Guess what else happens at 40?

So I wake up yesterday, thinking about my schedule, when it hits me. It's doctor papschmere day.

At 3:45 that afternoon, I answer pleasantries from my doctor as he takes a peek at my you-know-what. "So, Doug getting a little nervous with all this rain? Uh, try and relax."

I'm as relaxed as I'm gonna get for the next thirty seconds. And just as we seem to be wrapping things up, my doctor throws in an extra surprise. "You're going to hate me for this, but now that your forty, there's one more thing I need to check..."

And before I know it, I'm clenching my teeth and holding my breath. Then I think about my hubby's sarcastic remarks before I left the house. He intimates that I'm probably looking forward to the annual exam -- as if it will be some sort of a sexual experience. Alright Dear, those comments just bought yourself a ticket to see Dr. Jellyfinger himself. Isn't it wonderful growing old together? Maybe we can schedule a couple of colonoscopies together in the next few years.

On a side note...for the second year in a row, my doctor disagrees that a tumor is growing in my stomach. If the jogging doesn't shrink the abdomen, I might have to demand an ultrasound.

On Turning 40, Part II

So, after writing my last post on turning 40, I interviewed my hubby on the topic. I asked him to list what he DIDN'T like about being 40. At first, he seemed perplexed - as if thoughts on turning forty had never even occurred to him! Finally, I pulled a few things out of him.

Things a Guy Doesn't Like About 40:

1) Body hurts all of the time. (Comment: You should see what he still does to himself...he's too old to slam balls into the biddy-ball length basketball hoop.)
2) Inability to drink as much beer as he used to. (Comment: This is a good thing.)

After naming those two items, Doug paused and said, "Hmmm. I seem to be drawing a blank." Then he came up with another-

3) Forgetfulness.

Then he really couldn't think of anything else and wanted to hear mine. So, after mentioning my list of my appearance deficiencies , another occurred to him --

4) "Oh, yeah, thinning hair!" (Comment: It doesn't bother him so much to use the Nioxin I bought him. You gotta love a guy's lackadaisical perspective on looking good.)

And that was it for the tough-side of 40. Now, what he likes about our age:

1) He's still not 50.
2) Being able to afford things.
3) Watching the kids grow up.

There you have it. So simple. So poignant. Sometimes it takes a list to remind us what's really important.
Here's Doug, spending quality time with the kids at the top of the Willis Tower, aka the Sear's Tower.

On Turning 40, Part I

Things I DON'T like about being 40:

1) My cottage cheese belly (actually started at age 32).
2) Low hanging fruit...not the kind you pick to produce better results.
3) More aches and pains, especially in places you didn't realize you had.
4) Crow's feet, around my lips.
5) Muffin tops hanging over my jeans, shorts, skirts, etc.
6) The fleeting nature of our kids' naivety.

Okay. Reality check. Except for #6, all complaints derive from vanity's perspective. So, have I ever felt good about how I looked? I tried to remember my self-perception twenty years ago and came up with a few things I actually LIKE about being 40:

1) While my tummy isn't so great, the baby fat on my face has subsided.
2) Lower fruit often looks like less fruit, allowing better-fitting shirts.
3) The capability of paying for massages, to ease the intensifying aches and pains.
4) Effortless laughter, to keep the crow's feet around my lips even more embedded.
5) Being mistaken for pregnant, while wearing baby-doll shirts to hide those pesky muffin tops. Who cares if the accuser is thinking to herself how gross for that old lady to be pregnant?
6) Watching our kids grow up to be interesting and caring individuals.

See how much fun this 40-year old Mom had fun with her kid's at the museum?

Okay, it's not so bad being 40. Watch for tomorrow's post: a guy's perspective on turning 40...

Deciduous

One day our marketing director sent out a survey to test the use of Survey Monkey. One of the questions was, "What's your favorite word?" One of the responses was "spatula". Spatula. Just say it. It's fun, isn't it? Ever since that survey, I keep testing words that are fun to say.

Today Doug and I went on a glorious motorcycle ride for his 40th birthday. We're ashamed to admit we had never visited a very beautiful place on earth that is merely 40 miles from our residence. We looked over a scenic view of the Loess Hills which is heavily-populated with DECIDUOUS trees. (Unfortunately, we couldn't enter Preparation Canyon park because of damage from the horrific tornado in June.)

Anyway, that word has been on my mind all day. Deciduous. Decidous. It was like a music earworm. Definitions of deciduous include "shedding leaves in fall", "shed after developmental stage", and "shed easily or at intervals". No wonder I love this word. It's a perfect word for an analogy!

Today we were deciduous. We shed our busy schedules, stress, negative attitudes, etc. So, tomorrow, we bloom. Even in our ripe old ages...