Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Kev, that portion of the trail got dropped because we needed to shorten the trail length for the Hash run. Our Santa was barely able to complete the shorter version.
John’s place has two floors–a second-floor dining area and a third-floor open-air rooftop bar area. We prefer the third-floor views. There is no staff on the top level, so our practice is to give the waitress our drink order as we arrive to save her a trip up the stairs. She brings a menu with the drinks, and we order our meal. When she never showed up this time, we went back downstairs and discovered she had forgotten about us. Shit happens, but yeah, I had the same thought as you; this is the first sign that John’s absence is leading to the deterioration of the high standards he maintained.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/December/2024 @ 6:20 am
Yes, that’s always been an issue, especially with firecrackers and other explosives. Anything that makes noise here is popular and the skyrockets are ubiquitous. I’m not sure the reasons behind the ban, but I assume it is the potential for injuries and fires.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/December/2024 @ 7:46 am
Kev, yes, that’s her legal name. She uses her middle name, Miel, most of the time. Her nickname is “Tin,” which I assume derives from ChrisTINe.
There were so many dishes, and only things like the roast chicken looked familiar. Once it was on my plate, it didn’t matter. There was nothing that I hated.
Regarding the video, I didn’t really think about it. I had just read your email guidance and spontaneously grabbed my phone, turned on the camera, and recorded the poem off the top of my head. I doubt I’ll be doing enough videos to warrant buying quality equipment, though. Yeah, Styx-style works for me!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/December/2024 @ 7:40 am
Kev, I swear I’m getting sloppier and sloppier in my writing. I’m not just talking about the long-standing grammatical issues; now I’m fraught with typos and using the wrong word (i.e., velocity instead of voltage). The scary thing is that even when I proofread (I swear I re-read before posting), I still miss this type of shit. I fear I’m well on my way to dementia.
Yes, there are neighborhoods around that have a reputation for drug-addicted residents, but nothing like what you see in the USA. However, these rural villages where native Aetas reside are just poor communities where the people do their best to get by and keep food on the table. That’s why it feels so good to help them out with an event like this one. I really don’t have a basis for comparison with stateside poor folks. I’m not aware of blatant discrimination against Aeta people, but I also don’t see them integrated into Filipino society. They tend to stick to themselves in their own spaces. I think the primary cause of poverty for them is a lack of opportunity to better themselves.
Regarding the lost glove, I don’t think I’ll share your addiction to spotting them. I have so many other interesting litter options to choose from here. I’ll share a photo of what I mean in today’s post.
We don’t often hike through villages like Alibang and Iram, but we are usually remembered when we do. The people we encounter are naturally friendly and grateful for our kindness to them.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/December/2024 @ 8:01 am
Ginger, I am a lover of poetry, and to be fully appreciated, a poem should be read out loud. Some of my earliest memories are of my father sitting in his easy chair after work and reading his favorites to us kids.
I’ve been complimented on my deep voice over the years, but alas, I don’t have a clue how to record myself and post it here. I couldn’t even figure out how to post the video from the charity event on the blog, hence the link to Facebook. If I figure something out, I’ll post one just for you! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/December/2024 @ 7:41 am
Kev, oops! I’ve got to hand it to you. Sometimes I feel like a blind man missing the obvious. I’m tempted to turn my Grammarly app back on just to catch some of the dumb shit I miss. It’s fixed now.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/December/2024 @ 7:30 am
Kev, yep, video killed the radio star…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/December/2024 @ 7:26 am
Friendly and kind. It’s the Filipino way.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/December/2024 @ 9:22 pm
No, Kevin, I was talking about me. I named my rooftop “The Rite Spot” after a hamburger joint my dad managed when I was a kid. So, using “Right” in that context was very wrong indeed. The sad thing is that I wrote it in the wrong form and then didn’t see the mistake during my proofreading. Maybe I should hire you as a proofreader…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/December/2024 @ 7:55 am
Will they outlive their dog?
I wondered the same thing. The dog looks better fed than they do.
It is so wrong when you misspell “Rite.” I feel like the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz.
Thanks for the song link. I’m trying to bravely exercise my discretion on what and how much to eat.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/December/2024 @ 7:02 am
Terry, I don’t know all the details, but apparently she asked Swan to barfine her…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/December/2024 @ 6:54 am
Unburdened by what has been.
