‘Twas the day of Christmas and all through the hills
Not a creature was stirring
Except for a herd of hashers yelling ‘On on!’
Things were a bit quiet at Next Place at 12:00 and we wondered briefly if people had better things to do on Christmas Day than to go runnin in the mountains. However more and more people turned up at the runsite (including Shagless’ huge and confusing extended family) and a solid 26 people were there for the run.
The hare brief explained there would be bits of paper to pull out of stockings, with instructions about what to do with ‘presents’ in circles, more instructions on trees, powder, Christmas-themed strips of paper and V checks (just ordinary V checks). Hilarity ensued as we set off on the run and Shagless ended up with a hat, Square Rooter and Devon with dresses and lipstick (on the nose) and Scooby Doo had to go back to a previous check and dance around it singing a Christmas song! Later we found ourselves on top of a mountain singing a special version of Jingle Bells (“Oh what fun it is to run, with Browny/HRA!”), shortly before ending up on the wrong side of barbed wire ad taking ages to catch up with those in front.
A wise Square Rooter stalked Running Bear to the mistletoe check, while Mr Poo failed to score with Scooby Doo or Seamen Sores, and Graven Image was very glad to be up the front with Taste My Buns.
I’d been slightly worried that the run might be a bit of a token effort, relying on gimmicks to slow everybody down, but we did a goo 5.9 k and FRBs came in at just under an hour, with Dogshit mysteriously appearing from a side road and catching up with them for a while near the end.
During the circle Doesn’t Get It’s daughter, May, was named Mai Tai, due to her terrible Thai (allegedly) and her love of alcohol (and her name May). Steve was welcomed back, and congratulated on not running up any mountains this time (he’s getting the idea).
Things only got better from then on as we headed off to HRA’s house for Geng Hang Lay, turkey, mashed potato, ribs and an assortment of cakes and biscuits from TMB (Taste My Buns, not Thai Military Bank).
Excellent Christmas Day! Thanks very much to Brownfinger for the turkey, to HRA for his hospitality (till he got bored of us and turned the lights out) and both of them for the great, entertaining run. Also thanks to Cumalot, Knockout and Taste My Buns for the excellent food 