A Lot Goes On In A Typical Day

So yesterday I went to the office, and met my posse for a visit to office space across the street. Stuart and Joel were due to sign the first new lease for our group since 1996, when Paul and I moved into the building with Mark, a now retired criminal defense lawyer, but the new rent was rather,um, astronomical.

The new owners of the building, who we call the Brazilian Brothers, since they're brothers from Brazil and never remember their names, are savvy. They kept the per foot price below market, but re measured the space and announced it was 1000 feet larger than SunTrust Bank, the previous landlord, said it was. So it's sort of like airlines today -- the fare is cheap, but you want to bring luggage? That'll cost you...

Last weekend Vince found an online ad for space for rent 2 blocks South, on the other side of Brickell. The owner is a Palestinian businessman who owns the office condo. He also owns a building in Hollywood, and found the Brickell traffic was a hassle, and so wants to rent out the space. It seems perfect -- and all in, will cost less than half of our current spot.

So we walked over (except for Stu's Dad Bill, who needed to be driven, because he is mentally a young man but physically every one of his 84 years), and were very impressed.

Stu and Joel will decide, but it seems like our presence on the corner of 8th Street and Brickell will come to an end after 23 years!  Well -- except for Trulucks -- I'll still be a regular there, but will have to walk a few blocks...

While all this was going on, I kept getting calls from my friend and financial guy Pat, who was in a mediation in a nasty family dispute. Pat charges me for financial advice, but somehow all the legal advice I give is free.  But no big deal -- he ended up settling -- and will bring to an end a terrible ordeal that has gone on for years. I told him our mutual friend Mike can draw up releases for him. Mike will charge...

And then later, I spent a lot of time with a friend of the Ds, a young lawyer thinking of making a career change. I put her in touch with another of my proteges, and the two of them will meet. I tend to shy away from this sort of matchmaking, but when it involved young people I really like, I still tend to engage in it.

So I came home, and although it seemed like a routine day, I realized a lot got done.

Change is hard, but it is essential. When the day comes that we leave our old building, I'll have some bittersweet thoughts. A LOT of stuff went on there. To quote Jimmy Buffet, there were good times and riches and son of a bitches...

I expect there will still be more to come.