My memory may not be what it once was, but I didn’t forget the anniversary of 9/11/2001. What I did was fail to honor the memory of that day in proper fashion. At a minimum, it warrants a stand-alone post.
I was reminded of this when today someone commented on my post from 2009 recognizing the sacrifice of firefighter James Raymond Coyle who gave his life trying to save others in the World Trade Center towers.
I was honor to walk for James during 9/11 Stair climb in Charlotte, NC 2022 Thank you and we will Never Forget!
Ania and Mya Vanderkolk
That’s the way you properly honor a memory. Thanks, Ania and Mya!
I also recognized another firefighter back in 2005–Samuel Oitice. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
The world changed that day, and so did I. My political outlook was broadened, and I discovered the wealth of information on the internet that the MSM couldn’t be bothered to report. That’s when I started reading Instapundit, for example. Ultimately, I felt driven to do something more meaningful with my life than being a nobody with the U.S. Department of Education. I applied for Defense Department jobs all over the world, and I was offered and accepted a position with the Army in Korea. Nothing has been the same since.
I will always remember the day when everything changed.
I wasn’t hungry when I left home yesterday, so I didn’t go to John’s place to start my evening. I had some drinks at It Doesn’t Matter instead. Then a few more at The Green Room. While I was there, I got a message from Lydell at Kamto asking if I wanted to join them for their last night.
Yes, a favorite hangout is closing. The sad thing is that it is closing because the landlord won’t renew the lease. Apparently, she decided that’s a nice little business they’ve got there, and so she’ll just keep it for herself. That kind of fucked up shit happens here more often than you’d think.
The last shot of the crew and me at Cameltoe. Gonna miss them.
They went out with a bang, at least. I bought several rounds of drinks as a going away present.
Went out with Ed this morning to finalize the Hash trail for tomorrow. Naturally, it was raining. The part we needed to scout out was the hill climb portion.
Most of the way up wasn’t too bad.That’s where we needed to get.But this rock outcropping proved to be treacherously slippery. Ed and I share the same Hare philosophy: don’t put the Hashers in unnecessary peril. In the end, we decided this climb wasn’t going to work on a wet day.
We came up with a workaround trail that will have to suffice. We’ll mark it up with chalk, paper, and powder tomorrow morning.
What else? Well, Facebook reminded me that I didn’t wake up alone six years ago.
I’m a little surprised I actually posted that risque photo on Facebook. Shame on me! I’m posting it here only to illustrate what a fucked up person I must be.
Which I guess explains this:
I’m too low for zero.
How about a bit of nostalgia from the good ol’ days? This ad for 7-Up certainly resonates today.
Maybe he could mix that 7-Up with something, um, harder…
That’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Had a productive visit with my doctors (husband and wife) yesterday. I will be trying some different meds to cure whatever it is that ails me. I spent almost an hour in consultation/treatment (I had something squirted up my nose to treat my sinus condition). Total fee for the office visit: 1050 pesos (less the twenty dollars). The docs also told me they would be moving into Alta Vista soon. Welcome neighbors!
I had a couple of hours before the SOB began, but deemed that not long enough to go back home and return. Hey, any excuse for an early start will do, right? But first I went to the salon for a haircut. I wanted a foot spa too, but two gals were waiting ahead of me, so never mind. Doors at Whiskey Girl, the SOB venue, weren’t scheduled to open until 5:00, so I decided to kill an hour drinking and eating at Cheap Charlies.
My company at CC.My beef stew dinner was delivered from Foodies downstairs.
Then it was up the highway to Whiskey Girl, where I settled into a front-row seat and waited for the show. I didn’t wait alone, though; I had Jen, my favorite WG waitress, by my side. Alaska won the contest, and Whiskey Girl was the runner-up. I’m starting to notice a home-bar bias amongst my fellow judges. I’m not judging them; just making an observation.
I can’t imagine walking in those shoes, let alone dancing in them.Third Place: Hot ZoneSecond Place: Whiskey GirlFirst Place: Alaska Club
I decided not to attend the Aftermath gathering at Wet Spot following the SOB. Instead, I planned to go to Thumbstar and watch Joy and the Hideaway girls perform a dance routine there. I had some time to kill before the 9:00 p.m. start, so I dropped in for a quick beer at Johansson’s. A dart tournament was underway, so I got to say hello to some of my old darts friends I hadn’t seen in a while.
Thumbstar has opened a shwarma shop on the patio in front of the bar. I’ve been meaning to give it a try, but haven’t eaten there yet. I wasn’t hungry last night, though. That beef stew was very filling, not to mention all the beers and finger foods I had enjoyed during the SOB. I was very surprised, though, to see my old friend Rica was running the shwarma kitchen (there are other things on the menu as well). She kinda disappeared during the scamdemic, so it was nice to run into her again.
I bought her a drink, and we chatted a bit. She has a well-earned reputation as a great cook, so now I’m really looking forward to sampling her wares at the shwarma shop.
The Hideaway gals arrived a few minutes after nine. Joy spotted me right away and joined me at my table. Her friend Jen accompanied her. So, yeah, more lady drinks were served. Turns out the dancing didn’t start until 10:00, and I knew I wasn’t going to make it that long. So, I said my goodnights and caught a trike for home.
Feeling somewhat better today; hopefully, that trend continues. No big plans for my Saturday night, but I’m thinking about starting out at John’s place for some dinner and maybe a visit to his upstairs bar. I still need to do a review there for the Bars of Barretto series.
As I mentioned yesterday, I felt like shit all day. Of course, that didn’t stop me from heading out to the bars when beer o’clock came around. It seemed logical that a few gin and sodas would ease my suffering. Anyway, it was worth a try.
The first thing that happened when I arrived at It Doesn’t Matter was hearing the news that a long-time acquaintance had just died.
