More of the same old, same old around here. Hiking group, darts, dinner at Mango’s, then home to bed. This weekend though, I’ll be changing it up. The FRA (Fleet Reserve Association) is having its annual Fralics event in San Antonio. Today there is a chili cooking competition and tomorrow is a beauty pageant. It’s being held in San Antonio, a town I always enjoy visiting. So, I’m looking forward to attending and having something new to blog about. Yay!

A small group for yesterday’s hike. I led the first half, taking us up the mountain on the My Bitch trail. Almoranus took over and led us back down to the valley and around San Isidro, then back to Alta Vista. Only about 6K, but pleasant.

You can Relive the hike here if you so choose:

After the hike, plenty of time to rest up and clean up before I headed out for the Friday night dart tourney at Alley Cats. Mediocre performance in the early going, but I got better as the night went on. The highlight was beating Beth, who had put me in the loser’s bracket, in a tightly contested, well-thrown game.

Had dinner with Julie after the tournament. We are still just friends, but she had requested to meet up in order to repay some money I had loaned her. And in so doing she has the honor of being the ONLY Filipina who has ever repaid a “loan” from me. Congrats and thank you!

Alright, time to get ready for my San Antonio adventure!

We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.

Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting

So, a reader’s comment about me someday looking back at my life and realizing I’m currently living through my good ol’ days triggered a memory–Carly Simon’s 1971 hit song Anticipation. And it also underscored similar feelings I’ve been having lately–these very well may be the best of times. Am I smart enough to embrace them and allow myself to let go of the past and be happy with the life I have? Well, there’s only one way to find out. Live it and love it is my new mantra.

Last night I discovered I do not have a drinking problem. By my count, I consumed twelve bottles of beer before my self-imposed curfew of 9:00 p.m. Yeah, I know that’s pretty damn impressive. Granted, they were San Miguel Zero (only 3% alcohol), but still.

I started my evening at the Hideaway bar. Three bottles for me and three lady drinks for my pal Joy. Everyone seemed to enjoy my brownies too. Then I decided to head over to John’s place and grab a bite to eat.

On the way out, I passed this vendor:

Got to John’s place and headed upstairs. And there racking up the pool balls was my friend and ex, Jessa. I had forgotten she started working there. Naturally, I invited her to join me for a beer. Then we ate (chicken wings and chicken fingers). The beer kept flowing and we had some good talk and a few laughs. She seems to be doing well despite the recent breakup with her fiance. I guess I could learn from her example.

Here’s the newest joke in my repertoire: “Okay, I’m going to ask you three questions. Each question has the same answer. And I’m going to give you the answer to the questions: addicted. Are you ready? Okay, what do you call someone who drinks alcohol all day long and then passes out on the floor? Addicted. Good! What do you call someone who uses drugs every day and can’t function without them? Addicted. Right! Last question: What slapped you in the face this morning? Addicted…hey! (laughter) Get it?

Jessa’s quitting time was 7:00, but she stayed on with me. When it came time to go, I had amassed a bill of over 2500 pesos ($50). That included my nine bottles of beer, Jessa’s lady drinks, and our food. So, that’s what an “expensive” night out looks like in the Philippines. The best of times, indeed!

And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you
How right your arms feel around me.
But I, I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinking about how right tonight might be.

Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting

Woke up at my usual 0430, none the worse for wear. Completed my usual routines, then headed out for the Friday group hike. The schedule Hare for Monday’s Hash had to cancel, so Jim and Troy stepped up to take his place. Our Friday hike became a scouting expedition for Monday’s trail. We took a Jeepney ride three kilometers or so up the highway and began our hike there. The problem with scouting a trail is you’ll make a climb, hit a dead end, come back down, and try again. That gets tiring pretty quick. Scott and I bailed after a while and walked back to town on the highway.

Here are some photos for you:

I don’t know why I feel like such a fool today.

Anyway, it’s a good life and I’m glad I have it. I will throw some darts and drink some beers later on and make it the best of times!

And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, lord I don't know nature's way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days.

I actually used to own this album. Good stuff!

I guess I’m on a roll. But anyway, I’m more accepting lately of the way things are and I’m willing to just make the best of what may well prove to be a loveless life. Looking at things from a more positive perspective it might just be that I’m in for a lot of fun to come. Maybe starting tomorrow when Thalia comes to visit from Angeles. A few days ago I had mixed feelings about hooking up with a virtual stranger, now I am all “bring it on, and let’s see what happens.” Since I have no real expectations it’s gonna be damned hard to disappoint me, right?

Most of the commenters there gave a one-word response and the majority said “freedom”. My friend Jeremy (yeah, the guy who was recently released after serving six years in a Korean prison) had this to say:

I'd call it too much time on your hands to think about the wrong kind of stupid ass philosophical questions that are causing you to feel sorry for yourself and force you into a state of self-induced misery.

