The Friday group hike and the SOB filled the hours of my day. More of the same old same old, but then, a good same is never bad. That seems to be the story of my golden years.

We started the hike in Subic Hills and made our way to Castillejos. A couple of wrong turns and wading across a river were the interesting events, but we hadn’t been out that way in over a year, and it was a nice change of scenery. I didn’t mind that we didn’t do much hill climbing either.

I hadn’t been to the SOB for awhile, and last night was the 22nd Anniversary for the event.

So, I drank too many beers and enjoyed the show. I came away with a pocketful of discount tickets, which I reckon will motivate me to go out and spend money in the bars for the next week or so. And that’s how I ended another Friday.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Retirees, when you first retired did you have any trouble adjusting to the new version of your days?

A: I really didn’t. At the conclusion of my final day at work, I hopped on a plane and flew to the Philippines to begin my life of leisure. In the beginning, I was kept busy with making the transition—finding a house to rent, exploring the area, and discovering my soon-to-be favorite bars and restaurants.

Now, three years on, I’ve totally adapted to my new environment. The oddest thing is that I actually start my day EARLIER than I did when I was working the old office hours. Now, I’m almost always in bed by 9:00 p.m. and up every morning at 4:30. It’s all good, though. I’m enjoying my days and my routines.

It’s been almost six years now, and I’m still carrying on. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, even when everything is pretty much always the same, day in and day out, it’s better than a life of routines would be for me back in the USA. No regrets!

Okay, a couple of these are actually funny I think:

Anyway, back to Dr. Jo for a follow-up this afternoon. Not sure what’s going to happen after that. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

…it remains stationary. It doesn’t stop me from trying, though.

I did one of my long (for me) solo walks yesterday, taking the highway to SBMA and then strolling around parts of the old Navy base I rarely see. It was nice for a change of pace and I managed eleven kilometers, almost double what I normally do. I broke my rule about not losing my cool when I decided to take a taxi back to Barretto. I always ask how much (the cabs are not metered), and the driver didn’t want to give me a straight answer. The last ride was 300 pesos, but this driver gave me the “up to you” routine. I wasn’t in the mood for playing games, and I gruffly told him to tell me how much. He said, “500 pesos,” and I told him to stop the car. Then he said 400 pesos, and I yelled again, stop! I exited the cab, walked across the highway, and caught a Jeepney back to Barretto for 20 pesos. Got out at Sit-n-Bull and had a great lunch.

The evening hours felt a little like old times. Swan had plans early, so we agreed to meet up later for dinner. I filled the hours with a mini-bar hop, spending time in Green Room and Roadhouse and spreading some lady drink cheer. Later, Swan joined me at John’s place for a nice dinner. It was my waitress friend Em Jhae’s last night there, so we bought her dinner, too. She almost cried when I gave her a nice tip as a going-away present. Then, after our meal, we met some of Swan’s friends at Voodoo for a couple more drinks. It’s been a while since I’ve done the night on the town routine. Good times!

Here are some photos from the day:

Facebook memories reminded me of the last family gathering with Mom and Dad back in 2009.

I follow politics but no longer engage in much debate. Still, sometimes I come across something too good not share.

Moving along, here’s today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Is Angeles City in the Philippines a good place to live? Is it as bad as people say?

A: I personally wouldn’t want to live there. It is a city that has all the modern conveniences—shopping, an international airport, nightlife—and not much else, in my opinion. Angeles was one of the first places I visited in the Philippines, but I’d find myself bored and depressed after a few days. Not much to do during the day, and the girly bars get old before long.

I chose to live a couple of hours away in Olongapo. Here I have beaches to walk and mountains to climb. I can find most of what I need here, and Angeles is just down the road should I need anything that it offers.

That doesn’t mean that Angeles is bad, it is just not for me.

I am OK going to Angeles for a day or two, especially for an event like the Hash. But I prefer places like San Antonio/Pundaquit when I need a quick get away. In fact, I’m about ready now.

Alright, you knew these were coming:

Time to get ready for tonight’s SOB dance competition. Haven’t been to one for several weeks, so it should feel fresh again. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

Wednesdays come and Wednesdays go, but you can always enjoy them while they are here.

A challenging hike up to Kalaklan Ridge with the Wednesday Walkers group. We changed things up this time with a Jeepney ride out to Olongapo City and then climbing to the top from there. Lots of stairsteps added to the misery, but I took comfort in the fact that my fat ass had the lung capacity to get it done. I wouldn’t have made it halfway a month ago.

I had a doctor’s appointment at 2:00. Nothing significant to report from my visit with Dr. Jo. She took a blood sample to check on some kidney function issues. The fluid retention in my lower legs and ankles is the concern du jour, but before I start taking meds for that, we need to reduce or eliminate other types of medications I’m taking for other issues, like blood pressure. So, we’ll see what the blood work results suggest as the appropriate course of action.

It was still too early after the appointment for the bars and once I was back home, I had no real desire to go back out again. It was the perfect evening for some time at The Rite Spot. Todd and his lovely wife Sheila joined in the fun and Erik dropped by as well. A nice ending to a good day.

A hard but enjoyable morning on the ridge.

Later, I was once again climbing steps–this time up to the roof.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is the best way to learn about a distant area you think you want to retire to before investing a lot of money to move there?

A: Well, the obvious thing, I guess, is to visit as often as possible before making a commitment to move. I came to the Philippines two or three times a year for several years, exploring different parts of the country before deciding where to call home in retirement.

If someone doesn’t have that luxury, don’t make any permanent commitments until you’ve been in the country enough to know it is a good fit. Don’t ship your furniture or car, don’t buy or long-term lease a house. Make sure it is where you want to stay before investing a lot of money.

Maybe I’m having a bad day, but I couldn’t find anything funny to share. There will have to do for now:

Today’s song bears no relevance to the post. I heard it for the first time in many, many years while having lunch at Sit-n-Bull, and it just brought the memories flooding back.

