Today I went swimming at Seattle’s Coleman Pool, a saltwater public pool located in the best place in the world, Lincoln Park. Saltwater, if you didn’t know, makes you extra light and bouncy in the water. For hours I swanned around in the water feeling like a misplaced mermaid, lighter than air, buoyant as a balloon. Then it was time to get out, and back on land, I felt heavier than ever—like my limbs were made of lead, my legs magnetized to the Earth’s core.
That’s what it feels like playing the Astros after the Mariners have soared against lesser competition: a high suddenly cut short, a dismal reminder of how earthbound we are.