So, we had one of those damn all day brownouts (power outage) yesterday. The lights were scheduled to go out at 8:30, so Swan and I took a morning walk. First stop was at the Outback Resort to inquire about renting a room. I was told to come back at ten o’clock when the receptionist would be available. So, we crossed the highway to my old standby, The Pub Hotel. They have nice, clean rooms for only 1500 pesos. I was seeking early check-in, but alas, was told nothing was available until 2 p.m. Oh, well, lots of other options to consider as we walked.

It’s income tax time in the USA, and I’m still a taxpayer, so I had some paperwork from my accountant in South Carolina (my legal residence) to complete. Since my printer doesn’t work, I popped into the local print shop. They printed the 12-page document, I filled in the blanks, then had it scanned and emailed back to me. I submitted all my documents this morning to complete my tax return filing. I usually get a refund; hopefully, that will be the case again this year.

We finished our 5K Street walk and stopped at Sit-n-Bull for lunch. I had a nice chat with owner Ron while waiting for my Malibu chicken sandwich to be served. Then we returned to Outback Resort, where I successfully secured a room for 2500 pesos with early check-in allowed. Yay! We triked home, packed some fresh clothes, and headed for the Outback.

The main reason I rented a room instead of toughing it out was that I had an afternoon appointment with Dr. Jo. After blogging, napping, and showering, I still had an hour to kill before the 4:30 appointment. So, we went out to the pool area to enjoy the beach views. I was surprised to see Chris and his gal Shie were there, also escaping the brownout.

The primary purpose of the doctor’s visit was my weekly chelation therapy, but while there, I had Dr. Jo take a look at my aching back. She assessed that it was a muscular issue rather than an internal organ problem. She provided me some anti-inflammatory meds and advised Swan (who is a certified caregiver) on some lotion to massage on my lower back before bedtime. I had my best sleep score of the month last night, so I think it helped.

Then, it was time to get down to business. Bar business, that is. Our first stop was the seldom-visited BarCelona.

Ever since BarCelona opened more than five years ago, I’ve tried hard to like it there. And yet, I always leave disappointed for one reason or another. Great ambiance, open-air views, and rooftop seating don’t overcome indifferent service and a rap music playlist. Too bad for them. As you can see from the photo above, it’s not like the place is packed with satisfied customers. I won’t be back anytime soon.

Next stop, It Doesn’t Matter. Our arrival proved to be good timing because right after we sat down, a waitress came by and advised that a customer inside had bought drinks for the house. Got to love those two-week millionaires!

We are seldom disappointed at IDM, and last night was no exception. Good service, good music, and some good chicken wings to snack on. A couple of gals Swan knows came by, so she had female company to go with her wine, and I passed the time with my best friend, Zero.

A mutual friend had advised that the Maze owner, Dave Fisher, would be out last night, so we made Wet Spot our next stop. Dave, who is in his 80s now, has been battling some health issues, so he hasn’t been seen much lately, even at the SOBs he normally hosts. I was looking forward to catching up and hearing the latest from him, but alas, Wet Spot manager Brett advised that Dave had decided to stay home and rest. Well, Dave is a retired doctor, so he knows best. I’m probably not going to attend tonight’s SOB, but maybe I’ll catch him at the Aftermath event at Wet Spot.

It was time to mosey back to the hotel, but we made the indoor Outback Bar our nightcap stop. This is another bar I almost never visit (when I’m here, I’m at the outside pool bar).

The decision was made to sleep in our own bed last night, so we packed our shit, checked out, and headed home. And that’s how we survived brownout Thursday.

So, I hear it is Siblings Day. Here’s a shot of me and the bros taken 65 years ago:

In September 2006, I wrote about an adventure I had driving to Incheon Airport for the first time. I think this was before they opened the airport railway. Otherwise, I don’t know why I would have bothered taking the car. It didn’t end well.

I found today’s YouTube video in another old LTG post from September 2006. It’s still fun to watch.

And if that’s not funny enough, how about these:

And that’s all I’ve got for now. Let’s see what the future brings.

This is the last time I’ll post about my Wednesday—this week. I promise!

As usual, the Wednesday Walkers gathered for our group hike at 0900. This week, our journey took us up the final climb of Monday’s Hash trail that I had wisely chosen to avoid. Going up that way yesterday confirmed that it was indeed an ass-kicker, despite being the easiest of the insane hills the Hare laid out for the Hashers foolish enough to follow his trail in its entirety. Anyway, I’m glad I explored that path, and I have now added it to my “never again” list.

I spent the day alone as Swan was having some family time on the river in San Marcelino. So, I was on my own again when beer o’clock rolled around. I opted to pay a visit to Cheap Charlie’s. One of the old crew greeted me (I forgot her name), and she asked me about Marissa. Yep, she’s been gone a while. She told me she had a baby and was just now returning to work after almost four years. I was going to buy her a welcome back drink and asked how much for a single. She told me they had changed their prices and only offered lady drinks for 250 pesos. Nope, my rule is no more than 200 pesos. Oddly enough, when I declined to buy the drink, she was no longer interested in talking with me, so she got up and left. Funny how that works. It’s a stupid pricing policy. I’ll buy two (or more) lady drinks at 180, but not even one for more than my 200 maximum. I guess I’m too cheap for Cheap Charlie’s.

I did my nightcap at the Green Room. Swan messaged that she was home again, so I finished my last beer and joined her there.

I’m still being an asshole on Facebook:

Enough politics; no minds will be hanged anyway. I just do it for the reactions.

Today’s episode in The Story of My Life tells the story of my seeing a Korean stage production of The Wizard of Oz in Seoul. The role of Dorothy was played by the girlfriend of a friend. I even got invited backstage after the show.

This is not a Facebook memory, but something I saw there that triggered memories from my glory days in the 1970s.

Today’s Facebook memory is from a life that is no longer:

Today’s YouTube video talks about expectations versus reality when you move to the Philippines. It made me think of that old Stones’ song lyric: You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.

Humor time:

And there you have it. I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Barretto at the Outback Resort. Two thousand five hundred pesos to avoid the all-day power outage in my neighborhood. Oh well, it’s best that I shower up before visiting Dr. Jo.

But I was strong enough to survive my weekend in San Antonio.

Beer manifested bad behavior resulted in me getting angry and raising my voice at Swan. That pissed her off, but we reconciled before the evening was over. For some reason I don’t recall this, but when two different restaurants were too busy to accommodate our dinner desire, Swan says I mouthed off about posting a bad review. That’s not going to happen, of course, and not just because I don’t remember the names of the eateries. On the plus side, I was in slumberland when Swan had to call the front desk of our resort because some of the other guests were partying loudly outside our room. I didn’t hear a thing.

Up and at ’em and ready to roll bright and early Sunday morning. We went to the hotel next door for breakfast (one of the places too busy for us the night before).

Here’s a short video of us finishing our walk and passing by the scene of my crime from the night before.

Back to the room for a shower, then packed the bags and awaited the arrival of my driver to transport us to our next destination, the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) in San Antonio.

And at last, it was time to kick off the beauty pageant. There were ten contestants. Here they are in the introductory “Casual Wear” competition:

Next up was the “talent” competition. Unsurprisingly, eight of the girls did a dance routine as their talent. The other two sang a song. I wasn’t impressed enough to take many pictures, but here are a couple.

The final round of the competition was the bikini contest. I made a video of the gals strutting their stuff.

Right after uploading the above video, I received an email from YouTube advising that it had been flagged for a “copyright violation”:

Copyrighted content has been detected in your video “Fralics”. As a result, your video can no longer be monetized and has been blocked in 1 territory. The copyright owner may be either monetizing it, or receiving analytics about it in other territories. This is not a copyright strike and does not affect your channel.

The problem is that the music playing in the background is copyrighted by someone, somewhere. I have not been able to determine which “1 territory” is blocked from viewing the video. Let me know in the comments if you are unable to view it.

And now for the winners:

I’m not one to judge, but I support the decision of the judges in selecting this cutie pie.

I didn’t win any of the raffles, but that’s okay. I had some beers, spent time with good folks, and enjoyed watching the girls prancing about on the stage. Then, it was time to load up in the car and make our way back to Barretto. We stayed home last night, and when the dinner hour arrived, Swan wanted to drive her cart to McDonald’s. Oh well, I was still in my “cheat weekend” mode, so why not?

Back after it today. Let’s see how I do.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay ponders the questions, “Is the expat life or another marriage for you?” To which I can honestly respond, yes and no.

Here I go again:

So, back at it in Barretto. A Hash run is coming up. Here’s hoping it’s a good one. For the past two days, I’ve been having a dull aching pain in my lower left abdomen. If it doesn’t go away soon, I’ll consult with Dr. Jo. Bright and early in the morning, I’ll be making my way to Angeles City for an updated ECG. It seems I’m always on the move these days.

Back in the day, I’d sometimes use that old putdown, “I’ve forgotten more than you’ll ever know.” Lately, it seems more correct to say, “I’ve forgotten more than I ever knew.” At least it sure does feel that way. Perhaps as my mental decline continues, I’ll become ignorant and stop caring. I can’t remember the punchline. *ahem*

I’m going to make today’s post a quick one as I need to prepare for my weekend in San Antonio. We’ll start towards the end of the day and then work our way to the beginning. Beer o’clock arrived, and we started the quest for entertainment at the seldom-visited Alley Cats. Friday is dart tourney night, but there was only a handful of players there when we arrived. As we soon discovered, the reason was a scheduled “brownout” (power disruption) between 5 and 6 p.m. So, we enjoyed our beverages by candlelight. And it was nice to see some of my old darting pals again.

Next, we crossed the highway to grab some dinner at Mango’s. The power was still out, but Mango’s has a generator, so the lights were on. As we entered the lobby, we heard shouts and saw people running towards us. WTF? Looking up to the second-floor balcony revealed the issue—a fan was ablaze.

That is a guest room balcony, and there is no access except through the room. Since no one seemed to have access to a room key, two white guys (I believe they were returning from a just-completed scuba dive) took charge. One boosted the other up to the roof beside the balcony and then handed him a fire extinguisher.

Nothing like a little before-dinner excitement, eh?

For our post-meal nightcap, we decided to try somewhere new. Cloud 69 Bar opened several months ago, but we had never ventured inside before. Imagine my surprise at being greeted by name by two different females that I didn’t recognize. I asked the first one, a dancer, how she knew me. She seemed surprised and responded, “We played darts at Alley Cats.” Honestly, that didn’t ring a bell, but I politely said, “Nice to see you again.” She was one of the cutest gals there, so my forgetting her is more evidence of the brain rot I mentioned above.

The other woman who greeted me was a waitress, and she did look vaguely familiar. I guessed she was my old friend from Whiskey Girl, so I asked, How are you, Jenn? She gave me a funny look and said, “I’m Sheryl. I used to work at Alaska Club.” Oh yeah, now I remember you!

Anyway, Cloud 69 had a really nice vibe. There is a very small dance stage that holds three or four dancers max. There’s another room with a pool table. The music was great; classic rock songs played at a volume that still allowed shout-free conversation. We were there early, but several other customers arrived during our visit. The only weird thing I noted about Cloud 69 was that two of the waitresses were baklas (transgender). I personally don’t get upset by that, but I know other guys are uncomfortable in their presence, so most bars don’t employ baklas for that reason. Anyway, we enjoyed our visit and we’ll be back again someday.

Earlier, we had done the Friday group hike and finished the trail at The Rite Spot On The Roof.

And here was something I’d never witnessed in my almost seven (admittedly sheltered) years in the Philippines:

Good times! The hike was pretty nice as well. I led the group this time, and most of the trail went according to plan. My planned ascent went a bit astray when I chose the wrong path and ended up with a steeper climb than I had intended, but we survived the mistake, and things went well after that.

Alas, the day did end on a sour note:

A sad memory to share from the archives of LTG: the death by suicide of one my favorite bloggers, Shawn Matthews of Korea Life Blog fame. Surprisingly, all the links I included from 2006 are still working, such as this one from Kevin Kim. I was going to say, “Gone but not forgotten,” except I hadn’t thought of Shawn for many years until I came across this post to remind me. I may be wasting my life, but at least I’m still living it.

Another day I would have forgotten but for Facebook memories reminding me.

Today’s YouTube video is from Smart Girl Philippines, during which she purports to resolve the mystery of the lack of privacy in the PI. The way she speaks always makes me smile, and it’s just over five minutes long, so I don’t really care if her reasoning is right or wrong. I know that here in Barretto, everyone seems to know me, and I often don’t have the slightest clue as to who they are.

And now for the funny business:

Alright, I’m running late and need to get ready to hit the road. I’ll report in from San Antonio tomorrow. But here’s a bonus video from this morning’s dog walk. Well, bonus or punishment, here it is:

Need to remember to hold the camera higher…sorry!

The hard way is just the way things are done in the Philippines. So, you love it or leave it. I’m going to stick around because the good far outweighs the bad. Yesterday, I was able to experience some minor frustration without even having to resort to my mantra: “Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept the Filipino way.” I must be getting more acclimated to the culture. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

I need to have the cataract removed from my left eye. A pre-surgery requirement is obtaining clearance from a cardiologist. My helper/caregiver advised that I could see the cardiologist I’d previously used at the local hospital in Barretto yesterday morning. No appointments are available; you show up, sign in, and are seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Office hours began at 10:30. I arrived at 10:15 and was fifth in line. I was pleasantly surprised when my name was called at 11:00. The doctor wanted an updated ECG, and wanted it done where I had my previous one at a hospital in Angeles City. So, that means I’ll be traveling again next Tuesday. I’ll also need to get a chest x-ray before my follow-up visit at which time I’ll hopefully receive the required clearance to undergo the next pain-in-the ass medical procedure with the ophthalmologist. That’s my vision for the future.

Otherwise, the rest of the day went fine. Swan joined me for a 3K stroll home from the hospital. Later, we ventured out for some socialization at Oasis. About halfway there I realized I had forgotten my phone. Swan insisted on her going back for it, then joined me at Oasis when I was on my second beer.

Our second stop was at Alaska Club. We were the only customers during our brief visit. The bar upstairs, formerly known as La Oficina, has been renamed Tryst. I like that name better; maybe they will specialize in threesomes. I was told the bar won’t reopen until they can hire some dancers and waitresses. Apparently, the girly bars in town are struggling to find staff, as the ladies have discovered that using the internet for hookups is more profitable. The times they are a-changing.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. I ordered the Sit-n-Bull pulled pork sandwich to bring home for my dinner. I only ate the meat, not the bun. Alas, enjoying the last piece of pecan pie (a la mode) was an unwise decision.

My journey through the archives of LTG has progressed to June 2006. I discovered a picturesque post there detailing the event of my first-ever dart league banquet on the rooftop of the Hollywood Grill in Itaewon. It turned out to be a poor venue for the occasion, but the memories captured in the photos were good ones. It’s strange how remembering happy times can feel bittersweet in a ‘never again’ kind of way. Oh well, that’s just part of The Story of My Life.

Five years ago, a friend in the United States posted this on my Facebook, warning me to be cautious. Yes, that is the then-president of the Philippines threatening anyone violating the COVID lockdown order that he’d have the police “shoot them dead.” Duterte is now facing charges in the International Criminal Court for doing just that to alleged drug dealers. I am not a fan of the ICC, but I have very little sympathy for Duterte.

Time to check in again with the Filipina Pea for today’s YouTube video. In this edition, the Pea answers viewer emails, dispensing her usual good advice and wisdom.

The jokes are on me:

And there you have another day’s post. I’m looking forward to my weekend out of town. Can’t promise it will make for better blogging, but at least the photos will be different.

And I’m not lion! What I’m talking about is the journey of the Wednesday Walkers to Balon Falls and the Aeta native village of Aningway out in the wilds of Subic. We only do this hike once or twice a year, so it is always fresh and enjoyable. The natives are poor but friendly. We may plan an outreach mission for them later this year. We observed an interesting charity project in progress—building comfort rooms (toilets) in various locations throughout the village. I’d never considered that those shanties weren’t equipped with somewhere to poop, so it is good to see the problem is being addressed. I don’t even want to think about how and where they answered the call of nature previously. Anyway, now that we have that shit out of the way, let’s get to the pictures:

It’s election season, and campaign posters are ubiquitous wherever we go. I don’t get involved in local politics and have no opinions or knowledge about those seeking office, but there was something about this guy that caught my eye:

I started a new round of chelation therapy with Dr. Jo, and when that was done, we hoofed it up the highway to check out the latest addition to Barretto’s bar lineup, Dempsey’s. I had seen the former location in Olongapo City, down a narrow alley my driver would use coming back from the immigration office. I wondered then where they got their customers, but I suppose there remains a small expat community in that part of town, near the old Navy base.

The inside is pretty much as decrepit as the exterior. Only a longish bar, but no tables and chairs.

They don’t serve San Mig Zero beer, nor do they offer wine by the glass. So, that pretty much insures we will not become regulars here.

We were the only ones there during our brief visit, but the staff was friendly.

After Dempsey’s, we visited the other newish place, Red Bar. Once again, we enjoyed our outdoor seating and chatting with the friendly waitresses. We stayed longer than intended (the manager bought us a round of drinks), so we had some food delivered from Sit-n-Bull. Then we moved on for our nightcap at Green Room. Swan was craving a chocolate ice cream bar, so we stopped at 7-Eleven on the drive home to get her one. I also bought some for the subdivision gate guards. I’m happy to report that I avoided the temptation to partake as well, instead sticking with a sugar-free bowl of pudding for my dessert.

My journey through the archives of LTG led me to an April 2006 post that contains a treasure trove of photographs from my weekend adventures in Seoul. Good times in The Story of My Life.

From today’s edition of Facebook memories:

Today’s YouTube video is about something that’s been burning up my Facebook feed all morning. A vlogger doing stupid shit here in the Philippines to generate views similar to what that Johnny Somali asshole did in Korea. Like Somali, this guy did an FAFO and has now been arrested and is facing deportation. Lots of outrage, especially from Filipinos, who have very low tolerance for being disrespected.

Here’s a link to a news article about the situation if you want to read more. And the perp Vitaly even has a Wikipedia page.

Humor me:

And now I’ve gone and done it again. Until next time.

I was going to title this post something along the lines of “more of the same,” but when I did a search, I saw that I’ve used a similar phrase a dozen times in this blog’s twenty-year history. That says a lot about both the content of LTG and the pathetic routines I write about. I’ll tell you what, though. The retired chapter of my life may be boring to read about, but I’m so glad to be living it here instead of some retirement community stateside. So, without further adieu, here’s today’s edition of same old, same old.

Tuesday is shopping day, and that was accomplished in a way that doesn’t warrant further mention. Well, Swan did ask me to pose for this photo at the Royal supermarket:

Back home, I helped unload the groceries, then headed out for my neighborhood walk.

My faithful reader(s) know that Tuesday afternoons are routinely spent on Baloy Beach. Yesterday was no exception.

Next on the agenda was grabbing some food at Treasure Island.

In other news from my Fool’s Day, I booked a room at the Wave Song Resort for Saturday in Pundaquit.

So, my promise to get out of town at least once a month has been kept for April.

In April 2006, I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace for the first time. I took some photos before my camera (remember those?) battery died. And I actually managed to post them here at LTG. Another memory in The Story of My Life.

Speaking of Korea, it’s Cherry Blossom Season! At least, it was eight years ago.

Today’s YouTube video is one I found on Facebook from a Hasher who joined us for Monday’s hike. It’s short and sweet and better than mine. Enjoy!

To the humor we must go:

Okay, that’s just about all I’ve got for today. Planning to check out a new old bar in town this evening. I’ll explain what I mean by that tomorrow. But before I go, here’s a couple of pictures I took on this morning’s dog walk.

Welp, if you can put the cart before the horse, there’s no reason you can’t put the day before the sun, right? But first things first:

A crap video of Section Three of the Candy Walk (at least it is less than four minutes long):

The giving wasn’t done yet; I still had the Hideaway feeding to attend to.

Then it was time to hit the beach.

Then it was off to our Sunday dinner at John’s place.

We took the leftover wings to our nightcap at Green Room for the gals to enjoy. And that’s where our evening came to an end.

I’m laughing at the Tesla fools:

Is Trump never wrong?

To the archives, then. My first post in February 2006 was entitled “Stupid is as stupid does.” In it, I recount the tale leading to the first ambulance ride of my life and, not so coincidentally, my first stitches. It certainly warrants The Story of My Life tag.

More common-sense wisdom from Reekay in today’s YouTube video. My personal journey included several visits between 2007 and 2009, followed by an ill-fated detour into another failed marriage, before I resurrected my dream of the Philippines and plotted my future life here prior to moving in 2018. I’ve encountered some bumps in the road along the way, but I’ve no regrets about my decision to retire here.

Are you ready for these?

And there you have it. Another Hash Monday has arrived, and I’ve got a bad feeling today’s trail won’t be to my liking (the Hare is also a Corona Hasher), but I’ll shortcut as needed. I ate lunch while finishing this post, so I’m ready to roll.

Yesterday was filled with the usual Sunday routines but with an added twist. An old dart league compadre from the Korea days is visiting Subic this week, and I’ve consented to show him around town. Last night, Jay joined us on the Arizona floating bar, then came along for dinner at John’s place. Next, we introduced Jay to Barretto’s Wet Spot. That’s all the fun I had in me, so we headed home, and I directed Jay to Johansson’s so he could practice his darts (he’ll be playing at Alley Cats this week). And later today, Jay will be losing his Hash virginity. Should be a good time.

The day began with the Sunday Candy Walk, and it was good to be back after our hiatus last week. My videos suck, but I try to finish what I started, so here is the six-minute section two of our standard walk (in case you missed it, you can see section one here.)

A few more photos from our walk:

A nap, a blog post, and a shower later it was time for the Hideaway feeding.

Time to hit the beach.

Then it was off for some dinner.

Jay enjoyed the upstairs ambiance. Food was good. Swan had her usual birria tacos, and Jay went with a cheeseburger. His request for some avocado on top was granted. Sorry, I didn’t get a picture, that was a damn big burger.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, and Jay, being the new kid in town, caught the eye of one gal who wanted his attention. She rubbed his shoulders some, and he gave her a lady drink, then sent her away. Well played!

So, back in Itaewon times, Jay was just one of the dart league buddies, and I didn’t know him all that well. He’s a teacher, and after leaving Korea, he spent a couple of years in Thailand. He’s currently working in Japan. He’s a Canadian, and I sense he leans to the left, but we successfully avoided getting into any political conversation. I called Canada the 51st state, and he responded that America is Canada’s underwear, so that was well-played. He is looking forward to some hikes during his visit, and I’ll gladly accommodate him in that regard. I also secured Jay a spot on a Wednesday dart league team and will introduce him to the Alley Cats darts community tomorrow. This being a tour guide is a nice change of pace!

In health metrics, for the first time since I’ve been recording my blood pressure on a daily basis, I had a reading under 100! 98/64 was unfamiliar territory for me, but when I looked it up to make sure I wasn’t in the danger zone, I discovered I was still in the “normal” range. In a bit or unrelated news, the top shelf of my closet is filled with clothes that no longer fit me. Yesterday, I randomly grabbed a pair of shorts from the past and I’ll be damned, but they fit me again! That’s my kind of progress!

When was the last time SNL did something funny? Long enough ago for this to be worthy of note:

Today’s stroll through the LTG archives brought me back to this post in October 2005, when I discovered the poet Charles Bukowski. I’ve always been a fan of poetry, so how I went so long without reading his work is strange indeed. But, better late than never, I suppose. Here’s my favorite:

The Laughing Heart

your life is your life
don't let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can't beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

From Facebook memories of this day in the past:

Today’s YouTube video shares some news items from around the PI. Flirting with a man’s wife isn’t too bright, but kicking his ass when he complains about it is downright stupid. The nightmare of Filipino jail is the reward that comes from ignorance. I’d like to know more about the hikers who were rescued after being lost for several days; I hadn’t heard about that.

Take these for what they are worth:

Okay, I’ve got a Hash to attend to. Tell you all about it tomorrow.