Here and there

Posted on 15/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Just a few tidbits to share as I go about living this life of leisure.

I had a bit of a shock when I read this post over at the Althouse blog. The post itself was not shocking to see, but the name featured, Eliot Dudik, threw me for a loop. It’s always surprising to see the name of someone you actually know personally prominently mentioned on a big name blog. I met Eliot when he was an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina several years ago. I knew he was big-time into photography (I even bought one of his books) but we hung out a pub called Puddlin’ Duck and threw darts together. Until he got offered a full professorship at William and Mary in Virginia. We are still friends on Facebook but otherwise, we have pretty much lost touch over the ensuing years. He was recently featured in an NPR article as well and his photography skills are on full display. Go give it a look-see.

I actually went back to see if I had ever mentioned Eliot here at LTG. Apparently not, but that search led me to a post from 2014 called Punctuality. I found it hilarious in light of my notorious lack of skill when it comes to punctuation. But what was really fun was re-reading an article linked in that post called The 5 Best Punctuation Marks in Literature. Go give it a read if you are so inclined (I’m talking to you, Kevin Kim!)

Alright, moving on to the more mundane (yes, it does get worse!) stuff:

***I restocked my candy and cookie larder in preparation for future hikes.***

Speaking of hikes, today’s 7K endeavor was pretty mellow. Especially when compared to Monday’s Hash nightmare. My life didn’t pass before my eyes even once this morning!

***It did get a little, um, tiring though.***

We just did one climb, some highway walking, then finished on the beach.

***As you can see it was a lovely day. We are supposed to be in the midst of rainy season but so far not so much. We will likely pay for that come August.***

After completing the hike we decided to grab us some lunch at a restaurant called The Pub. It’s owned by a Korean-American named John Kim. One of my compatriots asked why the menu didn’t feature more Korean dishes and John replied “because I left Korea when I was 10 years old”.

***The menu did include beef bulgogi with rice (on the side) and I gave it a shot. Wasn’t disappointed at all. It’s been too long since I whetted my taste for Korean food.***

***This bell was on our table and our waitress was a cutie, so I gave it a ring. When she came over I pointed at the bell and she simply said “social distancing”. Damn it!***

***John also provided each of us with a free sample of his crab cakes. He was very proud of them and indeed they were quite delicious.***

Speaking of food, here’s the meal I provided for Jessa on our Sunday date.

***The ribs came out much better than my previous effort.***

The date went fine too. I’m still not sure where things are going and I’m undecided if I want to go there anyway. She is ratcheting things up some so I guess I’m going to have to make up my mind soon.

Here’s a Facebook memory from five years ago:

***I probably should listen to myself more often I suppose.***

I found this rather punny:

Anyway, this looks like as good a place as any to bring your pain to an end. For now.

Rainy days and Mondays…

Posted on 14/July/2020 by John McCrarey

…always get me down. Especially rain on Hash Monday. And even more so when Vienna Sausage (Günter) is the Hare.

So, it rained all morning yesterday and I had pretty much resigned myself to walking the streets with an umbrella to the Hash On-Home at Derelick’s place. But then the rain halted and I decided to at least go to the designated meet-up spot since it was right here in my subdivision. I’m always wary when Günter is laying trail and I had in fact resolved to never participate whenever he was Hare again. But he told the assembled group that the path he had in mind was less than 3KM and that we would have one ascent going up to My Bitch from Marian Hills.

Well, that’s familiar territory for me and I figured what could go wrong on a 3K hike? So, I threw caution to the wind and Hashed with the group. I won’t call it a big mistake because a big mistake would have resulted in broken bones. Let’s just say I was very lucky it wasn’t a big mistake. Now, I will say that when Günter scouted the trail it hadn’t rained. But on this rainy Monday, the steep uphills and crazy downs he loves were a muddy and slippery mess. And there were at least three times on this relatively short hike where I felt endangered. And that takes pretty much all the fun out of the endeavor. I know that last time I ranted about one of Günter’s trails I said “never again!” And this time I really, really mean it.

***The calm after the storm in my Alta Vista subdivision.***

***The Hashers assemble for the challenges that await them.***

***The first climb was the longest but far from the most dangerous.***

***A rare moment of flatness. Credit where it is due I suppose. As often as I’ve been on this particular mountain almost every path we hiked was new to me.***

It was places like this one that really pissed me off. I could not have done it without someone lending a helping hand. And this one wasn’t the worst. There was one place where I had to use another Hasher’s foot as a foothold to keep me from slip-sliding down a muddy embankment. I don’t see any way I could have avoided broken bones or worse had that come to pass.

***This is the kind of Hashing I like. Scenic and somewhat challenging without putting life and limb at risk. Maybe I’m just an old pussy, but that’s how I see it.***

***The rewarding view was not rewarding enough. Alas!***

Back at the On-Home, I sulked and drowned my sorrows as best I could.

***I did wind up on the ice for some infraction or another and I seem to be pointing out there were greater crimes to be reckoned with.***

Shortly thereafter they ran out of the kind of beer I drink. That was the last straw for me and I left before the completion of circle ceremonies. I hoofed it over to Sit-n-Bull where I enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich and coleslaw for dinner. Then I moseyed over to Mango’s for a nightcap before heading home.

***I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before how much I enjoy the beach views from there.***

Woke up a little sick during the night. I’ve had a runny nose and been sneezing all day long. No temperature though so I’m betting against this being COVID related. It does make you stop and think though. I actually have determined that I WOULD NOT go to the hospital for a test. The last place I want to be is in a quarantine ward at some shit-hole facility. And I have a suspicion they’s call it COVID whether it was or not. Nope. If I’m bound to die it will be right here at home I hope.

***Regardless, I am pretty certain this will not be my final post.***

Talkin’ to myself and feelin’ old
Sometimes I’d like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin’ around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down

What I’ve got they used to call the blues
Nothin’ is really wrong
Feelin’ like I don’t belong
Walkin’ around
Some kind of lonely clown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down

Just for the record, I never cared for that song. Although these days I can relate to it more than I’d like.

I started a joke

Posted on 12/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Q: What should you do if you’re attacked by a gang of clowns?
A: Go for the juggler.

I attended a birthday party last night. A pretty nice time actually. The womenfolk (Filipinas) did their thing, including videoke. Us guys gave them space and drank our beers together off to the side.

***The birthday gal, Jocelyn. She’s Buddy Fucker’s girl, aka Fuck Buddy.***

I’ll cop to having the courage of a few beers under my belt and taking the microphone to inflict pain and suffering on the attendees via my rendition of the Bee Gees classic I Started A Joke. Fun times.

I walked home from the other side of town after the party and it was pretty dicey. No idea the back streets got so dark at night. I made it home safely, but next time I’ll trike it for sure.

Jessa is on her way over to spend the day with me today. We’ll see how that goes. I’ve felt myself pulling away from her lately, but I want to be sure it’s about a lack of compatibility rather than fear on my part.

Here’s some stuff I found funny:

***No wonder I’m so tired all the time. I lack energy, but that doesn’t matter.***

***Hmm, I wonder if Jessa would get this one?***

Fun and games! Stay tuned.

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying
But I didn’t see that the joke was on me, oh no

I started to cry, which started the whole world laughing
Oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me

I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes
And I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I’d said

Till I finally died, which started the whole world living
Oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me

I looked at the skies, running my hands over my eyes
And I fell out of bed, hurting my head from things that I’d said

‘Till I finally died, which started the whole world living
Oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me

Trust me, the Bee Gees sounded better than I did last night.

Handyman

Posted on 11/July/2020 by John McCrarey

As is my habit, I turned on the air conditioner in my bedroom before going to bed. I usually wake up a few hours later feeling chilly so I have to get up and turn it off. But last night when I awoke my room was still warm. Even in my sleepy stupor, I found that odd. As I attempted to go back to sleep my mind was wondering what was wrong with the a/c unit and what would be involved in fixing it.

A couple of hours later I was awakened again, this time by a dog barking outside in the street. It was quite loud, so I got up to see what was going on. It was then that I discovered I had failed to close my windows. This explained both why the barking was so annoying and why my room had remained so warm. I closed the windows which fixed the problem with the air-con. I slept pretty well after that.

In totally unrelated news, I did a small bar crawl last night. A couple of my old favorites had just reopened and I felt it would be appropriate to show my support. I started out at Captain’s Arms. I was disappointed that the manager I knew from the Hash wasn’t working. I had actually gone to see her specifically, wanting to tease her about finding her profile on a dating website I visit. I was the only customer and the two waitresses on duty gave me their full and undivided attention. Turns out they were thirsty from not having a lady drink commission since the reopening. Naturally, I bought them each a drink before leaving. No vibe at all in this bar though and unless my manager friend returns I doubt I will.

Next up was Wet Spot which had just opened that afternoon. There was a pretty good “crowd” of eight or so guys, all sitting around the manager’s table. What was different though was that unlike other bars that have reduced staff (under the new rules they can only seat to 50% capacity) there must have been twenty or more gals sitting around waiting for something to do. No dancers however which is pretty bizarre. Again, it was all just too weird for me, so it was one beer and out. I’ll give them a try again in a week or so to see how things shake out.

Then I popped into Alaska Club, another old favorite. In fact, Alaska was the first bar I ever visited in the Philippines, although that was back when it was located in Angeles City. The owner is home in the USA right now, there were no dancers and just one other customer. Just not the same atmosphere I used to enjoy. One beer and done here as well.

I finished my night at my new old favorite, Mango’s. Sat in my regular seat beachside on the back patio, drank beer, ate grilled pork chops, and watched the light show as a thunderstorm rolled across the bay. It was a nice way to end the night.

Anyway, the bars are trying to make a comeback but it is nothing like it was and I fear that many are bound to fail. The expat community isn’t large enough to support all the drinking establishments and it doesn’t look like tourists are going to be allowed back in the country anytime soon. It’s those “two-week millionaires” that generate the revenue needed to make a profit.

It appears that I’m going to become the cliche old man ranting about the good ole days. Time will tell. Now get off my lawn!

Rejection

Posted on 10/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Continuing on with yesterday’s theme, it turns out there are worse things than nothing. Yeah, I already knew that but bear with me.

Met up with some friends/Hashers for a few beers at Cheap Charlies. Always nice to have company and some folks around to punish with my witty repartee and bad jokes. When they’d had enough of that nonsense I wasn’t ready to call it a day, so I moseyed over to Mango’s for some beachside drinking and dining (I had chicken fingers so that counts).

Anyway, there is a gal there who works in the front office that I call Gee. I always say hello when I pass by her desk and she offers a smiling response for my effort. I find her quite attractive in a mature, non-bargirl kind of way. She wasn’t working when I arrived last night but as I was sipping my beer she came out on the back patio to greet me. That was a first! We chatted a bit and I asked her if she was a manager at Mango’s and their sister resort, D’Kudos. She nodded and said, “actually, I’m an investor in both”. I’m not sure what got into me (besides the beer of course) but I started asking her more personal questions. Like how old are you (39) and do you have a boyfriend (not currently). I then asked her why an attractive woman such as herself didn’t have a boyfriend and she told me that she hadn’t found the kind of man she’s looking for. My oh my! My next question was the obvious one: “would you like to get together with me for dinner sometime?” She looked at me in a peculiar way, maybe it was pity or maybe she found me pathetic, and simply said “no.” She did add that she appreciates my support of Mango’s and hopes to see me dining there often.

Ouch. After Gee walked away the sky and water took on an odd red hue. Maybe mother nature was blushing after witnessing my humiliation.

**I finished my beer and left. The smoothie I made at home with the frozen fresh strawberries was most excellent**.

This morning I joined up with Scott, Jim, and Troy for a steep climb and hot walk.

***Scott must have been channeling Günter because he picked one of the steepest trails up the mountain I’ve experienced. Hard work it was!***

***…and another from a little higher.***

***A cabin in the woods. Honestly, if I lived up there I might only leave once a week or so. That climb kicked my ass.***

***The grass was taller than me in places…***

***But as always, it was good to be out and about.***

***I hope you enjoyed this post. And yes, our trail was that steep!***

Going to attempt a light bar crawl tonight. Captain’s Arms and Wet Spot have both reopened. And I’ve promised the door girls at Alaska that I’d visit the bar “soon”. A man is no better than his word after all. And I know how it feels to be rejected.

I got nothin’

Posted on 09/July/2020 by John McCrarey

I can’t even claim to have zip.

More and more bars continue to reopen. I’m going to have to commence with a bar crawl one of these days soon. It is kinda sorta nice to have the sexy ladies trying to entice me into their establishments again. Too bad I’m not really into the girly bar scene, although perhaps an exception is in order.

Did a few beers at Cheap Charlies last night and enjoyed the company of my favorite there, Rose. Maya was working as well and I decided to forgive her for her past transgressions (basically, ignoring me on New Year’s Eve and thereby hurting my feelings). She had a big smile and a look of relief when I bought her a lady drink. Ah, it’s the little things, right?

Then it was on to Alley Cats for the first time in months. Saw some of the old regulars and wished Billy (who runs the dart tournaments) a happy birthday. Closed the place down. Well, it closes at 8:00 these days, but still.

Made my way home without incident and successfully prepared the smoothie that was aborted the previous night. Interestingly, using fresh fruit instead of frozen made for a less enjoyable beverage. It wasn’t cold enough. Next time I go fresh I’ll add some ice cubes I think.

This morning’s walk wasn’t anything special. I just hoofed it up the National Highway towards Subic town, then turned around and walked back. And that was as boring as it sounds.

Sorta like this post, eh?

A woman’s husband comes home hammered every night, and she always yells at him before going to bed alone.
One day she decides to try some reverse psychology. When her husband staggers in that night, she’s waiting for him in her best lingerie. She sits him in an armchair and gives him a back rub.
“It’s getting late, big boy,” she says after a few minutes. “Why don’t we go upstairs to bed?”
“We might as well,” slurs the husband. “I’m going to be in trouble when I get home, anyway.”

UPDATE: The last time I said “I got nothin’” was in January 2019. That nothin’ was a bit more substantial than this one though.

Seriously?

Posted on 08/July/2020 by John McCrarey

So, I had the good fortune to secure some fresh strawberries. A friend is having fresh fruits and veggies shipped down from Baguio once a week and I ordered a kilo of berries for 450 pesos ($9). Yeah, a bit pricey but I haven’t seen a strawberry since the last time I visited Baguio back in February.

***I came home last night with visions of a fresh strawberry and banana smoothie dancing in my head.***

Those smoothie dreams were soon to be shattered, however.

When I was removing the blender from the shelf I somehow dropped the canister. There would be no smoothie for me last night. I am neither admitting nor denying that alcohol played a part in the accident. I do recall exclaiming “Seriously?” as I viewed the broken glass on the floor.

***I’ll try again tonight with my new and improved blender.***

A broken blender may well be an apt metaphor for my love life. It seems I don’t mix well with the female of the species. Last night I got a message from Jessa saying “I am serious about you but you aren’t serious about me”. I’m not sure why, but that message left me with a blend of feelings–anger, hurt, and sadness. I was a few beers into my night at that point so I chose to limit my response to “I’m sorry you feel that way”. This morning we chatted our way through the issue, but honestly, that kind of emotional manipulation is a huge red flag for me. More and more I’m thinking I might just be better off alone.

And when you are surrounded by nature’s beauty whilst out walking are you ever really alone? My hike today was a beast–6.66 kilometers exactly. Scary, huh? And check out this spider:

Well, you can’t really see the spider I suppose. He was perched right in the crosshairs of that perfect “X”. From a distance, it appeared the X was floating on air, it was only when I got a closer look I saw that it was, in fact, a web. A web unlike any other I’ve ever seen

And I would suck as a banana harvester because you’d never get me to climb this ladder:

***What you can’t see is just how far the drop beneath the ladder really is–that tree is growing up from a hillside. NOPE!***

Centurion

Posted on 07/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Sincerity is everything. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

It was a pretty special day at the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers as we celebrated our run number one thousand four hundred. Coincidentally, it was my one hundredth run with the SBH3. I know technically that doesn’t make me a Centurion, but it’s about as badass as I’ll ever be I reckon.

I was also one-third of a Hare trio and we laid a fine 7K trail if I do say so myself. Lots of my fellow Hashers seemed to agree. They especially liked the fact that we took them in a new direction out towards Easter mountain. Our previous “COVID” runs had pretty much started at the four corners intersection on the My Bitch trail. Only so many ways to go from there and it was getting kind of old for all of us I think. The feedback that was most gratifying to me was that the trail was well marked and easy to follow. No one got lost which is always my goal when I Hare.

Anyway, we were loaded down with powder and other trail marking apparatus which pretty much precluded taking pictures along the way. Sorry about that!

***The brave souls who met at the designated location to hike that trail.***

***At the Hash circle, we initiated three virgins into our kennel.***

In recognition of my achievement in completing 100 runs, I was awarded the coveted SBH3 vest. Oh, and we also had hats made to commemorate our 1400 runs.

***Preparing for the presentation ceremony…***

***I was practically oozing with pride when I slipped on the vest for the very first time…***

***I do believe I can see at least another 100 runs in the future. One can hope at least!***

Anyway, it was a good day for yours truly.

Keep your distance!

Posted on 06/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Nothing ever stays the same I suppose, but things have changed so fast it boggles the mind. Yesterday was the grand re-opening of one of my favorite bar hangouts–Cheap Charlies. So I was excited about dropping in and getting reacquainted.

***What in the name of Satan is this?***

Well, I was at least greeted warmly and one of the gals even remembered my drink of choice–San Mig Zero. I arrived around 4:00 p.m. and there were only two other customers. None of my old favorite bargirls was working, but Heidi was there as the cashier/manager. Regular readers might recall that I had a big crush on her back in the day, but alas, it proved to be a one-way street.

***So, I guess this is what the new normal looks like at Cheap Charlies. That’s Heidi bending over in the background by the way.***

If you are a social drinker this setup seems to defeat the purpose. And if you like to buy the ladies a drink and enjoy some chat and maybe a cuddle or back massage, well, that doesn’t appear possible these days.

***That’s me and Heidi last year. We did get a chance to chat a little yesterday, but it was through a plastic screen with no touching.***

I did wind up buying all the girls working a drink as kind of a welcome back gesture. Heidi tells me that with the reduced staffing levels most of the waitresses will only work a couple of days a week. Guess I’ll need to come back to see some of my old favorites. From a distance.

***But the beer was cold and I guess that’s the main thing.***

***And my seat afforded me this view of “mama”, the homeless woman I try to provide food money to every day. When I can find her…she gets around!***

I only stayed for a couple of beers at Cheap Charlies, then made my way to my new old favorite hangout–Mango’s. I kind of feel a duty to be loyal after they stayed open to accommodate desperate old guys like me during the quarantine.

***And I’ve grown quite fond of the view from my perch on the patio too.***

That was my evening. Meeting up with Pubic Head and Blow My Pipe in a few minutes so we can lay trail for today’s Hash. That’s a downside to these noon starts if you are a Hare. Oh well, all in a day’s work.

Freedom rocks!

Posted on 05/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Well, in my case, it walks! It’s still good though.

Today is the first Sunday in way too long that I haven’t been under lockdown quarantine rules. I celebrated by taking a long (13K) morning walk out to the old Navy base and back via the National Highway.

***This is the only photo I bothered taking. Not a particularly good one but that’s Barretto beach at the base of the mountain in the background. Weather was very nice at least.***

And the freedom has only just begun! More announcements of bar openings today, including one of my favorites–Cheap Charlies. I’ll be popping in for a cold one (or two) later this afternoon.

***And in a coincidence of sorts, Facebook reminded me of this memory from one year ago. Yep, that’s the view from Cheap Charlies. It will be good to enjoy that again too!***

And speaking of memories, two years ago my rescue dog Buddy was rescued yet again.

***Thank God someone spotted him and waded out into that trash-filled pond to bring him back out.***

***Buddy came ashore wet, scared, and hungry…***

***He was glad to be home and has never tried to run away again…He’s my good Buddy now.***

Yesterday I had some girls over to the house. Made up a batch of spaghetti with meatballs. Served it with broccoli and cornbread. Sorry, for some reason I neglected to take any photos of the food. It was all fine I think although I was a bit surprised that the most popular dish was the broccoli. Go figure.

*My guests. Left to right, Jessa, Ru Ru, and Kat*.

Jessa spent the night with me again but her Aunt Flo from Redlands was visiting so all we did was sleep. She seems like a nice young woman. I’m not sure why I don’t have a stronger attraction/connection with her. As I walked her to the trike stand this morning she asked me how I was feeling. I told her I was feeling okay. She clarified “I mean, how are you feeling about me?” Yikes! I just told her I was taking things a day at a time and we’d see where that takes us. Yeah, it was a sucky answer but it really is the best I’ve got right now. Something in my gut is telling me that I’m destined to spend my life alone and maybe I should just accept that.

I’m not quite ready to give up though. Jessa may not be the one and if I determine that’s the case I’ll need to let her know so she doesn’t waste her time on me. I can already tell she is thinking of a future with me and that’s something I’m not ready to seriously consider at this point.

Maybe I just love my freedom too much.

Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose,
And nothin’ ain’t worth nothin’ but it’s free,
Feelin’ good was easy, Lord, when Bobby sang the blues,
And buddy, that was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.

Live free or die

Posted on 04/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Here’s wishing all my American brothers and sisters a Happy Independence Day! The freedoms we have fought to defend and preserve these past 244 years are once again under attack, this time from within our borders. Have we lost our will to stand against tyranny and oppression?

***I still have faith in my fellow citizens.***

I reveled in some newly regained freedoms last night. First stop was the Hot Zone bar. It was me, two other customers, and the owner, Jay. Two waitresses, no dancers. Still, it’s a start. I had one beer and headed out.

***Every other chair was turned upside down to ensure proper social distancing. That’s not going to encourage anyone to buy a lady drink for a gal who can’t even sit next to you.***

After leaving Hot Zone I made my way down the highway to my “new normal” regular hangout, “Gomans”. Except it is not Gomans anymore. The business has now met all current quarantine requirements and is legally open once again. I can now reveal the real name of this establishment: Mango’s. I enjoyed some dine-in food with my beers but pretty much had the place to myself. I told the manager I’d help spread the word about their re-opening on social media. Wishing them well as we move forward.

***I had a full moon to guide me as I ~~stumbled~~ walked home last night.***

For yesterday’s hike, Scott drove us out ten kilometers or so to Castillejos for a trek up to Balon falls and through the Aeta (Filipino indigenous people) resettlement village.

We also passed by the PREDA Foundation (People’s recovery empowerment and development assistance) headquarters. As I understand it, it is a rescue operation for used and abused underage girls and boys. I’m not sure, but I guess volunteers there could be called Predators, right?

***Things started out innocently enough…***

***It was supposed to be a relatively easy hike, with one small climb.***

***But then we apparently missed a turn and things got dicey in a hurry. Like there was no longer a discernable trail to follow, so we had to blaze one.***

Why didn’t we just turn back? I was asking myself that very question as we were reduced to crawling through the jungle-like bushes on our hands and knees in places. And oh yeah, lots of those bushes were sticker bushes. We definitely left some blood on the trail.

***Onward and upward we plodded and climbed until we had achieved much more elevation than we had intended.***

It was a strenuous climb and scary in places, but at last, we reached the summit. And guess what? We could not find a trail down the other side. Every place we tried to go down had a cliff-like drop. What to do? Admit defeat and retreat to from whence we came.

***And the hike down was as difficult as the climb up had been. Lots of sliding down on your ass required.***

***But we made it back down to our intended path without serious injury.***

***The creek that feeds the falls. Speaking of which, Scott slipped on a rock and had a refreshing fall into the water.***

***Local folks enjoying some relaxation creekside…***

***We eventually made our way into the Aeta village.***

***And I of course did my candy and cookies thing…***

***Now, this is the kind of hiking I’m best suited for these days…***

***The natives were friendly giving us guidance on the best route back to the car.***

***I never saw a pink cow (carabao) before. Maybe it’s been cross-bred with a pig?***

It turned about to be a pretty arduous day. Glad to have got through it with just a few scrapes and scratches. Things don’t always go they way you intend, but I guess that provides an element of adventure.

Monday I’ll be Hare along with Scott and Jim for the Hash trail. We are pretty much just going to use what we scouted on our Wednesday hike this week.

This afternoon, Jessa is coming over along with some of her girlfriends. I’ll be serving spaghetti and meatballs for our meal.

And that’s how this free man is living his free life. Such as it is.

Nothing to bar me now

Posted on 03/July/2020 by John McCrarey

A challenging hike today but I’ll write about that tomorrow. The big news around here is that under the recently implemented modified quarantine standard things are beginning to open up, including–wait for it– some bars!

Obviously, this is big news for a guy like me. Although honestly, I’ve come to understand that a place like “Gomans” fulfills my needs just fine. In the past, it was always just a nice restaurant I’d visit a couple of times a month. Now I enjoy a seat on the back patio with a cold beer and sweet views of the bay. That’s been enough to get me by.

Yesterday I got a message from the manager of the Outback bar (the Speakeasy as I used to refer to it) that they are officially (legally) open for business again. That’s great to hear. Did I visit there last night? Nope, I went back to “Goman’s”. Partly out of loyalty for taking care of me when no one else would. And in part because the manager who wants me back is the same guy who kicked me out without just cause. You didn’t want my business when you claimed to be closed, you won’t get it now that you are wide open.

Today I’ve learned that Hot Zone has also opened again. It is or was a girly bar. I plan to drop by for a quick beer tonight to check it out and say hello to the owner. I’m hoping that my other old haunts and hangouts will soon be following suit–Cheap Charlies for the views and Alley Cats for the darts. After the hike today we popped into The Pub, which is more of a restaurant than a bar, notwithstanding the name. It’s open again under its food license but we were served beer–in plastic cups. Hey, the Philly Cheese Steak was good and the beverage was cold. What else matters?

Anyway, it is good to feel like at least some aspects of my life are getting back to normal.

***And I’ll break it again tomorrow, the good Lord willing!***

I’ll leave you with a little taste of political humor:

I see dead people

Posted on 02/July/2020 by John McCrarey

Not literally of course. But I do seem to get my share of messages from the realm of the unknown quite often these days. Or maybe it is just my imagination.

On this morning’s stroll, I passed by some housing I never really noticed before. Just a duplex looking place on a street I’ve walked dozens of times. But for some reason, I noticed the names of the residents above the address/mail slot.

***It’s a crappy photo, but can you make out the names? Love and Faith.***

What are the odds that Love and Faith would wind up being neighbors? I guess technically you can’t have one without the other. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. I suppose the people living there did this as an inside joke or something, but if so, they went to a lot of trouble doing it. Those names are erected in rebar and welded to the gate. No, I prefer to think that Faith and Love have found each other and are living happily ever after on Villas Street. Or maybe the Gods are telling me to have faith and open my heart to love. One of those.

Anyway, not much else interesting going on in my life today. I do have my afternoon walk to complete yet, so maybe I’ll find a message in a bottle or something. In the meantime, here are some photos Scott posted from yesterday’s hike:

***We went around Black Rock mountain rather than over it.***

***And I was spreading sweetness in the form of candy along the way…***

*I do try to make sure there is an adult around. Yeah, it is a little creepy for an old guy to give kids candy I suppose. And I want a parent around to make sure the kids share and not fight over it.*

***These gals were friendly and smiling so I rewarded their sweetness.***

***Near the end of the hike, I encountered these “regulars” who upon seeing me immediately started clamoring for candy. I was glad I had something left to give them!***

***Walk on and see what tomorrow will bring.***

Actually, tomorrow is going to bring another group hike. Stay tuned!

Out of kilter

Posted on 01/July/2020 by John McCrarey

So yesterday’s date with Jessa went fine for the most part. But something seemed a little off in a way I can’t put my finger on just yet. The date started with her arriving 30 minutes late. I get the whole “Filipina time” cultural thing, but it is still a little offputting. We dined at the Arizona resort, the first time I’ve eaten at one of my favorite restaurants since this whole COVID pandemic hysteria ruined the world as we knew it.

***The food was fine. We were the only diners. It was a creepy vibe.***

Jessa had a T-bone steak (950 pesos!) and I went with the grilled chicken breast. After our meal, she wasn’t interested in walking back to my place so we took a trike. Upon arrival, I made us some banana smoothies (she preferred no strawberries!) for dessert. Then we opened up some beers and settled into the couch to watch a couple of episodes of The Outsider. It’s based on a Stephen King novel I haven’t read. We’ve watched five of the ten episodes now and I’d rate it a solid “okay”.

Then we went upstairs for boom-boom which was more satisfying than watching television for sure. She really is a sensuous young woman with a very sexy body. Even though she doesn’t shave her legs. Afterward, she asked for a massage which I gladly provided. She didn’t offer to reciprocate. She likes to cuddle when we sleep. I rolled over while sleeping and was hugging a pillow and she nudged me to come back and hold her instead.

Later in the night I actually dreamed about her. In the dream, she told me she loved me. When I awoke and laid there thinking about it I wasn’t sure how that made me feel. And that’s pretty much how I’ve felt since. Ambivalent maybe. Or maybe it’s all just too soon. Or maybe I’m just a fucked up mess when it comes to relationships. I don’t know, maybe I’ll figure it out. There’s nothing wrong with Jessa, like I said, it just feels “off” somehow.

This morning I was up a couple of hours before her. I made up a batch of blueberry muffins and served them with bacon and eggs. She seemed to enjoy the meal. I sent her home with a bottle of wine, some leftover muffins, and a bag of candy for her daughter. As I walked her to the trike stand she asked me if expected her to join me at the Hash. I told her honestly that I didn’t want her to feel obligated to do ANYTHING with me that she didn’t really want to do. I said I know you have no interest in Hashing or hiking but I appreciated her asking me about it. Then I put her in a trike and sent her home.

So, that’s the down and dirty on the date. Again, for the most part, it was quite enjoyable. She’s good company, good looking, has some passion about her, and enjoys getting physical. I don’t know why I’m not crazy about her.

Met up with the guys a little later and we did a long, mostly flat, 11K hike.

After the hike, we visited Harley’s on Baloy beach for lunch and beers.

***I had to sit at a separate table to ensure proper social distancing. More or less.***

***But I had a very nice view from my seat.***

The other news is that as of today we are now under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ). I’m not sure what that will mean in terms of things that matter (like bars reopening) but at least there is this:

***So, I got three hours of my life back every day (it was 7 to 5). And oh yeah, no more Sunday lockdown!***

I reckon that’s progress in the right direction. In these trying times perhaps that’s the best we can hope for. Says the 64-year-old man who can’t figure out why he’s not crazy about a hot 32-year-old who seems to be into him.

Is that a first world or a third world problem?

Risky business

Posted on 30/June/2020 by John McCrarey

Risk is always better than regret.

I’m not so sure about that but I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Meeting up with Jessa today for a late lunch and…well, who knows where things might go? It’s probably too soon to be starting a relationship but according to Jessa, we are just dating. Whatever in the hell that means. We shall see I reckon.

