H-Town Run Tourist
Bored from being home alone? Start your own podcast or blog today
Apr 12, 2020, 4:41 am
H-Town Run Tourist
Jovan Abernathy is an international marathoner and owner of Houston Tourism Gym. Check out her new blog, HTown Run Tourist. Follow her on Twitter @jovanabernathy. Instagram @HTownRunTourist. Facebook @jovanabernathy
There will be a comeback for blogs and podcasts through the pandemic. Because we have to practice social distancing, many of us are bored, very bored and we miss each other. We miss human connection and we miss the variety of being with different people. One way to overcome this challenge and the challenge of going out of your mind is to start your own podcast or blog. Before you object, I'm going to give you my reasons why its a great idea.
You get to share your passion with others.
Once you know what that passion is, you will never run out of things to say. In fact, you can't talk about it. Also, you will find out that many people feel the same way that you do.
While you are sharing your passion, you get to connect with yourself.
When you have to share your thoughts, you have to present them like a tasty meal. Before you do that, you have to know exactly what you know on the topic and how you feel. It is a confidence booster. Because you have time to prepare, you really come off looking like the expert that you are.
You will have fun brainstorming, networking, and creating.
This is an understatement. I personally feel that humans are meant to be creative. When a person is in the state of learning and creation, they are usually at their best and most beautiful. When you have been through this process, you have an appreciation for creativity everywhere and are least likely to be critical of others.
Analyzing your analytics is addictive.
It is so exhilarating to see your page views jump from 0 to 100 to 200 to 1000 to 10,000 and more. It shows you what topics really matter and what people really care about. I also love seeing how well my campaigns are working.
Those are only a few reasons to start your blog or podcast. But, how do you get started? It is much easier than you think. Because we live in 2020, we have so many resources to create a quality blog or podcast that looks professional.
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Squarespace
In the past, if you wanted to create a blog or website, you would have to get a web hosting account and create your website on Wordpress, and write your own code. That was back then. Now, we have Squarespace.
You can create an amazing website for selling products, for membership websites, or showcasing your talents. Squarespace makes it super simple. It is as easy as cutting and pasting. You can add music and video. You can also choose stock photos directly from the Squarespace website. These websites are so simple to set up, you can also take payment on your website. Because of COVID19, you now have all the time in the world to set up your website. I created both of my websites on Squarespace. I did Houston Tourism Gym during Hurricane Harvey and H-Town Run Tourist during COVID19.
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Anchor
Podcasting sounds like it would be really difficult and really expensive. That is until Anchor came along. Because, I do not have a podcast, I asked my friend, Taylor Schepps, who recently started a podcast called Tizz Talk. Think, business and current events in a panel discussion for potheads who day trade. Taylor produces hour long episodes from his living room. He does solo shows where it is just him talking to his audience or he invites his friends to talk about current events. The cool thing about podcasts is that your voice connects you with your audience on a deeper level. You can add video of your shows so they can tell what you look like as well.
Anchor makes all of this easy and cost effective. When you create your podcast on Anchor, you can put it on the different platforms like iTunes or spotify with a click of a button. They will also help you find sponsors to monetize your podcast.
So, if you are bored, write down some things that you are interested in and start creating. We can't wait to see your work.
The 2025 season hasn't gone according to script for the Houston Astros. Injuries, slumps, and a retooled roster have left fans asking whether this version of the Astros is underwhelming—or if, given all the turmoil, they might actually be overachieving.
When Houston dealt Kyle Tucker, a franchise cornerstone, the move raised eyebrows. Tucker was a consistent producer and an anchor in right field. In return, the Astros received infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski, and third baseman now outfielder Cam Smith—players who didn’t bring the same star power but offered versatility and upside.
Paredes has delivered as advertised. He’s brought steady production at the plate and the ability to play a solid third base. While he may not be with the team beyond 2027 if the front office sticks to its recent pattern of letting players walk in free agency, his presence right now is stabilizing an otherwise inconsistent lineup.
Then there’s Cam Smith, who might be the real key to this deal. After a slow start and questions about whether he or Zach Dezenzo was the better option in right field, Smith has surged. Over the past 30 days, he’s hit north of .300 and shown signs of becoming a long-term fixture. The biggest question now is positional: Is he Houston’s future in right field, or could he eventually slide over to third base if/when Paredes departs? That decision will ripple through future roster planning and could define how this trade is remembered.
In the meantime, however, he’s shown flashes of being a quality everyday player. But it’s not uncommon for young hitters to take a step back after an initial surge. The Astros need him to keep proving it, but the potential is unmistakable.
Underwhelming or overachieving?
Elsewhere on the roster, the results are mixed. Players like Jake Meyers and Victor Caratini, who came into the season with modest expectations, have performed admirably. Meanwhile, stars like José Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Díaz have underperformed, leaving the offensive output uneven. Add in the extended absence of Yordan Álvarez and the loss of three-fifths of the starting rotation, and it's fair to say Houston has had more than its share of adversity.
King of the hill
One area where the Astros have arguably found a diamond in the rough is Bryan King. With a 1.52 ERA in 2025, King has passed the eye test as a potential long-term solution in high-leverage relief situations. He’s been more than capable, building on a solid 2.39 ERA in 2024. His performance has solidified his place in the bullpen, and he’s taken on ownership of his role. However, it’s important for the Astros to temper expectations, especially after the lessons learned from the Rafael Montero signing. King looks like the real deal, but he still has a ways to go before being considered a true elite option out of the 'pen.
What should we make of the Alex Bregman quad injury?
Bregman’s injury doesn’t really change the conversation around whether the Astros should have extended him. If anything, it highlights the complexity of roster decisions. Houston could’ve kept Bregman, shifted Paredes to first base, and potentially avoided spending big on Christian Walker. But injuries are part of the game—Yordan Álvarez has missed nearly half the season, and no one’s suggesting the Astros should regret signing him. Kyle Tucker missed significant time last year, too, and he’s about to land a massive contract. Players get hurt. That’s baseball.
Moving forward
While the Astros have struggled with injuries and inconsistent performances, they have managed to remain competitive—perhaps even overachieving given the circumstances. The team's depth, the surprising performances from certain players, and the emergence of promising new talent have allowed them to hold their ground, currently possessing a Wild Card spot in the AL if the season were to end today.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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