Since I no longer practice the Christian faith, the alleged birthday of Jesus Christ doesn’t hold any religious meaning for me, but the spirit of Christmas—the giving, sharing, and loving parts—still resonates with me. My agenda for the day includes a morning group hike, followed by a birthday party for my neighbor and fellow Westminster High School alumnae, Mike, this afternoon. I’ll bring my usual brownies. After that, we’ll see. Swan’s family will gather at their compound in Subic for the Christening of her niece. I’m the ninong (godfather) and am sending my donation and best wishes via Swan.

In the spirit of the holiday, here are the lyrics to my favorite Christmas song (actually a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow set to music):

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

And here is my Christmas Eve tale:

Later in the afternoon, we headed to Alley Cats bar for my belated Christmas appearance. On the way, Swan dropped some cookies and chocolate for a friend of hers on Gabaya Street.

I was surprised to see there was an early darts tournament in progress when we arrived. The place was packed, but it was great seeing some of my old dart buddies from years gone by again. I gave a tin of Christmas cookies and a batch of brownies and got a ballcap and shirt in the gift exchange. I provided a Shamboli’s pizza, a round of lady drinks, and a Hershey’s chocolate bar, making all the staff happy to see me again. It was a good time, and although I still haven’t rekindled a desire to throw darts again, I should try to drop by Alley Cats more often in the new year.

I have two 500 peso vouchers for Queen Victoria that expire tomorrow, so my plan was for both of us to drink for free after we departed Alley Cats. Alas, Queen Victoria was closed. I won’t be able to use them tomorrow because I’m having Swan’s family over to the house for an after-Christmas dinner. Oh well. I was a little hungry anyway, so we moseyed up the highway to Sit-n-Bull for dinner instead.

After dinner, we went next door to Wet Spot for our nightcap. That didn’t last long. Aine came over and said something to Swan that made her as mad as I’d ever seen her. It totally killed Swan’s buzz, and she wanted to leave immediately. And that’s just what we did. Needless to say, Aine will not be welcome at our table in the future.

Home, pudding, and bed. That’s good enough for me.

Thirteen years ago, my Facebook Christmas card looked like this:

In keeping with the spirit of the season, in today’s YouTube video, we watch the Filipina Pea playing Santa Claus to the less fortunate in her community—a similar undertaking to what Swan has been preparing for in Alibang this Friday. From my first visit to the Philippines, I’ve been impressed with the generosity of Filipinos toward those who have less.

Now for some Christmas cheer:

That’s all for now, time for me to get into the Christmas spirit. Hope all my readers (both of you) have a happy holiday!

And now, for some Christmas music. I said at the top of this post that “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” was my favorite holiday song. I saw in today’s Facebook memories that I’ve posted several versions of the song by different artists over the years. Which one do you think is best?

Johnny Cash:

Suzy Bogguss:

Burl Ives:

And with some Civil War graphics (the era in which the poem was written):

I think the Ives’ rendition in my favorite, with Bogguss a close second.

The Friday group hikers caught a Jeepney and rode out to Olongapo City to begin the day’s trek. As I boarded and took my seat, the young woman directly across from me said, “Hello, John.” I smiled and nodded, then discretely looked at her for the duration of the trip. Nothing about her was even vaguely familiar. Being greeted by name by someone I don’t recognize happens so frequently these days that it is beginning to bother me. I’ve decided that when this happens in the future, I’m just going to ‘fess up and admit I don’t recognize them and ask where and when we met. This road to dementia is paved with…shit, I forget, but it’s a rough one. Anyway, when I disembarked from the Jeepney, I said it was nice to see her again.

The hike itself was up and over the Kalaklan Ridge, then back down into Barretto. The route we took was through the aptly named Hilltop village. Ninety percent of the climb is via stair steps, and I’d almost forgotten what an ass-kicker they can be. Getting back down also had some challenging moments, but overall it was a pleasantly scenic hike. I was a bit surprised when I checked my tracker at the end of our journey and saw that we had only gone 3.3 kilometers from start to finish. It sure as hell felt longer!

A short stroll into Barretto and some liquid refreshment at Dynamite Dick’s before grabbing a trike for home.

And then, it was time to head back into town and secure my seats for the SOB dance competition at Wet Spot.

It was one of the better shows I’ve seen in a while.

Home to some sugar-free gelatin and then a peaceful sleep. That’s the way this old fart rolls these days.

