Water, water everywhere, but none inside the house. Something went wrong with one of the pipes in the basement, and my part-time helper’s boyfriend’s efforts to repair it failed. I have a plumber coming this afternoon to fix the problem. I hope. The upshot is that I couldn’t shower yesterday, and the prospects of getting one in before the Hash aren’t looking good either. Yeah, I know. That stinks.

Meanwhile, life goes on. And by life, I mean beer drinking. Started my journey last evening at Hideaway. It was feeding night, so I had the meals as requested by the gals delivered from Jewel Café.

My next stop was Cheap Charlies. I almost walked out because the girls were all seated in my preferred prime viewing area. They made no effort to clear a space for me as I approached, so I turned around and headed for the door. A manager called out to me, as did my two favorites, Alma and Nerissa, so I chalked it up to a misunderstanding and returned to the now vacant seating area. Three beers and two lady drinks (one each) later, I was ready for a change of scenery.

I plopped down in Green Room and renewed my efforts to quench my thirst. I enjoyed watching some pretty intense pool games (the guy was paying the bargirls 200 pesos for every time they beat him–talk about motivation!). I saw him lose twice to different girls (in one case, I suspect he lost on purpose), but everyone appeared to be having fun. It occurred to me that this was a non-lady drink alternative for supplementing the meager wages of the bargirls. I stayed in my comfort zone and bought three gals one drink each.

I made Wet Spot next door my final stop on the night. Aine spotted me almost immediately after I arrived, so naturally, she joined me for a drink. My regular waitress wasn’t working, but her replacement was now subjected to my new (to her) old jokes, so I rewarded her suffering with a lady drink as well. I was actually in the process of paying my tab when the manager, Brett, sent me over a free beer. Damn. I knew that was going to cost me. I couldn’t enjoy my freebie whilst my company sat with empty glasses, so I bought them another round as well. Oh well, I’m doing better overall in reducing my expenditures in the LD category.

I got home before nine, as usual. A stormy night and a rainy morning, but at least right now, there seems to be a break in the action. Hopefully, it holds up through this afternoon’s Hash. Our On-Home is at the far end of Rizal Extension at the house of a Hasher named Always Wet. How appropriate. Getting a ride back into town from up there is often difficult, so I may not stay for the entire circle. I don’t like walking in the dark, especially after I’ve had a few beers. If it starts raining again, I may not go at all. I’ll let you know what happens tomorrow.

Here are some laughs I encountered on the internet this morning:

And that’s all I’ve got for now.

Yep, still raining.

My itinerary started at the Outback poolside bar, and inside at the the Outback Billabong. Next up was Sloppy Joe’s. Then, I visited Annex Bar before popping into Whiskey Girl. I finished the night at Snackbar. A total of three lady drinks (one each at SJ, WG, and SB) were purchased on the night. I didn’t count my beers, but I went home with a comfortable buzz. Nothing happened over the course of the evening worthy of note here. Maybe that’s a good thing.

An after-coffee lull in the rain allowed me to sneak in a relatively dry 7K walkabout in Matain.

I finished my jaunt at Sit-n-Bull and brought home a sandwich to keep me company at lunchtime.

Other than a nap on the couch, I haven’t accomplished jackshit all afternoon. Unless you consider this post an accomplishment. Later on, I will venture out to Hideaway for the Sunday feeding of the girls. And that’s all I’ve got for now, folks.

Well, I did happen upon this music video. Never heard of the group Wet Leg or this song “Chaise Longue” before. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen lounge spelled that way, either. Well, I’ll be damned, I just looked it up, and they are two different words referring to different types of furniture (longue inside, lounge outside. Hey, life is for learning! Anyway, it’s a catchy tune, the lyrics are hilarious, and the video is fun to watch. So, at least your visit to LTG was not a total waste of time today!

I was checking to see if I’d previously used “Showdown” as a post title, and the search results included something from August 2018 called “Every F’n Day!” Ha! That was my first rainy season. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but your patience runs thin when there is no respite from the daily drenchings. Especially when you almost get drowned trying to drown your sorrows.

My timing sucked when I departed for the SOB yesterday. Just a few blocks from home, the wind and rain came down upon me like God’s wrath. An umbrella was worthless in these circumstances, and so I sought shelter from the storm.

When I finally arrived at Sloppy Joe’s, my feet were wet from wading through puddles, but I was otherwise unscathed. I had a few beers with the regular crowd while waiting for Alaska to open at five. When the time arrived, I moved next door and settled into a front-row seat for the show.

It was the typical SOB performance, although some of the dancers had changed since the last time I attended. It was also the first time I’d seen the new bar, La Oficina, perform and they did a nice job. Here are the results of the contest:

Good job to all the ladies for their entertaining efforts.

The entry fee for the SOB is 750 pesos. That price includes all you can drink from six until eight p.m. I take pride in the fact that I always drink my money’s worth! So, by the time I left after the performance, I was feeling no pain. Then I ran into fellow Hashers Jim, Troy, and Simon, who invited me to join them at Cheap Charlies, and I impulsively agreed. They later continued their bar crawl, but I ended my night after two more beers and headed home.

