Concrete Tilt Panel extravaganza
This seems to be a developing genre. The essential element is to find a money hungry café owner in an industrial area and convince him to stay open after 3pm to feed us at 8 o’clock. Consequently the trail tends to be lined with warehouse and factory concrete panel walls. The location of the Lane Cove West industrial estate is also gifted with quiet surrounding streets, parks and bushlands. As a devotee of this area in the past I’m inclined to agree with the TM’s assessment as a “great trail area”.
Wanker is always hesitant when it’s his turn to hare a trail but with Smiley’s assistance they managed to pull off a good one. The runners trail did extract itself from the concrete factories as it took the overhead pedestrian bridge across Epping Road for a loop with a little bush and some parks before heading south in the streets, and then around Blackman Park. Meanwhile the walkers were blessed with lotsa concrete. Pilko, carrying his Li-ion version of a miner’s lamp, directed all around the perimeter of a number of warehouses before Smiley, who had been tracking the walkers pack for some reason, directed us on to the streets at Mars Rd and On down Wood St where the both trails coincided again. Lloyd Rees Dr was beckoning for a short-cut – very judicious too. With trail a thousand feet lower elevation than the Bucket there was a giant stairway to heaven at the end to get the blood pumping.
The SCB’s naturally arrived back first then both runners and walkers converged on the beer pretty much together. Your Choice, still suffering from a lurgy, helped fill the Bucket as Smiley ran off insisting he had to put more markings on the stairway – duh! It was the only way home. Not sure that the Hares had planned this but the time to go to our cars to change into dinner regalia coincide with the ladies leaving the gym at the far end of the car park – nice for those who had parked there although I think Jock the Sock missed it. It was a home game for French Connection but he only arrived in time to dive into the café and grab a bottle of red like it was gunna be his last drink.
The On On venue was what you’d expect from a white collar industrial café – but Asian. Mr Wu insisted we all be seated then quickly served spring rolls and curry puffs – whence everything came to a screaming halt. I’ll have another beer thanks Duckweave. Seems that Asian weddings work the same as ours when the mains are served – that’s alternate serves – “would you like my sweet and sour pork because I’d prefer your beef in blackbean sauce?”.
Our lurgy infused President called order and handed Downs to the very slow-drinking Hares. Salt Petre got another year older and received a drink – it was the only reason he would venture out on a winter’s night.
Returnee, Wagga Rod was regaled, and he also informed the assembly that Relay 50 in 2018 would be in Lightning Ridge – “because all you retired bastards have got plenty of time to make the journey”. Grape Ape interjected saying that he canned the Relay in 2002 because no one wanted to go, upon which there was a call for a show of hands to attend the 50th and to a man the response was unanimous. In current news, Smiley noted that Hanoi Bill’s favourite Holden Commodore burnt down in Warringah Mall carpark, and E-Shit reckons he got out of bed this morning and had an epiphany, and then had another one in the shower. When this guy’s awake he’s more dangerous than Donald Trump. At this juncture Goon Show was seen to sneak away only to return 30 secs later when he’d discovered one needed a key card to get out of the carpark.
With Pee Dub away in China looking to clean some girlie’s teeth, humour was left to Tic Toc who admitted that even he recycled jokes and we got peanut butter smelling fingers.
On On
Bigamist