Of course, we can’t get to Friday night until we’ve exhausted the daylight, so let’s start with how that went down. As you might have guessed, the morning was spent hiking.
We were hoping for a shady walk, and had a 50% success in finding one.
And when it was time to hit the town for some Friday evening excitement, this is how we rolled.
Staying with the theme of places we don’t go to much, we climbed the stairs up to BarCelona for our next stop.
Part of my motivation for the visit was to see my old friend Jenn who is working there again. Except she wasn’t last evening. And I guess the bar ran short of wine because Swan wasn’t happy when she was served a half-full (or was it half-empty?) glass. She was going to send it back and order something else, but I convinced her to keep what she had because we wouldn’t be staying long anyway.
And to give BarCelona its due, shortly before we left, the waitress advised that they had now restocked the wine. Good for them, but we were off to dinner. Next time!
So, we planned to visit Jewel Cafe for our meal, but when we arrived, they had a large group (more than twenty) at one table waiting to be served. I knew that was going to swamp the small kitchen staff, so we decided to eat elsewhere.
I was surprised when Swan suggested Mugshots. Another venue we almost never visit, but they do have a kitchen, wine, and beer, so why not?
We ordered the chicken wings and chicken tenders. Swan said the wings were the best she’d had, and she also liked how juicy the tenders were.
We moved on to a more familiar place for our nightcap: Wet Spot.
Our time out was up before the Aftermath started, so we triked back home and called it a night. Our day was more of the usual same-same, but with different seasonings.
In other news, there was a big accident on the expressway at Tarlac, with at least ten fatalities. I’ve passed through that toll booth where the wreck occurred (a bus with a sleeping driver plowed into a line of cars at full speed) many times. One more thing to think about the next time I pass this way.
And I came across this controversy involving Bill Belichick and his much younger wife. Made me smile because that age gap is the norm where I live. I know of one old fucker here who dated an eighteen-year-old, if you can imagine that!
So, as my journey through the LTG archives continues, I was shocked to discover that I didn’t post anything at all in September and October of 2007. What the hell happened? It turns out that I was every bit as clueless back then as I am today. And that ignorance led to my blog going offline for several weeks. I wrote about what happened in this post from November 2007. And no, I had no recollection of any of this before reading that post again today.
Facebook memories from this day in history:
Maybe I really have died, and the Philippines is my heaven (or hell).
Today’s YouTube video is an update on that vlogger Vitaly. He is so fucked.
Your daily dose of “humor”:
That’s all I’ve got for now.
your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.
Re: music video. Usually try and guess what song you will have based on your post content. Lots of song references in this post. LOL. The song you picked was one of my guesses however.
re: Russian/US vlogger. No sympathy for him. But, I do disagree with the guy who made the video saying that the “problems that Vitaly accidentally got himself into. Etc.” no, it wasn’t an accident.
re: Picture wall. Any thoughts of making a trip to the US and reconnecting with various folks there? Maybe treat Swan to a tour of the US?
Sorry to read about Swan’s unsatisfactory wine experience. You say the place restocked… I guess you’d better get back there soon before they run out again!
This meme popped up on my phone right after that wine shortage incident. We both got a laugh out of that.
The AI is always watching you.
A very limited menu, but in my opinion, that’s a good thing for a bar venue. Doing a few simple things well is the way to go.
I love the overuse and misuse of the scare quotes on that menu.
The SOB was still going on down the road at Whiskey Girl, but the bar filled up later for the Aftermath.
The sign in the photo says, “We don’t offer double LDs.” What’re those? They offer a pair of learning-disabled students?
Saw this map on Facebook, which shows some of the more popular places in Barretto and Baloy Beach.
The map spells Barretto as “Baretto”—one R. The spelling variations continue.
And I came across this controversy involving Bill Belichick and his much younger wife.
As Glenn Reynolds recommends: always bring your own camera equipment and crew to every interview. Get the whole thing on video and air it yourself.
Maybe I really have died, and the Philippines is my heaven (or hell).
It’s not a hell until you’re confined to bed for whatever reason. And you can’t have “health” without “hell.”
Kev, the failure to stock wine in the bars is frustrating. Swan’s favorite is only 350 pesos (less than $7) a bottle at Royal. Most bars charge between 150 and 200 pesos a glass. Even if you don’t sell a lot, keeping a bottle in the fridge makes sense. We don’t tend to return to places that disappoint as there are many other options that don’t.
I hadn’t noticed the “scare quotes” (sorry, couldn’t resist) on the menu. It makes no sense unless they were trying to be funny.
Anyone who buys a double lady drink has a learning disability, IMHO. Most bars call a bottled beer a “double” when purchased as a lady drink and charge 300 pesos or more per bottle (the customer price is 100 pesos or less). Wet Spot and Green Room make a big deal out of not engaging in this ripoff practice. I buy my fair share of drinks for the ladies, but I always specify “single” when I order (a single LD is around 180 pesos). I’m not even a cheap Charlie; I often buy two singles for the gal, but I won’t allow myself to be scammed of one “double.” IDM bar charges a flat 200 pesos for any lady drink, including bottles, and I’m okay with that. Cheap Charlies bar just raised their LD pricing to 250, and I won’t buy one there now. It’s not about the money; it’s the principle.
Here’s to hoping I can avoid that being bedridden hell. I’d rather be dead. Although maybe if that day comes I’d reconsider. At least I’d have nothing else to do but watch all the films you’ve reviewed, so there’s that.
Ha-ha, that’s funny, Brian! I don’t always tie the music video to the theme of the post, but try to do so when I can. And yeah, yesterday I had so many options to choose from. I’m impressed that you picked up on that.
Vitaly got what he asked for, that’s for sure. I’m sure he had no clue what a nightmare a Filipino jail really is. I don’t think I’d survive a month in one of those overcrowded underfed hellholes. He is a classic example of FAFO and I am sure he is already regretting being an asshole in the Philippines.
I honestly doubt there are any relationships left to salvage.
Thanks, Charles. That’s my favorite of yours. Hope you are enjoying the afterlife.