When you hang out with twenty-year old women, you can't expect true intimate companionship. You can buy it, and the more money that you have, the more they'll pretend that they love you. A woman's age and a man's wealth are inversely proportional and conducive to the happiness of the other.

If you call it freedom, you'll feel liberated. If you call it loneliness, you'll feel depressed. That's how the mind works. You have to send positive thoughts into your mind so that you can have positive emotions. In doing so, others will sense those positive vibes. However, the reverse is also true.

It's also important to have a good group of friends. If youre always talking about the good ole days and times gone by, then all that'll do is cause you to feel depressed because nostalgia is a motherfucker. It's not your friend. It always paints the prettiest picture of even the shittiest situations because the mind doesnt like negativity. The body doesnt like it, either. It doesnt perform its functions as well when it's in a negative state - mental, physical, spiritual, or emotional.

If you want companionship, John, then you need to find somebody your own age. If you want somebody to fuck, then youre going to have to pay for it, especially in the Philippines. Of course, you could always try the traditional courting methods of the Filipinos to see if they started showing interest or the family would accept the relationship.

With love ❤

That bitch-slap had a familiar ring to it, as commenters here have told me the same thing more than once. Some have even given up, considering me a lost cause. Well, as long as I am breathing there is still hope I’ll wise up I suppose. And as I said above, I really am trying to embrace a new “I don’t give a shit, let’s see what happens” attitude. And two of the women in my dating queue are also in their 40s, so we’ll see if I can erect something of substance with one of them.

Oh, and Jeremy also provided this link to courtship customs in the Philippines. Maybe this old dog needs new tricks!

Otherwise, it is just more of the same around here. I did one of my standard street walks yesterday. Nothing really special, but you can Relive it if you choose.

Highlights on the walk did include my favorite view from my street here in Alta Vista:

I also ran into “mama” taking a nap in front of a closed business:

And near the end of my hike I popped into Sit-n-Bull for a quick lunch:

Last night I watched the sun go down from my perch at Cheap Charlies:

And my company was bought and paid for with the price of a couple of lady drinks.

So yeah, I’m going to be just fine. Can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Or more importantly, let there be fans!

A power outage at oh-dark-thirty. I woke up a sweaty mess with no way to escape the heat. Best I could do was open the patio door and catch what breeze I could by laying on the couch. Power was finally restored at 0300 but by then any hope for a sound sleep was dashed. Oh well, that’s the way it goes sometimes.

I was also pretty much powerless earlier in the afternoon, contributing my fair share to an embarrassing 10-3 loss in dart league. Yeah, we were playing the first-place team but we’re in second and thought we might have a chance to move up. Nope, not this time.

After darts, I walked down the beach to McCoy’s and did some more beer drinking. Ran into a female Hasher I know there and she asked when I was going to take her home with me. Hmm. Not tonight, I told her. I was more in the mood to drink than I was to fuck, which tells you all you need to know about my state of mind. Later on, I did meet up with another gal I’m friends with. We sang some songs together at videoke and she professed to have had a good time. See, I may be lonely, but I’m not alone. Trying to get better at embracing the positives in my life.

Speaking of which, I always try to check that I haven’t used a post title previously. When doing so, sometimes I look at an old post to see what I was up to back in the day. I saw this one today from June 2005 and I was thinking “damn, not much has changed.” Still, got to re-read an Easter meditation from Kevin Kim that was one of the triggers that made me a devoted reader of his blog for all these years. And even if I haven’t “put it down” all that successfully, my life has been an interesting journey since that time. I really do believe I’m going to get back in the flow of things here soon. It may not always be the life I wanted, but it’s the life I’ve got and I ought to be glad to have it.

That’s as good a lead-in for yesterday’s Wednesday Walkers group gathering as any I suppose. We took a Jeepney into Olongapo, climbed up to the ridgeline, took some seldom used paths, and made a fine morning of it. Pictures tell the story better than I can, so here you go:

And that was my Wednesday. I’ve had worse. I’ll have better.

Although in my case, it seems to repel rather than attract. It appears my efforts to entice “Jenny” into getting to know me better have been fruitless. Well, if she ain’t interested there’s nothing I can do except keep moving on. Disappointing though, she was someone I would have enjoyed spending time with.

I’m not sure what happens next. The gal I invited to the Hash didn’t show and hasn’t responded to my messages, so fuck her. Er, I guess I won’t be fucking her, but you know what I mean. Last night I was teasing the gal at Alley Cats I was jonesing for last summer, but it seems clear that I am just a customer to her. That’s fine. Then there is a school teacher from Olongapo I got introduced to last week. She’s been chatting me up some on messenger, but I’m just not feeling any real attraction from my end. I guess the biggest potential thing on the horizon is this gal I “met” on the Date in Asia site. She lives in Angeles (works in a call center, not a bar). In her early 40s with two grown kids. The most interesting thing about her so far is that 20 years ago or so she used to Hash here in Subic. Her Hash name is Sweet Hash Hole. Anyway, she wants to come back for a Hash and may do so this weekend. Of course, she plans on staying with me. I’m not totally comfortable with that since we’ve never met in person, but damn, I’ve been on such a losing streak lately I didn’t want to say no. I’m thinking if we don’t click I’ll just rent her a hotel room for the weekend.