Rest in Peace, Don. These are photos his wife posted on her Facebook page.
Don was only 62 but had been in poor health for several months, and he was recovering from a broken hip at the time of his passing. Apparently what killed him, though, was his COPD. The guy telling me about his death had been at the hospital with him, and the doctors couldn’t get the respirators to oxygenate his blood. At least, that’s how I understand it. Don was a heavy smoker right up until the end, and if you are suffering from COPD, that’s going to kill you pretty quick. Anyway, Don was a good guy, and I’ll miss seeing him around.
Thankfully, whatever is going on with me is nowhere near that severe, but I’m going to see the doctor this afternoon for advice on how to keep things stable. I wound up not staying at IDM very long, turns out the drinking wasn’t making me feel better after all. Still, I had one more mission to accomplish–the long-awaited review of Lux bar.
Walking up the highway to Lux afforded this pleasant view.
I didn’t stay at Lux long; two beers (buy one, get one during happy hour) and out. I took a few crappy photos before leaving and wrote a bar review this morning.
The waitress kept handing me a tissue for my runny nose. I took the hint and fixed the problem.
I slept better and woke up feeling better, or at least stronger. I did the Friday group hike this morning and survived, but man, those hills sure do get me huffing and puffing.
Time to shower up and see what the doctor says. And after that, it’s SOB Friday at Whiskey Girl. What a life!
Lux is one of the newer bars in town, open for around six months now, I suppose. I visited during their grand opening and one other time before last night. It is actually a very impressive bar, roomy, and possibly the fanciest place in town. The signage around the front door lets you know you are in for something unique.
When you enter Lux, you encounter special effects like this lion statue.The bar as viewed from my table.There is also a pool table if that’s your thing.
Several large-screen televisions playing music videos of a genre I’m not really fond of, just a bit too loudly. But then again, I’m an old fucker; you young whippersnappers may enjoy it.
This is a “girly” bar, meaning it has sexy dancers for your viewing entertainment. I understand takeout is available as well.
Sorry the dance floor photo came out so dark. The dancers were all wearing hot miniskirts with tiny thongs underneath. I think that is what’s known as eye candy.
Even though girly bars aren’t my thing, Lux has taken the concept to a whole new level. It felt like being in a palace as much as being in a tavern. There was just one other customer and me at this early hour, but the dancers were still quite energetic. That’s not the case in many bars.
My company. The gal on the left remembered me from her days at Queen Victoria. I didn’t remember her at all, and even now, her name escapes me.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that during happy hour (until 7 p.m.), there is “buy one, get one pricing.” I didn’t even need a coupon! I understand beers are regularly priced at 90 pesos. That’s in the low range for this type bar.
Bottom line, if you like bars with girls on stage dancing for your entertainment, you definitely want to give Lux a visit. Hell, I’m bound to come back just for that happy hour drink deal!
My energy and motivation levels are both running on empty. That’s probably because I had coughing fits that kept me awake most of the night. Still hocking up the yellowish phlegm. I’ll be paying a visit to Dr. Jo on Sunday afternoon (yeah, she maintains unusual office hours, works for me, though). Needless to say, I didn’t do a walk today, although I did take two naps. So far.
Last night I made my bi-weekly feeding journey to Hideaway Bar.Joy wanted pizza this time. Between her and the other girls, it was gone quickly.
Once my work was done at Hideaway, I headed back up the highway to my side of town. I had initially planned to review the relatively new Lux bar. Then I realized I had another “buy one, get one” coupon for the Green Room. Lux will have to wait for another day.
I did enjoy the company of three waitresses at my table, and one of them, Angie, tripped some of my triggers. Seeing as how we weren’t alone, I wasn’t able to get her story. I’ll definitely look for her on my next visit. I did buy the gals a pizza to go with their lady drinks, though.
As I mentioned up top, I had a shitty night once I got home, and today hasn’t been much better. But this too shall pass. And there were some reminders that it’s good to be alive.
The mountain widow I support sent me this photo thanking me for feeding her kids.The boy I sponsor for school in Bohol is a 5th grader now. His mom sent me a video of him reading a poem in class. It’s on FB, so it won’t embed here.
Also, so far this month, I’ve paid for meds for a bargirls sick mom in the province, a much-needed dental appointment for a Filipina friend’s son, rent for another friend, and a small refrigerator. And for the record, I’ve also said no to requests I deemed in violation of Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker). Anyway, it does make me feel good to help a little bit when I can.
One year ago today, I met the woman I was destined to fall in love with on a hike with the Wednesday Walkers. All I’ve got to show for it is the newest scar on my heart. I’m glad we are still friends, at least.
I stay away from engaging in politics here at LTG, for the most part, these days, but occasionally I come across something that needs to be shared. Glenn Greenwald is a liberal journalist. But he is also an honest man who tells it like it is. And today, he made a strong case that it is the left who have earned the fascist moniker. Lots of examples, but the one that really stands out for me is the collaboration between the government and social media companies to suppress speech, a clear violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment. And the press, which should be outraged by this violation of fundamental rights, are willing participants in this effort to silence viewpoints the left doesn’t like. Give it a read and tell me what you think.
That’s all for now, dear readers. I’ll be back with more tomorrow. You’ve been warned!
Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels
Look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through
Looking into their eyes I see them running, too
Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun
But I'm running behind
A more natural-sounding title would be “stuff about things,” but I’ll be damned if I haven’t used that FIVE times over the years. These days I do a check to make sure I have not repeated myself. I guess it doesn’t matter, but it’s important to me for some reason. So, that’s one thing.
For another thing, here’s the view yesterday morning from my back deck. I think the house construction behind me already mars it, but once they put that roof on, I expect that’s all I’ll see. Might as well enjoy what I have while I can.
I did my regular Tuesday grocery shopping thing without incident. Prices haven’t dropped any, but the dollar is now worth over 57 pesos, a new record.
