As I sit here in Atlanta on a Thursday afternoon and watch the Mariners on MLB.tv, I feel like a castaway on a desert island. There isn't a person within 1000 miles of me that really gives a damn about this game, and here I sit filled with rage at the "arm discomfort" of Adrian Sampson. It's nice to have Twitter to share the frustration, but it's just not the same as watching with folks who care. Why? Because when I yell at Twitter or my couch or some other inanimate object, they don't yell back. They don't try to calm me down, or remind me that this isn't really a new feeling for Mariners fans, or anything. They just sit there, like couches do, and silently mock my pain.
**Also, the MLB App updates faster than MLB.tv shows the action. I need to turn off my notifications before Justin Upton hits another double that I know about before it happens, and preemptively yell. The couch is confused.**
Being a displaced sports fan is an interesting experience. I've done it before. When I lived in Boston I once got kicked out of a bar in the middle of the third quarter of a Husky football game. Not because I was drunk or loud or anything, but because it was closing time. There is certainly some level of personal pride or honor that comes along with being the only fan at a bar. It's like you are really proving to yourself that you are in fact the fan that you think you are. Which is pretty dumb, because no one cares and you don't get a medal or anything for it. You just get that smug satisfaction that you care so much even an entire continent won't detract from the passion you feel for your team.
Which brings me to my point...is being a Mariners fan just about smug satisfaction? Being a fan of any team really, but especially a fan of a certain type of team that just continues being frustrating and awful year after year after year. I openly admit that I feel like I'm a better fan, and in some twisted way a better human, because I am going to sit here and watch another disappointing Mariners season to the bitter end. We relish it, don't we? But at what point does that become crazy? I totally understand doing it in Seattle, where you can go to work the next day and complain to your co-workers, or go to a bar and drink it away with fellow sufferers. But does a fan make a sound when he complains in an empty apartment...3000 miles away from anyone who cares? If it's about smugness, who am I better than? The couch? At least the couch is doing its job. I don't even have a job. I am not better than the couch.
These are the types of existential crises that each Mariners season brings. It's a pretty predictable arc. Optimism, reality, frustration, May, Watching for pride, 4 months of stubbornness, season ends. But this year the arc was extended a little, which actually makes it even worse right now. Whatever though, I'll be watching. It's a "grind" as they say. Luckily Dae-Ho Lee is around to do amazing feats of chubby athleticism.
**I forgot to turn the notifications off. That McCann home run really sucked, twice. Now it's the couch that is smug.**
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
I drove to Atlanta
It's super hard to start a blog. By that I mean, it's super hard to sit here and just start writing without giving 100 little prefaces or explanations about what I'm going to be writing about, or why I'm writing now, or why I haven't written in a long time. So if you don't mind, I'm just going to start writing about stuff that's happening in my life right now, without really connecting that many dots. As I write I think I'll probably cover some of the details, but really I just want to write. (This whole first paragraph is exactly what I just tried to say I wasn't going to do....see, super hard!!)
I live in Atlanta now. Very recently I lived in Portland, OR, and before that I lived in Seattle, Boston and also Seattle. Moving to Atlanta in June is a really great idea, especially if you are from a place that isn't usually all that hot. What makes June in Atlanta so great, especially for people from cooler climates, is that it's already hotter than hell here but everyone from here really wants you to know that "it's only gonna get worse, honey". They especially like telling you this when they find out that you're from Portland or Seattle. It really doesn't matter where you're from, everywhere has these little regional proving grounds. But in Atlanta in June, it's all about heat. I can't wait until it gets hotter!! Honey.
I don't have a job in Atlanta at the moment, and I hope you won't find this rude but I'm not going to detail that process very much. I have a number of reasons for not doing so, but mostly it's out of self defense in case the whole ordeal takes way longer than expected. The last thing I want is for this writing exercise to become pathetic. I'm already unemployed and sitting here sweaty and shirtless, so it's not that long of a trip. I will however flood this space with celebration when there is finally a reason, so until that happens let's all just assume I'm doing great and having a very mentally stable semi-sebatical.
What I really want to talk about today besides being jobless, shirtless and warmer than I'd prefer, is driving across the country. There are so many ways to get from one place to another in 2016, more than we've ever had before, so however you decide to get someplace, you're making a pretty personal decision. Usually the goal is speed. You want to get where you want to be as fast as possible. Effort also plays a role. I think that most people want to use as little effort as possible to get where they're going as fast as they can. Throw in cost, practicality and to some extent fear, and 99% of us usually choose to fly a distance like Seattle to Atlanta. I went the other way.
