One of those days yesterday where everything just felt a little bit off. I’ve struggled with bouts of depression throughout my life, and thankfully, my black thoughts have not reached that level yet. Still, another night of little sleep set the tone for the day. My f’n brain just won’t shut up and let me rest sometimes. The transition to my elderly seventies continues to be a struggle, the hardest part being acceptance that the end is coming, ready or not. That, coupled with the realization that dreams of the future are a thing of the past, enhances the reality that, like it or not, what I have is what it will be until it is gone. I do take some comfort in knowing it could be a hell of a lot worse.

My driver, Danny, who has been with me since I first moved to the Philippines, told me on the way to the grocery store that he was resigning. That was more than a little surprising. We stopped at the ATM, and when I got back in the car, Danny and Swan were arguing loudly in Tagalog. I told them I didn’t want to hear it. Later, I tried to get Danny to explain to me why he was quitting, but all he would say was that he didn’t get along with my girlfriend. Later, I got a message from Danny’s son, reiterating that the problem was his relationship with Swan. Yeah, Swan has been interjecting herself in the price negotiations over what Danny charges me. Danny asked for 20,000 pesos to drive us to La Union and back. Swan said that was too much, and she did the car rental route with driver, gas, and tolls, and it cost us 16,500 pesos. Apparently, that was the final straw for Danny. Oh, well. I don’t need the drama, and if he isn’t happy, by all means, he should find a new client to overcharge.

My legs were stiff in the lower calf area, which is unusual for me. Must have been stress from those ups and downs on Monday’s Hash. It made walking painful, but I forced myself to go out and hike the neighborhood after grocery shopping. It was good to ease my mind with music from my Spotify playlist filling my earbuds. My legs felt better when I was done, too.

Swan needed to go to the drugstore to refill my prescriptions, so we skipped Baloy Beach and did our evening out in Barretto. I took my usual perch at Sloppy Joe’s and watched the world pass by outside. Swan did her shopping and, when she returned, said she wasn’t hungry. I was, and ordered a pulled pork sandwich, which was pretty good for pub fare. Next, we paid a rare visit to the Alaska Club and enjoyed the music and company of our waitress, Alex. She got two lady drinks, and the five dancers each received a 50-peso tip in appreciation of their efforts. We did our nightcap at Cloud 69, and also had a nice time there.

And the sands in the hourglass of life finished with another day.

The dollar continues to grow stronger against the peso. It’s actually over 59 pesos to the dollar this morning, about the highest I’ve seen it. Conversely, I noted in buying my imported foods at Royal yesterday that the prices have gone up considerably. For example, Betty Crocker brownie mix is $5.90 a box, up from $5.30. I guess it all evens out.

From the December 2014 LTG archives, this post commemorates the tenth anniversary of Long Time Gone. Time flies, and I enjoyed reading my reflections on my life since moving to Korea. More changes were on the horizon — painful ones — but I survived and here I am. I also quoted one of my favorite Sara Teasdale poems:

It was a night of early spring,
    The winter-sleep was scarcely broken;
Around us shadows and the wind
    Listened for what was never spoken.

Though half a score of years are gone,
    Spring comes as sharply now as then—
But if we had it all to do
    It would be done the same again.

It was a spring that never came;
    But we have lived enough to know
That what we never have, remains;
    It is the things we have that go.

Truer words were never spoken.

Today’s YouTube video says the science is settled on these twelve myths. I don’t believe it.

Smile for me:

On and on it goes. Today’s hike with the Wednesday Walkers was an ass-kicker, I’ll tell you about that tomorrow. Now it’s time to find out what Wednesday evening has in mind for me.

I’m running a bit late today, so I’ll make the catch-up post as short and sweet as possible. Typical Tuesday for the most part, so not a lot to say about it anyway. When we finished grocery shopping, I sent my driver and helper home to unload, and Swan and I walked the half-kilometer or so to the mall to restock my wardrobe. It was only 9:30, and the mall doesn’t open until ten. Perhaps it was coincidental, but I remembered this place that was perfectly suited to satisfy my sudden craving for a waffle.

