Getting it done

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Life is what it is, and this is how it was yesterday: A Candy Walk, a feeding, a dinner, and some liquid refreshment along the way. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it!

Our bags are packed full of candy
We’re ready to go
Let’s do it!
Always under her watchful gaze
And so it begins
Time waits for no man…and neither does Swan, especially when he is peeing.
Taking care of business
A tree that caught my eye
Road work
Hello again
I was surprised to run into Hashers Wesley and Aurora lounging by the riverside
The temporary bridge is still there, but it has been closed to traffic. It does make for a waterpark-like attraction, though.
The end of the journey. Over 200 kids received their sweets ration.
The 5K Candy Walk

Later in the day, I made my way to Hideaway for the weekly feeding.

The treats I brought for the gals
The food from Jewel Cafe
Mission accomplished

Next up was surviving a highway crossing and dining at John’s place.

The view from there
My dinner date
I ordered a steak
Swan ordered this beef and veggies dish
Swan was disappointed when her dinner was served, noting the lack of broccoli that was shown in the menu rendition.
I rather enjoyed my steak. I wanted to compare its taste and value to the one I had at Jewel the night before. This one was twice the size and much more tender. John’s cost 50% more, but it was worth it.
Dinner is over and we are ready for our nightcap

We finished the day at Green Room, where we enjoyed watching some pool competitors in action. Lady drinks were dispensed, and beer was imbibed. I got a shoulder rub from Sally, but it didn’t get any lower than that.

So, I caught some flack in the comments about my criticism of the guy getting his crotch rubbed on Friday night. Let me try and clarify my objections. To begin with, whatever happens between a customer and a GRO is between them, and it is none of my business. I’ve seen worse than the Friday show. I don’t enjoy seeing guys grabbing tits or gals grabbing dick, but that’s between them. That said, Green Room touts itself as a “sports bar,” not a whore bar. I was there on Friday to watch a dance competition, and I had my girl with me. I saw what was happening at the next table and looked away. Swan got offended. I stand by my belief that it wasn’t the time or place for hands-on behavior, but I’ll concede it doesn’t make the guy a ghastly asshole. It’s a Barretto bar full of girls wanting to make money; I can always go elsewhere if I don’t like it. The fact that I was back at Green Room with my girl last night demonstrates that we are both over it.

Here’s what my Sunday cost me:

  • Tips: 500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1190 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 1050 pesos
  • Snacks: 200 pesos
  • Dinner: 1290 pesos
  • Trikes: 300 pesos
  • Charity: 2150 pesos
  • Trash Collection: 100 pesos
  • Lunch: 550 pesos
  • Total for October 20: 7282 pesos

Another Facebook memory from my Korea life:

Nine years ago, I enjoyed a picnic lunch on Yongsan Garrison with my team.

I was looking at pictures from the Anniversary Hash in 2019 and had a chuckle over this one:

That’s Mountain Mama MJ randomly passing by on her trike with her two kids. This was before I met her, and now I’m her sponsor. It’s funny how things turned out.

Today’s YouTube vlogger advises against opening a business for the family to operate. The examples given are pretty familiar. My direct experience was sponsoring the eatery Marissa wanted. That lasted all of six months. Still, when I thought about that beach bar in Bantay Bayan I wrote about yesterday, I knew it would have to be in Swan’s name, and I felt confident that it would do fine in her capable hands. I’m just not wanting to upend my life with the major changes that would be required. Still, I’m cognizant of the fact that she’ll outlive me, and I’d like to find a way for her to carry on without my support when the end of my days arrives.

I’ll take this as a sign that today’s humor will be punny indeed:

When you are as mindless as Kamala and Biden, stealing ideas is your only option.
They have their ups and downs, but rarely leave me laughing
Sounds like a Hash name in there somewhere

Speaking of the Hash, today is the 31st Anniversary of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. The long and medium trails involve transport to Olongapo City, then a climb up to Kalaklan Ridge and down the other side. Departure for those is at noon from VFW. The short trail leaves at one from the VFW and has a climb, but not a Kalaklan-level (steep?) ascent. You know which one I’ll be doing. On-Home is at Subiza Resort on Baloy. I’m a little worried if they are going to be able to accommodate the needs of an anticipated one hundred Hashers, but we are fixin’ to find out. I’ll share how it goes tomorrow.

The steaks weren’t high

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But they were pretty small. Here’s where things stood on SATurday.

Swan joined me for the Saturday morning stroll. She thinks walking in Barretto is boring, so we took a Jeepney ride out of town and explored the backstreets of a small village called Bantay Bayan. I’ve walked through there on hikes before and always liked the place’s vibe. It’s an isolated community on the beach but still accessible via the National Highway. The highway doesn’t go through the town; it’s up above it on the hillside. Naturally, Swan handed out sweets to the kids we encountered during our walk.

On the way to catch our Jeepney, we walked through the small village just outside the gates of Alta Vista
Happy to oblige that sweet tooth
On the highway above our destination in Bantay Bayan, a new access road is under construction, which will make the village much more easily accessible.
In the interim, we walked a steep path down.
I imagine this gets very slippery when wet. Wouldn’t want to walk it after dark either.
Welcome to Bantay Bayan!
Wherever she goes, Swan is popular with the kids
This alley featured a nice dead-end on the beach

On my previous walks through this village, I observed a place called “The Index,” but it was never open when I passed by. Yesterday, some construction was going on, and one of the workers said we could come in for a look-see.

Hmm. This has some potential to be a nice beach bar. Needs a lot of work, though.

As we were looking around, a Filipino man having coffee and a smoke at one of the tables greeted us. The first thing he said to me was, “Index is for sale.” I told him, “Not today,” but it gave me something to think about.

An “acoustic sing-along bar” sounds nice, as long as the volume is turned down some. Swan and I may visit when things are up and running again and see if we like the vibe.

Of course, upon reflection, I realize the fantasy of owning a beach bar and the reality of actually running one are two different things. I’d have to move to Bantay Bayan for one thing. It’s only five kilometers from Barretto, but it would still be a pain in the ass without some major lifestyle changes. And the bar would cater to an almost exclusively local crowd, so I’m not sure how much fun that would be for me. I did see one other white guy on the walkabout, so there’s that.

The new road up to the highway
Riding the Jeepney back to Barretto
That’s Bantay Bayan at the bottom of the map. No, we didn’t swim across the bay. I turned the tracker off when we caught the Jeepney in Barretto, then restarted it again at our destination.

I promised Swan dinner at Jewel, and we stopped at It Doesn’t Matter for some pre-meal liquid refreshments on our way there. Ran into my pals Scott and Jim, and before we left a couple more bar hoppers arrived. I never get invited to join in those excursions; I guess I have the reputation of being a lightweight. Oh well, I had a date anyway.

There was a large and loud Filipino group at Jewel Cafe when we arrived, but they left shortly thereafter. Before we’d finished our meal, an even bigger group came in, including a passel of kids. Another large group was seated in the outside area. I like Jewel and was happy to see them doing so well with the Saturday dinner crowd.

Swan had been hankering for the Jewel steak dinner–a filet mignon for 499 pesos. I ordered one as well.

You are not going to get much meat for ten bucks, but what little there was tasted good.

We hadn’t been to Alaska Club for a while, and owner Jerry is back in town, so that was our next stop. We were the day’s first customers for them, but the music was good, and the girls were dancing (which is rare in other bars). As is my custom, I rewarded the dance crew with fifty pesos each for their effort (there were ten of them). Our waitress enjoyed two lady drinks and a nice tip for her service. We did our nightcap at Wet Spot and spent recklessly there as well. Aine joined us again, along with waitress Irene and boss lady Beth, and they all quenched their thirst on my tab. Hey, that’s just the way I roll. And nobody rubbed my crotch!

With eight o’clock approaching and my drinking capacity maxed out, we called for our trike and headed home.

Where a slice of Swan’s homemade blueberry cheesecake awaited my arrival.

A sweet ending to the day, indeed!

Easy come, easy go:

  • Lady Drinks: 800 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1500 pesos
  • Dinner: 1000 pesos
  • Charity: 50 pesos
  • Tips: 850 pesos
  • Jeepney: 100 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Total for October 19: 4500 pesos

Memories of Seoul from seven years ago when I did a trek to the summit of Namsan.

My destination
Goal achieved
A view from the top

Damn, I do miss those days.

So, I posted the video yesterday about that poor smuck who was kidnapped in Zamboanga. Turns out he was a vlogger and had posted videos acknowledging that his life was in danger living there.

This news article provides additional information on the sad story of Elliot Eastman.

That’s the victim with his Muslim wife. Only twenty-six years old.

Good luck to him where ever he may be. He’s going to need it.

Alright, hard to transition from that story to the humor, but here goes anyway:

Their bark is worse than their bite, I hope.
Another one of my old jokes that has now been rendered in comic form. Damn it, I stole it first!
I beg to differ, but don’t take my word for it.

So, another Sunday feeding at Hideaway is on tap, followed by my dinner with Swan at John’s place. No complaints, even if it does have a “Groundhog Day” feel about it. Kind of like reading this blog, I suppose.

Some days are good, others are a real SOB

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I report, you decide.

The day began with the Friday group hike. We kept it local this time, and other than fighting our way through the overgrown thatch grass, we had a good walk.

Friday’s joiners
Sun, smoke, and poverty captured in one photo
I’m coming, thanks for waiting
That town that I call home
Almost like a walk in the park…except it was uphill.
Another view from on high
Michael did a good job keeping us on the right path
Pausing for a shady view
The grass was taller than Easter Mountain, or so it appears
A grassy knoll
Out of the grass and into the woods
A better view of that mountain
Passing through Mountain Mama Onelia’s place
Thanksgiving is coming!
A downward trajectory
Vines on powerlines are common in these parts, but those dangling string-like things are pretty unique.
On the road again
Haven’t seen a funeral banner for a while. Leonida made it to ninety-five. Well done!
We went thataway!

