This is 42

On August 25th, I turned 42. Based on the sheer amount of time it took for me to write about it (2 weeks, for those who are not great at math), you can tell how much it didn’t affect me. I mean, 42 is a big deal for geeks, and I still identify as one: I recently found out that a 24-year old colleague of mine didn’t know about Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and immediately reported him to HR. We work for a tech company, these are things you have to know…

Anyway, apart from the fun reference, not much has actually changed between 41 and 42. My last big milestone — 40, in case you were wondering — was arguably a bigger one: I became a father for the first time in my 40th year. Some might say that’s the biggest change that can happen to a person — and they might be right. To be clear, I haven’t slept in once since our daughter was born. Although Sophia has a tendency to wake up late, which means we usually sleep till 9am on weekends. Yay.

Nothing of the sort this time around: I just have a little more grey hair, some will say way more (see: daughter-related sleeplessness). And my back is hurting a little more. And my eyesight keeps deteriorating, to the point where I should really see an eye doctor about it, for the first time in 15 years… but I just can’t be bothered, because of said back pain. That’s my official excuse. That and the fact that I don’t even have an eye doctor anymore: he retired.

Now, this is not the end of the story. I may be ageing — ancient, even, by my daughter’s standards — but I’m not dead yet. My birthday present to myself (or, rather, my wife’s, based on the Amazon link I sent her) was a pair of 20kg dumbbells. Because the 15kgs I had been using were not doing the trick anymore. At least for some exercises. On a good day. When the sun is up. And I drank my water. The point is I’m still exercising. And I’m actually very near my all time physical best.

Which should tell you everything you need to know about my daily routines in the 2000’s…