Easily Suggestible

 I'm very easily suggestible, especially when it comes to food. A topic of conversation might just mention pizza, and my reptilian brain won't rest until I eat some. And so it was last night.

It was a pretty nondescript week around the hot and muggy 305. I met Paul for lunch on Wednesday on Brickell, and we strategized about our ongoing dispute with a lawyer I call Saul Goodman, on account of he's a sleazy advertising lawyer. And before we met, a funny thing happened.

I had an appointment for Covid booster #4 -- the new one that supposably (as they say in Miami) protects against newer strains of the Plague. The Walgreens on Coral Way was more of a cluster f than other Walgreens, which I avoid attending when possible. I sign up for delivery of my meds, to avoid the lines and ineptitude there. But you gotta appear for the jab.

Anyway, after I signed in, I was told to sit in a folding chair and wait, and I plopped down next to a 40 something woman also there for her new jab. We started talking, and it turns out she was a lawyer, too -- PI as well, who graduated 20 years after I did. We had a solid 20 minutes to wait, and so compared notes about the profession, and I mentioned that I was involved in my very first fee dispute in my entire career.

She said she had one, too, a case she settled for $25K and then the client wanted more, and hired some "loser with TV ads and billboards." The new lawyer got an additional $5K, and offered my new friend just a fraction of the fee. Yup -- in a classic small town/big city Miami story -- her adversary was Saul Goodman, a/k/a Robert the putz, too!

Luckily for her, he messed up -- ignored her lien, and distributed the funds to the client. When she called him on that bar violating act, he relented, and paid her what she was truly owed. Funny -- greedy jerks tend to act consistently.

Anyway -- our group got some very nice news this week, too -- Dr. Eric and Dana welcomed their third grandchild -- a beautiful baby girl! And on Friday we toasted their new arrival on our Zoom -- and that's where my suggestion came.

They reported that their son Josh and his wife Alex had gone to Tampa to celebrate Alex's birthday -- for the only reason most South Florida folks go there -- to eat at Bern's. They had a delicious meal, and from there the conversation with our group turned to great steaks -- my second favorite is the Palm in Bay Harbor. The seed was planted.

I knew I was hosting Dr. Barry and Josh last night to watch the Canes game. I would typically bring in pizza, but instead UberEated Platea, the great new Peruvian steakhouse that opened in Pinecrest.

They feature prime beef, and great fish and ceviche, and I ordered an enormous ribeye, sliced NY Strip, a sea bass, and ceviche with great sides. It arrived just after Barry had his Buffalo Trace bourbon, and I my Ketel one. Josh teetotaled so he could drive home.

We feasted -- the food was delicious -- and my steak craving was satisfied. Afterwards we retired to the Family Room, where Barry and I had our second cocktails, and we watched the Canes play decent defense and impotent offense on the way to a not unexpected loss to Texas A and M.

And so what. We had great conversation, with Josh providing updates from the younger generation, while Dr. Barry, Wifey, and I talked about our aging person issues, but kept trying to avoid dwelling on them.

The game ended well past midnight. Josh took the wheel for the trip back to Pembroke Pines. Donna and her sister in law Phyllis had attended Lady Gaga at Joe Robbie. I think they enjoyed their entertainment more than we enjoyed the flat playing Canes.

But we won the pre game meal! We typically win the tailgate -- even when the Canes fall short. And that's to me the important part of the enterprise.

Saturday I hope to attend my first game. I'll ask Mirta, my sister of another mister, if she would like to attend. If she is other wise engaged, I'll drive up myself. But -- I'm guessing we won't be having prime beef in the parking lot.