It was SOB Friday, and when I attend, I arrive early in order to secure a good seat. Most of the venues open at five, and the show starts at six. The Green Room’s regular opening hour is four, so that meant having a longer than usual wait. Swan joins me just before the show begins to avoid that suffering. So, how do you kill the time sitting in a bar? Oh yeah, beer!

I also ordered a sub sandwich from Sit-n-Bull

The show started on time. Seven hundred pesos each for admission, but the beer is free from six to eight. I consider it a challenge to get my money’s worth, but I can’t drink enough to make up for that slowpoke Swan. No big deal. Before the dancing started, Swan observed one of the GROs rubbing the crotch of the guy at a nearby table. She called the guy an asshole, but I pointed out he wasn’t rubbing on the girl. Anyway, people do what they do, and it is not my concern if it doesn’t affect me.

I was a judge for the contest again, and this week, I was totally in sync with my fellow judges:

Voodoo took fourth place
Alaska was third
The home team, Green Room, finished second
And Wet Spot was this week’s champion

As usual, when the show was over, I was done. We had our regular trike driver meet us outside and headed home.

Here’s how I emptied my wallet yesterday:

  • Cable/Internet: 3500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 450 pesos
  • Tips: 420 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Phone: 3800 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 700 pesos
  • Charity: 3500 pesos
  • Snacks: 100 pesos
  • SOB Fee: 1400 pesos
  • Dinner: 520 pesos
  • Total for October 18: 14,590 pesos

Ah, the memories.

Eleven years ago, I was appreciating the unique street art of Korea.
Look familiar? Five years ago, I did the same hike I wrote about today

Yesterday’s YouTube videos about the poor SOB locked up in jail for pot possession were a lesson in the consequences of being stupid. And today, we have yet another example. Reekay shares the story of a Yank who was kidnapped in Zamboanga, a stronghold for Muslim terrorists in southern Mindanao. I wouldn’t even VISIT that area, let alone choose to live there. Stupid is as stupid does, I suppose. I wish him well, but unless he knows someone willing to pay a hefty ransom, he’s screwed.

Alright, to the humor then:

Kinda like what happened to you, right Kevin?
That doesn’t strike me as funny
They come when I whistle

Saturday is in play. Swan says she is craving a steak dinner at Jewel Cafe, and I’m going to leave her feeling satisfied in that regard. After that, who knows? I do have some coupons from the SOB to expend, so we shall see.

What’s to do on a Thirstday?

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Besides drinking? Not much.

Kicked things off with coffee in my newly purchased mug. There is a first time for everything!
Then, there was the morning dog walk. The boys get some off-leash time on this uninhabited street.
And then I walked myself—a 6+K stroll on the streets of Barretto.

Exciting shit, eh? But wait, there’s more! It had been days (two of them!) since I’d last interjected myself in the Barretto nightlife scene. I decided some treats for the girls were in order, so I brought along chocolate marshmallow pies, some lollipops, and this bag of candy:

This was intended to be a prop for a joke. It cost me five bucks at Royal, but I’ll pay for a laugh. But sometimes the joke’s on me.

One of my favorites at the It Doesn’t Matter bar is a gal that goes by the name of Hershe. I’ve teased her in the past by misreading it as “he-she” and asking if she was a bakla (trans). So, my plan last night was to call her over to my table and tell her there is something I’ve wanted to do since we first met, but she should get a lady drink first. When she returned, I would say, I hope you will understand my intentions. I’ve already discussed this with Swan (yes, Swan was in on the joke), and she is fine with me doing this. Having created the appropriate level of anticipation, I would then say, “Hershe, I want to give you kisses!” After enjoying her reaction, I would pull the candy out of the bag and hand it to her. Then we’d all have a good chuckle. Except my plans went awry when Hershe chose not to show up for work. Oh well, I took the bag of candy to Wet Spot and told the head waitress I wanted to give all the girls kisses. I let her do the distribution.

We wound up staying at IDM longer than usual and enjoyed some food with our beverages.

Swan also enjoyed the company of IDM manager Ashley during our visit.

As mentioned, we did our nightcap at Wet Spot. I bought the usual lady drinks for waitress Irene and head waitress (and Hasher) Beth. The surprise of the visit occurred when Aine came down off her high horse and greeted us at our table before ascending to the stage to join the other dancers. Swan had no issues with bringing Aine down to enjoy a lady drink for old-times sake. In a gesture of goodwill, I offered Aine something to suck on, and she gratefully accepted (a lollipop). Anyway, I sensed Swan didn’t engage with Aine with as much camaraderie as she had in the past. I guess that’s what happens when someone reveals the true nature of their character, as Aine did in turning her back on a friend.

Anyhoo, we had a nice enough evening out in Barretto. Dropped more change than usual in the bars, especially on lady drinks. But that’s the price you pay sometimes when you are having a good time. And I’m sure the gals appreciated it.

  • Alcohol: 1150 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 1400 pesos
  • Dinner: 850 pesos
  • Charity 600 pesos
  • Tips: 250 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Snacks: 700 pesos
  • Prescription Meds: 600 pesos
  • Total for October 17: 5750 pesos

Facebook memories carried me back to Pyeongtaek where I attended a staff dinner party/housewarming at the new home of one of my employees, Ms. Yi.

Seven long years ago. My, how my life has changed.

At least my life has not changed in the way this guy’s did–in a Filipino jail for possession of marijuana. Using and selling drugs in this country is beyond dumb. My number one goal since moving here has been to avoid doing ANYTHING that might be construed as criminal. Yeah, that eighteen-year-old was borderline stupid, but I did at least get a copy of her birth certificate before agreeing to meet her in person. Anyway, this guy is screwed. He was apparently not popular with his fellow Angeles expats, but I wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone. It was his own damn fault, though.

Here’s a take on the situation from another vlogger (including visiting the guy in jail) if you are interested.

I need some humor after watching that shit:

Dude has some balls, that’s for sure.
It’s always the last place you look
Been there, done that, that, that, that.

I woke up to this staring at me through the bedroom window this morning.

Nice to see you again!

Swan and I will be attending the SOB dance competition tonight at Green Room. We’ll turn another page in the story of my life tomorrow. See you then!

Beachy keeno

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The Wednesday Walkers made the journey out to San Narciso, and we shared a beach adventure. Swan and I enjoyed breakfast together on the Mope Resort beachside pavilion as we awaited the group’s arrival. Oh, and reader Scott reminded me that Mope = My Outta Pocket Expenses. The Aussie sponsor has a nice sense of humor!

Our breakfast perch
The Mope menu. We shared the pancakes with eggs and toast.
The Mope pool that neither of us used
Swan never misses an opportunity to dispense some sweetness to the kiddies.
The Wednesday Walkers have arrived
Heading out on the beach road
None of us know what might lay ahead.
Here’s a cute little place we passed. The stools ought to be facing the other way, though, so you can enjoy the beach view.
Off the pavement and onto the sand
It’s been a while since we’ve done a group hike on the beach
It was nice, but a little on the warm side
Ten Toes On The Nose. Back when I was a beach bum in California, we called it “Hang Ten”
Looks like the dogs are keeping a watch on their master.
Walking in the sand makes each step a tad more difficult, kinda like one step feels like two.
And the beach wasn’t always flat, causing some sideways slippage in places.
Islands in the stream
Looking for an escape route
How do we get there from here?
Michael says follow me! It got deeper a couple of steps further in.
Swan is short, and she doesn’t swim. I held her hand as we crossed. What came up to my waist was almost to her neck. We made it, though.
Gary, also a non-swimmer, wasn’t so fortunate. He slipped and fell into the current. Michael grabbed his arm before he was washed away.
So we found ourselves at this abandoned beach resort
Scott took a rest on the porch
Things didn’t work out for Shyrel when she tried sitting on this bench.
The caretaker (the guy with no shirt) wasn’t too friendly towards us trespassers. He told us the gate to the road was closed. I gave him a bag of cookies for his trouble, and magically the gate was opened.
On the road again
Out in the countryside
And then we hit the river. I’d been seeing ships like that one coming and going throughout the visit.
We couldn’t tell what the ship was doing there. Discharging loads of water over the side, but why?
The riverside road
The highway crossing
A wet valley
We went this way because it “felt” like the right direction
Bath time and sweets dispensation

So, one of the locals told us to turn right. We did, and reached the end of the road. A local there said there was no way through. Scott, Swan, and I retreated back the way we came. The rest of the group continued marching forward.

The path I took wound up on the highway. I was surprised to see we had reached San Felipe.
Walking the highway back to San Narciso
And then this trike pulled up and offered us a ride. We didn’t say no.
The plan had been to meet up at Joe’s Dawgs. We arrived just a few minutes earlier than the other contingent of Wednesday Walkers.
The orange line is the route the others took. It did involve a shallow river crossing, but they had no problems otherwise. Scott and I conceded we should have gone with them.
Two of those weird ships passing in the sea.

After lunch, I walked back to Mope with Swan and Michael. Michael retrieved his car and left to pick up the group at Joe’s. My driver was waiting when we arrived. I checked out of my room, and we headed for home.

We stopped at the Subic marketplace and picked up this week’s supply of candy

When we arrived home, the power outage was still ongoing, but it was restored a few minutes before the scheduled six p.m. end. I decided the rooftop was The Rite Spot for me to spend my Wednesday evening.

The view when I arrived at The Rite Spot
And after the sun departed
Spaghetti with meat sauce is a Rite Spot specialty.
Swan’s family from Subic joined us for dinner

And so ended another day in the life.

