A HIghlight of My Miami Trip-----Alexandra

The following is one of the highlights of my Miami trip in early August, my meeting a Brazilian waitress named Alexandra:

On August 5, 2016, the day after my daughter, Holly, became married to her soulmate, Dave, in a destination (and very beautiful) wedding on the grounds of The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, Florida, I and the following seven individuals walked three blocks from our hotel to an Italian restaurant called "Cantina 27": my ex-wife, Mernell, my son, Johnathan, his wife, Carissa, their two children, Hunter, 5, and Kennedy, 2, my children's half-brother (and, in some ways, a son to me), Brett, and Brett's girlfriend, Amanda.

We were waited on by a very beautiful waitress, about age 30, or a little less (who I would later learn to be named Alexandra), who had lovely olive skin complexion and her long black hair was tied in a ponytail. I immediately noticed that Alexandra wore a men's wristwatch that looked very much like my own and when it came to be my turn for Alexandra to take my order, I raised up my arm to show Alexandra my watch and I told her, "I really like your watch." Alexandra then held her arm up, touching mine, with our watches next to each other and she was amazed that she and I were wearing identical watches. When she asked what I wanted to order, I told Alexandra, "I have got a really stupid question for you. So get ready for a really stupid question......Are you ready?"

Alexandra replied, "Yes."

I pointed to a salad on the menu that read: "Delia Casa --- mix green salad, cherry tomato, basil, balsamic dressing."

I then told Alexandra, "My question is: Is there anywhere on the premises a bottle of Thousand Island Dressing?"

Alexandra regretted to tell me, "No."

My daughter-in-law, Carissa, asked me, "Do you want me to go to the grocery store and find one for you?"

I replied, "If you find one, with you bring it back to me?"

Carissa replied, "No, you'll have to go get it yourself," leading all of us to laugh.

I went ahead and ordered this salad and Alexandra then placed our orders with the kitchen.

Later, I motioned Alexandra to come to our table and I asked if this was a family-owned restaurant, which she told me that it was and that she and her family are from Brazil and when I noticed that Alexandra's watch showed military time (17:00 instead of 5:00 p.m., which quickly explained to me why she chose this particular watch), she explained to me that that was the way that time is kept in Brazil. Feigning astonishment, I asked her, "You mean, you mean that you don't like the way we keep time here in America?!"

Alexandra defensively replied, "No."

I continued, very firmly, "Well, just how many OTHER things do you not like about America?!!" my immediately laughing so that Alexandra knew that it wasn't a serious question, leading Alexandra to laugh along with me.

We then talked about the great difficulty it is to learn a foreign language (and Alexandra spoke very good English as her native language is Portuguese) and I told her, "What I tell people---especially people like you---is that I only took one foreign language, and I had a lot of trouble with it----English. I speak American."

Alexandra told us that she and her boyfriend were traveling back to her home country of Brazil soon and then they would be moving to Australia. I asked Alexandra, "You have a boyfriend?" and Alexandra replied, "Yes."

Mindful that I was sitting next to my son and his wife (who are in their 30s), I told Alexandra, "Well, if I wasn't so OLD, I would tell you that that takes care of the other 20 questions that I would have had for you," and I think that Alexandra and I both laughed, but I was a bit sad on the inside.

Carissa told Alexandra that she'll really like Australia as Carissa and Johnathan went there for their honeymoon (in 2006) and they really liked it.

While visiting with Alexandra, I learned that she wished to study to be a veterinarian someday. I replied, "Oh, so you want to be an animal doctor. Do you have any pets?"

Alexandra told us that she had three dogs and I asked Alexandra what are the names of her dogs. The second of her three dogs Alexandra told us was named "Holly". I told Alexandra, "Huh. I have a daughter named Holly who just got married yesterday. That's a very odd coincidence."

After I ate my salad, I got up and asked Alexandra for an ink pen and I went to the men's restroom and took one of my "Amateur Astronomer & Photographer" business cards (with my name, address, phone number, and e-mail address) and I wrote "Hebrews 13:2" on it and I then went back to the front of the restaurant and gave Alexandra this card and one of my "Luke 21:25a & Matthew 24:29-30a" prophecy cards and I told her that I give this card out, sometimes, to people wherever I go and I added that this prophecy is known by everyone except for the general public.

(I first learned of "Hebrews 13:2" in 1993 from an acquaintance---and I immediately liked it, which reads, "Be sure to show hospitality towards strangers because in that way some have entertained angels without knowing it.")

With Alexandra holding the two cards that I had just given her, I gently jabbed my right index finger at her and I told her very firmly, "And you tell your boyfriend---------that he is a VERY lucky man." I then slowly walked back to my chair at my table and while others at my table were in the middle of a few separate conversations, I placed my elbows on the table top with my fingers interlocked and placing my chin very gently on the back on my fingers, I quietly looked out of the corner window, just daydreaming. Alexandra then stealthily walked over to me and filled up my water glass with more water, almost as if she was looking for an excuse to serve me in some way.

Later, with Alexandra standing a few feet away, I asked her, "What is your first name?" and she replied, "Alexandra."

I gently repeated her name, "Alexandra."

Alexandra then asked me, "And your name is Greg?" which startled me that she knew my name and then I quickly remembered that I had given her my business card and I quickly replied, "Uh, yes, yes."

After we all finished eating, we went into the next room which had a dance floor and a stage for a band to set up and Johnathan, Brett, and my two grandkids, Hunter and Kennedy, danced around on the stage for a while.

Several minutes later, we all decided that it was time to leave and following my ex-wife on my way out, we walked through the front part of Cantina 27 and I raised my right arm up with the palm of my hand facing away from me and I told anyone who could hear me, "I really enjoyed everything!!" I then looked up and I saw Alexandra and her fellow waitress (perhaps Alexandra's sister) standing close to each other next to a wall about 12 feet from me and I then took the upraised palm of my hand and I pointed my right index finger straight at Alexandra and I told her, with much pleasure in my voice, "Especially meeting YOU!!"

I then witnessed Alexandra and her fellow waitress laughing very hard, looking slightly towards each other and it was obvious to me that neither Alexandra nor her friend could bring themselves to look directly at me as they were laughing, which caused me to be unable not to laugh at this very funny scene, myself, and I then walked on out of the restaurant and I followed my group back to the hotel, concluding what was certainly a very memorable experience for me with Alexandra.