It has been said that two things in life cannot be avoided: death and taxes. Welp, I finally got my taxes filed. I’ll continue putting off the other for as long as possible. The taxes proved to be a bigger pain in the ass than usual. I have an accountant back home in South Carolina who does the actual tax forms and calculations. All I have to do is complete and sign the intake forms, scan all my tax paperwork, and email it back. So, I pulled my seldom-used printer off the shelf, plugged it in, and hit the print button. What came out was unreadable. So, I bought some ink, poured it in, and it still didn’t work. Okay, off to the local print shop to get the forms printed. Brought them home, filled them out, and hooked up the printer again to scan them. And I couldn’t get the laptop to connect with the printer to scan the documents. No idea what that’s about or how to fix it. So, it was back to the print shop to have everything scanned there and emailed to me. Then, I forwarded it all off to my accountant. I usually get a decent refund every year, but who knows what to expect from Bidenomics?

Pretty exciting stuff, no? Well, there was also the weekly excursion to Royal for groceries. I have a Royal Customer Card that gets scanned weekly when I shop and earns discount points. I never gave them much thought, but yesterday, I noticed a sign that said to use the points or lose them by April 15. So, naturally, I had the cashier cash me out, and damn, my points were worth 7000 pesos ($140) off my grocery bill. Not bad.

My other big event was my visit to Dr. Jo. She took another blood sample, and we’ll review the results to measure my progress next week, but the external indicators are all on the positive side. She and her hubby, Dr. Chris, were happy to hear of my new efforts at dietary discipline but had some suggestions about excluding some of the fruits I’ve been snacking on—like mangos and bananas.

Anyway, the weight is slowly coming down, and this week, I’m going to work on reducing the beer ingestion to see if I can speed things up.

So, the appointment with Dr. Jo finished a little after 2:30. Rather than go back home for an hour and then head to Baloy, I elected to start my time on the floating bar early. Swan was with me, but she insisted that if we start early, we finish early. I was on board with that.

Zero carbs, but 97 calories in the gin shot. My Zero beer has 60 calories but 2.5 carbs per bottle. But I have the shot of gin served in a tall glass and buy the full can of soda water. In that way, I water down the gin into three drinks instead of one. I also drink fewer gin and sodas than I would beers. So, overall I think it is a decent reduction. The downside is that drinking that way costs almost twice as much. On the Kokomo floating bar, the gin shot is 120 pesos (the same price as a beer), and the soda water can is 90 pesos. Still, since I’m drinking fewer drinks in total, it should average out.

When we arrived on the floater, we were the only customers.

Swan had two wines and I had four gin and sodas. And since we started early, we left early.

It was also too early for dinner or the sunset, so I had the bright idea of visiting another one of my favorite venues:

Sadly, The Rite Spot doesn’t have gin and soda on the menu (yet). But I had cold Zeros in the fridge, so I made do.

I started watching Climate: The Movie on YouTube. For me, it was preaching to the choir, but I hope folks will watch it and see the lies they are being fed about the coming doom. Give it a gander and share it with your indoctrinated friends. Maybe they will learn to start thinking for themselves again.

And here’s evidence that there is a bright side to everything, even Bidenomics:

I had mentioned the four-nation naval (Philippines, USA, Japan, and Australia) exercise taking place next week. Looks like the US Army is coming to play as well. Sure does seem like something is brewing. I hope China rethinks any plans to invade.

Okay, Quora Q&A time:

Q: What would you do if you woke up in the middle of the night and the Grim Reaper (aka Death) was in your room?

A: Most likely, I would die.

Well, I’ve done my taxes; maybe death will give me the fifteen more years I long for.

Now, for the good stuff:

Alright, time to go. See you here tomorrow!

The day’s big event was the candy walk with Swan as she handed out sweets to the kids we encountered along the way. Here’s how it looked:

I took Swan out for a Saturday night dinner at Myleen’s.

After dinner, we had a nightcap at Wet Spot. Then, we made it an early night and headed home at 7:30. I’m getting so damn domesticated.

Speaking of the diet, I’ve lost 3.6 pounds this week (7.1 overall). A little frustrated that I haven’t lost anything since Wednesday, but at least I’m not gaining. I may have to do something radical like reduce my beer consumption. We’ll see. I’m back to see Dr. Jo on Tuesday for a follow-up visit and progress check.

To be fair and politically balanced, I’ll post this Biden campaign ad:

Facebook memories reminded me of an incident back in 2015 when I was still a smoker.

I went to the neighborhood 7-11 to buy some smokes. As is my custom, I told the clerk, “dongbae Marlboro silver chuseyo”. He pointed at the black pack, and I said, “Anio, silver.” He pointed at the gold pack, and I repeated, “Silver.” I finally had to gesture to where the ones I wanted were. He pulled them from the rack, pointed at the word silver, and proceeded to instruct me on how to pronounce the word “silver.” Apparently, it’s “sil-buh.” Who knew? Still, it was a unique experience having a Korean try and teach me how to properly say an English word.

On this day in 2017, I attended a meeting with the USFK Korean Employees Union reps and the American Ambassador to Korea.

Over at Althouse, there was a post where a young American woman talked about the advantages of being with an older man.

“I could study all I wanted, prove myself as exceptional as I liked, and still my fiercest advantage remained so universal it deflated my other plans. My youth. The newness of my face and body. Compellingly effortless; cruelly fleeting…. I could diligently craft an ideal existence, over years and years of sleepless nights and industry. Or I could just marry it early. So naturally I began to lug a heavy suitcase of books each Saturday to the Harvard Business School to work on my Nabokov paper. In one cavernous, well-appointed room sat approximately 50 of the planet’s most suitable bachelors…. I could not understand why my female classmates did not join me…. Why ignore our youth when it amounted to a superpower?…”

Grazie Sophia Christie, in “The Case for Marrying an Older Man/A woman’s life is all work and little rest. An age gap relationship can help.”

Anyway, it made me smile because almost all foreigner/Filipina relationships feature a considerable age gap (mine is 68-39). But it is no surprise that there are advantages for all concerned in these autumn-spring romances.

Let’s do the Quora Q&A thing:

Q: Who, as a previous boss, canceled the vacation time of an employee? Why? Did you offer something else?

A:  I wasn’t the boss, but had it happen to me. Back when I was a letter carrier with the USPS we had to “bid” on vacation dates based on seniority. Only a certain percentage of employees were allowed to be off at any given time. Anyway, I had the first week in June, and another guy had the second week. A few days after the bidding was over, the other carrier came to me and said his plans had changed and would I mind switching with him. I didn’t have anything going on that week, so I said sure, let’s clear it with the boss. So we approached the supervisor and told him what we wanted to do. He replied, no problem and instructed us both to fill out a leave form canceling the approved time off and then fill out another form requesting the new dates. And so we did just that.

Once he had our cancellation forms, he took our names off the board showing approved leave. And then he DENIED our new leave requests, saying another carrier was on extended leave, and so the maximum number of carriers was already off. In other words, both of us lost our planned leave. He was gleeful as he told us, and it was obvious he had suckered us into canceling our prior approved leave.

So, all these years later, I just want to say thank you, Mr. Frank Nathan. Your actions that day caused me to join the union and later become a shop steward and eventually the president of the local union branch. My work with the union impressed the HR Director, and she promoted me into my first management job. I had over 35 years of government service when I retired as GS-15 Human Resources Director, and I’m now living a happy life on my pension in the Philippines.

No hard feelings, Frank. I’m still alive, and I’m sure you are not.

Time for the daily dose of (so-called) humor:

Sunday feeding at Hideaway and some Arizona floating bar time are on tap for this evening. Hasta la vista for now.

But first, here is the story of our group hike yesterday. There were no slips or trips, and only one falls. Martin Falls this time. We loaded into Ed’s truck and drove out to the far side of Olongapo City to begin our trek. Some of us had done this hike in 2022, but the way things change, it still had a fresh feeling. It’s less than 3K up to the falls, and then a retrace of our steps coming back. It’s relatively easy compared to some of our more recent hikes. Still hot as fuck, though, but at least we had some shade along the way.

I went back home for the usual R&R activities (blogging, napping, showering), and then it was time to head back into town for the SOB dance competition. This week’s event was held at Queen Victoria, a nice venue with ample seating. It was needed; they really packed them in yesterday. A lot of unfamiliar faces, and a group of what I presumed to be some of the civilian sailors from those Navy supply ships in port. And then I got introduced to this fella:

I’ve been blogging for going on twenty years now, and during that time, I’ve randomly encountered several folks who turned out to be readers here at LTG. Stan was the latest addition to this group. He’s visiting the PI from the USA with his wife of fifty years. In preparation for their trip, they watched YouTube videos and read blogs, including mine. Thanks for that! As I’m sure has been said, no blog is totally worthless; it can always serve as a bad example.

I voted Alaska first and Queen Victoria second. My fellow judges did not agree.

And now I’ve got a full supply of “discount” coupons to put to use in the bars for the next two weeks.

After the show, a flower vendor came by our table, so I gifted Swan with some roses.

We went home after the SOB; sometimes enough is enough. A good night sleep and another day of life today. Keep ’em coming!

Facebook memories are not always happy ones. I was reminded that yesterday was the thirteenth anniversary of my marriage to Jee Yeun.

Facebook shared a happier memory as well.

Let’s do the Quora Q&A thing:

Q: If police officers were truly operating PROPERLY within the legal constraints of the U.S. Constitution, …then what would happen in a scenario where a motorist with no infractions, flips the bird at any officer in U.S. when driving by an officer?

A: I’ve been arrested once in my life. It was under circumstances similar to those described in your question. Except I uttered the words “fuck you, pig!” to go along with giving the finger. I was 17 years old at the time. Here’s what happened:

In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll share the text of the charges levied against me:

“On or about July 4, 1973, at 18900 Gothard Street, Huntington Beach, County of Orange, [John McCrarey] did willfully, unlawfully and maliciously disturb the peace and quiet of Mrs. Hal Westley Shirey by offensive conduct, and the use of vulgar, profane, and indecent language, in a loud and boisterous manner, in violation of Section 415 of the Penal Code of California.”

I was found guilty, fined, and released with time served (about 4 hours in a concrete holding cell). No one appeared to testify against me other than the arresting officer. But the judge kept talking about some woman I’d never even heard of, a Miss Demeanor. (bada bing).

Now, as bad as those charges sound, I was not completely without justification for my behavior. Here’s the rest of the story:

It was Independence Day and my girlfriend, Gail Weed (yes, real name), and I were planning on enjoying the Huntington Beach 4th of July parade. Gail was driving (she had a sweet ’65 Mustang Coupe). Finding a place to park was a bitch, and for some reason, they had blocked off Gothard street with a single barrier saying “road closed”. We observed several cars driving around the barrier and I told Gail to follow them as there may be a place to park down there.

So, after bypassing the barrier we went down a slight hill, and at the bottom were several police cars. And they were issuing tickets to everyone who had taken the detour. Yes, my friends, it was a classic trap. We were set up like bowling pins. Back in those days, I had a bit of a temper, and I was pretty pissed about being suckered in such a fashion, especially on America’s birthday! After the girlfriend received her ticket and we were driving away I expressed my opinion about the whole situation by leaning out the window, extending my middle finger, and shouting in “a loud and boisterous” manner FUCK YOU PIGS!

Apparently, the First Amendment doesn’t cover the heartfelt expression of speech in this fashion. We hadn’t gotten a mile down the road before the police helicopter was hovering overhead. And then a cruiser was behind us with red lights flashing (they were red, not blue, in those days). We pulled over and were then surrounded by no less than three police cars! Shortly thereafter the cop who had issued our ticket arrived and announced “yeah, that’s the sonofabitch”.

I was pulled from Gail’s Mustang and was required to answer a series of questions. One of them that I remember was “do you have any scars, tattoos, or other identifying marks?” I responded that I had a Battleship tattooed on my ass, and when I shit, it sinks. That seemed to really make him even angrier, and the next thing I knew I was being thrown up against the police car, my arms were roughly yanked behind my back, and they slapped the handcuffs on me. Then it was off to the jailhouse. For the record, I don’t really have a tattoo.

Dad came and bailed me out a few hours later, and he was even madder than the cop had been. This is why I found myself living on my own at the tender age of 17. But that’s a story for another day.

Anyway, keeping things in perspective, I take solace from knowing that there were numerous occasions of certain other acts in which I regularly engaged that the state deems criminal and for which I was never arrested. So it all balances out in the end, doesn’t it?

Ah, memories. And Rest In Peace, Gail. I wish I had been a better boyfriend back then.

Let’s lighten things up some, shall we?

Had enough? Me too. See you tomorrow.

I made it through another hotter-than-normal day, so that’s an achievement. The Wednesday Walkers postponed our out-of-town hike in Cawag, opting to stay on mostly shady trails close to home. We found some paths we have not used recently, which is always nice. Lots of ups and downs, but nothing long or overly difficult. Our hike suited the weather!

I glanced out the window after my shower, and saw this:

Swan is participating in a feeding at the native Aeta village in Alibang this Sunday. So her and and a friend went shopping for the food yesterday afternoon. Left to my own devices, I did what I do best–celebrating beer o’clock in town. Started at Sloppy Joe’s and chatted with Chris and Shie. The I paid a visit to It Doesn’t Matter. I had a couple more there, and then I decided to give Roadhouse a try. I guess I just wasn’t feeling it, so I caught a trike for home. I grabbed a couple of beers and headed up to The Rite Spot On The Roof. Swan messaged me, “Are you having fun?” I responded that it’s not fun without her. She said, “I’ll join you, where are you?” At the Rite Spot. I think she was pleasantly surprised and came home to be with me.

It was nice to have some quiet “we” time in our rockers on the roof.

On the dog walk this morning, Swan said I was farting again last night. When I showed her my underwear after my hike, she burst out laughing.

While checking to be sure I hadn’t used today’s post title before, I came across this June 2006 post, which talked mostly about some darting activities in Itaewon. It has lots of pictures and memories of a whole other life. I was still married to #3 then and blissfully ignorant of all the heartache to come. But here I am, on the other side, alive and kicking.

It’s election season, so I’ll just put this out there:

Ready for a Quora Q&A?

Q: I forget words while speaking and repeat certain words again and again when I forget the word coming after them. This happens when I’m in my relatives’ house. What should I do?

A: What should you do? Why not run for president? It worked for Biden.

I answered that over three years ago. Things have only gotten worse.

Today’s smiles:

I’m not sure what’s going to happen next. Check back tomorrow to find out.

I spent most of Easter Sunday dealing with the after-effects of my overindulgence on Saturday night.

But after a day of laziness, I found the strength to take Swan out for an Easter dinner. I chose one of my old favorites, Mangos, for our meal.

We had a leisurely dinner and then lounged about, enjoying watching the the beach crowds.

When the sun went down, we moved up the highway to another old haunt I rarely visit these days–Cheap Charlies. Treated my favorites Alma and Nerissa to a lady drink, Swan enjoyed a glass of wine, and I nursed a San Mig Zero.

On the other hand:

So, I’ll add reducing consumption to my to-do list.

Today is the day that honors fools like me. And in the spirit of the holiday, I posted this joke on my Facebook feed this morning:

REWARD! I got drunk last night and left my girlfriend at the bar—I can’t remember which one. If anyone finds her, please let me know. I have no idea who is going to fix me breakfast now.

Most people seemed to get it. One person asked how many girlfriends I have. I wondered where that came from until I re-read my post and caught the ambiguity of “I can’t remember which one.” I meant I can’t remember which bar. Oh well, the jokes on me!

Speaking of breakfast, here’s what Swan prepared for me this morning:

So, it is Easter Monday with the Hash. The main group will take a rented Jeepney to the starting point at the base of Easter Mountain. Us shortcutters who did the mountain climb on Wednesday will start in Alta Vista and pick up the second half of the trail for a hike along the Black Rock ridgeline. I haven’t done that for a while and I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

And now it is time for a Quora Q&A:

Q: In the spirit of the “Festivus” season, I would like all of you to participate in the “airing of grievances”. What are your grievances?

A: My grievance is having no grievances. It is not fair that I have nothing to complain about!

I used to deny grievances for a living back when I worked in labor relations.

And here’s a fool’s attempt at humor:

Alright, it’s time to get on with the only day on the calendar devoted to me. Look for the Hash update tomorrow.