10/20/21 Mr. T.--A Perfect 7

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Backblast! A Perfect 7
Date: 10/20/2021
AO: #ao_mr_t
PAX: @Boss  @Catfish @Crop Top @Dundee @Mo Town @Spicoli
FNGs: 0
Q: @JazzHands
Total: 7
Conditions: YHC always loves getting back to where it all started in F3 Cville and was excited to be at Mr. T, with its perfect fall conditions this morning. Even though no HC’s and little mumble chatter the night before pointed to a small turnout, 7 HIMs showed up in the gloom to get after it. Dundee and Mo Town rolled in first, followed by Crop Top, Catfish, and Spicoli—making a perfect 2 groups for the triple check. Boss rolled in at the last minute to mess up that symmetry, but it was well worth it. Spicoli regaled us with tales of getting arrested at weddings and advice on which twitter feeds to follow (Shakira, not J-Lo). We even got in a little extra time on the hill with some elevens before it was all said and done when Mo Town pointed out we were early for the flag. The other AO’s may be fancier, but it is always fun to get down and dirty at Washington Park.Warm-Up:

• SSH x 20
• Third Graders x 10
• Merkins x 12
• Imperial Walkers x 15
• Sun Gods x 20 (10 each way)

The Thang:
Mosey up Madison and stop at each parking lot to do:
-Plank Jacks x 20
-Copperhead Squats x 10
-LBC’s x 20
-Scorpion Dry Docks x 10Mosey down Grady and do 5 burpees at each intersection (20 total)5 more burpees and 20 Monkey Humpers in the Triangle near the Dairy MarketMosey to the pavilionTriple Check: Break into groups of 3
-1 person does Jerkins, 1 does Donkey Kicks, and the timekeeper does a lap around the pool; repeat 3 timesHalf of the group bearcrawled the length of the basketball court and back while other half did Freddie Mercuries; flipflopElevens with merkins and sqats at the top and bottom of the hillMary

• Homer to Marge x 20
• Pickle Pounders x 20
• J-Lo’s x 15
• American Hammer x 20

Announcements:
·      #ao_the_bridge needs men to sign up to Q and support the men down there
Count-o-Rama
Name-O-Rama
COTWhile I hadn’t thought of the man in probably 10 years, I found myself reading some obituaries of Colin Powell this week after he passed away at age 84 on Monday. The man was a pioneer: the first Black national security adviser in U.S. history, the first Black chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and also the first Black man to become secretary of state. He’s the only person to hold all three positions. While I didn’t agree with him politically in some ways, I found myself really appreciating the kind of leader he was—one willing to live up to his mistakes. One article about him mentioned this quote:“Mr. Powell’s favorite quotation, which he displayed on his desk at the Pentagon, was from the ancient Greek historian Thucydides: “Of all the manifestations of power, restraint impresses men most." Though the attribution may actually be apocryphal, one can understand why Mr. Powell embraced the sentiment. Experience — from the battlefield to the bureaucracy — had instilled a healthy suspicion of power untempered by character.I immediately tried to put this into action this week on a couple of occasions—when a new employee totaled one of the organization’s cars (she’s fine, but she was at fault) and when another employee blew up at me for bringing up a mistake that she was responsible for. While my first instinct as the director could have been to come down hard or strict in each instance, I took a breath and showed restraint. I think we could use a lot more leaders these days who show restraint as often as possible. Thank you guys for helping me strive to be a man of strong character. Always an honor to lead,Jazz Hands (edited)