Another day in the Philippines life I lived to tell about. A Candy Walk, a party, and a floating bar were the legs on that stool of a Sunday. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking:

I f’d up the video of the Marian Hills portion of our walk. I think the problem is you have to turn the phone horizontally BEFORE hitting the record button. I’ll try to get it right next time. All my efforts at finding a way to flip the video after the upload were also unsuccessful. If anyone has a clue, let me know. I need one. (Warning: watching that mess for three minutes is dizzying.)

Once our candy chore was complete, it was time to prepare for party mode.

Since I was not able to participate in the feeding at Hideaway, I dropped off a bag of goodies and some cash and let the girls feed themselves.

The party was across the highway from Hideaway at the rooftop suite Tim is enjoying at the Coffee Shop hotel. It’s the nicest place in town for the money.

Typical gathering, guys drinking beer and bullshitting, and the women-folk did whatever it was that they did, which seemed to involve downing shots of alcohol yesterday. I went out for a breath of air and enjoyed the views from the roof.

So, we started the party at 1 p.m., and I was nearing capacity when we said our goodbyes and departed at 5:30. Swan wanted to stop at the Arizona floating bar to see the sunset before we went home, and I consented.

We’d both had more than enough to drink by now, so we headed ashore and grabbed a trike for home. Swan was in bed and asleep at 7:30. I was planning to do the next installment of “Squid Game” but didn’t want her to miss out, so I contented myself with some internet surfing. I enjoyed a pudding appetizer before I called it a night.

In this installment of The Story of My Life, I recount the events during one of my early weeks in Korea, including attending some required training and an introduction to aspects of Korean culture.

One of the Facebook groups I belong to is “Westminster High School Alumni.” Someone named Brenda from the Class of ’73 asked if anyone remembered her. I didn’t, but I posted my senior picture in response.

Meanwhile, I’m still poking fun at my lefty Facebook friends:

This is the first time I’ve watched this YouTube vlogger. He covered some aspects of Filipino culture that I’ve also witnessed and did so in only five minutes, which suits my increasingly limited attention span. Worth the watch, IMHO.

Some fun before I go:

And now it is time to prepare for another Hash Monday. Thanks for stopping by!

Here we go again.

I was never really into Kool-Aid as a kid, but nowadays, as a thinking adult, I apparently drink it all the time. Who knew?

Speaking of the truth, despite Facebook’s Zuckerfuck claiming a newfound love for freedom of speech, it seems like business as usual on that platform.

Meanwhile, life goes on, and I don’t give a fuck. Here’s how I filled the hours yesterday:

Here’s a one-minute video that didn’t come out quite right:

If there is a way to flip this around, I can’t find it.

My second effort turned out better:

Anyway, I probably need to get a clip-on mobile camera instead of trying to use my phone.

Back at the house, Swan comes in and says, “Look what I found.”

We went to the SOB at Green Room last night. It had been a month or so since our previous attendance. Nothing much has changed. Here’s a short video clip I took of the host bar’s routine:

I chose gin and soda last night as my beverage of choice and was disciplined enough to limit myself to one every thirty minutes. But I drank from 4:00 until 8:00, which proved to be too much of a good thing.

That only happens a couple of times a year, usually when I deviate from beer.

Today’s journey through the past is from the early days of LTG back in 2005. Politics and comment reactions from family members were the order of the day. See for yourself.

Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea tries to provide advice to the “nice guys” who always seem to finish last in relationships. I’ve been down that road too many times, but it seems I’ve finally hit my sweet spot with Swan.

Things I found funny:

And that’s all he wrote. For today, anyway.

Thursdays come and go, and I go with the flow. It’s just the way I roll.

As I’ve been scrolling through my old blog posts, trying to remember some stories from my life in those long ago days, I’ve noticed that I wrote about politics quite a bit. I don’t bother with that too much now because I’ve come to realize it’s pointless. We all believe what we choose to believe, and only rarely will anyone’s mind be changed by contrary arguments. There has been some recent back and forth in the comments concerning the Trump pardons that illustrate that point. So, for what it is worth, my take on the January 6 riots is this:

• The protesters who entered the Capitol building were trespassing, and that was a crime.
• Nancy Pelosi declined to activate the National Guard to defend the Capitol
• The vast majority of protesters did not engage in violence. The only fatality was a protester.
• The FBI played a role (agents were on the scene), and the extent of their instigation will eventually be revealed.
• The DOJ’s pursuit of felony charges against even the peaceful trespassers was excessive and unprecedented. Compare and contrast to the violent BLM protests.
• The kangaroo court of the J6 House investigation was criminal. Biden’s pardons for uncharged crimes against the Committee members are quite revealing.
• The criminal court proceedings and treatment of those arrested have made a mockery of our justice system. Many people have been denied the right to a speedy and fair trial, and this is but one example.
• One of Trump’s campaign promises was to commute the sentences and pardon the non-violent protesters. He has now kept his word, and that was appropriate.
• There is much more yet to be uncovered about the January 6, 2021 events, and I expect a full and fair investigation under Trump.

Enough said? Okay, let me tell you about my day:

I took a solo walk, and as I departed home, I thought I would walk the back roads to Waltermart and then take a Jeepney back to Barretto. But once I hit Naugsol, I didn’t feel like continuing on to Mangan-Vaca, so I circled around the Naugsol area on the new bypass road instead.

For my Thursday evening fun, I attended a gathering at a fellow Hasher’s house.

• Today’s weigh-in: 233.5
• Last week: 235.0
• November 1: 267.1
• Net loss: 33.6 pounds

Getting there, little by little.

