I had every intention of doing the first half of the Hash trail yesterday, including the climb up Kalaklan Ridge. But when I got to the steep beginning of the trail to the top, I said “fuck this,” and opted to walk the second half of the trail instead. That proved to be a wise choice because even that more moderate climb was an ass kicker. Feedback from those who did the ridge was that it was slippery going both up and down. Kalaklan will be there when I’m ready.

One of the birthday girls gave me a hug after the circle, getting some of the cake on my shirt. I got a laugh when I took a closer look during the after-Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter.

Just living through another Hash Monday is a pleasure. And so was the pre-Hash lunch Swan cooked me.

As I traverse the February 2014 LTG archives, I am reminded of those days when I watched television for entertainment. In this post, I talk about my favorite shows back then. I smiled when I read that I usually viewed them between 10 pm and 2 am. These days, I rarely even turn on my TV, and certainly not during my prime sleeping hours. Damn, life changes, but I’m still plugging away as best as I can.

Today’s YouTube video wisdom comes from Smart Girl Philippines. I’d summarize it as be careful what you ask for and ask for what you want. And yeah, you can buy it, but as I learned during my transactional phase, it’s a hollow feeling.

Humor me:

Another day done and another one to get on with. Keep ’em coming!

And that’s all I’ve got to say about that.

I’ll keep it short and sweet today, starting with the Sunday Sweets Stroll. We did it, and when we finished, I realized that I had seen nothing new or different enough to warrant a photo. So, there you go. 5K of candies dispensed and smiles received. You’ll have to take my word for it.

I mentioned yesterday that I was forgoing my usual Sunday Hideaway Feeding routine. Don’t worry, they still got fed. I wired some money to Joy, and she took care of business.

Yesterday was my new helper, Gina’s birthday. Her niece, Melba, works next door for Jeff and Davina, and it was also her birthday. What are the odds? So, a celebration was held in honor of the special day they were born at Treasure Island on Baloy Beach.

We were going to go back into Barretto for our nightcap, but couldn’t find a trike. So, we walked the kilometer to the highway and plopped down at Snackbar to end our evening.

Another island of memories to treasure.

In this post from the February 2014 LTG archives, I describe the ordeal of my third-world experience in the good ol’ USA. Other than immigration, I don’t deal with government agencies here in my third-world home, but I’m in and out at the BI in thirty minutes or less, so no complaints.

From Facebook memories comes this collage of photographs depicting the life I was living nine years ago:

In today’s YouTube video, this doctor says drinking alcohol is good for you. He might be wrong about you, but it works for me.

Swan posted a video short of me potentially under the influence of alcohol on Saturday night at Jumpin’ Jacks. Looks like I was motivated to exercise.

If that wasn’t funny enough, try these:

And now it is time to prepare myself for another Hash Monday. No intel on the trail that lies ahead, but rumor has it that it’s gonna be a tough one. My plan, as of now, is to do a climb and then bail as circumstances warrant. Yep, the usual plan. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. Assuming I survive.

Several readers have recently called me an alcoholic in the comments here at LTG. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but in this case, I don’t agree. The issue may be that the definition of what constitutes alcoholism is not so well defined. I’m guessing a non-drinker judging me by my lifestyle would see things differently than I do. I’m a lightweight compared to many of the folks I observe in the bar scene. I’ve seen some expats drinking hard liquors from early morning, going home in the afternoon to sleep it off, and coming back out to drink again well into the night. To me, that’s how I define an alcoholic: someone whose drinking is out of control. Admittedly, I drink almost every day of the week. I have a narrow three-hour window for imbibing, and for the most part, I don’t get drunk. Beer drinking is primarily a social activity for me, and I don’t crave beer during the hours when I’m not drinking it. Beer drinking is the culture I grew up in, and as I wrote here a few years ago, it is in my genes. Anyway, call me what you will, it won’t change a thing. Beer is one part of my life, but I’m in charge and in control. At my age, I have no interest in denying myself the things that I enjoy.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get on with the Saturday report (WARNING: THIS POST INCLUDES MENTION OF THE CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES).

As usual, the was a Decay Dance to kick off the day.

The evening hours saw a gathering of the neighbors for dinner on SBMA.

We were going to visit a rooftop bar near Texas Joe’s, but it turned out to be closed. So we loaded up and headed back to Barretto for our nightcap.

We all had a good time, and time went by fast. Hold onto your hats:

Sometimes you’ve got to push the envelope and let the good times roll.

From the February 2014 LTG archives, I was reminded of what winter looked like in my South Carolina home. Ice was more likely than snow. Of course, it never even gets chilly here in the Philippines.

Also in the LTG archives was this link to an article proclaiming that the comma was dying from irrelevancy. Damn it, eleven years later, I’m still trying to learn how to use the damn thing properly.

The storms have passed, and I’m once again walking under sunny skies. Today’s YouTube is a short video documenting some of the damage in less fortunate provinces. It’s not always paradise.

To the humor we must go:

Anyway, time to get on with my best life ever. I won’t be attending to the Hideaway feeding today (don’t worry, I sent money for food). Instead, I’m going to do some beach time with Swan and the neighbors at Treasure Island. Live it while you’ve got it!

