I had plenty of all three on my Flyday, and the hours just flew by. Let me show you what I mean:

So, it was on to Plan B, and we took a seldom-traveled path that was at least familiar enough to know where we were going.

A quiet afternoon at home doing the usual, and then, when it was time to head into town, I decreed that we were overdue for a visit to Baloy Beach. Since it was Friday, Champs Sports Bar was open (it’s closed except on weekends). We got there a little before 5 p.m., and they were just getting set up. They let us in anyway, and no one else arrived during our one-hour visit. Sad, really, because this could be a happening place with proper management and promotion.

Before I’d even had a sip of my first beer, Swan insisted we play some pool. I have to admire her newfound passion for the game.

Then we headed out so Swan could have some toes-in-the-sand time.

Swan has been missing those days of birria tacos at Myleen’s. Foxhole Resort has them on the menu, but on our last couple of visits, birria was “out of stock.” We tried again yesterday. I’ve asked the barkeep on three separate occasions to order some Extra Light beer. Alas, it’s still not available. I understand now that they just don’t give a shit about providing what customers want. We were told that birria was available, but the Myleen’s cook was off duty. Swan said no thanks, and we departed. I predict that Foxhole will be the next Baloy resort to go out of business, joining the recently closed Lagoon, Viking, and Subiza resorts.

We hadn’t dined at Treasure Island for quite some time, so we rectified that after leaving Foxhole. I was shocked to discover that TI doesn’t carry Extra Light either. What’s up with that? It’s one of the most popular beers in Barretto. I reminded the bartender that Sloppy Joe’s (same owner as TI) carries Extra Light. She nodded and said, “We have a case of Extra Light here waiting to be delivered to Sloppy’s.” For some unknown reason, the owner decided not to serve it at TI. Well, I intend to find out why the next time I see Bert, but if he doesn’t change his mind, I’ll be crossing TI off my list of places to visit.

Otherwise, we enjoyed the Treasure Island ambiance.

Sitting there and reflecting on the past, I couldn’t help but remember all the good times I’ve had at Treasure Island: pool parties, Hash on-Homes, and women I dated who worked there. The man who founded Treasure Island all those years ago was the late, great Dave Fischer. Sadly, I also recalled Dave’s memorial service at TI, where his ashes were scattered in the bay. You will always be missed, my friend.

At least the food at Treasure Island is still enjoyable.

After our meal, it was still too early to go home, so we caught a trike to take us to Queen Victoria for our nightcap.

We had our usual good time soaking up the atmosphere and shooting the bull with manager Jake. One of these days, I hope to make it until 9:30 and hear the live band. It was not to be last night, and we headed for home a little after 8 p.m.

And that’s how I flew through my Friday.

On to August 2023 in the LTG archives, and I have to admit, this endeavor is becoming quite a chore. It took me all the way until August 27 to find a post worthy of inclusion in “The Story of My Life.” Of course, that day marked my 68th trip around the sun. Plenty of photos of yours truly through the years to enjoy.

Today’s YouTube video features a vlogger explaining why he wants to return to the Philippines after spending three days in the USA. Hell, I haven’t been back in eight years, and I might never return in this lifetime (I’d go back for my “do-over” life). The past is history, the future a mystery, so I’ll just live in the present for now.

Time for me to go “there” again:

Okay, my work is done here. I’ll be attending a birthday celebration this evening at the Yacht Club on SBMA. I’m up for a change of scenery!

And now it is 1987 in the hit music parade. This song should warm your Heart.

As long as you’re breathing, nothing is still something. I still enjoy days like yesterday, when everything is the same old, same old. Excitement isn’t a requirement for appreciating the gift of another day among the living.

Swan had business to attend to, so I took a boring Barretto street walk on my own. I brought my earbuds along and enjoyed listening to some of my old favorite songs as I got in my steps.

This is the only thing of interest that caught my eye during my walk:

Swan was still busy with her day, so I headed out at beer o’clock on my own.

Next stop, It Doesn’t Matter, where I was scheduled to rendezvous with Swan. There was only one other customer on the outdoor patio.

Swan arrived thirty minutes later and we had some grub delivered from Foodies to satisfy our appetites. Then we moved on to Wet Spot for our nightcap.

