One of the downsides of the COVID Hash experience is the 12:00 p.m. start time. Well, since I have to meet up on the mountain, I need to leave the house at 11:30. No big deal except this is my siesta time and my body is giving me a big WTF? right now as I prepare to head out. Man, I’m becoming such a whiner in my old age. And don’t give me that “becoming?” bullshit!

Today’s hike will be at least in part a reprise of my morning jaunt. I went up on My Bitch to deliver some goods to my mountain family.

So, some things are so stupid they make you laugh while you are shaking your head in disbelief. The latest from the Department of Tourism is this gem of wisdom: When hotels are allowed to reopen they will be limited to only two guests per room. So, I’m picturing a Filipino family driving up to Barretto from Manila for a weekend at the beach. Mom and Dan and two kids in the back seat. They book the standard room with two queen beds at Treasure Island. And then are told the kids can’t share the room. But that long drive from Manila all together in the car is fine. What bullshit!

Ah well, stupid is as stupid does I suppose. Time for me to get stupid now and hang out with a dozen or more people for some hiking and just as importantly, some drinking this afternoon. I’m not wearing a mask on trail but I’ll try and keep my distance. Luckily, I’m a slowpoke and will likely be bringing up the rear.

I’ll let you know how things work out tomorrow.

So, I guess there have been a couple of milestones on the way to the “new normal”, whatever in the hell that turns out to be. We are just a little over one week into the general (versus enhanced) community quarantine. More businesses have been allowed to open, trikes are allowed to operate again (limited to one passenger) and there is a general feeling of the old hustle and bustle returning. Hell, it’s starting to get dangerous to cross the highway, just like in the good old days. But we ain’t there yet.

No hotels or bars are allowed to have guests yet and restaurants are still limited to takeout only. Some businesses aren’t going to reopen at all, but maybe that’s best for the survivors since the customer base is going to be diminished. The laundry I used to use reopened and I saw the owner as I passed by the other day. She asked when I was going to bring in my clothes again. I had to confess that my helpers are now doing my laundry and I promised to buy them a machine. You could see the disappointment on her face. Oh well.

It’s not all bad news though. “Goman’s”, that hotel/restaurant/bar I used to frequent early in the quarantine, has once again reopened, albeit on the sly. I popped in because I saw the plywood blocking the door had been removed. Turns out that was just because they were doing some construction work inside. Anyway, they welcomed me back, told me to keep quiet about it, and happily served me the San Miguel Zero beer I’ve been craving.

Turns out my old Speakeasy place is also still open. As I suspected, when the manager called to tell me they were closed, he meant they were closed to me. That’s fine. I prefer Goman’s anyway. Also, with the alcohol ban lifted it’s easier to keep the fridge full of cold ones at home. Best of all the prices have dropped back into the normal range now.

So, that’s the update on the quarantine situation. In other news, there are some nice aspects to staying home once you get acclimated to it.

And today I binge-watched seven episodes of season six of Game of Thrones.

I’ll save my thoughts on some of the tangents the series has taken for when I’m sober another day.

I’m also getting to spend more time with my boys here at home.

I didn’t do any walking today except for the morning dog exercise. I did take a couple of “interesting” photographs during that excursion though. It seems the rainstorm yesterday had some impact in the neighborhood.

And there you have it, life goes on and we adjust as necessary I suppose. COVID Hash run #2 is on tap for tomorrow. That will get my lazy ass off the couch and out of the house at least.

Sorry, I’ll have a more substantial post (well, comparatively speaking) tomorrow. For now, I’ll just report that it is raining hard. I do believe we have officially entered rainy season. This will allow me to stop complaining about the heat. Damn it! Will this rain ever stop?

Anyway, I’d almost completed my morning walk before the downpour commenced. The weekend lockdown commenced at 2:00, so I had to forego my afternoon hike. Well, I did manage to score three more cases of beer today at least. And prices are back to almost normal.

I cooked up some pulled pork which went well with the conclusion of Season 5 of Game of Thrones. I was very surprised to see Jon Snow’s demise. About the only character with character. I guess Billy Joel was right when he sang only the good die young.

Speaking of death, you’d think worrying about the COVID would be enough, but today I found some info about something even more dangerous:

Time to load up Season 6. I’ll try and do better tomorrow!

