BABY in the CUE

Last Friday night I ended up about as far south as my house is north, from downtown. One of the realities of Lyft driving is that you get to go on these adventures and have no idea really, where you’ll end up. I pulled up in front of a house in Highlands Ranch and a woman came out and hopped in the front seat. She was very chatty and told me that we were first going to pick up her friend and they were going out to celebrate her 46th birthday. I said, “My oldest daughter Stephanie, turns 46 in June. Now get this, on Thanksgiving day she called to tell us that she’s pregnant with her first baby. Nobody, and I mean nobody in our family had a clue that this was on the radar screen”. My passenger immediately began to giggle, squeal, sigh, and say things like, “Oh my God I can’t imagine having a baby right now, you’re kidding me? You’re not pulling my leg – she really is pregnant and she’s only two months younger than me, wow that’s amazing!”

We pulled up in front of her friend’s house, and she hopped in the backseat. Within four seconds Front Seat began to say “This man’s daughter is our age and she’s going to have her first baby in six weeks! Oh my god can you get pregnant when you’re in menopause?” About this time I was trying not to laugh hysterically as these two women were going back-and-forth sharing more information about gynecology, their husbands, and raising children, than any Lyft driver should have to endure in five minutes. Truthfully though, I was enjoying every minute of it. I dropped them off at a bistro down by Park Meadows mall and they couldn’t stop talking even as they got out of the car, about pregnancy and being 46. They wished me good luck on my newest granddaughter and then headed off to celebrate her birthday.

Ironically, the ride that I had taken earlier to get down in that part of the world, was for a young woman who is a nanny, who had moved here from Sweden 10 years ago. We had a lovely conversation and in the course of that conversation I told her that my wife Mary Kay, was out of town, getting ready to share in a baby shower with our soon to be 46-year-old daughter, who is having her first baby. She said, “Guess how old my mom was when she had me, I’m the youngest of four.” I said, “Let me guess – she was 46.” “No, she was 45, and she’s the best mom ever! The only thing I would change about her is that she hates flying over the ocean to come see me.”

I will keep you all posted on baby D, who is supposed to arrive sometime around May 13.

Onward and upward, Mark