There were several other customers at Wet Spot, and one of them was particularly generous, giving each of the dancers a 100-peso tip. I’ve been known to do that in the past, and it’s a nice way to show appreciation for the hard work of performing in a bar. We enjoyed chatting with our regular waitresses, Beth and Irene, who both received two lady drinks. I was also gifted a free beer, so the good times rolled.

I’d had my fill by 8 p.m., so we headed out. Swan was craving ice cream, and we walked to the shop up the highway, only to discover that it was closed. Apparently, their machine was out of order. Who do they think they are, McDonald’s? So we grabbed a trike home, and I satiated Swan’s sweet tooth with a batch of sugar-free vanilla pudding with bananas and raisins. It served its purpose, and we went to sleep satisfied.

As anyone can see, nothing really matters to me.

Continuing with the July 2023 LTG archives, I’ve come to understand Swan’s need to grieve the passing of her longtime love, and I’ve accepted the fact that I’ll have to wait before we can explore a future relationship. I decided she was worth waiting for, and as it turned out, I was right.

For today’s YouTube video, I invite you to take a gander around my little town, including some of the places I frequent and mention here on the blog. The highway traffic does suck, but so far, at least, I’ve survived it. Fingers crossed.

Laughter is the best medicine, but doesn’t have FDA approval. Read on at your own risk:

And with that, we will lock up today’s post and throw away the key. Come back for visitors’ hours tomorrow!

It’s 1986, and the video for this song is one I’ve always enjoyed for some reason. Sad to see Palmer died in 2003 at only 54 years old.

Sorry for the misleading title for today’s post. I should have said, “sticker bush,” but where’s the fun in that?

It’s called Mimosa pudica and is also known as “touch-me-not.” Early in our hike yesterday, both sides of the trail were lined with those bastards, and they seemed to be aggressively in attack mode. Fortunately, the encounter lasted only a hundred yards or so, but it was a painful experience.

Otherwise, the day was about as good as it gets around here. The hike from Subic Hills to Castillejos is one we hadn’t done in a long time, and the scenery was refreshingly beautiful and different. I’ve got a shitload of photos to share later in this post. The other big event of the day was the 9-ball pool tournament at Alaska Club. As they say, it’s better to be lucky than good, but maybe all that practice I did the day before paid some dividends. Whatever the cause, I won my first two matches—something I had never accomplished before. It was already after 10 p.m. when I was finally defeated and sent to the loser’s bracket. Rather than wait around for that encounter, I chose to forfeit and get my sorry ass home, where it belongs.

When my third match finally arrived, I was squaring off against the owner of Hot Zone bar, Jay “Simba.” He won the coin toss for the break and sank the 9-ball for the win. So that leg lasted all of five seconds. We played a longer, more traditional second leg, but Jay’s superior skills prevailed in the end, and I was knocked down to the loser’s bracket. I asked the tournament sponsor, Alaska owner Jerry, if he would forgive my rudeness if I forfeited and went home, and he said it was no problem.

Thirteen beers and two victories is a pretty good night’s work. Although I might need to pace myself a little better, I don’t think all that “aiming fluid” had a negative impact on my play. Maybe the opposite: I was relaxed and didn’t give a shit, so I was a little more consistent than usual.

That’s how the day ended. Here is how it began:

Then it was time for the Wednesday Walkers group hike. We gathered at the Baloy 7-Eleven then caught a jeepney for the long ride out to the far side of Subic town.

A long-ass jeepney ride brought us back to Barretto no worse for the wear. Overall, it was one of the nicer hikes we’ve done in a while. Except for the sticker bushes.

Facebook memories reminded me that three years ago I was having some pretty severe breathing issues.

Just for shits and giggles, and checked my oxygen level this morning:

From the July 2023 LTG archives, Swan and I are taking our first steps towards a relationship. Against all odds, more than three years later I’ve managed to maintain it.

Today’s YouTube video explores Koreatown in Angeles City. I’ve driven through parts of it but never stopped. Unlike the vlogger, I prefer the bar district. Although many of the bars are now owned by Koreans, I’ve heard that Western guys aren’t particularly welcome in some of them. Well, I’m no fan of AC anyway, so it’s no big deal to me.

Shit happens:

It was a good day. Hopefully, there are many more like it to come.

It’s 1985 in our musical journey through a lifetime. I’m 30 years old and living in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but I wasn’t in dire straits and did enjoy me some MTV.

