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.

Scouting

Posted on 11/March/2023 by John McCrarey

My co-Hare and I did some scouting yesterday and pretty much finalized our trail for Monday’s Hash. We’ll go back out in the morning and put chalk on the trees and powder on the ground for the Kennel to follow.

***The long version is a little over 8K with two hill climbs. The short trail only has one hill.***

**Stuart (foreground) was the only other person to show up for the Friday group hike, so we invited him to join us on the scouting expedition.**

***A view from the other side of the hill***

***Your day is drawing near, Easter Mountain***

***A farmer’s field, we had to find a way around***

***I get it that Korean food and culture is popular here, but who will*** ***read the Hanguel? I never see any Koreans in the countryside, although Korean men occasionally visit the bar scene.***

***And the On-Home will be at Da’Kudos on Baloy Beach***

That’s the trail; you can Relive the scouting adventure here:

https://www.relive.cc/view/vNOP4yY8n2O

Now, about my Friday night. I did decide to skip the SOB. Back in the old days (pre-scamdemic), I only attended the SOB once a month or so. When the SOB resumed last year, I went every week as a show of support and appreciation to the sponsoring bars. Lately, they have had more attendees than they can accommodate, so I can take a break and give my seat to someone else to watch the show.

I started out at Cheap Charlies, where I enjoyed some facetime with Nerissa. She’s definitely not the typical bargirl type, at least not yet. I need to decide if I want to take the next step toward a potential relationship. As with Mary, I’m just not sure I want to give up my freedom from drama and my ability to do as I please. I know some positives come with having a girlfriend, too, but damn, why risk it?

After I left Cheap Charlies, I was feeling a little hungry. Running through the options as I walked down the highway, I decided to pay Thumbstar a visit. It’s rare for me to patronize this venue for various reasons, but their shwarma shop was enough motivation to overcome them. Plus, a girl I met at Queen Victoria several months ago messaged me that she was working there now, so it seemed appropriate to pay her a visit too.

It was weird being in Thumbstar on a Friday night during the SOB. Thumbstar briefly was a participating bar in the SOB, but because of some disagreement over something, pulled out. And now Thumbstar’s management is engaging in a Bar Wars tactic–a competing event on Fridays they call the SOP. It’s ridiculous and, frankly, one of the reasons I don’t visit this bar very often, but by chance, here I was, experiencing my first-ever SOP. It’s nothing like the real thing, though. No dance competition, just the regular Thumbstar crew.

When I arrived, I saw Che, the former Queen Vic waitress, on stage dancing. So, I called her down to join me. She tried to order a bottled beer double lady drink for a whopping 350 pesos, but I put a stop to that, and she settled for a more reasonably priced single drink. I did buy her two (or maybe more), so it’s not so much the money as it is the principle. My waitress had difficulty understanding my drink order (a shot of gin in a tall glass and a can of soda water on the side). Seems simple to me, but it was confusing to her, and I admit I got a little frustrated and cranky with her. Felt wrong about being a grumpy old man, so I bought her a drink too.

The best part of the SOP is that drinks AND food are all buy one get one free. So, I got two chicken shwarmas for the price of one. Che wanted chicken, so the second order went to our waitress. The waitress wanted fries, so we shared those as well. The way I drink, every order is a double–the shot of gin and the can of soda. So, last night at least I could get my soda water for free.

And in a first for me, the waitress picked up my phone from the table and took a selfie without being asked (or asking permission). I didn’t care, of course, but joked that my wife would be very angry when she saw it. That made her nervous until I explained I was kidding.

***The selfie of which I speak. Not really my preferred body type, but I’m sure some guys would get off on those boobs.***

***Che is definitely more my type. (I lifted this photo from her Facebook)***

And then a two-week millionaire (the name we expats use for free-spending tourists) came in and called most of the dancers down from the stage to join him at his table. I snuck a picture of his bounty and their booties.

***And yes, he bought them all bottles of beer at double lady drink prices. No wonder they love him!***

I have to admit; I had a better time at Thumbstar than I expected I would. I decided to make Queen Victoria my nightcap destination, and I appeared to be the only customer in the bar. No idea how they stay in business, especially when they were paying a live band to perform with no audience. Anyway, I was joined at the bar by two friendly waitresses, and I enjoyed sharing a drink with them to end my night on the town.

And now it seems I have a dinner date with Mary tonight. There’s just no telling that girl no.

Oh, I almost forgot. I came across this post of mine from 2009, back in the days this blog has some substance. I found it especially interesting given what’s been going of late with the media covering up the sins of our government rather than reporting them to the people. Our founders believe a free press was the “fourth estate” that would help preserve our freedoms. Instead, they are facilitating their destruction.

Rockin’ on the water

Posted on 10/March/2023 by John McCrarey

My life consists of daily routines, but sometimes I change things up just to keep it interesting. Yesterday, instead of doing my regular Thursday solo walk, I did my standard Saturday walk. Talk about living life on the edge! And for the third Thursday in a row, I paid a visit to the Kokomo’s floating bar on Baloy. Hmm, I guess that qualifies as a new routine!

**Waiting to be ferried to the floater**

***On board with some of my fellow passengers***

***At first, I thought it was a snake!***

I stayed aboard for a couple of hours, just relaxing and enjoying the vibe. Along with my gin and sodas.

**And the sun went down on another day in paradise.**

.Once I was back ashore, I decided some food would be the next order of business. Johan’s has a new owner and kitchen operation, so I popped in to give them a try. My friendly waitress greeted me by name, even though I’m rarely a customer here. She said she heard I was in her neighborhood handing out cookies on Wednesday, and she didn’t get any. Next time, I told her. Then one of the pool players there asked how my nephew Joshua was doing (Josh had stayed here during his visit). Say what you will about small-town living, but it does make you feel at home.

Anyway, I like the new menu better than the old one. A lot of these beach resorts will have 50+ options, and it always makes me wonder how any chef could learn to make all of them proficiently. I also wonder how you can keep all those ingredients from going bad. I much prefer a limited menu where I know all the items will be fresh and tasty. Johan’s new menu has fewer items, and if the quality of my first selection is any indication, all are going to be well prepared.

***I kept it simple with a beef quesadilla. Might just be the best I’ve ever had, and there was more on that plate than I could eat in one setting.***

I walked Baloy Beach road in the dark back to the highway and popped into Snackbar for my nightcap. Naturally, I wound up buying my four favorites working there a lady drink before I departed.

***Living rich on a pension is one of the benefits of residing in a poor country, I suppose. But for what it’s worth, I do spend as much or more on others as I do on my own selfish indulgences.***

And now it’s another Friday night. Not sure if I’m going to make the SOB or not. Had a long hike today (over 8K with two hills), scouting some more for Monday’s Hash trail. I think we’ve come up with a good one. I’ll share more on that tomorrow.

Onward!

Hare-brained

Posted on 09/March/2023 by John McCrarey

I got drafted to be one of the Hares for the Hash next week. Only one other person showed up for the Wednesday Walkers group hike, so I drafted him to help me scout a trail.

The On-Home venue next week is Da’Kudos on Baloy Beach. I used always to enjoy walking the river bank to Baloy, but someone blocked access a couple of years ago. I wanted to see if anything had changed recently, so off we went. Before we reached the cutoff to the Baloy road, a woman said, “you can’t get through there, it’s closed.” Damn. But then she told us, “you can come this way” and led us through her yard and pointed to a path leading to the road. I thanked her gave her some cookies and asked if we could have a group come this way on Monday and she said that would be fine. So, we’ll have something new next week at least.

Once we were on Baloy I suggested we do my idea for the trail in reverse and that worked out fine. My co-Hare is going to add a loop with another climb (my trail only has one hill) so the die-hards will be happy. We’ll finalize our plans this weekend and mark the trail on Sunday or Monday morning.

***We did almost 8K yesterday, but it was the flat portion. It should be a good trail for everyone with the hill options included.***

I baked a carrot cake for the Hideaway feeding last night. Actually, I added raisins to the recipe, so it was technically a carrot-raisin cake I guess. The girls went crazy for it and it disappeared quickly. I got lazy and sent Joy out to buy whatever food the girls wanted. She came back with fried chicken and some pancit, a Filipino noodle dish, and that was popular with the girls too.

Eating, drinking, and some pool filled the hours at Hideaway. It took Joy three games to beat me twice this time, so I guess that shows some improvement on my part. Griff, the manager, is trying to recruit me for a new dart league team, but I’m really not sure I want to get back into that routine. We’ll see if the bug to play bites me again.

Did my nightcap at Wet Spot, then brought home some chicken fingers and a slice of pecan pie from Sit-n-Bowl. Went to bed fat and happy.

***Yes, it does. Enjoy it while you can.***

Doubling down

Posted on 08/March/2023 by John McCrarey

Another week, another cart of groceries. I changed things up a little this time by visiting both of the large supermarkets on the old Navy base. Sometimes Pure Gold has items in stock I can’t find at Royal, so I’ll pop in there every couple of months for a look around. Found some things on sale, but nothing I can’t get elsewhere. I’ll check back in May.

***I was surprised to find Buddy waiting for me in the dog food section at Royal, though.***

It was my friend Nerissa’s birthday yesterday, and I asked if she had any plans. Alas, she said she had to work because, on Tuesday, the RSL (the Australian version of the VFW) comes in mass to Cheap Charlies, so none of the girls can take off work. It’s too bad she had to work; I was hoping to take her out for a birthday dinner. The RSL are good blokes, but they fill the bar up when they are there, and it gets a bit loud and uncomfortable for an outsider. So, I tend to avoid CC on Tuesdays.

Still, I wanted to do something for Nerissa on her special day, so I baked up a batch of brownies and slipped 500 pesos in a red envelope for her. I arrived at Cheap Charlies around 4:30 and was relieved to see the invasion of the RSL hadn’t started yet. As I walked through the door, I saw Nerissa’s smiling face–as she drank a bottled beer with a customer. Well, that’s her job, and I get that it is first come, first served with the girls, as it should be. My problem was that it seemed awkward and rude to interrupt her interaction with her benefactor by presenting my gifts. So, I sat on the other side of the bar to wait things out, occasionally looking over my shoulder to check on her progress. I was soon besieged by two other bar girls and naturally treated them to the drinks they were craving.

SINGLE lady drinks. I never knowingly buy a double lady drink, which in Cheap Charlies is a bottled drink. I’m not sure why it is, but paying 250 pesos for a bottle of beer just irks me somehow. It’s not really even about the money; I bought my girls two 130 pesos single drinks each, but just the thought of paying more than three times the customer price for a “double” drink feels like a scam to me. Now, I’ve had guys tell me that it takes twice as long for the girl to finish a bottle of beer than it does a mixed drink, so it saves them money in the long run. Maybe so, but I don’t buy double drinks as a matter of principle. One girl told me they get a 120 peso commission on a double and 80 pesos for a single drink. So, my two drinks are better than a double attitude is a good deal for them.

And then the RSL guys started arriving in force. I glanced at Nerissa; she was just starting another bottled (double) drink, which meant her customer wouldn’t leave anytime soon. So, I paid my tab, tipped my company, and prepared to leave. I took the brownies and envelope and gave them to another gal I know and trust and asked her to get them to Nerissa when she was free. Nerissa called out, “thanks for coming!” as I departed.

When I woke up this morning, I saw a message from Nerissa (the girls can’t use their phones during working hours):

Thank you for a delicious brownies and for your visit john.. You are so sweet… I like u a lot..my birthday is complete because of you

You are most welcome, Nerissa.

I treated myself to a Sit-n-Bull meal, had a couple more drinks at The Green Room, and finished my night cuddling some with Jenn at Whiskey Girl. Once again, I was in bed before 9:00. I’ve become such an old man, it seems.

Facebook did remind me of some relatively younger days during my Seoul life with my buddy Duke:

Hooters and Korean gals seem to be a contradiction in terms. I believe this Hooters franchise in Apujeong has long since closed. The girls may have been flat-chested, but then again, more than a mouthful is a waste.

And I just now received a message from one of my female Facebook “friends” I’ve never met before in person:

Hello John when I can taste your cock

Seen by Lorna Cabrera at February 14, 2023 at 6:39 PM

Um, most likely never, but thanks for asking.

What a life I have here, eh?

***Take care of that foot, Kevin! I don’t want my level of tolerance to be tested.***

Halfhashed

Posted on 07/March/2023 by John McCrarey

Half a trail is better than none, I suppose. And while I avoided a couple of hills, my trail, including the distance gained when I walked to the start from my house, was a respectable 8K.

***The red line is the trail as planned by the Hares. The white line is the handicapped modifications.***

***So, my trail looked like this with the 3+K walk to the start***.

***Arriving in Barangay Calapacuan (Cal-ah-pock-u-on)***

***The start of the modified trail at the Calapacuan market street***

That’s Pubic Head in the background enjoying his first Hash trail since breaking his ankle a few weeks ago. Buddy Fucker and his gal, Fuck Buddy, and I constituted the group that walked the handicapped trail.

***Yep, you can see Easter mountain from here.***

***Our path was mainly the second half of the Hare’s trail. This trail marking indicates we should take a climb up and over Black Rock. “Fuck that!” was our response.***

***These flat paved streets worked just fine for us.***

***Good to know where this place is if I ever need me a BJ.***

***Where does this narrow passageway lead?***

***We did have one climb ahead of us…a hundred steps or so…***

***Pubic Head takes a breather on the way to the top***

***The first of the runners from the long trail to catch up with us.***

***Leech My Nuggets, one of the Hares, catches me in this alley near the trail’s end.***

***Further up the alley, I was surprised to see a former Hasher, Arcel (on the right), and her child. Naturally, I made a cookie delivery.***

***Our On-Home venue was Smokes and Bottles.***

***Um, not to be a dick about it, but…***

***Another Hash birthday cake***, ***this time for Titanic Dickhead***

When the Hash was over, I walked back to Barretto and stopped at Snackbar for my nightcap. It was nice to visit with one of my old favorites there, Heidee, again. During our conversation, she asked me how my girlfriend was doing. I was surprised and told her I didn’t have a girlfriend, then asked what made her think I did. Heidee said to me that Lydell and another Snackbar waitress saw a girl on the Jeepney, and she had a keychain with my picture on it.

A friend had gifted me several of those key chains, and I gave them away to some young women I know. I’m unsure who it was on the Jeepney, but she wasn’t my girlfriend. This is just another example of how everyone *thinks* they know your business in this little town. Kinda scary, in a way.

This provides a good segway to me telling about some edits to yesterday’s post. I had revealed some private and personal information about someone I know, and a regular reader commented that I was wrong to do so. When I took a step back and looked at it again, I realized he was right to call me out on it. It was not my intention to cause anyone pain or shame, but if the information that I shared came back to her, she would likely be devastated. No excuses; I just wasn’t thinking about the potential repercussions. I appreciate that thanks to this reader, I was able to make the edits shortly after publishing the post, and hopefully, no damage was done.

I tend to forget that this blog isn’t a personal diary and that what I share has a potentially larger audience than I imagine. Perhaps some with bad intentions. Like that Dick who tried to use my sketchy history with love (i.e., four marriages) to undermine my relationship with a woman I cared about. You’d think I’d have learned by now.

***Are you talking about me? Well, I guess if the shoe fits, I’ll have to wear it.***

Anyway, I’ll try and do better in the future. I have taken to changing the names of some of the people I write about here. Going forward, I’ll keep in mind that some things may be best left unsaid. But don’t worry, dear readers; I’m quite sure that I’ll continue to serve as a bad example.

Lunch and dinner

Posted on 06/March/2023 by John McCrarey

Mary wanted to come over and have lunch with me yesterday. I didn’t really have anything on hand to prepare a proper lunch and suggested we meet up at a restaurant instead. But Mary insisted that anything would be fine, and so I relented. She arrived shortly after noon, and I served cheese nachos with salsa and tuna salad for our meal. She seemed to enjoy it.

After lunch, we had dessert in the bedroom and then a nap in each other’s arms. It felt nice holding her. Given what Mary has been through, I don’t think I’ll suggest being her “Sugar Daddy.” Still, I’ve told her I’m willing to support her continued education and encouraged her to prioritize her studies over work (she’s been looking for a job as a housekeeper). I gave her some cash to pay expenses for the semester that starts today.

Around 4:00, I walked Mary down to the highway, where she caught a Jeepney for her home in Olongapo City. Then I headed to Jewel Cafe to order some grub for the Sunday feeding at Hideaway Bar. I like Jewel for its reasonable prices and that they offer free delivery–I appreciate not having to sit around waiting on my order. I did go a little overboard, though, as my food bill was around 2000 pesos.

***The bounty included fried chicken, spaghetti, pork sisig, and lumpia. And a dozen Dunkin’ Donuts for dessert.***

***Joy and all the other gals seemed satisfied with their meal***

I had a few drinks, bought a few, played some pool (Joy kicked my ass again!), then I said good night and headed on up the highway.

***The next (and last) stop was Cheap Charlies, where I spent some quality time with these two lovelies.***

My Fitbit says I was asleep at 8:30. I’m such a lightweight these days. Well, maybe lightweight is the wrong word. At yesterday’s weigh-in, I was dishearted to see I had GAINED a half pound last week. Hopefully, that was an aberration.

Facebook memories provided a glimpse of how I was looking in years gone by:

***More hair, less belly. Circa 1973.***

My internet time also revealed this article listing eleven Hollywood movies that were filmed here in the Philippines. I’d heard of some of them, most famously Apocolypse Now, which was filmed nearby. Others I had no clue about. It might be fun to give some of them a watch and see if there is anything I recognize.

And here it is, Hash Monday once again. Scott is making his return from a broken ankle today on a modified and shortened version of the Hare’s trail. I’m going to join him so he won’t be out there alone. Truthfully, I was debating whether I wanted to do a long trail that is starting all the way out in Subic town. When I saw what Scott had in mind as an alternative, I liked it. I will walk the 3K to the start of Scott’s trail to add some distance to today’s effort.

Full report on how it goes tomorrow.

Laid back Saturday night

Posted on 05/March/2023 by John McCrarey

Just going with the flow. When you don’t have a plan, everything goes as planned.

I started out at It Doesn’t Matter. Thought I might run into someone I know there, but the place was pretty much dead. Even so, when my glass was empty and no waitress could be bothered to come out to check on me, I went inside, paid my tab, and left.

