A couple of things conflate -
Reading Ry's review of The Watchmen, especially Casey's response to it, I realized how much the accumulation of cultural grit starts to affect you over the years. The Auld Soldier still gets smarter every year.
The rapidity with which the conservative side of the 'sphere adjusted to being in Opposition, while adopting many of the forms (and in some places, similar vitriol) that the progressive side of the 'sphere used while in opposition has been tiring. Especially since I'm such a squish. Sometimes, I want to hang it up as a bad effort, given how much we used to tut-tut the left for their behavior.
Yesterday the Auld Soldier and I had a chat about the problem of our respective Rotary Clubs and their average age (his club's is too high, ours is close to being too high). This is really a problem with any organization, and the ghost of my discussion with the Auld Soldier shows up in the discussion earlier this week on the issue of veteran's organizations. We, as groups, tend to select our friends and those like us, because they're who we're comfortable with. When we look around, and suddenly realize that there's nothing but grey hair and bald heads at the meeting, we start to go "Uh-oh!" and make an effort to recruit younger members. We score a few, pat ourselves on the back, and get back to business. And forget something. That next year, the average age of the group will be... one year older. So, unless you put in an on-going process to *keep* that number down... entropy is going to kick you in the butt again.
The reason that the Auld Soldier and I had that chat is we were discussing SWWBO's birthday, among other things. Her birthday is today. Mind you, we'll ignore when her thread started and simply say we're glad it's still being spun. Happy Birthday, Sweetie! [waves vigorously] However, she got most of her presents yesterday. I got her a massage and hair color at a local spa, and she used that color appointment yesterday because we're going to a party this weekend and the skunk stripe [yet another indignity of entropy], needed some touching up. We also discussed the Auld Soldier's status change that occurred in conjunction with SWWBO's other present.
We called my Dad's father "Daddy Jack." Dad, when he assumed the mantle of Grandfather, became "Daddy Tim." Since he assumed the status of Great-Grandfather yesterday afternoon, he's now going to be either "Great Daddy Tim" or "Grand Daddy Tim," I'm not sure that's been fully decided by those who decide such things. I'm certainly not that person.
So, what's all this got to do with me? Heh. C'mon, I'm fighting entropy! My Dad is now a genuine antique, I've got cultural grit under my fingernails, my wife is now higher mileage, I've got a plan to combat entropy in the club and, now, the family. I have an ally in that struggle, young and spoiling for a fight.
Oh, and that means I'm a grandfather, dammit.
Prodigal Son and Prodigal Son's Significant Other have confirmed their evolutionary viability.
Meet Prodigal Grandson, v1.0. Miles Healy Poland. Yes, he *is* named for Vorkosigan. +10 if that means something to you. That's how PS and PSSO decided to avoid any squabbling over naming rights. Here's hoping he's as tough as Vorkosigan without the other baggage that makes for such interesting novels. That stuff is fun to read, ya don't really want to live it.
19 inches long (can't call it tall when he's mostly horizontal) and 7 lbs and dominates the room he's in. He has all his bits and pieces in the proper locations and proper numbers, and he and his mother are doing just fine. SWWBO is in Manhattan being doting, bustling Grandma.
See? That damn entropy thing.
I'm a farking grandfather.
Howinthehell did *that* happen?
I'm also given to understand, via Argent, that 1SG Keith added another notch to his Grandfather belt yesterday.]]>
If you're reading this Andy and Ashes, I'm *stll* a bit miffed that I'm not a father-in-law yet, however.]]>