Meanwhile, in my generally wonderful life, I’m still rolling along. Tuesdays are my mostly-nothing days—grocery shopping instead of a hike—but I guess we all deserve a break. It seems I’ve hit a wall in my weight-loss efforts, and after consulting Dr. Jo, we decided to increase the dose of my Mounjaro injection. The monthly cost at that dosage is 16,800 pesos ($265), so here’s hoping it works.

At beer o’clock, Swan and I headed over to the Outback Billabong Bar. I was feeling hungry (go figure), so I ordered some fish and chips.

Then it was time to get down to business with some pool practice. I played two different waitresses and lost to them both. Then I told Swan it was her turn.

Next up was our regular waitress, Abby.

Well, it was time to move on after the shellacking, and we headed across the highway to Gold Bar.

Swan told me she really enjoyed our evening of pool play. Next up was our nightcap at Queen Victoria Bar.

We had our fill and headed for home around 8 p.m. Not a bad day for a Tuesday.

Hops and Brews posted a thank you to the Subic Bay Hash on Facebook:

Facebook memories reminded me of what autumn looks like:

From the July 2023 LTG archives, I said goodbye to Mary—the 18-year-old I briefly dated—as she moved to Manila for a factory job. When one door closes, another opens, and Swan and I took our first tentative steps out of the friend zone.

Today’s YouTube video is one only us old fuckers would likely find interesting. But I’m happy to report that, other than some messed-up sleep patterns, none of the other indicators of looming death are currently present in my life. Actually, health-wise, I’m doing better now than I was in my 60s. We’ll see how long that lasts.

And before I go, there’s these:

Alright, I’ve got that 9-ball tournament at Alaska Club to get ready for. If yesterday’s practice is any indication, I won’t last long. I’ll enjoy the cold beers regardless.

On we go with the hits from 1984. What are the odds that this song would end up reflecting the story of my multiple failures at love? Hearing it again now was almost painful.

Meanwhile, in this iteration of the ’70s, strange seems normal. At least, it does to me. Here’s what my normal looked like yesterday:

We moved the Decay Dance to Sunday since were were busy with the 7-11 Hash on Saturday.

And this week’s video features Section 3 of the Decay Dance:

We adhered to our regular Sunday routine for alcohol intake and started things off at Red Bar.

When the hunger pangs set in, we decided to forgo our usual delivery from Foodies and paid a visit to Sit-n-Bull instead. One of the Red Bar gals expressed her disappointment that there would be no feeding. Maybe next week.

With our hunger satiated, we moved up the street for a nightcap at Cyclone Bar. The pool table beckoned, and I convinced Swan to join me.

Swan said she really enjoyed playing pool, so I suspect it’ll become one of the things we do during our nightly bar time. Works for me!

We headed home around 8:30, and I made a batch of strawberry-banana smoothies for our bedtime treat. It’s a sweet life we’re living!

In other news, Swan has been busy with the Christmas decorations:

Facebook memories took me back ten years for this:

From the June 2023 LTG archives: I had my first date with Swan, taking her to an SOB show. She’d never been to one and asked what it was. I told her it was a cultural dance competition. As the dancers shook their booties on stage, Swan laughed and said, “What culture is that?” I replied, “The bar culture.”

You have to scroll down through the hiking portion of the post to get to the part about Swan.

Today’s YouTube video shares some wise words from Mark Twain, a great American whose wisdom is largely ignored in our current f’d-up world.

There ain’t no stoppin’ me now:

It’s another Hash Monday. I’ve got no intel on today’s trail, but the Hare isn’t one of my favorites. At least we’re starting in Alta Vista, so I can make my own way as circumstances dictate. We shall see. Come back tomorrow for a full report.

It’s 1982 in the music of a lifetime journey, and I’m lovin’ me some rock ’n’ roll. The video is a nice throwback to those happier days—when you could drop a dime in the jukebox (or pinball machine). Those good times are gone forever. It’s nice that Joan Jett is still around, and I didn’t know until just now that she’s three years YOUNGER than me. I think that’s a first among the artists I’ve featured in this series.

All right, I’m going to have to make this post a quickie; I have a Hash to attend to this morning.

There was nothing wrong with yesterday, so I guess that makes it right. I led a very enjoyable hike with the Friday group that wound up being a surprising 10K long. Well, that’s long for the likes of me, for sure. And then, of course, there was a Friday evening that included bars. The seldom-visited Thumbstar turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. It’ll be a much more frequent stop in the future.