I’d say a new day dawned, except I’ve not seen the sun for over a week. Swan is still not feeling well, but she invited me over for coffee anyway.

After coffee, there was a break in the rain, and I decided to see how far I could get on my standard Saturday solo stroll. Surprisingly, the rain held off for the first 6K, and I actually ended up enjoying an otherwise dull street walk. It’s funny how being denied a simple pleasure can enhance its value.

Facebook memories carried me back to this date in 2016 to remind me of the time I brought my Korean girlfriend, Eun Oke, with me for a visit to the Philippines.

There’s a funny story behind that picture. When we entered the bar, it was very late (we had just flown in from Seoul), and we were the only customers. I guess the dancers had never seen a Korean FEMALE before, and they all came down from the stage for a closer look. She was like a rock star, and the girls were touching her arms and hair and talking about K-Pop and K-dramas and such. Then Eun Oke announced, “Buy them all a drink!” I leaned over and whispered, “Eun Oke, you are supposed to pick one girl to drink with.” She didn’t care and repeated her demand, so I bought them all a drink. The next morning, Eun Oke asked me, “So, how much did we spend last night?” I responded almost a hundred dollars. “And how much do we spend when just you and I go out in Seoul?” I laughed and said, usually a hundred dollars. So, she made the girls happy and recognized the bargain that is life in the Philippines.

Speaking of life in the PI, I saw this on someone’s Facebook post, and it was a good reminder of why I don’t drive here:

And now another Saturday night is on the horizon. I guess more of the same at the bars is in store for me, although I’d rather be with Swan. And once again, she is not available. It is weird to have finally met someone special and being lonelier than ever as a result. Is that what they mean by Karmic justice?

I had lunch alone today, but it was a good one:

Let’s see what happens next.

She came to me like a friend
She blew in on a southern wind
Now my heart is turned to stone again
There’s gonna be a Showdown

And it’s rainin’ all over the world
It’s raining all over the world
Tonight, the longest night

Damn, it took me fifteen minutes to come up with a post title for today’s entry that I hadn’t used previously. And as you can see, I had to butcher a common phrase to make that happen. Oh well, this too shall pass. Of course, part of the problem is that there is not much new happening in my so-called life to even pretend that it is unique or interesting. And when all it does is rain every f’n day, there ain’t much I can do about it. So here we are.

The weather has also taken its toll on the beaches:

Well, it is what it is, and what it is is rainy season. We go through this every year, but this year just seems more intense somehow. My daily hiking routine has been corrupted, but at least the bars are weather-resistant. I was proud of my timing yesterday evening, getting all the way to my destination, Sloppy Joe’s, during a lull in the storm. Once I was safely ensconced in the Maze of bars, I had it made. Let’s celebrate with beers!

I had a table to myself at first, but then Chris and his gal, along with a couple of others, showed up, and it was nice to have some drinking companions. Of course, what goes in must come out, and when I ventured to the CR to take care of business, I was confronted with this sad reminder:

I got a message from my pal Ron saying he was in town and wanted to meet up at Green Room. Welp, that’s now right next door to Sloppy Joe’s, and with a newly installed doorway between the bars, I didn’t even have to step outside to get there. It’s aMAZEing! My regular Green Room crew soon surrounded me, but I’m doing much better at not buying lady drinks willy-nilly. Over the course of my visit, they each got one only. Ron arrived, and I bought him a beer; we chatted, and he left when he finished his beer. I expected we’d hang out and bar hop, but he lives in Subic now and works online with stateside hours, so he needed to go.

During my visit, Anne, a waitress I first met in 2010 when she worked at Arizona and I was a tourist (I wrote about that event here), surprised me by asking me to pose for a picture.

Later, she sent the above photo to me along with this shot from July 2010:

Everybody’s so different, I haven’t changed.

My next stop was next door at Wet Spot, where I enjoyed a couple of more beers and the company of Aine. I pretty much had my fill when I left and thought I’d slip into Sit-n-Bull to bring home some of their pecan pie. But once outside, I saw the rain had subsided, and I took that as a sign to get some steps in by walking to Whiskey Girl. And that’s what I did.

My regular Kim was busy with a customer, but my other favorite, Jenn, gave me her full attention. And one of the things she said was, “You only come to see me when you are drunk.” Um, yeah. That’s kind of how it works. Also, Whiskey Girl doesn’t open until six, and that’s halfway through my night out. Another factor is that it is on the side of town I visit when I’m making my way home. Anyway, from what I recall, I had a good time. And when I left to go home, there was a trike right out front, and the driver called out, “Ready to go, sir John?” And that’s how my night ended.

And I woke up this morning to the beginning of the “ber” months.

Swan canceled coffee because she wasn’t feeling well, but I had a pretty nice morning strolling around the internet. I timed my dog walk to coincide with a break in the storm, but it didn’t last long enough to get me back home. A heavy squall soaked me and the boys and blew my umbrella right out of my hands. I had to climb through the weeds and down an embankment to recover it. Fun times.

