Yes, indeed. I lived through yesterday and woke up today to start a new one. And also, welcome to August. If things go as planned, I’ll be visiting the 70s on the 27th. I’m pretty sure I will like the 70s I’ve already lived through than the new adventure on the horizon, but I’m up for it anyway.

The weather was still iffy in the morning hours, so we opted to just walk from home to the end of Baloy Beach and back.

When we got home, Swan surprised me with a lunch she prepared:

When beer o’clock rolled around, Swan wanted to continue our seldom-visited bar quest. And that’s what we did.

I was hungry, and Outback has a fish and chips stand next door, so we placed an order and had it delivered at the bar.

Next up for us was a visit to Hangout Bar. It’s a sports bar with large screen TVs showing, you guessed it, sporting events. There were several guys in the bar when we arrived, watching footie, or what I call soccer, me being American and all. Good for them and good for the bar. It’s the first time I’ve seen other customers here. But the volume was turned up on the game in progress, and it didn’t take long before the noise was grating on my nerves.

Next stop, Queen Victoria. Wow, things have really changed in this bar since my last visit. For one thing, the stage was full of dancers, and they were actually dancing! The manager came over to greet me, and he told me they have nineteen dancers and thirteen GROs now. I laughed and said, Yeah, and two customers. He told me they get busy later in the evening. I complimented him on finding so many attractive gals to put on display. Most of the other “dancing” bars have three or four girls who stand around, and half of them are usually “American-sized.” Anyway, if watching girls up on the stage is your thing, Queen Vic is the place to be in Barretto now. Also, the big back room features live bands that start at 9 p.m. (sadly, that’s my bedtime these days).

We had an enjoyable visit at Queen Victoria. Dancing bars are not really my thing, and it is located on the opposite side of town from where we usually hang out, but they’ve earned a spot in our regular rotation.

I woke up this morning and turned the page on the calendar. A new month, and also the one I was born in. In an effort to enjoy future Augusts, I’m reinstituting my diet plan starting today. I got on the scale for the first time in months, right after my morning pee, and logged in at 248 pounds. After today’s hike and a shit, I reweighed and registered 244 pounds. How’s that for progress?

Wish me luck on my renewed weight-loss journey.

A two-fer from the July 2010 LTG archives. In this post from July 22, I am in the Philippines feeling sick and tired. And on July 28, I posted this:

Dreams die.

New dreams emerge.

It’s the freakin’ circle of life.

So, I have decided to postpone retirement until 2 January 2011. 

Time to work on Plan “B”.

Those two events were related. Let’s see if my continuing journey through the archives provides an answer.

Coming up with a YouTube video to post today was more frustrating than usual. The first one, about some historical events that made Manila what it is today, had some of the worst AI narration I’ve ever heard. Seriously, mispronouncing dollar? A few minutes of that and I couldn’t take any more. I next checked in with one of my favorite vloggers, Reekay, but his rant about dating in America left me feeling like, so what, who cares? Then I took a look at a video that headlined how devoid of tourists Angeles City is these days. Turns out, there was no dialogue whatsoever, just the camera shots of walking down Red Street (the AC bar district) during the day. Duh. There is no reason for tourists to be there before the bars open. I did notice how many of the business signs were written in Korean, confirming what I’ve heard about Koreans taking over in AC. So, that led me to the video I’m posting today: Why are Koreans moving to the Philippines? Spoiler alert: for the same reasons the rest of us did.

Maybe these will make you smile:

Don’t read too much into that, I’ll still be visiting the bars. I may just try the gin and soda water thing again.

We shall see what the future brings. Stop by tomorrow for an update.

The day began with a Wednesday Waltermart walk and ended with a what the fuck moment. Let me tell you all about it.

When I asked Swan where she wanted to spend our evening hours, she surprised me by saying anywhere but the Maze bars (Sloppy Joe’s, Alaska, Green Room, and Wet Spot). So, that provided the incentive to re-initiate the Wednesday tradition of patronizing seldom-visited bars.

We started out at my old darts bar home, Alley Hideout. Lots of memories here, and still some familiar faces. A warm greeting from the owner inspired me to ring the bell (a drink for everyone working), and we settled in for a pleasant hour-long visit. Swan commented on how much she enjoys the friendly vibe here and said we should make it a weekly event. I concurred.

Then we scooted safely across the highway for some dinner and beach views at Mango’s.

We enjoyed our usual grilled pork chops, then headed out for our next venue, Cloud 69. The last time we visited was several weeks ago, and we didn’t stay long because our favorite waitress wasn’t working and the music sucked. Sheryl was back last night, and so was the classic rock we enjoy.

On one of the forums I frequent, PI@Night, someone had posted a photo from the days when Subic town had a bar scene similar to Barretto.

One of the dancers I knew from her days at Cheap Charlies joined us at our table, too. Turns out she went to the same high school as Swan. We handed out cookies and lollipops for the crew, and purchased two lady drinks each for our tablemates. As usual, I specified single lady drinks (180 pesos) served in a glass as opposed to a bottled drink for 300 pesos each. The guy at the table across from us was buying bottles of Red Horse beer for 400 pesos a pop.

So, the girls told us about a customer in the bar the night before who was in full two-week millionaire mode, buying multiple lady drinks for everyone working. I was astounded when they said his tab at the 3 a.m. closing was 60,000 pesos. Wowza! That’s over one thousand US dollars. And he wasn’t done yet. When the bar closed, he invited some of the girls to join him at Sloppy Joe’s, a bar that is open twenty-four hours.

And here’s where that WTF moment arrived. Sheryl revealed that Cloud 69 management found out about the girls who joined the customer at Sloppy Joe’s and deducted 500 pesos from their salary for doing a sneakout. For those who are unaware of the bar system, if a girl wants to leave with a customer, the customer (or the girl in some bars) has to pay a “barfine” or EWR (early work release) fee. But in this case, the girls had completed their shift, and they were on their own time. For me, attempting to control what a girl can do during her off-duty hours crosses a line into the human trafficking realm.

