One Full Saturday

I slept in yesterday, all the way up to 8:30. For me, that's the equivalent of a teenager sleeping until 2 p.m. I was awakened by Paul, who was on his way with Alex and the kids -- where would be a good venue to meet?  I suggested the Falls -- we could have lunch, and the kids could run around.

I got there and they were at American Girl, the doll store. Alex's little girl was loving it. I took a photo of Paul sitting her on a shelf at a tea party display -- Wifey saw it and thought they were ALL dolls.  I noticed a lot of activity at the Falls, and then figured it out: they were setting up for their annual Holiday Parade, which they call the Miracle on 136th Street.

We retired to Brito, and ate as the parade started. The kids loved it -- we did, too, especially the Junkanoo Band from the Bahamian consul. Guys on stilts performed stunts.

I felt wistful. When the Ds were small, we'd take them to the parade. The Falls were the social center of our old lives. It's the first public place I took D1, when she was only about 3 weeks old. We had cabin fever, and I put her in a Dad baby carrier. I still remember her wide eyes as we passed all the holiday display lights.

The parade featured local dance groups, and adorable little girls marched past. I remember one year D2 was in their number, and we yelled her name as she passed, and she blushed.

After the parade ended, we parted, and I came home to find Wifey happily working the yard -- cleaning the beds, and rearranging the rocks.

I came inside to watch the Canes, along with my crew, all on a text group. The earlier game was Ohio State/Maryland, as as my nephew of another brother is a Terrapin, watched with great enthusiasm. The Terps nearly upset OSU, but fell short. Still, our witty comments made it enjoyable.

The Canes finally won big, insuring a bowl game after the season. Still, they were a major disappointment -- supposed to fight for the championship, and instead only mediocre. There's always next year...

When the game ended, Wifey and I left for another space where we frequented with the Ds -- now Pinecrest Gardens, formerly the Parrot Jungle. We used to buy annual passes, and the Ds would walk the paths, and enjoy the playgrounds. Years ago, we agreed to tax ourselves and make it a Village Park.

We were in the former Parrot Bowl, now the Banyan Bowl, a lovely geodesic dome amphitheater. It seats about 1000, and was packed to see David Sanborn, the great sax player.

We were among the youngest folks there -- a rarity these days in Miami, where we tend to be among the oldest -- especially when we meet D1 and Joey in Midtown or Wynwood or Brickell.

Sanborn was excellent -- his band was very "tight," as Wifey noted.

He was also Midwestern charming -- noting he came to Miami a lot, and loved that we preserved the gorgeous venue where he was playing. He said he was so old, FDR was president when he was born. I checked -- it was actually Harry Truman, but he was among many of his 70 something contemporaries...

The show ended, and we got a final treat -- another night without A/C. The breezes blew though our room, and we slept like royalty.

It was truly a full, delightful day.