Today’s installment in The Story of My Life demonstrates that I was posting boring drivel about my day even twenty years ago. Still, it was in Korea, and everything was new about the experience.

To the memories we shall go:

Today’s YouTube video discusses three morning habits that can prove fatal to older folks like me. Well, maybe. I usually eat something before heading out for a hike, but that’s just me. If you are doing one of those intermittent fasting programs or don’t want to eat the high-carb foods the narrator suggests, this is advice you may not want to take. I do usually sit up for a few seconds before stumbling to the bathroom for a nighttime piss. And I don’t have to strain much when it is time to poop, so that’s not a problem for me. I did have an elderly neighbor die on the toilet one morning, so it does happen. Anyway, here it is, take it or leave it:

Live to laugh:

Another day, another post. Same old, same old. But then again, so am I. Let’s see what happens next.

There is some back-and-forth in the comments regarding Trump’s pardoning of the J6 protesters. To be clear, I do not condone the behavior of those who illegally breached the Capitol grounds in a challenge to the fraudulent 2020 election results. That said, the government’s response has been over the top, including holding individuals in jail for months and years awaiting trial. And the crimes committed were nowhere near as violent as what the BLM protesters did during their summer of burning cities and destroying lives. I’m glad Trump issued the promised pardons. I mean, it’s not like they were corrupt relatives of his or anything like that.

Okay, let’s get back to the daily drivel, shall we? The Wednesday Walkers did an up, over, and down the other side hike across the Kalaklan Ridge and finished with an urban stroll on the streets of Olongapo City. Our up was a rarely taken route and the down was a first for me. I don’t particularly like walking in the city, but the streets were unfamiliar, and noting the differences in vibe between Olongapo and the Barretto ‘burbs was interesting.

My chelation treatment with Dr. Jo went without a hitch, and with that out of the way, we headed to the Outback to begin the fun part of our evening.

I made a short video of our Outback views if you care to have a look:

We moved up the beach for a grilled porkchop dinner at Mango’s.

These days, we might visit Mango’s for dinner once a month or so, so it was funny that as soon as we sat down, the waitress greeted us with: “Red wine, San Miguel Zero, one order of pork chops with an extra plate, and sides of mashed potato and veggies.” Yes, ma’am. You know us too well. And the meal was good, as always.

We went to Whiskey Girl for our nightcap. We hadn’t been there for several months, so it fit my Wednesday agenda of stopping by a seldom-visited bar. We had an additional motive for going to Whiskey Girl. One of the waitresses lives on our Candy Walk route, and Swan felt bad that the kids weren’t around last week. So, we delivered a bag of Bingo cookies and some lollipops for Kim to take home after work. We also brought sweets for the rest of the crew to enjoy during our time there. My old friends Jenn and Josie are no longer working at Whiskey, so that saved me some lady drink cash. I was impressed that the dancers kept moving on stage in a dance-like mode despite us being the only customers during our visit. I thought about tipping them, but decided my doing that in Alaska is more than enough. They got cookies and lollipops instead!

As soon as we walked out the door to head home, a trike pulled up to take us. I took a break from “Squid Game” and hit the hay early.

Twenty years ago, my world changed forever in ways I never anticipated.

I wrote about the journey to Korea here.

For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share another vlogger’s perspective on my hometown of Barretto. I agree with him about the litter but disagree that the bars are the only reason to come here. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my favorite drinking establishments, but that’s a small portion of my day.

The daily dose of smiles:

Maybe twenty years have been enough. We’ll see.

For a simple man. Tuesday is my blah day, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad; it’s just a tad duller than my regular boring days. The highlight of my new dual grocery store shopping excursion was the discovery that the YBC supermarket has lower prices than Royal, at least on some of the items I purchase. My Bingo cookies cost me 58.50 pesos at YBC, and they cost 59 pesos at Royal. Not a big difference, but still good to know that I’m on the right track getting everything I can at YBC and filling in the gaps at Royal.

When we got back home from the shopping adventure, I headed out for my lazy Tuesday neighborhood walk.

Walked by the first house I rented in Alta Visa back in 2018.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more! It’s a Tuesday tradition to hit Baloy Beach and visit the Kokomo’s floating bar. And getting there is some of the fun.

And here’s the video replay of our beach walk:

Yeah, I need to learn to edit. Just watch it at 2X speed to ease the pain.

We had the usual fun on the floater.

We treated the hardworking Treasure Island waitresses to a pizza with lollipops for dessert. They seemed happy with their bounty.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I was wearing my Trump attire as I went about my day. A couple of Filipinos asked about it, but otherwise, no one else had anything to say—until the guy sitting next to me at Treasure Island made a comment—something along the lines of “Go Trump!” I turned to see who it was, and this guy gave me the thumbs up.

So, we had a pleasant chat and shared a toast in honor of President Trump.

Then, it was time to head back home. I made a batch of sugar-free pudding and fired up Netflix for Season Two, Episode One, of “Squid Game.” So, we are two years down the road from where we left off, and the only game last night was some Russian Roulette. It didn’t end well for a couple of folks, but our two main protagonists are still pursuing their quest of discovery. I thought one of them (the cop) had been killed in Season One, so it was a bit of a surprise to see he had survived a gunshot and a fall off a cliff into the ocean. Hey, television makes miracles happen. I’m still in the game for the rest of Season Two, despite my inability to suspend disbelief.

