Party Like We USED To

Wifey and I don't go to many rock concerts lately -- especially ones in large arenas. The crowds are a hassle, and with our flat screen plasma tv and Bose sound system, both of which were state of the art in 1995, we tend to stay at home for entertainment. Still, I read the Who were playing the AAA, and the Monday before the Friday show, I went to the online Ticket Master (tm) web page and bought a couple of $160 tickets. I really dig the Who and had never seen them. My college roommie Mike, now a doctor in Arkansas, listened to Quadropenia and Who's Next over and over and over, especially after he fractured his leg in a Serbian New Year's Day game (that's a whole different story) and camped out for most of the Spring semester on a used recliner my parents donated to our on campus apartment... Anyway, Friday came, and Wifey and I fetched D1 at her place and decamped to Trulucks, my favorite bar on Brickell. We arrived around 5, and though the place was crowding up, my favorite end of the bar was open. We snatched up 3 stools, and saved a 4th, and I had martinis while D1 had a glass of wine and Wifey overdid it with filtered water. D1's friend pulled a Godot on us -- we waited and waited but she never arrived, but later on my office roomies John and Stuart popped in. I made it to 4 or 5 martinis, and remained strangely non wasted -- like the teens in Pete Townshend's song... Anyway, around 630 Wifey and I left for the show -- a leisurely paced mile or so to the AAA. We got there and enjoyed the A/C, and then Joan Jett came on and played a formulaic set of about 10 songs. She looked pretty good for a late 50s female rocker, and I learned the next day she was off to Cleveland for installation into the Hall of Fame... And then the Who came on, and they were, well, terrific. They played passionately and flawlessly, with Ringo Starr's son Zak playing the HELL out of the drums. Townsend was funny and gracious -- explaing all the band's connections to Miami and Florida, and the crowd loved him. We sang along and danced, as did the crowd, most of whom were of a certain age, like Wifey and me. We left smiling. Although the People Mover was running, we ended up strolling down Biscayne Blvd, chatting and reminiscing. It was a lovely night. We came upon a couple we knew from our 'hood, walking with another couple. The wife, who I've known for a long time, never turned around. I'll call her Barbara, since that's her name. Gary, her husband, stayed behind and we chatted about our kids. He recalled I referred him a health care lawyer from LA for a case, and he thanked me. It occurred to me that his wife never once turned around to check on him. I pointed out that I could have been a mugger who knifed Gary and pushed him to the grass, and Barbara wouldn't even know. I asked him if his wife had the car keys...he replied that she did...so why should she even care if he lived or died... Ah -- empty nest romance -- sometimes a very sad thing, indeed... But Wifey and I kept walking, and fetched the SUV and headed for home. The next day Wifey was out again -- to Lincoln Road, for lunch with her good friends Cara and Linda -- celebrating Linda's XX birthday -- since she and Wifey are the same age, I am forbidden by marital law to mention the number... I headed for Aventura -- the City of the Latin Jew -- to meet Dr. Barry and his family for breakfast. Young Scott attended a program for Syracuse U -- he has to pick a college in the next few weeks. Scott is a big young man -- in size, and more importantly, character. Wifey and I recalled him coming to our house when he about 8, and already 12 year old-sized and mature. Nothing has changed -- the kid is a leader with a huge heart and extremely quick mind. He's going to soar wherever he goes -- it's now just a matter of which color jersey he picks to root his team... And then yesterday Wifey and I visited the Olds, and then stopped at City Hall for dinner -- fine meat loaf. On the way home, we stopped at Jeff and Lili's -- Jeff's sister Robin was in town from Chicago, and they invited us over for birthday cake. Ah Robin -- the classic very pretty little sister. And somehow she turned 50! I told her I was having a hard time dealing with that... So it was a lovely weekend, of music and friends. There are far worse ways to spend some time.