Continuing… “Well, if that doesn’t throw the damper on things.” Dax remarks on our trip back down to the ground floor.
“Yeah. How rude. Up and deceasing your own self without bothering to tell anyone beforehand.” I noted.
“This is going to be a bloody balls-up. Trust me. This is going to be inordinately messy. A bog-standard botch job. A total dog’s dinner, just wait and see.” Cliffs adds.
“First, we have to contact IUPGS. Then what? Does Bulgaria have a consulate or embassy here? I wouldn’t think so…Then what?” I grieved. For once, I was rather low; both emotionally and on ideas.
“Let’s go back to the conference room and let everyone know. We’ll pull a brain session together. We should be able to sort out what needs to be done. The hotel already knows, so the state security forces also do as well. Be prepared for lengthy interrogation sessions, Gentlemen”, Cliff advised.
Back in the conference room, we relayed the sad information. All were taken aback and there were general notes of commiseration. However, since no one knew Iskren too well personally, it was more detached professionalism rather than overt weeping and wailing.
“Let us toast to our fallen comrade!” was accepted as both entirely appropriate and a damn good idea.
I got on the conference room phone and ordered up some more sandwiches, mixers, and bottles of booze. The moment was obviously structured that way, I reasoned.
We made our toasts to our fallen comrade and we had half a chalkboard filled with suggestions of what to do next.
The main consensus was: “Nothing.”
As in there was not much we could do. We were foreign nationals in a strangely foreign land. Our comrade was the sole member of his country, that is, Bulgaria, and the closest geographically we had aboard was Dr. Academician Ivan. No one wanted to loose Ivan on the DPRK security forces and have to deal with all that international fallout.
After some number of hours, after I suggested we all remain in the conference room as we’d (A.) be together, as in unity there is strength, (2.) we’d have each other’s backs when and if it came to interrogations, and, (iii.) this is where the free booze was.
Then there was a polite knock on the door.
I, as the den mother of this special education class, slowly got up and answered the knock.
It was a cadre of DPRK internal security forces, kitted out in their spiffy, tailor-made, and actually, quite smart-looking uniforms. Shoes and buttons polished to mirror-finishes, pants creases that could cut flesh, and enough polished brass to construct a spittoon.
“Hello? Yes?” I said through the semi-opened door.
“May we please come in? If the time is convenient.”, the head military type, very treacly asked.
“Of course”, I replied, “Please, do come in.”
Four of them entered as one. They did a quick-step, tight-march formation together and went to the head of the conference table.
“Good day, gentlemen. I am Colonel Hwangbo Dong-Hyeon of Internal State Security. First, we must offer condolences on the loss of your comrade. It must have come as a shock.” He intones.
There are mutters of “Thanks.” and “Damn right it was.”
“I have been entrusted to update you on the, ah, ‘situation’. First, Dr. Iskren Dragomirov Dinev, recently deceased, has been examined by the best medical practitioners in the country. He was obviously a foreign national and state guest, and we do not wish this to be a cause of suspicion or mistrust, especially during this auspicious Festival season.” He asserted.
We listened with rapt attention.
“I am authorized to tell you that it does not appear that the late Dr. Dinev expired of any untoward circumstances; or ‘foul play’, I believe is the western term. It has been ascertained that he expired due to wholly natural causes; namely massive myocardial infarction. Given his age, apparent health, and, ah, mass, this does seem a most reasonable explanation. This has been verified by no less than three DPRK medical professionals; one of which is the Emeritus teaching professor of Cardiology at Pyongyang Medical University. Again, you have our deepest condolences on the loss of your comrade.” He continued.
“I do remember Iskren complaining of gas pains the other night at the bar,” Joon agreed. “Thought nothing of it, given the change in all our diets.”
Colonel Hwangbo studied Joon like an entomologist examining a particularly fascinating new species of beetle.
“Which has been fine! Just rather rich compared to our usual food!” Joon hastily added.
Satisfied that Joon wasn’t making light of the ‘fine’ North Korean cuisine, Colonel Hwangbo continued, “As such, the Bulgarian Embassy here in Pyongyang has been contacted and apprised of the situation. They have taken over the case, as well as recovered the mortal remains and possessions of Dr. Dinev; all of which were conserved and authenticated by his Bulgarian national counterparts.”
“Ah, that’s good”, I said, “I’m pleased that there actually is a Bulgarian embassy here.”
“Ah. So.”, Col. Hwangbo continued, “Yes. They have already taken possession of Dr. Dinev’s mortal remains and possessions as I had noted, and will handle their repatriation to his country and family. As you can see, we have acted in the best of faith and with the utmost respect for your lately departed. Again, our condolences.”
There were some “Harrumphs”, and “Yeah, rights”, from the crowd, but since I was the team leader, it fell to me to handle this situation from here on out.
“Yes, indeed”, I replied, “We see that and do so deeply appreciate your efficiency and your keeping open the lines of communication. We have absolutely no room to complain. You, your team, your country, and your services have acted to the highest degree of professionalism and decorum. Let me extend, for the team, our heartiest appreciations in this most unfortunate matter.”
That seemed to please the Korean security forces. So much so they didn’t see the rolling eyes and smirks of grudging compliance from the crowd. I gave the evil-eye to several who were twittering quietly at my delivery of a load of over-the-top twaddle in the name of international goodwill.
“Thank you, Doctor…? Doctor…?”, he asked.
“Doctor Rocknocker.” I replied, “It’s spelled just as it sounds,”, I chuckled a knowing chuckle.
Colonel Hwangbo cracked a small smile for the first time since we met.
“As long as our orders of business are concluded, “ I inquired, “Might we offer you and your men a drink or sandwich or…”
“Cigar?” he suddenly brightened.
I smiled the sly, smirking smile of one of those used to the old duplicitous game of international diplomacy.
“Why”, I replied smilingly, “Of course.”
Col Hwangbo gratefully accepted a brace of fine Oscuro cigars. Probably more tobacco he’s seen in one place at one time since the last he rousted a snozzeled Western journalist or hammered European tourist with an overage of custom’s tobacco allowances.
His team eschewed cigars, but gladly accepted a pack each of pastel-colored Sobranie cocktail cigarettes.
It still slays me to see these battle-hardened, armed-to-the-teeth, unsmiling servants of the great state of Best Korea mincing about the courtyard smoking avocado, baby-blue, and peach-colored pastel cigarettes.
The Colonel and his team left after a couple of quick smokes, sandwiches, and surreptitious beers. I even enticed the Colonel into a couple of convivial vodka toasts when his team was otherwise occupied.
“Well, gang”, I said, closing the door, “Looks like that situation has been handled, most appropriately at that. We’ll miss ol’ Iskren, but at least he went fast and hopefully painlessly.”
I knew that last one was but a load of old dingo’s kidneys as I’ve had run-ins with cardiac disorders in the past and they are anything
but painless. In any case, that was, as I noted, in the past. What was done is done. It was as it was. It is as it is.
“So, gentlemen”, I say, “Let us get back to work. Reality calls. Now, we’ve given you landlubbers the lowdown on our seismic pleasure cruise. Now we’d like to hear what you who had stayed onshore have come up with.”
Erlan, Graco, and Viv fill us in on the regional geology of Best Korea and lay out a plan to examine the sedimentary piles closest to the few paved roads in the north and east of the country.
We’ll be traveling by bus, as my request for four or five off-road vehicles was denied due to timing and lack of availability.
Yeah. Right. What a massive pile of bovine biogenic colluvium. A country with a military as huge as Best Korea’s and they can’t spare a few jeeps or Hummer reproductions?
Truth be told, they still don’t trust us and don’t want to let us out of their sight.
However, we did manage to snag some internal publications from the Central Geological Survey of Mineral Resources, which we figured as a major coup. Never before were Westerners allowed to even know of the existence of these materials, much less be able to research (read: slyly copy) them.
That ‘personal shaver’ I carried was actually a sneaky personal copier, a Vupoint ST470 Magic Wand Portable Scanner with all the external stickers peeled off, and any serial numbers abraded away.
Hey, they photograph us from every angle on the sly, listen in on our conversations, record our phone calls…hell, turnabout isn’t just fair play, it’s almost expected.
It’d be rude to refuse to play along.
Anyways, we learned that The Korean Peninsula (KP) occupies a junction area of three large tectonic domains that are the Paleo-Central Asian Orogenic Belt, Paleo-Tethyan Orogenic Belt, and the Western Pacific Orogenic Belt.
Tectono-fascinating.
To summarize:
- The Archean Rangrim massif is divided into the Rangrim and Kwanmo submassifs, high-grade region and greenstone belt, respectively.
- Early Paleoproterozoic rocks underwent metamorphism up to granulite facies, which may be correlated to the Jiao-Liao-Ji mobile belt in the North China Craton (NCC).
- Proterozoic rift sequences in North Korea are similar to those in the NCC with rare late Paleoproterozoic strata and more Neoproterozoic strata.
- Mesozoic igneous rocks are extensively distributed in the KP.
- The main Paleozoic basin, the Phyongnam basin in NK, have a similar Paleozoic tectono-stratigraphy to the NCC.
Of most interest is item #5. The Phyongnam basin is the only sedimentary and depositional basin of mention in the north of the Korean peninsula; and therefore the center of our attention as it pertains to oil and gas.
The potential source rocks, and possible reservoirs, include the Paleozoic Late Ordovician Miru Series was identified as the Koksan Series and subsequently renamed. The 170-meter thick limestone and siltstone centered around the P'yongnam Basin have extensive crinoid, coral, and gastropod fossils. Paleogeography researchers have suggested that corals formed in the Miru Sea-a branch of the South Yangtze Sea. At the base of the Taedong Synthem is the P'yong'an Supergroup, which lies disconformably atop older Paleozoic rocks.
In the Pyongyang Coalfield it is divided into the 650-meter sandstone, shale, and conglomerate of the Nogam Formation, the 500-meter Kobangsan Formation, 350-meter coal-bearing Sadong Formation and 250-meter chert-bearing Hongjom Formation, all typically assigned to an Upper Permian shallow marine environment.
