Happily Back Home

Yesterday was a most happy day in our family. D1 completed 3 years of study and internship, and is now about to get her M.S. degree, in Dietetics and Nutrition. She worked hard and excelled --her graduate advisor is submitting her Master's thesis at a national convention this Fall, and the advisor nominated D1 for "Florida Nutrition Student of the Year." The advisor only nominates one of her candidates every 5 years or so, and her nominated students generally win. So we'll see -- but D1 approached the past 3 years with her typical hard work and intelligence, and has completed a long and difficult road. So we gathered in Coral Gables for dinner, along with D2's boyfriend, and awaited the second part of the banner day: the return of D2 from 5 weeks and one day in Spain. Her flight arrived at MIA and Jonathan went to fetch her, while Wifey and D1 and I awaited her at home. We made a welcome home sign, in bad Spanish, of course, and had a loving, warm homecoming. D2 brought us all gifts from Iberia, but the only one we really cared about was her safe and happy return. We talked until we all collapsed, about Spain and her people. D2 saw easily why their economy stinks -- the people don't work hard. But they do enjoy the hell out of life, with great friends and great food and drink. We can learn from them --except for the lazy bastards we already have in this country. Jonathan stayed over, and left early for a client in Doral -- the coffee I made him in hand. D2 awoke at 7 -- a very rare feat, but caused by her body time being 6 hours ahead. She used the dogs to wake her sister, and we fetched Wifey and went to breakfast. D2 missed bagels -- the one food item Spain seemed to lack. D1 headed to FIU and her final debriefing as a grad student, and then D2 and Wifey prevailed upon me to do something I, a technophobe, resisted: I used the upgrade I've been owed for 2 years and got a smartphone. The sales guy at Verizon was amazed at home many credits I had acquired, for ignoring all the upgrades I had ignored. I left the whole affair in D2's hands, and now, apparently, I have the state of the art phone: an Apple 5, or something. Whatever. D2 tutored me in all the stuff it does. I just want to get calls and send texts. We'll see if it does that with ease. So my Ds are both back, thankfully, and doing fine. My friend Norman and I spoke: his 3 boys will be in the same city, Miami, for the first time in years. His oldest Jonathan will be here from his home in Kentucky, Michael is visiting from his digging job in Israel (archaelogy, not ditches), and Benjamin will be her awaiting his senior year at the U. I plan to meet them all for breakfast. I adore my girls above all, but having time with no estrogen or progesterone is a welcome thing, too. So I'm one grateful, happy, and as always, rocking daddy in the USA. Ah, the days are great lately.