Done with another Friday, and now I’m here to tell you about it. The day started with the group hike and ended with the SOB. Or at least, I don’t remember anything after the SOB. Woke up alone in my bed (as usual), so my blessings continue.

We had a new guy join us for the hike. He’s a recent arrival from the UK and more than a little out of shape. I was worried about how well he’d hold up, and those fears proved justified.

The new guy made it home safe and sent this message to the group:

Thanks to everyone who made me welcome today and was patient with my plodding. 🥵
Learned a lot about hiking in the heat and the level of fitness required. I have never been so glad to see a trike before. 🙃
Will be putting in the solo miles over the next couple of weeks to get myself in shape before my next outing.

All the best to you! At least you made an effort and now know what you need to prepare for.

And I enjoyed seeing Facebook’s reminder of the hike I was making five years ago:

So, next up for me was getting ready for the SOB. I knew I had some heavy drinking in the near future, and I wanted to have something solid in my stomach before getting down to business.

So, after my meal, it was time to make my way to the SOB. The venue was Voodoo, the smallest of the bars that participate in the competition. Doors open at 5:00, and I was the first customer to arrive. To my dismay, the front row tables had reserved signs on them. I asked the owner what was up with that, and he didn’t know; then he told me to go ahead and sit down. I was being joined later by Sheila, one of the hiking group members, and I knew I’d be buying lady drinks for my Voodoo regular, Josie, so I needed three seats. A bit later, one of the event organizers politely asked me to move to another already occupied table, meaning I wouldn’t have room for my guests. Alrighty, then. I told her I would be leaving and got up to pay my tab. When she realized I meant I would not be attending the event, she apologized for the misunderstanding and allowed me to return to my table.

I recognize I’m just a customer, and I certainly understand the need for “VIP” space for hosts and bar owners. But for people to be able to reserve their seats in advance is unfair to people like me who make the effort to get there early for a decent seat. Yeah, I have to sit there drinking for an extra hour, waiting for the show to begin, but you’d think that’s a good thing from the bar’s perspective. Anyway, it worked out, but I felt bad for causing stress for the poor gal who was just following orders.

It was a good show, and I enjoyed spending time with Shiela (the girlfriend of my buddy Todd) and Josie. Joy, one of the Alaska dancers, also spent time at our table.

Here are some photos of the top finishers:

And that’s all I’ve got for now.