Run #1314 - Christmas is Coming... P'Tooey is Going

December 18, 2006

Hares: Mydol
Where: Kits on 16th, 720 16th Ave NW
Big Rock: Not quite Free. Definately Flowing
Attendance: 39

The mild December day marked the end of an era, the passing of a torch from a giant and a move into the great unknown.

You mean RA P'Tooey, whose reign didn't last as long as some third-world, banana republic dictator before he escaped to Vancouver Island, where he can start the Calgary West Hash House Harriers?

Heck no, we're talking about the passing at age 95 of Joe Barbera, the co-creator of Scooby Do, Tom and Jerry, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, Yogi Bear and other cartoon icons. Barbera's work entertained millions around the world for decades, and, no doubt, will continue to do so. No one can replace him. Yabba dabba do.

As for replacing P'Tooey, well ... In an "election" that often contained as much suspense as one from the Kremlin in the old Soviet Union, Skewbic was selected as the new RA to serve the remaining nine months of P'Tooey's term.

Skewbic "defeated" three other stoog, er, candidates — Mum, Clueless and Lumberjack — all of whom didn't have a snowball's chance in you- know-where of winning.

The defeated had no hope after Skewbic promised, for example, free Garmin 305s for everyone, to be paid from his personal bank account in the Cayman Islands. He also offered to purchase a Saab for one lucky hasher, to be determined by him. Not to mention weekly parties with free food and Big Rock at his house. The grand Skewbic prize will be an all-expense-paid trip to Beijing for two hashers, just because he was so impressed with the air quality and the lack of crowds when he was there on a recent business trip.

See, the fix was in, even before P'Tooey passed the Viking horns and tacky jacket to Skewbic, who said he can now drive late through the circle anytime he wants, without fear of punishment or reprisal. The surreal selection of Skewbic came on a rather, uh, odd night — which included starting the hash at an unidentified northwest Calgary bar (we'll call it Van Gogh's), running through the sometimes-snowy and icy hoods, ditching the bar with no name because of their draconian financial demands and conducting business at old stand-by Kits on 16th, a last-minute replacement.

The beer flowed, the wings were hot and tasty, and the choir was enthusiastic, even if they weren't always on-key. A large crowd gathered before scattering to Victoria, Saskatchewan and wherever else for the holidays.

Two who will remain in Calgary are Pee-On and Kebab, the co-hares for the Christmas night hash. Pee-On even managed to coerce her niece, who did the hash, drank a down-down and apparently wasn't totally horrified or traumatized by the experience. The hash also said goodbye to Lies in the Dark, who's leaving for some high-profile academic job in Southern California, lucky woman — at least in the winter.