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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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:

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!

In honor of Swan’s 40th birthday and Father’s Day, we gifted each other a “we” day. Basically, doing what we usually enjoy but devoting the time to being together.

At Saturday’s birthday party, Steve, the owner of Kokomo’s, mentioned a Father’s Day gathering at his resort. Surprisingly, I remembered that. So, we headed out to Baloy Beach for some of that afternoon’s “we” time. Except when we arrived, no one was there except the staff and some heavy-drinking Filipinos, one of whom was a bakla. No big deal, I figured we’d have a drink or two, then move on. Swan said she was enjoying the music and the bay view, so it was all good.

Steve and his wife, Liza, showed up within an hour of our arrival. Some pork was thrown on the grill, and they had nachos delivered from Treasure Island. The party was on!

Swan was hungry for a meal, so we said our goodbyes and thank you (Steve picked up the tab for all our drinks), then moved on to Treasure Island.

After our meal, we went back home and spent the night together. That’s the way “we” roll.

Here are some photos from our Sunday morning candy walk. We hit our regular stops and when the kids spotted us, they came running.

Here’s a memory from 1959:

Today’s YouTube video discusses some aspects of Filipino culture from an expat’s perspective. He narrates a video of a street walk (Cebu City, I think) that reminds me of why I head for the hills when I can.

Some more attempts at humor:

Alrighty, then. It’s Hash Monday, and I’ve got to prepare myself to be Leeched. I’ll be taking the shorter trail, but there is a climb in my near future. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow. If I’m still breathing.

To the best of my recollection, Swan’s birthday party was a success. Things got a little fuzzy at some point. I did wake up at home but have no recollection of getting there. That’s what happens to me when the party starts early in the afternoon. According to my Fitbit stats, I was asleep at 7:25. I’m such a lightweight these days! I did have the foresight to snap a few photos before the blackout, though.

Fortunately, I didn’t misbehave, according to Swan. Unless falling asleep at my table counts. Oh, well. Life goes on and today Swan and I are celebrating a “we” day. It’s her actual birthday (we had the party early because the Clubhouse wasn’t available today) and Father’s day for me. Which is kind of funny because both of my kids are older than Swan.

Today’s YouTube video is from the Filipina Pea as she discusses “age gap” issues. Sweet Filipinas have always assured me that “age is just a number,” and in my time here, the winter-spring couples seem like the norm. Swan is almost twenty-nine years younger than me, but we haven’t had any problems with that. I think for me, the biggest concern is knowing that I won’t be around when she is older, but I don’t dwell on that much. Life goes on until it doesn’t.

Time for some lame humor:

We did our candy walk this morning and we’ll find some adventure or other to share later this afternoon. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

The Friday hikers tackled Kalaklan Ridge yesterday, and I tagged along. We took a Jeepney out to Olongapo City and commenced our climb via a path we hadn’t used for a couple of years. There is no easy up, and this one was steep in places but relatively short. Of course, it was short because we achieved the ridgeline at a low point. So, for the next 2K or so, we were walking on an incline. Honestly, that kicked my ass more than the actual climb-up.

I hope I have the ability to continue hikes like this one. It’s getting harder and harder, but I appreciate being out and about and enjoying those awesome views.

I spent my evening at The Rite Spot and watched the sun go down from there.

Sunday is Swan’s 40th birthday. The party is being held at the Alta Vista clubhouse this afternoon. Last night, a bunch of Swan’s female relatives came over to the house to help prepare the food for the gathering today. We all shared a dinner on the roof.

Anyway, the cooking is still going on, so there is more to come. I’m clueless as to how many will be attending today, but it looks like we have enough food for a small army. Then again, birthdays are a big family event in Filipino culture, and most families are the size of a small army. I’ll have a few friends show up, I hope, so I won’t be the only foreigner there. I’ll tell you all about how the party goes tomorrow. Now I need to go out and buy a cake!

Politics, anyone?

Today’s YouTube is about a discussion in the Philippines Senate about protecting Filipino territory. Can anyone else hear those war drums beating?

Let’s try to find a reason to smile:

Okay, gotta run.

I may be getting old, but I’m still in the game. I only managed a 5K solo walk, but at least I was able to get outside and hit the road for a bit. My fitful sleeping lately leaves me feeling less energetic than I want to be, but I’m not going to throw in the towel. I’ll do what I can do for as long as I can do it.

The best part of the day was a date with Swan. She likes the beach and water views, so we headed out to Papagayo for dinner. I don’t eat there often, but I’d seen they set up a dining area on the sand, so I wanted to give it a try.

So, it was a nice and unique experience to dine on the beach, but it probably doesn’t warrant a return visit. During dinner, Swan commented that she misses the floating bars. Me too. We still haven’t found a good replacement venue for the offseason. Well, maybe Kon Tiki, but that’s so far out of town that it is a pain to get to and from. We’ll see what’s next soon.

We walked back up the highway for an after-dinner drink at Sloppy Joe’s.

We finished our evening out with a visit to Wet Spot. Aine was back to work, so I let her and Swan cuddle up while I sat at the backslappers’ table with Daddy Dave and some other regulars.

A nice way to end the day in my increasingly mellow lifestyle.

Since it’s an election year, I feel a sense of duty to remind my fellow American voters what’s at stake. This meme resonated with me:

It’s always nice to look back to happier times:

Today’s YouTube video has Reekay holding court on the pros and cons of younger versus older Filipinas. I’ve been there and done that. I briefly dated an 18-year-old and Swan turns forty on Sunday. I had a relationship of sorts with Loraine before moving here and she was fifty and not a bargirl, but every bit as messed up as anyone else who wound up fucking me over. Anyway, that’s all in the past and I’ve found a good one now.

Today’s “humor” is a little different than usual. At least not so punny.

Yeah, not so good. I’ll try harder next time.

Yesterday was a bit of a throwback to the good old days, such as they were. The Wednesday Walkers trek featured two climbs, including a journey up Black Rock. The last few times we’ve done that route, I’ve avoided Black Rock and taken the low road. It wasn’t easy, but I got it done this time.

When I got home, lunch was waiting.

Wednesday evening is becoming “me” day. Swan and I both do our own thing and then reconvene at home. My thing was a bit of a bar crawl through the Maze. I started at BarCelona, a bar I infrequently visit. It is one of the nicest places in town aesthetically, but it just has no vibe, or at least it doesn’t when I visit there. Still, it is on the third floor and has the open-air ambiance I enjoy.

After a couple of beers, I went back downstairs to Sloppy Joe’s. Jim stopped by and joined me for a couple more there. Then, I visited Alaska and enjoyed seeing the old crew again. Next up was the Green Room, and then I finished my night out at Wet Spot. It’s been a long time since I’ve done a bar crawl like that, and I was feeling no pain at the end of it.

One of my waitresses confided in me that things have been very slow in the bars recently, and because of that, some nights she comes home without having made any money. I asked what about your salary (my understanding is the girls get a small flat rate, like 250 pesos, plus tips and lady drink commissions)? She advised that if they don’t make their quota on lady drinks (something like fourteen a week), they lose the salary. So, no customers, no pay. That’s seems both unfair and borderline slavery-like to me. I confirmed the basic compensation package with a waitress in another bar. Damn. Let’s just say I was overly generous with the lady drinks last night to help fill the void. I don’t know the bar business and I understand the premise of drink quotas as a means of motivating the girls, but it still makes me sad somehow.

And then it was back home to end the night in my sweetheart’s arms. I’m still not sleeping well (my new elevated position isn’t very comfortable). At least I’m wheezing less and my blood oxygen is staying in the mid-90s range. Nothing to do but keep on trying.

Lots of Filipino flags were on display for Independence Day yesterday. I came across this explaining the symbolism of the flag’s content:

Today’s YouTube video is an interesting take from Filipina Pea on why Filipinas cheat. In most of my lifetime of failed relationships, I was the cheating culprit. The only time I know about a significant other cheating on me was with the love of my life, KaraLynne. As a young man in my mid-20s madly in love with a graduate student attending school in Idaho (we lived in Arizona), I was devasted to discover she was pregnant and getting an abortion. When I finally reached her by phone (this was before email and messenger apps) and told her I should have a say in what happens to our baby, she simply responded, “It’s not yours.” Ouch.

Let’s see what we’ve got in the humor department for today:

Not that that will stop me. More tomorrow.

Another taking care of business Tuesday. It was time to renew my tourist visa again, so we hit the road with my driver a little earlier than usual. We made an ATM stop at the Harbor Point Mall BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) branch, and for the second week in a row, the machine was “offline.” Luckily, I had the foresight to bring enough cash with me to purchase a 60-day visa extension (2800 pesos). I was the first customer of the day at immigration and completed the paperwork in record time. So, I’ll be sticking around until August at least.

Next, we drove to the other side of SBMA to visit the BPI ATMs located there. They have three machines, so I was confident I’d come away with my stash of cash. I inserted my card, punched in my info, and got the usual “your transaction is being processed” screen. And then nothing happened. I hit cancel, retrieved my card, and moved to the next machine—same result. So, I gave up, and we headed back to Royal to take care of the grocery shopping chore. I pay there by credit card, so my lack of funds was not an issue. No problems at Royal other than the usual “out of stock” frustrations (how the fuck do you not have cans of Coke Zero available?). We stopped at 7/11 on the way home, where I successfully withdrew enough funds to pay my expenses for a few more days. What a life, huh?

The day did get better. At beer o’clock, we strolled out to Baloy Beach. I was planning to pay a visit to McCoy’s beach bar, but as we approached, the karaoke was already blaring. No, thank you, we kept on walking.

We wound up making Kokomo’s our thirst-quenching venue. The old floating bar crew was there to serve us. Owner Steve and his wife were there to greet us and a couple of other customers came in during our visit.

Kokomo doesn’t do food, so when it was time to eat, we went next door to DaKudos/Foxhole for some grub. They finally have the “beach bar” open, such as it is. It is basically just a place to sit on uncomfortable stools. Poor Jessa, the bartender/waitress, has to cover the whole bar/dining room/beach bar single-handedly. She gave me a button to push to summon her when I needed service. Kokomo’s had four girls and one-quarter of the area to serve, so it was a much more attention-friendly environment. I’m not sure what the Foxhole owner is thinking, but absent some changes the so-called beach bar is a no-go for me.

Another weird thing happened during our Foxhole visit. In the picture above, you’ll see a small table on the beach at the lower left. That’s a bottle of Red Horse beer on the table. The Filipino couple sitting there got up and walked to the water’s edge to take some photos. While they were gone, a tall foreigner dude walked up, grabbed the beer, guzzled it, put it back on the table, and went inside DaKudos. Jessa said he just walked through. The girls next door at Kokomo’s saw what happened and told the couple. The couple threw away the beer, gathered their valuables, and returned to their room. Never saw anything quite like that before.

We left soon after for home.

Today is Independence Day in the Philippines. What is being celebrated is their declared independence from Spain in 1898. That wasn’t going well for them until Uncle Sam came in to kick some Spanish ass as part of our broader war effort. Of course, with Spain’s defeat, we took over the Philippines and had to subdue some resistance to a new overlord. We granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946. For many years, that was the day Filipinos celebrated being finally free of the imperialist yoke. I’m not sure why the holiday was changed, but I guess it doesn’t matter. Freedom isn’t free, and now they have to defend it from Chinese incursions. I reckon we’ll be called in to help with that.

In somewhat related news, the Philippines is establishing an air defense base at the old U.S. Naval Air Station at Cubi Point, which was part of the former Navy base. This is in direct response to the recent Chinese aggression. I expect honest Filipinos will admit the rash decision in 1991 not to renew the agreement to have US bases in the Philippines wasn’t too smart. China never fucked around like they are doing now when we had a large military presence here. Oh, well. Of course, if and when war breaks out, Subic will now be a prime target, and I’m likely to become collateral damage. I need to update my list of ways I might die to include being bombed and attacked by crazy carabaos.

Speaking of photography, I came across this truism:

I’m not saying one thing leads to another, but I also came across this old meme today:

I keep hearing that it is Pride Month. I am not a big fan, but out of respect for those who care about Pride, I’ll pay my respects.

So, I had a lot of Facebook memories to reflect on today.

Today’s video is another from Reekay. In it, he distinguishes between good and bad Filipinas and the various stages of relationships with them. I could relate. And yes, I finally found a good one. The video is worth the watch just for the pretty women who serve as a backdrop to his narrative. And yes, I feel free to look, but I no longer touch.

This isn’t part of today’s humor, but it is a funny poem. When I shared it with Swan, she laughed.

For I shall always let thee do,
   In generous love, just what I please.
Peace comes, and discord flies away,
   Love’s bright day follows hatred’s night;
For I am ready to admit
   That you are wrong and I am right.

Now, for the funny stuff:

One more:

Okay, I’ve tortured you enough for one day. Come back tomorrow for another dose!

We dispensed all the candy on yesterday’s walk in less than 5K. There were lots of kids out and about looking forward to our arrival. Sometimes, I think about doing the candy walk in different areas for a change of scenery, but that would mean a lot of disappointed children in San Isidro. So, it is what it is, at least for now.

Later, I fed the five Hideaway girls. There were a couple of other customers this time, but Joy says it’s been quiet for quite some time. I asked her why that was, and she said it was because there were not many girls working now to attract customers. I asked why you don’t hire more girls. She responded that they can’t afford to until there are more customers. I believe there is a business term for that kind of doom loop, but I can’t think of it now.

After Hideaway, I crossed the highway for my rendezvous with Swan at John’s place.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. It was Aine’s birthday, but she was a no-show. Apparently, she was recovering from a generous customer the night before. And so ended another sweet Sunday.

I had a rough night last night, waking around midnight not feeling quite right. Slapped on the oximeter and my blood oxygen registered 85–that’s a record low for me. Puffed my inhaler and fired up the nebulizer, and got back into the low 90s. I used my oxygen tank and returned to the “normal” range before going back to bed. Rechecked the oximeter when I woke this morning, and I registered low normal at 95. I have no idea what’s going on this time, but I think it may be my lungs don’t function well when I’m in a prone position sleeping. Hopefully, this, too, shall pass–before I do!

I’ve got a Hash coming up this afternoon, so we’ll see how the lungs hold up in the hills.

With an election on the horizon, I’m expecting more of this nonsense from all the social media giants working hand-in-hand with the powers that be. Well, except this time Twitter (X) isn’t completely in the government’s pocket. We’ll see.

Thanks for the memories, though.

Two years ago, I had a surprise birthday party for Aine at Wet Spot. It was a nice time, but the surprise was on me. She told me she had met a guy and was moving to Singapore with him. I wished her well, but she was back a year later. And so goes the life of a bargirl.

Today’s YouTube is from Reekay, and he addresses the issue of noise pollution in the Philippines. In my view, he understates it somewhat. After litter, the lack of respect for peace and quiet is probably my biggest peeve. It manifests itself in many ways, music (and worse, videoke) being played at full volume. Motorbikes without mufflers. Barking dogs. And, of course, roosters crow at all hours, but especially in the early morning. I joke that living in Alta Vista subdivision is not at all like living in the Philippines, but I can still hear the Philippines from my house. There is a rooster farm just across the river from me, and I can hear them, but I’ve acclimated enough now that it is just background noise. I occasionally hear the locals in Santo Tomas doing karaoke (yes, that’s how loud they play it) as well. Anyway, it is what it is; you either adapt or live miserably. Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way and all that.

Humor me:

More to come tomorrow.

Yesterday wasn’t exactly more of the same; it was more of the same on a different timetable.

Only Ed and I showed up for the Friday group hike. We did a loop around the Naugsol valley and logged a little over 6K when we finished.

Things went a bit off-schedule because I had a Hash Mismanagement meeting to attend at 2 p.m. These meetings are held a couple of times a year to discuss and vote on issues impacting Hash operations. Yesterday’s agenda included voting on retaining two of our Hash venues and deciding on the location and logistics for the Hash anniversary run in October. The meeting was held at the VFW, and Dave, the Grandmaster, threw 500 pesos in the pot to treat the beer drinkers to some cold beverages. I don’t usually drink so early in the afternoon, but I made an exception yesterday.

We had some issues with being overcharged during our last visit to the One-Three Resort. The owner extended an olive branch and agreed to change the method for accounting for beer consumption, so we voted to give the venue another chance. McCoy’s unilaterally and without notice raised the price of beers during our previous visit, and we voted to end that relationship. The 41st Anniversary run of the SBH3 will be celebrated at the Subiza Beach Resort on Baloy. I was happy with that outcome as it is one of my favorite Hash venues. We also voted on the design of the Hash shirts for the anniversary. A productive and satisfactory meeting that lasted a little over an hour.

Swan messaged me that her friend Jo (the Grandmaster’s girlfriend) wanted her to come to It Doesn’t Matter. So, I agreed to join them there after the meeting. Dave (the Grandmaster), Jim, and Gunther also came to IDM when business was concluded at the VFW. So, us menfolk gathered at our table and the gals got together in their corner, and the drinking commenced. Or should I say resumed? Anyway, we had a good time doing the guy talk thing on a variety of subjects, and we went on and on into the night. I finally called it quits a little after 8 p.m., which, given my early start, made for an exceptional level of consumption. I won’t say I was fried, but I was pretty toasted.

I was pretty shocked when I was presented with a tab for 3100 pesos. I was my usual generous self when it came to lady drinks, buying two each for the two waitresses serving our table. Of course, I was buying Swan’s drinks, but she’s a comparable lightweight wine sipper. I also bought some finger foods to snack on. But doing the math in my sober head today, I’m thinking someone made a mistake. Well, I did by not being more vigilant, but things just don’t add up. Anyway, lesson learned. I hope.

I’m going to spend my Saturday evening in the relative safety and comfort of The Rite Spot. I deserve a break today.

Speaking of memories, here’s what I did seven years ago::

And five years ago, during my last trip to Korea, my nephew Justin held court with Kevin Kim. Justin is a smart young man, but he’s been totally indoctrinated in liberal dogma to the extent he can no longer articulate an original political thought.

Today’s YouTube is from one of my favorites, The Filipina Pea. She’s visiting Bohol, a place at the top of my bucket list to see. Hopefully, I’ll be taking Swan there later this month.

And now, your daily dose of humor:

Another day in the life without much to complain about. It’s hard to be a grumpy old man around here. The usual fun and games, with a little twist at the end. It went something like this:

I suggested spending the evening at The Rite Spot, but Swan said she had told the owner of the new disco in town that we would attend a special event there last night.

The problem is that the disco doesn’t open until 8 p.m., and the partying doesn’t begin until after nine—too late for this old timer. But Swan convinced me to make an appearance, and then we’d leave before it got late. I pushed back beer o’clock by an hour, then began the evening with dinner at Mangos.

We still had time to kill after dinner and I had a Whiskey Girl coupon to use, so we made that our next stop. Swan and a couple of the waitresses got into a deep conversation in Tagalog, but apparently it was about some of the antics that take place behind a red curtain in the bar. Still, it was nice to see Swan enjoying the company of the girls. And yes, some lady drinks were purchased.

Then we moved on to Snackbar to await the disco’s opening. After a couple more beers and a couple more lady drinks, it was finally time to move upstairs.

Anyway, we left before nine. We came to show support for the owners, and the owners didn’t seem to care that much. It’s no big deal; I’m sure it got busy later. Just not my scene.

So, I shared these political images on my Facebook page:

Facebook memories reminded me of the life I was living in 2013.

I’m featuring two (short) videos from vlogger Reekay today. They are different from what he usually posts because they are songs. I have no idea who wrote or performed them, but they have a message and are enjoyable.

And today’s attempt at being funny:

That’s all for today.

No, my pronouns won’t change, and I’m not sure what I’m transitioning to, but my epiphany last night was that I don’t enjoy the bars nearly as much as I used to. Maybe it is just a passing phase. Swan stayed home last night but encouraged me to go out and enjoy some “me” time. I started out at Green Room to use my “buy one, get one” coupon. One thing I noticed during my visit was I didn’t see even one “I would if I could” candidate amongst the multitude of women in the bar. That’s not like me, although I’d rarely partake, even when I was single. It got boring after an hour or so, so I crossed the highway to visit Cheap Charlies. My two regulars there have left for other, hopefully, greener pastures. I drank alone for the first beer, and then a gal I hadn’t seen for quite some time came and sat down beside me. I asked her where had she been, and she said she was home in the province for the past nine months. Being the math wizard that I am, I asked if she’d had a baby there, and she said yes. She told me the father was a Filipino who had flown before the child was born. The kid stayed in the province with her mother while she came back to work. I bought her a welcome-back lady drink and reflected on how the cycle of poverty continues to perpetuate.

The best part of my visit to Cheap Charlies was watching the sun setting behind the clouds.

Shortly after the sun was done, so was I. Heading home at seven is early, even for me. I guess I truly am not the man I used to be.

Ah, the memories. Eight years ago, I visited my barber in Seoul.

Four years ago, I found an exception to my usual disdain for face masks:

And, of course, eighty years ago, the brave soldiers landed on the beaches of France. My, how times have changed.

Today’s YouTube video reminded me of an incident I had almost forgotten about–the man who took revenge on the small town that had wronged him. With a bulldozer.

Anyone in the mood for some offensive humor? Here you go:

And we’ll leave it at that for today.

And not altogether wrong. Just one of those days that was a little bit off. Hey, you need the not-so-good to fully appreciate the good ones, right? And if yesterday is as bad as it gets, I am indeed a blessed man. Here’s the story of my Bluesday.

Headed out for the weekly grocery shopping excursion at Royal. My first stop is always the ATM at the nearby Harbor Point Mall, where I stock up on cash for the coming week. Except this time, the ATM was offline, requiring a detour to the ATMs on the other side of SBMA (I use the BPI bank machines because they allow 20,000 peso withdrawals). I extracted the needed cash, and we reversed course back to the Royal supermarket, where the shopping took place without further incident. No big deal, but still not quite right.

So, now that the floating bars are no more, Swan and I need a new Tuesday evening routine. If we can’t be on the water, we at least want to be able to view the bay from our seats. We weren’t that thrilled with the Kokomo’s experience last week, so I thought we’d try something new. On the far end of Barretto, there is a floating island resort. I’ve never been, but there is a sign out front saying the restaurant is open to non-guest customers. I was thinking it might be similar to the Kon Tiki experience, only closer. Only one way to find out, right?

We had the typical afternoon rain shower (I’m not complaining about the rainy season–yet), but the rain stopped just before we left home. We did carry umbrellas just to be safe. It’s a little over 2K from my house to the venue, and I was tempted to grab a trike using the weather as an excuse, but I persevered and got in the steps. We arrived and walked through the front gate. A guard stopped us and asked where we were going. Swan did the talking in Tagalog. So, despite the signage inviting guests, the restaurant wasn’t open. It seems that if the resort has no customers, they don’t open the restaurant at all. And on a rainy Tuesday, the floating island had no guests. Swan asked the guard if we could walk through to the beach, but he wouldn’t allow it. So, guess what? You can keep your fucked up resort, we won’t be back. It was a disappointment, though.

So, I didn’t really have a Plan B, but as we walked back to “downtown” Barretto, it occurred to me that I hadn’t dined at the Arizona Resort for quite some time. Back in my tourist days, I often stayed there, and early in my expat life, I dined there frequently. I’m not sure what happened, but after a change of owners and the COVID scamdemic, the place seemed to go downhill. Oh well, we wanted to eat on the beach, and Arizona fit that criteria, so in we went.

Our waitress dropped off the menus, Swan ordered red wine, and I asked for a San Mig Zero.

Swan ordered a steak sandwich, and I went with a chef salad.

After our meal, we continued up the highway and popped into It Doesn’t Matter. There was nothing to complain about here, but we moved on after one drink. We chose Wet Spot for our nightcap. It was early, and the place was not very busy. Swan’s friend Aine wasn’t at work, but I kept our regular waitress Irene from going thirsty. I used my “buy one, get one” SOB coupon and drank my money’s worth. The Sit-n-Bull waitress came by, so we ordered some pecan pie to bring home with us.

When we got home, Swan was feeling a bit tipsy, so we went to bed early. Later, after some exercise, I had a breathing attack. My oximeter said my blood oxygen was at 89, so I opened my air tank for the first time in quite a while and breathed its contents until I was back to a comfortable 96 oxygen level. A suitable ending to a day that was not quite right.

There’s an election coming up, and Facebook is back to playing it’s censorship game.

I reposted it in a group of non-political hiking pictures, but the Facebook censors found it again and sent a message threatening to restrict people’s access to my future posts. Heil Zuckerberg, mien Fuhrer!

Speaking of Facebook, here are some memories from this day in history:

What a world.

Oh, that Aeta video I posted yesterday wasn’t the one I intended. This one is much more interesting and now (I hope) the closed captioning is working so you can understand what is being said by the natives.

And now for some not quite right humor:

Keep ’em coming! Two Barretto expats died last week and that serves as a timely reminder to live each day to the fullest. It may not be an exciting life I’m living, but it satisfices and beats the hell out the alternative. We’ll see how that works out for me, hopefully in the long run.

The Sunday sweetness began with our weekly candy walk. We added a couple of kilometers this week and put smiles on some new faces.

We were blessed with good weather on our walk. A couple hours after we finished, it looked like this outside:

The rain stopped before it was time to leave for the Hideaway feeding. I carried an umbrella for the first time this year, just to be on the safe side. I didn’t need it, though.

With the Hideaway feeding completed, it was time to feed Swan. John’s place is almost directly across the highway from Hideaway, and Swan was waiting for me when I arrived. Red wine for her and Zero for me while we awaited our dinner to be served.

As usual, the food at John’s was good. We had our nightcap at Green Room and ran into a couple of our neighbors, so that made a nice ending to the evening. Oh, and Sit-n-Bull had pecan pie in stock, so we brought home our dessert. A sweet ending to the day!

I’m one of the Hares for today’s Hash, so I was out marking the trail at 0800 today. Hot again, and I’m whupped right now. I’m sure I’ll recover in time to enjoy some cold beers at the Hash Circle. I’ll give the rundown on how it all goes tomorrow.

Today’s YouTube features some tough talk from President Marcos of the Philippines. I guess you could sing it to the tune of “This Land Is Our Land.” Actually, the Woody Guthrie song I’m thinking of is “This Land Is Your Land,” which wouldn’t be good to sing to China. Never mind!

And here’s the daily dose of humor:

Okay, I really need a nap. Back tomorrow.

And no man is an island. So, what better place to spend a Saturday evening than Treasure Island?

The day began with my Standard Saturday Solo Street Stroll—pretty boring, actually. I’m happy to report that I overcame the near-constant urge to shortcut during the walk, so there’s that.

I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Jo, and she seemed satisfied that I was progressing in the right direction. So, we will continue with the same drug regimen for another couple of weeks anyway.

I asked Swan if she wanted to spend the evening at The Rite Spot On The Roof or go to Treasure Island to hear the band. You already know which one she chose. The nice thing is that the band starts around four. Most venues don’t have live music until after my bedtime. Bar bands don’t usually impress me for a variety of reasons, but mainly because the music tends to be loud and distorted. That wasn’t the case with Engine, a popular local group. I quite enjoyed their performance. We also had a nice meal during our visit.

After a pleasant evening at Treasure Island we stopped at Snackbar for our nightcap.

And that’s how our Saturday went down. This evening, I’ll do the feeding at Hideaway. With the Arizona floating bar gone for the season, our new Sunday tradition will be dinner at John’s place. Looking forward to that!

Seems like only yesterday that people said I looked like Magnum P.I. Well, that was thirty-five years ago.

Today’s YouTube video gives you a tour of Treasure Island if you’d like to see more. I love the beachfront setting and the food. It’s a great pool, but I’ve never used it. I stayed there a couple of times as a tourist but never liked the rooms. There are better lodging options nearby, but I’d still come back to sit at the bar and take in the view.

To the humor, then:

Until we meet again.

Only Erik and I turned out for the Friday group hike. We walked out to the end of Baloy Long Beach Road, then took the boat across the river to Matain and continued our walk there. Circled back around through Calapacuan and then on to Barretto. A little over 8K. I brought home a Big Mac for lunch, likely canceling any benefits derived from the hike. I guess that’s just the way I roll.

Swan was back at the barangay in San Isidro for the follow-up meeting with the vicious dogs’ owner. He was a no-show. Another summons will be issued for a meeting next week. When I walked by this morning, they were out in attack mode. I carry a stick with me, and I will go postal on them if they get within range.

We attended the SOB last night at La Oficina. It was the same old, same old routines but it was a decent venue for watching the show. I reckon I’m going to become a once-a-monther.

I saw this on Facebook, and it brought back some memories of my days as a youth.

Today’s video talks about money transfer issues. The big one I hear about is missing the “proof of life” letter from the Social Security folks and losing your pension. Luckily, that’s not a requirement for my retirement, which is deposited on the first of the month into my credit union account in the USA. I pay my helpers through wire transfers from my account to their Filipino bank. I make my charity allowances via Western Union. I do weekly ATM withdrawals for my pocket money. Hopefully, I won’t encounter the problems these folks have had to deal with with.

And on to the jokes:

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for today.

A very nice day in the life yesterday. During the dog walk, Swan mentioned needing to go to the Subic marketplace to buy candy for this week’s candy walk. She then surprised me by suggesting we walk there together. Works for me! Here’s how we did it:

Not a bad walk on a sunny and warm day. Some R&R at home, and then I asked Swan out on a date. When I told her my plan for dinner and drinks at the Kon Tiki beach bar in Kalaklan, she enthusiastically agreed. So, we headed down to the highway and grabbed a Jeepney for the Samba Resort, about 3K away.

We were the only customers during our visit, but I got to meet the owner, Paul. He’s a nice guy—Swedish, I think. He is partners with the owner of Harley’s on Baloy. On weekends, they offer a buffet menu, which he says is very popular. They have plans for opening similar venues in Barretto and on SBMA. Swan and I both enjoyed our visit, and I expect I’ll be back on a bi-weekly basis for my beach bar fix. Oh, another thing I liked about the place was the laid-back music played at an appropriate volume. I complimented the owner on that, and he said there is a set playlist that the staff is not allowed to alter. Good on him. It was cool to be sitting on the beach listening to The Beach Boys’ hits from the ’60s. Although, the thought did occur to me that in the 1960s I never heard music from the ’20s being played.

It was seven-ish when we finished and walked back out to the highway to catch a Jeepney back to Barretto. I was surprised that the first several to pass by were all full. I thought the commute from Olongapo would be over by then. A trike pulled up and dropped a passenger, so we happily filled the vacancy and rode in comparative comfort to Wet Spot for our nightcap.

It was good to see owner Daddy Dave back after his recent hospitalization. We had a nice catch-up chat, and he’ll be holding court at tonight’s SOB after a two-week absence. I’ll see him there later.

And so ended a better-than-average day in my neck of the woods.

Of course, the big news is the jury verdict in the political trial of former and future President Trump. I’ll confess to being disappointed in the outcome. My money was on at least one juror standing up for justice despite personal animosity towards Trump. I hope this travesty serves as a wake-up call for the American people, but I have my doubts. I guess we’ll know soon enough.

I’m glad to be living in the Philippines, where I don’t have to observe the destruction of America up close and personal.

Today’s YouTube video is of the SOB dance team from La Oficina bar. They will be hosting tonight’s event.

And now, for some laughs:

Today’s song is one I probably haven’t heard in fifty years or so. I saw it mentioned on Quora and had to go check and see if it was the same one I remembered from those long ago days. It was. It is the only Japanese language song to become a top forty hit in the USA.

Yesterday, the Wednesday Walkers group made our way out to Tibag to commence our hike. We only do this a couple of times a year, so it always feels fresh and new. Since the first time I visited the Tibag community, I’ve had a good vibe about it. It’s small and remote but surrounded by beautiful scenery. I sometimes find myself imagining what it would be like to live there, but then the reality of its inconsistency with my chosen lifestyle slaps me in the face. So, I reckon it will just remain a fantasy.

We hiked under mostly cloudy skies but only had a few sprinkles near the end of our journey. It was nice to catch a break from the heat, especially since we walked more than 9K, which was a lot for us. I was feeling whupped at the end, that’s for sure. Here are some photos to give you a feel for our trail:

A good hike and we avoided the rain.

Swan chose to stay home, so I had an evening on the town by myself.To kick things off, I visited Cheap Charlies. A beer into my visit, Erik came to join me. Just when we were getting ready to depart for a change of scenery, the skies opened up once again. So, we ordered food from the Foodies restaurant downstairs and had some more beer.

The rain let up a little, and we headed down the highway to Whiskey Girl for our nightcap. It was nice to see my old waitress friend Jhen again. It turns out today is her birthday, so I left her a 500-peso gift tip. It was raining again when I went outside to leave, but luckily, a trike pulled up to carry me home. And so ended a rainy night in paradise.

That post about the Rite Spot I made on the Westminster Facebook group page is still getting a lot of attention. A couple of commenters added a picture:

Speaking of Facebook memories, today brought more of my scamdemic rantings:

And I’m going to go political for a moment or two now:

Alright, I learned a long time ago that most minds won’t be changed by anything I post here.

So, let’s move on.

On YouTube today, George visits the Margarita Station restaurant where I dined on Saturday night in Angeles City.

And a little humor to finish things off here:

Today’s song is an oldie I grew up with (one of my dad’s favorites). I picked this version because it was performed live at the Grand Ole Opry on my tenth birthday in 1965.

Nothing to get down about. Nothing to write home about, either. But this is a blog, so here I go anyway.

The weekly excursion to Royal for groceries went according to plan. Another week with no ice cream in the cart, but thems the breaks.

Swan and two expat neighbors visited the barangay office. There are some aggressive dogs down the street from us who go into attack mode whenever we walk by. I carry a stick when I pass, and they back off when I fight back, but it feels like being in a bar brawl. One of the neighbors was bitten recently. So, the complaint has been filed, and the dog owner has until Friday to respond to a summons from the barangay. We’ll see what happens.

Our Tuesday ritual of visiting the Kokomo floater is on hold, but we still headed out for Baloy Beach at beer o’clock. First stop was the Kokomo Resort bar, a venue I’ve never visited before. Not surprisingly given the threatening skies, we were the only customers. And during our brief stay the clouds opened up and the wind and rain forced us to retreat to the backside of the bar.

Kokomo’s doesn’t serve food, so we moved next door to DaKudos (which is apparently changing its name to Foxhole) and had a bite to eat. We took a trike to Snackbar for our nightcap, then headed on home. Around one in the morning, the power went out. I woke up when the fans stopped blowing the comforting air. When the power was restored an hour later, I was a sweaty mess. Not the best start to the day!

In other news, I got invited to join a Facebook group called “Westminster, CA Residents Past-Present.” I grew up in Westminster so it’s been kind of fun exploring the old memories of places I’ve been. One post was about Blinky’s Pizza, a place I worked as a teen. Anyway, I posted that picture of my dad doing his thing at The Rite Spot and was shocked at the response from people who remembered the place as a popular hangout with good food. One commenter said they have the old Rite Spot menu board being prepared for display at the Westminster museum (I didn’t even they had a museum, but I’ve been gone since 1978.) Another commenter asked my permission to use the photo of my father for display next to the menu in the museum. I was happy to oblige.

Today’s video is a morning walking tour of Barretto that features the newest bar in town. I stopped in there after the Hash on Monday and it was packed with bikers (not that there is anything wrong with that). I don’t know if that was a one-off or if it will be the local hangout for motorcycle clubs. Anyway, good luck to them!

And now a moment of humor:

That’s all he wrote. (Cue the applause)

Back from my weekend in Angeles and need to rush this post because I’ve got the Subic Hash to attend to soon. Yesterday’s Hash went well, I suppose. After a forty-minute Jeepney ride to the starting point, we had two options–6K with a hill climb or a flat 3K walk. I opted to play it safe and took the short route, but it was too easy and a little boring. The skies had been threatening rain, and the cloud cover finally provided some relief from the oppressive heat. That was nice. Just before the Hash circle began, the rain came down hard, so we retreated to the Premier Hotel (the AC Hash home base) and finished the Hash there.

After the Hash business was done, Swan and I joined my fellow Subic Hashers, Dave and Jo, for a mini-bar crawl on our way back to the hotel. That was the most fun I had all day. Especially the last bar, a hole-in-wall place down a side road near our hotel. The kind of place I’d never venture into on my own. But it was very friendly and welcoming and we rewarded all the gals with lady drinks, lollipops, and cookies. A good time was had by all!

This morning, Swan and I walked to Walking Street, a couple of kilometers away, for breakfast at Kokomos (which is not affiliated with the Baloy version).

Made it back to Barretto safe and sound and ready to Hash!

I’d mentioned that both floating bars were put away in storage this weekend until late in the year when the storm season ends. Here’s why:

Today is Memorial Day, and I always remember the only family member I’m aware of who died in the service of our nation, my great uncle Frank.

Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.
Life, to be sure,
Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.
–Alfred Edward Housman

Meanwhile, this scoundrel is destroying the nation so many died for:

Today’s YouTube video takes you on a stroll in Cebu for a taste of life in the Philippines.

Humor me:

Gotta run. Well, I’m gonna walk, but you know what I mean.

A busy day yesterday. How busy? I skipped the morning group hike and passed on attending the SOB. I had other things to do to fill the hours. Here’s how it went:

I needed to go to Olongapo to pick up my blood work results. The plan was to take a Jeepney, but on the way out of the neighborhood, my neighbor (and Westminster High School classmate), Mike, drove by. It turns out he was on his way to SBMA, too, so we got a much more comfortable ride with him. Mike is one of the more interesting guys I’ve met here, and not just because he comes from my hometown (what are the odds of that?). Professionally, he was a record producer who worked with some of the biggest rock groups of the 70s and 80s. He showed me some really cool photos from those days at the rooftop party. Speaking of which, at the party, he reminded me that he had been to the original Rite Spot–the burger joint my dad managed in the early 60s. What a small world.

Anyway, I picked up the blood results, hit a couple of stores in the mall, and then we started the walk back home. I didn’t get far in the blistering heat before saying, “fuck this,” and grabbing a taxi. I got home, blogged, showered, and then walked back into town for my appointment with Dr. Jo. When Dr. Jo and hubby Chris reviewed the blood work and compared it to my previous results, they were shocked. In a good way. Almost all my high readings, including the ones predicting future diabetes and kidney failure, had dropped back into the normal range. So, I guess ignoring my sweet tooth has paid some dividends. I still miss ice cream, though.

We discussed my recent breathing issues, and it appears I’m retaining fluids again, which is likely impacting my lung functioning. Also, my blood hemoglobin level is slightly lower than normal. As I understand, hemoglobin carries oxygen through the bloodstream, and the low level could be a factor in my feeling short of breath. I received an injection of vitamin B1, which should help strengthen my hemoglobin levels. Dr. Jo also tweaked a couple of my prescriptions to address fluid retention and my recent bouts with high blood pressure. Overall, though, I left her office feeling encouraged.

It was still early, around 2:30, and we had initially planned to return home after the appointment. Since I’m going to be out of town on Sunday, I asked Swan if she would mind my taking care of the Hideaway feeding before I went home. She was fine with that, so we parted company for the time being. On my way to the bar, I ordered a pizza and a roast chicken. The girls were surprised to see me two days ahead of schedule, but they were hungry.

I stayed for an hour or so, then headed back down the highway. I thought about stopping somewhere for one more beer but decided I’d rather be at home with Swan, so I grabbed a trike. When I arrived, Swan was surprised to see me. She had sent me a message I hadn’t seen yet saying she was going to attend a memorial service for a recently deceased friend at the Palm Tree Resort. Well, damn, if I knew that I would have stayed in town. I didn’t want to go to a remembrance for someone I didn’t know, but I walked back into town with Swan and waited for her next door at Mangos.

There were quite a few lightning bolts flashing over the water, and I decided to move next door to Palm Tree to enjoy the show from the upstairs balcony.

Swan saw me come in, and the service had just concluded, so she came and joined me at my table. She introduced me to some of the other attendees, but I still felt awkward, having not known the honoree. When I finished my beer, we said goodbye and departed. We decided to do a nightcap at Outback before heading home.

So, the day turned out to be another good one.

It’s a big weekend in store, as we are traveling to Angeles City this afternoon. Swan and I will be participating in the ACH3 anniversary Hash on Sunday.

In other news, today is the last day of the season for both floating bars.

Today’s YouTube video is the latest from The Filipina Pea and covers a topic I’ve often wondered about–why don’t Filipinas use birth control? It’s insane. I’ve met two different gals working in the bars trying to eek out of living, and I was gob-smocked to learn that each of them has SIX children. Much of the poverty in this country is self-inflicted.

Today’s funnies:

I will be back with a change of venue report tomorrow!