I bailed on the group hike, but decided to see if I could walk off whatever was ailing my leg. Emmanuel, the recently deceased peanut vendor, lived with his wife and children in Calapacuan. I’d walked past his place in the past, so I knew where it was. His widow asked me for a donation towards funeral expenses, and I set out to deliver the funds personally. She wasn’t there when I arrived, so I left the money with Emmanuel’s sister. The trip there and back was almost 5K. As I had hoped, the pain dissipated while walking, but there was still some stiffness, especially when climbing steps.

Today I am pain-free, and the leg feels back to normal. I’m glad that whatever it was causing the problem didn’t stick around long.

At the appointed hour, Swan and I headed into Barretto. Our first stop was Jewel Cafe for dinner.

After our meal, we made our across the highway and spent some quality time at Red Bar.

We did our nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks and enjoyed the music selections as usual. Not many customers, but then, we are early birds. The live music started at eight, and the performers were the same duo who played at my birthday event.

I am enjoying my time as I near the inevitable end of my life. It doesn’t feel wasted or meaningless. I’m just doing as I please and appreciating the freedom to live as I choose.

Yesterday I shared the last LTG post from 2013. And today, I give you the first post from 2014. The big news was that I quit smoking (again). I gravitated to vaping for my nicotine addiction, but that was still better than further tar in my already damaged lungs. I eventually quit the vaping habit as well.

Today’s YouTube video features the Filipina Pea discussing the ten types of bad behavior foreigners should leave at home. I’m happy to report that none of those shoes fit me. Nope, not even the “barfly” category. I see barflies around town drinking to excess, and that’s not my style. I have a narrow window for beer drinking (5 pm-8 pm), and I’m not a drunken asshole prior to being done for the night. That’s just the way I roll.

I do have a fucked up sense of humor though:

Live it while you got it! Tonight we’ll be spending time with the neighbors on both sides of us at SBMA. Looking forward to a change of scenery!

Out with the old, in with the new. So far, this storm has only hit us with rain. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Meanwhile, Swan and I took advantage of a rare sunny morning and journeyed out to Castillejos for our stroll. Took a mostly familiar route, but if you only do it a couple of times a year, just how familiar can it be?

I had a four p.m. appointment with Dr. Jo, and she provided me with some meds that will hopefully clear my lungs of the phlegm I’ve been coughing up. I suggested to Swan that we head out to Baloy Beach after the appointment, but as we began walking, she changed her mind. Well, when the plans were altered, we were standing in front of the Outback Resort, so we took that as a sign.

We moved on to Sit-n-Bull for dinner.

After our meal, Swan wanted to revisit the newest bar in town, Cyclone.

During our previous visit, I’d picked up mostly positive vibes. Last night, not so much. They didn’t have wine again, which makes no sense, especially since the other two bars with the same owner (Cloud 69 and Nipsey’s) serve it. And the music, WTF? Loud rap-like shit in what is supposed to be a sports bar? We were the only customers, so I suppose the girls felt like they could play whatever they liked. However, the problem is that if you don’t cater to your potential audience of old, grouchy expats, you won’t have an audience. The owner was present, but didn’t greet me or otherwise give me a reason to stay. So, we didn’t. One drink and out. I’m not saying I won’t be back, but I’m not in any hurry to return.

For the hell of it, we went next door to Cloud 69 for our nightcap. Once again, we were the only customers, and the music playing when we entered almost made me turn around and leave. However, to the bar’s credit, once we had taken our seats, the music was changed to something more appropriate (classic rock). I appreciated that. My regular waitress, Sheryl, wasn’t working, and I was afraid that maybe I had indeed gotten her fired over my previous incongruous remarks to the owner about being scammed. I was relieved to be told that Sheryl was just late arriving. Swan got her wine, the beer was cold, and the music was good. We enjoyed our brief visit, then headed for home.

I had some dessert (a slice of pumpkin pie from Sit-n-Bull), checked in with the internet, then headed for bed. But when I stood up, I felt some excruciating pain coming from the back of my left leg. It was also hard to walk. When I got into bed, the pain continued, and I finally took some aspirin to dull my suffering. I didn’t get much sleep, and the leg was still sore this morning. I had hoped I could walk it off, but after walking the dogs, the pain still persisted, so I bailed on the Friday group hike. The pain has eased somewhat as I write this, but I’m clueless as to what is going on. I didn’t slip, trip, or fall, so it’s not a classic injury or muscle pull. Hopefully, it goes away soon.

My final post of 2013 was something a little different. One of my early retirement projects was to read all the back issues of Life magazine. In a 1955 story, I learned about an American captured by the Chinese during the Korean War. He was finally released and returned home to find out his wife had remarried. There were some twists that followed, which I covered by sharing a post from another blog. Anyway, it was something different than my usual drivel here at LTG, and it was good to read it again.

Today’s YouTube video is just some scenes from Manila in the 1970s. Looks like I might have liked it more back then. Maybe I’ll pay a visit during my do-over life.

The funny business (YMMV):

Anyway, here’s hoping I have a leg to stand on as I move forward with the remains of the day. Check back tomorrow to see how it goes.

It didn’t last long, a new storm blew in, and it is raining again. Oh well.

