Time marches on, and I’m still hanging on and enjoying the ride after sixty-nine years. I celebrated the milestone of my birthdate with a rooftop gathering at The Rite Spot, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves despite a dreaded storm raining on our parade. There wasn’t much wind, so we managed to hunker down under the awning and stay mostly dry. I have no particular insights or new-found wisdom as I enter the final year of my sixties. I’m slowing down some, but I’m still able to do the things I enjoy, and I hope that continues as I traverse the realm of the elderly. We’ll see how far I can go before I reach the end of the line. I plan to take my time getting there, but you never know. In the meantime, I’ll embrace each day and be glad to have it.
A birthday is, in reality, just another day. This year’s fell on a Tuesday, so the usual Tuesday stuff like grocery shopping was on the agenda. I did make a detour to the local hospital, where I left some blood for a PSA screening. I’m not sure if my recent urination issues are prostate-related, but we’ll see what the results say. I did my shopping at Royal BEFORE hitting the ATM this week because I needed to pee, and when you gotta go, you gotta go. At least I do.
OMG! Breyer’s is my favorite brand of ice cream. And I love Snickers! Was this a sign from God that I should celebrate my birthday with a bowl of this?Nope, turns out I don’t love it THAT much.
Back home from the grocery store and Swan and some of her female family were busy in the kitchen preparing a feast for the upcoming party.
Meat on a stick ready to be grilledCordon bleuFilipino-style ribs in the panSo much cooking going on that an extra stovetop was set up in the carportSwan’s sis-in-law having a snack (rice is finger food here)Winging itLumpiaRibs ready to rollI contributed a pot of chili to the effortAnd cornbread muffins
There were a couple of other Filipino favorites, bopis (grilled liver) and something called dinuguan (pork blood stew). As you might imagine, I didn’t sample either.
Upstairs, the decorating was in the capable hands of Inday.Nicely done!The view from The Rite Spot when the party got started.Will the weather hold?The early birdsMeat on the grillTrouble brewing on the horizonBut on we partiedMatt, recently returned from a visit to the USA, gifted me this nifty shirt.One of my cakes had the age I identify as being correctly displayed.Dave and Jo brought a cake from the Hash. They also made it clear that I’ll be getting the real Hash cake on Monday.Michael was also celebrating his August 27 birthday…he’s got five years on me though.It was also a welcome home party for Matt.Blowing the candlesRainy night eats
As bad as the rain was, after the party ended we had downpours that lasted all night. I canceled the Wednesday Walkers group hike because where you gonna go in flood conditions?
We are in the Orange Zone. So, I was prepared to just be lazy today. Hey, when you are 69, any excuse will do!
So, I guess being another year older is as good an excuse as any to take a journey through the past. Feel free to scroll ahead:
The early days. I’ll never forget how hot that photographer looked.(1957)Rafting on the Kern River(1959)Camping in the desert (1961)Escorting my grandmother at my brother’s wedding (1972)High school graduate (1973)California dreamer (1974)Husband and daddy (1976)A family man in Prescott, Arizona (1978)Single again in Pocatello, Idaho (1981)A redneck in South Carolina (1987)Climbing the bureaucratic ladder in Roanoke, VA (1990)Hanging out in Istanbul (2004) The Korea lifestyle (2009)At the end of a long career with Uncle Sam (2010)Dreaming of being a professional darter (2012)A visit to Japan (2013)The Itaewon lifestyle (2014)Back to work in Korea (2016)What I’ve become (2024)
Wow, that was exhausting. Okay, let’s move on.
Lies then and nowAnd for some reason, the military can’t meet it’s recruitment needs. Draft the immigrants?
Okay, enough politics. In today’s YouTube video, let’s see what the Filipina Pea has to say about choosing the wrong type woman in the Philippines.
Let’s try the humor:
Yeah, that’s a good pointIt takes a lot of balls to golf the way I doDo magazines even exist anymore?
Well, I’m not sure what to make of Day 1 on the road to seventy. Am I lazy or old? Probably both. Nothing to do but stick around and see what happens next.
I was fourteen in the summer of ’69
4 thoughts on “A nice 69”
Michael was also celebrating his August 27 birthday…he’s got five years on me though.
The cake says “Micheal.” I’ve seen some guys deliberately spell their name that way, but it’s normally an error. Which is it here?
The party sounded like fun. And that Trek skit at the end of the Filipina Pea video was amusing. Yeah, like me, she too warned guys to look closely at the quality of woman—something Western men in general seem pretty bad at.
Good luck as you embark on Year 70.
Cheers!
Carry on.
Michael’s name was spelled wrong in error. That happens a lot here. My name is frequently spelled “Jhon.”
Yes, the red flags are there if you just open your eyes to them. Big tits are nice but more than a mouthful is a waste. Long legs wrapped around your back are wonderful but not as good as short legs trying. But seriously, the overall quality of the Pea’s content is impressive. And she is easy on the eyes.
Michael was also celebrating his August 27 birthday…he’s got five years on me though.
The cake says “Micheal.” I’ve seen some guys deliberately spell their name that way, but it’s normally an error. Which is it here?
The party sounded like fun. And that Trek skit at the end of the Filipina Pea video was amusing. Yeah, like me, she too warned guys to look closely at the quality of woman—something Western men in general seem pretty bad at.
Good luck as you embark on Year 70.
Cheers!
Carry on.
Michael’s name was spelled wrong in error. That happens a lot here. My name is frequently spelled “Jhon.”
Yes, the red flags are there if you just open your eyes to them. Big tits are nice but more than a mouthful is a waste. Long legs wrapped around your back are wonderful but not as good as short legs trying. But seriously, the overall quality of the Pea’s content is impressive. And she is easy on the eyes.
Thanks, Drain.