I also finished watching “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” Thanks for the recommendation, it was quite enjoyable. I’m not a reviewer, but it is a sweet love story with a happy ending. And damn, Rachel (Mila Kunis) is smoking hot! It’s been quite a while since I’ve made it through a movie, so finding a way to appeal to my short attention span says a lot about the story.

The powers that be trying to fire up another round of COVID panic has me wondering just how stupid “they” think we are.

Oddly enough, Facebook memories reminded me today of a quote I had posted in 2017–three years prior to the scamdemic:

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”

— C.S. Lewis

It’s scary to think the sheeple will fall for this madness yet again. Here’s hoping our betters are in for a rude awakening.

On a lighter note, there was this:

And finally, this appealed to me for some unknown reason:

I’ve got the SOB dance competition on tap tonight at the new Alaska Club. Maybe I can manage to be dry when I arrive.

Tuesday’s gone, but I’m still around to write about it. Not that it was a particularly newsworthy day, but I did change things up some. Here’s how it all went down:

As usual, I did my weekly grocery shopping at Royal. My helper and Swan were there to assist. Even with Swan’s added items to my basket, my tab was under 15,000 pesos, so I was glad about that.

Swan had invited me over to her/our place for my Tuesday night beer drinking, so I bought a case of San Miguel Light for that purpose. After dropping Swan, her groceries, and the beer off, I returned home to await her message that she had completed her tutoring work and I could join her. It was pouring down rain all afternoon so I was trapped at home. I took a couple of naps and tried to find a movie that was recommended for me on Netflix and YouTube without success. Well, YouTube had it, but you had to pay to see it. And the only method of paying was via credit card. I just didn’t trust them with that info, so I’ll find another way to acquire “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” before I forget.

It was a little after five when Swan messaged me that she was ready for me to come over. The rain had slacked up some, but it was still a wet ten-minute walk getting there (umbrellas are pretty much useless in the wind). A peck on the lips when I arrived, and then I took my usual seat on the patio to begin my nightly chore of beer consumption.

We had about thirty minutes alone together before Swan’s sister and nieces arrived. During that time, I asked Swan about our future living arrangements. She told me the niece would be moving back to the family complex next month to live. I do feel guilty about splitting them up, but not so much that I’m willing to be guilty of the crime of cohabitation with a minor. I did tell Swan that if she preferred, I’d help her rent a place so she could continue to live with her niece. Swan said she preferred to stay with me, which was the answer I was hoping for.

When the family members arrived, Swan had a surprise in store for me.

Anyway, it was a pleasant evening hanging out with Swan and her clan. I was in charge of the music and did a Spotify playlist of tunes from the 50s and 60s. Swan even danced with me a couple of times!

Around nine o’clock, I did the walk home alone in the dark, but at least the rain had subsided to a light sprinkle. I would have preferred to stay with Swan, but as usual, she said I have to wait until next month.

And now it is Wednesday.

My plan as of now is to brave the rain and make the trek to Hideaway Bar for the Wednesday feeding and see how things go from there.

I came across this somewhere on the ‘net and felt compelled to share it on my Facebook:

I haven’t heard much talk about renewed COVID restrictions here, but President Biden’s call for more mandatory vaccinations is generating some rumblings on the internet. Have people finally come to see what a farce this has all been, and will they now actively resist this type of government overreach? I’m a bit pessimistic about that, but this meme could become the battle cry of the resistance:

That’s all I’ve got for now.

Well, I didn’t have time to get bored, that’s for sure. Here’s how all those hours got filled yesterday.

Anyway, it was a good hike and nice to be out in an unfamiliar area for a change of scenery.

I got back home, did a post here at LTG, took a shower and a short nap, and then headed back out for my 4:30 appointment with Dr. Jo. The blood work results weren’t back yet, but she and hubby Chris reviewed the ultrasound workups. For some reason, my left kidney is bigger than my right kidney, but the pain I’m experiencing is on my right side, so that’s probably not it. I also have some small kidney stones. They are too small for any procedure but ripe for some proactive actions to help expel them naturally. I got another tablet to take and a recommendation for some local plant-based tea my helper will look to find. The bottom line is I’m supposed to drink plenty of fluids. I asked, does that include beer? Chris said it couldn’t hurt. Dr. Jo shook her head and advised we’ll see about that when we get the liver results. It looks like I have a window of opportunity in the meantime. The pain in my side has subsided significantly, so that’s a hopeful sign.

After the doctor’s appointment, I headed out for the liquid refreshment my kidneys so desperately need. I thought I’d start by checking out the new Sloppy Joe’s.

And here are some shots of the new version:

So, I stayed drinking with Jim at Sloppy Joe’s for several beers; then, he suggested we go upstairs to La Oficina. Why not? Up the stairs, plopped down at a seat near the dance stage, and ordered more beer. This was SOB night, so only a couple of dancers were performing. One of them was a real cutie, and with my usually stellar judgment impaired by the kidney medication I’d been drinking, I called her down to join us (Jim was buying drinks for a couple of waitresses. The dancer is named Chloe, and she was fun to hang with, especially since all my old jokes were new to her. I bought her two single-lady drinks before leaving.