I received that picture last night, after I was asleep, along with a request for additional financial assistance. I hadn’t had a chance to respond yet, and then I received a message from his wife advising that Emmanuel passed away this morning. Sad news, but at least his suffering is over now.

My Fitbit monitors me in my sleep, and the night before, I had the worst sleep score ever:

One of the problems I’ve been having is coughing up phlegm again. I’m going to consult with Dr. Jo this afternoon and try to nip this in the bud. I don’t want to ever experience those breathing attacks I suffered from last year again.

Despite the rainy weather, the Wednesday Walkers ventured out yesterday for a street hike through Matain and Calapacuan.

When it was that time of day again, Swan and I opened the umbrellas and walked into town. I asked her if she preferred getting a drink first or eating first. She chose food, so our next stop was Mylene’s.

After dinner, we ended our evening at Green Room. We departed earlier than usual because we were seeing videos posted of the river overflowing the highway bridge, and we didn’t want to get stuck in the inevitable traffic jam. It was a close call, but we made it home without incident.

It is now December 2013, as I continue my journey through the LTG archives. I was surprised to discover this post where I mentioned a version of my fantasy “do-over” afterlife. Damn, I’ve been thinking about what comes next for twelve years now. Here’s hoping for twelve more years to figure out how to make that happen.

Today’s YouTube video is also from the 2013 archives. It’s only two and a half minutes and worth watching, if for no other reason than to see a good-looking white girl.

And now I hope you’ll humor me while I share these:

And now it is time to move on with the day, whatever it may bring.

The truth of the matter seems to be that the worst of the typhoon has passed us by, with only some residual rain showers left to inconvenience us. Our province wasn’t hit as hard as the ones up north, but we still had moderate winds and some of the heaviest rainfall I’ve seen in a while. So, what’s a fella to do, sit around and mope about it? Um, don’t forget I spent twenty-four years in the Service.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”

Yeah, it was the Postal Service, but still. And like I always do, I kicked off my Tuesday morning with a shopping excursion.

Okay, I did wuss out of my usual neighborhood stroll when we got back home. Hey, it was wet and wild outside. Swan got invited to join a gathering of Hash girls, and she asked me to bake a batch of my brownies to take along. The hostess sent a trike to pick her up, and I was left alone to contemplate the future. And by future, I mean beer o’clock. I knew the usual Tuesday excursion to Baloy Beach was a no-go, but when the rain lightened up somewhat, I opened the umbrella and made my way on the wet streets to Sloppy Joe’s.

Swan messaged me that the girls were moving their party to IDM and asked me to meet her there. So, I hoofed it one block up the highway and plopped myself down in my usual seat. A few minutes later, several trikes pulled up, and the gals all piled out.

I sat at my table with my good friend San Mig Zero and watched the revelry. When everyone had had enough, we billed out. My tab was over three thousand pesos, including a multitude of lady drinks, purchased mainly by Swan. Who says you can’t put a price tag on a good time?

And that’s how we made our way through the stormy weather.

It is now November 2013 in the LTG archives, and I’m posting about my grocery shopping day in the good ol’ USA. We started at the Korean market to purchase all the items my Korean wife needed to satisfy her cravings. Then I recount the irksome experience I had in the regular supermarket. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

In today’s YouTube video, we check in with Smart Girl Philippines as she advises on what you shouldn’t say to the Filipina you are courting. It depends on what you are looking for, I suppose, but it sounds like good common-sense advice.

Time for some humor:

And now my duty here is completed. There is still intermittent rain, but that won’t keep me from my appointed rounds this evening.

My Brit “friend” John is the latest lefty to unfriend me on Facebook over politics. That’s something I’ve never done myself, but I don’t give a shit when it happens. I’d known John since we’d played darts together in Korea, and I don’t recall ever talking politics back then. Even now, I’ll just post memes like the one above and leave it at that without additional commentary. It’s amazing to see the head exploding reactions I get. In his final comment, John said that I’m a purveyor of hate. Oh well, at least I didn’t get shot. Good luck getting things sorted in your own fucked up country, John.

As far as days go, yesterday was a good one for me. Let me show you what I mean:

Here, let me zoom in for you:

Later in the afternoon, I attended to my weekly feeding of the Hideaway crew.

Next up for me was the Sunday dinner with Swan at John’s place. As soon as we sat down, she told the waitress, “Birria tacos, please.” Imagine the look of disappointment on Swan’s face when she was told they weren’t available. I don’t remember what she ordered instead, some stewed meat dish with rice, but it was not what she had been craving. I plan to surprise her with a visit to Myleen’s this week to get her birria fix.

We changed things up after dinner, stopping in at the seldom-visited Annex Bar. I secured the highway-facing table I prefer and was entertained watching the near misses in the heavy Sunday evening traffic. When it was time to move on, we went next door to Candy Bar. It was only our second-ever visit, and I was impressed to see dancers in matching outfits putting effort into their performance. Maybe they’ll participate in a future Battle of the Bars. Swan knew a couple of the waitresses, and my old friend from Cheap Charlies, Nerissa, was working, so we tabled them up and bought a round of lady drinks.

We popped into Wet Spot next for our nightcap.

I was glad to have lived through another day, and I’m going to keep trying for more as long as I am able.