Today’s episode in The Story of My Life tells about a wild night in Itaewon in March 2005 at one of my favorite bars, Sweet Caroline’s. One of my favorite parts of these old posts is the comments. In this one, my then-wife Carol and my sweet mother chime in about my over-indulgence in alcoholic beverages. I’ve learned a lot since then–I mostly stick to beer these days and NEVER mix in shots of the hard stuff. I’m sure I’ll discover similar lessons as my journey through the LTG archives continues.

Today’s YouTube video has the Pea conducting on-the-street interviews with Filipinas to discover what they consider attractive about foreign men. Spoiler alert: a handsome man with no money is not so handsome after all.

Some humor before I go:

An upcoming chelation therapy session with Dr. Jo, and then some Wednesday fun and refreshments on the other side of town.

Check back tomorrow for the latest tales of a simple man.

Dressing for the occasion! Yep, this is what I’m wearing today in honor of the Commander-in-Chief. He’s a felon, doncha know?

It wasn’t a surprise to see Biden issue pardons to assholes like Fauci and the members of the J6 committee.

Alright, that’s enough politics. Let’s talk about yesterday’s Hash. It was a good one! The Hare had a long and a short trail option. But guess what? My group concocted a medium-length version that hit the sweet spot. How about that–those notorious shortcutters ADDING some distance!

It was a good day to be out and about hiking. The aftermath beers were nice, too.

Looking back on some memories:

A commenter mentioned that things have gotten more boring than usual here at LTG since I’ve settled into a drama-free relationship. Well, yeah, I understand that, but I can live without the kind of excitement all those failed couplings created. Coincidentally, I came across this post from September 2020 about my fleeting attraction to a married neighbor. Talk about dodging a bullet! My commenters tried to warn me back then, but I tend to learn things the hard way. Fortunately, I saw the light before things reached the level of consummation.

I’ll be turning 70 later this year, and today’s YouTube video discusses six ways to maintain good health in these golden years. Three flights of stairs? Try climbing the Kalaklan Ridge! Standing on one leg for thirty seconds was harder than I thought it would be, but I managed. I laugh a lot, socialize, and can cook, although Swan handles most of the kitchen work these days. Anyway, I intend to keep on keeping on as long as I am able to breathe.

Into each life, some humor must fall:

I’m gonna do my Tuesday thing on the Kokomo’s floating bar when beer o’clock rolls around. (Shit, I actually wrote “due” instead of “do” in that sentence. I wasn’t kidding about my brain!)

Rolling along through another blessed Sunday. It may not be much, but it is more than enough to keep me happy. My big accomplishment was booking flights and lodging for a trip to Da Nang, Vietnam in July. We’ll also be doing two nights in Hong Kong, another place I’ve never previously visited. I’m flying budget airlines (Cebu Pacific and HK Express) and I hope I don’t regret it. The actual flights are reasonably priced at around a hundred bucks each way. The crazy thing is that the cost of a checked bag is almost as much as the ticket. Oh well, as long as we have a wheels down landing I won’t complain.

Oh, and here was a rare experience. Usually, it is my first name they spell wrong (Jhon):

Anyway, we got out of the house and kicked off the morning with another Candy Walk:

Here’s what the Candy Walk looks like in action:

Part two of the Sunday routine began with the Hideaway feeding:

Then it was time to hit the beach.

Here’s what getting there looks like:

Once the sun is gone, we are ready to head ashore for our Sunday dinner at John’s place.

After a pleasant dining experience, we headed to Wet Spot for our nightcap. A drink for Irene and Beth, some chitchat, then we were homeward bound. And so ended another Sunday.

Today is Martin Luther King Day. His dream of a nation where citizens were judged on their character rather than their skin color has sadly become a nightmare. Despite the blatant racism against white folk that is inherent in “woke” politics, there is still hope for the future.

Let’s go back in time for a moment or two:

From the LTG archives, here’s a post from 2005 showing my first residence in Korea. I stayed there over five years.

Today’s YouTube video claims that the US is reactivating the Subic Bay Naval Base. Um, that is overstating what I understand to be happening. The video really talks about what the Philippines is doing to utilize those facilities to counter China’s aggression. This is not to say that the Americans won’t be returning at some point. With Trump in charge again, anything is possible. The most likely scenario is American military personnel being deployed to Filipino bases on a rotational basis. Still, the best way to prevent a war is deterrence. Hopefully, China gets the message that starting a fight now will be too costly.

Who is up for a laugh?

And now it is time to prepare for another Hash Monday. I’ve seen a map of the trail, and it appears to be one I will enjoy. I’m going to walk to the start via My Bitch, so I should be getting a good step count today. I’ll tell you how it goes tomorrow (assuming I survive).

Nothing much to my Saturday, but I’m okay with that. Filling the hours in a comfortable way suits me just fine, and it makes the occasions where a little more excitement is injected all the more fun. In other words, it’s all good.

Kicked the morning off with a Short Saturday Sweet Slum Street Stroll.

A simple but satisfying Saturday evening in town to round out the day. My first stop was at the salon for a haircut. It always seems to grow back, but I’m not complaining. Coincidentally, whilst scrolling through my archives the other day, I came across a post about my first haircut in Korea. That was quite an experience and a reminder of one more thing I miss about my Korea life.

After the haircut, we visited Jewel Cafe for a light snack (we shared an order of chicken quesadillas). Then we moved on to Green Room for our nightcap. I always enjoy the laid-back ambiance there. I watched a couple of the girls playing some of the worst pool I’ve ever witnessed, but they were so bad it was very entertaining. And then these foreign guys (Chu said they were from Pakistan) took over the table, and I was gobsmacked watching them play what appeared to be a pro-level game. I can’t shoot that well in my dreams!

