Well, I did have a pretty sweet Sunday. I report, you decide.

In the good ol’ days, we hit McDonald’s after the Candy Walk. Those days are gone now, but Swan fed me at home.

It wasn’t long before it was time to make the trek to Hideaway Bar for the feeding.

I satisfied my thirst with gin and soda water. Two in an hour, then I paid my tab and headed across the highway for my dinner date at John’s place.

After two more gin and sodas during our dinner hour at John’s, we moseyed up the highway to enjoy a nightcap at the Green Room. We were there for an hour, enjoying watching the pool players, and I imbibed my final two gin and sodas for the night. That made six in three hours, which seems to be my limit. Nothing untoward happened; I just knew that I’d had enough, and it was time to call it a night. Drinking gin is twice as expensive as beer, but I drink half as much. If my math is correct, cutting out the beer carbs isn’t costing much. A sixty-calorie pudding dessert at home and my sweet Sunday was complete.

Calories in: 1600 Calories burned: 3800

Two years ago, I was walking the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia:

Back in the USA, there’s an election coming this week:

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay speaks to the skills required to live as an expat successfully. I’ve made it over six years so far. Yeah, there have been some missteps along the way, but luckily, no mishaps. Now, to keep it that way!

Comic time:

So, it’s Hash Monday once again. Vienna Sausage (Guenter) is the Hare and I’ve seen the trail map. I was going to just not go at all today because the trail ends out past the end of Rizal Extension. But Michael will have his car there and I’ve reserved a seat for a ride back to town after the Hash. As for the trail, I didn’t see any good potential shortcuts, so I’ll make my own way. The My Bitch trail will get me to the finish just fine. And yes, beer is the only option at the On-Home, so I’ll get to reacquaint myself with some Zeros. I have to keep count, so I’ll try and drink slow. Full report here tomorrow.

Today is the tomorrow I worried about yesterday. And looking back, I have no complaints. Here’s how it all went down:

We walked the dogs, then walked ourselves to the Subic marketplace to stock up on sweets for the Sunday Candy Walk.

With the buying spree completed, we loaded up two big bags of candy on a trike and headed for home. A small teriyaki chicken breast with broccoli for lunch, a nap, and a blog post. Then, it was time to get ready for the rest of the day. Swan wanted something to beach about so I gave her three options. She chose Baloy, and at the appointed hour, we commenced our walk. [Ha! I’m sure most readers got the “something to beach about” allusion, but Grammarly suggested I change “beach” to “talk.” Get your mind out of the gutter, Gram. I’m talking about the sandy places Swan loves.]

Kokomo owner Steve says the floating bar will be anchored on Sunday, undergo some maintenance, and open for business on Friday. Whoopee!

After my first two wines, we headed up the beach to Treasure Island Resort for some live music and food.

Two glasses of Treasure Island wine, and we departed for home. It was only 7:30, but I’d had enough. I would have drank more beers during the amount of time we spent at the beach, but Zero is 3% alcohol, and wine is 14%. I wasn’t drunk or anything, but why press your luck? Once home, I whipped up a batch of sugar-free vanilla pudding, and that more than satisfied my sweet tooth’s cravings. It was a relatively short but nice evening out.

And that is how day two in my new lifestyle went down.

Those pictures from the Halloween SOB I promised:

And my favorite costume of the night:

In other news, we met a Hasher from Vietnam named Zach at the Subic anniversary Hash, and he told us about a special group of Hashers from around the world who are doing something called the 7-Eleven Hash. It’s basically an urban Hash where the group hikes through town, stopping at every 7-Eleven convenience store along the chosen route. Zach said no Hash from the Philippines had done this event. Well, the Subic Hash took that as a challenge to be the first; this coming Thursday (11/7), we shall march!

Speaking of something different, that trip to Cambodia two years ago was also a nice change of pace.

Today’s YouTube video is something different. Short and sweet (well, maybe sweet is the wrong word) sharing eight facts about farting you might not have known. And now you do. You are welcome!

Smile time:

Back to the usual Sunday routines starting with the Hideaway feeding. I’ll be doing gin and soda there. Then dinner at John’s place. I reckon I’ll wash down whatever I eat with some wine. Got some SOB coupons to burn as well, so we’ll see what we’re in the mood for come time for the nightcap. Exciting shit, eh?

Happy Halloween!

Now that we have those annual niceties out of the way, let’s get on with today’s post.

It rained just enough to scare me into not walking this morning. I’ll try not to let that happen again.

Let’s talk about the goodness of yesterday instead. Starting with the Wednesday Walkers trek in the Naugsol countryside.

The cliffhanger on yesterday’s post was whether I’d journey out to the bars under the threat of rain. Those of you who voted “yes” got it right. A few sprinkles on the way, but we were safely inside the confines of The Maze bar complex before the heavy stuff came down.

Finished things up early (before 7:30!) at Green Room, and headed home with some food from Sit-n-Bowl.

Then I baked a batch of brownies for an a la mode dessert. There’s a last time for everything it seems.

I was living large and spending generously yesterday. One more day to go this month, so why not?

• Dinner: 1160 pesos
• Snacks: 200 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 840 pesos
• Charity: 7000 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Tips: 490 pesos
• Alcohol: 885 pesos
• Total for October 30: 10,775 pesos

Facebook invited me for a stroll down memory lane today and y’all are welcome to come along:

In the political realm, I’ve discovered that not only am I a Nazi supporter, but I’m also garbage.

I had been planning to dress up as The Invisible Man for Halloween, but I couldn’t see how that would work. Instead, I’m going to try and go out tonight as a garbage bag. Swan is going to help me concoct a costume.

Today’s YouTube video from The Filipina Pea is a little different. She shows a clip from “The View” where those crazed lefties go off about how men need women, but women don’t need men. I know the thought of watching even two minutes of that bullshit show is scary, but hey, it is Halloween. Anyway, Pea interviewed Filipinas on the street, asking questions about needing a man, and they all answered affirmatively. And there you have the reason so many men are fleeing the USA to make the Philippines their home.

And now for the things I find amusing:

There is still a lot of iffy weather out there, but I reckon going out for some Halloween fun is something you can only do once a year. We have tentative plans to start out at It Doesn’t Matter, one of several bars having Halloween parties tonight. The question of the hour for me is whether I can find a way to look like garbage. Or find a bag big enough. Speaking of which, I’ve been doing a little foreshadowing about some changes on the horizon. That horizon arrives tomorrow. See you then!

Make no misteak about it; it was good eating. The highlight of our night on the town was dinner at John’s place. We followed that up with a bit of a bar hop, visiting MacArthur’s, Red Stars, and Hot Zone before calling it a night. But first things first.

Speaking of All Saints Day, that’s also a huge deal here in the Philippines. Driving past the hillside cemetery in Olongapo yesterday, preparations were in full swing for the upcoming big day with the dead this Friday. Food stands were being erected, crypts were being painted and given their annual cleaning and refurbishment so when the families gather to pay their respects and eat in drink in memory of the dead, all will be in order. And the following day, everything will be a mess again. It’s just the way it’s done in these parts.

When the grocery shopping was done, I couldn’t help but notice the car parked next to ours.

Ah, I see now it is a low-priced EV from China. Good luck with that!

Alright, about those steaks at John’s place. Swan and I had both been craving some beef, and we went with the tenderloin special (750 pesos) to fill that void.

The first stop on the bar hop was the newest bar in town, MacArthur’s. The place was surprisingly full when we arrived. The music was blaring loud enough that conversation was difficult. They didn’t have wine in stock, so Swan ordered gin and soda water. They gave her a gin in lime juice. My beer was 120 pesos. It was one and out for us, and we are not likely to return.

Next up was the rarely visited Red Stars. Our waitress remembered me from the Blue Butterfly days and welcomed me back by pointing to my belly and asking when the baby was due. Thousands of comedians are out of work, and she’s trying to be funny! Anyway, I get that a lot and wasn’t offended. They had wine for Swan, and my Zero was reasonably priced at 80 pesos. We sat on the outdoor patio, and Swan engaged the two waitresses at our table in a Tagalog conversation. Naturally, I bought the girls a lady drink, then watched the world go by as I enjoyed my beer(s).

The last stop was Hot Zone. I can’t even remember the last time I was there. Nothing wrong with the bar, just not my kind of place anymore. I visited last night because I got a message from owner Jay telling me he had found a shirt of mine (Jay used to be the Grandmaster of the Subic Hash, so I assumed it was a Hash shirt). I was curious about both the shirt and its origins, so I found myself in the Zone. It turns out it was a special shirt designed to commemorate an ill-fated Hash in November 2019—the one where we got arrested by the Philippine Navy for trespassing. I wrote about it here. Apparently, it got dropped off for me and misplaced for almost five years. Better late than never. Thanks, Jay!

The Hot Zone mamasan still remembered me and gave me a poke in the belly greeting as well.

And that’s where the story of my yesterday comes to an end. All that fun came with a price:

• Medications: 1500 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 360 pesos
• Tips: 500 pesos
• Alcohol: 1560 pesos
• Dinner: 1500 pesos
• Groceries: 14,700 pesos
• Driver: 1000 pesos
• Charity: 250 pesos
• Trike: 100 pesos
• Total for October 29: 21,470 pesos

Eight years ago, I was walking the streets of Seoul.

And during that trek, I was surprised to see this old beauty:

Today’s YouTube video provides an update on the kidnapped American. Arrests have been made, but not sign as yet of the victim.

And now for some laughs:

Alright, a good morning with the Wednesday Walkers and this afternoon the skies are looking angry. Will I stay or will I go? I don’t know yet either. I’ll let you know tomorrow!

I’m going to be hitting the road soon for that four-hour drive home. I’ve got some nice pics from yesterday’s Hash, but they’ll have to wait until I have more time and a faster internet connection. So, this post is just a placeholder for now.

I’d paid my Hash fees in advance, so most of my expenses for the day were already covered.

• Trike: 100 pesos
• Tips: 250 pesos
• Alcohol: 360 pesos
• Dinner: 700 pesos
• Total for October 26: 1410 pesos

There’s always time for politics, right?

In keeping with the theme of today’s post, the YouTube video is only two minutes long. The vlogger’s voice is irritating, but the photos are good. Kristine was a bitch, but luckily the damage in this part of Luzon wasn’t so bad. We did have a muddy Hash trail to deal with.

Some quick humor:

Anyway, I’ll get back when I can. But at least this post gives me one less thing to worry about. Later, gators!

Or, to be more precise, hello from Bauang, which is a municipality within the province of La Union. We arrived at our destination after a thankfully uneventful four-hour drive. One of the local Hashers invited us to the local hangout, a bar formerly called Footlights and now goes by Amante. There was a Friday night special on offer that included all you could drink from four until eight pm, food, and a special dance performance. It sounded almost SOB-like and was priced similarly, at 650 pesos per person. So, that’s what we did. No Zero or wine was available, so we drank San Miguel Light. The higher alcohol content and the urge to drink my money’s worth created the drunken result you’d expect. The food was a serving of chicken cordon bleu, which was better than I had expected. The dance performance? Well, it was two gals dancing solo. The first song was typical bar gyrations, similar to what you see in Barretto. When the second song started, everything came off. Yep, totally nude dancing. This is the first time I’ve seen that anywhere in the Philippines. Now, being the old-fashion codger that I am, I prefer some things left to the imagination. But it was nice to see something a little different in a bar. Leave it to beaver!

Swan and I did a nightcap at the hotel bar, although, for some reason, I have little recollection of that event. And now, a new and sunny day has dawned. It looks to be a good day for Hashing!

Sorry to disappoint, but there are no photos of the dancers. After their performance, they came around all the tables (fully dressed again) with a tip jar. I was happy to reward them for showing us everything they have.

So, it was a good first night here in La Union.

• Lady Drinks: 450 pesos
• Alcohol: 200 pesos
• Party: 1300 pesos
• Tips: 350 pesos
• Snacks: 550 pesos
• Gasoline: 1000 pesos
• Lodging: 5000 pesos
• Trikes: 100 pesos
• Total for October 25: 8750 pesos

Today’s stroll down memory lane:

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay provides an update on the body that washed ashore–turns out it was not the kidnapping victim. I doubt he’s still alive though.

Let’s try some humor:

Okay, I’ve got the La Union Hash House Harriers 41st Anniversary event to attend to. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Another empty page has now been filled, but it being a Tuesday, there were plenty of open spaces. That’s why we have to live them to see what they may bring.

In a break from the normal routine, we stopped at the Ulticare Hospital on the way to Royal. It seems they were in need of a donation. So, I gave them a vial of my blood, but that wasn’t enough for the greedy bastards.

Shopping went as expected, and I was pleasantly surprised to see corn bread mix on sale.

Even with the sale prices, groceries don’t come cheap these days:

With the morning chores completed, it was time to think about those late afternoon hours. I had it in my head to do the Baloy Beach thing, but I asked Swan what she wanted to do first. “How about Baloy?” was her response. It is so sweet that we are on the same page most of the time.

And then I noticed this:

We spent a pleasant hour at Kokomo’s, chatting (and drinking) with the owner. He had planned on anchoring the floating bar this week, but Typhoon Kristine changed those plans. Hopefully, I’ll be spending my Tuesday evenings on the floater starting next month.

When we were ready to eat, we headed up the beach to Treasure Island. They weren’t too busy, and the owner bought us a round of drinks. Swan asked me if I would order some food for the waitresses, and of course, I did not object. Another example of us being on the same page.

We finished our drinks and grabbed a trike to Alta Vista. And so ended another day in the life.

“Money don’t get everything, it’s true, but what it don’t get, I can’t use…”

• Dinner: 1160 pesos
• Tips: 350 pesos
• Groceries: 15,500 pesos
• Alcohol: 1110 pesos
• Electricity: 3800
• Driver: 1000 pesos
• Healthcare: 750 pesos
• Charity: 200 pesos
• Trike: 100 pesos
• Total for October 22: 22,970 pesos

Twelve years ago, I was hanging with my pal Simon in Itaewon to celebrate his birthday.

Seven years ago, I penned this gem:

Death to Aria! I was attacked in my sleep last night. The battle raged from 0200-0300. I was unable to digest why it was happening and was in danger of being completely liquefied. I retreated from the bedroom and eventually purged the intruder. When I awoke a few hours later, I found myself on more solid ground. I’m just glad the attack didn’t occur on the subway, or I would have been in deep doo-doo.

Who says those creative writing classes were a waste of time?

I’m laughing at a lot of those Trump doing McDonald’s memes. Like this one:

Today’s YouTube video is the latest from Reekay, talking about mistakes guys make in their search for the perfect Filipina. I’ve found the right one for me, but it took me over five years of fuck-ups. So, here’s your chance to learn from the ignorance of others:

Today’s funnies:

Well, so far, at least, the typhoon has brought some mild rain and very little wind. I’ve seen photos of flooding elsewhere in the PI. It was enough to cancel the Wednesday Walkers group hike this morning, though. I’m likely going to break out the umbrella come beer o’clock and give a local bar or two some business. Hey, I call it disaster relief! I’ll let you know how that works out for me tomorrow.

I report, you decide.

The day began with the Friday group hike. We kept it local this time, and other than fighting our way through the overgrown thatch grass, we had a good walk.

It was SOB Friday, and when I attend, I arrive early in order to secure a good seat. Most of the venues open at five, and the show starts at six. The Green Room’s regular opening hour is four, so that meant having a longer than usual wait. Swan joins me just before the show begins to avoid that suffering. So, how do you kill the time sitting in a bar? Oh yeah, beer!

The show started on time. Seven hundred pesos each for admission, but the beer is free from six to eight. I consider it a challenge to get my money’s worth, but I can’t drink enough to make up for that slowpoke Swan. No big deal. Before the dancing started, Swan observed one of the GROs rubbing the crotch of the guy at a nearby table. She called the guy an asshole, but I pointed out he wasn’t rubbing on the girl. Anyway, people do what they do, and it is not my concern if it doesn’t affect me.

I was a judge for the contest again, and this week, I was totally in sync with my fellow judges:

As usual, when the show was over, I was done. We had our regular trike driver meet us outside and headed home.

Here’s how I emptied my wallet yesterday:

• Cable/Internet: 3500 pesos
• Alcohol: 450 pesos
• Tips: 420 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Phone: 3800 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 700 pesos
• Charity: 3500 pesos
• Snacks: 100 pesos
• SOB Fee: 1400 pesos
• Dinner: 520 pesos
• Total for October 18: 14,590 pesos

Ah, the memories.

Yesterday’s YouTube videos about the poor SOB locked up in jail for pot possession were a lesson in the consequences of being stupid. And today, we have yet another example. Reekay shares the story of a Yank who was kidnapped in Zamboanga, a stronghold for Muslim terrorists in southern Mindanao. I wouldn’t even VISIT that area, let alone choose to live there. Stupid is as stupid does, I suppose. I wish him well, but unless he knows someone willing to pay a hefty ransom, he’s screwed.

Alright, to the humor then:

Saturday is in play. Swan says she is craving a steak dinner at Jewel Cafe, and I’m going to leave her feeling satisfied in that regard. After that, who knows? I do have some coupons from the SOB to expend, so we shall see.

Besides drinking? Not much.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more! It had been days (two of them!) since I’d last interjected myself in the Barretto nightlife scene. I decided some treats for the girls were in order, so I brought along chocolate marshmallow pies, some lollipops, and this bag of candy:

One of my favorites at the It Doesn’t Matter bar is a gal that goes by the name of Hershe. I’ve teased her in the past by misreading it as “he-she” and asking if she was a bakla (trans). So, my plan last night was to call her over to my table and tell her there is something I’ve wanted to do since we first met, but she should get a lady drink first. When she returned, I would say, I hope you will understand my intentions. I’ve already discussed this with Swan (yes, Swan was in on the joke), and she is fine with me doing this. Having created the appropriate level of anticipation, I would then say, “Hershe, I want to give you kisses!” After enjoying her reaction, I would pull the candy out of the bag and hand it to her. Then we’d all have a good chuckle. Except my plans went awry when Hershe chose not to show up for work. Oh well, I took the bag of candy to Wet Spot and told the head waitress I wanted to give all the girls kisses. I let her do the distribution.

We wound up staying at IDM longer than usual and enjoyed some food with our beverages.

As mentioned, we did our nightcap at Wet Spot. I bought the usual lady drinks for waitress Irene and head waitress (and Hasher) Beth. The surprise of the visit occurred when Aine came down off her high horse and greeted us at our table before ascending to the stage to join the other dancers. Swan had no issues with bringing Aine down to enjoy a lady drink for old-times sake. In a gesture of goodwill, I offered Aine something to suck on, and she gratefully accepted (a lollipop). Anyway, I sensed Swan didn’t engage with Aine with as much camaraderie as she had in the past. I guess that’s what happens when someone reveals the true nature of their character, as Aine did in turning her back on a friend.

Anyhoo, we had a nice enough evening out in Barretto. Dropped more change than usual in the bars, especially on lady drinks. But that’s the price you pay sometimes when you are having a good time. And I’m sure the gals appreciated it.

• Alcohol: 1150 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 1400 pesos
• Dinner: 850 pesos
• Charity 600 pesos
• Tips: 250 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Snacks: 700 pesos
• Prescription Meds: 600 pesos
• Total for October 17: 5750 pesos

Facebook memories carried me back to Pyeongtaek where I attended a staff dinner party/housewarming at the new home of one of my employees, Ms. Yi.

At least my life has not changed in the way this guy’s did–in a Filipino jail for possession of marijuana. Using and selling drugs in this country is beyond dumb. My number one goal since moving here has been to avoid doing ANYTHING that might be construed as criminal. Yeah, that eighteen-year-old was borderline stupid, but I did at least get a copy of her birth certificate before agreeing to meet her in person. Anyway, this guy is screwed. He was apparently not popular with his fellow Angeles expats, but I wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone. It was his own damn fault, though.

Here’s a take on the situation from another vlogger (including visiting the guy in jail) if you are interested.

I need some humor after watching that shit:

I woke up to this staring at me through the bedroom window this morning.

Swan and I will be attending the SOB dance competition tonight at Green Room. We’ll turn another page in the story of my life tomorrow. See you then!

The Wednesday Walkers made the journey out to San Narciso, and we shared a beach adventure. Swan and I enjoyed breakfast together on the Mope Resort beachside pavilion as we awaited the group’s arrival. Oh, and reader Scott reminded me that Mope = My Outta Pocket Expenses. The Aussie sponsor has a nice sense of humor!

So, one of the locals told us to turn right. We did, and reached the end of the road. A local there said there was no way through. Scott, Swan, and I retreated back the way we came. The rest of the group continued marching forward.

After lunch, I walked back to Mope with Swan and Michael. Michael retrieved his car and left to pick up the group at Joe’s. My driver was waiting when we arrived. I checked out of my room, and we headed for home.

When we arrived home, the power outage was still ongoing, but it was restored a few minutes before the scheduled six p.m. end. I decided the rooftop was The Rite Spot for me to spend my Wednesday evening.

And so ended another day in the life.

Here’s how I emptied my wallet:

• Driver: 2000 pesos
• Charity: 2300 pesos (candy)
• Tips: 400 pesos
• Breakfast: 500 pesos
• Alcohol: 600 pesos
• Lunch: 400 pesos
• Trike: 150 pesos
• Total for October 16: 6350

I mentioned the other day that you don’t see down-and-out expats on the streets of Barretto. Sadly, that’s not true everywhere. One of the Facebook groups I follow posted this photo today:

Living with less is a common thing for many Filipinos. In today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea visits a provincial family to show us their way of life. I see many similar residences in my backcountry walks, so I found hearing and seeing the way things are quite fascinating.

Today’s funny stuff:

I reckon I ought to see what’s been going on in Barretto since I’ve not visited for two whole nights now. Someone has to keep the bars in business, right?