And a Standard Saturday Solo Street Stroll plus a five-bar crawl equals ten beers. Funny how that works. Let me show you what I mean.

Walking the back streets of Barretto is nothing new for me, and there ain’t much to see that is particularly interesting. I’ll prove that with a photo from every one thousand steps.

Have you recovered from all that excitement yet? Okay then, let’s do a bar crawl:

My plan was to start at the first bar (i.e., closest to my house) and go up the highway from there, visiting each bar in order.

I have a lot of history with this bar, including a broken heart. It’s been a while since my last visit, and it was nice to see owner Paula has hired back most of the old crew. It’s a small place with most of the available seating outside on the sidewalk and in the parking lot. It was too hot for that yesterday, so the the three of us customers sat inside in the aircon.

My methodology for this bar crawl was two beers and out at each venue. I was tempted to extend my stay and catch up with everyone, but I decided it was best to stick with the plan. There is a new SB2 upstairs, a disco bar, that doesn’t open until 8 p.m. and goes into the wee hours of the morning. I’ll visit someday out of curiosity, but discos have never been to my liking.

Nice bar that I seldom visit, despite the outdoor ambiance I like. Go figure.

Welp, I was tired of bar crawling alone, so I messaged Swan to join me, and she agreed. I ordered some food for us to eat when she arrived.

So, that was the end of the bar hop. I might make doing an abbreviated bar hop like this every Saturday as a change of pace and a way to visit places I seldom enter. We’ll see.

After our meal, we crossed the highway (a challenge on a Saturday) and stepped inside the newest bar in town, a place called Nipsy’s. It is where Alaska Club used to be, but it has been remodeled. I was surprised it was so crowded. I didn’t recognize any of the patrons. I’m told it is a bar that caters to the Navy civilian crewman on those freighters in the bay. The outside of the building has similar ships painted on the walls. It has dancers on stage who actually dance, although I didn’t care for the music. Again, I’m the grumpy old man, and this bar isn’t trying to cater to my likes. I was surprised when the waitress asked me if I wanted a Zero since I’d never been here before. She laughed and said she used to work at Alaska. Oh, okay. Anyway, the bar seems to be doing well and good luck to them.

Just for the hell of it, I decided we’d finish our night at the new Alaska bar. We had a nice time there, as usual, with our regulars. I’d reached my limit, and it was nearing 9 p.m. (late for me), so we headed back home in a familiar trike.

I may not have been a perfect day, but it was close enough for me.

Speaking of memories, Facebook took me back six years in time to my last month in Korea.

And then, there was this from three years ago:

Okay, let’s move on to the Quroa Q&A:

Q: What is the most inappropriate thing to say to an amputee?

A: Can I lend you a hand?

Maybe I don’t have a leg to stand on with that kind of humor.

Let’s get to the real funny stuff:

Alright, gotta go. I have a Hideaway feeding to attend to. Back tomorrow.

The day began with a sweet candy walk and ended in sour disappointment with the Fralics beauty pageant. Well, as they say, you’ve got to take the good with the bad. Let’s start with the good.

At noon, my driver picked us up for the trip to San Antonio. My helper Terri and Swan’s sister came along. We also picked up Tom and his gal Kate to join in the adventure. Or should I say disappointment? Tom met Kate a couple of years ago when she was a pageant contestant. I’ve attended two or three of these events previously, and I have always enjoyed them. Yesterday was pretty much a disorganized fiasco. Indeed, when long-time fans like us leave almost angry in frustration, you are doing it wrong. Some of the issues were logistics and timing–way too much downtime between events, and some of it was just not giving a shit about why those in attendance were there. The contest seemed secondary. The MC for the event stood on stage practically begging people to buy tickets for the 50-50 raffle (half goes to the winner, half to event organizers). It was pathetic, to say the least. He wouldn’t allow the contest to continue until the raffle pot had grown to at least 15,000 pesos, saying they needed the money to pay the rent and stay open. I enjoy the FRA venue, but I won’t be going back for the Fralics events next year. Okay, rant over.

Oh, well. Shit happens. A long way to travel and not have a good time. Lesson learned.

The Quora Q&A:

Q: Can I say an employee didn’t give a 2 week notice when called for a reference?

A: It’s generally true you just state the facts about employment history…date hired, date left. I did have a tough situation once. We had fired a mailman for drinking and driving in his mail truck! So, I got the call later for a reference check. Gave the basics as specified above. The caller asked if there was anything else I could tell them. I asked what job is he applying for…school bus driver! Yikes. So I honestly said, “I wouldn’t want him driving my kids.” The caller thanked me and said that is all I needed to know. No regrets and no repercussions.

Time to lighten things up a tad:

Another Hash Monday has arrived. Vienna Sausage is the Hare, so I expect I’ll be looking for alternatives. I’ll go to the start and decide from there. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

But this post is about Sunday, so let’s get to that.