Then it was on to the SM Mall next door, and the department store happened to have the cargo shorts I needed on sale for 500 pesos a pair. That’s less than half price, so instead of buying the three pairs I intended, I bought seven. Should be enough to last a lifetime.

As we made our Tuesday pilgrimage to Baloy Beach, we decided to change things up some and dine at Harley’s instead of our usual Treasure Island.

After dinner, we walked back to Barretto and paid a rare visit to Nipsey’s Bar. That meme I posted above applies…crap music at a loud volume. We asked that something more appropriate be played (we were the only customers), and they put on some classic rock, but didn’t turn it down. Even good music played at a distortion level is hard on the ears. We didn’t stay long and likely won’t be back.

We did our nightcap at Nipsey’s sister bar, Cloud 69, and it was fine. We shared drinks and chatted with our regular waitress, Sheryl, and one of the friendly baklas.

So, I wouldn’t call it a diamond of a Tuesday, but it was at least a ruby.

In this post from the September 2014 LTG archives, I write about settling back into my American lifestyle. One big difference between living in Seoul and Columbia, South Carolina, is the lack of public transportation. I could drink like a fish in Korea, then catch the subway home. As much as I like drinking, I don’t believe in drinking to excess and driving, so I needed to ensure I was always under the legal limit after playing darts. I bought a breathalyzer and always gave it a blow before starting the car. I was never over the limit and learned that three low-alcohol beers an hour kept me in the safe zone. Of course, nowadays I don’t drive at all, so I just have to worry that the drunks driving here don’t run into the trike I’m riding on the way home.

Today’s YouTube video is once again from Reekay—this time, he addresses expat burnout. It’s going on eight years for me now, and I still have no issues or regrets about the move. Of course, many irritations come with living here, but you either learn to accept them or let them drive you crazy. I’m blessed to have the resources not to have to reside in the midst of the worst of it. And the mantra still applies: “Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way.”

A little humor helps, too.

And on we go from here. An exciting hike today in a not-so-good way. I’ll share the gruesome details tomorrow.

To be clear, I hate King’s politics but love his writing. I’ve read most of his books, my favorite being The Stand.

So, to explain the title of this post: Nothing is something because without nothing, you would not appreciate the something in your life. My yesterday was a great example of that. Even by my low standards, it was a nothing day. They call it a “tropical depression” for a reason, I guess. Suffice to say, because of the rain, I never left the house until beer o’clock. As I departed the neighborhood under the protection of an umbrella, a passing trike driver asked if I wanted a ride. Usually, I walk into town, but this time I accepted the offer. The driver asked me where I was going, and I responded honestly, “It Doesn’t Matter.” He knew the way. The Hash barhop was scheduled to begin at five p.m., and I arrived thirty minutes early. The rain continued, and by six, only a handful of hardy Subic Hashers were in attendance, so the barhop plan was canceled.

Swan and I did a nightcap at Green Room, then called it a night.

Some other tidbits from yesterday: I had a total of 4079 steps, by far the lowest of the year. My “sleep score” as measured by Fitbit was 52 for the second day in a row. That’s rated ‘poor’.

I don’t remember much about my sleep cycle, but last night there was a song I don’t remember playing over and over in my head. And then I’d awake from some dream fragment, and my brain insisted on analyzing it for hidden meaning. Plus, I have to get up and pee every hour or so, so that doesn’t help a good night’s sleep.

It’s not all bad news; my blood pressure this morning was 119/75. My average over the past ten days is 128/73. Anything under 130 I consider a good indicator, given my high blood pressure history.

