Half-Mind Weblog

The Half-Mind Events Calendar is up to date and ready for your hash road trip planning pleasure. To view the calendar, click here.

Barcelona Hash House Harriers, Spain

In the long & grand tradition of the Harriers MCH3, our hare picked a closed restaurant for this morning’s meetup. It’s nice to know some things never change!

This morning’s hare, Humpin’ 1 Dalmatians, took us on a pleasant ride to Picture Rock and the west side of the Tucson Mountains, then on out toward Three Points and a lunch stop at Fred’s Arena. Some of our regular riders couldn’t join us, but we had a quorum with Wankers Aweigh, Hot Legs, and Flying Booger, so it was an official mash.

At Fred's Arena: Booger, Humpin, Hot Legs, Wankers

Next month’s mash will be on Sunday, February 26, with Wankers Aweigh haring.  Check OnOnTucson.com for details.

It’s raining now, washing away this morning’s flour, but the Pedalfiles got their bash in before it got wet … not that a little rain would have stopped us.  Oh yes it would have.  Oh no it wouldn’t.  Shut up.  No you shut up.

So who rode today?  Flying Booger (the hare), Deep Dish, 2X4, Skinnidip, Redheaded Woodpecker, NHN Paul, and NHN Abby.  H.M. Ho and Pick’n'Flick met us at the start but didn’t ride … for which they are forgiven, since they set up a beer check for us.

Have flour, will hare

Trail went west on Tanque Verde, then looped back east, north, further east, further north, then on-on to Casa Booger where the pack found some iced-down beer.  The short on-in went from the beer check back to the start, about 13 miles in all, or 15 if you explored the bad trails and checkbacks (as Deep Dish, for one, did).

Notable sights on trail included a longhorn bull, a llama, a hidden bad trail mark, and Deep Dish repairing a flat.

I feel like I’m really rubbing it in on Deep Dish, but she did win the coveted Broken Spoke award today.  Special mention and thanks go to 2X4 and Skinnidip for driving all the way to Tucson from Sierra Vista just to go bashing with us (yay!), and to virgin bashers NHN Paul and NHN Abby.

H.M. Ho, Pick’n'Flick, and Redheaded Woodpecker couldn’t join us at on-afters, but here are the rest of the survivors at the Irish Pub:

L to R: Booger, NHN Abby, NHN Paul, 2X4, Deep Dish, Skinnidip

It was a great morning.  If you don’t already have plans for Superbowl Sunday (Feb 5), 2X4 and Skinnidip are haring the Monthly Cycle bike hash in Sierra Vista that morning, followed by on-afters, food, and the big game at their house.  Pick’n'Flick and I are driving down; if you want to go contact me and I’ll give you the details.

Minutes of the monthly meeting of the Pima Independent Sunday Social Hash House Harriers, 8 Jan 2012, Udall Park, Tucson, Arizona.

PISS Hash roll call: Spring Break, H.M. Ho, NHN Jade (aka Jai), CD, Tucson Slew, Citizen 69, Yoda, Appendage, NHN Rich, Zorro, Flying Booger (hare) [see Figure 1]:

Fig. 1: Pima Independent Sunday Social H3, 8 January 2012

Old business: Tucson Slew moved to declare old business “so last year.” Zorro objected but was overruled. Motion seconded and passed.

Current business: Flying Booger proposed the hash run or walk a 3.2-mile trail in and around Udall Park, bounded by Tanque Verde Road to the north, Kolb Road to the west, Speedway Boulevard to the South, Pantano Road to the east. Motion seconded and passed by majority vote; Flying Booger haring.

• Minority report: Spring Break and Zorro reported successful accomplishment of every YBF on trail, completing a distance well in excess of actual trail length. Nevertheless, as was observed by Appendage, the two finished first.  The pair were condemned for “racing.”
• Super-minority report: Flying Booger reported using 6 lbs of flour and having his entire trail plan changed at the last minute due to the fact that a portion of the planned trail had been fenced off for construction. He was accused of whinging.
• Majority report: The rest of the pack finished trail successfully. An informal poll indicated trail was enjoyed by all.  The ritual singing of Shitty Trail was accomplished, with H.M.Ho shielding NHN Jade’s ears.
• Educational comments by the hare: The inbound leg of the trail went past some abandoned and fenced-off buildings the center of Udall Park. These buildings were once a US Coast Guard geodetic survey magnetic observatory, part of the 1957-58 International Geophysical Year, where the bearing to magnetic north was accurately measured and tracked over time. Indications of magnetic measurements are still visible today (see Figure 2):

