Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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No matter how hard I push the envelope…
SBMA has posted fares for various locations. If I recall correctly, Barretto is 300 pesos, but since I’m on the far side of town and up in the subdivision, I don’t mind paying a little extra. I don’t think SBMA enforces their fares, so I always ask the driver and this is the first time one was reluctant to state the price. That triggered my scam radar, and when he finally said “500,” I knew I was being taken for a ride (heh). Next time, I’ll take a photo of the price chart and challenge an overcharging cab driver.
There are some metered taxis around, but not on SBMA. I took a metered cab from Olongapo once and the fare was less than 300 pesos. I’ve read on some forums about those Bangkok cabs refusing to use the meter, and it seems to be a growing problem. Anyway, I don’t mind paying what’s fair and I usually give a generous tip as well. I just don’t want to be treated like a sucker.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/March/2024 @ 7:53 am
DS, thanks. I think the fair fare is 300-350, and I would have tipped at least 50 on top of that. Instead, he wanted to game me. Fuck him. I know the cabs have to line up and take turns for customers, so I’m hoping he had to go to the back of the queue when I bailed.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/March/2024 @ 8:51 am
Kev, the cab had gone less than a block when I exited, and he is lucky I didn’t report his scam attempt. I’m sorry I lost my temper, though. That is an unwise thing to do in this country.
There are a lot of gals named Mary Jane who go by “MJ.” I don’t know Em Jhae’s real name, but I suspect that is just her unique way of spelling MJ (we are Facebook friends).
I’m unfamiliar with birria–all I know is that is what the menu calls those tacos. They are tasty, though.
Nope, I’ve never been a calorie counter. Judging from my belly, I’d say I’m in the red.
Those branches in the wires are so typical of the way things are done here. Recently, they cut down a tree for road construction but couldn’t be bothered to untangle the branches. My photo was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to capture that unique beauty.
Yes, I avoided being a judge at the SOB. More relaxing that way.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/March/2024 @ 7:20 am
Kev, Geez. I should have said “whose house”–that’s so blatant I can’t even think of a reasonable excuse. Who’s responsible? Me!
That baby is Inday’s daughter, I think she said the girl holding her is her niece. It was such a chance meeting in the middle of nowhere. No wonder all those stairs didn’t give Inday any trouble–usually she is carrying a baby when she climbs them!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/March/2024 @ 8:00 am
Thanks, Brian.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/March/2024 @ 7:47 am
No, never run out. I caught myself counting the other day and realized that if I had to do that, I needed to restock. I’ve got a whole shelf full of shorts that have mysteriously shrunk.
I still get tuckered out on the hard trails but breathe fine. Makes a big difference.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/March/2024 @ 7:48 am
Kev, the mother of my children left us when my daughter was five and my son was three. I had sole custody until they reached adulthood. I left Arizona and moved to Oklahoma, where my parents had a small farm so they could grow up riding horses, and my mom and grandma were there to lend a hand. That photo was taken in Oklahoma. I met wife #2 there, and she was a great stepmother. She is still a big part of their lives in South Carolina. Their mother moved to South Carolina a few years back so she could play the grandmother role. And now I’m the one who disappeared. Neither of my kids has visited me in Korea or the Philippines, and I haven’t been back to the USA in over four years. It’s weird how things turned out.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/March/2024 @ 7:51 am
Yes, the Hares are automatically on the ice, and all those who profess to like the trail join them there. I very rarely say anything positive in the circle about a trail, but always give the Hare feedback directly later.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/March/2024 @ 7:06 am
Kev, I’m not aware of any impact on any future. The land is just an investment that she may or may not develop as a source of income or residence. I’m thirty years older than her; I won’t be around for that.
Geez, another film I hadn’t heard of before. I like your description and deem it worthy to add to my “to see” list. Thanks!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/March/2024 @ 6:10 am
I don’t do a lot of weddings (although I was a best man once), but I’d never seen that money-pinning thing. On the other hand, I didn’t see anyone bringing gifts, so I guess the pinning tradition is better than two toasters. I’ll see if I come across “Plus One” someday; at least, I’ll recognize it now, having seen your review.
