“Clever is that clever does.” By Laird

Those truly were the watchwords for this run. Assembling a group of experienced hashers on a perfect pre-Thanksgiving night for running in Williamsburg, this run on the surface appeared to be one for the record books and tales around many a hash fire at some point in the future. Alas this was not to be and perhaps the Hare’s statement that although falsies were marked there was one very clever check foreshadowed what ultimately occurred. As they say all the time around here: OY!

That clever check will never be run by this group unless reprised by our Hare on some future jaunt as no one made it to that famed (perhaps infamed) corner. Perhaps the check wasn’t even on a corner. Perhaps it came in some shiggy. Perhaps it was a Beer Check. As Shakespeare once said: Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. Or as they say on the Street: Woulda, shoulda, coulda.

Other notable aspects of this run were few or few that can be repeated in public or in mixed company or, I imagine, remembered. Ewa missed two checks (this is new c’mon!) but miraculously sniffed out two others and led the pack. No one got lost or left behind. No one finished this run which took this writer 27:21.1. At least we were not all left in a diminished state unable to Hash later in the week or run a Turkey Trot. Hey, thanks Laird!

Cree bolted as soon as we all gathered at the On In for celebratory water that Laird had just ordered his eyes giving away his shock at how fast we deciphered his cleverness. I could not make out or perhaps remember Cree’s excuse, I mean, reason for bolting. Perhaps it was to find that clever check or … maybe he had a date!

The Abbey has served as a BH3 haunt from way back. Numerous stories were told about its original incarnation, which were all brimming with local Brooklyn color. The Abbey Part Un was an old Polish dive whose main attraction was very inexpensive shots of very cheap vodka. No Belvedere for this group. No bartender concerned about the rye crop in Poland this year. The place was well lit by a single (but powerful) light bulb hanging by its cord. The walls were sheetrocked except for the many holes punched by fists or heads or both. Convenient place to stash Hash Cash?

Today’s Abbey has changed somewhat although a distinctly different local color remains. Ewa, as you will note below, ranked it quite highly although for reasons very different as usual than this scribe. Perhaps it was some old Mojo from its original cast that attracted her.

Unbiased, Vociferous On In Ratings*

The Abbey

Nov 25, 2002

EWA The Saint

Ambience 4 (Brick) 2.5

Beer Selection 4 (Stella served!) 2.5

Beer Pricing 3.5 3

Local Color 3.5 3.5

Jukebox 2 4.5

Smoke 4 1

(too damned much)

Totals 3.5 2.833

*Categories are self-explanatory unless you’re dim. Ratings are the sole province of the writer and if you don’t agree, you don’t agree.

You will note that we included a smoke category in the unbiased bar review this week and a food category last week. Your scribe may elect to add a category and retains the right to place new categories in the reviews on an as needed basis. Each week we will seek out a new, important aspect of the On In if warranted to highlight and further distinguish our ratings.

Down Downs were given to (another) British virgin named Dave (nee Paul) from Leicester, Merry Old; an unidentified (or else I forgot her name) young lady for not carrying a bag on the run; and this writer ostensibly for being from El Paso and not wearing Texas shorts. El Paso! Have you ever been to El Paso? I have and Brooklyn is no El Paso. More insulting as it turns out that this Saint is the only native New Yorker (Manhattan) in the entire sorry BH3 bunch gathered this night. Fortunately I like beer fast or slow.

Stephen, the subject of much abuse in this column since his return, missed this run although by the time you receive this he will have no doubt valiantly set #263. It’s certainly good to see him back but we are still waiting for him to produce what his office promises. I obviously missed it due to meetings in DC w/ various Congressional and SEC types. Hopefully there will be few Aides or Interns who know how to Hash to lighten my burden for missing this run.

Till #264.

On Out!

BH3 #262

“Clever is that clever does.” By Laird