November 26, 2007

Thirty-ten


You know, I can't complain too much about this birthday. I mean, this is the year my book comes out, after all, plus I'm still alive, having managed to avoid eating or drinking myself to death or being killed by internet stalkers. My hair is graying a little and thinning a little, but not too much of either.

Still, though.

37 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:39 AM

    I am twenty-ten and that felt like a big one. Happy Birthday, Rob. It seems you have a good life goin' there. Nothing a little hair change can take from you...

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  2. Anonymous1:28 AM

    People can quit calling you 'childish' and start calling you 'eccentric'. And you don't have to change! ~ Words of wisdom from the other side of thirty-twenty! Happy birthday!

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  3. Starting at about 35, I began mentally preparing for the big one, but what I didn't anticipate was the thirty-ten minus one. When that rolled around, I thought, my god, I'm Jack Benny's age! Spent a whole year being depressed and was actually glad to see the next birthday show up. (And if you're not old enough to remember Jack Benny, you ain't old enough to worry...yet.)

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  4. With five years to go to thirty-ten, I'm wondering if I'll be accepting, fatalistic or happy about it. Let's hope I can retain my humour about the impending hair loss (and I'm not even a guy).

    Happy thirty-ten, Rob! You have a wonderful family. I can only hope to be so lucky in five years.

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  5. Anonymous6:58 AM

    Happy Birthday, Rob.

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  6. Anonymous7:23 AM

    Think of it as 20-20, which is perfect. It will sting less. Speaking from the far side of 50, I can tell you that some day you will look back on your angst about this day and say to yourself, "What was I thinking?"

    Happy Birthday, Rob!

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  7. Happy Birthday, Rob!!

    Thirty-ten looks good on you!

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  8. Happy Birthday, Rob!! :)

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  9. Anonymous8:18 AM

    Happy Birthday!

    Just think of today as the first of many significant birthdays. Thirty-ten, thirty-twenty, thirty-thirty and so on....

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  10. I'm 41, and I understand completely. It's actually sort of cool, though -- you're old enough to yell at those damn kids to get off your lawn, and when someone addresses you as Mr./Ms. X, you don't automatically look around for your father or mother-in-law.

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  11. Anonymous9:12 AM

    well, since i'm 31 and 31 is the new 21, i'm pretty sure thirty-ten is really just the new 30.

    happy birthday!
    ~audra

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  12. I did thirty already. I don't remember it hurting this much to get out of bed at thirty...

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  13. Anonymous9:25 AM

    Happy Birthday, Rob! It will be a great year.

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  14. Anonymous9:37 AM

    30-ten sounds like a perfect way to put it! Happy Birthday.

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  15. Thirty-ten is really the new thirty. Or whatever. In my case, it seems to be the new ... 12?

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  16. Happy Birthday Rob!!

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  17. Happy Birthday Rob! Hopefully it isn't too bad!

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  18. I am 3 score and nearly 5. Don't complain to me!

    But do have a wonderful birthday.

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  19. Anonymous12:36 PM

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY...AND MAY YOU HAVE MANY MORE, FANCY PANTS WRITER MAN!!

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  20. Gawd...to be 40 again. And know what I know now. Which isn't much but still. More. Than. Then.

    I hate thinking I could be your mother.

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  21. Happy Birthday, Rob. From someone working through forty - dozen.

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  22. This is the age when you start applying heat to everything.

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  23. Anonymous5:01 PM

    Happy birthday from one of your internet stalkers! (who is also 30-10).

    Speaking of stalking, are you going to do a signing in Chicago?

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  24. Happy birthday! I will be thrilled if I'm as accomplished as you by the time I'm 40. Those pants are pretty fancy on you.

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  25. Anonymous5:08 PM

    Welcome to the dark side.
    It's not that bad really; I dreaded turning thirty-ten for months, then once it was over....meh. The three subsequent birthdays haven't bothered me either.
    There's something about the thought of turning 45 though.....it's a fast slide downhill from there to 50.

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  26. Happy Thirty-Tenth Birthday! =D

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  27. Happy Birthday! Welcome to the decade of being able to predict the weather by how much your knees ache.

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  28. Welcome to the decade of being able to predict the weather by how much your knees ache.

    By that standard, I can predict that it's going to be cold and rainy for the rest of my life...

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  29. Rob

    Happy birthday, sorry it's a little late.

    I've got you beat by a decade. My thirty-tenth years were the best so far. And I'm looking forward to the new decade with a lot of excitement and anticipation.

    Of course, at thirty-ten you probably can't really get that excited any more, might be bad for you. :-)

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  30. Ooohh, Happy Birthday! Try not to let the 30-tens get you down!

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  31. Happy Birthday, Rob.

    Thank you so very much for writing, and for putting that writing out there for us to devour.

    Very best wishes!

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  32. Anonymous6:51 AM

    I know that this might not be of any comfort to you butI am now 61 and I still say my 40's were the best decade of my life. Many of my friends agree with me.

    You have a much better knowledge of who you are and what you want and need. Despite what you think today, you are still young and have many more life skills now than you have had in the past.

    I think you might be surprised how rich this decade of your life will be. Enjoy

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  33. Anonymous9:25 AM

    With every year, you're more aware of how little you know, and thus you become smarter. That's what I tell myself as I stand there trying to remember my PIN number.

    Happy birthday, sir.

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  34. Anonymous3:28 PM

    ... some day you will look back on your angst about this day and say to yourself, "What was I thinking?"

    And your next thoughts will be, in order, "Who am I? Are these my pants? And why are they on backwards?"

    Best wishes for many more grand years ahead, Mr. Writer Man With Fanciest Of Pants. Don't go breakin' a hip.

    Lurve from Tennessee,

    grande "FORTYsomething, dammit!"fille

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  35. Happy belated, I'm only a few years behind myself.

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  36. Oh no!!! ...I falling behind(on my Stalking) I missed your Birthday ...

    Did you get everything you wished for when you blew out all 40 Candles?

    Or did the Plano fire department have to come out and help?

    At 31 (almost 32) with an 11 year old, I feel like I am 40, too.

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