Monthly Archives: July 2024

A Tuesday whine

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Made it through another day with only one complaint. I’ll get to that in a minute, but let’s get the boring stuff out of the way first.

On the way to Royal for groceries, I stopped at the Ulticare Hospital to pick up my bloodwork results and x-ray. With those in hand, it is now just a matter of getting some face time with Dr. DeLeon for her interpretation. My breathing issues have all resolved, but I’ll try for a consult on Friday afternoon to see if there is anything going on inside of me I need to know about.

No issues with the ATM cash infusion or shopping to report.

Back home, I boxed up my portable nebulizer. One of the benefits of my recent return to healthy breathing is not needing to nebulize. I still have my home version should I need it in the future, but I promised to gift the other to a peanut vendor in town who has had some health issues recently. Emanuel messaged me on Monday, reminding me of our agreement, but I was already at the Hash, so I couldn’t meet up. I know he lives in Calapacuan and walks into Barretto daily to sell his wares. So, I sent him a message that I’d be at the 7/11 on Baloy at 4:30. I didn’t hear back from him, but I carried the nebulizer with me anyway.

I’ve helped Emanuel out in the past with some medical expenses. He’s a good guy, and I respect that he works hard to scratch out a living.

As me and Swan began our walk to the Snackbar (next door to the 7/11) we heard some noise coming from the weeds near the road.

This little kitten was mewing loudly. No other cats around, so presumably he got lost or was abandoned.

Swan went back to the house and fetched some dry dog food, a leftover chicken wing, and some water. When she tried to place it in front of the kitten, it scurried further back into the weeds. So, we just left the food there and continued on our way. I’m not a cat person and already have a house full of dogs, so adoption wasn’t really an option. Sad, though.

We arrived at Snackbar and ordered our usual beverages: Zero for me and wine for Swan. This used to be one of my regular hangouts, but times and circumstances change. I still recognized a couple of the waitresses and bought the one serving me a lady drink. I also had the waitress go to the 7/11 to get her and her workmates each an ice cream cone. I had two more beers while waiting to hear from Emanuel, but still no word. Welp, it was time for us to move on, so I asked to bill out.

Here’s the part where I whine. The bill came to over 800 pesos, about double what it should have been. Looking closer, I saw Swan’s single glass of wine billed at 450 pesos. Excuse me? I had just bought a whole bottle of wine at Royal for 300 pesos. The most expensive bar in town for wine (Sloppy Joe’s) is 200 pesos; the other bars we frequent are 150 a glass or less. I was more than a little pissed and let it be known I wouldn’t be back. Again, I’m not blaming the waitresses; they have no control over the pricing. However, Snackbar is a discount venue and advertises having the least expensive beers in town. It seems reasonable that they could have warned me of their expensive wine, but then, I should have asked. Swan asked to see the wine bottle and took a picture, and then we left, me still being in a huff.

The wine that made me whine. Swan checked on the Internet and said a bottle sells for 2000 pesos. That means the pricing at Snackbar wasn’t gouging, but it’s still surprising they would serve this at a hole-in-the-wall joint next to a 7/11.

We made Outback our next stop and sat at the pool bar.

I’ve become a bit of a litter connoisseur. On the way to Outback, I spotted this gem on the side of the highway. I’m not sure when I last saw a Monopoly board, but seeing a piece of one as litter was a first.
Our beach view from Outback

So, while I’m enjoying my beer and view at Outback, I made a Facebook post:

Tell me you don’t want me as a customer without telling me you don’t want me as customer. Charge me 450 pesos for a glass of wine. Goodbye!

I did not name Snackbar in my post or respond to comments asking where it happened. Again, I was as much to blame as anyone, and I wasn’t going to trash the bar for my mistake. The owner messaged me later, apologizing for the misunderstanding. I suggested she warn customers of the price in the future, or better yet, buy a cheap bottle of wine at Royal like I do.

Okay, end of whine. I promise.

I also messaged Emanuel from Outback just to let him know where we were if he was in town. To my surprise, he showed up less than a minute later. It turns out he was inside the Outback bar selling his wares. Was that a coincidence or divine intervention? Either way, I handed off the nebulizer, and Emanuel was happy with his new tool. I also bought some peanuts for the girls at the inside bar (he’s not allowed to sell at the pool bar for some reason).

We did our nightcap at The Green Room. When we arrived, Jim, the manager, came to our table immediately to advise his wine was only 120 pesos a glass. Yep, he’d already seen my Facebook post. That made me laugh. We had a nice time with our regulars there (Swan enjoys chatting with Chu and Lea). Next we grabbed some takeout at Sit-n-Bull and headed for home.

And that was the end of Tuesday for me.

I’m loving the political memes these days:

It’s what this wannabe is famous for.

Oh, and the audacity of lefties calling JD Vance “weird” has really backfired:

Let’s have a vote. The least weird wins.
Every picture tells a story

Ah, to the memories for a moment or two:

From the Westminster Facebook page. I worked here for a while when I was in high school. Some of the stories I could tell from the kitchen would make you glad you never ate here.
There was a family reunion at the Kern River in California around the turn of the century. I believe this is the last time we were all together at the same time. Mom and Dad are long gone, but me and the bros are still in the game.

I’m in a hurry today, but here’s the latest YouTube from one of my favorites, The Filipina Pea. I haven’t had a chance to watch this one, but I will. The topic looks too good to miss!

And some down and dirty humor:

Whatever makes her happy
Very punny!

I’m late for beer o’clock and haven’t even showered yet. Damn. More to come tomorrow.

Every which way but loose

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I took a hybrid approach to yesterday’s Hash, taking the My Bitch trail from my house to the On-Home at the end of Rizal Extension, a tad over 3K. Pubic Head and Buddy Fucker also left from their houses, and we met up along the way at mountain mama Onelia’s place. In an unheard-of precedent, Vienna Sausage laid a trail that was only 2K in length, although it did feature a couple of hill climbs. We encountered several of the hard-core Hashers who had hiked the trail and then walked it again in reverse to get some more distance in. The last portion of my hike was the beginning of the “official” Hash trail, so technically, I did part of it at least. And my trail was longer, so there!

But I wasn’t done yet. I had a few beers at Tiny Cunt’s house (the On-Home venue) but departed just before the Hash circle began. I walked the 3K back into town and had dinner and some more beers at our traditional after-Hash hangout, It Doesn’t Matter. The other Hashers rolled in about an hour after my arrival. After drinking my fill, I popped into Myleen’s and grabbed a couple of slices of apple pie to share with Swan at home.

And that’s the way I rolled yesterday.

My house to the On-Home via the Bitch
This cutie and her mama were on the way to the creek to do laundry and fill the water jugs. I was glad to sweeten her day with cookies and lollipops.
The view from here
Waiting for the other alternative Hashers at Onelia’s place
Here come Buddy Fucker and Pubic Head
And here come the Gash
Doing it our way
The Kalaklan Ridge I sometimes climb
Kinda sorta a bay view
And there’s that mountain I like
Proof that we did, in fact, do some of the Hare’s trail. In reverse, but still…
We also passed MJ’s place (the widow with kids I’ve been helping these past few years). As you can see, she experienced a landslide during last week’s storm. She was pretty upset about it, but I pointed out that her house was still intact. At least until the next storm.
And On-On we go to the On-Home
The pre-Circle beer drinking portion of the Hash.
No Circle for me, though. I headed for IDM and enjoyed a tasty chicken burger when I arrived
I saw this Jeep Grand Cherokee on the way to IDM. That’s what I drove when I lived in Virginia. One of my favorite vehicles ever.

And speaking of memories, the Westminster Facebook group I belong to posted this old photo of our high school swimming pool.

In summertime, the pool was open for the community. I took a few plunges from that high dive back in the day.

A more recent memory was from seven years ago, when I took my nephews on a bar crawl in Anjeong-ri.

Shooter’s Bar was one of my favorites in those days

Today’s YouTube video recounts the vlogger’s experiences as a newbie in the Philippines. Some good advice is to bring in fresh hundred-dollar bills. Most exchanges will not accept old versions or any writing or other damage. I made that mistake the last time I brought in dollars, and I have several hundred that no one will take. You can also enjoy the street scenes of downtown Cebu during the narration.

Maybe these will make you smile:

Funny how that works
The dog is Lucky to have a Buddy like that.
That’s a logical question

For some reason, I thought of the Eddie Rabbitt song, Every Which Way But Loose, today. I enjoyed Rabbitt’s music back in the day, but I don’t think I ever purchased an album. I’d also forgotten that he died back in 1998. But he lives on through his music. Thanks for that, Eddie!  

A Sunday funday

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No drama, just a few intermittent rain showers, and lots of quality time with Swan. I’ll call that a win. As to what actually did take place, there was the regular Sunday Candy Walk, the Hideaway feeding, dinner for two at John’s place, and hanging out at It Doesn’t Matter with some friends I hadn’t seen for a while. I’ve got pictures to share, so let’s get to it!