They say there’s a heaven for those who will wait
Some say it’s better but I say it ain’t
I’d rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun…
You know that only the good die young

We (Jim, Scott, and me) did our traditional Saturday hike today so as to avoid bumping up against the weekend curfew. Not that it would have mattered because we wound up going short and finished by noon. It was all pretty hot and intense though so that was enough.

Well, rules are rules and we should all just follow orders I suppose.

I’m on record as stating just how ridiculous the mask-wearing requirements truly are, especially since most of the masks are homemade and porous. So this pretty much captures the preventative value of donning the mask:

That’s really all I’ve got for now. I do have some news about the easing of the quarantine (or perhaps the ease of violating the quarantine) I’ll share with you tomorrow. Now some beer drinking beckons me (and yes, that last sentence is related to the previous sentence).

Stay tuned!

A wise man* once said, “he who has nothing to say should not say it”. Like that’s ever stopped me!

Grocery shopping today and my, what a difference a week makes. As we pulled up the first thing I noticed was no line waiting to get inside. It turns out that with the mall now opening at 10:00; earlier grocery shoppers must use the back entrance to the store. Walked around to that door and still no line! Of course, the store still sucks but at least I didn’t have to wait long to be disappointed. What kind of supermarket doesn’t stock Italian dressing for chrissakes?

Actually, I was also relieved that my age didn’t come up. Last week I used being an old fart to my advantage, bypassing the line by claiming senior privilege. Under the new quarantine rules, oldsters over 60 are supposed to stay home altogether. So I knew I wouldn’t be invoking the senior shortcut but I read about some people being turned away from stores in Barretto because of their age. Anyway, at least for today that turned out to be a non-issue.

I was going to cook up some pulled pork yesterday but discovered I was out of one of the key ingredients–brown sugar. I bought some today and will do the pork roast in the crockpot tomorrow. Last night I had takeout food delivered to my door for the first time ever in the Philippines. I knew the restaurant, Foodies, was good having ordered off their menu many times back in my Cheap Charlies days. And for some reason, I had a hankering for lasagna, a dish I hadn’t tried from Foodies before. The food arrived promptly but that is the best I can say about it.

The innards were okay I guess, but the pasta shell was hard and stiff to the point of being nearly inedible. And I’m not sure what was up with the color but I found it off-putting. I guess they didn’t use a tomato-based sauce or something. Anyway, lesson learned. Next time I’ll order stuff that I know is good, like the beef stew or meat pies.

So Facebook reminded me that I posted this seven years ago:

I got to wondering if I had posted this on the blog back then. And sure enough, I had, along with the story of how I learned to pronounce “ascertain”. Hint: it is NOT as certain.

I also saw this Ayn Rand meme on Facebook. What really struck me is how spot-on it is regarding the way things work here in the Philippines.

This is why a country rich in resources and cheap labor will always be a third world nation. That and the people in charge seem to be spectacularly stupid. The way the quarantine has been implemented is just the latest example of that sad fact.

Oh well, still happy to be here. Mostly.

*It wasn’t really a wise man, I just made that up. But you knew that, didn’t you?

I’m not an expert on the provenance of words, especially words that aren’t in English. So, take c’est la vie for instance. I mean, I understand that it translates as “such is life”, but to what degree does it actually express misfortune? I’m sure you wouldn’t tell someone who just lost a loved one
“c’est la vie“, even though that’s technically true. Dying is a part of life after all. Anyway, for purposes of this post c’est la vie is expressed with a shrug and an implied “oh well”. Things are what they are whether you like them or not.

Take last night for instance. I’m of course stuck at home as usual. Right around 5:00 I pop the top off a bottle of beer, settle down on the couch, turn on the TV, and start watching the next episode of Game of Thrones. And then the power goes out. Damn, I hate when that happens. “Brownouts” as they are called here. Fortunately, it happens less often than I expected when moving to the third world. And generally speaking, the brownouts usually last for less than an hour. I was concerned though because this one occurred after 5:00, so I was pretty sure it wasn’t scheduled maintenance. After waiting a bit it was getting hot in the house. So I decided to walk down to the guard shack at the front gate to see if they knew what was going on.

Anyway, the guard said Zamelco (Zambales Electric Co-op) had been notified, but he had no idea when they’d be out. Nothing to do but light some candles, sit outside, drink beers before they get hot, and wait. I did get more than a little concerned when I noticed most of the other houses around me had power and that the street lights were working. Usually, it’s an all or nothing type deal. My next-door neighbor came out and told me she had also called Zamelco and was told a truck was on the way. And about thirty minutes later power was indeed restored.

I finished watching episode 3 of season 5 and then noticed that I had someone managed to break the two vape pens in my pocket. Must have sat on them wrong, but they were irreparable. That’s a pretty big problem because I can’t get replacements here and I have pretty much depleted my backup supply. Oh well.

I guess on the grand scale of tragedies, I’m doing pretty well though. Were it not for my petty complaints what would I have to blog about, right?

Here’s today’s “interesting” photo.

I don’t know how Game of Thrones will turn out, but I was happy to see that the descendants of the Stark family are doing well:

I’m not sure if this constitutes a bright side or not, but it seems the pandemic has had an impact on the litter issues here in the Philippines:

This cartoon made me miss those glorious nights in the bars charming the sexy young bargirls with my good looks and wit:

Man: Haven’t I seen you someplace before?
Woman: Yes, that’s why I don’t go there anymore.
Man: Is this seat empty?
Woman: Yes, and this one will be if you sit down.
Man: Your place or mine?
Woman: Both. You go to yours, and I’ll go to mine.
Man: So, what do you do for a living?
Woman: I’m a female impersonator.
Man: Hey baby, what’s your sign?
Woman: Do not enter.
Man: How do you like your eggs in the morning?
Woman: Unfertilized.
Man: Your body is like a temple.
Woman: Sorry, there are no services today.
Man: I would go to the end of the world for you.
Woman: But would you stay there?
Man: If I could see you naked, I’d die happy.
Woman: If I saw you naked, I’d probably die laughing.

Well, don’t judge me on my love life alone. In fact, I’m thinking about taking the archives of LTG and turning them into an autobiography. I’ve even got a title picked out:

Such is life.

Life’s a beach. Oops, I spelled bitch wrong.

In my last post, I naively speculated that perhaps my run of things going broke in the night might be over. Turns out there were some holes in that theory. Like these:

As you have likely surmised the two holes are related. My helper noticed the ceiling was discolored and sagging. Luckily, she knew someone in the biz and he came out and cut a hole to see what was up. Turns out the toilet in the master bath was leaking. He spent most of Saturday making repairs. Cost me 700 pesos for the labor ($14.) and 2000 pesos ($20) for the materials. The job still isn’t finished though as I’m told the repairs “need to dry”. Which meant I was peeing off the upstairs deck last night since I’m too lazy to walk to the downstairs bathroom. Exciting times, eh?

This is the first weekend of the new normal around here, which basically means my hike on Saturday was mostly legal as the weekend lockdown didn’t begin until 2:00 p.m. It was just Scott and I and since the sky was threatening rain we confined ourselves to flat city streets and Baloy Beach.

Last night I fired up the grill and this was the result:

Tonight I was grilling chicken and the grill quit working. Hopefully, it is only out of gas, but I have my doubts since it hasn’t been very long since my last refill. We’ll see if my string of bad luck continues.

Spent a very lazy Sunday binge-watching Game of Thrones. I’m through season four now and that puts me into new territory. I recall from several years ago watching the episode where Joffrey was poisoned, but since then I’m seeing the storyline for the first time. Good stuff. I’ve got an old man’s ears now and the torrents I downloaded from Pirate Bay apparently don’t have subtitles which makes things a little hard to follow sometimes. Especially when Khalessi is speaking whatever the hell language she shares with the natives. Still enjoying it though.

And there you have another report from my locked-down life. But before I go, let me share some stuff you might like almost as much as I did.

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.
–Thomas Paine

Sometimes it seems like our founders are speaking to us from the grave as a reminder to stand up for what is important. Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, left the following comment to my post on Facebook:

What does that mean in English?

Eh, even after all these years the Brits still don’t get it. Go worship your Queen or something!

