I’m not allowed to own a weapon in the Philippines since I’m not a citizen. Same with property. Not that it matters, if I don’t like it, I’ll just leave. There has been a whole lot of shaking going on around here of late:

Otherwise, life goes on pretty much as it always does. My big accomplishment yesterday was making the climb up to the Kalaklan Ridge, something I hadn’t done for a while. I chose the easiest route I knew, but we were stymied by a newly constructed fence blocking our path. So we made a new way up that was steeper, but shorter. So, it all worked out. It was great to be on top of my world once again.

It was good to get some elevation on a hike again. Speaking of getting high, Swan came along for my beer o’clock trek to Barretto. We had a pre-dinner drink at the seldom-visited Hangout Bar, then moved on to Mango’s for dinner.

After our meal, we ventured up the highway to Queen Victoria for our nightcap.

I had a nice chat with the manager at Queen Victoria, and we talked about some of the current issues around town, including the demise of the SOB. The final show is now slated for Halloween night. Queen Victoria also participates in a monthly event with Red Bar and Thumbstar called “The Battle of the Bars.” They are looking to expand the number of participants, and it may one day be what the SOB no longer is. I intend to check out the next battle later this month.

On to June 2014 in the LTG archives. In a post called “Ebb and Flow,” I wrote about the changes taking place in the Itaewon bar scene as the old familiar faces left and were replaced with new ones. It was definitely a transient lifestyle back in those days. I got a chuckle out of this line in my post: “I can’t help but wonder how much longer I can live the lifestyle I’ve come to know and love.  Somehow I don’t see myself climbing those notorious steps up to the bar (and drunkenly navigating my way back down) in another ten years when I’m pushing 70.” And yet, here I am still climbing the stairs to bars in Barretto. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

At least I’m not in jail. In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea talks about the trouble a vindictive Filipina can cause an expat if she feels he’s done her wrong. It reminded me of how I came to discover Barretto. Back in my tourist days, I had rented an AC bargirl for a night of debauchery. We went out for dinner and a show, but when we got back to the room, she didn’t want to do the deed I’d paid for. So, I told her to leave. She said, “What about my tip?” I responded that she hadn’t earned a tip. Then she picked up the phone and said, “I’ll call the police and say you took advantage of me.” I called her bluff, and she left. Later, I posted on one of the nightlife forums about what happened, named her and the bar, and warned others not to waste their money. Well, her boss saw my post and fired her. Then my phone blew up with messages about how I ruined her life and she was going to make me pay for what I did. I had images of cops breaking down my door or maybe getting shot by helmeted riders on a motorbike. So, I checked out of my hotel and caught a taxi to Barretto. I wound up liking it a lot more than AC, and the rest is history.

Humor time:

Speaking of changing things up, we have alternative plans for Sunday, so we will do our Sunday routines today. So, I’ve got the Hideaway feeding, dinner at John’s place, and some beverage consumption at Red Bar and Jumpin’ Jacks on the horizon. Ain’t life grand?

No great insights derived from another day of living in paradise. But I did achieve a new way to dispense water.

Yeah, it’s good to have something new and exciting to blog about! In other news, Swan decided to stay home last evening, declaring it a “me day.” Well, I enjoy her company when I’m out and about, but I would never impose my lifestyle on her or otherwise insist that she join me every time I go out. Since I was on my own, I decided to visit the bars on my “no go” list to see if they warranted reconsideration. And it also proves I’m not a slave to my habits.

First stop, BarCelona. I’d 86’d this place mainly because they insisted on playing crappy music at a loud volume. So, upon arrival, I noted that the music was acceptable and the volume was comfortable. I also noticed that the place was deserted. I’m used to being the only customer, but yesterday there was only one waitress in attendance instead of the usual half a dozen or so. I asked my server what was up with that, and she told me the others are scheduled to arrive later in the evening. Ah, okay. That actually makes sense; no need to pay wait staff when there are no customers to serve.

As I was finishing my second beer, the bartender showed up, greeting me as she walked by. And then the music changed back to crap and the volume increased. I paid my tab and left.

