Little Guy Is Nearly One

 So yesterday D1 and Joey invited the fam over to celebrate the one year birthday of the guy D1 has named "The best baby in the world." Indeed he is -- amazingly chill and delightful to be around.

We drove up, and Joey and D1 presented ME with a gift: an arm of Stoli Elit, my favorite. They were thanking me for giving them my AMEX points for their use this Fall. Would I like to open it? I figured the more we drank, the lighter the bottle would be to schlep home, so Joey and I poured a few glasses. Later I got Jonathan and mi consuegro Jacqui to join the club, too.

Claudia, the lovely nanny across the street, is a photographer, and D1 had her take some family shots. Joey's brothers and parents were there, as well as his delightful niece, who the big brother of the birthday boy played with happily. 

We had a terrific time -- catching up on job and life changes. It was repeated to me several times that with D2 and Jonathan's new Shores house purchase, Wifey and I are the only ones living South of Flagler Street. That's ok -- distance makes the heart grow fonder, I answered, and the distance is a 30-45 minute drive.

Everyone left, save Wifey and me, and we Ubereated in some dinner. The birthday boy went to sleep happily, and the toddler joined us for dinner, and then some book reading before his bedtime. He was delicious -- his voice is like that of Adam Sandler when he mimics the voice of a little boy -- and switches from English to Spanish in a seamless manner.

Today I got in my 3 miles in weather you could almost cut the humidity with a knife, or spoon it into a bowl. The last mile was only possible by invisioning my journey's end -- stripping naked and plunging into my pool, followed by cool floating around. I did just that, and it was like the old Nestea Iced Tea commercial -- ahhhhhh.

It occurred to me that it is most fortunate we don't live somewhere with a community pool -- my post summer walk habit might lead to arrest -- or at least raucous laughter.

Tomorrow afternoon we have more abuelo duty -- D1 has a call -- and Wifey and I will fetch the toddler at camp. Probably there will be "eye cream" afterwards.

And then we go home to the best baby's actual birthday! He will likely be taciturn about it.

Thursday night I'm doing something I haven't done since college -- going to a poetry reading! Family friend Marie became Development Director for O Miami, a community organization that seeks to bring poetry to everyone. She invited me to several events after Wifey and I become donators, but there were conflicts, and well, in truth, poetry to me is best enjoyed, if at all, by pulling one of my college books off the shelf and reading it.

But Marie knows me -- tomorrow's event is at the U -- and I kind of always like to visit. Also, two of the poets are a current and past poet laureate of the US -- so I guess it's sort of like the MLB of wordsmiths.

Wifey begged off -- but I look forward to it. Whose woods these are I think I know...