Aim

Wednesday 6/19/24

Wrote a feature on Willie Mays this morning and also fashioned an op-ed from the feature in order to give myself some more flexibility.

"Dead Thomas" has gotten longer since I began working on it again on, I believe, Saturday. A professor read this story a few years ago when it was first written. I was writing so much that I was just moving to the next thing, without much reflection on what I had just done. The next thing, the next thing, the next thing. That's how I am. The professor wrote me that "Dead Thomas" was one of the best things he had ever seen. By then it was basically a title to me, a line in a list of completed works. I went back and read it on account of what he said, and I thought, "My word is that good. Huh." I wonder what his reaction would be to learning that it's changed considerably now. It's better, that's all. I'll get every last drop out of something. That's also how I am now.

I may go see John Carpenter's The Thing tomorrow despite all of his films feeling to me as if they're inferior copies of much better things. It's like someone at the museum with their easel and canvas set up in front of a painting on the wall.

I honestly did not know until today that FUPA is an actual word, or at least a non-slang acronym.

I'm not sure if this has changed, but heading into Monday night's ballgame, the Boston Red Sox, of all teams, led the league in stolen bases, nearly halfway through the season. Given how they've always been, that's almost shocking. Play loose, play free, play to your athleticism. If you don't have the stars and the signings, a different approach can be worth it. Makes the team more entertaining, too.

They've taken the first two games up in Toronto, but the Twins--one of the teams they Red Sox are chasing for that last Wild Card spot--have won six in a row themselves. The Royals have been solid, too. You may need 90, 91, 92, 93 wins for that final Wild Card berth, which I think would be very hard for these Red Sox to pull off, but I'm following it.

It was hot yesterday. Probably going to be hotter today. Only ran 1000 stairs or so yesterday and did 100 push-ups and walked three miles. Just keeping it going. Will aim to do better today.