In the Mesozoic, north of Pyongyang, Precambrian basement rocks are unconformably overlain by a Jurassic limestone conglomerate ascending to layers of siltstone and mudstone. The Upper Jurassic Shinuiju Formation northwest of Shinuiju has sandstone, conglomerate, and mudstone up to two kilometers thick.
Offshore drilling in the West Korea Bay Basin indicates these rocks are the onshore extension of offshore units. It is subdivided into fluvial rocks and Upper Jurassic black shale, limestone, conglomerate and sandstone formed in a lake environment.
There are very few Cenozoic sediments are known in North Korea, likely as a result of erosion due to uplift of the peninsula. Submarine normal faults along the eastern coastline may have driven crustal tilting. The 350-meter thick Bongsan Coalfield in Hwanghae Province on the west coast preserves and coal-bearing layers dating to the Eocene.
Further to the north, in the West Korea Bay Basin Eocene and Oligocene sedimentary rocks up to three kilometers thick unconformably overlie Mesozoic rocks, formed in lakes and coal swamps during the Paleogene.
What this meant is that we’d need to travel mostly northeast and/or southwest. This was fortuitous as the paved roads in the country were created in structural valleys formed by the primary fault trends in the country. The main trans-tensional set trended NE:SW and the conjugate set trends approximately 90
0 to the main set at NW:SE.
The topography was heavily dissected by drainages and the terrain consists mostly of hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys. The coastal plains are wide in the west and discontinuous in the east.
The plan was to take the bus north to Sunchon, then hang a right off towards Unsan and Yongha. There were outcrops between the last two towns and they appear to be upper Paleozoic to Lower Mesozoic clastics. Ideal oil and gas hunting grounds.
From there, we’d head north-northeast towards Yangwon. There appeared to be some fair to excellent outcrops of rocks that are as of yet, unidentified as to age. From there, we’d continue to follow the outcrop belts either to their termination at the basin’s edges or at international borders with China or Russia.
But, once we hit the field, time goes into relative warp. Put a bunch of geologists out on some relatively virgin outcrops and just stand back as they spend hour after hour after hour first looking for evidence of the formation’s provenance, it’s age and field relations. Then begin the heartfelt, stalwart, and sometimes vicious, arguments between all concerned about each and every one of those salient points.
We were all looking forward to it and wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s our intellectual and scientific equivalent of meat and potatoes.
We all agreed on a way forward and generated a document to deliver to those in charge of our logistics on this trip. There would be a total of 11 Western geoscientists, four guides, perhaps a couple of national geologists or geophysicists, and whatever cadre the shiny suit squad wanted to include.
There would also be a driver, his relief, and a couple of extra translators. Good thing it was a large bus, as it’s going to be a huge crew.
We needed to allow our handlers a full day to arrange room and board for us while in the field, as we had to be bivouacked somewhere outside our fine hotel. It needed to be secure, pass sanctuary muster, and be ‘controllable’, referring to both Western scientists and nosy locals.
One thing we found odd was the lack of concern for long-term logistics, not to mention the end of our self-ordained indentured servitude. When this trip and all the Western geoscientists were contacted, we were all assured of an opportunity to meet with the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-Un once our trip was completed.
We were to personally deliver one hell of an international photo-op. A ‘hey look how progressive we are’ meeting and our findings in this wonderful and progressive country.
But lately, with what we thought was the fallout of the Festival washing out all the usual propaganda, we’ve heard nothing about Herr Comrade Leader Supremo, K1J1-Un. Nor had we heard one iota about our intended final meeting with him before we left for China.
Since there are “absolutely no” COVID-19 cases in Best Korea, it seemed, well, odd that Beijing was our only possible current exit port of call, and onward to our individual homes.
There were all flavors of rumors flying all throughout the basement bars and casinos of the hotel. One claimed that Kim was now receiving treatment at a villa in the Mount Myohyang resort north of the capital Pyongyang after cardiovascular surgery. That he was near death and that his sister, Kim Yo Jong, is already warming up in the North Korean political bullpen if her brother kacks it.
Others said Kim is believed to be staying at an unspecified location outside of Pyongyang, with some close confidants. It was said that Kim appeared to be normally engaged with state affairs and there has not been any unusual movement or emergency reaction from North Korea's governing party, military, or cabinet.
There was also one other that tries to cover up any conspiracy rumors by shouting over a raspy bullhorn: "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"; but most ignored that little crank.
We all thought that rather odd, but of fairly low concern. In the final analysis, it would have little impact on our studies and their outcome. In other words, it wouldn’t affect our pay one way or the other. We all felt like we’ve given more than what was called for on missions such as this.
And we still haven’t a clue as to when this will all come to an end.
However, we all agreed to the consultation, it would have been fun to meet with him and have our pictures taken with the Supreme Leader. Dr. Academician Ivan Ivanovich Khimik. was especially cheesed that he might miss the opportunity to make finger-vee bunny ears behind the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the DPRK during one of our photo sessions.
We all agree if we do somehow find ourselves in the same room with Ivan and Kim Jong-Un, we’ll form a human shield around the latter. We want to get back home; as we’ve all heard the rumors of the horrors of ‘political realignment’ camps here in Best Korea.
So the meeting breaks up and I’m left with Dax to take the final inventory. Two loads of sandwiches gone, piles of used napkins, ketchup-y table linens, bacon rinds and chicken bones, drippy ends of ice cream cones, prune pits, peach pits, orange peel, gloppy glumps of cold oatmeal, pizza crusts, and withered greens, soggy beans and tangerines, crusts of black burned buttered toast, gristly bits of beefy roasts…
“The hell with this”, I say, I grab the last nearly full bottle of vodka and hand Dax a bottle of Royal Navy dark Rum.
“Tally’s good”, I say, not really giving two tiny shits at this point. “At least, I think it is. Let’s make like horseshit and hit the trail.”
“I’m headed back to our floor and going to zone out in front of some old, looped BBC for the next few hours with a cold drink and hot cigar.” I proclaim.
“Oh, hell”, Dax says, “I agree. It’s been a weird couple of days. Let’s go.”
And so we do.
On the way, I leave the logistics concerns and itinerary for the upcoming field trips with the front desk clerk. I slip her 1000 won as its Festival! and I had a bulgy pocketful of same. She smiled and quietly said there’s be a surprise waiting for me in my room when I got there.
“Rock, you fucking old hound!”, Dax exclaimed as he punched me lightly on the shoulder. “Taking a dip in the hotel secretarial pool?”
“Dax, you surprise me”, I said in my defense, “I have been, and continue to be, happily married for the last 38 years to the most loving, most intelligent, most well-connected, and most accurate snap-shot with a Glock .380 Automatic I know of.”
“Well, me ol’ mucker”, Dax smiles slyly, “If one has been happily married for 38 years, one must have a little something on the side. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge, ‘eh, Squire?”
“Oh, nothing like that”, I replied, while waiting the obligatory 30 minutes for the fucking elevator to arrive. “I couldn't break my word to Esme, and not because I don’t believe in a God that will send me to Hell without an electric fan or because it's not the right thing to do. I simply don't want to. A man is only as good as his word; and if he loses that, he loses too much. I couldn’t function without people thinking that I’m square and on the level. My business would crumble to dust. As would my marriage.”
“Yeah, there is that”, Dax agrees, “You say something is going to happen and God damn, it fucking happens. That’s what makes you honest and honestly scary.”
I stare intently at the annunciator that tells me the fucking elevator is stuck on 4 again.
“You’re not mob, are you?” Dax harshly whispers, snickeringly.
I turn to face Dax and smile wistfully.
“
Я с уважением отказываюсь отвечать, потому что я искренне верю, что мой ответ может обвинить меня”, I reply quietly.
“What the hell does that mean?” Dax demands.
“I respectfully decline to answer because I honestly believe my answer might tend to incriminate me”, I calmly reply.
“Oh, look. Bloody elevator’s finally here.” I note and stride aboard.
Dax gets caught up in the tsunami of the crowd and is carried bodily inside. It was so remorseless, he almost lost his grip on his bottle of Dark Rum.
Up on ‘our’ floor, I go to key open my room. Dax is just down the hall and looking around to see what special surprise might show up. I was too tired to wait so I just push in, and see all my field clothes fully laundered, pressed, and either folded or hanging.
Someone broke into my room during the day and committed a compound neatness.
“POUND! Pound! POUND!” Hmm, appears to be someone at my door.
“Yes, Dax?” I said.
“You too?” he fumed, “Everything, cleaned to within an inch if its life. They even polished my bloody field boots.”
“Oh, fuck”, I said and ran to find mine re-pristinized.
“FUCK! FUCK! FUCKITYFUCKFUCK!” I swore. They had polished my field boots and removed the fine years-of-work-to-acquire near-subsurface of the leather’s oil layer. They polished the water-proofing and conditioning out of the leather of our boots.
“OK. OK.”, I said, “Minor emergency. Cool out. I have the solution.”
I toss Dax a small can. It was brown, oily, and claimed to be “Neatsfoot oil”. It was the SPF- 500 of field leathers.
“Go ahead and oil them up with that”, I told Dax, “I’ve got another can, so don’t worry. Use what you need, don’t be shy, but if there’s any left, let me know. I’ll combine ours and offer it to anyone else in the team who had their boots steam-cleaned.”
So, a bit later, I’m sitting on my hotel room’s floor, on several sheets of newspaper, rubbing Neatsfoot Oil into my ancient, multinational size 16 EEE Vasque™ Tracker field boots.
Then there’s a knock at the door.
“It’s open. Enter carefully”, I say aloud.
It’s a bell clerk with a room service cart. On the cart are a bucket of ice, a bowl of sliced limes, I think, several gimlet glasses, some Best Korean ‘Air Koryo’ carbonated citrus drink, and a fresh bottle of “Kaesong” vodka.
“Compliments of the front desk”, the bellman says.
I stand up, tip him a few thousand won, and set a new record in mixology; a fresh brace of drinks in less than 7.3 seconds.
I offer the bellman the lighter one and he accepts with a wide smile.
I say “건배” (geonbae) literally means 'empty glass', which is similar to the expression 'bottom's up'. For you see, my Korean’s coming along a treat.
