Yesterday started out wet, which is surprising for this time of year. No worries, though; the raindrops weren’t falling on my head. I carried an umbrella on my morning walk. Because of the damp conditions, I opted out of my standard Thursday trek and improvised a paved stroll through barangay Matain on the Subic side of the river.

Carrying an umbrella and using the phone camera don’t work well for me. I did manage two shots from the walk.

I had a burger patty (with a cheese slice and ketchup) for breakfast. No lunch again, but I alleviated the hunger pangs with some walnuts and a cheese stick.

When bar o’clock rolled around, I made my way to It Doesn’t Matter and enjoyed my first gin and soda of the day. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I had another. Although skipping the lunch meal is a big part of my calorie reduction strategy, drinking on an empty stomach is not a great option (you tend to get drunk quicker). So, it was an easy decision to decide to find something for dinner. What and where were the questions I needed to resolve.

And there was my answer: the best food in town for the best person I can be–John’s Sushi and Steak was my destination. I hoofed it to the other side of town and considered the menu options. I love the sandwiches, but bread and fries are carbs I need to avoid (along with beer, of course). And then I thought, John has the best steaks in town; why not get one of those? Yeah, they’re pricey, but I’m worth it.

And now, what about dessert? Well, I had another SOB coupon to use. This one was good for all the local drinks you could consume in a consecutive three-hour period for only 500 pesos. I did the math and determined that I would need four gin and sodas to get my money’s worth. The three hours weren’t going to be a problem, but would I still be standing after sucking down so much hard liquor (I really am a beer man at heart)? Only one way to find out, and I decided to make my voyage of discovery at Whiskey Girl in the comforting company of my favorite waitress there, Jen. (Yeah, I sure do seem to have a lot of Gin/Gen/Jen in my life these days).

Four (or was it five?) drinks later, I was feeling no pain. I’d bought a slew of lady drinks for Jen, and she was happily snuggled up next to me on our cushioned bench along the wall. I was tempted to go the barfine route with her, but I’ll save that experience for a more sober time.

I’m kidding. I think. I guess I’m just in a que será, se​rá mode. Still chatting with Gen every day, and I expect we’ll be meeting up next week. She wants to watch me eat balut for the first time. We’ll see what happens after that. I’ve got six months to fill…