Next up on my agenda for the day was the Hideaway feeding.

A bar devoid of customers can’t survive for long, and Hideaway was deserted when I arrived. I’m only there once a week now and only for a couple of hours, so I can’t say for sure what’s going on. Joy tells me she goes home every night around 7 p.m., even on the weekends. Not good!

One thing Barretto doesn’t lack is options, and I exercised mine with a visit to the Arizona floating bar.

But we weren’t done with our night on the town just yet. The manager at Green Room was celebrating a birthday, so we popped in to extend our greetings.

I’m trying to watch my food intake, so I passed on most of the offerings. But for some reason, I just couldn’t resist this cupcake:

Anyway, it was a pretty good day.

Quora Q&A time:

Q: What was the age difference of the youngest/oldest person you ever slept with? Was it a fling or did it last?

A: Well, we didn’t sleep a wink, but a couple of weeks ago, I had sex with a 22-year-old woman. I’m 65. Not that unusual, really, because, as they say in the Philippines, “age is just a number.” It only lasted about 30 minutes or so, which doesn’t even qualify as a fling. It was a basic transactional relationship. We both got what we wanted.

That was over three years ago. Subsequently, my lowest threshold was achieved with an eighteen-year-old. That was too weird even for me. And thankfully, those days of meaningless casual dalliances are behind me.

Speaking of perversion, there’s this:

Alright, time to get on with the rest of the day. The map of the Hash trail I saw looks like a tough one. Only one way to find out!

With a stop in BarCelona along the way. A quick post today because I’m running late and don’t have a lot to report anyway. Here goes:

I did my solo Thursday walk as usual. It was hot, and I wasn’t really feeling it, but I overcame the urge to shortcut and managed to log almost 9K when I was finished.

Swan had some business to attend to, so we agreed to meet up when she was done. As I was heading out, Erik messaged, asking where I was going to be hanging out. I decided a trip to BarCelona was overdue, so we got together there. I really do like the ambiance of this bar (and it is still for sale), but I’m at best a once-a-month customer. I’m still not sure why.

Alaska Club lay two floors below us, so we popped in there to check on Daddy Jerry. He greeted us at our table and said he was through with ladders. Good! The surgery went well, and he had high praise for the newly reopened hospital in Barretto. I was especially glad to hear that. Hopefully, there will be no more trips to Baypointe, and while I don’t ever want to need an emergency room nearby, I’m glad we have one.

We had an enjoyable visit in Alaska, quenching the thirst of our waitresses, and I tipped the dancers 50 pesos each for their effort. Jerry played almost all 60s music, including some of my favorite old country songs. I grew up listening to Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Horton when my dad came home from work, put on an album, and opened a bottle of beer. Quite the stroll down memory lane hearing some of these songs for the first time in many years. I even looked up Johnny Horton to see what he’s been up to and was shocked to learn that he died in 1960 in a car wreck at the height of his fame. I didn’t know (remember?) that.

Dinner to go from Sit-n-Bull, then home sweet home.

Anyway, let’s do the Quora Q&A thing:

Q: How can a US citizen stay in the Philippines for a one-year vacation?

A: You can extend your tourist visa for up to 3 years before having to physically leave the country. I get an extension every 60 days. Of course, getting here now is the hard part with the COVID restrictions in place.

Well, the scamdemic nonsense is over now, but my three years ran out, and I had to get the jab. No repercussions so far, anyway.

Today’s funny business:

Sorry! I am heading out for tonight’s SOB soon. Hopefully, I’ll do better here tomorrow.

Every few months, I get frustrated with fruitless searches for things I want and need at Royal. Well, fruit isn’t the problem, but you know what I mean. So yesterday, my driver hauled us out to the S&R membership store in the neighboring province of Pampanga. It’s a pain in the ass drive that takes over an hour with heavy traffic much of the way. For the most part, the effort was disappointing. Many items I was specifically searching for, like sugar-free pudding, were unavailable. Other items I wanted but couldn’t have, like some of my old favorite brands of ice cream, tortured me as I resisted the urge to place them in my shopping cart. I did come away with things I’ll enjoy snacking on, like this:

A couple of other pictures from the journey:

I’ll likely make another trip before my membership expires in September and then decide if renewing it is worthwhile. Some items were a little cheaper than Royal, others more expensive. But the main issue is the time and expense of making the journey and still not coming home with everything I wanted.

I also maintained my Tuesday tradition of visiting the Kokomo floating bar. Music was loud again, making it difficult to talk, so I just sat there and sipped my beer, taking it all in. There was a large group of Filipinos on board (I understand they are guests at the Kokomo Hotel), and it was surprising (to me) to see them engaged in behaviors normally only seen from “two-week millionaire” tourists. They rang the bell to buy all the girls a shot (3500 pesos) and lots of bottles of beer as well. I was certainly in no position to complain; it is folks like that that keep the floater afloat.

I didn’t stick around long enough to watch the sun go down because I’d had enough of the loud party vibe. We walked up the beach to McCoy’s, and I was gobsmacked to hear the videoke blaring as we approached. The last few times I’d visited, the barangay Captain (also named Baloy) had banned videoke, but that’s now been lifted, which is a shame. We started to sit down, but I just couldn’t take it, so we moved on.

Where to next? I suggested Snackbar, but Swan didn’t like that idea (there were too many memories there for her), so we tried Subiza. It was totally empty; no one greeted us as we entered, and her friend was not working. Nope. It was too depressing for my blood. So, we made our way to the highway, and the first bar we went to was Queen Victoria. But when we walked in, the bartender advised there was no San Miguel Zero in stock. Well, damn. After my bad experience with SM Light on Saturday night, I’m trying to confine myself to Zero. So, we turned around and walked out.

Next, we crossed the highway and popped into Whiskey Girl. It was shortly after opening, and we were the only customers. I ordered my Zero, but they didn’t have any wine flavors that Swan prefers, so she drank a San Miguel Apple beer. A bit later, my buddy Chris and his gal Shie arrived with a couple of other folks. We exchanged greetings, and they went to play pool. Then suddenly, the bar came under attack by moth-like critters that were attracted to light. I’ve never seen them swarm indoors before, but there they were out in force. The bar turned off as many lights as possible, and we moved to the back, but the bugs were still bugging us, so we finished our drinks and left.

Our night out seemed cursed, so I suggested we grab some food and head for home. Swan agreed, and our best option was Sit-n-Bull. Now, we could order take-out inside the restaurant, or we could go next door to Wet Spot and order from there. Wet Spot it was, then. While we waited, Swan got her wine, I had my Zero, and her friend Aine and our waitress Irene got a lady drink. And nothing went wrong! Our food arrived, we said goodnight and headed for home.

And that was how I filled the hours on Tuesday.

I posted this on Facebook, and not surprisingly, some of my lefty friends weren’t happy.

Ah, politics. It is pointless trying to change the minds of people who are unable and unwilling to reject the dogma they are being fed each day. I’m still hoping people wake up and see what is happening before it is too late, but I have my doubts about that.

It has been so hot here lately that the schools are closed. That’s the first time I’ve heard of that happening. Closer to home, I’ve used the air conditioner in my bedroom for the last four nights in a row, and I almost never use aircon. We changed our hike today to a location where we could mostly walk in the shade. Yeah, it is always hot here, but not this hot.

And one of the FB pages I follow about life in Angeles City gave me a laugh today. Lots of expats there are moaning about the Korean “invasion”–lots of their old favorite bars have Korean owners and some of the girls working the bars prefer Korean men, aka “triple three.” So, with that background in mind, this strikes me as funny:

How about we chill with some Quora Q&A:

Q: Does living in Korea make you feel like just giving up?

A: I spent almost 12 years living and working in Korea. Loved the country. Had my heart broken a couple of times but that’s not unique to Korea. I don’t believe in giving up.

I still miss much about my days in Korea. A lifetime ago now, though.

And things that may make you smile:

Thanks for stopping by!

Yesterday began sweet and ended sour. I joined Swan for her weekly candy walk and took a different route that worked out well. It’s still too damn hot to enjoy walking the streets, but the kids were out in force and we were well-stocked with goodies.

When it came time to make plans for our Saturday evening, Swan wanted to go to Treasure Island on Baloy to hear the live band. And that’s what we did.

I’ll grant that they have talented musicians and singers, but as always seems to be the case, the sound mixing wasn’t done right, which made everything seem distorted and unpleasant to my ears. Maybe it’s just me, other audience members seemed to be enjoying the performance.

Treasure Island doesn’t stock San Miguel Zero, which forced me to drink SM Light, which has additional calories and alcohol content. But that didn’t slow me down. Over the course of the evening, several friends came by and joined us. So, the beverages were being enjoyed along with the camaraderie.

And then I forgot how to say when and imbibed to excess. No, I wasn’t falling down drunk, but I was drunk enough not to remember much else about the night. That’s not my style and I strive to avoid it. So, hopefully, lesson learned. I had the rare hangover this morning, so I napped instead of taking my hike. That’s not good either. Anyway, what’s done is done, and hopefully, it won’t be done again.

I’ve never seen this live and in person, but one of the rituals engaged in during Holy Week is crucifixion reenactments. Yes, devout believers are actually nailed to the cross, albeit through the palm and not the wrist, but still.

Okay, Quora Q&A time:

Q: Why would a girl tell a guy that he looks hot?

A: She is probably worried that he has a fever and might need to get checked for COVID.

Yep, I have all the answers!

Smiles for today:

This has been a dead Easter for me. I’m still unsure about having some hair of the dog that bit me, but I will probably have a couple with dinner. We’ll see how I feel later.

