There is some back-and-forth in the comments regarding Trump’s pardoning of the J6 protesters. To be clear, I do not condone the behavior of those who illegally breached the Capitol grounds in a challenge to the fraudulent 2020 election results. That said, the government’s response has been over the top, including holding individuals in jail for months and years awaiting trial. And the crimes committed were nowhere near as violent as what the BLM protesters did during their summer of burning cities and destroying lives. I’m glad Trump issued the promised pardons. I mean, it’s not like they were corrupt relatives of his or anything like that.

Okay, let’s get back to the daily drivel, shall we? The Wednesday Walkers did an up, over, and down the other side hike across the Kalaklan Ridge and finished with an urban stroll on the streets of Olongapo City. Our up was a rarely taken route and the down was a first for me. I don’t particularly like walking in the city, but the streets were unfamiliar, and noting the differences in vibe between Olongapo and the Barretto ‘burbs was interesting.

My chelation treatment with Dr. Jo went without a hitch, and with that out of the way, we headed to the Outback to begin the fun part of our evening.

I made a short video of our Outback views if you care to have a look:

We moved up the beach for a grilled porkchop dinner at Mango’s.

These days, we might visit Mango’s for dinner once a month or so, so it was funny that as soon as we sat down, the waitress greeted us with: “Red wine, San Miguel Zero, one order of pork chops with an extra plate, and sides of mashed potato and veggies.” Yes, ma’am. You know us too well. And the meal was good, as always.

We went to Whiskey Girl for our nightcap. We hadn’t been there for several months, so it fit my Wednesday agenda of stopping by a seldom-visited bar. We had an additional motive for going to Whiskey Girl. One of the waitresses lives on our Candy Walk route, and Swan felt bad that the kids weren’t around last week. So, we delivered a bag of Bingo cookies and some lollipops for Kim to take home after work. We also brought sweets for the rest of the crew to enjoy during our time there. My old friends Jenn and Josie are no longer working at Whiskey, so that saved me some lady drink cash. I was impressed that the dancers kept moving on stage in a dance-like mode despite us being the only customers during our visit. I thought about tipping them, but decided my doing that in Alaska is more than enough. They got cookies and lollipops instead!

As soon as we walked out the door to head home, a trike pulled up to take us. I took a break from “Squid Game” and hit the hay early.

Twenty years ago, my world changed forever in ways I never anticipated.

I wrote about the journey to Korea here.

For today’s YouTube video, I’ll share another vlogger’s perspective on my hometown of Barretto. I agree with him about the litter but disagree that the bars are the only reason to come here. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my favorite drinking establishments, but that’s a small portion of my day.

The daily dose of smiles:

Maybe twenty years have been enough. We’ll see.

For a simple man. Tuesday is my blah day, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad; it’s just a tad duller than my regular boring days. The highlight of my new dual grocery store shopping excursion was the discovery that the YBC supermarket has lower prices than Royal, at least on some of the items I purchase. My Bingo cookies cost me 58.50 pesos at YBC, and they cost 59 pesos at Royal. Not a big difference, but still good to know that I’m on the right track getting everything I can at YBC and filling in the gaps at Royal.

When we got back home from the shopping adventure, I headed out for my lazy Tuesday neighborhood walk.

Walked by the first house I rented in Alta Visa back in 2018.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more! It’s a Tuesday tradition to hit Baloy Beach and visit the Kokomo’s floating bar. And getting there is some of the fun.

And here’s the video replay of our beach walk:

Yeah, I need to learn to edit. Just watch it at 2X speed to ease the pain.

We had the usual fun on the floater.

We treated the hardworking Treasure Island waitresses to a pizza with lollipops for dessert. They seemed happy with their bounty.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I was wearing my Trump attire as I went about my day. A couple of Filipinos asked about it, but otherwise, no one else had anything to say—until the guy sitting next to me at Treasure Island made a comment—something along the lines of “Go Trump!” I turned to see who it was, and this guy gave me the thumbs up.

So, we had a pleasant chat and shared a toast in honor of President Trump.

Then, it was time to head back home. I made a batch of sugar-free pudding and fired up Netflix for Season Two, Episode One, of “Squid Game.” So, we are two years down the road from where we left off, and the only game last night was some Russian Roulette. It didn’t end well for a couple of folks, but our two main protagonists are still pursuing their quest of discovery. I thought one of them (the cop) had been killed in Season One, so it was a bit of a surprise to see he had survived a gunshot and a fall off a cliff into the ocean. Hey, television makes miracles happen. I’m still in the game for the rest of Season Two, despite my inability to suspend disbelief.

Today’s episode in The Story of My Life tells about a wild night in Itaewon in March 2005 at one of my favorite bars, Sweet Caroline’s. One of my favorite parts of these old posts is the comments. In this one, my then-wife Carol and my sweet mother chime in about my over-indulgence in alcoholic beverages. I’ve learned a lot since then–I mostly stick to beer these days and NEVER mix in shots of the hard stuff. I’m sure I’ll discover similar lessons as my journey through the LTG archives continues.

Today’s YouTube video has the Pea conducting on-the-street interviews with Filipinas to discover what they consider attractive about foreign men. Spoiler alert: a handsome man with no money is not so handsome after all.

Some humor before I go:

An upcoming chelation therapy session with Dr. Jo, and then some Wednesday fun and refreshments on the other side of town.

Check back tomorrow for the latest tales of a simple man.

Dressing for the occasion! Yep, this is what I’m wearing today in honor of the Commander-in-Chief. He’s a felon, doncha know?

It wasn’t a surprise to see Biden issue pardons to assholes like Fauci and the members of the J6 committee.

Alright, that’s enough politics. Let’s talk about yesterday’s Hash. It was a good one! The Hare had a long and a short trail option. But guess what? My group concocted a medium-length version that hit the sweet spot. How about that–those notorious shortcutters ADDING some distance!

It was a good day to be out and about hiking. The aftermath beers were nice, too.

Looking back on some memories:

A commenter mentioned that things have gotten more boring than usual here at LTG since I’ve settled into a drama-free relationship. Well, yeah, I understand that, but I can live without the kind of excitement all those failed couplings created. Coincidentally, I came across this post from September 2020 about my fleeting attraction to a married neighbor. Talk about dodging a bullet! My commenters tried to warn me back then, but I tend to learn things the hard way. Fortunately, I saw the light before things reached the level of consummation.

I’ll be turning 70 later this year, and today’s YouTube video discusses six ways to maintain good health in these golden years. Three flights of stairs? Try climbing the Kalaklan Ridge! Standing on one leg for thirty seconds was harder than I thought it would be, but I managed. I laugh a lot, socialize, and can cook, although Swan handles most of the kitchen work these days. Anyway, I intend to keep on keeping on as long as I am able to breathe.

Into each life, some humor must fall:

I’m gonna do my Tuesday thing on the Kokomo’s floating bar when beer o’clock rolls around. (Shit, I actually wrote “due” instead of “do” in that sentence. I wasn’t kidding about my brain!)

Rolling along through another blessed Sunday. It may not be much, but it is more than enough to keep me happy. My big accomplishment was booking flights and lodging for a trip to Da Nang, Vietnam in July. We’ll also be doing two nights in Hong Kong, another place I’ve never previously visited. I’m flying budget airlines (Cebu Pacific and HK Express) and I hope I don’t regret it. The actual flights are reasonably priced at around a hundred bucks each way. The crazy thing is that the cost of a checked bag is almost as much as the ticket. Oh well, as long as we have a wheels down landing I won’t complain.

Oh, and here was a rare experience. Usually, it is my first name they spell wrong (Jhon):

Anyway, we got out of the house and kicked off the morning with another Candy Walk:

Here’s what the Candy Walk looks like in action:

Part two of the Sunday routine began with the Hideaway feeding:

Then it was time to hit the beach.

Here’s what getting there looks like:

Once the sun is gone, we are ready to head ashore for our Sunday dinner at John’s place.

After a pleasant dining experience, we headed to Wet Spot for our nightcap. A drink for Irene and Beth, some chitchat, then we were homeward bound. And so ended another Sunday.

Today is Martin Luther King Day. His dream of a nation where citizens were judged on their character rather than their skin color has sadly become a nightmare. Despite the blatant racism against white folk that is inherent in “woke” politics, there is still hope for the future.

Let’s go back in time for a moment or two:

From the LTG archives, here’s a post from 2005 showing my first residence in Korea. I stayed there over five years.

Today’s YouTube video claims that the US is reactivating the Subic Bay Naval Base. Um, that is overstating what I understand to be happening. The video really talks about what the Philippines is doing to utilize those facilities to counter China’s aggression. This is not to say that the Americans won’t be returning at some point. With Trump in charge again, anything is possible. The most likely scenario is American military personnel being deployed to Filipino bases on a rotational basis. Still, the best way to prevent a war is deterrence. Hopefully, China gets the message that starting a fight now will be too costly.

Who is up for a laugh?

And now it is time to prepare for another Hash Monday. I’ve seen a map of the trail, and it appears to be one I will enjoy. I’m going to walk to the start via My Bitch, so I should be getting a good step count today. I’ll tell you how it goes tomorrow (assuming I survive).

Nothing much to my Saturday, but I’m okay with that. Filling the hours in a comfortable way suits me just fine, and it makes the occasions where a little more excitement is injected all the more fun. In other words, it’s all good.

Kicked the morning off with a Short Saturday Sweet Slum Street Stroll.

A simple but satisfying Saturday evening in town to round out the day. My first stop was at the salon for a haircut. It always seems to grow back, but I’m not complaining. Coincidentally, whilst scrolling through my archives the other day, I came across a post about my first haircut in Korea. That was quite an experience and a reminder of one more thing I miss about my Korea life.

After the haircut, we visited Jewel Cafe for a light snack (we shared an order of chicken quesadillas). Then we moved on to Green Room for our nightcap. I always enjoy the laid-back ambiance there. I watched a couple of the girls playing some of the worst pool I’ve ever witnessed, but they were so bad it was very entertaining. And then these foreign guys (Chu said they were from Pakistan) took over the table, and I was gobsmacked watching them play what appeared to be a pro-level game. I can’t shoot that well in my dreams!

We bought a large pizza from Sit-n-Bull for the girls, and that put smiles on their faces. Then I gave them something to suck on (I brought along a bag of lollipops). The manager bought me a drink (it was my gin and soda night), and we went home feeling satisfied.

Today’s stroll down memory lane:

And nine years ago, this happened on one of “those” Itaewon nights:

How do you define stupid? How about the guy who walks home on a freezing cold night only to discover he doesn’t have his phone. So he walks back to the bar in the cold only to discover his phone is not in fact where he thought he left it. Walks all the way back to the house and finds the phone smack dab in the middle of the bathroom floor.

I hate being that guy.

Ten years ago, I posted a YouTube video of Korean girls eating American snacks for the first time. So today it will be both a memory and the daily YouTube. You are welcome!

Let’s do some more humor:

Yeah, I don’t give a fuck. It’s worth the effort to click on the link and watch this video about the most versatile word in the English language:

And here I am on the brink of another Sunday evening. I’m a prisoner to my routines, so that means a Hideaway feeding, some time on the water at the Arizona floating bar, then dinner at John’s place. Nope, I ain’t complaining.

No, that’s not what she said. But what a difference a day makes. For one thing, I got back to walking:

The big event that got me up early and kept me out all day was our annual outreach feeding at the Iram Aeta village in Old Cabalan, Olongapo. The Friday hiking group headed out from our Baloy meet-up at 0800 and arrived in Iram a little before nine. The natives were waiting expectingly for the food bag distribution. Swan and her friend Sheryl provided a spaghetti meal with cold drinks and candy for the kids. Meanwhile, the rest of us headed for Tago Falls, a place we had never previously visited. That turned out to be a very satisfying 8K adventure. By the time we got back to the village, the handouts were done, and it was time to feed the hungry hikers. Swan and her crew prepared a lunch of grilled sausages, and we washed them down with cold beers. It was close to 2 p.m. when we finally headed for home, but the fun wasn’t over yet. During the drive, the decision was made to stop at It Doesn’t Matter to celebrate our successful mission.

It was late in the afternoon when I was finally back in my Alta Vista homestead. The first thing we did was take a much-needed nap. Then I dashed out yesterday’s blog post before settling onto the sofa for the concluding Season One episode of “Squid Game.” Man, I’m tired again just telling you about the day. I’ll let the pictures fill in the gaps:

Thirty seconds of hiking video for your viewing pleasure:

I suck with these videos, but take a minute and have a look around:

I finished Season One of “Squid Game,” and I’m up for starting Season Two. As an added bonus, I finally allowed myself to read Kevin’s review. I concur with his thoughts for the most part and will delve more into that in a future post. I’m running a tad late this afternoon.

There is only one memory to share today. Today is the fourteenth anniversary of my mother’s passing. Here’s what I wrote that day.

Miss you, Mama!

Today’s YouTube is features the Filipina Pea responding to questions from her viewers. Regarding the baby making, I got that possibility sliced twenty years ago. It cost me a relationship with a woman I loved here because I couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted most.

And some humor:

Anyway, life goes on until it doesn’t. So, I’m going to take my sweetie into town soon and do some living. Back with more tomorrow.

Here’s the song my nephew Jason sang with his Filipina wife (he met her when she was working as a singer on a cruise ship) at my mother’s funeral gathering:

Yesterday was a tad too much of nothin’ for my taste, but I was under doctor’s orders not to work up a sweat, and I did as I was instructed.

The day wasn’t a total waste, however. Once the sun was going down, we attended a gathering at the next-door neighbor’s house and filled some hours socializing.

Back home, I plopped my lazy ass down in front of the television and watched TWO episodes of “Squid Game.” Episode 7 was a tad strange as well as being bloody. The rich VIPs coming to witness the violence was more than the usual over-the-top this series seems to strive for. Episode 8 brought the number of remaining contestants down to two, and sadly, my favorite character isn’t one of them. The season finale is next, and I’ll be watching that as soon as I finish this post.

No Facebook memories worthy of note today, but I’ve been working my way through the LTG archives, and I came upon a post from twenty years ago talking about my experience after three months as a little read blogger. What triggered that post was getting my first and only “instalache” (a link from the wildly popular Glenn Reynolds blog, Instapundit). If you are curious, this is the post that got the link.

Politics or humor?

I came across today’s YouTube video while reading a Philippines expat forum I’m a member of (PIatNight). Another sad tale of a foreigner who can’t afford to pay for the medical care he needs and is soliciting donations from the expat community. He wasn’t getting much sympathy from the folks at PIatNight. It’s true you should have a backup plan in place in case of a medical emergency. My health insurance from the USA isn’t accepted in my hospitals here (I have to pay and then submit for reimbursement), but if need be, I have a credit card I can use to pay for treatment. An interesting thing about the guy featured in this video is that he is a former champion powerlifter and even has his own Wikipedia page. Here’s hoping things work out for Kaz.

To the humor we must go:

Okie dokie, it’s time to fire up Netflix and finish Season One of “Squid Game.” If you are curious as to why today’s post is coming so much later than usual, I had a day today completely opposite of yesterday’s nothingness. I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow!

Seeing is believing, so keeping my eyes healthy and functioning is a worthy objective. My visit to the ophthalmologist yesterday didn’t reveal any negative surprises. I can’t see shit out of my left eye–not even the big top line on the eye chart–it’s all just a blur. So, the infection I’ve been treating with antibiotic eyedrops since last week has cleared up. The left eye exam didn’t show any retina damage. The eye doc said I could schedule a cataract removal surgery at my leisure, but it wasn’t currently something to worry about. I may see about getting some prescription reading glasses to avoid going under the knife laser for as long as possible.

Next up was a visit with Dr. Jo. After receiving my chelation injection, she went to work on removing the skin tabs on and around my eyelids. I wasn’t sure what that would involve, but it was much more unpleasant than I anticipated. She used a local anesthetic, which dulled most of the pain, but it was a slow process, and I have lots of eye boogers. After an hour of discomfort, Dr. Jo finished with my left eye, and I told her we could do the right eye next week. I’d had enough torture for one day and had no secrets to reveal.

I’m not looking forward to the next session. The things I endure to stay gwapo.

When Dr. Jo finished with me, it was after five, and I had skipped lunch, so I was hungry. Time for a visit to Sit-n-Bull. My diet aspirations aren’t all that strict. I try to achieve my goal of fewer than 1800 daily calories and avoid sweets and other unhealthy options most of the time. At least so far, I’ve been losing weight with that approach. Being hungry and having banked the calories I didn’t consume for lunch, I almost convinced myself that I was justified in satisfying my craving for a roast beef dip sandwich. But before ordering, I checked my app to see how many calories that would cost me. The sandwich alone was more than 500, so I nixed that idea and went with this instead:

I had a couple more drinks (it was my gin and soda night) at Wet Spot to ease the pain, and then we headed home to watch episode six of “Squid Game.” I was surprised to see so many regular characters killed off this time (my favorite survived). There are three more episodes to go in Season One, and hopefully, it will begin to make more sense to me by then.

I didn’t do the Wednesday group hike, and Dr. Jo told me to avoid sweating today, so I’m suffering from a walkaholic withdrawal right now. We have a special hiking event tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to getting back on the trail.

I’ve booked rooms and paid for two Hash events in La Union next month (Feb 7-9 and Feb 28-Mar 2). And I’m in the early stages of planning a trip to Da Nang, Vietnam, come June. Yep, I am finally getting off my lazy ass and preparing to reengage in the travel portion of my retired life. It helps when you have a girlfriend who likes to get out of town. I’ve promised her a minimum of one excursion each month.

And another journey that is ongoing:

Today’s installment in The Story of My Life is a post about a weekend in my new Itaewon life. I visited a bar called Sweet Caroline’s, which would become one of my favorites, and began meeting fellow expats. I mentioned that I was avoiding the bars with lady drink pressure, and this exchange with my then-wife in the comments made me smile:

Carol: You could be the loneliest person ever created, and yet I would highly recommend you avoid buying drinks for pretty or even unpretty Korean females! Get my drift?

Me: yes, dear, I get it…

Carol: Sorry baby, it was the hormones talking. Of course, I meant every word of it.

Good times, and it is nice to remember those long-ago days.

Here’s a travel memory for today:

And keeping with the travel theme, today’s YouTube vlogger takes us along on his visit to Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol. Bohol has been at the top of my list of places to see in the Philippines. I hope to accomplish that soon, maybe in March.

And now for the daily dose of humor:

And now I have.

My apologies!

So, I am changing things up and staying close to home today. Neighbors Jeff and Vina are having a gathering at their place, and we will be attending. Thanks for spending some time here at LTG.

So, I guess that makes it a Ruby Tuesday! Here are some of the shiny moments I experienced. Starting with a new twist to the grocery shopping routine:

In the afternoon, I planned to visit Dr. Jo. Meanwhile, Swan would attend the RSL meeting for another chance to win the Joker Jackpot of 90,000 pesos (around $1750). Swan’s event started at 2 p.m., and my appointment was at 3:00. Of course, things don’t always go according to plan. When I arrived at Dr. Jo’s, the door was locked, and the office was dark. WTF? I rattled the door a bit, and she came and opened it. There were some issues with the power company, and the lights had been shut off without warning. Dr. Jo said she could do the chelation injection but couldn’t remove the skin tabs on my eyelids without electricity. Instead, I arranged to come back today after my ophthalmologist appointment in Olongapo.

With nothing better to do, I crossed the highway and joined the RSL meeting in progress at Mango’s. They hadn’t started the raffle drawings yet, so I had to sit there and suffer through an hour and a half of prize giveaways. Neither of us had a ticket drawn this week and the person who got to pick the joker guessed right and won the big jackpot. At least we won’t be motivated to sit through future raffles for a while.

When the RSL concluded, we made our way to Baloy Beach for our weekly visit to the Kokomo’s floating bar.

I was even inspired to do a brief video:

When our time on the floater was done, we hit the beach. Neither of us was hungry enough for a big meal, so we shared a couple of tacos.

So, nice that I decided to do another video:

When I’m sitting in a bar or restaurant, I occasionally check my phone to see what is happening on social media. And that’s how I came across this post from MacArthur’s Bar on Facebook:

Swan told me just to ignore it, but I couldn’t resist leaving this comment:

OMG! I had no idea girls in other bars are slaves who are forced to go on barfines. Who knew?

