Technically speaking, it was July 4, 1946, that the Philippines were granted independence from the USA, but they have chosen to celebrate their independence from Spain instead (something we also had a hand in providing). Hey, it’s all good. Live free and be happy!

Freedom isn’t free, and often the price is paid for in blood. All the more reason to cherish it and defend it from enemies, both external and internal. Of late, it seems the America-haters inside our borders pose the biggest threat. The America-lovers have more guns, so FAFO if you think you can destroy our country from within.

I posted this parody song twelve years ago, and it is as true now as ever:

Well, let’s see if Trump can drain the swamp once and for all.

Meanwhile, here’s what’s going on in my part of the world:

So, another wet day yesterday, and she ain’t done yet.

My big accomplishment yesterday was securing my finalized Emigration Clearance Certificate from the immigration office in Olongapo City.

Oh, and this happened, too. Swan played a joke on me, but I didn’t fall for it. I still have to appreciate the effort she put into it, even making a video of her trying to gag me.

I deem the relationship 99% recovered.

It should come as no surprise that when the time to head into town for some libations arrived, I didn’t let a little rain stop me.

When it was time to eat, we visited Jewel Cafe.

After our meal, we crossed the highway and popped into what is rapidly becoming one of our favorite bars.

This was our third visit, and once again, we were not disappointed with the laid-back chill atmosphere. The bartender asked if I wanted to change the music, and I told her, hell no, this is just what I like! It’s incredible that there hasn’t been one song during any of my visits that I haven’t enjoyed. What are the odds of that? I need to obtain a copy of that playlist and upload it to my Spotify account.

We also had a pleasant chat with the female manager of Jumpin’ Jacks about plans to attract more customers to the bar. She confirmed that they will not have dancers, which I think is a good thing. Plenty of other bars around for that crowd. She wants to sponsor a pool tournament at least once a week, and they will have a team join the pool league. She also has plans to have a live band play weekly. Then she took us to a nice room in the back that they plan to turn into a karaoke venue. I told her about the norebang (singing rooms) in Korea and that I thought it was a great idea not to let the noise of bad singing intrude on the other bar customers. Her plan is to charge a flat rate for the room use, which can be reduced through the purchase of consumables from the bar. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how things work out, and we will definitely be back again, making Jumpin’ Jacks a regular stop.

We did our nightcap at Candy Bar, a relatively new venue that we’d never previously visited. It’s a dancing bar with a pool table in the back, but there was nothing really that made it stand out in my mind. We were the only customers in the early evening hours on a rainy night. They didn’t have wine, so Swan ordered a margarita. It took the bartender two tries to get it right. Swan knew one of the waitresses from somewhere else long ago, and my friend Narissa is now working at Candy. I met Narissa several years ago at Cheap Charlies, and we took a trip together to Bataan, which I wrote about here. So, we enjoyed some friendly company, and the gals had a lady drink on our tab.

We had a good enough day despite the storm.

In this post from February 2010, I mention vocative commas as if I knew what I was talking about. Obviously, I don’t. I was referring to seeing the Big Hominid posting on his Hairy Chasms blog again. Hey Kevin (see what I did there?), do you remember this post?

Today’s YouTube video is from a new (to me) vlogger, sharing his perspectives on the good and bad of living in the Philippines. Everyone’s experience is different, but yeah, I’ve seen some of the same things he mentions.

Time for some humor:

Last year, I hosted a 4th of July gathering at The Rite Spot. Later today, we’ll be joining the fun at a party that our next-door neighbor, Jeff, is hosting. I’ve been baking corn muffins and brownies that we’ll be adding to the mix. So, tomorrow I’ll have something different to post about. Bet you can’t wait!

And I’ll close with my favorite patriotic song: