I’m not an SOB

Posted on 19/August/2023 by John McCrarey

Or at least I wasn’t yesterday. I had a nice day doing things my way, and it all worked out just fine, even if I didn’t attend the SOB competition.

Started things off with a group hike. There had been some talk about driving out for a waterfall hike, but we had more participants than space in the car, so we went with Plan B, which was no plan at all. Walking about and changing direction on a whim worked out just fine. Let me show you:

***Nothing too challenging, but a nice 8K walkabout.***

***Another batch of cookie recipients***

***Only the second time I’ve ever walked this street***

***One of those ubiquitous basketball courts I mentioned in an earlier post.***

***Still in San Isidro, but a different Purok (neighborhood)***

***Marching by that mountain we call Easter***

***And then a stroll on the road to Calapacuan.***

***There’s something fishy going on here***

***And new Jersey’s for sale.*** ***Just like our president.***

***I’m told that back in the 1980s this was a thriving beach resort***

***Now it feels like a scene from a Stephen King novel.***

***It hasn’t lost all of its beauty, especially if you try and imagine how it used to look.***

***Here I am. Are you guys ready to go?***

It was a good day to get out and about.

When I left the house for my night out on the town, I still wasn’t sure if I was going to attend the SOB or not. As I walked, I decided against it. No real reason other than that I wasn’t in the mood. Where to, then? I figured I might as well surprise Joy by visiting Hideaway on Friday. I didn’t want to come empty-handed, so I went to John’s place first to order some food. I was the one who was surprised when I arrived because the place was packed–not a seat to be had at the bar. I forlornly sat at a table for a few minutes, and then a couple of folks departed, and I had my coveted seat. Joy was without a customer and joined me at the bar.

***…And Korean-style chicken wings were the evening’s treat.***

When I’d had my fill of Hideaway fun, I moseyed on up the highway, unsure of the venue I would patronize next. I briefly considered Blue Butterfly as I passed by, but I just wasn’t feeling it for some reason. A light rain started falling, and that was enough to convince me to pay a visit to Mugshots. I chose to give their outside seating a try so I could enjoy watching the world go by. That proved to be a mistake. One girl came out and sat beside me, which was fine. I don’t mind some company. Then another gal appeared and started rubbing my back without asking permission. Soon enough, she was joined by two others, and I was surrounded. I guzzled down my beer, paid, and made a run for it.

I figured I’d be safe at Cheap Charlies, only being accosted by my two long-time favorites there. I was surprised to see Simon (Leech My Nuggets) drinking alone, so I joined him, and we shared some chat. Looking out across the highway I saw this:

**Alaska has its signage up at the new location. The move is happening on schedule. I noted that it is now Alaska moose call, where previously it was** ***Alaska Club. Moose call works for me.***

After a couple of beers, Troy and Jim arrived and joined the fun. I decided I wanted to pay a final visit to the old Alaska, so I headed out to make that my nightcap venue.

***We shared some good times together. Thanks for the memories.***

Surprisingly, I was the only customer when I arrived. Then again, the SOB was still in progress, so maybe that’s where everyone was hanging out. Eight dancers were on the stage, and I decided to reward them for their entertainment efforts. No, I didn’t buy them all drinks; I wasn’t THAT drunk. I did have the cashier change some hundreds into fifties so I could gift each dancer a fifty peso note. Yeah, not a lot, but they seemed to appreciate the gesture anyway. After a while, the Alaska dance team returned from the SOB, where they had finished second during the competition. Joy, my second favorite dancer on the team (Karen wasn’t there), came by my table so naturally I rewarded her with a drink.

***My last night at Alaska Club with Joy at my side and my waitress, whose name escapes me at the moment.***

So, Sunday will be the last night at this location, and the new venue will open on Tuesday. Glad I was able to say my goodbyes here and will look for to saying hello soon at the new Alaska.

So, that was yesterday, and yesterday’s gone. I thought I might hear from Swan about getting together this evening, but nothing as of now. I’m in the mode of don’t ask–she’ll ask me if she wants to see me. Otherwise, I’ll spend time with the friend who never lets me down–San Mig Zero.

***Yep, they truly do love that bulge in my pants—the one made by my wallet.***

And here’s one for you lovers of grammar:

***I apologize in advance for all the mistakes I’ve made in this post.***

It ain’t much, but it’s all I got

Posted on 18/August/2023 by John McCrarey

Damn, after writing that post title, it seems almost morbid in an end of days kind of way. Well, I don’t know how much time I have left on Earth, but this post isn’t about that. Instead, I’m going to share how I filled the time while I was alive yesterday. It didn’t seem any more wasted than usual, but there isn’t a lot to say about it either.

The highlight was the morning walk with Swan and her sister. From the beginning of our relationship, Swan has made clear she is not interested in the Hash or any of our group hikes. She has agreed that Thursday mornings will be our day to walk together. I didn’t object when her sister asked to join us this week. Cathy is a big gal, so I kept the hike shorter than usual, about 3.5K, but also mostly off the road and scenic.

***This is something new since the last time I passed this way a couple of weeks ago. Not sure what it portends.***

***Showing the gals what a rural lifestyle looks like.***

We lost the trail for a bit, but eventually, we reconnected and reached our destination.

***Swan was actually more tired than sister Cathy at the end***

Back at my place, I fixed the girls some scrambled eggs, bacon, and waffles. There weren’t any leftovers, so I’ll take that as a sign of satisfaction. After the meal, we parted company to go about the business of our respective days. If napping and blogging on my part can be called business.

And then beer o’clock rolled around, so I made my way into town to help keep the bars in business. I started out at Sloppy Joe’s and shared a table with some friendly acquaintances. I sent Mark, the General Manager of Whiskey Girl, a message, and we agreed to meet up at one of his other bars, La Oficina, later in the evening. When my stomach told me it was feeding time, I paid my tab and headed up the highway.

***The famous Sit-n-Bull cheeseburger was on the daily specials menu, so I ordered one with a side of baked beans. I wasn’t disappointed.***

After my meal I headed over to La Oficina for my meeting with Mark. We are friends and former dart league teammates, so I felt he deserved to know about my bad Whiskey Girl experience. When I told the story about my 500 peso voucher not being valid for the daily beer special, he immediately said, “That’s wrong…the voucher is just like cash.” Exactly what I thought. So, he promised to address the issue with the Whiskey Girl staff. That’s good enough for me.

I stayed for a couple of beers, and we chatted about the happenings in the local bar business. Everyone is excited about the coming additions to the Maze complex, Alaska, and Sloppy Joe’s. They’ll be in the same building as La Oficina, but the consensus of everyone is that all the bars will benefit from the influx of customers to the Maze. I speculated that it could even prove to become a tourist draw and attract folks away from the overpriced Angeles City bars. In my opinion, Subic has so much more to offer.

The other news Mark shared is that his group is opening yet another bar, this one named Oasis–a place to come when you’re thirsty. I’m looking forward to seeing this one; it sounds quite nice and will include an outdoor drinking area that I prefer.

I made Wet Spot my nightcap venue and shared a lady drink with Aine before heading home. And so ended another day in almost paradise.

Started my Friday by sharing coffee with Swan at her/our place.

A pleasant hike with the Friday group that I’ll post about tomorrow. Now it is time to prepare for my Friday night. I’m thinking I’m going to forego the SOB this week. I’m just not feeling it for some reason. Then again, it will be the same old same old in all the other bars I frequent, so what else is new? I guess I’ll just play it by ear and see what happens.

Litter rotty

Posted on 17/August/2023 by John McCrarey

The Wednesday Walkers tackled the Kalaklan Ridge yesterday. It’s one of my favorite hikes, and it’s been a while since we were up that way. The biggest issue is there is no easy way to the top. You can choose between hard and steep on the Barretto side or endless stair steps on the Olongapo side. We choose the compromise climb–long but less steep starting from near the Ocean View Resort. A ten-minute Jeepney ride from our 7/11 meetup spot, and we were ready to start our morning hike.

