ReadyMix Memorial Birthday Q – Best Laid Plans

Preamble:

About 8 months ago, an energetic 50-year-old ReadyMix looked forward to another year with his brothers in the gloom as he eagerly added his name to the Q-sheet. He took a couple of upcoming slots and looked ahead to his birthday, August 9th, and signed up for this morning, August 8th.

Proverbs 19:21 says “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand”. Stewart didn’t know how true that proverb would become for him and his family but he always sought the counsel of the Lord and we trust he is now seeing the fulfillment of God’s plan. This day at the Hooch still belonged to ReadyMix though and YHC planned a celebratory Q reminiscent of his style.

Alas, the proverb held true once again and despite YHC’s best laid plans and a properly set alarm, I would not be up at the appointed hour and my slack would have to be picked up by others (while I picked up donuts).

Warm-O-Rama:

A Q-less mob was getting rowdy so Boomer stepped in to lead. Warm-ups were done in place, with some faint hope that a Q might just be running a few minutes late, pulling in to the parking lot on 2 wheels. This was not the case, so a seasoned Boomer felt led (accurately) that a ReadyMix Gauntlet might be in the cards and took the mob on a mozy toward the Perimeter tree line.

The Thang:

Catch Me if You Can – Partner 1 performed 5 Burpees while Partner 2 Bernie’d away. P1 would then catch up and the two would switch. Continue until

ReadyMix Gauntlet – Keeping partners, one would perform the prescribed exercises while the other would run the treeline Gauntlet. We know this as a treacherous route with dangers including roots and old limbs for tripping over and branches to the face. It wouldn’t be called a Gauntlet otherwise though, right? The first lap, a few logs/limbs were cleared and the Gauntlet was conquered. All PAX would complete 3 laps.

Exercises were:
5 Burpees
10 Diamond Merkins
15 Monkey Humpers
20 Dying Cockroaches

Tempo Mercans were done for the Six, at which time YHC had caught up to the pack with very little fanfare and definitely no wise-cracks from the PAX.

As if YHC had been there the whole time I pompously took the reigns, determined to make this the best last 15 minutes ever! Actually I had one more ReadyMix special lined up. This one he had used at his birthday Q in 2019 at Bushwood, a Q that unknowingly came to my mind last week as I was planning my Bushwood Q. Time for a Grinder!

Teams of 3, P1 and P2 on one parking lot line. P3 on the next. P1 and P3 performing Mercan and BBSUs, respectively, while P2 Bear Crawls from one to the other. P2 Crawler switches with P3, who Bear Crawls back to P1 and switches again. Goal was 10 Bear Crawl lengths per PAX but with limited time we knew it would be cut short.

1 minute to time, YHC called and AYG back to the flag and some (like Angus, Cookie and Doughboy) took it personally. 🙂

COT:

We are still saddened at losing our brother but still determined to uphold his legacy of intentional relationships and Godly leadership. Feathers challenged us to continue to do this daily in our families and others in our lives. We lifted up those who are taking kids back to college this week. We also have the annual Darth Visor CSAUP at Big Creek (Fowler Park) on August 27th.

Naked-Man Moleskin:

YHC was another example in what can happen with ‘best laid plans’. As in our own lives, we should always be aware that things can go sideways when we least expect it and make sure we have set a firm foundation for those who are dependent on us. For me this morning that was easy because I know my F3 brothers will pick up where I fail. For ReadyMix, it was his strong, caring and faithful leadership that made his family strong and will help them to endure the tough times. It is also his influence on us and his community that ensures his family will have the additional support they need, and we will be faithful to provide it.