Story of My Life recounting how I spent a day off work in the early days of my Korea adventure.

From Facebook memories comes the reminder that this wasn’t the first time I was a victim of Leech My Nuggets trail setting:

Five years ago, I received my Hash shirt commemorating the consequences of trespassing on a Philippines Navy base. In Leech’s defense, there were no signs warning us that we were not welcome. And yes, I’ve noticed the misspelling of “ungodly.”

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never watched previously, but he tells the story of a foreigner being arrested for being in the company of an unrelated minor. It doesn’t matter if she is your girlfriend’s child or not; without blood or adopted relationship, you are technically in violation of the law, and you can be jailed for what is deemed a non-bailable offense. Some readers may recall that when I first moved into this house with Swan, I told her that her teenage sister could not remain living here. She briefly stayed in one of the basement maid’s rooms, with the understanding that she was not allowed upstairs unless Swan was present. The sister has now departed the basement as well, which is for the best. My number one priority is NEVER to see the inside of a Filipino jail.

Stuff that might be considered funny:

Why, yes! Yes I do!
Yeah, that’s some cheesy humor
Nothing to get pumped up about

And there you have, the almost unheard of two posts in one day here at LTG. You are welcome! Or maybe I should say I’m sorry. One of those.

Sunday shots

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I’m heading for the embassy in Manila this morning. My appointment to have a power of attorney notarized is at 1:30, but I’m leaving here at 8 a.m. because there is no way to predict how bad the traffic will be in that hellhole of a city. The POA is so my daughter can sell the house that’s in my name in Columbia, SC. Anyway, I don’t expect to have a chance to blog about yesterday’s Hash, so I’ll fill you all in on that tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll slap up some of the photos I took on Sunday to tide you over.

The drive home from Bauang:

That tree that owns the highway from the other direction
Another monster tree. They built a pavilion around this one.
The San Miguel brewery erected this monument in honor of my recent experiences with San Mig Light beer.
It’s burning season in the Philippines again
Another of several fires we drove past
The exit for the cleanest town in the Philippines. I understand it is immaculate.

Watching the sunset from the Arizona floating bar:

The busy beach in Barretto
Waiting for our ride
The view as we arrived on board
That midget we call Kalaklan Ridge
Back on the Zero again
And here we go
A downhill journey
Nice to see you again
And the world keeps on spinning round
We loved the show!

Next up, dinner at John’s place:

Our third floor table view. My only issue since John’s passing has been about service. This week they had some new waitresses and our server did an outstanding job.
Swan is addicted to the birria tacos and has ordered them on each of our last several visits
I enjoyed my very tender tenderloin steak. (I traded the potatoes for one of Swan’s tacos)

A nightcap at Green Room, then home safe and mostly sober.

Back on track!

Facebook memories today:

The view from our apartment in Seoul thirteen years ago

Twelve years ago, I made a video about the six months of my Korea life prior to departure for the six months portion of life in the USA (I did half a year in each place for the first three years of my retirement).

Four years ago, I did a solo 12K hike like it was nothing. A sad reminder that I’m not the man I used to be. (Sorry, the video won’t embed, click the link to see it)

Two years ago, during a visit to the mountain city of Baguio, I declined to try this Filipino delicacy. No regrets!

Today’s YouTube video is about ads from the past that would not be allowed today. Yep, I can see why. Still, it’s a good reminder of how far we’ve come as a society.

Humor time:

Add in some dementia and forget about it all.
If time Kermit’s
Sounds like a Filipina bargirl scam. Be careful out there!

Alright, time for me to get my shit together for Manila. I hope it is not a wasted trip (I need two witness signatures, and embassy staff aren’t allowed to provide them. Hopefully, other folks in line will help me out. I’ll let you know how it all goes tomorrow.

Getting high in La Union

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As promised, here is the story of Saturday’s Hash in La Union. BLUF, it is the most arduous Hash trail I recall participating in. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience because I have no intention of ever going up that way again. The issue for us old fuckers (there were several who finished long after I did) was a massive climb, one that made the Kalaklan Ridge I also bitch about seem like a foothill by comparison. How high did I go? Well, there seems to be a lack of clarity in that regard. Someone on the La Union Hash Facebook page said 475 meters. My fellow Subic Hasher, Pubic Head (who didn’t participate), sent me a Google Earth map saying it was only 350 meters. My tracker shows I climbed over 500 meters. The part of Kalaklan we climb is 220 meters. Whatever the altitude, it kicked my ass.

Who you gonna believe? Google…
…or Fitbit? (also owned by Google these days) Now that I look at it, that spike seems highly unlikely.

Well, either way, my heart rate climbed a mountain, too.

