Fun with Big Balls and Little Balls at Guidance

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One of the things you have to appreciate about serving, I don’t mean sending a letter to a service member oversees or collecting cereal boxes kind of serving… rather I’m talking about roll your sleeves up and get into the trenches kind of serving with the people that you are serving… is the reality that you can’t anticipate what the twists and turns and speed bumps and hurdles that will experienced along the way.  Not to mention what God will show you along the way.

This post at Guidance started out surprisingly divided as the great divider was working overtime with these young men with a little in-fighting and much negativity of those moping around not wanting to participate.  It was apparent that even one of the boy’s that is new since our last visit was spewing negativity and didn’t want to participate.  This day required an overdrive of positivity and encouragement with a dose of peer accountability and expectation set by the Pax.  By the end of our time with the boys the mood changed materially and the boys had fun and were much more engaged and participatory.

What is the lesson?  First, I’ve noticed that currently amongst the boys there is lacking leadership within that has positivity rather there is more negativity that is infecting the home.  In reflection, this is a reality in my daily life that in my home, work, F3 or any group I participate in I can be that person that takes the group to new heights with my positivity or I can be the cancer that infects the group and at worst infects others or at best stagnates the group at mediocrity.  I challenge the Pax to be a light in the circles you run in but also take your light into the world, into these darker places in our community to be a light, a beacon of hope and encouragement.  Serving the least of us is not easy, comfortable or always safe but we are called to step out of our comfort zones and serve.

The Thang:

Mosey to the church at the top of the hill (slow but steady).  We had some fast pacers and some slow anchors to get to the top of the hill.

COP:

It is not abnormal to have varied participation amongst the boys but today they were going to hold each other accountable to participate because we weren’t going to stop until they could string together three exercises in a row with full participation and effort.

SSH – 10x – Not all participated so exercise didn’t count

Squats – 10x – Again not all participated …

Imperial Walkers – 10x Now we’re talking!  All boys are in!

Mountains Climbers – 10x Best yet!

Windmills – 10x Mission accomplished

In the spirit of Easter we dispatched the boys to search the property (aka Easter Egg hunt style) to find the supplies for the next event.  Searching for 4 bases and two balls the boys scoured the grounds, secured provisions and returned to the field.

Ended the work out playing kick ball with a twist.  Playing one round with a large 20″ exercise ball and the other round with a dodge ball.  Each time the kicking team got on base the fielding team had to do a burpee and each time the fielding team got an out then the kicking team had to do a burpee.

COT and mosey home!

Editorial Comment:  The beginning of the workout shows me that these boys need the men of F3, they need more men to invest in their lives, to give them direction, accountability and hope. Consider how you can invest your time in their future!  They don’t need more prayers… they need  men to be in community with them on a consistent ongoing basis.

Chicken Hawk

 

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Learn your Exicon at the Deep

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The Deep is starting to see some sunshine when we get started so it’s nice to see everyone’s faces during the pre-mumblechatter. We stretched it out and moseyed over to the track at the other school.

Warm-ups were
SSH IC x20
Mountain Climbers IC x15
Moroccan Nightclub IC x20
Cotton Picker IC x20
Imperial Walker IC x20

found a white line on the football field and started some of my crazy Exicon treasures.

First DMC,
duck-walk roughly 10 yards, 10 merkins, crawl bear back to start
D roughly 15 yards, 15 M, C back
DMC 20, make sense now?

On the same white line, using a bench on the sideline for the finish line did some Jacob’s Ladder of Merkins and LBCs, the count was 11 and the mode of transportation was Crab Walk!! OUCH

Found some other barely painted lines…. isn’t this supposed to be a football field??
Double Quarter Pounder looks like a great long exercise, but it feels even better!!
25 yard Sprint, 25 Merkins, Lunge Walk back
50 yard Sprint, 50 Squats, Lunge Walk Back
75 yard Sprint, 75 Mountain Climbers, Lunge Walk Back
100 yard Sprint, 100 SSH
then I added some cheese to our burger with one Kraken Burpee

Went over to the playground and split into groups of 3. While partner 1 ran a lap around the playground, partner 2 and 3 did an exercise. Each partner would run before switching stations. Each group started at a different station to give us room to spread out.
Station 1 – Pull ups / Chin ups
Station 2 – Dips on the parallel bars
Station 3 – Derkins on the swings

Mosey all the way back to CoT for some quick Flutter/Dolly/Superman and, as always, 5 burpees to finish off

CoT
Announcements
– Get ready to overnight ruck at the Mastodon in York May 25!!!
– Lake Wylie mini-region is looking to get our own CSAUP started, more info soon
Prayers/Praises

P.S.
Ask Whopper about the puma!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Abs/Arms/Shoulder Work at Varsity – 3/30/18

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8 Good Men joined YHC at the Varsity on this Good Friday.

Mosey around the parking lot to the black top.

Warmup

  • 20 side straddle hops
  • 10 count count Moroccan night clubs
  • 10 4 count windmills
  • 15 4 count merkins
  • 20 mountain climbers
  • 10 4 count pickle pounders (not sure if that is the actual name…but it is now…thanks Jekyll)
  • 10 4 count high steps

The Thang

  • line up on the black top goal line
  • 10 Carolina dry docs every 10 yards
  • sprint back to start
  • 20 4 count flutter
  • 5 pickle pounders every 10 yards
  • sprint back to start
  • 20 4 count flutters w/ holds

Mosey across the parking lot, down the hill to the wall

  • 10 4 count wall sit toe touches
  • 5 4 count hand stand merkins
  • rinse repeat x3

Mosey to the pull up bars

  • 10 pull up/toes to bar combos (1 pull up, 1 toes to bar, x 10)
  • Captain Thors 5×20
  • 10 pull up/toes to bar combos (1 pull up, 1 toes to bar, x 10)
  • 10 Xs and Os
  • 10 chin up/knees to chest combos (1 chin up, 1 knees to chest, x10)
  • 10 4 count heels to heaven
  • 10 chin up/knees to chest combos (1 chin up, 1 knees to chest, x10)
  • 10 4 count freddie mercury
  • 5 combo ups (1 hand in pull up position, 1 hand in chin up position)
  • switch hands, 5 more

Mosey to COT

– Ginsu

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Sparkplug’s 4 Corners + Coupons

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The morning was actually pleasant.  Upper 60’s, a slight breeze, and no active rain…to start.   Sparkplug was on Q and had Twister bring a trunk load of coupons!  Started out with a partner carrying a coupon in a mosey down to the corner of the restaurant row, Then off to the parking lot for some warm-up.

Mosey around to the far side of Lowes for some wall sits, bear crawls, and a few other things.

Then Mosey back up to the restaurant row where there were 4 exercises listed for each corner.  We counted off in 4’s and each started at our own corner, going clockwise around the building.  It was a great full body workout!  Rain started somewhere during the first cycle, but it was pleasant, not a hindrance. Plus, we got wet on the parking lot when Sparkplug called for LBC’s and Freddy Mercury’s during the initial warm-up!

We even had one of Fort Mill’s finest from the police department stop to check us out.  Spitz did his best to EH him…he seemed interested, but Spitz said he would stalk him to make sure he came out ;-).

Finished up, and partnered up to carry the coupons back up to COT.

Great job to Sparkplug for the Q today!  I have to be honest…I really just wanted to hear him talk for the full 45 minutes ;-).

Smithers, out

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Laces: Super 21 on Maundy Thursday

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Laces In:

Slight Mosey to student parking lot

Warm Up – COP
SSH x20
Imperial Walker x10
Hillbilly Walker x10
Windmill x10
Cherry Picker x10

Mosey to Band Practice lot

Super 21s (variation) – Inspired by JWOWW’s VQ at the Hive which used a deck of cards and got me thinking about 21. Then I found Super 21s listed in the F3 Exercises………I wondered why I hadn’t done these before in a workout. Turns out doing Super 21s makes it difficult to raise your arms later…..like days later.