We clink glasses and send those drinks to the places that they’ll do the best.
The bellman smiles offloads the cart onto the table in my room, shakes my hand, and departs.
I finish my boots, my drink, and my cigar. After another drink or seven, I crater early. Dax was right; it had been a long, weird day.
The next day, Festival! is still going strong, but still no word on the whereabouts of
El Líder Supremo. I find that odd, only slightly interesting, and since it will impact the day’s events zero, I file it away for maybe later use.
I go to the hotel pool around 0530 and there’s no one there. I’m able to get in a good 100 laps, unburdened with either small talk or by yammering kids blocking my lanes. I go early as I don’t wear gloves in the water, obviously. Statistically, there is less chance there will be others, adults and kids included, that would get freaked out by my gnarly left hand. I really don’t feel like recounting the old Russian Rig Accident story again.
After a brisk shower and double shower-scotch back in my room, I dress casually and wander down to the casino and bar level. It’s essentially breakfast time, but with the revelers not giving two hoots to AM vs. PM, it’s surprisingly busy. I find a perch up on Mahogany Ridge and order a classical breakfast cocktail of one liter of beer and 100 milliliters of chilled vodka.
I see Mr. Ho is manning the bar. I ask him to ring the massage parlor down the hall and see if Ms. Nang Bo-Hee is free sometime this morning.
He does and reports that she has an open hour and a half at 0900. Would I like it or any portion of that time?
“I’ll take the lot”, I said. “Tell them I’ll be there spot on 0900.”
“That’s great.”, Mr. Ho says, hanging up the phone, “Doctor Rock, they tell me that with the Festival discount and you taking the full 90 minutes, they can cut you a very special deal.”
“I’ll bet”, I replied, “Like what?”
“Oh, I cannot say for they did not tell me”, he smiled, “They will tell you when you arrive.”
“Marvelous”, I exhaled tiredly. “Another, Mr. Ho; make it a double, if you would please.”
The massage center here is run by a group not employed directly by the hotel. It’s a separate entity altogether. They run specials and have different discount programs that are not only not controlled nor advertised by the hotel, but they’re also not in any way beholden to the hotel, except for rent, I suppose and run it like their own little fiefdom.
Ms. Nang, my preferred masseuse, is a little, tiny Korean lassie about 5 feet tall and probably all of 90 pounds soaking wet. However, she is amazingly well trained and could probably put me in the hospital for a lengthy visit with her wiles and methods of flesh, bone, and muscle manipulation.
She offers a whole suite of different massage genres: Swedish, hot stone, aromatherapy, deep tissue, sport, trigger point, reflexology, shiatsu, Thai, and Rolfing.
Oh, fuck. I know Rolfing. I tried that nonsense back in grad school with an old east Indian lady that could have linebackered for the Minnesota Vikings. That shit fucking
hurt. Today, it’d incapacitate me permanently. That’s a definite no-go.
I decide that it’s going to be the Hot Stone-treatment today. A geological-manipulation inquiry.
At 0900 I’m the only client at the massage ‘store’. It’s early, day two of the festival, and people are either sleeping off the previous night’s festivities or too wobbly to even think of partaking in a massage.
I’ve had several major back surgeries over the years, including one bilateral laminectomy about seven years ago that removed 7.5
kilos of overgrown bone and muscle from my lumbar region, so I’ve been very cautious about soliciting a massage. The masseuse has to know that area is strictly
verboten and will do everything to avoid annoying that particular piece of bodily real-estate.
I’ve walked or limped out of massages before where the practitioner said they understood my reticence, but went ahead and kneaded and provoked that land of keloids and deep-body scar tissue.
However, based on past experience, Ms. Nang knows full well my reluctance as well as my desires. That’s the reason I’m returning. She’s very, very good; a consummate professional and has a never-ending series of jokes and observations while she’s pummeling you into submission.
Today, we retire to a private cubicle and she hands me a small robe or napkin, not sure which, of Korean manufacture.
She tells me to get
au natural and to wear the robe while she prepares the tools of her trade.
OK, I’m not a small person; not by a long shot. This robe, however, is made for a sprite, not even for a small person.
She returns to our massage cubicle as I’m sitting there, at the end of the massage table, sipping my drink clad only in my dapper red-and-white checkered boxers.
“You need to be unclothed, Doctor. Use the robe. OK, sir Rock?” she says.
“Ms. Nang,”, I said, shaking my head, “It’s one or the other.” I show her how laughable the robe is as I can’t even get it over my upper arm. It’s not even as a tea towel when it comes to covering my expansive acres of exposed epidermis.
“I can close door.”, she says, “I’m used to it. I am professional. Does not bother me if it does not bother you.”
I lost all forms of bashfulness, timidity, or prudery long, long ago. After years and years of Russian
banya, Swedish massage, Turkish baths, and surgery; well, if it don’t bother you, it don’t bother me.
“OK”, I say, using the robe as a small two-dimensional breechcloth. She tells me to ‘hop’ up on the massage table and lie down, facing the floor.
After chuckling about the fact that I haven’t hopped for decades, I wander over to the nicely padded and extremely clean massage table and lie down. She rearranges the ‘robe’ to cover my backside and tells me to relax. She’ll be right back with the stones.
I’ve never tried this type of massage before, but as a geologist, I must; if for nothing else, progress in the name of science.
Ms. Nang returns with a large parcel consisting of many sizes of steamed stones. They were river-washed and tumbled basalt from the looks of them, all wrapped in a large fuzzy towel.
Now she finds the large towels…
She selects them one by one and places them in ‘special, strategic’ spots on my exposed back. From the lower 2/3rds of the nape of the neck, down the spine, over the fundus mountains, and down the back of each leg.
It’s a warm, almost hot in some places, but not an uncomfortable feeling. She returns to adjust them, grind them in a bit in places, and flip them to extract all that igneous lithological thermal goodness.
I have to admit, at that point, it was feeling quite delightful. Relaxed; I had my drink and was being kneaded My dorsal musculature was being de-lithified by the application of hot rocks and expert point massage.
All was going quite well as Ms. Nang was building a huge tip in her ‘job well done’ bank.
Then the rocks had all attained room temperature. She excused herself to reload with another minor outcrop’s-worth and told me to flip over for round two of the process.
“In for a dime, in for a dollar”, I said, as I flipped over and use the robe as a laughable forward-facing breechcloth.
Ms. Nang mentioned that she was always fascinated by Westerners and their surplus of bodily fuzz. With my long, shoulder-length silver hair, full Grizzly Adams beard that drooped down to my sternum, and torso that picked up where my beard left off; she was quite unprepared to see the beached silver-gray panda that awaited upon her return.
“Dr. Rock!’, she exclaimed, “You are as a bear! So much hair. And silver color!”
“Yeah, sorry”, I replied, “Just the hand genetics dealt me. I guess it’s an adaptation for ethanol-fueled organisms that never feel cold.”
“I will soon return.” She titters excitedly and almost runs out of the room.
“Hmmm. I wonder what that’s all about?” I muse as I lie largely undraped in the massage cubicle.
Suddenly, the door bursts open and every female massage practitioner there herded into the room. They simply had to see the specimen upon which the delightful Ms. Nang was working.
OK, truth be told, I was a bit taken aback. Here I am lying on an elevated, and heavily padded, massage table. I’m ‘wearing’ only a crooked, worried grin and a sheet of a cotton washcloth that measures about 12x12 inches.
They Oohed! and Ahhhed!
I did feel like some form of an alien animal suddenly thrust out into public view. It was a bit disconcerting, but as usual, I just tried to deflect any unease with jokes and idiot remarks. At my age, not much is going to bother me, and this I found all the more laughable than troubling.
Suddenly, I was fielding their barrage of questions:
“You are American? All American men so…hairy?”
“Yes and no”, I replied. I also mentioned I hadn’t undertaken a study in that particular subject.
“Why you so big?” one tiny lass asked, eyes as big as dinner plates.
“Genetics”. I replied. “Just a corn-fed Baja Canadian doofus. We grow ‘em big back home.”
“Can we touch?” one particularly brave little lass asks.
“Touch what?” I asked. Look, I might be over 6 decades old, but there are still some areas reserved for my one and only betrothed.
I did tell Esme of this whole event later that evening during our nightly call. She laughed herself silly.
“Your beard! Oriental men never have such beard. We touch maybe?” she implored.
I was going to say “Go nuts”, but I decided that a simple “Sure” would be more fitting.
So they did. They were enthralled. They had never before, from what I was told, seen such a large silver-gray ZZ Top-style beard, especially here at the hotel. That part was weird enough, but when they started in on working their way south toward the equator, I had to say something to dissuade them.
“Where were you girls 45 years ago?” I laughed.
I don’t think they got the joke. They became somewhat bolder in their austral exploratory activities.
“OK! Time out! Ms. Nang! We have an appointment to keep”, I said as I shooed the rest of the lassies away, “We need to finish what we started.”
By the time that the third syllable of that last sentence came into being, I knew it wasn’t the right thing to say.
They all laughed and tittered as Ms. Nang ushered them out of the room. I could have sworn I heard the door lock behind them.
Ms. Nang reprieved her earlier stone placement therapy, with a couple of strategic detours.
She wasn’t that type of masseuse, and I wasn’t looking for that type of massage. She did, however, knead and pummel me mercilessly.
I’ve been bruised less from barroom brawls.
Finally, she announces that she’s finished. She’ll leave while I shower, as she used essential aromatic oils, and would await me out in the lobby.
After showering, I felt like a large bowl of pummeled Jello. I felt relaxed, and for the first time in weeks, my back was silent. My head was clear as a spring Sunday morn in Reykjavik.
The full 90 minutes, plus sideshow, was 4,500 won.
I paid the owner the required sum and handed Ms. Nang an additional 15,000 for a job well done. And for another anecdote that goes into the hopper.
I left the massage parlor feeling quite fine, thank you. I wandered over to the bar to see if I could augment and prolong this feeling of harmony with the universe. The mental picture even now of all those cooing Korean lassies in the massage room never fails to elicit a laugh and head shake.
