Another Tuesday is in the books. The exclamation point of the day was finding out something is wrong with my heart. The doctor who performed the echocardiogram wasn’t that great at English (or I wasn’t good at discerning her words), but she said something about the left side of the heart being the most important and that there were three arteries that bring oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart. It seems that one of mine isn’t doing its job. Whatever the hell that means.
Interestingly (to me), it was just a little over ten years ago that I was diagnosed with a 50% blockage in one of my arteries. I don’t know if this latest development is related to that or if it is something else entirely. I’m going back to the pulmonary doctor who referred me for the ECG tomorrow for her review of the results and guidance on what happens next. The cardiologist mentioned something about a “treadmill,” which I assume means a stress test. I’m not sure if this latest diagnosis is pertinent to my breathing issues or not. Anyway, we shall see.
I got the grocery shopping done before the hospital visit and spent a hundred bucks less than last week. The ECG was 4000 pesos, so I finished in the black.
When I got home from the hospital visit, Swan had my lunch ready:
So, I decided that staying home last night was The Rite Spot to be.
Fired up some music on the speaker box, sat in my rocking chair, and watched the daylight go away.
And then Swan called me down for supper.
Spent some rare time in front of the TV, but didn’t see anything worth mentioning. I’m too lazy to start another multi-season series, and I don’t have the attention span to sit through a two-hour movie. Instead, I watch crap YouTube videos and waste my time. I need to do better.
And that was how I filled those Tuesday hours.
Two years ago, I posted this on Facebook:
Man, oh man, I’m making lefty heads explode with the Cat memes I’ve been posting on Facebook. To me, it’s a joke, not a serious election issue. Well, the influx of illegals is a big issue, just not so much what they are eating. But given the reaction, I guess the Dims see this as a reminder of one of their big failures. So, I’ll keep playing along.
Today’s YouTube video is less than five minutes long, which suits me just fine. Our vlogger expounds on what the Philippines is really like for foreigners. Everyone has an opinion, so I gave him a watch. He called life here “a blessing and a curse”, but it seems to be all about how women perceive men as “rich.” While that may be true in some cases, I don’t see why that would make your life here a curse unless those women are all your life is about. As I said, it’s a short watch, so it’s not a total waste of time. I’m just glad I don’t share his outlook.
Your daily dose of what passes for humor here at LTG:
And the rain is back with a passion today. The Wednesday Walkers did an umbrella walk anyway, and it turned out alright. I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow. I’ll brave the weather to show support for the bars later on because that’s what a good citizen does, right?
Here’s hoping you get a clear explanation of what going on. In my case, earlier this year, I was diagnosed with “severe left-ventricular systolic dysfunction,” a species of heart failure. The left ventricle (lower-left chamber of the heart) is the most powerful muscle for pumping, so when it craps out, you’re fucked. A few months after that hospital visit came the angina and breathing issues, followed by the heart attack on 8/10. Fundamentally, metabolic issues like insulin resistance lie at the heart (groan) of my problem, and as I’m coming to realize, my body is especially intolerant of carbs. Hopefully, you don’t have heart failure or severe insulin resistance.
What will you do if the docs tell you to lay off the booze to prolong your life? You’ve expressed desires that tend in both directions: stay alive as long as possible, but enjoy life while it lasts. If you had to choose, which path would you take?
If a woman wants you only for your money, she’s a parasite. Swan often insists on doing things herself and paying for things herself, which makes her a much higher-quality person, in my opinion. You finally chose well.
John, hopefully the docs can find the root of the problems and remedies for it.
Re: video. Most (but not all) of older foreigner/younger local are (partially) transactional in nature. Doesn’t mean that the relationship won’t work, as long as both sides understand it may not be based on “love” as we define it in the West.
Good luck on the heart thing. Hope you at the very least get a clear explanation.
Regarding spending/wasting time on videos, you may wish to check out the recent “60 Minutes” piece on the South China Sea drama for a, ahem, sobering assessment.
It doesn’t really break any new ground, but it certainly shines a light on a situation about which most Americans are totally ignorant.
And speaking of ignorance, there’s a moment of unintended levity when the airhead “journalist “ refers to the Philippine vessel BRP Sierra Madre, a small and decrepit former American LST (used to transport and deliver tanks) that the Philippines parked on Second Thomas Shoal to stake their territorial claim, as a “grounded World War II battleship manned by soldiers.” Perhaps she meant “warship garrisoned by marines.”
Pretty amazing that CBS has no salty dogs aboard to belay such laughable floundering, but is anyone really surprised? There’s more idiocy, but the overall picture is clear: blatant and belligerent Chinese aggression is definitely in our future.
Check it out if you get tired of Reekay and Pea.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V80MGYrWWaM&pp=ygUac291dGggY2hpbmEgc2VhIDYwIG1pbnV0ZXM%3D
Carry on.
Thanks, Brian. I’m anxious to find out more this afternoon.
Regarding love versus the attraction to money, it seems to me that Western women being drawn to young, handsome guys is no less shallow than a Filipina looking for a meal ticket. I think the fringe benefits you get from a Filipina are better, though.
Kevin, Your experience is what inspired me to have my heart looked at. I’m not displaying the severe symptoms you had, but I want to know if the breathing issues may be heart-related. Hopefully, I’ll find out more later this afternoon.
I’ve made lifestyle changes in the past for health reasons–I took up walking after that heart diagnosis ten years ago. If drinking indeed were a matter of life or death, I’d probably give it up or at least reduce my consumption. I doubt (and hope) that is not the case.
But what do you call a woman who only wants you for your good looks? The motivation for an attraction to money seems more genuine somehow. Anyway, Swan loves me for who I am, bless her heart. She is definitely high-quality, AND she likes to cook! I’m a lucky man, indeed!
Thanks for the link, Drain. I’ll definitely check it out. Your assessment of CBS’s news standards and quality matches my own, so nothing you say is surprising. And yes, trouble is on the horizon with China. I expect to have a front-row seat when China pulls the trigger. That fancy shipyard across the bay I can see from my window is an obvious target. Whenever I hear a jet engine overhead, I look up and wonder if the time has come.
But what do you call a woman who only wants you for your good looks?
In an ideal world, I’d call her superficial (because character ought to trump looks), but realistically, we’re all programmed to go after the better-looking ones. The “realistic ideal,” if there is such a thing, would be good-looking plus good character. That works both ways. And if you or she can’t catch that, well… go for good character, and hope that the partner’s below-par looks grow on you. Or her.
You know, it’s funny how that superficiality works. I recall once sitting in an Itaewon bar, and these hot Korean gals came in, looking for fun. They scanned the room and didn’t even pay me a glance–I felt invisible. I remember thinking, “Yeah, you’ll hook up with some young soldier, and he’ll use and abuse you when you could have had a mature and respectful man like me.” Maybe thirty minutes later, some ugly girls came into the bar. I didn’t give them a second glance and laughed at my hypocrisy.
I also remember a new waitress at the Barretto dart bar where I used to hang out. I didn’t find her attractive at all. But over the next few months, I got to know her and was really impressed with her personality. And then I looked at her one day and thought, “damn, when did she get so beautiful?” It was too late for me by then, but it was a good reminder to look for the inner beauty as well.