That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I did engage in a shopping spree yesterday morning. The usual full shopping cart at Royal ($300+), and then Swan and I walked to the mall to do some shoe shopping. Also, for some strange reason, my shorts have been shrinking, so I wanted to get a pair or two that fit more comfortably.

I wound up bringing home three new pairs of shoes. That’s a real challenge because a size 11 is hard to find in these parts. I did score a pair of the coveted Merrell hiking shoes but paid a premium price of over 6000 pesos ($120.). I needed to replace my everyday Sketchers, too, but alas, my size was not in stock. So, I’m trying a new (to me) brand called “Basekamp”. I got two pairs at the more reasonable price of 1700 pesos each. We’ll see how that works out. My shorts size is also in the high range of fit here, but I finally found a couple of pairs I could button around my waist. I always get a little nervous about running out of clothes before the weekly laundry wash is completed. The new duds will provide some leeway in that regard. I also found three new shirts I liked with an ample cut sufficient to accommodate my large belly. So, it was a successful outing.

My Tuesday tradition also includes a journey out to Baloy Beach to enjoy some time on the Kokomo floating bar. Here’s how that looked:

Next stop was DaKudos for a bite to eat.

Not bad for a Tuesday, eh?

Commenter Kevin asked about my life as a father; here’s a post I wrote a few years ago about raising my kids. I got a surprise when re-reading it this morning to see that a couple of spam hyperlinks had been added to my commentary. I’m not sure how that is done unless someone hacked my admin login. I deleted them, but it’s still scary to think that someone could modify a post I’ve written.

Ready for today’s Quora Q&A?

Q: What are some of the relevant professional bodies to join as an HR officer or professional?

A: I was a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) for most of my career. They also offer certification exams to earn the designation of Senior Professional in Human Resources Management (SPHR) and the Professional in Human Resources Management (PHR).

I was an SPHR, not that it matters now.

Some humor before I go:

Like this one:

I joined Swan for our weekly candy walk yesterday. She wanted to visit the village of Alabang, located between Naugsol and Tibag. I’d passed through there once or twice, but it had been a while. Swan was involved in a charity food distribution effort in Alabang at Christmas time and wanted to brighten the day of the kids she saw there. It’s a pretty hefty hike from here, but I’m all about the walk, so off we went.

After some R&R, Swan went to see her family before they headed back home to the province, and I paid a visit to Cheap Charlies. Later Swan met me at Mango’s for a dinner on the beach.

After our meal, we visited a couple of bars we don’t patronize much due to their inconvenient location on this side of town.

We had our nightcap at Queen Victoria. I was a little surprised that Swan was acquainted with the bartender and one of the long-time waitresses there. Then I remembered that she and her deceased man would frequently visit here for the live music. We didn’t stay long enough for the music to begin last night, though.

Back home and on the couch for episode #6 of “Blue Eye Samurai.” That’s the one where our hero (heroine) single-handedly kills most of the castle’s security forces despite some pretty severe injuries. The evil Irishman residing there proved his point about guns trumping swords, regardless of the skill of the sword bearer. She’s not dead yet, however. We’ll see how the next episode resolves the issue.

I woke up to another day of life and got down to taking care of business. I’m one of the Hares for tomorrow’s Hash, and we went out this morning to mark our trail. Next on my agenda will be taking care of the Sunday feeding at Hideaway, then meeting up with Swan on the Arizona floating bar. Yep, it is good to have routines you enjoy.

Facebook memories made me sad today. Ten years ago, I played in a dart tournament in Augusta, Georgia. I don’t remember much about my performance, but the memories were of the friends who joined me there.

Bridget and James died within the next year. I died in a different way when Jee Yeun dumped me. I was reborn to live this life in the Philippines, but I can’t help but be saddened when I look back at what was and what is gone. May you both rest in peace.

The daily Quora Q&A:

Q: A shooting at a convenience store in Missouri left 3 people dead. People these days don’t seem to care about the loss of innocent lives. America has now become a nation of death. Why won’t the Congress or the government ban guns?

A: Three people were killed in a traffic accident outside a convenience store. More innocent lives lost in this nation of death. Why won’t the Congress or the government ban automobiles?

Kevin Kim had a post linking to a place where your political leanings can be measured. Here’s where I stand:

Alright, enough of this seriousness, let’s have some fun!

Alright, that’s all for this time.

I’ve got the power! Now, about last night. Well, actually, it was yesterday afternoon that I attended the wedding reception for Swan’s sister Charm and her hubby, Jack. The festivities kicked off at noon and lasted until five or so. So, yes, I was drinking beer, and no, they didn’t have Zero available. I didn’t do anything stupid, but I was feeling no pain when I departed.

This was my first time at a Filipino post-wedding gathering. Nothing really out of the ordinary, but there were some things I’m not accustomed to seeing at a reception. For one thing, they had a female master of ceremonies shouting into a microphone, which was pretty irritating. She also sang a few songs but had a nice enough voice. I’m familiar with the bride and groom doing the first dance, but yesterday, several wedding party members were also called down to the dance floor, including Swan. Luckily, they played a country song when we danced, so I used some of those swing steps I learned during my time in Oklahoma. Swan followed along quite well.

The food was good, I knew a couple of the other attendees, and I met some new folks that I enjoyed chatting with over the course of the afternoon. I was also reminded of why I make it a point to avoid drinking until beer o’clock. When the reception was done, so was I. Even by my early bird standards, going to bed before 6 p.m. can be problematic, like waking up at midnight after a full night’s sleep. I wound up completing my morning routines by 2:30 and then managed to take a nap until my regular wake-up time. Still, I felt out of sorts in a helter-skelter kind of way.