The Candy Walk is getting to be pretty much the same old same old, but not in a bad way. I decided to document the route we walked along with some views I found of interest. Here’s how that came out:

Leaving home on Bryce Street
To the end of Roosevelt
Up Grand Canyon
And onto Alta Vista
Taking the back path out of Alta Vista subdivision
As far as I can tell, none of the dirt roads and paved streets in San Isidro have names. So, for purposes of this post, I’ll number them. This is NN #1 (no-name #1)
NN #1 got a tad muddy in places
A stroll down NN #2
And our first candy delivery at the end of the road
NN #3
Then NN #4 to Marian Hills
NN #5 in Marian Hills. I have no idea why that chicken was crossing the road.
Still in Marian Hills on NN #6
Out of Marian Hills on NN #7
These are our regulars and they were standing there waiting when we arrived. I still haven’t figured out how they know we are coming. Radar love?
The tree-lined NN #8
Speaking of trees, I was saddened to see one of my favorites was downed in the recent storm.
That’s how it looked last month. I was impressed with how it grew sideways out of the embankment, then stood up tall and proud. RIP!
Despite its appearance, NN #9 is one of our busy streets for kids
Working the rice field
Another muddy passage
NN #10. A mama came out to say a couple of our favorites were still in church. We left their candy with her.
NN #11 was also quieter than usual
NN #12. An old man in obvious distress (I was shy to take his photo) asked Swan if she could help with the purchase of medicine. We gave him 500 pesos.
NN #13 is by far our busiest street for satiating the sweet cravings of children
Several groups like this along NN #13. They are always polite and thankful, unlike those brats we encountered on Saturday.
A stroll on NN #14
This guy was cutting branches. Glad he missed me!
NN #15. The candy held out this week so our regulars were not disappointed.
NN #16 is usually our last street of the day
Heading back to Barretto on Sawmill Road
Back to the National Highway. We caught a trike at the 7/11 on Baloy Road for the ride home.
And that’s what a Candy Walk looks like

The usual afternoon at home enjoying watching the rain showers from inside the house. And my lazy boys:

Buddy boy
And Lucky boy

The Hideaway feeding went according to plan. Still only four gals working, so fewer mouths to feed. Only one other customer during my visit. I’m not sure how they are paying the rent.

Two of the feedies. One doesn’t look all that happy.
But she was full of Joy. Off to the left, you can see the brownies I baked for the occasion. With only four to be fed, I’ve just been bringing a box of Choco Pies for dessert lately.

I only spend about an hour at Hideaway once a week, and that’s more than enough for me. The music is good, so there’s that. Otherwise, the place is a bore—at least when I’m there.

With my Hideaway duty completed, I crossed the highway and headed up to John’s place. John was relaxing in his recliner on the second floor, and I asked if the open-air area upstairs was available. He called the waitress over, and she said it wasn’t set up for customers. To his credit, John told her to set it up then. Turns out I was the first person to use the third floor in six days.

An open-air venue doesn’t fare well in a typhoon, but the waitress had things back in place quick enough. Good thing, because another couple came up to dine while Swan and i were eating.
I enjoyed watching the clouds dance with the mountain from my usual perch at John’s.
Swan raved about how good her roast chicken salad tasted
I briefly considered ordering a steak, but opted instead for the best pulled pork sandwich in town. And yes, I dumped that coleslaw on top of the pork where it belongs.

After our dinner, we walked to IDM for our nightcap. We weren’t there long before Chris and Shie made a surprise appearance. I used to see them out and about two or three times a week, but since moving to Santa Monica, they stay home most of the time. It was nice to catch up with them again.

Good times!

We stopped at Myleen’s after IDM and grabbed some pecan pie to bring home with us. A sweet ending to our Sunday, for sure!

Facebook memories provided this reminder from nine years ago of that special kind of Seoul summer:

Of course, the Philippines says: “hold my beer, I’ll show you humidity!”

Seven years ago, I was crushing on Mi Young, the only gal I met in Pyeongtaek that really tripped my triggers. Alas, the feelings weren’t mutual. Although we have maintained a friendship on Facebook.

A good-hearted woman I met in a bar. She was a trained dental hygienist, and I was happy to give her a recommendation for a job at the dental clinic on base. The year after I left, she was awarded the Camp Humphries Volunteer of the Year for her work with animal rescue.  

If you enjoy watching province folk fishing, today’s YouTube video is for you. (Sorry, just didn’t see much else of interest today).

On to the humor we go:

I’m not a gynecologist, but I’ll have a look
Bet you didn’t see that one coming

It’s Hash Monday, and I’m on the fence. The trail starts and ends at the end of Rizal Extension. A pain in the ass to get to, and worse, to get back from, especially after drinking. Vienna Sausage (Guenter) is the Hare, and his trails are nothing I look forward to. So, one option is just to skip the Hash today altogether. Another option is to hike the My Bitch trial, which ends at Rizal Extension, hang out at the On-Home (Tiny Cunt’s house) for a bit, skip the circle, and walk back to Barretto before it gets dark. At least it’s not raining. Yet. Check back tomorrow to see what I decide.

Deflation on the beach

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A day without storms does not mean a day without rain. And that’s okay. The best part of this time of year is that the skies are overcast, and it ain’t so damn hot. If you get hit with a few raindrops along the way, so be it.

Swan joined me for my Saturday walk, so it wasn’t standard or solo. She brought some candy along, and we headed out in search of children to sweeten their day. The mission was mostly accomplished, although we did encounter a large group of unruly kids who were rude and grabby. Swan eventually had enough of their selfishness, and we walked away, never to return. That’s a thankfully rare occurrence, but it did kill the joy of our candy walk.

We began our trek in the little village right outside the gates of Alta Vista
The day’s first chocolate delivery
Smiles are like sunshine
It was good to see the floodwaters in Santa Monica subdivision had receded
That’s how it looked 24-hours earlier
That’s as close as we got to Easter Mountain on this walk
Here comes the rain again
A bay view from Matain
Life’s a beach sometimes
In the maze of those narrow Matain residential passageways
I took Swan to see the old abandoned Paradise Resort, which had been shut down since the 80s.
The Paradise beach
A Swan amongst the boats
Heading for trouble
I had a bad feeling this wasn’t going to go well
Under siege. It got worse, more and more kids came. Then the older ones started pushing the younger ones out of the way and trying to get seconds. Poor Swan finally gave up, shouted “Enough!” and retreated back up the alley.
Back on the highway in a heavy rain shower
Another funeral banner. She made it to 86! My hero!
A new cafe. At first I thought it was an awful spelling of coffee table. Then I got what they were trying to convey–coffee and tea. Not sure how you’d pronounce it, but it must sound terrible…
A 5K stroll when it was all said and done.

That took care of those morning hours. When beer o’clock rolled around, we headed for the highway. The first Jeepney to come by was full, so I splurged for a trike ride out to Kon-Tiki (150 pesos). I was very curious to see how my favorite beach bar did in the storm. I wasn’t even sure they would be open. It turns out that the water never breached the premises, but there had been no customers at all during the week until just before we arrived.

Yes, the name is indeed hyphenated. My bad.
A ship making its way to sea. Wait a minute, something is missing…
Where is the inflatable island? (I took that photo last week)
Oh, there it is. Our waitress said the structures were deflated and brought ashore prior to the storm.
I’m glad our venue came through unscathed. I’m hearing there is another storm brewing and heading our way this weekend.
There were four foreigner customers dining in the back
But we came for the beach
Such as it is
Let’s eat!
Mac and cheese for Swan
I did the chicken fajitas with a side of tortillas again.
This is the room at Samba Resort we want to rent for a beach getaway. One of these days.

When it was time to head out, we crossed the highway and caught a trike back to Barretto. In an odd coincidence, we had the same driver as last week. Still, he knew we were going to Wet Spot for our nightcap, so that was easy. Another happy ending to a Saturday in paradise.

When I took my shoes off yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice just how much I’ve changed.

I identify as multi-colored. Don’t be a hater!

Facebook reminds me that nine years ago, I purchased my last car.

Drove it for three years, and other than replacing the transmission, it got me everywhere I wanted to go without a problem. I sold it $500. just before I moved to the Philippines.

Today’s political viewpoint:

Will the powers behind the throne really allow Trump to win?

English is my first language, but I’m still learning it.

Just the kind of mistake I’m prone to make, whether it be through ignorance or apathy.

Which ten countries like the Philippines the best? Watch today’s YouTube video to find out.

Humor me this:

I’ll take a putt on this one
The nice thing about losing your memory is everything seems new again. Sorry if I’ve posted this one before.
He’s got a point. Not driving in the PI was one of my better decisions.

Alright, it’s Sunday afternoon now. Next up is the Hideaway feeding, then dinner at John’s place with Swan. More to come tomorrow.

Yes, more morning and afternoon rain showers. That’s okay, as long as they keep coming in small doses.

Fun on a dirty beach

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A break in the rain and a dash to Baloy in search of some Friday night goodness.

We encountered another downed tree in Alta Vista
We made it to McCoy’s just before the rain started again
A rainy-day view from McCoy’s.
I met this guy and his wife a few months ago. They met when he was a sailor; she worked on the Navy base. They are still married after all these years. We had a nice chat about the state of politics in the USA. He’s heading back next month to sell everything he owns and move here permanently.
A break in the rain and a walk on the beach. All that crap in the flooded rivers runs into the bay, and high tide leaves it on the beach.
See what I mean?
The stormy waters of Subic Bay
Our next stop was Kokomo’s. We hadn’t been for three weeks or so, and they were happy to see us again. We were pleasantly surprised that they had finally stocked some San Mig Zero beer and the brand of red wine that Swan prefers. I bought drinks for everyone to celebrate the occasion.
It had been a long time since my list visit to the Lagoon Resort. I used to play darts here back in the day, but since I quit the game I haven’t had much reason to come here.
Swan likes live music, and I saw on Facebook that this duet was playing last night. Hence, the surprise visit. Swan was pleased.
Swan dropped a hundred pesos in the tip box. They were good singers, and almost every song was one I liked. There were no live instruments (unless you count the tiny snare drum), but the music was appropriate for the venue.
I ordered the Irish beef stew for dinner. The beef chunks were tender and tasty.
Swan had chicken cordon bleu. She said it was good.
And that was our night out on Baloy Beach

The major storm has now passed, but we still got rained on during the morning walk. The flooding has all receded, and life is getting back to normal—at least until the next typhoon gives us a blow job.

