To those who served

Thank you for your service

It’s the one day of the year set aside to remember and honor the brave men and women who have served in the military defending our freedoms. Thank you for your service to America!

Swan woke up on Sunday morning not feeling well, but the thought of all those disappointed children provided the impetus to do the Candy Walk anyway. We did it slow and easy and cut it a little shorter than usual, but we still managed to hand out goodies to over 200 children.

Loaded up and walkin’
An umbrella to keep the sun off her head
The kids were the motivation to hit the road even when feeling poorly
One of the regulars
Laundry day at the creek
Sweets for the sweet from the sweet
Another stop along the way
And onward she marches
Come and get it!
Easter Mountain framed in flowering vines
On and on, she just keeps on trying, and she smiles when she feels like crying…
Crossing Bridge #3 as we near the finish
The abbreviated 3.5K Candy Walk

Swan took some meds and napped when we got back home and was feeling better later in the afternoon.

I carried out my weekly mission to Hideaway Bar for a feeding.

It was a gin and soda night for me.
This week’s grub
Joy seems pleased

Two gin and sodas later (one every thirty minutes), it was time to cross the highway for my dinner date with Swan at John’s place. I didn’t see John this week, but I did see this:

I wasn’t expecting a late afternoon rainstorm, but we got one
The clouds and setting sun put on an interesting show for us
Just passing the time
And the grand finale
I saw this at the sari-sari store across the highway from John’s place. I zoomed in to get a better look. That guy sure does look lonely…

I had a craving for John’s birria tacos, but my calorie counter said that would cost me 750.

That didn’t stop Swan, though. I successfully resisted the urge to eat her leftover taco.

So, what about me? I was thinking about doing pulled pork without the bun, but then I saw an item on the menu I’d never tried before.

I did the chicken version. I was a little confused, because the menu said, “sandwich,” but it looks like a shawarma.
And the confusion didn’t end when it was served.

I guess I’m not the only one wanting to know the difference. The link says gyros are usually served on pita bread, but the one I had was on a wrap, hence contributing to my confusion. Regardless, it was quite tasty and worth the 500 calories I expended.

We had our nightcap at Wet Spot, where I enjoyed my final two gin and sodas of the night (six total if you are counting). My neighbor Mike stopped in for a quick beer, and we snatched a ride home with him. Sugar-free butterscotch pudding for dessert was a sweet ending to my Sunday.

I still managed to stay under my 1800-calorie target. However, I didn’t make my daily step goal of at least 15,000. Still, when Swan hugged me this morning, she exclaimed that, for the first time, she could reach all the way around my midsection. That’s one way to measure progress, I suppose. The tape measure says my belly girth is now 49 inches, down from 52 on November 1.

Little by little, I just might get there

On this day in 2017, I was perusing the menu of a bar I frequented in Anjeong-ri, the village I lived in outside the Army base.

As I said when I posted this photo on Facebook back then: “Decisions, decisions. What to drink tonight? Started out with the red-headed slut. Then I had sex on the beach. Next, a blowjob with an orgasm chaser. I’m drunk but strangely satisfied.”

The photo below is also from 2017, the day we shut down our office on Yongsan Garrison and relocated to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. Today is Juyoung’s birthday (the gal next to me), and I posted the pic as a greeting to her from the good ol’ days. I am happy with my current life, but I also miss those days in Korea.

Those were the days, my friends, we thought they’d never end…

This also came up in my Facebook feed today:

Well, I guess cattle is a step up from garbage, right?

Today’s YouTube video is a nice street show from Saigon. I really enjoyed my visit to Vietnam a few years ago and this brought back some pleasant memories.

And now for the funny business:

I can’t remember what I was going to say about this
Just like those angry carabao on our hikes
I’ll need to be careful I don’t stumble into one of those kind of bars

Another Hash Monday has arrived. The weather outside has been dicey this morning, but hopefully it won’t be too wet this afternoon. We’ll find out soon enough. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Eight was enough

And what I ate wasn’t bad either.

In what seems like is becoming a new Saturday tradition, Swan needed to go to the Subic Marketplace to purchase sweets for the Candy Walk. I needed to get some steps in, so this little piggy hiked to the market. I’ve had enough of highway walking, so to the extent possible, we took backroads through different neighborhoods. And Swan handed out biscuits and lollipops along the way.

They spot Swan and come running
Walk this way
Passing by Black Rock
Life on the riverside
Life goes on (except for the tree)
On golden pond
Wait for me!
Rest stop
There’s a bay behind those trees
Walk towards the light
Swan negotiating trike fare from the Market to Alta Vista. The driver said, “one fifty” but when I handed him a fifty peso note, he wasn’t happy. I was joking, of course.
The weekly candy supply
Our journey to the Market was right at 8K

And then evening rolled around. The plan was to do The Maze Bar Hop, so we kicked things off by having dinner at Jewel Cafe.

Jewel from the outside
Jewel on the inside
The jewel at my table
Dinner is served. I went with the filet mignon again. Next time, I need to remember to tell them no gravy. It also comes with mashed potatoes, but I asked for a double serving of veggies instead.

The steak was small, but tasty, and I ate it up with pleasure.

And now for the bar hop that wasn’t. The flyer said it kicked off at 7:00 p.m. at Sloppy Joe’s. We arrived there a bit after six and waited for things to get started. I passed the time with some beers. A little after seven, a group came in and went to a table in the back. There was no greeting or invite, so I went back to see what was happening. My presence wasn’t acknowledged, and I didn’t feel like I was welcome. Weird, I know. It turns out that the bar hop group had all met at Wet Spot, and then Sloppy Joe’s was the first stop. That was my misunderstanding. Since I hadn’t joined in at Wet Spot, they must not have known why I was there. Okay, well, I figured I’d go to stop #2, Green Room, and perhaps join when they arrived. So, more drinks while waiting. When it got to 7:30, and no bar hoppers had arrived, I asked the Green Room manager what was up. He told me they had changed the bar order, and Green Room was now the fourth destination. So, I shrugged and thought, oh well, it was just not meant to be.

Happy Birthday anyway, Dave. Sorry I missed it.

It was 8 o’clock, I’d had eight beers, and that was enough. We called our trike driver and headed on home.

Here’s what those eights added up to yesterday:

I still managed to come in under 1800

So, the calorie app I’m using set my goal at 2317 daily calories. One of my smart readers suggested 1800 as a more aggressive target. When I tried to change the goal on the app, it said this:

It says that 1800 is below my “Basal Metabolic Rate” and therefore unhealthy.

I found a basal metabolic rate calculator on the internet and plugged in my stats. It says my BMR is 1996 calories per day. My results are at the link above, but I’m honestly confused now. I’m feeling fine at less than 1800 calories per day. I guess I need to do more research.

You are what you eat. And drink.

A memory from this day in 2017:

Walking the streets of Pyeongtaek and enjoying the final autumn of my Korea life.

I posted this eight years ago after Trump was elected the first time:

Truer now than ever. Listen and learn, “Secret.”

And as long as we are talking politics, this seems apt:

Perhaps we can all agree on this

Saw a post today where Tucker Carlson claims Mitch McConnel is plotting a Senate leadership vote with the intention of undermining Trump. I’ll need to read more about that before weighing in, but it sounds like something a RINO would do.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never watched before, Smart Girl Philippines. She was kind of fun to watch, at least for this six minutes about avoiding “traps” in the PI. Nothing wrong with her advice, it’s all pretty much common sense.

Let’s see if I can get a laugh out of you:

It’s good that you can get pussy accessories
At least you weren’t aborted
Blimey mate, that would shiver me timbers!

Okay, on with the Sunday routines…hungry girls at Hideaway, dinner with Swan at John’s, and then, we’ll see. Read all about it here tomorrow.

I don’t recall watching this show regularly, but it is nice to see the 70s flashbacks in the video.

A walk on the mild side

I was feeling a little flat, so I convinced my fellow Friday hikers to take a pleasant stroll in and around Subic town. No hills or thrills, but a peaceful, easy feeling as we marched along.

Only three of us took part in the stroll
We kicked off our trek on Philseco Road
Then took a narrow path leading to a small village
A brief respite from the pavement
And passed by a leaning tree
A lovely pond
Making our way towards barangay Asinan Proper (I even checked the spelling and hyphenation).
Bridge posers. I hadn’t noticed that the center pillar is looking a little bit dicey.
The water in which we were not cast
Another mucky pond
Home of the dead
Another life shorter than mine
This was pretty solid for a dicey bridge
This one not so much
Laundry day and lollipops for the little one
And through a Calapandayan neighborhood near the end of our trail.
Right at 7K end-to-end

When beer o’clock rolled around, I took Swan to the beach.

A new owner and a new name for this Baloy Beach resort

It has a ground-floor beachside restaurant/bar that has not yet opened. My friend Jessa advised me that the upstairs bar was serving customers, so we climbed the stairs.

The Drunken Sailor. Technically open, but not quite ready for customers. No wine or alcoholic beverages other than beer available.
The staff outnumbered us (the only customers). Still, I understand it is a work in progress and the bar certainly has potential.
The bar affords the bay views Swan longs for.
And I like sundown

We only stayed for one beer, then hit the beach for a stroll. We’ll be back, especially after the food place downstairs opens.

Swan loves her barefoot walks in the sand
Ah, the beauty of the beach

We walked to Kokomo’s to see what was happening there. Still no floating bar, but we’re told it will be anchored late next week. We had a pleasant visit with the staff, bought them both a drink, and then headed over to Treasure Island for some grub.

Chicken fajitas for Swan
And a chef salad for me

Another early night, home by 7:30. Is that going to become the new normal? Not if I can help it! But the diet plan calls for a reduction in beer intake, and the easiest way to achieve that is to spend less time at the bar. At least for now.

I managed to keep under my new target of 1800 daily calories. Fitbit says I burned 4005.

Eight years ago, I was in Shenanigans, my favorite Itaewon hangout, celebrating the first time Donald Trump was elected President.

I captioned my Facebook post of this photo: “If Trump is President, I’m moving to Korea!”

Six years ago, I got a welcome back to the Philippines after my journey to the USA from my pals at Alley Cats bar:

Damn, I was almost skinny back then. I want to go there again!

Setting politics aside, it only seems appropriate to wish Kamala well in her future endeavors.

You may not be qualified, but I hope they give you a shot.

Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea talks about the “Love Scam” industry here in the Philippines. It’s like all those Nigerian Princes on overdrive. There are actually call centers set up where Filipinas work to make lonely foreign men fall in love with them. And send money, of course. Back when I was living in Korea and “meeting” Filipinas from the dating sites, I got burned once or twice. The worst example was the time I sent a woman airfare to come visit me. The fact that I didn’t just buy the ticket myself shows how naive I was. Anyway, lessons learned the hard way. My rule after that was never send money to anyone you have never met in person.

Here’s something to smile about:

You might want to abort that diet
Don’t make a pig of yourself, Pooh
It’s a heartbreak

To the future, then! There’s a Maze bar hop tonight in honor of Daddy Dave’s 83rd birthday.

I guess it won’t be an early night this time…finishes at 9:00! OMG!

Swan and I will dine at Jewel Cafe before the aMAZEing fun begins. Check back here tomorrow for all the gory details!

It’s been a long time since I heard this song. Never saw the video until today. Let’s get something straight between us–there is nothing quite like a girl with something extra!

Pounding it down

Both the pavement and the belly. Let’s start with the roadwork. Oh, thank heaven for the 7-Eleven debut Hash. There’s a first time for everything, and we were the first Kennel in the Philippines to participate in this twice-a-year event. We started out on the seventh day of the eleventh month at 11:07 a.m. and visited seven 7-Eleven stores on our 7.11K journey. Okay, it turned out to be a little over 8K, but we tried! Here’s how it looked:

I bought some hats for the occasion
All dressed up and ready to go. Well, except for the shoes, but they are outside.
A Jeepney ride to the start of the trail in Manga Vacca
7-Eleven #1 in Subic’s Manga Vacca barangay

In Hash fashion, the tradition calls for having a beverage at each stop along the way. I had four beers and two Cokes during the journey (nothing at the last stop, I saved that beer for the On-Home at IDM).

The Gash drank soju at each stop
Twelve in attendance for the debut of the Subic Bay 7-Eleven Hashers
Cheers!
Heading out to store #2
And there it be! Downtown Subic near the market place.
Everybody’s here
Tagay!
Then on to our next stop
To B or not to B? Ay, who cares!
It’s not the first time I’ve walked this stretch of highway
Store #3 in Calapandayan
Drink up!
Time out along the way for a cookie delivery
That’s my girl!
Store #4 in Calapacuan
An unexplained uptick in soju sales for 7-Elevens yesterday
This place needs to up its game to achieve 7-Eleven heights.
And onward we march!
A 7-Eleven sighting just ahead!
Store #5 in Matain
See you next time, Subic town
Store #6 on Baloy road in Barretto
Diet? What diet? The beer was cold and wet, just the way I like it
The girls were still going strong despite the soju infusions
And at last, the seventh and final stop on our convenience trek.
Not a bad way to fill some hours.

Right upstairs from this 7-Eleven is a videoke joint. Some of the gals headed up there to enjoy the aircon and sing some songs.

The rejoined us at IDM an hour or so later
I wound up ending my day at IDM. Originally, I planned to go home, nap, shower, and then head back into town. But I determined I’d had enough of a good thing, and we ended our day around when we usually start.  Again, not bad for a change.

Early to bed, early to rise. And it’s Friday, the one week anniversary of my diet. Time for a weigh-in to see how I’m doing:

  • November 1: 267.1
  • November 8: 258.7
  • Net loss: 8.4 pounds

Well, that was a bit surprising. I doubt I will continue to lose that much week-to-week, but it is good to know my efforts are paying off so far.

My belly circumference went from 52″ down to 50″. My waist remains at 44.

We can’t find anything keto locally, but Swan has had success ordering online:

Keto pancake mix, syrup, and cereal
And the almond flour finally arrived. We’ll see what Swan comes up with using this low-carb alternative.
My first-ever keto pancake
And with sugar-free syrup on top

It wasn’t bad. I can’t put my finger on what was different taste-wise, but it wasn’t the same flavor that I’m used to. Still, quite edible and better than no pancakes in the future.

And I rounded out the breakfast with bacon and fruits.

Onward and hopefully downward, I go!

Time for a stroll down memory lane:

Whenever you travel, Filipino culture dictates that you are to bring back pasalubong (gifts) for your friends and acquaintances. This is the bounty i bought two years ago in Cambodia.
And the Cambodian bargirl of the those long-ago days

I posted this one year ago, and I’m happy to report that the American people took heed:

Hoping for better days ahead

Today’s YouTube video is a short one from Joy of the Jungle. She’s not to good at vlogging, but bless her heart, she tries.

Let’s have some fun:

Did you hide him down under?
Can I hitch a ride? I’ve got some mistakes I’d like to fix.
Man, I hate when that happens

Alright, Friday evening has almost arrived. I’m going to give Swan her beach fix. There’s a new place on Baloy I want to check out. Plus, I want to see if the floating bar has made its reappearance yet. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

The Don of a new day!

Congrats to the majority of my fellow citizens who made the right choice for America’s future

Donald Trump has many flaws, but he was our best option. I’m hopeful that he learned from his first-term mistakes and that he appoints competent and loyal team members. I’m excited about the prospect for change that visionary non-bureaucrats like Elon Musk will add to the mix. Trump has his work cut out for him cleaning up the mess left behind by four years of Biden-Harris insanity.

It is great to be unburdened from what has been

What I hope to see sooner than later:

  • Borders secured, immigration laws enforced
  • Restoring energy independence–drill, baby, drill!
  • Reducing government spending to balance the budget and reduce inflation
  • Eliminating as much of the worthless Federal bureaucracy as possible
  • Stand strong against the aggression of our enemies (I’m looking at you, Iran)

That will be a good start to Making America Great Again.

Sorry to my friends on the left for bathing in your tears. It will get better, I promise. And in all seriousness, keep an open mind. If Trump succeeds, we are all better for it.

Enough of politics, here in my corner of the world, life goes on much as it always has. Take the Wednesday Walkers for example.

Only three of us ventured out for yesterday’s hike. We tackled a portion of Monday’s Hash trail that we had skipped. That included a hill climb, but not one of the massive ones.
I was bringing up the rear after an early pee stop.
Through the streets of Marian Hills. Oddly enough, there are no hills in this village.
But the one we climbed was nearby
It’s always nice to see what we missed on Monday
Such as a different vantage point to view Easter Mountain
And then we came down again
Our attempt to do a valley walk was stymied by a newly constructed fence. We could have found an alternative route, but that would have required wading across that stream you see above. I wasn’t feeling like getting wet feet.
My hike ended when we reached Sawmill Road. I despise that narrow and heavily trafficked street. The strap on my backpack broke so I had to carry it on one shoulder. Then a trike driver called out offering a ride. How could I refuse under those circumstances?
Not quite 6K for me

Swan was enjoying her “me time” with family, and I was trying to keep an eye on how the election was going. Late in the afternoon, it became apparent that Trump would re-assume the throne. It seemed to me a celebration was in order, so I went out in search of a beer.

BarCelona seemed as good a place as any to raise a bottle in celebration of MAGA.

One beer led to another and then one more. I got a message that my neighbors and other like-minded Trump supporters were gathering at Thumbstar bar to embrace America’s victory. I walked up the highway to join in the fun.

Our merry group of Trump fans

By my reckoning, the vast majority of expats who still care about politics in the USA are Trump supporters. In my admittedly limited circle of acquittances, I only know one who professed a preference for Kamala. His reasoning? Trump is a Nazi. Yep, he drank the lefty Kool-Aid and lost the ability to think for himself. Oh, well, sorry for you. But if ignorance is bliss, you must be one happy guy!

