I finally did it. I got the nerve to have the Sculptra procedure done on my face. Will it make me look younger in 60 days? I’ll report back.  You may have read that PortMiami was closed last week when a boat hit the Fisher Island Ferry. Sadly, one person drowned, right below our terrace. My husband captured photos of the Coast Guard boat recovery. If you enjoy celebrating the 4th of July, Miami is the place to be. There’s a new dialect, called the Miami Dade dialect, and I personally do not think that is a good thing.

Five Years Younger In 60 Days?   

I finally did it. I got the nerve to have the Sculptra procedure done on my face. Sculptra is noted to be better than fillers because it stimulates collagen production within the skin instead of simply adding volume that dissipates over the months ahead. I went to the dermatologist that everyone recommends in Miami, Dr. Steve Mandy on Washington Avenue. Coincidentally, he happens to live in our condo building and we are good friends.

I remember the first time I heard someone raving about Dr. Mandy. I was on a trip in Morocco when a few of the ladies on our tour group started talking about who they use for cosmetic procedures. I really wasn’t interested in the conversation until I heard one of the women say, “The top guy in South Florida is Steve Mandy.  He is the one who teaches the other doctors how to be innovative and get the best results.” I couldn’t believe my ears. I was already a patient for minor stuff, but I had no idea that he was held in such high regard. I thought to myself, I better take advantage of this connection soon.

It took a few years for me to realize that my face was drooping faster than a waterfall. I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Mandy. That was last Friday. I told him I needed some fillers because I felt like my face was caving in. He examined my skin and told me I should do the Sculptra treatment.

Apparently, senior women like me lose volume beneath the surface of their skin. I can actually see that in my selfie photos. When we are younger our skin is plumper and glows more. But as we age, the volume deflates. We start to develop wrinkles around our mouths, and the skin on both of our cheeks start to look like a wave. What’s worse is that our jawline starts to take on a funny shape that makes us look older. Dr. Mandy told me the Sculptra process would definitely make me look five years younger. Five years? I need a 20-year reduction but decided that five years would have to be good enough.

before and after photos from  Dr. Mandy’s web site

I was worried that all those needles were going to hurt me. There was a little stinging but only for a second. Dr. Mandy said he perfected a technique that eliminates pain. I was so grateful that he was doing the procedure.

It’s now a few hours later and I can see a little improvement. The final results will come in a month or two when the collagen builds up. I can’t wait. I can see now why women get addicted to Botox and fillers. It’s wonderful to look younger than your years.

This video will show you the procedure.

Elliot Captures Photos of Coast Guard Boat Recovery

For some reason my husband Eliot always wakes up in the middle of the night if there is a car accident on the road, or a boat mishap in the water. He doesn’t have to hear the sounds of a crash; he just instinctively knows something bad has happened outside our windows which are 36 stories up from the MacArthur Causeway and Biscayne Bay.

Last Sunday, in the wee hours of the morning, a man died and another was hospitalized in serious condition after a 32-foot boat hit one of the Fisher Island Ferries. We are still not sure why the accident happened, but I’m sure we will find out in the days ahead.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard decided to limit traffic in and out of PortMiami during one of the busiest days for cruise ships in South Florida. Or as the Miami Herald said, “About 16,000 passengers on three ships were left idling in the Atlantic Ocean left to wonder when they can get to shore and make it home.”

The closure actually disrupted travel for an estimated 33,000 people, according to port figures recently released. It impacted the same three ships that were scheduled to leave the PortMiami between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Passengers on the ground and on the water were just left to wonder “what the heck was going on?”.

Meanwhile, Eliot was glued to the window watching the rescue boats, police and fire, and Coast Guard riding back and forth on Biscayne Bay.  Finally rescue barges were positioned to recover the sunken boat. Everyone had to wait till the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigated the crash.

Eliot also waited hours to see the crews raise the motor boat that caused all the trouble. The minute the boat came up, he immediately clicked away. We emailed his photos to the Miami Herald, and they accepted them on the spot.

A Cause for Celebration

If you enjoy celebrating the 4th of July, Miami is the place do be. The fireworks are spectacular. I know of 17 different ones that all go off at the same time: Fisher Island, downtown Miami, Key Biscayne, Bayside Park, North Miami Beach, Coconut Grove, etc.

A lot of the celebrations are geared for the younger crowds. The one that appeals most to seniors is the one that The Ocean Drive Association produces every year. This is a great opportunity to see the 50-piece Miami Beach Classical Music Orchestra perform while the fireworks are being displayed. The combination of the two is quite magical.

This all takes place at Lummus Park on Ocean Drive. 8:30 p.m

More than 5,000 local residents and visitors are expected to attend. Musical performances will include Broadway favorites, your favorite Patriotic Selections including Sousa Marches, America the Beautiful and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture at the stroke of 9 p.m. with the fireworks launch. View video excerpts from the 2019 Performance here: Independence Day Concert-

Don’t Blame the Messenger 

I have no idea why anyone is excited about the so-called new Miami Dade dialect.  NBC News in Miami did a segment on it, last night as if this new development was to be celebrated. Just what we need, a new generation of South Florida folks who present themselves to the rest of the country as “uneducated.”

I don’t want to appear like an out-of-date old fool that can’t accept changes in the world. I love change but I don’t want young people in my new adopted city to be at a disadvantage if and when they go out to the business world. If any of these kids use this new language in a job interview, they will be shown the exit door in a matter of seconds.

The NBC segment said Florida International University did a study that showed that a new dialect, specific to South Florida, has emerged. It contains calques from the Spanish language. NBC6’s Heather Walker reported that a study out of FIU explains that the way many people in South Florida speak can be considered a new dialect, and it’s not Spanglish.

NBC said, “People are speaking this dialect and don’t even know it. Chances are if you are Cuban-American or have any Cuban in your family you helped create the dialect.”

“The dialect is ‘Only in Dade’ so NBC6 went to downtown Coral Gables to see if it exists, and we found it does. According to FIU, the dialect incorporates what linguists call “calques” or borrowed translations from the speaker’s native language, in this case Spanish. Most of the time it is a literal translation.”

The FIU professor of Linguistics and English, Phillip M. Carter, calls it ‘Miami English.’ He said, “I think it’s resignation because people want to feel seen.  They want their language to feel legitimated.”

NBC added , “They are certainly being seen now. The study, which took more than a decade, has quickly taken off with TikToks and news articles being viewed by millions.

“We know that folk who are in the immigrant community use these types of translations in their speech, but what we found is that these expressions get passed down to the second and third generation, people who are native speakers of English,” explained Carter.

Carter says the majority of people who use this dialect are 3rd and 4th generation Cuban-Americans who were born in the Miami area.

“Miami is its own little country. So it’s fair that we have our own dialect,” said one Miami native NBC6 spoke to.

The professor stresses that “new” is relative, saying his studies show the dialect emerged over the past 50-60 years. FIU plans to continue the study to determine if groups outside of Cubans speak with this dialect.

All I can say is that the words I heard being used now are not new to me.  “Thanks God,” as opposed to “Thank God,” was used by new Jewish grandparents in the 1950’s. NBC aired a few other words that seemed silly to be used as examples like replacing the word “beef” for “meat.”

I’m sure there is more substance to this story than NBC covered. They did a rush job.  I just hope that young people who are entering the workforce are valued for the work they do and not the way they speak. That’s not always the case. I had my challenges with a thick New York accent. People were always mimicking me. Good luck to those who start using slang.