The craziness of the left remains at full volume. Today, the lies are that the man arrested for the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a conservative Republican. I’m not sure who they are marketing this nonsense to, but you’d have to be beyond stupid to believe it. I guess I just answered my own question. This captures the way I see it succinctly:

The social media wasn’t all crap. Here’s a tribute song by Rhianna that sets the right tone:

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. I posted the above video on my Facebook and said, “Put away the hate for a moment.” Here’s the first comment I received:

Your the one putting the hate out! Jesus, you’re thick, and brave! Retired postman living overseas calling for war and violence! Pathetic, letting others do the fighting again i see.

You can’t fix stupid.

Meanwhile, here in my Asian paradise, life goes on just as it always does.

Here are some photos from the Friday group hike:

Things went a little askew when we lost the trail and had to bushwhack through a jungle of sticker bushes for a bit.

We kicked off our Friday evening out at It Doesn’t Matter. For dinner, we visited Jewel Cafe.

Some after-dinner beverages at Red Bar followed, then we closed out our evening with a nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks.

We stayed at Jumpin’ Jacks a little later than usual because Swan wanted to hear the live music that began at eight.

No complaints; it was a good day and a good night.

Here’s some interesting news about things going on in Subic Bay militarily. Also, the shipyard across the bay (which is visible from where I sit writing this post) has now opened for business.

My journey through the LTG archives has arrived in May 2013. In this post, I talk about my first (and only) trip to Disney World. I grew up just a few miles from the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and I also share memories from those long-ago days of my youth.

Time to check in with the Filipina Pea for today’s YouTube video. In it, Pea discusses issues that may arise in older-younger relationships, which are so prevalent in the Philippines. Well, there’s only a thirty-year gap between me and Swan, so I don’t foresee any problems. My record is a fifty-year difference, and that was enough even to freak my perverted self out.

Here we go with this lame shit again:

And so it goes. Until next time.

Twenty-four years ago, my routine workday in Washington, DC, went crazy. I was at the Department of Education, not the Pentagon, so I can be thankful for that. Two of the people living in my subdivision were not so lucky. I wrote about that day here. On this somber anniversary, I also pay tribute to two heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others: James Raymond Coyle and Samuel Oitice.

Here’s the news from the world in which I currently reside:

Ed suggested we do Monday’s Hash trail in reverse, and lacking any better options, that’s what we did. It was new for everyone except Ed and me, and doing it backwards made it feel a little different, so it worked out fine.

Later on, Swan and I did our Wednesday seldom-visited bars thing, starting at Outback.

I think this is the second time we’ve ordered food from the Outback kitchen.

Next on our agenda was attending the grand opening of the Wombat bar. I had high hopes this would be the Barretto beach bar I’ve been dreaming of. The venue has been vacant since the COVID shutdowns. I looked at it a couple of years ago, thinking that maybe if I wanted a beach bar that badly, I should open one. Then it occurred to me that’s how dreams become nightmares, so I put those silly thoughts away.

So, this location used to be the Gum Leaves Resort. Now there’s a gay bar on the highway, and the Wombat bar is on the beachside. You have to walk through the hotel lobby, past some rooms, and the empty pool to get to the bar. That’s a bit of a pain in the ass. We arrived shortly after the six p.m. opening time, and we were the first (and only) customers. I don’t know why it still surprises me, but several of the staff welcomed me by name, and not one of them looked familiar to me. One told me she used to work at Sloppy Joe’s. The manager, who also knew my name, apologized because, although the Facebook post called it a “grand opening,” in reality, yesterday was just a soft opening. Alrighty then.

First impressions: the music was loud and inappropriate for an old white guy (sorry, girls, we don’t like the shit you listen to). They did eventually change the style to a more “easy listening” mode, which I appreciated. I ordered a San Miguel Zero, but they didn’t have it, so I took a San Mig Light instead. It took them a while to find a bottle opener (talk about a soft opening!). The service was good and friendly. I got invited to sing karaoke on stage, but I declined. So, it seems that will be one of the offerings here, and there are few things I like less when I’m trying to relax and enjoy a beer. We left after one drink.

I’m not saying I’ll never return, but I found Wombat to be generally disappointing.

We did our nightcap at Queen Victoria.

And then, our next-door neighbors, Jeff and Davina, joined us.

A couple of more beers, some chat, and then a free ride home. Amusingly, Jeff has now set his phone alarm for 8 p.m. to remind him when it is time to call it a night. We are on the same page!

I have now arrived at March 2013 in the LTG archives. In this post, I reminisce about my life in 1976. I had a good run my first time through the seventies, this see what happens this time.

Today’s YouTube is from Reekay, and he tells the story of how his dating life in the USA came to an end. Women can be crazy everywhere, of course, but at least here in Asia, they are hot, sexy, and younger.

Let’s take a moment to smile:

And that’s the end of today’s post. See what I mean?

I’ve always thought this song somehow captures the emotions of that awful day, twenty-four years ago.

Or so I keep telling myself. Well, being an old fucker beats the only other option available.

What yesterday was, was Tuesday, probably the least interesting day of my weekday routines. Still, you gotta do what you gotta do, and yesterday I needed to renew my tourist visa for another sixty days. That went without a hitch. In fact, the woman behind the counter actually spoke to me about something other than the renewal process for the first time in all these years, asking me if I could recommend a beach resort for an event she was planning. I suggested Treasure Island on Baloy. She pulled it up on her phone and seemed pleased with what she saw, and thanked me.

We changed things up a tad in the grocery shopping routine with a visit to the Puregold supermarket. I can occasionally find items there that are not otherwise available at Royal, and so I’ll check it out once every three months or so. No big finds yesterday, but still managed to leave them with 7000 of my pesos.

I’ve been experiencing some issues with my ATM card; none of the machines in Barretto can read the chip for some unknown reason. Luckily, it still works at the BPI machine at Harbor Point Mall on SBMA. Not convenient, but better than nothing. I need to order a new card at some point, but that’s a whole other hassle to get it delivered in the Philippines. Anyway, Swan suggested that I open an account at her bank and wire my money there, then use a local ATM card for withdrawals. So, we stopped by the branch on SBMA, but when they learned I was on a tourist visa, it was a no-go. Oh well.

No problems encountered at Royal, although I did find myself on the Dole.

Back home, groceries unloaded, and I hit the streets for my neighborhood walk.

Tuesday afternoon, Swan and some of the lady Hashers spent some time with the recently departed Jerry Rowe, aka Fucking Old Man.

Sitting around with the remains of the deceased is a thing here in the Philippines, but it is not my thing and never has been. When I lost my best friend, Linda, I visited her at the hospice but did not attend her funeral. I want my last memories to be of the person alive. The last time I saw Jerry was at the Hash On-Home at Smokes and Bottles, sipping on a beer and soaking up the Hash vibes. That’s what I’ll remember. Jerry is scheduled to be cremated tomorrow, and his ashes will be entombed at the Clark Veterans Cemetery in Angeles City.

We made plans for Swan to meet me on Baloy when she was finished paying her respects to Jerry.

Another quiet night on Baloy, even Treasure Island was devoid of customers.

So, there was a birthday celebration scheduled for the Hash Grandmaster, Buddy Fucker, at Wet Spot starting at nine. That’s a little late for my blood, but I wanted to at least stop by to offer my congratulations, so we surprised our trike driver by saying Wet Spot instead of Alta Vista.

Except the birthday boy wasn’t there. We waited around until 9:30 and then called it a night. I don’t think I’ll be changing my early bird ways anytime soon.

Meanwhile, the news on the lack of water just keeps getting worse. Neighbor Mike, who acts as kind of an unofficial neighborhood representative, went to the water department to find out what the fuck is going on. Here’s the report he sent us:

MET THIS MORNING WITH PRIME WATER MANAGEMENT…. PRIME CANNOT EVEN START TO WORK ON THE PROBLEM TILL THE WATER IN THE RIVER GOES DOWN. THEY ARE ANTISIPATING 4 WEEKS. IF IT RAINS IT WILL EXTEND THE TIME.

THERE IS STILL SOME WATER TRICKELING LATE AT NIGHT BUT ANYONE WITH PRIME WILL SEE THAT STOP SOON AS THE WATER BLEEDS OUT OF THE SYSTEM.

JT AND JOHN DID NOT GET WATER BECAUSE THE TRUCK WAS 3 HOURS LATE DUE TO THE TRUCK LEAKING ALMOST AS MUCH WATER AS IT WAS PUMPING…. THE TRUCKS HAD TO MAKE MORE TRIPS TO REFILL THAN USUAL BECAUSE OF THAT. PRIME IS FIXING THAT TODAY AND ALSO GETTING A LONGER HOSE TO FILL THE WATER.

So, the situation stinks. Or maybe that’s me. It looks like I’m going to have to get used to sponge baths and cold bucket of water showers for the foreseeable future.

I’m sure I’ll be looking for some opportunities to get away and stay at a beach resort with heated showers somewhere. Stay tuned.

From the LTG archives, in February 2013, I wrote about one of the first steps I took in my climb to the top of the government Human Resources ladder: serving as Acting Director of HR at the Roanoke, Virginia, Management Sectional Center for the US Postal Service.

It’s time to visit Smart Girl Philippines again. In today’s YouTube video, she discusses things you don’t want to do after having sex with a Filipina. Ah, I remember those days of transactional relationships. Empty, but strangely satisfying. But, I’m older and wiser (shuddup!) now.

Speaking of being old, let’s go with these today:

And that’s all I’ve got for today. A new beach bar is opening tonight, and I’m going to pop in for a look. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Perhaps the nicest thing about a getaway is coming home with a new appreciation of the comforts of home. I’m committed to getting out of town at least once every month, so I guess getting a change of scenery is now one of my routines.

I decided to wait until we got back home to take a shower. That proved to be a mistake.

Oh well, I chose to live in a third-world country, so this is just part of the adventure that comes with that. Still no water as of now, but I remain hopeful the new pipe will be in place soon.

I opted out of the Hideaway feeding, but I did wire Joy some money so the girls could eat. They chose to cook their own meal. Joy documented the event in photos:

I did keep my dinner date with Swan at John’s place.

Next up, our traditional after-dinner stop at Red Bar.

Finding our nightcap destination turned into a bit of an adventure. The plan was Wet Spot, but neither of our friends was working last night, so we went next door to Green Room, but it was packed, and the seats we liked (with a view of the pool table) were full. I was thinking we’d just plop down at Sloppy Joe’s, but Swan suggested we try somewhere different for a change, and suggested my friend Roan’s karaoke place. Sure, why not? It’s a pretty good trek up the highway, and when we got there, I was surprised to see it was closed. Now what? Well, the Billabong bar at Outback Resort was right across the highway, so we made the dash successfully and plopped ourselves down.

Usually, when we make the rare visit to Outback, we sit at the outdoor poolside bar. I can’t even remember the last time we ventured into the indoor bar.

I messaged Roan to find out what was going on with her joint, and she sent me this:

And so our first night back in Barretto came to an end.

And now it is January 2013 in the LTG archives. To start the new year, I did a pictorial post with the highlights from 2012. It was a good year in a life that is now gone forever.

I’m going to lighten things up with today’s YouTube video. It is one I posted on my blog thirteen years ago, but I enjoyed re-watching it today. Maybe you will too. Best of all, it’s only three minutes long.

I’m going to change things up a little bit in the humor category today in order to solicit folks to sign up for Kevin Kim’s Substack grammar improvement site.

So, be like me and go sign up for Kevin’s Substack posts. Even if I’m incapable of learning, it’s entertaining.

And now it is time to prepare for another Hash Monday. I’m going to walk the 2K to the start and take it from there. I’ll let y’all know how it goes tomorrow.

It was Thirstday, after all.

My neighbors, Jeff and Davina, had seen a map I posted on Facebook of one of my hikes on the My Bitch trail. That path runs through the hills behind our subdivision, and Jeff asked if I’d show them where to go. Of course, I agreed, and we made plans to do so on Thursday. Well, it was a rainy morning, but to my surprise, they still wanted to go. Fine by me, wet with sweat or soaked with rain, it’s all the same.

At beer o’clock, we visited my old darts haunt, Alley Cats. Owner Flor had given me a beer card for my birthday, and those six free beers weren’t going to drink themselves. I only managed four before prudence dictated I should go get something to eat.

So, we successfully crossed the highway and made our way to Mango’s.

Swan got messaged by some of her friends that they were hanging out at Annex Bar, so when Swan asked if we could stop by, I, of course, agreed to do so. They hung out in the back doing what girls do and downing tequila shots, and I sat up front enjoying the highway view, whilst sipping a cold San Miguel Zero.

We did our nightcap at Green Room, but Swan drank water there. She’s a lightweight when her peers entice her to join them in shots of the hard stuff. I would be, too. That’s why I stick to low-alcohol beer. We made it home safe and went to bed early. Right after Swan finished throwing up. She made it to the toilet, though, so good on her.

In sad news, we lost a member of the Hash, Fucking Old Man (Jerry Walsh). Jerry had the most Hash runs of any living Subic Bay Hasher. His familiar face will be missed. I recall my first-ever Hash as a tourist in Subic back in 2017. Jerry was in his 80s and looked it, but the gal standing beside him was a hottie. I knew then that I’d find contentment in the Philippines!

Our new housekeeper from Samar province is settling in.

Darts, at one time, were a big part of my life, and in this post from October 2012, I explained my cricket pointing strategy. Probably sounds like Greek to anyone who doesn’t play, but it does reflect my level of dedication to the game, even if my ability to execute was lacking.

This day in my Facebook history included:

Thirteen years ago, I was playing around making memes:

Today’s YouTube is the follow-up to the one I posted yesterday. The vlogger leaves AC and spends the next five days in Subic. He wasn’t impressed. Hey, it’s not for everyone, but I like it just fine here. The video captures the Barretto vibe. As I mentioned, I am not familiar with this vlogger’s work, but I did notice that the narration has a different accent from the AC video. That was weird. I randomly looked at a third video of his, and it is back to a more normal-sounding voice. I’m guessing they must all be AI-generated.

Humor time:

Alright, it is time to head out to Angeles City, courtesy of our neighbor Jeff and his lovely wife, Davina. I’m not a big AC fan, but I do like an occasional change of scenery. Jeff has some places in mind to show us, so we’ll see how it goes. At least you will have something different to read about here.

Wednesday and walking go together like a foot in a shoe, so I put them on and headed out.

We discussed options under the threatening skies and opted to do the Matain-Calapacuan-San Isidro street walk.

For the evening out, I had planned to kick things off at Red Bar. Alas, a biker club had the same plan and beat me to it. All the outdoor seats were filled, so we just continued up the highway and popped into John’s place for the dinner we missed on Sunday.

I was surprised to see several dart players in the second-floor dining area, then I remembered that John’s now has a team in the dart league. They had just finished winning their match against Sloppy Joe’s and were enjoying some post-game beverages. It was nice chatting with some of my old darts buddies.

Then a group of several young non-Filipino people (early thirties, I’d judge, including one hot female) came in. I suspect they are crewmembers from one of the merchant ships I’ve seen anchored in the harbor. Seeing the crowd filling the dining area, they started to turn around to leave. One of the dart players said, “You should stay, this is the best food in town.” I added that the upstairs area had lots of seating, and so they all headed up. I watched the solitary waitress carrying trays of drinks and plates of food, so it was a big night for John’s customer-wise.

John’s daughter came in and took over serving the downstairs folks, which was just me and Swan after the darters departed.

With dinner out of the way, I suggested we give Red Bar another try. As we exited John’s, the rain was coming down hard, so we dashed into the bar next door, Dempsey’s. They don’t serve wine by the glass there, so we don’t stop by often, but otherwise, it has a nice, relaxed vibe. I had a beer and then the rain let up, so we hit the highway again. The Red Bar patio was still full of bikers, so we kept moving and went to Jumpin’ Jacks instead.

We once again enjoyed the vibe and music at Jumpin’ Jacks, then made our way back home.

We’ve hired a new house helper, and she arrived from the province last night. She is the aunt of our neighbor’s helper, so at least it isn’t a blind hire. She’s been busy all morning with the chores, so, so far, so good.

It’s now October 2012 in the LTG archives. I’m back for another few months of my Korean retirement life, and in this post, I share the adventure of a visit to Naksan. It was a good life while it lasted.

I’ll be heading out tomorrow for a weekend in Angeles City with my neighbors, Jeff and Davina. Today’s YouTube video is from a new (to me) vlogger sharing his four-day experience in AC. Like me, he’s not a big fan of the nightlife scene there, but the video will give you a good taste of what’s in store for us. At the end of the video, he’s on a bus for Subic, so I’ll need to look to see if he enjoyed that more.

On to the funny business:

And so it went. Let’s keep it going!

September, I remember. Time flies, and I ramble on. I’ll keep it brief, though. Sometimes less truly is more.

The only other photo I took on our 5K trek was this:

Swan surprised me by volunteering to cook for the Hideaway feeding.

The normal Sunday routine is for me to meet up with Swan at John’s place for dinner. But Swan messaged me saying she wanted to join our neighbors, Davina and Jeff, to eat at Hops and Brews. The hell with routines, this is the 70s!

After we finished our food, we loaded up in Jeff’s car and headed to Red Bar. I don’t usually sit inside there, but we did last night and had a good time. Jeff suggested we do a nightcap on the way home. Queen Victoria is closed on Sundays, so we popped into the seldom-visited Nipsey’s Bar instead.

Jeff noted that eight o’clock was nearing, and he knew that’s what time I turn into a pumpkin, so we paid our tab and headed for home. I was a little ashamed at being such a lightweight. We are going to Angeles City this coming weekend with Jeff and Davina, so I’ll try to up my game some while we are there.

So, there you have it–a routine Sunday with a twist or two.

September has arrived, and coincidentally, it is September 2012 in my journey through the LTG archives. In this post, I come clean about my criminal past. Well, the only crime I got arrested for, anyway. I got away with lots more serious shit, including grand theft auto. I’m not sure if I ever wrote about that one; if not, I will do so as part of The Story of My Life.

Some Facebook memories from this day in my history:

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay talks about expats who get sucked into supporting the family of the Filipina they are with. I have been suckered like that in the past, but I’m blessed that Swan doesn’t expect me to take care of the family. I give her a generous allowance that she is free to spend in whatever manner she chooses. And if there were ever a real emergency in the family, I would trust her judgment on how best to respond.

Let’s get these out of the way:

And now it is Hash Monday again. The trail starts here in Alta Vista, so that’s convenient enough. There are long (8K) and short (4K) options. I’m considering something in between those extremes. I’ll let you know how that works out for me.

Back to my old routines for the first time since the sixties. Everything old feels new again!

It being Friday and all, we kicked things off with the group hike.

Wanting to keep things simple, I decided to lead the group on the reverse of Monday’s Hash trail since only Swan and Sheryl had done that trail. I did elect to go up a different way, and that proved harder than I expected. Otherwise, it was a mostly pleasant stroll on the My Bitch trail. When we reached the other side and were ready for our descent, I didn’t want to go down the way we had climbed on Monday, as I wanted to avoid descending through that flowing creek bed. Alas, someone had built a fence blocking the only other path down that I know of. So, the creek it was, although it didn’t turn out as bad as I thought it would be.

And then it was time to make a plan for the Friday evening out. Once again, we opted not to invest our time in the SOB dance competition. Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels it is no longer worth it. I read today that the show was cancelled when only one paying customer showed up. I expect we’ve seen the last of the SOB, absent some significant changes; however, these days, no one is even bothered with promoting the event. Sad to see it go, but it ain’t what it once was.

Swan wanted to kick off things with dinner at Jewel Cafe. Who am I to argue with that? When the waitress came to take my order, she said, “Filet mignon, medium, gravy on the side, with mashed potatoes, veggies, and a San Mig Zero.” I’m nothing if not predictable. Swan had baby back ribs.

Swan had an old friend visiting town and asked if we could meet up with a group at Annex Bar. Fine by me, the beer is cold there. I sat at a table with the highway view up front while Swan and the girls gathered inside.

After a couple of beers, Swan asked if I wanted to join the group at Jumpin’ Jacks. Sure, why not? First time we have been back since bartender Vangie passed away, but the good music and vibe hasn’t changed. Well, until the girls started singing karaoke.

The next stop for the group was IDM, but I had exceeded my limit, so I declined to go anywhere but home. Swan kindly said goodnight to her friends and came with me.

And that’s how this old man rolled through another day.

Nothing worthy of note from the July 2012 LTG archives, but in August, I told the story of my father’s final journey in a post entitled, “To the sea.”

In today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea discusses the potential impact of AI in the Philippines. Many people here work in the call centers, and AI may make those jobs obsolete. Oh, and she does the video wearing a bikini.

Maybe these will amuse you:

Little Johnny was in class, diligently working on his math problems when the teacher decided to test him with a question.

“Johnny,” she said, “if there are five birds sitting on a fence and you shoot one with your slingshot, how many are left?”

Johnny thought for a moment and replied,

“None. The rest would fly away after hearing the noise.”

The teacher chuckled, “Well, the correct answer is four… but I like the way you think.”

Johnny grinned. “Thanks, Miss. Mind if I ask you a question now?”

“Go ahead,” she said.

“There are three women eating ice cream cones,” Johnny began. “One is licking her cone, one is biting it, and the third is gently sucking on hers. Which one do you think is married?”

The teacher turned a bit red but decided to play along.

“Um… I guess the one… sucking her cone?”

Johnny shook his head and said with a smirk,

“Nope. It’s the one wearing a wedding ring—but I like the way you think!”

I can’t argue with his logic.

I’m trying hard to stop fretting about the future and just take it one day at a time. That feeling of impending doom hasn’t totally gone away, but for now, I’m still doing the things I enjoy with a woman I love, so what’s to worry about?

Farewell to my caregiver/helper, Teri, who has been taking care of me since I moved to the Philippines in May 2018. Yesterday was her final day in my employ, as she is moving back home to Manila to care for her elderly parents (heh, I wonder if they are younger than me).

She joined us for a final meal at Sit-n-Bull, then caught a Jeepney to Olongapo and a bus ride to Manila.

Swan and I had some sorrow-drowning drinks at Wet Spot, then headed back home. The replacement housekeeper we anticipated hiring has some medical issues she’s dealing with and is unable to take the job. The search is on, but I’m letting Swan handle that.

I’ve traveled on to June of 2012 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I talk about my return to the USA after a six-month interval in Korea. I couldn’t help but feel sad seeing the family life I’ve now left behind, but at least both of my kids took a minute to send me happy birthday wishes.

In today’s YouTube video, the vlogger talks about the shit he got from friends in the States when he announced his intention to move to the Philippines. I was called out by my daughter-in-law about my posts here at LTG (back when my lifestyle was admittedly more sordid), and now I’ve been ghosted. It hurts, but people show what you mean to them, so you just accept it and move on. I was there to raise my kids after their mother abandoned us, and I’m proud of my days as a dutiful father, whether they appreciate it or not. Life goes on.

Let’s the cleanse the palate:

When a woman walked into the pharmacy, her strides were purposeful, and her gaze fixed firmly on the pharmacist behind the counter. Without hesitation, she leaned in and said in an even, unwavering voice, “I need to buy some cyanide.”

The pharmacist froze, startled by the blunt request. “Excuse me?” he stammered. “Why would you possibly need cyanide?”

“To poison my husband,” she replied matter-of-factly.

His jaw nearly hit the counter. “What? Are you insane? Ma’am, I can’t just sell you cyanide! That’s illegal! If I did, I’d lose my license, we’d both go to jail—you do realize that, don’t you? Absolutely not! You can’t have any cyanide!”

The woman let out a long, exasperated sigh and reached into her handbag. Wordlessly, she retrieved a photograph and placed it on the counter. The picture clearly showed her husband in bed—with the pharmacist’s wife.

The pharmacist’s face drained of color as he stared at the damning evidence. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. Finally, he cleared his throat and pushed the photo back toward her with a newfound air of calm.

“Well,” he said, his tone carefully measured, “you didn’t mention you had a prescription. That’s a different story.”

A revenge fuck might also be in the cards.

So, yesterday was all about recovering from the turning seventy event and the sad goodbye. Today is all about getting back to normal, so I’d best get back at it. Until then, just remember:

That’s what the 70s are all about. Can you dig it? Far out, that’s groovy!

That said, I partied hardy last night, just like in the olden days (well, except for the weed). I went from four until we shut it down at ten p.m., regular readers will know that’s double my usual performance. Kudos to Swan for her hard work and organizational skills. The official count (I was being charged 200 pesos per guest) was eighty-six in attendance. And damn, my friends put on an Olympic performance in the beer-downing event. Going in, I thought I had bought too much, but I wound up ordering more before the party ended. And all that food? Almost no leftovers. The best part was everyone had a good time, which made this birthday of mine one of the most memorable of my life, and by far the best one I’ve had this year!

Some birthday gifts:

By the time the party ended, none of us were in any condition to pack up our shit and bring it home, so we went back this morning to finish the clean-up business. And that’s life in the 70s so far.

The last post in the LTG archives from May 2012 talks about “Winding it down.” I had adopted the six months in Korea, six months in the USA routine for what I expected to be the rest of my life. It didn’t turn out that way.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I don’t particularly like, but in this episode, he’s walking the beach near where we had the birthday celebration last night. So, if you want to get a Barretto beach vibe, here you go. When he mentioned it being 8 a.m. this morning, I wondered if I would make an appearance whilst cleaning up our mess at Baybayin. Nope, he didn’t catch me.

How about these:

I was unsure what to expect turnout-wise yesterday. Swan was thinking fifty or so, so getting into the eighties was surprising. I guess I’m better liked than I thought. Or free beer is—one of those.

I spent most of the seventies rockin’ with Neil Young, so here we go again:

“Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom. Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything, but the alpha and omega. An end in itself.”

― Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Chole

So, I made it to seventy; let’s see how far I can go. I’m feeling good (this morning’s BP was 120/68), and I’m still enjoying beer life, so I’m optimistic about the future, unknown though it may be. Only way to find out is to live it while you got it, and that’s my plan. Thanks for coming along for the ride here at LTG.

Party prep is in full swing around here this morning. The kitchen is full of Swan’s family members preparing a smorgasbord of dining options, and Swan is at the party venue decorating. I hope the turnout this afternoon (we start at 4 p.m.) warrants the time, effort, and money invested in this event. We shall see, but I’ll be downing Zero’s, eating, and enjoying the beach vibe no matter what.

My Facebook has been exploding with birthday greetings from friends far and near, and it is nice to be remembered. All the folks I’ve been supporting have made sure to remind me that my help is greatly appreciated, and they hope I continue to prosper with a long life. Maybe the sweetest message was from Ericka, the young college student I’ve been assisting with school expenses (and briefly dated a while back):

Anyway, when I moved to the Philippines, one of my goals was to make life better for some, and I’ve accomplished that. School money for a kid in Bohol, help for a cancer patient in Manila, monthly support for the mountain mama here in Barretto, the aforementioned Ericka, and the street dweller I call “mama” are the main recipients of my charity budget. See, I don’t even count those teeth I’m rotting amongst the local children. Anyway, the point is my life isn’t entirely pointless. It is good to make a difference, even in a small way.

In other news, my caregiver/helper, Teri, will be departing my employ tomorrow. She’s been with me since I first arrived in the PI over seven years ago. Teri needs to return to Manila to care for her parents, and I’m sure they will be in good hands. I’ll miss having Teri around to make my life easy, but Swan has taken on the task of finding a replacement.

Okay, let me share some photos from my final day as a sixty-nine-year-old.

It was still too early to go home, even by my low standards, so we paid the very rare visit to Snackbar on our way home.

When the birthday morning dawned, everyone got back to work.

I’m honored that so many are working so hard to make the start of my seventieth year a special one. I’ll share the results in tomorrow’s post.

In a Memorial Day post from May 2012 of the LTG archives, I shared the story of my Great Uncle Frank (grandmom’s brother), who lost his life in the final days of WWII. As my grandmother Pernie used to say about “blood and guts” General Patton: Patton’s guts, Frank’s blood.

In a coincidence I didn’t remember, I celebrated my birthday four years ago at the eatery I’d helped my former girlfriend open, which was located at the same venue we are using for tonight’s celebration. We expect Marissa’s twin sister will be attending tonight to add to the old times flavor.

If you’ve been looking for an update on the asshole vlogger, Vitaly, here you go. He’s screwed, and he knows it, and no one seems to care. FAFO defined.

As usual, we’ll close with me trying to be funny:

An old cowboy wandered into a Starbucks one afternoon, ordered himself a black coffee, and settled into a corner seat. He leaned back, tipped his hat up, and took a slow, contented sip.

Before long, a young woman sat beside him and asked, “Excuse me, sir—are you a real cowboy?”

The old man thought for a moment and replied, “Well, I reckon so. I’ve spent my whole life ridin’ horses, herdin’ cattle, mendin’ fences, brandin’ calves, sleepin’ out under the stars, and workin’ the land. So yeah, I suppose you could call me a cowboy.”

The young woman smiled and said, “I’m a lesbian. Pretty much all I ever think about is women—when I wake up, when I shower, when I eat, when I work… it’s always women on my mind.”

The cowboy gave a respectful nod, and they both went back to their drinks.

A little while later, another man came in, took the seat on the cowboy’s other side, and asked, “So, are you a real cowboy?”

The old man paused, stared into his coffee, and said, “Well… I always thought I was. But after today… I think I might actually be a lesbian.”

I’ve been a lesbian trapped in a man’s body since I was a teenager. I love women!

Anyway, you are only as old as you feel. I’m not sure what that makes me, but I don’t feel seventy.

That’s the plan, and y’all thought I had no goals! I’m beginning to wonder if this old blog will die before I do; readership is down 50% from six months ago. Yeah, I get it. When you have seen it all repeatedly, what’s the point of seeing it again? Anyway, posting here daily is one of my routines, and I plan to keep on keepin’ on until there’s nothing left to say, even if there is no one who wants to hear (or read) about it. Fair enough?

There was really nothing special about yesterday (other than surviving), although there was a bit of a surprise along the way. Stick around, I’ll get to that.

At the appointed hour, I embarked on the weekly Hideaway feeding.

And then I was in for a surprise. As I was preparing to pay my tab and head out, suddenly the music changed. The next thing I knew, the staff was serenading me with the “Happy Birthday” song.

Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. I had a small piece to be polite, then hightailed it out to John’s place, where Swan was awaiting my arrival.

After our Han-Mex fusion dinner, we had a drink at Red Bar. We had planned on a nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks, but once again, the bar was closed. So, we paid the rare visit to Annex Bar instead.

Un día más ha terminado.

Sadly, life has now come to an end for a long-time member of the local expat community.

We’ve progressed to April 2012 in the LTG archives, and I enjoyed reliving a memory of what a day I deemed “close enough to perfect” was like in the Itaewon chapter of The Story of My Life.

I finally broke down and watched a YouTube video discussing this object hurtling through our solar system that may or may not be an alien spacecraft. I remain unconvinced and will not be updating my list of ways I’m likely to die just yet.

As always, I’ll try to leave you with a smile:

And that’s the way it is. Another Hash Monday has arrived, and while walking the dogs, I saw the Hares this morning marking the trail, which passes through Alta Vista. I guess I’ll find out soon enough where it goes. I will tell you all about it tomorrow, provided I survive.

So you live from day to day,
And you dream about tomorrow

And the hours go by like minutes
And the shadows come to stay
So you take a little something
To make them go away

I could have done so many things, baby
If I could only stop my mind
From wonderin' what I left behind
And from worrying 'bout this wasted time