My Dad is NOT My Date

It's always happened, but sometimes I feel more acutely aware of the situation. Normal circumstances are:

1. Nice restaurant
2. Dinner table of only one sex
3. Polite waiters who don't say anything

My sister had a squash tournament on Friday at L.A. Fitness. While she finished up reffing a match, Dad and I ran out in search of a place for dinner.

Down the block we found East River Cafe, a great mellow spot with a piano player and older 35 to 65 crowed. As I followed my dad to a table, I looked up to see an older woman staring me down as she spoke. Her eyebrows raised a tad, and she kept speaking to her dinner companion. We crosser her line of vision and her companion then had the view of us. The younger woman eyed me as I sat, then responded to the older woman.

Then there was the office dinner party happening next to our table, with all the men at the back end of the long table. As I sat at a table (for four people! My sister and mom weren't even there yet), all of the men's eyes looked to Dad, and then to each other, and then muttered a little something before continuing to chug their beverages.

I'm sure someone reading this is thinking, you're paranoid as heck and then add some odd bit about Freud. But in NY, there really are 50 year olds courting women in their 20's, and it freaks me out that people think that about me! I would never go over 10ish years, and I certainly have never gone under 5yrs older. Personally, I think 5 to 7 yrs is the perfect different, but that's a whole other post.