HASHING THROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH.
Yesterday afternoon, I went Hashing in the mountains north of Madrid with the Hash House Harriers.
We gathered in a circle before the run began, in order to receive instructions from the Hares (i.e., the two guys who laid-out the running trail earlier that morning).
After receiving the obligatory pre-run instructions about where the trail begins, when to expect the water/beer stop, etc., the Hares hit us with an eyebrow raiser:
“Please stick together and make a lot of noise when you enter the valley during the last five kilometers of the run, because it's crawling with wild boar hunters...and they're using high-powered rifles.”
:-O
So...as we descended into “the valley of death” an hour later, the runners all bunched together and—with notably increased frequency and fervor—began yelling the standard Hash House Harrier call.
“On on! On on! On on...!”
At which point, I had a troubling thought: “On on!” sounds uncomfortably similar to “Oink oink!”
posted by Sal DeTraglia @ 6:17 PM
17 Comments in the VTB Chat Lounge
17 Comments:
Glad to see you made it out alive!
Of course, you're also lucky that Dick Cheney decided to hunt quail this weekend, not wild boar.
I'm sure glad Dick Cheney wasn't in the area!! ;-0
Great blog, keep up the good work!
That would have made for a hillarious Google Video piece (do they call it a vlog now?) A bunch of runners going down the Death Valley screaming "On On!" Sal, that must have been a very interesting experience for you. I would have been laughing instead of running in that situation. Good for you big runner!
Why does this make me feel like yelling "Pork!"?
I've heard that the wild boars can be dangerous - they often crash through people's patio doors into their living rooms here - but I never gave a thought to the far more dangerous wild boar hunters.
Glad that no one mistook you for a pig! :-)
Hi everyone:
Sorry, but I got to bed way too late last night...and somehow set my alarm to go off an hour early this morning. I didn't notice until after my shower and caffeine ("Why is it still dark outside? Wah...hey?! It's 6:05, not 7:05!!!"). Anyway, let me summon the last, dying gasp of energy in my brain and respond:
Ang: Dick Cheney? Yeah...I would've been just the latest in a long, long list of people who can thank him for a premature death. Pity he was shooting at quail rather than Quayle.
Anonymous: Thanks for the message, but don't be so anonymous next time. We're a harmless bunch, and promise not crank call you at 2am if you divulge your identity.
Nyana: Running into the valley definitely conflicted with my normally-sensible approach to life. But there were 20 of us and I was, more or less, the most petite of the bunch. I figured that I was least likely to take a bullet. Besides...if someone had shot at me, I simply would've caught the bullet in my teeth.
Lady Di: Running with the pigs? Are you calling me a...ah, nevermind. BTW...You MUST run the Champagne Half Marathon, and I'm going to help you. Go to the following website and start Hashing Belgium-style:
http://www.cix.co.uk/%7Ebicesterh3/uk/europe/belgium.htm
Methinks you'll like it. Plus, you speak pretty good English for a foreigner.
Iron Man: ¡Hombre! Where the hell have you been? You missed my "Name That Smoker" contest. I was about to call the Alabama National Guard. If I find out that you were in Zaragoza and didn't tell me...
Christina: You're right. It was lucky that nobody mistook me for a pig. And luckier still that nobody mistook me for a quail.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The only thing I know about wild boars, I learned from "Old Yeller"... those were boars, right? I would be scared, too... they looked scary!
Ironporer, haven't seen you around lately! My hometown pal! :)
* P.S., the deleted comment was mine. I know that's annoying... I have to start proof-reading before posting!
As if I would ever call you a pig Sal deTragalia ... the people who run with the bulls aren't ... 'ah, nevermind' seems appropriate about here.
Thank you for the vote of confidence re: my spoken English, and for the website, unfortunately Antwerp is the one that disbanded. Perhaps when we're done with our 'Running Lessons' some of the other will be interested in carrying on and reform the Hashers here.
I wanted to say something sly about Dickie-Poo but Angie beat me to it! GOOD JOB ANGIE!
As for the other "creatures", how come nobody was concerned about the boars themselves? Are wild boars in Spain less tempremental than their American counterparts?
Which brings up another question, why weren't you after one of them to stuff into The Salvitator?
Granny Jo: I would've loved to bring home a boar and feed it to The Salivator. But in the absence of my own high-powered rifle, I would've had to kill it with my bare hands.
To do so would have blemished my manicure. I therefore opted for the rucola with raspberry vinegrette.
Sal
Thanks Granny Jo! It was a combination of pure luck and boredom at work that led me to be the first to post a joke at Deadeye Dick's expense. Anonymous almost beat me to it!
P.S. Don't take this the wrong way, but Happy Valentine's Day from an Amorous Nocturnal Goddess Exchanging Loving and Affection! (Just visit Mausi's blog and all will be explained...)
What can one do but giggle when one reads of opting for 'rucola with raspberry vinegrette' over 'killing a boar with bare hands' ...
I bow to you ... in a mocking way, so don't get delusions of grandeur. That would be entirely unbearable actually ... ye gods, shall I delete.
Hashing sounds like a good laugh - I enjoyed your write-up and added a link to my Spain blog.
Sounds like great fun, well except for the running bit. I think I would find myself with the sitters and drinkers. Are the Hashers dog friendly? I have a Saint Bernard you could borrow next time for pork protection :)
Haha - and since i'm by myself its more of a breathing sort of laugh. come to think of it hubby does the same thing - it's funny to hear it!
Sal: i love this bear picture and the story that goes with it (more in love with the story really) but you have to give us some more of that wit of yours.
make me laugh sir! i'm counting on you.
cheers!
A return greeting to you Angie from Jewel of Orgasms. ::grin::
P.S. My husband is rather perplexed! Wonder why? ::snicker::
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