As you all know (thank you thank you thank you again for my wonderful celebration!) Saturday was my birthday. Actually, in my family, when you birthday falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, you get the whole weekend. And since Bruce took the day off Monday, my actual celebration stretched across three days. Talk about wonderful pampering…let’s just say the massage table he got me for my birthday was put to very good use again this year!) Plus fabulous meals and fun games and great gifts…it was a terrific weekend. I’m going to be hard-pressed to top it when Bruce has his in March. (A trip to Vegas is in the cards, however. 
)
Anyway, I just thought I’d make it very clear here (anywhere) that despite the number, I am not going gracefully into middle age. Want to see how I spent the weekend before my birthday?
Yes, that’s me, paint-balling! I’d never gone before, but the freight-train # 44 bearing down on me this past weekend wasn’t about to stop me. 
I had a ball! It was freaking cold out and I had actually hurt my leg the previous day while snow-tubing down an ice mountain. (Oh, yeah, did I mention I did that?) One thing I didn’t know–those paint balls HURT when they hit you! I had a couple of big bruises the next day, but it was still well worth it. I can definitely see going again.
So here’s my question–how do you fight going “gracefully” into the next stage of your life? I can’t see myself jumping out of an airplane, but I’m definitely up for some ideas. Any adventures you want to suggest to reminisce about?
Leslie Kelly used to say she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, but then she discovered Nancy Drew books. Being a flashlight-under-the-covers-nose-in-book reader throughout her childhood, she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do as an adult than continue to lose herself in fictional stories. Her real life marriage of 20 years to the man of her dreams is a constant reinforcement that happily-ever-afters really can happen…and that they’re worth writing about. Living in Maryland, Leslie spends her non-writing time laughing a lot with the above-mentioned romance hero and their three daughters. Though an author of more than thirty sexy, contemporary comedies, she has recently branched out to write dark romantic suspense under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish.
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Once Upon A Valentine
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Leslie, I’m glad you had such a great birthday weekend. I’ve never gone paintballing but it sounds like loads of fun…though maybe not in the wintertime.
Hmmm, I’m not the most adventurous person, but one day I would like to give skydiving a try. No bungee-jumping though. Just the thought has me wanting to pass out. And I figure as long as you don’t let yourself feel old, you won’t be…much. Oh and Vegas, I think that would keep you young*g* I can’t wait to go back.
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Sounds like you had a fabulous birthday weekend. I think we’ll institute that rule in this house too!
I’m afraid I’m more than willing to “age gracefully”. Give me a cup of tea, a lovely skein of wool, my laptop and a steamy romance, and I have everything I need.
(A publishing contract would be nice too.) I have NO desire to be adventurous. Heck, cross-country skiing is pushing the envelope for me!!
Have a great day everyone!!!
Lu
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Leslie, Happy Belated Birthday!!!! It sounds like you had a great time. I love the outdoors and would love to try paintballing sometime, it sounds fun, but I think you’re supposed to wear some kind of padding to protect against the bruises.
Ziplinning is somethnig I would love to try. I guess I’m going to get my wish come this Dec. Hubby and I are going on a brand new cruise ship that is going to have a zipline on it, and I’ve already told him I want to try it out. I think it would be great fun. Hopefully I don’t fall off and take a dive into the ocean though.
Have a great day all and those of you who will be experiencing ice and snow the next couple of days, as I will, please be careful out there driving.
Stay warm everyone!!!!!
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I’m glad you had a great birthday, Leslie. I love birthdays.
I’m not the physically adventurous type. My idea of fighting age is by not acting it or thinking about it. Subconsciously I think I’m a dozen years younger than I am, and I don’t say this just because I like to watch cartoons (though, if you saw which cartoons I enjoy you’d now my age right away).
I’ll be 39 in May and I’m pregnant for the first time. The doctors keep reminding me that I’m a high risk pregnancy because of the fact that, I’m having two and my age. My age? What you mean my age? Oh yeah, I’m 38. Forgot about that.
But most of the time (before the pregnancy) I feel like I’m only 28–except for the fact that I have to eat more high fiber foods. Darn that metabolism!
Debbie
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Graceuflly, connotes that I do it with grace. I just kinda meander through the ages. With Husband and Son, I kinda havta do stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I like presents and stuff, I even enjoy my Monster Truck birthday cake.
My grandfather would announce on his 70th birthday that he was in his 71st year. He was proud of every year and didn’t want to be thought of younger.
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I am so impressed that you did that! I have 2 boys that play a lot of paintball, I’ve seen those bruises, no way in hell am I playing paintball. Especially with them. My oldest probably wouldn’t be too bad but my youngest would be out to get me for every “mean” thing I’ve ever done to him! :happy2:
As for my game-plan of fending off middle age, I’m getting into shape. I spent some time with my BFF in Arizona last week (she turned 44 in December) and the conversation went like this:
Her – I’m hiking the Grand Canyon again in March
Me – Is that the same trip you did last year?
Her – Yeah, it’s all women. There’s 6 or 8 of us going
Her Husband – And then we’re hiking Havasu (?sp) in June
Her – Just adults this trip though, we need to check and see if there’s water
Him – yeah, what’s the point of hiking 10 miles with the kids if there’s no water?
Me – What’s the point of hiking 10 miles even if there is water. Isn’t there a pool nearby? :giggler
Now, in all seriousness, I probably won’t ever have the desire to hike 10 miles. Anywhere, ever for any reason. But I’d love to BE ABLE TO if I ever wanted to. Right now, I couldn’t hike a mile. And that’s a sad, pitiful thing. I want to be healthy and in condition that I could play paintball or hike or do any other number of things, if I ever want to.
And on that note…time for me to do my workout! Have a great day, everyone!!
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Leslie, sounds like you had an awesome birthday weekend. I don’t really worry too much about the age thing. I’ll be 38 in October, and my friends and I are all going to Vegas when we turn 40 and Italy when we turn 50. We have set up these big trips so we have something big to look forward to on the mile-stone years(we did New Orleans at 30 might do New York at 45). My only concern with my age is I’m single and would love to have at least one child. Each year does make that harder, but I figure it’s suppose to happen my age won’t get in the way.
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:freezin :biggroanman, we’re supposed to have light snow again (so unusual).
For me, age is just a number, so I don’t stress out about it too much. It bothers hubby more (and he’s a year younger than me, but his whole family has trouble with their age, Me, whatever). Life is what you make it :).
Ziplining sounds like fun….that’s about as ‘adventurous’ as I would get. I wouldn’t even do bunging jumping or anything like that when I was younger (unless I was on “The Amazing Race”, in which case, I realize that I would have to do it on that show….obviously that hasn’t happened, so I am safe).
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I went skydiving on my birthday 2 years ago. It is a little bit scary but It is great fun and a wonderful feeling as you float to earth. I would like to try ziplining on one of my birthdays.
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I’ve hit the peak and I’m careening down the other side of a half-century. I hate roller coasters and want off the ride (though the alternative sucks).
Seriously, though, I’ve mainly given up worrying about aging. Most of my contemporary acquaintances know their plastic surgeons on a first name basis. I can do most physical activities if necessary (bad knees notwithstanding). The main thing is the mental attitude. I don’t FEEL my age in my head. I’ve had internet acquaintances refuse to believe I’m as old as I am. I tease about being Peter Pan and not growing up but in many ways, that’s true.
Oh. And I avoid mirrors.
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My 49th is next month and I have decided I don’t give a dang what my chronological age is anymore. Some days I still feel 29 and others 65.
However, this year I am celebrating me by driving cross country from NY to CA to deliver Daughter’s car to her at college. By myself. I can not wait. 3000 miles of listening to what I want to, stopping to see what I want to see, and eating where I want to eat. And not telling someone else that they need to find me a pit stop! And spending a couple of days in Vegas doing what I want to do. (I still have to see if Nellis AFB will have any transient openings.)
I want to try paintball sometime.I spent lots of time shooting competitively but only at stationary targets. It would be nice to be able to hit a moving one! :grin1:
I hate heights but love to fly in helicopters and am going to go skydiving someday. And learn to drive a motorcycle.
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ev, if you are taking the southern route, let me know! Would love to buy you coffee.
I’ve been a member of a technical search and rescue team. I’ve investigated crime scenes, plane crashes, and fought fires. And I shoot, too. Ya’ll can do all that fun stuff now. Been there, did that, got the tee shirt.
I’ll watch from my comfy chair and 
you on.
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Oh gods Silver we are so much alike it’s scary!
I am thinking of taking the Southern Route since it will be mid-March and her car doesn’t have snow tires on it. I am also going to plot military bases with housing and Elks Lodges into my route so I know where I can stop if I need too.
I would love to stop and have coffee. I will most likely be drinking a lot of it!!
Suggestions on what to see and where to go would be awesome from anyone! I have only driven to florida (as a kid) and never done anything like this before. I just can’t wait!
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It’s funny, I think a lot of us feel the same way…I don’t feel my age. It is a number that, when I was 20, seemed an absolute lifetime away. Yet being here, I mentally feel like the same person I was at 20, and I’m sometimes half-expecting that girl to be staring back at me in the mirror.
But I really don’t mind the middle aged one I see.
Oh, but what I wouldn’t give to have her strong, uninjured lower back…
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It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday weekend, Leslie. I’m so glad.
I turned 53 on Jan 14 and as far as adventurous, I’m not a really an adventurous person. That said, I am competitive and if somebody dared me to do something–as long as it didn’t involve heights–I’d probably try to do it. At the moment I’m itching to take up a sport like tennis or something but my husband is more cautious. He’s afraid I’ll injure a joint which wouldn’t be a good thing since I have RA. But still, I’d like to try. At the moment the most adventurous I would get would be snowshoeing. Racing go-carts might be fun. I do stay in shape with the treadmill everyday, ab crunches and some yoga.
Have a great day all,
Cher
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ev, it depends on what you want to see and do. There’s a lot around here. I’m just off I-40, one of the main E-W southerly routes, though I-10 is even further south. Mid-March travel can be chancy, as you well know. You can email me at silverjames @ swbell. net (You know the delete the spaces trick.) We’ll talk.
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Leslie, age is a state of mind. My only suggestion would be to keep being you & doing whatever you want to enjoy life. To me you are young, I am 68 & still going!! I don’t feel much different that I did 10 or 20 years ago. Every once in a while something happens that makes me stop & admit I am 68!! It sounds like your birthday weekend was a lot of fun, just as it should be. Stay as healthy as possible, that does help, keep active, eat right but enjoy an indulgence when you want.
Ev, your trip sounds marvelous. I have been traveling by myself for a long time, but not across country! I love it for all the reasons you mention, stopping when I want, as often as I want, where I want. The only drawback is that there are times it would be nice to share some things with a friend as it just makes it more fun!
I went shopping at eHarlequin last night, got carried away bought all the Plotmonkey books they had that I hadn’t already bought!! Can’t wait for that package to come!!
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Well, so far my resistance of going into the next stage of life has just taken the form of never leaving school. I finished my MA in English Lit last May and am enrolled in the first class for my MS in Software Engineering. Along with that, I haven’t stopped playing volleyball either. I’m currently on two different teams and play two nights a week.
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Man, Silver, if I’d know you years ago how convenient that would have been!! I lost track of the number of times I’ve driven I-40 back and forth from Ohio to Arizona (and vice-versa). Sometimes I’d switch it up and take I-10, just to have a different view, but most of the time it was 40 all the way.
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Sounds like you had a great weekend!
I’m not fighting it—I’m just going—into the latter part of my sixth decade.
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You are a brave and amazing woman, Les! :giggler
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Anytime you come through, Alannah, let me know! I might not have a bed but I can sure treat to coffee, conversation, homecooked meal or dinner out! The DD’s fiance is currently occupying the guest room (yes, ANOTHER long story –
) which is why I can’t offer a place to sleep.