Cheap Charlies had always been one of my favorite spots, but the bartender saying I was stupid to be upset when they didn’t have wine for Swan inspired me to take my business elsewhere. So, it’s been a few months since that incident, and I was alone, so I climbed the stairs to see what I’d been missing.

I was somewhat surprised when the offending bartender came and sat down beside me, saying It’s been a while since we’ve seen you here. Um, you said I was stupid, remember? She gave me a funny look, as if she didn’t remember that, and just said it was nice to see me again. Okay, I accepted the olive branch and gave her cookies and lollipops to share with the girls. Then I went back to enjoying my beer and the view.

And then I ran into a guy I had met several months ago in a bar on Baloy. I’d see him around occasionally, but last night we had a chance to talk, and he’s an interesting guy—Air Force vet who spent some time at Osan in Korea. He introduced his girlfriend, a nursing student, and said he has really settled into a comfortable life here. I’m happy things are working out for him.

After wrapping things up at Cheap Charlies, I was ready for some grub. Myleen’s is right across the road, so I headed there.

After satiating my hunger, I was ready to continue my journey to bars that pissed me off in the past. Next stop, Cyclone. Another place that put me off with inappropriately loud music during my last visit. I’m happy to report that was not the case last night.

Cyclone has a nice ambiance and bills itself as a “sports bar,” but I’m not sure they’ve found a niche to fill in Barretto. During my brief visit, several people popped in, looked around, and then departed. We’ll see how long they last. I watched a couple of the bored waitresses playing pool, and then finished my beer and moved on to my last stop of the night next door at Cloud 69.

It was good to see my waitress friend Sheryl back at work, so I bought her my first lady drink of the night. Once again, no other customers but me.

And that’s where my “me time” came to an end. Back home just before eight and in bed shortly thereafter. Early to bed, early to rise meant waking up at 4:15 this morning

A couple of hours later, after the sun came out, the view looked like this:

Another bar I choose not to visit is MacArthur’s. I considered going last night, but it was on the wrong side of town. I noticed they have outside seating now, which I like, so maybe one of these days. Anyway, it’s a small place and the owner fills it with attractive young women. Apparently, some issues have arisen with other unnamed bar owners, at least judging from this post on Facebook today:

It’s still May 2014 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I share my deep thoughts after observing the parking lot beneath my Seoul apartment balcony.

Today’s YouTube video features Reekay discussing dental care prices in the Philippines. I’ve been blessed to find one of the best dentists I’ve ever used right here in Barretto (Dr. Raymond Barrera). Much cheaper than what I used to pay in the USA and Korea.

Nine years ago, during my first-ever visit to Pattaya, I walked to Walking Street.

And maybe these will make you show your teeth:

And that’s all for now.

Over at Kevin Kim’s Big Hominid blog is a post about being a creature of habit. As Kevin says, most of us are, and I’ve never seen that as a bad thing. Now that I am in my retired years with no work responsibilities to fill my time, I’ve developed my own rituals, routines, and habits that give my life some structure and semblance of meaning. Of course, I’m sure my regular readers see most of these activities as boringly mundane, and perhaps they are. But there is comfort to be found in sameness when you enjoy doing what you do. That said, I do try to take at least one trip out of town every month to change things up a little, and that helps keep things interesting. The bottom line for me is that having daily routines is beneficial, as they provide perspective and help keep life in balance. That works for me, anyway.

Things aren’t always the same around here. Today, I got a rather distressing email from my blog host that some suspicious malware had been discovered and removed:

During a recent security review of your WordPress installation for mccrarey.com, we detected and removed a malicious administrator account named “admin2backup” that had been added to your database on September 4, 2025.

We also located and removed the file that created this account, which had been uploaded through a compromised plugin upload request on September 12, 2025. Both the file and the unauthorized user have been successfully removed from your account.

At this time, no further suspicious activity has been detected. Please note, this cleanup was performed as a one-time courtesy. If further malware or compromise is detected on this account in the future, it could result in service suspension or account termination to protect server integrity.