A few hours later, I’m back in my room, tidying up my field notes and making certain all my paperwork was heavily encoded and up to date. It was, so I placed a number of expensive overseas calls to catch up with everyone on the outside.
I’m thinking of calling room service to have my mini-bar repaired when my room phone rings.
“Now who would be calling me at this hour?” I wondered.
It was the tour group leader. He informed me that the itinerary had been worked out and we’d be leaving tomorrow for the field at 0600. We were to arrive with all our luggage and be prepared to check out. We would spend at least a week in the field, if not two, depending on our results, and be bivouacking in different places in the interior of the country.
I thanked him for the information and said I’d inform the rest of the team. He told me that wouldn’t be necessary as they would come up to or floor, deliver the notice verbally, or by note if they were out of their rooms. If I wanted to later call each participant and ensure they were apprised of the situation, that would be most appreciated.
I assured him I would do so and that we’d be ready, to a man, at 0600 the next day.
I whip up 10 Post-it™ notes and stick one on each member’s door.
“Leaving for the field. Check out 0530. Wheels up 0600. Bring all luggage. Road trip!”
To be continued… submitted by Sorry guys. The Mandela Effect technically slowed down but I found Maybe It's Mandela'd on YouTube and they have reported tons of changes from November 2018 to May 2019 and even some from 2016 I haven't heard about yet.
7073.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember any of this stuff being different or not a thing?(Just gonna link their tons of interesting videos.)(El Pasco, Texas/El Paso, Texas)(MOAM/MAOAM candy)(Ring Pops/Ring Pop)(Is the knife that Chucky is holding on the Child's Play movie cover different?)(Girls and guys have different natural body odors.)(Anonymous masks now have red lips and red cheeks.)(Didn't Grumpy Cat die way before May 14, 2019 and wasn't she male?)(Watermellon/Watermelon)(Flying squid.)(All different colors of flamingos.)(Titantic/Titanic)(Lots of new Steven Seagal movies.)(The music video for Hotline Bling by Drake has changed in a lot of ways.)(More changes to the Anonymous mask.(Miki Lauda/Niki Lauda)(Other spellings?)(Certain living and dead members of Iron Butterfly dying more than once or still being alive.)(Tempermental/Temperamental)(Other spellings?)(Galapagos giant tortoises born for first time since 1800's.)(All the new videos and angles of the JFK assassination.)(Embryonic Fluid/Amniotic Fluid)(Buzzing boy heard in his ear was a tick.)(The lyrics to Rock Me by Steppenwolf have changed.)(Rebecca Grayheart/Rebecca Gayheart)(Juwanna Nan/Juwanna Mann)(Black rainbow roses now exist.)(You can no longer sink in quicksand.)(Days Go By is no longer a 90's hit and Dirty Vegas is now popular for it and not The Rembrandts who used to be The Rembrants.)(Bumblebees can't sting.)(Mean Girls movies both have connected letters.)(Red eyed cats.)(Blue eyed box turtles.)(Half albino peacocks.)(A group of cats are called a Clowder or Glaring.)(Quantus Airlines/Qantas Airlines)(There were female pilots in some of the really old wars.)(Masters Of Reality/Master Of Reality)(Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget shows his face now.)(Zupas has connected letters.)(Black sunflowers now exist.)(Black and purple bell peppers now exist and the different colors for bell peppers now might apparently be them in different stages instead of being separate types.)(The first E in Deep Purple is now reversed.)(More animals eating weird new stuff.)(Bed Bath & Beyond D is stretched out.)(Are the colors used for some of the signs off?)(Was the name different?)(The first recorded sound was April 9, 1860 now.)(Cursive Q looks like a 2.)(More weird looking mantises.)(Megaduck/Negaduck)(Air plants now exist.)(Star shaped cities now exist.)(Area 54/Area 51)(Was it something else?)(Two names for "They Live"?)(Red LobsteRed Lobster: Fresh Fish Live Lobster)(California breaking up into multiple separate states.)(Royalty way back like Queen Victoria wearing things like sunglasses.)(Tornado ripped off roof of church as children sang Jesus Loves Me story came out last year?)(Taiwanese Leopard spotted for first time since 1983 extinction.)(Christie Alley/Kirstie Alley)(Chucky's jumper and shirt have changed in Child's Play.)("If the glove don't fit, you must acquit."(Aquit?)/"If it doesn't fit, you must acquit.")(Did he not have a hat and was he referring to a glove?)(Johnny Cochrane/Johnnie Cochran)(Anything else off?)(More lyrics in Wanted Dead Or Alive by Bon Jovi have changed.)(Was Swum not a word for you?)(Weasel riding on the back of a bird.)(Pigeon dancing to street music.)(Anything famous the Theremin is used in seem off to you?)(Was it the Theramin?)(MannoManor)(Swamp Thing was now released exactly 5 years earlier in 1982 instead of 1987.)(Tony Scott killed himself exactly 5 years earlier in 2012 instead of 2017.)(Tom Skeritt/Tom Skerritt and did he die?)(Did the little girl die before or after 3rd movie?)(Anything else off?)("Got out of bed."/"Fell out of bed.")(Vinegarette/Vinaigrette)(Other spellings?)(When The Heart Calls/When Calls The Heart)(Caress/Carress/Caress)(Rare black deer spotted.)(Dogs dying from saltwater poisoning.)(Outtro/Outro)(Anything else off?)(Feather stars can swim.)(Brittle stars can swim.)(Sea anemones can swim.)(Was it The Family Circle or Family Circle?)(Did Richard Leroy McKinley and him dying and the two other guys who died with him not exist?)(1670 painting showing cell phone and many other paintings and old movies, films and the 1995 boxing match and all the other photos and paintings of time travellers.)(The Wizard Of Oz theme park closed decades ago but has been open since the 90's.)(Brian Mullins/Brian Mullin)(Lots of new flag designs.)(Zapruder film with sound?)(Other spellings of Deion Sanders?)(Akira Toriyama is now alive.)(Lots of new deep holes.)(Red hourglass change on black widow.)(Paul Mason/Paul Masson)(Women having a freckle in the same spot.)(British Indian Ocean Territory?)(Gem found in Israel worth more than diamonds.)(Animals in places where they never used to live.)(Capricorn is an actual goat species.)(The Mysterious Case Of Benjamin Button/The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)(Have you heard of The Great Dying?)(The first inhabitants of Asia were black.)(Phenomenon vs. Phenomena?)(Salem's Lot logo has merged.)(Jennifer GardneJennifer Garner)(Lots of new Star Trek changes.)(Circle K letter K is now dipping into the outer part of the logo.)(Lavar Burton/LaVar Burton)(Grand Canyon city?)(Dobsonflies now exist.)(Green Humphead Parrot Fish now exist.)(Lizard giving birth without mate.)(Shaggy sometimes has a visible Adam's Apple.)(Lollipop color has changed in The Wizard Of Oz.)(Pokémon Go now has rainbows.)(Velella Vella now exists.)(Heward Packard/Hewlett-Packard)(Other spellings?)(Anything else off?)(Cat born with 4 ears.)(More living rocks.)(Blue rolly pollies now exist.)(All Of My Love/All My Love)(Jimmy Paige/Jimmy Page)("Horny backed toad."/"Horny back toad.")(Anything else off?)(Game Boy Advanced/Game Boy Advance)(Anything else off?)(Vegas Vic is now more ecil looking, is now hitchhiking and not waving, and is now pointing down.)(Crystal Light logo has changed.)(Orcas now eat birds and they even bait them.)(Alligator scopes out somebody's houses.)(Ghetto Superstar lyrics have changed.)(Wendy Peppercorn/Wendy Peffercorn)(Frank N. Furter's outfit has changed.)(Pelican spiders now exist.)(Surface tension on water creates shadows.)(Did the Stonewall Riots not happen and lots of gay acceptance from the 1960's to the 1980's didn't happen.)(The Ghetto Boys/Geto Boys)(Do any of their logos look off?)(Juicy Fruit multiple slogans.)("The taste is gonna move you."?)(Superman peanut butter?)(Lord Of War has connected letters.)(Lava Soap has connected letters.)(Papersource has connected letters.)(9 Lives has connected letters.)(Freshen-Up has a striped version.)(Certs R has changed.)(Clorets has connected letters.)(A River Runs Through It has connected letters.)(Eagle Transport Corp. has connected letters.)(Toni Perm has connected letters.)(Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil has connected and off letters.)(Tang has changed.)(Double Jeopardy has connected letters.)(Sea Breeze has connected letters.)(Cutex has connected letters.)(ABC after school 80's special has weird logo.)(The Sands/Sands casino)(The Dunes/Dunes casino)(Charleston Heston/Charlton Heston)(The Bee's Knees/Bee's Knees saying originated as just Bee's Knees.)(Back To The Future fading photo has changed.)(Sea monkeys have changed in a lot of different ways.)(Mr. Potato Head was originally other vegetables before being a potato.)(Multiple different versions of Tank Man holding stuff or not and what the tanks look like.)(More logo changes.)(Didn't Bushwick Bill already die?)(TVs in cars in the early to mid 1900's.)(Pocket TVs back then too.)(Quantum Dot TV too.)(Napili-Honokawai/Napili-Honokowai)(GangStaGang Starr)(Do any of their logos look off?)(Was KISS not a contemporary band?)(Did Bob Dylan never wear white makeup?)(SofteneSoftner)(The Stray Cats/Stray Cats)(Do any of their logos look off?)(Were Stones never used as a measurement for weight?)(Birds that can sew?)(7Up Gold was now a thing.)("You won't like me when I'm angry."/"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.")(Bone that disappeared is now returning.)(Lisa Edmonds/Lisa Edmond/Lisa Emond)(The Weed Man/Weed Man)(Record breaking longhorn sheep in Alabama.)(Valais blacknose sheep now exist.)(Crocodile uses pool noodle.)(Valentina Tereshkova is now the first woman in space and she went up in the 1960's.)(Dogs and cats and many other animals have multiple sets of eyelids.)(Storm down bursts now exist.)(Gloria Vanderbuilt/Gloria Vanderbilt)(Crazy Frog's penis is now visible.)(Our skulls are changing due to mobile phones and other things.)(Spider-Man no longer clinging to the wall in the famous Nintendo 64 game.)(Emperor Tamarins now exist.) ("Had to know it was in your palms."/"Had to know it was in your card.")(Anything else off?)(Energizer bunny has sandals now.)(Hart To Hart has connected letters.)(Moonlighting has connected letters.)(The Love Boat has connected letters.)(Fame has connected letters.)(Rogaine has broken letters.)(A Family AffaiFamily Affair)(Heathers has a broken R.)(Soul Train has weird letters.)(The Outsiders has weird letters.)(Electric Youth has weird letters.)(Red Perfume has weird letters.)(Emeraude has weird letters.)(Flex brand has weird letters.)(Clean & Clear has weird letters.)(The Last Starfighter has weird letters.)(Dogs can actually drive cars.)(Abraham Lincoln might have had Marfan syndrome.)(Chenille plants now exist.)(Rafflesia parasite found in Southeast Asia.)(Smart cakes that make their own layers while baking now exist.)(Woody's gun holster has a ribbon on it.)(Whiskey A Go Go/Whisky A Go Go and it was called Whiskee A Go Go in the 1960's.)(Has Bugs Bunny's tail gotten bigger?)(Stepping Stone/Steppin' Stone)(Were there no red bats on the wheels of the Batmobile?)(South Park: Bigger, Badder & Uncut/South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut)(A hat in As Good As It Gets has changed from blue to black with USA written on it.)(Theory Of Relativity/Theory Of Special Relativity)(Seeing the end of a rainbow is possible now.)(Cal Ripkin Jr./Cal Ripken Jr.)(Johnny Ive Of Apple/Jonny Ive Of Apple/Jon Ive Of Apple/Jony Ive Of Apple)(Ricky SchroedeRicky Schroder)(Chicken Of The Sea logo and letters and Starkist logo are now off.)(The Firm letters are connected.)(Cabrini College letters are connected.)(Liberty University and Jeff Foxworthy graphics on screen are merged.)(Malibu Musk letters are connected.)(Aqua Net new logo is off.)(Lynx car logo is off.)(Rave Hair Spray(Was it always Hairspray?)logo is off.)(Coast Soap logo is off.)(Kodak Color Watch logo is off.)