Changed things up some yesterday, or at least tweaked the normal routines a tad. Here’s how that went down:

We did the usual Friday group hike but made an unusual journey to San Marcelino to do it. Once there, we proceeded with a dike walk in the shadow of Mount Pinatubo along a lahar-filled Santo Tomas River. We made this hike several years ago, which is long enough to make it almost feel brand new to me. It was a mostly flat journey, but a longish (for us) ten kilometers. This is some of what we saw along the way:

So, a longer-than-usual hike plus the long drive back got me home a couple of hours later than usual. By the time I’d finished my shower and blogging chore, it was already five p.m. And just like on Thursday, I wasn’t feeling like doing the same old, same old, so we changed it up by having dinner at the rarely visited Harley’s Pub and Hotel.

Here’s a quick video look around Harley’s.

We enjoy the view from Harley’s, and the food ain’t bad either. Saw several folks we knew there during our dinner time.

Dinner is served:

Two of the most expensive menu offerings, but still less than we’d have spent at the SOB. That event was held at Queen Victoria last night, a venue I’ve been boycotting because they didn’t honor the “free drinks” deal at the previous SOB I attended there. (They said Swan’s wine wasn’t a local drink, so it wasn’t included. I countered, fine, I’ll pay the price difference. They said no, and I said we won’t be back.)

Now what do we do? Well, I haven’t been to Whiskey Girl in a while, so let’s start there. Wow! What a difference a few months make. The music was BLASTING (good songs, but damn, it was almost painful). Since there were dancers on stage, I didn’t ask them to reduce the volume, but I wasn’t pleased. We shouted out our order, and when the waitress returned and reported that wine wasn’t available, I was relieved to have a good excuse to pick up and leave. And that’s just what we did.

Since we rarely visit this side of town, all the remaining options were unfamiliar. Let’s see what’s up in Lux. My, everything here has changed since my previous visit as well. The stage has been moved from the center of the room to the front, and while dancers were performing standing around on it, there was also a drum set in the back. Turns out they are doing live music at Lux, but it doesn’t begin until my bedtime (9 p.m.). Another surprise was the drink pricing. A good surprise, wine at 120 pesos a glass and my beer was only 80 pesos. That’s the cheapest I’ve seen for a dancing bar anywhere in town. Then there was the music. It was being played at a pleasant volume, and two large-screen TVs were showing music videos. I like that! What I didn’t like was that all they played during my entire visit was rap crap. Yeah, that doesn’t appeal to this old fucker. I had two beers while Swan finished her glass of wine, and we were out of there.

And now for a nightcap destination. I hadn’t been in Nipsey’s since they first opened (in Alaska Club’s former location) over a year ago. It was just across the highway (which ain’t easy to cross on a Friday evening) but we made it alive.

Nipsey’s is another dancing girl bar, but it is well-lighted and comfortable. They played classic rock at the right volume, and the staff was attentive and friendly. We enjoyed our brief visit, then caught a trike right out front for the ride home and the end of a differently pleasant day.

Found this proof of what I always believed to be the case on Facebook today:

It was almost twenty years ago that I hiked up Namsan to the Seoul Tower for the first time. That event is worthy of mention in The Story of My Life. And the photos are nice, too!

Some Facebook memories from this day in the past to share as well:

Here’s the explosive I used on Facebook yesterday:

Today’s YouTube video comes from a friend of mine named Jambo. He covered last weekend’s Beach Bash beauty pageant. This is the talent portion of the contest:

To the humor then:

I don’t know how long I can keep this up, but I’m glad to still be in the game. Thanks for joining me here.

Swan’s developing love of hiking is getting a little scary. Will I be able to keep up with her? It seems like the more challenging the trail, the better she likes it. Yesterday, we took a climb up to the Kalaklan Ridge, then down into the Bantay Bayan village, and a long beach walk back to Barretto. There is no easy up to Kalaklan, but the path we took was one I’d taken a couple of years ago, and I remembered it being not so bad. I remembered wrong. It didn’t help that I missed the correct trail to the top, which made things even steeper and more challenging than they should have been. Swan’s response? “I love this hike!”

On the way back home, I suggested to Swan that we stay in last night. Alas, I had forgotten my chelation appointment with Dr. Jo. So we headed back into town at the appointed hour. The injection went fine, and I discussed my downward blood pressure trend with the doctor. I’m not at a worrisome level, nor am I experiencing symptoms like dizziness or light-headedness. Dr. Jo suggested I reduce my blood pressure meds dosage by half, and we will see what impact that has. Lower BP is one positive aspect of chelation therapy. After this round is completed, I’ll get updated blood work to see if I’m improving in other areas, like blood sugar.

After leaving Dr. Jo, we decided to visit one of the newer places in town. I’d gone once when they first opened, but Swan had never been. We just don’t spend much time on this side of town when we are out, so we took advantage of being there.

When we arrived, it was four o’clock, and they had literally just opened the door. We were the first and only customers. The inside hadn’t cooled off yet, so we sat on the outdoor balcony as we imbibed.

Once Swan had finished her wine, we moved down the highway to the Outback Resort pool bar, where Swan could enjoy some beach views.

And for your viewing enjoyment, here’s a three-minute video capturing the Outback vibe.

The dinner hour was fast approaching, so I asked Swan if she was up to cooking a batch of her spaghetti and meatballs at home. She agreed, and off we went. While Swan busied herself in the kitchen, I headed upstairs to The Rite Spot.

After a great plate of pasta and sauce, my sweet tooth cried out, “What about me?” So, I satiated its hunger with some ice cream. It was good—so good that I went back for seconds.

Facebook took me back in time to this day in history:

Speaking of breathing, this meme I posted on Facebook yesterday caused some heavy sighs from friends who don’t have clear enough vision to see the world as I do, including the aforementioned nephew.

Today’s YouTube video comes from a vlogger I’ve never watched previously. He makes some valid points about living life on your terms and not listening to the naysayers. Yeah, I got a lot of my buckets out of order along the way, and I’d do some things differently if God grants me a do-over, but still, here and now, I am not unhappy with my life. And it ain’t over yet!

(is that ice cream in the background there to tempt me?)

Today’s lame humor attempt:

And so it goes on and on, and that’s just fine with me. I’ll be back!

It being Wednesday, the first order of business was the group hike.

We took a Jeepney ride to the far side of Subic town and began our trek on Philseco Road.

A four-minute video of the next portion of the hike:

I mentioned in my previous post that yesterday was the eight-year anniversary of my discovery of Barretto’s top darts bar, Alley Hideout. Since I’ve retired from darts, I seldom visit this venue these days. But going places I haven’t been for a while is what Wednesdays are for.

We had a very nice time during our visit. Swan really enjoyed the vibe and said we ought to visit more often. I rang the bell, which provided all the girls a lady drink. It felt a bit like a homecoming. Maybe I ought to break out the darts the next time I come.

After leaving Alley Hideout, we crossed the highway for dinner at Mango’s.

We finished the evening with a nightcap at Green Room. The usual joking around with Chu and Sally (lady drinks included, of course), watching some of the other girls play lousy pool (like I’m one to talk), and chillin’ with our beverages.

When the waitress from Sit-n-Bull came around, I was feeling nostalgic and asked if she had any pecan pie available. She did, so I brought a slice home with me. And what’s the point of eating pecan pie without a scoop or two of ice cream on top?

I had a thirty-five-year career with the Federal government, and one of the highlights from those years was working with Mr. Kim Yong-tae. The most impressive man I ever had the honor of supervising. I blogged about the occasion when he was recognized for fifty years of service with United States Forces Korea here. Mr. Kim died shortly after I returned to work after my first retirement. Before he passed, he told me he regretted not spending his final healthy years with his family. I thought of him when my team tried to get me to stay on for “just one more year.” Nope, I didn’t want to die at my desk.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay tells the story of the man who found the perfect Filipina and then let her get away. Turns out, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the hill.

Time for a smile:

Okay, that’s all for now. I was planning to stay home today, but was reminded that I have my weekly chelation treatment this afternoon. And since I’ll be in town anyway, I might as well have a beer or two while I’m there. My blood pressure this month has been lower than I ever remember- in the one-teens over sixties. I’m going to ask Dr. Jo if I can stop taking my blood pressure meds now.

Some people won’t admit their faults. I would if I had any.

I’m going to try to keep it simple today and not use words with letters that don’t work on my keyboard. To start things off, I took a Saturday stroll with Swan.

I did a video of that portion of our walk.

We are making some alternative plans for today, so I did the Hideaway feeding yesterday.

After finishing with my business at Hideaway, it was time to hit the sand.

We walked on the sand to the Papagayo Resort to eat. Here’s what those five minutes looked like:

Here’s a last look at the sundown:

They were still doing Valentine’s weekend promo menu, which was disappointing as most of the regular menu items were not being offered, and what was available were couple-sized portions at double the price.

A nightcap at Wet Spot and an early finish to our Saturday night.

This morning, I made breakfast. Or should I say, baked breakfast:

A Memory Lane trip, thanks to Facebook:

Today’s YouTube video shares some thoughts on nine things that will keep a Filipina’s legs unopened. The woman seems to really mean it.

And then he tried to be funny again:

Anyway, it is what it is. Things will get better around here soon. I hope.

Here’s a brief recap of my sweet experience with VD.

It being a Friday, I started off the day by leading the group hike. Things didn’t go as intended because, at the end of a moderate hill climb, we found ourselves locked behind a fence in a gated compound with no apparent escape. So, we retreated back down to the bottom and walked on from there.

