Perspective

Posted on 10/September/2020 by John McCrarey

My dinner plans last night for a pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw at Sit-n-Bull were thwarted by an early evening thunderstorm. I opted to pop into Mangos when the rain started instead.

Here’s how it looked just before the big storm hit:

I had to retreat inside from my regular patio perch because the water was blowing all over me out there. I wound up sitting at the bar and then realized I was sitting on the stool the recently deceased Philip used to occupy. I couldn’t help but think of the lonely guy parallels and wondered if I too would wind up dying alone. Yeah, pretty depressing train of thought so I decided to distract myself but checking in with the internet. And there I noticed that James had left a comment on my post from earlier in the day:

Both of your exes are wishing you happiness. A double dose of happiness and a long rejuvenating walk followed by a beer with a view of the ocean.
You are living the good life that we can only hope for.

Well, yeah. When you put it like that I am indeed pretty damn blessed. Sometimes you just have to take a step back see things as they are instead of how your messed up brain is interpreting reality. It made me recollect that I had wasted my year in Pyeongtaek being depressed about what I didn’t have. Looking back now I see that I had it made: great pay, nice house paid for by the government, some good hiking and biking trails, and bars that were fun to hang out in after dark. I should have taken advantage of those days by making them happy ones. So, I don’t want to repeat that mistake here.

And right about the time my mood was improving, the rain stopped and I moved back outside to the patio.

Then I ordered up some dinner and had a nice chat with Gee, the Mangos manager. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned her before or not. I was crushing on her a while back and asked why she was still single. She told me “I guess I just haven’t met a guy who is my type”. I said we should get together for dinner sometime. She responded, “you’re not my type”. Ouch! We’ve talked some more since then and I think we might have more in common than she realized. She invited me to participate in some of her charity projects and I was happy about that. No, I haven’t given up on my vow of singleness already. And I never promised to be celibate either! Anyway, I have no expectations with her beyond friendship.

***The grilled pork chops were outstanding!***

I left Mangos in a better mood than I had been when I entered, and not just because of the beer. Given that I had still had some time on the clock with the expanded curfew, I popped into Queen Victoria to see what was up. It’s been a while and the staff that remembers me were friendly and welcoming. That’s always nice. Chatted some with the manager and it looks like Queen Vic might be a new On-Home venue for the Hash later this month. That would be great for me as it is the closest bar in town to my house.

I stumbled on home and for whatever reason didn’t sleep well. Had a crazy dream in which I was working again and slapped a co-worker friend on the ass in jest. And I got canceled for it which seemed to be an overreaction. Oh well, I’d have to really fuck up to lose my pension. I guess if Biden gets elected my money might not be worth anything, but I’ll worry about that in November if need be.

***I woke up to this beautiful sunrise and remembered each new day is mine to make the most of.***

I used the morning hours hiking out the old Navy base and back. That was about 12K. I’ll never do it on a weekday again though. Too much traffic and inconsiderate drivers along with an inadequate shoulder are a potential recipe for disaster. No need to push my luck.

So, that’s my perspective on things.

Now some they do and some they don’t
And some you just can’t tell
And some they will and some they won’t
With some it’s just as well

You can laugh at my behavior
That’ll never bother me
Say the devil is my savior
But I don’t pay no heed

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I’ll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye stranger it’s been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true
Goodbye Mary, Goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Easy to be hard

Posted on 09/September/2020 by John McCrarey

More of the same around here. But that’s not to say things are boring. I seem to be cursed to live in interesting times. Well, that’s an overstatement. Drama isn’t necessarily all that interesting.

I did have to inwardly smile at the ridiculousness of it all, in a sad way. Last night the ex was texting me about how sad she is but she knows I’m happy with Janey. I didn’t have the energy to argue the point with her. This morning I hear from Janey and she wishes me much happiness with my ex. I have no idea where these ideas are coming from. I responded: “My ex wants me to be happy with you. You want me to be happy with my ex. I think it is time for me to contact Mary again.” That last part was a joke, but Janey said that’s a good idea. I thanked her for advice and left it at that.

