Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Yep, the wording on that banner was the worst I’ve seen. It would be almost funny if the subject weren’t so serious. The family should have just said what they wanted in Tagalog.
Sorry, I’m not getting the “elbo” reference. Help me out.
I still have not had a taste of the erythritol. The spearmint cooling you describe doesn’t sound that appetizing, but perhaps it’s not as noticeable after baking. That shit ain’t cheap, so we’ll find out soon enough, I suppose.
Never really been a Skeletor fan, but I do enjoy a good pun. I’ll check it out, thanks!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/November/2024 @ 7:46 am
Kev, you have to be careful as a pedestrian, that’s for sure. Some of the pits are in the middle of a sidewalk with no barriers whatsoever.
Ah, now I understand the context of “lector.” Makes me hungry for more!
Daddy Dave owns Wet Spot and Green Room. He’s been hosting the SOB for over twenty years now (starting in Angeles). Seven bars participate, and the contest rotates weekly. This time it was La Oficina’s turn. Dave has no authority in that venue; he’s just there to run the show. Local drinks are the standard fare at the standard prices. Coke would be included in that. Some bars overcharge for wine; others charge prices similar to local drinks. La Oficina and Queen Victoria are the only SOB venues that wouldn’t allow Swan her wine. The stupid thing is that I offered to pay the difference in the price of a local drink, and they still refused.
I do keep count of what I imbibe these days, but I was in the mood that night. And who knew that a few chicken fingers would cost me 500 calories?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/November/2024 @ 8:00 am
Terry, I can blast anytime, anywhere, without warning. But that spray bottle is alcohol for cleaning her hands.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 24/November/2024 @ 7:38 am
Nice to hear from you again, Thompson. I’ve never been a fan of Indian food, and your description of the meal’s aftermath doesn’t entice me to try some anytime soon. Sipping beer in an old man’s bar sounds nice, though.
It’s strange how a song can trigger a memory. I’ve had that happen, too, but alas, most of the time, they are not happy ones. I guess that Proclaimers tune really stinks for you. I’ll try not to regurgitate it in the future!
“If you get people asking the wrong questions, you don’t have to worry about the answers.”
Hunter S. Thompson
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/November/2024 @ 8:05 am
Joo can dew eet!
I’m not sure how adopting Judaism will make a difference in my distance-walking ability.
I don’t eat rice, and seeing the drying method here makes me glad about that.
I think if I tried long daily walks like that, the blisters would be the least of my problems.
I re-read your post on beer bellies, but I can’t blame the beer or heredity for mine. My dad’s beer drinking puts mine to shame, and he remained thin his entire life. Almost everyone I know is a drinker, and a lot of them aren’t fat. I blame sweets and other poor diet choices for my current obesity. Beer doesn’t help, I know. I’ve probably reduced my consumption by 50% since beginning my current diet regimen.
At least she gets to know what you’re like on the inside.
That’s what I tell her. And caring is sharing.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/November/2024 @ 7:46 am
Kev, Or maybe he found Waldo in a bar, joined him for a beer, and then never left. The comma goes after “day”–just don’t ask me why! 🙂
Yep, tampo is like being on the rag and usually lasts about the same amount of time. The big difference is Filipinas go silent. Some guys enjoy it when their gal is in tampo mode.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/November/2024 @ 8:51 am
Scott, nope. I have no interest whatsoever in interrupting the joys of retired life. Besides, I don’t have the foodie skills needed to maintain John’s quality standards. I’m not sure how the place will fare without him, although John’s wife did most of the cooking. I think it will come down to finances.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/November/2024 @ 8:45 am
Kev, what I was trying to say was that I prefer the “goopy” canned cranberry sauce over the gelatin style. I’ll eat either, though, and enjoy it.
To me, the cranberry flavor goes well with turkey. Or maybe it’s just that I only eat cranberry sauce at a Thanksgiving feast. I hope I can find some at Royal this week.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/November/2024 @ 7:53 am
Kev, thanks for the tips and the links. Turkey is in the freezer, I’ll fridge-thaw starting on Monday.
You know me, I’ll keep it as simple as possible. I ordered some pumpkin pies pre-baked for delivery on Wednesday. I hope to find some canned cranberries (I prefer berries to sauce). I don’t think fresh cranberries are available here. Swan reminds me of you–she’s been checking out YouTube for some preparation ideas. I’m confident we will find the right mix of easy and tasty.
Yes, I had the same idea about having plenty of take-away containers on hand so I won’t be tempted by leftovers!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/November/2024 @ 8:30 am
Kev, the first turn was to the left.
Ha! That was a creative solution to your keyless adventure. Didn’t even have to break anything. Well done!
The death rituals here are like none others that I’ve seen. Maybe it’s a Catholic thing. You’ve seen the funeral banners I post from my walks. That’s the precursor to erecting a canopy in the street near where the deceased lived, with chairs and tables underneath. Those are up for two or three days, and friends and family come to hang out, play cards, and reminisce. On the final day, the coffin is displayed with the corpse in full view. It’s freaky to walk by and see a dead body lying there.
Anyway, like you, I don’t want to see the body of the dearly departed. The living memories are the ones I hold onto. I’d never thought of that ashes-to-paint idea, but yeah, it seems a tad haunting to me. I won’t care what happens after I’m gone, of course, but my preference is to be cremated and have the ashes scattered on a Hash trail. On-On to whatever comes after!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/November/2024 @ 6:53 am
Brian, turning right is my usual path, but I started out that day going left. Then I made a HARD right and continued on my way. 🙂
It’s great that you don’t need to lock up when you leave home, but yeah, relying on the garage door opener could leave you stranded. I assume those keypad entries also depend on electricity. Now, there was a time when I used the “hidden key” strategy. Not under the mat, that’s too obvious. Of course, coming home drunk and remembering the hiding place could be problematic. Looks like keys in the pocket are the safest way to go. Until you lose them.
Ah, well. Francis Scott will always be my favorite Key. I should put that on a banner. Spangled with stars.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/November/2024 @ 6:37 am
Kev, Wow! That’s an amazing menu and much more extensive than what I have planned. I’m going to steal a couple of these ideas, though. The biggest issue will be finding some of the items I want. Seeing cranberries in a can is rare here, and I doubt fresh cranberries exist in my corner of the world. Pumpkin pie is my favorite, but I’ve never seen the ingredients for sale. I’m going to stop into Myleen’s today and see if they will bake a couple for me.
Yep, Thanks for Giving us a day of carb love. Then we can walk it all off!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/November/2024 @ 6:28 am
Shorter than it should have been
Kev, I still haven’t gotten over being dumped by Jee Yeun almost ten years ago. So, while I have no reason to doubt that Swan will stay by my side through whatever trials and tribulations may come, harsh experience has taught me not to count on it. Maybe I got lucky this time.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/November/2024 @ 8:01 am
Brian, in the case of serious illness or a need for major surgery, most expats I’ve known here travel back to their home country for treatment. That’s likely what I would do. I put off that nasal surgery I needed for a long time because I didn’t want to go under general anesthesia here. I finally relented and went to a local hospital for the procedure. That only required a one-night stay. I had a private room, but it was still uncomfortable.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/November/2024 @ 7:53 am
Drain, Yep, nothing like it before or since. Glad I got to experience it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/November/2024 @ 7:26 am
Yeah, we enjoy it almost as much as the kids, so we will continue the candy walks as long as we are able.
It must be both BMR and activity calories. I just woke up, and according to the Fitbit tracker, I’ve burned 530 calories.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/November/2024 @ 7:57 am
Kev, I’ve been on several hikes to so-called falls, but the only real waterfall I’ve seen is Mampueng Falls in Olongapo. I’m sure there are others, just haven’t found them yet.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2024 @ 8:12 am
The demoncrats aren’t acting in bad faith. Their goal is the destruction of American values and freedom. I do not support those efforts. It is my fervent hope that Trump can change the course we are on before it is too late.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2024 @ 8:02 am
The flags aren’t always up at the church. I think it is for a Fiesta celebration earlier this month.
I’ve been gone from the USA so long I don’t recall ever seeing Silver Diner. Sounds fun!
I’m counting the alcohol calories too (they are the “snacks” on my chart). The group I was hanging with last night went out for an after-dinner drink but I declined, knowing one more beer would put me over my daily goal. Getting under 200 is my goal. I did it before, I can do it again!
Yeah, I hesitated using that song, and meant no disrespect. I would have loved to see you two have a foodies convention. John likely would have drug you into the kitchen and said “show me!” He loved finding new recipes and methods. Things won’t be the same around here without him.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2024 @ 7:30 am
Brian, I know John had his struggles financially after a previous hospital stay, so I think the family is likely in for a struggle.
Eat less, walk more, drink in moderation. That’s the plan!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2024 @ 7:06 am
When I take days off from beer, I go with gin. My tracker says 85 calories per shot. That’s still more than the 60 in a Zero, but much fewer carbs.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/November/2024 @ 5:03 pm
Kev, well, I do have some arterial blockage, and I’m pre-diabetic, so chelation is supposed to help remove the plaque from my veins. I do trust Dr. Jo and hubby Chris. They are both doing chelation treatments on each other, so they are true believers in this therapy. Plus, they laugh at my jokes!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/November/2024 @ 7:59 am
Brian, the bar name Laharnyz is pronounced: LA HAR NEES. It’s that crazy “z” on the end that makes it weird.
Most of hard booze is similar in calories, it is what you mix it with that makes a difference. That’s why I use calorie-free soda water with my gin. Vodka and rum (with diet Coke) are other options. I’ve never been a fan of hard liquor (too powerful and fast-acting); that’s why I tone it down with one shot in a tall glass and a can of soda on the side.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/November/2024 @ 7:52 am
Antoine, thanks for sharing your world view, which boils down to make it illegal to disagree with you. Pol Pot tried that in Cambodia, so we know how it turns out. Enjoy the killing fields!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/November/2024 @ 7:39 am
Terry, it’s sad really. People don’t have to agree on the best way forward, but those disagreements shouldn’t devolve into those kind of attacks. To me, elections should be based on policy, not personality. I suspect the red votes were more about the economy, the borders, and anti-wokeness than they were from fervent Trumpsters.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/November/2024 @ 7:37 am
Yes, a stroke is bad enough without non-functioning kidneys. He’s got a tough road ahead for sure.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2024 @ 8:39 am
Kev, I’m hearing that hospitals here don’t use universal blood matches, but I am not sure why. I know that back in the USA, if someone needed blood, I could donate to the blood bank even if it weren’t a match, and the patient could withdraw the type of blood they needed. I understand that’s also not an option here.
Apparently, A+ is a rare blood type among Filipinos. This isn’t the first urgent request from a foreigner for this type of blood I’ve seen. I’m hoping for an update on John’s situation soon.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2024 @ 8:36 am
Thanks for the baking advice. I’m not sure I like muffins enough to make the effort worthwhile (I’ve always been an “out-of-the-box” baker). I know Swan has been looking at different recipes for healthy sweets, so I’ll pass this info along.
I will definitely look into “intuitive eating.” The name reminds me of that old “seafood diet” joke—I see food, and I eat it. My lack of self-control and discipline got me into this fat mess, so I may not be a good candidate either. Still, I’m doing well at avoiding most of the bad stuff (including pie and ice cream) so far, so anything is possible, I suppose.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2024 @ 8:27 am
Nope, just a happy American.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2024 @ 10:22 am
«« Back To Stats PageI usually wake up feeling hungry, so skipping breakfast is more difficult for me. Yesterday morning, I had some bacon and one egg and then didn’t eat again until dinner at 5 p.m. I tend to eat when I’m hungry, but I’m trying to be smarter about what I eat when I do.
Alas, Reagan is not on Netflix. Where did you watch it? I wasn’t a Reagan fan back in the day, but I have come to see he was a man for the times. I wish Trump were more like him, but good policy and mean tweets are still so much better than Biden-Harris.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2024 @ 7:26 am