In reality, the same five guys survived a typical traditional man's spa, complete with chain saw and axes in action, an overdose of meat and a steady beer tasting competition. Horseshoes were thrown too, mostly at a pin covered with a bright red work glove so we could better see it. That work glove somehow raised just one finger at us as we tried to hit it. Imagine! Must be the internet of things.
That night, the horseshoes were adapted for percussion instruments (Cool beat Emad) as the quality of improvised musical arrangements soared to new levels next to a great campfire under a clear sky. (Nice fire Billy!)
Saturday morning brought the great crisis of 2016! After everyone had a few shots of coffee, we realized we were all out.
Alain, who was driving up that morning, saved us by answering our desperate calls for more coffee. He was so determined to come to the rescue that he risked and received a parking ticket while he waited in line at Starbucks. That's taking one for the team. Coline de contravention! He also packed an elaborate brunch for Sunday to go with the coffee. Thanks Al!
And there was storytelling. We've become really good at this over the years, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering we tell the same damn stories every single freakin' year! What is surprising is how much we enjoy hearing them again and again. One year seems to be just enough time for the memory of a good story to fade to a level at which a refresher is welcome. Thanks for the refreshers guys. Okay, I'm mostly talking to Tim. Thanks for the refreshers Tim!
Saturday brought rain for most of the day and we spent the evening indoors playing music. This was my first year playing guitar to support Tim with his guitar and harmonica. Others joined in with voices and more percussion. Tim's John Prine renditions were at their finest and we played the tunes we had practiced together over the last few months. It worked out quite well, especially considering there was alcohol. Actually, maybe the alcohol is why it went so well, or why I THINK it went so well.
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| Not everyone at Man's Spa is retired. If you have to work remotely, this is a pretty good hot desk. |
Unfortunately, Pat and John weren't able to make it this year. Guys, you were missed. Imagine how much you'll enjoy hearing those stories next year when you haven't heard them in two years!
You'll note in the official group photo below that we are sporting new Man's Spa identification tags. This is useful in case one of us gets lost and he can't remember his name. So if you find one of us, and he can't remember his name, you just look at the name tag. It's brilliant! You might want to take the opportunity to ask him to tell a story, cause even if he can't remember his name, I'm sure he'll remember those stories.
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