The road is long

I was inspired to push myself more than usual yesterday and see just how far I could go. Part of the motivation came from Kevin Kim’s plan to attempt a 60-kilometer hike. Yeah, you read that right. That’s WAY out of my league (my thus far unreachable dream is the 29K trek to San Narciso), but I wanted to see if I could make it half-way there. I did a highway loop starting at my house and finishing at Sit-n-Bull for lunch. I was also hoping to walk my blues away, listening to music through my earbuds, and kept my phone mostly in my pocket, so not many photos to share.

Dying at fourteen provided some perspective. If my life ends tomorrow, I will have been comparatively blessed.
Perhaps it is only my imagination, but that damn mountain seems to be mocking me. I could almost hear it calling me a pussy.
I’ll never understand the mentality of people who do this. They just toss their household garbage on the side of the highway without a care or concern. Disgusting.
The trail ended here with a roast beef dip sandwich.
The route of my journey.
The stats from my hike

So, I consider that my goal was achieved, but I was whupped at the end. My feet were aching, but other than feeling exhausted, I was okay. But no, I don’t see how I could have managed another 15K if I wanted to make it all the way to San Narciso. Maybe after a lunch break, I might make another 5K, rest again, then continue on in bits and pieces. I have my doubts, though. IF I ever actually attempt that hike, I’ll start it in San Narciso, and I can bail if need be by catching a Jeepney in San Marcelino or Castillejos. We’ll see what the future brings.

Oh, in case you were wondering, Kevin had to bail on his hike at around 30K. He doubled my distance but considered it a failure. Meanwhile, I’m in awe of his accomplishment.

I had a visit with Dr. Jo to discuss some ongoing physical issues. The back pain has diminished somewhat (although it is still stiff and sore when I first wake up), but now I have a stabbing pain on the left side of my lower abdomen. My concern is that it seems more internal than muscular. It doesn’t hurt if I touch that area, but certain movements, like lying on my left side, trigger the pain. Anyway, we are going to do an ultrasound scan of that area and see if there is anything that looks amiss. Fortunately, I have no pain or ill effects when I’m out walking.

After finishing with Dr. Jo, I got a haircut and then went for some cold beers at Cheap Charlies.

Looking out front from Cheap Charlies.
And the view from out back.

We ordered some snacks (chicken wings, fingers, and lumpia) from Foodies restaurant downstairs, and shared them with the girls. I’d rather do that than overpay for a lady drink.

Our nightcap destination, Green Room, as seen from Cheap Charlies.

More of the same during our Green Room visit, chat (and lady drinks) with Chu and Sally, then enjoying watching some talented pool players in action.

Like her.
And her.

When we got back home, I baked a batch of brownies, then smothered one in vanilla ice cream. I figured I’d earned it after my long-ass walk!

And by golly, I still managed to stay under budget!

In other news, I came across this article talking about how the old Subic Navy base has become a hot Asian retirement destination. Hmm, I don’t know about that. I checked it out before moving here and chose not to live there for several reasons, but the primary one was that it was just too much like the vanilla USA lifestyle. Barretto is more my kind of town.

From the LTG archives is this post from May 2007 talking about those wacky Canadians I encountered in Seoul. Hey, I was ahead of my time! I had close friendships with several Canucks during my stay in Korea, but there were some crazies as noted in my post.

In 1986, I had to move my daughter’s horse from the farm in Monroe, Oklahoma, to our new residence in Lexington, South Carolina. We made it!
Seven years ago, I participated in the final outing with my team before retirement.
Also, seven years ago, I posted this on Facebook. I still have no idea what it means.
Three years ago, I wasn’t on a diet and could enjoy the amazing club sandwich from Sit-n-Bull.

For today’s YouTube, I couldn’t resist posting another video from Smart Girl Philippines. Something about her just makes me smile. “Tell her you are part Korean” made me laugh out loud.

And some more funny business:

I’m funny when you’re drunk!
That’s Karma for you!
An eruption will set you free!

Anyway, life goes on. Things are better today than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow. Hopefully.

The hills are alive

And so am I. So far, at least.

Started the morning with the Wednesday Walkers group hike. Only three in attendance this week. We did a shady hike on the My Bitch trail, and came back down in the familiar streets of San Isidro. We didn’t beat the heat, but we survived it.

This week’s hike mates were Chris and Ed.
Looking down on the Naugsol Valley at the high point of our trek.
And the San Isidro side of things.
Nothing new or exciting to see, but the shade was nice.
Life’s a Bitch sometimes.
The stats from our Wednesday outing.

When I headed into town with my gal later in the afternoon, we witnessed a rare sighting of Mary Poppins:

It’s been a long time since I even thought of that story.

The first order of business was a visit to the Angel’s Touch salon for a foot spa and pedicure.

The agony of the feet.

I was finished before Swan, so I waited for her at Red Bar. When she arrived, we enjoyed some beverages on the outdoor patio, then headed up the highway for dinner at Mylene’s. We both ordered off the Filipino menu:

Beef kare kare for Swan
And sweet and sour pork for me.
Perhaps next time we’ll try some of their fresh seafood.

We did our Wednesday “seldom-visited bars” thing.

First stop, Nipsey’s. We were the only customers upon arrival, and the vibe was zilch. I used to know someone who worked here, but she must be gone now.
Our nightcap was at Cloud 69. It was not busy, but it still had a friendly vibe. Our waitress friend Sheryl took good care of us (and was rewarded with lady drinks).

(Both of those bar photos were taken this morning on my walk.)

Then we headed back home, where the night did not end well. Things still aren’t right today, but hopefully there will be a resolution soon.

Every little bit hurts.

I’ve progressed to May of 2007 in my journey through the LTG archives. And I was astonished to find a post that was actually interesting. It recounts some strange happenings at home and then ends with my only encounter with Korean police during my time in Seoul. Certainly worthy of inclusion in The Story of My Life.

And three years ago, I had some pizza. This one is for commenter Bentley:

It looks like it has pineapple on top, just the way Filipinos like it.

Today’s YouTube video is from Smart Girl Philippines reminding her viewers not to pay for O.P.P. (other people’s pussy). It’s short and sweet, just like she is. She’s fun to watch!

Humor me these:

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a roll in the hay.
Wise words, indeed!
Happy now, Bentley?

And so it goes. I’m kind of on edge, waiting to see if my life is about to take a wrong turn, but there’s nothing I can say about it at the moment. The greatest gift you can give someone you love is happiness. I’ll leave it at that for now.

Word.

Heading for the beach

Lest I forget, it’s Eartha Day again!

Yesterday’s version of life in paradise went down like this:

On the way to the YBC supermarket, we passed the scene of the Easter fire in downtown Olongapo. I was surprised that it was much more than the Sam’s Pizza restaurant that burned down.

The fire destroyed about half a block of buildings.

At least it didn’t reach an LA level of destruction. The rest of the morning was uneventful: groceries purchased, a neighborhood walk. After a nap and a blog post, it was time for our Tuesday beach excursion.

Walk this way.
Well, Domingo, you got eight years on me, so there’s that at least. RIP
The holidays are over, and Baloy Beach is once again relatively quiet.
That girl with her toes in the sand.
Our destination awaits.
The view upon arrival
Busier than usual yesterday.
Then it was time for this.
It never gets old
Hasta la vista!

We finished our drinks and headed ashore. Next stop, Treasure Island for some grub.

Beef enchiladas for me (one for dinner, one for breakfast this morning).
Swan had a pizza (Hawaiian, of course) and shared the remains with the TI staff.

Home again before eight, but that’s just the way I roll these days.

Surprise, surprise!

Today, I came across another post that reminds me that LTG has never had much substance. In April 2007, I posted about my lost eyeglasses. Well, there was also some darts news and dinner prep for a gathering I was hosting. The more things change, the more they remain the same. But at least I no longer wear glasses.

I didn’t wear glasses in 1978, either. I was 23 years old, a father of two, and working as a letter carrier in Prescott, Arizona. As I recall, that book was one of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, probably The Fellowship of the Ring. I have read them all several times since then, including aloud to my wife #3.
That was three years ago. Since then, I drink Zero beer.
The insanity we went through five years ago. It’s nice to have been on the right side of history, but damn, the shit they put us through.

Nine years ago, I was loving one of my walks in the parks of Seoul.

My, oh my, how I miss those days.

I’m posting today’s YouTube video with some reluctance. I found it on Facebook, but after viewing, it seems to be hyperbole if not not outright bullshit. I can say that I have not witnessed an influx of people visiting or moving here. I love the Philippines, but it is not the pristine perfection depicted in the vid. So, watch if you want, but take the commentary with a grain of salt.

It seemed funny at the time:

I’ll try again in the morning.
Wach wat yu injoy
Yep, I’m seeing lots of those underdeveloped folks on my FB feed. They are commonly known as “libtards”

I’m sure you’ve had just about enough of my nonsense for one day, so I’ll stop here.

Today’s music video is even older than I am. Still a great listen and watch, though.

To summit up

I didn’t make it to the top.