Well, thanks for that, HostGator. Scary shit when someone attacks my humble little blog with only a handful of loyal readers. I’d hate for LTG to die before I do!

So, back to the routines. The Wednesday Walkers gathered as usual at the Baloy 7-Eleven and decided we’d walk the long version of Monday’s Hash trail in reverse. And that’s just what we did, more or less. Going up the original down proved challenging, but otherwise, most of the hike was on familiar ground. Being out and about is the mission, and that goal was achieved.

Sorry, for some reason, I wasn’t in a picture-taking mode, so that’s all I’ve got. Hell, you’ve seen it all before, anyway.

Fellow hiker Steve has recently returned from several months back home in Aussie-land and asked to join us for our nightly intake of alcoholic beverages. Hey, the more the merrier!

Swan said we broke a record by returning home prior to 7:30. Damn, I’m such an old fogey lately.

This post from the May 2014 LTG archives documents a time when I had some staying power. The story of a Korean weekend is primarily told through photographs, so take a look and see what you think. Getting back home at four in the morning seems mind-boggling to me now.

Facebook memories reminded me of a gal I met in Manila eight years ago:

Today’s YouTube video features another vlogger I’ve never watched before, recounting how he learned to accept the Filipino way (even if he still doesn’t know how to spell “Filipino”).

Let’s try these on for size:

Oh well, there’s still time for more screw-ups, so I’d better get to it.

Another first! Never heard this song or of Tove Lo before:

Okay, another Tuesday is in the books, and even more so than the other days in my week, there is not much worthy of note about it. I’m not complaining about that, I’m just glad to be still alive and kicking. I don’t know how much longer that will be the case, but life is a blessing, and even a boring day is better than the alternative of eternal darkness.

I’m not that comfortable talking about my various charity projects because it is supposed to be about helping others, not glorifying your own good deeds. I’m sure I’ve mentioned that the foundation of my giving is selfishness — helping a few takes away some of the guilt that comes with living rich in a poor country. So, I do what I can, and hopefully it makes a difference.

One of the people I’ve been assisting is barely an acquaintance. She used to be the take-out waitress from Sit-n-Bull a couple of years ago, and I’d see her around town making her deliveries. She always had a smile and a friendly greeting and seemed to genuinely enjoy her work. Then one day she was gone, and I was told she had moved home to the province. Several months later, a mutual friend contacted me and said Erica needed help. She had been diagnosed with cancer and required treatment. Well, my charity budget is insufficient to cover the cost of extensive medical procedures, but what Erica needed was a different kind of help. Cancer treatment wasn’t available in the public hospital near where she lived, so she needed to go to Manila for proper care, but didn’t have money for transport. That was within my ability to help, and so I wired the needed funds. For the last several months, she has shared with me the nightmare of medical care at public hospitals in the Philippines, but she wants to live and is continuing her battle to beat the cancer. I’ve been sending her money for food and lodging and hoping for the best, but my gut tells me her survival will require a miracle. She’s very religious, so maybe her faith will be rewarded.

Anyway, she sent me this message yesterday and it touched my heart:

I need to endure, I need to extend my patience, there’s nothing I can do, I wasn’t born rich. Nevertheless, you don’t neglect us when it comes to our daily expenses and our rent, so we don’t struggle here in Manila. Your support has been a tremendous help to us; it’s good that up to now you haven’t abandoned us with our daily expenses. I keep fighting because I know I have financial support, making our living and my treatment easier. If it weren’t for you, who genuinely cares for me, I wouldn’t know who to turn to for our expenses and rent. Thank you so much for your unwavering help and care for us. I truly wish you a long life and that you may continue to help many others like me.

The Lord has not abandoned me in this battle; He sent an angel to me, making it easy and without any worries about our expenses here in Manila. I will fight, and I know I will get better. That will be my payment for all the help you have given us. I will hold on to our Creator; I cannot give up, I still want to live. I know the Lord will give that to me; I just need to trust in Him.

Stay strong and keep fighting, Erica.

