The Final Queue

 Several years ago, the last of my family's Greatest Generation died. I think it was my Mom's sister Florence -- or it may have been her sister in law Muriel -- I forget. But the pre-Boomer and Boomer members have begun leaving the theater -- first was cousin Arlyne, who was the oldest and would have been, I think, 83 now.  My Dad's side cousin Steve jumped the line at 72 and died a few months back.

And today came word of another member of our generation -- my cousin Linda's husband Steve -- he had just turned 75. Like most of the rest of the family, time and tides had moved us apart -- socially if not physically. Linda and Steve, both long term Dade teachers, had moved to Century Village in Pembroke Pines years ago, and though my suegros were there at the same time -- we never got together.

I always found Steve an affable enough fellow -- and a lot less intellectual than his genetics would have predicted. His father was an accomplished academic, and, as I recall, the founding Dean of Nova's Osteopathic Med School, but Steve barely got his teaching degree and taught Phys Ed and Health. Not to be an academic snob, but I am -- often kids of the highly educated go to the next level -- not here.

Still, in the measure of a man that matters, he measured up well -- 2 daughters and a son who loved him, and a great caretaker to Linda, who years ago was stricken with dementia and Parkinson's. A video I saw from 2 years ago showed her in a nursing home "celebrating" their 50 something anniversary, and she was totally gone. I'm surprised she is still alive now, and I guess the only blessing is she probably can't mourn her life partner's passing.

In a way, it's good that I don't see my cousins, and haven't for many years. In my mind, they remain young marrieds -- full of life and welcoming kids. I don't have to think of the reality of the decline and decrepitude. 

But on the happy side of life, I plan to leave here in a few hours and cruise the man sized Buick SUV to D2's house. She will make us our afternoon cawfee on Jonathan's state of the art machine -- they became coffee snobs living in The Village for 4 years. We have been deputized to fetch Baby Man and then Little Man at their schools, since D1 had an important Biz call, and we will bring home dinner and eat at D2's. They can choose -- but typically it's between Pura Vida and Chik-Fil-A.

We will then bring them home, and bath and homework can ensue.

Wifey is dipping on account of she hosts mah jong tonight. That's ok -- I've come to learn to enjoy the solo drives home, with music and the gorgeous Miami sunset over the Everglades as I drive the Dolphin.

Friday the Canes play at Wake Forest. I'm sure plenty of fans can avoid hearing Steely Dan's "Deacan Blues" when they think of Wake, but I am NOT one of them -- hopefully Canes can be the winners of the world.

Sunday Chris has tix for Mike and me to join him for John Forgaty and Steve Winwood at the Indian Casino place. This will make #4 for my seeing Fogarty, and #1 for Mr. Blind Faith and Traffic. We will eat at Anthony's Fuhgettaboutit Runway first, and then Uber to the show.

Last week, it occured to me Sunday was Kol Nidre. Norman had bought tix for him and Benji but sold them when he saw the conflict. Me? Who am I kidding? I don't go to services -- maybe I'll have the last bites of sausage and peppers before sunset, and avoid more drinks at the concert.

The Big Man has plenty more to forgive me for than a Kol Nidre concert -- I hope He does.

I plan to listen to Leonard Cohen's "Who By Fire" on Monday -- his YK influenced song. Cousin Steve died NOT by fire -- not sure what took him.

But I do hope for another year in the Book of Life -- I am the youngest first cousin on both sides. Hey -- not nearly my turn!

And So This is RH - And What Have You Done?

 So this lazy, prone to inertia old guy made 3 separate car trips this week. Thursday evening I drove myself up to Joe Robbie, for the Canes home opener. It was a great time. I prepared by buying a bottle of Zhyr vodka, which I learned from a young tailgater is pronounced like "deer" instead of "er." Turns out it says so on the label.

I got to the stadium, and for a FAMU game -- it was pretty crowded. Mike was next row over, and so I toted the vodka to his tailgate, and met Chris and his old buddy Kyle. After a few, Mike grabbed me in the wonderful way he gets with ETOH (like me) and said there was no place he would rather be. I corrected him: NYE on a luxe ship last NYE watching our boys beat Ohio State was special,too. He agreed.

Barry and Scott and taciturn Sam arrived, followed later by Josh who side told his brother "Dave is already drunk," which wasn't true -- just buzzed. To a young man who wants to be seen as a partier but truly isn't, I guess any inebriation is a thing. It's ok...