***Passing through a hillside village on the way up to the ridgeline***

***A slow and steady up at the beginning***

And then there was this. Further up, the road has completely washed out, leaving large gullies and the like. Not letting a good opportunity go to, um, waste, the residents have elected to throw their garbage onto the former roadway. Mother Nature being what she is, washes the trash downhill during rainstorms. Walking this portion felt like being in a landfill. Writing about rotting litter makes me part of the litter rotty, right?

**First cookie** ***recipients of the day.***

***All of us opted for the under rather than over, option***

***Scott’s zoom shot of Olongapo City***

***Looking for a romantic getaway literally in the middle of nowhere?***

***Maybe I should bring Swan here to avoid those prying eyes she always worries about.***

***Every so often, you come to a cluster of houses (or, more precisely, shacks) along the way.***

***They do love their basketball in this country***

***Lazy dogs didn’t even bark at us as we walked by.***

***Deciding which way to go back down***. ***We chose the path past Rolly’s place.***

***But sometimes you have to go up to get down***

***Who’s side are you on? Um, the hill’s side.***

***Making our way through the bathhouse.***

***Arriving at Rolly’s place. I’m not sure how Scott got to know the family here so well; I guess passing through over these past twenty years as a hiker will do that.***

***Shit talky of some kind about those mushrooms***

***The view from whence we came as seen from Abra Street***

And so ended another gathering of the Wednesday Walkers group.

Come evening time, I had more work to do–feeding the hungry at Hideaway.

***And something pizza-like for Joy. I think it’s called chickx or something like that.***

***I think someone said they miss seeing Joy eating. Here you go.***

After Hideaway, I made a special trip to visit Whiskey Girl to use my 500 peso voucher. Things started well, Jenn seemed happy to see me again, and I rewarded that kindness with a lady drink. We were both in for a surprise when my other favorite, Kim, suddenly appeared. It seems she has already quit the Showgirl bar and returned to Whiskey Girl. Sorry, Kim. Jenn saw me first, and I wasn’t in the mood for double company (and the requisite additional lady drinks).

So, I’m enjoying watching the dancers practice for Friday’s SOB event which will be held at Whiskey Girl this week. I was also appreciating the “buy one, get one” happy hour promo being offered. Or so I thought. One of the other waitresses came over to advise that I had now exhausted the 500 peso voucher. How is that possible? Beers are only 110 pesos and I was on my fifth, which means I’d only paid for three. Sorry sir, you don’t get the promo price when you use a voucher. What? Why not? The voucher is just like cash and says, “good for 500 pesos on customer drinks. The bar didn’t see it that way. The manager told me he was powerless and suggested I speak with the general manager. I will and also Daddy Dave who runs the SOB. If you give me a prize of 500 pesos, it should be worth 500 pesos. You can’t unilaterally raise the price of my drinks because I have a voucher. Bullshit.

Anyway. I left an hour earlier than I intended because I was pissed. If this issue isn’t resolved satisfactorily, Whiskey Girl can kiss my future business (and significant lady drink purchases) goodbye. It’s not even about the money–it’s rude and disrespectful to fuck a loyal customer that way.

I did my nightcap at Queen Victoria, then took my sour mood home to sleep it off. A nice walk this morning with Swan and her sister. I made them breakfast afterward. Swan starts a tutoring gig later this afternoon, so it looks like I’ll be out drinking alone again. But not at Whiskey Girl.

Laying down the law

Posted on 16/August/2023 by John McCrarey

As Tuesdays go, my yesterday was different than usual. I’d prepared a power of attorney for my daughter (her auto loan is in my name) and scanned the document to her, but the credit union wanted the original. Since moving here, this is the first time I had to physically send paper back to the USA. My little town has no FedEx outlet, so I used a similar service called LBC Express. I had to make two trips to their office because they required the recipient’s phone number and email address, neither of which I had on my first visit. The real shock came when it was time to pay–a two-page document weighing less than an ounce was almost 3000 pesos ($60.). Yikes! I hope I won’t need this service in the future.

The other out of the norm experience was doing my Tuesday night drinking with Swan at her place instead of in a bar.

***The beer was cold and wet, just the way I like it. I prefer San Mig Zero in a bottle, but San Mig Light in a can will do in a pinch. The company was nice too.***

Early in my visit with Swan, her nieces came “home” from school. They’ve been staying with her recently, and Swan had previously asked me if I would allow one of them to stay after I move in. I did a little research and found something called Republic Act No. 7610, “AN ACT PROVIDING FOR STRONGER DETERRENCE AND SPECIAL PROTECTION AGAINST CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION AND DISCRIMINATION, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES,” which includes this pertinent provision:

(b) Any person who shall keep or have in his company a minor, twelve (12) years or under or who in ten (10) years or more his junior in any public or private place, hotel, motel, beer joint, discotheque, cabaret, pension house, sauna or massage parlor, beach and/or other tourist resort or similar places shall suffer the penalty of prison mayor in its maximum period and a fine of not less than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000): Provided, That this provision shall not apply to any person who is related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity or any bond recognized by law, local custom and tradition or acts in the performance of a social, moral or legal duty.

Now, if Swan were the mother or legal guardian, I might have some protection, but a kid I’m not related to staying in my house is a huge red flag. As I understand it, this is a non-bailable offense, and I’d potentially rot in jail for years waiting for a trial. All it takes is someone with an axe to grind calling the authorities and I’m guilty until proven innocent. I posted this issue on one of PI forums I belong to and the consensus opinion was “run, Forrest, run!”

So, I advised Swan last night that her niece would not be permitted to stay at the house once I moved in. To my surprise, she said she understood, and that would be fine. So, issue resolved.

Swan’s sister arrived shortly after our talk (not the mother of the niece in question), so other issues pending discussion had to be tabled for the night. The gals drank wine, I drank beer and spun some tunes from my Spotify playlist for our listening enjoyment.

***I also enjoyed watching the sun go down from the living room patio.***

***I do believe I can get used to this.***

***Come October this may well be my new favorite bar.***

Swan prepared a nice meaty dinner that I failed to take a picture of; I ingested some more beers and enjoyed the company. I’ll be glad when the day comes that I don’t have to make that drunken walk home in the dark. It’s mostly uphill too. Oh well, I made it safe and sound.

Via Facebook memories, I was reminded of my last failed romance in Korea (well, with a Korean, I mean).

Seven years ago, I met Eun Oke, had a wild and partly wonderful time together, and then crazy reared its ugly head. Well, things happen for a reason, and things usually turn out for the best. No hard feelings on my end.

I’m going to feed the girls at Hideaway tonight, then see what happens next. I do have a 500 peso voucher for Whiskey Girl I need to use, so that will definitely be one of my stops. Here’s hoping I don’t do anything stupid.

At least I’m smart enough not to do something dumb enough to put me in jail. I ain’t fighting the law!

Let’s go to the Hash

Posted on 15/August/2023 by John McCrarey

A nice trail yesterday by Leech My Nuggets. No rain and some paths we’ve not walked for a while to enjoy again. I avoided the second climb as I’m wont to do, but had a pleasant stroll through the streets of Matain and Calapacuan. I’ll let the photos do the talking:

***We began and ended at Smokes and Bottles***

***Some, but not much, highway walking***

***I’m going to remember this way for my walks–no traffic!***

***Walking through a little hillside village***

***On the suburban streets of St. James***

***Y’all go on up, I’ll take the flat way***

***Back On-Home at Smokes and Bottles***

I spent some time on ice in the “Hash fuckup” category. The charge had to do with last week’s ill-fated trike ride that left me stranded in the wrong part of my neighborhood. That’s what happens when fellow Hashers read your blog.

After completing the Hash rituals, I joined Pubic Head and Demented Dickhead at Snackbar for some additional liquid refreshments. Not my favorite place anymore, but it is convenient to home.

