The afternoon and evening weren’t hard either. The easy sweetness started with the Sunday morning Candy Walk.

We didn’t have much time to prepare for the party after we got back home. I’d put the chili in the crockpot when I woke up at 5 a.m., so it was ready to go. I baked a batch of cornbread muffins, took a shower, then bagged things up and headed out.

I’ve eaten at the restaurant a few times but never been inside the hotel. Tim is staying on the rooftop, which only has his room and one other. I think “room” is the wrong word; he’s in a massive three-bedroom luxury suite. It featured a huge, fully-equipped kitchen with top-end appliances. It is undoubtedly the nicest hotel lodging I’ve ever seen anywhere, and I traveled a lot back in the day. Apparently, the Coffee Shop owners used to live here and then started renting it out as part of the hotel when they moved. Only fifty bucks a night! Truth be told, I would love living there, except it wouldn’t work for the dogs. The rooftop is on the hotel’s fourth floor, and the elevator goes as far as the third floor. An easy walk up a flight of stairs gets you to the top.

The party was taking place inside Tim’s lodging, and he had a massive layout of food (and plenty of cold beer!).

The party had begun at noon, and by 4:30 things were winding down and Swan and I departed. Downstairs, I asked if she wanted to do anything else before we headed home. She responded, “Floating bar!” And so we crossed the highway and headed for the beach.

A trike home from Arizona and a Swan steak for dinner. Then it was time to flop down on the couch for a bloody episode three of “Squid Game.” I’m still not clear about what’s going on or why, but I’ll keep watching to find out. I’m starting to get to know the main characters and have already identified my favorite. Can you guess who?

I happened to look out the living room window at some point, and this is what I saw:

Seven years ago, I enjoyed an adventurous day in Pyeongtaek:

We won’t get fooled again. Or at least I won’t, although, I really didn’t get fooled the first time.

I randomly came across today’s YouTube video. I reckon the female vlogger’s advice about “not making it too easy for your Filipina” might make sense in some situations, but it does seem to me a couple should be striving to make things easier for both of you. I’ve got a long history of some monumental relationship fuckups during my almost seven years in country, but I finally hit the jackpot with Swan.

Let’s share a smile or two:

Not to be a dick about it, but there does seem to be a cocky theme in today’s humor memes.

So, Hash Monday is upon me. Leech My Nuggets is the Hare, and he has a long, hard trail in store for us today. My “sane” group will do the first big hill and then decide where we go from there. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was still enjoyable. For our Saturday hike, we changed things up by taking a Jeepney to Subic town and then walking home from there (we usually do the opposite).

My Sunday routines are out of kilter today. We are fixin’ to do the Candy Walk, but at noon, we will be attending a party on the roof of Tim’s hotel. I’ve got some chili in the crockpot to contribute to the festivities. And that’s why you are seeing the rare morning post here at LTG. It’s now or never! Anyhoo, I won’t be doing the feeding at Hideaway, the Arizona floating bar, or the dinner at John’s place today. But all is not lost and forsaken; we went to John’s for dinner last night instead.

We started our nightcap at Green Room and finished at Wet Spot. I sponsored a mini-pool tourney between two of the Green Room gals (100 pesos to the winner, best out of three). I gave the loser 50 pesos because I’m such a nice guy. It was fun watching them play; both were very good.

Once we returned home, I fired up the TV and watched Episode Two of “Squid Game.” Not as exciting as the opening, but it moved the story forward. My goal is to watch at least one episode a day. A downside for me was sitting in front of the television, knowing there were leftover brownies in the fridge. I couldn’t resist, so had Swan bring me one. A la mode, of course. And it was so good that I snuck another. Yeah, sometimes I have zero self-control. Of course, when I was single, I could eat the brown knees instead. Don’t worry, I’m not missing those days. Much.

I’ll try and remember to do better, like I was seven years ago.

Time to check in with the Pea for today’s YouTube video. She talks about some of the cultural differences in a diverse population of Filipinas. I’ve never met a Waray, but they sound pretty wild!

And now we can smile some:

Alright, time to head out for the Candy Walk then off to the party. Damn, it’s gonna be another one of those early days I despise, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Because at the end of the day, It Doesn’t Matter. Here’s how I got from here to there:

My chelation treatment with Dr. Jo went fine once I got in to see her. I had a 2 p.m. appointment, but she wasn’t finished with the patient before me until 2:30. That’s the first time that’s happened on my visits. It wouldn’t have mattered, except I had another appointment in Olongapo at 3:30. The chelation itself only takes a few minutes, but I had to delay getting some skin tabs removed until next week. A commenter asked if the treatment was having any noticeable impact, but I’m only on my second series of injections. Dr. Jo says it usually takes around six before you can tell how well it works. Still, my blood pressure has been lower of late, which may be related to clearing the gunk out of my veins. So, I’m going to continue down this road and see where it leads.

Right as we were crossing the highway after leaving Dr. Jo’s office, a nearly empty Jeepney came by, so we had a comfortable ride to SBMA. A couple of blocks walk to Baypointe Hospital, and we arrived fifteen minutes early for my appointment with the ophthalmologist.

