Some of us old fogeys were still feeling the effects of Monday’s Hash trail, so we voted for a flat route for the Wednesday Walkers group hike. We elected to do a circumnavigation of the Naugsol Valley, and it proved to be a hot and tiring but enjoyable 8K jaunt. We concluded our journey with some beers and snacks at The Rite Spot.

And then there’s that other part of my life that fills the evening hours. I got a haircut yesterday, and my barber is on the Subic side of the river. Given our proximity, I took Swan to see Smokes and Bottles. I’d only ever been there for the Hash On-Home and I’d been wanting to pop in for a visit as a customer.

Smokes and Bottles is not a bad venue, but it could be better. My beer was warm, so I had to drink it on ice. We were told there was live music at eight, but there was no music in the interim. I do appreciate some background noise, as long as it isn’t too loud. A couple more fans might have been nice, too. Anyway, we stayed for a couple of drinks and enjoyed some chicken fingers as a snack. It was dark when we departed, so we caught a trike back into town. Did a visit to Green Room and then finished the night at Wet Spot. Had an interesting chat with Daddy Dave and he bought a round of drinks, so it was a good visit. Then it was off to home, and some sugar-free pudding for my bedtime treat.

Facebook reminded me what I was doing six years ago:

On to today’s Quora Q&A adventure:

Q: Besides being older and not having to work, what are some of the differences between being retired and being a single man?

A: I am retired and I am single. So, there is no difference. It’s all the same. Day after glorious day.

I’m in a relationship now, but still not complaining…

This is the best humor I could come up with today. Sorry in advance:

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Started with a candy walk and ended with a dinner party. Life is good.

Later, we hoofed it out to Baloy and visited Steve and Viola’s place for a small dinner gathering.

So, there was grilled chicken and pork, a chicken curry dish, and sides like salad, cole slaw, and potato salad. The cornbread muffins I contributed seemed popular.

The food was good, the beer was cold, and the company was entertaining. A few beers in, and us menfolk started talking politics and the fucked up mess the world has become. Steve’s an Aussie, but his Prime Minister is apparently almost as bad as Biden. Here’s to hoping the voters wake up from their ignorance and elect some new leadership. I’m not holding my breath, though.

The day was better than this post. I got so bored writing it that I had to take a nap. I’m back now, so bear with me.

Speaking of politics, here’s the Trump ad targeting minority voters in Georgia that Google doesn’t want you to see. They say it violates their “standards,” but they don’t say why. Spend thirty seconds, give it a watch, and you’ll see what protecting the leftie narrative is all about. Disgusting.

And here is another example of why I’m expecting trouble from China here in the Philippines. Duterte was China’s bitch, but so far, the current President is taking a stand to defend his country. We’ll see how long he can hold out. The fact that there is a joint exercise taking place now with the USA, Japan, and Australia is a good sign as well.

Let’s do the Quora Q&A:

Q: Have you ever dawdled a moment so you could stand a few steps behind a girl wearing hot pants on the escalator?

A: Of course not! I’d only do that if it were a short skirt.

Watch out for the creepy old man!

Maybe these will make you smile:

Anyway, Hash Monday is upon me. It’s a Vienna Sausage trail and a hot day. I’m sure there is a shortcut or two in my future. Tell you about it tomorrow.

I covered the best part of my yesterday in yesterday’s post. All that remains is the rest of the day. So here it is:

I’m attending a gathering at my Aussie friend Steve’s place on Baloy later this afternoon. For that reason, I moved the Hideaway feeding up a day. I fed five hungry girls with food from the Jewel Cafe. Actually, I fed four hungry girls because one left before I arrived. That aggravated me a little at first, but then I knew the food wouldn’t go to waste (the girls have hungry kids at home they share with), so why should I care? They ordered a breaded chicken breast, sisig, cornsilog, dangsilog, and longsilog. I always get an order of fried chicken wings for the girls to share as well. I was the only customer during the hour I spent at Hideaway. I don’t know how (or if) they’ll stay in business at this rate. I consider the feeding one of my “charity” projects, and the gals are always appreciative and thank me. Honestly, it’s the only reason I make a weekly visit to Hideaway. Although they do play nice music videos, so there’s that.

With the feeding out of the way, I headed out to the beach for my weekly visit to the Arizona floating bar.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. The big news there is that Swan’s friend (and my former drinking buddy) Aine is back to work. Apparently, things didn’t work out with the new boyfriend. Oddly enough, on our way to Wet Spot, I had asked Swan if she had heard from Aine since she declined the invitation for her and her fella to join us on Baloy. She had not. But as soon as we sat down last night, Aine joined us at our table, thirsty for lady drinks. Swan bought her two (I paid, of course). The epitome of a bargirl friendship.

While Aine and Swan got caught up, I chatted with another guy at the table who has been in the Philippines since his Navy days beginning in the 70s. He had some wild stories about the bar scene back in the day. He says everything now is tame and boring by comparison. Honestly speaking, a lot of what he shared sounds disgusting. Getting a blow job while watching a girl fuck a customer on stage just doesn’t interest me. To each his own.

Back home and early to bed brought a good day to an end.

