And what a time it was. Sunday rolled around once more and was full of the usual Sunday things. The Candy Walk resumed after a one-week hiatus, and the children all seemed happy to see us again. I’m one of the Hares along with Pubic Head for next Monday’s Hash Candy Run, and we are going to incorporate the San Isidro neighborhoods into our trail. That oughta be fun watching the kids get greeted by Santa Claus. We sweetened up 250 of them yesterday.

Next on my Sunday agenda was the Hideaway feeding.

Three gin and sodas later, I successfully crossed the highway and climbed the stairs to the third floor of John’s place.

Then we took a stroll down the highway for our nightcap at the Green Room. We enjoy chillin’ out with our favorites, Chu and Sally, and watching the other girls play pool. Two of them last night were the absolute worst players I’ve ever seen. It was so comically bad that I was actually laughing out loud seeing their consistently missed shots. When they finally finished what might have been the longest game of 8-ball in history, I gave them each fifty pesos and thanked them for the show.

I made it home safe and sound after eight drinks of gin over the course of the evening. For my nighttime treat, I mixed up a bowl of vanilla pudding, and it was so good I had a second helping. Clearly, my better judgment was impaired.

Today’s addition to The Story of My Life is a Christmas tribute to my stepdaughter Hillary, who was serving in Afghanistan with the US Army twenty years ago.

Here is a meme with some harsh truth about the lying liars who call themselves “experts”:

Today’s YouTube is a light-hearted take on weirdos who always want to hike. Lucky for me, Swan has come to enjoy our walks almost as much as I do.

The funny stuff:

Okay, another Hash Monday is in my immediate future. Today’s trail is out in Subic-town, but we have a sane Hare (Pubic Head), so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store. I’ll post the full report tomorrow.

It was a good Hash trail yesterday, especially since our shortcuts preempted the main hill climb. Most of the trail we did was through familiar territory, and as usual, Leech My Nuggets did an excellent job marking our path, so there were no wrong turns. There was, however, a butthead on the trail that tried to fuck things up for us. Thankfully, we avoided the worst of his aggression, but Pubic Head took a painful hit that knocked him to the ground and left him bruised. You just never know when some mean fucker is going to attack as you innocently walk by. Sure, you can play it safe and give a carabao a wide berth, but you don’t expect a goat to turn on you. In this case, the goat was tied next to our narrow path, and there was no room for a walkaround. Pubic Head was leading the way and was surprised to suddenly come under attack. As I approached the scene, the goat turned and came towards me. I gave him a whack on the head with my walking stick; he paused, then put his head down and pushed towards me once more, so I hit him again. We seemed to be at an impasse, but then one of the group yanked his rope, and the goat retreated, allowing us to make our escape. Later, we ran out of beer before the Hash Circle was over. Two fuck ups in one Hash sucks. Oh well, it could have been worse. I didn’t get impaled or impaired, as I was limited to Zero beers—six of them.

As I mentioned, the beer ran out before the Hash was over. Since we were already in Alta Vista, we went home instead of visiting IDM. Walking in the dark, even for a short distance, wasn’t fun. But we made it without a fall, so there’s that. A burger patty for dinner, then viewing some crappy YouTube videos before calling it a night.

I’m looking better than I was one year ago:

Today’s YouTube video is entitled “Five Minutes of Your Life You’ll Never Get Back.” Since I invested five minutes of my precious time, here’s your opportunity to do the same. It’s a video from a trike ride through the streets of Angeles City. There is no commentary whatsoever. Being a sometimes visitor to AC, I recognized some of the scenes. It didn’t make me miss it there, though.

To the humor, then:

I’ll be visiting Dr. Jo this afternoon for round two of my chelation therapy. Then, we’ll move on to Baloy Beach for our Tuesday floating bar experience. Back with more on this tomorrow.

I’ll be visiting Dr. Jo this afternoon for round two of my chelation therapy. Then, we’ll move on to Baloy Beach for our Tuesday floating bar experience. Back with more on this tomorrow.

Get your mind out of the gutter; I’m not talking about THAT! It was a busy and full Saturday at the Haggis Hash. There were two trail options for the morning hike–a short 3.5K trail or a long 9.5K version. I was hoping for something in between, but since I was unfamiliar with the area, shortcutting wasn’t a consideration. As we departed, I still hadn’t made up my mind about what I was going to do. And then when we reached the spot where the short trail diverged, I impulsively decided to go the distance and do the long trail. Shocking, I know. Swan came along with me, but I sensed she wasn’t happy about it initially. But she came around as we shared the adventure. It took us over two hours to finish the well-marked trail, but surprisingly, we finished ahead of four other Hashers. Here are some photos of our journey:

The hiking was done, but the Haggis festivities were just beginning. It started with a hamburger lunch. I skipped the buns but had two patties and some potato salad. I drank tea with the meal, knowing that I had several hours to go and the beer could wait. When we moved outside for the games, I started on the beer but worked hard at slowing down my usual rate of consumption. I was also feeling tired, in part from the hike but also because it was the time of day I normally nap. I elected not to participate in the Haggis games, instead finding a shady spot to sit and sip my beer.

So, the games went on for a couple of hours, and then it was finally time to begin the Hash Circle. They don’t do ice at the Haggis Hash, but they did employ a “bucket brigade” to toss water on Hashers when called upon to do so. I got my turn to be drenched before the circle ended.

After a long-ass Circle finally ended, we moved back inside for the dinner.

I arrived at the farm around 9 a.m. We started the trail at 10 and finished around 12:30. I had my first beer a little after 1:00. The games finished after four o’clock, and the circle went on until 6:30. Dinner was served at 7 p.m. We left the Hash sometime after 8:00 but didn’t return directly to the hotel. Instead, we stopped in town at a beer garden. I don’t recall whose idea that was.

That’s all I remember. I woke up in my hotel bed at 6:30 this morning, which is sleeping in for me. Swan gave me a Coke Zero to drink, and I asked her where it came from. She said we stopped at the 7-Eleven on the way to the room. How did we get back? She said we took a trike. It’s all a blank page; the last thing I remember is being at the beer garden. Apparently, we didn’t leave the beer garden until around ten p.m., an hour past my bedtime.

