About John McCrarey

Born and raised in southern California. My career exodus has taken me to Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, DC. And as of 23 January 2005, Seoul, Korea. Married with 6 grown children (blended family). First grandchild is in the oven! I created this blog to document my adventures as an expat living and working in Korea. I'm also pretty confident that I will on occasion feel the need to express my views on current events and other matters I find of interest.

A 50-50 proposition

Posted on 22/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Yesterday, I got together with Mary, the young woman I’ve been chatting with, for the first time. I had once again suggested we meet at John’s place, but after further discussion, she convinced me that coming to my house was the best option. Mary told me she would finish school at 3:00 and message me when she was departing. I had an errand to run in town, so I figured I would camp out at IDM and wait there to hear from her so we could catch a trike together. It was after 4:00 when she finally messaged me that she was in a Jeepney and on her way. I hadn’t realized that she was going all the way home to Olongapo after school. I paid my tab, grabbed a trike, and waited for her at the entrance to Alta Vista. And then there she was, and we headed up into the hills together for the first time.

This meeting was a milestone in many respects, but I couldn’t help but consider the elephant in the room–our age gap. When I was fifty years old, the significant life-changing event of my move to Korea occurred. Nothing has ever been the same since. Also, when I was fifty, another significant thing happened: Mary was born. Yeah, kind of hard to wrap your mind around the fact that Mary is fifty years younger than me. Anyway, it is what it is.

So, we arrived at my place, and I introduced Mary to my helper and my dogs; then, we sat out on my patio and took in the bay views. We talked about her family, and she showed me pictures of some of her African-American relatives. Of course, that doesn’t matter to me at all, but she seems proud to have some foreigner in her bloodline. And no, she looks totally Filipina if you are wondering about any physical manifestations. She also showed me some pictures of awards she won in school, telling me she has always been academically near the top of her class. I asked her what some of her favorite subjects were, and she said she enjoyed writing, especially poems. Wow! I grabbed my box of high school memories and showed her the crap I used to write at her age, well, a little younger than that–I graduated at seventeen. She read a couple but didn’t seem all that impressed. Go figure.

And yes, there were some generation gap moments as well. Mary spent a lot of time on her phone, including playing songs she liked and singing along. Nothing wrong with that, but it distracted from the getting-to-know-you phase somewhat. So, I went back inside and finished preparing a simple dinner: meatballs in the crockpot, brussels sprouts, and garlic bread.

We sat, ate, and talked some more, and then Mary suggested we go to the bedroom. She gave me a massage, we cuddled and kissed a little, and then I asked if I could do anything for her. “Up to you,” she responded. And so I took it from there.

It was dark when we were done, but Mary carries a combination flashlight/taser, and so we made it safely back down to the highway, where she caught a Jeep for home. I had a couple of beers at Whiskey Girl, then triked back to the house.

So, there is something special about Mary. But I’m not so foolish as to believe this will ever be a boyfriend/girlfriend love relationship. I do enjoy her company, and perhaps I can play a role in her life that will prove beneficial to her future. I’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Perhaps she feels the same way–I just now got a message asking if I wanted her to come over today for another “massage.” I had to decline because it is feeding day at Hideaway. And also, because I am 67 years old and don’t have an “everyday” energy level, once a week suits me just fine. I think I might invite her to join me at the SOB on Friday night, though. We’ll see.

In other news, John Kim posted an update on his medical condition:

I am finally out of hospital.

After 2 weeks of hospitalization, I just got out. I must thank you all for support. I don’t even know how to thank you all for support. I was deeply touched.

Frankly speaking, I was actually getting ready to go. Kidney doesn’t get better and heart disease doesn’t really help the situation. I was dying, and I was ready but couldn’t bear the pain. As a part of edema symptom, my testicles expended to almost 8 times. I couldn’t breathe, sleep or sit. I had water in my chest, my legs were so swollen they started leak. I weigh 87kg but I went up to 120kg because of water build up inside my body. My hemoglobin level was less than 50% which people start going into shock.

I got admitted to the hospital and I had blood transfusion of 4 pints, had 7 sessions of dialysis and I was able get rid of most of swollen part of my body. Now, I have to commute to dialysis center 3 times a week but I feel no pain and breathe good.

You guys support really gave me the hope and gave me the reason to live. Thanks for saving my life.

That’s good news overall. I’d been worried we were going to lose a pillar of our community. Stay strong, John!

A great valley walk with two other members of the Wednesday group; I’ll post pics of that and an update on any other shenanigans I get involved in tonight. Till then.

Go your own way

Posted on 21/February/2023 by John McCrarey

That’s what I do. Especially when the Hare is Vienna Sausage, the trail is 9K, and it is raining. Now, I understand there was a shorter version of the trail, but since the Hare couldn’t be bothered to come to the starting point to give guidance and answer questions, I wasn’t sure. And, to be frank, I don’t trust this Hare with my personal safety.

I intended to follow the trail as far as it made sense to do so, then find my own way from there. I was surprised that NONE of the usual “sane” group of Hashers were there at the start. Since I’m slow and stop to take photos, I was soon bringing up the rear. Well, there was one other guy behind me. I intended to keep within shouting distance of the group in front of me, but that proved impossible because the guy behind me kept asking me to wait for him. Alright, I wasn’t going to leave him alone out there; I hate that when it happens to me. Once we came down from the first hill climb, I decided to make a flat walk back to the On-Home at Blue Butterfly.

***My short version was 5.2K, including about 2K of the Hare’s trail.***

***A light rain was falling for most of the trek***

***It had been a while since I’d taken this route.***

***The part of the Hare’s trail I did wasn’t bad.***

***The first hill involved some fallen bamboo to navigate through***

**A nice Easter mountain view on the way back down**

Once we hit the valley, the Hare’s trail went right, and I turned left. The slowpoke came with me.

***We walked past my hoped-for future house.***

***I plopped my ass down at the On-Home and stayed there. Yep, I just wasn’t in the mood to participate in the Hash circle when it started inside.***

***One of the Blue Butterfly waitresses kept me company. Once again, she knew my name, and I didn’t know hers. That happens everywhere I go, it seems.***

I didn’t socialize with the Hashers much after the Hash, either. I got some takeout grub from Sit-n-Bull and was home by 7:30. Just one of those nights, I guess.

***Pretty much, at least since I retired and moved here.***

***But I’m still alive and making the best of it.***

Tonight I’m meeting Mary and hoping for the best. I’ll let y’all know how it goes tomorrow.

You can go your own way
Go your own way
You can call it another lonely day
You can go your own way
Go your own way

Comings and goings

Posted on 20/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Made it back to Barretto safe and sound. I let Justin use my printer to prepare some forms for Korean immigration. The nephews headed to their hotel to prepare for departure early this morning, and we agreed to meet up at Hideaway around 4 p.m. and then go next door to Arizona for the annual Beach Bash Beauty Paegent.

