Our Wednesday Walkers group traveled out to Castillejos yesterday to hike the GOVIC bypass highway (basically a 7K loop around the city).

The trek was all on pavement, but a lot of it was through sparsely populated countryside, so it was a nice change of pace. As usual, I’ll share photos from the adventure later in this post.

Speaking of hiking, my pal Kevin Kim, a notorious distance walker, began his journey circumnavigating Jeju island in South Korea. You can follow his journey on his blog, Kevin’s Walk 6. Good luck, Kevin!

So, about last night. I went to Mango’s again, hoping to score some pork chops for Joy’s dinner, but alas, once again, they were out of stock. I couldn’t resist giving the manager a little advice: It’s your most popular item on the menu. If you are always running out, you should consider ordering more. He thanked me for the sage advice.

Plan B was John’s place, and he didn’t disappoint. I ordered the bulgogi with rice and sixteen Korean-style chicken wings for takeout.

Mission accomplished. When my time at Hideaway was done, I headed back up the highway to my side of town. I stopped at Bar Barretto, but I was one beer and out there. It’s a nice place but boring for early birds like me. I understand it gets hoppin’ when the band is playing. Next up was a new bar that I still need to review, Sloppy Joe’s. When I arrived, I was the only customer and sat down in the outdoor seating area. It doesn’t appear they have a bargirl staff, and the solitary waitress served me my beer and didn’t seem interested in the usual chitchat that leads to a lady drink. Suit yourself.

There was one incident that stems from the downside of drinking in a ground-floor bar facing the National highway. I’m not talking about the noise (which is pretty bad) but the beggars buzzing around like hungry mosquitos. One woman had a rather unique method for trying to extract money from my pocket. She just stood on the shoulder, ten yards away, and didn’t say a word–just stared at me. I tried to ignore her for a while, playing with my phone, but when I looked up, she was still there staring. I finally said loudly, “stop staring at me!”. She responded with words I didn’t understand, but the tone was angry. So there would be no misunderstanding, I answered with the universally understood words, “fuck you, bitch!” She said, “fuck you, too,” and walked away.

I paid my bill shortly thereafter (had to go inside, my waitress never came back) and was thinking about popping into Queen Victoria for my “one for the road” before going home. Then I remembered that I had a pot roast overcooking in the crockpot, so I grabbed a trike and headed back to Alta Vista.

A strawberry-banana-pineapple smoothie for my sweet tooth and I called it a night.

Alright, which of these two memes is funniest:

Yes, they are both good. I’d call it a tie.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I had a package delivery:

Alright, here are the photos from Wednesday’s hike I promised. As always, Scott gets the credit for many of these:

And after lunch, we walked back to the vehicles and made the drive to Barretto. It was a very nice hike overall, and it is always good to see some relatively new scenery (we had last done this trail on New Year’s Day in 2021).

You can Relive the hike here if you’d like:

Turning back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she'll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call living is just being satisfied
With knowing I got no one left to blame

Carefree highway, got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you

The photo above also reveals that when the house below my unit is completed, my view of the bay will be all but obliterated. As I was lamenting that fact, I heard from a friend asking if I was interested in moving to the Grand Canyon next year. I told her I was open to the proposition, and she invited me to come and check it out. And so I did.

Actually, this house was featured in my streets of Alta Vista series.

The house is practically a landmark because it sits high and stands out for miles around when you are looking up from the valley. I’ve always thought it looked small, but the landlord gave me a tour yesterday, and it is bigger inside than it appears from the outside. Only two bedrooms upstairs, but they are decent sized, and both have their own bathroom with shower. A comfortable living room and functional kitchen with a pantry. The best thing about the house is its panoramic 360-degree views with balconies on three sides and a large ground-floor patio. The owner is also in the process of adding a ground-floor master bedroom which would be perfect for my helper. It has a huge fenced yard that would be ideal for Buddy and Lucky.

The house owner is moving to the UK to be with her husband early next year. My lease isn’t up until June, but she’s willing to be flexible with me, and I think we have a tentative deal worked out. I’m looking forward to the change of scenery, all this construction noise around me (four fucking houses!) is wearing me out, and once my view is gone, there is no point in staying here.

So, that was a nice surprise just before I headed out for my Sunday evening in town. I had promised Joy the Mango’s grilled pork chops but warned her they were “out of stock” about half the time. And sure enough, I got the “sorry, Sir John” response when I placed the order. **deep breath. relax. accept the Filipino way** Okay, then, give me the lasagna with a side of mashed potatoes.

I brought fried chicken for Chooks to Go for the rest of the crew. A few beers for me and lady drinks for Joy, Jen, and Ken, and then it was time to go.

After my meal, I popped into Cheap Charlies. Most of my regulars weren’t there, but that’s okay. I was shocked a bit later when my favorite, who wasn’t working, came in with her date, a hefty old foreigner (yeah, like me). Hmm. I don’t think it is good to parade a new boyfriend around during your off time. I get how it works on duty, but I didn’t like seeing it last night for some reason. Knowing her history (she has a husband) made me feel sorry for the sucker she was with as well. Adultery is a criminal offense in this country. Needless to say, she is no longer my favorite.

So, one of my newer Facebook friends is a woman named Marga. She sent the request because we have a mutual friend named Joy (no, not one of the Joys I’ve written about recently). It turns out that Joy recently died at age 28. Sadly, I did not recollect who she was or how I knew her. I went back and searched my messenger and saw a conversation I had with that Joy back in June. I met her once (she did a massage with no happy ending) and never saw her again. Marga says she died of a heart condition. Sad to hear, and if I recall correctly, she had a couple of young kids.

Anyway, Marga works at Wet Spot, and I told her I would stop by last night so we could meet.

Everyone has been anticipating the big typhoon scheduled to blow through town last night. I woke up around 0100 to the sound of wind and rain. I got up and went into the living area to check things out and saw that the sliding doors to the balcony were open. I do that so the dogs can pee out there during the night. Well, the wind had blown the rain inside, soaking the floor, coffee table, and couch. Oops! At least it didn’t reach my laptop. I closed the doors and went back to bed. I couldn’t get back to sleep, and about thirty minutes later, the power went out. So, no lights in the bathroom, no fans, and no running water (this house pumps my water up from a tank in the basement). My concern was that the power might not be restored for god knows how long, which would be a major pain in the ass. Surprisingly, it came back on about an hour later (yeah, I was still awake for some reason).

Anyway, as far as I can tell, other than some flooding in the usual places, the storm didn’t do a lot of damage. Well, I noticed this morning that my place wasn’t unscathed.

It’s been raining all morning, but it appears it’s going to clear out in time for us to have a relatively dry Hash. The Hares say it is going to be a mostly paved trail today, so it sounds doable.

I’ve cooked up a batch of chili in the crockpot, and I’m baking some cornbread, so I’ll have a hearty lunch before I head out for today’s hike.

And that’s all I’ve got for now.

The wild and windy night, that the rain, washed away
Has left a pool of tears, crying for the day
Why leave me standing here, let me know the way

Another day and I lived to tell about it, so here goes.

I started my morning by doing my usual SSS (Saturday Solo Street) walk on the mean byways of Barretto (National Highway, Abra, Rizal, Columban, Jasmine, Gomez, Dagupan, Jolo, and Del Pilar). I finished at Sit-n-Bull, where I ordered some take-out food to reward my dedication to exercise and a healthy lifestyle (COCI–calories out, calories in).

I began my evening activities at It Doesn’t Matter, where I interacted with a new waitress named Juliet. She really tripped my triggers, so I introduced myself as Romeo and bought her a couple of lady drinks. She told me right up front that she has a boyfriend, Aussie, I think she said, and they have been together for several years. Just my luck. Juliet had heard of “Romeo and Juliet” but wasn’t familiar with the details of Shakespeare’s famous play. I did a quick Google search to make sure I got the sequence of events correct, then did a brief retelling of the sad tale for her enlightenment. It didn’t end well for the original Juliet and her Romeo, and here in the real world, our tragedy never got started. Just as well, the IDM Juliet has a happy life (and three kids), and I wouldn’t dream of intruding on that.

The next stop was the seldom-visited BarCelona. I had two beers while waiting for Hot Zone to open so I could use my “buy one, get one” coupon. When I arrived at HZ, my friend, the door girl, followed me in, and of course, I satisfied her desire for lady drinks. The Sit-n-Bull waitress also came in with menus (SnB services the neighboring bars), so I ordered up some chicken wings and chicken fingers. While waiting for the food to arrive, I regaled two of the waitresses with my lame jokes, and their polite laughter earned them drinks as well (I told you those discount coupons wind up costing me big time!). When the food arrived, I shared the bounty with the gals, and they were appropriately appreciative.

I had my “one for the road” drink at the nearby Green Room, then called it a night.

I slept in until almost 0500, then went about my morning rituals.

My cash supply was running a bit low, and as usual, the BPI ATM in Barretto was out of service. In those circumstances, I usually do the highway walk to Subic-town (around 5K each way), but it’s an ugly trek. So, instead, I had the bright idea to walk the highway in the opposite direction and use the ATM on the old Navy base. And that’s just what I did.

Since I hadn’t walked this way for a while, I decided to do that “one photo every 1.6 KMs” in sync with the notifications from my Map My Hike app.

I successfully withdrew the desired cash. With the money burning a hole in my pocket wallet, I walked a bit further into Olongapo proper and visited the SM Downtown mall in search of some new Merrell hiking shoes (the Merrell store in Harbor Point remains closed).

You can Relive my trek if you so desire:

I wear size 11, which always seems to be out of stock. I guess that is unnaturally large for most Filipino men. Hmm, I wonder what else is smaller? Anyway, sure enough, no Merrells in my size. For street shoes I wear every day, I’ve been satisfied with Skechers. They had some I liked at 40% off the regular price, and surprise, surprise, they even had two pairs in my size. So, I bought them both.

Seeing as how I had two shoe boxes to carry, I took a cab back home.

It looks like tomorrow’s Hash may be a wet one. A couple of us have already been discussing doing an alternative pub crawl if we get hit with a typhoon. The storm’s center is supposed to be south of us, but we are bracing for whatever residual impact it may have. Hold on to your hats!

Now I must go and prepare for the scheduled Sunday feeding of the Hideaway girls. Whatever it takes to keep them happy, I suppose.

Thanks for dropping by.

Everyone survived yesterday’s Hash which is always my primary goal as a Hare. A handful did the entire trail, and as I expected, the “die-hards” found it boring for the most part. Eh, you can’t please everyone. We tried to incorporate a hill climb but found the conditions too slippery for the group’s safety. So, sorry to disappoint, but not sorry.

Now, we did have a part of the trail early on that was pretty challenging. I had wanted a new way out of Alta Vista, and my co-Hare (and neighbor) Anal Receptive found a pretty rugged path that has been little used of late. In fact, he had to go out with his machete and do some whacking in places to make the path passable. There were also some rocks to be climbed, and he sprayed them with a bleach solution to kill the algae. All credit to him for that effort.

Let’s go to the pictures, which I obviously didn’t take. Thanks to Pubic Head and some other Hashers for documenting their journey. The fact that no photos from the “long” version of the trail exist says a lot. We had 39 in attendance; I’d wager no more than 5 of them did the whole trail. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Hell, I’m notorious for my own shortcutting!

S-H-I-T-T-Y T-R-A-I-L
Shitty trail, (it sucked!)
Shitty trail (it really sucked!)
The Hares have laid another shitty trail
I would rather drink this beer 
Than run your shitty trail
S-H-I-T-T-Y T-R-A-I-L

I drank my share of San Mig Zeros, then hitched a ride back home with my co-Hare. It was an early night, even by my standards, but I’d had enough. Besides, there is always tonight.

A more natural-sounding title would be “stuff about things,” but I’ll be damned if I haven’t used that FIVE times over the years. These days I do a check to make sure I have not repeated myself. I guess it doesn’t matter, but it’s important to me for some reason. So, that’s one thing.

I did my regular Tuesday grocery shopping thing without incident. Prices haven’t dropped any, but the dollar is now worth over 57 pesos, a new record.

I received a nice email from Grammarly with a link telling me what a great writer I am and bestowing on me this award:

Oh, I’m laughing out loud right now. My Grammarly app says to remove the comma after “acclaimed” and to replace the period with a question mark after “masterpieces.” Who am I to believe, Grammarly or Grammarly?

Anyway, Grammarly says I’m more prolific than 95% of their users, having written over 60,000 words last week and 1,632,000 since joining the site in January 2021. In a hard-to-believe stat, they claim I’m more accurate than 74% of their users. I’ve also used more “unique” words (whatever that means) than 98% of my fellow Grammarlyarians (yeah, there’s a unique word I just made up).

It is not all good news, though: My top three mistakes are double periods (?), missing commas in compound sentences (where have I heard that before, Kevin Kim?), and missing articles (I’m not sure what that even means, but it is probably because I tend to write very informally .) My top two spelling mistakes are “wa” for was and “htis” for this. That reflects the increasingly frequent disconnect between my brain and my fingers.

Oh, well. Grammar never was my thing, and if Grammarly is to be believed, a whole lot of others are doing a worse job.

Looking for an easy way out on crafting a Barretto bar crawl map, a Google search led me to this one:

I’m mainly curious to see if this will expand when clicked on once I publish this post. If it does, I’ve at least got a starting point. Technology really isn’t my thing, but I’ll do my best to come up with something useful.

Speaking of bars, I visited a couple of them last night. I’m sure that comes as a big surprise to my readers. The owner of Snackbar sent a message saying the girls were waiting for me and being the gentleman that I am, I didn’t want to disappoint them. I only stayed for about an hour though, because I had other business to attend to. That business was a “buy one, get one” coupon for Whiskey Girl bar.

Jen’s a little older than most bargirls at 40, but she has a very pleasant personality and was fun to hang out with. She’s cute, in a matronly kind of way, but it is her inner beauty that most attracts me. The SOB is being hosted by Whiskey Girl this week, and I’ve already arranged for Jen to keep me company during the show. I guess I have a thing for her, at least when I’m at Whiskey Girl.

Speaking of Whiskey Girl, it is the first venue to receive an updated bar review. They’ve come a long way since the previous write-up. Give it a read if that’s your thing.

After Whiskey Girl, I had some hunger pangs, and Cameltoe was the nearest place to eat.

Made it home at my usual pre-nine p.m. hour. I ate WAY too much ice cream again, then went to bed and had a fitful sleep. I’ve got a hacking cough I’m dealing with of late. Reminds me of my pre-COPD diagnosis nights when I’d put a towel on the floor bedside so I could spit out all the phlegm I was coughing up. I’m not sure what’s up with that. My blood pressure has been up in the low 150s/80s all week as well, so something is going on. I’m going to see the doctor about these things and see if some changes in my medications are in order. Oh, and I was supposed to get my second does of the Sinovac vaccine today but decided to wait until I’m feeling better before getting that thing.

In the meantime, life goes on. I’ll be one of the Hares for next week’s trail, and I went out with Ed and his lovely Helen to do some trail scouting this morning.

We still have some more work to do this weekend to finalize our intended trails. Yes, we are going to have an “easy” version for the Hashers who desire that, and if climbing is their thing, we’ll have a mountain path as well. Should be something for everyone.

And speaking of the Hash, I found a meme featuring my Hash name.

Well, that brings y’all up to date on the things I’ve been doing. I’ll start my evening at Hideaway Bar since the Wednesday feeding has become a regular thing for me to do. The girls can have chicken, pizza, or tacos, and I’m bringing a box of Choco Pies for dessert. Just didn’t feel like baking today. I’m also hoping to visit Lux Bar, one of the new venues, and do a review. We’ll see if I make it that far.

My first beers in my 67th 68th year went down smooth and easy. Yep, I said beer. That was my gift to me. I’ll go back to soda and gin tonight.

My original plan was to start out with dinner at John’s, which is on the far side of town. But the girls at Snackbar were impatient for my arrival, so I started there. And after my beers and cake, I wasn’t hungry anymore. I’ll do John’s tonight instead. I have to be on that side of town anyway for my Sunday bargirl feed at Hideaway.

After leaving the Snatchbar, I walked up the highway and popped into Cheap Charlies for a visit. The girls all wished me a Happy Birthday, and I bestowed gifts in the form of lady drinks.

Next, I dashed across the highway and paid a visit to Wet Spot. Owner Daddy Dave bought me a drink for the b-day, and we shared a nice chat. He also gave me some pain reliever advice, although my toothache appears to be in remission.

Came home to a Facebook inbox full of messages wishing me a happy birthday from friends all over the world. One that made me feel especially good was from my high school sweetheart Karen:

Ain’t she sweet?

I guess I’m not as alone in this life as I sometimes feel. A shout out to my readers and commenters as well. Let’s keep this thing going as long as we can!

The rain didn’t stop the Wednesday Walkers. At least it didn’t stop the three of us who showed up for an “umbrella walk.” Turns out, we didn’t need an umbrella after all, thanks to a break in the storm. Everything was wet, though, so we decided a street hike was the prudent course of action. Walked from Barretto to Subic town the back way through Naugsol, a 7.5K jaunt. I’ve got a slew of pics I’ll share at the end of this post.

Before I headed out for the walk, I threw the ingredients for a batch of chili in the crockpot. When I got back home, I also baked some cornbread muffins. I added a can of corn to the batter, and that proved to be a tasty addition.

It was feeding the girls at Hideaway bar night, so I baked up some brownies for their dessert.

I took a small container of chili and a couple of muffins along for Joy’s enjoyment but didn’t have enough to share with all the girls.

After completing my duty at Hideaway, I headed out with the intention of using my drink voucher at Whiskey Girl. It’s on the other side of town, and about halfway there, rain began falling again. I thought the storm was done, so hadn’t brought my umbrella. I needed to find shelter from the storm, and Voodoo was the closest venue available. I hadn’t been in there since the SOB last month, but the girl I sat with that night was quick to latch on to me again.

When the rain finally relented, I made it at last to Whiskey Girl. I was the only customer on this wet night and had a lot of female company at my table. I was also drunk enough to go a little bit crazy buying lady drinks for them all. Well, they have to make a living, and my jokes were all new there, so I guess that’s a win-win. And I STILL have that 500 peso voucher to use (it wasn’t good for lady drinks, and I was too far gone to even attempt to drink 500 pesos worth of gin at that point). It expires today, so perhaps I’ll give it one more try tonight.

Alright, that was the night. Here’s the morning:

And so it goes, and so it went.

…some rain must fall. I get that, but why does it have to fall in torrents when you are hiking way up in the mountains on a path that is already wet and muddy? That was our fate yesterday during the Hash run. Nothing you can do about it but slog along. Well, actually, some of us sane Hashers did take matters into our own hands and shortcut the trail. Regardless, we were still soaked to the skin and in peril of a slip, trip, and fall all the way back to our On-Home at Johansson’s. But I lived to tell about it, and that’s what I’m doing now.

Other than the rain and mud, it was a good trail. The meet-up location was about a mile out of town on the National Highway. Getting there was on each individual Hasher. Initially, I was going to walk but reconsidered because Leech My Nuggets lays a hard enough trail without me adding to it, so I took a trike. We started with a long, hard climb on a path none of us had used before. Later we merged onto a more familiar trail, and the up was done via concrete steps for a while. The steps ran out, but our climb didn’t. It was three-quarters of the way to the top when the sky let loose with the first rain squall of the afternoon. There were two more before we were back On-Home.

I managed to only fall once. It was kind of funny because shortly after the rain began, I told my fellow hikers there was nothing we could do but make the best of it. Within seconds I was sprawled flat on my back after my feet slid out from under me. Karma may be a bitch, but so is Mother Nature.

Here are a few photos that people managed to take before stowing away the phones during the deluge.

So, that’s how our Hash went this week. I actually left before the circle was over. I was soaking wet and almost shivering under the fans. Trust me; it’s very rare to feel cold in the Philippines. Home by 6:30, if you can imagine that. Felt good to be in dry clothes again.

It’s been raining all day today too. I guess there is a tropical depression passing through. I can attest that it is indeed pretty depressing. It takes the fun out of going out. Not that that will stop me.

Into each life some rain must fall
But too much is falling in mine
Into each heart some tears must fall
But some day the sun will shine
Some folks can lose the blues in their hearts
But when I think of you another shower starts
Into each life some rain must fall
But too much is falling in mine

With a couple of exceptions, I rarely read the comment sections on other blogs unless I’m leaving a comment myself. Assuming most of my readers are the same, you might have missed this one from a first-time commenter named Ted:

That Lydell seems like a handful  of fun. What’s her deal? I’m sure you’ve already asked her out and been let down easily, but boy does she have some excitement for you. Is the snack bar a kind of place where you need to buy lady drinks  so that would explain her enthusiasm for her best customers?  But then again, with only 2 or 3 girls they wouldn’t be able to entertain all their guests. You mentioned that the owner runs 2 businesses in the same town with the staff alternating between the establishments ,what’s the difference?

Also, does Lydell have a tattoo on her back that says ” property of gwapo = handsome man John” ? I’m speculating that you encouraged her, judging by that tight embrace that elicited a rare smile from the author who may be usually too shy to show his teeth in pictures. It is good to see you happy ….more like content and not worried about how your lame dad jokes will land or whether the other patrons are enjoying your music. I do declare, this was one of your best days ….normal and fulfilling. I guess that happens when you meet someone new and you can listen as much as you talk, and participate in a great conversation that meanders and ebbs in a natural flow even as you walk the stranger via familiar path. Somebody once said that , a man is at his most confident when he knows what he is doing and knows that he can do it well, without much thought and agenda.

Your readers are starting to get used to your routines now. The bi-weekly Hideaway visit with Joy , and the reverse conjugal visitation to your mountain retreat, then the daily hikes with the hash brothers. Then there are the solo hikes you do, then the shopping excursions, and then the irregular dart games. Were you this deliberately organized during your working days? I have never seen someone so actively engaged in so many routines in retirement, with so few companions or clubs. Other than walking and drinking , it occurs to me that you’re not a member of many clubs, activities, teams or associations. And yet, you’re more active than most seniors all over the world.

You must have a very strong impetus and drive to get out of bed each morning and do so many things, usually by yourself and still keep things interesting. Bravo.

Even the time you take to write here is one of the marvels of the world. You probably know the statistics already: most people who start a blog give up after a year. Which makes it all the more amazing because as far as I can tell, you don’t even have a particular target in mind when you write , no particular audience that you would like to communicate with via the blog. Nor does it seek like you’re recording these events in your life for posterity, or making notes for a book, or seeking fame and fortune, or passing the time because you’re bored. You write because you want to. And every day you write.

I would like to see  some of your self-driven impetus that moves you to continue this. This is the kind of drive that makes for successful people: CEO, Executives, Presidents , and survival experts who get stranded on abandoned islands. The kind of self-sufficiency that lead people to survive the harshest conditions, people who outlive death row and survive cults or gang warfare. Now I’m wondering which one you are… and realizing that you’re on a completely different level.

In case this note is not long enough. What’s up with the music videos you add at the end of each post? Are you a lyricist who can put any thoughts of yours to music ? Or do you listen to so much music that you can find a song for every event and day? Wait …that means you actually know the words to the songs  I just realized that. While us mere mortals just hum and mumble through an Elvis song, you probably know every word. Not only do you seem to know every word,but you seem to be able to connect to each lyric on a deeper level….or at least know what the words mean. Amirite? Perhaps you were a singer-songwriter in a previous life. Actually, that would explain a lot.

That might be the longest comment in the history of LTG. What impressed me, though, beyond the investment in time in writing it, was that a reader picked up on a lot of the nuances in my life I have written about without directly stating them. I didn’t think I was being that obvious. Anyway, I do enjoy getting feedback from my readers; it is one of the reasons I try and post something every day. I don’t want to disappoint anyone. Here is my response to Ted’s comment:

Hey there, Ted. Thanks for the comments. Very in-depth and some keen insights for a first-time commenter. I assume you’ve been reading the blog for a while. Let me try to address some of the points you raise.

Lydell is a friendly and fun gal, for sure. I haven’t asked her out (I don’t normally date the girls I meet in the bars). I’m not sure what her “deal” is, other than she’s in her early 20s with two kids working hard to support her family. No, Snackbar provides good service whether or not you buy any lady drinks. It’s a very small bar, so it doesn’t need a lot of bargirls.

Yep, you’ve pretty much nailed my daily routines. I’m impressed! I’ve honestly never really thought about it, but I’m probably more predictable in retirement than when I was working. Before, I had a work life and a home life to fill my days. Nowadays, I just take each day as it comes and do the best I can with it. I do live a relatively solitary life, no girlfriend (still hoping, though), no close friends to hang out with, and no clubs or groups other than the Hash and Wed/Fri walks. So my bar time is really what passes as my social life, which I guess, upon reflection, is a sad commentary on what I’ve become in old age.

I’m thankful I’m healthy enough to get out of bed every morning and go about my routines. I don’t really feel a sense of excitement about it; it is just what I do. Coffee and internet, feed and walk the dogs, walk myself, take a nap, write a blog post, play solitaire on the computer, and lately, watch a little TV. Then shower up and head out for a few hours in the bars, almost always home and in bed around nine, then wake up and do it all again. Over and over, day after day. Things can always change in the future–maybe I’ll find love again, and I do expect to start traveling more soon. I’m not unhappy with my life as it is–it could be better, but I’m glad it is not worse.

As for the blog, I guess I’ve come to think of it as a diary. When I first started writing Long Time Gone over seventeen years ago, it was intended as a way to stay in touch with family and friends back home and let them know what was happening after my move to Korea. These days I don’t think any of my family or friends from those days ever even read the blog. According to my blog stats, I have a little over 200 daily visitors here. I’m surprised so many find anything of interest in my daily ramblings, but I am very appreciative that people come and visit. I always look forward to the few comments I get, and I enjoy engaging with and responding to comments like yours. Thanks again!

Actually, that may be what motivates me to post every day–I don’t want to disappoint my faithful few readers, and it is also a way to share my life, thoughts, and “adventures.” in a way I’m apparently incapable of doing in person. I’ve thought about someday picking out the “best of LTG” posts over the years and doing one of those self-published books as my “legacy,” but I doubt I’ll ever get around to it. I’d rather spend the time living in the moment rather than look back on where I’ve been.

Ha, your comment about the songs I post made me laugh. I challenge myself to come up with a unique title for each day’s blog, and after seventeen years, that is becoming more and more difficult. Sometimes a song that seems to fit the narrative of the post, even in an obscure way, serves the purpose. Yesterday’s “Friends in Low Places” is a good example of that. But yeah, I listen to a lot of music when I’m on my solo walks. And I’ve always loved good lyrics, and I do commit them to memory. It’s funny, last night I was singing along with a song at the bar, and the bargirl next to me asked, “how do you know the words to that old song?” It was from the 1980s. What could I say except “because I’m old too.”

When I was a much younger man, I fancied myself a writer. I wrote some poems and short stories but nothing worthy of accolades (kind of like this blog now that I think about it). I guess trying to put your inner feelings into words is what a songwriter does. And my favorite songs are the ones that I can relate to on some level.

I hope you continue reading LTG, Ted. I’ve always said that my blog is never totally worthless; people can always say, “thank God I’m not that guy!” It means a lot that you actually enjoy coming here, and I was impressed that you knew my routines so well (bi-weekly visits to Hideaway, yep, every Wed/Sun). I look forward to hearing from you again.

I spent more time on my response to Ted than I do on most of my blog posts, so I thought it was worth sharing for all to see. And a big thanks to all my readers, commenters or not, for taking the time to visit LTG. It means more to me than you know. And if there is ever anything you want to know about, feel free to ask in the comments. My life is an open book. Or website.

Yesterday’s Hash went fine. The Hares laid a mostly paved trail that would be appropriate in the event of rain. It wound up not raining during the Hash hours, so that effort was for naught. The trail itself was very familiar to me–most of it is part of my standard Sunday walk. I thought it was kind of funny that I hadn’t made that walk on Sunday because I needed to hike to the ATM in Subic, but here I was, making up for it on Monday’s Hash.

My only real complaint about the trail was that the Hares had included five checkpoints on the relatively short 5K hike. I dislike checkpoints during the best of circumstances, but these seemed especially unnecessary and pointless. For those who don’t know, a checkpoint on the trail requires that you explore in all possible directions for the “true trail.”

So, basically, you’ll be marching along, and then you see the dreaded checkpoint symbol. In order to find the proper trail, you need to go fifty yards or so in all possible directions until you find chalk or powder indicating you are On-On. This can be frustrating and, to me, just creates unnecessary confusion. Yesterday, I guessed right on four of the five checkpoints, so didn’t have to backtrack. And the one I guessed wrong, I just proceeded on my own path until I worked my way back to the actual trail. So, no big deal, but as I said, it just makes things more difficult and confusing. The original purpose of a checkpoint was to keep the pack together by slowing down the runners. For that to work, though, the first runner who finds the true trail is supposed to go back to the checkpoint and indicate the proper path for those that follow. That never happens at our Hash. Okay, rant over.

Our On-Home was at a place called Yeros, and it was only our second time visiting this venue. It’s got nice covered outdoor seating and plenty of room for our Hash circle. They have a pretty extensive menu, and despite the crowd (there were over forty of us), they provided good service. The food was just average tasting, but the prices were good. I had two smallish chicken shwarmas for only 120 pesos (less than $3.). The beer was cold and plentiful, and this week (I only drink beer on Hash night), it tasted much better than last time. I’ll be glad to reach my target weight and switch back to beer full-time. I’m making slow progress, though, because the gin reduces my resistance to my sweet tooth. Ah, well, first-world problems and all that.

Here are some photos from our trek:

After the Hash, I walked up the highway for some more beers at the Snatchbar (technically, Snackbar, but when the (female) owner refers to it as Snatchbar, I guess I can too.) I’m going to start calling Kamto (same owner) Cameltoe from now on, too.

I made it an early night, home before eight, but then again, my first beer was at an earlier than normal 4 p.m. It’s all about pacing yourself and knowing when to say when. I’m a drinker but not a drunk, and I intend to keep it that way.

Suffered throughout the day yesterday from the hangover effects of my overindulgence on Friday night. I still managed an abbreviated morning Barretto walk and watched another episode of Manifest, but not much else. They say the best cure is the same medicine (but in more reasonable doses), so I headed on into town to partake.

Started out at It Doesn’t Matter. Nice chat with my buddy Chris and some drinks for my favorite waitress, Agnes. I had three soda waters with gin, then moved on to Hot Zone. It was owner Jay’s birthday, so I had two more drinks as part of the celebration.

My next stop was Wet Spot to get a first-hand account of my drunken behavior the night before. Sat with the manager, Bret, and got the low down. He confirmed that I had taken a tumble on stage whilst trying to collect my raffles coupon (the rule is you remove the prize with your mouth. They are usually stuck in the young lady’s cleavage. Apparently, I lost my balance bending down to do the deed). And yes, I had a loud sneezing fit (Aine said she could hear me all the way in the comfort room). While I didn’t engage in any rude or obnoxious behavior, I did attempt to sing into the MC’s microphone. And no, I still don’t remember any of that happening.

I intended to make Wet Spot my final stop for the evening, but as I finished my second drink, I got a message from the gals at Kamto saying they were waiting for me there. How could I refuse? So, I hoofed it on up the highway. I was low on cash, but the owner assured me I could pay my tab the next day, so the party was on. Bought all the girls a couple of lady drinks and some food from Kamto’s kitchen. I had two more (or was it three?) drinks and called it a night. I’ve got a tab of just over 3000 pesos to pay when I go out this evening.

Anyway, I did a much better job at controlling my intake and keeping my wits about me. I think Friday was just an aberration.

My neighbor has three big-assed German Shepherds. They always bark like crazy when I walk past his house, but he does keep them securely in his fenced yard. But not this morning. As I was completing my dog walk today, they were all out in the street. When they saw Buddy and Lucky, they went into attack mode. Well, two kind of held back, but one immediately went for Lucky’s throat. He had him pinned and was biting, and I was doing my best to whip him away with my leash. Then Buddy jumped in to defend his little stepbrother, and the Sheperd let go. I’m yelling and screaming and kicking this whole time and somehow didn’t get bit. Then I picked up a rock, and the kraut dog backed off. I scurried my boys into the safety of our yard, and they both seemed to be uninjured. Not the kind of excitement I’m looking for in my life.

The reason I didn’t have much cash last night was that the f’n ATMs in town were out of cash yesterday, at least the two I tried. So this morning, I went to the BPI in Subic town, hoping for a better result. I intended to walk there, but when I hit the highway, I decided the sooner I got to the ATM, the better. The last time I went on a Sunday, there had been a long line, and who knows how much cash was left to dispense. So, I caught a Jeepney instead. When I arrived, both ATMs were operational, and there was no line. I made my withdrawal without issue. Well, I did have to pee, so I walked over to the Jollibee and used their CR.

Then I walked the 6K back to Barretto. And took these photos along the way:

You can Relive my morning jaunt here if you’d like:

And that pretty much brings you up to date on my so-called life. There’s more to come, so stay tuned!

Not much to report regarding my activities since my previous post. But here goes anyway.

Started my evening at Blue Butterfly, where I once again shared drinks and convo with Tanya. She had a small taste of the brownies I brought her, said they were good, and told me she would be taking them home to her daughter. Fine by me.

A couple of more drinks at Cheap Charlies, then I got a message from Snackbar that Ron was wanting me to join him there. Sure, why not? I met a friend of his who is a musician, and we had a grand time talking about music from the good ol’ days. I was drafted for DJ duties, and the first request was for Elton John. Before I could queue up the second request, Spotify started playing the next tune (I don’t remember which one), and everyone wanted to hear that. Same with the next and the ones after. I guess Spotify knew what we were in the mood to listen to. Anyway, it was a fun way to pass some time before I headed home for the night.

I did my standard Thursday walk, basically out to Naugsol and back. Wound up crossing the river on bridge #4, then again on bridge #2, and a final crossing on bridge #1. Today our group hike started at bridge #6, and we hiked to Tibag and back, passing bridge #7 along the way. Hence, the convoluted title for this post.

I took a few pics on yesterday’s hike:

Just for clarity purposes, the Hashers have labeled all the bridges that run alongside Sawmill road sequentially. This helps with giving trail directions, “just start at bridge #3 and turn right after crossing the river…”

Feel free to Relive the hike if you’d like to see more.

Here it is, Friday again, and that means I’ll be heading out later for another SOB adventure. Tonight’s venue is Alaska Club, one of my favorites. I’ll be back tomorrow with a full report.

More or less. Whatever it was they injected into me; the result was damn near miraculous. I was still feeling weak and unsteady, so last night I opted to visit the bar nearest my place (Snackbar) and two others on the same block (Outback and Queen Victoria). I took it slow and easy, starting early and finishing early, and that seemed to work out well.

I woke up this morning still feeling some residual effects from my viral infection, A little pain in my head that some aspirin brought under control, and a reduced energy level that makes everything more difficult, especially motivation to get off my ass and do something.

I hadn’t walked myself in four days either, so I set about seeing what I had in me. Before I got sick, my standard Saturday hike was on the backstreets of Barretto. It’s around 8K and mostly flat. I figured I could give it a go and always bail if it got to be too much. And after 3K, I knew I wasn’t ready, so I eliminated the Abra street and Columban College loops. Left me with a 5K trail, and that was good enough for this tired old man.

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

I hadn’t been home long when my doctor sent a message saying the lab report on my blood work had been received. She asked if I could come to the office to discuss some potential issues. That made me a little nervous, but what am I going to do?

Dr. Jo’s main area of concern is that my blood platelets are almost off the charts low, and not in a good way. I’m currently at 77, and the “low normal” is 150. She urged me to be careful when I’m out because a fall or a cut could result in excessive bleeding. Yeah, one more thing to worry about. We are going to continue to monitor this stat, and I’ll do a follow-up lab in a couple of weeks.

And that’s pretty much where things stand as of now. It’s Saturday night, so naturally, I’m going out, but my enthusiasm level is pretty low. The fact of the matter is I’m just so damn tired all the time. Doc says that will pass as my body defeats the virus; here’s hoping that’s soon.

My grammar and writing are so poor you probably won’t notice, but his post has been a comedy of errors. My fingers can’t seem to find the right keys. Here’s hoping for a better tomorrow!

…and going on thirty. Happy Anniversary to the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers!

I enjoyed yesterday’s short version of the trail (4K) quite a lot. It had a tough climb up to the top of Kalaklan ridge, and then it was all downhill from there. Ninety-four attendees (about double our usual turnout), including contingents from Puerto Galera and Angeles City. I’ll share photos from the event at the end of this post.

My other news from Monday is my visit to the doctor. Once again, I had the full attention of two physicians (husband and wife) for nearly an hour. Not all doc talk either; some pleasant banter and chat were also included. My primary complaint is the nasal congestion I’ve been dealing with for several months now. The previous doctor I consulted wanted to perform surgery to remove some bloated nodules in my nasal passages. I’m just not comfortable with the idea of being under general anesthesia during the operation. Way back in the day, a healthy teenage friend was having minor knee surgery and never woke up. I’m still not ready for the big sleep.

Anyway, Dr. Jo and her husband both agreed that other courses of action should be pursued rather than surgery. So I’m doing a new regimen of drugs and natural remedies to hopefully alleviate the congestion and shrink my nose modules. Time will tell if it works.

I also discussed my vaccination dilemma. Like me, they both have real concerns about the long-term impact of the vaccines on the body’s immune system, noting that people who are vaxxed appear more likely to contract the latest COVID variants. I mentioned reading stories about otherwise healthy people, including three doctors in Canada, mysteriously dropping dead after receiving booster shots. They agreed that since I’ve had COVID already, there is no medically justifiable reason for me to risk the side effects associated with the vaccination. When I explained my visa situation and my need to leave and then be able to return to the PI, they were sympathetic. I asked, of all the vaccines out there, which one, in their opinion, was potentially the least damaging. They both said Sinovac. The Chinese vaxx? Well, I guess it makes sense since it’s a Chinese virus. The medical reason is that it apparently doesn’t modify the body’s immune system in the way the other vaccines do.

I’ve also had other discussions about getting documentation of vaccination through sources that don’t require getting jabbed. I considered that option long and hard, but in the end, it just seemed too risky. The ones suggesting that course of action have proof of being vaccinated in the USA. Well, okay, if I go that route, and someone at immigration takes a closer look, I’d have a hard time explaining how I got vaxxed in the USA when my passport shows I haven’t left the Philippines since 2019. So, today I asked my helper to find out where I can get a Sinovac shot. I really don’t have a choice. The Philippines is the only country in Asia that I know of still requiring a vaxx for entry. I kept hoping they’d wise up, but that seems more and more unlikely, at least during my diminishing timeline for departure. Oh well. COVID didn’t kill me; maybe the vaxx won’t either.

So oddly enough, I couldn’t remember one of the memories Facebook shared with me today.

Ah, yeah. I blogged about her in a post called There’s something about Mary. After re-reading that, I am pretty sure I was intentionally trying to forget all about her. Not one of my finer moments. Although it did have a residual impact on my getting to know Iline. That didn’t work out either, of course, but I have no regrets about trying.

Wow. That just triggered a memory of the movie The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. That’s a great film that I’ve not thought of in ages. Hmm, maybe losing my mind won’t be an entirely pointless journey. We’ll just have to wait and see what might happen next.

By the way, I’m baking brownies now, but I set my phone alarm to trigger my memory about removing them from the oven. Thanks for the tip, Kevin!

Okay, let’s do those Hash photos, shall we? (Just a reminder, these are from a collection by several Hashers, including me.)

It was definitely the best anniversary run we’ve had this year!

And I didn’t burn the brownies!

Life is good.

The Wednesday Walkers didn’t let a little rain dampen their enthusiasm for a hike. Well, it didn’t for Scott and me. We are also the Hares for Monday’s Hash, so we took the opportunity to do a little scouting for our upcoming trail. We are anticipating it will be rainy, a pretty safe bet this time of year, so we are planning accordingly with a mostly flat and mostly paved hike of around 6K.

We walked through the Santa Monica subdivision and encountered a bit of flooding, but otherwise didn’t have any issues besides pulling out the umbrellas now and then. So we should be good to go come Monday.

Here’s how things looked out there:

My Wednesday night included a birthday party at Alley Cats, a pizza party at Hideaway Bar, and playing the role of DJ at Kamto. Oh, and lots of gin and soda. Not a bad way to pass the hours.

Rainy day people always seem to know when you're feeling blue
High stepping strutters who land in the gutters sometimes need one too
Take it or leave it, or try to believe it
If you've been down too long

Rainy day lovers don't hide love inside they just pass it on

Yesterday’s trip took us out to a remote part of San Marcelino known as New Zealand. I’m not sure why. I’ve never been to the actual NZ, but maybe it has a similar appearance. It took us about an hour and a half to get there from Barretto, and the area we hiked was uninhabited–the first time I can remember not seeing any kids around for cookie distribution. Very beautiful though, and a much different landscape than I’m accustomed to seeing in my neck of the woods.

One thing contributing to the uniqueness of the topography is the impact that the eruption of Mount Pinatubo had on this area back in 1991. One of the massive lahar flows created Lake Mapanuepe in the area we visited. We had to cross this lake by Banca boat to reach the campground, where our hike commenced. The only other way you can access this area is with a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

And that’s really the downside of coming here–it’s just too damn difficult to reach. After our long drive, we parked at the lake and arranged for the Banca boat roundtrip to the other side of the lake. When Martin scouted the area last week, he was charged 400 pesos for the ten-minute ride, which is laughably overpriced. Yesterday they wanted 500 pesos for the same trip; I guess the increase was in the “white skin tax” merchants sometimes impose on foreigners. Well, we didn’t have any choice but to pay up, but it put me in a foul mood and soured any thoughts of a return visit. Oh well, that’s the worst that happened on the trip, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.

Hope you enjoy these photos from the adventure:

And that was my day in Barretto. I’ll talk about the night in another post.

Day 2 of the no-beer lifestyle is in the books. I did better at managing my intake of gin as well, and although I had a nice buzz going, I didn’t do anything stupid like spend 3500 pesos on lady drinks. That’s progress!

Two drinks at It Doesn’t Matter along with some nice chat with Max the Dutchman. He and a couple of others had burgers at IDM, but I decided to visit Sit-n-Bull for my evening meal.

After a couple more drinks at the Snackbar, I called it a night and took a trike home. Yeah, my life is just oozing excitement these days. Sorry!

I weighed in after my hike and registered a 211.7. Down a couple of pounds from where I started, but it could be the water weight I sweated off during my walk. Still, it’s a move in the right direction, so I ain’t complaining.

And that’s all I’ve got for now.

