GFH3 Run #1,685; 23 Feb 2013

There really have been a lot of hashes in Herndon lately, including today, when Larry opened his doors to a drizzly day and a small group of the GFH3 elite, who moseyed in to drip all over his gorgeous Afghan rugs.  The weather and the 11am start kept the Bad Hashers at home.  One hopes that some of them made it over for a 3pm start, because the trail was thoughtfully planned and included scaling a wall via two ladders and some helpful assistants.  Although, I suppose, by 3pm the ladders and assistants would have been long gone, which might make that last short stretch a midge tricky.  I can't help but notice, though, that it was a lot drier and a lot warmer at 3:00 than it was at 11:00...

Larry and Mike set, with help from Rebecca and Zac, taking the runners through northwest Herndon and maybe a little bit into Loudon County.  They also provided a thoughtful map for the walkers, a not-lonely band of three, with two severe limps.  Then there were about ten runners, plus four hares, a cook, two on the DL, and one blogger-photographer who showed up late with professionally greased-up hair.  That makes 21, for those of you who do math for a living and don't care to have to add on your leisure time.

So:  those ladders.  There's a pleasant path that allows dog-walkers, baby-strollers, visiting neighbors and others to wander from Larry's neighborhood over to Mike's.  But someone didn't like it, and persuaded the Homeowner's Association to fence it off.  So Larry got his stepladder, and set it up on one side of the fence, and Mike got his extension ladder, and leaned it up on the other, and everything got very damp, and everyone went up one ladder and down the other -- except me; I went up and down both.  Mike and Zac stood by and steadied the ladders, which is not on par with the time Cockpit Ejeculator carried people across a stream, but is a thoughtful touch.

Crossing from west to east - not how they did it in the old days.

Marla made chili, both con carne and con verduras, plus brown and white rice and cornbread and all the appropriate toppings.  It was delicious.  Oral Advocate pointed out that the guacamole was not 100% genuine avocado, then claimed that the wise hasher (oxymoron?) hides the wax fruit when hosting, as hashers will eat anything.  The Mufti handed around a get-well-soon card for the Bionic Babe (Pink Parts chose a new name when she learned what "Pink Parts" can mean), then called the roll, noting that Gwen hit the double 2s (ooh) and I think it was Greg at the double 4s (ooooooh).  He allowed Mike to make up a number for his new official count ("Five," he said.  "Definitely more than two.")  I tried for 300, but Mufti just laughed.  Odd, since I was not joking.

Rebecca and Zac each got welcomed to the GFH3 -- 99 to the cup! -- although the claim was made that they both helped set a year ago and thus should be at two -- 98 to the cup!  Only one gorgeous rug got red-wine spattered, and one dog toy, and I believe all the African masks survived intact.  BC3 and the Mufti will hash hero it up next week, and INDY and I will host the following week, AT 11:00 AM.  That decided, INDY collected the Bionic Babe's card  and we set off to visit her.

The card clearly healed her right up -- soon that pillow under the afflicted limb will be gone.  But the duck stays.

She looks great, but is still hurting a lot.  There are photos of the hash available if you'd like to look.