Back Home Again

Finally, we have them both home and safe. Daughter #2 is continuing to recover from her wisdom teeth extraction, sleeping a lot on Vikodin, and eating soft food. Daughter #1 made it home after a long, journey from Israel.

She left at 11 am Israel time, and 4 am local time, and arrived at JFK at 4 pm. She made it on a standby JetBlue flight that left at 8 pm --a good thing, because her regularly scheduled flight didn't arrive until 4 this morning.

Meanwhile, I drove to Delray and took Mom out. We went to Atlantic Avenue, and it was HAPPENING! We went to a place I thought had seafood, and it did --but sushi. Mom made a great "YUCK!" face. We found a cooked seafood restaurant down the block, I had a martini, and all was grand. I bought Mom a lobster, and she savored it, as she always does. She NEVER orders lobster when she goes out by herself, so I really enjoy treating her to it. We stopped at the liquor store and I bought her some premium vodka --5 bottles that would last me a full year. For her --about 4 months worth, as she drinks it nightly for "medicinal purposes."

Barry called my cell, and was getting off work at 8 pm. I drove to Lester's Diner in Lauderdale, by the airport, and Barry ate chili while I had a delicious slice of blueberry pie (al a mode, of course). Barry left at 10, to get some sleep before his last day of 14 hour days, and I headed to FLL. During our time at Lester's, we solved about 40% of the world's problems.

Actually, if one follows the Torah dictate that saving one life saves the whole world, Barry really DID save the world. He told me about a 6 week old recovering from surgery who needed resuscitation, and a nurse and resident were doing it wrong. Barry took over, and the child was fine. The child was #7 of a 24 year old mother. I told Barry he'll probably grow into a street thug, and shoot us someday. I guess we didn't solve ALL permutations of the world's problems...Barry can only do his part.

Daughter #1's flight was on time. To make her laugh, I made a little sign welcoming her home, and stood next to the limo drivers holding THEIR signs. She enjoyed her greeting.

We drove home, and I heard about the Private Benjamin-like exploits of an "extreme sports" vacation undertaken by a "where's the mall" type of young woman. Actually, she related a story about her looking wistfully out the bus window as they passed a huge Jerusalem shopping center on their way to a crater hike.

I fell asleep and slept until 845 --that's like 3 pm for normal good sleepers. Both girls home and accounted for!

Tonight Daughter #1, wifey and I are heading to a Holiday party of some long time friends. We chuckled --these folks sent us a Christmas card DRIPPING with really, really Catholic messages. I think there was something in the message about BLOOD! EWWWWWW, as my wife said. Anyway, these folks now have a Jewish son in law, and a few years ago, we introduced them to lox and bagels. They're really quality people, even though I guess they're a bit tone deaf about other religions and traditions.

John Denver, one of my musical guilty pleasures, said it simply and said it best: "Ge it's good to be back home again." In my case, that means having my full contingent of women.