Here’s how I emptied my wallet:

  • Driver: 2000 pesos
  • Charity: 2300 pesos (candy)
  • Tips: 400 pesos
  • Breakfast: 500 pesos
  • Alcohol: 600 pesos
  • Lunch: 400 pesos
  • Trike: 150 pesos
  • Total for October 16: 6350

I mentioned the other day that you don’t see down-and-out expats on the streets of Barretto. Sadly, that’s not true everywhere. One of the Facebook groups I follow posted this photo today:

I wish him well, but he doesn’t look long for this world. I’m sure what led him here is a sad story indeed.

Living with less is a common thing for many Filipinos. In today’s YouTube video, The Filipina Pea visits a provincial family to show us their way of life. I see many similar residences in my backcountry walks, so I found hearing and seeing the way things are quite fascinating.

Today’s funny stuff:

It stinks when things are ass-backwards
I prefer the low road
No shit, Sherlock

I reckon I ought to see what’s been going on in Barretto since I’ve not visited for two whole nights now. Someone has to keep the bars in business, right?

Nice to beach you!

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That’s why it’s called a holiday!

The rare fun-filled Tuesday is now history. Well, it wasn’t all fun. I kicked things off with a visit to the immigration office for another sixty-day tourist visa extension, which got approved without a problem. I also had to renew my Alien Certificate of Registration (ACR) card, so my fees were doubled this time. Oh, well, that’s the price you gotta pay.

Next up was the grocery shopping chore. I gave the Pure Gold supermarket a try in search of things I can’t find at Royal. Wound up spending over 11,000 so I guess it was a successful endeavor. Then, I went to Royal to fill in the gaps and spent another 11,000. Oh, well. The cabinets are full again.

We offloaded the groceries at home, loaded up the suitcase and backpacks, then headed for San Narciso. I turned on my tracker so I could map the journey, and it looks like this:

That’s the way to get there. It turns out it is right at 29K from my door to Mope Resort. That’s less than Kevin will be walking every day on his trek across Korea. In my wildest dreams, I can’t see myself walking all the way to San Narciso in a day.
I have returned!

I got a nice room this time, not that I spent much time in there. We unpacked, I knocked out yesterday’s blog post, and then we headed to the place that makes Mope special…outside seating with beach views. And cold beer, of course!

The view from here
Life’s a beach sometimes
Swan Mope-ing around
She’s such a poser!
But sometimes so am I
Love it while you got it!

Our friend Michael arrived later in the afternoon; then he took a swim in the ocean. He joined us for a beer before we headed to resto-bar a few blocks away named Joe’s Dawgs.

A small, cozy venue
It was nice meeting the American owner, Joe. Originally from Ohio, then he had a hot dog stand in Florida before making the Philippines his new home.
We were the only customers during a visit last night.
That’s pretty cheap for a roast beef sandwich, so I gave it a try.
I prefer a roll to a bun; otherwise, it wasn’t bad.
After dinner beers, and chit chat

When we were done at Joe’s, Michael dropped us back at Mope and headed home. The night’s fun wasn’t over, though. Swan and I grabbed some seats and engaged in our nightcap activities. I had a hankering for some ice cream and sent one of the Mope crew to the store to fetch what I thought would be cones.

I had given him enough money to get something for everyone, and he returned with two half-gallon cartons. We gave one to the crew to share, and I dove into the rocky road.
The look on your face when your sweet tooth is satiated. And you’ve had one too many beers. No Zero in stock, so I’d been drinking the higher-alcohol San Mig Lights all night. As you can see, I got a little sloppy scooping the ice cream, too.

So, it was off to bed for a good night’s sleep in preparation for today’s adventure. I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.

What yesterday cost me:

  • Tips: 670 pesos
  • Alcohol:1600 pesos
  • Snacks: 800 pesos
  • Dinner: 500 pesos
  • Driver: 3000 pesos
  • Visa Extension: 6200 pesos
  • Hotel: 2750 pesos
  • Charity: 200 pesos
  • Groceries: 22,700 pesos
  • Total for October 16: 38,420 pesos

Good times don’t come cheap!

Eleven years ago, I was hanging out at the Puddlin’ Duck in Columbia, South Carolina, with my dart buddies, Gunny and James.

Gunny
And James

Sadly, both of them left this world behind within a couple of short years after that happy day.

Today’s YouTube video talks about the things Filipinos find weird about foreigners. I’m guilty of most of them.

Humor time:

Time gets on ticking into the future
Me too!

I am literally out of time. No power here and my laptop battery is almost gone. I’ll fill the gaps tomorrow.

Greetings from San Narciso

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Arrived an hour ago, set up the laptop, and now I’m going to dash off a post for my few and faithful readers. It was Hash day yesterday, so that’s mostly what this post will be about. In pictures.

The view from home thirty minutes before the Hash. It’s raining.
The trail started at the Alta Vista clubhouse. So, at least I had a short walk to get there.
A gathering of Hashers. And the rain stopped.
And away we go. The trail yesterday was very poorly marked. Yes, the downpour washed away some powder, but there were many junctions with no markings at all.
But we were on familiar turf, so found our own way whenever we lost the trail. This happened more than once, and then we’d come across a trail marking again, so we guessed right!
There were some downs
And ups
And some more ups
And we kept right on going
We came down in Marian Hills
Walk on!
Swan and I had just been through here yesterday on our Candy Walk
The comfort that comes with flat ground
A carabao that didn’t object to our passing through his turf
The new hot spot to hang out in San Isidro
Pubic Head is no longer full of shit
Puddle jumpers
Back on the highway
Our On-Home venue this week was Smokes and Bottles
Circle up!
The Hares were awarded the Hashit for their shitty trail
We did a version of the short (yellow) trail that was longer than the one the Hares laid.

The after-Hash gathering at It Doesn’t Matter was more party-like than usual. Swan was hanging out with the Gash group, and they were having a good time. I enjoyed chatting with some of the visiting Hashers, including one from Saigon.

And then it was time to pay the piper. Seven hundred was for food, eight hundred was Swan’s contributions to the Gash party, and I guess I must have drank up the rest of it.

The damage done:

  • Dinner: 700 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1600 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 200 pesos
  • Tips: 200 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Charity: 100 pesos
  • Propane: 850 pesos
  • Hash Fees: 600 pesos
  • Total for October 14: 4250 pesos

In the memory department, coincidentally, one year ago, Swan and I were spending time away from home in Pundaquit, a few miles up the road from our current hangout in San Narciso.

Monty’s then, Mope today.

Ten years ago, I posted a pathetic account of a day in my USA life. That was the year Jee Yeun decided not to return from Korea with me. I didn’t know then that this was the beginning of the end.

I haven’t yet watched today’s YouTube video about the cost of living in the Philippines, but since I’m tracking mine this month, it should be interesting to get another perspective. I could obviously live much cheaper than I do, but since I don’t have to, why should I?

And now for your daily dose of humor:

And they lived happily ever after
Rules are made to be broken!
Do either exist in this universe now?

So, our hike buddy Michael is supposed to meet us here this afternoon, and we are going to visit a new (to me) expat-owned restaurant. And tomorrow, the Wednesday Walkers will be coming to San Narciso for a jaunt. I’m looking forward to that adventure!

The view upon arrival. Those islands in the distance are offshore from Pundaquit and were featured in that island tour video I posted the other day.
Where we be for the next twenty-four hours.

I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Live it or lose it

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I’m gonna keep on keepin’ on as long as I can!

Yep

Another good day in the life. A Candy Walk, a feeding, and a pool party with the neighborhood gang filled the Sunday hours in a satisfying fashion.

We had two candy bags and two backpacks full of refills. This week, we tried something new. Rather than sorting out five individual pieces by rummaging through the bag, we made individual candy sacks in an assembly-line fashion at home. This made the handouts quick and efficient.
Let’s get it done!
Into the grassy sea
A regular stop
For you Easter Mountain fans
Another popular stop
Like ducks to water
The ol’ swimmin’ hole
Come and get it!
200+ deliveries this week
The path we walked

The party began at four, so I went to Hideaway early. No Jewel Cafe this week; I just gave the girls cash for some chicken and meat sticks. A couple of beers later, and I caught a trike back home. Then, it was off to Maksil’s place for the neighborhood gathering.

It was my first visit to one of the more unique houses in Alta Vista
Our hangout spot
At first glance I thought she was peeing in the pool
The view from here
The Alta Vista clubhouse is across the street
Swimming pools really aren’t my thing so I stayed dry.
I always enjoy watching the sun go down
Table #1
And the beer table. That’s our host, Maksil, on the right
A cloud I liked
Sundown
A Swan in the water

It was an easy stroll home after I’d had my fill of beer and fun—and it didn’t cost much, either!

  • Alcohol: 240 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 450 pesos
  • Charity: 1800 pesos (Hideaway feeding)
  • Trike: 400 pesos
  • Lunch 550 pesos
  • Tips: 50 pesos
  • Trash Collection: 100
  • Total for October 13: 3590 pesos

I posted a video about island hopping in Pundaquit yesterday, and coincidentally, Facebook memories reminded me this morning that it was one year ago that I was doing that tour:

And I didn’t go alone!
Cruising on the South China Sea
Islands in the stream

Eight years ago, I won a darts tournament in Bangkok:

Good times!

Ten years ago, I posted something that is truer now that it ever was:

I don’t like the leftist agenda, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like the leftist agenda, denigrate means “put down.”

Today’s YouTube vlogger declares that calling the Philippines “third world” is a myth. That made me laugh because he lives in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the enclave of Manila where the rich folks live. That ain’t the real PI, dude! I often joke that Alta Vista isn’t in the Philippines, but I can hear it from here. The squatter villages and shanty towns are a lot more authentic representations than BGC. Still, the video offers some nice street scenes of the place where the wealthy (locals and expats) can live and pretend the rest of this third-world country doesn’t exist.

Today’s lame humor:

Hope it all cums out okay
He’s just considering his breast options
Sorry, I didn’t mean to push your buttons

Hash Monday has arrived once more. This morning on the dog walk I was greeted with this:

You can see the rainbow, right? What’s weird is we didn’t have any rain.

My big news is that tomorrow, after shopping, Swan and I will travel to San Narciso to stay overnight at the Mope Beach Resort. The motivation for planning this adventure is that there is a scheduled all-day power outage for Wednesday. No need to stay home for that! We’ll see how the logistics work out, but I may have to alter the blog posting schedule some. We shall see.

Oh, and my buddy Kevin will be heading out for his annual cross-Korea hike tomorrow. You can follow along on the adventure here. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun, Kev!

Today’s closing song is one I had totally forgotten until I saw it mentioned in passing on the Althouse blog today. I also learned that the songwriter/performer, Mason Williams, was a comedy writer for the old Smothers Brothers show. Damn, what a talented man! Glad to get reacquainted.

It was a gas to hear this classic again!

It was also fun to watch these two hear it for the first time:

An island of treasure

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Well, I live on Luzon Island, and my life here is a treasure (to me), so the title of this post is apt. I also spent my evening at Treasure Island Resort on Baloy Beach. My Saturday on the island began with a street stroll through Barretto. Swan joined me for the walk.

Leaving the ‘hood under the ever-watchful gaze of Easter Mountain
Adding some sweetness to the day
Grabbing some fresh fruits at this stand in the marketplace
Passing through Columban
We ended our trek at the Jewel Cafe with some take out

As mentioned above, we journeyed out to Treasure Island later in the afternoon. We had some unexpected afternoon rain, so there was a question as to whether there would be live music (it’s an outdoor venue). The rain stopped, and the band started about an hour late, so it all worked out in the end.

The view from our stools at Treasure Island
The view of us at Treasure Island
A view of the beach
And a view of the bay
Engine band
Engine band bassist

Then it was time to eat.

I went with the sweet and sour pork. It was okay.
Chicken cordon bleu for Swan. She had one bite of the potatoes and said, “These are from a box.” It is real or nothing for her.

Enjoyed some more music and then grabbed a trike for home, stopping at 7/11 for some ice cream cone treats to share with the guards. And another day came to an end.

Easy come, easy go:

  • Meat: 4600 pesos
  • Fruit and Veggies: 700 pesos
  • Lunch: 400 pesos
  • Trike: 250 pesos
  • Charity: 120 pesos
  • Snacks: 330 pesos
  • Dinner: 760 pesos
  • Tips: 150 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1160 pesos
  • Total for October 12: 8470 pesos

All I have from the Facebook memories is two quotes I posted twelve years ago:

Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

–Mark Twain

I never forget a face, but in your case, I’d be glad to make an exception.

–Groucho Marx

I have no recollection as to why I posted them.

Today’s YouTube video is an island hop off Pundaquit. I’ve done that before, and it was quite nice. The Pundaquit/San Antonio area is somewhere I could consider living should things in Barretto ever go to crap. I doubt that’s going to happen in this lifetime, though.

Humor break:

Any which way but loose
Understanding is a transition
Been there, done that

A little shakeup in the Sunday routines today. We got the Candy Walk done, but dinner at John’s place has been supplanted by an invite to a party and Maksil’s house here in the neighborhood. I’m going to make an appearance at Hideaway and fund the feeding, but I won’t be sticking around for long because the party starts at four. Something different is always nice!

Styx and Stones may rock my bones, but you can’t breathe without Air Supply

A great full day

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Most days, it feels like I’m just filling the hours. But yesterday, the hours were full of fun and adventure. Fulfilling indeed!

It took a little over an hour to get to Barangay Aglao from Barretto.

Things kicked off when the Friday group hikers traveled to the wilds of San Marcelino to explore the shore of Mapanuepe Lake. The lake was formed after the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 blocked the river and flooded the valley, creating a lake and drowning three villages in the process. Check out the link for the interesting details.

A church steeple is all that remains of one of those villages

What was unique about yesterday’s hike was that none of us had ever been here before. Well, I came this way two years ago, but we were across the lake in the campground area back then. The terrain we explored this time was virgin territory. I had it in my head that we could go overland to the campground, but I was wrong about that. We also had thought we could hike some of the way on the lake shore, but other than where we started in the village of Aglao, that was not to be. Still, everything being new and us being clueless added to the feeling of adventure. We were only on one hill but went up and down it twice, looking for our way. Ultimately, we had to retreat and retrace our steps to get back to where we started (and where the car was parked). We all agreed it was a fun trek and enjoyed the beauty of nature that surrounded us.

What our ups and downs looked like…
We have arrived, courtesy of Michael’s vehicle
A sign that we are welcome
We are gonna go thataway
And so it begins
It seems the lake is full of clouds
No idea what that stickwork is all about
Rumor has it that structure was at one time a floating restaurant
A tree I liked
And another lake view
Swan getting some directions from a local
And up we go. For the first, but not the last, time.
Now what do we do?
We’ll just keep on moving forward
No idea where we are going, but we are heading there anyway
Where now, brown cow?
That’s the campground across the lake
But you can’t get there from here. Without swimming anyway.
Back up we go
Swan-eating bushes
The view from here
There is no shame in retreat
Back in the village
Todd and Swan are poles apart
It’s like deja vu all over again.
The Friday hiking group, unbowed and undefeated
There was a sari-sari store at the end of this pier. Alas, no beer for sale.
So, we stopped in this place for the first time during the drive home.
That’s a creative way to say it. We didn’t try the meat, though. The beer wasn’t cold, and they had difficulty making change. I’m not saying we won’t be back, but we won’t go out of our way to come here.
What our adventure looked like from above. It is painfully obvious that my vision of walking to the campground was doomed from the start.

With the long drive and beer stop on the way back, I got home much later than usual. And I had a grand opening to attend. So, I dashed off a blog post, took a shower, and we set about heading into town.

Welcome to town, General MacArthur
My friend Jessa is overseeing the opening and training the new staff. She will be moving to the other venue on Baloy when the resto-bar there is ready to open,
Buying Jessa and the bartender a lady drink seemed like the polite thing to do.

Good luck to MacArthur’s. It’s a tiny place in a small town with fifty other bars, but maybe it will become an expat hangout. I doubt I’ll be more than an occasional customer, but I’m looking forward to the Baloy Beach venue.

I shall return!

We also had a dinner date with the neighborhood group from Alta Vista on our schedule. Papagayo was the chosen venue, and it is conveniently located almost next door to MacArthur’s.

The dinner group
My dinner was a chicken enchilada.

After the meal, the group moved up the highway to another newish venue, Red Stars. Yeah, we made some commie jokes about that name.

Cheers!

It was getting close to nine p.m., and the group was going to make Green Room the next stop. I’d had enough by now, and I pride myself on knowing when to say when. So, I said goodnight, and we caught a trike for home.

It was a gooder day than most and I am grateful to have had it. Here’s what it cost me:

  • Salary: 1000 pesos (part-time helper)
  • Prescription Meds: 1400 pesos
  • Jeepney: 50 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Dinner: 415 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 520 pesos
  • Tips: 200 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1840 pesos
  • Total for October 11: 5625 pesos

To the memories from my glory days:

Eight years ago, I was visiting Pattaya, Thailand. I decided to grab a beer here.
Turns out, the name was ironic. There wasn’t a pussy in this ladyboy bar. The “gals” were friendly though.
Things felt a little safer on the infamous Walking Street

Seven years ago, I experienced a different kind of danger in Boracay:

I only walked this path in daylight and while sober.

In today’s YouTube video, Filipina Pea explores something that used to be near and dear to my heart: transactional relationships. She poses the question of whether, in truth, ALL relationships are transactional. Thinking in terms of me and Swan, I’d say no. But there is a voice in my head asking what would happen if I lost my pension and the house and lived on the street. As am I wont to say, I don’t know, and I don’t care. I’d probably die before crossing that bridge anyway.

And now for some humor:

Judge me by my character, not the color of my skin. Hmm, never mind!
Yeah, so what happened to Jeffrey Epstein?
Sounds vaguely familiar…

This evening, we plan to visit Treasure Island on Baloy and enjoy some live music. Hopefully, the rain will hold off. See you back here tomorrow!

And the “first time hearing” video:

Heart and soul

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First things first:

Our new hospital in Barretto
The only section I hope to need

Gonna have to rush through today’s post. I’ll explain why tomorrow. For now, let me briefly cover how my two doctor visits (pulmonary and cardiologist) went yesterday. Nothing new with the lungs other than a change to my inhalers. The heart doc reviewed my results from the echocardiogram I did in Angeles and declared, “You have a big heart.” Naturally, I thanked her for the compliment. Turns out, she meant the left side of my heart is enlarged. The good news is my body has compensated, and at least so far, the blood is pumping through in normal amounts and leaving nothing behind. So, there is nothing that needs to be done for now other than monitoring every six months to ensure everything is still functioning as it should be. As for the aortic stenosis, it is in the mild range and, for now, does not pose a problem. That will also be part of the six-month review to make sure things aren’t changing for the worse. The doctor was concerned about the fluid retention in my ankles and prescribed a new med to hopefully correct the edema. These symptoms are all precursors of congestive heart failure, which is what my mother died from at seventy-eight years old. My goal is to make it to eighty-three (to match or outlive my father), so I’ll do my best to follow the doctor’s advice. The bottom line is that, as of now, I am not displaying any of the symptoms that are indicative of imminent heart failure. That sounds like news I can live with!

After the appointments were done, I headed home to enjoy an evening at The Rite Spot On The Roof.

The view when I arrived
And then the sun did its thing.
Always nice to watch
Thanks for the show!
When the sun was gone, the moon tried to fill the void
And the city lights were nice to see as well

And then it was time for a rooftop dinner.

A side dish of fried chicken
A Swan salad
Spaghetti…
…and sauce
Dinner on my plate
My dining companions at The Rite Spot

A good finish to the day.