We’ll see what happens.

I may not be winning in the game of love, but my darts are flying okay. At least they did last night.

Speaking of magnets, I received some in the mail from my friend, Maria, who created the designs from photos she found on the blog. Yep, she’s a regular reader here and comments as BW.

And then there is this haunting photo underscoring the pain and loss that comes with a failed relationship:

Good job, Maria. Thank you again.

Good hard hike this morning, now it’s time to get ready for dart league. See you back here tomorrow!

Well, technically we had Hares, just not the one who was scheduled to be here. Slimey Limey (aka Wild Wolf) is probably one of the best-known Hashers in the PI, if not all of Asia. He was doing a Hash in Angeles on Sunday and then coming here to do our trail yesterday. Apparently, the Bureau of Immigration had other ideas. The Corona Hash circle was raided and Slimey was taken away in handcuffs. I don’t envy him, I heard the lockup where they keep immigration violators is a real hellhole. God only knows how long they will hold him there before actually processing his deportation. And no, I don’t have the details about how he ran afoul of the law. He had talked about losing a court case in a property dispute and that deportation proceedings were taking place a year or so ago, but it seems the resolution was not in his favor. Really a shame because he’s a great guy. I wish him good luck in a future that will not include his beloved Philippines.

When the news reached Barretto, two of our Hashers (Demolition Derby and Blow My Pipe) stepped up and went out Monday morning to lay a trail. Given the circumstances, they did a great job. A lot of the turf has been frequently Hashed, but they did manage to add a couple of twists and turns that were unusual. Well done, gents.

I had invited a lady friend to join us at the Hash but she was a no-show. When the Hash ended, I walked up the beach to McCoy’s and got drunk(er) alone. Even sang “Crazy” by Patsy Cline on the videoke machine. Yeah, that’s how bad off I was. I really need to get my shit together and not let these Filipinas continue to disappoint me. Hey, it’s their loss, right?

Yep, one of those kind of days. Things got off to a crappy start around 1 a.m. when I woke up with a toothache. Well, not exactly a toothache–the pain seemed to be emanating from the hole left behind when I had a tooth pulled a couple of years ago. Got up and took some aspirin and was eventually able to fall back to sleep.

Then, a little after 3 a.m. I was again awakened; this time by my window blinds tapping against the glass. It seems my fan was positioned in such a way that the wind it generated was hitting the blinds and creating enough noise to be irksome.

So, to eliminate the noise I sleepily reached out intending to turn the fan away from the window. It didn’t end well.

Needless to say, there was no more sleep for me that night. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but I felt like shit all day yesterday. After doing my dog walk, I didn’t have the energy to do my regular walk. I decided I’d walk in the afternoon instead, so I took a nap. The afternoon came and went and all I accomplished was another nap. I had promised a friend I’d take her to see the Central Park Reef hotel rooftop restaurant/pool area. I maybe should have canceled but didn’t want to disappoint her. She also needed some gas money (yeah, gasoline prices have gone through the roof here too) so I felt obligated to show up.

I got there a little early so snapped a couple of photos.

My guest arrived and was very delighted with the views from the rooftop. We had some beers and I ordered a couple of appetizers. She had forewarned me that because she has work early in the morning she wouldn’t be spending the night with me. That was fine with me, I wasn’t in the mood for sex anyway. See? I told you I wasn’t feeling well! And actually, I’d like to stay focused on getting Jenny to give me a try. My friend last night is not a long-term option.

And then the band started playing. Maybe because it was Sunday it wasn’t that loud ass out-of-tune rock music, instead, they played a set of folk songs. Even more surprisingly, they played well and the vocal harmonies were outstanding. I rarely enjoy live performances by amateur groups, but these guys were quite pleasant. After their first set, they left the stage and came around to the individual tables to play. When they got to ours I told them they reminded me of Peter, Paul, and Mary (even though they were all guys). Without further prompting they broke into Puff the Magic Dragon, and did a nice job with it.

I was fading fast so I said it was time to go. My guest insisted on driving me home. As we were leaving, “Jenny” came walking in with some guy. That was weird on many levels. I think she was just as surprised as I was. Anyway, we chatted later and it’s all cool. I hope.

A good night’s sleep and I am feeling 82% better this morning. That’s a good thing because it is Hash Monday. Hope I’m up for it.

And that brings y’all up to date on my so-called life. Boring as it may be to read about, I’m not complaining. Much.

Along with my fellow Hares (Blow My Pipe and Pubic Head), we pulled off a successful Hash yesterday. We had a huge turnout of around 60, with many new old faces in attendance–the folks who have been stuck in their home countries all these long months when visitors weren’t allowed. Good to see them back with more still on the way.

The feedback on the trail was mostly positive. I walked the first half again with the “sane” group and heard many comments like “I’ve lived here X years and have never been back here in this neighborhood”. Goal achieved! Folks also enjoyed the off-road portion, with a couple of relatively easy climbs. Anyway, being a Hare can be a challenge and you can’t please everyone, but yesterday seemed to have worked for most everyone. I’d call that a win.

Hash day is a good way to forget about everything else for a while.

It sure is hard to figure life out sometimes, but it sure as hell beats the alternative. The life I imagined and the life I am living are poles apart, but then again, that doesn’t make it better or worse. Not exactly an epiphany, but last night as I was sipping a beer I had a vision of my former suburban life as a retiree in the USA. I had some darts a couple of nights a week, an occasional weekend getaway, but otherwise, it was mostly sitting in front of the computer or watching TV. Damn, I got bored just typing that sentence! The point, to the extent there is one, is simply that the life you have is the one you got so make the most of it. You can be both happy and bored, especially if you don’t know what you are missing out on. I’m trying to get reconciled to my new old single life, and it is easy to lament what you’ve lost rather than embrace what you have. A year from now I might look back and remember this time as good ol’ days. It’s really not so bad.

Last evening was another opportunity to ensure my bargirl friends earned some lady drink commissions. I spent most of my time at It Doesn’t Matter quenching the thirst of Agnes and Roan.

Anyway, it is now well understood that I am nothing but a customer, and spending time with me is just part of the job. That’s just the way the game is played. Nothing to feel bad about.

After I left IDM, I stopped into BarCelona for a couple more before heading home. Engaged my favorite there, Kira, in some banter. In the course of our conversation, she also made it clear that work is work, and after work, she’s all about spending time with her kids. No room for a man in her life she says. And I’m man enough to not take a bargirl’s rejection personally.

Hash Monday has arrived. Went out this morning and put the finishing touches on our trail. I’m pretty happy with it…longish but mostly flat. I’ll let you know how my fellow Hashers feel about that tomorrow. You can get a taste of what the kennel is in for here:

I hadn’t thought about the M.A.S.H. theme song in forever, but it came up in a Quora forum I was reading this morning. The words weren’t featured in the television show (just the music) but seeing them again triggered some emotions. Oddly enough, the song was supposed to be silly/stupid–the lyrics were written by a 14-year-old if Quora is to be believed anyway. What do you think?

Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see

That suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please


That game of life is hard to play
I'm gonna lose it anyway
The losing card I'll someday lay
So this is all I have to say

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

The sword of time will pierce our skin
It doesn't hurt when it begins
But as it works its way on in
The pain grows stronger, watch it grin

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

A brave man once requested me
To answer questions that are key
"Is it to be or not to be?"
And I replied, "Oh, why ask me?"

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I...

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And I can take or leave it if I please

Suicide is painless
It brings on many changes
And you can do the same thing if you please

I’m choosing life. I can hardly wait to see what happens next!

Run #1482 of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers is in the books! I am one of the survivors, along with everyone else who participated. We did a Leech My Nuggets trail to the top of Kalaklan ridge, then back down on a path called Motherfucker. It is aptly named, although I prefer the steep down than climbing that, er, motherfucker. A challenging trail, as is expected when Leech is the Hare, but well-marked and scenic. It was a beautiful day to Hash, although a tad on the hot side. Let’s go to the photos, shall we?

And that’s pretty much the story of our Hash adventure. On-Home at VFW. Beers were drunk, songs were sung, and another day in the life drew to a close.

Well, after the Hash I went to see my GF at her resto, then she joined me at my place for smoothies and some Cobra Kai. Finished season 1 now so I can go and read Kevin’s review. I’m still trying to decide what I think. Was never really a fan of the original Karate Kid flicks, but then again, with a beautiful woman sitting next to me on the couch I’m easily entertained.

I didn’t engage in the formal New Year’s resolution game. That said, I do have good intentions about changing some of my outlooks and perspectives on life. Might as well emphasize the positives rather than lament the losses. And when I take a step back and look at what I have, well, there’s a helluva lot to be thankful for. It’s not always easy to escape the trap of thinking in terms of what you want and don’t have or to focus on what you had and lost, but really those issues are trivial in the grand scheme of things. Or so I keep telling myself.

Anyway, I have my life. 66 years old and still hitting the hiking trails, dart boards, and bars. That I’m still healthy enough to do the things I most enjoy is a blessing beyond measure.

