<p>If you’re talking “Tastykake,” I envy your daughter. Tastykakes are great. I used to eat them every day for lunch when I bought stuff off the “grease” trucks at Rutgers. I had a lot of shocks when I went to grad school at Carolina in the mid 60s, but perhaps the greatest was the lack of Tastykakes. Hostess Twinkies were a very, very poor substitute for Butterscotch Krimpets. I used to eat the icing off first. </p>
<p>Our eldest turned 19 on tuesday in Florence, Italy. She went out to dinner with a bunch of her classmates and we called her on her cell while they were ordering dessert. Her birthday card might get to her today. We are never on time with cards or presents in our family. My eldest told me that she couldn’t email her grandmother on my mom’s actual birthday because it might shock her too much. This is her 3rd birthday away at school, but I think she had the most fun this year. Last year, she thought had a mid-term exam the day after her birthday so she studied and stressed instead of having a good time. The exam was actually a week later, so she ended up being very well prepared for it.<br>
We have 2 juniors in our family so next year will be a big year of HS and college graduations. And yes, I am feeling old this week.
Ellen</p>
<p>I’ve been feeling really old. My youngest turning 20 made me feel older than when I had the big 50 a few months back. Somehow knowing that I don’t have any official teenagers anymore makes me feel as if I’m now in same category as my mother.</p>
<p>ebeeeee: I am also in SoCal and D is a freshman in Boston at Tufts. 16 and getting the driver’s license seemed like the threshold for my D. She was so much more independent; bought her own car, got a part time job. At 18, she was still a senior in hs and we went together while she cast her first vote in an election. Maybe 21 will seem like more of a big deal. Perhaps it is more pronounced with boys who mature a bit slower and also get their selective service notice at 18. Something about joining the military and maybe going to war is very sobering. </p>
<p>…and NJers…
“You” aren’t old until you hit 50." I represent that remark!!! (jk)</p>
<p>Last semester there was a brief article in one of the student newspapers here in Madison. A robbery had occurred and the 50-year old victim was described by the student reporter as “elderly.” Not being able to remember 50, I called the writer and complained to him. “What are those of us over 60? Dead?” </p>
<p>There was only silence from the other end of the phone.</p>
<p>Yes, TsDad, and there was the other article about a bank robbery where one of the robbers was described as “tall” and the other as “short”. The latter was said to be 5’8". Well, that’s not short in MY book.</p>
<p>P.S. if you are over 60, you are welcome to join the CCAK club.</p>
<p>My S turned 18 last Saturday, the Selective Service form came Monday and the Voter Registration Tuesday. Yesterday he informed me that I no longer needed to sign his transcript request forms for school because he is over 18!</p>
<p>My son will turn 18 on Nov. 1. With his birthday looming, its brought up all the sadness I felt when he left for college in September. But putting together his package with 18 gifts was fun. (some just cost $1. - I figured light sticks and water balloons are fun at any age). Each package has a different sticker on it "RU 1?..RU 2?..RU3?..UR 18!!! Oh, it will be hard next Wednesday, not having him around on his birthday, but I’m putting together an email of all the things he can do & has to do once he turns 18. Any ideas beyond register for the selective service, register to vote and buy lottery tickets.</p>
<p>Nov. 29 for my DS. I am struggling with what to send. He isn’t the 18 gifts type…I sent some food items he loves from this coast a few weeks back and they arrived a mess even though I used Fedex. I’m open to ideas on what to do. He really isn’t the type that likes a fuss…</p>
<p>Ebeeeee, for my oldest’s 18th we allowed him to charge on our credit card a nice dinner for himself and 3 friends. He really seemed to appreciate that.</p>
<p>mkm56, nice idea. How did you do that? My DS has my credit card number memorized but the restaurant will want me to call first right?<br>
Did you just pick a restaurant ahead of time and call to clear it with them?</p>
<p>You could ask him what restaurant he would like and call them. For us, he had a card of our for “emergencies”, so he was able to use that. If that is a problem, does he have a card that you could just reimburse?</p>
<p>mkm56, thanks I think I will try to call the restaurant he picks. He does not have an emergency card of mine, he calls me if he wants to use it and uses it online with my permissoin first. He doesn’t have his own card yet…he has an atm debit card but apparently he was a bit of a spendthrift early in the early and his account is running low. He has half of his summer earnings still in a local account here which he is going to get at Christmas break. We decided ahead of time that he might need some help with budgeting and that we should have him half and half the funds… Turns out we were right (I love being right!)</p>
<p>Hope it works out. My son and his friends called after the dinner and had a great time. This son is now 25 and married. At his wedding one of the boys, who was at his 18th birthday dinner, remarked on what a nice time they had–and a great break from the college food selections.</p>
<p>TSDad: “CC” of course stands for our sponsors. “AK” is an acronym for a Yiddish expression for older gents that, as is the case with almost all Yiddish expressions, sometimes has a pejorative connontation, and sometimes one of friendliness, humor or at least grudgung respect.</p>