And I made the best of it. Starting with a long hot group hike.

And that’s how I spent my morning. When evening rolled around, Swan and I decided to visit the Arizona floating bar. Yeah, that’s our Sunday thing, but this Sunday, the girls are going to have a party, and everyone gets wet, even the customers. Nope. Not my thing. So, I baked a batch of brownies off we went.

And shortly thereafter, so were we. We were headed to John’s place for dinner.

John wasn’t there, but we were surprised to see my waitress friend Em Jhae back. She said she had time off for the holidays and John messaged asking her if she could help out for the weekend, and she agreed.

Swan got a message from a friend that she was at It Doesn’t Matter for a pool tournament, so we visited there for our nightcap. And John was there playing. It was great to see him on his feet and enjoying playing pool again. How Good was my Friday? I stayed out until the ungodly hour of nine p.m.! Hey, sometimes you just have to let go and party hard!

Facebook memories included this old joke from 2012:

A Scotsman, an Englishman, and an Irishman are playing darts at Dolce Vita in Itaewon (you guys know who you are, so I won’t mention any names…).

“Y’know” said the Scotsman, “I still prefer the pubs back home. In Glasgow, there’s a wonderful little bar called McTavish’s. The landlord there goes out of his way for the locals, so much that when you buy 4 drinks he’ll buy the 5th drink for you.”

“Well,” said the Englishman, “at my local, the Red Lion, the barman there will buy your 3rd drink after you buy the first 2.”

“Ahhhhh, that’s nothing, laddies,” said the Irishman.

“Back home in me own Dublin, there’s Ryan’s Bar. Now, the moment you set foot in the place they’ll buy you a drink, then another, all the drinks you like. Then, when, when you’ve had enough drinks, they’ll take you upstairs and see that you get laid. All on the house.”

The Englishman and Scotsman immediately scorn the Irishman’s claims. But he swears every word is true.

“Well,” said the Englishman, “did this actually happen to you?”

“Not to me meself, personally, no,” said the Irishman… “but it did happen to me sister.”

Still as funny as it ever was.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: How is it that amnesiacs don’t forget as much as most people think they do?

A: I don’t remember…

We are on a roll here, so let’s get to the rest of the humor.

Back with the Saturday report tomorrow.

Another Hash Monday is upon us—er, well, me anyway. Since I’m one of the Hares this week, and we marked the trail yesterday, you’d think I’d have some free time on my hands. But I still want to meet the group at the start to send them off. I’ll leave a bit early for that and get some fatboy steps in for me, too. The trail we laid has one moderately easy climb and is just under 5K in length. The hardcore folks will find it too easy, but thems the breaks. They can always longcut if they feel the need. Here are some photos of the Hares hard at work:

I hope my fellow Hashers find something to like about today’s trail. If not, there is always next week. Meanwhile, I took care of some other business.

Then, it was time to hit the beach.

We departed the floater shortly after sundown. Inday had not experienced a dancing bar either, so we took her go-go virginity at Alaska Club. It’s always an adventure walking from Arizona to Alaska on the highway in the dark, but we made it. Then we finished off our night out at Wet Spot. Home for some “Blue Eye Samurai” before falling asleep on the couch. It’s all good.

Time for some Quora Q&A:

Q: Why do retirees flee to Arizona and Florida? I can understand moving to Florida, but isn’t Arizona way too hot?

A: They are both hot, but Arizona is a “dry heat,” low humidity hot. You can also choose to live in the mountains, like Flagstaff or Prescott, and enjoy moderate four seasons weather.

My sense of humor may be a little off, but at least I’m not a dick.

Okay, maybe I am a dick.

An unexpected brownout here today. My laptop battery just died. So, for the first time in almost twenty years of blogging, I am posting from my phone. It sucks every bit as much as I thought it would.

Back later with the story of last night’s wedding reception.

A nice finish to a nothing day with a visit to my friend Max’s place. He was having a going away get-together before he leaves for work in Germany next week. I’d only been to his house once before and he’s been busy making improvements since then. It is also part way up a hill with no vehicle access (other than a motor scooter) so I even got to give my lungs a test walking there. They passed!

It was a little tricky getting down from Max’s in the dark, but with two phone flashlights, we managed. Stopped by Sit-n-Bull and grabbed a pecan pie to bring home with us. Settled onto the couch, and watched episode #3 of Blue Eye Samurai. A fine way to end the evening.

And today starts a new week and my attempt to return to normalcy.

Then we did a 6.5K candy walk that included some stairs. I held out pretty well doing that, too. So, next, I’m going to see how it goes at the Hash tomorrow.

Maybe it’s a little too soon for this, but it gave me a chuckle:

Let’s do the Quora Q&A:

Q: What are the most embarrassing reasons someone got fired in your company?

