Andrew Szalay
@andrewszalay.bsky.social
Baseball fan and out-of-shape climber running a home-building nonprofit in a beautiful place, albeit a bit peakless.
https://medium.com/@andrewszalay (Also:
https://suburbanmountaineer.com/)
https://medium.com/@andrewszalay (Also:
https://suburbanmountaineer.com/)
Pinned
The painting in the banner of my profile is by Morris Kantor from 1934: "Baseball at Night." Night games there, in West Nyack, NY, and everywhere, were the oddity, unlike today. I took the photo at the Smithsonian American Gallery the last day before they closed for the '25 shutdown.
I woke to a winter wonderland outside my door.
December 14, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I woke to a winter wonderland outside my door.
I don't follow comp climbing so I hadn't heard of Gord McArthur, but he has a self-published book coming out in January called 'Throwing Hope' about the challenges and hardships that made his ice climbs. I'm dubious about it, but maybe... #mountainlit #climbing
www.gordonmcarthur.com/product-page...
www.gordonmcarthur.com/product-page...
Throwing Hope - Book | Mysite
Throwing Hope
From heartbreak to hope, from shattered dreams to the gold medals, Throwing Hope is the story of one man’s lifelong pursuit to master not just his sport—but himself.
Gordon McArthur’s...
www.gordonmcarthur.com
December 13, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I don't follow comp climbing so I hadn't heard of Gord McArthur, but he has a self-published book coming out in January called 'Throwing Hope' about the challenges and hardships that made his ice climbs. I'm dubious about it, but maybe... #mountainlit #climbing
www.gordonmcarthur.com/product-page...
www.gordonmcarthur.com/product-page...
Ah. Duly noted.
gripped.com/news/the-ifs...
gripped.com/news/the-ifs...
The IFSC Has Changed Their Name to World Climbing - Gripped Magazine
The IFSC World Cup series will be replaced with the World Climbing Series starting in 2026
gripped.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Ah. Duly noted.
gripped.com/news/the-ifs...
gripped.com/news/the-ifs...
Intrepid machine.
December 9, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Intrepid machine.
My brief book review of 'Meltdown' by Sarah Boon (2025) will be in Alpinist Magazine issue 92 shortly.
December 9, 2025 at 2:18 PM
My brief book review of 'Meltdown' by Sarah Boon (2025) will be in Alpinist Magazine issue 92 shortly.
Geez... How many covers of 'Last Christmas' by big popstars does the market need?
December 7, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Geez... How many covers of 'Last Christmas' by big popstars does the market need?
It's the best money I spend. (Sorry, kids.)
Today kicks off the Cup of Coffee Winter Meetings Sale. I'm offering 25% off annual subscriptions! Normally $70 for a year, now $52.50.
Act now, because we all die and life is but a fleeting interruption of oblivion!
www.cupofcoffeenews.com/winter-meeti...
Act now, because we all die and life is but a fleeting interruption of oblivion!
www.cupofcoffeenews.com/winter-meeti...
Cup of Coffee Newsletter
A daily baseball, politics, entertainment, and nonsense newsletter
www.cupofcoffeenews.com
December 5, 2025 at 2:11 AM
It's the best money I spend. (Sorry, kids.)
ICYMI, like me... 'The Corridor', a memoir by Iain Peters, won this year's Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature. Well done, Mr. Peters. #mountainlit #climbingbooks #climbing
December 4, 2025 at 11:01 AM
ICYMI, like me... 'The Corridor', a memoir by Iain Peters, won this year's Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature. Well done, Mr. Peters. #mountainlit #climbingbooks #climbing
I can't relate exactly but I totally understand. #rockclimbing #climbing
www.climbing.com/news/tim-emm...
www.climbing.com/news/tim-emm...
He Spent 8 Years Trying 1 Climb. Then His Raw Post-Send Moment Went Viral.
We interview Tim Emmett, 51, who finally ticked ‘Era Vella’ (5.14d) on November 16, about emotional breakdowns and putting it all on the line.
www.climbing.com
December 4, 2025 at 2:16 AM
I can't relate exactly but I totally understand. #rockclimbing #climbing
www.climbing.com/news/tim-emm...
www.climbing.com/news/tim-emm...
I miss when Thrivent Financial only supported Habitat for Humanity. No offense to other causes.
December 2, 2025 at 1:18 PM
I miss when Thrivent Financial only supported Habitat for Humanity. No offense to other causes.
Phaistos Disk, named for the ancient Greek town it was found in, has writing that's a bit of a mystery and, despite the controversy about its legitimacy, introduced some wonderful things about the people then.
explorersweb.com/fraud-or-fin...
explorersweb.com/fraud-or-fin...
Fraud or Find? What We Know About Crete's Mysterious Phaistos Disk » Explorersweb
Carved on a disk about the size of a dinner plate was writing in an unknown language. The debate has raged for a century: Is this artifact real or fake?
explorersweb.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Phaistos Disk, named for the ancient Greek town it was found in, has writing that's a bit of a mystery and, despite the controversy about its legitimacy, introduced some wonderful things about the people then.
explorersweb.com/fraud-or-fin...
explorersweb.com/fraud-or-fin...