(Great Westerners Savings Bank, Chevrolet and Pacific Bank commercials are merging.)(Aveda logo is off.)(Grizzly Adams is merged.)(Mork & Mindy is merged and Na-Nu is Na-No.)(LA Looks is merged.)(4C Iced Tea is merged.)(Cannonball Run/The Cannonball Run)(A Shark's Tale/Shark Tale)(Royal Dansk(Danish?)cookies logo is off.)(Baby jumping festival since 1600's.)("Standing there by the record machine."/"Dancing there by the record machine.")(Is the video off?)(Do any of their logos look off?)(Nestlé Krunch/Nestlé Crunch)(Was it the Lollipop Kids and not Lollipop Guild?)(Adam Bockovich/Adam Bockwich)(Adam GardneAdam Gardiner)(Vengence/Vengeance)(Other spellings?)(South Jersey isn't just a saying.)(Disposable clothing in the 1960's.)(Sausage trees?)(Pepto-Bismo/Pepto-Bismol)(Sharks that squirt glowing clouds.)(Argentina has their own space program.)(America's Tires/America's Tire)(Animals with Down Syndrome now exist.)(Amish people almost all wear straw hats now and not fedora hats.)(The Flintstones now all have only 4 fingers.)(Deer almost all have really long tails now.)(Arcacia Drive/Acacia Drive)(Song title too.)(More WW1 stuff.)("Planet earth moves slowly."/"Planet earth turns slowly.")("You'd think I'm rude."/"You'd think me rude.")(Do any of their logos look off?)(3 Non Blondes/4 Non Blondes)(Did one of the members not exist?)(What's Going On?/What's Up?)(Lyrics are still the same.)(Do any of their logos look off?)(Beast Number wasn't always 666.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eZqT6_xyIc8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RiIHte9fKXs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hOiw_Gi_9ec https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ecVqf_lJu2M https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tG87s36LGJc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NrE-jzbqj0E https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fczGryfBzNw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xeYEcqPWVNA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HSeG9gQcFoA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eYGu6KrTyKk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t7_bCTu4VIE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JgYYavtr9UQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AmI_cJ0-Ty8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2PZWLyqUI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmY-91jsvs https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TEkqUIqP3Cg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BkDTqq5hc2s https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-m7SiKz0lw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X_TaCCxcaWU https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YvBz3Sb1yYo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9UO9f6GeWHQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FPmxTNV8Qwo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pken1D6HfRg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pDFTD-EP_Bk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YlhhdttoY6Q https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qGtsFd4ttKg https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2mpaMFbnLqk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kFfZiKMAL_w https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCpFD9K7rMI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hmCUr0A9_Dw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nG-thBJ9UHk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VsQesgdFKE0 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TJlbhVw-AmM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YUleDIGV60U https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YPFoemLlLSo https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Cua7tb-0gFQ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VNYmEwg0NPk https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DsU-AVjxRKA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AcOdyvHnprc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Go2luQelFlw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r_G6STR_u1k https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yJm06E3ExFA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R2TX2IkVbV8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ztWZGVqlUb8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JN-sYBXDtp8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EbKWbh7PV4I https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PeI26w4BuyE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ALBoD8vaYXc https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yiqmDlK9e0U https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wM14zOHXr2E https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1XzxEjCENoI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iT49sErNf1k https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NxfkuggRtko https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bYMTDKXwdW8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FHT2hXH4yrM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lIm31AJK100 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7NI8nioiXMI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k3M5Bv41m8o https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8hu5KH0WsNE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5A_h_u5d-58 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L6mPVyYx_ds https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7NaF36yaeyA https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XXDaS0UZ5fY https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2MzA3xQ-mHE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=92yuFjwuEW8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg2z-mmHhCI https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9fLGigzcwp0 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9D3aqVxRz6w https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oEf_fEmj5yM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5mqQwWXGcgs 7074.(Movie Quote change.)"Put him in a body bag Johnny."/"Get him a body bag. Yeah."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OXXq2yFPXVs 7075.(Famous Singer name change.)Mary J. Blidge/Mary J. Blige(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_J._Blige 7076.(Song name change.)Getting TighteGettin' Tighter
https://genius.com/Deep-purple-gettin-tighter-lyrics 7077.(Company name change.)Dress Barn/Dressbarn(Were the letters in Teddy Ruxpin not connected?)
https://www.dressbarn.com/ 7078.(Company name change.)Cooper Tires/Coopertires(Cooper Tire or Coopertire?)(Certains companies with the name Perkins looking like Jerkins.)(Perkins Cole/Perkins Coie)
http://us.coopertire.com/ 7079.(T.V. Company Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in DIC not being connected?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIC_Entertainment 7080.(T.V. Company Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in United Artists not being connected?(Do the letters in the My Little Pony logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Artists 7081.(Famous Singer name change.)Chrissie Hines/Chrissie Hynde(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrissie_Hynde 7082.(Company Logo change.)Do you remember the TSR logos being normal?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSR_(company) 7083.(Tour Company Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in Starr Tours(Star Tours?)being normal?
https://www.starrtours.com/ 7084.(Fictional Area appearance change.)Do you remember the bathroom in The Shining being red or golden yellow instead of green?
http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/m_friers/clips/the-shining-crossing-the-180deg-line/view 7085.(Phantom fictional character.)Do you remember Moss-Man not existing?("My angel in a centerfold."/"My angel is the centerfold.")(Do any of their logos look off?)(John Lennon in Imagine keeps changing.)(Does Felix The Cat seem off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss-Man 7086.(Famous Actor name change.)Stanley Livingstone/Stanley Livingston(Was Livingston always spelled Livingstone?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Livingston 7087.(Movie Logo change.)"Run like the wind Bullseye!"/"Ride like the wind Bullseye!"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NVtT5oqB-JA 7088.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember The Who singing American Woman instead of The Guess Who?(Did The Guess Who not exist?)
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-guess-who/american-woman 7089.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Liquid water on Mars, Huitlacoche, tusker elephants, mirror hand syndrome, clams can swim, 3 secret additional icky verses to the Star Spangled Banner, sock worms, harp sponge, the falling man is the brother of the extra GI ME guy in the Village People, more on camel teeth, feral parrots are taking over America, shadows are fuzzy now, East Africa is splitting in two, orange crocodiles, Devil's corkscrews, insect with interlocking gears in legs, are we in Kali Yuga, famous 40 year old image of frost on Mars, people with open damaged holes in their head do not get them closed again, changes to war horses, more anatomy changes.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I8KZnr8xgDc 7090.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Bull Jumping not being a thing?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph_VkV-mxDs Add-On: Do you remember Arnold Schwarzenegger being Russian, German or both and not Austrian?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger 7091.(Album name change.)Eric B. For President/Eric B. Is President(Eric B. For President/Eric B. Is The President)(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_B._Is_President 7092.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Gerard Butler being the main character in Wanted instead of James McAvoy?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanted_(2008_film) 7093.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Benjamin Franklin being first to find electricity?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin 7094.(Famous Actress name change.)Jenny Garth/Jennie Garth
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennie_Garth 7095.(Famous Singer name change.)Jan Ackerman/Jan Akkerman(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Akkerman 7096.(Paint name change.)ZinseZinsser
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_International 7097.(Music Lyrics change.)"I need a gun to keep myself from harm."/"I need a gun to keep myself among."(Does the instrunental sound off?)
https://genius.com/Gorillaz-dirty-harry-lyrics 7098.(Fruit name change.)Mullberry/Mulberry
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morus_(plant) 7099.(Food name change.)Tofurkey/Tofurky(The latter is more acceptable.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofurky 7100.(Song name change.)Me And You And A Dog Named Blue/Me And You And A Dog Named Boo(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_and_You_and_a_Dog_Named_Boo 7101.(Snack name change.)Whatsits/Wotsits(Does the logo look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wotsits 7102.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Theremin not being a thing?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin 7103.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the NASA Robonauts not going back as far as 2002?(Did they not exist at all?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robonaut 7104.(Spelling change.)Pigmy/Pygmy(Was the former the only acceptable spelling?)(Anything else off?)
https://wikidiff.com/content/pigmy-vs-pygmy-whats-difference-0 7105.(Famous Singer name change.)Alex Boyd/Alex Boye/Alex Boyé(Other spellings?)(Not the artist known as Alex Boyd.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Boy%C3%A9 7106.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Popeye and Olive Oyl not being real people?
