First clue, as provided by Lubie: "Norm". The pack (including out-of-towners) immediately guessed the Bull & Finch Pub. Of course, the non-locals did not know how to get there from the start, but the locals directed them.
Second clue, as provide by Jimmy and Just My Size, who were standing in front of the Bull & Finch (A photo op was provided for those out of town hashers who wanted their picture taken in front of the building that was used for the "Cheers" TV show facade.): "Ride the Ugly Duckling".
Hmmm, well the Public Garden has swan boats, the Make Way for the Ducklings statues (but they are cute little ducks) and a bunch of ducks on the lagoon. Yup, we milled about the Garden a bit, not seeing anyone with a flag or any hasher-looking people. Finally we found no F*cking name Kim from Happy Valley standing by a few bedraggled looking ducks on the lagoon (good thing she had a flag, I didn't know her). Her clue was "Tomorrow's finish - 26".So we bolted (not really, most of us were tired/hung over from Saturday, and walked) down Boylston Street toward the start of Saturday's hash/finish line of the Marathon. There in the grandstand at the finish line we found Sperm Breath, who handed us the following clue: "Go Toward Hopkinton on route, grab a towering deal on a John Valby CD".
Tower Records, too easy (tho not on the Marathon route, exactly). Would we need to go inside to the "V" section??? Ah, no, Stuff Me was waiting outside with the following: "Go 544.4 Smoots plus an ear to the land of the geeks".
Yup, trivia time. The Smoot guy was a unit of measure that some MIT geeks used to measure the length of the Harvard Bridge (Mass Ave leading into Cambridge). Oddly enough, when the bridge was reconstructed a few years ago, they used his son (who was the SAME height as his dad) to re-measure the bridge. There was no hasher at the end of the bridge. I thought perhaps the "ear" had a double meaning (as in the MIT grad student bar, The Thirsty Ear, which is across the street from the end of the bridge). Although most of the pack could have used refreshment, the Ear was closed and not the beer check. We went on down Mass Ave until we encountered Viagra Doubtfire. Viagra was a bit further than the 544.4 + 1 ear … she was in front of the building with the infinite corridor. She said to follow the trail one mile to the beer check.
Trail went through the MIT campus past Frat Row, along the Charles up toward Harvard. Hmmm, could it be that we were going to the hare's house? Yessiree, that would be correct. In Lubie's backyard was a keg of Newport Storm beer. Hashers settled in for a prolonged beer check, with jellybeans as hors d'oeuvres. Scratch & Sniff of Ottawa convinced Finger Licking Good (also of Ottawa) to give up her jog bra, so he could wear it. The obviously resulting photo op was FLG bare-chested, and Scratch & Sniff wearing her bra. Ah, yes, good thing Lubie is moving out of the neighborhood. After an hour or so, it started to get cold, so the pack reluctantly left the keg for the On-In, which was mercifully only a few short staggered blocks away.