We bought a large pizza from Sit-n-Bull for the girls, and that put smiles on their faces. Then I gave them something to suck on (I brought along a bag of lollipops). The manager bought me a drink (it was my gin and soda night), and we went home feeling satisfied.

Today’s stroll down memory lane:

And nine years ago, this happened on one of “those” Itaewon nights:

How do you define stupid? How about the guy who walks home on a freezing cold night only to discover he doesn’t have his phone. So he walks back to the bar in the cold only to discover his phone is not in fact where he thought he left it. Walks all the way back to the house and finds the phone smack dab in the middle of the bathroom floor.

I hate being that guy.

Ten years ago, I posted a YouTube video of Korean girls eating American snacks for the first time. So today it will be both a memory and the daily YouTube. You are welcome!

Let’s do some more humor:

Yeah, I don’t give a fuck. It’s worth the effort to click on the link and watch this video about the most versatile word in the English language:

And here I am on the brink of another Sunday evening. I’m a prisoner to my routines, so that means a Hideaway feeding, some time on the water at the Arizona floating bar, then dinner at John’s place. Nope, I ain’t complaining.

No, that’s not what she said. But what a difference a day makes. For one thing, I got back to walking:

The big event that got me up early and kept me out all day was our annual outreach feeding at the Iram Aeta village in Old Cabalan, Olongapo. The Friday hiking group headed out from our Baloy meet-up at 0800 and arrived in Iram a little before nine. The natives were waiting expectingly for the food bag distribution. Swan and her friend Sheryl provided a spaghetti meal with cold drinks and candy for the kids. Meanwhile, the rest of us headed for Tago Falls, a place we had never previously visited. That turned out to be a very satisfying 8K adventure. By the time we got back to the village, the handouts were done, and it was time to feed the hungry hikers. Swan and her crew prepared a lunch of grilled sausages, and we washed them down with cold beers. It was close to 2 p.m. when we finally headed for home, but the fun wasn’t over yet. During the drive, the decision was made to stop at It Doesn’t Matter to celebrate our successful mission.

It was late in the afternoon when I was finally back in my Alta Vista homestead. The first thing we did was take a much-needed nap. Then I dashed out yesterday’s blog post before settling onto the sofa for the concluding Season One episode of “Squid Game.” Man, I’m tired again just telling you about the day. I’ll let the pictures fill in the gaps:

Thirty seconds of hiking video for your viewing pleasure:

I suck with these videos, but take a minute and have a look around:

I finished Season One of “Squid Game,” and I’m up for starting Season Two. As an added bonus, I finally allowed myself to read Kevin’s review. I concur with his thoughts for the most part and will delve more into that in a future post. I’m running a tad late this afternoon.

There is only one memory to share today. Today is the fourteenth anniversary of my mother’s passing. Here’s what I wrote that day.

Miss you, Mama!

Today’s YouTube is features the Filipina Pea responding to questions from her viewers. Regarding the baby making, I got that possibility sliced twenty years ago. It cost me a relationship with a woman I loved here because I couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted most.

And some humor:

Anyway, life goes on until it doesn’t. So, I’m going to take my sweetie into town soon and do some living. Back with more tomorrow.

Here’s the song my nephew Jason sang with his Filipina wife (he met her when she was working as a singer on a cruise ship) at my mother’s funeral gathering:

Yesterday was a tad too much of nothin’ for my taste, but I was under doctor’s orders not to work up a sweat, and I did as I was instructed.

The day wasn’t a total waste, however. Once the sun was going down, we attended a gathering at the next-door neighbor’s house and filled some hours socializing.

Back home, I plopped my lazy ass down in front of the television and watched TWO episodes of “Squid Game.” Episode 7 was a tad strange as well as being bloody. The rich VIPs coming to witness the violence was more than the usual over-the-top this series seems to strive for. Episode 8 brought the number of remaining contestants down to two, and sadly, my favorite character isn’t one of them. The season finale is next, and I’ll be watching that as soon as I finish this post.

No Facebook memories worthy of note today, but I’ve been working my way through the LTG archives, and I came upon a post from twenty years ago talking about my experience after three months as a little read blogger. What triggered that post was getting my first and only “instalache” (a link from the wildly popular Glenn Reynolds blog, Instapundit). If you are curious, this is the post that got the link.

Politics or humor?

I came across today’s YouTube video while reading a Philippines expat forum I’m a member of (PIatNight). Another sad tale of a foreigner who can’t afford to pay for the medical care he needs and is soliciting donations from the expat community. He wasn’t getting much sympathy from the folks at PIatNight. It’s true you should have a backup plan in place in case of a medical emergency. My health insurance from the USA isn’t accepted in my hospitals here (I have to pay and then submit for reimbursement), but if need be, I have a credit card I can use to pay for treatment. An interesting thing about the guy featured in this video is that he is a former champion powerlifter and even has his own Wikipedia page. Here’s hoping things work out for Kaz.

To the humor we must go:

Okie dokie, it’s time to fire up Netflix and finish Season One of “Squid Game.” If you are curious as to why today’s post is coming so much later than usual, I had a day today completely opposite of yesterday’s nothingness. I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow!

Seeing is believing, so keeping my eyes healthy and functioning is a worthy objective. My visit to the ophthalmologist yesterday didn’t reveal any negative surprises. I can’t see shit out of my left eye–not even the big top line on the eye chart–it’s all just a blur. So, the infection I’ve been treating with antibiotic eyedrops since last week has cleared up. The left eye exam didn’t show any retina damage. The eye doc said I could schedule a cataract removal surgery at my leisure, but it wasn’t currently something to worry about. I may see about getting some prescription reading glasses to avoid going under the knife laser for as long as possible.

