Sometimes, you have to give yourself credit. It took me two days, but I managed to jump through the hoops required to get my credit card reactivated. There was a suspicious purchase on the card, and when I reported it as unauthorized, the credit union blocked my card. I went online with them to try and resolve the situation, but was advised to call a number in the USA. I tried to call on Monday, but the automated system said the wait time to speak with an agent was over 1 hour. Um, no thanks. Granted, it was Easter Sunday there, so I kinda sorta understood. I called yesterday morning again, and this time the wait was “only” 10 minutes. When the agent came on the phone, she asked the usual questions to verify who I was, had me jump through a couple of confirmation hoops, and then told me she would transfer me to the person who handles credit card issues. Yep, another ten minutes on hold. I once again explained the situation (my card hadn’t been skimmed, like what happened in Vietnam; this was a vendor double-billing me). We agreed that my purchases would continue to be monitored on both ends and that my card would be reinstated immediately. Yep, that was the highlight of my day.

With my newly restored purchasing power ensconced in my wallet, I was able to take care of the weekly grocery shopping. On the way back home, I had my driver drop me off at Dr. Jo’s office for my third Ozempic injection. I informed her that my appetite continued to be suppressed, with an almost total elimination of between-meal snacks and a tendency to be satisfied with smaller meal portions. The only adverse side-effect so far has been bouts of acid reflux. So, I got my third shot. One more week at the low dosage, then we’ll see how I react to the big jab. Next, Dr. Jo put me on the scale: Down 2 kilograms since last week. Progress!

At the appointed hour, I attended the Alley Hideout Tuesday dart tournament. Overall, I’d rate my game mediocre, but at least I didn’t embarrass myself. Won one and lost two. It is what it is, and since I lack motivation to practice, I’m not likely to show much improvement. But chucking the arrows once or twice a week isn’t a bad change of scenery. The beer at Alley Hideout is cold and wet, just the way I like it.

After my elimination from the tourney, we popped into Gold Bar next door for our nightcap. Surprisingly busy, and we wound up seated behind the stage for the first time.

Then we were homeward bound for a smoothie and a good night’s sleep.

In other news, I loved this Earthset as seen from the Artemis spacecraft:

My pal Scott shares some of his old photo albums on Facebook, and it is nice seeing shots from the good ol’ days, most of which were before my time here. But sometimes I recognize someone in the pictures:

From the July 2018 LTG archives comes this post where I’m bitching about the worst Hash trail ever. Well, I’ve seen worse since then, but I was still relatively new to the Hash experience at the time. Anyway, it was days like this one that convinced me I needed to take responsibility for my own safety and well-being on the trail. So, I have no shame about taking a shortcut or making my own way as circumstances dictate. The post also mentions the opportunity I had to hook up with a couple of Hash cuties for a threesome, but I wound up bailing on that adventure as well. At least I’m consistent!

Today’s YouTube video shares five things you need to avoid to keep things hoppin’ when you hit 70 years old. I think I’m doing alright for the most part, although I probably do need to drink more water. I’m also going to have Dr. Jo revisit the meds and vitamins I’m dosing daily to make sure there are no internal conflicts. I’m trying to move past the mental stress that comes with knowing time is running out, and I think I’m doing somewhat better in that regard. I want to live to see how I feel when I turn 80!

At least I still have my sense of humor. Such as it is:

Life goes on, so I’d best get on with it. Come back for more tomorrow!

I’m not a religious man, but I do maintain my rituals. And not all of them involve beer. Even on Easter Sunday, we hit the road for a Sweets Stroll. But instead of calling Swan the Candy Girl, I declared that the Easter Bunny was in the ‘hood! Here’s some of what we saw on our walk:

The last three funeral banners I’ve encountered have all been older than me, which is very rare to see. Maybe there is hope that my turn, turn, turn can be similarly delayed.

And then we changed things up by inviting Swan’s extended family to join us for Easter dinner at The Rite Spot On the Roof.

We kicked things off with the traditional Easter egg hunt for the kids. We didn’t have any chocolate eggs, so we substituted candy bags left over from the morning walk.

After dinner, the Filipino adults in attendance played a weird game. Kinda like hopscotch, but with dice and drinking.

That kind of fun is not my style, but I had an ice chest full of San Miguel Light to keep me company.

The party was still going strong when I ran out of gas, so I said my goodnights and headed to the comfort of my bed.

It was nice to see Swan enjoying some family time, and they all seemed to have fun at The Rite Spot.