Christmas memories from my working life on Facebook today:

How about some unfiltered Pea for today’s YouTube video? I’ve been mildly curious about my favorite vlogger’s personal life. I assumed she had a foreign husband who supported her channel, but apparently not. Anyway, it was enjoyable to hear her open up some about herself.

The joke is on me:

Alright, before I get to today’s song from the past, let me share the Baloy Beach bars I was too lazy to post yesterday:

And that’s it on Baloy Long Beach. So, fifty-eight bars in the little barangay of Barretto. I should never go thirsty! As mentioned, I will try to broaden my horizons and visit new venues as part of my Wednesday routine. You can read all about it here!

I won’t be venturing into the bars this Saturday night. Instead, I’ll be attending a birthday party at Ricky and Heidi’s house here in Alta Vista. It should be fun and a nice change of pace.

My Thursday solo walk was a mission of discovery. I strolled past every bar in town and documented their existence with a snapshot. Granted, I started at nine in the morning, so the vast majority were closed, but I wasn’t out to drink, so it didn’t matter. I’ve gotten pretty staid in my selection of venues where I imbibe lately, but I’m going to try for a bit more adventure on Wednesdays in the weeks ahead. So, here’s the state of the bar business in Barretto.

Okay, that’s all for this side of the National Highway. Time to cross over and walk back the other way.

And that is all the bars on the National Highway in Barretto. We’ll do Baloy Beach (also technically part of Barretto) tomorrow.

Swan had a busy day doing good deeds.

When she returned home, Swan and our neighbor, Vina, set to work on preparations for next week’s charity event at the Aeta village in Naugsol.

Since Swan was otherwise occupied, I had a rare evening out on the town on my own. The owner of Snackbar had asked if I had any dart equipment I didn’t need, so I dropped off some flights and shafts to be used in the bar. And since I was there anyway (and didn’t require wine for Swan) I ordered a beer.

Two beers later I was on my way to visit Alaska. The bar, I mean. Only stayed for one there. Then, I finished my time out at Green Room, where I had a 50% off coupon to use. I even played the rare game of pool while I was there. And lost, of course.

Then I headed home to see my hard-working sweetheart. And thus ended another Thursday.

Today’s weigh-in results:

• Last week: 240.6
• This week: 237.9
• Down 2.7 pounds
• November 1: 267.1
• Overall loss: 29.2 pounds

Progress!

No memories to speak of for today, so let’s look at a YouTube showing what a shithole Manila is. There are some nice parts of town, but I still wouldn’t want to live there. That’s not to say similar poverty doesn’t exist here, but it seems to be on a smaller scale somehow.

And on to the humor:

Gonna do the SOB at Wet Spot this evening and that ought to fill those Friday hours yet to be expended. More to come tomorrow.

I said there were no memories today, but I did post this video thirteen years ago:

But things turned out good enough, I suppose. So, I was tasked with leading the Wednesday Walkers group hike yesterday, but I was pretty much out of fresh ideas. Since no one else had a better plan, I chose to do a Naugsol valley walk. We started with an unpleasant walk on the always busy Sawmill Road, then made our way through San Isidro to the valley path I had in mind. Except, it was blocked by a newly constructed fence. The flat way around that obstacle was flooded with water, so we headed up the hill. I figured we’d go up, around, and back down, but I figured wrong. No such route seemed to exist. So, we just continued on to the top of the hill, and as we descended the other side, I knew where we were once again. Our new route led us to the My Bitch trail, and that’s how we completed our 6.5K walk.

Meanwhile, our preparation for the December 27 feeding in Alabang continues.

Swan does the shopping, and I do the paying. This is just another aspect of our 50-50 relationship.

I’ve decided to start a new Wednesday evening routine by visiting a bar that is not in my regular rotation. I kicked off this effort yesterday at Cheap Charlies.

When it was time for some grub, we crossed the busy highway and dined at Sit-n-Bull.

We did our nightcap next door at Wet Spot and had our usual pleasant visit with our regulars, Beth and Irene. Aine arrived just as we were leaving and missed out on the lady drinks. Oh well, actions have consequences.

Now for some memories courtesy of Facebook:

Ten years ago, I shared this excerpt from a poem I liked:

For I shall always let thee do,
   In generous love, just what I please.
Peace comes, and discord flies away,
   Love’s bright day follows hatred’s night;
For I am ready to admit
   That you are wrong and I am right.

I read it to Swan this morning, but she didn’t find it nearly as funny as I did.

So, I posted this on my Facebook page yesterday and made some lefty heads explode:

I’m taking a break today from the losers in the Philippines and enjoying some photos from the good ol’ days I experienced back in the 20th century. Yeah, that’s what old people do, I know.