A: When I worked for the Postal Service, a postmaster got caught being intimate with one of his clerks inside the walk-in safe. He was fired for what we called having “safe sex”.

True story!

And now for these:

Alright, back to my quest for normalcy. I did the walk today and will soon head out for the Sunday Hideaway feeding. After that, I’ll do my weekly visit to the Arizona floating bar. I’m going to live it while I got it!

UPDATE: Issue resolved.

I have pictures from my 6K Saturday solo walk to share, some others from my night on the town with Swan and her auntie. But for some reason, the photos won’t load.

Then it was time to walk me. One of my standard walks, but I decided to take a photo each time I was on a new road. Hey, I’ve got to do something to keep it interesting, right?

Swan went out to meet her aunt, and I told her I’d catch up with them later. So, I was a little surprised they were hanging out at Alley Cats, my old dart bar. I joined them there. Apparently, Jackie (the aunt) used to be a Barretto mainstay but has been isolating herself in Olongapo since becoming a widow four years ago. The Alley Cats owner knew her from the old days. I got to visit with an old darts buddy, but when the tourney started, it was time to move on. For some reason, Swan wanted to go to Outback Bar, another venue I rarely visit. She knows a couple of the gals working there, it turns out, so we stayed and shared a drink with them. I knew several Hashers in the bar playing pool.

It was dinner time, and I volunteered to treat Swan and her aunt at a place I hadn’t visited in over a year…The Hops and Brews Beer Garden.

After we finished eating, we went to Wet Spot for our nightcap.

Let the good times roll! We drank our fill, then sent Jackie home on a Jeepney while we caught a trike. It was a good day.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Who would consider moving to another country other than the USA?

A: I already have. Spent 10+ years in South Korea and I’m now enjoying retirement in the Philippines…

A meme for today:

Alright, sorry for the rushed post, but the uploading issue threw me off schedule. I have a Hideway feeding and a meetup with Swan on the floating bar after that. Gotta run!

adventure /ăd-vĕn′chər/

noun

1. An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature.
2. An undertaking of a questionable nature, especially one involving intervention in another state’s affairs.
3. An unusual or exciting experience.”an adventure in dining.”

So, yesterday’s hike had the potential to be hazardous; it was a questionable undertaking and certainly unusual. Adventure defined indeed! Trouble is, I wasn’t looking for adventure. I needed to get out and exercise, but given my limited lung capacity, I wanted to take it flat and easy. My hike mates kindly accepted my inability to do any climbs, and so we planned on doing a mostly flat valley walk from Barangay Naugsol back to Barretto. Sometimes, the best-laid plans go astray, as we amply demonstrated during our trek. Here’s that story in pictures:

When the time came around to head into town, I chose to stay home instead. I just wasn’t feeling up to the trek, and why bother when I have a nice venue up on the roof?

I did a solo 6K street walk this morning that also left me feeling tired and winded. I hope this, too, shall pass. I will be going out later to help keep the Bars of Barretto in business. It’s a thankless task, but somebody has to do it.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: How have you lived in the states for a 122 years?

A: I’m a time traveler. I’ve gone back in time to the year 1900 and stayed in the USA the entire time since. A little-known fact about time travel is that you never age…I was 30 years old when I arrived here, and I’m still 30 after 122 years. It’s been quite the ride; trust me on that!

Another example of ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. And just so you know, I rarely even bother playing the Quora answer game anymore. I still visit the site once a day as there are some interesting posts about historical events I enjoy.

Today’s humor:

That’s all for now, folks!

I had nothing in the way of energy yesterday, so I wound up doing nothing all day. Which adds up to zip. Just one of those days. I did visit the neighbor Jeff’s place in the evening and enjoyed some conversation, cold beers, and yes, karaoke.

Jeff also prepared an excellent meal featuring grilled beef tenderloin and a twice-baked potato. It was a good time, and I stumbled home a little drunker than usual.

I’m back in the swing of things today, joining Swan for a 6K candy walk. I’ve got a feeding to attend later at Hideaway and the annual VFW Beach Bash beauty contest after that. You gotta enjoy life while you can, right?

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: If you had to describe your current life as a movie, which movie would you choose?

A: Leaving Las Vegas.

(I felt that way at one time, especially in the first year after Jee Yeun left me, but that is no longer the case.)

Today’s funnies:

Until we meet again.

Or at least a day in the life. I’m still not inclined to do hills *ahem* but I did a 7K solo stroll yesterday over mostly flat terrain. I’m not sure what the future holds for me physically, but I’m going to keep pushing forward as long as I can. Here is some of what I saw along the way:

Swan had some shopping to do in Olongapo (her sister is getting married on March 8), and I told her she could meet me at Sloppy Joe’s on her way back home.

I had skipped lunch, so a couple of beers later, I was ready for some grub. Swan was hungry too, and I suggested we walk the block to Myleen’s for dinner.

