Scott

Software developer, (former) bartender, exhausted cyclist. Walks around Somerville a lot. He/him.

Website: https://www.scottistvan.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/scottforsomerville

Public Key

npub1k57fflcttn2hvjphfp9s0y33m2qkyxf5dzpzks4dftdhwk2pwhrslyafuc

NIP-05 Address

scottsthoughts_at_better.boston@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqst20y5lu94e4tkfqm5sjc8jgca4qtzry6x3q3tg2k54kmht9qht3cpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0ds6rxuhp

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relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub1k57fflcttn2hvjphfp9s0y33m2qkyxf5dzpzks4dftdhwk2pwhrslyafuc

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Last Notes

2026-04-12 23:29:04 UTC

Me: I don't know what I want to do with my life
Me: wait, actually I do know what I want to do, but frolicking in the sun all day does not pay the bills

2026-02-23 15:52:59 UTC

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good news though is I've got most of the base layer moved so hopefully subsequent rounds will be easier!

2026-02-23 15:52:33 UTC

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yeah I've had to kind of lift the blower up and push it through the top layer and then pull it back to get the base layer. It's very slow going.

2026-02-23 15:41:20 UTC

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Last storm I was able to do a sufficient pass of sidewalks and driveway on one set of batteries so I always had a second set ready to go. Today, clearing out the snow drift in front of my garage to get the blower out ate up like 50% of my first set of batteries such that I barely got out and did one pass on the sidewalk.

2026-02-23 15:37:16 UTC

First snow blower run of the day used up *both* sets of batteries, and it looks like each set takes about 2.5-3 hours to fully charge. Gonna be a fun one.

2026-02-21 17:33:47 UTC

Are there any #musicians here who get to gigs via bike? What do you play? Do you carry your instrument with you? And perhaps most challenging - how do you keep your instrument safe if you go out with your band mates/friends after the show?
I'm thinking of getting back in to playing, but as someone who plays piano, carrying around an 88-key keyboard seems... difficult.
#BikeTooter
(potential future #BikeNitePQ?)

2026-02-12 00:54:35 UTC

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nah I’m kinda here for the shear chaotic audacity of it. Will you look distinguished? Or will you look like dollar store Mario? My money is on the latter, but more power to ya for trying!
(FWIW when I go ‘stache it’s usually an unholy combination of discount Mario & knock-off Teddy Roosevelt)

2026-02-11 19:01:38 UTC

Ngl I love that gen z men are bringing back the moustache.

2026-02-10 13:43:11 UTC

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Mood.
Me on New Years: Ok, in 2026 I'm gonna get back to biking more!
Jan/Feb 2026: Lol nope.

2026-01-31 17:44:33 UTC

There’s a chance I go set up my own #mastodon instance for a handful of reasons. Any thoughts from the #fediverse about why I should or shouldn’t do that, and tips/things you’ve learned along the way?
Also is there a hashtag for meta discussions and convos on hosting & administering your own instance?

2026-01-27 16:20:45 UTC

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Gotta spend money to make sure there isn’t too much water in the basement. Gotta spend money to make sure there isn’t too much water in the air. Gotta spend money when the water in the pipes doesn’t stay in the pipes. Gotta spend money on special equipment to move the frozen water outside. Gotta spend money to make sure sky water doesn’t get in from the top.

2026-01-27 16:18:13 UTC

Homeownership: the never ending fight against water

2026-01-20 12:48:15 UTC

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ok the worst of the food poisoning seems to have passed; now I get to be back to just regular sick thank goodness 😬

2026-01-19 22:05:26 UTC

The irony of ordering soup delivery because I'm sick only to have it make me more sick 😭

2026-01-18 22:57:55 UTC

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for a living? that's cool and also probably exhausting! were you a photographer in a past life?

2026-01-18 22:41:09 UTC

complaining to the void: I did a round of head shots today for a show I am in and my camera was really struggling with focus and the lighting and it is not making these fun to sort and edit

2026-01-16 22:29:02 UTC

Middle seat on a delayed sold out six hour flight with a sinus infection. I’m not excited about this, and my unsuspecting seat mates I’m sure will not be thrilled either.

2026-01-09 12:04:10 UTC

Hello Internet! I come to you collecting anecdotes to inspire an upcoming improv comedy project. I’m looking for: issues that you’ve had with a coworker, roommate, or other person you generally were in close and frequent contact with.
These may be shared publicly and recorded, so please anonymize them as needed! Boosts appreciated.
(And if you’re a cast member, don’t read the replies to keep them a surprise!)

2025-11-11 13:12:45 UTC

Even though Google maps and even GeoVelo (which is OSM based!) don’t have biking directions for Puerto Rico, biking continues to be the best way to get around the city*
*heavy caveat that I have so far remained in heavily touristy areas
#BikeTooter
https://files.better.boston/media_attachments/files/115/531/225/449/278/354/original/de8a260948493b78.png

2025-11-09 13:21:35 UTC

The hardest part of running a campaign is all spreadsheet software interpreting zipcodes as numbers and dropping leading zeros 😠

2025-11-05 02:19:43 UTC

Welp, didn’t get on city council. Anyway, now I have more time to go make weird art!

2025-11-03 13:37:47 UTC

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What is the law of breakfast? AKA what can I use as an excuse to buy more breakfast sandwiches?

2025-10-22 12:53:33 UTC

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Little Wolf 10/21/25
Location: Fort Point
Ordered: Latte
Vibes & Ambience: 9/10
Coffee: 8/10
Notes: Shiny & new location. Good amount of seating; great spot to work from. Excellent staff, though I am biased because I knew one of the folks working. Very well crafted; included latte art and the foam had really nice structure. Coffee was a bit more refined than Yego but less than George Howell, though more flavorful than the latter. Toasted black sesame was the most unique flavor I could pick out.

2025-10-20 13:24:57 UTC

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Polcari's 10/18/25
Location: North End
Ordered: Beans, house blend and kenya
Vibes & Ambience: 7/10
Coffee: 8/10
Notes: No menu present for what coffees they serve in house, but doing a very cute old world north end vibes with manual scales for the beans they roast. Made the house blend at home. Had a touch of bitterness but that might have been my fault - I did love the flavor; incredibly aromatic with like... salted pecans flavors, and an almost fruited brightness on the nose.

2025-10-20 13:24:31 UTC

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Cini Coffee 10/18/25
Location: Union Square Farmer's Market
Ordered Iced Coffee
Vibes & Ambience: 8/10 for super friendly staff
Coffee: 7/10
Notes: Not bitter, very nice flavor though a bit watered down. Couldn't quite pinpoint unique flavors, but seemed very well made.

2025-10-20 13:24:04 UTC

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George Howell 10/15/25
Location: Lovestruck Books, Harvard Square
Ordered iced latte
Vibes & Ambience: 10/10
Coffee: 8/10
Notes: very smooth, medium roast. creamy, almost hazelnut notes. I thought the Barismo coffee was more interesting despite scoring them both 8/10. Excellent staff, in a book store. Food also solid but a little pricey.

2025-10-20 13:23:32 UTC

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Yego 10/14/25
Location: Teele Square
Ordered hot latte
Vibes & Ambience: 6/10
Coffee: 7.5/10
Notes: Dark, dry cocoa notes and roastiness. touch of bitterness on the finish but the latte was otherwise well balanced and well made. I would describe it as the archetypical latte - solidly well executed but nothing earth shattering.

2025-10-20 13:22:53 UTC

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Redeye 10/11/25
Location: Hingham
Ordered Iced Latte
Vibes & Ambience: 8/10
Coffee: 3.5/10
Notes: Coffee was pretty basic with a bit of a bitter finish (though not as bad as pavement). Wait was long. Cookie was dry. Coffee also developed some cardboard notes. Cannot recommend.

2025-10-20 13:22:00 UTC

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Flat Black 10/11/25
Location: Dorchester Lower Mills
Ordered Small Iced Latte
Vibes & Ambience: 6.5/10
Coffee: 8.5/10
Notes: Very frothy iced latte which you don't usually see. Lighter roast than expected, with more lightly toasted caramel and peanut notes. Very smooth, good length of flavor. No bitterness. Service was very indifferent to your existence.

2025-10-20 13:20:56 UTC

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Barismo 10/6/25
Location: Broadway, Cambridge
Ordered Iced Latte
Vibes & Ambience: 5/10
Coffee: 8/10
Notes: Coffee was on "draft" but not nitro. Presumably a bag/vacuum based system? Means the server doesn't have to pull an espresso shot which may help improve consistency. No bitter notes, this felt like a dark, moist slice of chocolate cake. Very velvety. Like a sacher torte eaten under the stars. The shop doesn't play music and there's no good place to stand, so not great vibes.

2025-10-20 13:19:52 UTC

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Ok, now to the reviews of where I've been so far. Huge disclaimer: These are just my personal opinions! Everyone has different tastes & priorities.
Pavement 10/5/25
Location: Western Ave, Brighton
Ordered Iced Latte
Vibes & Ambience: 8.5/10
Coffee: 6/10
Notes: Bitter finish. Nutty, bright cocoa flavors in the roast. Better than store bought, but not a ton of strong or impactful flavors

2025-10-20 13:08:00 UTC

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I've been mostly tracking my #Coffeeneuring adventures with TikTok and Strava, both of which are kind of walled gardens, so I have decided to cross-post my videos to youtube as well. My #Coffeeneuring2025 playlist can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy8KOU0vOCI8tmwA_wV3QbgdI34tNsEFU
@npub16fp…0evw

2025-10-20 13:05:19 UTC

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List of every #Boston area coffee roaster, pt4
Charlestown Coffee Roasters - Roaster only, in foundation kitchen, no restaurant distro
New England Coffee - Roaster only, in Malden has retail front 108 Charles St
Fuel America - Brighton
Cini Coffee - Dedham & Union Square Farmers Mkt
That's everyone I've found - did I miss anything? Please let me know!

2025-10-20 13:04:07 UTC

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List of every Boston area coffee roaster, pt3:
Render Coffee - South End (& Seaport weekdays only) (Might be out of business?)
Hogan Brothers - Framingham - Roaster only, no public access (available at Bikeeny Malden)
Tiny Arms - Lowell - Roaster only, no public access (available at Clear Flower Coffee Bar in Brookline)
JP Licks - Centre St JP

2025-10-20 13:03:10 UTC

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List of every #Boston area coffee roaster, pt2:
Atomic - Peabody - Roaster only with classes (available at Brothers and Sisters Brookline)
Polcari's - North End
Yego - Teele Square - Family farm to cup
Recreo - West Roxbury - Family farm to cup
Common Ground - Everett
Little Wolf - Ipswich & Seaport
Fazenda - Dedham - Roaster only, no public access (available at Temptations Brookline)
Cafe Reynard - Malden/Idle Hands

2025-10-20 13:01:57 UTC

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List of every #Boston area coffee roaster, pt1:
Pavement - Brighton
Gracenote - Leather District/Downtown
Broadsheet - Cambridge/Kirkland
Flat Black - Dorchester Lower Mills
Barismo - Woburn & Arlington
George Howell - Acton & Boston Public Market & others
The VU - JP
Del's - Waltham & Union Square Farmers Market - Roaster only with public tastings on Tuesdays
Jaho - Salem & Central Sq & Downtown
Redeye - Hingham

2025-10-20 13:00:45 UTC

Starting an official thread to document by #Boston area #Coffeeneuring adventures!
Coffeeneuring is a worldwide biking challenge that runs through November 24th with a simple premise: Go on at least 7 rides and get a coffee-related beverage.
As an additional challenge, I am attempting to visit every Boston-area coffee roaster - mostly so I can decide where I want to regularly buy beans from. List follows in thread.
#Coffeeneuring2025 @npub16fp…0evw

2025-09-24 17:27:47 UTC

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If we can make trains reliably
1. Faster than driving and
2. Cheaper than flying
That would get a lot more people on board, literally

2025-09-24 17:25:51 UTC

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Amtrak’s Downeaster runs at 80+ mph through Maine. It then crawls through New Hampshire and Massachusetts, making it a 30 minute longer journey between Boston and Portland than driving, and it is still wildly popular.

2025-09-24 17:23:40 UTC

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“High speed rail” is typically defined as 150mph (240km/h) or faster. Traditional diesel trains can operate at 80-90 miles per hour. The northeast regional and the Wolverine (in Michigan) hit 125 in some places. If we just updated our tracks so that our current equipment could run at speed, we’d make rail travel appealing to so many more people.

2025-09-24 17:20:07 UTC

Hot take:
We don’t need high speed rail.
We don’t need trains to be competitive with flying.
We just need trains to be competitive with driving.

2025-09-24 14:01:54 UTC

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yup. Sadly for my wallet, I only like the coffees that cost at least twice as much as grocery store coffee.

2025-09-24 02:31:25 UTC

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I am actually super cafffeine sensitive so I really shouldn’t be drinking a lot of coffee. Three cups of black tea will put me over the edge, which is about a cup and a half of coffee caffeine-wise.
Also my partner and I have different coffee preferences 😂. I like either a light roast cold brew OR a dark roast espresso (or at home, moka pot). She prefers medium roast French press.

2025-09-24 02:28:46 UTC

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I have always been a drink snob. Tea, beer, whiskey, wine (I have a professional certification!)
I never really cared for coffee, but I have a partner who is a regular coffee drinker - not a snob by any measure though. As any good host or partner would do, I wanted to make sure she had her beverage of choice available. My very high beverage standards meant I sampled a lot of coffee. Unfortunately this lead me to developing an appreciation for it.

2025-09-23 20:23:17 UTC

I regret to inform myself that I may be becoming a coffee person

2025-09-22 16:14:08 UTC

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You know what would help?
- Wider bike lanes so that faster traffic can pass, whether that's an electric motor or a lycra-clad strava striver.
- Traffic calming measures in bike lanes as well as car lanes to ensure pedestrians safely enjoy the right of way and speeds are safe for all

2025-09-22 16:11:51 UTC

I'm not going to share the article because I don't want to give it clicks but... blanket bashing electric micro-mobility is definitely ableist, and probably a good bit classist too.
I'm willing to have discussions about safely regulating motorized micromobility, but saying they have no place in a bike lane and should instead be in the road with cars definitely ain't it.

2025-09-19 16:48:54 UTC

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I *think* it's fair game to trim things overhanging your property, but I am not a lawyer and definitely not a tree lawer

2025-09-10 21:31:37 UTC

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but yes, violence tends to beget violence and that’s deeply concerning

2025-09-10 21:31:08 UTC

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I mean it did already happen in Minnesota a few months back

2025-09-08 11:53:00 UTC

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*throws open window and sticks head out* did you hear everybody? It’s fall time!
*dumps out basket of sweaters and casts them about the room before selecting one* fall is here!
*walks down the street wearing a cardigan while two hand clasping a hot beverage, yelling at passersby* Fall! Fall! Fall! Fall!

2025-08-12 20:44:19 UTC

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lined raised beds and/or pots for anything we want to eat. We’ve already got a few raised beds, but I’ve been eating kale and raspberries out of the garden for years 😬

2025-08-12 20:30:11 UTC

Well the good news is that we don’t need to call the EPA to do remediation on our garden soil.
The bad news is the lead level in our garden soil is about 6 times the recommended limit for safe consumption of produce.

2025-08-07 02:04:53 UTC

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nope not even! NCSL conference closing party. A fucking conference. Not even open to the public.

2025-08-07 01:53:56 UTC

Gonna go on record saying: If you are launching off fireworks on a weeknight not near a major holiday, I don't like you.

2025-08-04 14:11:20 UTC

Overheard from a small child on the green line: “why did we pick the slow train?”
#MBTA

2025-08-01 13:03:26 UTC

Well I was planning to take a personal day today to deal with an overwhelming personal backlog of tasks, but now new and different crises have arisen for me to deal with in addition!

2025-05-12 12:28:49 UTC

“Ooh! Hello little goldfinch!” I exclaim aloud to no one but myself and the bird as I’m walking down the street, having fully become a mid 30s millennial stereotype.

2025-04-15 22:27:04 UTC

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wait, he *wanted* to go? That kid is hardcore!

2025-03-24 11:28:56 UTC

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Oh! and I'd be a terrible friend to not mention Midnight Tea(se) in Salem; I'm friends with one of the owners. https://www.midnighttease.com/

2025-03-24 11:26:51 UTC

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+1 for Mem Tea, though I order my bulk, every day teas from Upton Tea (larger volumes/lower prices) https://www.uptontea.com - they are also Massachusetts* based, but are mail order only.
Harney & Sons is also good; from upstate NY*. You can order them online or find them at Cardullo's in Harvard Square.
* perhaps obvious disclaimer that all tea is imported, but these importers/blenders are at least in our region.

2025-03-10 16:32:43 UTC

Boo! #Cambridge crossing REI is closing effective April 3rd 😞
https://files.better.boston/media_attachments/files/114/139/087/774/082/848/original/6287b759b303bd7a.png

2025-03-02 14:51:13 UTC

Making myself sad today by reading about what Sullivan Station used to look like compared to what it is now: http://www.bostonstreetcars.com/sullivan-square.html
#Boston #Somerville #Transit #MBTA

2025-01-27 16:17:59 UTC

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“he’s just like us! He also lacks object permanence when it comes to beverages!”

2025-01-27 16:12:43 UTC

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I had the opposite experience last night. Wandered around looking for my water glass, couldn’t find it. So I grabbed a new one then went to go set it down but found my old water glass in the exact spot I was going to set it.

2025-01-27 15:34:33 UTC

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same! was about to text the upstairs neighbors that their laundry was going wild until my coworker slacked me to ask if I felt the earthquake
Edit to add: felt in East Somerville

2025-01-07 03:00:03 UTC

Does anyone else forget that you can just... buy yourself things? Like I have asked for and not received* warm socks for the past 2 Christmases and was sad about it. But then I was at Costco and saw a 5 pack of wool socks and now my feet are quite comfy in this chilly weather and idk why I dealt with cold toes for the past 2 years?

2024-12-27 03:20:51 UTC

Ok Fediverse, help me out since search is useless. A number of years ago I came across a phenomenal article for building a website/brand color palette. It included specific steps for desaturating or overlaying your brand's primary color to find harmonious grays/blacks/whites or something like that. Any ideas, or just any relevant resources for making color palettes?
#Design #UX #UIUX

2024-12-19 01:49:47 UTC

How do folks find reputable places to buy things online nowadays, with Amazon being Amazon and search being largely useless?

2024-12-13 21:40:19 UTC

Amazing news! Memorial drive is being narrowed to make more room for green space and walking/biking paths! Sounds like this may be a scaled down version of the original plan, but it's in the section that most needs it. #Cambridge #CambridgeMA #Boston
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/01/18/dcr-announces-scaled-back-memorial-drive-road-diet-for-2024

2024-11-08 15:13:36 UTC

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I think there is some benefit to having it in the SeeClickFix system regardless; those reports may be used in statistical analyses and help flag the area for prioritization (or at least so I've been told, may or may not be true)

2024-11-07 02:11:09 UTC

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Wild to me that some folks voted for a man who attempted to stage a coup because pringles are a few dollars more expensive now

2024-11-06 22:26:29 UTC

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(Of course as you and I both know, they will never blame trump for his failures nor will trump voters look inward at the causes of their misery. They will just rally to hate around a new scape goat each time until it gets to them in that poem)

2024-11-06 22:23:59 UTC

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I hope trump voters feel joy today, honestly I do. Because their lives are clearly so devoid of it, and a trump presidency is not actually going to address the root causes of their unhappiness. They are just going to continue to be miserable and angry after the initial joy wears off.

2024-11-06 22:22:17 UTC

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"We survived one trump term, we'll survive another"
Yeah ok but millions didn't
(thankfully no one in my circles has had this shite take yet, but there's my answer just in case)

2024-11-06 22:20:09 UTC

fucking skibidi stolen grover cleveland valor

2024-11-05 13:02:38 UTC

Sure would be a great day to distract myself with fun little word games. Alas, I don't believe in crossing picket lines.

2024-10-22 09:01:12 UTC

Review of the #Antwerp half marathon -
1. course was mostly through the city. Very scenic and very flat.
2. Great weather - cool with a little bit of sun
3. Great turnout - lots of spectators all along. I high-fived so many people.
4. Hydration stations were well placed and staffed. I appreciate that they hand out water on both sides of the street; some races only do one side.
5. Start was a little slow.
6. Music was great on the course!
Overall 9/10, do recommend!
#HalfMarathon #running

2024-09-16 14:36:14 UTC

I need like… parental controls for my calendar. I’m not allowed to add anything else to my schedule until November.

2024-09-12 01:20:46 UTC

Alright #Boston - there's a chill in the air, the Oktoberfest biers are rolling out, and Pumpkin Spice is back at your favorite coffee joint. I gotta know - where is the best place in the greater Boston area to get a cider donut? Bonus points for hot & fresh.