I received a nice email from Grammarly with a link telling me what a great writer I am and bestowing on me this award:
Hmm, that’s not all of it. There was also this text: Let’s not forget that writing is an art. And like many of today’s best novelists, you are producing at an awe-inspiring rate. We wouldn’t be surprised if you have a few masterpieces up your sleeve.
Did you know: Haruki Murakami is the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore, and several other literary masterpieces. Before his writing career, he ran a jazz bar named Peter Cat, after his pet.
Oh, I’m laughing out loud right now. My Grammarly app says to remove the comma after “acclaimed” and to replace the period with a question mark after “masterpieces.” Who am I to believe, Grammarly or Grammarly?
Anyway, Grammarly says I’m more prolific than 95% of their users, having written over 60,000 words last week and 1,632,000 since joining the site in January 2021. In a hard-to-believe stat, they claim I’m more accurate than 74% of their users. I’ve also used more “unique” words (whatever that means) than 98% of my fellow Grammarlyarians (yeah, there’s a unique word I just made up).
It is not all good news, though: My top three mistakes are double periods (?), missing commas in compound sentences (where have I heard that before, Kevin Kim?), and missing articles (I’m not sure what that even means, but it is probably because I tend to write very informally .) My top two spelling mistakes are “wa” for was and “htis” for this. That reflects the increasingly frequent disconnect between my brain and my fingers.
Oh, well. Grammar never was my thing, and if Grammarly is to be believed, a whole lot of others are doing a worse job.
Looking for an easy way out on crafting a Barretto bar crawl map, a Google search led me to this one:
Although this one purports to be from January 2022, it is wildly inaccurate. I’ll just need to figure out how to edit it if that’s possible.
I’m mainly curious to see if this will expand when clicked on once I publish this post. If it does, I’ve at least got a starting point. Technology really isn’t my thing, but I’ll do my best to come up with something useful.
Speaking of bars, I visited a couple of them last night. I’m sure that comes as a big surprise to my readers. The owner of Snackbar sent a message saying the girls were waiting for me and being the gentleman that I am, I didn’t want to disappoint them. I only stayed for about an hour though, because I had other business to attend to. That business was a “buy one, get one” coupon for Whiskey Girl bar.
I spent most of my time there chatting with Jen.
Jen’s a little older than most bargirls at 40, but she has a very pleasant personality and was fun to hang out with. She’s cute, in a matronly kind of way, but it is her inner beauty that most attracts me. The SOB is being hosted by Whiskey Girl this week, and I’ve already arranged for Jen to keep me company during the show. I guess I have a thing for her, at least when I’m at Whiskey Girl.
Speaking of Whiskey Girl, it is the first venue to receive an updated bar review. They’ve come a long way since the previous write-up. Give it a read if that’s your thing.
After Whiskey Girl, I had some hunger pangs, and Cameltoe was the nearest place to eat.
Alas, Lydell advised me that she was not on the menu.The thing I was most craving (other than Lydell) was the beef quesadillas. Very tasty. Oh, it comes with four triangles, but I ate one before remembering to take a photo.Naturally, I took care of Heidi and Lydell’s thirst and hunger as well. Beers and chicken wings were the things they wanted.
Made it home at my usual pre-nine p.m. hour. I ate WAY too much ice cream again, then went to bed and had a fitful sleep. I’ve got a hacking cough I’m dealing with of late. Reminds me of my pre-COPD diagnosis nights when I’d put a towel on the floor bedside so I could spit out all the phlegm I was coughing up. I’m not sure what’s up with that. My blood pressure has been up in the low 150s/80s all week as well, so something is going on. I’m going to see the doctor about these things and see if some changes in my medications are in order. Oh, and I was supposed to get my second does of the Sinovac vaccine today but decided to wait until I’m feeling better before getting that thing.
In the meantime, life goes on. I’ll be one of the Hares for next week’s trail, and I went out with Ed and his lovely Helen to do some trail scouting this morning.
Down in the valley, the valley so low. I think we will forego that area when we finalize our trail. We want something that works rain or shine.We will find room for Jesus, though.
We still have some more work to do this weekend to finalize our intended trails. Yes, we are going to have an “easy” version for the Hashers who desire that, and if climbing is their thing, we’ll have a mountain path as well. Should be something for everyone.
And speaking of the Hash, I found a meme featuring my Hash name.
They spelled “cum” wrong.
Well, that brings y’all up to date on the things I’ve been doing. I’ll start my evening at Hideaway Bar since the Wednesday feeding has become a regular thing for me to do. The girls can have chicken, pizza, or tacos, and I’m bringing a box of Choco Pies for dessert. Just didn’t feel like baking today. I’m also hoping to visit Lux Bar, one of the new venues, and do a review. We’ll see if I make it that far.
The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.
Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1
Of course, in the context of that play, Falstaff’s discretion was acting cowardly. Regardless, I am alive to tell about yesterday’s Hash adventure, and that’s the most important thing, at least to me.
It rained most of the day, and then, as if by magic, the rain stopped and didn’t start again until we were safely On-Home at It Doesn’t Matter. But the damage had been done with the steep climbs and descents laid out by Vienna Sausage (Guenter) being a muddy and slippery mess. My usual wingman, Pubic Head, opted to stay on the pavement, saying that the planned trail was difficult enough on a dry day. The other members of the “sane” group had already departed, and I was loathe to make that steep climb on my own, given that my unfamiliarity with the area would make it hard to shortcut should I deem that necessary. I reluctantly decided to forego the trail as well.
I waited at the start until the scheduled 2 p.m. departure time for the sane group, expecting Black And Dick Her’s arrival. She turned out to be a no-show, so I headed out on my own pavement hike. I began on Abra Street, then circled back around randomly until I found myself on Rizal Extension. The Hare had said in his pre-hike briefing that the first part of his trail came down from the ridgeline, crossed Rizal, and then continued over another hill on the way to the On-Home venue. I decided to check that out and decide what to do from there.