I’ve scheduled an appointment with the pulmonary doctor on Thursday. Coincidentally, it was exactly one year ago that I saw her for the first time. Back then, I was having difficulty breathing, and my blood oxygen levels were in the dangerously low range (I checked just now, and I’m at a healthy 98). I’ve not used my oxygen tank or nebulizer for months, and I’m happy about that. So, why the appointment? I’m still hacking up phlegm, and I’ve noticed that hill climbs are getting a tad more tiring lately. I’m hoping to keep from deteriorating to where I was last year or at least get some reassurance that I’ve got nothing to be concerned about. Other than old age.

I’ve been reading a weekly blog about Thailand called StickmanBangkok for several years now. I was sad to see his post this morning saying that he is giving it up to focus on his life in New Zealand (Stick moved back to the homeland five years ago). Even though I rarely visit Thailand these days (I like Vietnam better now), it was good to read about what is happening there. Stick also includes links to local news stories, and these two caught my eye today:

Elderly American falls to death in Pattaya. He was 72 years old and jumped from the roof of his apartment building. I guess I’m technically elderly too, but that ain’t the way I want to go

BLIND GERMAN MAN UNAWARE OF THAI WIFE’S DEATH INSIDE THEIR HOME. The German man was 69 (they didn’t call him elderly, at least), and he was waiting for his wife to come home from her taxi driving job. Turns out, she had hung herself. She was his only means of support, so he is especially fucked now.

So, I’ll take my nothing day over what those two had to deal with. And by golly, I can even turn a nothing day into a post here at LTG. You are welcome!

Speaking of LTG posts, back in August 2014, I made a visa run to Osaka, Japan, and wrote a play-by-play account of the experience. Those were the days!

Today’s YouTube video is from another new vlogger I found. Here she offers her insights on the “poverty trap” that keeps Filipinos poor. Obviously, I’m no expert, but I have seen some of this in my time here. The video is only five minutes long, so it’s an easy watch. Make sure the cc captions are on, though, because she throws out some Tagalog phrases now and then.

Lame is as lame does:

It’s another Hash Monday, and today we celebrate the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers’ 32nd Anniversary. There are three trail options: 12K, 7K, and 5K. I was thinking of the midrange option, which involves being transported to Gordon Heights in Olongapo City, then a trek up, over, and back down the Kalaklan Ridge. I saw the map and was a little concerned about the steep descent, and asked the Hare about it. He told me the up is a killer and suggested I’d be wise to stick to the short trail. Well, if the Hare says it, it must be so. 5K for me it is! At least the sun is shining again today, and I’ll find out if something really is better than nothing.

Remembering one of my favorites, Keith Whitley, who departed this life at thirty-four years old.

What have I got that’s newsworthy today? Um, this is me we are talking about, remember? Well, there is this:

San Miguel Zero is back in stock all over town. Hooray!

As if Trump wasn’t enough, now the leftards are trying to say JRR Tolkien was a racist who demonized “people of color.” Um, Orcs aren’t people. And actually, if you read the books, you’d know that most of Sauron’s minions were redeemed after the dark lord’s demise. Anyway, the link above totally destroys the idiotic narrative and redeems the honor of my favorite author.

The Subic Bay Hash is celebrating its 32nd Anniversary tomorrow. Hopefully, this rain is gone by then. As a prelude, there will be a Hash barhop this evening, starting at five p.m. Of course, I’ll be there to support my Mother Hash and welcome our out-of-town visitors.

And now for the old news about yesterday. We did our weekly Decay Dance. Due to the conflict with today’s barhop, I conducted the Hideaway feeding a day early. Afterward, I dined with Swan at John’s place. Then we stopped by Red Bar and Jumpin’ Jacks before heading home. Yeah, exciting stuff, I know.

Swan asked the woman raking the leaves into piles why she even bothered. The woman responded that mosquitoes live among the leaves, so they burn the leaves to kill the biters. I guess when I see smoke in the air from now on, I’ll say that at least it is better than dengue.

There were two incidents of a kid trying to sneak a second bag of goodies by hiding the first handout. That irked Swan, but she didn’t let it ruin the overall experience.

And that’s the way it was. Speaking of which, it’s my birthday in the August 2014 LTG archives, the year I turned 59. Here’s what I was feeling back then:

I’ve gotten older but I can’t say I’m all that much wiser.  No great insights as I enter the last year of my fifties.  Truth is, I’m feeling a little melancholy.  It’s not just that with each passing year mortality looms ever larger, it’s more that what once were limitless possibilities and opportunities have been reduced to an uncomfortable understanding that this is what I’ve become, and it is all that I will ever be.

Those feelings have been amplified significantly at 70 years old. I lost a lot over the intervening eleven years…a wife I loved dearly, my American life, including a paid-for house, and I’ve become estranged from my family. So, the endgame I thought about back then was nothing compared to the reality of what my life has become. But I’ll keep holding on to what I have; it’s way better than the alternative.

For today’s YouTube video, you can’t go wrong with the Filipina Pea, especially when she is responding to questions from her viewers. Enjoy her unique insights:

The jokes are on me:

Sometimes I think I might be portraying my life as an endless, meaningless grind. From the drivel I post here, that might appear to be the case. The reality for me is that I’m elderly now, and dreams die before we do. But keeping things in perspective, I’m living the dream in my retirement community. I’ve got similar oldsters who enjoy getting together for a hike, and plenty of places to go in the evening for socializing and liquid refreshments. And, of course, I’ve found a wonderful woman to share it all with, who genuinely wants to take care of me in my dotage. I am blessed.

I’m not going to waste a lot of your time today telling you about my yesterday. That’s what the pictures are for.

Here’s the story behind the shack. Now, we only walk this way once a month or so. Kids are living there, so we’d do our cookie delivery thing. One day, we noticed the young mother wasn’t around, and the lola (grandmother) told us the mom had died and she was now taking care of the kids. She was very grateful for the cookies and didn’t ask for anything else, but it somehow didn’t seem like enough. I had a 500 peso note in my wallet, so I gave it to her. She almost burst into tears expressing her gratitude. Now, whenever we pass by and she is home, we make her day with a 500 peso gift.

It was nice to have Scott along with us once again, helping me take these photos. (That’s a nice way of saying I stole some of these from his post.)

Our abbreviated Friday evening on the town looked like this:

Swan has a friend visiting from Baguio, and they wanted to meet up with us in Barretto. The arrangement was to gather at Queen Victoria.

A busy night in the bar. Maybe the low season is finally coming to an end. Swan’s friend messaged that they had decided to go out to dinner instead of joining us. No big deal, I’m an early bird anyway, so we headed home a bit before eight.

I trust that recap wasn’t too painful for y’all.

Back to the August 2014 LTG archives, when some days were a little more interesting, like that time JR Pub in Itaewon banned “Africans” to stop the spread of the Ebola virus. As you might expect, all hell broke loose. It wasn’t one of my regular hangouts, but I weighed in on the controversy. I just checked out their Facebook page, and they are still in business.

Today’s YouTube video talks about what happens when you die. It doesn’t sound all that bad the way they tell it, but I’m in no hurry to find out if they are right.

And now for the cringe:

Oh, well. It is what it is. And more is on the way.

Keeping it simple and more of the same ain’t so bad if the same is what you enjoy. And so on it goes.

On Thursdays, Swan and I walk by ourselves. I asked her where she wanted to go, and I was a little surprised when she said, “Let’s do your Bitch trail.” Sure, why not?

Seeing this journey on the map makes me smile because it has a dick-like appearance. But it really isn’t that hard.

I mentioned earlier about the sameness of most of my days, but I do look for ways to tweak things a tad now and then. Last evening, I surprised Swan by starting things off with a drink on the rooftop of the seldom-visited Central Park Reef Hotel.

We only come to Central Park Reef three or four times a year, so it has a fresh and new feel about it when we visit. It’s a high-end hotel and priced accordingly. No San Mig Zero, and my Light was 140 pesos (versus an average of 80 at the other bars I frequent). We didn’t stay for dinner as we weren’t that hungry, and nothing on the menu called for us to reconsider.

We didn’t have a plan as to where to go next. Cheap Charlies is practically next door, and I asked Swan if she wanted to give them another chance. She hesitated at first, but then agreed to do so. The offending bartender wasn’t working, and they had wine in stock, so it worked out fine. As we sat on our perch, taking in the highway view, Swan commented that she enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere and music mix and admitted she had missed coming here.

Lady drinks at Cheap Charlies are 250 pesos each. The max I’ll pay anywhere is 200 pesos. It’s not that I’m a cheap Charlie, I often will buy two drinks at the lower price, but more than 200 pesos feels like a scam. When we ordered chicken wings to snack on, I bought the girls some chicken fingers (240 pesos) to share. So, win-win.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. It’s always quiet there when we arrive shortly after opening, and I had our waitress acknowledge that we were the best customers. Also, coincidentally, the only customers. Others did arrive during our visit, but I failed to re-ask the who’s best question.

I deem it was not bad for a Thursday.

I’m now in the August 2014 archives of LTG, and I’ve revisited the rare post with substance where I talk about religion. One thing that struck me was how little things have changed in the intervening eleven years. People are, of course, free to believe what they choose, unless they choose to believe that killing folks who believe otherwise is justified.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never seen before. The video caught my eye because it purports to be about living off-grid in the Philippines. I’ve fantasized about what life must be like for those people living out in the wilds I hike through with no roads, power, or running water. I wouldn’t last twenty-four hours in that lifestyle. Of course, what this guy calls roughing it is, in reality, a life of luxury compared to his neighbors’. Off-grid, my ass.

I liked them, maybe you will too:

Time to find out what’s going to happen next. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Greetings from my little retirement community in paradise. Some days are better than others here, but I’m happy to keep taking them as they come. Yesterday was typical of my walkaholic/alcoholic lifestyle, and that suits me just fine. Here, see for yourself:

Later, the Wednesday Walkers convened:

That guy above in sandals is visiting from the States without proper hiking footwear. By the end of the hike, his feet were bleeding. Still, he told me it was the best time he’s had in the Philippines. I guess you can take that one way or another, but he seemed to enjoy himself despite the foot pain.

For my after-hike lunch, Swan surprised me with this:

At beer o’clock, we made our way to Sloppy Joe’s. Took our usual seats facing the street and settled in to enjoy the view.

As I watched him salvage the remains from the bottom of beer bottles, I was tempted to send him over a fresh one, but then I figured it might spoil the taste he’s grown accustomed to. So, we both sat across the street from one another, enjoying the beverages of our choice. I had to pay for mine, though.

We visited Green Room for the first time in over a week. Manager Jim has now left the job, although the circumstances of his departure are unclear. Owner Dave continues to recover, or maybe it is more like improve, from the ailments that had him on his deathbed recently. I’m told he’s out of the hospital at least. The pending sale of Green Room and Wet Spot is apparently still in process. Sorry to see Dave go, but there is more to life than bar ownership, and he should enjoy the time he has left as best as he is able.

I also had a chat with the mamasan about an issue a customer complained about on one of the internet forums I frequent. The guy said a girl he had taken out from the Green Room stole money and food from his apartment, and when he complained, the issue was ignored by the bar. There are two sides (at least) to every story, and the mamasan said his story didn’t add up. Anyway, if you are a purveyor of bar prostitutes, you are bound to be disappointed with your rental occasionally.

We headed for home after our time at the Green Room. And so another daily grain of sand dropped from the hourglass of life.

Today’s post from the July 2014 LTG archives recounts the tale of how I ran into an old friend and blog reader, Neil, aka Thirsty, at Dolce Vita in Itaewon. I haven’t heard from Neil in the comments for a while, but I hope all is well with him and his family.

Reekay responds to some viewer questions in today’s YouTube video. As usual, he’s full of good advice. My daughter-in-law no longer speaks to me because she disapproves of my lifestyle in the Philippines. I rarely hear from my son as well, but that might be about politics. Maybe one of the blessings of being elderly is not giving a shit anymore. If people choose not to be a part of my life, I’ll live whatever is left without them. It’s their loss, and once I’m gone, it ain’t gonna matter anyway.

Now for the funny business:

Some more earthquakes here in my province this morning, but I slept right through them.

Onward with my Thursday, then. Thanks for stopping by.

Meanwhile, life goes on. Tuesdays feel like that day of the week when there is nothing new to say: grocery shopping, neighborhood walk, Baloy Beach. Been there, done that. Over and over. Rinse and repeat. So, we’ll skip most of that nonsense and keep this post blessedly short.

I do want to share about our first time visit to a new venue: Champs Sports Bar. Well, more accurately, a newly named venue formerly known as the Drunken Sailor at the Baywatch Resort on Baloy Beach. We had gone to Drunken Sailor twice before, and it sucked so bad that we never went back. The owner, who also owns MacArthur’s in Barretto) has been posting on Facebook about Champs, so I thought I’d go see for myself. It’s been redecorated with wall murals of sports stars instead of drunk sailors, so that’s an improvement. They had a couple of cute waitresses, and service was good. Wine by the glass was available, which hadn’t been the case previously. The music was too loud and not to our liking when we arrived, but they turned it down and changed the genre when we asked. We were the only customers during our short visit.

Swan still needed to get her toes in the sand, so we paid our tab and hit the beach.

Our beach walk took us past Kokomo’s, and once again, it was closed. So, as far as beach bars go, Champs doesn’t have any competition. We may make Champs a weekly stop, at least until the floating bar returns to service.

Then we did our Tuesday routine of dining at Treasure Island.

We decided to do our nightcap at Snackbar and enjoy its unique view of the 7-Eleven parking lot. There was a big, big-spending customer there, treating the team to lady drinks, and he had a pizza delivered for them all to enjoy. I’ve seen him there before, back in the days when I used to frequent this venue more often, and he seems like a nice guy.

Just prior to our departure, the MacArthur’s/Champs owner came by and went inside with the Snackbar owner. As usual, they both ignored me. Not that I care, it just seems that being friendly is a good business tactic.

And that’s how another Tuesday came to a close.

It’s now July 2014 in my journey through the LTG archives. This post had me shaking my head as it recounted the time I was admonished in Korea for being too loud. And here I am in the Philippines, where one of my top complaints is about how noisy everyone around me seems to be. Is that what they mean by Karma?

Changing things up a little for today’s YouTube video. It’s a quiz to see if you recognize songs from the 1960s. As bad as my brain is, I still managed to score 100% correct. How about you? (It’s only a three-minute effort.)

And you knew these were coming for you:

And now, on with my Wednesday.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but almost all the bars in town are out of Zero. There was none at last week’s Hash either. The San Miguel distributor says it is “not available,” but I have no idea why that might be. Oh well, desperate times call for desperate measures, so San Mig Light it is for now. I just need to adjust my consumption level to compensate for the higher alcohol content (5% versus 3%). Wish me luck with that. Queen Victoria didn’t have Zero at the RSL event last night, and this was the result:

Yeah, the joke was on me.

Oh well, at least we haven’t been hit by a killer quake. Yet. I’m seeing a lot of posts on Facebook claiming we are overdue for a massive earthquake on the fault line that runs through the Philippines. The scattered ones we’ve experienced these past two weeks are a precursor of what’s to come, and we should prepare accordingly. Yeah, right. I’m not going to start sleeping under the bed. Unless, of course, I have too many Lights.

Life goes on. Until it doesn’t. In the meantime, here’s how I’ve been filling the hours. We kicked off Sunday morning with the Sweets Stroll.

Next on the Sunday agenda was attending the Returned Services League (RSL) charity raffle held at Queen Victoria Bar. I arrived at four p.m. and things went on until 7:30. I didn’t take it Light-ly, and invested 2000 pesos in drawing tickets. At the end of the night, all I had to show for it was a pretty good buzz. Still, it was for a good cause, so no complaints.

By the end of the event, I didn’t have anything left, so we were homeward bound. It’s good to know your limits, otherwise I might have gone to the karaoke joint next door.

Moving forward through June 2014 in the LTG archives, I pay a Father’s Day tribute of sorts to my dad in this post.

My dad made it to 83 despite his lifetime of beer drinking and smoking. Ever since I turned 70, I’ve been feeling like it could all end tomorrow. Today’s YouTube video explains why fools like me don’t last long past the seventy-year milestone.

‘Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.’

–Mark Twain

On now to what I call humor:

And here we are again on the cusp of another Hash Monday. No idea what the Hare, Demolition Derby, has in store, but I’ll bring my shortcutting tools just in case. The On-Home is at It Doesn’t Matter, so that will make the after-Hash easy to get to at least. Check here tomorrow to see how it went.

I’m not allowed to own a weapon in the Philippines since I’m not a citizen. Same with property. Not that it matters, if I don’t like it, I’ll just leave. There has been a whole lot of shaking going on around here of late:

Otherwise, life goes on pretty much as it always does. My big accomplishment yesterday was making the climb up to the Kalaklan Ridge, something I hadn’t done for a while. I chose the easiest route I knew, but we were stymied by a newly constructed fence blocking our path. So we made a new way up that was steeper, but shorter. So, it all worked out. It was great to be on top of my world once again.

It was good to get some elevation on a hike again. Speaking of getting high, Swan came along for my beer o’clock trek to Barretto. We had a pre-dinner drink at the seldom-visited Hangout Bar, then moved on to Mango’s for dinner.

After our meal, we ventured up the highway to Queen Victoria for our nightcap.

I had a nice chat with the manager at Queen Victoria, and we talked about some of the current issues around town, including the demise of the SOB. The final show is now slated for Halloween night. Queen Victoria also participates in a monthly event with Red Bar and Thumbstar called “The Battle of the Bars.” They are looking to expand the number of participants, and it may one day be what the SOB no longer is. I intend to check out the next battle later this month.

On to June 2014 in the LTG archives. In a post called “Ebb and Flow,” I wrote about the changes taking place in the Itaewon bar scene as the old familiar faces left and were replaced with new ones. It was definitely a transient lifestyle back in those days. I got a chuckle out of this line in my post: “I can’t help but wonder how much longer I can live the lifestyle I’ve come to know and love.  Somehow I don’t see myself climbing those notorious steps up to the bar (and drunkenly navigating my way back down) in another ten years when I’m pushing 70.” And yet, here I am still climbing the stairs to bars in Barretto. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

At least I’m not in jail. In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea talks about the trouble a vindictive Filipina can cause an expat if she feels he’s done her wrong. It reminded me of how I came to discover Barretto. Back in my tourist days, I had rented an AC bargirl for a night of debauchery. We went out for dinner and a show, but when we got back to the room, she didn’t want to do the deed I’d paid for. So, I told her to leave. She said, “What about my tip?” I responded that she hadn’t earned a tip. Then she picked up the phone and said, “I’ll call the police and say you took advantage of me.” I called her bluff, and she left. Later, I posted on one of the nightlife forums about what happened, named her and the bar, and warned others not to waste their money. Well, her boss saw my post and fired her. Then my phone blew up with messages about how I ruined her life and she was going to make me pay for what I did. I had images of cops breaking down my door or maybe getting shot by helmeted riders on a motorbike. So, I checked out of my hotel and caught a taxi to Barretto. I wound up liking it a lot more than AC, and the rest is history.

Humor time:

Speaking of changing things up, we have alternative plans for Sunday, so we will do our Sunday routines today. So, I’ve got the Hideaway feeding, dinner at John’s place, and some beverage consumption at Red Bar and Jumpin’ Jacks on the horizon. Ain’t life grand?

No great insights derived from another day of living in paradise. But I did achieve a new way to dispense water.

Yeah, it’s good to have something new and exciting to blog about! In other news, Swan decided to stay home last evening, declaring it a “me day.” Well, I enjoy her company when I’m out and about, but I would never impose my lifestyle on her or otherwise insist that she join me every time I go out. Since I was on my own, I decided to visit the bars on my “no go” list to see if they warranted reconsideration. And it also proves I’m not a slave to my habits.

First stop, BarCelona. I’d 86’d this place mainly because they insisted on playing crappy music at a loud volume. So, upon arrival, I noted that the music was acceptable and the volume was comfortable. I also noticed that the place was deserted. I’m used to being the only customer, but yesterday there was only one waitress in attendance instead of the usual half a dozen or so. I asked my server what was up with that, and she told me the others are scheduled to arrive later in the evening. Ah, okay. That actually makes sense; no need to pay wait staff when there are no customers to serve.

As I was finishing my second beer, the bartender showed up, greeting me as she walked by. And then the music changed back to crap and the volume increased. I paid my tab and left.

Cheap Charlies had always been one of my favorite spots, but the bartender saying I was stupid to be upset when they didn’t have wine for Swan inspired me to take my business elsewhere. So, it’s been a few months since that incident, and I was alone, so I climbed the stairs to see what I’d been missing.

I was somewhat surprised when the offending bartender came and sat down beside me, saying It’s been a while since we’ve seen you here. Um, you said I was stupid, remember? She gave me a funny look, as if she didn’t remember that, and just said it was nice to see me again. Okay, I accepted the olive branch and gave her cookies and lollipops to share with the girls. Then I went back to enjoying my beer and the view.

And then I ran into a guy I had met several months ago in a bar on Baloy. I’d see him around occasionally, but last night we had a chance to talk, and he’s an interesting guy—Air Force vet who spent some time at Osan in Korea. He introduced his girlfriend, a nursing student, and said he has really settled into a comfortable life here. I’m happy things are working out for him.

After wrapping things up at Cheap Charlies, I was ready for some grub. Myleen’s is right across the road, so I headed there.

After satiating my hunger, I was ready to continue my journey to bars that pissed me off in the past. Next stop, Cyclone. Another place that put me off with inappropriately loud music during my last visit. I’m happy to report that was not the case last night.

Cyclone has a nice ambiance and bills itself as a “sports bar,” but I’m not sure they’ve found a niche to fill in Barretto. During my brief visit, several people popped in, looked around, and then departed. We’ll see how long they last. I watched a couple of the bored waitresses playing pool, and then finished my beer and moved on to my last stop of the night next door at Cloud 69.

It was good to see my waitress friend Sheryl back at work, so I bought her my first lady drink of the night. Once again, no other customers but me.

And that’s where my “me time” came to an end. Back home just before eight and in bed shortly thereafter. Early to bed, early to rise meant waking up at 4:15 this morning

A couple of hours later, after the sun came out, the view looked like this:

Another bar I choose not to visit is MacArthur’s. I considered going last night, but it was on the wrong side of town. I noticed they have outside seating now, which I like, so maybe one of these days. Anyway, it’s a small place and the owner fills it with attractive young women. Apparently, some issues have arisen with other unnamed bar owners, at least judging from this post on Facebook today:

It’s still May 2014 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I share my deep thoughts after observing the parking lot beneath my Seoul apartment balcony.

Today’s YouTube video features Reekay discussing dental care prices in the Philippines. I’ve been blessed to find one of the best dentists I’ve ever used right here in Barretto (Dr. Raymond Barrera). Much cheaper than what I used to pay in the USA and Korea.

Nine years ago, during my first-ever visit to Pattaya, I walked to Walking Street.

And maybe these will make you show your teeth:

And that’s all for now.