Jim was supposed to meet Troy at Adam’s Bar, another venue I almost never visit, so I figured I’d tag along. When we got back downstairs, Troy was at Sloppy Joe’s. He downed his beer and joined us, but wanted to visit Lux bar (next door to Adam’s) first. That’s another bar I rarely patronize. It’s kind of weird because it is one of the nicer bars in town, but for some reason, I just don’t go. Anyway, the door girl latched onto me right as I entered and joined us at our table. An older gal (40, she said) named April. She was also very nice, and I found her worthy of a lady drink. After a couple of beers, Jim and Troy headed upstairs to Adam’s, and I followed them there.

I was very surprised to see Eunice when I arrived. Eunice was one of my regulars at Cheap Charlies, but I hadn’t seen her there recently. Last night was her first night of work at Adam’s, so I naturally welcomed her with a lady drink. I asked what happened at Cheap Charlies, and as I understood her, she missed some work days, and they let her go. Imagine that. My kidneys by now had all the meds I could withstand, so I said my goodnight to all and caught a trike for home.

Quite a day, eh? When I checked to make sure this post title wasn’t duplicated, I came across a post I wrote back in March 2005, shortly after my move to Korea. You may or may not find it of interest. I was a different kind of busy in those days.

And on my morning walk today, I saw there is a new bar coming to town.

There are two other new bars in the process of opening as well. I honestly have no idea where the customers are going to come from to support them all. Even I have my limits. We need more tourists and two-week millionaires!

But Saturday night is fast approaching now, and I’m going to go out and do my best to help out the local business community. Provided they serve San Mig Zero.

I just returned from this morning’s charity hike in Olongapo and have a doctor’s appointment in a couple of hours. And I really need a nap. So, today’s post will be brief.

Swan joined me for dinner last night. When she accepted my invitation a few days ago, she told me she would spend the night. That got me excited! She had a tutoring client in the early evening, so she didn’t arrive until almost seven p.m. Still, my preparation timing was on point, and the meal came together shortly after her arrival.

After dinner, we sat in the living room, and I played music from my YouTube playlists on the TV. Swan was finalizing orders for her meat distribution business, so she had her eye on the phone a lot. I asked if she wanted to watch something on Netflix, and she responded that she was enjoying the music. Good enough for me. One of the songs that played was “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Keith Whitley. It resonated with me, but I couldn’t tell how closely Swan was listening. Naturally, I was looking forward to bedtime until Swan casually mentioned she was on her menstruation. Damn, that was disappointing news. I asked her later if she knew she’d be having her period when she volunteered to spend the night with me. She denied it. Oh well, I teased her some about other orifices, but I wasn’t serious. And honestly, the way I’ve been feeling lately, it may have been a blessing that I didn’t exert myself with lovemaking. But damn, I would have been glad to give it a go. Oh, well.

We did have a nice night of cuddling and that’s something I miss almost as much as sex, so I’m grateful for that. Swan left early this morning to get her niece ready for school and I set about preparing for my charity hike and presentation ceremony in Olongapo.

All told, our group donated around 35,000 pesos ($700) so the impoverished students would have needed school supplies. It’s nice to help make a difference!

I’ve got to hit the shower and the sheets now, so I’ll post pictures from today’s hike here tomorrow, along with an update on what lies ahead for me health-wise.

I know you loved him
A long time ago
Even now in my arms
You still want him I know
But darling this time
Let your memories die
When you hold me tonight
Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
Than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Maybe I've been a fool
Holding on all this time
Lyin' here in your arms
Knowing he's in your mind
But I keep hoping some day
That you'll see the light
Let it be me tonight
Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
Than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

…but it can always be worse. As long as I’m alive, I can bitch about life here, so there’s that.

Yesterday began and ended in pain. Last night was actually a little scary. I started coughing in Alley Cats, and with whatever it is that ails me, a cough feels like being stabbed in the side. I caught a trike for home (at 7:30!), and it took a nebulizer session, a saltwater gargle, and two cups of green tea with honey to put the cough to rest so that I could. I went to bed early and slept through the night, which was a blessing.

I visited my doctor yesterday afternoon, and she took some blood to check on my liver and gall bladder. She also referred me for an ultrasound session to get a peek at what’s going on inside of me. Nothing was enlarged or abnormal in appearance from my review of the results, but we’ll see what Dr. Jo has to say on Friday when the lab results are back.