Humor time:

This morning, while Swan was delivering candy to the school in Tibag, I took a 7K stroll through Barretto and Baloy and photographed every bar in town. Almost all of them were closed, of course, but we have over fifty bars to choose from here. That’s nearly a year of Wednesdays! I’ll share them in a separate post tomorrow.

And here’s one of those ’70s classics I loved back in the day. Hell, hadn’t heard it in years, and it still sounds as good as ever!

And the “first time hearing” response:

A busier-than-normal Tuesday is behind me, but there will be much more to do as the upcoming holidays pose more challenges, especially to the pocketbook. Well, it’s a blessing to be blessed and to share those blessings with others. I wired 16,000 pesos to my friend in Bohol to finance an annual feeding she does for the less fortunate ones there. Swan was asked for a candy donation for the kids at Tibag Elementary School, so that went on the shopping list. And this year, we will host a feeding event for 150 residents of the Aeta native village in Alabang on December 27. Swan is out shopping for the rice as I write this. I’ve also got to fill envelopes for the subdivision guards, maintenance crew, and trash collectors.

Oh, and in the Philippines, it is a thing that the folks you employ should receive a “thirteenth month” payment. That’s basically a Christmas bonus equivalent to a month’s salary. I’ve already paid both my helpers and my driver their thirteenth-month wages.

So, after being picked up by my driver, the first order of business on Tuesday morning was giving Mama her daily allowance of 100 pesos and two breakfast muffins. Then we stopped at 7-Eleven, and I raided the ATM for my weekly 40,000 peso draw. My next stop was in Olongapo City at the Immigration Office, where I renewed my tourist visa for another sixty days without incident. With that task completed, we went to a repair shop across the street to see if they could cure what’s been ailing my phone’s charging port. A thousand pesos later, it was as good as new. The candy list included Christmas lollipops that can apparently only be found at a particular grocery stand a few kilometers from where we were, so off we went. We will be handing those out on the Hash Candy Run this Monday. The bags of goodies for the Tibag school and kids in Alabang are found further up the road at a different grocery store, and we successfully stocked up there as well.

And then, it was off to Royal for the groceries.

Anyway, the month will be over soon, and my New Year’s resolution is to exercise some frugality and rebuild my depleted savings account in time for next December.

I got back home from the above adventures too late to do my normal neighborhood walk, so I took a nap instead. Then, I blogged before heading out for my chelation treatment with Dr. Jo. I guess I didn’t fully understand the process. The first two treatments were injections; this time, it was an IV bag. It took longer and cost more (3500 versus 2000 pesos). Dr. Jo explained that the injections are to clean my innards, and the IV fluid is to restore the good things the injections wash away. Okay, then.

It being Tuesday and all, we headed out to Baloy to spend some time on the floating bar. Once again, it was surprisingly busy. I’m glad to see they are doing well. The Arizona floating bar is due to reopen soon, so that may have some impact on business at Kokomo’s.

When it was time to eat, we made our usual Tuesday stop at Treasure Island.

We had one more after-dinner drink and then shared a trike ride home to Alta Vista. I did my pudding thing and was safe in bed at 8:30. I’m such a lightweight these days, especially on gin nights.

This photo from ten years ago popped up in today’s Facebook memories:

Question everything.

For today’s YouTube, we’ll stick with the poverty theme. Here’s how you can eat cheaply in the Philippines. I’m not a big fan of the food here, but you can get lots for a little.

Laughing is free at least:

And now, it’s time to stop looking back at yesterday and embrace whatever the rest of today may bring. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

As I mentioned yesterday, I accepted an invitation to join in a feeding and toy giveaway event hosted by the RSL (Returned Services League, the Australian VFW). I’m technically a member, having joined a couple of years ago, but I’ve not actively participated in their charity events. Swan’s sister and brother-in-law brought us with them to the far reaches of Cawag, an area I’d never visited. It was a successful endeavor, with three hundred bags of food and rice distributed and toys and candy provided for a similar number of children. I have lots of photos to share, so let’s get to it:

The kids’ line went relatively quickly. The adults getting food bags were given a numbered card and called up in order, which took quite a bit longer. Having nothing better to do, I took a hike down to the river with the members of Swan’s family.

Honestly, I was rather impressed with the makeshift huts and picnic shelters. I might come back here someday just to hang out and sip some cold beverages. But not this time. We needed to get back to the event and wrap things up.

