Alley-oop!

Yesterday I took I step towards normalcy. Actually, 19,164 steps. That’s the most I’ve done all month.

Flat walking, but still good to be out and about

My morning walk took me on the backstreets and alleyways of Barretto, Matain, and Calapacuan barangays. Here is some of what I saw along the way:

Down I go into Barretto’s Purok 13. (A purok is like a neighborhood)
We’ve had enough rain to fill up the Matain River
I see dead people. I always check the funeral banners I pass on my walks to see if the deceased was older than me. In more than half the cases they were not. This bloke only made it to 54. Rest in Peace, stranger.
Into Matain we go
A narrow passage lined with litter (of course)
Bayside life
Calapacuan narrow passage
Boats on the bay
Out in the countryside
A not-so-golden pond
It is what it is
That’s a little better
What the duck!
The morning’s final alley
Sorry, looks like I won’t be needing you after all.
Back on the National Highway
I came upon a trike stand right when it started lightly raining. I took that as an omen and caught a ride the rest of the way home.
My morning journey was 7.5K and I still felt strong when I was done. Hooray!

It feels good to feel good again.

Thursday is date night with Swan, so I asked whether she preferred Kon Tiki or John’s place for dinner. She wanted her beach fix at Kon Tiki.

A Jeepney ride for 20 pesos each got us there.
My date
The view from our perch
Sand and wine makes Swan happy. (but not in the same glass)
Where the ridge meets the bay
Down the beach
The floating island
That girl again
I enjoy visiting Kon Tiki a couple of times a month for the beach bar experience that can’t be found in Barretto. The menu is limited and has resort pricing. I understand on weekends they do buffets with a variety of offerings.
I opted for the chicken fajitas
And Swan went with the shrimp fajitas
And we ordered a side of tortillas so we could make a wrap
Cheers, baby!

We took a trike ride back to Barretto and did our nightcap at Wet Spot. Aine isn’t talking to us anymore, apparently. It seems she wanted to borrow money from Swan, and Swan invoked Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker). Aine’s snooty attitude was a bit off-putting and pissed me off, but Swan and my waitress told me to calm down and that she wasn’t worth worrying about. I’ve been buying her drinks for five years, and she was a schoolmate of Swan’s, but she’s dead to us now.

Before leaving Wet Spot, we ordered some food to take home for the help, primarily because I had a 15% off coupon I needed to use or lose. Swan ordered a club sandwich and lumpia. I just wanted some pecan pie. The exact wording on the coupon was “15% off on F&B for up to four guests.” So, when the bill came, I looked, and they hadn’t discounted the pie. I asked why, and the waitress responded the coupon was only good for food and beverage. I asked what pecan pie was, and she said, “Dessert.” Crazy.

Anyway, I don’t sweat the small stuff (just write about it here) and didn’t let the insanity spoil an otherwise good time. Home safe and sound, another full night’s sleep, and woke up feeling as strong as ever. No complaints about that!

Another Facebook memory to remind me of the man I used to be and life I used to live.

At the Army Ball in Seoul. It was a good life while it lasted. Now I’m enjoying the new one I’ve been blessed with.

I guess this qualifies as politics:

I want to believe it was sheer incompetence, but there’s a voice in my head telling me otherwise.

My blog stats don’t change much week to week. I’ve got a few dedicated gluttons for punishment who visit LTG regularly (200-250 a day) and I appreciate your loyalty (or sympathy). Thanks for reading!

Stuck on you

Today’s YouTube video from Reekay discusses finding a Filipina girlfriend in three weeks (one you don’t have to pay for). It took me six years, but I had some fun along the way.

To the humor, then:

The joke’s on you, bitch! I cum, you don’t…
I just made a batch of brownies to bring to the neighbor’s dinner party tonight. I probably won’t mention this secret ingredient.
I wonder if he’ll be thinking about Dorothy?

Okay, I was feeling energetic this morning and led the Friday group hike on a nice trail that included my first bona fide hill climb in weeks. And I lived to tell about it. I’ll share that adventure here tomorrow. Next up is a visit to next door neighbor Jeff’s dinner party. I’m bringing my bullshit brownies and some cornbread muffins. Jeff will be grilling steaks and I’m looking forward to enjoying some meat, beer, and comradery.

See you back here tomorrow!

Filipino style

Yesterday’s experience was more Filipino style than usual. Here’s how it went down:

As I mentioned in the previous post, on the way to Royal, we stopped at the new hospital in Barretto to sign in to see the doctor at two p.m.

Things went fine at Royal. They even had Coke Zero available this week. Woot!

I went home for some rest and blogging, then we had a trike come to the house at !:30 to take us back to the Unicare Hospital for my two-o’clock “appointment.” I was first on the list, so I figured the wait wouldn’t be too long as I plopped down on a chair outside the doctor’s office. It wasn’t. A few minutes before two, the receptionist came out to tell me that the doctor wouldn’t be in today after all. I’ve experienced doctors here being an hour or two late, but this was my first no-show.

Now what? I briefly considered trying the emergency room but figured that wouldn’t do me any good. I needed a consultation with a pulmonary specialist, not ER treatment. So, we scheduled an appointment with a different doctor for today.

We exited the hospital, and I was in a foul mood and on the opposite side of town, away from all the familiar places. Almost directly across the highway was the Inflatable Island Resort. I knew they had a restaurant and given my limited options, decided to check it out. I was hoping for a nice lunch and beach bar experience. It didn’t turn out that way.

Our first and last visit to Inflatable Island

Unlike Kon Tiki, you can not enter the resort without paying the standard 250 peso per head entrance fee.

However, the money paid can be deducted from your food bill. I’d heard of this “corkage” arrangement, but it was the first time I experienced it.
Making our way to the restaurant
Not exactly the water view I was hoping for. The waitress advised that we were not allowed to eat at the tables by the pool.
The view from where we did sit. I asked the waitress for the WIFI password and was advised the WIFI was only for staff, not customers.
Our menu options. Something tells me this place does not cater to the tastes of foreigners. Nothing on the menu I particularly wanted to try, especially at these inflated prices. Helper Teri and Swan both said they weren’t hungry.
I needed to spend at 750 pesos, so I ordered these nachos for 450, and a beer for 130 (I pay 100 or less everywhere else in town). Teri and Swan had lemonade at 120 each. Yay! We got our entrance fee back!

Oh, and the service sucked as well. Definitely the worst dining experience in Barretto. You’ve been warned.

Everyone agreed that my taking a night off to stay home and rest was a good plan, so we got a trike back to Alta Vista. After a nap, I felt surprisingly good, the best I’ve felt in several days. I headed up to The Rite Spot to celebrate. I set up the speaker, opened my Spotify app, and prepared to listen to some of my favorite tunes. Except Spotify had a message saying I needed to update my billing. Since signing up for the premium plan, the 150 peso monthly fee has been charged to my Globe mobile phone bill. Apparently, that is no longer an option, and when I looked for other payment methods, all that was offered was GCash. I don’t use GCash and have no desire to do so. I tried to set it up so I could pay through Swan’s GCash, but that was a no-go because we have different phone numbers. Nope, there are no credit card options either. I finally said fuck it and let Spotify lose a customer. I’ll look into doing YouTube Premium for my future music-listening needs.

The view from the rooftop was calming despite the threat of pending rain.
And when the rain did come, it didn’t last long so I was not forced to retreat from the roof.
Swan and Teri prepared a spaghetti dinner for my enjoyment
And it was good
Dinner at the Rite Spot

And then there was The Trial Of Billy Jack, the third in the series. Almost three hours of badness I won’t bother recounting here. The Wikipedia take linked above tells you all you need to know about this waste of time. The reviews Wiki cites are devastating and spot on. Pure left-wing propaganda, which is eerily similar to what is taking place in today’s overheated political environment. And yes, back in the 70s, I would have believed the crap Tom Laughlin was pushing in this film. It is included in the Fifty Worst Films Of All Time list.

Before I went to bed, I checked my blood oxygen level and was surprised to see that I was at 97%. When I awoke at midnight and rechecked it, I was at 96%. This morning, I was once more at 97%. I haven’t seen numbers like that since I began using the oximeter. For the first time in days, I felt strong enough to attempt the dog walk, and by golly, I got through it without a problem.

This morning, I visited pulmonary specialist Dr. Ana DeLeon and was impressed on multiple levels. I will talk more about that in tomorrow’s post, but I’ve got a couple of new meds to try and some tests she wants me to undergo. Bottom line, I am now glad yesterday’s doctor flaked out because my comfort level with Dr. DeLeon is very high. She has my trust and confidence already.

Hopefully, I’m finally on the road to recovery.

In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea talks about poverty in the Philippines and the horrific impacts inflation is having on the already destitute. Sometimes you don’t realize how blessed you are until you see how so many less fortunate are forced to live.

You’ll need a good dose of humor after watching that video. Try these:

I wonder if her name is Mary
I hadn’t really thought about that before, but no argument from me.
Just my luck. Damn it!

I’m more confident than ever that I’ll be back tomorrow. I’m going to walk back into town soon to test my lungs. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to hydrate once I get there.

Goodness gracious

I hope I get some answers and possible fixes when I visit the pulmonary doctor tomorrow. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m not getting better. It doesn’t take much to leave me winded; even the walk to the toilet feels challenging. And yet, I just checked the oximeter, and I have 94% oxygenation, which is almost normal. I haven’t been out of the house at all today, but I’ve got the Hash coming up in a couple of hours. My plan now is to give it a go and see what happens. I doubt I can do a hill climb, but I’ll try to do some of the flat at least. I really, really hate feeling this way.

On the plus side, I was able to do Swan’s candy walk yesterday. We walked into town later, and it wasn’t quite as bad as the day before. The dinner gathering at Hops and Brews was a lot of fun, and my beer-drinking abilities have not as yet been undermined. So, there’s that.

Heading out with the candy
Good morning, Easter Mountain
It rained last night
They even brought Swan a chair to dispense from
Moving on to the next stop
Two of our regulars
A house is a home
Assessing her bounty
Looking for a handout
That seems a tad disrespectful to Old Glory
So, they are going to finally widen that bridge…

I usually don’t go into town until four o’clock, but our luncheon was scheduled for one at Hops and Brews, so we headed out at 12:30.

Destination achieved.
The front door
What we came for
The only wood-fired pizza oven in town
The open-air dining area. I prefer it here, but the rest of the group wanted the indoor aircon dining experience.
Hops and Brews also features acoustic live music on weekends
Who knew?
An indoors pool table
And the indoor bar
Our group of diners
Filipinas
Me and my date
Dinner is served. It was tasty.
A round of after-dinner shots
Not exactly a cellar, but a wine storage room that also is used for karaoke. And yes, we went there.

It was a very nice afternoon out with the neighbors. Jeff is having us all over at his place on Friday for some grilled steaks. Life is good. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hold onto mine for a few more years (my goal is 2038).

Today’s YouTube video is from last week’s SOB competition, featuring the winning Alaska team.

Humor time:

Too soon?
Write this way to the ER, sir…
I may have posted this before, but it’s my kind of humor…
You’ve been robbed!

Okay, let’s see what happens next.

For better or worse

Fight!

Wow! I Heard the news about the attempt to assassinate Trump during this morning’s candy walk. I’m glad he survived, or the civil war would have started today. It’s been in my mind for a while now that the deep state wasn’t going to accept another Trump presidency. And with Biden on the ropes and efforts to force his replacement being stymied, killing Trump might have seemed the best option. Well, as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I predict Trump will be unstoppable now. Unless they succeed in their next attempt. God Bless America!

Here in my little insular world, life goes on. All I managed to do yesterday was walk into town, but that proved to be a challenge. I was breathless before I was even out of the neighborhood, and the flat highway walk was also challenging. I’ve never experienced anything like that since I began taking meds after my COPD diagnosis eight years ago. Scary shit, and I hope the doctor can get me back on track. I was a little better this morning and did a short candy walk without too much problem, although I was still feeling weak and tired. I’m not giving up without a fight. I intend to die as a walkaholic.

The feeding at Hideaway was accomplished. Four gals, no customers other than me. The owner is back in town but wasn’t there during my visit. I’m not sure what the future holds for this bar, but it doesn’t look good to this outsider.

Happy to see you too
Enjoy it while you can

After completing the feeding, I headed over to It Doesn’t Matter to help owner Cliff celebrate his 60th birthday.

A big crowd. They even set up a canopy out front with additional tables and chairs.
Lechon (roasted pig) was on the menu. This guy gave his all for the party.
Birthday boy Cliff and his lovely wife Ashley

On the way home, we stopped at Myleen’s and got some pecan pie to celebrate National Pecan Pie day in the Philippines (a holiday I just invented. Thanks for the idea Brian).

That’s all there was to my day. This post has been a bit more rushed than usual because I have a special luncheon I’ll be attending this afternoon. The Hops and Brews Beer Garden has a Sunday special roast, and my neighbors, Jeff and Davina, invited us to join them. The neighbors on my other side will be there, too. It should be fun and different. Hops and Brews is a nice venue with quality food, but it is just one of those places I rarely visit. I’ll try and get some good pics to share the experience with my readers here.

From Facebook memories, I’m reminded of an after work stroll I took in Seoul eight years ago.

Even in a huge city, places like this for strolling were abundant. And look, not a scrap of litter to be seen. As much as I enjoy my time here in the Philippines, I could have lived a contented retired life in Korea with my wife. She didn’t see it that way.

Nine years ago, I observed that my restroom legacy lived on.

In 2010, I placed that scrap of paper (a tag from the dry cleaners) in the restroom cubicle I used at work before retiring. When I came back to work five years later, it was still there. I haven’t been back to Yongsan, but I reckon they’ve torn down that building now, taking my legacy with it.

Even at my worst, I was never as bad as this “slow learner” Reekay talks about in today’s YouTube video:

I made Mary send her birth certificate before I agreed to meet her the first time.

I’m in a hurry, so these will have to suffice for humor today:

Well, there’s a Motel 6 there on your right.
It’s not the meat, it’s the motion.

Need to run, back tomorrow. I hope.

An SOB from Alaska

(I wrote An SOB, then wondered if it should be A SOB. Grammarly says “An,” so I’ll stick with that. Maybe it matters if you are talking about an SOB dance contest or a son of a bitch.)

What did you think I was talking about?

So, I attended another SOB dance competition last night. This week’s event was at Alaska Club, one of the better venues for seating and viewing the contest. Owner Jerry was back from the USA, and it was good to see him looking happy and healthy. Nothing really special about the show; they all seem same-same after a while. I was out of sync with the other judges this week, but that’s okay. I call them like I see them and look for dancing skills beyond shaking that booty. Apparently, that’s just me. Alaska won (I had them ranked second).

That’s how the day ended for me. It began with the morning dog walk.

Buddy and Lucky sniffing around.

I wasn’t feeling up for the group hike, but I joined Swan for an easy candy walk in some nearby neighborhoods we rarely visit.

Okay kiddies, come out, come out, wherever you are
Business was brisk. And that guy didn’t ask for a handout. I’ve got to hand it to him. High five! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ve seen him around before, and he’s a friendly guy. And I did give him some cookies to take home to his kids)
Another seemingly quiet village
But the kiddies found us
The view from here

We finished our walk at the Jewel Cafe. I visit every week to order food for the Hideaway feeding, but rarely dine-in there.

Swan had something called sinigang; which she described as a “sour shrimp soup.” I guess sour is better than spoiled shrimp.
I decided to try the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I had low expectations because it was priced at 390 pesos, while almost every other place in town charges over 500 pesos for a roast beef sandwich. It was heavy on bread and very light on meat. In the future, I’ll stick with the things I know Jewel does well.  

I had a rough night again, sleep and breathing-wise. The most concerning aspect was that my usual home remedies didn’t seem to help much. This morning, I was almost as breathless as I feel after a hill climb. I’m getting into “this is scary” territory and have an appointment scheduled with a pulmonary doctor on Tuesday. Hopefully, there’s a fix for whatever is causing this. I’m feeling better now, at least, and my blood oxygen level is back at a healthy (for me) 95%.

I have been confined to the house all day so far, but I will be going out later this afternoon to do the Hideaway feeding. Yeah, it’s only Saturday, but I have other plans for Sunday. After the feeding, I’ll meet up with Swan at It Doesn’t Matter to help celebrate owner Cliff’s 60th birthday.

At least I’m drinking healthy beverages

Facebook reminded me of an event from eight years ago in Seoul. My Filipina friend, Michelle, was moving back to the Philippines. She asked me if I had any old electronics, like a laptop computer, that I didn’t need. Well, I didn’t, but as a surprise going-away gift, I went to the PX on base and bought her a new iPad. I invited her to dinner at my place, where I intended to present the gift, but she didn’t show. It sucks to cook for two and be stood up.

The gift that didn’t get given. Luckily, I was able to return it to the PX and get a full refund. I posted this picture on Facebook, knowing Michelle would see what her rudeness cost her.

Six years ago, Buddy finally learned to walk on a leash.

Now it’s the highlight of his day

I’m a member of a Facebook group called “Memories of Westminster, CA”. This shot of Westminster Avenue near where I lived brought the memories of those years flooding back.

Gas was twenty-six cents a gallon at the Rocket service station. Me and my buds would collect pop bottles for the deposit refund (three cents for the 12-ounce size) and put a dollar’s worth of gas in Steve’s ’56 Pontiac. That would keep us driving around town all night. Ah, the good ol’ days. It would be heavenly to go back and relive them. (hint hint, God)

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay discusses the pitfalls of hiring a live-in helper. I guess I got lucky. My domestic helper is a certified caregiver who takes care of getting my prescriptions filled, making my doctor appointments, and attending to the household chores. Her job is to make my life as easy as possible. Been with me for six years now and never had an issue. I pay her an above-market wage in addition to room and board. And I don’t fuck with the help. I’m an old HR guy, and that’s Rule #1.

I hope these make you smile:

The science is settled, right?
Maybe the boyfriend will grab some dessert while he is down there.
That blows
As I used to say, “I’m not a gynecologist, but I’ll have a look.”

That’s all I’ve got for today. Hopefully, things will be better tomorrow.

Born to lose

I don’t always see things straight

Yesterday was almost as empty as it could be. I never even left the house until beer o’clock. I’d had another rough night with the breathing issues and just didn’t feel like doing shit, so I didn’t. But I had some SOB coupons that were due to expire, and that provided the necessary motivation to get off my ass and head into town for a bit.

My first stop was BarCelona. Swan ran an errand and then joined me there. My third-floor view was nothing special given the cloudy/hazy skies, but I did see this:

Mama has a friend!

Climbing the stairs to BarCelona once was more than enough, but I wanted to get my daily donation down to the umbrella lady. I considered getting her attention and tossing it down, but then I thought of the potential ramifications of doing so (traffic, wind, some random person grabbing it first). About this time, the peanut vendor, Emmanuel, came into the bar. I bought my standard 100 pesos worth for the girls, and then Swan suggested we have the vendor deliver Mama’s stipend. He agreed to do so, so I handed him money for her and also bought some nuts for him to give her. That worked out fine. I thought it was sweet when Mama handed her friend some of the nuts.

After we finished our drinks, we moved downstairs to The Green Room so I could put those SOB coupons to work. I had six coupons that were due to expire:

  • buy a lady drink, get two customer drinks
  • buy a lady drink, get a customer drink
  • a free blowjob shooter lady drink
  • happy hour prices all night
  • 15% off on food at Sit-n-Bull
  • a free pizza upgrade (medium to large) at Sit-n-Bull

So, I got to work. My regular waitress is Chu, but semi-regular Lea took our order. Chu then joined us. I confirmed that the lady drink coupon included commission, and gave Lea the blowjob shooter. I ordered Chu a lady drink to earn my two free beers. When my beers were done, I bought Lea a lady drink and had another “free” beer (without the coupon, I could have purchased my beer for 110 pesos and skipped the 180 peso lady drink, but where’s the fun in that?) The Sit-n-Bull waitress came by, and I had Swan pick the pizza we’d upgrade to large and bring home for the basement dwellers. I ordered a sandwich for myself and some lumpia for Chu and Lea with the discount coupon. I gave the happy hour coupon to Chu to give some customer arriving after happy ended. Mission accomplished! I used all the coupons before expiration, got a nice beer buzz, and brought home some food.

But the night wasn’t over yet. We got home a little earlier than usual, so I fired up the TV, opened YouTube, and watched a movie from 1967 called The Born Losers. That’s the one I mentioned as purportedly being the predecessor to Billy Jack. The main character was indeed the half-breed Indian (I don’t think we called them Native Americans in the 60s), Green Beret Vietnam vet Billy Jack. Besides that, there was no real similarity or connection to the Billy Jack film. The Born Losers took place in a California beach town, and the filming locations included cities near where I was living as a twelve-year-old in 1967 (Seal Beach and Huntington Beach). I enjoyed seeing the sexy bikini-clad young woman and reliving those old 60s vibes.

The movie was one of the biker gang genres, with the typical bullying you’d expect, incompetent law enforcement, and citizens who didn’t want to get involved. I was honestly a bit shocked about the gang’s favorite pastime of raping teenage girls. Anyway, I’m sure it won’t be much of a spoiler to know that Billy Jack came in to save the day. I found it entertaining enough if nothing particularly special. I did enjoy the feeling of traveling back in time to the days of my youth. Next up will be The Trial Of Billy Jack, the genuine sequel to Billy Jack.  I’ll get around to it one of these days.

I’m happy to report that I slept through the night without experiencing any breathing issues. I’m sorry to report that the dog walk left me breathless again, so I bailed on the Friday group hike. Swan and I did do an abbreviated (and mostly flat) candy walk today. So, at least I got off my lazy ass for a bit.

Another bird invaded the house. It came in through the open window and perched on the ceiling fan blade. My helper showed it the way back out.

And for the first time in a long time, I wrote a poem.

Next, I’ll write a love poem. Done!

I can’t post pictures in my comments section, but here are a couple in response to questions posed:

That’s the Matain River as it flows past my house. The upstream photo I posted yesterday was just a couple kilometers away. Last night, we had a big, wet storm that got the water flowing.
This is from the Snackbar Facebook page…one word, despite what their new sign says.

Today’s political meme:

Toto, we’re not in Mayberry anymore

There are no worthy Facebook memories today, but I did happen upon this post from last year about my first meeting with Mary. We still have some occasional contact on Facebook. She’ll be starting college next month, and I’ll be providing some limited (and no strings attached) financial support. She’s a smart young woman, and I would love to see her achieve her dreams of a degree and escape the cycle of poverty.

Today’s YouTube video features the Filipina Pea as an advice columnist responding to viewer emails. There are some really good lessons in this one.

Today’s humor potpourri:

That’s a dick thing to do
I’ll keep my initial reaction before I saw the knife to myself.
Tame and lame, that’s more like it.

We are going to attend the SOB at Alaska Club this evening. And as long as life goes on, you are a winner.

Coming apart at every nail

Or so it seems.

Not the best way to start a day

In the wee hours of yesterday morning, I woke up feeling breathless. I got up and slapped the oximeter onto my finger and got a reading of 85%. Normal is 95 and above.  The experts say to call 911 if you are below 90%. Given that I have COPD, a “normal” reading for me is in the 93% range.

I can feel the difference when I’m below 90%, but I’m not going to the ER every time that happens.

I instituted my standard procedures: a couple of squirts from my inhaler and firing up the nebulizer. That only brought me up to 91%, and so I opened the valve on my oxygen tank and sucked in some pure air.

I have rarely need to resort to this lately

It took a while, but I eventually got my blood oxygen levels back up to an acceptable 95%, so I went back to bed. A couple of hours later, I woke up again, and the oximeter said I had dropped back to an 89 level. So, I repeated the steps as described above, and this time, I slept through the remainder of the night.

The only thing good about my morning dog walk was the views

I experienced shortness of breath during the dog walk, even though it was mostly flat. The Wednesday Walkers group was planning an excursion to SBMA (the old Navy base) for an 8K hike. I had been looking forward to the trek, but given my breathing issues, prudence dictated that I bail out.

Being isolated in an area I’m unfamiliar with and unable to shortcut as needed, plus what appears to be a pretty significant hill climb seemed too risky in my current circumstances.

Only two other hikers showed up, and Scott messaged that they would save the SBMA hike for another day. He invited me to join them for a flat walk, and I agreed.

So, we did this 8K valley walk instead. It worked out well for me.
My morning walk mates
Dispensing cookies along the way
Mattress vendors
On the road again
Down in the valley
Goat milk
Valley view
A river runs through it
Friendly locals
Cookie kids
In the shadow of Easter Mountain
Gimme cookie!
Over bridge #2
Hanging out in the ‘hood
Goats waiting for the store to open?
Room for one more?
On Sawmill Road in Santo Tomas
The market area
There is something fishy about this place
After hike refreshments at Snackbar

I was glad to have gotten some steps in after all.

I got home and baked two batches of brownies, one for each party I was attending. My first stop was my old darts bar, Alley Cats.

Happy Birthday Flor and Billy

Back in the day, Alley Cats was my regular hangout, and I played darts there four times a week. Yesterday was my first visit in several months. There has been a large turnover in staff, but I still knew most of the other dart regulars. I sat in my old seat at Kevin’s table and felt right at home. Speaking of Kevin, I was surprised to learn he had suffered a heart attack back in April. I am glad he lived to tell me about it!

After a couple of hours at Alley Cats, we grabbed a trike and headed across town to Dave and Jo’s place. In typical Filipina fashion, the girls congregated downstairs, with the menfolk delegated to space on the second-floor patio.

Hanging with the guys and drinking beer
A view from our perch

So, basically, Jo’s birthday party was with her girlfriends. The consensus of the fellas seemed to be better up here away from the craziness and off-key videoke singing. Those gals are also notorious for downing shots of the hard stuff and getting sloppy drunk. Around eight o’clock, Swan sent me a message asking to be “rescued.” I told the guys goodnight and headed downstairs. I guess the peer pressure was too much for Swan, and she had over-indulged in the whiskey-drinking festivities. She took a last shot with the birthday girl, and we found a trike to take us home.

I’d never seen poor Swan so drunk before. The room was spinning for her when she lay on the bed, so I had her move to the floor. Regular readers will recall that there have been occasions when my excess drinking led to me being floored. Swan rejoined me back in bed a couple of hours later and doesn’t appear to be suffering any ill effects today.

I had another tough night breathing-wise, but this time, I never got below a 91% oxygen level, so I didn’t have to resort to using my air tank. I wussed out of walking today and have been resting at home. Maybe that’s what I needed; just now, I’m at 95%. I’m going to seek out a good pulmonary specialist for some advice on how to deal with my lung issues.

The land of over 7000 islands I call home
I didn’t realize the different styles of huts and shacks had names. I’ve seen most of these types on my walks over the years.

Facebook memories included this post from three years ago:

Hopefully, we’ve developed natural immunity from being exposed to this type bullshit in the future.

A brief YouTube video featuring Baloy Beach for your viewing pleasure today:

I’ll go easy on the humor this time:

It’s nice to have an honest friend you can turn to.
Yes, there are exceptions to The Golden Rule

Okay, here’s hoping for a better tomorrow. See you then.

Jacked up

But not jacked off. Here’s the story of my Tuesday.

As usual, the first order of business was grocery shopping. And someone knows my schedule, because like clockwork she’s waiting for me on the corner almost every Tuesday morning as I head for the highway.

Who’s that up ahead?
Nice to see you again, mama! Here’s some lunch money.

Shopping came with the usual frustrations. This week, there was no Coke Zero or Diet Coke in stock. Seriously, how does that happen? There is a Coca-Cola distributor right up the highway. Being out of a popular item like this is just poor store management. Anyway, we stopped at a local market on the way home, where I was able to purchase my weekly ration of soft drinks.

In the afternoon, Swan and I ventured out to the Subiza Resort on Baloy. We will hold our annual anniversary Hash celebration there in October, and I met with the manager to discuss menu options and pricing. The plan is to have a set price buffet and the meal cost will be included in the Hash fee for that run. Maryjoy at Subiza will send me the food options and pricing for 100-125 guests for the Subic Bay Hash House Harrier’s forty-first-anniversary celebration in the next week or two. We anticipate lots of out-of-town Hashers will be attending, and she is offering a special Hash discount for lodging at the resort.

We also got our waterfront view fix satiated during our Subiza visit.

Looking right. I love that big yellow house next door.
Looking left towards Barretto
Looking straight ahead at the Kalaklan Ridge
Looking at my sweetheart

When we finished our business at Subiza, we walked next door to Harley’s for dinner. As you might imagine, the views are very similar. What’s different about Harley’s is that it has a nice pub vibe. The place was busy with other diners and drinkers, but next door, it was only us. It just goes to prove that it is not all about location; you have to create an atmosphere that attracts customers.

That’s Subiza’s ass-side next door. It is much nicer inside.
We were facing the wrong direction for a sunset, but a break in the rainy skies had a nice look.

There’s a “fun” option on my phone camera that I’d never tried, so we played with that while waiting for our food.

I guess it was nice
Ain’t she sweet?

Dinner is served:

A shrimp cocktail for Swan
And I went with the fish and chips. I wasn’t that impressed, to be honest.
A sign at Harley’s I found amusing

When we finished our food, we headed home. It was still early, even by my low standards, but I had a plan. Earlier in the day, I came across this clip from an old movie that made me laugh:

Less than a minute long, so enjoy!

That’s from the movie Billy Jack. It’s hard for me to believe, but it was released FIFTY-THREE fucking years ago. I know I watched it back in the day, and I watched it again last night. It was filmed in Prescott, Arizona, a town I lived in from 1978-1983. Some of the buildings and scenery brought back old memories that reminded me of the life I once lived. Other than a couple of the fight scenes, I didn’t remember much from the actual movie. Truthfully, it wasn’t as good as I expected it to be. I mean, I did get a kick out of seeing those ’70s fashions and haircuts, and the hippy vibes were pretty far out, man. But the story seemed off somehow to me. Oh, it had some religious overtones and Native American philosophies, but it just didn’t seem to all come together somehow. The reviews I read in the Wikipedia link above were also decidedly mixed. It was apparently one of the first movies featuring kung-fu fighting, and if I read the credits right, it was the Korean variety. Kevin Kim, why don’t you do the film justice with one of your famous reviews? You can watch it on YouTube for free.

I did drink some more beers while I watched the film, but it was still a different way to end my day. One of these nights, I may give the forerunner, The Born Losers, and the sequel, The Trial Of Billy Jack, neither of which I’ve seen, a watch.

No Facebook memories to share today, but I did come across this post of mine from 2016 sharing my religious viewpoints. I think I wrote it after I got in trouble at work for calling Mohammed a pedophile. My motivation was to establish a basis to claim religious discrimination if I was disciplined for telling the truth about the guy who married a twelve-year-old. Turns out I didn’t get in trouble, so I didn’t have to defend myself.

Today’s YouTube video is from Reekay discussing an issue I’m sure most of us have experienced–a twenty-year-old virgin. Well, believe it or not, cherry girls have never been attractive to me. Some guys pay a hefty premium to barfine them, though. I guess they really want to be the best the girl has ever had. Dating the eighteen-year-old mother was kinky enough for me, thank you.

To the humor, then.

It’s good that she brought him up to speed.
It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin
That’s why it’s best to lay on your back
Been there, done that.

Alrighty then, I have two birthday parties to attend today, so I’d best hit the shower and get on with it. More to come tomorrow.

Listen children to a story
That was written long ago
'Bout a kingdom on a mountain
And the valley folk below
On the mountain was a treasure
Buried deep beneath the stone
And the valley people swore
They'd have it for their very own

So go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of heaven
You'll be justified in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

So the people from the valley
Sent a message up the hill
Asking for the buried treasure
Tons of gold for which they'd kill
Came an answer from the kingdom
"With our brothers we will share
All the secrets of our mountain
All the riches buried there"

Now the valley cried with anger
"Mount your horses, draw your sword"
And they killed the mountain people
So they won their just reward
Now they stood beside the treasure
On the mountain, dark and red
Turned the stone and looked beneath it
"Peace on earth" was all it said

So go ahead and hate your neighbor
Go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of heaven
You'll be justified in the end
There won't be any trumpets blowing
Come the judgment day
On the bloody morning after
One tin soldier rides away

Back at it

Back to my regular routines after a hangover-induced day off, and it was good to be on the road again. For my morning walk, I decided to do the trek out to Waltermart. And since it was a special occasion, or felt like one anyway, I did the photo every 1000 steps thing. Here they are:

Leaving my place behind (the one in the middle)
1000 steps–in the boonies
2000 steps–life in San Isidro
3000 steps–a foresty vibe
4000 steps–on a country road
5000 steps–in the heart of barangay Naugsol
6000 steps–the far side of Easter Mountain
7000 steps–a long stretch of slightly uphill road left me huffing and puffing
8000 steps–life on the side of the Govic Highway
9000 steps–strolling the riverside
10,000 steps–a cute little coffee shop in barangay Magna Vacca
And the end of the walk right at 7K. I got a Jeepney from here back to Barretto.
I went thataway

A good hike overall, except for that heavy breathing portion. Oh, and one of the straps on my backpack broke near the end of the trek, so I carried it on one shoulder the rest of the way.

Not a bad day’s work. Pretty much back to normal now.

Saturday evening, I took Swan to Treasure Island Resort on Baloy so she could enjoy some live music and beach views. It was a good time.

A view from our table
And another view
Us at our table
Three members of Engine band (two singers and the bass player) using the poolside as a stage
The drummer and lead guitar player are on this platform
Looking down Baloy Beach
And looking up the beach
A Swan on the beach
And a Swan at the table
Dinner on the table. The biggest and overall best enchiladas in town.
And some chicken wings to snack on
The evening sky
Mountains and the bay
And a nice sunset on the beach

It was another good time with my sweetie. Swan enjoys live music and Engine is one of the better bar bands around this area. For shits and giggles I made a playlist of the songs they performed during their first set yesterday:

  • Tequila Sunrise (Eagles)
  • A Horse With No Name (America)
  • I Don’t Want To Talk About It (Rod Stewart)
  • Cat’s In The Cradle (Harry Chapin)
  • Have You Ever Seen The Rain (CCR)
  • Bad Moon Rising (CCR)
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen)
  • Under Pressure (Queen)
  • Paint It Black (Rolling Stones)
  • Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones)
  • Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones)
  • Satisfaction (Rolling Stones)
  • Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love (Van Halen)
  • You Really Got Me (Kinks)
  • Jump (Van Halen)
  • Here I Go Again (Whitesnake)
  • Beds Are Burning (Midnight Oil)
  • Free Bird (Lynard Skynard

They played Free Bird at Swan’s request (and 100 pesos in the tip jar). They play a nice mix of classic songs that an old fart like me can enjoy. It is also nice to be able to see live music performed early in the evening (they start around 4:30). Live music offerings in Barretto begin at 9 p.m. or later in most other venues.

We did have one little bothersome event occur. I had a discount coupon from the SOB for a 10% discount on food and beverages for up to four guests. When the waitress brought our tab, we were not given the total discount to which we were entitled. The bill said I had ten beers, and Swan had two wines. Swan didn’t think I had that many beers, but I didn’t keep count, so I can’t argue with that. What left me shaking my head was that we were only discounted the ten percent for two of the beers and the two wines. According to our waitress, the “four guests” limitation meant that only four drinks would be discounted. Well, that’s a bullshit interpretation, but I’m not going to get too upset over a couple of hundred pesos. I did reduce the amount I intended to tip.

We headed home at seven after another nice date night. And so ended another Saturday in my life. I could do with lots more like it!

You know, back in the day, I could party with the best of them, and classic music from that era went hand-in-hand with that. And yeah, I remember some of my favorites who partied too much and died too soon. I didn’t realize until I came across this today that 27 was an unlucky number.

I was lucky to be born on the 27th instead of dying on that number.

A political meme or three okay with you?

Yeah, you can take that for Grant-ed.
Hard to argue when you put it like that
Am I the only one here old enough to remember The Addams Family on TV?
Hearing the intro song again after all these years gave me a nice laugh

Speaking of memories that made me laugh, I posted this on Facebook nine years ago:

Excuse me, Miss. I can see your, um, oh, never mind…

I can’t recall if I posted this YouTube video here previously, but for those of you curious about the Barretto bar scene, this is a pretty comprehensive exploration:

I pretty much limit myself to my three or four favorites these days

And now for your daily dose of humor:

As much as I love ice cream, I’d have to give this a pass.
Ouch! I don’t even want to contemplate what that would feel like.
It’s always a question of balance

Alright, it is Sunday and that means a feeding at Hideaway and a dinner date with Swan at John’s place are in my immediate future. I shall return tomorrow if I survive another night.

Mucho nada

Yesterday was full of a lot of nothing. Sometimes you just need to take a break, I suppose. Especially after a night of celebrating the birth of a nation by downing numerous beers. These two shots pretty much sum up my Friday achievements:

The only walking I did was into town for the SOB dance competition
Judge not lest ye be judged. The other judges agreed with my assessment this time.

And that, dear readers, was the extent of my activity yesterday. And the weird thing is, I enjoyed being lazy so much that I’ve resolved to give up walking altogether and fill some of those hours by drinking earlier in the day. Relax, I’m kidding. I was back at it this morning with a 7K walk to Waltermart. I’ll share that adventure in tomorrow’s post.

I’m not sure what’s in store for tonight, although I’ll see if Swan wants to listen to the band at Treasure Island.

The polls indicate people are wising up. I don’t expect we will see creepy Joe on the ticket come November.

Fourteen years ago, I was enjoying my first and only trip to Bali.

I was dressing like a native
And enjoying the culture. I do hope to return again one day.

When it comes to Filipino culture as expressed through street foods, I’m notoriously a non-partaker. For those who have an interest in such things, today’s YouTube video will whet your appetite.

I found these worthy of a smile:

But remember, what doesn’t go in you, goes on you.
The truth will set you free!
And don’t you dare dangle any modifiers!

Swan just confirmed we’ll be marching out to Treasure Island soon. Tell you about it tomorrow.

Party fourth!

Yesterday’s rooftop gathering in honor of the declaration of our independence from King George III on July 4, 1776, was a huge success. It was by far the largest party I’ve ever hosted, with upwards of fifty participants over the course of the evening. There was lots of food and plenty of cold beverages, most of them containing alcohol. And naturally, this being the Philippines, karaoke amongst the female attendees broke out early in the event. I did sing “The Battle of New Orleans” to honor my British next-door neighbor. We didn’t have a parade, but that didn’t stop us from getting rained on. I’d been watching the weather forecast, which called for a 20% possibility of “light showers.” We could see the clouds building up throughout the evening hours and saw some rain on the horizon. Around 8 p.m., it was our turn. And it was a heavy, wind-blown downpour. We scurried around, turning off the electronics and ferrying some of the perishable foods downstairs. There wasn’t room under the roof for everyone, and even those fortunates couldn’t escape the wet wind. The women folk retreated downstairs, and some guests called it a night. Luckily, the rain didn’t last long, and the hardy attendees continued to party. I had my first beer at 3:30 and my final just before ten when the last of the guests departed. Here are some photos documenting the good times:

Welcome to the party!
It’s all happening here
All set up and ready to go. As the night went on, we used every available chair and brought up more from the basement
Flags flapping in the breeze
The mostly empty food table
The sky at the start
Me with the first two guests to arrive
The loaded food table.

What’s on it? Well, here you go:

A birthday cake
Grilled baby back ribs
Hamburger patties
Filipino-style ribs
Grilled sausage
Chili con carne
Baked beans. These were the best I’ve ever tasted.
Potato salad
Fruit salad
Cornbread muffins
Brownies
Coleslaw
Let’s eat!
Welcome to the party
Just getting started
And in full swing
The parking lot out front
Looks like trouble on the horizon
Just before the rain
Waterlogged flags
Ashley was a talented singer
Dance to the music
Posers

So, it appeared everyone had a good time and enjoyed the celebration. Thanks for coming!

Plenty of leftovers I’ve been enjoying today.

Like these burgers

It was a long day, prepping and partying. I’m feeling it today and haven’t done jack shit other than snacking, napping, and writing this post. I do plan to attend the SOB this evening, though.

The morning after

Facebook memories took me back six years when my runaway Buddy was rescued:

How or why he was lost in this pond is beyond me. I’m just glad a trike driver spotted Buddy and helped rescue him.

Four years ago, this scamdemic idiocy was in full swing:

This is Cheap Charlies. Those plastic curtains are definitely gonna stop a COVID spread. It was stupid then, and given what we’ve since learned, just plain evil.
Yep, it is insane that Orwell fiction has become a “how to” manual. And that people are stupid enough to play along.

On YouTube today, Reekay compares grocery prices between the Philippines and the USA. Some things are cheaper, and some are a lot more expensive. Some imports are so expensive (like cheese) that I won’t buy them out of principle.

Are these funny?

Keep the change
It’s not the meat, it’s the motion
I’m not your goddamn ATM, and I’ve got the t-shirt to prove it!

Independence Day #248

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

As true now as it ever was. No more Kings attempting to imprison political opponents. Oh wait. There are signs that people are beginning to wake up to the threat of the bureaucratic state (aka BS). Hopefully, it’s not too late. Some of the recent Supreme Court decisions should limit the reach of the BS, but people need to stand up and fight for their freedom, just like our founders did.

We may need another revolution to depose the Deep State. Or maybe electing Trump will accomplish that.

Anyhoo, it’s been a busy morning preparing for this afternoon’s shindig at The Rite Spot. Chili is the crockpot, cornbread muffins, and brownies are baked. I’ll need to head upstairs soon to get the rooftop set up for an as yet undetermined number of guests. I’ll cover how everything goes down in tomorrow’s post.

Another rough night for me in the sleep department

I once again woke up with breathing issues. A scary 85 blood oxygen level reading on the oximeter. I used the nebulizer and my oxygen tank to bring it back to the normal range and went back to bed. A couple of hours later, I again awoke, not feeling quite right. I got an 89 reading this time, so I repeated the process. I had a hard time falling asleep again, but my Fitbit says that happened at 2 a.m., and I slept through until six. It looks like it is time to schedule a consultation with the doctor.

Last night, we did our “me time” thing. Swan went out with a couple of friends to Baloy Beach, and I visited BarCelona. I had a few beers there, and then I finished things off for the night at Wet Spot. I had a Sit-n-Bull discount coupon, so I came home with some food for my girl and the help.

A view from my perch at BarCelona

I did some people-watching as well.

I saw this gal in incredibly high heels come out of the Gentlemen’s Bar across the street from BarCelona. She was taking lots of pictures, so I assume she is new in town and just starting her life as a bargirl. From the looks of things, she’ll do fine.
One of the familiar and pathetic local beggars. I had my waitress bring him 50 pesos.
Another street dweller settling in for a nap
Pretty woman walking down the street (channeling the Roy Orbison song)

Swan was pleased with her surprise lasagna from Sit-n-Bull, which included a pecan pie for dessert. I had a pulled pork sandwich and brought pizza for the rest to share. Swan asked if I had enjoyed my “me time,” and I told her yes. It makes me appreciate the time we spend together all the more. And that’s the truth.

We did share the morning candy walk and visited some different neighborhoods than our regular Sunday version.

Kids lovin’ the candy surprise
It appears the Matain River has the runs
I would follow you, follow you wherever you may go…
My sweetie
This little one was more enamored with that big leaf than she was with the chocolate offering.
Bayside
Bay view
Through the narrow passage
Just a tad over 3K and I’d had enough. Was breathing hard even on flat ground.

And that was how Independence Day Eve went down.

Reekay speaks about finding a peaceful retired life in today’s YouTube video. He lives in Bohol, which is at the top of my list of places to visit. But I’m satisfied with my decision to settle in Barretto. There is no way I could handle the big city life of Manila or Cebu. A girl I was courting BEFORE I moved here wanted me to come to Samal Island and live. Nope, it’s too small for me. That’s the point, I think. Everyone is different and needs to find the right fit for them.

And for your smiling enjoyment:

Not at MY party!
Ferme la bouche is the only French I know
As a four-time loser, it is hard to argue with this.
If someone eats the frog, he’ll be the turd you intended

Alright, that’s all for now. There’s work to be done. See you here tomorrow!

A sweet Sunday on the streets of San Isidro

Another Sunday, another candy walk. We started out a little late, and some of our regulars said they thought we weren’t coming. It’s a bit pressuring to think of the disappointment a change of plans would bring to those kids we’ve addicted to chocolate. In the meantime, we’ll just enjoy the mutual satisfaction of trading candy for smiles.

Candy doesn’t grow on trees
First delivery of the day…
Come a runnin!
This village is hard to access and so we don’t visit here every week.
Back on our regular route, the kids were waiting for our arrival
The Marian Hills crowd
This is the earliest we’ve had to refill the bag
Talk about a rickety bridge!
Get your yummies!
Swarming!

My afternoon agenda included the Hideaway feeding. There are still only three girls working there now. During my visit, I was the only customer. Joy said they closed at six on Saturday because they hadn’t had a customer all day. That doesn’t bode well for the future. Honestly, I have a purpose for being there; otherwise, there would be no reason to visit Hideaway. It’s kind of depressing, truth be told. The owner is due back in a couple of weeks; maybe he can turn things around.

Three meals are cheaper than six, so there’s that. I contributed a batch of brownies for dessert.
Joyful gluttony

After the feeding, I dashed across the highway for my dinner date with Swan at John’s place.

The usual view from our upstairs, open-air seating.
I had a hankering for the birria tacos
Swan craved the pulled pork sandwich
Cheers!
That would be us
And a nice sunset for dessert

We did a brief nightcap at Green Room, then headed for home. That’s how we roll these days.

I’ll be rolling along on a Hash trail this afternoon. The dog walk this morning left me breathless again, so I’m hoping the Hare won’t be overly aggressive. I’m fully prepared to shortcut as my needs dictate. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Facebook reminds that eleven years ago, I was at the Grand Ol’ Opry in Itaewon. The bar tradition was to salute the flag with a song (Star Spangled Banner?) at midnight. Yeah, hard to believe I stayed up that late in those days.

The Opry was the oldest bar in Itaewon, but did not survive the closing of the Yongsan Army base.

Speaking of Facebook, yesterday they slapped a “fact-check” cover on a meme I shared featuring clueless Joe.

What was hilarious about the “fact-check” was that it only disputed that Jill Biden had once been a babysitter for Joe’s kids. So, I guess it is a fact that our President is stupid and a pedophile. And, of course, no one denies Hunter is a drug addict.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay talks about a cultural phenomenon in Filipinas known as “Tampo.” Essentially, you piss off your girl somehow, and she gives you the silent treatment, sometimes for days. I’ve witnessed it in the past, and I have very little tolerance for that kind of drama. I’d much rather have a classic yelling and screaming at each session to get everything out and on the table. I just asked Swan whether she ever goes into Tampo mode, and she said she sometimes does. She mentioned that incident last week where she thought I ignored her as an example. Luckily, that only lasted hours, not days.

The daily dose of humor:

Milk from the jug is always better than wine.
Those fruits are nuts
Me too!

Up and over

The Friday hikers tackled the Kalaklan Ridge this week. Given my physical limitations of late, I had doubts, but what the hell, do it or die trying, right? I didn’t die, but I suffered throughout the climb, taking it ever so slowly and breathing hard until the objective was achieved. I did feel good about that because I’m not ready to give up my walkaholism just yet. Our path up was one we hadn’t used in a long time, so it was nice to see the views from there again. Here, have a look and see what I mean:

Where it began. We took a Jeepney ride about 3K out of Barretto to Barangay Lower Kalaklan.
Probably the most dangerous part of the hike was crossing the highway after exiting the Jeepney.
Steppin’ on up
We were still climbing even after the steps were done.
If you could read my mind here, it would be saying, “Fuck this, I should turn around and just walk back to town.” You’d also hear me saying, “Shut the fuck up, you can do this.”
A view of the hood we walked through
My first cookie recipients of the day
Oh shit, more steps
There go those voices in my head again
The view from here
I foolishly thought this was the top.
Another view from on-high
A C-130 cargo plane passed by overhead. I guess the sound of those mighty engines are the modern-day equivalent to the drums of war.
A tree I liked
We continued to gain elevation, although in a less steep fashion
A little shade is always nice
Something seems missing in this message
We overcame some fencing issues and got back on the right side of this one.
That village down there looks familiar
My favorite spot to rest on this trail
If there was easier access, I’d love to spend some time up here camping out.
I need to talk Elon Musk into building a tram here like the one that goes to Namsan in Seoul.
A ballsy goat
And now for the journey back down
A little steep in places, but it wasn’t too slippery
On down. Anyone recognize that mountain in the distance?
Cookie time
My regulars. Even though I only see them three or four times a year, they never forget me. On our Hash maps, this location is called “Cookie Stop.”
Back on solid ground
And another successful Friday hike is in the books!

After some rest and recovery at home, it was time to head out for the SOB dance competition. This week, the venue was Voodoo, which is probably the smallest dancing bar in town. I left home early so I could arrive when the doors opened and secure decent seating for me and Swan. And sure enough, the place was packed by the time the show started. I obviously had to share our table with some late-arriving guests, but they turned out to be friendly tourists (a Brit and an Aussie who lives in Thailand), and we all got along just fine.

The competitors gather on stage at the start of the show. I was a judge once again.
In the end, my fellow judges agreed that the Voodoo team gave the best performance.

After the show, Swan and I were ready for the sweet confines of home, so off we went. And tonight, my plan is to stay home and enjoy the ambiance of The Rite Spot On The Roof. Although the distant rumbling of thunder I hear as I write this may have some impact on that. We shall see.

Facebook memories took me back to a Hash four years ago in the midst of the scamdemic. During the lockdown, the brave Hashers would meet on the mountain and start from there. We’d conduct the On-Home at a private residence, like Derelict’s house on Rizal Extension. Even got raided by the cops once when some Nazi-like neighbors reported us.

That’s Derelict on the left, Bush Diver on the right, and Pubic Head in the middle. Pubic Head is still with us, but sadly, the other two have now departed to Hash Heaven. Rest in Peace!

This made me think of my introvert friend, Kevin Kim:

I’m actually not real comfortable around people I don’t know, but I do go to the bars to feel like I’m socializing.

Today’s YouTube video comes from Craig in Asia. I’m a new subscriber, and I liked this short six-minute take on his experience after six months in the PI. I thought his assessments were pretty much spot on (living in Manila is more expensive budget-wise, though). I also feel safer here than I would in most parts of the USA. His point about not offending people unnecessarily is also good advice. Causing a Filipino to lose face carries the potential for violence. Anyway, it’s worth a watch.

To the humor then:

Short and sweet
Why do you think they call it dope?
That’s my plan, too!

A regular commenter, Thompson, frequently mentions his affection for a band called Uriah Heep. Of course, I’d heard of them but was never a big fan. In fact, I was wracking my brain trying to remember any of their hits, and then found this one from my high school days that I do kinda like:

Trees please me

My solo walk yesterday was nothing new, so there was not much to see that I hadn’t seen before. On a whim, I decided to focus on trees and snap a photo of the ones I liked. Hey, whatever gets you through the hike, right?

You’ve seen this one before. It is the sentinel being shadowed by Easter Mountain as you take the back way out of Alta Vista.
Getting back to my roots. Sometimes the wind through the branches sounds like Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing.” Okay, I made that last part up.
Alone on the hill
Up on the roof
Twistin’ the day away
A gnarly trunk
Triplets
A goat stand
This must be a male tree. I can tell by those coconuts.
What a pretty girl you are
I was whupped after 6K on mostly flat ground

But the best part of the day was yet to come. I kept my promise to take Swan to Pugon Corner (I’d been spelling it wrong) for dinner. But we walked to the Outback Resort for a drink before we ate.

Our quest for beach views post-floating bar season continues. Outback offers this one, and it ain’t bad.
I’m not sure why I don’t visit here more often.
We’ve only just begun

A glass of wine and a couple of beers later, we grabbed a trike for Pugon Corner.

We don’t visit here often, primarily because it is inconveniently located out on Jasmine Street, well off the beaten path.
But a promise is a promise
It’s a clean, well-lighted place
We were the only customers at 6 p.m. on a Thursday
Some of the menu options

I couldn’t decide between pulled pork and grilled chicken wings, so I got both.

The pork
The wings
Swan had the grilled pork belly

I’d rate the food average. Cheaper than the best place for grilled meats (Texas Joe’s on SBMA) but smaller portions. Swan’s craving was satisfied, so mission accomplished.

Chowing down

After dinner, we did our nightcap at Wet Spot.

Swan’s old pal, Aine, was at work this time, so they enjoyed catching up.

And so ended another day in paradise.

According to this, there was a time when the Philippines was more advanced than some of its neighbors in Asia:

These street scenes are all (allegedly) from the same time period. I wonder what changed?

Fourteen years ago, it was another of those all-too-familiar going-away parties in Itaewon. Soldiers generally only stayed for two or three years before shipping out. On this day, we said our goodbyes to Dan (the guy on the far right).

Six years ago, my Buddy moved in with me:

He was a bit freaked out by the change in his circumstances.

In today’s YouTube video offering, Reekay delves into that age-old question, “Why do expats stay in toxic relationships?” Why does anyone?

It took a while, but I finally found a good one for me.

I’ve got some special Ricky Gervais wisdom for you today:

It really should be as simple as that. You do you, and I’ll do me.
How would I know?

Alright, now for the punny stuff:

Eggsactly!
Hard to argue with that logic
And the other type post crap like this.

It looks like we are going to be doing an SOB tonight. Assuming all goes well, I’ll be back with more drivel tomorrow.

Our pride goeth before the falls

Yesterday’s group hiking adventure saw us return to Castillejos, this time to Nagsangong Falls. We make this trek once a year, and something usually goes wrong. We continued that tradition on this year’s adventure. There are upper and lower falls, but we failed to find the path to the upper portion. That’s not to say we didn’t make a climb, but the path we took wound up being a dead end. So, we settled for viewing the lower falls and then heading back. It was a 6K journey through some scenic countryside, and despite the misdirection, we had an enjoyable hike.

Heading out. Four of us for this week’s hike.
Off the pavement
Following the creek bed
Falling behind after taking a piss
Not much water in the creek yet
Although these carabao found a spot they liked
The rickety bridge crossing
Strong enough to hold the fat guy, though.
A gathering of the locals. The dark skin indicates they are Aeta native people.
The first of several water crossings
This road wasn’t here last year. Something was going on upstream in the creek bed involving a backhoe and dump trucks. A local told us in broken English that there were harvesting boulders.
More water in our way
Off the road and into…whatever in the hell that is. Strange how much difference just a few miles makes in the flora and fauna we encounter.
Laundry and bath time. A little surprising because this spot is a good kilometer away from the village and I didn’t see any nearby houses.
Life is hard sometimes but you make the best of it
The washing pond
Marching onward
Now what?
Down to the lower falls then
And there they are. What were you expecting, Niagara?
Feeling bamboo-zeld on the way back
Waiting on the slow guys at the washing hole
This time through they were washing the dishes
Back the way we came
Once your feet are wet, it doesn’t matter anymore
We did find a different trail back to the car which provided a nice change of scenery
Almost suburbia-like
A death-defying tree
Getting it done. The pointless climb got me breathing hard, but the rest of the hike was pleasant
I’m also happy to report the carabao were friendly. And on ropes.
There and back again

Wednesday is becoming my “me” day. This was exacerbated by a misunderstanding I had with Swan. So, beer o’clock came earlier than usual for me as I reflected on the situation with the help of some cold San Mig Zeros. I started at Sloppy Joe’s, went upstairs to BarCelona, then finished my evening out at the Green Room. As the beer overcame my stubbornness, I sent Swan a message, and we worked back and forth through our differences. Basically, we both felt that we had been ignored by the other. Shit happens, and you find your way back. I brought home a pizza from Sit-n-Bull as a peace offering, and all was well once again.

Sometimes, Facebook memories come with a sting. Like this one from thirteen years ago.

I loved that woman and that life. Not so much the belly, but it came back.

In today’s YouTube video, George takes us on a morning stroll through Barretto. I’m rarely out that early, and the town definitely has a different vibe about it during those hours.

And now for some humor:

I’ll probably just say, “Oh shit!”
Um, I just stick my tongue out between my index and middle fingers. That seems to convey the message.
I remember my Dad’s relativity lesson: “If your aunt had balls, she’d be your uncle” He was so far ahead of his time.
It’s good to get lucky!

Let’s go shopping

What else am I going to do on a Tuesday? Well, there’s always the beach, but we’ll get to that later.

First stop on shopping day is always the BPI branch at Harbor Point Mall
I refill fill the wallet when the ATM is working. And yesterday it was!
Next stop is the grocery store
We arrived a few minutes before the 9 a.m. opening and had to wait outside.
Let the shopping begin!
Swan is working hard filling that cart
These fish are so fresh they aren’t even dead yet
Checkout time
Ringing ’em up and boxing ’em up
Another week, another three hundred bucks
Let’s roll!
Shakey’s was THE place for pizza when I was growing up in Southern Cal.
Leaving SBMA through the Kalaklan gate
I see dead people. Olongapo’s hillside cemetery.
Heading home on the curvy National Highway
Curvy in the back seat, too
Back in Barretto
Driver Danny got us home safe once again
And now we unload

So, that’s what shopping looks like around here. Pretty exciting, huh? In the afternoon I took Swan to the beach. We started at McCoy’s:

The view from our seats
The view of us
Subic Bay
Heading down the beach to Kokomo’s
Our Kokomo’s view
Baloy Long Beach
The late afternoon sky
Our dinner venue was next door at Foxhole (formerly knows as DaKudos)
My ex, Jessa, was once again our waitress.
The pork chop dinner has really gone downhill since the change in ownership. Smaller chops and very dry. I’ll stick to Mango’s for my chops in the future.

After our meal, we headed home. The night didn’t end well, but that’s a story for another day.

Yep, more and more I realize that I don’t have time enough left for drama.

I can’t resist inserting a small taste of politics here:

We have a shitty president

I joined Facebook in 2009 and today’s memories are from my posts on this day fifteen years ago:

My Directorate of Human Resources Management teammates
Me at the 8th Army Ball
My favorite business name in Itaewon

Ah, the good ol’ days…gone but not forgotten.

Man, that Hawk Tuah girl is burning up the internet, isn’t she?

Today’s YouTube video comes from my favorite, the Filipina Pea. In this episode she’s hanging out with her girlfriend and swapping tales. Enjoy the eye candy:

And now for some humor:

It’s the thought that counts
He should have had Kevin Kim along
Yeah, she’s lacking something, no ifs, ands, or butts about it.

Anyway, my head is in a weird place right now, but hopefully I’ll figure out what to do next. Stay tuned.

Sunday always comes

That’s why I have Sunday routines, starting with Swan’s candy walk. We discussed hitting a different area this week but decided that disappointing our regulars was too much to bear. So, we hit the usual streets but added a new loop to freshen things up a bit.

The candy bag loaded up and ready to go
We refill the bag twice from our backpacks during the walk.
Heading out
The Alta Vista Clubhouse is a disappointment, especially when compared to Club Morocco.
It was a beautiful morning for a walk
The kids were waiting for us when we arrived here
Candies for lassies in Marian Hills
Another happy regular
This one called out, “what about me?” so Swan hurried back to satisfy her craving.
Turkey time
Making do
Nice to see you again!
The wide open spaces
This little one came up out of the fields for some treats. Not sure how she knew we were passing by.
Another regular stop
Sunday sweets
The road ahead
Spot the ugly duckling
Bound and determined
The rickety bridge
Valley view
Crossing Bridge #4
Our first visit to this neighborhood in Naugsol
Come a runnin’!
A different angle on Easter Mountain
Puddles are the new norm, but I ain’t complainin’. Yet. It is definitely cooler these days.
An over the fence delivery
The view from here
Come and get it
Up the alley
The last delivery of the day
6.5K from beginning to end

As far as routines go, this is one of my favorites. The other Sunday tradition is the feeding at Hideaway Bar. They were down to three girls yesterday. How long can this go on?

It’s still nice to add something to the boring life in the bar
And the gals are always appreciative

While the floating bars are docked for the season, my other Sunday routine is dinner with Swan. She had mentioned going to Pujon Corner, but we ultimately decided to stick with John’s place for our Sunday meal. We’ll do Pujon later this week.

The view from our seats at John’s
I did the beef enchiladas. Three big ones. Spicy, but good.
Swan loves the Philly cheesesteak sandwich
Watching the sun go down as we dined

After our meal, we visited Alaska Club for our nightcap. We were surprised to see several of the Kokomo floating bar girls are now employed there. And in another coincidence, John Kim was there playing pool. I asked him if our leftovers smelled familiar, and he laughed. I wasn’t going to buy everyone a drink, but I did tip the dancers 50 pesos each. They seemed to appreciate it.

And that was how Sunday went down. Another good one.

We leave our windows open as I prefer cooling by fans. Sometimes that results in an unexpected visitor.

This is another case of bird flew. Last time, Lucky got to the bird first and turned it to feathers. My helper Teri captured this one today and set him free.

That was my excitement so far today. But the Hash is on the horizon. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

That’s why the are getting all the illegal aliens registered to vote

Today’s YouTube video is from the Filipina Pea exploring the issue of whether Asian women are easy. I thought she did a good job overall on a tricky subject. Making distinctions between Asian cultures, like Japan and Korea, was also important. I was pretty much invisible in Korea after turning 60, but here in the Philippines, I’m often reminded that “age is just a number.” Watch it if you please.

To the humor, then.

There’s a burger chain here called Wimpy’s
Food for thought
The only thing better than long legs wrapped around your back is short legs trying.
What did you think he meant?

Thanks for stopping by.