When they arrived, Josh bought some lady drinks, and then the group went outside to the smoking area to indulge in cigars. I had food for the Sunday feeding delivered from the Jewel Cafe (a chicken breast for Joy, quesadillas, and chicken wings for the others). I brought ChocoPies and Orea cookies for dessert. I did bake a batch of brownies but didn’t share them with the group. Last week a waitress named Anna told me that her daughter loves my brownies and always asks for them. Anna brings her portion home for her, and the daughter likes to take them to school for her friends to also enjoy. When Anna told me that, I thought to myself, damn, that’s stretching a couple of brownies a long way. So, I gave Anna the whole tray last night and said these are for your daughter. I was surprised when her daughter came to pick them up and thank me.

***You are welcome! I hope you and your friends enjoy them!***

I headed out to Arizona early to try and secure some decent seats, and the nephews followed later with a female entourage. This week I found myself shaking my head at Josh’s touristy “two-week millionaire” behavior. Still, in all fairness, he is on a vacation of sorts, and I probably engaged in similar behavior before I learned the facts of life here.

***The beach where the Bash was held at the Arizona resort.***

***The stage is set for the beauty pageant,*** ***and Daddy Dave serves as the MC.***

***Bring out the girls! There were eleven contestants last night.***

***This is the only contestant I recognized–she works at The Green Room. I’m not a fan of tattoos, but to ruin that perfectly fine ass with all that ink is a travesty.***

***Not a good shot, but this was an impressive costume.***

***I wouldn’t mind getting caught up in her net.***

***I’m unsure who ultimately won; I left before the judging was completed. My favorite was #5 (counting from the right side).***

Joy dropped by near the show’s end after she finished her shift at Hideaway. I’d hit my limit by this point and was ready to head home. I asked if she wanted to join me, and she accepted.

***Does a smoothie count as dessert? I made a batch so Joy could have a taste, and she said it was good.***

It was quite nice having a snuggle partner throughout the night. I made some banana-walnut muffins for breakfast–Joy’s favorite. I walked her down to the highway to catch a trike; then, I did a Baloy Beach walk to get in some steps before the Hash this afternoon.

***The floating bar is now anchored offshore, and it appears to be fully equipped now. I expect it will be open by the weekend, if not beforehand.***

In other news, my chats with Mary have continued, and she is still impressing the hell out of me with her sharp mind, wit, and humor. We confirmed another attempt at meeting in person for tomorrow.

I asked her if that was her niece. She did a “LOL” and said, “that’s me!”. I told her you look like you are fifteen. She laughed again and, a few minutes later, sent me a picture of her birth certificate confirming that she was of legal age. Turns out we only have a fifty-year age gap (she turns nineteen in November). That’s a stretch even for me.

We talked some about her future plans, and she wants to go to college if her finances allow it. It would be a shame to see her sharp mind go to waste. If she checks out after we’ve met, maybe I can help make the future she’s dreaming of happen. I’m too old to be her boyfriend, but I might enjoy being her Sugar Daddy. We’ll see.

What a life, huh?

Where’s the Alamo?

Posted on 19/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Sorry, wrong San Antonio. I’m in Zambales province, not Texas. Still, there is adventure to be found here, especially when you don’t know where you are going. That was the case when me and the nephews decided to hike to the beach from our riverside resort. Things didn’t go as planned, and rather than retreat, we fought on, following little-used paths that kept dead-ending in pond water. We pressed on, though, taking different trails leading in the general direction we wanted. Luckily, Justin had a Google maps app, and we could see we were getting closer to a road that led to the beach. Just when we thought we had found our way after crossing the water on three rickety old bamboo bridges, we discovered a fence that blocked our path. Our options were to go back from whence we’d come or wade through the pond and find a way around the fence. We chose the wet feet route and, in that way, successfully achieved our goal of walking on the beach. I’ve got a slew of photos from the hike I’ll share at the end of this post.

I’ve been to Monty’s a couple of times previously for Hash events, but it’s the first time I’ve spent the night here. My room is surprisingly spacious and much nicer than the one I had in Baguio last weekend for the same price (3500 pesos/$70).

It turns out, though, that I’m sharing the bathroom with a non-paying guest.

***He’s been hogging the toilet all morning. Bastard.***

I decided not to end his life, however. He was here before I was, after all.

***It’s a weird location for a resort. You drive a kilometer down a dirt road to get here.***

***It’s owned by an American named, you guessed it, Monty and his Filipina wife.***

***The bar area features a second floor affording heightened views.***

***But the views from the lower floor bar area suited me just fine.***

***Huts on the water if that’s your thing.***

***I took a nap after the hike but woke up in time to watch the sun go down.***

***Being down a long dirt road with no vehicle after dark limited our drinking options. We wisely chose to do our Saturday night imbibing at Monty’s.***

***Monty’s wife, Jenny, does the cooking and did a nice job on this Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Justin had a Rueben that he raved about. I don’t remember what Josh ate.***

Alright, to the hike, then. We arrived at noontime and, after checking in, decided to do a beach hike. I asked Jenny if the dirt road out front led to the beach, and she seemed to indicate that it did, so off we went.

After going down the dirt road a kilometer or so, we came to a house, and the man who lived there asked where we were going. We responded to the beach. He told us you couldn’t get there from here. Hmm. We weren’t sure if he was just being a prick or not, but we changed course and found a path going in the general direction we wanted.

***We found a different trail, and it led to the first of three bridges over the pond that was blocking our way.***

***They were rickety, and some of the bamboo footings were cracked and rotting.***

***The last bridge was much sturdier but led us to an insurmountable fence.***

***Fuck it; we’ll just wade through the water to get around the fence. Google Earth said there was a road on the other side.***

***And at last, we were on pavement again. Now to find the beach.***

***A paper tree in full bloom Actually, they wrap the mangoes in the paper, I assume to keep the birds and bugs away until it is time to harvest.***

***This resort was the last obstacle to overcome to reach the beach. The receptionist was very kind and accommodating, showing us the way to access the water.***

***Across this bridge, and we are there.***

***Wide sandy beaches that were much cleaner than the ones in Barretto***

***But damn, that thick and loose sand was a bitch to walk through. We did about 2K on the beach, and it felt like four.***

***It was slow going for Josh doing the sand walk, and we’d had enough of it for one day. Time to hit the road again.***

***Justin on the mean streets of Pandaquit.***

***Making our way to my favorite venue in San Antonio–the Car Wash bar and grill.***

***The pork steak in mushroom gravy was the daily special.***

***I got mine with a side of coleslaw.*** ***Heavy on the carrots and not all that flavorful***

***The Car Wash features a live band on Saturday night, but it was too far to walk in the dark from Monty’s***

***Two kilometers to walk after lunch to get back to Monty’s. I loved the way that tree had chosen to grow over the highway. It probably saved its life by doing so.***

You can Relive the adventure here if you’d like:

It was a good day with the nephews in that other San Antonio. Time to pack up and head on home to my Sunday night in Barretto. Justin and Josh are heading to Manila tomorrow to complete the visa process at the Korean embassy.

Bound for Pundaquit

Posted on 18/February/2023 by John McCrarey

***For the first time in the history of mankind, three McCrareys have blessed the Philippines with their presence.***

Pundaquit is the beach area of San Antonio that I’ve always enjoyed visiting. Looking forward to doing some walks on the sand and seeing some of the local sites. Only a couple of bars within walking distance, but the one at my hotel, Monty’s Riverside View Resort, will be just fine for my one-night stay.