Here are some photos to document all that goodness I described above:

At beer o’clock, I rendezvoused with Swan at Thumbstar. It was nice to join my former neighbor and high school alumnus Mike for some beers. The music was outstanding (could have been my playlist), and I especially liked the big-screen televisions showing the song videos. I’ll be back.

After Thumbstar, we made our way to Mango’s for some dinner.

Of course, we had the grilled pork chops. That’s just how we roll. After our meal, we visited Queen Victoria, where manager Jake kept us entertained with stories from his days in the hospitality business in Qatar. When we’d had our fill of good times, it was off for home.

Can someone explain this?

From Facebook memories:

Moving on in the June 2023 LTG archives, it appears I’m having a hell of a good time in Pattaya. Here are three photo-laden posts that prove that point. June 14, June 15, and June 16.

Today’s YouTube short discusses the cultural differences in cleaning your ass. I loved the bidets in Korea, but the tabo not so much. Wet wipes for me.

If you thought the video above was shitty, how about these?

All right, about that Hash I have to get ready for. It’s a twice-a-year event, held on July 11 and again on November 7. Yep, I’m talking about the 7-11 Hash Run. Today, we’ll start at the 7-11 store across the highway from WalterMart, on the far side of Subic town, then walk the 7K back to Barretto, stopping at the seven 7-11s along the way. Some of the Hashers will stick to the tradition of having a beer at each stop, but I’ll save my imbibing for the end. I don’t like mixing my two favorite hobbies.

Ready for the 1980s? Here’s the number one song. I liked it then, and I like it now. Coincidentally, Debbie Harry turned 80 this year.

Here’s how she looks now:

I’m glad I won’t have to witness the upcoming disaster first hand.

Meanwhile, here is the latest dispatch from my life in paradise:

I wanted to show him the scenes he’d seen over the years, as posted on LTG. So we spent some time on The Bitch trail.

And later in the afternoon we jumped into the deep end of the pool. Well, I know I was in way over my head at the Alaska Club 9-Ball pool tournament anyway.

I generally enjoy competing in this weekly tournament because it provides a nice change of pace from my usual bar time. The only downside is that things move slowly. The tournament starts at 6:30. I was drawn to play in the opening match—and lost. My turn in the loser’s bracket didn’t come until almost 8:30. I won that game, then didn’t play again for over an hour. I lost and was eliminated, but it was almost 10 p.m. before I left.

Brian played until 11:30 before he was knocked out of the tournament. He was told that sometimes things don’t finish until much later than that. Yikes. Making it until 9 p.m. is a struggle for me these days. We’ll see how my pool “career” plays out—and whether I can handle those long hours.

And that’s the way yesterday played itself out.

Via Facebook memories, a couple of more photos from my trip to Cambodia four years ago:

I have to say, my trek through the LTG archives is becoming more and more of a chore. I spent an hour going through the May 2023 posts and didn’t find much of anything worth sharing in “The Story of My Life.” Yeah, it’s all the same old, same old: hikes in the morning and bars at night. Hmm, not much has changed, has it? Well, at least I have a girlfriend now, so there’s that. Anyway, here’s a nothing-special post from the last day of May.

Today’s YouTube video shares the ten ultimate albums for the soundtrack of retirement. I actually owned seven of them at one time or another—my record collection stayed behind when I moved to Korea. I’m sure they melted when ex-wife #3’s house burned down. Oh, well, I have the memories at least.

I’ve gotta do what I gotta do:

I’ve been subjecting Brian to my lame humor in person. He’s flying out to Thailand this afternoon. Safe travels!

It’s 1978 and the Mercury is at the top of the charts. God save the Queen!

I first met Brian over a decade ago when I was living in Seoul, Korea. As I recall, I was hanging out at Dolce Vita bar in Itaewon when Brian approached and mentioned he was a reader of my blog. Brian was in town on a business trip, but we got together over beers a few times before he departed the country. He continues to be a reader and frequent commenter here at LTG. When he told me he was in Thailand and had a couple of free days I welcomed his first-ever visit to the Philippines. It was nice to see him again after all these years.

I invited Brian to join in the fun of the grocery shopping excursion, but his schedule didn’t permit him to come along. So, we agreed to meet up for lunch when I was done. Nothing exciting to report about the morning supermarket activity.

