Today is March 2nd, which means we’re nearing the end of the (sometimes) cold season here in New Orleans. For those of you keeping track, and I’m sure you all are, my attendance has been spotty over the past several months in what can only be described as F3 hibernation. I loathe below-50 degree weather and do my best to avoid it, especially if its also been raining. I know many people hate the humidity here, but I’ll take the heat any day.
Now, given the Calvinist nature of the Q assignment, we (usually) don’t select our own Q-ings, but are predestined according to the (presumed) foreknowledge of the AO site coordinator. And as such, I’ve only “reported for duty” on days when the temperature was 50+, unless I was predestined for Q-ing in the cold (see 11/13/2019). But it seems that Rock City AO coordinator Mahatma, in his grace and mercy, saw fit to elect me to Q on March second, a day that had no cold and no sloppy ground – really a perfect weather day.
So it began with warm-up exercises in the traditional Rock City warm-up area. It was the usual bag of tricks:
SSH
Abe Vigodas
Imperial Walkers
Grass Grabbers
Peter Parkers
Arm Circles
All @ 26 each. There appeared to be some great letdown among the PAX that 26 had no significance other than having an equal number of forward and backward arm circles. Sorry for those that thought that I might be honoring P.J. Williams or celebrating my 26th birthday…
Next up we gathered our rocks and headed to the football field, where we paced 10 yards for every exercise, from the goal line, in reps of 15, in cadence:
Curls
Tricep Extension
Merkins
Chest Press
Shoulder Press
We then partnered up for a dash from the 50 yard line to the goal line and back, while the alternating partner worked to complete the following:
Burpees x 50
World War II Sit-Ups x 100
Squats x 150
Flutter Kicks x 200
Rows x 300
Finally, we reversed our 10 yards/reps of 15/in cadence to the original goal line, finishing with just enough time to return our rocks and circle up. I have to say, given my F3 hibernation as of late, I’m definitely not in the same shape I was in November. So much so, that I was fading badly on the last set of tricep extensions and apparently lost the ability to count. Fortunately, Mahatma stepped in and picked up my slack continuing the cadence. It reminded me of that scene in Casino when Joe Pesci is all coked out near the end of the film, and he starts to beat a guy to death, but then doesn’t have the stamina to finish, so one of his henchmen takes over to finish the beatdown. Only without the coke. Or murder.
In closing, we had no announcements, only prayers for those in our F3 community and those connected to it, giving thanks and glory to God.
*The title of this post was a line uttered by Danny Zuko (John Travolta) in the movie Grease referring to…well, not muddy fields or March 2nd.
