League of Distinguished Gentlemen

I really enjoy breakfast with my good friends, and if their kids come along, well, that makes it better.

Norman's middle son Michael is in Miami for a nice sized visit -- from Israel, where he completed his grad studies and is now working. We met the other day at Roasters, a place I no longer boycott due to their obscene prices. The joke used to be that you needed to sell a kidney to afford breakfast there, but now they have a $7.99 special, which is very fair.

It was great catching up with Michael, who was our tour guide when we visited Israel several years back. He'll be attending the Canes/Gators game with his younger brother Benjamin, and we talked excitedly about the upcoming season.

We were talking about Jewish genealogy, and I brought up the case of our friend Loni, who learned just recently that her mother was Jewish. Loni was raised Catholic, and last year her sister had one of those fun DNA tests, which showed she was 50% European Jewish. Sure enough, Marcia, their Mom, was born to a couple of Ashkenazim, but never told her kids.

As if on cue, in walked Mike and Chris, another wonderful father/son combo friend of mine. Mike and Norman left to do justice -- I was free until the afternoon, and after we ate, Chris joined Michael and me for more great discussions.

Chris is a Roman history buff, and he and Michael discussed Roman historic sites in Israel. Chris needs to visit, and he qualifies for Birthright, the free trip offered both of my Ds took. Chris felt guilty about going -- he was raised Catholic, but Michael, an expert on the program, assured him it would be kosher. I hope Chris goes -- he knows more about the history than most of the participants. He'd love it...

Yesterday I hit the office, to open some mail, and Mike called -- would I meet he and Chris for a happy hour? I had dinner plans at 7 in South Miami -- we could meet at old standby Shula's. How about a change, I suggested -- Little Havana and La Trova.

We retired to Calle Ocho, and they loved it -- as Mike said, "Now THIS is a bar." They had mojitos and daquiris, and I had my usual martinis.

Stuart called -- his clerk Jayde wanted to meet Mike -- his firm has a special program for rising law students. Come on over, I said. They did, and soon the 5 of us, old lawyers and 2 future ones, were happily enjoying La Trova.

I dropped Jayde off on Brickell, and met Kenny, at Root and Bone. Wifey was supposed to come, but was under the weather, so we made it a men's night. Kenny leaves for Maine next week, and he congratulated me on the impending return of D2 and Jonathan. He knows how much that means to me.

Kenny's boys are probably not returning to the 305. His oldest is taking a new job as a mental health counselor in New Hampshire, and the younger is finishing college near Philly -- Kenny thinks they are both destined for northern climes.

All I know is, I thoroughly enjoy my time with these fine fellows.