Ah Birdbrian, Birdbrian, Birdbrian. What shall we do without you? At a time when his thoughts must surely be elsewhere – will the frauleins of Munich run their fingers through his tousled locks? Will the hausfraus of Stuttgart pamper him with sponge baths and knackwurst? – Birdbrian came through for us.

Listen to me…I wax poetic.

It seems that most everybody had blown their wad at Wet ‘n Dirty’s run on Monday, but faithful, reliable Birdbrian still stepped up to hare for the full moon on Tuesday. And this after his soccer game, too.
           
Many were called upon. Few showed. The temperature steadily plummeted as they slowly gathered at Kramer’s: first Shampoo, then Hai Poo Gai, followed by Zephyr and Venta. Sweet Cheeks and Casket Case completed the peloton, if I remember correctly.
           
It was a live hare trail. According to Hogtown tradition, a trail set from Kramer’s goes where? Yes, to the Belt Line, then along the path parallel to the cemetery. Then over to Merton Street, and round the corner and in the back of the new Red Lantern – the high-design, not particularly Hash-friendly one – for the beer check. Or I should say the first beer check, since the trail continued after that over to Mount Pleasant and then on to Birdbrian’s house – the high-design, not particularly Hash-friendly one that he hadn’t owned anymore since Monday – for the second beer check. Birdbrian continued to be as Hash-friendly as ever, though, and invited us to remain in the back yard for down downs and, since that was going well, to stay for pizza. And Cougar and a well-hydrated Sex Toy, home from wherever it was she’d been diving, joined us at this stage. And so we sang some of the last hash songs to be sung in Birdbrian’s back yard, and we still couldn’t carry a tune or remember the words.