Facebook memories reminded me of an incident that happened eleven years ago. I was still a smoker back then, but as a long-time resident of Korea, I tried to use my limited ability to speak the language as a sign of politeness and respect. So, I could do things like order a beer and get a pack of cigarettes in Korean. Or so I thought until that night at the local 7-Eleven store:

I went to the neighborhood 7-11 to buy some smokes. As is my custom, I told the clerk, “Dongbae Marlboro silver chuseyo.” He pointed at the black pack, and I said, “Anio, silver.” He pointed at the gold pack, and I repeated “silver”. I finally had to gesture to where the ones I wanted were. He pulled them from the rack, pointed at the word silver, and proceeded to instruct me in how to pronounce the word “silver”. Apparently, it’s “sil-buh”. Who knew? Still, it was a unique experience having a Korean try to teach me how to properly say an English word.

Good times! I quit smoking tobacco shortly thereafter.

From the July 2018 LTG archives, my first relationship in the Philippines came to an abrupt end. I was all full of wisdom and accepted that it was for the best, as we were obviously so wrong for each other. Spoiler alert: the wisdom didn’t last. Oh, and that Muslim gal I was considering never happened. How can I date someone who doesn’t enjoy grilled pork?

In today’s YouTube video, the Filipina Pea is back home in the Philippines, sharing her pasalubong with her family. The surprise encounter with her mother after not seeing her for a year was pretty hilarious. The Pea is always a fun watch.

You knew these were coming:

And now it is time to prepare for the Easter Monday Hash. I won’t be doing the mountain climb this year, but the “easy” trail is long (around Easter Mountain instead of over it), and it’s hot outside. That’s plenty challenging for me. Come back and read all about it here tomorrow.

…in fact, you could call it a Good Friday!

Trying to make the best of these golden years while recognizing the limitations that come with old age has sometimes been a struggle. I think I’m doing better at finding my sweet spot. Ironically, that means giving up the sweets I’d come to know and love. The Ozempic is helping to impose the self-discipline I’d otherwise lack by eliminating my cravings for the most part. Hopefully, you’ll be seeing less of me in the future.

The group hikers gathered as usual for our bi-weekly excursion. It was a Good Friday for a hike (sorry, I’ll let that lameness go now). Another hot day (aren’t they all?), but we overcame and had a mostly pleasant 6K stroll through Calapacuan.

I was on the fence about participating in the Friday dart tournament at Alley Hideout. Turns out, Jesus saved me because the bar closed for the holiday. That allowed me to leave my darts at home and enjoy a guilt-free evening on the town. I elected to visit Cheap Charlies first, and Swan consented to join me.

Nothing like a little free entertainment while you sip your beer.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot. Or should I say Wet Spot/Green Room, since both crews are working out of WS while the renovation at GR continues. I usually limit myself to buying lady drinks for only two girls, but since I have four regulars here now, I have to double the pleasure.

After fifty bucks’ worth of fun, we called it a night and headed on home.

It’s the end of June 2018 in the LTG archives. I’ve got a new best friend, a winning date with Marissa, and another broken heart. Sounds like the story of my life.

Today’s YouTube video is something a little different—the story of a Japanese man who lived alone on a deserted island for 32 years. It was by choice, and he loved it. A voice in my head kept saying, “Is this for real?” but I’ve found nothing to the contrary.

I’ve got the jokes if you’ve got the time:

Hallelujah, another post has come to an end. Praise the Lord!

I grew up in a pretty religious family, but I had never heard of “Maundy Thursday” until my first trip to the Philippines. I made the mistake of coming during Holy Week. I remember landing in Cebu, checking into my hotel, then taking a walk around the neighborhood, and just about everything was closed. I asked someone what was going on, and they gave me a look like I was stupid before saying, “Maundy.” Really? I thought it was Thursday. Anyway, the story has a happy ending— I found an open bar and even brought a girl back to the hotel that night. She was up before dawn, and I asked her what her hurry was. She told me she was going to attend the Good Friday mass. Fuck me, I said under my breath. “I already did,” she said with a shrug. Okay, that last part I just made up, but I remember thinking it’s weird to be a religious prostitute.

Yesterday’s Maundy was much more mundane. Swan and I did a 5K morning walk.

Later, we went into town for a foot spa.

