Since we're not getting any younger

[Nuclear Wessel]

Last year they put in a fitness center here at work. Everyone over 40 who wanted to use it had to get a physical first!! I was insulted.

They gave us coupons to get a free physical at the med station here at work, so the physical was obviously insurance company red tape. Sure enough, they checked me out and informed me everything - blood pressure, cholesterol, etc - is normal!

So, what I don't like about being 5 months away from 43:

1.) Hair loss. I noticed that starting ON MY 30TH BIRTHDAY!! Happy birthday to me! Some way to start a new decade. And hand in hand with that...

2.) Becoming invisible to ladies, especially like Badger said, those under 30. That is seriously scary if you're still single and losing your looks! But I dated a real nice girl in my mid 30's, very hot, and then another real nice girl, who was only in her late 20's and also hot, about the time I turned 40. I remember my 40th. I celebrated at one of my band's gigs, and the GF brought subs, balloons, and cake. I thought "If this is midlife crisis, bring it on!!!". I'm with a really sweet lady, my age, now (she's gonna celebrate her 40th this August - I better start planning something) and this relationship might actually end up working out and I can see us growing old together.

Thankfully other than looking a little more like a middle aged man instead of a young punk, my health is good, the plumbing works fine, and I'm playing as well as ever. I don't have the time to practice speed picking shred licks these days, but the days when I did that are still paying off and I'm playing with a better sense of melody and taste.

I've written a bunch of original tunes and still wanna record a few independently released CD's before I hang up the guitar for good. Studio recording technology is just now getting to where it's practical and affordable to get a pro sounding recording from your home studio, and the internet offers all sorts of new ways to make your music available for people to listen to, so the time for writing and recording original music has never been better.

[devastone]

Wow, I'm 41 and not that bad, yet. The grey hair thing is annoying, but I still have most of it, a little weird on the hairline but not bad yet (I hope). The ear/nose thing is greatly annoying, my grandfather, who just passed away, had some furry lobes. I have to shave trim mine every day or tow. I gotta try the wife's electrolysis thingy.

I hope most of you (us) guys are married, we won't be gettin' any dates off of this board

[JohnnyB]

I think everybody loses something and keeps something. I remember at my 20-yr high school reunion, there were skinny guys who got fat and fat guys who'd gotten skinny. Seems like a preponderance of the latter had also gone bald.

I was one of the ones with a full head of original-colored hair but about 40 lbs. heavier than when they last saw me.

Now at 52 the biggest problem is creakiness. I have collapsing disks in my spine. I take MSM/Glucosamine/Chondritin twice daily for that plus Aleve on occasion.

A weird thing about the creakiness though, when I was about 40 I really got it bad in my ankles/legs upon waking; I'd be really immobile until I worked 'em awhile -- just like you early 40's guys described. But I haven't had that creakiness problem in 8 years or more.

And I still have a full head of hair with some subtle greying at the edges.

But I still weigh too much.