I had another nice hike today with the Wednesday Walkers. The social aspects of the group treks are perhaps the best part of the journey. Getting out and exploring new territory, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us, and sharing in the sense of adventure as we make our way is truly something special.

And then there’s my drinking life. I’m actually a lonely guy most of the time, so spending time in the bars with my bar “friends” and acquaintances more or less fills that void. I’m not foolish enough to believe that the gals I ply with drinks actually care about me, but that doesn’t stop us from having a good time either. I’m not even sure what is real anymore. I thought the love I briefly shared with XXXX was something special and amazing. But even in my disappointment in discovering that her version of love was unworthy of mine, I was reminded of an important lesson: people will reveal to you the true nature of their character if you keep your wits about you and your eyes wide open.

Another side benefit to my nightly bar excursions is eating out.

Anyway, if there is a point to this pointless post it is that I’m doing alright. I guess some of my posts on Facebook have made some people concerned about the state of my emotional health. One friend has committed to finding me a girlfriend to start the new year. HaHa, I don’t think that’s the kind of help I need, but I do appreciate the sentiment. Sometimes the pain and disappointment you encounter in life lead you to realize what is most important. I’m doing alright with the things that matter most. As long as I hold on to that foundation, I’ll be just fine. As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

As I’ve gone through this period of reflection I have rediscovered one of the things that bring me comfort during times of emotional turmoil–poetry. In particular, one of my favorites, James Kavanaugh. I lost almost all of my library when I moved to Korea and wife #3 divorced me. I did manage to salvage a few of my poetry books, including this one:

This is from the introduction to the book:

I am one of the searchers. There are, I believe, millions of us. We are not unhappy, but neither are we really content. We continue to explore life, hoping to uncover its ultimate secret. We continue to explore ourselves, hoping to understand. We like to walk along the beach, we are drawn by the ocean, taken by its power, its unceasing motion, its mystery and unspeakable beauty. We like forests and mountains, deserts and hidden rivers, and the lonely cities as well. Our sadness is as much a part of our lives as is our laughter. To share our sadness with one we love is perhaps as great a joy as we can know–unless it be to share our laughter.

We searchers are ambitious only for life itself, for everything beautiful it can provide. Most of all we want to love and be loved. We want to live in a relationship that will not impede our wandering, nor prevent our search, nor lock us in prison walls; that will take us for what little we have to give. We do not want to prove ourselves to another or to compete for love.

This is a book for wanderers, dreamers and lovers, for lonely men and women who dare to ask of life everything good and beautiful. If is for those who are too gentle to live among wolves.

A good reminder to not settle for less than you desire. There are worse things than being alone.

Such a lovely place…

I started a little earlier yesterday afternoon, as much out of boredom as anything. I thought having a beer and watching the beach action would be more entertaining than YouTube videos at home. So I headed out to Mango’s.

The problem with Mango’s at this time of day is the sun. It was at an angle where the roof did not provide any shade at all. And it got real hot, real quick. I finally had to move to the inside bar to finish my beer.

It was a little after four now, and that meant the rooftop area of the Central Park Reef hotel was open for business. I hadn’t been there since before the pandemic so I decided it was a good time to go and check it out again.

I have a friend who is a waitress there (one of the Treasure Island gals I partied with last week).

Anyway, as you might imagine, the best part of the Central Park rooftop bar/restaurant/pool is the views. The menu looked good, although it was too early for me to eat. Beer was cold and at 100 pesos wasn’t even the most expensive in town. I was the only foreigner there–it was a Filipino family crowd enjoying a beachy weekend.

Anyway, it was good to see Kat and also enjoy some different vistas. I promised to sponsor the next get-together with the TI girls up here on the roof.

Since Cheap Charlies is practically next door and I hadn’t been there since last year, I figured a visit was in order. As usual, I enjoyed Alma’s company. I also wound up spending over thirty bucks buying food for all the girls. Chicken wings, chicken fingers, chicken quesadillas, and a large meat lovers pizza, if you are keeping score. Also, my recounting the menu here proves I made a sober decision (but not necessarily a smart one) when I purchased the meal.

Once the food was done, so was I. Except after I was downstairs on the street I decided I should check in on Roan at It Doesn’t Matter. She’s doing fine. Sat at the owner’s table and had a nice chat with the boss men, Cliff and Bob. Even shared my bar rankings. They were of course pleased to be currently at the top of the heap. Martin (18 Kilo Ass) and his gal were there too and it was nice to socialize with the group for a bit.

I made it an early night. Need to get back into my rhythm of early to bed, early to rise.

Have a Hash run to complete in a couple of hours. I expect it will be challenging because Leech My Nuggets is the Hare and the start point indicates a climb to the top of Kalaklan ridge. That’s never easy.

I’m doing better every day, but I still have “those” thoughts. For whatever reason, I remembered this poem last night and actually looked it up on the internet while I was at the bar. I refrained from sending it to you know who though. I’d call that progress.

“Where are you hiding my love?
Each day without you will never come again.
Even today you missed a sunset on the ocean,
A silver shadow on yellow rocks I saved for you,
A squirrel that ran across the road,
A duck diving for dinner.
My God! There may be nothing left to show you
Save wounds and weariness
And hopes grown dead,
And wilted flowers I picked for you a lifetime ago,
Or feeble steps that cannot run to hold you,
Arms too tired to offer you to a roaring wind,
A face too wrinkled to feel the ocean's spray.”
― James Kavanaugh

Ah, well. Life’s a beach sometimes.

And here’s my Lucky boy just now:

Alright, time for my pre-Hash nap. Let me leave you with my new favorite t-shirt:

Oh, and it seems that things are back to normal around here at LTG:

…I hope you had fun.

My Christmas was unusual in the sense that it was basically like every other day in my life here. I had considered taking part in one of the fancy meals or buffets several of the resorts were offering, but in the end, I just couldn’t be bothered. Yeah, I’m still not quite right in my head, but I’m making progress at regaining perspective.

So, I did the bar review at BarCelona to kick off my holiday evening. I rather enjoyed myself, even though I was drinking alone. The one girl who caught my eye was already occupied. I’ll be back to try again. Maybe even tonight.

I popped into It Doesn’t Matter hoping to visit with Roan. She wasn’t working though, but Troy from the Hash was there soloing through Christmas as well. Next, I was off to see my pal Alma at Cheap Charlies. I was the only customer and so naturally I found myself surrounded by the five bargirls who were working. I actually normally find that behavior irritating. Well, it was Christmas, so I bought them all a drink. Enjoyed some snuggling and rubbing (all above the waist of course) with Alma. She told me she saw me walking back from Subic earlier when she was on her way to work. I jokingly harangued her for not offering me a ride in her trike. I’ve never actually seen her outside of work. Might be time to rectify that with a lunch date. Stay tuned.

I hadn’t eaten yet so I figured on crossing the street and dining at Sit-n-Bull. But as I passed by Wet Spot I figured no harm in having one more beer first. The backslapper’s table was full again, so I took a nearby seat. I was immediately joined by Aine, looking every bit as lovely as she did on Thursday. Naturally, I bought her a drink. I asked if she were allowed to join me at Sit-n-Bull for dinner (it’s in the same complex (The Maze) and with the same ownership. Turns out she is indeed allowed to eat with a customer so I said let’s finish our drinks and go. Alas, we were informed that Sit-n-Bull had closed early for the holiday. Oh well, next time.

Then I was surprised to see Max, a member of our hiking groups and a Hasher, come in. He was surprised to see me as well. Turns out that Wet Spot is his regular hangout and he hadn’t seen me there before. Yeah, but I’ll be back more often. Max is a very interesting guy, a journalist by trade, and he’s from the Netherlands. So, I got to recount stories from my visit to his beautiful country back in 2002. I had a high old time there for sure. I also reminded Max that he had likely given me the COVID back in April when we traveled to and from Angeles City in the same vehicle. Max (and another passenger) actually got diagnosed, I never bothered, just suffered through my comparatively mild symptoms.

Oh, and it turns out that Max has been a reader here at LTG. I asked him how he came about finding my humble blog and he said it was simple–after we had met he just Googled my name and LTG was the first result. Glad to have you along for the ride, Max. And that’s one less person I can talk about negatively! I’m joking, of course. Max is one of the good guys in our little town.

I did, however, come across this image of the Philippines libel law. It was rather sobering, actually. I’m going to need to be more careful henceforth.

I stayed longer at Wet Spot than I intended, as I was enjoying the company of both Max and Aine. In different ways, of course. I told Aine I owe her a dinner soon.

Sometime during the course of the evening for some bizarre reason, I remembered one of the first posts I had ever read on Kevin Kim’s Big Hominid blog. I did a search, found it, and gave it a read again. It’s called Arbor Day meditation and it really resonated with my current state of mind. Give it a look, it is well worth your time.

And that was my Christmas…a worthless walk to Subic, some quality beer drinking time, and no supper. I could have done worse I suppose.

Ah, Hot Zone. One of the better go-go bars in Barretto. I don’t hang out here nearly as much as I used to in the old days. In fact, my first visit to the Zone was as a tourist in its former location on the other side of the highway. I’m also well acquainted with the owner, Jay. He was formerly the former Grand Master of the Subic Bay Hash. Jay served in the United States Marine Corps and he runs a well-disciplined bar. That includes keeping the girls in fit shape–he consistently has one of the best lineups in town. If you are looking for a hottie for the night, you’ll likely find her here.

See that pole on the dance stage? The dancing girls enter the room by sliding down that pole. And in the old days before dancing on stage was banned, Hot Zone featured showcase pole dancers and also girls performing dance routines with big old boa constrictors. Even the regular dances were well-organized and you rarely saw the girls standing around or doing a lazy shuffle instead of dancing. So, even though I’m not really a fan of the go-go/girly bar format, I used to really enjoy my visits to Hot Zone.

I counted at least a dozen girls in the bar on an early Sunday evening. It was just me and one other customer. The other guy was spending some money on the girls, I didn’t even purchase a lady drink. To their credit, none of the girls harassed me about buying them a drink which is something I always appreciate.

My beers were 110 pesos each, which is the highest price I’ve paid but also pretty standard for this type of bar. The overhead for all those beauties is not cheap I’m sure. The mamasan was the only person I recognized from the old days when I was a semi-regular here. She wasn’t pleased with me taking photos in the bar, something that is technically not allowed. She didn’t make a big deal about it but told me the bar had been raided previously based on photos and videos taken in the bar and shared on social media. I promised I wouldn’t post anything on Facebook and I don’t think my little-read blog constitutes any threat. Besides, I witnessed nothing inappropriate or in violation of Covid prevention protocols taking place in the bar.

So, that’s the low-down on Hot Zone. A good bar that will be better again when it can have dancers performing for tourists. In the meantime, here’s wishing them all the best. And thanks for the memories.

Where things stand as of now:

1. It Doesn’t Matter
2. Mango’s Beach Bar
3. Alley Cats
4. Adam’s
5. Blue Butterfly
6. Out Back Billabong
7. Dynamite Dick’s
8. Palm Tree
9. Hideaway
10. Hot Zone
11. Alaska Club
12. Thumbstar
13. Bottoms Up
14. Rosies
15. Rock Lobster
16. Queen Victoria
17. Voodoo
18. Annex
19. MacArthur’s
20. Redz Pub
21. Whiskey Girl
22. Finger Monkey

I debated whether to include Palm Tree in this series of reviews, but in the end, I decided it does qualify as a bar. I used to visit here semi-regularly, but for reasons unrelated to the bar, I stopped coming. Alright, a guy I know who worked there got fucked by management and as a result, I chose not to continue to be a patron of Palm Tree. Last night was the first time in months I’d been there. Stayed for one beer and left. No plans to return. But to be clear, there is nothing wrong with the bar itself. In fact, it is usually a nice place to hang out.

Palm Tree seems popular with the European expat crowd, perhaps because of the sports on TV. I used to see the German Hashers in there quite frequently, and the former manager was an Englishman.

Service is generally good. The waitresses are strictly waitresses. Food is available and usually nicely done. My beer last night was 85 pesos, which is on the high end. So, as noted above, I don’t come here for personal reasons, but the bar itself is normally quite enjoyable.

Accordingly, I am going to rank Palm Tree without regard for my non-bar issues.

1. It Doesn’t Matter
2. Alley Cats
3. Adam’s
4. Blue Butterfly
5. Out Back Billabong
6. Dynamite Dick’s
7. Palm Tree
8. Hideaway
9. Rosies
10. Queen Victoria
11. Annex
12. MacArthur’s
13. Redz Pub
14. Whiskey Girl

“Always and never are two words you should always remember never to use.”

I always check to make sure I haven’t used a post title previously because I never want to duplicate it. So, I had in mind a sarcastic “what a life” title but was pretty certain that at some point during these past fifteen years of blogging I must have used it. Instead, I tried going with something stupid, “who’d a thunk it” and was surprised that I had just used that header last year. It was kind of interesting in a sad way to read again how things came to an end with Jessa. Coincidentally, today is her birthday and I sent the appropriate greeting via Facebook for which she thanked me.

Oddly enough, when I checked I discovered that I had NOT, in fact, used “what a life” previously. And now I have. What a life, eh? Maybe it isn’t exactly sarcasm, because an exclamation of “what a life!” can connotate both good and bad. Like everyone, I have moments in both realms but most of my time these days seems to be consumed in my meaningless routines and rituals. That’s the life I’ve chosen and I’m not really complaining. I can imagine other lifestyles and places, but I don’t imagine I’d be any happier than I am now. A long way from perfect, but smack dab in the middle of good enough.

I began my Saturday night at the tiny bar called Marick’s. That cute little 23-year-old bargirl was waiting for me. In fact, she had been sending me “where are you?” messages since early in the afternoon. She seems to be a sweet girl, gentle and caring. Sits close and rubs my hands or massages my legs in the manner a loving girlfriend would. It is easy to get lost when I gaze into those big brown eyes and imagine how nice it would be to have a woman who enjoyed taking care of me. Of course, she’s not the one–too young and with two young kids to boot. She’s not much of a talker either. So, we just sit there and enjoy the music and some beers together. There are worse ways to kill an hour or two.

