Runners were faced with a challenging mix of old and new trail / road sections with a generous (some would say "excessive"!) number of unpredictable checks designed to keep the pack together. A number of short cuts were built in to the overall plan as well, but most of the runners adamantly refused to take those options too often for fear of the Short-cutting Police catching up to them in the future. Coyote & Roadrunner and Large Member faithfully explored check options trying to outguess the hares but often choosing the wrong trail. It is a game of gile and this hare had fun trying to design a route that was not too predictable while building in various run sections for those who truly enjoy stretching their legs! Running MASHers were out for over an hour with the last runners in at just under 90 minutes. The walkers were led by Flowery Shrub who sacrificed his own enjoyment of a good run to be the walking hare this time around. Walking MASHers were led along a scenic ridge and then back along a road that received less than enthusiastic reviews for almost exactly an hour. All MASHers returned without injury or mishap and the on-after site was set up and post-hash activities commenced without delay.

      MASH Religious Advisor, Riccardo Cranium was unable to attend MASH 31 and will miss the next few months because of some lame excuse. Apparently his "work" is sending him to some other country for awhile but we know that he asked to go in order to expand his hashing experience in other kennels. In the interim, MASH Grand Master Philippides (who speaks the same language as Riccardo) will stand in and when he can't slay the plebes with his mother tongue, other able committee members will stand in. The show goes on! Philippides demonstrated his panache for presiding as RA with easy humour and dispensed down-downs and namings with considerable aplomb that everyone found entertaining. The hares were recognized, newcomers Eric and Mr. Kim as well as former SouthSide GF Ultraman were welcomed, Nayoung Mathiesen was named "Lady Blue" and the Mathiesen hound "Yonhee" was hash-named "Johnny Walker," Large Member was punished for forgetting the Checking Chicken award, and we closed with an abbreviated version of Swing Lo to get on with the serious business of grilling.

      The local police mistook MASH for that other nefarious hashing kennel notorious for always having a open fire as part of their tradition and attempted to persuade us that we would have to put out the grill we had just lit in preparation for the grilling of some American-style hamburgers and hotdogs! Once again, we practiced our diplomatic skills and pointed out that we had in our midst the Norwegian and British Charges as well as the American embassy's duty officer so the police entrusted the fate of the woods to our eclectic group of responsible titles and departed without accepting so much as a can of coke. Moby Dick stepped up to the grill and adeptly demonstrated his BBQ talents and everyone enjoyed hamburgers and hotdogs complete with lots of condiments. Per usual the kids consumed most of chips. Once we had consumed a good number of dogs and burgers, we packed up and cleaned up the site and like the boyscouts "left the on-site much better than we found it!" As always with MASH, the on-after mixing was easy and fun. Lots of discussions about where we are going on our respective holidays and when we will return and who are doing future hashes, etc. It was, as usual, another great MASH outing for all who participated.