40 Isn't Fatal

I entered my 40's this week.  I guess that means I have joined the ranks of the middle-aged.  I think it might be more of an adventure if had joined the ranks of Tolkein's Middle Earth, but I'm good with this Earth and this life.  Talked to a friend on my birthday night, and he asked me how I felt about being 40.  I said, "For real.  All day I've been hearing Linda Evan's voice in my head all day saying, '40 isn't fatal.'"   Such wisdom from none other than Krystle Carrington.  And it looks like she was right.  I survived the day to wake up 40 plus a day and now plus two days.  I hope I make it to 40 plus a whole lot more days, weeks and years!  At any rate, there is something different about turning 40 besides the fact that if I grew out my hair it would look just like Linda Evan's in this photo.  Grey hair aside, I am kind of relieved to be 40.  It means I not only made it through my 20's but they are far enough away that I mostly only remember the good parts.  (Note:  my 20's were a bit of a living hell at least til 28.  All that figuring out who you are, how to be you, having to get a "real" job, no more summer vacations, therapy, therapy, therapy, blah, blah, blah.  Hard work.  Not that I would trade the experience since it is part of who I am, but I don't particularly relish that time of my life).  It means I got to have my 30's, which I loved, well except for that whole Daddy dying part, but I loved turning 30 and being in my 30's.  I had a lot of fun, hell, I had too much fun.
Turning 40 feels like a new lease:  new vision of the future, new town, new career, new possibilities, new, new new! 

I've never been one to care about age.  As long as I'm 6'2" above the dirt and not 6' under it, I'm good with it.  Really if you think about it we really don't age.  We are constantly changing physically and mentally,maybe not in the ways we always want to be, but we are being recreated.  To be alive is a state of continual renewal.  We are truly new every morning, reborn each moment and moving ahead to the next.  Our whole self is always new until the one day it isn't, and that works for me.  All that to say, 40 isn't fatal, and I'm looking forward to the years ahead of me with a sense of encouragement and hope and a belief in the promise that I am a part of tomorrow beginning today. 

Frame Shop News: 

We are getting ready for Art Walk on December 7.  We will have new works from our current artists and we have two new artists showing.  I hope you can come by if you're in town.  It should be a good, fun night.

BriGuy messes up ordering products a lot of late, BUT I'm blaming the computer.  So we have this fancy new computer system, which I love, but since I haven't had training on it, I am self-teaching.  Not really such a big deal until I make a mistake that costs money or worse time!  I like to have a comprehensive understanding of a new system before I start using it. 

Now time for blaming the system.  The software isn't exactly what one would call intuitive.  Lots of little inconsistencies that make me just the tiniest bit agitated.  Having spent a few years writing specs for software development, I can tell that this software was developed quickly and with little end-user input.  Naturally, I've made calls and given my notes and some development suggestions.  I'm pretty sure Bob at Lifesaver gets a really big smile on his face when he gets helpful suggestions from me.  He probably evens uses a finger to show that he thinks I'm number one when he sees my number is on his caller ID.  . 

Whatever. I still made errors I shouldn't have made.  Perfectionist Me is having fits each time he finds out that Get-R-Done Me has made an error.  It got out of hand yesterday, and I had to send them both to their rooms to calm down, reflect on the situation and work on solutions rather than concentrating on the problems at hand.  It's working.  We are all getting along famously so far today.  (yes, I know I sound completely insane). 

My only complaint about the work of framing is dry hands.  All the wood and paper apparently sucks the moisture directly out of one's hands which is a huge problem.   I always have dry skin in the winter like most, but it's compounded because I'm a hand washer.  Some would say I am borderline obsessive about handwashing.  (Doesn't that sound out of character?  Of course it does.  Me, obsessive?  Pshaw.  Silly talk).   Ok, so I wash my hands more than the average guy, but I don't care about that.  I do care about the fact that I can't use lotion after washing my hands at the shop because it will mess up mats, glass etc.  So guess what?  My skin is super dry and cracking and they hurt like unholy hell!  Even bled the other night.  Gross and painful.  Thankfully, Owner gave me some kind of miracle salve which I use the instant I leave each day, but I'm afraid I might have to start wearing surgical gloves or something so I can use lotion while at work.   That is not going to be a good look for me, but I'm afraid I'm headed in that direction.  I can see it now:  I'll look like a deranged, psychotic gansgter come serial killer donning surgical gloves, apron and doo rag weilding an exacto knife.  Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a crazy looking man with a razor blade!  I bet that will be great for business.  I'll let you know how it goes!