Design District

Over the last 5 years or so, some developers have been gentrifying a formerly rundown part of the city north of Downtown. They've put in art galleries and shops and restaurants, and renamed it the Design District.

The DD has become our new hang out. Last weekend Wifey and I went out to an open gallery night, and we had a blast. We had dinner at an Italian place in a reconditioned warehouse, and listened to a terrific band playing in front of a gallery.

LAst night, Paul invited a bunch of us out to dinner at Sra. Martinez's restaurant. Sra. MArtinez is Michelle Bernstein, a local clelbrity chef, who opened this place in an old bank building. She married someone named Martinez, and I guess figured that Sra. Bernstein didn't sound as good.

Wifey stayed home with a sore heel (ironic since she's married to a happy heel) and I met a bunch of friends. I sat with one of my office roommates, Joel, who is a wonderful young criminal defense lawyer. My secretary Mirta was there, along with Todd.

Todd is our appellate lawyer, and he and I have been friends for over 15 years. Todd shares my disdain of the law business, but hasn't been able to figure out anything else worthwhile to do full time, and still support his family. But --he did make a change --he moved out to Colorado last year, and has begun writing children's books while continuing to handle cases in Florida.

Our kids are close in age, and we talked quite a bit about them, as well as the meaning of life. We reached no conclusions in that regard, but thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.

As I waited outside the restaurant with Joel, we both remarked how much we love living where we do. Joel bought an old house in Coconut Grove, and is raising his 3 sons there, along with his lovely wife. Joel's lived in several places, and enjoys watching the DD turn into a neighborhood like SOHO in New York, but with better looking women...

S0 --another nice Saturday night. I had some money because I just got paid, and I had PLENTY of folks to talk to...