Casey Is A Free Elf
My last day in the office was Wednesday, July 1. I remained available for any work that the company may need me for through today, Sunday, so I technically write this while still employed, but with less than two business-hours remaining and four days off in the rearview. Indulge my rounding-up.
The last few weeks have been a real fight to the finish, I was working way more hours than normal to wrap up some of my projects before my departure and ensure a clean handoff. My vibes are probably best characterized as "haggard" as a result, and I think it reflects in my demeanor, unfortunately. It'll take time to build back energy reliably. For now I mostly feel relief.
In the absence of more coherent things to write about, here is a brief journal from my first unemployed days.
2026-07-02: SEA vs LAA
Angels
0
I was lucky enough to be invited to this game by some coworkers. Not a bad way to spend my first day off, and a bunch of familiar work faces were present.
This was a weird game, Bryce threw 7 innings of 2 hit baseball, but Ureña and Natera Jr. combined for 7 innings of 1 hit as well. The only run in the entire game came from a bases loaded walk. Julio was injured by a thrown ball to the back of the head, which resulted in his removal from the game and replacement with Victor Robles.
2026-07-03: Nothing of note.
This is where the exhaustion of the past several weeks caught up with me. I did a couple chores but mostly had a quiet day. Whole Foods is having a 50% off ice cream sale at time of writing, I think it ends 7/7. I stocked up on Americone Dream.
2026-07-04: SEA vs TOR
Blue Jays
0
I organized this game with a local friend group.
Some of the crew are neighbors, we caught the train over together in time for gate open and proceeded straight to a location that we suspected housed the elusive Seacret Door that we'd been hunting for some time. We found it! And we got into line for our overpriced and overproduced prize. We missed some exciting-sounding pregame events like a vintage car parade around the track, but we got extremely lucky and snagged a Cal Raleigh warmup ball he threw into the crowd, so, overall a win of a pregame, capped off with a slice of red velvet cake.
The game itself was extremely cathartic. An absolute beating administered by the Mariners, to the team that knocked us out of the ALCS last season. Spontaneous chants of "U! S! A!". Salmon mascots dressed up as founding fathers dancing on the dugout. Walter threw 7.1 innings of 1-hit baseball while Randy showed us why he's an all-star.
After the game, at dinner at The Slip, a couple friends pointed out that I had been exceptionally quiet the entire day, modulo obligatory cheers and applause. I'm lucky to have friends that are able to notice Casey-quiet and express concern. I wish I'd gotten to talk with some of the newer faces more: even when I'm not running on fumes it's hard to get to know a person in a loud stadium, but I am hopeful there will be future opportunities (and I offer my sincere apologies for the quiet).
2026-07-05 and Looking Ahead
Today's been quiet, went for a nice long walk this morning, called my mom. Then spent the afternoon doin' chores with sports on the TV. I want my place to be organized and tidy so I can start to reflect that in my brain.
Tomorrow's my first "workday" off, and it's likely to be a doozy: Seattle is hosting World Cup round of 16 match USA vs Belgium, and I'm absolutely not paying $6k for a seat, but I may find my way into the neighborhood of the stadium to share in the excitement.
Then, I'm departing for the first travel of this break, flying to Florida to catch the Mariners in Tampa Bay! I think it's likely the next time I write will be from the 27th state.