I stopped by doctor Jo’s for me weekly injections on the way home. Her office wasn’t open yet, so I had a cup of coffee while I waited at Angel’s Bakery downstairs.

Dr. Jo wasn’t in town, but her nurse was fully prepared to stick me with the needle. As she was doing it, I told her the story of my uncle, who had recently passed away. He’d needed a blood transfusion, but no one knew his blood type. My aunt said his dying words were inspirational: “Be positive! Be positive!”

Yeah, as lame as that joke may be, it had the nurse laughing out loud—and distracted me from the prick in my stomach. The good news is that I lost just over two pounds last week.

Brian is staying at the Outback Resort and I met him there. Then we walked to Harley’s on Baloy Road for lunch.

After our meal, we strolled to the end of Baloy Beach and back. We were both surprised to see that the beach was much cleaner than it had looked in the pictures I’d posted recently. At the conclusion of our walk, we agreed to meet again at beer o’clock and visit some of Barretto’s bars.

When we got together again, our first stop was a money exchange. I hadn’t used one in years, and yesterday’s experience made me glad I don’t. It took a long-ass time: the clerk examined the hundred-dollar bill, photographed Brian’s passport, filled out some forms, and who knows what else.

He finally counted out the money twice—Brian received 63 pesos to the dollar—and handed it over. Brian counted it again and found an error of 1,000 pesos in his favor. Like the honest gentleman he is, he handed the overpayment back to the clerk, perhaps earning himself some good karma.

I decided to make Cheap Charlies our first stop of the evening. Alas, I’d forgotten that the RSL gathers there after its first meeting of the month. The place was packed, and they were doing karaoke. We stayed for one beer anyway so Brian could enjoy the highway views I like there.

Putting on my tour-guide thinking cap, I decided Brian might enjoy the views from the rooftop of the Central Park Reef Hotel. I know I always do, but for some reason, I rarely visit the place.

And as fate would have it, we arrived just in time to enjoy the sunset.

I decided to continue the seldom-visited theme by introducing Brian to the Hops and Brews Beer Garden. They’ll be hosting the Hash for the first time next week. We enjoyed a nice dinner—I had a banh mi—and cold beers. Brian had a craft brew on draft, while I stuck with my Extra Light in a bottle.

Next up was Hot Zone, another bar I seldom visit these days. They had five dancers on stage, but neither of us was feeling the vibe, so it was one beer and out.

Our last stop of the night was Cyclone Bar, a place I’ve been visiting regularly lately. Friendly service, nice music, and a pleasant atmosphere.

It was good practice for the tournament at Alaska Club tonight, and Brian has agreed to participate with me. A couple of more beers and, hold on to your hats, it was after 9 p.m., so we called it a night. It was a good one!

Facebook memories provides more photos from my visit to Cambodia four years ago:

It’s on to May 2023 in the LTG archives. In this post, I share the story of my “Twosday” and reflect on the life I’d left behind in Korea five years earlier. Two quotes from earlier posts on my blog caught my eye:

I never really had a plan for life, I just reacted to it. Whenever I reached a crossroad, I chose a direction and followed the road without a clue as to where it might take me. I guess it is natural to wonder about the paths that would have led to a different life, but you only get to live the life you chose …

Hmm, unless you get a “do-over” life.

I have been fortunate and blessed…but the roads I have taken have led to some great adventures and life-altering experiences. A fool’s luck perhaps, but even so, I could never have imagined what my life would turn out to be; it has been a very nice ride. So it is time to look forward again…it will be an adventure with an uncertain outcome for sure…”

No question about it, I’ve been a lucky bastard. I’m glad I made it this far. Let the adventure continue!

Let’s let today’s YouTube video carry us back to those glorious days of youth in the 1970s.

Don’t blame me, I just can’t help myself:

That’s all I’ve got for now. Having a great day so far. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

On to 1977 in our musical journey. I saw a lot of concerts as a young man in Southern California, but the best show I saw was the Electric Light Orchestra.

Not a lot to report about my All Saints’ Day. A goodly portion of it was spent on the road coming home from La Union. But I didn’t let that keep me from being on time for the beer o’clock activities. Yep, it’s back to the same old, same old. Here we go:

Arrived back home around 1 p.m., unpacked the laptop, and knocked out yesterday’s abbreviated post. Sorry for saying right when I meant left. Then I headed into Barretto.

