39 - it's official

Well I am now officially 39 and I'm pleased to say that I'm not feeling bad atall. The same as ever really. Thanks to those of you who sent me birthday good wishes, I was very honoured and touched. I had a nice day yesterday with Gustavo - we both took the day off work and took it easy, although there was the slight problem of a leaking kitchen ceiling to fix. However I'm pleased to say that it got sorted pretty promptly. The estate agents who are selling the flat upstairs sent a plumber round forthwith who was able to pinpoint the problem - leaking pipe underneath the floorboards which was dripping down from above into the kitchen. Anyway the drippage has now stopped although the wallpaper has done the clasic thing of peeling away from the ceiling - so I will see if I can get someone to foot the bill to fix it!

Rest of the day we went shopping in Croydon and I treated myself to some new togs - jeans and some groovy retro t-shirts and a few DVDs. As for presents, my hubbie got me a groovy summer jacket and zip up top from Top Man. Apparently I'm due something else but it hasn't turned up in the post yet. How exciting! Late afternoon we had nice meal and some wine at home and just took it easy. Birthdays should come round more often! (Without the growing old part, I should add...)

Oh and my father - who lives over in Amsterdam and is delightfully eccentric, not to say creative - wrote and emailed me this poem:

Dear Simon,
It's the 17th today

And I'd just like to say,
That you're looking rather grey.

Were you celebrating yesterday

Or just practising for Monday,

-Was that a yeah or a nay?

Cheesy pomes are now my style,

(but beware an excess of bile),

You may find them cringingly vile

And want to run an hundred mile.
PS. Of loot I have no pile,

So I'll send you a bathroom tile;

It's a cloggy one with a naughty picture

I'm hoping it will become a fixture,
And yearly tiles'll add to the mixture,

Many Bacchanalian scenes to titillate yer,
And of course the frequent visitor,

Hopefully not a detective inspector.

I'll stop this now coz I'm beginning to cringe,

Yer father needs a bit of minge,

He's older than you, and cannot binge

His hair's an even greyer tinge

And he's far too fond of the endless whinge,

Beware the 39 candles, thats one hell of a singe!

Isn't he clever? A bloody masterpiece eh?! (Even if the second line in the final verse is rather naughty...!)

30 something (just)

Tomorrow it is .... my birthday! And I will be .... 39 years old!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Erm, yes. Just getting that one out of my system. Not to mention adjusting to the fact that I am about to enter my final year as a thirty-something. I can hardly believe that the big 4-0 is so close. When I start to think about it too much I also get depressed. Now I know how Margo Channing felt. Where has all the time gone??

Ah well. I have plenty to be thankful for, as my good blogging pal Deemer was recently reminding me. I have a loving partner and I'm in a stable relationship. I have good health. My hubbie and I have our very own lovely flat (although I should add, since yesterday, we have had a leakage problem - water is currently dripping through the kitchen ceiling!! No!! I hope to God we can get it fixed). So, yes. Generally all very positive things.

If there's one major thing that I am dissatisfied with though it's: my job. I'm not going to go into any more detail than that, as it's not good to start saying negative things about my career on the net, where all and sundry can be privy to my thoughts... Let's just say that I'm not feeling fulfilled and the fact that I'm nearly 40 has brought me to the realisation that some changes need to be made. It's funny, cos my recent post on gay characters in soap operas attracted a lot of positive feedback/comments (thank you to those concerned!) bringing home to me the fact that my skills and talents as a writer, not to mention my knowledge in particular areas, is just not being utilised in what I'm currently doing. I've actually got all of next week and some of the following one off work, so that will provide an ideal opportunity for me to have a good think and take some action. It's hard isn't it. I know that quite a lot of you out there aren't exactly in your dream jobs either, but like me, need the required security to pay the mortgage and the bills! But birthdays are an ideal time for you to take stock and make some changes. So we'll see.

I'm also going to York for a few days to see my family. It will be great to see everyone and have a break away from the routine.

Meanwhile, as long as I don't get a birthday cake like the one above, I will be more than happy.

It's all about ME

So. As I was saying, never mind the Irish, 17th March is ALL ABOUT ME!!

Well, I had a fabulous birthday. Got lots of cards from relatives and mates which was very nice indeed. My Mum sent me a Cyberman birthday card which told me I would be deleted it when I opened it (a bit alarming for one's birthday! Still she knows what I like, as last year she sent me a Dalek one - which told me I had to celebrate my birthday or I would be exterminated). I also got the box set of the Second Series of Doctor Who which I am really looking forward to watching - thanks lots, Mum. And best of all, my lovely, lovely hubbie got me a digital camera, which I'd been wanting for ages!! Yaaaay!! Big kisses to Gu. And of course, what better opportunity to christen it by taking lots of photos on my birthday night out, the results of which are below...I love digital cameras, they are sooo excellent and cool!

We went out to a Portguese restaurant near Vauxhall / Stockwell, which did some delicious food, followed by drinks and dancing at The Two Brewers in Clapham, which was great fun. There's always a good atmosphere there and the music is tops. It also helps that I have such lovely mates who are always up for a good time. And at least half of the attendant posse were Brazilian which definitely helped to inject some Latin spirit into the proceedings. I had a totally brilliant time, and, on entering my 39th year have absolutely no intention of slowing down!