When I found the trail again, I recognized this portion was one I had previously hiked, although my recollection was vague at best (pretty much like everything else in my garbled brain these days). But at least I had some familiarity which gave me the confidence to go forward, knowing I could always bail and go back the way I came. So off I went.
These days, when I hike alone, I keep things pretty flat in areas where other people reside. My nightmare is to take a plunge somewhere way up in the hills where no one would ever find me, and I’d suffer a slow, agonizing, and lonely death. Hey, I have a good imagination! But this trail started with steps and paved sidewalks, and when the concrete gave way to dirt (and mud), the climb wasn’t scary difficult, and there were no big dropoffs–even if I were to trip, the fall wouldn’t kill me. The higher I went, the more familiar my surroundings became, and at the top of the hill, I found myself on the well-known My Bitch trail. Now I had the confidence to continue on the Hare’s well-marked path the rest of the way On-Home. I also reminded myself that even if some tragedy were to befall me, the main body of Hashers were all coming from behind, and at least someone would find my corpse while it was still warm.
I successfully completed my journey to It Doesn’t Matter without a single trip or fall, just a couple of minor slips that kept me focused on the task at hand. It is certainly more fun to have some companions along on a hike, but I was kind of proud of myself for finding the courage to go it alone.
Here are some photos I took along the way:
The yellow line is the trail as intended by the Hare. The blue line is my valorous deviation.Yes, my trail was shorter, but then again, I walked to the start from my house, and that adds two or three kilometers to the total.The “sane” group before they departed without me.I started my personal trail on Abra Street, and then I came upon this. Fuck that. I circled back around to Rizal Extension in search of the second half of the Hare’s trail.At least Rizal wasn’t a muddy mess.What’s this? Why I do believe I am On-On!That’s it for Rizal; let’s see where we are going now…Sometimes you gotta go down to get back up. I was very careful on these algae-covered steps.I should have used my zoom for this shot, the creek was running high, and there was a bit of a waterfall back there.Steppin’ it up.Goodbye pavement, hello mud.Heading up with roots for a foothold. Thank you, Mother Nature!I didn’t expect the trail to lead me back to my old familiar My Bitch trail, but I’m glad it did. It gave me a chance to say hello to my mountain mama friend, Oliva, and bestow some cookies and candies.A rarely seen barbwire tree.Ah, seeing Easter mountain again made me feel a little less lonely.The view from here. Then I started hearing voices. English voices. I figured the first of the runners must be catching up.And sure enough, a few minutes later, here comes Leech My Nuggets and Anal Receptive.Another view of my little town.Steppin’ back down to Barretto. I was very careful on these as well. Anal Receptive reported that he took a fall coming down here. They may not look slippery, but don’t let that fool you.This was the first time we’d down an On-Home at It Doesn’t Matter. With 52 Hashers in attendance, it got a little cramped, but we kept it fun anyway.I didn’t encounter any rain on my trek, but we had a light shower at the circle.I didn’t take this photo; I assume it is one of Pubic Head’s. It is rare to see two exes at the same time (that’s Marissa and Jessa standing). But we are all friendly with one another, so no big deal. Jessa was there with her new love, and it was only her second Hash.
After the Hash, I took my drunken ass to Sit-n-Bull for some grub.
You can’t go wrong with the roast beef dip.
It turned out to be a better day than I expected. I’m glad I lived to tell about it!
And everything is wet. The streets here in the ‘hood have not been dry for so long that a thin and mostly invisible layer of algae has grown on the sides of the roads that don’t get trafficked. That shit is slick as ice, as I discovered on my dog walk this morning. Gotta be careful out there these days, even on the pavement.
Nice morning views, even on a slippery road.
Still off and on rain today, and we’ve got a Hash coming up. Guenter is the Hare, so I expect I’ll be fighting for my life on the muddy hills that await me.
That remains to be seen.
The hardest part about making a carrot cake:
Grating the carrots. My helper took the initiative and grated them for me.She also put the icing on the cake in my absence. I think she was motivated by wanting to eat some.
Turns out Joy didn’t get to experience my carrot cake yesterday. It took longer to bake than I anticipated, and I didn’t have time to let it cool enough so I could apply the frosting. I brought a package of Orea cookies instead, and she seemed happy with that.
Joy requested the Sit-n-Bull lasagna for her meal. I hope it tasted better than this photo makes it look. The other girls had the fried chicken from Chooks To Go.Joy said it was tasty.And she finished most of the large-size serving, so I guess it’s true.
After Hideaway, I visited Wet Spot and used my completed drink passport to my full advantage. Nothing tastes better than a free beer, and the half-price ones were pretty damn good as well.
Took a morning stroll out to the Jewel restaurant for breakfast.
The ham and cheese omelet hit the spot.
Next up, surviving today’s Hash. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. Maybe.
Wow, three posts in one day. What’s up with that? Well, the other posts were about bars, and now it’s time for your daily dose of me. So here goes.
It wouldn’t be a post about me if it didn’t include me in a bar. Of course, I only visit the bars on days that end in “y,” and SaturdaY qualifies. Actually, I had intended to go to Whiskey Girl. It was raining when I left the house, so I didn’t take the dirt path shortcut; instead, I walked out to the highway. When I reached the highway, the owner of Snackbar across the road saw me and beckoned me to come over. I waved and kept on walking. But then I had a change of heart, deciding to have just “one” as a friendly gesture. I wound up staying until my quitting time, a little before nine. I honestly can’t remember the last time I stayed in the same bar for the entire length of my outing. Well, they do have a cute and friendly staff that was pampering me. In return, I ordered in some food and provided beverages in the form of lady drinks. Then, my pal Ron showed up; I got drafted as the DJ and was having a good time, so why bother leaving?
