Date: 2025-12-13 AO: _area-51 Q: hoover , flipper, midriff, Benny, ToeJam, Tuna, geraldo, soft_pretzel PAX: Unplugged, snuka, voodoo, Emoji, taggart, The Worm, Roulette, kirby, F3 Elsa, Starch, Water Works, madison, Krzyzewski, wingman, ChickenWing, Toto, C3P0, Alf, Pepsi, ductwork, limey FNGs: None COUNT: 30(ish) A dirty thirty today for Festivus. We laughed, we cried (out in pain), men shared what was on their hearts and pushed themselves. Was it perfect? No. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Today we learned that Festivus is built on the same three pillars as F3. A sitcom about nothing has given us the very things that make up F3.
But nothing doesn’t mean meaningless, nothing is just an absence of … something. Of meaning. Today filled that void and will continue to, as long as we put in the work to make F3 what it is.
I’ll share below some of the words that were shared with the pax today. I hope you find strength in them, not because I wrote them but because they speak to a truth that we all face. That we are not in this alone and that everyday we post, every workout in the gloom, every shared moment is a miracle. We don’t workout for a race or a goal, we workout to be ready for life.
Feats of Strength. That’s the first F—Fitness. This morning proved we can still move our bodies, even when they object. Feats of Strength aren’t about who’s fastest or strongest (Team 1). They’re about showing up when it’s uncomfortable, pushing past excuses, and remembering that capability is earned—rep after rep, mile after mile. This is how we train for life, not just the workout.
Airing of Grievances. That’s the second F—Fellowship. Because nothing builds trust like the freedom to say, “I got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re going to hear about it.” Real fellowship isn’t just jokes in the gloom and coffee after the beatdown. It’s accountability. It’s knowing the men around you care enough to call you out—and stick around afterward. Iron sharpens iron… and when that happens sparks will fly.
Festivus Miracles. That’s the third F—Faith. Not blind faith—earned faith. Faith that this is bigger than you. Because every man standing here this morning is a miracle. The fact that we woke up, laced our shoes, and chose to come out here today. As silly as it might have been or as hard as it was. We chose discomfort over the snooze button. That’s a small miracle. The fact that we choose not to do this alone, but with all the men standing around you, that’s the biggest miracle.
You men are a FESTIVUS MIRACLE!
So today we did things. We spoke hard truths. No decorations. No excuses. Just men, purpose, and a pole.
I’ll end with my Festivus miracle: During Flipper’s Q he challenged the men to partner up with a pax they didn’t know. That was a challenge for me, because I could look at every face there today and tell a story. Things we’ve done together, places we’ve been, inside jokes. That is my Festivus Miracle. You men are my Festivus miracle.
Thank you.
Special thanks to Benny, MARTA, Unplugged, Voodoo, Flipper, Tuna, Geraldo, Coach K, Ductwork, Toe Jam, Midriff, and Soft Pretzel for the help out there. This couldn’t have happened without your help and support. And if I overlooked you in the thanks or the pax list, know that it wasn’t intentional. The Worm left a bottle of Mezcal at Calvary and I’m in the middle of an experiment involving Mezcal, PBR, and putting up my Christmas tree.
-Nant’an Hoover