I just assumed that person who lived in five states at 22 must have been a military brat. I didn’t make my first move until I was 23.
You make Paris sound like San Francisco.
You’ve already fasted? That was quick… *ahem*
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/March/2024 @ 7:23 am
You can’t tell by the content, but I already spend over an hour a day blogging. If I had to finger type all that text it would become a full-time job. Dedication to my loyal readers only goes so far!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/March/2024 @ 7:25 am
Luckily, I’m not a calorie counter. I’m all about the distance! My problem is about self-discipline. I was sorely tempted to bring home a burger and fries from that McDonald’s (I resisted the urge). That would have canceled out all the calories I managed to burn during my trek.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/March/2024 @ 7:32 am
Those Fitbit stats are the total for the entire day. My actual walk was only 13K (19000 steps). I can only dream of walking a full 18K in one go.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/March/2024 @ 1:35 am
Kev, scrawny though it may be, it is very, very rare to find pumpkin pie at all in these parts. It tasted good, what little of it there was. I agree–the thicker, the better!
Charm is short for Charmelyn or something like that. Everyone just calls her Charm.
I’ve only been to Klimax Bar once (it’s a Filipino hangout), but I love the name. The wedding reception will be at the Subiza Resort on Baloy. And yes, I’m cumming!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/March/2024 @ 7:28 am
Yes, foreigners can’t own anything. Most expat-controlled businesses are corporations with Filipino partners holding the majority of shares, with the foreigner having the largest block and CEO status. I’m sure there are other restrictions and rules, but I never had enough interest to seriously consider going down this road.
Same with housing, and yes, many a sucker gets burned when he buys in his girlfriend/wife’s name.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/March/2024 @ 7:20 am
Kev, there was another guy there I didn’t know who wanted to do the short trail with me. He bailed out after the first hill because he was having breathing issues. I could relate. I’ll walk a familiar trail like My Bitch alone, but I do prefer having someone around in case of emergency.
Well, the chalk markings we use disappear after the first rain, as does the powder. If someone didn’t like it, it would be easily removed. I never heard any complaints about the marks, but sometimes we have had people bitch about “trespassing,” although that is very rare. More common is someone putting up a fence or otherwise blocking a path to keep unwanted passersby out. Overall, though, people are friendly and welcoming.
Roadhouse had a three or four-item menu offering meat pies at the Hash. Whether they are always on offer, I don’t know.
I hadn’t really thought about those outdated expressions, I guess because they still sound natural to me. It is pretty funny when someone points them out like that. Hell, I remember those good ol’ days when you could find someone in the phone book.
Thanks for your support; I’m going to keep pushing it as long as I can. That week off made me realize how much I will miss my hikes if the day comes when I’m unable to get out and about.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/March/2024 @ 7:00 am
I do intend to share my thoughts on both shows. Just been distracted recently. I hesitate to call it a “review,” but we’ll see how it comes out.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/March/2024 @ 8:11 am
Yes, as soon as I complete my procrastination write-up…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/March/2024 @ 3:09 pm
Kev, that bridge was inadequate from day 1, and now it is also dangerous. I wonder if they’ll do the repairs BEFORE someone gets hurt. As for terrorists, taking out the highway between Barretto and Olongapo City would essentially maroon everyone in this neck of the woods—another reason to build that new bypass road.
The Swan sandwich line seemed funny at the time, but yeah, gross now.
It was episode #4, that’s just me being Biden. Watched #5 last night.
Had a good Hash yesterday, I’ll post about that later.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/March/2024 @ 7:39 am
Kev, Max is Dutch, but is working for a German company. I looked up how to say “have a nice trip” in Dutch, and it is Goede Reis. I didn’t realize how similar the two languages are. Now that I think of it, it does make sense.
Regarding dirty kitchens, that’s all I’ve ever heard them called here, by Filipinos and foreigners alike.
Well, Mr. Bushnell earned his five minutes of fame the hard way, and now it’s gonna have to last him a lifetime. He clearly had issues beyond loving Palestine burning inside of him.
The song you missed yesterday was “Take It To The Limit” by the Eagles. Weird that it would be blocked by copyright in Korea but not here. I’ve linked a different version for you.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/March/2024 @ 6:15 am
Yes, overall, I’d say I feel better. I don’t feel lightheaded/faint, and I cough less. We’ll see how it goes on today’s walkabout.
Yeah, the whole house was well-appointed. It makes my place feel like a dump by comparison. Martin is the Brit, and on the other side of me is Yank Jeff and his family downstairs, and Allen, the Aussie upstairs. All are good folks, and I’m really enjoying our hangouts.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/March/2024 @ 7:29 am
Brian, yes, it is all a matter of perspective. When I first moved here, guys would bitch about bars that charged 100 pesos for a beer ($2), but in Seoul I was paying the equivalent of 350 pesos ($7) for the same beer. Still, 160 is high for this area, and I know they raised the prices to compensate for the food discounts. When I left Papagayo I went to Cheap Charlies and had a tasty 55 peso beer!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/March/2024 @ 12:06 pm
Man, oh, man. It’s hard to believe I missed something so obvious. It’s something I will work on.
Re: the group hike–I bailed because I once again had trouble on the morning dog walk. I don’t want to hold the other folks back from a challenging journey, so I chose to just give it a rest. I’ll do a solo hike today.
Well, if I can remember the good stuff and forget the bad, this descent into ignorance will almost be worth it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/March/2024 @ 7:01 am
Yep, it’s my kind of place!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/March/2024 @ 2:31 pm
Kev, yep, I did it again. Honestly, it is as much being sloppy as it is ignorance. I’ll try and do better.
I’m not a big karaoke fan, especially in large public gatherings. It is more tolerable among a small group of friends. That’s why I always liked the norebang concept in Korea. Probably only half of us actually sang, and we didn’t have the volume turned up to “distort” like you usually hear in these parts. So, even if you chose not to sing, you could still converse with the person beside you.
I’ve got some new meds to try. We’ll see what happens.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/March/2024 @ 7:54 am
Brian, I wouldn’t lie to Swan, but I also won’t share things that are better left unsaid. Of course, given my history, I’m probably the biggest red flag in the relationship. I’m going to do my best to avoid the mistakes I’ve made in the past, but there must be a whole universe of possible fuck-ups left to be discovered. Anyway, so far, so good.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/March/2024 @ 2:30 pm
Kev, Swan knows I have a blog, but she has never asked to see it, and I don’t think she has read it on her own. I’m probably not as open to sharing my thoughts and feelings about her here now, but I don’t have anything negative to say. She’s been like a dream come true for the most part.
Yeah, I must have been doing the math in metrics, but still, it was a silly mistake. A good reminder to think before I write…not that that would make much difference these days.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/February/2024 @ 7:07 am
It’s official: I’m a Flat Earther
Kev, damn, the hits just keep on comin’. I had considered doing “apostrophe’s” as a joke, but the “hare’s” thing was just me being my usual stupid self. And then I put an exclamation point on dumb by posting that Quora answer that didn’t add up. Ignorance abounds!
Yeah, I’m not ready to give up the hope that I’ll regain whatever I need to do some hills again. In the meantime, I’ll keep going flat as best I can.
Yes, I’m feeling guilty about the delay in writing about “Shameless.” I hesitate to call it a review; I’m just going to share some thoughts and perspectives. I’m only on episode three of “Blue Eye Samurai,” just haven’t had much TV time lately. I’ll get back on it soon!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:40 am
Terry, yep, it doesn’t add up. I have no idea what I was thinking. Oh, wait. I wasn’t.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:21 am
«« Back To Stats PageBrian, geez, I posted that Quora answer two years ago and it has had over two thousand views. Nothing like telling the world, “hey, look at me! I’m stupid!”
Yeah, at least I can still walk, even if I can’t climb. One option might be to increase the distance I go when walking flat.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/February/2024 @ 7:20 am