F3 New Orleans

Tag: Lakefront

  • Time for cake (and fall?) – from Russo

    MUCH better weather all of a sudden today for a split beatdown. YHC, who is hot and sweaty when it’s a December morning, might even call is “mildly pleasant”. Up is down. Down is up. Cats and dogs living together. REGARDLESS, what a blessing some relief from the oppressive heat was.

    Warmup (10x, all IC)

    -Torso Twists
    -Toe touches
    -Arm circles
    -Grass grabbers
    -Cherry pickers

    Thang: While Grundy took half the pax in an IPC with coupons and AMRAP and burpees and pain, YHC took the other half on a cakewalk around the lakefront.

    The cakewalk order:

    45 Seal jacks
    44 High knees (2 is 1)
    43 SSHs
    42 Plank Jacks
    41 goof balls
    40 squats
    39 Hello Dollies
    38 Calf raises
    37 Apollo ohnos
    36 Freak Nastys
    35 step ups
    34 flutter kicks
    33 butt kicks IC
    32 Peter Parker’s
    31 imperial walkers
    30 Shoulder taps
    29 American hammers
    28 Monkey Humpers
    27 Merkins
    26 Smurf jacks
    25 wife pleasers
    24 Rosalitas
    23 crab jacks (crab position – think reverse plank jacks)
    22 groiners
    21 Bear crawls (counting your right hand as a rep)
    20 murder bunnies

    At this point, we said hello to a gentleman (Tom) working on his boat. Pik EHed him and he joined us for the rest of the walk. Come to find out, he knows Steve and Bird. Here’s to his rejoining is soon and getting a proper F3 name.

    19 Wide merkins
    18 Bobby Hurley’s
    17 crab cakes
    16 circle ups
    15 Bulgarian split squats
    14 urkins
    13 Sister Mary Catherine’s
    12 LMCs IC
    11 diamond merkins
    10 star jumps
    9 donkey kicks
    8 8 count body builders
    7 merkins
    6 Box cutters IC
    5 Carolina dry docks
    4 Wife pleasers
    3 jump squats
    2 burpees
    1 minute plank

    COT, name-o-rama, announcements, and prayer closed us out. Prayers for our brothers running the 5k today, a special intention from Zoolander, and a successful delivery for Cowbell and his M on twins A and B (soon to be renamed) this week.

    Here’s to a good week for all.

    SYITG

  • Hurt Locker – from Akbar

    You’ll know it when you’re in it. Google definition: to physically mess someone up, badly. AKA a world of pain.

    Unlike the movie – we weren’t disarming bombs in the heat of combat, recklessly plunging men into a deadly game of urban combat, didn’t have to control a wild leader, no cities exploding into chaos, and may not have changed every man’s character forever.

    There wasn’t even a locker per se, but the 13 men who showed up to make themselves better for the day were in a sense locked into the beatdown.

    Did we have to overcome obstacles? Were we challenged? Was there sweat and complaints? Absolutely. There was enough bang to send us all to Jesus, but we didn’t die. We made ourselves better today.

    Conditions 79,WNW wind 4, 5% cloud cover, still hot

    Warm Up: x10 IC: SSH, Imperial Walkers, Hillbillies, Grass Grabbers, Self-Love, Toe Touches, Windmills, Merkin, Squat, 2 burpees
    _____________________

    Mosey toward the Gazebo for the main thang at the wall, with various moseys to the street and back in between. 20 reps for the first exercise, 30 for the second, and 2 burpees to wrap it up.

    Merkin, Squat, Burpees
    Dirkin, LBC, Burpees
    Irkin, Sumo Squat, Burpees
    Stone Mountain, American Hammers, Burpees
    Merkin, Lunges, Burpees
    Dirkin, Mountain Climber, Burpees
    Irkin, Sweat Angels, Burpees
    Wide Merkin, SSH, Burpees

    _____________________
    11’s at the wall – Freak Nasties and Supermans with a run in between

    7’s – Plank Jacks and Squats, Bear Crawl/run

    _____________________
    Mosey back to the flag for a Mountain Climber Ring of Fire

    Hold plank, start with 1 MC and add 1 each time around the circle – ended up stopping at 5.

