Take It Away, Stranger Rich seemed like a nice guy, and although we only interacted for a few minutes, I remain forever grateful to him for the psychic load he unburdened me from, and took on himself, despite not knowing me at all. Rich is a hero, but he’s not unique. He’s one of many heroes around the world who act probably on a daily basis, visiting strangers they meet via Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, coming to their homes and agreeing to adopt a piece of neglected exercise...
6 days ago • 3 min read
Friday Inspiration 493 I got quite a few responses to my post “A Regular Person’s Guide To Surviving An Ultramarathon” a few weeks back, so I decided to try to turn it into a YouTube video—which I just published yesterday. (video) I might be a little late to the party here, but I finally finished Orbital by Samantha Harvey, and I was just telling a friend I regretted listening to the audiobook because it was so beautifully written that I wanted to spend more time with the sentences (which is...
12 days ago • 4 min read
Friday Inspiration 492 I am a big fan of Luke Nelson, who is a dad, husband, physician’s assistant, sponsored trail runner, ski patroller, race director, and just a swell guy in general. I remember seeing his “Pocatello Round” come through my Strava feed in the summer of 2024, and thinking, “Well, of course he did that.” Luke dreamed up a 72-mile route around his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, and ran it with friends, and this short film documents the effort and people that made it possible....
19 days ago • 3 min read
How To Get The Loud People At The Campground To Quiet Down As I slither out of my sleeping bag an hour after “quiet hours” began at the campground, creeping toward the door of the tent to go ask the people at the next campsite to maybe possibly keep it down, you know, if it’s not too much trouble, I think: this is going to go one of two ways. They’re going to say oops, sorry, we'll quiet down, or I’m going to have to engage in hand-to-hand combat with up to five men (which will be quick and...
20 days ago • 3 min read
Friday Inspiration 491 NOTE: I'm publishing this week's post on Thursday since this Friday is July 4th, and lots of people/Americans do other things on July 4th. Please feel free to read it on Thursday, Friday, or whatever day suits your needs. This is a bit longer than the videos I usually include here, but I got sucked into this guy’s adventure on “America’s Worst Rated Train,” and honestly, it delivered. About halfway through, I wasn't sure it was good press for Amtrak, but by the end of...
27 days ago • 4 min read
Friday Inspiration 490 IMPORTANT FINAL REMINDER: If you or someone you know/love would enjoy this water bottle because you/they struggle to stay hydrated (or just enjoy the chart on the bottle), we’re in the final days of the pre-order campaign. After June 30, you will no longer be able to purchase these bottles (even during the holiday shopping season, when you remember that you need to get a gift for your friend Jeff, who probably would have loved one of these). Here’s the link (you can...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Friday Inspiration 489 I haven’t listened to a Moth story in a long time, but I somehow found out The Moth had a YouTube channel, and this was the first story I watched. This guy isn’t famous or anything, but I love this story, and his mom sounds like a real one. File under: Suprisingly Emotional Stories About Baseball. (video) It’s a good question: Is it possible to buy a Bob Ross painting? I mean, it should be easy, shouldn’t it? But no, in fact it is not easy, and it is possible, and...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Two Different Mountains We were interviewing a writer whose work I admireand he mentioned that someone told him that we now have the technologythat can write articles for you, super fast And he said Wait, no, what I enjoy is writing the article,not holding it in my hand and saying "this is the thing that I did” I have nothing against minced garlic in a jarbut what I really like is when I have the time to chop the garlic myselfwhen I tell myself that it’s important Important enough to take two...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Friday Inspiration 488 VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: We’re doing a limited-run water bottle starting today. It has my “What Does Your Urine Say About You?” Chart printed on the side. Is it a reminder to stay hydrated? (yes!) Is it a pee bottle? (up to you!) Is it a conversation piece? (yes!) Can you get one after June 20th, 2025? No. Pre-orders start today, and will close next Friday, June 30th, so if you want one, or know someone who would love one as a gift, here’s where you can order one...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