Up bright and early at my usual 0400 to face another rainy day. This latest storm has been a little tricky–the sun peaks through the clouds, and you think it’s safe to walk your dogs without bringing an umbrella. And then, once you reach the furthest point from your house, it starts pouring down rain again. Oh well, that’s the way it goes.
I baked up a batch of cranberry muffins to warm myself after the drenching.
Tasty they were.Then I noticed I had a can of cranberry sauce on the shelf, and it seemed only natural to make that my side dish.
After my carby hearty breakfast, it was time to brave the rain for my morning walk. I did arm myself with an umbrella this time. Since I needed to stay on the pavement, I decided to trek out to Subic town to empty the ATM. I got the cash without issue, but on the walk back home, my feet got soaked wading through huge puddles on the shoulder of the highway.
It was a good long (for me) walk under adverse conditions.
Got home safe and sound, took a nap, and worked on the previously mentioned posts. Now I need to bake a carrot cake as part of the feeding I have scheduled at Hideaway bar tonight.
I’m also happy to announce that all my hard work is paying off.
Yesterday, I walked the length of Barretto on the National Highway, from the 7/11 on Baloy Beach road to the Arizona Resort at Rizal Street. That’s a distance of 1.15 kilometers. Then I crossed the highway and walked back in the opposite direction. The purpose of this walk was to document all the bars in preparation for creating a series of posts here at LTG suggesting various “bar crawls,” as requested by some of my readers. That sounds like a fun idea; I’m especially looking forward to the test drives.
One tool I’m going to need for this endeavor is a good map of the bar district area in order to show the location of various bars. I tracked the bar trek on the “Map My Walk” app, and it gave me this:
Not a lot of detail.
So, I converted it to a satellite image:
Hello down there! Seems too far away for my purposes.
Another app I sometimes use is Relive. It creates a video from the data recorded at Map My Walk.
https://www.relive.cc/view/vRO7gELekKO
This particular video is not all that useful since it doesn’t show all the bars I photographed (for more than eight images, I have to pay for the premium service). It should be nice for the actual bar crawls, though. But when you scroll down below the photos under the video, it shows “activity on map” that looks like this:I think this is something I could work with. Now I just need to figure out a way to show individual bars on the map. Does anyone out there have any suggestions for the best way to do that?
Anyway, I’m making progress. Here are the photos I took of the bars:
Snackbar (aka “Snatchbar) is next to the 7/11 at Baloy road and the National highway. This is where Barretto begins as you move in the direction of Olongapo City.Kamto Restobar, or as some of us like to call it, Cameltoe.The Outback Billabong bar.Next up was Whiskey Girl Bar.Then comes Adam’s.Literally right below Adam’s (see the steps on the right) is Lux bar. This is one of the newer bars I haven’t reviewed yet. I’ll get to it soon, I promise!Palm Tree is a hotel, but also features a large bar on the second floor.Rock Lobster is one of the hotel bars at Mango’s.Mango’s also has a beach bar in the back that I sometimes frequent.Next comes Thumbstar, a girly bar with rooms available upstairs.I’m a frequent visitor to Cheap Charlies, up on the third floor.Then you have the Annex bar, one of only two bars that were open during my early morning (around 9 a.m.) jaunt.The recently reviewed Chill bar.Mugshots, the newest bar in town.And then another new venue, Bar Barretto.Blue Butterfly.MacArthur’sThe other early opening bar is Dynamite Dick’s.The Hideaway bar is halfway up this alley on the left. And then you have Redz Pub at the Arizona Resort hotel.
That’s the end of the road in this direction as far as Barretto bars go. Now it is time to cross the highway and head back in the opposite direction towards Subic.
First up is John’s Sushi and Steak. I frequently post about my dining experiences here, but John also has an open-air bar upstairs on the third floor. I still need to review that one too.Not as many bars on this side of the road, three or four blocks up from John’s is It Doesn’t Matter, currently #1 on my bar ranking list.Then you have Voodoo.And right next door, Bottoms Up.Hot Zone, which advertises itself as being “somewhere between purgatory and hell.”The Green Room, one of reader Dave’s bars.And Wet Spot is the other one Dave owns.Not a bar, but smack dab in the middle of the bar district. Sit-n-Bull also has a waitress on patrol in Wet Spot and Green Room, so hungry drinkers don’t have to leave the bar for grub.Alaska Club is next on the road.And right next door to Alaska is Sloppy Joe’s, another bar pending review.Alley HIdeout, where I used to play darts before going on hiatus.Then you have Rosie’s.Johansson’s recently re-opened after a two-year closure. Still no signage to photograph, so I settled for this shy waitress.And finally, the last bar on this side of the road, Queen Victoria.
Whew. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. I honestly can’t imagine anyone doing a “one drink” in every bar thing. Maybe one until you drop, and whoever gets the furthest is the winner. That sounds a little dangerous, though.
My thinking is to craft some themed bar crawls that will emphasize having a good time doing what you enjoy. Stay tuned; it’s a work in progress.
I have updated my bar rankings based on additional visits, other information, and overall impressions. I’m not sure how much value these rankings hold because the reality is they are nothing more than my subjective opinions based on my personal bar preferences. For example, BarCelona has many of the qualities I look for in a bar, but it seems every time I’ve been, the service sucks. Girly bars aren’t really my thing, but I’m sure others would find Thumbstar quite acceptable. My issues there are more personal–I don’t care for the management. So, take them for what they are worth; your mileage may vary.
I will continue to update as needed periodically. Also, I plan to revisit each bar to see if things have changed for better or worse since my previous visits. I will then re-rank them accordingly.
Another wet one yesterday, but life goes on, and into each life, some rain must fall.