No surprise, I wussed out and didn’t make the climb up Easter Mountain at yesterday’s Hash. Not that I need any excuses, but it was hot as hell and I just wasn’t feeling it. That said, the “bypass” trail still had a significant up on the backside of the mountain, with an elevation gain of 100 meters. The photo above was taken from that trail; as you can see, we were nearly halfway to the top. Granted, our climb was not as steep and intense as the summit trail, but it was more than enough for me.

There was a mostly flat 3K walk to the base of Easter Mountain. Sorry about that litter, it’s the culture here.
Through the banana forest
These kids were happy to see us, then they ran away with the cookies.
Through the valley we go
It will still be there another day.
Getting closer.
The junction. I took a turn to the left.
The bypass climb begins.
The view from here.
Hard enough, but not as hard as it would have been.
Passed by one of the runners, Kermit the Frog.
Back on flat ground and delivering some sweetness.
Through the woods
Lollipops bring smiles.
On-Home at the 13 Resort
Liquid refreshments after a hard hike
Old timers need beer, too.
Hashy birthday cakes
And the sun sets on another Hash. (Great shot, Scott!)
The path we walked (Easter Mountain is under that cloud).
The stats for the hike
As usual, we had an after-hash hangout at IDM.
As usual, I exceed my calorie budget

So, I had one of those surprises that occasionally occur as a little-read blogger. I’m a member of the Angeles City Hash Facebook group, but I seldom go there. But yesterday, a post from there came up in my feed:

I was very kindly sent a link to a post by a Subic Bay Hasher/Blogger talking about, what he called a Ballbuster Trail, that I (Facilitator) & Brain Dead set on the 16th March 2025, in the Holyland Area of San Martin. I have included a small extract from the post below, and have also included a link to the full article, which contains some interesting photos.

This is the excerpt he quoted:

So, that’s not being critical, the trail was just more difficult than I expected. I did have some complaints in that post about the way some Hash procedures were conducted, but feedback is a gift, right? I just checked back on the AC Hash page, and no one has commented, so I assume no one took offense at the perspectives I shared. This is the post in question.

When I first started this blog over twenty years ago, the name “Long Time Gone” was meant to capture the blog’s intended purpose of staying in touch with friends and family back home as I embarked on what was planned to be a two-year exodus to Korea. I had the CSNY song in mind when I came up with the name. Then the hated Dixie Chicks came out with a song by that name, and I didn’t want anyone to think this blog supported those treasonous bitches. By chance, I found an old song Bob Dylan did in 1962 also called Long Time Gone, and in this post from March 2007, I declared it the official song of my blog—full lyrics in the post.

Facebook memories for today:

Three years ago, I was pretty much still that guy.
Ten years ago, I attended a luncheon with the Directorate of Human Resources Management team. I had recently been rehired, but I wasn’t the boss again (yet). An outstanding group of HR professionals.

Thirteen years ago, I posted this clip from a 1940 Bob Hope movie. As true now as it was back then. Worth the 30 seconds to watch it:

Today’s YouTube video concerns the biggest slum in Manila, the Tondo district. Never been there and never want to go. I’ve grown accustomed to the rural poverty that surrounds me. The people are friendly, and I don’t feel unsafe, but it is still sad to witness the harshness of their lives.

Today’s dose of what I call humor:

Stop, you’re killing me!
You can do worse than eating at the Y.
No ifs, ands, or butts about it.

Another day, another post. Welcome to all my new readers from Angeles City!

So you can have your beauty,
It’s skin deep and it only lies.
And you can have your youth,
It’ll rot before your eyes.
Just give to me my gravestone
With it clearly carved upon:
“I’s a long time a-comin’,
An’ I’ll be a long time gone.”

A walkin’ rockin’ Easter

Since I’ve long since rejected my Protestant Christian upbringing (Four Square/Assembly of God variety), I probably don’t have a prayer for a heavenly afterlife. So, I’d best make the most of what remains of this life I’m living, such as it is.

The sun rose in almost Biblical fashion on Easter Sunday. And so did Swan, leaving the house at 5 a.m. to journey to Botolan for religious ceremonies to celebrate the Easter holiday. Swan is Catholic, although she only attends church services on the special days.

Because of holiday traffic the there and back again took most of the day.

So, I was left to my own devices during most of the daylight hours. And I took full advantage of the opportunity by making a 9K walk and then spending time on the internet. Just like almost every other day in my life. No complaints, keep ’em coming!

I went thataway.
Another one bites the dust. It freaks me out a little that the majority of folks on these funeral banners I see are younger than me. Maybe I should be grateful for the years I’ve lived, but my goal is at least fifteen more.

When Swan made it back from Botolan, she headed to the family compound to share some holiday moments with the relatives. We agreed to meet up later at the Arizona floating bar. I was happy to see it was open when I arrived.

The beach was more crowded than I’d ever seen it before.
I was the only foreigner on board.
The view from my barstool.
I’ll be keeping my eye on you…

Swan arrived about an hour after I did.

Happy to see me?
Maybe later…
Now she’s happy!
Lost in thought or waiting for another beer. One of those.
Time for the show!
Boom!
Resurrection is coming in twelve hours…
Good times!

Next up, dinner at John’s place.

I’d been craving some bulgogi, and it was excellent. Our waitress (John’s daughter) traded out my rice for a side salad and gave me a dish of kimchi. Glad to be a regular here!
Swan went with her usual, birria tacos. One of the three is for me, and it was good!

We stopped by Red Bar for some patio ambiance after dinner.

The holiday traffic on the highway was insane, even this late in the evening.

We did our nightcap at The Green Room and had our usual good time chatting with Chu and Sally while watching some talented pool players go at it. Then it was home for dessert and bedtime. The only downer of my Easter was a resurgence of lower back pain, which made it difficult to sleep. I’m thinking about looking for a chiropractor, even though I don’t really believe in the science of that profession. I will consult with Dr. Jo and Chris for their thoughts.

The other big news from Easter was that a popular Olongapo City venue, Sam’s Pizza, burned down. It had been in operation since the 1970s, and I have a Facebook friend who works there. Well, used to, anyway.
I’d never been to Sam’s, and I guess I won’t be going anytime soon.
I had a good Friday, and then the cals were on the rise.

My latest salvo:

If you want this guy back, you must really hate America.

From the LTG archives is this post from March 2007, in which the most interesting part is my first experience getting a pedicure. I became a regular customer after that, and it is where I eventually met Jee Yeun, the woman destined to become my wife #4, and ultimately irrevocably broke my heart. Ignorance is bliss.

Here are some more memories from this day on Facebook:

Three years ago, I took Joy to dinner at John’s place. That’s John in the background. Rest in Peace my friend.
Four years ago, I attended Alan’s birthday party. He and Swan had been a couple for many years. He died just over two years later. You never know what the future holds.
Five years ago, the Karens were pissed about being called out for their Covid lunacy. I shared this on my Facebook and asked my high school sweetheart (Karen) what I should call her instead. She said “beautiful” still worked.
Thirteen years ago, I had a night out bowling in Hannam-dong with the wife.

The US Marines have landed in the Philippines in today’s YouTube video! Two thousand of them, apparently. Oddly enough, before I saw this vid, I read on a PI forum about an incident in Angeles City involving some Marines. It didn’t get any other publicity that I’ve seen, which is a good thing, since I’m sure the prostitution bars in AC are off-limits to military personnel. Regardless, things are heating up with China. Let’s hope we can deter aggression.

The daily smiles:

Not always, especially during the holidays.
Your gonna pay for that one, yes, you are!
See you next fall!

And we’re done. Hash Monday is upon us. Another hot one. I’ve seen today’s trail map, and it’s a hard one. I want to climb Easter Mountain once again before I die, but I don’t want to die doing it. Another day, perhaps.

Oh, during dinner at John’s last night, the background music was all old songs by the Beatles. I can’t remember the last time I heard this one:

‘Twas the day before Easter

And this creature was stirring outside of the house. Starting with the Saturday edition of the Candy Walk.

The kids were lining up for their goodie ration.
A view of the bay from neighborhood #1.
Stepping up to neighborhood #5.

And here’s a short video of the stretch we walk to get to neighborhood #6. The kids at the end of the clip were asking Swan the name of my vlog so they could watch the video I took. That’s a first, even though I’m not a vlogger.

Here’s a view from neighborhood #6:

Ships on the bay.
Our sweet 6K Saturday stroll.

As we were finishing our walk, Swan said she was hungry. I knew what that meant, so I asked, “Jollibee or McDonald’s?” She responded, “Macdoo” (that’s what the locals call it). So, we declared it a “cheat day” and indulged our cravings. I had a chicken sandwich and shared an order of fries with Swan. My big sins were the apple pie AND a chocolate sundae. Oh well.

When it was beer o’clock, we headed for It Doesn’t Matter. I was surprised that it wasn’t very busy for a Saturday. Once we’d had our fill of beverages, we moved to Jewel Cafe for some grub.

