Born and raised in southern California. My career exodus has taken me to Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. And as of 23 January 2005, Seoul, Korea. Married with 6 grown children (blended family). First grandchild is in the oven! I created this blog to document my adventures as an expat living and working in Korea. I'm also pretty confident that I will on occasion feel the need to express my views on current events and other matters I find of interest.
I’m sure you will be smart enough to like this post.
The Green Room was packed for last night’s SOB competition. It’s a nice bar but not the best venue for a dance contest. Without an actual stage, if you aren’t seated upfront, you are going to have an obstructed view. I got there early and secured what I thought was the best table in the house for watching the dancers. Then a combination of late arrivals and the GRO employees all gathered around in front of the tables. It got a little frustrating at times, but the girls at least were squatting lower so as not to obstruct the view so much.
There was a large group surrounding the table next to mine. Not sure if they were expats or tourists, but they were spending like two-week millionaires. They had a bunch of the bargirls in their company and bought multiple shots of tequila and several rounds of lady drinks for them. I know this because their “dates” used my table as a drink holder. No big deal. They also threw three or four buckets of balls (at 300 pesos each) to see the girls scrambling on the floor to gather them up (I understand they get 10 pesos for each ball they collect). The guys were drinking Red Horse, a popular local brew not served in the Green Room. At first, I thought, why is the bar allowing outside beverages? Then I realized that with the kind of dough these dudes were dropping, it was prudent to ignore. It also dawned on me that your drinks are free during the SOB, so a customer bringing in their own beer actually saves the bar money.
Anyway, it looked like they were all having fun, so who am I to complain? I kept my old man grumpiness to myself.
The Green Room dancers took third place.
Alaska Club was second.And the Wet Spot gals took the first place honors.The Wet Spot candle dancer put on an impressive performance.
(the photos above are courtesy of the event host)
I also attended the Aftermath event next door at Wet Spot. That kept me up well past my bedtime–I didn’t get home until almost 10:30! But now I’ve got a pocket full of discount coupons to use up this week. We’ll see how much those discounts wind up costing me.
Saw this today, and it gave me a chuckle:
I’m reminded of a story I read back in my high school daze: “I have eternal life, and it’s killing me.”
My other “big event” yesterday was the Friday group hike. Five of us turned up, and it fell on me to lead the way. I took some mostly familiar trails, including a goodly portion of My Bitch, two climbs, and 6K or so. My fellow hikers seemed to enjoy it, so there’s that.
Here are a few photos from the trek:
Started out on the streets of Alta Vista.Then made our way into the wild.Living off the land means using what nature provides.It’s the big grass time of year.Flat ground between climbs.Some light rain during the hike.We didn’t burn any bridges.The downtrodden.Stepping down.Are you tired, bro?Come on down, the weather’s fine!The path we walked.
So, that was my yesterday. Today there will be a memorial for the recently deceased Don Bullock at IDM that I plan to attend. Not sure what else the night holds in store for me, but I’m sure I’ll have something to say about that tomorrow. Assuming I survive.
Rest in Peace, Don. You were one of the good guys, and you will be missed.
Glad you asked! I’m from Vaxxy nation. Fully, of course.
Yes, I got my second dose of Sinovac yesterday afternoon. That’s as vaccinated as I’m going to get. The booster isn’t due for three months, and I will need to travel before then. If the Philippines government is to be believed, I will just need a PCR test before flying back if I don’t have the booster. That’s all I can do, so I’ll get on with the business of planning my trip. My first choice is Cambodia, but I’ll need to check flight availability. I prefer flying out of Clark in Angeles rather than making the journey to Manila. So, we’ll see. Lots of options in this big ol’ world.
I’m not feeling any real side effects from this second dose, just a little sore in the shoulder where they jabbed me. The person who gave me the shot said something that sounded like “…drink alcohol for three days,” so I got started on that last night.
I didn’t drink on an empty stomach, though. I invited Joy and her co-worker friend Jen to join me for a pork belly dinner at a relatively new place in town.
I’m not sure what it is with Filipinos and samgyeopsal, but I’m seeing more and more of this type of joint opening.The menu. We opted for Set 3, the premium samgyeopsal package.Meat on the grill.Our sides.Joy also had some ramyeon.Jen handled the cooking chores.Joy enjoying her pork. We all did the lettuce wrap thing for most of the meal. I’d declare it average at best. I doubt I’ll be back anytime soon.Better than nothing, I suppose.
The girls walked home after dinner, and I went with them as far as It Doesn’t Matter. There was no one there I really knew, so I only stayed for a couple of drinks. I had gotten a message from Lydell, who used to work at the now-closed Kamto, letting me know she was now employed at Adam’s bar. I decided to pay her a visit.
When I arrived, Lydell was busy doing some paperwork. I guess that’s her job, keeping track of who’s earned what lady drink commissions. I did get a chance to buy her a drink, and we chatted some. She just started the new job yesterday, but she says she is enjoying it so far. I’m glad she landed on her feet.
It seems for a moment I was the second most important thing in Lydell’s life.But Shantelle was happy to see me. Too bad she has a boyfriend.
I probably need to do an update of my review of Adam’s. Last night I took note of the multitude of attractive ladies on staff, but talking to the ones right next to me was almost impossible because of the loud blaring music they were playing. Good songs, just way too much volume. I likely would have stayed longer last night but for that, and with so many other options available, it will be a negative factor should I consider a return visit.
I finished up at Queen Victoria since it was just across the street. The bartender told me a Ray’s gay band was playing later, but I wasn’t in the mood for live music either. In fact, I wasn’t in the mood for anything except going home to bed. I blame the vaxx. Maybe the vaxx caused that bad pun for reggae too.
Oh, well. Today’s another day, and I’ll be SOBing at The Green Room later this afternoon.
I’ve been maskless for quite some time now, but President BongBong made me legal again by finally lifting the outdoor mask mandate. About damn time. I’d say about 30% of the population continues to wear their slave masks voluntarily, but that’s their choice, pointless though it may be..
The Wednesday Walkers had a very pleasant hike yesterday morning through the back streets and hills of Subic town. I’ll share pictures of that adventure later in this post.
I paid a visit to my doctors yesterday, but not on my own behalf. I brought my friend Bhel in for a consultation regarding her eight-year-old son. He has a severe heart condition that requires surgery, but she doesn’t have the means to pay for it. Bhel asked someone she knows at the Rotary Club if they could help, and she got a response saying yes, they would, provided she had the surgery done in India. That raised some serious red flags in my mind, and I knew Dr. Jo’s husband had done work in India, so I wanted her to hear their opinion. Not surprisingly, they didn’t think it was a good idea either and suggested some other options in Manila. Whether Rotary will pay for that remains to be seen, but Dr. Jo believes we can find local charities to help if need be. Anyway, the bottom line is that Bhel will schedule appointments in two different Manila hospitals to explore surgical options. It’s a start.
After leaving the doctor’s office, I crossed the highway to visit the shwarma shop at Thumbstar. I ordered up some chicken curry soup, some chicken on a stick, and some shwarmas for the Hideaway girls. I went inside the bar for a beer while I waited for my order to be prepared. I got to chatting with the guy seated next to me, a tourist from Florida. He was telling me about his trip so far, and I told him how much I enjoyed living here with the daytime hiking and nighttime drinking. He said he had read about the Hash and hiking groups on some blog he had found when he did a Google search before starting his trip. Oh really? He couldn’t remember the blog’s name, but when I suggested Long Time Gone, he replied, yes, that’s the one. Small world, eh? I never got around to confessing I was the author, though.
And then, I got approached by a friend from San Antonio (the one in Zambales, not Texas) who was in town for shopping and was having some beers before heading back home. I had a nice chat, and he invited me to stay at his place if I wanted to get out of town for a weekend visit. I love that area and could use a change of pace, so I’ll be making a plan to take him up on the kind offer. He’s got a great big house, and he says the wife will be our designated driver when we hit the beach bars in Pundaquit. Looking forward to that!
Chicken on a stickJoy enjoying her chicken curry and rice.
In another odd twist, the manager of Thumbstar was at Hideaway and recognized from the smell it was food from his place. He came over and gave me a fist bump. Manager Griff gave me a free drink. And so another Wednesday feeding ended successfully.
My next stop was a visit to Cheap Charlies. Same old, same old.
She gave me a back rub, I gave her a drink.She inspired lust in my heart, I gave her a drink.
I guess that qualifies as a win-win. A couple of more drinks for me and I called it a night. My Fitbit says I went to sleep at 8:30 and was up at 4:00 to begin another day in paradise.
Here’s those photos of me hiking in paradise I promised:
We took a Jeepney to the market area of Subic town, hiked up into the hills, then circled back around to finish at the market.Five of us altogether offloaded in Subic.And we are off!The first of several water crossings. All involving bridges, thankfully.Backstreets and alleyways were the paths of the day.And those bridges I mentioned.A busy waterway.A brief jaunt along the rvierside.Then up we go.A cookie delivery on the way to the top.Scott on the rocks.Goose steppin’The view from up hereTime to head back down.It’s a little slippery…Back on the streetAnother bridgeAnother river viewHikers on a bridge.What are we waiting for? Oh yeah, the slowpokes.Friendly natives. Almost everyone in this hillside village greeted us warmly.Heading for the other side of town now.A brief interlude on the National highway.Love the name of this burger joint. “Reach your burgasm!” Hilarious.Cookie kidsDeath defyers.No point in trying to impress your neighbors when you are stuck in a graveyard.A big ol’ fish pond. When does a pond become a lake anyway?Flower power!Yep, we crossed another river.Where the river meets the bay.Life in the city.Heading back to the market.And we ran into Reggie (What’s Up Doc) who lives nearby.The Subic market. Renowned for fresh fish and veggies.Me looking comfortable on the Jeepney ride back to Barretto.
Not much to say about another boring Tuesday, but I’ll say it anyway.
The first stop of the day was a visit to the immigration office. My replacement ACR (alien registration) card was supposed to be ready for pick up in three weeks. I waited for four just to be sure. Alas, it still wasn’t available. I’ll try again next week.
Grocery shopping was uneventful, especially if you can avoid injuring your neck from shaking your head at all the inflated prices. I also just shrugged off the many out-of-stock items I had hoped to purchase.
I had a nice massage in the afternoon. My masseuse was still uncomfortable about my breathing attack during her last visit and didn’t want to risk another, so she gave me an ending that didn’t require much effort on my part. I was satisfied with the outcum. *ahem*
My friend with the retired military mailbox messaged that my replacement credit card had arrived, so I went to meet him at It Doesn’t Matter to pick it up. I treated him to a couple of beers for his trouble, and I enjoyed some soda and gin drinks.
When it came time for a change in scenery, I moseyed down to Sit-n-Bull to order up some dinner. I had a 10% discount coupon from the SOB I needed to use, and so I went with the club sandwich with a side of slaw and had them deliver it around the corner at The Green Room. I had a couple more drinks there while I enjoyed my meal.
Next up was Alaska Club, where I had another “buy one, get one” drink coupon to utilize before its expiration. Owner Jerry had just returned from a trip home to the states; it was good to say hello. And thanks again for the free drink! Anyway, those coupons are only good for one night, so you need to drink a lot to maximize their value. So, obviously, I’m not responsible for over-imbibing. But since I felt compelled to buy lady drinks for my waitress and one of the dancers, the longer I stayed, the more it cost me. Those coupons really aren’t such a good bargain after all.
I left Alaska but wasn’t quite ready to call it a night. I intended to pay a visit to Queen Victoria, but as I passed Johansson’s, I saw my Hash friend Reggie (What’s Up Doc) sitting alone at the bar. I thought I’d stop in to say hello, but as I walked through the door, her new boyfriend appeared and embraced her. I sat down on the other side of the bar and ordered a beer (I thought it would have been awkward to turn around and walk back out). After finishing my brew, I continued my journey to Queen Victoria.
I ordered up another beer, and before long, my friend (on FB anyway) TinTin joined me at the bar. Naturally, I bought her a lady drink. I was a little too far gone at this point to remember to take a picture of her, but here’s the one I took last time we met:
She’s tall and thin and 21 years old. Maybe I’ll tell her my joke about there only being one thing better than long legs wrapped around your back–short legs trying! Or maybe not.
Anyway, I was one and done at QV, walked outside to be greeted by a trike driver, “going home, John?” I have no idea how these guys found out my name, but it does make it easy when they know the way to my house. Once I arrived home, I ate too much ice cream (chocolate almond this week) and then went to bed.
Facebook memories brought back some of the good ol’ days this morning:
Thirteen years ago, the McCrarey’s had the last family reunion while mom and dad were still alive. Miss you!Seven years ago, I threw some of the best darts of my life.And four years ago, I was featured in a meme. Well, technically, I made the meme, but still…
Some days just aren’t worth writing about, are they? I’m not responsible for your wasted time if you read this one. It’s bound to be better tomorrow. See you then!
Everyone survived yesterday’s Hash which is always my primary goal as a Hare. A handful did the entire trail, and as I expected, the “die-hards” found it boring for the most part. Eh, you can’t please everyone. We tried to incorporate a hill climb but found the conditions too slippery for the group’s safety. So, sorry to disappoint, but not sorry.
Now, we did have a part of the trail early on that was pretty challenging. I had wanted a new way out of Alta Vista, and my co-Hare (and neighbor) Anal Receptive found a pretty rugged path that has been little used of late. In fact, he had to go out with his machete and do some whacking in places to make the path passable. There were also some rocks to be climbed, and he sprayed them with a bleach solution to kill the algae. All credit to him for that effort.
Let’s go to the pictures, which I obviously didn’t take. Thanks to Pubic Head and some other Hashers for documenting their journey. The fact that no photos from the “long” version of the trail exist says a lot. We had 39 in attendance; I’d wager no more than 5 of them did the whole trail. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Hell, I’m notorious for my own shortcutting!
The trail we laid as seen from above.The Hashers gather up at the VFW.Your humble Hare providing last-minute guidance to the kennel.And they are off!A stroll through Alta VistaAnd then into the jungle they go.A wall in the middle of nowhere that appears to serve no purpose. Someone put a lot of time and effort into building it, though. There must be a broken dream story in there somewhere.This was not the path I had envisioned when I had my big idea about a “new way.” Anal Receptive tried my route, but it was a dead end. So, this was plan B.It had its ups and downs.And got a little rocky in places.Everyone loves a challenge, right?I didn’t take this picture.It got a little thick in places.Lending a hand on the rock climb.And at last, free of the jungle!Okay, everybody. The hard part is over.Well, except for the puddles.One false step, and you’re a wet man!You’ve got it in the bag!And yes, we have a couple of folks who actually run the trail.And the rain held off too.Jessa is crossing bridge #3 with her new beau, Covid-69. This was her third Hash, so she’ll get named after two more.Approaching the intersection where the trails split–short turns left, long goes straight.Heading up Govic highway to the On-Home.This week’s On-Home venue was Smokes and Bottles.Circle up!Hares on the ice along with anyone else who professed to like the trail.A Hash tradition.
S-H-I-T-T-Y T-R-A-I-L
Shitty trail, (it sucked!)
Shitty trail (it really sucked!)
The Hares have laid another shitty trail
I would rather drink this beer
Than run your shitty trail
S-H-I-T-T-Y T-R-A-I-L
Jessa’s first time on the ice, she was charged with littering on the trail. She dropped her sweat towel, and someone behind her found it and brought it back to the circle for investigation.And no post would be complete without some Hash Gash, or Harriettes, if you prefer.
I drank my share of San Mig Zeros, then hitched a ride back home with my co-Hare. It was an early night, even by my standards, but I’d had enough. Besides, there is always tonight.
The second floor is an air-conditioned restaurant; the third floor is an open-air bar.
I tend to call this venue “John’s Place.” The steaks are good (and I don’t eat sushi), but this is a bar review, so I’m just talking about the space on the top floor. Still, all the menu items are available in the bar, so you never have to be hungry. Honestly, whenever I journey out to this side of town for a visit to John’s, my priority is the food; drinking is a secondary motivation.
John has some of the best food in town. It ain’t always cheap, but you pay for top-quality ingredients.The interior of the bar floor is spacious and dominated by a pool table. There are pool league matches two or three days a week.That’s my usual perch up front, where I can watch the street action.The bar area.From the back looking to the front.
So, what else can I say about John’s place? He serves all manner of drinks at a competitive price, including imported beers for only 90 pesos. It’s a regular bar, no girls. You can treat your waitress to a drink, but she likely won’t be able to sit you, as she will need to continue to serve other customers.
The waitresses are young and cute, though, if you enjoy eye candy.But when I’m at John’s, I’m mostly looking outward.
I’d definitely visit more often if John’s were on my side of town. As it is, I usually drop in once a week for some food and drink. Give it a try and see for yourself.
The afternoon view as I left my neighborhood and headed into town.
My mission was to feed the hungry. My destination was Hideaway bar. The dinner was tacos.
These giant tacos from The Coffee Shop are reputed to be the best in Barretto. Sure, they are tasty, but they are too big to eat like a taco should be–picked up and stuck in your mouth. Joy cracked the shell and laid it out flat on her plate, then devoured it like a taco salad.And brownies for dessert.I neglected to capture Joy in the act of eating, so this shot will have to do.
After I completed providing nourishment to the bargirls and enjoying a few drinks, including a free one from the manager, Griff, it was time for me to move on to my next destination–John’s place. Putting duty before self, I had not as yet had my own evening meal.
The best-pulled pork sandwich in town.I ate upstairs in the bar area and enjoyed this highway view along with my sandwich.I watched the sun go down.And appreciated the beauty of my cute waitress.My soda and gin. There is more to life than drinking, but drinking takes you to places where life can be enjoyed.
I had a dual purpose in visiting John’s place; it will be my next review in the Bars of Barretto series.
After my meal, I hoofed it to the other side of town and finished my night at Snackbar.
Meet my new favorite, Jen. She’s so damn cute and so sweet. She’s also 25 years old with three kids. She’s hard to resist anyway.
When my time was up and my night was done, the girls fetched a trike to take me home. A banana-mango-pineapple smoothie for dessert then I was off to bed.
Another morning dawned, and I was alive to see it.
It’s Hash Monday, and I’m a Hare, so that meant an early start this morning laying paper, powder, and chalk to mark today’s trail. I guess I should say trails. We are doing a short and long version–one 6K, the other around 8K. The trails split in the middle of the hike and rejoin towards the end. Both are mostly flat. We were fortunate to have some sunny weather this morning; hopefully, that holds up through the afternoon.
Hmm, just now looked outside ,and there are storm clouds on the horizon. Oh well, the Hash goes on, rain or shine.
I had my hands full with trail marking paraphernalia, but here are a couple of shots I took along the way:
Leaving Alta Vista was our highest elevation.Avoiding puddles will be the biggest obstacle on an otherwise easy trail.I marked the short trail, and my co-Hare, Ed, did the long one along with his gal, Helen. I waited for them for about thirty minutes at the location where the two trails rejoin.I wasn’t alone, though.Almost done. Our On-Home is at Smokes and Bottles today.
And now it’s raining again. I hope our trail markings hold up.
I’ll be meeting the 2:00 group at the VFW to provide trail guidance and answer any questions. Some Hares will re-walk the trail with the Hashers, but I’m going to take a pass on that this time. Honestly, it just isn’t that challenging to the point of being boring. Once is enough for me!
Trying to think of a song to bookend with the title of this post, but couldn’t really find a good match. Considered the Door’s Break On Through, but that was more of a stoner song. Gonna settle for some Juice Newton instead. Hope your Spanish is up to speed!
Tropical paradise
But the beauty escapes me
Everything should be so right
For falling in love
Two hearts belong
But one heart remains so unhappy
Nothing else matters to me
No nothing at all
Puedes traerme tu amor
Adiós mi corazón how I love you
Puedes traerme tu amor
Adiós mi corazón
I hope the words are right
'Cause they're the only words
I know tonight
Oh! The nights are never ending
I don't know why
No comprende
Days are longer than
You'll ever know
Adiós mi corazón
My memory may not be what it once was, but I didn’t forget the anniversary of 9/11/2001. What I did was fail to honor the memory of that day in proper fashion. At a minimum, it warrants a stand-alone post.
I was reminded of this when today someone commented on my post from 2009 recognizing the sacrifice of firefighter James Raymond Coyle who gave his life trying to save others in the World Trade Center towers.
I was honor to walk for James during 9/11 Stair climb in Charlotte, NC 2022 Thank you and we will Never Forget!
Ania and Mya Vanderkolk
That’s the way you properly honor a memory. Thanks, Ania and Mya!
I also recognized another firefighter back in 2005–Samuel Oitice. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
The world changed that day, and so did I. My political outlook was broadened, and I discovered the wealth of information on the internet that the MSM couldn’t be bothered to report. That’s when I started reading Instapundit, for example. Ultimately, I felt driven to do something more meaningful with my life than being a nobody with the U.S. Department of Education. I applied for Defense Department jobs all over the world, and I was offered and accepted a position with the Army in Korea. Nothing has been the same since.
I will always remember the day when everything changed.
I wasn’t hungry when I left home yesterday, so I didn’t go to John’s place to start my evening. I had some drinks at It Doesn’t Matter instead. Then a few more at The Green Room. While I was there, I got a message from Lydell at Kamto asking if I wanted to join them for their last night.
Yes, a favorite hangout is closing. The sad thing is that it is closing because the landlord won’t renew the lease. Apparently, she decided that’s a nice little business they’ve got there, and so she’ll just keep it for herself. That kind of fucked up shit happens here more often than you’d think.
The last shot of the crew and me at Cameltoe. Gonna miss them.
They went out with a bang, at least. I bought several rounds of drinks as a going away present.
Went out with Ed this morning to finalize the Hash trail for tomorrow. Naturally, it was raining. The part we needed to scout out was the hill climb portion.
Most of the way up wasn’t too bad.That’s where we needed to get.But this rock outcropping proved to be treacherously slippery. Ed and I share the same Hare philosophy: don’t put the Hashers in unnecessary peril. In the end, we decided this climb wasn’t going to work on a wet day.
We came up with a workaround trail that will have to suffice. We’ll mark it up with chalk, paper, and powder tomorrow morning.
What else? Well, Facebook reminded me that I didn’t wake up alone six years ago.
I’m a little surprised I actually posted that risque photo on Facebook. Shame on me! I’m posting it here only to illustrate what a fucked up person I must be.
Which I guess explains this:
I’m too low for zero.
How about a bit of nostalgia from the good ol’ days? This ad for 7-Up certainly resonates today.
Maybe he could mix that 7-Up with something, um, harder…
That’s all I’ve got for now. Thanks for stopping by!
Had a productive visit with my doctors (husband and wife) yesterday. I will be trying some different meds to cure whatever it is that ails me. I spent almost an hour in consultation/treatment (I had something squirted up my nose to treat my sinus condition). Total fee for the office visit: 1050 pesos (less the twenty dollars). The docs also told me they would be moving into Alta Vista soon. Welcome neighbors!
I had a couple of hours before the SOB began, but deemed that not long enough to go back home and return. Hey, any excuse for an early start will do, right? But first I went to the salon for a haircut. I wanted a foot spa too, but two gals were waiting ahead of me, so never mind. Doors at Whiskey Girl, the SOB venue, weren’t scheduled to open until 5:00, so I decided to kill an hour drinking and eating at Cheap Charlies.
My company at CC.My beef stew dinner was delivered from Foodies downstairs.
Then it was up the highway to Whiskey Girl, where I settled into a front-row seat and waited for the show. I didn’t wait alone, though; I had Jen, my favorite WG waitress, by my side. Alaska won the contest, and Whiskey Girl was the runner-up. I’m starting to notice a home-bar bias amongst my fellow judges. I’m not judging them; just making an observation.
I can’t imagine walking in those shoes, let alone dancing in them.Third Place: Hot ZoneSecond Place: Whiskey GirlFirst Place: Alaska Club
I decided not to attend the Aftermath gathering at Wet Spot following the SOB. Instead, I planned to go to Thumbstar and watch Joy and the Hideaway girls perform a dance routine there. I had some time to kill before the 9:00 p.m. start, so I dropped in for a quick beer at Johansson’s. A dart tournament was underway, so I got to say hello to some of my old darts friends I hadn’t seen in a while.
Thumbstar has opened a shwarma shop on the patio in front of the bar. I’ve been meaning to give it a try, but haven’t eaten there yet. I wasn’t hungry last night, though. That beef stew was very filling, not to mention all the beers and finger foods I had enjoyed during the SOB. I was very surprised, though, to see my old friend Rica was running the shwarma kitchen (there are other things on the menu as well). She kinda disappeared during the scamdemic, so it was nice to run into her again.
I bought her a drink, and we chatted a bit. She has a well-earned reputation as a great cook, so now I’m really looking forward to sampling her wares at the shwarma shop.
The Hideaway gals arrived a few minutes after nine. Joy spotted me right away and joined me at my table. Her friend Jen accompanied her. So, yeah, more lady drinks were served. Turns out the dancing didn’t start until 10:00, and I knew I wasn’t going to make it that long. So, I said my goodnights and caught a trike for home.
Feeling somewhat better today; hopefully, that trend continues. No big plans for my Saturday night, but I’m thinking about starting out at John’s place for some dinner and maybe a visit to his upstairs bar. I still need to do a review there for the Bars of Barretto series.
As I mentioned yesterday, I felt like shit all day. Of course, that didn’t stop me from heading out to the bars when beer o’clock came around. It seemed logical that a few gin and sodas would ease my suffering. Anyway, it was worth a try.
The first thing that happened when I arrived at It Doesn’t Matter was hearing the news that a long-time acquaintance had just died.
Rest in Peace, Don. These are photos his wife posted on her Facebook page.
Don was only 62 but had been in poor health for several months, and he was recovering from a broken hip at the time of his passing. Apparently what killed him, though, was his COPD. The guy telling me about his death had been at the hospital with him, and the doctors couldn’t get the respirators to oxygenate his blood. At least, that’s how I understand it. Don was a heavy smoker right up until the end, and if you are suffering from COPD, that’s going to kill you pretty quick. Anyway, Don was a good guy, and I’ll miss seeing him around.
Thankfully, whatever is going on with me is nowhere near that severe, but I’m going to see the doctor this afternoon for advice on how to keep things stable. I wound up not staying at IDM very long, turns out the drinking wasn’t making me feel better after all. Still, I had one more mission to accomplish–the long-awaited review of Lux bar.
Walking up the highway to Lux afforded this pleasant view.
I didn’t stay at Lux long; two beers (buy one, get one during happy hour) and out. I took a few crappy photos before leaving and wrote a bar review this morning.
The waitress kept handing me a tissue for my runny nose. I took the hint and fixed the problem.
I slept better and woke up feeling better, or at least stronger. I did the Friday group hike this morning and survived, but man, those hills sure do get me huffing and puffing.
Time to shower up and see what the doctor says. And after that, it’s SOB Friday at Whiskey Girl. What a life!
Lux is one of the newer bars in town, open for around six months now, I suppose. I visited during their grand opening and one other time before last night. It is actually a very impressive bar, roomy, and possibly the fanciest place in town. The signage around the front door lets you know you are in for something unique.
When you enter Lux, you encounter special effects like this lion statue.The bar as viewed from my table.There is also a pool table if that’s your thing.
Several large-screen televisions playing music videos of a genre I’m not really fond of, just a bit too loudly. But then again, I’m an old fucker; you young whippersnappers may enjoy it.
This is a “girly” bar, meaning it has sexy dancers for your viewing entertainment. I understand takeout is available as well.
Sorry the dance floor photo came out so dark. The dancers were all wearing hot miniskirts with tiny thongs underneath. I think that is what’s known as eye candy.
Even though girly bars aren’t my thing, Lux has taken the concept to a whole new level. It felt like being in a palace as much as being in a tavern. There was just one other customer and me at this early hour, but the dancers were still quite energetic. That’s not the case in many bars.
My company. The gal on the left remembered me from her days at Queen Victoria. I didn’t remember her at all, and even now, her name escapes me.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that during happy hour (until 7 p.m.), there is “buy one, get one pricing.” I didn’t even need a coupon! I understand beers are regularly priced at 90 pesos. That’s in the low range for this type bar.
Bottom line, if you like bars with girls on stage dancing for your entertainment, you definitely want to give Lux a visit. Hell, I’m bound to come back just for that happy hour drink deal!
My energy and motivation levels are both running on empty. That’s probably because I had coughing fits that kept me awake most of the night. Still hocking up the yellowish phlegm. I’ll be paying a visit to Dr. Jo on Sunday afternoon (yeah, she maintains unusual office hours, works for me, though). Needless to say, I didn’t do a walk today, although I did take two naps. So far.
Last night I made my bi-weekly feeding journey to Hideaway Bar.Joy wanted pizza this time. Between her and the other girls, it was gone quickly.
Once my work was done at Hideaway, I headed back up the highway to my side of town. I had initially planned to review the relatively new Lux bar. Then I realized I had another “buy one, get one” coupon for the Green Room. Lux will have to wait for another day.
I did enjoy the company of three waitresses at my table, and one of them, Angie, tripped some of my triggers. Seeing as how we weren’t alone, I wasn’t able to get her story. I’ll definitely look for her on my next visit. I did buy the gals a pizza to go with their lady drinks, though.
As I mentioned up top, I had a shitty night once I got home, and today hasn’t been much better. But this too shall pass. And there were some reminders that it’s good to be alive.
The mountain widow I support sent me this photo thanking me for feeding her kids.The boy I sponsor for school in Bohol is a 5th grader now. His mom sent me a video of him reading a poem in class. It’s on FB, so it won’t embed here.
Also, so far this month, I’ve paid for meds for a bargirls sick mom in the province, a much-needed dental appointment for a Filipina friend’s son, rent for another friend, and a small refrigerator. And for the record, I’ve also said no to requests I deemed in violation of Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker). Anyway, it does make me feel good to help a little bit when I can.
One year ago today, I met the woman I was destined to fall in love with on a hike with the Wednesday Walkers. All I’ve got to show for it is the newest scar on my heart. I’m glad we are still friends, at least.
I stay away from engaging in politics here at LTG, for the most part, these days, but occasionally I come across something that needs to be shared. Glenn Greenwald is a liberal journalist. But he is also an honest man who tells it like it is. And today, he made a strong case that it is the left who have earned the fascist moniker. Lots of examples, but the one that really stands out for me is the collaboration between the government and social media companies to suppress speech, a clear violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment. And the press, which should be outraged by this violation of fundamental rights, are willing participants in this effort to silence viewpoints the left doesn’t like. Give it a read and tell me what you think.
That’s all for now, dear readers. I’ll be back with more tomorrow. You’ve been warned!
Looking out at the road rushing under my wheels
I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels
Look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through
Looking into their eyes I see them running, too
Running on, running on empty
Running on, running blind
Running on, running into the sun
But I'm running behind
A more natural-sounding title would be “stuff about things,” but I’ll be damned if I haven’t used that FIVE times over the years. These days I do a check to make sure I have not repeated myself. I guess it doesn’t matter, but it’s important to me for some reason. So, that’s one thing.
For another thing, here’s the view yesterday morning from my back deck. I think the house construction behind me already mars it, but once they put that roof on, I expect that’s all I’ll see. Might as well enjoy what I have while I can.
I did my regular Tuesday grocery shopping thing without incident. Prices haven’t dropped any, but the dollar is now worth over 57 pesos, a new record.
I received a nice email from Grammarly with a link telling me what a great writer I am and bestowing on me this award:
Hmm, that’s not all of it. There was also this text: Let’s not forget that writing is an art. And like many of today’s best novelists, you are producing at an awe-inspiring rate. We wouldn’t be surprised if you have a few masterpieces up your sleeve.
Did you know: Haruki Murakami is the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of 1Q84, Kafka on the Shore, and several other literary masterpieces. Before his writing career, he ran a jazz bar named Peter Cat, after his pet.
Oh, I’m laughing out loud right now. My Grammarly app says to remove the comma after “acclaimed” and to replace the period with a question mark after “masterpieces.” Who am I to believe, Grammarly or Grammarly?
Anyway, Grammarly says I’m more prolific than 95% of their users, having written over 60,000 words last week and 1,632,000 since joining the site in January 2021. In a hard-to-believe stat, they claim I’m more accurate than 74% of their users. I’ve also used more “unique” words (whatever that means) than 98% of my fellow Grammarlyarians (yeah, there’s a unique word I just made up).
It is not all good news, though: My top three mistakes are double periods (?), missing commas in compound sentences (where have I heard that before, Kevin Kim?), and missing articles (I’m not sure what that even means, but it is probably because I tend to write very informally .) My top two spelling mistakes are “wa” for was and “htis” for this. That reflects the increasingly frequent disconnect between my brain and my fingers.
Oh, well. Grammar never was my thing, and if Grammarly is to be believed, a whole lot of others are doing a worse job.
Looking for an easy way out on crafting a Barretto bar crawl map, a Google search led me to this one:
Although this one purports to be from January 2022, it is wildly inaccurate. I’ll just need to figure out how to edit it if that’s possible.
I’m mainly curious to see if this will expand when clicked on once I publish this post. If it does, I’ve at least got a starting point. Technology really isn’t my thing, but I’ll do my best to come up with something useful.
Speaking of bars, I visited a couple of them last night. I’m sure that comes as a big surprise to my readers. The owner of Snackbar sent a message saying the girls were waiting for me and being the gentleman that I am, I didn’t want to disappoint them. I only stayed for about an hour though, because I had other business to attend to. That business was a “buy one, get one” coupon for Whiskey Girl bar.
I spent most of my time there chatting with Jen.
Jen’s a little older than most bargirls at 40, but she has a very pleasant personality and was fun to hang out with. She’s cute, in a matronly kind of way, but it is her inner beauty that most attracts me. The SOB is being hosted by Whiskey Girl this week, and I’ve already arranged for Jen to keep me company during the show. I guess I have a thing for her, at least when I’m at Whiskey Girl.
Speaking of Whiskey Girl, it is the first venue to receive an updated bar review. They’ve come a long way since the previous write-up. Give it a read if that’s your thing.
After Whiskey Girl, I had some hunger pangs, and Cameltoe was the nearest place to eat.
Alas, Lydell advised me that she was not on the menu.The thing I was most craving (other than Lydell) was the beef quesadillas. Very tasty. Oh, it comes with four triangles, but I ate one before remembering to take a photo.Naturally, I took care of Heidi and Lydell’s thirst and hunger as well. Beers and chicken wings were the things they wanted.
Made it home at my usual pre-nine p.m. hour. I ate WAY too much ice cream again, then went to bed and had a fitful sleep. I’ve got a hacking cough I’m dealing with of late. Reminds me of my pre-COPD diagnosis nights when I’d put a towel on the floor bedside so I could spit out all the phlegm I was coughing up. I’m not sure what’s up with that. My blood pressure has been up in the low 150s/80s all week as well, so something is going on. I’m going to see the doctor about these things and see if some changes in my medications are in order. Oh, and I was supposed to get my second does of the Sinovac vaccine today but decided to wait until I’m feeling better before getting that thing.
In the meantime, life goes on. I’ll be one of the Hares for next week’s trail, and I went out with Ed and his lovely Helen to do some trail scouting this morning.
Down in the valley, the valley so low. I think we will forego that area when we finalize our trail. We want something that works rain or shine.We will find room for Jesus, though.
We still have some more work to do this weekend to finalize our intended trails. Yes, we are going to have an “easy” version for the Hashers who desire that, and if climbing is their thing, we’ll have a mountain path as well. Should be something for everyone.
And speaking of the Hash, I found a meme featuring my Hash name.
They spelled “cum” wrong.
Well, that brings y’all up to date on the things I’ve been doing. I’ll start my evening at Hideaway Bar since the Wednesday feeding has become a regular thing for me to do. The girls can have chicken, pizza, or tacos, and I’m bringing a box of Choco Pies for dessert. Just didn’t feel like baking today. I’m also hoping to visit Lux Bar, one of the new venues, and do a review. We’ll see if I make it that far.
The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life.
Sir John Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 1
Of course, in the context of that play, Falstaff’s discretion was acting cowardly. Regardless, I am alive to tell about yesterday’s Hash adventure, and that’s the most important thing, at least to me.
It rained most of the day, and then, as if by magic, the rain stopped and didn’t start again until we were safely On-Home at It Doesn’t Matter. But the damage had been done with the steep climbs and descents laid out by Vienna Sausage (Guenter) being a muddy and slippery mess. My usual wingman, Pubic Head, opted to stay on the pavement, saying that the planned trail was difficult enough on a dry day. The other members of the “sane” group had already departed, and I was loathe to make that steep climb on my own, given that my unfamiliarity with the area would make it hard to shortcut should I deem that necessary. I reluctantly decided to forego the trail as well.
I waited at the start until the scheduled 2 p.m. departure time for the sane group, expecting Black And Dick Her’s arrival. She turned out to be a no-show, so I headed out on my own pavement hike. I began on Abra Street, then circled back around randomly until I found myself on Rizal Extension. The Hare had said in his pre-hike briefing that the first part of his trail came down from the ridgeline, crossed Rizal, and then continued over another hill on the way to the On-Home venue. I decided to check that out and decide what to do from there.
When I found the trail again, I recognized this portion was one I had previously hiked, although my recollection was vague at best (pretty much like everything else in my garbled brain these days). But at least I had some familiarity which gave me the confidence to go forward, knowing I could always bail and go back the way I came. So off I went.
These days, when I hike alone, I keep things pretty flat in areas where other people reside. My nightmare is to take a plunge somewhere way up in the hills where no one would ever find me, and I’d suffer a slow, agonizing, and lonely death. Hey, I have a good imagination! But this trail started with steps and paved sidewalks, and when the concrete gave way to dirt (and mud), the climb wasn’t scary difficult, and there were no big dropoffs–even if I were to trip, the fall wouldn’t kill me. The higher I went, the more familiar my surroundings became, and at the top of the hill, I found myself on the well-known My Bitch trail. Now I had the confidence to continue on the Hare’s well-marked path the rest of the way On-Home. I also reminded myself that even if some tragedy were to befall me, the main body of Hashers were all coming from behind, and at least someone would find my corpse while it was still warm.
I successfully completed my journey to It Doesn’t Matter without a single trip or fall, just a couple of minor slips that kept me focused on the task at hand. It is certainly more fun to have some companions along on a hike, but I was kind of proud of myself for finding the courage to go it alone.
Here are some photos I took along the way:
The yellow line is the trail as intended by the Hare. The blue line is my valorous deviation.Yes, my trail was shorter, but then again, I walked to the start from my house, and that adds two or three kilometers to the total.The “sane” group before they departed without me.I started my personal trail on Abra Street, and then I came upon this. Fuck that. I circled back around to Rizal Extension in search of the second half of the Hare’s trail.At least Rizal wasn’t a muddy mess.What’s this? Why I do believe I am On-On!That’s it for Rizal; let’s see where we are going now…Sometimes you gotta go down to get back up. I was very careful on these algae-covered steps.I should have used my zoom for this shot, the creek was running high, and there was a bit of a waterfall back there.Steppin’ it up.Goodbye pavement, hello mud.Heading up with roots for a foothold. Thank you, Mother Nature!I didn’t expect the trail to lead me back to my old familiar My Bitch trail, but I’m glad it did. It gave me a chance to say hello to my mountain mama friend, Oliva, and bestow some cookies and candies.A rarely seen barbwire tree.Ah, seeing Easter mountain again made me feel a little less lonely.The view from here. Then I started hearing voices. English voices. I figured the first of the runners must be catching up.And sure enough, a few minutes later, here comes Leech My Nuggets and Anal Receptive.Another view of my little town.Steppin’ back down to Barretto. I was very careful on these as well. Anal Receptive reported that he took a fall coming down here. They may not look slippery, but don’t let that fool you.This was the first time we’d down an On-Home at It Doesn’t Matter. With 52 Hashers in attendance, it got a little cramped, but we kept it fun anyway.I didn’t encounter any rain on my trek, but we had a light shower at the circle.I didn’t take this photo; I assume it is one of Pubic Head’s. It is rare to see two exes at the same time (that’s Marissa and Jessa standing). But we are all friendly with one another, so no big deal. Jessa was there with her new love, and it was only her second Hash.
After the Hash, I took my drunken ass to Sit-n-Bull for some grub.
You can’t go wrong with the roast beef dip.
It turned out to be a better day than I expected. I’m glad I lived to tell about it!
And everything is wet. The streets here in the ‘hood have not been dry for so long that a thin and mostly invisible layer of algae has grown on the sides of the roads that don’t get trafficked. That shit is slick as ice, as I discovered on my dog walk this morning. Gotta be careful out there these days, even on the pavement.
Nice morning views, even on a slippery road.
Still off and on rain today, and we’ve got a Hash coming up. Guenter is the Hare, so I expect I’ll be fighting for my life on the muddy hills that await me.
That remains to be seen.
The hardest part about making a carrot cake:
Grating the carrots. My helper took the initiative and grated them for me.She also put the icing on the cake in my absence. I think she was motivated by wanting to eat some.
Turns out Joy didn’t get to experience my carrot cake yesterday. It took longer to bake than I anticipated, and I didn’t have time to let it cool enough so I could apply the frosting. I brought a package of Orea cookies instead, and she seemed happy with that.
Joy requested the Sit-n-Bull lasagna for her meal. I hope it tasted better than this photo makes it look. The other girls had the fried chicken from Chooks To Go.Joy said it was tasty.And she finished most of the large-size serving, so I guess it’s true.
After Hideaway, I visited Wet Spot and used my completed drink passport to my full advantage. Nothing tastes better than a free beer, and the half-price ones were pretty damn good as well.
Took a morning stroll out to the Jewel restaurant for breakfast.
The ham and cheese omelet hit the spot.
Next up, surviving today’s Hash. I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. Maybe.
Wow, three posts in one day. What’s up with that? Well, the other posts were about bars, and now it’s time for your daily dose of me. So here goes.
It wouldn’t be a post about me if it didn’t include me in a bar. Of course, I only visit the bars on days that end in “y,” and SaturdaY qualifies. Actually, I had intended to go to Whiskey Girl. It was raining when I left the house, so I didn’t take the dirt path shortcut; instead, I walked out to the highway. When I reached the highway, the owner of Snackbar across the road saw me and beckoned me to come over. I waved and kept on walking. But then I had a change of heart, deciding to have just “one” as a friendly gesture. I wound up staying until my quitting time, a little before nine. I honestly can’t remember the last time I stayed in the same bar for the entire length of my outing. Well, they do have a cute and friendly staff that was pampering me. In return, I ordered in some food and provided beverages in the form of lady drinks. Then, my pal Ron showed up; I got drafted as the DJ and was having a good time, so why bother leaving?
Up bright and early at my usual 0400 to face another rainy day. This latest storm has been a little tricky–the sun peaks through the clouds, and you think it’s safe to walk your dogs without bringing an umbrella. And then, once you reach the furthest point from your house, it starts pouring down rain again. Oh well, that’s the way it goes.
I baked up a batch of cranberry muffins to warm myself after the drenching.
Tasty they were.Then I noticed I had a can of cranberry sauce on the shelf, and it seemed only natural to make that my side dish.
After my carby hearty breakfast, it was time to brave the rain for my morning walk. I did arm myself with an umbrella this time. Since I needed to stay on the pavement, I decided to trek out to Subic town to empty the ATM. I got the cash without issue, but on the walk back home, my feet got soaked wading through huge puddles on the shoulder of the highway.
It was a good long (for me) walk under adverse conditions.
Got home safe and sound, took a nap, and worked on the previously mentioned posts. Now I need to bake a carrot cake as part of the feeding I have scheduled at Hideaway bar tonight.
I’m also happy to announce that all my hard work is paying off.
Yesterday, I walked the length of Barretto on the National Highway, from the 7/11 on Baloy Beach road to the Arizona Resort at Rizal Street. That’s a distance of 1.15 kilometers. Then I crossed the highway and walked back in the opposite direction. The purpose of this walk was to document all the bars in preparation for creating a series of posts here at LTG suggesting various “bar crawls,” as requested by some of my readers. That sounds like a fun idea; I’m especially looking forward to the test drives.
One tool I’m going to need for this endeavor is a good map of the bar district area in order to show the location of various bars. I tracked the bar trek on the “Map My Walk” app, and it gave me this:
Not a lot of detail.
So, I converted it to a satellite image:
Hello down there! Seems too far away for my purposes.
Another app I sometimes use is Relive. It creates a video from the data recorded at Map My Walk.
https://www.relive.cc/view/vRO7gELekKO
This particular video is not all that useful since it doesn’t show all the bars I photographed (for more than eight images, I have to pay for the premium service). It should be nice for the actual bar crawls, though. But when you scroll down below the photos under the video, it shows “activity on map” that looks like this:I think this is something I could work with. Now I just need to figure out a way to show individual bars on the map. Does anyone out there have any suggestions for the best way to do that?
Anyway, I’m making progress. Here are the photos I took of the bars:
Snackbar (aka “Snatchbar) is next to the 7/11 at Baloy road and the National highway. This is where Barretto begins as you move in the direction of Olongapo City.Kamto Restobar, or as some of us like to call it, Cameltoe.The Outback Billabong bar.Next up was Whiskey Girl Bar.Then comes Adam’s.Literally right below Adam’s (see the steps on the right) is Lux bar. This is one of the newer bars I haven’t reviewed yet. I’ll get to it soon, I promise!Palm Tree is a hotel, but also features a large bar on the second floor.Rock Lobster is one of the hotel bars at Mango’s.Mango’s also has a beach bar in the back that I sometimes frequent.Next comes Thumbstar, a girly bar with rooms available upstairs.I’m a frequent visitor to Cheap Charlies, up on the third floor.Then you have the Annex bar, one of only two bars that were open during my early morning (around 9 a.m.) jaunt.The recently reviewed Chill bar.Mugshots, the newest bar in town.And then another new venue, Bar Barretto.Blue Butterfly.MacArthur’sThe other early opening bar is Dynamite Dick’s.The Hideaway bar is halfway up this alley on the left. And then you have Redz Pub at the Arizona Resort hotel.
That’s the end of the road in this direction as far as Barretto bars go. Now it is time to cross the highway and head back in the opposite direction towards Subic.
First up is John’s Sushi and Steak. I frequently post about my dining experiences here, but John also has an open-air bar upstairs on the third floor. I still need to review that one too.Not as many bars on this side of the road, three or four blocks up from John’s is It Doesn’t Matter, currently #1 on my bar ranking list.Then you have Voodoo.And right next door, Bottoms Up.Hot Zone, which advertises itself as being “somewhere between purgatory and hell.”The Green Room, one of reader Dave’s bars.And Wet Spot is the other one Dave owns.Not a bar, but smack dab in the middle of the bar district. Sit-n-Bull also has a waitress on patrol in Wet Spot and Green Room, so hungry drinkers don’t have to leave the bar for grub.Alaska Club is next on the road.And right next door to Alaska is Sloppy Joe’s, another bar pending review.Alley HIdeout, where I used to play darts before going on hiatus.Then you have Rosie’s.Johansson’s recently re-opened after a two-year closure. Still no signage to photograph, so I settled for this shy waitress.And finally, the last bar on this side of the road, Queen Victoria.
Whew. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. I honestly can’t imagine anyone doing a “one drink” in every bar thing. Maybe one until you drop, and whoever gets the furthest is the winner. That sounds a little dangerous, though.
My thinking is to craft some themed bar crawls that will emphasize having a good time doing what you enjoy. Stay tuned; it’s a work in progress.
I have updated my bar rankings based on additional visits, other information, and overall impressions. I’m not sure how much value these rankings hold because the reality is they are nothing more than my subjective opinions based on my personal bar preferences. For example, BarCelona has many of the qualities I look for in a bar, but it seems every time I’ve been, the service sucks. Girly bars aren’t really my thing, but I’m sure others would find Thumbstar quite acceptable. My issues there are more personal–I don’t care for the management. So, take them for what they are worth; your mileage may vary.
I will continue to update as needed periodically. Also, I plan to revisit each bar to see if things have changed for better or worse since my previous visits. I will then re-rank them accordingly.
Another wet one yesterday, but life goes on, and into each life, some rain must fall.
The Friday walking group didn’t let a little precipitation keep us from our scheduled jaunt. We did confine ourselves to the relative safety of the pavement, dodging cars instead of raindrops. I’ll post the photos from that endeavor at the end of this post.
After the hike, I decided to try something new for lunch. It has been months since I fired up the grill, but I had defrosted some pork chop steaks, and it was time to give them a whirl.
I had a bottle of Hawaiian marinade on the shelf, so I soaked them in that for a couple of hours, then put ’em on the grill.I don’t recall ever actually grilling pork chops, but I treated them like a beef steak, turning them over periodically to avoid overcooking. Well, I wanted them cooked through, just not burned.On the plate with some broccoli in cheese sauce and garlic bread. Honestly, they came out bland tasting to me. I’m not sure what seasonings they use at Mango’s to give them that robust flavor, but mine, while perfectly edible, was not nearly as tasty.
It was a rainy afternoon, and when the time came to head to Voodoo for the SOB, I was thankful for my umbrella. Voodoo doesn’t open until 5:00, and I arrived a little after 4:00, so I hung out at Cheap Charlies while I waited.
Voodoo is in that grey building across the street, so I could keep my eye on things and see when they opened the doors.
Naturally, I took care of my regular CC girls, but I was drinking slowly, knowing I had a long night of imbibing ahead of me. As I did last week, I switched to San Mig Zero to moderate the rate of alcohol consumption. When I saw Voodo was opening, I paid my tab, said goodnight to the ladies (there were three of them), and made my dash across the rain slickened highway.
The last time I visited Voodoo was for the SOB over a month ago. Josie, the gal who kept me company on that occasion, latched onto me as soon as I walked through the door.
She’s actually pretty sweet. After we’d been sitting there a while, she looked at me, touched my neck, and asked if I’d been feeling ill. Well, yes, as a matter of fact. Weird that she could tell just by looking at me. Anyway, she said let me give you a back massage, and she had a nice, relaxing, gentle touch.
Voodoo is the smallest SOB venue of them all, and it was packed by the time the competition began. It was good that I arrived early to secure a comfortable seating location.
The dancers from the seven competing bars on stage.
The results:
Alaska Club finished third.Second place went to Wet Spot.And the home bar was the champion–congrats to the Voodoo girls.
The Aftermath party was at Hot Zone. I stayed there until about 9:30, and that was all I could muster. Caught a trike outside and finished my rainy night out on the town still standing.
Up this morning, ready to tackle a new day. Had the leftover fixin’s from yesterday’s burrito, so I decided to put them where they belonged: in my belly. I was bragging in yesterday’s post about learning how to brown my tortilla in the frying pan, but my foodie commenter, Kevin Kim, pointed out I was still doing it wrong. I’m supposed to fry the whole damn burrito, not just the tortilla. Well, my problem is I like to overfill the tortilla with so much goodness that it can’t be rolled properly, and there is always some spillage. This morning, I cut back on the insides and made it look like an actual burrito.
Into the skillet with you then.Maybe just a little too much brown, but still not bad for my first try. The meat had been in the fridge, and the browning process wasn’t enough to completely warm it up, so next time I’ll heat the meat before I put it in the tortilla.
Yesterday, commenter James suggested I map out some potential bar crawls for like-minded readers here. Sounds like fun to me. Of course, I’m going to need to learn a thing or two about making maps, but I’m sure there’s a way, even for a techno-peasant like me. The first step in that endeavor was to use my morning walk to take a picture of each Barretto bar. They are all on the National Highway, and thanks to my Map My Walk app, I know that the whole of Barretto along the highway is a mere 1.15 kilometers in length. The app also provided me with a rudimentary map that I could work with as a start. I’ll be doing a post about those efforts in more detail tomorrow.
When I left the house this morning, it was not raining, and I neglected to take my umbrella. I soon came to regret that oversight. I don’t mind walking in light rain, but a downpour is just too damn uncomfortable. Heading up the highway, the skies opened, and I rushed to take refuge in one of the two bars that are open during the morning hours–Dynamite Dick’s.
I sat on the front porch of Dick’s and enjoyed a hot cup of black coffee while I waited for the rain to die down some. Dick showed up a few minutes later, followed by Griff, the Hideaway Bar manager. That helped pass the time.
As is his custom, Dick gave me a chit for a free drink, but I respectfully declined his kind offer. The rain had let up, and it was time to complete my mission. Arizona Resort is at the end of the bar district in this direction, so I turned off my app, crossed the highway, turned on the app again, and walked back, documenting the bars on that side of the road. About the time I reached Sit-n-Bull, the skies opened up again, and I took shelter inside.
I felt obligated to buy something while I waited out the rain, so I indulged my sweet tooth with a miniature cherry cheesecake pie.
I also enjoyed a nice chat with owner Ron about the local bar scene. He’s happy to be strictly in the restaurant business these days.
Finished the last bar on this side of the road (Queen Victoria), then decided to head back home even though I was nowhere near my step goal for the day. Walking in the rain is overrated, and sure enough, it started pouring again before I reached my house. Oh well, at least I was able to put on dry clothes.
Here are some photos from yesterday’s hike: (just a reminder, as always, photo credit to Scott for many of these)
Our course of action. I bailed on the group in San Isidro and took the back way into Alta Vista.Once a shortcutter, always a shortcutter, I suppose.Our band of weather beaters. Actually, we were fortunate that the rain held off for most of the hike.Yours truly leading the way up the highway.And the rest of the group.We walked the streets in Santa Monica, getting us off the highway for a while.Subdivision walking may not be all that exciting, but at least we were out and about.And there is beauty to be found there.Santa Monica is notorious for flooding during rainy season. We were lucky to have clear streets yesterday.Can anyone identify that mountain?Entering Sierra Hills, another subdivision.Trudging along on the Govic Highway.It’s a scenic highway in places.And much nicer when traffic is light.A well-stocked sari-sari store.That rice doesn’t plant itself.Hard work, it appears backbreaking to me.Workin for a livin Workin for a livin Workin for a livin, livin and workin I’m taking what they giving ’cause I’m working for a living.San Isidro here I come.In them old rice fields back home.Sees ya later.
My Saturday night is rapidly approaching. I’m planless and clueless. That could make things interesting. Tune in tomorrow to find out what happens.
Since I stole some Huey Lewis lyrics, the least I can do is post the video of his song.
