Sorry for the lack of a post yesterday. The fact of the matter is that I was in the hospital, although that’s no excuse. Things went south for me on Friday night, and I was in a dark place all day Saturday. Truth be told, I still am hurting from the PTSD, but I’m making progress at accepting the reality of how things are. I’ll leave it at that for now.

For those who like condiments, let’s ketchup:

After the walk, I practiced darts at home using an app on my phone called “DARTCOUNTER”. It helps track your performance and even has a bot you can play against. I played the bot at level 5 out of 10 in cricket, and it kicked my ass and pointed like a motherfucker. If someone threw unneeded points like that in a real game, I’d call them out for being an asshole. Oh, well. It beats just throwing randomly for practice.

At the appointed time, we headed to Alley Cats to play in the Friday night tournament there. I was happy that it was a singles tourney because I’m not comfortable dragging a partner down to my level.

So, I lost my first match in the winner’s bracket, then won once in the loser’s bracket before I was eliminated. For me, it’s not about winning or losing, it’s how you play the game. And I sucked. Oh well, I ain’t giving up yet.

So, I’d had a few beers and no food, and I was hungry. As we made our way up the highway, something triggered the tampo that is still going on. I’m still not sure how it will all play out. Stay tuned.

Which brings us to Saturday. I was an emotional trainwreck all morning, but had an “appointment” for an ultrasound at the local hospital in the afternoon. The way it works is that the doctor is scheduled to be there at 1:30 and sees patients on a “first-come, first-served” basis. I arrived at 1 pm and was number seven in line. Hurry up and wait.

Anyway, it took only an hour for my turn to come, and I paid 2300 pesos for a “full abdomen” ultrasound. Given the size of my belly, that’s a bargain! I’ll share the results with Dr. Jo, but aside from a small cyst on the left kidney, everything appears normal.

Six hours of fasting were required before the ultrasound, and I left the hospital hungry. As I walked up the highway in a light rain, the first restaurant I came to was the seldom-visited Coffee Shop. I climbed the stairs and grabbed a table on the open-air patio.

Since I was right across the street from the Arizona Resort, I headed for the floating bar.

Some other customers came and went during my visit to the floater, including a “two-week millionaire” who bought all the gals a drink. Good for you!

When I’d had my fill of beer on the bay, I headed ashore and hiked up the highway to Cheap Charlies.

As is my custom, I bought some food for the girls in lieu of the overpriced lady drinks at Cheap Charlies. And while I was at it, I ordered a Philly cheesesteak for myself.

There’s a big VFW event in town this weekend, the annual Beach Bash, and quite a few of the folks from out of town popped into Cheap Charlies.

Early to start, early to finish. I bought some take-out birria tacos from Mylene’s and brought them home for Swan. But she was still at a friend’s birthday party at Treasure Island. Put the tacos in the fridge, made me a smoothie, then went to bed before eight o’clock. Yeah, that’s me these days.

From the LTG April 2017 archives, a post about my exploration of the Pyeongtaek bar scene before my move there. I wound up spending a year down there, but it never had that Itaewon vibe I had come to know and love. Of course, looking back now, it was because I was living in the past and dreaming of the future instead of just enjoying the moment for what it was worth.

Today’s YouTube video explores the concepts from the book “Who Moved My Cheese?” When I first read the book way back when, I was really impressed by the ideas expressed. I recall that on my last day at work before I retired the first time, I used the story in my farewell remarks to my staff. And I also had those quotes framed and hung on the wall, where they remain to this day.

Shit, the video can’t be embedded. Here’s the link.

Let’s try some humor, shall we?

So, today is the last day of the Beach Bash I mentioned, and I’ll be attending the beauty pageant this evening at the Outback Resort. I might even take some photos if I manage to get a good seat. We shall see tomorrow.

UPDATE: The tampo is over! Hooray!

No complaints about my Thirstday, but not much occurred that warrants inclusion in a blog post. Well, that’s never stopped me before, but at least this one will be short.