Now I feel dumber than usual.
Merry Christmas!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/December/2024 @ 6:29 am
Brian, as far as I can tell, the only “responsibilities” associated with being a godparent here involve money. You are expected to gift cash on birthdays, Christmas, and other occasions when your godchild is in need. I understand my name was included in the christening documents (I didn’t attend the event) and I gave my goddaughter’s mother 1000 pesos to commemorate the occasion.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/December/2024 @ 7:50 am
So you marked the Hash trail yesterday, then did almost the same trail for your candy run today?
No, what I meant to say was that we marked the Hash trail DURING our Candy Walk on Sunday. The Hash trail was mostly the same, just a little longer.
I don’t fully understand the godparent process, but no formal ritual was involved. Swan gave the mother a piece of paper with her name on it, and a small cash donation, and that was it. I’ll find out more tomorrow when I become one for a niece of Swan’s.
We were the only customers we we first arrived
The scary thing is my brain was still farting when I did the proofreading.
Maybe you made the error on purpose…?
I wish I could take the coward’s way out and say the error was in fun. Alas, it was just another embarrassing fuck-up. The crazy thing is I fully understand the distinction between “discrete” and “discreet.” I guess in my discretion, I chose to be wrong; I just should have been more discreet about it.
“Hump Day”–that’s a good one. For Kirk, every day is Hump Day!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/December/2024 @ 7:46 am
Heidi was married to a well-off Brit who built the house before he passed away several years ago. These days, the second-floor rooms are used for Airbnb rentals, and the rooftop is a community space. I know if I lived there, I’d spend all my spare time on the roof. And yes, the food was outstanding.
Yep, Mark’s passing is a good reminder that you never know when your time will be over. I read that he was the father of a young child here. I hope he made provisions for the widow so the family is taken care of. That’s right—six years in the country—just like me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/December/2024 @ 7:23 am
I will enjoy a nice Christmas feast. Even though I’m counting calories, I’m still enjoying myself and eating well.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/December/2024 @ 7:13 am
Brian. Precisely. I just don’t get the thinking. Let’s charge 150 and make a hundred pesos profit on each beer we sell, and MAYBE sell ten a day (the place is always empty when I pass by). Or, I can charge 100, make fifty per bottle, and sell fifty beers a day. Let’s do the math.
Again, it could be a very nice beach venue but they are apparently to mathematically challenged to make it work. Oh well, I’m glad for all the other options!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/December/2024 @ 7:54 am
Kev, it was a discrete mistake that I didn’t make discreetly. Thanks for the reminder; surely, I knew that at one time. Maybe that girl who knew me that I couldn’t remember was named Grammar.
I couldn’t climb 6000 stairsteps in my dreams. It would be more like a nightmare!
Wet Spot is one of those dark bars, and I’m shy about ruining the vibe by using a flash, so my pics are a red alert. That’s why I don’t mind stealing shots taken by the event’s official photographer.
Yeah, the dancer gave that pole a workout. I was thinking the same thing about the potential collapse as I watched her performance.
I’ve had the Viking pizza before, but it doesn’t compare to Gino’s in Itaewon.
With Aussies, it’s the accent my brain struggles to decipher. With my Scottish friend back in Korea, it was the expressions. “My bonnet’s full of heavy sheet. How many stones can that lift carry?”
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/December/2024 @ 7:40 am
Kev, Johm’s is the correct rendition of the bar’s name, although I shake my head every time I see it. Most Filipinos write my name as “Jhon” for some reason. In the case of “Thumstar,” that is just sloppy work from the sign maker. We constantly deal with misspellings on Hash shirts we have made here. I’m not sure if the workers are ignorant or apathetic. *ahem*
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/December/2024 @ 7:10 am
Swan is what I call my girlfriend here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/December/2024 @ 7:00 am
Brian, yep, that’s true of most big cities–all the negative aspects are amplified. I don’t even like to go to the airport in Manila if I can avoid it.