I was in for a surprise when I attempted to take my backway shortcut out of Alta Vista. During my weekend absence, someone had constructed a barbed wire fence blocking my route. Shit. I’m going to miss going that way.

Swan went for a massage, and I waited for her at Red Bar. The “backslappers” table was full of loud drunks when I first arrived, but they drifted off after an hour or so. Manager Cliff gave me control of the music box, so I entertained myself with classic rock hits from the ’70s that I know and love. Swan arrived, and we had some grub—quesadillas, pancit, and lumpia—delivered from Foodies. It reminded me a little of the old Sunday feedings I used to do at Hideaway Bar.

We popped into Voodoo Bar next and had the place to ourselves, so I enticed Swan to play some pool. She’s just learning, so I gave her some tips and guidance based on my limited experience—a case of the blind leading the blind. One problem was that the bar tables encroached on the pool table, making some shots much more difficult. I sent the manager a message this morning to make him aware of the problem. After one game—I scratched on the 8-ball, giving Swan the victory—we headed out to greener pastures.

We finished up with a nightcap at Cyclone. We were entertained by watching some skilled pool players show us how it SHOULD be done. Well, seeing and executing are two different things, so we’ll see if I learned any new tricks. I didn’t achieve my 9 p.m. goal, but I’d had enough, so we headed for home. Better safe than sorry.

Facebook memories reminded me that four years ago, I was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia:

From the April 2023 LTG archives, I recount a chance encounter with a bargirl “friend” from the past. Old dreams die, new ones are born, then they die too. And suddenly, you are back where you started.

And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look
Behind from where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game

Today’s YouTube video provides a good reminder of why you should remember the mantra: Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way. Because if you don’t, you might wind up getting your ass kicked.

I know you’ve been missing my kind of humor:

It’s another Hash Monday. The trail starts out of town, climbs Kalaklan Ridge, and finishes way out at the end of Rizal Extension. Nope, not for me. Instead, I’ll walk the Bitch trail from my house to the finish, have some Hash beers, then walk back down to Barretto and do the It Doesn’t Matter hangout. I had my fill of adventure on Saturday.

It’s now 1975 on our musical journey. It was the year I turned 25 and became a first-time father. I was also a big Eagles fan.

The beaches and girls here in the Philippines are every bit as nice as I remember from my glory days in California. Still, I’m ready and willing to do it again—if only I could.

As days go, yesterday was a good one. All the more so because it was a little bit out of the ordinary. The Wednesday Walkers group made the journey out to San Marcelino for a hike alongside the lahar-laden Santo Tomas River.

And the fun wasn’t over yet! My new Wednesday-evening routine is the nine-ball pool tournament at Alaska Club. I still suck at pool, although Swan says I’m getting better. The nice thing about the nine-ball format is that luck is a big factor. And for the first time in my new pool “career,” I got lucky and won a game!

The tourney starts at 6:30, and we got there an hour early so I could get some practice in. Our regular waitresses, Alex and Sha, were glad to assist me in that regard, and, of course, I rewarded them with a lady drink.

Last week, there weren’t enough players to hold the tournament—I understand that 10 is the minimum—so I offered Alex and Sha a choice: a lady drink or my paying the 200-peso entry fee so they could play in the tourney. They both selected the pool-playing option. Good for them! And, coincidentally, we had enough players to be good to go. Three other expats were there as well, and damn, they were good.

So now I was in the losers’ bracket, and I had to wait a LONG time for my next game—right around two hours. There was nothing to do but fill that time with beer drinking, and that’s just what I did. I can’t say for sure that beer makes me play better, but when my turn finally came around, I won for the first time ever.

In the next round, I played Jay, aka Simba) the owner of Hot Zone bar and the former grandmaster of the Subic Bay Hash. I’ve known him for years, but this is the first time I’ve seen him play pool (we played darts once). He is also an outstanding player and promptly dispatched me from the tournament.

But I had a good time, and that’s all that matters. I mean, I got my beer-drinking time in, along with something different to do while imbibing. That works for me.

And I’ll be happy with similar Wednesdays to come!

From the March 2023 LTG archives, I tell the tale of how a date with Mary went down. Damn, looking back on it now, I’m shaking my head and saying, “What was I thinking?” That photo of us makes me cringe. I’m fine with helping her out with school expenses, but as the commenters noted back then, I should have taken a hands-off approach.

