Tag: Cotton Eye

Island Vacation at Footloose

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My Qotter (thanks Anchorman) after many months.  I’ll keep it short:

The Thang:

Mosey to back lot

COP
SSH
IW
Windmills
Merkins
Mountain Climbers
Double Applesauce around the lot

Stretch-o-Rama

Forest to the Sea
Island Dips
Forest to the Sea
Island Dips
Double Applesauce around the lot

Side Shuffle Bear Crawl on long lot

Double Applesauce around the lot

Side Shuffle Lunge Walk on long lot

Double Applesauce around the lot

PAX Plank Hurdles

Mosey to Flag
6 MOM

 

Announcements:

Joe Davis, Convergence, Read Your Newsletter

Prayers/Praises shared by all in COT

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8 @ Footloose For a Dangerfield Run

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Don’t they say “better late than never”?  I hope so.  Sorry so late!

Dangerfield got his feet with with a great VQ Warmup.  I really think he’s ready to lead a full workout, now we just have to convince him of that.  We started the morning off with 8 merkins to celebrate 8 PAX coming out for Dangerfield’s VQ.  Gave the disclaimer and Dangerfield started running saying Follow Me!

We ran for what seemed like a mile one way, did 20 SSH’s , and then ran for what seemed like a mile back towards where we started from.  There we did some Cherry Pickers and Merkins.  Then Dangerfield took off again in true Gingerbread fashion saying Catch Me If You Can.  We didn’t catch him but thankfully he stopped at a curb to get us to do 20 calf raises.  He said we should be warmed up by now and we all called him some names and I gratefully took control of the workout.  Great job Dangerfield!  Anytime you can get the guys cussing at you, it means you’re doing something right!

After a walking 10 count, we moseyed to the back of the church, found a wall, did people’s chair, and passed a 30lb dumbbell down the line a couple times.  The 3rd time around we curled it left and right before passing.  Bear Crawl to the bottom of the hill for 20 SSH’s.

A short mosey down some stairs to the front of a different church.  I told the guys we’d be running some stairs in honor of Smithers giving a HC and then fart sacking on us.  @ his VQ, he had us running a whole bunch of those stairs.  It wasn’t too bad this time around.  We missed you Smithers!

Across the street I had some coupons waiting.  Each card had an exercise listed on it and each PAX picked 3 cards.  We found a parking space for each of us, laid the cards down, and got to work in cadence.  Choose 1 of the cards, do 20 count IC. We were each doing a different exercise but it didn’t confuse anybody.  Swap parking spots with somebody, choose a card, 20 count IC.  We did this for a full 2 rounds.  I tried to get us back to COT early but Uncle Sam insisted we had time for 1 more so we did 2 more. Cards pulled were:
Burpees, Gorilla Squats, Crab Humpers, Crab Jacks, Donkey Kicks, Flutters,  SSH, Lap around the lot, Merkins, Werkins, Diamond Merkins, LBC’s, Double Arm Curls (20 lb bells), Plank Hold, Forearm Plank Hold, Big Boy Situps, Tree Hugger Hold, Makhtar N’Diayes, Carolina Dry Docks, Scorpian Dry Docks,  and a few more crazy ones.

Finally headed back to COT for announcements, prayers, and praises.  Dont’ forget to read your newsletter!

Shoutout to Beacon for allowing me to Q.  It’s an honor I take way more seriously than writing backblasts.  I promise!

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BLIMPS and DEUCES

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11 PAX gathered on a semi-chilly morning at the Ballroom to attempt to get a little bit better this morning.

The Warm Up:

Mosey to the Football field and circle up.

  • SSH x 20
  • Cherry Pickers x 15
  • MNC x 15
  • Windmills x 15
  • Mountain Climbers x 15
  • In plank stretching to include a bit of the downward dog, and honeymooners
  • Lastly, arm stretches to preview what was about to come…..

