By David Himmel

• You want to master disappointment? Keep getting older.

• Ordered a bloody mary. Asked for ID. Told the server I was 40. Her jaw dropped. That feels nice.

• Beginning one’s birthday floating on one’s back in the Gulf of Mexico is a good start.

• The best part about having a birthday as a married man is that for twenty-four hours, you’re 100 percent guaranteed that your wife won’t look at you like you’re a stupid idiot. It’s the best gift any happily married man can receive.

• The Facebook well wishes are nice. But the cards and the calls are really what makes a man feel loved, and make for a nice reminder that the space he takes up on this planet is not in vain.

• I’m just glad I’m old enough to rent a car.