With our hunger satiated, it was time to take care of business. I had a 500 peso voucher for La Oficina that was due to expire, so that’s where we headed. La Oficina is a girly bar (dancers), which is not my thing, so I very seldom visit here. The VFW guys were holding an event when we arrived, so there was a pretty good crowd at first. We got a nice seat overlooking the stage and settled in–Swan with her red wine, me with my San Mig Zero.

Those coupons they hand out at the SOB always wind up costing me money. Yeah, my beers were free, but that didn’t limit my spending. I used to play darts with one of the waitresses, so naturally, I invited her to join us for a couple of lady drinks. One of the dancers caught my eye, but not in the way you might expect. She was attractive enough and young, but the look on her face when she took to the stage was heartbreaking. It was so obvious she hated her job and wanted to be someplace else, but like a lot of these women, she likely had no other viable option to earn money but to put her body on display. The way she held her arms folded over her bare midriff showed how shy she was. I shared my thoughts with Swan, and she agreed with my assessment. Swan also didn’t object to my going to the stage and slipping the sad dancer a tip and some words of encouragement. Yeah, back in the day, the hardcore mongers didn’t like guys like me setting that kind of bad example, dubbing me another “Captain Save-a-Ho.” I always wore that mantle proudly because even prostitutes are worthy of respect. I tried to make my barfines more of a date than just a “wham, bam, thank you, ma’am.” Anyway, those days are long gone, but the sad girl on stage reminded me of why I always hated Angeles City and don’t spend much time now in the dancing bars.

A food vendor came into the bar selling treats Filipinas fancy, so I bought 300 pesos worth for the hardworking girls, and they seemed to appreciate it. My tab came to around 700 pesos, and I tipped my dart buddy and waitress before departing. So, yeah, that 500 peso coupon saved me big time!

I came home feeling no pain and went to bed early. Woke up to another fine morning in paradise. Keep ’em coming! It’s SOB Friday (coincidentally at La Oficina tonight) but I’ve invited the neighbors over for some fun at The Rite Spot On The Roof.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What do you call Spaniards who were born in Spain and went to the Philippines?

A: Colonizers.

Here are today’s “funnies” (yes, I am aware that’s a matter of opinion):

One of my country music favorites, Toby Keith, died earlier this month at age 62 from stomach cancer. I came across a video of him performing a song I’d never heard at a country music awards show last December. I’m not sure if it was his final live performance, but damn, the words really resonate.

Don't let the old man in
I want to live me some more
Can't leave it up to him
He's knocking on my door

And I knew all of my life
That someday it would end
Get up and go outside
Don't let the old man in

Many moons I have lived
My body's weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old you'd be
If you didn't know the day you were born

Try to love on your wife
And stay close to your friends
Toast each sundown with wine
Don't let the old man in

Many moons I have lived
My body's weathered and worn
Ask yourself how old you'd be
If you didn't know the day you were born

When he rides up on his horse
And you feel that cold bitter wind
Look out your window and smile
Don't let the old man in
Look out your window and smile
Don't let the old man in

Words to live by.

And to make matters worse, Swan caught me. I’ll share the gruesome details later in this post. Let’s start with the good part of the day–Swan’s weekly candy walk.

Swan had a friend coming over to visit in the evening, which meant I would be alone in the bars. Yeah, you can see where this is leading.

So, I headed out with a pocketful of coupons from the SOB, including a “buy one, take one” for the Green Room. On my way there, I passed Sloppy Joe’s and saw a group of Hashers enjoying cold beverages, so I joined them for a couple.

When I moved next door to Green Room, I was able to secure my favorite table and plopped down to take full advantage of my half-price beer coupon. My regular waitress sat down, and we chatted some, so I bought her a lady drink. A bit later, a woman I met while hiking (I gave her kids some cookies) came over to give me a shoulder rub (she works there now). And then the Hasher I know came and stood beside my table, too. When I ordered my next beer, I bought them all a round of lady drinks. Yeah, those coupons always wind up costing me money!

I got a message that my pal Erik was on his way, and he arrived just in time to rescue me from a very aggressive gal who was trying to touch me in ways that even I find inappropriate. With Erik there, she turned her full attentions on him and left me alone. He seemed to be enjoying her company. I stayed for a couple of more (and another round of lady drinks). A large group of big-spending Koreans arrived and encamped on the tables next to ours. They began playing pool, and I saw one tip a girl 1000 pesos, which must have made her week. It’s always entertaining to watch the two-week millionaires in action.

Erik was surprised when I told him it was time for me to go, seeing as how it wasn’t even eight yet. When he asked why, I just said I’d rather be at home. Besides, he appeared to be in good hands (literally) with the aggressive girl. As I departed, I decided to stop into Sit-n-Bull and get a pecan pie for Swan (it’s her favorite). I was a little surprised to see the price has gone up to 260 pesos per pie slice. I usually get two for an even 500, but that won’t work now. My judgment may have been impaired somewhat by the beers, but I impulsively told the waitress to make a banana split to go. I got one pecan pie as well.

