Ubering Around

 So Saturday evening came around, and Wifey and I were invited to the great Israeli restaurant Motek, in the Gables. We were invited to celebrate Barry and Donna's anniversary, which falls the day before Donna's birthday, so I decided the celebration was a Donnaversary. Too bad I thought of that the following day.

Anyway, I didn't plan to have more than a few drinks, and if I did, Wifey could still drive home from the Gables. But I checked Uber. The fare was $7.85. Of course, that was because I get a monthly $15 credit from AMEX, and they were applying it. But I took it as a sign.

It's really the only way to go for us. The nice driver dropped us off despite the morass of traffic on Miracle Mile. The only parking was valet, which costs $12, plus tip. 

And I never get past the fantasy that I'm Thurston Howell III, off of the island, and the Uber is my private car and driver. I step out of the Toyota like I was stepping out of a Bentley.

We had a delightful evening. Scott had flown in Friday night, and Paul was invited. Patricia, too, but she is in Europe with her sisters. We drank and feasted, and they brought some bread pudding with a candle so we could sing for Donna. She had a fine time.

There was much to discuss about next early Spring -- Scott is getting married in D.C.  I asked him to do me a big favor: only invite Wifey and me -- not the Ds and their men. He wouldn't hear of it -- the Ds and their men are his family, he said -- why exclude them? Because, I explained, while buzzed a few weeks ago I told them it was a family trip and I would be paying for all of us to fly to D.C. and stay. 

Scott had little sympathy. And he was correct. What could possibly be better than being able to pay for a trip like that.

I'm thinking we might go early, to take Little Man to the Air and Space Museum. He'll LOVE it. He's still a bit young to get the meaning of Washington, and the Baby Man will just be happy running on the Mall.

We took the Ds when they were probably 4 and 7, and though D1 enjoyed the VIP tour of the White House, thanks to our Congresswoman Ileana Ros, the main attraction for the Ds was chasing squirrels on the Mall.

There's a running tale about the Holocaust Museum. Kenny and Joelle got married near D.C. We couldn't attend on account of D2 was a newborn. Some of Kenny's relatives told him they were going to visit the Holocaust Museum, since they rarely got to D.C. from NY. Kenny and Joelle implored them to make that another trip, but they didn't. There was a table of not very happy wedding guests at the wedding -- no surprise there.

So in my dark humor style, I keep telling Scott I plan to visit as well. He knows I won't really.

Anyway, after dinner, I summoned the return Uber, and the Camry pulled up one minute later. Valet returns take 20 minutes on a busy Saturday night. Yes -- Uber me, please.

Today work continues on the 3 downstairs bathrooms. Actually on two of them -- the third will start after there's another working toilet that doesn't require a stair climb. We are so spoiled.

Wifey and I were discussing this -- many of our friends growing up on LI and Brooklyn had large families and only a single bathroom.

I remember having to pee at my friend Mark's house -- he was one of 4 kids -- plus two parents. His sister Sue, who I always liked, took VERY long showers -- I would typically pee when I got home.

On a sad note, Vienna, the strange rescue, is likely in her final days. At her last vet visit in April she was great -- in fact 5 lbs overweight. But since May she's been porpoising -- and barely eating for the past few days. Wifey's on hold with the vet -- going to take her in just to see if maybe the vet can give her something to make her more comfortable. I'm guessing steroids may help -- will increase her appetite and hopefully make her breathe more easily.

Vienna jumped into D2's friends' car near the Falls in 2010. Our friend Susan asked if we could "foster her." Wifey took her to look for a chip -- none -- and put up "Found Dog" signs all around the areal No one called. I knew this funny looking little brown dog was going to be a permanent adoptee, and indeed she is. The vet thinks she may be nearing 15, so her lifespan nears the end.

She has brought us much joy -- so we will keep her comfortable until it is time to go.

Again, my dark humor comes, in the form of the joke Cubans in Miami loved to tell as Castro got older and older. The president of Peru visited Havana, and gifted Castro a Galapagos tortoise, which live, famously, well past 100 years. Castro accepted the gift, and said to his brother Raul: "Ah --this is the problem with pets. You get close to them, and they die on you."

Hopefully Vienna sticks around, comfortably, for some more time.