"Lurker" such a dreadful sounding word. I certainly don't want to be considered one of those, so here goes:
I'm forty! (Ouch, wince, groan) My delightful other half informs me gleefully that my life is half over. I can't print my response to that because profanity doesn't belong among you nice people. The worst thing about being forty is all the stupid, dumb and completely thoughtless actions I committed in my early twenties have come back to haunt me with a vengeance. The swim team mishaps, the equestrian errors, under the influence of mind altering contaminants (alcohol, I was never into illegal substances), the dares; one cliff diving episode springs to mind . . . any ways, they've all come home to roost. Aches, pains and twinges. Did I actually, successfully, go into labour and survive, four times? Ain't self-pity grand? Know what's great about being forty? I can smile (call it perma-grin) when my daughters inform me that they're never going to have any children or get married and all the other wonderful vows the under sixteen make themselves. I'm comfortable with who I am, tend to speak my mind and I definitely don't care what Mrs. Grundy says about me anymore. I thumb my nose at Mrs. Grundy. I've learned the fine art of compromise (snort, chortle, chuckle) . . . not bloody likely. Know what else is great about being forty? My children are all in school now. No more diapers, no more lonely midnight vigils with a wakeful baby . . . yeah, I can hardly wait until those self-proclaimed, never-get-married-and-have-children daughters, eat their words. Grandbabies will be neat, but I can wait. I want my girls to get the best education they can. I want to insure that they don't miss out on opportunities because of short-sightedness or lack of encouragement. The world can be a hard, cruel place and a profession is a great buffer between you and the wolf at the door. Ummmm, let's see, what else can I say? Hmmm. I like to read . . . a lot. Favourite authors? Duh, David Brin, for one. Catherine Asaro, Ray Bradbury (his old stuff, his newer stuff is self-indulgent tripe), Orson Scott Card (Pastwatch was fantastic, the "Earth" series was a yawn fest), C.J. Cherryh (hit and miss), Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Julie E. Czerneda, Gordon R. Dickson, David Eddings, Terry Goodkind, Joe Haldeman, Harry Harrison, Robert A. Heinlein, Stephen King (although he's getting strange, these days), Nancy Kress, Charles Sheffield, Anne McCaffrey (hey, I was younger, then), Jack McDevitt, Elizabeth Moon, Larry Niven, Doris Pierschia, Robert Silverberg, Joan D. Vinge and Katherine Maclean. That's just for starters <wicked grin> I think that about covers it. Genny ______________________________________________________________________ Music, Movies, Sports, Games! http://entertainment.yahoo.ca
