3 Things I Like This Week – June 12

1) Trek Marlin Bicycle

I have been running pretty consistently for the past twelve or thirteen years. I also have very flat feet, which means I have known for the duration of that time I would likely need to stop running at some point because of foot or knee or ankle pain. Well, that time has come by doctor’s orders. “You should take up cycling or swimming” were his exact words (after he told me I would need foot surgery). So I hemmed and hawed for a couple months and got more and more stir crazy because I couldn’t follow the normal exercise routine that served my mind even better than my body. To the rescue came my wife (per usual) with a delightful surprise for an early Father’s Day gift–a Trek Marlin Bicycle, replete with craigslist coordination in another state. I’ve had it for a couple weeks now, and have loved the bike itself and the chance to ride. She got this on solid recommendations, and it is a nice one: light frame, smooth gears, great suspension, and well-constructed. I have enjoyed the very different kind of exercise cycling brings, the mental reprieve of being active, and the nostalgia of getting on a bike and cruising the neighborhood like a true 90s kid (except this time with a helmet on because I am a reasonable grown up).

2) Anker Power Bank

Have you ever seen people in the airport sitting on a disgusting concourse floor, leaning against a column just to use the single outlet available? Have you ever been on a road trip with adolescents in a car without enough charging ports for all their devices? Have you ever been at a conference all day with no access to an outlet and your phone is dying? Are you a worst case scenario thinker who wonders but what if my phone runs out of battery and there’s an emergency!? If so, you should grab one of these. I have traveled for years for work and ministry, and I pretty much always have one with me. It has bailed me out of boredom and emergencies, and has likely saved me from whatever viruses dwell on airport floors. Most importantly, the power bank has saved me from the whining of teenaged children whose devices die (or should I say, it has saved them from my intolerance for whining). It is simply a wonderfully convenient, useful, and inexpensive gadget to have on hand.

3) Strike ’em Out, Throw ’em Out Double Play

Few plays in baseball are more energizing for one team or deflating for the other than the strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play. It’s different than other double plays because it is so fast and the stakes are higher. On a 4-6-3 double play the out at second base is usually a sure thing, and you know it off the bat. And if the runner beats the throw to first base then the hitting team is where they started, but with one more out on the board. But the strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play is an instant erasure of the hitting team, and the tension is all on the front end. The runner breaks for second, the two strike pitch comes in, the batter swings–all high stakes plays at the same time. Then the batter misses, the catcher pops and throws, the runner slides, and the fielder meets him at the bag. Then, even as you are processing the elation (or deflation) of the batter’s strike out you await the umpires call at second. So much fun, especially when it ends an inning. It’s like a Mike Tyson one punch knock out.