Anyway, hearing about this pissed me off, and I was ready to leave anyway, so I asked for my tab. I foolishly trust the bars most of the time, but because of what I had just been told, I asked Swan to review our bill carefully. And sure enough, the four single lady drinks I had ordered were charged as doubles. I sent waitress Sheryl back to the cashier to straighten things out, and she came back a few minutes later with the corrected amount owed. I paid and left, not thinking for a minute that this had been a mistake rather than a scam. Needless to say, I won’t be returning to Cloud 69 and their evil ways in the future.

We grabbed a trike for home and brought our crazy day to an end.

I have moved on to July 2010 in the LTG archives. I wrote about my planned retirement, which was less than sixty days away, and with an upcoming house-hunting trip to the PI scheduled, I was beginning to question whether my dream would become a nightmare, and I was also starting to realize how much I was going to miss Korea.

I also came across some other memories:

I hadn’t thought of gramps in like forever, so I just Googled him and was surprised to see him mentioned in a blog called Okie Legacy. The relevant portion reads:

“Hal Clinkenbeard and family are visiting at the parental home during his vacation. He is in the Railway mail Service on a run between memphis and McAlester. In a chat with Hal, his memory harked back to the time when we were dispensing gas and oil for Dunn Wilkinson and he plied me with questions regarding the whereabouts of Olin and Phylllis chase and Merle Lewellen. He also brought me the good news that his father was well enough Monday to be brought down town a little while Monday.

Weird shit. The other thing I noticed was that Hal looks a lot like my brother Greg.

I’m so isolated from family these days that I feel like an orphan. Ah, well. It’s the life I chose to live.

Today’s YouTube video is an old 1960s promo from Pan Am Airlines to get folks to travel to the Philippines. It’s an enjoyable watch in a throwback kind of way.

Let’s see if I can avoid repeating myself with today’s humorous picks:

And that’s all I’ve got. Thanks for your indulgence.

I’m sure my reader(s) response would be, “aren’t they all?” but even by my low standards, this one stands out. Don’t worry, I won’t torture you with a long, drawn-out post about that nothingness. Here’s a quick lowdown:

Got the shopping done without incident at both YBC and Royal.

It was raining when we got back home, so I didn’t bother with the weekly neighborhood stroll.

Swan asked me if I would cook for her, something I rarely do these days since she took over the kitchen duties. I asked what she wanted, and she told me that she missed my beef stew. So, I got the crockpot down from the shelf and went to work. A few hours later, this came out:

Then it was off for a visit with Dr. Jo. I’ve been experiencing some excruciating pain in my lower back, especially when standing after spending time in a chair or getting up out of bed. I’ve never been stabbed, but I imagine that’s what it must feel like. Anyway, after suffering for three days, I felt a consultation was in order. By yesterday, the pain had diminished somewhat in intensity, but I was still troubled when bending over or trying to lift my right leg. Dr. Jo gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory pill and said if the problem persisted, I should get an ultrasound to check for kidney stones. It is less painful today, so hopefully whatever triggered this is healing.

After the appointment, it was nearing beer o’clock, so I asked Swan if she wanted to venture out to Baloy Beach. ‘What is there to do there?’ she asked. True, there is no floating bar, and even the Tiki bar at Kokomo’s is closed down. I suggested stopping by Fox’s (aka DaKudo’s) for some drinks, then dinner at Treasure Island. Swan then reminded me she just had beef stew and wouldn’t be hungry, and so we made our way to Sloppy Joe’s instead.

The Sloppy Joe’s owner, Bert, greeted us when we arrived. Bert also owns Treasure Island on Baloy, and I mentioned we hadn’t been out that way for a few weeks because of the weather. Bert said almost no one has been going to Baloy, and that other than a couple of hotel guests, the bar and restaurant at TI have been empty. I told him I was sorry to hear that, and he just shrugged, saying that the rainy season would end and things would get back to normal. In the meantime, business at Sloppy Joe’s has been booming since he took over, so it all balances out.

We did our nightcap at Green Room next door and had our usual good time there. Then it was time to grab a trike and head for home. And so un día de nada came to an end.

I came across some updated maps of Barretto and Baloy on Facebook, so I’ll share them here for anyone who wants to see where these places I talk about (and drink in) are located.

Still June of 2010 in the LTG archives, and here’s the Father’s Day tribute I posted. I didn’t know my dad was not destined to live to see another.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger who is notorious for his anti-Philippines rants. I find him rather irritating, especially his narration style. I mean, he’s not wrong that service is often slow to nonexistent, but as I learned long ago, he needs to take a deep breath, relax, and accept the Filipino way. Or get the hell out if he doesn’t like it.

On to the funny business:

There seemed to be a bit of a dirty theme in today’s funnies. Welp, when you ain’t got nothin’, you ain’t got nothin’ at all.

Here we go again with the Sunday routines. Well, it had been a month since the last Candy Walk, so it almost felt out of the ordinary.

The rest of Sunday went pretty much like it always does.

As usual, we made Red Bar our first after-dinner stop.

We finished with a nightcap at Green Room, then made our way home. Trust me, the day wasn’t nearly as boring as this post. Promise!

On to June of 2010 in the LTG archives with this bad ass post.

Subic Bay is once again featured in a YouTube video. You know your star is on the rise when even the French like you.

Let’s get this over with:

Had enough? Me too. It’s Hash Monday, and the Hare, Leech My Nuggets, was kind enough to send me maps of the long and “lame” trails he’s prepared. That lame trail was what I had in mind for my shortcut, so win-win! I’ll share how it goes tomorrow.

As I’m wont to say, there’s freedom in wet shoes; so put ’em on and hit the road. We did our first Saturday Sweet Stroll yesterday despite intermittent rainfall. Less than half the number of kids we usually service, but it was still nice to be out and about. Here’s some of what we saw along the way:

The best part of the day was yet to come. We joined the neighbors on both sides, plus another couple, for a night on the town.

After our meal, we all headed over to Jumpin’ Jacks bar to enjoy some live music.

We arrived an hour or so before the band was scheduled to perform, so we filled the time with some karaoke.

And then the “band” showed up. Turns out, it was the same duo who performed at the Hash birthday party a couple of weeks ago.

Swan joined them on stage to sing a song:

I went a little wild with the lady drinks.

Hold on to your hats, here’s what time it was when I got back home:

Good times!

Back to May 2010 in the LTG archives, where I shared a post about my trip to South Carolina after my work meetings in DC were done. It was the last time I got to spend time with my mom while she was still somewhat healthy. When I came home again in January 2011 she was in hospice care and died a couple of weeks later.

Twelve years ago, I was packed up and ready to roll to Nashville, Tennessee for a dart tournament:

It feels like a lifetime ago, and remembering that life still makes me sad about having lost it. Which is not to say I’m not enjoying the life I have. I’m going to try and hang on to this one as long as I can.

Today’s YouTube talks about how Tagalog became the primary Filipino language (along with English). I ultimately chose the Philippines over Cambodia because English is widely spoken here—no regrets in that regard.

And now on to the funny business.

And so it goes. Still raining off and on, but in a more normal volume now that the culprit storm has moved on. Regardless, I’m not going to let the weather keep me from my appointed rounds. I’ve got a Hideaway feeding and Sunday dinner at John’s place to attend to next.

So what if I can’t spell apocolypse. It’s not like it’s the end of the world.

The crazy weather abated some yesterday, and we took advantage with a pleasant street stroll out in Castillejos. We only do this walk once or twice a year, so it was good to take in the sights again.

And that was how we spent our mostly rain-free morning.

I wasn’t sure where to go to fill the evening hours, but as we were walking towards town, I decided to visit Thumbstar. I almost never go there, but they do a “buy one, get one” deal on Friday for your first drink and food order. And they make one of the better shawarmas around. And then my old WHS classmate and neighbor, Mike, drove by and offered us a lift. Where are you going, I asked. Thumbstar. Hey, great minds think alike!

After my beers and shawarma (I gave Swan the free one), Mike offered us the chance to ride with him to Red Bar. Why not? We usually visit Red Bar as part of our Sunday routine, but always sit outside on the patio. This time was the first time I’d experienced the indoor version.

Mike headed home at seven, but we weren’t ready to call it a night just yet. With the group dispersing, we moved to our preferred seating area on the patio. Our regular waitress followed us outside and earned a couple of lady drinks for taking good care of us.

We had talked about doing Wet Spot for our nightcap, but as we passed Jumpin’ Jacks, it was raining again, and Swan said let’s go here instead. No hay problema.

This is becoming one of our favorite venues, and we are already treated like valued regulars. Plus, the music selections and volume are always to my liking.

And then we were homeward bound via tricycle, and our Friday night came to an end.

Today’s memory from the LTG archives is a May 2010 post discussing what I presumed would be my last trip to DC as a government employee (my plan was to retire in September, but plans change). I enjoyed my first-ever visit to the Pentagon, but I lamented the waste of time that meetings with bureaucrats had been over the years. Heh, I was DOGE before DOGE was a thing.

Some Facebook posts from this day in history:

This YouTube video shares ten signs you’ve been in the Philippines too long. Well, I’m familiar with all of the things the vlogger discusses, but after going on eight years, I’ve not succumbed to any of them. Like eating rice or subscribing to the concept of “Filipino time.” Anyway, the narration is fine, but the images used have nothing to do with the Philippines. That was a little off-putting.

Have a smile before I go:

And there you have it. Pouring down rain again as I write this, but that’s part of the package when you sign up for life in paradise.

It seems like rainy days are the new normal around here, and so there is nothing to be done other than dealing with it. For me, that means doing the same old shit I always do, albeit a tad less comfortably. So, I’m still going to engage in a morning walk, even if it’s a boring, flat one.

At the 5K mark, I was soaked and hungry. I was also just around the corner from Sit-n-Bull, so I popped in and ordered a Malibu chicken burger for takeout.

Went home, dried off, ate, napped, did my blogging chore, then showered up and got ready for whatever the evening held in store. We had planned to attend a cookout gathering at a fellow Hasher’s house, but alas, he announced his neighborhood was flooded and the event was canceled. So, we popped open our umbrellas and made our way to Harley’s on Baloy for dinner.

After our meal, we took a trike into “downtown” Barretto and paid a visit to It Doesn’t Matter. When we’d had enough of that, we walked a block up the highway and did our nightcap at Alaska. It was also mostly devoid of patrons, but surprisingly, most of the staff were missing as well—only two dancers (usually eight) and two waitresses (usually four). The waitress who served us explained that the bad weather and flooding had kept most of her coworkers at home (she lives upstairs in the accommodation provided by the bar, so she wasn’t inconvenienced by coming to work). We bought her a couple of drinks, and she and Swan chatted in Tagalog, leaving me to some quiet time with my friend Zero.

And then it was time for home. Not much of a day, but better than nothing.

All I can say to Mother Nature is, bring it on, bitch!

I’ve moved on to May 2010 in my journey through the LTG archives. This post was chock full of pictures from my trek to Doseonsa Temple in Seoul (I spelled it wrong back then). It was a great experience back then, but reliving the memory now has an element of sadness. I miss my life in Korea.

Today’s YouTube video is a chilling depiction of what war with China may look like in this part of the world. I hope it doesn’t happen in my lifetime because otherwise, I expect it would result in the end of my life.

There’s always a reason to smile.

I just looked outside and was surprised to see this:

We shall see what tomorrow brings.

When the local authorities tell me to jump, like the good non-citizen that I am, I say, “How high?” Yesterday, that meant an eight-and-a-half-kilometer walk in the rain. And in a first for me, I got to experience the “joy” of wading through the flooded streets of the St. James neighborhood in Calapacuan. Take a look and see for yourself:

Just goes to prove I’d rather walk (and wade) in the rain than sit on my ass day after day. I wouldn’t call it fun, but it was better than nothing.

We made the trek into town later in the day and enjoyed the ambiance at Sloppy Joe’s. I had planned to climb the stairs to BarCelona but discovered it is now closed. The sign said “temporary,” but my sources tell me otherwise. There’s just not enough customers to go around these days. We did our nightcap at Green Room and spread some love in the form of cookies, lollipops, and lady drinks. We ordered take-out from Sit-n-Bull and headed home at the end of another rainy night.

From the LTG archives, memories of visiting a Buddhist Temple on Oahu in April 2010.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay reveals the hard truth about love, friendship, and betrayal. It all comes down to knowing who your friends are, I suppose.

The humor is a dry and mild as ever:

That’s all I’ve got to share for now. Still pouring down rain as I write this.

More to come tomorrow. Rain and a post.

Here’s a belated song in honor of the passing of Ozzie Osborne.

Yesterday, I’m like, oh shit, Orange! Man, bad.

And today, I’m seeing RED!

There’s some wind, too.

But life goes on, whatever the weather. Here’s how I spent my Tuesday:

Shopping day as usual, but since our weekend candy walks had been cancelled due to rain, we didn’t need to restock the goodies at the YBC supermarket. That meant we arrived on SBMA before Royal’s nine a.m. opening time. I decided to kill time and splurge on breakfast for my crew (driver, helper, Swan).

Royal has a display of their most popular items from the USA.

Back home after shopping, I said, “fuck the weather,” and took a neighborhood stroll.

Later on in the afternoon, Swan asked if we were going to go out. I said, What day is it? She gave me a funny look and said, Tuesday. I said, “Yep, that ends in a ‘Y’, so we will head out soon.” At the appointed hour, we walked under the cover of umbrellas to Mango’s for dinner.

Since we were already on the side of town we rarely frequent, we decided to check out a venue we hadn’t visited recently–Hangout Bar.

We sat in front of a window with a view of the highway below

I guess we weren’t the only ones going stir crazy at home during the relentlessly wet weather. Our friend Michael messaged that he was coming into town, so we gave him directions to Hangout. Before he arrived, my neighbor Jeff called asking where we were hanging out, and I told him, yes. Then I clarified that it was Hangout Bar, and the party was on.

After a beer with the gang, we moved downstairs to check out Lux, a bar I never normally even think about.

A couple of more beers later, we headed across the highway in Jeff’s car to check out Nipsey’s Bar. No one was busy on this rainy night, so they seemed to appreciate our dropping in. Especially when Jeff started throwing his balls around. Well, not his balls, the basket of balls on our table. For 300 pesos a toss, the girls chase after the scattered ping pong balls and receive a commission for each one they retrieve. I’ve never been a fan of this particular bar game, as I prefer spending my money on lady drinks, but to each their own. There was a surprise in store for me when I paid a visit to the CR to take a leak. Jeff’s wife captured the moment on video:

That was a first for me. I made sure no one grabbed the wrong balls!

It was almost 9 p.m., which is a relatively late night for this old man, and we all said our goodnights and headed home. It’s always nice to catch a ride with the next-door neighbor.

The rain continued through the night, waking me occasionally as it pounded against the roof and windows. But I woke up safe and sane enough to tackle another day.

The April 2010 trek through the LTG archives led to a picture-laden post about my climb to the top of Diamond Head on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Good times! And I’m thankful to the blog for reminding me of these otherwise forgotten special moments in my life.

A trifecta of YouTube videos today, all related to the growing ties, both commercial and military, between the United States and the Philippines.

First, Philippines President Marcos visits the USA to meet with President Trump.

As a result of those meetings, the trade deal I mentioned earlier in this post has been completed.

And it looks like the US and the Philippines will be strengthening cooperation between their respective militaries. Part of this may include a revitalization of Subic Bay for use by both navies. I have a nice view of the shipyard mentioned in the video below. When I see the bombs exploding, I’ll know that the seemingly imminent war with China has begun. Hopefully, the current efforts of both nations will deter this from happening.

Hmm, it won’t let me embed the video for some reason. Still worth the watch, so give it a click.

On with the humor:

I think I’m adapting to this recent climate change. I’ll post tomorrow about the 8+K walk we did under and in the water. And I’m going to face the storm and embrace a bottle or two of Zero beer this evening. Take that, Mother Nature!

And it ain’t done yet!

After another day full of heavy rains, the repercussions are being felt.

Meanwhile, life goes on, and by golly, I got in a 6K walk at yesterday’s Hash. Granted, it wasn’t the Hash trail laid by the Hares (or Harriettes in this case). Given the downpour conditions, I wasn’t about to climb a muddy and steep trail up into the hills. And based on the feedback I heard from those who did, I made the right choice. Instead, I crafted a street walk from the start to the On-Home. Cums Alone (Swan) and BF’s Wet Spot (Beth) accompanied me. Here’s how my trail looked:

The rain didn’t let up after we arrived, but Smokes and Bottles had us covered.

As usual, we convened for the after-Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter.

And another wet day came to a close. And when I awoke this morning, it was still raining.

Another happy memory in the LTG archives from my Seoul life in April 2010. This time, a bike ride on the Han River. Those were the days!

Who’s up for some Smart Girl Philippines speaking out on the seven unspoken rules for dating a Filipina? Well, here you go then:

Now let me rain down some smiles upon you:

Let’s see what happens next.

Even by my low standards, these seemingly endless rainy days are wearying in their sameness. I want my old boring days back, where I could at least kill some time with a hike. Well, I’m going to Hash today, rain or shine. And the forecast is for more wet weather.

In the meantime, here’s what happened yesterday: nothing. At least, nothing until I headed out for the feeding at Hideaway Bar. It’d been so long since I’d been for a walk that I decided to document the journey to Hideaway as if it were something special.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more!

Then it was time to cross the highway and join Swan for dinner at John’s place.

Ain’t love grand?

First stop after dinner was Red Bar.

We did our nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks. Once again, the music was the highlight, although this time it was country-western. My curiosity as to why was answered when a guy wearing a cowboy hat came out of the CR (comfort room/restroom). It turns out he’s visiting from Texas and plans to move to San Narciso with his Filipina in the near future.

When Swan finished her wine, we grabbed a trike for home, and so ended a rainy Sunday.

It’s my dearly departed mother’s birthday, and Facebook greeted me with some photos of her I posted over the years to mark the occasion:

Back in April 2010, I wrote a post about a night out in Itaewon with the wife, her daughter, and my nephew Justin. Life is full of unhappy endings, but the memories along the way are sometimes nice to embrace.

Today’s YouTube video shares the stories of some foreigners learning the meaning of FAFO.

Let’s finish with a smile:

And that’s all I’ve got. We’ll see how the wet Hash goes.

Yep, it is still raining relentlessly, and I’m stuck at home, missing out on the joy of hiking. At least the water service has been restored. A hot shower is near the top of my “to-do” list.

After being confined indoors all day, I was ready for the great escape when beer o’clock rolled around. My pal Michael messaged that he was still without power at his place on the far side of Subic town, and asked to join us. We agreed to meet up at Sloppy Joe’s. Michael doesn’t do the Barretto scene, having only visited bars tied to Hash events and the ones I showed him on Wednesday after San Narciso. He also said the only restaurant he eats at here is John’s place. I mentioned Sit-n-Bull, but he tried it once and didn’t like it.

After a couple of beers, I was ready for a change of scenery, but given the wet weather, options were limited. Another factor I had to consider was Swan’s hunger. Then I thought of a place I seldom visit that’s right up the street–Hops and Brews Beer Garden. Michael had never heard of it and asked if they served draft beers. I responded that’s pretty much all they have, and he was excited to give it a try. So, we grabbed the umbrellas and headed out.

Hops and Brews is one of the nicer places in town, especially if you like craft beers on tap. Of course, they don’t carry a faux beer like Zero, which may be part of the reason I don’t visit often. Michael was surprised to discover a place for beer connoisseurs like him with a great ambiance and good food. He said he’ll definitely be bringing his wife here when she returns from England next month.

That’s a meat lover’s pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. I’d heard people rave about the H&B pizza, but I’d never tried one. It was good. Michael said it was the best pizza he’s had in a long time. I’ll have to consider elevating Hops and Brews on my list of go-to venues.

After we finished the pizza, Michael headed home, and Swan and I did our nightcap at Green Room.

As 8 p.m. approached, we headed home. Still no water, but when I got up to pee at midnight, the toilet flushed. Hooray!

And now I’ve crossed the border into April 2010 on my journey through the LTG archives. In this post, I share insights and photos of the unique Holy Days celebrations in the Philippines.

For today’s YouTube video, who’s up for a visit to North Korea? This is as close as I ever want to get.

Smile time:

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for a rainy day. It’s Sunday, so I’ll venture out to Hideaway for the feeding, then I’ll join Swan at John’s place. I predict there are some birria tacos in her future.

It doesn’t.

Raining cats and dogs yesterday, so there was no Friday group hike. I have an infection in my left eye (the one where I had the recent cataract surgery), so my helper scheduled me for a 3:30 p.m. appointment with the ophthalmologist at Baypointe Hospital on SBMA. The water at home stopped working (again) because of a pump outage in San Isidro (and it is STILL out). Given the heavy and unrelenting rain, I called my driver for a ride to Baypointe. I transferred $800. to Swan’s bank so she could use her card to withdraw cash for me. We stopped at the ATM on the way to the hospital, and on a whim, I tried my card after having wiped the chip and strip. It worked! Whether it will next time remains to be seen. I had to wait an hour to get in to see the eye doc (welcome to the Philippines). He confirmed it was an infection, but not a deep one (whatever that means), and prescribed some antibiotic eye drops. It does feel somewhat better today.

The eye appointment took longer than planned, so we skipped the SOB, which I was ambivalent about attending anyway. Instead, I had my driver drop us off at It Doesn’t Matter. And that’s where we stayed for the rest of the evening. It wasn’t busy on the outside patio, where we prefer to sit, but a female Hasher, Grace (also known as Dripping Pussy), was at a table, and we joined her there. As the evening progressed, several other gals known to Swan and Grace dropped by as well. So, there I was seated at a table of Filipinas yakking away in Tagalog all by my lonesome. Well, I did have my San Mig Zeros to keep me company. I ordered food from the kitchen and some lady drinks. When it was time to bill out, my tab was almost 3000 pesos, about triple what I usually spend during a night on the town. Swan seemed to enjoy herself (she admitted to being a little tipsy), so I reckon it was worth it.

And now it’s a rainy Saturday, and we’ve had to cancel the candy stroll. The power went out for a couple of hours, but has been restored now.

So, what else have I got? Well, this video Instapundit posted was pretty hilarious:

The truth will set you free!

A couple of days ago, I found this meme on Kevin Kim’s blog:

I wasn’t disappointed. Here’s the comment he left for me:

Free speech : jail time, are you retarded? Your the ones locking up people. Stop already with the fake outrage, you support pedophiles, everyone everywhere now seems what you lot are about. Have some decency and stfu!

Sadly, when I knew him in Korea, he was a normal guy, and we got along quite well. I guess living back in the UK has ruined him.

I like this one, too:

The “March” through 2010 in the LTG archives continues with this post that captures so much of what I loved and miss about my life in Seoul. A spring snow and a river walk. What else can you ask for? (Okay, the young Korean women didn’t love me so much, but still…)

I kind of randomly came across today’s YouTube video about getting suckered by AI and found it worth the watch. Perhaps you will as well (it’s less than four minutes long).

To the funny business, then:

And now it is time to move on with my Saturday. Hopefully, I’ll be able to shower soon (that pouring cold water from a bucket over my head just doesn’t work for me). Then we’ll see what the rain does.

I’ll be back!

Linda Ronstadt turned 79 this week, not that it matters.

Here I go again, nothing new or interesting to report, but I’m reporting it anyway. Just another day in the life in my sweet hometown of Barrio Barretto.

Well, there was this disconcerting news: my ATM card stopped working yesterday. Three different ATMs, and the same result… my card can’t be read. ATMs are my preferred source for restocking my pesos, so I’m rather inconvenienced without that option. I could do a money transfer to myself, similar to how I provide funds to the needy. However, that requires standing in line at the redemption shop, which I prefer to avoid. I’ve reached out to my credit union, and they advised that my account has not been blocked, so apparently, the card chip has been damaged. I requested that a new card be mailed to a friend’s FPO address (retired military personnel can use a US address via the embassy), but I’m not sure they’ll send it to a name other than mine. If not, I’ll use my South Carolina address and have my daughter forward it to me via the FPO. Yep, that’s what passes for excitement around here.

I did an 8K walkaround of Barretto to get my daily dose of steps. Nothing new to see on this route, except for the funeral banners.

It remains to be seen how long I’ll last, but I’m glad to be around for boring walks and writing boring blog posts about them.

It was pouring down rain at beer o’clock, but that didn’t stop us from heading into town. Umbrellas only help so much in a wind-blown downpour, so when we arrived at our dinner venue, Jewel Cafe, we were more than a little damp.

After we ate, we paid a visit to the Alaska Club. Treated our waitress and her girlfriend (yeah, lesbians) to a lady drink and tipped the dancers fifty pesos each as is my custom. Also handed out cookies and lollipops to the crew. We went next door to Wet Spot for our nightcap.

We also gave our regulars, Beth and Irene, a pasalubong gift from Vietnam.

And so another day ended with a trike ride home at 8 p.m.

The journey continues through the LTG archives with this March 2010 post about diversity training (the predecessor to DEI). I recount a true story about a session I attended where we were advised that the word “flip” was offensive to Filipinos and therefore should be stricken from our vocabulary. We mocked the instructor for his ignorance, and I don’t recall any repercussions. It must be that “white privilege” I’ve been hearing about.

I came across this in a different post from 2010:

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with Smart Girl Philippines, so here’s a twofer. The first is less than a minute long and categorizes the level of dumb you are when giving money to a Filipina. I was mostly “kinda dumb.”

And then in this video, Irish talks about the seven types of Filipinas you want to find and marry. I’d say Swan best fits category #3. Of course, I won’t be getting married or making any babies, but we are enjoying sharing the life we have, at least so far.

Humor me:

That’s it for now.

We began our morning at La Paz Beach in San Narciso with the complimentary breakfast included with our room at the Mope Resort. I had pancakes and Swan some Filipino delicacy. Both were good. Then we headed out for a morning walk.

After some blogging and a nap, we checked out, had lunch, and awaited the arrival of our friend Michael.

It was a bit after five when we got back to the house, and the power was still out. So, we dropped off our bags and rode back to Barretto with Michael. We invited him to join us at Sloppy Joe’s, and he was game. He’d never been there and was impressed. Then I took him upstairs to see the even better-appointed BarCelona and he really liked that ambiance, especially the rooftop. Next, we popped into Green Room, where Michael had one for the road, then said goodnight. We stuck around for a while more before catching a trike home and calling it a night. The power (and water) had been restored. And there you have it, things are back to normal around here once again.

Still strolling through March of 2010 in the LTG archives. I gave a birthday shout-out to my son Kevin in this post. All these years later, I’ve been ghosted. Love is not always reciprocated.

Today’s YouTube video features an expat vlogger who resides in Da Nang, Vietnam, and shares the pros and cons of living there. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and hope to return someday. If I were to move there, I think I’d prefer the smaller town vibe of Hoi An. Not that it matters, I expect Barretto is where I’ll die.

Here’s your daily dose of humor:

And so it went, and so it goes. I’m gonna keep at it.

Greetings from San Narciso!

Here I am enjoying the great escape from the all-day brownout back home. And then I saw this which put an exclamation point on my decision to get out of Dodge, or in this case, San Isidro (the Subic barangay where my house technically sits).

My friend Michael is a regular visitor to the beach in San Narciso, as he prefers swimming in the clean ocean waters rather than the polluted Subic Bay. He graciously offered to drive us here, despite the pick-up being several kilometers out of his way. I repaid his generosity by covering the lunch and beer tab upon arrival. Then he took his swim and departed, promising to return this afternoon and drop us off at home.

I’ve never seen La Paz Beach so deserted. We are the only guests at Mope Resort, and I don’t see the usual foot traffic outside. The complete opposite of Da Nang. Well, it is midweek during the rainy season, and it is rumored that there is a typhoon headed this way. A little rain after we arrived, but otherwise, it has been pleasant enough. Especially compared to being thirsty in the dark.

After Michael departed, we returned to the room for a nap. When it was dinner time, we gave the resort next door a try.

Some beers, some wine, and some chicken wings later, we called it a night and headed back to our room.

One of my favorite things about my pathetic blog is interacting with the few readers who leave comments. I had three AI comments in moderation this morning for the first time in a couple of weeks. I didn’t approve them because some of my regulars have expressed displeasure in seeing them. I don’t find them offensive; in fact, the ignorance of this so-called “intelligence” is rather amusing. Let me share some excerpts to illustrate what I mean.

Yesterday’s post was about the Hash and included a photo of me sitting on the ice, in accordance with the customs of the Subic Hash House Harriers. AI commenter Dilton had this to say:

Hey John, let’s talk about hemorrhoids. I know you’re dealing with some discomfort, and I’m here to offer some advice. While hemorrhoids can be a real pain (literally!), sitting on ice might not be the most effective way to find relief. I get that the cold might feel soothing at first, but it could potentially cause more harm than good.

Let’s focus on finding some more comfortable and sustainable ways to deal with your hemorrhoids, John. There are plenty of options out there, and I’m happy to help you explore them. From lifestyle changes to medical treatments, we can work together to find a solution that works for you.

Thank you, Dilton, for caring about my ass.

And then there was Reginald expressing concern about my addiction:

Hey John, let’s talk about your habits. I know you’ve been smoking hash, but I’m here to tell you that it’s totally possible to quit and replace it with something more productive. Think about it – you’ve got a lot of potential energy and time that could be channeled into something amazing.

One thing to consider is that habits are all about replacement. Instead of focusing on quitting hash, let’s focus on finding something new that you’ll enjoy just as much or more. You’ve got a lot of interests and passions, John, and I’m sure we can find something that’ll really grab your attention.

It’s also worth considering the benefits of quitting hash. You might find that you have more energy, better focus, and a clearer mind. Plus, you’ll be able to save money and avoid any potential risks associated with smoking.

Now, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, John. Quitting any habit takes time and effort. But with the right mindset and support, you can totally do it. You’ve got this! And remember, it’s not about depriving yourself of something you enjoy – it’s about replacing it with something even better.

Thank you for your concern, Reginald. I’ve indulged in my share of hash back in my younger years and managed to wean myself without your “intelligent” suggestions.

And finally, there is Archibald, who is also concerned about my hashing habit:

Hey John, I’m glad to see you’re getting back into your routines! However, I have to ask – are you sure hash is the best routine for you? I mean, it’s great that you’re finding some structure and consistency, but maybe we can explore some other options that might be even better.

Think about it, John. A routine is supposed to help you feel organized and focused, right? But if your routine is hash, it’s probably causing more stress than relief. Maybe it’s time to take a step back and reassess what’s working and what’s not. Are there other routines or habits that you’ve been wanting to try? Now might be the perfect time to experiment.

Ultimately, the goal is to find a routine that makes your life easier and more enjoyable. So, let’s get creative and see if we can come up with something that works better for you than hash. Sound good?

Archibald, I’ve come up with a solution–I’ll only do the Hash on Mondays. I’ll stick to beer the rest of the time. Problem solved!

Anyway, those were just brief excerpts of long, drawn-out AI advice and guidance for overcoming problems that don’t exist. Does that make it Artificial Stupidity?

It’s March of 2010 in my exodus through the LTG archives. This was one of those “catch-up” posts about the goings-on in my life. I found it interesting that the former friend I mentioned in yesterday’s post (Tom) was featured as a dinner guest back then. Anyway, it’s a nice snapshot of my Korean life with lots of memory-filled photos. Sadly, I’ve lost touch with most of the people who were a part of my life in those days.

At least I haven’t gone broke. Yet. In today’s YouTube video, Reekay discusses the unfortunate expats who end up destitute in a land far from home, with no options for redemption. Welp, my federal pension is as stable and secure as the government that pays it. That’s why I’m so relieved that Kamala is not in charge. Honestly, my biggest fear is that the dollar will collapse in value, rendering my comfortable pension worthless. Of course, it won’t matter if I’m destined to die when China invades. Anyway, I’m not losing sleep over either possibility.

Politics before humor:

Okay, enough of that. Let me leave you with a smile or three:

Time to get back to my day at the beach! Enjoy the life you have while you have it.

…after going fourth. There was no independence from the reign of tropical storm Bising yesterday, but we celebrated anyway. Her majesty has not yet relented her authority to drench all us colonizers residing beneath her throne in the clouds. But I’ve embraced the freedom of being soaked, so bitch, you are powerless to drench my spirit. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it!

Once home, it was time to prepare for the party next door to celebrate both the 4th of July and Fil-Am Friendship Day.

It was a fun gathering and a happy celebration.

It is still February 2010 as I journey through the LTG archives. In this “Blast from the Past,” I recount having some old photographs digitized and sharing some of the story behind this one:

I’m in a Facebook group about Westminster, California, the city where I was raised. Someone posted a photo of the Hi-way 39 Drive-In theatre (who remembers those?), which brought back a flood of memories.

Some other Facebook memories from this day in my life:

Today’s YouTube video discusses why many Filipinos are forced to live in slums. It is worse in the big cities like Manila, but even in my neck of the woods, the poverty is sometimes shocking. The last time I posted a “Grace from the Philippines” vlog, there was some debate about whether Grace is an AI rendering. I still can’t say for certain, but if so, it is probably the best AI I’ve seen.

Humor me this:

And now to get on with my last day in the Philippines. I’m moving the Hideaway feeding to today, and Swan and I will dine at John’s place afterward. There has still been no break in the rain.

I’ll try to knock out a post from Hong Kong tomorrow night, but no promises. Otherwise, it will be Good Morning, Vietnam!

Technically speaking, it was July 4, 1946, that the Philippines were granted independence from the USA, but they have chosen to celebrate their independence from Spain instead (something we also had a hand in providing). Hey, it’s all good. Live free and be happy!

Freedom isn’t free, and often the price is paid for in blood. All the more reason to cherish it and defend it from enemies, both external and internal. Of late, it seems the America-haters inside our borders pose the biggest threat. The America-lovers have more guns, so FAFO if you think you can destroy our country from within.

I posted this parody song twelve years ago, and it is as true now as ever:

Well, let’s see if Trump can drain the swamp once and for all.

Meanwhile, here’s what’s going on in my part of the world:

So, another wet day yesterday, and she ain’t done yet.

My big accomplishment yesterday was securing my finalized Emigration Clearance Certificate from the immigration office in Olongapo City.

Oh, and this happened, too. Swan played a joke on me, but I didn’t fall for it. I still have to appreciate the effort she put into it, even making a video of her trying to gag me.

I deem the relationship 99% recovered.

It should come as no surprise that when the time to head into town for some libations arrived, I didn’t let a little rain stop me.

When it was time to eat, we visited Jewel Cafe.

After our meal, we crossed the highway and popped into what is rapidly becoming one of our favorite bars.

This was our third visit, and once again, we were not disappointed with the laid-back chill atmosphere. The bartender asked if I wanted to change the music, and I told her, hell no, this is just what I like! It’s incredible that there hasn’t been one song during any of my visits that I haven’t enjoyed. What are the odds of that? I need to obtain a copy of that playlist and upload it to my Spotify account.

We also had a pleasant chat with the female manager of Jumpin’ Jacks about plans to attract more customers to the bar. She confirmed that they will not have dancers, which I think is a good thing. Plenty of other bars around for that crowd. She wants to sponsor a pool tournament at least once a week, and they will have a team join the pool league. She also has plans to have a live band play weekly. Then she took us to a nice room in the back that they plan to turn into a karaoke venue. I told her about the norebang (singing rooms) in Korea and that I thought it was a great idea not to let the noise of bad singing intrude on the other bar customers. Her plan is to charge a flat rate for the room use, which can be reduced through the purchase of consumables from the bar. So, I’m looking forward to seeing how things work out, and we will definitely be back again, making Jumpin’ Jacks a regular stop.

We did our nightcap at Candy Bar, a relatively new venue that we’d never previously visited. It’s a dancing bar with a pool table in the back, but there was nothing really that made it stand out in my mind. We were the only customers in the early evening hours on a rainy night. They didn’t have wine, so Swan ordered a margarita. It took the bartender two tries to get it right. Swan knew one of the waitresses from somewhere else long ago, and my friend Narissa is now working at Candy. I met Narissa several years ago at Cheap Charlies, and we took a trip together to Bataan, which I wrote about here. So, we enjoyed some friendly company, and the gals had a lady drink on our tab.

We had a good enough day despite the storm.

In this post from February 2010, I mention vocative commas as if I knew what I was talking about. Obviously, I don’t. I was referring to seeing the Big Hominid posting on his Hairy Chasms blog again. Hey Kevin (see what I did there?), do you remember this post?

Today’s YouTube video is from a new (to me) vlogger, sharing his perspectives on the good and bad of living in the Philippines. Everyone’s experience is different, but yeah, I’ve seen some of the same things he mentions.

Time for some humor:

Last year, I hosted a 4th of July gathering at The Rite Spot. Later today, we’ll be joining the fun at a party that our next-door neighbor, Jeff, is hosting. I’ve been baking corn muffins and brownies that we’ll be adding to the mix. So, tomorrow I’ll have something different to post about. Bet you can’t wait!

And I’ll close with my favorite patriotic song:

Well, this is me we are talking about, so not all that wild. Plenty wet, though.

The Wednesday Walkers braved the rains and embarked on the 7K Philseco loop. Flat and mostly paved, but satisfying nonetheless.

When it was time to head into town for some liquid refreshments, we started at Sloppy Joe’s. I was happy to see the kitchen was open because I was feeling a little hungry. Lots of stuff on the menu, but the item I was looking forward to eating, a sloppy joe sandwich, wasn’t listed. Swan suggested we wait and eat at Mugshots, but I got an order of squid rings to tide me over.

Owner Bert came over to greet us, and I teased him about the lack of sloppy joes at Sloppy Joe’s. He said, ‘Yes, we have,’ and pointed to the menu —the pulled pork sandwich. I politely advised that a real sloppy joe is made with beef. He shrugged, went to the kitchen, and ordered me a pulled pork on the house. That was a kind gesture.

We went next door to Green Room for our nightcap and stayed a tad longer than we usually do, in part because I got gifted two free drinks. Swan bought the girls grilled meat on a stick from one of the street vendors, we handed out cookies and lollipops, and I enjoyed watching a couple of hotties in short skirts playing pool. I guess that was the wild part I referred to in the title.

When we got home, I lacked the energy to sit through a Squid Game episode, so I’ll need to redouble my efforts tonight. Had a good sleep despite being awakened a couple of times by the pounding rain outside. And it still hasn’t stopped. Glad I’m alive to enjoy the weather, rain or shine.

It is still February 2010 as I scroll through the LTG archives. This picture post recounts the adventure of my wellness checkup at a Korean hospital. I must say that walking into the hospital at eight and leaving at noon (with a free lunch voucher!) after a head-to-toe battery of tests is something not to be found here in the Philippines. Hell, my local hospital sent me all the way to Angeles City to get an echocardiogram. Oh well, as I recall, the results from those tests in Korea that day may have put me on a course of meds and lifestyle changes that have kept me alive.

In today’s YouTube video, the Pea is showing pictures of Western guys to Filipinas and getting a rating. Hell, if she had shown the ones of me I posted yesterday, I’m sure I’d have gotten a ten. The video ends after just a little over two minutes, so something must have gone wrong. I’ll update if and when she reposts, but short and sweet works for me.

You knew this was coming:

Sorry, those were all pretty bad even by my low standards. I’ll try to do better tomorrow when the 4th be with me.

I apologize for leaving you in suspense yesterday. My focus was elsewhere. I’m not going to go into a lot of details because it’s all still too up close and personal. Suffice it to say, we hit a big pothole on Relationship Road that did some damage. I wasn’t sure if things could be fixed or not, but we’ve made some progress on the repairs, and as of today, we are moving forward once again. It was a painful reminder to me about how much is at risk when you entrust your heart to another. The prospect of losing the love game yet again made me realize I’m in the now-or-never stage of my life. If destiny (or Karma) dictates that I’m bound to die alone, so be it. I have zero tolerance for drama, and I’ll flee if necessary to avoid it in the future. Going forward, I’ll keep my eyes wide open–one on the road ahead, and one on the rearview mirror for lessons learned.

And now, let’s get back to our regular programming:

It was another Hash Monday, but I opted not to do the Kalaklan climb. My mood was still sour, so I got some documents copied that I needed for my upcoming trip and then embarked on a street walk instead. Yes, Swan and her friend Beth came along.

Still not much interaction when we got home. I went to bed, and Swan stayed up watching television. She was beside me in bed when I awoke, and we started the day with a hug. Progress! I’m still blocked on her Facebook and Messenger, though.

It’s February 2010 as I continue my trek through the LTG archives. This post about all the cars I’ve owned before was full of happy memories. If I hadn’t written about those times back then, I’d have forgotten most of them today. See, this blog does serve a purpose! It remembers what my brain forgets.

I had a chuckle when I came across today’s YouTube video from Reekay about how to end romance drama. NOW you tell me! Truthfully, my problems were nothing like the incidents Reekay mentions. I was treated rudely, and I overreacted; things escalated from there. Hopefully, we’ve both learned some lessons.

A dose of humor medication:

Anyway, it is what it is. Whatever the ultimate outcome, I know that I’ll be okay.