When I arrived home, Swan was still on the roof with her friends, so I turned on the TV and “Shameless”ly began devouring my banana split. Unbeknownst to me, Swan had quietly come downstairs and caught me red-handed cheating on my diet. She was none too pleased but calmed down when I handed her the pecan pie. Still, she let me know she expected me to remain faithful in the future to abstaining from ice cream. Yes, dear.

One day at a time. When you fall off the wagon, you just climb your way back on.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What are some places in the world where an America can much easily afford an early retirement there, whereas if they had stayed in America they would be struggling to get by and probably would run out of money?

A: It’s not hard to find places that are more affordable than the USA. I chose the Philippines and I live very well here on my pension. I love Asia and should I decide on a change of scenery I’d seriously consider Cambodia or Vietnam.

And now for the smiles:

I’m going to do a feeding at Hideaway and enjoy some time on the Arizona floating bar today. I don’t foresee any ice cream in my future, though.

Yep, another hike on Kalaklan Ridge. Note I said “on,” not “up.” One of the members, Brian, discovered a rough dirt road leading to the ridge from the Olongapo side and offered to drive the group up in his 4×4 pickup truck. I love walking the ridgeline but despise climbing up there, so this idea was a real treat. We took the truck to the top and parked where the road ended, then commenced our walk in the direction of Tralala, a mountaintop village. We arrived 4K later and kept on going for a bit into territory none of us had previously traversed. Then we reversed course and walked back the way we came (no other option on the ridge) concluding what for me was a 9K hike. I enjoyed it very much much. Here are some pictures our group took along the way:

The dog walk, the ridgeline, and my trip into town made for one of my biggest days in a long time.

About that trip into town. I dropped into Hideaway for Joy’s birthday. Had a pizza delivered and gave her an envelope with the gift I knew she could use. I stayed an hour or so and said goodbye before the cake was cut. Next up was Cheap Charlies, a venue I don’t frequent as often as I used to. Come to think of it, I haven’t been hitting any of the bars as often now that I have more motivation to stay home. None of my old crew was working, but I stayed for two beers anyway.

Swan was visiting a friend and wasn’t going to join me. I decided to go to Whiskey Girl to say hello to my waitress friend, Jenn. Except she wasn’t working either. The girl I know from Voodoo now works at Whiskey Girl, so I bought her a drink before I headed back down the highway.

I made Snackbar my final stop of the night. Months and months have passed since my last visit, and the vibe was pretty depressing. Things change, and life goes on. There are lots of nice memories there, but the past is gone.

Home before eight (and Swan). For some reason, Netflix still won’t load on my television, so I finished season 10 of “Shameless” on my laptop. One more season to go.

Today, I’m going to spend my evening at the Rite Spot On The Roof. I’m sure it will be more fun than I had last night.

Facebook memories reminded me that it was seven years ago that I was diagnosed with COPD.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Do you ever think about your old job after retirement?

A: Funny you should ask. I dreamed about working in my old job last night. It’s been over four years since I retired. I guess my subconscious wanted something to do.

And you regulars know what is coming next:

That’s all for today. Thanks for dropping in.

Tuesday is in the books, my shelves are restocked with groceries, and I’m still among the living. Hard to top that!

My big event was a visit to Dr. Jo to review the results of my recent bloodwork. It wasn’t quite as good as I hoped it would be, but not so bad that I’m hopeless. Comparing the results of my previous test in May and this one, here’s the lowdown:

My uric acid is high. Up from 438.74 to 529.52 (high normal is 416)

My fasting blood sugar is high. Up from 6.35 to 6.49 (high normal is 5.49)

I also have increased levels of kidney enzymes:

Blood Urrea Nitrogen. Up from 4.20 to 6.80 (high normal is 8.33)

Creatine. Up from 82.0 to 102.0 (high normal is 104)

In the good news department, my cholesterol is down.

So, I have a couple of new meds to try for the next thirty days. And I have to develop more discipline in my daily dietary habits. Back on low carb and limited sugar intakes. My motivation is not to become diabetic like my mother was and to avoid kidney failure. Wish me luck.

After the doctor’s appointment, I hiked out to Baloy Beach to do my Tuesday gig on the floating bar.

And when the sun goes, so do we. This time, we visited DaKudos for our supper.

Via Facebook memories came this from five years ago:

And in the sad news department, Toby Keith has died at 62. I first became familiar with Keith as a performer when I heard “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” which resonated with me after seeing the 9/11 attacks up close and personal in DC. That event also transformed me from a Democrat voter to a person who puts America first. And I hear this song frequently played in The Hideaway Bar and others:

Today’s Quora Q&A question:

Q: If you could go back to 1986 and restart your life from that moment, would you do it?