***A little over an hour’s drive from Barretto.***

Had a nice time hanging with the nephews at last night’s SOB. I don’t recall anything of interest happening, though, which is probably for the best. Wet Spot won the contest, FWIW,

And that’s all I’ve got for now. But if you want the kind of post you’ve come to expect here at LTG, I came across this one from 2007 when I had my first-ever encounter with the Korean police. It was a strange night.

I’ll be back with something new tomorrow!

What wasn’t happening

Posted on 17/February/2023 by John McCrarey

One thing that wasn’t happening was that date I briefly mentioned in yesterday’s post. When Mary sent me a friend request on Facebook a couple of days ago, I noticed we only had one mutual FB friend–a woman who used to be my weekend cleaner. I accepted anyway, and we began chatting on Messenger. I was immediately impressed by her English fluency and her quick wit. One exchange I recall was me saying something like, “I do what I want, not what people tell me to do,” and she immediately responded with OMG! I think I know your astrological sign–those are traits of a Virgo. She’s right; that’s my sign. That led to discussions about religion and other deep topics. It’s been a rare experience for me to have more than surface conversations with the Filipinas I encounter.

Mary is going to school in Barretto and wanted to come to see me after class. I wasn’t comfortable with that since we hadn’t met in person yet. We chatted some more, and I discovered that my former helper was the girlfriend of Mary’s father. Mary also told me that her great-grandfather was a black man from the Navy days here. I mentioned that one of the gals in our Hash had an African-American father but didn’t give a name. Mary immediately said, “Wendy Burdette–that’s my aunt!” It is incredible how interconnected folks are here in my little town.

I also learned that Mary has a baby who will turn two later this year; of course, that seems to be the norm in this country. Still, I enjoy our chats enough to want to get to know her better, even if she is not a good fit for a long-term romantic relationship. Mary asked again about visiting me, and I suggested we meet for dinner instead. It turns out we have similar food favorites, so I wanted to introduce her to the menu at John’s place. Mary said she would finish at her school between three and four, change at her grandmother’s house (Mary doesn’t live in Barretto), and meet me there. I told her to message me thirty minutes beforehand because that’s how long it takes me to walk to John’s.

Around 2:30, we had a power outage here in Alta Vista. That always sucks, but it was especially frustrating because I hadn’t showered yet. No power = no water at my place. My helper was able to extract a pail from the water tank in the basement, and I washed up the best I was able with a bucket bath. Rather than sit around in a hot house, I headed out to IDM to await the message from Mary, arriving a little after three o’clock. I tried to drink slowly but was on my third gin and soda by 4:30. Mary finally messaged me that she had to cancel because her grandmother wasn’t feeling well and she needed to take of her. And that was that. I was disappointed but understanding.

Alright, I admit I saw a potential red flag. Today I checked with our mutual friend, and her story mostly checks out. I’ve chatted with Mary some more today, and I’m willing to give her another chance. In fact, she wanted to meet tomorrow, but I’ll be going to Pundaquit with the nephews (yes, Josh’s brother Justin arrived this morning) for the weekend. I jokingly invited Mary to come along, and she was asking what time we would return on Sunday, so I told her it was too soon for that and we would take some time to get to know one another first.

I’m not sure what I’m doing here. If it turns out that we have a connection and I feel that I can trust her, I’d consider playing the Sugar Daddy role. I know a guy who sponsored a young woman through college, and she, in turn, showed her appreciation by giving him a GFE (girlfriend experience). I used to see them around town, and there seemed to be genuine affection between them, even though the age difference and life goals were not in sync. She’s graduated now and is pursuing her career in Manila, and he feels satisfaction from making a meaningful difference in her life. Anyway, I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll meet Mary first, then assess what role we may have to play together (if any) going forward.

After learning I wouldn’t be eating at John’s place after all, I went to Baloy Beach to visit Josh at his hotel, Johan’s. We did a Baloy bar crawl (Johan’s, DaKudo’s, McCoy, and Snackbar) then I called it a night.

***It looks like the floating bar will finally be open soon. I’m guessing next weekend.***

This morning I did an enjoyable stroll of almost 8K. Street walking, so I didn’t bother with many photos. But boats on the bay are always nice to see, right?

Justin and Josh will accompany me to the SOB tonight. That should be fun.

Back tomorrow with a full report.

Nothing but nada

Posted on 16/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Even by my low standards, yesterday was about as empty and meaningless as it gets around here. My overnight guest threw me off schedule, so I missed out on the Wednesday Walkers group hike. I did a 7K valley walk later on my own. I showered, napped, baked brownies, and blogged to while away the afternoon hours. (Okay, I think I used the right while as opposed to wile. Okay, I looked it up, and I’m right.) When it was time to do the feeding at Hideaway, I headed into town and stopped in at Sit-n-Bull for some takeout.

***Chicken fingers and lumpia for the crew***

Josh joined me at Hideaway about an hour into my visit. So, I stayed longer than normal and drank more than usual. That’s not a good combination, but at least I didn’t fall down or wake up on the floor this time. I’ll call that progress.

And that is really all I’ve got to report today. I’m meeting someone new for dinner later at John’s place. We’ve been chatting for a couple of days, and she appears to be the smartest young woman I’ve encountered since the move. We’ll see how she stacks up in real life.

I think I’ve probably used this here before, but it’s good enough to use again:

Until tomorrow then.

My bout with VD

Posted on 15/February/2023 by John McCrarey

It really wasn’t much of a fight because I don’t give a shit about Valentine’s Day. I actually got an invite from Joy to take her out for VD, and I declined. I do think I’ve gotten so accustomed to solitary life that I prefer it to the whole “dinner for two” routine. This is not to say I spent the day alone, far from it. Here’s how things went down.

As I mentioned yesterday, my mountain friend/masseuse came to the house to give me my monthly rubdown. Just before the massage reached its climax, I had a breathing attack. I reached for the inhaler I keep on the nightstand, but it didn’t seem to help much. So, I stumbled into the living room to fire up my nebulizer. I felt like I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen, but fortunately, after the first couple of puffs, I could breathe again—scary shit.

Annabelle, one of our female Hashers, asked me to come by Alley Cats yesterday to help her celebrate her 40th birthday. It’s been quite some time since my last visit there, so I figured, why not? Plus, one of my old favorites, Jerlyn, has returned to work after spending several months in the province. As is my custom, I baked up a batch of brownies for the birthday girl. When I arrived, Annabelle wasn’t there, and I was told she was visiting family in Bataan. Hmm, must have been a breakdown in communication somewhere. Oh, well. I gave the brownies to Jeryln as a welcome-back gift and enjoyed catching up with her some. Nancy joined us and told me I was missed in the bar and said, “we love you, John.” That was sweet and made me feel so good I bought another round of drinks.

I had the last of my pasalubong to give to my favorites at Alaska Club, including the carton of fresh strawberries Karen had requested, but the bar doesn’t open until six. So, I headed up the highway to Cheap Charlies to kill some time. I did bring along some chocolate candy (Kit Kat minis) and cookies for the girls there. Narissa gave me a smile and a friendly greeting, but she was busy with another customer. My regulars soon surrounded me, and we let the good times roll in the form of lady drinks and gin sodas.

I was looking forward to bringing my gifts to my Alaska friends, so off I went. Alas, when I arrived, my regular waitress informed me that both Karen and Virginia were not working. That was more than a little disappointing. I asked the waitress to store Karen’s strawberries in the fridge and left a Baguio magnet for Virginia. I gave the dancers some chocolates, paid my tab, and left.

Now what?

***Yes, and the night was still young enough for me to have a heartfelt conversation with the bottom of my glass.***

I decided to drop in at Wet Spot to finish my Valentine’s night. I bought my waitress a drink to start things off. Lyn, the young new dancer, was on stage when I arrived, and when her set was over, she joined me at my table. I handed out my last bags of candy and cookies, and then we all settled back to enjoy our drinks. Lyn snuggled up against me, and it felt so nice that I acted on impulse:

“Do you want to come home with me and snuggle like this all night?” She responded, “yes, but no boom-boom” (sex). I asked her how much, and she answered four thousand pesos. I agreed to her terms, and the deal was done.

I had not done a barfine for a couple of years, but it just felt like there was something special about Lyn. It’s probably because she’s new to the business. Back in my tourist days when I barfined regularly, I found that girls who had less than six months’ experience were more to my liking than the jaded long-term pros. Now, 4000P is way too much for a night with no boom-boom, but I didn’t care. Snuggling and cuddling can be just as satisfying, at least for me. And just in case you don’t know how this whole concept works, a barfine is, in reality, an early work release (EWR). The girl pays the bar a fine of 1000 pesos to leave work early; anything else is between her and the customer. I think most guys negotiate down to 3000 or less, but as I said, I didn’t care. I was just looking for some companionship.

And Lyn delivered. Well, she didn’t like the smoothie I made her when we got to my place, but once we hit the sack, I got what I wanted. Yeah, I’m a man, and I was half-drunk (or more), so I engaged in some petting which she tolerated, but when I started to go too far, she reiterated, “no boom-boom,” and of course, I respected her wishes in accordance with our prior arrangement. But while we slept, she held me close during the night, and it felt wonderful. Once, she rolled over and held my hand as she was sleeping. It was sweet. As is my habit, I woke up early and left the room to scour the internet. A bit later, she joined me and sat on my lap, then kissed me on the lips. Then she got up, washed the dishes, and went back to bed. A few minutes later, I joined her there, but my efforts at seduction were ignored.

Anyway, I didn’t have love or sex for Valentine’s, but I had someone at my side doing the kinds of things I’ve missed. Yeah, I got what I paid for, but if Lyn were feigning her affectionate ways, she qualifies for an Oscar. I’m not foolish enough to think this translates to any genuine feelings she may have for me; indeed, as I walked her out of the neighborhood this morning to catch a trike, I got a distinct impression that she was now off-duty and didn’t have to pretend to like me any longer. That’s just the way it works around here, and you are a fool if you believe otherwise.

I heard this song on my playlist as I hiked later this morning and smiled as I thought it could be sung by almost any bargirl in town:

That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Everything you had is gone, as you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me.

I ain't the kind to hang around
With any new love that I've found
Movin' is my stock in trade
I'm movin on
I won't think of you when I'm gone.

So don't you shed a tear for me
I ain't the love you thought I'd be
I've got a hundred more like you
so don't be blue
I'll have a thousand 'fore I'm through.

Now there you go you're crying again
Now there you go you're crying again
But then someday when your poor heart
is on the mend
I just might pass this way again

That's what you get for lovin' me
That's what you get for lovin' me
Everything you had is gone, as you can see
That's what you get for lovin' me.

Long and Hard

Posted on 14/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Yesterday’s Hash trail proved to be quite the challenge. A long hard climb to the top of Kalaklan ridge, and then stroll on the ridgeline before descending back down to Barretto and the On-Home at the VFW. My tracker says it was a 7.7K journey, and that was on the SHORT trail.

It looked like this from above. The yellow line was the shortcut avoiding another down and up on the long version of the trail. I further deviated by using the down path past Rolly’s Place (the yellow pin in the middle of the map with no trail line) to avoid walking back on the highway.

Anyway, despite the difficulty, it was nice to be up on the ridgeline again. I was recently looking up at Kalaklan from my barstool at Cheap Charlies and missing the views from up there, so it was good to see them again. There are no really easy ways to get up there, but the one taken was at the higher end of the difficulty scale. My poor nephew Josh wasn’t in condition for such a challenging hike, and I was worried about him completing the journey safely. Luckily, he made it back down. Once we were on the street again, I asked if he wanted to trike back to the VFW, but he insisted on completing the trail with the rest of us.

***We had some street walking to do to get there.***

***Enjoy that flat ground while you can.***

***The steps ran out long before the climb did***

***A brief respite on relatively level ground***

***Then on up in a final push to the top***

***Or maybe not. It was touch and go towards the end of the climb.*** ***Thanks, Cum Slinger, for hanging back and helping Josh out.***

***That’s Easter mountain way off in the distance.***

***And a bay view. It’s burning season, so the air quality is not as good as it usually is.***

***Fortunately, this burn was done before we arrived.***

***The famous (to us hikers) Mr. Rolly and family. He asked me about Scott, who is still recovering from his broken ankle.***

***But we all made it down in one piece.***

***And enjoyed some liquid refreshments at the On-Home.***

Some after Hash beverages at It Doesn’t Matter, then home for some well-earned sleep.

You can Relive the hike here if you are so inclined:

https://www.relive.cc/view/vAOZoj3XVo6

And now my masseuse has just arrived. Time to enjoy some Valentine’s Day comfort.

Back to life in the Barrio

Posted on 13/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Gee, it’s good to be back home again. Sometimes this old town feels like a long-lost friend…

Welp, I’m back to my bar routines, including the Sunday feeding at Hideaway.

***Joy and the crew joined me at the bar to enjoy their dinner of roast chicken, pork liempo, and pizza.***

***Joy is getting a leg up on dinner.***

The girls surprised me because they all wanted a trinket (refrigerator magnet) over the snacks I brought as pasalubong. The most expensive item was a carton of strawberries, which was still there when bartender Rolan, the last to choose, made his selection. I guess I know what to buy next time. Anyway, they all got two items, so I didn’t have to carry anything home, at least.

***There’s nothing like the real thing, IMHO.***

Josh joined us a bit later, and he seemed to enjoy Mhel’s company and backrub, as demonstrated by his buying her multiple lady drinks. When the time came to move on, Josh joined for a nightcap at Sloppy Joe’s. He was back there this morning watching the super bowl and enjoying a cigar when I walked past.

My night ended with this:

***A strawberry smoothie made with fresh strawberries is a rare treat around here.***

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I had hugged a tree as I hiked the forest trail in Baguio on Saturday. I saw a Hasher had caught the moment on ~~film~~ camera and posted it on Facebook.

Someone also posted a YouTube video featuring highlights from the Hash. It’s kinda cool to see the trail in motion; give it a watch if you are so inclined.

I make a cameo appearance at the 1:42 mark…

Another Subic Hash run is coming up this afternoon; I hope it goes as well as it did on Saturday. Only one way to find out. I’ll let you know all about it tomorrow.

Hashing in the Hays

Posted on 12/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Camp John Hay, that is. This is the second time I’ve had the pleasure of hiking through the forested trails on this former U.S. military installation. The path we took on the short route (6.5K) had its ups and downs, but no exhaustingly long climbs. And the lungs didn’t give me any trouble during the hike. Thanks to the La Union Hash House Harriers for the invite and for providing everyone with a Hashy good time.

***I didn’t count the number of Hashers in attendance, but the sign-up cutoff was 100.***

***Here are the attendees from Subic Bay H3***

***The Hare gives last-minute guidance.***

***The first 2K was on pavement walking to the gates of Camp John Hay***.

***Be careful, Josh; one false step and you are a goner!***

**I didn’t take the pledge, but I did hug a tree.**

***Finally on the forest trail. I’d never seen a handprint Hash mark before, but they are easy to follow***.

***And a down. Easier trail than most of the Subic hikes.***

***More signage to provide inspiration***

***Josh is making his way past the defunct zipline, presumably another COVID casualty.***

***Subic Gash enjoying some beverages post-hike***

***After a brief circle-up, we moved to the On-Home hotel and had dinner by the fire.***

The view of the hike from above. A very pleasant afternoon.

After dinner, the Subic group gathered at the small bar back at The Log Cabin hotel.

Guys on one end of the table, the gals on the other. Funny how that works. Lots of beers were drunk before the 9 p.m. last call. Actually, the bar ran out of beer before 9:00. Guess they didn’t expect a group of thirsty Hashers to invade the place.

***We enjoyed this duo’s music again, and once the alcohol kicked in, we engaged in some sing-along fun. It really was a good time.***

Made the long drive home after breakfast, and I’m a bit exhausted, but it is Sunday, and that means there are hungry girls at Hideaway to feed. And I’m sure they will be expecting some pasalubong from Baguio.

Luckily, I am prepared for those expectations with some Baguio delicacies (and refrigerator magnets). And yes, those are fresh, locally grown strawberries. I bought some for myself too, and will be enjoying a strawberry smoothie when I return home from tonight’s mission.

Oh, here are a couple of shots I took on the drive down the mountain looking back at Baguio:

***It’s a city literally built on a mountainside. I’m talking way there in the background.***

***I did a zoom shot so you could see it better.***

Time for me to get on with it, then. Back tomorrow with more of the inanity you’ve come to expect from me!

Friday in Baguio

Posted on 11/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Not sure why it is named that; it doesn’t look like any log cabin I’ve seen before. Anyway, my room is around the back side and is called “de lux,” which is also a stretch. Tiny inside the room and not particularly cheap at 3500 pesos.

And a big ol’ pine tree I rather like the looks of. One noticeable difference besides the air temp up here is that the vegetation and foilage are unlike back home. This area is where strawberries and other fruits are grown, I assume because the climate is more conducive to their production.

***The hotel restaurant. Food average, service poor.***

They do have a “fireplace suite” (you can see the chimney, something that is very rare in the tropical Philippines. I was cold when I got out of bed this morning, and that is a strange feeling. Oh yeah, last night, I could even see my breath! It got all the way down to 16 celsius! Yeah, yeah, I know that’s nothing, but it’s been a long time since I’ve felt chilly.

***Ed’s girl Helen got to experience her first horseback ride.***

***The white ones with pink manes cracked me up.***

***The hotel bar It’s the only bar within walking distance, so that’s where our group hung out.*** ***Later they had a duet that wasn’t bad. Closed at 10:00, which seems crazy for a Friday.***

***This is a page from the hotel restaurant menu. The part about “beating a chicken live” was a little disconcerting.***

We did our dinner at a place next door to the hotel. The food was good, but they messed up our bill. We had asked for separate checks, but they brought one bill. No big deal; we all added up what our dinner and drinks totaled and put it in the basket. I checked to make sure we had enough (3500 for all of us), and we were only being charged 2600. We called the waiter over and explained that there had been a mistake. He didn’t think so, but we insisted he recheck. He came back, and sure enough, we owed 3500. He was grateful to us for having called the shortchanging to his attention.

***The prices were low. This US ribeye was under 700 pesos.***

I couldn’t decide which I wanted, and it was such a good deal I wound up getting both. Yeah, I know, but damn such a bargain. They were good too!

After the meal, I was using a toothpick to dislodge a piece of meat, and my f’n crown popped off. Looks like a dentist visit is in my near future.

I hope to get some photos during the Hash this afternoon that capture the unique beauty of this city. I also hope the trail isn’t too difficult. I don’t know if it is a coincidence, altitude, or temperature, but my lungs have really been acting up at the slightest provocation. We’ll see what happens.

Assuming survival, I’ll be back tomorrow with a full report.

Baguio baby!

Posted on 10/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Made it to the mountain city. Over four hours door-to-door. Then took a hike to find tomorrow’s Hash On-Home. So, no time for a post today. I will throw up a few pics to tide you over and then play catch-up in the morning.

***The famous lion’s head carved into a rock.***

Some shots from last night’s Barretto bar crawl with Joshua.

***Dinner at Mango’s featured this view.***

***First stop, Voodoo. Lyn is looking mighty fine on her 55th birthday. She is still dancing!***

A drink in Hot Zone, but no photos and no company there.

***My regular Whiskey Girl waitress was occupied with another customer. So, I “settled” for this dancer. She filled the void nicely.***

***Josh has different tastes in women than I do.***

We finished the night at Josh’s hotel bar, Rock Lobster. He had a drinking companion when I left. I maintained much better control than I did on Wednesday, that’s for sure.

Alright, I’ll be back with some updates from Baguio in the morning.

A bad example

Posted on 09/February/2023 by John McCrarey

I decided to start the evening out on the town with my nephew Josh at John’s place. My reasoning was two-fold: it’s always best not to drink on an empty stomach, and I wanted to throw some support John’s way as he deals with his current medical emergency. So we both enjoyed some sandwiches, and I ordered some wings to go for the Hideaway girls. After dinner, I threw some cash into a jar on the counter to help with John’s medical bills.

Josh is also wanting to lose some weight, so he followed my lead and switched from beer to gin and soda water. I carefully explained my methodology: one shot of gin on the rocks in a tall glass with a can of soda water on the side. After filling the glass with soda, you enjoy a couple of sips, then replenish the glass with more soda. In this way, the initial shot of gin is watered down and weakened, making it easier to drink more and get drunk less. When it came time to order our second round of drinks, Josh didn’t order more soda because his can was still half full. So much for taking advice from your uncle.

Despite being Wednesday, one of my regular feeding days, I hadn’t initially planned to visit Hideaway. As I explained to Joy in a text message, her birthday feeding was it for this week. She seemed disappointed and said there were no customers, so no drink commissions. Since I was at John’s, which is practically right across the highway from Hideaway, I decided to make a surprise visit.

***Joy got her chicken and drink commissions and was a happy camper.***

Josh seemed to be enjoying himself as well; one of the other girls latched on to him and enjoyed his generosity in the form of lady drinks. I noted that Josh was ordering his gin straight up with no soda at all. I wouldn’t last an hour if I drank them that way.

The next stop on our barhop was Cheap Charlies. When we first arrived, it wasn’t busy, and we got my preferred seats up front with the highway view. Narissa came and took our drink orders, served them, then walked away as if we had never met. My other regulars were not working or otherwise occupied. I don’t understand the logic of showing disdain for a customer known for his largesse with lady drinks when it is your job to entertain him and earn commissions from the drinks he buys you. Oh, well. I don’t need the company of someone who doesn’t want to be there (and can’t hide that fact) anyway. I did notice that Josh caught the eye of some lass, and she came over to join him and make a little money.

Next up was Wet Spot. That’s where things started getting a little fuzzy for me. Even with my watered-down version of gin, it hits me harder than beer does. Worse, it kinda sneaks up on me–one minute, I’m fine, and the next, oops! Anyway, I checked my phone this morning, and I had taken some photos that helped me remember how I spent some of my time there.

***I did vaguely recall hooking up with that sweet young thing, Mevelyn.***

***Josh was wearing his recently acquired Hideaway shirt and had his back turned to the dancers.***

***It appears someone had a birthday. Josh says I ate a piece of cake.***

The last photo I took was of how things were looking to me as I headed home from Wet Spot:

***Yikes! Made it home safely, though, and woke up with a hangover. Even though we both felt like shit, Josh joined me for a street walk this morning.***

The day began better than it ended with a nice hike and climb to the top of Black Rock. I was honestly a little worried about Josh’s ability to do the moderately difficult trek on his still-recovering leg, but he was game to try, so off we went.

***Only four of us Wednesday Walkers this week***

***Making our first climb up a seemingly endless stairway.***

***The conquest of Black Rock is completed successfully.***

***Looking back from whence we came–Barrio Barretto.***

***I zoomed in for a closer look at Alta Vista.***

***I wanted to compare it to this photo Scott sent me of Alta Vista back in 2005.***

***A cookie recipient. I hope she didn’t share them with the carabao.***

***Taking time to ~~smell~~ photograph the flowers.***

***Josh crossed bridge #3 for the first time***

***Ended the hike at my house, and I prepared a burrito lunch while Josh enjoyed a cigar and the view on my back patio.***

Korean culture is really not all that prevalent here, although quite a few Korean tourists (almost always men for some reason) visit the area. Still, I see signs like this one at the 7/11, so I guess Filipinos enjoy a taste now and then.

***K-pop, K-drama, K-style foods. What’s next?***

***Well, it appears that soju is dominating the liquor shelf too.***

So, that was the day. I’m heading to Baguio for the weekend tomorrow morning. Going to Hash there with the La Union kennel on Saturday. Tonight I’ll show Josh some more of the bar scene here, although I’m going to need to be more moderate in my consumption. Wish me luck!

A Joyous celebration

Posted on 08/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Joy from Hideaway bar celebrated twenty-five years of life on Earth yesterday. Since I’m the resident feeder, I was tasked with providing the vittles for the party. I asked the birthday girl what she wanted to eat, and she said, “Jollibee.” The specific items requested were fried chicken, spaghetti, hamburger steaks, and tuna pies. I, of course, accommodated her birthday wishes.

***A birthday bag full of kisses and some cash in an envelope were my gifts to Joy.***

***Waiting on my order at Jollibee. One thousand four hundred pesos for the birthday food.***

***I was surprised that the party decorations also included one for me. Isn’t that sweet?***

***Joy devouring a birthday brownie I baked in her honor***

***The traditional birthday cake. Joy’s name is Mary Joy, but everyone except me calls her MJ.***

Caught up in the spirit of the celebration, I rang the bell, an act that bestows a lady drink for all the girls. Josh was there too and bought drinks for the two girls rubbing on his back. It was a fun party, and I’m sure it was the best birthday Joy has had this year.

The MJ versus Joy thing and Josh visiting reminded me of something I hadn’t really thought about for years. Josh calls me by my middle name, Mark, and is one of the few people left on this planet who do so (his father, my brother, is another of them). When I was born, my dad wanted to name me John, and my mom preferred Mark. So, I became John Mark. Growing up, my dad called me John, and my mom and brothers called me Mark. At school, I was John. The kids I knew from the neighborhood called me Mark. I guess I’m lucky I didn’t experience schizophrenia as a result. However, my John persona was the more serious version of me, while Mark was the party guy pothead. Over time as I grew up and moved around the country, people all called me by my work name John, and that is who I have become. Having Josh call me Mark is still a bit surprising to hear, but it brings back fun memories.

After we departed the party at Hideaway, I took Josh up to the rooftop at BarCelona.

***Josh could enjoy a cigar with his beer in this open-air environment.***

***And it was nice to watch the sunset from our vantage point***

I also took Josh to Wet Spot so he could get a taste of what a bar with dancers was all about. The young cutie Mevelyn was looking especially enticing in her braless midriff top. I can’t remember if I bought her a drink or not. Yeah, it was a bit past my limit at this point.

I finished my evening with a nightcap at Johansson’s, where Josh is lodging. I went home, but my friend Reggie was there, and she messaged me this morning that Josh kept her up late with drinks and pool games. Yep, definitely kinfolk.

Facebook memories took me back to this day in 2017:

In the emergency room at the Army hospital on Yongsan Garrison. That was the day I received the diagnosis for my increasingly frequent breathing attacks–COPD. I blogged about that experience here. No cure, but I’m still around six years later, although I’m using my nebulizer with increasing frequency.

And in other health news, John, the restauranteur/foodie, has been hospitalized. Here’s the disturbing post from his Facebook page:

It’s me again. I guess I was not as healthy as I thought I was. My HB level is less than half of normal and hospital is requesting of blood transfusion. I need at least a couple pints to help the situation. I don’t understand why a big hospital like this has no blood, but A + is out of stock. It sucks to ask but those who have same type.
I need 4 sessions of dialysis for now, but due to HB level so low, my heart cannot take it. My survival rate would be very low. So I am asking blood donation. Doctor indicates the dialysis may or may not be permanent. Too early to say but initial treatment is a MUST

Good luck, John. Hope they can cure what ails you soon.

In a story with a happy ending, here’s the dog I always saw tied to the end of a short leash with no food or water on this date in 2019:

And here he is today:

I was pretty surprised when Gen sent me this picture of her pussy:

Had a good hike up Black Rock with the Wednesday Walkers this morning–I’ll post about that tomorrow. Gonna take Josh out for some barhopping this evening and show him the ropes. For as long as I last, anyway.

***I’m not sure why this resonates so much.***

Plastic Jesus

Posted on 07/February/2023 by John McCrarey

It’s strange sometimes how your mind takes you to places you never thought you’d go. I took one of those little side trips this morning, and it turned out to be kinda fun. I’ve already forgotten what the Quora question being answered was, but the response included a reference to Paul Newman playing the banjo in a scene from the movie Cool Hand Luke. Wow, I hadn’t thought of that film in years, but it has always been one of my favorites. Recalling that scene of Newman with the banjo got me trying to think of what the song was that he was singing. I knew I really liked it, but I was drawing a blank. So the search was on. And with the help of Duckduckgo (fuck you, Google!) I found it:

The clip’s context is that Luke, a prisoner, just received word that his mother had passed away. The other inmates give him some space, and he picks up the banjo and sings this song. The Quora answer that led me down this road talked about Newman learning to play the banjo for this scene.

Here in the real world, yesterday’s Hash seemed to go well. There were many positive comments about the trail from the Hashers, and no one got lost or injured. For some inexplicable reason, three of the girls voluntarily took the long trail and were the last ones to reach our On-Home at Johansson’s. I was worried about them and relieved when they finally showed up.

***Hashers gathering at VFW for last-minute instructions from my co-Hare, Anal Retentive.***

Sorry, I haven’t seen anyone posting pictures from the trail, so that’s all I have for now.

While the Hashers were out, I went to the Outback pool bar to check on Josh. He was ensconced on a beach-view stool and tapped into the wifi, working on a course assignment for his Masters in Divinity he is completing online. Josh had asked me earlier where he could buy some shorts, and I suggested he take a trike to Divimart, a few blocks up the road from his room. He was wearing shorts, so I was glad to see they had his size. I asked how he liked his first trike ride, and he said it was pretty cramped and uncomfortable. Then he told me the driver had charged him 300 pesos. What? That’s a 50 peso ride at most, even with the “skin tax” (a Filipino wouldn’t pay more than 20P for such a short trip). I felt bad that he had gotten scammed on his first day in town, but he really should have known better.

Josh is trying to get back in shape after being laid up for months with a severely broken leg. He walks with a limp now and has this massive bump on his hip that will require surgery to remove. He did okay on the Baloy hike, but no way he could do some of those trails up in the hills. Still, he is lucky to even be alive after getting run over by a truck while riding his motorcycle.

***Josh sent me this photo of the aftermath of the accident.***

The On-Home was where Josh is staying, and I invited him to watch the circle proceedings (he’d have to buy his beer from the bar, though). He seemed to enjoy the spectacle, especially some of the Hash songs. We’ll see if he wants to participate in the Hash rituals sometime during his visit.

I was feeling tired at the conclusion of the Hash (the Angeles trip had interrupted my sleeping hours), so I went home directly after we finished the free beer portion of the circle, and I was in bed by 7:30. That might be a new record for this oldtimer. Josh was already “home” and hung out with a couple of the female Hashers, Trouble Cumming and Black And Dick Her.

***It looks like they had a good time! Josh told me they did a couple of more bars after the Hash together. Glad there was a McCrarey around to fill the void.***

Today is Joy’s birthday, and I’ll be doing a special feeding at Hideaway bar in her honor. I invited Josh to join the festivities, gave him directions, and told him no more than 50 pesos for the ride. We’ll see how that works out.

Full report tomorrow.

Hare we go again

Posted on 06/February/2023 by John McCrarey

It’s Hash Monday, but since I’m a Hare, I have already made the trail. I’ll meet the group at the VFW starting point, offer guidance, and send them on their way.

***The short version is 6K with one big climb. The long trail is 8K with two ups.***

***A view from the top of the first climb***

***My co-Hare and the Blessed Virgin Mother. Ed and his girl came out last week and repaired and repainted the statue.***

***Near the end of the trail, the descent into Barretto.***

I hope everyone enjoys the trail. Nothing all that new to see and not particularly challenging for most folks, but it’s still a pleasant hike.

The Hideaway feeding went well last night. I had several dishes from the Jewel restaurant delivered, and the girls devoured the feast in record time. My cornbread also seemed quite popular.

I had a few and bought a few, as usual. I got home and set my alarm for 12:30 in anticipation of my driver’s 1 a.m. arrival. I woke up a little after one to pee and had an “oh shit!” moment when I remembered where I was supposed to be. I’m not sure what happened, but my phone was lying on the floor, and the alarm had been turned off. Next time I will keep my phone out of arm’s reach.

Anyway, we arrived at the airport just as passengers were beginning to exit the terminal. We were loaded up in the car within ten minutes and headed home to Barretto.

I took Josh for a walk on Baloy Beach this morning and followed up with lunch at Sit-n-Bull.

***The floating bar is still a work in progress, but progress is being made. Looking forward to having a water view now and then when I’m drinking.***

That’s it for now. More about today, tomorrow.

A new arrival

Posted on 05/February/2023 by John McCrarey

I’ll be traveling to Angeles City in the wee hours of the morning to pick up my nephew Joshua, who will be arriving at Clark airport at 0230. The purpose of the visit is to secure a work visa in Korea (he plans to teach English like his brother Justin), which apparently must be applied for at a Korean embassy. Anyway, he’ll be here for a week or two and is looking forward to seeing some of the Philippines during his visit. We’ll see what I can arrange, but I will definitely introduce him to the nightlife here in Barretto. Unfortunately, my current living quarters doesn’t have a guest room. I have rectified that by securing lodging for Josh at the Johansson’s Lodge–a small fan room (no air con) for only 500 pesos a night. One of my buds has already accused me of being a cruel uncle for making such Spartan arrangements, but Josh says it sounds perfect. Besides, the lobby area is open 24 hours and he can hang out there if he gets claustrophobic. Anyway, having another McCrarey in town ought to spice up the daily drivel I post here some. Justin will be joining us later in the visit.

Picking up where I left off in yesterday’s post, the pot roast came out tender and tasty.

It had been a long time since I’d had some cornbread, so I baked up a batch to go with my stew. I’ll be taking the leftovers to the feeding at Hideaway tonight. No need to have delicious carbs hanging around the house tempting me to cheat on my diet.

Joy had messaged me saying she was craving a banana-walnut muffin. I just responded, “sorry.” Actually, there were two left, my helpers having helped themselves to the other eight. Again, fine with me–out of sight, out of mind. I decided to surprise Joy with a special muffin delivery to Hideaway.

***The view as I departed the neighborhood***

Joy was indeed surprised to see me and especially delighted to see the baggie with muffins in my shirt pocket. She devoured them both before I remembered to get the Joy with her mouth full shot. Sorry to disappoint; I won’t make that mistake again during tonight’s feeding.

I stayed at Hideaway for two or three drinks, which was long enough for me to get bit by the “buy all the girls a drink” bug. Oh well, how do you put a price tag on those smiles?

I had another mission to accomplish last night–what happened at the SOB that I don’t remember? When I got to Wet Spot, I sat down next to the manager, Bret, and asked if I had done anything stupid during my attendance at Friday’s contest. He assured me my behavior was fine, and it appeared I was having a good time with the gal I was sharing drinks with. That was a relief. Then my waitress came over, and I told her I didn’t remember paying my tab last night. She said I had asked to pay early before the contest winners had been announced. Did I give you and the girl I was with a tip? Yes. What’s her name, anyway? Mevelyn. Damn, I’ll never remember that. Anyway, she said she was really surprised when I left; she thought I was just going to the CR. Yeah, it is weird. I’ve never not stayed for the contest results before. And then Mevelyn walked by, and I called her over and bought them both a drink. Mevelyn said I had behaved, and the only touching I did was gently rubbing her leg.

