That’s where I be until bright and early tomorrow morning. Then, we’ll catch our flight to Siragao Island. So here’s a down-and-dirty update on the trip so far.

Swan and I loaded our bags into neighbor Jeff’s car at the agreed-upon 7 a.m. departure time. We then drove to Clark Airport in Angeles City, arriving at 8:15. We parked and waited for the 9 a.m. bus that would carry us to the Manila airport, where we finally arrived a little after noon. We called a Grab car to take us to our hotel in Makati, but the reception staff wouldn’t let us check in until 2 p.m. So, we went across the street and had lunch at a friendly sports bar named Shooters. Now I’m in my room and in an hour we will take a walk to a part of the city I’ve never visited, BGC.

Hopefully, I’ll be back to regular posting tomorrow from General Luna City in Siragao. Until then, here are a few photos from today’s adventure (so far):

Then we stopped in Angeles to pick up more passengers. Next, the driver and his assistant stopped to grab a sandwich. It was almost an hour before we were finally on the expressway to Manila.

And that’s where things stand as of now. Back tomorrow with more.

It’s nice when something old is new again, like when the floating bar comes back after its seasonal hiatus. And the same old, same old can be sweet as well, like doing the weekly Decay Dance. That was my Saturday in a nutshell. We’ll let the photos from the day tell most of the story:

When it was time to head to the floating bar, neighbors Jeff and Davina wanted to come along. Fine, you drive! Some other friends met us there shortly after our arrival.

Granted, that’s not the view I come for these days.

More dancin’ in the dark:

All good things must pass. The neighbors departed for a family dinner gathering, and Swan and I headed ashore for some food at Treasure Island.

Here’s to hoping it never gets old.

Back to the September 2015 LTG archives. Maybe it’s the pot calling the meat roast, but this post offers a nice juxtaposition of what a day in my life looked like ten years ago versus now. It’s all good.

Eight years ago, my walks were a little more chilling than they are now.

Speaking of distant memories, today’s YouTube tells the story of how the Philippines got its name. Never watched this vlogger before, but he does a nice job. I need to go back and watch the other parts of his history of the Philippines.

Here I go again:

So, bright and early in the morning, we begin our trek to Siargao Island. Riding with Jeff and Davina to Angeles City, where we’ll catch a bus to Manila. We’ll spend the night in Makati before flying out Tuesday morning. I’m not sure where blogging will fit into my travel itinerary, so don’t worry if you don’t see a regularly scheduled post. I’ll blog when and if I can, and when I do, it’s all gonna be about new stuff I’ve never seen or done before. Looking forward to it!

Back in my Southern Cal youth, we’d say shit like, “She’s a surfer’s dream, flat as a board.” Yesterday’s group hike was like that. We did the Philseco loop, a 7K journey that doesn’t have a hill climb. It’s getting hot outside, and I ain’t as young as I used to be, so keeping things on the level works for me.

It’s been a long time since our last visit to the 13 Resort. Swan and I went yesterday because we both wanted to share a Monte Cristo sandwich. Alas, it was not to be. All they have on the menu now is a few Thai dishes. The place was looking more rundown than usual as well. I asked a waiter if the owner, Badger, was around, and he told me Badger spends his time in Angeles City these days. Rumor has it the resort is for sale. Good luck to all.

After the usual R&R at home, it was time to head into town for some Friday evening action. As we walked, I asked Swan where she wanted to go first. She responded, “It doesn’t matter.” I told her, c’mon, you choose. Once again, she simply said, “It doesn’t matter.” I gruffly responded, Fine, be that way, and took her to IDM.

We did our nightcap at Cloud 69. Our favorite waitress was absent once again, but two baklas sat at our table, kept Swan company, and brought me beer refills. I asked if they preferred a lady drink or a tip, and both said just the tip. As we left, I gave them each 100 pesos, more than the LD commission for them, and cheaper than two LDs for me. I’ll call that a win. We also learned that Cloud 69 will close on Wednesday and relocate to the building where Cyclone is currently located. Same owner for both bars, so likely just a cost reduction move.

And that’s how I spent my Friday.

Back to the September 2015 LTG archives, and in this post, I was on fire. In more ways than one.

It’s been too long since we’ve checked in with the Filipina Pea, and in this video, she answers viewers’ questions about why Filipinas sometimes act the way they do. Swan’s one, but she’s not like the Filipinas they describe in this video. We have our moments of drama, but they are rare and short-lived.

Here we go again:

That’s all, folks. The Kokomo’s floating bar is opening today, and Swan and I will be there to do some rockin’ on the water. Been missing that.

A very pleasant gathering with friends and neighbors yesterday to give thanks for all the blessings that come with living in the unique paradise of the Philippines. Drinking began at 4 pm, and food was served at 6. I had two Thanksgiving-sized helpings, and by 7:30, something went wrong. I think it was more about over-ingestion of food than alcohol, but perhaps it was an unhealthy combination of the two. Whatever it was, I knew I needed to lie down, so I shamefully said an early goodnight to the hosts and other guests, and Swan escorted me home. Once I was tucked in, she returned next door and stayed until the conclusion of the party at 10:30 p.m.

Well, I did go back to bed at four and managed to sleep until six, so I’m well-rested today.

It was fun while it lasted, that’s for sure. Folks seemed to enjoy the fruit salad I contributed. The candied yams and green bean casserole were my favorite sides. Good times!

Continuing on in the September 2015 LTG archives, I recount (mostly through photos) a visit with the wife to Nami Island. It was part of my ongoing effort to make my wife happy. Alas, it was an effort destined to fail.

Also in the archives was a link to this post, where I weigh in on the issue of prostitution and human trafficking in the bars. I have to admit, I was pretty shocked to find a post with some substance here at LTG.

Despite my fantasies, I have to accept that time travel is outside the realm of human existence. The next best thing is videos from the past, like this one entitled “Subic Bay Liberty Call.” The song is nice too.

Humor me:

And we’ll leave it at that for today. Thanks for reading!

I’ve got a feast to attend to this afternoon, so let’s get on with the down and dirty about yesterday, shall we?

Then it was time to convene the Wednesday Walkers group hike.

Swan didn’t join in the hike because she had a doctor’s appointment in Olongapo. When she returned in the afternoon, she declared the rare “me day” where we’d each do our own thing. Hers was to relax at home. Mine was to expend the Cheap Charlie’s beer card I’d received at the RSL meeting.

Without Swan around, a couple of the gals felt like keeping me company. I explained to them once again that since CC’s raised the price of a single lady drink to 250 pesos, I would not be buying them one (200 pesos is my max). They stuck around anyway and even laughed at some of my jokes. I guess they were bored, and there weren’t any other prospects around. When I was ready to order some food from Foodies downstairs, I told them they could get something off the menu instead of a drink. The food they ordered was coincidentally 250 pesos each, but it is not the money; it is the scam of paying 250 for an overpriced drink. I also gave them 50 pesos each as a tip when I departed.

My next stop was Wet Spot to see if there were any updates on a memorial gathering for Dave Fisher. Manager Bret told me nothing had been arranged yet, but Dave’s widow would be in town today, presumably to finalize the sale of Dave’s bars. Bret thought it likely there would be a bar crawl in Dave’s honor sometime next week. Sadly, I won’t be able to attend as I’m booked for seven days on Siragao Island, departing on Monday. Oh well, Dave is gone but will not be forgotten.

I did my nightcap at Green Room and enjoyed the music and watching some skilled pool players compete. One of the songs I hadn’t heard for a long time was Don McLean’s American Pie. It brought back memories of a creative writing class I took at Golden West College in Huntington Beach back in 1973. One of our projects was analyzing the lyrics to that song to discern the people and events McLean was singing about. It really is an excellent piece of work.

Left Green Room near my beer intake capacity, but when I got out of the trike at my house, neighbor Jeff invited me to join him for “one more” at his place. Of course, I wasn’t going to be rude and decline, so I grabbed Swan and we headed next door. After a nice chat and TWO beers, I pulled the plug on my Wednesday and called it a day.

Continuing through the September 2015 LTG archives, having a Buddhist wife meant occasionally visiting temples in the area. In this post, we traveled out near Incheon to enjoy a day at the Bomunsa Temple—lots of photos to enhance the memory of a good day together. I didn’t know then that those days would soon be over.

And as a bonus, I mentioned yesterday about the last car I’ll own. Here’s the post about all the cars I’ve owned in this lifetime.

I don’t have any memories of the old Subic Bay Navy Base, but sometimes the old buildings on SBMA remind me of the now-closed Yongsan Army Base where I used to work. Today’s YouTube video is full of pictures capturing the history of the Navy in Subic.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for:

Okay, it’s turkey day today. Celebrating Thanksgiving a week early with the neighbors because we’ll be in uncharted territory next week. I had a busy morning in the kitchen preparing my contributions to the event.

Looking forward to being thankful! I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

I just now got the sad news that Dave Fisher, owner of Wet Spot and Green Room, and a long-time icon of Barretto, has passed away. He will be missed. What always most impressed me about Dave was how he looked out for the interests of the foreigners here. He was well-connected with the mayor’s office in Olongapo and worked hard behind the scenes to protect the bar district from the corruption so prevalent in Angeles City. Things like bar raids are almost non-existent here. And if someone fucked up and wound up in jail, Dave would often visit and ensure they had adequate food and care. I expect we’ll see some changes to the way things are in the future, and I doubt they will be for the better. Dave stuck around until his mid-80s and lived an amazing life as a physician and pharmaceutical executive in Europe, before getting into the bar business in both Thailand and the Philippines over twenty years ago. It won’t be the same without him around.

Yesterday was less depressing than today’s news, so let’s get to that.

We did the Decay Dance under sprinkles of raindrops. There weren’t as many kids around, so we extended our walk by another 3K.

At beer o’clock, I headed out to the side of town I don’t visit often enough.

When we were ready to eat dinner, we headed almost next door.

For our nightcap, we crossed the highway (no easy task on a Saturday night) and visited the newest bar in town, Gold Bar.

Swan had to get up at 3:00 am for a running event, so we didn’t stay late. I’ll share more about that tomorrow, but she did her first 10K run and says she enjoyed it.

Today’s post from the LTG archives in July 2015 recounts the sad story of a Filipino friend getting caught by Korean immigration and deported back to the Philippines. Also, one of my best friends from my time in Korea returned to the USA to teach in Arizona. People come and go in life, and today I’m saying goodbye to the legend, Dave Fisher.

Facebook memories from this date in time:

Today’s YouTube video also comes from Facebook, thirteen years ago. Oddly enough, two years later, I did get rehired by my old crew at 8th Army.

And now, before I go:

Well, damn. Dave put up a good fight, and now his suffering is over. Still hard to believe he’s gone. It occurs to me that mourning has a selfish element to it. And I’m a selfish bastard sometimes.

Speaking of taking it up the ass, my blog has been attacked with malware once again. I got an email from SiteLock saying they found malware during a recent scan of LTG. And this morning, a commenter told me: “You’ve got another malicious plug-in or another bit of malware in WordPress. I’m being redirected to a malicious website like several weeks ago with a scam 1-800 Windows support number.” Shit! Why bother with scamming a little-read site like mine? Sorry for any trouble you encountered.

So, this morning, I contacted SiteLock and was told I needed to upgrade my security protection. With the premium package, they would remove the malware. Okay, let’s do it. Nope, I had to do the upgrade through HostGator, where my blog resides. So, I got there and chatted with another customer service rep.

No website is completely safe, regardless of how long it’s been up and running without issues. Hackers are constantly developing new techniques, and what might have been a secure website a few years ago could be vulnerable today.

I highly recommend upgrading your security service to the *Sitelock Prevent Plus* for just $155.76.

They will thoroughly remove all malware from your website, fix any existing vulnerabilities, and implement safeguards to prevent future attacks.

Not having any other options, I spent the money. I’m supposed to be contacted before they implement the fix, but I haven’t heard anything yet. I’m told it can take six hours or more to do the work, during which time my blog won’t be accessible. So, heads up if you don’t hear from me.

There was a good time yesterday at The Rite Spot. Swan’s female friends gathered for some soju-fueled fun, something they do once a month or so. It was Swan’s turn to host, and the gals said they were looking forward to the rooftop views. Based on my observations, they were not disappointed.

When one of the girls had to leave, Scott and I caught a ride on her trike into town. The party had started before 3 pm, and it was nearly six now. Guys at a girls’ event just don’t fit in, sorta like a tranny in the women’s restroom, and we’d had enough. We popped into Alley Cats for a beer, and were joined by Troy, Simon, and Jim. It was trivia night at the bar, and even though I wasn’t participating, trying to think of the answers was making my brain hurt. So, when I was done with my beer, I said goodbye and wandered off up the highway. I got as far as It Doesn’t Matter before I needed to rehydrate.