Today was hiking day with the Wednesday walking group, old guy edition. Simon (Leech My Nuggets) wanted to join us and I warned him we’d be taking it easy today as Scott is recovering from an illness. Simon was okay with that, so off we all went. About 2K in, Scott had to bail as he wasn’t as recovered as he thought. That left me without an excuse to keep it easy, so Simon led us up a pretty tough climb. In his defense, he was looking for a different trail that would have been easier, but couldn’t find it. Anyway, it was a good and hard workout and I survived. Works for me!

I was lazy with the camera today. Sorry about that.

***I guess the reward for a hard climb is a nice view. Here’s one.***

***And here’s another. That’s the bay WAY off in the distance.***

*And we finished up on* My Bitch. I’m the Hare next week and this will be part of the trail I lay.

In other news, I haven’t lost my sense of humor:

***Or maybe I have. I thought it was funny though. Yeah, the punctuation even irritated me though. Sorry, Kevin!***

Woo Hoo! Curfew is extended until 9:30 starting today. That means I won’t have to rush around to get my requisite drinking done. Today I will enjoy a leisurely dinner alone at Sit-n-Bull before heading out to my bar of choice for some beer-fueled introspection. Hey, it’s what I do.

How can people be so heartless
How can people be so cruel
Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold

How can people have no feelings
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no

Especially people who care about strangers
Who care about evil and social injustice
Do you only care about the bleeding crowd
How about a needy friend
I need a friend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgaXs7OlBIg

Death be not proud

Posted on 08/September/2020 by John McCrarey

I don’t spend much time pondering the inevitability of the inevitable. Still, according to attorneys for long term care planning, as one becomes officially elderly the diminished nature of the potential future is harder to ignore. That’s especially true when people around you start dying. Two deaths (that I know about) here in Barretto this week. They weren’t people I knew well enough to even be called acquaintances, just a couple of guys I’d see around occasionally.

Philip was an Aussie somewhere around my age. We didn’t normally frequent the same bars, but during lockdown when “Gomans” was about the only game in town, I’d see him in there nursing a beer and smoking a cigarette. Always alone. Kinda like me in that regard. I heard he’d been injured in a trike accident but I understand his actual cause of death was from some underlying medical condition. When the manager at Mangos talked to me about his death she was upset because he was still in the morgue–no one had arranged a funeral for him. Well, I guess that might be sad to die friendless but as I told her, Philip no longer cares.

I just learned of the second death yesterday. A guy named David was murdered (stabbed to death) out on Baloy beach where he resided.

**David was living in this dumpy apartment and he died there during an apparent robbery. Although why someone living in squalor would be a target for robbers is a mystery**.

I’ve walked by his place many times over my years here and he was often sitting alone outside wearing shorts with no shirt. Tall and skinny. I’m told he was 75 years old. I never spoke to him as I passed by but I often wondered what his story might be. I figured he was probably some pensioner barely getting by, but still wanted to live the dream in the Philippines. Turns out he used to be an actor and had been living here since the 1970’s! Rest in Peace, Mr. Light. A sad end to a long and interesting life. I wish I had sat with you and shot the shit. But that’s just not my way.

Yesterday’s Hash didn’t kill me, so I’ve got that going for me. It was actually a pretty nice trail with the exception of a couple of spots coming down from the mountain. One place was so steep I finally just sat and slid down on my ass. Another I literally had to climb down some tree roots. Ah, the challenges that we overcome are the ones that provide the most satisfaction in life, right?