And now it is another day for me to write about tomorrow. I’ll be spending the evening with Swan, and we’ll see if any of my concerns are resolved.

**One of those concerns revolves around** ***Swan’s reaction when I sent her this as a joke.***

I honestly don’t know what happens next. I’m going to move cautiously on the path of discovery.

Your daily dose

Posted on 14/August/2023 by John McCrarey

Dose of what I can’t say. But, unlike the vaccine, it won’t kill you. Much.

Anyway, it’s Hash Monday and before I dash, I’ll catch you up on the doings in this so-called life of mine.

***Last night’s feeding at Hideaway went according to plan.. Thirteen Jewel Cafe dinners for 2100 pesos, plus tip. I’m charging that to my charity budget this month.***

I played those early 60s music videos again last night and it was fun to see the positive response from youngsters to music from this grandfather’s generation. Rock on!

After fulfilling my duties at Hideaway, I made Cheap Charlies my next stop. I always enjoy the view from there.

***…and this. I hope you’ll indulge my photographing a girl I’m not dating–she’s new and I just wanted to document the event. Her name is Maricel or something like that.***

My final stop for the night was Sloppy Joe’s, and then I was homeward bound.

Coffee with Swan this morning and we made plans for a “date” tomorrow evening. I’ll be drinking beer at her/our place instead of a bar. That suits me fine. There are some things I need to address with her, so maybe I’ll get the chance to do so tomorrow.

***The morning coffee view from the patio. Coincidentally, I’ll be Hashing in those hills on the horizon this afternoon. This will be our first dry Hash in several weeks.***

And that’s where things stand in my neck of the woods. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the fucked up mess back home, that’s for sure.

I’ll strive for a bit more substance in tomorrow’s post. Promise!

The Wanderer

Posted on 13/August/2023 by John McCrarey

My Saturday began with a beach stroll and ended with a bar crawl. Is it any wonder?

My evening plans included visiting Hot Zone to wish owner Jay a happy birthday. That bar opens at six and I got the thirst to leave the house around four, so I made my way to Sloppy Joe’s to pass the time. Chris was there as usual, so I had some company. The music is almost always good, but last night was extra special. The selections were all from the early 1960s and included music videos on the big-screen TV.

***The view from my stool as the Beatles perform “Twist and Shout.” What’s not to like?***

I was familiar with most of the songs, even though they were technically before my time. But seeing them being performed was new to me, and I really enjoyed that aspect. Many of the videos were from the old Ed Sullivan Show and were pretty obvious lip-syncs, but even so, they were good to see. At the risk of sounding like an old man, music was so much better back then. Or maybe I’m just nostalgic for the good ol’ days.

This was one of the songs I remember being played last night. I never liked it much when it was a hit record, but seeing The Seekers “live” made it worth hearing again.

And hearing “Georgy Girl” again after all these years opened my eyes to something I’d totally missed back in the 1960s–the song seems to be encouraging Georgy to embrace her transgender sexuality and finally come out as the woman she identified herself to be. You go, girl!

Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide
And, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see
A new Georgy girl

Hey there, Georgy girl
Dreamin' of the someone you could be
Life is a reality
You can't always run away

Don't be so scared of changing
And rearranging yourself
It's time for jumping down from the shelf
A little bit

Hey there, Georgy girl
There's another Georgy deep inside
Bring out all the love you hide
And, oh, what a change there'd be
The world would see
A new Georgy girl

Six o’clock rolled around, so I made my way to Hot Zone. There was already a decent crowd in the bar. Jay was seated with some friends at a table. I said happy birthday, he responded thanks. I sat down at an empty table and ordered a beer. There was a table full of food, including Lechon (a roasted pig, head and all).

I had a second beer, and feeling like an outsider, I paid my tab and left.

Where to next? As I walked by Voodoo a gal I didn’t recognize came out and greeted me by name. That happens more often than I care to admit. I started to go inside, but the music was so loud I knew I’d be miserable, so I beat a quick retreat. I decided to visit It Doesn’t Matter instead.

I had baked a batch of brownies that I had originally intended to share with the Hot Zone crew, but after the cold shoulder vibe I received, I never got the chance. I was the only customer at IDM, so I had the opposite problem: all the girls loved me! I got introduced to two new waitresses and the party was on.

Anyway, new waitresses meant all my jokes were new again, so I had some fun telling them. And since it would be cruel and unusual to subject them to my sense of humor without a lady drink vaccination, I ordered a round for the four gals at my table. And then the traveling waitress from Sit-n-Bull came in with a menu. I was surprised because I didn’t know IDM was one of the bars they service. Coincidentally, I was hungry so I ordered me a ham sandwich. Not wanting to be rude, I ordered chicken fingers and lumpia for my tablemates. And naturally, when the food arrived, I ordered us all another drink. I was having fun though and it’s fair to say my presence made the girl’s night–hard to top food and commissions! So, win-win!

I made Wet Spot my nightcap venue and ran into some people I know there, so I enjoyed their company for a bit before heading home right at nine p.m.–a late night for me.

Here’s another song from last night I rather enjoyed for some reason:

Oh, well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are, well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love 'em 'cause to me they're all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name

They call me the wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Oh, well, there's Flo on my left and there's Mary on my right
And Janie is the girl, well, that I'll be with tonight
And when she asks me, which one I love the best?
I tear open my shirt and I show her "Rosie" on my chest

'Cause I'm a wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Oh, well, I roam from town to town
I go through life without a care
And I'm as happy as a clown
I with my two fists of iron but I'm going nowhere

I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place, I roam from town to town
And when I find myself fallin' for some girl
Yeah, I hop right into that car of mine, I drive around the world

Yeah I'm a wanderer
Yeah, a wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Oh yeah, I'm the type of guy that likes to roam around
I'm never in one place, I roam from town to town
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
I hop right into that car of mine and drive around the world

'Cause I'm a wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around

Lost at C

Posted on 12/August/2023 by John McCrarey

***I guess they didn’t “C” the error of their ways. Hey, it’s the thought that counts. It looks like I’ll be doing another charity hike on August 25. Woo Hoo!***

Speaking of hikes, the Friday group did an easy 6K street stroll yesterday.

***We started by heading up the National Highway***

***Then we proceeded down the Govic Highway***

Other than elevation, is there any rhyme or reason to the determination of whether you are going up or down a road? I assume it is up to the writer’s discretion unless direction comes into play–up for north, down for south–but then how do you describe it when going east or west? Not that it matters, my sense of direction is not what it used to be and it never was much to begin with. Hell, I’m lucky to know if I’m coming or going.

A little boring, but not a bad walk.

The SOB was back in play after a two-week hiatus due to the bad weather. A good crowd at The Green Room for the event. Wet Spot took home the first place money.

And there is some big news in the bar scene to report. Jerry, the owner of Alaska Club, has purchased the building adjoining the Green Room and Wet Spot locations. This building currently houses BarCelona on the third and La Oficina on the second floor. The first floor has two empty bars that didn’t survive the scamdemic–the former Rapscallion and Man Cave. Back in the old days, there were doors allowing you to access all of the bars, collectively known as “The Maze.” And now, Alaska will be moving into the old Rapscallion venue and in a real surprise move, Sloppy Joe’s is taking over the space that was Man Cave. When Daddy Dave (owner of Wet Spot and Green Room) told me this news, I was excited but lamented that I would miss the outdoor ambiance of Sloppy Joe’s. Turns out I won’t–they are taking down the wall in the new location and it will remain an open-air bar. Dave also said he would be reopening the doors from his bars to the new ones and the old Maze complex will be reborn. “That’s amazing! I exclaimed. Dave looked at me, smiled, and said “Thank you!, now we have our new slogan.” He posted this with the announcement on Facebook today:

*No pun intended.* Six bars under one roof offering a variety of entertainment options really is a big deal. I expect this will help all the bars involved in the long run.

Speaking of Facebook, I was reminded that six years ago I was walking the lonely streets of Anjeong-ri.