Chicken cordon bleu for my gal…
…and a tiny but tasty pepper steak for me.

The waitress surprised me when she delivered this to our table after our meal:

A complimentary scoop of ice cream. If I understood correctly, it was a holiday promo that comes with the steak dinner.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. Swan invited her waitress friend Beth to join in an early morning trip to Botolon (about an hour’s drive up the coast) for an Easter church service. They left at five a.m. and still aren’t back, and it’s after noon now. I hope they don’t need saving! UPDATE: I just got a message that they are stuck in traffic in San Felipe. No surprise, this is the biggest holiday of the year, and just about everyone heads for the beach, it seems.

Not bad for a cheat day, I suppose.

Forgive me, Father, for I cannot resist taunting my liberal Facebook friends with stuff like this:

A lesson the Dims have failed to learn. Keep it up!
Glad he’s back where he belongs.
Absentee ballot from a prison in El Salvador?

Okay, and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Today’s find in the LTG archives is about the evening in March 2007 when my realtor treated me to a dinner show at the Walker Hill Sheraton Hotel in Seoul (I’d just renewed my lease for another two years in Korea). I did a mini-review of the “Subway” performance, finding the acting not up to par, but still an enjoyable night out away from the Itaewon bar scene. Another memory in The Story of My Life.

Speaking of which, Facebook reminded me of this beer drinker in 1990:

At least it wasn’t a Bud Light.
Nine years ago, I saw this ad and the words to a Steve Miller Band song popped into my head: “you’re the cutest thing that I ever did see, I really love your peaches, want to shake your tree.”
Four years ago, I was still protesting the scamdemic oppressors, and somehow the Facebook censors let me get away with this one.

Today’s YouTube video is a vlogger I never previously watched discussing ways to avoid the current heatwave. Most are just common sense, but I’ve been saying this is the hottest it’s been in years, and he agrees with me. There are also relatively cooler places to reside in the PI, like Baguio, where he’d like to move. Baguio is okay for a visit, but just a tad too isolated for my taste. It’s the only place I’ve been in the Philippines where I felt chilly. Even saw my breath there one night.

Humor time:

He’s no necrophiliac.
Yeah, then she’ll say there is no “f in way”
I’ve got a sinking feeling that won’t go well.

Happy Easter to all you believers out there. I’m not trying to get a rise out of you, honest! Hideaway Bar is closed today for the holiday, so there won’t be a feeding to attend (I sent money so they could eat last night). Not sure if the Arizona floater and John’s place will be open, but the best way to find out is to go and see for myself. I’ll let you know how that works out tomorrow.

Not a Good Friday

Well, I didn’t get crucified or anything, but I lived through the worst hiking experience I’ve ever encountered. Things started out nice enough. With only five of us up for the Friday group trek, we piled into Scott’s car and drove out to Mangan-Vaca for a hike we’ve done several times in the past. Our plan was to walk out for 4K, then reverse course and come back to where we started. It’s a mostly flat course through pleasant countryside that was appropriate to the hot weather. But things didn’t go according to plan.

The first thing that went wrong for me happens once a year at most: the need to take a shit on trail. Luckily, I had some wet wipes in my backpack. With that load dumped, I caught up with the group and continued on with a newfound spring in my step. So, we journeyed onward to our turnaround point without further incident. And then we had the bright idea to take a different route back to avoid the same old, same old vibe for at least a portion of the way. That went mostly okay, although there were a couple of hiccups when we briefly lost the trail. Our fuck-up came when we reached the junction we were seeking, and inexplicably, turned left instead of right. I had a bad feeling that we were headed in the wrong direction, but I deferred to our senior hikers who assured me we were on the right path. Except we weren’t.

We hiked on until our chosen trail came to an apparent end. In hindsight, the wise option would have been to retreat, but where’s the fun in that? The option we chose was to follow the creek bed, thinking it would eventually cross the road we wanted. After all, we had waded through a creek in three different spots on our outward journey. I hate creek bed hikes because they are rocky and difficult to walk on. This one was also full of thorny roots and sticky vines. We all lost a little blood to those ubiquitous bastards. We struggled on, and then the creek began an upward rise. This should have been a warning that we were indeed going in the wrong direction, but being stubborn fuckers we plodded on. Until we could go no further. We came to an almost cliff-like uphill, the strongest in our group scrambled partway up, but when I tried to follow, I was unable to get the footing needed to make the climb. That’s when I knew we were truly screwed and retreat was our only option. So, the nightmare we had just endured reaching this point was to be repeated, thorns and all.

We had some other issues to deal with as well. One of our members was exhausted and needed to make frequent rest stops. It was also blisteringly hot. I carry two bottles of water, but I rarely drink more than half of one. When we accepted defeat and began our retreat, I was down to less than half a bottle of water, so I began rationing. It’s been a long time since my mouth was so dry it almost hurt to swallow. I’d take a sip of water and hold it as long as I could in an attempt to rehydrate, but the thirst would not be satiated. I was totally out of water for the final kilometer of the hike and definitely feeling it.

But in the end, we all made it back alive. Our planned two-hour, eight-kilometer walk took us five hours and almost twelve kilometers to complete. Our “flat” trail had an altitude gain of 201 meters. Yep, we got our stubborn asses kicked, but it could have been much worse. If someone had fallen or otherwise got injured, we’d have been screwed big time trying to drag them out from parts unknown. Let’s hope we learned a lesson.

This map shows other times we’ve walked in this neck of the woods. Yesterday is in green. You can see how off track our detour took us. Seeing this now, I’m glad we weren’t able to go any further before turning around.
Starting out with no idea how badly things can go wrong.
Heading for adventure!
A road not taken, but our unintended detour would have intersected with it a few kilometers onward.
Over the creek
I did the dance for this crossing; later on, I just waded across.
Damn, I don’t recall the last time I saw an Etch-a-Sketch, let alone as litter.
Easy going
Scenic views
A tree that caught my eye.
Farm country
An unusual brown hill in the distance.
Heading back we opted to try a different path.
That didn’t turn out so well
Now what do we do?
We’ll just keep on keepin’ on! Damn the thorns, and full speed ahead!
I was in survival mode as we made our way up the creek bed. So, the phone/camera stayed in my pocket.
Taking a rest stop back on the proper path.
On the way out, we had laughed about this sari-sari store in the middle of nowhere. Damn, it was good to quench our thirst here on the way back.
The track of yesterday’s misery. After that loop, we turned left instead of right.

Anyway, by the time we made it back to Barretto, I was too bushed to hit the bars, so we hung out at The Rite Spot On The Roof and watched the sun go down.

Going…
…going…
…gone!
Swan watching the show.
Another bullet dodged.

Still strolling through the LTG archives. In March 2007, I graduated to the second level in my quest to learn the Korean language. Alas, I failed, although I still have a small vocabulary to confuse the Filipina bargirls with. Another episode in The Story of My Life.

Some Facebook memories from this day in my history:

Nine years ago, there was a new sheriff in town at my Itaewon hangout, Shenanigans. (Yep, that moustache I’d shaved off in 2007 was back.)
Ten years ago, I attended a wedding down south in Songtan.
My group’s after-wedding table.
Eleven years ago, I was stepping down to Itaewon Station. 196 of them. Damn, the things you take for granted are the ones you miss the most.

Today’s YouTube video is one I made thirteen years ago in honor of my dart league team, Ride It In. Those were the days!

And now for these:

A cunt is a useful tool. Just sayin’
It’s all so confusing. I hope the commas are right.
You don’t say?

And that’s all I’ve got to share today. But I have it on good authority that the Son will rise tomorrow.

Christ almighty!

Did you hear the news?

Somehow, I think we haven’t heard the last from this guy. Give it a day or three.

But this post is about yesterday, so let’s get to it. Swan and I took a tricycle ride out to Naugsol and commenced our hike from there.

maningil ng tapat = to charge honestly. magbayad ng sapat = pay enough

The trike driver said he would take us to Naugsol for 150 pesos. I paid him 200. Win-win.

Crossing the river on Bridge #6
The Matain River

Our destination was the Tibag community, with a stop in the Alabang village along the way.

These kids didn’t get any candy
But these kids did
We did a community feeding here in Alabang last December, and the children seemed to remember Swan.
I think every kid in the village got something sweet to eat.
Heading out of town.
Rockin’ it!
I already found my queen of hearts.
Back on the pavement
The road to Tibag.
Bringing smiles to the children of Tibag
Back in the woods
The mountain view
A carabao in the river.
A long, hot walk to get there and back again
Over 10K and gaining some elevation on a hot summer’s day.

Swan wasn’t feeling well after the hike, so I spent the night out on my own. I kicked things off at Cheap Charlies and enjoyed the view along with my brews. These days, with my old regulars long gone, the bargirls ignore me since I won’t spend 250 pesos for a lady drink. That’s fine by me.

A group of rarely seen young men in our retirement community took turns at the ATM across the street. Some of the Cheap Charlies girls tried to get their attention to no avail. It gave a chuckle, though. Was it good looks or cold cash that was the attraction?