The Friday walking group didn’t let a little precipitation keep us from our scheduled jaunt. We did confine ourselves to the relative safety of the pavement, dodging cars instead of raindrops. I’ll post the photos from that endeavor at the end of this post.
After the hike, I decided to try something new for lunch. It has been months since I fired up the grill, but I had defrosted some pork chop steaks, and it was time to give them a whirl.
I had a bottle of Hawaiian marinade on the shelf, so I soaked them in that for a couple of hours, then put ’em on the grill.I don’t recall ever actually grilling pork chops, but I treated them like a beef steak, turning them over periodically to avoid overcooking. Well, I wanted them cooked through, just not burned.On the plate with some broccoli in cheese sauce and garlic bread. Honestly, they came out bland tasting to me. I’m not sure what seasonings they use at Mango’s to give them that robust flavor, but mine, while perfectly edible, was not nearly as tasty.
It was a rainy afternoon, and when the time came to head to Voodoo for the SOB, I was thankful for my umbrella. Voodoo doesn’t open until 5:00, and I arrived a little after 4:00, so I hung out at Cheap Charlies while I waited.
Voodoo is in that grey building across the street, so I could keep my eye on things and see when they opened the doors.
Naturally, I took care of my regular CC girls, but I was drinking slowly, knowing I had a long night of imbibing ahead of me. As I did last week, I switched to San Mig Zero to moderate the rate of alcohol consumption. When I saw Voodo was opening, I paid my tab, said goodnight to the ladies (there were three of them), and made my dash across the rain slickened highway.
The last time I visited Voodoo was for the SOB over a month ago. Josie, the gal who kept me company on that occasion, latched onto me as soon as I walked through the door.
She’s actually pretty sweet. After we’d been sitting there a while, she looked at me, touched my neck, and asked if I’d been feeling ill. Well, yes, as a matter of fact. Weird that she could tell just by looking at me. Anyway, she said let me give you a back massage, and she had a nice, relaxing, gentle touch.
Voodoo is the smallest SOB venue of them all, and it was packed by the time the competition began. It was good that I arrived early to secure a comfortable seating location.
The dancers from the seven competing bars on stage.
The results:
Alaska Club finished third.Second place went to Wet Spot.And the home bar was the champion–congrats to the Voodoo girls.
The Aftermath party was at Hot Zone. I stayed there until about 9:30, and that was all I could muster. Caught a trike outside and finished my rainy night out on the town still standing.
Up this morning, ready to tackle a new day. Had the leftover fixin’s from yesterday’s burrito, so I decided to put them where they belonged: in my belly. I was bragging in yesterday’s post about learning how to brown my tortilla in the frying pan, but my foodie commenter, Kevin Kim, pointed out I was still doing it wrong. I’m supposed to fry the whole damn burrito, not just the tortilla. Well, my problem is I like to overfill the tortilla with so much goodness that it can’t be rolled properly, and there is always some spillage. This morning, I cut back on the insides and made it look like an actual burrito.
Into the skillet with you then.Maybe just a little too much brown, but still not bad for my first try. The meat had been in the fridge, and the browning process wasn’t enough to completely warm it up, so next time I’ll heat the meat before I put it in the tortilla.
Yesterday, commenter James suggested I map out some potential bar crawls for like-minded readers here. Sounds like fun to me. Of course, I’m going to need to learn a thing or two about making maps, but I’m sure there’s a way, even for a techno-peasant like me. The first step in that endeavor was to use my morning walk to take a picture of each Barretto bar. They are all on the National Highway, and thanks to my Map My Walk app, I know that the whole of Barretto along the highway is a mere 1.15 kilometers in length. The app also provided me with a rudimentary map that I could work with as a start. I’ll be doing a post about those efforts in more detail tomorrow.
When I left the house this morning, it was not raining, and I neglected to take my umbrella. I soon came to regret that oversight. I don’t mind walking in light rain, but a downpour is just too damn uncomfortable. Heading up the highway, the skies opened, and I rushed to take refuge in one of the two bars that are open during the morning hours–Dynamite Dick’s.
I sat on the front porch of Dick’s and enjoyed a hot cup of black coffee while I waited for the rain to die down some. Dick showed up a few minutes later, followed by Griff, the Hideaway Bar manager. That helped pass the time.
As is his custom, Dick gave me a chit for a free drink, but I respectfully declined his kind offer. The rain had let up, and it was time to complete my mission. Arizona Resort is at the end of the bar district in this direction, so I turned off my app, crossed the highway, turned on the app again, and walked back, documenting the bars on that side of the road. About the time I reached Sit-n-Bull, the skies opened up again, and I took shelter inside.
I felt obligated to buy something while I waited out the rain, so I indulged my sweet tooth with a miniature cherry cheesecake pie.
I also enjoyed a nice chat with owner Ron about the local bar scene. He’s happy to be strictly in the restaurant business these days.
Finished the last bar on this side of the road (Queen Victoria), then decided to head back home even though I was nowhere near my step goal for the day. Walking in the rain is overrated, and sure enough, it started pouring again before I reached my house. Oh well, at least I was able to put on dry clothes.
Here are some photos from yesterday’s hike: (just a reminder, as always, photo credit to Scott for many of these)
Our course of action. I bailed on the group in San Isidro and took the back way into Alta Vista.Once a shortcutter, always a shortcutter, I suppose.Our band of weather beaters. Actually, we were fortunate that the rain held off for most of the hike.Yours truly leading the way up the highway.And the rest of the group.We walked the streets in Santa Monica, getting us off the highway for a while.Subdivision walking may not be all that exciting, but at least we were out and about.And there is beauty to be found there.Santa Monica is notorious for flooding during rainy season. We were lucky to have clear streets yesterday.Can anyone identify that mountain?Entering Sierra Hills, another subdivision.Trudging along on the Govic Highway.It’s a scenic highway in places.And much nicer when traffic is light.A well-stocked sari-sari store.That rice doesn’t plant itself.Hard work, it appears backbreaking to me.Workin for a livin Workin for a livin Workin for a livin, livin and workin I’m taking what they giving ’cause I’m working for a living.San Isidro here I come.In them old rice fields back home.Sees ya later.
