And by “it,” I mean a good time. No, I don’t need to check my white privilege–I know a big it when I see one.

Swan made me a lunch of Polish sausage and fries, but it didn’t go down so well.

Swan was sweet and made me another batch.

The local 7/11 convenience store is hiring. Get a load of these requirements:

Let’s go to the beach now, shall we?

It was a bit of a mixed bag on the Kokomo floating bar yesterday. When I arrived, the music was ear-splittingly loud. Lots of other customers, and no one seemed to be complaining, so I figured I’d just down my beer and leave. I did mention to my waitress that the volume was so high the music was actually distorting. She went and talked to the waitress holding the control, and the volume was reduced–still too loud, but probably not damaging to my ears.

I still enjoyed the views and rocking motion during my visit.

Swan messaged that she was with some friends at Laharnyz, a little further up Baloy Beach.

My pal Erik messaged me that McCoy’s, another beach bar, was having a “food festival” and invited us to see him there. So, Swan and I made our way up the beach.

I didn’t go home hungry, but Swan says I was a little drunk. I don’t remember.

My Fitbit says I had a good night’s sleep (seven and a half hours!), and I awoke to find the moon stalking me.

A good day out at the Aeta village in Old Cabalan (Olongapo) with some food baskets distributed and a short hike. More on that tomorrow. Now, I must prepare for the feeding at Hideaway.

Another day, another Christmas. Here’s what you missed:

And Facebook sent me a memory from Christmas ten years ago.

But, on a brighter note, I had the Hash Candy Run to attend.

There was also a Hash on Christmas Day back in 1995.

Anyway, it was something different and an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. The cold beers at the end were especially refreshing.

So, here’s a parting gift before I go.

I’m not hearing any complaints.

Okay, I’ll stop now.

Champagne don't drive me crazy
Cocaine don't make me lazy
Ain't nobody's business but my own

Candy is dandy and liquor is quicker
You can drink all the liquor down at Costa Rica
Ain't nobody's business but your own

I’ll be doing the annual Hash Candy Run later, so let’s get today’s post out of the way.

Today the Hashers will be walking the streets of Barretto and the surrounding communities handing out candy to the children we encounter. Santa (aka 18 Kilo Ass) will be in attendance as well. And Swan will be joining in on the fun, so I’m looking forward to our first Hash together.

I received a sweet Christmas card from my sweetie:

In keeping with my holiday tradition, I prepared a batch of my Aunt Pat’s recipe World Famous fruit salad this morning.

Santa’s helper (Swan) gifted me a backpack and two hats:

And here’s the rundown on how I spent my Christmas Eve.

Hideaway Bar was having a Christmas party and I left home an hour earlier than usual to add my contribution to the food offerings. Well, Jewel Cafe supplied the eats, I just paid for them. I did bring a batch of brownies and some Oreo cookies to add to the mix.

When it came time to depart Hideaway, I hit the beach instead of the highway.

When darkness falls on the floater, I head for shore. I decided It Doesn’t Matter would be a nice venue for my nightcap. It turned out to be even nicer than I expected when I got a message from a young woman wanting to join me.

Soon enough, Swan needed to depart for her family event in Subic, and I was at my limit for beer ingestion. We said our goodnights and went our separate ways. I had blueberry cheesecake to keep me company when I got home. Netflix still won’t connect to my TV for some reason, so I watched a “Shameless” episode on my laptop. Then it was off to bed for another good nights sleep. Being able to breathe through my nose again seems to help with that.

And that brings you up to date. I plan to grill some ribeye steaks for a pre-Hash Christmas lunch. Thanks for coming by, and check back tomorrow for another update to the story of my so-called life.

And since it is Christmas, let me gift you with another one:

Merry Christmas!

WARNING: This post contains some ugly photos of me, so I advise running away as fast as possible!

Coming home alive from the hospital was my primary goal. With that achieved, I’m striving for my nose innards to heal properly and to get back to being a fully functional breather.

I was oozing blood, mostly from the left nostril. The doctor said that’s normal.

After the polyps were removed, the doctor had packed my nose with something absorbent to reduce the bleeding. On Monday, that material in the right nostril started falling out. My caregiver, Teri, contacted the doctor’s office, and was given guidance on how to remove the wayward material. I was a little nervous about it, but told her to proceed as instructed. So, Teri squirted some water up my nostril, grabbed the material with tweezers and began to pull.

OUCH! Oh shit. That hurt like a motherfucker. I guess the dried blood had congealed around the packing, and the removal felt like ripping a scab off a wound.

It was Hash Monday, but I knew I was in no condition to do the trail. But I decided that shouldn’t stop me from drinking some beers at the On-Home venue, Blue Butterfly. So, at 3 p.m. I headed out on my own 2K trek to get there.

I didn’t participate in the Hash Circle, choosing to remain outdoors, sipping my beer, and buying lady drinks for the hard-working waitresses. When the Hash ended, I walked up the highway to Sit-n-Bull and got some pecan pie to bring home with me.

I spent some time on the patio with Swan and then watched a couple of episodes of “Shameless” before hitting the hay. Enjoyed a decent night’s sleep without as much bleeding.

It may not look like it, but that was progress–a much-reduced blood flow.

So, I had an 8 a.m. appointment with the doctor who performed the surgery. We were both on time, and she was ready to remove the remainder of the nose packing. And it hurt every bit as much as it had when Teri started the process on Monday.

