Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Shocking, Kevin. But I like the way you think!
Yeah, the masks are pretty much all for show these days. On the street, I keep mine on my chin, then pull it up when I see a law-enforcement type. I’ll be glad when this madness is finally over, but there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/April/2021 @ 6:55 am
Thanks, Dan. It’s really not so much about the money as it is the principle. But yeah, I can find better things to do with the extra dollars every month!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/May/2021 @ 4:53 pm
HaHa!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/April/2021 @ 6:45 am
QP, there is more to life than beer and sex. Oh, wait a minute. Is there?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/April/2021 @ 12:24 pm
Brian, the apartment is smaller, but not THAT much smaller. It honestly has all the space I need. I hardly ever spend any time in most of my current house, other than my desk, the kitchen, and my bedroom. The maid’s quarters are not accessible from the apartment, there are in a basement under the apartment with its own door. I’ll let my helper decide if she wants the extra bedroom or maid’s room for her space. I’ll be putting MY stove and fridge down there, so it will be a nice setup I think.
The lease on the new place is year-to-year and I pay month-to-month. So, I won’t be totally stuck long-term.
Yeah, I will be surprised if I don’t have a hassle getting my deposit back. I’ll dig up my receipts for the appliances and aircon units, but I think when the landlord realizes how much it’s gonna cost to get this place ready to rent out to some other sucker, he’s going to fight to retain the cash. We shall see.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/April/2021 @ 12:22 pm
Thanks for your support, BW.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/April/2021 @ 8:10 am
Well, I was stupid perhaps overpaying to begin with, but at the time I really didn’t know any better. I’ll be damned if I’m going to compound that error with a 10% enhancement. I just hope I don’t have a big fight trying to get my 3 months security deposit returned.
There are workarounds to the land ownership prohibition. One guy here in the neighborhood bought his lot in a girlfriend’s name, then did a rock-solid 25-year lease on the land prior to building his house. It can be done, but I don’t want to be tied to a house if circumstances dictate I flee the country at some point in the future (i.e., when China invades).
As to the pushups, I’ll do a Biden and not comprehend what you are talking about…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/April/2021 @ 6:12 am
Well, I’m not sure gentlemanly is the word for what I was thinking when I saw the wiener in her mouth… 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/April/2021 @ 5:32 am
Yeah, it was different but good.
No issues with “mama”. I still look for her and pass her 100 pesos each day that I see her. It was presumptuous of me to rent a place for her without her consent. She seems to be living the life she has chosen and that’s fine by me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/April/2021 @ 7:41 am
Kev, well the recipe mentioned slow cookers, so I don’t know. There wasn’t much liquid when it started cooking, and the meat was on top. It turned out fine, actually. More robust than my store-bought spice mix, but quite tasty. Shared it with the helper and downstairs neighbors and they all liked it too.
QP, I wouldn’t see Mari again for anything other than a massage–way to young for me! I’m going to wait and see if she starts pestering me for “emergencies” or other non-work-related requests. If she plays it straight, I’d give it another whirl. Otherwise, not.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/April/2021 @ 7:17 am
“Outside where I belong”? I belong wherever my feet choose to carry me. I give respect when it is earned and warranted.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/April/2021 @ 4:49 pm
Ah, well. I am a free man and will continue to live like a free man.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/April/2021 @ 12:01 pm
Interesting perspectives on living as the only outsider. I’ve heard of people doing that, and some really like the experience, but I know it would wear on me pretty quickly. The expat community in Barretto is the charm of living here for me.
I had watched some old Twilight Zone episodes and they are still enjoyable. Guess it is really is hit and miss, but a writer/producer like Rod Serling is likely to age much better than the fluff of a sitcom.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/April/2021 @ 1:50 pm
Perhaps, but I feel safer here than I would in most of America’s inner cities.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/April/2021 @ 11:12 am
Well, the differences between living in a town with an expat community and one with no foreigners are not really language-related–after all, this is technically an English-speaking country. For me, it’s more about blending in rather than standing out. No one gives me a second look in Barretto, but walking around that village yesterday I could feel the stares. No one was unfriendly or threatening, you could just tell they weren’t used to seeing a Kano amongst them. The problem is that if you are the only foreigner it is much more likely you will become a target–for theft, robbery, or revenge from a drunk Filipino who feels he’s been wronged by a white devil in the past. Most of the locals still believe foreigners are all rich (and in many cases, comparatively speaking, we are) which brings a raft of other potential problems. Beggars on Facebook are easy to ignore, but on your doorstep, not so much. When I first read your comment last night I asked a Filipina what she thought about me living in a village as the only foreigner. She looked at me like I was crazy, shook her head, and said “not a good idea!”; I assume for the reasons stated above. Now, if I were married to a Filipina, it would be much easier to integrate into the community. I know of guys living out in the provinces on a small farm and they do alright. Some of the issues I mentioned remain, but for the most part, they are left alone.
As for the Tagalog assignment, I learned the days of the week years ago–they are the same as in Spanish. The rest I’m going to need to work on. I really haven’t even tried to learn Tagalog thus far. I did try to learn Korean and you saw where that got me! You are right though–if I managed to master some basics it would be a good thing. I’ve noticed some of the guys I hike with often exchange greetings with the locals in the native tongue and the recipients really seem to appreciate it. That’s standing out in a good way!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/April/2021 @ 7:41 am
Brian, they pull it by hand with ropes. Tough job!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/April/2021 @ 12:39 pm
Dan, look at the world without my beer goggles? I fear it would be an ugly place! As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/April/2021 @ 9:54 am
Yes, that double entendre occurs to me whenever I refer to the bar as a floater.
And hey, it’s a new phone, I forgive you. This time.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/April/2021 @ 6:46 am
HaHa! Well, if I start drinking at noon I’ll be unconscious by 5, so what are you gonna do? Actually, Dick’s first stay in the Philippines was at the Navy hospital. He didn’t say what happened in Vietnam that brought him here, but all these years later he’s still living large in the PI.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/April/2021 @ 6:02 pm
Brian, Similar here, but not quite so draconian. Owning the property is difficult, but leasing a building and running a business is very common. But yeah, if the lease isn’t renewed for some reason you’d be screwed. As they say, the best way to become a millionaire in the Philippines is to start with two million.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/April/2021 @ 6:19 am
Yes, Christine (girlfriend for 15 years) is a sweetie…inside and out. I was first introduced to her when she was looking for food donations for her charity work with the native Aeta people in our area. The owner of the Palm Tree is a Brit like Alan, and as I understand it, Alan has worked for him for years both here and in some of his other business ventures. You can own a business or property in partnership with a Filipino, so I guess that’s the case here.
HaHa! The quality of my darts has perhaps risen to the levels of the local competition, but that doesn’t make me a master. I thought I was good back in my Korea days, or at least good enough to try the pro circuit in the USA when I retired. I quickly learned there is a huge difference between bar leagues and playing in big money tournaments. These days I just try and keep it fun…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/April/2021 @ 6:40 am
I paused when I wrote that post headline, knowing that in a sentence I would have needed the comma. But I thought the title looked stronger without one. I didn’t really think it through, just a passing thought. I just now Googled “Goodbye, Columbus”. Most of the search result listings include the comma, but quite a few did not. Doesn’t make it right, I know, but that was my thinking.
As to the relationship goals you suggest, I lived that life with Jee Yeun for several years. Monogamous, faithful (only wife I didn’t cheat on), and contented, which for me is a huge accomplishment. She dumped me anyway, and honestly, I don’t know that I can set myself up to be hurt like that again. There’s a reason I gravitate to shallow, meaningless relationships. They are safer.
Yes, I still lament the loss and I still long for the love. Once in a while, a woman like Padz comes along and tempts me to try again. If she had reciprocated any of my overtures, I might have had the opportunity to put those relationship goals into practice. As things stand, I have serious doubts I could even find a woman to demonstrate my goal attainment commitment with by September. Probably the hardest one for me would be not getting angry and yelling. Lack of patience and a temper is a bad combination. Plus, I’ll need to learn how to make videos! 🙂
My inability to find the proper “equipment” doesn’t let you off the hook though. Your physical goals sound challenging but attainable. The two-mile run might kill me, haven’t done one of those since high school. How about a weekly post on your blog detailing the steps you are taking to achieve your goals and a progress report? Your readers could cheer you on in the comments section. There is no time like the present, and the older you get the harder it is to achieve physical fitness. Let’s do this!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/April/2021 @ 7:21 am
QP, been there, done that. Yeah, there are worse things than being loveless.
Brian, yep, Kev’s words to the wise are thought-provoking. I wish I were wise enough to follow them more often.
Gonna see if I can download Blacklist for sure.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/April/2021 @ 9:46 am
Yikes, I hadn’t noticed that wet spot. Looking at some other photos, it appears this is the Grandmaster. He got the Hashit (a toilet plunger full of beer) earlier and I suspect someone spilled beer in his lap. I hope!
Ha, I noticed that punctuation problem too but went ahead with it. You’d think someone going to the trouble of creating a meme could get basic capitalization right. Ah, well.
I’ll concede that at its basest level, the Joy thing is transactional and could be viewed as simply prostitution. But there are some nuances that make it feel like more than that. I mentioned how she messages me throughout the day asking me how I’m doing. I think she looks forward to and enjoys the sex part–it’s not just taking care of business. She thanked me and sent photos of her grocery shopping she did with the money I provided yesterday. We are like a mutual charity project–taking care of each other’s needs. So, there is SOME heart involved at least. Just not the romance kind.
I’ll plead guilty to have given up on self-improvement in the relationship realm. It’s not that I necessarily like the way things are, it is just that after 65 years, I doubt my capability to change the way I am or where to even start. Still, if you have some ideas or suggestions for a mutual challenge, I’m all ears. What’s one more mountain to climb? And, by the way, I have tried to work on my commas. A long way from perfect, I know, but can’t I get a show’s improvement? I know I use commas much more frequently than I used to!
As always, I appreciate your insights and advice.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/April/2021 @ 7:25 am
Yes, they tasted better than they look…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/April/2021 @ 6:46 am
No, I intentionally just captured legs in the shot. Playing off the pun that came to mind when the girl next to me said she really liked my brownies. I patted her leg and said, “I like your brown knees too!”. Fun times!
No intentional metaphor in the sunset shots. More like an indicator that my bedtime is approaching.
Yeah, not sure why I thought of Hans when I saw the old disciplinarian photo, but you are probably right, a lecture on workplace etiquette would likely elicit a blank stare and “who me?” response.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/April/2021 @ 6:54 am
well, I hope it is not parvo…I’m keeping an eye on Buddy and Lucky for any similar symptoms though.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/April/2021 @ 9:40 am
Thanks, guys. Yeah, that’s what I’ve been telling myself–she had a good last few months on Earth at least. And all dogs go to heaven…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/April/2021 @ 6:45 am
Thanks, Soju. I hadn’t really noticed the Dickens shirt, but she’s a teaser…anything to keep the drinks coming!
It’s an old photo, last year I think. That was supposed to be a controlled burn, but it went out of control. Had the fire department spraying it down in the end…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/April/2021 @ 11:35 am
«« Back To Stats PageKev, I don’t want to leave the impression that my early to bed, early to rise regimen is predicated on self-discipline. It’s just one of those patterns/ruts I managed to fall into. My body clock had to adapt to the early COVID curfews and now it brooks no argument when bedtime rolls around.
I didn’t realize I was keeping a monk-like schedule. Let me meditate on that one for a bit. 🙂 I do actually like getting up and starting my day early, so it would be hard to change that now. I’m thinking I may want to push my bedtime back an hour or two though. Unlike you, I don’t have any meaningful projects to occupy my time. Might try to incorporate some television before sleep into my routine.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/April/2021 @ 7:00 am