Carefree highway

Posted on 26/July/2016 by John McCrarey

So, where did we leave off?

Really enjoyed the dinner party at the Cassady’s. Tom is an Army chef and his pulled pork is the BEST I’ve ever eaten. And I’ve eaten a lot of pulled pork in my time…

After the meal us menfolk retired to the gaming room and entertained ourselves with a darts match. Me and my partner Tom R. eeked out a victory… Gawd, will I ever lose that fucking belly?

The Rago’s were also in attendance. Bill and June recently returned to Korea after a couple of years in Vietnam. At first Bill didn’t even recognize the clean shaven and somewhat lighter version of myself. Anyway, it was nice to have a non-bar related social event on the calendar.

Speaking of bars, after I left the party I hoofed it over to Grand Ole Opry where I enjoyed some icy cold gin and sodas with my nephew Justin. I’d had several beers at the party so it didn’t take much gin to get me ~~drunk~~ relaxed. We sat at the bar and there was this Korean couple sitting at the table nearest us. The female portion of the couple was only marginally attractive but since she was in my line of sight I looked anyway. I could have sworn I caught her looking back a couple of times too. Then they got up to dance and I swear they did the two-step every bit as good as the country folk in the honky tonks I used to frequent in Oklahoma. At the conclusion of the dance I gave them a round of applause and she gave me a big smile. They danced again later and I found watching them entertaining so I had a couple of drinks sent over to their table as a reward. They both seemed pleased. She thanked me in English, so there’s that.

I’m not sure what the status of their relationship was, for all I know they were married. But, she looked back more than once! Justin even noticed so that is not just my drunken imagination. When she got up to use the ladies room I had half a mind to follow her to see if she might be interested in exchanging phone numbers. Of course, the sane half of my mind talked me out of it, as did Justin.

Justin did teach me to say “난 여자친구가 없어”, but I haven’t found an opportunity to use it. And some lady friends have suggested it would probably be better if I didn’t. Ah well.

Did my river walk on Sunday, about 3.5 hours all told. Not sure if it was the heat or what, but it was a tough hike. I was feeling light headed by the time I got home. Had a bowl of chili from the crock pot and took a nap. Feeling restored, I ventured to Shenanigans for some liquid refreshment. Made it an early night though, as I had to report to Soonchunhwang hospital for some blood work early Monday morning.

Last night was the first match of the season in the Seoul International Dart League.

I reckon we did alright. 23-4. I contributed a 6-0 performance and managed to throw a 9-mark (2 triple 20s and a trip 19) despite still not being on my game. Of course, I haven’t been practicing but I prefer to blame it on the weight loss affecting my center of gravity causing me to be unbalanced when I throw. It’s probably one of those.

This morning I had a doctor appointment with my cardiologist. All the markers continue to show improvement. I’m technically being treated for hypertension. My previous appointment I had blood pressure of 150/90 which was a huge improvement. Today I was at 140/80 which puts me in the borderline high category. I’m liking my trend line. The doc was astounded when I told him I’d lost 26 kgs thus far. In fact, he even shook my hand. Then he gave me a refill on my prescription and said he’d see me in three months. Hopefully he’ll be seeing even less of me by then.

The walk to the hospital took about 25 minutes. I walked back home, changed out of my sweaty shirt, and walked the long way to work, arriving sweaty enough that the Deputy Director asked if that was the color of my shirt or was I wet? I responded “both”.

In the afternoon the staff ventured out to Myeongdong for a luncheon at a restaurant called “Under the Sea”. I’m not big on buffet style dining, but this place put out a good spread. The occasion for our visit was to bid farewell to our Director who departs for a Pentagon job next week.

The staff…

The boss.

Still haven’t heard yet who his replacement will be. Chances are I know him.

I used to be indecisive. Now, I’m not sure.

You know, if the elevator is old and broken they should do more than just slap a sign on it. Why not fix or replace it?

I decided to walk back home from Myeongdong but wasn’t exactly sure how to go about it. Once I exited the restaurant and got my bearings I noticed a familiar building that I often pass during my Namsan adventures. But how do I get there? Walked in the general direction and sure enough, there was my old friend.

But getting from here to there was not as easy as I anticipated.

So, I figured going up was a good choice. Except this up led to a dead end. So I went down again.

Regardless, in a roundabout fashion I found my way. And something unusual happened along the road. Now, when I pass by a female version of the human race I’ve noted that they studiously avoid making any eye contact with me. I guess that is both normal and understandable. But today an attractive gal gave me the slightest glance as I passed by. Didn’t turn her head or smile or anything, but made a brief moment’s eye contact. As pathetic as I might be, that was milestone and I felt pleased. So pleased in fact that after about 20 more paces I turned around to look back at her as she moved on down the road. And I’ll be damned if at that exact moment she didn’t turn around to look at ME!

Well, I suppose a braver man may have turned around and approached her. But that man was not me. Besides, I was soaking wet with sweat. Anyway, after being virtually invisible to the fairer sex for so damn long, just getting “a look” makes me feel good about myself. Baby steps.

Not a bad day’s work. Although I’ll probably venture out for a bit later tonight just to move the marker past the 20,000 barrier…

Technically, my weekly goal is 125,000 steps (15,000 on weekdays, 25,000 on Saturday and Sunday). I managed to exceed that last week.

So that’s a lot of time on the highway. I’m not what you could call carefree when I walk, but I do try not care.