The expat community in Barretto is primarily old retired guys like me. I always shake my head in wonder when yet another new bar opens in town. There ain’t enough of us to keep them all going as it is, and the foreigner tourists have not come back at a pre-COVID level. The beach resorts fill up on the weekend with Filipinos, but they don’t tend to patronize Western bars. So, that’s why I force myself to go out drinking all the time–I’m trying to support our local business community! That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/December/2024 @ 6:59 am
It doesn’t always go according to plan
Kev, we don’t have any nature preserves or parkland that I’ve seen in this area, and certainly no rangers. Most of the land we hike is privately owned, so I guess the owners are free to fence as they please. The barangay will intervene if there are property disputes.
Yes, I remember that journey to Bundang. It was mostly enjoyable, just too short! 🙂 In my Philippines travels, I’ve only seen one nature reserve, a sanctuary for eagles down in Mindanao. I’m sure there are more, just not around where I live.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/December/2024 @ 7:19 am
Kev, it can be frustrating when your intended path is blocked, but as you say, it can also trigger a spirit of adventure. That was the case on Wednesday’s hike.
I’m not sure what you mean by “park authorities,” but they don’t exist in these parts. The land we hike is generally not public space, and more and more frequently, the land owners are fencing their property, perhaps in an effort to keep squatters out. What I can’t figure out is how the folks who live on adjacent land deal with losing access to their property. You’d think there would be right-of-way passages included in the deeds, but maybe that’s just my first-world mentality.
That Obama meme was meant as a joke. I don’t believe Michelle is a male, just an ugly masculine woman. And my point was that it is hypocritical of the left to get offended after all the hatred they’ve spewed against anyone who has a contrary worldview.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/December/2024 @ 6:55 am
Aaron, I’ve noticed good rock music consistently in places like BarCelona and Cheap Charlies. Kokomo’s floating bar has a great playlist, but it is usually too loud for my taste. Some bars, like Hideaway, will play whatever you request.
Johm’s and Thumbstar are the only bars I’ve heard have trannies. I don’t frequent either one.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/December/2024 @ 6:45 am
Most of the time, I manage to stay within my charity budget, but this December has been rather exceptional. It’s not that I can’t say no; it’s just that I don’t want to. I’m providing the funds for this feeding, but Swan is doing all the organizing and heavy lifting. It’s what she loves to do–a one-woman NGO.
I honestly don’t know that comic’s authorship. Like you, I didn’t get a Watterson vibe from it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/December/2024 @ 6:48 am
I don’t know, Brian. I’m a nine-to-five guy. Isn’t that the traditional measure of a hard worker? I wasn’t always such an early-to-bed person, I’m just a creature of circumstances. I usually head into town around four. My drinking capacity is maxed after three or four hours, so I head back home. Once I’ve had my dessert, I’m ready to sleep. Starting to drink later might be a solution, but I don’t want to walk into town in the dark. Anyway, I like getting up before the sun and enjoying some quiet time with my laptop.
Yep, spend your money while you can because you can’t take it with you.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/December/2024 @ 6:38 am
“I know you took that shot for the tight little butt and the butt floss, you perv.”
Well, you noticed it, too. So, what does that make you? 🙂
Yes, the beach life is a big part of what I love about living here. And even after all these years, the view of the mountains and the water is still awesome and inspiring.
Yes, three sessions so far. The first two were actual chelation; yesterday was an IV to restore the good stuff chelation removes. Next month, we will do round two. I haven’t noticed any changes externally, but the goal is to clear those arteries. Dr. Jo says chelation can reduce blood sugar as well, but that’s something I don’t check, so I don’t know if it is working in that regard.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/December/2024 @ 7:34 am
Aaron, I worked hard all my life so I could be gay someday.
I’m so out of touch with reality that I had to Google CobraTate to see who was spewing that BS. I’m glad I’m not living the way he suggests.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/December/2024 @ 7:23 am
Nope, I never want to drive or ride in that cart on the highway. It’s fine in the neighborhood. We had to pick up a package at the guard shack yesterday, and I drove it down for that, but that’s as far as I’ll go.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/December/2024 @ 7:02 am
«« Back To Stats PageI took it for a test drive in the neighborhood but there is no way I’d drive it on the street. I’ve advised Swan to stay off the highway, but we’ll see. The Santa trail next week had portions that would be inaccessible in a vehicle anyway.
There are so many times that I will see something stupid written and think, “that is not going to age well”
I trust you’ve never thought that while reading LTG!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/December/2024 @ 6:59 am