Felix Pie, 2010 Topps National Chicle #134

It's time to kick off my birthday weekend in style. I'll be turning thirty on Sunday, which is a poorly-kept secret; I've spent most of the past year worrying over it. But now that the end of my twenties is upon me at last, I'm less concerned. Maybe it's because I'm more comfortable in my own skin, or maybe it's because I've marked this personal milestone by packing the next few days with the things I love: family, friends, good food and drink, and of course, baseball cards.

The mysterious forces that govern my hobby have seen fit to hold the National Sports Collectors Convention here in Baltimore for the second time in three years. Having learned my lesson from 2010, I took a full day off from work tomorrow so that I may spend as much time as I see fit browsing and shopping for a proper birthday gift for myself. Given that this convention is kind of a big deal, I fully expect at least a few readers of my small-time blog to be there as well. If you want to say hello, just shoot me an email (brotz13 at gmail dot com) and we can swap information. Alternately, you can just look for the skinny bearded guy in the orange "PIE 18" jersey tee. I'll probably be standing in front of a dime box and throwing fistfuls of cash at the dealer. Can you think of a better way to celebrate one of the signposts of adulthood?