FDOS -- The Next Generation

 Today in Miami-Dade County, it's the first day of school, or as I acronymed it, FDOS. I used to really love this day when the Ds were small.

I would always walk in one of them, at least, and loved the energy in the air at Leewood Elementary School. None of the dunces had yet failed -- everyone was an A student -- the desks were all clean, and the kids well dressed.

The Ds knew how important education was to us, and they seemed to share in the happiness of the day. Also, as an academic dilletante, the day had meaning. I never saw myself in my fantasies strolling into a courtroom. I always saw myself like Mr. Chips, encountering eager students on some English Quad somewhere.

Well, even grad school FDOS times are in our family's rear view mirror. D2 graduated in '15 with her Masters, so her last FDOS was in 2014. 

So now the attention has turned to the adorable toddler, and his FDOS. His preschool requires uniforms, and if anyone can see a photo of this little man in his and not say verbally "awwww," well I don't know about that person.

D1 had him pose in his pants and polo shirt, along with a blue sweater I KNOW Joey insisted on, as he is always concerned about his boys being too cold -- even though we live in Miami, where it is a PRIVILEGE to feel cold -- and a rare privilege at that!

He has two years of preschool left, since you have to be 5 to start kindergarten, and so that will be the '24-'25 school year. But as D1 and Joey are seeing first hand, the years have a way of flying by when you have kids.

Meanwhile, last night was my first without Wifey. After a visit to the office, I had a serious choice to make: do I do my bachelor thing and order dinner alone at a bar, or order in and eat in the company of my dogs. I chose the latter -- and DiNapoli via Uber Eats brought some fine linguine with clams.

As I was getting ready for bed, Wifey called -- not sounding too ebullient. Her back was acting up, and I think she is fearing the Third Intifadeh. The first two were extended periods where her back pain kept her close to home, and began a cascade of unpleasantness. The second intifadeh ended nearly a decade ago.

Her back started bothering her a few days ago. I told her the over 5 hour plane ride followed by two hour car ride from Denver to Estes Park couldn't have been good for it. I hope she improves and things don't decline.

Meanwhile, I was pressed into service this am. I got a text from Rabbi Yossi -- he needed a 10th man for a minyan, so he could properly say kaddish for his late father. I did it a few weeks ago. I had a workout session at 9, and was just going to do laundry, anyway, and so I drove over to Chabad's temporary HQ next to Shorty's.

Several of the long time guys were happy to see me and surprised, knowing I'm not observant at all, and I told them my presence meant Yossi was truly scraping the bottom of the barrel.

One modern Orthodox guy noticed I wasn't wearing a wedding ring, and he had a "beautiful, recently divorced" daughter he wanted me to meet. I thought about at least seeing her picture before acting too hastily, but instead told him I was in fact married going on 37 years, and just stopped wearing my ring when Wifey stopped wearing the one I gave her from Grandma Sunny, since "it didn't fit right" anymore. I told her I would re-ring when she did, and in the last 5 years or so she hasn't gotten around to re-sizing her ring -- or she may have lost it, which I suspect.

The longer one is married, the more acutely one learns to ask fewer and fewer questions.

Anyway, the minyan was fine, and we celebrated Rosh Chodesh, which is the beginning of the year.

After that, I headed to the gym, and asked my trainer Jonathan, showing him my arm with the tefilling marks, if he knew what I had done earlier. He in fact knew right away -- he's a Sephardic Jew and long time friend of Rabbi Yossi as well. We shared funny stories about Jacob, a very loud and hilarious Jewban who I call "The Bishop of Chabad."

I then got a text from Dania -- she had a cancellation at 11 -- would I like to come in for my monthly haircut? Indeed, I was starting to look like a gray haired Bob Dylan circa 1970, so it was time. I stopped into House of Bagels, and enjoyed a quick nova breakfast, and got a black and white cookie for Dania.

I arrived at the salon and asked if she had been a good girl. She replied that she had absolutely NOT been -- so I gave her the cookie. Ha. Grandparent humor, the Ds would probably say.

I now await the arrival of D2 and the enormous dog Betsy -- they're staying for 3 nights, as Jonathan is headed to Arizona. Joelle and Kenny may come by for dinner later with their new rescue, Moxie, so we will have a true hotel for dogs if that happens.

And I realized something: I haven't had an adult beverage in over a week. It's funny -- I was uninvited from the Colorado wedding based on the fear that I would get drunk and wreck the affair, and I haven't even drunk anything!

Maybe I can remedy that tonight, as the dogs play. And I plan to raise a toast to Erica, the lovely bride who will be hosting a rehearsal dinner.

And I will toast my Ds, and all the joyful FDOSes they brought us -- with more to come with the next generation.