GFH3 Run #1,759; 29 June 2014 - 32nd Anniversary

Mufti may say whatever he likes, but if today doesn't constitute perfect Hash weather, there is even more wrong with this group than we thought.  Blue skies, golden sunshine, low humidity, blissful warmth without a shred of too-hot-ness, and a light breeze to blow the insects elsewhere:  happy anniversary, everyone!

Everything you need for a party.

Approximately 63 hashers gathered at Packing Pink Heat and Pickled Peter's this afternoon to celebrate the beer, exercise and camaraderie arising from John Gurr's Costa Rica trip of May 1982, 32 years ago.  Chairs were unfolded, picnic contributions piled under the tent, blankets spread.  Prodigal returns were celebrated:  welcome back, John and Carol and Mike and Cock in the Crease.  Hashers marshaled themselves around the satin-jacket club and Hand Job volunteered to push the shutter button for the team photo.  In the midst of some serious to-ing and fro-ing and chatter, the Mufti prayed silence for the brief.

And may well still be praying.  Goodness knows, he didn't get much silence.  However, by great good fortune, the 29 runners did get a trail - not a result of good organization, of course, and the fortune augmented just a skosh by Phoenix Rising's OCD-ish complex that compels him to set a trail anytime anyone asks.  In fact, there are probably instances when he's set trail without being asked...

Hurrah!  We found a backcheck!

Anyway, PP hauled in PhR at about noon, and away they went, with only vague ideas as to where they might go.  The final product was on the short side, and deliciously sweet -- mostly.  While the walkers followed PPH's well-marked two-mile trail, the runners bushwacked their way to Springvale, checked lots of falses, made it to the backcheck 12 (on a trail this short, you've got to have a backcheck 12), and then skittered back to the On In through a brief sojourn in virgin territory, courtesy of the fourth neighbor from whom our heroic hares sought a permission.  Up the final hill in time for a generous potluck and a shot at the newly, and beautifully, tiled pool, hip hip ON ON!  The walkers looked curiously well-rested.

There were some seriously tasty salads on offer, and lots of fried chicken in various configurations.  The spaghetti with pesto went surprisingly well with Spanish wine cadged from neighbors, and the senior hashers managed to figure out how to tap the four mini-kegs.  Then Brent upped the ante with a growler of homemade raspberry wheat beer.  He should do that more often.

Lunch!

It was a great party, and it only got better when the Mufti started shouting.  First he shouted the roll:  11 for Melisande, 33 for Phyllis, and didn't someone have 44?  Mini Schlonga had 199, and there will be a meeting of the Executive Committee.  But first the Mufti had to wax nostalgic, putting on his thinking-fez in order to reminisce about the previous year, handing awards around for especial achievements.

If falling down and whacking one's head is an especial achievement, there is even more wrong... whoops.  Tabled.  But Blow in the Hole and Rrocks Starr did win generously-sized bandages to prepare them for the next time.  (Mufti kindly applied the bandages to their foreheads; BitH had to switch hers to the back of her head, as that's where she aims.  Or something.)  Drill Me, Fill Me got a sheaf of hand-written permission slips in honor of his March trail, which involved about a half-dozen permissions from neighbors.  You can read the text of Mufti's document in the photos here.  Consensus was that he should share them with Valiant.

The Cracked Head, or Conked Noggin, Award goes to...

But Valiant had his own award coming, and was soon waving a sprig of lovely maple leaves in appreciation of the excellence of the educational tree walks he frequently leads for his fellow hashers.  Bad Dog got a necklace signifying his possibly-OCD'ish commitment to hashing, with six big 'beads' for the six big anniversaries he celebrated in a single week last fall, including his 300th GFH3 run.  Climax Investigator earned a brand new glider that will enable him to commute between his California home and the hash at no cost and without the damaging carbon footprint of his current system.  The Mufti himself earned the coveted Velvet Glove award for inflicting the iron fist of discipline upon the hash, albeit with limited success.

He then declared the 2013-2014 season 'The Year of the Chef,' bringing forward seven of our most culinarily-talented colleagues.  Remember Paula's Portuguese feast?  How about Lezley's Irish extravaganza?  Brent's home-brewed, Air Horn's Peruvian chicken, PPH's Thanksgiving brunch, Bite Me's New Year's brunch, and Chip Off the Old Dick and Maria's every groaning (over-)board.  Someone (you may guess who) will get the Chef of the Year award the next time Mufti sees her, possibly in South Reston, maybe in the rain... COtOD and I earned fireworks-y looking things for foolishly frequent hash heroics.