***The eye in the sky view of the trail. Around 6K.***

***Some nice views from the ground too.***

***That’s the backside of Easter mountain off in the distance.***

***That’s not me, but those are the roots I mentioned we had to navigate to get down.***

***My helper Gina enjoyed her second Hash on a sunny day.***

***The Hares (Anal Receptive and Bum Burgler) left some encouragement on the trail as we made our way On-Home to Hunter Jo’s Inn.***

***Our Subic Hash motto is “It’s nice on ice”. Here is butt one example.***

***Our waitress was a real cutie! Get a load of that hair!***

The Hash starts and ends early these days. And even though I had drunk plenty already it wasn’t enough to stop me from going to Mangos for a nightcap and to enjoy the sunset. I was feeling no pain when I headed home.

***Yesterday was also my daughter’s 45th birthday. Hard to believe a young-looking buck like me could have a kid that old, but it’s true!***

Welp, I’m alive and kicking. Let’s hope I can keep it that way. And no, the thought that bad things come in threes never entered my mind. Until now. Damn it!

Death, be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;

For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow

Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.

From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,

Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee do go,

Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery.

Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,

And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well

And better than thy stroke; why swell’st thou then?

One short sleep past, we wake eternally

And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.
–John Donne

Joy to the World

Posted on 07/September/2020 by John McCrarey

We are now into the “Ber” months as they are called in the Philippines. That means it is officially the Christmas season. I haven’t been to the mall yet this month, but I am quite certain they are playing yuletide carols and have the big signs up counting down the days until the celebration of the Savior’s birth.

It’s Hash Monday so this is going to be a rushed post, but hopefully better than nothing. I guess I might as well start with a tale about a woman I’m rather fond of. I’ve actually known her for several months now and she is a joy to be around. Always laughing and happy, quick to offer words of encouragement, and pretty damn attractive–especially for a woman in her mid-40s. Anyway, she is married to a foreigner and is not the type who would ever cheat (she’s one of those Pentecostals). We have done some very light and good-natured flirting, but it is all in jest. She’s friends with my helpers but I probably only see her briefly once a week or so.

A few days ago (let’s call her Judy) came by and wanted to talk to me. That was a first. All of our previous communication had been brief and only in passing. So, we sat at the kitchen table (my helper also joined us) and chatted. I learned she had two grown children from an earlier relationship and that the father had recently died. She also had some land in her home province of Visaya that she hoped to develop someday. Then she talked a bit about her husband and it wasn’t pretty. He wants nothing to do with her family, including her children. That means he contributes nothing towards their support and even worse, refuses to allow Judy to visit them or have them visit her. She told me he is a very jealous man and that he has hired private detectives to follow her around. He gives her 1000 pesos ($20) a week for her personal use.

None of that is any of my business of course. Still, I asked why she puts up with that kind of demeaning behavior and she just shrugged it off. He was her husband and it was her duty as a wife to stand by his side. I guess that is taking for better or worse to the extreme. And then we got down to business. She mentioned that she knew I was helping out some people and that she respected that. Turns out, Judy’s daughter in Manila wants to continue her college education but lacks the funds to do so. Bottom line, 15,000 pesos ($300) would get her back in school. As I say, I really think Judy is a great gal and I am quite sure that the money request is for the stated purpose. So I agreed to help her out.

***The next day she brought me this. Pretty classy gal, don’t you think?***

Not to worry, I’m not going there. Although I did go so far as to wonder what might have been. If I hadn’t delayed my move to the PI for those 8 years perhaps I would have met Judy before she was married. Ah well, as John Greenleaf Whittier said so long ago:

God pity them both! and pity us all,
Who vainly the dreams of youth recall;
For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: “It might have been!”

Moving on.

I went into the DiviMart the other day. I met all the requirements: temp check, hand sanitizer, mask, and face shield. As I entered the store, the guard stuck something on my shield. I didn’t look at it until I got back home, but it gave me a good laugh:

From the land of Not Quite Right. I guess the purpose is to prevent me from stealing a replacement face shield. But given the way we are required to present ourselves to get around these days, the spelling might just make sense.