Next up was a visit with Dr. Jo. After receiving my chelation injection, she went to work on removing the skin tabs on and around my eyelids. I wasn’t sure what that would involve, but it was much more unpleasant than I anticipated. She used a local anesthetic, which dulled most of the pain, but it was a slow process, and I have lots of eye boogers. After an hour of discomfort, Dr. Jo finished with my left eye, and I told her we could do the right eye next week. I’d had enough torture for one day and had no secrets to reveal.

I’m not looking forward to the next session. The things I endure to stay gwapo.

When Dr. Jo finished with me, it was after five, and I had skipped lunch, so I was hungry. Time for a visit to Sit-n-Bull. My diet aspirations aren’t all that strict. I try to achieve my goal of fewer than 1800 daily calories and avoid sweets and other unhealthy options most of the time. At least so far, I’ve been losing weight with that approach. Being hungry and having banked the calories I didn’t consume for lunch, I almost convinced myself that I was justified in satisfying my craving for a roast beef dip sandwich. But before ordering, I checked my app to see how many calories that would cost me. The sandwich alone was more than 500, so I nixed that idea and went with this instead:

I had a couple more drinks (it was my gin and soda night) at Wet Spot to ease the pain, and then we headed home to watch episode six of “Squid Game.” I was surprised to see so many regular characters killed off this time (my favorite survived). There are three more episodes to go in Season One, and hopefully, it will begin to make more sense to me by then.

I didn’t do the Wednesday group hike, and Dr. Jo told me to avoid sweating today, so I’m suffering from a walkaholic withdrawal right now. We have a special hiking event tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the trail.

I’ve booked rooms and paid for two Hash events in La Union next month (Feb 7-9 and Feb 28-Mar 2). And I’m in the early stages of planning a trip to Da Nang, Vietnam, come June. Yep, I am finally getting off my lazy ass and preparing to reengage in the travel portion of my retired life. It helps when you have a girlfriend who likes to get out of town. I’ve promised her a minimum of one excursion each month.

And another journey that is ongoing:

Today’s installment in The Story of My Life is a post about a weekend in my new Itaewon life. I visited a bar called Sweet Caroline’s, which would become one of my favorites, and began meeting fellow expats. I mentioned that I was avoiding the bars with lady drink pressure, and this exchange with my then-wife in the comments made me smile:

Carol: You could be the loneliest person ever created, and yet I would highly recommend you avoid buying drinks for pretty or even unpretty Korean females! Get my drift?

Me: yes, dear, I get it…

Carol: Sorry baby, it was the hormones talking. Of course, I meant every word of it.

Good times, and it is nice to remember those long-ago days.

Here’s a travel memory for today:

And keeping with the travel theme, today’s YouTube vlogger takes us along on his visit to Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol. Bohol has been at the top of my list of places to see in the Philippines. I hope to accomplish that soon, maybe in March.

And now for the daily dose of humor:

And now I have.

My apologies!

So, I am changing things up and staying close to home today. Neighbors Jeff and Vina are having a gathering at their place, and we will be attending. Thanks for spending some time here at LTG.

So, I guess that makes it a Ruby Tuesday! Here are some of the shiny moments I experienced. Starting with a new twist to the grocery shopping routine:

In the afternoon, I planned to visit Dr. Jo. Meanwhile, Swan would attend the RSL meeting for another chance to win the Joker Jackpot of 90,000 pesos (around $1750). Swan’s event started at 2 p.m., and my appointment was at 3:00. Of course, things don’t always go according to plan. When I arrived at Dr. Jo’s, the door was locked, and the office was dark. WTF? I rattled the door a bit, and she came and opened it. There were some issues with the power company, and the lights had been shut off without warning. Dr. Jo said she could do the chelation injection but couldn’t remove the skin tabs on my eyelids without electricity. Instead, I arranged to come back today after my ophthalmologist appointment in Olongapo.

With nothing better to do, I crossed the highway and joined the RSL meeting in progress at Mango’s. They hadn’t started the raffle drawings yet, so I had to sit there and suffer through an hour and a half of prize giveaways. Neither of us had a ticket drawn this week and the person who got to pick the joker guessed right and won the big jackpot. At least we won’t be motivated to sit through future raffles for a while.

When the RSL concluded, we made our way to Baloy Beach for our weekly visit to the Kokomo’s floating bar.

I was even inspired to do a brief video:

When our time on the floater was done, we hit the beach. Neither of us was hungry enough for a big meal, so we shared a couple of tacos.

So, nice that I decided to do another video:

When I’m sitting in a bar or restaurant, I occasionally check my phone to see what is happening on social media. And that’s how I came across this post from MacArthur’s Bar on Facebook:

Swan told me just to ignore it, but I couldn’t resist leaving this comment:

OMG! I had no idea girls in other bars are slaves who are forced to go on barfines. Who knew?

Then the owner responded to my comment thusly:

John McCrarey please reread the post …. I’m the owner and policy maker . I run a shift with no barfine or early work release . I don’t get money from selling the girl for a bar share of roughly 1500 and I’m not calling out any bar that does this . My girls make their own decisions with their body after their shift . They also choose where they want to work . After their shift they have no fear of being seen with a customer. I can’t say the same from other bars and I’m not calling out other bars as girls choose where to work .