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/books/childrens-books/popeye-10-things-you-never-knew/amp/ 7107.(Famous Actor name change.)Powers Booth/Powers Boothe(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers_Boothe 7108.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Freemartins, human body doesn't reject stem cells with foreign DNA, world population counter, 7 Of 9 of Star Trek's eye piece continues to change, Hitler was vegetarian, Hitler didn't like Jews due to Kosher slaughtering because Hitler was an animal lover supposedly, Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy intro has changed, bird attack causes traumatic brain injury and trauma to the spine, Stellar Sea Eagle/Steller's Sea Eagle, more Popeye characters I haven't personally seen already mentioned based on real people.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQq-dOgrn8 7109.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Schwerer Gustav not being a thing?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwerer_Gustav 7110.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the number next to the M on the back of a product meaning something else?
https://www.facebook.com/groups/824851271042825/permalink/1077568549104428/ 7111.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Switzerland not being considered a third-world country?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/geography/switzerland-is-a-third-world-country 7112.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember London Bridge actually being in London and not Arizona?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/geography/london-bridge 7113.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember tomato sauce being invented in Italy and not Mexico?
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/geography/tomato-sauce 7114.(Famous Football Player name change.)Deon Sanders/Deion Sanders
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deion_Sanders 7115.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember uppercase I and lowercase L not looking so similar?(Didn't I have horizontal lines on it everywhere it was written?)
https://www.quora.com/Why-do-we-have-same-symbol-for-capital-I-and-small-letter-L-in-English 7116.(Famous Actor name change.)Kevin CosneKevin Costner(Is the pronunciation off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Costner 7117.(Famous Basketball Player name change.)Magic Mike Johnson/Magic Johnson(Anything else off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Johnson 7118.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Rain caused by fires, hairy frog fish, seagull eats another bird, Dick's Sporting Goods logo, Sigmund Freud's history is very different now as a Jew who chain smoked and had hundreds of surgeries on his face, EF3 tornado, CSF rhinorrhea,(Brain fluid leaking out like snot.)more weird sea animals, more geography changes, more weird clouds and cloud related changes, Tasmanian devil appearance changes, lots of Tasmanian tiger related changes, crow vs. magpie and birds are way more aggressive, toilet plant and more new weird plants and fungi.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a6h0Q2ZuC4I 7119.(T.V. Show Quote change.)"Submitted for your approval."/"Submitted for the approval.")(Did Rod Serling say it more in The Twilight Zone as well?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=q0tuHe7WoYg 7120.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Ladybug swarms and they're on radar, Brazilian skipper caterpillar, USA now always had a migrant worker program, moving entire apartment complex on rails, more weird weather, earwigs can draw blood now, giant forest hog, boys that do not grow private parts until age 12, snub nose dolphins, warthog face lumps, can't see blue unless there is a word for it first, rainbow chemtrails, aerodynamic contrails, pet skunks and more weird stuff.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rIiTlxluxdA 7121.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember beluga whales not having knees?
https://www.newsweek.com/beluga-whale-knees-viral-whales-dont-have-legs-965267 7122.(Spelling change.)Pompei/Pompeii(Was the latter never acceptable?)
https://goudalife.com/2016/08/09/gouda-life-pompei-pompeii-vesuvius-capri/comment-page-1/ 7123.(Coffee name change.)Chock Full Of Nuts/Chock Full O' Nuts(Is the logo off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chock_full_o'Nuts 7124.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Ornithopter not existing?(1890's spy cameras?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithopter 7125.(Fictional Character name change.)Jamie Summers/Jaime Sommers(Lindsey WagneLindsay Wagner)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Sommers_(The_Bionic_Woman) 7126.(Casino Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in Primm not being connected?
https://www.primmvalleyresorts.com/ 7127.(Movie Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in Amadeus not being connected?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amadeus_(film) 7128.(Movie Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in Black Sheep not being cut or connected?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Sheep_(1996_film) 7129.(Car Model Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in Chrysler 200 not being connected?(Air Jordan logo has broken letters.)(Apple & Eve logo has broken and weird letters.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_200 7130.(Product Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in Eckrich not being connected?
https://eckrich.com/products/smoked-sausage/roped-smoked-sausage/ 7131.(Painting change.)Do you remember the cherubs in the Sistine Madonna having different colored wings than they do now?(More changes to Chock Full O' Nuts logo.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Madonna 7132.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Jesus not having a forked beard?
https://www.openbible.info/topics/they_plucked_jesus_beard 7133.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember being able to stack Draw cards and also being able to draw cards until you can play one in Uno instead of those being illegal plays?
https://www.pettymayonnaise.com/uno-rule/ 7134.(Music Lyrics change.)"I had to say I love you in a song."/"I'll have to say I love you in a song."(Song title too.)(Do any of his logos look off?)
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jimcroce/illhavetosayiloveyouinasong.html 7135.(New fruits.)Do you remember only green kiwis existing?(Was it never known as a kiwifruit?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwifruit 7136.(City name change.)Chernobyl, Ukraine/Chornobyl, Ukraine(Was the latter not acceptable?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl 7137.(Movie Quote change.)"An angel gets its wings."/"An angel gets his wing."
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question53295.html 7138.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the letter U never ever being depicted as looking similar to a V?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gz7IbC_olmk 7139.(Famous Actor name change.)Will Farell/Will Ferrell(Other spellings?)(Was his outfit in Elf all green or were the tights beige or orangish?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Ferrell 7140.(Township name change.)Belle Meade, New Jersey/Belle Mead, New Jersey
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Mead,_New_Jersey 7141.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Leonardo da Vinci not being the first person to describe contact lenses?(Anything else he supposedly was the first to describe seem off?)
https://www.alternatememories.com/historical-events/science/leonardo-da-vinci-invented-contact-lenses 7142.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Juneteenth not being a thing?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth 7143.(Famous Singer name change.)Glen Fry/Glenn Frey(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Frey 7144.(Famous Singer name change.)Jackson Brown/Jackson Browne(off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Browne 7145.(Movie name change.)Trains, Planes And Automobiles/Planes, Trains And Automobiles
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planes,_Trains_and_Automobiles 7146.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Cranial fissures on orbital bone, Sun double halo, mastoiditus, cholesteatoma, MH370 flight path and history, Fort Alcatraz, Eastwing rockhammer, slow crawling lightning, gnat larvae moving blob, more new moon types, cat fox, Bristol or Windsor hum, more new quakes, living fish found in boy's lung, teratoma tumor, inflatable moth man parts, black cloth is more cooling than white cloth, Sunda stink badgers, Our Lady Of The Rockies, Possum-eating spider, more Lincoln Memorial changes, Viagra makes flowers stand up straight.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PW5jmJWMxkA 7147.(Hip Hop Group name change.)Die Antwood/ Die Antwoord(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Antwoord 7148.(Famous Composer name change.)Johanne Sebastian Bach/Johann Sebastian Bach
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach 7149.(Famous Drummer name change.)Barrymore Barlow/Barriemore Barlow(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barriemore_Barlow Add-On: Do you remember Uncle Sam's jacket being completely light blue?(Does his pointing finger look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Sam 7150.(Song name change.)Love Rain On Me/Love, Reign o'er Me(Are the lyrics off?)(Is the way he sings it off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love,_Reign_o%27er_Me 7151.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Younger humans growing horns, human height varies by 1 to 2 inches a day, spiders that eat mice, you continue growing well into your mid 20's, Wagu beef is not Wagyu and is more marbled, a single hornet kills a mouse, horses routinely bleed through their nose and lungs and nose during heavy exercise and it's not super dangerous for them, Britain's opium wars against China, Sahara sand is more orange, dead fish still tries to "bite", the Jordan Lead Codices, electric cars 100 years ago had 200 mile range now, zombie snakes play dead, restaurants in Japan serve still living food and food that's just still moving including frogs and octopus, Space Shuttle changes, more weird new plants, more geography changes, UV light may be able to kill flu viruses, Equal Pay Act Of 1983, moon looked like the Sun, Camera Obscura goes much farther back now in time.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rE_KEmQyl4w 7152.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Woody not having cacti on his boots and no string attached to his hat?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheriff_Woody 7153.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Red Fraggle having red hair instead of orange hair?
https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Fraggle 7154.(Restaurant Product name change.)Hunger BusteHungr-Buster
https://dqtyler.com/menu/burgers/hungr-buster 7155.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Mandela effect conference, PayPal log tilting, crow standing on wings, wasp super nests, humans running like horses, funny bone no longer easy to bang, monkey cheek pouches, flies have 5 eyes, temple elephant head hair, venom spraying scorpions, syrup from walnut and other trees besides maple, fat tailed goats, Gympie Gympie trees, Dalai Llama saying non-Buddhist jerky kind of things now, mini tornados, Scandinavia was never a country, Caduceus has 2 snakes instead of 1 and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M1Cxhdxl0U0 7156.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Honeybees can sometimes sting more than once, cannonball star eating fort, water anole uses bubble on head to breath underwater, magnetic portals connect sun and earth, Canadians also did Japanese internment camps, semi slugs and their love darts, thread snakes, kneeling moals, more anatomy changes and more stuff.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BWU62qVMSNY 7157.(Village name change.)Teahopoo/Teahupo'o(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teahupo'o 7158.(Website Logo change.)Do you remember the letters in savefrom.net being normal?
https://en.savefrom.net/1-how-to-download-youtube-video/ 7159.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the Dongle not being a thing?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongle 7160.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Smokey Bear having overalls or suspenders instead of no shirt?(Does he look bigger?)(Does his fur look off?)(Is his face off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smokey_Bear 7161.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the gloves not fitting on O.J. Simpson's hands?(Did he not have glove liners?)(Was there only one glove?)(Are the gloves different?)(Was O.J. Simpson the one driving the car?)(Was he the only one in the car?)(Did he drive his own car?)(Did he not have a gun?)(Did he have something else?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jUyWS6j5rS4 7162.(New fruits.)Have you heard of the pink lemon?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variegated_pink_lemon 7163.(Spelling change.)WaffeWafer
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wafer 7164.(Music Lyrics change.)"When I was just a young boy."/"When I was just a baby."
https://genius.com/Johnny-cash-folsom-prison-blues-lyrics 7165.(Famous Singer name change.)Billie Ellish/Billie Eilish(Is the pronunciation off?)(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Eilish 7166.(Famous Actress name change.)Mindy Cohen/Mindy Cohn
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindy_Cohn 7167.(Date change.)Do you remember the first electric toaster not going as far back as 1893?
https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-your-toaster-4076981 7168.(Spelling change.)Nickle/Nickel(Everything Nickel is used in.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_(United_States_coin) 7169.(Fictional Character name change.)Eric Carmen/Eric Cartman(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cartman 7170.(Famous Singer name change.)John Entwhistle/John Entwistle
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Entwistle 7171.(Company Logo change.)Do you remember the Starbucks logo not having as many wavy lines?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks 7172.(Phantom person.)Do you remember Joe Bonamassa not existing?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bonamassa 7173.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the 3rd Degree Burn being the worst burn you can get instead it being 4th Degree?