Good luck to Jack and Charm. They’ve been together as a couple for nine years or so–I’m sure this next step will be an easy one for them.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: I have lived in 5 states in the USA and I am 22. How about you, how many states have you lived in within the USA or the country that you reside in? Which one is your best?

A: I have lived in California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Virginia. I also lived in South Korea, and I now call the Philippines home.

My favorite state was Arizona, although I could say something positive about all of them except California.

Korea was a great experience, and I’m enjoying my retired life in the Philippines.

Maybe these will make you smile (or cringe):

And that’s that. A nice long candy walk with Swan this morning that I’ll tell you about tomorrow.

So, my big plan for yesterday was to expand my hiking horizons by adding some additional length to my strolls. My bright idea was to do the backroads hike to Waltermart on the far side of Subic town and then walk the highway back to Barretto. I typically tire out around 8k, and I estimated my plan would require a 14k jaunt. Could I do it? Only one way to find out. Let’s go!

My original plan was to finish at Sit-n-Bull, another kilometer up the road. But that trike stand in front of McDonald’s proved to be irresistible, so I grabbed a ride back home instead.

Speaking of the bars, I went to Sloppy Joe’s while Swan did a foot spa. She joined me there when she finished. Feeling hungry, we paid a visit to Myleen’s. And we broke our streak of same-same orders.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, where I bought lady drinks for Aine and Irene, and Daddy Dave treated me to a couple of free beers. I was at my maximum capacity of alcohol intake when we grabbed a trike for the journey home. I deem it to have been a good day!

My pal Brian flew his drone over Kalaklan Ridge and posted some really nice photos.

Haven’t posted a photo of the boys for a while, so here you go:

And now it is time to shower up, put on my new duds, and head out to the wedding reception that starts at noon. It will be something different, at least. Me in long pants and no ball cap—who’d a thunk it?

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Do I have to know Korean to live in South Korea as a foreigner?

A: Not really, especially in larger cities like Seoul. Most of the signage is in both English and Hangul, and the subway stops are announced in both languages.

Having said that, I suggest you learn some common words and phrases, if for no other reason than being polite. Most Koreans appreciate the effort, even if you can’t master the pronunciation.

Yeah, like I’m one to talk. I still know more Korean than Tagalog, though.

And now for the funny business:

That’s it for today.

The Wednesday Walkers group hike proved to be quite the challenge despite being only 4K in duration. We traveled out to Tibag to explore some new road construction we’d seen posted on Facebook. Well, they may be roads, but even a 4×4 would have difficulty making it up some of those steep grades. Compounding the problem was the dirt, which was soft and sand-like, so each step was harder and produced a cloud of dust. I had promised to push myself to greater heights, and I succeeded for the most part. Admittedly, my brain was screaming, “Turn around and go back down,” and it was tempting to do so, but I managed to shove on. The section of the hike where we were off the dirt road was mostly pleasant, although some of it was through the dreaded creek bed with all that that entails. I was dead tired at the end, but the breathing wasn’t an issue, so that’s a plus.

And then miracles of miracles, just before the next climb started, we discovered a trail going in the right direction. Yay!

Of course, my day had just begun. My driver picked me up at 2:30 for my ophthalmologist appointment at Baypointe Hospital. I had the usual eye exam then waited to see the doc. Thirty minutes after my scheduled appointment, it was finally my turn. My vision is okay, although I have a cataract growing in my left eye. He said it wasn’t big enough to consider surgery. He gave me a prescription for eye drops and sent me on my way. I got a discounted rate of 1300 pesos for being an old man.

And then it was off to Harbor Point mall. I’m going to the wedding reception tomorrow afternoon and the only pair of slacks I own no longer fit. I figure shorts and sneakers might seem rude, so I went in search of some more appropriate apparel.

After the mall excursion, I decided to treat my crew to dinner. I know John’s place could use the business, so that’s where we went.

I was once again surprised that Swan (who I, of course, always allow to order first) chose the exact meal that I had in mind. I guess we really are on the same page.

As usual, the food was excellent. My favorite waitress served us last night, and she advised us she was leaving for a new job next week. That’s a bummer, but good luck to her working in a call center. It’s a step up for sure.

Then it was back to the house and time for some cold beers at The Rite Spot.

I really pushed my luck this morning, but I’ll share that adventure tomorrow!

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What’s it like living in the Philippines? I’m a 66 y/o man I went to Manila and cebu in 2016 but couldn’t stay long. I’m looking for any input I can get from anyone who knows first hand what to expect if I move there. Thank you.

A: I’m 65 and have been living here in Olongapo City for over three years now. So far, so good. I wouldn’t recommend either Manila or Cebu, personally, but then again, I’m not a big-city kind of guy. Cost of living for most things is cheaper, people are friendly, and most places are quite beautiful. I laugh sometimes because the part of town I live in is like a retirement community for expats. Nowhere else I’d rather be. Long Time Gone

The Philippines isn’t for everyone, but it is what you make it. It feels like home to me now.

Today’s lame attempts at humor:

Okay, I’m running late for my beer o’clock appointment. See you tomorrow!

This will be a quick post this afternoon. Just now back from the Wednesday Walkers group hike, and I’ve got to eat and shower, then head to Olongapo for a visit to the eye doctor. Not much to report anyway, just the normal Tuesday routines. Another grocery shopping excursion to Royal to restock the shelves and an evening on Baloy Beach.

Next stop was Treasure Island for some dinner. I was very surprised when Swan ordered a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. That’s what I was planning to choose as well. I guess great minds truly do think alike.

Swan’s sister Charm is getting married on Friday, so she needed to leave after our meal and attend a bridal party at the Klimax Bar in Barretto.

I finished my night out on Baloy with a beer at my old haunt, the Snackbar.

And then it was home and in bed shortly thereafter. Not a bad day at all.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Now that you have retired do you ever wonder about the “path(s) not taken” as you look back at your life?

