The Pink Flamingo

I hope you have noticed Horatio and Veronica! If you are not local, you probably have no Earthly idea what I am talking about. We at DEUCE Gym have a very eclectic community of humans. We also have two pet flamingos that roam. Well, they stand in the jungle of shrubbery in the parking lot/strongman palace of dreams/garden of the weightlifting gods. Horatio is the one that is looking downrange for fish. He is the more erect of the two. Veronica is the one looking for food.

I hear lots of comments about these being seemingly tacky, trashy, white trash, trailer park, and so on. Well, I am here to defend the honor of the beauties and tell you a little story. I personally have always loved pink flamingos for no other reason, but that they are awesome!

I recently had a friend share with me tragic news. Don Featherstone had died at 79. Don was the creator of the plastic pink flamingo. The iconic pink flamingo went on sale in 1958. Shortly after, Don was asked to mold a flamingo by his employer, Union Products. He received the Ig Nobel Art Prize in 1996 for the pink flamingo. He retired in 2000 and died of a form of dementia in 2015.

I am sad that we lost such a human. These are fantastic creatures, and, to be honest, I don’t care what you think about them. I love them.

I wish we had more people like Don Featherstone. I wish we had more people that would step out on a limb for what they love. Make the pink flamingo. This is an unmistakable creation. He went ahead and laid it all out there.

What is the Pink Flamingo in your life? What makes you unique? What is your contribution? Don crushed it! I am happy to always have pink flamingos in my yard, and they make me smile every damn day! DEUCE Gym, home to Pirates and Pink Flamingos.

 

Danny Lesslie

@dannylesslie

 

QUESTION: Do you know what a group of flamingos is called?

 
ANSWER: A Flamboyance, amongst other less awesome terms.

7/23/15 WOD

Complete 3 rounds for quality of:
5 DB Windmills – Each (AHAP)
10 DB Weighted Sit Ups

 

Then, “Jackie”
Complete the following for time:
1000m Row
50 Thrusters (45)
30 Pull Ups