***My life is far from perfect here, but I am so much happier than I was.***

I don’t post much naughty stuff on Facebook; when I do, I post in the “only me” privacy setting. So, I should be okay.

***It’s not the photos of me I’m worried about…***

I was also relieved to discover that I’m not the only one out there with an abbreviated nighttime schedule.

***But I pack a lot good times and beers into that short timeframe.***

This is from Thailand, but the translations are remarkable similar to what you hear in the Philippines:

***It doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it’s how you play the game.***

One of the commenters on yesterday’s post said that while he liked Carly Simon’s music, he didn’t find her attractive. I recalled purchasing one of her albums as a teenager and fantasizing about the parts I couldn’t see on this cover:

***Different strokes (ahem) for different folks. I looked Carly up on Wikipedia and was surprised to learn that her father was one of the founders of the Simon and Schuster publishing house.***

And here we are for another Saturday night. Swan is busy as usual, so I fill the time on my own. Hot Zone owner Jay is celebrating a birthday, so I reckon I’ll pay my respects there, at least for a bit. After that, we’ll see where my feet carry me.

We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day.

Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting

And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you
How right your arms feel around me.
But I, I rehearsed those words just late last night
When I was thinking about how right tonight might be.

Anticipation, anticipation
Is making me late
Is keeping me waiting

And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, no I don't know nature's way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days.

These are the good old days
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days

I’d hit that

Nobody does it better

Posted on 11/August/2023 by John McCrarey

My yesterday began with Swan joining me for a morning hike.

***We climbed to the hilltop behind Alta Vista, and I showed Swan the view of Barretto from above.***

***We hiked down the other side, then on to Sit-n-Bull for breakfast. I had some SOS.***

My driver picked up me and Swan, then we fetched her sisters, the birthday girls, and headed for SBMA. We stopped at a cake shop along the way for the requisite cake suitable for the occasion. I told the sisters they could choose their favorite restaurant for dinner, and they went with Texas Joe’s, always an excellent choice!

***This is one of my favorite places, and has been too long since my last visit. I first ate here during a house-hunting trip before my move.*** ***I elected not to live on SBMA, which makes Texas Joe’s a little inconvenient to visit, but last night reminded me I need to come more often.***

**And here’s a shot of** ***Swan’s fingers blocking your view of the menu.***

There were a couple more pages of goodness, but you get the idea. It’s a little pricey here, but well worth it.

A taste of the interior decor. It is nicely done and on-theme with the Texas vibe. They play country music at a low volume, but it sounds good to me. When I first sat down, the Marty Robbins classic, “Don’t Worry,” was playing. I felt right at home.

***And the waitresses dressed up like cowgirls was also a nice touch.***

The food last night was outstanding.

***The gals had a rack of ribs and pork chops. Sorry the photo sucks.***

***I went with the chopped pork platter. The menu says they chop rather than pull the pork because that method keeps the meat moist. No matter how you slice it, it was delicious.***

***And then the cake was served. The restaurant also gave the birthday girls a free scoop of ice cream.***

The service at Texas Joe’s was outstanding from beginning to end. Only a couple of other tables were filled when we arrived at five, but the place was packed two hours later. Very impressive for a Thursday night. Obviously, that kind of loyalty is well-earned. I’ve pretty much become a 10% tipper since moving here, but last night I did the full-on American-style tip for the hard-working crew.

After we departed Texas Joe’s, I had my driver take us to The Lighthouse for an after-dinner drink.

***That’s the bar. No idea why this place is called The Lighthouse.***

Whatever you call the place, I have no intention of every returning. Beers were expensive and service was worse than bad. Too many other options. Still, I had had my fill and wasn’t filling that well. Having done my duty as the birthday dinner sponsor, I had my driver drop me off at home first and I said goodnight.

Oh, on the way back to the car, Swan volunteered to have a photo taken with me for the first time in public.

***I still feel obligated to respect her privacy, however. Swan did seem to enjoy herself, and I think I passed the first test in the “meet the family” category.***

I played this old Carly Simon song for Swan during our morning coffee today. I was alluding to me, of course, but it also applies to the performance of Texas Joe’s last night. We are the best

Walk of ages

Posted on 10/August/2023 by John McCrarey

Walk of ages, it's just me
Let me hike and feel so free
Let the water and the mud
From the rains that made a flood
In my quest not be deterred
It's good to be back, that's for sure

It seemed like ages since the Wednesday Walkers had been able to head for the hills and enjoy the unique paradise of northern Luzon island. We began our adventure with a Jeepney ride to the fair barangay of Calapadayan. From there, we marched up to where the roads ended in grassy splendor and then came back down the other side. We’ve done longer and harder hikes, but this one had a welcome-back feel to it. Let me show you what I mean:

***Let’s do this! Marching into a nice subdivision called Subic Bayview.***

**The** ***bay view of which they speak***

***Malfunction junction? Nope, our path was always upward.***

We paused to take a gander at this log cabin-style house under construction. Wood is not used in construction much because termites in the Philippines are ubiquitous. This house is no exception; those “logs” are made from concrete.

***Out of the subdivision and into a squatter village***

*The natives we met passing through were quite friendly*; a couple of the ladies advised that they were single.

***It’s the end of the road for this litter!***

***Past the “haunted” hospital. I call it that because it is a hospital that was under construction forty years ago and never completed. Now if’s forbidding shell feels creepy and foreboding.***

***Good to have dirt under our feet again.***

***Still moving in an upward direction***

***And now to make our way back down.***

***Here’s an angle on Easter Mountain you don’t see every day.***

***All in all, we are just between the bricks in the walls.***

***Where trash that fails to become litter goes to die.***

***Headed back home on the National Highway***

It was a good day to be on trail. I still had some business to attend to last evening, though.

***My friend Kim’s first day on the job at Showgirl bar.***

This was my first visit to Showgirl since it opened last year. Last night I was reminded why. It’s a tiny bar, and it has a jail cell vibe about it; at least, it did to me. I got there at opening time, and I was the only customer. None of the girls looked happy to be there, and I can’t blame them. I bought Kim the promised drink (actually, two) and gave her the brownies I had prepared before departing. Kim chose not to share her brownie bounty with her new co-workers, which surprised me. She said she wanted to take them home to her family. They are yours to do with as you please. I admit that I selfishly enjoy seeing the girls with my sweet treats in their mouths, but that’s just me.

***After making my escape from Showgirl, this was my highway view.***

I was hungry, and Sit-n-Bull was across the street. Lately, I’ve been going to Wet Spot and having my dinner delivered to me there. That often involves me buying food for my waitress crew, and now with Aine back, I expected there would be lady drinks on my bill as well. In a nod to my vow of better frugality, I decided to dine in.

*For some reason, I had meatball sub on my to-do list, and this twelve-inch beauty was on the list of daily specials. How could I refuse? I could only eat about seven inches of it before I was full.*

After my meal, I decided to visit Whiskey Girl for my nightcap. I gave my waitress friend Jenn the remains of my sub which she seemed to appreciate. It was nice to see her again. Two beers for me (buy one, get one) and one lady drink for Jenn, and I called it a night.

More excitement on tap for tonight, but of a different variety. Swan’s two sisters will be celebrating birthdays (not twins, different days and years), and I offered to treat them to dinner on SBMA. This will be my first foray into the “meet the family” adventure that comes with a Filipina relationship. Wish me luck! I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.

My out and about Tuesday

Posted on 09/August/2023 by John McCrarey

After the routine morning chores, my first order of business was a visit to immigration to renew my tourist visa for another sixty days. It was a little bit different experience this time because the office has moved to the 6th floor of the SM mall downtown. Getting there was bizarre. The mall doesn’t open until ten a.m., and the parking garage had a traffic cone blocking the entrance. My driver told the guard we were going to immigration, and he moved the cone and let us enter. The parking lot is on the 5th floor, so you’d think one floor up to get there. You would be wrong. The elevator attendant said we had to go down to the 3rd floor and catch a different elevator to the 6th floor. So, that’s what we did. It was weird walking through a closed mall to get to the other elevators. Anyway, the new immigration office is nice enough. I was the only customer, but it took longer than normal anyway. And they charged me 4100 pesos rather than the usual 3000. Like the good visitor that I am, I didn’t dare question why. No need to get deported over twenty bucks.

