More or less. Yesterday’s brownout ran a bit longer than scheduled, with power being restored at 6:20 rather than the promised 6 p.m. Early this morning, while I was doing my usual internet browsing, the lights went out again. In typical unscheduled brownout fashion, things were back up and running within thirty minutes or so. Until the next one.

There is an all-day scheduled brownout in Barretto today (I’m on the Subic grid, so it doesn’t impact me), and in a show of sympathy and brotherhood to my comrades in the Barrio, I’m hosting a rooftop party this afternoon featuring cold beer and a variety of food offerings.

So, I filled the brownout hours by taking care of some business and then heading out of town to Pundaquit in San Antonio. The business part was picking up my blood work results, then hitting Royal for more beer, some snacks, and another table for the rooftop.

After dropping off my purchases at home, I had my driver take us to Baloy Beach to meet up with Gem and her five companions. I had assumed it was all females in her group, but it turns out three of them were guys. Younger guys, so I hesitate to call them couples. Anyway, my driver said we could squeeze all six in his vehicle, but Gem and her friends opted to take their own vehicle and follow us. Sounded good to me.

I’m not sure who was driving Gem’s car, but I was impressed with his ability to keep up with my crazy driver, Danny. Danny seemed to be as well, saying he must be from Manila (where crazy driving is mandatory). My first stop in Pundaquit (a 45-minute drive) was the Car Wash bar and restaurant, my favorite venue there. It was lunchtime, and I was hungry and, of course, thirsty.

Gem has been living in Israel and said it had been scary times since the latest outbreak of war, with her city being subject to frequent rocket attacks. I can’t imagine that nightmare. I dropped some hints about the purpose of her visit, but she didn’t have much of anything to say in that regard. The money issue didn’t come up directly, but she did pay for our lunch, so there’s that.

I asked Gem what they wanted to do after lunch, and she said her friends wanted to go swimming. I assumed that meant on the nice ocean beach in Pundaquit, but no, they wanted to return to their hotel and swim in Subic Bay. Well, I still had hours of brownout ahead of me, and Gem assured me they could find their way back without us, so we said our goodbyes. Her crew is supposed to join the rooftop party this afternoon. We shall see.

Swan’s sister and her family had also escaped the brownout by visiting Pundaquit, so we stopped in at Monty’s Resort to pay them a visit.

Being home with no power sucks. Without fans, it is uncomfortably hot. I tried to nap a bit on the couch where I could catch a breeze through the window, but I didn’t achieve forty winks. So, I headed up to the roof to wait things out.

I finished my beer, went downstairs, turned on the fan and the TV, and enjoyed a few more episodes of “Shameless.” I had a good night’s sleep, then up this morning to start the party prep.

And yes, I’ve got them on ice now. When it comes to beer, I’m not worried about leftovers. I spend a lot more time at home these days!

Tomorrow I’ll tell you how it went.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is the difference between a restroom and a bathroom? What do they call it in other English speaking countries, if anything at all?

A: In the Philippines, they are called a CR—comfort room.

And for your amusement:

And for my French speaking friend:

Alright, I got to get ready to party!