Here is today’s installment about yesterday in the continuing saga of my so-called life. Don’t let the title fool you, this post will not be of Biblical proportions. Hell, even heavenly is out of reach. Yep, just more of the same I’m afraid.

The day started with a walk and ended with some beers. Let’s do the beers first. As I’m walking into town I remained undecided about where to plop my sorry ass to quench my thirst. Then I spotted “mama”, the homeless woman I help, at the 7/11 across the highway. So, I did my best “frogger” imitation and made it safely to the other side. After providing mama her daily food money, I continued into town. On this side of the highway the first bar I came to was Outback. I shrugged and thought “why not?” and went on inside.

It’s a nice bar that I rarely frequent. It was one of the “speakeasy” places I’d visit during the lockdown, at least until I got unjustly banned. The same manager was there and greeted me warmly in a let bygones be bygones kinda way. I sat at the bar so I could chat with the bartender Bhey, who is also a Facebook friend.

After bringing me my beer, Bhey said matter-of-factly, “I’m ugly.” I thought she was kidding, but she was dead serious. So, I bought her a drink with the caveat that I don’t buy ugly girls drinks. She accepted the drink, so my point was proven. I bought her a second drink before I left as well. During our chat I was really surprised to learn that Bhey is 45 years old!

She has three kids, the oldest is a 21 year-old daughter. Bhey crushed my dreams by quickly adding the daughter is pregnant. Oh well.

The next stop was just a couple of blocks up the highway at the Palm Tree Resort hotel. They were rather busy, but I found a comfortable spot on the back deck to enjoy some beer with the bay views.

I was ready for some dinner so I ordered up the pork chops I’d been craving since being denied at Mango’s on Saturday.

So, I ate and drank and watched the sun go down.

And that’s how the day ended. It began with my solitary Sunday walk, but there was a little twist this week. In one of our chats, Joy was lamenting about her lack of cable television. She told me of a provider who was offering an amazing deal, but alas, she didn’t have enough money to take advantage. Yeah, hints don’t get much bigger than that, do they? Being the white knight (well, brown these days) that I am, I offered to cover her shortfall of 1000 pesos ($20.). But how to get it to her? Well, I could wire it via Western Union, but paying five bucks to send twenty seems ridiculous. So, I told Joy I would take a Jeepney to Subic town, and then I’d walk back to Barretto, around 8K or so. She met me in front of Waltermart as agreed and brought her three-year-old son along. Good thing I had some cookies in my backpack!

After handing over the cash and saying our goodbyes, I began my hike back home.

It was a good hike despite the oppressive heat. Can’t wait to start complaining about the rain again.

My friend in Cambodia sent me this photograph and asked me what I thought. All I could say is, “if the shoe fits, wear it!”

Alright, it’s Hash Monday and I’ve got to run, well, walk, I mean. Speaking of meaning, my Hash name, Cum Together, is not accurately depicted in this cartoon.

Until next time then.

Another Saturday night is behind me. This one turned out to be a little sweeter than most.

I began the night’s journey at Cheap Charlies. I usually sit on the side overlooking the highway but because of the angle of the sun it was too hot to do so. I’m not sure if this turn of events changed my outlook, but it did change my view.

While enjoying that sweet view from my stool, I told the bargirl next to me of my dream to build a resort/condominium complex on top of the ridge. And about the cable car system I’d construct to transport visitors and residents up from Barretto. She looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe so, but it is a sweet dream.

After a few beers, my hungry insisted it was time to eat. I had a hankering for some of those Mango’s pork chops, so off I went.

Then the waiter returned and advised that the pork chops were not available–sold out. Damn it! I ordered another beer and contemplated what to do next. I then got a text message from Ron, the owner of Sit-n-Bull, advising me that the cake I had ordered had just arrived from Angeles. Sweet! Well, there you go, problem solved. Finished my beer and moseyed over to SnB. I was still hungry, so I ordered a large pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw for takeout. Of course, I had another beer while I waited on my food.

Got back home and dived right in.

But what about the cake? Well, Ron has opened a Sit-n-Bull restaurant in Angeles. He recently posted about finding a nearby bake shop that specialized in cakes. He started serving slices in his new place and I asked if he was going to bring some to Barretto too. Yep, that was the plan. So the cake I’ve been craving and haven’t been able to find anywhere is a good ol’ fashioned carrot cake. I ordered one a couple of days ago and now I’d be enjoying a sweet dessert tonight.

Speaking of sweets, I came home to find this container of cookies on the countertop:

As sweet as the evening was, it did end on a sour note. That tooth I’d had looked at last year broke in half while I was picking at the carrot cake remnants stuck in the hole where the filling had fallen out months ago. The dentist had wanted to pull the tooth during my visit because it was “fractured.” I didn’t want to go around with a hole in my head, so I figured I’d find a better-equipped dentist to do a crown. The filling was just a stopgap measure and I never followed up on the permanent fix. And now it is too late–I’m going to lose a tooth. I just hope it isn’t my sweet tooth!

Facebook shared a memory of the picture I had posted of myself back when I was 21. When I added it to my timeline the Filipinas all said in the comments that I used to be “pogi” (good looking). I responded, “Used to be? I have a lot more money now than I had back then!” Then the gals admitted that I was indeed very “gwapo” (handsome) now.

Well, that’s it from here for now. Thanks for dropping in, it was sweet of you!

Made my weekly venture out to Baloy Beach to get a change of scenery. I guess I achieved that, just not in the way I had intended. The Kokomo’s floating bar was closed! I walked the twenty yards or so over to the Kokomo hotel and saw a maintenance guy rolling up some kind of cable. I asked about the floater and he told me “electrical problem.” I tried to ask if it was going to be fixed anytime soon and he shook his head no. Not sure he understood what I meant though. The rainy season is on the horizon and that means the wind-whipped bay waters will not be accommodating to an anchored bar Last time I visited the girls told me they would probably close the first week in June. Hope I get a chance to say goodbye, but I fear my floating excursions are done for the year.

Just a bit further up the beach is a place called Laharnyz. I’d never been there but had seen it on my walks. A couple of folks said it was a good place for a beer and the only bar technically “on the beach.” So, I stopped in. Well, there technically is no “in”–it’s all outdoors. So, you grab your beer at the bar and proceed to the picnic table seating area. There were tarps for some shade, but the benches were rickety and covered in sand. I wasn’t impressed. But I had come for the view and this is what I saw:

Laharnyz wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe if I was with friends the vibe would have been better, I don’t know. So, I moved on over to Johan’s. The manager greeted me by name, which is always nice, and told me there was a big pool tournament next door at Da’ Kudos. Well, I’m not a pool player. I took a seat at the end of the bar, drank some beers, and watched life go by on the street outside. Baloy has its own expat community and a more laid-back vibe than Barretto. I rather like it and could probably adapt to the lifestyle without much issue. Better if you live there though because the to and from is a pain in the ass, especially during the rainy season when the streets tend to flood.

When the hunger pangs chimed I moved up the road to Treasure Island for dinner. This was a bit of a stroll down memory lane. When I first arrived in the Philippines three years ago, I stayed at Treasure Island for a couple of weeks. If I only knew then what I know today. Hell, who am I kidding? I no doubt would have made the same mistakes anyway. That’s what happens when you think with the wrong head.

Anyway, tonight marks one week in my self-imposed exile from Alley Cats. It occurs to me that I haven’t heard from one person at that bar–staff or customer–inquiring as to my whereabouts and well-being. No big deal, just a reminder that being a “regular” is different than being a “friend.” I’ll probably start my evening visiting my new old “friends” at Dive In.

Speaking of friends (the real kind), keep frequent commenter Kevin Kim in your thoughts as he deals with some medical issues.

That’s about all from here for today. I did see that the CDC has recognized reality and modified its guidance on wearing masks outdoors. I’ve been saying that since this time last year. I’m no scientist, but I have enough common sense to know what is best for me–especially when the virus has such a miniscule kill rate–vaccinated or not.

They have begun vaccinating foreigners in these parts, which I thought was kind of surprising. I asked which vaccine and it’s that AstraZeneca one from the UK. I understand that Filipinos are very reluctant to submit to the vaccination program. Turns out, they vaccinated kids against dengue fever a couple of years ago and it wound killing a lot of them.

Anyway, I’m libertarian when it comes to vaccination. Get it if you want, take your chances if you don’t. I mean, if I’m vaccinated and you are not, you can’t hurt me, right? Oh, and here’s the latest outrage: the provincial government is still running that stupid checkpoint between Barretto and Subic. It’s always been pointless and causes massive traffic backups. But now, it is even more ridiculous. If I’m coming from Barretto to Subic and I don’t have a Subic address, I can be turned around. If I live in Subic, I can go to Olongapo and return to Subic without issue. How does the virus know not to infect visitors from Subic? Damned if I know.

I’m more afraid of catching the stupid than Corona.

I’ve decided to take a break from the darting scene for a while. No issue with the game, I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’ve thrown lately. It’s more of a people issue, and of course, I’m one of those people. I’d been spending three and sometimes four nights a week at Alley Cats. It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. In this case, it isn’t really contempt, rather more of a “what am I doing here?” feeling. There was one issue with one staff member, and another kind of issue altogether with someone else No big deal in either case, it just seemed to be a signal that it was time for a change of scenery.

The Facebook memories feature brought back a gem I had first posted nine years ago. Actually, it was this post of Kevin Kim’s from April 2005. I believe that was right around the time I discovered his blog and this remains one of my all-time favorites from this gifted writer. I hope you’ll indulge me if I post the full text here (that’s what I originally did on FB):

I was sitting under a tree, feeling glum.

The tree asked, “What’s up?”

I said, “You know, I’ve done things I’m proud of, and things I’m not proud of.”

The tree said, “It sounds to me like you’ve got something specific in mind.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Just some things I’ve said and done recently which are bothering me.”

“I’m only a tree,” the tree said, “but I’ve been sitting in this spot for centuries, collecting wisdom from all over. Tell me what’s on your mind and maybe I can offer some insight.”

“OK,” I said, heaving a sigh. “Let’s say you’ve gotten into a fight with someone.”

“A female someone?” the tree asked slyly.

I smiled. “Yeah, a female someone. And let’s say that… well… you both said things you regret. Things you might have meant, or might not.”

“You’re not sure if you meant what you said?” asked the tree.

“No, I’m not. I really don’t know,” I replied. “I sure as hell meant them the night I said them, but now…”

“Now you think that maybe you had your head up your knothole,” said the tree wisely.

“Yeah, that’s about the size of it. But I’m still angry, see. She said some awful things that night, and it wasn’t just that night, but the night before, too. I think she meant what she’d said.”

“I see. Have you thought about simply forgiving and forgetting? Have you thought about apologizing for what you said?” asked the tree.

“Apologizing? Forgiving? Forgetting?” I asked, incredulous. “Tree, I don’t think I’m there yet. And the last things I said and wrote to her were… well, they pretty much killed any possibility of further dialogue.”

“So it seems. You strike me as something of an arrogant bastard, if you don’t mind my saying so,” said the tree.

I kept silent. The tree seized the opportunity to keep talking:

“Did you ever see that movie, Karate Kid 2?” the tree asked.

“Yeah, I remember it,” I said.

“Remember the beginning of the movie, when Mister Miyagi has the chance to kill that evil karate instructor, but he doesn’t?”

“Yeah. Pretty cool,” I said.

“Daniel-san asks him why he didn’t do it. Do you recall Mister Miyagi’s answer?”

I racked my brains. Then it hit me.

“He said, ‘For man with no forgiveness in heart, living worse punishment than death,'” I quoted. I looked up at the tree. “Are you saying I should forgive her, anyway?”

“You’re pretty good at quoting movie lines, aren’t you. Yeah; try some unilateral forgiveness,” suggested the tree.

I was angry again. “But she doesn’t think she did anything wrong,” I said, staring into the branches above me.

“And you don’t think you did anything wrong, either, do you?” asked the tree.

“I gave her so much, and she kicked me in the damn head,” I snarled.

“The selfsame head that’s stuck up your knothole?” grinned the tree.

I simply glared at the ground. It’s hard to take when a vegetable is dispensing wisdom you don’t want to hear.

The tree pressed its advantage. “Just a little while ago, you expressed regret for things you’ve said and done. At least we know you’re feeling sorry, even if you are still angry.”

“So?” I asked.

“So,” said the tree, “that’s your starting point.”

“I don’t get it,” I said.

“That’s because men are perennially stupid,” sighed the tree.

I looked up. “You’re not a guy? Not some fatherly wisdom figure?”

“Deep wisdom is always female,” laughed the tree.

“Women are fucked in the head,” I said. “They say one thing, they mean another, they don’t make any rational sense.”

“And there’s your problem in a nutshell,” said the tree. “You’re looking for sense. Do you think you can be philosophical about matters of the heart?”

“No,” I admitted. “A man can try, but… ultimately, no.”

“So– back to that starting point we talked about. I don’t know her side of the story, but it sounds to me like you’ve got some regrets. Do me a favor, would you? Try this. Stand up.”

I stood up, somewhat reluctantly.

“The wind is going to blow hard in a second,” said the tree. “When it does, just shout I’m sorry into it.”

I didn’t want to do this.

“Trust me,” the tree said, apparently reading my mind. “It’ll make you feel better.”

A slight breeze caressed my face, then began to build.

“You ready?” asked the tree. I nodded.

The wind picked up, turned harsh. The tree’s leaves rustled and its branches writhed violently. It was like watching some mysterious, inhuman struggle.

“Do it!” boomed the tree.

“I’M SORRY!” I shouted.

“The wind is still blowing! Do it again!” shouted the tree.

“I’M SORRY!” I shouted.

“Come on, keep it up! You’re making progress!” exhorted the tree.

I’m sorry…
I’m sorry…
I’m sorry…

I shouted until I was hoarse. Then I finally slumped down. I felt intensely pained, but strangely relieved. It was a bizarre, paradoxical feeling.

The wind ended.

“Not bad,” said the tree, thoroughly impressed. “Maybe the wind will carry your message to her.”

“Maybe,” I said. What was I hoping for?

“If the message reaches her, what’ll you do?” asked the tree.

I thought for a bit. “I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I really don’t know.”

A soft breeze rustled the tree. I thought I could hear its smile.

“One day at a time,” the tree whispered. “Just take it one day at a time.”

Yep, one day at a time. That’s how I’m trying to live my life.

Speaking of Facebook and their ilk, I enjoyed posting this there today:

So, the time I’m not spending in Alley Cats needs to be spent elsewhere. Last night, that elsewhere began at Dive In. Alright, I had to buy some vape supplies, so I was on that side of town anyway. And yes, I craved the delightful company of Jessa. She didn’t disappoint. She joined me for drinks (that’s her job after all) and we engaged in our usual chat and banter. I was the only customer, so we had total discretion in selecting the music videos. I was in a country music kind of mood and enjoyed introducing the youngsters to the kind of music my dad would play after a hard day at work; namely Marty Robbins and Patsy Cline. I reckon they had to indulge me seeing as how I was buying the drinks. I also went next door and got them a roast chicken to go with their noodle-like meal. Now, that’s what I call a good time!

I popped into It Doesn’t Matter for a couple more beers and lady drinks for Roan, then headed over to The Pub for my Wednesday wings, Korean-style, of course. Yeah, I’m living large, but why shouldn’t I? Turns out, I’m rich!

I’ve mentioned before that sometimes living here in a small town with other old expats feels like being in a retirement community. But one with some special perks and benefits I wouldn’t find back home in the USA. This picture I think captures those differences quite well.

Alright, I promised you some photos from yesterday’s hike and here they are. It was a nice, flat, 8.6 kilometer hike through the Naugsol valley. Thanks to Scott for a lot of these:

That’s my story for Wednesday. My Thursday story will include a trip out to the Baloy Beach neck of the woods. See you tomorrow!

More of the same around here. Not that that is a bad thing, just nothing worthy of blogging about. Yeah, like that’s gonna stop me, right?

Started my anniversary evening at Cheap Charlies. My regular drinking girl was off, but I found a willing substitute. A few beers later I got the urge to eat, so I headed over to Mango’s. Had a roast chicken salad that was quite good. After dinner, I wasn’t quite ready for home, so I popped into Adam’s Sports Bar. I used to know the bartender there, but she wasn’t around. I asked about her and got a look like they didn’t know who I was talking about. I sent her a message later and she told me she left the bar four months ago. I didn’t realize it had been so longs since me last visit. One and done at Adam’s, then I moved on up the street to the newest bar in town–Whisky Girl. First time there for me and probably the last. Just another girly bar, not my thing. Finished my night with a final beer at Outback. Been a long time since I was in there too. Nice ambiance, I’ll visit again.

See, I told you there wasn’t much to say. But wait, I do have this:

This morning, I came across this “story” on the internet: Billy Joel plays “Piano Man” for the first time at the bar he based the song on. I thought it was funny as hell, give it a read if you are so inclined and see if you agree.

Speaking of funny, I got a laugh out of this too:

Did the Wednesday Walkers hike this morning, but I’ll post about that tomorrow.

Let the good times roll!

Today marks the third anniversary of my arrival here in paradise. You regular readers have been along for the ride, but the bottom line is that I have no regrets. Yes, my Philippines life has had its fair share of disappointments, but that has always been the case, no matter where I live. Funny how that happens. More importantly, my little town feels like home especially windows from Maverick Windows. I’m part of a community, I know people and they know me, I have my hobbies, and lots of places to drink where everyone knows my name. It seems to be a good fit.

One thing that never gets old here is the natural beauty that surrounds me. On the dog walk this morning, I was almost in awe as I looked out at the mountains and bay, even after viewing them almost every day for three years. Yeah, I still have my demons to wrestle with now and again, but it is hard to stay depressed for long when there is so much goodness to absorb. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.

How best to celebrate the anniversary of my departure from Korea? Duh, with a nice bowl of sweet bulgogi from my pal John Kim’s restaurant, The Pub.

And me being who I am, and this being where I am, I took advantage of the opportunity to spread a little Joy today. In fact, she joined me for lunch. And then we came back to my place for “dessert”. She just sent me a message to say she has paid her water and electric, and will soon be off to the grocery store to restock her shelves. Glad we could help each other out!

In other news, I finally got a response from my landlord:

Hi John,

Your lease agreement expires at the end of June so you will need to vacate the premises by June 30, 2021.

Upon vacating the premises on time, you will have a total of 3 months advance deposit and advance rent payment. This amount or a portion thereof shall be returned to you within 90 days after you have vacated the premises.

We would like an opportunity to inspect the premises with you at your earliest convenience. Let me know when you can be available for this inspection.

Sincerely,

Jeff Ocampo GP Homes Management

“Or a portion thereof…” Hmm. Well, I really don’t have an issue with my lease going through the end of June. I’ll still take the new place on June 1, and I’ll make a leisurely transition from here to there. I reckon I’ll break the news about the appliances and air con units that will be moving with me during the inspection. If I get any shit, I have receipts. I might also mention that the ceiling fans, hot water heaters, and window shades, are all items I purchased but planned on leaving. Unless they want to get nasty with me. Anyway, perhaps we will have an amicable separation.

Yesterday’s Hash, in which I participated as a Hare, seemed to go well. The trail was only 5K, but it included two moderate climbs. It’s been crazy hot as well, so I was bushed when we finished marking the path. Generally positive reviews from the Hashers, the naysayers complained it was too short, which I heard as “just right”. No one said they got lost or couldn’t follow the intended trail, and that’s always my goal as a Hare. Here are some pictures from the day:

No way to know how many years I have left, so I intend to make the most of each day I’m blessed with living. Thanks for joining me!

Spent a couple of hours out on the Kokomo’s floating bar yesterday. The brown knees there seemed to enjoy the brownies I shared with them. There was a big spender aboard who bought all the girls a drink for Mother’s Day. That made me happy because I didn’t have to! As people came and went, I couldn’t help but notice a large percentage of the guests were Filipinos. You almost never saw that in the past. Things are changing around here as the Subic area becomes a destination for folks fleeing the big city lockdowns. That’s good for business, and keeping the bars viable is good for me. Win-win!

Regarding the title of this post, no, the floating bar was not sinking. But the sun was.

After departing the floating bar, I walked across the beach and had some dinner at Da’ Kudos.

Speaking of walking, this is Hash Monday and I’m one of the Hares:

We set the trail this morning and it kind of kicked my ass. Two climbs on a hot day wasn’t much fun. Most likely, it will be hotter this afternoon when everyone else does the trail Glad I’m not them! Now I need to shower up and get ready to head out to the VFW to give the Hashers their marching orders.

I’m glad I don’t have this kind of comma problem:

I wasn’t having the best of days yesterday, so I decided to do something about it. My preferred method was to drown my sorrows. It seemed to work just fine. I was starting out much earlier than normal, leaving the house at 1:30. I had the bright idea of doing an old-fashioned bar crawl–I’d start at the first bar on my side of town, and then go bar-to-bar until I reached the last one or couldn’t go any further. That plan got stymied immediately when the first bar–Outback–hadn’t opened yet (most bars here open no earlier than 2:00). Well, why not do it in reverse? I’d walk to the other side of town, then make my way back. I knew Dive In opened early so that would be my first stop.

A traditional bar crawl usually entails one beer then moving on to the next bar. I threw tradition out the window. For one thing, my friend Jessa came and sat with me. Of course, I bought her a drink. Gerlie was also at the bar with her boyfriend, and she bought me a beer in memory of her beating me at darts Friday night. Then a customer who remembered me from somewhere, but I didn’t remember him, sent over another beer. Jessa suggested we play a game of pool, so we did that. It was also another bar employee’s birthday (19, yikes!) and pizza and chicken were delivered for the celebration. Naturally, I bought the birthday girl a drink. By now I had been in Dive In for several beers and I knew the bar crawl idea wasn’t going to happen.

I decided to start making my way back to my side of town. Along the way, I came upon Cheap Charlies and decided to have a quick cold one upstairs. I was surprised that I was the only customer.

Just a couple of beers there, and I moved on up the highway. And then I came to Beach Please, and thought “why not?”.

I was also the only customer here. I’m pretty sure Beach Please is targeting the locals market–no girls at all.

A couple more beers, then I walked on the beach for a bit until I reached Mango’s.

This was my last stop of the day. I know I took a trike home from there, but this morning I couldn’t remember if I had paid my bar tab before leaving. I may have been a little inebriated by then.

It’s Mother’s Day today, so naturally I’m remembering my sweet mom.

In other news, I signed the lease for my new place today. I received no response from the current landlord to the email I sent. The message I sent asking if he’d received the email was also ignored. I’m probably going to have a fight on my hands. My move-in date for the apartment is June 1. This current residence is paid for through the end of July. Absent a refund, it looks like I’m going to be maintaining two places. It’s nice to be rich!

I snapped some photos of the apartment this afternoon:

Anyway, it’s smaller than what I have now, but it will suffice. Too bad my current landlord thought raping me for a hundred bucks a month was a good idea. Glad that I had this option.

So that’s where things stand as of the moment. Going to make a run out to the floating bar this afternoon. Yes, I made some brownies for the brown knees there. But before I go, let me leave you with this:

A second place finish in darts last night. No complaints, really. We threw well, our opponents threw weller…er, better I mean. That’s the way the darts fly sometimes.

Our Friday hiking group journeyed out past Naugsol to begin a planned hike to Tibag and back. On a previous visit, we walked the highway, this time we were planning to take a riverside path. Of course, things don’t always go according to plan. Our trail led us up to the top of a small mountain, then abruptly dead-ended. I hate backtracking, but we had no choice. We eventually took a little-used trail down the mountain, and near the bottom, we ran into the trail we thought would lead us to Tibag. Alas, a couple of kilometers later it also came to a dead-end. Another retreat, then we said “fuck it” and made our way up to the highway. It was too late at this point to continue on to Tibag, so we just hiked the highway back to our vehicle. Enjoy the photos from our ill-fated adventure:

Ah, well. Tibag will be there next time. Maybe we’ll actually find a way to get there!

In the meantime, I’m considering starting a chapter of the People Encouraging Niceness In Society here in Barretto. How hard can it be?

And life goes on.

I just watched a documentary on Bangladesh. Pretty shocking really. I mean, on a very basic level I was aware that it was a poor and poverty-stricken nation. I remember that concert George Harrison hosted back in 1971 (damn, I’m old!), but I just haven’t paid much attention since then. Wow. I apologize for calling the Philippines a third-world country. That’s an insult to the genuine third-world status of Bangladesh. Don’t take my word for it, you can see what I saw on YouTube.

So, you may be asking what in the hell am I doing watching TV on a perfectly fine Thursday afternoon? Truth is, I’m feeling poorly today. No fever, no cough, no energy. Yeah, that again. Took the dogs for an abbreviated walk, came home, and took a two-hour nap. Woke up and moved onto the couch, then turned on my little-used television. Scrolled through some YouTube recommendations and clicked on the one above. I don’t know why. Anyway, it remains to be seen whether I’ll find the strength to venture out later today or not.

Yesterday, I changed things up a bit and started my beer drinking at the Dive In bar. It’s on the far end of town and there is nothing really special about the place. Well, other than the fact that my ex-crush Jessa works there as a bartender. Naturally, I bought her some lady drinks, she sat with me at the bar, and we had a very pleasant chat for an hour or so. I was reminded of why I was attracted to her in the first place. No, I don’t expect I’ll be attempting to resurrect that relationship, but I’m glad we are still on friendly terms. As I was leaving, Jessa told me not to be such a stranger. I responded there are so many bars to visit and so little time. But I may try to find a way to add Dive In to my rotation.

Next, I had a couple of more beers at It Doesn’t Matter. The place was pretty packed for a Wednesday evening. Glad it is going well for the new owners. My regular waitress there, Roan, is a hoot. She’d been out sick for a few days and I mentioned the waitress who served me in her absence. Roan asked if had told her any jokes. I told her no and asked why she wanted to know. She said, “I’m going to use them, but don’t want to tell a joke they’ve heard already.” I was impressed that she even remembered my jokes, let alone found them funny! So, of course, I felt obligated to tell her another one:

A friend’s wife has been ill for quite some time and the doctor has been running tests to find out what is wrong. Finally, the doc told my friend he’d narrowed it down to two possible causes–AIDS or Alzheimer’s. My friend was like “oh my God! What should I do?” The doctor replied, “well if it were me I’d drive her ten miles out of town. If she comes back home, don’t fuck her!”

Yeah, not my best work, but Roan laughed politely. Oh, coincidentally, Roan used to work at Dive In and is friends with Jessa. Life in a small town, eh?

I departed shortly thereafter and headed out to The Pub for my weekly fix of Korean-style chicken wings. I’m usually only in there once a week, but I’m greeted like a regular: “Welcome, John. San Miguel Zero and sixteen chicken wings to go, right?” Yep, thanks! That’s my kind of service and the wings were excellent as usual.

Ah, I’ve become a predictable man of routines it seems. Monday I Hash. Tuesday is darts at Alley Cats. Wednesday has become It Doesn’t Matter night (and wing night, of course). Thursday I hit up the Kokomo’s floating bar on Baloy Beach, Friday and Saturday more darts at Alley Cats, and on Sunday I like to visit my friends at Cheap Charlies. I was not kidding when I told Jessa that I wasn’t sure how to fit Dive In into my schedule.

I don’t know if I’m feeling better or not, but I just popped some brownies into the oven. I don’t want to disappoint the brown knees on the floating bar should I decide to venture out later.

Yesterday, I sent this email to my landlord:

Hello, this is John McCrarey, your tenant in Casa Rosenda.

I have reviewed the lease contract I signed with Gloria Ocampo on May 25, 2018.  The term of the lease was for three years, expiring May 25, 2021.  In accordance with the terms of the lease, this is the formal notice of my intention to NOT renew the lease. 

I have also reviewed my rental receipts which confirm I paid a one-month advance rent and two-month deposit on June 18. 2018.  I trust the two-month deposit will be returned to me promptly.  Please advise if that is not the case.

Also, on December 29, 2020, I paid six months’ rent in advance.  That means my rent is paid through the end of June 2021.  Additionally, I paid one-month advance rent when I signed the lease, so that means the rent is paid through the end of July 2021.  I am prepared to vacate the house by June 1, 2021, provided the rent payments are refunded.  Please advise of your intentions in this regard.

To summarize, as things stand, I am owed two months advance deposit (90,000 pesos) and two months advance rent payments totaling 90,000 pesos, for a total of 180,000 pesos.
Let me know if you have any issues or disagreements with my assessment.

Sincerely,
John M. McCrarey

No response yet. I’m in a bit of a box. I don’t want to lose my new apartment, so I’ll need to sign a lease there next month. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to give up this place before my paid rent has either been refunded or expires. I might have two houses for a while. Everyone I talk to says it’s doubtful I will get the security deposit back. If they do go that route, I’ll do my best to make sure every expat in town knows not to rent from them (in addition to my house, they several duplexes they want to rent out). I’ll help Karma out in any way I can!

And that’s the way it is in my neck of the woods. It could always be worse, and it is in Bangladesh.

Reader: Your grammar’s pathetic.

Me: Oh, yeah? Well, your grandpa’s no better, either

Just a little inside humor. See the comments to yesterday’s post for the backstory. All in good fun.

So, a development of sorts in the continuing drama associated with my pending move. Now, I previously mentioned that one of the brothers in the landlord family was unaware that I had been hit with a rent increase. Apparently, he was upset that he had not been consulted. He has not said anything directly to me, choosing instead to relay information through my basement neighbor, who is technically his employee. He told her to tell me that he had talked to his brother and sister and they agreed to reduce the rent increase to 5%. As you may recall, that is the amount originally proposed that I had objected to–their counteroffer was 10%. Anyway, I relayed back through the neighbor that it was too late; I’d already verbally committed to another place. I also had her convey a counteroffer on my behalf–if they would reduce my rent by 10% I would consider staying. Haven’t heard back. Don’t expect I will.

Ah, the art of negotiation. I spent a goodly portion of my career in labor relations where I participated in collective bargaining for labor agreements. At least the union’s proposals had a basis in reality. I still have no idea what the hell my landlords are thinking. Maybe they aren’t.

I also believe I mentioned I know my upstairs neighbors. They are both Hashers, and the husband (also named John) plays darts. As I was leaving for the tournament on Friday, John was walking past my house on his way to Alley Cats as well. So, we walked together. John casually mentioned that his downstairs neighbors were moving out and he was happy about it because they were so noisy. I told him I was planning to move in downstairs. He was a little surprised and said that explains why he got the email from his landlord asking if he objected to allowing two dogs downstairs. He didn’t. I’m actually not noisy at all, and my dogs only bark when there’s a reason–like someone being outside the door. I don’t think we’ll have any issues in that regard. While I’d prefer to have a house to myself, I’m already thinking in terms of being accommodating. For example, I’ll put my grill in the carport in order to avoid sending up smoke from my balcony to his apartment. Hopefully, we will all just get along fine and dandy.

What else have I got for you? Well, John Kim’s The Pub restaurant just published a new menu. I’ll share it here to illustrate that it isn’t hard to find good food in my little town.

Damn, now I’m hungry for some reason.

I believe getting vaccinated against COVID is a personal choice. I probably will at some point, especially if my freedom to travel is contingent upon vaccination. Other folks might choose a different path, and that’s fine with me.

I am SO ready to do some travelling!

I’ve got pork chops in the crockpot for dinner tonight, and I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (on toast) for lunch. Is there no end to my creativity in the kitchen?

I’ll close out today’s post with these words of wisdom:

There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.

I have heard it said that over time humans begin to resemble their pet dogs. I wonder if the reverse is true as well?

Speaking of dogs, my new landlady provided a modified pet amendment to the lease that includes a provision for TWO dogs. So, that’s another hurdle cleared. I went through my desk drawers yesterday and found my original lease for this house and my rent and deposit receipts. I also have the receipts for the three aircon units I’ll be taking with me. Yeah, I’m expecting trouble. As I understand it, the Ocampo’s are a politically connected and powerful family (the daughter was a Congresswoman), so I doubt I’ll prevail in any court battles. We’ll see what happens, but I do prefer to avoid being deported, so I’m only going to push it so far. More to come on that I’m sure.

In the meantime, life goes on like it always does. Walked out to Baloy beach yesterday afternoon. It was deserted.

What’s changed? Well, Manila is on a lockdown status which means no one is supposed to travel to or from that area. Just read today that one of the local hotels is being investigated for accepting guests from Manila this past weekend. The other thing that happened was a couple of drownings. Kids under 15 are not supposed to be out of the house (same with old fuckers over 65) and that rule still applies here in Olongapo. So, the police are patrolling the beaches on foot now and families are staying away. By the way, no one has ever asked me my age throughout this pandemic, but if they ever do I’m going to say “55”. That’s actually the year I was born. I’ll let the cops do the math. If they can. Which I doubt.

If I’m on Baloy beach, you know I’m bound to wind up on the Kokomo’s floating bar. And I did. Just a handful of customers, most of whom I gathered were up from Angeles City, which is still on a lockdown that includes an alcohol ban. Poor bastards!

I started feeling a little hungry, so I grabbed the menu from Treasure Island and had a look. For some reason, I decided to give the Mexican a try–quesadillas and tacos. Now, the kitchen at TI is one of the better ones in town, but I’ve generally been disappointed with the Mexican dishes everywhere I’ve tried them.

The girls were all hungry too, so of course, I fed them. Some Filipino dishes and chicken. They seemed pleased with their meal, and that pleased me.

Well, I did have one for the road at Johan’s. Home by 8:00, made a smoothie, checked the ‘net, and headed off to bed.

So, the decision has been made. I’ll be leaving Casa Rosenda when my lease expires in June. The landlord called today to advise that the rent would indeed be raised by 10%. His justification was that needed repairs would cost $2000, therefore higher rent was necessary. I told him I would be moving out then.

The stupidity of this situation is mind-boggling. They are going to spend two grand on repairs I never asked for. That’s fine, they should maintain their property as they deem necessary. They want to charge me an extra $100. a month to pay for the repairs and I’m not willing to do so, seeing as how I’m already overpaying for this house. When I move out I’ll be taking the appliances I purchased, including three aircon units upstairs, with me. So, they’ll need to buy replacements for those, along with a stove and refrigerator. That’s another chunk of cash they’ll be spending upfront. Had I renewed my lease in June, I’d be writing them a check for $11,000–a year’s rent. That was a sure thing for them, but they’ve chosen this path instead.

Landlord says the next tenant will pay $1000. a month (versus the $900. I currently pay). Good luck finding a sucker who will pay that for this old place. Hell, it sat vacant for YEARS before I foolishly came along and overpaid. There’s a pandemic and lockdown now, so folks are not able to move here from out of the country. It’s likely only a foreigner would be able to afford that kind of rent, and most people in a position to do so would be more likely to purchase their own place. The landlord’s family owns several other places here in the neighborhood that have been sitting vacant for the three years I’ve lived here. Good luck finding a renter to replace me. In the unlikely event it only takes a month, they won’t recoup what they lost when I moved out for six months. I expect it will be much longer than that before a replacement renter is found. Good luck with that. I’ll be up the street keeping an eye on how long this house is vacant and laughing every time I walk by.

Up the street? Yes, I’m moving into that downstairs apartment I mentioned previously. It’s not ideal, but it will do. And it is $300. a month cheaper than this house. I went and had a look yesterday. It’s only a couple of years old, has two large bedrooms with full baths, and another half bath off the entrance. The kitchen is larger and more modern than my current place, has actual cabinets, and a pantry! That’s probably what I like best about the apartment. I was surprised that it even has a nice view, from the balcony anyway. There’s also a maid’s quarters downstairs and some space for the dogs to hang out. The biggest drawback is having upstairs neighbors, but I’ll deal with it as necessary. Perhaps we will all just get along.

So, that’s my big news. Stand by to see what the future holds. In the meantime, we can take a look back into the past courtesy of Facebook memories.

And neither did the marriage. Jee Yeun left this on my Facebook page ten years ago:

I love you baby!!! So happy about you were always next me and take very good care of me!!!! My baby…Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm….

Oh, well. Everything changes, but life goes on.

You should never argue with a crazy mind
You oughta know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money?

And if that’s what you have in mind
Yeah, if that’s what you’re all about
Good luck, moving up, ’cause I’m movin’ out

I’m movin’ out