Got rained on during the Hash yesterday. That’s not so unusual this time of year. But the water turned the dirt to mud and the mud made the trail a slippery mess. The downhills were especially risky. I did manage to keep on my feet, no regrets about that!

***The trail was around 5K with a couple of moderate climbs. Not bad.***

***Mangoes grow wild in these parts and what doesn’t get harvested wind up rotting on the ground.***

Speaking of rotting on the ground, I came across this laying in my path far out in the wilds. No idea what it is, other than heart-shaped and with the barely visible word “love” inscribed. Were the Gods sending me a message? And if so, what were they trying to convey?

***A fat old guy making his way uphill…***

***Pausing to dispense with some candy for the kids. Bouncing Booby lent a hand…***

***Pubic Head, Bouncing Booby, and Buddy Fucker were bringing up the rear.***

***On-Home was once again at Derelict’s house. Hashers hanging out by the pool.***

***And I was honored to sit at the old dudes’ table…***

***Some of the Gash (female Hashers) brought some food to cook on the grill.***

***Double digits. Bloody Monday has completed 33 Hash runs. She had to sit on the ice and look up to me and my 99 runs. She seemed disappointed that the black thing was my belt…***

***And so concludes another Hash post.***

Now it’s time to prepare for my date. I hope I don’t regret it, but that’s the risk I’ve got to take.

A happy ending

Posted on 29/June/2020 by John McCrarey

Well, not recently. The massage places are all still closed after all. And the bars. But two years ago I posted this:

It took a couple of days, but I got a call from a trike driver saying Buddy had been located. There was some adventure in completing the rescue (he was out in the middle of a pond) but we were reunited at last.

***Oh yeah, when I was pulling up that wanted poster I came across this photo of Buddy with his mom and dad…***

Hmm, maybe a wanted poster for a girlfriend would work? Eh, never mind. She’d have to be pretty desperate and desperate girls are nothing but trouble in my experience. Besides, I have a tentative date with Jessa tomorrow. I say tentative because I’m as likely to cancel as she is. Starting to wonder if she’s a good fit for me. Well, I guess I won’t know unless and until we do it. Decisions, decisions.

In the meantime, I’ve got a Hash to attend to today starting at twelve o’clock high. Hope it’s a good one.

Loaded and locked

Posted on 28/June/2020 by John McCrarey

Here we are on another lockdown Sunday. At least it’s raining this afternoon so the imprisonment is a little easier to take. Anyway, here’s what’s been going down since my last update.

***Jim brought his gal Anne along and we did a pleasant 6K hike out to Calapacuan where we met up with the crazy hikers…***

***Anne insisted on no hills, so we did a flat trail mostly on pavement.***

***Keeping it on the straight and narrow as it were…***

***And Jim crossed this bridge when he came to it.***

***In due course, we reached our destination…***

***I was surprised by the turnout, probably 15 or so in attendance. We kept the two waitresses on duty hopping that’s for sure…***

***There were 4 menu options and I went with the Shepherd’s pie. It was actually quite tasty.***

Jim and I had talked about him bringing another gal along on the hike to do an informal introduction. Alas, she was a no show. He told me later the girl in question is Anne’s niece and she nixed the meeting. I was a little offended by that frankly seeing as how I’m quite the catch and all. Anne told me later it was because she is friends with my ex and it made her uncomfortable introducing me to her niece. Whatever.

Besides, there’s always Jessa, right? Well, not so fast. She’s not here with me today. I can cut her some slack on that because of the lockdown. But things might have gotten off track somehow last night. I drank my share of beers at the gathering then Jim, Anne, and I took a Jeepney back to Barretto and popped into “Goman’s” for a few more. While there I got a message from Jessa asking if she and a friend could join us. I told her sure, come on out.

I was feeling no pain by the time she arrived but it seemed to go alright. We had us some pretty tasty quesadillas and what seemed to be a nice chat. We left just before curfew and went to our respective residences. And I’ve not heard from her at all today. Well, except for some cryptic message asking whether I’ve talked to ex recently. That struck me as a bit of a red flag.

Today makes four weeks since the breakup and that’s the longest I’ve gone without taking her back on some pretext or another. Honestly, I think I’m ready to just move on and put it all behind me, despite the two years I invested in her. But what I don’t need is bullshit from Jessa questioning me about that status. After all, she actually has a boyfriend and is “dating’ me as a placeholder until she breaks up with him. Or not. Anyway, more and more I’m thinking I’m better off alone. Yeah, I talk a good game I know. Let’s wait and see what happens.

Speaking of anniversaries, today marks two years since Buddy came to live with me.

***He was pretty much scared shitless and didn’t know what to make of his new circumstances.***

And as you regular readers may recall, he ran away the next day. We found him again a couple of days later and he’s been glad to call my place home ever since. He’s a good boy!

So, as a couple of my commenters pointed out those steaks I bought to grill for Jessa didn’t go to waste. Well, to my waist perhaps.

***Aussie rump steak. Tougher than I prefer but flavorful.***

***Made for a nice late afternoon meal.***

And that brings you up to date on my so-called life. I’ll be watching some episodes from the Timeless series recommended by one of my readers (thanks, Thirsty!) to pass the hours this evening. Life can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I’ll take it over the alternative any day!

Looking forward to finding out what will happen next!

The day to come

Posted on 27/June/2020 by John McCrarey

The rare morning post here at LTG. I figured I better provide my readers their daily dose of boring drivel now as my plans for today may well preclude blogging later.

After the morning dog walk, I hoofed it over to the ex’s place to give her some money for the trip to Manila. It was a little strange and uncomfortable when her mother tearily told me in broken English how sad she was that the relationship ended with her daughter. I just told her things happen and let it go at that. She wanted a picture with me before I left so I posed beside her. Ah well.

Today we are doing a special hike that will end up at Hunter’s Jo Inn in Calapadayan. The owner is a Hasher and we’ve done On-Homes there in the past. He’s hosting us for some beers and a barbeque on the beach. The Saturday group is led by Günter and those hikes are just out of my league these days. Instead, Jim and I are going to do our own trail and then join the group at Hunter’s. That’s the plan at least.

I’ve also got steaks marinating now in anticipation of a dinner date this evening with Jessa. Baked potato, a vegetable (probably cauliflower), and cornbread to round out the meal. With brownies and ice cream for dessert. That’s the plan anyway. But plans can change. Just now Jessa messaged that my planned arrival home this afternoon is “late”. I told her I thought she was spending the night and she responded she is worried about the Sunday lockdown. I thought we had discussed all this last night and decided the only issue was getting transportation back home. Jessa said then that her friend Kat could provide a ride on her scooter. So, as I write this Jessa is checking with Kat. Perhaps I’ll be dining alone tonight.

And maybe just staying single is my best option anyway. I find myself giving that idea more and more serious consideration. Am I man enough to live alone? I wouldn’t bet on it, but you never know.

Ah, and then Facebook shared a memory from ten years ago with me this morning.

***Even though that man died long ago, it’s surprising how much remembering hurts.***

Onward!

Where things stand

Posted on 26/June/2020 by John McCrarey

***A new post from today’s hike. And more!***

Things may be getting ready to open up a tad more around here soon. One cause for hope was this:

That’s from SBMA (the old Navy base). It doesn’t apply to Olongapo/Barretto but we are all hoping our mayor follows this plan. What is significant is that SBMA has been about the most strict on quarantine rules since this bullshit all began.

We do have a couple of places opening up here in Barretto under the current rules. On my afternoon walk yesterday I moseyed over to the recentý reopened Arizona Resort to see where things stood. So of course the temperature thing was done as I entered (36.2). Four other customers inside and the waitress recognized me and seemed genuinely happy to see me. That was nice. After such a warm greeting I felt obligated to order up a beer. As I drank it the receptionist handed me an Ipad like thing and asked me to complete some information. Name/address/phone/email/etc. It was a bit of a pain in the ass. I asked if I had to do this EVERY time I visited or if they would maintain the info–sorry every time sir was the response. I couldn’t help but think there was no better way to spread the virus than having everyone touching that Ipad screen. So I doused my hands in cleansing fluid, finished my beer, and left.

***Yeah, nothing normal about a formerly 24-hour place being up from 10 to 6.***

On the way home I stopped into “Goman’s” (still not legally open) for some more beer. I perched upon my usual chair on the back patio to enjoy the bay and beach views. It really does ease my troubled mind to soak up some of the beauty that surrounds me here.

***This gal caught my eye for some reason.***

She seemed like a girl with something extra and the waitress confirmed she was in fact bakla…the word the locals use for gay/transgender folk. I can usually tell right away, but this lass was pretty cute. Ah well, just passing the time.

***We are having such a good relationship these days…***

This morning I had a nice hike with Scott and Jim. Scott drove us out to a new (for me) area and it was a nice change of pace.

***Our 6+ kilometer trail as seen from outer space.***

***This guy was putting the dog in front of the cart. But the ox (carabao) was in the right place.***

***Apparently the barangay had scheduled some delivery of rice provisions for the locals who were waiting in anticipation.***

***I did my usual cookies and candy handouts…***

***It probably makes me happier than the recipients…***

***We passed through one small village where everyone lived in thatched huts…***

***Carabao enjoying the old swimmin’ hole.***

***Heading on back to the car at the conclusion of the hike…***

***After the hike, we stopped into Sit-n-Bull for some lunch and beers. I had the fish and chips with the best coleslaw in town…***

As days go, this was a pretty good one. And that’s where things stand for now.

Steps in the right direction

Posted on 25/June/2020 by John McCrarey

Well, I did get off my lazy ass this morning and took a good old fashion solitary hike.

***Sorry for the crappy map. Just over 9K in a little more than two hours.***

That’s more steps than I’ve managed in the last two days combined. I’ll get out for another brief walk later this afternoon if things go as planned.

My downstairs neighbor died this week (the guy who lived in the servant’s room under my house). He’d been fighting advanced diabetes for quite some time. They amputated his leg recently and he never made it back out of the hospital. Rest in Peace, Tony.

***Just a couple of years older than me.***

Otherwise, nothing much has changed around here. Well, I did have a nice chat with the ex and told her I had no problem maintaining a friendship but the girlfriend thing wasn’t going to happen. She seemed accepting of that proposition so we’ll see. I also told her I would help finance her return to Manila. Hey, what are friends for?

I also chatted some with Jessa and I’m still not sure what the next step is for us and whether I’m ready to take it. I’m such a coward when it comes to love. I guess I’ll just wait and see what happens.

In the meantime, I’ll just walk on.