It was lightly sprinkling when I departed home for the Hash trail. My plan was to hike to the start and then decide where to go from there. As fate would have it, as I headed up the backway to Rizal Extension, I encountered the tell-tale markings that told me I had intersected with the Hare’s intended path. So, I followed it from there. There was a good climb on a trail I don’t recall hiking before, and it eventually led to a junction with the familiar My Bitch trail. The Hare, Leech My Nuggets, did another down and up, which I chose to avoid, but soon enough, I was back on track. I followed the markings the rest of the way to the On-Home venue at Bella Monte Hotel. Both mine and the Hare’s trail came in at just under 5K, but that was plenty given the weather.
Another Monday, another Hash. Wet with rain instead of sweat, but it all feels the same when it’s over.
Monday’s report card: 11,670 steps, 8.97 kilometers walked, 3,667 calories burned.
From the LTG archives in April 2009, I wrote about some happenstance on the streets of DC, where I attended a work-related conference. Howard is another friend I’ve long ago lost touch with. That seems to be a recurring theme in The Story of My Life.
Today’s YouTube video features Reekay giving the sound advice to not let stupid people fuck up your life. Hmm, maybe that explains my lack of friends. Or maybe I’m the stupid one?
And get your Zen while it lasts:
A Clear Conscience Is Usually The Sign Of A Bad Memory.
The jokes are on me:
Another golden oldie:
Joe was moderately successful in his career, but as he got older he was increasingly hampered by terrible headaches. When his personal hygiene and love life started to suffer, he sought medical help.
After being referred from one specialist to another, he finally came across a doctor who solved the problem. “The good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition which causes your testicles to press up against the base of your spine. The pressure creates one hell of a headache. The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.”
Joe was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for. He couldn’t concentrate long enough to answer, but decided he had no choice but to go under the knife.
When he left the hospital, his mind was clear, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself. As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life.
He walked past a men’s clothing store and thought, “That’s what I need, a new suit.” He entered the shop and told the salesman, “I’d like a new suit.”
The salesman eyed him briefly and said, “Let’s see… size 44 long.”
Joe laughed, “That’s right, how did you know?”
“It’s my job.”
Joe tried on the suit. It fit perfectly. As Joe admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, “How about a new shirt?”
Joe thought for a moment and then said, “Sure!”
The salesman eyed Joe and said, “Let’s see,… 34 sleeve and… 16 and a half neck.”
Joe was surprised, “That’s right, how did you know?”
“It’s my job.”
Joe tried on the shirt, and it fit perfectly. As Joe adjusted the collar in the mirror, the salesman asked, “How about new shoes?”
Joe was on a roll and said, “Sure!”
The salesman eyed Joe’s feet and said, “Let’s see…9 and a half wide.”
Joe was astonished, “That’s right, how did you know?”
“It’s my job.”
Joe tried on the shoes and they fit perfectly. Joe walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, “How about a new hat?”
Without hesitating, Joe said, “Sure!”
The salesman eyed Joe’s head and said, “Let’s see. . . 7 5/8.”
Joe was incredulous, “That’s right, how did you know?”
“It’s my job.”
The hat fit perfectly. Joe was feeling great, when the salesman asked, “How about some new underwear?”
Joe thought for a second and said, “Sure!”
The salesman stepped back, eyed Joe’s waist and said, “Let’s see… size 36.”
Joe laughed, “No, I’ve worn size 34 since I was 18 years old.”
The salesman shook his head and said, “You can’t wear a size 34. It would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a headache!”
I went out and bought some 2XL underwear today. Seriously. It’s not the dick, it’s the balls.
That’s all, folks! For today, anyway.
Of all the bands I ever saw perform live, ELO was the best.
The extent of the turnout for yesterday’s Hash. Most of them didn’t even attempt to do the trail.
What does that mean? They just went straight to the On-Home? But later on, you say your group got to the On-Home first. So what did these other people do?
My group was the first to arrive at the On-Home. BF’s Wet Spot and Cums Alone went out and bought some coffee. One of the beer drinkers (not me!) called them to sit on the ice for that insult.
Scott seems to be staring at someone’s crack.
Four years ago, I broke the twenty-kilometer barrier. I’m still hoping to break twenty-nine one day soon.
Since you have to build up to 29K, we ought to be seeing posts about longer and longer walks that average 10K, then 15K, then 20K, then 25K, etc. You’re a brave man to contemplate attempting 29K in that heat and humidity. I wouldn’t do it.
Eight years ago, I was out exploring my new environs around Pyeongtaek, got lost, and wound up here with no clue which way to go.
It’s okay to rely on your phone for navigation.
Reekay, in that video, says:
Now, I understand meeting up with a buddy and having a couple of beers—nothing wrong with that. But when a person needs to be around other guys that drink on a regular basis—they simply cannot get through life without having a buzz more days out of the week than not—that’s an alcoholic.
So, a little questionnaire based on Reekay’s criteria for alcoholism:
1. Would you be willing to cut off drinking at bars if you could simply drink at home?
2. Can you get through life without experiencing a buzz, or do you prefer to remain constantly medicated (i.e., life can only be enjoyed through the filter of alcohol)?
What he then says about how being sober at a table full of drunks is like “listening to a bunch of babbling idiots” sounds about right to me. And it’s why I never hang around drunk people. They’re useless and boring. He’s also right about the need to have clear standards, which is a another way of saying having a moral backbone. The stuff he then says about how you have to choose high-quality people to hang around sounds a lot like crap I’ve said in the past.
In a book called Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams, Hyams writes about the idea of not hanging around people who only waste your time. To be a better-quality person yourself, you need to have better-quality people around you.
Enjoy the rain.
Kevin, we call people who show up at the On-Home but don’t do any of the trail “socialites.” There’s usually a handful every week, but with the rain and the trail starting way out on Rizal Extension, probably less than ten folks did the hike.
To answer your questions re: alcohol:
1. I can, and occasionally do, drink at home (The Rite Spot is a nice venue). But it would be boring to hang out up there alone all the time. To me, the bars provide a place to hang out around other people and sometimes see familiar faces. I prefer the open-air bar venues where I can sit and enjoy watching the world go by. My bar time is what passes for my social life.
2. Well, if by “buzzed” you mean inebriated, that’s not an everyday occurrence. For me, it’s more about relaxing and soaking up the vibes and music. Alcohol, in the form of low-alcohol Zero beer, is a part of my life, but not the most important. I have a three or four-hour window in which I partake (usually 5-8 p.m.), and that includes dining out. I enjoy all aspects of my life, even the ones that don’t involve alcohol.
Reekay’s world is different than the one in which I reside. The occasional babbling drunk is the exception; most of the folks I encounter in the bars just hang out, enjoy the company, and converse with friends. It is very rare to see someone getting loud and obnoxious in the bars I frequent, and when someone crosses the line, they are usually escorted out promptly.
That said, there is one guy in our hiking groups who is tolerable when sober. After a few drinks, his asshole nature takes over. If I’m around him, I pay my tab and say goodnight. Yes, we should choose the kind of people we enjoy and not waste time on the others.