Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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The down path we chose (appropriately nicknamed Motherfucker) was a tad too steep, rocky, and slick for a rainy season trek.
If I rewrote that sentence I’d take out the “too.” I wrote it as “to” originally, but Grammarly said I needed to change it. The sentence works without either one.
A sunshiny hike, but an hour later it was pouring down rain.
The steak size was fine for lunch. That meal costs 1000 pesos at dinner, that’s why I took a pass last Sunday. Yes, USDA beef here is very expensive. A ribeye at John’s is almost 2000 pesos ($35.).
Columban College is more like a private high school with some college courses available. Nothing special about the campus from what I’ve seen…just those blue-roofed buildings full of classrooms and a big gymnasium.
How’s this: A sunshiny hike, but an hour later[,] it was pouring down rain.
When it rains[,[ it pours[,] and that blows. I must have been comma-tose yesterday.
Is this better: Aine passed by and said, “Hello,” but kept walking.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2024 @ 7:21 am
Thanks for reading, Ted!
By “entertainment value” I assume you mean the girlie bars. That’s never been my thing, but I hear complaints about the overall quality of the dancer’s appearance. I don’t think that’s limited to Barretto, though. I mostly hang out in “regular” bars with like-minded expats and enjoy myself. Also, having a live-in girlfriend makes a difference.
I’ll see if liver function was included in this round of tests. The last time I consulted Dr. Jo, she was more worried about my kidneys than my liver. I think my liver readings were in the high normal range. I’ll keep my eye on that though.
As to my weight, it seems my beer belly is here to stay. But I’m still getting my steps in and trying not to be crazy about the sweets. We’ll see how that works out.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2024 @ 7:03 am
I’ve never seen a menu in a bar that doesn’t also serve food. Most people know what they want…”gin and soda,” “San Miguel Pilsner, please,” “I’ll have a glass of red wine.” Oh, and how much is that?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2024 @ 7:30 am
Thompson, Swan is fine with the cheap wine we buy at the supermarket. It’s when we are out in the bars that problems arise. Not just with pricing, but also flavor. And I’ll take a pass on the mouthwash. I gargle but don’t swallow. Beer suits my needs just fine!
I’ve never heard of a prolapsed anus, but it sounds painful. Might be time to visit a proctologist and find out what’s going on down there. On the bright side, next time your girl says that you are full of shit you can simply respond, “Yeah, I know.”
“In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.”
Hunter S. Thompson» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/August/2024 @ 7:27 am
“How does/Why would one order something with no way of knowing the price?”
I have never been handed a drink menu at any bar in Barretto. Some have their “happy hour” pricing posted on the wall, but the normal range of beer prices is between 60 and 100 pesos. Wine isn’t a popular beverage here, and some bars don’t even serve it. The ones that do charge between 120 and 250 pesos, with 150 being the norm. Granted, that is cheap-ass Carlo Rossi wine (which Swan enjoys), not the highfalutin stuff Snackbar served. I didn’t ask the price beforehand, so that’s on me. But I never expected “the cheapest bar in town” to charge more than double for a glass of wine. In the future, I will ask.
If you think Blinky’s spelling was bad, you should have seen those pizzas I made! Talk about entertament!
No, I hadn’t seen the granny video. I feel bad for her. It seems like I’m becoming more cautious and risk-averse in my old age. I’m notoriously slow coming down those mountain paths! I’m sure my old bones are fragile enough to snap if I make a misstep.
I get what you are saying about being cautious. Still, I was in a familiar place (the owner is my ex) and knew most of the staff, so my comfort level was high. Lesson learned.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/August/2024 @ 8:36 am
Brian, yes, I should have asked the price, no question about it. I don’t believe they have a drink menu. Again, this is a tiny place with most of the seating outside in the parking lot. They have a billboard bragging about their low beer prices; cheap drinks are their market niche. I assumed their wine pricing would be similar. Given that their wine was DOUBLE the cost of every other bar in town, a heads-up from the waitress would seem appropriate–Sir, our wine today is top-of-the-line and ONLY 450 a glass.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/August/2024 @ 7:55 am
Life’s a struggle for the hillbillies here, that’s for sure. I just can’t imagine living that way.
That little head ain’t too smart, but damn, he knows how to have fun!
Rabbitt and Daario do look eerily alike. I had forgotten the Daario character.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/July/2024 @ 7:46 am
See you soon, Bruce!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2024 @ 4:54 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Thompson. And glad to hear you are happy in your relationship–I’ve got to hand it to you! 🙂
Where were you in Arizona? I lived in Prescott for a few years. That was a mile-high city, so it didn’t get hot like the desert does. That’s an impressive hike you describe, even without a backpack full of beer.
It sounds like you’ve mastered the art of drinking. As an expert, you should consider writing a “how-to” so the amateurs can learn to drink like the pro you are!
“You won’t find reasonable men on the tops of tall mountains.”
Hunter S. Thompson» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2024 @ 8:01 am
Kev, Our San Isidro regular kids are sweet, polite, and grateful. It’s fun to make them smile.
