Well, things did not turn out the way we expected yesterday, but it wasn’t a bad day regardless. Woke up a little before 5 am and invited Swan to join me on the beach to watch the sunrise.

So, our plan for the rest of the morning was to take a hike to a beach Chris recommended that’s about 3K up the road.

Once we were out of town, there was no internet signal my phone could reach, so the map app I was using couldn’t provide directions. When my tracker announced we had gone 7K, I decided it was past time to turn around and retreat. And that’s just what we did.

So, the hike didn’t go according to plan, but it worked out just fine anyway. The next plan for the day was to pay a visit to Chris at his brewery. We had made arrangements for a tuk-tuk driver to pick us up at 3:30 at our hotel. When he didn’t show, Swan called, and he told us he was busy with another customer. So, we headed up the highway in search of a ride (the brewery is 12K away, so walking wasn’t an option).

Anyway, our quest for a tuk-tuk failed. Two didn’t want to take us, and one said he would for 1500 pesos. Nope, that skin tax ain’t happening (a fair fare is around 600 pesos). We had walked about 2K in our quest, and that put us in front of the Pacifico Beach. We paid the 30 peso each entry fee and made our way to the beach bar. I had a beer, and Swan got a mango shake since wine wasn’t available. I messaged Chris that we weren’t going to be able to make it after all, so we made a new plan for today. We’ll see if that works out better this time.

The beach bar closes at six, so we headed out in search of somewhere to eat.

When I looked in the beer fridge, I was in for a surprise. They had bottles of San Miguel Zero! Swan warned me that they were probably over a year old, but how could I say no to my long-lost friend?

It was a seafood restaurant we had chosen, so we ordered accordingly.

Everything seems to close early in Pacifico, even by my low standards. So, we called it a night after dinner and headed back to the room. Not a bad day by any measurement, just not the one I planned.

Moving on to February 2021 in the LTG archives, where I recount how I’ve become much better at abiding by Rule #1 (don’t be a sucker) when people I’m acquainted with come pleading for money. Yeah, it was an expensive lesson to learn, but I’m still able to say no as needed.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger in Cebu who shares the latest news, most of it positive, about life in the Philippines.

Like it or not, here they come:

Anyhoo, that’s the story. I’ll let you know if my plans for today come to fruition.

This post is going to be short and sweet (or sour) because I’ve got a plane to catch. Luckily, there isn’t much to report about my rainy Tuesday. It did start off with this message from God:

Oh, and it turns out a rainbow DOESN’T mean the storm is over. It rained throughout the day and night. Anyway, took care of the grocery shopping, got my Ozempic injection (still flatlined on the weight), and later spent the drinking hours at Sloppy Joe’s and Wet Spot. It was actually a pretty boring day, even by my low standards.

And now it is January 2012 in the journey through LTG archives. Heh, a boring day back then at least included a random sexual encounter. Thanks for the memories!

Today’s YouTube video provides yet another reminder of why I enjoyed my first encounter with the 70s better than my current one.

Time for the funny business:

Alright, that’s all I’ve got for now. Back tomorrow to share my first experience in Pacifico on Siargao Island. Assuming everything I’ve arranged for works out.

A busy (for me) day yesterday. Some things didn’t go well, but it could have been much worse.

One of the things that concerns me about our candy walks is how some kids come running out into the street without looking when they see us coming. We’ve trained most of them to stay where they are and let us come to them. But yesterday a kid ran out of a shop directly in front of an oncoming motorcycle. I yelled, “Look out!” and somehow the driver was able to swerve around the wayward child. The kid didn’t even look back and kept running towards the candy girl, Swan. I screamed at him in English, which he probably didn’t understand. The motorcycle driver sat on his bike, shaking his head for several minutes before proceeding on.

That’s my nightmare scenario: someone gets hurt or killed in the quest for free candy. Even if it is not technically our fault, we’d be blamed. And in the sense that “it wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t there,” I reckon we’d be found guilty. Swan said afterwards that maybe we should discontinue our candy walks. We handed out 250 bags of candy yesterday, so that’s a lot of kids to disappoint. At this point, we are going to continue our mission, but with increased vigilance for safety.

The other big project I took on yesterday was making arrangements for our upcoming trip to Siargao Island. We’ll be departing on August 5 and returning on August 11. I booked a round-trip flight from Clark Airport in Angeles City on Cebu Pacific. We’ll be staying at the Bamboo Resort in Pacifico, a part of the island we haven’t visited previously.