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/types-degrees-burns 7174.(Music Lyrics change.)"To think I might not see those eyes."/"To think I might not see those eye."(Any of their logos look off?)
https://genius.com/Snow-patrol-run-lyrics 7175.(Famous Paper name change.)Great Remonstrance/Grand Remonstrance
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Remonstrance 7176.(Fictional Character appearance change .)Do you remember Abby Mallard having braces?(Does her voice sound off?)(Did she have a lisp or speech impediment?)
https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Abby_Mallard 7177.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember the lid of the water tank in the Elisa Lam story being closed instead of open?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Elisa_Lam 7178.(Famous Singer name change.)Andy Worhol/Andy Warhal/Andy Warhol(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol 7179.(Company name change.)Cambell/Campbell's(Was Campbell always spelled Cambell in everything it was used in?)
https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/ 7180.(Book Title change.)Kujo/Cujo(Do any of Strphen King's book logos look off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cujo 7181.(Famous Composer name change.)Andrew Loyd WebeAndrew Lloyd Webber(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Lloyd_Webber 7182.(Music Lyrics change.)"Love is a burning flame."/"Love is a burning thing."(Any other lyrics off?)
https://genius.com/Johnny-cash-ring-of-fire-lyrics 7183.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember Bison and Buffalo being interchangeable names instead of being 2 different animals?
https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-bison-and-buffalo 7184.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(Siphonomores and pyrosomes, Portuguese Man Of War is not a jellyfish, sailfish change colors by mood, spleen can heal on its own, pygmy hippos, more Easter Island statue changes, long tailed weasels in San Diego, Moon Hill China, giant trevally fish snatches birds from air, red river hog, cave pearls and other things.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P1cpbJkqyr4 7185.(Dictionary name change.)Meriam-WebsteMerriam-Webster(Other spellings?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merriam-Webster 7186.(Instrument name change.)Accordian/Accordion
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accordion 7187.(Celebrity death cause change.)Do you remember John Belushi dying of a drug overdose instead of being murdered?(Anything else off?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Belushi 7188.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember these things being different or not a thing?(More on Tikki Marsala, Finland sided with Nazi Germany, cherubism, more weird clouds, Venus was maybe once more like Earth, thousand year old moss and nematodes were recently thawed out of ice and are still alive, weird Abraham Lincoln statue, more Crazy Horse changes, lithophonic stones in Stonehenge, cichlids change colors with mood, dancing mini stingrays with bifurcated leg like man parts, antelope jackrabbits, huge Hindu temples in USA, and more.)(Video below.)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0Angn287axA 7189.(Famous Singer name change.)Roy Albrighton/Roye Albrighton(Do any of their logos look off?)
https://www.loudersound.com/news/nektar-roye-albrighton-dead-67 7190.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Dorothy's slippers not having bows?(Were her socks white and not blue?)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_slippers 7191.(Movie name change.)The Devil's Advocate/Devil's Advocate
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Advocate_(1997_film) 7192.(Music Lyrics change.)"And I said hey."/"And I say hey."("What a wonderful time of day."/"What a wonderful kind of day.")("Learn to walk and play."/"Learn to work and play.")(Anything else off?)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QG0gaDtdL9A 7193.(Can't think of a title.)Do you remember screaming frogs and toads not being a thing?(Anything else?)
https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/amphibians/can-frogs-scream/ 7194.(Fictional Character appearance change.)Do you remember Bambi's spots and tail being different?
https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Bambi_(character) 7195.(Famous General name change.)Poncho Villa/Pancho Villa
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Villa Race information
Goals
| Goal | Description | Completed? |
| A | 130 Miles (Course Record!) | No |
| B | 120 Miles | No |
| C | 110 Miles | Yes |
About the Race
My only other run close to this duration was the Canal Corridor 100 Miler, so most of my race report is written in comparison to that. Enjoy!
This course was a 2.5 mile loop around Cornerstone Park in Vegas. The shape of the course is more like a 'C'. So the far end of the loop (1.25 miles in) was actually very close to the start line. From there it turned around the far side of the lake. Very different then the past 100 miler I did, which was basically out and back 50 miles.
There were other events on the same loop. A 48 hour race started the day before. A marathon, 50 miler, 100 miler, 6 hour, and 12 hour event were all starting out at the same time as us. The 100 mile event was also the USATF championship race, so we knew there would be a lot of fast people on the course. I didn't know if such a fast, crowded, course would be motivational or irritating.
A good friend of mine,
A signed up for the race too. He's a marathon runner, but hadn't done anything longer than that. What a great chance for a first ultra! I was a bit nervous that he wasn't entirely sure what he got himself into, but he had an enduring, positive attitude and definitely wanted to give it his all.
Training
Run every day! Seriously, race day was day 1,884 and ended on 1,885.
Mostly just a few 20 mile runs. Longest training run was 30 miles, felt really good. Cold weather impeded training, but that's just an excuse.
Race strategy
My crew consisted of two of my sisters (
C and
M), and my girlfriend,
J.
I'm used to doing my long runs out-and-back with a camelbak. However, a few days before the race, I was reading some tips for short-loop-ultras that said definitely do NOT wear a hydration pack. It'll only weigh you down and slow you down more. There should be more than enough hydration at the aid station. (Here's a tip: Don't read strategy changing tips right before a race!)
So I changed my plan to run with nothing, and bring my camelbak and water belt just in case. (I'm VERY glad I decided to bring them!)
The new plan was drink water every lap, with soda/gatorade added in after 20 miles.
Gu every other lap (5 miles)
Salt tab every 4 laps (10 miles)
Solid food every 4 laps (10 miles). We went grocery shopping the day before and got all sorts of great food. Sour patch kids, pretzels, potato chips, and fruit were some of my favorites.
Here's my packing list And everything getting ready Change clothes every 40 miles. I never made it to the 120 mark for the 3rd change of clothes. Hat and bandana in the sunshine, brought cooler clothes for the evening "just in case". That choice also turned out to be a life saver.
Advil as needed, body glide as needed.
No phone/music the first 40 miles.
A and I wanted to stick together as much as reasonably possible. Figured we'd start out at around 9 minutes/mile and slow down from there.
Pre-race
Got to Vegas a few days ahead of time to get acclimated. Lost too much money at the casinos.
Weather looked perfect, mid 70s, not much breeze. Lower in the night, and the wind was supposed to hold off until Sunday afternoon, so that wouldn't affect our race (ending Sunday morning 8AM).
Picked up our bibs the day beforehand and saw some crazy 48 hour runners.
I made a cool spreadsheet to track myself through the race, and it gave estimates on certain goal distances. Here's a screenshot of what it looked like at the end.
Spreadsheet My crew was great at updating it almost every lap, which gave me a good checkpoint on how hard I needed to keep going. This was extremely helpful!
We showed up early to the race to set up our aid station and cheer on the 48 hour runners that had already been going for 24 hours. Elvis and some showgirls showed up at the start line to kick us off!
A and I with Elvis's showgirls! Race
Here we go!
Miles [0] (Race time 00:00) to [40] (06:22)
The race started with the Elvis impersonator belting out 'Viva Las Vegas'.
A and I started off strong, doing about 8:30/mile. Way too fast to be sustainable, but the cool weather was nice. Also a bit of shade on the course at the start. As the sun came out, I needed to slow down a bit. Put on a camelbak after about 6 laps and then
A started getting ahead of me.
Learned the course pretty quickly, and which parts I was going to love and which parts I was going to hate. Most of the lap was crushed gravel, with a little bit of grass, and a rough, rocky (in comparison) trail section at the end. There was also a tight hairpin turn just after the start over the race, which you also went around on the way back. This became irritating, as every time you had to worry about how you were going to take the turn, and who was coming the other way.
The shade disappeared quickly as the sun moved into the sky. I was sweating a lot and probably not drinking enough water. The first time I used the restroom around lap 10, it was way too yellow for comfort. Needed to drink more.
Started putting ice in my hat, which was painful but cooling. Occasionally took the camelbak off in favor of a smaller hydration belt with 4 water bottles. This was a nice break from lugging around the heavy pack. I switched back and forth a lot throughout the race, as the camelbak with ice allowed the water to stay much cooler.
I was a little put off because my watch was reading each lap as ~2.54 miles instead of the course certified 2.5 miles. I should've been more prepared for that. It only made it a little more difficult to track each lap, but I got over it eventually.
I was growing frustrated as I felt like I couldn't really find a rhythm. In comparison to the other 100 miler, where I could zone out for 10 miles between aid stations.
My crew was amazing at getting our aid station ready for every lap. They would meet me slightly before the lap marker, then run ahead to get whatever I needed. A few laps we got the Gu/Salt combo wrong, but I think on average I stuck to a Gu every other lap and a salt tab every 4 laps. I grew to loathe the sun, as there was literally no shade on the course in the daytime. I continued to slow down, and
A even lapped me!
