Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Heppy Ann -i -VER -Sari

 The title is how my suegra wishes Wifey and I happy anniversary, in her Polish-Yiddish accented English. We always found it quaint.

And now, somehow, I'm so old that my DAUGHTER is celebrating her wedding anniversary -- three years since she married Joey, tomorrow. Amazing how the years truly fly by.

Thankfully, with the plague easing, they were able to go away to celebrate -- a covid compliant beach resort in Key Largo. Yesterday they stopped by and dropped off the spoiled Spaniel, and gave the beautiful grandson some lunch. Then they were off to their room on the Gulf, and three nights away from home.

The Spaniel is very happy with her fellow Cavalier, and strange mutt rescue, Vienna. All three have been a pack, off and on, over the years, and are very adept at napping at comically different positions. I have now taken a couple of THREE dog naps, and it's great to have them here.

Wow. Three years. It seems like a long time ago, and yet the days have flown by. We got the wedding in as Hurricane Irma had all of Florida in her sights. The music was awesome -- a true group of professional salsa musicians, who had everyone who could up dancing. We had a terrific time -- starting the night before with a cocktail party at Trulucks that transitioned to Sugar, 50 stories above Miami. It was an embodiment of Tom Petty's "Room at the Top of the World," where we drank heavily and laughed even more heavily.

One of my dear brothers was the drunkest I have ever seen him, and I loved it. Thankfully he recovered in time to continue to celebrate the next night, at the historic Scottish Rite Temple, near the Miami River.

My mother in law was there -- and when asked to shush during the service, showed her then aid Gloria no one shushes Rachel. Her loud words made a memorable wedding service even more memorable.

Later in the evening, Gloria asked my help in loading Rachel into her car for the trip home. As I wheeled her by the Miami River, I "nearly had an accident" and tipped the chair into the dark waters. Fortunately I regained my footing, and it was not necessary to heavily bribe the City of Miami cop who acted as security for us.

Ha. Just kidding.

A few days after the wedding, we fled town from the storm. As D1 said, nothing says honeymoon like 17 hours in a packed SUV with your in laws. But Joey and I actually enjoyed it. WAZE was a new thing, and I was often Joey's navigator with it -- taking us off I-75 through rural North Florida towns to avoid the traffic tie ups, or search for gas.

After the storm passed, we drove back -- D1 and Joey's Midtown condo had power -- Wifey and I didn't. So Wifey and I stayed with the dogs in a Downtown Hotel for a week, and then moved to the Hyatt Gables. Finally power was restored to our part of Pinecrest, and life resumed.

8 months ago, D1 and Joey blessed us with a bouncing, literally, baby boy. D2 and Jonathan married last January, and returned to the 305. They'll close on their first house together in the coming weeks, in the Grove.

So it seems our family's latest, most modern part, began three years ago, tomorrow. I wish my kids many, many returns. Hopefully it's three years down, and a lifetime of great memories to go.

And I am one very cool, happy, rockin Daddy and Granddaddy in the USA.

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