Always Remember, be kind to Horses!

I am not physically able to write a monthly blog so this new format will allow me to write something whenever I want and people who register will be able to see whenever I write something new. Yes, my political rants will continue, I just can’t help myself. I can no longer drive or walk that well but I will try to get around to bars with no stairs so I can meet the owners/managers and give them a bit of publicity. What amazes me is how many new names have cropped up, for example, Fire Pit has change their name to Diamond Bar and I suspect I will try to visit them first. I will also depend on friends who will feed me some information and keep me up to date. Folks, the bars and Clubs played a big part in bringing tourists to this City and they deserve to be recognized, despite efforts by many officials who think differently. Yes, Korean ownership of establishments are spreading from Friendship to Fields Avenue and beyond. That is a reality and it sure as hell is not going to change.

Who knows, President Duterte might open the door to Russian tourists and hell yes, Chinese too. Will Americans still be welcome? Good question.

That is my long intro, give me time to get used to this new format and I will get help from my friends Alex and Chuck, maybe even Detroit Al. I have missed my many readers, local and worldwide, and I know I will not please everyone but hell, I just like writing to whoever takes the time to read this, even if I am the only one to do so.

Alex will help me fact check some of my political rants so Bill Campbell gets off my ass for not doing so.

HONEY-KO’S BAR CLOSED – I was saddened to learn of this closure. It has only been a few months that the previous owner, Damien, sold his interest and new owner Mark spent a bit of money making interior improvements that improved the ambiance. He was looking forward to a long lease and to settle down to enjoy his years here. This all ended when certain law enforcement personnel visited him and made him realize that it would be better to close shop rather than risk a raid and get him and his wife arrested for some trumped up charges.

It is rumored that the owner of Josie-Hi was also approached and a sum of money was discussed. The owner, truthfully, advised these personnel that her establishment did not have any funds to spare. This was truthful for this bar is operating on a shoe string, especially now during the slow season.

This Horse is happy that the bar remains open as it is one of my favorite watering holes in town.

THE GREEN BOTTLE CLOSED – Located along Perimeter road in the Clarkview area regretfully closed its door because of the serious illness of popular owner Elmar. He is presently confined in a hospital in Okinawa. For a long time he was trying to sell the bar so he could move to Okinawa. I hated to see the closure as it was located just a short distance from my “Stable”

PHILLIE’S SPORTS GRILL and BAR – This remains one of the more popular establishments in town with 24 hour sports coverage, great food and nice viewing areas. Every Friday night they host a Joker-Poker drawing as well as 4 to 5 raffle draws. Recently a young lady was overwhelmed with happiness as she won a jackpot of P300,000. Needless to say the house was filled to capacity. The jackpot now stands at P105,000 and P5,000 will be added each week until a customer finds the elusive but not hard to find Joker. Starting at 7:30 PM each Friday for every drink purchased one ticket is given and for a meal 2 tickets are added.

TAPS

Just last night (Tuesday) after a rather long absence I decided to treat my wife and son to a nice Indian meal. Of course an excellent establishment for this is the Risoi Authentic Indian Restaurant in Hensonville. The owner is Richard, an excellent cook of this exotic cuisine who I had known for 21 years. I first met him when he was working in a bar at the old Clark Terminal building near the Checkpoint. His right hand waitress was Lisa who now, so many years later was still working for him at his Hensonville restaurant. It had been a year since I visited Richard so I looked forward to seeing him again. After the meal I asked Lisa if Richard was in the back cooking. To my utter shock and sadness she informed me that he had passed away in March this year. I don’t know if the tear in my eye came from this news or the Vindaloo dish I had just consumed. I sat there in disbelief. He had suffered from lung cancer and had gone back to India twice for treatment. After the second time he returned to tell everyone he had been cured. That was not true. Over the years Richard became known to many expats in this town. He and his food will be remembered. His stepson is cooking now and the restaurant remains open in his memory. Stop by for a great meal and say hello to Lisa. I was not able to meet his stepson. He was busy, maybe next time.

DENNIS MITCHELL – passed away this month after a long illness. He was a dear friend to many, well respected and one hell of a good Club manager. During the years I wrote “Harry the Horse” I could always go to Dennis for advice and to get tips as to what was going on in the bar scene. I had not seen him for months and did not realize he was ailing. I received an Email from John C. (Margarita Station) and could not believe the words I was reading. He will be missed and I pass on my condolences to his wife, his hard working partner who stood by his side for so many years. I wrote the following words about Dennis in my Dec 2000 HTH newsletter. Believe me, he earned that respect and kept it to his last day with us.

“Last month Dennis Mitchell left employment at Kokomo’s and moved over to the German connection at the Volcano.  I predicted that he would return to Kokomo’s but was assured that this would not happen.  Upon returning from Vegas I was very pleased to see that, indeed, Dennis has returned to Kokomo’s where his many friends felt he never should have left in the first place.  Dennis indicated that money is not everything and that peace of mind and respect counts for a lot.”

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

For the first time in years I had to undergo root canal treatment for one tooth. I damn sure did not look forward to it even though I had complete faith in the dentists at Smile Makeover. I did not get to use Doctor Tey this time but, instead, the always smiling Dr. Irene. All went well the first day of treatment but on the second day it was found that my tooth was not going to cooperate, things got difficult as one canal or nerve was curved and not easy to deal with. On my 4th appointment, Monday, I was being treated, had my pain killer shots in my mouth, temporary cap removed, Doc Irene working away with some kind of file in my tooth and I was trying to watch the overhead movie. Suddenly, no electricity, brown out! They got me out of the chair to sit in the waiting area but, no luck the juice was not coming back on. Back in the chair, fill in the tooth, put cap back on and make an appointment for the next day. Everyone laughing, joking around, including me except that I wished it had happened before the shots.

Next day, 11 AM appointment, made me miss the rest of the Golden State basketball game. Got there on time but informed Dr. Irene had an unplanned patient with an emergency. Could I wait? How long? Unknown! Told them I would go to Phillie’s Sports Grill and have a cup of coffee. Call me when ready. Got a call, return at 12:30. No problem. Got in chair, got the shots again, cap off, fill in tooth again, different movie. Then the damn electricity went off again. Did not get out of the chair this time; we knew the routine except this time I uttered the polite word “shit, not again, what are the odds”, two unfinished movies! Wednesday, I have an appointment for 4 PM. Will it happen again, stand by for news!  UPDATE:  The 4 PM visit went well.  The bad news is that I still face at least 2 more appointments to finish up (hopefully).  Oh yes, I was able to finish the movie.

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