My Saturday night is rapidly approaching. I’m planless and clueless. That could make things interesting. Tune in tomorrow to find out what happens.
Since I stole some Huey Lewis lyrics, the least I can do is post the video of his song.
Sure does seem that way sometimes here in the Philippines.
I just keep plugging away and making the best of each day I have left in this so-called life of mine. I ain’t complaining. Much. I do what I please when I please, and I’m getting better at not caring about the things I’m powerless to change. There is freedom in that attitude, and I’m going to embrace it as much as I am able.
Ha! Brave words, I know. And it might appear that my reality is not always in accordance with my objectives. But I take comfort in my routines, and I’m always keeping my eyes open for the next big thing. In the meantime, this is what I’ve been up to:
My Thursday solo walk. A lot slower than I was on Wednesday. I didn’t make it all the way back home, either. I was tired as I approached Alta Vista, and a trike driver called out, “ride, sir?” I didn’t have the energy to resist his entreaty.
I only took one photo on the hike. I was doing my standard walk through the Naugsol valley when I noticed the landscape had recently changed.
There used to be a trail here. I couldn’t find a walk around, so I plunged in. Took a couple of steps, then wound up in water over my knees. It sucked, but I made it through.
A quiet afternoon at home, then it was time to see what was happening in my little town. I started out at It Doesn’t Matter, where I usually find a friendly face or two. Yesterday it was Chris and his lovely lady. As I was sitting there, my gaze turned towards the bar across the street named Chill. It opened a few months ago, and I’d never been there before. With nothing better to do, I decided I’d visit and write up a review. You can read about the experience here.
When I was done Chill-ing, I moved on to Wet Spot. They were just opening up when I arrived, so I had the honor of being the first customer. They have a promotion called the “passport,” and every time you buy a drink, you get a mark on your card. After six drinks, you get a free drink, and for the remainder of the night, all your drinks are half-price. The passport is also honored in the Green Room venue. Welp, my passport was full, so I settled in to get my money’s worth. During the course of my evening, I had a nice chat with Brett, the manager, about bands we had seen live in the 70s and 80s (he’s also a California boy). Then Jeff, the owner of Treasure Island, arrived, followed shortly after by Wet Spot owner Dave and one of my neighbors here in Alta Vista. It was a good evening of socializing with some folks other than bargirls. Although Aine, my regular who’d been missing in action during my last couple of visits, wound up making an appearance.
Oh, and I ordered a pizza from Sit-n-Bull next door. Ate what I wanted and had the waitress share it with her co-workers. Yep, that’s me. Always feeding the hungry. *ahem*
I went home a little drunker than normal, but at least my trike driver made it all the way to the house. I was still in good enough condition to concoct a batch of strawberry-banana smoothies that I enjoyed with my helper.
I’m still dealing with some lung issues, nothing as severe as the other day, but I did wake up at 3 a.m. wheezing, so I got up to use my nebulizer and started my day a little earlier than normal.
It was a rainy morning, and Lucky said, “fuck that,” refusing his daily walk. Buddy doesn’t care; sniffing the smells on the streets of the neighborhood is his favorite part of the day.
Silly Lucky. There was a break in the rain, and me and Buddy didn’t get wet at all.
I still had an hour before the Friday group hike, so I decided to spend some time in the kitchen. It seemed like a good morning for a burrito breakfast.
Seasoned ground beef.Kevin Kim had told me in a comment here that I should put the tortilla in a frying pan and brown it a bit (I usually just warm them up in the microwave right out of the package). Wow! It really did make a tasty difference. Thanks, Kevin!The other fixin’s: salsa, shredded cheese, tomato, green onion, and lettuce.Put it all together, and Yum!
I’ll post about the hike tomorrow. Time for me now to shower up and prepare for this week’s SOB. It’s being held at Voodoo, a smallish venue, so I don’t want to be late.
Maybe this explains why I’m single–I need to be ready to answer the call!
And if you said, "This life ain't good enough."
I would give my world to lift you up
I could change my life to better suit your mood
Because you're so smooth
And it's just like the ocean under the moon
It's the same as the emotion that I get from you
You got the kind of loving that can be so smooth, yeah.
Gimme your heart, make it real
Or else forget about it
Chill, another relatively new addition to the Barretto bar lineup
It’s been several months now since Chill first opened its doors but yesterday was my first visit. I had heard enough to know it was one of “those” kinds of bars that just aren’t my thing. I guess this is a good time to remind readers that my reviews and rankings are based on my personal likes and preferences. Which is to say, just because a particular bar leaves me cold (or chilled, as it were) doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with it or that your impressions may be the opposite of mine; to each his own.
So, here’s my take on Chill. It is very small inside. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, but other than sitting at the bar sipping a drink or snuggling with one of several bargirls, there’s not much else to see or do.
Granted, those lounge chairs do look pretty comfortable.The drink menu.The bargirls on tap last night. Yes, I bought them each a lady drink.What’s behind the curtain? A passage to the massage shop next door. The girls are also available for takeout, something I don’t personally partake in.Geena was my favorite.
And that’s really all there is to the place. Buy the girls a drink, get a massage, or negotiate an evening out of the bar, short or long time, depending on what you want to spend. I suppose you could just sit at the bar and drink a reasonably priced beer, but my impression is that’s not what this bar is designed for.
Chill is located across the highway from It Doesn’t Matter, so it’s easy to find. From my perch at IDM, I do see customers coming and going, so I suppose they are doing alright. I was the only customer last night, but it was still early in the evening.
