Prostate Check, Anyone?

Having a baby wasn't enough to make me feel old. Being older than the Playboy bunnies, the starting lineup for the New York Mets, certain congressmen, and being amongst those who will never know the world without the internet wasn't enough to make me feel old. But when my dentist walked into the room after my cleaning, for that final looksee, and didn't look older than 19! That twinged my reality synapses for a moment. Signs that say You must be born in 1988 to purchase cigarettes. The fact that Ghostbusters came out 22 years ago, Pulp Fiction 12 years ago. Pretty soon, my doctor will be younger than me and probably Alina's teachers. Then, perhaps, my boss. Then, the President. You can feel young and act young. But those little benchmarks always find a way to creep me out something fierce.

Buddhist Cat (call PETA!)

Electronic Babysitter

About a year ago, we appeared in a segment on a Sunday morning show called Business Weekend. It was all about how people are moving due to energy costs. We were taped in our Queens apartment talking about how we were paying for oil in Brooklyn and got out to save money for the baby's arrival. Partly true, but that's TV. Anyway, we had recorded this show on our DVR (aka low rent TiVO). RCN Cable blows, by the way. It was going to be erased (some "software upgrade from RCN) so we put it on one last time. Something unexpected happened. Typically, Alina doesn't really pay attention to the TV. She was sitting on the carpet, between Katrina and the TV, playing with a toy. When Katrina's piece came up on the show, Alina's head popped up and she looked at her mother's glowing face talking on the screen. Her mouth dropped a little, then she turned to look at Mommy on the chair, then back the TV, and started laughing. We kept replaying it and she kept cracking up when Katrina's face appeared. Maybe when we go away for the weekend and leave her with a grandparent/auntie we can make movies of ourselves talking to the camera, reading stories. Electronic parenting! Baby Einstein be damned! I hear some daycares have webcams so you can watch your kid's toys get stolen by bullies while at work. This could be like an inside out version of that.