He does make some valid points, but the “pimp girls” and slave thing seems a bit much. If I ran a bar, I wouldn’t permit barfines either. And one of my pet peeves about the bar business here is that some bars will punish the girls who go with customers after work hours, calling them “sneak outs” to avoid paying the barfine. Years ago, I invited a door girl from Hot Zone to join me for lunch on her day off. She said we’d have to leave town to eat because if someone saw her with a customer, she’d have to pay the barfine. On her freakin’ day off! Come to think of it that is a bit like slavery.

Speaking of slavery, we watched episode 5 of “Squid Game” when we returned home last night. I’m trying hard to suspend disbelief that something like this could happen, but I’m sure I’ll learn more about the motivations of those involved as things move forward. I’m committed to getting through Season One so I can read Kevin’s review, spoilers, and all. Maybe it will make more sense then.

I stocked up on sugar-free pudding, so no more brownies!

Things I remember today:

Speaking of the departed, I learned that my high school pal Steve Ewing passed away this week in California. I had lost touch with Steve years ago, but my brother Greg and Steve still maintained contact. I was also relieved to discover that my other best friend from that era, Rod Headlee, is still around. He dropped Facebook and disappeared, but Greg says Rod and his wife are doing well.

Today’s YouTube is a bit worrisome, given my current eye issues. I’ll be back to the ophthalmologist today, but given that I’m basically blind in my left eye, I expect cataract surgery is in my near future. He did a good job on the right eye a couple of years ago, so maybe I shouldn’t worry so much. We shall see. *ahem*

Let’s give ’em something to smile about:

That’s how it all went down on Tuesday. Two doctor visits are in my immediate future, and after that, we shall see. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

The afternoon and evening weren’t hard either. The easy sweetness started with the Sunday morning Candy Walk.

We didn’t have much time to prepare for the party after we got back home. I’d put the chili in the crockpot when I woke up at 5 a.m., so it was ready to go. I baked a batch of cornbread muffins, took a shower, then bagged things up and headed out.

I’ve eaten at the restaurant a few times but never been inside the hotel. Tim is staying on the rooftop, which only has his room and one other. I think “room” is the wrong word; he’s in a massive three-bedroom luxury suite. It featured a huge, fully-equipped kitchen with top-end appliances. It is undoubtedly the nicest hotel lodging I’ve ever seen anywhere, and I traveled a lot back in the day. Apparently, the Coffee Shop owners used to live here and then started renting it out as part of the hotel when they moved. Only fifty bucks a night! Truth be told, I would love living there, except it wouldn’t work for the dogs. The rooftop is on the hotel’s fourth floor, and the elevator goes as far as the third floor. An easy walk up a flight of stairs gets you to the top.

The party was taking place inside Tim’s lodging, and he had a massive layout of food (and plenty of cold beer!).

The party had begun at noon, and by 4:30 things were winding down and Swan and I departed. Downstairs, I asked if she wanted to do anything else before we headed home. She responded, “Floating bar!” And so we crossed the highway and headed for the beach.

A trike home from Arizona and a Swan steak for dinner. Then it was time to flop down on the couch for a bloody episode three of “Squid Game.” I’m still not clear about what’s going on or why, but I’ll keep watching to find out. I’m starting to get to know the main characters and have already identified my favorite. Can you guess who?

I happened to look out the living room window at some point, and this is what I saw:

Seven years ago, I enjoyed an adventurous day in Pyeongtaek:

We won’t get fooled again. Or at least I won’t, although, I really didn’t get fooled the first time.

I randomly came across today’s YouTube video. I reckon the female vlogger’s advice about “not making it too easy for your Filipina” might make sense in some situations, but it does seem to me a couple should be striving to make things easier for both of you. I’ve got a long history of some monumental relationship fuckups during my almost seven years in country, but I finally hit the jackpot with Swan.

Let’s share a smile or two:

Not to be a dick about it, but there does seem to be a cocky theme in today’s humor memes.

So, Hash Monday is upon me. Leech My Nuggets is the Hare, and he has a long, hard trail in store for us today. My “sane” group will do the first big hill and then decide where we go from there. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was still enjoyable. For our Saturday hike, we changed things up by taking a Jeepney to Subic town and then walking home from there (we usually do the opposite).

My Sunday routines are out of kilter today. We are fixin’ to do the Candy Walk, but at noon, we will be attending a party on the roof of Tim’s hotel. I’ve got some chili in the crockpot to contribute to the festivities. And that’s why you are seeing the rare morning post here at LTG. It’s now or never! Anyhoo, I won’t be doing the feeding at Hideaway, the Arizona floating bar, or the dinner at John’s place today. But all is not lost and forsaken; we went to John’s for dinner last night instead.

We started our nightcap at Green Room and finished at Wet Spot. I sponsored a mini-pool tourney between two of the Green Room gals (100 pesos to the winner, best out of three). I gave the loser 50 pesos because I’m such a nice guy. It was fun watching them play; both were very good.

Once we returned home, I fired up the TV and watched Episode Two of “Squid Game.” Not as exciting as the opening, but it moved the story forward. My goal is to watch at least one episode a day. A downside for me was sitting in front of the television, knowing there were leftover brownies in the fridge. I couldn’t resist, so had Swan bring me one. A la mode, of course. And it was so good that I snuck another. Yeah, sometimes I have zero self-control. Of course, when I was single, I could eat the brown knees instead. Don’t worry, I’m not missing those days. Much.

I’ll try and remember to do better, like I was seven years ago.

Time to check in with the Pea for today’s YouTube video. She talks about some of the cultural differences in a diverse population of Filipinas. I’ve never met a Waray, but they sound pretty wild!

