Friday, August 24, 2007

40

Turned 40 today. So far, it's something of a non-event, honestly. Got up early and headed to work, so that I could take a long lunch and clock out early without drastically impacting my cash flow (I'm freelancing/contracting right now, and this whole "hourly wage" thing is taking a bit of getting used to). Hit Pluckers, the local wing joint, and got my free birthday lunch, then headed over to Gelato's for free birthday gelato and to pick up a gelato ice cream cake for the family get-together tonight. Now I'm wrapping up a bit of graphic design work I've been plugging away at and will be heading home in about an hour. Then it'll be hanging at the dojang with Miranda for her judo class, after which we'll have pizza and cake with my family. Christine also bought me a nice bottle of Moet et Chandon to toast the end of my thirties, so that'll be terrific. But overall, tonight will be a mostly low-key affair.

The "real" celebration will be tomorrow night, when we have a sort of loosely organized open house/pot luck/drinkin' fest in my honor, with lots of work friends (past and present) and dojang denizens coming by to harass the old man. The going opinion is that a bunch of us will need to work out on Sunday to clear the toxins out of our systems, and who am I to argue? There will be beer, sake, and bourbon aplenty, and as long as I remember to eat and intersperse the potent potables with glasses of water things shouldn't get too sloppy.

Regardless, turning 40 is not something I'm all worked up over. I've said over and over -- I'm in better shape than I've been in years and I've made more friends in the past 2 years than I've made in the past 15. Simply put, I'm the happiest I've been in ages. The kids are great, my wife is awesome, we have a terrific house and terrific families and friend that love us as we love them. Life has its challenges -- among them the current frustrations in my career -- but if the worst thing in my life right now is having to work hourly for a while until the dust settles, then I'm waaaaaaaaay ahead of the game by almost anyone's standards.

I'm a lucky man.

Mood: Good
Now Playing: Lindsey Buckingham, "Out of the Cradle"

3 comments:

Walt said...

I love hearing someone upbeat about turning 40. Why do a lot of people act like it's the end of the world? It's really not. When I hit 40 last year, it was the first time I think I really, really felt like an adult. But not a 40 year old adult. I hope this is a fantastic year for you, Gregg. After the last few months, you deserve nothing but the best.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Dane said...

Happy belated birthday, Gregg!

M1EK said...

Congratulations, mang. And hourly work means no unpaid overtime.