A wet day, for the most part, yesterday, and another big typhoon-driven storm is on the way. There’s a little umbrella icon at the bottom of my screen saying “rain coming.” It’s a little disconcerting because I’m sitting here wondering if it’s gonna get here before I head into town. Oh well, that’s rainy season for you.
Our planned mountain hike for the Wednesday Walkers was scuttled, and instead, we walked the wet streets and alleys of Barretto. It looked like this:
A brisk 7K walk met our needs. I rarely get under twelve minutes a kilometer.I also did a couple of extra Ks getting to the starting point from my house.The hardy group who braved the rain.Two others arrived after this photo.And we are off!Wet and wild.I was taking a pee here, so decided to snap a photo of the creek.An Alta Vista shot as I finished my hike.
A quietly unproductive afternoon, then it was time to start my Wednesday evening activities. Had some food intake at John’s place:
Had a hankering for the pulled pork sandwich. I misunderstood when the waitress asked if I wanted “fries or chips,” thinking the chips were those round-cut potatoes. Oh, well. I’m not a big guacamole fan, but the stuff served with my chips was about the best I’ve ever tasted.
It was feeding night at Hideaway Bar, so I ordered John’s Korean-style chicken wings and some rice for the girls.
I’d baked up a batch of brownies before leaving home.The chicken.The rice.The satisfaction on Joy’s face.
With my mission completed and after a few drinks, I headed out for new venues. One of those was the newest bar in town called Mugshots. I posted a review of my first impressions here.
I had a coupon (buy a lady drink, get a customer drink) that was ready to expire, so I went to Green Room to use it. Those coupons are dangerous and don’t really save you any money. I think the bar owners know that, right, Dave? Anyway, I pampered the new waitress and her boss and caught a pretty good buzz consuming those “free” drinks. So, I headed out with the intention of going home.
Once outside, I got bit by the “just one more” bug, so I made my way up the highway to Cameltoe. Had a final drink with the lovely ladies there (they got one, too), and then a trike pulled up in the driveway right in front of where I was sitting. I don’t know if someone called it or if it was divine intervention, but it seemed like a good time to go, and so I did. There is a big hill to climb just before reaching my house, and some of the weaker trikes can’t make the grade, so to speak. We did top the hill successfully, but then the trike died and wouldn’t restart. I wasn’t far from the house, but I felt bad for the trike driver being stuck up there in the dark. I waited a bit, then gave him an extra 50 pesos (total of 150) to ease his pain. Last I saw, he was pushing the trike. At least it was mostly downhill.
While I was waiting to see if the trike would restart, I noticed the moon looked kind of interesting.
Except for some reason, I can never get a good moonshot on my phone camera.I tried a zoom shot, and at least you can see the moon, but it lost the context that made it look interesting to my drunken eyes. Oh well.
A short walk home from where the trike died, and that was the end of my night.
I found this and shared it on the Hash FB page. It doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you arrive.
Welcome to Mugshots. I popped in yesterday evening on their third day of operation. It is located on the National Highway, directly across the street from the Catholic church in the same block as Bar Barretto. It is on the small side of the bar spectrum here but is well-appointed and comfortable. The space was formerly a bar named Wild Paradise, which has been closed for over three years now. The new owner has done a complete remodel and did a very nice job of it.
A view from my seat at the bar. The bar staff was very friendly and happy to chat. The head bartender (Shawn) gave me a warm welcome, answered all my questions, and made me feel right at home, even as a first-time visitor.
I was drinking soda and gin, but bottled beers are priced at 80 pesos. They didn’t have Zero in stock, and when I told Shawn it was a popular choice for many expats, he promised to order some.
In addition to the bar, there is this small seating section with several tables and chairs.
I neglected to take a photo, but there is also outdoor seating with a view of the highway. That’s probably where I will spend most of my time on future visits.
There is also a kitchen and a limited menu available. Haven’t tried the food out yet, but maybe next time.
There is also this small stage with acoustic performances offered at various times throughout the day.
To my surprise, it is also used for videoke (karaoke) performances. I admit to being dismayed when I saw a young woman go up on stage and grab the microphone. I braced myself for the usual high-volume screeching you have to endure in a videoke bar but was pleasantly surprised that the music was kept at a reasonable volume. Shawn and I were actually able to carry on our conversation at the bar while she sang. I complimented him on this unusual way of letting people sing their hearts out without bothering the other customers. I asked if they had portable microphones for people to sing from the tables, and he said no, only on stage. I like that too.
Some of the wall decorations. That Mona Lisa poster depicts her enjoying a mug of beer and a foamy upper lip.
Has anyone noticed what’s missing? I asked Shawn if they were going to hire waitresses or Guest Relations Officers (GROs) to provide company for lonely customers. He said there were no plans to do so; it’s not that kind of bar. Interesting. I think there are only a couple of other bars in town that take that approach, hope it works out for them. Regular readers know that I regularly partake in the “I buy lady drink, you pretend to like me” charade, but it might be nice to have a venue where I won’t be bothered if I just want to drink alone.
They did have a couple of folks out on the street enticing folks to come inside and see the bar. This one invited me by name. I asked how do you know me, and s/he (I assume s/he’s what is called a Tomboy) and s/he said, “don’t you remember? I used to work on the Arizona floating bar.” Ah, yeah. That’s right. In my defense, the haircut back then wasn’t so obvious, although I assumed s/he was lesbian.If I’m wrong about that or used the wrong pronouns, I apologize.
Anyway, this looks to be a great new addition to the bar lineup. I’m definitely up for a future visit to hear some live music at an appropriate volume. And hell, if I am drunk enough, I might even get up there a sing during videoke time.
The current rankings (still need to make adjustments for previously reviewed bars. I’ll get to it soon, I promise!)
