I turn 39 years old today. Other than that it's also the name of a song on my favorite Queen album (A Night At the Opera, pedants), the number has no resonance for me. I remember that turning 29 came with a greater sense of urgency. "Holy shit," I invariably muttered to myself, "it's my last twenty! I'd better make it count! I'd better become a drug-fancying, thrill-seeking lothario with a casual regard for repercussion with all speed!' Turning 29 was actually worse than turning 30 if only because of the pressure to fulfill all the insouciant irresponsbilities that you're supposed to get out of your system before you cross the perilous rubicon of 30. I remember getting all prepared to be traumatized about reaching my third decade, but when the day itself actually came, I was too busy fretting about something else (specifically that --- just days before -- I'd evidently very drunkenly disclosed to the new girlfriend of a friend of mine my highly questionable theory that her new boyfriend might very well be bi-sexual). By the time I'd ironed out that awkward kerfuffle with the heroically understanding friend in question, the fateful date had already passed. I was 30.
In honor of this birthday, meanwhile, my pal Rob and I trekked out to the ripe-for-demolition Nassau Colliseum last night to witness the triumphant return of our beloved Iron Maiden (on the car ride over, Rob made the sobering assertion that we'd first caught the band live twenty-two freakin' years ago -- and if that makes us sound old, imagine how Iron Maiden must feel!). After some perilous driving through the leafy suburban tributaries of unsuspecting Nassau County (punctuated by ridiculous bouts of strenuous air-guitaring in preparation -- ironically to songs the band would not, as it turned out, go onto play last night), we arrived and joined the throng of paunchy, balding Long Island brick-layers in ill-fitting vintage metal t-shirts. The band hit the stage (and I genuniely mean "hit" -- for all their inherent ludicrousness, the `Maiden boys still take their mission very seriously, and endearingly execute their art with an earnest ferocity). Now, these days, I'm just happy to get out of the house. If I get to run around the corner to buy a carton of milk at 9 pm, that's a big night for me. So, the fact that I was out of the town with one of my best friends having a few beers, let alone seeing one of my old favorite bands, made me feel like I was already in the winner's circle. That all said, `Maiden came on and performed their new album --- in its uber-lengthy entirety, from start to finish, treating the audience to only a fleeting clutch of old favorites ("2 Minutes to Midnight, "Hallowed By Thy Name," "Iron Maiden" among them) at the tail end of the concert. As shows go, their furrowed-brow intensity notwithstanding -- it wasn't that exciting. But like I said, given my current status -- I'm just happy they showed up. More importantly, I got to catch up with an old friend. This morning, I woke up and was treated to a lovely breakfast with my exquisite wife and two giggling children, and I can't think of a better way to start one's birthday.
Meanwhile, here's one of those inane surveys one regularly finds on MySpace that I thought fit the order of the day.
10 YEARS AGO today...
October 13, 1996
How old were you? 29
Where did you go to school? I was well out of school by that point.
Where did you work? the TIME Magazine News Desk
Where did you live? East 12th Street
Where did you hang out? Bars, record stores, bars, live music venues.
How was your hair style? Retarded pompadour
Who were your best friends? They know who they were.
Did you wear glasses? no
Who was your regular-person crush? Don't remember. I was in a crush-free zone there for a while.
How many tattoos did you have? none
How many piercings did you have? none
What car did you drive? I didn't have a driver's license at the time.
What was your worst fear? Not having enough beer in my fridge for the weekend.
Had you been arrested? nope
Had your heart been broken? Oh yes.
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter? Very much single at the time.
********
October 13, 2006
How old are you? 39
Where do you work? A place that is not TIME Magazine
Where do you live? E.9th street
Where do you hang out? Playgrounds (boy, that sounds bad, doesn't it?), baby supply stores, supermarkets
Do you wear glasses? No
What is your hairstyle? Retarded pompadour, only slighter greyer.
Who are your best friends? The same folks.
Still talk to any of your old friends? There are very few people I "don't talk to" anymore (they know who they are).
How many piercings do you have? none
How many tattoos? none
What kind of car do you have? Still no car, but I do have a license now (so look out).
What is your biggest fear? Unemployment, not being able to provide for my family.
Have you been arrested since, if so, how many times times total? Hell, no.
Has your heart been broken? Not at all.
Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter? Very much married. And very happily so.
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