Fig. 2: The hash revisits the International Geophysical Year (1957-58)

New business:

• Hares were selected for February (H.M.Ho, NHN Jade, Citizen 69), March (CD, Tucson Slew), April (Yoda), May (Spring Break).
• H.M.Ho moved to name NHN Jade.  Motion not seconded; CD then moved the naming be postponed until NHN Jade hares next month. Seconded and approved. Flying Booger assured NHN Jade that the quality of her trail will have no bearing on the quality of her name (which will be bad regardless).  NHN Jade reported that she was cool with that.
• Dates for upcoming PISS meetings: Feb 12, Mar 11, Apr 8, May 13.

Treasurer’s report: What?

No additional business being proposed, Citizen 69 moved to adjourn.  Motion passed by acclamation.  The pack abandoned Udall Park for on-afters at a nearby pub.

That is all.

Fellow hasher, colleague, and friend of the blog Hazukashii is one of today’s most accomplished hash historians.  He posted his latest report to the hash list this morning, filling in many of the blanks associated with the world’s second-oldest hash chapter, the Bordighera Hash House Harriers.  It’s a fine piece of work, and since not all of my readers follow the hash list, I’m sharing it here in its entirety (all credit to Haz):

Royal Milan & Bordighera Hash House Harriers

Hello Hashers,

Here you go, another steaming pile . . . In this edition, you will get some graduate level studies in HASH history, as well as the usual drivel of what’s happening in the coming months. Wishing all hashers around the world HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012, unless of course you are on the Mayan calendar, then I bid you . . . farewell.

Moving on to some graduate studies in HASH history (this account has been pulled together from multiple sources, including the Interhash 1998 InfoMag, an interesting conversation with Robert “Bwana” Walker, and other info adrift on the Internet).

Hash Club #2: Bordighera H3 in Bordighera, Italy, founded on 2 April 1947, by Captain “Gus” Mackey. Gus, an officer in a Gurka regiment of the British Military, had run with the Hash House Harriers in Kuala Lumpur before the war as a guest of his brother Rupert Mackey. During World War II while fighting in the battle for Anzio, Capt Mackey was captured and imprisoned in Milan, Italy. After his release, he stayed on in Milan, and eventually settled down with his new wife Anna-Marie in Bordighera on the Italian Riviera and formed the Bordighera H3, with the first run taking place on 2 April 1947. The BH3 was popular with other British veterans that had also settled in the area and enjoyed over a decade of trails, unfortunately and has happened many time the pack drifted away, sometime in 1961.

On 12 December 1984, The Bordighera H3 was revived during the construction of the Bordighera Arena for Science, Technology, Arts, Research and Development Center, sponsored by Giovanni Paradiso, the grandson of deposed King Emmanuel Vittorio III and also fellow prisoner during the war with Gus, and would now be known as the Royal Bordighera H3. Anna-Marie Mackey, at nearly 70, was still on hand and was made Honorary GM-Hash Mistress. The RBH3 lasted only a short period of time, and conducted occasional runs with the Riviera H3 (France).

On 23 June 1990, Robert “Bwana” Walker, previously from the Mombasa H3 in Kenya, founded the Milan H3 in Milan, Italy. In September of 1991, Bwana visited the Singapore H3 and then went on to Bangkok, where he met the late Hash Historian Tim “Magic” Hughes. Magic explained what he knew of the history of the Bordighera H3, and asked Bwana to see if he could turn up any old information on the BH3 upon his return to Italy. In coordination with Fabio “Fabulous” D’Ambrosio, the Milan H3 “Hash Italian” (an actual committee position), they were able to find some Riviera Hashers with recollection of the temporary rebirth of the RBH3, and eventually tracked down Anna-Marie Mackey, the widow of founder “Gus” Mackey. In a wild turn of events, it was discovered that Fabulous was actually a relative of Anna-Marie. Although she was on in years, it was reported that she could still chug a down-down with the best of them. With the approval of Anna-Marie, the Milan H3 merged with the remnants of the RBH3 forming the Royal Milan & Bordighera H3 in November 1991. Once again Anna-Marie was named Honorable Grand Mistress, and it was agreed that they would hash in Finale Ligure, near Bordighera, every year to keep the tradition going.

