So really am feeling a bit old. Brought on a bit by a fortieth birthday party, and not helped by the fact it was my own birthday a couple of weeks ago,. This Metafilter post tipped me over the edge. Was Xiao Xiao really back in 2001? I remember seeing it at the time—or at least not long after its emergence (I think this is probably down to Andy Kale but I could be wrong). I’d just started my PhD, a whole new world and experience.

Since then I’ve learned a lot about how hard (and interesting/rewarding) real science is. I’ve been engaged twice (one of those women is still a pretty good friend—life lessons: Sometimes things go wrong; some of those things are you’re fault, some others, some no one’s. It’s not worth fighting over. The other is… well, unavailable—life lessons: Pretty much the same, except so much worse). I’ve got older. I’ve learned (am learning) to actually work, rather than mess around as a student. I’m tired more. Seem to have less time for the interesting things, and less idea of of what those interesting things are.

Anyway, just saying.

Is this what being a grown up is?