I’m not going to waste a lot of time on yesterday because it wasn’t special enough to warrant the effort. Every day at my age is a gift, so I’m not complaining. Let’s get this post done with so I can get back to the present.

Grocery shopping went without a hitch. I even remembered to unlock my credit card, Woohoo! Stopped by Dr. Jo’s for my weekly Ozempic injection. Everything seems to be going according to plan so far. At the appointed hour, we headed into town and kicked things off at Mango’s for dinner.

Dinner was fine, but a fly drowned in Swan’s half-finished wine, so we didn’t stay as long as normal. I needed to replenish my wallet, but it took three tries to find an ATM that would dispense the desired cash. So, that foiled my plans to stay on the less-visited side of town, and we wound up at Sloppy Joe’s instead. And that’s where we stayed until it was time to head home. Yep, a nothin’ kind of day, but it will serve to make the rest of them better by comparison.

I was reminded today of that time in my life when I was bearded.

Back to the October 2019 LTG archives. My purpose in going through my old posts, besides reminding me of things I’d otherwise have forgotten, is to tag those I deem appropriate for use in the story of my life. Yes, one of my bucket list items is to put together an autobiographical book so when I die, I won’t be totally forgotten. Maybe some close friends and family members will want to know about that crazy guy who disappeared in Asia all those years ago. Maybe not, but I won’t care. When I die, the blog dies, and with it, twenty-plus years of writing about my life. Hmm, I guess this is a classic vanity project. Anyway, most of the crap I post isn’t worthy of being salvaged. But some of them have meaning for me, even in a small way. Today’s entry is just the typical post about another hiking day, but it mentions a gal named Ilene, whom I was longing for. We eventually did get together briefly, but, of course, I managed to fuck it up. Or maybe it was destiny intervening, so I’d still be around when Swan became available. That’s life.

For today’s YouTube video, I came across yet another vlogger who does AI time travel. That makes three (so far). This one, Daina, is pretty good and also very easy on the eyes. I like the concept of going back in time and hope someday to be granted a do-over myself. Anyway, enjoy Daina as she finds herself aboard the ill-fated Titanic.

(just now looking in the comments left on the above video, pointing out various inaccuracies in her depictions. I noticed a couple, but I still think it was worth the watch.)

On to the humor we must go:

See, we got through today’s daily dose almost pain-free, didn’t we? More to come tomorrow.

Okay, nothing significant to report about the goings on around here, so you’ll be blessed with a short and sweet post today.

It being Saturday morning and all, we headed out for our weekly Decay Dance.

Best of all, there was no rain falling on our parade.

Later in the day, Swan went to see a friend in the hospital, and I waited for her at It Doesn’t Matter. When Swan arrived about an hour later, she wasn’t feeling well. She couldn’t even finish her glass of wine and wanted to go home. I, of course, being the gentleman that I pretend to be, told her I’d go with her. I asked if she minded stopping at Sit-n-Bull so I could get some takeout for dinner. Bless her heart, Swan suggested we go to Wet Spot and order from there. So, that’s what we did. I had a couple of beers, the food was delivered, and then we triked it on home.

I told you it wasn’t much of a day, but I’m still happy for the opportunity to have lived it.

It’s September 2019 in the LTG archives, and I’ve paid my first visit to Vietnam. Specifically, that city formerly known as Saigon. Having managed to avoid making that journey as a young soldier (the draft ended the year I became eligible), it was an eye-opener when I voluntarily went fifty years later. I was impressed enough to make Vietnam my “Plan B” choice should I ever feel the need to abandon the Philippines. Although I much prefer the Da Nang area to Saigon. Here are my first impressions. Then I did a day tour that featured a guide bragging about how the Viet Cong killed Americans. I bit my tongue a lot that day. I also posted about my food experiences at the behest of legendary foodie, Kevin Kim. And finally, a wrap-up pictorial post featuring scenes from around the city. All in all, it was one of my better travel experiences.