I’ve got a ton of photos, many of them stolen from the La Union Hash Facebook page, so I’ll tell the rest of the story with visual aids:

At the meet-up where the Hare informed us there were two trails: long at 9K and a medium option at 7K. The third option was to stay in the Jeepney, get dropped off at the end of the trail beer stop, and walk around on your own from there. Oh, and the Hare never mentioned that big-ass climb on both the nine and seven-kilometer trails.
Loading up in the Jeepneys (there were four of them) for the 45-minute(!) ride to the start of the trail.
A view outside the Jeepney
The view inside the Jeepney
Out of the Jeepney at the trailhead. Me and Buddy Fucker discussed staying on the Jeep and doing the beer stop option, but not knowing what lay ahead, we choose to do the medium trail.
And off we go! Over 100 Hashers in attendance for the LUH3 2000th Run
So, we started with a slight uphill walk that was easy enough. Except it went on and on that way for a lot longer than expected.
A greeting from the Hares who were all female La Union Hashers
Not exactly a stroll in the park, but it was nice seeing new countryside
And of course, Swan sweetened the day of children we encountered along the way.
These narrow concrete paths were present much of the way. There were some scattered residences up here, and the only vehicle access was on motorbikes, hence the concrete.
A tree I liked
“Candy for your kiddie, mama”
Occasionally, the trail would flatten out and you’d think, good, the climbing is over. It wasn’t.
I took this shot thinking we’d finally reached the top. We hadn’t.

Swan did a three-minute video along the way that I’ll share here because this is one of the portions of the trail it features.

Onward we go!

Another one of those flat spots to sucker you into thinking the worst was over. The worst was yet to come! The final push to the top was very steep and hard to keep your feet.
Here we go!
Getting there
Taking a breather near the top

I posted this minute long view from the top yesterday, but if you missed it, here you go again:

Seeing is believing

We did a ridgeline walk with the usual ups and downs that come with that, and then finally reached the split for the medium trail.

About damn time!
It’s all downhill from here!
Mostly.
Some of nature’s beauty
Some more
And the best! Swan said she really enjoyed the trail, including the climb.
I take my time going downhill too, so I let the faster folks pass me by
The downhill wasn’t as bad as I expected, but there were a couple of tricky spots
Ready for this to be over and done with
WTF? My tracker said I’d already done 5K. So much for the “7K” we were promised.
Nothing to do be keep on keeping on!
Swan made their day
We had to cross this damn creek five or six times as we meandered our way to the finish. Luckily, we could keep our feet dry by dancing across the stones.
This bridge was interesting (thankfully we didn’t have to cross it) because there was no water underneath it. I assume this area must flood during rainy season.

Pubic Head sent me a photo from 2008 when he Hashed in this area with the La Union folks.

Looks like there was water under it back then.
And at long last, we arrived at the end of the trail.

Cold beers awaited our return. The Jeepneys loaded up the folks that had arrived ahead of us, but we stuck around for the remaining stragglers who finished thirty minutes or so after we did. La Union Hash uses “sweepers” who make sure everyone makes it back before the final Jeepney departs. We took the last Jeep back for the 45-minute ride to the On-Home venue, Tropical Garden Resort in Bauang.

A view from the beer stop
We sat next to this tree at the beer stop and I asked Swan if the green things were edible. She said it’s called bilimbi and Filipinos eat it regularly. It’s also healthy and apparently is a natural diabetes preventative.
Loaded up and ready to roll!
The “7K” trail turned out to be over eight kilometers long. These stats are from the MapMyWalk app, and I think they are accurate. So, the question posed at the beginning has now been answered: I gained 291 meters in elevation during the Hash.

But wait, the fun wasn’t over yet. We still had a Hash Circle to attend to.

Circle up!

La Union doesn’t do the sitting on ice thing. Instead, they have a “bucket brigade” that douses those charged with an alleged violation in a cascade of water. I can report firsthand that ice is nicer than water. Swan and I got called into the circle for the “crime” of being too cuddly together.

Punishment rendered!

After the circle, we enjoyed a food buffet that came with the price of admission, then had a trike called to transport us back to our hotel. I brought a bag of cookies for the Go Resort bar staff to apologize for my drunken behavior the night before. I was feeling no pain after the Hash on Saturday but didn’t do anything stupid like the night before.

Yeah, it was a good experience, but that kind of climb is better avoided at this stage of my life/physical condition.
But I have another Hash shirt in my collection as a reward for my efforts.
And best of all, I’m still alive!

Interestingly, Facebook memories reminded me that on this day seven years ago, I climbed another mountain.

Steppin’ on up
The view from where I stood
And it was cold that day!

We haven’t checked in with Reekay for a while, and his latest YouTube video delves into some dating issues one might encounter with a Filipina. Honestly, this seems like common sense advice, and it’s universal in all relationships, not just in the Philippines.

Some smiles before I go:

I hope it wasn’t a pubic hair.
Shit happens
Another reason to stick with American food!

Okay, it is Monday afternoon and that means I have yet another Hash to attend. Even though Leech my Nuggets is a Hare known for his challenging trails, I don’t expect he can top Saturday’s La Union adventure. Only one way to find out!

Heading for home

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I’ll be leaving Bauang for Barretto soon. Here’s a quick post before I go.

I’ll write about yesterday’s Hash run tomorrow. Here’s a one-minute teaser:

Here’s some views from the GO Resort:

The ocean
A leaning palm
A shady tree

And for lunch yesterday, I ordered off the Filipino food list:

Something called “sweet and sour pork.” Hey, it’s a start! The rice is wasted on me, though.