Places I’ve lived: Garden Grove. Westminster. Huntington Beach. Midway City. Prescott. Monroe. Fort Smith. Van Buren. Poteau. Columbia. Lexington. Stafford. Arlington. Seoul. Pyeongtaek. Olongapo. Facebook Memories had a post from seven years ago where I posted photos of all my old hometowns.

Garden Grove, California, where I spent the first five years of my life.

Today’s YouTube video has Reekay dispensing four pieces of advice for a happy retired life. I’ve adhered to them all more or less: I’ve left my working life behind, I have my hobbies, I have an active (walkaholic) lifestyle, and I’ve finally managed to escape the toxic people in my life. Now, let’s see how long I can stay alive to enjoy it all.

Humor time:

I’m a dick.
It only hurts until the pain goes away

Okay, I’m running a little late today. I’m thinking about doing a Kon Tiki visit this evening to see how they weathered the storm. Back with more tomorrow.

Elegy for a rainy-day

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The old adage is true that when it rains, it pours
Even here in our little town of whores
But for the hardy among us, it's onward we march
Through the mud and the puddles and weather harsh

For we know what's coming soon enough
And the scorching heat will be just as tough
The misery that comes with being drenched in sweat
Will make us miss the rain and mourn its death

During a downpour, we may bitch and moan
But we'll look ahead and adjust our tone
For it won't be long until we again regret
Losing the comfort that rain begets

Be careful what you ask for, Mr. Kim!

Anyway, yesterday wasn’t as totally empty as I anticipated it would be. When I presented Swan with the option of staying in or going out, she said she wanted pizza. Hmm. I guess I could have ordered one for delivery, but then came an unexpected break in the rain, so I took that as a sign that Jesus wanted me to head into town and spend some money in the empty bars. And that’s just what I did.

We started out at BarCelona, and we were the only customers. Some beers, some wine, and a lady drink for our waitress, then we headed downstairs to Alaska Club. Once again, we were the only customers present. Greeted owner Jerry and enjoyed more beer and wine. The dancers on stage were actually making an effort to perform in unison, so I tipped them each 50 pesos for putting the moves on. Next up was Wet Spot, and no other customers were there except for us. Weird, but I guess the rain and flooding kept sane people at home. Waitress Irene got a lady drink, and thankfully, there was no sign of Aine. When the Sit-n-Bull waitress came around, we ordered our take-out food (pizza, lumpia, and a burrito). We also treated Irene to some chicken fingers. When our order arrived, we headed home.

On our walk into town, we encountered another downed tree in Alta Vista.
As often as they fall over, the trees split like this in the monsoon winds.
This is the rainy day view from BarCelona. The wind and rain resumed shortly after our arrival. The fronds on that palm tree give an idea of how windy it was.
Another view from BarCelona
Who’s the lucky guy?
Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. It’s an honor to have achieved “regular” status at Wet Spot.
Swan got her pizza
Naturally, she shared it with the downstairs crew
I enjoyed my beef El Padre burrito very much.

And so ended another day. Honestly, I think I would have been just as happy staying home. What the hell is wrong with me!?

It’s raining again today, but not constantly, and not as hard as the past few days. Perhaps this storm has finally died. I had planned on attending the SOB dance competition this evening, but it has been canceled for weather-related reasons. I’m not sure what my alternative plan will be, but I’m thinking we might head out to Baloy Beach and see if it is still there.

Facebook took me back nine years to the going away party for my pal Lonnie.

He was the President of the Seoul International Dart League and a very popular guy. He’s been teaching in Arizona since the move.

Then there was this memory from four years ago:

I don’t even remember her name. One of the few freelancers I’ve ever brought home from the street. At least I made her a smoothie before bed.

Ah, her name is Mary. I’d actually forgotten that brief period of drama she brought into my life. And then looking up the post I linked above, I came across this picture of the initiation of a virgin Hasher in July 2020:

She sure does look familiar! She never came back to Hash after that until we got together last year. Swan still rarely attends, but that’s okay. The Hash isn’t to everyone’s liking.

Maybe I should post this next to my laptop, but I doubt it would help much. I mean, I know what punctuation is; I just don’t always remember to use it properly.

Today’s YouTube video is about life in the Philippines from this particular vlogger’s perspective. Everyone is different, of course, and not everyone is suited to live happily here. There are all kinds of options, from city life to province life and everything in between. I’ve found my niche, and I’m happy with it for the most part.

And now for today’s dose of humor, such as it is:

That’s another of my old standard joke repertoire brought to life as a meme
Disney, I’m not sure this is the cum back you are looking for…
Caring is sharing

And that’s all for now, folks.

F the rain!

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To hell with the flooding! Damn the wind! It was full speed ahead for four hardy Wednesday Walkers yesterday morning. We thought it would be a pleasant umbrella walk, but Mother Nature unleashed Typhoon Carina to make things a tad more challenging. We did a lot of wading through puddles, and the umbrellas were of little help in defending against the wind-blown downpours that never relented during the course of our journey.

In our defense, we did expect that the forecasted easing of the rain would occur early in our hike. So, we loaded up for the Jeepney ride to WalterMart in Subic town and walked back to Barretto from there, a wet trek of nearly eight kilometers. Swan surprised me by asking to join in, saying she liked walking in the rain. Be careful what you ask for, although, to her credit, she never complained. Taking photos in the rain is a pain in the ass, but between Scott and myself, we managed to snap these:

Ready to rumble!
Open up those umbrellas; we gotta cross the highway to catch our Jeepney
Waiting for a ride
The road ahead
In the Jeepney
A view from the Jeepney
Another view from the back of the Jeepney
Exiting the Jeepney at Waltermart
Shall we gather at the river?
Don’t want to trip and fall in!
Rollin’ on the river
Back up to the road we go
Walking the Govic Highway
A rainy Easter Mountain view
Every picture tells a story, but I’m not sure what this one is all about
That girl that lives in my house
He crossed the raging creek for some chocolates from Swan
We did a lot of zigzags to avoid the puddles
Looks like someone flushed the toilet
Now there is some serious flooding.
Too bad it is not a rice farm
That water must be very scared–look at it runoff!
We are not taking the steps today
Scott’s turn to bring up the rear
The Santa Monica subdivision is notorious for flooding. Yesterday was no exception.
They are excavating the crap from the riverbed so the water flows under instead of over the bridge.
Good luck with that
Just a few more inches and it’s on the highway
The mighty Matain River at flood stage
Ed is such a poser
There is nowhere for the runoff to go on streets like this one.
We had planned to lunch at Johansson’s but it was closed due to flooding
So we went to Mango’s instead. They were dealing with the impact of a typhoon high tide.
Cleaning up the mess
Big waves on the normally placid bay
This alert popped up on my phone during lunch.
But I enjoyed my Caesar salad anyway

I took a trike home and was thrilled to exit my soaked clothes.

I was on the fence about what to do with my Wednesday evening, but when there was a break in the rain around 4:30, I took it as a sign. Swan joined me on the walk into town, and only sprinkles fell on our heads. We had intended to visit BarCelona to start things off, but it was closed, so we settled for seats at Sloppy Joe’s. A couple of the other bars were also closed. There was a power outage earlier in the afternoon, and some venues just decided it wasn’t worth opening. Also, for staff living in flooded areas, getting to work would have been a nightmare (Olongapo City was hit especially hard, with some bridges closing and vehicles being stranded). Then the rain came back in full force, so we moved inside at Green Room next door.

Shortly into our visit to Green Room, the power went out again. Green Room does have a generator, so we weren’t in the dark for long. As usual, we shared some drinks with our regular waitresses. I was prepared to treat them to some food as well, but I was surprised to learn that Sit-n-Bull was closed. Apparently, their kitchen had flooded earlier in the day. I tried to call Shamboli’s to order a pizza but got a message asking me to try again later. I assume they were in the dark without power. I gave up the effort to have a good time around 7 p.m., and we headed home. Swan provided me with a plate of baby back ribs to quench my appetite. And so another day came to an end.

The Matain River as seen from my patio. Glad to see it is still within those concrete banks.

It’s been raining hard all day today as well, and despite my heroism yesterday, I haven’t left the house as yet. And I’ve pretty much decided to keep it that way. I’ve got cold beer in the fridge for emergencies like this. Tomorrow’s another day; we’ll see what it brings weather-wise.

The dead tree on the corner finally gave up the ghost.

I’ve not been tracking much news about the assassination attempt, but these questions do warrant an investigation IMHO.

The news cycle has moved on to the Dems anointment of Kamala as their unvoted for savior candidate. Hmm, maybe that explains it.
Eleven years ago, the LT Dan band, featuring Gary Sinise, visited Yongsan Garrison to entertain the troops. He put on a great show.

Today’s YouTube video shows some storm scenes from Manila. The impact was worse there, but then, everything is worse in Manila.

