Team Building.

It was a curious coincidence that I was on the treadmill at my local gym, training for this summer's John H. Watson Society Annual Treasure Hunt -- among other things in life that require complete exertion -- when I started up the latest episode of the podcast This Tangled Skein.

Early on in the 'cast, intrepid reporter Beth/Selena/@plexippa reported that the Treasure Hunt's quizmistress, Margie Deck, suggested she bolster her weakness on the seventh question by joining Team Nunn/Keefauver for this year's event. Beth also mentioned that Ashley Polasek had put forth a name for the team "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Doubleday." Since Ashley is, as far as I know, unaware of my weakness for Ryan Reynolds vehicles, this was a second curious coincidence.

HOLY SOUTH AMERICAN NITRATES!! RYAN REYNOLDS AS SHERLOCK HOLMES!!! WHY IS THIS NOT A THING!!! 

Sorry. Lost my train of thought for a moment. OH!! ANNA FERRIS AS MARY MORSTAN! NO! WATSON! THE BIG SCREEN REBOOT OF ELEMENTARY! YES!! (This is one of those places where people think I'm being tongue-in-cheek. But, no, this is true Keefauverian train of thought.)

Okay, back to that John H. Watson Society Treasure Hunt, which doesn't start until August.

Last August, I had just lost two co-workers, was being called out of town to help with a consuming crisis, and unable to devote my full attention to the problems involved for weeks at a stretch. Rob had his own distractions, as well, and we lost our third team member early in the competition. This year, we're definitely hungry to show our full powers of Sherlockian trivial deduction and rise above our Order of Valiant Effort from this year. Adding a librarian of remarkable energy to the team could be our "bringing Apollo Creed in to train Rocky" moment -- the extra angle that puts us over.

And . . . wait a second . . . if Beth joins us, we would still have two potentially open slots for an Aquaman and a Green Lantern. (Oops, slipped into "forming the Justice League" mode. I was Flash, by the way.)

This is why I'm training, of course: Focus. Stay on Sherlock Holmes trivia. Stay off movies and comics. Stay on Sherlock Holmes trivia. Only a few more months . . .