Yup-yup's Pushup Showdown

So I'm not sure how all this got started, but I was sitting with Ines and her mother on their stoop and suddenly we heard Yup-yup hollering. We looked up and there he was in the middle of the street, surrounded by at least a dozen of the boys from the block. He seemed really mad about something. I never could figure out what.

A couple of dads came out and stood with their sons while he went on and on, but nobody stopped him. So I'm thinking the boys did something wrong and Yup-yup was giving them what for.

Anyway, Yup-yup challenged them to a pushup contest. At first he wanted to challenge them to 50 pushups, but he brought it down to 30 when there were clearly no takers. He took off his shirt (he could have spared us that but I guess he didn't want to get sweaty, or he just wanted to show off his muscles,) then borrowed La Chismosas front step as the site of Pushup Showdown.

He put his feet on a middle step and his hands on the ground and did 30 in very rapid succession--Army-style, I'd call it. (Not karate-style, which I used to be able to do.) Then everybody stood around and looked at each other for which boy would go first. Some people were calling for Peter Pan--'You're the leader of the Marshfield Boys, aren't you?'--but Yup-yup called for Joey. He turned red, but he decided his pride was on the line, so he went for it. He did 30, too. Secretly I was kinda proud of him.

Picasso was up next. He almost pooped out around pushup 26, but he got through it.

Then everybody leaned on Peter Pan, who gave it a try and pretty much failed miserably. Busted! One of the moms on the sidewalk with me joked, "And he's the leader??"

Then La Chismosa came out and told them to get off the step, just in time to save Oldest Brady Boy from going next.

There's a party next door--maybe a baby shower for Sarah's niece. I wasn't sure I was invited, but Peter Pan's mom said I should just come, so I'm going over there now.

Oh, and I had a minute to tell Joey and Picasso about the new round of art classes in Pilsen through Pros Arts Studios. Picasso sounds interested in street art on Tuesdays, but he'd be getting there late because he leaves Curie late (freshmen get out last). I told him to go anyway and explain. Hope he takes Joey with him. Joey remembers the Marwen instructor who's teaching the Monday night class. One way or another I'm hoping they'll get there.