Nothing comes easy for me these days. I made a flight reservation on the Cebu Pacific webpage and attempted to pay with my credit card. Then I got a message saying Navy Federal needed to confirm the transaction was legitimate by sending a verification message to my telephone number of record. Well, there were options for three US phone numbers, but it is my daughter’s phone that I have linked to my account. I picked the one I thought was right, then messaged my daughter asking her to confirm the transaction. Turns out, I gave the wrong number the first time, so I went back and tried again with her number. Then I got a message saying Navy Federal had declined the payment. Fuck. My daughter was standing by, so I tried again using my debit card and with the proper phone number for verification. My daughter got the message and approved the purchase. Hooray! Except later, when I checked my account at Navy Federal, my credit card had now been blocked due to suspected fraudulent activity. They gave me a toll-free number to call to resolve the issue, but of course, there is no such thing as a toll-free call from my phone in the Philippines. Last time I called them, with a lengthy hold time, the phone charges were over $35. I sent a message to Navy Federal on the webpage, but so far they have not responded. I rely on my credit card, so I’m going to need to get this issue resolved prior to my trip. What a pain in the ass.

As for lodging, that went much better. I contacted Dr. Jo’s hubby, Chris, who is currently operating a brewery on Siargao near where I want to stay. He recommended the Bamboo Resort and sent me the WhatsApp number of the owner. I contacted him, and he responded right away. The only hitch is he is completely booked for the 10th, so I’ll have to check out a day prior to my departure. Well, I’ll have plenty of time to scout for a room once I’m there. He gave me a 3500 peso a night room rate, which is a lot less than Agoda’s 4100 quote. He wanted me to pay in advance, and I was able to do a bank-to-bank transfer via Wise. That went through without a hitch, so I’m good to go. And yes, I am confident it is all legit because Chris knows the guy personally.

By the time I had taken care of all that business and finished my blog post, it was already past beer o’clock. So, we headed into town and kicked off our evening at It Doesn’t Matter. We had the patio to ourselves, but that’s okay, even if a tad boring. I suggested we pop into Alaska next, and off we went. We actually had a better-than-usual time there, and when I asked Swan if she wanted to do the nightcap at Wet Spot, she said let’s just stay here. And so we did. I did my tipping the dancers thing and bought lady drinks for our two friendly waitresses. Owner Jerry gave us a warm welcome, and some familiar faces came in for the pool tournament. So, not a bad Saturday night in the barrio.

Here are some photos for the Decay Dance:

Continuing on through the December 2020 LTG archives, I was reminded of how forgetful I’d become. And yeah, I’m even worse these days. Anyway, my old friend Rodney Headlee messaged me asking about our 1975 championship softball team, the Ringwraiths. That brought back some memories that would otherwise have been forgotten. Rodney is another of those friends who have disappeared. No longer on social media, and I have no way to contact him. Losing people from your past is one of the saddest aspects of growing old. As long as you still remember them, anyway.

I also mention attending the California Jam in that post, another event in my life I’d have otherwise totally forgotten. Damn, this blog does serve a purpose after all!

The archives also had a picture of my former South Carolina home at Christmas time:

A newly discovered vlogger for today’s YouTube video (he only has 65 subscribers). In it, he explains how expats can avoid becoming homeless on the streets in the Philippines. I’ve managed to burn through most of my savings, but as long as Uncle Sam keeps sending my pension money, I’ll have a roof over my head.

Try these on for size:

I’ve got more stuff to do on my plate, but I’ve had enough for now. I just want to take it easy.

Big thunder storm happening right now, and the power is out. Using my phone hotspot for now, but let’s get this one done quickly, fair enough?

Then we did a morning hike.

Back home, I baked up a batch of brownies to bring to the birthday celebration at Alley Hideout for long-time darter Amelia.

After the party, we stopped by Gold Bar. Deader than ever. 6:30 on a Friday night, and not a single dancer on the stage. Well, I guess there is no point when there is no one to dance for. So, we moved on down the road and had some quality time at Queen Victoria. It was like night and day between those bars. Manager Jake bought me a beer, so I wound up staying a bit later than normal. It’s all good!

A couple of commenters shared their views that the COVID nightmare wasn’t really a scam. I respectfully disagree. Fauci’s lies have been exposed, and his diary proves he knew he was lying. Reading my posts from 2020, I was calling bullshit on the lockdowns and other stupidity from the beginning. Now, I’m not denying that COVID wasn’t a real thing. Hell, it was invented in a lab in China. I’m also not saying that it was intentionally released. But the severity of the virus was overstated so all the restrictions that followed could be implemented. And I also know the casualty numbers were overstated. Either that, or COVID cured the flu, since during the COVID outbreak, no flu fatalities occurred. I know firsthand about a guy here in Subic who had a massive heart attack and was dead on arrival at the hospital. Guess what? The next day, it was reported as a COVID death. Nope, I’m sticking to my scamdemic assessment.

Anyway, believe whatever you choose. I hope no one will be fooled into trusting the “experts” again. Never forget.

Speaking of 2020, here’s another post from December in the LTG archives. No, it is not about COVID, although I do mention that someone ratted out the bars. The part I found interesting was that I learned indirectly that my neighbor’s husband was accusing me of paying his wife for sex! Hell, I had the good sense to NEVER get physical with her at all. And as I say in the post, if I were going to pay for sex, I had a lot better options. Fortunately, nothing ever came of the false accusations,

Let’s check in with the Filipina Pea for today’s YouTube video. I think you know my answer.

Time for this crap again:

Okay, running behind schedule now, but at least the power has been restored. Now to get on with my Saturday…

My time on this planet isn’t all about beer. I’m a walkaholic too. A commenter on my Facebook page talked about how my life reminded him of Groundhog Day. Yeah, it’s the same every day, but there are some occasional twists along the way. Yesterday was no exception.

For our morning walk, Swan and I decided it was time to head out to Subic and bring some happy tidings to the grandmother we encounter on our trail. By happy tidings, I mean cookies, lollipops, and 500 pesos. She and the kids are always so excited when we make an appearance. I try to go every other week or so, but her genuine joy in receiving our gifts makes it all worthwhile. Here’s some of what we say along the way:

Swan spent the evening at the compound with her family. I started off at Cheap Charlies while waiting to meet up with my friend visiting from Bohol. He apparently doesn’t like Cheap Charlies, so he messaged to meet up at Sloppy Joe’s. No problem for me; it is right across the highway.

Some beers and chat at Sloppy’s. I’m not going to invade “Nick’s” privacy, but he was a prominent defense attorney in Southern California before his retirement and move to the Philippines. I was surprised to learn he doesn’t like the life his living in Bohol and is looking for new options (he lived for a couple of years in Barretto previously). So, he is planning to join Swan and me when we visit Siragao Island next month. Nick is heading for Angeles City this afternoon.

After Sloppy’s, I took him next door to see the new Rum Jungle (formerly Green Room). Damn, it wasn’t to either of our liking. The music was loud and tailored to the dancers’ tastes, so I suggested we go to Wet Spot, where the music is almost always classic rock. Nick was surprised when I told him I always head home around 8 pm. So, he said goodnight and headed back to Sloppy Joe’s.

Well, what can I say? I’m just not the drinker I used to be. Damn, back in my Itaewon days, midnight was early for me. It sucks being elderly sometimes, but it is still better than not growing old.

It’s been interesting reading my old posts about the COVID scamdemic. I knew back then it was bullshit, but I’ve been surprised to learn that it was so much worse than I thought.

Here’s a photo I came across of my mother’s father, Hal Clinkenbeard.

We’ve reached December 2020 in the LTG archives, and I’ve somehow managed to dodge a bullet with the married woman next door. That post also contains a story from my days working for the post office. That event led me to become active in the letter carriers’ union, and that ultimately resulted in my journey as a human resources professional. It’s odd looking back on how a seemingly minor incident can be such a life changer.

Today’s YouTube video offers a brief reality check on life in the Philippines. I found out some of these things the hard way, but I think I’ve now, for the most part, adapted and acclimated to the way things are here, even when they are not as I want them to be.

The end is near:

That’s the way it was yesterday. Only one way to find out what the future will bring, so I’ll get on with living it.

Came across this golden oldie from my days of watching TV while my dad sat in his easy chair after work sipping on a beer:

In the meantime, I’m going to keep enjoying each day as it comes. I started to say, “make the best of” each day, but maybe there are things I could be doing better (or less of). Ah well, it is what it is and my life, my choice, right?

Here’s how I chose to fill the hours yesterday:

Scott drove us out to the Binictican area on SBMA (the old Navy Base), where we commenced our Wednesday group hike. It’s got a very rural vibe about it and also hosts some housing areas that were formerly occupied by military personnel. There were cloudy skies and occasional light rain, which kept things pleasantly cool. We did take a wrong turn along the way that resulted in an additional 4K or so to our planned walk, but we still had a good time taking in the sights.

At the appointed hour, Swan and I headed into town to enjoy some quality time at Red Bar.

After Red Bar, we popped into Foodies and ordered some pancit and quesadillas for delivery to our nightcap venue, Wet Spot. We then ate, drank, and were merry until it was once again time to call it a night and head for home.

Yep, that’s how I roll, and I want to keep on rollin’ for as long as I can.

Cruising through the November 2020 archives, and without all the female drama in my life, there isn’t much worthy of note. And in this post, I notice what my life has become and decide I like it that way just fine. Going on six years later, and nothing much has changed, other than I did find some true love along the way.

For today’s YouTube video, how about a review of Filipino beers? Well, my old favorite, San Mig Zero, is no more, so I’m a full-time SM Light drinker now. The Pilsner beer and local favorite Red Horse are too strong for my tastes, so Light it is. Actually, I may try switching back to gin and soda water for a while to enhance my efforts to lose the belly. We’ll see; there are unpleasant consequences that come with the hard stuff occasionally.

More funny business to attend to:

This life of mine ain’t gonna live itself, so I’d best get on with it. I’ll let you know how it’s going tomorrow.

I ain’t got much, so let’s get it over with. Nothing out of the ordinary to report regarding the weekly grocery shopping excursion. Well, on the way back home I did see this:

Stopped by Dr. Jo’s for the Ozempic injection. No weight loss this week. Dr. Jo suggested I eat smarter. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.

Swan spent the afternoon with friends, so I was on my own at beer o’clock. I figured since I was supposed to be on the beach in Pundaquit, I’d do the next best thing within walking distance: Baloy Beach.

They did let me connect my Spotify to their Bluetooth speaker, so the music was good. And then Swan arrived to join me.

I messaged my friend at the nearby Fox Resort to ask if the new cook (formerly at Myleen’s) was working. Alas, it was his day off, so we took a pass on the birria tacos. Instead, we popped into Treasure Island and enjoyed some enchiladas. With our hunger satiated and our thirst quenched, there was nothing left to be accomplished, and we headed on home.

There may not have been much to the day, but it was still good.

Courtesy of Facebook memories, that time there were three McCrareys in Korea.

November 2020 has arrived in the LTG archives. I kicked off the month with a goal to get rid of my beer belly and lose twelve pounds in the process. I weighed in at 211 that morning. Yesterday I was 239. Let’s see if I can do better this time.

For today’s YouTube video, a Filipina vlogger helpfully explains the age of consent laws here in the Philippines. You don’t want to fuck this up because you’ll wind up in jail for a LONG time (like that old saw, “17 will get you 20”). I’ve always preferred my ladies to be on the older end of the spectrum (and by old I mean 30s), but I did briefly date an 18-year-old. I made her send me a photo of her birth certificate before our first meeting. Of course, when my granddaughter turned 18, I knew I was in a place I didn’t want to be. I’m still helping her with some college expenses, at least.

A funny thing happened at the end of this post:

And with that, I’ll set you free for the rest of the day. See you here tomorrow!

In the meantime, my life as an old man goes on much as it always has. Rainy season adds a twist of inconvenience, but that’s to be expected. Here’s a quick recap of how I dealt with yesterday:

There was the Sunday Sweets Stroll to start the day.

A guy I met during my trip to Bohol messaged to say he’s here in Barretto, so we got together at Harley’s on Baloy, where he is staying. As we were leaving the house, Swan asked if we should bring umbrellas. I looked up at the sky and determined that it would not be necessary. I was wrong about that. We had just exited the neighborhood when the skies opened up in a massive downpour. We took shelter under the roof of a sari-sari store and waited ten minutes or so for the rain to relent. We made it the rest of the way to Harley’s mostly dry, but we did have to engage in quite a bit of puddle-dodging.

Had a nice time chatting with Doug from Bohol. We are making tentative plans for a meet-up next month in Siargao.

Speaking of which, Swan and I will depart for Pundaquit tomorrow morning for our monthly get-out-of-town excursion.

After Harley’s, we had a pleasant visit to Jumpin’ Jacks for our nightcap. Then we were homeward bound. And so ended another day in paradise.

From Facebook memories, six years ago I shared one of my favorite passages from Ernest Hemingway:

It was all nothing, and a man was nothing, too…Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it was nada y pues nada y pues nada. Our nada who art in nada nada be thy name thy kingdom nada thy will be nada in nada as it is in nada. Give us this nada our daily nada and nada us our nada as we nada our nadas and nada us not into nada but deliver us from nada; pues nada. Hail nothing full of nothing, nothing is with thee…

–Ernest Hemingway “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”

Yeah, my nothing life is still better than nothing.

It is now October 2020 in the LTG archives. It took me a long time to find a post worthy of inclusion in “The Story of My Life.” Without the drama that comes with having a relationship, all the posts were about hiking and drinking. Hmm, that sounds familiar. Anyway, I did go on a rant about people taking advantage of my charitable nature. Such as it is. I’m still giving, but hopefully I’ve gotten a little smarter about it over the years.

In today’s YouTube video, a province-dwelling vlogger talks about his experiences that come with being the only foreigner in town. I wouldn’t like that lifestyle personally, but to each his own. I still encounter the “skin tax” issue, which is why I send Swan in to ask for prices while I stay out of sight.

Let’s get this bullshit out of the way:

And now it is time to prepare myself for another Hash Monday. The skies don’t look threatening at the moment, but as yesterday proved, you never know what’s brewing. Tell you all about how it goes tomorrow.

I feel duty-bound to make my daily posts here, even in the absence of anything new or different to write about. After all these years, I expect my handful of loyal readers have low expectations, so let’s get on with the story of yesterday.

It being Saturday, we kicked things off with the weekly Decay Dance. There had been heavy rains the night before, but at the time of our departure, the rain had stopped. We took along our umbrellas anyway.

Come evening time, Sloppy Joe’s was having a birthday gathering for owner Bert, so we joined in the fun. I baked a batch of brownies for Bert’s birthday (that’s a lot of b’s; hope you don’t feel stung). He seemed to appreciate the gesture. As we sat at our usual perch watching the highway traffic roll by, we witnessed an accident.

Here’s what seemed weird to me. There was very little damage and no injuries, but neither vehicle was moved to the side of the road, causing a huge traffic jam on the highway. It took the police over thirty minutes to arrive. When they did, a cop took a couple of photos, called the drivers over for a chat, and then they drove away. Luckily, the roadblock didn’t cause any additional accidents.

When we were finished with the birthday celebration, we moved next door to Wet Spot for our nightcap. And no controversies arose this week, so things remain on the upswing. Home for some strawberry-banana smoothies, then off to bed.

A couple of Facebook memories from this day in my history:

Moving on through the September 2010 LTG archives, I once again have “love” knocking at my door. I’m not ready to answer because adultery is a crime in the Philippines. Will I dodge the bullet and think with my big head? Stay tuned!

Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea says a lot about what is most important to many of the local ladies here in the Philippines.

Laugh or cry, up to you:

I wracked my brain deciding whether this was funny.

And now I hope you got what you came for, because that’s all there is for today.

Sorry if the title of this post misled you into believing I had something significant to share with you today. Hey, this is my life we’re talking about after all. So, I’ll get to what is changing in Barretto a bit later in this post. Stick around!

The skies were threatening rain, so Swan and I decided on confining ourselves to a street walk. I suggested we do Matain, and she countered with walking the Santa Monica subdivision. Being the nice guy that I am, I declared we’d do both. And that’s just what we did. How interesting was our trek? Well, I took a grand total of two photos during our 6K walkabout.

Speaking of excitement, in the afternoon, I got a money request from a bar waitress I’ve known for several years, saying she needed medicine. She was only asking for 250 pesos, which is chump change, so I figured why not? Of course, the only way to get her the money was via GCash, which I don’t use. I asked Swan if she could make the transfer; she looked at me like I was stupid, but agreed, saying, “You never learn.” Well, I’m not gonna fret over five bucks, but then I remembered a while back this same waitress said she got hacked and opened a new FB account, adding the word “Real” to her name. So, I sent a message to that account asking where she was. She responded, “I just woke up.” I told her about the money request, and she said it wasn’t her. So, I sent a message to the scam account saying the money is on the way. Figured I might as well waste their time too.

We kicked off our evening at Red Bar, and it was there I heard of the latest changes taking place in the Barretto bar scene. The owner of Thumbstar Bar finalized the purchase of Red Bar yesterday. Hopefully, he will retain Cliff and Ashley as the bar hosts.

After we’d had our fill at Red Bar, we planned to make our regular stop at Jumpin’ Jacks. It was 6:30 on a Friday, and Jumpin’ Jacks was closed when we arrived. WTF? I feared another bar had bit the dust. We walked on to Queen Victoria, and I sent a message to the manager at Jumpin’ Jacks asking what was up. She responded, everything was fine; they had just opened late. Well, okay then.

During our visit at Queen Victoria, I learned that the owner of Thumbstar was also in negotiations to buy Queen Vic. It seems so strange that with the bar business at a low ebb, these “tycoons” are buying them up. Seems like they have more money than sense. There’s another guy in town who is building a bar empire, and now owns Whiskey Girl, Tryst, BarCelona, Crazy Horse, and the former Redz Pub at the Arizona Resort. He’s also in the process of reopening Voodoo Bar. I wish them well, but I’m not seeing a successful outcome.

Anyway, nothing else has changed that I know of. I headed home at 8 pm and was in bed by 9. I’m not the bar customer I used to be.

From Facebook memories:

It was also thirteen years ago that I posted these words of wisdom:

One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it’s remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver’s license. – P.J. O’Rourke

Well, my driver’s license expired long ago.

It is now September 2020 in the LTG archives, but the drama in my life never seems to stop. Filipinas even have a word for it, “chismis,” which is a nasty form of gossip. Anyway, things got nasty among the Hash gals and brought an end to any potential future with Iline (aka Janey). Things turned out for the best, I suppose.

Yesterday’s YouTube video was about “evicting” the American military in the Philippines. Today, the same vlogger explains why we’ve been invited back. I’d say they need us more than we need them.

Try these on for size:

Some things never seem to change, so I’ll plan on being back with more tomorrow. You are welcome!

No news is good news, so I guess it’s all good. Here’s some old news from yesterday:

Swan and I took a nice hike out through the valley and into Naugsol town.

In the afternoon, Swan’s sister and a couple of friends came to visit, so Swan took them up to the Rite Spot, where they played cards. When beer o’clock rolled around, I went upstairs to say I was heading into town. Swan said she’d join me there later. When she came downstairs to say goodbye, I told her she was free to have a “me day” with her group. She took that to mean I wanted a “me day,” so I explained that I was fine either way if she joined me or not. So, she accepted my suggestion and stayed home. We were both okay with that outcome.

So, I decided to kick things off on my own at Cheap Charlies.

I also ordered the chicken quesadilla from Foodies downstairs. The best in town. Now, if they’d only make birria.

Then it was time for me to decide on where I might go for my nightcap.

One of the reasons I don’t visit Hot Zone much these days is that it doesn’t open until 7 pm. But as fate would have it, they had just opened when I departed Cheap Charlies. I was shocked when I walked in and was greeted by name by a couple of the gals. I didn’t remember any of them. I was the only customer, so all eyes were on me. I’ve got to say, Hot Zone by far has the hottest dancers in town. Not really my thing, but I do appreciate nature’s beauty. I only stayed for two beers but gave all the gals a 50-peso tip for their hard work.

Then it was time for me to head back home. Swan was still entertaining her guests, and soju was the drink of choice, so I told them to have fun, and then I hit the hay. Told you I was old.

From the memory bank comes this reminder of what I found to be about the stupidest idea ever to stop the spread of the dreaded COVID virus:

Back in the August 2020 LTG archives, I reflect on past loves and ex-wives and consider how many of those relationships were transactional. I guess I could say lessons learned, but that is probably not an accurate portrayal. Oh well, I am what I am, and at this stage of my life, change isn’t likely.

Today’s YouTube video talks about the reasons the USA gave up its military bases in the Philippines. I’m not sure it’s fair to say we were kicked out, but we don’t tend to stay where we aren’t wanted. Curiously, shortly after we left, China started claiming Philippine territory. Funny how that works.

Humor time:

And now it is over. At least until tomorrow.

No drama to report today, so let’s just get right into the usual mundane shit that fills my hours.

For the Wednesday group hike, Scott drove us out to Subic Bay Freeport Zone, aka Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, located on the grounds of the former US Navy Base. We commenced our street walk near the boardwalk, then worked our way around and back into Olongapo City before re-entering the Zone to retrieve Scott’s car. It turned out to be a very pleasant 7K trek, except for the part where my excruciating leg pain flared up again. Yeah, it sucks to be old, but it is better than being dead.

When the evening hours rolled around, Swan and I visited It Doesn’t Matter, Wet Spot, and Rum Jungle. Then we rolled on home and called it a day.

Exciting shit, eh?

Back in August 2020 of the LTG archives, and I had the talk with Ilene (aka Janey) that ended things. It was the right thing to do. Oh, and the guy she wound up marrying wasn’t the guy she had been seeing back then. I think she made the right choice and hope she has the happy life she deserves.

Today’s YouTube video is about the mountain city of Baguio. I was not aware of the way the city came into being, and it’s a very interesting story. I go there maybe once every couple of years, and it is beautiful. That mountain road getting there is a bitch, though. I wasn’t aware of how many died building it, but it’s not that surprising. It’s the only place in the Philippines where I’ve felt chilly. Even saw my breath one February night there.

Time out for some humor:

Alright, let’s keep a positive attitude and get on with the business of living.

Let’s talk about my Tuesday. Well, not a lot to say. I went to the immigration office and was granted permission to continue my stay in the Philippines for another 60 days. Then I got the grocery shopping taken care of. Stopped by Dr. Jo’s for my enhanced Ozempic injection (I’m up to 2.5 mg now). A month (four weekly injections) at this level cost me 12000 pesos. Last week I dropped 3.4 pounds, bringing me down to 238. So, I’m moving in the right direction.

When beer o’clock arrived, we headed to Baloy Beach.

Our new beach venue is Tropical Zone, and we once again enjoyed our visit: wine, beer, and no problem making change.

When it was time for some grub, we paid a rare visit to Fox Beach Resort.

So, what brought us to back to Fox Beach Resort? We came for this:

When we told Norman what we wanted, he had to check with the cook to see if they were available yet. The Mexican menu is new and hasn’t been fully stocked for implementation. I was relieved when Norman reported that they could fulfill our birria desires.

How were they? Honestly, a little disappointing. We were expecting what we used to get at Myleen’s (the former chef there is now at Fox), and these were not as good as they used to be. Norman told me the new cook wasn’t there, which explains the difference. The side sauce sucked as well. Next time I’ll confirm that the Myleen’s guy is there in advance. Still, they are the best (and only) birria tacos in town.

We enjoyed catching up with Norman, and at least for now, Fox Beach Resort is back in rotation. Oh, and we were once again the only customers at both venues last night. Glad I’m not in the business!

And that’s all there was to Tuesday.

From the August 2020 LTG archives, I write about my discomfort with being in a triangle with my latest love, Iline. That post also has a link to something I’d written about “My Brand New Plan” back in 2017. That didn’t work out the way I’d planned either. And just to end the suspense, here is the post about how Iline and I decided to take a step back. My oh my, I’d almost forgotten all the drama that once filled my life. Hmm, I guess it still does.

Here’s a YouTube short from the Filipina Pea discussing whether Filipinas are loyal. I’d say it depends.

Let’s get these out of the way:

And so it goes.

I’m dealing with something unexpected and still have a lot of thinking to do about how I’m going to handle the situation. So, let me get this post out of the way so I can get on with it.

As seen on the Decay Dance yesterday

Started the evening ritual at Sloppy Joe’s.

Next up was some time in the Alaska Club. Had a warm greeting and a free beer from owner Jerry. Thanks again!

Finished things up at Wet Spot. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. I’ll fill you in when I’ve got my mind around it.

This showed up in my Facebook feed this morning:

And then like a kick in the nuts, Facebook memories shared these:

And as if that wasn’t enough, when I checked the title “The last dance” for redundancy, I came across this post from New Year’s Day 2015 announcing that my wife, Jee Yeun, told me she wanted a divorce. It only hurts until the pain goes away.

Back to the July 2020 LTG archives, where I’m wrapping things up with Mary and hoping to crank things up with Ilene. And on and on it goes.

Let’s see if the Filipina Pea can clear things up about the weirdness of Filipino culture in today’s YouTube video.

I’m not in a humorous mood, but I’ll share these anyway:

Alright, sorry for the tone of this post. Think I’ll go get drunk.

I’m getting a little worried about the future here in Barretto. Two of my favorite restaurants have closed, and I miss them both. Last evening we dined at Mango’s, and our waiter said we were his first customers. I started off at Alley Hideout, and despite it being darts night, I was the only one there until just a couple of minutes before the tourney, when three players arrived. After dinner, we dropped into Gold Bar, and no one else was there. Then we went to Queen Victoria for our nightcap, and you guessed it, the place was empty. Granted, it was still early, but I’ve never seen such a dead Friday night, especially when the weather was good. Hopefully, this too shall pass, but I expect there is going to be a shakeout coming.

We did enjoy a very nice Friday morning hike.

Swan had a family gathering at the compound in Subic to attend to, so at beer o’clock I made my way to Alley Hideout on my own. As I mentioned, it was strange being the only customer there for most of my visit. Swan messaged that she’d meet me at Mango’s for dinner, so I paid my tab and headed across the highway.

After dinner, we had the Gold Bar to ourselves. But the music was good, and Swan enjoyed a chat with our otherwise unoccupied waitress.

And then the clock struck 8, so we headed for home.

From Facebook memories:

Still plowing through the July 2020 LTG archives, and I share finding out some truths about the lies Mary had been telling me. Well, when one door closes, another door opens. Until it gets slammed in your face. Stay tuned for what comes next.

Today’s YouTube video discusses the three mistakes expats make that leave them broke. I’ve not made any of them, at least not in a big way, but I’ve still managed to burn through a hefty chunk of the savings I started with going on nine years ago now. I have a very comfortable monthly income that is as secure as the US government (oh shit!), and I do still have a savings cushion (and a credit card) should I encounter an emergency.

There’s no stopping me now!

Yep, I’ve done it again. Let’s see how long I can keep it going.

These days, I just mostly go with the flow. I’m living a life I never imagined would turn out like this one did, and making the best of it. Maybe it was fate or just blind luck, but I have a wonderful woman at my side to share the adventure. Here is how we spent our day yesterday:

We took a long-ass Jeepney ride out to the far side of Castillejos to kick off our Wednesday hike. Scott said the last time we’d done that trail was over two years ago. That’s long enough that most of the scenery seemed new to me. During the hike, I lost all sense of direction and kept arguing we were going the wrong way. Luckily, Scott and Gary overrode my protests, and sure enough, they were correct. In fact, once we got back to the highway, I was prepared to catch a Jeepney going in the opposite direction of Barretto. Damn, I’m getting pathetic in my dotage.

We kicked off the evening hours with a trip to the beauty salon for a foot spa. I got a much-needed haircut as well. My barber was a bakla (transgender), and I’m fine with that. When the job was done, I said, “thank you, sir.” He/she didn’t seem offended by my faux pas. Honestly, I can’t help but call them as I see them, but I mean no disrespect.

With our feet now in good order, we headed up the highway to Cheap Charlies to commence with the alcohol consumption part of the day. The place was busier than I’ve seen in a while, and the Aussie owner was back in town for the first time in a long time.

I had chosen Cheap Charlies thinking we might order ourselves some dinner from the downstairs restaurant, Foodies. Turns out, neither of us was hungry during our visit. Maybe the Ozempic is working again.

We crossed the highway and made Wet Spot our nightcap destination.

We ordered a roast beef dip sandwich from Sit-n-Bull for takeout and shared it 50-50 when we got home.

The day ended on a high note:

A sad Facebook memory today:

Still plowing through the July 2020 LTG archives. It was quite a month, women-wise. This is the story of how things ended once and for all with Jessa. And here’s how I met Mary three days later. Man oh man, what a mess I was back then.

Today’s YouTube video talks about the reasons us menfolk go crazy about Filipinas. They are pretty damn special, that’s for sure. And once you meet the right one, you are set for life. It only took me 6 years to find Swan.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for (or not):

And there you have it. At least until tomorrow.

Even less than usual to report today, but that’s Tuesday for you. Let’s get it over with and move on with today, shall we?

Only thing of interest during grocery shopping was coming across this guy:

The weekly visit to Dr. Jo for my Ozempic injection was a tad disappointing. No weight loss for two straight weeks now. I’m scheduled for an increased dose (and higher price) next week. Hopefully, that will get me moving in the right direction again.

My pal Chris returned from several months in the USA, where he had his knee replaced. It was also his birthday yesterday, so we had a combined welcome home and b-day celebration in his honor at IDM last evening.

I stayed at IDM until I’d had my fill, then it was onward to home. And that’s all there was to it.

Still moving through the July 2020 LTG archives, and I once again discovered that nothing goes as planned. I can’t call what happened a scam, but it still left me feeling disappointed. And the epilogue to the story is that she wound up pregnant a few months later, so the intended use of the laptop for school didn’t come to fruition. Well, these days I’ve gotten quite a bit wiser with my charity decisions.

Today’s YouTube video shares what a hundred bucks a month will rent you in Manila. So, all you people who say you can live here for $1000 monthly, enjoy the life of the locals.

Yep, here I go with this shit again:

And as an added bonus, Facebook offered to turn that image above into a comic strip. Sure, why not?

And on that note, we’ll call it a done deal for today.

Okay, if you’ve been waiting for the 7-Eleven Hash Run lowdown, you’ve come to the right place. We do this special Hash twice a year, on July 11 and again on November 7. Don’t ask me why that is. These Hashes are a worldwide phenomenon and involve trails linking those aptly named stores. Oh, and the 7-Eleven Hashers are supposed to have an alcoholic beverage at each stop along the way. I opt not to do so, however. I enjoy hiking, and I enjoy beer drinking, but not at the same time. Several in our group of twenty did play by the rules and had a cold one at all the stores. To their credit, they were still standing when we finished.

And that’s where we finished the journey.

We popped into Red Bar for some more after-hike refreshments, then crossed the highway to It Doesn’t Matter.

And another 7-Eleven Hash tradition is to name the Wisest Wizard from the day’s outing.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, after IDM, I joined the gals at a karaoke bar and made peace with Swan there.

So, until November, when we shall reconvene the 7-Eleven Hash for yet another run.

Now, to get back on track, let me do a quick recap of my Sunday. Starting with a sloppy Decay Dance. It never rained during the actual walk, but the repercussions of the rainy season were in full bloom.

And then this happened. In all the years I’ve been walking this route, I’ve never seen it like this:

Then it was on to Jumpin’ Jacks.

For whatever reason, I had the urge to do some country swing dancing. So, I asked the DJ to play a suitable country song, “Cotton Eye Joe.” We were the only customers, so there was nobody to offend with my music choice. Swan started getting dizzy about halfway through the song, so I finished the dance on my own.

Yep, it was time to head for home, and that’s just what we did.

Back to the July 2020 LTG archives, where I write about being generously ignorant. That was two years into my Philippines life, and these days I’m somewhat better with my giving IQ. I went through a stage where, when someone asked for money (almost always bargirls), I asked them to give me something in return. Most of them were happy to do so, but it still felt hollow and transactional. Nowadays I have projects that I hope have a positive long-term impact, and the satisfaction I get from helping those truly in need is all I desire.

Today’s YouTube video asks whether you should give your Filipina an allowance. That was always my plan, and that’s what I do. If someone in Swan’s family needs assistance, they can go directly to her, and she can decide if it is a worthy request. I’m also helping Swan build a residence for her on the family compound. I’m pretty sure I’ll be dying before she does, and at least when I’m gone, she’ll have a roof over her head.

Maybe these will please you:

And there you have it. Life goes on, and I’m gonna keep livin’ it and lovin’ it as long as I can. I’ve got a rainy day Hash to attend to, but I’ve decided I’ll be staying on the pavement today. Better safe than sorry and all that.