Lost and Found at the Goat

15 at the Goat to venture into the dark, where only one man was wise enough to bring a light (and it sure wasn’t YHC).

Got in a couple miles of EC with Watts Up and Dirt, and we’d just finished up when the cars kept rolling in.  A solid turnout for the Goat, and a good morning for a beatdown.

The Thang:

• 20 x SSH (IC)
• 20 x Dying Cockroaches (IC)

Pledge, and we’re off.

First up, the Sizzle Suicide.  For those that missed the last time, a refresher:

• Run 1 pole – 10 LBCs
• Run back – 10 LBCs
• Run 2 poles – 20 LBCs
• Run back – 20 LBCs
• Run 3 poles – 30 LBCs
• Run Back – 30 LBCs
• Run 4 poles – 40 LBCs

After an impromptu round of Flutter Kicks, we continued down 8th, away from downtown.  We turned down 10th St, just before the church and made our way to the back side of the colesium where an ideally placed picnic shelter was waiting.

For the Main Course today, we did the following:

• 20 Decline Peter Parkers (Count 1 Side)
• 15 Derkins
• 10 Box Jumps
• Mosey to the outfield opening
• Sprint to Dick’s Sporting Goods sign in Center Field
• 10 Squats
• Mosey back to the shelter

We did the first round together (to make sure YHC didn’t leave anything out), then 4 more OYO for a total of 5 rounds.  The coliseum must have taken it out of Boudin, as he had to run.  The PAX pushed hard as most committed to the Box Jumps though alternates were given, but YHC must admit to being more winded than expected. It was also crazy dark down there, so it wasn’t easy to see those that weren’t nearby, so who knows what the PAX actually did.

We meandered to what, in hindsight, must have been a T-ball field, because it wasn’t very big at all.  That meander was YHC’s last good decision of the day.  I used to like running bases, as a ball player and a coach, and so I thought we could get in a round of bases to wrap things up.  That was a mistake for a number of reasons.

1. The T-ball field’s bases were so short that it took Nutria about 3 strides to cover the distance from home to first.  Not a lot of high quality running there
2. It was dark, so you couldn’t see the bases over the grass.  By the time we were running out a double and a triple, we were just following the loop of Tesla’s choice without a whole lot of bases being touched.  Appeals would not have gone our way.
3. Did I mention it was dark?  Running out the home run, I tried to touch em all, but definitely got home plate.  As I was wrapping up, I saw Oblivious standing near second base obviously looking for something.  Come to find out, his keys fell out of his pocket, and nobody had a clue where they were.  Lots of adjusting goin on with our eyes to try to see through the dark.  Watch said 6:08, so we’re ok on time, but it’s dark, and the key fob is black.  The good news is the sun has to come up sometime, so we wouldn’t be there forever, but we could have been there a while.  In steps Dirt with his personal handheld electronic device that included a flashlight among many handy features including logging workouts on Strava.  14 PAX and 1 flashlight, and I wasn’t loving our odds, but just as the seed of doubt was planted, Dirt came up huge, finding the keys and ensuring the safe return of all the PAX to wherever it was they came from.

I think it’s going to be a while before we run bases again on account of YHC.

After the victory, and with a little spring in our steps, YHC chose to take us home by way of–the steps.  Not on the Weinke.  Not like we weren’t just aimlessly walking through a dark T-ball field looking for keys.  Let’s take the long way back too.  Big, dumb mistake.  Sure, we got up the stairs and hauled back to the flag, but by the time we got there, it was 6:18, and we launched into the COT

Announcements:

• Blood Drive is today
• Metro is planning a 10 year event on 1/1/21
• No Christmas Party
• Dredd is stepping down as Nantan of F3 Nation; Slaughter to be the new Nantan
• 2nd F @ Primal on Friday

Prayer Requests:

• Double Stuff and EZ Rider with COVID
• Sister Act’s surgery and recovery
• Orangeman’s daughter w/surgery Monday

Moleskin:

Everybody’s different, and for some people it works, but I make some of the dumbest decisions when acting impulsive.  And it just takes one dumb impulsive decision to sour something that’s going well.  I plan to be ready to lead, and sure, there are plenty of times and reasons to adapt the plan on the fly, but to make changes impulsively and for no reason is not part of executing the plan.   No matter how well, or poorly, things are going, making decisions, especially as a leader, that are not on mission can have consequences.  Lesson learned.

I’m a big fan of the Goat, but I’m becoming a fan of a lot of the AO’s and am wanting to get out and see the parts of F3 Gastonia that I haven’t seen yet.  There’s a lot of good work out there, and I’m just proud to be part of the ballclub.  Thanks for another opportunity to lead.

Yabba Dabba Doo