Then the owner responded to my comment thusly:

John McCrarey please reread the post …. I’m the owner and policy maker . I run a shift with no barfine or early work release . I don’t get money from selling the girl for a bar share of roughly 1500 and I’m not calling out any bar that does this . My girls make their own decisions with their body after their shift . They also choose where they want to work . After their shift they have no fear of being seen with a customer. I can’t say the same from other bars and I’m not calling out other bars as girls choose where to work .

He does make some valid points, but the “pimp girls” and slave thing seems a bit much. If I ran a bar, I wouldn’t permit barfines either. And one of my pet peeves about the bar business here is that some bars will punish the girls who go with customers after work hours, calling them “sneak outs” to avoid paying the barfine. Years ago, I invited a door girl from Hot Zone to join me for lunch on her day off. She said we’d have to leave town to eat because if someone saw her with a customer, she’d have to pay the barfine. On her freakin’ day off! Come to think of it that is a bit like slavery.

Speaking of slavery, we watched episode 5 of “Squid Game” when we returned home last night. I’m trying hard to suspend disbelief that something like this could happen, but I’m sure I’ll learn more about the motivations of those involved as things move forward. I’m committed to getting through Season One so I can read Kevin’s review, spoilers, and all. Maybe it will make more sense then.

I stocked up on sugar-free pudding, so no more brownies!

Things I remember today:

Speaking of the departed, I learned that my high school pal Steve Ewing passed away this week in California. I had lost touch with Steve years ago, but my brother Greg and Steve still maintained contact. I was also relieved to discover that my other best friend from that era, Rod Headlee, is still around. He dropped Facebook and disappeared, but Greg says Rod and his wife are doing well.

Today’s YouTube is a bit worrisome, given my current eye issues. I’ll be back to the ophthalmologist today, but given that I’m basically blind in my left eye, I expect cataract surgery is in my near future. He did a good job on the right eye a couple of years ago, so maybe I shouldn’t worry so much. We shall see. *ahem*

Let’s give ’em something to smile about:

That’s how it all went down on Tuesday. Two doctor visits are in my immediate future, and after that, we shall see. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

The afternoon and evening weren’t hard either. The easy sweetness started with the Sunday morning Candy Walk.

We didn’t have much time to prepare for the party after we got back home. I’d put the chili in the crockpot when I woke up at 5 a.m., so it was ready to go. I baked a batch of cornbread muffins, took a shower, then bagged things up and headed out.

I’ve eaten at the restaurant a few times but never been inside the hotel. Tim is staying on the rooftop, which only has his room and one other. I think “room” is the wrong word; he’s in a massive three-bedroom luxury suite. It featured a huge, fully-equipped kitchen with top-end appliances. It is undoubtedly the nicest hotel lodging I’ve ever seen anywhere, and I traveled a lot back in the day. Apparently, the Coffee Shop owners used to live here and then started renting it out as part of the hotel when they moved. Only fifty bucks a night! Truth be told, I would love living there, except it wouldn’t work for the dogs. The rooftop is on the hotel’s fourth floor, and the elevator goes as far as the third floor. An easy walk up a flight of stairs gets you to the top.

The party was taking place inside Tim’s lodging, and he had a massive layout of food (and plenty of cold beer!).

The party had begun at noon, and by 4:30 things were winding down and Swan and I departed. Downstairs, I asked if she wanted to do anything else before we headed home. She responded, “Floating bar!” And so we crossed the highway and headed for the beach.

A trike home from Arizona and a Swan steak for dinner. Then it was time to flop down on the couch for a bloody episode three of “Squid Game.” I’m still not clear about what’s going on or why, but I’ll keep watching to find out. I’m starting to get to know the main characters and have already identified my favorite. Can you guess who?

I happened to look out the living room window at some point, and this is what I saw:

Seven years ago, I enjoyed an adventurous day in Pyeongtaek:

We won’t get fooled again. Or at least I won’t, although, I really didn’t get fooled the first time.

I randomly came across today’s YouTube video. I reckon the female vlogger’s advice about “not making it too easy for your Filipina” might make sense in some situations, but it does seem to me a couple should be striving to make things easier for both of you. I’ve got a long history of some monumental relationship fuckups during my almost seven years in country, but I finally hit the jackpot with Swan.

Let’s share a smile or two:

Not to be a dick about it, but there does seem to be a cocky theme in today’s humor memes.

So, Hash Monday is upon me. Leech My Nuggets is the Hare, and he has a long, hard trail in store for us today. My “sane” group will do the first big hill and then decide where we go from there. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

It wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was still enjoyable. For our Saturday hike, we changed things up by taking a Jeepney to Subic town and then walking home from there (we usually do the opposite).

My Sunday routines are out of kilter today. We are fixin’ to do the Candy Walk, but at noon, we will be attending a party on the roof of Tim’s hotel. I’ve got some chili in the crockpot to contribute to the festivities. And that’s why you are seeing the rare morning post here at LTG. It’s now or never! Anyhoo, I won’t be doing the feeding at Hideaway, the Arizona floating bar, or the dinner at John’s place today. But all is not lost and forsaken; we went to John’s for dinner last night instead.

We started our nightcap at Green Room and finished at Wet Spot. I sponsored a mini-pool tourney between two of the Green Room gals (100 pesos to the winner, best out of three). I gave the loser 50 pesos because I’m such a nice guy. It was fun watching them play; both were very good.

Once we returned home, I fired up the TV and watched Episode Two of “Squid Game.” Not as exciting as the opening, but it moved the story forward. My goal is to watch at least one episode a day. A downside for me was sitting in front of the television, knowing there were leftover brownies in the fridge. I couldn’t resist, so had Swan bring me one. A la mode, of course. And it was so good that I snuck another. Yeah, sometimes I have zero self-control. Of course, when I was single, I could eat the brown knees instead. Don’t worry, I’m not missing those days. Much.

I’ll try and remember to do better, like I was seven years ago.

Time to check in with the Pea for today’s YouTube video. She talks about some of the cultural differences in a diverse population of Filipinas. I’ve never met a Waray, but they sound pretty wild!

And now we can smile some:

Alright, time to head out for the Candy Walk then off to the party. Damn, it’s gonna be another one of those early days I despise, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Because at the end of the day, It Doesn’t Matter. Here’s how I got from here to there:

My chelation treatment with Dr. Jo went fine once I got in to see her. I had a 2 p.m. appointment, but she wasn’t finished with the patient before me until 2:30. That’s the first time that’s happened on my visits. It wouldn’t have mattered, except I had another appointment in Olongapo at 3:30. The chelation itself only takes a few minutes, but I had to delay getting some skin tabs removed until next week. A commenter asked if the treatment was having any noticeable impact, but I’m only on my second series of injections. Dr. Jo says it usually takes around six before you can tell how well it works. Still, my blood pressure has been lower of late, which may be related to clearing the gunk out of my veins. So, I’m going to continue down this road and see where it leads.

Right as we were crossing the highway after leaving Dr. Jo’s office, a nearly empty Jeepney came by, so we had a comfortable ride to SBMA. A couple of blocks walk to Baypointe Hospital, and we arrived fifteen minutes early for my appointment with the ophthalmologist.

So, with some time to kill, I thought sharing my thoughts on video might be worthwhile. (Sorry about the low volume, I was in a crowded hospital and didn’t want to speak loud)

Anyway, I did get in at the appointed time. The eye exam itself was a bit of an, um, eye opener. My right eye (the one I had cataract surgery on) was still working at 95% efficiency. When it was time to read the chart with my left eye, I couldn’t see it at all. So, I’m basically blind in that eye. Freaked me out some, to say the least. When I got in to see the eye doc, I told him about the fluid leaks I’d been experiencing for the past couple of months. Sometimes, when I get up to pee at night, it feels like my eye is glued shut. Anyway, he took a look, and I indeed have an infection in my eyes. He prescribed antibiotic eye drops. I asked if my vision issue in the left eye was cataract-related, and he said we needed to clear the infection first so he could have a better look. I’ve got a follow-up appointment next Wednesday.

With the medical shit behind me, I was ready to check out the SBMA dining options. Well, by check out, I mean I looked at the different places we walked past on the several-block stroll to where I knew I wanted to eat–Texas Joe’s.

It was good eating! With the meal out of the way, we hoofed it back to the SBMA main gate and grabbed a taxi for the 350 peso ride back to Barretto. (I opted not to try a Jeepney because it was rush hour, and I knew they would be uncomfortably packed with riders, assuming we could even find one we could all fit inside.

The taxi dropped Teri at the pharmacy to get my eye meds, and Swan and I continued on to It Doesn’t Matter for some wine and beers to end our day.

Speaking of miracles, I managed to stay under my calorie cap:

In today’s installment of The Story of My Life, I write about my first day of work for the Army in Korea. The highlight of that day was meeting the 8th Army Commanding General, Charles Campbell. After a career of working with dipshit postal and federal government executives, I was blown away by how this guy was one of the most capable leaders I’d ever seen in action. Looking at his Wikipedia page just now, I see he died in 2016. A life well lived, and thank you for your service, sir.

Coincidentally, today’s Facebook memory is also from my Army in Korea days.

Today’s YouTube video from George’s All About The Philippines includes some views from the back streets of Barretto that I frequently walk. He visits the Pugon Corner Smoke Yard. When the place first opened, I loved visiting because it was almost as good as Texas Joe’s and much more conveniently located. Also cheaper. Alas, in the ensuing years, it has gone to shit to such an extent that I no longer go there. George also takes you out to the Arizona floating bar so you can enjoy seeing one of my Sunday hangouts.

And now for the humor:

Welp, it’s Friday evening, and you know what that means. But you would be wrong. I’m not going to the SOB because it is at La Oficina, and that’s a venue I no longer patronize. So, that gives me the freedom to try something new tonight. And what could be newer for me than actually staying home? Yep, you read that right. So, how am I gonna fill those hours? I’m going to watch TV. Specifically, a Netflix series called “Squid Game” which was recommended by the esteemed reviewer Kevin Kim. I meant to start watching it before Season Two was released, but I totally forgot about it. Now I need to make up for lost time. I’ll give you my first impressions tomorrow.

And it was good to be back at it. Did the morning group hike with the Wednesday Walkers to kick off the day.

A nap, a shower, and a blog post later, it was time to head into town. One of my Wednesday objectives is to patronize a seldom-visited bar just to change things up a little and to see what I might be missing. My plan was to start things off at Mugshots, but alas, they were not open. It could be a Wednesday thing, or maybe they open later than 5 p.m. Whatever the case, we made Cheap Charlies our plan B.

It was a gin and soda night, and after I’d downed two, we were ready to move on to another seldom-visited venue–Alaska Club. There was a pool tourney taking place, but otherwise, no other customers. Three dancers were on stage when we arrived; a little bit later, there were six. I wasn’t paying attention to them, but Swan leaned over and said, “They are waiting for you.” Oh yeah, during my rare visits to Alaska, I usually tip the dancers 50 pesos each in recognition of the fact that they are one of the few groups on stage in Barretto that actually dance, especially when there are no customers. Anyway, that’s why the other three went up on stage so that they wouldn’t miss out on the tip. I called the waitress over, gave her three one hundred peso notes, and asked for change. When the 50s arrived, I dutifully handed one to each girl on stage, and they seemed happy with their bounty. When I sat back down, three of the dancers left the stage. Made me smile.

I’d brought along some lollipops and cookies to share with the crew, and they all seemed to appreciate them as well. Here’s an example of why I love Swan. Our waitress is a lesbian. So, when it came time to hand out the goodies, I leaned over and whispered to Swan, “I’m going to tell our waitress that I know she doesn’t like doesn’t like to suck, but I bet she’d like to eat a cookie.” Swan burst out laughing. It’s nice to have a girl who appreciates my sense of humor!

Two more gin and sodas, and it was time to move on to our nightcap venue right next door at The Green Room. Two wines for Swan, four gins for me, and six lady drinks later, we’d had our fill and brought the Wednesday outing to an end. It was a good night out on the town.

A couple of Facebook memories from Korea today:

Today’s YouTube video is about a pretty shocking housing scam. The victim made some dumb mistakes, the most important one being trusting someone he thought was a friend. I made the decision when I moved here to not buy property. I’m wavering a little in that because I would like to make sure Swan is taken care of when my time on Earth is over. Hopefully, I’ll be smarter than these guys if I do.

Now for the funny stuff:

Speaking of which, I have a 2:00 p.m. appointment today with Dr. Jo for my next session of chelation therapy. After that, I have to get my sorry ass to Baypointe Hospital on SBMA to visit my ophthalmologist concerning some eye issues I’ve been experiencing. I may stick around on SBMA for dinner after that appointment. We’ll see.

Here we go again. I’ll try to keep it short and sweet today. I’ve got the grocery shopping quirks, the RSL gathering, a post-meeting visit to the Kokomo’s floating bar, and a stroll on the beach. And that was the extent of my Tuesday. It wasn’t all that exciting, but the day did have its moments.

Shopping at Royal was more frustrating than usual due to the out-of-stock bugaboo. It boggles my brain that a major grocery store can’t seem to keep popular items on the shelf. I’m not even talking about imports that may be subject to shipping delays; the things I couldn’t get yesterday are all made right here in the Philippines–stuff like the Bingo cookies I hand out on my walks and Coke fucking Zero for chrissakes. Okay, okay, I’ll calm down. There was a happy ending to the frustration. We visited a supermarket in Olongapo City called YBC to see if we could fill any of those Royal shortcomings. They had everything we wanted and more. I stocked up on Bingo cookies and found Coke Zero in the 16oz bottles I prefer over cans. Royal hasn’t had the bottles going on a year now. An added bonus was getting all the candy we usually have to purchase at the Subic Market Place. I’ll be making YBC a regular stop on my shopping Tuesdays henceforth.