And now there’s this lame BS:

Yeah, I’ve been ghosted and it sucks
This is also increasingly true for me. I’m not sure how that works.
Let me grab a beer and think about this one.

Anyway, looks like it’s going to be a quiet day at home. Not sure what I’ll have to blog about tomorrow, but then again, that’s never stopped me before. See you then.

Rainy-day elegy

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On and on it goes; when it ends, nobody knows. Everything has now reached saturation level, so let the flooding begin. Here’s how I spent my rainy Tuesday:

I was scheduled for the blood work and x-ray at UltiCare Hospital first thing in the morning. That meant a ten-hour fast the night before. No problem, really, because I’d spend most of those hours sleeping. I woke up during the night feeling hungry but reminded myself eating was off the menu. I tried to go back to sleep but later was tempted by a plate of snacks. It was only after I’d eaten a few that I remembered the fast. Damn, I was pissed at myself and the temptress. So pissed, in fact, that it woke me from the dream I was having about cheating during the fast. I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to extend those hours of denying myself all forms of food and beverage.

The actual blood withdrawal and chest x-ray went fine. I’ll make an appointment with Dr. DeLeon later this week to share the results. I was hungry when I finished the lab work, so I had my driver stop at the Maple restaurant on SBMA before heading to Royal for groceries.

My literal break fast meal was this sweet rendition of French toast.

Refilled my wallet at the ATM and brought home another week’s worth of groceries. Yeah, exciting stuff, but that’s how I roll on Tuesdays.

The usual filling-in hours back home, and then beer o’clock rolled around. Tuesday is the day I try and get Swan her beach fix, but where to go when it’s pissing down rain? I knew Baloy would be a flooded mess after two days of non-stop precipitation, and the limited options in Barretto weren’t appealing in inclement weather either. Hell, even The Rite Spot was a no-go in the wind-blown wetness. So, I made the command decision to stay home and plopped myself down on the patio.

It’s good to have options, especially when they include ice-cold San Mig Zero

I also took advantage of the rare evening at home and fired up the television. Tuned into Netflix and opened up the movie about the life of our future Vice-President–J.D. Vance. I had never considered watching Hillbilly Elegy until Trump made Vance his running mate. I rather enjoyed it, both from the historical perspective and as an inspirational tale of overcoming the hurdles that come with growing up poor in a somewhat dysfunctional family and still achieving your goals in life. And it seems Mr. Vance is just getting started. Give it a watch if you are so inclined.

I didn’t realize Glenn Close was in Hillbilly Elegy until I saw the credits at the end. I’m far from a movie buff, but I vaguely recalled her performance in Fatal Attraction back in the 80s.

I’d hit that
And that’s Ms. Close on the left in her role as Vance’s Mamaw.

Everybody’s so different, I haven’t changed.

Not a bad stay-at-home night. And the rain is still coming down today. We’ll see what I come up with this time.

She’ll blow it
Brain dead
So, it turns out Biden is still alive after all. Kinda sorta, anyway.

Today’s YouTube video is from the Filipina Pea. Apparently, there is a large outbreak of HIV here in the Philippines. Looks like maybe I found a steady girlfriend just in time. One less thing to worry about dying from.

A little something to smile about before I go:

I’m melting, I’m melting
Fill ‘er up!

I’m seeing a lot of Olongapo is flooded. I imagine the streets of Barretto won’t be holding up well, either. Should I stay or should I go? I’ll let you know what I decide tomorrow.

A rainy Hash day

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No surprise that the weather was wet for yesterday’s Hash. And our Hash calendar dictates that we are “On-On” every Monday rain or shine. Yesterday was no exception to that rule. So, us Hares headed out to mark a rainy day trail at 11 a.m. We had two climbs. The first was mostly steps and paved. The second was up a dirt trail. I opted not to take that route; instead, I marked a street trail back to the On-Home venue at the One Three Resort. Both versions were just shy of five kilometers.

The rain varied in intensity throughout the day. I used shredded paper to mark the path and tried to find places to drop it where it wouldn’t wash away. Feedback from the Hashers was positive—the trail was easy to follow and a good one for a rainy day. That’s what this Hare wants to hear. I asked around and didn’t find anyone who said they had done the easy version I marked, but at least there was that option. Mission accomplished!

Our trail looked like this from heaven. The black line is the easy version.
My fellow Hares have a come to Jesus moment
Lots of the paved streets were flooded like this, so wading was the order of the day.
A rainy day vista
This down was more than a little slippery when wet
Puddle me this
I may have said this a time or two during the adventure
When push came to shove, the bay beat the river
The bay view from our On-Home venue
Finding some shelter from the storm
On the ice
I watched this boat taking on water during the heavy rains and wondered if it would flounder
This guy came to the rescue before that happened.

And that’s what our rainy day Hash looked like. We finished marking the trail just before one. The Hashers gathered at the starting location at two. The other Hares went to send them off, but I elected to just stay at the One Three Resort and wait for the group to arrive. The first of the runners appeared around three. So, I had a couple of extra hours to spend drinking beers. By the end of the Hash festivities, I was soaked in more ways than one. Coincidentally, Swan was visiting relatives a couple of doors away from the resort, and she joined me while I waited for the Hash to begin. Then, she returned afterward, and we rode home together in a trike—a nice finish to the day.

It rained all night and is still raining today. ‘Tis the season and all that. I’m still not longing for those scorching days of heat, but it is early yet. I might feel different come September.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay offers three mistakes that will alienate you from the expat community. I don’t believe I’m guilty of any of them, and really, they don’t seem all that common or bothersome. I mean, it is pretty natural to be asked, “Where do you live?” I just give a generic “Alta Vista” response, and that’s no big deal. No one has ever tried to find me or just drop by without an invite. I’ve never dated anyone’s recent ex, and no one has dated one of mine that I know of. Again, I’m not sure why I should care. The borrowing money thing is situational. I think the expat community needs to stick together and help one another out in an emergency. But there’s a difference between asking for a medical treatment or paying a bar tab. Like I said, none of these have been a real issue during my six years as an expat in the PI.

The jokes are on me:

What a cut up
Short and sweet
Fuck this

Come on back tomorrow!

I don’t rue teens…

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…but I don’t date them anymore, either. Now that I’m in a relationship, I take comfort in my daily routines. On Sundays, that means the candy walk with Swan, the feeding at Hideaway, and our weekly dinner date at John’s place.

The morning began with this rainbow view as seen from my patio

The candy walk was our regular (routine?) route through the streets of San Isidro. Once again, the kids were out in force awaiting our arrival—so many, in fact, that we ran out of candy two streets early. We felt bad for the ones we missed, but we’ll try to stock up more for next week.

Lucky says don’t let the door hit you on the way out
Let’s roll!
First customers of the day
Our regulars await
Pull up a chair and stay awhile
Looking to the East. Er…
One and done
The Marian Hills contingent
Hello, beautiful
Two of our favorites patiently await their weekly sweets ration
A girl on a mission
Come on down, we’ll wait
Mother and child
A newly opened sari-sari store and food stand
On a lonely street
And a busy one.

Another sweet Sunday morning.

The afternoon was also sweet and stormy. Used my umbrella on the walk to Hideaway, but took care of business. Speaking of business, the bar was surprisingly full yesterday. This was partly because of the pool league match but also because owner Griff was in attendance, and that brought his drinking buddies in. I got some suckers for the girls and told Griff I’d help attract more customers by posting on Facebook that the girls at Hideaway are happy to suck your lollipop. That earned me a laugh and a free beer!

Joy’s chicken breast from Jewel Cafe
Hand to mouth

Three (or was it four?) beers later, I crossed the highway to meet my sweetie for dinner at John’s place.

A John’s-eye view
Cheers, dear!
I came for the steak promo. My favorite cut is the ribeye, but damn, 500 grams at 4 peso a gram (over $35.) was more than I was hungry for. I did the USDA Oyster Blade (whatever the hell that is) instead.
While we awaited our food, the rain returned with a fury
Swan did a bacon wrapped sausage thing
Steak on a plate. Tender and tasty it was!
Here’s my review

We did our nightcap at Green Room, grabbed some pumpkin pie from Myleen’s, then headed home to end our sweet day. Crazy heavy rain throughout the night, and there is more on the way.

Just now as seen from the patio

This doesn’t bode well for today’s Hash. I’m one of the Hares today and marking a trail during a rainstorm is even more challenging than hiking the trail. Depending on how bad it gets, we may have to revert to a street walk. We’ll see how that goes.

The big news politically is that Biden has bailed from his failing re-election campaign, as I predicted he would. How he can remain President in his condition is a question his puppet-masters haven’t answered yet.

Let’s hope the American people have grown wiser this time. Kamala? I don’t think so.

For any of my readers who happen to be foodies, this post and photos from Kevin Kim’s meal prep for a work luncheon are not to be missed. I wish he offered delivery to the PI.

Kevin puts pulled pork AND cheese on his burger!

Facebook memories showing history repeats itself? Turns out, I was one of the Hares five years ago, too.

It was sunny when we marked the trail
But then turned into this. We wound up doing a bar crawl Hash instead of the trail.

Speaking of rain, it has arrived now. And today’s YouTube video doesn’t bode well for the pleasantness of today’s Hash adventure:

When it rains, it pours. Oh, well. We’ll figure something out.

