Twenty-four years ago, my routine workday in Washington, DC, went crazy. I was at the Department of Education, not the Pentagon, so I can be thankful for that. Two of the people living in my subdivision were not so lucky. I wrote about that day here. On this somber anniversary, I also pay tribute to two heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others: James Raymond Coyle and Samuel Oitice.

Here’s the news from the world in which I currently reside:

Ed suggested we do Monday’s Hash trail in reverse, and lacking any better options, that’s what we did. It was new for everyone except Ed and me, and doing it backwards made it feel a little different, so it worked out fine.

Later on, Swan and I did our Wednesday seldom-visited bars thing, starting at Outback.

I think this is the second time we’ve ordered food from the Outback kitchen.

Next on our agenda was attending the grand opening of the Wombat bar. I had high hopes this would be the Barretto beach bar I’ve been dreaming of. The venue has been vacant since the COVID shutdowns. I looked at it a couple of years ago, thinking that maybe if I wanted a beach bar that badly, I should open one. Then it occurred to me that’s how dreams become nightmares, so I put those silly thoughts away.

So, this location used to be the Gum Leaves Resort. Now there’s a gay bar on the highway, and the Wombat bar is on the beachside. You have to walk through the hotel lobby, past some rooms, and the empty pool to get to the bar. That’s a bit of a pain in the ass. We arrived shortly after the six p.m. opening time, and we were the first (and only) customers. I don’t know why it still surprises me, but several of the staff welcomed me by name, and not one of them looked familiar to me. One told me she used to work at Sloppy Joe’s. The manager, who also knew my name, apologized because, although the Facebook post called it a “grand opening,” in reality, yesterday was just a soft opening. Alrighty then.

First impressions: the music was loud and inappropriate for an old white guy (sorry, girls, we don’t like the shit you listen to). They did eventually change the style to a more “easy listening” mode, which I appreciated. I ordered a San Miguel Zero, but they didn’t have it, so I took a San Mig Light instead. It took them a while to find a bottle opener (talk about a soft opening!). The service was good and friendly. I got invited to sing karaoke on stage, but I declined. So, it seems that will be one of the offerings here, and there are few things I like less when I’m trying to relax and enjoy a beer. We left after one drink.

I’m not saying I’ll never return, but I found Wombat to be generally disappointing.

We did our nightcap at Queen Victoria.

And then, our next-door neighbors, Jeff and Davina, joined us.

A couple of more beers, some chat, and then a free ride home. Amusingly, Jeff has now set his phone alarm for 8 p.m. to remind him when it is time to call it a night. We are on the same page!

I have now arrived at March 2013 in the LTG archives. In this post, I reminisce about my life in 1976. I had a good run my first time through the seventies, this see what happens this time.

Today’s YouTube is from Reekay, and he tells the story of how his dating life in the USA came to an end. Women can be crazy everywhere, of course, but at least here in Asia, they are hot, sexy, and younger.

Let’s take a moment to smile:

And that’s the end of today’s post. See what I mean?

I’ve always thought this song somehow captures the emotions of that awful day, twenty-four years ago.