When it was time to eat, I crossed the highway (no easy task during Holy Week) for dinner at Myleen’s. It had been quite a while since I last dined here, mainly because they didn’t serve wine by the glass. When the manager came to greet me, I mentioned the reason we hadn’t visited lately. She said the policy was changed, and by the glass service is now available. Good, next time, Swan will join me.

Myleen’s is a clean, well-lighted place.
I enjoyed the shredded beef enchilada plate.

After dinner, I popped into the Green Room for my nightcap and enjoyed watching the gals shoot pool. Then it was time to head home, have some dessert, and hit the hay.

I guess I went a little bit overboard on the dessert.
But at least I broke the 25,000 step barrier and burned twice as many calories as I consumed, so there’s that.
More and more it seems.

So, back in February 2007, I shaved off the handlebar moustache that had earned me my dart moniker of “The Walrus.” That event was deemed worthy of a blog post. I had to smile today when I read something from Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit fame, where he disavows ever being “a day in the life” blogger or engaging in the “My Diary” style. I’m proud to have filled that void for all these years at LTG!

One year ago, I posted on Facebook that a new house was being constructed on my cul-de-sac.

How it looked then
How it looks today. Nothing happens fast in the Philippines!

Today’s YouTube video is about how Elon Musk purportedly finds Filipino workers to be awesome. I will say that most of the Filipinos I’ve observed are hard-working, but the built-in inefficiencies of the system impedes productivity.

The jokes are on me:

Maybe do something by Dickens.
Does that cock smell like chicken?
Time for a spellcheck.

Today was an adventure that wiped me out, but at least no one got badly hurt. Some blood was spilled, though. I’ll tell you about that tomorrow. Now I need a nap.

And on and on it goes

I may be going in circles, but at least it is better than a dead end!

The Wednesday Walkers did a long (for us) 8K journey in and around the Naugsol valley. Another hot day, but this is the time of year that makes you appreciate that rainy season is right around the corner. Once that arrives, I’ll be missing the heat again. And so it goes.

This week’s iteration of the Wednesday Walkers, plus Scott behind the camera
Heading out through Alta Vista
Paying the candy toll to cross the bridge
This Yank made it to 85. That’s my goal!
Making our way to valley
Nature’s beauty
Through the fields we go
Heading for that farmstead.
Finding our way
The kindly old farmer. Is that a dell?
One of our group bought some fresh veggies here. We also delivered some lollipops.
The journey continues.
Heading up for a brief escape from the valley floor.
Scott gets credit for this nice shot of Easter Mountain. I’m still on the fence about whether I’ll make Monday’s climb. We’ll see how hot it is and how I feel then.
A shady spot somewhere.
The way we rambled.

Another chelation session with Dr. Jo in the afternoon. I shared my recent ECG results with her as well, and apparently, my heart output has improved slightly over the past six months. So, that’s good news. Hubby Chris, also a physician, showed me some stretching exercises that might help my aching back. I’m thankful that I have access to doctors I trust here in my little town.

After the medical stuff, I began my evening bar hop at Oasis Bar, where I had a “buy one, get one” coupon to expend. Swan joined me there, and we gave the Oasis menu a try for the first time. Swan ordered a chicken burger, and I went with the wings. A few minutes later, the waitress advised that they had no burger buns. Okay then, we’ll just share the wings. The wings were okay for pub fare, but we’ve had better.

Tryst, that new bar that was supposed to open last Saturday, was our next stop. The manager at Oasis (same owner as Tryst) said they’d be open at 6:00. We arrived at 6:30 only to find a locked door. So, we went downstairs and enjoyed some time at the Alaska Club.

When it came time to choose our nightcap venue, I suggested going next door to the Green Room. Swan surprised me by saying she was in the mood for something different and liked the ambiance at Cloud 69. Fine by me. It was our second time there and we enjoyed ourselves. Keeping on schedule, we called it a night and triked home at 8:30.

There’s always next year!
It’s always nice to break the 20,000 step threshold.
On and off seems to be my modus operandi

I would never think about not abiding by the Philippines’ immigration laws, and I know what would happen to me if I got caught violating the terms and conditions governing my stay–I’d be out on my ass. So, I don’t get the uproar by the lefties in the USA about deporting illegals. They seem to have a weird set of priorities.

But that’s (D)ifferent

This made some heads explode when I posted it on Facebook for some reason:

It’s sad to see an indoctrinated population that can’t or won’t think for themselves.

I have arrived in January 2007 on my trip through the LTG archives. In this post, I talk about the usual Itaewon antics, but I’m impressed looking back at my long-lost staying power. Dropping into the Grand Ole Opry at 2:30 a.m. and calling midnight an “early” ending. What happened to that guy? I also mentioned a couple of bloggers I’d met, but sadly, the links no longer work because the blogs are no more. Anyone else remember Thoughts of a Goat?

From Facebook memories on this day in history:

Five years ago, this was the line to get into the grocery store during the lockdown. They only allowed a certain number of people inside at once, so the rest of us practiced social distancing outside. Never forget that scamdemic that was foisted upon us.
Eight years ago, I was busy being a strict disciplinarian at work.

Today’s YouTube video is also from my Facebook memories, fifteen years ago. It’s a crash test between a 2009 Chevy Malibu and the 1959 version of that vehicle. Pretty impressive to see the progress made over the years.

Now for some funny business:

What doesn’t go in you, goes on you!
Wow! Two bad puns in one meme! You are welcome.
Karma’s a bitch and so is my wife!

Looks like I’ve done gone and did it again. Thanks for dropping in. Y’all come back now, hear?

Ain’t goin’ nowhere

Well, for at least sixty more days, anyway. Yep, Immigration has once again seen fit to extend my tourist visa. Lucky me! This being Holy Week and all, I was a tad concerned that Immigration wouldn’t be operating. The holiday schedule posted on the door showed my timing was right–half day Wednesday, closed Thursday and Friday. Still, when I arrived shortly after the opening hour of 8 a.m., only a maintenance worker was in attendance. She kindly told me to take a seat and offered to get me a cup of coffee while I waited. That was a first. I guess having been here almost seven years now, I’ve achieved regular customer status. The actual immigration officers arrived around 8:30, and I was processed in and out in short order for a paltry 3000 pesos. Yay!

Next stop was the YBC supermarket, conveniently located nearby. Only two cashiers were working, which made for irritatingly long lines at checkout, but again, this Holy Week stuff is serious business in the PI, and lots of folks head home to the provinces to celebrate Easter with family.

YBC is where we stock up on candy and cookies that we hand out on our hikes. Two grocery carts full for a little over 5000 pesos.

Then, we were off to Royal for the remainder of our weekly groceries. No shortage of cashiers this time, and I was relieved of another 10,000 pesos in short order.

When we got back home, I did my Tuesday neighborhood walk (turning right this week).

When it was that time of day, we hoofed it out to Baloy Beach for some toes in the sand and quaffing of beverages on the Kokomo’s floating bar.

The view upon arrival.
The view onboard.
That woman I share my time with
Swan made a tuna pasta dish for the crew. They seemed to enjoy it.

The floater isn’t anything like a dancing bar, but once in a while, the girls get up and put on a show. I made a video of the routine they performed during yesterday’s visit. (As I feared, YouTube advises that the background song is copyrighted, and this video is blocked in TWO territories. Hope you can see it where you are.)

I like watching this more than the dancing:

And so it goes.
Next up, dinner at Treasure Island.
The sweet and sour chicken I ordered was yummy!

Then, it was home to enjoy the remainder of the evening.

I detect a pattern. It all balances out, hopefully.

Over the years I’ve been blogging, I have occasionally had a chance encounter with a stranger that was a reader of LTG. That was the case when I met Neil (aka Thirsty) in December 2006. He was a frequent commenter for quite a while, and then, like most of my readers over the years, he eventually disappeared. I guess there is only so much of my drivel that can be endured.

Eleven years ago, I visited the Doseonsa Temple in Ui-Dong with my Buddhist wife.

Today’s YouTube video delves into the question of where Filipinos come from (from their mothers, of course, but we are talking about their DNA roots). Living amongst the people here, I see faces that appear like they have Spanish ancestry, others resemble Chinese, and some look like they came from India. Light skin is almost worshipped. When I first visited, I was surprised by all the billboards advertising whitening lotions and thought about the women back home who paid big money in tanning salons. Skin color doesn’t matter to me at all, and honestly, the darker gals are just as sexy as their fair-skinned sisters. Of course, this video talks about ancient roots from thousands of years ago, but I never met any of those. I have been curious about the Aeta natives who look almost African.

Today’s lame attempt at humor:

I busted my zipper and ruined my pants. I erect-em.
All choked up
Jee whiz

That’s all I’ve got for today. But there’s always tomorrow!

On the trail

We butchered the Hash trail yesterday, cutting it down to a size more appropriate for the heat index. Adding in the 2K journey from my house to the start, it was just about right, with one hill climb and some fresh scenery. Here, see for yourself:

Making our way to the trailhead.
A little Genesis (in the beginning)
Spoiler alert: The stairs did NOT lead to heaven.
Let the climbing commence
A trail even us old codgers could adore
Pubic Head is getting back to his roots on nature’s stair steps.
We passed through the land down under.
Our path took us past Mountain Mama Onelia’s place.
Nice to see you again, Onelia
We ran into the Hare, Vienna Sausage, as he worked diligently to re-mark the trail after Sunday’s rainstorm, which washed away his previous efforts.
A tree I liked
The mountain I may or may not climb next Monday, depending on the heat and my mood.
Now what do we do?
Follow that old Hasher with over 1000 runs.
A respite at Erwin’s place.
No rest for Mrs. Erwin, who was down at the creek bathing the kids. She’s got one more on the way, too.
The first two non-shortcutters to pass us.
The writing is on the walk
That’s encouraging!
Stairs at the start and stairs at the finish.
On-Home at Johansson’s
Leave her alone, Fatso, she’s taken!
Post-hike rehydration
Circle up!
Pubic Head got the Hashit.
The orange is how we eliminated the Kalaklan climb
After Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter
That didn’t go according to plan

If ignorance is bliss, there are lots of happy leftards out there. They can’t handle the truth.

But, but, but…the narrative…

In today’s stroll through the LTG archives, I visited a clean, well-lighted place in December 2006. That’s also the title of one of my favorite short stories by Ernest Hemingway. It ain’t long; give it a read here if you want. Anyway, the post is mostly about one of those unforgettable Itaewon nights (which I had forgotten until I re-read the post). The June gal featured finally found a good man a few years later, moved to the States, and is a happy mother (we are still friends on Facebook). I’m also impressed by my capacity to stay out drinking until three in the morning all those years ago. Those days are long gone for me now, and the occasional staying out until 9 p.m. is about as wild as I get nowadays. Itaewon will always have a place in The Story of My Life.

Seven years ago, the long path to Pyeongtaek awaited me.

Eight years ago, I posted this conundrum on Facebook:

Okay, I can buy into that…

Also from eight years ago:

Damn, now what do I do?

I decided I wanted to retire in the Philippines, and y’all have seen what happens when a wish comes true. I have no regrets about the life I have chosen, and I had no choice about losing the life I loved in Korea. And so it goes.

In today’s YouTube video, the vlogger asserts that Filipino culture is beginning to dominate throughout Asia. I live here, so maybe I missed seeing this happen. Anyone else out there notice a Filipino spin on things?

These smiles are yours for the taking:

Sounds painful. Some bargirls call me daddy, and it really makes me cringe.
Yeah, that’s why I use the alarm on my phone.
You never know, maybe you’ll wake up next to a Charming guy.

Yep, I did it again! A post a day keeps the readers away! Except for the precious few that are gluttons for my punishment. Thanks for that!

I heard this song again yesterday for the first time in a long time. Thanks Jimi!

Palms up!

One of the interesting aspects of living in a predominately Catholic country is the celebration of holidays that mean nothing to me. Like yesterday’s Palm Sunday. Coming up, Maundy Thursday. I remember that one because I arrived in Cebu on my first visit to the Philippines and noted that almost everything was closed. I’m like, “what’s going on?” only to learn that it’s a special part of Holy Week here. At least I didn’t get crucified for my ignorance.

Here’s how I raised my palms on Sunday:

God sent his blessings as we engaged in the Palm Sunday Candy Walk.
The kids were happy to see us again.

Here’s this week’s snippet from section four of our weekly route:

I’d wager this lad is a good listener.
Way too young. RIP!
The path we took on our 5K trek.

Later in the day, I embarked on my feeding mission at Hideaway Bar.

As seen from my barstool. A newly installed dartboard since my previous visit. Assorted nuts on offer. A new cashier (the owner’s girlfriend). And lots more customers than I normally see.

My normal routine is to meet Swan on the floating bar after the feeding. This week, however, we opted to go straight to John’s place for dinner, as the weather wasn’t ideal for the floater experience.

Predictably, Swan went with the birria tacos.

The waitress advised that there was a special holiday entree being offered during the holiday period. I’m not always up to trying something new, but I was yesterday.

A tuna steak. I’m not a fishy guy, but it was surprisingly good.
We dined downstairs in the aircon but weren’t afforded the same views we’ve become accustomed to in the open-air upstairs seating area.

After dinner, I suggested we visit Red Bar, and Swan said that’s what she was thinking too. Damn, talk about being on the same page! We enjoyed sitting in the outside section and also treated our favorites to lady drinks. Then we did our nightcap at Green Room before calling it a night and heading for home.

I’ve got to hand it to me

The journey through the LTG archives is increasingly disappointing without the accompanying photos. The captions tease me, but I need to see to remember fully. Damn. Anyway, I was back home in Virginia for Christmas in 2006. That gave me the opportunity to enjoy the Sunday edition of the Washington Post. And to my surprise, there was a Korea-based Christmas story that Gene Weingarten had written at the request of an English teacher in Korea. That was a hoot to read, and I included it in a blog post entitled: The Seoul of Christmas. Surprisingly, the link to Weingarten’s story still works.

Speaking of Virginia, fellow blogger and frequent LTG commenter Kevin Kim is now returning to Korea after visiting his former home state. Don’t ask me why, but when I saw this today, I pictured Kevin having a similar conversation with his seatmate on the long flight home:

Safe travels, Kevin!

From Facebook memories:

Seven years ago, I was enjoying the signage during one of my hikes in Pyeongtaek.
Eleven years ago, I was enjoying coffee with friends at Cafe Coin in Myeong-dong. Tom was one of those “friends” who unfriended me a couple of years later over differing political viewpoints.

Today’s YouTube video talks about things that are unique to the Philippines. It’s worth the watch for the scenery alone.

Humor time:

How about pounding nails?
Sounds like you pulled a boner.
I’m funny when you’re drunk

And so it goes, and so it went. Hash Monday has arrived once more. Vienna Sausage is the hare, and I’m already plotting my shortcuts. I will walk to the start on Rizal Extension, so that will give me some added distance. I’ll let you know how it works out tomorrow.

A real blow out

An eruption of good times yesterday. Well, maybe I’m blowing smoke, but it was mostly good.

Mount Kanalaon made an ash of iteslf, but that was way south of me on Negros Island.

I do have a friend traveling there today, so I hope things calm down before he arrives. More of the same in my little town, but still tweaking things some to enhance the experience. Here’s the lowdown:

Me and my gal did our standard Saturday stroll, dispensing candy and cookies along the way. Some of what we saw:

Double the pleasure for lechon lovers.
Back out and about after missing a week
Nothing quite compares to the beautiful Matain River.

Here’s a five-minute video clip of one of the streets we walked.

Besieged
Just a tad shy of 6K

And the best part of the day was yet to come. We had made plans to join our neighbor Jeff and his wife Davina for the grand opening of a new bar named Tryst last night. Alas, we discovered that the opening has been delayed until Wednesday. Despite that setback, we kept our scheduled dinner meetup at Sit-n-Bull for 6 p.m. Swan and I headed out early for some pre-dinner refreshments at Sloppy Joe’s.

That would be us.
A Sloppy view. A homeless person collects recyclables from trash cans around town. Hard work, but it’s better than begging, I suppose.
There he is now. He refuses any kind of handout, and I respect that.
The dinner meet-up commences. That’s Jeff and Davina. Matt and his wife Joyce also joined in the fun.
Swan and I shared some chicken tacos and a roast beef dip sandwich. Both were excellent.

After our meal, we paid a visit to Alaska Club where Swan and Davina played some pool.

I’d never seen Swan play before. She needs some practice!

We moved next door to Wet Spot for our nightcap. A busy Saturday night in the bar. And then Davina showed Swan how to do a blowjob. Wow! And I’ve got it on video!

You knew I was talking about a blowjob shooter, right? Right?

That’s what I’m talking about
No hands allowed!
Down the hatch it goes! Good job!

After the blowjob revelry, we headed for home. The nice thing about partying with the neighbors is the free ride home in comfort. My resistance to the call from a brownie smothered in vanilla ice cream was nil.

And that’s the price I paid.
Sorry, couldn’t resist

A Thanksgiving post from November 2006 in the LTG archives. It’s pretty worthless without the photos. I hope I can figure out how they might be recovered.

Five years ago, I posted this on Facebook during the early days of the scamdemic. It’s a nice reminder that I was on the right side of history.

Today’s YouTube addresses which is the better choice, Thailand or the Philippines. I know how I chose, although I still enjoy an occasional visit to the Land of Smiles.

And a bonus video from a vlogger friend who made a video of the recent Fralics bikini contest. Go Philippines!

And now for the smiles:

Poke around and find out
We’ll be happy for the meat when all we have are bugs to eat
What the hell is a clitoris?

And that’s that; I hope I didn’t blow it. Stormy skies and rolling thunder as I write this, so my Sunday on the Arizona floating bar is looking doubtful at the moment. I am blessed to have options, though.