I'll get into some of the drive in a minute, but to be honest the details themselves are pretty boring. For hundreds of miles our country is flat and windy and empty. That was sort of the point of doing the drive however, but again I'll get to that in a minute. What I found really interesting in talking to people leading up to my trip, and even during my trip, is the romantic idea that so many have of driving across the country. I'd bet 4 out of every 5 people I talked to either said "Man, I've always wanted to do that" or "Can I come?" I was shocked by that response. Really? You've always wanted to drive for 10 hours through South Dakota and Minnesota? Why? I think Jack Kerouac tricked a lot of people. But also, if you really have always wanted to do it, then DO IT! We aren't talking about running a marathon or climbing a mountain. You probably drive to work every day. It's basically just that, but for way longer and sometimes you see dead deer.
Having now done the trip, all 2800 miles of it, I will say that if you want to drive across the country then you should. There are always excuses to not do stuff like that, but they are dumb excuses. You have vacation time at work. You can take your family with you, or not. It only takes a week. Gas isn't that expensive. You can survive eating out of a cooler for 7 days. It's pretty easy to do if you really want to, I just think that most people don't actually really want to, which is fine. I loved it. Eight days of driving and camping and swimming in the Mississippi River was exactly what I needed to transition into this next phase of my life. If you have a lot on your mind and you want to really make sure you're doing something for the best reasons, 30 hours alone is a pretty real way to check in on all that. I enjoy talking to myself though. I'm a good listener.
That really is a long time to sit and think, but the best part of the drive is that never once did I want to turn around. I was leaving Portland where I had a really cool job. If 14 year old me would have been asked to describe the perfect job he'd want at 31, I would have described this job. And I was driving toward a place I'd only been a few times, and where there was no certainty that a cool job like that was waiting. But about a year ago, for the first time ever, having that job wasn't the most important thing anymore. I would never have quit and started driving to Atlanta if I thought this was a passing feeling, but the fact that I only felt more sure the more I drove was exactly what I hoped would happen. And now I'm here - jobless, shirtless and sweaty - but it's exactly where I want to be.
There were a few times where the driving was broken up by stopping and sleeping, here are some of the highlights...
The first night I stopped in Spokane and stayed with my lovely cousin Kelly and her fiancé Nate. We had some awesome beer from Big Barn Brewing Company in Mead, WA, and then Nate made a camp fire in the back yard. What you can't see in the photo is my cousin/God Father Roger Green, Kelly's dad, telling amazing stories about seeing bears on various trips to Idaho and Montana. The next day I was set to camp in Montana. Thanks Rog!!
Night 2, I camped right outside of Big Sky, MT, and although Roger tried his best to freak me out, which is really easy to do, bears were not my biggest issue. I had a great campsite right on the Galatin River, I had a steak to grill, I had some tasty beer from a local brewery, all was great...
Until about 9 p.m. when the sun went down, and with it went the temperature. By about 10:30 it was down to about 35 degrees, and even though the beer was great, it wasn't enough to keep me warm. I slept about 3 hours that night as I tried to fight off frost bite. But at least I didn't get eaten by a bear!
Night 3 was spent in Rapid City, SD. And while South Dakota was my second least favorite state to drive through, I did see this hilarious shirt.
Nights 4 and 5 brought me to Rochester, MN, where I was lucky enough to stay with my great friends Jeanna and Zach. I was originally planning to stay with them for only one night, but that was before I was introduced to the Rochester night life!!
The extended stay was well worth it however, because we had a Sunday Funday on their friends boat on the Mississippi River and climbing up sand dunes.
Night 6 was spent in Kansas City, MO. Kansas City was on the trip for one reason, which is that I've always wanted to check out the Negro Leagues Museum. Totally worth the slight detour. I highly recommend the Museum for anyone who likes baseball or history, or both, or is just a human who isn't lame.
Night 7 took me to The Land Between the Lakes, which is a national park in Kentucky and Tennessee. Beautiful, quiet and filled with brave stupid frogs. These frogs are not scared of anything, including camp fires, which sadly means sometimes they die. This is was I woke up to in the morning however, RIP frogs.
The next day I arrived in Atlanta to this. I am a lucky guy.
Also, it should be on shock the Braves have 0 in that photo, they are awful. Go Mariners.
I live in Atlanta now. Very recently I lived in Portland, OR, and before that I lived in Seattle, Boston and also Seattle. Moving to Atlanta in June is a really great idea, especially if you are from a place that isn't usually all that hot. What makes June in Atlanta so great, especially for people from cooler climates, is that it's already hotter than hell here but everyone from here really wants you to know that "it's only gonna get worse, honey". They especially like telling you this when they find out that you're from Portland or Seattle. It really doesn't matter where you're from, everywhere has these little regional proving grounds. But in Atlanta in June, it's all about heat. I can't wait until it gets hotter!! Honey.
I don't have a job in Atlanta at the moment, and I hope you won't find this rude but I'm not going to detail that process very much. I have a number of reasons for not doing so, but mostly it's out of self defense in case the whole ordeal takes way longer than expected. The last thing I want is for this writing exercise to become pathetic. I'm already unemployed and sitting here sweaty and shirtless, so it's not that long of a trip. I will however flood this space with celebration when there is finally a reason, so until that happens let's all just assume I'm doing great and having a very mentally stable semi-sebatical.
What I really want to talk about today besides being jobless, shirtless and warmer than I'd prefer, is driving across the country. There are so many ways to get from one place to another in 2016, more than we've ever had before, so however you decide to get someplace, you're making a pretty personal decision. Usually the goal is speed. You want to get where you want to be as fast as possible. Effort also plays a role. I think that most people want to use as little effort as possible to get where they're going as fast as they can. Throw in cost, practicality and to some extent fear, and 99% of us usually choose to fly a distance like Seattle to Atlanta. I went the other way.
I'll get into some of the drive in a minute, but to be honest the details themselves are pretty boring. For hundreds of miles our country is flat and windy and empty. That was sort of the point of doing the drive however, but again I'll get to that in a minute. What I found really interesting in talking to people leading up to my trip, and even during my trip, is the romantic idea that so many have of driving across the country. I'd bet 4 out of every 5 people I talked to either said "Man, I've always wanted to do that" or "Can I come?" I was shocked by that response. Really? You've always wanted to drive for 10 hours through South Dakota and Minnesota? Why? I think Jack Kerouac tricked a lot of people. But also, if you really have always wanted to do it, then DO IT! We aren't talking about running a marathon or climbing a mountain. You probably drive to work every day. It's basically just that, but for way longer and sometimes you see dead deer.
Having now done the trip, all 2800 miles of it, I will say that if you want to drive across the country then you should. There are always excuses to not do stuff like that, but they are dumb excuses. You have vacation time at work. You can take your family with you, or not. It only takes a week. Gas isn't that expensive. You can survive eating out of a cooler for 7 days. It's pretty easy to do if you really want to, I just think that most people don't actually really want to, which is fine. I loved it. Eight days of driving and camping and swimming in the Mississippi River was exactly what I needed to transition into this next phase of my life. If you have a lot on your mind and you want to really make sure you're doing something for the best reasons, 30 hours alone is a pretty real way to check in on all that. I enjoy talking to myself though. I'm a good listener.
That really is a long time to sit and think, but the best part of the drive is that never once did I want to turn around. I was leaving Portland where I had a really cool job. If 14 year old me would have been asked to describe the perfect job he'd want at 31, I would have described this job. And I was driving toward a place I'd only been a few times, and where there was no certainty that a cool job like that was waiting. But about a year ago, for the first time ever, having that job wasn't the most important thing anymore. I would never have quit and started driving to Atlanta if I thought this was a passing feeling, but the fact that I only felt more sure the more I drove was exactly what I hoped would happen. And now I'm here - jobless, shirtless and sweaty - but it's exactly where I want to be.
There were a few times where the driving was broken up by stopping and sleeping, here are some of the highlights...
The first night I stopped in Spokane and stayed with my lovely cousin Kelly and her fiancé Nate. We had some awesome beer from Big Barn Brewing Company in Mead, WA, and then Nate made a camp fire in the back yard. What you can't see in the photo is my cousin/God Father Roger Green, Kelly's dad, telling amazing stories about seeing bears on various trips to Idaho and Montana. The next day I was set to camp in Montana. Thanks Rog!!
Night 2, I camped right outside of Big Sky, MT, and although Roger tried his best to freak me out, which is really easy to do, bears were not my biggest issue. I had a great campsite right on the Galatin River, I had a steak to grill, I had some tasty beer from a local brewery, all was great...
Until about 9 p.m. when the sun went down, and with it went the temperature. By about 10:30 it was down to about 35 degrees, and even though the beer was great, it wasn't enough to keep me warm. I slept about 3 hours that night as I tried to fight off frost bite. But at least I didn't get eaten by a bear!
Night 3 was spent in Rapid City, SD. And while South Dakota was my second least favorite state to drive through, I did see this hilarious shirt.
Nights 4 and 5 brought me to Rochester, MN, where I was lucky enough to stay with my great friends Jeanna and Zach. I was originally planning to stay with them for only one night, but that was before I was introduced to the Rochester night life!!
The extended stay was well worth it however, because we had a Sunday Funday on their friends boat on the Mississippi River and climbing up sand dunes.
Night 6 was spent in Kansas City, MO. Kansas City was on the trip for one reason, which is that I've always wanted to check out the Negro Leagues Museum. Totally worth the slight detour. I highly recommend the Museum for anyone who likes baseball or history, or both, or is just a human who isn't lame.
Night 7 took me to The Land Between the Lakes, which is a national park in Kentucky and Tennessee. Beautiful, quiet and filled with brave stupid frogs. These frogs are not scared of anything, including camp fires, which sadly means sometimes they die. This is was I woke up to in the morning however, RIP frogs.
The next day I arrived in Atlanta to this. I am a lucky guy.
Also, it should be on shock the Braves have 0 in that photo, they are awful. Go Mariners.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)