Lost Again

Here's a small sample of my outdated knowledge:

• I know the difference between the SP, LP, and EP modes on a VCR.
• I know if you want to record on a cassette tape you should first fast forward and rewind the entire tape once to stretch it out.
• Spinning a magnet taped to the end of a paddle drill bit can remove screen problems on a tube TV/ monitor screen.
• A Sega Genesis controller fits into an Atari 2600 console, and it makes playing Joust a lot easier.

Sadly, the world has moved on, and these tips can't help anyone. But this problem of worthless knowledge isn't exclusive to technology.

The first task I have to do every morning is to get a sippy cup ready for Charlotte.

Sometimes there's a half full cup already in the refrigerator. All I have to do is top it off, and bring the cup upstairs. But every time I lay the lid on the counter it makes a small mess. It's not a big deal, but it's irritating.

Then I learned this trick. I put the opening of the sippy cup's lid inside the orange juice's upturned cap. Now I don't waste any milk or orange juice, and I don't make a mess, either.

But here's the rub. I just figured that out last week, and except for the first drink of the day in bed, Char doesn't use sippy cups anymore. Now we're fighting "big girl" glasses and twisty straws.

This combination makes much bigger messes than the spot on the counter.

Parenting at home is like technology at work. As soon as I figure out what I'm doing, I get forced into a newer and a bigger operating system, and I'm lost again.