On the way back home, we stopped at a roadside viewpoint.

Of course, the day was far from over for us. We took a nap, I blogged, and then we headed out for some beach time. Our first stop was the seldom-visited McCoy’s. We know one of the staff there, and she wanted to talk to us about some Baloy beachfront properties for lease. Well, I’d love to set Swan up with the Rite Spot On The Beach, but it’s really just a dream. What she showed us yesterday was way too much money for something that wouldn’t suit our purposes. No expectations, so no disappointment. I’d probably jump at the chance to convert McCoy’s into something viable, but the current owner is not interested in letting it go.

We went next door to the new Baywatch venue to see how they are progressing. Hmm. The downstairs bar/restaurant is still vacant. The door leading to the upstairs bar was open, so we climbed up there to have a look. Um, we walked in, and nobody was there. I don’t mean there weren’t customers; I didn’t expect any. There was no staff present to serve us. I guess they were closed but hadn’t bothered to lock the place up or something. Meanwhile, they had a videoke machine set up in the open outdoor area downstairs, and someone was blasting bad singing at high volume. Nope, I wouldn’t have stayed even if they were open for business. It seems to me this venue has taken a GIANT step backward.

So, now what? Swan likes a barefoot beach stroll, so I suggested we head down the beach to Laharnyz. And, of course, she was all-in for that idea.

I have come to really like the vibe at Laharnyz. I confessed to Swan that I enjoy it more than Kon-Tiki, except they don’t have food service (I guess unless you are homeless). Swan said she likes the view here better, and when we get hungry, we can always walk up the beach to Treasure Island. And when the hunger pangs came, that’s just what we did.

And on our way to Treasure Island, we passed by a brand new venue on the beach.

So, we shared a platter of chicken wings at Treasure Island and enjoyed some live music from the Engine Band. Then we headed home, where my gelatin dessert was waiting for me. And so ended a different kind of day, but a satisfying one.

Now, there is something to be said for my “early to bed, early to rise” lifestyle. While we were on the beach, I had the pleasure to witness this:

This morning, I woke up even earlier than usual and was rewarded with this vision outside my window:

Oh, Pubic Head posted this picture from Friday’s Hash Christmas party:

I got hungry at the feeding and snacked on four small pieces of candy. When I looked up the calorie count later, they were 45 calories each! Ouch!

Today’s entry in the Korea chapter of The Story of My Life comes from January 2005 and tells the tale of my very first weekend in Itaewon. One tale I didn’t tell (I was still married to wife #3 at the time) involved my first experience with lady drinks. I no longer recall the name of the bar, but it was open in the afternoon, and I needed to pee, so in I went. After taking care of that business, I sat down at the bar and ordered a beer. A few minutes later, a friendly gal came and sat next to me, and we began to chat. Since I was a newcomer, she gave me information on places to see and things to do in Korea. Being the gentleman that I was, when I ordered another beer, I asked if she would like a drink. She gladly accepted my offer. We sat there for a couple more hours talking and drinking, and it was all quite enjoyable. I was surprised how a random Korean female could be so kind to a stranger. And when it was time for me to pay up and head back to the Army base (I was staying at the Dragon Hill Lodge), I got my tab and about had a heart attack. It was $300! WTF? Turns out, her drinks were twenty bucks each! Well, it’s a good thing I had a credit card in my wallet. An expensive lesson, but tuition in the school of experience is never cheap! You can click the link above if you’d like to hear about my house hunting and first dining experience in a traditional Korean restaurant.

Ain’t it the truth:

My dating days are hopefully over and done with, but for any readers who may still be searching for “the one,” The Filipina Pea has some insights and advice on dating Filipinas. Good luck to you!

To the humor we must go:

I thought this was funny (I used to live in Arkansas, a whole other chapter in my life story):

A Letter From A Redneck Mother To Her Son

Dear Son,

I’m writing this slow ’cause I know you can’t read fast. We don’t live where we did when you left. Your dad read in the paper that most accidents happen within twenty miles of home, so we moved. Won’t be able to send you the address as the last Arkansas family that lived here took the numbers with them for their house, so they wouldn’t have to change their address.

This place has a washing machine. The first day I put four shirts in it, pulled the chain and haven’t seen ’em since.

It only rained twice this week, three days the first time and four days the second time.

The coat you wanted me to send to you, Aunt Sue said it would be a little too heavy to send in the mail with them heavy buttons, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.

We got a bill from the funeral home, and it said if we didn’t make the final payment on Grandma’s funderal bill, up she comes.