Next up was the Return and Services League meeting that began at 2:00 p.m. I hadn’t been for over a year, so I needed to renew the memberships for Swan and me (1050 pesos for both). The gathering was at Mango’s, and we were lucky enough to get there early and find good seats. Beer cards were available for purchase (four beers for only 250 pesos), which was a reasonable discount. I bought two cards during the course of my visit.

So, the RSL meeting (or at least this one) was all about the raffles, of which there were three. We did stand for a moment of silence to honor those who served defending Australia as well as those who made the ultimate sacrifice. The first raffle was for a variety of prizes (mostly liquor and grocery items), but the big items were two tickets for a chance at the Joker jackpot. One of the reasons for the large turnout is that the Joker pool is now over 75,000 pesos ($1500.). Swan and I both contributed 500 pesos for tickets to the drawing, but alas, our numbers were not drawn. The two folks who were selected had to guess where the joker card was on a board. Only ten cards (out of 52) had not as yet been turned over, so the odds were in their favor. Both of them guessed wrong, so next week, the pot is larger, and only eight cards remain. Will I go and try again? Probably not.

My main gripe about the RSL gathering is the early start, the same reason I retired from dart league. I’ve got my schedule and routines, and heading out before two messes me up. The other thing is I found sitting around waiting for the next raffle to begin excruciatingly boring. Once the Joker drawing was done, the last pot was called the 50-50. You purchase as many separate tickets as you want at 100 pesos each, and if your ticket is drawn, you get half of that pot. We bought 500 pesos worth. They kept going around the room soliciting additional ticket purchases, and I grew increasingly impatient and frustrated because I was ready to go. At last, they did the drawing, and lo and behold, my number was drawn, and I became 6500 pesos richer. That more than covered my expenses for the afternoon.

With my refurbished wallet in pocket, we made our way to Baloy Beach.

So, with eight beers under my belt at the RSL and four more on the floater, it was time to make our way home.

My judgement was once again impaired and I finished off the apple strudel leftovers along with the rest of the ice cream. But that’s all I had for dinner, so it balances out, right?

So, here’s another episode in The Story of My Life. My first dining experience in a traditional Korean restaurant, sitting on the floor and using metal chopsticks, wasn’t a total disaster, and I did learn from it. It was the beginning of my time in Korea and it only got better from there. I will always remember and miss those days.

Going even further down memory lane, forty years ago, I was immersed in another alien world–Oklahoma.

Twenty years ago, when LTG was still something new, I linked to a post from Althouse about intelligence as a factor in mate selection. The comments on my post made me smile when I re-read it today, with both my wife at the time (Carol) and my high school girlfriend (Cherish) weighing in. What a life I’ve lived! And yes, I did write posts with some substance back in those days.

Today’s YouTube video is evidence of just how low I can go. Hey, I’m trying at least. And this really is just for practice, so bear with me. I’ll get better, I promise.

Yikes! Clear your head with these:

Okay, here’s how my day started:

No idea what’s coming next today, or where it is happening, but I expect it might involve some beer. I’ll let you know about today’s hike and tonight’s debauchery tomorrow.

You still here? Well, if you thought the YouTube video I posted above is bad, get a load of this one I did earlier:

I’ve got a long way to go! But I’ll do better. Starting with holding the phone so the video isn’t sideways. Oh, and my story “when I moved to Korea…” was supposed to be “when I moved to the Philippines.” The only way to go from here is up!

Thanks for the input on things you’d like to see here at LTG! I’ll do my best to periodically incorporate some of the ones that are within my wheelhouse in an effort to keep things fresh and a tad more interesting.

Commenter Kevin Kim suggested I share some of what I learned during my career in human resources management. I’ve been retired for going on seven years now, and most of what I experienced has gotten more than a little fuzzy. But I’ll kick things off with this anecdote:

There was a time when I needed to hire my own personal secretary. I had three female applicants who were all equally qualified on paper. So I called each of them in for an interview and asked each one the same question: “What would you do if I gave you ten thousand dollars?”

The first candidate answered: “I’d use the money to feed the poor children in Africa.”

The second interviewee responded: “Oh, I would go on a shopping spree and buy everything I’ve always wanted!”

The the third person told me: “Sir, I would invest the money and double it in ten years.”

So, which one do you think I hired?

I’ll reveal the answer at the end of this post.

Commenter Terry asked: “I’ve wondered how you and Kevin met and became friends . He does not do the bar thing. Was it through hiking?” And here’s the answer:

Kevin and I met in Korea many years ago through our blogs. That was before I developed an interest in hiking. Kevin is a foodie, so our first meet-ups in person were in restaurants around Itaewon that I liked. Kevin doesn’t drink, but I did get him up to my Shenanigans hang-out once. After I became a walker, we did a couple of hikes together. I showed him some paths I used to climb Namsan (a famous mountain in Seoul), and he took me on an 18-kilometer ass-kicking river walk out near where he lives. Good times and nice memories!

Anyone else curious about anything, feel free to ask away in the comments.

Alright, back to the usual stuff here at LTG. Well, actually, yesterday was on the unusual side of the scale. The only thing I did was attend a pool party at Treasure Island.

I rarely attend the quarterly pool parties because they are always held on Monday afternoon, which is Hash day. The combination of a trail I didn’t want to do and an inconvenient On-Home venue made the decision to skip the Hash this week an easy one. The pool party proved to be a nice change of pace.

I was also reminded that my normal reluctance to consume alcohol early in the day is wise. Of course, occasional stupidity is where wisdom comes from. Anyway, I had my first beer at 11:30 and my final brew at 4:00. Those were the bookends for the ten I consumed in between. It sucks to be over capacity at the time of day when I’m usually just starting out. Swan was drinking wine and also over-indulged. When we got home around 4:30, she went straight to bed.

The buffet that was included in the price of admission consisted of hot dogs, burgers, and fried chicken pieces, with sides of potato salad and coleslaw. I went with a burger, well, make that two burgers, but I only used one bun. It was quite tasty and satisfied my growling stomach.

The pool party itself consisted of the girls from the seven SOB bars competing in a series of events. As you might have guessed my favorite was the bikini contest. Here are a few of the photos I took throughout the afternoon.

Anyway, not a bad afternoon. Of course, all those beers affected my better judgment, and I wound up cheating. Swan was sleeping, and well, I just couldn’t resist the temptation. So, I baked an apple strudel. And when it was done, I smothered it in vanilla ice cream. And there is a price to be paid for such indulgences.

In the early 60s, I was growing up in Southern California. There was a chain of drugstores called Thrifty. And these stores had an ice cream counter. Perhaps that’s where I first fell in love with the sweetness in a cone.

Today’s YouTube video is from George’s All About The Philippines. He does a daytime stroll in the portion of Subic right next door to Barretto. I walk that stretch often. I’m a tad reluctant to become a vlogger, and if I ever do, I’d hope to make it a little more interesting than this. Still, if you want to get a birds-eye view of what things look like in these parts, here you go.