So, with some time to kill, I thought sharing my thoughts on video might be worthwhile. (Sorry about the low volume, I was in a crowded hospital and didn’t want to speak loud)

Anyway, I did get in at the appointed time. The eye exam itself was a bit of an, um, eye opener. My right eye (the one I had cataract surgery on) was still working at 95% efficiency. When it was time to read the chart with my left eye, I couldn’t see it at all. So, I’m basically blind in that eye. Freaked me out some, to say the least. When I got in to see the eye doc, I told him about the fluid leaks I’d been experiencing for the past couple of months. Sometimes, when I get up to pee at night, it feels like my eye is glued shut. Anyway, he took a look, and I indeed have an infection in my eyes. He prescribed antibiotic eye drops. I asked if my vision issue in the left eye was cataract-related, and he said we needed to clear the infection first so he could have a better look. I’ve got a follow-up appointment next Wednesday.

With the medical shit behind me, I was ready to check out the SBMA dining options. Well, by check out, I mean I looked at the different places we walked past on the several-block stroll to where I knew I wanted to eat–Texas Joe’s.

It was good eating! With the meal out of the way, we hoofed it back to the SBMA main gate and grabbed a taxi for the 350 peso ride back to Barretto. (I opted not to try a Jeepney because it was rush hour, and I knew they would be uncomfortably packed with riders, assuming we could even find one we could all fit inside.

The taxi dropped Teri at the pharmacy to get my eye meds, and Swan and I continued on to It Doesn’t Matter for some wine and beers to end our day.

Speaking of miracles, I managed to stay under my calorie cap:

In today’s installment of The Story of My Life, I write about my first day of work for the Army in Korea. The highlight of that day was meeting the 8th Army Commanding General, Charles Campbell. After a career of working with dipshit postal and federal government executives, I was blown away by how this guy was one of the most capable leaders I’d ever seen in action. Looking at his Wikipedia page just now, I see he died in 2016. A life well lived, and thank you for your service, sir.

Coincidentally, today’s Facebook memory is also from my Army in Korea days.

Today’s YouTube video from George’s All About The Philippines includes some views from the back streets of Barretto that I frequently walk. He visits the Pugon Corner Smoke Yard. When the place first opened, I loved visiting because it was almost as good as Texas Joe’s and much more conveniently located. Also cheaper. Alas, in the ensuing years, it has gone to shit to such an extent that I no longer go there. George also takes you out to the Arizona floating bar so you can enjoy seeing one of my Sunday hangouts.

And now for the humor:

Welp, it’s Friday evening, and you know what that means. But you would be wrong. I’m not going to the SOB because it is at La Oficina, and that’s a venue I no longer patronize. So, that gives me the freedom to try something new tonight. And what could be newer for me than actually staying home? Yep, you read that right. So, how am I gonna fill those hours? I’m going to watch TV. Specifically, a Netflix series called “Squid Game” which was recommended by the esteemed reviewer Kevin Kim. I meant to start watching it before Season Two was released, but I totally forgot about it. Now I need to make up for lost time. I’ll give you my first impressions tomorrow.

And it was good to be back at it. Did the morning group hike with the Wednesday Walkers to kick off the day.

A nap, a shower, and a blog post later, it was time to head into town. One of my Wednesday objectives is to patronize a seldom-visited bar just to change things up a little and to see what I might be missing. My plan was to start things off at Mugshots, but alas, they were not open. It could be a Wednesday thing, or maybe they open later than 5 p.m. Whatever the case, we made Cheap Charlies our plan B.

It was a gin and soda night, and after I’d downed two, we were ready to move on to another seldom-visited venue–Alaska Club. There was a pool tourney taking place, but otherwise, no other customers. Three dancers were on stage when we arrived; a little bit later, there were six. I wasn’t paying attention to them, but Swan leaned over and said, “They are waiting for you.” Oh yeah, during my rare visits to Alaska, I usually tip the dancers 50 pesos each in recognition of the fact that they are one of the few groups on stage in Barretto that actually dance, especially when there are no customers. Anyway, that’s why the other three went up on stage so that they wouldn’t miss out on the tip. I called the waitress over, gave her three one hundred peso notes, and asked for change. When the 50s arrived, I dutifully handed one to each girl on stage, and they seemed happy with their bounty. When I sat back down, three of the dancers left the stage. Made me smile.

I’d brought along some lollipops and cookies to share with the crew, and they all seemed to appreciate them as well. Here’s an example of why I love Swan. Our waitress is a lesbian. So, when it came time to hand out the goodies, I leaned over and whispered to Swan, “I’m going to tell our waitress that I know she doesn’t like doesn’t like to suck, but I bet she’d like to eat a cookie.” Swan burst out laughing. It’s nice to have a girl who appreciates my sense of humor!

Two more gin and sodas, and it was time to move on to our nightcap venue right next door at The Green Room. Two wines for Swan, four gins for me, and six lady drinks later, we’d had our fill and brought the Wednesday outing to an end. It was a good night out on the town.

A couple of Facebook memories from Korea today:

Today’s YouTube video is about a pretty shocking housing scam. The victim made some dumb mistakes, the most important one being trusting someone he thought was a friend. I made the decision when I moved here to not buy property. I’m wavering a little in that because I would like to make sure Swan is taken care of when my time on Earth is over. Hopefully, I’ll be smarter than these guys if I do.

Now for the funny stuff:

Speaking of which, I have a 2:00 p.m. appointment today with Dr. Jo for my next session of chelation therapy. After that, I have to get my sorry ass to Baypointe Hospital on SBMA to visit my ophthalmologist concerning some eye issues I’ve been experiencing. I may stick around on SBMA for dinner after that appointment. We’ll see.

Here we go again. I’ll try to keep it short and sweet today. I’ve got the grocery shopping quirks, the RSL gathering, a post-meeting visit to the Kokomo’s floating bar, and a stroll on the beach. And that was the extent of my Tuesday. It wasn’t all that exciting, but the day did have its moments.