Papa John ought to have been in this group.

Mufti meant to take a moment to remember Bea 'To Bea or Not to Bea' Ross and Jim 'It's Too Long' Westlake, both lost to us in the last year.  You were probably thinking of them anyway, but if your current activity is conducive to a brief memorial now, you may remember them both smiling.  They were both great smilers.

Then we had the administrative awards:  Ménage à Trois and the Oral Advocate were missing, but Radar and PhR and PPH and PP and I got a choice of crackers or chocolates (like that's a choice?!) in appreciation of photo-taking, frequent setting, anniversary hosting and blogging.

Celebrations over, the Mufti made his sad, serious face, and announced the runners-up for the Dread Death March award.  Second runner-up was the July run from R.S.'s house, which he co-set with PhR, BitH and Dances with Bulls.  First runner-up was the September run from Ole Fud's, in which he and Strac and PhR accidentally mislaid a check, causing the pack to run a really long time in the absolutely wrong direction, wondering why there was no flour anywhere.  And the 'winner' of the 2014 Death March award was (da da da da da da da da da):  Phoenix Rising, for his 4 June hash in which inclement weather and an ambitious trail conspired to make a record three search parties necessary to get everyone back to the beer.  Could happen to anyone, really.

The thing is, he did send out search parties.  There's no rule that anyone has to search for anyone.  Plus, he told everyone to turkey.  And the first search was only because of the rain.  It's not like a hare can control the rain.

And yay, hooray, hip hip ON ON to the GFH3.  Here's to another 32 years, etc. etc.  Best to end on a high note, so no mention of that whole Executive Committee meeting thing.  Thanks to Mufti, PPH and PP for organization and set-up, to PhR for emergency trail-setting and trash disposal, and to Cocked and Loaded and Queen Cobra for the wine, and Brent for the beer.  And whoever brought the spaghetti with pesto.  Also the pool looks gorgeous and feels even better.  Plus whoever's operating the weather these days, and the kids and wives who joined us and just make the whole thing that much more festive, and all the dogs who behaved so well and Suck Squeeze Bang for taking a turn with the camera.  And more.

Out in the rest of the world, Thanks for the Mammaries was celebrating GFH3's 32nd atop Denali, and Cums Too Fast got so excited he swam all the way around Key West, 12 miles of chop in about eight hours.

Cutest baby award goes to...

ANNIVERSARY RUN IS SUNDAY; 2:30PM

Details in the invitation here.

The basics:

WHERE:  Packing Pink Heat and Pickled Peter's, 10809 Nicholsridge Road, Great Falls
WHEN:  2:30 arrival for set-up and group photo; 3:00pm run start time
WHO:  Everyone - hashers, parents, kids, dogs, grandchildren, in-laws, third cousins, etc.
WHAT:  One keg beer; food is potluck.  Please bring a dish to share.  Swimming pool is open and with luck will be full of water by Sunday.  Bring blankets or chairs for picnicking on the lawn.
BYO:  water and wine, and $5 hash cash
WEATHER:  BAD WEATHER CANCELS.  Phone the Quadruple Ps (703-404-2063) if in doubt.

The anniversary party is one of GFH3's noblest and most fun traditions.  Don't miss it!

GFH3 Run #1,755; 4 June 2014

The listing said that Cracked Pot would be co-hosting, so of course the hash turned out in its legions to welcome her home from the Great North.  (Mitchell on gardening in Vancouver:  "We don't have mosquitoes.  There's no poison ivy.  We get very few squirrels.")  Her former neighbor, Phoenix Rising, with help from Chip Off the Old Dick, laid out a very pretty runners' trail with several permissions from the neighbors and a turkey/eagle split with all-new territory for the eagles.  Sadly, none of the 28 runners actually completed it... although there were some noble efforts.

Welcome home!

So what happened?  Seriously, two weeks ago, we had a 4.25 mile true trail, and only the three hashers who left twenty minutes early finished, and that in the dark.  Last week, we had about a four mile true trail, and everyone completed it just fine, albeit in well-faded light.  This week, PhR heard the hash thrashing about in the woods on the far side of Difficult Run as he waited on the near side with a water stop, and said, "&$!#, they're going to be another ten or fifteen minutes at least."  Since it was already nearing 8:00pm, he called an audible and dashed up the Pike to the turkey/eagle split, requesting that everyone please play turkey tonight.  Lemme tell ya, it's a weird thing to hear PhR asking people to turkey.  Bad Dog resisted the plea, COtOD elected to sweep after him, a few people hopped into the Rising van, and everyone else turkeyed.

