December 25th!

So tomorrow is a day celebrated the world over, with lights, and trees, and the giving of exhorbitant gifts, with the gathering of families for meals together, and good cheer and fellowship: it's Wifey's birthday.

December 25th is a big day in our families. My parents got engaged on 12/25, during the big one, WW II. I know this because it's the date on the wedding ring that my mother gave me to give Wifey. It's also Wifey's parents' wedding anniversary. They were married in Israel, and December 25th was no big date there, unless you were a tour operator taking Christians to see the holy sites.

Wifey doesn't like me telling everyone her age all the time, so I can't mention that she's turning 55. But she wants to celebrate as she always does: family trip to a movie, and then the tradition of most Jews on Christmas Day: Chinese food.

She loves movies very much. In fact, today three of her friends are taking her out for her birthday, to see some French silent movie.

The Ds and I see movies far less frequently, although D1 wanted to see the new Muppets movie on HER birthday, and we complied. As for me, I can always wait until something comes out on DVD, or plays on U Verse...

I think we may add a different wrinkle to Wifey's Day tomorrow. D1's roommate Alyssa's family has a long running Christmas brunch for Jews at their home, and they've invited us. So we may stop by there, and then hit the George Clooney flick, and then head to Tropical Chinese, for the best dim sum in Florida.

My friend Vince, who's Catholic, takes his family out for Chinese on Christmas, too. 2 years ago, we ran into him and his lovely wife Maryam, and their combined 4 kids, at New Chinatown, in South Miami. We had a great time together, and this year we'll see if we can't all meet at Tropical. Vince's late father, one of my life's mentors, went to the same high school as my parents in the Bronx, and spent his life as a clothing manufacturer, or the schmata trade. I'm guessing that Vince, Sr, picked up the Chinese food thing from those experiences...

So bells will be ringing, and the Ds and 3 dogs will greet Wifey tomorrow, to celebrate the big day.

If there's something better than all being together, in one house, I don't know what it is.