But my nose is empty now, and I can breathe easily through it again for the first time in months. My blood oxygen level, which had been in the low to mid-90s, is now at 97, and I can feel the difference. I haven’t even needed my nebulizer today.

I’m still not quite right, though. Still lacking energy, and my thinking is more fuzzy than usual. I read that can be one of the side effects of general anesthesia, especially in older people. Well, maybe ignorance will be bliss.

The doctor says I must take it easy for the next three days and refrain from eating or drinking anything hot. So, I’ll wait until Friday to start hiking again and continue to enjoy icy-cold San Miguel Zeros in the meantime.

After leaving the doctor’s office in San Marcelino, my driver took me to the immigration office in Olongapo, where I was granted permission to continue living in the Philippines for the next sixty days. Then I completed my weekly grocery shopping at Royal, and now I’m ready to get on with the rest of my life.

What will it be–the Arizona floating bar or Kokomo’s? Or maybe I should just drink on solid ground tonight. Decisions, decisions.

Facebook memories carried me back to the last time all my family was in the same place at the same time.

And here’s the funny:

Just a quick not to report I survived the surgery. Feeling very light headed at the moment and still hav some light bleeding from the nose. More to report once I feel better.

Another day in paradise that I managed to survive. I feel good about that. I kicked things off with my Standard Saturday Solo Stroll through the streets of Barretto, a 6K endeavor.

My break in the walking action had a silver lining in that the old familiar felt almost new again. So, I did the photo every 1.6K thing to capture the feeling.

I grabbed a sandwich to go at SnB, and triked home.

And the new window blinds in my bedroom/office were installed while I was out walking.

After blogging and showering, it was time to have an old-fashioned date with Swan. I asked her to join me at the beach for dinner and drinks, and she accepted. I suggested we walk the 2K to the Kokomo’s floating bar, and she agreed.

I was a little surprised at how many passersby we encountered along the way that Swan knew. Then I remembered she worked at one of the resorts on Baloy for a while. When we hit the beach, I was relieved that it wasn’t low tide, so we could board the raft without wading through ankle-deep water.

It was Swan’s first visit to the floating bar and here is some of what she saw:

The girls all greeted me by name, but that doesn’t seem to bother Swan as long as they don’t leave lipstick marks on my neck (I still don’t know how that happened). I brought some brownies for the crew, and they went fast, and the gals seemed appreciative. One of the customers banged into our table and spilled my beer. He apologized profusely, and I told him it was no big deal (I’d recovered most of it). He bought me another one anyway, and I thanked him.

After we ate, we took a trike back to the house. I had missed my usual afternoon nap and was feeling sleepy, so I went to bed early.

As days go, yesterday was a good one overall.

The Sunday feeding at Hideaway is next on my agenda. We’ll see what happens after that.

Picking up from where I left off yesterday, I successfully made the crosstown trek from my place to Hideaway. I felt some weakness in the leg but no pain or instability. That’s what makes this ailment tough to decipher. To my untrained mind, I think the nerve or muscle damage symptoms would be constant. Maybe it makes sense that it only occurs when I exert myself. Or perhaps I’m getting better through self-healing. Regardless, I’ve decided not to attempt today’s Hash trail. Even the short version requires a hill climb, and I’m paranoid about the weak knee causing a fall in the wrong place and putting me in a whole other world of hurt. Better to take it slow until I’ve recovered some stamina. Instead, I’ll walk to the On-Home venue (around 3K from my place) and see how I feel from there.

Last night’s bar crawl was kind of blah…I was just in one of those moods, I suppose. The Hideaway feeding was its usual success. I forgot to bring a dessert for the second week in a row, so I had to substitute Dunkin’ Donuts again. I guess the gals like that as much as the treats I usually bring, so no big deal.

When I left Hideaway, I headed up the highway with no real destination in mind. As I passed, I noticed from across the road that It Doesn’t Matter appeared to be busy, and I wasn’t in the mood for a crowd. The Annex needed some business though, so I stopped in there for a beer.

I wound up at Sloppy Joe’s next and watched the people on the street pass by. In a weird kind of way, I prefer that to watching bored dancers swaying on stage. Three beers later I was at Wet Spot, a place featuring some of those dancers. Had a beer and decided to go next door to The Green Room. I guess word got out because no one accosted me for lady drinks. Two beers by myself and then homeward bound.

Yes, my night was as boring as it sounds. Made me sleepy just writing about it. Hopefully, I’ll have more fun tonight.

My distance walking buddy Kevin Kim was lamenting how quickly the soles of his Skecher hiking shoes have down. I’ve had the same problem with all three pair of mine:

In addition to walking, Kevin is big on the importance of proper punctuation. Sometimes bad punctuation can be fatal:

And while we are on the subject of comprehension, I pity the folks who believe what they hear without question.

Meanwhile, prepare yourself for the devalued dollar. They look like this:

I found this insect loitering on my front porch this morning:

That’s all for now. Back tomorrow with more goodness.

This will be an abbreviated post today because I’m running late, and the hash is looming.