And my room comes with a complimentary breakfast.

I asked Swan for her advice on what to try from the Filipino side.
Swan recommended the pork tapa.

First time trying a Filipino breakfast dish and I’m happy to report that I liked it.

Swan had pork tocino. I tasted it and it was good too.

I will continue the food adventure periodically, but so far, so good.

Speaking of food:

Well, I’m out of town on a cheat weekend. Had some strawberry ice cream last night. And no one has Zero beer here. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Ten years ago, I was enjoying the snowy view from my stool at Shenanigans, my favorite bar in Itaewon.

I don’t miss winter all that much.

Today’s YouTube video talks about the robbery and murder of an expat at an ATM. Yes, situational awareness is always important, but thankfully, this kind of event is pretty rare here. I feel safer from crime in the Philippines than I would in the USA. The background in the video, where the vlogger is driving to the gym, is also a good reminder that the roads here are perhaps the most dangerous aspect of living in the PI.

Humor me this:

Death prevents all kind of illness
And they go up and down and finish in three minutes
Meow!

I’m outta here for now, but next time I’ll share the photos from the Hash that tried, but didn’t kill me.

A spicy town

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Greetings from Bauang, La Union. I enjoyed reading some of the history of this area at the link and got a chuckle when Swan said the name sounds similar to the Tagalog word for garlic (bawang). The four-hour drive from Barretto went without incident, although the traffic was heavy at times after we exited the expressway. I’m staying at the GO Resort once again, a clean, comfortable, and reasonably priced lodging.

An interesting tree I saw along the way. Yes, it encroaches on the highway some, but I’m glad they didn’t chop it down.
The view from our room
The ocean view
The Filipino food wish list at GO Resort
I had the hamburger steak. Yes, I’ve been shamed into trying some local delicacies, but not yet.
My fellow travelers, Swan, Jo, and Dave

Unlike Barretto, there aren’t many bars around here. The one nearest our hotel, Footloose, is where we tend to go to fill some evening hours. On Friday, Footloose does an SOB-like thing: All you can drink from 4:00 until 7:00 and dinner for 650 pesos. They don’t have a dance competition, but for about thirty minutes, the waitresses and GROs go up on the stage and strut their stuff.

The crew on stage

And then they finish their performance by doing something you NEVER see in Barretto—they strip naked and dance around the stage, showing their stuff. Personally, I prefer leaving something to the imagination, but that’s just me.

The chicken parmigiana dinner that came with the price of admission.

Neither the hotel nor Footloose Bar serves San Miguel Zero beer, so it was a Light night for me. There were more calories and more alcohol in each bottle. A wise man would have reduced his intake accordingly, but no one has ever mistaken me for a wise man.

If my count is accurate, I had twelve

For some reason, I don’t remember much after we left Footloose. Swan told me that we had come back to the hotel, and I continued drinking with Dave and Jo at the hotel bar. She said I also ordered a mango and ice cream dessert, and that really surprised me. I don’t like mangoes much, and the dessert menu includes a banana split. Of course, since I don’t even remember ingesting those calories, it doesn’t matter what I ate. Another reason it doesn’t matter is that Swan told me when we got back to the room, I threw up (not on the floor, thankfully). Yeah, it was one of those nights. I’ll be doing a hangover Hash this afternoon.

The price you pay for over indulgence. My worst day since starting the diet.

I can do better and I will.

I did a two-minute video of my walk to the hotel restaurant for my breakfast this morning:

When I got back to the room, the door was wide open. I thought it must be housekeeping, but when I looked inside, there was no one there. Thankfully, my laptop was still prominently displayed on the table. I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and then Swan watched the video above and observed that I hadn’t closed the door behind me when I left for breakfast. Damn, it sucks to be stupid.

Today’s memory is from eight years ago:

The day I had a breathing attack and wound up in the emergency room at the Army hospital on Yongson Garrison.

That was also the day I learned I had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). I wrote about that experience in The Story of My Life here at LTG. I’m glad I lived to tell about it. Let’s see how long I can keep it going.

I really enjoyed today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea. She discusses some quirks about aspects of the culture and personalities of the Filipino people. And she looks good doing it!

Some stuff that may make you smile:

I never thought I’d be the kind of person who couldn’t give up dessert…
Seems to be a sticky situation
Early to bed, early to rise, that’s how I roll

That’s all for now. Time to get out of the room and walk around some.

My last day in Barretto

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Until next week. We are heading out to La Union for the weekend to participate in the LUH3 2000th Hash run. Getting out of town for a couple of days will be nice.

The last day in Barretto went down like this: a solo walk to Waltermart and beyond, a visit to Dr. Jo for chelation treatment, dinner at Jewel Cafe, beers at Cheap Charlies, and a nightcap at Green Room.

At 1.6-kilometer intervals, the walk looked like this;

At 1.6, I was heading out of San Isidro
‘Tis the season
At 3.2, I was passing through Naugsol
Poor little guy didn’t even make it to fourteen. RIP!
At 4.8, I was in the middle of nowhere
I used the earbuds that came with my free phone from Globe for the first time. I like them!