Trump didn’t cheat, but I did

We were in full-on party mode, and Maksil was buying rounds of drinks due to his excitement about the stock market surge. He expects to get richer thanks to our newly-elected President. In a sense, we all will once he brings inflation back down to earth. By my count, I enjoyed six more beers at Thumbstar before calling it a night. Alas, the dietary damage was not finished because I was hungry. Thumbstar was offering a “buy one, get one” food special, so I ordered a chicken shawarma and got another for free. They were both tasty and high in calories. Between the shawarma and beers, I exceeded my daily calorie allowance for the first time since I began my diet plan.

My Fitbit says I burned 4144 calories, so that’s still a good intake deficit.

The future looks brighter for America and I hope to become a lesser man. We’ll see how things turn out.

Lots of memories to look back on today:

Seven years ago, I was in the same building (8th Army Headquarters) as Donald Trump
Six years ago, I was wrapping up a family visit in South Carolina. I captioned this photo, “The Last Supper.” I had no idea that I wouldn’t be back anytime soon (my retirement plan was to visit once a year). Things change, not always for the better.

How about some more of those memories from Cambodia two years ago?

Dinner at my friend Dennis’ condo
The condo view
The last time I heard Dennis sing. I’ve been unable to reach him for months now, and frankly, I fear for the worst.
More Phnom Penh bars. “Step Wife Bar” is one of the best names for a girly bar ever!
My Cambodian step wife…
The Mekong River at night

I loved both of my trips to Cambodia. It was my second choice as a retirement destination. No regrets with the move to the Philippines, but I may use one of my “do-over” lives to see how things might have been had I chosen to live there.

One year ago, I was visiting the Kokomo’s floating bar for the first time of the season. It’s due to re-open this weekend and I plan to be there to welcome them back.

Today’s YouTube video comes from the Filipina Pea, who is doing what she does best: talking about some unique aspects of Filipino culture. She’s funny (and cute), and this is one I really enjoyed. It’s worth the watch!

I don’t know if the American flag top is just a coincidence, but she did post this video yesterday.

Maybe these will give you something to smile about:

Um, by the way, where’s Rudolph?
Don’t take the bait, Master!
I’d get dog-tired of that.

Alright, I have a special event to attend this morning: The 7-Eleven Hash Run. It happens twice a year (on seven November and July 7th. See how that works?). We’ll be the first Hash from the Philippines to participate in this international event. It involves a 7K highway hike during which we will visit seven 7-Elevens. Something a little different to enjoy. I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Today’s song also comes courtesy of Facebook memories. I posted this ten years ago, and it is still one of my favorite songs from Korea. The video tells a nice story to go with the song. Hope you like it!

Twos day

It seems like I live my days in halves, walkohilic by day, alcoholic when the sun goes down. It is almost like having two days in one. Tuesday is usually my blandest weekday because I shop instead of walk, but that wasn’t the case yesterday. Here’s how it looked:

As usual, my homeless friend, Mama, was waiting for me at the highway intersection. It seems she knows my Tuesday morning shopping schedule better than I do.

The grocery shopping went the same as it always does, but then I changed things up–I walked back to Barretto.

See you next week, Royal
Let the journey begin!
Exiting SBMA
Over the river
Back in the Navy days, this was known as the shit river.
And now the dreaded highway portion of the walk begins
A bay view along the way…that’s the old Hanjin shipyard on the far side of the water
The hill of the dead
Another view…that’s Grande Island in the distance
The problem with highway walking is there ain’t much shoulder to work with. There were a couple of times vehicles got too close for comfort.
On the far side of the bay lies my destination–Barrio Barretto
This house being built on the hill is interesting. That’s an escalator-like contraption to carry construction materials up. Makes me wonder if the residents will convert it for pedestrian access once the house is completed.
On the border. Not sure what “drug cleared” means, but it ain’t drug free from what I’ve seen.
Hillside living
Back in “downtown” Barretto
John’s place, featuring a second floor restaurant and a third floor open air bar. We eat up there.
And this is where my journey ended. I had planned to walk all the way home, but then three things happened: I got a leg cramp, I had to shit, and an empty trike was waiting. So, I surrendered.
It’s just a tad over 5K. I have no idea why Google misspelled “Barreto” and located it in the wrong place on the map. It doesn’t inspire much confidence in their overall accuracy.

So, that was the morning adventure. When dinnertime arrived, the skies seemed angry:

I asked Swan if we should bring an umbrella, and she said no. She was wrong about that.
The front door of my place has now been decorated. At least they waited until November.
Since it was election day (Philippines time) I dressed up for the occasion.
We barely made it to Mango’s before the storm hit with all its fury.
The rain lasted about an hour
When I asked for a gin and soda in a tall glass I wasn’t disappointed. Biggest glass ever! I guess that’s Texas-sized. I had two of those over the course of our dinner.
Our grilled porkchop dinner is served. One chop for me, one for Swan. I took the veggies, she got the mashed potato.

When the rain finally let up, we headed out to our next stop, Alaska Club. I had a buy one, get one coupon to expend there. I did my usual thing of tipping the Alaska dancers fifty pesos each, and I had brought along some Choco-Pies to share. When the Sit-n-Bull waitress came by, I called her over and requested three large orders of Shanghai lumpia. I had her deliver one each to Wet Spot and Green Room and bring one for the Alaska girls. Hey, I had a 10% discount coupon to use. And maybe those three gin and sodas I consumed during my Alaska visit enhanced my generosity.

Then Swan and I had a should we stay or should we go conversation, and the result was the decision to do a nightcap at Wet Spot. I made the determination that I had had my fill of gin for the night, so I switched to Zero beer. My good intentions to have just one were stymied when I got comped a second beer, but who am I to say no to a freebie? But it was two and out for us, and we made it home safe and sound. The leftover pudding was waiting for me to enjoy as a bedtime snack. All’s well that ends well!

Another day with an intake of less than 2000 calories! The snacks category is where I log my alcohol intake.

And it appears the USA is making a comeback: Trump has just won the election! I reckon a celebration is in order tonight!

To me, it all came down to whether the stupids were in the majority. I am so proud of my fellow citizens for taking a stand for truth, justice, and the American way. I’m not Trump fanatic, but I don’t think we’d have survived a Kamala presidency.

With the future secured (for now, at least), I can indulge in some Facebook memories:

Who is that masked gal leaving my house three years ago? I honestly don’t recall.
Two years ago, I was still enjoying the Phnom Penh bar scene.

Today’s YouTube features Reekay reacting to the election. I’ve never seen him talk about politics before. He identifies as a “Libertarian-Constitutionalist.” Again, given the options, Trump was the best choice for America. I’m looking forward to Vance in 2028, assuming I live that long.

Since I’m not in mourning for my country, I can afford some smiles:

My high school girlfriend’s mother always said to us before a date, “Those who play, must pay.”
AI can kill in many ways
Time travel is one of my favorite fantasies. I’ll have to incorporate this scenario into my planning.
Be careful of the unseen hazards on trail!

Alrighty then. Swan is taking a “me day” to spend with her family. And I’ve got some celebrating to do. I reckon a Trump victory is as good an excuse for some beers as any! Back tomorrow!

Thanks to commenter Rick for introducing me to this song. Old fashioned grunge rock!

A no sweets violation?

Well, I did have a pretty sweet Sunday. I report, you decide.

Does it get any sweeter than that?
Sweets for the sweet from the sweet. We handed out over 200 bags on the Sunday Candy Walk
Let’s get it done!
Keeping Easter Mountain in perspective
The dispensary is open
Marian Hills is next
Minnie Mouse hung out to dry
The temporary bridge was indeed temporary. And now it is gone for good.
We debated whether to wade across the river or take an alternate route. We opted for the latter.
A natural archway on our path
Crossing Bridge #3 kept our feet dry
At the foot of Easter Mountain
The route we walked was right at 6.5K

In the good ol’ days, we hit McDonald’s after the Candy Walk. Those days are gone now, but Swan fed me at home.

A small porkchop and veggies

It wasn’t long before it was time to make the trek to Hideaway Bar for the feeding.

The food ordered from Jewel Cafe has arrived!
The smorgasbord
Another hungry mouth fed

I satisfied my thirst with gin and soda water. Two in an hour, then I paid my tab and headed across the highway for my dinner date at John’s place.

The John’s view
My date has arrived!
The newest item on John’s menu is a shrimp cocktail. We had one for an appetizer. Damn, it was delicious and low-calorie to boot!
Swan had the birria tacos. I resisted the urge to ingest those carbs, but it wasn’t easy. John has the best birria in town.
I opted for the beef bulgogi and wasn’t disappointed.

After two more gin and sodas during our dinner hour at John’s, we moseyed up the highway to enjoy a nightcap at the Green Room. We were there for an hour, enjoying watching the pool players, and I imbibed my final two gin and sodas for the night. That made six in three hours, which seems to be my limit. Nothing untoward happened; I just knew that I’d had enough, and it was time to call it a night. Drinking gin is twice as expensive as beer, but I drink half as much. If my math is correct, cutting out the beer carbs isn’t costing much. A sixty-calorie pudding dessert at home and my sweet Sunday was complete.

Calories in: 1600 Calories burned: 3800

Two years ago, I was walking the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia:

Strolling upriver
It felt like a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock movie
It’s a great city

Back in the USA, there’s an election coming this week:

Let’s hope the Kamala trainwreck can be avoided

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay speaks to the skills required to live as an expat successfully. I’ve made it over six years so far. Yeah, there have been some missteps along the way, but luckily, no mishaps. Now, to keep it that way!

Comic time:

I’ll never forget the day the power went out and I was stuck on an escalator for hours.
The dead don’t get offended unless they are woke.
I’ve forgotten most everything I know

So, it’s Hash Monday once again. Vienna Sausage (Guenter) is the Hare and I’ve seen the trail map. I was going to just not go at all today because the trail ends out past the end of Rizal Extension. But Michael will have his car there and I’ve reserved a seat for a ride back to town after the Hash. As for the trail, I didn’t see any good potential shortcuts, so I’ll make my own way. The My Bitch trail will get me to the finish just fine. And yes, beer is the only option at the On-Home, so I’ll get to reacquaint myself with some Zeros. I have to keep count, so I’ll try and drink slow. Full report here tomorrow.

My salad days

Today is the tomorrow I worried about yesterday. And looking back, I have no complaints. Here’s how it all went down:

We walked the dogs, then walked ourselves to the Subic marketplace to stock up on sweets for the Sunday Candy Walk.

Candy or dog food, Swan always has something to hand out on our walks. Just so there is no confusion, in this case it was candy.
Girl on a mission
A bay view along the way
Calapandayan street scene
A backstreet Swan showed me for the first time. She said she’d walk home from high school this way.
Almost 7K to get there.

With the buying spree completed, we loaded up two big bags of candy on a trike and headed for home. A small teriyaki chicken breast with broccoli for lunch, a nap, and a blog post. Then, it was time to get ready for the rest of the day. Swan wanted something to beach about so I gave her three options. She chose Baloy, and at the appointed hour, we commenced our walk. [Ha! I’m sure most readers got the “something to beach about” allusion, but Grammarly suggested I change “beach” to “talk.” Get your mind out of the gutter, Gram. I’m talking about the sandy places Swan loves.]

The view that greeted us when we arrived on Baloy Beach
Toes in the sand
I hope the beach is happy now. I know I am!
I made it a wine night. Four glasses in two hours. I’m getting better at pacing myself.
Swan enjoying her beach view time at Kokomo’s.

Kokomo owner Steve says the floating bar will be anchored on Sunday, undergo some maintenance, and open for business on Friday. Whoopee!

After my first two wines, we headed up the beach to Treasure Island Resort for some live music and food.

I enjoyed the hell out of this chef salad with Italian dressing.

Two glasses of Treasure Island wine, and we departed for home. It was only 7:30, but I’d had enough. I would have drank more beers during the amount of time we spent at the beach, but Zero is 3% alcohol, and wine is 14%. I wasn’t drunk or anything, but why press your luck? Once home, I whipped up a batch of sugar-free vanilla pudding, and that more than satisfied my sweet tooth’s cravings. It was a relatively short but nice evening out.

1590 calories in…(the wine is included in the dinner total)
…and 3,659 calories burned

And that is how day two in my new lifestyle went down.

Those pictures from the Halloween SOB I promised:

Queen Victoria: 4th Place
Green Room: 3rd Place
Alaska Club: 2nd Place
First Place: Wet Spot

And my favorite costume of the night:

One of the Wet Spot gals

In other news, we met a Hasher from Vietnam named Zach at the Subic anniversary Hash, and he told us about a special group of Hashers from around the world who are doing something called the 7-Eleven Hash. It’s basically an urban Hash where the group hikes through town, stopping at every 7-Eleven convenience store along the chosen route. Zach said no Hash from the Philippines had done this event. Well, the Subic Hash took that as a challenge to be the first; this coming Thursday (11/7), we shall march!

Something different for a change.

Speaking of something different, that trip to Cambodia two years ago was also a nice change of pace.

So much natural beauty in that country.

Today’s YouTube video is something different. Short and sweet (well, maybe sweet is the wrong word) sharing eight facts about farting you might not have known. And now you do. You are welcome!

Smile time:

Strangers call me Santa Claus
Don’t stick it in the wrong hole!
I need to steal me a copy of that book!

Back to the usual Sunday routines starting with the Hideaway feeding. I’ll be doing gin and soda there. Then dinner at John’s place. I reckon I’ll wash down whatever I eat with some wine. Got some SOB coupons to burn as well, so we’ll see what we’re in the mood for come time for the nightcap. Exciting shit, eh?

I ain’t afraid of no ghost

Happy Halloween!

That’s a nice trick…
…and here’s your treat!

Now that we have those annual niceties out of the way, let’s get on with today’s post.

I woke up to some scary skies this morning.

It rained just enough to scare me into not walking this morning. I’ll try not to let that happen again.

Swan made me breakfast. This is my last morning of being a bad boy. Promise!

Let’s talk about the goodness of yesterday instead. Starting with the Wednesday Walkers trek in the Naugsol countryside.

The group who made the journey to the start in Michael’s comfy car.
Heading out (I took a pee break so I’m a little behind, but I’m not an ass!)
There is a landfill at the end of this road, and occasionally, a truckload of Trump voters would pass by.
Those twin peaks are the breast!
The dogs were mostly friendly
Walkin’ the riverbank
The Matain River on its way to the bay.
Did I just fart?
The riverside became impassable, so we did a little trespassing. The residents were nice about it, though.
An encounter with wet feet
Tit-for-tat
A cookie delivery
Construction continues on what will one day be a bypass highway around Barretto. Will it be completed in my lifetime? Stay tuned.
I had no idea that Swan was carrying a baggie of dog food to share with the stray dogs (like that one in front of the steamroller).
On up we go
These are comparatively small hills. No one seems to know how and where the road will go up and over Kalaklan Ridge.
The Naugsol valley
It was a little eerie seeing this written in the dirt in the middle of nowhere.
Down in the valley, the valley so low.
A valley view
A tree I liked
Valley living
Every picture tells a story. Swan has been making monthly payments on this piece of land, and she was shocked and dismayed to see the ongoing construction. Hopefully, she’ll get it sorted, but I’m staying out of it. Foreigner intervention in issues like this is not welcome or appreciated.
We saw some cute chicks during our walk
Over Bridge #4 we go
And a stroll through the village of Naugsol near the end of our journey
And for you Easter Mountain fans
Just a tad over 6K on a very pleasant hike.

The cliffhanger on yesterday’s post was whether I’d journey out to the bars under the threat of rain. Those of you who voted “yes” got it right. A few sprinkles on the way, but we were safely inside the confines of The Maze bar complex before the heavy stuff came down.

The rainy view from BarCelona

Finished things up early (before 7:30!) at Green Room, and headed home with some food from Sit-n-Bowl.

I curbed my appetite with a ham sandwich

Then I baked a batch of brownies for an a la mode dessert. There’s a last time for everything it seems.

I was living large and spending generously yesterday. One more day to go this month, so why not?

  • Dinner: 1160 pesos
  • Snacks: 200 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 840 pesos
  • Charity: 7000 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Tips: 490 pesos
  • Alcohol: 885 pesos
  • Total for October 30: 10,775 pesos

Facebook invited me for a stroll down memory lane today and y’all are welcome to come along:

1974 or so. Rifle in hand, pistol in the holster. Both .22 caliber. This is on a plot of land my folks owned at the time in Perris, California we called “The Filthy Five.” (Five acres, five of us in the family)
In 2005 I was just beginning my working life in Korea. I was part of a great group of people, and the experience changed my life forever.

In the political realm, I’ve discovered that not only am I a Nazi supporter, but I’m also garbage.

So, I guess it is up to the garbage to take out the trash.

I had been planning to dress up as The Invisible Man for Halloween, but I couldn’t see how that would work. Instead, I’m going to try and go out tonight as a garbage bag. Swan is going to help me concoct a costume.

Today’s YouTube video from The Filipina Pea is a little different. She shows a clip from “The View” where those crazed lefties go off about how men need women, but women don’t need men. I know the thought of watching even two minutes of that bullshit show is scary, but hey, it is Halloween. Anyway, Pea interviewed Filipinas on the street, asking questions about needing a man, and they all answered affirmatively. And there you have the reason so many men are fleeing the USA to make the Philippines their home.

And now for the things I find amusing:

You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish
“Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale,
Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man.”
Those attention getters really work!

There is still a lot of iffy weather out there, but I reckon going out for some Halloween fun is something you can only do once a year. We have tentative plans to start out at It Doesn’t Matter, one of several bars having Halloween parties tonight. The question of the hour for me is whether I can find a way to look like garbage. Or find a bag big enough. Speaking of which, I’ve been doing a little foreshadowing about some changes on the horizon. That horizon arrives tomorrow. See you then!

Ha! It was nice to see and hear this again after all these years…

Munching on those sweet, tender loins

Make no misteak about it; it was good eating. The highlight of our night on the town was dinner at John’s place. We followed that up with a bit of a bar hop, visiting MacArthur’s, Red Stars, and Hot Zone before calling it a night. But first things first.

It’s Christmas time at Royal! Never mind about it not even being Halloween yet.

Speaking of All Saints Day, that’s also a huge deal here in the Philippines. Driving past the hillside cemetery in Olongapo yesterday, preparations were in full swing for the upcoming big day with the dead this Friday. Food stands were being erected, crypts were being painted and given their annual cleaning and refurbishment so when the families gather to pay their respects and eat in drink in memory of the dead, all will be in order. And the following day, everything will be a mess again. It’s just the way it’s done in these parts.

When the grocery shopping was done, I couldn’t help but notice the car parked next to ours.

It’s one of those EVs I’ve been hearing so much about. As you can see, it’s about half the size of a normal car.
But what really cracked me up was the name of this model: Ice Cream. Yeah, if that battery goes, it will definitely melt like ice cream.

Ah, I see now it is a low-priced EV from China. Good luck with that!

Alright, about those steaks at John’s place. Swan and I had both been craving some beef, and we went with the tenderloin special (750 pesos) to fill that void.

We were not disappointed. Very tender and tasty.
We had ours medium-rare.
Our dinnertime view from John’s

The first stop on the bar hop was the newest bar in town, MacArthur’s. The place was surprisingly full when we arrived. The music was blaring loud enough that conversation was difficult. They didn’t have wine in stock, so Swan ordered gin and soda water. They gave her a gin in lime juice. My beer was 120 pesos. It was one and out for us, and we are not likely to return.

Next up was the rarely visited Red Stars. Our waitress remembered me from the Blue Butterfly days and welcomed me back by pointing to my belly and asking when the baby was due. Thousands of comedians are out of work, and she’s trying to be funny! Anyway, I get that a lot and wasn’t offended. They had wine for Swan, and my Zero was reasonably priced at 80 pesos. We sat on the outdoor patio, and Swan engaged the two waitresses at our table in a Tagalog conversation. Naturally, I bought the girls a lady drink, then watched the world go by as I enjoyed my beer(s).

The last stop was Hot Zone. I can’t even remember the last time I was there. Nothing wrong with the bar, just not my kind of place anymore. I visited last night because I got a message from owner Jay telling me he had found a shirt of mine (Jay used to be the Grandmaster of the Subic Hash, so I assumed it was a Hash shirt). I was curious about both the shirt and its origins, so I found myself in the Zone. It turns out it was a special shirt designed to commemorate an ill-fated Hash in November 2019—the one where we got arrested by the Philippine Navy for trespassing. I wrote about it here. Apparently, it got dropped off for me and misplaced for almost five years. Better late than never. Thanks, Jay!

The front of my newly discovered Hash shirt. The name on the sleeve is how Jay knew it was mine.
And the backside tells the rest of the story. (bad photography: “subjected to tortuous boredom and had beer withheld…”

The Hot Zone mamasan still remembered me and gave me a poke in the belly greeting as well.

And that’s where the story of my yesterday comes to an end. All that fun came with a price:

  • Medications: 1500 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 360 pesos
  • Tips: 500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1560 pesos
  • Dinner: 1500 pesos
  • Groceries: 14,700 pesos
  • Driver: 1000 pesos
  • Charity: 250 pesos
  • Trike: 100 pesos
  • Total for October 29: 21,470 pesos

Eight years ago, I was walking the streets of Seoul.

The Han River in all her glory

And during that trek, I was surprised to see this old beauty:

And when I say old, I mean older than me. I believe that’s a 1953 model. And looking at it compared to the EV I posted above is a good reminder of just how far we HAVEN’T come.

Today’s YouTube video provides an update on the kidnapped American. Arrests have been made, but not sign as yet of the victim.

And now for some laughs:

I don’t want to know about DOA!
Damn, she must really suck!
Slick move, dude!

Alright, a good morning with the Wednesday Walkers and this afternoon the skies are looking angry. Will I stay or will I go? I don’t know yet either. I’ll let you know tomorrow!

No time

I’m going to be hitting the road soon for that four-hour drive home. I’ve got some nice pics from yesterday’s Hash, but they’ll have to wait until I have more time and a faster internet connection. So, this post is just a placeholder for now.

Waving goodbye to La Union. I’ll be back in December.

I’d paid my Hash fees in advance, so most of my expenses for the day were already covered.

  • Trike: 100 pesos
  • Tips: 250 pesos
  • Alcohol: 360 pesos
  • Dinner: 700 pesos
  • Total for October 26: 1410 pesos

There’s always time for politics, right?

In keeping with the theme of today’s post, the YouTube video is only two minutes long. The vlogger’s voice is irritating, but the photos are good. Kristine was a bitch, but luckily the damage in this part of Luzon wasn’t so bad. We did have a muddy Hash trail to deal with.

Some quick humor:

Like Hash night
With every breath it takes!
A two for one sale?

Anyway, I’ll get back when I can. But at least this post gives me one less thing to worry about. Later, gators!

Greetings from La Union

Or, to be more precise, hello from Bauang, which is a municipality within the province of La Union. We arrived at our destination after a thankfully uneventful four-hour drive. One of the local Hashers invited us to the local hangout, a bar formerly called Footlights and now goes by Amante. There was a Friday night special on offer that included all you could drink from four until eight pm, food, and a special dance performance. It sounded almost SOB-like and was priced similarly, at 650 pesos per person. So, that’s what we did. No Zero or wine was available, so we drank San Miguel Light. The higher alcohol content and the urge to drink my money’s worth created the drunken result you’d expect. The food was a serving of chicken cordon bleu, which was better than I had expected. The dance performance? Well, it was two gals dancing solo. The first song was typical bar gyrations, similar to what you see in Barretto. When the second song started, everything came off. Yep, totally nude dancing. This is the first time I’ve seen that anywhere in the Philippines. Now, being the old-fashion codger that I am, I prefer some things left to the imagination. But it was nice to see something a little different in a bar. Leave it to beaver!

Swan and I did a nightcap at the hotel bar, although, for some reason, I have little recollection of that event. And now, a new and sunny day has dawned. It looks to be a good day for Hashing!

Our room at the Go Resort in Bauang. I stayed at this hotel last year, and by sheer coincidence, I’m staying in the same room now. I’ve never had that happen before.
Last year, I came alone. This year, Cums Alone is with Cum Together.
The nice pool I won’t be using
The ocean view
At the hotel bar and restaurant
The bar formerly known as Footlights
Last time I was here the place was almost empty. The bar was surprisingly full of local expats yesterday.
The Barretto contingent
And the meal that was part of the package deal

Sorry to disappoint, but there are no photos of the dancers. After their performance, they came around all the tables (fully dressed again) with a tip jar. I was happy to reward them for showing us everything they have.

So, it was a good first night here in La Union.

  • Lady Drinks: 450 pesos
  • Alcohol: 200 pesos
  • Party: 1300 pesos
  • Tips: 350 pesos
  • Snacks: 550 pesos
  • Gasoline: 1000 pesos
  • Lodging: 5000 pesos
  • Trikes: 100 pesos
  • Total for October 25: 8750 pesos

Today’s stroll down memory lane:

Eleven years ago, I was in Myrtle Beach, SC at the Ghost on the Coast darts tournament.
Eight years ago, I took a nighttime stroll on the streets of Seoul

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay provides an update on the body that washed ashore–turns out it was not the kidnapping victim. I doubt he’s still alive though.

Let’s try some humor:

No argument from me.
I’m have keyboard issues, too. But I need new fingers.
An honest mistake

Okay, I’ve got the La Union Hash House Harriers 41st Anniversary event to attend to. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

Piss ‘n blood

Another empty page has now been filled, but it being a Tuesday, there were plenty of open spaces. That’s why we have to live them to see what they may bring.

In a break from the normal routine, we stopped at the Ulticare Hospital on the way to Royal. It seems they were in need of a donation. So, I gave them a vial of my blood, but that wasn’t enough for the greedy bastards.

They also wanted my urine. I didn’t get pissy about it; I just gave them some.

Shopping went as expected, and I was pleasantly surprised to see corn bread mix on sale.

How could I resist?

Even with the sale prices, groceries don’t come cheap these days:

The price you gotta pay when you don’t like Filipino street food.

With the morning chores completed, it was time to think about those late afternoon hours. I had it in my head to do the Baloy Beach thing, but I asked Swan what she wanted to do first. “How about Baloy?” was her response. It is so sweet that we are on the same page most of the time.

Walking on the beach
The view from here

And then I noticed this:

Is that what I think it is?
It is, indeed! My oh my, the Donald has fans way out here. “Take America Back!” is a sentiment I support.

We spent a pleasant hour at Kokomo’s, chatting (and drinking) with the owner. He had planned on anchoring the floating bar this week, but Typhoon Kristine changed those plans. Hopefully, I’ll be spending my Tuesday evenings on the floater starting next month.

When we were ready to eat, we headed up the beach to Treasure Island. They weren’t too busy, and the owner bought us a round of drinks. Swan asked me if I would order some food for the waitresses, and of course, I did not object. Another example of us being on the same page.

I ordered those big ol’ beef enchiladas again. One for dinner, and one for my breakfast this morning.
Swan got a small Hawaiian pizza and brought the leftovers home for her sister.

We finished our drinks and grabbed a trike to Alta Vista. And so ended another day in the life.

