The Ruck March is an annual event held to raise awareness about suicide and depression amongst our military veterans. There were over forty in attendance yesterday, including some familiar faces like Dr. Jo and her hubby Chris, along with several other Hashers.
It was a new twist to the usual Saturday stroll, and it was nice to assist in raising awareness on the struggles of some of our veterans.
There were more twists and tweaks to the usual as Saturday evening arrived.
The portions at Jewel are small, and prices are comparatively low ($11 for the steak, $6 for the ribs). Quality is high, and that’s the important thing. I’ll be back today to get food for the Hideaway feeding.
There’s a new bar in town: Jumpin’ Jacks. Well, it just reopened under new ownership on Friday. The old version catered to an elite crowd that doesn’t exist in Barretto (150 pesos for a beer is a no-go for most of us stingy expats), so it was no surprise that it closed in less than a year. We decided to pay a visit and see how we liked the new version.
The first thing we confirmed was that red wine was available. But when they wanted to charge 300 pesos a glass, I was ready to walk back out, but the manager offered us a discounted price, so we took our seats at the bar. Alas, they didn’t have San Mig Zero beer on offer, but I settled for a San Miguel Light instead. I told the bartender Zero was gaining in popularity, and she assured me they’d have some available the next time we visit. Swan and the manager had a lengthy discussion in Tagalog about wines, so I think they’ll be offering the low-cost Carlos Rossi (380 pesos a bottle at Royal) she likes when we return.
We’ll definitely be adding Jumpin’ Jacks to our bar rotation. The staff is friendly and customer-oriented. What we liked best was the music, a great selection of classic rock songs played at a reasonable volume on a quality sound system. We stayed longer than we intended because we enjoyed chillin’ in the ambiance and groovin’ to the tunes. I got to feeling generous, and bought the bartender and four customer-less waitresses lady drinks. Hey, that’s how I roll sometimes, and it helped make a slow night better for them.
We waited for a break in the rain and then were on our way to another relatively new venue that we’d never previously visited, Candy Bar. It’s next door to The Annex, and as we approached, a large group from the Ruck March was hanging out there. Naturally, we got dragged inside to join them.
It was good hanging out with the crowd, Candy Bar can wait for another day.
The next stop on the Ruck March barhop was Hot Zone. We tagged along and made that our last call of the day.
Hold on to your hats, but it was AFTER nine p.m. when we rolled out of Hot Zone and headed home. Another twist in the routine!
It is October 2009 in my journey through the LTG archives, where I wrote this post responding to criticism of Itaewon. Itaewon was transitioning then, and once the Yongsan Army base moved down south, the changes accelerated.
Nine years ago, I was in the Philippines visiting Maria for her birthday.
Here’s a post I wrote about my first (and last) experience in Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte’s hometown.
We’ll check in with Reekay again for today’s YouTube video, where he discusses finding trustworthiness among women you date. I had some failures along the way, but I ultimately found my success. Oddly enough, I was friends with Swan through her charity work and knew she was trustworthy long before we became a couple.
Today’s effort to make you smile:
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.
Sad to think that everyone is this video is likely dead now. Talk about twisted.
Hey John, that’s a pretty funny concern! Your hairdresser’s skills with scissors aren’t going to change your orientation, bro. You’re still you, and your hairdo is just a styling choice. Don’t worry about it, and just enjoy the great haircut!
That’s quite a vivid image, John! But seriously, hair loss is a pretty common issue, and there are tons of options to deal with it – from styling tricks to medical treatments. You’re not defined by your hair, and you’re still the same awesome person regardless. Maybe we can explore some solutions together, or just focus on rocking your unique style?
The Ruck March sounds like a worthy cause. What other vet-related activities are there throughout the year?
Good luck with the new venues you found. I’ve read enough of your blog to know they can often be hit or miss.
Once again, though, the gravy in those dinner pictures makes everything look like generic Salisbury steak. As long as it all tastes good, though, I guess the looks don’t matter. I’ve cooked plenty of great-tasting, ugly food in my lifetime.
Kev, The VFW hosts several charity events, as does the RSL (Aussie version). I’ve participated in an RSL community feeding before.
Yeah, the bars come and go and change all the time. Luckily, there are so many I can always find one I enjoy.
I keep meaning to order my Jewel steak without gravy but always forget. It tastes fine, but not what I’m accustomed to seeing.
Mildred and Mitch, thank you for your artificially intelligent thoughts.