A: Yes, I would. There would be lots of IPO stocks to buy.

Today’s funnies:

Alright, got to run. I have a birthday party to attend to at Hideaway this evening.

It’s funny the things you remember sometimes. When I was thinking about how to characterize how I spent my time yesterday, the word “satisfice” came to mind. Then, I recalled the days when I was climbing the ladder through levels of government bureaucracy as a supervisor and manager for Uncle Sam. Periodically, we’d be sent to training seminars at the taxpayers’ expense to learn skills to become more effective leaders. At one such session, I was introduced to the concept of satisficing. Contrary to most of my training, this tidbit proved useful over the years. The way the instructor explained it, as managers, we had to both make efficient use of our time and encourage the growth and development of our subordinates. An example I remember from the training went something like this: You assign a staff member to write a policy memo. When you are provided a draft for review, you find that while it conveys the purpose adequately, it is not written in the manner you prefer. So, you can reject the work and have it redone, or you can waste your own precious time rewriting it yourself. The third option was to accept that while it was not done the way you would have, it did serve to communicate the policy’s intent–it satisfices. Over the years, many things passed my desk for approval, and I would invoke that mantra in acceptance. I did a quick Google search of the word today and was surprised to see a Wikipedia entry for satisficing. They describe a more scientific approach than I took, but the idea is pretty much the same.

About yesterday, then. I mentioned that I had decided to forego the Hash, but I needed to determine how I might best fill those hours in a meaningful way. But as I considered options, nothing particularly appealed to me. I hadn’t spent any time over the weekend in the bars of Barretto, and oddly enough, I wasn’t missing that scene. I thought about doing my own hike, but I wasn’t feeling up for a solo walk either. In the end, I walked across town to John’s place, ordered the Korean wings to go, and took them across the street to Hideaway to share with the crew since I hadn’t been there for the Sunday feeding.

After an hour, I moved on. Blue Butterfly Bar was sold and is now called Roadhouse. I like that name much better. I dropped in to see what was up, but other than some new signage and fewer girls, it didn’t seem much different. I had one beer there and departed. Now what? As I stood on the highway, considering the multiple bar options surrounding me, nothing appealed more than the thought of going back home. So, that’s what I did after stopping in at Sit-n-Bull for some pecan pie (Swan’s favorite) to take with me.

When I walked through the door, I put the pie on the counter, grabbed a beer, and headed up to the roof. Swan was already there enjoying a glass of wine and was happy to have me join her.

Later, we went downstairs with the intention to watch some “Shameless,” but for some reason, Netflix wouldn’t load on the TV. We settled for a couple of YouTube videos, then headed off to bed for some bliss before sleep.

It was a far from perfect day, but it satisficed.

Today’s Quora Q&A (from November 2022):

Q: What would you say to someone if they became a millionaire overnight?

A: Sharing is caring.

Today’s attempts at humor:

We’ll so something a little more upbeat for today’s song:

I hope you found today’s post to be satisficing.

I am what I am, and that’s all that I am, but it would take a lot more than spinach to make me a Popeye. I fear my destiny will be a Wimpy one.

Yesterday’s Hash kicked my ass. Leech My Nuggets was the Hare, and he is famous for tough but well-marked trails. Run #1586 was no exception. We began on the far side of Subic town and journeyed back through the hills to the On-Home at Smokes and Bottles. The first climb left me breathless, and I had an internal debate about giving up, but retreat wasn’t an appealing option either. So onward I plodded. My relief at achieving the summit was short-lived because the getting down was also long and surprisingly difficult. On the other hand, I’m 68 years old and still getting out and about, so I won’t overly shame my effort. The day may come when I’m only a flat-earther, but that day has not arrived yet.

Prior to departing home for the Hash, I partook in a fine lunch crafted by Swan’s loving hands.

Then it was time to get to work.

And so ended a challenging Hash. Glad I lived to tell about it.

In other news, I got asked a question on Quora today about becoming a certified human resources professional (I are one). I’ve not been very active on Quora lately, but I did look through some of my previous answers there. And just for you, my faithful few readers, I’ve decided to start a new daily feature here at LTG–a Q&A from the past. C’mon, admit it, you’re getting bored with hiking pictures, right? Well, I’m still doing those; this is something extra, lagniappe, as we used to say in Louisiana. Here’s today’s:

Q: I’m 1 inch tall and I’m in the palm of your hand. You can do whatever you want with me, with no limits. What would you do with me?

A: I’d have you dance on my hand, then give you a round of applause…

For some reason, that didn’t earn me any upvotes. Oh well, ask a stupid question; that’s what you get.

Had enough of this nonsense for one day? Me, too. Besides, it’s almost time for me to do my Tuesday gig at the Kokomo floating bar. See you here tomorrow!