About your sister, she had a baby this morning. I haven’t found out whether if it is a boy or a girl so don’t know if you are an Aunt or Uncle.

Your Uncle John fell in the whiskey vat. Some men tried to get him out, but he fought them off playfully, so he drowned. We cremated him and he burned for three days.

Three of your friends went off the bridge in a pickup. One was driving and the other two were in the back. The driver got out. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. The other 2 drowned. They couldn’t get the tail gate down.

Not much more news this time. Nothing much happened. If you don’t get this letter, please let me know and I will send another one.

Love, Ma

Alrighty, then. Time for me to feed the Hideaway girls. Then I’ll join my lovely lady for dinner at John’s place. I’ll be back with more tomorrow.

I have the Friday group hike coming up at 0900, and the Hash Christmas party is a 1:00, so it is now or never if I’m going to dispense my daily dose of bullshit here at LTG. So, let’s get to it.

At my age, every day is special, and yesterday was no exception. That’s not to say I did anything special, but I still enjoyed filling in the hours, however comfortably and well. We did a walk to the Subic Market and dispensed some sweets to the children we encountered along the way. Swan picked up her Christmas present from me while we were there. Later, we enjoyed a nice dinner at Jewel Cafe and some liquid refreshments in the Green Room afterward. Yep, just another typical day in paradise. Here’s some of what it looked like:

And here is my gift to Swan:

To be honest, I’m a little worried about her driving this on the highway. Traffic moves fast, and these are slow. But she is a grown-up with a driver’s license, so hopefully, she’ll exercise good judgment on the road.

When it was time to head into town, we walked. Walk out, trike home is just the way I roll.

We both had the Jewel filet mignon for 499 pesos each. It’s a small cut but very tasty. The last time we ate these, they had gravy on the meat; this time, I ordered it on the side. And plopping the steak on top of the mashed potatoes was something I’d never seen. It was easy enough to move it, but it just seemed strange.

So, I calculated that I could afford to indulge the potato calories. I limited my evening intake to six gin and sodas. And when I got home, I discovered I was out of my preferred sugar-free pudding dessert. So, I made a batch of blueberry/pineapple smoothies instead.

And the Friday weigh-in results:

• Today’s weight: 240.6
• Last week: 245.2
• Reduction: 4.6 pounds.
• Starting weight: 267.1
• Overall reduction: 26.5 pounds

Slow but steady progress. At least I’m moving in the right direction.

Today’s memories courtesy of Facebook:

No time for me to parse a YouTube video today. Sorry!

I do have these tidbits of humor to share:

And that’s all for now, folks. Back tomorrow (I hope).

The hourglass that is your lifetime comes in many sizes; in most cases, the bigger, the better. If a grain of sand is the equivalent to a day in the life, here’s what my particle of yesterday looked like:

Then, I was off to an appointment with Dr. Jo for the second installment of my chelation therapy. Other than getting a needle poke for the injection, it was pretty painless. This will likely be a regular event for the next several weeks. It’s 2000 pesos a pop, but if it helps clear those blocked arteries, it is worth the time and money.

It being Tuesday, Baloy Beach was next on our agenda.

So, I mentioned a while back that Swan had bought some almond flour and keto sugar. Yesterday, she put her new ingredients to work and baked a carrot cake.

I’m sorry to say, looks can be deceiving. It tasted dry and unsweet, lacking the flavorful richness I’m accustomed to. That small slice cost me 180 calories, and it was unsatisfying to my sweet tooth. Needless to say, I won’t be tempted to indulge again.

One year ago, the next step in my recovery from nasal nodule surgery was removing the internal bandages.

Today’s YouTube video is from one of my favorite vloggers, The Filipina Pea. In this installment, she responds to viewers’ emails in a fashion reminiscent of Dear Abby. Some of the situations these guys get into with their Filipinas are so bad as to be almost funny. Not that I have any room to talk. My biggest diversion (perversion?) was dating the eighteen-year-old and not grasping how weird it truly was until my granddaughter celebrated her eighteenth birthday. Nope, I couldn’t continue on that road after that. Still, I never even considered asking out the mother of a girl I had been dating like one of Pea’s fans. Pea is wise beyond her years in the advice she provides.

If that wasn’t funny enough, how about these:

So, I had a good hike this morning and have no plans as yet for this evening. Something special is coming here to LTG tomorrow. I hope you’ll come back and read all about it.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future

Well I woke up Sunday mornin', with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more, for dessert
Then I fumbled through my closet, for my clothes and found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face and combed my hair and, stumbled down the stairs to meet the day

I’m no Kris Kristofferson, so after my forgotten Saturday night, my head didn’t hurt, and I didn’t have a beer for breakfast. Maybe I should have.