For today’s YouTube video, I couldn’t resist taking another journey with that time-travelling vlogger, Emma. This time, she visited Pompeii the day before the volcano erupted. Another nice job that held my interest, something that is increasingly difficult to do these days. See for yourself.

And I’ll finish things off with these:

As an added bonus, here’s an explanation of what I mean:

And so it went.

Another rainy day is in the books. There’s no stopping the weather, so you either let it stop you or you get out there and make the best of it. The latter option is much more fun!

Scott joined Swan and me for the Friday group hike. We brought our umbrellas along and put them to good use as we traversed a 6K walk on the streets of Santa Monica and Matain.

Unlike the previous couple of days, the rain didn’t stop when it was time to head into town. That didn’t stop us either. With umbrellas in hand, we ventured out to Baloy Road and popped into Harley’s.

After the usual enjoyment of the Harley’s experience, we hoofed it over to Barretto proper and paid a visit to Gold Bar.

A couple of beers (and a glass of wine) later, we did our nightcap at Queen Victoria bar.

Besides having someone to talk to, an added benefit of Mike’s presence was being chauffeured home in his comfortable automobile. A nice finish to our day.

Nearing the end of August 2019 in the LTG archives, and I came across another post chronicling the chapters of my working life. In this episode, I tell the story of my first promotion into management as a Safety Specialist. It was the first step in a long climb up the ladder.

I inadvertently discovered today’s YouTube video as I scrolled through the usual sites I visit. How could I resist a story about time travel? Yeah, it’s all made up in an AI rendering, but damn, it was an enjoyable watch anyway. I’ve even subscribed to her channel. Have a look and see what you think.

A funny thing happened as I finished this post:

Had enough? So have I. Let’s try again tomorrow.

“Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom. Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything, but the alpha and omega. An end in itself.” 
― Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

Some days just don’t amount to much, even by my low standards. Throw in some inclement weather, and you have a good excuse for being lazy. Swan had some errands to attend to in Olongapo, so she couldn’t join me for a Thursday walk. I could have done a boring solo street walk again, but instead, I said “fuck it” and did nothing. So yeah, that’s how I didn’t roll.

The Lord, being a loving God, paused the rain at beer o’clock, facilitating an umbrella-free walk into town.

Then we moved on to Cheap Charlies for a change of scenery and some dinner from Foodies.

The rain forced us to move from our street-view perch to a stool at the bar. I haven’t sat there since the last time the skies opened up their wrath.

And then we headed back downstairs and hailed a trike to take us home in the pouring rain. And that’s all there was to the day.

Facebook memories are the closest thing I’ve found to time travel:

From the August 2019 LTG archives, it is my 64th birthday, and there’s no one who needs me and no one to feed me. But I was healthy and active and still making the best of my time here on Earth. And of course, there was a Swan to come in my future.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger who is lovin’ life in the Philippines with only his monthly Social Security for income. Apparently, he moved from San Diego, where he lived in a van. He made a good point in comparing those who live in poverty here to the poverty he witnessed back home. I live large on my government pension, but I noticed the video showed a walking view of Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol, which made it worth watching for me.

The jokes are falling like the rain:

There’s an old priest who got sick of all the people in his parish who kept confessing to adultery. One Sunday, in the pulpit, he said, “If I hear one more person confess to adultery, I’ll quit!”

Well, everyone liked him, so they came up with a code word. Someone who had committed adultery would say they had “fallen.”

This seemed to satisfy the old priest and things went well, until the priest died at a ripe old age. About a week after the new priest arrived, he visited the mayor of the town and seemed very concerned.

The priest said, “You have to do something about the sidewalks in town. When people come into the confessional, they keep talking about having fallen.”

The mayor started to laugh, realizing that no one had told the new priest about the code word.

Before the mayor could explain, the priest shook an accusing finger at the mayor and said, “I don’t know what you’re laughing about; your wife fell three times this week.”

FAFO.

Yep, still raining, but it didn’t stop me today. I’m just gonna keep on keepin’ on and be glad for it. Better wet than dead!