The next stop was the BPI ATM at Harbor Point Mall on SBMA. Except the machine wasn’t working, so we had to drive across the base to another ATM. This one worked, and my wallet was restocked with a week’s worth of cash, so we headed for the grocery shopping event at Royal. I spent “only” 12,000 this week, including some items for Swan’s pantry

Dropped Swan at home, unloaded the groceries, and took a nap. Swan messaged she was going to Subic, and I responded, “Enjoy.” Then she said she was going to Olongapo instead to shop for school supplies for the nieces. Well, I didn’t see any need to respond to that one. I figured she’d let me know when she was back home if she wanted to see me (Tuesday is supposedly “our day.” I didn’t hear from her by four p.m. (aka, beer o’clock), so I headed into town. I figured if she wanted to meet up, I’d catch a trike back to her place.

A good crowd at Sloppy Joe’s, and I sat at a table with Martin and Chris and shared some banter. Three beers later I was feeling a little hungry so I headed up the highway in search of grub. Was thinking I wanted something light, more of a snack, and different from my usual dinner fare. As I passed by Mugshots I saw their Tuesday special was a ham and cheese wrap–buy one and get a free beer! I was hooked, so I went in and ordered one.

I appreciated a limited menu, especially in a small bar environment like Mugshots. I’ve only had the chicken wings before, but they were quite tasty.

***My ham*** ***and cheese*** ***tortilla wrap.***

***The meaty and cheesy innards. It was tasty enough, and the free beer helped it go down smoothly.***

My waitress, April, was friendly and attractive, and earned herself a lady drink. I also bought an order of wings for the girls to share before I departed. It was a pleasant visit.

I considered visiting the Annex bar next, but my favorite seating was occupied by a biker club in full regalia–The Misfits if I recall correctly. Ron, the owner of Sit-n-Bull, was one of them and I called him out to the road shoulder where the motorcycles were parked and asked him if those movie scenes where the drunk guy knocks over one bike and the rest fall like dominos, resulting in the drunk getting his ass kicked, were accurate. He advised me not to find out. So I didn’t. Instead, I climbed the stairs to Cheap Charlies.

***And the view of the sun going down behind me.***

After a couple of beers and a couple of lady drinks, I was ready to move on. The next (and last) stop for the evening was Wet Spot.

I took my regular seat and settled in for my nightcap beer. As is my custom, I bought my regular waitress a drink as well. And then came the big surprise of the night. A woman I hadn’t seen for months and months was suddenly standing right beside me, offering her greetings.

***Welcome back, Aine. Nice to see you again.***

Manager Brett sent me over a free beer, and I naturally provided liquid refreshments for Aine. We had a friendly chat, but I was also distracted by my phone. When I first arrived at Wet Spot, I had sent Swan a message telling her I was sorry we hadn’t been able to get together. She responded that she had wanted to do so, but I had never answered her message about her trip to Olongapo. WTF? I asked what I was supposed to say about that, and if she had wanted to see me, all she needed to do was ask, and I’d come running. Anyway, we went back and forth for a while, but the issue wasn’t really resolved until this morning’s coffee.

I went a little overboard at Wet Spot, spending over 1000 pesos on lady drinks. But it was a welcome-back celebration for Aine, so why not. Before catching a trike for home, I went next door to Sit-n-Bull for some take-out dessert.

***Pecan pie is back in stock! Of course, I slathered that sweet goodness in vanilla ice cream and enjoyed a la mode!***

Not bad for a Tuesday, eh? We had mostly clear skies this morning which allowed the Wednesday Walkers to head for the hills in Calapacuan (or was it Calapadayan?). Anyway, I’ll post the photos from that adventure tomorrow. Joy called in sick to work today, so there will be no feeding at Hideaway. But as fate would have it, my Whiskey Girl pal, Kim, messaged me that she is now working at Showgirls bar. The only time I’ve been to that bar was when it first opened. Let me see if I did a review. Why, yes I did! Tonight’s her first night, so I will welcome her with a lady drink and the brownies I would have taken to Hideaway.

It’s a crazy world.

Look into my eyes

Posted on 08/August/2023 by John McCrarey

***As good as they look, they feel worse.***

As soon as I took my seat in front of Dr. Jo, she saw my problem. Apparently, there is a mini-epidemic of eye infections taking place in our little town. Dr. Jo told me she had seen several other patients suffering from my condition. She also told me she visited a pharmacy nearby to advise they were dispensing the wrong form of eye drops to deal with the outbreak. Anyway, I received my anti-biotic drops directly from her, and she advised I should be fully recovered in three or four days. Today my eyes are better than they were yesterday, but now I’m experiencing some blurred vision issues. Hopefully, this, too, shall pass.

It was too early to go to the Hash On-Home venue, so I popped into Mango’s for a late lunch.

***It was raining, so I opted to sit at the bar rather than beachside.***

***A closer look at said beach. The storm waters are notorious beach litterers.***

***Too late for lunch, too early for dinner, but not wanting to drink on an empty stomach…seems like the perfect time for a BLT sandwich!***

After my meal, it was time to head to Johansson’s for the Hash.

***As I walked out on the streets of Barretto…***

Along the way, I encountered a vendor selling sunglasses. Hmm, I was a little worried about my scary-looking eyes and wanted to avoid the urge to rub them and potentially spread whatever it was that ailed them, so I bought a pair.

***As ridiculous as wearing sunglasses indoors on a rainy day may appear, those zombie-like red eyes looked worse.***

When I arrived On-Home, only the Hares were there. I confessed to my shortcutting, having only walked the portion from Alta Vista, less than 1K. Leech My Nuggets, always the fastest among the runners, arrived a few minutes after I did. And then the beer started flowing.

***Hanging out before the commencement of the circle.***

***It’s nice on ice! (Not really, I try to avoid it whenever possible)***

***Feeling young sitting next to the Fucking Old Man.***

***Always nice to see a gathering of Hash Gash.***

After completing the circle, I made my way up the highway to our traditional post-Hash venue; It Doesn’t Matter. I didn’t need any more beer, but I drank some anyway. Then I caught a trike for home, and things got a little weird.

In rainy weather, the trikes have a covering and door in place to keep the riders dry. That’s all well and good, except you can’t see a damn thing. So, we pass through the gate at Alta Vista, and I tell the driver (one of the few who doesn’t know me), “Take the road to the right, and go all the way up to the top.” Now, shame on me for being drunk, but I couldn’t see that he took the road to the left, and for whatever reason, I didn’t get a sense that we were not heading in the proper direction. When he pulled over and stopped, I sensed the right amount of time had elapsed and got out. I knew immediately that he had missed my house, but I assumed he was in the right vicinity, and I figured I could walk from there. I paid the fare, and the trike departed. Only then did I realize I was fucked.

***The blue is where I got dropped; the yellow is where I needed to be. There is no short way to get home from there***, ***unless you can fly like an eagle.***

It was pitch black, lightly raining, and I was pissed (both angry and inebriated). Even with my phone’s flashlight, I couldn’t see shit as I walked. I was cussing out loud every step of the way. In the dark, I missed the first turn-up, so I had to continue almost all the way to the gate. Once there, I was faced with a long uphill climb or a shorter flat walk to the highway, where I could catch another trike. I took the easier option.

In five years here, that trike ride was one of the dumbest things I’ve done. Oh well, live and learn, and I survived.