I’ve progressed to October 2013 in the LTG archives. In this post, I wrote about watching my daughter’s induction into the Pelion High School Hall of Fame. Being a proud daddy was a special time in my life.

Today’s YouTube video is also from the LTG archives. It features a trail I won’t be hiking in this lifetime. Hell, I won’t even do it in my “do-over” life.

Humor me, please.

We have a typhoon headed this way, and it’s a rainy motherfucker outside. Today’s Hash will be a wet one for sure. The Hare, Leech My Nuggets, has already abandoned the mountainous Kalaklan trail he had planned and is substituting a Barretto street walk in its place. I plan to participate, but the weather may dictate just how far I’m willing to go. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

So, I shared the above on my Facebook in an effort to broaden the perspectives of my close-minded lefty friends. Jeremy, who is well-educated but fully indoctrinated, had this to say in response:

You’re comparing Roseanne’s Tweet to what Jimmy said? That’s utterly ridiculous. Here’s Kimmel’s quote:

“The Maga Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Then, a clip was shown of a journalist asking Trump how he felt about Kirk’s death. He paid lip service before talking about the White House ballroom.

Cut the bullshit. Trump has been pissy about the late-night hosts because they’re constantly calling him on his bullshit instead of kissing his ass, and he vowed to get them thrown off the air.

Was the joke in poor taste? Not necessarily considering that the Right was throwing shade at the Left and trans even before they caught the suspect or there was any evidence to prove anything. It was clearly a case of “Methinks him doth protest too much”.

Even Roseanne herself admitted that she deserved what she got because she crossed a line, and for a comedian to do that is serious business. However, Kimmel being fired for making a benign comment based in fact simply because it upset the current administration, and the Trump-appointed FCC chair could abuse his power to persuade Disney to take action is telling.

I responded thusly:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jeremy. We all have freedom of speech, but not freedom from consequences. Kimmel’s show was a bomb and losing millions, ABC saw an opportunity to get rid of him and took it.

I also shared Jonathon Turley’s (a law professor) take:

This week, Schiff is outraged by a company’s decision to suspend a host who refused to correct a false story he had spread.

For years, I appeared before these same leaders in Congress as they defended corporate censorship and dismissed allegations of collaboration with the government. I would not cancel Kimmel so long as his show was profitable. But I have long maintained that companies can limit the free speech of employees at work. I do not believe Kimmel should be censored on social media for spreading false information. At the same time, ABC does not have to lose money or viewers because an employee attacks others with vile, false claims.

Now Disney is accused of killing democracy itself, in league with Trump. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) attacked Trump for “trying to destroy our democracy” and acting like “many would-be despots.” Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) used Kimmel’s suspension as evidence that “fascism is not on the way, it is here.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) insisted that suspending a host for spreading false information about a murder was “North Korea-style stuff” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) insisted that it is “what Putin would do.” It is a curious spin, since Putin and Kim Jong Un value media figures who spread false information — particularly about murders.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) went so far as to compare Kimmel to Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense and “Penman of the revolution.”

So Kimmel is now a hero of democracy — all he had to do was spread disinformation. That makes this the funniest joke that Kimmel never told.

There are plenty of other examples of the left cheering when someone on the right got canceled over something they said. So, I have to laugh when their heads explode when it happens to them.

And now, let’s get on with my life that matters.

Our Saturday on the town started earlier than usual as we had a three p.m. birthday party to attend.

The party was held at Johansson’s, and we’ll be back there on Monday for the Hash On-Home.

After departing the party, I was thinking a visit to Annex Bar would be a nice change of pace. Alas, all the streetside tables were full, so we continued on up the highway a bit and settled into our usual seats on the patio at Red Bar.

When six o’clock rolled around, we headed out to see the newest bar in town, Cyclone.

Cyclone just opened on Friday. The old dance stage has been torn out and replaced with additional seating. My personal preference is a sports bar vibe over a dancing bar, even if I don’t watch sports on TV.

I had the opportunity to meet the owner and was surprised to learn that she and her husband also own Nipsey’s Bar and the notorious Cloud 69. The numerous beers I had imbibed loosened my lips, and I recounted my tale of being overcharged for lady drinks at Cloud 69. I assumed it was the cashier who did the scamming, but the owner suspected it was the waitress. I told her the waitress was my friend from back in her days at Alaska Bar, so I didn’t think she would intentionally rip me off. The owner said she would address the issue.

Maybe because I was a bit tipsy, but after leaving Cyclone, Swan suggested we give Cloud 69 another chance, and I agreed. My waitress friend once again served us, and I told her about my meeting with the owner. She got a look of concern on her face, but I assured her I had not accused her of wrongdoing. I woke up during the night with a sick feeling, wondering if my words were going to result in my friend losing her job. I hope not; that was certainly not my intention.

And so it goes, and so it went.

From the September 2013 LTG archives, I write about getting “sucked in” to my vanilla American life with nothing of interest to blog about. My, how some things never change. Well, my life in the Philippines isn’t all that vanilla; it’s more like chocolate, but you know what I mean.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I haven’t watched previously. It’s getting harder and harder to find real people doing real talking, so I liked that. Plus, it is under ten minutes, which is about the extent of my attention span these days. Anyway, he discusses the challenges expats face when they move to the Philippines. I don’t care about the food, so that’s not an issue for me. The English is good enough, at least where I live. I made the decision not to drive here, and I have never regretted it. It’s damn crazy on the roads. Yeah, Jeepneys and trikes can be uncomfortable, but you adapt. The heat, humidity, and rain are just the facts of life here; why bother complaining about the weather? Dating isn’t an issue for me either now that I’ve found the one. It took me a while, though.