It’s going to be an adjustment to learn to pace myself when drinking gin. One idea I have is to have the can of soda served along with a tall glass with one shot of gin. Then I can keep refilling the glass as I drink, diluting the strength of the gin and making each serving last longer. I did this over the course of the three hours I was in attendance at the SOB and did relatively well. I still need to slow down some, but I’ll learn my limit soon.

I had some cash flow issues again. I couldn’t find an ATM with cash left to dispense. I don’t normally have a problem keeping cash on hand. I do a 40,000 peso pull once a week when I go grocery shopping, and that carries me through. This week I had some unusual expenses and was down to only 3000 pesos when I started my Friday night out. Entrance to the SOB costs 700, and I had dinner for me and Aine delivered from Sit-n-Bull, so I was running nearly on empty after that. Luckily, the SOB was at Wet Spot, and they accept credit cards so I was able to keep Aine plied with lady drinks throughout the show.

Near the end of the SOB, I got a message from my friend at Kamto resto-bar. She said my friend Johnny was there and I should come to entertain them with my Spotify playlists. I mentioned my shortage of funds, and she said I could run a tab and pay tomorrow. So, that’s what I did. You know, I’m a generous guy, and apparently, gin triggers me to be extra generous. When I stopped by to pay my tab today, I was surprised that I had spent over 3600 pesos last night at Kamto, mostly on lady drinks. I think that might be a record for me in one bar.

My walk mission this morning was to head into Subic-town and restock my cash supply at the BPI ATM. It’s a little over a 5K hike to get there, and I also intended to walk back. This belly ain’t going away unless I force it to by bumping up my step count. So, two birds, one stone kind of thing. Except when I arrived at the ATM, this is what I saw:

I took a Jeepney ride back to Barretto. After paying my tab at Kamto, my cash level was once again beneath my comfort level. Then I remembered I had forgotten to pay my helper yesterday, so I wired some extra to her to give me via Western Union, and now I’m once again able to do my Saturday night in style. Ain’t life grand?

Alright, here are a few photos from the Friday hike. We were calling it an umbrella walk because it had been raining all morning. But once we got started, we never had to open our umbrellas. It didn’t rain again until we were having lunch at Kamto. The rain gods were smiling upon us, that’s for sure.

And that, my friends, brings you up to date. Now it’s time for me to exercise.

Goodbye, heart. Hey, not so fast! We just met.

Rainy season has arrived. Big storm passing through delayed my departure from home, but I timed a break in the rain right, and I made it to It Doesn’t Matter dry. Another cloudburst left me stuck there longer than I intended, but I eventually made it to John’s place for some supper. I had a Philly cheesesteak sandwich and got takeout bulgogi and rice for Joy at Hideaway. On the way there, I picked up a roasted chicken from Chooks for the other girls. A few beers later, I was back on the highway and headed for Cheap Charlies.

I was in for a bit of a surprise when I arrived. I still have my old girls on ignore, and my new favorite wasn’t working. So, I settled in, expecting I’d be drinking alone. And then a cute young thing (25, no kids) sat down next to me and said, “Hello, John.” I asked her if we had met before, and she told me, yes, but she had been back in her province for the past two years, and this was her first night working again at Cheap Charlies. Well, welcome back. Get yourself a drink. And what was your name again? “Marilou.” Good to see you!

I asked if she was on Facebook, and she told me we were already friends. I opened my messenger, and there she was. I saw our last communication was where she was asking for help for her sick mother last year. I hadn’t responded because I didn’t remember who she was, and I get similar requests frequently. I felt bad when I learned that her mother had passed away. I bought her another drink and told her all my new old jokes she hadn’t heard during her absence. She laughed hilariously and maybe even sincerely. We chatted some, and she expressed interest in joining me on a hike one day. Since it was her first day at work, she doesn’t know when her scheduled day off will be, but she promised to let me know, and we’d get together then. Stay tuned for what happens (or doesn’t) next.

Finished my evening at Kamto and had a pleasant enough time. There was one guy there, an old fat Brit I didn’t know. But I overheard him talking about my friend and saying, “I have enough money to win her.” He obviously doesn’t know her the way I do, but it made me sad to know he saw her that way. I wasn’t in the mood for a train wreck, so I called it a night.

This morning Facebook slapped me with this memory:

Oh, well. That old fat guy no longer exists, but the belly lives on.

I did my usual Monday morning Baloy Beach walk.

And here we are, another Hash this afternoon, then back to the beach for the On-Home at Treasure Island. You can read all about it here tomorrow.

I saw your lips I heard your voice
Believe me I just had no choice
Wild horses couldn't make me stay away
I thought about a moonlit night
My arms about good an' tight
That's all I had to see for me to say

Hey, hey, hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart
Sweet Mary Lou, I'm so in love with you
I knew Mary Lou, we'd never part
So hello Mary Lou, goodbye heart

More of the same for me. Today will be Hash Monday with some beer on the side. Yesterday I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich and beer at John’s place. John has just published his new menu, and since at least one of my readers is a foodie, I thought I’d share it here:

Overall, I’d rate this the best quality food in town. John takes pride in what he serves, and it shows. If it seems a little pricey (I figure it as 50 pesos to the dollar), it’s because he will only use the best ingredients. That means late-night road trips to the fish market in Bataan or the meat market in Manila. The taste is worth the effort, so says I.

Speaking of food, after my meal, I popped into the Hideaway Bar to see Joy and the girls. Joy was hungry, and I asked what she wanted–she responded a taco from the Coffee Shop. I sent one of the waitresses across the street to get 1000 pesos worth (they are P150 each).

I drank some more beer and enjoyed watching the gals devour their taco dinner.

When I’d finished my duties at Hideaway, I headed on up the highway towards home. I knew I had one more stop left in me, but where? Mother Nature, in the form of my bladder, dictated that would be Cheap Charlies. I guess word got out because last night I was completely ignored by the bargirls. Well, the bartender made them bring me my beers, but no one attempted to sit with me. Fine by me, I’d rather drink alone than with rude company. Saves me money too! I had three beers to prove my point, then grabbed a trike for home.

This morning, I did my usual Monday 5K walk to Baloy Beach and back.

Oh, and I have this photo of the retaining wall on Govic highway that I like:

In other news, via Facebook memories comes this photo of my old Korean girlfriend (Say Wha?). She doesn’t like her pictures posted on my pervy blog, so she will remain nameless here.

So, I guess I’ll end today’s post on a religious note: