Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Brian, she lives in Amsterdam, but I understand she is from Finland. They met when Dave was working for Siemens.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/December/2025 @ 9:53 am
Aloysius, nope, no anger at the Shooters staff. Shit happens.
Your disrespect for a dead man who did so many things to assist those in need is nothing short of disgusting. It is one thing to be ignorant of the good deeds of a man you obviously know nothing about, but to blame him for a fire he had absolutely nothing to do with reflects very poorly on your character.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/December/2025 @ 10:01 am
Kevin, Dave’s memorial was a nice send-off for a special man. I’ll post some photos from the event later today.
Nope, I checked to make sure I wasn’t billed for what I didn’t get.
Ha! I hadn’t thought of Bubble Up in I don’t know how long. I was curious *ahem* to see if it was still being bottled, so I used that Google thingy to find out the answer. It is! Kiss of Lemon-Kiss of Lime!
Yep, I’m going to see out new adventures for as long as I can.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/December/2025 @ 9:54 am
Brandon, yes, I was not impressed with the “dining” experience at Shooters. Never again! I had wanted to try that Filling Station place again, but it was late, so I went with convenience.
It took me a minute to figure out what you meant by “Lima Bravos.” 🙂 But I did spot a couple during my Shooters visit.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/December/2025 @ 9:40 am
Brian, yes, there are direct flights from Manila to Siargao. Also, Philippines Air has just launched a nonstop Clark to Siargao flight. That’s definitely the route I’ll take for my next trip.
I didn’t make the arrangements for this trip, just followed the plan. We learned some things the hard way, but overall, the good far outweighed the bad. All this online technology was a new challenge for me, but I managed to get booked, check in, and use a QR boarding pass on my phone, so I’m learning.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/December/2025 @ 9:37 am
Kevin, yes, travel comes with frustrations, but Siargao was a nice experience, overall. Yes, I do hope to return to Siargao again. I’m already thinking it is way past time for me to hit another island paradise that has been on my list for too long, Bohol. It’s nice to have travel companions, but I have no issue with only sharing the adventure with Swan.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/December/2025 @ 3:55 pm
Kid, There is always water. Cleans better than paper, too.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/December/2025 @ 3:51 pm
Aloysius, made it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/December/2025 @ 3:50 pm
Koko, if you actually read my blog, you’d know I got back to Luzon last night. But thanks for the kind words.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/December/2025 @ 3:50 pm
Aloysius, I’m paying first-world prices here, and moving your room without notification is wrong in any world. Yes, I’ll be back in time to attend Dr. Dave Fischer’s Memorial.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/December/2025 @ 12:07 pm
Brian, I like the variety and connivence Barretto offers. Beaches and mountains, bars and restaurants, close to supermarkets, malls, hospitals, and the airport in Angeles is an hour away. It’s a good fit for me.
Yes, they’ve lost a potential repeat customer by their stupid practice, but lots of other places to choose from, so their loss, not mine.
HaHa! That was a pose, but I’m pretty good with a resting grumpy face. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/December/2025 @ 9:56 am
Brian, as much as I like it here in Siargao, it is in the “nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live here” category. General Luna is too touristy for my taste, and I’ve yet to find an expat community to hang with. No Hash either. The rest of the island seems too rural for me as well. Also, I was told there is a medical clinic here, but no hospital. For hospitalization, you have to be transported by a ferry boat to Surigao City, which takes an hour. I’d wager that’s a death sentence for severe conditions.
Barretto, despite its flaws, is a good fit for me. At my age, it doesn’t make sense to start over again somewhere else. If I needed to escape, I might flee to La Union or maybe the beach life in Pundaquit.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/December/2025 @ 9:43 am
Kevin, I guess I won’t know the difference until I come across a properly prepared birria taco. I’ll keep looking!
As for the Kimsaurant, I’m running out of time this trip. I hope to be back here one day, and it will be on my “to-do” list.
We got to Hideaway first because Jeff had to detour to a dress shop so Davina could add to her wardrobe.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/December/2025 @ 9:31 am
Kevin, that’s a philosophy I Kant do. (sorry, couldn’t resist). But seriously, what happened to the concept of accepting people for the way they are. If I’m a selfish prick, love me or leave me for what I am.
That said, I’m trying to do better, but damn, I sometimes feel like the caricature of the grumpy old man.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/December/2025 @ 5:43 pm
Koko, nothing to worry about, all is fine with Swan and me. I think I’ve walked by the church you mentioned, but I don’t require any assistance from the Priest.