Swan was off doing whatever it is she does with her Sunday me time, and I proceeded to do what I do pretty much every damn day of my life. Last night, I did the feeding at Hideaway and then my nightcap at Wet Spot. The photo above was taken at the entrance to WS. One thing that stood out for me was Aine seems to be avoiding me. She usually doesn’t wait for an invite to join me when I take my seat, but last night, she came by, said hello, then walked off. Weird. Still, it was nice keeping that lady drink money in my wallet.

I got home early, a little after seven, and Swan was sitting on the couch. The TV hadn’t been mounted yet, so she was watching Netflix on her phone. I made us dessert (pecan pie a la mode), which she seemed to enjoy. When I was ready for bed, Swan said she was going to watch some more Netflix. See you later, then.

Oh, when I got home, Lucky was standing on the front porch, wagging his tail and wanting to be let into the house. I decided to forgive (but I won’t forget) and let him in.

I invited Swan to join me on the morning dog walk, but she declined.

I met with the landlord’s agent at my old place and turned over the keys. Doing the property checklist, there was a missing rice cooker and TV remote control. I found both items here and will return them soon. It will be interesting to see how much, if any, of my two-month security deposit is returned to me.

Lots of thoughts are swirling in my brain, but I’m going to take my time to sort it all out. Perhaps it was just a weird coincidence, but I happened upon a post from December 2021 where I was experiencing a similar bout of love-induced confusion. That gal is rumored to be getting married soon. All’s well that ends well.

The hand is still painfully sore, and it is my left hand, the one I prefer (as anyone in their right mind would). I’m keeping it clean and taking the antibiotics that Dr. Dave recommended, so it is just a matter of time until I’m healed.

It’s time to shower up and prepare for my Hash excursion. I understand the trail passes through Alta Vista, so my plan is to catch it here and save those steps to the VFW starting point. Waste not, want not, right?

This sounds like a story right out of the Philippines:

Back tomorrow with more of this kind of goodness.

Yeah, yeah, that post title is bad grammar. You are also likely to encounter some sloppy punctuation as well. You’ve been warned!

So, let’s talk about yesterday’s Hash. It was a strange one. I wound up doing my own trail, a little over 6K, but mostly flat. I walked from my place out to where the official trail started, then walked back to the On-Home at Johansson’s. I had planned to get to the Coral Street beginning point before the 2:00 p.m. start time but arrived a couple of minutes late. Everyone had left by then, so it was an easy decision to turn around and go back. I did reward myself with a beer stop at Hideaway on my return journey.

When the Hare arrived, he told me there were only five Hashers at the start of the trail. Another strange happening. Like me, a couple of other folks had done their own trail, but when the circle started, we only had eight people in attendance. I’ve never seen a turnout that low. And to make it even weirder, we had zero females in attendance. Like I said, it was a strange Hash. Not sure what was going on, but hopefully, we will be back to normal next week.

Here are some photos if you care to share my adventure:

Anyway, that’s the way it goes sometimes. The beer was cold, and there was plenty of it. After the Hash, most of us went to It Doesn’t Matter and had a few more. I gave up drinking at seven (don’t worry, I plan to start again this evening) and went to Sit-n-Bull for a banana split to bring him home with me. My Fitbit says I was asleep before 8:30. What a life!

I guess you have to trust the science on this:

Hard to argue with this logic:

Yesterday’s Swan-hosted event at her/our house seemed to go well. I arrived at the appointed hour of 1:00 p.m. and was a little surprised to see so many children running about. But they weren’t a problem, and as more of the adults arrived, the kids mostly confined themselves to the bedrooms. I wasn’t sure what to expect beyond the normal eating and drinking that occurs when Filipinos gather. I teasingly told Swan that I had prepared a short speech announcing that we were now officially a couple. Swan clarified that this group of trusted friends and relatives already knew about me, which is why they had been invited. So, I guess our relationship is still technically a secret. I’m looking forward to moving in next weekend and seeing how things change for us, for better or worse.

So, I sat and drank beer from one until five. When a carload of guests were departing, I caught a ride down to the 7/11 on Baloy and had a couple more beers at Snackbar. My idea for ending my evening there was to avoid walking back to my place from Swan’s in the dark. I was able to catch a trike home after my nightcap.

I had a good time as the token white guy at the party. I’m sure I’ll be having similar gatherings in the future. It’s every bit as much fun hanging out and drinking at home as it is in the bars. Although I don’t mean to imply that I’ll be discarding my barlife entirely. I’ll find the right balance, I’m sure.

It’s Hash Monday. I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll do what the Hare admits is a tough trail or make my own. The problem is the official trail starts about 3K out of town in an area I’m not that familiar with. That makes it tough to shortcut. I’ve got a couple of hours to decide.

And speaking of the Hash, I learned today that one of SBH3’s oldest members, Goldfinger, has passed away.

Goodbye my friends
Maybe for forever
Goodbye my friends
The stars wait for me
Who knows where we shall meet again
If ever
But time
Keeps flowing like a river (on and on)
To the sea
To the sea

UPDATE: Oops! I’ve used the Party Time moniker once before. Way back in July 2005. It was kind of interesting to reminisce about my first 4th of July party in Korea. And seeing Mi Soon, my first Korean girlfriend, again. Ah, an old man and his memories…

I arrived at the VFW forty-five minutes early to try and get some practice in before the dart league games commenced. It wasn’t pretty, as in missing the board entirely far too often and suffering numerous bounce-outs. In less than thirty minutes of warmup throws, I had broken two shafts and destroyed a flight. Having run out of spares, I gave up on practice to ensure I had a functioning set of darts for the competition to come. The good news is that the team I played with yesterday won the match, 12-1. That blemish of a loss was my failed effort in singles cricket. I did prevail in my doubles matches, thanks to having a partner to help carry the load. I managed to hit the winning dart (a double-out in 501) as my only highlight on the afternoon. Yep, I sucked every bit as bad as I feared I would. I don’t recall throwing that poorly, even as a beginner. Well, maybe I’ll be motivated to start practicing at home again and rediscover my lost talent for the game.

The match was over at 4:30, and I hustled across town with the funds needed to feed the Hideaway girls. I picked up a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts on the way as I didn’t have time to bake the usual brownie dessert.

Once again, the vendor woman prepared and delivered the food. It is reasonably priced (less than 100 pesos per meal) and the girls seem to enjoy it.

The thing I dislike the most about dart league is starting at 2:00 in the afternoon. Starting drinking beer at 2:00, I mean. It just throws me off my rhythm. I left Hideaway at 6:30 and headed back towards my side of town with no real destination in mind. I considered crossing the highway and visiting Voodoo (I have a 500 peso voucher coupon), but there was no break in the traffic, so I just decided to use the coupon tonight and kept walking. Wasn’t in a Cheap Charlies mood and proceeded onward toward Whiskey Girl. A voice from the balcony called out as I passed Adam’s bar. It was Eunice, one of my former regulars at Cheap Charlies. Okay, I’ll go up and say hello.

Once inside, another gal whose name I don’t recall but used to work at the floating bar, sat on one side with Eunice on the other. Yep, the girls have me pegged as an easy mark. I made them wait until I finished my first beer before rewarding their patience with a lady drink. It was nice to see them both again, but not enough to stay for a second round.

Back on the street, I continued to make my way in the homeward direction. I’d lost the urge for Whiskey Girl and just kept going until I reached Snackbar. There were surprisingly few customers there, so I sat outside and spent some time catching up with Jenn. Mama was sitting outside the 7/11, so I sent Jenn to get Mama (the umbrella lady) and the Snackbar girls an ice cream cone. The owner arrived a bit later, and we chatted for a bit before I pulled the plug on my night and grabbed a trike home.

I apologize if the excitement of my life is overwhelming. I could be on the cusp of a significant lifestyle change, so I’m doing my best to enjoy these wild days while I can.

I used yesterday’s morning walk to carry me to the Savers appliance store, where I purchased a stove and refrigerator for use in my new residence. I had intended to buy a big side-by-side fridge/freezer but couldn’t pull the trigger on spending over a thousand bucks for one. So, I settled for a regular-sized unit for less than half that price.

My new gear will be delivered on Saturday. I’m moving in on the 30th, but with Swan moving her stuff out on Sunday, she’ll need a stove and fridge until I arrive.

Of course, the big news from yesterday is that I survived my “free beer in every SOB bar” adventure.

And since I lived to tell about it, here goes:

Some of the included bars don’t open until six, and I didn’t want to push my luck drinking while I waited for them to open. So, I left the house a little later than normal and started the evening out with some dinner at John’s place.

FIRST STOP: JOHN’S SUSHI AND STEAKHOUSE

I was craving some Mexican and had read some Facebook posts raving about John’s Birria tacos. John was present when I arrived, and when I mentioned I was thinking about ordering the tacos, he went into a long story about how what we Yanks call tacos are nothing like the authentic ones from Mexico. He’s a foodie, so naturally, he described what’s involved in creating them while I listened politely. I don’t recall having ever previously eaten a taco by that name, but I was excited to give it a try. I placed my order and headed upstairs to the third-floor bar for my dining experience.

I was actually full after I devoured two of them, so I invited my waitress over to help me out with the third taco.

Damages: Two beers

SECOND STOP: VOODOO BAR

Voodoo is one of the bars I suspected didn’t open until six, and I was a little surprised to see the “we’re open” sign flashing as I walked by, so I was happy to stop in and deploy my coupon. It was deadly quiet when I entered (usually, the music is blaring in this bar), and I asked if they were open. The bartender replied that they could serve me, but the girls wouldn’t arrive until six. Okay, that’s fine. When I handed her my free beer ticket, I thought she might have rolled her eyes a little, but maybe I just imagined it.

So, my plan was to drink a free beer in each bar, but I figured it was only fair to have a second out-of-pocket or perhaps a lady drink for a deserving girl. Since no gals were present, I assumed I’d be going the second beer route. And then, just as I finished my first beer, who should walk in but my old regular Josie and my new friend, Lynn.

I told them of my quest and that I wouldn’t be staying after this round. They wished me well, and I headed out.

Damages: Two beers (one free) and two lady drinks.

THIRD STOP: THE GREEN ROOM

I was a little worried a passel of ladies would once again besiege me, but I was able to grab my usual small table near the pool table, apparently unnoticed by the thirsty ones. My waitress, Mary Anne, was the girl I met at Arizona Resort thirteen years ago as a tourist. I wrote about our reunion here. I bought her a drink for old time’s sake. Then, the woman I’ve been buying food from for the Hideaway girls approached my table to thank me again for yesterday’s purchase. We got to talking, and it turns out she’s friends with my ex, Marissa. What a small town. I wound up buying her a drink, too.

Damages: one beer (free) and two lady drinks

FOURTH STOP: LA OFICINA BAR

Up a flight of stairs to this second floor venue. Took an elevated seat above the stage to better enjoy the view.

I wasn’t looking for love last night, so I called the least attractive of the dancers to join me for a drink. She’s the one who remembers me from Whiskey Girl.

I heard her tell the waitress she wanted a bottled beer (the dreaded 300 pesos double), and I told her no, only a single lady drink. She had to chase the waitress down to change her order. I reminded the waitress I needed my free beer coupon back, and she said she’d already returned it. I checked my wallet, and it wasn’t there. She went back to look, and eventually, the cashier came over with the coupon, saying she had had to make a photocopy. Okay, no problem. When I finished my beer, I handed the waitress my bill cup and said, “Bill out, please.” She returned with another beer. I might have been a tad rude in my response, but damn, it just weird to confuse “bill out” with “bring me another beer.” A manager came over and apologized, saying the waitress was new. I had calmed down and felt bad, so I apologized to the waitress when she brought my change. She didn’t appear receptive to sorrys. Oh, well. I tried.

Damages: one beer (free) and one lady drink.

FIFTH STOP: ALASKA CLUB

Back down the stairs and into Alaska. My regular, dancer Joy, wasn’t working, but the new waitress I’d met on an earlier visit was happy to join me.

Damages: Two beers (one free) and two lady drinks.

SIXTH STOP: WET SPOT

Right next door the journey continued. The “backslappers” table was full, but bar owner and SOB founder Daddy Dave came and joined me at mine. I congratulated him on his successful program of giving away free beers to increase profits, noting that my night of not paying for my beer was costing me a lot more than I normally spend. He seemed genuinely pleased to hear this news and he thanked me with, you guessed it, another free beer. Not to be outdone, I bought my regular waitress a lady drink.

Damages: Two beers (both free) and one lady drink.

SEVENTH STOP: WHISKEY GIRL

Back outdoors and the always dangerous crossing of the National Highway, then a stroll on the shoulder for several blocks to arrive at my next-to-last destination. My semi-regular Kim was with another customer, and my favorite, Jen, was absent. But before I could order my beer, a young lass was seated next to me. She asked if I remembered her, and I honestly didn’t. She reminded me that I had met her on her first night working several months ago. Oh yeah, nice to see you again.

Of course, I bought her a lady drink. Nikki also said I had promised to bring some of my brownies for her. I apologized and told her I would bring a batch for Saturday’s party (the manager had brought me a ticket for a free drink and raffle entry when I arrived). I won’t forget this time.

Damages: One beer (free) and one lady drink.

EIGHTH (AND LAST) STOP: QUEEN VICTORIA

Back across that damn highway and into my final venue of the night. A girl I didn’t recognize called out to me by name as I made my way to sit at the bar. Turns out she used to work on the Kokomo’s floating bar, but again, I didn’t remember her specifically. I was ready to finish my business, so I ordered my beer and offered her a lady drink, which she naturally accepted.

I’m not at Queen Victoria much, but when I visit, I usually am joined by a girl named Irish. I didn’t see her at first, but she came by later and appeared a little perturbed that I had neglected her. Well, I felt bad about that, but not bad enough to buy her a drink. She got her backpack and went home before I left. I’ll be back tonight for the SOB; perhaps I can treat her then.

Damages: One beer (free) and one lady drink.

So, it was an experience. I’ll just say that I hope any coupons I get tonight are more traditional discount varieties…I can’t afford those free beers on a regular basis!

They shall not grow old,
As we who are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.

I am now officially a member of the Returned and Services League, an Australian veterans organization. The verse above is recited as one of the membership rituals, followed by a minute of silence. The Subic chapter had about fifty in attendance for yesterday’s meeting, and several familiar faces were in the crowd at the gathering place, the Rock Lobster bar (before it opens to the public). One of the interesting aspects of this group is that all nationalities, regardless of veteran status, are welcome to join, unlike similar organizations such as American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars. I didn’t know much about the RSL other than seeing its members around town on Tuesday meeting days in their distinctive white shirts.

And now I’m one of them:

So, what inspired me to join this respectable group? Swan’s sister and brother-in-law are active in the organization. Swan talked about the many community charity projects the organization is involved with, including orphanage support, medical outreach programs, and providing food and other provisions for those in need. My membership dues (1200 pesos a year) assists with those activities. The weekly meetings also feature raffles to raise funds (I spent 700 on tickets yesterday). So, it’s all for a good cause, and I’m happy to do my part.

After the meetings, the group does a pub crawl, although I chose not to participate last night. I thought Swan was going to join me, but she had other plans. So, I went my own way and wound up at Sloppy Joe’s. Jim showed up a bit later, and we did our own bar visitation spree, enjoying Mugshots, Blue Butterfly, and Wet Spot before calling it a night.

And I spent more on beer than lady drinks, so that’s progress!

Swan and I talked through our misunderstanding this morning. Bottom line, she is just too uncomfortable to be seen with me out and about in our gossipy little town. We are planning a visit to San Antonio tomorrow to have a little one-on-one time.

And I saw something else moving about down below:

I didn’t do the Wednesday Walkers group hike today because I wanted some time with Swan, and I’m also tired of hiking in the rain every damn day. Hopefully, there will be some dryer beach walking in San Antonio.

If Facebook is any indication, this Barbie movie is a big deal, what with the gals all dressing up in pink to go to the theatre. My brother Greg posted this, which I felt compelled to share:

And then there was this:

Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, ‘Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?’ The birch says he cannot tell, but just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling.

The birch says, ‘Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?’

The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree and replies, ‘It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever poked my pecker into.

Bada Bing! I’d just add you can always tell a dogwood tree by its bark.

That’s it for now. I’ll be heading into town a bit later to keep the bars in business and maybe disappoint some bargirls with my new cheap Charlie attitude. Or not. We’ll see.

…today’s Hash trail is marked. Unless it rains and washes our morning’s efforts away. We opted to do the trail in the hills, so hopefully, the forecasted showers will hold off until later in the afternoon. That’s the luck of the draw during rainy season.

What will be will be. If it rains, the Hashers will determine what they want to do individually. I’ve completed my mission.

I had a talk with Swan this morning about our future living arrangements. She expressed no concerns about sharing the house with me, with the understanding that she would be staying in the guest room for the time being. I’m okay with that. She worried more about her two dogs (females) and their interactions with my two boys. We plan to separate them (her dogs in the basement area, mine upstairs). We will work it out, I’m sure.

What was it that Marie Antoinette said?

Veering off course for a moment to delve into a political question. Why are rap songs promoting crime and violence okay, but a country song proclaiming resistance to crime and violence is bad?

Alrighty then. Time to shower up and get ready to send the kennel on their way. I predict a wet and wild night, with or without rain. The beer will be flowing!

Hmm, well, obviously, I’m talking about America’s Independence Day, but if there is another event that occurred on May 4, let me know.

A nice little Hash yesterday on a sweltering afternoon. The Hare, Anal Receptive, was kind enough to offer an Eagle trail (over 8K) and a Turkey trail at around 3.5K. Regular readers won’t have to guess which option best suited me.

Of course, we just moved up front to the bar area and continued the consumption of alcoholic beverages. And then Mother Nature raised her pretty head, and we were hit with a windy deluge. The power went out for a bit, but we stuck it out until the lights came back on. When the rain slacked up, I caught a trike for home but didn’t get far. It seems a tree fell across the National Highway, and the road was nearly impassable. I got out and walked to the entrance of Alta Vista, then managed to catch a trike the rest of the way home. Power was still out at my house, so I had to enjoy dessert by candlelight. And then it was back on just in time for bed so I could sleep under the breeze of my fan. Yay!

Busy in the kitchen this morning:

My new landlord is in town and has started the promised work on the house. She also gave me a copy of the notarized lease, so all the legal niceties have been taken care of. I dropped off some muffins when I stopped by for her and Swan to enjoy.

Swan joined me on the Royal grocery shopping excursion this morning. It was fun to have her along, even if she refused my offer to pay for the few items in her basket. I’m starting to imagine what my life could be like if I had someone like her to share it with me. I keep reminding myself that I need to hold back and go slow. I’m leaving the next step up to her, but I still want to gently signal that I’ll be happy if she takes it. The sooner, the better!

Here I go again.

So, on the drive out to Castillejos for the start of our hike to Nagsangong Falls, our driver missed the bypass highway around Subic-town. As we hit the heavy traffic near the Subic marketplace, a song from 1970 that I didn’t like then and hadn’t heard for decades suddenly popped into my head. Hell, I even recalled most of the lyrics. That’s pretty amazing, given how I can barely remember my name some days.

Okay, sorry for the detour down memory lane; here’s the report from yesterday’s misadventure. As mentioned above, the plan was to make the relatively easy hike to Nansangong Falls and back, a trek we hadn’t done since early 2021.

Times change and memories fade, resulting in some initial difficulty in finding our starting point. When we reached the end of the road we were on, some locals helpfully offered to guide us back to where we needed to be.

A left turn about 1/2K up the road, then a short drive to a shady parking spot, and we were finally ready to walk!

And then we encountered a Robert Frost moment:

We eventually chose the path to the right, in part because it appeared to have been more heavily trafficked. And what’s out here to see except the falls, right?

Remember that junction where we chose to go right?

Anyway, despite not achieving the falls I had a really good time on trail. That’s what matters most. Relive it here if you so desire:

My other Miss Adventure was with the lovely lady accompanying me to last night’s SOB. We arrived early, so we had a drink next door at Sloppy Joe’s while we waited for Alaska to open up. The same waitress who served me last night took care of our order. I smiled to myself, wondering what she was thinking–one day, he is with an 18-year-old girl, the next with a 39-year-old woman. Funny how that works, but I know which one I prefer. WAY too early for that kind of speculation–her partner of seventeen years passed away a few months ago, and she is just starting her road to recovery. My goal is to help her get to where she needs to be, with no expectation that I’ll be her solution. She is fun to be with, and that’s enough for me. She even volunteered to be my Tagalog tutor (yes, she is college educated). I’m trying to respect her privacy, hence the lack of a name, at least for now. Let’s call her Swan (she without a name).

Anyway, Swan had never attended an SOB before and asked me what it was all about. I answered that it was a cultural dance contest among seven Barretto bars. Yeah, they are bar dancers, but several teams usually wear costumes and put on an interesting show with various props. Last night only Alaska did so. The other competitors were doing the booty-shaking thing and sexy dance moves. Swan laughed and asked, “Is that more of “culture” you were talking about?” ‘Yeah, but this is the Philippines, after all, and it is bar culture’ was the best I could come up with in response.

At the end of the show, Swan thanked me and said she had a good time. She agreed to join me somewhere in the future, I suggested the rooftop at our high-rise hotel, the Capital Reef, and she liked the idea. It was a different kind of “date” for me last night, but one I enjoyed more than any others in recent memory. Making a new friend is always a worthwhile endeavor; anything more than that still needs a friendship foundation. One day at a time. I’ve got nothing to lose.

Next up for me is a Hash adventure with the Manila group. They are doing an outstation run here in Barretto today and I’m going to join in. I’m also taking some tentative steps to making a move into a rental house more suited to the needs of me and my dogs. It’s here in Alta Vista, so not that big a change. More on that soon.

Facebook memories reminded me of the way my blog looked when it was Korea-centric:

Back with more tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

UPDATE: I was able to recover the post I thought was deleted, but no time to fix all the crap errors. Sorry, this one will be me at my worst.

I woke up at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. That is not so unusual. Sat down at the the laptop to see what was going on in the rest of the world, and noticed my phone wasn’t on the charger. That’s weird, but I don’t deny going to bed in a state of drunken confusion after my night with the Pattaya Hashers. I plugged the phone in and got the screen that says the port was wet and I needed to disconnect. I tried my best to dry it out through various means but nothing worked. Now what?

The next issue I had to address was that without my phone’s hot spot connection, I couldn’t access the internet. Yes, my hotel room came with WIFI, but I had been unable to connect when I first checked in, so I just relied on my phone. I once again tried the WIFI with the same result: This site can’t be reached. logout.wifi unexpectedly closed the connection.

With nothing better to do, I unplugged the laptop, carried it downstairs to the front desk and asked for assistance. The night attendant attempted to log in and got the same result. She said to come back later when the maintenance staff was available. Alrighty, then. Back upstairs to deal with the reality that I’m an internet junkie. To deal with the pain of withdrawal, I went back to bed and slept until six. Got up, tried the phone again, and still no go. Fuck. So, I showered and packed, then took my laptop with me to breakfast to get a fix with the restaurant WIFI. I researched how to dry a wet charging port, but none of the suggestions worked. I figured I must have done some damage to the innards, so I asked the woman who runs my restaurant hangout where I could get it repaired. She told me, saw I didn’t understand, and offered to call a car to take me. Yes, please! Now that’s service.

The store she had mentioned wasn’t open yet, so I walked around and found another repair shop. They said they could fix it for 1500 baht (about $50). Yeah, I figured there was some skin tax involved but I was desperate. I agreed and they told me to come back in three hours. Went back to my hotel, checked out, stored my bag, and went back across the street to my my friendly restaurant.

I made a point of remembering how to get back to my phone, so was able to navigate using the Baht Bus method of travel. I arrived at the store and my phone was ready to go. Crisis resolved!

Dave and Jo were going to share transport to the airport with me. Since our flight didn’t depart until 10:50 pm, we decided to kill the hours hanging out at a nice place on the water. After leaving from the phone store to meet up with them, I came upon a particularly nice Buddhist Monastery.

Next stop, the Pattaya Beer Garden.

It was a comfortable place to chill and enjoy the ambiance, although I consciously limited my alcohol intake to two beers. I still had a long night ahead of me.

I had made arrangements for a driver to take us to the airport with instructions to meet at my hotel at 5:00 p.m. It was the same guy who had driven my drunk and lost ass home from the Hash. I remembered making the arrangements, but I had failed to get a phone number so I could confirm he’d be there as scheduled. That created a bit of a conundrum–should I book with someone else and possibly disappoint the guy who thought he had an airport gig, or go with the safe bet. I decided to be a man of my word and trust him to show up like we had arranged.

When the time was nigh, we walked back to the restaurant across from my hotel to await the driver’s arrival.

I figured I had a 30 minute window to rebook if my driver didn’t show and still make it to the airport on time. Talk about living dangerously! Well, he didn’t show and I was going to look for a taxi large enough to carry three and their luggage. I asked the restaurant owner if she had any suggestions, and the woman she had been chatting with at the bar volunteered to take us. Talk about getting lucky–she even had an SUV large enough for our needs. Let’s roll! Well, she had to go home and get the car, but promised to be back by 5:30. She was late, but was an excellent driver and got us to our destination with time to spare.

We boarded the plane on time, took off a few minutes early, and I was asleep shortly thereafter on the three-hour flight to Angeles City. I woke up thirty minutes before we landed at 0300 local time. Got through immigration without a hitch, and Dave dropped me off at my front door a little after five.

A long day, but it ended the way it was intended to do.

I took a nap and slept until 11 a.m. and trying to get this post done with the Hash pending has been stressful. Sorry for all the errors, Grammarly not working for some reason and I’m out of time to perform my usual due diligence. *ahem*

Anyway, I’ve still got that post for the island Hash on Saturday in the hopper. Come back tomorrow for the last batch of all that Thailand goodness.

I just lost a post I’d spent two hours writing about my last day in Thailand. I don’t recall that ever happening before. I’ve got to head out for the Hash now, so there is no time to recover it. Sorry, I’ll try again tomorrow.

Damn, I’m pissed.

I won’t have another night out in Barretto for over a week, assuming I survive Thailand. I’m a little paranoid about my breathing issues and being alone in a strange land surrounded by strangers. Welp, I guess that’s why they call it an adventure. My bags are packed, and I’m ready to go!

Mary came by my place for lunch, her allowance, and some groceries I picked up for her on my last trip to Royal. We had some dessert, and I walked her down to the highway so she could catch a Jeepney home. She’s working at John’s place now, so she needed to drop her things off, change clothes, then head back into town for her 5 p.m. shift.

It was only 3:30 when she got on the Jeep, but I figured I’d get to work on my Saturday night since I was in town already. I started out at Sloppy Joe’s and ran into my hiking mates, Scott and Steve.

After a couple of beers (maybe three), I wanted to get something to eat, and where better to dine than John’s place? It was a few minutes before five, and Mary was going through the door as I approached. I followed her in and surprised her. I was headed up to the third-floor bar area and saw John in the second-floor restaurant. He told me he had some changes coming upstairs, starting this weekend. The bar, which has a pool table and not much else other than a nice open-air view, is going to be made into a “real bar” vibe, whatever that means. Maybe he’s going to have GROs and sexy waitresses thirsty for lady drinks? I guess I’ll find out when I get back from Thailand.

While I was eating I got a message from Joy. She was lamenting that there were no customers (and no lady drinks) in the bar. Given the rain outside, I wasn’t surprised. So, I ordered some Korean-style chicken wings for take-out and paid her a surprise visit.

With the hunger and thirst satiated at Hideaway, it was time to move on. After some internal debate as I walked, I decided to pay a visit to Cheap Charlies. I was surprised it was so crowded, but my regular crew was available to serve me some company in exchange for the coveted lady drink.

Alma was on my other side, but she deleted the photo I took of her (she has an out-of-town foreigner “boyfriend,” I hear).

While I was enjoying my time at Cheap Charlies, I got a message from Angie asking if I would be visiting her at Green Room. I’d just seen her the day before at the SOB, but Green Room is right across the highway, so why not. At first, things weren’t too busy, but then a group of high rollers came in and brought most of the girls from Wet Spot with them.

And that was just about all the fun I could handle for one night. I did pop into Sit-n-Bull hoping for a pecan pie dessert, but alas, they were sold out. So, I settled for a big oatmeal-raisin cookie instead, took it home, and put some vanilla ice cream on top. Not as good as a Krispy Kreme donut, but good enough.

Oh, and I’ve been meaning to share this tidbit that I found hilarious. I have an app on my phone called WhatsApp that I almost never use. A few days ago, I got a message there saying, “Hope I didn’t bother you; how are you today?” I should have known better but answered, “I’m sorry. Who is this?” And this was the response:

I’m sorry for bothering you. I’m Miss Kate, HR Assistant of WPP Company. We are pleased to inform you that we will like to offer you the opportunity to join our team and work with us remotely which can help you earn money every day. Can I tell you more details about it?

Yep, I triggered the spam. Still, I figured I could have some fun with it and answered this way: Nope. I’m rich. I don’t need to work. I’m hoping I can find a girlfriend. Miss Kate didn’t miss a beat:

If you are rich, let me know.

I left it at that but enjoyed the laugh.

It’s raining like mad again today (’tis the season), and I’m meeting my ride to the airport across town. I’ve got a trike driver scheduled to pick me up at the house at 2:00; let’s hope he remembers where I live. Damn, I better pack an umbrella; it might be raining in Thailand too.

Assuming everything goes well, my next post will be from the Land of Smiles. See you on the other side!

The Wednesday Walkers changed things up and took a rare trip out to SBMA (aka The old Navy base) for our adventure. With our smaller turnout lately, we have more transportation options. Scott’s car carried the four of us comfortably and allowed us to explore some new terrain. The skies were threatening, but the rain held off throughout our 7K pavement hike.

A good day on base!

I went home to rest and refresh; then, I was off to the Wednesday feeding at Hideaway. I sent Joy out to get whatever she and the girls wanted. She came back with chicken, pork on a stick, and pancit.

After leaving Hideaway, I stopped at Blue Butterfly and shared a drink with my favorite there, Tanya. There was a lady walking the streets selling food from a basket. I asked the girls if they were hungry and got an affirmative response. Tanya spoke to the vendor in Tagalog; then I paid for 270 pesos worth of food (not sure what, some kind of burger-like thing). The vendor went on her way. Later I noticed that most of the food was uneaten, and Tanya told me it was not fresh. Apparently, the vendor had assured her otherwise. It’s the first time I’ve seen that happen, and obviously, it is the last time I’ll make a purchase from this woman (I’ve made several in the past, but now she has lost my trust).

I finished my night at Wet Spot and enjoyed some time with the big shots at the back slapper’s table. Later, I noticed Saja was back to work (she’s a schoolmate of Mary), so I invited her over for a drink. Her boyfriend has returned to his homeland, Germany, I think she said, for work, and she has come back to Wet Spot, at least for now.

And so ended another night in the Bars of Barretto. At least there was no trouble of this kind:

I never walk home. That’s what trikes are for!