The Return of Mutton!

Date: 2/17/24

PAX: Huckleberry (lost), Workbench (lost driver), Spicoli (on time), Root Canal (war daddy), Lamb Chop (war baby), Mutton (kotters), Drip (clever), Greenspan (Q)

Today was the day YHC had to make due on a debt to Lamb Chop for picking up YHC’s January Q due to stomach plague in the Greenspan house.  As fate would have it, it also aligned with the naming of a new Nantan who lives closer to the AO than pretty much anybody else.  Thus, YHC conceived of a coronation ceremony of squats and running; alas, the fantastic victory by the Wake baseball team on opening night over the juggernaut that is Fordham left our new supreme leader out all night celebrating and unable to attend the party in his honor.  In his place, Mutton returned after a significant period on the IR which pleased all present.

Warmarama:

SSHs, ISTs (hold it!), Hillbillies (recover), Standing Hammies, Abe Vigodas, Up/Down Dogs, Cherry Pies

The Thang

Pax were given the simple plan (verbally).  We would be doing a peloton run the entire morning, stopping at yields, stop signs, and stop lights (that were facing us) for exercises.  The pattern was as follows:

  • Yield signs: squats x 10 + dive bombers x 10
  • Stop signs: squats x 20 + mountain climbers x 20 (double-count)
  • Stop lights: squats x 30 + merkins x 30

~350 squats for all in attendance and 3.1 miles covered.  Route was south on Sunset, west on Clover, north on Hawthorne (pause on staiwest side of park for single-legged squats x 10, both legs) all the way past Reynolds High, east on Buena Vista, south on Reynolda, northeast on West End, south (up, walking) on Manley, continue south on Summit, northwest on Brookstown, southwest on West End, and southwest on Sunset back to launch.

One minute of Mary for dive bombers x 10 (IC).

Time.

NMM:

  • YHC met up with Lammy, his M, and their 2.0 yesterday afternoon on the way home from work. Lammy was excited at the prospect of going for 1,000 squats during the muthaship beatdown.  Then, when Root Canal made a surprise appearance, Lammy took YHC aside prior to launch and attempted to start a Conspiracy that would enable him to get more squats than Root Canal, as the two are battling it out in the standings for the February challenge.  Although the Q had some good ideas to accommodate his dear friend, it was too late in the planning game to execute.  Further, the return of Mutton had already initiated some second-guessing in YHC’s head about the game plan for the morning, but the site-Q quickly encouraged Q to stay the course.
  • It was during the conspiratorial council that Workbench and Huckleberry snuck in, apparently having gotten lost and followed Bug Bunny’s path from Albuquerque. Then, as we were performing SSHs during warmarama, Spicoli sped in, earlier than normal.  All of the pieces were in place for a momentous morning.
  • Despite the simple plan, murmuring rang out among the pax at the Q not providing a weinke for them to follow. Ironically, YHC was the first to screw up when he started performing merkins at the stop sign out of the parking lot rather than mountain climbers.
  • Workbench commented that he and Huck should have gone to Alcatraz, and Huck said the workout was awful, which was accepted as high praise. Huck had also never heard a Q call “Hold it”; as Unicron said to Megatron is the Transformers:  The Movie blockbuster, “It pleases me to be the first.”
  • Drip, after an extended running stretch and being the clever guy he is, was at the front of the peloton just past Reynolds, turned into a cul de sac, and quickly u-turned back to Hawthorne in order to encounter a stop sign and give pause to the running.
  • Not to be outdone, Dr. Wise Root Toot was observed several times running to the front of the peloton from the second, third, and fourth (not the rear) positions in order to control the pace. #Smart.
  • Mutton, not cleared for full running, met us at Hawthorne and Buena Vista and then again at the start.
  • Rumors began flying and apprehensions rising as we turned left onto West End off of Reynolda. All fears were actualized when the pax were informed that we would be going up Manley.  However, YHC had mercy on the pax and only made the peloton walk up the slope while the rear person walked just a bit faster to get to the front of the pack.
  • Upon reaching the dual yield signs at Manley and Summit, Lamb Chop, sensing an opportunity, asked if we could do doubles to increase the squat count. The Q acquiesced, but obviously required double the dive bombers as well.
  • During COT, there wasn’t any confusion on who the war daddy was (Rootie Tootie), but significant confusion on who was the war baby. Eventually, Lamb Chop claimed his pacifier.
  • Much was made about Frosty’s absence by the pax, but all were/are excited about the youth movement afoot. We are blessed to have your service and vigor.

Announcements:

  • GreenNest was today.
  • Workbench has VI Q and Huck (surprise!) has TIT Q, both on Monday; Spicoli has Flatline Q on Tuesday.

Prayer Requests:

  • Frost Bite as he assumes his duties and responsibilities, and thanks for the service that Wobegon offered to our region.
  • Thanks for Mutton’s recovery and return. He offered wise words of encouragement to continue showing up for one another.
  • Spicoli’s friend, John, and his family, as John recovers from a stroke.
  • Thistle is having his melanoma treated March 4th.

YHC took us out.  Thanks for the keys, Mutton.  Happy to hand them back to you.