And now we can smile some:

Alright, time to head out for the Candy Walk then off to the party. Damn, it’s gonna be another one of those early days I despise, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Because at the end of the day, It Doesn’t Matter. Here’s how I got from here to there:

My chelation treatment with Dr. Jo went fine once I got in to see her. I had a 2 p.m. appointment, but she wasn’t finished with the patient before me until 2:30. That’s the first time that’s happened on my visits. It wouldn’t have mattered, except I had another appointment in Olongapo at 3:30. The chelation itself only takes a few minutes, but I had to delay getting some skin tabs removed until next week. A commenter asked if the treatment was having any noticeable impact, but I’m only on my second series of injections. Dr. Jo says it usually takes around six before you can tell how well it works. Still, my blood pressure has been lower of late, which may be related to clearing the gunk out of my veins. So, I’m going to continue down this road and see where it leads.

Right as we were crossing the highway after leaving Dr. Jo’s office, a nearly empty Jeepney came by, so we had a comfortable ride to SBMA. A couple of blocks walk to Baypointe Hospital, and we arrived fifteen minutes early for my appointment with the ophthalmologist.

So, with some time to kill, I thought sharing my thoughts on video might be worthwhile. (Sorry about the low volume, I was in a crowded hospital and didn’t want to speak loud)

Anyway, I did get in at the appointed time. The eye exam itself was a bit of an, um, eye opener. My right eye (the one I had cataract surgery on) was still working at 95% efficiency. When it was time to read the chart with my left eye, I couldn’t see it at all. So, I’m basically blind in that eye. Freaked me out some, to say the least. When I got in to see the eye doc, I told him about the fluid leaks I’d been experiencing for the past couple of months. Sometimes, when I get up to pee at night, it feels like my eye is glued shut. Anyway, he took a look, and I indeed have an infection in my eyes. He prescribed antibiotic eye drops. I asked if my vision issue in the left eye was cataract-related, and he said we needed to clear the infection first so he could have a better look. I’ve got a follow-up appointment next Wednesday.

With the medical shit behind me, I was ready to check out the SBMA dining options. Well, by check out, I mean I looked at the different places we walked past on the several-block stroll to where I knew I wanted to eat–Texas Joe’s.

It was good eating! With the meal out of the way, we hoofed it back to the SBMA main gate and grabbed a taxi for the 350 peso ride back to Barretto. (I opted not to try a Jeepney because it was rush hour, and I knew they would be uncomfortably packed with riders, assuming we could even find one we could all fit inside.

The taxi dropped Teri at the pharmacy to get my eye meds, and Swan and I continued on to It Doesn’t Matter for some wine and beers to end our day.

Speaking of miracles, I managed to stay under my calorie cap:

In today’s installment of The Story of My Life, I write about my first day of work for the Army in Korea. The highlight of that day was meeting the 8th Army Commanding General, Charles Campbell. After a career of working with dipshit postal and federal government executives, I was blown away by how this guy was one of the most capable leaders I’d ever seen in action. Looking at his Wikipedia page just now, I see he died in 2016. A life well lived, and thank you for your service, sir.

Coincidentally, today’s Facebook memory is also from my Army in Korea days.

Today’s YouTube video from George’s All About The Philippines includes some views from the back streets of Barretto that I frequently walk. He visits the Pugon Corner Smoke Yard. When the place first opened, I loved visiting because it was almost as good as Texas Joe’s and much more conveniently located. Also cheaper. Alas, in the ensuing years, it has gone to shit to such an extent that I no longer go there. George also takes you out to the Arizona floating bar so you can enjoy seeing one of my Sunday hangouts.

And now for the humor:

Welp, it’s Friday evening, and you know what that means. But you would be wrong. I’m not going to the SOB because it is at La Oficina, and that’s a venue I no longer patronize. So, that gives me the freedom to try something new tonight. And what could be newer for me than actually staying home? Yep, you read that right. So, how am I gonna fill those hours? I’m going to watch TV. Specifically, a Netflix series called “Squid Game” which was recommended by the esteemed reviewer Kevin Kim. I meant to start watching it before Season Two was released, but I totally forgot about it. Now I need to make up for lost time. I’ll give you my first impressions tomorrow.

And it was good to be back at it. Did the morning group hike with the Wednesday Walkers to kick off the day.

A nap, a shower, and a blog post later, it was time to head into town. One of my Wednesday objectives is to patronize a seldom-visited bar just to change things up a little and to see what I might be missing. My plan was to start things off at Mugshots, but alas, they were not open. It could be a Wednesday thing, or maybe they open later than 5 p.m. Whatever the case, we made Cheap Charlies our plan B.

It was a gin and soda night, and after I’d downed two, we were ready to move on to another seldom-visited venue–Alaska Club. There was a pool tourney taking place, but otherwise, no other customers. Three dancers were on stage when we arrived; a little bit later, there were six. I wasn’t paying attention to them, but Swan leaned over and said, “They are waiting for you.” Oh yeah, during my rare visits to Alaska, I usually tip the dancers 50 pesos each in recognition of the fact that they are one of the few groups on stage in Barretto that actually dance, especially when there are no customers. Anyway, that’s why the other three went up on stage so that they wouldn’t miss out on the tip. I called the waitress over, gave her three one hundred peso notes, and asked for change. When the 50s arrived, I dutifully handed one to each girl on stage, and they seemed happy with their bounty. When I sat back down, three of the dancers left the stage. Made me smile.

I’d brought along some lollipops and cookies to share with the crew, and they all seemed to appreciate them as well. Here’s an example of why I love Swan. Our waitress is a lesbian. So, when it came time to hand out the goodies, I leaned over and whispered to Swan, “I’m going to tell our waitress that I know she doesn’t like doesn’t like to suck, but I bet she’d like to eat a cookie.” Swan burst out laughing. It’s nice to have a girl who appreciates my sense of humor!