    ____________________
    6 minutes of Mary, x10 IC

    LBC, Wife Pleaser, E2k, Little Manny crunches, Nolan Ryan, Heels to Heaven, Flutter
    Kicks, Plank, Down Dog, Cobra

    Count, Name, and Mathlete prayed us out.

    _____________________
    Announcements

    Iron Pax: Week 0 next week
    Grow Run NOLA – need more men or the event will be canceled. See Slack for details and sign up, or get with Fracsac
    Never forget 5k run/walk in Covington, Sept 9th

    Thanks for following my lead👊
    SYITG – Akbar

  • Eight is Enough – from Russo

    83 this morning as YHC pulled up, with a nice breeze to limit the sweat damage early. Great group of 12 for the beatdown.

    Warmup
    All 10x – 16 IC:
    – Seal jacks
    – Self love
    – Toe touches
    – Cherry pickers
    – Good mornings
    – High knees

    Thang

    Mosey around the block, stopping at each corner for:
    8 8-count body builders
    16 shoulder tap plank jacks
    24 merkins
    32 Peter Parker’s (1 is 1)

    Next round:
    8 Imperial squat walkers IC
    16 Hallelujah squats
    24 Apollo Ohnos
    32 Monkey Humpers

    Round 3:
    8 Dr. w’s
    16 Gas pumps
    24 LBCs

    Over to Rip’s, where it was:

    – 4 minutes of 24 rocky balboas followed by a trip up and down their steps (R&R)
    – Two rounds of 24 Rocky Balboas, 16 Urkins, 8 Rocky Balboas, 4 Urkins
    – Two rounds of 24 calf raises, 16 step overs, 8 calf raises, 4 step overs

    Back to the flag for Mary (16x IC)
    – Penguins
    – American hammers
    – LMCs
    – Rosalitas
    – Crunchy Frogs

    COT, Name-o-Rama, Announcements, Prayer, in that order. We lifted up our walking wounded, school starting, those traveling, Steve’s mother in law, and the victims of the Maui wildfire, among others.

    Coffee added a couple Starskys (apparently a thing in the F3 lexicon according to ‘Whacker) in Bird and Cowbell.

    Even though I took us away from the breezes on the lakefront that cooled us off ever so slightly, I appreciate you all joining me on a jaunt around the area, and what you bring to your own corner of the northshore. Fine group of men this morning. Let’s do it again soon (like at the Splashpad!)

    SYITG

  • Total Meltdown with the Fire Fighter Challenge Tabata – from Bushwacker

    Following a long rehabilitation after shoulder surgery, during which YHC did ABSOLUTELY nothing overly strenuous that Chewy would frown upon, it’s back to the fire department. And, of course, that means then Lakefront is due for another Fire Fighter Challenge… this time Tabata style! Our own friendly neighborhood Steve graciously offered to stalk me at 5:45am and help set up an array of treacherous exercises for the general populous of F3 Northshore.

    WARMORAMA

    Ok, let me be honest, as I sit here typing this drivel of a backblast, I’m having (not for the 1st time) memory issues. Everything came in sets of 10 and in cadence. There were several things with knees and feet and hands, ya know the usual. We really just needed to get loose enough to reduce risk of injury while dying in the heat and humidity.

