At 14, the Roo-girl is a product of the technology generation.
She can Google something into the ground. She can play computer games. She puts me to shame with what she can do with Facebook and a cell phone.
However.
Because she has grown up with all kinds of fancy shortcuts, there are things she can't do.
She doesn't understand the Dewey Decimal System.
She still can't (or won't) tell time on a regular clock. Which means she she won't wear a watch (digital watches are not "cute").
She still ties her shoes with bunny ears. Velcro spoiled her early on.
But New Year's Eve brought a new wrinkle to the "how do you do this?" story.
We had planned a nice, quiet New Year's Eve at home. Well, Roo didn't plan that, but her party options fell through and we were stuck with each other.
So we did the only reasonable thing. We bought a bag of party poppers (go here to see how that turned out) and a couple bottles of sparkling apple cider.
Roo, with her infinite lack of patience, wanted to crack open the sparkling cider around 10 p.m.
I shrugged and told her to go ahead.
A few minutes later, my cell phone rang.
"Mom, I can't open this bottle."
(Yes, we use cell phones instead of screaming up and down the halls and stairways. See? Technoids.)
Why couldn't she open it? Because it was not a twist-top.
*eyeroll*
"I'll be right there."
It seems that my daughter doesn't know how to use a bottle opener.
I don't know whether I'm disturbed or infinitely relieved.
lol, my twosome are the same way...technologically advanced, but when confronted with mid-20th century throwbacks like bottle openers, they completely fall apart.
Posted by: songbird | January 05, 2009 at 09:23 AM
Though I am not sure if it will be reccomended in current parenting magazines, I think using a cell phone to communicate at a distance within the house sounds a lot better than screaming at eachother.
Now that I think of it, it would have been a lot nicer to have a persistent ringing cell phone than a yelling parent when I had to wake up for school as a youth.
Classy shot, I always love your photos.
Posted by: Curved | January 05, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Then she will just have to drink the twist off cap beers.......
Posted by: nikki | January 05, 2009 at 11:13 AM
That's pretty sad. I'm often astounded by what teens don't get. In high school, honest to God, we had a girl who'd never rolled a window down and was freaking out when she couldn't find the automatic button.
Posted by: Anglophile Football Fanatic | January 05, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Hmmm, interesting way to prevent underage alcohol consumption-make all the bottles non twist tops!
Posted by: Suzanne | January 05, 2009 at 01:07 PM
Sadly, I know quite a few people - a lot older than Roo-girl - who can't tell time on a normal clock well. Some of them even wear hands and face watches and when I ask them the time, they ALWAYS show me their wrist instead of telling me themselves, hehe.
I think it's great Roo-girl spent the night at home with you guys!
Loved this post!
Posted by: Huckdoll | January 05, 2009 at 03:39 PM
Tying shoes with bunny ears made me laugh! I'd better not let my hubby read this; I tell him he's lazy when he rings me from the garden LOL.
Posted by: chrisb | January 05, 2009 at 05:43 PM
Possum can't tell time on a regular watch, either. Just noticed it last week, because he got a new watch, and took the old one off, and when I asked him what time it was, he glanced at the new one, then took the digital out of his pocket to tell time.
That boy's not right.
Posted by: Eternal Sunshine | January 05, 2009 at 06:04 PM
Hunky and I IM each other from rooms 8 feet apart from each other.
Posted by: Dory | January 05, 2009 at 06:28 PM
Oh, the perks of cell phones: So nice not to have to get out of a nicely-warmed bed on a cold January night!
My husband brought out his electric typewriter the other day. Rebekah (15) was *fascinated*. "So, did you really use these things, in your lifetime?"
Posted by: Ilona | January 05, 2009 at 07:57 PM
I make a point of teaching time skills with an analog clock in my 4th grade classroom. I know too many kids who can only use a digital!
Posted by: Daisy | January 05, 2009 at 08:33 PM
It becomes apparent that, given the considerations listed, it's a fortunate thing she's not blonde. I'm just sayin'.
Posted by: lceel | January 05, 2009 at 09:04 PM
I have to take deep breaths to calm myself when I'm around all my techno-gizmo-electronic-wize grandkids.
kills me.
Posted by: Pamela | January 05, 2009 at 09:32 PM
Bwahahahahahaha that is hilarious!! But what if she drinks from a can??
Posted by: kaytabug | January 05, 2009 at 10:00 PM
That is my life you are living! My 17 year old son can not tell time on an analog clock at all. I am afraid he will flunk out of college because of that. And the shoe thing - let's just say I'll be tying them before they walk down the aisle.
Posted by: debbie | January 05, 2009 at 10:26 PM
I'm confused, do all schools, offices, shops etc have digital clocks in USA or Canada? I'm in the UK and cant think of a digital clock anywhere, its all 'hands on a face'. Only my phone has a digital time and you can set it to look like a clock face, we're the opposite, my 14 year old has more trouble with digital time!
Posted by: jenny | January 10, 2009 at 06:41 AM
That's an interesting phenomenon. I wonder what things will have gone by the wayside in another 10 years?
Posted by: Janet | January 14, 2009 at 12:55 PM
ummmm, I am 56 and can not tell time on a an analog watch or clock. I am dyslexic regarding numbers, it is very frustrating. I also do not understand the Dewy Decimal System but I CAN use a card catalog to find something.
Posted by: Karen | January 15, 2009 at 11:08 AM