43

Tomorrow I will be 43 years old - I can't believe I'm that old. I thought I would have it all figured out by now. Actually, what's more meaningful to me is it's ten years since my annus horribilis (2 'n's people), the (hopefully) worst year of my life. I've been thinking about it a lot recently, and I'm still not really over it. Here's what I learned that year:

It's far lonelier to be in a bad relationship than to be on your own

When you catch your spouse with anti-nausea medication and pills for the DTs, they ain't for acid reflux

Always check the MIDDLE of your check book for missing checks

If you haven't received your tax refund by August, chances are it's already coursed through someone's veins

If someone you work with pursues you manically, even though you are going through seperation hell with a baby, RUN!!! You're not that wonderful - they're just that desperate.

Sometimes, you are better off never knowing the gruesome details, especially when they involve one or more of the following: infant son, illicit drugs, your money, bad parts of LA

Anyway, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why I am so close to my son, and why I'm so conflicted about the idea of a committed relationship. I hope this will change at some point, but I haven't really had a compelling reason to so far, other than friends nagging me that I should date or try and meet someone. Mykull and I have decided that, should that day come, my match.com profile should be 'Overweight, immigrant single mother'. That'll reel 'em in.

This is a fun quiz. Apparently, I think in a stereotypically feminine way - that is, can't read maps or manipulate objects spacially, but can read faces and empathize. Not only that, but my scores are very high on the girly stuff. I'm sort of bummed about it, to be honest, which is probably also a feminine thing, to value masculine traits more than feminine.

Speaking of feminine, check out this attempt to help the environment. I can't say I've ever been aware of my breasts being cold, ever. My arms, my legs, my midsection (especially since I'm 5' 10" and most of it is in my torso, thus tops are never long enough), and sometimes my ass if I sit on a wall or something, but never, ever my boobs (which make handy earmuffs if you're that way inclined).

Anyway, here are some famous people who share my birthday who seem way more Scorpionic than I (Chris Noth, Gerard Butler, Jean Seberg). Some pretty damn good looking company.