The Ageing Irrelevance

Ever noticed how you don't often feel age creeping up on you when people say you should?

Last year, I spent my birthday running around like an 8-year-old in a "6th Doctor's Costume" T-shirt at a Doctor Who experience, then came home to Merthyr to see my folks. Didn't feel older at all, because if anything, 40 felt massively empowering and right.

This year, it's been pretty much business and pleasant hours. I took the day off work, as I always do, and d, Ma and I went to Cardiff. Spent some time and some money in That's Entertainment - basically an enormous DVD and CD recycling store - had a great lunch at Madame Fromage (introduced Ma to the restaurant, which was a fun thing to do), got bamboozled into owning some weird walking trousers, had an exceptionally good Starbucks, and came home. d gave me some really thoughtful gifts - a "Writer's Clock", with the normal numbers replaced by things like "Proof," "Edit," "Draft," "Stare Into Space," "Chocolate," "Margarita" and so on...Laughed my ass off at that. A great polo shirt with a Stephen King quote on, which is so fabulous I have to share it with you: "The road to Hell is paved with adverbs..."

Class. Can't read the man's writing, but as a human being and a commentator, he's cool.

And so on. It's been a satisfyingly grown-up birthday, compared to last year's, and I enjoyed them equally but in different ways. Came home and jumped on the computer, as there was Much To Do on this day off - adverts to approve, and a manuscript to try and finish editing. Weirdly, as things have suddenly exploded, I've booked my first job of 2013 this afternoon. We're pretty much chock-a-block with work till then, and with the prospect of more coming in shortly. Who knew what started out as a relatively safe mid-life crisis would develop into a Real Thing?! Still have to clear the set-up costs of the business though, so bring it all on, I say, and let's make money!

Still working on the manuscript now, actually .My Stuff To Do list this week would make...
Well, you know in Genesis, Chapter 1, God's all "On Day 1, I did this...Then on Day 2, I did that..."?
If he saw my Stuff To Do list this week,  He'd scratch His beard philosophically, suck His teeth, and go "Seriously? In one week? Ach...can't be done...just can't..."

Still - what does He know, eh?
I don't feel any older, I feel pretty good in myself, and while the Disappearing needs to really kick the hell back in some time soon, I feel on top of all the bits of my life that could threaten to overwhelm me. If this is what 41 feels like, I'm happy to take it.