I am old. Carry on.
Jeff Alworth
As you have noticed, I was gone for the past couple of weeks. (You did notice, didn't you?) During that time, two personal landmarks of note transpired. On January tenth, the day I left, I celebrated my fifth year blogoversary. Since that first, inauspicious post in Jan 2003, there have been, by rough estimate 3,700 subsequent posts on various blogs (421 on BlueOregon)--perhaps not all of them inauspicious.
Then a little later on, I attained the ripe old age of 40, the Rodney Dangerfields of birthdays; older folks think you're still young, young folks think you stopped being young long ago. Either way, you get no respect.
I spent those two weeks on the Big Island of Hawaii, isolated from an internet signal (against my will, but probably not my interests) and news. 
While I enjoyed black sand beaches, the company of green sea turtles, and the clarity of turqouise waters, life moved forward. The forces of Novick battled the forces of Merkley, Obama, Edwards, and Clinton clashed mightily, and (this one I saw, at an open-air sports bar overlooking the sea at Kailua-Kona) luck ran out for my gray-bearded hero in Green Bay. Oh, and speaking, of bearded, I am no longer, having shorn the perniciously whitening fur to accommodate a snorkle mask. We'll see if that's just a midlife-crisis thing or not.
That's the way of things, isn't it? We battle, we age, we carry on.
Speaking of, aren't they holding some kind of contest down south somewhere? All right, that's plenty of navel-gazing. Nothing more on this subject til 2013. (3,701 and counting....)
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4:41 p.m.
Jan 26, '08
Take heart, Jeff. You still have a couple years before you become the answer to life, the universe and everything. Sadly, I passed that landmark a couple years ago. ;-)
4:50 p.m.
Jan 26, '08
Happy Birthday, pal.
Discussion question: How many more years before people stop referring to "those kids on BlueOregon"?
(For the record, our 2006 reader survey showed our readership distributed as follows: 24% under thirty, 41% between 31-55, 35% over 56.)
5:13 p.m.
Jan 26, '08
Never before have I gotten involved in something that seemed so youthful at the start (blogging) and which now seems so fogeyish. But I was hip for awhile!
6:06 p.m.
Jan 26, '08
It pains me to say "You're just a puppy" When your an "Old Dog" like me you will understand what I mean.
7:36 p.m.
Jan 26, '08
Happy late birthday to you, Jeff. Sounds like you turned 40 just after I turned 30 on the 6th. That was definitely a hard one to hit. My husband (who turned 40 last year) didn't get what the big deal was. Not only does it mean that I'm no longer part of the "under 30 crowd," for a woman it means that your biological clock is ticking louder and louder.
That birthday definitely got me thinking about having another kiddo. Abby turns 6 in April and almost every day now she asks for a little brother. But no new kiddos in 2008 - it's an election year! ; )
9:06 a.m.
Jan 27, '08
40, eh?
I remember when I turned 40 a few years ago. I kept expecting the physical manifestations of ageing to drop down on my head like a thunderclap. Like that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where the bad guy drinks from the non-holy grail and he goes from 50-200 years old in the span of 30 seconds.
Instead...I got a few little teeny crows feet in the corners of my eyes. And in October when I was rear-ended...it took much longer to heal than I thought it should. And now, at 43, I won't go near a bikini or a miniskirt no matter how many times that lady on TV with the Relacore pills says it's okay.
Other than that..I'm still 25 in my head. In other words, I don't feel old inside. I'm still trying to decide if that's the real fountain of youth...feeling young. Or maybe it's just my own little grand delusion.
12:06 p.m.
Jan 27, '08
Happy Birthday Jeff! 40 Rocks! Here is a list of people that were just getting going when they hit 40.
Telly Savalas
Frank Sinatra
John F. Kennedy
Robert F Kennedy
Robert Smith (The Cure)
Miles Davis (Like Frank, he just got cooler in his 40's)
The best is yet to come for you. Just like the guys I listed abouve. You are mature enough to know better and old enough to do what you want any way.
Fred
12:09 p.m.
Jan 27, '08
One more guy. Contrary to his routine. Rodney Dangerfield gained a lot of respect and wealth after he turned 40 and he peaked in his 60's....LOL
Fred
1:23 p.m.
Jan 27, '08
I'm definitely looking to peak in my 60s, but I just want to note that my bikini days are also behind me.
Jan 27, '08
But you're bikini watching days are still ahead.
Two words: San Diego.
I just turned 40 myself. At 30, I used to say I still felt like I was 19 or 20. Now, I would just be happy to feel 30. But I don't: I feel like 40.
Happy B-day!
6:47 p.m.
Jan 27, '08
40 is cool. After all these years I finally feel like I have grown up. I told my daughter last week that 40 is the new 18. Her responce was cool Dad, looks like I will be spending daddy money until the year 2037.....LOL
Fred
2:57 p.m.
Jan 28, '08
Look at the bright side, Jeff: you have 10 years to hone your golf game for the Senior PGA Tour, also known as Print Your Own Money. :)
Happy Birthday, and welcome to the club: We get called the "babies" down here in our condominium complex.
Peace, JD - 42 in April.
3:01 p.m.
Jan 28, '08
John, I have a friend who's a long distance runner--we went to college together--and he's psyched because he now enters the "senior masters" division or something. As a youthful member of that club, he just got a lot more competitive. So I guess there's a bright side for everything.
Jan 31, '08
Happy Birthday, Jeff. If I make it back to Hawaii at 40 (2 Years AWAY!) I will be happy to look back on my late 20s trip there, which involved the kind of hangover/sunburn that makes you plead with God to take you home. Being 40 means you don't have to do that again!
<h2>Keep bloggin'.</h2>