40 is a "new demographic" age. 40 is the "mid-life-crisis-buy-a-red-convertible" age. 40 is the "holy cow 40 cows on the front lawn" age (you never see 30 cows on a front lawn). I am 40. I knew 40 was coming and I was prepared.
A month ago I received an email from the Please Touch Museum (no it is not the Clinton Library) inviting my family to a blogger day the were have on June 4th. I have never been to the Please Touch museum and I figured what a great way to forget that I was turning 40 than to play in a museum designed for children 7 and younger. How is that for changing my demographic? The museum has 6 or so exhibit halls that encourage kids to play in a variety of ways.
One of the halls has a super market where kids can load up carts with all kinds of toy groceries and play shopper or shop keeper. This was by far my kids favorite hall in the museum. They loaded cart after cart after cart in the little grocery store. I did my best to encourage the "real life" aspect of the pretend play by laying on the floor of the store, crying and wailing, begging Max and Wyatt to buy me something. I also knocked over displays and ran down other aisles so they could not see me and think I was lost. They didn't "get it".
I would shop there again because they had the hottest check-out girl, ever. The other halls like the Roadside Attractions and the Wonderland were also big hits with my kids. The maze of mirrors was my favorite. 
I look like my brother Kevin in this picture.
Lauren, the kids and I had a great time and for the few hours we were there I forgot I was turning 40. When we wrapped it up and headed home I was so exhausted from chasing the kids that I felt 40.
When Lauren asked me what I wanted for my birthday I told her I wanted the Wii. Instead of a red convertible I thought a new game console that I could play with my kids would make me feel younger.
I was happy she got me the Wii. She got me the Wii with the Wii Fit Bundle. You know, the game where you work-out, exercise, lose weight etc. Was she trying to tell me something? I have lost 10 lbs in the past 3 weeks doing the P90X. Maybe I am not progressing fast enough. I guess it does take a 40 year old more time to get into better shape.
Lauren also had her mom babysit and she took me out to a Brazilian style steak house for my birthday. A Brazilian steakhouse is where men walk around with skewers of various cuts of meat (they had 13 different varieties the night we went) that they slice for you at your table. Instead of 40 cows on my lawn I had all-you-can-eat beef (garlic sirloin tips, ribs, Filet Mignon, flank steak) lamb (chops and leg of), pork (sausage, ribs, tenderloin) and chicken. I felt young sitting across from a beautiful woman, having a cocktail, enjoying the fine food and eating like I was in my twenties.
I woke up at three in the morning with horrible cramps and a lot of gas. Just like a 40 year old.
I am older than I have ever been. I now get the meaning of the term "Old Fart."
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22 comments:
Happy Birthday to you! Tomorrow you will be even older!
I knew you would like a place where men walk around with their big skewers of meat.
That mirror is magic. No gray hair, no blemishes, your alter ego heads coming out of your shoulders.
Happy Birthday! I love those Brazillian steakhouse places...yummmmmm
"I did my best to encourage the "real life" aspect of the pretend play by laying on the floor of the store, crying and wailing, begging Max and Wyatt to buy me something"
ROTFLMBO
Happy Birthday, Billy! (There, don't you feel young now?)
I'm 42, and there are some mornings when I feel like I can barely crawl out of bed. If you're able to do those plyometric jumps on P90X at 40, then I thump my chest in salute to you. Much respect, you old fart.
:)
Note to self: never speed read Bill's posts. Upon first pass, I thought she'd gotten you a Brazilian for your birthday.
Happy Birthday, Bill.
Happy birthday. At least you have the kids to help keep you young, gas or not.
The summer of my birthday 40, my oldest son got his learner's permit to drive our stick-shift car.
You are not old yet :)
Happy Birthday!
Oh, a co-worker handed me a $dollar and told me to buy a winning lottery ticket. I bought one, but it was not a winner.
Happy b'day William. Isn't 40 the new 50... wait, wait.. That must be the other way around. Anyway enjoy!
Happy Birthday!
It sounds like you had a great birthday..
Happy Birthday. We've Been expecting you for some time now. By the way, it's your turn to bring the donuts and coffee to the next old farts meeting.
Wow! Sounds like a good birthday! The Please Touch Museum is awesome. I've not been to the new location yet. (One of the kids Sue watches used to call it the "Please Touch Me Museum." Thank goodness he now just refers to it as "The Touch.") We have been to both Chima and Fogo de Chao - we enjoyed them both. I hope that the coming year is a great one for you! My 40th is coming up next month, so we'll be in the same club!
Happy Belated Birthday, Bill! Yeah, 40 is old. But if 40 were a game of "Rock/Paper/Scissors", the rules would be 30 beats 40, but 40 beats dead, so... there's that.
So sorry to miss your Birthday. Don't laugh, but you are an old soul and I thought you were closer to my age (47 in August). COOL for you doing all you have by 40.
I had no idea you are 40! and I birthed you! That's what happens in your sixties! The memory goes. Not to mention that you wouldn't be able to chew the meat at the Brazilian Steakhouse; you won't want anybody to touch you, cause every muscle in your body hurts, and every bone is decaying. So there you go. Enjoy the forties, it just goes downhill from here. My middle children are forty!!! Where is the Lawn Whisperer? Haven't heard from him in a while! He could be fifty by now!
Have you heard from Dan?
One of the best things about having a kid is being able to live through them and be a kid again.
Happy Birthday from one Gemini to another. I'm 40. Turned on the 2nd. I didn't enjoy this one as much as turning 30. Might of had something to do with the fact that I was wanting to be seen as older then and now... ahh... not so much. I don't even know what the p90x thing is... must google now...
Lordy, lordy, looks who's forty! Or as my 4th grade teacher,who was from the south, might say- Lardy, lardy, look who's farty!
Happy Birthday, Bill!
At least you have annual prostate exams to look forward to, Old Timer.
There has to be a game on the wii called Old Fart...Can you imagine the hilarity that would ensue?
Happy birthday.
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