Time for the funny business:

That’s all there is to say for now, but I’ll go out and live some more and tell you all about it tomorrow.

And why should I care? That’s why I like hanging out at It Doesn’t Matter.

Sorry, nothing significant to report, not that that will stop me. I’ll keep it as brief and picturesque as I can, though. We’ll kick it off with the Friday group hike. It had been a rainy night, so we wanted to keep things on the level. Street walks do tend to be a tad on the boring side, but we got a change of scenery by walking seven kilometers FROM Waltermart to Barretto on the backroads. Here’s some of what we saw along the way:

Back at home and hungry, and Swan served me this:

It was better than the burritos I make. I had her make me another one after this morning’s walk.

Once again, I chose not to attend the emaciated version of the SOB dance competition. I hear that once again, almost no one else went either. The news now is that the final SOB show will be held in two weeks at Wet Spot. I plan to be there for the funeral edition of this twenty-plus-year weekly event.

I got a haircut, then we hung out at It Doesn’t Matter before heading to our nightcap at Green Room. Exciting shit, eh? That’s just the way I roll.

I’ve progressed to September 2013 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I tell the story of my chance encounter with a star in Prescott, Arizona. Ah, the memories of days gone by are part and parcel to being an old man.

In today’s YouTube video, the sexy Filipina Pea talks about getting fucked. Sadly, it is YouTube doing the fucking. I honestly don’t understand what’s up with that; the Pea is not political or even controversial. I’d noticed that her videos are no longer showing up in my feed, but I just figured she wasn’t posting as often now that she is in the USA. Henceforth, I’ll make it a point to look for her videos on a regular basis.

To the humor we shall go:

I hope this post wasn’t too painful for you. Hearing the Pea talk about how boring some vloggers are when they incessantly talk about the goings-on in their lives made me think, ‘Good thing she doesn’t read my blog.’ Well, it is what it is. We’ll see what happens next.

What’s the point of trying? Let them wallow in blissful ignorance.

Not a lot to say about my yesterday, but here goes. Swan joined me for a pleasant enough street walk around Barretto.

We finished our hike at Jewel Cafe. It was brunch time, and I once again faced the dilemma: pancakes or French toast? The easiest resolution was to have both, so that’s just what I did.

They were both scrumptious. And in my defense, I skipped lunch.

At beer o’clock, we began our seldom-visited venue quest at my old darts hangout, Alley Cats. After a pleasant visit, we crossed the highway for dinner at Mango’s.

After our meal, we crossed the highway again and popped in to see what was happening at Nipsey’s. Not much, we were the only customers. They did have eight gals on stage who were at least going through the motions of dancing. That’s a rarity these days. We did our nightcap at Queen Victoria, which had a few customers and a more lively vibe. After that, we called it a night and headed home.

Ain’t life grand?

In August 2013, I was busy establishing the Columbia Area Darts Association. Part of that effort was creating an appropriate logo. This post recounts the results of that endeavor.

Ten years ago, I posted this observation in Itaewon on Facebook.

I apologize in advance for the crap narration in today’s YouTube video. As to the issues raised, I kept thinking: “Relax. Take a deep breath. Accept the Filipino way.” There may indeed be different work ethics amongst the poor here, but from my outside observations, the issue isn’t laziness.

We’ll end on a high note:

Time to get on with my life. Such as it is.

I posted the above on my Facebook, thinking it was relatively innocuous. So many of my lefty friends simply regurgitate the bullshit they are fed by the MSM rather than seek other sources and think for themselves. I considered the meme as a friendly reminder to get the whole story. I’ve certainly posted meaner shit intended to make heads explode, but that was not my motive with this. Anyway, I was surprised by a couple of the comments I received. My woke “friend” John from the UK said:

“Keep up the hate john, its really becoming”

Okay, that’s pretty much par for the course with him, but I don’t see anything hateful in the meme, even if you argue that it is me who is brainwashed. But the comment that hurt was from a former co-worker who I’ve always admired and respected:

I feel sad. Your views that you’ve shared make me question if we were really friends and how you feel about me as a Black woman.

Wow. I responded, “Are you serious? I recall discussions we’ve had that included race, and I appreciated your perspectives. I’m an old-school Democrat who took the teachings of Martin Luther King to heart. I judge people on character, not skin color. Honestly, it hurts that you doubt that about me.” It is really sad that a person I consider to be very intelligent sees racism in that meme. But that seems to be the leftwing perspective and message to divide us as a nation. From what I’ve read, people of color, especially Hispanics, are seeing the light and rejecting the race-baiting of the left. Maybe there is still hope for America.

Okay, I’m glad I’m not living in that world these days. Here’s the news from my sheltered small town life in the Philippines.

We decided to keep it a mostly flat walk out to Naugsol to check on progress for the new bypass highway. Lord knows it would be good to get some cars off the National Highway in Barretto.