After the foot spa, we headed to Jewel Cafe for dinner. We were the only customers, and we both ordered the baby back ribs. I had a beer while we waited. And waited. I’m thinking, why is it taking so long if we are the only ones here. Then I saw what was happening. The kitchen was pumping out orders in take-out boxes, and the Grab drivers were picking them up for delivery. Ah, the 21st century. Even when you are the only one present, everyone connected is ahead of you in line. Swan was planning to meet up with a girlfriend after dinner, so we finally just asked for our food to be boxed like everyone else’s and took it with us. That’s twice I’ve managed to skip dinner since I began the Ozempic regimen.

We went to Sloppy Joe’s for the meet-up, and the joint was packed. A big pool tournament was going on, and our preferred street-side seats weren’t available. We ordered a beer and a glass of wine while we waited for the friend, and then Swan saw another friend from the neighborhood heading to the Alaska Club with her hubby, so we decided to join them there. And there I was, the only guy at a table with three Filipinas chirping away in Tagalog. Good times!

At the appointed hour, we said our goodnights and departed for home, where a bowl of sugar-free pudding was waiting for me. It served as my last supper.

Continuing on with the June 2018 LTG archives, after six weeks in the Philippines, I finally had my first date with a gal I met at Alley Cats named Marissa. Long-time readers will recall she was destined to become my first girlfriend here. It turned out to be quite the roller-coaster ride.

I’m a big “Lord of the Rings” fan, having read the books multiple times (including reading them aloud to wife #3). I also enjoyed the Peter Jackson films more than once. They were also well done. Today’s YouTube video shares a scene I admittedly missed, or at least didn’t pick up on the context of the moment. And now I have.

Funny you should say that…

Yeah, I’ve had enough, too.

It is pretty special to have a day on the calendar every year in your honor. But lord knows I’ve earned it. That said, my foolish life doesn’t compare with some of the idiots I encounter. With the wisdom of old age, I just tend to laugh at them these days. I don’t engage in much political discourse here at LTG. I learned long ago that there is no point in arguing politics on social media because minds aren’t going to be changed. I mean, honest discourse and sharing viewpoints are still possible even if you disagree (commenter Brian and I have had some decent back-and-forths lately), but sadly, that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. I still find it entertaining to post a political meme on Facebook just to witness the lefty heads exploding. Like that Trump quote I shared here yesterday, telling our “allies” that if they need oil, they should keep the Hormuz Straight open. We’ve got plenty of our own oil. Now, I usually save the humor until the end of the blog, but this comment (which I didn’t approve) from reader “Hugo” is worth sharing here to illustrate my point:

Dumbing down???? You’re a racist Trump supporter who is unable to think critically. I don’t think it’s possible to get any dumber than you. No wonder your family has disowned you; you’re a disgrace to anything human.

Dude, take a look in the mirror. What makes me a racist? Because I’m white, support Trump, and have different viewpoints than you? Calling someone a racist for any of those reasons makes you one. I’m from the Martin Luther King era and was raised to judge people on the content of their character, not the color of their skin. And if this comment is indicative of your character, you are the disgrace.

We’ll leave it at that. Now, back to our regular programming.

The Wednesday Walkers headed out to the old Navy base (SBMA) and did a pleasant 8K walkaround.

But the fun wasn’t done! It being Wednesday and all, we ventured out to Baloy Beach later in the afternoon.

And then our dinner plans hit a bump in the road. We plopped down at Treasure Island, as is our custom, only to be told there was no red wine available. It doesn’t make sense for a dining establishment to be out of wine, but so be it. We decided to walk up the road and have one of those steak dinners at Viking Resort. But when we arrived, karaoke music was blasting at full volume. I found that irksome, but this is the Philippines. I don’t have to listen to that shit while I’m eating, though, so we moved on, then grabbed a trike for Mango’s. And guess what? The waitress said she was out of red wine. (queue up: take a deep breath, relax, and accept the Filipino way). Luckily, the manager, someone I’ve known for years, was standing nearby, and I said to her, How can you not have red wine? She responded, “We have it”, and took the waitress with her to the stockroom. She returned with a big bottle of red wine, and the evening was saved.

Then it was time to head home for a strawberry-banana smoothie and some blissful sleep.

I woke in time to see the moon go down this morning:

In other news, it’s official. I’m elderly.

This wasn’t my idea; Swan did all the paperwork required to have it issued. I’m not sure I’ll take advantage of it because, from everything I’ve read, only citizens are entitled to the discounts. Not worth getting deported over.

It’s still June 2018 in the LTG archives, and I’m starting off my second month in the Philippines by finally securing the deal on a house to rent in Alta Vista. Not the one I thought I was getting, but one that was good enough under the circumstances.

For today’s YouTube video, we’ll take a trip back in time and take a gander at life in Olongapo during the Navy days. I’m told by the Navy veterans (and there are a lot of them living here) that Subic Bay was everyone’s favorite port of call.

Now for some funny business:

And that, my friends (and enemies), is all I’ve got for today. Let’s try again tomorrow.

Man, it’s been a LONG time since I’d heard this one. Damn, that shoe is a good fit.

They say it’s the little things in life that tell the bigger story. If that’s the case, I’m getting dumber by the day. Every Tuesday morning, my driver picks us up for the grocery-shopping excursion to Olongapo. As we neared our destination, I suddenly realized I had no means of payment because I’d forgotten to put my credit card in my wallet before leaving home (for security, I only carry it when I plan to use it). So, we had to make a U-turn on the highway and go back home to get it. This caused additional stress because I needed to finish shopping in time to make it to my 10 a.m. appointment with Dr. Jo. Stupid is as stupid does. Anyway, it all worked out. I gave my driver some additional pesos for the extra fuel expended and arrived at Dr. Jo’s with five minutes to spare.

I received my second injection of Ozempic and reported no adverse side effects other than some occasional acid reflux. Dr. Jo advised that this is a common reaction. My appetite seems somewhat repressed, at least to the extent that my craving for between-meal snacks has been, for the most part, eliminated. I was a little disappointed that I only lost 1.4 pounds last week, but progress is progress, I suppose.

At beer o’clock, I made my way to Alley Hideout for the Tuesday blind-draw dart tournament. And as fate would have it, I once again drew Amie as my partner. We once again threw mediocre darts, winning one of our three matches before elimination. Still, playing with Amie, I feel no pressure as she takes it all in stride and enjoys herself, win or lose.

Swan was attending a gathering of friends, so I did a solo nightcap at Gold Bar before calling it a night and dragging my sorry ass home. Probably the smartest thing I did all day.

I posted this on Facebook and more liberal heads than usual exploded:

From the June 2018 LTG archives, almost a month in the Philippines, and I STILL haven’t found a girl. In this post, I share my observations on the dating game as played in my new homeland.

Today’s YouTube video discusses the state of emergency in the Philippines. Rising prices here have a significantly greater impact on the working poor population. I’m hoping things calm down soon. I heard a rumor that the government may declare a lockdown to reduce energy consumption. Crazy times.

The laughs are still free:

I’m still smart enough to know when it is time to end a post like this one. Done!

The first time I said goodbye to Arizona was in 1983 when I moved to Arkansas. I said goodbye again yesterday when the losers on the Arizona floating bar couldn’t be bothered to step away from their card game and send the raft to pick me up. Fuck off, you cunts!

Not much to say about the rest of the day, which I guess, comparatively speaking, is a good thing.

We headed out for the far side of town at beer o’clock only to be disappointed upon arrival. I stood on the beach waving my arms and shouting, but the crew never looked up from the card table. Swan was the first to say, “screw them, let’s just go.” So we headed back up the highway and popped into Red Bar.

We do our Sunday nightcap at Jumpin’ Jacks, and I figured I’d just order something off their menu for my Sunday dinner (Swan had eaten some Filipino street food at Red Bar). As I perused the menu, the manager informed me that everything was out of stock except chicken fingers and fries. Oh, well, fine, I’ll have that. A few minutes later, she returned and said, sorry, that’s not available either. Apparently, they had a big night on Saturday, and this being the Philippines, they hadn’t restocked for anyone wanting to eat on Sunday. I’d used up my daily allotment of irritation, so I just shrugged it off. Then again, I can’t remember the last time I skipped dinner. Does that qualify as intermittent fasting?

After some beers (wine for Swan) and a game of pool, we called it a night and headed home. If that’s as bad as days get around here, I’m doing alright.

It’s the final day of May 2018 in the LTG archives. I learned that a good friend in South Carolina has succumbed to cancer, I was throwing awesome darts, and getting rejected by the women I was attracted to. I guess you could say I was settling into life in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, people are starting to panic some over the looming energy crisis. Word is that the fuel supplies will be running out next month. Swan is shopping for solar generators so we can at least run our fans and charge our phones. I’m remaining confident that oil will be flowing again soon, but who knows? Today’s YouTube video is warning folks of the troubles on the horizon. Hope she is wrong.

Laugh while you still can:

And now, another Monday, another Hash. Today’s trail begins and ends at the end of Rizal Extension. That’s a non-starter for me. I’ll walk from my house to the On-Home (Tiny Cunts house), have a beer or three, then walk back down Rizal to Barretto. I’m channeling Frank Sinatra and doing it my way.

Prescott, Arizona, was the best place I ever lived. I saw Rod Hart play in a local bar, and Junior Bonner was filmed there.

…as seasoning for more of the same.

What’s different about a morning hike and an evening out in Barretto? Nothing really, except for where we did our Friday group hike way out on the far side of Subic, in Barangay Aningway-Sacatihan, and trekked to Balon Falls. It’s been over a year since we last enjoyed this adventure. It’s dry season, so the creek was low and there wasn’t much of a waterfall to see, but it was still a pleasant journey along the waterside. We also hiked through a friendly Aeta village and enjoyed interacting with the locals. It was a refreshing change of pace.

Back home for a nice nap, a shit post, then a shower and a shave. I wasn’t in the mood to play darts, so I skipped the Friday tourney this week. Instead, we began our evening out at Red Bar.

When it was time to eat, we headed up the highway to satisfy Swan’s craving addiction for birria tacos. Myleen’s is the only place in town to get them these days. Swan has the recipe now, but we need to find some corn tortillas to work with.

We decided to finish our evening out on the far side of town at Queen Victoria. As always, it was an enjoyable time there. Manager Jake has really turned the place around. And that’s where another day in paradise came to a close.

Back to the May 2018 LTG archives, and I’ve rented my first residence in the Philippines–a one-bedroom apartment on Baloy. A step in the right direction, but my future was later found in Alta Vista.

Things are getting a little crazy here with fuel prices doubling since January. A liter of gasoline is now over 100 pesos (around $6.50 per gallon). Diesel fuel is even more expensive. This morning, Swan’s sister couldn’t find a Jeepney available to take her to work in Olongapo. On my walk, I noticed many Jeepneys parked along the side streets. It makes sense…fuel has doubled, fares remain the same. What’s the point of driving all day if it is going to cost you money? I don’t know what the fix will be, but it better come soon, or the poor folks’ suffering will be getting worse.

Today’s YouTube video discusses some more of the impact of the current energy crisis. I’m glad I don’t rely on public transport or have any flights scheduled. It’s a crazy time.

Now is a good time for some humor:

And that’s the story of my slightly different day. Got something a tad different in store for this evening as well. Tell you all about it tomorrow.

It will come as no surprise to learn that there was nothing surprising about my Thursday. That won’t stop me from posting about it, but at least today’s diary entry will be short and sweet.

Then we moved on to Wet Spot for our nightcap. And that’s all there was to it. Yeah, maybe it is surprising to have a more boring day than usual.

The appetite remains more or less suppressed. A couple of pandesal biscuits for breakfast. A pulled pork sandwich after the hike (but I didn’t eat the bun). And four or five chicken fingers at the dinner hour. None of the usual between-meal snacks, although I did have a strawberry-banana smoothie (made with yogurt instead of ice cream) as a before-bedtime treat.

I try to avoid politics here at LTG for the most part, but sometimes I can’t resist:

Ten years ago, I met a gal with a heart of stone while hiking in Seoul:

It’s still May 2018 in the LTG archives, but at least now I’m having a good day in the Philippines. Of course, wherever you are, your happiness depends on you. I’m getting better at accepting the way things are. Not exactly serenity, but I’ve been worse.

I think the only episodes of “90-Day Fiancé” I ever watched were the ones with Big Ed and Rose. At the time, I considered Ed an ignorant loser. In today’s YouTube video, Smart Girl Philippines highlights what Ed got wrong. I never heard the epilogue to the story, but I’m sure Rose came out of it just fine.

Let’s end this on a happy note:

Yeah, this post sucks. So, we’ll leave it at that and try to do better tomorrow.

Chip Taylor passed away yesterday. I never knew who he was, but reading his obituary and Wikipedia page today was a voyage of discovery. Here’s the first song of his I ever heard. Man, the 60s were a groovy time to be alive.

So, here we go with another day in the life. This could be a false positive, but I noticed some changes in my eating habits yesterday that might be a sign the Ozempic has already started to kick in. After my 7K hike yesterday morning, I was served a meat pie that Swan had prepared for me. It is one of her specialties, and as usual, it was very good. I ate less than half of it. I had a delicious steak dinner at the Viking Resort restaurant, and didn’t leave much in the way of leftovers. But when we got home, I had zero craving for my usual sweet bedtime snack (I had stocked up on sugar-free pudding to replace my ice cream addiction). I honestly don’t remember the last time I didn’t indulge my sweet tooth after a night out. Yeah, it is too soon to tell, but it does seem my appetite is being suppressed. And since I have no willpower to resist hunger pangs, that’s a good thing! Here’s hoping I’m on the right track, especially if this is happening with a low dose of Ozempic.

I messaged the Wednesday Walkers yesterday morning to say I wasn’t feeling well (nasal congestion and sneezing fits) and wouldn’t be participating in the hike. Then, before the start time, I told myself I needed to man up and push myself out of my comfort zone if I was serious about reaching my weight-loss goals. And so I put on the hiking shoes and hit the road.

Ever since those two AC Hashers got attacked and hospitalized by an angry carabao, I’ve been wary when I encounter one. This was the first time one came at me aggressively.

I invited Steve, who lives on Baloy, to join us on Kokomo’s floating bar so I could buy him a beer for his birthday.

Steve and Viola invited us to join them for dinner at the Viking Resort. When he mentioned Viking offered a steak dinner for only 550 pesos, I couldn’t say no. I hadn’t been to Viking for a couple of years (we used to Hash there occasionally), but hadn’t really ordered a meal there before.

I’d call that a good day.

Facebook memories took me back to a dinner gathering from thirteen years ago.

On with May 2018 in the LTG archives. It’s my last day in Korea. I wrap things up in two posts: “The End of Days” and “It’s Time.” One life ends, and another begins.

Today’s YouTube video offers up five signs that you might be an alcoholic. By this standard, I am not. Yes, I drink beer every day. But I’m in control for the most part. I have a narrow window, usually between 5 and 8 pm, when I imbibe. I have no desire to drink in the morning. I rarely get drunk-drunk (falling down or floored), so I feel like I am maintaining control of my drinking rather than my drinking controlling me. Beer is a part of my life that I enjoy, and like my father, I plan to drink it until the day I die (he made it to 83).

Humor time:

And now to get on with the rest of this day I’ve been gifted.

What a long, strange trip it’s been that brought me to this moment in time. Despite the scars, it is good to be here. I may not be making the most of it, but I’m doing the best I can, while I can. I’m not the man I used to be, but the man I am can still find pleasure in the simple things. That’s enough.

Here are a few pics I took on the Sunday Sweets Stroll:

Actually, it was flatter than usual. I’m still not feeling 100% right, and my lightheadedness and laziness lack of energy convinced me to forgo the stair climb near the end of the hike.

It’s not about changing the world, just making it a little sweeter.

The Sunday routine still involves a trip to the Arizona floating bar.

And then the big spender funding all that fun came over and introduced himself. Joe is a fellow retired American who has lived in the Philippines for several years, but moves around every few months. He said he came to Barretto four months ago because his wife is from this area. All those young Filipinos were the wife’s nieces and nephews.

Without our John’s place routine, Sunday dinner is hit-or-miss. I thought we’d do our Red Bar stop, then order something from Jewel Cafe for delivery there. But Red Bar uses the Foodies menu, so that was fine with us, too. Swan had kare-kare, and I had quesadillas and chicken wings. I didn’t think about taking a photo.

Then we moved on to Jumpin’ Jacks for our usual Sunday nightcap.

And so another day in paradise came to an end.

From the April 2018 LTG archives, I write about my goodbye weekend in Seoul in a post called “Letting Go.” Lots of good times and memories, including a final climb up to the Seoul Tower on Namsan with Kevin Kim, partying with the Shenanigans crowd, a dart tourney, recognition from the Seoul International Dart League, and a stroll along the Han River. Damn, I miss those days. But when one life ends, another begins. And here I am still living it almost eight years later.

In today’s YouTube video, Reekay discusses world events and their potential impact on the Philippines. Gas prices are up significantly, the dollar is worth over 60 pesos now, and China might be dissuaded from invading Taiwan (with the Philippines being collateral damage). Time will tell what happens next.

Please humor me:

Another day, another post. When will it end? You never know.

This relaxed and laid-back retired life I’m living suits me just fine. As shallow and repetitive as it may appear to others, it works for me. I’m comfortable in my routines, and my only goal in life is to keep on living this way for as long as possible. Granted, it does not make for exciting blog content, but documenting my life story daily is part of who I am. So, let’s get on with it, shall we?

Saturday morning is all about doing our Decay Dance for the children of San Isidro and vicinity.

When it was time to head out for our evening in Barretto, I gave Swan three dining options: Harley’s, Mango’s, or Foodies. She picked Harley’s, so we were off to Baloy.

So, we paid our tab, grabbed a trike, and headed to Central Park.

Part of small-town living is running into people you know. A friend of Swan’s came in with her boyfriend, and we invited them to join us at our table.

We came to see the sunset, and we were not disappointed.

We decided to cross the highway and visit Nipsey’s for our nightcap. We had the place to ourselves, and they must have remembered the kind of music I like. It was a nice finish to the evening.

Having achieved my goals for the day, we triked on home for a smoothie and sleep. What a life!

From the April 2018 LTG archives, I’m closing out some projects with only 17 days left in my working life. The highlight of this post is remembering the complaint someone made to the command about my blog. Fuck off, you cunt!

Today’s YouTube video is another good one from the Filipina Pea. Western gals can’t understand why men don’t want to date them, preferring warm-hearted Filipinas for some reason. The Pea explains why, not that it will make a difference to the women back home.

Humor time:

It may not be much, but that’s all I’ve got for today. It’s all good.

The thing about a bad day is that it makes you appreciate the good days all the more. Now, I ain’t saying yesterday was a bad day, it just wasn’t as good as my days usually are. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning, congested and sneezing. That made sleep impossible, so I just started my daily internet travels earlier than usual. When it came time for the Friday hike, I was still feeling stuffed up, lightheaded, and tired. I hoofed it down to the 7-Eleven meet-up, but I bailed early in the hike, caught a trike home, and went back to bed.

Swan went to the drugstore and got me some medicine to relieve the congestion, and it did seem to help. I chucked a few darts in the afternoon and threw like shit, but decided to attend the Alley Cats tourney anyway, even if I didn’t play. It was Liezel’s birthday celebration, so I baked up a batch of brownies to add to the smorgasbord.

After some arm-twisting by Billy, the tournament director, I agreed to participate. I got partnered up with a young half-Filipino, half-Swedish lad, who attended the tourney with his brother and Swedish uncle. Turns out, he had never played in a dart tournament before and didn’t understand the rules of the games we played (501 and Cricket). He didn’t throw badly at first, and once I figured out he needed to be told what to throw at, we did alright, taking our first two rounds in the winner’s bracket. I’m not sure how much experience the young man had with drinking, but he was knocking down the mixed drinks. Now, the more I drink, the better I throw. That was not the case with him, and we got our asses handed to us in our third match and were relegated to the loser’s bracket. Prior to our next game, my partner said he needed to leave with his uncle, and I told him no problem. It was already after 8 pm, and I’d had enough anyway. Billy tried to set me up with a new partner, but I declined and took the forfeit.

Anyway, it was not a bad time at darts, but I’ve still not recovered my old passion for the game. I’m not giving up yet, so we’ll see what the future holds.

And so a not-as-good-as-usual day came to an end.

In the memory lane department, here are a couple of poems I wrote when I was in high school. I posted them on Facebook seven years ago and probably here too, but poems are meant to be read again and again.

Thirteen years ago, I was dining at the top of Namsan in Seoul:

It’s still April 2018 in the LTG archives, and I’ve got twenty-one days left in Korea, so I’m busy closing doors. It wasn’t as over with Gem as I thought. I stayed in touch with her after the move and wound up getting scammed out of a thousand dollars. She still holds the record for taking advantage of my stupidity.

Today’s YouTube video is a good reminder not to put off retirement and to live your dreams while you can. I retired the first time at 55, but gave up my dream of the Philippines for what I thought would be a love-filled life with Jee Yeun. When that dream died, I went back to work, retiring again at 62 and making the delayed move to the PI. If I could have a do-over, I’d forego the heartbreak I endured and spend those wasted years in paradise.

And here we go with my attempts at humor once again:

Now to get on with making sure today is a good one.

It has been said that it is a curse to live in interesting times. So, on my list of positives, I can be thankful for not being cursed. Here are some highlights from Thursday that probably won’t interest you.

I don’t drive here, so I don’t worry much about fuel prices. I’m sure the people who drive me (primarily trikes and Jeepneys) do care, though.

Now, I understand that the war in Iran is causing a spike in oil import prices. But the gasoline retailers here raised the price on the inventory they already had in storage facilities before the upheaval in the Middle East. Seems kind of scammy to me. I hear the most egregious price gougers have been sanctioned by the government. It will be interesting to watch how this all plays out.

The Jeepney driver was incensed about the rising cost of fuel and angry that the government hadn’t allowed fares to be raised to cover the increased expenses. He said the Blue Jeepney drivers (the ones who cover the Olongapo-to-Castillejos route we use) are planning a strike on Saturday. Most locals rely on Jeepneys for their work commute, so it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Maybe the Philippines should start buying some American oil.

Meanwhile, life goes on. Swan and I took that ride out to Calapandayan to kick off our morning hike. I wanted to do the walk where the grandmother who I like to help out occasionally lives. Before I suggested it, Swan said we should visit the lola (grandma). Hey, great minds really do think alike!

In the afternoon, I had a consultation with Dr. Jo. After reading and watching videos about visceral fat, I was concerned I might be stressing my liver, even though I give it plenty of exercise every night. We reviewed my most recent blood work results, and the liver numbers were all in the normal range. Her biggest concern remains my kidneys and the impact of my high blood sugar. I told her I had removed most sweets (no more ice cream and candy) from my diet, but it didn’t seem to be making much difference weight-wise. I also showed Dr. Jo an herbal remedy I had purchased online, but hadn’t tried yet, pending her guidance.

When I showed her the bottle, Dr. Jo laughed and said I was the second patient to ask about this product. She looked at the ingredients, and she and Dr. Chris both agreed it wouldn’t hurt me, but they couldn’t say how effective it would be in reducing visceral fat.

Alright, it was time for me to make a life-altering decision. No, don’t be silly, I’m not giving up beer. But this coming Tuesday morning, I’m going to begin the Ozempic injection regimen. We’ll see how that works out for me.

After leaving the doctor’s office, we headed to Sloppy Joe’s. When the hunger pangs hit, I asked Swan what she wanted to do about dinner. She looked at me sheepishly and said, “You know I want birria.” As a matter of fact, so did I. So, it was off to Myleen’s.

I shared a YouTube video Kevin left in the comments for making birria tacos at home, and Swan is going to give it a try. Looking forward to her version!

After dinner, we paid a visit to the Alaska Club. After we sat down, I noticed that most of the familiar staff faces were missing. I guess owner Jerry saw the look on my face, because he came over and told me a big spender had come in earlier in the week and dropped over 500,000 pesos in the bar that night. The newly rich girls haven’t been showing up to work since. Well, the girls who were there last night seemed okay with my meager 50 peso tips.

We did our nightcap at Wet Spot, and I might have inadvertently caused some drama. As previously mentioned, Green Room is closed while undergoing renovations. The GR staff is working in Wet Spot during the interim. I’ve noticed some tension between the competing crews; more girls chasing the same customers, and I’m not sure what else is happening behind the scenes. I’ve made it a point to continue buying a lady a drink for my two Green Room regulars and my two Wet Spot regulars. Another thing I do when I hit the bars is bring cookies and lollipops for the girls. Knowing there are twice as many in Wet Spot now, I doubled the volume of sweets. Now, in the Green Room, I just open the bags of goodies and pour them onto the table, and then the ladies come and help themselves until it’s all gone. Some tend to be a little greedy, take more than their share, and so some gals get left out. Oh well. Now, in Wet Spot, my regular waitress divides the goodies and delivers them so everybody gets some. But last night, the Green Room gals got grabby and pissed off the Wet Spot waitress, and then loud words were exchanged. The manager eventually told them to tone it down, but the drama wasn’t fun for me to witness. Swan says that in the future, we will give the Green Room ration to the mamasan for distribution, and let our waitress handle the Wet Spot share. Geez, no good deed goes unpunished.

And so another uninteresting day came to an end.

How about a quick stroll down memory lane:

From the April 2018 LTG archives, I continue the transitory process between my soon-to-end Korean life and the upcoming life in the Philippines. Some nice pictures from around Pyeongtaek and my fifth Hash run with the Humphreys Hangover Hash House Harriers. Five runs earn you a Hash name, and that was the day I became known as Cum Together in the world of Hashing.

Today’s YouTube video is about how aging impacts your ability to travel. It kind of resonated with me. That trip to Da Nang in January was special, but some of the getting there and back again details were stressful. I think I was more resilient as a younger man.

Some call it humor, some may not. I post, you decide:

And that’s it for today’s post. I’ve been feeling like shit all day, and even had to bail on the Friday group hike. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll make it to darts today. We shall see.