We hadn’t seen the homeless umbrella lady I call “Mama” for over a week, and I was actually worried about her well-being. We did a boring Barretto street walk that included walking the length of the National Highway through town, and we didn’t see her at any of the usual spots where she hangs out. Then we turned down one of the side roads, and lo and behold, there Mama was at a sari-sari store having a soda. It was a relief to know she is still okay. I’ve been tossing her some pesos whenever I see her since I was a tourist here. Someday one of us will be gone forever, and the other will never know what happened. Such is life.

After we got home, Swan showered and headed out to spend some time celebrating a friend’s birthday. I took care of my blogging chore, then got in a little darts practice (I’m still way too inconsistent to be competitive). Then it was time to get ready to head into town on my own.

I parked myself at Sloppy Joe’s and ordered my first beer of the day. San Miguel Zero is no longer available, so I’m back on the Light. Oh, well. I’ll adjust. I messaged Swan to see if she would be joining, and she told me not for another hour. She suggested I eat something because she had already had dinner with her friends.

When Swan arrived, she was on the back of a motor scooter with her niece Jane and Jane’s husband Mike (Jane is also my new housekeeper). We invited them to join us next door at The Green Room for drinks. After a round, Jane and Mike departed for home, and Swan and I went next door to Wet Spot for our nightcap. As is my custom, I bought lady drinks for Irene and Beth. A bit later, a “two-week millionaire” arrived and bought all the girls a drink. Irene and Beth asked to be excused so they could partake, and naturally, I agreed. I’m always happy for someone to buy the drinks so I don’t have to. I do appreciate when the gals ask permission instead of just disappearing.

I’d had my fill by then anyway, so we said our goodnights and triked on home. Even a blah day in the life ain’t so bad.

Still seeing lots of funny memes about that “stolen land” idea the left keeps pushing.

It is now April 2017 in the LTG archives. In this post, I’m still wallowing in self-pity, but I’m moving forward in the process of moving on. I began preparations for my move down south to Pyeongtaek and was still planning to re-retire in September. I also spent some time in Busan and at the DMZ. It’s been said that when one door closes, another door opens. That doesn’t mean the new door leads to a better place, but that’s life.

Today’s YouTube video warns against moving to the Philippines for the wrong reasons or in the wrong mindset. Yeah, I was running away from a painful past and looking for a fresh start. It took a while to find my way, but here I am, almost eight years later, and I have no regrets about my decision.

Are these what you’ve been waiting for?

Now it is on with the rest of my Friday. I’m going to chuck some arrows for practice. Later, I’ll hit Alley Cats and see if tonight’s tourney will be singles or doubles. I still don’t feel that confident in my game to avoid disappointing a partner, but we’ll see how I feel when I get there.

Welp, I walked myself through another Wednesday. Here’s some of what I saw along the way:

But the walkin’ wasn’t over, Christopher. At beer o’clock, we hoofed it out to Baloy Beach for some time on the Kokomo’s floating bar.

After our meal, we called it a day. I was tired, and it wasn’t even 7:30 yet.

Sixteen years ago, I was also steppin’ it up:

Alright, indulge me once again as I cross the political divide:

Still in the March 2017 LTG archives, and in this post, I reflect on my life of solitude in Seoul. Of course, that was nothing compared to what I would experience after the move to Pyeongtaek. Even now, my friend circle is shrinking. That’s okay, I’ll just play it out and see where I wind up, friendless or dead.

Today’s YouTube video is from Reekay. I was honestly surprised when I saw him discussing the concept of what I call a “do-over” life. Yeah, let me go back to being an 18-year-old taking everything with me that I’ve learned over these past fifty-two years. I know, be careful what you wish for. Beyond the impossibility of time travel is the reality that the different roads I’d like to explore would mean missing out on all the good things I’ve experienced on this version of life’s journey. It’s only a dream.

What else have I got? How about these:

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

As Tuesdays go, yesterday broke the routine. Or maybe it was the beginning of a new routine. I reckon time will tell.

Did the grocery shopping as usual, but once again paid in cash. Not having a credit card has changed the way I move money around. I used to make two withdrawals of 20,000 pesos each week with my US bank debit card (which charged a 500-peso fee). Now, I move the money to a Philippine account via a wire service (Wise), which costs less and gives me easier (and cheaper) access for ATM withdrawals. I still need the credit card (it’s in the mail) because that’s my health insurance. Private hospitals won’t admit patients if they can’t pay in advance, and public hospitals are where people go to die. My credit card allows me to pay medical expenses should they arise. I have a credit limit of $17,000, and if that’s not enough, I’d probably die anyway.

After returning from the shopping excursion, Swan went out for a tutoring session with a neighbor’s child, and I engaged in some darts practice. My plan was to participate in the Alley Cats tourney after my doctor’s appointment. I wound up spending more time with Dr. Jo than I anticipated, though, and when we arrived at Alley, the place was packed. I’m still not ready to disappoint a partner in a doubles tournament, so I opted out.

Dr. Jo tweaked my daily blood pressure meds a bit and also ordered some tests to check my lungs and bladder. Regarding the bladder, she seemed concerned when I told her how frequently I urinate (every two hours or so when sleeping), and that I’m having some bladder control issues (when I gotta go, I can’t hold it. Even peed my pants once in Vietnam). Anyway, I’ll be back next week when the results are in, and we’ll see where things go from there.

After the doctor’s visit, we hung out in Alley Cats for an hour or so, then crossed the highway for some dinner at Mango’s.

After another satisfying dining experience, we headed out to see what was happening on the side of town we don’t frequently visit. The Hangout bar is now closed, with a “for sale” banner out front. The new Adam’s Bar doesn’t serve wine, so we just kept on walking. Across the highway, Gold Bar beckoned to us, and we heeded the call. I had my darts with me and had a hankering to try out the dartboard there.

We did our nightcap at Queen Victoria, and then we were done with Tuesday.

I try so hard to avoid politics here, but sometimes I can’t resist:

On to March 2017 in the LTG archives, where I recount the confirmation that my lungs were shit, but at least it wasn’t cancer. They are still shit almost nine years later, but the good news is they have not deteriorated to the extent that they might have had I not begun my daily inhaler meds regimen.

Today’s YouTube video is a short telling (four minutes) of what to consider when choosing where in the Philippines to live. It resonated with me because I had just read my posts from February 2017 as I explored Barretto as a potential retirement destination. The vlogger is correct that everyone is different, and knowing what matters to you is key to making the right choice. I wouldn’t be comfortable with a rural provincial life, that’s for sure. Barretto has a small-town vibe, but also a friendly expat community, the Hash, beaches and mountains, and, of course, some nice bars to hang out at. I have to hand it to me, I found my glove. *ahem*

And now for your daily dose of cringe:

I’m planning to visit the Kokomo’s floating bar later today since we missed out on the Baloy experience yesterday. A new Wednesday routine is in the making!

Here we go again, with another episode in the life I’m living now, starting with the Sunday Sweets Stroll:

Then, at the appointed time, we headed out for the rest of our Sunday routine.

And then it was time for Sunday dinner. The new routine is to visit a place we haven’t tried for a while.

I used to visit here more frequently, but the combination of higher prices, reduced quality, and better options keeps me away these days. My San Miguel Light was 140 pesos last night. The average price around town is less than 100 pesos.

Next stop for us was Red Bar. Cliff and Ashley have moved over from It Doesn’t Matter, and from what I’ve seen, they have brought a lot of their regular customers with them. I still enjoy IDM, and it has a kitchen, so I’ll keep both bars in my rotation.

We did our nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks and enjoyed the vibe and music as usual. And then we called it a night and made our way home. I did make a batch of strawberry-banana smoothies for our bedtime treat. Life is good, enjoy it while you can.

Today my younger brother Gregory celebrates his 69th birthday. Keep ’em coming!

