Everything's Quiet on Valentine's Day

Ah -- February 14...El Dia de Amor.  Wifey and I typically spend this day of love with Loni and Mike -- who have been married as long as we have, and are happy empty nesters. Actually, they are incompletely so -- their boy Chris is a 2L at UM Law, and still lives at home, but he's rarely there...

Last year, the four of us went to Christy's. Mike handed Loni a box -- it had a piece of David Yurman jewelry -- Loni's favorite. I just sort of looked ceiling -ward and whistled.


Actually, I gave up buying jewelry for Wifey long ago. I somehow always pick wrong...Wifey feigns liking my choices, but then exchanges them. But no longer...

Our family jeweler is Phillips House. So yesterday I drove to Miami Beach, and met Danielle. She asked what I wanted to spend, and if I had any ideas. I told her...and Jenna, the saleswoman, was wearing a rainbow colored necklace. Did Danielle think Wifey would like that? Definitely. So I bought the trinket, and left, after catching up with Alex.

I've never been good at waiting for actual holidays -- a trait I picked up from my parents. They'd buy me stuff without waiting for my birthday, and on my birthday -- no big deal.

So last night, Wifey and I met Captain/Doctor Kenny for dinner, in South Miami, at a new Southern place called Root and Bone. I had the best fried chicken of my life. I reported this to Mike, my true fried chicken maven friend. Mike has driven hours out of his way, all across the US, in search of great fried chicken.

He is going to Root and Bone tonight, and will report on my choice. I defer to him...he would defer to me about good deli.

Anyway, I got home in a fine mood, and left the necklace out. Wifey saw it and asked what it was. I told her someone had bought her a Valentine's Day gift. Indeed, she loved it -- Danielle had chosen well.

The Ds also love the necklace -- they plan to reposition it over the coming months, when Wifey won't notice. The three of them always do that -- D2 especially raids Wifey's stash when she's in town. Wifey notices about half the time. Ah -- my life with women...

So I won't be outdone tomorrow night. We're going to Amara, a place on the Bay. Mike and I will toast the women who have put up with us for a combined 64 years. We are indeed lucky.

You HAVE to keep romance alive. If not, you just become roommates, and that doesn't cut it for me. So here's to the Day of Love -- jewelry, romantic dinner, the whole nine yards. It's nice to celebrate it...