A long day with too much of a good thing and higher-potency beer didn’t help matters. I’m glad I didn’t do anything stupid, and December 7 will not be my personal day of infamy.

Five years ago, I was attending my first-ever Haggis Hash, this one in La Union:

In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea takes the 4B movement to task. Funny to see a Filipina point out the ignorance of women who think they are better than her.

And some humor:

Back home again and embarking on the Sunday routines, starting with the Hideaway feeding. Then, I’ll be treating Swan to Sunday dinner at John’s Place. Then we shall see. No beer tonight; that’s a promise!

Such as they are. Greetings from the Haggis Hash! The event is being held at the farm of our Hasher host here in Pozzorubio, and day one was very nicely done. A full day of Hashing and drinking (but I repeat myself) lies ahead, so I’m going to just slap up some photos from yesterday as I need to hurry and prepare myself for today’s adventure.

Then it was back to the farmstead for the Haggis Hash circle.

San Miguel Zero beer was not available, so I had to go with the stronger and more caloric San Mig Light. I drank my money’s worth again, and then we found a trike to take us back to our hotel.

Okay, I got to get ready, so no memories, YouTube, or bad jokes today. Sorry!

The day didn’t go exactly as planned, but it came and went, and I lived to tell you about it. Here goes.

Swan left the house early in the morning to assist with a charity event in Cawag, Subic. So, I walked the dogs alone and then came up with the idea to see how far I could walk me. I had it in mind to see if I could make 15K, so I plotted a course that included walking the length of the GOVIC highway (around 7K) and then either continuing on from there or walking back towards Barretto as far as my tired old legs would take me. Around the four-kilometer mark, I realized that my good intentions wouldn’t carry me as far as I had hoped. So, I changed course and headed back. I’ll try the long walk again another day.

Next on my agenda was a supposed birthday party at Kokomo’s scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. We got to Baloy a tad early, so we visited Laharnyz for a drink and beach views.

Then we strolled up the beach to Kokomo’s.

So, we get to Kokomo’s, and the beach bar is decorated, but there is no sign of the birthday girl. The floating bar is also decorated with balloons, so we figured that must be where the action is.

The floating bar was also busy, but the birthday gal wasn’t there either. Cakes and a tray of food indicated that this was indeed the party venue.

We stayed for two drinks, and there was no indication there would be a party other than the food, cakes, and balloons. I’d had enough waiting, so we caught the raft back to shore. There was some loud videoke “music” taking place at Kokomo’s, and that was enough for me to just keep walking. We caught a trike to Green Room and spent the rest of the evening there.

It wasn’t the Saturday I had in mind, but it turned out okay regardless.

It’s De(cline)cember now, which makes my new lower-calorie lifestyle one month old. I marked the occasion with a weigh-in:

• December 1: 245.5
• November 1: 267.1
• Weight loss: 21.6 pounds

Not a bad start. Now to keep it going!

Facebook took me back in time to 1974:

Five years ago, the Cheap Charlies gals welcomed me home after my Korea vacation:

Today’s YouTube video has a tongue-in-cheek look at five dangers associated with dating a Filipina. I say it is worth taking the chance!

Your daily dose of humor:

And now, to prepare for the rest of my Sunday. A Hideaway feeding is on tap, followed by dinner with Swan at John’s place. Then we shall see what happens next. Read all about it here tomorrow!

This song popped up in my memories, too. It is still a joy to watch!

What the hell? Okay, you can watch it on YouTube if you want. Damn it.

So, here’s another oldie but goodie:

And a grave descent in between.

It was one of the nicer group hikes we’ve done in a while. It started with a Jeepney ride three kilometers out of town. Then we climbed to Kalaklan Ridge once again, and we all agreed that this was one of the easier (but not easy) ways to get up there. Next, we had a very pleasant walk along the ridgeline path before beginning our downward journey to the beach via the Olongapo hillside graveyard. I haven’t ventured through all those above-ground tombs in ages, but the views are to die for (sorry!). I checked out some of the gravestones as we passed and was a little surprised that the majority I saw were born after me, and it made me feel both lucky and old. When we reached the beach, I was relieved that the tide was relatively low. The last time I attempted this beach walk I reached a dead end when the waves were crashing into the rocky shoreline blocking my path. We still had to do some wading yesterday, but we found a way around and walked the beach all the way back to Barretto. Good times!

But I wasn’t done with the beach yet. After some rest and recovery at home, Swan and I headed for Baloy.

Kokomo’s owner, Steve, is back from his brief visit to his Australian motherland, and we had a pleasant visit. There were only a couple of other customers this time, but the girls occasionally got up and danced anyway.

I had initially planned to grab a bite to eat somewhere other than Treasure Island for a change, but once we were back on the sand, I went with the easy option.

Neither of us was in the mood for a big meal, so we went with one order of chicken wings.

I’ll just leave this here:

Today’s YouTube video comes from the Pea, and it’s a good one. It discusses the differences between women of the West and the East. I voted with my feet long ago. Give it a watch and see what you think.

Humor time:

Okay, there is a birthday celebration for the wife of the Kokomo’s owner later today, so we’ll be heading back to Baloy Beach again. Life is good.

And the wheel in the sky keeps on turning. Here’s a look back at yesterday.

The Saturday morning walk with Swan has evolved into another candy-giving excursion. That’s fine by me, but I’m hoping to avoid duplicating the Sunday format, where we walk the same route each week. I mean, it’s nice having the kids waiting for our arrival expectantly, but there is also the pressure of not disappointing them should we desire a change of scenery. So, when we do a Saturday candy walk, we’ll change the location week-to-week. Yesterday’s version took us through four nearby neighborhoods. I had a couple more in mind, but the candy ran out. We’ll try to carry more stock next week.

When we got back home, Swan prepared a delicious salad for my lunch.

My plan for the evening was to surprise Swan with a visit to the Kon-Tiki beach bar at the Samba Resort. As we headed out of the neighborhood, Swan asked where we were going. I said, “Where do you want to go? ” She thought a second, then said, “How about Kon-Tiki?” Sometimes, it feels like she can read my mind!