    THANG

    The PAX mosied to the shaft where a variety of tires, weights, a giant rope, and a 50ft length of fire hose awaited the assembled. A hopefully-briefer-than-expected-by-the-PAX explanation of the ordeal laid out was given and things got underway. A tabata of 40 cycles – seconds of work with 12 seconds rest in between had such familiar FF exercises such as the Tire Pull, Tire Toss, Tire Flip, and Sledge Hammer Swing, interspersed amongst which were other favorites such as the High Rise Pack Carry, Burpees, Flutter Kicks, Farmer’s Carry and more. After the completion of the Challenge, in which a valiant effort was put forth by the brave men willing to cross the thin red line to take the red pill, there were none willing to compete for the Badaxxe Award by completing the Tire Pull, Tire Flip, and Farmer’s Carry for time. QIC wasn’t certain whether the lack of interested parties was because the defending title holder Grundy was not in attendance, or like myself, everyone was almost fully spent. Either way, there seems to be some unfinished business…

    MARY

    After mosying back to the flags the PAX were treated to 11 full-ass minutes of mary that finaled with 100 100s OYO.

    COT

    Countorama/nameorama, True Coat shared the opportunity to take part in a 30 minute men’s weekly zoom meeting involving spiritual discussions of Opus Dei and more of the most intriguing sort. Hit him up to learn more. The fair-weather Kotter Quart Pipe prayed us out and off to coffeteria we went!
    Gentlemen, thank you for following me into the fire (of sorts), and allowing me to lead you all in this thing of ours, la F3 cosa nostra. And don’t forget, HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE!

  • Efficiency – from Akbar

    YHC has been working with Whacker helping cut yards for the past month. One thing that I’ve learned is the efficiency in which he works. Active, productive, profitable, skillful, decisive, effective, valuable, proficient, organized. It’s not like when we cut our own yard: chilling to tunes, stopping to talk with the neighbors, maybe looking forward to a cold beer afterward. This is an operation to get finished as soon as possible.

    For example, tight and wide. You cut the smaller spaces first toward the street, then the larger ones working back toward the house – this makes clean up more efficient. Don’t cut other people’s grass, even it’s a patch of grass the size of a shoe box. If you do, you’ll get yelled at by a screaming man running toward you with a weed eater. Snake mow only when the grass is shorter, box cut when it’s growing to make clean up more efficient. Mow the edges of the yard first, watch out for protruding or non-protruding items in the yard (stumps, toys, power lines). Don’t wear dark sunglasses.

    Drive fast in between jobs – rolling stops are permissible at stop signs. Blow grass with the wind. Eat something, drink lots of water, and don’t use the bathroom until the jobs are finished.

    In pondering these recent adventures, efficiency was on the mind. What kind of beatdown covers all the bases without being too complicated? 7’s and 11’s

    PAX: Akbar, Wicket, Jose 10k, Hogsbreath, Zoolander, Russo, Minnow, Maverick, Bird, Grover, Hammer, JV, Trucoat, Waterpik, Sogo, Brexit

    Warm up x10-20 IC:
    SSH, Mountain Climbers, Mummy Kicks, Grass Grabbers, Windmills, other stuff

    Thang:
    Mosey up and down the Lakefront, stopping for 7’s, then 11’s, rinse and repeat. All exercises started on the wall, with a 60 foot mosey to the sidewalk to perform exercise #2, then a mosey back.

    7’s Dirkin, Army Crawl, Mountain Climber
    11’s Freak Nasty, flying nun (lunge walk with arm circles), Twinkle Toes (Al Gore calf raise)
    7’s Wall Jumps, Bear Crawl, Hand Release Merkins
    11’s Stone Mountain, High Knees, Renegade Row

    7:19 am, Lightning round
    7’s Bouncy Squats, run, Superman’s
    11’s Al Gore Shoulder Clap, run, Scuba Steve’s

    Indian run back to the flag for Mary

    Mary
    Mountain Climbers x20 IC, LBC’s x20 IC
    30 Merkins OYO courtesy of Wicket

    Name, count, and YHC prayed us out.