Indulge me while I indulge my fetish of mocking the loony left:

From the February 2017 LTG archives, I share my Valentine’s Day reflections. I include a post I made on a Philippine forum back in 2009, where I struggled with the decision to choose the love of a Korean woman (Jee Yeun) or the life I had dreamed of in the PI. I chose love back then, but in my 2017 post, I swore I would never love again. Well, look at me now. Hopefully, I got it right this time. There is also a YouTube video I made with photos from the years I shared with Jee Yeun. I tried to watch it this morning, but it proved to be too painful. I guess some wounds truly never do heal.

For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share something you never see on TV anymore, but I saw all the time growing up: cigarette commercials. Despite my fleeting memory, I still recall several of the jingles (Winston tastes good like a cigarette should). The stupid thing is, I never smoked as a teen (well, cigarettes, I mean) but started puffing tobacco at around 30. Twenty years later, the damage was done, and I still live with it today. I definitely will not smoke in my do-over life.

Ready for some humor?

Here’s an added bonus for my loyal readers. Since I couldn’t get any sunset shots yesterday, let me share what I saw this morning:

You are welcome. Now, it’s time to prepare for the Hash. Already have my shortcut plotted.

What can I say that hasn’t been said before? Not a lot, but I’ve never let that stop me, so let’s get after it!

First up, let’s talk about the comments section here at LTG. Honestly, interacting with my readers is one of my favorite things about blogging. It doesn’t bother me at all if you don’t agree with something I’ve written, so go on and tell me how you truly feel. But please maintain a modicum of decency and respect. Personal attacks and name-calling don’t win the argument. And if you are going to accuse me of being something I am not, like an antisemite or a racist, at least offer an example in support of your argument. Again, almost everyone who bothers to comment does so appropriately. And this morning I discovered something interesting about the exceptions to that rule.

104.28.31.65 is the IP address of one of the worst offenders who goes by the name “Canadian” in the comments. Here are a couple of his greatest hits:

No mention of the newly-released Epstein files? Let’s just ignore more damning evidence. Keep owning us libs, you pedofilia-endorsing cunt.

When is your next Dr Jo appointment? The diagnosis will be severe bigotry but you already know that.

So, as you can see, he has nothing of value to offer in support of whatever argument he’s trying to make, and he’s addressing topics I’ve never raised on the blog. Both of the above comments went into my rarely used trash bin. And then I noticed something else about that IP address: it belongs to several other commenters in addition to Canadian: Boss Hogg, Trapper, GotoHell!!!, Devin and Pious Pete. I’m not sure how IPs work, but I assume all the commenters with that address are the same person. Whatever, I’ll be taking a firmer stance on what I approve in the comments section from now on. So, there’s no point in wasting your time being an asshole.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way, we can move on to the boring stuff. Like our first Decay Dance (candy walk) since last year:

And we were missed! One woman told Swan (in Tagalog) that she had been worried by our absence, thinking I might be ill. Nope, but thanks for your concern!

My buddy Max from the Netherlands is back in town, and he invited us to his place to help celebrate his birthday. Naturally, we accepted.

I’ve never seen anything quite like Max’s dwelling. A small living quarters (the kitchen is outdoors) nestled right up against the hillside. No vehicle access other than by scooter, as it is at the end of a long, narrow pathway. It would be a bitch to haul the groceries up each week, but it’s a cozy and comfortable homestead. Max is a lucky man!

We did a brief nightcap at It Doesn’t Matter, then called it a night and headed home.

From the February 2017 LTG archives, I finally got an appointment at the Army hospital on Yongsan Garrison. While waiting to see the doctor, I had a breathing attack and was taken to the emergency room. After some nebulization, I was breathing okay, so they took some chest X-rays, which resulted in a diagnosis of COPD. And I’ve been living with it ever since.

Today’s YouTube video is an old one I came across somewhere. Still pretty damn funny and only two minutes long.

Hold on to your hats, here’s some more laughs:

And there you have it. Coming up on my agenda: an afternoon nap, the Arizona Floating Bar experience, and choosing a dinner venue. Tell you about it tomorrow.