And So This is Valentine's Day...And What Have You Done?

Ah, El Dia de los lovers, to use Miami Spanglish, is here again. And my favorite memory involves not the typical things, of young singles or marrieds, but rather my family. We moved into Villa Wifey in February of 2001. The weather was the most beauriful, as it is this time of year. The Ds were 12 and 9. I set up a folding table on our front porch, and brought in food from DiNapoli. I borrowed D1's boombox, and put smooth jazz on it. The four of us ate outside, and toasted how rich we were -- not because of the big house, but because we were all together and loved each other. This year, D1 has dinner plans with her boyfriend, and D2 and her fellow will celebrate up in Gville. I decided to do something a bit extravagant this year, and was inspired by a billboard I saw on the way to visit Wifey's Dad at MJH -- Michael McDonald was playing at the Fountainbleau, and they offered dinner and a show. I booked us -- $175 each for the show tickets, 2 hours open bar, and dinner. After I did so I remembered that the Beach would be PACKED -- the boat show is in town, as well as the Coconut Grove Art Festival. With Valentine's Day coinciding with Presidents' Day and the long weekend, EVERY hotel room in Miami is booked this weekend. Well, sometimes ya gotta fight the crowds I figured... And then I got an email from the hotel concierge -- the only dinner reservation was for 11:30 pm. Really? Wifey and I are 2 hours into sleep by then. So I asked for and they gave me an old folks' refund. But Wifey knows it's the thuoght that counts... So instead I'm taking her to the premiere of "50 Shades of Grey." Ha. As if. Wifey never read it, and any of her friends who did were not as titillated as the midwestern Moms who claimed to be. No -- Norman to the rescue...He and Deb invited us to dinner the night following -- an Italian place on SoFi -- and we may take Deb's vintage Ford convertible. Wifey and I can sit in the back, blanket covering us against the cool breeze, and enjoy. As for VD itself, well, I plan to fetch some gourmet sandwiches and salads from Joanna's Market,maybe crack a bottle of 'paigne, as my friend Stuart calls it, and toast the years gone past, and those to come.