These eyes

Posted on 07/August/2023 by John McCrarey

Yesterday afternoon my eyes started feeling kind of itchy. When I got to Hideaway Bar for the feeding, Joy noticed they were watering and dabbed them with a napkin. Then she went to the pharmacy and got me some eye drops. They didn’t help much, and as the night progressed, it started feeling like I had some sand-like particles in my eyes, although I didn’t see anything other than redness, some swelling, and the eyelids were sore to the touch. By my last bar, the only relief I could get was sitting there with my eyes closed. Still no improvement after a night’s sleep, so I have an appointment with Dr. Jo this afternoon to try and find out what is going on.

***I couldn’t see any reason not to feed the Hideaway girls. I wasn’t blind to their hunger. Watching them enjoy their meals was satisfying. Okay, I’ll stop now.***

My big event yesterday, such as it was, was my standard Sunday solo stroll. What made it special was it was the first time I could get out for a backroads valley hike in over two weeks because of the rain. Everything old felt almost new again, and therefore I was inspired to take more photos than usual. Here they are:

***Stepping out my gate and onto the street to start my journey.***

***The trail leading out of the neighborhood***

***I was curious to see if this old tree had survived another storm. It did.***

***It may not have been raining, but there was still fallout from two weeks of wet weather to deal with.***

***The morning’s first cookie recipients.***

***Hello there, Marian Hills. It’s been a while.***

***Decisions, decisions. The wet path or the dicey dirt bags. Hmm, I chose the bags.***

***A friendly family. Enjoy the cookies!***

***It looks like I won’t be crossing the bridge again.***

***No way around the mud and water. Wet feet, here I come!***

***One of my regular recipients. The woman in the background even knew my name somehow.***

***I’m always a little nervous crossing this span.***

***The wide open spaces of Naugsol Valley.***

***This huge tree was a storm casualty.***

**Back across the** ***river on Bridge #2.***

***A look back at #2 and the Matain River.***

***Yet another river crossing, this time on Bridge #1.***

***My future house is next door to that big white one.***

***A busy Sawmill Road in Santo Tomas.***

***I tried to get them to smile for the camera, but they wouldn’t bite.***

***The path I followed. 7K when I was done.***

***I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee…Nothing significant to report from my morning visit with Swan.***

Facebook memories carried me back to those long ago days in Prescott, Arizona.

***That would have been 1978 with wife #1 and my kids.***

I won’t be doing the Hash trail today as I deem my doctor visit more important. I do expect that I’ll attend the On-Home Hash circle at Johansson’s later in the afternoon. I don’t want to break my consecutive days streak.

We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully.

Getting Sloppy at Joe’s

Posted on 06/August/2023 by John McCrarey

I started my Saturday evening with a haircut, then ventured out to Sloppy Joe’s for some beer drinking. It was Chris’ girlfriend Sheriyl’s birthday, so I brought along some brownies. Because we were having an impromptu party, I stuck around longer than I usually would. It was a good time, though.

***The birthday girl, waitress Amy, and me.***

***Chris and Sheriyl hung out for a couple of hours before heading out to dinner at Texas Joe’s on SBMA.***

I offered to get the Sloppy Joe crew some food, and they wanted a pizza. And yes, they preferred the Hawaiian with pineapple. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Filipina order any other flavor.

I had a good time hanging out with my waitress, Amy. She’s upfront about having a boyfriend, but that didn’t stop me from teasing and joking around with her. That’s just my style. I’m also consciously limiting my lady drink purchases, and I’m happy to report that I only bought two during a three-hour visit.

***Better drink it slow, Amy. The gravy train has left the station.***

***Amy was impressed with the size of my hands in comparison to hers. Not that size matters…***

***The best part of the evening for me was listening to some old tunes from the 1960s. Chris was playing DJ and taking requests, so we got to enjoy many blasts from the past.***

I was feeling no pain when it was time to head out. I decided to check to see if Sit-n-Bull had any pecan pies in stock, but alas, they did not. I settled for a cherry cheesecake to go instead. But before catching a trike, I elected to do my nightcap at Wet Spot. One beer led to two, and then Daddy Dave arrived and sent a freebie to my table, so my stay was longer than intended. Still home before nine, though, but just a tad more inebriated than usual.

The weather has been almost rain-free today, so I got in a pleasant 7K hike. I’ll post the photos from that journey tomorrow. I have my usual Sunday feeding at Hideaway to attend to a bit later this afternoon. We’ll see what happens after that.

I’m in a somewhat better frame of mind re: Swan. My thinking now is to back the hell off and leave it all up to her. If she wants to see me, she’ll let me know. Otherwise, I’ll just go on with my life, such as it is.

It’s a dog’s life sometimes.

Burritos in Barretto

Posted on 05/August/2023 by John McCrarey

John’s place (technically John’s Sushi and Steakhouse, but who wants to say all that?) announced a new menu item on their Facebook page:

We’re about to start serving Burritos at John’s Sushi and Steakhouse.

Good burrito must have good beef of course, but restaurants have a few more tricks; good lard when make tortillas, good cheese, and refried beans must taste good itself. Good refried beans mean good bacon lard and bacon.

We cure our own bacon, use fresh pinto beans, and always use good meat with imported Wisconsin cheese.

Coming very soon!!!

Yesterday John announced they were ready and being offered at the introductory price of 395 pesos and posted this picture as further incitement:

***How could a burrito lover like me resist?***

I had a couple of warm-up beers at IDM, then made my way up the highway to John’s place.

***I sat down at my usual window seat, and when the waitress approached, I told her to please give me the burrito special and a San Mig Zero.*** ***I enjoyed the view and my beer while I waited.***

My first burrito at John’s. It doesn’t look much like the picture he posted, but it is quite tasty. It also came with a small serving of refried beans that arrived a couple of minutes after I took this photo.

After my meal, I hung out in Wet Spot for a bit before calling it a night. I just wasn’t feeling well for some reason. Truth be told, I might be overthinking things with Swan, and it is affecting my mental health. I reckon I’ll figure out what needs to be done in that regard, but I’m going to avoid making any hurried decisions.

When I got up to take a leak during the night, I felt a stabbing pain in my lower back. No idea where that came from; I was fine when I went to bed. I’ve also finished with the prednisolone prescription, and sure enough, the nasal congestion is back in full force with all the incumbent side effects. So, that’s my dilemma–prednisolone is not recommended for long-term use but are its side effects worse than what occurs without it? I will wait a few weeks and see how it goes, then consult Dr. Jo again if need be.

Up this morning to start another day, and sure enough, it was raining again. The sporadic showers have continued throughout the day so far. Feeling inspired by last night’s dinner, I got busy in the kitchen.

My version tastes different than John’s professional creation, but they are both good in their own way.

A couple of views from my dog walk this morning:

I visited Swan for our morning coffee together.

Swan gave me a back massage using some menthol lotion that heated things up. It did seem to relieve some of the pain, and I was able to take an abbreviated walk through the Santa Monica subdivision.

Swan also advised me that she had made other plans for tonight, so it seems I’m on my own again on a Saturday night. Perhaps that’s my destiny. It’s weird, though; I don’t find the bar scene all that enticing when there is someone I’d rather be spending time with. Oh well. Swan has her priorities, and I’m not one of them. Apparently.

Anyway, enough of this self-pity nonsense. Whatever the future brings, I’ll deal with it.

***I’ll keep my dirty thoughts to myself.***

A visit to San Narcisco

Posted on 04/August/2023 by John McCrarey

If you live in San Narcisco, does that make you a Narciscoist? I guess it doesn’t matter; I was just visiting. This was my third time going to the Mope Resort. I was there in January for Dr. Jo’s birthday celebration, and before that it was for a Hash event back in 2019 (that was the time the Philippine Navy detained us). This was the first time I spent the night at the resort, though, and overall it was a pleasant experience.

In yesterday’s post, I had said I was going to San Antonio. That was my plan–walking the beach at Pundaquit, lunch at the Car Wash Restobar, and spending the night at Monty’s. Plans sometimes change while you are en route. Swan said she had heard about a nice beach area in San Felipe; I’d never been there but figured why not experience something new. When we arrived, however, it was nothing like I was expecting. The beach “resorts” all consisted of Filipino-style beach huts, not the hotel with a restaurant and bar that I prefer. So, Mope became our Plan B.