Speaking of music, when I’m there at Marick’s they like to plug into my Spotify playlists (the bar doesn’t have wifi). At one point while I was enjoying the attentions of my bargirl, an old song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) came on. I’d seen them in concert back around 1975 and it was probably the best live rock show I’ve ever experienced. The band was unique in that it featured an acoustic string instrument section backing the vocals and guitar work of Jeff Lynne. And here I was 45 years later hearing it in the Philippines. I couldn’t help but wonder what the 20-year-old me would have thought if he could see the life he’d be living as an old man. Knowing me, I would have said, “go for it, pops!”.

Three more guys arrived and the bar felt uncomfortably crowded, so I paid my tab and headed out into the Saturday night. As I walked up the highway I felt the first drops of rain. Luckily, I was just around the corner from the It Doesn’t Matter bar. I made it inside just before the skies opened up for a downpour accompanied by lightning and thunder.

My favorite waitress was occupied playing pool with another customer, so I spent an hour or so drinking alone, watching the rain, and contemplating my somewhat solitary life. Once Roan was free, she joined me and we shared a couple of beers and our usual banter. If I could put that brain in the other gal’s body, I might have the perfect girlfriend. See how shallow I am?

The rain eventually let up some and I made it an early night. Got up this morning with every intention of doing my standard Sunday stroll. But it didn’t work out that way. I got a couple of kilometers up the highway and just wasn’t feeling it. So, I walked the streets of the Matain barangay instead. As I was going back towards home on the highway I decided to go the back way to Alta Vista to add some distance to my walk. And for the first time ever, I got stopped at the checkpoint as I entered the Santo Tomas barangay.

“Where are you going?” San Isidro. “Why?” I live there. “Let me see your ID.” I gave him my ACR card, which says Alta Vista, barangay Barretto. Although technically my residence is in San Isidro. The checkpoint official looks at it and says “Oh, Alta Vista. This isn’t the way to Alta Vista”. I told him I was taking the back way home. He gave me back my ID, told me to wait, then went and consulted with two police officers. A couple of minutes later he waved me on. How’s that for excitement? I guess they figured that COVID doesn’t know about the back way to Alta Vista.

Took a nap, watched some old episodes of One Step Beyond on my big screen TV (via YouTube), and also saw a video from The Filipina Pea about “10 things all Filipinas say” that often lead to misunderstandings. Heh, I learned a couple of new things to use myself when I talk to the ladies. Here it is:

And that brings you pretty much up to date on where things stand in my world. I’ll leave you a little music from ELO to enjoy before I go:

Even when you think no one is watching you say it.

It is easy falling into the trap of thinking that the handful of folks that read my online diary have been with me for years and that none of them are local folks. There was a time when I actually promoted LTG by linking to Facebook. I consciously don’t do that now because I want to enjoy the freedom that comes with anonymity. Of course, it doesn’t always work out that way. Back in my working life, I caused a ruckus by making reference to the “Pedophile Mohammed”. Someone complained, I got summoned to the EEO office, and my boss gave me a stern talking to. The lawyers got involved and determined that my opinions, while “churlish”, were my own and since I didn’t express them at work they were covered by the first amendment to the United States Constitution. I also pointed out in my own defense that my statement was factually and historically true (the Prophet married a 9-year-old).

Something similar occurred recently and I wasn’t so much in the clear. A friend of a friend here in Barretto had come across my posts about one of my Friends With Benefits participants. Some of the things I said about her past were not factually correct. I felt bad about that because I do strive for accuracy here and I’m also quite fond of the person in question. So last night I did a search through my archives and changed the name of the person in question. I also deleted identifying photographs. I need to remember I live in a small town where it seems everyone knows just about everyone else. I can tell my stories without invading someone’s privacy I think. I’m going to try and change my ways.

Coincidentally or not, I did see a recent uptick in unique visits to the blog. My “normal” is around 160 or so. This past week I averaged over 200. No idea why, and I won’t be surprised if the numbers drop back down to where they usually are. But as the above incident shows, there is a likelihood that new readers here may very well be my Barretto neighbors. In the recent past, I’ve had a couple of complete strangers approach me and say they’ve been reading my blog. I asked one how he found it and he responded “a Google search of bars in Barretto.” Yep, that would do it I suppose.

Anyway, hopefully, you won’t notice any significant change. Any name will work for the storytelling, not sure what I’ll do about the photos at this point. Stick with me!

No photos from yesterday’s Hash because I didn’t do the trail–long or short. I barely have the energy to walk up the road to my house lately. I don’t know if that is related to the eye surgery (or meds I’m taking post-surgery) but I’m a little concerned. I’ll discuss it with the doc during my follow-up visit on Thursday morning. I did do about 5K on the flat streets of Barretto, so there’s that.

I’m not anti-vax, but I’m definitely against vaccination mandates.

Now, if they want to treat getting vaccinated in the same manner as they do voting, maybe I could support the idea.

Alright, enough of this madness! For today anyway.