Reflections on turning 0x1F
I turn 0x1F* on Saturday which puts me with one foot squarely in the grave. There's no mistaking it, I'm old. I haven't been this old since I turned 0x1E, nearly a year ago.
I'm officially Sir now. I haven't been "dude"-ed at Blockbuster in at least five years, and the way the kid behind the counter looked at me when I asked for "The Breakfast Club" is still burned into my retina. You'd have thought I was asking for a silent film or something.
I went to Red Robin yesterday, a place I've been happily carded for years, but this time my receding hairline and advancing pooch caused the young greeter to immediately offer me a seat at the bar. I suspect he was right on the edge of helping me to the senior section until I shot a stern old-guy look at him.
I'm pulling gray hairs out of my once Magnum-PI-quality moustache. I'm wondering if I need more fiber in my diet. I'm disappointed when Law & Order is a repeat. I Tivo Oprah. I've said "these young punks" while at the mall. I wonder how parents let their daughters out of the house with their butts hanging out while simultaneously wondering where these chicks were when I was in High School. I watched Napoleon Dynamite with the wife recently and explained (in about 20 minutes) all the different sub-classes of Geek (Dork, Dweeb, Spazz, Stoner, Theater Geek, Computer Nerd, etc) and my standing in the genus. I played Bard's Tale on my C64 emulator recently and wonder why the graphics weren't as good as I remember them being. I started with 128kb and now have 2gig. My watch has more CPU power than my own failing mind.
Yep, it's a milestone, with 0x28 not far beyond, and beyond that, death.
On a related note, this Friday, I will be completely and totally prepared to enter High School. I think I have the tools and emotional maturity now.
* That's 31 in Hex, just an FYI for my cousin Jack, who scored a 13 on the recent Nerd Test. He's "balanced" and goes "outside" and "gets involved with his community." Sheesh.
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
About Newsletter
mearls@hotmail.com (Michael Earls)
(I'm 0x29, but I use NetFlix.)
As someone who is 100101/0x25 years old, I have slightly more in the grave than you do, and I think I am just about prepared to graduate high school. In fact, I sometimes wish I could go back... My 20th high school reunion is this year - I guess that will have to do. :)
Hey, there's always college!
Anyway, happy birthday.
I somehow got to your wedding page and can't watch the videos. Seems as if they are just missing in the directory or the link is not up-to-date anymore.
You're not even 0x20 yet. Stop angsting and start living.
Save the angsting for when you're nearly 0x30 (like me, angst angst).
Bard's Tale. Haven't thought about that game in a long, long time. That was the first computer game I ever bought with my own money; paid $7 for it at the local EB back in 1990.
Speaking of Bard's Tale, what is the password that grants you entrance to the catacombs? Some wizard's name, but I can't remember.
My favorite magic character class was Sorcerer; he could spawn the red dragon for your party, and that thing was a badass. I also remember the RESTore spell; all party members full hp and negate most effects.
Oh, and the last thing about Bard's Tale. I remember having the Stone Knife equipped for one guy in my party, and the occasional message "[CharacterName] attacked stoned [Enemy] with Stone Knife." A stoned enemy. Funny.
Happy slightly belated birthday mate!
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