  • Charity: 2400 pesos (candy and Mama)
  • Doctor Visit: 1400 pesos (two docs, 700 each)
  • Trike: 400 pesos
  • Jeepney: 50 pesos
  • Total for October 10: 4250 pesos

Staying at home is definitely a cheaper option. I’m going to have to do that more often—but not tonight!

The YouTube video I’ve chosen for today is about the poor province girls working at bars in Angeles City. I haven’t watched it yet, so I can’t comment on the content. I do tend to feel sorry for the girls when this line of work is their only option, but taking that option away doesn’t help them either.

And this is where I attempt to put a smile on your face:

At least she’s a real woman
May I ask what the fuss is all about?
A team effort!

So, a great Friday group hike today way out in San Marcelino. With the travel time and after-hike refreshments, I didn’t make it home until three p.m. Usually, no big deal, but today is the grand opening of the newest bar in town, MacArthur’s. I promised my friend Jessa that we’d make an appearance. Again, not a problem, except I accepted a dinner invite with the neighbors for six-thirty at Papagayo. Hence, the rushed post here (can you tell the difference?) and lack of a nap since I need to shower up and head out. At least I’ll have something interesting to post about tomorrow. See you then!

From 1938! Wow, still nice to hear.

Feelin’ kneedy

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I don’t give blowjobs, nor do I pray, but I do occasionally fall down on my knees when I’m hiking. Like I did yesterday.

So, the plan for the Wednesday Walkers was to go up and over Kalaklan Ridge, then down into Olongapo City for a street walk before catching a Jeepney back to Barretto. It didn’t work out that way. The climb up was more than a little challenging, and then, about three-quarters of the way up, we encountered a carabao tied to a tree and blocking our path. We give those creatures a wide berth these days after learning about the damage one did to some Hashers in Angeles City. Anyway, as our frontrunners looked for a way around the mad cow, Scott and I were looking at the trail ahead. It appeared to be a lot steeper than I remembered it, and it was very much overgrown in the tall grasses that dominate the hillsides at this time of year. Ultimately, we decided it wasn’t worth the effort, so we retreated and took a different way back down. As fate would have it, the path we chose to descend was one of the more difficult downs we’ve ever taken from Kalaklan. Oh well, I made it to the bottom by the skin of my knees.

Arriving at our departure point on Rizal Extension
Heading out
And heading up
I’m not as slow as molasses because molasses can’t flow uphill. I do so at a snail’s pace.
At least my hike mates can rest while waiting for me to catch up.
Most of the climb was a bitch
This kid approached me with a gun in hand. It reminded me of the time I got held up by a dyslexic robber: “Okay, mother sticker, this is a fuck up. Get your ass in the air, or I’ll blow your hands off!” (sorry if I’ve used that line before)
I handed over the cookies and lived to tell about it.
There was a time in my life when I got high on grass. These days, the grass is high on me.
The way ahead
A view of the ridgeline we failed to achieve
Taking a rest before the final push up
Here we go!
You can’t really see it from here, but that carabao I mentioned is tied to that tree in the middle of this pic. We could have likely found a way around, but the remainder of the climb didn’t look appetizing, so we demonstrated valor by exercising discretion.
Our retreat was lucky for these kids who earned a cookie reward.
We rarely see snakes on our hikes, and when we do, it is nice to see them dead.
It was a pleasant hike…
And then things got a little rocky
On down. It was somewhere near here where I tripped on a branch and fell to my knees.
Harder going than it may appear
A creek crossing
Going down through a shanty village
Stepping carefully on slick steps
Then back on the street
And back to where we started
After hike refreshments at Harley’s Pub
Short and not so sweet
It felt strenuous, but my heart rate didn’t seem to think so

When beer o’clock arrived, I made my way to BarCelona. Swan was visiting a friend in Olongapo and joined me there later.

From my perch at BarCelona, I could see where I’d been. The yellow is as high as we got; the tower is at the top of Kalaklan.
The other BarCelona view

And then a scene played out in front of me that was unexpected.

It’s unusual to see an expat in a wheelchair. I first spotted him on the highway, and then he had his helper push him down the street in front of The Maze. I wondered where he was going.

Well, there are a couple of homeless folks living on the sidewalk. One of them is a tall, bearded guy who looks a bit like Jesus. I see this guy all over town, picking up recyclables from the trash to sell at the junk shops. He never begs, though.

The wheelchair guy rolls away after rejection

So, the guy in the wheelchair has his gal roll him up to the homeless man. Then he holds out a one hundred peso bill for the homeless fella to take. And the homeless Jesus waved him off! I’ve never seen that before. He rejected more cash than he made collecting trash and walking around all day. Maybe pride does goeth before a fall. But what impressed the most was that cripple I was feeling sorry for going out of his way to help someone he viewed as less fortunate. Good for him!

Swan arrived shortly after the abovementioned event and enjoyed a glass of wine. I, of course, didn’t make her drink alone.

My hero! I’m not in his league, but I can generally down three beers in the time it takes Swan to finish a glass of wine. (and yes, the punctuation and grammar in this meme is awful, sorta like LTG)

When we left BarCelona, I was ready for some dinner, and Myleen’s was practically right across the street. So, off we went.

Enchiladas for me. Spicy they were!
Swan wasn’t that hungry and snacked on chicken fingers.

We did our nightcap at Green Room—wine, beer, lady drinks, and watching some pretty good pool players. Oh, and I brought Choco Pies to share with the girls. Also, some lollipops so they’d have something to suck on. Home again by 7:30 for the second night in a row. I must be slowing down in my old age.

Finally, a day under 5000 pesos!

  • Prescription Meds: 1400 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1070 pesos
  • Dinner: 720 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 370 pesos
  • Tips: 320 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Total for October 9: 4080 pesos

Ah, those Facebook memories. Twelve years ago, my wife Jee Yeun and I had a visit with Dr. Yoo at his Soonchunhwang Hospital clinic, and this happened:

Jee Yeun and I had our doctor appointment with Dr. Yoo today. Jee Yeun’s doing great and I’m still fat. And we also got our flu shots.

Anyway, after Dr. Yoo finished checking Jee Yeun I said “Doctor, Jee Yeun’s always complaining about being bored. Can you prescribe something for that”? Without missing a beat he said “Viagra”.

Everyone’s a comedian these days.

Eight years ago, I was exploring Bangkok:

It’s a beautiful city, even if they do drive on the wrong side of the road
I also enjoyed the nightlife there.

Today’s YouTube video from Reekay attempts to explain why so many of us baby boomers are choosing to retire in the Philippines. When I moved here, my homeland wasn’t the total fucked up mess it is today. I never intend to live there again. There are options other than the Philippines, of course. I like Asia, so my alternatives include Cambodia and Vietnam. I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about the Dominican Republic, but at this stage of my life, that’s just a bridge too far.

Things I find kinda sorta funny:

The real reason all those boomers are moving here.
You can say that again!
Almost like looking in a mirror.

Today, I’ll visit both the pulmonary doctor and the cardiologist (one after the other). I’m hopeful the news will be mostly good. And I’m overdue for spending some time at The Rite Spot, so I’ll be coming home after the docs are done with me and staying here for a change. I’ll share what I find out here tomorrow.

Blasé daze

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Tuesdays around here are nothing to get excited about, and yesterday was no exception. That won’t keep me from writing about it, though. One of these days, Guinness will recognize the most boring blog in history, and Long Time Gone is bound to be in the running. Thank you, dear readers, for your support!

Let’s get on with it then. Those groceries ain’t gonna buy themselves, so the first order of business was the trip to the Royal Duty-Free Supermarket on SBMA.

Mama was waiting for me in her usual spot at the time she knew I’d be coming by. I gave her two banana-nut muffins and 100 pesos to start her day.

Nothing exciting to report from my time in the grocery store.

I did manage to stay close to the amount I budgeted for groceries, so there’s that.

On the way home, we stopped at the local print shop to get copies of my echocardiogram results made. I’ll be doing my consult with the cardiologist tomorrow.

A quiet remainder of the morning at home, a nap, a blog post, and then it was time to head into town.

Along the way, I saw that my first residence in Alta Vista was vacant once again. I like my current place much better, and it is cheaper.
And seeing this lonely truck made me feel a little sad
Our first stop of the afternoon in town
A haircut for me and a foot spa for Swan

My haircut was done before Swan’s feet, so we agreed to meet at Cheap Charlies. I hadn’t visited there for a couple of months because they didn’t have wine the last time I went. I’d seen the CC bartender the night before, and she assured me wine would be available this time. It was.

The view from my seat hadn’t changed since my last visit. As I looked at Hot Zone across the street, it occurred to me that I had climbed that hill in the background more frequently lately than I had visited the bar.
The Maze is where you are most likely to find me these days. BarCelona, La Oficina, Alaska, Sloppy Joe’s, Green Room, and Wet Spot all under one roof.

Swan did, in fact, enjoy the wine she was served when she arrived at Cheap Charlies. My beer was cold and wet, and none of my old regulars work there anymore, so I didn’t have any need to buy lady drinks. I’ll try to fit CC back into my bar circuit.

We had planned on visiting Green Room next, but a peek in the door revealed the place was packed with a pool tournament. So, we plopped ourselves down at Sloppy Joe’s instead. Another wine for Swan and beers for me as we watched the world go by on the street in front of us. And as shocking as it may sound, when we were ready to move on, I didn’t feel like going to another bar. Instead, we went to Sit-n-Bull and ordered some food to bring home. Our night out was over by 7:30. I warned you it was a boring Tuesday!

Here’s where the money went:

  • Groceries: 13,360 pesos
  • Driver: 1000 pesos
  • Charity: 100 pesos
  • Tips: 350 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1200 pesos
  • Foot Spa/Haircut: 400 pesos
  • Dinner: 1070 pesos
  • Trike: 100 pesos
  • Total for October 8: 17,230 pesos

Facebook memories reminded me of a cake I baked six years ago:

Happy Birthday, RuRu (the gal on the right). These days, RuRu is an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) in Qatar. That’s my friend Jessa on the left, and I still run into her occasionally. She’s helping her boss open a new bar in Barretto and a resort on Baloy. I’m looking forward to a potential beach bar at the resort.

Today’s YouTube video has the Filipina Pea interviewing a recently arrived expat who had all his plans ruined by a thieving woman he’d spent months courting in a long-distance relationship (LDR). Shit happens, as I can attest as a past victim of scammers. As I learned the hard way, the ones you’ve never met can burn you the most. Although truth be told, I got fucked over by ones I had met as well.

Today’s humor offerings:

More than a mouthful is a waste
Looks like she got snakebit
My heritage is Scotch-Irish. My father introduced me to the bar culture at a very young age. I recall sipping a Coke in a beer joint while my dad held court at the bar when I was in kindergarten. As I’ve often said, beer is in my genes.

This morning, I went on a short but grueling hike with the Wednesday Walkers group. More on that in tomorrow’s post. Next up, I hope to enjoy some of that beer my genes make me crave. And life goes on.

I enjoy these “hearing it for the first time” videos, hope you do too…

Red alert!

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Hashers in the house! That house being Red Bar for the Hash On-Home festivities. Getting there involved a long slog up into the hills and back down again on the other side. Well, it did for me. The actual Hash trail had another down and another up, which I chose to avoid. Why? Because I like to keep it fun, and I just wasn’t feeling it. That’s the way I roll these days.

Different strokes for different folks. Purple is the long trail, green is the short version, and blue is my way.
The Hares did a nice job, even if I only did a portion of the trail they so diligently marked.
Hashers gather at the starting point
And we are On-On!
I don’t know what it is about an uphill road, but they kick my ass.
This damn thing reminded me of those streets in San Francisco
Finally, onto the dirt. The climb wasn’t over yet, though.
On up!
Almost there
You knew that was coming, didn’t you?
Splendor in the grass
I’ve lost my sense of smell, but I still enjoy the flowers
My favorite
The way ahead
Those other shortcutters
The first three runners (blue, yellow, orange) passed us as we entered Alta Vista near the end of the hike.
And we arrive at our On-Home destination
I don’t visit Red Bar very often, but I always have the best lady in town with me wherever I go.
The Hash Gash
The old guy
Fuck Buddy demonstrates why you don’t wear new shoes to the Hash.
The heart did okay during the climb, even if I didn’t like it much.

As is the custom, the after-Hash gathering was at It Doesn’t Matter. We packed the place last night. Swan invited another Hasher (Beth, our Wet Spot friend) to join us at IDM for food and drinks. We stayed later and drank more than usual but had a nice time.

Even after the bill came due. One thousand three hundred hundred of that is for food.
No tacos last night, but plenty of beer!

It was a good Hash Monday. Here’s where the money went:

  • Alcohol: 640 pesos
  • Dinner: 1310 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 200 pesos
  • Tips: 130 pesos
  • Charity: 3850 pesos
  • Hash Fees: 8500 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Total for October 7: 14,830 pesos

Those big-ticket items are pretty much one-offs. The student I sponsor in Bohol needed money for his monthly transport to school while his mother is working in Cebu, so I wired the requested 2700 pesos. My peanut vendor friend Emmanuel has been ill and unable to work recently. He messaged me that there was no food for his family and asked if I could help him. So, I told him he could meet me at IDM. When he arrived, I slipped him a thousand pesos. Seven thousand nine hundred of the Hash fees are for the Haggis Bash in La Union coming up this December. That includes our hotel for two nights and two days of Hashing. I’m looking forward to taking Cums Alone on her first out-of-town Hash event.

In the memory department, Facebook reminds me that seven years ago, my trip to Boracay continued and featured the discovery of an aptly named bar:

I still didn’t have a clue about how grumpy I was soon to become.

Ah, well. It all turned out okay. I’m still alive and kicking, and that’s the important thing. Which is a nice segue for today’s YouTube video. This gent, whom I watched for the first time, is also sixty-nine years old and offers some good advice and insights on growing older.

WTF? I guess he doesn’t allow embedding his videos. Go ahead and watch it here if you like. I won’t be linking him in the future. Blogs were a thing before there were vlogs.

And now for some humor:

Imagine that
I understand it makes it hard to swallow
This one leafs a lot to be desired. (I know, I know, it is not grammatically correct, but that’s the punster exception. Who says you can’t make a bad joke worse?)

I’m going to take Swan to her foot spa, and I need a haircut. That sounds pretty exciting, eh? I saw the Cheap Charlies bartender at IDM last night and she said they have wine in stock, so maybe I’ll end my boycott and pay them a visit later today. So many options, so little time!

I will if I write about them here!

And the “hearing it for the first time” take:

More Sunday sweetness

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It seems that the more candy we bring, the more kids we encounter. Yesterday, we maxed out our carrying capacity but still had to shorten the Candy Walk when we ran out of goodies. Maybe I need to buy a bigger backpack.

A girl on a mission
A sea of grass
The Easter Mountain view
A beautiful morning for a sweet walk
Avoiding the water hazard
Getting down to business
It groves on you
Tending the lawn outside the chapel in Marian Hills
One kid brought a wheel barrel for her candy. The little boy in the black shirt is Jason, the kid Swan helped enroll in school. He asked for 100 pesos for lunch money, and I gave it to him. I somehow avoided Facebook jail when I posted the naked pussy in this photo.
Another regular stop
Line up!
We ran into the Hares for today’s Hash out marking the trail
A lakefront residence
Swan is the most popular gal in town, at least on Sunday mornings.
A quiet street scene in San Isidro. Where is everyone?
Oh, there they are!
As I suspected, the temporary bridge will not be maintained now that the new bridge has opened.
But while it lasts, that bridge has created a popular swimming hole for the locals.
And a fishing hole
The river swimmers besieged Swan, and this is where the day’s supply of candy ran out.
Without the final loop, we finished at just under 5K

Next up on the Sunday agenda was the Hideaway feeding.

A stop at Jewel Cafe to fill the food requests from the Hideaway girls.
  • 1- breaded breast chicken with steamed veggies and fries
  • 1-sisig with rice
  • 1-garlic prawns with rice
  • 1-longasilog
  • 1-tapasilog
  • 1 five-piece chicken wings (crispy)
I always leave a tip for the Jewel crew: cookies, lollipops, and coins. I also give the gal who delivers the order 100 pesos for her trouble.

Owner Griff was there yesterday, along with a couple of other customers. That always improves the vibe. Some good music videos also helped pass the time enjoyably.

The dessert selections I provided
The food arrives
The girls say their thanks and grab their boxes
And the chowing down commences

See you all next week! Next up, John’s Place.

The usual view from our third floor perch

John was relaxing in his recliner on the second floor when we arrived and departed. His headphones were on, so we just nodded our hellos and goodbyes.

I was craving me some pulled pork. John’s is still the best in town.
Swan went with the chicken chow mien and said it was good.
I’ve found it is easier to take a photo of the receipt and itemize expenses later.
The sundown view from John’s

We made Wet Spot our nightcap venue and enjoyed spending time with Irene and Beth, who is also a Hasher. Another wine, a couple more beers, and some lady drinks to close out our Sunday.

In over six years of residence, this is the first time I actually paid attention to my Wet Spot receipt. I get a 10% Hash discount on my drinks, but I never knew about the 18% VAT. I checked the math and saw that the VAT is included in the price of the drink, but it is just separated out on the bill to keep the taxman happy.

So, here’s how Sunday added up:

  • Dinner: 790 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1300 pesos
  • Tips: 340 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 990 pesos
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Charity: 2300 pesos
  • Trash Collection: 100 pesos
  • Total for October 6: 6000

The charity expense includes the food from Jewel and also the 1000 pesos I give Joy (a single mother of two) each week to help her keep the kids in school and pay the bills.

I saw this short video of a Trump-hater in action this morning and it reminded me that Karma is a beautiful thing.

And it was also a reminder of this:

Today’s YouTube video left me shaking my head and saying wow repeatedly. The nightmare of being a homeless and destitute foreigner, the poor living conditions of the typical Filipino, and the good heart and generosity given to help a stranger in need are all on display. Yeah, I’m living a rich life here and will do all in my power to ensure that is always the case, but it is good to remember that many others are not so fortunate. It puts my meager charity budget in perspective, that’s for sure.

And now a dose of humor:

Damn, don’t be so hard on the guy!
Back in the day, it seemed like all the girls were checking out my butt. I’d overhear them saying, “What an ass!”
I’m still on my high horse

So, here it is, another Hash Monday, and the trail awaits. I’ll let y’all know how that works out for me tomorrow. Swan will be joining the fun today, so that will be nice.

I’m not sure how it came to pass that I’ve never heard this song before today. Or maybe I just forgot about it.

I’ve had Saturdays

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And yesterday was one more!

Don’t worry; this isn’t another rainy-day post.

Swan wanted to join me on my Standard Saturday Solo Street Stroll, making it a Modified Saturday Duo Street Stroll. Always nice to have her along, though. And, of course, she wanted to hand out some sweets along the way.

Whatever makes you happy
Filling the gap
A gated community
Just shy of 5K on a warm morning

When evening time arrived, I asked Swan where she wanted to hang out. She shrugged and said it doesn’t matter. So, that’s where we started. At first, I thought we had made a mistake because some guy on the other side of the outdoor seating area was holding court on the upcoming US elections. He was being so loud that he may as well have been sitting next to me. It was all standard lefty anti-Trump talking points: mean tweets, lies, not respected by our allies, blah, blah, blah. Someone at his table would state obvious counterpoints about how fucked up things have been since Trump left office, and all the guy had in response was it was worse under Trump. Illegal migrants? Trump didn’t build the wall he promised. And Haitians aren’t eating pets. High fuel prices? Not the government’s fault (ignoring the executive orders Biden signed on day one taking away our energy independence. Anyway, it went on and on. Swan told me to ignore him, but he was so loud I couldn’t even hear the music. If I had been sitting at his table, I’d have pointed out the ignorance of his arguments, but I wasn’t up for getting in a shouting match across the bar. Someone at the table next to the asshole occasionally interjected an inconvenient truth, but the guy kept insisting Kamala would be better.

Swan turning a deaf ear.

The loser eventually ended his rant by saying something I finally agreed with: Politics makes people stupid. He was the perfect example of that.

Anyway, once he was gone, we were able to relax and enjoy our visit to IDM. Swan bought two lady drinks for the owner’s wife, and they had a good time chatting in that language I don’t understand. Later on, we moved to Green Room and hung out with our regular crew. We ordered some Sit-n-Bull takeout food and then triked on home.

My tasty shredded beef burrito, called “The El Padre” on the menu.

What did all that fun cost me?

  • Dinner: 1120 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 980 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1060 pesos
  • Tips: 350 pesos
  • Snacks: 520 pesos (Angel’s Bakery)
  • Trike: 200 pesos
  • Charity: 250 pesos (Mama the Umbrella Lady and a beggar)
  • Total for October 5: 4430 pesos

Facebook memories carried me back seven years ago when I visited Boracay Island.

I took Loraine there to celebrate her 50th birthday.

I thought Loraine was going to share my upcoming life in the Philippines. Three weeks after our trip to Boracay she gave me the devastating news that she was in love with someone else. I wrote about that in an aptly named post, FUCK ME!

I took the time today to tweak my lefty friends on Facebook:

A picture is worth a thousand words

My old pal John from the UK left this comment:

Whereas in reality, your guy is a convicted rapist who has banned abortions and flies round in epsteins old plane. The end of civilisation indeed!

I usually don’t bother engaging this kind of ignorance, but I did say this: John, enjoy your Kool-Aid. It’s scary to think you believe those lies, but you don’t get to vote, so no worries.

Today’s YouTube video claims that once you go Filipina, you’ll never go back. It’s hard to argue with that. He also makes the point that the less the age gap, the better. He suggests a twenty-year maximum differential. I’ve got twenty-nine on Swan, which seems like nothing, especially compared to my fifty-one-year difference with Mary.

And now for some humor:

He’s giving her a chance. Will she blow it?
Sounds like you won’t be getting that pussy
Yeah, that’s a reach

And now it’s time for those Sunday routines. Already got the Candy Walk done. Next up is the Hideaway feeding. Then I’ll treat Swan to dinner at John’s place. After that, we shall see.

And here is one of those “first time hearing it” videos:

Beach stew

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There may not be a magic formula for maintaining contentment, but here’s the recipe I used to create a satisfying Friday. The first ingredient was a group hike:

Gen, Ed, Michael, and Gary were my fellow travelers
Into the ocean of thatch grass we go
The first recipients of sweets. I carry four bags of cookies and four sacks of lollipops when I leave home for a hike. I usually have leftovers, but not yesterday.
Our route took us through the Naugsol valley
Over Bridge #4
Back in the woods
It had been quite a while since we last did this passage between Sawmill and the Govic Highway.
I didn’t see it, but one of those cows chased after Gen, forcing her to make a muddy escape.
Back to the relative safety of the highway
A rarely seen side of Easter Mountain
I wussed out and caught a trike after a little more than 8K. I was tired and didn’t feel like dodging traffic on Sawmill for the last kilometer.

The next ingredients in the satisfaction stew included liquid refreshments and beach views. We found both on Baloy.

Our first stop was McCoy’s, where we enjoyed this view from our table.
After a couple of beers, we did a beach walk.
And enjoyed watching the sun go down.
Our next stop was the rarely visited Kokomo’s. We were the day’s first customers, so we treated the gals to a lady drink in celebration of our arrival.
A bit later, owner Steve and his wife arrived, and we had a nice visit. The good news is the floating bar is scheduled to be back in place by the end of the month.

I felt a hunger inside that needed to be satisfied, so we crossed the street and grabbed a table at the Lagoon Resort.

The Kokomo’s folks joined us for dinner
The “entertainment” was this guy singing solo. A bit too loud, but at least the song selections were pleasant.
Pretty quiet for a Friday night at Lagoon. Those dartboards on the wall brought back some memories. Back in my playing days, Lagoon was the team I played for.
I enjoyed my Irish beef stew, although I’m not sure what makes chunks of beef with veggies and mashed potatoes on the side a stew.
Swan also enjoyed her chicken cordon bleu

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, a downpour of rain commenced. I didn’t see that coming! On the way home, we had our trike stop at the 7/11, where I purchased some ice cream as the final ingredient to a sweet day. I bought some extra cones for the gate guards and trike driver, so it was a happy ending for everyone.

Here’s what a Beach stew day costs:

  • Salary: 2000 pesos (part-time weekend helper)
  • Water Bill: 600 pesos
  • Dinner: 730 pesos
  • Alcohol: 1405 pesos
  • Tips: 400 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 580 pesos
  • Snacks: 600 pesos (ice cream)
  • Trike: 220 pesos
  • Total for October 4: 6535 pesos

In other news, the bridge to San Isidro is now open to traffic. They had a big ribbon cutting ceremony yesterday that I could hear from the house.

I could see it from here, too. It’s wider and nicer than the one it replaced. I’m sure the residents will appreciate having reliable vehicle access once again.

Twelve years ago, I drove to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to participate in a darts tournament.

Traffic was a bitch that day in both directions.

I haven’t driven a car in over five years now. Probably for the best.

Communism is in Kamala’s genes (and her jeans, right Wille?):

You’ve been warned!

Today’s YouTube video from The Filipina Pea was a fun exploration of Filipino myths and superstitions. Someone should write a book featuring those evil creatures. Where’s JRR Tolkien when you need him? Oh yeah, he’s dead. Anyway, the one superstition I’ve seen and heard about the most is the belief in ghosts here. There’s a hotel in Angeles City that bargirls won’t visit because they believe it is haunted. And there’s a tunnel leaving the old Navy base that drivers honk when they pass through to scare off a ghost rumored to live there. Hey, believe whatever you want. I believe I’ll have another beer.

Let’s see if I can scare up some humor:

Trouble is brewing…
I recall the story of a snail who bought a Nissan 280Z on the condition that the dealer change the “Z” to an “S.” Eager to make the sale, the dealer agreed but asked the snail why. The snail replied that when he drove past a pretty female, he wanted her to say, “Look at that S-car go!” (sorry, that was bad even by my low standards)
I actually had a taste of monkey brains once. Once was more than enough.

The plan for this evening is to attend the 20th Anniversary party for Harley’s Pub and Hotel on Baloy. I’m not a regular there, but Swan has some Australian friends staying there, and we’ve been invited to drop by for a visit. And so we shall.

UPDATE: Swan changed her mind. She says Harley’s will be too crowded, so I guess we’ll find a different venue to get our groove on.

Another group I grew up on, thanks to my father’s love of music. I hadn’t heard this song in I don’t know how long, but it’s still a nice listen.

Dog gone

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I’m sure I must have mentioned the unruly dogs down the street from me. It got to the point where I’ve been forced to carry a stick with me to fend them off as I pass by. Swan and some of the neighbors even filed a complaint with the Barangay to no avail. The owner has a fenced yard, but more often than not, left the dogs outside to harass passersby. Honestly, I had seriously considered paying someone to poison the dogs because they were a danger to others (at least two neighbors have been bitten in the past). I never followed through on that plan because I didn’t want to risk running afoul of the law or being deported. So, I was surprised to see this when walking by yesterday morning:

As much as I hated this dog, it saddened me to see the way he died–stuck under a fence gate trying to escape from the yard. I have no idea how long he suffered trying to free himself. The corpse was still there when I passed by again late in the afternoon but was thankfully gone this morning.

For my Thursday walk, I joined Swan on an excursion to the Subic market. Naturally, we brought some sweets to hand out along the way.

We detoured through this village right outside the gates of Alta Vista and made some kids who live there happy.
On the journey to our future destination, we walked past this present
A boring highway walk getting there
A river and a bay
Perhaps one day I’ll pop into the 2N2 Resort and see if things add up. I’ve never been there B4.
My plan is to buy an electric vehicle like this for Swan. Christmas is coming!
The store where Swan buys the weekly candy ration
Candy in hand and soon to be handed out
A tad over 6K from beginning to end

I knew Swan would be wanting to get her beach fixation satiated, so I offered her the choice of Baloy or Kon-Tiki. She chose Baloy, but as we were walking, she changed her mind. We’d usually take a Jeepney to get to Kon-Tiki, but a trike driver called out as we approached the highway, offering us a ride. Hell, why not? We get in and start on our way, and I see Mama, the homeless umbrella lady I’ve been helping some since before I moved here. I had the driver stop, reached for my wallet, and it wasn’t in my pocket. Swan had a hundred pesos and gave it to my Mama. I knew I had refilled my wallet after my shower, so I figured I must have left it on the dresser. So, we had the trike driver take us back to the house. On the way, I checked my other pocket (one I never use), and I’ll be damned, but there was my wallet. Fuck, I should be President! So, we had the driver turn around once more, and we completed our journey to Samba Resort without further incident.

Swan’s happy place
Welcome back to Kon-Tiki!
The last time we were here, the inflatable island had been deflated and beached. Now, it’s back once more in all its view-disrupting glory.
A peaceful afternoon on the bay
Swan in her favorite seat
We had the place to ourselves
It’s a dog’s life living free on the beach
Wine and beer go together…
…like Swan and John
And then this happened
Going…
…going…
…gone!

We both ordered the fajitas for our evening meal…chicken for me, shrimp for Swan.

Dinner is served!
The chicken
And the shrimp

When we arrived, the chef greeted us and said he had seen us hiking on the highway that morning. Ah, life in a small town, even when you are out of town.

A last photo at Samba Resort before catching a trike back to Barretto

We did our nightcap at The Green Room. Lady drinks for Chu and Sally, a wine for Swan, and some more beers for me. Headed for home around eight after a full and satisfying day in the life.

Here is what the day cost me:

  • Charity: 2300 pesos (candy for the Sunday Candy Walk)
  • Alcohol: 1425 pesos (my beer, Swan’s wine)
  • Dinner: 675 pesos
  • Trike Fare: 450 pesos
  • Lady Drinks: 370 pesos
  • Tips: 325 pesos
  • Total for October 3: 5545 pesos

I also received the results of my echocardiogram. Obviously, I’m not qualified to interpret them, but I’m seeing the word “mild” a lot, and I hope that’s a good sign. I’ll be going back to the referring cardiologist next week to see what it all means.

I will also get a second opinion before making any potentially life-altering decisions.

Twelve years ago, I was living my darting life in Columbia, South Carolina:

Dart league at the local pub, Puddlin’ Duck.

It’s always amazing to me to look back at what I thought would be my life until, suddenly, it wasn’t. I guess that’s a lot like dying.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I don’t normally follow, but the title of this one caught my eye. Koreans have pretty much taken over the bar scene in Angeles City, and a lot of the Western expats there don’t like that fact. Here in Barretto, the only Koreans I see are the occasional tourists. They seem to be generous and popular with the girls. Now, that said, when I lived in Korea, I met Filipinas who worked for assholes, or worse, married them. I’d also occasionally encounter the “Koreans Only” signage at nightspots. Didn’t bother me much; I don’t want to go where I’m not wanted. I will always remember my girlfriend Eun Oke ending our relationship because I wanted to retire and move to a “poor country.” I’m not sure that qualifies as “looking down” on Filipinos, though. I have no other data points to consider, so I’m going to just say that some Koreans may think Filipinos are inferior, but no more so than other nationalities. Assholes abound, but the good outweighs the bad.

Hopefully, here’s something you can smile about:

That was a ballsy thing to do
Shit happens
The science is settled!

I’m going to skip the SOB this week. Instead, I’ll check out what’s happening on Baloy Beach. It’s been a while since my last visit. See you here tomorrow.

I was one year old when this song came out. I don’t remember ever hearing it before today. Doggone it!

Faster than a speeding snail

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Those hours aren’t just going to fill themselves. Here’s how I spent my time yesterday.

During the dog walk, I challenged this guy to race me to the curb. It was a photo finish, but I won!
The morning sky just before the group hike looked more than a little threatening

A little rain isn’t going to stop the Wednesday Walkers from their appointed rounds. I needed my umbrella on the way to the start, but once it was time to hit the trail, the rain ended. The biggest challenge was picking a route that wouldn’t be a complete bore. I decided we’d had enough street walks lately, so I led the group on a familiar route into the hills, but one we hadn’t done recently. This time of year, the tall and wild thatch grass creates a problem, and yesterday was no exception. We pushed on through it, and my hike mates all said they enjoyed the trek.

Swan, Sheryl, Gary, and Michael were my fellow adventurers
At the end of La Union Street, we headed up through a shanty neighborhood
Climbed some steps, then hit the grassy trail
Looking down on Alta Vista
A brief pause to catch our breath, then on up we went
A Barretto view
Where’s Michael? He was just right in front of me. (Look closely, and you might see the white of his shirt)
Ah, he reappeared
Bringing up the rear
The view from here
I’d considered hiking Kalaklan Ridge, but we’ll save that for another (drier) day.
Don’t be jealous, Easter Mountain
And here we were without a paddle
Finally, a respite from the thatch grass
Cookies for the wilderness dwellers.
Then one more climb
Almost done

I seem to have forgotten to photograph our descent into Marian Hills, but it was uneventful.

Our first time crossing the nearly completed new bridge to San Isidro
Swan picked up some buns at the Santo Tomas marketplace, and we invited the Wednesday Walkers to The Rite Spot for burgers and beers.
It wasn’t long (a little over 5K), but it was a pretty sweet hike

The hill climbs during the hike weren’t as challenging as Kalaklan, but going up is never easy for my tired old body. That said, I didn’t suffer over much, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I didn’t exceed my recommended maximum heart rate.

I haven’t seen the results of my latest echocardiogram, but I’m clinging to hope that maybe things aren’t as bad as I imagined. I should know more soon.

Later in the afternoon, it was time to head into town to spend some money.

We kicked things off at BarCelona. We stayed for an hour and were the only customers for the duration of our visit. I just don’t get why the bar isn’t more popular.
I took this zoom shot of Cheap Charlies because I thought I recognized someone there. But they had a pretty decent crowd. People say the stairs to the third floor deter folks from BarCelona, but the steps to Cheap Charlies are almost as high.
Looking down from our perch at BarCelona at some homeless folks encamped across the road. They collect recyclables to sell to junk stores.

I had an SOB coupon for “buy one, take one” at Alaska Club, so that was our next stop. Damn, those coupons always wind up costing me a lot of money.

I bought our waitress a drink and tipped the dancers (six of them) fifty pesos each. But you know what? That’s a small price to pay to see those smiles. Once again, we were the only customers for most of our visit. Granted, it was early (around 6 p.m.), and the bars probably do more business later in the evening.
Swan seems to be enjoying our trip to Alaska

We went next door to Wet Spot for our nightcap. There were no other customers there, either. I treated Irene (our regular waitress) to a lady drink and enjoyed my final beers of the night (Swan had had enough wine and switched to water). We ordered some Sit-n-Bull food to bring home (and some lumpia for the Wet Spot girls). Owner Dave arrived, we exchanged greetings, and he bought me a beer. Then the food was delivered, so we called our trike driver, and headed home to eat.

I enjoyed my Bronx sub
And Swan and her sister dug into this meaty overload pizza

And I filled the rest of my Wednesday hours with some well-earned sleep.

So, let’s see how much money I spent yesterday:

  • Meat: 6000 pesos (ribeye steaks, ground beef, pork chops, bacon)
  • Prescription Meds: 1600
  • Alcohol: 1380 pesos (my beer, Swan’s wine)
  • Dinner: 1200 pesos (including lumpia for our waitresses
  • Tips: 660 pesos (300 for the Alaska dancers, the rest for our waitresses)
  • Lady Drinks: 320 pesos (one in Alaska, one at Wet Spot)
  • Snacks: 200 pesos (nuts for the bargirls from the peanut vendor)
  • Trike Fare: 150 pesos
  • Total for October 2: 11510 pesos

I spent a bit more than usual in the bars, but I was feeling generous for some reason. I guess the lack of customers made me feel sorry for the girls. We’ll see how it goes today.

Facebook memories carried me back fourteen years to my Seoul life:

A dart tournament at Dolce Vita Pub, my former Itaewon haunt. Damn, I miss those days.

Ah, ’tis the season for political bullshit:

Dumb, dumber, dumbest

Today’s YouTube video features Reekay sharing his views on what a good Filipina brings to the table. I can vouch for his accuracy. It took me almost six years, but I finally found one worth keeping. Now the challenge is to not fuck it up.

And now more of what passes for humor in my addled brain:

When it rains, it pours. Anyone else remember Morton salt?
That’s probably funnier on a starry, starry, night.
Yeah, that’s tit for tat.

I’m not sure what’s next on my agenda, but it’s Thirstday, so I’ll do my best to quench it! I’ll be back tomorrow to let you know how it goes (and how much it costs me!).

The Rite place to be

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The way the day began, as seen from my desk

Be it ever so humble and all, I never left the house yesterday. My landlord, Alicia, came up from Manila to collect the rent and have me sign a new lease on the house. So, this will be the Rite Spot for me for another year. Happy to be here! Alicia brought her sister and son along and we gave them all a good feeding before they headed back home. I had set things up to eat on the roof, but just before the food was served, it started raining again. So, we all retreated downstairs and enjoyed our meal in the dining room.

Welcome to The Rite Spot, Alicia (in yellow)
That rain is heading this way…
Dinner on the table
Dinner on my plate.
My fellow diners

After my guests had departed and I’d completed my chores (blogging and napping), I decided to spend the remains of the day at home.

Chips and salsa, a cold Zero, a fan, and my Spotify playlist had me rockin’ at The Rite Spot
The view was nice too
This girl what lives in my house came up to join me.
Life is good

So, that’s how I spent the day. Here’s how I spent the money:

  • Income: 365,000 pesos (my monthly pension deposit)
  • Rent: 38,000 pesos
  • Caregiver/Domestic Helper salary: 26,000 pesos
  • Swan’s allowance: 16,000 pesos
  • Charity: 12,000 (the monthly allotment for the Mountain Mama family I support)
  • Total October 1 expenditures: 92,000 pesos

On to the memories. I inadvertently came across a 2006 post titled “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” that nicely captures the life I was living in Itaewon all those years ago. I was shocked to recall that there was a time in my life when I wasn’t going to bed at nine p.m. That night ended with dinner at McDonald’s at three in the morning. And lots of fun and adventure that led me there. Wow.

And the reason I was in Seoul back then. Damn, I really enjoyed working with this crew!

Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea is a follow-up story about the jobless folks she set up with a business. I admire the effort. Time will tell if it is successful, but at least she provided an opportunity for these folks to help themselves. Long-time readers may recall that I helped my ex-girlfriend Marissa open a food business. It failed after a few months, but I have no regrets.

Humor time:

Welp, there was a lot of meat on those bones, Miss Piggy.
Yeah, it would suck to be misunderstood.

That one just reminded me of this old video of a Korean woman teaching how to say “Coke” in English.

You sound thirsty
I don’t see the humor in that

Anyway, it’s time to move on with my Wednesday evening plans. I don’t really have any, but I’m sure whatever I do will involve cold beverages—other than Coke.