The 27th Anniversary of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers is coming up next month. And that means ordering a brand new Hash shirt to commemorate the event. Here is this year’s design:

And now I need to go put on my Hash attire and get ready to roll on out of here. ON-ON!

Oh, I’m not sure who’s work this is, found it on Facebook. But I liked it:

When you love someone, you know in your heart that your love never died. You feel their presence in your heart, even if they are out of your life. Sometimes, we may not always get what we “want” in life, however, we will always get what we need in order to grow. We may not consciously ask for certain situations, but on a soul level, we brought them into our lives in order to heal, grow and learn what pure love is truly all about.
Can you understand that you have always done the best job you knew how to do at any particular time with the knowledge and level of growth you had at that time? Yes? Good! Now, you can extend that same understanding to the other person from your heart, and that is why you will not require them to say: “I’m sorry.” You will understand, and they will understand. It is that pure understanding that allows what may have bruised our ego to melt away. Once our fears and ego are out of the way, we truly can love purely. You will never have to say you’re sorry to someone you truly love that genuinely loves you. You will only have to be yourself – that is all you will ever need to do.

Sixth sense

Posted on 06/September/2020 by John McCrarey

September continues to roll along and so do I. Here’s how the 24 hours since I last posted went down.

I had a one o’clock in-house appointment with “my” masseuse, Nicole. I told the story of how I met her here, but here’s the recap:

I’m walking home from Baloy beach and suddenly this woman pops out of the bushes in front of me (I believe she was avoiding the checkpoint on this highway). She smiled and said “you’re the guy who is always at Mangos”. Then I recognized her as the woman I’d seen on the beach there several times, just standing around. She explained that she was tapping into Mangos free wi-fi. She then asked where I was going and I told her “home”. Then she offered me a massage. Hmm. Attractive enough and I do enjoy a good massage so I agreed. We get here and it turns out she actually is a trained masseuse and did an outstanding job.

I had scheduled Nicole to come about a week ago and she didn’t show or call or message. Pissed me off and I was going to be done with her. She later explained that she didn’t have anyone to watch her kids and didn’t have load on her phone so couldn’t contact me. She has been persistent in asking for another chance, pleading that she needs to pay the rent and so I finally relented.

Nicole actually arrived about thirty minutes early but she did at least message me to let me know she was on the way. And she is pretty talented, as good as any salon massage I recall getting. I was happy when it ended. *ahem*

Interestingly, Nicole told me a friend of hers, Lilah, knows me. When I asked who is this Lilah, she said I had brought her home from the bar she worked at for a massage. Hmm. Well, I don’t do “take out” that often, so I vaguely recall paying the “early work release” fee for a gal from that particular bar a couple of years ago. I honestly don’t remember anything about Lilah though. I jokingly told Nicole that maybe next time she could bring Lilah with her, four hands being twice as nice as two and all. Nicole took me seriously I guess, she messaged me this morning and said she’s already talked to Lilah. Oh boy. A once a week massage is plenty for me, so the girls are going to have to wait.

After the massage, I hurried off to Alley Cats for the Saturday dart tourney. I still haven’t been motivated to practice and consequently, my game is nowhere near where it used to be when I considered myself a player. Ah well, me and my partner Cherry were good enough for third place money.

It had been a while since I’ve seen Cherry. She’s like best friends with the ex. Another friend of theirs, Jona, was also at the bar. So it was no real surprise when the ex showed up as well. No big deal to me, I still consider her a friend. But there was a surprise in store for me:

***Cherry and Jona had been disappointed that I hadn’t celebrated my birthday with them at Alley Cats. So, we did a belated birthday cake.***

I also learned a new Tagalog word: Namonamo. That’s the way you say “fuck you!” in these parts. Good to know!

After the dart tournament concluded, I invited the gals across the street to Mangos and treated them to a grilled pork chop dinner. Food was excellent, and as always, so was the view:

***And another abbreviated day was drawing to a close.***

And oh yeah, we all got pretty damn drunk. Cherry’s driver graciously gave me a ride home after the festivities.

And that brings us to lockdown Sunday. The good news is that this is the final lockdown, at least in this iteration of Olongapo’s war on COVID-19. Next week the curfew is being raised back to 9:30 p.m. as well, which suits me just fine. Even in the good old days I rarely stayed out past nine anyway. But hopefully, this will provide some boost for the businesses (bars, restaurants, and hotels) that have really been struggling. We’ll see.

This five-year-old photo from Facebook memories provided me with some motivation today:

***I vaguely remember that fat bastard. If I recall correctly, he was killed by his wife.***

There’s no lockdown on the Subic side of the river so that’s where I took my hike. Almost three hours’ worth. What was I thinking? Actually, I took an unfamiliar route which carried me much further from home than I intended. I got my 20,000 steps in though.

***This was the first thing I noticed when I walked out my door this morning. It’s good to remember that whatever our brain is saying, we are surrounded by beauty. Just need to pause and enjoy it.***

***The long and lonely highway I spent some time with on my hike today.***

***All the way out to Naugsol and back.***

The sky was threatening and the thunder was rolling early in the walk, but I kept plodding along and my steadfastness was rewarded–no rain fell on my head and this Bob Dylan song I had never really listened to was in my Spotify playlist. Perhaps it helped provide me shelter from the storm.

‘Twas in another lifetime one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue, the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness a creature void of form
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

And if I pass this way again you can rest assured
I’ll always do my best for her on that I give my word
In a world of steel-eyed death and men who are fighting to be warm
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Not a word was spoke between us there was little risk involved
Everything up to that point had been left unresolved
Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

I was burned out from exhaustion buried in the hail
Poisoned in the bushes and blown out on the trail
Hunted like a crocodile ravaged in the corn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Suddenly I turned around and she was standing there
With silver bracelets on her wrists and flowers in her hair
She walked up to me so gracefully and took my crown of thorns
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Now there’s a wall between us something there’s been lost
I took too much for granted, I got my signals crossed
Just to think that it all began on an uneventful morn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Well the deputy walks on hard nails and the preacher rides a mount
But nothing really matters much it’s doom alone that counts
And the one-eyed undertaker he blows a futile horn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

I’ve heard newborn babies wailing like a mourning dove
And old men with broken teeth stranded without love
Do I understand your question man, is it hopeless and forlorn?
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

In a little hilltop village they gambled for my clothes
I bargained for salvation and she gave me a lethal dose
I offered up my innocence, I got repaid with scorn
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Well I’m living in a foreign country but I’m bound to cross the line
Beauty walks a razor’s edge someday I’ll make it mine
If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born
“Come in,” she said
“I’ll give you shelter from the storm”

Good stuff.

Take the fifth

Posted on 05/September/2020 by John McCrarey

It’s certainly interesting how you can suddenly find yourself at the intersection of the unexpected and the unintended, not knowing which way to turn, and then enduring the consequences of your indecision. That was where I wound up yesterday.

I guess the first indication of trouble to come was Thursday night. My helper Gina, who is also friends with the ex, told me said ex was very distraught about something and maybe I should inquire as to her well-being. I was tired and a little drunk at this point so I went to bed instead. The next morning I did send the ex a message asking if she was alright. She responded affirmatively but then revealed that she was really upset with the female Hash group on Facebook. When she told me why I too was pissed off.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had an encounter with a drunk “Janey” on Wednesday night at Bar Celona. What I didn’t reveal, because it seemed insignificant at the time, was that “Laura”, one of Janey’s friends took a photo of us together. I recall being a little perturbed at the interruption of my beer enjoyment for no apparent reason, but Janey’s friend was insistent on capturing the moment.

***You can see how happy I was about the interruption. I’m thinking, why does “Laura” want to take this photo so badly?***

Well, come to find out Laura posted the photo in the Facebook group with some commentary mocking my ex. That was why she was upset. Seriously, who in the fuck does that, and for what motivation? To take pleasure in causing someone else pain? I honestly don’t get it and I thought the invasion of Janey’s privacy in such a fucked up manner ought to be brought to her attention.

At first, Janey shared my anger and indicated she wouldn’t have any future dealings with Laura. She came back to me later and said Laura had denied posting the photo and she had suggested maybe one of the other girls present had done so. Well, I’m no detective but the only photo taken that I knew of was taken by Laura and was on her phone. But whatever.

So, I go out and do my Friday morning group hike and we finished at Cheap Charlies for some lunch and beer. I get a message from Janey asking how the hike was, and then she brings up the photo issue again. I reiterated that I didn’t believe Laura’s denial but she could believe whatever she wanted. I said it seemed cruel and unnecessary that the ex had been subjected to mockery. I mean, she already knew that I was seeing Janey.

Oops.

Janey: “How does she know that?” Me: Because I told her. Janey: Why would you do that? Me: Because she asked and I wasn’t going to lie about it. Someone had already told her.

And then the shit hit the fan. I sat there in disbelief as message after angry message came up on my phone. Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have acknowledged my “dating” with Janey. I get that she wanted to be discreet. After all, she does have a boyfriend. My bad. But Janey wouldn’t let it go at that. Instead, she attacked me on the most personal level: I had no character. I had betrayed her trust. I was a liar. She was a fool to have believed I had feelings for her. On and on she went. And then she said the words I had never wanted to hear: “And to think I almost broke up with my boyfriend for you!”

You know, I had backed off of the relationship with Janey specifically so she could find her own way about what to do with her boyfriend. From everything she has told me the guy is a complete loser. Treats her disrespectfully, is likely cheating on her, and may even be a pedophile (based on pictures she saw on his Facebook account). I didn’t want to be her second choice or fallback position. It was important to me that she figured out that she was better off without him. Not for me, but for her own good. Then I thought we would have a chance to see how things would work out for us as a couple. And until yesterday I thought she might be moving in that direction. But compare me unfavorably to her pathetic boyfriend? Perhaps they deserve each other.

Anyway, at that moment I think I realized it was over with her once and for all. I’d never seen her in attack mode like that and it wasn’t pretty. Or deserved in my opinion. So, someone who would turn on me like that is not the kind of person I would trust with my heart. It was a painful way to find out that aspect of her character, but I’m glad I know now.

I ended our conversation by telling her I don’t need the drama in my life. We wished each other well in the future and that was that.

So yeah, I shouldn’t have gotten involved with the ex’s issues with the Hash group. I thought I was doing Janey a favor by revealing the true nature of her friend Laura. Obviously, I should not have bothered. The ex told me she had blocked all the girls in the Hash group and that she would not be participating in any future Hashes. And then she told me “Janey is old and ugly”.

Well, it turns out she is ugly on the inside.

Go fourth!

Posted on 04/September/2020 by John McCrarey

***Last night’s sunset as seen from my perch at Mango’s was quite spectacular. Definitely the highlight of my day.***

Today has been bizarre, even by my low standards. I need to ~~get drunk and think about it~~ take some time to process the events that occurred. Look forward to a post on my latest shit tomorrow.

Here are a few photos from my Friday hike, a little over 10K all told.

***Our group for the day consisted of Anne, Dan, Jim, and of course, yours truly.***

***There’s a virgin in this photo, but now that I look at it she’s kinda hard to see.***

***The four of us going forth on the fourth of September.***

***And that’s it for this hiking post.***

My head is spinning. I need to go out for some medication. Think I’ll see if they have what I need at Hot Zone.

Wait a second!

Posted on 03/September/2020 by John McCrarey

September 2nd that is. Here’s how it went down.

I was tasked with picking the trail for our Wednesday morning hiking group. I opted to go up the mountain from the Barretto side behind Angels Bakery. It had been some time since I’d been up that way and the concern was that the thatch grass would be out of control this time of year and obscuring the trail. My workaround was to take a path that’s a little lower with lots of tree cover, hence less grass. It worked for most of the climb, but the last portion up top was indeed covered in grass. The trail was still discernable though. After that, we intersected with My Bitch and followed that path to its terminus at Rizal Extension. We next walked to the end of Rizal, then followed Abra street back around to the National highway. At that point it started raining so we had a wet hike to Cheap Charlies and our scheduled Hash mismanagement meeting. 7K all told.

***My fellow Wednesday walkers–Troy, Jim, Dan, and Scott.***

***…and that. It was a beautiful day indeed.***

***A grassy knoll. Luckily, there were no Kennedys amongst us.***

***Dan and Jim were in it over their heads…***

***And Troy was consumed by the stuff.***

***The obligatory view of Easter mountain.***

***And way down there on the bottom is our destination–Rizal Extension and Abra street.***

***I guess I wasn’t the first one to spot this post.***

So, while we are having our meeting at Cheap Charlies, I get a message from “Janey”. She wanted to come there to see her girlfriends but wanted to be sure I was okay with that. I told her she could go anywhere she wanted without concern over my presence. Then she said she had had a big fight with her boyfriend and wanted to get drunk. She asked if I would buy her a tequila shot and I responded of course. She came in a little later and joined her friends (the girlfriends of other Hashers).

When our meeting was over, Janey beckoned me over to the stool beside her. I sat with her and had a beer then told her I needed to head home. I was tired after the hike and needed a nap. So we said our goodbyes and I left.

After my nap, there was another message from Janey asking me to join the group at BarCelona. I had mixed feelings about that and gave a non-committal answer saying I hadn’t showered yet. She responded she would wait for me there. As I showered I tried to decide what to do. On the one hand, this was exactly the situation I wanted to avoid–being her rebound boyfriend. On the other hand, I was going to go out anyway, and since I purport to be her friend I probably ought to act like it and accept her invitation. Frankly, it was the first time in weeks that she had even pretended to want to see me. So, I wound up going to BarCelona.

As I presumed would be the case, Janey was quite intoxicated when I arrived. I sat at the bar, across the aisle from the window seats she and her friends occupied. Their boyfriends had left them there while they pursued a guy’s night out. I had a couple of beers and a little chat, but clearly Janey needed to quit drinking while she could still stand. The problem is drunks rarely grasp that fact. Then Janey suggested to her friends that they buy a bottle of tequila and drink it at her house. I thought that was an excellent plan and even gave her the money to pay for it. So, I thought it was all decided and then suddenly another round of drinks arrived. That pissed me off and I didn’t hide it well I suppose. I told Janey she was being foolish and got up to pay my tab. I guess the girls got my message as they left while I was waiting to pay. When I got downstairs the girls were still there waiting outside. One of them said Janey wanted to come home with me. I responded that I wasn’t taking a drunk girl home, said my goodbyes, and left.

So, how about that? I stuck to my guns and maintained my singleness posture and I also showed some moral character by not taking advantage of a woman under the influence of alcohol. I’d call that progress!

And yes, I’ve done some second-guessing of myself during my longer than normal two-hour walk today. I need more time alone though before I’m ready to even consider entering a relationship.

And that’s where things stand as of now.

The moon just turned blue

Posted on 02/September/2020 by John McCrarey

Greetings! Busy day here but I’ll post more on that later. For now, a couple of photos from my Philippines life to tide you over.

***A beautiful full moon last night as seen from Mangos…***

***…so I had the chicken breast salad as I enjoyed the view.***

***I can never seem to get a good moon shot. The first photo was using maximum zoom. This one is no zoom. Which do you like best? It looked better than both with the naked eye.***

We had a Hash meeting at Cheap Charlies today at noon. So, I had some lunch brought up from Foodies downstairs. Got me this cottage pie. It tasted fine, but it was cold in the middle. Totally ruined it for me. The waitress offered to take it down for reheating but I told her never mind.

Speaking of disappointments, Facebook reminded me that four years ago I was here in Barretto on vacation with my Korean girlfriend Eun Oke. She actually had a blast and the bargirls loved her. But at the end of the trip, she announced we had no future together because I wanted to retire in a poor country. Oh well, here I am.

Anyway, I’m making the best of things. Notwithstanding my bitching all the time I know I am indeed blessed.

Oh you can count me out of your triangle
I’m number three I’m too late to lie
And I don’t need heartache at all
I can’t stand the fall
And the moon just turned blue
Goodbye, goodbye
Little darlin’ the moon just turned blue
So baby goodbye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOvrb_1ImJM

Hot, High, and Wet

Posted on 01/September/2020 by John McCrarey

That pretty much sums up yesterday’s Hash, assuming wet implies muddy because it was that too. The trail was more difficult than most but not all that surprising with Leech My Nuggets being the Hare. I opted to walk to the trail start rather than ride the Hashmobile which put me right at 10K for the hike.

Of course, there was a mountain to climb as part of the fun. I’d never done this particular portion of this mountain and didn’t realize just how high it actually is. The trail going up was reasonable for the most part but it seemed like it would never end. I was relieved to have finally reached the summit and start back down the other side. But maybe halfway down, we started back up again. Leech you bastard! And then it started to rain. Pouring down rain. Nothing to do but march on.

I also had some newbies with me at the back of the pack and felt duty-bound to see them On-Home safely. Which made me even slower than usual. I was a little surprised that several Hashers ahead of me wound up losing the trail altogether and had to find their own way back. Leech is about the best there is at marking a trail and yesterday was not really an exception. I too got briefly lost but had the good sense to backtrack to the last trail marker (shredded paper) I had seen and proceed from there. And sure enough, I soon saw where I had missed a turn. A Hasher needs to stay alert and not assume he knows what’s coming next.

Anyway, my group all got safely down a muddy and steep descent and found the cold beer waiting for us at Hunter’s Jo Inn. I ordered up the foot-long hotdog duo to satiate my hunger but the circle started up before they arrived. It sucks to be so late arriving On-Home. I opted to eat instead of participating in the beginning of the circle activities without regret.

Here are some photos from yesterday’s journey:

***The route we took. That big loop in the middle is climbing up the mountain, down the other side, then back up again. Tortuous it was!***

I was followed to the trailhead by these two virgin Hashers. The gal in blue is Gina, one of my domestic helpers. The other is her friend, Sheila. They both did remarkably well on a rather difficult trail. Hope they come back again.

***Gathering up at the trailhead. Everyone else came via the Hashmobile.***

***We don’t stay bunched up like this for long. Nature has a way of separating the old and the slow from the rest of the pack.***

***Me stopping to take photos is one of the reasons I’m usually last on trail. That and I’m comparatively slow as fuck***

***I think that I shall never see/a trail as lovely as this tree…***

***It was my first time passing through this particular squatter village…***

***That’s Easter mountain from the backside. It’s a pretty high mountain in its own right, but we got higher yesterday.***

And then the rain started coming down so I slipped my phone inside a baggie and put it away.

***But I do have this shot of the virgins being deflowered.***

An exhausting day on trail. Janey and the ex were also both in attendance at the circle which was a little weird. They both independently told me later they wouldn’t come to the Hash again. I advised them that wasn’t necessary on my behalf but they should do whatever makes them happy. I’m wrapping my mind around my new acceptance of a life alone and will not be sucked into unwanted drama. Or so I say.

Long Time Gone

Monthly Archives: September 2020