Trulucks

So about 4 years ago, or maybe it was 5, I forgot to send a lease renewal letter to our landord SunTrust. When I remedied the mistake, they said -- sorry -- we have BIGGER plans for the space in the lobby of the building -- we were out. Turned out to be a great thing. The bank, back then still run by locals who cared, graciously built out space for our operation on the building's 4th floor -- keeping our rent well below market rates, a discount enjoyed all these years later by our friends and their friends. And as for our old space, which we occupied from '95-'10 or so, it became a restaurant and bar. When Trulucks first opened, I went often, and befriended all the staff. I also referred MANY people there. Over the years, typical of corporate run restaurants, all the staff have moved on -- except one bartender,Victor, an affable Peruano, and the piano player Mike. Last night we celebrated early my sister of another mother Mirta's birthday -- due to a back related cancellation, the Ds came by too, and it was a typical wonderful Thursday night. The girls drank Victor's pomegranit martinis -- I stuck to Tito's, and Mike played on. I gave D2 a bill for his jar -- he had a new singer who was fine, too, and when he looked up and told D2 he hadn't even played yet, she pointed to me, I saluted Mike, and he saluted back. His stylings have provided a lovely background to many great times at the bar there... A court reporter I know came by -- awaiting her friends. We caught up, happily -- her son, a grade schooler when she reported our cases, is now a Maryland freshman. We joked how a dear friend of mine once took her on a date, and she refused another because the friend was "too old for me." So people bellied up to the bar and bellied away, and we laughed and patted backs and celebrated the good in life, together. Good bars are far better uses of space than law firms.