The rest of my day went like this:

Tuesday is our Baloy Beach day, and at the appointed hour, we headed out. I needed to replenish the cash in my wallet, so I stopped at the ATM in the 7-Eleven. The machine was out of service. We walked on down Baloy Road and tried the ATM at Harley’s. It was out of cash. So, on to Blue Rock. The ATM there was offline. The only other ATM I know of on Baloy is at the Viking Resort, so instead of toes in the sand time for Swan, we walked the pavement to Viking. Alas, that ATM was also unable to dispense cash. I have no idea what is going on with the ATMs, but welcome to the Philippines!

I had enough cash on me for our dinner at Treasure Island, which was practically across the street from us, so off we went.

Still needing to replenish the wallet, after dinner, we had our trike driver take us to It Doesn’t Matter. I was pleasantly surprised that the ATM there was functioning and dispensed the 10,000 pesos I had requested. After a couple of IDM beers, we moved on to the Wet Spot for our nightcap. I had planned to attend the final rendition of the SOB there on Friday, but manager Brett advised that it has once again been postponed, this time until Halloween. Alrighty then.

Ain’t life grand? Even a hollow Tuesday was worthy of enjoyment.

On now to May 2014 in the LTG archives. In this post, I recount an evening out in Itaewon with my good friend Dennis McPeters. Dennis retired and moved to Cambodia, and I visited him there a couple of times. And now he has disappeared. He didn’t do social media, so we stayed in touch via email, but he hasn’t responded for a couple of years now. I fear he has died (he is several years older than me) and wasn’t in the best of health the last time I saw him. My Google search for any news or an obituary was fruitless. Dennis is one of several good friends who no longer respond to my attempts to contact them. One of the sad realities that comes with ageing, I suppose.

From Facebook memories, eight years ago, I was still enjoying my first and only visit to Boracay Island here in the Philippines.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never seen before who tries to make the case that expats in the Philippines are losers. He convinced me that he is an expert loser, but his premise about the rest of us is as ignorant as he is. Yeah, it is far from perfect here, but most of us love it anyway.

And now for what passes as humor around here:

Another day, another post. Still glad to be here.

Today’s song was featured in a dream I had over eleven years ago. I even blogged about it.

That’s weird. My captions used to be centered under the image; now, all of a sudden, they are indented. Since I don’t know how to change it back, I’ll let the experts figure it out.

Otherwise, things were pretty much the same as they always are around here on a Sunday. Starting with the Decay Dance (aka Candy Walk). That name took on added meaning when one of the kids complained about having a toothache. He took the offered candy anyway.

Next on the agenda was the Hideaway feeding.

And then it was my turn to eat.

I’m sure you can guess what Swan had to eat:

We did our usual after-dinner drinks at Red Bar. Our regular waitress was being treated to lady drinks by another customer, so I was able to save some coin.

We did our nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks and enjoyed the usual chill-vibe ambiance and good music on the excellent sound system. Swan and the manager seemed to enjoy chatting in some foreign language while I shared cookies and lollipops with the waitresses.

And that’s how we closed out another day in the life.

Back to the April 2014 LTG archives, and I came upon a post I wrote about a dream I had the night before. These days, I forget my dreams before I awaken, but I remembered this dream enough back then to follow the instructions I was given in my sleep to post seven pictures from Los Angeles. Okay, I still don’t know why, but it is the city where I was born, and it was nice to revisit the memories I have about some good times in the City of Angels. Of course, like most Democrat-run cities in America, it is a shithole now.

Speaking of shitholes, Manila is my least-favorite place in the Philippines. In today’s YouTube video, you can cringe watching how the poor people in that city have taken up living in the cemetery. I do admire the resilience of the Filipino people, making the best of what they have.

Let’s end on a more pleasant note:

And once again, I’ll be partaking in the Hash Monday event. A first-time Hare this week, Fast And Loose. I’m not sure what to expect, but she is a fit-as-a-fiddle marathoner, so I’m guessing that if I want an easy trail, I’ll have to find one on my own. We’ll see how it goes.

