Absolute Value (or…A Note About Splurging)

In the mid-90s, my father and I worked two blocks away from each other -- he was on 47th and Third, and I was on 45th and Third, toiling away at my first Big City job while simultaneously trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. We'd regularly meet for lunch -- at sushi bars, bagel shops or whichever cafe had a good Prix Fixe that day. But…