I judge a road to have ended when it turns at an intersection or is no longer a road. That’s the case with NN #6—it became a footpath as we exited Marian Hills. A bit further along, a new road, NN #7, began.
And now I have added a new word to my vocabulary…geotropic. Thanks!
Spot the errors? That’s easy. I needed a comma after “regulars” in the first sentence and after “week” in the second sentence. Pretty obvious. Not sure why I didn’t notice when I wrote or proofread. Just sloppiness, I suppose.
I met Mi Young working in a bar shortly after I moved to Pyeongtaek. We had a few enjoyable dates, and I was impressed with her intelligence and kind heart. She was running a dog rescue shelter, finding homes for strays. I became a sponsor for her worthy cause. When she told me she wanted to work at the dental clinic on base, I wrote a letter of recommendation. The selection official contacted me, and I assured him that Mi Young would be an asset. She got the job a few months before I retired and was doing well. The Army recognized her as the Volunteer of the Year at Camp Humphries for her dog rescue work. She’s a special woman and smart enough to know that I wasn’t the one for her. When I get my after-life do over, I’m going to try harder with her.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2024 @ 7:53 am
HaHa! I remember old folks back in those rockin’ days saying shit like, “You call THAT music?” We’d just laugh at them. And now sometimes I’ll some new shit music in a bar, and I have to bite my tongue…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2024 @ 7:28 am
Good stuff, Drain. Appreciate your insights. Vigan is on my list of places to see. I saw Fort San Pedro in Cebu, and of course, on SBMA, we have the old Spanish gate.
I don’t think they teach much about the centuries of Spanish rule in the schools here. It all starts with Rizal and the revolution. That’s fine. From what I’ve seen, the Filipino people have developed a unique culture that seems to keep them happy despite the poverty and corruption they deal with on a daily basis.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/July/2024 @ 8:08 am
Kev, I took the quiz and answered that #3, #6, #8, and #9 were correct. You never graded the quiz. Talk about passive-aggressive! 🙂
Damn, I was sure I had read that time renderings like “24 hours” were always hyphenated. I was so convinced that I went back for proof. And once again, I was wrong. I’m such a Dumb-Shit.
Those movies sound as scary as my lousy grammar. Especially the one about eating Filipino food!
It’s true that many names here are of Spanish origin, and the fairer-skinned Filipinos usually have Spanish roots. But as I said in my response to Drain Snake’s comment, despite centuries of Spanish rule, there is surprisingly little left of Spanish culture here—certainly nothing like the Southwest US experience.
“So, you’ve got a whole village of doubters.” Are you sure about that?
My breathing has been excellent. Most days, I have 98% blood oxygen, and I haven’t been lower than 96% for two weeks.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/July/2024 @ 8:51 am
Drain, I grew up in Southern California, and the vestiges of Spanish colonialism could be seen everywhere. I was surprised when I first started visiting the Philippines that, for the most part, signs of Spanish rule have been erased. Well, there’s the Catholicism and some old forts here and there, but few overt influences of the culture that dominated for 400 years exist. I’ve never met anyone who speaks any Spanish (I sometimes order my beer in Spanish for shits and giggles), although Tagalog has some Spanish-sounding words (the girls all call me gwapo).
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/July/2024 @ 8:26 am
Thompson, what a shitty experience. So, if I’m reading this right, you shit your pants BEFORE you got to Walmart But still went in to get the vodka? That must have stunk. For some reason, I thought of a verse I saw written inside a restroom stall: Here I sit, broken-hearted. Tried to shit and only farted.
“A man who procrastinates in his choosing will inevitably have his choice made for him by circumstance.”
Hunter S. Thompson» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/July/2024 @ 8:12 am
Oh shit! I just saw a picture with the Kon-Tiki signage I mentioned. WTF? It IS hyphenated. The Grammar-Gods must hate me!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/July/2024 @ 9:26 am
I’ve got deep space between my ears and I tend to babble on, so I guess the answer is both!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/July/2024 @ 7:41 am
Well, hyphens are something I never really thought about…I just went with what looked and felt right. I’ll pay more attention in the future, but that’s no guarantee of success. I guess that makes me a contranym of sorts.
Kon Tiki was easy- the signage is unhyphenated, so who am I to disagree?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/July/2024 @ 7:39 am
Back in my school days, I was a bit of a rebel. So, if the teacher asked, tell me the rule, I’d likely have climbed on my soapbox and said, “Rules? I’m a free man! Your stinkin’ rules don’t apply to me! Down with the rules! Write free or die!” Yeah, I was a bit of an asshole. No wonder I didn’t learn much.
Was that evasiveness squirmy enough?
“A compound modifier is made up of two or more words that work together to function like one adjective in describing a noun. When you connect words with a hyphen, you make it clear to readers that the words work together as a unit of meaning.”
That’s the rule of which you speak. I have, in fact, done some reading on the internet to better understand the world of hyphenation. I can’t promise to be error-free in the future, but at least I’ll be paying more attention.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/July/2024 @ 8:04 am
See, I’ve never been taught (or never learned may be more accurate) the mechanics of writing verse. I just regurgitate the words in my head onto paper. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/July/2024 @ 7:46 am
Hmm, I said ACBD, meaning I like rhyming the first, third, second, and fourth lines in my normal stanza.
I need to go back into my memory box and re-read some of my old poems when all I cared about was expressing the angst and emotions of a young man.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/July/2024 @ 10:00 am
Well, duh…that’s what Grammarly told me to say…
But seriously, I just now went back and looked again, trying to keep the phrasal adjective rule in mind. Using that standard (to the extent I understand it), I’d add a hyphen on #6 and #9. I’m on the fence about #1 and #4.
It could be I’m hopeless.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/July/2024 @ 9:16 am
Kev, I feel like the worst student in your English 101 class. Your explanation about phrasal adjectives preceding nouns makes sense. I will strive to do better in the future, sir. And yes, when I saw that punctuation poster, I knew the comma description would trigger your wrath! Hell, if commas were only about a pause, I might get them right occasionally.
I’m glad you liked the poem. I didn’t put a lot of work into it. Just some words that kind of rhyme in the right places. I’d never even heard of “iambic pentameter,” so I guess I got lucky with that second verse line. I usually prefer an acbd rhyme scheme, but I kept it easy and simple. Anyway, I won’t be quitting my day job. And no, neither Swan nor anything else inspires me to poetry these days. I left those creative urges behind with my twenties. I just couldn’t ignore your challenge with this latest effort.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/July/2024 @ 9:01 am
To hyphenate or not to hyphenate—is that the question? Let me shake my spear and take a guess. Hmm, how about a rainy-day hyphen on #3 and #8?
Honestly, I think hyphens should be discretionary. Use ’em when you want, don’t if you won’t. It’s not like those fuckin’ commas where the rules are set in stone, and only the ignorant among us continually get it wrong. Or maybe I’m just apathetic.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/July/2024 @ 8:36 am
Welcome back, Thompson. I’ve been wondering what’s been happening with you. It sounds like you are lucky to be alive–if the booze don’t kill you, the ex will! I hope you figure out what to do about her before you wake up dead one of these mornings.
They say that “he who flies highest, falls farthest” – and who am I to argue? But we can’t forget that “he who doesn’t flap his wings, never flies at all”.
Hunter S. Thompson» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/July/2024 @ 8:22 am
Life is for learning, Drain. Not that I ever remember life’s lessons. I’m never on time because I can’t punctuate!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/July/2024 @ 8:19 am
Mike, what makes you think I know English? You’ve seen my error-filled posts!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/July/2024 @ 9:37 am
Kev, yes, good things come in small packages. Swan is the tiniest Filipina I’ve been with. There are definitely some F-150s here as well.
This monsoon is being fueled by an offshore typhoon, which makes it stronger than usual. Normally, we get three or four hours of heavy rain with some breaks. We are now on day three of nonstop downpours.
When I moved here, I was shocked at the lack of flood prevention infrastructure. The roads aren’t even crowned, for Chrissakes. A year or two ago, they did major drainage work on the National Highway. You saw the pictures. If anything, it made the flooding worse. I guess there is just more water than room for it to drain.
And yes, the umbrellas did not prevent us from getting soaked to the skin. There is some comfort derived when the rain isn’t pounding directly on your head, but it is not about staying dry.
We avoided wading through puddles as much as possible for that very reason–who knows what kind of shit is in that water. I’ve never got any rashes, but I’ve heard stories of people swimming the bay (especially after a storm) experiencing some ill effects.
Quenching my appetite had a creative ring to it, and it was less cliche than satiate. That’s the thanks I get!
I just checked Sinise’s Wikipedia page. He’s a fellow traveler born in 1955. It doesn’t look like he’s done anything new since 2020. Maybe he’ll be joining that new conservative production studio.
What? Are you saying I’m ignorant or apathetic when it comes to grammar? (insert punchline)
I probably haven’t written a poem in fifty years, but I did write some pretty bad shit in my youth. So, I wasted some precious minutes of my life this morning and wrote a shit poem for old time’s sake. I’ll post it on the blog today.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/July/2024 @ 9:36 am
Brian, I agree that doing drugs and stupid shit like that are the individual’s responsibility. Escaping poverty and other barriers to success are what makes you who you are. You can overcome or you can surrender. Up to you.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/July/2024 @ 8:20 am
«« Back To Stats PageVance’s story is one I can relate to on a certain level. I grew up working-class in a middle-class community. The kids mocked me for the crap house we lived in and hand-me-down clothes that I wore. Hell, I remember my sixth-grade teacher laughing at my shoes once. In seventh-grade, my math teacher admonished me that if I didn’t focus in class, I’d wind up selling jello out of a truck just like my father (he was a route salesman; jello was just one of the items he supplied). Anyway, I’m no JD Vance, but I respect his achievements.
Everybody’s so different, I haven’t changed.
Semi-colon instead of comma?» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/July/2024 @ 8:05 am