Okay, I still don’t remember anything, but I’m glad I wasn’t a drunken asshole. I really don’t like them and never want to be one.

Here’s the winning performance by the Wet Spot dancers. It feels like I just watched it for the first time. Scary.

Well done, ladies. I’m sure I must have voted you first!

Anal Receptive and I marked the Hash trail this morning, all 8K of it. Took us over four hours to complete the mission. It kicked my ass, but we got it done. I’ll post some pictures from the trail tomorrow.

And here are there results from this week’s weigh-in: 218.6 pounds, down 1.1 from last week and 6.7 since January 1. Little by little, I’m getting there.

***Yes, I miss my beer. And the gin seems to be messin’ with my brain. But I’m not giving up until I reach my goal. Or forget about it.***

A forgotten SOB

Posted on 04/February/2023 by John McCrarey

My “let’s go, Brandon” moments are increasing with a distressing regularity (like using road for rode), but I’m not sure I can blame my forgetfulness last night on dementia. Well, let me rephrase that: I can’t remember what happened last night. To be more precise, I can remember up to a certain point, then it goes blank. I can only speculate on why that may be, but I’m pretty sure gin played a role. Here’s what I do remember:

So, it was SOB night at Wet Spot. There was a large group of Vietnam-era Navy veterans in town, and they were going to attend the event. Wet Spot is a large bar, but I knew I’d have to arrive early to secure a good seat. I went to The Green Room next door a little after 4:00 to wait for the 5 p.m. opening of Wet Spot. I ordered a gin and soda to help pass the time. Then the waitress from Sit-n-Bull came by with a menu, so I figured having some food in my belly as a cushion for the alcohol would be a good idea. Meatloaf was one of the daily specials, and it had been quite some time since I’d partaken of that particular delicacy. I enjoyed another gin and soda with my meal. Around 4:45, I peeked (shit, I wrote peaked at first) inside Wet Spot and saw there was a slew of seats reserved for the Vets, and a couple of SOB attendees were already seated. I got another gin and soda to go (Green Room and Wet Spot have the same owner and an inside passageway so customers can move between the bars at their leisure. I just wasn’t sure the bar would be serving before opening time, so I brought a drink with me).

So, I settled into my preferred seat at the VIP table and waited for the show to begin at 6:00 p.m. My favorite waitress didn’t let my drink run dry during the wait. It was wise that I arrived early because it wasn’t long before the bar was packed like I’d never seen before. The Wet Spot dancers provided some entertainment on stage for the crowd to enjoy. That’s when I spotted a young lovely (I believe she is nineteen) that I had noticed several weeks ago on her first night at work. That night she looked distressed and so painfully shy that I thought she would cry. I guess she is adapting to her new job responsibilities because I did not see any similar symptoms as I watched her on stage. I like to have a companion when I watch the SOB, so I brought her down from the stage and bought her a drink.

Yeah, that’s a crappy photo, and she was shy about getting her picture taken. I wish I could remember her name. Maybe this memory loss is my Karma for trashing the Cheap Charlie’s waitress for forgetting my name.

So, at 6 o’clock, the bell was rung, and all customer drinks were “free” until 8 p.m. (the entrance fee is 700 pesos). I kept paying for my company’s drinks. I was once again tasked with being a judge and dutifully completed the scoresheet, but I don’t recall who I chose as the competition winners. Nor do I know who actually won last night. If I was still present when the winning teams were brought up on stage, I have no recollection of that event. In fact, the last thing I remember was having my name called to collect my raffle coupons. They were in my wallet this morning, so there’s that.

When I woke up this morning, I didn’t remember leaving the bar. I was worried I might not have paid my tab or tipped my company. I saw owner Dave at Sit-n-Bull today after my walk and told him I didn’t remember last night. He just laughed and said I had a good time with the young lady next to me. Hmm. Well, I guess if I hadn’t paid, he would have told me. I might stop back at Wet Spot tonight and see if anyone there can restore my memories.

I do remember the Friday group hike, though. And I’ve got the pictures to prove it! Only four of us were in attendance, and we split up into pairs about halfway into our journey–the healthy guys tackled another climb, and I took my tired lungs for a valley walk.

***It looks like they are building a new road in Alta Vista.***

***Near the top of my only climb of the day.***

***Bhel joined me for the valley walk***

***The blue house of my dreams. I talked to the landlord the other day, and she is still waiting for her UK visa.***

That’s how my Friday went down. As far as I remember.

Speaking of memories, Facebook shared this photo of a dinner I enjoyed six years ago in Seoul.

***Now, that’s what samgyeopsal is supposed to look like!***

That story of Chinese spying has been floating all over the internet. I think maybe it is being blown all out of proportion:

Spent some time in the kitchen this morning.

***And a kaleidoscope of veggies to stew with the beef. I will find out in a couple of hours how it comes out.***

I’ll be back with another post tomorrow. Unless I forget.

In Joy

Posted on 03/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Thursday’s highlight was a visit from Joy, then sharing dinner with her at one of the new samgyeopsal houses here in Barretto.

I’d rate the food overall as mediocre. I know I’m spoiled by all those years in Korea, but how can you not get samgyeopsal right? None of the three types was more than paper-thin; whether that was why it was almost tasteless, I can’t say. The sides were nothing special either, and the kimchi sucked. I enjoyed being in Joy’s company for the meal but not much else. Oh, and I knew the restaurant wouldn’t have gin, but the only beer they had was San Miguel Pilsner. I wasn’t going to break my diet for a beer I don’t even like. I had water with my meal.

Joy went home after dinner, and I hit the bars, starting with It Doesn’t Matter. Fellow Hasher Jim showed up a bit later, and I had company at the bar I didn’t have to pay for. We did a bit of a bar crawl, hitting BarCelona next. I don’t frequently visit there, but they all knew Jim by name. The bartender had a hot body and a friendly personality. Good combination!

***Walking the highway between bars as the sun goes down***

Next up was Sloppy Joe’s. I’m liking this bar more and more. It’s got the outside seating I like and good service. It seems to be getting very popular too. We had a couple of drinks here, then Jim headed home. I went next door to Alaska for my nightcap and hoped to see Virginia. Alas, she hadn’t shown up for work again. Oh, well. Her loss. I’ll use the money I saved on lady drinks to pay my entrance fee for tonight’s SOB.

I did a solo morning walk on the neighborhood streets on Matain and through the Santa Monica subdivision.

***Here’s how it looked from above. And yes, I grabbed some lunch to go from Sit-n-Bull at the end.*** ***Almost 8K altogether.***

I played around with that ChatGPT thing for a few minutes. I asked it who I am and it said I’m a nobody:

I’m sorry, but without additional context, I cannot determine who John Mark McCrarey is. It is possible that John Mark McCrarey is an individual who is not widely known or someone who uses a pseudonym.

I guess that may be true, but what about my blog?

I’m sorry, but I don’t have information on a specific blog named “Long Time Gone”. It is possible that the blog is a personal blog or a niche blog with a limited audience, and therefore may not have information readily available online. To find out more about the blog, you may try searching for it on the internet or contacting the author or administrator of the blog directly.

Oh, well. I’ll keep trying to make something of myself someday.