So, This is 40?

I've passed another milestone, one that to be honest, I was really dreading.  Often times we're categorized not by *who* we are, but *what* we are.  I didn't want being a divorced 40-year old woman with three teenagers to be the sum of my existence. Without the power to turn back the clock, however, it's not like I could change the "40-year old" part and I'm kind of partial to my kids... So what to do?

Celebrate.  All month. With friends who love me just the way I am.

Me & Penny @ The Melting Pot

The Tuesday before my birthday, my friend Penny and I went and saw Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave) in concert at the Fillmore in San Francisco.  Once again, she was a great sport, because she didn't even know who he was when she agreed to go.  (Too much time with "Hair Bands" in the early 90's woman!!) On Friday, I had a wonderful birthday dinner hosted by Penny and her family at the Melting Pot in San Mateo.  Penny has been my "big sister" for so many years and has been my rock I could lean on during the rough times.  I'm grateful every day that I have someone that I can talk about anything and everything with. 

Alicia & Nikki @ Michel Schlumberger

The following Wednesday, I drove up to San Francisco for a couple of days of R&R with my out-of-town girlfriends. We had shopping, noshing, wine-tasting and lots of catching-up to do.  This was the first time all three of us had been together at once and it felt very natural, the way our personalities complement each other.  We had fabulous time in the city, and our wine-tasting experience at D'Argenzio in Santa Rosa and Michel Schlumberger in Healdburg were just amazing.

Sunday I met up with my wingwomen and their husbands for breakfast at Wine & Roses restaurant in Lodi. Both these guys work in the tech industry so I have the best of both worlds: I can girl-out with their wives, then geek-out with them.  How lucky am I?

So that really is the sum of how I'm feeling right now: Lucky. Good friends, good times... a path ahead of me that's mine for the taking and mine for the making.

How does 40 feel then?

Not too shabby - :)