Exercise Log: December 8 - 12

I ran, biked and walked 27.65 miles, burned 2357 calories and weigh 141.4 pounds.

Light week in terms of exercise because of Radio MASH. Very successful - collected toys for about 5,400 children. Once again, the Brazos Valley comes through.

Received an early Christmas present in the form of a Garmin Forerunner 405. Used for my 18 mile training run this morning. Collected all kinds of interesting data. I can run quite fast in short bursts even during the latter part of a long run.

Need to set the distance units back to non-metric. Accidentally set them to metric while playing with settings last night.

Engrish - Radio MASH style

Big stuffed pugs along with a little pug. The United Way received the pugs and a different organization received the big hound dog to the right.
Happy Lovely train

Super Convivial World

It will give you infinite pleasure!!

con·viv·i·al - adj. 1. Fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable. 2. Merry; festive: a convivial atmosphere at the reunion.

Not only did an underprivileged child receive a happy lovely train but the parents increase their vocabulary if they bother to look up convivial

We received 4 of these. We tape batteries to each toy that needs them. Rayovac and Everyready can live in harmony, why can't we?

the eden of the movement

The opposite panel said, "the aquatic animals of the movement"

special for you of children design.

The poetry of Engrish:

Happy Lovely train

Super Convivial World

It will give you infinite pleasure!!

the eden of the movement

special for you of children design.

I'm Alive!

I finally emerge from the time warp that is Radio MASH. 4,887 children in the Brazos Valley will receive at least one gift for Christmas this year. Again, the Brazos Valley came through generously.

I spent most of Monday resting and my rhythms got thrown out of whack from all the sleeping and anxiety about Loki. I finally went to bed at 1:00 am, got up at 6:00 am to go to work.

I'm taking a week off from the gym and running to rest. I will walk and stretch. I probably the the equivalent amount of pounding pavement over 4 days of the toy drive as a single marathon plus lifting, twisting and bending. My lower back is a bit stiff.

Lessons from Radio MASH, ideas for improvement and random thoughts (I'm putting this on the blog so that a record will exist):

1. The separate tents for incoming toys/ repair and order filling were a godsend. Thank you, National Guard. Please do that again next year.
2. No child wants a stuffed animal for Christmas. I know some animals were quite nice and expensive but we had a list with some requests and stuffed animal did not appear. Specific characters that have plush versions were requested but no generic stuffed animals.
3. Signs under each box on the age group tables. Things get misfiled on the edges. Candyland is a game for 5 - 7 year olds. 8 - 10 year olds don't play Candyland unless they have a younger sibling.
4. A poster with examples of the types of things each age group likes over each table. This will take some advanced planning, glue, scissors and pictures. I started the project by printing pictures but did not get any further this year.
5. As many sets of dominoes that went out this year, I expect several dominoes champions to emerge from the Brazos Valley in a few years.
6. Found out what a Barkyardigan is. Have to remember that not all the volunteers are up to date on the interests of children and teens. Add logos to the posters in number 4.
7. I don't want to give another Uno Card Game ever again. There is a budget, otherwise I would never pick up an Uno Card Game ever.
8. A separate area for taping batteries on to new toys. We have a great toy doctor who would rather concentrate on the various interpretations of gently used electronic toys. Any volunteer can tape batteries on to boxes.
9. Knot tying demonstration for volunteers.
10. Pallets and tarps for boxes of loose toys. A more organized filing system for loose toys.
11. A check list of things that need to be done in case some volunteers show up or there is a lull.
12. A sign saying where bikes, trikes and big backyard toys go.
13. Good idea from this year: tubs for toys ready-to-go.
14. How did we end up with so many 8 - 10 year old girls?
15. Underprivileged kids: wait and you will receive that fad toy from four years ago! That and a stuffed animal. The first used Nintendo Wii should show up at Radio MASH 2011.
16. There is a very special place in the afterlife for the toy designer that made toys without off switches.
17. I'm sure it is a fine toy but I doubt that little toy train will give you infinite pleasure. The Engrish on the Chinese toys was entertaining and had a poetic quality to it. the eden of the movement. the aquatic animals of the movement.

What happened just now?

Lynn fainted.

I find Karen Moy's ham-handed attempt to paint Frank Griffin as an uncaring ogre quite humorous. Frank is a dick but at least he does not hide it behind a facade of niceness, unlike certain old biddies with a penchant for hideous tops.

I thought this was a practice session. I guess I missed something during Thanksgiving.

Competitive standing - a sport I could get into. Competitive standing would have been more exciting to watch than the football games on Thanksgiving day. ESPN Sports Center had a poll about whether other NFL teams should host Thanksgiving day games. I don't watch NFL often so it would be nice to see an interesting game but on the other hand, a lot people in Texas would have to interact with their families if the Cowboys did not play. That could be quite a threat in a state where at least one family member has ready access to firearms.

The Jonas Brothers played during the halftime show of the Dallas - Seattle game. I did not know that prepubescent girls were a target market of interest to the NFL. Talk about a huge demographic shift of an audience during a single program. I went outside during halftime.

I will be working at Radio MASH this weekend, so I will update myself on the interests of prepubescent girls. Gag.

Radio MASH

Radio MASH has updated parts of its website: http://www.brazosradio.com/mash/
Toy or Cash/Check donations can be made in person at the MASH compound at Post Oak Mall December 4th through December 8th, 2008. You can also donate money online at the Radio MASH website.

Check out some photos that Walter took from past Radio MASH: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22287142@N02/sets/72157603749330149/

You can see me get bigger as the pictures go back in time.

I'm not sure how the economy will affect things this year. A kid has not gone without during the years I've been involved.

Final Day of Radio M*A*S*H

Final count: 4,600 children.

Santa Claus visits the toy tent.

Volunteers from Anco Insurance filling the last order. This last order had 1,100 children on its list.

Last toy purchase at Wal-Mart.

Children dancing.

The Police Department's Blue Santa Program received the rest of the toy donations. Between Radio M*A*S*H and Blue Santa over 5,000 children will have a happy holiday.

Thanks everybody!

Radio M*A*S*H - Day Three

Got toys for over 1,000 children today. Have a little over 1,100 children left. We hope to have all the orders completed by dinner time on Sunday. We battened down the hatches because rain is expected tomorrow.
A child from Carver Elementary will be receiving a giant crocodile for Christmas.

Why does everything have to be pink?

Volunteers from A&M Consolidated High School FFA filling orders. Bryan High School Air Force JROTC, Girl Scouts, TAMU students, Bryan Bombshells, Boy Scouts, a 12 year old boys' baseball team, families and others whose affiliation I did not catch also helped in many ways.


A troop of Cub Scouts dropping off toy donations.


Texas Army National Guard with some heavy equipment and climbing wall on display. I was tempted to give the wall a try but never got around to it.


Texas Army National Guard recruits.
A Gremlin in the parking lot.

One of the radio station people took a picture of me imitating an expression on a doll that was donated. The doll had a very scary grimace on its face.

The pictures are getting fewer and fewer during each passing day. Tomorrow, I might have one or two photos.

Radio M*A*S*H - Day Two

Today, orders were filled for about 900 children. The total count has increased slightly. There was a minor disaster overnight when the automatic sprinklers for the landscaping went off. A fair number of toys got soaked. Some were salvaged and others had to be thrown away. The National Guard soldiers brought towels and fans to dry things out.

An old man hand made these little rocking horses. Legacy EMS bought his entire stock.

Teachers from Johnson Elementary sorting and straightening things out. They also filled some orders, including their own school.
Soldiers from the Texas Army National Guard loading an order for an organization to distribute to the children on their list.


Filled orders awaiting pick up. The Bryan Bombshells, Johnson Elementary School teachers, students from Grimes County 4-H, a boys baseball team and others filled these orders.

Bicycle donations.
Cash donations.

Volunteers filling orders.





Children from Snook Elementary dropping off their toy and cash donations.

Some donations. No beer in the cooler - toys instead.

Wal-Mart and Toys R Us gave us good discounts on our purchases.

First Day of Radio M*A*S*H

This year's count of children is 4,300. Below are some pictures from today. We filled orders for about 800 children today.Some of the toys straightened out after a major order filling.


Folks watching the Cowboys - Packers game on Dish TV (Donated by Starfire Satellite) and big screen TV (Donated by Sears). Because of issues between the cable companies and the NFL this game was not available for airing on cable or regular TV. The tents in the background are provided by the Texas Army National Guard.

A radio personality from KORA in the broadcast tent
Girl Scouts cleaning and sorting used toys.

Robert repairing electronic toys and making sure batteries are fresh.

Geordie LaForge and Data make an appearance at the toy drive. They are in Engineering.

Some more straightened out toys. Alpha Delta Zeta, who I failed to take pictures of, did a great job of filling the orders in the evening and straightening things out for tomorrow.


The sign. Yes, the weather was as gorgeous as that sky. Tomorrow, the high will be 70.


Just completed a shopping trip (cash donations are used to buy toys) and now are sorting toys into their age groups.
1/8 of 1 percent of the stuffed animals that we will receive over the weekend.


Members of the Bryan Noon Lions Club filling an order.


Elizabeth loading an order into a huge trailer. The orders stay there until the organizations come pick them up.

Radio M*A*S*H does accept gently used toys. Unfortunately, gently used is subject to various interpretations. The example below is not the most egregious misinterpretation of gently used but I think this contribution has made my top 20 from over 10 years of volunteering.


Elizabeth enjoying an executive rocking horse. A rocking horse built to support a full grown man. I've sat in it and it is very comfortable.
More volunteers enjoying the rocking horse.
Some donations belong in the WTF? category. A ceramic bobble head bison.

Toys bought Wednesday night to get this party started.

We often have a shortage of 14 - 16 year old girl things. We have a shortage on the boy's side as well but not quite as much. Ages 8 and up we usually have to purchase toys for on shopping trips; 7 and under can get by on toys brought in by individuals or groups.


By the end of Friday we hope to get at least half of the orders filled.

If you are in the Brazos Valley come by Post Oak Mall and check things out. If you are elsewhere check out Radio M*A*S*H on the web.