Of course, we didn’t have a reservation but didn’t need one; we appeared to be the only guests in attendance. Not overly surprising for a weeknight during rainy season. I chose the “deluxe beach view” room and was given a discounted rate of 3500 pesos. The room was spacious, clean, and comfortable; more than adequate for an overnight stay.

The first order of business after check-in was lunch.

***Chicken burger for me, club sandwich for Swan.***

After our meal, we did a short walkabout the neighborhood. The skies were cloudy, but we were granted a brief respite from the rain.

***The tide was high, and the sea was angry.***

***A nearby resort appeared to be closed, perhaps for the season.***

***I liked the name of this boat enough to take a photo.***

***I’m not sure what this is, but it was also closed.***

***The beach entrance to Mope. Last visit, I enjoyed some beer in that upstairs viewing area.***

We drank some beers to pass the evening hours and had a light meal, then retired to our room for the night. A big storm passed through during the night, waking us both from our slumber. We cuddled until sleep once again overcame us.

***My breakfast was more than I could eat. Luckily, a dog was sleeping under our table.***

***One more beach shot before departing for home.***

It was nice to have a brief get-out-of-town excursion. One day at Mope was enough, though. At least during this time of year.

Facebook memories reminded me today that the 1960s weren’t all they were cracked up to be.

So, it’s back to the Barretto life. The SOB has once again been canceled due to the inclement weather. That won’t stop me from hooking up with some San Mig Zeros somewhere in town.

I’ll let y’all know how that works out for me tomorrow.

You never know

Posted on 03/August/2023 by John McCrarey

This a rare morning post here at LTG before I head out to San Antonio. It looks like I’ll be spending the night there, so this is one of those now-or-never situations.

***To be clear, I’m talking about the San Antonio that is about an hour’s drive from here.***

Let’s start with last night and go from there.

**It was feeding night at Hideaway, and the crew enjoyed the** ***traditional Wednesday roast chicken offering.***

***And still warm out of the oven banana-walnut muffins for dessert.***

***Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal.***

After departing Hideaway, I paid a rare visit to BarCelona.

From where I sat, I could keep an eye on the bar I didn’t visit, Cheap Charlies. Truth be told, both bars offer similar views, but at BarCelona I don’t have any regulars expecting lady drinks. I want to stay on budget this month!

Two beers later, I went down one flight of steps to the second floor and visited Barretto’s newest bar, La Oficina. I was the only customer (it was just after opening time) and only stayed for one beer (and no lady drinks!).

I finished my night on the town with some beers and highway views at Sloppy Joe’s.

***That’s Thumbstar across the highway. And yes, it was raining again last night. Just like it is this morning.***

I did splurge and spent 100 pesos on street food and lady drinks for the two waitresses who were taking care of me. Hey, it’s hard to learn to be a cheap Charlie in just one night!

I saw something new on this morning’s dog walk.

No idea how or why it was there; perhaps it ran out of helium and randomly landed on my street. Or maybe it’s a message from the Gods. If so, I’m clueless. Unless it means I need to get out of town this morning.

***And here is the coffee view on another rainy morning.***

And now for the weirdness. I got an email this morning from the dentist I used when I lived in Seoul. I was quite surprised because outside of several appointments almost ten years ago, we have never had any contact. Ah, but I mentioned her here on the blog.

Hello John,

I am sure you remember me. 😊
I was your dentist, in Yongsan, Seoul.
First of all. I really appreciate for your being a loyal patient when I was in Seoul.

The reason I am contacting you is that my photos in your blog appears on google search and I would you like to kindly remove all of your posts or anything related to me and my previous dental office.

I sincerely hope this request doesn’t offend you.

Our office was permanently closed and is no longer in service. Your posts can confuse some dental patiens seeking a dentist in Korea. Also, I don’t want my photos hang around on google any more especially since my clinic is permanently closed.

I also retired from dentistry and reside in the U.S now.

Once again, I appreciate that you chose and entrusted me as your dentist while I was in Korea.

Sincerely,
Dr. XXXX

Now, I would never deny a polite request like this to remove content from my blog. Hell, I deleted Se Hwa’s picture even though she rudely demanded that I do so. Anyway, I did a search for my former dentist’s name and found three posts from 2014. I removed her name and photos from each of them, as she requested. I’m always shocked that people find my blog, especially on things I’d written so long ago that I didn’t even remember doing so. But I guess Google never forgets.

And then just a little bit later I was reading one of the forums I follow and came across a post about a girl from Alaska Club. I’ve mentioned her several times on the blog. The surprise was that poster turns out to be a reader here as well.

Just confirmed that she is definitely an Alaksa girl, from the Bay’s most prominent blogger

Speaking of which, how come there is no blogger who covers Angeles city? Don’t people like to write a diary-like report that is publicly available?

But there are plenty of vloggers on the streets of Angeles. Not much to read but plenty to see.

In Barretto there is Subic Bay Johnny, who seems like a friendly guy who would never get into any altercation with the bar managers, Korean or otherwise. And then there is the respected blogger who shares his daily life with his worldwide readership, and provides some nice pictures too. Though neither the vlogger nor the blogger don’t seem to be the monger types, one can’t avoid the bars of Barreto and the beautiful girls.

Thanks for the kind words, stranger. I am curious if we have actually met, but I guess knowing would destroy the illusion of anonymity for both of us. Honestly, for a blog with such a limited readership, it is amazing to see the frequency of these random encounters.

Ah well, nothing like being a legend in your own mind, I suppose.

I forget what else I wanted to say. Oh yeah, I’ve had amnesia for as long as I can remember! Hey, I’m funny when you’re drunk!

Alright, time to get ready to hit the road. Anyone care for a sweet banana split before I go?

I’ll let y’all know how things are deep in the heart of Zambales in tomorrow’s post.

I’m a joiner, not a fighter!

Posted on 02/August/2023 by John McCrarey

They shall not grow old,
As we who are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.

I am now officially a member of the Returned and Services League, an Australian veterans organization. The verse above is recited as one of the membership rituals, followed by a minute of silence. The Subic chapter had about fifty in attendance for yesterday’s meeting, and several familiar faces were in the crowd at the gathering place, the Rock Lobster bar (before it opens to the public). One of the interesting aspects of this group is that all nationalities, regardless of veteran status, are welcome to join, unlike similar organizations such as American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars. I didn’t know much about the RSL other than seeing its members around town on Tuesday meeting days in their distinctive white shirts.

And now I’m one of them:

So, what inspired me to join this respectable group? Swan’s sister and brother-in-law are active in the organization. Swan talked about the many community charity projects the organization is involved with, including orphanage support, medical outreach programs, and providing food and other provisions for those in need. My membership dues (1200 pesos a year) assists with those activities. The weekly meetings also feature raffles to raise funds (I spent 700 on tickets yesterday). So, it’s all for a good cause, and I’m happy to do my part.

After the meetings, the group does a pub crawl, although I chose not to participate last night. I thought Swan was going to join me, but she had other plans. So, I went my own way and wound up at Sloppy Joe’s. Jim showed up a bit later, and we did our own bar visitation spree, enjoying Mugshots, Blue Butterfly, and Wet Spot before calling it a night.

And I spent more on beer than lady drinks, so that’s progress!

Swan and I talked through our misunderstanding this morning. Bottom line, she is just too uncomfortable to be seen with me out and about in our gossipy little town. We are planning a visit to San Antonio tomorrow to have a little one-on-one time.

***This morning’s coffee view. It has still been raining most of the day (including right now), but we had a little break in the action at coffee time.***

And I saw something else moving about down below:

***He looks pretty healthy to be a stray, but I’m not sure where he might live.***

I didn’t do the Wednesday Walkers group hike today because I wanted some time with Swan, and I’m also tired of hiking in the rain every damn day. Hopefully, there will be some dryer beach walking in San Antonio.

If Facebook is any indication, this Barbie movie is a big deal, what with the gals all dressing up in pink to go to the theatre. My brother Greg posted this, which I felt compelled to share:

And then there was this:

Two tall trees, a birch and a beech, are growing in the woods. A small tree begins to grow between them, and the beech says to the birch, ‘Is that a son of a beech or a son of a birch?’ The birch says he cannot tell, but just then a woodpecker lands on the sapling.

The birch says, ‘Woodpecker, you are a tree expert. Can you tell if that is a son of a beech or a son of a birch?’

The woodpecker takes a taste of the small tree and replies, ‘It is neither a son of a beech nor a son of a birch. It is, however, the best piece of ash I have ever poked my pecker into.

Bada Bing! I’d just add you can always tell a dogwood tree by its bark.

That’s it for now. I’ll be heading into town a bit later to keep the bars in business and maybe disappoint some bargirls with my new cheap Charlie attitude. Or not. We’ll see.

***Whoever made this must have been drunk to spell Fuckin’ wrong…***

I’m in the RSL now, I guess I better start respecting Aussie music…

That’s what I want

Posted on 01/August/2023 by John McCrarey

July has flown, and August has arrived. A wet end to last month and a wet beginning to this one. And life goes on. Yesterday’s Hash was a street walk in Alta Vista and Barretto, places I walk every day. I bailed about halfway through and retreated to the On-Home venue at It Doesn’t Matter to get a head start on my other hobby–beer drinking. I’ll share some Hash photos at the end of this post.

After the Hash, I participated in a brief bar crawl with a few other Hashers. Voodoo, Thumbstar, and Whiskey Girl were more than enough for me. My Whiskey girls, Jen and Kim, said they had never seen me so drunk. On the other hand, I wasn’t so drunk that I forgot them saying that, so there you go. Woke up on time this morning and set about my usual rituals.

***The morning sky as seen during the dog walk. Light rain on and off so far today.***

***And then my morning coffee with Swan.***

***And the rainy day view from my soon-to-be patio.***

My driver picked me up at Swan’s for the weekly grocery shopping excursion to Royal. Swan and my other helper accompanied me as per usual. And by the way, Swan is now officially on my payroll, giving me a total of four employees. This week’s grocery expenditure was 14,700 pesos.

As previously reported, I tracked my expenses through the month of July just to see where the money goes. Looking at the numbers, there were a couple of surprises:

Budget: 275,000 pesos Expenses: 316,000 Balance: -41,000

Once again, I overspent my budget, which is not surprising. The challenge is unraveling the “why” and, more importantly, figuring out what I should do to rectify the problem. Here’s where the money went in July:

Groceries: 71,000 (I’d like to get this down to 60,000. That’s still a lot, but I don’t want to scrimp on my grocery purchases. I’ve earned the right to eat what I want, even at a premium.)

Helpers/Driver: 39,000 (That’s pretty much a fixed expense, and it will be going up some now that I’ve employed Swan)

Lady Drinks: 38,000 (Yowzah! This was one of the surprises. I’d like to cut this spending in half)

Rent: 35,000 (This will rise to 40,000 after the move)

Dining: 29,000 (Given how much I spend on groceries, I shouldn’t spend this much in restaurants. On the other hand, I don’t want to deny myself the pleasure of dining out whenever I feel like it. I think I’ll budget myself 20,000 here)

Beer: 27,000 (Is that all? Damn, that’s showing some self-control! Staying in this range should be fine)

Charity: 24,000 (I’ve got my regular projects–the mountain mama MJ and the schoolboy in Bohol. I think 10% of my monthly budget is a good target in this category)

Utilities/Phone: 11,000 (It is what it is. Gotta keep those lights on!)

Shopping: 10,000 (This is mostly clothes and shoes and the like. That amount each month is probably about right)

Tips: 10,000 (I used to be a bigger tipper. Now, I usually give 10% of the bill, sometimes more to a “special” waitress. Not much room for reductions here)

Prescriptions: 7,000 (Gotta keep the old man alive, whatever the cost)

Gifts: 6,000 (I’m trying to recall what gifts I bought. All I can come up with is money I’ve given Joy to help with her kids. I might track that kind of spending as “charity” in the future)

Transportation: 3,000 (Trikes and Jeepneys…no room for savings here)

Entertainment: 3,000 (I honestly don’t remember being entertained last month)

Hash: 2,000 (Now there’s a bargain!)

This month I’ll establish a budget for the various categories and see how well I do abiding by those limits.

Okay, let’s do those Hash photos from yesterday:

That belly of mine is outrageous. Several people have mentioned to me how much it has grown recently. In part, I believe it is a side effect of the steroid medication I’m taking for my sinus congestion. Dr. Jo warned me to reduce my carb intake, and I have failed.

***In my neck of the ‘hood. Or it will be soon when I move to the new place.***

***The long and short of it…Leech My Nuggets and Tiny Cunt***

And that’s all I’ve got about that.

I’ll be doing something different this afternoon. Swan invited me to visit the RSL meeting. That’s an Australian group similar to the VFW, except they are open to everyone. I’ve seen them around town on bar hops, and they are well known for their charity projects. So, we’ll see if I’m a good fit.

The best things in life are free
But you can keep 'em for the birds and bees

Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want) yeah
That's what I want

Your loving give me a thrill,
But your loving don't pay my bills

Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want) yeah
That's what I want

Money don't get everything it's true
What it don't get I can't use

Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want) yeah
That's what I want

Well, now give me money (that's what I want)
Whole lot of money (that's what I want)
Whoah yeah, I wanna be free (that's what I want)
Oh, money (that's what I want)
That's what I want, yeah (that's what I want)
That's what I want

A Jewel in the night

Posted on 31/July/2023 by John McCrarey

Sunday is feeding day for the girls at Hideaway, so I headed into town to take care of business at around four p.m. The difference between my walk yesterday and the one twenty-four hours earlier was like night and day. Or, more precisely, wet and dry. The pause in the rain continued well into the evening, which was a pleasant relief.

My custom is to order the meals from the Jewel Cafe on Sundays. It is good food at a reasonable price, and the girls all seem to enjoy it. Plus, they deliver, so I don’t have to sit around waiting.

***It’s a diamond in the rough…a nice place on a side street off the main drag.***

***The menu is proudly displayed on an outside wall.***

***Some outside tables for those who prefer the fresh air.***

***And the inside dining area. They weren’t too busy yesterday when I dropped in to place my order.***

***And the flip side, er, that’s racist, I mean the backside.***

Joy messaged me the order for the girls (they have a Jewel menu at Hideaway). Eleven meals in all set me back 2100 pesos.

***…two orders of chicken enchiladas…***

Feeding is more fun than buying lady drinks, at least for me. Although Joy matches me with a lady drink for every beer I order. Anyway, the girls look forward to their Sunday dinner, and I’m glad I can accommodate them.

Still not raining when I left Hideaway, so my small umbrella remained unfurled in my side pocket. I made Sloppy Joe’s my next stop and enjoyed hanging out with some familiar (male) faces. I believe bars like this will be my new normal in the future.

No trikes around when I departed, so I walked to Baloy Road, and since I was there, I popped into Snackbar for my nightcap. They had a pretty good crowd hanging out on a Sunday night; it’s good to see the bar doing well. My personal history with this place makes it less enjoyable than it otherwise would be, but I’m mostly over the old memories, and I’m moving on to new adventures. A lady drink for Jenn and Lydell, then I was off for home.

And when I woke up this morning, it was raining again. And it has rained pretty steadily, although not as hard, for most of the day. It’s Hash Monday, so it looks like it will be a wet one. The Hare has already abandoned his original plan for a hike in the hills and will instead lead us on a street walk. I’ll bring my umbrella instead of my trekking pole.