We did a walk around back to San Isidro. Here’s a two-minute take from there:

When the dinner hour rolled around, we headed to John’s place for our holiday meal.

After our meal, we stopped by It Doesn’t Matter. Apparently, there had been a big party before our arrival and most of the waitresses were drunk. I had one beer, and then we moved on to Green Room for our nightcap.

Ten years ago, I spent my Valentine’s weekend in Busan with my wife and my nephew, Justin.

Today’s YouTube video talks (in an AI voice) about ways us old farts might extend our life. Most are just common sense, but I think achieving old age is as much about good genes and luck as anything. I know my candle grows shorter with each passing day, but here’s hoping it will be a slow burn.

The joke’s on me:

Man, writing is tough without a properly functioning keyboard. Bear with me.

It occurred to me that there are two days in the week that begin with a “T,” and it just so happens that both of these are the only days with seven letters. Can I substitute Thursday for Tuesday? Well, as a matter of fact, that’s just what I did!

Having spent Tuesday in Manila instead of engaging in my normal routines for that day, some things didn’t get done. So, I filled in those gaps yesterday, starting with a trip to the supermarket in Olongapo. We had stopped at the S&R store in San Fernando on the way home from Manila, but we couldn’t find all that we needed there, so off we went to get what was missing.

(I still haven’t got my laptop repaired; I’m waiting for a part to be delivered. Just now, the “see” and “vee” keys, which had been intermittent, have stopped working altogether. The missing letters you see in this sentence were filled in by spellcheck. Worse, without the control “see,” I cannot insert links to things I want to share. I’m hoping to have the needed repairs done by Tuesday, but until then, I’m handicapped, and blogging is going to be incomplete and difficult. UPDATE: Swan just showed me how to copy and paste using the mouse. Duh!)

The video from S&R was supposed to go here. And here it is now that this old dog has learned a new trick. The video sucks, but the good news is I was able to edit its length on YouTube: baby steps, but progress.

I walked back home from Olongapo. Here is some of what I saw along the highway:

I did a brief video of this portion of the hike that I would have posted here. If the keys start working again, I’ll insert it later. And now here it is thanks to the magi of cut and paste:

Still holding the camera too low, but in my defense, I was trying to watch my footing so as not to trip and fall in front of oncoming traffic.

I made another video as I walked through Barretto:

Hold the camera up, you idiot! Sorry, I need to get off my ass and order a GoPro. I will soon, I promise! If you make it that far, I had a fun encounter with Mama along the way.

The other Tuesday activities we did yesterday were putting Swan’s toes in the sand, visiting the floating bar, and having dinner at Treasure Island.

Then it was back ashore for a meal at Treasure Island.

I woke up this morning to the view above and a message from Swan on my desk:

And inside, she had written a poem, especially for me:

Roses are red
violets are blue
Your farts burn my eyes
But I still love you

I’m a lucky man!

And Happy Valentine’s Day to all my readers, or as I tend to say, Happy VD!

And now for those Facebook memories:

Today’s YouTube is a new walkthrough of the Barretto nightlife scene. A bar that meets the needs of everyone is there if you look for it.

And to the humor we must go:

Damn, this post was really a struggle with my faulty keyboard. I’ll keep posting, but I may limit myself some until the repairs are completed. Or maybe I’ll just leae out the letters that don’t work and let y’all figure out what omes net. Or maybe not.

Damn, that song was so painful I couldn’t finish—too many memories.

I’m heading for the embassy in Manila this morning. My appointment to have a power of attorney notarized is at 1:30, but I’m leaving here at 8 a.m. because there is no way to predict how bad the traffic will be in that hellhole of a city. The POA is so my daughter can sell the house that’s in my name in Columbia, SC. Anyway, I don’t expect to have a chance to blog about yesterday’s Hash, so I’ll fill you all in on that tomorrow. In the meantime, I’ll slap up some of the photos I took on Sunday to tide you over.

The drive home from Bauang:

Watching the sunset from the Arizona floating bar:

Next up, dinner at John’s place:

A nightcap at Green Room, then home safe and mostly sober.

Facebook memories today:

Twelve years ago, I made a video about the six months of my Korea life prior to departure for the six months portion of life in the USA (I did half a year in each place for the first three years of my retirement).

Four years ago, I did a solo 12K hike like it was nothing. A sad reminder that I’m not the man I used to be. (Sorry, the video won’t embed, click the link to see it)

Today’s YouTube video is about ads from the past that would not be allowed today. Yep, I can see why. Still, it’s a good reminder of how far we’ve come as a society.

Humor time:

Alright, time for me to get my shit together for Manila. I hope it is not a wasted trip (I need two witness signatures, and embassy staff aren’t allowed to provide them. Hopefully, other folks in line will help me out. I’ll let you know how it all goes tomorrow.

Greetings from Bauang, La Union. I enjoyed reading some of the history of this area at the link and got a chuckle when Swan said the name sounds similar to the Tagalog word for garlic (bawang). The four-hour drive from Barretto went without incident, although the traffic was heavy at times after we exited the expressway. I’m staying at the GO Resort once again, a clean, comfortable, and reasonably priced lodging.

Unlike Barretto, there aren’t many bars around here. The one nearest our hotel, Footloose, is where we tend to go to fill some evening hours. On Friday, Footloose does an SOB-like thing: All you can drink from 4:00 until 7:00 and dinner for 650 pesos. They don’t have a dance competition, but for about thirty minutes, the waitresses and GROs go up on the stage and strut their stuff.

And then they finish their performance by doing something you NEVER see in Barretto—they strip naked and dance around the stage, showing their stuff. Personally, I prefer leaving something to the imagination, but that’s just me.

Neither the hotel nor Footloose Bar serves San Miguel Zero beer, so it was a Light night for me. There were more calories and more alcohol in each bottle. A wise man would have reduced his intake accordingly, but no one has ever mistaken me for a wise man.

For some reason, I don’t remember much after we left Footloose. Swan told me that we had come back to the hotel, and I continued drinking with Dave and Jo at the hotel bar. She said I also ordered a mango and ice cream dessert, and that really surprised me. I don’t like mangoes much, and the dessert menu includes a banana split. Of course, since I don’t even remember ingesting those calories, it doesn’t matter what I ate. Another reason it doesn’t matter is that Swan told me when we got back to the room, I threw up (not on the floor, thankfully). Yeah, it was one of those nights. I’ll be doing a hangover Hash this afternoon.

I can do better and I will.

I did a two-minute video of my walk to the hotel restaurant for my breakfast this morning:

When I got back to the room, the door was wide open. I thought it must be housekeeping, but when I looked inside, there was no one there. Thankfully, my laptop was still prominently displayed on the table. I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on, and then Swan watched the video above and observed that I hadn’t closed the door behind me when I left for breakfast. Damn, it sucks to be stupid.

Today’s memory is from eight years ago:

That was also the day I learned I had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). I wrote about that experience in The Story of My Life here at LTG. I’m glad I lived to tell about it. Let’s see how long I can keep it going.

I really enjoyed today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea. She discusses some quirks about aspects of the culture and personalities of the Filipino people. And she looks good doing it!

Some stuff that may make you smile:

That’s all for now. Time to get out of the room and walk around some.

Until next week. We are heading out to La Union for the weekend to participate in the LUH3 2000th Hash run. Getting out of town for a couple of days will be nice.

The last day in Barretto went down like this: a solo walk to Waltermart and beyond, a visit to Dr. Jo for chelation treatment, dinner at Jewel Cafe, beers at Cheap Charlies, and a nightcap at Green Room.

At 1.6-kilometer intervals, the walk looked like this;

So, 6.4 kilometers found me on the river in Mangan-Vaca, and I celebrated by making a video of the riverwalk.

Damn, I need to do something about that cough. Sorry!

I walked another kilometer down the highway and passed a trike stand in Calapandayan. A trike driver shouted out, offering me a ride. I was going to shrug him off, but he somehow knew I lied in Alta Vista. Damn, I never catch trikes in this area, how did he know that? Upon reflection, I surmise he must have taken Swan and me home from the Subic Marketplace sometime in the past. Anyway, I accepted his offer to drive me home.

Next up was the visit to Dr. Jo.

Anyhoo, the chelation treatment was just an injection this time. Next week will be the IV drip. I asked if there were ways to measure the effectiveness of the stuff pumping in my veins, and Dr. Jo said my significantly reduced blood pressure was a good indicator that it was working. In another month or so, I’ll do the lab work to see if my blood sugar has diminished.

After my appointment concluded, we walked up the highway for an early dinner at Jewel.

Then, we were off to the seldom-visited Cheap Charlies.

Some of the Hash gang dropped in while we were there.

We crossed the highway (always the most dangerous part of my day, especially in the dark and after a few beers) and enjoyed our nightcap at Green Room (I had another buy one, get one coupon to spend).

And then I had another moment of weakness. The Sit-n-Bull waitress came by, and I asked if pecan pie was in stock. It was, and I took a slice home with me. And, of course, I smothered it in ice cream.

Will I ever learn? Maybe, maybe not. I’ll probably declare my weekend out of town “cheat days.”

Some memories from this day in history courtesy of Facebook:

My ride to La Union is on the way, so I need to finish this quick. Let’s do Mikey for our YouTube today:

I hope I haven’t posted that before. Oh well, still worth three minutes to see it again. Some humor before I go:

Alright, time for me to hit the road. I’ll see you from La Union!

The steps I took to get through another day included the group hike with the Wednesday Walkers, a journey into town to visit some bars, and an overindulgence with bedtime dessert. Here is some of what I saw along the way:

A short video from the trail:

Sorry for the abrupt ending; the video shut off without my realizing it.

I had some SOB coupons to use or lose, so later in the afternoon, Swan and I journeyed into town. I made a short video of the path we frequently take out of Alta Vista:

To kick things off, we used a “buy one, get one” coupon at Sloppy Joe’s. Four beers later (two free!), we moved next door to Alaska Club, where I had a 500-peso voucher to spend. We ended the evening at Wet Spot with yet another “buy one, get one” deal. I did two and two, which added up to ten for the night. Yep, time to go home. We brought some take-out from Sit-n-Bull to bring with us (pizza for Swan and a chicken quesadilla for me).

Maybe the beer impacted my better judgment, but I asked Swan to prepare me a piece of apple strudel with some ice cream on top for dessert. Oops!

Just before I hit the hay, I looked out the window and viewed this message from God:

So, this morning, I took a longer than usual 9K solo hike. And for some reason, I thought of a long-ago Korean girlfriend along the way. And in another odd twist, this photo appeared in my Facebook memories today:

My journey through the blog archives continues, and I came upon this post from March 29, 2005, in which I recount my discovery of a blog that remains a daily read for me nearly twenty years later–Big Hominid’s Hairy Chasms. In that Good Friday post, Kevin Kim talks about the concept of “putting it down,” a philosophy that still resonates with me even if I fail to adhere to those principles. Give it a read and see if you agree.

I’m no foodie, but if today’s YouTube video is to be believed, renowned chef Gordon Ramsay is a fan of Filipino food, even preferring it over Thai delicacies. I’m skeptical, but what do I know?

And now for some funny business:

There’s a weekend adventure on the horizon, so stick around. I can’t promise it will get any more interesting, but at least the scenery will change. I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.

Motion pictures
on my TV screen,
A home away from home,
and I'm livin' in between
But I hear some people
have got their dream.
I've got mine.

I hear the mountains
are doin' fine,
Mornin' glory
is on the vine,
And the dew is fallin',
the ducks are callin'.
Yes, I've got mine.

Well, all those people,
they think
they got it made
But I wouldn't buy,
sell, borrow or trade
Anything I have
to be like one of them.
I'd rather
start all over again.

Well, all those headlines,
they just bore me now
I'm deep inside myself,
but I'll get out somehow,
And I'll stand before you,
and I'll bring
a smile to your eyes.
Motion pictures,
motion pictures.

Tuesdays are my blah days (yeah, even more than the others), but yesterday was a tad more interesting than usual. I didn’t say exciting, so don’t get your hopes up. Anyway, here’s how things went down.

My laptop has some keyboard issues. For some reason, the “c” and the “v” keys only function intermittently (I just now had to tap the “c” a few times for it to work). Just my luck; it couldn’t be a key I rarely use, like the comma. Oh, well. Since I needed to go to immigration anyway, I took the laptop to a nearby repair shop in Olongapo. The technician ordered whatever part is required, and I’ll bring the computer back on Thursday for the fix.

Next up was the grocery shopping. First stop, the YBC supermarket.

I tried to pause at 48 seconds, but when I hit restart, it created another video instead. Oh well, the first one is enough for today.

I checked some more prices compared to Royal, and YBC is cheaper on everything. We are going to expand our shopping there and use Royal to fill in the gaps for what we can’t get at YBC.

We finished this week’s grocery restock at Royal and then sent my driver and helper back home to offload. Swan and I had other business to attend to. We began by hoofing it over to Harbor Point Mall to resolve issues with my phone. I paid for a premium unlimited data plan through Globe (at a premium price of 3800 pesos a month), but for the past several days, whenever Wi-Fi was unavailable, I couldn’t get internet using data. The helpful attendant at the Globe store confirmed my account was in good standing and then asked to see my phone. She removed the SIM card, put it in her phone, and the data connection worked. Then we tried in Swan’s phone, and it also worked there. So, the problem seems to be with my phone. When we reinserted the SIM, my data worked again. I guess if this happens again, I’ll take out the SIM and put it back (I just now had to let spellcheck put the “see” in back and spellcheck). So, problem kinda sorta resolved.

Meanwhile, Swan had been looking over a price list and asked if I had ever received a free phone. I responded, what are you talking about? Well, it turns out that as part of the Premium Plan Rewards Program, I’m entitled to a free phone every two years. After six years with Globe, no one had bothered to tell the stupid white guy. So, Swan and the attendant chatted in Tagalog, and there was no retroactive way to redeem my past rewards, but I could collect a new phone today. Hell yes, why not?

