thirty-six!

content/post/2021/08/thirty-six.md

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+---
+title: Thirty-Six
+date: 2021-08-26T20:16:00+02:00
+categories:
+    - braindump
+---
+
+I turned thirty-six today. What does that mean? It's one number higher than thirty-five, and I'm definitely [Thirty-Something And Over It](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6421169). It's four years removed from a huge midlife crisis I can clearly see coming and hitting hard. It's not old. But it's not young anymore. 
+
+It's significantly less impressive than the [Super NES that turns thirty this month](https://retronauts.com/article/1779/retronauts-episode-398-the-super-nes-launch). I'm as old as Mario---technically, a month older---but Nintendo purposely makes its iconic character look younger with each generation! After a long hard look in the mirror, it's safe to say that nobody is doing that to me. _It's a me, Wouter-o!_ I hope you don't mind, but I'll skip the jump with my fist up in the air, my back is starting to hurt. Just imagine it. I'll probably curse and say _ouch_ afterwards. Also, the thinning hair looks miserable compared to Mario's luscious curls. Who knows what's behind the hat.
+
+What else might be more interesting than the birthday of a brain baker?
+
+- The Game Boy Advance turned twenty this year (March in US, June in EUR);
+- Thirty-six years ago, French and American divers discovered the Titanic wreck;
+- Thirty-six years ago, the _Bende van Nijvel_ ([Brabant Killers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brabant_killers)) committed an armed robbery that ultimately resulted in sixteen deaths and shocked Belgium for years to come;
+
+Let's continue on a more positive note. While today's activities were far from special, I did get to take the bike for a spin, rummage through a box of Magic cards, read a chapter in David Edding's [Ruby Knight](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/291354), get angry at our new kitten's destructive behavior, baked waffles (using the _quatre-quarts_ formula, Peter!)---did you know cats smell like they raided a bakery afterwards?---and of course, write a short blog post. I tried to keep my inbox closed and failed. I did not buy myself anything: we have too much stuff. Although, come to think of it, I'd like one present: for my wife to also be an avid follower of [The Minimalists](https://www.theminimalists.com/).
+
+Keep on dreaming. Perhaps when I turn thirty-seven?