04/01/2021 - Dark Tower - 04/01/2021 – Dark Tower – Final Four / VQ
AO: Dark Tower
When: 04/01/2021
PAX:
Number of Pax: 15
Pax Names: Aladdin, Backdraft, Bagpipes, Dingo, Giggles, Handball, Leuben, Radio Flyer, Shandy, Smokey, Sun Devil, Twinning, Waterfall, Wet Wipe,
DR Names:
Number of FNGS: 2
FNG Names: (above) - Bagpipes and Handball
QIC: Skilling
Introduction
In late June 2020, Smokey mentioned there’s this “morning workout group” that a “bunch of dudes in the neighborhood” do. “It seems cultish at first”, he says. Hmm.
I had just moved up here with my family from GA the previous fall, and since my weekly men’s church pick-up basketball shut down in March, I pretty much had zero workout/social outlet. So here goes. I first posted July 1st and was hot out of the gate with 14 posts in the first month, then, well, let’s just say it took until January to double that number, and a left-field bout with shingles in September wasn’t my only excuse. But a work schedule change in early Feb got me out ITG more and by early March it was clear it’s time to start giving rather than just taking.
9 months since my first post and I finally did what Urkel instructed back in early September, just picked a date and location and got on the Q sheet. April 1, DT. The weather would be getting warmer by then, I said, (WRONG), and I’d be super confident and it would feel like a piece of cake, I said (WRONG AGAIN). Had a plan, sent out pre-blast, then walked it through with my 2.0s while M cooked dinner last night. Seemed good, 4-year-old 2.0 Danny did some decline merkins with me to practice, and more than a few HIMs HCed. LFG.
5:11 a.m. – Showed up in the swag wagon with my gloved and coupon, and with a last swig of water I stepped out to Q for the first time.
Warm-O-Rama
Disclaimer, then
- 15 or 20 Goofballs
- 8 Abe Vigodas
- 20 arm circles each way (we’d need the warmed up shoulders soon)
Smokey was impressed with YHCs warning to keep the arms up until “recover”. Pssh…
Coupon Mosey to the base of the tower…
The Thang
THANG 1 – While the M*A*S*H unit was approaching I explained to the HIMs that YHC was overdue for his first Q. Today was my 57th post, probably about 30 too far in to be my VQ! So as a penalty, I had the whole group do 57 Chest Presses on my FEROCIOUS count. (Aladdin’s like “slow down bro!”) Then 6 Blockies, one for each AO I’ve seen (DT, Iron Lion, TC, Outpost, Citadel, Launchpad). Leave coupons where they are and run to the ampitheater.
THANG 2 – OK I said we’d talk some hoops.
- First 4, didn’t even make the main dance. Everybody gets a trophy these days 4 8-Count Bodybuilders
- Round of 64 – A lot of hard work put in to get there. 64 Bench dips on the first level of the steps.
- Round of 32 – No pain, no gain! 32 Decline Merkins on the next level of steps
- Sweet 16 – Climb that ladder!!! 16 Rocky Balboas (4-count)
- Elite 8 – That “really good” step that isn’t quite the final 4. Motivators From 8, with a penalty burpee after 8,7,6, and 5 for the 4 teams that didn’t make the final four: Oregon St., USC, Michigan, Arkansas
- Run to the bridge to acknowledge a few final 4 teams
THANG 3 – The final four
- Baylor Bears – Bear Crawl across the bridge, 15 Bobby Hurleys, Bear Crawl back
- Houston Cougars – For Hangin’ with the big dogs, we did 7 pull-ups (AAC is the 7th-ranked conference this year by RPI) before the 15 BHs, then back on the beams to hang for 48 seconds (Houston beat a 15-seed, a 10-seed, an 11-seed, and a 12-seed to make the final four… sum of those numbers is 48). Run back to the base of the tower and pick up the coupons on the way.
- Gonzaga Bulldogs – 25×4-count Doggy Paddle (Bird Dog), then 15 BHs.
- UCLA Bruins – 11-seed, lowest one to make it, also a SoCal team, so we worked on the show muscles with 11 curls split 3 ways (bottom to 90 degrees, 90 degrees to top, and full range of motion bottom to top). Then 15 more BHs.
5 (OK maybe it was 7) Minutes of Mary (still at the base of the tower)
- 20 4-count Freddy Mercury’s
- 30 4-count LBCs
- 25 4-count American Hammers
- DOUBLE plank-o-rama, each PAX did 5 merkins as we went around, while the other PAX held high plank (round 1) then low plank (round 2).
6:00 – Recover, Recover.
Count off, yep we still got 15. Smokey’s off like a bandit. Musta had somewhere to be.
FNGs Named (welcome Bagpipes and Handball).
Circle of Trust
Thanks to all for coming out and letting me lead you men today. I’m both a planner and not really a type-A kind of guy, so there were some nerves prepping for this VQ. But knowing I have your support, from an “attaboy” to a “WTF were you thinking” and everything in between, means a lot to me and makes a huge difference.
Sacrifice – we make one every day we come out. We can choose to start the day with coffee and newspaper or gloom and muscle – and you chose the better. When we intentionally permit some level of suffering in the name of sacrifice, we better ourselves and show up for those in our lives.
At times today I intentionally called out the rep count we’d do before it began – think back to the 64 bench dips – It wasn’t easy, and knowing when it ends doesn’t make it any easier. Sacrifice isn’t often easy. Today’s Holy Thursday. As a Christian, I think of Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus knew exactly how his passion would play out, how it would end. In Glory! but do you think that made Good Friday any easier? No. But maybe it made it more obvious that it’s worth it. We don’t always know how things will turn out, but to will sacrifice in ourselves for the betterment of those in our concentrica is to choose better. This weekend, think of what sacrifices you make, have made, or could make. And if you’re a Christian, spend some time thinking about Jesus’ sacrifice.
Prayers went up for many intentions, including Appletini’s brother and in thanksgiving for Wagon Wheel’s 23rd.
Naked Man Moleskin
Thanks to Smokey for getting me out ITG for the first time July 1, Sun Devil and Aladdin for some great EHing to get me to my first Q, and many others for good fellowship, guidance, and mumblechatter.
I wanna take a minute and invite all you HIMs out there who joined me ITG (and those who didn’t but are just reading this) to think back to your first Q. The butterflies in your stomach, the inexperience with calling out cadence, hoping everything would turn out ok… Also, the excitement of stepping up to lead, the satisfaction of giving back. The feeling after it was done. That’s a good feeling. All of it is. It’s the feeling of growth.
On your next Q, challenge yourself. Go get that feeling! Whether that means you do something you find challenging, go to a new AO, or maybe Q a BD for the first time. Maybe you’re like me and never did a Q yet. Whatever it takes for you, go get it! It will be worth it. And let me know (DM me) when you do, I’d love to try and make it out and watch you stretch yourself to a new limit.
Oh, and I need to call out a gassy pax. Shandy. Shandy was a gassy pax.