Free Food

So Norman texted after picking up lunch yesterday at Lots of Lox: "Lori says you better come in soon."

Norman and I know better than to mess with the best and happiest waitress in the history of restaurants, so we made plans to meet this am at 730. To make sure I was sufficiently rested, I went to sleep at 10 following a nice phone conversation with D2...and then...there was the dreaded 130 am ring of the phone.

Wifey and I are old (well, I am) and any calls after, oh, 1030 pm are not happy ones. I jumped up, fumbled over to Wifey's nightstand (she remains a very sound sleeper) and grabbed the land line, expecting, at best, to hear from Delray EMT the my ancient mother was not going to be having lunch with me next week...

Nope. No one there. Just music and laughing and talking in the background. D2 made a "pocket call," which happens when the phone, in a purse or pocket, activates the dial last call button...

I was relieved, and figured I'd go right back to sleep. I did...at 6 am, after finishing a book about Chicago's "Operation Family Secrets" and the ruination of "The Outfit" mafia there, perusing all national and local news, and then remembering to pull some insurance papers for an unpaid bill...

Still, I dragged myself to the restaurant, and Norman and I had our usual fine food and even better company, talked about the "old days" in our legal careers (in the halcyon days of the 80s), and saw our accuser, Lori.

Then, after some local errands, Stuart called. A depo he was supposed to take over near Dadeland canceled, and he was meeting his old friend and mentor Max for lunch at Roasters, my SECOND favorite deli. Hmmm --I thought --had a decent amount of time passed since my enormous breakfast to now have a large lunch? It had. I met Stu and Max.

Max is over 80, a native Miamian and former Miami High and U Florida football player who enjoyed a long and respected law career. He has VERY succesful sons, and a loving wife. As I told Stuart, he is truly a man in full...

And I acquitted myself by eating an enormous tuna sandwich on rye toast.

Hopefully tonight, no scary calls...