It was our first visit on a Saturday, and a couple of other customers were present. We usually have the place to ourselves. I chatted a bit with the other guy at the bar, a German named Elky. He lives in Castillejos but makes occasional visits out of town when he gets bored. He’s building a house in San Narciso, one of my favorite beach towns. So, perhaps one day we will meet again.

We ordered fajitas for dinner:

After dinner, we walked back to the highway in the dark, then caught a trike to Barretto, where we enjoyed our nightcap at Wet Spot.

I had good intentions to limit my beer intake to eight last night. Alas, Daddy Dave arrived and bought me a beer. How could I refuse? Later, the head waitress comped me another, and I didn’t want to be rude, so I drank it. Still, I can’t blame the beer for everything. It was that damn strawberry/blueberry smoothie at 320 calories I enjoyed when I got home that put me over the top.

Six years ago, I was hiking with my best Buddy:

And also six years ago, I was reading poetry again for some reason. I posted this one on Facebook. Sara Teasdale is still one of my favorites.

A diamond of a morning
Waked me an hour too soon;
Dawn had taken in the stars
And left the faint white moon.
O white moon, you are lonely,
It is the same with me,
But we have the world to roam over,
Only the lonely are free.
–Sara Teasdale

Today’s YouTube video vlogger is talking about slum life and some unique facets of being poor in the Philippines. I’ve been here going on seven years now, and I’ve grown accustomed to the poverty that surrounds me. Fortunately, it is not on the scale of those big-city neighborhoods he mentions. Never seen any gang activity or violent crime around my neck of the woods. I’m certainly more comfortable here than I would be in most American cities.

And now for some humor, such as it is:

And now it is Sunday—the first since John Kim’s death. Driving by his restaurant yesterday, it appeared to be open for business. My plan is to do the Hideaway feeding as usual and drop by John’s place to see what’s happening. I hope his widow can keep the place going, and I’ll continue to eat there as long as it helps. I will also inquire if she needs anything else for Wednesday’s funeral.

So, day one of the new lifestyle is in the books. Thanks to my readers here for the comments and feedback. I’ve walked the weight-loss road successfully in the past, and although my methods are an unorthodox mix of dieting techniques, the important thing is being able to stay with the plan for the long haul (my calorie-counting app says that at one pound a week, I’ll reach my goal in February 2026!). I hope to do better than that!

Just got to keep on keepin’ on.

No photos from the competition posted yet, maybe tomorrow.

Today this package from Lazada (the PI Amazon) arrived.

Okay, don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with endless posts about my dieting. Instead, I’ll bore you with pictures from my hikes. Like these from yesterday’s Friday group hike:

In the meantime, there are always memories:

Two years ago, I was vacationing in Cambodia (can you vacation from retirement?):

Good times. I’ve lost touch with my old friend Dennis who was living there and I fear the worst.

Whenever I hear “the science is settled,” I think of stuff like this:

Today’s YouTube is the first one I’ve seen from this vlogger. Honestly, not that impressed, but he is talking about crime against foreigners in Angeles City, a place I occasionally still visit. But yeah, you can’t let your guard down there.

Humor time:

Another Saturday night is on the horizon, and I asked that girl who lives in my house what she wanted to do. She doesn’t care as long as it involves a beach. So, I gave her some options to consider, and I’ll follow her lead. I’ll tell you how that works out tomorrow.

And so it begins—again. My post-title search revealed that I embarked on a similar course of action exactly four years ago. Obviously, I failed miserably, and things are a lot worse now than they were back then. I’m motivated to get it done right this time. And man, oh man, I have a long way to go.

This morning’s starting stats:

• Weight: 267.1 pounds
• Belly Circumference: 52 inches
• Waist: 44 inches

Shocking, I know. I haven’t been on the scale in months, but the last time I weighed in I was around 235. I really let myself go.

So, the plan is a simple one: eat smarter, reduce carbs and calories, and exercise more. That means no more sweet treats, better meal choices, and yes, a significant reduction in beer intake. At tonight’s SOB I’ll be doing the gin and soda water thing. Interestingly, a shot of gin has more calories than a bottle of Zero beer (75 versus 60), although the beer is carby. Still, if I drink fewer shots of gin than than bottles of beer, that’s progress. My style is to order a gin shot in a tall glass, and a can of soda water on the side. I refill the glass from the can three times before ordering another shot. I just need to do a better job pacing myself so as to avoid getting floored.

I’ll be doing the ab work once again as well. Sit-ups and leg lifts to start. This morning I stretched my walk to over 9K as I once again endeavor to achieve a daily goal of at least 20,000 steps.

I installed a calorie tracker app on my phone to help me manage the food intake.

A boiled egg and some apple and orange slices for breakfast. Swan served a banana too, but I rejected that high-calorie option. For lunch I had a salad and a burger patty.

The only way to go from here is down. Or so I hope. My goal is to once again break the 200 pound barrier. Wish me luck!

And so it ends. The last day of my month of tracking expenses looked like this:

• Alcohol: 1350 pesos
• Dinner: 800 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 985 pesos
• Fruits and Veggies: 1000 pesos
• Trike: 100 pesos
• Charity: 2000 pesos
• Tips: 200 pesos
• Total for October 31: 6435 pesos

Hey, it was Halloween, of course I went a little wild!

And here are the results from the month of logging where it all goes:

Monthly Expenses % of Income

• Groceries: 78,600 pesos (21%)
• Charity: 59,000 pesos (16%)
• Rent: 38,000 pesos (10%)
• Helper Salaries: 30,000 pesos (8%)
• Alcohol: 27,900 pesos (8%)
• Dining Out: 24,400 pesos (7%)
• Swan Allowance: 16,000 pesos (4%)
• Transportation: 15,700 pesos (4%)
• Entertainment: 14,000 pesos (4%)
• Utilities: 13,700 pesos (4%)
• Lady Drinks: 13,000 pesos (4%)
• Healthcare: 12,800 pesos (4%)
• Tips: 8700 pesos (2%)
• Hotels: 7800 pesos (2%)
• Visa Extension: 6200 pesos (2%)
• Snacks: 4200 pesos (1%)
• TOTAL EXPENSES FOR OCTOBER: 370,000 pesos (-5000 pesos)

So, my expenses exceeded my income by 5000 pesos. I can and will fix that going forward. I see several opportunities for being a tad more frugal that will more than make up for the deficit. And just for the record, the 365,000 pesos I call income has a 30,000 peso cushion that goes into savings, so I wasn’t really in the red. Still, my goal is to save at least 50,000 pesos a month, so I need to do better.

