Went to Arizona yesterday. It was good to be back. Only stayed for dinner though.

I briefly considered ordering the Swedish meatballs but didn’t want to press my luck. Anyway, it was all quite good.

After dining, I walked up (or is it down?) the street to Cheap Charlies for some beers. Arrived in time to watch the sun go down.

Another thing I like about drinking there is they play a good mix of music. Oldies from the 50’s, some classic rock, even a little country. And they play the music videos on a large screen TV. My head often feels like it is on a swivel as I alternate between the street views and the videos. But last night I kept hearing a distracting buzzing sound. I was thinking that maybe they had blown out a speaker or something. And then I turned around and saw this:

Finished the night at Wet Spot and called one of the dancers down for drinks. Turns out she is a named Hasher (What’s Up Doc), although she hasn’t been to a Hash for many years. She happens to be off on Mondays so I invited her to join us this afternoon. We’ll see if she actually shows up.

Speaking of which, I came across a pretty interesting article called “The Unbearable Smugness of Walking”. The subheading provides the basic premise of the writer: “Glorified for its creative benefits, the pastime has become yet another goal-driven pursuit.”

Hmm. Well, apparently a lot of writers through the years have found walking to be a good way to get the creative juices flowing. But when walking becomes part of the work process does it lose its value as a respite from work? That’s like asking me if I’m ignorant or apathetic–I don’t know and I don’t care. *ahem*

For me, walking is as much a chore as anything else. I do it for a reason and for a purpose. Mainly to avoid becoming morbidly obese again. But yeah, it also clears my head and helps me maintain perspective in my sometimes troubled mind. I can also attest to the fact that I often think about what I’m going to write here at LTG whilst I’m hiking about. Which I guess undermines the premise that walking improves one’s writing. Or maybe I’m just the exception. That’s it–I’m exceptional!

It was a pretty productive morning on the internets today because I also came across this article: “Want to live longer? Drink alcohol, new study says”. Hell, I might just live forever! Oh wait. It says moderate drinking. Never mind.

And now it is time for me to bring it all together. Walking and drinking that is. Yes, I’m talking about the Hash my friends. The drinking club with a hiking problem!

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I’ll admit that I’m a fool for you
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I’ve known proves that it’s right
Because you’re mine, I walk the line

UPDATE: I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised that I’ve used the “I walk the line” title for a post twice previously.

In September 2017 I was comparing how I looked after two years of walking.

And in May 2013 I was extolling the health benefits of darts, pathetically trying to calculate the total distance walked between the throw line and the dart board during a tournament. I was such a rookie at walking back then!