Lessons learned

1) I can't just wing it on the Suzuki violin vol 4 piano accompaniments. No—must actually practice. And I hardly have the discipline for that. Upside—piano has its solo parts too. But that's no upside if I can't play them.

2) How to turn off the insistently overyacking GPS navigator in the Audi after I've reached my "destination" and it insists on redirecting me back to it, again and again? Step one—press "NAV". (That's right—to initiate turning it off, select it—it's not relevant that I'm already f**king around with the NAV screens (!)). Then select "Stop route guidance." Done. Why was this so hard?

3) Mysterious cell phone behavior? Turn the phone off. Then turn it on. Problem solved. Why was this so hard?

4) Another kid, to Owen, as they both awaited their violin assessments: "You're not nervous?" Owen: "No." Kid's parent: "Wow, I can't believe that." Me: "Yes, I don't get it either. My older son, he's the same way. I hated taking tests, giving recitals. My kids, it's like they're from some other planet or something." Other kid: "Right, anything with the word 'test' in it, and I'm sick to my stomach." Me, to other parent: "Sometimes, I wonder, why am I nervous, when my kid isn't? Seems kind of stupid." Other parent: "It must be genetic or something. Is your wife some kind of supercalm person?" Me: "No." [added later: Gloria: "Yes."] Owen, on coming out of his assessment: "That was fun." Me: "So, you did everything perfectly, or what?" Owen: "It was OK. I messed up on one arpeggio, the A major subdominant. But fun." Me: "OK."

What is the lesson here?