A: Not really, because the paths I did take led me to places beyond my wildest imagination. It always seemed to me that the disappointments (like missing out on a job promotion) left me in a position for something even better later on. I don’t know; maybe I’m just lucky.

Having said that, if I could go back in time for some do-overs, there are definitely things I would have done differently. But that’s life.

I wrote about one of the crossroads in my life that changed everything on my blog a while back. If you are interested, you can give it a read here: Blast from the Past-The Road Not Taken

One of those rare occasions where I link to LTG on social media. Speaking of which, Swan asked me for my blog address last night. So, I guess I have another reader now. Welcome, Sweetheart.

An extra dose of humor today:

Gotta go. A tough hike today to tell you about tomorrow.

Yesterday was the first day of getting back to my old ways, and it all seemed to go well. So, if you’ve been missing photos from my hikes, get ready to enjoy the ones I’ll be sharing in this post. Swan and I did our weekly Sunday morning candy walk and it was, dare I say it, a sweet experience. *ahem*

(sorry about the Galaxy watermarks on the photos. I hadn’t noticed that my phone settings reverted back, but I’ve turned off that feature again)

It had been days since my last bar visit, and I remedied that with my Sunday feeding for the Hideaway girls. They were down to three yesterday. Saves me money, but still sad to see this bar going downhill so fast. I’m not sure what the answer might be that would turn the place around. A classic catch-22; you can’t pay for staff without customers and customers won’t come to an empty bar.

My other Sunday tradition after Hideaway is to make a beeline for the beach.

We departed shortly after the sun did and made our way back home via a tricycle. I watched episode #3 of “Blue Eye Samurai,” and it was the most intense so far. An animated adult drama (this episode prominently featured brothels) set in Japan wouldn’t normally be my thing, but I’m enjoying this one.

Until yesterday, it had been a week since I’d managed to break the 10,000-step barrier.

I’ll have a hill or two to challenge me on today’s Hash, and it will be interesting to see how I handle those. I’ve been doing better on the neighborhood inclines and am feeling stronger, so hopefully, I’m on the road to restoration.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q:  Do people ever need to take out a loan to receive a new organ?

A: It depends on how expensive it is. I don’t have an organ, but when I was shopping for a piano, I went with a baby grand and I had to borrow the money to pay for it.

Yeah, I know. For a stupid shit I can be a real smartass sometimes.

How about these?

To be clear, in my professional life I didn’t bring my bad jokes to the office. Got in trouble once for something I said here on the blog (called Mohammed a pedophile), but I maintain that was historically accurate (he married a twelve-year-old). Still, I concede it was insensitive. Sorry, not sorry.

Back tomorrow with the Hash report. Thanks for coming by!

And now, I’ll take a 2nd to explain.

I didn’t walk again yesterday. Maybe I’m just making excuses, but I decided to give it a rest and hope the new meds kick in and start making a difference. I used my new pocket inhaler during the dog walk, and it did seem to help with the breathlessness attack I was suffering. I took today off as well, but I will definitely be out again tomorrow for the candy walk with Swan.

Yesterday was payday for my helpers and for a couple of others I’m helping. I’m able to use wire transfer services for this task, which keeps it simple–it’s never been easier to spread the wealth! My main charity projects are the mountain mama and her kids and Mary, the student I provide with the cash to continue her education. Of course, these days, I only get the satisfaction that comes from helping those in need, and that’s enough.

I didn’t leave the ‘hood yesterday, but I did go next door for a nice evening with neighbors.

I’d never been inside Martin’s place before and it was amazing. I was especially envious of his downstairs bathroom:

And my non-bar fun is not over yet. Tonight, I’ll be visiting my Dutch friend Max’s place to participate in a going away party. Max is heading back to the Netherlands for a few months. Look at me having an actual social life. Who’d a thunk it?

Oh, and it turns out my Aussie neighbor Allen reads my blog. Nice to see you again last night!

We talk about grammar and punctuation here (and my being a bad example for both), but spacing is important, too.

Let’s do the Quora Q&A:

Q: How would you prefer to die if given the choice?

A: Peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather did. The passengers in his car that day died screaming in fear.

Thousands of comedians out of work and I’m trying to funny? Ah, well. How about these:

I’m planning on resuming my normal routines tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll be better than I was. Either way, I’ll do the best that I can do. Stick around and see what happens.

February ended with a leap, and I landed here in March. Here’s how I spent that extra day:

The doctor’s visit took place in typical Filipino fashion. As I’ve mentioned before, you can’t make an actual appointment. You call the hospital, find out what hours the doctor will be in, and get there early. Once you arrive, you get put on a list and wait your turn on a first come, first served basis. The pulmonary doc I needed to see was scheduled to arrive at 2:30. Swan has a friend who works at the hospital, and she kindly added me to the top of the list, saving me from having to arrive early to reserve my place in line. And yes, some money did change hands when we arrived.

Anyway, the plan was to leave the house a little after 1:00, walk to the highway, catch a Jeepney to SBMA, and then walk the two blocks to Baypointe Hospital. As we stepped out the door, our neighbor Martin and his wife were pulling out of the driveway. It turns out they were heading to Royal for some shopping, and they dropped us off right in front of the hospital. Much more comfortable than a Jeepney ride on a hot day. We did arrive earlier than necessary, but better early than late.

One of the procedures is having your vitals checked before seeing the doctor. When the clinician was surprised to see my oximeter reading of 92, I laughed and said it was 88 this morning. Anyway, I did the pursed lips breathing thing for a couple of minutes and got it up to 95, so he was satisfied. With the extra time, I went down the hall to see about getting my head examined–or at least my eyes. I have an appointment (yes, I was happy to discover they schedule appointments!) with the doc who did my cataract surgery for Wednesday.