Getting on out and about

The same old, same old does get old after a while, but that’s just small town life I suppose. That’s not to say I ain’t having fun, and even a small tweak can liven things up a tad. Friday kicked off with the group hike, as usual. It’s been hotter than normal these past few days, so we opted to keep things flat and mainly on the street. We hadn’t done that Matain-Calapacuan-Santo Tomas route in quite some time, so that added a taste of freshness as we marched along.

Heading down the highway
It occurs to me that this would be a good name for a go-go bar.
Sending unsuspecting Filipinas to a nightmare existence in the Middle East.
A brief interlude on the bay
A busy day on the basketball court
Condos on the water
The pristine beaches that Subic is famous for
Life’s a beach
A change of direction

Hello, children
Walk this way!
Narrowing our options
Phoning it in
Goodbye, Matain!
I think they misunderstood the concept of cruising down the highway
Leader of the pack
There is something fishy about that pond.
Marching on
Shall we gather at the river?
Strolling through Calapacuan in the shadow of Black Rock
A dirty path
Fire down below!
Nearing the end of our trek in Sierra Hills
His journey is over much too soon. RIP!
8.5K on a hot day ain’t too bad.

When the day had progressed to the point of making plans for the drinking hours, I wasn’t sure what to do with them. The fact of the matter was that I was feeling a little bored with the Barretto bar scene. Then it occurred to me that we hadn’t made the journey out to Kon-Tiki for quite a while.

Still the only “real” beach bar around, but since the floating bars have been back in operation, we just haven’t bothered to go out of town for some toes-in-the-sand time.
Not much has changed at Kon-Tiki, although they did have an acoustic duo perform near the end of our visit.
The bay view on a hazy day.
This beer pong table was a new addition. I had no interest in playing, however.
The bar from the beach
A happy Swan inside
They’ve also expanded the menu since our last visit. I tried the quesadilla. Thick and meaty, it was.
The haze precluded seeing much of a sunset.

When darkness descended, we headed back into Barretto. Our friend Beth was back to work after a two-week vacation, and I was hoping to run into Daddy Dave at the SOB Aftermath, so we did our nightcap at Wet Spot. It was good seeing Beth again, but Dave was a no-show. I hope he is feeling better soon.

I noticed this recent addition to the big spenders’ hall of fame. Wow! 104K (almost $2000) in three hours. Wish I’d been there to see that!

We stuck around for the first raffle drawing at the Aftermath, and my number was the first ticket called.

Lucky me!

It was after the ungodly hour of nine p.m. before we finally headed for home. Hard to believe I was able to stay out that late, I know.

And another surprising win!

From the LTG archives is this post from October 2006 recounting some of my daily adventures as I immersed myself in the South Korea lifestyle. For some reason, the photos I posted back then are no longer showing. Perhaps they were lost when I moved the blog to a new hosting service. Are they gone forever?

Eleven years ago, I was enjoying an evening of darts at Bull and Barrel. The venue is long gone, and so am I.

In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea weighs in on the vlogger Vitaly controversy. She interviews an attorney about the deep do-do this lame motherfucker has gotten himself into. Vitaly is now living my nightmare inside a Filipino jail. It doesn’t look like he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.

Let’s cleanse the palate with these:

A stormy relationship will do that.
This is the norm here in the PI.
Why, yes. Yes, I did!

And that’s the way it was. Now, to get on with the way it is. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Outback in the dark

Um, it wouldn’t be heaven if they don’t serve beer!

So, we had one of those damn all day brownouts (power outage) yesterday. The lights were scheduled to go out at 8:30, so Swan and I took a morning walk. First stop was at the Outback Resort to inquire about renting a room. I was told to come back at ten o’clock when the receptionist would be available. So, we crossed the highway to my old standby, The Pub Hotel. They have nice, clean rooms for only 1500 pesos. I was seeking early check-in, but alas, was told nothing was available until 2 p.m. Oh, well, lots of other options to consider as we walked.

It’s income tax time in the USA, and I’m still a taxpayer, so I had some paperwork from my accountant in South Carolina (my legal residence) to complete. Since my printer doesn’t work, I popped into the local print shop. They printed the 12-page document, I filled in the blanks, then had it scanned and emailed back to me. I submitted all my documents this morning to complete my tax return filing. I usually get a refund; hopefully, that will be the case again this year.

We finished our 5K Street walk and stopped at Sit-n-Bull for lunch. I had a nice chat with owner Ron while waiting for my Malibu chicken sandwich to be served. Then we returned to Outback Resort, where I successfully secured a room for 2500 pesos with early check-in allowed. Yay! We triked home, packed some fresh clothes, and headed for the Outback.

That’s what 2500 gets you at Outback. Nothing fancy, but it provided me aircon, a heated shower, and internet access. Oh, and a nice afternoon nap.

The main reason I rented a room instead of toughing it out was that I had an afternoon appointment with Dr. Jo. After blogging, napping, and showering, I still had an hour to kill before the 4:30 appointment. So, we went out to the pool area to enjoy the beach views. I was surprised to see Chris and his gal Shie were there, also escaping the brownout.

Nice to see you, Chris.

The primary purpose of the doctor’s visit was my weekly chelation therapy, but while there, I had Dr. Jo take a look at my aching back. She assessed that it was a muscular issue rather than an internal organ problem. She provided me some anti-inflammatory meds and advised Swan (who is a certified caregiver) on some lotion to massage on my lower back before bedtime. I had my best sleep score of the month last night, so I think it helped.

Then, it was time to get down to business. Bar business, that is. Our first stop was the seldom-visited BarCelona.

Looking out from BarCelona
Looking inside BarCelona

Ever since BarCelona opened more than five years ago, I’ve tried hard to like it there. And yet, I always leave disappointed for one reason or another. Great ambiance, open-air views, and rooftop seating don’t overcome indifferent service and a rap music playlist. Too bad for them. As you can see from the photo above, it’s not like the place is packed with satisfied customers. I won’t be back anytime soon.

Next stop, It Doesn’t Matter. Our arrival proved to be good timing because right after we sat down, a waitress came by and advised that a customer inside had bought drinks for the house. Got to love those two-week millionaires!

My free drink chit

We are seldom disappointed at IDM, and last night was no exception. Good service, good music, and some good chicken wings to snack on. A couple of gals Swan knows came by, so she had female company to go with her wine, and I passed the time with my best friend, Zero.

A mutual friend had advised that the Maze owner, Dave Fisher, would be out last night, so we made Wet Spot our next stop. Dave, who is in his 80s now, has been battling some health issues, so he hasn’t been seen much lately, even at the SOBs he normally hosts. I was looking forward to catching up and hearing the latest from him, but alas, Wet Spot manager Brett advised that Dave had decided to stay home and rest. Well, Dave is a retired doctor, so he knows best. I’m probably not going to attend tonight’s SOB, but maybe I’ll catch him at the Aftermath event at Wet Spot.

The Wet Spot urinal was full of ice. Damn, it was cold!

It was time to mosey back to the hotel, but we made the indoor Outback Bar our nightcap stop. This is another bar I almost never visit (when I’m here, I’m at the outside pool bar).

Just one other customer last night, but it is a very nice venue. We enjoyed our brief visit.

The decision was made to sleep in our own bed last night, so we packed our shit, checked out, and headed home. And that’s how we survived brownout Thursday.

If I upped my budget to 1900 calories, I’d be having a good week.

So, I hear it is Siblings Day. Here’s a shot of me and the bros taken 65 years ago:

Older brother Keith on the left, baby brother Greg on the right. I’m the handsome boy in the middle. We were out camping somewhere in the desert of Southern California.
Here’s some more memories of cars that were and are no more…for good reason. I confess that I owned an AMC Pacer for a while. It was a piece of shit, but I did like the way it looked.

In September 2006, I wrote about an adventure I had driving to Incheon Airport for the first time. I think this was before they opened the airport railway. Otherwise, I don’t know why I would have bothered taking the car. It didn’t end well.

Eleven years ago, I was hiking the cherry blossom-lined paths of Bukhansan Park in Korea. If someone had told me what the future would bring, could I have done anything to change it?

I found today’s YouTube video in another old LTG post from September 2006. It’s still fun to watch.

And if that’s not funny enough, how about these:

It’s not the meat; it’s the motion.
I forgot why I thought this was funny.
What an asshole!

And that’s all I’ve got for now. Let’s see what the future brings.

Once more

This is the last time I’ll post about my Wednesday—this week. I promise!

As usual, the Wednesday Walkers gathered for our group hike at 0900. This week, our journey took us up the final climb of Monday’s Hash trail that I had wisely chosen to avoid. Going up that way yesterday confirmed that it was indeed an ass-kicker, despite being the easiest of the insane hills the Hare laid out for the Hashers foolish enough to follow his trail in its entirety. Anyway, I’m glad I explored that path, and I have now added it to my “never again” list.

A small group of four this week.
Strolling through Alta Vista was easy
Heading out to explore what we had missed on Monday
The up was steep and hard. So hard that this was the only photo I managed to take.
The downside wasn’t much better.
This portion of the trail was much more to my liking.
Now that I think about it, it must have been eight months or so since the last time I passed this way. I also delivered something sweet that time.
Our downward route was stymied by this fence, but we found a walk-around.
A kid we encountered along the way. Her mother gave us some helpful directions.
Some candy to sweeten their day.
Enjoy the day!
Almost done with the down
Slow and steady wins the race!
We gave the new Dempsey’s a try for our after-hike refreshments. The burrito was okay.
Short but not so sweet

I spent the day alone as Swan was having some family time on the river in San Marcelino. So, I was on my own again when beer o’clock rolled around. I opted to pay a visit to Cheap Charlie’s. One of the old crew greeted me (I forgot her name), and she asked me about Marissa. Yep, she’s been gone a while. She told me she had a baby and was just now returning to work after almost four years. I was going to buy her a welcome back drink and asked how much for a single. She told me they had changed their prices and only offered lady drinks for 250 pesos. Nope, my rule is no more than 200 pesos. Oddly enough, when I declined to buy the drink, she was no longer interested in talking with me, so she got up and left. Funny how that works. It’s a stupid pricing policy. I’ll buy two (or more) lady drinks at 180, but not even one for more than my 200 maximum. I guess I’m too cheap for Cheap Charlie’s.

The view from the rear of Cheap Charlie’s.
A peek inside.
Looking up the highway

I did my nightcap at the Green Room. Swan messaged that she was home again, so I finished my last beer and joined her there.

Three days in a row of missing the target by less than 100 calories.

I’m still being an asshole on Facebook:

Lots of folks self-identifying these days
I’d forgotten about those two. It sure does undermine that lefty J6 narrative.
If you compare Trump to Hitler, you ARE stupid.

Enough politics; no minds will be hanged anyway. I just do it for the reactions.

Today’s episode in The Story of My Life tells the story of my seeing a Korean stage production of The Wizard of Oz in Seoul. The role of Dorothy was played by the girlfriend of a friend. I even got invited backstage after the show.

August 2006 is a LONG time gone.

This is not a Facebook memory, but something I saw there that triggered memories from my glory days in the 1970s.

The caption was “when cars had balls and women didn’t.”

Today’s Facebook memory is from a life that is no longer:

Everything has changed in fifteen years. Gone, but the happiness I experienced then is not forgotten.

Today’s YouTube video talks about expectations versus reality when you move to the Philippines. It made me think of that old Stones’ song lyric: You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.

Humor time:

A pun too far
This one is dumb by my low standards. But since I’m seeing Dr. Jo in a bit, why not?
I’ll have to take a stab at making this salad.

And there you have it. I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Barretto at the Outback Resort. Two thousand five hundred pesos to avoid the all-day power outage in my neighborhood. Oh well, it’s best that I shower up before visiting Dr. Jo.

Hot enough for AC

The way my day began as seen from my bedroom window.

I’ve been having some issues with pain in my lower back, primarily when I sit upright or lie in bed. Standing and walking are fine. So, I wake up early (the moonset above is at 3:30 a.m.) and then plop down in front of the computer, which does nothing to ease the pain. Hopefully, this, too, shall pass.

My big Tuesday event was traveling to Angeles City for an updated ECG. My cardiologist wanted the test taken at the same hospital where I had my previous ECG done, and she thinks the AUF hospital is the best around for cardiology testing.

It’s a pain in the ass to get to and my driver charges 5000 peso for a roundtrip.
On the road to AC

My appointment was at ten, and we arrived a little after nine. The cost for the testing was 4800 pesos, and that was paid upfront. There were two different tests, ECG and something called a 12-Lead. The hospital will email the results on Friday.

Since we were in town anyway, I had my driver take me to the S&R store (it’s like a Costco) to do some shopping. I always come away a little disappointed in not being able to find things that I want that aren’t available at Royal, like sugar-free pudding, but I still managed to spend 15,000 pesos on groceries.

It’s a busy store. We filled in some of the gaps by stopping at Royal on our way home, where I spent another 5,000 pesos.
A river crossing on the drive home
A hillside village as seen from the highway

When it was time to hit the beach, Swan opted out because she was preparing for a family outing today. So, I was on my own.

Baloy Beach at beer o’clock
My destination awaits
Swan wasn’t with me, so I had Zero company
Ships on the bay
A soon-to-be setting sun
And the beach view
Heading down
Ducking behind the moutnain
Until next time, then.

Sunset is my cue to head ashore for dinner at Treasure Island.

The roast chicken filled my void.

Well, it filled the void in my stomach. It had been quite some time since I ventured out without Swan by my side. Everyone on the floater and at TI asked where my “wife” was. I admit I was missing her and realized how empty my life would feel without her. My, how things have changed. I don’t think I could ever be satisfied with a transactional relationship again.

I departed Treasure Island after my meal and headed for home. Surprisingly, no trikes were waiting for customers for the entire length of Baloy Beach Road (about a kilometer). I’d never seen that before. Even the trike stand at the highway junction was empty. I finally flagged down a passing trike for the rest of the ride home.

Swan had prepared a cheesecake-like dessert and I enjoyed a slice before bed.

That put me over the top, but not by much.

Tomorrow is going to be one of those days, and I’m powerless to do a thing about it.

An all day brownout is a real pain in the ass.

My plan at the moment is to rent a room at the Outback Resort so I’ll have a place to relax in the comfort that only electricity can provide. We’ll see.

I’ve made it to August 2006 in my journey through the LTG archives. It was nice to remember celebrating my 51st birthday with my good friend, Duke. We went to a play (a Korean version of Grease, if you can imagine that), then dinner at a fancy Korean restaurant that included singing and dancing performances. After that, we hit the bars, played some darts, and drank a lot of beer and shots. We also stayed out well into the wee hours of the morning. Damn, I thought fifty-one was old back then, but from the perspective of being sixty-nine, I seem so young. Lots of pictures in that post to enhance the memories. Definitely a worthy night for inclusion in The Story of My Life.

Today’s YouTube video provides an update on that scumbag vlogger Vitaly. Guess what? He is not being deported after all. Instead, he has been charged with multiple crimes that could potentially result in a lengthy prison sentence. But this being the Philippines, there is no entitlement to a speedy trial. He may well spend years in a hellhole Filipino jail before he has a court date. Honestly, he fucked up big time and is going to pay for it. I almost feel sorry for him.

And now for the fun stuff:

They music was better in those days
He doesn’t know that I don’t care
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt

And that completes today’s blogging duty. You get what you pay for, and LTG is free!

Some like it hot

Some like it long.

And I’ll take mine cold and wet

A lot more comments than usual on yesterday’s post. As always, I appreciate your feedback. Many of the shared thoughts expressed some concern about my alcohol consumption and its potential for negatively impacting my life. I see myself as maintaining control for the most part, and I don’t consider my drinking to be a problem. I know, I know, spoken like a true alcoholic in the throes of denial. But this is the life I’ve chosen, and I will continue to imbibe at or near my current level within the parameters (usually between 5 and 8 p.m.) I’ve established for myself. It’s what I do and what I enjoy, and I hope to live long and die hard.

I think I’ve said all there is to say.

So, this post is supposed to be about yesterday’s Hash; now, let’s get back to that. Yesterday’s trail was the first Hared by Kermit the Frog, at least for Subic Bay H3. I heard a rumor that he laid a trail so difficult in Angeles City that they banned him from Hareing there in the future. I’m not going to say that our trail yesterday was as bad as all that, but it was long (over 10K) with three significant climbs, including Easter Mountain. I was shocked to see how long our strongest and fastest Hashers took to finish; a couple of them didn’t make it back until the Circle was over. I heard quite a bit of bitching and moaning about both the difficulty and poor marking of the trail. I will give Hare Kermit credit for providing three trail options: a long one with Easter Mountain, a long one without Easter Mountain, and a short version with only the first climb. Of course, as a dedicated shortcutter, I managed to avoid all three hill climbs and had a mostly enjoyable 8.5-kilometer flat walk. That’s just the way I roll!

And adding to the misery, it was freaking HOT yesterday.
We kicked things off on the Govic Highway. (I walked to the start, gaining an extra 2K)
Of course, Swan was handing out sweets along the way
And we passed by that sari-sari store named after me.
After bypassing the first hill, we rejoined the official trail here.
Through the fields we go
Rather than going over Easter Mountain, we went around it.
Between the fences
The “short” trail took us through the streets of San Isidro.
And over Bridge #3
The Hare had warned that it was a steep down to the On-Home but advised that he had provided a rope to hang onto. No, thank you! We took the long way through Alta Vista instead.
On-Home at the Bella Monte Hotel
The old folks are permitted to sit during the Hash Circle
It’s nice on ice!
The Hare’s trail
And my version

Some after-Hash revelry at It Doesn’t Matter where I purchased a lady drink for the IDM girls who participated in the Fralics beauty pageant on Sunday. Then I drug my tired ass home with the help of a tricycle.

