Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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“Your “slowpoke” looks a bit like a hobbit.”
That’s funny! Yes, he is indeed short and has a strong British accent. Not sure why I didn’t pick up on the similarity.
No, I’ve not seen the out-of-shape dude around town at all, so I’m guessing he ain’t walking much. Rumor has it he’s been busy pursuing romance with various brown beauties online–at least, that’s what his girlfriend told me in a message last night. Not my business, though.
I had my first meet-up with Mary yesterday, and I’ll blog some about that today. The 50-year age gap is a record for me (and her). I don’t have any illusions or real expectations about the potential for a romantic relationship. Still, she is one of the most interesting Filipinas I’ve met, and we might find a special niche that will be mutually beneficial. I don’t think my heart is in any danger with this one, at least.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/February/2023 @ 5:48 am
Yes, I’ve never considered going this low before, and even if I do go there, I’ll need to figure out what “there” is going to be. At this point, we are just going to meet and see. Assuming she shows up this time.
I do know how to spell pageant and Oreo, but that fact got lost somewhere between my brain and my fingers. It’s honestly a little scary how frequently that’s been happening lately. You are only seeing the ones I miss.
This is a zero-tolerance country when it comes to drugs, and for some reason, they take an especially hardline on marijuana. The last place I want to see is the inside of a Filipino jail cell. My brownies must and will remain cannabis free!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/February/2023 @ 4:58 am
QP, it depends on the type of job and qualifications. Josh will be teaching English at a private school. His degree and experience were a good fit as a teacher. There are contractors on the U.S. military that hire U.S. civilians as well.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2023 @ 2:55 pm
Brian, no idea about the sun, but yeah, maybe it’s a hemispheric thing. It goes down quick and fires up the sky, that’s for sure.
Actually, Josh was in Korea visiting Justin and accepted a job teaching English at a private school. Since he was on a tourist visa, he was required to leave the country to have a work visa issued. Visiting his uncle was the most convenient way. Justin had a visa issued from the Korean embassy in Manila previously, so he flew in to assist Josh with the process.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2023 @ 2:51 pm
Ha! Thanks for panning my misspelling–no pun intended! It’s a weird word and pronounced “poon-dock-it,” which still doesn’t excuse the “a” instead of “u”. Just my typical sloppiness. And you corrected your name error before I could gig you, damn it!
Anyway, it was a good trip. Justin and Josh are off to the Korean embassy in Manila this morning.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2023 @ 7:09 am
As far as I know, Justin only posts on Facebook. He also occasionally uses the Relive app for his hikes.
Thankfully, I don’t get “insane” when I drink too much; I just don’t remember. The nephews gave me the lowdown on what happened after the SOB–nothing bad; but I had no recollection of who I was buying drinks for. Hmm, that does sound a little insane now that I think about it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/February/2023 @ 7:20 am
Thanks for your insights, Kevin. I agree to take a wait-and-see approach rather than allowing my paranoia to dictate my actions. There are bound to be some lessons learned with Mary, maybe even the good kind.
Surprisingly, Josh and Justin are opposites when it comes to politics. They sometimes bash each other on Facebook but are full of brotherly love for one another. We don’t talk about all the crazy bullshit when we are together (or at least we haven’t so far). I know in the past, I’ve tried to un-indoctrinate Justin without success. We’ll see if we can maintain the truce over the course of the weekend.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/February/2023 @ 8:43 am
Ha! My brownies are kinda famous in these parts, even without illegal ingredients. Thank you, Betty Crocker!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2023 @ 5:31 am
The cuddle was all I NEEDED, but I WANTED so much more…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/February/2023 @ 2:03 pm
Yes, the superficiality of sex with a stranger is a big turnoff and is why I very rarely go the barfine route.
Joy was interested in doing the Valentine’s dinner date thing, and I didn’t want to pretend we were a couple. I took Lyn home on a drunken impulse because she felt so good snuggled up against me in the bar. It was nice having someone to cuddle with during the night for a change, even if there was no legitimate emotion involved.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/February/2023 @ 7:56 am
Thanks, Brian. I survived. That is always the main objective.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/February/2023 @ 7:45 am
Kev, yeah, I’ve got to give him credit for the effort. I just worry he’s trying to do too much too soon. But, his call. I’m sure he’ll be exploring Jeju when he arrives. He rented a scooter here yesterday to do some looking around on his own.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/February/2023 @ 7:22 am
It had a knothole…
Nice to see you back, Soju. It’s been a while.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/February/2023 @ 7:19 am
Kev, glad you liked the video.
I don’t know if it qualifies as a recipe–I just put some fruit in the blender, add a scoop or two of ice cream, and pour in some milk. I don’t measure; just eyeball it. I like mine to be on the thick side but still easily poured. I used a carton of those fresh strawberries Sunday night and didn’t put in any other fruit so I could enjoy that strawberry taste. Normally, I’ll have banana and mango in the mix.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/February/2023 @ 7:17 am
Yes, Josh seemed to have a good time. He wants to do the Subic Hash today.
The singers were definitely Filipino; I wish I had taken a decent photo of them.
Yes, Baguio is a nice enough place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. Traffic is insane in town, and the only access is up a long and twisty mountain road where one mistake sends you over a cliff. I’d also miss the water views I enjoy here. Once a year is about right for me in Baguio.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/February/2023 @ 7:10 am
Drain Snake, if I didn’t like the sound of old farts, I wouldn’t be able to talk to myself as much as I do.
Yeah, Baguio is definitely unlivable for me, mainly because of the traffic. It was insane. Now, admittedly this was a holiday weekend, and there was a flower festival going on. Our Hash run was on John Hay, so it was a great escape. Only took one cab ride because, for the aforementioned reasons, it was hard to find an empty. But yes, it was metered and fair, and the driver was actually joking and funny.
“Killing me softly” is a hilarious name for Pinikpikan!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/February/2023 @ 7:05 am
Yeah, I’ve never had dog meat, and hope I never do. They do dog stew here too.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/February/2023 @ 8:28 am
Dan, no, not at all. I respect people of faith but don’t share their beliefs. I’d feel like a hypocrite to pretend otherwise.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/February/2023 @ 6:07 pm
Live and learn. We did better last night.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/February/2023 @ 5:41 am
Blood donations in this country seem to be administered in typical Filipino fashion–make it as difficult and inefficient as possible. I’m O+ but in an earlier post, John said they would only accept A- donations. In the comments, someone mentioned being rejected because of age and someone else said he was turned down because of recently ingesting alcohol. Anyway, word is out, and I’m hopeful acceptable donors have now been found. I took Josh to John’s place for dinner last night and also dropped some cash in a donation jar set up there for him.
I honestly don’t know anything about John’s life story or what may have led to his current condition. He strikes me as a very private person, and the fact that he is reaching out for help on social media tells me just how dire his situation truly is.
Thanks for the link on the Biblical history of John Mark. I’d never understood that there was a John Mark in the Gospel story.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/February/2023 @ 8:35 am
Yep, that’s Rule #1! And just so you know, I’ve lost a lot more than 300 pesos being scammed before, so don’t let my teasing get to you. It’s just the tuition to the school of experience. Live and learn.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/February/2023 @ 9:48 am
Back in the USA, Josh had been a youth minister at a Methodist church, and I believe he was also a substitute teacher in a public school before his accident. I think he already has a master’s in another field too. So yeah, he’s probably overqualified for a hagweon job, but it’s a foot in the door. He wants to live and work overseas, so an international school or university job would be a good fit for him.
Yeah, he knows about the blog but I doubt he reads it regularly.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/February/2023 @ 7:41 am
Yeah, that’s a good idea to give him a link to your Jeju walk blog. He’s really looking forward to the adventure.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/February/2023 @ 7:09 am
Kev, Josh seems to be enjoying himself thus far. He has signed a contract to teach at a Hagwon in Jeju, so came here for the visa processing. He’s being told 10 days, so we’ll see. At least he likes his 500 pesos per night room!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/February/2023 @ 4:16 am
I checked it out, and it looked clean and comfortable. No a/c, but a fan and a small television. Josh says he’s paid more for a mattress pad on a floor, so he’s content.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/February/2023 @ 10:04 am
Yes, there are some strange names. Even names that are pronounced similarly are spelled in crazy ways sometimes. I also laugh when I see my name spelled Jhon.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/February/2023 @ 6:48 am
I have a driver. We have now successfully completed the mission of extracting the nephew.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/February/2023 @ 6:47 am
Jeremy, for 20 years, I stupidly engaged in the cigarette smoking habit. By the time I wised up, the damage was done. I’m not sure why I’m having the current flare-up of my chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but hopefully, it doesn’t get worse.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/February/2023 @ 6:17 am
“is it fun to drink to the point of forgetting the previous night?”
No, quite the opposite. I like to find that sweet spot where I let go of some inhibitions but remain in control. Getting so drunk I can’t function is something I try hard to avoid. That’s why the memory thing was so surprising. I mean, there are occasions when I’ve stepped over the line and had one too many, but not being able to remember doing so is a little scary.
It was easier to self-monitor/control with beer. Gin seems to sneak up on you–instead of knowing when to say when, you find yourself saying, “what?”. Anyway, everything in moderation. I enjoy the social aspects of drinking, but overdosing defeats the purpose.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/February/2023 @ 6:12 am
«« Back To Stats PageWell, she knows I’m taking the pics, but I’ve never mentioned my blog to her. I don’t share those photos on Facebook, though, so I think her anonymity is relatively safe. If she ever asked me to not post her photos here, I’d stop.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/February/2023 @ 6:35 am