Yesterday also brought another kind of pain, this time in the ass. Once again, it seems the casual acquaintances in my life expect me to bail them out of their financial difficulties. One of them really pissed me off because she continued to beg after I said no. Part of my anger was at myself for feeling a little guilty. This gal is one of my regular waitresses at It Doesn’t Matter. I gladly helped her out recently when she needed medicine for an illness. This time, she wanted money to buy school supplies for her three kids. I’m a regular customer (or was) at the bar where she works; how does that make me responsible for her children’s needs? My guilt derived from the fact that I recently donated a whole lot more money than she wanted for tomorrow’s charity hike–money that will be used to buy school supplies for complete strangers. If I willingly gave for them, why not her? So, I resolved that dissonance like this: When I walked by IDM on my way to Hideaway, I stopped and handed the waitress in question an envelope with most of the amount she requested. I didn’t say a word; I just turned and walked away. I don’t intend to return to IDM, so she lost a customer. I also blocked her on Facebook, so I guess that means she lost a “friend” as well. I’m not sure if this was a total violation of Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker), but it felt close enough, and now I’m confident it won’t happen again. At least with her.

The Wednesday feeding of the Hideaway girls cheered me up some. I sent Joy out for some roast chicken to go with the banana-nut muffins I baked for the crew. As usual, they all seemed to enjoy their dinner treat.

After Hideaway, I decided to pay a visit to Blue Butterfly after a long hiatus. The waitress who served me left me alone, and I appreciated that I could just enjoy my beer and watch the world pass by on the highway (I was in the outdoor section). But before I’d finished my beer, two gals that I’ve seen in the past came out and hovered around my table. Well, me being me, I told some jokes and engaged in some banter. Then, I ordered a second beer. And oddly enough, when I didn’t offer any lady drinks, the girls both got busy and disappeared back inside. That works for me and my new, more frugal attitude.

I finished my second beer and departed, but I’ll be back on Monday since the Hash On-Home is there this week. As I was walking on the highway, I saw “Mama” (the umbrella lady I support) up ahead. As I caught up with her, I saw her walk to the entrance of the Annex Bar and look inside. When she turned around, she was surprised to see me and exclaimed, “Papa! I was looking for you!” I gave her a smile and the usual 100 pesos.

I crossed the highway and went inside The Green Room. It was way too busy for my tastes, so I I walked on through to Wet Spot. I’d just been there the night before and wasn’t feeling it, so I headed back out onto the highway. I figured I’d check out the other side of town for something different. Then I saw Jim up ahead and followed him until we reached Sloppy Joe’s. It’s officially closed and moved to the new location now. I asked Jim where he was headed next, and he said Alley Cats. Ah, my old darts home. I went with him and said hello to lots of old familiar faces I hadn’t seen for a while. While enjoying my second beer, the coughing fit started, so I bailed for home.

After the visit to the clinic that did my ultrasound, I treated my driver, my helper, and Swan to breakfast at a nice little restaurant on SBMA called Extremely Expresso.

My guests all ordered a Filipino-style breakfast. I went with French toast. They were served first, and when the waitress saw my perplexed look, she assured me my food would be ready soon; the cook was “cutting the bread.” That was surprising. How do you cut French toast?

After breakfast, we went to the mall. I was hoping for an eye examination, but the optometrist was not in yet. Dr. Jo had recommended some compression stockings to relieve some swelling in my legs, so we picked up a pair of those while there.

I’m staying home tonight, but Swan is coming over later for dinner. I plan to grill some steaks and serve them with a baked potato, corn-on-the-cob, broccoli, and garlic bread.

I’ll leave you with some wisdom I found while trolling the internet:

I’m old, and that’s not news, but the elderly need love too. Meanwhile, the adventure continues. Such as it is.

Grocery shopping day at Royal, and I spent too much as usual. Still, spending the money there is better value than in the bars. Starting next month, I’m going to set a budget for each of my spending categories and do my best to keep it balanced.

Another area where I’ve been overspending is in my charity budget, but again, that’s for some hopefully good causes. If I have to cut back on lady drinks to give more here, that’s a sacrifice the bargirls will have to live with.

Looking forward to a good time come Friday.

I mapped my walk to my future home and coffee with Swan.

And then I took a different route home (the way Swan comes) to see if it was a better way to go.

And I didn’t forget commenter Soju’s request for a “vagina” hike.

Kevin Kim had a post called “Give yourself to the dark side” that included this link to a Myers-Briggs personality test. I’d done several of those over the years but couldn’t remember the results. I had some time to kill, so I waded into the questions and scoring, and it turns out I’m an INFP (introversion, intuition, feeling, and perceiving). It sounds about right. Hey, if the shoe fits, wear it.

The big news from the bar scene was that last night was slated to be the opening night for the newly revamped Maze.

As you can see from the arrows above, the bars are mostly interconnected, so you can do a bar hop without ever leaving the building. So, naturally, my plan for the evening beer ingestion was to do just that.

Things don’t always go as planned. I had noticed coming home from the grocery store that Sloppy Joe’s was still open at the old location. I decided to stop by there on the way to the Maze to see what was happening.

So, as I made my way to the Maze, I intended to start on the third floor at Barcelona, then work my way back down with stops at La Oficina and Alaska. Upon arrival, I saw that the stairs to BarCelona were dark. Then I realized it was Tuesday, and BarCelona and La Oficina are closed on Tuesday. It seems Daddy Dave’s big announcement about the grand opening was a bit premature.

Now, the old Alaska opened at five p.m. When I arrived at the new venue yesterday, it was a bit before six. And when I looked inside there were busy construction workers but no customers. Hmm, time to retreat and rethink my plans. I crossed the highway and climbed the stairs to Cheap Charlies.

I had a good view of the Maze from my CC vantage point, and after about thirty minutes I noticed what appeared to be customers visiting Alaska. So, I headed back across the highway to check it out. Sure enough, they were open. When I walked through the entrance I heard one of the dancers calling my name. Ah, it was Joy. Come on down for a drink then.

So, I went over to where owner Jerry was sitting and said, “Hey, I noticed they spelled Alaska wrong.” He seemed surprised and turned around to see the writing on the wall. I laughed and told him, “made you look!” He admitted I’d got him and later sent me over a free beer. Good times.

When I’d had my fill, I walked through the new door connecting Alaska to Wet Spot and finished my night there, drinking with Daddy Dave and, of course, Aine. So, I didn’t do the bar crawl I had imagined, but things turned out okay. The Maze will be there when I’m ready to try again.

Rough night last night after I went to bed. That pain in my side is back and worse than ever. I had a coughing fit, and each cough felt like being stabbed. Rolling over in bed was also painful. This morning I sneezed, and jeezus, that hurt. I decided to forego the Wednesday Walkers group hike and have an appointment with Dr. Jo this afternoon. I’m pretty sure it is some muscle issue, but I want to get confirmation it is not something more serious.

And that’s what’s new with this old guy.

And no pep.

I’m not sure what’s wrong with me these past couple of days. No energy and just feeling lethargic all the time. I couldn’t even convince my tired old body to do a short Sunday walk. Not feeling much better this morning, which doesn’t bode well for the Hash later today.

I did manage to drag my ass over to Swan’s for our morning coffee ritual. Work on the house continues, and hopefully, it will be ready for my forthcoming move-in on October 1.

I had intended to do my morning walk when I left Swan’s. Instead, I dragged my lazy ass home and took a nap. And another nap a couple of hours after that. I hate feeling this way.

I did make it into town later in the day to do the Hideaway feeding.

When it came time for me to depart Hideaway, I paid my tab and headed for the door. And that’s when I discovered that it was pouring down rain. Totally unexpected, and I was without an umbrella. I sent Joy to buy one for me and had another beer while waiting. With the new umbrella in hand, I ventured out into the driving rain. Even with the umbrella, I was still getting wet below my head and shoulders. And the flooded streets soaked my feet. Places where I might have sought refuge, like Blue Butterfly, were closed, so I kept going until I reached The Annex bar. And that’s where I stayed until time to go home.

It could have been worse, I suppose. The Annex plays nice music with videos on large screen TVs. Just a bartender and a waitress, so no lady drink pressure. I may need to spend more time there in the future.

When I got home, I had a coughing fit which was accompanied by a stabbing pain in my side. Based on my internet sleuthing, it’s probably just a muscle strain, but I’ll continue to monitor it for signs of possible appendicitis.

Hopefully, I’ll be back tomorrow with more positive news. Surviving the Hash will be a good first step!

Wanna see what my Saturday was like? Here you go:

After completing the coffee ritual with Swan, I headed out on a quest to retrieve some cash from the BPI ATM in Subic town. I wasn’t feeling up for a long highway trek, so caught a Jeepney to my destination.

With my wallet now creating an attractive bulge in my pants, it was time to find my way home. I needed to get in some steps, so I decided to take the roundabout way back–through Magnam-Vacca barangay to the Govic Highway, then a walk through Naugsol village and onto Sawmill Road to complete the journey to Barretto. I estimated it would be a 10K jaunt, and off I went.

It was here that I wimped out. I was 7K into my journey and feeling tired and hungry. I asked a trike driver how much to Barretto, and he said 70 pesos. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

You can Relive the walk here if you are so inclined:

I grabbed a ham and cheese sandwich and an apple pie at Angel’s bakery, then headed home.

I had an afternoon looky-loo come to view my apartment. This was the third potential renter and the first who didn’t outright reject the place. This guy was a Brit who currently lives in Baloy with his girlfriend, so there is plenty of room here for them. I think it will come down to whether he can negotiate an acceptable rent amount with the landlord. I’m gone in October, with or without a replacement tenant, but I’m hopeful things will work out.

I left the house an hour later than usual for my nightly Barretto adventure. I was hoping to hear from Swan with a better offer, but it never came. I sent a check-in message to her, and she said she was on the way to her sister’s house. Alrighty then, I’m on my own again.

I didn’t have any particular destination in mind, but ultimately decided to have a couple of beers at It Doesn’t Matter, then maybe grab some dinner at Mylene’s. When I arrived at IDM, the traveling waitress from Sit-n-Bull was there in search of orders. We’ve become friendly acquaintances lately, so I teased her some, then decided to take a look at the menu. I figured I could have my beers and dinner right there at IDM to start off my Saturday night. I went with the chicken quesadilla. I wasn’t going to rudely eat in front of my bargirl friends, so I ordered chicken wings and lumpia for them to share.

