Tuesdays are normally the most routine of my daily routines, but yesterday turned out a little different than usual. Prior to hitting the grocery stores, I stopped at the BPI ATM to refill my wallet. Once again, my debit card from the USA was rejected. When I tried to use the card from my Philippines bank, it didn’t work either. Hmm, so I figured it must be the machine not functioning. So, I had my driver take me to the BPI branch on the other side of SBMA (it has three ATMS), and I got the same result. WTF? Well, I needed to get some cash, so I figured we’d go back to BPI once it opened. In the meantime, we proceeded with our first supermarket, YBC. Luckily, my credit card hadn’t been blocked, so I was able to pay for the groceries. Loaded up the car and headed back to BPI, arriving just after 9 a.m. Alas, it turns out the bank branch didn’t open until 10. The bank security guard was on duty, and Swan showed him the “unable to process transaction” receipt from my first attempt. The guard asked to see my card, cleaned it with rubbing alcohol, and told me to try again. And it worked! I guess those chip readers are sensitive. Lesson learned. It was good to have money in my pocket again, and we finished our weekly shopping at Royal and headed back to Barretto.

I got dropped off at Dr. Jo’s office so I could get my weekly GLP-1 injection (I’ve switched from Ozempic to Mounjaro). I have now been upped to the highest dose, and the monthly cost is 10,500 pesos (around $200). I lost almost two pounds last week, so hopefully that trend will continue. I’m still a long way from my goal.

When I got back home, I had an email from my credit union saying my card had been blocked due to “suspicious activity.” Yep, trying to withdraw money from an ATM in the Philippines is considered possibly fraudulent for some reason. The sad fact is they do this every f’n time I try to use my card. I send a message saying the transaction was legitimate; they unblock my account, and then block it again when I attempt to make a withdrawal. It’s a good thing that I have the local bank account (in Swan’s name) that I can wire money to from my US bank, or I’d be really fucked.

Late in the afternoon, when it was time to head into town, Swan wanted to get a haircut and a foot spa, so the plan was that I’d wait for her at Cheap Charlies.

I was the only customer during my visit, and I felt sorry for the bored but friendly bar staff. Still, I adhered to my principle of not paying 250 pesos for a lady drink. That’s one of the more expensive prices in town, and seems inappropriate for a bar calling itself “Cheap Charlies.” My personal stance is not to spend more than 200 pesos for a lady drink. I did spend almost 1000 pesos on food for the girls, the equivalent of four lady drinks, so I am not a cheap Charlie.

When her foot spa was completed, Swan messaged that she was craving a Coffee Shop taco, so I told her I’d meet her there when I finished my beer. I arrived as she was finishing her taco. The restaurant was busy, and I couldn’t help but notice that I was the only foreigner there. I had a beer, then paid our bill, and we headed out.

Where to next? We were on the seldom-visited far side of town, and there is a small bar there named Dempsey’s that I’d only been to a couple of times. So we popped in. No one else was there, and the duties of bartender, waitress, and cook were all being performed by the same person.

A cozy little place, the music was good, and they served XL beer. I’d likely visit more often if they were more conveniently located. I’d heard rumors they would be closing soon, but who knows?

After a couple of beers, we moved on down the highway and visited another bar we hadn’t been to in over a year: Cloud 69. The last time we were here, the music was blaring so loud we couldn’t have a conversation. As we prepared to enter, we agreed we’d turn around and walk out if we didn’t like the noise. Thankfully, that was not the case. Our old waitress friend Sheryl was working and was very happy to see us again. So, we plopped down at a table and had a nice time. A couple of other gals joined us, and I bought a round of lady drinks (more reasonably priced at 190 pesos) and shared some chat. A good conclusion to our night out, and Cloud 69 is back on our list of places to go.

From the January 2022 LTG archives, I post memories of my mother on the 11th anniversary of her passing. Time marches on, but we never forget a mother’s love.

Today’s YouTube video is an evening walk through Barretto. I was amused to see, at the 1:15 minute mark, my friends Joy and Ace from Hideaway Bar standing on the street. The video also shows some of the places I was at last night, and other hangouts I frequent. Anyway, it’s a bit longer than it needs to be, but it gives you a feel for the town, including the notorious traffic on the National Highway. Hell, just speed up the playback if you want.

And let’s get the daily jokes out of the way:

Alright, time to finish packing my shit for the two day getaway to the beaches of Pundaquit for our monthly “get outta town” trip. A change of scenery always does me good.