Turning back the pages to the times I love best
I wonder if she’ll ever do the same
Now the thing that I call living is just being satisfied
With knowing I got no one left to blame

Carefree highway, got to see you my old flame
Carefree highway, you seen better days
The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHaGBhl0U6E

Comfortably numb

Posted on 23/July/2016 by John McCrarey

I never saw such a place! Uncle Cho’s entreaty to come inside for a taste of his sausage was ignored however…

So here are some random photos from my so-called life this week…

Attended the Change of Command ceremony for the Korean Service Corps commander…

I’d worked closely with the outgoing commander on a couple of cases this year. He was appreciative enough to call out our office as having done a “fine job” during his speech…

I’m a sucker for pomp and circumstance…

My fellow office mates who attended the event…

My commie friend Choonae. Not surprisingly, there is next to nothing we agree on politically. She is vehemently opposed to THAAD deployment and posted on facebook that she “hates the U.S. Army”. I took some offense to that, noting that over 54,000 young Americans had sacrificed their lives to give her the freedom to hate the U.S. Army. She did reassure that it was the Army she hated not the people who work there. When I pressed her as to why she was opposed to a purely defensive anti-ballistic missile deployment, she said it makes China angry and that China is more important to Korea than the USA. I laughed and told her that that makes sense. Korea has been China’s bitch throughout history…

Not sure why I even bother to stay engaged…

I guess I just can’t help caring…

Thank God for chemistry though…

Thursday night we did a farewell event for my Army buddy Steve who will be departing Korea for his next assignment soon. We drank, we ate, and then we drank a little more. Got him back on base before the 0100 curfew so it’s all good. I was floored when I got home.

Fortunately I had the foresight to take Friday off. Despite the stifling heat, I spent some time on Namsan…

Objects in the photo are more distant than they appear…

One step at a time gets the job done…

And I came back for more today…

Tonight I’ll be changing things up by attending a dinner party at the Cassady’s house. The Randolph’s and Rago’s will also be there. It’s been quite some time since I’ve received such an invite to a couple’s centric event. I guess the failure of my marriage makes folks uncomfortable. Hell, it makes ME uncomfortable! Anyway, I’m bringing banana pudding.

And now you know everything I do.

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb.

Wow, get a look at that rack!

Posted on 19/July/2016 by John McCrarey

No, not that rack…

…this one! Baby back ribs for supper tonight baby! And lunchee tomorrow…

In other news, my kids are busy dismantling my American life. Yard sale scheduled for August 6. And meanwhile on Craigslist:

Listed at less than half of what I paid, who knows what the market will bear.

I just need to be done with it. It’s a sad reminder of what was, what could have been, and what will never be.

And that as they say “is life”.

I’m a thousand miles from nowhere…

Posted on 17/July/2016 by John McCrarey

Haven’t seen the sun in two damn days but that didn’t stop me.

With my head in the clouds and the rain on my back…

…Saturday’s objective was achieved.

The city below me.

No rain today at least which made the river walk quite pleasant.

The obligatory shot of the oddly familiar bridge.

I actually went the opposite direction this morning. Crossed the Han at the Banpo bridge and walked to this one.

Looking back on where I’ve been. Doing that a lot of late it seems.

Walked back through Seoul Forest and exited through “the 6th Gate”. Good to know.

I did manage to avoid getting into any “real shit” this weekend…

Played singles league dart matches Friday night (won 9-7) and last night (winning 10-6). Another match on tap for this afternoon.

After darts last night I walked on over to Grand Ole Opry for my country music fix. Got home in fair condition, although I was technically floored. By choice though, so I don’t think you can hold that one against me.

Today’s weigh in has me at 214.2, down 1.3 pounds from last week and an even 55 pounds lost overall. Well, 55 isn’t an even number, but you know what I mean.

Lost the belly (mostly) and the wife. Only sad about the one though.

Speaking of the belly, a friend was telling my about mesotherapy. Apparently, you get these injections into the fatty parts of your body and it supposedly breaks down the fat cells like magic. My friend swears by it. I was thinking that may be the answer for me, but the more I read about it and some of the side effects I’m like “meh, I’ll just keep doing it the old fashioned way.” We’ll see.

I’m a thousand miles from nowhere
Time don’t matter to me
‘Cause I’m a thousand miles from nowhere
And there’s no place I want to be

I got heartaches in my pocket
I got echoes in my head
And all that I keep hearing
Are the cruel, cruel things that you said

Landslide

Posted on 10/July/2016 by John McCrarey

And so ends another weekend.

Got floored on Friday night. And again on Saturday night. What’s up with that?

Still had the energy to climb a mountain though…

You gotta do what you gotta do…

By the time I got to the top I was drenched…

Much more pleasant on my way back down. A shady trail on a hot summer’s day is like the ice in your tea.

Drank hard on Saturday night, mostly at the Grand Ole Opry. But I was up early this morning figuring on beating the heat. No dice. I was a sweaty mess long before reaching the riverside.

The return walk brought me to the oddly familiar Donguk bridge...

The return walk brought me to the oddly familiar Dongjak bridge…

And at the top of the stairs leading up from the river walk, I discovered a pretty nice cafe featuring excellent river views…

So I took advantage of the opportunity and re-hydrated with a refreshing “citrus tea”.

Got home and did some chores. Then took a nap. Then headed out for my season opening Seoul Sunday Singles League dart match.

15-1. I’d call that a fair start to the season.

Played at Shenanigans where the friendly staff did their usual fine job at getting me inebriated.

Had a little incident in the bar tonight with some rude drunks with British accents. They were being dickish all night but we did our best to ignore them. One of the dickheads was obviously looking for trouble, but us regulars outnumbered them and nipped that shit in the bud. Well, until the biggest dick among them started harassing the bar staff. Alex, my dart opponent today, is a big guy. And when the jerk started running off at the mouth with bartender Sonya, Alex politely asked the punk to leave the bar. And by politely I mean physically removed him. Just outside the door (and at the top of the stairs) the drunk guy started mouthing off to Alex. Not a good move. Alex picked him up by the throat and held him firmly against the wall. It was pretty funny in a way, because the guy’s tongue was hanging out of his mouth like a cartoon character. I told him “dude, you better just walk down those stairs or else you are liable to be flying down them.” About this time one of the asshole’s comrades tried to join the fray. Me and another John blocked him from getting through the door. A little pushing and shoving was as physical as it got for me. I guess even drunks have a sense of self-preservation, because they all exited the scene without further incident. And justice prevails in Itaewon!

