The Breezy Weekend

So Thursday it rained like hell, and flooded the whole city. My man sized Buick made it through all of the urban ponds, but plenty of little girlie cars stalled out. It was a mess. But in the way a gorgeous rainbow sometimes follows a storm, we were gifted a rare late May cool front following the deluge. Friday and today were absolutely lovely. D2 and her boyfriend Jonathan slept in at Villa Wifey, and then planned to go to Austin Burke in Wynwood to take advantage of the Miami Heat Playoff sale: buy 2 suits; get 3 free. Austin Burke has been there for years -- I bought my first lawyer man suits there in the mid 80s. Jonathan hit it big -- getting outfitted for his upcoming summer on Wall Street. D1 fetched her sister, and then we met at Berries in the Grove for dinner, with the spoiled Spaniel and D1's roomie Lauren in tow. The evening was impossibly lovely. We sat outside, and ate and spoke of the young womens' careers -- D1 working away at the hospital, and Lauren in the world of advertising. D2 has been working as a filing clerk until her real internship starts in June, and she shared how our law firm might benefit from a bit better organization. College kids -- they think they know it all! D1 and Lauren and the spaniel left for Brickell, and we took D2 home. It was around 9 pm, and I suggested maybe we stop off at the U for an evening stroll. I ALWAYS suggest that -- walking on the Coral Gables campus always cheers me, and allows me to share tales of yore -- the late 70s and early 80s. We parked, and walked around the lake, and talked about jobs, and mentors, and cabbages and kings. These are heady times for D2 -- she sort of thinks she ought to have her career figured out. I know that's a process -- not a decision. We came home and woke up early today for my partner Paul's girlfriend's son's (that's a lot of apostrophes) Bar Mitzvah. It was in Temple Sinai, in North Miam Beach. I walked into the building and realized I was there once before -- back in the 80s, for Jeff and Lili's wedding. My family, well, we're not from the religious. We found the service PONDEROUS...somehow, Reform services bother me more than Orthodox. The Rabbi was a nice enough guy, but he spoke like Reverend Lovejoy of "The Simpsons." The cantor did a nice Peabo Bryson imitation, however. After the long, long service -- well, it went on longer. I really wish I enjoyed services more. I tried -- really did. It's just not who I am, and Wifey and the Ds are fellow apostates. Anyway, afterward there was a very nice lunch, and we met some long time friends of the BM boy's Dad -- Peruvian Jews. Who knew? Sure enough, D1 knew one from FIU, and these folks knew her family, and D2's Jonathan grew up with one of the sons. We chatted about synagogues in Lima. It was actually pretty interesting. Wifey and I enjoyed the last part of the cool breeze tonight. We met new neighbors who just moved in. They bought a Miami Vice looking white house from the banker Dwight, and renovated it beautifully. The husband is a Venezuelan of German descent -- his name is Johann. His wife is a regular Venezuelan. They have a small boy and baby girl. They're very friendly folks. We told them how great our 'hood is for raising kids -- we brought up a middle and grade schooler here -- now a MS grad and MS student. The years flew by so fast, I told our new neighbors. They're as fleeting as a delicious cool May breeze.