No One Was Saved

 So Wifey and I had a sad Wednesday -- attended Jeff's Mom Judy's funeral. She was 83. We met her probably 38 years ago -- Jeff and I were 1Ls at UM. Through the years, Wifey wondered what it would be like to have such a youthful in law -- Judy travelled a lot with her husband Norty, who died 6 years ago, and just seemed so much more youthful than our Greatest Generation parents.

She was buried in the small Jewish part of Graceland North, a very historic Miami cemetery. Two rabbis and a cantor officiated -- and standing outside the tent, it was hot as hell. My friend Jim remarked that he understood how the visiting team at Hard Rock Stadium must feel.

To cheer up, we stopped at Tropical Chinese on the way home. Dim sum and shrimp with broccoli can brighten any day.

Today was home errand day -- after a tough workout with Juan, who had me keep one foot on a flexible ball while kicking his hand with my other knee. He told me to go all out, and I imagined myself as Tony Soprano trying to punish a guy who went against his crew. Juan was impressed.

Car washer and waxer Henry came -- and clayed our aging vehicles to new looking status. And then Arcs and Sparks came -- the polar opposite of the gonifs Mr. Sparky. The crew got my lights fixed in about 2 hours, and charged $350 -- the "diagnosis" fee proposed by the con men. After the holidays, they're coming back to re-activate the rest of the outside lights -- to bring the property to the lighting it had back in 2000 when we moved in. Also, Wifey wants the front gate lights to operate on motion detectors -- so when she returns from her strange night walks, she can safely walk in.

Tomorrow I plan to walk -- a lot. And Saturday, in a measure of how much I value my friendship with Kenny, I am actually going to a sports bar to watch soccer. Kenny is into it; I am not. But Team USA is playing, and we'll head to Titanic at 930. Am.

I joked with D1 that they'll be serving breakfast chili and wings. D1: "Oh -- like you wouldn't happily eat that?" She's correct, of course.

Sunday D1 and the Little Men are coming -- assuming the littlest Man gets over his first cold -- I'm confident he will. D2 may stop by as well -- with enormous puppy Betsy. I actually miss the large dog -- haven't seen her in awhile.

On a walk this evening, I DID run into Jagger, her best local friend. He was being walked by Rachel, about to marry into the family, and I praised Jagger for his behavior -- he didn't jump anymore. As if on cue -- he indeed did, but I was able to cover the jones before I buckled over comically.

Later in the walk, I ran into neighbor Mike, in his SUV with his yellow lab. We swapped T Day stories, and compared notes on being lucky grandpas -- his only daughter lives in town with her husband and two grandkids -- close in age to ours. His daughter Katie went to school with D1.

So another weekend approaches -- and finally, hopefully, some cooler weather. I think Sunday there may be a temperature with a 6 in front of it for the first time in a long time. Can firepit weather be far behind? Hopefully not -- got some firewood waiting in the garage. Actually -- Wifey bought me a new firepit, and it's sat in a box for months now. The time has come for me to free the thing and , well, fire it up.

Nice to be vertical. Hope to stay that way for awhile.