Damn, after the hike, my first hot shower in ten days was a wonderful experience.

Swan was busy with other things, so my Wednesday on the town was a mostly solo adventure. I had a few beers at Sloppy Joe’s, then headed to Sit-n-Bull for dinner.

The big event was a memorial at Wet Spot for the recently deceased Art Miller.

After the sendoff, I made my way home and ended another day of life. Live ’em while you got ’em!

I have moved on to August 2013 in the LTG archives, and lo and behold, I was dealing with racism back then, too. I had no idea then just how bad things would become in the here and now.

Today’s YouTube video features Smart Girl Philippines expounding on the laws of nature. Or the nature of relationships with Filipinas anyway.

And now for your daily dose of lameness:

Let’s leave it at that for now.

I came across an article, “Your Past Life Identity, According to Birth Date,” and it caught my attention enough to take a look to see what I was before I became who I am. This is what it said about being born on the 27th:

If you’re born on the 9th, 18th, or 27th, you might be able to unlock your past life all on their own. Your past life may come to you in your dreams. Music, movies, books, and museums will help you remember. Your intuitive skills have transcended lifetimes, which is why you’re an old soul who can recall memories and recognize soulmates. In another life, you were known for your psychic abilities. You might have been an oracle, a high priestess, or a witch. Whether you were spiritual or religious, you had a special connection with spirit. Some may have revered you; others may have feared you. No matter what happened in the past, give yourself grace as you find balance between the spiritual world and physical world in this lifetime.

Go ahead and click the link above if you want to discover your past life. I’ll wait. Okay, are you back? I found it a little amusing, but not meaningful. My mother was big-time into astrology, but I always thought it was bullshit. It did remind me of this old joke, though:

I get up to pee several times during the night, and sometimes I have trouble turning my mind off and falling back asleep. I think doing the LTG archives journey and Facebook memories thing is fucking with my mind. Remembering the happy (for me) life I shared with Jee Yeun and the devastation I felt when she left me is probably something I’ll never overcome. My original plan was to retire in August 2010 and move to the Philippines. Things went wrong during a preparation visit here in July 2010, and I ultimately decided to take a different path that led to marriage, buying a house, and building a shared life. We spent six months in South Carolina and six months in South Korea each year, and while I can’t say everything was perfect, it was the happiest time I’ve ever experienced in my life. When it ended, I wanted to die, and I thought I’d do it in a “Leaving Las Vegas” kind of way. I wasn’t too far down that road when I changed my mind and started walking towards a healthier lifestyle instead.

The thought that popped into my brain last night was an epiphany of sorts: maybe I’m living that “do-over life” I always fantasize about. Yes, the marriage detour took me off course for eight years, but here I am in the Philippines, living the retired life I’d dreamed about. Did I avoid past mistakes in this do-over version? Yes and no. I carried the hard lessons learned with me, but proceeded to find new ways to fuck up. And now I’ve settled into a safe and secure relationship, but I also know from past experience that it creates a vulnerability to potential pain and sorrow. So, I’ll keep my guard up and move forward into an unknown tomorrow.

On one of the Philippines forums I frequent (piatnight), I found a post about the history of Hashing that I found interesting. Just scroll on down if you don’t give a shit about the Hash.

Hashing originated in December 1938 in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, then in the Federated Malay States (now Malaysia). A group of British immigrants began meeting on Friday evenings, to run in a fashion patterned after the traditional British game of hare and hounds, in which one or two “hare” runners scatter a trail of cut paper for the “hounds” to track.^[1] Apart from the excitement of chasing the hare and finding the trail, Harriers reaching the end of the trail would partake of beer, ginger beer, and cigarettes. With hash names in parentheses, the original members included Albert Stephen Ignatius Gispert (“G”), Cecil Lee, Frederick Thomson (“Horse”), Ronald Bennett (“Torch”), Eric Galvin, H.M. Doig, and John Woodrow.^[2]

A. S. Gispert suggested the name “Hash House Harriers” after the Selangor Club Annex, known as the “Hash House”, where several of the original hashers lived and dined.^[3][4] The “Hash House” got its name for “its hodgepodge of edible servings being passed off for food”. The term hash was used as an old British slang for “bad food”.

Hashing ceased after the Invasion of Malaya during World War II, but several of the original group restarted it in 1946, after the war, and switched to meeting on Monday evenings. A.S.I. Gispert had been killed on 11 February 1942, in the Japanese invasion of Singapore, an event commemorated by many chapters with an annual Gispert Memorial Run.

While attempting to reorganize in the city of Kuala Lumpur after World War II, hashers were informed by the Registrar of Societies that, since they were a “group”, they would require a constitution.^[5] The objectives of the Hash House Harriers as recorded on the club registration card dated 1950 are:

• To promote physical fitness among our members
• To get rid of weekend hangovers
• To acquire a good thirst and to satisfy it in beer
• To persuade the older members that they are not as old as they feel

In 1962, Ian Cumming founded the second chapter in Singapore. Chapters are commonly called Kennels, following in tradition to similar Hound & Hare clubs. The idea spread through the Far East and the South Pacific, Europe, and North America, expanding rapidly during the mid-1970s.^[6]

There are almost 1500 chapters in all parts of the world, with members distributing newsletters, directories and magazines, and organizing regional and world hashing events. As of 2003, there were even two organized chapters operating in Antarctica.^[7]

Okay, let’s get on with the usual drivel you’ve come to expect here at LTG. It was Tuesday, and that meant heading into the city to do my grocery shopping.

But we eventually got there. Had to do my “take a deep breath, relax, accept the Filipino way” mantra while checking out at YBC. I pay by credit card, and the floor supervisor is required to enter a code before the cashier can process my payment. They only had one supervisor on duty, and she was occupied at the other cashiers for a long-ass time. Oh, and after I paid, they had to call the supervisor back to initial the receipt before I could exit the store. I’m sure they have their reasons for this process, but damn, they ought to have adequate staff on hand to implement it. Okay, rant over.

Took care of business at Royal and decided to walk the highway back home. It had been a while since I did that photo every thousand steps thing, so here you go:

Later in the day, it was back to the beach in keeping with our Tuesday traditions.

At dinner hour, we moved up the beach to Treasure Island.

We did a nightcap at Snackbar, then grabbed a trike for home. Not a bad day for a Tuesday.

It’s still July 2013 in the LTG archive journey, and in this post, I talk about getting the car loaded and ready for a road trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end.

I found today’s YouTube video in the LTG archives as well. Still funny and relevant twelve years later.

We’ll end this on a funny note. Hopefully:

And there you have it. To end this post on a happy note, I woke up this morning to discover water service has been restored after being dry for these past ten days.

Back tomorrow with some more tidings, assuming I don’t get squished crossing the highway tonight.

Let’s remember the late great Kris Kristofferson.

"If you waste your time a-talkin' to the people who don't listen,
"To the things that you are sayin', who do you think's gonna hear.
"And if you should die explainin' how the things that they complain about,
"Are things they could be changin', who do you think's gonna care?"

There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind,
Who were crucified for what they tried to show.
And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time.
'Cos the truth remains that no-one wants to know.

Anyhoo, I’m going to give a brief report on my fun in the sun day and then get ready to Hash. We got out for the usual Sunday Sweets Stroll to start things off. Here are some highlights:

The rest of the day was in keeping with Sunday traditions.

Then it was the Sunday dinner at John’s place with Swan.

After-dinner drinks at Red Bar, a nightcap at Wet Spot, then we were homeward bound. And so ended another day in the life.

In this post from the June 2013 LTG archives, I recount my experience going to war with Time Warner Cable. And then in a July 2013 post, I tell how things turned out.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay shares the reasons why 85% of dating relationships with Filipinas don’t last beyond three months. Hmm, I can relate. I have zero tolerance for drama, and when a girl I’d met showed signs of being a drama queen, I was done. Better to stick with transactional relationships than that bullshit.

I thought it was funny:

So, we’ll leave it at that for today. I’m going to walk the 2K to the start of today’s Hash trail on Rizal Extension, and decide where to go from there. I’m leaning toward keeping it on the street. The On-Home is at Kim’s place on Baloy Beach, and that’s a pretty good journey from the start, even without a mountain climb. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Making up a word is fundamentally profound, right? Anyway, just some random thoughts about things I heard. Like at dinner last night, Jeff off-handedly said, “You only live once.” Swan responded with, “No, you only die once. You live every day.” That resonated with me for some reason. And while we were doing the Candy Walk yesterday, a new name came to mind: Decay Dance. Swan didn’t get it until I showed her the definition of decadence. And while we were having lunch the other day, the background music was Christmas songs. I announced that during the “ber” months, there are only twenty-five letters in the alphabet. The other folks at the table gave me a funny look, and then I pointed out that the song being played was “Noel.” Yeah, I won’t quit my day job. Oh, wait. I don’t have one.

On then to the usual LTG drivel, starting with the Candy Walk Decay Dance:

Neighbors Jeff and Davina invited us to join them for dinner at Texas Joe’s on SBMA. TJ’s features the best damn grilled meat I’ve had since moving here, and it had been too long since my last visit, so I jumped at the opportunity. We left at four to beat the traffic and enjoy a pre-dinner beverage at an SBMA bar I’ve walked by but never ventured inside (they don’t open until four p.m., and I walk in the mornings).

Then we loaded up and headed to Texas.

After dinner, Jeff wanted to try one of the rooftop bars we’ve heard about but never visited. We found one on top of a nearby SBMA hotel.

But we weren’t done quite yet. On the way home we stopped in Barretto for a nightcap at Queen Victoria.

Jeff has his clock timer set for 8 p.m. as a reminder that beer o’clock has come to an end. It went off, and so were we. It was great being out and seeing something new and enjoying a great meal with friends.

Today marks one week without running water. It sucks, there’s no getting used to that. I’ve developed a bathing technique that is basically a sponge bath (well, washcloth) and a rinse. But damn, pouring that cold water over my head at the end is something I dread. I’m told they have begun the pipe repair work, so hopefully things will be flowing again soon.

It’s easy to rag on the Philippines and its third-world nature of essential utilities like water service, but in the June 2013 LTG archives, I came across a post where I ranted about the lack of service I was dealing with in the good old USA.