About where the swear words started.

Needing a place to turn the car, PhR was excited to see that Towlston has re-opened -- the bridge repaired.  So he could head straight home along Old Dominion, except there he saw the pack again, not as far along as he would have liked and not as clearly visible, given it was truly dark by then.  Marking the back-check seemed insufficient, and he opted to collect a caravan of cars and auto-hash everyone back.  Sadly, the caravan had not made it to the collection point before the lowering sky did its whole pouring-buckets thing, and by the time the runners made it back, they were each and every one soaked to the bone.

There's 1.5 miles still to go, and all of it woods.

Luckily, there was hot-n-tasty Chinese food waiting for them, and plenty of it, as ten walkers and some miscellaneous extras restrained themselves nicely.  (Plus the Risings went heavy on their order, since a bunch of neighbors came over to see the Pots, too.)  The fridge was stocked with beer (Vienna Lager amongst others, out of Lexington, Virginia) and there were several Black Boxes for the wine contingent.  PhR made a special effort to find, and force into his van, the eagles -- who included the early starters Paddle My Candee Ass, Big Balls on Deck and Norm.  We lost Sean to the woods and the storm, but a search party eventually located him, and brought him back in time for the end bits of the roll call.

Runners return

And get well fed for their efforts

Mufti performed his duties with his usual élan, offering C.P. ten bonus runs if she knew her count; she was off by about 40.  Oh, well.  Cums on  a High Note, who more than ever ought to be known as Long Time Cumming, didn't know hers, either.  The three newbies knew theirs:  Alex, his dad and Chris are all at #1, and we look forward to their second runs, very soon.  As everyone agreed the trail tonight was great, and beautiful, and well worth running, maybe we'll see it again someday -- on a Saturday, for instance, in early autumn.  Easy Strider requested I take a photo of dried blood, and proposed the thigh you'll see in the photos here.  If you can guess whose thigh it is, there's something wrong with you.

MUFTI CONFIRMS THE 32nd ANNIVERSARY HASH WILL TAKE PLACE AT PICKLED PINK HEAT AND PACKING PETER'S ON SUNDAY 29 JUNE.  MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!

GFH3 Run #1,702; 16 June 2013 - 31st Anniversary and Mufti Appreciation Day!!!

Yes, of course:  EVERY day is Mufti Appreciation Day.  But NOT every day is the 31st anniversary of the GFH3, so this one's maybe a bit special.

As per, the hash gathered in the early afternoon at a gracious Great Falls estate replete with swimming pool and spreading lawn.  Packing Pink Heat and Pickled Peter's place also affords views of a swan pool, which is just the sort of elegant embellishment our group warrants.  Before taking off through the woods to get sweaty, muddy and bloody, the group convened to have its photo taken, with absolutely everyone looking his or her very best in every shot.  You probably realize how rare that is in a group picture.  Thanks to Hand Job for the actual shooting.

Dahling, you look MAHvelous!  (especially Mollie's tummy)

Then it's away, down the hill, into the tall grass, under the trees, over the stream, up, down, over, under, around and back, in less than an hour (nice hares!), to leap the stream again, emerge from the trees, thresh the tall grass, and race back up the hill to where all the picnicking awaits, and several small children await various daddies who will take them in the pool (nice daddies!).  The walkers kept mostly to the streets, enjoying the light drizzle from overcast skies that came as such a pleasant change after Friday and Saturday's clear skies, light humidity and perfect temps.

Here is a useful strategy for enjoying a Hash potluck:  find Paddle My Candee Ass.  Ask her what she brought.  Go find those things and load your plate with them.  Since not everyone could get corn on the cob (not after I'd been through it, heh heh), it's a good thing that To Bea or Not to Bea made nine pounds of southern-style barbecued spareribs.  You know what would be a good thing for you to put in the comments?  Your favorite dishes from the potluck.  That would be a good thing for you to put in the comments.  For instance, "There was some delicious mac and cheese with crunchy bits on top."  Unless, of course, you got to the mac and cheese after I did, in which case you missed the crunchy-top-bits.  Heh heh.  Also, thanks to whoever brought the fizz and oj.  Mimosas are just the thing for picnics.

Mimosas in the tub on the far right.

Of course, the bestest most part of the anniversary run is the Mufti's annual awards ceremony.  He makes up new ones every year, and the 2013 edition included mother-and-child whisks for Beef Strokemoff and Tasty Cakes' high culinary standards, a rubber chicken-like item for Greg and Lori's backchecks-only trail, a keep-off sign and super-soaker for Suck Squeeze Bang and Heater Beater to help cope with testy neighbors (don't tell them, but Phlashback and Zipperhead have the same awards waiting when they return from dads' day or graduation or whatever they're doing), a map for Land Ho and Cums Up Slowly to help them get home with a bit less effort next time, and Band-Aids(r) for all 17 (or however many) of our lucky crew came through injury, illness and other bodily damage in the last year.  Then the usual suspects got their annual thanks (very high end chocolate bars, mostly) for things like Money Bitch-ing, Associate Mufti-ing, blogging (that's right, they pay me for this in candy), roll-call maintaining, t-shirt ordering and anniversary-hash hosting.  Yay for everyone.  In all the excitement, the Mufti forgot (this is the first time he's ever forgotten anything, isn't it?) to offer the Death March award to some misbegotten, undeserving fink.  You know he'll get to it, though.  Oh, yes -- he won't go without assigning the Death March appropriately.

Magic future boo-boo preventers for everyone!  (A few more people could have gotten in on this award, btw.)

On a more solemn note, the recently-widowed Mary joined us to accept a photo (thanks, Radar) of our founder and her husband, Last Call.  Mary made a few kind remarks about the joy the hash had brought Last Call, and the psychiatrists' bills it had saved many of its members (from the peanut gallery:  "All that money went to orthopedic surgeons instead.").  Mufti also asked that we remember Alan Marlette, who died earlier this year.

Much less solemnly, Ole Fud stepped up to the non-existent mic to lead revised versions of popular folk tunes, including Mary Gurr and Gwen Dargis's version of "Camptown Races."  Valiant recalled Last Call's attempts at live setting, which chronically ended in early capture of the hare, even when he deployed his two young sons to begin the "live" set early and get all those irritating false trails laid well before the hounds were loosed.  One understands our founder had a stubborn streak, but eventually he gave up, and the pre-set trail became the GFH3 standard.

Ole Fud moved on to a munificent tribute to the man he plans to establish as Grand Mufti of Great Falls ("If elected, I shall not serve," the Mufti promised).  The grateful multitude brought forward gifts of plenty:  a portrait surrounded by expressions of affection and respect, a digital photo frame stuffed with 30 recent photos of hash activity (and less-recent ones when Duck Sucker gets a crack at Radar's .nef format), the Mufti Appreciation Book and a gift certificate for the Auberge, which Blazing Straddle believes will be sufficient to cover an enjoyable dinner for three, thank you very much.  Finally, Bionic Babe unveiled the 31st Anniversary Shirt, with a wonderful illustration by her talented younger offspring.  You do not want to go without one of these shirts.  Contact Bionic Babe ASAP to order.

You, too, can have a handsome Mufti Appreciation Day t-shirt.

If you click here, you can see photos of all the people and all the dogs but Mango, who had to go home early for a nap.  A photo of all the kids gathered together would be lovely, but the gathering process would not, so, no -- no group kid shot.  Thanks to Hand Job, Queen Cobra, Suck Squeeze Bang and Greg for help with pix.

Anniversary Hash, Sunday 16 June, 2pm -- All the Detes

Per the Mufti:

                     XXXIth Anniversary GFH3 Run!!

                               Sunday, 16^th June 2013

Where:  Mary “Packing Pink Heat” and Peter “Pickled Peter” Edwardsson, 10809 Nicholsridge Road, Great Falls.

Time:  Begin arriving abound 1PM.  The run will begin at 2 PM.

What To Bring:  Folding chairs, blankets, swim suits & towels, and anything needed to be comfortable on the lawn and in the pool.  Photo bugs bring your cameras to help record the big event.

Food/Paper Goods:  Bring something to share with the group: main dish, salad, dessert. In addition, bring those items you want to “horde” for yourself and family.  Two grills (and an oven in the kitchen for heating items) will be available for use. Finally, bring any surplus paper goods (plates, napkins, plastic forks & knives, etc.) you may have to share with the group. 

Beverages:  A keg of beer (with—hopefully—the right size tap!) will be provided by the Mufti if his recovery from hip replacement surgery allows.  Other libations (bottled beer, soda, wine (ugh!), etc.) you should bring for yourself and family; they will not be provided.

Hash Trash:  The Mufti will bring large plastic trash bags.  Everyone is expected to deposit all their trash in these bags before leaving.  As always, we want to thank our hosts for having us by leaving their home and yards in pristine shape.

Weather:  Call the Edwardsson’s (703-404-2063) after Noon if the weather is lousy or threatening for the authoritative word on whether the run is a “go.”  Given family members are invited, the normal Hash tradition of running in any weather is suspended.

Hash Cash:  $5 per runner to help cover one-time costs (e.g., beer keg, gifts, trash bags, paper/plastic goods, etc.) for this special run.

Volunteers Needed:  To help lay out the food and paper/plastic goods and insure clean up after the event.  See the Mufti to volunteer.

Save the Date: Anniversary Hash on Father's Day

The Magnificent, Munificent Mufti informs me that Pickled Peter and Packing Pink will host the 31sth Anniversary Hash on Sunday 16 June 2013 at 2:00pm.  See you there!

This is how much fun a GFH3 Anniversary run is.

GFH3 Run #1,678; 5 Jan 2013

Job Blow and Put Away Wet got a big crowd for their Reston hash at Job Blow and Heats it UP's house.  The weather was reasonably clement, with more clouds than sun but a reasonable temperature for January, you know?  Chilly, maybe, but not outright cold.  There were over 40 of us, and everyone got treated unusually well -- except Air Horn and friends, whom Flowerkraut blocked into the driveway.  Honestly.  In addition to the people, I counted Abby, Kylie, Peanut and Kellogg, whom we haven't seen for a while.

Hashing is family-friendly!

Anyway, after convening in the back and side yards whilst Heats it UP prepared a feast indoors, the runners headed away through what looked like the next-door neighbors' back yard.  Nice neighbors.  The one at the end of the cul-de-sac, who lets us use the driveway for entrance and egress to and from the woods trail, is nice, too.  And the one who took a photo but no action against whoever parked in front of his mailbox is likewise kind and generous.  Please don't park in front of people's mailboxes, everyone -- Job Blow's got knocked down at an earlier, non-hash party, and the street is sensitive.

So, while the walkers headed down the kind neighbors' driveway and strolled the woods paths, the runners wended their ways to Put Away Wet's, where they found -- a GLUGWEIN STOP!  Wow.  Meanwhile, I was tippy-toeing through the mud with INDY's camera, yearning for a warm drink.  Anyway, boringly enough, Cums Too Fast finished too fast, though with Blow in the Hole not that far behind him, and well ahead of the rest of the pack, who spent about 90 minutes covering five or six miles.  Incidentally, CTF, any chance you might someday mark a damn check?  Brent, for reasons of his own, was carrying a plastic-foam tomahawk.  Chip Off the Old Dick spent a long time ignoring a hare's arrow to look up and down Soapstone, suspecting an A-to-B trail that did not materialize.

Blow in the Hole, earning her superhero t-shirt.

There were a lot of Restoners out in the woods with their dogs on this relatively nice day, and one of them was accompanied by his brother, visiting from the Wild West (Warrenton & vicinity), where he runs with the Hillbilly Hash.  The hasher is called Thang, or perhaps Richard.  He and brother and the lab and the Pekingese stopped by the On In briefly and chatted with Spurt and others who occasionally join HBH3, and some who don't.  We may see Richard again, as he's planning a move eastwards.

Speaking of that On In:  many types of pasta with different sauces, tasty garlic toast and salad, the remains of the glugwein, and get this:  hot chocolate sauce to top pound cake and fresh fruit.  Unusually good, right?  (There was also a pale sauce that might have been creme anglaise.  I forgot to try it.  Anyone know?)  The house is ideally configured for chasing a six-year old around, which I am always happy to do.  In a few years, I hope to perform the same service for Riley.

He takes a lot of chasing.

And unusual excitement when the Mufti called the roll.  BC3, who rarely even answers, "Here," not only had to admit to being present but also had to come forward -- to be congratulated on 11 years of wedded bliss and presented with an anniversary bouquet.  To appropriate cheers, she bestowed a kiss upon our Mufti, as do we all, metaphorically at least.  Heats it UP reluctantly emerged from the kitchen to accept raucous acclaim from the throng, and Job Blow and Put Away Wet got several cheers as well.  Moaner Lisa is at 958 or thereabouts...

Hip, hip, ON ON!!

No first-timers, but Riley and Mike each hit two.  And further, I made 221 (300 cannot come soon enough), Brent was at 32, and Lust in Space was maybe 332?  I vow to appear next week.  Whooo.  Lezlie, Flowerkraut and others are putting together a Rocky Horror Picture Show outing -- maybe one of the organizers will add details in the comments section.  Phoenix Rising demonstrated a few peri-something stretches.  Anything else?  Put it in the comments, please.  Oh, and be thinking about a name for Joyce, and a new name for Cums Too Fast.

More photos, should you wish to peruse the evidence, are available here.