Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 1,141 To 1,170 Of 6,593 Comments
Kev, The damper was that no one showed up for the hike. Including me.
Yes, that deck on the ship is for copter landings, and the space underneath is for war supplies. The one in the bay is empty, so maybe it is here for repairs.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/June/2025 @ 10:29 am
Brian, I agree that people can disagree on an issue and maintain civility. I’ve got some lefty friends who post some crazy shit, but I just ignore the bait. I’ve never blocked someone because of political differences.
This poem excerpt captures my attitude nicely:
For I shall always let thee do,
In generous love, just what I please.
Peace comes, and discord flies away,
Love’s bright day follows hatred’s night;
For I am ready to admit
That you are wrong and I am right.» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/June/2025 @ 10:26 am
Kevin is well aware of what “putting a damper on” means. He was pointing out my lack of clarity about the impact of the damper on the hike. Even artificial intelligence should know that.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/June/2025 @ 10:23 am
WooHoo! I finally got one right!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/June/2025 @ 3:30 pm
Aloysius, thanks for the tips on things to see and do in Da Nang. I’m not a go-go bar fan anyway, just hope to find a spot with cold beer and nice views and I’ll be happy.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/June/2025 @ 3:28 pm
Dr. Greg, I paid the extra money to get non-government quality of service. Two friends recently had bad experiences trying to apply through the official Vietnamese website. Both of them wound up using the provider I used to get their visa hassle-free. Both said it was worth the extra money. What good is cash if you can’t spend it on making your life easier?
I’ve fattened up the Hideaway girls, so I’ve done my duty in that regard.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/June/2025 @ 3:26 pm
Kev, the way the visas work here is that whatever time is left when you exit the country is lost. So, paying for just one month is better than losing the second month. When I return, I’ll get a free 30 days upon entry and then begin the renewal process again after that.
Yeah, I’m honestly not a fan of sagging boobs. I’m in the “more than a mouthful is a waste” camp.
Here’s my re-write of the text:
Holiday season is around the corner, so here’s a step-by-step recipe to cook a stuffed whole chicken in the oven.I added the comma after corner, the hyphens in step-by-step, and an “a” before stuffed. Did I miss anything? And for the record, that’s me, not Grammarly.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/June/2025 @ 8:54 am
Whatever you say, Master. I am just a lowly human here to do your bidding.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/June/2025 @ 8:40 am
Kev, yep, if it weren’t for double standards, the left would have no standards at all.
I should live long enough to exceed my Hashing goal. My concern is that I maintain the ability to hike the trails as I grow older. Time will tell.
Well, I think if I knew what I know now, I’d have gone in a different direction at some of those crossroads. But you are also right to question whether I’m applying a lifetime of learning in my current circumstances. I may be doing a tad better these days at living in and enjoying the moment, but I also find myself sometimes longing for the things I’ve lost. That’s life, and I’m just going to try and embrace the blessings I have as the end draws ever nearer.
Yeah, that’s a Canuck vlogger. As far as I remember, it’s the first time I’ve watched him. I don’t think Swan reads my blog, and I don’t specifically share the videos I post with her. Maybe I should give her a taste of Pea and see how she likes it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/June/2025 @ 9:36 am
HaHa! I thought AI knew EVERYTHING!
My best guess is that some human is cutting and pasting AI answers here from unrelated subjects. I expect he/she/it will grow bored and go away like most of my former readers have.
Thanks for the reminder on the proper spelling of Seoraksan. I’m pretty sure I used the Soraksan version in the past.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/June/2025 @ 5:16 pm
Kev, Alas, I have no fall to pine for. Seeing the post at ROKDrop today about the mountain trails in Seoul made me miss my time on Seroksan (I forgot how to spell it).
It will be Zen no more henceforth.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/June/2025 @ 12:55 pm
Kevin, “Jason” has the same IP as the other AI commenters, so I think it is safe to assume it’s AI impersonating a human. Did I miss a “Dawn of the Dead” reference somewhere? Anyway, I find these comments amusingly entertaining so far. We’ll see how long that lasts.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/June/2025 @ 12:52 pm
Kev, yeah, I just go with the flow and whatever seems funny in my head at the moment.
It is nice to play at correcting bad punctuation on someone’s writing other than my own, for a change!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/June/2025 @ 2:38 pm
Kev, I did remember your guidance about Yanks using “er.” But I went with it anyway because “roost er” was my play on words.
Size is the difference between “appetizer” and “satisfier,” at least when it comes to food.
When people don’t care, they don’t care.
Are you saying I’m ignorant or apathetic? Maybe both? Well, I’ve always been a rebel!Well, an easy fix would be to replace the comma after “this” with a semicolon. If I were writing it, I’d make it two sentences: Listen, girl, I can’t read this. Try again.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/June/2025 @ 9:42 am
Aloysius, no, I don’t. Personality-wise, they are as different as night and day.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/June/2025 @ 2:34 pm
Kev, It’s sort of like your bot phenomenon. My readership has sunk to historic lows lately, so an artificially intelligent commenter is better than nothing. I’ll see where this goes, but I can block unwanted comments if it gets out of hand.
It’s ironic in a way because I’m about the only person around who refuses to use AI for anything.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/June/2025 @ 9:48 am
Johnny/Eddie/Roger: Nope, I don’t have a problem with AI comments, everyone is entitled to share their point of view. I do have comment moderation and I approve all comments prior to posting. Unless it is spam or a scam, it’s all good.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/June/2025 @ 1:06 pm
Kev, there is a honest-to-goodness (tiny) steak under all that gravy. Next time I’ll ask for the gravy on the side.
Like me with my stent, you are now a cyborg!
