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.

As days go, yesterday was a pretty good one. Nothing really special about it, but I enjoyed being around to participate in my usual routines. Started things off we a boring 6K Solo Sunday Street Stroll through Barretto. Come along and I’ll show you just how boring it was:

I brought home a delicious club sandwich to share with Swan for brunch.

Swan went out with some friends, and we agreed to meet up at the Arizona floating later in the afternoon. In the meantime, I took care of the Hideaway feeding.

I had more beer than usual, mainly because three were free, and I was repaying the generosity with lady drinks, so I guess it was a win-win for all involved. When it was time to meet Swan, I took the back alley to the beach, maybe a hundred yards away.

When the time came to depart, Swan’s friends headed home, and we walked to Wet Spot for our nightcap. Sat at owner Daddy Dave’s table and had a nice chat. A couple of beers later, it was time to squeeze into the trike for the ride home. And yes, there was no dessert.

Turned on the next to last episode of “Shameless” but passed out fell asleep on the couch before it was over. I’ll have to rewind and see what I missed, then complete my journey later tonight.

I am hopeful that today’s Hash doesn’t leave me breathless, but I’m going to do my best to tackle the trail. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What did your mother or father say to you when you were young that you remembered your whole life?

A: I distinctly remember my father saying in response to a question beginning with “if”…If your aunt had balls she’d be your uncle.” I guess he was ahead of his time.

Today’s offerings of humor:

Wish me luck.

Not the best of days yesterday. As I mentioned, I had to bail on the Friday group hike when I experienced some breathing issues early on. Before I even got back home I regretted wimping out. I let those voices in my head saying cowardly shit convince me that prudence was dictated. Looking back, if I had forced myself to press on, I likely would have been fine once the relatively easy climb was completed. Sometimes you just have to push yourself a little harder when the going gets rough. And honestly, in the worst-case scenario, I’d rather die doing what I enjoy than to succumb to laziness at home.

I honestly believe my best option in the future will be to walk through bouts like the one I had yesterday. How does that saying go? “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Or maybe, “live and learn.” One of those.

I’m moving forward with trying to maintain a healthier diet. Yesterday, I consumed some bacon and sausage for breakfast, some celery sticks for lunch, a hamburger patty for dinner, and one chicken finger at the SOB. Several San Mig Zeros were my only indulgence. Yes, I missed my post-drinking sweets while watching “Shameless,” but I resisted the urge. (It helped that I gave away the cartons of ice cream in the freezer to my basement dwellers)

When beer o’clock rolled around, I debated whether I should just stay home, but in the end, Friday night and the SOB overcame my resistance. Queen Victoria was the venue, and it had been several months since my last visit to this particular bar. I was the first to arrive and got a comfortable seat with a nice view. Swan joined me a little later, and we enjoyed the show together.

When the show was over at eight, Swan asked where I wanted to go next and I responded, “home.” And that’s just what we did. A little TV and then a good night’s sleep.

We did a 7K candy walk this morning that went well, although I was pretty tired when we finished. I’m just going to keep plugging away for as long as I can.

Today’s Quora Q&A features a weirdly worded question that for some reason I chose to answer anyway.

Q: How is Hoover’s Dam people? Do “the AMERICANS” out there truly appreciate the greatness of a “Hoover Dam?” And why did they name a dam after a Dead President? They never talked about a Dam during school hours. Even at a Private Catholic Elite School.

A: It was originally named Boulder Dam. It was renamed to honor Hoover who was instrumental in using federal resources for the dam’s construction. It is an amazing piece of work.

A ballsy funny:

Alright, let’s see what Saturday night holds in store. Back tomorrow to let you know.

Yesterday was a stay-at-home day. Well, Swan joined me for a 6K walk on the streets of Matain and Calapacuan, where she sweetened the day of the kids we encountered.

Back home to do my usual chores passions like blogging, and then settled into the comfort of not having (or wanting) to go out. Netflix loaded on my TV for a change, and I am now progressing into the final season of “Shameless.” Beer o’clock rolled around, and upstairs I did go.

I am working on it. Swan and my helper Teri are removing temptations (they took my ice cream supply downstairs), and I’m doing my best to avoid those foods that brought me to this sad condition. The bad news is I’m not feeling well, which may or may not be related to my obesity. I had to abort my participation in the group hike this morning because I had a breathing attack during the first easy climb. I don’t know what to make of that. If I can’t walk, I’m screwed, and for now, efforts like HIIT (high-intensity interval training) are beyond my capability. I’m going to do my best and see what happens.

So, a quiet but nice night at home. And up with the morning sun to make the best of a new day.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What did you do in your first month of retirement after working for over 30 years?

A: After leaving my office for the last time, I went straight to the airport and caught a plane to the Philippines. I spent my first month of retirement settling in to my new lifestyle. Found an apartment to rent short time while I looked for a house, joined the dart league, took up hiking and hashing, and making new friends. Over four years later, I’m still going strong and enjoying my new life of freedom from work.

Humor me this:

And that’s all I’ve got for today.

The brownout party at the Rite Spot On The Roof turned out to be a lot of fun. It was also a bit of a marathon for a lightweight like me, with the first guests arriving just before noon and the last departure around 9 p.m. During the course of the event, we downed over fifty(!) beers, and the lady folk enjoyed several bottles of wine. There were lots of compliments on the chili and corn muffins, and we didn’t have many leftovers from the other food offerings. I think at the peak, we had fifteen or so in attendance, which was a better turnout than I expected. Ironically, we had ANOTHER brownout late in the afternoon, although this one only lasted thirty minutes. The neighbor said it was scheduled, but I hadn’t heard about it. Anyway, the attendees all said they had a good time, and that’s what a party is for, so I’m calling it a success!

I have to conclude that the visit wasn’t about me, and I never got a clear understanding of what was going on with Gem’s situation. She said she has an Israeli significant other, but he is currently visiting Thailand. So, maybe she’s just trying to fill in space until he returns. Anyway, it is nice to be remembered after five years, and I hope things work out well for her.

The shade provided by the roof was inadequate, and throughout the afternoon, we were rearranging tables and chairs to try and capture what shade we could find.

The best damn party I’ve attended all year, if I do say so myself. Good times!

And now, it is Hash Monday, but after a careful assessment, I’ve decided not to participate today. Vienna Sausage (Guenter) is the Hare, and his trails don’t suit my survival instincts. Strike one. The trail begins at Court 4, near the end of Rizal Extension, which makes it very inconvenient for me to reach (it’s all uphill, and some trikes have difficulty getting there). Strike 2. The On-Home is at a Hasher’s house (Always Wet) and is also at the end of Rizal Extension. That makes getting back home, especially after drinking and in the dark, problematic. Strike 3. Yeah, maybe I’m a wuss, but I don’t expect I’d have a good time, so what’s the point?

I’m not sure what I’m going to do in lieu of the Hash. Fact is, I’m concerned about some lung issues I’m experiencing. Even on the morning dog walk today, I was huffing and puffing. I’ll see Dr. Jo tomorrow, but I may go back to the pulmonary specialist for some advice on minimizing my breathing difficulties.

Today’s Quora Q&A (someone’s question, my answer):

Q: Do people regret moving from their original home country and living abroad permanently or do they feel it was a good decision? If so, what makes them feel that way?

A: I’ve been living in the Philippines for over five years now. No regrets whatsoever. Every time I read the news from back home in the USA I am so thankful to be far away from the nightmare my country of birth has become. Of course, the Philippines is far from perfect, but I’ll take the ups and downs that come with living here over the vanilla American lifestyle any day.

Now for the funny business:

Alright, that’s all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Which version of this song is best?

While I like them both, I’ve got to go with the upbeat sound of the original by The Drifters.

More or less. Yesterday’s brownout ran a bit longer than scheduled, with power being restored at 6:20 rather than the promised 6 p.m. Early this morning, while I was doing my usual internet browsing, the lights went out again. In typical unscheduled brownout fashion, things were back up and running within thirty minutes or so. Until the next one.

There is an all-day scheduled brownout in Barretto today (I’m on the Subic grid, so it doesn’t impact me), and in a show of sympathy and brotherhood to my comrades in the Barrio, I’m hosting a rooftop party this afternoon featuring cold beer and a variety of food offerings.

So, I filled the brownout hours by taking care of some business and then heading out of town to Pundaquit in San Antonio. The business part was picking up my blood work results, then hitting Royal for more beer, some snacks, and another table for the rooftop.

After dropping off my purchases at home, I had my driver take us to Baloy Beach to meet up with Gem and her five companions. I had assumed it was all females in her group, but it turns out three of them were guys. Younger guys, so I hesitate to call them couples. Anyway, my driver said we could squeeze all six in his vehicle, but Gem and her friends opted to take their own vehicle and follow us. Sounded good to me.

I’m not sure who was driving Gem’s car, but I was impressed with his ability to keep up with my crazy driver, Danny. Danny seemed to be as well, saying he must be from Manila (where crazy driving is mandatory). My first stop in Pundaquit (a 45-minute drive) was the Car Wash bar and restaurant, my favorite venue there. It was lunchtime, and I was hungry and, of course, thirsty.

Gem has been living in Israel and said it had been scary times since the latest outbreak of war, with her city being subject to frequent rocket attacks. I can’t imagine that nightmare. I dropped some hints about the purpose of her visit, but she didn’t have much of anything to say in that regard. The money issue didn’t come up directly, but she did pay for our lunch, so there’s that.

I asked Gem what they wanted to do after lunch, and she said her friends wanted to go swimming. I assumed that meant on the nice ocean beach in Pundaquit, but no, they wanted to return to their hotel and swim in Subic Bay. Well, I still had hours of brownout ahead of me, and Gem assured me they could find their way back without us, so we said our goodbyes. Her crew is supposed to join the rooftop party this afternoon. We shall see.

Swan’s sister and her family had also escaped the brownout by visiting Pundaquit, so we stopped in at Monty’s Resort to pay them a visit.

Being home with no power sucks. Without fans, it is uncomfortably hot. I tried to nap a bit on the couch where I could catch a breeze through the window, but I didn’t achieve forty winks. So, I headed up to the roof to wait things out.

I finished my beer, went downstairs, turned on the fan and the TV, and enjoyed a few more episodes of “Shameless.” I had a good night’s sleep, then up this morning to start the party prep.

And yes, I’ve got them on ice now. When it comes to beer, I’m not worried about leftovers. I spend a lot more time at home these days!

Tomorrow I’ll tell you how it went.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is the difference between a restroom and a bathroom? What do they call it in other English speaking countries, if anything at all?

A: In the Philippines, they are called a CR—comfort room.

And for your amusement:

And for my French speaking friend:

Alright, I got to get ready to party!

I’m in the dark this morning and operating on battery power, so I’m going to knock out this post as quick as I can, while I can.

Yesterday Swan joined me on an end-to-end hike of the My Bitch trail. It’s been quite some time since I’ve done the entire length. To make it a tad more interesting (for me), I did the photo every 1000 steps routine. Here’s how it came out:

My visitor from Manila was running late, and since she’s staying on Baloy, I figured we could meet up there, and I’d wait at McCoy’s for her arrival. Swan and I headed out at beer o’clock.

That’s the manager on her phone. The big news is that the barangay has disallowed McCoy’s from having videoke. Now, that made me selfishly happy, but I could see how upset she was. McCoy’s is primarily a Filipino hangout, and videoke is a big part of their business. I suggested they try the norebang (private singing rooms) style like they do in Korea. She said they might look into that.

My friend messaged that they were still in Manila (there was some issue with their driver), and I said I’d see her tomorrow then. I guess we’ll meet up later this morning.

I wasn’t drunk last night, but I had enough beers where this seemed like a good idea to bring home for dinner:

So, we’ll see what the day without power brings. Lights are back on at six, and I plan on killing some of that time in San Antonio. Full report tomorrow.

Today’s Quora Q&A entry:

Q: Can you share any humorous moments that have occurred during a meeting at your workplace?

A: My boss, Sherrie, was holding a meeting with her senior staff members in the conference room. After an hour or so, she said she needed a cigarette break. One of the staffers jokingly said, “Gee, Sherrie, do you smoke after sex, too?” Without hesitation, Sherrie responded, “I don’t know. I’ve never looked.”

The Star Trek meme:

Yesterday was a different kind of nothing. It began with a morning fast and then a trip to the clinic in Olongapo to have my blood work done. They require at least an eight-hour fast, but more than ten is a disqualifying “over fast.” I split the difference and did nine. Once the blood was drawn, I was free to eat once again, so we visited the Xtreme Xpresso Cafe on SBMA.

On the way back home we stopped at DiviMart where I purchased these:

I’m planning a rooftop gathering for Sunday afternoon and wanted to be sure I’d have adequate seating for everyone.

Back at the house, I was feeling lethargic and lightheaded all day. I don’t think they took that much blood, so it must have just been one of those days. I blogged and napped, but I just didn’t feel like going out when beer o’clock arrived. That meant sacrificing the last day of validity on my “buy one, get one” coupon at Alaska Club, but some things just can’t be helped.

I settled in to watch Mother Nature’s show with a cooler full of cold beers, a comfortable seat in my rocking chair, and a personally tailored playlist of songs from Spotify.

I placed my order for dinner, and it arrived in due course.

I enjoyed another beer by lamplight, then headed back downstairs for my daily dose of “Shameless.” I’m into Season 10 now, and it is still holding my interest, which says a lot. There is one more season to go after this one.

A good night’s sleep, and I woke up feeling somewhat better this morning. Still, I bailed on the Friday group hike and took a walk with Swan instead. I’ll post about that tomorrow.

Someone posted the virtues of hiking on Facebook this morning and I stole it to share with my faithful readers here:

Today’s Quora Q&A (these are questions I’ve answered over the years):

Q: How do I find out what my purpose is in my life?

A: Well, I’m not a religious man, but the other day, I was feeling depressed. So, I got down on my knees and prayed to God, asking, “Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?” Again, I’m not a true believer; I’m just getting it off my chest. I certainly wasn’t expecting an answer. And then, I heard God’s voice. He said, “John, what is your purpose in life? You are my gift to women!” At least, that’s how I remember it.

It has over a hundred views and not one upvote. Go figure.

And Kevin, this one’s for you:

And then there is this:

One more for the road:

I’m not exactly sure what’s on tap for tonight. I’m supposed to meet up with an old “friend” I haven’t heard from in five years. I have no idea why she wanted to see me again, but she traveled to Olongapo from Manila to do so, so I’m curious enough to find out. And don’t worry, she knows I have a girlfriend, and I’m bringing Swan along. I’ll let y’all know how that goes.

Oh, and we have a scheduled all-day (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.) brownout (no power) tomorrow. I’m having my driver take us to Pundaquit to fill some of those hours. I’m not sure when or how I’ll blog, but I’ll do my best to post some form of update. Till then.

Today’s song is even older than me. Not sure why it came to mind.

Apparently, I can’t get enough of a hard thing. With Monday’s torturous Hash trail still fresh in mind, the Wednesday Walkers said, “Hold my beer,” and attacked the Kalaklan Ridge from the Olongapo City side of the mountain. As I’ve frequently said, there’s no easy way up, but the route we took this time was among my least favorites. Still, the beauty we witnessed during the all-to-brief time up top made it almost worth it. Almost. And then, once again, our downward trek on the Barretto side of the ridge proved to me much more challenging than anticipated. The consensus of the group was that we would never go down that way again.

At the conclusion of our journey, Swan, Geraldine, and I popped into Sit-n-Bull for some lunch to bring home.

Facebook memories reminded me that 8 years ago I threw the best dart game of my career.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is a small, everyday decision you made that unexpectedly changed your life for the better?

My answer to this question was sharing a blog post I wrote back in 2010 called “The Road Not Taken.”

On to the fun stuff:

Alrighty, then. Time to get on with the rest of my lazy day. Back tomorrow with more of the usual BS from my so-called life.

Tuesday is gone and I’m still here. I’ll call that a win!

After grocery shopping, I had the driver drop me at Dr. Jo’s clinic. It was time for my second round of treatment for the sciatica nerve repair in my back. This involves drawing some blood, harvesting the stem cells, and then injecting those cells into my back to facilitate healing. I lost count of the painful jabs involved, but I believe it was around fifteen or so. Then I got a shot of testosterone in my ass for good measure.

She also referred me for blood work to see how things are faring inside my tired old body. I’m going to try to do that tomorrow.

Home from the doctor for a nap and blogging. Then I saw a Facebook post on one of the Barretto forums from a guy who has been in country for a couple of months and has experienced multiple problems, including a motorbike accident and some financial issues. His post was about settling down in Barretto and the place he had found to rent on Baloy Beach. I sent him a sympathy and welcome message and invited him out to the floating bar to join me for a beer. He messaged back and said he didn’t have a beer budget, so I offered to buy him a couple. He didn’t respond right away, and I wondered if I’d creeped him out and gave off an unintended gay vibe with my invite.

Swan finished her tutoring gig at four; then, we made our way out to Baloy for some afternoon fun on the floating bar.

Swan and I weren’t done yet. We stopped into DaKudo’s for some dinner, sat at the bar, and were served by my old friend Jessa. And then I got a message from that guy I don’t know telling me he was on his way to the floating bar. I responded that we’d already left and were now at DaKudos. I thought that was the end of it, but he messaged, “See you there.” Alrighty then.

So, he arrives in a trike escorted by a young Filipino, who I assume is his helper. He didn’t have change for the trike, so I provided some. He didn’t order a beer; he ordered a Coke instead—his choice. We chatted a bit, and I learned he was not yet living on Baloy–the rental he mentioned on Facebook doesn’t begin for a couple of weeks. He told me of some of the places he visited and mentioned his accident and the medical issues that resulted. He was born and raised in Michigan, and I asked him if he liked Kid Rock. He said he didn’t, and my sense was he didn’t like Kid Rock’s political (right-wing) viewpoints. Then I asked him if he hoped to meet a woman here, and he told me, “Actually, I’m looking for a guy.” Ah, that explains his disappointment when he saw me with Swan. He DID think my invite was for something I hadn’t intended to convey. Sorry about that! I’ve actually never met a gay foreigner here looking for a relationship. He finished his Coke and left with his young man.

Swan had her carbonara, which she didn’t like. I enjoyed my chef’s salad. I bought Jessa another lady drink, and then we headed home. A strange but nice night out.

Today’s Quora Q and A:

Q: What has motivated your interest in China and how does your interest in China relate to human resource management?

I think I got this question because there are a lot of Chinese propaganda accounts on Quora. I consistently downvote their bullshit posts. I guess someone wanted to know why. So I told them.

A: It doesn’t. China is an evil empire that will likely cause the outbreak of another World War. My interest is in seeing them stopped before that happens.

Ready to lighten things up? Here you go:

Okay, another grueling hike this morning I’ll tell and show you about tomorrow. Peace out!

The blessings of another day are upon me. Notwithstanding the seeming sameness of it all, I’m still enjoying the ride. Yesterday featured a Sunday sweetness stroll with Swan dispensing candies and bringing smiles to the faces of the children we encountered during the walk. In the afternoon, I fed the girls at Hideaway, then headed out to the Arizona Resort floating bar, and Swan joined me there. Back home and “Shameless,” then a good night’s sleep. Here’s how things looked along the way:

There was some leakage from a hose on my bedroom toilet. I sent my helper to the hardware store for a replacement.

Later, I was off to Hideaway. Joy is playing on the pool league team now, and they won yesterday. Only five gals working yesterday, which is concerning. It makes it cheaper to feed them, at least. Joy has been promoted and begins working behind the bar instead of as a waitress. The pay is much higher–six bucks a shift versus four. Yeah, you read that right. That way all over town, which is why I don’t mind throwing a lady drink commission their way now and again.

Hideaway is next door to the Arizona Resort, and I take the back alley to the beach.

It’s Hash Monday, so that’s next up for me. I’ve been feeling weaker than usual, and I hope I don’t bite off more than I can chew today. Only one way to find out. Stay tuned.

Today’s Facebook memory:

Alright, back tomorrow. Hopefully.

I can’t say this group is the best ever, but Abbott and Costello always played them first.

The Friday group ventured out to Philseco on the far side of Subic and walked the back way to Castillejos. We hadn’t made this trip since April last year, so it all felt pretty fresh. And then we took a different route up into the hills and came down quite a bit further out of town than usual. That long walk back to Castillejos after a climb was an ass-kicker for me. We finished at almost 10K, which is tough for me even on flat ground.

After lunch (the chicken wings were good), I caught an aircon bus back to Barretto. I took a much-needed nap, blogged, and then got ready for my Friday night at the SOB dance competition. Swan joined me there. When the show was done, we headed home and engaged in our “Shameless” ritual before hitting the hay.

And so ended another day in the life. Tonight, I’ll be going on a double dinner date on SBMA. So, you can look forward to something a little different in tomorrow’s post.