    Announcements
    Memorial Day Murph at the Marsh Monday, Jose has Q with Coffeeteria after
    Hogsbreath retirement party at Faubourg Brewing June 10, 5-7

    NMM
    • Great to have Brexit join us again
    • One thing YHC loves about 7’s and 11’s is the Mumblechatter. There was a whole group on the far side that quoted movie lines pretty much the whole workout. Gives you a chance to catch up with everybody, like switching conversations on a speed date, but you aren’t trying to date the other dude.

    Thanks for following my lead. SYITG – Akbar

  • Flicker Ball 2023 Installment – from Zoolander

    15 proved fit for the 2nd flicker ball installment in 3 years on the North Shore. The game warm-up included two rounds of a lung-busting core medley (mountain climbers, V-ups, supermans, squats with jumps, and side-touches) and some soccer ball Merkins. Teams were arranged based on age with Wicket and Barely Legal captaining a Juniors versus Seniors match-up. The game went back-and-forth, needed instant replay at one point to dispel a goal debate as heated as Crystal or Tobasco, and even a flawless Scissors Move was sighted within the Junior’s ranks (Zoolander). Fancy moves were no match for Akbar and the Senior’s stiff defense. In the end, Dangerfield’s Zioned shoe was all it took to unleash his barefoot speed with Senior ace’s Bird and Waterpik on his flanks. The Senior’s long-range shooting, including Jose 10k’s Steph Curry range peppering, bested Cowbell’s golden cleats and the Junior’s fancy playmaking, leaving the Juniors bent over gasping for air and petitioning for a re-match. The work-out ended with the introduction and naming of the newest member of F3 North Shore, “Brexit.”

  • Hit the Bricks! OR When Everyone’s Falling Apart, It’s Time to Push ‘Em Harder – from Bushwacker

    With May weather showing up in February, who knew we would get more 50s in the morning! It was a welcome way to start a challenging beat down on what will prove to be a gorgeous day! For YHC, this morning was about putting my money where my mouth is. There have been some grumbles about the same people signing up to lead the same workouts, and, to be quite honest, the work outs and moral are suffering. How creative, challenging and dynamic can a Q be with his beat down, when he’s lead the same one on the same day 30 out of the last 40 times?! So Bushwacker’s name was added to the sign up sheet and he brought the pain! (maybe a little too much?)

    WARMORAMA

    With Q running a little behind setting up props for the main-ish event, Zoo lander was kind enough to get things started with some Toe Touches and 1 or 2 other exercises. QIC continued with: IC 5 Torso Twists, x10 High Knees, Butt Kicks, Scuba Steves, Mountain Climbers, Shoulder Taps

    THANG

    OYO 100 Lunge Walks towards the west, then mosey to The Shaft.

    1st and 10:

    Markers were set up on the sea wall at 20′ intervals (not enough room for 10 yard intervals). Starting at the 1st marker each man started 11’s with 10 merkins and 1 Burpee in the same place. After, sprint to the last marker and recovery run back to the second marker for 9 Merkins and 2 Burpees, sprint to the end, recovery walk to marker 3, etc. etc. When finished, return to the start and Plank or core exercise to wait for the 6. It was as the process was being explained that Grundy graced us with his presence.

    After all the PAX (and then Jose) had finished, they took advantage of the markers to run Suicides (or Gaskets, Wind Sprints or whichever moniker you prefer).

    Next was a mosey back to the Gazebo, which was when Grundy revealed his inhaler on account of a mild asthma attack! He eventually made it to find Akbar’s Ring of Fire in progress. Whereas the Ring of Fire is a circle of Planks where each man drops for a Merkin as the count reaches him, Akbar’s version consists of a Merkin followed by a leap to to your feet and a hop with hands raised, all in a Burpee-ish fashion. 50 some-odd counts later, the Pax returned to 100 Lunge Walks OYO then mosied the rest of the way to the flag.

    By this point JV was stealing Jose’s grumble thunder regarding all of this darn running, on account of a lingering mystery injury to his foot/ankle. At the flag: 25 Jump Squats OYO, on the wall for: IC Freak Nasties, Irkins, Dirkins, and 25 OYO Box Jumps, where the acutely winded Grundy barked his shin on the cocnrete wall. EMT Todd was on sick leave, and since almost-Eagle Scout Baby Yoda was not present, the always prepared and ever dependable Zoolander leapt into action grabbing a first aid kit from his truck for a little BLS work on the twice-felled Grundy.

    Mosied to Noah Ark and circled up for a variation of Global Warming, where Holding AL Gore, each Pax counted off as they popped up (or squatted lower) individually, counting to 100.
    Mosied back to the flag for…

    MARY

    IC x25 Flutter Kicks, 20 Hello Dollys, 20 Wife Pleasers, 25 Freddy Mercurys, OYO 100 100’s

    COT

    Count, Name, we lost a few of our brethren along the way in Waterpik, Bird, and Grundy, though some came back, in the ineffably resilient Grundy,and some joined late, in Maverick, and later, in Cowbell (Starsky). Speaking of joining us, even though YHC missed his latest actual return last week, welcome back Cotter in Butt Splice! He was kind enough to pray us out on this lovely lovely day.

    The Endurathon benefiting the Nehemiah Project is coming up on March 17-19 at area 3 group camp at Fontainbleau Sate Park. Support the F3 team by sponsoring a loop, or joining in running a loop with Jose, Hammer, Speedy, or Tank. There will be camping Friday and Saturday night so bring the fam!

    The Fury, the Northshore’s 7th anniversary convergence will be on Saturday April 1 starting at 6am on the Lakefront. 12 45 min beat downs, 12 Qs, every hour on the hour! Come for 1, 2, or 12 like Tank. Drinks at the Barley Oak to follow at 6pm. See Slack for the sign up sheet to see who will be Q and to let F3 know which beatdowns you wish to attend. Let’s get a crowd all day long!

    And finally, making this thing – OUR thing – the best it can be, as well as the most attractive to sad clowns and other guys who generally might consider joining us, it takes the effort and dedication of all the PAX. If, excuses aside, your schedule legitimately allows it, consider coming out to a week day beat down and see your brothers more than once a week. As long as Ive been in F3 I can truly say that getting up has been treacherously challenging some mornings, but not once have I EVER regretted getting to a beatdown!
    And while we’re at it, let’s give Russo, Akbar, Shooter, and Waterpik a break and commit to a few Qs. Sign up and let’s get as full as we can a month out each month.

    Big congratulations to Amnesia who, rumor has it, has accepted job offer in Pennsylvania, and to Cowbell and Mrs Cowbell who are expecting TWINS!!!

    Gentlemen, I remain humbled by the opportunity to lead such a fine group of guys, and appreciate your willingness to follow that sometimes fickle, sometimes grueling, sometimes non-sensicle lead

    Bushwacker Sr.

  • The Lions Share – from Akbar

    14 strong at the Lakefront today in bitter conditions. Einstein down range from F3 Houston – who brought an FNG, and 2 other FNG’s related to the first FNG. A family affair. Slots joined us mid-way appearing from nowhere. Did I say it was cold? We got warmed up fast.

    Conditions: 30 degrees and breezy

    Warm Up
    50 SSH, 5 Burpees, 40 SSH, 5 Burpees, Self-Love, Toe Touches, Grass Grabbers, 30 SSH, 5 Burpees, 20 SSH, 5 Burpees

    Thang – Ladder from 100-10 with some runs in between

    100 Squats
    90 Crunchy Frogs

    Mosey to Rips

    80 Rocky Balboa’s (2-1) with a squat jumps after every 10 reps
    70 Wall Plank Jacks – Feet up on wall

    Mosey up Noah’s Ark to Claiborne
    60 Around the World Lunges – front, side, reverse each leg = 6 reps x 10

    Mosey down Claiborne to the old Varsity Sports
    50 Bird Dog Crunches 25 each side

    Mosey back to the Flag
    40 Merkins
    30 Supermans

    Mosey to Noah’s Ark
    20 frog leaps – Hands behind head

    Mosey back to the Flags
    10 Navy Seal Burpees- courtesy of Einstein – Merkin, right leg to right arm, Merkin, left leg to left arm, Merkin, Jump with Clap at top = 1

    Wall Freak Nasty IC x 10

    Mary IC x 10

    LBC, Mountain Climbers, Peter Parker, Jane Fonda, Monkey Humpers, Flutter Kicks, 100’s, Gas Pumps (BBQ led IC)

    Count-o-rama, Name-o-rama
    Welcome FNG’s Parcheezi, Mahoney, and Baggins

    Announcements: Run Cajun Run, Endurathon, City Pork (City Park F3 family event with 5 5k’s) tentatively Feb 25th.

    Circle up, Paw Paw prayed us out

  • The Nightmare “After” Christmas – from Grundy

    Twas 14 nights AFTER Christmas, and though a baby delayed, the Nightmare debt from ’22 was repaid.

    This workout tests one’s fortitude, for none participating can hope to elude; the pain derived from such a foolish endeavor, the fullness of which takes days to discover. Every inch of your back will ache once you’re through, your shoulders destroyed, and your core won’t work too. And what, might you ask, is the reward for this pain? A $5 beer from the man you “disdain”.

    This year was Hogs breath, Jose, and JV. The lone first-timer True Coat and your host, Grundy

    What we completed can be hard to comprehend, here’s the list of what we did by the end…

    150 burpees
    2 miles of running
    150 man-makers
    2 miles of rucking
    100 Merkins
    100 Sit-ups
    100 Squats
    100 4 count SSHs
    100 4 count mountain climbers
    100 4 count flutter kicks
    100 Ruck Presses
    100 2 count Ruck twists (American Hammers)
    100 Ruck Pull Throughs

    Jose intensified this workout yet again; it makes me think that when he’s cut, he pours on it cayenne. In years past Jose ran miles beforehand, this year he did burpees on his knuckles, drawing pity for his poor hands. And yet, it’s just another crazy thing he’s done throughout the years; Jose’s intensity has always earned respect from his F3 peers.

    True Coat hails from the state of Minnesota, he smiles so often that you may think he does so to fill a quota. He squats deeper than most and always seems to do things the right way; every workout puts his grit, strength, and character on display. I feel that True Coat’s shown what working hard in life will getcha; respect, friendships, and the only right way to say “You betcha!”

    Hogs Breath shared a tale from when away in a foreign land, a tale that I’ll keep cryptic here (once you’re older I can expand). To keep it rated G, I’ll share it like the story of the Grinch, a task one might find difficult, I can manage in a cinch. So “what was the tale?” Well, in F3 circles they will say – that the Hogs breath’s small “heart” grew three sizes when away.

    JV’s future might take off literally to the sky, and if he’s ever “top gun” someday, I won’t need to wonder why. The ‘Stache we’ve seen before from him allows one of two careers, let’s pray to God he flies a plane, the other would make moms tear. But looks aside, the reason he’ll “land” in places one would envy, is that when you need a friend (or help), you can always count on JV.

    The pain is high, and the reward seems lacking, but most who were there knew what they were attacking. The men (minus True Coat) knew what was in store, for all had completed this workout before. So, if you’ve never done this workout, please add it to your wish list, for all finishers come to love the Nightmare “After” Christmas.

    See you all in December of 23’!
    Grundy

  • Season’s Beatings – from Russo

    21 degrees to start this morning, which to my recollection was probably a record low for us. What was NOT a low? Christmas spirit.

    On Hammer (with his full body Christmas pajamas), on Akbar (decked in his finest Santa jacket and hat), on Jose10k (lighting up the gloom with Santa hat and blinking Rudolph nose)!

    T claps to TruCoat for bringing his favorite weather with him and semi-DR posters Duracell and Grover, as well as Tanked Up, who took time out of his marathon training to join as well. It’s always nice to see them, and the other bright shining faces that make Christmas (Eve) spirits bright, even if we could only see about 12% of Zoolander’s mug because he was bundled up.

    Warmups (all 10-24x IC) – depending on who you ask, no one was “warm” by any stretch
    – Sealjacks
    – SSHs
    – Toe touches
    – Self love
    – High knees
    – Butt kicks
    – Grass grabbers

    Thang
    Mosey to Granny’s, laughing all the way. Bells were jingling in the cold, and when someone shouted “Deck the halls”, Pax was asked to respond “Fah-la-La-la-la…la-la-la…La!”

    Every block or so we spread Christmas cheer, doing partner merkins spelling out:

    -Merry Christmas
    -Happy Holidays
    -Festivus
    -Hanukkah
    -Rudolph

    Dirty Santa
    Dirty Santa / White Elephant. The rules are simple:
    (1) Each HIM picks a number.
    (2) Number 1 picks a random gift/exercise from the bag and performs said exercise while the other HIM perform the standard (e.g. 20 squats)
    (3) Number 2 has a choice: Number 1’s chosen exercise, the standard, or a new “gift”. If he chooses either of the first two options, the one who had their “gift” stolen can steal or select another mystery “gift”.
    (4) Around and around we go, until all HIM have a chance to select.

    The “gifts”:
    -10 merkins
    -18 jump squats
    -12 freak nastys
    -20 squats
    -7 Hand release merkins
    – slalom the column
    – Trip up and down the pilot house
    -12 step ups (1 is 1)
    -20 hello dollies
    -10 leg raises
    -21 monkey humpers
    -25 plank jacks
    -3 krakken burpees
    -8 SMCs
    -15 murder bunnies or groiners
    -20 bear crawls
    -10 diamond merkins
    -50 high knees
    -10 star jumps
    -2 calf raises
    -20 hip slappers
    -12 hallelujah squats
    -20 cherry pickers
    -6 donkey kicks

    We then climbed the pilot house (the Christmas tree) and topped it with one Star (jump).

    Run run Rudolph
    Indian run back to start, with the 6 bringing the gift (bag) back up to the front, where it was passed back to the 6, rinse and repeat.

    Things we learned:

    (1) YHC is the only one that is a fan of murder bunnies

    (2) After his at least 8th round of them, the bright, shining Christmas star led Hammer to his enlightened Magi state, where he came to the conclusion that bears don’t call them bear crawls, but instead just “walking.”

    (3) I probably should have explained to Duracell that “slalom the columns” did not mean each and every column in St. Tammany parish.

    (4) Krakken burpees are dead. Long live KrackerJack burpees!

    (5) Jose’s 2022 dirty Santa seemed to go better than 2021, as he raised calves better than the shepherds watching their flocks at night.

    COT, Name-o-Rama, Announcements and Prayer closed us out.

    I mentioned last year that I had a chance to catch The Chosen’s Christmas program, and the theme was “They must know.” I again want the to share that sentiment this Christmas with those still reading, that in my mind, all HIM should know:

    Jesus Christ is King, and reigns forever. God chose to come down from heaven, leaving the glory behind, to join us here on Earth, to meet us where we are. To show us who He truly is, to be with us, to right our wrongs, despite the mess we made of his creation and our turning our backs on him or worshiping other gods/idols, in whatever form they take.

    That’s love in its highest form: pure, unrestrained, unconditional, abounding and abundant. I have very little to offer in return, outside of the one thing God requires: my heart. I am going to fall short each and every day, but that’s my goal to him, my family, you all, and everyone I encounter.

    Thank you all for joining, and continuing to make the decision to post and fellowship, even when it’s “cold” outside. I appreciate this group and wish you all the best Christmas season.

    SYITG