I see what you did there!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/June/2025 @ 9:31 am
Roger and Eddie, since you both have the same IP address, I assume you are both the same person. Thank you for the comments and the AI who wrote them.
For the record, I don’t know anyone named Celeste and I hate being tickled.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/June/2025 @ 9:29 am
Fred, sorry, I no speaky you language.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/June/2025 @ 1:14 pm
Darryl, it was a chicken burger, so there’s that. And I did wind up having some French fries.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/June/2025 @ 1:13 pm
Hell Yeah you’re wrong. I’m not a conservative, I’m a sane person who thinks for himself. I’m an immigrant and there is nothing inferior about me. I immigrated legally and think everyone should follow my example.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/June/2025 @ 1:12 pm
Kev, thanks for translating the French restaurant name. The food there must be out of this world!
I didn’t check the prices for soft drinks and tea, but yeah, with those prices, they are definitely catering to a non-drinking audience.
Damn, more evidence of my increasingly diminished brain functioning. Right is wrong. That was a stupid mistake. The Rite Spot is the name of the joint my father managed when I was a child, and it has a special place in my memory. So, I know I told my brain to write “Rite,” but for whatever reason, my fingers rebelled.
I’ve already given Swan a list of people to contact when my time on Earth is finished. But yes, I need to make sure someone has the login info for LTG so my readers know there will be no more pathetic posts to come. I hope I live long enough to capture the posts I’ll use to compile “The Story of My Life” before I go. The will just names my daughter executor and deals with whatever finances and funds I still possess at the end of days, so your idea of keeping the blog up with a final post is a good one. I’ll work on that.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/June/2025 @ 1:09 pm
Brian, yes, it comes down to caring about those who care about you. And even the ones that don’t.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/June/2025 @ 12:48 pm
Kev, thanks for the link on cataracts. Hopefully, these lenses in both eyes now will last the rest of my life.
I’m serious when I say littering is the cultural norm here. I see people from all walks of life drop litter without a thought or shame. So, I wouldn’t call it defiance, but everywhere I’ve seen one of those “don’t dump trash here” signs, there has been a pile of garbage around it.
Regarding the wine situation, it is not a problem in most bars. And the ones where it is frequently out-of-stock probably don’t sell much to begin with. Still, making an effort to get a bottle from a nearby store or have one delivered is the hallmark of customer service. Most places can’t be bothered with more than a “sorry,” and those are the places I tend not to patronize in the future.
I have a follow-up appointment today. My left eye is still blurry, but hopefully, it will clear up soon.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/June/2025 @ 10:18 am
Brian, I expected general anesthesia for some reason, but only got a local. I guess I was thinking of the nasal surgery I had.
I have a will with my daughter as executor. The rent is paid here through September, and I expect to renew for another year and pay in advance. Swan is buying a lot and I’m putting money in the savings pot so she can build on it after I’m gone (I don’t want to live there, too far from the bars). So, that’s the extent of my preparations for the inevitable. My goal is to delay that end-of-life thing for another 15 years.
Good luck with the colonoscopy. It’s a pain in the ass (sorry, couldn’t resist) but worthwhile. They found some nodules (non-cancerous) on my first one, so I had to do an annual repeat for a while. It’s been a few years since my last one. I was knocked out for that procedure which is a good thing.
After all that time in Thailand you still have a virgin ass? Congrats!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/June/2025 @ 10:06 am
Kevin, we call people who show up at the On-Home but don’t do any of the trail “socialites.” There’s usually a handful every week, but with the rain and the trail starting way out on Rizal Extension, probably less than ten folks did the hike.
To answer your questions re: alcohol:
1. I can, and occasionally do, drink at home (The Rite Spot is a nice venue). But it would be boring to hang out up there alone all the time. To me, the bars provide a place to hang out around other people and sometimes see familiar faces. I prefer the open-air bar venues where I can sit and enjoy watching the world go by. My bar time is what passes for my social life.2. Well, if by “buzzed” you mean inebriated, that’s not an everyday occurrence. For me, it’s more about relaxing and soaking up the vibes and music. Alcohol, in the form of low-alcohol Zero beer, is a part of my life, but not the most important. I have a three or four-hour window in which I partake (usually 5-8 p.m.), and that includes dining out. I enjoy all aspects of my life, even the ones that don’t involve alcohol.
Reekay’s world is different than the one in which I reside. The occasional babbling drunk is the exception; most of the folks I encounter in the bars just hang out, enjoy the company, and converse with friends. It is very rare to see someone getting loud and obnoxious in the bars I frequent, and when someone crosses the line, they are usually escorted out promptly.
That said, there is one guy in our hiking groups who is tolerable when sober. After a few drinks, his asshole nature takes over. If I’m around him, I pay my tab and say goodnight. Yes, we should choose the kind of people we enjoy and not waste time on the others.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/June/2025 @ 10:03 am
Aloysius, Mama was with Jerry from the beginning. I’m sure she helped lots of young women find their way to prosperity.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/June/2025 @ 3:29 pm
Aloysius, I met the mamasan a few months before she passed. I don’t know why she’d bother to lie about a former employee who’d been gone for ten years or more, but who know.
The mamasan had a daughter who worked in Alaska named Karen. Oh, how I lusted after her. She was a waitress in the bar, but danced with the SOB team. Such a hottie. She hasn’t worked in the bar quite some time now, but I saw her at the recent Alaska twenty-year anniversary party. She was with a handsome guy and looked happy.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/June/2025 @ 2:42 pm
«« Back To Stats PageAloysius, who knows? I honestly don’t care either way. The Alaska mamasan told me she was married and in Australia. Maybe your acquaintance was prior to that. She was a nice woman, and I hope she has a happy life.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/June/2025 @ 8:40 pm