Now, I do tend to overspend on lady drinks, but this made two days in a row that I bought food for the bargirls (tonight will make three with the standard Sunday Hideaway feeding). I’m sure there was some disappointment, but I only bought two lady drinks total during my visit. It’s time I start respecting my budget.

Still, looking at thirsty faces is no fun, so when I finished my food and beer, I headed out. I tried to pay a rare visit to Voodoo, but for the second time in a row, I was almost floored by the blaring loud music when I walked in, so I turned around and left. I guess God knew where he wanted me to go next because when I was back out on the street, I saw this:

My waitress remembered me from her days at Queen Victoria before the scamdemic, so I bought her a drink, and we talked about old times some. I had just finished paying my tab when I got a message from Tom, a Hash acquaintance. He wanted to meet up for a couple of beers if I was out. That was a first for me (I almost always drink alone), and I was glad to accept his offer. We agreed to meet downstairs in the Green Room.

Tom is a very interesting man. I’m going to respect his privacy here, but he also spent a career in government service, and he had a much more exciting time of it working for one of the intelligence agencies. Well, I’ll be damned. I just Googled Tom, and I see that I don’t have to be concerned about his privacy after all. He wrote a book about his service with the CIA. I’m going to have to see about getting a copy.

Anyway, Tom and I are of like minds when it comes to politics, the scamdemic, and the assholes systematically destroying our nation. He shares my relief at being able to live far away from all the woke madness taking place in the USA these days. In fact, he said he is going back “home” soon to dispose of his remaining property there with no intention of ever returning to live again. Me either. Anyway, it was a nice end to the evening sharing his company.

Tom drove me home after our bar time, which was also a pleasant change. I hope we can get together again soon.

And now it’s time to prepare for my Sunday feeding at Hideaway and whatever may follow after that. Nothing like being a big shot.

Or at least I wasn’t yesterday. I had a nice day doing things my way, and it all worked out just fine, even if I didn’t attend the SOB competition.

Started things off with a group hike. There had been some talk about driving out for a waterfall hike, but we had more participants than space in the car, so we went with Plan B, which was no plan at all. Walking about and changing direction on a whim worked out just fine. Let me show you:

It was a good day to get out and about.

When I left the house for my night out on the town, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to attend the SOB or not. As I walked, I decided against it. No real reason other than that I wasn’t in the mood. Where to, then? I figured I might as well surprise Joy by visiting Hideaway on Friday. I didn’t want to come empty-handed, so I went to John’s place first to order some food. I was the one who was surprised when I arrived because the place was packed–not a seat to be had at the bar. I forlornly sat at a table for a few minutes, and then a couple of folks departed, and I had my coveted seat. Joy was without a customer and joined me at the bar.

When I’d had my fill of Hideaway fun, I moseyed on up the highway, unsure of the venue I would patronize next. I briefly considered Blue Butterfly as I passed by, but I just wasn’t feeling it for some reason. A light rain started falling, and that was enough to convince me to pay a visit to Mugshots. I chose to give their outside seating a try so I could enjoy watching the world go by. That proved to be a mistake. One girl came out and sat beside me, which was fine. I don’t mind some company. Then another gal appeared and started rubbing my back without asking permission. Soon enough, she was joined by two others, and I was surrounded. I guzzled down my beer, paid, and made a run for it.

I figured I’d be safe at Cheap Charlies, only being accosted by my two long-time favorites there. I was surprised to see Simon (Leech My Nuggets) drinking alone, so I joined him, and we shared some chat. Looking out across the highway I saw this:

After a couple of beers, Troy and Jim arrived and joined the fun. I decided I wanted to pay a final visit to the old Alaska, so I headed out to make that my nightcap venue.

Surprisingly, I was the only customer when I arrived. Then again, the SOB was still in progress, so maybe that’s where everyone was hanging out. Eight dancers were on the stage, and I decided to reward them for their entertainment efforts. No, I didn’t buy them all drinks; I wasn’t THAT drunk. I did have the cashier change some hundreds into fifties so I could gift each dancer a fifty peso note. Yeah, not a lot, but they seemed to appreciate the gesture anyway. After a while, the Alaska dance team returned from the SOB, where they had finished second during the competition. Joy, my second favorite dancer on the team (Karen wasn’t there), came by my table so naturally I rewarded her with a drink.

So, Sunday will be the last night at this location, and the new venue will open on Tuesday. Glad I was able to say my goodbyes here and will look for to saying hello soon at the new Alaska.

So, that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone. I thought I might hear from Swan about getting together this evening, but nothing as of now. I’m in the mode of don’t ask–she’ll ask me if she wants to see me. Otherwise, I’ll spend time with the friend who never lets me down–San Mig Zero.

And here’s one for you lovers of grammar:

Damn, after writing that post title, it seems almost morbid in an end of days kind of way. Well, I don’t know how much time I have left on Earth, but this post isn’t about that. Instead, I’m going to share how I filled the time while I was alive yesterday. It didn’t seem any more wasted than usual, but there isn’t a lot to say about it either.