It’s been a day without power thus far, and the battery on my laptop is about ready to say fuck this shit. So, let’s see if I can make it to the end of this post before it dies.

Once again, nobody was up for a Wednesday Walkers outing. Not surprising, really, given the weather forecast for more rain. But almost miraculously, there was a break in the storm about leaving time, so Swan and I took advantage of the opportunity to get out and do some scouting. Yep, Swan and a couple of her Hash Gash buddies are the Hares for next week’s trail. They have a general idea of what they want to do, so Swan and I gave that route a try.

I kept my phone in my pocket for most of the walk. Nothing really to see that hasn’t been seen before, and honestly, unless it is raining on Monday, the trail we walked will be a tad too boring, even for the cripples. I offered a couple of suggestions to spice it up some, so we’ll see what the gals decide.

Anyway, our On-Home next week is at Kim’s Place on Baloy Beach. The plan is to go through Matain and then cross the river to Baloy via a banca boat. If yesterday was any indication, that might pose a problem.

And then it started raining again, so we grabbed a trike for home.

Then, as further proof that God loves beer too, it stopped raining again when it was time to head into town.

Then Swan asked if she could get her birria fix. Welp, Myleen’s is practically right next door, so why not?

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, then headed home via trike in light rain. At least there was no flooding last night.

From the August 2019 LTG archives is a post mostly about my hiking day entitled “Ranger danger.” What I found interesting is that only seven years ago, I was bushwhacking my way up into the hills all by my lonesome in search of new paths. Shit, I don’t have the balls to even think about doing that these days. Well, like I’ve said, turning 70 was a milestone, and I’m no longer the man I once was.

I’m in a race against a dying battery, so no time to search for something more interesting for the daily YouTube video. I hope a look around Subic and Olongapo will suffice for those who have some curiosity about what things are like around these parts.

Let’s get the humor out of the way:

WooHoo! I made it!

I sure as hell hope power is restored before it is time to head into town for tonight’s adventure. We shall see.

Tuesdays are my most blah day of the week. A rainy Tuesday only makes it worse. But still, there are always ways to add a little spice and make it seem a little different than normal.

When there is nothing of interest to say about the grocery shopping experience, that’s a good thing. But it is easy for an old man with diminishing brain capacity to fuck that up. At least I remembered to bring my credit card with me this week. But when it came time to pay my 8900 peso bill at the YBC supermarket, my card was rejected. Twice. Luckily, I had enough cash in my wallet to avoid additional embarrassment. Back in the car, I tried to open my credit union app on the phone, but couldn’t get a connection. Oops, my data network was turned off. Then I opened the app, checked my credit card, and sure enough, I had neglected to unlock it (I keep it locked after having been scammed recently). I unlocked the card, and it worked just fine at Royal. I create problems, and then I solve them. Good stuff, eh?

Next up was my weekly visit to Dr. Jo for an Ozempic injection. I only lost one pound last week, but at least I’m moving in the right direction.

Like a miracle, the rain stopped just before beer o’clock, and we hoofed it into town without the need for umbrellas. Kicked off our evening at Sloppy Joe’s.

Two of my favorites at Alaska Club (right next door to Sloppy’s) walked past on their way to work and couldn’t be bothered to respond to my greeting. Not even a nod or a smile. Even Swan found their behavior rude. Oh, well. It’s good when people show you who they are. I scratched off my plan to make Alaska our next stop.

And then the rain started coming down in buckets. And didn’t stop. We extended our stay at Sloppy Joe’s, waiting for the break in the storm that never came. Now what? Well, we had umbrellas, but I knew the highway would be flooded, so walking would be wading. Then I remembered the bar upstairs from us, Tryst, had recently reopened. We decided to give it a try.

We were the only customers, which I suppose isn’t unusual since we are early birds (it was only 7 pm) and it was pouring rain. Four gals were working, and they seemed genuinely happy to see us. Only two dancers, but damn, they put some effort into it. That’s something you rarely see in the bars these days.

I bought them all a lady drink and handed out cookies and lollipops. They were happy and thanked us profusely. I hope Tryst makes it, but I have my doubts. More bars than customers in Barretto these days, but you never know.