Better, but not quite good enough

My interesting (to me) journey through the LTG archives continues. What’s been different about the early days of the blog was my inconsistency in posting. These days, I take pride in providing a daily update on my so-called life. In July 2006, “Stuff about things” was my first post in over thirty days. I had a lot of catching up to do, so it was appropriately long and boring.

Fifteen years ago, I came across a clip from the movie “Junior Bonner,” which triggered some memories from my life in Prescott, Arizona, in the early 1980s. So, I shared those thoughts on Facebook, and Facebook reminded me about them today. Thanks for helping an old guy out!

I wound up taking a trip today. Right down memory lane. I saw something on the internet that led me somewhere else and then took me to a link for Steve McQueen. I clicked that and was reminded of the movie Junior Bonner. It was filmed in Prescott, Arizona. I used to live in Prescott. The song that played during the opening credits was “Arizona Morning” by Rod Hart, a musician from Prescott. Hart and his band used to play at the Wagon Wheel, a club I’d frequent when the urge to country dance hit me. And then I recalled a woman I used to dance with and how I met her. I was taking classes at Yavapai Community College, and she was my instructor. One day after class, she asked if anyone was interested in taking “country swing” dance lessons with her, and I volunteered. She was probably ten years older than me (I was 25). We got along great, and before long, we were doing horizontal dancing as well. Until one day she asked me to father a child for her “no strings attached”. That freaked me out big time, and I ran for the hills, leaving her and her biological clock in my dust. I hadn’t thought of her for some 30-odd years. Until today, when I heard this song:

Morning, Arizona morning
Almost sets me free
Makes me glad to be alive
Wondering, why I started wandering
Should have stayed right here
Underneath the clear blue skies

Sadness, changing now to gladness
With the rustle of the breeze through the pinyon trees
Where I lay
In the morning, Arizona morning
A place where I can smile
And see a hundred miles away

The birds are flying high above the morning
Singing to the colors of the dawn
And in my mind I hear a gentle warning
You've been a wrangler and a rambler
Much too long

And a rover. Wishing it was over
All my battles won, resting in the sun this way

In the morning, Arizona morning
Coming home today, wishing I could stay
Wishing I could stay.

What a life I’ve lived! I hope there are some more chapters to come.

Today’s YouTube video discloses that twenty US F-16 fighters have deployed to the Philippines, and China isn’t happy about it. Well, I’m no military expert, but I don’t think twenty of our older jets will be much of a deterrent, but it’s better than nothing. I read somewhere of an intelligence report saying China will invade Taiwan within the next six months. Damn, looks like we are headed for interesting times.

Laugh while you can!

Go ahead, take a shot!
Now do punctuation!
Yes, to be honest, it really stinks.

And there you have it: another day, another post. I won’t apologize, and you don’t need to thank me. I will try to keep ’em coming!

Weakened

But I was strong enough to survive my weekend in San Antonio.

Way too many San Mig Lights on Saturday…those damn things turn me into an asshole.

Beer manifested bad behavior resulted in me getting angry and raising my voice at Swan. That pissed her off, but we reconciled before the evening was over. For some reason I don’t recall this, but when two different restaurants were too busy to accommodate our dinner desire, Swan says I mouthed off about posting a bad review. That’s not going to happen, of course, and not just because I don’t remember the names of the eateries. On the plus side, I was in slumberland when Swan had to call the front desk of our resort because some of the other guests were partying loudly outside our room. I didn’t hear a thing.

Sunday morning on the beach

Up and at ’em and ready to roll bright and early Sunday morning. We went to the hotel next door for breakfast (one of the places too busy for us the night before).

This time, we had the second-floor dining room to ourselves.
All is forgiven, right Swan? Right?
After breakfast, we headed out for the Pundaquit version of the Candy Walk.
Things are much quieter away from the beach.
Down on main street.
A riverside stroll
There weren’t a lot of kids out and about
Back on the beach
The Capones Islands
On the backstreets of Pundaquit

Here’s a short video of us finishing our walk and passing by the scene of my crime from the night before.

Back to the room for a shower, then packed the bags and awaited the arrival of my driver to transport us to our next destination, the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) in San Antonio.

The day’s event: The 2025 Miss Fralics Beauty Pageant
I confirmed that San Mig Zero was on offer and purchased ten beer tickets to ensure I remained hydrated during the event
My seatmates. We arrived at noon and the pageant began at 2:00.
Old sailors
Swan filled some of the waiting time playing Bingo. She didn’t win.
The Alley Cat’s crew was out in force
The old feller sitting across from me had a great sense of humor. His “Dysfunctional Veteran” cap was just one indicator.
I also had to admire the shirt the beer server was wearing.
You could make a mint selling cans of asshole repellant.
The birthday of the Navy’s Submarine Service was being celebrated
The submariners went on stage and were serenaded with a rude and crude Navy song I can’t find online.

And at last, it was time to kick off the beauty pageant. There were ten contestants. Here they are in the introductory “Casual Wear” competition:

Number One: Hershe is a waitress I know from It Doesn’t Matter bar.
Number Two
Number Three. Julie also works at It Doesn’t Matter
Number Four
Number Five
Number Six
Number Seven
Number Eight
Number Nine (she’s wearing her number upside down)
Number Ten
Here they are all together. Do you have a favorite yet?
I liked this girl, but she wasn’t competing.

Next up was the “talent” competition. Unsurprisingly, eight of the girls did a dance routine as their talent. The other two sang a song. I wasn’t impressed enough to take many pictures, but here are a couple.

Hershe dancing
Shake that booty

The final round of the competition was the bikini contest. I made a video of the gals strutting their stuff.

Right after uploading the above video, I received an email from YouTube advising that it had been flagged for a “copyright violation”:

Copyrighted content has been detected in your video “Fralics”. As a result, your video can no longer be monetized and has been blocked in 1 territory. The copyright owner may be either monetizing it, or receiving analytics about it in other territories. This is not a copyright strike and does not affect your channel.

The problem is that the music playing in the background is copyrighted by someone, somewhere. I have not been able to determine which “1 territory” is blocked from viewing the video. Let me know in the comments if you are unable to view it.

Just in case you missed it, here is the bikini-clad group shot.

And now for the winners:

Casual Wear winner
Bikini winner
Talent winner
Third place
Second Place
Miss Fralics 2025 (contestant #7)

I’m not one to judge, but I support the decision of the judges in selecting this cutie pie.

I didn’t win any of the raffles, but that’s okay. I had some beers, spent time with good folks, and enjoyed watching the girls prancing about on the stage. Then, it was time to load up in the car and make our way back to Barretto. We stayed home last night, and when the dinner hour arrived, Swan wanted to drive her cart to McDonald’s. Oh well, I was still in my “cheat weekend” mode, so why not?

Saturday’s scandal
Sunday’s surrender

Back after it today. Let’s see how I do.

There’s a story in this picture. I wrote about it in September 2021. I hope those type days in my life are over for good.
Eleven years ago, I was hiking in the mountains of Korea with my wife. I had a long way to go.
Twelve years ago, I was playing in a pro-level darts tournament in Las Vegas. Ran into this old friend from Korea there. And no, I didn’t throw like a pro that weekend.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay ponders the questions, “Is the expat life or another marriage for you?” To which I can honestly respond, yes and no.

Here I go again:

And thinking, what happened?
Yeah, us old fucks have earned that right
Then he had another hole in his head

So, back at it in Barretto. A Hash run is coming up. Here’s hoping it’s a good one. For the past two days, I’ve been having a dull aching pain in my lower left abdomen. If it doesn’t go away soon, I’ll consult with Dr. Jo. Bright and early in the morning, I’ll be making my way to Angeles City for an updated ECG. It seems I’m always on the move these days.

The day is done

Gonna do a photo dump this morning and get on with the new day. More details to come as time permits.

Getting from thee to here was just shy of 35K
Some lunch here upon arrival
Nothing to get choked up about
Pork on a plate
Our room at the Wave Song Resort
The view from the porch
On the beach
Looking for a new place I read about online
Found it!
I was surprised to see my old pal, Gary, was there
She looks happy
Moving from the bar to the beach seats improved her mood
Showtime
Two more guys I know showed up
Met the owner, Erik (the one in the middle)
Life is good
Well done, sun

The bar didn’t have the beer I prefer, so it was a Light night. We went to a nearby restaurant in search of dinner, but they said they were too busy to serve us. So, we grabbed some snacks at a small store and returned to our room.

Maybe I’ll do better at that.

In the LTG history pages, my granddaughter turns one. She’s eighteen now.

5 years ago, I was masked and waiting for my turn to purchase essential supplies at the supermarket. Maintaining social distancing, of course.
Ten years ago, I met with the leaders of the Korean Union and the U.S. Ambassador. I was the only left-handed person in attendance

Today’s YouTube video discusses the cultural differences he has observed in the Philippines.

Joke time:

It’s a hard life
Leaves you feeling pooped.
I need to get up to speed on this

Okay, hope this post was better than nothing. On with my day!