Money don’t get everything, it’s true, but what it don’t get, I can’t use…”

  • Dinner: 1160 pesos
  • Tips: 350 pesos
  • Groceries: 15,500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1110 pesos
  • Electricity: 3800
  • Driver: 1000 pesos
  • Healthcare: 750 pesos
  • Charity: 200 pesos
  • Trike: 100 pesos
  • Total for October 22: 22,970 pesos

Twelve years ago, I was hanging with my pal Simon in Itaewon to celebrate his birthday.

Long ago and far away

Seven years ago, I penned this gem:

Death to Aria! I was attacked in my sleep last night. The battle raged from 0200-0300. I was unable to digest why it was happening and was in danger of being completely liquefied. I retreated from the bedroom and eventually purged the intruder. When I awoke a few hours later, I found myself on more solid ground. I’m just glad the attack didn’t occur on the subway, or I would have been in deep doo-doo.

Who says those creative writing classes were a waste of time?

I’m laughing at a lot of those Trump doing McDonald’s memes. Like this one:

The pandering exploded lefty heads almost like a Hezbollah pager!
Pretty much

Today’s YouTube video is the latest from Reekay, talking about mistakes guys make in their search for the perfect Filipina. I’ve found the right one for me, but it took me over five years of fuck-ups. So, here’s your chance to learn from the ignorance of others:

Today’s funnies:

Now tell us about the ups and downs
He’d hate the Philippines. Christmas music starts in September.
Yes, and my reposting it here will probably warrant a ticket to hell.

Well, so far, at least, the typhoon has brought some mild rain and very little wind. I’ve seen photos of flooding elsewhere in the PI. It was enough to cancel the Wednesday Walkers group hike this morning, though. I’m likely going to break out the umbrella come beer o’clock and give a local bar or two some business. Hey, I call it disaster relief! I’ll let you know how that works out for me tomorrow.

Some days are good, others are a real SOB

I report, you decide.

The day began with the Friday group hike. We kept it local this time, and other than fighting our way through the overgrown thatch grass, we had a good walk.

Friday’s joiners
Sun, smoke, and poverty captured in one photo
I’m coming, thanks for waiting
That town that I call home
Almost like a walk in the park…except it was uphill.
Another view from on high
Michael did a good job keeping us on the right path
Pausing for a shady view
The grass was taller than Easter Mountain, or so it appears
A grassy knoll
Out of the grass and into the woods
A better view of that mountain
Passing through Mountain Mama Onelia’s place
Thanksgiving is coming!
A downward trajectory
Vines on powerlines are common in these parts, but those dangling string-like things are pretty unique.
On the road again
Haven’t seen a funeral banner for a while. Leonida made it to ninety-five. Well done!
We went thataway!

It was SOB Friday, and when I attend, I arrive early in order to secure a good seat. Most of the venues open at five, and the show starts at six. The Green Room’s regular opening hour is four, so that meant having a longer than usual wait. Swan joins me just before the show begins to avoid that suffering. So, how do you kill the time sitting in a bar? Oh yeah, beer!

I also ordered a sub sandwich from Sit-n-Bull

The show started on time. Seven hundred pesos each for admission, but the beer is free from six to eight. I consider it a challenge to get my money’s worth, but I can’t drink enough to make up for that slowpoke Swan. No big deal. Before the dancing started, Swan observed one of the GROs rubbing the crotch of the guy at a nearby table. She called the guy an asshole, but I pointed out he wasn’t rubbing on the girl. Anyway, people do what they do, and it is not my concern if it doesn’t affect me.

I was a judge for the contest again, and this week, I was totally in sync with my fellow judges:

Voodoo took fourth place
Alaska was third
The home team, Green Room, finished second
And Wet Spot was this week’s champion

As usual, when the show was over, I was done. We had our regular trike driver meet us outside and headed home.

Here’s how I emptied my wallet yesterday:

  • Cable/Internet: 3500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 450 pesos
  • Tips: 420 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Phone: 3800 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 700 pesos
  • Charity: 3500 pesos
  • Snacks: 100 pesos
  • SOB Fee: 1400 pesos
  • Dinner: 520 pesos
  • Total for October 18: 14,590 pesos

Ah, the memories.

Eleven years ago, I was appreciating the unique street art of Korea.
Look familiar? Five years ago, I did the same hike I wrote about today

Yesterday’s YouTube videos about the poor SOB locked up in jail for pot possession were a lesson in the consequences of being stupid. And today, we have yet another example. Reekay shares the story of a Yank who was kidnapped in Zamboanga, a stronghold for Muslim terrorists in southern Mindanao. I wouldn’t even VISIT that area, let alone choose to live there. Stupid is as stupid does, I suppose. I wish him well, but unless he knows someone willing to pay a hefty ransom, he’s screwed.

Alright, to the humor then:

Kinda like what happened to you, right Kevin?
That doesn’t strike me as funny
They come when I whistle

Saturday is in play. Swan says she is craving a steak dinner at Jewel Cafe, and I’m going to leave her feeling satisfied in that regard. After that, who knows? I do have some coupons from the SOB to expend, so we shall see.

What’s to do on a Thirstday?

Besides drinking? Not much.

Kicked things off with coffee in my newly purchased mug. There is a first time for everything!
Then, there was the morning dog walk. The boys get some off-leash time on this uninhabited street.
And then I walked myself—a 6+K stroll on the streets of Barretto.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more! It had been days (two of them!) since I’d last interjected myself in the Barretto nightlife scene. I decided some treats for the girls were in order, so I brought along chocolate marshmallow pies, some lollipops, and this bag of candy:

This was intended to be a prop for a joke. It cost me five bucks at Royal, but I’ll pay for a laugh. But sometimes the joke’s on me.

One of my favorites at the It Doesn’t Matter bar is a gal that goes by the name of Hershe. I’ve teased her in the past by misreading it as “he-she” and asking if she was a bakla (trans). So, my plan last night was to call her over to my table and tell her there is something I’ve wanted to do since we first met, but she should get a lady drink first. When she returned, I would say, I hope you will understand my intentions. I’ve already discussed this with Swan (yes, Swan was in on the joke), and she is fine with me doing this. Having created the appropriate level of anticipation, I would then say, “Hershe, I want to give you kisses!” After enjoying her reaction, I would pull the candy out of the bag and hand it to her. Then we’d all have a good chuckle. Except my plans went awry when Hershe chose not to show up for work. Oh well, I took the bag of candy to Wet Spot and told the head waitress I wanted to give all the girls kisses. I let her do the distribution.

We wound up staying at IDM longer than usual and enjoyed some food with our beverages.

Swan also enjoyed the company of IDM manager Ashley during our visit.

As mentioned, we did our nightcap at Wet Spot. I bought the usual lady drinks for waitress Irene and head waitress (and Hasher) Beth. The surprise of the visit occurred when Aine came down off her high horse and greeted us at our table before ascending to the stage to join the other dancers. Swan had no issues with bringing Aine down to enjoy a lady drink for old-times sake. In a gesture of goodwill, I offered Aine something to suck on, and she gratefully accepted (a lollipop). Anyway, I sensed Swan didn’t engage with Aine with as much camaraderie as she had in the past. I guess that’s what happens when someone reveals the true nature of their character, as Aine did in turning her back on a friend.

Anyhoo, we had a nice enough evening out in Barretto. Dropped more change than usual in the bars, especially on lady drinks. But that’s the price you pay sometimes when you are having a good time. And I’m sure the gals appreciated it.

  • Alcohol: 1150 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 1400 pesos
  • Dinner: 850 pesos
  • Charity 600 pesos
  • Tips: 250 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Snacks: 700 pesos
  • Prescription Meds: 600 pesos
  • Total for October 17: 5750 pesos

Facebook memories carried me back to Pyeongtaek where I attended a staff dinner party/housewarming at the new home of one of my employees, Ms. Yi.

Seven long years ago. My, how my life has changed.

At least my life has not changed in the way this guy’s did–in a Filipino jail for possession of marijuana. Using and selling drugs in this country is beyond dumb. My number one goal since moving here has been to avoid doing ANYTHING that might be construed as criminal. Yeah, that eighteen-year-old was borderline stupid, but I did at least get a copy of her birth certificate before agreeing to meet her in person. Anyway, this guy is screwed. He was apparently not popular with his fellow Angeles expats, but I wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone. It was his own damn fault, though.

Here’s a take on the situation from another vlogger (including visiting the guy in jail) if you are interested.

I need some humor after watching that shit:

Dude has some balls, that’s for sure.
It’s always the last place you look
Been there, done that, that, that, that.

I woke up to this staring at me through the bedroom window this morning.

Nice to see you again!

Swan and I will be attending the SOB dance competition tonight at Green Room. We’ll turn another page in the story of my life tomorrow. See you then!

Beachy keeno

The Wednesday Walkers made the journey out to San Narciso, and we shared a beach adventure. Swan and I enjoyed breakfast together on the Mope Resort beachside pavilion as we awaited the group’s arrival. Oh, and reader Scott reminded me that Mope = My Outta Pocket Expenses. The Aussie sponsor has a nice sense of humor!

Our breakfast perch
The Mope menu. We shared the pancakes with eggs and toast.
The Mope pool that neither of us used
Swan never misses an opportunity to dispense some sweetness to the kiddies.
The Wednesday Walkers have arrived
Heading out on the beach road
None of us know what might lay ahead.
Here’s a cute little place we passed. The stools ought to be facing the other way, though, so you can enjoy the beach view.
Off the pavement and onto the sand
It’s been a while since we’ve done a group hike on the beach
It was nice, but a little on the warm side
Ten Toes On The Nose. Back when I was a beach bum in California, we called it “Hang Ten”
Looks like the dogs are keeping a watch on their master.
Walking in the sand makes each step a tad more difficult, kinda like one step feels like two.
And the beach wasn’t always flat, causing some sideways slippage in places.
Islands in the stream
Looking for an escape route
How do we get there from here?
Michael says follow me! It got deeper a couple of steps further in.
Swan is short, and she doesn’t swim. I held her hand as we crossed. What came up to my waist was almost to her neck. We made it, though.
Gary, also a non-swimmer, wasn’t so fortunate. He slipped and fell into the current. Michael grabbed his arm before he was washed away.
So we found ourselves at this abandoned beach resort
Scott took a rest on the porch
Things didn’t work out for Shyrel when she tried sitting on this bench.
The caretaker (the guy with no shirt) wasn’t too friendly towards us trespassers. He told us the gate to the road was closed. I gave him a bag of cookies for his trouble, and magically the gate was opened.
On the road again
Out in the countryside
And then we hit the river. I’d been seeing ships like that one coming and going throughout the visit.
We couldn’t tell what the ship was doing there. Discharging loads of water over the side, but why?
The riverside road
The highway crossing
A wet valley
We went this way because it “felt” like the right direction
Bath time and sweets dispensation

So, one of the locals told us to turn right. We did, and reached the end of the road. A local there said there was no way through. Scott, Swan, and I retreated back the way we came. The rest of the group continued marching forward.

The path I took wound up on the highway. I was surprised to see we had reached San Felipe.
Walking the highway back to San Narciso
And then this trike pulled up and offered us a ride. We didn’t say no.
The plan had been to meet up at Joe’s Dawgs. We arrived just a few minutes earlier than the other contingent of Wednesday Walkers.
The orange line is the route the others took. It did involve a shallow river crossing, but they had no problems otherwise. Scott and I conceded we should have gone with them.
Two of those weird ships passing in the sea.

After lunch, I walked back to Mope with Swan and Michael. Michael retrieved his car and left to pick up the group at Joe’s. My driver was waiting when we arrived. I checked out of my room, and we headed for home.

We stopped at the Subic marketplace and picked up this week’s supply of candy

When we arrived home, the power outage was still ongoing, but it was restored a few minutes before the scheduled six p.m. end. I decided the rooftop was The Rite Spot for me to spend my Wednesday evening.

The view when I arrived at The Rite Spot
And after the sun departed
Spaghetti with meat sauce is a Rite Spot specialty.
Swan’s family from Subic joined us for dinner

And so ended another day in the life.

Here’s how I emptied my wallet:

  • Driver: 2000 pesos
  • Charity: 2300 pesos (candy)
  • Tips: 400 pesos
  • Breakfast: 500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 600 pesos
  • Lunch: 400 pesos
  • Trike: 150 pesos
  • Total for October 16: 6350

I mentioned the other day that you don’t see down-and-out expats on the streets of Barretto. Sadly, that’s not true everywhere. One of the Facebook groups I follow posted this photo today:

I wish him well, but he doesn’t look long for this world. I’m sure what led him here is a sad story indeed.

Living with less is a common thing for many Filipinos. In today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea visits a provincial family to show us their way of life. I see many similar residences in my backcountry walks, so I found hearing and seeing the way things are quite fascinating.

Today’s funny stuff:

It stinks when things are ass-backwards
I prefer the low road
No shit, Sherlock

I reckon I ought to see what’s been going on in Barretto since I’ve not visited for two whole nights now. Someone has to keep the bars in business, right?

Nice to beach you!

That’s why it’s called a holiday!

The rare fun-filled Tuesday is now history. Well, it wasn’t all fun. I kicked things off with a visit to the immigration office for another sixty-day tourist visa extension, which got approved without a problem. I also had to renew my Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) card, so my fees were doubled this time. Oh, well, that’s the price you gotta pay.

Next up was the grocery shopping chore. I gave the Pure Gold supermarket a try in search of things I can’t find at Royal. Wound up spending over 11,000 so I guess it was a successful endeavor. Then, I went to Royal to fill in the gaps and spent another 11,000. Oh, well. The cabinets are full again.

We offloaded the groceries at home, loaded up the suitcase and backpacks, then headed for San Narciso. I turned on my tracker so I could map the journey, and it looks like this:

That’s the way to get there. It turns out it is right at 29K from my door to Mope Resort. That’s less than Kevin will be walking every day on his trek across Korea. In my wildest dreams, I can’t see myself walking all the way to San Narciso in a day.
I have returned!

I got a nice room this time, not that I spent much time in there. We unpacked, I knocked out yesterday’s blog post, and then we headed to the place that makes Mope special…outside seating with beach views. And cold beer, of course!

The view from here
Life’s a beach sometimes
Swan Mope-ing around
She’s such a poser!
But sometimes so am I
Love it while you got it!

Our friend Michael arrived later in the afternoon; then he took a swim in the ocean. He joined us for a beer before we headed to resto-bar a few blocks away named Joe’s Dawgs.

A small, cozy venue
It was nice meeting the American owner, Joe. Originally from Ohio, then he had a hot dog stand in Florida before making the Philippines his new home.
We were the only customers during a visit last night.
That’s pretty cheap for a roast beef sandwich, so I gave it a try.
I prefer a roll to a bun; otherwise, it wasn’t bad.
After dinner beers, and chit chat

When we were done at Joe’s, Michael dropped us back at Mope and headed home. The night’s fun wasn’t over, though. Swan and I grabbed some seats and engaged in our nightcap activities. I had a hankering for some ice cream and sent one of the Mope crew to the store to fetch what I thought would be cones.

I had given him enough money to get something for everyone, and he returned with two half-gallon cartons. We gave one to the crew to share, and I dove into the rocky road.
The look on your face when your sweet tooth is satiated. And you’ve had one too many beers. No Zero in stock, so I’d been drinking the higher-alcohol San Mig Lights all night. As you can see, I got a little sloppy scooping the ice cream, too.

So, it was off to bed for a good night’s sleep in preparation for today’s adventure. I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.

What yesterday cost me:

  • Tips: 670 pesos
  • Alcohol:1600 pesos
  • Snacks: 800 pesos
  • Dinner: 500 pesos
  • Driver: 3000 pesos
  • Visa Extension: 6200 pesos
  • Hotel: 2750 pesos
  • Charity: 200 pesos
  • Groceries: 22,700 pesos
  • Total for October 16: 38,420 pesos

Good times don’t come cheap!

Eleven years ago, I was hanging out at the Puddlin’ Duck in Columbia, South Carolina, with my dart buddies, Gunny and James.

Gunny
And James

Sadly, both of them left this world behind within a couple of short years after that happy day.

Today’s YouTube video talks about the things Filipinos find weird about foreigners. I’m guilty of most of them.

Humor time:

Time gets on ticking into the future
Me too!

I am literally out of time. No power here and my laptop battery is almost gone. I’ll fill the gaps tomorrow.

Live it or lose it

I’m gonna keep on keepin’ on as long as I can!

Yep

Another good day in the life. A Candy Walk, a feeding, and a pool party with the neighborhood gang filled the Sunday hours in a satisfying fashion.

We had two candy bags and two backpacks full of refills. This week, we tried something new. Rather than sorting out five individual pieces by rummaging through the bag, we made individual candy sacks in an assembly-line fashion at home. This made the handouts quick and efficient.
Let’s get it done!
Into the grassy sea
A regular stop
For you Easter Mountain fans
Another popular stop
Like ducks to water
The ol’ swimmin’ hole
Come and get it!
200+ deliveries this week
The path we walked

The party began at four, so I went to Hideaway early. No Jewel Cafe this week; I just gave the girls cash for some chicken and meat sticks. A couple of beers later, and I caught a trike back home. Then, it was off to Maksil’s place for the neighborhood gathering.

It was my first visit to one of the more unique houses in Alta Vista
Our hangout spot
At first glance I thought she was peeing in the pool
The view from here
The Alta Vista clubhouse is across the street
Swimming pools really aren’t my thing so I stayed dry.
I always enjoy watching the sun go down
Table #1
And the beer table. That’s our host, Maksil, on the right
A cloud I liked
Sundown
A Swan in the water

It was an easy stroll home after I’d had my fill of beer and fun—and it didn’t cost much, either!

  • Alcohol: 240 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 450 pesos
  • Charity: 1800 pesos (Hideaway feeding)
  • Trike: 400 pesos
  • Lunch 550 pesos
  • Tips: 50 pesos
  • Trash Collection: 100
  • Total for October 13: 3590 pesos

I posted a video about island hopping in Pundaquit yesterday, and coincidentally, Facebook memories reminded me this morning that it was one year ago that I was doing that tour:

And I didn’t go alone!
Cruising on the South China Sea
Islands in the stream

Eight years ago, I won a darts tournament in Bangkok:

Good times!

Ten years ago, I posted something that is truer now that it ever was:

I don’t like the leftist agenda, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like the leftist agenda, denigrate means “put down.”

Today’s YouTube vlogger declares that calling the Philippines “third world” is a myth. That made me laugh because he lives in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the enclave of Manila where the rich folks live. That ain’t the real PI, dude! I often joke that Alta Vista isn’t in the Philippines, but I can hear it from here. The squatter villages and shanty towns are a lot more authentic representations than BGC. Still, the video offers some nice street scenes of the place where the wealthy (locals and expats) can live and pretend the rest of this third-world country doesn’t exist.

Today’s lame humor:

Hope it all cums out okay
He’s just considering his breast options
Sorry, I didn’t mean to push your buttons

Hash Monday has arrived once more. This morning on the dog walk I was greeted with this:

You can see the rainbow, right? What’s weird is we didn’t have any rain.

My big news is that tomorrow, after shopping, Swan and I will travel to San Narciso to stay overnight at the Mope Beach Resort. The motivation for planning this adventure is that there is a scheduled all-day power outage for Wednesday. No need to stay home for that! We’ll see how the logistics work out, but I may have to alter the blog posting schedule some. We shall see.

Oh, and my buddy Kevin will be heading out for his annual cross-Korea hike tomorrow. You can follow along on the adventure here. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun, Kev!

Today’s closing song is one I had totally forgotten until I saw it mentioned in passing on the Althouse blog today. I also learned that the songwriter/performer, Mason Williams, was a comedy writer for the old Smothers Brothers show. Damn, what a talented man! Glad to get reacquainted.

It was a gas to hear this classic again!

It was also fun to watch these two hear it for the first time:

An island of treasure

Well, I live on Luzon Island, and my life here is a treasure (to me), so the title of this post is apt. I also spent my evening at Treasure Island Resort on Baloy Beach. My Saturday on the island began with a street stroll through Barretto. Swan joined me for the walk.

Leaving the ‘hood under the ever-watchful gaze of Easter Mountain
Adding some sweetness to the day
Grabbing some fresh fruits at this stand in the marketplace
Passing through Columban
We ended our trek at the Jewel Cafe with some take out

As mentioned above, we journeyed out to Treasure Island later in the afternoon. We had some unexpected afternoon rain, so there was a question as to whether there would be live music (it’s an outdoor venue). The rain stopped, and the band started about an hour late, so it all worked out in the end.

The view from our stools at Treasure Island
The view of us at Treasure Island
A view of the beach
And a view of the bay
Engine band
Engine band bassist

Then it was time to eat.

I went with the sweet and sour pork. It was okay.
Chicken cordon bleu for Swan. She had one bite of the potatoes and said, “These are from a box.” It is real or nothing for her.

Enjoyed some more music and then grabbed a trike for home, stopping at 7/11 for some ice cream cone treats to share with the guards. And another day came to an end.

Easy come, easy go:

  • Meat: 4600 pesos
  • Fruit and Veggies: 700 pesos
  • Lunch: 400 pesos
  • Trike: 250 pesos
  • Charity: 120 pesos
  • Snacks: 330 pesos
  • Dinner: 760 pesos
  • Tips: 150 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1160 pesos
  • Total for October 12: 8470 pesos

All I have from the Facebook memories is two quotes I posted twelve years ago:

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

–Mark Twain

I never forget a face, but in your case, I’d be glad to make an exception.

–Groucho Marx

I have no recollection as to why I posted them.

Today’s YouTube video is an island hop off Pundaquit. I’ve done that before, and it was quite nice. The Pundaquit/San Antonio area is somewhere I could consider living should things in Barretto ever go to crap. I doubt that’s going to happen in this lifetime, though.

Humor break:

Any which way but loose
Understanding is a transition
Been there, done that

A little shakeup in the Sunday routines today. We got the Candy Walk done, but dinner at John’s place has been supplanted by an invite to a party and Maksil’s house here in the neighborhood. I’m going to make an appearance at Hideaway and fund the feeding, but I won’t be sticking around for long because the party starts at four. Something different is always nice!

Styx and Stones may rock my bones, but you can’t breathe without Air Supply

A great full day

Most days, it feels like I’m just filling the hours. But yesterday, the hours were full of fun and adventure. Fulfilling indeed!

It took a little over an hour to get to Barangay Aglao from Barretto.

Things kicked off when the Friday group hikers traveled to the wilds of San Marcelino to explore the shore of Mapanuepe Lake. The lake was formed after the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 blocked the river and flooded the valley, creating a lake and drowning three villages in the process. Check out the link for the interesting details.

A church steeple is all that remains of one of those villages

What was unique about yesterday’s hike was that none of us had ever been here before. Well, I came this way two years ago, but we were across the lake in the campground area back then. The terrain we explored this time was virgin territory. I had it in my head that we could go overland to the campground, but I was wrong about that. We also had thought we could hike some of the way on the lake shore, but other than where we started in the village of Aglao, that was not to be. Still, everything being new and us being clueless added to the feeling of adventure. We were only on one hill but went up and down it twice, looking for our way. Ultimately, we had to retreat and retrace our steps to get back to where we started (and where the car was parked). We all agreed it was a fun trek and enjoyed the beauty of nature that surrounded us.

What our ups and downs looked like…
We have arrived, courtesy of Michael’s vehicle
A sign that we are welcome
We are gonna go thataway
And so it begins
It seems the lake is full of clouds
No idea what that stickwork is all about
Rumor has it that structure was at one time a floating restaurant
A tree I liked
And another lake view
Swan getting some directions from a local
And up we go. For the first, but not the last, time.
Now what do we do?
We’ll just keep on moving forward
No idea where we are going, but we are heading there anyway
Where now, brown cow?
That’s the campground across the lake
But you can’t get there from here. Without swimming anyway.
Back up we go
Swan-eating bushes
The view from here
There is no shame in retreat
Back in the village
Todd and Swan are poles apart
It’s like deja vu all over again.
The Friday hiking group, unbowed and undefeated
There was a sari-sari store at the end of this pier. Alas, no beer for sale.
So, we stopped in this place for the first time during the drive home.
That’s a creative way to say it. We didn’t try the meat, though. The beer wasn’t cold, and they had difficulty making change. I’m not saying we won’t be back, but we won’t go out of our way to come here.
What our adventure looked like from above. It is painfully obvious that my vision of walking to the campground was doomed from the start.

With the long drive and beer stop on the way back, I got home much later than usual. And I had a grand opening to attend. So, I dashed off a blog post, took a shower, and we set about heading into town.

Welcome to town, General MacArthur
My friend Jessa is overseeing the opening and training the new staff. She will be moving to the other venue on Baloy when the resto-bar there is ready to open,
Buying Jessa and the bartender a lady drink seemed like the polite thing to do.

Good luck to MacArthur’s. It’s a tiny place in a small town with fifty other bars, but maybe it will become an expat hangout. I doubt I’ll be more than an occasional customer, but I’m looking forward to the Baloy Beach venue.

I shall return!

We also had a dinner date with the neighborhood group from Alta Vista on our schedule. Papagayo was the chosen venue, and it is conveniently located almost next door to MacArthur’s.

The dinner group
My dinner was a chicken enchilada.

After the meal, the group moved up the highway to another newish venue, Red Stars. Yeah, we made some commie jokes about that name.

Cheers!

It was getting close to nine p.m., and the group was going to make Green Room the next stop. I’d had enough by now, and I pride myself on knowing when to say when. So, I said goodnight, and we caught a trike for home.

It was a gooder day than most and I am grateful to have had it. Here’s what it cost me:

  • Salary: 1000 pesos (part-time helper)
  • Prescription Meds: 1400 pesos
  • Jeepney: 50 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Dinner: 415 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 520 pesos
  • Tips: 200 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1840 pesos
  • Total for October 11: 5625 pesos

To the memories from my glory days:

Eight years ago, I was visiting Pattaya, Thailand. I decided to grab a beer here.
Turns out, the name was ironic. There wasn’t a pussy in this ladyboy bar. The “gals” were friendly though.
Things felt a little safer on the infamous Walking Street

Seven years ago, I experienced a different kind of danger in Boracay:

I only walked this path in daylight and while sober.

In today’s YouTube video, Filipina Pea explores something that used to be near and dear to my heart: transactional relationships. She poses the question of whether, in truth, ALL relationships are transactional. Thinking in terms of me and Swan, I’d say no. But there is a voice in my head asking what would happen if I lost my pension and the house and lived on the street. As am I wont to say, I don’t know, and I don’t care. I’d probably die before crossing that bridge anyway.

And now for some humor:

Judge me by my character, not the color of my skin. Hmm, never mind!
Yeah, so what happened to Jeffrey Epstein?
Sounds vaguely familiar…

This evening, we plan to visit Treasure Island on Baloy and enjoy some live music. Hopefully, the rain will hold off. See you back here tomorrow!

And the “first time hearing” video: