hey jud

So this is the new Suffolk University dormitory that kept Peter extra busy all summer. Squeezed into what was last used as a small parking lot, the building goes up for nineteen floors but still allows daylight down to the ground floor in a central atrium. Through that glass atrium are some pretty fantastic and perhaps unexpected views for a dorm, resulting in lots of happy freshmen. The long hours definitely paid off.

Thanks to everyone for another year's great block party with neighbors from up and down Trenton Street, and even a few from 'the alley'. No deterrent at all, the rain stimulated some creative tarp design and made the party and neighborhood spirit even stronger.

Have you seen the new HP ad on tv? I am the HP point and shoot revolutionary who sees a photo everywhere. Here's mine for today, Haymarket with attitude, where the sign in the background proclaims prices subject to change based on a customer's attitude.

And here's another market photo from Pete. I'm glad we each have our own point and shoot equipment now so there's no arguing. You wouldn't mistake this for Place Maubert but watchful purchasing can result in some good bargains.

No more birds on a wire for me. As of late yesterday afternoon, following a long session with D-Link tech support, I've gone wireless. No need to worry about the birds though as long as there's plenty of construction equipment around.

Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
Aww take me back to the start
- lyrics from Coldplay, the Scientist

You know what I'm talking about.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, when I hear the kids at the computer center swearing, when I read stuff with swears included, when I let a swear slide out of my own mouth. Kids probably think it's rebellious and cool. Adults may think it's a harmless way to express annoyance or anger. It just seems to be part of our everyday language now, but I don't want that to be so. I want people, and perhaps the kids especially, to think more consciously about how they'll be perceived when they use swears and explicit language and whether that's the image they want to portray. Is it an image they can respect? And if they can't respect themselves, who else will?

As an alternative to swearing, here's a little story. An elderly man who didn't speak English well lost his luggage in Grand Central Station in New York. Unable to get the station manager's help and utterly frustrated, he shouted, "Pretty darn seldom where my bags go. She no fly. You no more fit run station than God's sake. That's all I hope." Spoken with the right fervor, there's no comeback to such nonsensical statements and I can vouch for how peculiarly satisfying those words are. Try them next time instead of swearing.

Okay, preaching done now.

I must tell you again how much pleasure my digital camera gives me, more than I ever would have expected when Meg initially suggested I get one to keep a record of my sabbatical. It's my constant companion and, cliched though it may be, it makes me see things differently. I know that for a fact because when I took this photo of the yellow branches and tree shadow on the cement block wall, all sorts of people looked at me like I was really odd. Of course, it was outside the Home Depot, where they were rushing to get their renovations underway and I was blocking their path.

Because I know the busy spot where the first photo was taken, it makes a nice counterpart to the tranquil reflections scene beside it. That shot I owe to getting a new windshield washer nozzle installed. Heading out for a walk while I waited, I paused along the river to take some pictures before I crossed over to discover a bookstore cafe. Perhaps the most tranquil place I've ever found to enjoy my morning coffee, Bestsellers Cafe is located in Medford Square in another of those old buildings that back up directly onto the Mystic. You pick up your coffee in the center of the store, walk past shelves of books and take it to the back tables. Classical music plays in the background and through the huge windows, you watch the river, topped with leaves floating calmly by. It actually makes me look forward to getting my car repaired, until I return to the dealership and get the bill.