So, I’ve got to say I’ve been astounded by various commenters alluding to me engaging in violence towards Swan. Nothing could be further from the truth, and nothing I have written here implies otherwise. We had a disagreement, and I walked away instead of staying and talking through it. That was the extent of my “sin.” I have lived through four failed marriages and never once hit or otherwise physically abused any of my exes. I can think of nothing more cowardly than a man striking a female. It is just not in my nature and will never happen. I wanted to be clear on that.

Today’s Quora Q&A is a special one:

Q: How was your first trip to the Philippines?

A: The first thing I noticed on my first visit to the Philippines was the poverty. My plane landed in Manila, coming in over the river that was lined with squatter houses and full of trash. Once on the ground, my driver took me through one of the squatter villages and apologized for what I was seeing, saying it was the fastest way to my destination. It was all pretty shocking and eye-opening; I’d never seen anything quite like it.

After spending a few days here, something else became quite apparent. Despite the poverty, the Filipino people are the happiest I’ve met anywhere in the world. The family is the center of life here, and the generosity and love within the family is something to behold. I’d never seen anything quite like that either.

I wanted to see and learn more, so I kept coming back for visits (I lived in Korea, so it was an easy trip). I eventually decided this is where I wanted to live, so I retired in 2018 and moved here permanently.

Here’s a funny and sad anecdote I can share. I brought my Korean girlfriend here for a visit the year before I retired. She had a blast and was treated like a rock star (Korean culture in the form of K-dramas and K-pop music is big here). On our last night in the Philippines, she broke up with me. I asked her why, and she responded, “Because we have no future. You want to retire here. Who wants to live in a poor country?” I told her that you can live in a rich country and pretend this world doesn’t exist, or you can live here and try to make a difference. That’s what I want to do.

So, I have two helpers and a driver. I’m making a difference for them. I do some charity projects that make things better for some. You can’t help everyone, of course, but it feels good to know that my presence is helping at least a few. I’m glad to be here!

Here’s what makes it special to me: This answer received over 2.7 MILLION views (most of my drivel gets seen by only hundreds). I also got 2,986 upvotes and 558 comments. Of course, this was a one-off occurrence and was written over four years ago. I rarely even bother answering Quora questions these days.

Now for some humor:

I made corn muffins and brownies to share with my fellow guests tonight. See you here tomorrow.

We had a very nice overnight getaway in the lovely barangay Pundaquit in the town of San Antonio, Zambales province. It’s only about an hour away from Barretto, and I always enjoy the change of pace with its beachy, small-town vibe. I changed things up some this trip by staying at a venue I’d never tried before, the Hidaway. Another first was booking a nipa hut room. It was small but surprisingly comfortable. It would have been more enjoyable had some maintenance issues been addressed (for example, the bedroom door scrapped the floor and the bathroom mirror was missing). Still, no complaints. Our hosts and the staff were fun and friendly, and we had a good time hanging out with them.

Here’s the story of our brief journey in pictures:

And that’s all there is to the small nipa hut we stayed in for 2500 pesos. Honestly, that seems way overpriced, but I’m not complaining–it served our purpose. Let’s check out the grounds, shall we?

Okay, that’s the Hidaway.Once we got settled in, we were ready for a late lunch. One of the reasons I wanted to stay at Hidaway is that it is right next door to one of my favorite places in the Philippines—the CMC Bar and Grill (aka The Car Wash).

So, what makes CMC/Car Wash my favorite? Well, it is a great bar, and I do enjoy that aspect. But what separates it from all the other bars I enjoy is its consistently outstanding food. That kitchen is top-notch fine dining quality serving up great meals for a frickin’ bar crowd in a tiny burg like Pundaquit. I’m glad I found it!

After lunch, we went back to Hidaway and chilled for a bit. I quaffed some brews at the Love Shack when beer o’clock rolled around. Earlier, I had messaged my friend who lives in San Antonio that I was in town, and we planned a meet-up at CMC/Car Wash.

Gary is a retired Navy man who spent a lot of time at the Subic Navy base back in the day. That’s where he met his Filipina wife all those years ago. Cathy came along as his designated driver, so Swan had someone to chat with while Gary and I caught up. Gary also introduced me to Stacy, the owner of a deli about a kilometer up the road. I promised I’d come by and give it a try for breakfast.

When it was time for Gary to leave, we paid up and headed back to our Hidaway. Swan went for a swim while I continued my imbibing at the Love Shack.

Greg and his wife Ava (who runs the place) used to live on Baloy fifteen years ago. In the small world department, Greg knew Swan’s love, Alan, back in the day. It’s so strange when that happens. Another thing about Greg is he knew the punchline to all my old jokes. Damn it, usually when I’m at a venue for the first time, all my jokes are new again. Oh well.

And a promise being a promise, when it was breakfast time, we strolled up the road for some coffee and food.

On our way back to Hidaway after breakfast, I saw this on a sign, and it gave me a chuckle:

There’s no point in going to Pundaquit if you ain’t gonna visit the beach, right? So, we set out on a short walk to the ocean.

We arrived safe and sound and have vowed to take similar excursions once a month or so. It was nice to get away for a bit.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is the best beach town to live in for an expat in the Philippines?

