Swan and I kicked off our Thursday by sharing a walk. We took a Jeepney out to Philseco Road on the far side of Subic town and commenced our stroll from there.
This portion of the hike is one of my favorites, so I recorded the walkthrough. It’s twelve minutes long, so feel free to view the video at 2x speed.
On with the hike:
Next on the agenda was my appointment with Dr. Jo. She gave me this week’s chelation injection and then removed the remainder of my facial skin tags.
After I was done with the doctor, I was ready to eat—time for a visit to Jewel Cafe.
After our meal, we stopped by at It Doesn’t Matter.
Then it was on to Wet Spot to use the last of my SOB coupons (buy one, take one). Five beers later, we headed for home. Another episode of “Squid Game” leaves one more to go before Season Two is complete. Then I can read Kevin Kim’s review!
Today’s weekly weigh-in was 230.5, down three pounds from last week and 36.6 pounds since the diet commenced on November 1. I still cringe when I see photos with my belly protruding, but I guess that’s the last to go. I have thirty-one more pounds to lose to reach my goal.
This installment in The Story of My Life is from February 3, 2006, and tells about the day that ended with my first (and only) ambulance ride and my first-ever experience with stitches. I’m glad I lived to tell about it then, and I’m happy to share the memory now.
Today’s Facebook memories included these events:
Six years ago, after many attempts, I finally successfully navigated the route between the end of Rizal Extension and Alta Vista. In honor of that accomplishment, I declared that path would henceforth be known as the My Bitch Trail.
Three years ago, I was recovering from another broken heart.
–John Irving
Things happen for a reason, I suppose. If Paula hadn’t dumped me, I would have missed out on Swan.
It’s the year of the snake, and that makes me think about those slimy creatures when I hike through the grasses. The Philippines has cobras, but they are rarely seen when we are out and about. It’s probably because we make so much noise as we walk that the snakes slither away before we arrive. That wasn’t the case two years ago:
I despise Manila and try to avoid going there as much as possible. I’ll be visiting the US Embassy next month to get a Power of Attorney notarized, but I won’t be spending the night. Makati is where I choose to stay when necessity dictates, but getting there in traffic can be a bitch. Anyway, that’s all a prelude to today’s YouTube video, which spends eight minutes talking about the good things the city has to offer. And yes, the nightlife on Burgos Street can be expensively fun.
Hmm, the video can’t be embedded. You can watch it here if you please.
And now for the smiles:
And that’s the way it was. The way it’s gonna be includes the SOB at Alaska Club tonight. I was on the fence about going, but this is Tim’s last night in town, so I’ll join in the fun. More to come tomorrow.
And in closing, I was sad to learn that Marianne Faithfull has died at 78. I enjoyed her songs back in the day, but I never realized what a f’d up personal life she lived until reading about her passing today. Your music lives on!
Here’s her first hit:
And another song I enjoyed:
Next on the agenda was my appointment with Dr. Jo. She gave me this week’s chelation injection and then removed the remainder of my facial skin tags.
I don’t see any bleeding this time. What a difference from last time! Must be nice to have those things outta there. Just keep managing the nose hairs and the unibrow!
A filet mignon dinner for 499 pesos.
Looks like a meager airplane meal, but hey, you do you.
Another episode of “Squid Game” leaves one more to go before Season Two is complete. Then I can read Kevin Kim’s review!
This season is basically “Season 2, Part 1,” which is why it’s so short (only seven episodes). I don’t know how many episodes Season 3 will be (a.k.a., Season 2, Part 2), but it’s supposed to be the final season of the main story. There are spinoff shows in the works, as well as non-Korean versions of Squid Game coming. I doubt I’ll watch any of those unless the reviews are spectacular.
Congrats on 36.6 pounds lost. Great job.
Trivia: the number of fat cells in your body is “set during adolescence.” Fat cells can die and be replaced, but generally, the number of fat cells in your body is fixed. “Losing fat” generally means shrinking fat cells, not making them disappear. This is why regaining weight is so easy, why the system is rigged against us: regaining weight is just a matter of reinflating shrunken fat cells. As I’ve said on my blog, true commitment to fitness means getting on a hamster wheel that you can never really leave.
It’s the year of the snake, and that makes me think about those slimy creatures when I hike through the grasses.
Snakes aren’t slimy.
but this is Tim’s last night in town, so I’ll join in the fun.
Damn, I thought he was already gone. How many goodbye parties can the man have? He must have been fun to be around. Has he picked out a half-year residence yet for when he comes back?
Maybe a first-class airplane meal. Tiny portions = low price. The steaks at John’s place cost 3X more.
Yeah, I don’t care enough about the story or characters to be interested in any spinoff shows. I’m hooked enough to want to stick around and see how it ends, but I’m still not believing the basic premise of “Squid Game.”
So, those slimy fat cells aren’t going to slither away? Damn, that bites. (thanks for the link)
It wasn’t really a party; just me and Scott joining him for the SOB. It was more of a fishing expedition for Tim as he searched for a hook-up for his last night in town. Tim had two on the line when I departed. Looks like he’ll be staying at the same place when he returns.
but I’m still not believing the basic premise of “Squid Game.”
Gary Larson, the cartoonist who’d had gonzo success drawing his absurdist, one-panel cartoon The Far Side, talked in one of his retrospective books about how he’d drawn a cartoon of a husband mosquito coming home from work, hanging up his hat, and complaining about what a tiring day he’d had spreading malaria. People wrote in to complain that it’s actually the female mosquito that goes around biting people. Larson’s reaction was that these people were incensed about the unrealism of a male mosquito spreading malaria, but they were totally fine with a mosquito wearing a trench coat, pants, and a hat—and speaking English while living in a suburban house. Some people miss the point by latching on to their specific hangups, thus preventing themselves from appreciating the story.
Not that I’m a defender of Squid Game, nor would I ever pressure you to accept what you’re not accepting. But maybe just relax, realize the thing is fiction, and appreciate it for its message, whatever that message might be. Personally, I don’t think Squid Game is meant to be plausible any more than The Matrix was.
…but you never know. Consider Epstein Island. Who’d’a thunk?
Kev, Finished Season 2 (or part one of Season 2) last night. I’ll definitely be sticking around to see what happens next. Things I find “unbelievable” include the inability of anyone to discover the location of the island. You can’t build that kind of infrastructure to support the population of players and guards without leaving discernable traces on the land. Where are the docks? Where does the electricity come from? The smaller questions about whether regular folks off the street would willingly become brutal murderers for money I can pretty much ignore. Still, once they found out that only one person had survived the previous game, you’d think they’d see the wisdom of voting to leave while they had the chance. The “Matrix” was easier for me to accept as science fiction, “Squid Game” presents itself as reality. Swan is enjoying it very much.