According to Bwana, “The reason for ‘near’ and not ‘at’ is a long story, which involves and entire hash being stuck on a hilltop in a thorn thicket late at night, local rescue teams and some pretty gory bleeding legs. The terrain there is incredibly rough and thorny, which prompted the then Milan RA ‘Wild Bill’ Ridout to make his personal motto ‘Bugger Bordighera!’, and avoid setting any trails nearer than 50 Km from it. The ‘near Bordighera’ became focused just up the coast in Finale Ligure, where Fabulous had a house on a spectacular Riviera hillside. We hashed there every year, and without fail, the ghost of Gus Mackey, haunted us every time, with apparitions on hillsides, all in white, including a white pith helmet and kilt, and playing a white bagpipe. He was also spotted prowling the balconies of the hotel we used, late at night, and once was seen getting out of a smoking grave! The hash became known as the ‘Ghost on the Coast’ and was well attended by hashers from all over the world.”

The motto of the Royal Milan & Bordighera H3 is “In Gus We Trust”

Other RMBH3 T-shirts:

• Ghost on the Coast
• 50 Years of Hashing
• First Milan H3 T-shirt

On my way to this morning’s Pedalfiles bike hash, I rode past the same bike lane symbol I’d ridden past a hundred times before, but this time it seemed to have something to say to me:

Bicyclist! Are you properly equipped?

Firmly gripping the bar with one hand in accordance with the dictates of safety, I reached for my head with the other.  Yes, my head was there!  My face?  That too!  Sunglasses?  Oui!  Helmet?  But of course!.  Chef’s hat?  What is this?  I’d forgotten my chef’s hat!  Sacré bleu!  There was not enough time to ride home to fetch it, lest I miss the bash!  Alors!

Feeling naked, I continued pedaling to the corner of Tanque Verde and Catalina Highway, where, to my inexpressible relief I found my fellow Pedalfiles, all, like me, sans toques.  If I must ride bareheaded, at least I will ride in the company of fellow bareheaded bashers … one for all and all for one!

Woodpecker, NHN Scott, Zorro, Spring Break (and not a chef's hat among them)

Redheaded Woodpecker rode east toward the Rincons and after a few moments we set off in pursuit: Spring Break, NHN Scott, Zorro, and Flying Booger.  What were scattered clouds at first quickly became solid, threatening rain but mercifully holding off long enough for us to finish trail.

Some of us, that is.  NHN Scott and Flying Booger followed all but a short final loop of trail.  As we rode west back past the start we saw our hare in the parking lot and thought we were at the end, so we pulled in (in fact Woodpecker’s trail went a bit further west before looping back to the parking lot).  Pulling in right behind us was Pillsbury Blow Boy of the jHavelina H3, who had been out riding with the über-Fred spandex crowd, looking for all the world like Lance Fucking Armstrong.  Pillsbury, huffing along at 25 miles per hour in the middle of a peloton, peeled off to follow trail when he saw Woodpecker’s marks.  Methinks we have a new recruit!

But where were Zorro and Spring Break?  Nowhere to be seen, not at on-afters, last reported heading north on a dead-end street.  Woodpecker loaded his mount back into his car and set off to find them; NHN Scott, Pillsbury, and I held down the fort at the parking lot.  Woodpecker returned shortly afterward, having found the missing bashers on trail, safe and sound but merely slow, on-after bound.

We gathered in the Irish Pub as the rain began to fall, regaling one another with trail tales … save for Pillsbury, who oddly wanted to talk about marathons and other serious R-word stuff … so we just ignored him and ordered another beer.

It was a small bash but it was good.  Next month’s hare will be Flying Booger.  Don’t forget your toque!

I just heard that Smoking Weiner of the Rocket Shitty H3 in Alabama was badly injured when he was hit by a car during the Rocket City Marathon last Saturday.  He was helping out as a volunteer, manning a water station at the 13.2 mile mark.  According to the Huntsville Times, he’s in critical condition at the hospital with a broken pelvis and collarbone and other injuries.

Smoking Weiner is a long-time friend of the Half-Mind Weblog and a great supporter of the Half-Mind Hymnal, and I know you’ll join me in wishing him a speedy recovery and a return to hashing.  I don’t know that I can share his personal contact information, so if you’d like to send him a message of support, please write to me at flyboog@pwoodford.net (or just use the contact form) and I’ll forward it to him.

Update (12/18/11): Two Dogs Fucking (Carolina Trash H3) has died after suffering a stroke.