Life goes on.
I don’t care much for this old Beatles tune. I like it even less when played at an ear-splitting volume and sung in Tagalog. Even more so when it is being broadcast from somewhere over the river.
I told my helper in disgust that playing something that loud would get you arrested for disturbing the peace back in the USA. She matter-of-factly responded that it was election season (voting is on the 30th) and that song was part of the campaign for one of the candidates. Wow. I had to invoke my mantra: Deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way.
The big event in my day yesterday was a visit with Dr. Jo and her hubby, Chris. We discussed my leg issues, and she had me demonstrate where the pain and numbness emanated. They believe I’m experiencing sciatic nerve issues and suggested I get an MRI to confirm that diagnosis. So, I’ll try and get that done on Tuesday at Baypointe Hospital. I also agreed to have the surgery I require to remove the nasal nodules that are blocking my sinuses at Clark Medical City in Angeles. Dr. Jo will make the arrangements through a physician friend and has assured me I’ll receive the best care available with a competent surgeon and anesthesiologist. I warned Dr. Jo that I’d never speak to her again if I don’t wake up after the operation. Anyway, we are shooting for early November.
I also discussed my plans to begin a weight loss effort. My belly is just ridiculous, and it seems like it came out of nowhere. Dr. Jo said that weight gain is one of the side effects of the steroids I was taking in an effort to open my sinuses. I had wondered about that because I really hadn’t undergone any significant lifestyle changes in diet or exercise prior to the explosion in weight. I asked about a diabetes drug called Mounjaro that studies have shown is also effective for weight loss. Dr. Jo and Chris both thought the side effects associated with that medication were not worth the risks involved. As an alternative, they recommended I try a drug (metformin) that reduces blood sugar (my latest blood work showed my levels were above normal) and has also been shown to help with weight reduction. And so, I have added another pill to my daily regimen (this one is taken once a day after eating dinner). I plan to officially begin my diet on Sunday, and I intend to reduce my carbohydrate intake and increase my daily exercise routines. Stay tuned.
When I returned home after my doctor’s visit, Swan prepared me a tasty lunch.
Beer o’clock inevitably rolled around, so I headed into town. And yes, I will be reducing my beer intake as part of my diet plan. I had a couple of free drink coupons at Johansson’s I’d earned at the dart league on Wednesday, so I put them to use to start my night. I ran into Sean, a former Hasher I hadn’t seen for a while there, and we had a nice catch-up conversation that lasted for three beers.
I decided to visit Oasis bar again and take advantage of their opening week fifty peso beer promotion. I was surprised to see Jim, Simon, Ken, and Steve there, and I pulled up a stool and joined them. Four beers later we moved up the road to Cheap Charlies. What an experience that turned out to be.
There was a “two-week millionaire” (what we call tourists who go nuts in the bars) present. He self-identified by ringing the bell (buying all the girls a drink for 1500 pesos) FOUR times in the fifteen minutes it took me to finish my only beer there. Of course, the girls were going crazy over his generosity (and getting drunk), so they were happy. But here’s the thing. The bell-ringer was sitting with three or four girls, and the rest, including my two favorites, were just scattered around the bar. Even so, Alma and Nerissa completely ignored me. It felt like being invisible. Now, I get it when a guy is buying a girl drinks she’s his for the duration. Although I’ve also had girls tell me, “My regular is here; I need to go to him,” and that’s okay with me, too. But last night, “my” girls weren’t seated with the drink buyer, although I guess they didn’t need what I usually provide them. It was a good reminder that despite what I pretend to believe, I mean nothing to them beyond a drink commission. I left after one beer.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I was surprised to see Nerissa standing down there, and I let her know how disappointed I was and that I wouldn’t be coming back to see her again. She just gave me a blank look. Yeah, I was a little buzzed by now and should have just kept my mouth shut, but whatever. That’s the bar life.
I made Wet Spot my nightcap venue and wound up having a very pleasant conversation with owner Daddy Dave. He’s a retired physician and agreed with the course of action I intend to pursue on the road to better health. So, it was a nice finish to the night.
In the land of Facebook, one of my friends had a post that spoke to me.
Have you ever thought: “I’m fat.” “I’m old.” “I’m not enough.”
I was young once.
To all my Male friends from 50 years and up:
Most of us are going through the next phase of our lives.
We’re at that age where we see wrinkles, gray hair, and extra kilos.
We see the cute 25-year-olds and reminisce. But we were also 25, just as they will one day be our age.
We aren’t the “boys” in their summer clothes” anymore.
What they bring to the table with their youth and zest, we bring our wisdom and experience.
We have raised families, run households, paid the bills, and dealt with disease, sadness, and everything else life has assigned us.
Some of us have lost those who were nearest and dearest to us.
We are survivors. We are warriors in the quiet.
We are Men, like a classic car or a fine wine.
Even if our bodies aren’t what they once were, they carry our souls, our courage, and our strength.
We shall all enter this chapter of our lives with humility, grace, and pride over everything we have been through, and we should never feel bad about getting older.
It’s a privilege that is denied to so many.
Men, I challenge you to copy and proudly paste with your picture and age. Recently turned 68! and grateful to reach such an age….
I almost never do the copy-and-paste thing, but those words resonated with me somehow, so I made an exception and did so. I’ve gotten more than the usual number of likes on that post.
Also from the land of Facebook, I get several humor sites in my news feed, including one of my favorite comics, The Far Side. This one showed up today (although looking at it now, I see this is not an actual cartoon from Gary Larson):
And on the subject of humor, this one gave me a chuckle:
I couldn’t find the Tagalog version, so here’s the Beatles:
re: metformin
Not a fan. Please go to my blog’s search window and search for what I’ve written on the drug. Otherwise, it’s good to see things moving forward, medically speaking.
It was a good reminder that despite what I pretend to believe, I mean nothing to them beyond a drink commission. I left after one beer.
It’s always about the money, nothing deeper. Intellectually, you know this. Emotionally, well, you’re kinda stunted. But you’ve got a squeeze now, sort of, so why feel empty at all?
See, this is why I think you need to swear off the bar girls. On some level, a very stupid level, they do mean something to you, and that’s not appropriate when you’re trying to cultivate a committed relationship.
This ties in to the latter part of your post, which is at least partially about aging gracefully and with dignity. You can’t go around being an emotional puppy dog forever, never growing up, never learning from mistakes. I hope you make the Swan thing work, and I sincerely hope you turn away from all forms of paid companionship. It’s all fake, and you’re not “helping” anyone by helping to perpetuate such an industry.
Good luck swimming over to the deep end of the pool.
John, this post kind of has a Groundhog Day vibe to it.
Heres hoping that the fifth(?) is the charm re: beer drinking, bar girls, etc.
There is also that weight lose drug that is all the rage – Ozempic (also known by the generic name semaglutide). DOnt know if one of the drugs you mentioned is a derivative or other name for Ozempic and too lazy to check. LOL
Brian, I’m an old dog, and these are new tricks…hmm, well, maybe not so new, but first time’s the charm. (and yes, I avoid trite phrases like the plague) We’ll see what happens this time.
I need to read up on Ozempic and revisit what Kevin wrote about metformin. I did my past weight loss without using meds, but I’ll take all the help I can get as long as that help doesn’t harm my health in other ways. Treating the high blood sugar issue is a worthy objective, with or without dropping pounds.
Kev, thanks for the heads up on metformin. I read a couple of your links and have a couple more to review later. I’m likely not going to refill this prescription.
What happens with Swan remains up in the air. I’m not sure what common interests we may share at this point. She’s a good woman, I’m convinced of that, but time will tell if she is right for me. Just an example–she is the only woman who has spent a night with me and declines to join me on the morning dog walk. I mean, I get that she doesn’t want to Hash, and I can accept that, but a twenty-minute stroll with the boys is nothing. She just has no interest in coming with us. I feel as alone as I ever have. As I said, there are good things about her, too, but I’m still undecided if she is my future.
As for the issue with Nerissa and Alma at Cheap Charlies, I just thought their behavior was rude. I’m a customer too and deserve a little respect. If that is too much to ask, I’ll take my business elsewhere.