1 merkin to 1 low slow squat
repeat to 10 reps of each
Flutters x21
11-13 reps of merkin/LSS
Hello Dollys x21
14-15 reps of merkin/LSS
Freddie Mercuries x21
16-17 reps of merkin/LSS
Lap around the Painted Lot
18-19 reps of merkin/LSS
Box Cutters x21
20-21 reps of merkin/LSS
Rosalitas x21
(Total of 231 merkins and squats)

Slight mosey to side of Ceramics Studio

Found some curb – stretch calves
Calf raises x21
Wall Sits (slight discussion of the brass technique of multiple tonguing: generated a good deal of mumble chatter)

PAX mentioned (sarcastically?) that if we just did 19 more merkins, we would reach 250. With the challenge laid down, PAX completed 19 merkins and 19 low slow squats. (Total of 250 merkins and squats: except for Trucker who complete 280 and added that to the Name-o-rama so YHC wouldn’t forget.)

Plank up – Because Abiding (see note below) requires flexibility:
Honeymooner to Down dog variations
Stretch out the legs
Leg raises in down dog
One leg plank
Knee taps to elbow x5
Knee taps to opposite elbow x5
Repeat with opposite leg
Pigeon Lunges
Butterfly stretches
Seated forward bends (i.e., touch your toes sitting down)

Mosey back to COT
American Hammers x21

The word for the month is abide. Abiding in God is active alignment of our will to the Lord’s. This is opposed to “the dude” passively abiding in the Big Lebowski. I gave a brief message about how we can abide in what is happening around us or we can strive to abide in God. The word is not a passive acceptance our circumstances, at least not in a scriptural sense.

We also discussed, while sitting against a wall, how I approach my (music) studio teaching at Winthrop. There’s practice dedicated to maintenance/growth at technical elements and the physical skills required to play the instrument (this is how triple tonguing came up), and then there’s practice learning assigned repertoire. Practicing only repertoire means the physical skills needed for new piece/work must be learned from scratch…..every time. Having a set routine for maintenance and growth means the fundamentals on the instrument are already in place, i.e., you’re in shape. At this point, learning repertoire is simply a matter of applying skills you already possess.

My short (5 months) time with F3 reminds me of this model. A routine to develop ourselves (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually) so that when we encounter challenges (repertoire) it is only a matter of applying skills we either already posses or are honing. One of the hardest parts of each workout for YHC is leaving the comfort of the bed for the gloom. Yet we are all on this planet (its own form of gloom) called to seek God’s purpose for us and abide in that. I’m grateful to have shared this morning with PAX doing just that . . . . even if that means YHC can barley raise his arms to type a backblast.

Not sure what happened at Laces Out. . . . I’m assuming they ran and can currently lift their arms.

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Glass Joe Finally Stops Talking

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Four years ago yesterday I joined F3 while I still lived in Mint Hill.  Back then there was no F3 Mint Hill, so Area 51 was my poison of choice back then.  I posted twice a week in Union County and one or two times in Area 51 proper.

That same year my mother got sick and two weeks before Christmas she went on to be with our Lord and celebrate Christmas as she never had before.  Needless to say the Union County pax became very special to me and I was very thankful to have them in my life.

Then 2016 rolled around and I moved south of the border to Fort Mill.  I don’t see the UC boys nearly as often, but still try and get back to q every now and then.  Today was one of those days.

Overdrive being a gear workout, I can easily make it so there’s not too much running and that’s what we did.  It went a little something like this.

25 swings
25 goblet squats
20 merkins
Run a lap.

20 tricep extensions
25 LBC’s
30 curls
Run a lap.

20 skull crushers
20 American hammers
20 calf raises
Run a lap.

We repeated and added five(ish) to each exercise.  Added a little people’s chair, a little stretching and we were outta there!

Please remember in prayer Glass Joe’s M Paige’s dad who has an upcoming surgery.

Outland needs a q tomorrow.  Someone step up!

Thanks for the opportunity to lead and I always enjoy all the mumblechatter at the UC.

Thanks Shepherd for taking us out.  You know, you should be a pastor or something.  Something like that.

DT out.

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The SWAMP – RUCK WOD

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Well I’ve royally sucked @$$ at posting BB lately, so figured I better get this one up before I forget.  There are some workouts were  you just leave feeling motivated and this was one of them.  I saw everyone come together, great 2nd F, and a killer work out.  It’s days like this when you have a hard time remembering what life before F3 was like.  Anyways onto the workout….

Warm Up 

Rucks Overhead – 10 O/H presses

Rucks Overhead – Mosey 100 yards

10 O/H presses

Rucks Overhead – Walking Lunge 100 yards

10 O/H presses

Rucks carried by waste strap  – Mosey 100 Yards

10 O/H presses

Rucks Overhead – Mosey 150 Yards

RUCK HEAVY WOD 

We get to my truck to see the bed of fun, 6 sandbags, 2 cement pipes and a bunch of carabiners.

We quickly and efficiently build a snake out of the sandbags (each sandbag is connected by a 8″ clip, making a giant snake) and grab the cement pipes and make our way out.

RUCK UP and grab weight

We embrace the suck and ruck to the HD parking lot.  Here one group carries all rucks and runs the parking lot while the other performs some exercises:

10 Merkins

10 Squats

Cement pipe on chest – Team big boy sit ups with O/H press (I think Truckers hand slipped a time a or two and about crushed WWL)

Switch

RUCK UP and grab weight 

Carry for a good bit and embrace the suck once again.  We make our way to a grassy area.

Partner drags – 40yards and switch then repeat

RUCK UP and grab weight 

Make our way to the fountain (FOUNTAIN OF DOOM)

We do laps around the fountain, always staying as a group and completing it together

Gorilla Walks

Walking Lunges

Side Planks (Hands on Fountain)

Bear Crawls

RUCK UP and grab weight

Make our way back for COT and wait for BC to return.  Oh yah and while we wait, RUCKS O/H.

Met up with Bones and the BC for a great COT and ending prayer.

Great workout, Great MC, and Just amazing teamwork.  Everyone gave it all they had the entire time and really pushed through.

Thanks for coming out and supporting me and RUCKING!!!

 

 

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Never Board at the Abyss

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Great morning!! Or was it? As I was setting up the BoP out back, I saw a couple of cars parked. Lights off, side by side. I was wondering if I was about to become a crime statistic. Then as I drove back towards the front of the school, I noticed an unusually large number of cars rolling in. Someone more self-effacing might have thought it was for them. I was hopeful. Turns out there was a school field trip gathering. Oh well.

Disclaimer was disclaimed. Moseyed around to the side of the school for the COP:

  • SSH x 15
  • WM x 15
  • IW x 15
  • MNC x 20

Didn’t want to take too much time away from the main event. No talking (believe it). Due to the full lot out back, moved the BoP to the front of the school for the main event .

The MINI Board Of Pain

The real Board of Pain has become somewhat of a legend in The Fort region. I figured we need to keep our eye on the prize and came up with the mini version to break out every now and then to keep us prepared for the real deal. Three groups of 5 exercises, 25 reps each OYO (unless otherwise noted), nonstop, with runs after every 5th exercise:

  1. Burpees
  2. Calf raises (50)
  3. Ski Abs
  4. Merkins
  5. Long, slow squats >>> Run a lap
  6. LBCs (50)
  7. CDDs
  8. American hammers
  9. Mac Tar Jai
  10. Jump squats >>> RUN FORREST, RUN!!
  11. Mountain climbers
  12. Shoulder raises (50)
  13. Mary Catherines
  14. Hello Dolly!
  15. Wide arm merkins >>> Run like the wind(ed)…
    >>> RINSE AND REPEAT
    (missing from the original BoP were squat jacks, nipplers – whatever the hell those are, and burpees)

Again, NO talking from the Q. I did provide some Pandora streaming music, and it was noted that my playlist stunk. Playlist? I don’t have time for that. That’s why I use Pandora. The PAX really got after it! Alot of great support and mumblechatter. Everyone completed 2 full circuits, a few started on their third. GREAT JOB BY ALL!!

We took it right up to ~ 5:57. Enough time for a slow Indian run back to the COT.

COT:
* Read your newsletter. Get out there, get involved, make a positive impact somehow. Get better every day.
* Brewruck 002 Sat 3/31
* CAH Guidance 3/31
* Whetstone is starting back up. Get better!
* Prayers for families, children, parents, and health
* Prayers for MOAB’s Dad who recently survived a heart attack, and that he is given the strength, discipline, and courage to follow through with the changes needed in his life to get better.
* Prayers for Zoe Deen, the man who hit her on Tuesday AM, and their respective families/loved ones.
* Many more said – sorry I cannot remember them all

NMM:
I kept quiet today at this workout. Did not say much at all. No moleskin, deep thoughts, or talking about the word of the month. I kept thinking about what happened on Tuesday morning, around 6am. Right about the time many of us were in COT. It’s regarding the Olympic high school girl Zoe Deen who was killed on Tuesday AM as she was crossing Youngblood Rd not too far from the location of The Abyss……as those who posted that morning were in prayers and praising, she left this earth.

Life is very precious, and can be very fleeting. You never know when your time will come. I’m sure this young woman and her family thought that day would be like any other. Going about their normal morning routines. Setting off to begin another day. I’m sure the driver of the SUV thought the same thing…..just like any another day. They never suspected that morning their worlds would change forever. In an instant she was gone. In an instant his life was forever scarred. In an instant those kids who saw it happen were forever changed. In an instant the lives of the families all those involved were forever changed as well. That’s all it takes. An instant. And it’s not just one life affected……the wave of change spreads outward and touches many others. We are blessed with this precious thing we call life. What you do with it is up to you, but if you leave doubts in anyone’s minds – yours or others – about how precious it can be, then you failed regardless of how much else you may achieve, gain, or accomplish. Take nothing for granted. Value every moment. Leave no doubts in anyone’s minds about love and life.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead,
– NASA

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Final Prespect Q at the Ranch

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 Name-O-Rama.  11127355-7E37-4F2A-9B9E-F19861396FC7

YHC thanks Jiffy for the opportunity of one last Q as a Prespect and for the PAX who attended.

Not many posts to the Ranch from my end, but I had been eyeing up the facilities for weeks during 2.0’s soccer practice. Made good use of the the soccer fields and all the trees and light poles.

Arrived early,  fortunately enough lighting in the gloom for the planned weinke, set up 3 cones in front of one soccer goal approx. 10, 15 and 20 yards away and placed the 43 lb sandbag near the opposite goal.

Arrivals, no FNG’s, and a really ‘succint’ disclaimer. I believe we may have had one late arrival.

Moseyed around the parking for 2 laps with high knees, butt kickers, toys soldiers and shuffling. Jogged to far end of the further soccer field for SSH, merkins, flutters, GoofBalls, MNC’s. The real fun began with stage 1:

Stage One. Making use of 27 crepe myrtles lined up, we did bear crawls for one tree with 5 merkins, lunge walk one tree with 5 squats and continuing with adding 1 more tree until the end. Wow, this was tougher on the thighs than expected.  The RETURN lap was jog 3 trees, bear crawl 1, sumo walk 1 until the end. The first lap started near the trees, but by the second lap we were spread out across the soccer field.

Stage Two, Act One. Soccer field. Partner up, one PAX ran the length of the field and kicked a soccer ball into the goal from the closer 1st cone, the other PAX carried the sand bag overhead until handing off to the kicker for the return run. A missed shot meant running a lot further to track it down and replace it at the first cone for the next kicker/group.  MEANWHILE, the other PAX cycled through 5 LBC’s, 5 Flutters, 5 American Hammers. This continued until all 5 partner duo’s had gone.

Act Two and Three had the kickers move back 5 yards, while PAX cycled through…Act Two: 5 bombjacks, 5 Jump Squats, 5 Calf Raises. Act Three, 5 yards further back cycling through 5 Donkey Kicks, 5 left side crunches, 5 right side crunches.

YHC along with about 5 other PAX missed shots on goal.

We finished with 2 laps around the fields using the light poles. 3 burpees at every pole which ended up amounting to 45 burpees. For good measure, we finished 4 more burpees in COT to reach the magical “49” for the workout.

The brief message of the workout was to “Be Inspired, Become Inspiring.” Observe our PAX and follow their lead. We have PAX with different personalities and different involvements to inspire us to become better from the fitness side, to the community/philanthropy efforts, to the betterment of ourselves from the faith and spirituality side.

Prayers to sick or injured family members and friends. ChickenHawk noted to make use of the Easter holiday season to seek out, learn and improve yourself in your faith. Use the extra time to connect with family members.  G-Fit and CAH every Saturday needs PAX involvement, ESPECIALLY during Easter when regular PAX may not be able to post. HELP IF YOU CAN!

3 days to 50 for me, but my first RESPECT post will probably be with the Lehigh Valley PAX back in PA. Looking forward to first Respect post back in the Fort.

Aye! Bolt

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iFLIJfBSEK8BLAEPZWWh-VTD8sYuv0-H/view?usp=sharing

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Ruck W/O: Playing with Large Sacks at Golden Corral

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After focusing on running and boot camps for so long for the P200, my ruck was getting dusty. I knew I had a ruck Q coming up. When Rad reached out to me to see if I still wanted it, I was not sure. We have some heavy duty seasoned ruckers in The Fort and I did not want to Q below their level. Plus, I wanted to keep the weinke simple enough for those who put alot into their running training for the sake of the ruck. Hopefully I found a middle ground.

8 Ruckers were ready. The boot campers tore off with Sir Topham Hat at the Q….wasn’t going to be any easier for them. We rucked up a little heavy with 4 qty 60lb sandbags, one per every 2 PAX. Rucked over to the Grace Presbyterian church parking lot for a quick COP:

Rucks off, 20 ea, in cadence
* SSH
* WM
* IW
* MNC
* PJ

Then we started

The “play area” was between two parking lot lights, approx 25-30 yards or so apart. Starting at one end we would each complete a series of ruck exercises, then with a partner take turns getting a 60lb sandbag from the start to the other end of the area. Once we get to the other end, complete the series of ruck exercises again. Then partner work again getting the sandbags back to the start. Out and back with the sandbags is one round. We did 3 rounds. No stopping, just keep getting after it until time is up.

Ruck Exercises, 10 ea:
* Squat
* Curl
* Swing
* Upright row
* OH Press

Sandbag Rounds:
1. Forward/upward press toss
2. Reverse scoop overhead toss / deadlift overhead toss: back is facing direction of bag travel. Bend down, grab sandbag, swing/deadlift up and toss overhead.
3. Sideways toss or shovel toss – right to left at first, then left to right on the return trip

Gleek joined us halfway through round 2. He wanted to try rucking, so Rad let him use his ruck while he went off with the bootcampers who were exercising in the same lot. Great job Gleek! Welcome to rucking!

The PAX did GREAT! ALOT of mumblechatter…..epic stuff with this ruck group! What is said during the ruck WO stays with the ruck WO. Made the workout fly by. Great stuff. We almost went for a for a fourth round, but opted to do 20ea of the ruck exercises then rucked back to the COT.

COT: In short, read your newsletter. Get out there, get involved. Alot of prayers said, and I am sure there were many more not said.

Pray for Zoe Deen, her family, and the driver of the car that hit her right around the time of COT.

I did not talk much during my Q. That is happening more and more. Less talking, more working. I briefly spoke while we were in listening position (rucks overhead) about how we all have some aspect in our lives that we need to get better. That we are out here trying to get better, to help others get better. We should be trying to get better in some way every day. I know I have alot of room for improvement in alot of ways. Today was one step towards that.

Thanks for the opportunity to lead.
-NASA

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