The Kids' Weekend

So I was at the office Thursday, and D2 texted -- was I at work, and did I have dinner plans? Yes and no, I said. Well, I did NOW. We decided to meet at Le Petite Maison, which is French for the little maison.  I had been twice -- D2 was a rookie. And D1 was free, too -- her man Joey had a business dinner.

So I met the Ds at the lovely French place. D1 had been to their place in London. The staff was United Nations quality -- and the food terrific. And Jonathan joined us in time for a Negroni and a sharing of D2's duck -- which was all it was quacked up to be.

Wifey declined -- she had a HOA meeting -- but it turned out she had the date wrong. She wasn't keen on driving to Brickell, anyway.

Friday night, we fetched D2 and Jonathan, and drove up to Joey's parents -- a lovely birthday celebration for my now 32 year old son in law. We feasted and sang -- it was terrific to all be together.

Saturday I met D2 and Jonathan for our now weekly workout -- with guru Enrique leading the way. He had Jonathan really moving -- D2 a bit less, and me the most slug-like -- but I'm still in the best condition I've been in in half a decade. Afterwards we celebrated with breakfast at Le Boulangerie, which is French for The Bounlangerie -- Jonathan knows the Venezuelan Jewish family who owns the place.  From there, I went home, and the youguns visited D2's grandmother at the Palace.

I watched my Canes. I was expecting another loss -- they came back in dramatic fashion, and won. Wifey was in the shower when she heard me scream at the late touchdown. It belied my statement that I'm not as into the team this season. Ha. As if.

We then left for the Redland -- the mostly agricultural part of Miami Dade, and a former farm called Longon's Place. It's one of about 12 wedding venues that have cropped up in the former agricultural area -- lovely spots with koi ponds, waterfalls, and tiki huts where people have their celebrations.

We met D1 and Joey -- for the wedding of longtime friend Jeannette's daughter Samantha. D2 and Jonathan had a conflict.

We've known Sam her whole life -- watched her off to college at UCF, and Law School at FIU -- now a family lawyer Downtown with a partner. She started dating Jose when she was 15 and he was 18, and her parents promptly shut things down until she was 16. And she started right back up -- and have been a couple ever since.

Jose is from a working class Dominican family, and for years they kept their relationship secret from Jeannette's mother Inez, a Jewish Honduran, who wanted her beloved granddaughter to marry only a Jewish guy, or if not a Jewish guy, at LEAST a white American one -- like Sam's father Bob is.

Well -- love endured, and the two bought a house together, and lived their life, but now, at 34, Sam wants to have kids, and so they made it legal.

The officiant was Rene -- Sam's sister Erica's husband, who became an online ordained minister in the Universal Church of Life. Rene led a lovely service by a waterfall, and then we all had a tiki hut happy hour, followed by dinner at another tiki hut, and then dancing in a big barn.

We had a terrific time -- there was a lot of love in the room, and the mostly young folks were so lively.

The wedding trumped my attending my high school's 40th reunion in Melville, LI. I was going to go at my friend Kenny's request, but the conflict kept me away.

Late last night, I checked out the photos from that event -- they were terrifying. I didn't recognize more that a few of the faces, and when I saw the names, was in disbelief. It was as if the 18 year olds I knew in 1979 had somehow entered a science fiction movie and emerged MUCH older...

I was most relieved I missed the event. Better to hang with younger folks whenever possible...

Today, though, I think D1 and Joey are also headed to the Palace --to see my ancient suegra. She turns 95 in a few months, and I would bet heavily she's going to make 100.

But last night was more my speed...sharing the joyful union of two fine young people as they begin their lives -- much better than the RE union of middle aged people looking back...