Several young inexperienced kids came up to us -- could they eat? One young lady, a 20 something who looked like Phoebe Cates if she was Cubana, explained her friends gathered but no one brought any food. We made her a plate. Later some of her co-horts asked if they could buy some of the donuts. Ha -- we gave them away, and had a classic viejo verde time of it. Had more wives been in attendance, world class eye rolling would have ensued.

The game was as expected -- over by the first quarter. One of our chat group remarked we may be in the presence of greatness. We finished second last season and appear to be better. We waited for the FAMU band, which is worth the watch, and then looked for Eric and his crew -- but they had gone to the Club before the band and back to the stadium as we were leaving. But in the parking lot, we saw neighbors Hilit and Alex, with their D.C. daughter in tow -- Scott and Sam compared South Florida ex pat notes with the Michigan grad. I drove home very happy.

Friday it was BACK to far North Dade for Jonathan's family's erev RH -- another great night. Lisbeth and David are such gracious hosts, and Jonathan's sisters and brother and siblings were in fine spirit. A treat for me is being with Judy, Jonathan's grandmother -- the embodiment of a family matriarch.

She is amazingly generous with all her grandkids, and they fight to be with her -- I noticed both Jonathan and his brother Daniel made her plates of the delicious brisket Daniel's wife Melanie had cooked.

We spent hours, and talked of our pasts in Israel and LI and South America, and Judy proclaimed NEXT time she expected to see D1 and her boys. I told her that would happen at Thanksgiving -- D2 already arranged for the caterer.

Finally last evening it was a gathering at Luna Pasta in MiMo for the boys and Ds and Paul and Patricia. Jonathan was a question, but after a day of Services, he had decided a good pasta dinner was in order.

I sat with the boys, and cut Little Man's steak, and Jonathan taught Baby Man the spaghetti eating method, and it was divine -- I sat at the end of the table, with Paul at the other end, and we toasted -- Paul with non alcohol beer -- we are a couple of blessed formerly rockin' lawyers in the USA.

Today the NON driving beckons. I plan to walk a skittish Spaniel for a bit, and then watch some NFL -- the hapless Dolphins play at 430. And then this evening, my old friend John's show premieres -- an 8 part series based on his memoir of dealing with Saddan Hussein.

I'm more than a bit proud of him -- my buddy since kindergarten who was recruited to the CIA and actually took part in US history.

Tuesday back on the road -- D1 has a biz meet, and asked her sister and me to fetch boys and keep them for a bit -- Wifey has mah jong and will skip that event. Those 2 grandsons. As the Millennials say -- I can't even...

So the Jewish New Year celebration ends tonight, and we slog towards the Day of Atonement. I typically observe the night before, Kol Nidre, but had committed to a night with Chris and Mike -- Chris got us John Fogerty/ Steve Winwood tix, which we will attend following dinner at Anthony's Runway 84. So my fast may start a bit late -- I hope the Big Man forgives.

I will chill and reflect on actual YK. How to be better. What to leave in; what to leave out -- in other words -- what have I done?

Hurt People Hurt People

 Rosh Hashanah draws nigh, as the British Jewish poet might have said. and I ought to be taking stock of my life and relationship with the Big Man, according to Torah teaching, but I have come full circle in my observance of religion, and instead am thinking a LOT about the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

Oh, I'm a proud Zionist Jew, all right, but find the services simply don't resonate with me. I went a few times to Reform services with Eric,and then begged off for years until coming into the orbit of Orthodox, with Rabbi Yossi. Norman was kind enough to invite me a few times to HIS shul, and I enjoyed the fraternity of the event, but, truth be told, I couldn't wait for the talking and chanting to end. It was WAY cool when Norman blew the shofar, and made for many tellings regarding the homophone of the ram's horn, and how different denominations treat their drivers...

Man, what a thing it was 2001. Afterwards, we adopted the same message as Holocaust Jews: Never Forget. We forgot, or at least many of us have.

The Jews took Never Forget and finally got a homeland, one I am proud to say my late suegros helped to found. It's funny, I am FAR more Zionist than my Sabra Wifey, but I understand that if there IS another Holocaust, Big Man forbid, this time the Jews will take tens of millions along with them.

Golda Meir told Kissinger as much when Nixon balked at sending nation saving materiel during the Yom Kippur War. Nixon was a lame duck, oil prices were high, Kissinger explained, and most Americans cared more about oil prices than the existence of the Jewish state. Meir reminded Henry that if the attacking Arabs made it to the gates, Cairo, Damascus, Tripoli, and others would end up in a way that they WISHED they were Hiroshima. Nixon, no lover of The Tribe but a pragmatist, sent the materiel and Israel won.

