Retail Therapy

So D2 flew home for the weekend, to get away for a few days. She's had a rough couple of weeks, and I picked her up at MIA, and she was beautiful as always. We promptly got stuck in immovable traffic as we attempted to enter the Dolphin Expressway, as our current president had landed in Air Force One moments before, and his motorcade shut down the roads around MIA as he made his way to UM to beg for more Florida votes. After about 15 minutes things opened up, and we were on her way. As we approached our leafy suburb, I pulled into Sunniland Shopping Center -- telling D2 I had a stop to make. We walked into Maurice's jewelers, and I told her she was now becoming a member of Dad's nice watch club. I can't care less about jewelry, with one exception, that springs, like most things about me, from my father. I like watches. I don't LOVE them, like my office roommate Mark, who has a collection of fine Omegas and Rolexes worth north of $1M, but I like them. When my father retired from his long time sales job, in 1979, the company gave him a thin Seiko. Looking back, it was rather chincy of them -- the watch probably cost about $200 at the time, but he loved it. Thin watches were just coming out then, and he wore it proudly. When he died, I took it over, and wore it daily for about 15 years, until the gold plating chipped, and the watch turned greenish. I still have it, of course. When I made some bucks, I bought myself a gold Omega -- also thin. I paid, I think, about $3500 for it. With gold prices soaring, it's probably worth about double that now. But I rarely wear it -- it sits in my home safe -- eyed by D1, who wants it as a graduation gift when she finishes her MS program. We'll see... When D1 turned 20, I bought her a steel Rolex from Maurice's. It was a reconditioned one -- made in '01, 7 years old. She LOVES it -- it's a man's watch, and will last forever. I figured it was D2's turn, as her 21st birthday is coming in 3 months. We picked out 3 watches, and the owner Andy gave me a price. But D2 needed the expert advice of her sister before committing -- so we returned after D1 came over. The choice was a "Date Just" 2 tone. It was made in 1941, but perfectly restored. The on site jeweler adjusted the band, and is engraving it. D2 picks it up tomorrow. D2, like her Dad, isn't a materialist, but I can tell the watch thrilled her. It'll keep time for years, and remind her, each time she looks at it, that both D1 and she HAVE found their Prince Charming -- and his name is Dad. Wifey and the Ds and I then went to our go-to favorite local Italian place, Di Napoli's, and celebrated with pizza, scampi, and some amazing anti pasto. When we returned, D1 noticed that the oppressive Miami heat was just starting to decline -- and we might all take a walk around our 'hood. The spoiled grand dog Spaniel Mads and strange looking rescue dog Vienna the Sausage agreed --and the 6 of us left for our usual 1.1 mile circle. The night sky gathered around us, as the ladies chatted happily, and the dogs sniffed excitedly. I looked up and gave thanks to the Big Man. Before I picked up D2, I visited ancient Mom at the nursing home. I was going to see her fellow resident, my father in law, but ran out of time. Still, I got my usual reminder that the end of life sucks. So for now, with my ladies under one roof, I savor the moments...