And now, about last night. Swan and I dressed up and headed out to It Doesn’t Matter to celebrate Halloween.

Swan says IDM is her favorite hangout, and we spent most of our evening there last night. We had a brief nightcap at Wet Spot and ran into my neighbor Mike there. When it was time to go, I hooked up a free ride home with him. And you already saw the banana split I had at home.

Now for a look back at the past:

Someone new for today’s YouTube video: Joy of the Jungle. In just over two minutes, she tells us five things that will make your Filipina angry with you. Okay, if you say so. In my mind, I was comparing and contrasting with one of my favorites, the Filipina Pea. Well, the Pea is in a whole other category, the one where confidence and competence reside. It’s worth two minutes of your time to see for yourself. And Joy is cute enough, but she’s no Pea.

And now, the funny part:

Alright, some sit-ups to perform, then I’ll get ready for the SOB and hope the gin plan goes well. I’ll let you know about that tomorrow.

Today’s song was something I happened to come across randomly. I want to break free, too. But I can’t believe they express that sentiment in North Korea!

Power was restored briefly last evening, but it’s been out again since eight p.m. Rain is falling like crazy, and there are some heavy gusts of wind. The downed tree blocking our street has been cleared away, at least. Typhoon Kristine has proven to be a real bitch, and she doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave. This doesn’t bode well for our drive to La Union later this morning. Hopefully, it is not still raining when tomorrow’s Hash commences. Nothing to be done but wait and see.

So, let’s find out how long my laptop battery lasts. Yesterday was pretty much a shelter-in-place kind of day. I did visit the cardiologist for my test results. The most surprising news is that I have a urinary tract infection. And now I have some antibiotics to take twice a day. I still need an ultrasound of my leg veins; I am just waiting for the scheduling. Otherwise, the heart is ticking and tocking and doing its job. The goal is to continue that trend as long as possible. I haven’t experienced any breathing issues lately, and I’m especially thankful for that.

After I got back home, the power went out, and I wasn’t looking forward to spending the night sitting in the dark. My neighbor invited us over to join them in the solar-lighted house for some food and beers, and that was a welcome offer. Davina’s shrimp fajitas are amazing:

We also killed an hour or so playing a board game, the name of which I can’t recall this morning. It involved drawing numbered tiles and playing them in sets. My old brain took some time to grasp the strategic imperatives required in choosing where and when to play the numbers, but I was never able to beat neighbor Jeff. Oh well, something different to fill the time. Ah, it was Rummikub.

After the power was restored, we said our goodnights and headed home. The joy of lights and fans didn’t last long, and we were once again cast into darkness. A fitful night’s sleep ensued, punctuated by noise from the howling winds and the drumbeat of rain against the windows. Then, I awoke to another wet morning in darkness.

Well, at least I didn’t spend much:

• Prescription Meds: 1300 pesos
• Doctor Visit: 700 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Total for October 24: 2200

It’s more fun to spend money than not. I reckon I’ll get the chance to make up for it some this weekend in La Union.

Some Facebook memories:

No battery power to preview a YouTube video for you this morning, so I’ll just share this one that looks interesting to this old man’s eyes. Things from the 1980s you can no longer do. Heh, don’t get me started!

Some humor while I can:

I’ll update y’all from La Union.

The wrath of typhoon Kristine is upon us. Not much rain, but lots of wind. And naturally, the power has been out for hours now. My mission is to finish today’s post before my laptop battery expires. Let’s do this!

Another lazy day yesterday, but at least I can blame the weather for my failure to exercise.

The rain didn’t stop me from donning an umbrella and heading for town with Swan by my side when beer o’clock rolled around.

I was surprised to see that my waitress friend, Jenn, from Whiskey Girl, is now employed at BarCelona. She says the pay is better, and there is less drama. It’s nice to have a familiar face here, even if I infrequently visit this bar.

The news from BarCelona is that the bar has finally changed hands. The new owner wasn’t around yesterday, but hopefully, he can find a way to attract more customers. For our first hour or so, we were groovin’ to the classic rock sounds being played on a quality sound system. And then, out of the blue, some crappy rap (but I repeat myself) began blaring. I told Swan if I had heard that noise when coming up the stairs, I would have turned around. Well, one rap song is one too many, but I can tolerate the discomfort. And then the next song was rap. And so was the one after that. I told Jenn it was time for us to go. While she was getting my bill, the only other customer in the bar (he’d actually been out on the rooftop deck) came in to pay and leave for the same reason. As we left, I told the cashier to consider who the customer base was when picking a playlist. She denied changing the music and claimed not to know how to resolve the issue. Whatever.

Wet Spot wasn’t open yet, so we made Green Room our next stop. Business as usual there, and we enjoyed drinking our drinks and watching the pool players.

We brought sandwiches from Sit-n-Bull home with us for our dinner.

Not much of a Wednesday, but we made the best of it.

• Part-time helper salary: 1000 pesos
• Trike: 100 pesos
• Dinner: 1200 pesos
• Tips: 340 pesos
• Alcohol: 800 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 680 pesos
• Total for October 23: 4220 pesos

The rare day of spending less than 5000 pesos!

Today’s memories don’t come from Facebook; instead, I found them in the dark archives here at Long Time Gone. This post from 2009 was a good reminder that there was a time when I occasionally wrote something of substance on the blog. I had recently signed up on Facebook and reconnected with a high school classmate who worked with me on the school newspaper. He was working as a journalist for a major paper in the Pacific Northwest and was lamenting the declining economics of the newspaper industry. I had been a fellow liberal brother-in-arms back in our youth but had outgrown that mindset. I pointed out some reasons why the left-wing reporting bias was hurting the news business. I guess he disagreed, and like many of my lefty acquaintances, he unfriended me. Oh well, at least his echo-chamber world view was preserved. Probably one of the better posts in the almost twenty-year history of LTG.

The other memory was a photo I posted on the blog from my days as a cross-country skier in the mountains of Northern Arizona circa 1982. That post contained just the photograph and one of my favorite Sara Teasdale poems:

Man oh man, a good reminder that we don’t appreciate what we have until it is gone. I hadn’t thought about those long ago days in a very long time, and seeing that picture again brought back a flood of memories. Damn, I’d like to be a time traveler and whisper some wisdom in that guy’s ear. But knowing me, I probably wouldn’t have listened.

Speaking of fools, here are some updates on that guy I posted about who was kidnapped a few days ago. The more I learn about this young man, the worse it gets. A white guy’s body washed ashore in the region, but it has not been positively identified as being him yet. Anyway, either way it is doubtful he is still alive. You can read a news account here, and today’s YouTube videos have two different vloggers weighing in with the latest details of this guy’s final days. I found it both interesting and sad that he had converted to Islam and taken the name Muhammed. A lot of good it did him.

Time to cleanse the palate with some humor:

Well, the good news is I made it through this post on low batt. The bad news is the storm has just hit with full fury…heavy winds and rain. And now this just happened:

Oh well, nothing I can do about it. I’m leaving tomorrow morning to spend the weekend in La Union. It’s on the ocean so hopefully this storm has blown through by then. We shall see. I’ll update tomorrow if I have the power to do so.

But I grew up on this version:

The Subic Bay Hash House Harriers have been marching for thirty-one years now, and I’ve been honored to be involved in six of them. In a typical week, we have between thirty and forty participants. Yesterday, 133 Hashers, including a large contingent from Pattaya, Thailand, joined the fun. Thanks for sharing in the celebration!

There were three options yesterday: long, medium, and short trails. Long and medium hikers took Jeepneys to Olongapo City and started from there. The short trail (5.5K) involved a harder-than-I-remembered climb, but it wasn’t bad after that. And no, I did not shortcut, even though the thought crossed my mind. The gathering for the Hash circle at Subiza seemed to go well, so that was a relief. The party continued at It Doesn’t Matter following the Hash. There’s a reason we are known as a “drinking club with a running problem.” Good times!

It’s great to still be living the good life after all these years.

The day was not free, of course:

• Charity: 11,500 pesos (donation for cancer treatment)
• Prescription Meds: 1500 pesos
• Tips: 100 pesos
• Alcohol: 850 pesos
• Dinner: 750 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 400 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Hash Fees: 1300 pesos
• Snacks: 100 pesos
• Total for October 21: 16,700 pesos

Ten more days to go before I do my monthly reckoning.

You may have noticed an influx of spam comments. I turned off my blockers to see if that would improve access for those using VPNs. It might have helped some, but deleting all that spam was a chore, so the blockers are back in operation. Sorry for whatever inconvenience that may cause.

In other news, there’s a storm a-brewin’.

Today’s memory is from seven years ago when I made a four-hour roundtrip bike ride from Pyeongtaek to Asan and back.

Election day is approaching, and the voting shenanigans have already begun.

Today’s YouTube video might be my all-time favorite from The Filipina Pea. In it, she takes on a white woman who is critical of men moving to Asia for the women. Pea decimates her in a must-see takedown. The white gal is the perfect example of what Western men are running away from. Have a look and judge for yourself:

Ready for some humor?

I’m halfway through my Tuesday now and unsure what lies ahead. I’ll consult with Swan for her preferences, but I’m thinking Baloy might be a good option. Come back for more of my drivel tomorrow if you dare!

Life is what it is, and this is how it was yesterday: A Candy Walk, a feeding, a dinner, and some liquid refreshment along the way. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it!

Later in the day, I made my way to Hideaway for the weekly feeding.

Next up was surviving a highway crossing and dining at John’s place.

We finished the day at Green Room, where we enjoyed watching some pool competitors in action. Lady drinks were dispensed, and beer was imbibed. I got a shoulder rub from Sally, but it didn’t get any lower than that.

So, I caught some flack in the comments about my criticism of the guy getting his crotch rubbed on Friday night. Let me try and clarify my objections. To begin with, whatever happens between a customer and a GRO is between them, and it is none of my business. I’ve seen worse than the Friday show. I don’t enjoy seeing guys grabbing tits or gals grabbing dick, but that’s between them. That said, Green Room touts itself as a “sports bar,” not a whore bar. I was there on Friday to watch a dance competition, and I had my girl with me. I saw what was happening at the next table and looked away. Swan got offended. I stand by my belief that it wasn’t the time or place for hands-on behavior, but I’ll concede it doesn’t make the guy a ghastly asshole. It’s a Barretto bar full of girls wanting to make money; I can always go elsewhere if I don’t like it. The fact that I was back at Green Room with my girl last night demonstrates that we are both over it.

Here’s what my Sunday cost me:

• Tips: 500 pesos
• Alcohol: 1190 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 1050 pesos
• Snacks: 200 pesos
• Dinner: 1290 pesos
• Trikes: 300 pesos
• Charity: 2150 pesos
• Trash Collection: 100 pesos
• Lunch: 550 pesos
• Total for October 20: 7282 pesos

Another Facebook memory from my Korea life:

I was looking at pictures from the Anniversary Hash in 2019 and had a chuckle over this one:

Today’s YouTube vlogger advises against opening a business for the family to operate. The examples given are pretty familiar. My direct experience was sponsoring the eatery Marissa wanted. That lasted all of six months. Still, when I thought about that beach bar in Bantay Bayan I wrote about yesterday, I knew it would have to be in Swan’s name, and I felt confident that it would do fine in her capable hands. I’m just not wanting to upend my life with the major changes that would be required. Still, I’m cognizant of the fact that she’ll outlive me, and I’d like to find a way for her to carry on without my support when the end of my days arrives.

