Oh hello Sexy Beast  Yes, that is the name I’m giving my Midlife Crisis and it materialized in the form of a sleek black BMW Z4 Roadster.   I haven’t even LIKED driving since the Subaru was totaled a few years ago.  And spending my hard-earned money impulsively when my motto is: Save ’till It Hurts?  No. Way.  Then my totally impractical and beautiful Sexy Beast appeared on the Sell/Buy company internal site and I was a goner.  SOLD!

And for those smart asses that might be thinking “She’s a little past the midlife stage” may I remind you that the women in my family live a very, very long life.  Grandma Hannah was 99 and still living on her own and my mom is kicking it strong at soon-to-be 91 so, yes, I’m still somewhat midlife right now.  In my mind.  Shut up.

Why a midlife crisis now?  Over the long winter months, I started a new job, which I love but, let’s face it, all new jobs are stressful.  Health issues challenged me from a freaky frozen shoulder that has lasted now almost a year and shingles on my head which, believe me, was just as awful as you would think that would be.  Getting old SUCKS.  Totally.  After years of not even knowing what my natural hair color was other than I knew I had skunk-like streaks of white (thanks Mom!) and dark (thanks Dad!), I ripped off the band aid so to speak after a strong Old Fashioned cocktail and took my still recovering head to the barber and told him to shave (#4) it off.  Every follicle on my head hurt from the shingles and there was absolutely no way I was going to layer toxic chemicals on top of it so off it went onto the floor and I’ll be going au natural from now on.   Ahhhh….relief.  After the initial shock, I’m now liking it.  I’ve been told it looks badass, sassy and fierce.  Yep, that’s me.  And-bonus-it only costs $10 for a buzz cut.  Now I can afford gas, a parking space and insurance.  Winning!

Now, let the fun begin.  The shoulder is slowly but surely unfreezing and the shingles, after two rounds of meds, have healed.  Time to hit the road and see the Pacific Northwest in our Sexy Beast!

In the three days we have owned SB, the weather has been amazing and we have visited new pockets of Seattle including the largest beach we have ever seen in Seattle just north of Ballard, Golden Gardens.  There were THOUSANDS of people there on a abnormally warm and sunny Monday evening.  Who knew?  I can’t wait to take Mia there and let her run in the sand.  Next night we roared around the curves in Magnolia admiring the fancy view homes and then swung downtown to walk Pier 66 where we happened upon the Clipper Round The World racing yachts.  The Danang Vietnam boat had just docked after 35 days at sea where they suffered severe damage.  We welcomed the crew gathered on the dock to Seattle and can’t wait to tour their boat when it opens to the public on Saturday. 

Next, it was off to Madison Park to watch the moon rise over the Eastside and chill with the geese on the beach.  Mia will enjoy the park there that is just made for 2-year olds with slides and swings galore.  Such great restaurants and bars there with lots of outdoor seating just made for warm summer nights.  The ride over Capital Hill to get there was fast and furious with Thom at the wheel.  I’m betting a speeding ticket is in his future.  He is loving this car and is so supportive of my midlife crisis, which is much easier to support when it includes a sporty two-seater.  YOLO!