We rode home with Tiny Cunt (Keith) and his girl for a comfortable two-and-a-half-hour trip. Along the way, we passed the cleanest city in the Philippines.

Anyway, we arrived home a little after eleven. Swan prepared a nice ribeye steak and broccoli lunch, and then I got to work on yesterday’s massive post. When I finished that, it was time to prepare myself for my Sunday evening endeavors.

Hideaway had a decent crowd, so that was good to see. The girls enjoyed their food and thanked me profusely. I had two gin and sodas, then headed across the highway to John’s Place for dinner with my sweetheart.

With dinner over and done with, we moseyed up the highway to The Green Room to enjoy our nightcap. Swan brought some of John’s delicious chicken wings to share with our favorites there. Three more gin and sodas, and we called it a night. I satiated my sweet tooth with some canned cranberries, then hit the hay.

Here are a few other photos from my weekend on the farm:

So, been there, done that, got the t-shirt:

And life goes on until it doesn’t.

Speaking of which, this was my life twelve years ago:

It was good to see that our soon-to-be former President is being appropriately honored by the USPS:

Today’s YouTube video once again raises the question of why some folks are quitting the Philippines. I don’t know anyone bailing for other than medical issues, but maybe my circle knew the things the vlogger identifies and came anyway. I know nothing here took me by surprise. Sure, there are frustrations, but that would be true wherever I lived.

And now the jokes are on me:

Hash Monday has arrived once again. Leech My Nuggets is the Hare, and the On-Home will take place at his house here in Alta Vista. Leech is one of the best when it comes to a well-marked trail, which I always appreciate. He also provided my fellow short cutter, Pubic Head, with a map in advance so we could plot our deviations. And so we have done. I’ll let you know how that works out for us tomorrow.

I came across today’s music video in my Facebook memories. Arizona was the best place I’ve ever lived (at least in the USA), and this song has always had a special place in my heart. It’s from the opening credits of the movie Junior Bonner and was filmed in Prescott, the town where I used to live. The songwriter and performer, Rod Hart, played in a bar band in Prescott and I had the pleasure of seeing him perform live on several occasions. Give it a listen:

Morning, Arizona morning
Almost sets me free
Makes me glad to be alive
Wondering, why I started wandering
Should have stayed right here
Underneath the clear blue skies

Sadness, changing now to gladness
With the rustle of the breeze
Through the pinon trees where I lay
In the morning, Arizona morning
A place where I can smile
And see a hundred miles away

The birds are flying high above the morning
Singing to the colors of the dawn
And in my mind, I hear a gentle warning
You've been a rounder and a rambler much too long
And a rover, wishing it was over
All my battles won, resting in the sun this way

In the morning, Arizona morning
Coming home today, wishing I could stay
Wishing I could stay

Here’s the movie (slightly shorter) version that I had posted on Facebook all those years ago:

And I also came across this short video talking about some of the backstage shenanigans that resulted in a bar band performer doing the opening song in a Sam Peckinpah film:

In a rush this morning before my departure for the weekend adventure at the Haggis Hash up north in Pangasinan. The low down on yesterday was taking Swan on her longest hike yet…nearly 10K. The best moment for me was when she told me she had been ready to quit as we walked uphill on the highway at about the 6K point, but once we started strolling along the riverside, it was fun again. We finished up at a restaurant in Calapandayan we’ve been wanting to try and enjoyed our meals and the view.

Later in the day, we paid a rare visit to Cheap Charlies. I reasoned that I could get a fairly priced gin and soda, and if we got hungry, we could order some food from Foodies, the restaurant on the ground floor. And that is just what we did!

Swan ordered something called Kare Kare, a Filipino stew. I forgot to get a photo. Sorry!

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, where I enjoyed chatting with the owner, Daddy Dave.

A little bit of a disappointment at this morning’s weigh-in: 245.2, down only three ounces since December 1. Overall, I’ve lost 21.9 pounds since beginning the diet on November 1. In more positive signs, my belly circumference is down an inch to 48 and two inches off the waist to 44. I’m getting there.

Here is how I looked fifty years ago:

Gotta skip the YouTube video today…no time!

Okay, I need to pack up the laptop, as my ride will be arriving shortly. I’ll post updates during the weekend as time allows.