I’ll take this as a sign that today’s humor will be punny indeed:

Speaking of the Hash, today is the 31st Anniversary of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. The long and medium trails involve transport to Olongapo City, then a climb up to Kalaklan Ridge and down the other side. Departure for those is at noon from VFW. The short trail leaves at one from the VFW and has a climb, but not a Kalaklan-level (steep?) ascent. You know which one I’ll be doing. On-Home is at Subiza Resort on Baloy. I’m a little worried if they are going to be able to accommodate the needs of an anticipated one hundred Hashers, but we are fixin’ to find out. I’ll share how it goes tomorrow.

But they were pretty small. Here’s where things stood on SATurday.

Swan joined me for the Saturday morning stroll. She thinks walking in Barretto is boring, so we took a Jeepney ride out of town and explored the backstreets of a small village called Bantay Bayan. I’ve walked through there on hikes before and always liked the place’s vibe. It’s an isolated community on the beach but still accessible via the National Highway. The highway doesn’t go through the town; it’s up above it on the hillside. Naturally, Swan handed out sweets to the kids we encountered during our walk.

On my previous walks through this village, I observed a place called “The Index,” but it was never open when I passed by. Yesterday, some construction was going on, and one of the workers said we could come in for a look-see.

As we were looking around, a Filipino man having coffee and a smoke at one of the tables greeted us. The first thing he said to me was, “Index is for sale.” I told him, “Not today,” but it gave me something to think about.

Of course, upon reflection, I realize the fantasy of owning a beach bar and the reality of actually running one are two different things. I’d have to move to Bantay Bayan for one thing. It’s only five kilometers from Barretto, but it would still be a pain in the ass without some major lifestyle changes. And the bar would cater to an almost exclusively local crowd, so I’m not sure how much fun that would be for me. I did see one other white guy on the walkabout, so there’s that.

I promised Swan dinner at Jewel, and we stopped at It Doesn’t Matter for some pre-meal liquid refreshments on our way there. Ran into my pals Scott and Jim, and before we left a couple more bar hoppers arrived. I never get invited to join in those excursions; I guess I have the reputation of being a lightweight. Oh well, I had a date anyway.

There was a large and loud Filipino group at Jewel Cafe when we arrived, but they left shortly thereafter. Before we’d finished our meal, an even bigger group came in, including a passel of kids. Another large group was seated in the outside area. I like Jewel and was happy to see them doing so well with the Saturday dinner crowd.

Swan had been hankering for the Jewel steak dinner–a filet mignon for 499 pesos. I ordered one as well.

We hadn’t been to Alaska Club for a while, and owner Jerry is back in town, so that was our next stop. We were the day’s first customers for them, but the music was good, and the girls were dancing (which is rare in other bars). As is my custom, I rewarded the dance crew with fifty pesos each for their effort (there were ten of them). Our waitress enjoyed two lady drinks and a nice tip for her service. We did our nightcap at Wet Spot and spent recklessly there as well. Aine joined us again, along with waitress Irene and boss lady Beth, and they all quenched their thirst on my tab. Hey, that’s just the way I roll. And nobody rubbed my crotch!

With eight o’clock approaching and my drinking capacity maxed out, we called for our trike and headed home.

A sweet ending to the day, indeed!

Easy come, easy go:

• Lady Drinks: 800 pesos
• Alcohol: 1500 pesos
• Dinner: 1000 pesos
• Charity: 50 pesos
• Tips: 850 pesos
• Jeepney: 100 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Total for October 19: 4500 pesos

Memories of Seoul from seven years ago when I did a trek to the summit of Namsan.

Damn, I do miss those days.

So, I posted the video yesterday about that poor smuck who was kidnapped in Zamboanga. Turns out he was a vlogger and had posted videos acknowledging that his life was in danger living there.

This news article provides additional information on the sad story of Elliot Eastman.

Good luck to him where ever he may be. He’s going to need it.

Alright, hard to transition from that story to the humor, but here goes anyway:

So, another Sunday feeding at Hideaway is on tap, followed by my dinner with Swan at John’s place. No complaints, even if it does have a “Groundhog Day” feel about it. Kind of like reading this blog, I suppose.

Arrived an hour ago, set up the laptop, and now I’m going to dash off a post for my few and faithful readers. It was Hash day yesterday, so that’s mostly what this post will be about. In pictures.

The after-Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter was more party-like than usual. Swan was hanging out with the Gash group, and they were having a good time. I enjoyed chatting with some of the visiting Hashers, including one from Saigon.

The damage done:

• Dinner: 700 pesos
• Alcohol: 1600 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 200 pesos
• Tips: 200 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Charity: 100 pesos
• Propane: 850 pesos
• Hash Fees: 600 pesos
• Total for October 14: 4250 pesos

In the memory department, coincidentally, one year ago, Swan and I were spending time away from home in Pundaquit, a few miles up the road from our current hangout in San Narciso.

Ten years ago, I posted a pathetic account of a day in my USA life. That was the year Jee Yeun decided not to return from Korea with me. I didn’t know then that this was the beginning of the end.

I haven’t yet watched today’s YouTube video about the cost of living in the Philippines, but since I’m tracking mine this month, it should be interesting to get another perspective. I could obviously live much cheaper than I do, but since I don’t have to, why should I?

And now for your daily dose of humor:

So, our hike buddy Michael is supposed to meet us here this afternoon, and we are going to visit a new (to me) expat-owned restaurant. And tomorrow, the Wednesday Walkers will be coming to San Narciso for a jaunt. I’m looking forward to that adventure!

I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

So, the plan for the Wednesday Walkers was to go up and over Kalaklan Ridge, then down into Olongapo City for a street walk before catching a Jeepney back to Barretto. It didn’t work out that way. The climb up was more than a little challenging, and then, about three-quarters of the way up, we encountered a carabao tied to a tree and blocking our path. We give those creatures a wide berth these days after learning about the damage one did to some Hashers in Angeles City. Anyway, as our frontrunners looked for a way around the mad cow, Scott and I were looking at the trail ahead. It appeared to be a lot steeper than I remembered it, and it was very much overgrown in the tall grasses that dominate the hillsides at this time of year. Ultimately, we decided it wasn’t worth the effort, so we retreated and took a different way back down. As fate would have it, the path we chose to descend was one of the more difficult downs we’ve ever taken from Kalaklan. Oh well, I made it to the bottom by the skin of my knees.