Two more gin and sodas, and it was time to move on to our nightcap venue right next door at The Green Room. Two wines for Swan, four gins for me, and six lady drinks later, we’d had our fill and brought the Wednesday outing to an end. It was a good night out on the town.

A couple of Facebook memories from Korea today:

Today’s YouTube video is about a pretty shocking housing scam. The victim made some dumb mistakes, the most important one being trusting someone he thought was a friend. I made the decision when I moved here to not buy property. I’m wavering a little in that because I would like to make sure Swan is taken care of when my time on Earth is over. Hopefully, I’ll be smarter than these guys if I do.

Now for the funny stuff:

Speaking of which, I have a 2:00 p.m. appointment today with Dr. Jo for my next session of chelation therapy. After that, I have to get my sorry ass to Baypointe Hospital on SBMA to visit my ophthalmologist concerning some eye issues I’ve been experiencing. I may stick around on SBMA for dinner after that appointment. We’ll see.

Here we go again. I’ll try to keep it short and sweet today. I’ve got the grocery shopping quirks, the RSL gathering, a post-meeting visit to the Kokomo’s floating bar, and a stroll on the beach. And that was the extent of my Tuesday. It wasn’t all that exciting, but the day did have its moments.

Shopping at Royal was more frustrating than usual due to the out-of-stock bugaboo. It boggles my brain that a major grocery store can’t seem to keep popular items on the shelf. I’m not even talking about imports that may be subject to shipping delays; the things I couldn’t get yesterday are all made right here in the Philippines–stuff like the Bingo cookies I hand out on my walks and Coke fucking Zero for chrissakes. Okay, okay, I’ll calm down. There was a happy ending to the frustration. We visited a supermarket in Olongapo City called YBC to see if we could fill any of those Royal shortcomings. They had everything we wanted and more. I stocked up on Bingo cookies and found Coke Zero in the 16oz bottles I prefer over cans. Royal hasn’t had the bottles going on a year now. An added bonus was getting all the candy we usually have to purchase at the Subic Market Place. I’ll be making YBC a regular stop on my shopping Tuesdays henceforth.

Next up was the Return and Services League meeting that began at 2:00 p.m. I hadn’t been for over a year, so I needed to renew the memberships for Swan and me (1050 pesos for both). The gathering was at Mango’s, and we were lucky enough to get there early and find good seats. Beer cards were available for purchase (four beers for only 250 pesos), which was a reasonable discount. I bought two cards during the course of my visit.

So, the RSL meeting (or at least this one) was all about the raffles, of which there were three. We did stand for a moment of silence to honor those who served defending Australia as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The first raffle was for a variety of prizes (mostly liquor and grocery items), but the big items were two tickets for a chance at the Joker jackpot. One of the reasons for the large turnout is that the Joker pool is now over 75,000 pesos ($1500.). Swan and I both contributed 500 pesos for tickets to the drawing, but alas, our numbers were not drawn. The two folks who were selected had to guess where the joker card was on a board. Only ten cards (out of 52) had not as yet been turned over, so the odds were in their favor. Both of them guessed wrong, so next week, the pot is larger, and only eight cards remain. Will I go and try again? Probably not.

My main gripe about the RSL gathering is the early start, the same reason I retired from dart league. I’ve got my schedule and routines, and heading out before two messes me up. The other thing is I found sitting around waiting for the next raffle to begin excruciatingly boring. Once the Joker drawing was done, the last pot was called the 50-50. You purchase as many separate tickets as you want at 100 pesos each, and if your ticket is drawn, you get half of that pot. We bought 500 pesos worth. They kept going around the room soliciting additional ticket purchases, and I grew increasingly impatient and frustrated because I was ready to go. At last, they did the drawing, and lo and behold, my number was drawn, and I became 6500 pesos richer. That more than covered my expenses for the afternoon.

With my refurbished wallet in pocket, we made our way to Baloy Beach.

So, with eight beers under my belt at the RSL and four more on the floater, it was time to make our way home.

My judgement was once again impaired and I finished off the apple strudel leftovers along with the rest of the ice cream. But that’s all I had for dinner, so it balances out, right?

So, here’s another episode in The Story of My Life. My first dining experience in a traditional Korean restaurant, sitting on the floor and using metal chopsticks, wasn’t a total disaster, and I did learn from it. It was the beginning of my time in Korea and it only got better from there. I will always remember and miss those days.

Going even further down memory lane, forty years ago, I was immersed in another alien world–Oklahoma.

Twenty years ago, when LTG was still something new, I linked to a post from Althouse about intelligence as a factor in mate selection. The comments on my post made me smile when I re-read it today, with both my wife at the time (Carol) and my high school girlfriend (Cherish) weighing in. What a life I’ve lived! And yes, I did write posts with some substance back in those days.

Today’s YouTube video is evidence of just how low I can go. Hey, I’m trying at least. And this really is just for practice, so bear with me. I’ll get better, I promise.

Yikes! Clear your head with these:

Okay, here’s how my day started:

No idea what’s coming next today, or where it is happening, but I expect it might involve some beer. I’ll let you know about today’s hike and tonight’s debauchery tomorrow.

You still here? Well, if you thought the YouTube video I posted above is bad, get a load of this one I did earlier:

I’ve got a long way to go! But I’ll do better. Starting with holding the phone so the video isn’t sideways. Oh, and my story “when I moved to Korea…” was supposed to be “when I moved to the Philippines.” The only way to go from here is up!