A few photos from the yard

 It was a beautiful day today. As Marc worked in the yard, I felt the urge to go take a few photos out there. The dogs went with me, to act as models, of course! Here are a few shots:

Romance is fun

Among the friends we've made through rugby is a young man named Connor. A couple of weeks ago, Connor reached out to say he planned to propose to his boyfriend. He wanted to know if Marc and I could take pictures when he proposed. Of course, we loved the idea. So around midday today, we met them in Central Park. Connor's boyfriend, Kevin, thought this was just a meeting so we could take some photos of them.

So we started with that...

Then Connor started talking about how wonderful Kevin was, how much he loved him, and how much he loved life with him. Kevin clearly was confused, wondering why Connor was going on like this. But then...

So wonderful! We were honored to be a part of this special day, and we both wish them many happy, healthy years together!

Go ahead and use the money how you want. It's yours now.

I try to be generous. That extends to strangers, when I think I can help out. When I worked in Manhattan, I bought lots of lunches for guys on the street. How can you go wrong feeding someone? 

Well, we're in Savannah, and we recently went shopping at Publix. It was late for food shopping--about 8pm--and the turn lane into the Publix wasn't well lit. But as we approached, I thought I saw someone. Sure enough, as we got close, I saw that it was a man with a little sign, asking for money.

I had a couple of dollar bills in my pocket. I rolled down the window and gave them to him. With that, he thanked me and apparently was done with his work for the evening. He immediately headed across the road. In that dim light, I was worried he'd get hit by a car. There was one coming, but luckily they saw him.

The man was heading into the same parking lot we were. At first, it looked like he was heading for Publix, too, and I said to Marc, if he goes in there, I want to tell him we'll buy him anything he wants. Marc agreed. Really, whatever he could get and bring home wasn't going to bankrupt us and would brighten his life at least for a bit.

So as we were parking we watched him head towards the Publix entrance. And then right past it, to the corner of the shopping center and the liquor store.

Oh well, if that's what he needed, so be it. More importantly, I suppose it got him out of traffic, so he'd live to see another day. It's his life, not mine, and the that little bit of money was his by then anyhow. But I really did love the idea of helping send him home with lots of fresh food. I hope he gets to a better place where that's his priority.

The troubling transformation of an historic city

We've been part-time residents of beautiful Savannah for almost 9 years. We were fortunate to find a house that was a great fit for us. A big place, built when Thomas Jefferson was President, it’s in a great downtown location. Like many old houses here, its appearance won’t change because of its historic status.  Those same types of restrictions protect the overall look of the historic district, and that’s great.

What’s particularly interesting, though, is how much of the unprotected parts of the city—or areas whose zoning was changed with the right big-money political influence—are seeing major building projects that could be anywhere. They don’t have the Savannah look and feel.

A few decades ago, a house was built near here that was specifically made to look like ours. The very deliberate intent was to maintain the same character. A lot of this new stuff, however, has very little in common with the existing structures of this city.

In our years here, Savannah has grown and changed quite a bit, but these latest developments are another level. We have visited many places over the years where we have heard about the character of those places changing slowly, so no one really grasped how much was being lost. In this case, I think anyone could see it. A lot of things are changing here, and I don’t know that they are changing for the better. A lot of people are going to make a lot of money, and that, of course, is what is driving all of this. But I don’t know if that is the best thing for Savannah. Sure, growth and economic prosperity are good things, but I feel like the pace here is going to get away from people. One day, they will look back and wonder how they lost what used to be.

Book Review: "Resurrection Walk" by Michael Connelly

Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My only problem with Michael Connelly's novels is that they're over so fast. I don't think I'm a particularly fast reader, but I wait a while for his next novel with great anticipation. Then I get my hands on a copy, and I'm done in a couple of days.

Resurrection Walk brings together Mickey Haller ("the Lincoln Lawyer") and Connelly's great homicide detective Harry Bosch. I won't get into the details of the story, other than to say they're looking to help people wrongfully convicted who want to clear their names. This is a powerhouse team, and, with the aid of a couple of other key players, they bring a fight for justice that most needing criminal defense only can dream of. This is a fast, well-written story, and I highly recommend it!

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Book review: "The Exchange" by John Grisham (sequel to "The Firm")

The Exchange: After The Firm by John Grisham
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Exchange isn't really a follow-up to The Firm. There's an early attempt to tie the books together by having Mitch McDeere meet with one of his old colleagues who did time for what happened at the Bendini firm. But it has no real substance in the plot of this book.

The plot itself is a kidnapping perpetrated by terrorists, but the character development is lacking. The kidnapping victim is barely known to us, but we're supposed to be on the edge of our seats. Not that I'd want a stranger kidnapped or harmed, but there isn't sufficient character development to make me really care intensely. Also, if anything, this book makes me like Mitch McDeere less than I might have before. It makes clear he got into the Bendini/mafia mess because he was greedy from the start.

Now, 15 years after the events in The Firm, Mitch is very improbably a partner at the world's largest law firm. I don't see how, with his background--and without lots of major clients to bring in--he could have wound up there. The explanation in the book doesn't ring true at all, for anyone familiar with the machinations of "Big Law." Also, we find out that Mitch, as well as being greedy in general, is a thief. Sure, he felt justified after what had happened, in making off with a very large amount of funds from the Bendini firm, but this doesn't exactly make him a more sympathetic character. Put simply, there's nobody particularly likable in this book. Overpaid lawyers who bill for hours that really aren't work for their clients, wealthy corporate types, and a kidnap victim we barely know aren't people I'm anxious to root for or hang out with.

This doesn't continue the story except we now know what Mitch McDeere supposedly is doing. I really was disappointed in this book. There are so many things John Grisham could have done with this character. He could have made him decide to fight for justice for those who can't afford expensive lawyers. In fact, early in the book, in yet another part that doesn't seem to fit, Mitch visits with a lawyer who has dedicated his life to trying to save people on death row. He could have made an interesting story from that kind of work. He could have made him an environmental lawyer. A government lawyer. There are countless good, honorable things a lawyer can do, but instead, we have a pretty weak kidnapping/terrorism story located in the world of rich Wall Street lawyers with limousines and private jets. What was the point?

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Book Review: "Light Bringer" (Book 6 of the "Red Rising" series)

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another very good book in the Red Rising series. I feel like a strong editor could make the language more concise and have it flow better, as there are parts that seem needlessly verbose and get into tangents that don't add much to the story, especially if you've read the prior five books of the series.

Even so, this is a book that builds connection with the characters, as too many other authors don't or can't, and there's lots of tension that keeps you turning the pages. Of course, be ready for true brutality of war on a massive scale. That brings sadness, certainly, as we see humanity at its worst in ways one hopes will be banished from our existence. There's the loss of characters we're invested in, too, but that's the nature of war.

If you're looking for happily ever after, look elsewhere. Even if book 7 brings a happy ending on a macro level, lots of individual losses will remain and will be extremely sad and regrettable, as some of the people lost are brave, honorable and well-meaning (one in particular comes to mind in this book... of course, I won't say which). Still, this massive book was a relatively quick read for its size, as it kept me wanting more.

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