I have no complaints about where my road of life has taken me. But getting here certainly wasn’t what I expected. It’s been a rough and sometimes painful ride, but I don’t regret making the journey. Yeah, I could have done things differently, but who knows where that might have led me. So, I guess when I think about do-overs, I should keep in mind about being careful what you wish for.

Thinking back just now about some of those divergent paths Frost mentions, three important events come to mind. The first being the decision not to give my firstborn daughter up for adoption. Of course, I knew that would be a life changer, and it was, in a positive way. Then there was the night I was destined to meet the love of my life, KaraLynne Pope. A seemingly insignificant decision led to a life I would never have envisioned. Of course, the love ended in tragedy for me (don’t they all?), but everything I was to become flowed from that event. And of course, there was the decision I made to leave my American life behind and move to Korea. Nothing has ever been the same after that.

I have fewer roads to choose from here in the final chapter of my life, but I have been blessed with all the experiences that came with the paths I chose to travel. *sigh*

Meanwhile, back here in the present, let me share the events that filled my hours yesterday.

Then it was time for our Sunday Sweets Stroll. And yes, I decided to do the photo every 1000 steps thing again. I figured I should document the route because I’m planning to change things up going forward.

For our Sunday evening fun, we kicked things off at the Outback Resort poolside bar. I’d never seen the place so packed. The pool was full of kids being loud and happy, which is good for them but not so enjoyable for us. So, I suggested we take our drinks and sit at the Outback open-air restaurant, where we shared some fish and chips. After we ate, we moved inside the Outback Billabong bar to enjoy some aircon. When Swan finally finished her glass of wine (same glass in all three stops), we headed up the highway and, after some back-and-forth discussion, decided to finish things off at Wet Spot. The big news is that the bar next door that used to be Green Room will be reopening in a matter of days.

Anyway, we made it home safe and sound, and I awoke to another day.

Facebook memories carried me back ten years to my working life.

Moving on to the July 2019 LTG archives, I write about a new charity project–a single mother with five kids and no sponsor. I figured helping her directly was more beneficial than giving money to an orphanage that may have had legitimacy issues. Yeah, I was still pretty naive about things at this stage of my residency. The teenage daughter I considered sponsoring for college wound up pregnant before finishing high school. I don’t recall why or when I ended support for this family, but I’ve found others to help since then that are more worthy. My current projects include a college student (yes, a girl I briefly dated), a cancer patient, and a widowed mother. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps.

Today’s YouTube video is a nighttime stroll down Alona Beach in Panglao, Bohol. Been there, done that, wanna go back again. The video does a good job capturing the magic of the place. Even got a glimpse of my favorite hangout, Escape Bar. Maybe I’ll live there in a do-over life.

Here we go again:

Here it is, another Hash Monday, and right on schedule, rainy season has arrived. Thunderstorms through the night, and it’s been raining all morning. It doesn’t bode well for a tough Leech My Nuggets trail. I’m just gonna play it by ear and see what happens.

You already knew this, but it bears repeating:

Just another boring “day in the life” story to share today. But it doesn’t feel boring living it. Going on nine years here now, so nothing seems new when I’m out and about. Hell, I’m hardly ever inspired to take a photo by something I see on my walks, because I’ve pretty much seen it all before. So, for yesterday’s Decay Dance, I decided to invoke the one picture every 1000 steps scheme. Here’s how that worked out:

We did change things up a tad for our Saturday evening enjoyment by heading out to Treasure Island on Baloy Beach to hear some live music.

I recorded a song so you could hear for yourself how the Engine sounds:

After an hour, Engine took a break and the second band, Star Network, took to the stage.

We stayed through the second set of the Engine Band, then walked back up the road to Snackbar for our nightcap.

And that’s how we danced and rocked our way through another day.

From the June 2019 LTG archives, I share my thoughts on living an American life in the Philippines. Yep, all these years later, I still haven’t embraced Filipino culture and lifestyle, but I’m at least participating on occasion. I have a Filipino family living in my basement apartment these days (Swan’s niece is our new helper), so I’m closer than I was anyway.

Sticking with the cultural theme, here’s a hilarious YouTube video I first posted thirteen years ago. It’s only two minutes long, and it will make you laugh. Promise.

I can’t top that video, but I’ll try anyway:

That’s just about enough for one day, don’t you think? I’ll try again tomorrow.

Oh, and this is the last day of May! I came across this old favorite of mine and really enjoyed hearing it again after all these years.

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

I came across the above quotation during my ongoing perusal of the LTG archives. In the past, it resonated as I felt trapped in my routines. These days, I take comfort in the sameness and hope that I can keep doing what I do well into the future. I think the different outlook can be attributed to growing older and having fewer options. The less you can do, the less you are missing out on. Funny how that works.

So, once again, no one chose to participate in the Friday group hike, so I was on my own. I suspect the ongoing heat wave may be a factor in the unwillingness to hit the road, but I’d rather be hot and miserable than bored and miserable. In deference to the temperature, I opted for the relatively flat and easy Philseco loop walk.

Then at beer o’clock, I headed back out. First stop was getting my ears lowered at the barber shop. After getting clipped for 100 pesos, plus a 50 peso tip, it was time to satiate my beer appetite. Conveniently located across the highway was Red Bar, where Swan awaited my joining her.

We still enjoyed our time outside on the patio. Even ordered a big pizza to share with the girls. When it was time for our nightcap, we headed a block up the highway to Jumpin’ Jacks.

Since we were the only customers on a Friday evening (it was still early, the live music didn’t start until 9), I splurged and bought a round of lady drinks for all the girls. Yeah, once in a blue moon, I’ll pretend I’m a two-week millionaire. A pleasant visit as usual, but the clock chimed 8 pm (the clock in my head, I mean), and we paid our tab and headed for home.

Yep, successfully rolled through another day in paradise. It never gets old!

Another old photo of my mom and dad popped up in Facebook Memories today:

From the June 2019 LTG archives is a post in which I reflect on the meaninglessness of my life and look back through the years at the various times and places where emptiness abounded. Which triggered me to recall one of my favorite Earnest Hemingway stories, “A Clean Well-Lighted Place.” It’s kind of funny how that study of drinkers I shared yesterday had a Hemingway category, which is a good fit for how beer impacts my personality. And as I mentioned earlier, I’ve reached a point where the life I’m living “satisfices.” It was a long road getting here.

And today’s YouTube video is a reading of “A Clean Well-Lighted Place.” Less than ten minutes long and well worth the time. Or if you are old-school, you can read it yourself here.

Time for the shit that makes you smile:

And so it goes.

Here’s one from the wayback machine that I’ve not heard in this century.

I guess it says a lot about nothing when the highlight of your day is taking a 7K stroll to the Subic WalterMart store. Swan was along for the trek, so there was that. There wasn’t much of anything new or interesting to see on our backstreet route, so not many pictures either. Here’s what I’ve got to share:

When the evening hours rolled around, it didn’t get much more exciting. But excitement is overrated. We had an enjoyable time at It Doesn’t Matter, topped off with a delivery of birria tacos from Myleen’s. Then we had a pleasant nightcap at Wet Spot to bring our Thursday to a close.

See, I told you nothing can be good enough for me!

In other news, I’m reading more and more concerning information about potential negative side effects that come with using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic. Althouse links to a Washington Post article that includes this:

On social media and at doctor’s offices, some users have reported a type of brain fog and others something broader and harder to define: a strange emotional flattening. People describe less pleasure, less motivation, diminished interest in hobbies and even reduced sexual desire. Those accounts are beginning to raise deeper questions about what, exactly, these drugs are changing. If GLP-1s alter the brain systems involved in reward, craving and motivation, researchers wonder, where is the line between quieting a person’s destructive impulses and reshaping personality itself?…

Of course, in my case, emotional flattening might be a benefit.

And then there was this post about the GLP-1s destroying balance and sensory systems:

We must confront the most severe pharmacological threat to the vestibular system in a generation. We face an undeniable clinical crisis, supported by 496,756 patient records. This study confirms that the widespread use of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs)—Ozempic (Semaglutide), Mounjaro (Tirzepatide), and related drugs such as Wegovy—is a direct driver of organ destruction and systemic microvascular failure. We consider a catastrophe spanning the inner ear (the cochlea) and the retinal macula.

That’s admittedly pretty scary-sounding, and I do sometimes encounter moments of lightheadedness. Then again, I’m elderly, so that comes with the turf. I won’t be surprised if I become that cliche, “Help! I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

But just to keep things in perspective, this article talks about hidden GLP-1 benefits that improve heart, liver, kidney, and other organ functions. That’s what I’m hoping for!

Anyway, my plan is to reach my weight goal, which will take six more months at my current rate of loss, and then quit the drug and replace it with self-discipline in my eating habits. If that doesn’t work out for me, I want to test the microdosing theory I’ve read about. That’s both cheaper and potentially less damaging. We shall see what the future brings.

Okay, enough of substance! That’s not what people come to LTG for.

More and more, I’m finding stuff in the LTG archives I’d totally forgotten about. Like this post from June 2019 about an incident at Alley Cats bar that almost resulted in fisticuffs. Patrick is still around, although he isn’t aging well and recently had a stroke. Still smoking and drinking, but I haven’t sensed any bad blood between us. Since I’m re-retired from darts now, I likely won’t run into him again.

Coincidentally, today’s YouTube video discusses the impact that drinking has on personalities. I’m happy to report that I’m in the “Hemingway” group, which basically means that I don’t change much when I’m drunk. But yeah, I’ve seen others transform from quiet and reserved to loud and aggressive when they drink. Anyway, it was an interesting watch and based on scientific studies, so good to know.

Try these on for size:

And that’s it for this time. I’m just gonna keep plugging away and see what happens next.

In the comments to the post about my first visit to the Itaewon Grand Ole Opry bar that I wrote back in 2005, my father said, “Don’t you remember the song, Hugging and Chalking? Also, ‘comfortable’ girls are like older women…they make beautiful lovers.” Well, the song was from 1947, so I didn’t remember it, but I’ll always remember it now. Thanks, Dad!

Lots of “S’s” in my day yesterday: shopping, shots, sand, sundown, Snackbar, and some shit. Now you can suffer while I recount how it went down. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short.

The grocery shopping was a good indicator of where I’m falling into that expat lifestyle creep (spending more because you can until you can’t), mentioned in the YouTube video I posted the other day. I spent $113 at the YBC supermarket, which was primarily for the cookies and candies we hand out every week. Next up, I paid the quarterly visit to the PureGold supermarket to look for some hard-to-find items and spent $75. Then it was on to Royal for my regular weekly groceries, and I dropped another $154 there. So, $342 doesn’t break the bank, but it does exceed my $250 weekly grocery budget. It could have been worse, but the exchange rate is now over 61 pesos to the dollar, a near record.

Then it was off to see Dr. Jo for my highest-dose Ozempic injection yet. That set me back almost 9000 pesos. I struggled with some acid reflux last night, but my appetite was suppressed (no craving for dinner). So, going into month three of this treatment, I’ve lost thirteen pounds thus far.

I’ve given up on resurrecting my darting life, so instead of Alley Hideout, we headed to Baloy Beach.

The Kokomo’s floating bar is gone for the season, but we walked to Kokomo’s anyway to check out their newly renovated Tiki Beach Bar. It is nicer than it was and will be an option to visit when Swan needs her beach fix.

We paid the too-rare visit to Harley’s next.

I thought I’d get hungry, and Harley’s has a good food menu. The hunger never came, so I never ate.

Swan had an appointment to meet up with her girlfriends, and I decided to do my nightcap at Snackbar. Something about our parting triggered some tampo shit from Swan. Luckily, it seems to have resolved itself now. Two beers at Snackbar, then I was home alone.

From the June 2019 LTG archives, I was walking old paths in Anjeong-ri and gaining new insights into the life I had left behind. Too bad I don’t seem capable of figuring shit out until it is too late to do anything about it. But, that’s the story of my life.

It’s been quite some time since I last checked in with Smart Girl Philippines. In today’s YouTube video, she ranks the value of foreigners to the various types of Filipinas they are likely to encounter. From my observations over the years, she is pretty much spot-on.

And you knew these were coming:

It seems there was this couple from Minneapolis, Minnesota, who decided to go to Miami Beach for a few days to thaw out during one particularly cold winter.

The airlines have crazy frequent flyer rules, and the wife ended up on a flight the day after her husband.

The husband made it down to Florida and arrived at his hotel. Upon getting to his room, he decided to open his laptop and send his wife back in Minneapolis an email.

Unfortunately, he didn’t notice he had misspelled his wife’s email address

In South Carolina, a widow had just returned from the funeral of her husband, a Methodist pastor of many years, who had been called to glory just a few days earlier.

She decided to check her email because she was expecting to hear from relatives and friends. Upon reading the first email, she let out a loud scream, fainted and fell to the floor.

The woman’s son rushed into the room and found his mother on the floor. He glanced up at the computer screen and saw the following email message:

To My Loving Wife: I’ve just been checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival here tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Your Devoted Husband.

P.S. Sure is hot down here.

And there you have the story of the “S” in my TueSday.

I don’t visit Snackbar often these days, but I had to smile when the waitress welcomed me back by playing this song on the music box:

First off, today is Memorial Day for Americans, the day we set aside to honor and remember the men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation.

Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.
Life, to be sure,
Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is,
And we were young.
–Alfred Edward Housman

Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

Today’s post will be brief, in part because I don’t have much to say, and also because I have somewhere to go. So, let’s get on with it.

The Sunday Sweets Stroll went as planned, but honestly, I’m not enjoying this one as much as I do the Decay Dance on Saturday. The route is boring, some of the kids are rude, and I think maybe it is time to change it up. We shall see.

As for the evening activities, we kicked things off at Red Bar. I had some food delivered from Jewel Cafe, and we soaked up the patio ambiance as we dined. Then Swan needed to leave to attend a memorial for a friend who had recently passed away, so I was on my own. I decided to pay a visit to Alaska Club as my next stop. Except for a pool tourney, it was a very quiet night in the bar. I did note that three dancers in attendance were thinner than the ones I saw during my previous visit. Owner Jerry is currently back in the USA, so I missed our usual chat.

I planned to make the seldom-visited Nipsey’s Bar my nightcap destination, but they were closed. Thumbstar Bar across the highway is under new management, so I figured I’d check things out there. It was also very quiet there last night, but I settled into a stool near the dance stage and ordered up a beer. Then a couple of the waitresses joined me at my table, and we shared a chat. I was sorry to hear they had closed down the kitchen (the shawarma here used to be excellent). A lady drink is 300 pesos, well above my 200-peso limit, so I told the gals I’d give them a tip instead, and they seemed fine with that. I asked one of them where she worked before Thumbstar, and she said, “Don’t you remember? Rapscallion.” No, I didn’t remember. That long-closed bar was never one I frequented regularly. But then she told me we were Facebook friends, which was another surprise. I’m forgetting everything these days, including what a small town Barretto truly is.

And then it was time for me to drag my sorry ass back home, so I said goodnight to my new old friends and headed outside to grab a trike. I was sound asleep when Swan arrived back home a couple of hours later.

It’s the last day of May 2019 in the LTG archives, and I’m back in Korea for a visit after a one-year absence. Once again, I was overwhelmed with memories from happier days there. So overwhelmed that I considered ending the trip early. I didn’t do that, but I’ve never gone back either.

Today’s YouTube video discusses three “Twilight Zone” episodes that invoked enough outrage to be banned from syndication. I was a big fan of Rod Serling and this show, even at a young age. The complained-of content would have been totally over my head.

Humor time:

So, today’s Hash is what we call an “Out Station.”

Pundaquit is one of my favorite places, and I’m looking forward to hiking there today. The CMC bar is my kind of hangout, and the food is great. It should be a nice Hash experience. We leave at 11:00 this morning for the bus ride out to San Antonio. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Speaking of blessings, I sure did get lucky when I began sharing my life with Swan. Yesterday morning, she asked if I wanted anything, and I told her I’d like some toast with jam.

Then we did a hot and sweaty Decay Dance that left me feeling toasted.

Back home, Swan called me to check out this reptile roaming in the vacant lot behind our house.

It being Saturday and all, and having missed out on the Barretto bar scene on Friday, we made our way into town promptly at beer o’clock. It had been quite some time since we enjoyed the ambiance of the Outback pool bar with its beach views, so that’s where we headed. Alas, despite an early afternoon rain shower, it was still too damn hot to sit outside, so we moved to the indoor Outback Billabong Bar.

Our next stop was Gold Bar.

The real reason for our venturing to this side of town was to pay belated birthday greetings to Jake, the manager of Queen Victoria Bar.

And that was it for our evening on the town.

Facebook reminded me that today is the sad tenth anniversary of my dear friend Bridget Werner’s passing. I’d never met anyone like her before or since. A wicked sense of humor and a lot of shared laughter make her unforgettable.

From the May 2019 LTG archives is another chapter in the “One lifetime, many lives” series. This chapter was devoted to my being a whore life. Talk about getting screwed! It’s a whore story! Although looking back at the memories isn’t so bad.

Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never watched previously. He talks about the trap of feeling rich and gradually living beyond your means. Well, I’m going on nine years now, and for the most part, I’m staying within my budget. I have a great house for a little over 600 bucks a month, but I tend to overspend on groceries and eating out. Then again, my income is a lot more than $2500 a month, so I can afford it.

Smile with me:

And that’s the update for today. Thanks for stopping by.

But this day was different. Despite the comfort I take in my daily routines, changing things up occasionally keeps the living fresh and interesting. Getting out of town, seeing something new, chillaxin’ with friends is all it takes. I got invited to hang out with Swan’s lady cadre for a day of fun and exploration way out in San Narciso. My pal Scott came along with his gal, so we enjoyed our Friday hike while the girls did their thing. Then we sat around the campsite drinking beers and taking in the scenery. Oh, and some of Swan’s relatives and their kids came along as well. It was definitely a Filipino-style family outing vibe. It was nice for a change.

While the gals set up camp, Scott and I hit the trail.

Hmm, I wasn’t sure if I should be spelling that embankment “dike” or “dyke.” Turns out, both are correct, but the webpage I looked at had this warning:

But the word “dyke,” when spelled with a Y, has been used over the years as a slang or slur term to describe a lesbian. It’s not a kind term, so try and avoid using it.

Kind of ruins my “finger in the dyke” joke, though. That poor little Dutch boy!

Anyway, enough of that nonsense. On with the show!

We were also probably the oldest ones there.

So, it was a different kind of day, indeed. And I enjoyed the change of pace.

Well, I started drinking WAY before beer o’clock, and I know my limits. So, the decision to stay at home on a Friday evening was an easy one. How’s that for different? But what to do with my usual bar time? Scott had told me about a series he had just watched on Netflix called “The Man in the High Castle.” So, I fired up the television for the first time in many months and proceeded to watch the first episode. The basic premise is that Japan and Germany had won World War II and divided the USA between them. Episode 1 depicts life as it was in occupied America in 1962. I’m enjoying it so far, but before I could finish the first episode, we had a power outage, and I was left in the dark. Oh well, I’ll continue with it soon. I just need to squeeze some TV time into my daily routines.

So, yesterday was about as different as it gets around here.

From the May 2019 LTG archives, I post about my first time as the Hare with the Hash. I write about the experience of marking the Hash trail, and then I share the response to the trail from my fellow Hashers.

Today’s YouTube video from the Filipina Pea shows her visit to a World War II museum in Dumaguete. Some of the artifacts look amazing. I’d like to visit someday and see it all firsthand.

Time out!

That’s the way it was, no time to get back to the way it is. I think there is some beer in my near future.

Gonna keep it short and sweet today. I’ve just arrived home after an all-day adventure I’ll share with you tomorrow. But for now, here’s a brief recap of yesterday.

Swan and I did a nice walk on the riverside, gave our lola friend her allowance, and passed out some sweetness to the children we encountered along the way.

And of course, at beer o’clock we headed into town.

And then we finished things off next door at Wet Spot. No nightcap, because we had to get up early this morning for that adventure I mentioned.

From the May 2019 LTG archives is the post where I reflect on the first anniversary of my arrival in the Philippines. It took a while, but things worked out eventually.

Today’s YouTube video discusses the phenomenon of a shrinking circle of friends as we grow older. Hmm, so it’s not just me? Honestly, I’ve recently had several people I considered true friends abandon me, and it hurts. All I can figure is that I was never as important to them as they were to me. Life goes on, and I hope they are doing better without me in theirs.

Maybe my warped sense of humor drove them away.

Anyway, this is the first post I’ve written in a LONG time after I’d been drinking. Maybe that makes it better for my beloved readers. Anyway, I expect things will be back to normal tomorrow, so don’t get your hopes up!

I like to think I’ve done a reasonably good job adapting to the heat here, but damn, this year is the worst that I remember. I know I’ll be bitching about rainy season soon, but for now, I say bring it on. Wet with sweat or wet with water both suck, but I’m ready for something different.

The heat may have been a factor in there being no other participants for the Wednesday Walkers group hike. I went out for a sweaty 7K street stroll to Calapacuan and back. Along the way, I saw two dead men walking.

Yeah, they weren’t walking, I was. It sounded better in my head.

It being Wednesday, we hoofed out to Baloy Beach for the floating bar experience after our one-week absence.

I asked Steve if there was a typhoon forecast causing the earlier-than-usual end of the season. He said the bay had swells two feet high washing over the deck this week, so he’s playing it safe rather than sorry. And so it goes.

I’ve moved on to May 2019 in my journey through the LTG archives. In this post, I reflect on life in my hometown of Barretto. The demographic trends to the elderly side, but then, as far as retirement communities go, this one is rife with exciting things to do and see. I mention my friend John and his girlfriend Mango and their 40-plus-year age gap. John was subsequently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which progressed to near disablement level. He is now back in the province with Mango and being cared for by her and her family. Loving Filipinas to stay by our side at the end of days is perhaps the best aspect of retired life here.

Today’s YouTube video is the story of the three laughing monks. I didn’t know whether to believe it or not, but a quick Google search says they did exist. Honestly, when I see people on the street laughing for no apparent reason, I figure they are crazy or on drugs, and give them a wide berth. Anyway, it is a short video with a positive message, so judge for yourself.

Time out for some humor:

That’s all for today, folks.

I had the chance to change things up yesterday, and I took it. The daughter of our friends, Cliff and Ashley (managers at Red Star Bar), celebrated her 18th birthday yesterday. It was a semi-formal affair that I initially didn’t plan to attend because I’d never met the daughter, and I’m not big on dressing up. But then I decided I ought to go and experience some Filipino culture that I’d not seen before. Apparently, turning eighteen is a big deal in these parts, and the gathering last night was more like a fancy wedding than a birthday party. Even though it wasn’t really my thing, it was impressive.

Anyway, my introvert nature kicked in after a couple of hours, and I departed before the buffet dinner was served. Heh, I guess I had had enough of the different for one day.

In other news, I had my first-ever encounter with an AI interaction via ChatGPT. For whatever reason, I have been unwilling to engage with the technology. Well, I’m pretty sure AI will be the end of mankind as we know it, but I expect I’ll be long gone by then. Anyway, it’s my pal Scott’s fault that I finally pulled the trigger.

We were seated together last night at the party, and I asked him about how it is done. He told me about the ChatGPT app and how it works. Well, I’d heard of it, but never tried it until this morning.

Our “conversation” started like this:

Me: Can you alter an image for me?

Sure — upload the image and tell me what changes you want made (for example: remove an object, change the background, make it look like a painting, adjust colors, add text, etc.).

So, I uploaded the image above and asked ChatGPT to make it more interesting. This is what I got:

I told ChatGPT nice job, and got this response:

Glad that version worked. If you want to push it further, I can also make it more dramatic or fun—like:

• cinematic travel poster style
• fantasy scene (floating islands, magical sky, glowing lights)
• adventure vibe (mountains, drones, dramatic clouds)
• funny edit (dinosaurs, UFO, giant Chocolate Hills in background, etc.)

Just say what style you want next.

I responded:

I like the fantasy scene idea…I am imagining heaven on earth.

We finished our chat like this:

Me: Thanks so much. This was my first time using ChatGPT or any AI tool.

You’re welcome — and honestly, this is a pretty fun first use case 😄

You basically just did one of the most common AI workflows already:

1. uploaded an image,
2. asked for an edit,
3. explored different creative directions,
4. iterated until it matched your idea.

That’s a big part of what AI tools are good at: helping you turn a rough idea (“make this more interesting” / “heaven on earth”) into something visual quickly.

Beyond image editing, you can also use ChatGPT for things like:

• trip planning and itineraries
• writing emails, letters, or captions
• learning topics or asking questions
• brainstorming gifts, hobbies, recipes, workouts, etc.
• organizing photos, resumes, or projects
• coding, spreadsheets, presentations, and study help

So you’ve only scratched the surface.

And now you’ve got a fantasy Chocolate Hills version of your photo as your first AI project, which is a pretty solid start.

Me: I’m off to a good start! I’ll be back to explore some of those other pathways.

Sounds good — drop by anytime when you want to experiment more.

You’ve already got the basic rhythm down: ask for something, refine it, then keep iterating until it feels right. That same pattern works whether you’re planning a trip, fixing a spreadsheet, learning something new, or making weird fantasy versions of vacation photos.

Enjoy exploring, and see you next time.

So, this old dog learned a new trick!

My daughter sent me a copy of my granddaughter’s resume. Damn, am I really that old?

Facebook reminds me that some wounds never heal with these photos of my dream retirement home in South Carolina. Dreams die sometimes before we do. Although in a way, I did die in order to be reborn into this life I’m living in the Philippines.

Now you have it, now you don’t. It still hurts.

It’s the last post of April 2019 in the LTG archives. What I found interesting was that I took a Sunday morning stroll, including a climb up the Kalaklan Ridge, on a hot day, and made it almost 14K before I was done. Today, I walked a flat 7K and was whooped. Well, at least I’m still alive and kicking, just not as much as before. Oh, and that photo from Alaska Bar was a surprise. The bargirl beside me is now the longtime girlfriend of a fellow Hasher. My oh my,

Today’s YouTube video explores the history of humans consuming alcoholic beverages. Beer has been around for 13,000 years. Hmm, maybe I’ll have enjoyed 13,000 bottles before I die. It’s good to have goals!

Humor me:

Yeah, I’d better stop now. Sometimes the road takes you places you didn’t want to go, but you can still enjoy the ride until you run out of gas.

It’s nice to wake up in your own bed for some reason. I guess it is the classic sign indicating the adventure is over, and the routines are back in control. Lucky for me that I enjoy my routines!

So, a quick post-mortem on Bohol. I like it there. A lot. Much more laid back than Barretto–less traffic, less noise, less litter. The beaches are nice and lined with cool places to hang out. Yeah, I’m talking about the bars. The bars are different in the sense that they don’t cater to carnal interests. In fact, most only have the bare minimum of females on staff, maybe a bartender and a waitress or two. Even at my favorite, the Escape Bar, the gals are not allowed to have a lady drink or sit with customers. So, even though beers are more expensive (120-140 pesos), a night out is cheaper. Panglao is a very touristy town, and most of them come for the scuba diving. I’m told Koreans are the largest contingent of tourists, but I also saw lots of youngish Western couples, and plenty of unescorted white women out and about. That’s a big difference from Barretto. While I don’t particularly like the tourist vibe, I noticed places that seem to cater to the expat crowd. As a non-driver, I appreciated that the hangouts I liked were easy to walk to and that there were plenty of tuk-tuks available to take me longer distances as needed. The “countryside” day tour I took gave me a glimpse of what the interior of Bohol looks like, and it also had a clean, laid-back vibe about it.

We are already looking forward to a return trip to Bohol in the future. Although I have no intentions to move anywhere, I could see myself living a happy life on Panglao.

Here are the photos from yesterday:

Despite our early arrival, our hired driver was already parked and waiting. The drive back to Barretto went without incident or delay (the heavy Sunday traffic was going in the opposite direction). We were home at 1 pm, which gave me time to get settled in and blog before returning to the evening bar grind.

Then it was on to Wet Spot for our nightcap.

The transition back to the Barretto life completed, we grabbed a trike and headed for home.

Onward in the April 2019 LTG archives, and I did a post entitled “Regarding Women,” in which I respond to a reader’s question about the differences between Asian gals and their Western counterparts. Having failed repeatedly in both categories, I offered my expert opinion.

Today’s YouTube video provides a fun look back at the quality of insults over the years. These days, a simple “fuck off, ya cunt!” normally will suffice, but nothing beats a witty putdown. They did screw up one of the Winston Churchill quotes, leaving out the part where he responds to being called a drunk with that classic line, “Madam, tomorrow morning I’ll be sober, but you will still be ugly.”

Here is my humor offering for today:

And that brings you up to date with my so-called life. I’ve got a Hash to attend to this afternoon, and it’s already a hot motherfucker outside. We’ll see how I hold up on trail.