Not sure if I'll stay awake for the Mariners and Dodgers tonight.

I bought a couple new baseball and basketball card albums to replace the ancient ones I've had since high school. Also used the opportunity to open a couple packs I bought earlier this season, and pulled some good ones. This activity was really soothing for some reason.

Well, I'm saving this as the absolute perfect response to virtually anything baseball related.

No joke: laundromat writing beats the coffee shop sometimes. Working on the same damn essay series I seem to mention here every six months or so. 🙄

I haaate posts where people mention their birthdays as a way to fish for birthday wishes. Unrelated? I'm 43 today.

Dinner tonight with @hcohen.bsky.social celebrating 5 years together. The world is terrible, but we keep each other afloat. When we're laughing at a stupid meme so hard that we can't breathe or aggressively elbowing each other to point out one of the cats being cute? That's what it's all about.

Went for a run around my parents' place this morning before we packed up to head back to Virginia, and my rule of thumb: if you see a random goat, you damn well better take a snapshot of said goat.

Spending the week in Upper Michigan with my folks, and I always need this more than I realize.

Will this be the coffee and biscuit that will fix me? Stay tuned.

Got some good shots up today, footwork is better, still not nearly good enough at basketball to even think about joining any pickup games, but maybe in due time, etc. I know this isn't frivolous, but shooting baskets at the Y is both a treat and a way to steady myself when the world is on fire.

Sometimes your breakfast is a hot dog at a minor league ballpark, and that's okay.

Come to my account for the running and lukewarm baseball takes, stay for the anti-A I sentiments.

I genuinely try to not be pissy about trivial things, but goddamn, some of the comparisons and/or pop culture references on the MLB app articles make me cringe so hard. Like, come on, what is this?

This one popped in my head while I was driving to work.

My longest run ever this afternoon, just a hair over fifteen miles. Still not ready for the Blue Ridge Marathon (nineteen days away), but given how good my legs feel already, and once I finally fine-tune my fuel and hydration? I'll be golden.

Another season of East Coast Mariners fandom and struggling to stay awake for West Coast late games. Been needing this badly, though. Goms. ❤️ ⚾️

I ran my first race of 2026 this morning, the Girl Scouts of Virginia Tough Cookie 5K. It's a gorgeous cross-country course, and I'm less than a month away from the Blue Ridge Marathon.

I haven't shot baskets in over a month. Expected the worst, but my shots fell really well. Needed this unofficial therapy session/marathon training session.

Morning coffee routine with Hobbes, the clingiest cat I've ever known.

My AWP book haul is probably my smallest ever, not for lack of wanting. I kept it focused on essays and CNF, since I plan to start writing a nonfiction chapbook and/or a full essay collection with various themes: basketball, my relationship with masculinity, bodies, all that good stuff.

I took one selfie during AWP, to document finally meeting @anniejowrites.bsky.social. We've been friends and cheerleaders for each other for years, and her writing has been an inspiration. It was an honor.

Evening Inner Harbor run. Absolutely gorgeous. ❤️

I started running again about two and a half years ago, after running sporadically from 2011-2012. I'm training for my first marathon in April, and completed my longest run ever this morning, just a hair over a half-marathon. I know it's cringe to post workouts, but I'm proud of myself.

A lovely message on my afternoon run, and yeah, I'll take this into 2026.

Missing actual baseball, started messing around with "MLB: The Show" on the PS5. Hit a home run off Oakland as Julio. ❤️

Forgot school was out today, so the Y basketball courts were overrun with kids. I drove to a nearby court and had to battle hard winds to get any shots up. But at least I got this pretty photo.

I ran the Star City half-marathon this morning. Set my PR, and completed the local Triple Crown: the Blue Ridge half, the Salem half, and now Star City. I just ate a big sandwich, so zzzzz

I think Hobbes is finally over his kidney or urinary infection. Ten days ago, I thought he was dying, now he's back to his sassy self, and we're both exhausted after giving him a twice daily pill since last Tuesday. He's a senior cat, but I hope we have a few more years together.

Happy discovery: the Y that's five minutes from my apartment has a basketball court. I don't need to drive 20 minutes to the next town over. I ran myself into the ground this afternoon, in a good way. 90 minutes of shooting and legwork. Still working on my handles, but they're getting better.

I'm on a staycation this week. Getting lots done, but also enjoying supremely lazy moments with the cats.