So, 6.4 kilometers found me on the river in Mangan-Vaca, and I celebrated by making a video of the riverwalk.

Damn, I need to do something about that cough. Sorry!

The back way I took to Waltermart (versus the highway) is right at 7K. I didn’t stop here, though. I had some excess calories to burn. I’ll be back on Monday because the Hash trail starts here. I won’t be walking to the start, that’s for sure.
8K found me in downtown Subic

I walked another kilometer down the highway and passed a trike stand in Calapandayan. A trike driver shouted out, offering me a ride. I was going to shrug him off, but he somehow knew I lied in Alta Vista. Damn, I never catch trikes in this area, how did he know that? Upon reflection, I surmise he must have taken Swan and me home from the Subic Marketplace sometime in the past. Anyway, I accepted his offer to drive me home.

What my 9K effort looked like

Next up was the visit to Dr. Jo.

And best of all, she laughs at my jokes!

Anyhoo, the chelation treatment was just an injection this time. Next week will be the IV drip. I asked if there were ways to measure the effectiveness of the stuff pumping in my veins, and Dr. Jo said my significantly reduced blood pressure was a good indicator that it was working. In another month or so, I’ll do the lab work to see if my blood sugar has diminished.

After my appointment concluded, we walked up the highway for an early dinner at Jewel.

I had the Americanized Mexican dish called the Chef Taco. I didn’t eat the shell, though.

Then, we were off to the seldom-visited Cheap Charlies.

The view from where I sat

Some of the Hash gang dropped in while we were there.

L-R: Leech My Nuggets (Simon), Crash Test Dummy (Erik), and Bug Fucker (Ken). Good to see you guys!
The sun did its thing again

We crossed the highway (always the most dangerous part of my day, especially in the dark and after a few beers) and enjoyed our nightcap at Green Room (I had another buy one, get one coupon to spend).

Chu, Barbie, and Swan enjoying the comradery and alcoholic beverages.

And then I had another moment of weakness. The Sit-n-Bull waitress came by, and I asked if pecan pie was in stock. It was, and I took a slice home with me. And, of course, I smothered it in ice cream.

The price I paid for my indescretion
Ruining an otherwise productive day.

Will I ever learn? Maybe, maybe not. I’ll probably declare my weekend out of town “cheat days.”

Some memories from this day in history courtesy of Facebook:

Eight years ago, my blog disappeared. I found it again, though.
Seven years ago, I enjoyed a nice Korean lunch with my work team.
Six years ago, I decided to rescue this poor creature. He doesn’t know how Lucky he is.

My ride to La Union is on the way, so I need to finish this quick. Let’s do Mikey for our YouTube today:

I hope I haven’t posted that before. Oh well, still worth three minutes to see it again. Some humor before I go:

Accidents happen. Reminds me of the Wrong Hole song.
Just wing it
That’s a very popular Filipino dish. And I don’t like it.

Alright, time for me to hit the road. I’ll see you from La Union!

Wednesday wanderings

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The steps I took to get through another day included the group hike with the Wednesday Walkers, a journey into town to visit some bars, and an overindulgence with bedtime dessert. Here is some of what I saw along the way:

Come on, Squid Game, leave me alone. I’m not playing “red light, green light”!
The day’s first encounter with smoke and fire
Steppin’ it up with the Wednesday Walkers
On up!
A Barretto view
And the Subic side of the coin
Through the woods

A short video from the trail:

Sorry for the abrupt ending; the video shut off without my realizing it.

Laundry day down at the well
Through the bamboo forest
It’s what she does
Through the fields we go
I didn’t hear any laughing along the way
Where all those kids live
Michael and the mountain
After-hike refreshments at The Rite Spot
The view from the Rite Spot
A pleasant 6K trek

I had some SOB coupons to use or lose, so later in the afternoon, Swan and I journeyed into town. I made a short video of the path we frequently take out of Alta Vista:

To kick things off, we used a “buy one, get one” coupon at Sloppy Joe’s. Four beers later (two free!), we moved next door to Alaska Club, where I had a 500-peso voucher to spend. We ended the evening at Wet Spot with yet another “buy one, get one” deal. I did two and two, which added up to ten for the night. Yep, time to go home. We brought some take-out from Sit-n-Bull to bring with us (pizza for Swan and a chicken quesadilla for me).

Maybe the beer impacted my better judgment, but I asked Swan to prepare me a piece of apple strudel with some ice cream on top for dessert. Oops!

My resistance was nil

Just before I hit the hay, I looked out the window and viewed this message from God:

Burn those excess calories!

So, this morning, I took a longer than usual 9K solo hike. And for some reason, I thought of a long-ago Korean girlfriend along the way. And in another odd twist, this photo appeared in my Facebook memories today:

That’s back in 2007, which I guess makes them the good ol’ days.

My journey through the blog archives continues, and I came upon this post from March 29, 2005, in which I recount my discovery of a blog that remains a daily read for me nearly twenty years later–Big Hominid’s Hairy Chasms. In that Good Friday post, Kevin Kim talks about the concept of “putting it down,” a philosophy that still resonates with me even if I fail to adhere to those principles. Give it a read and see if you agree.

