Here Comes 40....

Howdy, Teens!

Been a while since the blog has seen any action, so I figured let me throw something together here for the LAST TIME in my Thirties...holy shit, right??

By the way, to whatever douchebag snuck into my account and deleted my pre-existing blogs, I hope your mother gets hit by a gasoline truck.
And now, I'll just continue on here....

What a decade this has been for me! I honestly can't even remember what I was doing on my 30th birthday. In September of 2000, I was already married for a few months, things were pretty good to my recollection. I think I was working at a computer programming/learning center type place teaching people how to use Microsoft Word and other programs that for the most part I have all but forgotten about (MACs rule!!). I have to say that not too much really stands out as an "indelible memory" from being 30...hopefully turning 40 will bring me more than the requisite "Over The Hill" remarks, which I don't even subscribe to. I refuse to grow up entirely, and anyone who knows me at all will confirm that the likelihood of that happening to me is slim to none! :)
The past ten years have brought a lot of things into my life, and a lot of things have also left it: A marriage, a divorce, 9/11, relationships that come, others that go, new jobs, new career paths...like the one I'm currently on and am totally enjoying thanks to my uncle Mike's motivation and sadly also because of the death of my grandfather in 2005, making new friends, finding old ones thanks to this friggin' Facebook phenomenon, losing other friends, iPods, flatscreen TVs, new drums, an awesome Challenger, my best friend's wedding, my brother's wedding, my brother's daughter, a new pistol, Robert Schimmel, Robert Kelly, 3D Audio Environments, Jessica, Cathy, Jessica again, Tracy, Jessica again, the loss of Mike Perry, the brother and sisterhood of my job, San Diego Comic-Con, a new apartment, dinner with Richard Dreyfuss, the heartbreak of losing Christopher and Dana Reeve, Chickenfoot, a TempurPedic bed, Halloween and Friday the 13th movie remakes, Bluetooth devices, CSI: Miami, Family Guy, my first lifesaving award, a full-on kiss on the mouth from Linda Hamilton, my first trip to Hawaii, becoming friends with the sister of an Army soldier whose Vietnam POW/MIA bracelet I've had for years...she found me online through a virtual tribute website..., my own timeshare on Martha's Vineyard, battling a huge fire in White Plains, Blu-Ray DVDs, Teagan Presley, Yankee Candle's Sun & Sand scent, Law & Order: SVU, Jessica again, meeting Sir Roger Moore, Cheech & Chong, Yancy Butler, Rosario Dawson, William Shatner, Gene Simmons, Adam West, Val Kilmer, Billy Dee Williams and a slew of others...
...and the list goes on.

I'm excited to be starting this new decade off on a really "up" note. I have been working my job for five years next month...far beyond what I would call a "milestone" for me, since anything beyond 10 months was pretty much the record. I work with some of the coolest and professional people around--of course, with a few exceptions, and you know who you are!! :)
I never LIKED my job until I found this one, so I'm pretty lucky to have finally hit something of a stride. I'm due for a raise next month, so let's do the right thing, huh??
I've met a few really good people at the job, who have turned into really good friends as well, and despite my standard practice of not having too many friends, I'm glad for the ones I've made and continue to cultivate relationships with.
Outside the job, my personal life has had its peaks and valleys as well, and as great as the peaks are, those friggin' valleys suck balls...and again, I have a pretty solid network of people who have, without question and without fail, been at my side to make sure I come out the other end of the situation with as few scars on me as possible. I could list names, and give the free plugs as I love to do, but those individuals know who they are and why I put so much stock in them as friends and as people, so saying more than that is simply redundant. A.T.A.C.: White Plains is rockin' the city, my BFAMs, my Critter and the handful of other characters who I love with all my heart...and by the way, even though some of those people are guys, it's totally a non-gay kinda love, lest you think I was going down a road of taboo-ness...

There's no witty pictures to insert here, no exciting anecdotes to bring to your attention, just me being me, and while I sit here pondering whether or not it will truly be a "Happy Birthday" (for any number of reasons, including sadly, that I have to work all day), I actually have already begun to enjoy it even before the clock strikes midnight, and it becomes September 21st (and for those of you keeping track, I was born at 11:16pm in St. john's Hospital in Burbank, CA). Why have I already begun to smile at 40, you might ask?
Because I'm NOT "over the hill", I don't mind the grays in my hair and my goatee (it adds character, and it worked for Clooney!), I have a my health, a good job, good friends and a great family around me, I enjoy the occasional can of Mr. Pibb courtesy of my work wife, Sharina, who brings it to me from Virgina, I have a few people who unquestionably are my "best friends", and I have learned that as long as you keep some sunshine on your face, you can never be totally beaten down by anything bad that comes your way...and believe me, I've had a fair share of that shit in the past 10 years...hell, I've had enough of that in the past 5 or so MONTHS to know it's not always butterflies, mai-tais and Yahtzee, but you know what???
I'm fuckin' ALIVE, I'm doing what I want, I'm spending time with the people who matter to me, I've got a bottle of Cabo Wabo tequila nearby, the music's cranked up, today was a good day and birthday or not, tomorrow is a gift.

Let's see what 40's got for me...I've seen a few of you 40-something year olds, and I don't sweat you!!! So now who do I have to sleep with to get my membership card stamped??

For the last time as a Thrity-something, this is your pal JonnyB reminding you to RIDE THE BIG ONE...even at 40!! Hell Yeah!!