I was feeling a little hungry and wanted to check on John, so I headed up the road to his place. I didn’t see him when I first arrived because he was sprawled out on his recliner behind the bar. I did ask how he was doing later, and he shrugged and said, “at least I’m still alive.” I told him that’s a good thing and to keep fighting. He wasn’t looking so good, though.

***The view from my seat at John’s while waiting for my meal to be served.***

***It had been quite some time since I’d enjoyed some Mexican food, so I went with the chicken enchiladas. It was more than I could finish.***

Since I was making a semi-rare visit to John’s, I figured I’d order some take-out for the girls at Hideaway, conveniently located almost directly across the highway.

Crappy picture, but the girls love the Korean-style wings. I brought sixteen wings, and they were gone in minutes. And yeah, I know it wasn’t feeding day (that’s today), but it’s fun to surprise them occasionally. Plus, I had to drink somewhere, so why not at Hideaway?

Some drinkin’ and dancin’ and singin’ along with my favorites. Like this one:

I finished the evening at Wet Spot and had a pleasant time interacting with the boss at the VIP table.

Nothing much else to write about today. Mary says she’s coming for lunch, so we’ll see how that goes. Tomorrow, then.

A sophomoric rendition

Posted on 05/March/2023 by John McCrarey

I believe in the long history of LTG, this is the first time I’ve scanned a document and then uploaded the PDF to a post. I wasn’t sure it would even work, and I won’t know if the copy is readable until I publish it. So, consider this an experiment.

Anyway, from deep in the memory box, this is something I wrote as a sophomore in a high school English course. Nothing special about it, although it does demonstrate that I’ve been consistently atrocious in grammar, spelling, and punctuation throughout my life. Now, this is a typewritten document, and I’m sure some errors are, in fact, typos, but still, it demonstrates that I was always better at content than mechanics. You can see the teacher used a lot of red ink on my work. Hard to remember how rough we had it back in the days before automatic spellcheck.

sophIIII Download

I’m still hoping that “heaven” turns out to be a do-over life. Obviously, I’d still make the same grammatical errors, but I’d have a lot more fun if I knew then what I know now.

UPDATE: Weird; when I publish, the document shows upside down. It’s easy to flip using the rotation key at the top of the PDF box, but I don’t know why it does that.

UPDATE II: Hmm, it is also too small to read, at least for me. If anyone has suggestions on how to better upload documents like this one, please let me know in the comments.

An Ernest feeling

Posted on 04/March/2023 by John McCrarey

A comment on yesterday’s post really triggered some memories. Nate’s remark was simply, “A Clean Well-Lighted Pace.” That’s a short short story by Ernest Hemingway. About a five-minute read, so check out the link if you haven’t read it before. The irony of Nate thinking about that story when reading my post isn’t lost on me. I had to write a paper on that story in a college literature course sometime last century, and I found it moving even as a young man. And now, here I am in old age, practically living it.

And the coincidences continue. I did a quick search of my blog archives and saw I had written a post back in 2006 entitled “A clean well-lighted place.” That one was about a pretty wild night out on the town early in my Itaewon life. It brought back a flood of memories of long-gone friends. I am happy to report that one of the “stars” of that post, June, has been happily married to an American Air Force NCO and is the mother of a sweet daughter. How’s that for a happy ending?

Back here in present times, I took a break from the SOB last night and instead hung out in my version of a clean, well-lighted place–Cheap Charlies. But unlike the Hemingway character, I wasn’t sitting alone.

***Although Hemingway did feature two waiters in his story. I continue*** ***to be impressed while conversing with Nerissa (on the left). Jane is happy just to give me a back rub while we share drinks.***

Something also happened in the bar last night that is very rarely seen. A big spender rang the bell. Okay, that happens pretty frequently, but a bell ring usually just provides a drink for the working girls. This guy bought drinks for everyone in the house! No idea how much that act set him back, but he is definitely not a cheap Charlie! He also provided some entertainment with a nifty trick he did with the lady drinks:

***The shots lined up on the drink glasses. Then he knocked the first one in, and the rest fell like dominos all the way down the line. Very impressive!***

I had such a good time that I just stayed at Cheap Charlies and didn’t do my usual bar crawl, although I did stop for a nightcap at Whiskey Girl on the way home.

That was my night; my morning was equally pleasant, featuring a hike with the Friday group.

***We took an infrequently used route for the climb up, then hiked the familiar My Bitch route, but found a little-used and interesting path back down to Rizal Extension. A little over 6K all in.***

***A resting spot at the halfway-up point***

***Looking down on Barretto***. Estimated elevation above sea level. 12.7 meters (41.7 feet) Barreto is a barangay in the city of Olongapo. Its population, as determined by the 2020 Census, was 21,794. This represented 8.37% of the total population of Olongapo.

***Those houses in the foreground are in Alta Vista***

***The kids here call cookies “biscuits.”***

***My mountain friend Olivia with her grandkids***

***Those houses front Rizal Extension***

***Another shady rest spot. I’m unsure who builds these up here or why, but thank you!***

I’d say my life here is better than nothing!

What did he fear? It was not a fear or dread, It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it all was nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada.

As the hours roll by

Posted on 03/March/2023 by John McCrarey

I continue to fill my time in the usual ways, walking and drinking being the bookends, with blogging and napping occupying the space in between. I used to feel like I was wasting what was left of my life by not engaging in more meaningful activities during my retirement years, but lately, I’ve come to accept that I’m in my comfort zone, and if this is all there is, then that will be enough. That’s not to say I’m not receptive to any opportunities to change my life that may come along, but in the meantime, I won’t lament the things I don’t have. I’ve actually come to appreciate the value of my solitary life, boring though it may be. There are worse things than being alone, and I’m not convinced that the relationship I’ve craved in my imagination is worth the drama that seems inherent when you open your heart to another.

That’s my initial thinking, anyway. As Joni Mitchell sang all those years ago, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone…” We’ll see if any of the women currently vying for my attention are able to change my mind.

***Enjoying the flowers I encountered***

When it was time for my evening entertainment, I took a walk out to Baloy Beach.

