Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 4,261 To 4,290 Of 6,501 Comments
Well, I don’t blame her or hold any grudges. Who knows what is going on inside her addled brain? Although I had asked if she’d like a place, perhaps her response was not intended the way I took it. I get what you are saying about the “Asian answer”. And looking back now I can see the ambiguity in her comment–maybe she was talking about her dream house, not the simple shelter I provided.
Anyway, after the Hash, I did go looking for her as usual. Found her and we both acted like nothing had happened. I gave her the regular 100 pesos, she thanked me, and I went on with my life. I reckon that’s the way we both like it…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/February/2021 @ 6:39 am
Brian and Kevin, I’ll be posting an update on “mama” later today.
QP, yes that type of accommodation is available for foreigners as well. There is even one across the street, albeit the place is larger and a little nicer. I know a woman with places on that street if your “friend” wants to be hooked up.
Oh, this is Baloy beach area…about 10 minutes by foot to Barretto and the bars. Lots of similar places in Barretto as well.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/February/2021 @ 7:19 am
Soju, it’s not really discussed but always in the back of my mind. That’s why I stopped hiking the mountains alone. One false step and you could be in a world of hurt. On some of those trails, it may be a LONG time before anyone even found you. So it is all about being careful. I’ve asked if anyone has ever been seriously injured during a Hash, and it seems the worst has been some stitches (me included). We have had people get lost and spend the night on a mountain though. Geez, that would be a nightmare!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/February/2021 @ 6:39 am
Yeah, that first climb was a slow-go, in part because we had to backtrack once when we hit a dead-end and we had some downtime while the leaders were fruitlessly searching for a trail.
Not really fair to call this one a “Guenter trail” since it was so short. And had we found the trail we intended, it wouldn’t have been so steep. Just some bad luck really. It’s funny you mention the scouting thing. There was some discussion about getting a drone to do some pre-hike reconnaissance.
For some reason, my tracker didn’t upload this trail to Relive. I found Scott’s Relive video and I’m updating this post to include it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2021 @ 9:57 pm
Hmm, I think I’ll send her “I’m on fire” and see if she gets turned on.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/February/2021 @ 6:41 am
Brian, I’m not sure how serious I am about moving, just something I’m considering at this point. My lease is up in June. I’m overpaying on rent here, maybe as much as 1/3 compared to similar properties elsewhere. And the landlord really irked me with not being amenable to my plan to put a nipa hut in the back yard. I do like Alta Vista and if I could find a newer/better place at the same price I might go for it.
Moving would be a pain in the ass though, so when it comes down to it I’ll probably take the path of least resistance and stay here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2021 @ 9:48 am
Yeah, I exercised some discretion with Maria. My first reaction was not to provide the help she requested. But I actually do know and like her, I believe her (instinct, not evidence), and she’s not your typical bargirl. For one thing, she is 45! Anyway, I slept on it, thought about it some more during my walk, and in the end decided the sixty bucks would buy me some peace of mind. I’ve denied three other pleas from desperate women this week, so Rule #1 is still in force!
Regarding “mama”, you make some excellent points and I also share your concerns. No, I had never specifically asked her whether she preferred living on the street, I just made that assumption. I also figured she may be too mentally unstable to maintain a residence but I didn’t really have evidence of that either. Well, other than she wound up homeless in the first place. Admittedly, I have no idea of the circumstances that led to her current situation. I know the first time I encountered her on the streets of Barretto was in 2017 when I was here as a tourist.
I get your point that helping her out by providing a roof over her hand may well backfire. Honestly, that’s why I’ve chosen to just give her 100 pesos a day for food rather than 1000 a week–I have no idea if she is capable of managing money responsibly over time. I’m not sure I’m equipped to take on the guardian angel role, but I am prepared to check on her regularly and make sure her needs are taken care of.
I’ve got a lead on a one-room/one bath place out near Baloy beach–an area where I know “mama” likes to hang out. The price is 3500 pesos a month ($70) and includes electricity and water. That way she won’t have any bills to pay. Essentially, it would just be somewhere she could go at night to sleep and bathe. I doubt she would change her lifestyle as a wandering nomad otherwise. Also, if I find out she is not actually using the place as intended I can let it go–there is no lease involved.
The thing that has impressed me about “mama” is she always seems happy and positive. If it turns out she prefers living on the street, that’s fine by me. Since she indicated having some desire for a place of her own, we’ll give it a try and see what happens.
Thanks for the feedback!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/February/2021 @ 7:13 am
Yeah, it really is true. I’ve met women who weren’t initially attractive but as I got to know them and see their personality I was thinking “wow, when did she get so pretty?” I guess it’s that mind’s eye thing we see inner beauty with…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/February/2021 @ 6:50 am
So, the writing on the bag is telling me to go to halal?
Geez, I don’t remember hearing about that remake or reading your review. Thanks for the heads up! I’ve always enjoyed the Coen bros spin on things.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/February/2021 @ 6:37 am
Hey, James. Thanks for the comment! Dull is a state of mind, I suppose. Some mornings when I’m feeling blah, I look around at the beauty that surrounds me and I’m reminded how lucky I am to be living this life.
As to the Hash, we’ve always had a small segment of members who prefer the social aspects and almost never do a trail. I don’t actually count, but that number appears to be growing and I attribute that in part to the increasing difficulty of the trails. A few of us who like the hiking part of the Hash just do an alternative trail when needed. I guess word of that will spread and those so inclined will join us. I’m not going to formally break away from the Hash though.
There is no membership dues, just a weekly fee of 350 pesos ($7) for all participants. I do sponsor some of the local gals who want to join in but couldn’t otherwise afford to do so. My challenge is to drink enough beers to get my money’s worth!
A normal Hash trail should take no more than two hours or so to complete. There is usually an hour or so of socializing/eating before the Hash circle rituals and maybe another hour afterward, at least until the beer runs out. Some folks bring a change of shirts and some venues even have a shower. Me? I just sit around in all my sweaty glory for the world to see. And smell.
The Wednesday/Friday walking groups are nothing like the Hash and I wouldn’t want to formalize them in any way. We just get together, take a hike, and finish up with a few beers. It’s all good!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/February/2021 @ 6:52 am
Brian, yeah the motto of the Hash is “we are a drinking club with a running problem”. And don’t get me wrong, I have no issues with the folks who like the harder challenge, we just need to have options for everyone else. I’d reckon we are now about 1/3 “socialites” (people who don’t do any trail, just show up for the fun and games). That number will grow if people get to where they won’t risk getting stuck on a mountain after dark.
If I were going to propose a rule it would be along the lines of requiring an alternate trail when the primary trail is too long or hard. Then again, me and my cadre are doing that now unofficially. Maybe that’s good enough.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2021 @ 9:39 am
Yep, better safe than sorry.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2021 @ 6:31 am
I’m not totally sure what happened with this development. It’s probably 20 years or so it opened for business. I think most of the lots have been individually owned for quite some time. Odd that people have just now decided to start building. Still plenty of lots for sale that don’t have neighbors though. That’s what I’d go for…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/February/2021 @ 6:35 am
“This looks fine. Trivia: it’s a fragment, not a sentence, but it’s natural English…”
Ha! I was thinking that writing in sentence fragments would eliminate my problems with commas.
“I threw a coveted 180 (highest possible score), which by my reckoning, makes four this year already.
Three possible corrections here”
Yeah, that’s the sentence I struggled with the most. I was going for the parenthetical you mention but needed that other comma. Oh well, I gave it a shot…
Indeed, is there ever a case of, you know, using too many commas, hypothetically speaking, of course, in a sentence just to be in the “better safe, than sorry, camp? Yeah, I’m just fucking with you, Hans. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/February/2021 @ 6:50 am
No ifs, ands, or butts about it
Kev, my attempted corrections:
Everybody’s so different; I haven’t changed!
We weren’t totally out of our minds, though; we just did one of the downhill portions. (2 errors here, actually)
The backside includes coming down on the tires; the only thing worse is coming up them.
(The first example is from a song lyric by Joe Walsh. He wrote it with the comma. Just sayin’. 🙂 I guess I should have read that NY Times article on semicolons after all!)Next attempted corrections:
I can’t imagine what life up here must be like, and I have no interest in finding out.
Needs a little work, and the commute would be a killer.
I dreamed of surviving another day on the mountain, and that dream came true!
Alright, I saved the hike for last this time, but it was probably the best part of the day.
Still, saw some new countryside that was very beautiful, and now we can brag that we hiked the insane trail.
I had had a few beers by now, so I might have been a bit more flirtatious than normal.
Still, it was getting late (for a guy like me), and I had [baby-back] ribs in the crockpot at home.
Jessa was bartending, and it was nice to see her again and chat a bit.
(I should have known better; I guess I just got lazy.)Alright, read (again) the post on restrictive and non-restrictive clauses. Needed the comma before “which”. Got it!
Next group of fuck-ups (you didn’t give me a hint for these):
That post was about a prostate exam, though.
Or attempting to, anyway…
Great views, though!
To the pictures, then:
I’m not sure about that, though.
She was spunky and sassy, though, and gave back as much as I threw at her, so it was fun.
I doubt I’ll become a regular, though, because of the bad history I had in the speakeasy days.
(you know, I guess I’m kind of a minimalist. Assuming I got the commas right this time, I really don’t like them. I didn’t like putting the comma in after “spunky and sassy”, but to be consistent with what I assume is the requirement to use a comma before “though”, I did. That made me need a comma after “though” as well, right? And making a declarative statement such as “To the pictures then” seems stronger without the comma. Doesn’t a writer have some discretion in that regard? I could call it “creative license”!)
Final set of fuck-ups:
So, by the time I got to my side of town, I was thirsty again.
Since that time, I’ve not felt compelled to support the bar after it reopened.
“If you didn’t want me then, you don’t get me now” kinda thing.
Lots of other options these days, anyway.
That doesn’t bother me, though; I enjoy my vape indoors, too. (this needs 2 commas and one change of punctuation)
(Damn, my brain hurts now. How did I do, teacher? Oh, and the check is in the mail.)
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/February/2021 @ 7:56 am
“I wish Rodney Dangerfield was still with us. He would have been perfect for the part of John McCrarey.”
I don’t get no respect!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/February/2021 @ 10:14 am
Dan, I started walking regularly in early 2016 as part of an effort to lose weight. I discovered that the exercise was also soothing to my troubled mind. So I kept on keeping on and now that I’m retired it is just a scheduled part of my day. Filling in hours if you will.
So, to answer your question there has not been a significant period of time when I’ve taken a break from walking. Sometimes during rainy season I’m not able to walk as much as normal and the impact is that I will gain a little weight.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/February/2021 @ 6:45 am
Yeah, my humor is as challenged as my grammar… 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/February/2021 @ 5:44 pm
Brandon, I won’t hesitate to block someone asking for money that I’ve never met in real life. And I’m getting better at saying no to those I have. The problem lately is distinguishing between the two. Almost daily I’ll be walking through town and someone (usually female) will greet me by name. And I have no clue who they are or where I might have met them before. If this keeps up I could become president!
Kevin, yes, I will go back and re-read part one of the comma series. Also, I’ll try and trust my gut more than Grammarly when it comes to punctuation. And speling…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/February/2021 @ 6:19 am
Damn it! I had a comma after “up” but Grammarly told me to delete it! As to the double entendre, no comment!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/February/2021 @ 8:54 pm
Damn it, Soju! What a great idea! I’ve kinda been doing that unofficially but once the freshness wears out the enjoyment goes down. Not sure what the fix is for that…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/February/2021 @ 9:24 am
James, for a person I’ve never met you know me quite well! Your advice and suggestions ring true and I’m really going to work on taking them to heart. You taking the time to give me a figurative slap upside the head really means a lot. It’s strange, but you and Kevin sharing your wisdom with a fuck up like me is in and of itself a generous act of charity. Sincerely, I thank you and cannot really express how much it means to me that you guys take the time to help me figure things out.
Anyway, I think you pretty much nailed it here. I’m getting much better at saying no. The next step is saying no without remorse. I’m getting there as well. Bottom line: I’ll give when it is the right thing to do and something I WANT to do, not when I feel obligated to do so. That’s going to work so much better I think.
Thanks for your thoughts on “mama”. It really is a feel-good situation for us both. I do go looking for her every day and I’m always glad inside when I see her. She gives me a big smile and an “I love you, papa” that comes from the heart. Who knew what amounts to chump change could purchase so much mutual happiness?
Anyway, lots to think about and I appreciate you providing me the food for thought in this comment.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/February/2021 @ 6:41 am
Mark, I actually did recall watching that show as a child. Until I looked at your link to Wikipedia though I thought the host was Art Linkletter. I guess I remember him from another show in the same time frame…
But yes indeed, there are many drama queens in these parts…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/February/2021 @ 11:05 pm
Not sure what happened to your original comment, it didn’t wind up in the moderation queue.
I took her meaning to be the trike was collateral for the loan. I’ve heard of gals pawning jewelry or phones or whatever for some quick cash. Then they have a specified amount of time to reclaim that item or it becomes the property of the pawn store. Had that story used on me at least once…”I need cash to get my watch out of hock” type thing. Never heard of pawning a trike but I suppose it would work similarly…here’s some cash…I’m holding on to the trike until you pay me back…oops, can’t pay? I’m selling the trike…
Yeah, I’ve heard of guys trying to verify a story and getting the runaround. The veracity, in this case, didn’t matter to me, no way I was handing over that kind of cash!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/February/2021 @ 11:03 pm
Yes, the photos were nice…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/February/2021 @ 3:44 pm
Well, I knew Guenter was doing his insane trail as a separate entity, so I figured the regular trail might be less Guenter-like. That proved to be the case. Also, I had an advanced look at the trail on Google Earth and had a pretty good idea of what I was in for. And I had no problem bypassing a second climb or avoiding the creek walk/waterfall at the end. So, that’s what I meant by not doing a Guenter trail–I will do it my way, not his.
Read your post of Being There just now. Very impressive, thanks for sharing that. I left a comment there but it really is cool to learn a little about those philosophies in the context of the film. Hell, I just used the title for this post on a whim and it turned me on to some new ways of thinking. What a world!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/February/2021 @ 7:32 am
She’s got a bit of a belly and a bigger butt than I normally like, but she’s one of those types who the better I get to know her, the more attractive she becomes. Funny how that works.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/February/2021 @ 7:01 am
Guys, you know your thoughtful comments, my Greek chorus, really mean a lot to me. Even if it is not apparent in my (mis)behavior, I do listen and take the advice to heart. Sometimes I’m just a slow learner!
James, you make some excellent points. I think you are spot-on about me being on “a list” of people to ask for money. I’ve had other requests I didn’t mention in this post from random people in my life, like this waitress at a place I dine at regularly. I think she got my number off the contact tracing sign-in book we used to have to complete. The first time several months ago I fell for her sad story, now I just ignore her. You are also probably right that they don’t take offense at a “no”, it’s just part of the game.
Jhen was not a potential love interest back when we were chatting. I found her interesting but not really my type. The movie I had wanted to share with her that day she picked up the laptop was Pay It Forward. That was my idea–I provide the tools, she does the work and finishes school, gets a good job, then SHE helps someone else break out of the poverty cycle. Well, she blew that opportunity by getting pregnant it seems.
I know Kevin has mentioned it before in his comments, but throwing money at people is at best a short-term solution. I’m looking for an opportunity to make a difference. What I’d really like to find is a worthy young person I could sponsor through school, including university, and actually change their life. I thought I had identified a prospect for this project, the 17-year-old daughter of a woman I know, but after my preliminary discussions, mama gave me the news–her daughter was pregnant. I occasionally see them all in the shantytown next door, apparently happy in the love of family. God bless them.
Some things can’t be fixed I suppose. Or maybe they ain’t as broke as I imagine. I’m getting better at choosing my interventions though.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/February/2021 @ 6:41 am
Kev, likely too far out of town for a Hash but we are talking about doing a cookout there at the swimming hole. We can park further up the road and only have a couple of kilometers to hike with our picnic supplies.
Brian, that’s why she is so dangerous! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/February/2021 @ 6:31 am
«« Back To Stats PageThursday is my day for taking a bit longer morning walk than normal. I hit 20,000 steps as I walked through the front door when I got home. I thought that was pretty cool.
Yes, it is always light beer and usually Zero (low alcohol, low carbs) so I don’t drink in moderation but I also don’t get too drunk…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/February/2021 @ 7:18 am