Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 1,891 To 1,920 Of 6,501 Comments
Thanks, Drain.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/July/2024 @ 7:18 am
Kev, the doctor didn’t show up yesterday. I have an appointment with a different doctor this morning. When I had the nose nodule surgery back in December, I had to get cardiologist clearance, and that included those tests you mentioned. Hopefully, my heart function has not deteriorated that much in a few months. I’ll definitely ask about it, though, and I don’t mind re-testing to be sure. FWIW, my blood oxygen has been much improved over the last twelve hours (97%), so perhaps things are getting better on their own.
I come from a beer-drinking culture, and imbibing is part of who I am. I suppose I could quit anytime I want, but I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d want to. Quit or die, maybe. Otherwise, probably not. That said, I pride myself on not letting alcohol control my life. I see the 9 a.m. drinkers around town and just shake my head. That will never be me. I have a window for drinking (usually no earlier than four or later than 8) that I adhere to. I rarely drink hard liquor, and the beer I drink is so low in alcohol content that beer connoisseurs mock it as being close to water. I over-indulge occasionally, but almost never get “pass out” or “falling down” drunk. So, I feel like I’m the master of my life, not the beer I drink.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/July/2024 @ 7:17 am
Kev, well, I still have the low blood oxygen levels frequently, but even when in the normal range, the breathing issues have persisted. That’s a new and ugly twist. I’m hoping the doc can make some recommendations.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2024 @ 7:37 am
No, Hops and Brews carries a large selection of craft beers but doesn’t brew any. Even my San Miguel Light was on draft, so I was downing pints at the gathering. No one in town brews, but the Pinatubo Brewery in San Antonio, about 40 minutes away, is pretty popular.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2024 @ 7:33 am
Dan, you are right, but I think an assassination might have been a “Fort Sumter” moment. Glad we didn’t have to find out one way or the other!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2024 @ 7:41 am
Okay, they are both right then, depending on the context. I attended an SOB, and the guy at the next table was a real SOB. That makes sense.
Well, I’d known Michelle for years from dart league. Her Filipino boyfriend got deported back to the Philippines. We attended a wedding together once but as friends. It was never a physical relationship with her. So, it really was just supposed to be a goodbye dinner before she left and a surprise going away present. I can’t imagine I had a reputation—I was lonely most of the time after Jee Yeun left me.
I’ve never talked to the one-hand man about a prosthesis, but I doubt he could afford one. He lives in a shack with his wife and kids right outside the gate in Alta Vista. I saw him working as a laborer at one of the construction sites, but apparently, that didn’t last. I’m not sure how he makes a living now.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2024 @ 7:05 am
Damn, I didn’t know and I missed it. Oh well, I hereby declare today National Pecan Pie Day in the Philippines!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/July/2024 @ 9:04 am
Kev, no, Mama is the umbrella lady. You will never see her without it. I normally hand her the money, but I wasn’t willing to go down three flights of stairs (and then back up again) to do that. I briefly considered and rejected tossing it down to her on the street. Then, the peanut vendor solved the problem.
It depends on the coupon. “The buy one, get one” types are only good for one purchase, but if you have more than one coupon, you are good to go. On the other hand, the “happy hour pricing” couldn’t be used in conjunction with other coupons. I got the pizza upgrade but not the 15% discount I got on the other food. The biggest drawback for me is that they expire in one week. So, it’s use or lose them.
I didn’t even recognize Reba or realize we are the same age.
That’s the way I thought he lost his finger before I noticed the knife…
The SOB has a 750 peso entry fee and is all you can drink from 6 until 8. I feel challenged to get my money’s worth!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/July/2024 @ 9:02 am
Thanks, Kev. I just read up a little on HITT, and it’s something to think about. The concept sounds good for someone with a low attention span like me. Short duration workout, every other day is appealing too. The article I read said you should hire a trainer in the beginning. I’ll have to see if any of the local gyms offer HITT workouts.
Yes, that’s the Matain River, the same one that runs behind my house. It flows more like a river after a heavy rain.
That signage is new, but the original sign called it Snackbar. I just checked their Facebook page, and it is indeed still a one-word name. Someone must have screwed up the new sign.
I haven’t asked Swan yet, but a quick search revealed that “nipa” is the Americanization of the Filipino term for this type housing–bahay kubo. I hear the “kubo” word from the locals more than nipa. And now I know.
Made it through the night without having to deal with the lungs, so hopefully, that’s progress.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/July/2024 @ 8:04 am
Thanks, Brian. I’ll get through this. Or die trying! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/July/2024 @ 7:23 am
Good to know I was right, even though I was wrong. Makes sense, though. Thanks for the lesson!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/July/2024 @ 8:06 am
Mama is the happiest homeless person I’ve ever seen. Always greets me happily and tells me, “I love you, papa.”
Yes, both Diet and Zero are available in the PI. I prefer Zero, although honestly, they don’t taste much different. I did see some cans of Coke Zero Vanilla, but wasn’t willing to go there. Just doesn’t sound that appealing to me.
I don’t have Snapchat or TikTok, but I downloaded a crying app from Google Play. I haven’t figured out how to use it yet.
Damn, those fish and chips look amazing. And yes, the problem I had with my order was they were not nearly crispy enough. I understand that the type of fish makes a big difference as well. Cheap-ass Dory versus Mahi-Mahi changes everything for the worse.
Up Yours is just a nicer way of saying fuck off.
My perverted memories should last me for the remainder of this lifetime. And when I get that heavenly “do-over” afterlife, I’ll revisit some old fantasies…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/July/2024 @ 11:09 am
Drain, I did pause and think for a moment about whether that apostrophe was appropriate. My reasoning for using it was that “Harriers” isn’t a group of Hashers in this context; rather, it is the singular name of our group. I’m not sure I’m right about that, but perhaps the grammar master will weigh in with his opinion on the subject.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/July/2024 @ 10:48 am
Kev, it’s a social thing for the gals. One of the boyfriends helps them scout the trail, and then they go out and mark it as a group. It’s a nice change of pace once in a while.
Yeah, I’ve seen several of Chappell’s videos on your blog. At least he’s easier than most to listen to. The video I posted went into more detail about the Chinese mayor’s shenanigans.
It would suck to see the “hawk, tuah” gal leading some anti-Trumpers, but it wouldn’t blow me away.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/July/2024 @ 7:36 am
Kev, no idea about the Famealay restaurant. That was the first time I’d seen the van.
Okay, I stand corrected on the wine. But for a high-end restaurant like John’s, being out is inexcusable. I mean, if you are out, that means it sells, right?
I’m just not a fan of that lump of white rice that is served as a side dish. Spanish rice and fried rice are okay.
Someone let the cat out of the bag before the cake was made, but I did get a pic of Swan’s laughing reaction to the eggs being broken on Jo’s head.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/July/2024 @ 9:25 am
I don’t mind Spanish rice with my Mexican food, and fried rice is okay. That plain white stuff just doesn’t appeal to me and never has. The bulgogi comes with rice, and I asked Swan if she would eat it. It was Swan who asked the waitress to switch it out for fries. Swan, of course, eats lots of rice, but she also enjoys the fries.
The thing about a bar to me is its vibe. Hideaway is dead currently and has nothing to attract customers. It is down to three marginally attractive waitresses now, so that’s not a draw. When the owner is in town, his friends come and drink with him. They let customers pick songs to play, so the music can be good. I go once a week and stay for an hour. That’s more than enough.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/July/2024 @ 9:12 am
Yeah, I would never tip in a place where I wasn’t actual table service. And that credit card scam thing would piss me off.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/July/2024 @ 9:13 am
Brian, I used to live in Prescott, Arizona. Shortly after Janis died, her parents moved there. I never met them though.
Yeah, I wasn’t really trying to screw the waitress (heh, my GF was with me). I asked if I could tip her directly, but she said everything has to go in the community tip jar. My attitude is if I can’t tip my server, I reduce the tip accordingly. Back in the USA I was a consistent 20% kind of guy, here it is usually 10%. Of course, lots of my fellow expats don’t tip at all and think I’m stupid for doing so.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/July/2024 @ 11:59 am
Well, lazy bastard that I am, it turns out I spelled the barangay’s name wrong. It should have been Mangan-Vaca. My spelling does translate to “Great Cow” in Spanish.
The backpack was good while it lasted, but now it is trash. Luckily, I have a backup at home that I can use for the Hash today.
Yep, for smart folks, the left sure has fucked things up. Or perhaps they’ve destroyed the economy intentionally.
John wasn’t there last night. He’s back to playing in the pool league on Sundays, but I take that as a good sign.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/July/2024 @ 8:08 am
It appears at the bottom of the blog archives. I just have to remember to scroll down for a look every day.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/July/2024 @ 7:40 am
Kev, I followed your widget instructions and successfully added your RSS URL for kevinswalk8. Not bad for a techno-peasant! Thanks!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/July/2024 @ 7:57 am
Brian, I do declare! Interesting history, I guess the July 4th declaration just formalized the decision to tell the King to fuck off. I’m not sure I can handle two parties in one week, though…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/July/2024 @ 7:41 am
Kev, lesson noted. I’ll try to avoid dangling my modifiers henceforth!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/July/2024 @ 7:59 am
Doesn’t my revised version work, too?
As a four-time loser, it is hard for me to argue with this.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/July/2024 @ 5:55 pm
You can’t get away with it, even as a caption? Oh well. As a four-time loser, it is hard for me to argue with this.
So, you found my analogy Shakespearian? Thanks!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/July/2024 @ 8:33 am
I just saw something yesterday that proves your point. Some twerp was editorializing in the NY Fucking Times that the First Amendment is interpreted too broadly and people shouldn’t be able to say what they want because “misinformation” and hurt feelings. Still shaking my head.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/July/2024 @ 8:26 am
Good times, bad times, you know I’ve had my share
Kev, at least you’ll be having the only 4th of July celebration in town on the 12th. I’m sure you’ll knock their socks off as usual.
We’ve not had any of those all-day rains yet, but I’m sure they are coming. With the long rains comes street flooding here, a whole other kind of hassle to deal with as a pedestrian. Still, I’m enjoying the respite from the blazing heat, so I will withhold complaining until I’m tired of getting wet.
Even on flat walks, I start getting body aches and fatigue around 8K. Getting back up to a 23K walk would feel like the Bataan Death March. Since no one is holding a gun to my head, I’d probably bail.
I didn’t buy local hot dogs because I hate them and couldn’t find any American-style wieners. So, we’ll be putting sausages on those buns.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/July/2024 @ 8:35 am
Mike, Yep, we are going full-on American-style eating today. I can’t remember the last time I saw a Canadian restaurant…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/July/2024 @ 8:22 am
Brian, I use a Navy Federal debit card and get reimbursed for the standard ATM fees. The 250 pesos I’m talking about are charges local banks charge foreign card users…those are not reimbursable as far as I know. I could try to open a local bank account (complex on a tourist visa) and wire money from the USA, but the savings are minimal and not worth the hassle. I’m getting market exchange rates as well.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/July/2024 @ 8:20 am
«« Back To Stats PageKev, perhaps one of the biggest changes as I approach seventy is a growing consciousness of impending mortality. I don’t obsess about it, but I know that my remaining time on Earth is dwindling. My goal is to match my father’s 83, but that will require some good fortune along the way. I always pause at the funeral banners I see on my walks, and more than half died younger than me. I also find myself increasingly thinking about the potential after-life. I’m not even religious, but I sometimes fantasize about what my heavenly eternal life would look like. Anyway, I will keep walking (and climbing) as long as my body allows. Once you are unable to do those things you enjoy, what’s the point of living? I suspect that if the day comes that finds me homebound, I’ll take joy in different things. Maybe I’ll even start watching TV again.
I may be writing our host’s Hash name wrong; it might be Tongue-In-Groove, which sounds more Hashy.
HaHa! I hadn’t even noticed the dog when I posted that cartoon.
Thanks for the link. I’m always a little shocked when I see a photo of me, especially in profile. I guess I’m in denial about how bad things have gotten. I do get frequently reminded when I encounter a bargirl I have seen for a while. Invariably, I’ll get a poke and a “When’s the baby due?” comment.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/July/2024 @ 9:01 am