When we were done with Globe, we walked half a kilometer to the SM Mall on the other side of the river. I was in the market for some new hiking shoes, and the SM department store is the only place around these parts that carries my favorite brand, Merrell. Of course, finding my size (11) is always a challenge, and sure enough, the shoes I liked best weren’t available larger than 10. I settled for the only pair they had in my size and made my way to the men’s clothing section in search of shorts. I asked the salesgirl for anything with a 40″ waist; the biggest she could find was 38″. I tried them on, and I’ll be damned, they fit! I guess the diet plan is having some practical impact, after all.

With the shopping mission completed, we caught a taxi back to Barretto.

When beer o’clock rolled around, it was off to the beach so Swan could get her Tuesday toes in the sand fix.

We had to wait a bit for the raft transport to bring several youngish-looking guys ashore. When we got taken aboard the floater, we were the only customers.

We brought cookies and lollipops for the girls, and they seemed happy enough with our contributions.

When the sun goes, so do we.

After our meal, we triked on home and called it a day.

I had a good laugh this morning reading this post from Kevin Kim’s blog. It turns out there have been some scientific studies trying to determine why people like me have such a warped and unfunny sense of humor. I could blame it on age, I suppose, but truthfully, my jokes have always been a mess. Maybe the puns are worse now, but the biggest difference is it doesn’t matter anymore if people laugh or if they cringe. A reaction is a reaction! I don’t know, and I don’t care if that makes me ignorant or apathetic (you knew that one was coming!).

Facebook memories carried me back to those long-ago days in Seoul (15 years now) when my wife and I would hike up to Seoul Tower atop Namsan.

Damn, sometimes happy memories make you sad.

Today’s YouTube video provides advice to old farts living in the Philippines to enjoy life while you have it and not to worry too much about what’s inevitably to come. I do sometimes wonder just how long I’m going to be around, but I don’t dwell on it much. Every morning, I wake and am thankful for another day to fritter away in meaninglessness. But you know what? I am okay with the life I’m living.

And the stuff I find worthy of a smile:

That’s all for today’s report on yesterday. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Let’s close out with some Korean-style music:

And life is a treasure. A Treasure Island, if you will. Here are some gems from my Saturday.

Swan joined me for a Saturday morning stroll. Naturally, that involved her handing out candy along the way. Hey, it’s what we do! I made an eight-minute video of the first portion of the walk if you are curious about what the local terrain looks like.

Towards the end of the hike, I did a two-minute video of another village we passed through.

Our Saturday evening entertainment was provided by the live music we enjoyed at Treasure Island on Baloy Beach.

Hear for yourself:

Hmm, it sounded better in person. Go figure.

Back home at the usual time and finished Season Two of “Squid Game.” It still leaves me shaking my head in disbelief at times, but I’m all in for the concluding episodes in Season Three. Kevin Kim has a fine review of the second season here.

I was a bad boy last night and couldn’t overcome my urge for a bowl of vanilla ice cream with a crumbled Oreo cookie on top. Damn, it tasted good!

No Facebook memories worthy of note today, but there is this old post from twenty years ago about my first big case in Korea, representing management in a dispute with the American union. We couldn’t resolve our differences, and the case was scheduled for binding arbitration. At the last minute, the union withdrew. I had some court precedents on my side. For one thing, a curfew doesn’t entitle you to pay for the hours you aren’t allowed out on the street. “Stand-by pay,” which is what the union was asking for, only applies when you have to be ready and able to report for duty when called. That wasn’t the case with the curfew; you could be drunk on your ass in a motel room, just not outside. Also, it was well-established that the Commanding General, in this case, a 4-Star, has broad authority to invoke actions deemed necessary to protect the individuals under his command. I wound up getting promoted after this victory.

Welp, it is Groundhog Day, so you can guess what today’s YouTube video is about! I probably need to watch the movie again; I really enjoyed this clip.

And now for some humor:

I don’t know; it seems weird that I have nothing exciting to post about here, yet I’m still enjoying my life. Maybe acceptance comes with old age. I’ve got an upcoming Hash event in La Union next weekend, so there’s that to look forward to. In the meantime, I’ll just keep doing what I do. Today, that means a Hideaway feeding, some time with my girl on the Arizona floating bar, dinner at John’s place, and then a nightcap somewhere or other. Damn, am I living my own Groundhog Day?

In between those bookends, here is how I filled the hours. It being Friday and all, that meant there was a morning group hike to be enjoyed.

We got a Jeepney out to Calapacuan and started our trek from there.

Swan took a video of a portion of our hike:

And I did a short (two minute) video of a rickety bridge crossing:

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I decided to join Tim and Scott for this week’s SOB dance competition at Alaska Club. Swan opted not to attend, so it was the rare (for me) guys night out.

After the SOB is an event called The Aftermath. I very rarely attend because I’ve had enough of drinking by the end of the SOB. I made an exception last night and attended the first hour of The Aftermath at Voodoo. Tim was enjoying his last night in Barretto for a while.

It was a good Friday.

Facebook helped me remember my best dart game ever:

Oddly enough, I don’t miss my darting life all that much these days.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay talks about why waiting to retire may be a mistake. My original plan was to retire as soon as I became eligible at 55 (that was back in 2010) and move to the Philippines. But then I changed my plans and decided to share my life with Jee Yeun. I retired in January 2011, and we moved back to the USA with a plan of spending six months in the States and six months in Korea. I was a happy camper with that life, but something happened with Jee Yeun that I still don’t understand. In 2015 she declined to return stateside, so I found part-time work as a contractor back in Korea. I spent a year trying to change her mind, but in 2016, she said she wanted a divorce. I was devastated (it still hurts to be honest). Then I got an offer to come back to work in my old job with 8th Army, and I took it. I worked for two more years and then packed my bags for the Philippines. I don’t really regret those wasted years, but I’ve seen too many people who keep working until they die. I’m glad I wasn’t one of those.

Maybe you’ll like these:

Yeah, those were worse than usual. Sorry ’bout that! I’ll try to do better tomorrow.

Swan and I kicked off our Thursday by sharing a walk. We took a Jeepney out to Philseco Road on the far side of Subic town and commenced our stroll from there.

This portion of the hike is one of my favorites, so I recorded the walkthrough. It’s twelve minutes long, so feel free to view the video at 2x speed.

On with the hike:

Next on the agenda was my appointment with Dr. Jo. She gave me this week’s chelation injection and then removed the remainder of my facial skin tags.

After I was done with the doctor, I was ready to eat—time for a visit to Jewel Cafe.

After our meal, we stopped by at It Doesn’t Matter.

Then it was on to Wet Spot to use the last of my SOB coupons (buy one, take one). Five beers later, we headed for home. Another episode of “Squid Game” leaves one more to go before Season Two is complete. Then I can read Kevin Kim’s review!

Today’s weekly weigh-in was 230.5, down three pounds from last week and 36.6 pounds since the diet commenced on November 1. I still cringe when I see photos with my belly protruding, but I guess that’s the last to go. I have thirty-one more pounds to lose to reach my goal.

This installment in The Story of My Life is from February 3, 2006, and tells about the day that ended with my first (and only) ambulance ride and my first-ever experience with stitches. I’m glad I lived to tell about it then, and I’m happy to share the memory now.

Today’s Facebook memories included these events:

Six years ago, after many attempts, I finally successfully navigated the route between the end of Rizal Extension and Alta Vista. In honor of that accomplishment, I declared that path would henceforth be known as the My Bitch Trail.

Three years ago, I was recovering from another broken heart.

Things happen for a reason, I suppose. If Paula hadn’t dumped me, I would have missed out on Swan.

It’s the year of the snake, and that makes me think about those slimy creatures when I hike through the grasses. The Philippines has cobras, but they are rarely seen when we are out and about. It’s probably because we make so much noise as we walk that the snakes slither away before we arrive. That wasn’t the case two years ago:

I despise Manila and try to avoid going there as much as possible. I’ll be visiting the US Embassy next month to get a Power of Attorney notarized, but I won’t be spending the night. Makati is where I choose to stay when necessity dictates, but getting there in traffic can be a bitch. Anyway, that’s all a prelude to today’s YouTube video, which spends eight minutes talking about the good things the city has to offer. And yes, the nightlife on Burgos Street can be expensively fun.

Hmm, the video can’t be embedded. You can watch it here if you please.

And now for the smiles:

And that’s the way it was. The way it’s gonna be includes the SOB at Alaska Club tonight. I was on the fence about going, but this is Tim’s last night in town, so I’ll join in the fun. More to come tomorrow.

And in closing, I was sad to learn that Marianne Faithfull has died at 78. I enjoyed her songs back in the day, but I never realized what a f’d up personal life she lived until reading about her passing today. Your music lives on!

Here’s her first hit:

And another song I enjoyed:

A change of scenery will give you a new perspective, and that’s a good thing. Yesterday, the Wednesday Walkers took a thirty-minute drive to the end of the road in Cawag and commenced our hike from there. We’d last ventured out this way a couple of years ago, so the vistas had a fresh look about them. The only downside of the hike was that it was an “out and back again” path, and I don’t like retreating. Still, it was a nice way to kick off the Lunar New Year.

Here’s a couple of minutes of video from the hike coming back:

I didn’t go horizontal because hiking on a rocky path with a phone in one hand and my trekking pole in the other is tough enough.

The Wednesday evening hours were spent at The Green Room and Alaska Club. I had the usual good time at GR, and I even almost beat Chu at pool. I had the first shot at the 8-ball and missed; she didn’t.

The Alaska visit was unusual. An old waitress “friend” I hadn’t seen for several months was back, she came and said hello and took our drink order, but a different waitress delivered them. I called her back over and asked her why she didn’t serve me, and she said it wasn’t her turn. Apparently, the waitresses serve customers in rotation. Okay, no big deal. Would you like a lady drink? And she declined. That’s never happened to me before in fifteen years of visiting and living in the PI. Weird. I called over another waitress I knew, and she gladly accepted my offer to buy her a drink. It’s no big deal; it’s just unexpected to be rejected.