A: “Best” is pretty much dependent on your personal wants and preferences. I live in the beach town of Barrio Barretto (Olongapo City), and it works for me. A nice expat community of mostly retired folks like myself. Things to do like a Hash club, dart and pool leagues, and a variety of bars and places to hang out. Some top-notch restaurants as well. Good grocery shopping with western goods on the old Navy base and malls are just 20 minutes away.

The beach itself is on Subic Bay and is not all that pristine. Still, I enjoy my morning walks on the water. It’s a comfortable life here for me.

During this trip, I speculated about what life would be like if I lived in Pundaquit. It would be less convenient and a little more boring, but it is good to have options.

And I’ve got some humor to share as well:

Back to the other Hideaway today for a feeding. I’ve got other plans for Sunday this week. I’ll be back tomorrow, the good lord willing. In the meantime:

Sorry for yesterday’s cryptic post, but sometimes things just don’t go the way you’d like them to. My Thursday was weird in many ways, starting with sleeping in until almost 6 a.m. (I’m normally up between four and five). That threw all my routines off schedule. By the time I headed out for my weekly solo “long” walk, it was a little after nine. It was hot again, and I got about a block away and said, “fuck this,” and came back home.

The big bad event was a relationship issue that managed to trigger us both for different reasons. While from my perspective, her actions were inappropriate, I’ll concede my response wasn’t ideal either. I walked away to my room, closed the door, and stewed in my thoughts for a while. Then I took off for a walk. When I reached the end of Baloy Beach, I decided drinking some beer would meet my needs better than walking. It was only one o’clock, three hours ahead of my normal consumption schedule, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I popped into DaKudo’s and quaffed a few Zeros. That is where I was when I posted here yesterday. I was proud of myself for figuring out how to blog from my phone, but I wasn’t up for attempting to finger-peck a lengthy tirade. Then I moved down the road and pulled up a bayside stool at Harley’s.

I didn’t keep count of the beers I downed at Harley’s, but when I ordered the last one, I checked my watch and noticed, ironically, it was now 4 p.m., my normal beer o’clock. So, I caught a trike for home, but I wasn’t done yet. Swan wasn’t there, but I filled my ice chest, grabbed a bag of Tostitos and a jar of salsa, then I headed up to The Rite Spot On The Roof to continue my journey to pain-free drunkenness.

I fired up the speaker and played a Spotify country music playlist that seemed to suit my mood. Soon enough, I was singing along between sips (gulps?) of brew. One of them was a well-timed George Strait song:

I didn’t have a microphone, so I’m sure the neighbors didn’t suffer any auditory harm.

The sun was gone, but I continued drinking (and singing) alone in the dark. I lost track of the time, but it must have been around eight or so when Swan appeared on the roof and escorted me down the stairs. Of course, inebriation is inconsistent with diplomacy, but we did engage in detente, putting our issues aside for the time being and getting some much-needed peace in sleep.

Today is a new day and a new start. Hopefully, lessons have been learned, and we will be stronger together as a result. We are taking an overnight trip to Pundaquit this afternoon, and I think the getaway will be good for us. As an added bonus, I’ll have something new to blog about!

Facebook memories took me back thirteen years to my previous life as a loving grandfather:

Six years ago, I shopped at the base commissary for the last time.

Ready to Quora Q&A?

Q: When did you start to feel like the “old person” at bars?

A: When I moved from Seoul to Pyeongtaek, Korea. Seoul is, of course, a huge city filled with expats from all walks of life. We tended to hang out in the same bars in Itaewon, and I fit right in. When I moved with my job down south, my fellow bar patrons were all young soldiers from the American Army base nearby. I felt like the old person in the bars because I WAS the oldest person there.

Now that I’ve retired and moved to the Philippines, most of my fellow expats are also old retirees. I fit right in! The girls assure me that I am gwapo (handsome) and that age is just a number. Life is grand!

When these young guys from the Navy supply ships are in town, they really stand out in our old folks community. The girls seem to love having them around though, especially because they usually big spenders.

And now for some humor:

Alright, I’m looking forward to my getaway to the Hidaway. Yep, that’s the name of the resort I’m trying for the first time. Not HIDEaway, this one is Hidaway. Looking forward to a new experience staying in a Nipa hut. Here’s the picture of my room they sent me:

I’ll update you on how it goes here tomorrow.

In some ways, it was just another day, but then again, aren’t they all? I’m a man of routines, and my Tuesday routines are what they are–grocery shopping and some time out on Baloy Beach. I did spice things up with a morning visit to my dentist’s office. I had made the appointment two weeks ago when I was experiencing a toothache, but that went away in a couple of days thanks to the dental analgesic Dr. Jo prescribed. Still, the appointment was for a cleaning and examination, and it was good to see Dr. Barrera again. I’ll be back in two weeks because two of my fillings are cracked and must be replaced. It also appears I grind my teeth when I sleep, but I’m not keen on being fitted with a mouthpiece. We’ll see.

I paid too much for groceries again, then headed home for my daily routines like napping, blogging, and waiting for beer o’clock to roll around. I got a later start than usual because of an issue in the kitchen. I was baking a batch of blueberry muffins for the girls on the Kokomo floating bar, and when the timer chimed, I was distressed to discover that the oven had inexplicably shut off early in the baking cycle. So, I fired it up again, reset the timer, and waited for the muffins to finish their journey to browning. I had to put them in a plastic container instead of baggies because I didn’t want to wait for them to cool down. And here’s the kicker: Only a couple of the girls were interested in partaking in the treats I had made. I guess I shouldn’t care since it’s the thought that counts. But my thinking is that I won’t be baking for them in the future. Oh, well. The raft drivers took two each, so they were happy at least.

A trike ride home from Baloy and some bedtime smoothies to end the day.

My nephew Joshua is an ordained minister in a Pentecostal church, although he teaches English in Korea these days. He also leans right, unlike his indoctrinated leftie brother, Justin. Anyway, he posted this today on Facebook, and it gave me a chuckle:

Let’s move away from politics and consider this:

One of my readers and frequent commenters lives in Thailand. Maybe he can shed some light on the validity of this meme:

Alright, let’s get that taste out of our mouth with a Quora Q&A:

Q: What is the biggest culture shock you have ever faced?

A: It’s a tie between when I moved from Arizona to Arkansas and leaving the USA to live in South Korea. Same types of issues—language barriers and the locals looking upon me with suspicion. I never did get used to collard greens and black-eyed peas, but grilled Korean meats are still a favorite for me.

In both cases, things turned out great. Once folks figured out I was all right, I was welcomed and embraced. I married a Southern gal and a Korean woman—not at the same time, of course!

I honestly have no regrets about the moves that changed my life.

To the humor then:

That’s all for today. Back with more drivel tomorrow!

I’ve had diarrhea for three days now. Everything was coming out liquid, and I was up every hour or so last night to relieve myself. I had some leakage once during my sleep, but otherwise, there have been no accidents. Farting is not an option, however. Swan got me some meds this morning from the pharmacy, and I’ve been fasting to deny my dysfunctional digestive system any materials to work with. Hopefully, this will pass soon.

We did an abbreviated 5K candy walk yesterday morning until the candy ran out. Swan is becoming famous in the neighborhoods we visit.

Swan was still feeling a bit hungover from the heavy drinking at the SOB, so I was on my own last night. I started with a visit to Cheap Charlies. Saw some Hash buddies and watched the sun go down.

Had an SOB coupon (buy a lady drink, get two free local drinks) so I decided to visit Alaska Club to expend it. It was a pleasant visit there as well. I did my nightcap at Wet Spot and chatted with owner Daddy Dave about my SOB judging fuckup. I told him that if my overlook of Voodoo cost them a first-place finish, I wanted to compensate the girls for their loss. He went to his office and got the results. Upon review, my voting for Voodoo (I had them ranked third) would not have changed the outcome. That was a relief.

I went home on schedule, then off to bed for a sleep-interrupted night while I peed out of my ass. I’ll be glad to put that, ahem, behind me.

There was another fire at the Kalaklan hillside cemetery yesterday:

Facebook memories included my farewell to Korea party.

In the Quora Q&A category, I have this:

Q: Where is the most British town in the USA?

A: London, Kentucky. I’ve actually been there. I told my friends I was going to London for the weekend. They were so jealous. It takes a while to get used to the accents there, though, y’all.

That answer got over four thousand views for some reason. What I remember most about London, KY was that it was in a dry county…so no beer for me on that trip.

You want humor? I’ve got some humor for you:

I’m one of the Hares tomorrow, and we marked the trail this morning. An 8K ass-kicker, compounded by this fuckin’ heat wave. So, we’ll see how the Hashers like it.

And it was an SOB. That pretty much captures the way of my day.

I started things off with the Friday group hike. I selected our route, which included one modest mandatory climb and an optional visit to the top of Black Rock. I had in mind a long valley walk at the end, but in a concession to the heat, we took a shortcut that shaved a kilometer or two off our intended path.

It was just under 8K for me, and I was soaked. I’ll be just as wet come the rainy season, but I’ll be a lot cooler. Hurry your ass up, Mother Nature!

The days are hot and humid, which also creates hazy skies. This view from my patio reflects that:

Then it was time to head into town for the Sons of Baccus dance competition at the Green Room. I went early to get good seats, and Swan joined me just before the show started.

I liked the Whiskey Girl performance the best, with Green Room a close second.

I’m usually in sync with the other judges, and I understand that the home team usually has an advantage (the home team has won the past four weeks in a row). Last night, the final tally came out like this:

1st Place: Green Room

2nd Place: Voodoo

3rd Place: Whiskey Girl

4th Place: Alaska

So, I don’t know if I fucked Voodoo out of first by not listing them at all on my ballot or not. I feel shitty about it either way, and I will punish myself by declining to judge in the future. Sorry about that, girls.

We went home directly after the show having had too much of a good thing already.

Where did Facebook take me on the stroll down memory lane today?

Let’s get the Quora Q&A bullshit out of the way:

Q: How did your husband react when you told him you were pregnant?

A: Well, I can’t pass up the opportunity to tell my story. I was not married to her at the time, but we did eventually marry.

So, I was 19, and she was 17. We had been dating for a while. I had just gotten a German Shepherd puppy. Anyway, I picked her up from work, and while we were still in the parking lot, she told me the news: I’m pregnant.

I responded like any rational man would do: Damn it! If I knew you were going to get pregnant I wouldn’t have got the dog!

All’s well that ends well. I got to experience the joy of raising my sweet daughter. And I kept the dog, too!

And that was what led to marriage #1. It lasted six years before she said, “I don’t want to be a wife and a mother anymore.” So, my journey as a single father with sole custody of my two kids began. Until I found wife #2. But that’s another story for another day.

Today’s humor is a little more nasty than usual. You’ve been warned!

I’ll tell y’all about today, tomorrow. Y’all come back now, hear?

+

Another Wednesday, another hike with the Wednesday Walkers group. This time, we climbed halfway to the top of Kalaklan Ridge and then walked a path that meandered across the side of the mountain. It looked like this:

Swan had family time in the afternoon, and I headed out to Sloppy Joe’s at beer o’clock. Swan joined me there later.

Swan and I did our nightcap at the Green Room, then we ordered Sit-n-Bull takeout and headed home. And so ended another day in the life.

Another scamdemic memory via Facebook:

Speaking of memories, I came upon an old post of mine remembering my early days as a tourist in the PI. Maybe my best day ever was in 2008 at an impromptu pool party with the girls from the old Alaska bar in Angeles City. Give it a look if you are so inclined.

Maybe I should get a new hat?

Scott (Pubic Head) posted cartoon-like versions of all the female Hashers. Here’s an example:

There’s a joint US-Philippines military exercise taking place and I hear we have quite a few American marines domiciled on SBMA. I figured they would put Barretto off-limits, but I’m told some have been spotted around town this week. This cartoon seems to be appropriate to the situation:

Let’s get today’s Quora Q&A out of the way:

Q: As gratitude for essential workers, if the federal government gave every American a $26 dollar raise, raised the minimum wage to $26/hour, greatly strengthen labor laws, banned stock buybacks, broke up oligopolies, what would the USA look like?

A: Venezuela.

Four more years of Biden, and we’ll be there.

Ready for some cringe?

Today is the one-year anniversary of the passing of Swan’s former love, Alan. There is going to be a rooftop gathering/remembrance for him up at The Rite Spot On The Roof this afternoon. I’m attending at Swan’s request. There will be food and beer, so I should be happy. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

And every little bit helps, right?

It will be six years ago next month that I made the move to the Philippines. One of my concerns back then was how I would adapt to living in comparative luxury while many of the people around me struggled in poverty. During my tourist days, I found that depressing. So, my plan coming in was to help some as best I could and take comfort in that giving. Yes, a selfish form of charity for sure–I give to alleviate my guilt. Of course, early on, I had to learn how to pick and choose when, where, and who to help. Frequent commenter Kevin Kim deemed it Rule #1: Don’t be a sucker! I’ve gotten quite a bit better at rejecting the scammers and blocking the constant beggars I encounter on social media. I still entertain random requests from people I know that I deem sincere, but I mostly confine myself to a set group for whom I provide some support on a regular basis.

Now, I recall the admonishment of Jesus in the Book of Matthew:

“So when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. ³ But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. ⁴ Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”

Matthew 6.1-6

Regardless, talking about what I give to others ranks pretty low on the list of my sins. And it is good to keep track of your charity budget.

There’s MJ, the mountain mama widow with two half-American kids and no income since her husband died. He did build her a paid-for shanty house up in the hills but never bothered to get his children the coveted American citizenship that would have provided some Social Security benefits for his family after his passing. Anyway, after I met MJ, I decided to make her my “big” project, which was to the tune of 12,000 pesos a month. She occasionally contacts me with some emergency or other like she did yesterday, needing food and medicine for the kids. I reminded her that I am on a budget and she also needs to budget her monthly stipend. Still, I relented and sent her the requested funds.

Other projects include Eithan, an elementary school student in Bohol, for whom I periodically provide money for school expenses. I’m also helping Mary (the 18-year-old I briefly dated) as she pursues a college education. And I give Joy a thousand pesos a week to supplement her bargirl salary as she struggles to raise two kids as a single mother. Those are the big ones, and I occasionally help some acquaintances with “emergencies” like paying the electric bill. Yeah, I’m no hero, but I also no longer request or receive any quid-pro-quo benefits for my donations. I stopped doing that when I hooked up with Swan.

Sometimes, the smallest gifts bring the most joy. That’s why the weekly candy walks with Swan are so much fun. We spend a thousand pesos each week to fill our bags with goodies and get a ton of priceless smiles in return.

But the giving wasn’t done quite yet; I still had a feeding at Hideaway to attend to.

I was scheduled to meet Swan at 5:30, but she messaged me a little after five, saying the floating bar raft wouldn’t come to pick her up on the beach. What the hell? It turns out it was a misunderstanding—the raft driver thought Swan was looking for me, and he waved her off because I wasn’t there. Anyway, the mamasan apologized and bought us each a drink, so I don’t think it will happen again.