Friday done Rite

I awoke to the sound of raindrops pounding on the roof. But shortly after sunrise, the clouds broke up and cleared the way for a sweet group hike. This week, we made our annual pilgrimage to Club Morocco for a walk on its mostly vacant streets. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that the subdivision developer, Sta Lucia Homes, is the same company that created Alta Vista. I don’t know which came first or what the backstory might be, but Club Morocco is three times the size of Alta Vista but remains 75% empty. That said, the Clubhouse is infinitely nicer than ours, and some of the lots offer amazing views. It’s just eerie walking down street after street with no houses. Lots of photos from our trek to share, so let’s get started:

Jim and Scott comparing notes or something. The three of us took a bus to the Philseco area of Subic. Mike, who lives in Club Morocco drove down and picked us up there.
Let’s get this show on the road! See those cranes in the distance?
We began our journey near the Keppel shipyard. They had two ships in the docks for repairs, as busy as I recall seeing them.
This house was abandoned the last time we were out this way. Now, it is undergoing renovation. It has a view to envy, that’s for sure. It is not so conveniently located, though, with access by a narrow dirt road.
This small fishing village was much more rundown than before.
The proverbial house on the hill
This is a nice-looking resort, but again, it is not easily accessible. The best way would be through Club Morocco, but we noted that the subdivision had blocked the road to here.
And here we are in front of the Clubhouse
Very nice, indeed. And unlike Alta Vista, this venue has a restaurant. I’ve toyed with the idea of opening a restobar in Alta Vista, but I don’t need the headache.
The wide-open spaces of Club Morocco
Brian, the guy on the left, also lives in Club Morocco. He joined us for part of the hike. He’s carrying his drone in the backpack and filmed us during our beach walk. He hasn’t shared the video with us yet.
This cracked me up. Apparently, whoever installed the sign was blind as well.
On a road to nowhere.
Interestingly, despite a nearly empty subdivision, more development is taking place out here.
A view from here
Good luck with whatever that’s going to be.
All this work will have been for naught when the big storms hit
We left the road behind for a bit and headed down to the water. This was the trickiest part of the hike—it was wet and slick from the morning rain.
Our first wet feet experience of the day…but not the last.
Heading through another ramshackle village
A little bit on nothing goes a long way
Life on the bayside
That looks like a cool place to hang out
Low bridge
Workin’ for a livin’
Round two of wet feet
See that hut on stilts with the blue roof? I can fantasize about calling that home. Of course, how the hell I’d get groceries there is unknown…probably have to hire a boat. And the walk to the bars would be a bitch, too.
Beach walking
I don’t recall seeing trees grow so close to the water’s edge. The must have deep roots to withstand high tide.
This is another example of the litter problem. People didn’t throw that garbage on the beach; it washed up from the bay. I’ve seen it countless times on hikes, where folks toss their trash in the river with impunity, and it winds up in the bay and then on the beach.
Where the river meets the bay
We decided to stop at the Clubhouse on the way back for some rehydration.
This monster pool is twice the size of what we have in Alta Vista
Heading back to the car
The final uphill

We decided to stop at the 13 Resort in Calapandayan for a proper lunch.

You can see where we were from there (behind that ship and on the other side of the hill with that clearing)
This gave me a bit of “Gilligan’s Island” vibe
I’ve talked before about 13 Resort offering the only Monte Cristo sandwich I’ve seen in years. The original ones I fell in love with had powdered sugar frosting on the bread; otherwise, these are nearly perfect.
The path we walked, a tad over 8K. You can see how huge the Club Morocco subdivision truly is. Perhaps they’ll sell some of those lots when the new shipyard opens.

I had already decided to spend my Friday evening at home, and the huge thunderstorm that arrived later in the afternoon confirmed the wisdom of that choice. Of course, the rooftop is no place to be during a windblown rainstorm. And then the power went out for a couple of hours. Once the rain stopped, I headed up to the Rite Spot to escape the darkened house with no fans.

No lights and some misty rain. I do have some solar lights on the roof, so I wasn’t completely in the dark.
And when power was restored, I fired up my newly installed roof lights, plugged in my fan, and turned on the speaker to hear my favorite tunes.
Santo Tomas looks much better with the lights on
Roast chicken and potatoes with some sprouts and broccoli were served for dinner last night at The Rite Spot.
And then the moon came out to wish me goodnight.

That’s my kind of day these days.

Looking back to other days in other years, Facebook sent me these reminders:

Fourteen years ago, I stood on the main drag through Itaewon waiting for a bus to take me and the wife to visit a temple in Uidong
Eight years ago, I paid my first and last visit to Davao City where I discovered under police escort, that vaping was only allowed here. I blogged about that experience here.

Today’s YouTube video is from Reekay and he shares his budget for living expenses. Mine is more than triple what he spends, although I’m paying and feeding a staff of helpers and a lover.

Humor me this:

I urinate on an island
An oldie but a goodie

Time to get ready for a Saturday evening with my girl. She got real excited about going to Treasure Island to see the live band. Her wish is my command.

The good and the bad

Things didn’t start off so well yesterday. I had some breathing issues during the dog walk, which is always disconcerting. I fought off the urge to be lazy and headed out for my morning walk as scheduled, but I really wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t realize just how sour my mood was until a beggar approached me with his hand out. Usually, I just wave them off and continue on my way, but this time I exploded, shouting, “Get the fuck away from me!” and kept on walking. A couple of minutes later, I was shaking my head in disgust at my behavior and felt bad for being the ugly American directing his wrath at someone in need. I briefly considered turning around and extending an apology, but I was already a good way down the road. So, I continued on with my walk, but I had lost what little passion I had for the endeavor and quit before the 5K threshold.

So, that’s the bad. The good was my date night with Swan. We walked down to the highway around four in the afternoon and caught a Jeepney for the 3K ride to the Samba Resort in Lower Kalaklan.

Arriving at our destination
Together time
A view from our perch
A view of our perch
Beach view left
Beach view right
A view of the photographer
Kon Tiki innards
The Kon Tiki menu offerings

I asked the waitress about the Kahuna Burger, the most expensive item on the menu. Also, I’d never seen a twelve-dollar hamburger before. She started reciting the list of ingredients, but when she got to “spam,” I stopped her. I might eat spam if I were starving, but I see no reason to pay a premium for the experience. So, I opted for the ten-dollar cheeseburger.

Those fries might have been the best I’ve ever eaten.
The burger was good, too. I had to remove the onion so it would fit in my mouth. Was it worth ten bucks? Probably not, but I also recognize I was paying resort prices, and I was on a date, so who cares?
Swan enjoyed her pork tonkatsu, whatever the hell that is. I’m not a mac and cheese fan, but I had to admit it looked good. The pork was tasty as well.

Our bill came to 1980 pesos, including my beers and Swan’s glass of wine. No complaints; we had excellent service in a nice beach bar environment. We’ll continue to be semi-regulars here (a couple times a month) until the owner gets around to opening the promised Barretto venue.

The sun was going down and we made our way back to Barretto

One of the downsides of Kon Tiki is getting home. It was just a little after six, and we knew the Jeepneys would be full of commuters coming home from jobs in Olongapo. I was hoping for a trike, but as we stepped out onto the highway, a rarely-seen empty taxi was passing by in our direction. He honked, I waved affirmation, he pulled over, and we climbed in for a very comfortable ride back to our little town. I also noticed a trike stand, so future visits should not have to rely on blind luck for the return trip.

Our date wasn’t quite over yet. We had the taxi drop us at Wet Spot, and we ordered a round of drinks. Aine and our regular waitress weren’t there, so there was no hit on the wallet for lady drinks. Owner Daddy Dave came by, and we had a nice chat. When he left for a dinner date, we also prepared to pay our tab. Then the waitress came by with a fresh bottle of beer and a glass of wine, compliments of Dave. Thanks for that! One of the benefits of The Maze group of bars is they are all connected. Green Room is next door and also owned by Dave, so we carried our drinks there to finish out our night. We wound up having an enjoyable time amongst familiar faces. And so ended our date.

I don’t watch television news, but I’d say most of it qualifies for the bad category.

The science is settled on that one.
Yeah, I know the reality is so bad made up shit like this is unnecessary. Still, I couldn’t resist.

Enough with politics for now. Let’s stroll down memory lane for a minute.

Seven years ago I reported for duty at the new 8th Army Headquarters building at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. It was good to have a purpose in life, but those days are behind me.
Five years ago, I explored how I might look if I changed my pronouns—probably not a good idea.
I posted this on Facebook three years ago. I presume I slapped it up here as well, although I honestly don’t remember. I do appreciate the loyal readers who are subjected to my daily drivel. Blogging gives some meaning to my day, even if there is not much meaning in what I write. Thank you!

Today’s YouTube video is from The Filipina Pea. She talks about the favorite tactics of Filipina scammers. I’ve been scammed a few times over the years, including before I even moved here. I suppose it’s tuition in the school of experience. So, heed her words to the wise. I’ve got a good one now, thank goodness.

To the humor then:

Sorry, I’m not drunk enough to get this one.
Yeah, that’s more like it!

Anyway, I was planning on spending my Friday night at the Rite Spot. Nature had other plans. It has been pouring down rain all afternoon, with some thunder and lightning thrown in as well. Power has been out for an hour now, so I’d best get this posted before the laptop battery quits. I plan to be back tomorrow, so come check it out!