So, it was a bit after 2:00 now and I settled into a chair in the hallway outside the doctor offices. 2:30 arrives, and still no doctor. I sent my helper to inquire about his whereabouts, and she reported back that “he was on his way.” Three o’clock and still no sign of him, so I’m getting frustrated. My helper reports back that he is finishing up his rounds at Gordon Hospital in Olongapo and will be here soon. I was frustrated and pissed, but had invested too much time and effort to bail out now. Dr. DeJesus eventually appeared a bit after 3:30. And I was the first to get in!

The doctor reviewed notes from my previous pulmonary visit as I recounted the symptoms I’ve been experiencing. His first words were a little disconcerting, “You do understand that COPD is a progressive disorder.” Um, yeah. That’s why I made the lifestyle changes to slow it’s progress. So, he wrote out a list of several new prescriptions that will hopefully clear the mucus from my lungs, and help open my breathing passages so I get more oxygen in my bloodstream. He also gave me script for a pocket inhaler to use in emergencies. I showed him the one I’ve been carrying for that purpose and he advised it was wrong because it takes too long to be effective during a breathing attack.

Dr. DeJesus also recommended that I purchase an oxygen concentrator for home use. It’s on my shopping list.

The visit was completed within thirty minutes of the doctor’s late arrival. He apologized for the tardiness, so I’ll give him that at least. We took a taxi to Barretto from the hospital and had the driver drop us off at Papagayo, a nice beach resort in town. They were having a celebration to commemorate the 71st anniversary of their founding. How often do you get to eat at a place that is older than you are?

I hadn’t been to Papagayo in quite a while, too fraught with memories of the times I spent there with my previous love at her favorite restaurant. Good food, beachside tables, and friendly staff is how I recall the experience.

Right when we sat down, here came Dr. Jo and hubby Chris and they joined us at our table. It was weird seeing my other doctor unexpectedly. I assured her I hadn’t been cheating. She laughed, and I shared the prescriptions Dr. DeJesus had provided. She didn’t see any issues but made suggestions for a couple of tweaks. Then we got down to the business we had come for.

The other shocking thing was the price of a beer–160 pesos, by far the most expensive beer in town. I don’t remember the beers here being anywhere near that much before, so I suspect they upped the price to help cover the undercharging on food.

My oh my, was I in for a shock. Served on paper plates with plastic forks. But the real issue was the quality was WAY down. There was more rice in my enchilada than chicken. It seems they weren’t reducing the price on their regular items, the made their regular items cost less to make. A Mexican-American Hash buddy was eating at a nearby table, and he declared it the worst Mexican food he had experienced.

People were rolling in for the big event, including neighbor Jeff and a couple of his friends. We were all disappointed in the overall lack of quality and slow service. I get the idea of the 71 pesos for 71 years promotion, but they probably lost future customers by cutting corners.

Anyway, I was not going to stick around drinking 160 peso beers, so we said farewell to our friends and headed out. Appropriately enough, we made Cheap Charlies our next stop (55 peso beer). Then we did our nightcap at Wet Spot. I saved money there, too, because Aine was “booked” by a customer. And that was how I celebrated the extra day in February.

Speaking of restaurants, John had a worrisome post this morning on Facebook:

need help

We’ve been surviving for 7 years in Barretto without any problem, but ever since I’ve been sick, it’s gone down hill. I spend little over $2000 USD per month for my medical overall and I don’t make that much.

I am designing lunch specials inexpensively hope I can sell my food in volume. We use very good materials and hope you can find value in our meal. All are p295 except steak. Also, I will continue Aussie steak at p495 for lunch special. P495 is really close to my cost and maybe I can make some by selling drinks. I’ll also add tenderloin pepper steak at p695. Lunch special is, orders received before 3 pm.

Within lunch hour, p500 or more, free delivery within Barretto.

Those who have our lunch special or any meals at our place, can get 5% off from meat & cheese department.

I am hoping you guys come by and dine with us or use our meat & cheese department once or twice a week. It’ll definitely save my life.

Anyone interested in running restaurant also welcome to talk to me. The restaurant is on sale as well. I might have to go back and fix my health problem in Korea.

I’m going to make an effort to eat at John’s more frequently than I have been. Would be sad to see him or the business go.

I didn’t even attempt the group hike today. Scott sent me a photo of what I missed.

I am going next door to spend the evening with my British neighbor Martin and the other hoodies tonight. These gatherings of the Bryce Street expats are always a good time.

Here’s your Quora Q&A for today:

Q: Since retiring, do you still set the alarm to wake up in the morning?

A: No, I do not. But oddly enough, I wake up earlier on my own than I used to when I was working. I go to bed earlier, too, so maybe that is why. I do sometimes set my alarm when I take my afternoon nap though.

Let’s give ’em something to smile about:

Damn, we used to sing that song during music class in elementary school. It’s funny the shit you remember in old age.

Other than the dog walk, I never left the house yesterday. I woke once more to low blood oxygen, and that set the tone for a day of listlessness. Same thing this morning. I hate feeling this way, and I’m hopeful my pulmonary doctor visit today will put me back on the road to normalcy.

We had already made plans for a rooftop gathering with the neighbors, and we spent the afternoon preparing for the arrival of our guests. My part in that endeavor was making a batch of chili con carne, some cornbread muffins, and brownies. The gals made kebabs and pancit. The fun began shortly before 5 p.m. and continued on until the beer ran out around 11:00. Yes, you read that right–I stayed up well past my normal bedtime. We were all a little drunk at the end, but it was a good time.

I sang my usual standards, Words by the Bee Gees, Patsy Cline’s Crazy, and Marty Robbin’s country-western classic El Paso. What can I say, I’m a 1960s kinda guy.

It turned out to be a good time. We will be reconvening on Friday at neighbor Martin’s house. We all agreed that getting together here on our street was more fun than hanging out in the bars. Easier to get home, too!

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: If you have retired from your career, are you glad you retired or are you miserable and feel like you don’t have anything to do?