December 1, 2025 at 2:41 PM
The pies and fried chicken (yes, fried chicken) were the highlight of the Thanksgiving meal, the charcuterie platter was an outstanding surprise.
November 30, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The pies and fried chicken (yes, fried chicken) were the highlight of the Thanksgiving meal, the charcuterie platter was an outstanding surprise.
I agree on 'The Wager' and made me interested in the Buckley bio.
I hope if you're shopping today, you stop by a local indie bookstore. Here's my list of my favorite 25 books from this past year, some old, some new, fiction, history, and current events — something for almost anyone on your list (and, of course, yourself!): www.doomsdayscenario.co/p/my-favorit...
My favorite books of 2025
25 books that changed the way I look at the world this year
www.doomsdayscenario.co
November 29, 2025 at 1:06 PM
I agree on 'The Wager' and made me interested in the Buckley bio.
I'm thankful for all the right things, I think, but after food, shelter, clothing, health, and well being, I am pleased to wake to enjoy snow in the town I grew up. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. (Don’t eat too much and be sure to get outside.)
November 27, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I'm thankful for all the right things, I think, but after food, shelter, clothing, health, and well being, I am pleased to wake to enjoy snow in the town I grew up. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. (Don’t eat too much and be sure to get outside.)
This guy was waiting for me when I got home from a dawn patrol this morning.
November 26, 2025 at 3:59 PM
This guy was waiting for me when I got home from a dawn patrol this morning.
Fantasy baseball league commissioners... Have any of you left ESPN for CBS? How did it go?
#fantasybaseball #baseball #mlb #baseballfan
#fantasybaseball #baseball #mlb #baseballfan
November 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Fantasy baseball league commissioners... Have any of you left ESPN for CBS? How did it go?
#fantasybaseball #baseball #mlb #baseballfan
#fantasybaseball #baseball #mlb #baseballfan
I have too much unused PTO. So I have to use some. So I am adding days off and now taking off the Monday after Thanksgiving. I haven't had six days in a row off since last Christmas.
November 19, 2025 at 8:54 PM
I have too much unused PTO. So I have to use some. So I am adding days off and now taking off the Monday after Thanksgiving. I haven't had six days in a row off since last Christmas.
Nick Markakis is on the ballot for the hall of fame for the first time. I don't think he'll get the votes, but proud of him that he's there. #baseballfan
November 18, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Nick Markakis is on the ballot for the hall of fame for the first time. I don't think he'll get the votes, but proud of him that he's there. #baseballfan
Here is what I am reading now, amd a brief complaint on my local library. (Their terms aren't reader friendly.)
goatsintheoutfield.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/w...
goatsintheoutfield.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/w...
What I Am Reading Now, November 2025
I generally read less during Daylight Savings Time. It’s easy to be outside walking, playing catch, grilling dinner with a beer, gokfing with my son, or watching my daughter play tennis. Read…
goatsintheoutfield.wordpress.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Here is what I am reading now, amd a brief complaint on my local library. (Their terms aren't reader friendly.)
goatsintheoutfield.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/w...
goatsintheoutfield.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/w...
Found a golf ball with a cover peeling off on the golf course on my morning walk. I'm going to hit it and compare a similar ball with its clothes on. Dimples should help it carry farther, but I want to see.
November 12, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Found a golf ball with a cover peeling off on the golf course on my morning walk. I'm going to hit it and compare a similar ball with its clothes on. Dimples should help it carry farther, but I want to see.
It was a long wait to get the traffic commission approval, but at least I got a little reading in my book while I waited until weee wete called on the agenda.
November 11, 2025 at 10:40 PM
It was a long wait to get the traffic commission approval, but at least I got a little reading in my book while I waited until weee wete called on the agenda.
I haven't made a point to attend a Veterans Day celebration in a while. This morning, I went to the First Reformed Church service with the VFW. It was nourishing. Jim Fisher, in this pic, shared the day's history, starting with Armistice Day, which its silence has been likened to the Voice of God.
November 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I haven't made a point to attend a Veterans Day celebration in a while. This morning, I went to the First Reformed Church service with the VFW. It was nourishing. Jim Fisher, in this pic, shared the day's history, starting with Armistice Day, which its silence has been likened to the Voice of God.
This set has legitimized my love for Star Trek, and TNG Series in particular, in the eyes of some important Lego-building Star Wars-loving young people in my life. Thank you, Lego.
share.google/kZyABnFFdZpp...
share.google/kZyABnFFdZpp...
LEGO Star Trek USS Enterprise designer signing announced
Star Trek fans can beam down to the LEGO Store Leicester Square later this month to get their Enterprise models signed by the set’s designer.
share.google
November 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM
This set has legitimized my love for Star Trek, and TNG Series in particular, in the eyes of some important Lego-building Star Wars-loving young people in my life. Thank you, Lego.
share.google/kZyABnFFdZpp...
share.google/kZyABnFFdZpp...