Not much to say about yesterday’s Hash trail because I didn’t do much of it. The meetup was at Columban College (near Barretto High School, where the Friday group gathered last week), and so once again, I opted to take the shorter route through the hills to get there instead of doing a long-ass street walk or using a trike. I’m still uncomfortable being unaccompanied in the wild, but as a commenter here pointed out, there is danger in everything, so just man up and do it. I’m paraphrasing, but with the exercise of prudence and diligence, it is not inherently unsafe to hike alone.
Anyway, shortly after leaving the house, I realized that I had neglected to use my nebulizer before departing, as is my custom. My lungs ain’t what they used to be, and even a minor climb will often leave me feeling breathless. Well, shit. I didn’t have enough time to return home and still make it to the start, so I just pushed on. I always carry an inhaler in my pocket, so I took a couple of squirts from that and hoped for the best. Turns out Columban is exactly 1.25K from my house, and the one climb involved wasn’t a killer. So far, so good.
I headed out with the Hash group and went as far as the beginning of the first climb. I’d done it before, and it was not all that tough, but a voice in my head said, “are you sure you want to do this?” It turns out the answer was no. I told my fellow back-of-the-pack Hashers that I was going to keep it flat and I’d see them at the On-Home. I did around 5K before arriving at the Hare’s beer stop at McCoy’s on Baloy Beach. The Hare had arranged for a short banka boat bay tour, which was a nice break from the norm, although I declined to participate in that event as well (I didn’t want to wade out to the boat or take my shoes off). Yeah, I guess I was just in a lazy mood. I had a couple of beers at McCoy’s, then walked up the bach to Da’Kudos, this week’s Hash venue.
I didn’t take many photos, but here are some from others who did:
I guess it is no real surprise that there are a few assholes in our group. And yes, I recognize that some of my fellow Hashers may consider me to be one. But generally, I don’t engage or interact with the jerks. Still, I encountered two at IDM last night. No big deal, I can handle it, even if I don’t much care to have my buzz killed by self-important losers like those two.
And on that note, I think it may be time for me to take a break. I’m leaning toward not Hashing next week at all. Maybe a little distance will improve my perspective.
I’m not sure I followed the “asshole” thing. Did I miss something in the last photo of this post? Was there an incident involving assholes that you simply didn’t blog about? Did I skip or misread something? That final paragraph just seems kind of sudden: no buildup, no narrative of an incident, just suddenly—assholes. I really think I missed something. I’m dead tired after working a string of 12-14-hour days, so it’s hard just keeping my eyes uncrossed. Apologies for bad reading comprehension.
And watch dem lungs! Dey dee only two you got!
Interesting structure on that island(?). Any idea what that is? As a vaguely castle-like vibe going on. Seems like a lot of effort to put something like that up in the middle of the bay.
Brian, it’s called “White Castle Island” and is a local landmark, but I have no clue as to why it was built or its purpose. It’s really not maintained, although some of the island hopping tours of the bay still stop there. I’m curious about its history, too, and will see what I can find out.
Kev, it wasn’t you, it was me. Probably didn’t even warrant mention on the blog, and I can see why my throwaway line about encountering assholes without follow-up details was confusing. Anyway, just a couple of encounters at IDM after the Hash that were unfriendly and disappointing. I’ve just chalked it up as a “good to see how you are” moment and let it go.
Get some rest!