A: Not miserable, no regrets. When it is time, it is time. Didn’t want to be one of those guys who die at their desk. You just let go of the old life and start a new one. Now, I do whatever I want whenever I want. If I’m bored, that’s my fault.

A couple of Star Trek memes I liked enough to share:

I’ll share the news from the doctor’s visit here tomorrow. I am hoping for some positive options; I’ve been getting worse, not better.

Well, maybe a giggle. But a yard-long Snickers?

That was the most exciting thing that happened on my weekly shopping excursion to Royal.

Later, Swan and I walked to Baloy and hung out on the Kokomo floating bar for a bit.

I’ll leave it at that for now. The neighbors are gathering at The Rite Spot this evening. Chili is brewing in the crockpot. We’ll also be celebrating my helper Inday’s 30th birthday.

The Quora answer I shared yesterday was from a couple of years ago. Somehow, I forgot back then that there were twelve inches in a foot. That answer had over two thousand views, and no one mentioned my mistaken ways. When I posted it here, I still managed to overlook the fact that my answer was embarrassingly wrong. My commenters set me straight on that right away, and I thank you all for that. Of course, the icing on the cake of stupidity was my linking to a webpage about erroneous usage of apostrophes while making the exact same error it was referring to in the paragraph above. Is this my Karma for mocking Biden?

Okay, let’s try the Quora Q&A again and see if I get it right this time:

Q: What is the right time to call HR?

A: During business hours.

As a retired human resources professional, I am confident I am correct on this issue and stand firmly behind my answer.

The joke is not always on me, so here are today’s offerings:

I skipped the hike today. Here’s hoping I feel better about things tomorrow.

Sunday is the day I join Swan for her candy walk. We did a tad over 7K yesterday before the goodies ran out. Counting my blessings that I’m still able to walk that far, although I do get more tuckered out along the way than I used to. I still have trouble with any elevation gain; even the neighborhood dog walk has me huffing and puffing, and that’s distressing. I’m hopeful that I’m experiencing a temporary respiratory infection that will resolve soon rather than a permanent exacerbation of my COPD. I will try and get in to see a pulmonary doctor this week for advice on the next steps.

I’m still fully functioning in the nighttime portion of my life, so there’s that. I did the Hideaway feeding, then spent some time on the Arizona floating bar. For our nightcap, Swan and I enjoyed a visit to The Rite Spot On The Roof. I’m fully in the mode of making the best of what I have while I still have it. No, I don’t mean to come off as feeling morbid, but the reality is that the older I get, the more I feel the looming specter of mortality. My goal is to top the 83 years my father achieved. That would give me fifteen more years to play with. Still, everything can change in a heartbeat (or lack thereof), so I appreciate the daily blessings, even if they are repetitive and mundane.

Anyway, I don’t dwell on this kind of thinking, and I’m a little surprised I regurgitated those words above. While on the floating bar waiting for Swan to arrive and taking in the views, I appreciated all the simple blessings that fill my life. As I admired the awesomeness of the Kalaklan Ridge, I recalled the many times I’ve hiked to the top and taken in those amazing views from on high. Perhaps my climbing days will come to an end, but the memories will not. As I sat on the floater, cold beer in hand, watching the beachgoers, jet skis, and boaters enjoying the late afternoon beauty surrounding us, I realized once again that despite the imperfections of life, I am a lucky man.

Some R&R at home, the Swan headed out to run some errands, and I made my way to Hideaway for the Sunday feeding.

Next up, the Arizona floating bar, conveniently located a block from Hideaway.

We walked down the highway a bit without a clear destination in mind, and then a trike driver pulled up and offered us a lift to the Rite Spot. Off we went, and soon we were up and at ’em.

And that’s how my Sunday went down. Now it is Hash Monday and I’ve got some deciding to do. The trail starts at Barretto High School on Rizal Extension. I can walk to the highway and catch a trike, or I can go the back way on the My Bitch trail. I already have a shortcut for the actual trail in mind, but even that will require a hill climb. The way I’ve been feeling that may be one hill too many. Well, damn, I think I will walk to the start and see how I feel. If I’m not up for the up, I’ll do a flat walk to the On-Home at McCoy’s on Baloy Beach. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

It could always be worse, I could be this guy:

Facebook memories carried me back to 1988 during my tenure as the Acting Director, Human Resources, for the Postal Service in Roanoke, Virginia:

And then there is this from six years ago–my last winter in Korea:

The dreaded Quora Q&A (don’t worry, I’m running out of questions I answered there):

Q: When a thrown dart gets caught in the flight or shaft of the preceding dart thrown, is it null, or does it qualify for the same score?

A: If the point of the dart is not touching the board, it does not score.

Now you know.

How about this:

And now we’ve reached the end of another post. Thank you for your patience.

Sometimes, you just have to make concessions to reality. Despite a brutal night before, I attempted to participate in the Friday group hike. I knew there was going to be one climb, but I figured I’d give it a shot, and in the worst-case scenario, I’d just retreat and go back the way I came. Well, at the 2K mark, just before the hill began, I gave up. Even the flat hike had left me feeling weak. I knew then that trying to go onward and upward was a fool’s mission. After saying my goodbyes to the group, I intended to continue walking towards home. And then an empty trike approached, and I called it a day. Maybe I should have titled this post wussed out.

A lazy afternoon at home, and then it was time to embark on another mission–a visit to McCoy’s on Baloy Beach. McCoy’s is not a regular stop in my bar life, but it will be the On-Home venue for Monday’s Hash. And since I recommended it to the Hash, I wanted to make sure the McCoy crew was adequately prepared for our upcoming invasion. They have already purchased the beer; I hope they have a way to keep it cold. I also suggested they pick four or five items from the menu that are quick and easy to prepare and call them “Hash specials.” I worry their one-man kitchen might be overwhelmed by 30+ hungry Hashers. Anyway, I’m hoping for the best.

I got a kick out of this gal’s hat:

One of the decisions I made when I first moved here was to avoid driving. It was the right call, as I am reminded daily while walking the roads. On the occasions I ride with my driver, I sometimes get road rage as a passenger. And yes, he does some crazy shit too. I’ve seen bad drivers, but the Filipinos I encounter are the least skilled I’ve ever observed.

I think I’ve posted these here before, but Facebook memories took me back to my high school daze today:

My writing was not confined to newsprint. I fancied myself a poet as well.

Growing old gets more bizarre the older I get.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: When I retire, should I move to Thailand where the murder rate is lower by 60% than America, housing price lower by 80%, meals 90% and rental 85%?

A: Go for a visit and get a feel for the place. I enjoyed my stay there, but in the end, I decided to retire in the Philippines. Both countries have large expat communities, so you won’t have to feel like an outsider. I also enjoyed my time visiting Cambodia and Vietnam. There are lots of options.

Today’s lame attempts at humor:

Alright, I deem you to have suffered enough for one day. Come back tomorrow for more punishment!

It’s probably not the kind of temptation you are thinking about, but I’ll get to that later. The day started with a solo street stroll, and so will this post.

Along the way, I saw the typical scenes:

That’s all I found worthy of photographing during my walk. I was also feeling weak and weary on a relatively short and flat stroll. Worrisome, indeed.

Nothing much else took place back at the house until the time arrived to journey back into town for some liquid refreshment in the form of San Miguel Zeros. Swan went for a massage, and we met up later.

My first stop was Sloppy Joe’s. It was a pretty decent crowd, but I found a decent seat. There was a group of several young Filipinas playing pool in the back, and I’ve never seen, or should I say, heard, anything like it. After every shot, they’d scream out these high-pitched squeals at the top of their voice. Even from a distance, it was painful. And it was unrelenting. In the time it took to finish my beer, I had a throbbing headache. Why they were permitted to continue yelling like that is beyond me, but I, for one, couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there.

It occurred to me that I hadn’t visited the bar two floors above me, BarCelona, in quite some time, so I headed up the stairs. I was surprised to see this sign posted near the front door:

You can see my BarCelona review from a couple of years ago here. It is one of the nicer bars in town, ambiance-wise. I’ve always wondered why it isn’t more popular. As I sat there toying with the fantasy of owning a place like this, it occurred to me that to be successful; I’d need to resolve the mystery of why I like the bar and still don’t frequent it often. Then I’d need to fix that. I did talk to a couple of folks, and they attributed it to old expats not wanting to climb all those stairs (39 steps, I’ve been told). Hmm, it’s got to be more than that–Cheap Charlies has a similar ascent and gets a good crowd.

Anyway, I heard the owner is asking for 3.5 million pesos (around $62,000). Rent is said to be 30,000 ($600) a month. I honestly think someone could make a go of this place–you just need to find a way to entice customers up those stairs. I’d probably do that with some special drink pricing and maybe an outdoor barbeque setup on the terrace with some tasty meat selections. And my famous chili and cornbread, of course. Alright, you heard it here first. The new owner of BarCelona is NOT going to be me. The fantasy of owning a cool bar is much nicer than the reality. I’m not going to spend my golden years with all those hassles. Besides, I already have The Rite Spot On The Roof.

After BarCelona, we did our nightcap at Wet Spot. I had a nice chat with owner Daddy Dave and some of the other guys at the backslapper’s table. Meanwhile, Swan was buying drinks for Aine, so I guess everyone was happy.

We got home with enough stamina to enjoy the first “Blue Eye Samurai” episode. So far, so good. I’m not typically interested in animation series, even adult-oriented ones. But this review convinced me to give it a shot. I don’t think I’m going to be disappointed.

Alas, the night did not end well. I woke up again with that queasy feeling that comes from a lack of oxygen, and my oximeter confirmed it with a reading of 87. I sucked down some air from my tank and eventually got back to sleep. I had to abort my hike with the Friday group and really haven’t felt so good all day. I guess I’m beginning to sound like a broken record. We’ll see what happens next.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: A retired US friend has left the country and relocated to Panama because she’s getting more bang for her buck there. What are other places around the globe where there’s a large population of retired Americans living comfortably on a fixed income?

A: I am living comfortably on my pension here in the Philippines. I’m surrounded by many other Americans, Aussies, Brits, etc living well on a fixed income.

Your daily dose of humor:

Until we meet again.

My Tuesday started out normal enough but had a surprise ending. I’ll get to that, but let’s take things from the beginning. It was shopping day, and I had my driver detour to the Pure Gold supermarket. I do this every couple of months, hoping to find things I want or need that Royal doesn’t stock. Not much luck with that yesterday, but I did get this:

The Pure Gold is near the old Royal store, so we went there next. Again, sometimes the old Royal has items in stock you can’t find at the new Royal where I normally shop.

Home again with the week’s groceries, a nap and a blog post, then it was time for my weekly excursion to Baloy Beach to visit the Kokomo floating bar. I baked a batch of brownies before departing to share with the girls. Swan joined me for the adventure.

I used to play darts for the Lagoon team but rarely ordered food there. I was pleasantly surprised it was so good.

After dinner, we caught a trike home, and I went to bed early. I woke up a little before midnight feeling a bit off somehow, so I got up to nebulize. I also checked my blood oxygen on my oximeter and was shocked to see this reading:

Of course, I didn’t even consider wasting my time at the hospital. Instead, I fired up my oxygen tank and self-medicated with inhaled air. That brought me up into the mid-90s. I went back to bed but had to get up again later to ingest more air. A rough night indeed!

I had some doubts and concerns about participating in today’s group hike, but since we were planning on a relatively flat hike from Naugsol back to Barretto, I decided to give it a try. I’ll save the story of how that worked out for me until tomorrow. I’m leaning toward just staying home tonight and treating myself like the old man I’m rapidly becoming. Better old than dead, I suppose.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is the quickest way for a male high school graduate with little cash and no car to move out?

A: Join the military.

My daily try at humor:

Here’s hoping for a breath of fresh air.

Yesterday turned out to be as full as Saturday had been empty. So, I guess you could say I had a balanced weekend. I kicked things off with Swan on a candy walk. Later, I fed the girls at Hideaway (they are down to four now; I wonder how much longer they’ll be open). My Sunday routine of late has been to visit the Arizona floating bar, but yesterday was the 30th Annual VFW Beach Bash beauty pageant, being held this year at the Outback Resort. I was on the fence about attending, but in the end, I decided I should show support for the local veteran’s organization.

The Outback beach area was packed when I arrived, but I still managed to secure three decent seats (Swan and Inday) were meeting me there) and settled in to enjoy the upcoming show. Then, I got drafted to be a judge. I had mixed feelings about doing so because it precluded me from bailing if I got bored or drunk and wanted to go home. Still, it was hard to say no when asked to help out, so I moved to the judge’s table. The contest started a little later than scheduled, and there was a snafu with the music during the talent competition that delayed things for almost thirty minutes. By the time it was all said and done, it was after nine, and I was bushed. But damn, a couple of those gals were smokin’ hot, especially in their bikinis.

Here are some photos from my day:

Found one!

A man went to the doctor’s office to get a double dose of Viagra.

The doctor told him that he couldn’t allow him a double dose.

“Why not?” asked the man.

“Because it’s not safe,” replied the doctor.

“But I need it really bad,” said the man.

“Well, why do you need it so badly?” asked the doctor.

The man said, “My girlfriend is coming into town on Friday; my ex-wife will be here on Saturday; and my wife is coming home on Sunday. Can’t you see? I must have a double dose.”

The doctor finally relented saying, “Okay, I’ll give it to you, but you have to come in on Monday morning so that I can check you to see if there are any side effects.”

On Monday, the man dragged himself in; his arm in a sling.

The doctor asked, “What happened to you?”

The man said, “No one showed up.”

Sorry!

When it came time for the Hideaway feeding, I marched over to Jewel Cafe and picked up two orders of garlic prawns, two orders of pork sisig, and five chicken wings. Popped into Dunkin’ Donuts for dessert, then crossed the highway to the alley where Hideaway Bar is hidden away.

With my Hideaway business complete, I headed across town to the Outback.

Number #3 was the well-deserved overall winner. It was quite the eventful day by my low standards.

Today’s Hash once again begins at the end of Rizal Extension. I’m going to hike the My Bitch trail to get there and then assess how I feel about climbing any additional hills. If need be, I’ll find a flat route to walk to the On-Home at Johansson’s from there. I’ll let you know how that works out for me tomorrow.

Today’s Quora Q&A brought back a long-ago memory:

Q: Did you ever have a funny in-person experience with a Hollywood movie star? How so?

A: It was sometime in 1979 or so, back when I was residing in the lovely city of Prescott, Arizona. My wife from that era was working at a local dining establishment, and I came in and sat at the bar while I waited for her shift to end. I hadn’t really noticed the gentleman sitting on the barstool next to me until some female patrons approached and asked him for an autograph. After he obliged, I guess he noticed me looking at him, trying to figure out who in the fuck he was. He smiled, offered his hand, and introduced himself as “Jan.” To be honest, the name didn’t ring a bell, but the face was somewhat familiar.

Anyway, we began to chat. He was in town attending some sessions at a nearby gun school. I don’t recall if he said this was preparation for a movie role or if he just liked guns. As we talked periodically, someone would recognize him and come up to meet him. He was always gracious, but I could tell he found it somewhat irksome. About this time, my wife appeared, and judging by her giddiness, I guess she recognized him, too. As we were preparing to leave, I asked if he’d like to join us. I was mostly just being polite, so I was a little taken aback when he said, “I sure would!” I don’t recall now where we intended to actually go, but it was likely one of the dives we liked on Whiskey Row.

As it turns out, we didn’t make it far. Once we got into my vehicle (an older but rugged Toyota LandCruiser), Jan asked if we’d like to smoke a joint before we left. I was a big pot smoker back in those days, so naturally, I answered in the affirmative. Damn, it was some good shit. In fact, it may have been laced with something because I got really wasted real quick. And then he pulled out a tin of cocaine! I did a snort or two of that, and the next thing I remember, I was leaning out the car door, puking my guts out.

I’m pretty sure Jan found my lightweight antics equally disturbing and disgusting. Suffice to say he changed his mind about joining us, quickly said his goodbyes, and left.

And so ended my chance encounter with the B-list celebrity Jan-Michael Vincent.

Once again I came across a joke I often tell in a comic format. More evidence that my humor is as old as I am:

I liked this one for some reason, too:

Okay, it’s time to get ready to roll on out to the Hash.

It has been said that today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. I sometimes worry about how many tomorrows I have left, but otherwise, I pretty much take each day as it comes and make the best of it. Like yesterday, for instance:

Nobody showed up for the Friday group hike, but Swan joined me for a walkabout on the Subic side of the bridge.

We did our 6K and headed back home. We’d invited the neighbors on both sides of us for some rooftop fun, so we had some preparation to do. I made a crockpot full of meatballs and baked a carrot-raisin cake. We loaded up the ice chest with beer and wine and waited for our guests to arrive.

Jeff brought his Karaoke machine, and shortly thereafter, the singing commenced.

Good times. Jeff is having a gathering at his place tonight that I plan to attend. I hope the bars don’t go out of business without me!

The Quora Q&A:

Q: Do retired postal workers get a pension?

A: Yes, they do. The same pension as other federal government employees earn.

Today’s memes:

Boring day so far, but I’ll worry about that tomorrow.