M made lots of great signs that my crew got to wave around each lap. My favorite was a chart with 50 laps on it, and they would cross one off each time
A and I passed. Very motivating!
Miles [41] (06:22) to [80] (14:37)
The first change was refreshing, but we noticed some blood on my foot. One of my toenails was slicing a toe, so I knew I'd have to work with my crew to clip it off. But not yet.
During this segment, I carried my phone in my camelbak and started listening to music. It popped out of the pocket and fell a few times. Whoops. When I wasn't wearing the pack, I held it in my hand. I'm used to that on my training runs, but lugging around a phone for 20+ miles is still a workout. The music was definitely motivating, but I honestly enjoyed chatting with my crew and other runners. Heard a lot of the same stories out there. "Just keep going, as far as I can!", "We can do this!", "You'll never know your limits until you try to go beyond them!"
As the sun went down, I started to use my crew as pacers. With my girlfriend, I was able to walk an entire lap at a time, which helped keep me positive.
The biggest emotional wall for me was the clock. As I hit a big milestone like 12 hours or so, my thoughts were simultaneously "Yes, halfway there!" and "Holy crap, I have to do this for 12 more hours?!?!?". I tried to avoid thinking of that and focus on one lap at a time instead, but it was always there.
I like crunching numbers, so it was fun to work out the times for every mile. 2.5 mile course, so a 12 minute mile would be 30 minutes a lap. 16 minute mile would be 40 minutes a lap, or 1.5 laps an hour, etc. This mental math helped keep my mind busy.
I'm VERY glad I brought a headlamp (the race director said it was recommended but not required, as 90% of the trail was well lit). The rough, rocky section was not lit at all and I would've been a mess if I couldn't see.
Eventually it was time to cut the toenail. I yelled some nonsense about amputation, and "Cut me, coach!".
Saw
A at the crew station too, still a lap ahead of me, and he had some bad blisters on his foot. Our crew helped pop some blisters and keep him going. What a team!
Miles [81] (14:37) to [117.5] (24:00)
Second change was also refreshing, and less blody than the first change. Wrapped my left foot up with a bandage, felt a blister coming on.
Very dark at this point. The Vegas skyline was pretty in the distance, and the night sky was beautiful. The trail at my feet was miserable.
I am so glad that I brought my hat, gloves, and a long sleeve pull over. It got way colder in the night than I thought it would. I used all of them throughout the night.
J should become my social media manager. She was posting updates on Facebook, so my phone was lighting up with notifications and messages of motivation from friends and family back home.
I switched my watch to show me only the current mile pace. This helped to keep me focused on one mile at a time. This led to a fun game where if I was walking during the beginning of a mile, I would jog to bring the average down to something more reasonable. Rince and repeat.
I thought seeing the 48 hour runners shuffling along might make me miserable, but I found the perseverence to be inspirational, if anything.
The spreadsheet was becoming a bit more clear that 130 miles was unattainable, so I started to set my sights on 120 or 115 miles. "I can do 20 minute miles and hit 100 miles. That's easy! But there's 6 hours left??? Kill me now" as an example of my thoughts.
Able to find a little bit of a better rhythym. I knew which parts of the course I wanted to run on, and where I wanted to walk (all the hills, and the imaginary ones too). I was less concerned with the mile times, but tried to keep them under 13 or 14 per mile. Pretty much every lap at this point was with a pacer.
C is the other avid runner in the family, I think she did a total of 35 miles with me. Crazy! Sometimes I needed that, and other times I preferred run/walking with
M or
J.
I made sure to run one full mile past midnight to make sure I got my Sunday 'run' in. That mile was ~9:48, easily my best mile in that half of the race. The rest was sticking to the rhythm of walking the hills. Passed
A, so we were finally on the same lap again. He was in a lot of pain and I felt bad for getting him in to this!
100 was a nice milestone, but I knew I couldn't stop there.
Slipped into the lead at some point. A bit emotional since I'd never really won a race before and I wasn't sure if I could hold the lead. My sisters were doing a great job on analyzing the results each lap, telling me who was catching up and who was slowing down. Most of the competitors near me made it to 100 and stopped.
A stopped at 100 to take a nap and decide if he would go on or not.
Listened to "The Circle of Life" at sunrise, which was an amazing feeling. We were so close!
There was one person about 4 laps behind me and he looked good. I hate to say it, but the motivation of staying in first definitely helped keep me going.
The last 2 laps were mostly victory laps as my lead felt pretty solid. Started joy-walking to positive music. We're almost home! Crossed my final lap marker for a grand total of 117.5 miles, and first place to boot.
Post-race
I thought I would break down and cry at the finish, but I just sat down at the lap marker with about 7 minutes left on the clock. I probably could've made it to the .5 mile mark, but I was satisfied with the distance, and it was great to finish surrounded by my team. Couldn't have been happier. Smoke a victory black and mild.
Here I am curled up in a sleeping bag by the finish line. I realized then that I didn't use any sunscreen, and was pretty burnt. I was alternating between chills and sweating. We waited around a (long) bit for the award ceremony, where I collected my first ever first place trophy, then headed back to the hotel for some much needed rest.
A flew home that night (insane!) and my sisters departed the next day.
J and I relaxed in Vegas and (she) won and (I) lost money together.
I ate like a human dumpster the next few days. Pizza, chicken wings, burgers, and everything good.
What's next, and race reflections
I had a great time, but I don't know if I would to this course again. I might be interested in a smaller (mile?) loop.
Looking back, it was neat to have so many people and events on one course. There were some legends out there! The winner of the 48 hour event did 205 miles. Amazing! I don't know if I could handle that. Only one way to find out...
I didn't even mind being passed by the 100 milers (the winner did that in <14 hours!), since I was more focused on my own feet.
Overall I don't think I ate nearly enough during the race. Part of this was due to the nature of the course. In my 100 miler, I knew there were only a set amount of aid stations, so I had to eat a lot since I wouldn't see any food for 10+ miles at a time. In this race, it was always "Oh I'll be back in 2.5 miles, gotta keep moving", which led to some nausea and hunger pains around mile 70. I ate a bit more after that (hot dogs! hamburgers! pizza) which helped, but I should have stuck to the plan originally better.
I want to stress that I absolutely couldn't have done this without the help of my crew.
C,
M, and
J, thank you very much!
And amazing recognition to
A, who hit 100 miles in his first ever ultra. He went through an emotional rollercoaster and totally rocked it.
Thanks for reading this! I felt pretty lucid throughout the race, but trying to write through specific details was pretty difficult. I may have gotten some items out of order.
If this story of endurance has inspired you, consider making a donation to Back on My Feet, a charity that supports those experiencing homeless through the power of running and community support, providing essential employment services and housing opportunities.
Back on My Feet Philadelphia Garmin Data
Garmin Data My favorite highlight is 15,000+ calories burned.
Other Race Pictures
M cheering me on and me looking confused THE TROPHY! Flying across the finish line Victory In-N-Out Garmin mile marker map So many miles, in such a small area!
Previous Race Reports
Canal Corridor 100 Miler Dirty German 50 Miler Zion 50K North Face Endurance Challenge San Francisco 50K This report was generated using race reportr, a tool built by BBQLays for making great looking and informative race reports. Edited for grammar / spelling Boothill Casino and Resort, Dodge City: Address, Phone Number, Boothill Casino and Resort Reviews: 3.5 a drink does not work so disappointed and I never leave bad reviews ever this place it just went downhill with the boot the boot went down the hill with unless playing table games! The casino has excellent comps for new club members Add some fun to your next meeting or event! Just steps away from the action packed gaming floor, you’ll find our spacious Longhorn Room with its own private bar. In addition to Firesides restaurant and bar, this room offers the perfect private space to host your next meeting or event. Boothill Casino and Resort, Dodge City: Address, Phone Number, Boothill Casino and Resort Reviews: 3.5/5. United States ; Kansas (KS) Cowboy Statue On Boot Hill (43) 2.6 mi. Monuments & Statues. See all. 318 Reviews 9 Q&A. Reviews. Write a I don't understand why casino's can't get better filtration systems for the gazillions of smokers 28 reviews of Firesides at Boot Hill "We read the reviews but still went just because we had tickets for a concert at the adjoining arena! I'd say they've improved over the previous reviews but still have a long way to go! Service is slow! Took nearly 30 min to get water and a waiter to take orders! The margarita was all sour lime mix with very little if any tequila! Database Manager @ Boot Hill Casino and Resort Account Manager and Contactout will find that person's email address and phone number. Start your free trial (300+ Reviews) Contactout is used by recruiters at 76% of the fortune500. US > Kansas > Ford County > Dodge City, KS 67801 > Places of Interest Near 67801 > Boot Hill Casino and Resort Boot Hill Casino and Resort: Map, Address & Phone Number Profile Boot Hill Casino & Resort features over 700 electronic gaming machines, 18 table games, 5 live poker tables, a 150-seat casual dining restaurant known as Firesides at Boot Hill, Wild Bill’s Beer Bar for a variety of specialty, imported and domestic beers, Cowboy Cafe for a light fare on-the-go, and also offers retail logo’ed items. Become a member of the Boot Hill Casino & Resort Club Fun for exclusive benefits. Membership is free and the rewards start instantly! Receive up to $500 in free play or free food when you sign up! Must provide a valid phone number and email address to be eligible for this offer. Boot Hill Casino & Resort main page: This casino is found in Dodge City, Kansas. Boot Hill Casino & Resort has a total of 700 slots and 18 table games for your enjoyment. WCD also lists and books casino hotels in Dodge City. Browse our gallery of pics of Boot Hill Casino & Resort or read recent headlines about Boot Hill Casino & Resort on this page. Toll-Free Number: (877) 906-0777 Restaurants: 2 Buffets: Brunch - $15.99 (Sun) Games Offered: Slots, Video Poker, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, Mini-Baccarat, Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold 'em Overnight RV Parking: Free/RV Dump: No Try an online casino for FREE. We have over 15 No Deposit Bonus Codes.
