Longtime Listener, First-Time Uncle

I spent most of the weekend on Long Island getting to know my brand-new (and first) nephew, Charlie. Well, as much as you can get to know someone who's sleeping. The guy sleeps a lot. But he's pretty new to the whole "being in the world" thing, so I can't blame him. He's also tiny, about as long as from the tips of my fingers to a couple of inches up my wrist, and I imagine you need to conserve a lot of energy when you're that small.

Can't wait to introduce him to some things (my friend Tim is already envisioning me with him at the track, "beat-up racing form" under my arm, spinning yarns about the greatness of long-retired horses). I'll do my best.

The only thing that already depresses me is the thought of being an old man pushing my musical tastes on the kid. I'm already on the verge of lapsing out of relevance, but when I'm 45, trying to convince a 14-year-old to give Built to Spill a chance, well, that will be an all-time low. Everything else should be lots of fun, though.