The 70th birthday is one week away, and the preparations for the celebration Swan has been planning are in full swing. That meant we were busier (i.e., spending more) on the grocery shopping expedition yesterday.

YBC is a Filipino supermarket, and unlike Royal, I don’t think I’ve ever seen another foreigner in there. That’s no big deal, I go to Royal after YBC, and I get the imported stuff I want there. I’ve noticed that many of the YBC shoppers seem to be making purchases to stock their sari-sari stores. Anyway, I got a big dose of Filipino service yesterday that made the YBC experience very unpleasant.

So, the guy checking out two customers ahead of me was attempting to pay his bill via GCash (an electronic payment system popular here in the Philippines). If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. And he did. Finally, a manager came and told him the system was down, and he paid cash. Next up was a woman with a full cart. She carefully separated items into piles and paid for each stack individually. The cashier seemed inexperienced and rang up each item independently, rather than entering the number of items and scanning once. She also seemed to be having issues with the barcode reader, frequently punching in the number on the item. One of the baggers noticed my head about to explode, and he came over and helped us move to the other line, which appeared to be moving faster than the one I had chosen. But when it came time to pay, the guy at the front of the line used change rather than bills. So, naturally, the cashier was obligated to count and add up hundreds of coins—Hoo boy.

I remembered the mantra I was taught on one of my early visits to the PI and used it: Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way. It helped.

I left a little over 8000 pesos ($150) behind and moved on to Royal to complete this week’s grocery expedition. I used the senior citizens/PWD checkout line (hey, there are some benefits that come with being elderly).

Lightened my wallet another 20,000 ($350) for a record-breaking weekly grocery bill. Hey, you’re only seventy once, right?

On our way out for the evening’s fun, we stopped by Baybayin, the venue that will be hosting the birthday event, and paid our 5000 peso deposit. I will be billed 200 pesos for each guest attending for use of the facility, and Swan is anticipating we’ll have fifty or so join in the fun. We will also be providing the food and beverages.

We’ll see how it all works out.

Next, we strolled up the highway to John’s place. We’d missed our usual Sunday visit, so we wanted to make up for lost time. We were greeted with the sad news that birria tacos were out of stock. Oh well, next time.

We stopped by Red Bar for another round of beer and wine. Afterwards, we were sad to see that Jumpin’ Jacks has not reopened as yet after Vangie’s passing.

I got a message from Roan, an old bargirl friend, wishing me a happy birthday. I thanked her, but pointed out my birthday was still a week away. And then she started calling me “Uncle John,” which was surprising (I’m used to “Daddy,” even though I don’t like it). I asked her why she called me that, and she said, “Because you are my stepdad’s brother.” What? And then she realized she had contacted the wrong “John.” That was pretty funny. Anyway, we chatted some and she told me about her struggles at the karaoke bar she is running. It’s been a very low low season all over town, and I’m guessing most expats (me included) don’t frequent the singing joints. So, on a whim last night, I suggested to Swan we stop by and have a drink at Roan’s place, and she was okay with that.

Songs were twenty pesos for three, and yes, I partook (I Started a Joke, El Paso, and Crazy). We might return again one day when the mood to sing strikes us.

Not bad for a Tuesday, eh?

The January 2012 LTG archives carried me back to the time I joined my high school buddies, Rod and Pat Headlee, for a night on their sailboat. Rod is another of those old friends I used to hear from occasionally who has completely disappeared. No longer on Facebook, and a Google search didn’t turn up any information on his whereabouts. Thankfully, no obituary either. He lived a life of adventure, sailing the high seas. One night on the boat was enough for me, but I respect everyone who lives the life they love.

Ten years ago, I authored and posted these words of wisdom on Facebook:

Sometimes we wait a while to begin our journey, but in due time we move on towards our destination. Along the way, people come and people go, but the reality is we are all solitary travelers. And then the ride is over, and it is time to pay the piper. And the damn fare machine won’t accept the only paper money in your wallet. And so goes another morning subway commute.

Ah, the good ol’ days in Seoul. Speaking of Facebook, I’m a member of a group that remembers Westminster, California, the town I grew up in. Someone posted this yesterday:

Today’s YouTube video caught my eye because the blogger is my age and experiencing some heart issues. Despite my unhealthy lifestyle, I’ve been blessed so far. My mother died from congestive heart failure and also suffered from diabetes. Hopefully, I can follow my father’s path (minus the smoking) and reach my goal of a mid-80s lifespan. That said, if I lose the ability to do the things I enjoy, like hiking, I’m not sure I’ll want to stick around that long. Especially if my negotiations with the supreme power of the universe for a do-over life are successful.

Let’s go out on a happy note:

Had enough? Me too!