The highlight was the morning walk with Swan and her sister. From the beginning of our relationship, Swan has made clear she is not interested in the Hash or any of our group hikes. She has agreed that Thursday mornings will be our day to walk together. I didn’t object when her sister asked to join us this week. Cathy is a big gal, so I kept the hike shorter than usual, about 3.5K, but also mostly off the road and scenic.

We lost the trail for a bit, but eventually, we reconnected and reached our destination.

Back at my place, I fixed the girls some scrambled eggs, bacon, and waffles. There weren’t any leftovers, so I’ll take that as a sign of satisfaction. After the meal, we parted company to go about the business of our respective days. If napping and blogging on my part can be called business.

And then beer o’clock rolled around, so I made my way into town to help keep the bars in business. I started out at Sloppy Joe’s and shared a table with some friendly acquaintances. I sent Mark, the General Manager of Whiskey Girl, a message, and we agreed to meet up at one of his other bars, La Oficina, later in the evening. When my stomach told me it was feeding time, I paid my tab and headed up the highway.

After my meal I headed over to La Oficina for my meeting with Mark. We are friends and former dart league teammates, so I felt he deserved to know about my bad Whiskey Girl experience. When I told the story about my 500 peso voucher not being valid for the daily beer special, he immediately said, “That’s wrong…the voucher is just like cash.” Exactly what I thought. So, he promised to address the issue with the Whiskey Girl staff. That’s good enough for me.

I stayed for a couple of beers, and we chatted about the happenings in the local bar business. Everyone is excited about the coming additions to the Maze complex, Alaska, and Sloppy Joe’s. They’ll be in the same building as La Oficina, but the consensus of everyone is that all the bars will benefit from the influx of customers to the Maze. I speculated that it could even prove to become a tourist draw and attract folks away from the overpriced Angeles City bars. In my opinion, Subic has so much more to offer.

The other news Mark shared is that his group is opening yet another bar, this one named Oasis–a place to come when you’re thirsty. I’m looking forward to seeing this one; it sounds quite nice and will include an outdoor drinking area that I prefer.

I made Wet Spot my nightcap venue and shared a lady drink with Aine before heading home. And so ended another day in almost paradise.

Started my Friday by sharing coffee with Swan at her/our place.

A pleasant hike with the Friday group that I’ll post about tomorrow. Now it is time to prepare for my Friday night. I’m thinking I’m going to forego the SOB this week. I’m just not feeling it for some reason. Then again, it will be the same old same old in all the other bars I frequent, so what else is new? I guess I’ll just play it by ear and see what happens.

The Wednesday Walkers tackled the Kalaklan Ridge yesterday. It’s one of my favorite hikes, and it’s been a while since we were up that way. The biggest issue is there is no easy way to the top. You can choose between hard and steep on the Barretto side or endless stair steps on the Olongapo side. We choose the compromise climb–long but less steep starting from near the Ocean View Resort. A ten-minute Jeepney ride from our 7/11 meetup spot, and we were ready to start our morning hike.

And so ended another gathering of the Wednesday Walkers group.

Come evening time, I had more work to do–feeding the hungry at Hideaway.

After Hideaway, I made a special trip to visit Whiskey Girl to use my 500 peso voucher. Things started well, Jenn seemed happy to see me again, and I rewarded that kindness with a lady drink. We were both in for a surprise when my other favorite, Kim, suddenly appeared. It seems she has already quit the Showgirl bar and returned to Whiskey Girl. Sorry, Kim. Jenn saw me first, and I wasn’t in the mood for double company (and the requisite additional lady drinks).

So, I’m enjoying watching the dancers practice for Friday’s SOB event which will be held at Whiskey Girl this week. I was also appreciating the “buy one, get one” happy hour promo being offered. Or so I thought. One of the other waitresses came over to advise that I had now exhausted the 500 peso voucher. How is that possible? Beers are only 110 pesos and I was on my fifth, which means I’d only paid for three. Sorry sir, you don’t get the promo price when you use a voucher. What? Why not? The voucher is just like cash and says, “good for 500 pesos on customer drinks. The bar didn’t see it that way. The manager told me he was powerless and suggested I speak with the general manager. I will and also Daddy Dave who runs the SOB. If you give me a prize of 500 pesos, it should be worth 500 pesos. You can’t unilaterally raise the price of my drinks because I have a voucher. Bullshit.

Anyway. I left an hour earlier than I intended because I was pissed. If this issue isn’t resolved satisfactorily, Whiskey Girl can kiss my future business (and significant lady drink purchases) goodbye. It’s not even about the money–it’s rude and disrespectful to fuck a loyal customer that way.

I did my nightcap at Queen Victoria, then took my sour mood home to sleep it off. A nice walk this morning with Swan and her sister. I made them breakfast afterward. Swan starts a tutoring gig later this afternoon, so it looks like I’ll be out drinking alone again. But not at Whiskey Girl.