The Thang:

The PAX lined up on the Football Field Goal line in order to all prepare for a little journey on the BLIMP.  The BLIMP consists of a B exercise followed by a 20 yard run, then a L exercise followed by a 20 yard run, etc… until we spell the word BLIMP.  The exercises were as follows:

  • Burpees x 5 (Goal line)
  • Lunges x 10 (20 yd line)
  • Imperial Walkers x 15 (40 yd line)
  • Merkins x 20 (40 yd line)
  • Plankjacks x 25 (20 yd line)
  • Squats x 30 (Goal line)

Several 10 counts later, Rinse and repeat going the other way.

Since the mumble chatter was a bit muffled, the decision was made to mosey the long way, (via Indian Run) around the front of the school to the opposite side parking lot, where after a brief setting in via a 10 count or two, the Dirty Mac Deuce. The Deuce morning consisted of 4 sets of 3 exercises with a lap around the parking lot following each set.  Those 4, in cadence 12 count sets consisted of the following:

  • Set 1 – CDD, Monkey Humpers and LBC’s. Take a lap
  • Set 2 – Wide Arm Merkins, Sumo Squats, Flutters. Take a lap
  • Set 3 – Shoulder Taps, Lunges, Hello Dollys. Take a lap
  • Set 4 – Punch Merkins, Squats, Dying Cockroach. Take a lap

Since there was still a bit of time left, Rinse and repeat Set’s 1 and 2 then mosey back to COT for a couple sets of Mary.

We were all reminded to be thankful during this time of year as it can be a joyous time for many but for some, it is a time of struggle, despair, worry and strife.  We are all to think about and pray for those that are struggling, help where we can and live the true spirit of Christmas.  We must always remember that the importance of the season is not in the material gifts we exchange but in the gifts that have been given to us through our blessings, our families, our faith and in remembering that Jesus gave us all the ultimate gift of everlasting life.

This will be my last Q for some time as I am going on the IR next week for knee surgery.  Hope to be back and better than ever in a short 6 or so weeks.

As always, it is a blessing and a privilege to be able to experience the journey with this group of men.

V/R, M*A*S*H

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Boards and A Hill at The Yard

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9 at The Yard for some morning fun before the Paradise lunch and turkey giveaway. Though I was disappointed by the attendance number (it’s not that cold and my workouts are not that hard … maybe too easy ??), I was encouraged by the generosity of the PAX, 8 turkeys and cash for another. Props to MASH for fighting through a tough morning himself to help 5 Paradise families.

The Thang:

Mosey around the bus loop and back to the big lot for some warm up, back and forth across the lot, high knees, butt kickers, soccer knees in, soccer knees out, toy soldier, 10 dips OYO, shuffle L, shuffle R, 10 dips OYO, karaoke L, karaoke L, 10 dips OYO, windmill walker, imperial walker walker, 10 dips OYO, squat walkers

Mosey to the bottom of the hill by the entrance. 7’s up and down the hill, hand release merkins at the bottom, flying squirrels at the top.

Mosey back to the big lot and circle up, in cadence, 10 x LBCs, 10 x weed pullers, 10 x Freddie Mercury, 10 x LSS, 10 x V ups, 50 x OH claps, 10 x shoulders taps, 10 x SSH, 10 x Travolta, 10 x hillbilly walkers

Mosey to the first tall light toward the bus exit. Boards were placed at the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th light. 4 exercises on each board, do 1 at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd board, 2 at the 4th, back to the 3rd, 2nd, and do 2 exercises  back at the 1st, one at the 2nd, 3rd, 2 at the 4th, back to the 3rd, 2nd and 1st. 16 exercises like so, all in cadence: 10 x Makhtar N’ Diayes, 10 x SSH, 10 x LSS, 20 LBCs, 20 x Hello Dolly, 10 x imperial walker, 50 x OH claps, 10 x Kneetar N’ Diayes, 10 x hand release merkins, 100 x MN Clubs, 10 x hillbilly walker, 20 x Freddie M, 20 x dying cockroach, 10 x sumo squat, 10 x seal jacks, 20 Carolina DD.

Good work from the PAX

Looks like we made it,

Barry Manilow

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Ballroom Fun

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The Thang (Workout)

Disclaimer was communicated!

Warm Up: 25 SSH, lunge stretching & 10 Low Slow Squats

Mosey

10 Merkins Upon Request (this should be a new exercise – MUR!) & 25 SSH

Mosey to back Wall – Wall Sits and Balls to the Wall – two counts of 10 each.

Moleskin:  Having God in Control is key.  At the same time WE must be a participant.  We cannot sit on our six and expect action.  We must heed God, His word, His instruction, His will and be a part of the game!!

Mosey to front parking lot.  With a partner, execute partner push across parking lot, 15 Big Boy Sit Ups and 10 Partner Merkins, Rinse and Repeat!!

Dora – with partner and cumulative, 100 squats, 200 LBC and 300 SSH

Mosey back to COT with :10 of Mary starting with Dynasty and moving clockwise

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Impromptu Q Can Be Painful Too…..

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It’s always interesting when the PAX show up for a morning workout only to look at each other and ask “Are you the Q?” and not get an affirmative answer from anyone in the group.  Obviously, hence the title of this workout blast, not one of the PAX in attendance had the Q.  After several minutes of mumble chatter and nervous looks by the PAX to each other, YHC huddled up the PAX and away we went.

The PAX moseyed to the back end of the parking lot, circled up, listened to a slightly delayed disclaimer (thanks for the reminder Magnum, especially since you brought an FNG), and got busy with the warm up.

The Warm Up

25 x SSH

15 x Windmill

15 x Moroccan Night Clubs

10 x Merkins

20 x Flutter Kicks

and I am sure there were others.  Somewhere in the middle of the warm up, CottonEye came in hot and  “agreed” to assisting with the morning’s Q.

The Thang

The PAX moseyed to the curb at the middle school where we assumed the plank position along the curb.  The PAX, while in plank, shuffled left while the person on the right end bear crawled to the end of the row.  Think Indian Run in plank with bear crawls as the sprint.

From there the PAX climbed a Jacobs Ladder between the two basketball goals.  Exercises were Merkins and Bombjacks.

4 rounds of 4 corners was next on the list with the 4 corners being LBC’s, CDD, Merkins and Squats.  The PAX split into two groups and proceeded to get on with it.  1st round x 20 reps, 2nd x 15 reps, 3rd x 10 reps, 4th x 5 reps.

The PAX moseyed to the back of the elementary school to visit our old friend Dora. The Dora consisted of 50 x Merkins, 100 x LBC’s and 150 x Squats.  All partnered up and proceeded to go on a search with 1 partner performing the exercise and the other running the loop behind the school.  Once finished with Dora, we met up with our old friend Jack Webb and learned to count to 10.

Once completed, all moseyed back for a quick round of Mary then COT for announcements, prayers and praises.

We were all reminded of the relatively short time we all have here on earth, brought front and center this week by the loss of a Fort Mill Teen, and that we should love and hold on to our children and loved ones, for tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to anyone.  We all have the opportunity each day to be the best we can be given the tools God has given us; whether at a work out, being a friend, a son, a father, a spouse, or most importantly in our daily walk with Christ.  Ask yourself daily, “Am I being the best I can be?”  I know I fall short in many things, but Lord knows, I am trying….

 

V/R, M*A*S*H

 

 

 

 

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Smithers VQ at Footloose – Stairway to Heaven

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Smithers VQ

The weather was wonderful this fine fall October Morning…it felt just about as thick as ever and I was sweating even before I got out of bed!  Perfect day for my VQ!

As we were standing around talking before everything got kicked off I was amazed by the show of support of all the PAX rolling in one after another, 29 in all.  If only they had known what was coming ;-).

Started off with my first ever disclaimer…then a mosey to the back parking lot at First Baptist for the warmup:

  • Side Straddle Hops
  • Low Slow Squats
  • Windmills
  • Walking Calf Raises (aka how Cakeboss walked to school) to the wall
  • Wall sits for each PAX 10 count

Mosey across the street, down the steps, and across the next street to the parking lot next to Fort Mill Church of God…and wait, what was that in the humid glow of the streetlight?  Was that a board of pain?  Oh yes…

The Thang:

Partner up.  One partner starts the exercise while the other runs across the street and runs the snake on the set of steps…then back to take over the exercises for the partner.

  • 50 Bombjacks
  • 150 LBC’s
  • 200 Monkey Humpers
  • 150 Squats
  • 50 Merkins
  • 200 Calf Raises
  • 200 Side Straddle Hops

CONTROL is the word of the month.  We are all men….it’s in our DNA to want to be in control.  What do we need to find control?  In a car you need good tires…in a house you need a solid foundation.  You need a STRONG BASE…so…we worked on ours today.  Our legs (and a little bit of our core) were the focus…to give us a strong base to improve our control!

That said, we have all experienced things that didn’t go according to plan, and in many cases you could not regain that control no matter how hard you tried.  It is not easy to let go…it is not easy to adapt quickly…at least not all the time.  So, even when we ARE feeling in control we know that it is the Sky Q who has allowed that and trusted our leadership, Aye!  You see, the Sky Q uses us daily…sometimes to help others who are down, and pick them up…sometimes we are there to help those looking to help a brother up and we are the ones who are down.  Then there are the days where things just move right along without much resistance.  Those are the days where we should be letting the Sky Q know how much we appreciate His trust in us, and asking for continued strength to make Him proud!

Mosey back to COT for a quick round of Mary (just one set of flutter kicks) to close out our time.

My biggest fear was getting done WAY too early or not coming anywhere CLOSE to finishing the workout.  Sky Q steered me right in all the decisions, and I think for my first Q to finish with less than 2 minutes to spare…well, I’ll take that any day!

So, in closing…

My legs hurt, how about yours?

Smithers Out

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Footloose or don’t Footloose… you pick

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Footloose brings the numbers for sure… No sense in getting philosophical at the front…

The Thang:
Warm up:
– Lot lap with dynamic stretching
– Windmills x 10
– IW x 10
– Arm Circles x 20 (10 forward, 10 backward)
– Squats x 10
– SSH x 15

Mosey to back of Baptist Church

]The cones will tell you what to do from here. Each cone has two choices of an exercise to perform. At each cone, make a choice. Neither exercise is “harder” or “easier” per se, but you may look and think, I hate that one, or I’m ok with that one, or I love that one… The point is, you choose. You are faced with choices every day, and different things are needed at different times, and you have to navigate that. There is NO JUDGMENT for what you do or do not choose, only if you do not push yourself a little past what your natural man desires. Pick one or the other, or if you are feeling plucky… do both.

Cone 1:

  • 20 Jump Squats OR 20 regular squats

Cone 2:

  • 20 diamond merkins OR 20 regular merkins

Cone 3:

  • 20 Burpees OR 20 Bombjacks

Cone 4:

  • 40 flutters OR 40 LBCs

Cone 5:

  • 20 dips OR 20 overhead claps

Cone 6:

  • Bear crawl to next cone OR lunge to next cone

Cone 7:

  • 30 shoulder taps or 30 second plank

AMRAP FOR TIME

Ended with a little cadence merkins, squats, and Jack Webb (to 5, it’s moderate after all)…

All things considered, it was a good time.

NMM:
Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it is getting. If you don’t like your results, change your system.

Helmet, out.

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5 Year Anniversary Convergence BB

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Saturday, September 30th 2017 was a special Convergence for the PAX of The Fort. On that day we celebrated 5 years of using these small workout groups to invigorate male leadership in Fort Mill. To honor the occasion, 88 PAX gathered at one of our favorite AOs (Nations Ford HS) to celebrate the day and the leaders that made it all happen.

We also celebrated 6 Friendly New Guys that joined us that morning. Welcome Tubs, Band Camp, Jughead, Atari, Hat Trick, and Saul.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, however. Here’s how we got better:

Warmup (led by Ginsu)

  • Mosey to the football field
  • 30 Side Straddle Hops
  • 10, 4-count windmills
  • 30 Moroccan night clubs
  • 10, 4-count merkins
  • 10, 4-count Peter Parkers
  • 10, 4-count Parker Peters
  • 10, 4-count LBCs
  • 20 low slow squats

Split into groups (Run, Regular Bootcamp, Black Diamond, Ruck, Moderate Bootcamp)

Run (led by Birdcage)

  • 800 meter indian run
  • 1000 meter 10k pace with 1 minute rest x2
  • 200 meter 1 mile race pace 200 meter cool down x4
  • 400 meter sprint corners recover straights
  • 1600 meter cool down
  • 5 miles total

Bootcamp (led by Royale)

  • Mosey over to the concrete football field
  • 10 merkins
  • Lunge walk 10 yards then do 3 burpees
  • Next ten yards bear crawl then 3 more burpees
  • Rise and repeat until we hit the other goal line
  • 10 count – going over the Five Core Principals of an F3 workout
  • Next phase we broke into 4 groups
  • At each corner of the end zones there were 5 exercises written on a board.  We would complete in your group and then run to the next corner. Everyone would hit al 4 corners.
    • Corner 1
      • 20 Merkins
      • 30 Lunges
      • 30 Dying Cockroaches
      • 30 Ski Abs
      • 3 Kraken Burpees
    • Corner 2
      • 20 Ranger Merkins
      • 30 Squats
      • 40 Freddy Mercurys
      • 40 Shoulder Taps
      • 10 burpees
    • Corner 3
      • 20 Durkins
      • 20 Jump Squats
      • 50 American Hammers
      • 30 Monkey Humpers
      • 10 Mountain Climber Burpees
    • Corner 4
      • 20 Wide Arm Merkins
      • 20 Sumo Squats
      • 20 V-Up Twists
      • 20 Bombjacks
      • 10 Squat Burpees
We talked about the word of the month – Leadership.  I shared we all have an opportunity to lead through F3, just like we all have the responsibility to lead in our homes.  I know I struggle with the balance of work and family time.  As the leader of our households we need to support our Ms and be the examples to our children.
  • Mosey over to the round about
  • Each man would take a lap around 1st doing Lt Dans
  • Finally we would bear crawl.
  • Mosey to the football field for the last 30 seconds and some LBCs

Black Diamond (led by Backdraft)

  • Mosey from warm up top pull up bars
  • Pull ups/ Burpee challenge – 9 pull ups 1 burpee., 8-2 , 7-3 until finished.
  • Mosey to stadium run the bleachers
  • 10 derkins
  • 10 dips
  • Mosey to track run 1/4 mile as fast as you can. U vs. U
  • Mosey to end zone. Count off by 2s. split into groups first person flips tire 10 times than run end zone to end zone while next person flips tire everyone else continuously do 10 merkins, 10 squats, 10 big boy sit ups. Keep going until all of group is finished.
  • 10 min 100 burpees. Do 10 burpees every minute on the minute. U vs. U
  • Mosey to 50 yard line 5 minute of Mary
  • Sideline sprints x 2 first set after you run 10 tuck jumps. 2nd set 5 hand release merkins

Ruck (led by Trucker)

2 20lb, 3 40lb, and 3 60lb sandbags were snagged from back of car as 8 PAX tucked down to the elementary school and dropped the sandbags next to the telephone poles. The 8 PAX carried the telephone pole around the parking lot. Left telephone pole where we found it and rucked backwards up the hill to the pull up bars. What’s a WO by Trucker without pull ups? YHC challenged the 8 PAX to do 2 sets of 5 pull ups with ruck on.

Rucked into stadium and lined up in 2 columns for sandbag throws from one end of football field to other and back. Then rucked up and down the football stand stairs from one end back. Rinse and repeat with sandbag throws and stadium stairs. Threw sandbags again down to other side of endzone and then formed 2 lines abs flipped tires from one end to other. Sandbag threw back to other endzone and climbed stadium stairs one more time. Finished with a 20 count flutters. Great work by seasoned and rookie ruckers.

Moderate (led by Short Sale)

  • MOSEY to Elementary School
  • Grab some Wall. Wall Sits while Pax at each end jumps out of line for 5 squats
  • Repeat with 5 Bombjacks.
  • Count off by 5’s and mosey to back of the parking lot
    • Number 1’s go to station #1
    • 2’s start at Station3, etc.
  • Stations: 3 minutes/station. Q calls stop & go
    • 1: 10 Merkins, 20 Calf raises
    • 2: 20 LBCs, 20 Monkey Humpers
    • 3: 10 SSHs, 20 Moroccan Night Clubs
    • 4: 10 Scorpion Dry Docks, 20 Squats
    • 5: 20 Imperial Walkers, 10 Apollo Ohnos
    • 6: 10 Broad Jumps, 20 Flutters
    • 7: 10 Bombjacks, 20 squat jabs
    • 8: 10 handclap merkins w/partner, 10 partner Derkins- Beloved by veteran Pax and FNGs alike
    • 9: 10 Jump Squats, 10 CDD’s
    • 10: 10 Dips, 5 jack Webbs
  • Mosey to Stop sign at bottom of hill for some Mary- Hello Dollies, Flutters, Protractor

MESSAGE ON LEADERSHIP- F3 gives us a great platform to grow our leadership skills and build confidence as a leader. The Pax will let you know if/when something has gone wrong but will also be there to lift you up. Also, the best leaders don’t focus on their ROLE, they focus on the GOAL. So, be the leader you were called to be.

Great group of men came to work. Veterans guided the FNGs and encouraged them at every step of the way. YHC kept reminding the group that it is UvsU out here. Some quality mumble chatter about what moderate means. Smiles all around when moved on from the stations.

Wrap Up

What we have at The Fort is special. It is a strong group of PAX led by men who live with intentionality. I am sure that each of us would agree that it has impacted our lives in ways that we will never be able to describe. At some point for each of us, we were gifted F3. We were headlocked by someone who recognized the impact that F3 had on them and how it could help us. With that in mind, let’s pay this gift forward. Be the leader you were called to be and use your influence to headlock the sad clowns around you, FNGs and Kotters, that are where you once were. Be a leader.

Ginsu

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Welcome FNG Airwolf and welcome all PAX to the new AO at Pleasant Knoll Elementary. The Ballroom has a new AO and possibly a new name. That is still to be determined. In meantime, 20 PAX and YHC took a tour of the grounds and got disciplined.

Introduced the PAX and away we went.

Mosey around back of school in the pitch black. Lights in the front, party in the back…..I mean dark in the back. Still able to mosey.

  • Lunge walk
  • Shuffle L/R
  • Karoke L/R
  • Mosey to playground

COP:

Weezer came in and led first few excercises

  • Low slow squats
  • ???? can remember 2nd move
  • Moracan nIght Clubs

YHC back at Q

  • SSHs
  • Imperial Walkers
  • Peter Parkers
  • LBCs
  • Mtn Climbers

Count off in 4’s

Rotate stations after group doing swing crunches are done….2 rounds

1″s – Swing Crunches to 15

2’s – Carolina Dry Docks

3’s – LBCs

4’s – Squats

 

Mosey to Wall

Peoples Chair, while PAX bear crawl to end of line

Rinse and Repeat

Mosey to Front of school

  • Round of Dips

Back in groups – 1 group at time runs hill, to steps and back to PAX wile other groups alternate excercises

  • Dips x3
  • Derkinsx3
  • lungesx3
  • sumo squat x3

PAX mosey down main drive. YHC after asking many of the PAX to define discipline, explained that we work hard to train and gain knowledge so that when things get hard, we have the discipline to push through and accomplish what we could not if we were not disciplined. Like facing a long uphill run back to COT. Its not how fast or what others are doing, but what are we willing to push through and get better at??

  • PAX ran back to shovel flag with strong finish
  • Freddy Mercurys
  • Supermans
  • Rosalitas
  • Hello Dollys

COT: Great PAX and Great AO. I’m looking forward to the growth potential at the New AO and the many new Q that went through Q school to get some fresh blood in the mix.

Get disciplined men so that when the storms come in life, you are strong and ready to face them.

Cake Boss out!

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