Despite not feeling 100%, I tried to make Sunday as routine as possible. Starting with the Candy Walk.

Here’s a video of Section 13 of our walk if you’ve been following along.

My after-hike nap proved to be disastrous, in a shitty way. Today, I’m still liquid but not leaking. Progress!

I also had some hungry girls to feed at Hideaway, so I headed out to fulfill that mission.

Next up was dinner with Swan at John’s place. No surprise, she once again did the birria tacos.

Red Bar has become our Sunday after-dinner stop, and after a glass of wine and some Zeros, Swan asked, Where to next? I said, “Home.” In another indication that I am not fully recovered, I felt fatigued again. Plus, I hadn’t emptied the liquid brown from my intestines for too long, and I didn’t want to do that in a public place. So, we grabbed a trike for home, I took care of business, and I was in bed before eight. Damn, that’s pathetic even by my low standards. Still, I am better than I was and not as good as I’m going to be.

From the LTG archives in July 2009 is the latest update on the Bali adventure about attending a cultural “Fire and Trance” performance. Lots of photos; the next best thing to being there!

Two years ago, I was enjoying some Thai culture on the infamous Soi 6 in Pattaya:

In today’s YouTube video, we hear the claim (sorry about the AI narration) that Filipino culture is having a worldwide impact. I live here and don’t get out much, but are any of you seeing this phenomenon in your country?

And let’s take a moment to smile:

Happy Birthday to Swan! And I’m going to attempt the Hash this afternoon. Life goes on while you have it.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.

I got a sweet father’s day card from Swan this morning:

Long-time readers may remember the young woman I call Mary. She was eighteen when we briefly dated which is legal, but WAY to young for an old fart like me. It was when my granddaughter turned eighteen that I knew I couldn’t keep seeing Mary. Anyway, she moved to Manila for a factory job, and I posted about our last evening together here. Mary returned to Barretto several months later, by which time I had moved on with Swan. Mary asked for my financial help so she could attend college in Olongapo. I give her around seventy-five bucks a month, which covers some of her expenses. I don’t hear from her often, but she occasionally updates me on her progress. I’ve told her my expectation is for her to escape the poverty loop, succeed in her career, and then “pay it forward” to help others in need.

Anyway, that’s a long, drawn-out introduction for the Father’s Day message Mary sent me:

Dear John, Happy Father’s Day! I just wanted to take a moment to celebrate you today—not just as an amazing dad, but also as the incredible friend you’ve been over the years. It’s clear how much your kids look up to you, and that’s a testament to the kind of father and role model you are. You’ve always been there for me, through thick and thin, and I’m so grateful for your friendship. It’s like you’re a dad that I never had

Keep being the amazing person you are. Enjoy your day, my friend—you deserve it.

Thanks for the kind words, Mary. Well, that “you’re the dad I never had” line made me cringe a little. But I’m glad I’ve been able to help you pursue your dreams; it’s what dads do.

My ill health, as mentioned in yesterday’s post, has not yet been completely resolved. My temperature is back to normal, and I had enough energy this morning to do the Candy Walk, although it was a struggle. A new symptom, diarrhea, has befallen me, and it’s one of the worst cases in memory. I discovered its onset when I attempted to pass gas and sharted instead. No problem, I will just resist the urge to fart. Except it seems I fart in my sleep, and TWICE during my nap today I soiled my shorts. Yuck!

The appetite hasn’t returned either, although I did have a hamburger patty before walking this morning. You’d think if I weren’t eating much, there wouldn’t be anything in the bowels, but alas, that’s not the case.

Today I haven’t eaten anything other than that burger patty, and I’m still not hungry. It’s like being on a diet without even trying!

From the July 2009 LTG archives is another installment of the report on my trip to Bali. Everyone raves about the beaches in Bali, but I enjoyed our stay in the mountains at Ubud even more. Lots of pictures in that post to show you why. I believe this was also the first trip out of the country I took with my future wife, Jee Yeun. Oddly enough, I spelled her name differently back then.

Today’s YouTube video is about an expat who got ill (and diarrhea) from something he ate. I’ve thought about it, but I’m not sure what I had to eat that may have led to this. I had that enchilada dinner at Sit-n-Bull on Friday night, but my early symptoms don’t seem food-related (fever, lethargy). I threw up once on Saturday afternoon, but the diarrhea didn’t hit me until late Saturday night. Well, hopefully, this too shall pass (preferably into the toilet).

Now for the funny business:

Misery loves company. Thanks for joining me!

Most men and women lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and limited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments, is and has always been one of the principal appetites of the soul.” –Aldous Huxley

It almost seems like Huxley suffered through daily reads here at LTG. Sometimes, I do feel like I’m playing out the string of whatever days that remain in this lifetime. But I honestly can’t help but think that I’ve earned the right to enjoy my time here in a laid-back and uncaring manner. Lord knows, I’ve been transcending myself for over fifty years; I need a break!

I’ve been ill today for the first time in a long time: lethargy, loss of appetite (nothing since breakfast), fever, and nausea (threw up once, but my stomach was mostly empty) are the symptoms du jour. Swan, bless her heart, is a certified caregiver, and she’s been working hard all afternoon to give me some comfort. And now I feel strong enough to subject you to more of the pain you’ve come to expect here.

I hadn’t had a hike since Monday’s Hash, but no one in the Friday group felt the need to hit the trail. Swan and I undertook our own journey, walking the seven kilometers from our house to WalterMart on the backroads of San Isidro, Naugsol, and Manga Vacca. It felt good to be out and about once again.

We skipped the SOB last night and started out at Sloppy Joe’s. Then we visited Sit-n-Bull for our dinner.

After a brief nightcap at The Green Room, we called it a night and headed for home.

And there you have it, a day with not much to blog about, but that didn’t stop me. As usual.

In July 2009, I was blogging about my trip to Bali. Loads of pictures from my second day there. Damn, looking back, it was the best vacation of my life. In the coming days, I will talk more about some of the happenings. No energy to do so today.

For today’s YouTube video, we’ll visit Smart Girl Philippines with a story as short and sweet as she is (one and a half minutes). She says giving money to your girl’s family will not endear you to them. My method is giving Swan a healthy allowance; she can spend it as she sees fit. I know she helps some of her nieces with school supplies and stuff, but I never get asked. That works for me.

Here’s some humor before I go lay down again:

And that’s it for now. Today has been a good reminder of how quickly things can change health-wise. I’m glad it wasn’t more serious, but the fact that I’ll be staying home on a Saturday night and not drinking at all demonstrates how whupped I’m feeling. Hopefully, I’ll recover in time for tomorrow’s Hash.

Yesterday was all about preparing for and then enjoying the Independence Day gathering at The Rite Spot On The Roof. I thought we might have overdone it on the food, but the turnout was larger than expected, and there were plenty of eats and drinks for everyone. I was also worried about the weather, having experienced three straight days of heavy rains. And then, in an almost Moses-like fashion, the clouds parted and our patch of land was spared from rainfall for the remainder of the day.

Yes, I added pineapple chunks to the mix. It struck me that chili was a dish of Spanish origin. Not wanting to be disrespectful to the holiday’s history, I Filipino-ized the recipe by adding the national fruit. Hey, Filipinos like pineapple on their pizza, so why not in chili?

For your enjoyment, here’s a minute and a half of the party vibe, including karaoke, that I recorded:

It was a nice get-together, and everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves. Is there a better definition of success? Maybe we’ll do it again for the 4th of July.

From the LTG archives is a June 2009 post from Bali, Indonesia. The first day of my first (and last, so far) visit to that island paradise.

Today’s YouTube video takes us back to a time before air conditioning. I have aircon in my house, but I almost never use it. I keep cool with fans and open windows. I guess I’ve adapted myself to the climate, preferring outdoor/open-air bars to chilled ones inside.

Let’s have a smile or two before I go:

I enjoyed a non-routine day, but now it’s time to get back to normal. We’ll see how that works out for me.

The rain has once again put a damper on things around here, including the Wednesday Walkers group hike. It doesn’t appear there is much hope on the horizon either:

Fortunately, neighbors Jeff and Davina were also attending the grand reopening of Sloppy Joe’s, so we caught a ride with them and avoided a wet walk.

We did our nightcap upstairs at another newly reopened bar, Tryst (formerly La Oficina), for the first time. It really hasn’t changed much from its previous iteration, just your standard girly bar with dancers. It’s okay if that’s your thing, but it won’t be a regular stop for us.

And that’s all my Wednesday had to offer this week.

A few days ago, I posted a photo of a mysterious-looking ship anchored in the bay. A friend sent me this Wikipedia link identifying the ship.

I hope a port of call in Subic doesn’t indicate that trouble is on the horizon. War with China is rising on my list of ways I’m liable to die in the Philippines.

It’s still June of 2009 in my journey through the LTG archives. Lo and behold, I actually came upon a post with some substance! In it, I share some insights regarding my transformation from the left to the right side of the political spectrum. Spoiler: I didn’t move, the left did. I talked about reconnecting with an old high school friend via Facebook, who had followed his dream of becoming a journalist and was working for the Seattle newspaper. Oddly enough, he unfriended me when I shared my political thoughts with him. Over the years, a large number of my lefty “friends” opted to ghost me rather than deal with divergent beliefs. In the post, I quote John F. Kennedy and delve into the deeper meanings of Bob Dylan’s song Blowin’ in the Wind. After reading that post again, I was shaking my head and thinking, Whatever happened to the guy who wrote this? Well, I’m still here, but maybe my deep thinking days are over.

Today’s YouTube video is Reekay’s latest, and he talks about three things you need to have a successful retirement in the Philippines. The first one seems pretty obvious: a source of income. But maybe not so surrpisingly, some fools move here without a plan to support themeseles and once the savings account is empty, they are screwed. When it comes to women, I spent six years screwing up before I finally got lucky and found the right one. And finally, common sense ain’t real common anymore, but I’ve managed to navigate the challenges of living overseas. Having helpers in my employ has been a benefit in that regard.

And some humor before I go:

We are having an Independence Day gathering at The Rite Spot later this afternoon. I’ve got chili in the crockpot, and I baked some cornbread muffins and brownies as my contributions to the feast. I’m also installing some vinyl panels to hopefully stifle the rain from penetrating our alcove of shelter under the roof. We shall see how that works out.

I was sad to learn that Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys founder and songwriter, has passed away. I loved hearing their music while growing up in Southern California. Rest in peace!

Tuesdays come and Tuesdays go. The one that happened yesterday went down like this:

It was time to renew my tourist visa, so that was the first stop on the shopping expedition. The Olongapo office of the Bureau of Immigration has posted hours of 8:00 to 5:00. I arrived at 8:30 and was the first person to sign in. The guard said no one was there yet, so I took a seat and waited. And waited. Someone appeared at 8:50 and set about firing up the computer, and at around nine, he called me to the window to process my extension application. I only requested thirty days this go-round because I’m leaving for Vietnam next month. A few minutes later, I paid my 2300 pesos and had a new stamp in my passport. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to process my Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC), which is required to leave the country after an extended stay. As I understand it, the purpose of the ECC is to verify that there are no warrants, other pending charges, or other untoward activities you are fleeing from. That, and it’s another way to generate revenue for the government. Hey, I’m a visitor to this country, and I’m bound to follow the rules, unlike those millions of illegals back home.

Next up were the weekly visits to the YBC and Royal supermarkets, both of which were uneventful. Back home and confined to shelter from the rain, I set about processing the online visa required for Americans to visit Vietnam (Filipinos don’t need a visa, so Swan is good to go). It wasn’t too difficult filling out the usual forms, although I did have to upload photographs of my passport and a recent mugshot-like photograph.

So, I successfully submitted the paperwork and paid the $79 processing fee. If all goes well, I should have an e-visa in four days.

Without a floating bar option, our plans for the Tuesday outing were undetermined. Swan mentioned going to Kon-Tiki, but the rain made that journey unpalatable. And today this post on Facebook made us regret our decision:

Oh, well. I wish them luck on SBMA, but that’s a bridge too far for us. I’m still hoping someone will open a beach bar here in Barretto.

Our alternative plan was to satisfy Swan’s craving for a birria taco from John’s place. We couldn’t make our regular weekly visit on Sunday as John’s was closed. When we arrived, John’s widow greeted us and apologized for our Sunday disappointment. I told her we needed to get a fix for Swan’s addiction, and I’d take some beef bulgogi. She knew that meant tacos for Swan, and she replaced the rice that is served with bulgogi with a side salad. And of course, a red wine and a Zero beer. It’s nice to be a regular!

After our meal, we walked under umbrellas up the highway to Red Bar and enjoyed more wine and beer.

When it was time for a change of scenery, we hoofed it down the road to Cloud 69 bar. Our regular waitress, Sheryl, was waiting to serve the day’s first customers. Several new dancers were hired since our previous visit. One of them greeted me by name and said she knew me from when she worked at Cheap Charlies. She was vaguely familiar, but I had no recollection of any interactions with her there, and she was certainly not one of my regular lady drink recipients. So, she joined us at our table along with Sheryl, and I bought them both a drink. The new girl claimed to have been Swan’s classmate, but Swan didn’t remember her.

We decided to have our nightcap at Nipsey’s, a bar we almost never visit. I was surprised to be greeted at the door by Jamaica, a girl I used to know from when she worked at Snackbar. We are Facebook friends, so I knew yesterday was her birthday, and I offered her belated greetings. She told us today was her first day working at Nipsey’s, so naturally, we bought her a welcome aboard drink.

So, one round at Nipsey’s and we were ready to head home. Before we departed, I slipped Jamaica the 500 peso note that I couldn’t change earlier, and told her happy birthday. It was a nice ending to a good night on the town.

I’m still slogging my way through June of 2009 in the LTG archives, and I came upon a post I erected about blowjobs. Don’t be too hard on me, I had my reasons. Have a look for yourself.

I made a post on Facebook six years ago about a dream I had. In it, a woman handed me a scrap of paper with those words inscribed:

“Don’t ask for what you can’t give”

Hmm, I ain’t asking for nothin’.

Let’s check in with Smart Girl Philippines for today’s YouTube video. In her usual humorous style, she warns about bad decisions brought on by alcohol and erections. I’ve had a lifetime of bad choices, and most were not caused by beer. Although thinking with that small brain has cost me some. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’ve experienced some of those outcomes she describes personally. You’ve been warned!

And now for the funny business:

And that’s all I’ve got for today. Still raining, but I’ll venture out for the grand re-opening of Sloppy Joe’s Bar later on today. Back tomorrow with more.

With a few twists and turns along the way. In other words, more of the same, but different.

And now for Section 12 of the Candy Walk:

The Sunday afternoon routine wasn’t so routine. I walked to the Hideaway feeding under an umbrella.

No more floating bar. And in a sad twist, John’s place was closed. There had been a power outage in Barretto earlier in the day, and John’s Facebook page said they had decided just to remain closed when power was restored. So, Swan met me at Red Bar instead. After a wine and some beer, it was time to decide on an alternative venue for dinner. I suggested Myleen’s, and Swan countered with Mugshots. It’s a bar with a kitchen and the food is good, but there are limited choices (which is appropriate for a bar menu IMO). Sure, why not? It’s been a while since our last visit.

I was quite surprised to see there were several other customers seated at the bar, but we grabbed the two remaining stools and asked for a menu. As we prepared to order some chicken wings, the cook advised that the kitchen was swamped with previous orders, so we’d have to wait for ours. Eh, never mind. I suggested we move on to the Green Room and order take-out from Sit-n-Bull to bring back home with us. And that’s what we did.

And that’s all there was for Sunday. Posts like this are boring to write; I can only imagine what the torture of reading them must be. I’ll try to do better.

Coincidentally, back in June 2009, I wrote a post entitled “A day in the life.” It was a good one in Itaewon.

In today’s YouTube video, the vlogger talks about how the Philippines has changed his views on happiness. I recall similar emotions on my visit here. Initially shocked by seeing the poverty that so many endure, I was then astounded by the genuine happiness the Filipino people exude.

I’m getting bored with the corny Zen lines. Anyone out there want them to continue?

If Everything Seems To Be Going Well, You Have Obviously Overlooked
Something.

I’m going to keep the so-called humor coming, though:

The end of this post is here at last. Hash Monday is upon us, and I’m on the fence again. No rain since last night, but the trail ends this week at Always Wet’s house at the far end of Rizal Extension. If I do the trail, I won’t be doing the Circle; I’ll be walking back down the hill to town. I’ll let you know what I decide tomorrow.

And walked with her, too.

We kicked things off with the Saturday Sweet Stroll. It was my first time doing any kind of walk since the surgery. I’m not supposed to get my eye wet for two weeks, but damn, how is that even possible when you live in a sweat box like the Philippines?

Here’s the beginning of the stroll, a ten-minute walk through Alta Vista to the first neighborhood we visit on our regular route.

And a few photos of what I saw along the way:

Later in the day, we met up with the neighbors at Hops and Brews Beer Garden.

Hops and Brews has great ambiance and looks to be a nice place to hang out and enjoy the chill vibe.

Despite all that, I only visit here a couple of times a year, and only when invited to a gathering like the one last night. I’m not sure why it is not on my radar. Looking at the menu, I was surprised at how expensive everything is. I decided to do the pulled pork and a side of coleslaw (480 pesos or $9).

Swan tried the beef brisket (600 pesos or $11).

After dinner, Jeff and Davina joined us for a nightcap at the Alaska Club. And since they live next door, we had a free and comfortable ride home. Life is good, even when the food isn’t.

Saturday’s report card: 13,665 steps, 10.51 kilometers walked, 3,199 calories burned.

It’s June of 2009 in my journey through the LTG archives. Today’s noteworthy (to me) post is about attending the Army Ball, a formal affair.

The last time I visited Korea was six years ago this month.

Today’s YouTube video shares the “joys” of provincial life in the Philippines. I sometimes fantasize about living like the locals do in some of the areas I hike, but the reality of the everyday life hardships would be too much to bear for long. I’m a creature of comfort in my old age. Hell, I don’t even want to go camping again.

And that Zen moment you’ve been waiting for:

How Do You Tell When You’re Out Of Invisible Ink?

On to the humor:

And there you have it. It’s rained every day since May, but at least it’s been holding off until after my morning walks lately. It’s pouring down now, which means I may be in for a wet walk to Hideaway for the feeding. Oh well, without bad weather you wouldn’t appreciate the good weather.

The visit with my ophthalmologist, Dr. DeCastro, went well. The assistant did the standard eye tests, and I was pleasantly surprised when, with my right eye covered, I could read every line on the chart, except the bottom one. During my previous examination in January, I couldn’t even read the top line with my left eye. The vision in my now cataract-free eye is still a little fuzzy, but Dr. De Castro assures me that as the swelling recedes, my sight will become clearer. I have a follow-up appointment on the twentieth, so hopefully I’ll be 20-20 by then.

Took another 400 peso cab ride home and chilled for a while, waiting for beer o’clock. I had asked Swan earlier if she wanted to do the SOB at Queen Victoria or something else. She opted for something else. She suggested Kon-Tiki, and I was down for that. Until we saw the traffic on the highway on the way back from the doctor’s office. We agreed that a weekday visit makes more sense. I offered doing the seldom-visited Hangout Bar, then Mango’s for dinner, or BarCelona and Jewel Cafe. She didn’t have a preference, so we headed for BarCelona. Of course, it began raining as we departed.

Swan enjoyed her glass of wine, and I had three beers waiting for her to finish it. Then we were off to Jewel Cafe for dinner.

As we dined, Swan got a message from her friend Marilyn wanting to meet up for drinks. Swan asked where we were going next, and I said IDM. She asked, Are you sure? Lots of people know Marissa there. I shrugged and responded, Who cares? So, Swan messaged Marilyn to meet us there. By way of explanation, Marilyn is the sister of my ex-girlfriend, Marissa. Her twin sister. Identical twins.

When we arrived at It Doesn’t Matter, only one other person was seated outside, fellow Hasher Grace (Leaking Pussy). She moved to our table, and another person we know, Rica, the IDM cook, joined us as well. So, the stage was set when Marilyn arrived a few minutes later. Marilyn has lived in Manila for a long time and, for the most part, is unknown in Barretto (I met her for the first time a few weeks ago). As she approached our table, Grace jumped up and screamed, “Marissa, good to see you again! It’s been a long time!” Then gave her a big hug. Swan and I were laughing, and the look on Grace’s face when Marilyn calmly told her, I’m not Marissa, was priceless.

So, the revelry continued in Tagalog, and I just sat there taking it all in. A couple of other people came by and greeted “Marissa,” but it’s hard to blame them for the mistake. I was thinking that I’d never been alone with her, but I’d seen Marilyn naked. Anyway, I was buying the drinks, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, so that constitutes a good time for me.

All things must end, and it was almost 8:30 (late by my standards) when I paid the tab and we headed for home.

Friday’s report card: 10,912 steps, 8.4 kilometers walked, 3,029 calories burned.

I’m still in May 2009 on the journey through the LTG archives. This post is a picture-filled account of an organization day gathering with my fellow Directorate of Human Resources team members. Why do these memories make me feel a little sad? Because I didn’t realize just how awesome my life was at the time.

Today’s YouTube video discusses the income tiers in the Philippines, from the very poor to the very rich. I pay my full-time helper/caregiver 26,000 pesos per month, which puts her in the lower middle class category. But when you factor in the free lodging and food she receives, she is doing better than most. And if you are wondering, I qualify as a rich bitch. There is no denying I live large and comfortably.

Some Zen:

How Many Of You Believe In Psycho-Kinesis? Raise My Hand.

And on with the humor:

And I’ll leave it at that for today.

Ko. And now you know. More on that soon, but let’s get to the last, first, shall we?

The cataract surgery took more than an excruciating hour to complete. Not painful, just staring into a bright light, moving my eye when commanded to do so, and holding steady as directed. The doctor assures me all went well and that my now cataract-free left eye vision will be improved when the swelling recedes. We shall see. Hopefully.

The procedure cost 68,000 pesos ($1200). I intended to pay by credit card as I had done after the right eye surgery a couple of years ago. Since my doctor doesn’t have a card machine, the assistant took me downstairs to the hospital cashier. There, I was told there would be an additional 1200 pesos in service fees and another 10,000 pesos “tax.” I called bullshit on that (politely) and told the assistant I would pay in cash when I came for the follow-up appointment tomorrow. Nope, they wanted at least a 20,000 peso down payment. Swan had her debit card and went downstairs to the ATM, but it was out of service. Finally, Swan was able to transfer the 20,000 electronically into the doctor’s account, and we were free to go on with our lives.

Okay, and now for yesterday. The story behind the title of this post is that our Wednesday Walk was the Philseco Road route (Phil say ko, get it? Yeah, I’m a hoot.)

As I mentioned, for some unknown reason, my blog went down for a few hours when I was halfway through yesterday’s post. That was disconcerting because I thought maybe I’d been hacked or something. But when beer o’clock arrived, I gave up waiting and headed for town.

For our Wednesday evening out, we kicked things off at Alley Cats.

We pop in once a month or so to say hello to the old crew. Swan knows a couple folks and enjoys the atmosphere (it was her idea to visit last night). So, when Swan ordered her wine, she was told it was out of stock. But unlike Cheap Charlies, they ordered a bottle to be delivered while Swan waited with a mixed drink. That’s how you take care of customers the right way, rather than calling them stupid.

I had originally planned to carry on the Wednesday tradition of popping into seldom-visited bars, and Hangout was on my radar. But I was hungry after Alley Cats, so we went to Sit-n-Bull instead. Then we did our nightcap at Green Room and headed home afterward.

I managed to complete an abbreviated post in my semi-impaired state (blogging and drinking don’t go well together, IMHO). Then it was off to bed so I’d be in a good frame of mind for today’s surgical adventure.

Wednesday’s report card: 18,674 steps, 14.36 kilometers walked, 3,491 calories burned.

Who remembers that movie Dumb and Dumber? It looks like there may be a sequel on the horizon:

From the May 2009 LTG archives is a post about some off-duty time I spent with my friend Duke while I was in the DC area on a business trip. Duke is another one of the people I considered a close friend and stayed in touch with over the years, until he just disappeared. No social media presence, no response to emails, nothing. In this case, it is not just me. None of his other friends have seen or heard from him either. Everyone is asking, what happened to Duke? I hope he is okay.

Memories from this day in the history of my Facebook posts:

Today’s YouTube video is the one I didn’t post yesterday. If you are looking to find a Filipina wife, you might enjoy Irish’s advice on the three options that await you. I’m not in the market for a wife. Been there, done that, have that.

And then I have a Zen moment to share:

Plan To Be Spontaneous Tomorrow.

Let the humor roll:

A husband and wife had four boys. The odd part of it was that the older three had red hair, light skin, and were tall, while the youngest son had black hair, dark eyes, and was short.

The father eventually took ill and was lying on his deathbed when he turned to his wife and said, “Honey, before I die, be totally honest with me – is our youngest son my child?”

The wife replied, “I swear on everything that’s holy that he is your son.”

With that the husband passed away. The wife then muttered, “Thank God he didn’t ask about the other three.”

Our secret is safe!

Anyway, that pretty much catches you up on my so-called life. Hope you come back for more tomorrow!

What is usually the dullest day of my week, grocery shopping day, took an unexpected semi-adventurous turn yesterday. I woke up to a message from my friend Michael saying he had contacted my driver about taking him to the airport, but was told he was already booked to take me shopping. Michael asked if I would mind delaying my shopping for a couple of hours while he got dropped off at Clark airport in Angeles City. I told him I had a better idea: we’ll go with you to the airport and then go shopping at S&R (similar to Costco) after dropping you off. So, the deal was done, and we left my house bright and early at 7:30 a.m.

It takes a little over an hour to get to AC, and after the airport drop-off, we arrived at S&R just after its 9:00 a.m. opening. It is a membership store, and the inconvenience of long-distance shopping means I only visit a couple of times a year. So, I took advantage of the opportunity to stock up on items not readily available at Royal.

So, filling my cart with oversized items wound up costing me 13,000 pesos. And I wasn’t done yet! As big and well-stocked as S&R is, there are still some things I can’t get there. So, we stopped by Royal once we were back on SBMA. Dropped another 6000 there, and we STILL weren’t finished. Next up was restocking our candy and cookie supply. YBC here we come!

My other Tuesday routine was also due for alteration since the Kokomo’s Floating Bar is out of season. We still went to Baloy, but changed things up with a visit to Harley’s.

Sorry for the late post! My blog went offline around three and didn’t return until after beer o’clock. I’m home again, but I’m in no condition to blog. So, I will finish this post in a hurry and get ready for bed.

After our Harley’s time, we paid a visit to Cloud 69.

I’ll fill in the 69 gaps tomorrow. We did our nightcap at Wet Spot.

Then we headed home to end our Tuesday.

Sorry, but I’ll forego the memories, YouTube, and humor today. Nothing goes according to plan sometimes.

I’m scheduled for my cataract surgery in the morning. Assuming I wake up after it’s done, I’ll update you then.

I hope this isn’t my last post. I’m always paranoid about going under general anesthesia. Still, going to sleep and never waking up again might be the best way to die. I sure hope that do-over life comes through.

But mostly clouds and rain. No hay problema, we didn’t let it put a damper on things.

Here’s a six-minute video of section eleven of the Candy Walk:

Next on my agenda for the day was attending the Alaska Club’s 20th Anniversary party. The Alaska Club holds a special place in my heart as the first bar I visited on my first trip to the Philippines back in 2008. In those days, Alaska was located in Angeles City. Here’s an old review I wrote for my Bars of Barretto series.

There’s plenty more to see in this post about a pool party I shared with the Alaska girls in July 2008. Damn, it feels like a lifetime ago.

So, last night’s party in Alaska started at 5 p.m. I arrived early and waited for the opening upstairs at BarCelona.

So, I arrived downstairs at Alaska promptly at five and secured a seat at my pal Jambo’s table.

I just checked Jambo’s YouTube channel, and he hasn’t posted anything from yesterday yet.

Anyway, owner Jerry threw a nice party, and I’m glad I’m still around after all these years as a sometimes patron of the bar.

And that was the wild of a wet day.

Sunday’s report card: 17,937 steps, 13.8 kilometers walked, 3,551 calories burned.

From the LTG archives is this picture-laden post about an “MT” trip to Busan in April 2009. I always enjoyed my visits to Korea’s second city in the south.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I don’t recall watching previously, but I found it interesting to get a taste of what living on a small island in a rural province is like. Probably not for me, but this guy moved there from Angeles City and seems to enjoy his new lifestyle.

That moment of Zen you (haven’t) been waiting for:

Monday Is An Awful Way To Spend 1/7 Of Your Week.

Let’s do some humor:

Sam had been in the hectic newspaper business for twenty-five years when he decided that he was sick of the stress and quit his job. He bought 50 acres of land in the middle of Nowhere, Vermont. His place was so isolated that the postman came only once a week and he went to the grocery store only once a month.

After six months of near total isolation, he hears a knock on the door. He opens the door and a big bearded Vermonter is standing there. He says, “Names Enoch…your neighbor from four miles over the ridge. Having a party Saturday…thought you’d like to come.”

“Great,” replies Sam. “After six months of living like this I’m ready to meet some local folks. Thanks for inviting me.”

As Enoch is leaving, he stops. “Gotta warn you, though, there’s gonna be some drinkin’.” “Not a problem. After 25 years in the newspaper business, I can drink with the best of them.”

Again, as he starts to leave, Enoch stops. “More ‘n likely gonna be some fightin’, too.” Tough crowd, Sam thinks to himself. “Well, I get along with people. Don’t worry, I’ll be there. Thanks again.”

Once again, Enoch turns from the door, “I’ve seen some wild sex at these parties, too.” “Now that is not a problem,” Sam says. “I’ve been up here all alone for six long months. I’ll definitely be there.

By the way, what should I wear?”

Enoch stops in the doorway one last time and says… “Whatever you want. Just gonna be the 2 of us there.”

He’s fucked!

And now it’s time to get ready for a rainy day Hash. I’ll make a decision about what to do when it is time to start. (As I wrote that sentence, a bolt of lightning just exploded outside my window. I might be screwed.)

Today’s song is one of my favorites from Gordon Lightfoot. But I never knew until today that it was written about his then-girlfriend, Cathy Smith. What a crazy bitch! She’s also the one who fed John Belushi the heroin overdose.

Here’s more on little Miss Cathy:

Into each life some rain must fall. I’d better get used to it.

Once home, I prepared for the going-away party for the Kokomo’s Floating Bar.

There was a break in the rain, so we headed for the beach a little earlier than we normally do.

After our time at Kokomo’s, we went to Treasure Island for some grub, then took a trike back home and brought our rainy day to an end.

Saturday’s report card: 16,284 steps, 12.5 kilometers walked, 3,629 calories burned.

From the LTG archives is this post from April 2009 of things I saw walking around Itaewon. I’m sure it looks different now.

Today’s YouTube video talks about the curse of the Philippines’ geography. Well, luckily, there are also many blessings that come with living here. You just take the bad with the good and hope you don’t get blown away or all shook up.

Time for some Zen:

Support Bacteria. They’re The Only Culture Some People Have.

And on to the humor:

So much for the rainy day that was, time to move on with the rainy day that is. ‘Tis the season!

…but this old man ain’t snoring (according to Swan, I don’t snore, I fart in my sleep).

It rained off and on all day yesterday and into this morning. Having something other than the heat to complain about for a change will be nice. Wet with sweat or soaked with rain, it doesn’t matter. Life goes on, and so did our Friday group hike. We kept on the pavement and did a 7K walkabout.

When the hike was over, we were standing in front of the McDonald’s in Barretto. Swan and I agreed it was a good opportunity for a “cheat day,” so we went inside. They didn’t serve the lunch items until 10:30, and my watch said it was 10:28, so we waited. And right at 10:30, the menus on the ordering kiosk (yeah, you gotta do it that way) switched to the burger items, and I proceeded to punch in my selections. Then one of the employees approached and advised that we’d have to wait another fifteen minutes to order. Fuck that, your food ain’t THAT good, so we departed. I didn’t need those unhealthy calories anyway, and when we got home, Swan prepared a nice steak and veggie lunch for me. Who needs McDonald’s?

So, with the rains comes the end of the floating bar season. Arizona is already gone, and today is the last day for Kokomo’s. They are having a send-off party that Swan and I will be attending later this afternoon. Tomorrow, the Alaska Club is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and we are also going to that. So, I had to rearrange my routines, and I did the Hideaway feeding yesterday.

With my Hideaway mission accomplished, I crossed the highway and met up with Swan at John’s place for dinner.

After our meal, we proceeded up the highway and made Red Bar our next stop.

When it was time to move on for our nightcap, I thought Cheap Charlies would be a nice option. The waitress brought me my Zero beer and Swan thought she heard her say that they had sent someone to get her wine. They’ve done that before and I appreciate the gesture.

So, when I finished my beer, there was still no wine. When the waitress returned, she claimed she had told us no wine was available. Alright, fine. We’ll take our business elsewhere. I was almost out the door when I realized I’d left my umbrella. When I returned to fetch it, the bartender said something to Swan in Tagalog. Swan didn’t look happy when we were back outside, and I asked what happened. Swan said the bartender told her that I was stupid for getting angry at her. First of all, I wasn’t angry at the employees of Cheap Charlies. Yes, I think it is lame for a bar to not keep an inexpensive bottle of wine in stock (or get one across the street if need be), but that’s on the management, not the worker bees. I’m not the regular at CCs I used to be, but during my last visit just over a week ago, I bought the staff dinner from Foodies downstairs and plied them with the usual cookies and lollipops. Why would you call a customer like me stupid? Hmm, maybe I just answered my own question. Needless to say, I won’t be back. Who needs Cheap Charlies?

It had been a long time since my last visit to Hot Zone, and now seemed like a good time to rectify that. There were a few other customers when we arrived, and the owner, Jay, directed us to a table where he was sitting. It was nice to visit with the former Grandmaster of the Subic Bay Hash again. I complimented him on his crew of dancers, who were by far the healthiest-looking (meaning not fat) I’ve seen in town. I did my 50 pesos each thing for all the girls, waitresses included (stupid is as stupid does), and dispensed the cookies and lollipops that were intended for that bar that can’t be bothered to keep wine in stock. I’d forgotten how nice Hot Zone is as a hangout. If they opened earlier than 7 p.m. I’d probably visit more often.

Triked home after the Hot Zone experience and whipped up a batch of sugar-free vanilla pudding for my bedtime treat. And so ended another night out in Barretto.

Friday report card: 18,670 steps, 14.36 kilometers walked, 3,552 calories burned.

It’s April 2009 in my journey through the LTG archives. I wrote about a road trip I made to Korea’s east coast at Naksan. I was happy to see that all the photos from that trip are still up and viewable. I think losing the old domain is what caused the loss of pictures on those older posts.

From Facebook memories:

Twelve years ago, I shared this hilarious clip, “What kind of Asian are you?” Still funny after all these years:

And today’s YouTube video is about those damn foreigners who constantly complain about the Philippines. Yeah, I bitch here about the things I dislike the most, like litter, noise, and insane drivers. But what I don’t do is harangue the locals about it. If I did, they’d be right to tell me to go back to my own country if I don’t like it here.

Oh, and sorry I forgot to post yesterday’s YouTube until a commenter let me know about my brain fart. It’s up now.

Today’s Zen thought:

 I Drive Way Too Fast To Worry About Cholesterol.

And the daily dose of humor:

And that’s all for now. Still raining outside, which doesn’t bode well for the Kokomo’s Floating Bar send off, but we’ll head out there for a look anyway. Tell you all bout it tomorrow.

When was the last time you listened to Blue Öyster Cult? Damned if I could remember until I came across this one in my Facebook memories:

And everything in between.

I asked Swan where she wanted to hike, and she told me Baloy Beach. I didn’t have any better ideas, so I figured it was as good as anywhere to start. Of course, even though the official name is Baloy LONG Beach, it’s less than a kilometer in length. So, I thought it would be nice to do the beach walk, take a boat ride across the river, then continue our hike on the streets of Matain and Calapacuan. We did just that, but we encountered some surprises along the way.

We arrived back at the house just in time to accept a long-awaited delivery from Lazada.

When the time arrived to head into town, we started our fun at the Outback Resort.

When we were ready to eat, we walked up the beach to Mango’s.

I had a “buy one, get one” coupon due to expire, and since we were on this side of town, we stopped into the seldom-visited Queen Victoria bar. Back in the day, I was a semi-regular here. It was a dart league venue and a place to stop on the way home. They still have the dart boards up, but they aren’t playable (tables in the way now). The pool table is still there and was seeing some action last night. But the big change in the vibe was erecting a dance stage.

Queen Vic has a big room in the back where live music is performed. Probably the best place in town to see the bar bands. The music doesn’t start until nine p.m., and that’s my bedtime, so you won’t find me there.

I paid for two Zeros and drank four, so my mission was a success, and we headed home.

Thursday’s report card: 19,116 steps, 14.71 kilometers walked, 3,664 calories burned.

In my final post from March 2009, I answered the challenge to list ten things I liked about Korea. I still miss that life.

Today’s YouTube video features a vlogger I’ve watched before talking about his purchase of an abandoned house in a Filipino neighborhood. Sometimes on my walks, I fantasize about what it would be like to live amongst the locals, Filipino-style. Some mountain dwellers don’t have electricity or running water, which would not work for me. But this guy has a small place that, with some work, will be more than comfortable. He said the neighbors are friendly and he’s happy with his decision to make the move. Good for him, but I probably don’t have the balls to willingly give up my creature comforts.

Time for a moment of Zen:

The Early Bird May Get The Worm, But The Second Mouse Gets The
Cheese.

And some things you may or may not enjoy:

And that’s all I’ve got to say today about yesterday.