I mean, you’d think I could manage some semblance of regular posting.  It’s not like I’ve only ever posted when I had something of interest to say, right?

Fact is I do start feeling guilty when I don’t take care of business here at LTG.  I’ve just been pretty much without motivation for anything lately accept sitting on my lazy ass.   As I’ve speculated on why that might be the best I’ve come up with is that the uncertainty of my future has left me more than a little disconcerted.  And when I get to feeling this way, I tend to retreat and ignore.  Tantamount to putting my hands over my ears and screaming LA LA LA! at the top of my voice.

Anyway, I make it sound worse than it is.  It’s not like sitting on my lazy ass doing nothing is all that bad.  Still, there are things to be done and decisions to be made and at some point I need to get on with the doing and deciding.

As folks who care know, last months trip to the Philippines was not exactly a disaster, but it didn’t go as planned either.  Not only did I not find a suitable place to live, I came away questioning whether I wanted to live there period.  Which kinda sorta undermined the dream I’d been pursuing for these past several years.

Upon my return from that ill-fated trip I had to postpone my retirement date and recalibrate my future plans.  It was more than a little embarassing seeing as how my farewell luncheon had been scheduled and my replacement had been selected.

January 2, 2011 is the new big day.  And no excuses, I will no doubt about it, unquestionably, effectuate my retirement on that date.  I really mean it this time.

What I am going to do and where I will be on January 3, 2011 remains to be seen. 

Stay tuned.

I’ve kinda fallen off the posting wagon of late here, haven’t I?  Not to make excuses (as I proceed to do so) but I’ve just been a tad out of sorts here of late.  When the going gets overwhelming, my tendency is retreat into numbing mindlessness.

So these past several days have found me escaping into the world of CIV IV (and doing pretty well, thank you) and watching countless espisodes of House (I’m halfway through season six now!). 

That hasn’t left much time for the blog.  But what’s to write anyway?  Politics is not exactly a bore, but I find it increasingly difficult to watch Obama and his team of clowns and fools systematically deconstruct everything that once made America great.  Which is not to say that politics is not in the future here at LTG, but I’m waiting for something inspiring.  Hey, maybe the elections in November will bring good cheer…

But really, I think it is my impending retirement and move to the Philippines that has put me off my game.  I have a great job and the career has been so much more than I ever imagined possible.  Lucky I have been!  Still, I do know it is time to let go and do something else (or nothing at all) for awhile.  I just don’t have the passion for it anymore.  I think this passionlessness is most notably manifested in my escalating inability to tolerate bullshit.  And trust me, working for the government is the Kingdom of Bovine Excrement.  Although I will miss the people and the security of a well paid position of responsibility, I can let go and move on.  I really can.

So, moving on means moving on to the Philippines.  But oddly enough, I can’t seem to generate as much excitement for the reality of that proposition as I could for the dream.  I’m not exactly sure why that is and that fact has created a sense of foreboding and dissonance of late.

Well, there I’ve said it out aloud.  And no, I don’t feel particularly better for having done so.  The fact is I have built a very nice life for myself here in Korea.  As the days dwindle down I’m realizing just how much I’m going to miss living here amongst the friends I have made.  So, there’s that.

I’m going to be heading out to the PI on Thursday and will stay for 10 days.  It’s really a business trip.  Taking care of the business of securing a visa, a house to live in, and a sense that I am moving to a place where I belong. 

I told myself I’d give it a year and see what happens.  And that’s what I plan to do.  I’d just prefer that the year feel like time spent in paradise rather than jail. 

It’s a hot day.  And the lake is dark and cold.  It’s a little scary to contemplate jumping in, because the shock of hitting that water is bound to be…what?  Painful?  Perhaps, but once I’m aclimated I expect it will be refreshing.

And if I’m wrong?  Well, I reckon I will just get my ass out of the lake and go look for a hot tub. 

Or something.

(Mt. Pinatubo in Northern Luzon nearby where I expect to be living in September)

So, I have completed the official business portion of my trip.  Nothing worthy of note took place at the meetings.  In fact, it occurred to me as I sat through what will be my last gathering of this type just how little things had changed in 30 years of this type meeting.  The same tired issues, the same failed solutions, the same talking heads with all the answers.  Government in action.

Highlight of the week was that the last day was held inside the Pentagon.  That was a first for me and I’m glad I got to experience it.  Quite the building.

And to be completely honest, notwithstanding the pointlessness of most government meetings, with each new “last” I feel an odd sense of loss and sadness.  It is what I have known and done these many years.  Feels almost like losing an old friend somehow.

That pretty much sums up my day as I completed my well-being physical examination at Soonchunhwang Medical Center.  The process and procedures seemed to go well although I won’t know the results until next week.

It was certainly the most thorough and comprehensive examination I’ve had that’s for sure.  It started with the requisite stool, urine, and blood samples and progressed from there.  I brought along an interpreter to help guide me through the process and she snapped up some photos along the way as well.  So, let’s blog it, shall we?

So they had me change into these really cool taekwando-type  pajamas.  Made me feel confident and dignified, unlike those American-style gowns that open at the back…

So, it was eyes and ears to start with…

This procedure where they blow air into your eye went fine, but it took several tries (and some eye-dilation) before the technician could get a proper photograph of my retinas.

And then they had me embark and don headphones in this contraption…

Which turned out to be a time machine!  I was whisked back in time and emerged as a 30 year old man once again…

Here is the new young me!  Hey, wait a minute.  Turns out I was getting my hearing checked not traveling through time.  Damn.

Next I had an ultrasound.  Turns out I’m carrying twins.  No wonder I’m so fat!  Actually, all I heard from this is my liver is enlarged and I should curtail my drinking.  Yeah, right.  As soon as I stop breathing…

This is where I laid on a cot and had a bunch of wires attached to my body.  Boring!

Ah, the chest x-ray.

Seeing as how I’m a non-smoker this shouldn’t be a problem.  Although those 25 years I did smoke may come into play…

Ah, the traditional “in body exam”.  Not nearly as cool as an “out of body experience”, but then having one of those in the hospital may not be too wise as they are liable to haul your body down to the morgue.

So, I’m not exactly sure how this thing works, but I’m guessing it is like a spectrograph that measures the fat content of your body and crap like that.  The screen readouts were in Hanguel, but from what I could make out I’m 117 kgs and I should be 75 by skinny Korean standards.  It’s not exactly a newsflash that I’m fat people.  But I’m working on it!  Oh, I had the dental panoramic x-ray here as well.

So, Soonchunhwang Hospital is actually a complex of several buildings.  And my next test was in the building across the street.  So, they had me put on my “championship” robe and brave the snow and slush outside…

…to get to this building…

…which houses this clinic…

…where I received an echocardigram whatever the hell that is.  The technician was cute though…

Next up was this CT scan…

A Walrus-filled doughnut…

Then it was back across the street to the procedure I had been dreading the most…

The only thing I like down my throat is a pretty girl’s tongue so I asked for and received some “feel good” drugs prior to the procedure…

…which I suspected was going to involve me and one of these gurneys…

Here I go.

Whatever that crap was it gave you instant cotton mouth.  I’m guessing it also suppresses the gag reflex.  Not a pleasant feeling at all.

Waiting for the drugs to kick in…

’cause I don’t even want to think about where that thing is going soon….

Talking about being in a vulnerable position!  But fortunately I was now in my happy place….

Blissful post-op sleep.  I seem to recall waking up during the procedure feeling like I was choking but my hands were bound and I was helpless.  Maybe it was a dream.

Once I was back up and on my feet they had me cross the street again (I know, I know.  But this is Korea) to visit Urology department…

And I had a pretty good idea what was coming next…

…and now you do too…

…ok, let’s just get this over with quickly.  And call me Angel of the Morning…

And that was that.  I’ll see Dr. Yu next Thursday for the results.  So, I was in at 0830 and done at 1230.  And other than the logistics of crossing the street (twice) wearing pajamas in inclement weather, it was a smooth and efficient operation.  Here’s the interesting part–all this testing cost me W750,000 (that’s a tad bit less than $750.)  Not bad.  Although I did get a discount of about $140 because this is the “slow season”.  Can you imagine a U.S. hospital putting medical treatment “on sale”?  I’m not sure how they do it, but maybe Obama ought to check it out.

And that’s not all!  They gave us two free tickets for lunch at a little Korean soup joint across the street from the hospital.

After fasting I’m plenty hungry…

Lunchee is served!

That is a rice and vegetable soup, and although I found it a little on the bland side…

…it didn’t go to waste (other than my own).

Alright, thus ends my tale of adventure at Soonchunhwang Hospital.