I have it figured out….
I’m going to stop looking like I’m 15 when I’m 40. And then I’m gonna look 50.
Those of you who know me, know I don’t look my age. (Segue: Have you seen that commercial for beauty cream where the lady gets the lie detector test and says “I’m only 28”? Bitch — making 28 look haggard, she was!). During college I was once carded to get the child ticket when I went to a karate match with one of my friends. And I always got the fisheye when I sat in the exit row – I think the minimum age for that is 16. So I’ve been thinking about when am I going to finally look my age? (If I could just manage to have the face and body of a 19 year old, I think this would solve all the above issues).
I think that in about 10 years — and these are going to be 10 hard years, lots of sleepless nights, etc — I’m going to look in the mirror and see a 50 year old. And then I’ll be pissed because I’ll have stopped looking 15. And then I’ll be pissed-er because I won’t even be 40 by then. I have some great role models for looking 40. D at work is somewhere around there and looks fabulous. My mom is…err…older than that and I still think she’s beautiful. My old boss is in her early 40s and, backne (ya know, back-acne) aside, looks good. My new boss is my mom’s age and I told her once that she was mom’s age and I just couldn’t believe it. Yeah, she took it one way when I meant it the OTHER way (hey, I was guessing 60). If I ever have to be that age I sincerely hope I go the way of my mom than of other people.
Ya know, let’s talk about topics that are less likely to get my ass kicked at work tomorrow…let’s talk about writing. I actually wrote 3 entire pages (yeah! Go me! go me! It’s my birthday!) awhile ago, and no, it’s not the transcription of the stuff I wrote in Indiana. Well, not entirely. Anyway, I’ve been thinking about the ending of the book. (I hope to finish it before we get around to having a kid, as another marker of the end of immaturity and the start of something less vapid). The traditional timeline is 10 years from start to end of the relationship and it has always ended with the big D. Perhaps it’s testament to the relative success of my own marriage (so far – one more dirty glass and then we’ll see!) but I really don’t want these characters to end up apart. As the years have passed, some where I write a lot, some where I only think of the plot once in a while, I have put more and more of me – and Gene, too, in some ways – into this and I am not willing to give them an unhappy ending.
:::deleted much nattering about ending ideas:::
Anyway, it’s time to go to the movies….more later, if you’re good!