And here’s a public service announcement from someone who knows what they are talking about:

A little political humor for your viewing pleasure:

And finally, I found this pretty punny:

We are going to do a first-ever Quarantine Hash tomorrow. Not sure of the details, just that we are meeting up on the mountain. I’m sure it will be a small group. Look for a full report and photos after we’re done.

Peace out!

…don’t fix it. If it is broke you’re screwed. Or so it seems.

Now, I can’t say that the virus (whose origin cannot be named) is responsible, but it seems that I’ve had a run of things going broke that coincidentally coincided with the unavailability of repairs or replacements. It started with my Fitbit, then my watchband. The other night my blender gave up the ghost and then last night I discovered my mosquito zapper has burned out. Hopefully, I’ve used up all my bad luck by now!

Speaking of luck, more details have emerged regarding the lowering of the quarantine status from “enhanced” to “general”. My province of Zambales had been slated for general but for some unknown reason requested to remain under enhanced requirements. However, the city in which I reside (Olongapo) is an independent entity within Zambales and has elected to transition to general. Meanwhile, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) which is the official name of the old Navy base, has decided to remain closed to non-residents. Confused yet?

Practically speaking, not a lot changes for me. The curfew is now 7 p.m. which provides me an extra hour and nowhere to spend it. The weekend lockdown will now begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday giving me an extra half-day to be out and about quasi-legally. Thank you, Mr. Mayor! Oh, and the sale of alcohol is no longer banned, but consumption is. I’m still trying to figure that one out. The department stores are allowed to reopen but are not permitted to use air conditioning or provide wifi. Still, maybe I can replace my broken shit.

Oh well, no use in complaining. We just all need to reach out and lend a helping hand in these difficult times.

And at least we still have access to take out and food delivery:

But you know what? Walking about this afternoon I did realize just how small my problems truly are. I bitch and moan of course, but that’s an old man’s privilege, right? And really, when life tries to push a big “fuck you” in your face…

Rooftop beer drinking on tap for this afternoon to celebrate the end of enhanced quarantine. How better to celebrate a quarantine than by violating its strictures!

I haven’t had this much fun stickin’ it to the man since my rebellious teenage years! Woot!

Things I saw when I was out and about on the internet today.

Kevin Kim had a thought-provoking post dealing with the philosophical questions regarding the “right” way to give to others. He delved into the religious aspects of charity for charity’s sake and how that true generosity is not contingent on getting something in return. Good stuff, go give it a read.

I left a comment on Kevin’s post regarding my own selfish motivations for helping others:

I’m living comparatively rich in a poor country. When I first started visiting here I’d feel guilty and get depressed about all the poverty that surrounds me. So I resolved that when I moved here I’d find ways to make a difference for some people at least. I help a few in various ways which perhaps makes their lives a little easier. I get the satisfaction of knowing my presence here has made a small improvement for them. I’m honest about the selfish nature of my charity, but to me, it’s a win-win. Since religion plays almost no part in my life I sleep just fine at night despite my doctrinal failings.

I really hope I don’t come off as engaging in virtue signaling. I mean, I do what I do and it may not be much, but every little bit helps I hope. I’m certainly not looking for any attaboys, but doing what I do makes me feel better, I honestly don’t give a flip what others may think of me or my activities. I can’t recall where or when I first heard this anecdote but it still resonates with me:

There was a big storm and after it passed thousands of starfish were washed up on the beach as far as the eye could see. A young boy was standing near the water and throwing the starfish back into the ocean one by one. An old man approached and said: “Little boy, why bother? You can’t save all these starfish.” The boy responded as he picked up antoher starfish and threw it into the sea: “Maybe not, but I saved that one!”

We all just need to do the best we can. Leaving things better than we found them is a worthy accomplishment. Let’s move on, shall we?

You can’t open your browser without encountering hysterics and doomsday platitudes concerning that mysterious virus that magically just appeared in the world. It would be racist to actually say where it came from, or so I’ve been told by folks who claim their intellect is superior to mine.

But despite all the bullshit, occasionally you can ferret out a tidbit or two of truly useful information. Imagine the comfort I took when I saw a pillow that looked exactly like mine:

On a more serious note, I came across a writeup on an expat forum I read that pretty closely echo my sentiments. Well, except for the part about bailing on the Philippines. I’m not ready to give up on this country just yet.

Just a heads up on lockdown in a major city in the Philippines. Lots of insanity and madness at all levels. The country had major problems and human rights issues prior to the so called corona virus, now it’s all just snowballed. Millions of the poorer people’s lives have been made worse than they already were. Without the monthly pay check they are basically screwed. Lots of problems getting food. A lot of the aid hasn’t reached them, and possibly been pocketed by those in power, as people have suggested. Yet so many people just go about their daily lives.

This is the first time I have ever heard some Filipinos say this is a shit country. Usually they are quite patriotic. That’s not to say a lot of the masses are speaking out. The average poorer Filipino is not often found to think for themselves or question or do their own research. So many reactions to this whole so-called pandemic have been nothing short of disturbing indeed. As a society it has got to be one the most easily scared and manipulated that I have ever witnessed, especially in the lower classes.

In my opinion, the people of authority here often have no idea what they are doing. What I commonly see here is people in positions of authority that clearly do not possess the intelligence or common sense to make decisions that affect people’s lives. The main problem with people like this is that they think they are smart, but they are not. It’s a common trait here, maybe a form of narcissism.

It is what it is and hopefully at some point sanity will prevail. Here’s hoping!

Anyway, Olongapo begins the general quarantine rules on Saturday. I’m not sure that it will matter much, still no bars to go hang out in.

In other news, it looks like I’ll be able to stop complaining about the heat soon:

Scott posted some photos he took of yesterday’s walk on his Facebook page. He’s better with the camera than I am. Here are a few for your perusal:

Alright, enough of that. Let me leave you with this:

I do recall the dyslexic bank robber who burst inside and shouted: ÖKAY MOTHER STICKERS, THIS IS A FUCK UP! GET YOUR ASS IN THE AIR OR I’LL BLOW YOUR HANDS OFF!”

You are welcome.

Well, maybe not, but I’ll be fit in a bit. That is if my brand new just delivered Fitbit fitness tracker motivates me to get off my lazy ass and start meeting my 20,000 step daily goal again.

Facebook has also provided me some inspiration by reminding me what I looked like seven years ago:

I don’t want to go back there so I gotta keep steppin’ it up!

The fact that I was able to get my Fitbit delivered through an online purchase at Lazada (the Philippine version of Amazon) is noteworthy. When my old Fitbit died a month ago, Lazada wasn’t shipping. I’ll take that as a positive sign that we are moving ever so closer back to normal, albeit baby steps.

Speaking of which, it was announced today that effective this Saturday Zambales province is being downgraded to “general community quarantine” status. Practically speaking that won’t make a lot of difference. Some stores and businesses are being permitted to reopen, but not restaurants, bars, and hotels. Still, there are a few things I’d like to buy at the mall so maybe that will happen. I’m also hoping the restrictions on entering the old Navy base will be rescinded so I can once again go grocery shopping at Royal. No word on whether the ban on purchasing alcohol will be lifted or if the curfew will remain in place. Stay tuned.

Today’s “interesting” photograph was taken in the yard of my next-door neighbor’s house.

Actually, what makes it impressive to me can’t be seen because of the morning sunlight behind the tree. So, I went out and took this one from my backyard using the zoom feature:

Going out in a bit to enjoy some rooftop beers with Jay. Got to make the best of what you have, right?

Nothing to do but put on my big boy pants and deal with. Yep, winding finishing up yet another lockdown weekend. In theory, this should be the last one, but Lucy has pulled away that football so many times now that I ain’t counting on it.

Done with season two of Game of Thrones, so that’s an accomplishment I suppose. I also got desperate enough to start playing solitaire on the computer. I’m up to the Master level now!

Speaking of being a master, I came across this clip of George Carlin back in the day (early 1970s?). He was talking about this pandemic bullshit way back then. Just over six minutes and well worth the watch. Dude must have been a time traveler.

And while we are on the subject of time travel, Kevin Kim did another of his “crazy walks”, this time doing an overnight hike on the streets of Korea. I’d never even considered doing such a thing and unless I’m on the run from the law I doubt I ever will.

Yesterday’s morning walk was much more my style:

Anyway, it was a hot but otherwise pleasant 8K endeavor. The highlight of my weekend by far, but that’s not saying much I suppose.

For today’s interesting photo, I’ll offer this:

My helper had put out some flypaper. This morning when I went to make my coffee I encountered this poor guy. I know the feeling to be stuck in the house.

And I’ll leave you with this golden oldie:

Time for me to get back to counting flowers on the wall. Or watching Game of Thrones. One of those.

I keep hearing you’re concerned about my happiness
But all the thought you’re giving me is, conscience I guess
If I were walking in your shoes, I wouldn’t worry none
While you and your friends are worrying ’bout me
I’m having lots of fun

Counting flowers on the wall, that don’t bother me at all
Playing solitaire ’til dawn with a deck of fifty one
Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo
Now don’t tell me I’ve nothing to do

A couple of weeks ago my Fitbit died on me. And then last night this happened:

Yeah, I’m old school. I’ve never relied on my phone as a timepiece. It’s hard to get into the habit, especially at night. Hell, I never even used to bring my phone upstairs when I went to bed. Now when I wake up at o’dark thirty I have to reach down, pick up the phone, tap the screen twice to activate it, and then realize that without my glasses (still downstairs on my desk) I can’t read the time display. It is those little things that make life harder than it ought to be.

Speaking of time, it is still passing whether I can track its progress or not. Facebook shared with me what I was doing two years ago:

And life goes ever onward. Here’s the “interesting” photo from this morning’s walk:

Speaking of sex, Catherine came to visit yesterday afternoon. It was her idea. Honestly, she’d been pestering me for days. And it was fine and dandy. Last night she sent me a message saying “babe, my friend have phone for sale. Only 15K.” I didn’t respond so I don’t know if she wants me to buy her a phone or was just letting me know one was available. Well, I don’t need a phone and I ain’t spending $300. to buy one for someone else. Still, a little disappointing. You help someone out and they assume you are a sucker. I’m going to have to be pretty damn horny before I invite her back!

On the internet today I was reminded that my foreign language skills aren’t much better than this:

And don’t even get me started on punctuation:

Sometimes I stir shit up on Facebook in a manner other than my intended one. I posted this for all those #stayathome and trust the government to look out for you types:

Anyway, one of my German FB friends took offense and talked about Americans being fucked up in the past as well, specifically mentioning the Indians. I responded that is precisely my point–anyone who trusts the government to serve their best interests does so at their own peril.

Later this afternoon I’ll be doing the rooftop beer drinking thing. And tomorrow will begin another total lockdown weekend. Looks like more Game of Thrones binge-watching is in my future.

C’est la vie.

The vaccine I’m hoping for from this entire Coronavirus episode in American history is one that inoculates the population from these unbearable, pathetic Shame Squads.

Anyway, I was fearless on my weekly grocery shopping expedition this morning. I needed to be when I got a glance at the line waiting to get inside the mall which allows you to get in line to get into the store.

Well, as it turns out I didn’t have to wait for long. My driver once again successfully got me in through the senior citizen’s line. Hey, old age has its privileges. I’m not sure it is technically legal since I don’t have the government-issued oldsters ID, but I won’t say anything if you don’t.

I’ve had several folks ask me to be on the lookout for the Filipino alcoholic beverage of choice, Emperador. It’s a light rum, but not really my thing. And six weeks into this lockdown it is getting scarce. So I was disappointed on behalf of my friends when I learned that the SM store had none in stock. On the drive back home my driver mentioned that he “knew a guy” that might have some for sale but that he was charging more than twice the previous price for a bottle (95 pesos versus 220). Well, fuck. That’s the law of supply and demand, right? So, I had him go ahead and secure me a case of the stuff. Hell, it will make some friends happy and might even come in handy should I run out of beer.

Speaking of beer, I still have a case and a half left from the three cases I bought last week (shaddup!). At that rate of consumption, I might not make it through the quarantine. I ran into the guy who helped me buy the last batch but he too has now raised his prices (from 1000 pesos a case to 1800). That’s basically paying inside the bar retail prices without getting to actually be inside the bar. Damn. What’s a beer lover to do? I paid for another case at the inflated rate.

And that’s how things are in my world today. But wait, before you go take a look at these gems and jewels I came upon while hiking through the hills and valleys of the internet:

And finally, I’ll need to be on the lookout for this Game of Thrones mishap:

Something to look forward to!

“Be not intimidated, nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretenses of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery, and cowardice.”
–John Adams

I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a cough and congestion. That’s not unusual, just one of those things I deal with from my COPD damaged lungs. Got up and did my nebulizer treatment which does help me breathe easier. Went back to bed but noticed as I climbed the stairs that I had a backache right at the base of my spine. No idea where that came from. After some fitful sleep, I awoke at 5:30, which is pretty much normal for me. Except this morning I still felt very tired and lacking energy. Usually, when I wake up I get up because I’m rested and ready to get on with the day. Well, Buddy seems to know the schedule and he came into the bedroom to let me know he was ready for his backyard time. So I made my way painfully down the stairs and let the boys out. Fixed me a cup of coffee and plopped down in front of the computer. I got to wondering if the back pain, breathing issues, and waking up tired might be symptoms of something else. Took my temperature and registered a 35.3. That’s the coolest I’ve been! So, it appears I’m going to live.

In addition to the quote at the top of this post (man, Adams was WAY ahead of his time wasn’t he?) I came upon these gems during my internet travels (where else can I go?):

If you don’t appreciate this punny humor all I can say is that you are in Dire Straits…

And that’s all I’ve got for today…

Made it through another total lockdown weekend unscathed, unbowed, and unbroken. Yesterday I just embraced the suck with various amounts of boredom, gluttony, and laziness. What else is there?

Back when I had originally retired and moved home to the states in 2011, I began watching Game of Thrones on HBO. I guess I got through Season 4 before moving back to Korea fulltime and losing easy access to the show. I managed, for the most part, to avoid reading spoilers about the Season 8 finale, although I heard many fans of the show were disappointed. Anyway, given the amount of time that has passed I decided to rewatch the series from the beginning. I’ve successfully managed to download the first three seasons now and transfer them to a USB that I’ve plugged into my “smart” TV where I can enjoy the story in the relative comfort of my living room.

I got through nine episodes of the first season in a binge-watching marathon. I did consume a half-gallon of ice cream to fuel that effort. I was pleasantly surprised at just how much of the story I’d forgotten. Yeah, the big stuff like Ned Stark losing his head wasn’t a surprise but some of the details leading up to that event were “new” to my beer-sodden memory. I’d also forgotten how much T&A the show features, no complaints seeing that again!

Being stuck at home with decent entertainment is my only available option so you just accept it and enjoy as best you can. Still, it is good to be reminded that my inconvenience is a small sacrifice to make for the greater good of the community. Oh, wait a minute. Fifty days under “enhanced community quarantine” now, and a total of nine confirmed cases in Olongapo City. WTF?

Oh well. I posted this on Facebook yesterday:

And it resulted in this today:

Speaking of Scott, he captured me the other day in my “Candyman” role:

Oh, and I’m still cooking at home (like I have a choice these days). This pot roast may have been my best effort since the move to the Philippines. The meat was both tender and flavorful.

So, there’s the latest update on my so-called life. I know it could be worse and I know it will get better one of these days.

It’s been kind of interesting to watch many of my fellow Americans standing up for the freedoms the government, mostly at the state and local level, are trying to subvert. I expect that trend to continue as more and more people wake up to the fact that they’ve been scammed.

People are going hungry here in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the nonsense continues without apparent rhyme or reason. Today the Bureau of Immigration advised that foreigners who fail to abide by quarantine restrictions will be subject to deportation and banishment. The national government says the ban on alcohol sales has been lifted. The local governments continue to impose them. In fact, I was one day ahead of the ban imposed by Olongapo City yesterday (Barretto has been banning sales for weeks). I obviously am in no position to lead an uprising but at some point, the people need to stand up and say ENOUGH! Come election time I will certainly be reminding my Filipino friends just how idiotic and oppressive their local government “leaders” have proven themselves to be.

Nothing to be done but make the best of it. The total lockdown weekend thing is a dictate from the Olongapo City mayor (which includes Barretto). Next door in Subic town, no such restrictions have been imposed. So, guess where Scott and I hiked today?

It’s been a while since we ventured out that way, it’s in Subic’s jurisdiction, and relatively easily accessible without entering Barretto by going “the back way”.

And that’s all the photos I took today. Scott joined me at my house for chicken wings and beer after the hike, then he successfully snuck his way back home. I’m fixing to watch another pandemic movie tonight (12 Monkeys).

Sorry for the lack of diversity in my posts lately. This blog is mostly about my life and my life is pretty much being controlled by people who ain’t near smart enough for the job. It’s frustrating. Still, it could be worse. Glad I’m not blogging about getting sick. Or being deported.

Two more weeks of this. Yeah, right.

Well they finally came and told me they was a gonna set me free
And I’d be leavin’ town if I knew what was good for me
I said it’s nice to learn that everybody’s so concerned about my health
I said I won’t be leavin’ no more quicker than I can
Cause I’ve enjoyed about as much of this as I can stand
And I don’t need this town of yours more than I’ve never needed nothing else
Cause there’s still a lotta drinks that I ain’t drunk
Lots of pretty thoughts that I ain’t thunk, oh yeah
Lord there’s still so many lonely girls in this best of all possible worlds

A bacteria walked into a bar and the bartender said, ‘We don’t serve bacteria in this place.’ The bacteria said, ‘But I work here, I’m staph.’

Besides bad jokes? Not much. Although I actually did go grocery shopping in Olongapo this morning. Yeah, it’s freakin’ sad when that’s the highlight of your day. But it turns out it wasn’t the highlight. More on that later in this post. Anyway, I thought going on Tuesday after the long lockdown weekend would be a way to beat the crowds. I was wrong about that. Luckily for me, my driver was able to get me access to the store through the senior citizen’s line (I am one but don’t have the official ID). That saved me over an hour of waiting for sure.

I stocked up on the necessities I could find but in some cases, it was slim pickin’s. I was pleasantly surprised that the alcohol ban is not in effect in Olongapo City. So, the unavailability of beer in Barretto is just one more example of power-mad local officials exerting their “authority”.

Pretty strong rumors that the enhanced community quarantine will, in fact, be reduced to a general community quarantine come May 1. Stay tuned!

I guess this will pass for today’s “interesting” photograph. I saw a sign across the street from the grocery store and went to have a closer look:

The Big Hominid Kevin Kim is heading out to start another one of his famous long-ass walks. Wishing him good luck and success on his journey. Coincidentally, Facebook reminds me that it was just two years ago that I wore his butt out as we did a farewell hike on Namsan together.

Now, aren’t these pretty?

So, while I’m grocery shopping I got a message from Catherine, the Wet Spot dancer who lives nearby. She’s out of food (again) and wanted to “borrow” 1000 pesos. Well, borrow in Filipino parlance means “give”. I asked her if she would rather earn 3000 pesos. She liked that idea. Man oh man, I’d forgotten what a tight young 25-year-old body looks like unwrapped and how good it feels snuggled up next you. But enough about that.

I did rather enjoy this example of political correctness gone stupid. Or stupider I should say.

And speaking of the American way:

It’s awful hard to find a job
On one side the government,
the other the mob
Hey, hey ain’t that right
The workin’ man’s in
for a hell of a fight.

Oh, this country
sure looks good to me
But these fences are
comin’ apart at every nail.

Well, I’ve technically never been on a chain gang, but I did work at a car wash once (back in 1971 for $1.35 an hour) which is probably close to the same thing. Today found me (along with Scott and Jim) back on the trail after two days of being lazy abiding by the city-wide lockdown.

It was a tough hike on a very hot day. We climbed the big mountain then embarked on a quest to find a long lost way back down into the valley. Alas, we failed in that effort despite several attempts at locating the elusive path. We were stymied in part because the thatch grass hadn’t been burned as yet making visual sighting all but impossible. By the time we admitted defeat, I was very exhausted and still had the long walk back to Barretto ahead of me. Wound up going through all four of the water bottles I brought as well. Still, I finished with a mountainous 14K day and that ain’t too shabby for an old fart like me.

Anyway, it was a hard but a good day to be out and about again.

Oh, here’s how last night’s baby back ribs looked when they came out of the oven:

Still not sure about Kim Jung-Un’s status, but maybe it went down like this:

Speaking of the President, the press is still going nuts over what he said or didn’t say about treatments for the Wuhan virus. Not sure what’s next, but this seems plausible:

That’s all I’ve got for today. Peace out!