What else? Well, I had a pretty good walking week.

Except;t for Tuesday when the rains *ahem* put a damper on things.

Except for Tuesday when the rains *ahem* put a damper on things.

And I walked my ass off today as well. Sure do wish I could walk my belly off…

Tried a new crockpot recipe today.

Pork chops. Tasty and moist, but a little bland for my liking. Next time I’ll have to get creative with some seasonings…

My strawberry-banana smoothie for dessert was most excellent however…

Scale was kind to me today. Weighed in at 215.5. Down 1.8 pounds from last week and 53.7 overall.

I’m down to a 36″ waist and I have the new wardrobe to prove it.

Who knew dieting could be so expensive?

Why did I call this post “Landslide”? Well, it was the last song to pop up on my playlist as I finished my walk this morning. It suits my mood. Maybe you’ll enjoy it too…

I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
Till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Free fallin’

Posted on 04/July/2016 by John McCrarey

Americans like me celebrate Independence Day with our favorite patriotic songs.

I’ve been working hard and playing hard thus far this weekend. Here’s a recap:

I got reacquainted with Namsan after a two week hiatus. Still an ass kicker.

All that rain on Friday cleaned up the air some. Was expecting to get rained on at some point in my hike but other than some sprinkles I was golden.

Back home I set about freeing up some closet space.

It came together easier than most of my projects…

And it is functional. See those pants? They are all 42″ waist size. Which makes them too big for me to wear now. I reckon I’ll carry them to the on-post thrift store one of these days. What I need to do this afternoon is purchase some new pants for work. I tried on a 36″ pair and they fit. Snug, but they fit!

Saturday night I changed up my routine. I’m usually in the bar around 6 and stumbling home drunk shortly after 9. I wanted to see what the late night crowd was all about so I delayed my arrival at Shenanigans until 8 p.m. The staff was a little shook-up saying they’d been wondering what happened to me. Hey, I don’t want to be too predictable!

I left Shenanigans a little after 10 still relatively sober. Had a soothing Thai massage for an hour then headed over to the Grand Ol’ Opry to resume my hydration. Ran into a guy from work who told me he’s there every weekend. I’m like, so am I, but then I realized he’s there after I’m gone. It was actually interesting seeing the late night faces I’ve been missing. And an added bonus was being there for the traditional rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at midnight. It seemed especially appropriate on this Independence Day weekend.

Despite my late night I was up bright and early Sunday morning. Popped a chicken in the crock pot and set about on my riverside walk.

This is the farthest I’ve gone in the westward direction.

And this elevated pathway took me somewhere I’ve never been before…

…Seoul Forest. It was nice to see they had a designated farting area…

Even after just a brief visit I can say that Seoul Forest will always be deer to me.

Heading back on the opposite side of the river…

I crossed back over at the Banpo bridge and made a quick detour to the commissary where I purchased a walnut brownie mix. Nope, I’m not falling off the carb wagon (well, maybe just a taste), I’m going to treat the Korean staff in my office who are of course working hard this 4th of July.

All told, the morning walk was 3.5 hours. That is about my max. My legs were dead and my knee was aching and as this sign a couple of blocks from home reminded me don’t overdo it.

Kevin KIm achieved a “miracle” 40,000 steps on his Saturday morning walk. This is as close to a miracle that I’ll ever get…

And the only way I managed that was 2000 steps walking home from the bar on Saturday night, plus some steps I got in during the dart tourney. And yes, I took a round about way home after darts so I could break the 30,000 barrier...

And the only way I managed that was 2000 steps walking home from the bar at 0100 on Sunday morning, plus some steps I got in during the dart tourney Sunday afternoon. And yes, I took a round about way home after darts so I could break the 30,000 barrier…

Perhaps not so coincidentally, I had some good news from the scale this week.

Goal achieved and exceeded!

I initiated my lifestyle change on on February 21, when I weighed in at a robust 269.2. 20 weeks later and I’ve lost 51.9 pounds. My goal had been to get down to 220. But I’m still not pleased with my big belly so I’m going to try and get down to 200 pounds. We’ll see.

It feels good to have put down that big ol’ sack of rice though…

That’s my big news I suppose. As long as you are here, you might enjoy some random ass crap:

My crock pot chicken came out pretty close to perfect. Today the crock pot is slow cooking a pork roast…

These Filipinos put an ass whooping on me last night…

Never flown them, but I’d wager it’s a pretty shitty airline.

Maybe the “e” is silent. Or invisible.

What a pisser.

Is it something I said or didn’t say?

Hopefully, I’ve learned to avoid future mistakes…

Ah well, that’s enough for now don’t you think…

Have a dream and hope!

Posted on 14/June/2016 by John McCrarey

At least that’s what this sign told me:

Lately, I just hope my dreams aren’t nightmares…

Best compliment yet on my new look– Bartender at Srooge Pub said ” I used to call you ajussi (uncle) but now I call you oppa (brother).” Should have shaved years ago!

Speaking of being not quite as invisible as I once was, while waiting to cross the street in Itaewon I caught this group of young ladies staring at me.

I’m not a piece of meat girls. I am a human being! Alright, so it was a bus stop advertisement. I can hope and dream!

With some of that free time I mentioned in my previous post I peruse the reader submissions at a Thai-centric website called Stickman Bangkok. As is common with this type internet venue, the quality of writing runs the gamut of truly awful to “this guy should be making money as a wordsmith”.

I’ve never been to Thailand (yet) but I do enjoy visiting vicariously through the submissions by those who have experienced the Thai life up close and personal. And my favorite writer who frequently posts at Stickman is Steve Rosse.

This story is a good example of his work. It’s a quick read and entertaining. Go now, I’ll wait here for you.