When it was time to head home, there were no trikes at the trike stand, so we had to wait. Finally, one pulled up to drop someone off, and we were able to catch a ride. As I predicted, the highway was indeed flooded:

Well, at least I won’t be complaining about the heat for a while.

From the August 2019 LTG archives is another chapter in the “one lifetime, many lives” series. This one was about my life as a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service. It was good while it lasted and led to bigger things.

Today’s YouTube video lists 10 countries where expats don’t live in fear of crime. Spoiler alert: The Philippines isn’t among them. That said, I feel perfectly safe walking in my little town of Barretto. I wouldn’t feel that way in Manila.

You are never safe from my jokes:

A husband and wife had four boys. The odd part of it was that the older three had red hair, light skin, and were tall, while the youngest son had black hair, dark eyes, and was short.

The father eventually took ill and was lying on his deathbed when he turned to his wife and said, “Honey, before I die, be totally honest with me – is our youngest son my child?”

The wife replied, “I swear on everything that’s holy that he is your son.”

With that, the husband passed away. The wife then muttered, “Thank God he didn’t ask about the other three.”

Will the next one be his?

Anyway, that’s the best I can do for today. I may be walking in the rain this evening, but hopefully I’ll be able to get to a bar while my feet are dry. That beer ain’t gonna drink itself, you know.

My original plan was to walk to the start of the Hash trail by taking the path I call My Bitch and then coming down “the tires” behind Columban College. Except it never stopped raining, and I knew that steep descent, which is tough when it is dry, would be treacherous when wet. So, discretion being the better part of valor and all, I opted to do my own street trail.

Turns out, we only had 16 Hashers show up yesterday, the smallest turnout since I’ve been Hashing in Subic. And only one person actually did the trail from beginning to end. Sorry for the wasted effort, Leech.

So, that was the first rainy day Hash of the season. More to come in the months ahead, that’s for sure.

The usual after-Hash hangout at It Doesn’t Matter, only smaller. Then we called it a day and headed back home, glad to be alive.

From the July 2019 LTG archives is this post showing the darker side of my nightlife in Barretto. Now, I’ve never been a hardcore whore monger like many of my fellow expats, but there was a time when I’d occasionally partake in what the bargirls offered. I’m glad that those days are behind me now and that I’ve found a good woman to see me through this final chapter of my life.

Today’s YouTube video takes me back to the first time I experienced being in the 70s. I was one of the biggest potheads around back then, but I got stoned and still didn’t miss it. In fact, I’d say the weed enhanced the experience. I’ve mellowed into being a beer-drinking fool in this iteration of my 70s. Oh, shit, it’s age-restricted. Just click the link to watch.

Can I blame my twisted sense of humor on all that grass I smoked?

Three men were standing in line to get into heaven one day. Apparently it had been a pretty busy day, though, so St. Peter had to tell the first one, “Heaven’s getting pretty close to full today, and I’ve been asked to admit only people who have had particularly horrible deaths. So what’s your story?”

The first man replies: “Well, for a while I’ve suspected my wife has been cheating on me, so today I came home early to try to catch her red-handed. As I came into my 25th floor apartment, I could tell something was wrong, but all my searching around didn’t reveal where this other guy could have been hiding. Finally, I went out to the balcony, and sure enough, there was this man hanging off the railing, 25 floors above ground! By now I was really mad, so I started beating on him and kicking him, but wouldn’t you know it, he wouldn’t fall off. So finally I went back into my apartment and got a hammer and starting hammering on his fingers. Of course, he couldn’t stand that for long, so he let go and fell-but even after 25 stories, he fell into the bushes, stunned but okay. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I ran into the kitchen, grabbed the fridge, and threw it over the edge where it landed on him, killing him instantly. But all the stress and anger got to me, and I had a heart attack and died there on the balcony.”

“That sounds like a pretty bad day to me,” said Peter, and let the man in.

The second man comes up and Peter explains to him about heaven being full, and again asks for his story.