For today’s YouTube video I’m going to share something else I posted here twelve years ago: teenagers reacting to hearing Gangnam Style for the first time. It’s still funny to see all these years later. And yes, this is one of my favorite Korean songs.

Want some more to laugh about?

That’s enough wordplay for today, don’t you think? I’ll try to do better tomorrow.

The craziness of the left remains at full volume. Today, the lies are that the man arrested for the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a conservative Republican. I’m not sure who they are marketing this nonsense to, but you’d have to be beyond stupid to believe it. I guess I just answered my own question. This captures the way I see it succinctly:

The social media wasn’t all crap. Here’s a tribute song by Rhianna that sets the right tone:

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. I posted the above video on my Facebook and said, “Put away the hate for a moment.” Here’s the first comment I received:

Your the one putting the hate out! Jesus, you’re thick, and brave! Retired postman living overseas calling for war and violence! Pathetic, letting others do the fighting again i see.

You can’t fix stupid.

Meanwhile, here in my Asian paradise, life goes on just as it always does.

Here are some photos from the Friday group hike:

Things went a little askew when we lost the trail and had to bushwhack through a jungle of sticker bushes for a bit.

We kicked off our Friday evening out at It Doesn’t Matter. For dinner, we visited Jewel Cafe.

Some after-dinner beverages at Red Bar followed, then we closed out our evening with a nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks.

We stayed at Jumpin’ Jacks a little later than usual because Swan wanted to hear the live music that began at eight.

No complaints; it was a good day and a good night.

Here’s some interesting news about things going on in Subic Bay militarily. Also, the shipyard across the bay (which is visible from where I sit writing this post) has now opened for business.

My journey through the LTG archives has arrived in May 2013. In this post, I talk about my first (and only) trip to Disney World. I grew up just a few miles from the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and I also share memories from those long-ago days of my youth.

Time to check in with the Filipina Pea for today’s YouTube video. In it, Pea discusses issues that may arise in older-younger relationships, which are so prevalent in the Philippines. Well, there’s only a thirty-year gap between me and Swan, so I don’t foresee any problems. My record is a fifty-year difference, and that was enough even to freak my perverted self out.

Here we go with this lame shit again:

And so it goes. Until next time.

Twenty-four years ago, my routine workday in Washington, DC, went crazy. I was at the Department of Education, not the Pentagon, so I can be thankful for that. Two of the people living in my subdivision were not so lucky. I wrote about that day here. On this somber anniversary, I also pay tribute to two heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others: James Raymond Coyle and Samuel Oitice.

Here’s the news from the world in which I currently reside:

Ed suggested we do Monday’s Hash trail in reverse, and lacking any better options, that’s what we did. It was new for everyone except Ed and me, and doing it backwards made it feel a little different, so it worked out fine.

Later on, Swan and I did our Wednesday seldom-visited bars thing, starting at Outback.

I think this is the second time we’ve ordered food from the Outback kitchen.

Next on our agenda was attending the grand opening of the Wombat bar. I had high hopes this would be the Barretto beach bar I’ve been dreaming of. The venue has been vacant since the COVID shutdowns. I looked at it a couple of years ago, thinking that maybe if I wanted a beach bar that badly, I should open one. Then it occurred to me that’s how dreams become nightmares, so I put those silly thoughts away.

So, this location used to be the Gum Leaves Resort. Now there’s a gay bar on the highway, and the Wombat bar is on the beachside. You have to walk through the hotel lobby, past some rooms, and the empty pool to get to the bar. That’s a bit of a pain in the ass. We arrived shortly after the six p.m. opening time, and we were the first (and only) customers. I don’t know why it still surprises me, but several of the staff welcomed me by name, and not one of them looked familiar to me. One told me she used to work at Sloppy Joe’s. The manager, who also knew my name, apologized because, although the Facebook post called it a “grand opening,” in reality, yesterday was just a soft opening. Alrighty then.

First impressions: the music was loud and inappropriate for an old white guy (sorry, girls, we don’t like the shit you listen to). They did eventually change the style to a more “easy listening” mode, which I appreciated. I ordered a San Miguel Zero, but they didn’t have it, so I took a San Mig Light instead. It took them a while to find a bottle opener (talk about a soft opening!). The service was good and friendly. I got invited to sing karaoke on stage, but I declined. So, it seems that will be one of the offerings here, and there are few things I like less when I’m trying to relax and enjoy a beer. We left after one drink.

I’m not saying I’ll never return, but I found Wombat to be generally disappointing.

We did our nightcap at Queen Victoria.

And then, our next-door neighbors, Jeff and Davina, joined us.

A couple of more beers, some chat, and then a free ride home. Amusingly, Jeff has now set his phone alarm for 8 p.m. to remind him when it is time to call it a night. We are on the same page!

I have now arrived at March 2013 in the LTG archives. In this post, I reminisce about my life in 1976. I had a good run my first time through the seventies, this see what happens this time.

Today’s YouTube is from Reekay, and he tells the story of how his dating life in the USA came to an end. Women can be crazy everywhere, of course, but at least here in Asia, they are hot, sexy, and younger.

Let’s take a moment to smile:

And that’s the end of today’s post. See what I mean?

I’ve always thought this song somehow captures the emotions of that awful day, twenty-four years ago.