We watched one of my all-time favorite movies, Out Of Sight, with the kids. We broke with recent tradition and watched it on Friday night (as opposed to Saturday morning) and it was a hit. It’s an impossibly good-looking movie with two legit Movie Stars who movie-star all over the place. I was tickled that they enjoyed it and I was appreciative of the brief respite from the COVID-cloud that has been hanging over everything for the last few months. As a family, I think we’ve really enjoyed these movie sessions for the escapist break they give us.
Early Saturday morning the old Dominion Power building was imploded. I didn’t get up and go watch it live, figuring the internet would provide, and boy did they ever.
I got up early on Saturday morning and caught a mountain bike ride with my younger daughter out at Pocahontas State Park and we ripped some trails for the first time in over a year. The weather was wonderful and I wouldn’t have spent it with anyone else. It was also the first time I’ve used both bike racks on my car since I installed them. It was more than a minor victory to get to the park and see that both bikes were still there!
All of those good-times-as-distraction are null because while the world may still be upside-down with the COVID, now it’s on literal fire with protests. My home of Richmond, Va. suffered last night. People are justifiably angry and they took it out, correctly in my opinion, on the symbols of institutional racism that stand in our town.
I don’t understand the destruction and looting of local businesses, though. We have an incredible community of business owners in this city and it’s fucking absurd that some shitbags will use the protest of police killing black folks as an opportunity to burn and destroy good places. I also don’t subscribe to the All Cops Are Bastards mentality. It’s ignorant and counterproductive.
My disappointments are small potatoes compared to the real suffering going on in my city and my country. Please stay safe.