Fruitvale Station

The HyWy and I watched Fruitvale Station the other night.  I thought the movie was okay.  It seemed to be trying to hard to portray the deceased as neither too good nor too bad.  Of course it is an interpretation of the last few days of his life and as such some creative liberties have been taken.  The part I enjoyed, as I normally do, was seeing places familiar to us in the movie.  Oscar Grant worked at our grocery store so they shot a significant scene at the store.  Another key scene was shot in a gas station we regularly see near the West Oakland BART station.  Along with the familiar scenery was the recollection of those tumultuous first days, weeks, months of 2009.  I vividly remember the start of that year, because it was marked by the passing of an uncle of mine.  It was an interesting juxtaposition of that natural loss against the violent loss of Oscar Grant at the time and even now in retrospect.  Then of course there were the riots that followed.  After the movie was over the HyWy and I reflected on those days that seem so long ago now.  After a little over 1.5 years in Walnut Creek I can't help but feel that Oakland feels so long and far ago.  Amazingly all that felt so far away came rushing back as I watched this film.  

Scratching the itch

I'm itching to blog and I have had this urge for quite some time now, but I can't fin the right scratch for the itch.  I can't find something that I moves me to write.  Of course I could always write about our little man, how he's growing up, and how fast time flies now.  However, I always intended this blog to be more about other things.  It's hard to explain and put into words.  I want this blog to be about ideas, thoughts, and musings that stem from other sources (books, movies, music, life, etc.).  I don't want any one of those sources dominating my blog.  These days I don't have time to indulge myself in sources that would inspire me in such a way.  I guess that's where things are right now.