5 things on my mind: An update on 'Heat 2' reading
A persuasive argument to shut up has been denied.
Did you enjoy your break? This is my first post on the Ramble in a week, when I rapid-fired you with Yadier Molina and Lars Nootbaar content. Afterwards, well I did other things I guess.
Sometimes, I don’t have much to say. Sure, sitting down and firing out whatever the unprecise and maniacal ramblings without a proper endgame can be daring and fun. But I am slowly but surely learning restraint, and when to put the keyboard down and go get lost in a book.
Speaking of which, Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner’s "Heat 2” is just as riveting and visually enthralling as one could have hope. I say visually with a book because of the pre-existing aesthetic that the 1995 film left us. With the talk of the sequel being made into a movie soon, a film fan can only whisper for so long.
Aside from the brilliantly taut crime writing and reconstructing of the ‘95 film landscape, the novel shades light and gives real time to “moments” and characters that the movie only explored to an extent. Mykelti Williamson’s Agent Drecker is fleshed out a little more in the first 50 pages of Mann’s debut novel, a piece of writing that picks up all the bread crumbs from the movie and explores them.
How did Val Kilmer’s Chris find out about the fate of his friend, Neal, played by Robert De Niro?
Did Al Pacino’s Vincent Hanna get to Jon Voight’s Nate in time to nab Chris before he gets out of Los Angeles?
What were these guys doing back in 1988? What is Chris doing in 2000?
I have a ways to go, but what I have read is intoxicating good.
Now, what else is on my mind during this brisk Monday?
~The Cardinals are flying high themselves, winning 20 of 26 games this month, including back-to-back thrilling wins versus the World Series-defending champion Atlanta Braves. It was Tyler O’Neill who did the honors this past series, drawing a walk to win Saturday’s game and hitting a three-run eighth-inning homer to give St. Louis their 74th win. That puts them twenty games better than .500, which is a helluva lot better than they were a month ago.
Advice for Cards fans: Don’t get worked up until the team reaches the end of August.
~I started “A League of Their Own,” the new “we fucking had to, sorry” television adaptation of a great movie. After 35 minutes of the pilot, I paused it and played the movie. Much better. Ease your cannons. I am not a TV show critic. Like every other breathing unpaid entertainment enthusiast, I can start and stop when I please. It was good early on, but nothing completely clenching about it either. As in, my ass is so clenched to the couch, I am holding my piss. Nope.
~Please. Tip. You know what I’m talking about. Tip your waiters if they’re pretty good, and your Uber drivers for saving you from DWI fear. But really, tip your large order catering delivery driver. Private party type stuff. But it shouldn’t be less than a given that tipping someone doing this for you is of premium importance. After all, they’re bringing you all of this food you ordered. All you had to do was swivel around in your chair and grab extra napkins. Please, for the love of good bourbon, tip well--especially in these cases. I don’t care what you think or care about tipping. TIP!
~The final thoughts on August are simple: good riddance. The summer is starting to bleed, and we can kill it. Fall is almost around the corner, which means my son is turning eleven. I can’t explain clearly enough how much I hate the mile high section of St. Louis summers. Temps either sweltering or humidity-packed, we were teased with a recent swing to cooler nights. They’re gone. In their place is a casual disrespect for the adults who take out the trash in the morning and don’t wish to begin perspiration practice for a 5K.
That’s all I have. Goodnight and take luck.