Siege - Day 113 4th of July Weekend

An interesting, quiet, introspective 4th of July.

I heard lots of (illegal) fireworks late at night, but didn't go out to see them.  We swam on Friday, but left the pool to neighbors and visiting grandkids after that... too crowded.  Took a drive to see an architectural project and a sample wall to check out the stone color, which was both work and a welcome out-of-the-house trip (charging the battery yea!)... but only when the job site and adjacent park were empty.  Drove past the good BBQ joint without stopping.

But we flew our flag, grilled hamburgers, ate apple pie, watched Hamilton, and checked in with family by phone vid.  So, all the traditional holiday family and country without the germy crowds.

Hamilton is fantastic!  I have to see this on stage when I can.  I do have the, sorry, THE book Hamilton: the Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, which is a deep exploration of the creation of the show.  Best room where it happened story I can remember off-hand.  Also, it has all the lyrics!  Highly recommend it. 

Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull - public domain

Other books I'm reading - or getting ready to read - include A Hedonist in the Cellar, by Jay McInerney, which is a very entertaining memoir/collection of essays about wine buying.  Also - this one needs gearing up for - the hugely important and influential architecture/urban planning book, A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein and others.  

This book is a bit of an Everest for me... I heard about A Pattern Language in college (lo! decades ago) but could never get hold of a copy.  I looked for it in bookstores for decades but either could not find it or could not afford it.  After the internet book finding revolution... I still could never afford the copies I found.  The copy I did recently buy was considerably cheaper than it's $65 jacket price or the $100+ it usually goes for.  This volume looks brand new, but I can't tell if it's a reprint or a miraculously perfect relic of 1977... nah, it has a scan code on the back of the slipcover so it's gotta be new.  Just under-priced for some reason. My good luck!

Finally!  I have a copy I can sit down and READ.  This book is small but dense with thin Bible-like pages and small, light type, and it weighs like a brick in my hand.  I understand its density of ideas equals its density of wood pulp and ink.  I'll let you know how it goes...