And then something weird happened. A guy came racing by on a jet ski, then pulled alongside the floating bar and climbed aboard. I’m not nautically inclined, but I know enough to know that you have to secure your floatation device. He didn’t, and sure enough the jet ski drifted off. The stranger didn’t seem to care and walked to the bar and asked for a glass of water. He didn’t appear drunk or anything, but he did seem a little off somehow. Swan said he was Filipino. Anyway, he takes out his phone and asks some of the bargirls sitting around if he could take a picture with them. They all declined. Then finally, the bartender said she would take one with him. She’s a big girl and not too cute, and the rude stranger declined the offer. His jet ski was twenty yards away by now and I assumed he was going to have to jump in and swim to retrieve it. Instead, he called out to a couple of young boys playing on a nearby boat. They jumped in the water and pushed the jet ski back to the floater. He hopped on without a word, and rode away.

I felt bad for the rejected bartender and asked her if she would take a picture with me. She laughed and agreed.

Naturally, I bought the bartender a lady drink. I asked Swan if the crazy dude had tipped the boys who retrieved his jet ski, and she said he hadn’t. So, we gave them 50 pesos for helping the guy out. See, it was indeed a day of giving!

And shortly thereafter, so were we. We walked up the highway to Sit-n-Bull and ordered some food for takeout. While we waited, Jack and his gal Monica joined us at our table. Jack ordered a salad appetizer and specified that he wanted it with boiled egg and tomato. I laughed out loud when I saw what he was served:

It was a nice ending to a fun day.

A commenter asked if there was more than one gated entrance to Alta Vista. Well, there is only one gate, so it is technically a gated subdivision. However, there is no fence, and there are several unguarded footpaths in and out of Alta Vista.

So, it’s not exactly secure. The homeowners’ association has been trying to get the developer to “build that wall.” I’m personally opposed to the idea as I like being able to hike in and out as I please. That really came in handy during the scamdemic lockdowns.

Ready for some Quora Q&A?

Q: Who was responsible for what happened at Waco?

A: Well, I was pretty drunk, and she looked a lot better at midnight than she did at 8:00. It was all her idea, and I wound up bringing her back to my room. I woke up the next morning with a horrible taste in my mouth. I got up to wash my face, looked in the mirror, and noticed a string hanging between my front teeth.

“Please, God, let it be a teabag,” I said out loud. It wasn’t.

In the end, I have to take full responsibility for what happened in Waco that night.

Bada bing!

Let’s keep the laughter rolling:

It’s another Hash Monday, so I’ll be hitting the trail soon. The On-Home is at a Hasher residence at the end of Rizal Extension. I’m not a fan of getting home from there after a few beers, so I’ll likely do the Hash but not stay for the circle. I’ll play it by ear and see how I feel.

Another day, another walk. Only Gary and I showed up for the Friday group hike. Two of our regulars, Scott and Steve, claimed to be recovering from a party they attended the night before at a place called The Rite Spot. Go figure. To be honest, I was feeling lazy myself, but once we got started, I decided I had one hill climb in me, and it turned out to be a pleasant enough 6K journey.

I wasn’t up for an SOB contest last night, so I took Swan on a dinner date instead. We started with some liquid refreshments at It Doesn’t Matter and spent some time visiting with Chris and Shie there. Then we walked up the highway to John’s place.

I’d been craving a steak and John usually has the best in town. They ain’t cheap, though, especially the USDA cuts (4 pesos a gram, average 800 grams). I opted for the tenderloin special at 795 pesos instead. That’s what I would have spent on admission to the SOB, so why not?

We did our nightcap at the seldom-visited Mugshots bar, then made it an early night and headed home. A friend had recommended a show on Netflix, Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer. It’s a one-hour standup comedy routine by a British comedian I’d never heard of. He’s a punny kind of guy, so I could relate to that. It also seems like his humor was intended to goad and offend snowflakes of all persuasions. Here’s the Netflix trailer, which gives you a pretty good taste of what you are in for:

Here’s a shot of my watchdogs keeping guard up on the roof:

Facebook memories carried me back twelve years to that time I made one of those Hitler videos about my champion dart league team, Ride It In. Ah, the good ol’ days.

Let’s throw some politics into the mix, shall we?

Okay, time for the Quora Q&A:

Q: How much money should you have in your bank account before retiring in the Philippines?

A: To me, the more important question is how much dependable income do you have each month? If you are planning on living off your savings/interest you will need to figure out your yearly budget and how long you expect to live. I certainly would not want to live on less than 100,000 pesos (approx. $2000 U.S.) per month but I know some who do.

I’m fortunate to have a comfortable pension. My savings account is for unanticipated major expenses/emergencies. As others have said, think about the lifestyle you want to live and where, and then plan accordingly.

Even with inflation, money goes further here than it would back home in the USA. I know people getting by on Social Security income alone. I do live large on my pension and I’m grateful for it.

Humor me this:

That’s all for now. I’m going to try an old-fashioned bar hop tonight. Been a while since I’ve done one. I’ll share how that goes tomorrow.

Yesterday’s rooftop gathering was a success! I had a blast, and the feedback I received from other attendees echoed that feeling. Good friends, good food, and lots to drink—does it get any better than that?

The last of the guests departed around 10 p.m., and everyone professed to have had a good time. I know I did.

I never left the ‘hood all day, confining my morning walk to the streets of Alta Vista. I had a party to prepare for, after all.

It was a very good day to be alive. I went to sleep feeling truly blessed.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: What is a habit you picked up from another country as an expat?

A: Well, I guess there are lots of little things you pick up along the way. One that comes to mind is from my 10+ years in South Korea. Whatever you do in an interaction with another person, you do with two hands. Paying at the convenience store? Hand the money over with both hands. Drinking with someone of higher status (i.e. older), you pour their drink and you do it two-handed. Not doing so would be considered extremely rude.

There are many others, but that’s the one that came immediately to mind. It was also funny when I was back in the USA and in the habit of using two hands for everything. Got me lots of funny looks!

I enjoyed my Korea life. It’s too bad things turned out the way they did.

Today’s lame attempt at humor:

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll be back tomorrow.

The Wednesday Walkers hike was supposed to begin with a Jeepney ride out to Philseco Road on the far side of Subic. Except we couldn’t get there from here. The first Jeep we hailed and boarded had not gone far before we discovered his last stop was in Magnan Vaca (Waltermart). Oops, our bad. We should have checked the sign on his windshield. So, we disembarked and hailed a Jeepney with Castillejos (the next town after our destination) in the windshield. He stopped at Waltermart and said he wasn’t going further (our group were the only passengers). We argued and offered to pay an extra 100 pesos to take us the two kilometers to Philseco Road, but the driver wouldn’t budge. Literally. I’ve never experienced a Jeepney not going the posted distance before. Anyway, we got out and walked the rest of the way to our intended starting point.

Scott and I are the Hares for the Hash on April 29th, so yesterday was a scouting mission to ensure there were no kinks in our intended trail. One potential problem is uncooperative Jeepney drivers. We may rent a Jeepney to transport the Hashers to the trail start instead of relying on the whims of random drivers. Otherwise, the trail we hiked should work for the Hash–7.5K (not counting the additional steps from Waltermart) and one relatively easy hill climb. The section where we walked through the busy Subic Market area may be altered so the Hashers can enjoy a more tranquil hike. We’ve got time to work that out.

The resort has updated its menu since my last visit. I was not planning to eat until I saw this:

I had business in town yesterday–using my remaining SOB coupons before they expired. I started at The Green Room, where I had some money on my 1500 peso voucher to expend. I’m doing gin and soda (with a can of soda on the side), which is twice the price of a beer. My money was gone after two drinks. I also bought my “regulars,” each a lady drink, so I lost money on that deal. When Wet Spot opened next door, I headed over to use my last coupon:

In addition to being more expensive, the gin and soda routine is harder to manage sobriety-wise. I was definitely a little tipsy by the end of the night. And once again, the damn coupon wound up costing me money. In perhaps an overly generous moment, I bought a large 800 peso pizza from Sit-n-Bull for the bargirls to share. Maybe I’d best stick with beer and just be fat and happy.

Anyhoo, got the party on the roof coming up later today. I’ve got chili cooking in the crockpot, and I baked up a slew of cornbread muffins and a batch of brownies. Swan and the team of helpers have been busy in the kitchen all morning as well. Should be some good eating and drinking going down up there soon. Looking forward to it.

Today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: As an expat in a foreign country, what are your burial, cremation, or funeral plans? Will it be in your current or home country?

A: Well, one thing is for sure once I’m dead it isn’t going to matter to me. Still, I don’t want to leave the burden on my children. I had a friend here (the Philippines) die last year and his family went through a lot of hassle and expense to get his body back home for burial. My plan is to be cremated and have my ashes dumped in the bay or maybe in the mountains where I hike. It’s really not a big deal to me, keep it cheap and easy!

There are some things I need to do so the people I leave behind are overly burdened by my passing. I’ll get busy with that soon.

Humor me, please.

That’s all for now, folks.

Nothing to complain about, and I lived to tell the story, so as far as yesterday goes, it’s all good.

I started my Tuesday with a visit to the Bureau of Immigration in Olongapo. They kindly consented to extend my tourist visa for another sixty days. Hooray! Swan was waiting on a chair outside the office, and as I exited, I jokingly said, “Well, hello there, Miss. I’m going to be staying another sixty days. Would you like to get together?” I didn’t know that one of the immigration officers heard me until he burst out laughing.

Next up was the shopping excursion at Royal. I’m having a gathering at The Rite Spot tomorrow, so we stocked up on all the goodies we’ll be serving. Looking forward to a good time up on the roof.

On the way home, we stopped by my dentist’s office so I could make an appointment. I’m overdue for a cleaning, but the real motivation was that one of my upper molars has been hurting. I don’t like pain generally, but a toothache is about the worst for me. Dr. Barrera is the best in town and is very popular with the expat community. Sadly, the first appointment I could get was for April 30. I guess I’ll be dealing with the pain as best I can until then.

Next stop was a quick visit to Dr. Jo. She extracted some blood for use in my third and final stem cell treatment to repair the sciatica nerve in my back. I had to come back later in the afternoon for the stem cell injections. She also gave me the results from my blood work last week and the good news was my kidney functions (BUN and Creatinine) are now back in the normal range. The glucose test results are still pending.

So, it was back to Dr. Jo at 2:30 for what she called my “crucifixion.” I received multiple painful injections of stem cells in my lower back. I’m still sore today. I casually mentioned my toothache, and Dr. Jo reminded me that painkillers like ibuprofen were off-limits while the stem cells were doing their business. Oops! She gave me a prescription for something called Eugenol, a dental analgesic in liquid form that you apply directly to the gums around the problem tooth. It seems to be working pretty well so far.

Swan and I departed Dr. Jo’s office and hoofed it over to a drug store on the Subic side of the river to purchase my meds. Then we did the walk out to Baloy for our Tuesday afternoon on the floating bar.

And then, in what I’m sure must have been a coincidence, within minutes of our arrival, everyone left but us.

Now, there has been a bit of controversy about Treasure Island of late. Several people have complained about the 400 peso fee the resort charges for use of the facility. Three hundred of that can be paid via corkage (food and drinks), and the other hundred is out of pocket. I’ve always assumed that this fee only applied to people who used the pool. Other people said they charged that to all customers, regardless of whether they used the pool. That didn’t sound right, but then again, every time I visited Treasure Island, I spent more than 300 pesos and never checked my bill for charges in addition to my food and drink.

Home after dinner for some couch time watching YouTube videos, then off to bed for some sleep. Toothache woke me a little after midnight, but Swan applied the meds, which gave me enough relief to get back to sleep.

Facebook memories carried me back seven years to my days as a boss.

Let’s do today’s Quora Q&A:

Q: Do Americans give up their citizenship when they retire in foreign countries?

A: No, they are not required to do so. A few do for tax purposes or other financial reasons. That’s relatively rare, though. I have no desire or intention to live in the USA again, but I’d never even consider giving up my birthright of citizenship.

Five years later, I still feel the same.

Let’s have some fun:

Okay, it’s time to use up the last of my bar discount coupons before they expire. Until next time.

In a land where some of us live rich while surrounded by many in need, it is good to see people giving of themselves to make life better for others. I have my projects that help a few in small ways, but it’s always nice to observe large, organized efforts by expat groups to comfort those less fortunate. Yesterday provided an excellent example of that.

Swan left early in the morning for the meet-up and I planned a surprise visit with a walk that passed through Naugsol. I arrived at the 3.5K mark.

It was nice to observe all that goodness, but the highway beckoned, and I continued my hike.

And for the third day in a row, I found myself outside of Waltermart. I caught a Jeep for home from there.

Because I’ll be out of town this afternoon, I moved the Hideaway feeding up a day.

Then it was off to my weekly visit on the Arizona floating bar.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, then ordered Sit-n-Bull takeout for dinner. Another good day in the life.

Today’s mockery of our pretend president:

This brought back memories:

On to Quora Q&A then:

Q: Someone offered you $1 million to commit one crime. Which crime would you commit, and why?

A: Adultery is a crime in the Philippines and for a million dollars I’d be willing to break that law!

For the record, when I answered that question in 2020, I didn’t have a girlfriend. Just sayin’.

And now for the day’s lame humor:

We’ve got a candy walk to attend to now, and after that, we’ll make our way to San Antonio. The FRA (Fleet Reserve Association) is having its annual Fralics beauty pageant. It should be fun, and it will be nice to get out of town for a change of scenery.

Only two other folks joined for the Friday group hike yesterday. I wanted to go back to the area I had hiked on Thursday and explore some trails I’d seen but not taken. So, we took a Jeepney ride to Subic and walked most of my previous hike in reverse. Except we did take a Jeepney back to Barretto from Waltermart this time. Anyway, it was a nice enough 6+K hike, but all the new paths I wanted to check out wound up being dead ends. Oh well, that’s why they call it scouting.

And that brings us to Friday night. The SOB was being held at La Oficina, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Once or twice a month is enough of that entertainment for me. So, after showering and getting ready for the trip into town, I couldn’t decide where I wanted to go. And finally, it occurred to me that The Rite Spot On The Roof would satisfy my needs. Swan was actually thrilled when I gave her the news.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen the girls had been preparing some dinner.

I enjoyed my Friday night at home better than I would have in the bars.

Swan surprised me yesterday when she asked me to lie on the bed and lift my shirt. I did as I was told, and she took a picture. Then she started laughing. When I asked her why, she sent me this:

Then she sent me the photo she took:

Later in the day, I came across this and sent it to her:

Yeah, I need to lose that belly. And I’m working on it. Denying myself all the sweet goodness I’ve come to enjoy.

I must confess I’ve been more than a little disappointed these past couple of days. Despite my best efforts, including reducing my beer intake, I’ve actually gained weight. I understand that occasional fluctuations will occur when dieting, but damn, it does get frustrating. It hasn’t killed my motivation, though. Yet.

Maybe I really have become that stereotypical grumpy old man, but this somehow resonated with me.

Alright, enough of that. Let’s do the Quora Q&A:

Q: What does it mean when your supervisor will say “i cant understand what you’re saying”. what do you think you need to do?

A: I’m sorry. I don’t understand this question.

Yeah, thousands of comedians are out of work, and I’m trying to be funny.

Anyway, here are some things I find more or less amusing:

One more for the road:

Okay, I’m going to San Antonio tomorrow (not Texas, Zambales), so I’m doing the Hideaway feeding today. I’ll have a short and sweet post in the morning before I leave. See you then!