The Explorers' Club
№ CCLXXV - The Forbidden City.







Project MERCATOR | Happy Birthday!
Today is Ska Army's birthday, though he sometimes likes to claim he was born on Leap Day; so, last night he invited a gang of his fellows out for ill-defined revelry to celebrate the anniversary of his birth. I was slightly miffed to be asked to miss the half-season premiere of Psych to celebrate his birthday on a day that isn't his birthday, but that was insufficient reason to refuse the invitation. (Plus, I have preserved Psych though the modern marvel of videotape recording.) Many drinks & many laughs punctuated the evening, & as it wore on it became increasingly evident that Ska Army's plan of drinking to excess was ill-conceived, as he was soon in no shape to pilot his motorcar, his intended means of getting home. Fear not, I acted as (self-)designated driver* & at the close of the festivities conveyed him to his home in Lumi the Snow Queen. I'm a decent enough bloke to have driven him home, but not so decent as to have today assisted him in the retrieval of said left-behind motorcar. I was not aware of the ersatz party 'til mere hours beforehand & I stayed out much later than I'd intended, but it was worthwhile insofar as I believe the quasi-birthday boy had a gay old time. Happy birthday, Aaron!

At one point, April May June, who was at the same public house with a different party, bought a pair of double shots, one each for herself & Ska Army. I fear he's pining for her, despite her stated desire to be "just friends." Ah, well, he's a big boy & if he doesn't know better already he'll learn sooner or later.

*An act of multifaceted sobriety, being both socially responsible & inexpensive.

Project GLOWWORM
I did not wear a hat on Ash Wednesday because I did not wish to smudge or remove the ashes from my forehead. Last weekend, the blonde whirlwind code named Miss Alaska borrowed my flatcap & wore it at a jaunty angle. Circumstances conspired so that I could not retrieve it right away & had to walk around in the (all too rare) winter chill of far western Connecticut without any headgear. I'd cut my hair days earlier & thus my head was quite cold. Later, Miss Alaska asked if she could keep my flatcap (she's insane; so, I have no ideas if she was jesting or in earnest), because it looked better on her. I put my foot down & demanded the return of my hat. Yes, my hats are stylish, but more importantly they are functional. They protect me from the winter's chill & the death rays of the Accursed Sun. A man should wear a hat, a conviction steadily reinforced by a variety of circumstances & experiences.