Israel is the ultimate Fuck You for the Jews. Hate from the Right? Hate from the Left? Saying stupid mean things on Ivy League campuses? That's ok -- Israel's existence says Fuck you.

And in my nation, we ought to have the ultimate FU to Islamic radicals, especially after 9/11. Instead, what they couldn't do with those acts, some useful idiots are allowing be ELECTING leaders who may well ultimately get what Al-Queda sought.

The fake doctor running for Senate in Michigan explained Israel's 10/7 attack by saying "Hurt people hurt people" -- in other words, if you feel oppressed, it's fine to terrorize an Israeli Burning Man and torture and kill women and babies.

NYC's mayor was a boy during 9/11, but his father has said it was ok many times. And the idiot, trying to show he FEELS for the victims, signed a proclamation the other day and then handed the pen to a top lawyer -- who repped the guys who bombed the World Trade Center years before! You can't make this stuff up.

The poor survivor families will be at Ground Zero Friday and have begged Mamdani to stay away. Nope -- he will be there -- repping many of the folks who perpetrated the act! Hasan Piker keeps posters of the burning towers in his office, and NOT as a somber reminder.

I just hope that the DSA and all of their supporters end up being a silly, brief moment in US history.

It's funny -- I sent my Lefty bro in law a funny anti socialist video the other day, a fake Beatles group playing the tune of "All My Loving" with lyrics poking fun at the likes of Bernie Sanders --"I'll give all his money (the capitalist dupe) to you."

He called me and said it was clear I had become a full Trumper. Yeah. Except I revile him, too, and plan on voting for the Dem Rodriguez for Congress and Dem Jolly for Governor. I will NOT vote for the DSA anti semite Nixon for Senator.

But I will not abide "Well ANYONE is better than the Republicans" crap. Not true. I would LOVE to see a centrist Dem, like Andy Beshear, rise like Clinton did to the Oval Office. I guess the next years will tell.

All I know is, hopefully Never Again means Never Again, not "Well the REASON" they did that was...In black humor, it's like the comedian who said Islamicists also mourn what happened "We lost 19 of our best guys!"

May there be peace and true understanding...

25 Year Ago

 So tomorrow is Labor Day, and we have plans to visit old friends Maureen and David for a barbecue. David has become quite the grill master in his retirement, and has a cook off with another friend -- Wifey and I will be some of the judges. We met when D1 and their D2 met in kindergarten -- Wifey thought Maureen was English. Close -- Jewish girl from Smithtown, LI.

We're all grandparents now -- their youngest lives in Atlanta with her Miami born and raised husband and little girl, and the oldest is a scientist in Seattle, living with a partner she met after being briefly married to a man. I'm surprised we don't see more of that sort of thing...

So tomorrow is the last day I can wear white. Ha. Labor Day meant more in the Northeast --- school started AFTER the holiday, and the life guards were pulled from the beaches and pools. It marked the end of Summer. Here, it just offers hope that maybe we just have another couple months of really hot weather.

And Friday night, we're headed to Jonathan's family's house for Rosh Hashanah dinner with his wonderful family. D1 is headed here, for RH with friends in Palmetto Bay, and then Saturday, we will have our "non RH, RH" at D2 and Jonathan's -- just bring in some good takeout and wish each other a fine 5787. I'll get to make my yearly joke "It's already Chanukah and I'm still writing 5786 on my checks!"

But Friday is also 9/11 -- and the 25th anniversary, to boot. I still recall the day with stunning clarity. I was driving up US1 to my office -- important settlement meeting. We had handled a fire case with our old boss Ed, and the clients were coming to sign all the papers, set up a trust for their burned daughter, and we would, of course, be paid our fat fee.

Wifey called. "I sure am glad your office is on the first floor. I'm watching "Today" and some airplane crashed into the World Trade Center!" Indeed -- we all initially thought it was some errant Cessna or something. I immediately thought of a tale my Dad had told -- when a WW II era bomber crashed into the Empire State Building in fog.

By the time I made it to the office, and we met with the clients (sort of trailer-ey folks from Broward) and got everything signed, we knew the incident was no errant Cessna. The clients left, we sent the staff home, and I learned the Ds were safe -- Wifey fetched them from Leewood and Palmetto Middle. Paul made sure HIS kids were fine, as did Ed. By then, about 1 pm, all 4 planes were down, and it seemed the attack had ended.

