Date: October 8, 2000

Run # 1143 for the Houston Hash proved to be a cold and wet one! Hashers gathered on the West side of town just inside the beltway on Kimberly just as the temperature dropped into the high 40’s and the rain began to fall lightly. Luckily for those of us who had not prepared for the rain, Will He Peter and Digital Input saved us by pulling out a roll of fashionable black raincoats (Glad or Hefty, I’m not sure which).

The hares promised a great "red flour" trail for those that were ready for a tough/wet run and a "white flour" trail for those of us less adventurous. The run started off with a bang but confusion quickly set in as the group couldn’t find the trail after the first false. After some begging and pleading on Grind Slut’s part, the hares pointed us in the right direction and we were off again with great anticipation for a superb run.

The group split up as the red flour led one way and the white flour led another. It didn’t really matter what route you took – it was going to prove difficult to stay on trail no matter which color you picked. Somehow ending up on white flour, after starting on red flour, the pack I was in found itself running through the Town & Country Mall, up escalators, down stairs, up stairs, down escalators, and me without my credit card – of all the bad luck! The concern on the faces of those in the mall as a group of 20 people dressed in trash bags ran through the mall was priceless. Mothers sheltering their children, old ladies holding on to their purses, kiosks quickly shutting down as they saw us barreling toward them. After exiting the mall the pack slowly dwindled. Block by block, hashers disappeared as they went into the unknown (the unmarked hash trail) looking for flour.

Our enthusiastic group of 20 hashers had now dwindled down to a pack of five cold, wet, defeated individuals in search of a sign to guide us toward warmth and beer. We shuffled south on the Beltway 8 feeder road and by a stroke of luck (or was that a stroke of genius?) found the on-on. As we mingled about, drank from the bounty of beer (three kegs-one dark, one piss-beer, and through donation of All Head, No Shaft one keg of stout), chowed down on the wonderful hot meal served by Toe Jam, it became apparent that no hasher had been successful at finding their way to the end by following trail. YEAH! I’m not such a loser after all. As Womb Service said to Bend Over Whitey "Thanks for laying the trail today. I couldn’t find it, but thanks for laying it."

As Grind Slut (this week’s stand-in RA) entered the circle he was greeted with a loud groan from the hash – he had a jug full of the stout for down-downs. Bend Over Whitey, Toe Jam and Dave were rightfully abused for the trail they laid and de-flowered for being virgin hares. Dave was then given a hash name of Bad Puppy. Why? I don’t know. I couldn’t follow the story – I think the RA had had a few too many stouts by that time. The on-on was followed by an on-on-on at Bad Puppy’s house with free beer and a great hot tub in the backyard.

After it was all said and done, it was a good day. Free beer, great food, and naked hashers all warm, wet and snuggly with each other! It’s great to be a hasher in Houston!