A couple of beers later, I’d had enough and grabbed a trike for home. The party was still in full swing upstairs, so I made a brief appearance before saying goodnight and hitting the sack. Swan said the girls left around ten and were going to do a barhop. Damn, I miss the days when I had that kind of staying power.

Everyone seemed to have a good time, and Swan was happy with the event. It’s good to be alive.

It’s on to June 2015 in the LTG archives. Upon my re-employment after nearly five years of retirement, I wrote this post listing all the jobs I had held throughout my life. For anyone who says my blog is worthless, I’d beg to differ. I would never have remembered some of these if I hadn’t written them down while my brain was still mostly functional.

Gonna lighten things up with today’s YouTube video—three minutes of jokes. I can’t promise they are funny, but see how you react.

I can’t say these are any better:

That’s all I’ve got for today.

Well, it was a Tuesday, so I had low expectations, and I wasn’t disappointed. That won’t stop me from telling you all about it, though. You are welcome!

I’ll be traveling to Surigao Island with the neighbors (all four of them—Jeff, Davina, Martin, and Joss) the last week in November, so we’ll likely miss the traditional Thanksgiving feast. Not to worry, Jeff and Davina invited us to join them on the 20th for an early celebration. I volunteered to bring the turkey.

I’ll also be making a batch of my Aunt Pat’s Recipe World-Famous Fruit Salad to share at the early Thanksgiving gathering. I’ll contribute my brownies and an apple pie to the feast as well. It should be fun, looking forward to it.

Tuesday is our traditional toes in the sand day, so we headed to Baloy Beach so Swan could get her fix.

To our surprise, Kokomo’s was actually open, so naturally we stopped in.

Word from the waitresses is that the floating bar will be out by this weekend, weather permitting. The fact that they had waitresses was a good sign because they had been hired to work on the floater.

We found out that the beer was warm because the power was out. And with the sundown, things were getting a little on the dark side. So, we paid our tab and departed. I was worried that Treasure Island would also be without light, but that was not the case. The outage appeared to be limited to Kokomo’s.

So, we grabbed a seat at the TI bar and ordered our dinner.

After our meal, we grabbed a trike and had it drop us off at Queen Victoria Bar for our nightcap.

And as always, it’s good to be alive. Speaking of which, it was just one year ago that things were looking a little iffy:

From the April 2015 LTG archives is a post recalling some memories from the years I spent living in Prescott, Arizona. Overall, that was my favorite place to have resided in the USA, but that chapter of my life ended in 1983. I’m glad to have lived it.

For today’s YouTube video, I’m sharing this vlogger’s take on the reasons for the “tourism crisis” in the Philippines. Honestly, none of the issues he describes are new, and I experienced some of them back in my tourist days. Living here now for going on eight years, I’ve learned to take the good with the bad. My little town is not free from frustrations, but it is still a comfortable spot for retired expats like me. Now, I’d likely not feel that way if I had chosen Manila, so buyer beware.

Humor time:

So, there you have it until we meet again.

Here’s Rod Hart with the opening credits song from Junior Bonner. I saw him perform at the Wagon Wheel bar in Prescott.

The big news in these parts is that another typhoon has arrived, and they are calling this one “super.”

Now it’s just a matter of waiting to see how hard we get hit. Some light rain so far this morning, but it was enough for us to abort our Decay Dance/Candy Walk. The On-Home for tomorrow’s Hash has been moved from Kim’s place on Baloy Beach to the Bella Monte Hotel. I imagine we’ll be confined to a street walk or a bar crawl. I’ll be surprised if we don’t lose power once the winds kick in. And no, I have not purchased a generator.

Super Typhoon Uwan arrived late in the season, but it’s the strongest storm of the year to hit us here on Luzon Island. Assuming I survive, I’ll be back tomorrow to report on the damage done.

We enjoyed our sunny day yesterday in Botolon at the Tumangan River. First time I’d been out this way, and it is always good to see some new scenery. The riverside was packed with locals (our group was the only foreigners in attendance), and it was nice to enjoy some Filipino-style recreation.

We started at nine and left at three. I waited until noon to pop the top on my first beer, but I’d had my fill by departure time. I had to ask Martin to stop twice on the way home for a pee stop; sorry about that!

Once home, I wasn’t in the mood to go out again, so we just chillaxed until bedtime.

And now a new day has blown in. I expect it to be a wet and wild one.

Marching on to March 2015 in the LTG archives and the first entry for the month is one of the nothing posts y’all have come to know and love here on my humble blog: “Down in the mouth and knee deep in doo doo.” Enjoy!

For today’s YouTube video, we’ll check in with Reekay for his take on whether things like volcanoes, earthquakes, and typhoons should dissuade you from living in the Philippines. Nothing Mother Nature throws at me could possibly be worse than, oh, say living in Mandami’s NYC. Let’s see if I live to regret those words.

Humor me, please:

Yeah, I’ll stop. I’m going to venture out in the rain to feed the Hideaway gals, then we’ll see how things go from there.

Here’s the rare early morning post at LTG. The why for that is because I’m not sure what is in store come the afternoon, which is when I usually blog. The regular Friday group hike has been replaced today with the semi-annual 7-Eleven Hash run (which also takes place on July 11th).

Anyway, we are leaving from the 7-Eleven in Barretto at 10:53 this morning (yeah, that’s seven till eleven), taking a Jeepney to Olongapo, and commencing our 7K journey, which will take us to seven 7-Elevens in the city and on SBMA (the old Navy base). We’ll travel back to Barretto when we are done and finish the Hash at Barretto’s other 7-Eleven market. I expect we will find a venue to celebrate this accomplishment, so it is unlikely that I’ll be in any condition to do my usual post about yesterday.

Which is the long way of saying, let’s get started with Thursday:

For our morning walk, I suggested to Swan that we pay a visit to the fishing village of Bantay Bayan and she agreed. After a 5K Jeepney ride, we began our exploration.

I’ve always liked the vibe of this village and imagined what it might be like to live here. I was surprised yesterday when we encountered not one, but two, white guys living that dream.

While we were at Sit-n-Bull, the manager told us that someone had died across the street earlier that morning.

Not many details have emerged as yet, but it was a 20-something young woman and likely a suicide. Sad to see a wasted life. I’m glad I changed my mind fifty years ago; I wouldn’t have missed this adventure since then for the world.

We started our evening out with dinner at Mango’s.

After dinner, we popped into the Outback Billabong bar. We usually frequent the pool bar when we are here, but since it was already dark, we sat inside with aircon and music. Met a friendly Aussie tourist and we had a nice chat. One of the topics we discussed was this:

That’s the kind of excitement I don’t need or want in my life.

We did our nightcap at Queen Victoria bar last night and had an enjoyable time. It has a very unique vibe and the dancers are so energetic that they dance even when they are not on stage. The manager told me he has thirty dancers now, which is likely the most in town. Most of them are relatively attractive, especially when compared to the girls I’ve seen in other Barretto bars. I’d rate Queen Vic the best girly bar in these parts, if that’s your thing.

Still plowing through February 2015 in the LTG archives. Today’s share is a photo-laden post about a weekend in Busan, the ROK’s second city. I always enjoyed visiting there. One more place on my list of things I miss.

Today’s YouTube video is a walk through the streets of Bantay Bayan. My photos didn’t really capture the essence of the village like this does.

You know what comes next:

Okay, it’s gonna be a busy weekend, it seems. The 7-Eleven walk this morning and whatever comes after, then an early morning departure for a day on the river in Botolon. And a blowjob from Uwan on Sunday. Good times!

I hear some people been talking me down
Bring up my name, pass it 'round
They don't mention the happy times
They do their thing, I do mine

Ooh baby, that's hard to change
I can't tell them how to feel
Some get stoned, some get strange
But sooner or later, it all gets real
Walk on, walk on

Ain’t got much to say, so we’ll keep it short and sweet today. Fair enough?

The Wednesday Walkers, all three of us, took the longish Jeepney ride out to Castillejos and did a walkabout on the GOVIC bypass highway.

Come evening, Swan and I kicked things off at Sloppy Joe’s and shared some quite good chicken wings with fries. Then we went next door to Green Room, where I put my “buy one, get one” coupon to good use. When I’d drunk my fill, we headed for home sweet home.

I told you it was a nothing day. But I liked it all the same.

From the February 2015 LTG archives comes a post about coffee shops on Itaewon’s main drag. I was never much of a coffee drinker, but curiosity got the best of me one day, so I counted how many steps there were between the multitude of coffee houses. And I took a photo of each and every one. Go have a look for yourself.

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with Smart Girl Philippines. In today’s YouTube video, she provides the nine reasons a Filipina wants to fuck a foreigner.

And now for these:

And that’s all he wrote. For today anyway.

Don’t worry, I’m not going there. Arguing politics online never changes any minds, mine included. Just glad I’m watching from a safe distance.

Here in my world, I had a mix of the same and something a bit different.

Then it was time for the weekly Decay Dance.

Neighbors Jeff and Davina invited us to join them in the afternoon at Treasure Island on Baloy Beach. Sure, why not?

No Zero available, so I enjoyed a bucket of San Mig Light (six beers for the price of five). I guess you could say I kicked the bucket!

The combination of starting early and drinking beer with 5% alcohol content (versus the 3% I’m accustomed to) inevitably brought the evening to an early end.

This may well be a record for me:

It wasn’t a long day, but it was a good one.

Back to the January 2015 LTG archives, where I write about moving into a new high-rise apartment building and my commute to work in Seoul. Ah, to be young and in my sixties again.

Lots of Facebook memories from this day in my history:

Today’s YouTube video is from my pal Jambo. I promise this is the last time I’ll post a video from the SOB.

What the hell? Okay, click the link instead. Sorry!

Humor time:

Another day, another post. Now I will get on with the rest of my Sunday routines.

This song was released the year I graduated from high school:

It’s a holiday weekend here in the Philippines. Yesterday was Halloween, today is All Saints Day, and tomorrow is All Souls Day. It’s a big deal here, and the cemeteries will be packed on Sunday with family gatherings and celebrations to remember those who have passed. Where I grew up, it was only about the trick-or-treating. Today’s YouTube from the Pea explains the Filipino traditions in more detail.

So, my Halloween this year consisted of an 8K street walk from the Subic marketplace back to Barretto. Then I attended the funeral for the SOB dance contest. It was a rather sad affair. I’ll get to that later in this post, but to keep things sequential, we’ll start with the walk.

I walked through the gate for the first time yesterday. Big, wide streets, paved in concrete and tree-lined. Very nice despite the ghostly vibe. It felt a little like being in a Stephen King novel.

Next on the day’s agenda was attending the final SOB, held at Wet Spot.

Only three bars competed last night, another reason the SOB has been on life support for quite some time now. All participating teams had nice costumes and put some effort into their performances. Creepy Halloween gear and sexy dancing seem to me to be incompatible, but I guess monsters need love, too.

And then it was all over and done with after more than twenty years of weekly competitions. Things change, and life goes on.

So, after making sure I had drunk enough to cover my 750 peso SOB entrance fee, I was ready to head home when the show ended at 8 pm. And that’s just what I did.

Back in January 2015, I linked to a post of mine written on New Year’s Day 2005 from Oklahoma, where I was visiting my parents as I looked towards an unknown future in Korea. Here’s what I had to say back then:

And that leads to my current insight on this New Year’s morning. I never really had a plan for life; I just reacted to it. Whenever I reached a crossroad, I chose a direction and followed the road without a clue as to where it might take me. I guess it is natural to wonder about the paths that would have led to a different life, but you only get to live the life you chose. No mulligans. But I have been extremely fortunate and blessed. Good people got hurt along the way, and for that I am truly sorry. But the roads I have taken have led to some great adventures and life-altering experiences. A fool’s luck, perhaps, but even though I could never have imagined what my life would turn out to be, it has been a very nice ride.

So it is time to look forward again. This year brings a new road in Seoul, Korea. And it will be an adventure with an uncertain outcome for sure. My point (if there is one) is just to say that I have discovered it is important to take the time to enjoy the life you are living, even as you chase rainbows. I think I missed the best part of Oklahoma, and it is only in looking back that I realize that I should have allowed myself to be happy there.

Reading the above this morning had me shaking my head, realizing I never truly learned that lesson. I spent a year in Pyeongtaek, missing the life I’d left behind in Seoul and looking ahead to my upcoming life in the Philippines. I was too foolish to appreciate all the good things that surrounded me back then, and it is only in looking back sadly at what should have been an enjoyable chapter in my life if I’d only allowed myself to live in the moment. So, for better or worse, I’m embracing this life of mine in the Philippines, warts and all.

Today’s post from the January 2015 LTG archives is a tribute I wrote to my friend and workmate, Dennis McPeters, upon his retirement from government service. I met him back in our Postal Service days, and he had become one of my best friends over the years. I last saw him three years ago in Cambodia, where he was living. He hasn’t responded to my emails for over a year now, and I fear the worst. I sent him another today, just in case they have Gmail in heaven.

Here’s the YouTube video from the Filipina Pea I mentioned earlier in this post:

Smile while you can in life:

That’s enough for today, don’t you think?

It is hard to believe that this song is fifty years old now. Where does the time go?

It being Halloween and all, I suppose getting haunted by the past is par for the course. Earlier today, I posted something I had written back in April 2017. Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of how that “Brand New Plan” worked out for me. I wrote about that failure in a post called “FUCK ME!” Of course, looking back, it is easy to see now that I was lucky to get screwed over before I wasted more time and money on someone of such low character. Life’s best lessons are the hard ones, which is not to say that I’ve been all that successful learning from them. But here I am, still in the game. It’s late in the game, but I’ve got a good woman to see me through to the end this time.

Even one of my normal nothing days is better than a stab in the heart. Boring doesn’t hurt nearly that bad. Swan and I took a beach walk, then crossed the river for a street walk in Matain.

Swan wanted some “me” time at home, so at beer o’clock, I ventured out into Barretto on my own. I made Cheap Charlie’s my first stop.

I was surprised to be the only customer in the bar for most of my visit. Cheap Charlies used to have an early crowd, but the girls say it’s been slow lately. Speaking of the girls, there were a couple back to work that I knew from those long-ago days when I was a regular here. A lot has changed since then, including Cheap Charlie’s raising the price of a single lady drink to 250 pesos. That’s one of the most expensive in town. I’m not a cheap Charlie by any means, but as I explained to the girls, I won’t pay more than 200 pesos for a lady drink as a matter of principle. While I’m sure they were disappointed, they seemed to understand. They cheered up when I handed out some cookies and lollipops, then I ordered the gals some chicken fingers and lumpia from the restaurant downstairs. Coincidentally, the price of the food was the equivalent of two lady drinks. So, win-win.

When I finished the last San Mig Zero in the Cheap Charlies fridge (yes, once again, bars all over town have run out, and the supplier says it is unavailable), I crossed the highway and found a seat at a rather busy Green Room. Then it was next door to Wet Spot for my nightcap, before grabbing a trike for home.

I guess that proves that I only drink when I’m alone or with someone.

It is now January 2015 in the LTG archives, and the new year began with a life-changing event: my wife told me she was unhappy in our marriage. I asked if she was willing to work on improving things, and she responded, “Not really.” I tried for a year to change her mind without success. It still hurts, and I still don’t understand it.

Today’s YouTube video features Reekay talking about the perils and joys of building relationships within the expat community. From my perspective, friendships come naturally, but as an introvert, making them can be difficult. I have lots more acquaintances than friends, but the friends are people I share common interests and socialize with, like my neighbors and fellow Hashers.

Let’s try to bury the sad days in the past with some humor:

A journey through the past, like I’ve been doing over the past couple of days, can be exhausting. As I’ve always said, it only hurts until the pain goes away. Tonight is the final edition of the SOB dance competition, and I’ll be there to add it to my memory box. I’m sure it will be a bittersweet experience.

As is my custom, yesterday I joined the Wednesday Walkers for a healthy adventure in the hills. Well, maybe it was more lucky than healthy, because none of us got hurt. I had the bright idea of doing the portion of Monday’s Hash trail I had elected to skip. So, we did a street walk to where the mystery trail I didn’t take began its ascent. It’s surprising this far into my Barretto hiking life to find a trail I haven’t traveled before, but that’s what happened yesterday. We hadn’t gone far before I realized two things: I made the right call on Monday by skipping this portion of the Hash trail, and I will never voluntarily take this route again. It was an ass-kicking bitch, at least for me. So, as much as I enjoy trying a new path, once was more than enough for this one.

I’m not going to say it was the worst Hash trail ever, but it was in the top ten.

Things got better as the day went on. Since we had skipped our Tuesday visit to Baloy Beach, we went yesterday. Started out at Champs Sports Bar at the Baywatch Resort.

Then it was time to mosey on up the beach.

After our meal, we had the trike drop us off at the 7-Eleven, and we visited Snackbar for our nightcap.

And so another day in the life came to an end.

From the December 2014 LTG archives comes the story of the consequences of an altercation my friend Jeremy engaged in that resulted in the death of a Korean man. Jeremy spent 5 years in a Korean prison for his crime. He’s back home in the USA these days, and we still engage occasionally on Facebook. He is suffering from a severe case of TDS, and sometimes my posts trigger a typical lefty reaction.

Facebook memories were full of women from the past today:

What a long, strange trip it’s been.

Today’s YouTube video says if you are still doing these things at 70, you are doing it right. I guess that’s half-right in my case. It has that crappy AI narration, so enter at your own risk.

At least I haven’t lost my sense of humor (if you can call it that):

And that’s all I’ve got for now.

One of those days yesterday where everything just felt a little bit off. I’ve struggled with bouts of depression throughout my life, and thankfully, my black thoughts have not reached that level yet. Still, another night of little sleep set the tone for the day. My f’n brain just won’t shut up and let me rest sometimes. The transition to my elderly seventies continues to be a struggle, the hardest part being acceptance that the end is coming, ready or not. That, coupled with the realization that dreams of the future are a thing of the past, enhances the reality that, like it or not, what I have is what it will be until it is gone. I do take some comfort in knowing it could be a hell of a lot worse.

My driver, Danny, who has been with me since I first moved to the Philippines, told me on the way to the grocery store that he was resigning. That was more than a little surprising. We stopped at the ATM, and when I got back in the car, Danny and Swan were arguing loudly in Tagalog. I told them I didn’t want to hear it. Later, I tried to get Danny to explain to me why he was quitting, but all he would say was that he didn’t get along with my girlfriend. Later, I got a message from Danny’s son, reiterating that the problem was his relationship with Swan. Yeah, Swan has been interjecting herself in the price negotiations over what Danny charges me. Danny asked for 20,000 pesos to drive us to La Union and back. Swan said that was too much, and she did the car rental route with driver, gas, and tolls, and it cost us 16,500 pesos. Apparently, that was the final straw for Danny. Oh, well. I don’t need the drama, and if he isn’t happy, by all means, he should find a new client to overcharge.

My legs were stiff in the lower calf area, which is unusual for me. Must have been stress from those ups and downs on Monday’s Hash. It made walking painful, but I forced myself to go out and hike the neighborhood after grocery shopping. It was good to ease my mind with music from my Spotify playlist filling my earbuds. My legs felt better when I was done, too.

Swan needed to go to the drugstore to refill my prescriptions, so we skipped Baloy Beach and did our evening out in Barretto. I took my usual perch at Sloppy Joe’s and watched the world pass by outside. Swan did her shopping and, when she returned, said she wasn’t hungry. I was, and ordered a pulled pork sandwich, which was pretty good for pub fare. Next, we paid a rare visit to the Alaska Club and enjoyed the music and company of our waitress, Alex. She got two lady drinks, and the five dancers each received a 50-peso tip in appreciation of their efforts. We did our nightcap at Cloud 69, and also had a nice time there.

And the sands in the hourglass of life finished with another day.

The dollar continues to grow stronger against the peso. It’s actually over 59 pesos to the dollar this morning, about the highest I’ve seen it. Conversely, I noted in buying my imported foods at Royal yesterday that the prices have gone up considerably. For example, Betty Crocker brownie mix is $5.90 a box, up from $5.30. I guess it all evens out.

From the December 2014 LTG archives, this post commemorates the tenth anniversary of Long Time Gone. Time flies, and I enjoyed reading my reflections on my life since moving to Korea. More changes were on the horizon — painful ones — but I survived and here I am. I also quoted one of my favorite Sara Teasdale poems:

It was a night of early spring,
    The winter-sleep was scarcely broken;
Around us shadows and the wind
    Listened for what was never spoken.

Though half a score of years are gone,
    Spring comes as sharply now as then—
But if we had it all to do
    It would be done the same again.

It was a spring that never came;
    But we have lived enough to know
That what we never have, remains;
    It is the things we have that go.

Truer words were never spoken.

Today’s YouTube video says the science is settled on these twelve myths. I don’t believe it.

Smile for me:

On and on it goes. Today’s hike with the Wednesday Walkers was an ass-kicker, I’ll tell you about that tomorrow. Now it’s time to find out what Wednesday evening has in mind for me.