You can either laugh or cry:

I’m more worried about slipping than tripping
I wish I’d thought of that!
I hope this doesn’t rub anyone the wrong way

One more to cleanse the palate of that nastiness above.

Is the Pope still Catholic?

Okay then, gotta prepare for whatever the immediate future might bring. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Adding an “S” to my Saturday

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Another Saturday, another Standard Saturday Solo Street Stroll on the backroads of Barretto. Normalcy may not be all that exciting, but I’ll take it over feeling abnormal, that’s for sure.

The construction on the corner of my cul-de-sac continues to rise, albeit slowly.
Most of the walk was on paved residential streets, so this was a brief change of pace—also, a place to take a leak.
I wasn’t ready to rest, but it is nice to know there is a sofa available should the need arise.
Up the alley
And back down into Alta Vista
I made it back home just before the rain began
And Buddy and Lucky were there to welcome me back
I picked up the pace a bit, too. I do alright speed-wise on flat ground.
That old familiar path

That extra “S” I mentioned came about in the afternoon when Swan and I enjoyed an overdue foot spa/pedicure. I used to have this done once a month or so when I lived in Korea. These days, maybe twice a year.

A new spa called “Reflections” opened recently, so we gave it a try
The chairs were comfortable
Some kind of flower petals were added to the foot soak
Chillaxin’

The foot spa/pedicure was only 400 pesos for each of us, and the techs did a nice job, warranting a 100 peso tip to both. Maybe I’ll get back on a monthly schedule.

After putting my shoes back on, I took Swan to dinner at Myleen’s.

Swan had something called a samosa taco. I’d never heard of it before. Looks more like a Brit meat pie than a taco, but Swan said they were very tasty.
I did the enchiladas. I ordered beef, and the waitress returned and said only one beef was available. So, I had a combo plate with a chicken enchilada in the mix. Good, but spicy. I needed an extra beer to finish.

We finished our evening out at Sloppy Joe’s. While there, we saw Mike, my high school alumnus, walking by on the way to his car. Turns out he had gotten take-out from Myleen’s for dinner. I invited him to join us for a beer, and he agreed. We had a nice chat about the old days growing up in Southern Cal and some of our adventures at WHS. Mike’s life has been infinitely more interesting than mine. He was involved in the music business and managed several well-known bands. He also owned a couple of clubs in Orange County later in his career. He spent time living in South America before making the Philippines his home. One of the more interesting people I’ve met since moving here. And after the beers, we got a free ride home.

All in all, it was a pretty darn Sensational Saturday Spa, Supper, Sloppy-Sudsing, Sharing Stories kind of night. That other “S” word I experienced with Swan is just between us.

Ah, the memories.

Happy Birthday in heaven, mama. You’ve been gone for over thirteen years now, but you will always be loved and missed.

Seven years ago, we closed down our building on Yongsan Garrison, and the remaining members of the DHRM team moved to our new home at Camp Humphries in Pyeongtaek.

It was nice while it lasted and changed my life forever.

We’ll keep the mood light with today’s YouTube video. Enjoy the Wet Spot SOB (hey, another “S”) dance team doing their thing:

Maybe these will make you smile:

Beer before bed helps shut down that kind of thinking.
That used to be number #1 on my preferred ways to die. But after experiencing some post-sex breathing attacks, I don’t think it’s the way I want to go after all.
And you avoided sloppy seconds!

I’ve got the Hideaway feeding coming up, then dinner with Swan at John’s place. He’s featuring a steak special this weekend, and I’m feeling like a plate with an “S” on it tonight. I’ll show you what it looked like and tell you how it tasted tomorrow.

Upward and onward to higher steaks

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It was a pretty darn special Friday featuring my return to the hills and a dinner gathering with my next-door neighbors.

The Friday group accepted my suggestion that we take the little-used path at the end of La Union Street to the top of the hill, then do a loop around on the My Bitch trail before coming back down in San Isidro. They also accepted my invitation for after-hike refreshments at The Rite Spot On The Roof.

The Friday group this week
Another dead person banner. This guy didn’t make it to fifty. Helps me appreciate the blessing of being old.
Let the climbing commence!
A view of Alta Vista from part-way up
A little steeper and longer than I remembered it being
The view from here
And the climb wasn’t over yet
On up! I was breathing hard, but not breathless. No way I could have done this climb a week ago. I was also coughing a lot during the climb and hocking out wads of phlegm. So, I think that was a good thing clearing that shit out of my lungs.
A view of Baloy from near the top
Checking out the Kalaklan Ridge. We weren’t up quite that high, but we had some altitude.
Ah, that’s more like it. Giving those tired lungs a rest.
The view towards Subic
A woodsy change of pace
There’s that mountain again
Rainy season brings the tall grass fields
Waiting for the slow guy at Four Corners on the My Bitch trail
A tree I fancied
Michael is one of the newer members of our group.
Onelia’s place on the mountain
What’s everyone looking at?
Oh, this
Marching onward
Another mountain dwelling
One more short uphill
And the down we go
A village on the hill
Post-hike R&R at the Rite Spot. My helper served up some chicken nuggets and squid rings to snack on.
Only five and a half kilometers, but both challenging and pleasant for an old fart like me. It really felt good to get high again.

When my hiking guests departed, I got busy in the kitchen.

Cornbread muffins and brownies were my contribution to the dinner party
Our gracious hosts for the evening, Jeff (a retired Marine Colonel) and his lovely wife Davina
A view from Jeff’s place next door to mine
Rain on the horizon. Will we escape it’s wrath?
Other guests included Alta Vista resident Maxil and his date, Gemma. Maxil is a Filipino-American. He used to live in Guam. Not sure what he did, but he built a mansion-like house in Alta Vista for retirement
My fellow Westminster High School grad Mike (on the left) re-introduced me to my old friend Fireball last night. Under Swan’s watchful (and disapproving) eyes, I limited myself to three shots.
Meat on the grill.
The rain did arrive, so we moved inside from the patio
Some of the fixin’s
Dinner on the plate. The meat was excellent and that twice-baked potato was also fantastic.
The female party goers
And us menfolk
Hey, it’s the Philippines, so you know karaoke was gonna take place
And yes, I serenaded my fellow guests
Jeff’s son challenged Matt to a game of chess. I haven’t played for years, but I know the rules and some of the strategies. That kid had Matt bleeding pieces and trying to escape checkmate.

Had a great time next door!

Today’s YouTube video has the Filipina Pea interviewing an immigration expert regarding how easy it is to be kicked out of the country and be “blacklisted” so you can never return. Piss off the wrong government official or even an ex-girlfriend, and you can be screwed. So, the advice is always to be respectful, so no one loses “face.” I’m reminded of what Loraine taught me when she was my “tour guide” all those years ago whenever I’d lose patience and get angry as a tourist: “Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way.” Advice I still implement on occasion.

Today’s attempts at humor:

I’m sure it happens all the mime.
I’m sensing a pattern here
Great show. I’ll leave it at that.

That’s all I’ve got for today. Let’s see what happens next.

Alley-oop!

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Yesterday I took I step towards normalcy. Actually, 19,164 steps. That’s the most I’ve done all month.

Flat walking, but still good to be out and about

My morning walk took me on the backstreets and alleyways of Barretto, Matain, and Calapacuan barangays. Here is some of what I saw along the way:

Down I go into Barretto’s Purok 13. (A purok is like a neighborhood)
We’ve had enough rain to fill up the Matain River
I see dead people. I always check the funeral banners I pass on my walks to see if the deceased was older than me. In more than half the cases they were not. This bloke only made it to 54. Rest in Peace, stranger.
Into Matain we go
A narrow passage lined with litter (of course)
Bayside life
Calapacuan narrow passage
Boats on the bay
Out in the countryside
A not-so-golden pond
It is what it is
That’s a little better
What the duck!
The morning’s final alley
Sorry, looks like I won’t be needing you after all.
Back on the National Highway
I came upon a trike stand right when it started lightly raining. I took that as an omen and caught a ride the rest of the way home.
My morning journey was 7.5K and I still felt strong when I was done. Hooray!

It feels good to feel good again.

Thursday is date night with Swan, so I asked whether she preferred Kon Tiki or John’s place for dinner. She wanted her beach fix at Kon Tiki.

A Jeepney ride for 20 pesos each got us there.
My date
The view from our perch
Sand and wine makes Swan happy. (but not in the same glass)
Where the ridge meets the bay
Down the beach
The floating island
That girl again
I enjoy visiting Kon Tiki a couple of times a month for the beach bar experience that can’t be found in Barretto. The menu is limited and has resort pricing. I understand on weekends they do buffets with a variety of offerings.
I opted for the chicken fajitas
And Swan went with the shrimp fajitas
And we ordered a side of tortillas so we could make a wrap
Cheers, baby!

We took a trike ride back to Barretto and did our nightcap at Wet Spot. Aine isn’t talking to us anymore, apparently. It seems she wanted to borrow money from Swan, and Swan invoked Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker). Aine’s snooty attitude was a bit off-putting and pissed me off, but Swan and my waitress told me to calm down and that she wasn’t worth worrying about. I’ve been buying her drinks for five years, and she was a schoolmate of Swan’s, but she’s dead to us now.

Before leaving Wet Spot, we ordered some food to take home for the help, primarily because I had a 15% off coupon I needed to use or lose. Swan ordered a club sandwich and lumpia. I just wanted some pecan pie. The exact wording on the coupon was “15% off on F&B for up to four guests.” So, when the bill came, I looked, and they hadn’t discounted the pie. I asked why, and the waitress responded the coupon was only good for food and beverage. I asked what pecan pie was, and she said, “Dessert.” Crazy.

Anyway, I don’t sweat the small stuff (just write about it here) and didn’t let the insanity spoil an otherwise good time. Home safe and sound, another full night’s sleep, and woke up feeling as strong as ever. No complaints about that!

Another Facebook memory to remind me of the man I used to be and life I used to live.

At the Army Ball in Seoul. It was a good life while it lasted. Now I’m enjoying the new one I’ve been blessed with.

I guess this qualifies as politics:

I want to believe it was sheer incompetence, but there’s a voice in my head telling me otherwise.

My blog stats don’t change much week to week. I’ve got a few dedicated gluttons for punishment who visit LTG regularly (200-250 a day) and I appreciate your loyalty (or sympathy). Thanks for reading!

Stuck on you

Today’s YouTube video from Reekay discusses finding a Filipina girlfriend in three weeks (one you don’t have to pay for). It took me six years, but I had some fun along the way.

To the humor, then:

The joke’s on you, bitch! I cum, you don’t…
I just made a batch of brownies to bring to the neighbor’s dinner party tonight. I probably won’t mention this secret ingredient.
I wonder if he’ll be thinking about Dorothy?

Okay, I was feeling energetic this morning and led the Friday group hike on a nice trail that included my first bona fide hill climb in weeks. And I lived to tell about it. I’ll share that adventure here tomorrow. Next up is a visit to next door neighbor Jeff’s dinner party. I’m bringing my bullshit brownies and some cornbread muffins. Jeff will be grilling steaks and I’m looking forward to enjoying some meat, beer, and comradery.

See you back here tomorrow!

Doctor, doctor, give me the news

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the appointment with Dr. DeLeon went well. I dated a doctor once, and she told me medical practice was as much an art as a science. There are rarely clear-cut answers leading to diagnosis; it’s more a process of elimination. Since it was my first meeting with Dr. DeLeon, she took the time to explore my pulmonary history, beginning with that first diagnosis of COPD eight years ago. We talked about the drugs I’m taking for that condition, the symptoms I’ve been experiencing, and their varying degrees of severity. She wants a chest x-ray to get a clearer picture of the current situation and some blood work for additional assessments. The pulmonary function tests I want are not available at the new UniCare Hospital yet, so we will schedule those at Baypointe Hospital.

Based on the information currently available, Dr. DeLeon believes the most likely cause of my recent exacerbation of breathing issues was triggered by a virus, and when coupled with my existing COPD condition, caused the symptoms I’ve been suffering under. She prescribed a five-day antibiotics regimen and seven days of steroids. I’ll make a follow-up appointment when I get the aforementioned test results back.

I continue to feel like I’m making progress. The lowest reading on my oximeter has been 93%, the others have been 95 and above. I slept through through the night. I’m no longer experiencing discomfort from acid reflux symptoms. I did my long dog walk this morning and didn’t suffer much.

This little hill in the neighborhood has kicked my ass lately, leaving me breathless. Today I was a tad winded, but nothing like before.

I also did a 7K+ flat street walk this morning. I wasn’t as strong or as fast as usual, but it felt good to be out and about again.

My evening on the town last night went well too. We started out at BarCelona.

The rainy day view from our perch at BarCelona
The girl who came along with me
I’m told the bar gets busier later in the evening. It’s a nice place, and the three flights of steps getting here was a tad easier this time.

We didn’t stay too long at BarCelona because I had a wallet full of SOB coupons to use or lose. So, we headed downstairs to the Green Room. I gave Swan a “buy a lady drink, get a customer drink free” coupon while I used the remainder of my 1500 peso voucher. That lady’s drink made our regular waitress, Chu, very happy. When our other regular, Lea, came to the table, I got her a lady drink too, and Chu used Swan’s coupon again, giving Swan a second glass of wine on the house. And the party was on!

Now, I’m not a big spender, but I can be generous. So, the lady drinks at my table kept flowing. I bought some snacks and finger foods for sharing as well.

Peanut vendor Emmanuel selling his wares at our table.
Chu and Lea sure do love the peanuts!
Lumpia and chicken fingers from Sit-n-Bull as well

I spent a tad over 2000 pesos on my quest to be generous. Two tourists came in and sat at the table next to mine. A few minutes later they were surrounded by twenty girls or so, and damn, they bought them ALL drinks. And pizza. I’m sure they didn’t get out of there for less than 10,000 pesos.

That’s the two-week millionaires and their entourage behind me. Hey, no criticism. Good for the bar and good for the girls. Not my style, but so what.

Swan’s three glasses of wine put her over the limit, so we headed for home a little after seven. Swan allowed me to break my ice cream fast with some pecan pie a la mode.

With Oreo cookie crumbs on top, no less.

It was a good day, and hopefully better days are yet to come.

Is this politics or humor? I guess both.

Our current VP does suck, I’ll grant her that.

Today’s YouTube video discusses five major construction projects taking place in the Philippines, including a new airport in metro Manila, which is sorely needed. That solar panel farm was disgusting and didn’t appear environmentally friendly. Why not just build a nuclear plant? Well, this is the PI, and given the construction standards and lack of maintenance, maybe that’s not a good idea either.

Shall we take a stab at humor?

If it ain’t white, it ain’t right…
I guess canned beef could be “can a bull”
Embrace the challenge
Well, she has a nice smile. Put that mouth to work to pay those bills!

Yeah, I’m a bad boy but I’m behaving. I invited Swan to Kon Tiki this evening. Let’s hope the rain holds off.

Dr. DeLeon is very attractive. Not that it matters.

Filipino style

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Yesterday’s experience was more Filipino style than usual. Here’s how it went down:

As I mentioned in the previous post, on the way to Royal, we stopped at the new hospital in Barretto to sign in to see the doctor at two p.m.

Things went fine at Royal. They even had Coke Zero available this week. Woot!

I went home for some rest and blogging, then we had a trike come to the house at !:30 to take us back to the Unicare Hospital for my two-o’clock “appointment.” I was first on the list, so I figured the wait wouldn’t be too long as I plopped down on a chair outside the doctor’s office. It wasn’t. A few minutes before two, the receptionist came out to tell me that the doctor wouldn’t be in today after all. I’ve experienced doctors here being an hour or two late, but this was my first no-show.

Now what? I briefly considered trying the emergency room but figured that wouldn’t do me any good. I needed a consultation with a pulmonary specialist, not ER treatment. So, we scheduled an appointment with a different doctor for today.

We exited the hospital, and I was in a foul mood and on the opposite side of town, away from all the familiar places. Almost directly across the highway was the Inflatable Island Resort. I knew they had a restaurant and given my limited options, decided to check it out. I was hoping for a nice lunch and beach bar experience. It didn’t turn out that way.

Our first and last visit to Inflatable Island

Unlike Kon Tiki, you can not enter the resort without paying the standard 250 peso per head entrance fee.

However, the money paid can be deducted from your food bill. I’d heard of this “corkage” arrangement, but it was the first time I experienced it.
Making our way to the restaurant
Not exactly the water view I was hoping for. The waitress advised that we were not allowed to eat at the tables by the pool.
The view from where we did sit. I asked the waitress for the WIFI password and was advised the WIFI was only for staff, not customers.
Our menu options. Something tells me this place does not cater to the tastes of foreigners. Nothing on the menu I particularly wanted to try, especially at these inflated prices. Helper Teri and Swan both said they weren’t hungry.
I needed to spend at 750 pesos, so I ordered these nachos for 450, and a beer for 130 (I pay 100 or less everywhere else in town). Teri and Swan had lemonade at 120 each. Yay! We got our entrance fee back!

Oh, and the service sucked as well. Definitely the worst dining experience in Barretto. You’ve been warned.

Everyone agreed that my taking a night off to stay home and rest was a good plan, so we got a trike back to Alta Vista. After a nap, I felt surprisingly good, the best I’ve felt in several days. I headed up to The Rite Spot to celebrate. I set up the speaker, opened my Spotify app, and prepared to listen to some of my favorite tunes. Except Spotify had a message saying I needed to update my billing. Since signing up for the premium plan, the 150 peso monthly fee has been charged to my Globe mobile phone bill. Apparently, that is no longer an option, and when I looked for other payment methods, all that was offered was GCash. I don’t use GCash and have no desire to do so. I tried to set it up so I could pay through Swan’s GCash, but that was a no-go because we have different phone numbers. Nope, there are no credit card options either. I finally said fuck it and let Spotify lose a customer. I’ll look into doing YouTube Premium for my future music-listening needs.

The view from the rooftop was calming despite the threat of pending rain.
And when the rain did come, it didn’t last long so I was not forced to retreat from the roof.
Swan and Teri prepared a spaghetti dinner for my enjoyment
And it was good
Dinner at the Rite Spot

And then there was The Trial Of Billy Jack, the third in the series. Almost three hours of badness I won’t bother recounting here. The Wikipedia take linked above tells you all you need to know about this waste of time. The reviews Wiki cites are devastating and spot on. Pure left-wing propaganda, which is eerily similar to what is taking place in today’s overheated political environment. And yes, back in the 70s, I would have believed the crap Tom Laughlin was pushing in this film. It is included in the Fifty Worst Films Of All Time list.

Before I went to bed, I checked my blood oxygen level and was surprised to see that I was at 97%. When I awoke at midnight and rechecked it, I was at 96%. This morning, I was once more at 97%. I haven’t seen numbers like that since I began using the oximeter. For the first time in days, I felt strong enough to attempt the dog walk, and by golly, I got through it without a problem.

This morning, I visited pulmonary specialist Dr. Ana DeLeon and was impressed on multiple levels. I will talk more about that in tomorrow’s post, but I’ve got a couple of new meds to try and some tests she wants me to undergo. Bottom line, I am now glad yesterday’s doctor flaked out because my comfort level with Dr. DeLeon is very high. She has my trust and confidence already.

Hopefully, I’m finally on the road to recovery.

In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea talks about poverty in the Philippines and the horrific impacts inflation is having on the already destitute. Sometimes you don’t realize how blessed you are until you see how so many less fortunate are forced to live.

You’ll need a good dose of humor after watching that video. Try these:

I wonder if her name is Mary
I hadn’t really thought about that before, but no argument from me.
Just my luck. Damn it!

I’m more confident than ever that I’ll be back tomorrow. I’m going to walk back into town soon to test my lungs. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to hydrate once I get there.

My Hash was a surfer’s dream…

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…flat as a board. And you gotta have water to surf and that massive rain storm provided plenty.

I felt like shit all day yesterday, but when it was time to Hash, I headed out. I got maybe 100 yards from home and was out of breath (it is a very slight uphill). I almost turned around then and there but convinced myself to push on. A bit further up the road, I had to stop once more to catch my breath. Not good! I reached the point where the Hash trail intersected with my path and waited for the Hashers to arrive. I knew I wouldn’t be doing any climbing whatsoever, but I figured I’d tag along until the first up, then make my way to the On-Home (at Leech My Nuggets house in Alta Vista). About a kilometer later, I said goodbye to the group and began my solo flat trek. Not long afterward, the sky opened up, and I was drenched from head to toe. Yeah, it was as fun as it sounds. I was heading up Sawmill Road when a trike pulled over and offered me a ride. Well, I was going to catch one at the 7/11 anyway to avoid the uphill walk to Alta Vista, so why not? My trail was 3K or so all in.

I wasn’t feeling much better during the Hash Circle. When the rain let up about halfway through the festivities, I headed for home. And last night might have been my worst night ever. In addition to feeling weak and breathless, I developed a pain in my chest. Not sure what the fuck that’s all about, but I’m hoping what I’ve assumed to be lung issues isn’t heart-related instead. I think it might be acid reflux or something similar, but I don’t recall experiencing that before. I bought some meds for that this morning, but so far, the ache is still there, although it has moved down to my mid-section. Before going to bed last night, I gave Swan the contact info for my kids, just to be on the safe side. It freaked her out, though.

So, I have a lot to discuss with the pulmonary doctor today. I am going to the newly reopened hospital in Barretto, and hopefully, they have the facilities to perform any necessary tests to diagnose and correct whatever ails me. As is the case in most hospitals in the PI, there are no appointments– I have to show up and wait on a first-come, first-seen basis. We stopped in on the way to Royal this morning and signed up. The doctor is scheduled to arrive at 2:00 p.m., and I’ll be there at 1:30 waiting. Damn, I hope this goes well. I hate feeling like this, and I really miss my walkaholic life.

Here come the Hashers
And there they go. I was waiting for my slow group.
Let’s see if I can do this
Pausing for a cookie delivery
My group bypassed the first climb opting to pick up the trail again with a flat walk to Marian Hills
Heading for the hills
Time to say goodbye to my hike mates
Have a nice climb, see you On-Home
Just before the sky opened up on my solo journey
Even beer couldn’t relieve my misery last night at the Hash Circle
I was back at my place before the sun went down

Not the best of days, and hopefully the worst is over.

Yep, let’s stretch it out another fifteen years or so

It’s been interesting watching the left’s convulsions since the failed assassination attempt. All that unity talk lasted less than a day, and now Trump is a fascist again. Oh, and Vance will also participate in the destruction of democracy. Whatever. Pick a better candidate next time, Dems. Trump didn’t make America great again in his first term, but it was a lot better than it is now.

It’s your choice, America. Choose wisely.

And even the ads I’m seeing on Facebook are changing.

No wonder the lefties are freaking out

Today’s YouTube video is a short but interesting account of a guy choosing the Philippines over the Scottish homeland that he loves. Yeah, you need to exercise moderation and self-control if you are going to adapt to the lifestyle here, but I would be very unhappy living in the USA.

Some humor before I go to the hospital:

She sounds jealous
I don’t think I’d want to eat there, but the dessert sounds okay
More and more, I can relate.
I left my boots in the trunk

Okay, my transport to the UltraCare facility will be arriving soon. I’d best get prepared. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Goodness gracious

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I hope I get some answers and possible fixes when I visit the pulmonary doctor tomorrow. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m not getting better. It doesn’t take much to leave me winded; even the walk to the toilet feels challenging. And yet, I just checked the oximeter, and I have 94% oxygenation, which is almost normal. I haven’t been out of the house at all today, but I’ve got the Hash coming up in a couple of hours. My plan now is to give it a go and see what happens. I doubt I can do a hill climb, but I’ll try to do some of the flat at least. I really, really hate feeling this way.

On the plus side, I was able to do Swan’s candy walk yesterday. We walked into town later, and it wasn’t quite as bad as the day before. The dinner gathering at Hops and Brews was a lot of fun, and my beer-drinking abilities have not as yet been undermined. So, there’s that.

Heading out with the candy
Good morning, Easter Mountain
It rained last night
They even brought Swan a chair to dispense from
Moving on to the next stop
Two of our regulars
A house is a home
Assessing her bounty
Looking for a handout
That seems a tad disrespectful to Old Glory
So, they are going to finally widen that bridge…

I usually don’t go into town until four o’clock, but our luncheon was scheduled for one at Hops and Brews, so we headed out at 12:30.

Destination achieved.
The front door
What we came for
The only wood-fired pizza oven in town
The open-air dining area. I prefer it here, but the rest of the group wanted the indoor aircon dining experience.
Hops and Brews also features acoustic live music on weekends
Who knew?
An indoors pool table
And the indoor bar
Our group of diners
Filipinas
Me and my date
Dinner is served. It was tasty.
A round of after-dinner shots
Not exactly a cellar, but a wine storage room that also is used for karaoke. And yes, we went there.

It was a very nice afternoon out with the neighbors. Jeff is having us all over at his place on Friday for some grilled steaks. Life is good. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hold onto mine for a few more years (my goal is 2038).

Today’s YouTube video is from last week’s SOB competition, featuring the winning Alaska team.

Humor time:

Too soon?
Write this way to the ER, sir…
I may have posted this before, but it’s my kind of humor…
You’ve been robbed!

Okay, let’s see what happens next.

For better or worse

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Fight!

Wow! I Heard the news about the attempt to assassinate Trump during this morning’s candy walk. I’m glad he survived, or the civil war would have started today. It’s been in my mind for a while now that the deep state wasn’t going to accept another Trump presidency. And with Biden on the ropes and efforts to force his replacement being stymied, killing Trump might have seemed the best option. Well, as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I predict Trump will be unstoppable now. Unless they succeed in their next attempt. God Bless America!

Here in my little insular world, life goes on. All I managed to do yesterday was walk into town, but that proved to be a challenge. I was breathless before I was even out of the neighborhood, and the flat highway walk was also challenging. I’ve never experienced anything like that since I began taking meds after my COPD diagnosis eight years ago. Scary shit, and I hope the doctor can get me back on track. I was a little better this morning and did a short candy walk without too much problem, although I was still feeling weak and tired. I’m not giving up without a fight. I intend to die as a walkaholic.

The feeding at Hideaway was accomplished. Four gals, no customers other than me. The owner is back in town but wasn’t there during my visit. I’m not sure what the future holds for this bar, but it doesn’t look good to this outsider.

Happy to see you too
Enjoy it while you can

After completing the feeding, I headed over to It Doesn’t Matter to help owner Cliff celebrate his 60th birthday.

A big crowd. They even set up a canopy out front with additional tables and chairs.
Lechon (roasted pig) was on the menu. This guy gave his all for the party.
Birthday boy Cliff and his lovely wife Ashley

On the way home, we stopped at Myleen’s and got some pecan pie to celebrate National Pecan Pie day in the Philippines (a holiday I just invented. Thanks for the idea Brian).

That’s all there was to my day. This post has been a bit more rushed than usual because I have a special luncheon I’ll be attending this afternoon. The Hops and Brews Beer Garden has a Sunday special roast, and my neighbors, Jeff and Davina, invited us to join them. The neighbors on my other side will be there, too. It should be fun and different. Hops and Brews is a nice venue with quality food, but it is just one of those places I rarely visit. I’ll try and get some good pics to share the experience with my readers here.

From Facebook memories, I’m reminded of an after work stroll I took in Seoul eight years ago.

Even in a huge city, places like this for strolling were abundant. And look, not a scrap of litter to be seen. As much as I enjoy my time here in the Philippines, I could have lived a contented retired life in Korea with my wife. She didn’t see it that way.

Nine years ago, I observed that my restroom legacy lived on.

In 2010, I placed that scrap of paper (a tag from the dry cleaners) in the restroom cubicle I used at work before retiring. When I came back to work five years later, it was still there. I haven’t been back to Yongsan, but I reckon they’ve torn down that building now, taking my legacy with it.

Even at my worst, I was never as bad as this “slow learner” Reekay talks about in today’s YouTube video:

I made Mary send her birth certificate before I agreed to meet her the first time.

I’m in a hurry, so these will have to suffice for humor today:

Well, there’s a Motel 6 there on your right.
It’s not the meat, it’s the motion.

Need to run, back tomorrow. I hope.

An SOB from Alaska

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(I wrote An SOB, then wondered if it should be A SOB. Grammarly says “An,” so I’ll stick with that. Maybe it matters if you are talking about an SOB dance contest or a son of a bitch.)

What did you think I was talking about?

So, I attended another SOB dance competition last night. This week’s event was at Alaska Club, one of the better venues for seating and viewing the contest. Owner Jerry was back from the USA, and it was good to see him looking happy and healthy. Nothing really special about the show; they all seem same-same after a while. I was out of sync with the other judges this week, but that’s okay. I call them like I see them and look for dancing skills beyond shaking that booty. Apparently, that’s just me. Alaska won (I had them ranked second).

That’s how the day ended for me. It began with the morning dog walk.

Buddy and Lucky sniffing around.

I wasn’t feeling up for the group hike, but I joined Swan for an easy candy walk in some nearby neighborhoods we rarely visit.

Okay kiddies, come out, come out, wherever you are
Business was brisk. And that guy didn’t ask for a handout. I’ve got to hand it to him. High five! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ve seen him around before, and he’s a friendly guy. And I did give him some cookies to take home to his kids)
Another seemingly quiet village
But the kiddies found us
The view from here

We finished our walk at the Jewel Cafe. I visit every week to order food for the Hideaway feeding, but rarely dine-in there.

Swan had something called sinigang; which she described as a “sour shrimp soup.” I guess sour is better than spoiled shrimp.
I decided to try the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I had low expectations because it was priced at 390 pesos, while almost every other place in town charges over 500 pesos for a roast beef sandwich. It was heavy on bread and very light on meat. In the future, I’ll stick with the things I know Jewel does well.  

I had a rough night again, sleep and breathing-wise. The most concerning aspect was that my usual home remedies didn’t seem to help much. This morning, I was almost as breathless as I feel after a hill climb. I’m getting into “this is scary” territory and have an appointment scheduled with a pulmonary doctor on Tuesday. Hopefully, there’s a fix for whatever is causing this. I’m feeling better now, at least, and my blood oxygen level is back at a healthy (for me) 95%.

I have been confined to the house all day so far, but I will be going out later this afternoon to do the Hideaway feeding. Yeah, it’s only Saturday, but I have other plans for Sunday. After the feeding, I’ll meet up with Swan at It Doesn’t Matter to help celebrate owner Cliff’s 60th birthday.

At least I’m drinking healthy beverages

Facebook reminded me of an event from eight years ago in Seoul. My Filipina friend, Michelle, was moving back to the Philippines. She asked me if I had any old electronics, like a laptop computer, that I didn’t need. Well, I didn’t, but as a surprise going-away gift, I went to the PX on base and bought her a new iPad. I invited her to dinner at my place, where I intended to present the gift, but she didn’t show. It sucks to cook for two and be stood up.

The gift that didn’t get given. Luckily, I was able to return it to the PX and get a full refund. I posted this picture on Facebook, knowing Michelle would see what her rudeness cost her.

Six years ago, Buddy finally learned to walk on a leash.

Now it’s the highlight of his day

I’m a member of a Facebook group called “Memories of Westminster, CA”. This shot of Westminster Avenue near where I lived brought the memories of those years flooding back.

Gas was twenty-six cents a gallon at the Rocket service station. Me and my buds would collect pop bottles for the deposit refund (three cents for the 12-ounce size) and put a dollar’s worth of gas in Steve’s ’56 Pontiac. That would keep us driving around town all night. Ah, the good ol’ days. It would be heavenly to go back and relive them. (hint hint, God)

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay discusses the pitfalls of hiring a live-in helper. I guess I got lucky. My domestic helper is a certified caregiver who takes care of getting my prescriptions filled, making my doctor appointments, and attending to the household chores. Her job is to make my life as easy as possible. Been with me for six years now and never had an issue. I pay her an above-market wage in addition to room and board. And I don’t fuck with the help. I’m an old HR guy, and that’s Rule #1.

I hope these make you smile:

The science is settled, right?
Maybe the boyfriend will grab some dessert while he is down there.
That blows
As I used to say, “I’m not a gynecologist, but I’ll have a look.”

That’s all I’ve got for today. Hopefully, things will be better tomorrow.

Born to lose

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I don’t always see things straight

Yesterday was almost as empty as it could be. I never even left the house until beer o’clock. I’d had another rough night with the breathing issues and just didn’t feel like doing shit, so I didn’t. But I had some SOB coupons that were due to expire, and that provided the necessary motivation to get off my ass and head into town for a bit.

My first stop was BarCelona. Swan ran an errand and then joined me there. My third-floor view was nothing special given the cloudy/hazy skies, but I did see this:

Mama has a friend!

Climbing the stairs to BarCelona once was more than enough, but I wanted to get my daily donation down to the umbrella lady. I considered getting her attention and tossing it down, but then I thought of the potential ramifications of doing so (traffic, wind, some random person grabbing it first). About this time, the peanut vendor, Emmanuel, came into the bar. I bought my standard 100 pesos worth for the girls, and then Swan suggested we have the vendor deliver Mama’s stipend. He agreed to do so, so I handed him money for her and also bought some nuts for him to give her. That worked out fine. I thought it was sweet when Mama handed her friend some of the nuts.

After we finished our drinks, we moved downstairs to The Green Room so I could put those SOB coupons to work. I had six coupons that were due to expire:

  • buy a lady drink, get two customer drinks
  • buy a lady drink, get a customer drink
  • a free blowjob shooter lady drink
  • happy hour prices all night
  • 15% off on food at Sit-n-Bull
  • a free pizza upgrade (medium to large) at Sit-n-Bull

So, I got to work. My regular waitress is Chu, but semi-regular Lea took our order. Chu then joined us. I confirmed that the lady drink coupon included commission, and gave Lea the blowjob shooter. I ordered Chu a lady drink to earn my two free beers. When my beers were done, I bought Lea a lady drink and had another “free” beer (without the coupon, I could have purchased my beer for 110 pesos and skipped the 180 peso lady drink, but where’s the fun in that?) The Sit-n-Bull waitress came by, and I had Swan pick the pizza we’d upgrade to large and bring home for the basement dwellers. I ordered a sandwich for myself and some lumpia for Chu and Lea with the discount coupon. I gave the happy hour coupon to Chu to give some customer arriving after happy ended. Mission accomplished! I used all the coupons before expiration, got a nice beer buzz, and brought home some food.

But the night wasn’t over yet. We got home a little earlier than usual, so I fired up the TV, opened YouTube, and watched a movie from 1967 called The Born Losers. That’s the one I mentioned as purportedly being the predecessor to Billy Jack. The main character was indeed the half-breed Indian (I don’t think we called them Native Americans in the 60s), Green Beret Vietnam vet Billy Jack. Besides that, there was no real similarity or connection to the Billy Jack film. The Born Losers took place in a California beach town, and the filming locations included cities near where I was living as a twelve-year-old in 1967 (Seal Beach and Huntington Beach). I enjoyed seeing the sexy bikini-clad young woman and reliving those old 60s vibes.

The movie was one of the biker gang genres, with the typical bullying you’d expect, incompetent law enforcement, and citizens who didn’t want to get involved. I was honestly a bit shocked about the gang’s favorite pastime of raping teenage girls. Anyway, I’m sure it won’t be much of a spoiler to know that Billy Jack came in to save the day. I found it entertaining enough if nothing particularly special. I did enjoy the feeling of traveling back in time to the days of my youth. Next up will be The Trial Of Billy Jack, the genuine sequel to Billy Jack.  I’ll get around to it one of these days.

I’m happy to report that I slept through the night without experiencing any breathing issues. I’m sorry to report that the dog walk left me breathless again, so I bailed on the Friday group hike. Swan and I did do an abbreviated (and mostly flat) candy walk today. So, at least I got off my lazy ass for a bit.

Another bird invaded the house. It came in through the open window and perched on the ceiling fan blade. My helper showed it the way back out.

And for the first time in a long time, I wrote a poem.

Next, I’ll write a love poem. Done!

I can’t post pictures in my comments section, but here are a couple in response to questions posed:

That’s the Matain River as it flows past my house. The upstream photo I posted yesterday was just a couple kilometers away. Last night, we had a big, wet storm that got the water flowing.
This is from the Snackbar Facebook page…one word, despite what their new sign says.

Today’s political meme:

Toto, we’re not in Mayberry anymore

There are no worthy Facebook memories today, but I did happen upon this post from last year about my first meeting with Mary. We still have some occasional contact on Facebook. She’ll be starting college next month, and I’ll be providing some limited (and no strings attached) financial support. She’s a smart young woman, and I would love to see her achieve her dreams of a degree and escape the cycle of poverty.

Today’s YouTube video features the Filipina Pea as an advice columnist responding to viewer emails. There are some really good lessons in this one.

Today’s humor potpourri:

That’s a dick thing to do
I’ll keep my initial reaction before I saw the knife to myself.
Tame and lame, that’s more like it.

We are going to attend the SOB at Alaska Club this evening. And as long as life goes on, you are a winner.