Good stuff, huh? I’m not all that interested in girly bars and whoring around these days, and neither is Steve. Although quite honestly, I’m never quite sure where truth and fiction reside within his work. That doesn’t lessen the genuine pleasure I get from his stories though.

Anyway, a few months back I read this story by Steve called “Cellies” and it was like being hit upside the head with a brick. He had artfully expressed in words something I had been doing frequently in the last few months of my ill-fated marriage–escaping to a better life in a world that existed only in my mind.

I was so moved I felt compelled to send him an email and thank him for his effort. I was a little surprised when Steve wrote me back. In his email he mentioned that if I enjoyed his writing I might consider purchasing some of his published work on Amazon. I told him I most certainly would. But then ~~I went of my six month bender~~ life intruded and I never got around to it. I did use one of his quotes in a blog post though.

Well fast forward to a week or so ago when I was catching up with StickmanBangkok where I read a submission by Steve called “The List”. And a couple of days later some anonymous asshole wrote a post that started off by attacking Steve and then went off on a rant delving deep into the sewers of misogyny. I was pissed and was working on an appropriate response in my head. I needn’t have bothered, because before I could put words on paper (or pixels in Word if you will) Steve came back with perhaps one of the top ten take downs in internet history.

I sent Steve a congratulatory email and told him his evisceration of “Anus Moony” had finally provided the motivation for me to keep my promise to buy some books. I guess for a writer that’s about the best thank you of all, right?

I’m quite certain these will provide excellent beach side reading entertainment next week.

And what beach might that be you ask? Why, lovely Samal island in the Philippines. Never been to that particular part of the PI, but it looks nice in the pictures.

My friend Maria will be my host and tour guide during my visit…

And that’s about where things stand at this particular moment in time.

Except for this:

I’ve been studiously avoiding engaging in Facebook banter with my friends on the left who all want to talk gun control while ignoring the hulking elephant in the room–Islamic terrorism.

Liberal logic. Now there’s an oxymoron for you.

I’ve got too much time on my hands…

Posted on 12/June/2016 by John McCrarey

…and it’s ticking away with my sanity.

Exhibit A:

Last week I exchanged 20 hours of time for 60 miles walked…

Exhibit B:

Had a good long walk this time…

Saturday morning it was time to see the hilarious Dr. Yu. I walked over to Soonchunhwang University Hospital where he gave me the document I needed to get Blue Cross to pay for last February’s physical. Dr. Yu checked my blood pressure and it is a much improved 135/90. Wrote me a prescription and I was on my way to Namsan.

Took time to enjoy the Lilly pond…

There’s always time to snap a photo of flower blossoms, right?

Got home after three hours on the mountain, showered up, and headed over to Sin Bin for the dart league end of season tournament.

On my way I saw this oddly named restaurant. Next time my truck driving younger brother makes it to Korea he’ll have to eat here…

Anyway, I chose not to play in the tournament, but I stayed for the awards and raffle.

My team took second place this time.

When it was time to pass out achievement pins my bag contained these…

I invested W10,000 in raffle tickets and walked away with an expensive dart set when my number was drawn.

I’m gonna have to find some time to see if they work better for me than my current arrows…

I had four Miller Lite beers at Sin Bin then took a roundabout walk to Shenanigans (needed to up my step count for the day). Switched over to gin and sodas and was feeling buzzed and hungry. So I stumbled back home and made a salad loaded with chicken breast on top. The appetite now satiated and since it was only 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, I decided to venture back out to the mean streets of Itaewon.

Wasn’t quite ready to start drinking again so I wandered over to the Thai massage joint. A talkative Thai lass rubbed me down with aroma oil for a relaxing hour. And no, she didn’t offer and I didn’t ask.

Feeling refreshed, I walked over to Grand Ol’ Opry where I enjoyed country music and cheap gin and sodas. Left there and made my second appearance of the day at Shenanigans. Turned out to be a very nice time there. Home drunk (again) and in bed by 11:00. Slept with the fan on all night for the first time this summer.

Up bright and early at 0600. Popped a pot roast in the slow cooker and then hit the road for the Han river.

I’m missing kissing time.

I didn’t take time to count, but I’m told there are 63 floors in the 63 building…

On the way back I encountered a large festival in celebration of Philippines Independence Day. It felt a little awkward since the independence was from American colonialism. Everyone appeared to be having a good time though.

Who knew there were so many Pinoys in Seoul. Took some time to make my way through the crowd…

Got back home after almost four hours on the road and the house was full of the pleasing aroma of pot roast. It will be ready in four hours time…

In the meantime, I had time to prepare a lunchtime salad. Everything is better with bacon!

Today’s weigh-in finds me at 223.3, down 1.4 pounds from last week and 45.9 overall. I’ll take it.

And now it is time for a nap.

Fruits and nuts

Posted on 10/June/2016 by John McCrarey

I was born in California…a.k.a. the land of fruits and nuts.

Anyway, for my lunchtime stroll I walked here:

Why? I had to walk somewhere today? 60 minute round trip from my office.

Why? I had to walk somewhere today, didn’t I? 60 minute round trip from my office.

I do my shopping on Wednesday. This week they were out of the fresh California strawberries to which I’ve grown accustomed. Plus the bagger on Wednesday crushed one of my bananas so I needed a replacement…

I so look forward to my Sunday indulgence of a strawberry/banana smoothie. Fuck you! I need to look forward to something for gawd’s sake…

I’d also forgot to pick up a can of nuts. My favorite afternoon snack…

In other news, a hearty congratulations to Ms. Choe, Song Won on her recent promotion! She was my cubicle mate but now she resides in a fine office of her own. She was the selection to fill the vacancy of the late Mr. Kim, Yong-tae.

Well earned and well deserved!

I’ve been knowing Ms. Choe since she was an intern way back in 2005. Mr. Kim was her mentor and in our last conversation before he passed he told me she was ready to step up. Without a doubt Mr. Kim is irreplaceable. And Ms.Choe told me she was reluctant to apply for his vacancy. I told her that you are the legacy. Mr. Kim worked hard to get you ready to fill his humongous shoes and you should take the job if for no other reason than to honor him. Yeah, I know that was guilt tripping to the max. But she took the job and she is rocking it. I’m so proud of her!

What else? Well, there’s always dinner to talk about…

My low carb supper…lettuce, cheese, a ribeye steak, and Italian dressing. I never go hungry!

And that about wraps it up for now…

Another drunken Friday night…you gotta laugh, right?

Another bad decision

Posted on 05/June/2016 by John McCrarey

When I was equipping myself for my new bachelor life I bought the red can opener for $5.00. I’d considered the more substantial black one at $8.00 but figured, hell, how many cans do I ever open anyway?

So this morning I had it in my mind to make up a crockpot full of chili. I browned some ground beef and popped it in the pot. Diced up an onion and added it to the beef. Grabbed my can of pinto beans and the red opener…then encountered mission failure. The gear is stripped or something, all I know is no matter how I turned the handle, the lid was not being opened. Curses!

My solution was to detour from my river walk and pop into the PX for the opener I should have bought in the first place. Chili is cooking now, but I had to go four hours on high versus the preferred 8 hours on low. But enough of my #firstworldproblems.

Yesterday I had the honor to attend the wedding ceremony of Brian and Justina.

That’s me getting warmed up for the festivities with a refreshing tall glass of gin and soda…

I was also fortunate to escort Nuri and Sonja to the big event….

The happy couple…well, Brian looks like he’s going to the firing squad. But marriage is not that kind of death…

Friends of the groom. Poor guy…

After the ceremony dinner was served…

Brian all decked out for Phase II–the traditional Korean wedding rituals…

Anyway, it was a very nice wedding. Very formal and Christian. Which meant no alcohol on the tables and a long ass sermon (all in Korean). Other than that, no complaints.

There was an after party at Shenanigans in which I marginally participated. Meaning that I scored free drinks from the patio and drank them from my usual seat at the bar. Went home early and hit the sheets.

Up early this morning to no avail as the aforementioned chili plans were foiled by a faulty utensil. So I did laundry then headed for the river.

It was a pretty warm morning and I worked up a good sweat. But the air was clearer than it’s been in awhile.

These wildflowers were holding on for dear life…

And I walked across that oddly familiar bridge…

I was dragging ass by the time I got home…

And home I remain. Waiting on my chili…

UPDATE: Oh, yeah. Minus 3.4 pounds this week. That leaves me at 224.7. Dropped 44.5 pounds overall. When will the belly go away? Stay tuned!

Only time

Posted on 04/June/2016 by John McCrarey

Killed three hours this morning on Namsan.

Today’s angle of attack…

…and yes, I did the motherfuckin’ steps today.

As is my wont, I took a snack break half way up.

All in all I’m just another brick in the wall…

Not so many, but they were hard and sweaty steps…

Next up, Brian’s wedding. Brian is one of the owners of Shenanigans. That makes us practically relatives I suppose.

One of the songs that popped up on my playlist as I walked today put me in a melancholy mood. Your mileage may vary.

Who can say where the road goes
Where the day flows, only time
And who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose, only time

Who can say why your heart sighs
As your love flies, only time
And who can say why your heart cries
When your love lies, only time

Who can say when the roads meet
That love might be in your heart
And who can say when the day sleeps
If the night keeps all your heart
Night keeps all your heart

Who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose
Only time
And who can say where the road goes
Where the day flows, only time

Who knows? Only time

A memorable weekend

Posted on 30/May/2016 by John McCrarey

It was a long weekend, but a good one. Good enough anyway.

Friday evening found me at Sin Bin Sports Pub for a darts tourney. I don’t usually play Sin Bin for a variety of reasons. Primarily that it starts late and if you are winning, finishes late. I made an exception because on old dart buddy, mentor, and former Seoul International Dart League President is in town. He’s big time into darts back in the states, even has earned a pro card.

And Friday night I beat him. He professes to read the blog, so let me say it again. I beat Mike “Petro” Petrocelli. Alright, it was doubles and my partner was probably stronger than his. But still. Took home W30,000 for a second place finish. Stumbled home with my winnings at 0130 feeling no pain.

Except for the pain that comes from sitting on my new Galaxy J7 phone and breaking the screen.

A broke phone to go with a broken heart. Some guys have all the luck…

So, I got up Saturday morning and set about my chores. Popped a chicken in the crockpot but added some melted butter to the recipe. Basting worked much better than rubbing the spices and seasonings on the bird. At least it came out a lot more moist and juicy this time.

It was literally falling off the bone when I pulled it out of the slow cooker...Tasty!

It was literally falling off the bone when I pulled it out of the slow cooker 8 hours later…. Tasty!

So, I had my old phone as a backup fortunately. But rather than Namsan, I trekked into the Yongsan Electronics District to score a repair. I was told I could get it done on the 8th floor of the I-Park mall. After climbing the escalators all those flights I was advised that none of the booths with every type of phone and accessory imaginable did Galaxy repairs. I was told I’d have to get it done “on the street.”

Alrighty, to the street I went. I wandered about till I reached an alley that was phone-centric. Where I was informed in broken English that I’d have to go to the Samsung SVC center. I asked for directions and got a series of hand gestures, “Family Mart” and “second floor.” Amazingly enough I somehow managed to find the place. Above a CU store, but still…

After a short wait I was sent to a technician. He asked if I spoke Korean to which I could only respond “anio”. So he advised me the repair would be “very expensive”. And that it couldn’t be completed until Monday at 2:00 p.m. I asked how expensive and he said W55,000. Which was less expensive than I expected.

I left my phone and hoofed it back home along the Han River. I had to hustle because I had big plans for the afternoon. Choonae was celebrating her birthday with a cookout on the back deck of Shenanigans. In her sweetest voice she had asked if I could bring my meat. How could I refuse?

The birthday girl…

Steaks and brats is the meat I brought…Heh, I brought the brats I bought…

…and threw them on the grill just like I knew what I was doing…

I brought along some shrimp as an appetizer as well…

We served every thing cut up in bite size morsels. Made it easier for all concerned…

Brian (Shenanigans owner) and I toasting Choonae in honor of her XX birthday. She’s older than she looks and that’s all I’m saying…

Ain’t she sweet? She said on Facebook I’m her best male friend…gotta love the friend zone…

Some of the happy guests…

Group shot…

I left the party around 7:00 and headed over to Dolce Vita for another darts tourney hosted by Petro. You know, the guy with the pro card I mentioned above. He professes to read my blog so I find it only fair that I mention how I beat him. Again. Now granted, it was doubles and my partner was arguably stronger than his. But still. Took home 3rd Place money.

Finished the night with my nephew Justin at the new Debut bar. It’s an expensive place to visit when you are drunk. Hopefully I’ve learned that lesson by now.

I woke up Sunday morning feeling a little worse for the wear. But I needed to get my weekend Namsan hike out of the way. As I passed through Itaewon, I notice a new restaurant has opened in the former location of a bar called Rock n Roll I used to frequent way back in my early days here…

There’s a new BBQ joint in town. We’ll have to give it a try Kevin Kim. We are a couple of big boys…

I took a new approach this time. These stairs lead up and around the Hyatt Hotel…

The view from the top…

So, I took the path up to the road, and followed the road around to wear it leads to the stairs to the top. I had good intentions of climbing them, but I wimped up. I was just feeling rough and not energetic. Next week for sure! I settled for 20,000 less difficult steps.

Made it an early night last night and woke up feeling much better today. Did some more laundry and popped a pork roast in the crockpot. Left the house a little after 10:00. First stop was paying my gas bill. Not going through having it shut off again! Then I hoofed it to the base and picked up some shorts and t-shirts in the PX. Nothing seems to fit me these days (in a good way).

So, I was bound and determined to figure out where I went wrong when I got lost on last Sunday’s hike. I followed the river from the opposite side and discovered where I had made the wrong turn. I won’t make that mistake again. Since I still had over an hour until I could pick up my phone I just kept on walking.

It’s always nice to see someone has their ducks in a row…

I didn’t see this creature sneaking up behind me until it was too late. Luckily, one taste and he spit me back out…

Spigot or faucet? Either way, I’ve got to hand it to you…

I made it to the National Assembly building intentionally this time…

A better perspective from the bridge on the way back…

By far the farthest bridge I've ventured too thus far. Far and away.

By far the farthest bridge I’ve ventured to thus far. Far and away.

The river looks about the same from all the bridges though…

Made it back to the Samsung SVC place at 2:30 and picked up my phone without any hassle. Made it home four and a half hours after I left. Around 31,000 steps all told. (had to add the steps from two different phones).

Lost one pound this week, but I’m motivated to reach my goal!

And tonight we have a dart league playoff match. In fact, I should be in the shower now and getting my ass over to Shenanigans to do some warm-up work.

Hope your weekend was memorable too.

I have a new fan…

Posted on 23/May/2016 by John McCrarey

…and I think she’s gonna blow me tonight!

It’s the best I can do. Apparently.

I’m attending a friend’s birthday barbecue bash on Saturday. I said I’d bring the meat. She said “for 30?”

No problem!

All humor aside, I’m having one of those nights. This song didn’t help

“Now your telling me you’re not nostalgic
then give me another word for it
you who are so good with words
and at keeping things vague.

Cause I need some of that vagueness now
its all come back to clearly
Yes, I loved you dearly
And if you’re offering me diamonds and rust
I’ve already paid.”

Goodnight. Tomorrow is another day…

Too much of a good thing?

Posted on 22/May/2016 by John McCrarey

I woke up rested and motivated this morning. My mission: exceed the 25,000 step threshold no matter how long it took.

Now granted, walking the Han river is much easier than climbing up and down Nam mountain. Namsan is a better work out I suppose, but measured in steps, not so much.

So I set about my task this morning planning to push myself down (up?) the river for at least an hour and half and of necessity I’d have to walk back that far to get home.

Made it to Yoeuido on the outbound…

The 63 Building on my approach from the opposite of the river…

And from the bridge leading to the Yeouido side of town…

Saw these gents on the bridge. I was concerned because one looked a little depressed. And depression and bridges don’t go well together. Trust me on that.

So I joined them for a bit and said “choose life”. Don’t think they understood English though because I was met with stony silence in response. I get that a lot though.

This is as close as I intended to get to the National Assembly building today…

I Seoul you too baby!

Took some time to smell the flowers…

So anyway, this is as far up the river as I’ve ever gone on foot. As is my custom, I intended to follow the riverside path back to the Banpo bridge and make my way homeward from there. But somehow I wound up on a path that veered away from the river and followed along a smaller stream…

It was a pleasant enough path mind you. Not crowded at all and I figured it would lead me somewhere close to where I need to be…

After an hour of walking I began to have my doubts. I was in totally unfamiliar territory and without any recognizable landmarks. I eventually came to a bridge, so I took it. Now, I usually have a pretty good sense of direction, but damn, I had no idea where I was or where I was going. Finally, I hailed a cab. Yeah, I know, pathetic. But as it turns out it was the right call because I had been walking in the wrong direction. When I told the driver “Itaewon” he said he’d have to make a U-turn. I realized just how lost I’d been when we drove by the National Assembly building. I had him drop me off at Samgakji station so I could get a few more steps in, despite being stiff and dog-ass tired. Fare was W8,000 so I was indeed a long way from home.

But getting lost has its advantages I suppose. I achieved my goal at least…

And I had a record setting week last week as well….

So, what did I get in return for all that walking?

I’m back in my 20’s! Three pounds down this week, and 40.1 overall. Ten more to goal attainment. But truthfully, I want to lose my belly and it is not cooperating. So, we’ll see how much I have to lose before it chooses to leave me like every fucking woman in my life has done…

Onward and downward. Hopefully.

Love is just a four legged word

Posted on 22/May/2016 by John McCrarey

A nice wedding celebration for Mat and Sohee yesterday. I had to laugh at this sign I saw at the wedding hall:

I'm not getting the reference. I love the Bob Dylan song "Love is just a four letter word" though...Oh wait, I guess a married could has four legs. Is that what there were going for? Of course, I've been called a tripod...

I’m not getting the reference. I love the Bob Dylan song “Love is just a four letter word” though…Oh wait, I guess a married couple would have four legs. Is that what there were going for? Of course, I’ve been called a tripod…

The happy couple…

A kiss for luck and they’re on their way… I’ve known Sohee for quite a few years and she’s a sweet gal. I know Mat from dart league and he’s NEVER that lucky at darts!

I had the good fortune to be seated at the Filipino table during the reception…

I do admit that I’ve become somewhat cynical at weddings these days. During the vows I recalled similar words from my most recent soon to be ex-wife. I muttered “promises, promises” under my breath…

Look for a post about today’s adventure later tonight.

Adios…

Party hardy

Posted on 21/May/2016 by John McCrarey

Just for the record, I do do more than just walk.

For example, I helped my Mongolian friend Sonya celebrate her 27th birthday…

We were up to our usual Shenanigans…

And my "daughter" Sung Ha who will be heading off to school in Toronto next gave me a candle and a very sweet note. I'll miss her.

And my “daughter” Sung Ha who will be heading off to school in Toronto next week gave me a candle and a very sweet note. I’ll miss her.

And now a word from our sponsor…

I don’t expect you to care…

In other news, I’ll be heading out to see Mat and Sohee exchange wedding vows in a couple of hours.

Namsan Art wedding hall, eh? Shouldn’t be too hard to find…

Speaking of Namsan, I spent almost three hours there today.

I had to talk myself into taking the stairs to the top. I won the argument.

Turned me into a sweaty mess it did…

I found some shady trails on which to meander my way back down the mountain…

Took a short nap and woke up hungry…

Luckily I had some steaks marinating in the fridge. So I popped on the grill...

Luckily I had some steaks marinating in the fridge. So I popped them on the grill…

and had some cheesy asparagus on the side…

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world…

The way we were

Posted on 17/May/2016 by John McCrarey

So, Facebook has this feature where they take a post you made at some point in your FB history and repost it so you can “see your memories”. Mine invariably feature a smiling picture of Jee Yeun. Thanks FB, but I can remember well enough on my own.

And today that story I didn’t tell about the Chinese gal on Friday night took a strange turn. Here’s what happened. Qian (pronounced “Chen” as far as I can tell) has been known to frequent Shenanigans now and again. I met her there several months ago. I guess the general consensus is she’s a little crazy, as in whacked. She earned that reputation because apparently one night she sat in the bar crying. For hours and hours. I wasn’t there that night, but I did observe her crying once and I asked her what was wrong. She said “nothing, I’m happy”. Alrighty then.

I’ve chatted with her a bit. Her spoken English isn’t so good, so there wasn’t a whole lot to talk about. She was looking for an English tutor so I put her in touch with my nephew. Supposedly he’ll start working with her next month. Qian found me on Kakao and one day out of the blue started messaging me all about her problems with a guy she likes. No idea why people come to me for relationship advice, unless they plan to do the opposite of what I say. I’m a four time loser after all.

And then on Friday she sent a message asking me if I’d like to meet up in Haebangchon at the “V” club. Never had been there but she said they have live music and darts. It sounded like a good change of pace from my usual routine and so I said “sure, why not?”

We were supposed to meet a 9:00 and I got there a few minutes early. As usual, I was by far the oldest person in the bar. She sent a message at 9 saying she’d arrive at 9:30. She wound up getting there at 10:00. Luckily, a guy I know from work came in and we had a very nice chat which passed the time.

So, I ordered Qian a drink and she left the bar and sat down at a table near the stage. I said my goodbyes to my friend and went over and joined her. The live music was really more of an open mike kinda thing. But both of the performers were quite talented and engaged the audience in banter. It was pretty enjoyable actually.

Shortly before midnight the guys put their guitars away. I asked Qian what she wanted to do next and she told me she needed to go home (she lives in Hongdae). I said okay and went to pay the tab and take a leak. When I returned I asked her if she was ready and she told me she was going to stay awhile longer. The implication being pretty clear she meant without me to cramp her style. I’d noticed her eyeing one of the younger bucks in the joint. So I said goodnight and left. Yes, I thought it was pretty rude but then again I had no romantic expectations either. I decided on my walk home that would be the last time I shared my company with her. I figured the feeling was probably mutual so I didn’t expect to hear from her again.

And then today during my lunchtime sojourn I get a disconcerting Kakao message:

“John, it is Qian. Maybe the police will ask you things about me. You just tell the truth and it is ok.”

My reaction was WTF? So I asked “why would the police ask me about you?”

She responded: “I had some trouble with some guy. But I’m ok”

I told her she needs to be more careful and she said “And I have to say what I did last Friday. So I was in the bar with you. And they just wrote your number. It is not related to you. Anyway, sorry.”

As I was stewing over what that meant, she sends another message “you were there till you leave later. They may ask you this.”

Well, that’s true of course. I was there until I left. Alone.

I asked her if she could tell me what happened. She just said “it is ok. I’m ok. Sorry, don’t worry”.

So I have no idea what is going on. Did she get raped? Did she steal from some guy? Something else totally off the wall? Who knows.

I guess I’ll just count myself lucky that I left when I did. I think this gal is nothing but trouble, and trouble is not what I’m looking for.

In the mood…

Posted on 16/May/2016 by John McCrarey

…for a post about my weekend?

Well, it started with no hot water on Friday. Called my real estate agent and she was basically non-responsive. Texted my landlord directly on Saturday and he came over. Then I got a text from the realtor saying my gas had been cut off because I hadn’t paid the bill in three months. What the fuck? Every month I take everything from the mailbox and carry it to Woori bank and pay everything via wire transfer. So, if I hadn’t paid my bill it was because I hadn’t gotten one. Well, communication is definitely a barrier for me I admit. My realtor said I should go to an ATM and pay my gas bill. I’m like how the fuck do I do that? Finally she said she’d pay it and I could put the money in her account on Monday. She also made a point of mentioning that she was on her day off on Saturday. Bottom line, she paid the bill (W530,000 for 3 months apparently) and my gas was back on Saturday night. Which is good, because fat men need to shower! I put W580,000 in my realtor’s account today (the extra W50,000 for my guilt about her trouble). But still, if the gas company isn’t mailing me a bill I guess I’ll have the same problem next month. Well, I’ll worry about that later.

Had another bad experience on Friday with a Chinese girl but that’s a story for another time.

On Saturday I did my Namsam hike.

A waterfall on Namsam…

Which was enough to to reach my weekly goal of 100,000+ steps.

Steppin’ out

After my hike, I went to Haebangchon for a dart tourney at Phillies. Took 3rd, and my share of the winnings was W18,000. Also had the high out good for W30,000 towards my bar tab. Which actually totaled exactly W30,000. So that’s a win!

Later that day I met up with my friends Sonya and Sung Ha for dinner at Tabom Brazil. Sung Ha is moving to Toronto later this month so it was my farewell treat. They seemed to enjoy it.

Had a great walk on the Han River on Sunday…

Made it to the Hangang bridge, the farthest I’ve gone in that direction…

Along the way I saw:

real flowers….

…fake flowers…

A tunnel…

…of sorts…

what the hell is this? Oh, me drunk at the aforementioned dart tourney on Saturday…

Donald Turmp is towering over the political scene, even here in Korea…

…apparently..

Sunday afternoon was the end of the season tourney for the Seoul Sunday Singles League. I didn’t place, but I was given this trophy and a bottle of Mongolian vodka for my hard work in keeping the league viable…

Kamsamnida!

It was a great tourney. One person thought I had played favorites by cheering for a particular player. Fact of the matter is I don’t care who wins or loses, I just appreciate a well played game. Rather than say something to me, she called me out on Facebook which hurt my feelings some. I apologized with a private message, but didn’t receive the dignity of a response. Oh well.

I tried something new in the crockpot A chicken. Came out dry as sawdust. Gonna need to work on getting it right next time.

Took the day off work today. I needed to clear my head It was beautiful outside so I did an 2.5 hour trek around Namasn.

It’s late. I’m tired. And drunk.

Goodnight.

UPDATE: The person I upset at the dart match sent me a message apologizing for the FB post. I reiterated my sincere sorrow for having made her feel bad during the match. She’s says we’re good, and that is good.

Everything’s coming up roses…

Posted on 13/May/2016 by John McCrarey

At least it seemed so on today’s lunchtime stroll.

It was bloomin’ beautiful I tell ya…

I’m going to need walk the long way to the bar tonight to pile on a few more steps. I target a minimum of 10,000 steps per day during the week and 50,000 on weekends for a clean 100,000 per week. We’ll see how that works out for me.

Got invited out to Haebangchon to try a new venue (for me) called V bar. I’m told they have darts and live music, what could go wrong?

Dart tourney tomorrow afternoon in HBC as well. Dinner with friends in Itaewon Saturday night. And the long anticipated Seoul Sunday Singles League end of season tourney on, well as the name implies, Sunday.

There’ll be medals for special achievements (180, 9 mark, high-in and high-out)…

And trophies for the tourney winners.

And now I must get on with the weekend that is beckoning me…

Oppa Songtan style

Posted on 08/May/2016 by John McCrarey

Back from my quick overnight getaway to lovely Songtan. Played the Saturday darts tournament at Xenis Bar. Came away with a second place finish, good for W40,000. And my bar tab was only W46,000.

I ran into an old friend from Seoul at the tourney. Used to play darts with him back in the day but hadn’t seen him in years. Nice to see you again CH!

It was a long night though. Because of my position in the bracket I didn’t throw my first dart until 9:30. And I threw my last dart 3 hours later. After the tourney I went and visited my new old friends at Friends Bar (I’d met them on my last trip). It’s a friendly place and it made me feel good to be welcomed by name.

And now I have a confession to make. I cheated last night. I was unfaithful. In my defense I was pretty drunk and my judgement was impaired. Now, I knew what I was doing was wrong but when I saw her I couldn’t resist. I walked on by the first time confining myself to a lustful glance. But then I circled back and said “fuck it, I’m going for it!”.

Yes, it’s true. I indulged myself in some McDonald’s french fries. Truthfully, they were not as good as I remembered. And now I must deal with the guilt (and the carbs I consumed). Oh well, lesson learned.

I stopped drinking San Miguel Lights just before 2:00 a.m. I was feeling a little stiff so I popped into the Bali Massage joint to get the kinks worked out. My shoulder was still feeling sore from Friday’s tumble. The massage was excellent (and completely legit) and I left there feeling both inebriated and very relaxed.

Despite going to bed at 3, I was up at 8 and made my way to the Osan Air Base bus station. I had the good fortune to arrive just in time to catch the bus departing for Yongsan Garrison. Back in the villa at 10, started the laundry and pork roast. I’m so damn domesticated!

What else? Well, there’s this:

Where does the time go?

And finally, today is Mother’s Day and of course I am thinking about mine. Gone over five years now, but I carry her with me in my heart each day. Wish I’d been a better son when I had the chance. If your mom is still with you, go give her a hug. Right now.

Long Time Gone

Category Archives: Life in Korea