Turned 40! Got Fired!

It's a mixed bag really.I mean the birthday part is nice. Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me! I'm REALLY happy to be 40 -- i love feeling like i finally get to play in the big leagues. Plus, my GF and CP and Big Girl all conspired to whisk me away to a birthday breakfast this morning which was beyond sweet and I got THE BEST B-Day card EVER from the Big Girl after which i pretty much lounged around all day so.... all really very nice and none of which would have been possible had i still been at THAT place but still. Sucks to get fired even if you know it's coming. Also sucks to have not quite as much of a "buffer" cash-wise as you'd like but c'est la vie. I got to leave when i wanted instead of waiting for those idiots to decide I was no longer of any use to them and I got to have the world's best birthday nap and I just got an e-mail from my dissertation committee wondering if I'm available to have my final proposal hearing "this week or next" so.... again, can't really argue with the timing. Or with how good it feels to not have to drive two hours both ways just to get picked on for dumb stuff. Or with how shocked/concerned/mad everyone seemed to be -- ending with me getting lots of references and recommendations and stuff. Upshot = I think this thing accomplished what it could (got me employed again/through the holidays/more contacts "in the biz"/a coupla fat bonuses) but I still have to say it feels really good to be done with that place.