***And visited my new old friend, the floating bar.***

***I took this photo from the raft en route to the floater. One of the other riders cautioned me to put my phone away before I dropped it over the side. It was good advice, and I took it.***

***The raft of which I spoke. Two guys pulling on ropes is how it moves between the floater and the shore***.

***Some of my fellow customers on board***

***A zoom view of the old Hanjin shipyard, currently in the process of reopening under new ownership. Thank goodness the Chinese didn’t get their hands on it like they wanted.***

***It was a nice time relaxing on the water.***

In its previous iteration, the food delivered on board the floating bar came from Treasure Island. This year, the menu was from Lagoon. It’s okay, but not one of my favorites. So, instead of eating on the floater, I went to Treasure Island when I disembarked.

***I went with the pulled pork sandwich. A little skimpy on the meat, especially compared to John’s place and Sit-n-Bull. But it was tasty enough. I put the side of coleslaw on top.***

After my meal, I walked back to the highway and stopped at Snackbar for my nightcap. Haven’t been there in a while; there is too much drama with some of the staff. Last night was fine, though. Even Lydell, the gal I dated a couple of times, was sweet to me. She surprised me by playing “Cotton Eye Joe” and inviting me to do some country swing dancing with her. It was actually quite fun, and she earned herself a couple of lady drinks.

And then, it was time to go home, so I grabbed a trike. Made me a smoothie and then hit the sack. Fitbit says I was asleep at 8:30. That’s the way this old man rolls these days.

Death March

Posted on 02/March/2023 by John McCrarey

I started my March with my first visit to the Bataan Peninsula. We took a southerly coastal route through Morong to Bagac, then followed the path of the Death March as far as Hermosa before heading back home.

As I mentioned yesterday, my gal pal Nerissa suggested we spend some time getting to know one another better by visiting historical sites together. When she suggested Bataan, I was all in–it’s an area I’ve always wanted to see. I was impressed with just how beautiful the parts we visited were.

I left it up to Nerissa to pick the destination; she wanted to see Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. I’d never heard of it before, but I was ready for something new, so we were off.

***I’m unsure what I expected***, but it wasn’t this. It was more like a resort than a historic site. You can read about it at the Wikipedia link above, but basically, some rich Filipino in Manila had landmark buildings from the Spanish era taken down in their original locations and rebuilt here. So, everything that I saw seemed out of context somehow.

***What little we saw of the place had some interesting things, but we didn’t get to see much.***

***My tour guide at the entrance of Las Casas. She had thought the Spanish buildings were built here by Spaniards living in the area during colonial times. But the real surprise was yet to come.***

So, we went inside to pay the entrance fee, and we were told the guided tour, including lunch, was 2500 pesos PER PERSON. That’s a hundred dollars for us both. That’s Disneyland pricing. Nerissa was as shocked as I was and asked how much for us just to walk around and look on our own. Not an option–guided tour only. I told Nerissa that was a non-starter for me–not worth the price, and I didn’t bring that much cash (I only carry 5000 with me most of the time). She agreed it was a ripoff, so we departed without seeing much more than what’s in the pictures above.

I was hoping to see some sites related to the Bataan Death March. Bagac, the town we were in, was one of the starting locations of the march. As we drove along the highway, we’d periodically see these markers:

***At the time, I didn’t know what the “B” was about. Once I read up on the history, this was the trail from Bagac. Another group started from Mariveles at the southern end of the peninsula.***

***The back side was a memorial to one of the marchers.***

I told Nerissa another trip to Bataan was in our future, but this time I’d do better research and find more suitable historical sites to visit. She agreed that’s what we should do.

Still, driving through the unfamiliar countryside was pleasant, and I was enjoying Bataan’s rural vibe. So, it wasn’t really a wasted trip.

***What’s that off in the distance? Mount Samat, you say? What’s that poking out from on top? Let’s check it out.***

One of the last battles was fought here before the retreat from Bataan to Corregidor. Today, it is a shrine dedicated to Filipino and American soldiers who died during the war.

***The most enormous damn cross I ever did see.***

***Having some people in the photo gives a little more perspective regarding its size.***

***The views from up here were amazing***

***I don’t remember seeing a pine tree that looked quite like this before***

***We had a boomin’ good time on Mt. Samat. It was a blast. I’m glad we gave it a shot.***

***Come on, Nerissa, let’s go to the souvieneer shop!***

***Nerissa got a t-shirt, and I bought this poster. It should help me with my research before the next visit.***

We returned to Barretto late afternoon, and I was a little tuckered out. Dropped Nerissa off and headed home for some rest. I did find the energy to visit Hideaway for the Wednesday feeding.

***Joy found the pizza a little too hot.***

I didn’t stay out late, and I have the evidence to prove it.

***My Fitbit says I was asleep at 8 p.m. Damn, that’s early, even by my low standards.***

Still, it was a good day. I’ve got lots of things to think about and figure out my next moves. More on that another time. I do believe I’ll spend some time reflecting on the floating bar on Baloy this evening.

Marching forward

Posted on 01/March/2023 by John McCrarey

***The beginning of the end…of February***

A fruitful last day of the month included getting an extension on my tourist visa for another sixty days in paradise. I also completed my weekly grocery shopping excursion at the Royal supermarket.

***Speaking of the end of the month, it looks like this milk will never expire! (I found this on the internet, not at Royal.)***

In other news, a young woman messaged me and said she’d like to get to know me better. She suggested exploring some historic sites in the neighboring province. I was up for that and have arranged for my driver to take us to Bataan today to have a look around.

***Yes, I met her in a bar. She’s 31 years old. I’m looking forward to seeing how today’s adventure plays out.***

I also heard from the teenager I’ve been dating. It seems her child is ill with dengue and asthma and needs some medical care. I’ll give her credit; she at least asked me in the proper way: “I know you are not responsible for taking care of my son, but if you could help me out today, I promise I’ll work to repay you.” I wired 4000 pesos to her and haven’t heard from her since. I hope everything is okay.

I made some crockpot chili and baked some cornbread muffins to go with it. Then it dawned on me that my Bataan excursion may preclude me from doing my Wednesday feeding at Hideaway bar. So, I packed up my kitchen work and carried it into town.

***And Oreo cookies for dessert (yes, I doubled checked the spelling this time!)***

It’s chili inside Joy. There’s really nothing special about my chili, but it does get rave reviews whenever I serve it. I’m not sure why. I added some pineapple chunks to this version, and that seemed to go over well.

It wasn’t the most pleasant ambiance at Hideaway last night. A group of guys were there and had almost all the gals tabled and were plying them with drinks. Nothing wrong with that; that’s why the gals are there. What bothered me was that the girls were screaming and shouting as they enjoyed themselves. I couldn’t hear the music or talk over their noisemaking. To escape, I took Joy down to the pool table area and played a couple of games. She proceeded to kick my ass, but I have to give her credit; she made some really good shots.

The two-week millionaires eventually left, and things quieted down. I had a couple more drinks, then headed out myself. I decided to use my “buy a lady drink, get two customer drinks” coupon at Hot Zone. The first order of business was to determine who would be the beneficiary of my lady drink. I assumed it would be my waitress, but then the mamasan also appeared at my table. I told the girls to decide between them, and of course, the waitress deferred to her boss. And I, of course, wasn’t going to make her go without, so I wound up buying two lady drinks. That’s the magic of those coupons–what I think will be a good deal for me winds up costing me extra in the end. Oh, well, it’s only money.

***Hot Zone always has a nice lineup of dancers if that’s your thing.***

Despite having had more than enough to drink, I wasn’t done quite yet. I walked on up the road to Wet Spot for my nightcap. I had another coupon, this one for a “free upgrade” on a Sit-n-Bull pizza from medium to large. I guess I was in a feeding frenzy because I bought one for the Wet Spot girls to share.

***I was a little bit late with the camera, but as you can see, Hawaiian is the pizza of choice for the bargirls here, too.***

I think I mentioned that one of Mary’s schoolmate friends works as a dancer at Wet Spot. I had actually noticed her before I met Mary because there was just something exotic about her looks.

***I can’t remember her name now. I think Mary told me she is twenty years old.***

After paying for the pizza and some drinks for the lass above, my wallet was out of gas (I usually only bring 5000 pesos when I go out, just in case something stupid happens). So, I said goodnight and triked on home.

When I woke up this morning, it was March. I’ll start the month off with a fresh face in some new places. I may not have a clue about what tomorrow will bring, but that just adds to the adventure.

Long winded

Posted on 28/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Yesterday’s Hash was a good one. Not only did I enjoy the trail, but it didn’t feel like I was going to die from shortness of breath. That’s a nice change and hopefully a sign that my condition is improving.

There was a long trail of 9K and a short version coming in around 5K. Of course, I took the short option, which featured only one big climb and a couple of shorter ones that I handled pretty well. Half the trail was familiar territory, and I hadn’t hiked the other half in quite some time, so that was nice for a change.

***The Yellow line is the short trail bypassing a big-ass 4K loop.***

***Some last-minute guidance from the Hare, Anal Receptive***

This narrow walkway near the start was all uphill, and I was a little worried that it had winded me a some. But I pressed on, and I must have caught my second wind by the time we got to the big hill. I’m not saying it was easy by a long shot, but I felt strong and in control.

***One of my regular neighborhood paths that lead up to my street***

***Through the field and then out of the ‘hood***

***It was a very well-marked trail and easy to follow.***

***The only dwelling in this area. It must feel lonely out here, especially at night.***

It’s always weird to be marching through someone’s yard like this, but the resident seemed friendly and okay with it. Maybe he was just glad to see some fellow humans. Or the cute Filipina Hashers.

***A steep and slippery downhill slope.***

***And then things flattened out for a bit.***

***My first cookie recipients of the day as we passed through Marian Hills***

***Easter mountain through the trees on the way up***

***And at the top of the hill, the option to go left for long or right for short. I made the right choice.***

***It was good to see my mountain family friends again. “Long time no see, John.” Nice to see you again, Olivia. Have some cookies!”***

***A clear view of Easter mountain from here***

***And then came the final down of the day.***

***Some words of wisdom left by the Hare***

***Then it was all pavement the rest of the way back to the On-Home at It Doesn’t Matter.***

***We weren’t the last ones back, either.***

***Yours truly demonstrates Hashin’ in Action!***

***R & R as we wait for the circle to commence.***

***Bum Burglar being recognized for completing 650 runs with the SBH3***

***“Hashy Birthday, Fuck You” is the song we sing while making the cake***

***And that’s the way the old guy sees it.***

I’m just happy that I’m still able to participate. Going to enjoy it while I can.

Fed up

Posted on 27/February/2023 by John McCrarey

My Sunday included my standard solo walk, a visit to the doctor(s), and the feeding at Hideaway Bar. And I’ve got some pictures to prove it!

***The view as I left the neighborhood***

I messed up with my tracker, so I don’t have a distance to report, although it was probably a tad less than 7K, based on past performance.

The visit with Dr. Jo and her physician husband, Chris, is always pleasant. It’s more like chatting with friends than a doctor’s appointment. Anyway, the diagnosis is that my coughing/phlegm expulsion indicates an infection not associated with my COPD. I got some meds for that, and they already seem to be working. Same with the eyes, and a different medication for that. I mentioned that they have that tube in the nostrils whenever I see photos of someone being oxygenated in the hospital. Since I can’t breathe through my nose with my sinus congestion, I’ll be a dead man if I’m administered oxygen in that manner. They both agreed that since nothing else had worked to relieve the congestion, I should consider surgery to remove the overgrown nodules in my nose. A different doctor had recommended that, but I rejected the idea when I was told it required being anesthetized to unconsciousness. I just don’t trust the hospitals here with my life. Dr. Jo says she has an ENT friend in Manila who is much better than the local doctors, and I agreed to pursue the surgery through her.

After the appointment was completed, I headed to the Jewel Cafe to order some food for the Hideaway girls. The nice thing about Jewel is that they deliver, so I don’t have to sit around waiting at the restaurant.

***Along with spaghetti, pork sisig, and of course, rice.***

***And brownies for dessert. I actually made two batches; one of the waitresses asked if I could bring some for her daughter to take to school.***

***I hope your friends like them too!***

***Joy seems to be enjoying the garlic bread***

I was the only customer for most of the time I was there, and I guess things got a little crazy. I know my tab was over 3000 pesos, about triple what I usually spend. Joy messaged me this morning and asked if I remembered what had happened. Uh oh. No, I didn’t remember anything beyond getting home drunk. Joy said that I was licking the bare breasts of one of the waitresses. And no, I didn’t get grabby; she pulled her shirt up and offered them to me. I told Joy I was sorry, and she said, don’t be sorry; it was fun. If you say so. I’m embarrassed by that kind of behavior.

I’m really thinking I need to switch back to beer. I don’t seem to be able to pace myself appropriately with gin. The problem is that gin sneaks up on you–one minute you’re okay, the next you are a drunken idiot. And it’s not like I’m out drinking all night. I started at 5:00 yesterday, and my Fitbit says I was asleep at 8:21. I guess I’m just a lightweight.

It’s Hash Monday today, so I’ve got that to look forward to. I am also going to the dentist this morning to have my crown reattached. Yep, one adventure after another around here.

Another small town Saturday night

Posted on 26/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Alcohol called, and I answered. I hadn’t been to Cheap Charlies in a while, so I made that my first stop. I was surprised it wasn’t busier, but it was still early (a little after 4 p.m.).

***My crew was waiting; ready, willing, and able to make me feel special***

So, I ordered up drinks for all of us and enjoyed the views.

Feeling overly generous, I treated “my” girls to some supper:

***You can almost see the satisfaction on all of our faces***

Anyway, I enjoyed treating the girls. Narissa messaged me today and asked if I’d like to join her in exploring some nearby historic sites, and I heartily answered affirmatively. I’ve wanted to see Bataan since I moved here, and now I have no excuse not to do so.

After Cheap Charlies, I visited It Doesn’t Matter and shared some drinks with the lovely Juliet. Then I finished my night with a couple more at Wet Spot. My former favorite there thought she was ignoring me, but she didn’t realize that after her rude behavior on my previous visit, I had no desire to be in her presence. So, do me a favor and keep on rejecting me, bitch.

A rough night last night with the breathing; I had to get up a couple of times to nebulize.

***But I lived to enjoy another beautiful morning.***

***So, I celebrated by baking up a batch of blueberry muffins***

Facebook memories reminded me of a time in my working life when I was appointed Acting Director, Human Resources for the Roanoke, VA Management Sectional Center of the United States Postal Service.

I’m going to visit Dr. Jo this afternoon. This time about my eyes. They’ve been dry and itchy and oozing some white goop. I’ll also let her know my sinuses haven’t improved since my last visit, and my lungs have worsened. I’m not confident there’s a fix for that, though.

I’m posting a Hal Ketchum song I like called “Small Town Saturday Night,” and when I did the search, I was surprised to discover he died in 2020. At age 67. Scary shit. Rest in Peace, Hal, and thank you for some great songs.

Because I’ve been away the past two weekends, today was my first Sunday weigh-in since February 5. Sadly, I’ve gained 0.8 pounds since then, putting me at 219.4. That’s down 5.9 pounds since January 1. Time to reign in those cheating excuses, I reckon.

Milestones along the way

Posted on 26/February/2023 by John McCrarey

I found a few things in my “memories” box besides bad writing. Like these achievements on the road to where I am. Nothing all that special, really, but it did trigger remembrances of days long ago. I’m just posting here as a way to preserve them.

***Done with elementary and ready to get high.***

I guess, technically, it was middle school or junior high. Those were the days when I started learning my smart-ass ways. Like this encounter:

The other incident that is seared into my memory involves my 7th grade math teacher, Peter Boothroyd. I’m sure he’s dead by now so I won’t begrudge him. Much. I was being my usual smart ass self in class one day and he called me out on it by saying “Keep it up McCrarey and you’ll wind up selling jello out of a truck like your father”. Ouch. Well, as it turns out I did for a time wind up working in route sales (sandwiches, not jello). But I’m proud to say that I went on to bigger and better things, beyond anything a pea brain like Peter Boothroyd could have imagined possible. Hmm, I guess maybe I am still a little bitter.

Another teacher kicked me hard on the shin when I joked about his fat belly. Hmm. Maybe I was more of an asshole than a smart ass.

***I made it through high school, too.***

I was definitely high for most of it. I did well in my journalism and creative writing courses, did okay in history, and pretty much sucked at everything else. Mainly because I was preoccupied with sex and drugs and rock-n-roll. I had to take some night courses at the local community college to earn enough credits to get that diploma. I wrote about those high school daze here.

After high school, I floundered around in some dead-end jobs, fathered a child, and got married. Then in 1976, the Postal Service hired me as a letter carrier and thus began my career in government service. I delivered mail in Anaheim, CA, Prescott, AZ, and Fort Smith, AR, before I received this letter in 1985:

***Promoted to Safety Specialist for northwest Arkansas.***

Another promotion a couple of years later took me to Columbia, SC. I decided it was in my best interest to earn that long-delayed bachelor’s degree to reach my full potential as a government bureaucrat, so I enrolled at the University of South Carolina.

***Well, I’ll be damned; I must have gotten smarter over the years. Well, smart enough to say no to drugs anyway.***

***I was working full-time and taking classes at night and on the weekends. It really was a slog.***

USC added some degree requirements that I found unfair and overly burdensome, so I transferred to a smaller local college.

***And I finally earned my B.S. degree in Business Management in 1991.***

And the rest is history. Still, looking back from an end-of-life perspective, it was quite a ride.

SOBserviant

Posted on 25/February/2023 by John McCrarey

My date with Mary last night left her SOBing. But she professed to enjoy it, so there’s that. We met up at Mango’s for dinner before the show.

***I went with the pork chops. Mary chose sizzling sisig for her meal.***

After dining, we crossed the highway to Alaska Club and arrived early enough to secure a good table. We had an hour to fill before the show, and I opted to have a beer cheat day to maintain some semblance of SOBriety. Mary had a beer too, but her’s lasted the entire hour. Once drinks were free at the show’s beginning, she switched to mango juice and water. The SOB made money on her (or should I say me) because I couldn’t drink enough to recover the 1400 peso entry fee for a couple. I’m not complaining. Much.

Just before the dancing started, Mary ran into a school friend who danced with the Wet Spot team. Naturally, I invited her to join us for a couple of lady drinks. Mary got into the show, taking videos of all the teams performing on her phone. A couple of guys who arrived late took the empty seats at our table, which I don’t have an issue with. One of them got very drunk before the show ended and proved to be a bit of a dick. He was passed out on the table when I left.

It was only 8 p,m. when we left Alaska, but I’d had enough. Mary wanted to come to spend the night, and I was okay with that. I made some smoothies and turned on the TV. for the first time in months. Mary says she’s addicted to Korean dramas, so I decided to share one of my favorite Korean movies, a romantic comedy called “My Sassy Girl.” She seemed to enjoy it.

It was well past my bedtime by now, and my lungs were giving me fits–coughing up gobs of phlegm. So, no romance in the sack other than a bit of cuddling. In the morning, I fired up the nebulizer and popped a pill, and was ready for a go before breakfast.

Mary joined me for the dog walk; then, I made a batch of burritos for our morning meal. Afterward, she accompanied me for a portion of my Saturday street walk, and we said our goodbye at the town marketplace on Rizal street. I think we both enjoyed our date together.

The Friday morning group hike was okay. I told my fellow walkers that they could proceed to climb mountains without me because my lungs were not up to the task. They insisted on sticking together for a flat walk, so we did an 8K street trek. I was worn out by the end. I’m increasingly worried that my diminished breathing capacity is my new normal.

***Seven in our Friday group this week*** ***(Jim missed out the photo)***

***On the neighborhood streets of Matain.***

And there you have it, another day I lived to tell about. I hope there are many more to come.

Will I be with you?

Posted on 24/February/2023 by John McCrarey

What can I say
That hasn't been said before?
What can I do
That hasn't been done before?
How can I show you my feelings are real?
How can I tell you
The way that I feel?
Would you believe me
If I said it was love?

What would you say
If I asked you to love me?
What would it mean to you
Karen, please tell me.
Would you just laugh 
And call me a fool?
Or would you smile and say
"I love you, too."
Would it possible
You loving me
Or is it a dream
Never to be?

There's no other feelings
I can show
I've told you I love you
In the only way I know
It's up to you, Karen
Either way;
There's nothing more
I can say.
So what will it be,
Yes or no?
Will I be with you,
Or will I go?

***I used to write a lot of poems back in the day. I never claimed to be good at it.***

I wrote that back in 1971 for the girl who said yes and became my sweetheart in high school. She moved away in my senior year, but the long-distance relationship lasted a couple of more years. And I’m proud to say that, like most of my former loves, we have maintained a friendship, and I see her posts regularly on Facebook.

Oh, the stories I could tell! We reconnected at our high school’s twenty-year reunion and had a wild weekend. My then-wife wasn’t happy when she found out, though.

Float some

Posted on 24/February/2023 by John McCrarey

I took a pleasant stroll out to Baloy Beach yesterday afternoon and visited the newly reopened Kokomo’s Floating Bar. It’s been almost two years since I was last aboard. The floater was heavily damaged in a typhoon last year, and I’ve watched it being slowly rebuilt on the beach these past few months.

***On the raft en route to the floater***

***Welcome aboard! The most crowded I’ve ever seen it. I think many*** ***folks have been missing the unique and relaxing experience of imbibing on the water.***

I stayed for three drinks soaking up the ambiance. A newly hired waitress sat beside me, and I quenched her thirst as well. Honestly, the waitresses on board weren’t all that attractive, but mine was friendly and sweet. I think she’ll do fine. I’ll be back soon.

After the floater, I walked back into town and visited The Green Room. I had a coupon to expend before its expiration date. Had some food from Sit-n-Bull brought over for me and my “girlfriends,” too. Then I finished things off at Wet Spot and spent a little time with the cuddly dancer I took home for Valentine’s. She invited two of her friends over and asked me to buy them drinks, and I did although I don’t like being asked, I prefer to offer. And then, as I was paying my tab, they all disappeared without even a goodbye or a thank you. That’s just fucking rude. Needless to say, I will not be so generous the next time we meet.

It’s SOB Friday, and tonight’s event will be at Alaska Club. I invited Mary to join me, and she accepted. We’ll be meeting up at Mango’s for some dinner before the show. She’s already dropped some hints about becoming my girlfriend, and I told her let’s take our time and see what happens. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I have come to enjoy my single life and the freedom that comes with it. I think I’d make a better Sugar Daddy than a boyfriend.

We’ll see what happens.

Dilly dally in the valley

Posted on 23/February/2023 by John McCrarey

Yesterday the Wednesday Walkers, all three of us, took a 9K stroll around the Naugsol valley. My lungs are still acting up, so my compadres accommodated me with a mostly flat trail. It was a beautiful day yesterday, and I think we all enjoyed it. I took a shitload of pictures, and here they are:

***Charles and Jim joined me in the endeavor***

***Heading out to the valley via Alta Vista***

***Over the bridge…yes, the kids are hungry for cookies***

***Green acres is the place to be, farm living is the life for me…***

***…land stretching out so far and wide…***

***…keep Barretto, just give me that countryside.***

***Rice is nice, but it does tend to flood the trail…that’s okay; we found some high ground to go around it.***

***It’s a crap picture, but this tree caught my eye for some reason***

***I guess I should have zoomed…it’s harvest time in this field, and they were using an actual harvesting tractor…rarely seen in these parts where labor is mainly done by hand.***

***Saying hello to one of the farm workers***

***I guess the theme for the day was about valley dwellers***

***Completing the circle around the valley***

***Is the chicken dead yet? In all my life, I’ve never seen a chicken burger served quite like this.***

My evening hours were filled with the feeding at Hideaway (chicken and pork) and some time at Whiskey Girl on the way home.

***Facebook shared this memory of Justin’s first visit to Itaewon thirteen years ago.***

Joshua wound up having to go to the Cebu consulate to get his visa processed. Apparently, the Korean embassy in Manila is currently backlogged, and he would have had to wait two more weeks. He rented a scooter in Cebu, has been exploring the island, and appears to be enjoying himself.

Rumor has it the floating bar on Baloy has now opened, and I’m going to venture out that way this afternoon to find out for myself. See you here tomorrow.

Long Time Gone

Author Archives: John McCrarey