The CrossFit Pittsburgh Podcast
We have been a CrossFit Affiliate since 2006. We are one of the originals. My wife and I opened our doors when I was home between deployments to Iraq. It's been an amazing adventure spanning thousands of miles between us over the course of 12 years deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. We formed amazing bonds. Lost good friends. And learned a lot about ourselves and our community. Throughout the course of this Podcast we will discuss all of that and more. We will talk about the people we have encountered along the way and the lessons we learned.
The CrossFit Pittsburgh Podcast
Powerless but Not Hopeless: Weathering Life's Storms
When storms strike, our true character emerges. The recent devastating weather that hit western Pennsylvania did more than knock out power lines—it revealed the stark contrast between those who complain and those who contribute.
Witnessing the social media response to tragedy left me disheartened. After someone lost their life to a downed power line, keyboard warriors rushed to judgment instead of showing compassion. This isn't who we should be. My philosophy is simple: help if you can, encourage if you can't help, and if you can't encourage, stay silent.
But amid this frustration, I've found remarkable hope in an unexpected place—the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Teal College. These young men embody service in ways that put many adults to shame. From their 72-hour "seesaw-a-thon" fundraisers for veterans to physically rebuilding a fire-damaged VFW hall and conducting annual 9/11 memorial stair climbs, they're proving that the next generation might just save us from ourselves. As a Navy veteran, seeing their dedication to country and community restores my faith when I need it most.
The ongoing power outage—now stretching into its fifth day for many—offers valuable lessons about preparation and perspective. Do you have backup plans for your backup plans? Are your flashlights working, batteries fresh, and alternative power sources ready? And most importantly, can we remember that our "power outage problems" pale compared to what much of the world faces daily? Some of our neighbors with electric well pumps don't even have water. Maybe this experience will help us appreciate what we normally take for granted. Remember: we get through this together, by helping when we can and encouraging when we can't.
Have you checked on your neighbors during this outage? Subscribe to hear more straight talk and unexpected inspiration as we navigate these challenging times together.
All right, good morning. It is Saturday, the 3rd of May, year of our Lord, 2025. This week has been a hoot. So first I've been conspicuously absent for a little while, involved in another project. That's taking a lot of my time, but you know, it's always good to get back here. So anyway, it's been crazy since anyone in western Pennsylvania extended area knows that Tuesday we got hit with some serious weather. You know we've had storms and whatnot before, but this was like this was another level.
Speaker 1:So you know, know, still a lot of the areas without power. We fortunately have power here at the box, but you know friends and neighbors east of the city, a lot of them still out of power. And you know, here's, here's a funny part. I certainly don't mean this as a criticism. However, sometimes I come across the wrong way. Here's the deal you lost power, you lost electricity. That's too bad, you know, maybe it costs you a few bucks and food you've got to throw away. And you know, maybe it costs you some, um, logistical challenges, logistical challenges to logistics where you have to, you know, find a place to charge your devices and and so forth, so forth. But you know, the real focus is on our friends and neighbors whose homes were, you know, damaged, if not destroyed, whose cars were crushed under, you know, huge trees, power lines are down, um, and you know those of you who followed me even for a minute know that sometimes I try as I might to I don't know, try as I might to be a better version of me.
Speaker 1:You know there are certain triggers there that are still. You know they're out there and they're strong. You know there's a friend of ours, marty Griffin, local news personality. He, you know he, put something out on social media and it was, you know, sharing something that happened, and this individual, you know, was hit by a live wire and tragically passed away. And the first several comments people are popping off. You know the expression. You talk out your ass because your mouth knows better. There was a lot of that. What is wrong with people? Things happen like this. You come together. You're not going to come together better. You get out of my sight. I just put that out as free information. So that's where we're at right now Still a lot of folks without power.
Speaker 1:Thankfully, though, there's a lot of work going on and, you know, get to it, I mean. That's it. If you can't be part of the solution. All right, keep positive thoughts, say some prayers. If you can't do anything to help directly, stay quiet. You know or no? No, that's not fair. If you can't do anything to help directly, be encouraging. If you can't be encouraging, be silent. I think that's probably sound logic. Anyway, also want to give that's the whole purpose that I'm here early this morning before the Saturday morning class starts.
Speaker 1:Want to take a moment to give a shout out to a group of young men at Teal College in Greenville, pa. All right, those are the boys of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. I am biased, I'm 100% biased. Stand by as I enjoy a sip of Black Rifle coffee. It's a scandalously mild blend I'm drinking today and if you haven't tried Black Rifle coffee you're only cheating yourself.
Speaker 1:But first crossed paths with Kappa Sigma Fraternity last year when our son started his freshman year at Teal College and he I was not in a college fraternity. I waited a little bit and then joined the greatest fraternity in the world, the United States Navy. But I digress, I don't know if you do, you rush a fraternity. It's rush week. Do you pledge? You are a pledge, but do you pledge or do you rush regardless? My son, michael, became a KSIG last year.
Speaker 1:And I'll tell you one of the things that impressed me the most with these young men, as he's starting to and I don't know, you know, anybody has teenagers. I noticed this a lot more with my son than with my well, no, it's not true. My middle daughter, you know, the one word, answers how was your day Good? Good could mean I didn't get attacked by the Taliban. Good could mean I won the Powerball. But you know, sometimes you just how was your day Good?
Speaker 1:So, you know, my son goes to Teal last fall and he, you know, gets, he becomes a K-SIG. And how was your day? What are you doing? What's new? Well, some of the first things that I recognized, I thought were so cool was, as their philanthropy efforts benefit Veterans Affairs. So I thought that was awesome.
Speaker 1:You know, shortly after he arrives, he's like, hey, dad, you know we. He arrives, he's like, hey, dad, you know we're gonna do a seesaw a thon. Right, seesaw a thon. It was over a holiday weekend and it might have even coincided with alumni weekend, but it's a it's a picture picture, if you will a seesaw built from an I beam that has seats with backs fastened to it on each end so that you can sit with a seat back for a prolonged period of time. Now these guys sign up and they go for 72 hours nonstop, rain, whatever weather. Two people are always on that seesaw for the duration of the three-day weekend and the benefits. All funds raised benefit veterans' causes, right? Coincidentally, last year I don't remember the time frame, but there was a fire at a local VFW. So not only do these boys organize a fundraiser but and I believe, just as importantly, if not maybe a little bit more they show up, right, they show up at the VFW and you know they start with helping with the clean out and the refit. So it's a good bunch of guys, all right.
Speaker 1:In a day and age when most people regardless of age, I mean all you got to do is turn on the TV or even that, open your eyes and look out when you're outside in public. People are stupid nowadays, aren't they? They really are. You know somebody better. Somebody better do this for me. Somebody better do that for me. Nobody owes you anything. As a newsflash, nobody owes you anything. All right, you know what you're owed by this country Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The rest, brother, that's up to you, all right, if you don't like it, hey, I'm not here that often. Change the channel, all right. But looking at these young men, every so often and this is one of those times every so often you're like, oh my God, we're doomed. You know we are doomed, uh, and here's the irony, because, guys, my age, anytime there's a threat, I mean, you know, wind back the clock 20 years. You know nine, 11, I'll tell you this.
Speaker 1:The men that I served with, the men that I served with at the agency, every one of them was it came from a military background. We had already served. A lot of us were off of active duty, a lot of us were nobody was in the mothballs, that's for sure, but most, all of us were off of active duty and pursuing, you know, raising our families, living our lives right. Then 9-11 occurs. And what happens? You know I can't speak for my teammates, but I didn't wait to be asked, all right.
Speaker 1:I started making inquiries, phone calls, and then, you know, fortunately, I was contacted by an old friend and you know that was my path. But you know you reach a point. You know that's that's, that was my path. But you know you reach a point and it gets a bit frustrating and you look sometimes at the next wave, so to speak, and you're like, oh my God, oh my God, we're doomed. Then, every time, you know, when it's almost like, when you start to feel like there's, you know, we are doomed. Then all of a sudden you cross paths with a group of young people and you think, no, you know what, we're going to be okay, we are going to be okay, and I put the boys in a Kappa Sigma, in that category. You know we're going to be all right Because they are a good group of guys and not just because my son is one of them.
Speaker 1:But everything I've seen and you know, get after it, boys. All right, I appreciate you. Oh, wait a minute, I forgot about this. September 11th, each and every September 11th, these guys will head over to the football stadium on campus and, you know, either slick or loaded with weight, vests, backpacks, whatnot they will do a stair climb. They will do a stair climb in memory of the 9-11 attacks on the Twin Towers. And you know I mean. For me there's nothing more than you know. You show respect for your God and your country and that's what it's all about. You know, god, country, family and friends. Okay. So, boys, keep the faith. Thank you, thanks very much. I appreciate you. All right, kappa, sigma, teal College, greenville, pa. Right, all right. So what else? What else? Bad weather, and the cleanup ensues and you know, again, it does suck.
Speaker 1:Tuesday to Saturday no power, and one of the first words they put out to us was hey, it could take five to seven days. I'm no expert, all right, certainly no expert. I have no connection with Duquesne Light whatsoever, except that I pay my bill and they provide me electricity. But, um, I don't know. It just seems to me the smart play, and I believe this is what happened whenever. Whenever you say how long will it be or how much will it cost, it's called an estimate, right, estimate. So to throw out, well, five to seven days, it's the smart play, because you have so much work in front of you, the worst thing you could do is say a couple of days, right. Then the next thing, you know, the villagers are assembled at your gate, right, torches and pitchforks.
Speaker 1:But this is uncomfortable, it absolutely is, can't overstate it. But I have yet to drive by a power truck out on the street and see what we used to call in the old days, lollygagging, right, anybody know. Remember that you lollygaggers, you don't see that right. What you see is crews at work, right, work. Crews at work trying to solve this problem. So you know, let's hope for the best, prepare for the worst, right? Hopefully this serves as a lesson to everyone, no matter how prepared you think you are and I'm not making, I'm not criticizing anything right now, I swear to God but I want you to think about this for a minute. No matter how prepared you think you are, did you think it through to the primary alternate, contingency and emergency plans, pace, right.
Speaker 1:My primary plan the power goes out. Do I have flashlights? Do I have candles? If I have flashlights, are they battery operated? If they are battery operated, are the batteries fresh? Do I have spare batteries? Right? Alternate, I have spare batteries. Right, alternate, I have spare batteries. Right.
Speaker 1:I have you know, this caught me and it is embarrassing to say external power sources to charge your devices. You charge your devices. Then what happens? Well, I have no internet because the power is down. You're absolutely right. However, most carriers. Now what I've been able to do from home is I create a hotspot using my iPhone and I plug my iPhone into my laptop and then I can access the internet via the hotspot on my phone. This is not something that you should try for the first time when the power goes out for days. Yeah, I will say this is the first world, and isn't it almost ironic? First world problems, all right, first world problems. We are literally at our wit's end, and I say we, like collectively. I'm not, you know, criticizing, but we are at our wit's end because we haven't had power since Tuesday.
Speaker 1:How about you live your life like this on the daily right? You don't have fresh water. You've got to walk to a water source, maybe get eaten by something, only so you can bring suspect water back, and if you don't boil it, clean it, sanitize it, you're probably going to die right? We have a friend of ours, and think about this one. We don't have power, but we still have water, right, and because we have a gas water heater, we still have hot water. We have a gas stove. Now, it's an electric igniter, but if you turn the gas up carefully, low light it with a flame source, you can use the stovetop to cook, right.
Speaker 1:I don't recommend doing this. I wouldn't do it after the power comes back on. But you, you know, we have friends of ours who have, um, uh, groundwater, well water, all right. Well, guess what? They have well water and the pump is electric. So not only are they without light, but their house is also without water. You know, I'm not making light of this without water. You know, not making light of this but pump, the complaint breaks just a little bit.
Speaker 1:All right, hey, and another thing too, totally, totally sympathetic for people who work from home. You know, no internet creating a Wi-Fi from your phone. It's not ideal, it's not. There's some limitations. You know this sucks. Anyone who thinks it doesn't is probably a colonial pioneer caught in some type of time vortex, like a Daniel Boone perhaps. Huh, davy Crockett.
Speaker 1:Anyway, I'm not making fun, but just hang in there. Do what you can to help. If you can't help, encourage. If you can't encourage, shut your cake hole, all right. All right, it's good to be back, even if it's sporadic. Right, as soon as power comes back on. Check it out. There's a movie with Kirk Douglas, a series on stars. I think it was my three, four seasons, sporadicus. See what I did there. It's a gladiator movie. All right, listen, have a great day. Don't know what the weather's supposed to be like today. Don't care, because guess what work still has to get done. All right, all right, everyone remember the whole point, for this was a shout-out to Kappa Sigma at Teal College, greenville, pa, the young men of K-SIG. All right, you guys have a great weekend and remember Monday, cinco de Mayo. Have fun.