When beer o’clock arrived, I made my way to BarCelona. Swan was visiting a friend in Olongapo and joined me there later.

And then a scene played out in front of me that was unexpected.

Well, there are a couple of homeless folks living on the sidewalk. One of them is a tall, bearded guy who looks a bit like Jesus. I see this guy all over town, picking up recyclables from the trash to sell at the junk shops. He never begs, though.

So, the guy in the wheelchair has his gal roll him up to the homeless man. Then he holds out a one hundred peso bill for the homeless fella to take. And the homeless Jesus waved him off! I’ve never seen that before. He rejected more cash than he made collecting trash and walking around all day. Maybe pride does goeth before a fall. But what impressed the most was that cripple I was feeling sorry for going out of his way to help someone he viewed as less fortunate. Good for him!

Swan arrived shortly after the abovementioned event and enjoyed a glass of wine. I, of course, didn’t make her drink alone.

When we left BarCelona, I was ready for some dinner, and Myleen’s was practically right across the street. So, off we went.

We did our nightcap at Green Room—wine, beer, lady drinks, and watching some pretty good pool players. Oh, and I brought Choco Pies to share with the girls. Also, some lollipops so they’d have something to suck on. Home again by 7:30 for the second night in a row. I must be slowing down in my old age.

Finally, a day under 5000 pesos!

• Prescription Meds: 1400 pesos
• Alcohol: 1070 pesos
• Dinner: 720 pesos
• Lady Drinks: 370 pesos
• Tips: 320 pesos
• Trike: 200 pesos
• Total for October 9: 4080 pesos

Ah, those Facebook memories. Twelve years ago, my wife Jee Yeun and I had a visit with Dr. Yoo at his Soonchunhwang Hospital clinic, and this happened:

Jee Yeun and I had our doctor appointment with Dr. Yoo today. Jee Yeun’s doing great and I’m still fat. And we also got our flu shots.

Anyway, after Dr. Yoo finished checking Jee Yeun I said “Doctor, Jee Yeun’s always complaining about being bored. Can you prescribe something for that”? Without missing a beat he said “Viagra”.

Everyone’s a comedian these days.

Eight years ago, I was exploring Bangkok:

Today’s YouTube video from Reekay attempts to explain why so many of us baby boomers are choosing to retire in the Philippines. When I moved here, my homeland wasn’t the total fucked up mess it is today. I never intend to live there again. There are options other than the Philippines, of course. I like Asia, so my alternatives include Cambodia and Vietnam. I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about the Dominican Republic, but at this stage of my life, that’s just a bridge too far.

Things I find kinda sorta funny:

Today, I’ll visit both the pulmonary doctor and the cardiologist (one after the other). I’m hopeful the news will be mostly good. And I’m overdue for spending some time at The Rite Spot, so I’ll be coming home after the docs are done with me and staying here for a change. I’ll share what I find out here tomorrow.

Mortality sucks, and I was especially saddened to learn that Kris Kristofferson has now exited this world of ours. I’ve been a big fan of his music through the years. He had a long and well-lived life, and here’s to hoping he’s in a better place.

I’m still among the living and trying to make the best of it. Part of that effort was a trip to Angeles City yesterday for a heart check-up.

So, the only test performed was another echocardiogram. I’m not sure what’s up with that. I got the impression my cardiologist didn’t trust the results of my first test. This one did seem to take longer to perform, so perhaps it was more thorough. I was expecting a stress test but was told, “Not yet.” Hmm. The results will be emailed to me in three days. I hope they will be worth the trip.

Since we were in town anyway, I had my driver take us across town for some shopping at S&R, a membership store similar to Costco. My membership will expire later this month, so I wanted to cash in one last time.

I was actually pretty disappointed with the S&R experience. I was hoping to find some long-sought-after items I can’t buy at Royal. Alas, even the things I could get at Royal weren’t available here, so I had to stop at Royal on the way home to fill in the gaps.

In a surprise coincidence, we bumped into Ron (the owner of Sit-n-Bull) while loading up our groceries. I’m used to chance meetings in my little town, but it was unexpected out in the wilds of Angeles.

After the Royal detour, I arrived home a little after two p.m. in a downpour. The Hash had started by then, so I decided to wait an hour and then walk to the On-Home gathering at Hasher Tung N’ Gruve’s place on the beach across town. The rain had ended when I did my own Hash trail.

A couple more after-Hash beers at It Doesn’t Matter, some pumpkin pie from Myleen’s, then into the trike for the ride home. And so ended another day.

And now, here we are in October. I’ve decided to track my expenses this month to get a handle on where it all goes. As a public service to my readers, I’ll document my daily spending here on LTG. Stay tuned.

A Facebook group about Westminster, California, the town I grew up in, included this photo today:

The vlogger in today’s YouTube video characterizes his move to the Philippines as “escaping the Matrix.” I hadn’t heard it phrased like that before, but it does kinda make sense. I know I’m glad not to be living a vanilla lifestyle and dealing with bullshit politics on an up close and personal basis. This guy made the move in his 40s, younger than most expats I encounter. In my do-over afterlife fantasy, I’d retire from the military at 40 and come to paradise. Of course, I’d be rich from the tech IPO stocks I’d purchased. God has not as yet confirmed my idea of Heaven, so I’ll be holding onto this life for the time being.

To the comic section, we go:

Since I did the shopping yesterday, I was homebound this morning—just as well since it was raining again. I haven’t decided yet if it will be a stay-at-home all day and night thing or not. My landlord came up from Manila, and I’ve signed a new one-year lease. I fed her and her crew and then paid the rent. Exciting shit, eh? Well, come back for more of this crap tomorrow!

In honor of Kris Kristofferson’s memory, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite songs he wrote. Here’s hoping he’s still beating the devil.