I’ll be flying out on Tuesday.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/November/2025 @ 10:17 am
J, well, I can be an asshole, but I don’t get violent. Thanks for your support and concern.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/November/2025 @ 10:08 am
Kevin, that sentence is shit, period. Maybe one or both of these correct the dependent clause problem:
We did a 6K walk to the outskirts of General Luna and back, and then we finished the day with an ill-fated bar crawl.
We did a 6K walk to the outskirts of General Luna and back. Later on, we finished the day with an ill-fated bar crawl.
What say you?
I’ve seen lots of those leaning palm trees this trip. Some of them grow that way, and others were knocked sideways in the recent typhoon.
I think I hated Paraluman so much that I subconsciously misspelled it on purpose. Twice.
I really do appreciate that Buddhist analogy. It hits really close to home. I acknowledge my inherently selfish nature, and really need to work on not overreacting when things don’t go my way. Thanks for the insights and encouragement. I’m in the final chapter of my life and hope I can finally get it right this time.
Swan is a special woman, that’s for sure. My selfish behavior, as manifested in my lack of patience, does trigger her on occasion. I hope to do better going forward. Maybe I can teach her to do this: “Take a deep breath. Relax. Accept John’s selfish ways.” Hey, it could work!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/November/2025 @ 10:02 am
Terry, the night definitely didn’t go as planned. Jeff wanted me to leave and reconcile with Swan rather than sitting there brooding over my beer glass and ruining the night for everyone else. So, that’s what I did, and it turned out okay for all concerned.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/November/2025 @ 9:39 am
Kevin, yep, spelling Siargao correctly comes naturally now. Unlike that bitch Paraluman.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/November/2025 @ 10:13 am
Brian, yeah, the problem starts with the lack of planning and resources before the move. I have heard stories of guys being scammed out of everything they have, but then, that’s just another kind of stupid.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/November/2025 @ 9:36 am
Kevin, re-reading that Bukowski meme just now, the only problem I see is with the capitalization. I also don’t like using the “&” symbol, but I guess there is nothing technically wrong with doing so.
Jeff did all the driving. I’m not licensed, so I didn’t help.
Okay, maybe the shorts thing is just an excuse. I’m not that into swimming is the more honest answer. I’ll wade when circumstances require me to.
I asked Chris if he and Dr. Jo would eventually relocate to Siargao, and he said they would not. Chris comes often for surfing anyway, so I guess he’ll be a part-time owner at the brewery.
Yeah, I noticed the missing daughters in that second panel, too. Sad, because Dad jokes are a blessing!
As I reported in today’s post, the barhop was a flop.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/November/2025 @ 5:55 pm
Turbo, I’d leave the hole in the wall. That’s the stuff of memories. Enjoy your vodka!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/November/2025 @ 5:38 pm
Aloysius, the attraction was the nice signage. We stopped by there last night, but left. No one there, chairs still leaning on the tables. Must be a late-night venue, and I don’t do late nights.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/November/2025 @ 10:20 am
Kevin, after yesterday’s end-to-end drive around, I can confirm that this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen. In addition to the wonderful landscape, there is almost no litter anywhere, the roads are well-maintained, and there isn’t much traffic. I fear that upon my return to Barretto, its flaws will be all the more noticeable.
I hadn’t even noticed that green stuff on the “fresh fish” photo. Looks chunkier than the chimichurri in the post you linked. Didn’t Mary Poppins sing about that stuff?
I don’t see an octopus, but then, the whole thing looked like an aberration, even in person.
If I ever get that drunk, I probably won’t want to remember!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/November/2025 @ 10:16 am
Kevin, you know me, I’m commatose. Still, that one should have been obvious. I think what threw me off was that it was the post title. Lame excuse, but that’s all I’ve got.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/November/2025 @ 10:18 am
Kevin, nope, didn’t catch your error. Must be my forgiving nature. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/November/2025 @ 9:54 am
Kevin, man, that repeated misspelling of SIARGAO was bad, even by my low standards. I’m pretty sure I mispronounce the name, too. Anyway, I’ve fixed the problem for good this time. I took your advice about sounding out SI (yes in Spanish) and AR (are I gonna get it right this time?) as I type the word. I also added Siargao to my spellchecker dictionary.
Haven’t seen any tigers or people dressed like Muslims yet, so we ought to be good. I’m more worried about those cannibals feasting on old folks like me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/November/2025 @ 6:33 am
Kevin, that comma I just added?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/November/2025 @ 6:23 am
Drain, I didn’t even know Rockwell was a thing until this visit. All I hear about is Makati and BGC. But yeah, you don’t have to walk far from anywhere to get back to the real Philippines.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/November/2025 @ 9:58 am
«« Back To Stats PageThanks, Brandon. Things got a little fuzzy as the night went on. I don’t remember my own name half the time…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/November/2025 @ 6:22 am