An iffy day trip to Nangoloan Falls turned out well. Except for a couple of brief rain showers, the weather was fine. The cloudy skies were a benefit in shielding us from the direct sunlight. The only real downside from Friday’s storm was the residual flooding we had to deal with in reaching our destination. But we didn’t let wet feet ruin our good time. Here’s a shitload of photos from our adventure.

So, we arrived around 9:30 and packed up to go at 4:00. Not bad for an old fucker drinking San Miguel Light (no Zero available). We loaded into the carabao carts for the ride back to the parking area.

But the fun wasn’t over yet. I contemplated being home at six, falling asleep, then waking up at 2 a.m. Fuck that. I had my driver stop by the house to drop off our gear, then we continued on to It Doesn’t Matter for a nightcap. The riders in the van were on board with that idea.

As days around these parts go, this was a good one.

On to April 2014 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I tell the tale of an adventurous day in Seoul, some good and some bad.

Today’s YouTube video features the Filipina Pea dispensing her wisdom about the perils of attaching yourself to the wrong woman. Been there, done that. Repeatedly. It took a while, but it seems I finally got lucky.

And now let’s get down to the funny business.

And now it is time to get on with my Sunday routines. You know the drill: Hideaway feeding, dinner at John’s place, and a mini-barhop afterward. Yeah, I know, I’m a lucky bastard.

Yesterday was a mix of old and new. Another typhoon blew through, but that didn’t stop the Friday group hikers from hitting the road. It did keep me from hitting the bars, but a surprise invite to the neighbor’s house for dinner turned out to be a unique event for me. Jeff’s friend, Frank, is from France, and he prepared last night’s meal. The man is quite the foodie, and I couldn’t help but think of my pal Kevin Kim, who also prepares dining delicacies from scratch and coincidentally speaks French. Suffice to say, it was a great evening hanging out in the ‘hood, drinking beer (and some Fireball shots), and enjoying food items I rarely eat these days.

And last night’s attendees will reconvene later this morning in San Felipe at Nangolon Falls. The good news is the storm seems to have passed, and while the skies are still cloudy, the rain has stopped. Here’s hoping that continues through the day. Oh yeah, last night the group I’m bringing all canceled. This morning, they’ve changed their minds again and are going to join in the fun. Hooray!

For yesterday’s rainy hike, we opted to take the flat and mostly paved Philseco loop. Here are some photos from that adventure:

That was my Friday, and it was a good one.

Still climbing through the March 2014 LTG archives, and this post documents another mountain trek in Seoul, this time Bukhansan, one of my favorites. Oh, how I miss those days.

Today’s YouTube video shows yesterday’s storm in full fury. Wasn’t quite as bad in my neck of the woods wind-wise, but we got enough rain to flood the highways. Hopefully, we won’t have any issues accessing the falls in San Felipe today.

Humor time:

And now to finish preparing for today’s adventure at the Nangoloan Falls. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

A nice change of pace yesterday. Neighbors Jeff and Davina invited us to join them on a scouting expedition to Nangoloan Falls in San Felipe. By scouting, I mean that a large group of us is planning an adventure there on Saturday, and we wanted to check out what might be in store for us since none of us had ever been there before. It took just about an hour to get there from our house, and I enjoyed seeing some new countryside. Upon arrival, we parked and then rode on a carabao-pulled cart the one kilometer or so to the falls. I’d never ridden behind a carabao before, so even at seventy years of age, I had a first-in-a-lifetime experience. That’s a rare thing indeed!

I opted to walk back to the parking area to get some steps in and check out the scenery.

So hopefully, things will go as planned tomorrow. There is one potential wrinkle on the horizon.

In the evening, I took Swan out for dinner at Jewel Cafe.

We spent some after-dinner time at It Doesn’t Matter, then did a nightcap at Nipsey’s. And that’s how I rolled through an out-of-the-ordinary day. Hopefully, tomorrow’s adventure turns out to be a good one.

Still marching through the 2014 LTG archives. This post reminded me again of what I loved and miss about living in Seoul. The wife and I wanted to hike, and literally right outside our building was a mountain climb through a parklike setting amidst the urban sprawl of the city. What a life I had and lost.

