Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Umbrellas are a pain in the ass. I’m always leaving them behind if it stops raining while I’m out. I prefer the small ones I can carry in a pocket, but if it is raining hard about all they do is keep my head dry. At least they are cheap here.
Yeah, glad it wasn’t something like appendicitis. I never had a pain quite like that, which was a little disconcerting. It’s much better today; I’m guessing it was muscular. Or old age.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/August/2023 @ 7:03 am
And now my secret identity has been revealed.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/August/2023 @ 7:27 am
Kev, I’m just passing the time, however comfortably and well. Being generous to the bar staff is part of that. There is certainly no ulterior motive or expectation of earning any favors.
To your larger point that my behavior may undermine my aspirations with Swan, I don’t see it that way. I mean, if I were ignoring Swan to spend time in the bars, I’d agree. But it is rather the opposite–she is where I want to be, but sadly, I’m not her priority. So, my options are to sit home alone and pout about it or to live the life I was living before Swan came along–with some modifications. I don’t do anything physical like massages, I’ve been upfront with my bar friends that I am in a relationship, and I make no pretense about not wanting more than a shared drink. I’ve actually cut way back on buying lady drinks too.
The way I see it, it is up to Swan. I’ve made clear that I want to be with her. She keeps promising that “soon” we’ll share more time together. So I’m waiting for that day to come. But until it does, I’ll continue to frequent the bars, drink beer, and wile away the hours as best as I am able.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/August/2023 @ 7:26 am
Soju, those penis-shaped walks came *ahem* by accident. Thanks to you, I am now thinking about what walking a vagina would look like. Stay tuned; I might do some experimenting.
Oh, and what is a clitoris?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/August/2023 @ 7:06 am
I see a lot more young people playing basketball than I do playing soccer. In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing any soccer fields in the area (maybe at the schools?) The NBA is a big thing on TV here too.
Well, Soju, I don’t share your attraction to penises, but I’ll see what I can do… 🙂
I do indeed recall the “no gas, no grass, no ride” bumper stickers. Back in the day, I almost always had grass, so no problem…
And as always, thank you for your loyalty and support. I’m going to be okay no matter what happens and trust me, that is progress indeed!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/August/2023 @ 5:58 pm
Kev, yes, rereading that paragraph now, I can see that it is indeed confusing regarding location. I’ll try and do better in the future.
Regarding the chicken wings, you are correct. John seasons them in the Korean fashion, but they aren’t fried crispy like those tasty buggers I always drunkenly enjoyed in Korea. I need to ask him about that.
Regarding Swan, I am doing my best to hold on and remain confident. I’m just tired of being alone all the time and last on her priority list. We had a messenger chat last night that was somewhat reassuring. And she keeps reminding me that once I’m moved in, we’ll be sharing a lot more time together. Onward!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/August/2023 @ 6:27 am
It ain’t much, but it’s all I got
Kevin, Yes, it is often the case that when a local accompanies me on a mountain trail, it is the first time they’ve seen the countryside surrounding them. I enjoy taking their scenic virginity!
Fries were one of the burger side dish options, but damn, those beans were good!
All the bullshit scamdemic policies have been rescinded, including masking requirements. I’d estimate that around 10% of the population continues to mask up voluntarily. When I see a foreigner walking around with a mask on, I either laugh out loud or feel pity for them. More often, it is laughter.
What? You don’t like the SOB? Why not? Attending every week gets old for me, but I enjoy it once or twice a month.
I’m no expert on happiness, but I have often repeated the old saying, “Money may not buy happiness, but it can buy a lot of things that make you happy!” As for alcohol, I think it sometimes enhances whatever emotion you are feeling, good or bad. Hence another old line–“alcohol may not be the answer, but it makes you forget the question.” Regardless, I know that I am responsible for my failures, not beer.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/August/2023 @ 6:37 am
Alcazar is what I see too. I’ll keep an eye on what’s happening there. It’s near the start of the My Bitch trail, so I pass by pretty regularly.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/August/2023 @ 6:14 am
Kev, the big guy is Daniel. He’s also a Hasher (Gas Man) but hasn’t participated lately. This hike was his first time back in several months.
Yes, basketball is definitely the national pastime. Almost all the neighborhoods have a covered community basketball court. And where there are no courts, folks improvise with backboards like the one in the photo. The NBA is huge here, judging by the number of young folks wearing team jerseys. I’m not sure, but I think the Philippines is competitive in international basketball events.
I should have said, “whose side.”
Actually, most nights, I just have a “same, same” experience. That’s why the sour ones stand out. Anyway, the issue with Whiskey Girl has been resolved.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/August/2023 @ 6:54 am
Brian, I didn’t get ANY beers for free. The regular price is 110 pesos, and you get a free beer for every one you buy. Because I was using my voucher, the bar charged me for EVERY beer I consumed, unilaterally doubling the price. Again, the voucher’s value was 500 pesos, not for a specified number of beers. Anyway, I spoke with the General Manager, and he told me the bar was wrong and he would fix the misunderstanding.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/August/2023 @ 6:34 am
Drain, Precisely. The voucher reads, “500 pesos good for local customer drinks at Whiskey Girl.” It doesn’t list any exceptions. A San Mig Zero qualifies as a local drink. The price of a beer at Whiskey Girl is 110 pesos, and between the hours of 6-9, you receive a free beer for every beer you purchase–no exceptions indicated. So, I was entitled to the regular price, regardless of how I was paying for my beer. My prize was the equivalent of cash money; only it had to be used for local customer drinks. What the bar did was DOUBLE the price of my beers, so my coupon was worth less than the indicated amount. As you say, it was petty bullshit that wound up costing the bar the profit they would have made on the lady drinks I would have inevitably bought.
Last night, I met with the General Manager for the group that owns Whiskey Girl (along with Voodoo and La Oficina). When I told him what happened, he said, “No, that’s wrong. The voucher is worth 500 pesos. No exceptions.” He promised to address the issue with the staff at Whiskey Girl. So, the issue should be resolved.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/August/2023 @ 6:27 am
Drain, yes, the law is poorly written and full of redundancies. But as I mentioned in another comment response, enforcement runs the spectrum. Someone called the cops on a guy at the mall with his girlfriend’s daughter, and another guy got busted for giving a girl a ride to the bus station on his scooter. Scary stuff, and it is just best to avoid ANY situation that could be interpreted as violating the broad standards outlined in this law.
It is my understanding that the key violation is the being “alone” with the child part. If a parent or guardian is present, you’re okay. Still, as you note, where do they draw the line? At the beach and the GF says, “Honey, I’m going to use the CR; please watch Trixie until I get back.” Nope, take her with you. Better safe than sorry.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/August/2023 @ 7:40 am
Kev, I see now it should be “prision mayor”–I changed it to “prison,” thinking it was a typo. According to this, the meaning is: “The duration of the penalties of prision mayor and temporary disqualification shall be from six years and one day to twelve years, except when the penalty of disqualification is imposed as an accessory penalty, in which case its duration shall be that of the principal penalty.” Now we know–six to twelve years in jail for being alone with a minor you are not related to.
I have had two looky-loos so far. In both cases, they deemed my place too small for their needs.
The dinner was beef chunks in a white sauce served with mashed potato. It was good. Swan does know her way in the kitchen.
I don’t recall seeing “the hot/crazy matrix” before, but it was good stuff. The problem with Eun Oke was she was normal most of the time, then off the scales crazy after a few beers. I tried and failed to get her to moderate her intake.
if you just avoided alcohol altogether, you’d cut way down on the stupid.
Nope, not me. My stupidity does not seem to increase with alcohol consumption, in part, I think, because I’m on guard when I’m drinking. I make bad decisions, sober or drunk.As to a young niece “slipping into bed with me”–that ain’t EVER going to happen! The problem is that being alone with a minor you are not directly related to under any circumstance is a crime. I’ve heard of guys being arrested for being with the girlfriend’s kid at the mall. In another case, the guy brought the girl to the bus station on his scooter (and the aunts were following in a car), and he went to jail, despite the family’s protestations. It’s a crazy law, and I intend to avoid any situation that could be viewed as a violation.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/August/2023 @ 7:25 am
Brian, speaking for myself, I do stupid stuff with or without beer. Same thing with air. I see no reason to give up either!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/August/2023 @ 6:44 am
You didn’t hear? No, the vocative comma is not on vacation; it’s in the hospital. It’s commatose.
Almoranus has been back home in Germany for the past few months. Quite a few expats return to the homeland to spend the rainy season months. I’m sure he’ll be back later this year.
I’m not good about giving proper photo credits. In addition to my own, I use photos posted on the Hash Facebook page. Most of the time the “not mine” pictures are taken by Pubic Head (Scott), but that beautiful hilltop shot was from some unknown Hasher–Scott didn’t do the climb either.
Not sure how much the ice weighs, but it is heavy. Usually, two guys from the ice plant drag it in using hooks. After Monday’s Hash, the Smokes and Bottles employees chipped the block into two pieces and then pushed and pulled it away.
It wasn’t so much a negative reaction to the meme as it was where the conversation went from there. Hopefully, I’m wrong about the impression I’m getting from Swan about the potential for a future physical relationship. We’ll see soon enough.
Some may know of Swan but not who she is. I’ve kept details of her identity hidden. But yeah, it’s a small town, and I’m sure more people know than we are aware of.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/August/2023 @ 5:45 am
I guess it is true that great minds think alike, Brian. I did intend to use that song but got distracted. I did a post almost a year ago called “At the Hash” and used the Danny and Juniors there. What’s really hilarious is that I re-wrote the lyrics to “At the Hop” for that post. Here’s a taste:
Well, you can swing it you can groove it
You can really start to move it at the Hash
Where the paths are the smoothest
And the hiking is the coolest at the Hash
All the dudes and the gashes get their kicks at the Hash
Let’s go!Let’s go to the Hash
Let’s go to the Hash, (oh baby)
Let’s go to the Hash, (oh baby)
Let’s go to the Hash
Come on, let’s go to the Hash
Let’s go!» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/August/2023 @ 5:21 am
Kev, Well, I have cut way back on the bargirl photos. When was the last time you saw Joy? I know it seems bizarre, but lots of guys see a pic of a pretty girl and think, “I would if I could.” In my case, it’s I can, but I won’t.
One of the issues is logistics–Swan’s niece is staying with her now, and she wants to continue that arrangement after I move in. I’m not comfortable with that arrangement. The other is more along the lines of Swan not finding me physically attractive. That’s harder to deal with.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/August/2023 @ 6:49 am
Yep, eye candy only!
Rainy season normally ends around the beginning of October.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/August/2023 @ 6:37 am
Nope, no tattoo. I’m just a pretend player… 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/August/2023 @ 6:00 am
Oddly enough, I had never paid much attention to Carly’s face, so I hadn’t noticed her wide grin. “Jaggar-like” is a pretty frightening description!
I will at least try and be consistent with my “ups and downs.” Henceforth, going up the highway will be away from home, and down will be heading back to my neighborhood.
Incredibly, I had to look up “moob sweat” as I was unfamiliar with the term. All the more surprising because I have a nice set of moobs myself.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/August/2023 @ 5:56 am
Yeah, I don’t do SOS often, but I always enjoy asking the waitress what SOS stands for…they almost never know, and the look on their face when I tell them is priceless.
Tipping is a bit of a minefield. The expats not from tipping cultures think Americans are stupid for tipping like some of us do. If I can tip my waitress directly, I’ll tip more; if it goes into the group pot, I tip less. That’s just how I roll. Service at Texas Joe’s was so outstanding, and the whole crew pitched in to serve us; I was happy to reward them with 20%.
I’m stealing your Waffle House line, but I will have to modify it since we don’t have any here. I was just talking the other day about how much I’d love to pop in for a Southern-style breakfast again.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/August/2023 @ 4:38 pm
“Does she, like the Grinch, have a tiny heart?”
Well, does size really matter? 🙂Nope, didn’t make any song requests–the playlist was quite varied and satisfying to the extent I actively listened. I doubt it would have mattered if I had asked to hear Aldean’s song–for a good portion of my visit, I was the only foreigner in the place.
The waitresses didn’t seem uncomfortable, but I thought about how unusual it was to see anyone in jeans in this climate. But a couple of them filled those jeans in an especially eye-pleasing way.
I’m not following what it is about Carly Simon’s looks you find unappealing. Back in the day, this was the first Simon album I purchased and I enjoyed the see-through skirt very much!
It does feel like I’m making progress with Swan, and I will hopefully find the patience to wait out her reluctance to go all-in. She’s a good woman, perhaps better than I deserve.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/August/2023 @ 5:49 am
Yep, I wrote the lyrics based on “Rock of Ages” and take full blame.
I’ts not Grammarly’s fault if I’m a sloppy proofreader. (And yes, that’s an intentional f’up in this sentence.)
I don’t think we have thought seriously about doing a litter collection event. The problem is, we all know it will be back the next day. It’s a littering culture for some reason, so you just got to shrug it off. Part of the problem is those folks living in the squatter villages in the hills don’t have government-provided trash collection. So, they toss it or burn it.
Spot the error? Do you mean a lack of comma before which? That’s the obvious one (I didn’t even need Grammarly to see it); anything else? I sure was sl0ppy this morning!
Yeah, I didn’t like how they suddenly switched from the Tom angle, either.
Eh, what the hell? Why are you using British slang? Well, good on you, then!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/August/2023 @ 5:45 pm
You heard me all the way in Korea, Rascal? I guess I am a grumpy old man!
Hope you find your pie in the sky, by and by. Safe travels!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/August/2023 @ 5:46 pm
“You missed a whole days post.”
Rascal, I think YOU missed it. I’ve posted every day without fail lately.
I’ve told Swan about my bar activities, including buying the girls lady drinks, and she did not express any objections. Of course, I don’t go into details or share pictures of women like Aine with her. As Kevin has noted, being in the bars is one thing; behavior in the bars is another matter. Of course, my comeback to any issues Swan raises would be that I prefer to spend my time with her whenever she makes herself available.
Good luck with your upcoming travel and I hope the weather doesn’t mess with your plans.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/August/2023 @ 5:37 am
Kev, my original intent was to go the retirement visa route, but that proved to be an administrative nightmare, and I wound up just saying fuck it. The 60-day renewal process normally takes less than 30 minutes and is relatively painless. I guess I’m used to it now.
Man, you studied that menu a lot harder than I did! I’m more of a look at the pictures and decide kind of guy. The ham and cheese wrap tasted fine, and I wasn’t looking for more of a snack than a meal, so it worked out fine. For pub fare, Mugshots’ kitchen does a good job. Most bars don’t even bother.
There have been a couple of minor red flags with Swan, and the incident I described is one example. What especially bothered me was when I was telling (texting) her my feelings, she said she didn’t want to “argue about it.” I wasn’t arguing. The next morning she asked if I was still “mad.” I was never mad; I was hurt and disappointed. That kind of communication disconnect is concerning. I’m not inclined to give up on her over this kind of behavior, but it is definitely something we need to be aware of and try to do better at in the future.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/August/2023 @ 5:26 am
I bet only a handful of people here remember Brezhnev, so that costume idea probably wouldn’t work. Any other low-brow comedy ideas?
AOC would have to be stupid to come here. Oh, wait. Actually, that is Leaking Pussy in the photo.
If my phone has such a navigation app, I don’t know how to access it, especially in the dark when I’m drunk. I shouldn’t need it in my own damn neighborhood, though.
Yes, it’s a good thing I wasn’t driving. As much as I’m a fan of drinking, people who drink and drive scare the fuck out of me. Nothing good will come of it. At least only the idiot in your video got killed.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/August/2023 @ 6:55 am
Yeah, apparently, there is a mini-epidemic here in town…Dr. Jo says she has seen several cases already. I’ve never had anything like this before, but thankfully, the meds are working.
Ha ha, I hadn’t noticed the little girl poser…funny!
Yes, as long as you pay, you get credit for attendance. If you don’t do the trail, you are called out as a “socialite” and have to sit on the ice. Since a portion of yesterday’s trail ran through Alta Vista, I walked a part of it on the way to see the doctor. I called myself a short cutter, not a socialite!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2023 @ 6:23 am
Ah, cheema bosoyo! One of the most important phrases I learned in Korean. And just to prove my point, I’ve never learned to say “take your skirt off” in Tagalog! Still, I do recall that woman I used to love getting upset by my “flirty jokes” back in the day. I’ll need to keep my humor in check, I suppose.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2023 @ 3:17 pm
«« Back To Stats Page“would you engage in the banter if your squeeze were right there next to you?”
As a matter of fact, I would. Seriously, there is nothing more than going on than a few bad jokes and me being my usual witty self. No sexual innuendo or other inappropriateness at all.
We had a good chat (online) last night, and I raised some of these issues. I got the reassurance I was seeking. She is doing her best and is torn between her feelings for me and her desire to respect her deceased love. I do understand that. I still struggle some with her wanting to avoid the inevitable gossip by being seen out with me in Barretto. I don’t generally give a shit what small-minded people have to say. Anyone who cares about her would be happy for her. Swan sees it differently, so any dates we share will have to be out of town for now.
She is worth it. I’m not giving up!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/August/2023 @ 6:33 am