The funnies:

Another day with something different on tap. I’ll be attending the RSL (The Returned Services League, basically, the Aussie version of the VFW). I’m technically a member, but I have only attended one meeting previously. The neighbors invited us to participate today as there will be a big fundraising raffle. I don’t like drinking in the early afternoon, but it’s for a good cause, so… I’ll tell you all about tomorrow.

What are you still doing here? Oh. You want to know who I hired. Well, the big clue was that the position being filled was my personal secretary. So, of course, I hired the one with the big tits. (Sorry, couldn’t resist telling my favorite HR joke)

Well, here we go again. I enjoy my life and my routines, but with the exception of an occasional variance, it’s all pretty much the same old, same old. Same doesn’t make it bad or even boring, except maybe when you are writing (or reading) about it seven days a week. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the twenty years I’ve been blogging here at LTG, but I worry that my posts are increasingly about little more than looking in the mirror. I assuage that guilt somewhat by telling myself the blog is my diary, and the handful of faithful readers are just along for the ride. But I’d like it to be more than that if possible. So, I am open to suggestions if there are any subjects you’d like me to weigh in on. I can certainly offer my opinions from a boots-on-the-ground perspective. One commenter wanted to hear me recite poetry, so I did and never heard from her again. Anyway, if there is anything I can do to make the blog more interesting, please let me know in the comments.

So, with nothing better to do, let me share some photo highlights from my Sunday.

On our last street, we ran into some controversy. We had stopped doing candy handouts on this street several months ago because a grumpy old man didn’t like the kids throwing candy wrappers on the ground. When we passed here on the Christmas Hash, some mothers told Swan the kids missed us. The old man shouted at Swan again yesterday, so she walked away from a group of expectant children. That pissed me off, and I gave one of the mothers a bag of cookies and asked her to pass them out. Swan and I disagreed on the matter, but my take is, why in the fuck does this old shit think he can tell us not to hand out candy to kids that aren’t his? Yeah, they should be taught not to litter (I’ve never seen them do it), but he’s out of line for not being respectful towards Swan. Anyway, I will make it a point to come down this street more often and always carry some sweets.

Next on my Sunday agenda was feeding those hungry girls at Hideaway. There was a pool tourney going when I arrived, and the place was packed like I’ve rarely seen it.

An hour later, it was time for me to hit the beach.

And shortly thereafter, so were we. It was time for us to head to shore for some dinner at John’s place.

After dinner, we moseyed up the highway and had our nightcap at The Green Room. I got enticed to play waitress Chu in a pool game, and once again, she kicked my sorry ass. I really need to start practicing, although even when I played in the Itaewon league regularly, I sucked.

Seven years ago, I was trying to find the path I’d heard about from Alta Vista to Rizal Extension.

What with the rumblings about bird flu and a new virus in China, this is a timely reminder:

Today’s YouTube video features a vlogger I don’t much care for because of his persistently negative attitude. Today’s subject is beggars, and specifically children who beg. I got accosted as a tourist in Manila by a “gang” of kids begging for money and literally had to run to get away from them. Although there are a couple of adults in Barretto to whom I occasionally provide coins, I NEVER give money to kids. For one thing, I’ve heard it is against the law, but my main objection is that I don’t want to encourage them to grow up thinking this is an option in life. Have some self-respect and dignity. And shame on the parents who put their kids up to this racket.

Time to lighten things up:

And now it is time for me to get ready to head out to Treasure Island on Baloy Beach to enjoy a pool party. I will surely enjoy it much more than today’s Hash trail, which starts in Lower Kalaklan and finishes at the end of Rizal Extension. It’s a Vienna Sausage trail, which means at least one long-ass climb to the ridgeline and who knows what after that. No thank you! And best of all, I’ll have something different to post about tomorrow! See you then.

Made it through another Saturday, and I’m happy for the opportunity to have experienced it. There was nothing out of the ordinary or particularly exciting to report, but I enjoyed it just the same. Let me show you what I mean:

Our walk was short (5K) and sweet. A lazy afternoon, and then it was time to make our way into town.

When we left BarCelona, Swan went into the market and bought some chocolate milk snacks for the kids.

We visited Jewel Cafe for our dinner, and enjoyed our usual:

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot and had a good time with our waitress friends, Beth and Irene. Beth came along on our Candy Walk this morning. Tomorrow is the SOB pool party at Treasure Island, and I bought two tickets to attend from Beth (she earned a commission). So, I’ll be taking a break from the Hash tomorrow and will not feel much sorrow about missing a Guenter trail that once again finishes at the end of Rizal Extension. It’s nice to have options.

Back home a little after eight, enjoyed a Jell-O dessert, and off to bed to prepare for another day.

Today’s memory comes from a 1962 Peter, Paul, and Mary album cover:

Today’s YouTube video purports to reveal the “secret” to living in the Philippines. To me, it is no secret that you can live rich in a relatively poor country if you have a moderate retirement income (I personally wouldn’t want to live on less than $3,000 a month). This guy lives in BGC (Bonifacio Global City), an upscale area in Metro Manila. If you watch the video, he does a nice street walk through town, and you get a taste of what high-rise city life is like there. Not for me; I prefer living richly in my little town, where once I leave my subdivision, I’ll experience what life in the Philippines is really like. As I am wont to say, I may not live in the Philippines, but I can see and hear it from my house.

Perhaps you’ll enjoy the humor in these:

And it is always fun to rag on Facebook:

I’ll be doing my usual Sunday routines once again: a Hideaway feeding, some time on the Arizona floating bar, and then dinner at John’s place. The life I’m living has all the excitement this old man requires. Let’s see how long it lasts.

Tell me why you're crying, my son
I know you're frightened, like everyone
Is it the thunder in the distance you fear?
Will it help if I stay very near?
I am here.

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

Do you ask why I'm sighing, my son?
You shall inherit what mankind has done.
In a world filled with sorrow and woe
If you ask me why this is so, I really don't know.

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

Tell me why you're smiling my son
Is there a secret you can tell everyone?
Do you know more than men that are wise?
Can you see what we all must disguise
through your loving eyes?

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

More or less.

First up was the Friday group hike. We took a Jeepney to the far side of Subic and commenced our journey on Philseco Road, then over the hill to barangay Balaybay, finishing in downtown Castillejos. We had a new hiker visiting from the USA with us, and he struggled some due to the heat and improper footwear. Also, one of our regular old-timers was experiencing some fatigue and weariness during the hike, possibly related to low pressure. Both of them made it down to the other side of the hill climb but took frequent rest stops along the way. Once we were back on the pavement, they bid us farewell and grabbed a trike. I saw both later in the afternoon, and there didn’t appear to be any repercussions from their ordeal. It all goes with the adventure!

We had to wait on the busy highway in Castillejos to catch a ride home. The first few Jeepneys and busses were all filled to capacity. Finally, one came along that we could all squeeze inside, and the long ride back to Barretto went without incident.

