2021 Night Before Christmasby John Elwell, 5:30pm CrossFitter
‘Twas the night before Christmas in the year 2021 Another difficult year, I was glad it was done The last workout of the year at the True Spirit box Just a few showed up, in our True Spirit socks A few minutes before class we all gathered about The coach at the white board, athletes stretching out When such a clatter arose out where we park We all jumped up and ran out, into the dark We looked to see what made all that noise Outside was a red sleigh, stacked high with toys In the front stood St Nick, there wasn’t a doubt Even in the snow that was swirling about “Ho ho ho”, St. Nick laughed as he jumped from his sleigh “You want a good workout? Well, come this way!” He unlimbered the reindeer, and let them roam free Then turning to us, he said with some glee “There are families who could use some True Spirit cheer You CrossFitters can help me spread some this year I’ve got a little chipper that will be lots of fun And you’ll have a good work out by the time we are done We’ll do a bit of climbing and work on some lifts And some sandbag carries, except with some gifts Throw in some sled dragging up and down slopes We’ll spread True Spirit cheer, so take ahold of the ropes” We each grabbed a rope to pull on the sleigh We grunted and groaned to start on our way Santa on the sleigh would yell “go left” or “go right” As we pulled Santa’s sleigh through that wonderful night We stopped at each house, lifted up bags of toys Skinnied down chimneys with nary a noise Back up the chimney once the presents were set Back to the sleigh ropes, we weren’t done yet Some toys were light, and some were quite heavy (Whose kid wanted an engine for a ’68 Chevy?) All the dragging and lifting and climbing up and down Made for a good workout as we went around town Lots of houses we stopped at, though I lost count When suddenly we stopped and I saw Santa dismount We were back at the gym, covered head to foot With ashes and sweat and lots of black soot We’d had a good workout, we were quite pleased with that Helping old Santa, in his white-tipped red hat Santa hooked up his reindeer, and climbed back on his sleigh “Merry Christmas” he said, and flew off on his way We watched Santa’s sleigh fly as we stood in the snow When we noticed all around us a faint red glow We looked about, what could shine so red? What could be making that red glow spread? As we looked at each other, we soon discovered the source Of the Christmas-red glow that was lighting our course Our True Spirit socks were bright red as a rose Glowing in the Christmas eve night, just like Rudolph’s red nose It was a magical night, when we did Santa’s WOD Our red glowing socks left us just awed And sometimes when I walk in the True Spirit box I swear they still glow faintly, my True Spirit socks
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Festivus, a made-up holiday featured in an episode of Seinfeld, is celebrated December 23rd each year by adoring fans everywhere. Festivus has 5 major elements: Festivus poles, Festivus dinners, airing of the grievances, feats of strength and Festivus miracles! The Festivus Dinner, is meatloaf placed on a bed of lettuce. Totally Paleo! Be sure to take photos of your Festivus meatloaf dinner this week. Remember to post all of your Festivus photos with the hashtag #festivuswod. Our Festivus Feat of Strength is the True Spirit 12 Days of Christmas Workout. Be sure to come to 6 am, 9am or noon class today. We will not have a 5:30 pm class today. HAPPY FESTIVUS! Meatloaf on a bed of lettuce sounds pretty uninspiring. Click on the link below for an excellent collection of meatloaf recipes courtesy of Food & Wine. Happy Festivus!
Festivus, a made-up holiday featured in an episode of Seinfeld, is celebrated December 23rd each year by adoring fans everywhere. Festivus has 5 major elements: Festivus poles, Festivus dinners (meatloaf on lettuce), airing of the grievances, feats of strength and Festivus miracles! Today we celebrate the Festivus Day with the #bosslady's airing of grievances. Today is the Solstice. In our hemisphere it is the Winter Solstice and in the southern hemisphere it's the Summer Solstice. Today the sun sets at 4:43PM and won't rise again until Tuesday morning at 8:03AM. This will be our longest night of the year. The Winter Solstice marks an important transition for many cultures. It is NO COINCIDENCE that Christmas, Hanukah and Festivus are all celebrated in the same month as the Winter Solstice. I hope you enjoy learning about the Yule Log, one of my favorite winter solstice traditions. Yuletide TraditionsBurning a yule log is one of the oldest European Christmas traditions. It even predates the first Christmas.
Log-burning rituals were central to Celtic, Norse, Greek, and Siberian winter solstice celebrations. Logs were burned to celebrate the end of the longest night, and to welcome the lengthening of the coming days. Traditional yuletide celebrations involved the entire family venturing out into the woods to cut down an oak tree large enough to burn for 12 continuous days. The tree would be dragged home with much celebration and caroling. It was a community event, and neighbors would help drag the tree; sing along; and share ale, cider and mincemeat pies. When the tree finally arrived at home, a piece of it was placed into the hearth and lit with a piece of wood preserved from the previous year’s yule log. This was to ensure that the family would have good fortune in the coming year and to keep the family connected throughout the years. Once the yule log was lit, it was time for relaxing, merriment and a reprieve from the drudgery of daily life. As one log burned down, a new log was placed in the hearth. During the 12 days of burning, or yuletide, families and friends would call on each other, and communities would gather for feasts and festivities. At the end of the 12th day, or once the solstice had passed, the ashes and any unburned wood were gathered. The wood was stored in a special place to be used to light the next year’s yule log. The ashes were worked into the soil to ensure the health of the crops. Preserving the wood and returning the ashes to the field connected people to nature and showed an appreciation for the trees. This yuletide, you and your family can practice some “old-time religion” by burning your own yule log. However, it doesn’t need to be from an oak you cut down yourselves! You can use any piece of wood. In fact, ancient Europeans believed that different species of trees had specific powers or meanings. For example, ash was believed to bring protection and health; birch signified new beginnings; pine was supposed to bring prosperity; and traditional oak was thought to promote healing, strength and wisdom. You can personalize your yule log by decorating it with evergreens or carving season’s greetings into it. Since may of us aren’t traveling this year for the winter holidays, it’s the perfect year to snuggle-in at home around the fireplace. Of course, you can create your own family yuletide tradition and burn your yule log on Christmas Eve, solstice night (Dec. 22), or any night that is meaningful for your family. If you don’t have a wood-burning fireplace, you can place candles into a log and simply burn the candles, or borrow the French tradition of baking a chocolate yule log or “Bûche de Noël.” Of course, always use caution and never leave open flames unattended. No matter how you choose to celebrate, have a happy yuletide! This is a reprint of an article I wrote when I was the commercial horticulture program coordinator for the western area of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. |
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