Motown Invades Hotown 12/7 – 12/11

Houston was getting crowded. TMI and Just Andrew (more on that later) arrived on Wednesday. VaGiant and Backstage arrived on Thursday. Of course, the real run started on Friday when Whip arrived.

After sending me a pic of my arriving flight Goose picked me up at the IHA and took me to a nearby brewery with some good sours. Most of the rest of the crew were there already and several drinks in. VaGiant was finishing up a bang-bang. We hit another bar then another brewery in an old church where we were joined by Spank and Banjo. Somewhere along the line we were joined by Sex who had flown into Hobby (the wrong airport). After that it was off to Urban South Brewing where Motown was “hosting” the Houston H4 Friday Happy Hour. Gutter and Tramp Randall arrived too after one of them, again, flew into the wrong airport.  A good crowd showed up to party with us. I had several good sours, including a questionable thick blueberry marshmallow one (green poo anyone?). We went to at least one other bar where I lost my entire phone charging set-up and eventually ended up back at Goose’s house where his rec room had been transformed to look like a makeshift refugee center.

We left the next morning for the Bike Hash, which had been set earlier by Goose. Spank, Banjo and Tramp mounted bikes and rode off on the longer than advertised bike trail while Whip and Backstage set the pedestrian trail. “Set” is a loose term here. It was really more trail by committee as we all tried to decipher screen shots of a trail that Goose gave us.  Everyone eventually made to the on-in (a little damp from rain) for orange food and circle led by Tramp.

Time was short so we piled into vehicles and drove to the start of the Brass Monkey Hash which was about 30 minutes away.  Gutter and Just Andrew were the hares for this shit-show. After a short pre-lube we set out on a lovely trail in Memorial Park and around Buffalo Bayou. The shiggy was not quite up to Brass Monkey standards but was enjoyed by all and I saw a decent amount of blood on legs and knees at the end. We had more beer, orange food and a Brass Monkey hash has to have brass monkeys (Olde English and OJ). Circle was co-RA’d by Whip and McPisser (you think I know a lot of songs…)

Once again, time was short and we drove another half hour to a hotel where Goose had reserved us suite. After showers it was off to the Hawaiian themed H4 Christmas Party (I sported a lovely caftan). This was very swanky by Motown standards. We had a nice private room and patio. There was food, a nice hat for the give-away and best of all an open bar! We had already worn the very cool Motown invades Houston T-shirts that Spank had made for us but now it was also time to continue with our patch challenge. For our challenge you had to get three Motown hashers together and have them tell you something to do for the patch. There were some clever and fun things that I can’t remember. I stuck with the tried and true “go to the bar and get drinks for the table”. They all wanted our patch (patch and shirt design by Cockwell – Thanks!) so they were happy to do this again and again and again. We on-aftered at a couple more bars, got some very good pizza and somehow made it back to the hotel. Gutter decided he had to walk around Houston barefoot.

Brunch the next morning was at a very cool and swanky restaurant where they put us in the “Whiskey Room” which actually had a couple hundred open (and unattended) bottles of whiskey on the walls. VaGiant suggested we play 100 Bottles of Whiskey on the Wall. We wisely declined.  VaGiant and Backstage had to leave for the airport after brunch but the rest of us drove a half-hour (everything in Houston is at least a half-hour away) to the start of the H4 Hangover trail. Trail was set by Spank, Banjo, Just Andrew, Gutter and Tramp Randall. I would have helped but I was a little high. We had a bit of rain but a very nice trail in some interesting neighborhoods around the Museum District. After another circle led by McPisser we had more beer and a decent spread of food. On-after was a couple more bars nearby and back to Goose’s around midnight where I was picked up by Spank and Banjo at 0330 for the flight back to Meechigan.

We even had a naming during the circle at the H4 Hangover trail.  From here on and for ever after Just Andrew shall be known as #Best Day Ever, shortened to #BDE. Congrats BDE! He can fill you in on the story. This was an official MoAnn approved naming

I am sure I forgot a lot and probably made something up too but this is close to what I remember happening.

A giant thanks to Goose for all the organizing, hosting and trail scouting that went into making this such a successful shit show.

Another big thanks to the Houston area hashes for being so welcoming and allowing us to have more fun than a barrel of brass monkeys.

Half-minds in attendance:

Backstage Ass

#Best Day Ever (#BDE)

Fuck-Fuck Goose

Gutter Guzzler

Lord of the Banjos

Sex and Ate

Spank Bank

TMI

Tramp Randall (Phoenix)

VaGiant

Whip It Out