It’s a dog’s life in today’s YouTube video. You won’t be barking up the wrong tree if you heed these words of wisdom.

But wait, there’s more:

I’ll try to do better tomorrow. I sure as hell hope this rain stops. How bad is it? Well, I’m not going into town tonight, bad. Of course, getting invited to Jeff and Davina’s made that decision easier.

I have no complaints about my yesterday other than I have nothing of significance to blog about. So, the good news is that today’s post about yesterday will be short and almost painless. Let’s get it done!

For our Wednesday evening outing, we hit the beach at Baloy. Kokomo’s was closed, so we went to Treasure Island instead. And there we ran into Kokomo’s owner, Steve, and our neighbors, Jeff and Davina.

When the rest of the group departed, Swan and I paid a visit to Green Room. Enjoyed watching some pool games and ordered some food from Sit-n-Bull before heading home.

And that was that for my Wednesday.

One of my commenters saw fit to create images that show a side of me that does not exist.

From the March 2014 LTG archives, my first post since returning to Korea and being forced to stay in the USA for thirteen months while Jee Yeun waited for her Green Card to be approved. Damn, I had it good back then.

Today’s YouTube video features a blogger talking about how turning seventy made him feel old for the first time in his life. I can relate. I’m still adjusting to the transition, but my overall attitude so far has been “fuck it, I’m going to die anyway.”

Let’s end this on a high note:

Okay then, we’ll try this again tomorrow. It’s bound to get better.

Let’s get the down and dirty over and done with. It’s Tuesday we are talking about, so there ain’t a whole lot to say about it anyway. The grocery shopping excursion went without incident. Got back home and did the usual neighborhood walk (4.5K).

Swan spent the afternoon with one of her girlfriends, so at beer o’clock I made a solo journey into town.

I plopped down at Sloppy Joe’s and enjoyed my first beer of the day. A couple of other acquaintances stopped by, and we exchanged some brief chitchat. Swan joined me there about an hour later, and we shared some chicken wings as we sat and watched the world pass by. When it was time for a change of scenery, we paid a visit to the Alaska Club. Owner Jerry is back in the USA for a while, and the bar was devoid of customers. When Jerry’s around, there are pool tournaments that bring in the regulars. We didn’t stay long ourselves. I suggested Green Room for the nightcap, but when I poked my head in the door, I saw the place was packed. Turns out there was an end-of-season pool tourney taking place. So, we walked on down the road to Cloud 69.

Our regular waitress, Sheryl, was absent once again. So, we were served by a waitress I had noticed before, but never interacted with, named Barbie. After a bit, Swan asked me to buy a lady drink for Barbie. Sure, why not?

If you look closely, you might notice that Barbie looks more like Ken wearing Barbie’s clothes. Yes, Barbie is a bakla. Not my thing, but no reason to be rude about it. Barbie and Swan seemed to get along well. And commenter Aaron knows where to find her now.

Reminds me of the story about a guy named Tom who was dating a bakla. We all knew the truth, but Tom thought otherwise. I asked him, “Why do you think she’s a real girl?” Tom said, “I don’t know, John. I can just feel it inside of me.” Bada bing!

So, we ended our evening with the girl with something extra and headed home.

It’s still February 2014 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I recount how my brief time on the high school cross country team came to an end. It’s a little sad looking back on it now, considering the lifetime of other experiences. And I do wonder if my coach hadn’t been an asshole or if I wasn’t so stubborn, how different my life might have gone. Leaving high school athletics behind opened the door to me becoming a pothead. Many other bad decisions flowed from that one.

Facebook memories included this post from twelve years ago:

There was a big earthquake in Cebu yesterday. That’s too far from here to have had any impact. Reekay is somewhat closer in Bohol, and in today’s YouTube video, he shares some thoughts on the experience.

And you knew these were coming:

October has arrived, and with it the expiration of my current lease on this house. No worries, I’m signing a new one today. Paying the rent a year in advance takes a bite out of my savings, but I’m still above water. For now.