“It’s been a very strange day. You see, I live on the 26th floor of my apartment building, and every morning I do my exercises out on my balcony. Well, this morning I must have slipped or something, because I fell over the edge. But I got lucky, and caught the railing of the balcony on the floor below me. I knew I couldn’t hang on for very long, when suddenly this man burst out onto the balcony. I thought for sure I was saved, when he started beating on me and kicking me. I held on the best I could until he ran into the apartment and grabbed a hammer and started pounding on my hands. Finally I just let go, but again I got lucky and fell into the bushes below, stunned but all right. Just when I was thinking I was going to be okay, this refrigerator comes falling out of the sky and crushes me instantly, and now I’m here.”

Once again, Peter had to concede that that sounded like a pretty horrible death.

The third man came to the front of the line, and again the whole process was repeated. Peter explained that heaven was full and asked for his story.

“Picture this,” says the third man, “I’m hiding naked inside a refrigerator…”

I guess he didn’t see that one coming.

The skies are clear this afternoon, so there’s that. We’ll see what happens next.

I have no complaints about where my road of life has taken me. But getting here certainly wasn’t what I expected. It’s been a rough and sometimes painful ride, but I don’t regret making the journey. Yeah, I could have done things differently, but who knows where that might have led me. So, I guess when I think about do-overs, I should keep in mind about being careful what you wish for.

Thinking back just now about some of those divergent paths Frost mentions, three important events come to mind. The first being the decision not to give my firstborn daughter up for adoption. Of course, I knew that would be a life changer, and it was, in a positive way. Then there was the night I was destined to meet the love of my life, KaraLynne Pope. A seemingly insignificant decision led to a life I would never have envisioned. Of course, the love ended in tragedy for me (don’t they all?), but everything I was to become flowed from that event. And of course, there was the decision I made to leave my American life behind and move to Korea. Nothing has ever been the same after that.

I have fewer roads to choose from here in the final chapter of my life, but I have been blessed with all the experiences that came with the paths I chose to travel. *sigh*

Meanwhile, back here in the present, let me share the events that filled my hours yesterday.

Then it was time for our Sunday Sweets Stroll. And yes, I decided to do the photo every 1000 steps thing again. I figured I should document the route because I’m planning to change things up going forward.

For our Sunday evening fun, we kicked things off at the Outback Resort poolside bar. I’d never seen the place so packed. The pool was full of kids being loud and happy, which is good for them but not so enjoyable for us. So, I suggested we take our drinks and sit at the Outback open-air restaurant, where we shared some fish and chips. After we ate, we moved inside the Outback Billabong bar to enjoy some aircon. When Swan finally finished her glass of wine (same glass in all three stops), we headed up the highway and, after some back-and-forth discussion, decided to finish things off at Wet Spot. The big news is that the bar next door that used to be Green Room will be reopening in a matter of days.

Anyway, we made it home safe and sound, and I awoke to another day.

Facebook memories carried me back ten years to my working life.

Moving on to the July 2019 LTG archives, I write about a new charity project–a single mother with five kids and no sponsor. I figured helping her directly was more beneficial than giving money to an orphanage that may have had legitimacy issues. Yeah, I was still pretty naive about things at this stage of my residency. The teenage daughter I considered sponsoring for college wound up pregnant before finishing high school. I don’t recall why or when I ended support for this family, but I’ve found others to help since then that are more worthy. My current projects include a college student (yes, a girl I briefly dated), a cancer patient, and a widowed mother. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps.

Today’s YouTube video is a nighttime stroll down Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol. Been there, done that, wanna go back again. The video does a good job capturing the magic of the place. Even got a glimpse of my favorite hangout, Escape Bar. Maybe I’ll live there in a do-over life.

Here we go again:

Here it is, another Hash Monday, and right on schedule, rainy season has arrived. Thunderstorms through the night, and it’s been raining all morning. It doesn’t bode well for a tough Leech My Nuggets trail. I’m just gonna play it by ear and see what happens.

You already knew this, but it bears repeating: