Yep, it is still raining relentlessly, and I’m stuck at home, missing out on the joy of hiking. At least the water service has been restored. A hot shower is near the top of my “to-do” list.

After being confined indoors all day, I was ready for the great escape when beer o’clock rolled around. My pal Michael messaged that he was still without power at his place on the far side of Subic town, and asked to join us. We agreed to meet up at Sloppy Joe’s. Michael doesn’t do the Barretto scene, having only visited bars tied to Hash events and the ones I showed him on Wednesday after San Narciso. He also said the only restaurant he eats at here is John’s place. I mentioned Sit-n-Bull, but he tried it once and didn’t like it.

After a couple of beers, I was ready for a change of scenery, but given the wet weather, options were limited. Another factor I had to consider was Swan’s hunger. Then I thought of a place I seldom visit that’s right up the street–Hops and Brews Beer Garden. Michael had never heard of it and asked if they served draft beers. I responded that’s pretty much all they have, and he was excited to give it a try. So, we grabbed the umbrellas and headed out.

Hops and Brews is one of the nicer places in town, especially if you like craft beers on tap. Of course, they don’t carry a faux beer like Zero, which may be part of the reason I don’t visit often. Michael was surprised to discover a place for beer connoisseurs like him with a great ambiance and good food. He said he’ll definitely be bringing his wife here when she returns from England next month.

That’s a meat lover’s pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven. I’d heard people rave about the H&B pizza, but I’d never tried one. It was good. Michael said it was the best pizza he’s had in a long time. I’ll have to consider elevating Hops and Brews on my list of go-to venues.

After we finished the pizza, Michael headed home, and Swan and I did our nightcap at Green Room.

As 8 p.m. approached, we headed home. Still no water, but when I got up to pee at midnight, the toilet flushed. Hooray!

And now I’ve crossed the border into April 2010 on my journey through the LTG archives. In this post, I share insights and photos of the unique Holy Days celebrations in the Philippines.

For today’s YouTube video, who’s up for a visit to North Korea? This is as close as I ever want to get.

Smile time:

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for a rainy day. It’s Sunday, so I’ll venture out to Hideaway for the feeding, then I’ll join Swan at John’s place. I predict there are some birria tacos in her future.