Shopping at Royal was more frustrating than usual due to the out-of-stock bugaboo. It boggles my brain that a major grocery store can’t seem to keep popular items on the shelf. I’m not even talking about imports that may be subject to shipping delays; the things I couldn’t get yesterday are all made right here in the Philippines–stuff like the Bingo cookies I hand out on my walks and Coke fucking Zero for chrissakes. Okay, okay, I’ll calm down. There was a happy ending to the frustration. We visited a supermarket in Olongapo City called YBC to see if we could fill any of those Royal shortcomings. They had everything we wanted and more. I stocked up on Bingo cookies and found Coke Zero in the 16oz bottles I prefer over cans. Royal hasn’t had the bottles going on a year now. An added bonus was getting all the candy we usually have to purchase at the Subic Market Place. I’ll be making YBC a regular stop on my shopping Tuesdays henceforth.

Next up was the Return and Services League meeting that began at 2:00 p.m. I hadn’t been for over a year, so I needed to renew the memberships for Swan and me (1050 pesos for both). The gathering was at Mango’s, and we were lucky enough to get there early and find good seats. Beer cards were available for purchase (four beers for only 250 pesos), which was a reasonable discount. I bought two cards during the course of my visit.

So, the RSL meeting (or at least this one) was all about the raffles, of which there were three. We did stand for a moment of silence to honor those who served defending Australia as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The first raffle was for a variety of prizes (mostly liquor and grocery items), but the big items were two tickets for a chance at the Joker jackpot. One of the reasons for the large turnout is that the Joker pool is now over 75,000 pesos ($1500.). Swan and I both contributed 500 pesos for tickets to the drawing, but alas, our numbers were not drawn. The two folks who were selected had to guess where the joker card was on a board. Only ten cards (out of 52) had not as yet been turned over, so the odds were in their favor. Both of them guessed wrong, so next week, the pot is larger, and only eight cards remain. Will I go and try again? Probably not.

My main gripe about the RSL gathering is the early start, the same reason I retired from dart league. I’ve got my schedule and routines, and heading out before two messes me up. The other thing is I found sitting around waiting for the next raffle to begin excruciatingly boring. Once the Joker drawing was done, the last pot was called the 50-50. You purchase as many separate tickets as you want at 100 pesos each, and if your ticket is drawn, you get half of that pot. We bought 500 pesos worth. They kept going around the room soliciting additional ticket purchases, and I grew increasingly impatient and frustrated because I was ready to go. At last, they did the drawing, and lo and behold, my number was drawn, and I became 6500 pesos richer. That more than covered my expenses for the afternoon.

With my refurbished wallet in pocket, we made our way to Baloy Beach.

So, with eight beers under my belt at the RSL and four more on the floater, it was time to make our way home.

My judgement was once again impaired and I finished off the apple strudel leftovers along with the rest of the ice cream. But that’s all I had for dinner, so it balances out, right?

So, here’s another episode in The Story of My Life. My first dining experience in a traditional Korean restaurant, sitting on the floor and using metal chopsticks, wasn’t a total disaster, and I did learn from it. It was the beginning of my time in Korea and it only got better from there. I will always remember and miss those days.

Going even further down memory lane, forty years ago, I was immersed in another alien world–Oklahoma.

Twenty years ago, when LTG was still something new, I linked to a post from Althouse about intelligence as a factor in mate selection. The comments on my post made me smile when I re-read it today, with both my wife at the time (Carol) and my high school girlfriend (Cherish) weighing in. What a life I’ve lived! And yes, I did write posts with some substance back in those days.

Today’s YouTube video is evidence of just how low I can go. Hey, I’m trying at least. And this really is just for practice, so bear with me. I’ll get better, I promise.

Yikes! Clear your head with these:

Okay, here’s how my day started:

No idea what’s coming next today, or where it is happening, but I expect it might involve some beer. I’ll let you know about today’s hike and tonight’s debauchery tomorrow.

You still here? Well, if you thought the YouTube video I posted above is bad, get a load of this one I did earlier:

I’ve got a long way to go! But I’ll do better. Starting with holding the phone so the video isn’t sideways. Oh, and my story “when I moved to Korea…” was supposed to be “when I moved to the Philippines.” The only way to go from here is up!

Thanks for the input on things you’d like to see here at LTG! I’ll do my best to periodically incorporate some of the ones that are within my wheelhouse in an effort to keep things fresh and a tad more interesting.

Commenter Kevin Kim suggested I share some of what I learned during my career in human resources management. I’ve been retired for going on seven years now, and most of what I experienced has gotten more than a little fuzzy. But I’ll kick things off with this anecdote:

There was a time when I needed to hire my own personal secretary. I had three female applicants who were all equally qualified on paper. So I called each of them in for an interview and asked each one the same question: “What would you do if I gave you ten thousand dollars?”

The first candidate answered: “I’d use the money to feed the poor children in Africa.”

The second interviewee responded: “Oh, I would go on a shopping spree and buy everything I’ve always wanted!”

The the third person told me: “Sir, I would invest the money and double it in ten years.”

So, which one do you think I hired?

I’ll reveal the answer at the end of this post.

Commenter Terry asked: “I’ve wondered how you and Kevin met and became friends . He does not do the bar thing. Was it through hiking?” And here’s the answer:

Kevin and I met in Korea many years ago through our blogs. That was before I developed an interest in hiking. Kevin is a foodie, so our first meet-ups in person were in restaurants around Itaewon that I liked. Kevin doesn’t drink, but I did get him up to my Shenanigans hang-out once. After I became a walker, we did a couple of hikes together. I showed him some paths I used to climb Namsan (a famous mountain in Seoul), and he took me on an 18-kilometer ass-kicking river walk out near where he lives. Good times and nice memories!

Anyone else curious about anything, feel free to ask away in the comments.

Alright, back to the usual stuff here at LTG. Well, actually, yesterday was on the unusual side of the scale. The only thing I did was attend a pool party at Treasure Island.

I rarely attend the quarterly pool parties because they are always held on Monday afternoon, which is Hash day. The combination of a trail I didn’t want to do and an inconvenient On-Home venue made the decision to skip the Hash this week an easy one. The pool party proved to be a nice change of pace.

I was also reminded that my normal reluctance to consume alcohol early in the day is wise. Of course, occasional stupidity is where wisdom comes from. Anyway, I had my first beer at 11:30 and my final brew at 4:00. Those were the bookends for the ten I consumed in between. It sucks to be over capacity at the time of day when I’m usually just starting out. Swan was drinking wine and also over-indulged. When we got home around 4:30, she went straight to bed.

The buffet that was included in the price of admission consisted of hot dogs, burgers, and fried chicken pieces, with sides of potato salad and coleslaw. I went with a burger, well, make that two burgers, but I only used one bun. It was quite tasty and satisfied my growling stomach.

The pool party itself consisted of the girls from the seven SOB bars competing in a series of events. As you might have guessed my favorite was the bikini contest. Here are a few of the photos I took throughout the afternoon.

Anyway, not a bad afternoon. Of course, all those beers affected my better judgment, and I wound up cheating. Swan was sleeping, and well, I just couldn’t resist the temptation. So, I baked an apple strudel. And when it was done, I smothered it in vanilla ice cream. And there is a price to be paid for such indulgences.

In the early 60s, I was growing up in Southern California. There was a chain of drugstores called Thrifty. And these stores had an ice cream counter. Perhaps that’s where I first fell in love with the sweetness in a cone.

Today’s YouTube video is from George’s All About The Philippines. He does a daytime stroll in the portion of Subic right next door to Barretto. I walk that stretch often. I’m a tad reluctant to become a vlogger, and if I ever do, I’d hope to make it a little more interesting than this. Still, if you want to get a birds-eye view of what things look like in these parts, here you go.

The funnies:

Another day with something different on tap. I’ll be attending the RSL (The Returned Services League, basically, the Aussie version of the VFW). I’m technically a member, but I have only attended one meeting previously. The neighbors invited us to participate today as there will be a big fundraising raffle. I don’t like drinking in the early afternoon, but it’s for a good cause, so… I’ll tell you all about tomorrow.

What are you still doing here? Oh. You want to know who I hired. Well, the big clue was that the position being filled was my personal secretary. So, of course, I hired the one with the big tits. (Sorry, couldn’t resist telling my favorite HR joke)

Well, here we go again. I enjoy my life and my routines, but with the exception of an occasional variance, it’s all pretty much the same old, same old. Same doesn’t make it bad or even boring, except maybe when you are writing (or reading) about it seven days a week. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the twenty years I’ve been blogging here at LTG, but I worry that my posts are increasingly about little more than looking in the mirror. I assuage that guilt somewhat by telling myself the blog is my diary, and the handful of faithful readers are just along for the ride. But I’d like it to be more than that if possible. So, I am open to suggestions if there are any subjects you’d like me to weigh in on. I can certainly offer my opinions from a boots-on-the-ground perspective. One commenter wanted to hear me recite poetry, so I did and never heard from her again. Anyway, if there is anything I can do to make the blog more interesting, please let me know in the comments.

So, with nothing better to do, let me share some photo highlights from my Sunday.

On our last street, we ran into some controversy. We had stopped doing candy handouts on this street several months ago because a grumpy old man didn’t like the kids throwing candy wrappers on the ground. When we passed here on the Christmas Hash, some mothers told Swan the kids missed us. The old man shouted at Swan again yesterday, so she walked away from a group of expectant children. That pissed me off, and I gave one of the mothers a bag of cookies and asked her to pass them out. Swan and I disagreed on the matter, but my take is, why in the fuck does this old shit think he can tell us not to hand out candy to kids that aren’t his? Yeah, they should be taught not to litter (I’ve never seen them do it), but he’s out of line for not being respectful towards Swan. Anyway, I will make it a point to come down this street more often and always carry some sweets.

Next on my Sunday agenda was feeding those hungry girls at Hideaway. There was a pool tourney going when I arrived, and the place was packed like I’ve rarely seen it.

An hour later, it was time for me to hit the beach.

And shortly thereafter, so were we. It was time for us to head to shore for some dinner at John’s place.

After dinner, we moseyed up the highway and had our nightcap at The Green Room. I got enticed to play waitress Chu in a pool game, and once again, she kicked my sorry ass. I really need to start practicing, although even when I played in the Itaewon league regularly, I sucked.

Seven years ago, I was trying to find the path I’d heard about from Alta Vista to Rizal Extension.

What with the rumblings about bird flu and a new virus in China, this is a timely reminder:

Today’s YouTube video features a vlogger I don’t much care for because of his persistently negative attitude. Today’s subject is beggars, and specifically children who beg. I got accosted as a tourist in Manila by a “gang” of kids begging for money and literally had to run to get away from them. Although there are a couple of adults in Barretto to whom I occasionally provide coins, I NEVER give money to kids. For one thing, I’ve heard it is against the law, but my main objection is that I don’t want to encourage them to grow up thinking this is an option in life. Have some self-respect and dignity. And shame on the parents who put their kids up to this racket.

Time to lighten things up:

And now it is time for me to get ready to head out to Treasure Island on Baloy Beach to enjoy a pool party. I will surely enjoy it much more than today’s Hash trail, which starts in Lower Kalaklan and finishes at the end of Rizal Extension. It’s a Vienna Sausage trail, which means at least one long-ass climb to the ridgeline and who knows what after that. No thank you! And best of all, I’ll have something different to post about tomorrow! See you then.

Made it through another Saturday, and I’m happy for the opportunity to have experienced it. There was nothing out of the ordinary or particularly exciting to report, but I enjoyed it just the same. Let me show you what I mean:

Our walk was short (5K) and sweet. A lazy afternoon, and then it was time to make our way into town.

When we left BarCelona, Swan went into the market and bought some chocolate milk snacks for the kids.

We visited Jewel Cafe for our dinner, and enjoyed our usual:

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot and had a good time with our waitress friends, Beth and Irene. Beth came along on our Candy Walk this morning. Tomorrow is the SOB pool party at Treasure Island, and I bought two tickets to attend from Beth (she earned a commission). So, I’ll be taking a break from the Hash tomorrow and will not feel much sorrow about missing a Guenter trail that once again finishes at the end of Rizal Extension. It’s nice to have options.

Back home a little after eight, enjoyed a Jell-O dessert, and off to bed to prepare for another day.

Today’s memory comes from a 1962 Peter, Paul, and Mary album cover:

Today’s YouTube video purports to reveal the “secret” to living in the Philippines. To me, it is no secret that you can live rich in a relatively poor country if you have a moderate retirement income (I personally wouldn’t want to live on less than $3,000 a month). This guy lives in BGC (Bonifacio Global City), an upscale area in Metro Manila. If you watch the video, he does a nice street walk through town, and you get a taste of what high-rise city life is like there. Not for me; I prefer living richly in my little town, where once I leave my subdivision, I’ll experience what life in the Philippines is really like. As I am wont to say, I may not live in the Philippines, but I can see and hear it from my house.

Perhaps you’ll enjoy the humor in these:

And it is always fun to rag on Facebook:

I’ll be doing my usual Sunday routines once again: a Hideaway feeding, some time on the Arizona floating bar, and then dinner at John’s place. The life I’m living has all the excitement this old man requires. Let’s see how long it lasts.

Tell me why you're crying, my son
I know you're frightened, like everyone
Is it the thunder in the distance you fear?
Will it help if I stay very near?
I am here.

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

Do you ask why I'm sighing, my son?
You shall inherit what mankind has done.
In a world filled with sorrow and woe
If you ask me why this is so, I really don't know.

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

Tell me why you're smiling my son
Is there a secret you can tell everyone?
Do you know more than men that are wise?
Can you see what we all must disguise
through your loving eyes?

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

More or less.

First up was the Friday group hike. We took a Jeepney to the far side of Subic and commenced our journey on Philseco Road, then over the hill to barangay Balaybay, finishing in downtown Castillejos. We had a new hiker visiting from the USA with us, and he struggled some due to the heat and improper footwear. Also, one of our regular old-timers was experiencing some fatigue and weariness during the hike, possibly related to low pressure. Both of them made it down to the other side of the hill climb but took frequent rest stops along the way. Once we were back on the pavement, they bid us farewell and grabbed a trike. I saw both later in the afternoon, and there didn’t appear to be any repercussions from their ordeal. It all goes with the adventure!

We had to wait on the busy highway in Castillejos to catch a ride home. The first few Jeepneys and busses were all filled to capacity. Finally, one came along that we could all squeeze inside, and the long ride back to Barretto went without incident.

I didn’t have much time to kill once I got back home. I got showered up, had a bite to eat, and then headed out to the VFW for the annual Hash meeting that began at 2:00 p.m.

There were no changes in leadership or other excitement during the meeting. I did make a motion that Subic Hashers, with over 1000 runs (there are only four), should have the weekly Hash fee (300 pesos) waived in recognition of their longstanding loyalty and achievement. It passed! So, there was that. This being a Hash meeting, beer was available, and I had four of them during the ninety-minute duration of my participation. Then, we moved on to It Doesn’t Matter for some after-meeting comradery.

So, I’m not much of a day drinker, much preferring my usual 5-8 p.m. window. Starting early means I finish early and drink more in the process (twelve bottles of Zero yesterday). I did have an early dinner of chicken nuggets from the IDM kitchen. Home by 6:30, had some sugar-free jello, surfed the net, and went to bed before 8:30. Swan joined in a Hash girls’ night out and seemed to enjoy herself judging by the pictures. She was beside me when I awoke this morning, so all must be well in the world.

My Friday weigh-in has me at 235.5 pounds, down 31.6 since November 1. My goal is 199 pounds, so I’m not quite halfway there.

So, here are some memories from this date in history:

Eight years ago, I blogged about my health issues on an ill-fated trip to the Philippines to ring in the new year in a post called Stayin’ Alive. This was before I was diagnosed with COPD. My Korean doctor wanted to hospitalize me and pump me full of antibiotics. I bought a nebulizer instead, which kept me going until I got the proper diagnosis and treatment at the Army hospital on Yongsan. That post has now been updated as an episode in The Story of My Life.

So, I went looking for the book this morning, and it was in the spare room where Swan stores her things. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve frequently seen her reading my poetry books. My quest was to find the poem I posted here on LTG a couple of days ago.

And when I was preparing to take that photo above, I noticed that the page corner had been folded down. I asked Swan about that, and she said she always likes to mark her favorites that way. Wow! A girl with the same taste in poetry as me! What are the odds?

It’s good to be alive to remember those days from the past and great to be alive to make new ones!

I feel sorry for the true believers that trust the lying “experts.”

Today’s YouTube video is from The Filipina Pea, and I really enjoyed this one about the “ten bizarre things that will shock you about the Philippines.” Well, I’ve been living here going on seven years now, and I’ve seen most of these up close and personal. It made me smile when she mentioned the half-finished buildings I frequently photograph. And she has a strong rant about the litter culture here. Give it a watch; she’s easy on the eyes!

Now, it is humor time:

So, that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone. And so am I until tomorrow!

A busy day in store, so here’s a brief post to tide you over until I’m back.

Swan and I enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks at The Green Room before our dinner date with the neighbors. I played a game of pool and got my ass handed to me by our waitress, Chu. She’s an outstanding player, so I can take some comfort in that.

At the appointed hour (6:30), we arrived at our dining venue, the Hops and Brews Beer Garden.

I was surprised to see my other neighbor, Martin, was also there with his bride. Martin is only in town a few days each month (he works in Manila), so it was good to catch up. So, all the residents of Bryce Street were together in the Beer Garden. What are the odds of that?

Jeff is just home from a holiday visit to Texas, and he brought an interesting table game back with him. So, after our meal we all dived in.

When we had all had enough, we headed for Bryce Street. No trike for us, we hitched a ride with Martin and Joss. It was a good night out on the town.

I also got a congratulatory message from my Fitbit app:

Eight years ago, I had just returned to Korea from a visit to the Philippines where I had suffered a couple of severe breathing attacks.

The good news is I’m breathing great these days. Haven’t used my nebulizer in months.

Three years ago, I posted this poem on Facebook:

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

And as regular readers know, I have finally found her!

Today’s YouTube video is a nice tour of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (aka SBMA or the old Navy base). I visit weekly for shopping and occasionally for dining. If I had a car, I’m sure I’d visit more often. And yes, I’ve hiked through that area with the horse stables.

To the humor then:

Alrighty then, I’ve got the Friday group hike to do this morning. And then, at 2:00 p.m., we have the annual Hash leadership meeting. When the meeting is done, I’ll meet Swan at It Doesn’t Matter, where the Hash girls will hang out during our Hash business. Hence, it is now or never to get a post up today, and by golly, I’ve done it!

A good reminder to enjoy it while you can. Here’s how I kicked things off in 2025:

Just before we departed San Narciso yesterday, we took a quick tour of a beachfront property for sale.

So, the price is 3.5 million pesos or around $60,000 USD. It is not currently up to my living standards, so more money would have to be invested to make it a possibility. We’d also want to construct a place where locals and tourists could sit and enjoy beachside beverages and food. At this point, we are still in the dreaming stages, but you never know. Foreigners can’t own property here, so the purchase would have to be in Swan’s name. (UPDATE: I just checked with Swan, and she says it is too expensive for an untitled property. She also prefers to find something closer to home.)

It was good to be back on familiar turf after being gone since last year. Having missed our Tuesday routine of visiting the Kokomo’s floating bar on Baloy Beach, we made up for lost time last evening.

One of my goals for the new year is to create a revised Wednesday routine that includes a seldom-visited bar during my night out. We kicked things off last night with a visit to Harley’s for our nightcap. And we killed a second bird by having some dinner while we were there.

Back home again and enjoying my pudding when a big dogfight broke out between Buddy and Lucky. Apparently, there is some jealousy over Swan’s female dog. It was hard to break them up, and both dogs had battle scars. That was my last straw with Lucky. He will live out his days in the yard downstairs as he is no longer welcome in my house. I considered having him put to sleep, but I can’t quite bring myself to take his life. Yet.

Speaking of starting things off right, I wanted to make my first solo walk of the year a good one, so this morning, I pushed myself to see how far I could go. I documented the effort with a photo every one thousand steps. Here’s what it looked like:

Fourteen kilometers is about twice the distance I usually walk. I don’t think I’ll be doing this on a regular basis, but I do want to up my game some. My fantasy of walking the 29K to Mope in San Narciso got a reality check this morning. I would have been only halfway there and out of gas. Maybe an hour or two of resting would have reinvigorated me, but I doubt it.

And that brings you up to date on how I’ve kicked off the newest year I’ve had the pleasure of living in.

Nine years ago, I was doing what folks do when in Itaewon:

And here’s a timely reminder as we begin a new year:

Alright, we’ll lighten things up with today’s YouTube video. We haven’t heard from Mikey Bustos for a while. Enjoy!

And some more of my so-called humor:

The rest of Day 2 awaits. We’ll be meeting the neighbors, Jeff and Vina, for dinner at Hops and Brews later. And I haven’t been to Barretto since 2024, so I’m looking forward to see if anything has changed. I’ll be back tomorrow with more of this goodness. You are welcome!

And the “first time hearing” reaction:

I’m glad to be alive! On a whim, I decided to welcome in the new year on the beach, so when the grocery shopping was done, we dropped off the goods and headed for San Narciso.

We took a short nap, then got ourselves ready to celebrate the coming new year.

We took our seats at a table fronting the stage. The only other customers there departed shortly after we arrived. As we perused the menu offerings, I was surprised to see this:

Interestingly, Mula only sells wine by the bottle, not the glass. So, naturally we ordered the cheese platter and Swan got her two glasses of wine for not much more than we would have paid in Barretto, plus all those snacks. Best bargain I’ve seen in quite a while.

The band started playing, and we had their full attention as the only members of the audience. The female lead singer teased Swan a little and sang a good mix of romantic songs during their first set.

We went back to Mope after Mula, enjoyed some more beers, and chatted with Matt, the Aussie owner of Mope. I also met another guest named Jim, who has Hashed in Subic in the past and hopes to do so again soon. Anyway, I was in high spirits by now, but not so high that I didn’t remember some awesome-sounding dessert selections on the Mula menu, particularly the ice cream sundae and the brownie a la mode. Our plan was to go back to our room and set the alarm to wake us shortly before midnight. And seeing as how it was the last night of the year, I detoured back to Mula for some takeout dessert. I couldn’t decide which one I wanted, so I ordered both, thinking Swan and I would share. But she went to bed as soon as we got back in our room, so I had no choice but to eat them both myself.

When the alarm sounded, we got out of bed, dressed, and headed for the beach to watch the fireworks.

When the fireworks were done, so were we. Back to the room and back to bed. I didn’t wake again until 6:30, which is sleeping in for me. Swan wanted to head to the beach and look for a sunrise, and I told her I would join her a little later (I had to see what I’d been missing on the internet).

When Swan had finished satisfying her toes in the sand urge, she joined me, and we shared a breakfast (I ate the bacon and eggs; she had the toast and jam). Owner Matt stopped by our table to greet us. I’d met Matt on my previous Mope outings, but something has changed with him, and not for the better. A couple of months ago, he had a crash on his motorcycle, and his injuries resulted in him losing a leg.

In addition to being a motorcycle enthusiast, Matt was an avid surfer (his resort was built to cater to the surfing crowd). He told me he would be fitted with an artificial limb soon, and he has every intention of resuming his passion for riding the board shortly thereafter. So much respect for this guy!

After breakfast, we headed out for a morning stroll.

And now I am back home and dashing out a blog post before heading out to visit the Kokomo’s floating bar. I haven’t been there since last year!

A special memory for today:

Today’s episode in The Story of My Life is a post from New Year’s Day twenty years ago called “Journey Through The Past.” I had just returned from a cross-country drive after visiting Oklahoma, one of the states I’ve called home. During the trip, I reflected on the life I had lived there and how I had failed to recognize all the things that were great about it, but I had never fully appreciated it until looking back all those years later. I resolved with my pending move to Korea; I would not make that mistake again. And, of course, I did blow it in a similar fashion while spending my final year before retirement, missing my past life in Seoul and looking towards my future life in the Philippines, while forgetting to fully appreciate the life I was living in Pyeongtaek. It’s a bit disconcerting when your own words come back and bite you in the ass.  

In today’s YouTube video, George takes you on a Sunday stroll through Barretto. I haven’t had a chance to watch it myself yet, but if you are curious have a look.

And now for some laughter:

Okay then, I’m running late. Meeting up with my pal Steve and his gal on the floater so time to get myself on the road. I’ll tell you all about tomorrow!

It was alright. Gonna be a quick report today, I’m in a sour mood and need work my way out of it. Anyway, here’s the story of my yesterday:

The weekly Hideaway feeding was once again accomplished. The bar was quite busy yesterday, and a couple of the drunks were loud enough to be irritating. I only stayed for an hour before heading for the beach.

The Arizona floater was busier than it was last week. That’s good, the girls were otherwise occupied and left us alone this time.

There was a bit of a snafu that I found irksome. As usual, we gave our waitress our drink order before heading up to the third floor. And after waiting nearly ten minutes, the drinks hadn’t arrived. So, we went back downstairs, and it seems the waitress had gotten busy with a takeout order and forgotten all about us. She apologized profusely, and instead of walking out, we just stayed on the second floor and let it go. A bit of a buzz killer, though.

Our nightcap was at the Green Room. Pudding before bed but still a sour ending to the night. I’ll leave it at that.

And here are some facts (well, facts according to the Facebook post I saw) about the Philippines:

FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

1. Most of people in the Philippines speak English! With a strong emphasis on English education, the Philippines ranks as the fifth-largest English-speaking country globally, making communication with locals a breeze for English speakers.

2. Filipinos ranked as the highest selfie-takers in the world! Filipinos have earned the title of the world’s most enthusiastic selfie-takers, embracing the art of self-expression through photography.

3. Philippines has 7641 islands – making it one of the largest archipelagos globally. Surprisingly, more than 5,000 of these islands remain unnamed on most international maps, waiting to be discovered. Sounds amazing, right? Just imagine huge number of islands right there!

4. There are over 170 dialects in the Philippines! One of the most remarkable features of the Philippines is its linguistic diversity. While the official language is Filipino, based on Tagalog, there are over 170 dialects spoken throughout the archipelago, reflecting the nation’s vibrant cultural mosaic.

5. The Philippines is the only Asian nation that is predominantly Christian. More than 86% of the population identifies as Roman Catholic and religion is still a big influence in the country.

6. The largest and most expensive pearl in the world was found in the Philippines! It was being found in Palawan, weighing a staggering 75 pounds and valued at an astonishing $100 million.

7. Filipinos celebrate Christmas longer than you think! The Philippines takes Christmas celebrations to the next level, beginning in September and lasting until January during the “Feast of the Three Kings.” The festive atmosphere includes decorations and numerous parties.

8. The Philippines has ‘best singers,’ ‘loves music most’ among 90 toured countries. Filipinos are so good at singing! Karaoke is their beloved pastime, showcasing their vocal talents at gatherings, turning any occasion into a singing festivity.

9. The Philippines has earned its title as the “text capital of the world,” with social media and texting being the primary means of communication.

10. Tarsier, one of the world’s smallest primates can only be found in the Philippines. It is known for its enormous eyes relative to its body size, aiding in night vision.

11. Fertilised duck embryo is the famous street snack. Filipinos enjoy eating this, they call it as ‘balut’.

12. The Philippines has unique transportation modes, such as tricycles, jeep, and kalesas.

13. The Philippines is known as the largest supplier of nurses to the world, with over 25% of all nurses in the United States being of Filipino descent.

14. Jeepney as the usual public transportation! It is distinctive and colorful public transportation vehicles, is ubiquitous in the Philippines, providing a unique way to explore its cities.

15. Philippines is the only country where the flag is flown upside down to indicate the state of war.

16. Filipino is the official language in the Philippines. It became the main language of the Philippines in 1987 under the constitution replacing ‘Pilipino’.

17. Philippines is one of the largest island countries in the world! It offers an incredible diversity of landscapes and experiences.

18. The Philippines is the second largest producer of coconut products in the world. Locally known as buko, coconut is a top export product of the Philippines. Each year, the country ships around 19.50 million tons or more of coconut fruit.

19. Filipinos are known for being polite, addressing each other with “ma’am” or “sir.” Respect for elders is deeply ingrained, reflected in terms like “ate” and “kuya” and use of “po” and “opo.”

20. “Filipino time” refers to the cultural phenomenon of Filipinos often arriving late for appointments or events, reflecting their laid-back, relaxed attitude towards time.

21. Two of the world’s largest shopping malls are located in the Philippines, offering an incredible shopping and leisure experience. One is SM Megamall, located in Mandaluyong city, with a total floor area of over 5.5 million square feet. Another is SM Shopping center of Asia (MOA) is a rambling shopping center in Pasay City, with more than 4.4 million square feet of retail space.

22. The Philippines founded Asia’s first basketball league, the Philippines Basketball Association, in 1975, making basketball a beloved sport in the country.

23. Jollibee is the top fast food chain the Philippines taking over McDonald’s! Jollibee was the leading limited-service restaurant in the Philippines in terms of sales in 2021. In that year, the restaurant chain generated sales of approximately 24. 53 billion U.S. dollars. Its closest competitor, McDonald’s, had total sales of about 786 million U.S. dollars in that year.

24. The Philippines has the largest underground river. Many people visit the Philippines because of its cultural history of famous water bodies. In fact, this nation is home to the largest underground river. It is located in Puerta Princesa Subterranean River National Park. There are many famous landmarks in the Philippines that will amaze you.

25. Filipinos can’t eat without rice! For almost 99% of the Philippine population, no meal is complete without rice, highlighting its central role in Filipino cuisine.

26. Filipinos usually have 3 to 4 meals daily!

27. There are three main island groups in the Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao, and Visayas. Luzon, the most populous, is home to the capital city, Manila.

And now you know.

Today’s YouTube video is from a fellow expat retiree who reflects on the challenges of growing old here:

Who could use a laugh after that?

Okay, Hash Monday is upon us once again. Today’s trail starts and ends on Rizal Extension, which means it’s gonna be a pain in the ass to get back to town afterward. Oh well, I’m already in a pissy mood, so why not sprinkle a little salt in the wound?

And for you “first time hearing” fans:

I mean the Christmas that was yesterday. I sure as hell hope it wasn’t my last Christmas! I guess we’ll just have to wait and find out. In the meantime, here’s how I spent the day of the dear Savior’s birth (hedging my bets, just to play it safe):

Christmas fell on a Wednesday this week, but that didn’t keep four of us from heading out for a walk. We took a 200 peso trike ride to barangay Naugsol and then walked the length of the bypass highway that is under construction. Then it was down into the valley and on home to Barretto. The good news is that we found the path into San Isidro that gets around the fence I couldn’t find last week. Praise the Lord!

Swan gifted me a new trekking pole and two ballcaps for Christmas.

My neighbor Mike was celebrating his 77th birthday this Christmas, and we joined the gathering at his place to celebrate.

After the meal and birthday song, we made a plan to reconvene at Thumbstar bar in Barretto. Mike sent me home with a generous helping of leftovers.

Mike’s an interesting guy who had a career in the music business as a promoter. He shared photos from his glory days with some of the biggest bands from the 70s and 80s. The stories he can tell!

Speaking of those leftovers, I had some of them for breakfast this morning.

So, Christmas is no time to be stingy, even with the calorie intake.

There’s another feast in store for tonight as Swan’s family invades The Right Spot. I’ll get back on track next year for sure.

In the memories department, ten years ago, I had this to say here on LTG:

Maybe I am crazy, but it occurs to me now that life is always just one big transition.  I suppose that state of perpetual transition might on occasion include adventure.  More often it just hurts.

I had no idea what lay in store for me just around the corner (my wife dumping me). And now here I am, still trying to make the best of whatever may come.

Seven years ago, I was enjoying a stroll on the Han River in Seoul:

Today’s YouTube video was lifted from Kevin Kim’s blog. It’s just too damn funny (and true) not to share.

As long as we are laughing:

Assuming I remember what happens, I’ll be sharing how dinner with the family goes tonight. I’ve already made my Aunt Pat’s Recipe World Famous Fruit Salad. My other contribution will be candied yams. Yeah, another cheat day is in store I’m afraid.

So, the obvious song for today’s post is “Last Christmas” by George Michael. In an ominous twist, his last day on Earth was also his last Christmas–he died December 25, 2016.