Ed, always the pragmatist, said "Ya gotta eat" and so we 3 retired to Morton's on Brickell, drank martinis and ate steaks, and toasted to whatever was to come in our nation. Paul always said he was impressed I knew all about Bin Laden and Al-Queda -- I guess I kept up on those things. We shook hands and each headed home -- to a new world.

Now, a quarter century later, the NYC mayor is close with those who praise 9/11. A Michigan Senate candidate is, too. Our ally Israel suffered THEIR equivalent of 9/11 on 10/7, and somehow THEY are the aggressors -- Palestinians, who gave out candy 9/11 on the West Bank and Gaza, and danced with happiness shouting "From the River to the Sea" are FAVORED by many -- mostly on the ultra Left.

Last night, a British singer -- forget his name but my buddy Dave from Stoke once called a "ginger cunt" had a concert opened by some rapper who rapped all pro-Palesting. Nice. Less than a week before 9/11.

The world is indeed upside down. The GOP has become 2 parties -- GOP and MAGAS. The Dems are Dems and DSAs. Some DSA called Hakeem Jeffries, a Black guy and next Speaker of the House if the Dems win in November, "an AIPAC monkey" but quickly added "monkey" wasn't to be taken as racist.

Oh boy. There are delicious ironies. A couple of Queers for Palestine useful idiots in Texas were killed by a true Muslim for being gay, before the guy killed himself. Who could have seen THAT coming?

I hope the future months see a move back to the center -- a political place most of my logical thinking friends live. I guess we'll see.

I know this November I shall exercise my new "No Party" affiliation. I plan to vote for the Dem for Congress (Elliot Rodriguez) and governor. I will vote for the Dem for governor (David Jolly). I shall NOT vote for the Dem for Senate (Richard Nixon's granddaughter -- but not really). 

There's an Amendment on the ballot to raise the exemption on property taxes, which will save us a few thousand -- many thousands later. I don't support it, but see it passing HUGELY.

And it IS curious to me. Our next door neighbor used to pay about $25K in taxes. The new owner, on account of paying lots more, pays $60K. This is common in Miami, and yet the local government still says they don't have enough. Maybe the tax cuts will force some more discipline on the locals. Another thing to see going forward.

But if you would have asked if the horror of 9/11 would have led to things in the US and NYC the way they currently are, I would have laughed. Somehow it's not funny now.

Be Fruitful And Multiply

 So I have delightful neighbors who I haven't seen in months, even though they live just 2 houses to our East. The other day I ran into the husband, and we actually walked together and caught up. His son, a confirmed bachelor high on the Miami food scene, was finally engaged. His daughter is a superstar -- we attended her graduation from FSU med school years ago, and she just finished her Peds residency in Baltimore. They're Persian, and she married a VERY gringo guy from North Florida who is finishing his Neuro training -- the party was a glorious mix of Persian ladies uulating and Southern folks having a good 'ole time.

And then just 4 days later, he and his wife stopped to chat as I was reading my mail by the recycle container. Every other Wednesday, I wheel out the blue container, and since our mail comes late, toss right into the bin all the junk mail from that day. It's one of my OCD rituals.

Anyway, his wife asked if I knew the neighbor between us, Elizabeth, had her second grandchild. I did, and added as to how I hoped they joined the Club someday -- our boys are the, as Wifey says, lights on our lives.

She looked downcast. Apparently the newly minted Pediatrician and her soon to be Neurologist husband had proclaimed they would be childless -- they looked forward to a life in medicine together, but with no entanglements of children. They also told my neighbor "We really don't want to bring kids into this world," citing the ongoing war with the pediatrician's ancestral nation, as an example.

The Mom said "I do not wish to be politically incorrect," and I cut her off. Two Muslims were talking with a Jew -- speak freely -- and she went on as to how, in her opinion, the world needs precisely the type of people her daughter and son in law would bring into it -- as opposed to the mass of less educated we will instead receive.

I agreed. And I reminded her the "no kids into this mean world" was nothing new. I recall hearing it as a child, citing Vietnam, Watergate, pollution, greed, hunger, etc...In other words, it has ALWAYS, in modern times, been a "bad" time to bring children into this world. But it has also been the best time.

It's so interesting to me. Pregnancy was, to my generation in younger days, something to be feared -- maybe an encounter of carelessness led to it. It seems to the Ds' generation, medical assistance with childbearing is much more common. In other words, those seeking parenthood pay over 6 figures to do it!

I remain an empiricist. And I shared this with my neighbors -- and they agreed completely -- whatever blessings my life has brought, they all PALE in comparison to my kids and grandkids. And my Ds get that, too -- D1 seeing it first hand, and D2, with blessings of the Big Man, will see it someday.

My neighbors left -- holding hope that their daughter and her husband would change their minds -- maybe after the son in law completed training, and they settled into practices somewhere, still well young enough to become parents. I told them they could borrow a Jewish tradition at their son's wedding -- a dance around the couple celebrating marrying off your last child. The marriage might not last, but in our tradition -- once you get there, you get to celebrate -- your kids are grown ups.

They LOVED hearing that.

Anyway, as I shared with Paul this am, I really CAN teach a Masters class in marriage. I was on my second cup of coffee, when the power went out. The FPL app said it would be back on by 1130. I thought about Wifey -- we're leaving here at 11 today, for early fetch of Little Man at school (Labor Day Weekend starts early). Wifey LOVES her am coffee, but if the power was out?

So I stopped drinking my second cup of black coffee, put in milk and the artificial sweeteners she loves, and carried it to her nightstand -- she was sleeping soundly. But, follow me for more great marital advice...

The power came back after a 15 minute outage -- I got my second cup anyway. So today the plan is to fetch Little Man. D1 texted a plethora of ideas for what we could do with him after school -- a park he likes, maybe Target. Nah -- we'll have Spaniels in tow, and just grab lunch, if he wishes, and then back to his house. He has learned that with Dave and Ippi, he holds a valid license to chill...

D1 will fetch Baby Man, and we will get some hours with them. Maybe D2 will stop by after her lunch with friends in the Grove -- seems LOTS of folks have early release today.

And then, as I told D1, we are on our way home by 8 pm. The Days of Awe begin tonight -- Canes football. They open away at Stanford, and kickoff is 9 pm EST. I will be firmly planted in front of the TV.

I invited Jeff over to watch, but I think the late kickoff may keep him home. I love watching knowing that Mike and Loni and Jeaninne are there, along with Amanda and Daniel, and other old friends. But I 'm happy, in my dotage, to be watching from my sofa.

So to those wishing children -- may it happen. To those choosing not to -- rock on. For now, at least, it's a free country.

No Appointments? Nice.

 So early this am I saw Dr. Rigo in his new office --on Kendall and SW 107 Ave. My dentist is right across the street, and we used to always visit New York New York, a pretty good deli. I've only been in the Publix there once in the last decades -- every locale brings back a memory.

My suegra's final evening the Vitas Hospice nurse left -- saying that Covid had caused a shortage of nurses. The problem was, Vitas had medical control over my suegra, and so the Palace nurse really couldn't give more morphine. Turns out when someone is dying -- morphine is pretty important.

Anyway, Wifey planted herself bedside, and I drove to the Publix to get supplies for her -- including a phone charger she had left home. But critically, I bought Publix cookies for the nice nurse, and sure enough, he helped -- morphine per the doc's orders. Whew. A few hours later, while I was actually on the phone with the funeral folks to tell them a new client was imminently coming, Rachel died. I drove back to The Palace and we waited for Vitas -- they sent a nice minister who had the authority, apparently, to sign a death certificate. He asked if we wished to pray to Jesus for the soul of Rachel. I laughed -- no -- she was quite Jewish. Would we mind if HE prayed? Not at all, Reverend, I said, knock yourself out. 

We left after Rachel's body was taken out, and I will NEVER forgive Vitas for that night -- I sent a few emails about how they pulled the pitcher off the mound in the bottom of the 9th. They never responded. Anyway, lots of memories in Kendall.

But back to Rigo. He took my BP and weighed me. My BP was normal, and I had lost 12 lbs in the past 2 weeks. Rigo was happy -- so was I. I plan to stay this course. Tonight, Wifey brought back pizza from a place next to her lash place. I had ONE slice, like a human adult man, instead of several, like my frat boy alter ego. High BP can sure scare a guy straight.

And then after a workout, I got flu and Covid jabs at Walgreens. And then as I got home, it occurred to me: for the first time in a LONG time, I have zero medical appointments or even need to visit the pharmacy. Wow -- like a regular, younger person. What a concept!

Other than some trips to the campus infirmary for flu and muscle aches after an ill advised tackle football game, I think I maybe saw a doc ONE time. For years after, I NEVER saw a doc, other than a visit with a GI named Guber to make sure some, um, bleeding was my birthright of hemorhoids and not something worse.

It's typical -- as we age, more docs come into the picture. Actually, I DO have an appointment in December -- with one of my TWO eye docs -- for follow up on a retinal hole and increased pressure. The pressure guy's appointment falls during our Euro trip. I can wait until 2027 to see him...

I think there's an old Yiddish curse that says may you become very rich and spend all of your money on doctors. 

For now -- nice to take a break from the medics.

Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away

 Ah, the great Willie Nelson song. He wrote it in 1961, the year I was born, and Willie is, 65 years later, still touring and playing. Wifey and I saw him twice -- in Lauderdale, at that cool theater they have there, and then again outdoors at a neat amphitheater in Key West -- a trip that ended up ushering in a whole new phase of life for Wifey and me -- but that's another story.

But FaceBook (tm) has this nostalgia feature -- they show pix you posted from years ago. Today one popped up of Wifey and me dressed up as a sultan and one of his wives at a nightclub in Istanbul. I forwarded it to Eric, Dana, Barry, and Donna, as the 6 of us are booked NEXT September for a cruise out of Istanbul.

But then I checked the date of the photo: 1997. That means it will be THREE decades next year since Wifey and my trip to what for me was a VERY exotic place. I still recall walking through the rug market (still have the one we bought, and the comically classic merchant folded it up into a briefcase size so we could schlep it home) and thinking I was freaking Al Stewart in "Year of the Cat." I had been to Israel, and Europe several times, but for some reason, for my 36 year old self, being in Turkey made me feel like a world traveler for the first time. I totally dug that the River Bosphorus is considered the boundary between Asia and Europe. I look forward to visiting again next year, this time with by BFF college buds.

Still -- 30 years gone by now?   Einstein, turns out, had it correct -- time IS relative. I recall well when I was a younger lawyer, active in practice, of the rare occasion I would awaken for some reason at 4 am. I would immediately fall back asleep -- I could grab a sorely needed few more hours. This am I got up at 4 -- and that was IT. And I didn't dread it -- the dogs were happy to see me so early, and eagerly ate their breakfasts a few hours before usual. And before I knew it, the dawn was upon Miami, and I left for my 3 mile walk in the relative cool of the morning gloaming.

Today Wifey and I have tentative plans to meet Boston Sheryl for lunch. She's my age, but with the energy of someone 20 years younger. She's in Miami for several hours only -- to get her hair did and then meet us for lunch, before heading to Boca and a Labor Day weekend at the Boca Hotel and Club hosted by her oldest Andrew. Andrew went to UM and hit it big as a Day Trader -- unlike the majority of his peers.

He married a lovely woman, they have 2 kids now, and live on the golf course at LaGorce. His life has been in stark contrast to his younger brother, who had multiple DUIs in Miami and Boston, and ended up in a tragic wreck where he killed 2 people and crippled their rental car van near Logan. He spent nearly 5 years in prison (in Florida it would have been more than 10 -- I guess they're more understanding about DUI cases in Mass) and has been out several years. He's doing well -- marrying a nice woman soon, and living with Sheryl .

When she tells me about the trespasses of her middle son and his lady, I ask her why she doesn't boot them -- Steven is late 30s. "Oh no -- I don't want to live alone!"

As Richie Aprille said to Tony: "To each his own." But Sheryl is always fun to catch up with -- her latest adventures on JDate, for example. Most of the fellows I know of my vintage have ZERO interest in dating someone our age, but Sheryl is never deterred -- brimming with self confidence. I like that in a lunch companion.

We met her nearly 30 years ago, too. D2 and her daughter Amelia were in kindergarten together. They kept in touch for years, even after Sheryl and her kids went back to Framingham after a nasty divorce. I took D2 and a friend up to Boston for Amelia's bat mitzvah -- now 21 years ago.

We met Joelle and Kenny, who were living in Sharon, Mass at the time, but soon to relocate to the 305. I still recall well hosting Joelle when she had her law professor interview -- and as we recalled Monday on a Zoom -- THAT was 20 years ago!

Again -- the time slips away.

My good old man news is that the BP meds and weight loss seem to be working -- my home machine shows readings either normal or just slightly elevated -- no more numbers in the "get thee to the ER NOW!" range. I plan to keep on this wagon.

Last night, Wifey's mah jong friends brought over fine looking chocolate chip cookies. I was offered one, and said I was going to pass.

Barry and I both want to be down 20 lbs from our heights by December, when we go on the Spain to Portugal cruise. And it turns out 2 martinis are indeed enough, even though the luxurey Explora staff keeps bringing them.

My goal is to have plenty more time to watch slip away...