Today’s YouTube video is a review of the Orchid Inn hotel in Angeles City. That was the first place I ever stayed as a tourist, and it was my go-to lodging for years afterward. My favorite rooms are by the pool. The lobby rooms suck. The pool bar is also a nice place to sit and drink.

Yeah, I’m going there again:

And that’s it for now. I’m leaving for La Union in the morning and staying for the weekend. Gonna join in the Hash anniversary there. Looking forward to getting out of town. And you faithful few readers will have something different to see as well!

It’s 1972 in our march through the music of my lifetime. I mentioned this song earlier in my post, and it turns out to be one of the top songs of the year:

It’s all back to normal around here, and I’ll take the boringness of routines over the uncertainty of the unknown any day. Really, I enjoy the hell out of doing what I do to fill the hours, and I hope I can continue doing so well into the future. Live it while you’ve got it, and all that jazz.

The Sunday Sweets Street Stroll was how we started our day. We brought along 200 bags of candy but ran out before finishing our regular route. Two hundred smiles are still a nice way to kick things off. Here are some scenes from our abbreviated trek:

Here’s the video I made as we passed through neighborhood #3 on our stroll:

The way those kids were lined up was something we’d never seen before, and I found it funny as hell. Kudos to the adults who imposed a little military discipline for our mutual amusement.

Our candy walks are a pleasant way to get some steps in, and add some sweetness to the lives of the children we encounter. Fun in the sun!

My days are bookended by walking and beer drinking, so let’s get to that second part, shall we?

Well, quiet customer-wise. Manager Cliff handed me control of the music selections, and I went with a 70s classic rock playlist. One of the customers complimented me on my choices.

Next on our agenda was paying a visit to Gold Bar to join in the bar’s first-anniversary celebration. So we walked across town on the busy highway and arrived a few minutes before the scheduled 6 p.m. kickoff.

Gold Bar opens early, and when we arrived, the place was packed with customers unlike anything I’d seen before. It was nice to see a Barretto bar doing well these days. All the seats in the main bar area were full, so for the first time ever, we were seated in the room behind the dance stage.

My friend Nancy entertained the guests by singing karaoke-style at the beginning of the party. She has a good voice, and it was nice to watch her dance moves. Sadly, the speaker in the back room was blaring so loudly that it was almost painful to my sensitive ears. It was a relief when her four-song set was completed.

I’m on the introvert side of the scale, and crowded rooms become increasingly uncomfortable for me. The poor waitresses were trying their best but were overwhelmed, and the service grew slower. I’d had enough by 7:30, so we paid up and headed out.

It was still too early to go home (even by my low standards), so we crossed the highway and popped into the Outback Bar. We were the only customers at first, and having some space felt good to me after the overcrowded Gold Bar experience. Two or three other guys came in later during our visit, but there was lots of room for everyone.

Abby plays a good pool game, and she beat me twice without much difficulty.

I had made a batch of my Aunt Pat’s Recipe World Famous Fruit Salad earlier in the day, and as the evening wore down, I could hear it calling for me to come home and eat some. And that’s just what I did.

In the February 2023 LTG archives is a post where I share an editorial I wrote for my high school newspaper defending the First Amendment right to criticize school administrators. I was the executive editor of the paper and published it without our advisor’s knowledge or consent. I guess it worked because I wasn’t disciplined for speaking out. I enjoyed being a radical in the ’70s. In this iteration of my 70s, I’m just a grumpy old man.

Today’s YouTube video captures a chance meeting on the streets of Cebu. Let’s get something straight between us—she’s definitely a girl with something extra. And I don’t mean those tits. Take three minutes and see for yourself.

Shit, one of those vloggers that don’t allow embedding their video. Sorry to make it hard on you, but you can watch it here.

Here’s today’s lame attempt to be funny:

And now it’s time to get ready for today’s Hash. My intel says there’s a long-trail option (10K) and a medium trail (5K). The Hash begins at Barretto High School. I’ll walk the 2K over the hill from my house to the start, then attempt the medium route—a 7K effort. We’ll see how that works out for me.

In 1969, I was 14 years old and a freshman in high school. The No. 1 song that year was from the bubblegum genre, which many hard-rock fans derided. Well, I liked it back then, and it still brings back sweet memories. Enjoy!