"If you waste your time a-talkin' to the people who don't listen,
"To the things that you are sayin', who do you think's gonna hear?
"And if you should die explainin' how the things that they complain about,
"Are things they could be changin', who do you think's gonna care?"

There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind,
Who were crucified for what they tried to show.
And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time.
'Cos the truth remains that no-one wants to know.

Well, not much sun, but we didn’t let that stop the fun. Kicked things off with the weekly Candy Walk.

But the fun was just beginning!

After the feeding, I triked back home to get ready for dinner with the neighbors. Jeff and Divina were the hosts, and I met a couple of new folks at the party as well. Beer was cold and plentiful, and the food was amazing.

A nice ending to a fun day.

One year ago, I moved into my new place.

Lucky didn’t want to come with us and let me know in his unique way:

The landlord is coming up from Manila tomorrow to renew my lease and collect the rent (I pay one year in advance).

When someone shows you who they are, believe them!

Today’s YouTube video is pictures of Olongapo back in the US Navy days. Enjoy the memories!

The daily dose of humor:

By golly, I made it through a rushed post, so the LTG addicts out there won’t have to suffer. Now, I need to shower up and get ready for my journey to Angeles City to have my heart looked at.

Thanks for dropping by. Keep it fun!

It sometimes feels as if I’m living that old soap opera saying: Like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives. One aspect of growing older is that you never know just how much sand you have left. I guess no one ever knows when the time will run out; older folks just think about it more often. At least I do. The other side of that coin is wondering if I’m wasting the days that remain. Yeah, my life revolves around routines, and as regular readers of LTG are painfully aware, there isn’t much new or exciting going on in the final chapters of the story of my life. But it occurs to me that’s okay. As I sat with Swan yesterday, enjoying cold beverages, good food, and bay views, I had a feeling of tranquility and contentment with this path I’ve chosen. You never know what the future brings, and everything can change in the blink of an eye. But for now, a nothing day like yesterday was oddly fulfilling.

So, my Tuesdays begin with a journey to the Royal supermarket on SBMA. As I entered the building, I was reminded that the “ber months” are definitely upon us.

Sometimes, shopping involves resisting temptation. Some temptations are easier to resist than others.

When lunch time rolled around, I was reminded that these are my salad days.

I wasn’t sure what to do with our Tuesday evening. I know Swan always craves a beach view, but Baloy or Barretto? Hmm. I decided on Barretto, but on the side of town we rarely visit these days.

The RSL (Returned Services League, the Australian veteran’s organization) was having their post-meeting bar crawl in the indoor bar, and some members came out for a smoke. A friend of Swan’s came by to say hello, and we had a nice chat. And he bought me a beer!

We walked up the beach to Mango’s when it was time for dinner.

The next stop was Whiskey Girl bar, a venue we hadn’t visited for several months.

We had our nightcap at Queen Victoria, another seldom-visited bar. Swan surprised me by ordering a Mai Tai cocktail instead of wine. I sensed this wasn’t going to end well when I saw the size of the drink she was served.

I’ve been floored before, so I’m not one to talk. And she wasn’t down there long. It is a rare occurrence when Swan over-indulges, but it didn’t ruin an otherwise fine day full of the pleasures that come with nothingness.

I do sometimes plan ahead for some adventure and excitement. Yesterday, I reserved spots for Swan and me to participate in the La Union Hash anniversary run in October and the Haggis Bash Hash (also in La Union) in early December. So, now I have even more to live for!

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be visiting the cardiologist and hoping for some positive outcomes. I’ve been feeling well and breathing better, so I want to make sure I can keep it that way.

No memories or politics to share today, sorry about that!

The YouTube video for today is the opposite of yesterday. This guy talks about why he left the USA. Obviously, I can’t say that I blame him. If you live on a limited income from Social Security, you can definitely live better here. It’s still not ideal, and I don’t recommend it, but to each his own.

To the humor then:

Speaking of wieners…

And so concludes another post about the days gone by. Here’s hoping there are many more to come!

When it rains, it pours, but life goes on. Sometimes, you tweak things up a bit.

But it being Friday and all, there was the group hike to attend to. Flat street walks around Barretto are getting a tad boring in a “been there, done that” multiple times kind of way. But our newest group member, Michael, has a nice roomy car and lives out on the far side of Subic town. So, we took a Jeepney to meet him in his neck of the woods, and he drove us to San Antonio. We hadn’t hiked out there in almost a year. We parked at the FRA (Fleet Reserve Association) and plotted a course from there. Given the weather, we stuck to the pavement for the most part, but everything had a fresh new feel about it anyway.

And that was how our rainy-day hike in San Antonio went down. Got home later than normal, so I decided to just hang out at home for my Friday night.

So, let me throw this out there. Spain ruled the Philippines for five hundred years. My Filipina prepared my meal. I say that makes burritos Filipino food. I mean, Spain brought them to Mexico, and everyone says they are Mexican food, so what’s the difference? See, I do eat the local food!

I fired up Netflix and decided to watch a Filipino movie with my Filipino dinner. Here’s the trailer:

In other news, John Kim posted this on Facebook today:

Glad to hear it! Keep fighting, John! And see you tomorrow for dinner.

Today’s YouTube video has Reekay expounding on the bar scene. I’m pretty much a “regular bar” guy these days, but Wet Spot is technically a dancer bar, Although they just stand around on stage waiting for lady drinks. Anyway, the stuff Reekay warns about are, for the most part, rookie mistakes. Even when I was single, I wasn’t really into the bar fine scene. I mean, I paid for sex in different ways (remember my friends with benefits program?), but I probably only took a girl from a bar once or twice a year. Some guys prefer taking bar girls home. As one whore monger told me, I don’t pay the girls for sex, I pay them to leave in the morning. Whatever floats your boat. But the lady drink thing was a lesson I learned the hard way during my first weekend in Seoul. When it was time to go, my tab was $300. Oops!

Alright, to the humor then. Such as it is.

Alright, I’m running late to get started on my Saturday evening out. Back with more of adventures tomorrow!

I always enjoy these “first-time hearing” song videos. Here’s what they said about this one: