Grandfatherhood: Day 2

I’ll do some catching up with items shelved with the arrival of my granddaughter but I’ve got to say as I move into my second day as a grandfather, it shows no signs of getting old. I apologize ahead of time because I’m going to be a bit insufferable on that subject for the foreseeable future. Consider yourself warned.

A Very Proud Grandmother

I spoke with the new Mom for the first time last night and I could feel the blossoming maternal glow over the phone despite the accompanying exhaustion. She hadn’t really slept in over 24 hours and had gone even longer without any real food. All that being said she sounded great and I even heard my granddaughter for the first time commenting in the background about the need for a diaper change. My wife claimed my voice broke when I heard her for the first time but you’ll have to take her word for that.

An Even Prouder First time Mom with The First Blog Reader

I did get the full rundown later from my favorite Panamanian which included the first burp and the first diaper change; both of which were described as prodigious. Wingman got his first taste of actual diaper changing with the two grandmothers in close support. My granddaughter scored high on some sort of assessment matrix which my daughter was sure to include in her introduction, alright bragging on her kid (wait till she gets a load of grandfather braggadocio). The First Blog Reader also likes to be spoken to, whether in Spanish or English, not a problem given her family tree. I’m sure that feature will fade with the arrival of her teenage years. I posted a sign on our front door to insure the neighborhood and anyone passing through that I was just a bit excited about the yesterday’s events in California.

My Front Door

Grandmothers Holding Court

As far as catching up with the news. I did brave the Worcester RMV office to renew my driver’s license and it was not the trip into the third circle of hell that I anticipated (that’s reserved for those poor souls that live in Rhode Island). There was a long line but there was also a short one for people who already had licenses just looking to renew. I felt the jealous gaze from people of dubious national origin waiting in the longer line as I walked right up to the counter and was out of there in less than twenty minutes.

Impossibly Cute (You Were Warned)

At the suggestion of my, at the time, very pregnant daughter I went to see the movie Steve Jobs on Tuesday night. I wasn’t well acquainted with the, at this point, nearly mythological life of the Apple co-founder. Turns out he was kind of an A-hole but one with incredible vision and drive. The movie tells the story of his life through a series of his iconic product launches while simultaneously trying to figure out his relationship with his daughter. Despite this episodic approach the film still manages to delve into nearly aspect of Jobs’ all too brief life.

Michael Fassbender continues to impress with a very nuanced performance in the title role as he approaches likability despite generous evidence to the contrary by his character. The biggest surprise was Seth Rogen with a serious role which he nails. I really enjoyed the movie and I’m about the farthest thing possible from a technocrat. An interesting examination of what constitutes corporate vision and the “Great Man” syndrome.

The latest Michael Connelly book, The Crossing, appeared on my Kindle when I finished my last Scudder novel. It features both of Connelly’s well known protagonists, the Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller, and his half-brother and my personal favorite Harry Bosch. Bosch has been forced out of his job as the best of LAPD’s homicide detectives and is casting about for something to do with his retirement life. He’s brought into one of Haller’s murder cases and despite vowing to never work for the defense side of the table is unable to avoid it since the defendant really does seem to be innocent. Harry’s sense of justice impels him down a dark road where he encounters some evil LAPD elements, talk about “wheelhouse” for Harry.

There’s a very interesting interplay between the brothers who didn’t know each other early in life and approach the criminal element from diametrically opposed viewpoints. Bosch is a force to be reckoned with as he slowly puts the pieces together to confront the real killers that Haller’s client is charged with. If you’ve read Connelly before and know Bosch/Haller I don’t have to recommend The Crossing to you, you’ve probably already read it. Here are some of Connelly’s words, as Bosch examines the difference I was talking about:

Bosch finished the remaining bourbon in his glass. He realized that he and Haller would always have a fundamental difference in how they looked at evidence and the other nuances of an investigation. Haller had to put things in the context of a trial and how it might be used to knock down the prosecutor’s case. Bosch only had to look at the evidence as a bridge to the truth. This is why he knew he had not really crossed to the dark side. He could never work a case from Haller’s angle. “I don’t really care about alternate theories or reasonable doubt,” he said. “To me it’s a simple equation. If your client didn’t do it, then I’m going to find out who did. That’s the person or persons I want.” Haller nodded and raised his glass to Bosch. He then finished off his drink. “That works for me,” he said.

Yesterday's Attire - Regimental Tie for Vet's Day