I didn’t have much time to kill once I got back home. I got showered up, had a bite to eat, and then headed out to the VFW for the annual Hash meeting that began at 2:00 p.m.

There were no changes in leadership or other excitement during the meeting. I did make a motion that Subic Hashers, with over 1000 runs (there are only four), should have the weekly Hash fee (300 pesos) waived in recognition of their longstanding loyalty and achievement. It passed! So, there was that. This being a Hash meeting, beer was available, and I had four of them during the ninety-minute duration of my participation. Then, we moved on to It Doesn’t Matter for some after-meeting comradery.

So, I’m not much of a day drinker, much preferring my usual 5-8 p.m. window. Starting early means I finish early and drink more in the process (twelve bottles of Zero yesterday). I did have an early dinner of chicken nuggets from the IDM kitchen. Home by 6:30, had some sugar-free jello, surfed the net, and went to bed before 8:30. Swan joined in a Hash girls’ night out and seemed to enjoy herself judging by the pictures. She was beside me when I awoke this morning, so all must be well in the world.

My Friday weigh-in has me at 235.5 pounds, down 31.6 since November 1. My goal is 199 pounds, so I’m not quite halfway there.

So, here are some memories from this date in history:

Eight years ago, I blogged about my health issues on an ill-fated trip to the Philippines to ring in the new year in a post called Stayin’ Alive. This was before I was diagnosed with COPD. My Korean doctor wanted to hospitalize me and pump me full of antibiotics. I bought a nebulizer instead, which kept me going until I got the proper diagnosis and treatment at the Army hospital on Yongsan. That post has now been updated as an episode in The Story of My Life.

So, I went looking for the book this morning, and it was in the spare room where Swan stores her things. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve frequently seen her reading my poetry books. My quest was to find the poem I posted here on LTG a couple of days ago.

And when I was preparing to take that photo above, I noticed that the page corner had been folded down. I asked Swan about that, and she said she always likes to mark her favorites that way. Wow! A girl with the same taste in poetry as me! What are the odds?

It’s good to be alive to remember those days from the past and great to be alive to make new ones!

I feel sorry for the true believers that trust the lying “experts.”

Today’s YouTube video is from The Filipina Pea, and I really enjoyed this one about the “ten bizarre things that will shock you about the Philippines.” Well, I’ve been living here going on seven years now, and I’ve seen most of these up close and personal. It made me smile when she mentioned the half-finished buildings I frequently photograph. And she has a strong rant about the litter culture here. Give it a watch; she’s easy on the eyes!

Now, it is humor time:

So, that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone. And so am I until tomorrow!

A busy day in store, so here’s a brief post to tide you over until I’m back.

Swan and I enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks at The Green Room before our dinner date with the neighbors. I played a game of pool and got my ass handed to me by our waitress, Chu. She’s an outstanding player, so I can take some comfort in that.

At the appointed hour (6:30), we arrived at our dining venue, the Hops and Brews Beer Garden.

I was surprised to see my other neighbor, Martin, was also there with his bride. Martin is only in town a few days each month (he works in Manila), so it was good to catch up. So, all the residents of Bryce Street were together in the Beer Garden. What are the odds of that?

Jeff is just home from a holiday visit to Texas, and he brought an interesting table game back with him. So, after our meal we all dived in.

When we had all had enough, we headed for Bryce Street. No trike for us, we hitched a ride with Martin and Joss. It was a good night out on the town.

I also got a congratulatory message from my Fitbit app:

Eight years ago, I had just returned to Korea from a visit to the Philippines where I had suffered a couple of severe breathing attacks.

The good news is I’m breathing great these days. Haven’t used my nebulizer in months.

Three years ago, I posted this poem on Facebook:

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

--James Kavanaugh

And as regular readers know, I have finally found her!

Today’s YouTube video is a nice tour of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (aka SBMA or the old Navy base). I visit weekly for shopping and occasionally for dining. If I had a car, I’m sure I’d visit more often. And yes, I’ve hiked through that area with the horse stables.

To the humor then:

Alrighty then, I’ve got the Friday group hike to do this morning. And then, at 2:00 p.m., we have the annual Hash leadership meeting. When the meeting is done, I’ll meet Swan at It Doesn’t Matter, where the Hash girls will hang out during our Hash business. Hence, it is now or never to get a post up today, and by golly, I’ve done it!

A good reminder to enjoy it while you can. Here’s how I kicked things off in 2025:

Just before we departed San Narciso yesterday, we took a quick tour of a beachfront property for sale.

So, the price is 3.5 million pesos or around $60,000 USD. It is not currently up to my living standards, so more money would have to be invested to make it a possibility. We’d also want to construct a place where locals and tourists could sit and enjoy beachside beverages and food. At this point, we are still in the dreaming stages, but you never know. Foreigners can’t own property here, so the purchase would have to be in Swan’s name. (UPDATE: I just checked with Swan, and she says it is too expensive for an untitled property. She also prefers to find something closer to home.)

It was good to be back on familiar turf after being gone since last year. Having missed our Tuesday routine of visiting the Kokomo’s floating bar on Baloy Beach, we made up for lost time last evening.

One of my goals for the new year is to create a revised Wednesday routine that includes a seldom-visited bar during my night out. We kicked things off last night with a visit to Harley’s for our nightcap. And we killed a second bird by having some dinner while we were there.

Back home again and enjoying my pudding when a big dogfight broke out between Buddy and Lucky. Apparently, there is some jealousy over Swan’s female dog. It was hard to break them up, and both dogs had battle scars. That was my last straw with Lucky. He will live out his days in the yard downstairs as he is no longer welcome in my house. I considered having him put to sleep, but I can’t quite bring myself to take his life. Yet.

Speaking of starting things off right, I wanted to make my first solo walk of the year a good one, so this morning, I pushed myself to see how far I could go. I documented the effort with a photo every one thousand steps. Here’s what it looked like:

Fourteen kilometers is about twice the distance I usually walk. I don’t think I’ll be doing this on a regular basis, but I do want to up my game some. My fantasy of walking the 29K to Mope in San Narciso got a reality check this morning. I would have been only halfway there and out of gas. Maybe an hour or two of resting would have reinvigorated me, but I doubt it.

And that brings you up to date on how I’ve kicked off the newest year I’ve had the pleasure of living in.

Nine years ago, I was doing what folks do when in Itaewon:

And here’s a timely reminder as we begin a new year:

Alright, we’ll lighten things up with today’s YouTube video. We haven’t heard from Mikey Bustos for a while. Enjoy!

And some more of my so-called humor:

The rest of Day 2 awaits. We’ll be meeting the neighbors, Jeff and Vina, for dinner at Hops and Brews later. And I haven’t been to Barretto since 2024, so I’m looking forward to see if anything has changed. I’ll be back tomorrow with more of this goodness. You are welcome!

And the “first time hearing” reaction: