Celebrate good times

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Come on! My sixth anniversary in the Philippines was a good one. Not unlike most other days I enjoy here, but Swan made it extra special by treating me to a foot spa and dinner. I believe that’s the first time a Filipina has ever insisted on picking up the tab!

I started the day with my Standard Saturday Solo Street Stroll. During the walk, a misty drizzle began to fall, helping me stay cool. That’s the first moisture from the sky I’ve experienced in months. And there is rain in the forecast for tomorrow. Bring it on!
Not a bad pace for an old guy.

We headed to the Angel’s Touch Salon at four p.m. for our foot work.

Laid back together in the spa while the clinicians did their magic.

With our feet refreshed, we headed up the highway for dinner at John’s place.

It was about five, and we were the only customers. We opted to sit in the open-air area on the third floor.
The crazy weekend traffic on the highway through Barretto. These days, the Manila folk escape to the beaches in Zambales for the weekend. That bypass road needs to be completed ASAP, but this being the Philippines, I doubt I’ll see it in this lifetime.
Me and my date. Well, I guess technically, I was her date since she was paying.
Surf and turf for Swan
And a tenderloin for me. I was wanting a ribeye, but it was out of stock. The steak was small but tasty and satisfying.
A view from our perch

The tab came to 2300 pesos ($45.), including our drinks. Thanks again, Swan!

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, where I had a “buy a lady drink, get a customer drink free” coupon. So, we kept Swan’s friend Aine and our waitress Irene happy.

Well, Aine looks happier than Swan in this picture, that’s for sure!

It was another fine day in paradise. Here’s hoping for lots more anniversaries to celebrate in the future!

It’s Mother’s Day in the Philippines today.

Thirteen years without her now. You never stop missing your mother.

Well, there have been some confrontations between the Chinese Coast Guard and Filipino vessels near the Spratley Islands. China says that’s her territory, but the UN Court said it belongs to the Philippines. Anyway, I saw this article today that seems to indicate things are escalating behind the scenes, and the Philippines has even raised the possibility of expelling Chinese diplomats. Things are sliding closer to chaos and possible war every day. Thank God we have a strong leader in Washington, DC, to keep the peace. Oh, wait.

Facebook memories took me back seven years to when I departed Seoul and moved to Pyeongtaek.

Scrolling through some of my old posts about that transition made me feel a little sad. I have no regrets; life goes on. I should have appreciated what I had more than I did, but that’s all in the past. I’m trying hard to enjoy every day of my new life here as much as possible.

Let’s see what the Quora Q&A has for us today:

Q: What was the last thing you said to someone before they died?

A: I copied and pasted this blog post from 2008 about my friend Linda Ketner as my answer.

Damn, I just reread it now, and it made me cry again. It is probably the best thing I’ve ever written here at LTG. The answer got several thousand views and several touching comments, like this one:

How beautiful this is. and so well written…and how amazing is it that I found this answer after all this time.. Thank you, John! Not sure what you believe…but I believe Linda and you are old souls, and have been through many, many lifetimes together…She was (is) right. That was not Good-by. When it is time for you to step clear of your body, she will be the first person you see.

Thanks so much. I don’t know what I believe about the afterlife but I really hope it is as you say…seeing Linda’s smile again as I begin that journey would be a dream come true.

Okay, let’s have a dose of lame humor:

I’m melting! I’m melting!
Does such a thing even exist?

Alright, that’s all for today. I have a Hideaway feeding to attend to, then I’ll spend some quality time with Swan on the Arizona floating bar. And I’m paying this time!

5 thoughts on “Celebrate good times”

  2. I started the day with my Standard Saturday Solo Street Stroll.

    A serpentine acronym, that: SSSSS.

    Surf and turf for Swan

    That looks really good.

    And a tenderloin for me.

    Not quite as visually spectacular, but I assume it tasted great.

    Thank God we have a strong leader in Washington, DC, to keep the peace. Oh, wait.

    Hang on. As the Stark family says, November is coming.

    Does such a thing even exist?

    You get a woman with a big’un, and it’s easy enough to find. But then, you have to worry that, if it’s too big and looks more like a little dick, does that make you ghey for enjoying it? That was a running joke in Clerks 2, I think: Dante’s fiancée has a clit so big that his buddy Randall, who knows about this thanks to an unforced confession from Dante, keeps insinuating Dante is gay.

    Enjoy your feeding and the quality time.

  3. Just reread your old post. This part struck me:

    She KNEW me. And despite that, she still loved me.

    The McCrarey essence, in a nutshell.

    RIP, Linda.

  4. Kev, November is coming, but will it get here soon enough? And I can’t shake the feeling we are all in for a surprise before then, and not in a good way. I hope I’m wrong about that.

    Thanks for the clip. That’s one of the benefits of being decrepit–everything you’ve forgotten seems new again.

  5. Well, if my heaven turns out to be the eternity of do-overs I’m hoping for, I will definitely pursue a different path with Linda.

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