Birthday pix: Part I

The 30th birthday run

Here it is (click to embiggen): just under 7km from the A site to the B site (the "medium" run), just over 3km from the B site to the C site ("short" run), and around 10km for the whole thing.

The first back -- the triumphant elite runners you see directly below this -- started arriving at the B site at 1:07. The last ones never did make it. They were rescued by Egghead and ended up in the dark another kilometer or so east on the Baan Daan school road, where I met them in the Stickmobile. They refused my offer of a ride so that they could take the beer truck instead. I was deeply hurt, but I do understand.

The morning after

The front-runners at the beer stop: 30 years of evolution produces this? (Click to see it really big!)

Well, the consensus seemed to be a pretty decent run (custom designed by Egghead, laid by Stick Insect and me) and a hugely successful party. At least we didn't lose anyone during either event, and not for lack of trying. Full photo coverage coming soon!

SH3 30th birthday run and party

Against all the odds SH3's 30th birthday celebrations seem to be all set to spring fully formed into life and with over 100 people already registered for the event, If you still haven't reserved your place, you need to get in touch with a responsible person ... but no suggestions from this end as to where one might locate such a rara avis.

For those who don't know, the fun will kick off an hour early with transport for both the long and short runs leaving the Tung Jaeng Restaurant (New Yala Road, 9k, on the right) at 3:30 p.m. For that reason the beer truck will depart from the Hot Bread Shop at 2:30 p.m.

There will in fact be three runs, a long, a medium and a short. The long and medium runs will differ by the whole of the short run, so medium runners will be able to bale out at the beginning of the short run and get a lift back to the party. Long runners will be offered light refreshments at the mid-point and then invited to get their asses back on the trail so as to be back in time for the circle at 6:00 p.m. The light refreshment truck will remain on hand until all the long and medium runners have been accounted for and will forcibly detain anyone arriving after 5:30 who would be unlikely to make it before dark.

The party itself is expected to kick off with dinner at 7:00 p.m. with the entertainment kicking in at 8:00 p.m. Acts currently confirmed include the Victory Quintet and Pussy Gallorrrious. Meeeow!

Thanks are due to our beer sponsors who though anonymous as befits their selflessness, shall be recorded in full on the T shirt. The count currently stands at 17 cases with the odd vat of boozo del plonko thrown in by Useless Whitney and perhaps Full Moon H3 as well if she who must be obeyed is in a generous mood.

For the record, named SH3 and HH3 runners are still only being charged 300 Baht and guests 500 Baht with kids of all persuasions at 200 Baht. The price includes everything on offer: run(s), beer, dinner, more beer, entertainment, more beer and a T shirt.

Last word:

DON'T FORGET IT ALL STARTS AT 3:30 AT TUNG JAENG!

Don't be late!

And as if all that isn't enough, if you're jaded with the rugby and the prospect of all those bloody Kiwis being able to gloat at us lesser mortals, why not come along to HH3 on Sunday whose run will be graced by those bits of Batu H3 who haven't discovered that Saturday's exertions have left them in need of a relaxing rub down. The run is being set by... Moo Sahb... Hmmmmmm! and the run site is on the football pitch 4.5k down Poonakan past Wat Keow Kloy. The run starts at 4:30.

This weekend's cows

Tomorrow's (25th October 2011: 4:30 p.m.) SH3 details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1584
Hare: Gan Yao
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 9.9k. Turn left and go right after 100 meters then left after another 100 meters and follow the road for about 2k to the run site near where the hare's pick-up will be parked.
Sunday's HH3 run is being set by Sex Printer and Toy Boy and the run site is adjacent to the Sai Kao Resort (From the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 6k, then left for 4k and look for a sign)

The eternal search for hash immortality or Kii Leum looses the bonds which anchor the moon and stands impassive as it drifts eastwards

and if you think that's surreal.....

So the upshot of all this post-modernist rambling is that Kii Leum will join the pantheon of knucklehead's who have nothing better to do than set two runs in a row for two different hashes, but somewhere in the process the intended run site for tomorrow's (Wednesday 12th October) has been switched from the West side of the New Yala road to the East side and will now be located firmly at Prem's Place (from the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 800 meters and turn left for about 1k to the run site wherever the hare fancies locating it).

Semi usual stuff applies: Bring a hand/head light if you intend to run and bring some beer if you feel that way inclined ('cos in all probability there will be no full moon ale on sale this month) and contributions of food will be welcomed. The fun will kick off at 7:00 p.m. and the run will start a bit later in all probability (but don't count on it because Kii Leum's Teutonic ancestry may assert itself and dictate a prompt departure.)

Next weeks SH3 run will now be set by Gan Yao and details of the run site are anxiously awaited. Further announcements will follow....

But this is probably a good opportunity to remind all our readers that the following Saturday (October 22nd) will be the 30th birthday of Songkhla Hash and the occasion will be celebrated in style with a classic A-B run, followed by a traditional southern Thai feast and a night of tastefully decadent entertainment at the Tung Jaeng Restaurant at the top end of the new Yala road. The occasion will also be marked by a T shirt and as much beer as you can drink before the sponsored stuff runs out, which eventuality could be staved off by further pledges of beer from our generous sponsors of whom YOU could be the next! All this for a measly 300 Baht for named runners and 500 Baht for newbies and guests. Bookings and pledges alike will be accepted throughout this week at tomorrow's Full Moon H3 run, Saturday's SH3 run and at HH3's run on Sunday. ALL ARE WELCOME!

Run my cattle

Your worst nightmares are realized this weekend as Kii Leum, lately returned from the low country and happily now free of all bodily impediments notable hemorrhoids and dental plaque, and with his cavities well and truly filled, takes up the cattle prod and bids us get ourselves moving in a trail-wardly direction.
Details are:
SH3 run #1582, Saturday October 8th 2011, 4:30 p.m.
Hares Kii Leum and "Sean"
Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection take the new Yala road for 3k and turn left into the run site in the quarry.

HH3 on Sunday is being set by Nicheow and Pii Laer (??) and the run site is about 5k down Poonakan from Wat Keow Kloy on the left (from the Ko Yo intersection take the old Hatyai road for 4.7k and turn left for 8k then right for 5k)

This weeks misdirections

Tomorrow's SH3 details are:
Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1582, Saturday October 1st 2011, 4:30 p.m.
Hares: R2D2 and Sperminator
Misdirections: From the Kao Saeng intersection take the old Yala road for 8k and turn right before Ban Dan School. Follow the road for 3k to the run site in the old quarry.

HH3 on Sunday are running at Tung Nai. From Songkhla take the old Hatyai road for 10k past the Ko Yo intersection and turn left at the Nam Noi traffic lights. Go 3.5k and turn right. Go past the Or Bor Tor and past the fishing restaurant then turn left and follow the road to the run site. The hare is Nicheow.

What to give the pussy that has everything...

You got it ... a GPS! Which is what Crackwurst, Only a Yolk, Meals on Wheels and Temporary Relief, all of whom have birthday's this month, (two of which actually coincide with Saturday's run), will be given on Saturday morning and graciously told to get their little tuts out into the hills and set us a pussy run!  So expect no mercy, but do expect some fine running entertainment followed by some fine dining as the girls put on a BBQ apres-run party washed down with as much free beer as you can drink (in 10 seconds).

Details are:

Songkhla Hash House Harriers run #1581. Saturday September 24th 2011, 4:30 p.m.

Hares including but not limited to: Crackwurst, Only a Yolk, Meals on Wheels and Temporary Relief

Misdirections: From the Ko Yo intersection, take the new Yala road for 3.5k to the run site on the left.

For Sunday's HH3 run we have a bilingual map!

For Songkhla dwellers it looks like another trip down the old Hatyai road for 4.7k, turn left for 8k, then right at Wat Keow Kloy into Poonakan Rd. for 6.7k, then turn left for about 3k to the run site on the left just before Long Lien Tan Kwai/the railway level crossing.

You mean this GPS track?

Saturday's run will live in the memory forever; somebody's memory; but not mine. I lost track of it somewhere around the naga's head as we hit the second beer stop (were there really only two? It seemed like more!) The next thing I recall was Sunday morning wondering how I was going to set a run for HH3. But magically it got done, and recorded by  GPS (if anyone was using a GPS on Saturday they haven't said so and probably wouldn't have admitted to it anyway!) But Dung Beetle proved once again in case we needed reminding, that we don't always have to do the same thing to have a great afternoon's entertainment, and come to think of it, it's always Dung Beetle who snaps us out of our jungle mindset and sends us off grumbling to do something completely different, which we then all thoroughly enjoy and wonder why we don't do it more often. Thanks Big Boy, and thanks to his team of un-'usual suspects' for organizing the run, T-shirt and party: Wet Spot, Rotten Johnny and Conebrain.

But Sunday it was business as usual with a 7k circumnavigation of Kao Lam, a max. elev. of 181m and a total ascent of about 350m. Good jungle-bashing stuff with a complete traverse of the hostile South face and the more popular North-side being completely eschewed in favor of a gentle flirt with the lower reaches of Kao Wong. The fit bastards took about an hour twenty; Off T brought up the rear in the thick end of two hours. In between the hare gallantly rescued Bid Bleow and Kii Loei in the gathering dusk somewhat to the chagrin of Gas Hole/Gaseous Clay who seems to have taken on the role of errant knight on Sundays, and Danny helped Julie to complete her first day-time Hash in Songkhla, as the sun slipped behind the hill... ahh I feel a song coming on: 

But I don't feel afraid

As long as I gaze on 

Borogam Sunset

I am in paradise.