After the Alaska adventure, we headed home and watched another “Squid Game” episode from Season Two. Once again, I’m finding aspects of the show hard to believe. I’ll reserve judgment until I reach the end—two more episodes to go.

Here are some Facebook memories from this day in my history:

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay talks about expats who choose to “go native” and live like the locals. In the comments on another post, I had just mentioned that I chose not to live on SBMA because the vibe felt too much like living in the USA. So, here I am, living the high life in Alta Vista, looking down on the Filipino communities below. As I am wont to say, I may not be living in the Philippines, but I can see it (and hear it) from here.

To the humor we must go:

And that’s all for now, folks. I’ll be heading off for this week’s chelation treatment with Dr. Jo, and then we’ll see what’s going on in town after that. Thanks for coming by.

Short and sweet today because I’m running behind schedule, and I ain’t got much to say anyway. Just my typical Tuesday bookended with morning grocery shopping and the beach in the afternoon.

Here’s a couple of minutes inside the Royal Duty-Free supermarket:

And here’s a five-minute beach walk on the way to our weekly Kokomo’s floating bar visit:

I promise the videos will improve one day soon. I’m looking into purchasing some better equipment and some software that will allow proper editing.

Yesterday’s view as we arrived at the floating bar:

And then this happened again:

With the sun’s show over, we headed back to shore.

We were feeling like Mexican last night:

After our meal, we headed for home. Swan said she missed my smoothies, so I made a batch for the first time in a long time. Two bananas, some frozen strawberries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and some milk in the blender. They were not exactly diet-friendly, but damn, they were tasty! We enjoyed another episode of “Squid Game” while we sipped our sweet treats. Nice to end the evening with more bloody murder and mayhem.

Twenty years ago, I enjoyed family members’ comments on my political blog posts. These days, none of my family reads or comments here at LTG. Everything changes, and life goes on.

Fourteen years ago, the family gathered in Enid, Oklahoma, for my mother’s funeral and burial.

Today’s YouTube video from my vlogger friend, John Brant, is eight years old. John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and I rarely see him out and about these days. He hasn’t vlogged for years now, but it was his videos that got me interested in joining the Hash. I very rarely visit Hot Zone these days, but I understand it is still one of the better girly bars in town. And this pole dancer put on quite a show!

Today’s dose of humor:

And there you have it—another day, another post. Beer o’clock is fast approaching, so I’d best jump in the shower and prepare myself!

Another day in the Philippines life I lived to tell about. A Candy Walk, a party, and a floating bar were the legs on that stool of a Sunday. I’ll let the photos do most of the talking:

I f’d up the video of the Marian Hills portion of our walk. I think the problem is you have to turn the phone horizontally BEFORE hitting the record button. I’ll try to get it right next time. All my efforts at finding a way to flip the video after the upload were also unsuccessful. If anyone has a clue, let me know. I need one. (Warning: watching that mess for three minutes is dizzying.)

Once our candy chore was complete, it was time to prepare for party mode.

Since I was not able to participate in the feeding at Hideaway, I dropped off a bag of goodies and some cash and let the girls feed themselves.

The party was across the highway from Hideaway at the rooftop suite Tim is enjoying at the Coffee Shop hotel. It’s the nicest place in town for the money.

Typical gathering, guys drinking beer and bullshitting, and the women-folk did whatever it was that they did, which seemed to involve downing shots of alcohol yesterday. I went out for a breath of air and enjoyed the views from the roof.

So, we started the party at 1 p.m., and I was nearing capacity when we said our goodbyes and departed at 5:30. Swan wanted to stop at the Arizona floating bar to see the sunset before we went home, and I consented.

We’d both had more than enough to drink by now, so we headed ashore and grabbed a trike for home. Swan was in bed and asleep at 7:30. I was planning to do the next installment of “Squid Game” but didn’t want her to miss out, so I contented myself with some internet surfing. I enjoyed a pudding appetizer before I called it a night.

In this installment of The Story of My Life, I recount the events during one of my early weeks in Korea, including attending some required training and an introduction to aspects of Korean culture.

One of the Facebook groups I belong to is “Westminster High School Alumni.” Someone named Brenda from the Class of ’73 asked if anyone remembered her. I didn’t, but I posted my senior picture in response.

Meanwhile, I’m still poking fun at my lefty Facebook friends:

This is the first time I’ve watched this YouTube vlogger. He covered some aspects of Filipino culture that I’ve also witnessed and did so in only five minutes, which suits my increasingly limited attention span. Worth the watch, IMHO.

Some fun before I go:

And now it is time to prepare for another Hash Monday. Thanks for stopping by!