Fun & Games

I have some ‘direction’ here today but let’s not get carried away. In truth, I’m busy and distracted and have a lot of things to do this day. Many people think that once I laid down the law and the courtroom, that I was ‘retired’.

Forfend that thought! No such thing in my life.

All I have done is change planes.

Lassitude and inactivity are anathema to me.

Now, I can watch Netflix and the news and sports with the best of them and I do so with engagement. Same with my reading-newspapers, magazines, books - this is a mandatory, daily requirement. It’s part of my work.

(And as the wise man said long ago, “If you love what you’re doing, you aren’t working-you are living.”

Here’s what I’m up to today:

• Coordinate the assembly of a small book for my Choate Class of 1968; it will be comprised of fascinating histories that were delivered in response to a pre-reunion questionnaire. For a bunch of guys that the Powers That Be at Choate thought were a bunch of screw offs and screw ups, we have done interesting, often remarkable things and I say that we are collectively, very motivated and successful. To Hell with those naysayers.

• Write this Blog.

• Do some laundry (I hate to fold but happily, have an oldest daughter who loves to fold so I give her a little folding money and Voila!).

• Pay some bills, make a couple of charitable gifts.

• Begin to assemble my tax work sheets for calendar year 2022.

• Go to barber shop and get my head shaved and beard trimmed.

• Work on some insurance matters.

• Take my dry cleaning.

• Go to Staples for some office supplies.

• Listen to a really good hour-long podcast (more on that later).

• Get on my rowing machine and pull for half an hour.

• Work on my fourth book.

• Run errands, get my newspapers and mail.

• Review and reply to emails.

• Check my private message boards and on-line bank statements.

And God Knows What Else? As we all know, there is always ‘something else’.

• Go out to dinner with my family for my son Doug’s 33rd birthday.

• Watch the end of the Braves game.

And so, I continue…

This sounds dramatic but it really wasn’t, but, I got partially run over by a car a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I’m fine. Yes, it could have been much worse but it wasn’t.

I was leaving my lunch at Graze over at the Whole Foods Shopping Center. I was walking to my car. The parking lot over there is all parking on the diagonal which makes it a little more neck-craning difficult for the backing out driver. I was walking down the line behind the backs of car after car. I was looking ahead to where my car was parked, about three-four spaces down the line. I had just clicked my doors unlocked.

Suddenly I felt something pressing, pressing with power on my tail and thighs. It wasn’t a hard strike. It was a surge. It was involuntarily moving me, toppling me. Happening fast but seemingly in slow motion.

I uttered an explicit oath; as I recall it was ‘WTF?’ or some variant thereof. And down I went. I could hear people screaming and hollering, “Stop! Stop! Stop!”

People were screaming and running to me. The surge stopped with a screech.

A third of me was face down, under the car. I was centered between the back tires. I had gone down it appeared gracefully. Nothing much hurt and even my glasses did not come off. Thank goodness I did not hit my head.

People asked me if I was OK. The poor driver had gotten out. An old man. He was shaking and scared. He kept telling me he was so sorry, that he didn’t see me.

I told all “I’m Ok. I’m fine. But how about someone help pull me out from here.”

Someone did, maybe a couple. I got back to upright.

My knees were skinned up as were my palms (not too bad) and my left elbow had taken a good lick as well. As you know, these kinds of things bleed. No need for stiches but they did go crimson.

Great consternation from the assembled. “Should we call EMS? Should we call the police? Are you sure you’re alright?” The old man was ashen. I felt very sorry for him.

I told all that I was fine, just a few scratches. I directly told the driver I was fine and that he needn’t worry.

He was shaking.

Again I told him that I was fine, that there would be no trouble about this. He looked exhausted and relieved.

Then I told the assembly-probably 15-20- that there was no need for EMS or the police.

I recall they were collectively staring at me.

I wanted to just get out of there so to assuage them I told them again that I was Ok, that I appreciated their interest and concern and that I was going home, which was very nearby, to get some band-aids and that I was fine and would be fine.

And illustrate my fitness, I then danced a happy jig for them. Some folks started to laugh.

And I then walked to my car, got in and came home and patched myself up.

All of this took maybe 5-6 minutes.

Interesting. Ok, now that I’ve seen that movie, I sure don’t need to see it again.

Moving on. Always got to be moving on.

A week ago, I took a brief trip that was really enjoyable.

I had not been to New York City in the past six years for fun and games. I had gone up to see a sick friend a couple of times in the last year and when he sadly but blessedly died, I went up for her funeral services.

Obviously, those trips were brief up-and-backs. This most recent was delightful and fun and relaxing. A good friend went with me. She had never been to The City before.

She had been told by some friends that New York was dirty and that the people were rude. She never wavered.

We flew up Thursday. Flight was delayed but we got in about 3 p.m. Across the aisle from me was the actor Danny McBride from Pineapple Express. No, I did not bother him and had no idea who he was until my friend nailed it as we were getting off. Went straight to our reservation at The Campbell underneath Grand Central Station. Was once upon a time the enormous office of a railroad magnate. It’s now a very ornate bar. Met and enjoyed nice people from all over.

Checked in to our hotel, the iconic Carlyle on East 76th. Told me they had upgraded us and we soon found ourselves in a suite the size of which I am not at all familiar. Big with every bell and whistle. Pretty neat. I’ll say!

Got cleaned up, went down to the legendary Bemelman’s Bar (the same gentleman who did all the Madeline books-his murals in the bar are his too.)

Then went for dinner at La Grenouille, to my way of thinking one of the last, great French restaurants in the United States.

Most beautiful, most sweetly fragrant flowers everywhere. Had a nice visit with the wine steward who I had first encountered 6-7 years ago.

When South Viet Nam had fallen, his father was French Foreign Legion (His mother was Vietnamese) and by virtue of his father’s status, he was taken back to FFL headquarters in Lyon and there he began his food and beverage education. He later migrated to Paris and then to NYC and has been the chief wine steward/sommelier at Grenouille for 20 years.

Grenouille is a stunner.

Then down a few blocks later on to the legendary King Cole Bar in the St. Regis Hotel. More laughs and good times.

Next day, Friday, was sunny and hot and went down to Canal Street to look for and did find good knockoffs-smart shopping indeed.

Later a very nice lunch at good Italian, Caravaggio a few blocks from hotel.

Well needed and welcomed rest period. Got spiffy again. Went to Broadway and saw THE BOOK OF MORMON-very funny and as irreverent as anything I’ve ever seen.

Then a long, daredevil rickshaw ride down to The Blue Note onWest 3rd. One of the great jazz clubs in the city.

And to wrap it up, my friend had quickly picked up how to hail a cab and got us back to the hotel. Went back to Bemelman’s, finished Friday night off with a nightcap while a swell New Orleans quintet of jazz blues and horn along with a knockout piano player serenaded us off to dreamland.

Saturday morning we were to go to my 55th (Good Lord!!) class reunion at my old boarding school, The Choate School, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492. And that is a story for next time,. Stand By

Final thought for this offering.

Want your hair to stand on end? Give the following a try.

Google: Murdaugh Murders Podcast. Top Notch stuff. Great analysis and reporting.

All episodes are so intriguing. Easy to binge on this.

I am currently concentrating on Episodes 89-92; they deal with the murder of Carl Smalls (some of you may recall along with the late, great Kermit King, I represented Carl’s family in some heavy lifting civil litigation which was part of that so very sad story), the secret release of his killer and the often crooked, embedded , good old boy system in the South Carolina judiciary and legislature. Dismaying and frightening.

Highly recommend! 

So, dear readers (all of whom I appreciate more than you know!), I’ll be back in a few weeks. Please stay safe, keep reading and learning and carry high the flag of engagement!

All my best, Vernon