I’m no foodie, but if today’s YouTube video is to be believed, renowned chef Gordon Ramsay is a fan of Filipino food, even preferring it over Thai delicacies. I’m skeptical, but what do I know?

And now for some funny business:

Cum what may
It took me way too long to get this one.
Yeah, that’s more like it!

There’s a weekend adventure on the horizon, so stick around. I can’t promise it will get any more interesting, but at least the scenery will change. I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.


Motion pictures
on my TV screen,
A home away from home,
and I'm livin' in between
But I hear some people
have got their dream.
I've got mine.

I hear the mountains
are doin' fine,
Mornin' glory
is on the vine,
And the dew is fallin',
the ducks are callin'.
Yes, I've got mine.

Well, all those people,
they think
they got it made
But I wouldn't buy,
sell, borrow or trade
Anything I have
to be like one of them.
I'd rather
start all over again.

Well, all those headlines,
they just bore me now
I'm deep inside myself,
but I'll get out somehow,
And I'll stand before you,
and I'll bring
a smile to your eyes.
Motion pictures,
motion pictures.

I’ve had worse

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Tuesdays are my blah days (yeah, even more than the others), but yesterday was a tad more interesting than usual. I didn’t say exciting, so don’t get your hopes up. Anyway, here’s how things went down.

My laptop has some keyboard issues. For some reason, the “c” and the “v” keys only function intermittently (I just now had to tap the “c” a few times for it to work). Just my luck; it couldn’t be a key I rarely use, like the comma. Oh, well. Since I needed to go to immigration anyway, I took the laptop to a nearby repair shop in Olongapo. The technician ordered whatever part is required, and I’ll bring the computer back on Thursday for the fix.

The kind folks at the immigration office are allowing me to stay another sixty days.

Next up was the grocery shopping. First stop, the YBC supermarket.

I tried to pause at 48 seconds, but when I hit restart, it created another video instead. Oh well, the first one is enough for today.

I checked some more prices compared to Royal, and YBC is cheaper on everything. We are going to expand our shopping there and use Royal to fill in the gaps for what we can’t get at YBC.

We finished this week’s grocery restock at Royal and then sent my driver and helper back home to offload. Swan and I had other business to attend to. We began by hoofing it over to Harbor Point Mall to resolve issues with my phone. I paid for a premium unlimited data plan through Globe (at a premium price of 3800 pesos a month), but for the past several days, whenever Wi-Fi was unavailable, I couldn’t get internet using data. The helpful attendant at the Globe store confirmed my account was in good standing and then asked to see my phone. She removed the SIM card, put it in her phone, and the data connection worked. Then we tried in Swan’s phone, and it also worked there. So, the problem seems to be with my phone. When we reinserted the SIM, my data worked again. I guess if this happens again, I’ll take out the SIM and put it back (I just now had to let spellcheck put the “see” in back and spellcheck). So, problem kinda sorta resolved.

Meanwhile, Swan had been looking over a price list and asked if I had ever received a free phone. I responded, what are you talking about? Well, it turns out that as part of the Premium Plan Rewards Program, I’m entitled to a free phone every two years. After six years with Globe, no one had bothered to tell the stupid white guy. So, Swan and the attendant chatted in Tagalog, and there was no retroactive way to redeem my past rewards, but I could collect a new phone today. Hell yes, why not?

An OPPO Reno 13 retails for 28,000 pesos. I’m sticking with my Samsung A55, but I was pleased to gift Swan the phone I wouldn’t have gotten without her intervention.

When we were done with Globe, we walked half a kilometer to the SM Mall on the other side of the river. I was in the market for some new hiking shoes, and the SM department store is the only place around these parts that carries my favorite brand, Merrell. Of course, finding my size (11) is always a challenge, and sure enough, the shoes I liked best weren’t available larger than 10. I settled for the only pair they had in my size and made my way to the men’s clothing section in search of shorts. I asked the salesgirl for anything with a 40″ waist; the biggest she could find was 38″. I tried them on, and I’ll be damned, they fit! I guess the diet plan is having some practical impact, after all.

With the shopping mission completed, we caught a taxi back to Barretto.

The triple S: Shoes, socks, and shorts.

When beer o’clock rolled around, it was off to the beach so Swan could get her Tuesday toes in the sand fix.

Baloy Long Beach
Time for the floating bar

We had to wait a bit for the raft transport to bring several youngish-looking guys ashore. When we got taken aboard the floater, we were the only customers.

Apparently, the fellas who had just departed had been there since noon and must have been big spenders. At least a couple of the gals were drunk from consuming their lady drinks. One of them said she had 23!

We brought cookies and lollipops for the girls, and they seemed happy enough with our contributions.

This girl’s fingers really nailed it.
Just us being us
I’ve loved that white house on the beach since my tourist days. Not sure what the deal is, but it has been vacant all these years.
The show is about to start
Gettin’ down, baby!
Well done!

When the sun goes, so do we.

Next stop, Treasure Island for dinner
Pasta for Swan
Pork chops for me

After our meal, we triked on home and called it a day.

Kept it just under the wire once again.

I had a good laugh this morning reading this post from Kevin Kim’s blog. It turns out there have been some scientific studies trying to determine why people like me have such a warped and unfunny sense of humor. I could blame it on age, I suppose, but truthfully, my jokes have always been a mess. Maybe the puns are worse now, but the biggest difference is it doesn’t matter anymore if people laugh or if they cringe. A reaction is a reaction! I don’t know, and I don’t care if that makes me ignorant or apathetic (you knew that one was coming!).

Facebook memories carried me back to those long-ago days in Seoul (15 years now) when my wife and I would hike up to Seoul Tower atop Namsan.

Me on a cold day
The wife
The objective
Stepping it up
The city below
Objective achieved

Damn, sometimes happy memories make you sad.

Today’s YouTube video provides advice to old farts living in the Philippines to enjoy life while you have it and not to worry too much about what’s inevitably to come. I do sometimes wonder just how long I’m going to be around, but I don’t dwell on it much. Every morning, I wake and am thankful for another day to fritter away in meaninglessness. But you know what? I am okay with the life I’m living.

And the stuff I find worthy of a smile:

Maybe that’s what happened to my keyboard
I did use to love me a 5 Guys burger and fries
Take it from a former federal HR guy…

That’s all for today’s report on yesterday. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Let’s close out with some Korean-style music:

Going Hareless

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I went my own way for the Hash but wound up in the right place at the right time. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I opted out of doing the “official” trail laid by the Hare, Vienna Sausage. I had my reasons.

The trail I (mostly) didn’t do was purported to be 6K

To begin with, it started three kilometers out of town, requiring a Jeepney or trike ride to get there. But more importantly, it had way too many ups and downs for my liking. I don’t mind a challenging climb, especially if it is at the beginning of the hike, but damn, this trail had several hard climbs interspersed with steep descents. Normally, I’d just shortcut the Hare’s trail, but in this case, I wasn’t familiar enough with the area to feel confident in my ability to do so. Instead, I crafted my own path from my house to the On-Home, some familiar (a portion of My Bitch) and the rest areas I hadn’t hiked for a while. It worked for me, and that’s what matters.

Cums Alone and BF’s Wet Spot joined in on the fun
The way ahead
An Easter Mountain view
My trail had one moderate climb
A cabin in the woods I rather fancy.

I did a seven-minute long video of the portion of the My Bitch trail that passes through Mountain Mama Onelia’s homestead.

I hope I did a little better quality-wise, but I still have lots of room for improvement.

If you watched it through to the end, you saw the surprise encounter with Buddy Fucker and Fuck Buddy, who had also chosen to hike a trail other than the Hare’s. We joined forces for the remainder of the journey.
The view on the way back down to Barretto
And another
And then by golly, we intersected with the real Hash trail.
Steppin’ on down

As we made our way to the On-Home venue, there was another surprise encounter:

I hadn’t seen Mama around town for several days, and I’ve never seen her way out like this on the backstreets of Barretto.
Glad you are okay, Mama! Enjoy the biscuits!
Still on the real trail
Almost done
Our On-Home was at the seldom visited Bella Monte Hotel.
Sitting around waiting for the Circle to begin
Some of the Hash Gash
Circle up! Over fifty Hashers in attendance yesterday (we are normally in the mid-thirties)
It’s nice on ice!
Action Man and his gal, She Devil, got lost on the trail, were last to get back and pay their Hash fees, and were rewarded some ice time along with some playthings.
On the ice for the socialites! (those who didn’t do a trail and just came for the circle)
Recognition on ice: Cums Alone has 22 runs, Cum Together has 333.
Maybe it was a dick move, but my trail was just a tad over 4K and quite enjoyable

We did the usual after-Hash hangout at It Doesn’t Matter, then made our way home to watch some of the Groundhog Day movie. Swan was unfamiliar with the creature or the holiday but seems to be enjoying it so far. We didn’t finish watching because we were both tired from the Hash, and the YouTube video I selected wasn’t high quality and was rife with commercials. I’ll try another version when we resume watching.

Made it, but just barely

No memories of note to share today, but here is a blast from the past on the blog: paying the rent for two years in advance in cash. The comments gave me a chuckle, especially the one from my liberal ex-wife #3 complaining about a waste of taxpayer dollars. These days she is pissed at Trump and Musk for trying to save the government money.

That’s what $94,000 looks like. No worries, Uncle Sam picked up the tab.
I’m still getting my kicks making lefty heads explode with my Facebook posts

Today’s YouTube video is a hopefully refreshing change of pace. I came upon this randomly, but I enjoyed learning about hygiene issues in the Old West. Perhaps you will, too.

And now for some humor:

You had breast keep your distance. Those appear to be loaded.
My hearing and vision are both diminishing, so I’m not sure what to do now.
Beats pounding sand!

Another day, another post. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

A day for ground hog

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Sorry, but I had my pork pulled. Here’s how that worked out for me:

Damn, looks like another hot one this year

It being Sunday and all, we did our usual Candy Walk. Here’s a five-minute video of a portion of our route:

Commenter Kevin offered some great suggestions on how to improve the quality of my videos. So, this is a before version, and hopefully, things will get better going forward.

A couple of other photos from the Candy Walk:

Praise be unto God, and thank you for the heavenly blessings. Or maybe that’s smoke from a trash fire. One of those.
Word spreads fast as we near the village. Well over 200 kids were serviced yesterday. (Damn, that sounds a bit perverted, doesn’t it?)

Next up on my Sunday agenda was feeding the girls at Hideaway.

The food has arrived from Jewel Cafe
Don’t blame me, I only feed them once a week!
Down the hatch!

With my feeding duty accomplished, it was time for a change of scenery. Off to the beach! Here’s a five-minute video detailing that journey:

Swan arrived a few minutes after me and we enjoyed our time together rockin’ on the water.

The five o’clock view
No, I didn’t fart. I swear!
Sunday on the beach
And you knew this was coming
Enjoying an end of the day ride on the bay
Sundown, you better take care

Having gotten what we came for on the floater, it was time to head to John’s place for dinner.

The view from our usual seats
Since pigs can’t fly, they are grounded. Or pulled. I ordered my pulled pork sandwich without a bun and gave most of the onion rings to Swan.
I did eat one of Swan’s birria tacos. Damn, they are good!

We made The Green Room our nightcap destination. Some controversy arose when the waitress didn’t want to let me use an SOB coupon in the manner I intended.

The coupon in question

So, I bought the requisite lady drink and asked for a red wine and a Zero beer for my two customer drinks. The waitress claimed I was not permitted to give Swan the wine–I had to consume both drinks. I asked her where it said that on the coupon, and she argued that only one customer could use it. I pointed out that the coupon does not state any such limitation, and I could do whatever I wanted with my two drinks. She called the manager over; he looked at the coupon, shrugged, and said my interpretation was fine. No big deal, of course, but I still don’t understand the waitress’s logic.

Home again at the appointed hour, but with no new “Squid Game” episodes to watch, I ate my sugar-free pudding in front of the laptop, then did that thing where I lay on the bed and close my eyes for a few hours.

And now, for a confession. I cheated. And it was Swan’s fault. During the lunch hour, Swan went into town and took her young nieces to eat at McDonald’s. When she returned, she handed me one of these:

How could I say no to eating her pie?

Well, damn, if I’m going to eat an apple pie, by golly, I’m going to enjoy it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Actions come with consequences. I blame the pie, not the ten San Mig Zeros.

Groundhog Day is also the day my baby brother was born.

Happy 68th birthday, Gregory! (Damn, by the expression on my face, the woman taking this photo must have been a hottie!)

I make an effort to avoid duplicating post titles, which is sometimes tricky after over twenty years of blogging. When I did a title search for this post, I came across an entry from April 30, 2020, entitled “Groundhog Day.” This was during the early days of the COVID lockdown madness, and the post brings back memories of those hellish times. The other shocking thing is that Scott and I managed a 12K walk like it was nothing. Damn, where does the time go?

Facebook took me back seven years to my mountain-climbing days in Korea:

I don’t recall the name of the mountain, but it was near Asan (I think)
That’s even higher than the Kalaklan Ridge! And colder, too!

In today’s YouTube video, Filipina Pea talks about the ways in which you are liable to die here in the Philippines. Naturally, she starts off with cobra bites, which are most prominent in Northern Luzon, which also happens to be where I live. Fuck the year of the snake! Anyway, my huffing, puffing, and coughing out to scare them off before I get close. And I’m usually at the back of the pack anyway. Most of the other things she mentions don’t sound as dangerous as crossing the National Highway. When my time comes, I hope to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather did–unlike the screaming passengers in his car.

Ready for a smile?

Whatever works best
My dog talk is better than my Tagalog
That’s a good boy. Maybe she’ll give you a treat. Doggy-style.

Alright, I’m sure you’ve had enough of this by now. It’s Hash Monday, but I have elected not to do the trail laid by the Hare, Vienna Sausage. I don’t usually like his trails anyway, and this one starts a few clicks out of town, so fuck that. I’ve got my own trail plotted, and Swan and a couple of other folks are slated to join me. I’m looking forward to it. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Maybe I’m overdue listening to this song, so here goes:

No man is an island

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And life is a treasure. A Treasure Island, if you will. Here are some gems from my Saturday.

Swan joined me for a Saturday morning stroll. Naturally, that involved her handing out candy along the way. Hey, it’s what we do! I made an eight-minute video of the first portion of the walk if you are curious about what the local terrain looks like.

Towards the end of the hike, I did a two-minute video of another village we passed through.

Yes, my video skills need much improvement. I’m in the market for an actual camera which should help. Please be patient!
I enjoyed the zoo-like feel of these kids lined up on the other side of the fence for some sweets.

Our Saturday evening entertainment was provided by the live music we enjoyed at Treasure Island on Baloy Beach.

Engine band
And the Star Network band
Engine is considered the best bar band around, but I liked the music of this group better for some reason.

Hear for yourself:

Hmm, it sounded better in person. Go figure.

The sun did its thing

Back home at the usual time and finished Season Two of “Squid Game.” It still leaves me shaking my head in disbelief at times, but I’m all in for the concluding episodes in Season Three. Kevin Kim has a fine review of the second season here.

I was a bad boy last night and couldn’t overcome my urge for a bowl of vanilla ice cream with a crumbled Oreo cookie on top. Damn, it tasted good!

At least ice cream didn’t put me over the top

No Facebook memories worthy of note today, but there is this old post from twenty years ago about my first big case in Korea, representing management in a dispute with the American union. We couldn’t resolve our differences, and the case was scheduled for binding arbitration. At the last minute, the union withdrew. I had some court precedents on my side. For one thing, a curfew doesn’t entitle you to pay for the hours you aren’t allowed out on the street. “Stand-by pay,” which is what the union was asking for, only applies when you have to be ready and able to report for duty when called. That wasn’t the case with the curfew; you could be drunk on your ass in a motel room, just not outside. Also, it was well-established that the Commanding General, in this case, a 4-Star, has broad authority to invoke actions deemed necessary to protect the individuals under his command. I wound up getting promoted after this victory.

Welp, it is Groundhog Day, so you can guess what today’s YouTube video is about! I probably need to watch the movie again; I really enjoyed this clip.

And now for some humor:

Damn, remember when adult video stores were a thing? An absolute, um, Blockbuster!
That’s not my daily average, but I’m close!
There’s more of her to love. Not that I have any room to talk.

I don’t know; it seems weird that I have nothing exciting to post about here, yet I’m still enjoying my life. Maybe acceptance comes with old age. I’ve got an upcoming Hash event in La Union next weekend, so there’s that to look forward to. In the meantime, I’ll just keep doing what I do. Today, that means a Hideaway feeding, some time with my girl on the Arizona floating bar, dinner at John’s place, and then a nightcap somewhere or other. Damn, am I living my own Groundhog Day?

Another drunken SOB

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I woke up Friday morning to this view from my patio. And so began another day.
And the day ended pretty much like this. That’s why I blog in the afternoon!

In between those bookends, here is how I filled the hours. It being Friday and all, that meant there was a morning group hike to be enjoyed.

Gathering at the Baloy 7-Eleven as is our custom
Crossing the highway is usually the most dangerous part of the hike

We got a Jeepney out to Calapacuan and started our trek from there.

Off we go!
The lowdown getting under the bamboo stalks
Today’s tree I liked
An arduous climb on a little-used path
A different angle on Easter Mountain
Calapandayan is in the foreground, Black Rock is in the middle, and way off in the distance, you can see a bit of Alta Vista.
A handy bench to rest on near the top of our climb
Oops! Tim was the last one to use this bench. Just wasn’t up to American-sized standards.
The view of the bay from on high

Swan took a video of a portion of our hike:

And I did a short (two minute) video of a rickety bridge crossing:

Back on the pavement
A rare Beetle sighting
A walk on the mild side

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I decided to join Tim and Scott for this week’s SOB dance competition at Alaska Club. Swan opted not to attend, so it was the rare (for me) guys night out.

Judge not lest ye be judged. We collectively rated the performances and picked all four winners.
Scott and Bob worked for the same company back in the 20th century
The Alaska crew kept us entertained before the competition began
The Alaska team strutting their stuff
The Voodoo girls finished first for the fourth week in a row.

After the SOB is an event called The Aftermath. I very rarely attend because I’ve had enough of drinking by the end of the SOB. I made an exception last night and attended the first hour of The Aftermath at Voodoo. Tim was enjoying his last night in Barretto for a while.

And he seemed to like what was on the Voodoo menu.

It was a good Friday.

A dozen beers didn’t break the bank this time.

Facebook helped me remember my best dart game ever:

Ten years ago, I tossed four tons and an unlikely 101 out for a fifteen-dart finish.
The final three darts: I hit the triple 17 leaving a 50 out. I took a shot at the double bull for the win but missed and hit an 18, leaving a 32 out. A double 16 gave me the victory!

Oddly enough, I don’t miss my darting life all that much these days.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay talks about why waiting to retire may be a mistake. My original plan was to retire as soon as I became eligible at 55 (that was back in 2010) and move to the Philippines. But then I changed my plans and decided to share my life with Jee Yeun. I retired in January 2011, and we moved back to the USA with a plan of spending six months in the States and six months in Korea. I was a happy camper with that life, but something happened with Jee Yeun that I still don’t understand. In 2015 she declined to return stateside, so I found part-time work as a contractor back in Korea. I spent a year trying to change her mind, but in 2016, she said she wanted a divorce. I was devastated (it still hurts to be honest). Then I got an offer to come back to work in my old job with 8th Army, and I took it. I worked for two more years and then packed my bags for the Philippines. I don’t really regret those wasted years, but I’ve seen too many people who keep working until they die. I’m glad I wasn’t one of those.

Maybe you’ll like these:

I don’t have a drinking problem. I drink, I get drunk, I fall down. No problem!
When one door closes…
That shit will make you seasick

Yeah, those were worse than usual. Sorry ’bout that! I’ll try to do better tomorrow.